Administrative divisions of the Arab Union

The Union of Arab Republics (UAR; informally the Arab Union) uses a three-tier system of administrative divisions. The first administrative tier is the national level, consisting of the federal government which is responsible for the nation as a whole.

Because the Arab Union is a federation, the second tier consists of the 20 federated states which make up the union, formally termed republics. Each republic has its own elected government which is responsible for the majority of domestic affairs within the republic, with the federal government concerning itself primarily with foreign and related affairs (such as defence and international diplomacy) as well as matters affecting the union as a whole.

Below the republican level are the municipalities, which form the third and lowest administrative tier. Each republic is divided into multiple municipalities, each typically centred on a populated settlement but often including surrounding suburban, rural and/or natural areas; municipalities together encompass the whole of their republic, meaning no part of a republic is located outside of a particular municipality. Medium to large cities usually constitute a single municipality, with larger cities' outskirts and/or suburbs often part of separate surrounding municipalities, while smaller towns and villages often share a single municipality with other towns/villages and/or the surrounding rural/natural landscape. Each municipality has its own locally elected government known as a municipal council, which manages all matters of public administration not handled by the republican governments or the federal government.

The only exception to the above three-tiered system is the federal capital of Nasser City: While organised as a single municipality, Nasser City does not form part of any republic, meaning that its municipal council is directly below the federal level of government. While this does not afford the capital any special privileges per se, the fact that Nasser City does not come under the jurisdiction of a republican government means that its council is responsible not only for municipal- but also republican-level administration. For example, in Nasser City the local police are employed directly by the municipality, while all other municipalities in the Arab Union are policed by a law enforcement agency commissioned by the respective republican government.