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This study reviews available guidelines and assessment methods for daylight performance for office buildings in Egypt to propose a Unified design guideline (UDG). Relevant literature studies are analysed, e.g. the local code for ‘improving energy efficiency for commercial buildings’ as well as a number of green building rating systems such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and The Green Pyramid Rating system. The UDG was tested for two local case studies using building simulation; a non-LEED building complying with a set of limited guiding principles of the local code, and a LEED-certified building with an additional set of guidelines, and compliance path using building simulation. The comparison showed that the integration of both prescriptive and performance-based guidelines and measurement criteria is necessary to develop the UDG tailored to address the particular requirements of office buildings in terms of daylight performance in similar climates.