Abstract: A direct injection engine of sparking ignition type has a catalyst in an exhaust passage and a fuel injection valve for directly spraying fuel into a combustion chamber. An ECU for controlling the engine is provided with a setter and an air-fuel ratio controller. The setter sets an enriched region where an air-fuel ratio is smaller than a stoichimetric air-fuel ratio in a high engine speed and load area of an operating region of the engine, a stoichimetric air-fuel ratio region where the air-fuel ratio is equal to the stoichimetric air-fuel ratio in an area of the operating region of the engine having lower engine speed or load than the enriched region, and a lean region where the air-fuel ratio is larger than the stoichimetric air-fuel ratio between the stoichimetric air-fuel ratio region and the enriched region. The air-fuel ratio controller controls the air-fuel ratio based on the setting by the setter.