President endorses new UAE Cabinet presented by Mohammad

President endorses new UAE Cabinet presented by Mohammad

By Samir Salama, Associate Editor, Ahmed A. Elewa, and Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporters GULF NEWS

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: A major reshuffle of the UAE Cabinet was announced on Sunday, bringing in seven new faces to the federal government and raising the number of female ministers from two to four.

President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan endorsed the new Cabinet presented by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Shaikh Khalifa wished the new cabinet members success, WAM stated. He also thanked the outgoing members for their efforts during their tenure.

The Cabinet, headed by Shaikh Mohammad, was expanded to 24 from 22 ministers and three state ministries were created.

The move is aimed at "supporting the flexibility of the government, and its ability to respond rapidly to the needs of development," Shaikh Mohammad said.

In the reshuffle, the first since Shaikh Mohammad took over as Prime Minister two years ago, a new portfolio for foreign trade has been created.

All key ministers, including defence, interior, foreign affairs and energy have retained their portfolios.

Meanwhile, Industrial Affairs in the former Ministry of Finance and Industry has been moved to the Ministry of Economy.

The Ministry of State for Cabinet Affairs has become a full-fledged ministry to which the former Government Sector Development Ministry was added.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs will retain his portfolio as State Minister for Federal National Council (FNC) Affairs.

Five ministers have left. Mohammad Bin Nakhira Al Daheri, Minister of Justice, was replaced by Hadef Bin Jua'an Al Daheri.

Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, new Minister of State for Financial Affairs, takes over from Dr Mohammad Khalfan Bin Kharbash.

New members

Saqr Gobash, new Minister of Labour, takes over from Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi. Mohammad Hussain Al Sha'ali, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, was replaced by Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash and Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, has replaced Dr Mohammad Saeed Al Kindi.

The three other new faces, who become Ministers of State, are Maitha Salem Al Shamsi, Khalifa Bakheet Al Falasi and Reem Ebrahim Al Hashemi.

"We want an up-to-date government, an efficient and modern administration, operating in full transparency in the spirit of a harmonised single team seeking the enhancement of productivity, while enjoying the highest possible efficiency and vitality to run the various utilities in the country," WAM quoted Shaikh Mohammad as saying.

He said the changes came as a result of the Federal Government Strategy. "The institutional framework has been changed with the aim of supporting the flexibility and speed of government response, especially with the implementation of the strategies assigned to it," he added.

"This will help materialise the vision of the enlightened leadership to rank it as a leading government in the region."

Following in the full list of Cabinet members, headed by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Defence:

1) Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister
2) Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy Prime Minister
3) Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Finance
4) Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior
5) Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs.
6) Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
7) Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
8) Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Public Works.
9) Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Foreign Trade.
10) Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs.
11) Mohammad Bin Dhaen Al Hamli, Minister of Energy.
12) Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri , Minister of Economy.
13) Mariam Al Roumi, Minister of Social Affairs.
14) Dr Hanif Hassan Ali, Minister of Education.
15) Humaid Mohammad Obaid Al Qattami, Minister of Health. 16) Abdul Rehman Al Owais, Minister of Culture.
17) Dr Hadef Bin Jua’an Al Dhaheri, Minister of Justice.
18) Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water.
19) Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Labour.
20) Dr Mohammad Anwar Gargash , Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
21) Obaid Humaid Al Tayer , Minister of State for Financial Affairs.
22) Dr Maitha Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State.
23) Dr Khalifa Bakhit Al Falasi, Minister of State.
24) Reem Ebrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State.