Egyptian government: new Cabinet reshuffle

Egypt's new Cabinet members during the official
ceremony
(Image: Al Ahram Online)

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has issued a Presidential decree about Cabinet of Ministers reshuffle, what was declared on Thursday, 5 March. It was the first government’s reshuffle taken place since Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has sworn in as a President.

Six ministers were replaced as a result of the new Cabinet reshuffle, while two new ministerial positions were added as well: Ministry of population and Ministry of Technical Education.

The new ministers have sworn in during the official ceremony held on Thursday, 5 March.

Thus, among the replaced ministers are Minister of Interior, Minister of Tourism, Minister of Communication, Minister of Education, Minister of Culture and Minister of Agriculture, while the positions of Minister of Technical Education and Teaching and Minister of Population were added by President.

Egypt’s previous Minister of Interior, Mohamed Ibrahim, was replaced by Magdy Abdel Ghaffar, born in Egyptian city of Menoufiya and graduated from police academy, who was the first appointed Head of Egypt’s National Security Apparatus after January 25 Revolution in 2011. Magdy Abdel Ghaffar retired later in 2011 after reaching an official retirement age but then came back to the governmental work after he was appointed as Egypt’s new Minister of Interior by Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Magdy Abdel Ghaffar was famous for his statements about an importance and necessity of forming of the National Security Apparatus and for his statements about “some violations against Egyptian citizens” committed by regime of Egypt’s long standing President Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown as a result of January 25 Revolution in 2011.

Another ministerial position has experienced changes, as Egypt’s Minister of Tourism Hisham Zazou was replaced by Khaled Ramy during the new Cabinet’s reshuffle. Khaled Ramy as an engineer, but he made carrier in touristic field back in 1980s. He worked as a tourist guide in several Egyptian cities and later he has got the position of a tourism attaché in the Embassy of Egypt in Austria, Vienna. In the late 1990s and early 2000s Khaled Ramy worked on different positions in Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism, and the current appointment is the first case in Egypt when the Minister of Tourism was chosen from Egyptian Tourism authority.

Egypt’s Ministry of Education has also a new Minister, as Mahmoud Abu El-Nasr was replaced now by Moheb Al-Rafeey, who was an executive chairman of the authority of adult education in Egypt before this appointment. Moheb Al-Rafeey graduated from the University of Zagazig and is a professor of environmental education and media in the environmental studies and research department of Cairo Ain Shams University. His aim as a new Minister of Education is improving of Egyptian curriculum and educational system.

Among the other key ministerial changes is also Ministry of Culture, where the previous Minister of Culture Gaber Asfour was replaced by Abdel Wahad Al-Nabawy, who was the Head of Egypt’s National Library and Archives since 2010. He is a professor of history at Cairo Al-Azhar University and a professor of contemporary history at the University of Qatar (2008-2010).

Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture, Adel Al-Beltagy, was replaced by Salah Ed-Deen Mahmoud, who worked as a Head of one of the offices at Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture since 2013. He graduated from Al-Azhar agricultural University and was also the head of the central administration agricultural research center in 2011.

Minister of Communication was also replaced as a result of the latest Cabinet’s reshuffle. The previous Minister of Communication Atef Helmy was replaced by Khaled Ali Negm, who was the Head of Egypt’s Post Authority since 2014. Khaled Ali Negm graduated from Cairo Ain Shams University and is a PhD in elementary particle physics theory in Ain Shams University as well. He also worked as a technical director of an IBM branch in Egypt and Middle East.

Among other changes in the government there are also two new positions: Minister of Population and Minister of Technical Education and Teaching.

Mohamed Youssef was appointed as a new Minister of Technical Education and Teaching. He graduated from Cairo University and obtained later his master degree in management in London, UK. He worked previously as a deputy of the minister of education and head of technical education sector at the ministry as well. In addition to that Mohamed Youssef also worked at the roads and bridges department of the Arab Constructors Company before.

Another new position in the government if Minister of Population. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has appointed Hala Youssef as a Minister of Population. Hala Youssef graduated from the faculty of medicine at Cairo Qasr Al Aini University and worked there as well. She was also a professor of health in the faculty of medicine at Cairo University. Mrs. Youssef also was a coordinator of the national population council in Egypt and an active member of the African Reproductive Health Research Network and participated in the work of UN as well.