CAIRO: Egypt’s Parliament approved on Sunday a Cabinet reshuffle including four new ministers, government sources said, two months ahead of a scheduled presidential election.
The reshuffle included the appointment of Abu Bakr Al-Gendi as minister for local development, Rania Al-Mashat as tourism minister, Enas Abdeldayem as culture minister and Khaled Badawy as public enterprise minister.
Two new ministry deputies were also appointed in the reshuffle.
Housing Minister Mustafa Madbuly will continue to serve as interim prime minister while Prime Minister Sherif Ismail recovers from surgery, government sources said.
Egypt is set to hold a presidential vote on March 26-28, with a run-off on April 24-26. Candidates must register between Jan. 20 and 29.
Egypt’s last Cabinet reshuffle was in February last year and included new investment and agriculture ministers.
The new minister of culture, Enas Abdeldayem, is the first female to be the minister of culture since the ministry was officially founded in 1958. Abdeldayem was the head of the Opera House and a prominent flute player. She further concluded her MA and Ph.D. degrees in the flute in Paris. She held multiple solo performances and joined the joined the International Orchestra of the UNESCO.
The other female minister Rania Al-Mashat was deputy governor of the Central Bank of Egypt for monetizing policy for 11 years.
Besides the new two female ministers who have recently joined the Cabinet, this is the first time in the history of Egypt’s Cabinets to have six female ministers at once, making the representation of female ministers accounts for about 17.6 percent.
Egypt approves Cabinet reshuffle ahead of elections
Egypt approves Cabinet reshuffle ahead of elections
