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Oman and Bahrain shuffle cabinets

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said named a new minister in Oman’s cabinet and His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain dropped four ministers from his cabinet.

Sultan Qaboos names new minister

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said introduced major changes in Oman’s cabinet on Saturday, with four ministers divested of their existing portfolios and given new ones and a new minister appointed in charge of commerce and industry. A woman was named the new minister of education.

There are no changes at the helm of the ministries of national economy, oil and gas, foreign affairs, finance and defence.

The new Minister of Commerce and Industry is Mohammed bin Nasser Al Khusaibi, until now the secretary-general of the Ministry of National Economy. He replaces Maqbool bin Ali Sultan who held the position for many years. Sultan now becomes the Minister of Transport and Communications. The change at the Commerce and Industry Ministry comes at a time when there is resentment in the country over escalating prices of essential commodities.

In order to redress the public grievences, Sultan Qaboos also ordered the setting up of a body for consumer protection, financial support for government employees and more allowances for students of state-run higher education institutions.

In other ministerial changes, Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi was moved to the Ministry of Civil Service from Environment and Climate Affairs.

Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Harthy, previously the Minister of Civil Service, will now head environment and climate affairs.

One of two new faces will be Mohsen bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Sheikh who was given the Ministry of Tourism in the place of Dr Rajiha bint Abdulameer bin Ali who passed away at the beginning of the month.

The other is Dr Madeeha bint Ahmed bin Nassir Al Shibaniyah who will now head the Education Ministry, replacing Yahya bin Saud Al Sulaimi. Shibaniyah will be the third woman minister with cabinet rank, the other being the ministers of higher education and social development.

Sultan Qaboos appointed former ministers of transport and communications and education, Dr Khamis bin Mubarak Al Alawi and Yahya bin Saud Al Sulaimi, respectively, as state advisors.

Shaikh Fadhl bin Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Harthy is the new secretary-general of the National Economy Ministry, taking over from Khusaibi.

In other appointments, Dr Muna bint Salim bin Khalfan Al Jardaniyah becomes the under-secretary for technical education and vocational training at the Ministry of Manpower, and Mohammed bin Khamis bin Abdullah Al A’mri undersecretary for labour affairs at the same ministry.

There have been demonstrations in Muscat and elsewhere in recent weeks with one of the major demands being measures to curb inflation. After the latest, on February 18 in Al Khuwair in the capital, the protesters presented a petition to the authorities which was last week submitted to Sultan Qaboos by the Minister of the Diwan of
Royal Court. ravindranath@khaleejtimes.com

King Hamad drops four ministers

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain on Saturday reshuffled his cabinet, dropping four Sunni ministers, taking in two new ministers — one Shia and one Sunni — and changing the portfolios of a few others.

In an effort to ease the current political situation, the King also announced a 25 per cent reduction in instalments of the citizens’ monthly pay for their housing services provided by the government.

The ministers dropped in the cabinet reshuffle included Minister of Health Dr Faisal Al Hamar, Minister of Housing Shaikh Ibrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Electricity and Water Fahmi Al Jowder and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Shaikh Ahmed bin Attiyatallah Al Khalifa.

The Ministry of Housing was given to current Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alwai, while the Ministry of Labour was given to Undersecretary of Labour Dr Jameel Humadan, a Shia. The Ministry of Health was given to current Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Nazar Al Baharna. Executive Chairman of Operation at the Bahrain Development Board Kamal Ahmed, a Sunni, was given the post of Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs. The Ministry of Oil and Gas joined the Electricity and Water Authority and was named the Ministry of Energy under Minister of Oil and Gas Dr Abdulhussain bin Ali Mirza.

The reshuffle angered both communities. Head of the Sunni National Unity Gathering Dr Abdullateef Al Mahmood told a Press conference that the reshuffle was a “hidden deal” between a segment of society and the government.

He said that his party was against a shuffle that came without the consultation of all political parties.

Leading Shia group Al Wefaq National Society said the reshuffle fell short of opposition demands.

Its spokesman Khalil Marzooq told the Press that the reshuffle was limited and far from the main opposition demand that the full government be replaced by a new one, and include young blood.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Hassan Mushaima, who had been living in the UK and was pardoned last week from charges of terror plotting, arrived in Bahrain on Saturday.

He was held for two days in Lebanon on an Interpol arrest warrant.

He was released after the Bahrain authorities sent to the Lebanon government a letter requesting his release.

news@khaleejtimes.com