Egypt’s House of Representatives approved a cabinet reshuffle put forward by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, reshaping key economic posts as the country grapples with a floundering economy.
The shake-up announced on Tuesday brings 13 new ministers to the government, including those overseeing housing, higher education, planning, investment, and foreign trade. It also creates the position of deputy prime minister in charge of economic affairs, according to Egyptian media.
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Key portfolios of foreign affairs and defence remain unchanged.
The reshuffle seems to emphasise economic expertise with Ahmed Rostom, a senior economist at the World Bank, being named minister of planning, and Mohamed Farid Saleh, chairperson of the Financial Regulatory Authority, heading the Ministry of Investment.
The State Ministry of Information was also restored after being dissolved in 2021. Diaa Rashwan, chairman of the State Information Service, was named as minister.
Two women ministers were also included in the new line-up: Randa al-Menshawi now heads the Housing Ministry, and Gihane Zaki was named the minister of culture.
Egypt’s economy has been battered by years of austerity measures following an International Monetary Fund programme adopted in 2016, the coronavirus pandemic, the fallout from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and, most recently, Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
The Houthi attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea have also slashed Suez Canal revenues – a major source of foreign currency – after the attacks forced cargo traffic away and around the tip of Africa.
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