Muscat: Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed has inducted three new ministers in a cabinet reshuffle announced on Wednesday through a Royal Decree.
In the reshuffle, third in a span of a year, the Sultan has dropped Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Rashdi, who was the Information Minister for over a decade. Two other outgoing ministers, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Abdullah Zaher Al Hinai (Justice) and Mohammad Bin Marhoon Al Maamari (Dhofar Governor), have been named State Advisers.
Dr. Abdul Munim Bin Saeed Bin Mansour Al Hasni has been named the new Information Minister, while Shaikh Abdul Malek Bin Abdullah Bin Al Khalili has been moved from Tourism Ministry and named as the new Justice Minister.
Mohammad Bin Sultan Bin Hamoud Al Busaidi has been named as the new Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar in place of Al Maamari, who has been adviser.
Shaikh Sa'ad Bin Mohammad Al Sa'adi , who was last year appointed Minister of Commerce and Industry, has been moved as the new Minister of Sports Affairs and Ali Bin Masoud Bin Ali Sunaidi, has been moved to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry from Sports Affairs.
Ahmad Bin Nasser Bin Hamad Al Mahrazi has been named as the new Tourism Minister.
Last year, Sultan Qaboos has reshuffled cabinet twice, inducting seven new ministers after protesters demanded ouster of some of the ministers.
During the protests, demonstrations were also held outside the Information Ministry, demanding the dismissal of Al Rashdi. He survived that reshuffle but on Wednesday he was shown the door.
