Muscat: In a sweeping reshuffle of the cabinet on Monday, third in the last 10 days, Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed has dropped 12 ministers and picked six new
names from the country's 84-member elected Majlis Asshura.
The country's monarch has also issued a Royal Order all together scratching
the National Economy Ministry.
Oman has had unprecedented demonstrations since January 17 in which Omani
citizens, mostly youth, have been demanding removal of two senior ministers,
Ahmed Bin Abdulnabi Macki and Maqbool Bin Ali Bin Sultan.
Macki was the Minister of National Economy, which has been scrapped
altogether by a Royal Decree. Maqbool was the Minister of Commerce and
Industry but was shifted to Transport and Communications in the first
reshuffle done on last February 26. He has been dropped in the new formation.
The new appointments, from among the elected members of the people, include
Fuad Bin Jaffer Bin Mohammed Al Sajwani as the Minister of Agriculture and
Fisheries, Ahmed Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Sahi, as the Minister of
Regional Municipality and Water Resources, Shaikh Saad Bin Mohammed Al Saadi
as the Minister of Commerce and Industry Mohammed Salem Al Tobi as the new
Minister for Environment and Climate Affairs and Shaikh Mohammed Bin Saeed Al
Kalbani, Minister of Social Development.
Another Shura member, Nasser Bin Hilal Al Maawli, has been named as the
Chairman of State Audit of Institute with rank of a Minister. Dr Rashid Bin
Al Safi Bin Khamis Al Huraibi has been named the Tender Board Chairman with
the rank of a Minister.
With the Ministry of National Economy scrapped, Darwish Bin Ismail Al
Balushi, who was Secretary General for Financial Affairs at the old ministry,
was named the new Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs.
Protesters in Sohar, Salalah and outside Shura Council office in Muscat have
been pressing for, among other demands, complete reshuffle of the cabinet and
removal of old faces. Some of them had even asked for the elected members to
be consulted of accommodated in decision making.
With the Omani leader making major changes to the cabinet and including
elected representatives of people from south to Muscat have been given place
in the cabinet that makes major policy decisions in the country under the
Sultan.
The protests started with a peaceful march on January 17 and then again on
February 17. After that the protesters were told that the Sultan was informed
about their demands and he would take decisions.
However, the protests gathered steam on February 25 last and turned violent
two days later in Sohar, killing two people in firing that police had to
resort to in order to keep a violent crowd at bay as they tried to storm the
police station in Sohar.
However, the demonstrations have been peaceful since then continued even
after the major reshuffle at the time of going to the press.
New Council of Minister in Oman
Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Saeed
Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers
Sayyid Haitham Bin Tariq Al Saeed
Minister of Heritage and Culture
Sayyid Khalid Bin Hilal Bin Saud Al Busaidi Minister of Diwan of Royal Court
Lt.Gen Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Nu'amani
Minister of Royal Office
Sayyid Badr Bin Saud Al Busaidi
Minister Responsible For Defence
Sayyid Hamoud Bin Faisal Al Busaidi
Minister of Interior
Yousuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah
Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdullah Bin Zaher Al Hinai Minister of Justice
Darwish Bin Ismail Bin Ali Al Balushi
Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs
Shaikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Salami
Minister of Awqaf & Religious Affairs
Dr.Mohammed bin Hamad al Rumhi
Minister of Oil and Gas
Hamed Bin Mohammed Al Rashdi
Minister of Information
Dr Rawiyah Bint Saud Al Busaidiyah
Minister of Higher Education
Eng.Ali Bin Masoud Al Sunaidy
Minister of Sports Affairs
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Marhoon Al Maamri
Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar
Saif Bin Mohammed Al Shabibi
Minister of Housing
Abdullah Bin Nasser bin Abdullah Al Bakri
Minister of Manpower
Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Obaid al Sa'eedi
Minister of Health
Madeeha Bint Ahmed bin Nassir Al Shibaniyah
Minister of Education
Ahmed Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Sahi
Mini Regional Municipality and Water Resources
Dr Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Salem Al Futaisi,
Minister of Transport and Communications
Shaikh Khalid Bin Omar Bin Saeed Al Marhoon
Minister of Civil Service
Shaikh Saad Bin Mohammed Al Saadi
Minister of Commerce and Industry
Sayyid Soud Bin Hilal Al Busaidi
Minister of State and Governor of Muscat
Dr Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saeed Al Saeedi
Minister of Legal Affairs
Shaikh Abdul Malik Bin Abdullah Al Khalili
Minister of Tourism
Fuad Bin Jaffer Bin Mohammed Al sajwani
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
Mohammed Salem Al Tobi
Minister for Environment and Climate Affairs
Shaikh Mohammed Bin Saeed Al Kalbani
Minister of Social Development
Nasser Bin Hilal Al Maawli as Chairman of State Audit of Institute with rank
of Minister.
Dr Rashid Fatih Al Huraibi as the Tender Board Chairman with the rank of
Ministger.
Mohsin Bin Mohammed Al Shaikh advisor Diwan of Royal Court with Ministerial
rank.
Abdul Malik Bin Zaher Al Hinai as advisor Minis Finance
Two Undersectetary appointed
Hamd Al Aufi appointed as Undersecretary for Fisheries.
Ishaq Al Ruqiasi appointed as Undersecretary for Agriculture
Shaikh Fadhjil Bin Mohammed Al Harthi
Secretary-General to the Council of Ministers
