HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday ordered a Cabinet reshuffle in which he named a new foreign minister.The new foreign minister was named as HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.HE Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, the outgoing foreign minister, will become minister of state for defence affairs. The Emir holds the post of defence minister. Al-Attiyah had been Qatar’s foreign minister since 2013 and was recently heavily involved in international negotiations on the Syrian war. He had worked within that department since 2011. Sheikh Mohamed is a senior official who was previously in charge of international co-operation in the Foreign Ministry. In total, seven changes to the Cabinet were announced as several ministries, including the labour, were merged. HE Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi was awarded the new position of minister for administrative development and labour and social affairs. He replaces Labour Minister HE Abdullah Saleh Mubarak al-Khulaifi at one of the country’s most high-profile Cabinet posts. HH the Emir issued the Emiri Order No 1 of 2016, amending the formation of the Council of Ministers. The Emiri Order appointed: lHE Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah as Minister of State for Defence Affairs and member of the Council of Ministers, lHE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani as Foreign Minister, lHE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali as Minister of Culture and Sports, lHE Dr Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi as Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, lHE Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti as Minister of Transport and Communications, lHE Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi as Minister of Municipality and Environment, lHE Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari as Minister of Public Health. The new ministers took the oath before the Emir at the Emiri Diwan. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani. Also yesterday, HH the Emir issued the Emiri Order No 2 of 2016, appointing HE Major General Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah as adviser to HH the Emir for Defence Affairs, with the rank of prime minister. Page 11
January 28, 2016 | 12:48 AM