Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday administered the oath of office to several new ministers in a limited cabinet reshuffle, which featured a late change in the defence portfolio.
Although parliament had approved Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s revamped cabinet a day earlier, Sisi announced during the swearing-in ceremony that General Ashraf Salem Zaher, former head of the Egyptian Military Academy, would take over as defence minister.
Zaher replaces General Abdelmeguid Saqr and will oversee a newly unified ministry combining defence and military production — the latter previously managed separately and responsible for supervising Egypt’s extensive military-linked economy.
The reshuffle primarily affected economic and service-related ministries, as authorities attempt to steer the country out of a prolonged economic downturn. In a statement, Sisi instructed economic officials to focus on lowering public debt, highlighting that the current International Monetary Fund programme is set to conclude later this year.
Egypt’s public debt has surged over the past decade, reaching $161 billion in the last fiscal year, according to central bank data. Under an $8 billion IMF loan agreement, the government has committed to advancing a long-delayed privatisation plan aimed at reducing the military’s role in the economy.
Sisi also directed ministers to continue implementing the state ownership policy to expand private sector participation.
The restructuring included the dissolution of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, previously led by Rania al-Mashat, who has served in various senior roles since 2018. Ahmed Rostom, a former World Bank expert, was appointed planning minister, while Mahmoud Helmy al-Sherif took over the justice portfolio.
In addition, Diaa Rashwan, head of the State Information Service, was named state minister for information – a position revived after five years. Former Olympic handball player Gohar Nabil was appointed minister for youth and sport.
Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, continues to grapple with economic strain marked by repeated currency devaluations and a series of financial shocks over the past decade.