Egypt appoints new defense minister in last-minute government shake-up
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi appointed a new Defense Minister on Wednesday during the swearing-in ceremony of the country’s newly reshuffled government, in a surprise move that was not announced in advance. General Ashraf Salem Zaher, former director of the Egyptian Military Academy, succeeds General Abdelmeguid Saqr in leading the Ministry, which now combines Defense and Military Production.
Previously, Military Production had operated as a separate entity and formed a cornerstone of Egypt’s army-controlled industrial sector. The cabinet reshuffle, announced by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly — in office since 2018 — mainly targeted economic portfolios and received parliamentary approval on Tuesday without mentioning the Defense Ministry, traditionally appointed directly by the president.
The reshuffle coincides with Egypt facing one of the worst economic crises in its history. A presidential directive issued on Tuesday instructed the government to prioritize reducing public debt and reminded officials that the country’s IMF program is set to conclude by the end of the year.
In recent years, Cairo secured an expanded $8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), conditional on reducing state intervention in the economy. Egypt’s public debt has soared over the past decade, reaching $161 billion, according to the Central Bank. The reshuffle also abolished the Ministry of Planning, Investment, and International Cooperation, previously led by economist Rania al-Mashat, a key figure in Sissi’s administration since 2018.
Other appointments include Diaa Rashwan, head of the State Information Authority, as Minister of State for Information — a position repeatedly removed since the 2011 uprising that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak — and former handball champion Gohar Nabil as Minister of Youth and Sports.
-
15:00
-
14:30
-
14:00
-
13:34
-
13:30
-
13:08
-
13:03
-
13:00
-
12:30
-
12:00
-
11:45
-
11:30
-
11:15
-
11:00
-
10:45
-
10:30
-
10:15
-
10:00
-
09:46
-
09:45
-
09:45
-
09:30
-
09:15
-
09:02
-
08:39
-
08:34
-
08:15
-
08:00
-
07:54
-
07:50
-
07:49
-
07:43
-
07:32
-
23:15
-
22:45
-
22:30
-
22:15
-
22:00
-
21:45
-
21:30
-
21:00
-
20:45
-
20:30
-
20:00
-
19:45
-
19:30
-
19:20
-
19:15
-
19:00
-
18:45
-
18:30
-
18:15
-
18:00
-
17:45
-
17:41
-
17:30
-
17:17
-
17:15
-
17:05
-
17:00
-
16:45
-
16:30
-
16:15
-
16:00
-
15:45
-
15:37
-
15:30
