New faces, merged ministries, abolished posts: Egypt’s Cabinet reshuffle explained

CAIRO — 11 February 2026: Egypt’s House of Representatives approved a major cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, appointing new ministers and merging some ministries, while keeping many of the country’s key sovereign portfolios unchanged.

The reshuffle also saw the restoration of the Ministry of Information to the government’s lineup, headed by Diaa Rashwan, who had served as the general coordinator of the National Dialogue and the head of the State Information Service.

Since taking office in June 2018, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s government has undergone several cabinet reshuffles and adjustments, including major changes to key ministries and the creation, merger, or restoration of others.

The changes include the appointment of a deputy prime minister for economic affairs and four new deputy ministers with the Cabinet now featuring a total of 28 ministers.

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs

A new post of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs was created, filled by Hussein Issa, an academic with extensive experience in government, financial institutions, and economic policy advisory roles.

The move is intended to unify Egypt’s economic, investment, and financial portfolios under a single, specialized leadership.

Posts Abolished, Reorganizations

At the same time, the posts of Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development were abolished.

The reshuffle included several key structural changes.

The previously merged ministries of Industry and Transport were separated.

Kamel El-Wazir, who previously served as Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development before the post was abolished, continues to head the Ministry of Transport, while Khaled Maher takes over the Ministry of Industry.

The International Cooperation portfolio, previously under the Ministry of Planning, was merged into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Egyptian Expatriates, which is already led by veteran diplomat Badr Abdelatty.

Meanwhile, the ministries of environment and local development were combined into a single portfolio, with Manal Awad, minister of local development since the July 2024 major reshuffle, serving as Minister of Local Development and Environment.

The Ministry of Information was revived, with Diaa Rashwan appointed to lead it, reflecting a focus on organizing the official media landscape and addressing regional and international media challenges.

The Ministry of Legal, Parliamentary, and Political Communication was renamed the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, with judge Hani Azer, who served as assistant minister of justice, appointed as minister.

Other key appointments include Khaled Abdel Ghaffar continuing as Minister of Health, with renewed emphasis on improving healthcare services and institutional capacity.

Meet the New Faces

Key changes include the appointment of Mohamed Saleh, with extensive economic experience, as Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade; and Randah Ali Saleh, who had been assistant to prime minister, as Minister of Housing and Urban Communities.

Raafat Hindi, a technical engineer, will serve as Minister of Communications; Maj. Gen. Engineer Salah Suleiman will serve as Minister of Military Production; and Judge Mahmoud El-Sherif will serve as Minister of Justice.

Gehan Zaki, a member of the House of Representatives and a professor of Egyptology and ancient civilisations, will serve as the Minister of Culture; while Ahmed Rostom, a prominent economist, will serve as Minister of Planning.

Hassan Raddad, who formerly led labor directorates in several governorates, will be Minister of Labor and Gohar Nabil, a formal handball player, will be Minister of Youth and Sports.

Khaled Maher, an experienced executive with a career spanning global multinationals, will serve as Minister of Industry.

The newly appointed ministers are scheduled to take the constitutional oath before President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi shortly.