AMN/ Riyadh
King Salman of Saudi Arabia has done major changes in his government. He has removed the Ali al-Naimi as country’s oil minister. Ali al-Naimi has been replaced after more than 20 years in the role by former Health Minister Khaled al-Falih.
The government shake-up, announced in a royal decree, sees a number of ministries merged and others, such as the ministry of electricity and water, scrapped altogether. According to the BBC, King Salman’s son Prince Mohammad directs the country’s economic policy, and Mr al-Naimi’s removal is an indication that he wants tighter control over the commodity.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter, unveiled major economic reforms in April, aimed at ending the country’s dependence on oil. About 70 per cent of its revenues came from oil last year, but it has been hit hard by falling prices.
New appointments by the King are:-
• Relieving Eng. Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, of his post.
• Relieving Dr. Bandar bin Mohammed bin Hamza Assad Hajjar, Minister of Haj, of his post.
• Relieving Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan bin Mohammed Al-Rabiah, Minister of Commerce and Industry, of his post and appointing him as Minister of Health.
• Relieving Eng. Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Al-Muqbil, Minister of Transport, of his post.
• Relieving Dr. Majed bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, Minister of Social Affairs, of his post.
• Appointing Dr. Majed bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi to the post of Minister of Commerce and Investment.
• Appointing Eng. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih to the post of Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources.
• Appointing Sulaiman bin Abdullah Al-Hamdan to the post of Minister of Transport.
• Appointing Dr. Mohammed Saleh bin Taher Bentin to the post of Minister of Haj and Umrah
• Appointing Prince Dr. Turki bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Kabeer Al Saud to the post of Adviser to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (Minister Rank).
• Appointing Prince Khalid bin Saud bin Khalid Al Saud to the post of Adviser at the Royal Court (Excellent Rank).
• Appointing Prince Mohammed bin Saud bin Khalid Al Saud to the post of member of Shoura Council.
• Appointing Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Mohammed Al Saud to the post of Adviser at the Royal Court
• Appointing Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the post of Adviser at the Royal Court
• Appointing Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the post of Adviser at the Royal Court
• Appointing Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the post of Adviser to the Minister of Interior
• Appointing Eng. Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi to the post of Adviser at the Royal Court
• Appointing Sheikh Dr. Saad bin Nasser Al-Shathri to the post of Adviser at the Royal Court and Member of Senior Scholars Commission
• Relieving Dr. Mohammed bin Sulaiman Al-Jasser, Adviser at the Royal Court, of his post and appointing him to the post of Adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers
• Relieving Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, Adviser at the Royal Court, of his post and appointing as Adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers
• Appointing Yasser bin Othman Al-Rumayan to the post of Adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers
• Relieving Dr. Fahd bin Abdullah bin Abdullatif Al-Mubarak, Governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, of his post
• Relieving Osamah bin Jafar Faqih, President of the General Auditing Bureau, of his post
• Appointing Dr. Hussam bin Abdulmohsen Al-Anqari to the post of President of the General Auditing Bureau
• Relieving Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Mohammed Al Saud, President of the Saudi Wildlife Authority, of his post
• Appointing Dr. Sulaiman bin Abdullah bin Humoud Abalkhail to the post of Rector of Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University
• Appointing Ahmed bin Saleh bin Ali Al-Ajlan to the post of Special Secretary to the Crown Prince
• Appointing Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Swailim to the post of Deputy President of Special Affairs of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
• Appointing Mohammed bin Saleh bin Rashid Al-Daham to the post of Adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers
• Appointing Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Sukait to the post of Adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers
• Appointing Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Saud Al-Dhayel to the post of Adviser at the Ministry of Interior
• Appointing Ali bin Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al-Anqari to the post of Undersecretary of the Ministry of National Guard
• Appointing Dr. Fahd bin Sulaiman Al-Tukhaifi to the post of President of the General Authority for Statistics
• Appointing Eng. Mohammed bin Abdulhadi bin Mohammed Al-Amri to the post of Mayor of Madinah Region
• Appointing Prince Abdullah bin Musaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President of General Authority for Sports, as chairman of the board of directors of the General Authority for Sports
• Appointing Dr. Musaad bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of State and Member of the Council of Ministers
• Appointing Dr. Mohammed bin Sulaiman Al-Jasser, Adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to the post of Chairman of the Council of Competition
• Appointing Dr. Mohammed bin Sulaiman Al-Jasser, Adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to the post of Chairman of the board of directors of the Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority
• Appointing Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, Adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to the post of Chairman of the board of directors of the General Authority for Entertainment
• Appointing Mohammed bin Mazyad Al-Twaijri to the post of Deputy Minister of Economy and Planning
• Appointing Rafat bin Abdullah Al-Sabbagh to the post of Adviser at the Royal Court
• Appointing Saleh bin Ali bin Saeed Al-Ghamdi to the post of Adviser at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers
Cancelation and renaming of ministries:
• The cancelation of the Ministry of Water and Electricity.
• The amendment of the name of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to become the Ministry of Commerce and Investment.
• The amendment of the name of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources to become the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources; and shall be dedicated for energy, in addition to undertaking the related tasks and responsibilities as well as the activities relating to electricity and industry; and shall undertake the management of the National Industrial Cluster Development Program.
• The amendment of the name of the Ministry of Agriculture to become the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture; and shall undertake the tasks and responsibilities relating to environment and water.
• The amendment of the name of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance to become the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance.
• The amendment of the name of the Ministry of Haj to become the Ministry of Haj and Umrah.
• The integration of the Ministry of Labor with the Ministry of Social Affairs to become one ministry named the Ministry of Labor and Social Development.
• The amendment of the name of the General Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Protection to become the General Authority for Meteorology and Environment Protection; and shall have a board of directors.
• The amendment of the name of the General Presidency for Youth Welfare to become the General Authority for Sports; and shall have a board of directors whose chairman is appointed by a royal order.
• The amendment of the name of the Public Education Evaluation Commission to become Education Evaluation Commission to be tasked with:
• Undertaking the tasks and responsibilities relating to the evaluation of public and higher education at the Ministry of Education and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation
• Combining the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment, the National Center for Assessment in Higher Education, and the Technical and Vocational Accreditation and Assessment Centre
• The chairman of its board of directors shall be appointed by a royal order.
• Department of Zakat and Income Tax to become the General Authority for Zakat and Income.
Creation of two new government bodies:
• The establishment of General Authority for Entertainment shall undertake all activities relating to entertainment and shall have a board of directors whose chairman is appointed by a royal order.
• The establishment of General Authority for Culture; shall have a board of directors chaired by the Minister of Culture and Information.