Mohammed bin Rashid announces cabinet reshuffle

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has announced several new appointments in the UAE’s Cabinet.

The reshuffle includes the appointment of several new ministers and a restructuring of the education system.

In an announcement on social media, Sheikh Mohammed appointed His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE and His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan as Deputy Prime Minister in addition to his portfolio as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Education, Human Resources and Community Development Council has been restructured under the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and Vice Chairperson Her Highness Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Ministry of Community Development will be under the umbrella of the Council, as well as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, federal universities and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

The General Secretariat for the Education, Human Resources and Community Development Council has been established to support the council in its tasks and oversee the implementation of the new structure within a clear strategy for change management. Its responsibilities also include building a strong digital infrastructure for educational data, linking it with community, employment, and labour market data to support and enhance the decision-making process.

The Emirates Schools Establishment and the Federal Early Childhood Education Agency have merged with the Ministry of Education, with Sara al-Amiri appointed Minster.

The new structure also includes the establishment of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which will be responsible for the frameworks and policies of both public and private higher education, linking them to the labour market to enhance the competitiveness of higher education institutions in the country and support academic research efforts. Abdulrahman Al Awar has been appointed Minister, in addition to his current duties as Minister of Emiratisation and Human Resources in the Federal Government.

The restructuring aims to enhance comprehensive governance of the sector and link it to human development and the community. Additionally, it seeks to improve cooperation among various entities within the educational system to accelerate the implementation of strategic plans and enhance communication.

Several other appointments have been made, including Alia Abdullah Al Mazrouei as Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Ahmed Belhoul as Minister of Sports and President of the Higher Colleges of Technology in the country, in addition to his duties as Chairman of the UAE Space Agency.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also approved the promotion of 6,025 security personnel in Dubai.