Egypt’s parliament on Tuesday approved President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s cabinet reshuffle, endorsing a majority-backed package of ministerial nominees as the country confronts an ailing economy and mounting regional pressures. The approval followed a shake-up of 13 portfolios, while the president’s office said the foreign affairs and defense posts remained in place.
El-Sissi met earlier on Tuesday with Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly before the nominations were advanced, according to the presidential office’s statement. The cabinet changes proceeded through parliament, where deputies approved the reshuffle by majority vote.
The reshuffle touched a range of domestic portfolios, including housing, higher education, communications, youth and sports. It also included the appointment of new figures to roles tied to economic management, which the nominations emphasized as Egypt continues to implement reforms.
In the economics-focused assignments, Ahmed Rostom, described as a senior economist at the World Bank, was named minister of planning. Mohamed Farid Saleh, who chaired Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority, was named minister of investment.
The reshuffle also brought back an information ministry structure that had been dissolved in 2021. Diaa Rashwan, identified as chairman of the State Information Service, was named minister of the restored State Ministry of Information.
Two women were included in the new line-up. Randa al-Menshawi was named minister of housing, and Gihane Zaki was appointed minister of culture.
Egypt’s economy has been strained by multiple shocks and years of austerity measures associated with an International Monetary Fund program adopted in 2016. The impact has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic, by the fallout from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The conflict-related disruption has also affected Egypt’s trade and foreign-currency earnings, including through Houthi attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea. Those attacks have slashed Suez Canal revenues by pushing traffic away from the canal and around Africa’s tip.
Inflation and household costs have remained major concerns. An Egyptian government report by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics showed the annual inflation rate at 10.1% in January, compared with 10.3% the month before, while reforms have raised daily living costs for many Egyptians, including fuel prices and subway fares.
The government has also raised the minimum monthly wage for both public and private sector workers to 7,000 pounds ($138) in 2025, up from 6,000 pounds ($118.58). About 30% of Egyptians live below the poverty line, according to the latest figures cited from the Egyptian government.
This reshuffle came after the last cabinet shake-up in July 2024, with Tuesday’s approvals positioning the government to continue its economic reform efforts as IMF reviews near completion.