AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and his Cabinet were sworn in Thursday before His Majesty King Abdullah, becoming the 76th government in the country’s 90-year history and the 12th since the King ascended the Throne.

 

Besides Ensour, who succeeded the government of outgoing premier Fayez Tarawneh, which resigned on Wednesday, the Cabinet consists of 20 ministers.

 

Sixteen ministers are from the outgoing government, which includes no women after cancelling the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Some ministers kept their portfolios, while others assumed new ones.

 

The composition of the new Cabinet reflects a desire to secure continuity by building on the achievements of previous governments, the prime minister said in his reply to the Letter of Designation (see separate story).

 

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Jafar Hassan kept their posts that they have held in the past four Cabinets.

 

Samih Maaytah, who remained as minister of state for media affairs and communications, was also appointed in charge of the Ministry of Culture, which was merged with his ministry.

 

Other ministries that merged with others include the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, and the Ministry of Political Development and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

 

The new government included two former MPs who are also first time ministers: Minister of Labour Nidal Qatamin and Minister of Political Development and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Bassam Haddadin.

 

Also, Nufan Ajarmah stayed within the new team, but was appointed as Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs, after he held the political development portfolio in Tarawneh’s government.

 

Cabinet list

 

Following is a list of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour’s Cabinet members:

 

1.   Abdullah Ensour: Prime Minister and Minister of Defence

 

2.   Awad Khleifat: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior

 

3.   Abdul Salam Abbadi: Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs

 

4.   Suleiman Hafez: Minister of Finance

 

5.   Nasser Judeh: Minister of Foreign Affairs

 

6.   Hatem Halawani: Minister of Industry and Trade and Minister of Information and Communications Technology

 

7.   Alaa Batayneh: Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and Minister of Transport

 

8.   Ghaleb Zu’bi: Minister of Justice

 

9.   Jafar Hassan: Minister of Planning and International Cooperation

 

10. Wajih Owais: Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Minister of Education

 

11. Yahya Kisbi: Minister of Public Works and Housing

 

12. Wajih Azaizeh: Minister of Social Development

 

13. Abdul Latif Wreikat: Minister of Health

 

14. Khleif Al Khawaldeh: Minister of Public Sector Development

 

15. Nayef Al Fayez: Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and Minister of Environment

 

16. Ahmad Khattab: Minister of Agriculture

 

17. Mahir Abul Samin: Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister of Water and Irrigation

 

18. Nufan Ajarmeh: Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs

 

19. Samih Maaytah: Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and Minister of Culture

 

20. Bassam Hadaddin: Minister of Political Development and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs

 

21. Nidal Qatamin: Minister of Labour