President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan issued a decree on the restructuring of the cabinet on Monday night, the official WAM News Agency reported. 

The move, the first of its kind since 1977, followed a suggestion made by Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

According to the presidential decree, Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi was named as economy and planning minister, the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the Gulf state.

Meanwhile, a new portfolio of Ministry of Presidential Affairs has been created while a number of other ministries have been merged.

The Ministry of Education and Youth is merged with the Ministry of Higher education and Scientific Research to form a single ministry under the name of the Ministry of Education.

The Ministry of Economy is merged with the Ministry of Planning into a new ministry titled Ministry of Economy and Planning.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is also combined with the Ministry of Electricity and Water under a single ministry to be known as the Ministry of Energy.

In addition, new responsibilities have also been added to a number of ministries, including the Ministry of State for Supreme Council Affairs, now named the Ministry of Supreme Council and GCC affairs, which takes charge of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) affairs.

The decree appointed Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan as interior minister; Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan as minister of presidential affairs; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan as minister of education; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan as minister of public works and Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi as minister of Supreme Council and GCC affairs.

Mohammed bin Dha'en Al Hamili was appointed as minister of energy; Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri as minister of communications and Ali bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi as minister of labor and social affairs.

(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2004)