King swears in new gov’t By Alia Shukri Hamzeh

- The Cabinet, a mixture of technocrats and politicians, includes nine ministers who served in the former Cabinet of Adnan Badran, four public figures who previously held ministerial posts and 10 newcomers representing public and private sector as well as the civil service.

- Key appointments indicate that the government’s list of priorities entail overhauling the public sector and pushing forth with the country’s National Agenda, that is to set the course for the Kingdom for the next 10 years.

- Nine portfolios, namely the economic team including planning, and industry and trade remained unchanged. They include, the only woman minister Suhair Al-Ali, who retained her post as planning minister. The three other women Cabinet ministers were replaced. Most of those who remained are deemed good team players and professional figures, who were not associated with the controversy and lack of public trust that marred some of their other colleagues, said analyst and columnist Bassem Sakijha. Sakijha said the new Cabinet list was comforting and reassuring, adding it combined politicians and technocrats.

- Observers also believe that the Bakhit Cabinet comprises a fair geographic representation of the population. It’s a carefully calculated Cabinet with fair representation of all from the north, south and centre. It also includes around seven members of Palestinian origin, a Christian and even a minister of Kurdish origin, Sakijha added. [full article]