Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02AMMAN5737
2002-10-03 13:29:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

BIOS ON NEW CABINET MEMBERS

Tags:  PREL PGOV ECON EINV EAGR PINR JO 
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UNCLAS AMMAN 005737 

SIPDIS

USTR FOR NED SAUMS; CAIRO ALSO FOR FAS ASIF CHAUDRY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EINV EAGR PINR JO
SUBJECT: BIOS ON NEW CABINET MEMBERS

UNCLAS AMMAN 005737

SIPDIS

USTR FOR NED SAUMS; CAIRO ALSO FOR FAS ASIF CHAUDRY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EINV EAGR PINR JO
SUBJECT: BIOS ON NEW CABINET MEMBERS


1. (U) King Abdullah and Prime Minister Abul Ragheb
reshuffled the Cabinet on September 26 adding 4 new members
to the Cabinet, and reassigning one Cabinet member to a new
portfolio. Para 2 contains biographical data on the new
ministers.


2. (U) New members of the Cabinet are:


A. (U) Minister of National Economy: Samer al-Tawil

Muslim, East Banker. Al-Tawil was born in Damascus in 1967,
obtained a BS in economics and accounting from the University
of Jordan in 1988, and an International Legal Accounting
Certificate from Illinois University. Al-Tawil has a private
sector background in trade and oil services, but earlier this
year, he was appointed Secretary General for the Ministry of
Trade and Industry. He is also a member of the board of
directors at the Arab Bank, the Jordan Refinery Company, and
the Export Development Corporation.


B. (U) Minister of Social Development: Dr. Ruwaida Ma'ita.

Muslim, East Banker. Dr. Ma'ita, born in Kerak in 1955,
obtained a MS in Public Health from Tulane University and a
PhD in Public and International Health from Louisiana
University. She served as a health and social development
consultant to HRH Princess Muna before her appointment this
year as President of the al-Hashimiyeh University.


C. (U) Minister of Higher Education: Mohammad Hamdan.

Muslim, West Banker. Hamdan was born in Jaffa in 1934 and
has a long history of involvement in education. He recieved
his PhD in Mathematics from Sydney University in 1963 and
held several University positions, including Professor at the
American University in Beirut, and Dean and President of
Yarmouk University. He has previously held the Minister of
Higher Education position under PM Badran in 1989 and PM
Majali in 1998. He was appointed Secretary General of the
Higher Council for Science and Technology in September 1998.


D. (U) Minister of Agriculture: Turad al-Fayez.

Muslim, East Banker. Al-Fayez, born in Amman in 1941, has a
long history of service in the GOJ, though not necessarily in
the field of Agriculture. He holds a BS in Political Science
from the University of Oklahoma. He has served in both the
Ministry of Information and the Foreign Ministry, where he
held several Ambassadorships, including to Bahrain, Lebanon,
and Egypt. He has also served as Jordan's Permanent
Representative to the Arab League. His most recent
appointment was to the Senate, in November 2001.


E. (U) Minister of Health: Dr. Walid Maani.

Muslim, East Banker. Ma'ani was appointed Minister of Higher
Education during the last Cabinet reshuffle in January 2002.
He has now been re-appointed as Minister of Health. Ma'ani
was born in 1946 and received his MD in 1969 and a diploma in
general surgery in 1970 from Alexandria University in Egypt.
Ma'ani established the Department of Neurosurgery at the
Faculty of Medicine and the University of Jordan Hospital in
1977, and has been head of that department since then. He
had been president of the University of Jordan since 1998
before taking on his duties as Minister of Higher Education
earlier this year. Ma'ani has published more than 20
original articles in international medical research journals
and has been a member on several scientific committees,
including the Jordanian Neurosciences Society and the Society
of British Neurosurgeons. He was recently elected as a
member of the board of directors for the Jordan-American
Commission for Education Exchange (Fulbright). Ma'ani was
behind the creation of the American Studies Master's
Program--the only such program in the region--at Jordan
University. In meetings with Embassy officials, Ma'ani has
expressed great respect for U.S. educational, cultural, and
medical programs.

GNEHM