BIOS FOR JORDAN'S NEW CABINET MEMBERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 008812

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2014
TAGS: PINR PGOV KDEM JO
SUBJECT: BIOS FOR JORDAN'S NEW CABINET MEMBERS

REF: A. AMMAN 8794


B. AMMAN 8628

C. AMMAN 8600

D. AMMAN 7862

E. AMMAN 7336

F. AMMAN JO 7188

G. 03 AMMAN 7068

Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (U) King Abdullah swore in ten new ministers October 24
and accepted the resignation of three (ref A). The expanded
cabinet raised the number of ministers from 21 to 28 by
separating ministerial portfolios combined when PM Fayez's
first cabinet was formed in October 2003 and by creating two
new ministries. The number of women ministers has increased
from three to four. Nine out of the ten new ministers are
East Bankers, making a total East Bank/West Bank ratio of 22
to 6. There are three Christians and 12 U.S. educated
ministers in the new cabinet. The average age of all the
ministers is 49. Bios for ministers that remained in the
cabinet were provided in October 2003 (ref G). End Summary.

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BIOS FOR NEW MINISTERS
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2. (U) New members of the cabinet are:


A. (U) Minister of Foreign Affairs Hani al-Mulki:

A Muslim, East Banker whose family's roots are in Syria, Hani
al-Mulki was born in Amman in 1951. He is the son of the late
Fawzi al-Mulki, who was Jordanian Prime Minister in 1953 and
held several other cabinet positions in different
governments. Al-Mulki received a Bachelor of Arts in
Production Engineering from the University of Cairo in 1974.
He also studied at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New
York, from which he received a Master of Science in
Management Engineering in 1977 and a Ph.D. in Industrial and
Systems Engineering in 1979. Al-Mulki worked as a field
engineer at the Ministry of Public Works from 1974-75, and as
a researcher at the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) from
1975-1979. He served as Assistant Dean of the Engineering
Department at Yarmouk University from 1980-81 before heading
the RSS Solar Energy Department from 1981-1987. He then
served as Executive Director of the Islamic Academy for
Science from 1987-1989 and RSS President from 1989 until

1997. Al-Mulki was Secretary General of the Higher Council
for Science and Technology from 1993-1997. He was appointed
Minister of Trade, Industry, and Supply in PM Majali's
cabinet in 1997, and Minister of Water and Irrigation &
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources in PM Tarawneh's
cabinet in August 1998. He was also an advisor to former
Crown Prince El Hassan Bin Talal. Al-Mulki became Ambassador
to Cairo and to the Arab League in 2001. He is married to an
American citizen and has two sons.


B. (U) Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Nayef Hadid

A Muslim, East Banker, Hadid was born in Amman in 1939. He
graduated from the Cairo University faculty of law in 1965
and was appointed as a diplomatic attach in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in 1967. Hadid served in Jordan's diplomatic
missions in Cairo, London, Rome, Washington, Brussels,
Damascus and Muscat. He was Foreign Ministry secretary
general from 1993 to 1995. Hadid served as Jordan's
ambassador to Morocco for three years and then Tunisia for
four years until July 2004. He is married, with two daughters
and one son.


C. (U) Minister of Industry and Trade Ahmad Hindawi

A Muslim, East Banker, Hindawi was born in Cairo in 1966. He
holds a PhD in Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering from
the University of Birmingham, UK, a Masters in industrial
engineering and industrial management from the University of
Jordan and a BA in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
from Purdue University, Indiana. He has been director general
of the Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology since

2001. Prior to that, he served at the Ministry of Industry
and Trade as assistant secretary general (for one year) and
director of industrial development (for four years). Hindawi
is on the boards of directors of the Jordanian National
Commission for Industrialization, the Jordan Export Promotion
Corporation, the Natural Resources Authority, the Investment
Promotion Committee, and the Jordan Businessmen's Society. He
is from a politically prominent and active family; his father
was a leading, moderate voice in parliament in the early
1990s and became deputy prime minister.


D. (C) Minister of State for Legal Affairs Fahed Abul Atham
Ensour

A Muslim, East Banker, Ensour was born in Salt and attended
the Salt Secondary School, graduating in 1952. He completed
his higher education at the Syrian University, Damascus,
earning a law degree in 1958. Ensour served as attorney
general and a judge in several courts. He was president of
the Higher Court of Justice Committee. Between 1972 and 1974,
he served as director general of the Press and Publications
Department, and from 1974 to 1978 he worked as a legal
adviser at the Cabinet. He also lectured at Muta University,
and participated in several local and international
conferences on international law and human rights. He has
published several books and working papers on legal issues.
Ensour has long been a good contact for post on human rights
and legal issues. He operates his own private law office in
Amman.


E. (U) Minister of Transport Saud Nsairat

A Muslim, East Banker, Nsairat was born in 1950 in Natfeh in
Irbid Governorate. Following high school graduation, he
joined the Air Force and was trained as a pilot. While
serving in the army, he earned a Masters degree in military
affairs management. From 1992 to 1994, he served as Jordan's
military attach to Paris. A career officer, Nsairat became
Air Force commander in the Jordan Armed Forces in 1999,
serving in that position until 2002 when he was promoted to
vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He retired on
October 1, 2004 (ref F). He is married and has two sons and
one daughter.


F. (C) Minister of Political Development Munther Shara

A Muslim, East Banker, Shara was born in Husun in Irbid
Governorate in 1950. He graduated with a BA in economics and
political science in 1972 from the Beirut Arab University. He
obtained his Masters and PhD in economics and political
science from The University of Wales in the UK. Shara
lectured at Yarmouk University for 25 years and was appointed
founder-dean of the economics faculty in the Hashemite
University. Shara also served as a consultant for ESCWA,
chairman of the accreditation board at the Ministry of Higher
Education, and chairman of board of the Arab Society for
Economic Research. He has written and published books and
articles on economy. Shara is married with two children.


G. (U) Minister of Environment Yousef Shureiqi

A Muslim, East Banker, Shureiqi was born in 1948 in Amman. He
obtained his BA in 1972 from Alexandria University,
specializing in agricultural sciences. In 1980, he received
his MA from the American University of Beirut and a PhD in
toxicology from Bonn University in Germany in 1987. Shureiqi
held various posts at the Ministry of Agriculture commencing
in 1972 as a researcher and then as head of the toxins
department. From 1993 to 2001, Shureiqi was seconded to the
Omani government to serve as an expert and head of the
pesticides department. Upon returning to Jordan, he was
appointed as chancellor at the prime ministry. In 2003,
Shureiqi was appointed secretary general of the Ministry of
Environment, a post he held until he was sworn in as
environment minister.


H. (C) Minister of Information and Communications Technology
Nadia Saeed

Saeed's family is of Palestinian, West Bank origin. She has a
Bachelor's degree in economy and business from the University
of Jordan and a Master's degree from the American University
in Cairo. She worked in the public sector for 10 years,
mainly in the banking and technology fields before she was
hired by the Ministry of Information and Communications
Technology on a special contract as senior advisor to the
Minister. Saeed served as acting secretary general since
early 2003, and became secretary general when PM Fayez's
government was formed in October 2003. She has worked well
with USAID as secretary general and has a good grasp of the
issues.


I. (U) Minister of Public Sector Reform Ahmad Masaadeh

A Muslim, East Banker, Masaadeh was born in 1969 in Amman.
His father was the Minister of Justice in PM Rawabdeh's
cabinet in 2000. Masaadeh is a practicing lawyer who holds an
LL.B. degree from the University of Jordan, an LL.M. from the
University of Virginia, and a PhD degree in international
trade and foreign investment law from the University of
London. He has been actively engaged in business and
corporate law with a focus on international trade and foreign
investment, restructuring, privatization and administrative
reform. Since 1995, Masaadeh has been a key player in the
regulatory reforms of the judicial system. He has served as
assistant professor of international business law at the
University of Jordan since 2000. Masaadeh is married with
three daughters.


J. (U) Minister of Agriculture Sharary Shakhanbeh

A Muslim, East Banker, Shakhanbeh was born in Madaba in 1943.
He received his Bachelors degree in law from Beirut Arab
University in 1984. He started his career at the Agriculture
Ministry, then moved to Jordan Television where he was deputy
director of the development media department for 10 years.
Shakhanbeh was the head of the Jordanian Society for the
Production and Marketing of Eggs for two years, and head of
the investment promotion unit at the Industrial Estate
Corporation for seven years. He became the legal consultant
of the Jordanian Cooperative Corporation before being elected
as head of the Jordan Farmers Union for two terms. Shakhanbeh
is married with five children. Shakhanbeh was secretary
general of the Ministry of Agriculture upon his appointment.

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THE COMPLETE CABINET
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3. (U) The complete cabinet list follows:

Faisal Fayez: Prime Minister and Minister of Defense

Marwan Muasher: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State
for Prime Ministry Affairs and Government Performance

Hani Mulki: Minister of Foreign Affairs

Bassem Awadallah: Minister of Planning and International
Cooperation

Salah Bashir: Minister of Justice

Samir Habashneh: Minister of Interior

Khalid Touqan: Minister of Education

Ahmad Hilayel: Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs

Hazem Nasser: Minister of Water and Irrigation

Mohammad Abu Hammour: Minister of Finance

Amjad Majali: Minister of Labor

Alia Hattough-Bouran: Minister of Tourism and Antiquities

Azmi Khreisat: Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources

Riyad Abu Karaki: Minister of Social Development

Raed Abu Saud: Minister of Public Works and Housing

Issam Zabalawi: Minister of Higher Education and Scientific
Research

Amal Farhan: Minister of Municipal Affairs

Asma Khader: Minister of Culture and Government Spokesperson

Saeed Darwazeh: Minister of Health

Nayef Hadid: Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs

Ahmad Hindawi: Minister of Industry and Trade

Yousef Shureiqi: Minister of Environment

Nadia Saeed: Minister of Telecommunications and Information
Technology

Fahd Abul Athem Ensour: Minister of State for Legal Affairs

Soud Nsairat: Minister of Transport

Munther Shara: Minister of Political Development

Ahmad Masaadeh: Minister of State for Public Reforms

Sharari Shakhanbeh: Minister of Agriculture


4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.

Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at
http://www.state.sgov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site through
the Department of State's SIPRNET home page.
HALE