NEW UAE FEDERAL CABINET ANNOUNCED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 ABU DHABI 000453

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI AND INR/B
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR AUSTR DONNELLY, DOUG BELL
NSC FOR NIK RAMCHAND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2016
TAGS: PINR PGOV ETRD KISL KDEM AE
SUBJECT: NEW UAE FEDERAL CABINET ANNOUNCED

REF: A. ABU DHABI 430

B. 05 ABU DHABI 4905

C. 04 ABU DHABI 3955

Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: The UAE leadership announced a ministerial
reshuffle late February 9. The reshuffle preserves key U.S.
Mission interlocutors, especially Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed
al-Nahyan (AbZ),who becomes Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The UAE's new Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
al-Maktoum (MbR),retains the defense portfolio, although the
real decision-maker on military issues continues to be Abu
Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE
Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (MbZ).
Holdovers also include the UAE co-chairs at our FTA
negotiations, Economy Minister Sheikha Lubna al-Qassimi and
Minister of State for Financial Affairs Mohammed Khalfan bin
Kharbash; Labor Minister Ali bin Abdullah al-Ka'abi, who has
worked with us on labor issues of concern; Interior Minister
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, an important interlocutor on security
related matters; and Higher Education Minister Sheikh Nahyan
bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, well-known for his educational reform
initiatives. Educational reform also gets a boost with the
selection of Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali, the Vice Chancellor of the
all-women's Zayed University, as Education Minister. The
decision to split up the Ministry of Justice, Islamic
Affairs, and Endowments is a signal that the UAE leadership
wants to devote more resources to ensuring that moderate
Islam is preached and taught in mosques and schools. The
creation of a Ministry of Federal National Council (FNC)
affairs under the reform-oriented Dubayyan Anwar Gargash
should ensure that President Khalifa's announcement of
limited elections for half the consultative body is
implemented.


2. (C) Summary continued: In the reshuffle, Dubai and the
Northern Emirates pick up more portfolios than before. We
will watch to see to how the strong and ambitious MbR manages
the Cabinet and whether that may encourage rule by
institutions rather than personality. All told, the
23-member Cabinet includes eight new members, including the
second female minister. Five portfolios are new (government
sector development, Federal National Council affairs, social
affairs, environment and water, and culture, youth and social
development),and four have been abolished (information,
communications, agriculture and fisheries, and supreme
council and GCC affairs.) The Cabinet is scheduled to be
sworn in on February 11. End Summary.


3. (C) The first Cabinet of Ministers under already named
Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid includes eight new
faces, additional technocrats, two women, and a relatively
better balance of representatives from the different
emirates. Abu Dhabi emirate's ruling al-Nahyan family still
holds many of the important portfolios (deputy prime
minister, foreign affairs, interior, presidential affairs,
higher education, public works). The newly constituted
Cabinet preserves most of our principal interlocutors, with
the exception of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahyan (HbZ),who
sheds the title of MinState for Foreign Affairs and will
concentrate on his role as a deputy prime minister. However,
the al-Nahyans will be very much present on the international
scene with HbZ's younger brother, Sheikh Abdullah, taking
over the reins of the foreign ministry. AbZ's appointment
comes as no surprise to us (ref A). He has handled several
of the tough issues, including Syria/Lebanon, Palestinians,
and more recently, the UN, and has been the UAE's principal
interlocutor at many of our bilateral meetings during the
past three years. He is favorably regarded in Washington
circles and, unlike HbZ, speaks fluent English. Al-Sha'ali,
HbZ's successor as MinState for Foreign Affairs, should also
be an excellent interlocutor in the future, having served as
the UAE's Ambassador to both Washington (1992-1999),the UN
and UNSC (1986-1987),and UN-Geneva.

--------------
The new Cabinet lineup
--------------


4. (C/NF) The following is a description of the newly

ABU DHABI 00000453 002 OF 006


reconstituted Cabinet of Ministers, including brief profiles
of each Minister:

Prime Minister/Minister of Defense
--------------

UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum is
the Ruler of Dubai, the second most powerful emirate in the
UAE. A dynamic and pro-business leader, MbR inherited the
title of Ruler of Dubai upon the death, January 3, of his
older brother, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh
Maktoum. The Supreme Council of rulers selected him to
succeed Maktoum as Vice President and Prime Minister. One of
our most important contacts, MbR is expected to work closely
with Abu Dhabi emirate's al-Nahyan ruling family, and HbZ in
particular, to strengthen the federal government,s role.
MbR retains the defense portfolio, but the real
decision-maker in the military will continue to be Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed.

Deputy Prime Minister
--------------

Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed al-Nahyan continues in this role. He
is the second eldest son of the President. Sultan has a
history of alcohol and chemical dependency and has spent some
time in psychiatric institutions. The appointment of his
younger half-brother MbZ as Deputy Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
in November 2003, effectively took him out of the running to
be Ruler of Abu Dhabi. In the past few years, his official
duty in chairing the Council of Ministers in the absence of
the late Prime Minister Maktoum has been largely titular.

Deputy Prime Minister
--------------
Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahyan continues in this role.
HbZ is a son of the late President Sheikh Zayed and Sheikha
Fatima. He was the de facto Foreign Minister since 1990 and
one of the USG's primary interlocutors. Since his
appointment as Deputy Prime Minister in fall 2003, HbZ has
played a critical role in coordinating policy among the seven
emirates and exerting discipline in the Cabinet. It remains
to be seen whether Sheikh Hamdan will carry on as a key
interlocutor with former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and
on the UAE-Saudi border issue.

Minister of Finance and Industry
--------------

Dubai Deputy Ruler Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al-Maktoum
continues in the role of titular Finance Minister, though
Minister of State for Finance Kharbash (a fellow Dubayyan)
actually fills most aspects of the Finance Minister role for
the UAE. Hamdan concentrates on municipal and financial
affairs of Dubai emirate.

Minister of Interior
--------------

Major General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed al-Nahyan continues in
this same role. He is a graduate of UAE University in
al-Ain, and he studied English in the UK where he also
attended a training program for police at Scotland Yard. He
is a good friend of the U.S. and pay close attention to
Embassy security. Sources inside his ministry and Abu Dhabi
police speculate that he would be replaced over a
disagreement with MbZ over a security communications contract.

Minister for Presidential Affairs
--------------

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan continues in his role as
Minister. He is one of the six sons of Sheikh Zayed and
Sheikha Fatima. He is Deputy Chairman of the Sheikh Zayed
Charitable Foundation, and Chairman of the International
Petroleum Investment Corporation. Mansour was an English
student at Santa Barbara Community College in 1989. He
speaks English well, but his academic record was poor.

Minister of Foreign Affairs
--------------


ABU DHABI 00000453 003 OF 006


Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan replaces Rashid Abdullah
al-Noaimi, a figurehead whose role was largely confined to
representing the UAE in international fora and ceremonial
gatherings. (Al-Noaimi's son, Abdullah Rashid, is the under
secretary and a key interlocutor of ours.) AbZ is the

SIPDIS
youngest of the sons of Sheikh Zayed and Sheikha Fatima. AbZ
was being groomed for his new portfolio in recent years,
capped last fall by his attendance at the UNGA where he gave
the UAE's plenary speech. AbZ also has led UAE diplomatic
efforts in Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories.
He will have the task of coordinating the UAE's positions on
difficult issues )- such as natural resources -) in the
ongoing FTA negotiations with the U.S., and possibly the
contentious UAE-Saudi border issue. As Minister of
Information and Culture from 1997, he had a moderating
influence on UAE media and expanded free press in the UAE.
Now that the Information Ministry has been abolished, the
functions of the foreign media will be handled by MFA, and
the Cabinet will soon decide to set up a Supreme Council for
Media, which will be responsible for setting and developing
media policies. With the abolition of the Information
Ministry AbZ has been a reformer by nature. He has chaired
the bilateral Strategic Partnership meetings, has many
contacts in the U.S., and speaks English fluently.

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
-------------- --------------

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan held this title prior to
the Cabinet reshuffle that took place in November 2004. He
oversaw the merger of the Education and Higher Education
portfolios during the past 16 months. He is the Chancellor
of all the public universities in the UAE. He is a leading
advocate of education reform in the UAE who is sometimes
attacked by religious conservatives for his emphasis on
women,s education and refusal to limit access to the
Internet.

Minister of Public Works
--------------

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan continues in this role.
He is a younger brother of the Minister of Higher Education.

Minister of Economy
--------------

Sheikha Lubna al-Qassimi continues in her role as Minister,
although she will no longer have the Planning portfolio. The
Cabinet apparently will establish a Supreme Council for
Planning. She was the first female Minister appointed to the
UAE Cabinet in November 2004. She is an excellent contact of
the U.S. Embassy and Consulate General. She was previously
Chief Executive Officer of Tejari.com, an online marketplace.
Educated at California State University at Chico, she is a
dynamic and highly intelligent leader who has cultivated
close ties with many U.S. officials and business leaders.
She is a true believe in open economies and free trade, and
has played an important role in U.S.-UAE FTA negotiations as
UAE co-chair with Dr. Kharbash. A protege of MbR, Sheikha
Lubna is actually a member of Sharjah emirate's ruling family.

Minister of Justice
--------------

Mohammed bin Nakhira al-Daheri has been Minister of Justice,
Islamic Affairs, and Endowments since 1997. He left the
military to become UAE Attorney General in 1992 and served in
that position until he was promoted to his present position.
The Ministry is being split up to guarantee that sufficient
resources are devoted to ensuring that moderate Islam is
preached and taught in UAE mosques and schools. Islamic
Affairs and Endowments will become a separate organization,
but without cabinet status.

Minister of State for Financial and Industrial Affairs
-------------- --------------

Dr. Mohammed Khalfan bin Kharbash, an important player in the
U.S.-UAE FTA negotiations, continues in his role as the
Minister of State (and de facto Minister of Finance). His
departure had been rumored by more than one Embassy contact,

ABU DHABI 00000453 004 OF 006


in part because of health problems. He is a well-regarded
reformer who appears to have the support of both the Abu
Dhabi and Dubai ruling families. He is also Chairman of the
Dubai Islamic Bank.

Minister of Energy
--------------

Mohammed bin Dha'en al-Hamili continues in his role as
Minister. A good interlocutor on oil issues, al-Hamili is
from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and was the director of
Marketing and Refining for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
(ADNOC) before his appointment to the Cabinet in November

2004. He was formerly the UAE governor to OPEC. He is a
Harvard Business School graduate.

Minister of Labor
--------------
Dr. Ali bin Abdullah al-Ka'abi continues in his role as
Minister. Prior to his Cabinet appointment in November 2004,
he was a manager at the UAE Offsets Group. An excellent
interlocutor on labor issues, he holds a PhD in engineering
management, and software and information system management
from George Washington University. He is also a graduate of
Sandhurst University Military College. He has previously
worked as an IT adviser with the UAE Armed Forces, an IT
manager in the Washington office of the Abu Dhabi Investment
Authority, and an IT manager in the office of the UAE
military in Washington. In the past 16 months, al-Ka'abi has
had to tackle the difficult labor issues facing the UAE,
including stiffening regulations against unscrupulous
employers.

Minister of Governmental Sector Development
--------------

Sultan bin Saeed al-Mansouri, appointed in November 2004 as
Minister of Communications, sees his old Ministry dismantled
and takes over a new Ministry. He is from Dubai and is
Chairman of the Dubai Islamic Insurance and Reinsurance Co.
and a Vice Chairman of Dubai Islamic Bank. From 1998 until
his appointment to the Cabinet, he was a managing partner of
al-Nabooda Group. He holds a degree in mechanical
engineering from the University of Michigan.

Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs
--------------

Mohammed Abdullah al-Gergawi replaces Saif Khalfan al-Ghaith.
He is MbR's closest adviser, especially on issues of
governance and quality control. His appointment is a strong
signal that MbR intends to play a very active role as Prime
Minister. Born in 1963, he has held the positions of
Secretary General of Dubai Executive Council, Executive

SIPDIS
Chairman of Dubai Holding, Chairman of Dubai Development and
Investment Authority, and Managing Director at Dubai Media
Corporation. He supervised the launch and implementation of
many projects in Dubai, including Dubai Internet City, Dubai
Media City, the Knowledge Village, Dubai Land, Dubai Medical
City, and Dubai Press Club. He studied business management
in Michigan.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
--------------

Mohammed Hussain al-Sha'ali succeeds HbZ, one of the USG's
key interlocutors on foreign affairs the past decade. He is
a thoughtful person who believes in increasing public
participation in government. From Ajman emirate, al-Sha'ali
holds a BA degree in administration and economy from the Arab
University in Beirut. After completing his degree, he began
work at the MFA, where he served as Director of Arab World
Department (1982-1985),Ambassador to the UN and non-resident
Ambassador to Canada (1986-1987) where he also acted as UAE's
representative to the UNSC, Ambassador to Washington
(1992-1999). He was then appointed as UAE Permanent
Representative to the UN office in Geneva. In recent years,
he has been serving as chairman of the Arabian Marine
Industry Association and president of Gulf Craft, an
Ajman-based company that manufactures boats and luxury
yachts. He was born in 1950.


ABU DHABI 00000453 005 OF 006


Minister of Social Affairs
--------------

Mariam Mohammed Khalfan al-Roumi will be responsible for a
new ministry charged with finding solutions to social
problems and developing social security and social
organizations. Al-Roumi was born in 1957 and holds a BA in
English Literature from the UAE University. She has held
many positions in the educational, academic, and social
fields. She was on the board of directors for Dubai Health
Care City. She has been serving as under secretary for the
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs since 1999.

Minister of Education
--------------

Dr. Hanif Hassan holds a BA in Islamic studies from the UAE
University and a master's degree in Islamic Shari'a. In 1991
he earned a PhD from Umm al-Qura in Saudi Arabia and since
September 2005 has been a member and Director General of the
Abu Dhabi Education Council. He has served as Vice
Chancellor of the all-women's college, Zayed University, and
Chairman of the Committee for Degree Equivalency at the
Ministry of Higher Education. He is a member of the board of
trustees of the al-Maktoum Foundation, and a member of the
UAE Emiratization Council.

Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs
-------------- --------------

Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash will oversee implementation of
steps leading toward the first limited election of FNC
members in UAE history. President Khalifa announced in
December 2005 that the UAE would hold indirect elections for
half the FNC membership and continue to appoint the other
half (ref B). Election details will be announced in the
coming weeks. A good contact of the Embassy and Consulate
General, he is very thoughtful and a strong believer in
democratization and reform. He is very proud of his Persian
heritage. Gargash was professor of political science at UAE
University until 1995. He is a member of the Dubai Economic
Council and a board member of Emirates Media Group. He has a
BA in political science from George Washington University and
a master,s degree and PhD from Cambridge University.

Minister of Health
--------------

Humaid Mohammed Obaid al-Qutami replaces Hamad al-Midfa. He
was born in 1959 and holds a master's degree from Western
Michigan University. He had held many positions, among them
director general of the Emirates Institute for Banking and
Financial Studies. He has played a role in the
nationalization strategy of the UAE, and is a founder of the
Accountants and Auditors Association, the Consumer Protection
Society, and the Human Rights Society in the UAE.

Minister of Environment and Water
--------------

Dr. Mohammed Saeed al-Kindi will take over a Ministry that
replaces the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Al-Kindi
has a BA and master's degree in political science, and a PhD
in public administration from the University of California.
He joined the MFA in 1984 and was a member of the UAE,s
permanent delegation to the UN from 1986 to 1995. Between
1995 and 1997 he was charge d'affaires in the UAE Embassy in
Indonesia. He is a member of the consultative committee of
the GCC's Supreme Council and has worked as the director of
the office of the Ruler of Fujairah. He was born in 1955.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development
-------------- --------------

Abdul Rahman Mohammed al-Owais graduated from the UAE
University in 1989 with degrees in accounting and IT. Since
2001 he has been a member of the board of Emirates Media
Corp. He is a member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and
Industry and a member of the Emirates Property Bank. He was
born in Sharjah in 1967.

Comment:

ABU DHABI 00000453 006 OF 006


--------------


5. (C) This reshuffle, the second in 16 months (ref C),
strengthens the al-Nahyans' firm grip on the UAEG while also
introducing several dynamic technocrats and MbR confidants
from Dubai and the Northern Emirates, offering a real chance
to improve the functioning of the UAE's loose federal system.
Until now, UAEG Ministers have largely taken their marching
orders from the UAE President in Abu Dhabi (who of course
consulted broadly with other rulers and with his own family
members). We will watch to see if there is a shift to a
bipolar system, in which the Cabinet reports ultimately to
the President but is managed by a strong Prime Minister. If
that were to happen, it would require a good deal of
adjustment for all involved. Over time it would be a
positive change, one that might encourages rule by
institutions rather than personality, and which leads to
greater transparency and accountability. The appointment of
AbZ as foreign minister, while not a surprise, is an
excellent development for the USG. AbZ has already
established strong contacts in our government and is fluent
in English, something his older brother HbZ is not. AbZ's
new role as Foreign Minister frees up Hamdan to devote his
time to domestic issues, including inter-emirate relations,
and further improvements to federal institutions. The
appointment of Mariam al-Roumi is a further positive
development in the UAE,s stated commitment to empower women.
SISON