Royal Decree approves Cabinet reshuffle

By JT - Nov 10,2015 - Last updated at Nov 10,2015

AMMAN — A Royal Decree was issued on Monday approving a minor reshuffle in Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour’s government.

Under the Royal decree, and upon Ensour’s recommendation, Omar Zuhair Malhas was appointed as finance minister and Ayman Hatahet as transport minister.

They replace Umayya Toukan and Lina Shbeeb, respectively.

The two newly appointed ministers took the oath of office before His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday.

The prime minister, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan attended the swearing-in ceremony at Al Husseiniya Palace.

Monday’s reshuffle is the second for the government of Ensour, who assumed the premier’s post in October 2012.

The last reshuffle was in March this year, when five new ministers joined the government, including two women, while four others left their post.

Profiles of new ministers

Omar Zuhair Malhas Minister of Finance

Ayman Hatahet Minister of Transport

Malhas, who obtained his high school diploma from the National Orthodox School in Amman, holds an MBA in international banking and finance from the University of Birmingham in the UK, and a BS in business administration from the University of Louisiana in the US. He started his career at the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance (HBTF), Jordan’s second largest commercial bank, in 1984. In 1999, he was named deputy general manager of Doha Bank in Qatar, and served as a senior manager at Alliance Capital Management’s Bahrain office. Malhas rejoined HBTF in 2002 as head of the treasury and investment department, becoming the chief banking officer in 2009 and CEO in 2010, a post he held until his appointment as finance minister on Monday.

Born in 1962, Hatahet served as board chairman of several industrial and mining companies. Holder a bachelor’s degree in business administration from London in 1982, he was serving as Jordan Chamber of Industry president until his appointment as transport minister. During his career, Hatahet assumed several posts, including chairman of the board of directors and general manager of the Jordan Carbonate Co., as well as chairman of Travertine Co. Ltd., the Jordanian Exporters Association and International Silica Industries. He also served as a member of the Central Bank of Jordan, Jordan Islamic Bank, Islamic Insurance Co., Natural Resources Authority and King Hussein Cancer Foundation boards.