Ibrahim Al Assaf, the new Saudi foreign minister, speaks to AFP at his residence in the Saudi capital Riyadh. AFP
Ibrahim Al Assaf, the new Saudi foreign minister, speaks to AFP at his residence in the Saudi capital Riyadh. AFP
Ibrahim Al Assaf, the new Saudi foreign minister, speaks to AFP at his residence in the Saudi capital Riyadh. AFP
Ibrahim Al Assaf, the new Saudi foreign minister, speaks to AFP at his residence in the Saudi capital Riyadh. AFP

Saudi government reshuffle was anticipated, says official


  • English
  • Arabic

Saudi Arabia’s government reshuffle was designed to ensure the Cabinet continues to have the best expertise, an official Saudi source said on Friday.

While the kingdom’s shake-up on Thursday came as a surprise to some, officials in Riyadh insist the changes had been anticipated.

The latest Cabinet appointments come nearly four years after Saudi King Salman ascended to the throne and is the first significant reshuffle since January 2015.

“Four years is the normal term for the Council of Ministers so a change was anticipated,” the Saudi official said.

The reshuffle, which saw the appointment of a new foreign minister, chief of National Guard and general security chief, among others, was seen partly as an attempt to elevate the kingdom’s marginalised old guard.

Mr Al Assaf, a former veteran finance minister who was briefly detained last year in what Riyadh said was an anti-corruption sweep, replaced Adel Al Jubeir.

The new minister also denied that his predecessor, now Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, had been demoted.

“This is far from the truth,” Mr Al Assaf said.

He said the former foreign minister had performed with distinction and that Mr Al Jubeir’s new role was tantamount to a division of labour and not a demotion, to speed up the task of remaking a ministry known to be overly bureaucratic.

“Adel represented Saudi Arabia and will continue to represent Saudi Arabia around the world,” Mr Al Assaf said. “We complement each other.”

______________

Read more:
Saudi king appoints new foreign minister in major cabinet reshuffle 

Three new bodies to oversee Saudi intelligence agencies

UAE backs Saudi rejection of US Senate vote on Yemen

_______________

Born in 1949 in Qassim province, the new minister started his career in 1971 as a lecturer in economics at the King Abdul Aziz Military Academy.

Over the next four decades, Mr Al Assaf held prominent posts in the kingdom and the US, including Saudi executive director at the International Monetary Fund in Washington and minister of state in Saudi Arabia.

In 1996 he was appointed finance minister, a post he would hold for 22 years.

Mr Al Assaf inherits the ministry after some strong foreign policy moves by Prince Mohammed. The Qatar crisis, a diplomatic row with Canada and the three-year war in Yemen were some of the challenges faced by Mr Al Jubeir.

When asked whether his biggest foreign policy challenge was to polish the kingdom’s reputation, Mr Al Assaf replied: “The relationship between my country and a vast majority of countries in the world is in excellent shape.”

In November last year, Mr Al Assaf was briefly held in Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton hotel with hundreds of elite princes and businessmen, in what the government called a crackdown on corruption.

He was released after being cleared of any wrongdoing and returned to his official duties.

The elevation of seasoned allies in Thursday’s reshuffle has bolstered the authority of Prince Mohammed.

Mr Al Assaf, who is on the boards of state oil company Aramco and the vast Public Investment Fund, said his appointment to the post would help bring his financial experience to foreign affairs amid a current “dip” in the economy.

The top crude exporter, facing a sharp fall in oil prices, is scrambling to restore confidence in foreign investors rattled by a series of what many see as rash foreign policy decisions.

“Economic relationships now dominate foreign affairs,” Mr Al Assaf said.

THE DETAILS

Deadpool 2

Dir: David Leitch

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz

Four stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000