The UAE on Thursday appointed Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama as the country’s first Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence as part of a cabinet reshuffle.
Aged just 27, his appointment is part of the UAE’s ambition to be at the forefront of the global technological revolution which sees it planning to be build homes on the planet Mars by 2117.
The position was announced in a tweet by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Vice President and ruler of Dubai who said: “The new Government is a Government for the new Emirati percentage. To develop knowledge. Supporting science and research.”
The move comes just days after Sheikh Mohammed announced the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI), a major part of the UAE Centennial 2070 objectives.
The initiative aims to improve government performance and create an innovative and highly-productive environment by means of investing in AI.
Other new positions created in the reshuffle include a Minister for Advanced Sciences and another for Food Security, according to a series of tweets, written in Arabic.
Sheikh Mohammed said: “The new Government is a Government for the new Emirati percentage. To develop knowledge. Supporting science and research.”
In other announcements, Ahmad Belhoul was appointed as Minister of State for Higher Education & Advanced Skills and chair of the Federal Authority for Human Resources.
Nasser Thani Al Hameli was named Minister of Human Resources & Emiratisation while 30-year old Sara Al Amiri has become Minister of State whose portfolio will cover advanced sciences.
Maryam Al Mehairi has been named UAE Minister of State whose portfolio will cover food security and Nora Al-Kaabi was appointed as Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development..
Hessa Buhumaid is the new the Minister of Community Development while Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan is Minister of State for Tolerance and Zaki Nusseibeh is named a Minister of State.
As part of the reshuffle, Minister of Energy, Suhail Al Mazroui, will also be in charge of developing the manufacturing sector and advanced industries while Abdullah Mohammad bin Touq was appointed Secretary General of the UAE Cabinet.
Earlier in a tweet, Sheikh Mohammed said a cabinet reshuffle would be announced on Thursday.
In his tweet, Sheikh Mohammed said the reshuffle would represent “a renewal of blood, a catalyst for change and a preparation for the next stage of our nation’s path”.
In the last significant structural change, Sheikh Mohammed announced in February last year that the UAE planned to outsource most government tasks to the private sector and cut the number of ministries.
He announced the formation of a single education ministry, abolishing the ministry of higher education, and fused several other state bodies into related ministries.
The new cabinet in full
Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Defence
Lieutenant-General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance
Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future
Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy
Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, and Minister of Federal National Council (FNC) Affairs
Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs
Reem Ebrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation
Suhail Mohammad Faraj Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy and Industry Hussain Ebrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education
Dr Abdullah Mohammad Bel Haif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development
Sultan Bin Saeed Al Badi, Minister of Justice
Mohammad Ahmad Al Bawardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs
Noora Mohammad Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development
Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment
Nasser Bin Thani Al Hameli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation
Hessa Bint Eisa Bu Humaid, Minister of Community Development
Jameela Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education
Ahmad Abdullah Humaid Bel Houl Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills
Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, Minister of State
Maitha Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State
Uhoud Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness and Quality of Life
Shamma Suhail Faris Al Mazroui, Minister of State for Youth
Zaki Nussaibah, Minister of State
Mariam Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Food Security
Sara Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence
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