Abu Dhabi,
the oil-rich Gulf Arab emirate, reshuffled its cabinet or executive council,
naming the ruler’s half brother Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan as vice
chairman.
Sheikh
Hazza, also chairman of First Gulf Bank, was previously not part of the
council.
Majed Ali Al Mansouri, a board member at the Federal Authority for
Nuclear Regulation and a member of the executive committee for Abu Dhabi
environment agency was also added as a member, according to a decree published
by the official WAM news agency today.
Abu
Dhabi, the capital of the UAE federation of seven emirates, had about 7.3
percent of the world’s oil supply at the end of 2009 according to BP data. The
emirate is trying to diversify its economy away from heavy reliance on crude
exports and plans to raise the contribution of non-oil industries to half of
total gross domestic product by 2015 from about 40 percent. Its economy
suffered during the global financial crisis as real estate prices fell and
local banks received funds from the government.
Abu
Dhabi’s crown prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan kept his position as
chairman of the council, WAM reported.
Six
of the members in the lineup according to a list on the council’s website are
not among those named as council members in the decree. The six former members
are Sheikh Saeed Bin Zayed, Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed, Sheikh Diab Bin Zayed,
Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saif Al Nahyan and Rashid Mubarak
Al Hajeri.
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