Skip to content Skip to Search
Skip navigation

Sheikhs Hamdan and Abdullah named UAE deputy PMs

By Pramod Kumar
The new cabinet was announced by UAE vice president and prime minister, and ruler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Reuters
The new cabinet was announced by UAE vice president and prime minister, and ruler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
  • Major cabinet reshuffle announced
  • Sheikh Hamdan also defence minister
  • Education system to be restructured

Dubai crown prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan have been named deputy prime ministers in a major UAE cabinet reshuffle.

Sheikh Hamdan will also serve as the defence minister, while Sheikh Abdullah will continue as minister of foreign affairs, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported.

The new UAE cabinet was announced by vice president and prime minister, and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum following approval from president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Person, Electronics, Mobile Phone

Newsletter
Get the Best of AGBI delivered straight to your inbox every week

Additionally, the government unveiled restructuring of the education system and the appointment of a sports minister and a state minister for entrepreneurship.

The education, human resources and community development council has been reconstructed with Sheikh Abdullah as the chairman and Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the vice chairperson.

This council will oversee the ministries of community development, education, higher education, federal universities and human resources and emiratisation.

Sheikha Mariam will also chair the quality of education centre.

Abdulrahman Al Awar has been appointed as acting minister of higher education and scientific research, in addition to his current post as minister of human resources and emiratisation.

Ahmad Belhoul has been named as minister of sports and chancellor of the higher colleges of technology while continuing his duties as chairman of the UAE space agency.

Alia Abdullah Al Mazrouei has been appointed as the minister of state for entrepreneurship, with her mandate to create more economic opportunities for UAE nationals.

The UAE’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to expand by 4.2 percent in 2024, further growing to 5.2 percent in 2025, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) said in its quarterly economic review.

Non-oil GDP growth is forecast to reach 4.7 percent in 2024 and 2025, while oil GDP growth is expected at 2.9 percent in 2024 and 6.2 percent in 2025.

Register now: It’s easy and free

AGBI registered members can access even more of our unique analysis and perspective on business and economics in the Middle East.

Why sign uP

  • Exclusive weekly email from our editor-in-chief
  • Personalised weekly emails for your preferred industry sectors
  • Read and download our insight packed white papers
  • Access to our mobile app
  • Prioritised access to live events
Register for free

I’ll register later

Latest articles

King Abdullah of Jordan held talks with President Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, at the White House in February

Jordan wins exemption from Trump’s freeze on US aid

Millions of dollars in US grants for Jordan’s largest water desalination project dried up when President Donald Trump announced sweeping cuts to foreign aid in January. Within two months, support was flowing again – a result of diplomacy that has arguably put the Middle Eastern state on a more solid financial footing than before January, […]

Wind power in Chalkewadi, Maharashtra. India is aiming for 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030

Alterra part of $100m buy-in for Indian renewable energy company

Alterra, the UAE’s $30 billion climate fund, has partnered with investors including Canada-based investment company Brookfield Asset Management, to co-invest $100 million in Indian renewable energy company Evren.  The investment aims to bolster Alterra’s clean energy portfolio and accelerate India’s push toward 500 gigawatts (GW) of installed renewable capacity by 2030, it said in a […]

Kuwait plans to fast-track the construction of four solar power plants by next summer

Kuwait to build solar power plants by next summer

Kuwait is planning to build four solar power plants with a combined generation capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW), enough to power about 1.5 million homes, according to local media. The ministry of electricity, water and renewable energy is studying the projects, which must be completed by summer next year, Alanba daily said, quoting ministry sources. […]

An Egyptian farmer harvesting flax, which the country exports. Shifting trade patterns could result in more foreign direct investment

UAE and Egypt could benefit most from global trade shift

The UAE and Egypt may benefit the most among Mena countries from the US-led reordering of the global trade framework, Citigroup Mena CEO Ebru Pakcan has said. By contrast, oil producers from Iraq to Kuwait and Oman to Bahrain could struggle, Pakcan said, on the back of the lowest international prices in four years.  Resource-poor […]

Red Sea Global expansion – the Six Senses Southern Dunes was the first hotel at The Red Sea resort to open

PIF’s Red Sea Global plans Saudi and overseas expansion

Red Sea Global is expanding beyond its west coast base to develop hotels and other projects in Saudi Arabia and overseas, a company executive has said. The company will probably announce a new project in a Saudi city later this year, head of hospitality Sébastien Carre told AGBI on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market […]

UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, seen here with Donald Trump last month, leads stablecoin backer IHC

Abu Dhabi group creating dirham-backed stablecoin

Sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Co. is among a group of companies developing a cryptocurrency that will be linked to the UAE dirham currency. Better known as ADQ, the fund – together with the emirate’s International Holding Company (IHC) and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) – will develop the stablecoin to be regulated […]

Borouge's sales volume of polyethylene and polypropylene, used in plastics and packaging, increased

Borouge net profit increases to $281m for first quarter

UAE petrochemical company Borouge reported a rise in profit for the first quarter, driven by higher production and revenue. Net profit for the three months to March rose to $281 million, on the back of an increase in sales volumes and cost reduction, the company said in a statement. Production volumes rose 7 percent year […]

KFC is one of the many fast food brands operated by Americana Restaurants in the Middle East

Americana reports growth in revenue and profit

Americana Restaurants reported a higher net income for the first quarter of 2025 compared with this time last year, as a consumer boycott targeted at the company’s brands related to the Gaza conflict eased. Net profit in the three months to March grew 16.5 percent in the quarter to $32.6 million, driven by higher revenue […]

Adnoc is to sell more US LPG to India. LPG has a variety of uses, including as a cooking fuel.

Adnoc to supply US LPG to India following China-US tariffs

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) will start replacing some of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) it supplies to India with cheaper US cargoes from June, industry sources said, as US-China tariffs rejig global trade flows. The move will enable Adnoc to ship more of its own LPG to China, where buyers are paying higher […]

ADCB said customer deposits rose 15 percent year on year to AED442 billion

ADCB records promising early year results

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), the UAE’s third largest bank by assets, reported double-digit growth for the first quarter of 2025.  The bank cited an increase in operating income and growth across its core businesses.  Rated as the UAE’s strongest banking brand for the second consecutive year by Brand Finance, ADCB reported a net profit […]

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy is targeting Middle East investment opportunities seeking Gulf collaboration in tech and research

Ahead of Trump visit, New Jersey courts Gulf investment

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is leading a mission to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain as US states compete for a share of more than $2 trillion of investment and trade which Gulf Arab countries have pledged to the US over the next decade. The trip, which ends on Saturday, comes just two weeks […]

Oman and China are partnering on a significant solar project supporting Oman's objective of creating a pollution-free environment

Chinese company to build solar plant in Oman freezone

Oman has signed a deal with a Chinese company to develop a sizeable solar power plant in the north of the country. It is the latest in a series of green energy initiatives as the sultanate aims to diversify from fossil fuels and power green hydrogen ambitions.  The $564 million solar farm will be wholly […]