The cabinet was reshuffled on November 4th, in the first changes since 2016. The most notable changes involved drafting corporate executives into government, including two from Qatar National Bank, and one each from Qatar Rail and Qatar Petroleum. This should support reforms to improve government efficiency and enhance the business environment. The boards of QP and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), whose membership is partly linked to the cabinet, were also restructured. The changes include promotions for a new generation of royals, continuing the leadership transition which began when Sheikh Tamim became Emir in 2013. The breadth of the changes also suggests a renewed confidence, 18 months after the start of the regional blockade. This fits with an address by Sheikh Tamim in which he said the impact of the blockade has been largely overcome. 20181110 – MENA Advisors – Cabinet reshuffle indicates growing confidence in Qatar Confident changes On November 4th, the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, issued a decree which made extensive changes to his cabinet and to the boards of the state’s two main sources of wealth, Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). These were the first major changes to the government since a reshuffle and consolidation of ministries made in January 2016, when oil prices were at their weakest. The earlier reshuffle, which was the first since Sheikh Tamim became Emir and appointed his first cabinet in 2013, had been focused largely on efficiency and cost cutting, such as merging the Transport and Communications……...
