PM Sherif Ismail returns to post after two-month medical leave

CAIRO – 28 January 2018: Prime Minister Sherif Ismail resumed his regular activities at the Cabinet’s headquarters on Saturday, after two months of absence over health problems, according to sources in the Egyptian Cabinet.

The Prime Minister traveled to Germany on November 23 for medical treatment and returned on December 21, after he underwent gastrointestinal tract surgery.

Following Ismail’s leave, Minister of Housing Mostafa Madbouly was named as acting prime minister upon the decree of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

Ismail will hold a number of official meetings with some ministers on Sunday, a day after resuming his regular activities in the Cabinet.

Ismail is scheduled to meet with Minister of Health and Population, Dr Ahmed Emad Eldin Rady, Minister of Transportation, Hesham Arafat, and Minister of Antiquities, Khaled al-Anani.

Ismail will also meet with Ibrahim Mahlab, assistant to the President of the Egyptian Republic for national and strategic projects.

The sources have pointed out that Ismail is in a good shape, and he will follow up on some files missed during his convalescence.

In a general session on Sunday, the Egyptian Parliament voted on a cabinet reshuffle, which affected four ministries: Culture, Tourism, Local Development and Public Sector Affairs.

The Head of Cairo Opera House Enas Abdel-Dayem, was chosen as the new minister of Culture replacing Helmy el-Namnam.

The Head of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) Abu Bakr al-Gendy was appointed as the Minister of Local Development, replacing Mohamed Zein el-Abidin.

While for the Ministry of Public Enterprise was assigned to Khaled Mohamed Ali Badawy who takes over from Ashraf el-Sharka.

Advisor to the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Rania al-Mashat has replaced Yahia Rashid as Minister of Tourism.

Ismail, 62, has been serving as prime minister since September 2015.