Tourists snorkel near a beach of the Red Sea resort of Sahl Hasheesh, Hurghada, Egypt January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

i24 News – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Saturday announced a Cabinet reshuffle to improve his administration’s performance as it faces towering economic challenges stemming, among other factors, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The cabinet shake-up, approved by parliament in an emergency session, shuffled around 13 portfolios, though the key defense, interior, finance and foreign ministries were not affected.

But it does appoint new ministers of health, tourism and antiquities, commerce and industry, irrigation, civil aviation, immigration, education, higher education, military production, manpower, public business sector, culture and local development.

Egypt is struggling to revive its lucrative tourism sector decimated by years of political turmoil, the pandemic and most recently the war in Europe.

El-Sissi said the shake-up came in consultation with Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly.

The president said in a Facebook post that the changes aimed at “developing the governmental performance in some important files… which contribute to protecting the state’s interests and capabilities.”

Following parliamentary approval, the new ministers are now expected to be sworn in.