Cairo: Egypt Sunday announced a Cabinet shake-up that saw four newcomers, less than three months before the country's presidential elections.
The key ministers of defence, the interior and foreign affairs have kept their posts.
Enas Abdul Dayam, the head of the Cairo Opera House, has been appointed as culture minister. Head of the state census agency, Maj. Gen. Abu Bakr Al Guindy has been given the post of the local development minister.
The newcomers also include Rania Al Mashat as the tourism minister and Khaled Badawi as the minister of public enterprises.
Their appointments were Sunday approved by the parliament.
The reshuffle is the fourth experienced by the 33-member government headed by Prime Minister Sharif Esmail, since it took office in September 2015.
Last month, Esmail returned to Egypt after a medical treatment in Germany. He he has since been staying at home for recovery. Housing Minister Mustafa Madbouli is acting as the prime minister.
On Sunday, the parliament also approved the appointment of Asem Al Gazar as a deputy housing minister.
According to the Egyptian constitution, the Esmail government will have to resign following the presidential vote due to be held over three days beginning on March 26.
President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, who has been ruling Egypt since 2014, is widely expected to run for a second and final term and win it. Al Sissi's current term ends in June.
