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His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, approved the new cabinet of the federal government. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the twelfth government of the UAE as part of the largest structural change in the country's history. The announcement impacts organizational structure and functions of key ministries, and includes the support of several new Ministers of State to meet the ongoing demands of an evolving economic and social landscape.

The new government includes eight new ministers, five of whom are women. The average age of the new ministers is only 38 years, with the youngest minister is a 22 year old female.

The new government has seen the addition of ministers for Tolerance, the Future, Youth, Happiness and Climate Change. Supporting the education sector will be two new minsters in addition to the current minister, as well as the formation of the Supreme Council for Education to oversee their work, as well as the formation of the Youth Council and the Council of UAE Scientists.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that the new government and 12th Cabinet was announced after consultation with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and after the approval of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE. He affirmed that the new team would lead in achieving the future aspirations of the nation.

Following is the list of the new cabinet:

1. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – Prime Minister and Minister of Defence 2. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
2. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs
3. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum – Cabinet Member, Minister of Finance
4. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan - Cabinet Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
5. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan - Cabinet Member, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development
6. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi - Cabinet Member, Minister of State for Tolerance
7. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi - Cabinet Member, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Future
8. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri – Cabinet Member, Minister of Economy
9. Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed bin Nasser Al Owais – Cabinet Member, Minister of Health and Prevention
10. Saqr bin Ghubash Saeed Ghubash – Cabinet Member, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation
11. Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
12. Obaid bin Humaid Al Tayer – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for Financial Affairs 14. Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for International Cooperation
13. Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Al Mazroui – Cabinet Member, Minister of Energy
14. Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi – Cabinet Member, Minister of Education
15. Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif AlNuaimi – Cabinet Member, Minister of Infrastructure Development
16. Sultan bin Saeed Al Badi – Cabinet Member, Minister of Justice
17. Najla bint Mohammed Al Awar – Cabinet Member, Minister of Community Development
18. Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for Defence Affairs
19. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi – Cabinet Member, Minister of Climate Change and Environment
20. Jameela bint Salem Al Muhairi – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for General Education
21. Dr. Ahmad bin Abdulla Humaid Belhoul AlFalasi – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for Higher Education
22. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber – Cabinet Member, Minister of State
23. Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi - Minister of State
24. Dr. Rashid bin Ahmed bin Fahad – Minister of State
25. Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi – Minister of State for Happiness
26. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs
27. Shamma bint Sohail Faris AlMazrui – Minister of State for Youth Affairs.

New Minister Profiles Najla Mohammed Al Awar – Cabinet Member, Minister of Community Development Najla Mohammed Al Awar is the Secretary General of the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and The Future. She oversees the General Secretariat of the Cabinet, which supports decision making and implementation at the Cabinet. She supervises the launch and operation of government initiatives and programmes, revision of government policies, and coordination to organize Cabinet Retreats that address vital issues to the government.

Al Awar played a vital role in setting up the Bureau of Legal Affairs in the General-Secretariat, responsible for drafting Cabinet decrees and laws, preparing legal studies, and providing legal support and knowledge for federal government.

Al Awar was involved in the establishment of the Executive Office of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the establishment of the Secretariat of the Executive Council of Dubai.

Al Awar is also on the boards of the General Authority for Pensions and Social Security, the National Election Committee and The Higher Committee for the National Curricula.

Najla Mohammed Al Awar holds a Bachelor Degree of Science in Information Technology from the UAE University. She has received extensive academic and professional training in the fields of management administration from the London Business School.

Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for Defense Affairs Mohammed Al Bowardi is Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense, UAE, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee and the Committee for Developing and Implementing the Water and Agriculture Strategy for Abu Dhabi, Vice Chairman of Dolphin Energy and a board member of Tawazun Holding.

He has served as Chairman of the executive committee and board member at the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi. He is also a member on the board of trustees of Abu Dhabi University.

He is also the Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency and Deputy Chairman of the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation. In 2015, he received the Environmental Personality Award by the Emirates Appreciation Award for the Environment.

Al Bowardi holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Sciences and History from the Lewis & Clark College in the United States.

Dr. Thani Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi – Cabinet Member, Minister of Climate Change and Environment Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi is currently the Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). He is also the Director at the directorate of Energy and Climate change at the Ministry of Foreign affairs since 2010. He also represents the UAE in the meetings of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

He serves as the Vice Chair and Member of Review Committee of Zayed Future Energy Prize, as well as a member of the Selection Committee. Dr. Al Zeyoudi is also the IRENA liaison officer at MASDAR, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company.

Dr. Al Zeyoudi holds a PhD in Strategy, Programme & Project Management from SKEMA Business School at Lille, France. He has also earned a Master’s in Project Management from the British University in Dubai, an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology in Abu Dhabi, and a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa, USA.

He is a member of the Environment Agency (AED) in Abu Dhabi.

Jameela Salem Al Muhairi – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for General Education Jameela Al Muhairi has a 20-year experience in the field of education management, which has been working towards the development of a world-class school performance management system for schools in Dubai through her post as the Chief of Dubai Schools Inspections Bureau at KHDA.

Her aim is to develop the education system in the UAE and help parents find appropriate schools for their children.

A graduate in Management from the UAE University in Al Ain, Al Muhairi has spent a number of years working with the Ministry of Education following which she was appointed as Director for Dubai Knowledge Village.

She also held the position of Executive Director for the Private Education sector in Dubai Education Council. She is a current a member of the Dubai Education Council, and a member of Dubai Cares Dr. Ahmad Abdulla Humaid Belhoul AlFalasi – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for Higher Education Dr. Ahmad Belhoul is Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, overseeing the company’s strategic direction and development at the leading edge of the renewable energy and clean technology sector.

He was formerly Vice President at Mubadala, where he managed multi-billion dollar investments and stakeholder relationships in the metals and mining sector.

Prior to joining Mubadala, he worked as an advisor with McKinsey & Company.

Dr. Ahmad Belhoul has earned a masters’ degree in telecommunications engineering from the University of Melbourne, and a PhD from Monash University.

Ohood Khalfan Al Roumi – Minister of State for Happiness Ohood Al Roumi is Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office of the UAE. She oversees multiple strategic projects and initiatives such as the UAE Vision 2021, The National Agenda, the UAE Government Strategy, The Government Summit, Government Performance Management System "Adaa", Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre For Government Innovation, Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Program, Mohammed Bin Rashid Government Excellence Award, UAE Government Leaders Program, Emirates Government Service Excellence Program, Global Star Rating System for Services, Best M-Government Service and Mohammed Bin Rashid Policy Majlis.

The United Nations Foundation recently announced the selection of Ms. Al-Roumi for membership to the Global Entrepreneurship Council (GEC), making her the first Arab member in the council. Ms. Al Roumi also made the Young Global Leaders (YGL) list at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the year 2012 and is a board member of Dubai Museum of the Future Foundation.

Al-Roumi holds an Executive Master’s in Business Administration (EMBA) from the University of Sharjah and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the College of Business and Economics, United Arab Emirates University.

She is also a graduate from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Program for Leadership Development.

Noura Mohammed Al Kaabi – Cabinet Member, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs Noura Al Kaabi is the Chief Executive Officer of the Media Zone Authority - Abu Dhabi (MZA) and twofour54, and a committee member of the UAE’s Federal National Council and the Economic Development Committee.

Noura Al Kaabi is also member of the Economic Committee in the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Media Company, imagenation, Flash entertainment, Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, United Arab Emirates University, Scientific Authority of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, National Archive Center, and Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Award.

She is also Chairwoman of Emirates Media Measurement Company, and an advisory member of Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation.

Noura Al Kaabi is the first UAE national to be ranked on Foreign Policy magazine’s ‘Top 100 Global Thinkers List’. In 2014, she was named among Forbes Middle East’s 30 Most Influential Women in Government, and was awarded Business Woman of the Year at the Gulf Business Industry Awards.

Shamma Sohail Faris AlMazrui – Minister of State for Youth Affairs Shamma al Mazrui has obtained her Masters of Public policy with distinction from the University of Oxford. She was the first UAE Rhodes Scholar. She is also holder of a diploma of coursework on multi-sector partnerships at New York University. Her Bachelor of Science is in Arts and Economics from New York University in Abu Dhabi.

Shamma currently works at one of Abu Dhabi’s Sovereign Wealth Funds. She has previously worked as a public policy analyst with the UAE Mission to the United Nations. She has also worked as a Ministry Policy Analyst with the Prime Minister’s Office and participated in the Youth Lab Innovation Think Tank.

Shamma received the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed (Scholarship Coordination Office) Distinction Award in 2015, and the Coutts Future Leader 2015 Award. She also was an Academy of Achievement Delegate Scholar at the San Francisco Summit 2014.

Shamma participated in a number of leadership activities as she was the external relations liaison officer of the Oxford Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies forum (OxGAPS).

She was also the Alumni Relations Class Representative at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. She was also a co-founder and member of the NYUAD Al Nahda Institute.