Jordan Times
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Profiles of new cabinet
ministers
Muhyiddine Touq
Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs
Born in Amman in 1944, Touq holds a BA from the University of Jordan. He
obtained his masters and PhD in educational psychology from the US in 1972,
serving as a professor in the University of Wisconsin and the University of
Jordan faculty of education. He held the posts of the UJ president’s adviser and
the dean of students affairs and served as dean of the United Arab Emirates
University education faculty from 1984-1990. A former minister of administrative
development, Touq was also president of Al Zaytoonah University and director of
higher education and technical training and development at UNESCO/UNRWA.
Khalid Samara Zu’bi
Minister of State for Legal Affairs
Born in Ramtha in 1944, Zu’bi studied law in Egypt, where he also obtained a PhD
in general law. He held the portfolio of state minister for legal affairs in the
government of Abdul Salam Majali twice in 1995 and 1998. In the latter, he also
handled the parliamentary affairs portfolio.
He was also president of the private Al Zaytoonah University. Until his
appointment as minister, Zu’bi was serving as a professor at the Amman Arab
University and practising law.
Khalid Shraideh
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources
Shraideh served as secretary general of the Higher Council for Science and
Technology until his appointment as minister. The council was established in
1987 to build a national science and technology base to contribute to the
achievement of developmental objectives through increasing awareness of the
significance of scientific research and development. He was also project
director of Scenarios 2020, a panel of experts from different fields who attempt
to foresee the state of Jordan by the year 2020 in the light of three different
conditions (or scenarios).
Saad Kharabsheh
Minister of Health
Kharabsheh served as secretary general for administrative affairs at the
Ministry of Health until his appointment yesterday. He previously served as the
ministry’s director general for primary healthcare. A proponent of preventive
care, Kharabsheh helped introduce the flour fortification programme in 2001,
under which iron and folic acid was added to flour to combat iron deficiency
anaemia in cooperation with the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.
Mohammad Thneibat
Minister of Public Sector Reform and State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs
Thuneibat, who served as minister of administrative development in the Cabinet
of former prime minister Ali Abul Ragheb in 2000, was nominated by His majesty
King Abdullah in April 2001 to serve on the restructured Economic Consultative
Council. In October 2001, he took on a second portfolio of culture minister in
the second reshuffle of Abul Ragheb.
Mustafa Qurunfleh
Minister of Agriculture
Born in Jaffa, Palestine in 1944, Qurunfleh obtained his BA from Cairo
University in 1969, MA from California-Davis 1979 and a PhD in horticulture from
Kansas State University in 1982. He served as the vice dean of the University of
Jordan’s faculty of agriculture and was appointed dean of the faculty in 2003.
Qurunfleh, who has been a professor since 1993, also served as chairman of the
Department of Plant Production. Until his appointment as minister yesterday, he
was vice president for administrative affairs at the University of Jordan.
Mohammad Oran
Minister of Political Development
Born in Tafileh in 1945, Oran studied medicine in St. Georges Hospital Medical
School in London. He served with the Royal Medical Services until 1974 after
which he returned to England for his MRCP (membership of the Royal College of
Physicians) specialisation and went into private practice. Oran, who was a
member of the Lower House between 1997 and 2001, also served as president of the
Jordanian Medical Association. He was secretary general of the Arab Land Party,
a nationalist grouping founded in 1996, and a member of the National Coalition
of Opposition Parties.
Osama Dabbas
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities
Dabbas served as general manager of the Aqaba Inter.Continental Hotel until his
appointment as minister. He also was a member of the Jordan Tourism Board.
Bassem Roussan
Minister of Information and Communications Technology
Holder of a masters degree in electrical engineering from S.M.U. University in
the United States, Roussan served in the Royal Jordanian Air Force
Communications Department. He joined Fastlink in 1997, where he served as
director of the engineering department until March 2002. Roussan was the deputy
chief executive officer of Fastlink prior to his appointment as minister.