By Xinhua,
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has appointed the first-ever female deputy minister in the oil-rich kingdom.
Norah al-Faiz became deputy education minister for women’s education, local Al- Arabiya website reported Saturday.
The king reshuffled his cabinet and named a new central bank governor and a new head of the religious police.
Muhammad al-Jasser was appointed by the king as the central bank governor, replacing Hamad Saud al-Sayyari.
Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Humain was named as new head of the Muttawa religious police, who replaced sacked Sheikh Ibrahim al-Ghaith.
The monarch also appointed Abdul-Aziz Khoja, who was ambassador to Lebanon, as information minister, replacing Iyad bin Amin Madani.
Saleh bin Humaid, who was speaker of the advisory Shura Council, was appointed head of the Supreme Judiciary Court and was replaced by the outgoing justice minister, Abdullah al-Sheikh.
The key cabinet positions, such as ministers of oil and mineral resources, defence and foreign affairs, remain unchanged.
Abdullah, who came into the throne in August 2005, had made minor changes in the government.