Cairo, Reuters/Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday asked Oil Minister Sherif Ismail to form a new cabinet within one week after the government submitted its resignation, a statement from the presidency said.

It was not immediately clear why the government resigned but officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity that Sisi had been unhappy with the performance of several ministries.

Informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat meanwhile that Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb had met with President Sisi on Friday to suggest a cabinet reshuffle following allegations of widespread corruption involving Egypt’s agriculture minister and several officials in the ministry.

However, the sources said President Sisi asked Mehleb and the entire cabinet to offer their resignation over the corruption scandal.

The announcement comes almost one week after the authorities arrested Egypt’s agriculture minister over the allegations.

Egypt is battling an insurgency headed by an affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) while trying to attract more foreign investment in an economy reeling from years of turmoil that followed an uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Ismail will likely be appointed the new prime minister. An engineer who held senior posts at several state-run energy firms, Ismail is seen as one of the best performing ministers.

As oil minister, he oversaw politically sensitive reforms, slashing energy subsidies, and also paid back some arrears to foreign energy companies to improve Egypt’s image among investors.

Sisi has asked the previous government to carry on in a caretaker role until a new administration is formed, the statement said.

Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, is due to hold long-delayed parliamentary elections next month, the final step in a process the government has said would deliver democracy.