Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. | Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certifi ed Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

085010 1200106April 28, 2016 20 Rajab 1437 AH

THURSDAY

57 48

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTYTHE SULTAN

We have drawn an ambitious plan - the target of which is the Omani citizen. The main criterion of the plan is the human individual. It is man who performs development and its objective is to ensure happiness for the individual and his reformation so as to give the best of his talent and production.

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

e

On the occasion of the 4th National Day, 1974

DOMESTIC STAFF SET FOR LEGAL RIGHTS IN OMAN

DOMESTIC STAFF SET FOR LEGAL RIGHTS IN OMAN

REJIMON Kreji@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: How many hours a day does your maid work? Do they get a day off every week? Do they get paid annual holiday? Would you pay them a gratuity at the end of their service?

These are all questions which

households employing domestic staff may soon have to answer as the Ministry of Manpower con-fi rmed they are planning more legal protection for these workers.

“Either in the new labour law or as a separate chapter, we have plans to legalise their rights and provide better protection to do-mestic workers,” Said Salem Al

Saadi, the advisor to the Minister of Manpower, told Times of Oman.

“We have to protect them. We see them as guests in our home. Most likely, we may have a sepa-rate system to protect their rights if it’s not going to be included in the labour law,” the advisor added.

Generally, housemaids, house-hold drivers, gardeners and cleaners fall in domestic workers category.

Labour lawsCurrently, Oman, Qatar and the UAE exclude domestic workers from the ambit of labour laws.

Kuwait has the most eff ective law regulating domestic work-ers’ labour rights, which grants them the right to a weekly day

off , 30 days of annual paid leave, a 12-hour working day with rest, and an end-of-service benefi t of one month per year worked at the end of the contract, among other rights.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s 2012 la-bour law gives domestic workers annual vacations as well as access to mediation in labour disputes – but it fails to provide other basic protections, such as weekly rest days, a minimum wage, and limits on working hours.

Saudi Arabia had adopted a regulation in 2013 that grants do-mestic workers nine hours of rest in every twenty-four, with one day off a week, and one month of paid vacation after two years. But do-mestic workers can be required to

work up to 15 hours a day, where-as Saudi labour law limits other workers to 8 hours of work daily.

Sharan Burrow, the general secretary of International Trade Union Centre, said that Oman’s intention to legislate rights of domestic workers is a very good news.

“These workers are entitled to the same rights and social protec-tion as all workers. New laws that meet the ILO standards will be the real test of the country’s leader-ship,” Sharan said.

Rothna Begum, Women’s rights researcher on the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch, said that domestic work-ers are the most vulnerable work-ers in the country. >A6

Oman’s intention to enact legislation for

protecting domestic workers is a welcome

move as they are most prone to exploitation

Currently maids, cleaners, drivers and gardeners are not included in the labour law, but things could soon change...

Win tickets of 80s icon Pat Sharp concertTimes News Service

MUSCAT: As summer is around the corner, one live music event in Muscat is celebrating beach life and Times of Oman is your ticket to be part of the fun.

We have teamed up with Alive Entertainment Oman to off er you the chance to win one of 10 pairs of tickets to its ‘Here Comes The Summer Party’ this Friday, April 29.

The huge event at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa Amphitheatre will feature seven bands and host DJ will be 80s icon Pat Sharp, former host of Fun-House and a contestant on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

For your chance to win register the form on timesofoman.com and

enter our online competition.Tickets cost OMR10 and the

dress code is ‘beachwear and fl ip-fl ops’ and doors open from 5pm and the fun starts at 6pm. If you are not one of our lucky winners you can still reserve your ticket online.

L I V E M U S I C E V E N T

OMAN45 expats arrested for consuming liquor

1 Forty-fi ve expatriates of diff erent Asian nationalities were arrested on charges

of consuming alcohol in public, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) reported. The expatriates were allegedly found consuming alcohol in an open area in Al Azaiba. “The ROP raided the place after 11 people were killed in ‘suspicious’ run-over accidents near the location.” an ROP offi cial said. >A5

WORLDTrump, Clinton register big wins

2Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton rapidly

turned their fi re on each other with an eye on November’s presidential election after rolling up strong wins in Northeastern states. The New York billionaire defeated rivals John Kasich and Ted Cruz in all fi ve states that held party nominating contests in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware. >A16

MARKETWorld Bank optimistic on $41 oil price in 2016

3World Bank boosted its forecast for oil prices this year, projecting that

refi nery demand will pick up and United States production cuts will steepen in the second half of 2016. Crude prices will average $41 per barrel this year, which is still down 19 per cent from 2015, the Washington-based development bank said on in its quarterly commodity-markets outlook. >B1

T O P T H R E E I N S I D E S T O R I E S

A5Ministry issues fostering norms

MORNING MINUTE

Shura urges health minister to expedite pending projectsERIK PRINS erik@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Minister of Health is expected to make more eff orts to ensure the completion of delayed health projects, said members of the Majlis Al Shura, who hosted the minister, Dr Ahmed bin Mo-hammed Al Sa’eedi on Wednesday.

The minister’s statement on the condition of health facilities and plans to improve the sector in Oman, was the basis of discus-

sion at the Majlis Al Shura. The members questioned Al Sa’eedi on delays in executing the health ministry’s eighth fi ve-year plan (2010-2015) projects.

Ali Al Qutaiti, head of the Health Committee at the Majlis Al Shura, said only 36 per cent of the projects in this plan have been realised, while people are still waiting for the completion of remaining 64 per cent of projects.

“So far, we have heard only the ministry’s plans to build new hos-

pitals and renovate some, but we don’t see anything. So how can we and the citizens trust you?” he asked.

Al Sa’eedi said a letter from the Ministry of Finance in the past had instructed the ministry not to execute any projects before 2013, except essential projects, due to fi nancial reasons.

According to Al Sa’eedi, the eighth fi ve-year plan had 74 pro-jects, including 12 hospitals and 37 health centres. >A6

E X E C U T I O N O F E I G H T H P L A N

Awasr gets licence for

fi xed landline services

Staff Reporter

MUSCAT: Broadband service provider Awasr will provide fi xed landline services in Oman with an international call facility as its licence has been upgraded to Class 1 category by the Telecom-munications Regulatory Author-ity (TRA), a statement from the company said.

According to a top offi cial at Awasr, the company has already begun working with its part-

ners and the authorities to build a fi xed landline infrastructure in Oman.

Aff ordable prices“We will deliver top-notch ser-vices at highly competitive and aff ordable prices for everyone, especially since aff ordability is one of Awasr’s core principles and aims to achieve sustainable development in the Sultanate,” Issam Al Ismaili, head of market-ing at Awasr, said. >A6

U P G R A D E D

Pat Sharp, former host of Fun-

House. – patsharp.co.uk

A2 T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

OMAN

YOUR BIGGEST ROAD HAZARD IS IN YOUR HAND A TIMES OF OMAN

HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

SQU makes life for the visually impaired easier

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATIhassan@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: For the fi rst time in Oman, visually impaired stu-dents will be able to walk easily through Sultan Qaboos Univer-sity’s (SQU’s) corridors, guided by newly installed Braille signs.

Braille is a tactile writing sys-tem used by the visually impaired, to read by touching the paper or board with their hands.

More than 30 students will benefi t from this initiative, as SQU’s College of Arts and Social Sciences has recently placed 370 signboards all over the college’s departments, to help people with visual disabilities to become more independent.

“Instead of asking others for di-rections and room numbers, these signs will save them the time and the hassle of asking,” Muadh Al Raqqadi, an offi cial at the college

told the Times of Oman.The signs are located in all

rooms, including restrooms, prayer rooms, coff ee shops and computer labs. Al Raqqadi ex-plained that the signs are made of plastic with soft edges so they do not cause any injuries to pas-sersby. Moreover, they are not af-fected by humidity.

“We used a special font and colour so people with visual dif-fi culties can see it more clearly,” Al Raqqadi said, while adding that this initiative will be the fi rst of its kind in Oman’s educational sector.

He added that the signs are placed at a suitable height so even people on a wheelchair can read them.

The whole project was car-ried out locally as working with foreign companies will be much more costly, according to Al Raqqadi. “It would have cost us at least OMR15,000 if an external company did the job,” he said.

“This is just the fi rst phase of a bigger project. We will translate

more signs into Braille in the sec-ond phase,” he confi rmed.

The college will soon open a special workshop for people with all sorts of disabilities. Al Raqqadi noted that a map is available now in Braille at every department’s entry, so blind students can easily navigate through the offi ces.

It is worth mentioning that the College of Arts and Social Sci-ences accommodates the highest number of students with disabili-ties in SQU, around 80 per cent of total students with disabilities.

In 2015, fi ve new students with visual impairment and two with mobility impairment joined the college. The majority of them are studying history. The col-lege gives special attention to this group of learners in order to motivate and encourage them to take the road of creativity and achievement like their able peers. Furthermore, the college also in-stalled four elevators that helped disabled students move between the diff erent fl oors easily.

More than 30

students will benefi t

from this initiative,

under which 370

Braille signboards

have been placed

to help people with

visual disabilities

become more

independent

INITIATIVE: The signs are located in all rooms, including re-

strooms, prayer rooms, coff ee shops and computer labs. – Supplied

Instead of asking others for directions and room numbers, these signs will save them (the visually impaired) the time and the hassle of asking

Muadh Al Raqqadi, SQU College of Arts and Social Sciences offi cial

A3

OMANT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

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More than 5,100 drug addicts in Oman

Staff Reporter

MUSCAT: There are more tham 5,100 drug addicts in Oman, the minister of health stated in the Majlis Al Shura today.

Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sa’eedi, the Minister of Health, is being hosted by the Shura today and tomorrow to discuss the status of the health ministry and the progress it made during the last fi ve-year plan.

Earlier in a report, the min-istry of health said the success rate of treating drug addicts in Oman is only 20 per cent, not-ing this was because of a lack of comprehensive rehabilita-tion centres.

Al Massara Psychiatric Hos-pital is the only dedicated fa-cility in Oman that treats drug addiction,though the facility has just 245 beds.

H E A L T H

‘Oman needs to further improve hospital access’

MOBIN MATHEW BLESSONmobinmathew@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman needs more ac-cess to hospitals, said Dr Preetha Reddy, executive vice-chairper-son of the Apollo Hospitals Group.

“Oman doesn’t require more hospitals but the access should be greater,” Reddy told the Times of Oman (TOO) on the sidelines of the opening of their fi rst Apollo Hospital in Oman and also the fi rst in the Middle East.

“For that the insurance sys-tem should be more streamlined; and can be made even better and exciting, while hospital system should be upgraded,” she said while speaking about the health sector in Oman.

She added that there should be some assistance extended to fi nd trained manpower and Oman needs more doctors and nurses, whether it is nationals or expats but that it should be available in a consistent manner.

According to her, Oman should have enough hospitals between the private and public category in

the health sector of Oman.She also agreed that with the

support of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Oman’s health sector has come a long way.

“I came to Oman after a long time and the changes in the fi eld are immense and the decision of His Majesty to give Omani citizens high-end healthcare has brought about that change,” she asserted.

“They upgraded the public health system to a large extend and the decision to allow the pri-vate health sector to establish was a great move,” Reddy added.

She also said the Apollo group would like to work in the health sector as a partner.

“We would like to work in the health sector as a partner and we will provide whatever needs to be done for the people of Oman,” Reddy said. “The level of trust with Apollo as a brand is very high be-cause we stand for aff ordable, ac-countable care and the outcome have been very good,” she added.

Reddy also appreciated the support of the ministry in estab-

lishing the new Apollo Hospital in Muscat. “I can promise the people of Oman whatever treatments are available globally for any disease,” Reddy said.

She also pointed out that the number of patients travelling from Oman to India, especially to Apollo hospitals in India, is in-creasing and this shows the trust of the patients.

Apollo Hospital Muscat, which was recently upgraded into a full-fl edged hospital, with world-class facilities, was offi cially inaugu-rated by Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, advisor to His Majesty the Sultan.

According to V T Saileswaran, managing director, Apollo Hospi-tal Muscat, the facility currently has 25 specialised in-house doc-tors and eight super specialty visiting consultants from Apollo India, for neurology, oncology and orthopaedics.

“Our aim is to make this hos-pital one of the best treatment providers for nationals and the residents of Oman,” Saileswaran told TOO.

“We have plans for introduc-ing an array of specialised de-partments in a phased manner, including separate clinics for thalassemia, orthopaedics and neuro diseases,” he added.

Speaking about the expansion of Apollo Hospitals in Oman, Saileswaran said: “We have a defi -nite plan but our fi rst concern is to make our new hospital a better one with good treatments being made available in the area.”

Apollo Hospital Muscat, which was recently

upgraded into a full-fl edged hospital,

with world-class facilities, was offi cially

inaugurated on Wednesday

INAUGURATED: The fi rst-ever Apollo Hospital in the Middle East was inaugurated by His Highness

Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Advisor to His Majesty the Sultan. – Jun Estrada

Outgoing South Korean envoy praises progress in relationsMOBIN MATHEW BLESSONmobinmathew@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Ties between the Sultanate and South Korea have deepened in many fi elds, said the country’s ambassador to the Sul-tanate.

“During my tenure, our rela-tions have deepened further in many fi elds, such as through the continued participation of Ko-rean companies in major infra-structure construction projects in all major cities of Oman, that is, Muscat, Duqm, Sohar, Musan-dam, Salalah, even in Masirah island,” Kim Daesik said while ad-dressing the guests who had come to bid farewell to him.

“The relationship between our two countries has never been in such an excellent shape and I am leaving the Sultanate with that satisfaction,” he added.

He also said the visit of a high-level delegation of political and economic leaders from both countries was active during his period, which had helped in the bilateral relationship.

According to Daesik, the cul-tural ties between the two states also witnessed a growth during his time. “My embassy has organised a variety of events to introduce Ko-rean culture and modern society to Omanis,” the ambassador said.

“We have introduced tradition-al music, traditional and modern dance, modern ballets, the martial arts of Taekwando, Korean food,

Korean movies and so on to the Sultanate,” he added.

People-to-people contactsSpeaking about the people-to-people exchanges, the am-bassador said, “I have happily witnessed an increase in people-to-people exchanges.”

“Every year, 40 university stu-dents from both countries have visited either country to learn since 2014,” the ambassador said.

“Three seats of scholarship have been off ered annually to the Oma-ni people for Masters and Doctoral courses,” Daesik asserted.

“Oman and Korea has even started to develop the Scouts co-operation for the young and fu-ture generation,” he continued while commenting on people-to-

people exchanges between the two countries.

He also spotted the new areas that have added to the cooperation between Oman and Korea, such as Police Training, Digital Security, Marine Farm and Fishery, Pres-ervation of valuable government documents and archives.

He also mentioned the con-struction of the new embassy building, which had begun con-struction during his period.

“Though delayed, the progress has been made gradually and is now almost in its fi nal stage. In three months time, my successor may attend an opening ceremo-ny,” he asserted.

Daesik thanked all Omani gov-ernment offi cials from diff erent ministries for their unsparing support and help with his work.

“Further, not only for the gov-ernment, but also for all the won-derful people whom I met from economic, cultural, media and academic circles,” he added.

Daesik also praised the natural beauty of Oman in his farewell speech. He closed his speech by wishing continued great leader-ship and longevity of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, more prosperity for the Sultanate of Oman, and an everlasting friend-ship and cooperation between Oman and Korea. Government offi cials and ambassadors go-ing to other friendly nations were also there to say goodbye to the ambassador.

B I L A T E R A L T I E S

Kim Daesik ambassador of

South Korea to the Sultanate

Oman, World Bank sign pactMUSCAT: Oman and the World Bank signed an agreement for technical cooperation and dis-cussed means of developing the macroeconomic model of the Sul-tanate.

Sultan bin Salim Al Habsi, Sec-retary General of the Supreme Council for Planning (SCO) on Wednesday received a delegation of the World Bank led by Dr. Hafez Ghanem, Chairman of the World Bank for Middle East and North Africa, currently in the Sultanate.

Technical cooperationThe two sides signed an agree-ment for technical cooperation and discussed means of develop-ing the macroeconomic model of

the Sultanate, which forecasts the eff ect of the diff erent changes on the Omani economy. They also discussed means of developing the promising economic sectors that lead to economic diversifi cation, as well as programmes for enhanc-ing the planning capabilities of the Secretariat General, over the next three years.

The World Bank delegation’s visit to the Sultanate comes within the framework of the technical co-operation between the Bank and the SCP Secretariat General.

Finance Minister receivesDarwish bin Ismail Al Balushi, Minister Responsible for Finan-cial Aff airs received in his Of-

fi ce the delegation of the World Bank Group under the chair of Dr Hafez Ghanem.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed means of opening horizons of cooperation between the Sultanate and the World Bank Group in developing the services and advice provided to the Sultan-ate, especially in light of oil prices’ slump in world markets.

They also discussed the steps implemented to develop the public fi nancial systems, as well as the measures that should be taken to facilitate and expedite the implementation of the ar-ticles of cooperation between the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank. -ONA

T E C H N I C A L C O O P E R A T I O N

A4 T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

OMAN

Gallery that helps the consumer spot fakes

BABA UMARbabaumar@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: A rogue’s gallery of counterfeit goods is helping con-sumers spot the diff erence be-tween real and phony goods on sale in the Sultanate.

“I always thought there is noth-ing like counterfeit (goods) in Oman. But inside the gallery the battle between original and fake goods is real,” Toheed Ahmed, a mid-level executive at a perfume selling company told the Times of Oman (TOO). “Thank God there is no replica of our products,” he said at the gallery on the ground fl oor of the headquarters of the Public Authority for Consumer Protec-tion (PACP). The visitors said the attempt could successfully help in the fi ght against phony and spuri-ous goods fl ooding the markets.

Unexpected GoodsWalking around the gallery one can fi nd plenty of unexpected goods. Omani caps (or Kumma) are showcased amongst bogus sunglasses and hair oils.

“We seized these caps sometime back from various markets. We found some traders are purchasing second-hand Kumma. Then they wash the headgear, repack it and sell it as new,” said one the PACP’s female employees managing the gallery.

On other shelves one can fi nd English breakfast tea, biscuits, and even washing powder.

The products have even been marked with original and counter-feit stickers to help visitors recog-nise the diff erence between fake and genuine goods. Further ahead, a Stanley-brand handsaw and clip-pers are juxtaposed with their rep-licas inside a glass frame.

The gallery displays a coun-terfeit of bathroom accessories, toothpaste, toilet cleaners, ol-ive oil, ketchup, corn fl akes, soft drinks, noodles, sun fl ower oil, Bas-mati, rice, tea bags, movie DVDs, knives and blades, mobile phones, nail clippers, socks, traditional Omani attire, printing machine

cartridges, soaps, skin creams and other household things.

Public AwarenessEarlier in February, PACP claimed to have collected more than OMR960,000 from businesses in the Sultanate, who were found to have violated consumer laws. This recovery was made in the year 2015 following up on the com-plaints of consumers. The process

of lodging a complaint is simple.Either the consumer can call the

PACP offi ce to register the com-plaint or visit the offi ce in person.

Once the complaint is through, consumers are told to submit the original invoice. Then the trader is called and the offi cials settle the dispute face to face. For exam-ple, explained one PACP offi cial, a trader had sold a used cell phone to a consumer in a new packet.

“After receiving the complaint, we made the trader pay back the money plus the penalty of violating consumer laws,” he stated.

PACP offi cials say the seized goods are worth millions of Omani riyals.

“PACP is a mere six-year old agency and the goods we have seized are worth millions of riyals,” Omar Faisal Al Jahadmi, deputy chairman for PACP’s Consumer Services and Marketing Monitor-ing wing told TOO.

The exhibition of counterfeit items, he said, has helped im-mensely in raising public aware-ness in the Sultanate. PACP offi -cials also said the pro-consumer agency’s website regularly up-dates the database of counterfeit products.

“In 2015 alone, about 4,693 peo-ple visited the gallery. This has helped our consumers to a great extent,” Al Jahadmi said.

Counterfeit items

are housed on the

ground fl oor of the

headquarters of the

Public Authority for

Consumer Protection

EXPOSED: The products have been marked with original and counterfeit stickers to help visitors rec-

ognise the diff erence between fake and genuine goods.

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Wi-fi , live TV streaming soon for fl ydubai fl iersRAHUL DASrahuldas@timesofoman.com

DUBAI: Passengers travelling on fl ydubai fl ights will soon be able to surf the net, watch live televi-sion and enjoy a new seatback in-fl ight entertainment system.

Dubai-based fl ydubai operates 56 fl ights a week from Oman to Dubai. “From Muscat we operate seven fl ights a day to Dubai, while from Salalah we operate one fl ight a day to Dubai,” said a spokesper-son of fl ydubai. Currently, it fl ies to more than 85 destinations in 43 countries from Dubai, with 19 new routes launched in 2015.

Commenting on the launch at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief ex-ecutive offi cer (CEO) of fl ydubai, said: “Flydubai has been com-mitted to investing in product in-novations and technologies that enhance the travel experience for our passengers from day one.

“We want to off er customers more choice, a greater experi-ence and aff ordable access to the technologies that we are all coming to expect in the air, just as we do on the ground. “Adding wi-fi connectivity, live television along with our enhanced ground-breaking in-fl ight entertainment system, will allow us to continue to deliver that personalised fl ying experience our customers expect and appreciate.” From this week,

wi-fi connectivity and live TV will be available through the in-fl ight portal for the fi rst time on select-ed fl ights as fl ydubai continues to roll out service across the rest of its fl eet.

PackageThe wireless satellite-based net-work will allow passengers to buy a package from as low as $4 to get connected during a fl ight using their personal devices and from $8 to tune in to catch up with the news on BBC World News, Al Jazeera or Al Arabiya, enjoy Ara-bic shows on MBC1 or fascinating documentaries on the Discovery Channel.

Flydubai has partnered with Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) to launch the fully-inte-grated Infl ight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC) System. It already receives in-fl ight media content through GEE and the in-stallation of connectivity systems expands the partnership to in-

clude integrated IFEC solutions, off ering wi-fi -enabled internet connectivity, an extensive library of more than 2,000 hours of on-demand content and the capabil-ity to stream live TV.

“GEE has enabled fl ydubai to take control of the total in-fl ight passenger experience like never before, starting with integrated in-fl ight entertainment, connec-tivity, digital media solutions and rounding it out with real-time data operations solutions,” said Dave Davis, CEO of GEE.

“We’re looking forward to tai-loring additional solutions that will continue to enhance the fl y-dubai passenger experience in the months and years ahead.”

Daniel Kerrison, vice president of Infl ight Product at fl ydubai, who has been driving the inno-vation of its cabin appearance and services since the launch of the airline in 2008, said: “We are excited to be off ering as many creative and innovative product choices as we can to our passen-gers and giving them the option to decide which products and services they wish to include in their travel experience. We are very happy with our partnership with GEE and we are determined to provide our passengers with an experience similar to what they have come to expect from con-sumer electronics like tablets and smartphones.”

I N - F L I G H T E N T E R T A I N M E N T S Y S T E M

ATTRACTION: Dubai-based

fl ydubai operates 56 fl ights

a week from Oman to

Dubai. — Supplied photo

Tourism College set to launch hotel management certifi cate courseTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Oman Tourism Col-lege will launch the nation’s fi rst Management Development Pro-gram in Hotel Business Acumen in Oman, in association with the Netherlands-based Hotelschool The Hague, an international hos-pitality management school.

The Business Acumen man-agement program, with 15 par-ticipants, will begin on 9 May. “The Certifi cate programme in Hotel Business Acumen is a fi rst of its kind academic project in the hospitality industry in Oman, and Oman Tourism College is proud to maintain its pioneering role in the Sultanate’s hospital-ity training sector by off ering the management certifi cation, which is highly valued in the industry the world over.

“The course is designed to strengthen the business skills of hotel professionals and assist them in advancing their careers,” said Dr Abdulkarim bin Sultan Al Mughairi, the Dean of Oman Tourism College.

ProfessionalsThe programme will be taught by hotel professionals from Ho-telschool The Hague who have international experience in op-erations, leadership and manage-ment training.

The four-day intensive pro-gram is meant for senior level professionals in the hospitality

industry, including sales, market-ing, revenues, and asset manag-ers, heads of departments, and supervisors. Upon completion of the program, participants are authorised to add the letters CBA (Certifi ed for Business Acumen) to their names.

“The course sharpens the skills, knowledge and mindset that form the business founda-tions of a successful leader, by providing the three essentials of business acumen—fi nancial competence, strategic thinking and eff ective communication—that are needed for fast deci-sion-making, effi cient execution and positive business scorecard results,” according to a com-munique from the Hotelschool The Hague.

Further, international hotel chains, such as Marriott, have in-corporated the Business Acumen program into their management training projects.

Oman Tourism College is of-fering the Business Acumen pro-gramme following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the college and Hotel-school The Hague Performance Management Ltd.

According to the MoU, Oman Tourism College will be the only school in Oman to off er Hotel-school The Hague’s Business/Food and Beverages Acumen programmes. The Food and Bev-erages programme will begin at a later date.

T I E - U P W I T H N E T H E R L A N D S ’ H O T E L S C H O O L T H E H A G U E

Students learn about governance in visit to State CouncilTimes News Service

MUSCAT: State Council places high priority on disseminating accurate information about gov-ernance in Oman.

To facilitate this, it has in place a student awareness programme, which allows academic institu-tions to coordinate, and organise visits to State Council.

Recently, the Council wel-comed students from the College of Education at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and the Al Bustan School.

The guided tour was conducted by Ahood Talib Rahby, researcher at the Department of Informa-tion and Research, who said this was a great way to fi nd out about the Council and its relevance in residents’ lives and learn about the impact it makes across the Sultanate.

The students also explored the cutting-edge technology of the Council. Ahood also highlighted the role of the Council and about including rules and laws relating to governance, the two councils and their diff erences and role.

R A I S I N G A W A R E N E S S

The course is designed to strengthen the business skills of hotel professionals and assist them in advancing their careers

Dr Abdulkarim bin Sultan Al Mughairi, Dean of Oman Tourism College

A5

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45 expatriates arrested for consuming alcohol publiclyStaff Reporter

MUSCAT: Forty-fi ve expatri-ates of diff erent Asian nationali-ties were arrested on charges of consuming alcohol publicly, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has re-ported. The expatriates were al-legedly found consuming alcohol

in an open area in Al Azaiba.The arrests were made after

ROP offi cials raided a crowded area where the accused were alleg-edly consuming alcohol openly.

“The ROP raided the place af-ter 11 people were killed in ‘sus-picious’ run-over accidents near the location. Royal Oman Police

offi cials raided the area following these reports and arrested the ac-cused, who reportedly gathered frequently at the same location,” an ROP offi cial told the Times of Oman.

The accused have been re-ferred to the Public Prosecutor for further action.

E N F O R C E M E N T

Ministry issues fostering norms

TARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMItariqh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: As the public eagerly awaits the chance to foster the abandoned girl, unless a relative turns up, any prospective foster family will have to comply with criteria issued by Ministry of So-cial Development, which evalu-ates whether a foster parent is fi t for taking care of the child.

When news surfaced about the abandoned girl, many came for-ward with off ers of help to foster the two-year-old. However, po-tential parents must match the criteria put forth by the Ministry of Social Development in order to ensure a safe life for the child.

According to Article 16 of the Regulations for Care and Foster-ing, the candidates must be an Omani, Muslim family with two parents (father and mother). In

certain cases, it is permissible for a single woman to foster the child.

The parents or the woman must be between 25 and 55 years old and must have a clean crimi-nal record. The fostering family must be able to care for the child, both socially and psychologically.

The family and parents must also go through a medical exami-nation to prove that they do not carry any contagious diseases and are not suff ering from any mental, psychological and be-havioural issues. However, those who are fi nancially capable of car-

ing for the child, will get priority over others.

The Times of Oman spoke with Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said, founder of Whispers Seren-ity and expert psychotherapist to get her view on this matter.

When asked about what makes for a good parent, she responded, “We cannot ask what makes a good parent, but rather, what makes for a caring parent?”

“Parents must go through a psy-chological examination to deter-mine how fi t they are to take care of a child, this is very important. Examiners must also ask why they want to foster their child,” she said, adding that parents must provide a reason for their will to foster children.

Families can only foster two children and would need the min-ister’s approval if they wish to fos-ter more. The Ministry of Social Development will regularly moni-tor the status of the fostering fam-ily every six months or whenever they feel necessary. Those who live abroad will also be monitored by the Sultanate’s embassy in the country the family lives in.

The abandoned child was found in Al Buraimi and is now being kept at the Al Wifaq Care Center in Al Seeb.

Potential foster

parents must match

laid down criteria

Al Wafa Centre holds disabled children’s products exhibitionTARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMItariqh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Breaking down stereo-types, the Al Wafa Rehabilitation Centre for Children with Disabili-ties (WRCCD) displayed children’s handmade products for the public to prove that disabled children and people are also able to become pro-ductive members of the society.

The products were displayed at the Muscat Grand Mall, which ranged from stunning paintings and handmade dolls to bedazzled tissue box holders and frankin-cense thuribles. Nawal Al Shuhi, deputy supervisor at WRCCD said it took the children two months to create their work.

“It is a great opportunity for the community to see the children’s talents and that they are capable of creating such beautiful work,” said Al Shuhi. She said they are contin-uously seeking support from the government and private sectors, as well as the general public.

The disabilities range from physical, mental and autism.

Supporting the cause, members of Oman Mustangers were present as they helped organise the exhi-bition to acquaint the public with the children’s talent. “We want the people to know that disabled people are also talented, not just those who are not disabled,” said

Ayman, an administrative member of Oman Mustangers. “We want to break the stereotypes; just like how people perceive Mustang owners, such as ourselves, are rash and reckless people, when it is not the case. Yes, our cars are powerful, they make a lot of noise and are fast, but it can also be used responsibly. Disabled children have a lot of tal-ent, but most people see them dif-ferently,” he added. “A lot of people think that disabled people cannot

do anything and I have had people say it to me directly,” said Al Shuhi.

“But we are not a school, we are a rehabilitation centre and we bring out the talent in the children so it can benefi t them in the future and have some self reliance,” she added, explaining that the children could make a career out of their abilities. Although it was a one-day event, staff members and sup-porters relied on the community to keep an open mind and support the disabled children.

Al Shuhi said the next step for “glory” would depend on how ac-tive the community was towards supporting the children.

H E L P I N G O U T

Ministry of Social Development

has issued strict

criteria for adoption of

abandoned girl child.

STUNNING: The products, handmade by disabled children were

displayed at the Muscat Grand Mall, and ranged from stunning

paintings to handmade dolls. – Tariq Al Haremi

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

PHOTO GALLERYW W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M

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OMANT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

It is an ideal place for children to have fun and stay engaged while the parents can relax and shop, staying assured that their children are in a safe environment

Ben Watson, General Manager of Oman Avenues Mall

‘Slowdown hasn’t hit Oman Avenues Mall business’

MOBIN MATHEW BLESSONmobinmathew@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: “We are not at all af-fected by the recent slowdown in the economy,” Oman Avenues Mall general manager has said.

“It hasn’t aff ected our business a great deal because we are a new Mall and every month the foot-fall in our mall is getting higher and higher,” Ben Watson told the Times of Oman.

“Even our sales are increas-ing every month,” he said on the sidelines of the announcement of Oman’s largest indoor park.

According to him, more than a million people are visiting the Oman Avenues Mall every month.

“People are coming to the mall because we are fresh and new, and still we have new brand openings at our mall, which attracts peo-ple,” Watson said.

Speaking about the Funtazmo, Oman’s largest indoor family en-tertainment centre (FEC), which is operated by Abu Taleb Invest-ments LLC, Watson said, “They are one of the best operators in this fi eld.”

Abu Taleb Investments LLC

had previously invested in several entertainments centres in Oman and Egypt.

According to him, the Oman Avenues Mall is associating with them because of three reasons.

“They are outstanding in opera-tions, they have a safe operation and a fun operation which the en-tire family at the Mall can enjoy,” Watson said.

“We are expecting very big things with FEC and we want

families in Muscat to visit our Mall not only once, but many times throughout the year,” he added.

As per the announcement, Fun-tazmo will start its operation from May 5. This space will be home to more than 250 unique ride and games, a 5D cinema and a mega party hall.

Indoor roller-coasterThe Centre will also host the fi rst indoor roller-coaster in Oman, which will be operational by the end of 2016. According to offi cials, Funtazmo has two parts.

The fi rst is Funtazmo children, which is situated on the fi rst fl oor and caters especially to children in the age group of up to three.

“It is an ideal place for children to have fun and stay engaged while the parents can relax and shop, staying assured that their children are in a safe environment,” an of-fi cial said. The second one is the main Funtazmo, which is located in the second fl oor. According to the offi cials, the complete action can be viewed from two viewing galleries across the centre.

“One gallery is located on the same fl oor and the other on the third fl oor, giving the person a bird’s eye view of all the fun hap-

pening inside,” he added. Accord-ing to a spokesperson at Abu Taleb investments LLC, their invest-ment in the Funtazmo project is about OMR7 to 8 million.

“We are happy to announce the launch of Funtazmo; Oman was missing a family entertain-ment centre that caters to both the youth and adults, which is why we conceptualised the place keep-ing the entire family in mind,” Amad Aldin Razzaq Ahmed Talib, chairman of Abu Taleb invest-ments LLC, said. According to Watson, Oman Avenues Mall will announce its expansion soon. “We do have another expansion planned, which we are going to an-nounce soon,” he asserted.

He also said that the Oman Av-enues Mall is off ering a lot of gifts to their customers in the month of May. “Anyone who spends OMR15 at the mall is eligible to participate in a lucky draw and win a car,” he said. He also said the customer, who spends OMR15 on a week day will get two chances to win a car through the lucky draw.

“Through this we want the peo-ple to come to mall not only on the weekends, but also on the week-days with their family,” Watson explained.

Oman Avenues Mall

will be off ering a

lot of gifts to their

customers in the

month of May

People are coming to

the mall because we are

fresh and new, and new

brand openings at our

mall attracts people

Ben WatsonGeneral Manager, Oman Avenues Mall

Awasr to off er high-speed fi bre-optic internet

Meanwhile, the company state-ment added that in addition to the fi xed line service, it will also be able to build a robust and ad-vanced dedicated network, ca-pable of delivering high-speed fi -bre-optic internet of up to 1 Gbps (gigabytes per second).

According to an offi cial from the company, one does not need to have a fi xed landline to have high-speed internet access.

“With Awasr, you do not need to have a fi xed landline to have in-

ternet access, we provide our ser-vices over fi bre optic that is data specifi c and we provide internet services over the fi bre network. As long as you are within our cov-erage area, you can get our high speed internet service,” the offi -cial said.

“The fi xed line service is also through fi bre optic,” the offi cial added.

Meanwhile, Mohamad El Madhoun, commercial adviser at Awasr, said they are keen on

meeting all Class 1 licence re-quirements, which refl ects their continued commitment towards improving lifestyles and develop-ing the Omani business environ-ment, by delivering high-speed fi bre-optic internet for both locals and expats across the Sultanate.

With the new licence, Awasr will build network infrastruc-ture in Muscat and the northern region, including in Al Batinah North, Al Batinah South, Al Dha-hirah and Al Buraimi governo-

rates and in the southern region, Al Dakhiliya, Al Sharqiyah North, Al Sharqiyah South, Dhofar and Al Wusta governorates will be covered.

“Awasr will also build an in-ternational gateway to provide high-end international telecom-munications services,” the state-ment added.

Its services will cover the re-gions of Al Khoud, Al Mawaleh, Al Hail, Maabilah and Shatti Al Qu-rum in the fi rst phase.

L A U N C H E D S E R V I C E S L A S T M O N T H

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2.5 million workers live in GCC

“The Omani authorities should in-clude domestic workers within its law and ensure they are accorded equal protections like other work-ers,” she added.

Saud Salmi, a trade union leader in Oman who always champions for the rights of domestic workers, said that a law is needed to protect workers and for the regulation of the sector.

“Domestic workers should feel secure in Oman,” the trade union leader said while expressing his thoughts that the current Kafala system should be abolished.

Earlier, Salmi had called upon the government to set up an inde-pendent body to protect domestic workers’ rights in the Sultanate.

Mohammed Khaldi, another trade union leader from Oman’s trade union federation, said that all workers in Oman should get their rights in the law.

“As for the domestic workers and their rights, this is one of the important topics. We see many kinds of exploitation. Still, there is a perception that there is no need to protect domestic workers by law. However, they are most vulnerable to the exploitation,” Mohammed added. It is estimated that there are 2.5 million domestic workers in the six Gulf Coopera-tion Council (GCC) countries.

P R O T E C T I O N

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Shura members ask minister

about delayed health projects

The projects have been delayed after 2013. According to fi gures presented by Al Sa’eedi during the session, 27 health projects were completed between 2013 and 2016, including 17 health centres and four hospitals.

Hilal Al Sarmi, member of the Health Committee, said that while he understood the Ministry had to postpone some projects in this plan, he is not satisfi ed.

He said that the biggest pro-jects fi nalised in this period were hospitals and health centres out-side Muscat, including the Al Falah, Khasab, Al Nama and Sa-mail Hospitals.

Minister’s response“We are not satisfi ed with the minister’s response and we urge him to do more to secure these projects. Clearly, the minister was not prepared to execute the pro-jects. Even when there was space for new projects, the Ministry ex-ecuted smaller projects and left the bigger ones aside,” he said.

Al Saidi said the ministry is waiting for a decision by the Supreme Council for Plan-ning on the remaining projects of the eighth and ninth plan (2016 to 2020).

Al Sarmi said the health minis-ter is not clear about which pro-jects are in the pipeline for the

ninth plan, “because he does not want to be judged in case it does not happen.”

He also pointed out that the Sultanate of Oman currently has 69 hospitals, of which 49 are un-der the Ministry of Health, fi ve under other government entities and 15 under the private sector.

E X E C U T I O N O F P R O J E C T S

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AUGUST OFFICE: Majlis Al Shura hosted Minister of Health Dr.

Ahmed Mohammed Al Sa’eedi on Wednesday. -ONA

MUSCAT SINGERS SPRING CONCERTThe Muscat Singers Spring Concert will be held on May 14, 2016 at The Bosch Center for

the Performing Arts, TAISM, Azaiba. This year’s repertoire will feature folk songs from

around the world, including pieces from Kenya, Scotland, Brazil and an Indian raga. The

choir will be joined by guest performers, Muscat Brass. Doors open at 5.30pm and the

concert begins at 6pm. -Supplied photo

A7

OMANT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

HM’s greetings conveyed to King Salman

RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the King-dom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) yes-terday received Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi, Minister of Interior when King Salman re-ceived the GCC Ministers of In-terior who are taking part in the 17th consultative meeting being held in Riyadh.

Sayyid Hamoud conveyed greetings of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said along with his best wishes of continuous pro-gress and prosperity to King Sal-man and the Saudi people.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also asked the Minister of Interior to convey his greet-ings and best wishes to His Maj-esty the Sultan and the Omani people permanent progress and growth under His Majesty’s wise leadership.

Prince Mohammed bin Nayef

bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior in Saudi Arabia received Sayyid Hamoud in Riyadh who is leading the Sul-tanate’s delegation at the 17th consultative meeting of the GCC Ministers of Interior.

Sayyid Al Busaidi is accom-panied by Maj. Gen Hamad bin Sulaiman Al Hatmi, Assistant Inspector General of Police and Customs for Operations, a num-ber of offi cials in the Ministry of Interior and the Royal Oman Po-lice (ROP). -ONA

Sayyid Al Busaidi

takes part in the 17th

consultative meeting

of the GCC

Interior Ministers

BOOST TO TIES: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal Al

Busaidi, Minister of Interior, in Riyadh, yesterday. – ONA

Honour for Mahrouqiah

DUBAI: Arab Centre for Tour-ist Media (ACTM) honoured Maithaa bint Saif Al Mahrou-qiah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism with the award of the Government Fig-ure supporting the Arab tour-ism and Faiza bint Suwailm Al Kalbaniyah was awarded the Best Arab Journalist as part of the awards of (Tourist Media Oscar 2016), organised by the ACTM every year.

The ceremony was organized in the United Arab Emirates in Dubai during which Hassan Haddad, Minister of Tourism in the Kingdom of Morocco was honoured as the tourist person-ality of the year. -ONA

T O U R S I M A W A R D

TRA signs agreement with Jordan telecom regulatorAMMAN: Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) on Wednesday signed a bilateral co-operation with the Jordanian Tel-ecommunications Regulatory Au-thority (JTRA).

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 14th Annual Meeting of the Arab Network for Regulatory Commissions of Tel-ecommunications and Informa-tion Technology Sector, currently being held in the Jordanian capi-tal Amman. Dr. Hamad bin Salim Al Rawahi, CEO of TRA and Dr. Ghazi Al Jabour, Board Chairman of JTRA signed the agreement.

The deal will help open areas of cooperation between the two sides in the fi eld of regulating the tele-communications sector in accord-ance with laws and regulations, in addition to cooperation in the fi eld of spectrum management and al-location of new frequency bands to increase access and improve the quality of mobile internet service.

It will also help in developing the necessary criteria for the im-provement of free competition and upgrading the quality of telecom-munications and postal services and other topics of interest.

Meanwhile, TRA participated in the meeting along with other Arab countries. The TRA CEO head-

ed the Sultanate’s delegation in the meeting.

The delegates discussed the recommendations of the experts about current projects, which have been prepared in their pre-paratory meeting ahead of the of-fi cial meeting after the discussion and evaluation. -ONA

A R A B M E E T

BOOSTING TIES: The agreement was signed on sidelines of the 14th

Annual Meeting of the Arab Network for Regulatory Commissions

of Telecommunications and Information Technology Sector. – ONA

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REGIONT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Palestinian woman, brother killed at Israeli checkpoint

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Is-raeli police shot dead a Palestinian woman and her teenage brother on Wednesday, saying they were armed with knives and tried to carry out an attack at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank.

In the last half year, Palestinian attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two visiting US citizens. Israeli forces have killed at least 193 Pal-estinians, 130 of whom Israel says were assailants. Many others were shot dead in clashes and protests.

Police said the woman, holding

a knife, and a man walked rapidly towards police and other Israeli security guards in a vehicles-only lane at the Qalandia checkpoint outside occupied Jerusalem. “Po-lice called on them several times to stop. When they kept advancing... the offi cers neutralised the terror-ists,” a police statement said.

The Palestinian Health Min-istry identifi ed the two dead as Maram Abu Ismail, 23, and her 16-year-old brother, Ibrahim Taha. Police, who have been on high alert during the current Jew-ish holiday week, issued a pho-tograph of three knives on the ground which they said the two had been carrying.

Alaa Soboh, a Palestinian bus driver who said he witnessed the incident, said the pair appeared to be unfamiliar with crossing procedures and were swiftly chal-lenged at the checkpoint. “As soon as the two crossed, (Israeli forces) started screaming ‘Go back, go back’, and then they began shoot-ing. The fi rst one they shot was the girl... the boy tried to go backward, when they fi red seven bullets at him,” Soboh said. — Reuters

Palestinian woman

and man were

armed with knives

and ignored orders

to halt, said

Israeli police

No clarity on date of Syrian peace talks next roundMOSCOW/GENEVA: The Unit-ed Nations said on Wednesday no date had been set for the next round of Syria peace talks, contra-dicting a report quoting Russia’s deputy foreign minister as saying talks would resume in Geneva on May 10.

UN Special Envoy Staff an de Mistura is struggling to keep the peace process alive after the main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) left formal talks last week. The HNC said on Wednesday that it was up to the

United Nations to say when peace talks would resume, but that it would not take part until its de-mands were met.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minis-ter Mikhail Bogdanov’s comments were reported but RIA news agen-cy on Wednesday, but a spokes-woman for de Mistura said in an email that May 10 was speculation.

Later, HNC chief coordinator Riad Hijab, a former prime minis-ter, called in a statement for an ex-traordinary meeting in Paris of the “Friends of Syria” group of coun-

tries in order to contain the wors-ening violence and grave humani-tarian situation on the ground.

A meeting of the group - which excludes Russia - should aim to “put an end to the hostilities against the Syrian people and put pressure on the regime and its al-lies to abide by the international resolutions and put an end to their severe violations against the Syr-ian people”, the statement said.

De Mistura was due to address the UN Security Council by vid-eo-link on Wednesday night from

Geneva at the end of a two-week round which began on April 13.

He is expected to speak before-hand with both US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the co-sponsors of the fragile two-month ceasefi re who are steering the talks. “With the whole thing falling apart, it is going to require some high-level inspiration to get it started again,” a Western diplo-mat told Reuters.

De Mistura is talking about May 14-15 for starting the next round, a

second Western diplomat said.“But it is very, very theoretical,”

that diplomat said. “It is not at all a given that the two parties will re-turn to Geneva. De Mistura feels that ending the round without giv-ing a date for the next one would not be a good sign.”

The Syrian government said on Tuesday it had held a fi nal ses-sion of talks with de Mistura in a “useful and constructive round”, but diplomats warned that an es-calation of fi ghting around Aleppo threatened the shaky peace pro-

cess. George Sabra of the HNC said on Wednesday his group would not attend talks unless the situation on the ground improved.

“All the while real steps aren’t taken on the ground in Syria, the participation of the delegation of the HNC will remain suspend-ed,” Sabra said. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that the HNC’s conduct was “worry-ing” and that the group had failed to make constructive proposals at the talks. — Reuters

W A R W I T H I N N A T I O N

Serbian engineer abducted in Libya freed

BELGRADE: A Serbian engineer who was abducted by unidenti-fi ed kidnappers in Libya has been freed, the Serbian Foreign Minis-try said on Wednesday.

Miroslav Tomic, a maintenance engineer employed by a German company, was kidnapped on Satur-day as he travelled to inspect an oil fi eld around 1,200 km (750 miles) east from the capital Tripoli.

“We have confi rmed informa-tion he was released from captiv-ity. We have been informed he will appear at his workplace tomor-row,” a Foreign Ministry spokes-woman said without elaborating.

Tomic was taken in a region not under eff ective control by any of Libya’s governments. A new UN-backed unity government has barely established itself in Tripoli, and a self-declared government in Tripoli, a rival government based in the east and various armed fac-tions are vying for power.

The confl ict among various Lib-yan factions has allowed IS mili-tants to set up operations in Libya, and criminal gangs also roam parts of the country. — Reuters

U N R E S T

VERBAL DUEL: A Palestinian woman argues with an Israeli border policeman near the scene where

a Palestinian woman and a man were shot dead by Israeli police near Qalandia checkpoint near the

occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday. – Reuters

A9

INDIAT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

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Court extends President’s rule in Uttarakhand, no Friday floor test

NEW DELHI: The President’s rule will continue in Uttarakhand and the April 29 fl oor test in the Assembly ordered by the High Court will not take place as the Su-preme Court of India on Wednes-day extended its stay on the quash-

ing of the Central rule.Hearing the Centre’s appeal

against the Uttarakhand High Court judgement revoking Presi-dent’s rule, the apex court framed seven tough questions and even gave liberty to the Attorney Gen-eral to include other questions the government would like to be ad-dressed.

The bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Sin-gh posted the matter for further hearing on May 3 amidst indica-tion that the verdict may be pro-nounced before the court breaks for summer vacation by the middle of next month.

The bench made it clear that it was extending the stay on the Uttarakhand High Court verdict till further orders on the consent of parties.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Ra-wat, said there was no question

of opposing the bench’s stand on continuing with the interim order staying the High Court’s order for few more days. During the hearing, the bench said possibly the answer to the current incident would ulti-mately be the fl oor test and asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to think over the questions and suggestions put forward by it.

“The matter has its own grav-ity and ultimately in such a case prima facie we have to sustain de-mocracy and if we don’t fi nd merit with the President’s rule then we will have to have a fl oor test.

“Therefore, as a constitutional concept unless we really vacate our order, not to say lift President’s rule, we have to modify our order and have to say go for the fl oor test. Think over it,” it said.

Attorney General said that he will think over it and inform the court. The bench also said that this is an emergent situation.

While answering various ques-tions Rohatgi, said President’s rule will be operative for two months till May 27 and if it is upheld by the court, then to have a fl oor test will be the discretion of the gov-ernment and if the President’s rule is dismissed, it will be a case of non-existence of Central rule and in that event the direction to the governor will be to call for the fl oor test. In a high-voltage hearing that commenced at 2pm in a packed court room, the bench, at the out-set, took strong note of the plea of Uttarakhand Chief Secretary that he be also allowed put forth his views in the matter.

“What will the Chief Secretary do? Chief Secretary has nothing to do with the matter. What kind of affi davit he is going to fi le,” the bench said.

The court then listed out seven questions which it wanted to de-liberate upon during the course

of the hearing and asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and others to assist it.

“Whether the Governor could have sent the message in the pre-sent manner under Article 175 (2) for conducting fl oor test,” the bench said in its fi rst question.

It further sought response on the question as to whether the disqualifi cation of MLAs by the Speaker is a “relevant issue” for the purposes of invoking Presi-dent’s rule under Article 356 of the constitution. Referring to consti-tutional scheme that the assembly proceedings are beyond the scope of judicial scrutiny, the apex court also posed the query whether the proceedings of the House can be considered for invoking Presi-dent’s rule.

Dealing with the claim and counter claim with regard to the fate of the Appropriation Bill in the Uttarakhand Assembly, it

said that the next question is as to when the President’s role comes in the picture.

“Can the delay in the fl oor test be a ground for proclamation of the President’s rule,” it asked.

The apex court, referring to de-fections of individual lawmakers, said that it is a matter of delibera-tions as to how this issue can be taken into account with regard to imposition of President’s rule.

Lastly, the bench said that de-mocracy “hinges on some stable concepts” and they may vary with a particular view point taken by ri-val political groups.

The court said an incident can be termed as destabilising for de-mocracy by one political group and simultaneously, the other party can have divergent view on it.

Rohatgi, who opened argu-ments, said the Centre has also framed certain issues and they needed to be dealt with. -Reuters

The bench made

it clear that it was

extending the stay

on the Uttarakhand

High Court verdict till

further orders on the

consent of parties

No respite from heat wave as eight die of sunstroke in Odisha NEW DELHI: People in Odisha on Wednesday continued to reel under the blistering heat wave as 17 places recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.

The government confi rmed the death of eight people due to sunstroke. The highest tempera-ture of 46.3 degrees Celsius was recorded at Subarnapur, followed by Talcher at 45 degrees and An-gul at 44.7. Bhubaneswar Met de-partment director Sarat Chandra Sahu said the heat wave would continue in many parts of the state for a few more days.

The state government received reports of deaths of 112 people due to sunstroke, the special relief commissioner’s offi ce said.

“On inquiry, the death of 8 peo-ple due to sunstroke has been confi rmed. In 40 cases, death oc-curred due to other reasons. The remaining 64 cases are under in-quiry,” it said.

Delhi woke up to a sunny morn-ing with traces of haze and a mini-mum temperature of 22.2 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season’s average.

The maximum temperature settled at 40.7 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal.

In Jharkhand, steel cities Jam-shedpur and Bokaro registered 44.1 and 43.5 degrees Celsius re-spectively while Ranchi recorded 42 degrees Celsius.

In Andhra Pradesh, there was some respite from the heatwave for the locals as rainfall occurred at isolated places over coastal ar-eas of the state. While 3 cm rain-fall was recorded at Araku Valley in Visakhapatnam district, dry weather prevailed over Rayala-seema, Y K Reddy, Director in-charge, IMD said in a statement. Jangamaheswarapuram, Ananta-pur, Kurnool and Nandyal record-ed the maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius.

Elsewhere, day temperatures were appreciably above nor-mal in some parts of Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, east Madhya

Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Telangana, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, interior Karnataka and in remaining parts of Gangetic West Bengal. Kerala continued to sizzle with the temperature touching 41.6 degrees Celsius at Malampu-zha in Palakkad district, the high-est in the state for the second day.

Kannur recorded 39.2 degrees Celsius and Kozhikode 38.2 de-grees Celsius, IMD Regional cen-tre sources here said.

Some places in the state re-ceived summer showers giving some respite for the people.

Sun burnSeventy cases of sun burn and one death has so far been reported from the district, Palakkad Dis-trict Medical Offi cer, Dr Reetha, said. In Telangana, the highest maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius was recorded at Adilabad, Medak and Nalgonda.

In Bihar, the heat wave will continue for the next couple of days. Patna and Bhagalpur were the hottest places in the state with the mercury recording a high of 43.6 degrees Celsius, the MeT of-fi ce said.

Besides Patna and Bhagalpur, Purnea recorded 37.8 degrees

Celsius as the Wednesday’s maxi-mum temperature.

In the north, maximum tem-peratures across Punjab and Har-yana including Chandigarh on Wednesday hovered few notches above normal limits, with Hisar sizzling at 42 degrees Celsius.

Ambala too braved a hot day at 40 degrees Celsius up two notch-es, the MeT Department report said here. Karnal recorded a high of 39 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh was hotter by two degrees than normal at 39.4 de-grees Celsius. In Punjab, Amrit-sar experienced a hot day at 40.2 degrees Celsius while Ludhiana’s maximum settled at 40.6 degrees Celsius. Patiala’s maximum set-tled at 40 degrees Celsius.

Dry weather conditions con-tinued to prevail in Uttar Pradesh today, with Banda recording the highest temperature of 44.8 de-grees Celsius in the state.

Varanasi and Basti had 43.5 degree Celcius while Etawah had 43 degrees Celsius. In Rajasthan, Churu was recorded as the hot-test place with a day temperature of 43.3 degrees Celsius followed by Sriganganagar which recorded a maximum of 42.8 degrees Cel-sius. - Agencies

S C O R C H I N G S U M M E R

HOT DAY: Girls cover themselves during a hot summer day in

Gurgaon on Wednesday. - PTI

A10

INDIA T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System comprising seven satellites would be able to provide navigation system with much better accuracy and targeted position

Sonia hits back, says ‘not afraid’ of Agusta inquiry

NEW DELHI: Congress Presi-dent Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday rejected as “baseless” allegations linking her and party leaders to bribes in the AgustaWestland chopper deal and said she is not “afraid” of being “cornered” on the issue.

She asked the government what it has been doing in power for the last two years on the issue and de-manded that the ongoing inquiry be completed impartially.

“I am not afraid of anyone cor-nering me as there is no basis to that. All the accusations they are throwing at us are false,” Gandhi told reporters in Parliament com-plex as BJP sought to target her on the deal.”Where are the proofs.

They are lying.They are part of a strategy of

character assassination which we have known these people indulge in,” Sonia said.

Referring to the Modi govern-ment, Sonia asked what has it been doing over the last two years.

“The government is there for the last 2 years. What are they do-ing? Inquiry is there, why don’t they complete it? Complete it as soon as possible, impartially,” she added.

Rubbished the allegations Sonia’s’s political secretary and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel also rubbished the allega-tions against him and the party as “absolutely baseless.”

“This government, when they are saying all these things outside and inside the Parliament, why can’t they investigate,” Patel said.

“If there is something against me, they should fi nd out and they should hang me,” he said when asked by reporters for his reac-tions over the allegations.

The comments of Sonia Gandhi and Patel come in the backdrop of BJP move to target the Congress president and other party lead-ers on the issue of bribes in the AugustaWestland chopper deal during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime in a bid to corner the main opposition party which has been paralysing Rajya Sabha on the Uttarakhand aff air.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister

Manohar Parrikar on Wednes-day challenged the Congress to show the UPA government order blacklisting the Anglo-Italian hel-icopter maker AgustaWestland in connection with the VVIP chop-per scam.

Italian court orderParrikar, who said that he will speak in detail in Parliament on the issue in the near future, in-

formed that the ministry has re-ceived a copy of the Italian court order and is in the process of translating it into English. He said that the process might take 8-10 days. Parrikar also took a dig at Congress president Sonia Gandhi, saying translation from Italian was not easy, “at least for the rul-ing side. May not be a diffi cult task for the opposition”.

A combative Parrikar hit back

when asked about Congress’ alle-gation that while United Progres-sive Alliance (UPA) had black-listed the company, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) gov-ernment removed it from the blacklist.

Blacklisted“When did they blacklist? Ask them fi rst. Ask them what date the order was issued? Show me the copy of the order,” the minis-ter said. Asked if he meant that the fi rm was never blacklisted, he said, “I am not saying that”.

Interestingly, in a written re-ply to Rajya Sabha on February 5, 2014, the then defence minister A. K. Antony, while giving details on AgustaWestland, had said, “No decision has been taken till date to debar the said company”.

This runs contrary to what the Congress has been claiming be-cause the reply came just months ahead of the regime change.

However, records of state-run HAL show that Agusta Westland International Ltd, UK, Finmec-canica, Italy and its group of com-panies, including subsidiaries and affi liates, IDS Tunisia and Info-tech Design System (IDS), Mau-ritius, were blacklisted on July 3, 2014, when National Democratic Alliance was in power, because of the CBI case against them to in-quire into alleged criminal wrong-doing in the procurement of VVIP Helicopters.

Hitting back at Bharatiya Ja-nata Party (BJP) on the VVIP chopper deal, Congress had on Tuesday alleged that AgustaWest-land was “removed” from the blacklisted category by the Modi dispensation.

Congress leader and former Union Minister Anand Sharma had said, “The chopper deal was scrapped. Action was taken by the UPA government. A K Antony, the then Defence Minister, had made a statement in Parliament and Agusta Westland was blacklisted.”

Parrikar was speaking on the sidelines of an Indian Air Force (IAF) event. Reacting to Sonia Gandhi’s rejection of charges re-lated to the case, Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Wednesday said she should ask the Italian court why her name and names of senior party leaders have come out after two years.

“She is from Italy and I am sure she will have some connections back there. The reports have not be presented by the government or a BJP leader but by the me-dia. She should ask the Italian court why her name and names of senior party leaders have come out after two years,” Rudy told reporters. - PTI

Congress President

Sonia Gandhi asked

the government what

it has been doing in

power for the last

two years on the

issue and demanded

that the ongoing

inquiry be completed

impartially

TAKING TOUGH: Congress President Sonia Gandhi talks to the media on the AgustaWestland scam,

during the Parliament session in New Delhi on Wednesday. - PTI/TV GRAB

NEW DELHI: There was no bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Modi and his Italian counterpart Matteo Renzi on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York last year, External Aff airs Ministry said on Wednesday.

The ministry was reacting to allegations by James Chris-tian Michel, the middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, on purported meeting be-tween Modi and Renzi where the Indian leader off ered to free two Italian marines, fac-ing murder charges in India, in exchange of evidence linking Sonia Gandhi and her family

to the corruption in the Rs36 billion deal. “There was no meeting between Prime Min-ister Modi and Prime Minister Renzi of Italy as part of PM’s bilateral meetings at the UNGA in September 2015.

“Insofar as James Christian Michel is concerned, various law enforcement authori-ties of India are proceeding against him in cases relating to the Prevention of Cor-ruption Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),” the ministry said.

It also noted that an open ended non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued by the special judge of Central Bureau of Investi-

gation against Michel on September 24, 2015.

“Upon a CBI request a Red notice against him has been issued by the Interpol Head-quarters on November 25, 2015. A request for provisional arrest for the purpose of ex-tradition was made to the UK authorities on January 4, this year by the CBI.

“The Enforcement Direc-torate, another autonomous agency to handle private money laundering and foreign exchange irregularities, has also separately sent a Red Corner notice seeking arrest and a request for his extradi-tion from the UK on February 29, this year,” it added. - PTI

No bilateral meeting between Modi and Italian PM at UNGA, says ministry

Stage set for launch of IRNSS-1G

CHENNAI: India will move clos-er to having its own navigation satellite system when the seventh and last in the series of the constel-lation of Regional Navigation Sat-ellite System, IRNSS-1G on board PSLV-C33, will be launched from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System comprising seven satellites would be able to provide navigation system with much bet-ter accuracy and targeted position.

While four satellites would be suffi cient to start operations of the IRNSS system, the remaining three would make it “more accu-rate and effi cient”.

Indian Space Research Organi-sation (ISRO) had launched the sixth navigation satellite IRNSS-1F on March 10, the other fi ve being IRNSS-1A on July 1, 2013, IRNSS-1B (April 4, 2014), IRNSS-1C (October 16, 2014), IRNSS-1D (March 28, 2015) and IRNSS-1E (January 20, 2016). According to ISRO offi cials total cost of all the seven satellites was Rs14.2 billion.

Soon after the Mission Readi-ness Review Committee and the Launch Authorisation Board gave its approval on Monday, the 51.30 hour countdown for the launch of IRNSS-1G began at 09.20 hours on Tuesday and was “progress-ing smoothly” for the launch scheduled for Thursday from the fi rst launch pad at Sriharikota by 12.50pm.

“Countdown operations are pro-gressing normally and everything is ready for the launch (scheduled for tomorrow)”, ISRO Chairman A. S. Kiran Kumar told reporters at airport. With the launch and op-erationalisation of IRNSS-1G, the seventh in the constellation, the completion of IRNSS constellation will be achieved, ISRO said. - PTI

N A V I G A T I O N S A T E L L I T E

ED seeks to recall exemption given to Vijay Mallya by courtNEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday urged a Delhi court to recall its earlier order granting perma-nent exemption from personal appearance to business tycoon Vijay Mallya in a case for alleg-edly evading summons issued by the agency in connection with purported violation of foreign ex-change rules.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Sumit Dass, who was hearing fi nal arguments in the case, was told by Enforcement Directorate (ED’s) prosecutor N. K.Matta that he would fi le an ap-propriate application in this re-gard within a week.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on May 20.

During the hearing, Matta ar-gued that court should recall its December 2000 order by which Mallya was granted permanent exemption from personal appear-ance as a PMLA court in Mumbai has recently issued an open-end-ed warrant against Mallya, chair-man of now-defunct Kingfi sher Airlines in connection with a money laundering case.

He said the exemption order was passed by the court and the present status is that Mallya has gone abroad and in such situation, he will fi le an application seeking cancellation of exemption grant-ed to Mallya.

Senior advocate Ramesh Gup-ta, who appeared for Mallya, said

his client was earlier granted ex-emption from personal appear-ance on December 20, 2000 and he be exempted for today.

In the present case, the ED had alleged that Mallya had violated the provisions of Foreign Ex-change Regulation Act (FERA) in arranging funds to advertise his company’s liquor products abroad. ED had claimed that Mallya was summoned on four occasions for questioning in con-nection with a contract signed in December 1995 with London-based fi rm Benetton Formula Ltd for promotion of the Kingfi sher brand abroad.

When Mallya failed to appear before ED in response to the sum-mons, a complaint was fi led on March 8, 2000 before a court here and later on charge was framed against him under section 56 of FERA.

According to ED, Mallya had allegedly paid $200,000 to the British fi rm for displaying King-fi sher logo in Formula One World Championships in London and some European countries in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

The agency had claimed that the money was allegedly paid without prior approval from RBI in violation of FERA norms. - PTI

V I O L A T I O N O F F O R E I G N E X C H A N G E R U L E S

GEARING UP: ISRO’s seventh

navigation satellite IRNSS-1G

that would set up regional navi-

gation system for India, a day

before its launch from spaceport

of Sriharikota on Wednesday. - PTI

EVADING SUMMONS: According to ED, Mallya had allegedly paid

$200,000 to the British fi rm for displaying Kingfi sher logo in For-

mula One World Championships in London and some European

countries in 1996, 1997 and 1998. - Reuters fi le photo

A11

PAKISTANT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

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‘Maalik’ banned across country

KARACHI/LAHORE: The feder-al government has made a decision to ban Ashir Azeem’s fi lm Maalik across the country.

According to a notifi cation is-sued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, and National Heritage declared the fi lm ‘uncertifi ed’ according to Sec-tion 9 of the Motion Pictures Ordi-nance, 1979.

Speaking to The Express Trib-une, director Ashir Azeem said he was just informed about the ban by his distributor.

“Even I don’t know why the fi lm has been banned,” he said.

Sources in the federal censor board said the fi lm was banned due to a plethora of public complaints regarding portrayal of Pakistanis in general and country’s politi-cians in particular.

The fi lm’s distributor Mirza Saad Baig said it is perhaps for the fi rst time in the country’s history that the government has banned a fi lm halfway through its running.

“Since the government is di-rectly involved, and not the censor boards, it is between the govern-ment and the producer to decide the future of the fi lm.”

He added, “I don’t know what our next move is going to be as it is a tricky situation.”

Meanwhile, a source in the Fed-eral Information Ministry said the government had a right to ban any fi lm, adding, “Maalik shows a for-mer chief minister in a very bad light”. Earlier, the fi lm was banned for a period of three months by the Sindh Board of Film Cen-sors (SBFC).

In a stunning turn of events the SBFC went back on their decision, overturning it within the span of a few hours. — Express Tribune

Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, and

National Heritage declared it ‘uncertifi ed’

according to Section 9 of the Motion Pictures

Ordinance, 1979 on Wednesday

A FIRST: Film’s distributor Mir-

za Saad Baig said it is perhaps

for the fi rst time in the country’s

history that the government has

banned a fi lm halfway through

its running. — Express Tribune

DIALOGUE Pakistan Foreign Aff airs Adviser Sartaj Aziz, second left, holds a talk with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, second right,

during a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs in Beijing, on Wednesday. — Reuters/Iori Sagisawa/Pool

Sikh minister Soran’s alleged killer to take his seat if proven innocentPESHAWAR: Sikhs in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) have de-manded representation in the provincial assembly after the as-sassination of Sardar Soran Singh in Buner.

The deceased was the minority aff airs adviser to chief minister and was allegedly murdered by a political rival.

Singh lost his life to a murder allegedly orchestrated by Paki-stan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) mi-nority leader Baldev Kumar who was ignored by the party for a re-

served seat ticket to the assembly.Ironically, Baldev is now a sus-

pended lawmaker in line to take Singh’s seat as the suspect was second on PTI’s priority list after the slain Sikh parliamentarian.

Dedicated leaderThe Sikh community demanded representation, saying the gov-ernment should choose another member from their community as it would soften the blow of losing a dedicated leader.

“We want our representative

in the assembly again,” said Sahib Singh, a member of the Sikh com-munity. “Although the govern-ment submitted its priority list for minorities after the election in 2013, at least an adviser can also be selected from the [Sikh] com-munity.” The PTI-led government submitted its priority list for the reserved minority seat. Top prior-ity was given to Soran Singh who became a member of the assembly and the name of Baldev Kumar, who is in the custody of the Mala-kand police, was second in line.

Third on the list was Ravi Kumar and fourth was Wazir Zada.

Deputy Director of the K-P Election Commission Khushal Zada said that Baldev Kumar would be an lawmaker on the reserved seat unless a court con-victed him of Singh’s murder.

He would then be disqualifi ed under Article 63.

“When the provincial govern-ment announces the vacant seat for minorities, Baldev will fi ll it as his name is second on the priority list”. — Express Tribune

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Woes of migrant workers in region Rejimon K.

Workers from South Asia started migrating to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries much

before GCC was formed as an offi cial bloc.As many countries in the bloc started to

drill oil, driving the development engine with petro dollars, migrants also played a vital role in boosting the development of the host and home countries.

While migrant workers have helped erect the glittering buildings of the metropolises of many GCC capitals, including the Burj Khalifa and the Abraj Al Bait, a few to name, their hard earned remittances have also pro-pelled the economies of South Asia.

According to data, India earns $70 billion annually from the remittances of its citi-zens abroad; Pakistan earns $15 billion; and Bangladesh makes $14 billion.

Meanwhile, Nepal relies on its citizens abroad for 25 per cent of its gross domestic product; Bangladesh for 12 per cent and Sri Lanka for 10 per cent.

However, the enormous contribution of low-wage workers employed in construc-tion and domestic work are neither ac-knowledged nor welcomed back home.

Not only in the gleaming buildings they have helped build, but also by the countries that surround them.

In their country of birth, their contribu-tion to economic development is taken for granted and they are largely ignored. Some-times, even their own families abuse their generosity and selfl essness.

At best, South Asian men and women, who work in the GCC brave diffi cult work-ing conditions in a hot and unfamiliar land.

But too often they are reportedly under-paid or not paid at all. There are also reports that they are forced to perform extra tasks and work long hours without overtime pay, are reportedly abused, kept in captivity and made to work in unsafe conditions.

Many a times, workers facing hostile con-ditions have nowhere to turn for help; al-though their governments know the extent of the problem, they have done little to ad-dress it.

This highlights the importance of a ‘Plan of Action,’ which will be discussed in Kath-mandu, the capital city of Nepal, by migrant-sending countries in South Asia.

Two years ago, on November 27, 2014, the South Asian Association for Regional Coop-eration (SAARC), an economic and geopo-litical organisation of eight countries, had adopted the Kathmandu Declaration, Arti-cle 21 agreeing to cooperate to improve the safety, security and well-being of migrant workers from South Asia.

The crucial question now is whether the SAARC governments will back up their rhetoric with action and address the gross neglect of their citizens abroad.

The ‘Plan of Action’ to implement Arti-cle 21 has been drafted by Nepal and is to be discussed and fi nalised by the SAARC governments next month before being adopted at the SAARC Summit in Pakistan later this year.

For migrant rights activists, the Kath-mandu meeting is a momentous occasion that is expected to propel these countries to take badly needed action to protect their mi-grant workers.

They are optimistic, however, as they have a lot of questions.

Will this be a turning point for migrants in GCC? Will South Asian governments com-mit to a meaningful plan of action and fi nally take responsibility for their citizens abroad? Will they commit to ensuring ethical re-cruitment with no fees for migrant workers? Will they agree to promulgate a standard contract across the region? Will migrant workers in the GCC be able to turn to their governments in times of need?

For those who stand for the welfare of workers, and for those who migrate to sup-port their families back in their homeland, I hope that these questions are answered and their concerns are addressed regard-ing their well-being, as they are often and unfortunately only considered money remitting machines.

Rejimon K is a senior reporter with the Times of Oman and has attended several global meet-ings for the welfare of migrants.New Indian schools relief for thousands of parents

The story Six new Indian Schools to end the double shifts( April 23rd) is a pleasant and soothing news for thousands of the parents of the Indian schools. Though the fi ve year time set to achieve this goal is

little to long but let us hope that the present board meets the set deadline, and none of the planned school meet the fate of the proposed Al Ansab School, which has not turned into reality and still remains on the drawing board for the last more than fi ve years. — Mohammad Osama Rawat, Ruwi

Europe as single entity in today’s multipolar world doesn’t workThis refers to the story Brexit would cost Britons a month’s salary by 2020, warns OECD( April 27). The whole saga high-lights the fact that the unifi ed-Europe pro-ject was always a non-starter. Across the continent, in reaction to infl ux of refugees the farright parties are gaining. Likewise, regions like Scotland and Catalonia are seeking greater autonomy. The movement

seeking British exit underlines the fact in today’s multipolar world a single European entity negates the imperial interests of the former colonial powers. — Sabina Schimdt, Qurum

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Remarkable progress in tourism sectorMUSCAT: Tourism plays a signifi cant role in the economic structure of countries as it represents part of the unforeseen exports and con-tributes to the GDP to boost the balance of payments in them. Tour-ism in the Sultanate was remarkably developed during the past years thanks to the attention accorded by the government to this important sector and the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to upgrade tourism in the country through developing tourism attrac-tions and utilizing them. The government had always encouraged and supported the private sector to set up projects in tourism fi eld by providing this sector with required facilities, incentives and services.

1789: The crew of the HMS Bounty mutinies against Captain William Bligh.

1910: The fi rst night air fl ight is performed by Claude Grahame-White in England.

1916: British declare martial law throughout Ireland.

1969: Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France.

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Can one party or government alone extricate Pakistan’s Khyber-

Pakhtunkhwa from the legacy of two major geopolitical wars next door?

Can the legacy of over three decades be turned over in less than a decade, particularly when non-state actors

continue to harm the state and peoples’ interests?

IMTIAZ GUL

Donald Trump provides an outlet for the anger and frustration of this

American demographic when he claims he can keep out low-wage immigrants by sealing the border

with a wall, or when he calls for redirecting foreign aid to Social

Security from ‘countries that are ripping us off ’

PAULA DWYER

Polling agency in France asked 1,000 French voters to describe

the qualities they would most like to have in a president. The good

news is that one of Europe’s most conservative electorates looks ready for signifi cant change. The bad news

is that the criteria emerging from the poll rule out most of France’s

political class

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A special court to solve labour issues is to be established in Oman

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OMAN PRICES VARIATIONFOR FOOD PRODUCTS (%)

From January to February 2016

SourceNational Centre for Statistics & Information

Bread &cereals

%

Meat

Fish &seafood

Milk, cheese& eggs

Oils & fats

Fruits

Vegetables

Sugar, jam,honey &

confectionary

Other foods

Non-alcoholicbeverages

-1.45

0.01

-10.97

-0.63

-0.68

-1.56

2.75

0.68

0.38

-0.19

-5-10 5 10

Price rosePrice fell

0

0 191

A13

ASIAT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Aquino vows to neutralise Abu Sayyaf after hostage execution

MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino, reacting publicly for the fi rst time to the behead-ing of a Canadian hostage by Abu Sayyaf group, vowed on Wednes-day to devote all his energy to elim-inating the group before he steps down in two months.

John Ridsdel, 68, a former min-ing executive, was executed on Monday by Abu Sayyaf who cap-

tured him and three others in 2015 while they were on vacation on a Philippine island.

CondemnedCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the execu-tion as “cold-blooded murder”. Se-

curity is precarious in the southern Philippines, despite a 2014 peace pact between the government and the largest rebel group that ended 45 years of confl ict.

“So, to the ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group), and whoever may aid or abet them, you have chosen only

the language of force, and we will speak to you only in that language,” Aquino said in a statement.

“Casualties are to be expected. But what has to be of utmost im-portance is neutralising the crimi-nal activities of the ASG.”

The Philippine army said a

severed head had been found on a remote island on Monday, fi ve hours after the expiry of a ransom deadline set by the militants, who had threatened to execute one of four captives. Police confi rmed the head to be that of Ridsdel.

On Wednesday, army spokes-man Major Filemon Tan said a headless body was found in a dried creek, near jungle where Ridsdel was believed to have been behead-ed. “We are still verifying if the body is that of John Ridsdel,” Tan told reporters.

Abu Sayyaf is a small but brutal militant group known for behead-ing, kidnapping, bombing and extortion in the south of country. Ridsdel and three others, including a Norwegian and another Cana-dian, were abducted seven months ago in the southern Philippines and appealed in a March video for their families and governments to secure their release.

Other foreigners held by Abu Sayyaf include one from the Neth-erlands, one from Japan, four Malaysians and 14 Indonesians. Canada and Britain will urge other nations not to pay ransoms to free kidnap victims, Trudeau said on Tuesday, the day after a Canadian hostage was found dead in the Philippines. - Reuters

John Ridsdel, 68,

a former mining

executive, was

executed on Monday

by Abu Sayyaf who

captured him and

three others in 2015

while they were

on vacation on a

Philippine islandCOURTESY CALL: In this handout photo taken on April 13, 2016 and released by Malacanang Photo

Bureau (MPB) on Wednesday shows Philippine President Benigno Aquino, right, talking to one of the

wounded soldiers who recently clashed with Abu Sayyaf, during a visit to a military hospital in Zam-

boanga City on southern island of Mindanao. - AFP/ Benhur Aracayan/Malacanang Photo Bureau

North Korea

ruling Workers’

Party congress

on May 6

SEOUL: North Korea said on Wednesday its ruling Workers’ Party would hold a congress from May 6, ending its silence on the date of the fi rst such con-ference in 36 years.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to use the congress to cement his leader-ship and to formally adopt his policy, known as “byongjin”, to push simultaneously for eco-nomic development and nucle-ar weapons capability.

North Korea’s last party con-gress was in 1980, before Kim was born. Kim, the third mem-ber of his family to lead the country, is believed to be 33.

Byongjin follows Kim’s fa-ther’s Songun, or “military fi rst”, policy and his grandfather’s Juche, the North’s home-grown founding ideology that com-bines Marxism and extreme na-tionalism. The party congress, fi rst announced in October, will be closely watched for any new policies and for how the country will present its pursuit of nucle-ar-weapon capability.

North Korea’s drive to de-velop a nuclear capability has intensifi ed since January, when it conducted its fourth nuclear test. - Reuters

A F T E R 3 6 Y E A R S

Australia rules out settling asylum seekersas Papua New Guinea says it will close campSYDNEY: Papua New Guinea said on Wednesday it will close an Australian immigration cen-tre on a northern island after its Supreme Court ruled it unlawful, but Australia ruled out accepting more than 800 asylum seekers de-tained there.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton stressed the success of Australia’s hardline policy that has been strongly criticised by the United Nations and human rights agencies. Under Austral-ian law, anyone intercepted try-ing to reach the country by boat is sent for processing to camps on the tiny Pacifi c island of Nauru or to Manus Island off Papua New Guinea. They are never eligible to be resettled in Australia.

Papua New Guinea Prime Min-ister Peter O’Neill said the deten-tion centre would close after Pap-ua New Guinea’s Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the deten-tions breached the country’s con-stitution and would have to stop.

Government policyDutton said that it was still gov-ernment policy that asylum seek-ers sent to off shore detention centres would never be resettled in Australia.

“As I have said, and as the Aus-tralian government has consist-ently acted, we will work with our PNG partners to address the is-sues raised by the Supreme Court

of PNG,” Dutton said in a state-ment after the announcement.

O’Neill said he would ask Aus-tralia to make arrangements for the asylum seekers held on Manus Island, adding that they would be able to stay in Papua New Guinea if they wanted.

A spokesperson for Dutton did not immediately respond for re-quests for comment on the closure but Dutton said in Melbourne that the Manus detainees could return home or go to another country willing to accept them.

The detainees on Manus and

Nauru are mostly refugees fl eeing violence in the Middle East, Af-ghanistan and South Asia.

While Australia maintains its hardline stance, a second case concerning the fate of the detain-ees on Manus is set to be heard by the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court later this week. Lawyers acting on behalf of nearly all the Manus Island detainees will ar-gue that they should be taken to Australia and be compensated for being held in custody.

The detention centre on Nau-ru houses about 500 people and

has been widely criticised by the United Nations and human rights agencies for harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse.

Against such a backdrop, many of the detainees have self-harmed, with Dutton on Wednesday con-fi rming that a 23-year-old man from Iran had set himself on fi re on Nauru.

Dutton said the man would be evacuated from Nauru later on Wednesday. Broadspectrum Ltd, which runs the detention centres on Manus and Nauru, declined to comment. -Reuters

S U P R E M E C O U R T R U L I N G

SOLIDARITY: This fi le photo taken on February 23, 2014 shows people attending a candlelight vigil

in support of asylum seekers, in Sydney. - AFP

Jakarta to sink without $40b construction project: WidodoJAKARTA: Indonesian Presi-dent Joko Widodo said on Wednesday that large parts of the nation’s capital will sink below sea level if a $40 billion construc-tion project, mired by accusations of corruption, does not go ahead.

A major bribery scandal and bureaucratic clashes prompted authorities last week to sus-pend work on a key phase of the “Great Garuda” project, which aims to shore up northern Ja-karta while revamping the capi-tal’s image into a Singapore-like waterfront city.

“It is estimated that all of North Jakarta will sink below sea level by 2030,” Widodo said at a cabi-net meeting. “Because of that, the development of the capital’s seaside, which has been delayed for so long, is the answer for Ja-karta.” Greater Jakarta, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, sits on a swampy plain and is sinking at a faster rate than any other city in the world. (http://reut.rs/1WeSQ8u)

Unable to stop the sinking, Ja-

karta has focused its attention on bolstering its defences with a 15-mile seawall and refurbishing the crumbling fl ood canal system.

The plan is known as the “Gi-ant Sea Wall” or “Great Garuda”, for its resemblance from the air to the bird-deity of Hindu mythology that is Indonesia’s national symbol.

“The point the president wants to make is the project is needed to save Jakarta,” said city Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. “But

the national interest shouldn’t be entangled in the legal cases.”

Included in the master plan is the building of 17 artifi cial is-lands off Jakarta’s northern coast, where property developers plan to build shopping malls and at-tractions similar to Singapore’s Sentosa Island.

But work on these islands will be suspended for six months, said Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, after offi cials named the president director of property developer PT Agung Podomoro Tbk a suspect in allegedly brib-ing a city council member to in-fl uence the regulation for a land reclamation.

Authorities have also imposed a travel ban on the head of another property company, Agung Sedayu Group, and could soon name more suspects. “We see this as a big case because it involves a Jakarta programme that is quite huge and that has become the object of the world’s attention,” Saut Situmo-rang, one of the key anti-graft in-vestigators, said. - Reuters

S C A N D A L - M I R E D

WORK SUSPENDED: Dredging

barges are seen working on

a land reclamation project in

Jakarta Bay, Indonesia April

5, 2016 in this photo taken by

Antara Foto. - Reuters

Included in the master plan is the building of 17 artifi cial islands off Jakarta’s northern coast, where property developers plan to build shopping malls and attractions similar to Singapore’s Sentosa Island.

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GLOBAL EYET H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

CUBA: A cloud of insecticide is seen over Havana, Cuba, during dawn after fumigation against the Aedes aegypti mosquito in the fi ght against the Zika virus on Wednesday. — Reuters

IRAN: Iranian women get off a bus in downtown Tehran on Wednesday. — AFP

HONG KONG: Ice Skaters perform a scene from Swan Lake On Ice during a media preview at the Cultural Centre in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Swan Lake On Ice features 23 former Olympic, World, European and National Championship-level skaters, and will be at the Hong Kong

Cultural Centre for a limited fi fteen performances only from Wednesday. — AFP

PANAMA: NASA’s only remaining space shuttle external tank

makes its way through the Panama Canal, in Panama City, on

Tuesday. — AFP

BRITAIN: A ring-necked parakeet eats blossom from a tree in

west London, Britain on Wedesday. — Reuters

GERMANY: Strollers walk in a snowy landscape on a cold spring

morning with temperatures around three degrees at a fi eld near the

small Bavarian village Alling, Germany, on Wednesday. — AFP

PORTUGAL: The Creole Spirit tanker is towed by tugboats at Sines

port in Sines, 170km south of Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday. — AFP

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PHOTO GALLERYW W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M

A15

WORLDT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Police chief suspended over UK soccer stadium disaster

LONDON: The head of the Brit-ish police force accused of cover-ing up failings that led to the death of 96 fans at the Hillsborough soc-cer stadium in 1989 was suspend-ed on Wednesday as lawmakers called for prosecutions.

The suspension of Chief Con-stable David Crompton of South Yorkshire Police came a day after an inquest jury concluded that

the Liverpool fans who died in an overcrowded, fenced-in enclosure at the ground in Sheffi eld had been unlawfully killed, with police ac-cepting catastrophic mistakes had been made.

Unlawful deaths“Those responsible must be held to account for 96 unlawful deaths and a 27-year cover-up,” Andy Burnham, the opposi-tion Labour Party home aff airs spokesman who has long cam-

paigned for “Justice for the 96”, told parliament.

The Hillsborough tragedy changed the face of English foot-ball with banks of terracing and metal fences around pitches re-placed by modern, all-seated ven-ues. However, families of the vic-tims and survivors were forced to fi ght for decades to overturn origi-nal conclusions that the deaths were accidental and to combat initial police claims that drunken Liverpool fans without tickets had

stormed into overcrowded pens.The jury absolved supporters

of any blame, and David Duck-enfi eld, the police commander in charge at the match, admitted to the inquest he had lied about fans forcing a gate open, and acknowl-edged that his failure to close an access tunnel had directly caused the loss of lives.

Relatives along with Burnham and other lawmakers had said Crompton’s role as the local police chief was untenable as lawyers

acting for the force had repeated the discredited claims about the fans and so perpetuated a cover-up during the two-year long inquest hearings. Alan Billings, the elected Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire, said he had no choice but to immediately suspend Crompton, who was not involved in the events in 1989, because of the erosion of public trust and confi dence in him. “No one should have to endure what the families and survivors have been through. No one should have to fi ght year after year, decade after decade in search of the truth,” Home Secre-tary Theresa May told parliament.

“They suff ered the injustice of hearing the victims, their loved ones, and fellow supporters being blamed.”

She said prosecutors were weighing up whether to bring criminal charges against those involved, with off ences ranging from gross negligence manslaugh-ter and misconduct in public of-fi ce to perjury and perverting the course of justice. Prosecutors and the independent police watchdog will conclude their investigations by the end of the year, May said, but Burnham and other lawmak-ers urged charging decisions to be made sooner. — Reuters

Relatives of victims

and lawmakers

called for prosecution

of those who

perpetuated a

cover-up during

the two-year long

inquest hearings of

Hillsborough soccer

stadium tragedy

Paris attacks suspect put under formal investigation

PARIS: Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in November’s Paris at-tacks, was put under formal in-vestigation by French magistrates on Wednesday on charges of be-longing to a terrorist organisation, murder, kidnapping and holding weapons and explosives.

Abdeslam will be put in solitary confi nement, lawyer Frank Berton said. He had been extradited to France from Belgium earlier in the day. He was arrested in Brussels on March 18. He is believed to be the sole survivor among a group of militants who killed 130 people in Paris in November.

Abdeslam, 26, was Europe’s most wanted fugitive and was ar-rested after a four-month man-hunt. He was taken by helicopter to Paris under armed guard and then driven to the capital’s main law courts. French Justice Min-ister Jean-Jacques Urvoas said Abdeslam would be held in a high-security prison in the Paris region.

Frank Berton, a high-profi le French criminal lawyer, said he would lead Abdeslam’s defence and had visited his client for more than two hours last week in his prison cell in Belgium along with Abdeslam’s Belgian lawyer, Sven Mary. — Reuters

F R A N C E

‘Brexit would cost Britons a month’s salary by 2020’LONDON: Leaving the Euro-pean Union would cost the aver-age working Briton the equiva-lent of a month’s salary by 2020, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said on Wednesday, join-ing a chorus of economic bodies warning against an exit.

Angel Gurria, OECD secretary general, said Britain would have less access to the bloc’s single market of 500 million consum-ers, investment would slow and companies could move to other countries as a result. As econo-mists at the global economic policy body warned of the risk of further strains on Britain’s wide current account gap and a fall in the value of sterling, Gurria took aim at the “Out” campaigners, ac-cusing them of creating a “delu-sion” by saying the country would prosper outside the EU.

He said offi cial fi gures released on Wednesday showing Britain’s economic growth slowed in the fi rst three months of the year underscored how the possibility of a so-called Brexit was already weighing on confi dence.

Analysts said the impact of the June 23 EU membership refer-endum was likely to weigh more

heavily in the second quarter and industry fi gures showed retail sales fell at the sharpest rate in more than four years in April.

Gurria said that there would be no economic benefi ts for Britain from a Brexit, even under the most favourable scenarios. “Our con-clusion is unequivocal,” he said in a speech in London. “The UK is much stronger as a part of Europe and Europe is much stronger with the UK as a driving force. There is no upside for the UK in Brexit, only costs that can be avoided.”

Campaigners in the “Vote Leave” camp immediately chal-lenged the OECD’s credibility, saying it had damaged its repu-tation by promoting the benefi ts of the euro currency. “Out” cam-paigners, chief among them Lon-don Mayor Boris Johnson, argue that Britain’s economy would fl ourish outside the EU by sav-ing its annual contributions to bloc, freeing itself of red tape and striking its own trade deals.

“After (we) Vote Leave and take back control we will be able to cut our tax bill because we will no longer have to fund overpaid and under-taxed international bureaucrats,” Vote Leave spokes-man Robert Oxley said. — Reuters

O E C D ’ S W A R N I N G

Putin orders shake-up

of space programme

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin told his space offi cials to raise their game on Wednesday after he fl ew thou-sands of kilometres (miles) to watch the inaugural launch of a rocket from a new spaceport, only for it to be called off .

With moments to go before the launch of an unmanned Soyuz rocket, offi cials had to postpone it early on Wednesday morning be-cause a fault was uncovered with the rocket. They rescheduled for 24 hours later, but there was un-certainty about whether the sec-ond attempt would go ahead.

The episode was the latest problem to beset Russia’s space programme, which Putin aims to revive as part of his push to restore Russia’s military and technological might after years of post-Soviet neglect.

“The fact is there is a large number of hitches. That is bad. There should be an appropriate reaction,” a stern-looking Pu-tin was shown saying on state television at the Vostochny cosmodrome, hours after the

launch was scrapped. Delays and corruption have blighted work on the new cosmodrome, while this month a European Space Agency launch in French Guiana, using a similar Russian Soyuz rocket, was delayed by technical problems.

Problems with Russian space rockets are worrisome not just for the Kremlin but also for the United States space programme. Since it retired its space shuttle, NASA depends on Russia to fl y its astronauts to the Internation-al Space Station.

Russia pioneered manned space fl ight when it fi red Yuri Ga-garin into space in 1961.

But since the collapse of the Soviet Union its space pro-gramme has had to retrench for a lack of cash. For years it fi lled gaps in its budget by taking paying tourists into space. The Vostochny spaceport, in the re-mote Amur region near the bor-der with China, was the fl agship project in Putin’s planned $52 billion investment in space ex-ploration up to 2020. — Reuters

D E L A Y E D L A U N C H

there would be no economic benefi ts for Britain from a Brexit, even under the most favourable scenarios.

Angel Gurria, OECD secretary general

FLORAL TRIBUTE: People look at fl oral tributes in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster

at St Georges Hall in Liverpool, northern England on Wednesday. – Reuters

A16

WORLDT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

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Trump, Clinton register big wins

INDIANAPOLIS: Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton rapidly turned their fi re on each other with an eye toward November’s presiden-tial election after rolling up strong wins in Northeastern states.

The New York billionaire eas-ily defeated rivals John Kasich and Ted Cruz in all fi ve states that held party nominating contests on Tuesday - Pennsylvania, Mary-land, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware. He had a margin of victory rivaling that of New York state a week ago and was on course to win the vote in every county in each state.

Clinton, already in control of the Democratic race, defeated chal-lenger Bernie Sanders in Mary-land, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Her only loss of the night was in Rhode Island.

RaceThe race now pivots immediately to Indiana, which is shaping up to be Cruz’s best, and perhaps last, chance to slow Trump’s momen-tum toward capturing the Repub-lican presidential nomination for the November 8 general election.

If Cruz, a US senator from Texas, can win a large share of the state’s 57 delegates on May 3, it will boost the chances that Trump will not be able to amass the 1,237 delegates he needs to clinch the nomination before the party’s convention in

July. That could give Cruz a shot at convincing delegates to back him for president instead. Cruz’s campaign has begun hinting that he could name a vice presidential running mate as soon as this week, a move that would seek to consoli-date more Republican support and create an image that he will be the nominee. Former Hewlett Pack-ard CEO Carly Fiorina, who made a failed presidential bid, is among the potential picks being vetted.

Trump, pressing his point that he views the nominating race as essentially fi nished, criticised that as a potential Cruz pick. “I think it would be a bad choice, not because she’s a woman but because she did not resonate at all with people.”

“It’s too early to do it. And frank-ly, he’s wasting his time because

he’s not going to be the nominee,” Trump said. A loss to Trump in Indiana would eff ectively cripple Cruz’s already faltering bid, and increase pressure on the party to rally around Trump as the pro-spective nominee.

As Trump has moved from long-shot candidate in a crowded fi eld last year to clear front-runner, he has sparked despair among many in the Republican establishment both for his aggressive and some-times insulting style and for cam-paign pledges such as slapping a temporary ban on Muslims enter-ing the country, and building a wall along the border with Mexico.

Katie Packer, head of the anti-Trump political-action committee Our Principles, said her organisa-tion would be active in Indiana

with “TV, mail, phones, digital, all of it”. “We’re going to be playing in a lot of diff erent congressional dis-tricts,” Packer said.

The Club for Growth, a con-servative pro-business group, has bought $1.5 million worth of anti-Trump TV ads in the state.

Both groups worked to hand Trump a defeat at the hands of Cruz earlier this month in Wis-consin. “Tonight, this campaign moves back to more favourable terrain,” Cruz said in Knightstown, Indiana on Tuesday.

Back on the East Coast, Trump and Clinton used victory rallies to snipe at each other, a taste of the kind of back and forth that will take place should they win their party’s nominations and face off in the general election campaign.

“I think she’s a fl awed candidate and she’s going to be easy to beat,” Trump told a news conference at New York’s Trump Tower.

In an interview on Wednesday morning with ABC’s “Good Morn-ing America,” he said he was not concerned that supporters of his Republican rivals would not back him against Clinton.

“They’re going to come over,” said Trump, a real estate magnate and former reality TV star. “I’ve watched it all my life. They are angry, they’re confused, and they don’t know how all of this has hap-pened, then all of a sudden it turns into love. Anger turns into love.”

Trump was due to give a big for-eign policy speech in Washington on Wednesday. He criticised Clin-ton’s record as secretary of state

and her vote as a US senator from New York in support of the Iraq war. He said her only advantage was her bid to be the fi rst woman US president.

“Frankly if Hillary Clinton were a man, I don’t think she’d get 5 per cent of the vote,” he said.

Clinton, in a victory speech in Philadelphia, took aim at Trump for accusing her of trying to “play the woman card.”

“Well if fi ghting for women’s healthcare and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the wom-an card, then deal me in,” she said to cheers.

Of 118 committed delegates available on Tuesday, Trump took 105, raising his total delegates to 950. Kasich, the Ohio governor, won fi ve, all from Rhode Island, and Cruz one, with seven delegates still to be assigned, according to the Associated Press. Pennsylva-nia’s 54 unbound delegates will become clearer later.

Clinton’s strong showing in the Democratic race added to the pressure on Sanders to get out of the race or ease his criticism of her.

In her speech Clinton was care-ful, however, to avoid criticizing Sanders, a US senator from Ver-mont, as she spoke of the need for party unity.

“Whether you support Senator Sanders or you support me, there is much more that unites us than divides us,” she said.

Clinton’s victories on Tuesday brought her total count to 2,141 delegates, according to the AP, pushing her closer to the 2,383 needed for the nomination.

Sanders, who has accused Clin-ton of being in the pocket of Wall Street and pledged to do more than she would to address social inequality, showed no signs of get-ting out of the race. He is expected to campaign in Indiana.

“The people in every state in this country should have the right to determine who they want as president and what the agenda of the Democratic Party should be. That’s why we are in this race until the last vote is cast,” he said in a statement on Tuesday night. — Reuters

Republican Donald

Trump easily

defeated rivals John

Kasich and Ted Cruz

while Democrat

Hillary Clinton

defeated challenger

Bernie Sanders

IN CONTROL: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses supporters during a primary night event on Tuesday in Phila-

delphia after winning the Pennsilvania state primary. – AFP

MARKEWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6B

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S CA N T H I S Q R CO D E TO I N STA N T LY L AU N C H T H E V I D EO

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OMAN OIL PRICE RECOVERSOman Crude price (June delivery) recovered by $1.68 per barrel to touch $42.65, according to Dubai Mercantile Exchange. The average price of Oman Crude (May delivery 2016) stabilised at $36.34 – a rise of $6.11 per barrel compared to April delivery 2016. - ONA

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MARKETT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Tender Board awards water projects worth OMR42 million

MUSCAT: Oman government on Wednesday awarded diff erent projects worth OMR42 million, mainly for developing water pipe-line network and related projects.The decision was taken at the fourth meeting of Tender Board this year, which met under the chairmanship of Dr Rasheed bin Al Safi Al Huraibi, chairman of the Tender Board. Contracts were awarded for the construction of water pipeline from Buasher to Seeb in the Gov-ernorate of Muscat at OMR32.44 million and construction of wa-ter distribution networks in the wilayats of Nakhal, Al Awabi and Wadi Al Ma’awel in the Gover-norate of South Al Batinah at OMR8.49 million. Further, additional works for the operation and maintenance of assets of the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (above ground) in the Governorate of Muscat valued at OMR393,958 was also awarded.

Other tenders include addi-tional works for the operation and maintenance of assets of the Pub-lic Authority for Electricity and Water (above ground) in the Gov-ernorate of Al Dhahirah valued at OMR330,960; additional works for the operation and maintenance of assets of the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (under-ground) in the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah at OMR254,937.

Tenders for additional works for the operation and mainte-nance of assets of the Public Au-thority for Electricity and Water (underground) in the Governorate of Al Buraimi at OMR60,182 was also awarded.

The Tender Board has also awarded projects linked to ad-ditional works for the operation and maintenance of assets of the Public Authority for Electric-ity and Water (above ground) in the Governorate of Al Buraimi at OMR39,632. - ONA

T E N D E R S World Bank optimistic on oil averaging at $41 this year

WASHINGTON: World Bank boosted its forecast for oil prices this year, projecting that refi nery demand will pick up and United States production cuts will steep-en in the second half of 2016.

Crude prices will average $41 per barrel this year, which is still down 19 per cent from 2015, the Washington-based development bank said on Tuesday in its quar-terly commodity-markets out-look. The bank in January had predicted a price of $37 per barrel, which represents a composite of projections for the Brent, West Texas Intermediate and Dubai Fateh blends.

While oil has recovered after slumping to the lowest since 2003 in February, as optimism grows that the global surplus will ease, negotiations between members of the Organisation of Petroleum Ex-porting Countries (Opec) and oth-er oil producers ended last week without a deal to limit supplies. West Texas Intermediate for June delivery rose $1.40, or 3.3 per cent, to $44.04 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The World Bank increased its projection for prices next year to

$50 per barrel, up from $48 per barrel in January. At the same time, the lender reduced its fore-cast for non-energy commodities, as agricultural and fertilizer pric-es are expected to be weaker than projected at the start of the year.

The oil recovery is slower than in past global oil shocks.

The World Bank estimates crude prices would average around $58 per barrel this year if prices had been on the recovery path of major oil shocks over the last three decades, according to the report.

OECD suppliesThe lender notes crude-oil stocks among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and De-velopment (OECD) countries re-main near a record.

However, the buildup slowed last month, suggesting that inven-tories had begun to tighten, ac-cording to the bank.

Opec production is expected to remain fl at, excluding Iran, whose output will climb by about 500,000 barrels per day, the lender said.

Prices could end up higher than expected if big non-Opec produc-

ers reduce supply, Iranian exports grow more slowly than antici-pated, and supply disruptions hit key Opec producers such as Iraq, Nigeria and Venezuela, the bank said. Downside risks include weak demand and the continued resil-ience of United States producers.

– Bloomberg News

The bank, while

boosting its forecast

for oil prices,

projected that

refi nery demand

will pick up and US

production cuts will

steepen in the second

half of 2016

Capital raised in Mena share off erings increases by 141%Times News Service

MUSCAT: Two initial public of-ferings (IPOs) for raising $615 million were witnessed in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region in the fi rst quar-ter of 2016, according to Ernst & Young (EY).

Capital raised through Mena fi rms in the fi rst quarter of 2016 increased by 141 per cent, while the number of IPOs were consist-ent (two IPOs), compared with the fi rst quarter of 2015, said a statement from EY.

“The fi rst quarter of 2016 wit-nessed limited IPO activity, in line with the second half of 2015, as volatility in the Mena capital mar-kets continued, primarily driven by fl uctuating oil prices and cer-tain global factors. Egypt and Saudi Arabia continue to lead the limited IPO activity in the Mena region driven by investor demand and strong fundamentals. There is a strong pipeline of companies in Mena that are IPO ready and waiting for the right time to go to market,” said Phil Gandier, Mena Transactions Leader, EY.

Egypt, Saudi ArabiaThe IPO of Middle East Health-care Company on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) was the largest IPO in the quarter, raising $471.1m and was over three times

the size of the IPO of Arabian Food Industries on the Egyptian Stock Exchange, the only other IPO in Mena in the fi rst quarter of 2016.

“Egypt and Saudi Arabia con-tinue to be the most active Mena exchanges in the fi rst quarter of 2016, continuing on from 2015, where IPOs in Saudi Arabia and Egypt represented eight out 14 IPOs executed in the year. Both markets continue to attract inves-tors against a backdrop of increas-ing foreign investment, emphasis on diversifi cation and business confi dence,” added Mayur Pau, Mena Strategic Growth Markets and IPO Leader, EY.

Oil price fl uctuationOil prices declined in January 2016 to the lowest level in several years (below $30 per barrel) re-sulting in fl uctuations across the Mena capital markets.

According to analysts, Brent Crude prices declined primar-ily due to an increase in global oil supply and reduced demand, driven by uncertainty in the per-formance of the global economy.

However, the price of Brent crude rose slightly towards the end of the quarter, trading at around $40 per barrel, resulting in a uptick in Middle East and North Africa region stock market performance.

P U B L I C O F F E R

ON RECOVERY PATH?: While crude oil has recovered after plunging to the lowest since 2003 in Feb-

ruary, as optimism grows that the global surplus will ease. – Times fi le picture

WASHINGTON: BP, rig-owner Nabors Industries and ex-plorer Pioneer Natural Resources all said in the past 24 hours that prices above $50 will encourage more drilling or provide the needed boost to cash fl ow. With oil bouncing close to $45 a barrel, an industry that has been shaving costs to stay competitive is ready for signs of stability at a price level less than half of 2014’s average.

At an average price of $53 per barrel of oil means the world’s 50 biggest publicly traded companies in the indus-try can stop bleeding cash, according to oilfi eld consultant Wood Mac-kenzie. Nabors, which owns the world’s largest fl eet of onshore drilling rigs, said it has already been talking with several large customers about plans to boost work in the second half of the year if prices rise ‘comfortably’ above $50.

“It’s not just about touching $50,” Fraser McKay, vice-president of corporate analysis at Wood Mackenzie in Hou-ston, said on Tuesday in an interview. - Bloomberg News

Explorers hope crude recovers to $50 a barrel

HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com haveyoursay@timesofoman.com

TWO ISSUES: Capital raised through Mena fi rms in the fi rst quar-

ter of 2016 rose by 141%, while the number of IPOs were consistent

(two IPOs), compared to the fi rst quarter of 2015. –File picture

B3T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

MARKET

India set tobecome anet importer of Sugar

MUMBAI/LONDON: India is expected to become a net importer of sugar in 2016/17 as back-to-back drought years dry irrigation channels and ravage cane fi elds, with output in the country’s big-gest producing state seen dropping over 40 per cent.

That would mark the fi rst time the nation has been a net importer of the sweetener in four years, with the switch likely to support global prices that have already been rising this year.

It would also give rival producers such as Pakistan, Thailand and Bra-zil the chance to boost shipments from their ports. “India will need to import next year due to a production shortfall,” Ashok Jain, president of the Bombay Sugar Merchants As-sociation (BSMA), said.

Plantations aff ected“Drought has severely aff ected cane plantations in Maharash-tra. The government should stop exports now to reduce import re-quirements in the next season.”

The El Nino weather phenom-enon, which brings dry conditions to many regions, has stoked the worst drought in decades in some parts of India, with thousands of small-scale sugar cane growers in Maharashtra state failing to culti-vate crops for the next marketing year, starting October.

“Even for drinking water we are relying on water tankers. It wasn’t possible for anyone from our vil-lage to cultivate cane,” said Baban Swami, a farmer standing in a parched fi eld in the Latur district of Maharashtra, around 500 km southeast of Mumbai. - Reuters

D R O U G H T Tender f loated for raising water capacity in long run

Times News Service

MUSCAT: State-owned Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has fl oated a tender seeking an international consultant to provide advisory ser-vices for enhancing water produc-tion capacity from 2022.

The consultant, who wins the contract, has to advise the gov-ernment on economic, fi nancial/commercial and legal areas for the development of a revised process for the future contracting of water capacity by OPWP and the initial implementation of the process to a contracting round aimed at securing capacity from 2022, ac-cording to a tender notice.

The tender documents are available between April 25 and May 8, while the last date for sub-mitting bids will be on June 5.

Demand for potable water in Oman’s northern region, which include Muscat governorate, is projected to grow by six per cent per annum in the next four year horizon to 349 million cubic metres in 2020.

A combination of population growth and industrial development, including tourism projects, is cited as a major reason for the growth in demand for potable water.

The OPWP, the sole procurer of new power generation and water desalination capacity, re-

cently signed a OMR100 million agreement with a consortium to establish Myah Gulf Oman De-salination Company to build a wa-ter project in Sohar. The project is one of the biggest of its kind in the Al Batinah North Governorate and is expected to meet about 80 per cent of water demand in Al Batinah North, which is witnessed a tremendous growth in urbanisa-tion, tourism and industrial ac-tivities.OPWP will have the right to buy the desalinated water pro-duced by the plant during a con-cession period of 20 years. Slated for commercial operation in 2018, the independent water project will produce 250,000 cubic me-

tres of water per day, based on the reverse osmosis technology.

Two water projectsEng. Yaqoob bin Saif Al Kiyumi, chief operating offi cer of OPWP recently said that OPWP plans to build one each major independ-ent water project in Muscat and Northern Batinah regions. The capacity of each project will be higher than 250,000 cubic me-ters per day. Another independent water project (of roughly around 20,000 cubic liter per day capac-ity) is coming up in Khasab, which is part of a series of small and large water projected planned in diff er-ent parts of the country.

OPWP has already fl oated a re-quest for proposal for developing two other projects – Salalah and Sharqiya – after selecting pre-qualifi ed companies.

Eng. Al Kiyumi said that Sala-lah and Sharqiya water projects are expected to be operational in 2019. A request for proposal seek-ing bids from pre-qualifi ed com-panies will be fl oated before the end of the summer.

The selected

consultant has

to advise the

government on

economic, fi nancial/

commercial and

legal areas for the

development of a

revised process for

the future contracting

of water capacity

HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com haveyoursay@timesofoman.com

RISING WATER DEMAND: Demand for potable water in Oman’s northern region, which include Muscat governorate, is projected to grow

by 6 per cent per annum in the next four years to 349 million cubic metres in 2020. Picture is used only for illustration purpose. – File picture

Real estate prices in UAE to remain subdued: S&P DUBAI: United Arab Emirates’ real estate market will probably see further price declines this year because of lower oil prices and a strong dollar-pegged local curren-cy, said Standard & Poor’s (S&P).

Pressures on the property mar-ket come mainly from a slowdown in the hiring and expansion of oil-exposed companies, and a strong United States dollar making real estate in the emirate more expen-sive for international investors, the ratings fi rm said in a report.

Dubai’s housing market, the big-gest and most volatile in the Mid-

dle East, is in the doldrums as fall-ing oil prices, weaker currencies in Europe and Russia and an abun-dance of properties on the market damp demand.

Residential values fallResidential values fell 2.2 per cent in the fi rst quarter, according to consultancy Cluttons, which pre-dicts villa prices will decline 5 per cent this year and apartment pric-es 3 per cent to 4 per cent.

“We still believe that the lifting of geopolitical restrictions, such the sanctions on Russia and Iran,

could strongly benefi t the recovery of the UAE property market,” ac-cording to S&P.

“This would open new invest-ment fl ows into the regions’ real estate markets and partly com-pensate for the softening demand from other countries.”

Still, the rating agency said it doesn’t expect ‘major’ negative movements in its real estate sec-tor ratings over the next 12 months and that the developers it rates could absorb a 10 per cent drop in residential sales prices in Dubai this year. – Bloomberg News

O I L P R I C E F A L L

Standard Chartered chief sees depressed earnings this yearLONDON: Standard Chartered chief executive offi cer Bill Win-ters expects erratic swings in global markets to continue for at least the rest of this year, compli-cating his eff orts to reinvigorate earnings and restore the Asia-focused lender’s dividend.

Reviving ‘depressed’ revenue in the face of a sluggish economy and a slump in commodities pric-es is “the big challenge,” Winters said in a Bloomberg Television interview with Francine Lacqua eight months into his tenure. The bank could resume dividends this year, if it keeps showing improve-ment. But fi rst, he’s waiting to see how the fi rm performs as emerg-ing markets in which it operates face headwinds, potentially rat-tling investors anew.

“I am expecting very high vola-tility for the rest of this year and probably into next year,” said Winters, 54. “It’s too early to call the risk-off theme. We could have episodes of real risk aversion.”

Standard Chartered jumped 9.8 per cent on Tuesday after saying loan impairments declined and capital levels improved during the fi rst quarter. Winters, hired in June with a mandate to turn around the struggling lender, has picked a new management team, bolstered risk controls, sold 19 businesses and identifi ed $100 billion of risky assets he wants to restructure or exit.

Taking risks“I am hoping we can grow income over the course of this year,” the CEO said. Historically, employ-ees prioritized “growing income at the top line and were not so fo-cused on returns. We have shifted the focus to returns, and there is always this risk in that transition you lose the focus on growth. I think we’ve got the balance right. We need to resume growth with our clients.”

Winters has sought to shrink the lender’s balance sheet after years

of unchecked growth, cutting as-sets 12 percent last year. The CEO said he discovered a “looseness” to the way the bank was managed when he joined, developed over years of good performance.

Shareholders have been “quite supportive” of his eff orts, he said. Still, he added, they also play a role in encouraging excessive risk-taking when they set unreal-istic growth targets.

“I say, ‘You’re the one that bought the stock at 14 pounds, what were you doing then?’” Winters said. “‘I can tell you what you were doing then: You were encouraging management to go faster, to grow more, to book more loans, to get bigger. You, Madam or Mr. Shareholder, you were encouraging the bank to do the things that ultimately were its partial undoing.’ Shareholders don’t appreciate that.”

The stock has fallen more than two-thirds from its level of 1,856 pence in 2010. - Bloombergt News

B A N K I N G

London Stock Exchange’s fi rst quarter revenue climbs by 8%LONDON: London Stock Ex-change Group, which has agreed a merger with German peer Deutsche Boerse, reported a rise in fi rst-quarter revenue on Wednesday, aided by growth at its FTSE Russell, capital markets and clearing units.

The company, which also owns Borsa Italiana, said revenue rose 8 per cent to £358.9 million ($522.4 million) in the fi rst quarter ended March 31, beating average esti-mates of £350.1 million.

LSEG reiterated there was “compelling” logic in its deal with Deutsche Boerse. Revenue at its capital markets division, which makes money from fees paid by companies listing on its markets and trading of stocks and bonds, rose by 8 per cent to £92.4 million.

LCH.Clearnet, the clearing

house, saw revenue increase by 14 per cent with growth coming from a rise in volumes of over-the-coun-ter derivative products. Revenue from information services, which includes the FTSE index business,

rose 10 per cent to £141.5 million.Technology services provided

the only weak spot, with rev-enues down 17 per cent, hurt mainly by the timing of customer deliveries. - Reuters

C O R P O R A T E

B4

MARKETT H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27

REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY .................................... 130,000 .........230,625........................8 ............1.755 ........... 1.780............ 1.755 ............1.775 ............. 1.750 .............0.025 ............. 1.429 ................1.780 .............. 1.780................... 1.790 .................. 159,217,500 ........0.100

OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL ............................................. 723,110 .............55,251..................... 50 ............0.075 ........... 0.077 ...........0.075 ........... 0.076 .............0.075 ............0.001 ............. 1.333 ................0.076 ..............0.075...................0.076...................13,300,000 .........0.100

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ........................................................72,496 ............ 84,338........................9 ............1.155 ........... 1.165 ............ 1.155 ............1.165 ............. 1.150 .............0.015 ............. 1.304 ................ 1.165 ...............1.165................... 1.195 ................. 233,000,000 .......0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............. 24,000 ............... 6,231......................18 ........... 0.260 ........... 0.261 ...........0.258........... 0.260 .............0.259 ............0.001 ............. 0.386 ................0.258 ..............0.257...................0.258....................5,460,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ....................... 693,339 ......... 189,483......................61 ........... 0.270 ........... 0.277 ...........0.270........... 0.273 .............0.272 ............0.001 ............. 0.368 ................0.275 ..............0.272...................0.275...................25,945,920 .........0.100

OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .................................................................... 685,233 .........376,268..................... 26 ........... 0.548 ........... 0.552 ...........0.548........... 0.550 .............0.548 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.365 ................0.550 ..............0.550...................0.554..................349,684,988 .......0.100

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE ..................4,000 .................. 860........................ 1 ............0.215 ........... 0.215 ...........0.215 ........... 0.218 ............. 0.218............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.215 .............. 0.211...................0.215 ...................43,600,000 ........0.100

OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 125,500 ...........62,240........................3 ........... 0.480 ........... 0.496 ...........0.480........... 0.496 .............0.496 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.496 ..............0.482...................0.496..................164,112,864 ........0.100

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE .........................................................4,394 ..................602........................3 ............0.137 ........... 0.137 ...........0.137 ............0.137 ............. 0.137 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.137 .............. 0.137...................0.140 ...................44,703,537 .........0.100

OM0000002572 ...........OMAN OIL MARKETING ............................................. 3,911 ................7,431........................ 1 ........... 1.900 ........... 1.900 ...........1.900 ........... 1.900 .............1.900 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.900 ..............1.800...................1.900..................116,422,500 ........0.100

OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ...........................................................552 .................. 232........................ 1 ........... 0.420 ...........0.420 ...........0.420........... 0.420 .............0.420 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.420..............0.424...................0.440 ..................25,410,000 .........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 672,225 ..........510,981..................... 57 ............0.760 ........... 0.764 ...........0.760 ........... 0.760 ............. 0.760 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.760 .............. 0.712...................0.760 .................. 494,717,615 ........0.100

OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 258,527 ............55,738......................14 ............0.216 ........... 0.216 ...........0.214 ........... 0.216 ............. 0.216............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.215 .............. 0.215...................0.220 ................. 154,311,769 ........0.100

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS .................................................... 4,501 ............... 1,836........................5 ........... 0.406 ...........0.408 ...........0.406........... 0.410 ............. 0.410............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.408..............0.408...................0.410 ...................21,525,000 .........0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 207,338 ..........331,741......................17 ............1.600 ........... 1.600 ...........1.600 ........... 1.600 ............. 1.605............-0.005 ........... -0.312 ...............1.600 .............. 1.590...................1.600 ................1,200,000,000......0.100

OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ...................................10,000 .............. 2,640........................2 ........... 0.264 ...........0.264 ...........0.264 .......... 0.264 .............0.265 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.377 ...............0.264............. 0.260...................0.265..................389,342,257 .......0.100

OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK ......................................................................22,953 ............... 4,161........................8 ............0.180 ........... 0.184 ...........0.180 ............0.181 ............. 0.182............-0.001 ........... -0.549 ...............0.184 ..............0.180...................0.196 ..................257,931,542 ........0.100

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 840,557 ..........150,727..................... 23 ............0.182 ........... 0.182 ...........0.179 ............0.179 ............. 0.180 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.556 ...............0.179 .............. 0.179...................0.180 ..................283,819,536 ........0.100

OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING ........... 367,000 ............47,958......................16 ............0.134 ........... 0.134 ...........0.130 ............0.131 ............. 0.132............-0.001 ........... -0.758................0.130 ..............0.128...................0.130 ................... 15,965,625 .........0.100

OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 150,000 ............19,500..................... 29 ............0.130 ........... 0.130 ...........0.130 ........... 0.130 ............. 0.131 ............-0.001 ........... -0.763................0.130 ..............0.128...................0.130 .................... 7,649,618 ..........0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 1,090,878 ...... 447,491...................276 ............0.412 ........... 0.412 ...........0.408........... 0.410 ............. 0.414............-0.004 ........... -0.966 ...............0.412 .............. 0.412...................0.414 ................1,023,462,606 ......0.100

OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 111,380 .............21,192........................8 ............0.188 ........... 0.192 ...........0.188 ........... 0.190 ............. 0.192............-0.002 ........... -1.042 ...............0.192 ..............0.190...................0.192 ................... 23,730,612 .........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 1,616,525 .......373,208....................119 ........... 0.227 ........... 0.233 ...........0.227............0.231 .............0.234 ...........-0.003 ........... -1.282 ...............0.230..............0.229...................0.230 ..................34,667,325 .........0.100

OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 343,000 ........... 82,822......................17 ........... 0.244 ...........0.244 ...........0.231 ........... 0.241 .............0.245 ...........-0.004 ............-1.633 ................0.244 .............0.238...................0.244 ..................70,046,896 .........0.100

OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ............................................35,500 ...............8,482........................7 ............0.241 ........... 0.241 ...........0.238........... 0.239 .............0.243 ...........-0.004 ........... -1.646................0.238 ..............0.237...................0.240 .................. 14,627,821 .........0.100

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 9,136,090 ...1,047,064...................294 ............0.115 ........... 0.118............ 0.111 ............0.115 ............. 0.117 ............-0.002 ............-1.709 ................ 0.117 ...............0.117................... 0.118 ................... 33,347,773 .........0.100

OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER ................................................ 138,152 ............ 29,206......................14 ............0.211 ........... 0.212 ........... 0.211 ............0.211 ............. 0.215............-0.004 ........... -1.860 ............... 0.211 .............. 0.211...................0.212 ..................142,401,248 ........0.100

OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 268,987 ........... 36,202..................... 24 ............0.136 ........... 0.136 ...........0.133 ............0.135 ............. 0.138............-0.003 ........... -2.174................0.134 .............. 0.133...................0.134 ...................12,150,000 .........0.100

OM0000001087 ............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 217,641 .............58,763......................15 ........... 0.270 ........... 0.270 ...........0.270........... 0.270 .............0.277 ...........-0.007 ........... -2.527 ...............0.270..............0.270...................0.275...................27,000,000 .........0.100

OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 1,257,937 .......153,775..................... 45 ............0.127 ........... 0.127 ...........0.120 ........... 0.122 ............. 0.128............-0.006 ........... -4.688 ...............0.125 .............. 0.125...................0.126 ..................244,038,160 .......0.100

OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 293,000 ............18,286......................13 ........... 0.064 ...........0.064 ...........0.062........... 0.062 .............0.066 ...........-0.004 ........... -6.061................0.062..............0.063...................0.065...................12,843,386 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 19,508,726 ........4,415,332 .........1,184 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ...... 31........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................... 52,351 ............... 1,875........................3 ........... 0.035 ........... 0.036 ...........0.035 ........... 0.036 .............0.035 ............0.001 ............. 2.857 ................0.036 ..............0.035...................0.036....................3,060,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ................................................... 2,700 ............... 1,562........................4 ........... 0.582 ........... 0.582 ...........0.570 ........... 0.582 .............0.582 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.570 ..............0.570...................0.580 ..................91,665,000 .........0.100

OM0000001764 ............NAT. HOSPITALITY INSTITUTE .............................4,000 ...............2,128........................2 ........... 0.532 ........... 0.532 ...........0.532 ........... 0.532 .............0.532 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.532 ............. 0.000...................0.000 .....................532,000............1.000

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 720,994 ........... 54,834..................... 20 ........... 0.076 ........... 0.077 ...........0.076 ........... 0.076 .............0.076 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.077 ..............0.076...................0.077..................114,000,000........0.100

OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ....................................976 ...................123........................ 1 ............0.126 ........... 0.126 ...........0.126 ........... 0.126 ............. 0.126............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.126 ..............0.126...................0.128 ...................12,600,000 .........0.100

OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 400,326 ............59,963..................... 25 ............0.150 ........... 0.150 ...........0.149 ........... 0.150 ............. 0.150............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.150 .............. 0.149...................0.150 ..................219,390,219 ........0.100

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ..................................................... 695,604 ............47,021..................... 57 ........... 0.069 ........... 0.069 ...........0.067 ........... 0.068 .............0.069 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.449 ...............0.067 ..............0.066...................0.067....................8,500,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001590 ............MUSCAT FINANCE ......................................................27,200 ............... 3,318........................3 ............0.122 ........... 0.122 ...........0.122 ........... 0.122 ............. 0.124 ...........-0.002 ............-1.613 ................0.122 .............. 0.121...................0.124 ...................32,539,301 .........0.100

OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 2,762,737 ...... 160,241..................... 39 ........... 0.059 ........... 0.059 ...........0.058 ........... 0.058 .............0.059 ...........-0.001 ............-1.695 ................0.058 ..............0.058...................0.059...................58,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................. 243,260 ........... 23,496..................... 26 ........... 0.096 ........... 0.098 ...........0.096........... 0.097 .............0.100 ...........-0.003 ........... -3.000 ...............0.098 ..............0.098...................0.099.................... 7,295,176 ..........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 4,910,148 ...... 354,561...................180 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......10........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ISIN ......................................SECURITY NAME .................................................................. VOLUME ..... TURNOVER ............TRADES ......OPEN PRICE ......HIGH ............. LOW ........ CLOSE PR. ...PREV. CLOSE...DIFF (RO).........DIFF % ............. LAST PR .....LAST BID .............LAST OFFER ........MARKET CAP .PAR VALUE

O M A N S T O C K S

INDICESIndex .................................................High .................Low ..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff %MSM30 Index ....................................... 5,960.26 .............. 5,934.99 ....................5,939.10 ...................5,960.56 ................-21.46 .................. -0.36Financial Index ..................................... 7,786.52 ...............7,706.54 .................... 7,715.06 ................... 7,789.40 ................-74.34 .................. -0.95Industrial Index .................................... 7,175.04 ............... 7,155.03 .................... 7,173.35 ....................7,175.04 ...................-1.69 .................. -0.02Services Index ...................................... 3,244.66 .............. 3,233.33 ................... 3,234.56 ...................3,245.56 ................ -11.00 .................. -0.34MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 879.91 .................. 877.96 ...................... 879.90 ...................... 878.26 .................... 1.64 ................... 0.19

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded24,418,874 ................. 4,769,894 ................. 1,364 ...............17,008,463,390 .................. 7 ......................21 .................... 13 .........................41

MSM index ends lower

MUSCAT: During a quiet ses-sion, profi t taking brought down the MSM30 Index by 0.36 per cent to close at 5,939.10 points. The MSM Sharia Index ended at 879.90 points, up by 0.19 per cent. Galfar Engineering was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. Construction Mate-rials, up by 2.86 per cent, was the top gainer while Al Madina In-vestment, which declined by 6.06 per cent, was the top loser.

As many as 1,364 trades were executed on Wednesday, gen-erating a turnover of OMR4.8 million with 24.4 million shares changing hands. Out of 41 traded securities, seven advanced, 21 declined and 13 remained un-changed. Omani investors were net buyers for OMR87,000 fol-lowed by GCC and Arab investors for OMR23,000 while foreign in-vestors remained net sellers for OMR110,000.

Financial Index ended nega-tively to close at 7,715.06 points, down by 0.95 per cent. Al Madina Takaful and Ominvest increased by 1.33 per cent and 0.36 per cent, respectively. Al Madina Invest-ment, HSBC Bank Oman, Oman United Insurance, Al Sharqia Investments and Al Izz Bank de-clined by 6.06 per cent, 4.69 per cent, 2.53 per cent, 2.17 per cent and 1.69 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index stayed rela-tively fl at at 7,173.35 points, down by 0.02 per cent. Construction Materials, Oman Cables, Raysut Cement and Gulf International Chemicals gained by 2.86 per cent, 1.43 per cent, 1.30 per cent and 0.39 per cent, respectively. Al Hassan Engineering, Galfar En-gineering, Oman Fisheries and Al Jazeera Steel declined by 3 per cent, 1.71 per cent, 1.45 per cent and 1.04 per cent, respectively.

Services Index retreated by 0.34 per cent to close at 3,234.56 points.

Port Services Corporation, up

by 0.37 per cent was the only sec-tor gainer. Al Batinah Power, Al Jazeera Services, Renaissance Services and Oman Telecom-munications Company declined by 1.86 per cent, 1.65 per cent, 1.63 per cent and 0.31 per cent, respectively.

Abu Dhabi bankNational Bank of Abu Dhabi PJSC posted an 11 per cent de-cline in fi rst-quarter profi t, missing analysts’ estimates, as earnings at the largest bank in the United Arab Emirates’ were hurt by a drop in non-interest income, higher provisions and lower investment gains.

Net income rose fell to 1.27 bil-lion dirhams ($346 million) from 1.42 billion dirhams a year ear-lier, the state-controlled lender said in a statement on Wednes-day. The bank was expected to post profi t of 1.35 billion dir-hams, the median estimate of 3 analysts compiled by Bloomb-erg. Non-interest income fell 8 per cent to 819 million dir-hams, while impairments rose to 295 million dirhams from 170 million dirhams.

Banks in the UAE are pre-pared for deteriorating condi-tions as oil prices remain lower for longer, leading to a decline in government spending, slower economic growth and falling as-set quality, Standard & Poor’s said on January 11.

Emirates NBD PJSC, the coun-try’s second-biggest bank, re-ported a lower-than-expected 8 per cent rise in fi rst quarter profi t as higher funding costs eroded gains from increased lending and a decline in provisions.

Banks from the UAE to Saudi Arabia are facing liquidity pres-sures as a more than halving of oil prices over approximately the past two years slowed deposit growth and pushed up funding costs. -United Securities/Bloomberg News

As many as 1,364 trades were executed on

Wednesday, generating a turnover of OMR4.8

million with 24.4m shares changing hands.

HOWARD DAVIES

Central banks have been on a roller-coaster ride in the last decade, from

heroes to zeroes and back again. Is another downswing in their fortunes and reputations now starting?

In 2006, when Alan Greenspan retired after his 18-year reign as chair of the United States Federal Reserve Board, his reputation could hardly have been higher. He had steered the US economy through the dot-com boom and bust, had carefully navigated the potential threat to growth from the terror attacks of Sep-tember 11, 2001, and presided over a period of rapid gross domestic product and produc-tivity growth.

At his fi nal board meet-ing, Timothy Geithner, then pesident of the New York Fed, delivered what now seems an embarrassing encomium, saying that Greenspan’s stellar reputation was likely to grow, rather than diminish, in the future.

Only three years later, the Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman, borrowing from Monty Python’s parrot sketch, was able to say that Greenspan was an ex-maestro whose reputation was now pushing up daisies. Central banks were widely seen to have been doz-ing at the switch through the early years of this century. They allowed global imbalances to build up, looked benignly on a massive credit bubble, ignored fl ashing danger signs in the mortgage market, and uncriti-cally admired the innovative but toxic products devised by

overpaid investment bankers.The early reactions by central

banks to the deepening crisis were also unsure. The Bank of England (BoE) lectured on moral hazard while the banking system imploded around it, and the European Central Bank (ECB) continued to slay imaginary in-fl ation dragons when almost all economists saw far greater risks in a eurozone meltdown and as-sociated credit crunch.

Lessons of crisisYet, despite these missteps, when governments around the world considered how best to respond to the lessons of the crisis, central banks, once seen as part of the problem, came to be viewed as an essential part of the solution. They were given new powers to regulate the fi nancial system, and encour-aged to adopt new and highly interventionist policies in an attempt to stave off depression and defl ation.

Central banks’ balance sheets have expanded dramatically, and new laws have strength-ened their hand enormously. In the US, the Dodd-Frank Act

has taken the Fed into areas of the fi nancial system which it has never regulated, and given it powers to take over and resolve failing banks.

In the United Kingdom, bank regulation, which had been removed from the BoE in 1997, returned there in 2013, and the BoE also became for the fi rst time the prudential supervisor of insurance companies – a big extension of its role. The ECB, meanwhile, is now the direct supervisor of more than 80 per cent of the European Union’s banking sector.

In the last fi ve years, central banking has become one of the fastest-growing industries in the Western world. The central banks seem to have turned the tables on their critics, emerging triumphant. Their innovative and sometimes controversial actions have helped the world economy recover.

But there are now signs that this aggrandizement may be having ambiguous conse-quences. Indeed, some central bankers are beginning to worry that their role has expanded too far, putting them at risk of a

backlash. There are two related dangers. The fi rst is encapsu-lated in the title of Mohamed El Erian’s latest book: ‘The Only Game in Town’. Central banks have been expected to shoulder the greater part of the burden of post-crisis adjustment. Their massive asset purchases are a life-support system for the fi nancial economy. Yet they cannot, by themselves, resolve the underlying problems of global imbalances and the huge debt overhang. Indeed, they may be preventing the other adjustments, whether fi scal or structural, that are needed to resolve those impediments to economic recovery.

This is particularly true in Europe. While the ECB keeps the euro afl oat by doing “what-ever it takes” in ECB president Mario Draghi’s phrase, govern-ments are doing little. Why take tough decisions if the ECB continues to administer heavier and heavier doses from its mon-etary drug cabinet?

The second danger is a version of what is sometimes called the ‘over-mighty citizen’ problem. Have central banks been given too many powers for their own good?

Quantitative easingQuantitative easing is a case in point. Because it blurs the line between monetary and fi scal policy – which must surely be the province of elected govern-ments – unease has grown. We can see signs of this in Germany, where many now question whether the ECB is too power-ful, independent, and unac-countable. Similar criticism motivates those in the United States who want to “audit the

Fed” – often code for subjecting monetary policy to Congres-sional oversight.

There are worries, too, about fi nancial regulation, and espe-cially central banks’ shiny new macroprudential instruments. In his new book The End of Alchemy, former BoE governor Mervyn King argues that direct intervention in the mortgage market by restraining credit should be subject to political decision. Others, notably Axel Weber, a former head of the Bundesbank, think it is danger-ous for the central bank to supervise banks directly.

Financial marketsThings go wrong in fi nancial markets, and the supervisors are blamed. There is a risk of contagion, and a loss of confi -dence in monetary policy, if the central bank is in the front line. That points to the biggest con-cern of all. Central banks’ mon-etary-policy independence was a hard-won prize. It has brought great benefi ts to our economies. But an institution buying bonds with public money, deciding on the availability of mortgage fi -nance, and winding down banks at great cost to their sharehold-ers demands a diff erent form of political accountability.

The danger is that hasty post-crisis decisions to load ad-ditional functions onto central banks may have unforeseen and unwelcome consequences. In particular, greater political oversight of these functions could aff ect monetary policy as well. For this reason, whatever new mechanisms of account-ability are put in place will have to be designed with extraordi-nary care. – Project Syndicate

Central banks in spotlight againC O M M E N T A R Y

China’s factoryprofi ts add to economic recovery hopesBEIJING: Profi ts earned by Chi-nese industrial companies rose 11.1 per cent in March from a year earlier, adding to signs that the country’s economic slowdown may be bottoming out.

Industrial profi ts rose to 561.24 billion yuan ($86.50 billion) in March, the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) said on its web-site on Wednesday. That brought total fi rst-quarter profi ts to 1.34 trillion yuan, up 7.4 per cent from a year earlier and improving from a 4.8 percent rise in the January-February period.

The data covers large enterpris-es with annual revenue of more than 20 million yuan from their main operations.

The fi rst-quarter gains were largely led by chemical companies and agricultural and food process-ing companies, which posted 20.8 per cent and 12.1 percent growth compared with the same period a year earlier.

Heavy industryBut heavy industry and mining continued to struggle, with ferrous metal smelting and rolling fi rms seeing profi ts fall 15.8 per cent in the quarter and profi ts for coal miners slumping 92.6 per cent. Oil and gas producers posted a loss.

Debt at Chinese industrial com-panies increased 5.2 per cent on a yearly basis to 55.22 trillion yuan as of end-March, the bureau said.

China’s economy grew 6.7 per cent in the fi rst quarter this year from a year earlier, its slowest pace in seven years, but better-than-ex-pected consumer, investment and factory data have fuelled hopes that the economy’s prolonged downturn may be easing. - Reuters

M A R C H

Central banks, once seen as part of the problem,

came to be viewed as an essential part of the

solution. They were given new powers to regulate

the financial system, and encouraged to adopt new

and highly interventionist policies in an attempt to

stave off depression and deflation

B5T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

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Great time to purchase Ford’s passenger cars

MUSCAT: Ford’s passenger cars have been very impressive con-sidering the range of new-age fea-tures and technologies they sport and now with special off ers from Ford, every passenger car in the Ford stable will be nothing short of absolutely rewarding to own, says a press release.

According to a spokesperson from Arabian Car Marketing, “Ford’s range of passenger cars has remained very popular among fans in Oman. They are big, comfort-able, safe and ideal for young cus-tomers as well as those with large families. Those looking to own a Ford passenger car can now look forward to special off ers like up to 3 years / 60,000km free service,

up to OMR2,500 cash gift and free insurance. The off er will last until April 30 (Conditions apply; con-tact your nearest Ford showroom for details).”

In Oman, Ford fan can choose from the Ford Figo, Focus, Fusion, Taurus or the Mustang.

The 1.5L Ford Figo breaks all stereotypes and proves that a com-pact sedan can also have the best of everything – be it stunning design, smart technology, advanced safety and impressive fuel effi ciency. The Ford Figo is available with three years / 60,000km free service (16YM), and cash gift.

The 1.5L Focus powered by an EcoBoost Engine gains a well-balanced outlook that is both ma-ture and sporty. Based on Ford’s global C-platform, this compact front-driver features an interna-tional design pedigree and intro-duces numerous class-exclusive technologies, including a host of premium-level comfort, conveni-ence and safety touches. The Fo-cus will be available with three years / 60,000km free service (15 & 16 YM), free insurance (15 MY) and cash gift.

Thoughtfully designed inside and out, the Fusion is a four-door

sedan that boldly stands out. Fusion sports an array of avail-able smart technologies. Fusion is available in S and SE trims, fea-turing Ford’s 2.5L Duratec 23 I-4 engine and 16 inch aluminium wheels. The Fusion is available with three years/60,000km free service (14 & 16 YM), free insur-ance (14 MY) and cash gift.

The Ford Taurus delivers more of what large sedan customers really want with even better fuel economy, more technology, design refi nement, improved craftsman-ship and enhanced driving dynam-ics. The Taurus is available with three years/60,000km free service (15MY), Free Insurance (15MY) and cash gift.

Ford vehicles are known the world over for their exceptional safety, luxury and unsurpassed tech-nological superiority. Ford ploughs in millions of dollars into R&D each year to ensure that every Ford of-fers maximum safety and motoring pleasure for its customers.

In Oman, Ford vehicles are brought to you by Arabian Car Marketing Co.

Ford’s passenger

cars now come with

special off ers

Kims Oman performs

critical procedure to

save Indian patient

MUSCAT: Kims Oman Hospi-tal’s (KOH) expert medical team led by Dr Mohammed Al Obeid, consultant and head of emer-gency and critical care services, successfully performed a criti-cal procedure and saved the life of a 41-year old Indian patient, who was transferred to Kims Oman hospital from a local hospital in Muscat in a critical health condition, recently.

Emergency caseKims admitted the transferred patient as an emergency case, the patient was intubated, hypoxic and was placed on ventilator support soon after becoming hy-potensive and his overall health deteriorated signifi cantly. After a thorough examination that was conducted by D. Mohammed Al Obeid, the patient was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome with septicemia, and life-threatening health issues, says a press release.

Instantly, the patient was transferred to the Intensive Care

Unit (ICU), a multidisciplinary team of critical care and anes-thesia team, headed by Dr Man-jeet Singh, head of anaesthesia department, and the patient was managed aggressively with ino-tropes to maintain his blood pres-sure, was kept on ventilation and given the needed medications.

Miraculously, the patient over-came the critical case; he was ex-tubated after a week showing positive recovery and was dis-charged 10 days later.

The patient expressed his utmost thankfulness to KOH’s professional medical team for saving his life and for the care he received during his stay at the hospital.

“With a clear compassion, up to date care, and a collaborative team, even the toughest odds can be beaten,” said Dr Moham-med Obeid.

“I am very happy that the pa-tient has recovered, and we have supported him until he restored his normal life and daily routine,” said Dr Manjeet Singh.

H E A L T H C A R E

Dar Al Atta’a honours Bank SoharMUSCAT: In recognition of its continual support of Dar Al Atta’a Association and its various activi-ties across the Sultanate, Bank So-har was presented with a token of appreciation from the association at the recently held gala dinner at the Al Bustan Palace – A Ritz Carl-ton Hotel. The dinner was held in commemoration of the associa-tion having completed 10 years in the Sultanate.

The event was held on April 24 under the patronage of His High-ness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture. Representing Bank Sohar and receiving the token of appre-ciation was Rashad Ali Al Musafi r, acting CEO, together with Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, senior AGM and head of Marketing and Cus-tomer Experience, in addition to the bank’s senior management members, says a press release.

Commenting on the bank re-ceiving the token of appreciation, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, the GM of HR and Corporate Support at Bank Sohar said, “We believe that even the smallest contribution can make a big diff erence in the

lives of those that need help, and any corporate organisation has the responsibility to do what it can to help the communities in which it operates. As such, Bank Sohar has always been fully committed to-wards promoting and supporting associations that play an eff ective role in society. Dar Al Atta’a has been a beacon of hope for people in need in the Sultanate for the past ten years. It has been an hon-our to support such an esteemed organisation and on behalf of the bank, I would like to congratulate all members of the association on

their 10th anniversary and look forward to working closely with them in the future.”

Bank Sohar strives to ensure that its contributions to the local community are carefully planned and evaluated in order to assist organisations that make a mean-ingful change in society. Over the course of the past years, the bank supported a broad range of chari-table initiatives, events, associa-tions and organisations across the Sultanate. The bank’s CSR initia-tives have always been central to its operational strategy.

T O K E N O F A P P R E C I A T I O N

Win big at City Centre mallsMUSCAT: Majid Al Futtaim’s two leading lifestyle destinations in the Sultanate, City Centre Muscat and City Centre Qurum, have an-nounced incredible daily winning opportunities till June 21.

The two-month long prize give-away will see lucky winners eve-ryday – with two grand prize draw winners taking home a brand new Cadillac worth OMR15,000 each after spending OMR20 at either mall, says a press release.

What’s more, shoppers in City Centre Muscat and City Centre Qurum will have the opportunity to double their chances to win the grand prize when shopping at Carrefour during the promotional period. Additionally, shoppers will have the chance at winning a combined daily prize of OMR100 from both hypermarkets, result-ing in a total of 92 winners.

“The chance to win big at City Centre malls over the coming months is very exciting and is aligned with our vision of creat-ing great moments for everyone, everyday. We’re thrilled to off er our shoppers an extra opportunity to drive away with a premium car

when shopping at Carrefour hy-permarket,” said Husam Al Man-dhari, senior mall manager at City Centre Muscat. “These incredible promotions at our malls present memorable life-changing opportu-nities for many and we have great surprises in store for everyone”

City Centre Muscat and City Centre Qurum have a schedule packed full of captivating shows, workshops and activities suitable for all ages starting on May 5 just in time for the summer. As tem-peratures soar, what better way

than spend the weekend then en-joying family-friendly entertain-ment at the mall.

Watfa Humaid Al Harthy, sen-ior mall manager at City Centre Qurum said, “Our City Centre malls off er families in the Sul-tanate the opportunity to create memorable moments by enjoying an array of never been seen week-ly acts and entertainment. We look forward to seeing families and friends enjoy the great activi-ties we have in store for them over the coming weeks.”

D A I L Y W I N N E R S

Muscat Life Assurance launches two new unique productsMUSCAT: Muscat Life Assurance Company (MLAC) is one of the fi rst life insurance companies to have brought global tie up in inter-national health solutions for the individuals, in Oman.

It has now announced the launch of its two indigenous and locally developed individual prod-ucts – Family Floater Health In-surance – ‘Himayat Al Usra’ and Personal Protection Plan – ‘Haya-ti’, says a press release.

With the growing demand for improvement in quality of life, both these products aim to ad-dress the local aspirations of individuals and families, while

managing their personal risks ef-fectively and effi ciently.

The Family Floater Medical Plan provides an umbrella of cover to the entire family (upto seven members) upto the age of 65 years. It also adds convenience to choose from a wide range of network of hospitals and clinics - freedom to decide. The plan covers wide range of benefi ts from in-patient, out- patient and maternity options and allows the fl exibility to choose the same based on customer needs.

The Personal Protection Plan is a security for your loved ones in the event of an untimely event like death, accident or disability. It

helps your loved ones live a peace-ful life and enjoy the same stand-ard of living in the event of an un-toward incident.

The plan provides initial relief to the family members with the

agreed lump sum or payment to-wards borrowings or even acting as security to the bank. The level of cover depends on your current income and age. The plan can be bought at the age of 18 and pro-

vides cover upto 65 years. It is a must have for any individual work-ing on his/her fi nancial goals.

Philip K. Philip, Group CEO Muscat National Holding said, “The tradition of trust and service continues to motivate us to bring quality products to the market. We are extremely happy to contribute to the ambitions of aspiring Omani population in achieving their fi -nancial goals, with security. The new products shall strengthen the bond and ensure we live upto our motto - A friend for life.”

Syed Hussaini, GM - MLAC said, “We are committed towards our customers and ensure deliv-

ery of service at each touch point. The fl exibility and aff ordability of these products should encourage everybody to buy them.”

K. S. Parameswaran, chief mar-keting and relationship manager stated, “These products would help to cater to the insurance needs of the people in Oman in view of its uniqueness in providing additional benefi ts with attractive pricing.”

With the launch of these new individual products MLAC is go-ing to enhance its presence, as well as distribution strategy and make them easily available. The process has been kept simple in order to facilitate quick turnaround times.

N E W I N S U R A N C E P L A N S

Career Counselling at ISC Salalah todayMUSCAT: Meritnation - India’s leading education website that caters to students in Grades I-XII is conducting a Career Counsel-ling Seminar for students study-ing in Grades IX-XII.

The seminar, scheduled for today at the Indian Social Club, Salalah, has been especially de-signed to help students in Grades IX-XII outside India, make in-formed career decisions by guid-ing them to choose the right ca-reer, says a press release.

The seminar will especially fo-cus on helping them prepare for competitive exams like JEE and AIPMT. The session will give stu-dents an opportunity to interact with experts from Meritnation

and clear doubts and misconcep-tions regarding educational op-portunities for NRIs.

The career seminar will be fol-lowed by a one-on-one counsel-ling session today and tomorrow. The slots for the same can be booked by prior appointment by calling 98298451/ 93629471 or email: contact@meritnation.com

S E M I N A R

The seminar will especially

focus on helping students

prepare for competitive

exams like JEE and AIPMT

Bank Sohar sponsors Al Shabab FM ‘Najm Al Shabab’ contest

MUSCAT: Demonstrating its dedication towards promoting youth talent in the Sultanate, Bank Sohar sponsored Al Shabab FM’s 3-month singing competition called ‘Najm Al Shabab’.

Based on the votes received, participants were shortlisted. In the fi nale that took place recently, three out of a total of four partici-pants were announced as the win-ners. Bank Sohar presented the cash prizes to the winners Ghazi Talib Al Balushi, Bashier Al Saadia and Nisma Al Raisi.

The award ceremony was host-ed by Al Shabab FM at the Public Authority for Radio and TV in Madinat Al Ilam, Muscat and was presided over by Mona Mahfoudh Al Mandhari, Oman TV presenter. Representing Bank Sohar at the event was Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, Senior AGM and head of

Marketing and Customer Experi-ence accompanied by the market-ing department team.

The ceremony began with a welcome note from the popular radio presenter; Huda Al Khan-bashi followed by short introduc-tory speech by Mahmood Obaid Al Hesini, radio producer at Shabab FM. The event then took off and showcased the talents of the young Omanis who gave an outstand-ing performance. While anxiously awaiting the voting results, a

special thanks was mentioned to Bank Sohar where a memento was presented to Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi for being the sponsors of the event and having supported this initiative. Following the handover, members of the organising team were then awarded with certifi -cates of appreciation from Public Authority for Radio and TV for their hard work, dedication, and eff orts towards making the pro-gramme a signifi cant success.

As soon as the votes were in,

the names of the winners were re-vealed by the judging panel where Ghazi Talib Al Balushi was an-nounced as the fi rst place winner of the contest, Bashier Al Saadia and Nisma Al Raisi, came in sec-ond and third place respectively. The event concluded with Bank Sohar providing a token of ap-preciation to Mona as well as the judging panel.

Munira Abdulnabi Macki, GM of HR and Corporate Support at Bank Sohar mentioned, “As an in-tegral part of the community for the past nine years, we believe that the youth deserve the best possible opportunities to showcase their talents and skill. Events such as the ‘Najm Al Shabab’ competition provide an opportune platform for the youth to do exactly that and was a competition we were glad to be a part of.”

S I N G I N G C O M P E T I T I O N

B6 T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

ROUND-UP

Basant showcases beauty of Pak culture and cuisine

SHAHZAD RAZAshahzad@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Pakistani music, cul-ture and the art of kite-fl ying were seen at their best at Pakistan So-cial Club’s mega annual festival ‘Basant 2016’ at a jam-packed Al Sawadi Beach.

Thousands of people thronged the place to enjoy the electric at-mosphere reverberating with the foot-tapping Pakistani music and intermittent chants of bo kata, the shrill announcement signifying the severing of opponent’s kite in the

sky, followed by a loud celebration to mark the victorious occasion.

While a large number of kite-fl y-ing enthusiasts had started gath-ering at the beach since morning, the festival was formally opened by the chief guest Naheed Naveed Atif, Charge d’aff aires, Embassy of Pakistan. The Basant Festival was presented by Mian Mohammed Munir, executive director of Ittfaq Travel and Tourism, and chairman of PSC Oman. Times of Oman was the media partner.

No Pakistani festival is consid-ered complete without the taste and charm of its delectable cui-sine. As the aroma of grilled food fi lled the air, one could sense a sud-den spring in many strides and the food stalls were soon swamped by

swarms of foodies generously or-dering their favourite tikkas and kebabs. With singers Farah Naz and Tahir Mehdi belting one hit after the other under the sky fi lled with kites of various designs and colours, the atmosphere could not have been more festive and fami-lies happier. With a lovely beach a few paces away, people seemed to be having a great outing, full of fun and joy.

Pakistani Social Club offi cials found it hard to keep a count of the number as the crowd continued to swell as the day progressed. As the sun set on an eventful day, a PSC of-fi cial was heard claiming a massive crowd of about 10,000 people was present on the sprawling Al Sawadi beach, enjoying the popular festival

to the hilt. More than 6,000 kites were believed to have surveyed the Al Sawadi sky on that day.

Earlier, welcoming the guests, A. H. Raja, PSC vice chairman, an-nounced the club would organise a colourful kite-fl ying competition from next year as part of its inten-tion to add some innovations to the Basant Festival which PSC has been holding since 1998. He said the teams could be named after the corporates willing to sponsor the festival in 2017.

Muhammed Zaeem, PSC gen-eral secretary thanked the guests and sponsors for their support. The event, conducted by Azra Al-eem, was sponsored by Lifeline Medical Centre, Stars Light and Muscat Beach Trading.

Thousands of people

thronged Al Sawadi

Beach to enjoy the

electric atmosphere

reverberating with

the foot-tapping

Pakistani music

Delicious Italian cuisine at La VeritaMUSCAT: La Verita, after its suc-cess in Syria with eight branches, has now come to Oman with its fi rst branch in Al Khuwair.

This lip smacking Italian pizza outlet, La Verita is here in Oman with not only pizza, but a variety menu of international taste. Pas-tas, sandwiches and many other dishes in the menu make it dif-fi cult to choose among the best, says a press release.

As a part of the inaugural of-fer, 50 per cent discount is an-nounced for two months by Basem Habash, regional director of La Verita.

The Al Khuwair outlet was opened in December 2015. With-in this short time span, La Verita has already become one of the fa-vourite restaurants in Oman.

Habash said that introducing the brand to Oman was not very demanding, “Being an already established brand in a global market, fi nding a new location for expansion was tedious. However, launching the brand in Oman did not demand much eff ort, but a lot of passion.”

The key to their success is the fresh food they serve to their cus-tomers said Habash, “We serve it fresh, just the way you wish. The unique recipe and extravagant menu will make every foodie drool.”

Huge expansion plans are un-der pipeline with 24 outlets to be opened across Oman by year end.

La Verita has free home deliv-ery service and food can be or-dered via email as well at eat@laveritaoman.com

I N A U G U R A L O F F E R

TRULY ITALIAN: Basem Habash, regional director of La Verita

introducing the brand in Oman. — O. K. Mohammed Ali / TIMES OF OMAN.

Omantel TV+ off ers 3 months free subscription MUSCAT: Omantel, the fi rst in-tegrated telecommunications ser-vices provider in the Sultanate, recently launched the nation’s fi rst Internet Protocol Television ser-vice ‘Omantel TV+’ using Home Broadband.

The state-of-the-art TV view-ing platform brings the Sultanate fi rmly into the fi bre-optic era with HD quality news, sports and enter-tainment programmes with over 450 regional and global TV chan-nels and a library of thousands of movies and TV series available on-demand. To celebrate this mile-stone, Omantel has launched a promotional campaign for its new Omantel TV+ subscribers off ering

them 3 months’ subscription abso-lutely free, allowing them to expe-rience the world of entertainment off ered by Omantel TV+, says a press release.

Commenting on the advanced features of Omantel TV+, Haitham Al Kharusi, VP of Omantel’s Con-sumer Business Unit noted, “We are proud to present Omantel TV+ and excited for our customers to explore the world of features that this service brings. Omantel TV+ provides a unique platform and unmatched TV experience for live and on-demand entertainment services. Omantel TV+ service al-lows customers to watch premium channels, customers are also free

to air channels and movies to eas-ily record their favourite shows and movies for future playback. In addition to the pause and re-wind function which allows them to have full control, simultaneous watch and record features are also included, and subscribers are able to browse other channels while watching their favourite channel, and search easily for their favour-ite shows. The Omantel TV+ ser-vice provides a world of entertain-ment at the touch of a button. TV viewing in the Sultanate will never be the same.”

Fibre-optic subscribers“Rolling out digital smart home

services is part of our broader strategy, and a key area of growth in the years ahead. We aim to be the nation’s digital partner of choice, helping to bridge the digital divide and pioneering the move to-wards the digital smart home eco-system. To mark this digital turn-ing point, we are excited to launch ‘Omantel TV+ promotional off er for our new Omantel TV+ custom-ers, this off er is available for fi bre-optic subscribers of 6Mbps or higher Home Broadband package only. Omantel TV+ customers will receive the fi rst 3 months’ service subscription absolutely free when they sign up for an Omantel TV+ subscription. Through this off er

our customers will get 150+ High Quality channels to experience the powerful features of the service, such as pause, rewind or record live TV, over 5,500 movies and se-ries on demand, parental controls, picture in picture and much more,” Haitham Al Kharusi added.

The launch of Omantel TV+ aligns with the ‘Omantel 3.0’ strat-egy for digital smart homes and business services. The innovative growth strategy aims to position Omantel as the digital partner of choice, in the consumer arena and for the public and private sec-tors, enabling the digital society to fl ourish and grow across all sec-tors in Oman.

P R O M O T I O N A L C A M P A I G N

Al Hashar brings City Multi cooling system to OmanMUSCAT: It’s going to be a siz-zling hot summer. Nonetheless, keep your cool with the amazing City Multi multi-purpose cooling system from Japanese electron-ics and electric giant Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

City Multi is an amazingly in-novative multi-purpose air-con-ditioning system that can be used for homes, offi ces, hypermarkets, hotels and shops. City Multi has the technological brilliance to cool down the environment at extreme-ly sultry weather conditions, while keeping operational noise level to the minimum, says a press release.

City Multi’s highest effi ciency, cost-eff ectiveness, and compact design features are complemented by its environmentally friendly technology.

“Al Hashar Electronics has a sin-gle focal point: customers. We are driven by our corporate philosophy of enabling a better and enjoyable lifestyle for our esteemed custom-ers. The City Multi multi-purpose cooling system is a cool techno-logical innovation from Mitsubishi Electric, and Al Hashar Electronics is proud to be its exclusive distribu-

tor. Don’t be intimidated by hot summer days; switch on your City Multi and stay cool,” said Rajeev Sharma, the general manager of Al Hashar Electronics.

The reliable City Multi range of air-cons are manufactured to the highest global standards, and are quite easy to install and maintain. City Multi’s VRF technology ena-bles a single outdoor unit to con-nect with multiple indoor units.

Some of the hi-tech features that sets City Multi apart include the VRF - which regulates refrig-erant fl ow as per requirements, IPM - which precisely controls en-ergy input ensuring effi cient oper-

ation, inverter technology—which produces the right output level and saves energy, and the R410A re-frigerant—which is chlorine-free and environment friendly with zero ozone depletion potential. Another highlight is the anti-cor-rosive Blue Fin technology.

City Multi range of cooling systems use the acclaimed Mit-subishi Electric’s Air-conditioner Network System (MELANS) with individual and centralised remote controllers, apart from an inte-grated centralised software and BMS interface. The City Multi’s TG-2000A integrated software-driven management system ena-bles centralised control of up to 2000 indoor units.

Further, City Multi can be easily connected to the building manage-ment system through BACnet.

Al Hashar ranks as one of the most trusted distributor of glob-al electronics brands in Oman. Opening up an amazing world of best-in-class household applianc-es, state-of-the-art electronics and innovative storage solutions, Al Hashar has endeared itself to the discerning customers of Oman.

I N N O V A T I V E T E C H N O L O G Y

Briefi ngs on external undergraduate

scholarships held at Ghedex 2016

MUSCAT: A briefi ng about ex-ternal undergraduate scholar-ships was held for delegates from overseas Higher Education Insti-tutions (HEIs) participating in the Ghedex last week.

The presentation was held by offi cials from the DG of Scholar-ships, Oman Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) who explained the diff erence among seats, grants, internal and external scholarships and underlined that the number of internal and external scholarships at undergraduate level has not yet been announced for the academic year 2016/17.

The MoHE staff members ad-vised the audience not to confuse the scholarships with seats or (in-ternal and external) grants. Seats concern seats at the government HEIs in the Sultanate; grants are funded by either other countries or companies, while the internal and external scholarships are funded by the Oman government and would allow recipients to pur-sue their higher undergraduate studies at either a private HEI in the Sultanate (an internal schol-arship) or at a recommended HEI

abroad (an external scholarship).The scholarship programmes

have been included in the hand-book as published by the Higher Education Admission Centre (www.heac.gov.om). The MoHE aims to off er scholarships for studying in areas that have been identifi ed as national priorities and that have potential for eco-nomic growth.

Qualifi ed Omani school leav-ers may competitively apply to the HEAC state-of-the art, award winning and unbiased electronic system for scholarships, as well as for seats and grants. At present, students have time to register un-til June 1 and they need to apply for at least 12 and max 40 diff er-ent programmes in order to com-

pete. Applicants are advised to make well informed decisions in this regard and focus on whether a specifi c programme would suit their capabilities and needs.

‘Meet the counsellor’Offi cials from MoHE and Min-istry of Education attended a ‘Meet the Counsellor’ session organised by OITE/Ghedex and bringing together delegates from the United Kingdom, the United States, Malta, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Cyprus.

The aim of the briefi ng was to provide career counsellors with more information about these study destinations.

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English play on Khalil Gibran’s life to be held only on May 4MUSCAT: Rest Upon the Wind, a London West End English play, inspired by Khalil Gibran’s life and brought by NPA Events will be staged only on May 4 due to the public holiday announced in Oman on May 5. The play will be held at the Oman Auditorium of Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel at 8pm.

Rest Upon the Wind, written and directed by Nadim Sawalha, is the story of the struggle of the Middle East’s most acclaimed poet, writer, painter and philosopher, to deliver the message of love and peace to his fellow human beings.

The specially designed sets will transport the theatre afi cionados to the very heart of Boston in the United States of America of the

19th and 20th centuries. There Khalil Gibran wrote his timeless classic The Prophet, the 1923 best-selling book which was translated to over 40 languages and sold over 140 million copies worldwide. Lines from this classic have in-spired song lyrics and political speeches. John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, John F Ken-nedy and Indira Gandhi are among those who have been infl uenced by its words. The book is the inspira-tion for the play.

Khalil Gibran is the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Wil-liam Shakespeare and Laozi. His works stand apart with their lyrical outpourings and express his deeply religious and mystical nature. Hav-ing his training in art by world-re-

nowned sculptor Auguste Rodin in Paris, Gibran went on to create over 700 of the most fascinating draw-ings during his lifetime.

His story is that despite his hum-ble upbringing and adverse circum-stances of his family, losing his sis-ter Sultana, his brother Peter and

his mother when still young, versa-tile Khalil won world recognition. Though he passed away on April 10, 1931 in New York, United States at the age of 48, Khalil Gibran con-tinues to create an indelible im-pression in the hearts and minds of people across the world through his timeless classics.

Enthralling dramaAn enthralling mélange of drama, introspection and soul-searching discovery, Rest Upon the Wind chronicles Gibran’s life from the time he migrated from Lebanon to the United States of America as a 12-year-old with his family.

The play revolves around his struggle to survive, of those who helped him along the way such

as his mentor Mary Elizabeth Haskell, and his warm family re-lationships, especially with his sister Miryanna.

A mix of drama, comedy and profound self-discovery, Gibran is an absolute ‘must see’, not only for Gibran fans, but for all those who are busy discovering their own spiritual journey.

With an original sound-score from award winning composer Jules Deering, this production boasts stunning visuals, music and electric performances from the six strong cast.

‘Rest Upon the Wind’, produced by Ali Matar and staged by NPA Events, known for their ‘wow’ events, is all set to enthral the Oman audience.

R E S T U P O N T H E W I N D

ISD all set to organise ‘Symphoneve 2016’

MUSCAT: Indian School Darsait (ISD) is all set to organise Oman’s biggest fusion band concert – Symphoneve 2016 featuring In-dia’s popular rock band Agam to-morrow at the City Amphitheatre.

Agam, a Bangalore-based con-temporary Carnatic progressive rock band shot to fame when they performed at the MTV Coke Stu-dio and has so far conducted 300 stage live shows across the globe.

“This will be Agam’s maiden performance in Muscat. Their music is not limited to any re-gional boundaries. It appeals to every individual who enjoys good music. We are confi dent that au-dience will be mesmerised in an evening of myriad hues of musi-

cal extravaganza when the sym-phony of Agam’s eclectic perfor-mance delivers an unforgettable experience,” said Ramesh of Orbit Events Management, who is man-aging this mega event.

The concert is being organised as part of ISD’s plans to raise funds for the school’s development. The fund raised from the event will be utilised by ISD for supporting economically deprived students and the Early Intervention Centre as well as infrastructural develop-ments of the school. This includes development of school playground among many other value additions to school’s infrastructure.

School’s management commit-tee (SMC), teachers, students and

their parents are enthusiastically participating in the preparation of this mega event. Principal Dr Sridevi P. Thashnath expressing her joy, said, “It is such a pleasure that everyone in the team has as-sumed responsibility and is con-tributing their best.”

Abdul Rahim Kassim, presi-dent of SMC said, “Oman’s peo-ple have given us a lot of support. Funds so raised from this event will enable us to serve the com-munity even more.”

ISD’s fi rst fund raising event was a Carnival in 2012 followed by a mega fund raising event in 2015 that included a concert by the legendary musician Balab-haskar and his band. “The suc-

cess of the event is still resonat-ing in our minds and hearts and fondly remembered by one and all,” added Dr Sridevi.

“We have been working on this project since November 2015. We are extremely delighted with the response and anticipation this event has generated. Entire ISD family has come together to make with event successful,” said Saji S. Nair, vice-principal (Operations and ICT).

“The support we are getting from corporates and individuals is phenomenal. It is said that when you wish for something sincerely and with pure intentions, the en-tire universe conspires to make it happen. We have been experi-encing it since the day we started preparations for Symphoneve,” added Jaikish Pavithran, member of SMC and chairman of the event

Symphoneve is presented by Mi-nara, and is brought by ISD in asso-ciation with Shifa Al Jazeera Medi-cal Group. The event is powered by 360 Degrees Restaurant. SMC Infra is the gold sponsor. Event sponsors include Malabar Gold & Diamond, BEC Group and S & T Interiors & Contracting, KAS. Oman Air is the offi cial airlines. Media partners is Times of Oman, print partner is Al Zahra Printing Press and radio partner is Voice of Kerala.

The concert is being

organised as part

of Indian School

Darsait’s plans to

raise funds for the

school’s development

Malabar Gold promises up to 15kg gold this festive seasonMUSCAT: Malabar Gold & Dia-monds, the leading jewellery re-tailer unfurled the details of its much awaited campaign to cel-ebrate this festive season.

This campaign which com-menced yesterday will run at all Malabar Gold & Diamonds out-lets in Middle East & Far East till May 14. The customers get unprecedented opportunities to win a total of 15 kilos of gold, says a press release.

A true shopper’s delight, Ma-labar Gold & Diamonds will cap-tivate the customers by exhibit-ing eye catching designs in gold, platinum, diamonds and precious stones from diff erent parts of the world to fl aunt any occasion or event and are well priced too.

For every purchase of gold jewellery above OMR200, the customers get a ‘Scratch & Win’ coupon through which they can win a guaranteed gold coin or up to 250 gold coins instantly. The customers will get guaranteed pearl jewellery on every diamond

jewellery purchases.Customers also have a great op-

portunity to pay 10% of the value on their desired jewellery and get gold rate protection until May 9, during this festive season.

The customers also get a fabu-lous chance to buy 22K 8g gold coins with absolutely no mak-ing charges from any of Malabar Gold & Diamonds outlets in GCC during this period.

To add more glitter to this season, they have also unveiled the latest collection of jewellery specially designed for the festive season in gold, diamonds and pre-cious gems to suit the tastes of their multicultural and multina-tional customers. Moreover, the customers can update any of their old ornaments purchased from GCC with the brand new enticing collection of Malabar Gold & Dia-monds without any loss. Any 22K old gold ornaments purchased from GCC can be exchanged with Malabar Gold & Diamonds designs by paying only making charges ensuring they don’t lose any value on the rate of gold.

Customers can buy their fa-vourite jewellery by using their credit/debit cards without paying any additional charge.

S H O P P E R ’ S D E L I G H T

For every purchase

of gold jewellery

above OMR200, the

customers get a

‘Scratch & Win’ coupon

through which they

can win a guaranteed

gold coin or up to 250

gold coins instantly

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

SPOR SY O U R G A M E

SECTIONC T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

SAID AHMAD JUST MISSES OUT ON MEDAL IN WORLD AMATEUR CHESS>C3

INSIDE LIFESTYLE

THE GREEN PASTURE’S SOIL IS CRACKING UP

>C77SO TO SPEAK BY SALEH AL-SHAIBANY

Exciting soccer in store as Saham, Khabourah set for HM’s Cup final

Sports Reporter

MUSCAT: An intriguing game of football is in the offi ng as Saham and Al Khabourah are set square off in His Majesty’s Cup Football Championship fi nal on Saturday.

The fi nal, to be played at the So-har Spots Complex, is scheduled to kick off at 7.15 p.m. with Lt. Gen. Hassan bin Mohsin Al Shuraiqi, Inspector General of Police and Customs, presiding over the match

as the chief guest. Interestingly the fi nal will be contested between two sides — both from Al Batinah region — that have not done that well in the just concluded Oman-tel Professional League.

In the league, which saw Fanja lift the title for the record-equal-

ling ninth time, both fi nished in the bottom half with Saham at eighth place and Al Khabourah in the 10th.

However, it was diff erent story in the Sultanate’s premier soccer event, His Majesty’s Cup, where both the teams came up with one ex-

cellent performance after another.In the double leg semifi nals, for

instance, Al Khabourah got the bet-ter of Salalah on 1-0 aggregate while Saham defeated four-time winners Al Nasr by a similar margin.

Interestingly, Saham will be eyeing their second title to add to

their one they won back in 2009-10 season while Al Khabourah will be hoping to lay their hands on Oman’s most coveted trophy for the very fi rst time.

Referees namedThe Oman Football Association

(OFA) announced the offi cials for the match.

Ahmed Abubacker Al Kaf will offi ciate the match with Abu-backer Al Amri and Rashad Al Haqmani acting as assistant ref-erees. Omar AlYaqoobi will be the fourth offi cial. During the fi nal, the OFA will also be presenting a host of prizes for the fans including a car, airline tickets and tens of other valuable gifts.

The OFA also thanked Mazda, Oman Air, Omantel and all OFA sponsors for their valuable sup-port for the HM’s Cup fi nal.

Awards ceremonyMeanwhile, the OFA revealed the plans to host the annual Awards Gala on May 7.

The ceremony wil take place at Hotel Crowne Plaza under the aus-pices of Dr. Abdullah bin Nasser Al Harrasi, Chairman of the General Authority for Radio and Televi-sion and in the presence of Sheikh Sa’ad bin Mohammed Al Saadi, Minister of Sports Aff airs, and a large number of invitees from the sports, institutions of public and private sectors as well as the star performers of the season.

During the ceremony, the best players and the teams will be hon-oured and the awards include top scorer, best player, best goalkeep-er, best coach and best manager as well as the fairplay award. The best referees will also be honoured.

The fi nal, to be

played at the Sohar

Spots Complex, is

scheduled to kick

off at 7.15 p.m. with

Lt. Gen. Hassan bin

Mohsin Al Shuraiqi,

Inspector General of

Police and Customs,

presiding over as

the chief guest

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the fl agship fi nancial services pro-vider in the Sultanate, as part of its commitment to promoting the development of youth and the national game of football, joins the nation in making the fi -nal match of His Majesty’s Cup a memorable experience for all.

In a special gesture, Bank Muscat will present the ‘Man of the Match’ award.

Saleh Al Maini, AGM – Interior Regions, said: “Bank Muscat is delighted to partner with Oman Football Associa-tion (OFA) in supporting His Majesty’s Cup. As the nation’s leading fi nancial institution, Bank Muscat aims to support varied sporting activities to mo-tivate and provide the required

impetus for the country’s youth to excel in sports and games. Bank Muscat wishes good luck to both the two teams partici-pating in the HM Cup fi nal to

lift the game of football to new highs to make it a unique expe-rience for football enthusiasts in Oman.”

In keeping with the passion

for football in Oman, Bank Mus-cat seizes every opportunity to promote the national game. Bank Muscat is a major sup-porter of the national football team in all international tourna-ments, especially Gulf Cup.

Central to the bank’s cor-porate social responsibility is the Green Sports initiative launched to promote Oman as a sporting nation in general and the national game of foot-ball in particular.

The Green Sports initiative launched by the bank in 2012 has achieved notable success in developing green football fi elds in all parts of the Sultanate. The bank remains committed to supporting all deserving teams to green their football fi elds.

Bank Muscat to make HM’s Cup fi nal memorable

Saleh Mohammed Al Maini

Saham Club Al Khabourah Club

Fanja held, Al Arouba suff er defeatMUSCAT: Newly crowned Om-antel Professional League cham-pions Fanja were held to a goall draw while Al Arouba suff ered a defeat in the AFC Cup group matches on Wednesday.

Fanja’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of the Asian event ended after a goalless draw with Syria’s Al Jaish at home and Al Arouba were beaten in their away game 2-1 by another Syrian side Al Wahda.

According to news posted on AFC website, Fanja’s chances of progressing to the knockout phase came to an end as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Al Jaish in their Group D match.

The result means Fanja, who have yet to register a win in this year’s competition, cannot sur-pass either Al Jaish or Palestine’s Ahli Al Khalil if they win their fi nal game against group leaders Al Mu-harraq given their inferior head-to-head record against both clubs.

Al Jaish, meanwhile, restored the one-point gap that existed between themselves and Ahli Al Khalil at the start of the day, with both teams having played four games compared to fi ve by Fanja.

That leaves both clubs with a shot at joining Al Muharraq in the last 16 after the Bahrainis con-fi rmed top spot in the group earlier in the day with a 1-1 draw against Ahli Al Khalil.

Neither side impressed in a dis-jointed aff air at the Seeb Sports Complex, with Fanja squandering the best chances to win the game. Raed Ibrahim hit the side netting with his fi rst-half attempt while Hamid Osman and Youssef Khalfa

were off target with their eff orts in the opening 45 minutes.

Ibrahim pulled off a rare moment of quality in fi rst-half stoppage time when he slalomed his way through

the Al Jaish defence, only to see his right foot shot from 12 yards out de-fl ected wide for a corner.

Fanja remained marginally the better side in the second half, with

Abdulrahman Al Ghassani posing the main threat to the Syrians’ de-fence, but the 25-year-old was un-able to take full advantage.

On the hour mark Al Ghassani sent his shot from 12 yards over the bar while, three minutes later, the towering striker missed the best chance of the game when he only made the slightest of contact with Basil Al Rawahi’s cross from the left.

Rather than crossing the line, though, the ball was glanced well wide of the target.

And as the game moved into stoppage time, Al Ghassani was at fault again when, with the goal at his mercy, he rattled Ahmad Madanieh’s crossbar with his side-footed attempt from eight yards out as Fanja exited the competition.

Dominant Al WahdaMeanwhile, in Lebanese town of Saida, substitute Nassouh Nak-kdahli’s second-half penalty se-cured a deserved 2-1 victory for Al Wahda over Al Arouba as the Syr-ian side remained in the hunt for last 16 qualifi cation.

Al Wahda dominated the fi rst-half proceedings at Saida Munici-pal Stadium but failed to open the scoring until two minutes into stoppage-time when Reja Rafe fi nished off a neat move from close in.

The visitors then equalised against the run of play on the hour through South African forward Lyle Peters only for Nakkdahli’s spot-kick on 66 minutes to wrap up the scoring as Al Wahda leap-frogged their opponents to move off the bottom of Group C.

A F C C U P

DRAWN GAME: Action from the AFC Cup Group D match between

Fanja and Syria’s Al Jaish played at the Seeb Sports Stadium on

Wednesday. – ISMAIL AL FARSI/Times of Oman

Lions survive Morris onslaught to edge Daredevils in thrillerNEW DELHI: Chris Morris’ brilliant unbeaten knock of 82 went in vain as Gujarat Lions held their nerves to pull off a thrilling one-run win over Delhi Daredev-ils in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Wednesday.

Coming out to bat at a diffi cult time when the Daredevils were tottering at 57 for four in 10.4 overs while chasing a challenging 173, Morris played a sensational knock and struck sixes at will to notch up his 50 in just 17 balls, the fastest half century of the season.

Morris (82 not out off 32 balls) shared 87 runs for the fi fth wicket with his compatriot JP Duminy (48 off 43 balls) to take Daredev-ils to the brink of a win before experienced Praveen Kumar and Dwayne Bravo produced brilliant fi nal two overs to restrict Dare-devils to 171 for fi ve.

With Daredevils needing 18 runs off the last two overs, Praveen gave away four runs in the penultimate over before Bravo held on to his nerves with a fi ne fi nal over to seal the win for Gujarat Lions and propel the deb-utants to the top of the standings with 10 points from six games.

Earlier, openers Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith struck explosive fi fties before Daredevils bowlers pulled things back to some extent to restrict Gujarat Lions to 172 for six.

McCullum (60 off 36 balls) and Smith (53 off 30) gave Gujarat a

blazing start as the duo put on 112 runs off just 64 balls for the open-ing stand after being invited to bat.

The way McCullum and Smith were going at one stage, Gujarat were well and truly on course to post a 200 plus total but Delhi bowlers, especially Imran Tahir (3/24) and Chris Morris (2/35), bowled brilliantly in the middle overs to keep the total under their arms length.

Chasing a challenging 173 for win, the Daredevils were off to a horrible start, with right-arm pac-er Dhawal Kulkarni picking up the fi rst three wickets, two of which came in one over, to reduce the hosts to 16 for three in four overs.

While Sanju Samson got a leading edge and was caught by a backward running James Faulkner in the second over, Kulkarni returned to dismiss Quinton de Kock (5) and Karun Nair (9). Duminy and Risabh Pant (20) then tried to resurrect the Delhi innings with a 40-run stand before the latter was bril-liantly caught by Praveen Kumar at deep off Faulkner’s bowling.

Then came in Morris and in the company of Duminy used his long handle to great eff ect to keep Delhi in the hunt till the very last over.

Brief scores: Gujarat Lions 172 for 6 in 20 overs (B. McCullum 60, Dwayne Smith 53; Imran Tahir 3/24, Chris Mor-ris 2/35) bt Delhi Daredevils 171 for 5 in 20 overs (Chris Morris 82 n.o., JP Duminy 48; Dhawal Kulkarni 3/19). - PTI

I P L

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SPORTST H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Table toppers KKR take on holders MI in high-profi le clashMUMBAI: The odds are in favour of table toppers Kolkata Knight Riders as they square off against defending champions Mumbai Indians, experiencing a campaign that is oscillating between high and low, in a potentially exciting Indian Premier League contest here tomorrow.

KKR and MI are the two teams that have clinched the honours alternately in the glamorous T20 league over the last four editions.

With the form shown thus far in the tournament by the two out-fi ts, the match at the Wankhede Stadium promises to be an engag-ing battle between two top-notch sides. KKR are on a roll with four successive victories in fi ve games. Interestingly, their lone defeat of the season, by six wickets, had come at the Eden Gardens against the Rohit Sharma-inspired MI on April 13.

Captain Sharma blasted a match-winning 54-ball 84 not out to lead MI to victory in the fi rst leg clash and KKR would be eager to set the record straight and stay at the top of the pecking order.

The Knight Riders have trav-elled well this season and have also been led brilliantly by their opener Gautam Gambhir who has been the fulcrum of the batting, aggre-gating 237 runs from fi ve games.

When he fell cheaply KKR struggled on to chase down Ris-ing Pune Supergiants’ total of 160 for fi ve and won by two wickets on April 24, thanks largely to Mumbai Ranji batsman Suryakumar Ya-dav’s timely 49-ball 60. Yadav got good back-up from the under-per-forming Yusuf Pathan (36) which helped KKR’s cause.

“It is still the start of the tourna-ment, we need to keep continuing the way we have done in the last fi ve games, because we have real-ised what has happened last year. We were right at the top of the table till the 12th game, and suddenly we did not qualify for the playoff s,” said Gambhir here during a team pro-motional in the run-up to the game.

MI, at the other end of the spectrum, have had a mixed bag of results so far, wins coming in between losses and are going into the game with their confi dence re-

stored following a 25-run victory over Kings XI Punjab at Mohali on Monday.

“It (this win) means a lot, con-sidering our last few games hadn’t gone the way we wanted to. We played like we are known to, this is the performance we have been expecting,” said Sharma after the victory. Signifi cantly MI regis-tered a competitive score of 189 for

six without a big contribution from the captain and the form shown by his opening partner Parthiv Patel, who notched his fi rst half century of the season with a knock of 81, must have pleased Sharma.

The win over Punjab, their sec-ond in the last three outings, lifted them to the fi fth spot, but there’s still a long way to go before they can seal a spot in the play-off s.

In batting, MI have relied mostly on Rohit and Ambati Rayudu (217 runs), with the occasional blasts from Kieron Pollard and Jos Buttler.

It’s their bowling, especially the pacers, who have caught the eye for MI with New Zealand’s Mitch-ell McClenaghan (11 wickets) and Jasprit Bumrah (8) being the pick, in the absence of the injured La-sith Malinga.

Among the slow bowlers, Harb-hajan Singh has taken just three wickets and against the strong bat-ting of KKR he would be expected to strike important blows after the power play.

For KKR, Gambhir has — as in the past — been the stand-out performer with the bat while his opening partner Robin Uthap-pa (134 runs) has given him decent support.

The good show of Yadav against Pune bodes well for the visitors as the Wankhede is his home ground away from IPL.

There has been no outstanding bowler for KKR so far as they have re-jigged the attack constantly.

But they have the extra bounce

of Morne Morkel and the pace of Umesh Yadav to bank on and the duo could pose a few problems for MI batsmen on a Wankhede track which is known to assist the pacers.

The return of Sunil Narine with a remodelled bowling action has added extra teeth to the slow bowl-ing department, although bowling second with the possibility of dew fall could be a diffi cult proposi-tion for him and the likes of Piyush Chawla and Shakib Al Hasan.

KKR have already lost the ser-vices for the remainder of the sea-son of Australian pace bowler John Hastings due to an ankle injury, ac-cording to Cricket Australia.

The fast bowler, who has now been ruled out of the subsequent Australian tour to West Indies too, played in KKR’s fi rst two games on April 10 and 13 and has not been part of the playing XI since then.

MI have a superb 17-5 all-time win-loss record against KKR, their last loss having come in their opening game of the last season at Eden Gardens before they turned around the fortunes and raced to the title. — PTI

I N D I A N P R E M I E R L E A G U E P R E V I E W

SITTING PRETTY: Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir with Brad Hogg

during the launch of Sansui new TV series in Mumbai. – PTI

Said narrowly misses out on medal at worlds

A. SESHAGIRI RAOraoas@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: It was a case of so near and yet so far for Oman chess player Said Ahmad Ali Jidal Fa-dhil. The Salalah-based player came up with a brilliant show but narrowly missed out on a medal at the World Amateur Chess Championship for players with under 2000 ratings in Greece on Wednesday.

Going into the ninth and fi nal round of the championship, the Omani talent had the glory within the reach but the tournament reg-ulations saw him settling for the fi fth place.

Said Ahmad, in fact, had the op-portunity to go for the gold as go-ing into the fi nal round he was in a two-way lead along with Mongo-lian girl Khulan Enkhsaikhan.

Both Said Ahmad and Khulan, who faced off in the penultimate round sharing the spoils after a long drawn out game, went into the fi nal round with 6.5 points each.

But the Omani came up against a strong Indian player in M.P. Ajith and suff ered his only loss in

the championship and the Mon-golian defeated local player Kout-sogiannopoulou Theodora to take the top honours with 7.5 points.

While Ajith grabbed the silver with 7 points, Said Ahmad, despite the fi nal round loss, was still in with a chance to bag the bronze medal.

The Omani had 6.5 points, same as India’s Gochhikar Aparajita, Georgian Tqavadze Giorgi and Lithuania’s Jonkus Lukar.

But with the tie breaks com-ing into play, including Buchholz Tie-Break method, Aparajita took third place and Tqavadze fi nished fourth with Said Ahmad settling for fi fth ahead of Jonkus.

Speaking to Times Sport from Greece right after the fi nal round matches, Said Ahmad sounded dis-appointed but not disheartened.

“I am at a loss of words to de-scribe how I am feeling right. It is very disappointing,” he said.

“But I am not disheartened. I gave my best and though I couldn’t win a medal I am really proud of my performance,” he said while adding: “It defi nitely would have been great if I have won a medal for the country.”

Speaking about the overall competition, he explained ‘we all came here to give out best and en-joy the atmosphere’, referring to the three other Omanis who took part in the championships.

“To be honest we came here (to Greece) to enjoy the game and the atmosphere. And we wanted to take one game at a time. But once we started playing we got into the groove and gained in confi dence. And from there we went on to fo-cus more,” he added.

“Personally I had started off

well with good wins and kept my focus,” he said.

For the record, Said Ahmad, who entered the fi eld with 1936 rating points, was unconquered till he met his match in Ajith in the fi nal round. The Omani started off with two successive victories against Germany’s Roser Ludwig and Co-lombia’s Lina Panesso. Then after a draw with Bulgaria’s Alexander Karaivanov, he went on to beat Vi-etnam’s Hai Luu Duc and Georgia’s Tqavadze Giorgi. Another draw with Argentine Carcamo Matias followed a victory over Brazilian Renato Zimmermann Kleber.

Said Ahmad, however, opines his penultimate match against Khulan was the turning point.

“The match against the Mongo-lian girl was very tough. I think it was the turning point. But I should say the competition was very tough till the fi nal round,” he said.

Hope for othersSaid Ahmad, who represents Salalah club, said the he and his fellow Omani players have given hope for other chess players from the Sultanate.

“We are very proud of our re-sults in this world championship. With our performance we have given the hope and we have proved that we can believe in ourselves and in our abilities, and dream of achieving great results at the world stage,” added Said Ahmad, who along with Musallam Salim Al Aamri, Amin Al Ansi and Fadhil Salim Ahmed can be termed as pi-oneers in the sense they were the fi rst to represent Oman at the in-ternational chess championships.

Said Ahmad and Amin Al Ansi

were part of Oman squad that made their debut at the Chess Ol-ympiad in 2014 in Norway and also took part in the Asian Cup in the same year in the neighbouring Iran.

The Salalah based player also took the opportunity to thank all those involved with Oman chess for their support, making special mention of International Chess Academy of Oman and it’s head coach Ismael Karim.

“I had to thank all for their sup-port, not just for me but for all the Omani chess players, over the past few years. Especially the Interna-tional Chess Academy of Oman and Ismael (Karim),” he said.

All praiseIsmael Karim, who was Oman na-tional team coach when they took part in the Olympiad and Asian Cup, was all praise for Said Ahmad.

“In chess the key is preparation and Said (Ahmad) has come this far purely because of dedication to preparation,” he said.

Ismael Karim, himself an Inter-national Master, said: “His (Said Ahmad’s) best quality both as a player and as a person is planning and add to that dedication. And more importantly when in front of the chess board he puts lot of emphasis on the strategy. These are the factors that contributed to his development as a player”.

Ismael Karim, who worked with Said Ahmad before he left for Greece, informed that the Omani player though missed out on a top three place will get other benefi ts in the form of points.

“Said Ahmad who went into the tournament with a 1936 ratings has completed his rounds with a rat-ing performance of 2083 and that means he is likely to gain a mini-mum of 20 rating points,” he said.

Meanwhile, Musallam Salim Al Aamri, who also took part in the championship for players un-der 2000 ratings, fi nished in the 53rd place in a 67 player fi eld with three points.

Amin Al Ansi and Fadhil Salim Ahmed competed in the world cham-pionship for players under 2300 rat-ings, the former finishing in the 34th place and the latter in the 41st.

Fadhil, who went into the championship as an unrated play-er, is likely to get the rating points of 1781 when the next list of rat-ings will be released by the world chess body.

Going into the ninth

and fi nal round of

the championship,

the Omani talent had

the glory within the

reach but he came

up against a strong

Indian player in M.P.

Ajith and suff ered

his only loss in the

championship. That

defeat, coupled with

the tie breaks rules,

saw Said Ahmad

settle for fi fth place

I am not disheartened.

I gave my best and

I am really proud

of my performance

Said Ahmad Ali Jidal Fadhil

C4

SPORTST H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

ISSF OLYMPIC SOLIDARITY COURSE FOR SHOOTING COACHES CONCLUDESThe Olympic solidarity course for Oman shooting coaches saw 29 local participants in the week long programme, which

concluded on Wednesday. The solidarity course was held by Oman Shooting Association in association with the International

Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) and has proved successful. The event was fi rst of its kind in Oman and ISSF involvement

was to develop national coaches in the sport of shooting. At the closing ceremony, Oman Olympic Committee secretary general

Taha bin Sulaiman Al Kishry stressed the importance of developing national coaches. He later gave away certifi cates to the

participants. — Supplied photo

Summer coaching at Al Hail School of CricketSports Reporter

MUSCAT: Al Hail School of Cricket will organised full-fl edged summer training programme be-ginning from the second week of May. This was revealed by Mou-labaksh Al Balushi, the founder of Al Hail Cricket Team and the Al Hail School of Cricket, which is situated at Mabellah off the Ex-press Highway.

“There has been a demand from parents to organise train-ing sessions during the summer,” said Moulabaksh, whose Al Hail School of Cricket boasting of lush green cricket facilities includ-ing nets has been attracting keen interest lately.

The school normally conducts training sessions on weekends, but now are planning to increase the numbers of sessions to all days when the schools are closed for summer vacations.

“Since we have started the school, we have witnessed new registrations (approximately 10

every week) and the response has been encouraging,” said Moulabaksh.

“During the summer days we will divide the number of reg-istered budding cricketers into diff erent batches so that every individual receives optimum

care and guidance,” he added.

Freshers’ session on weekendsAccording to Moulabaksh, the fi rst batch will be training from Sunday to Tuesday and the second batch will train from Monday to Wednesday.

The third batch will train on Tuesday, while the newly regis-tered (fourth batch) will have their sessions on Friday and Saturday.

“The timing of sessions will be between 6pm and 7.30pm and cool refreshments will be provided to beat the heat,” he added.

C R I C K E T

TOMORROW’S STARS: Budding cricketers at the Al Hail School of Cricket. – Supplied photo

Let’s get ready to rumble at Bernabeu, says Hart

MANCHESTER: Manches-ter City are set up to land Real Madrid a knockout blow at the Bernabeu next week and earn a place in the Champions League fi nal, Joe Hart said after his saves helped earn a 0-0 draw in Tues-day’s fi rst leg. The England goal-keeper produced two incredible late stops at the Etihad Stadium to leave the tie hanging in the bal-ance for next week’s second leg in the Spanish capital.

Ten-times winners Real have won six out of six at home in this year’s competition, racking up 18 goals without conceding, but Hart said he was relishing the challenge.

“We’ve set it up for a good, old-fashioned rumble at the Ber-nabeu,” said Hart, who made a su-perb point-blank save from Pepe late on shortly after sticking out a foot to block a goalbound Casem-iro header. “Bring it on.”

“We are not disappointed with the result. We are ready. We have a brilliant squad who are coming to fruition. Big game next week, simple as.”

City have already won at Se-villa in the group phase and in Kiev in the last 16 and also drew at Paris St Germain on their way past the French champions into the semifi nals.

Formidable hurdleReal, who should have their in-jured top scorer Ronaldo back next week after he was forced to sit out Tuesday’s opener with a thigh strain, will be a formidable hurdle, but City captain Vincent Kompany said the Spanish giants will be wary.

“0-0 is a very dangerous score-line. From the moment we man-age to score in Madrid, it will be very diff erent,” he said. Real man-ager Zinedine Zidane said he felt his side deserved to be heading home with their noses in front.

“It was diffi cult. We defended well, we had more of the ball in the second half and we had chances to score,” he said. “I’m a bit disappointed because in the second half we deserved to win.”

Explaining why Ronaldo was not even on the bench, the Frenchman said the Portuguese had aggravated a thigh strain dur-ing a training session. — Reuters

Ten-times winners

Real Madrid have

won six out of six

at home in this

year’s competition,

racking up 18 goals

without conceding,

but Manchester

City’s Hart said he

was relishing

the challenge

Global Falcon Cup tourney on FridayMUSCAT: The Global Falcons Cup 2016 cricket tournament will be held on Friday (April 29), according to information re-ceived from the organisers.

The tournament is sponsored by Global Source Trading LLC and Global Industrial Services LLC and will be played on the Al Amerat cricket ground near the Muscat Festival parking area.

The opening match of the tour-nament will be from 6.15am and the fi nal will be played around 4pm. Eight teams such as Cy-clone XI, Spartans, Al Mudhish

XI, Infi nity CT, Dolphin XI, Salkot Stallions, Dragon Warri-ors and Waves XI will be vying for the honours.

T.K. Vijyan (M.D- GST & GIS), Roy (CEO-GIS) and Martin Thomas (CFO-GIS) will be giv-ing away the prizes.

The other supporters are Mod-ern Exchange, Silver Star Oil & Gas, Omani Vegetable Oil & Derivatives, Tawoos Industrial Services, Al Afi ya Cold Store, Al Fayeda Travel & Tourism, Al Jardani Silver Enterprises and Al Afi ya Cold Store.

C R I C K E T

We are not disappointed

with the result. We

are ready. We have a

brilliant squad who are

coming to fruition.

Big game next week

Joe HartManchester City

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

CultureSECTIONC L I F E S T Y L E T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

COME MAY 8, fi lmmakers and visual media students from

different parts of Oman will de-scend on the sprawling German

University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) campus in

Halban, in Muscat. For the next fi ve days, they will watch movies, get fi lm-

making tips from experts, try their hands in the post-

production process and shake a leg at the Bollywood

dance night, during the fi rst-ever GUtech Short

Film Festival. The festival will showcase fi lms in diff erent genres,

such as documentary, drama, animation, experimental,

and sports, apart from mov-ies shot with GoPro cameras.

The organisers have al-ready received plenty of

entries for the competition section.Joanna Tracey Heaton,

founder of the fi lm festival, said the response is quite

encouraging. “The multi-national event provides a

good platform for upcom-ing fi lmmakers to show-

case their works, and watch movies made by their peers.

Besides, it will give them an opportunity to interact and

share their thoughts with others. Entries can be sub-

mitted till May 8.”

Young fi lmmakers will showcase their works in the fi rst short

fi lm festival, organised by the German University of Technology

in Oman at its sprawling campus, from May 8 to 12

On the concluding day, a jury of experts will announce the awards for best fi lms in each category. Special awards will be given to best actor, actress, writer, visual eff ects, and cinematography.

The event will benefi t youngsters, as experienced fi lmmakers will throw light into various aspects of fi lm production. “Omani direc-tor Ahmed Al Maqbali will give a two-hour workshop on fi lmmaking process. Those who are interested in post-production can participate in the Adobe Premier editing workshop. We are also plan-ning a Bollywood dancing night,” informed Heaton.

It was Heaton who came up with the idea to organ-ise the festival. “Film has always been my passion as I worked with the indus-

try in Canada. So I came

up with the concept. I did

research to check the vi-

ability before submitting a

proposal to the university,

who supported me,” she

said.According to Heaton, the

festival will create an inclu-

sive space for young fi lm-

makers. “The festival allows

youngsters from Dhofar,

Ibra, Sinaw, and Masirah Is-

land, or from any other parts

of Oman, to enter their films

through the festival website.”

She said the festival has

received good response so

far. “Films are a refl ection of

prevailing social attitudes.

We have received really

beautiful short fi lms. One

entry from Nizwa in the

animation category has had

over 18,000 views on our Fa-

cebook page,” she said.

A judging committee will

evaluate the movies based

on a variety of factors. “We

have set up a detailed eval-

uation process. Marks will

be awarded for story tell-

ing (30%), creativity and

originality (30%), audience

engagement (20%), and

technical quality (20%) to

decide the winners.”

The festival will conclude

on May 12.

FILM FIESTAStory T.A. Ameerudheen

CONTACT

JT Heaton (Phone: +968 9465 2331)

Follow the fest on social media

facebook.com/GUtechfi lmfest

instagram.com/gutechfi lmfest

twitter.com/gutechfi lmfest1

On the concluding day a

trur

1st GUtech Short Film Festival

When: May 8 to 12, 2016

Where: GUtech Campus, Halban, next to

Southern Expressway

Genres: Documentary, Drama, Anime and

Animation, Experimental and Art, Sports

and Action, Public Service and Social

Issue, and GoPro movies

Additional Events: Film workshop, Editing

workshop, Social Media Skill Development,

Bollywood Dance Night

Website: gutech.edu.om, student-fi lm-

festival-2016/#tab-id-1

WHO CAN ENTER

The event is open to all nationalities.

Interested can submit their fi lms online

through gutech.edu.om/student-fi lm-

festival-2016/submission-form

Entries close on May 8.

ameerudheen@timesofoman.com

FIND-IT-ALLC6 T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Dhuhr 12.09pm

Asr 3.35pm

Maghrib 6.39pm

Isha 7.54pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 4.15am

PRAYER TIMINGS

ROYAL OMAN POLICE

Emergencies and inquiries: 9999

General Directorate of

Passport and Residence 24569603

Directorate General

of Customs 24521109

Traffic violations inquiries 24510228

Public Relations Admin 24560099

EMBASSIES IN OMAN

Afghanistan 24698 791/4

Algeria 24605 593

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Bangladesh 24 698 660

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China 24 696782

Cyprus 24 699815

Egypt 24 600 982/411

France 24681 800

Germany 24835000

India 24684500

Indonesia 2469 1050

Iran 24 696 944/7

Iraq 24603642

Italy 24693727

Japan 24 601 028

Jordan 24692760/1/3

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Kenya 24 697664

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Libya 24603466

Malaysia 24698329/643

Morocco 24696152/3

Nepal 24696177

Netherlands 24603706

Pakistan 24603439

Palestine 24601312

Philippines 24605335

Qatar 24 691 153/2/4

Russia 24602894

Saudi Arabia 24601705

Senegal 24694139

Somalia 24697977

South Africa 24647300

Spain 24691101

Sri Lanka 24697841/2

Sudan 24697875

Switzerland 24603267

Syria 24697904

Tanzania 24601 174

Thailand 24 602684/5

Tunisia 24603486

Turkey 24697050/1/2

UAE 24400000

United Kingdom 24609000

United States 24643400

Yemen 24600815

PHARMACIES (ROUND THE CLOCK)

Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24782666

Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi 24702542

Salalah 23291635;

Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra 24503585

Muscat Region

Apollo, Al Hamriya 24787766

Muscat, A Seeb Market 24421691

Muscat, Al Khuwair 24485740

Muscat, Al Hail South 24537080

Dhofar Region

Muscat, Al Nahdha Road,

Salalah 23291635

HOSPITALS

Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre

24485052

Atlas Hospital

Ruwi 24811743/

Ghubra 24504000

Al Musafir Specialised

Medical Clinic 24706453

Hatat Polyclinic LLC,

Ruwi 24563641

Azaiba 24499269

Sohar 2683006

Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2

Al Massaraat Clinic &

Laboratory 24566435

Al Makook Medical

Coordinance Centre 24499434

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780

Capital Polyclinic 24707549

Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic,

Ruwi 24799760/1/2

Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740

Ceregem National Raak 24485633

Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217

Elixir Health Centre 24565802

Emirates Medical Centre 24604540

1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274

Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340

International Medical

Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5

Kims Oman Hospital 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency 24760123

Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128

MBD 24799077

Al Khuwair 24478818

Magrabi Eye and

Ear Hospital 24568870

Muscat Private Hospital 24583600

Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment

Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666

Al Hayat International Hospital, Al Ghubra

22004000, 94267068/97049520

Al Hayat Clinic, Al Hail 22009455

AIRLINE OFFICES

Muscat Airport Flight information

(24 hours) 24519456/24519223

Aeroflot 24704455

Air Arabia 24700828

Air France 24562153

Air India 24799801

Air New Zealand 24700732

Biman Bangladesh Airlines 24701128

British Airways 24568777

Cathay Pacific 24789818

Egypt Air 24794113

Emirates Air 24404400

Ethiopian Airlines 24660313

Gulf Air 80072424

Indian 24791914

Iran Air 24787423

Japan Airlines 24704455

Jazeera Airways 23294848

Jet Airways 24787248

Kenya Airways 24660300

KML Royal Dutch Airlines 24566737

Kuwait Airways 24701262

LOT Polish Airlines 24796387

Lufthansa 24796692

Malaysian Airlines 24560796

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Oman Air 24531111

Pakistan International

Airlines 24792471

Qatar Airways 24771900

Qantas 24559941

Royal Jordanian 24796693

Saudi Arabian Airlines 24789485

Singapore Airlines 24791233

Shaheen Air 24816565

SriLankan Airlines 24784545

Swiss International

Airlines 24796692

Thai Airways 24705934

LISTINGS

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36)

15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily

15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily

15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily

06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily

08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 15:45 Daily

13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily

16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily

16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily

14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

08:00 Nizwa 10:20 Daily

08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily

14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62)

06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily

06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily

10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily

10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily

19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:50 Daily

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily

06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily

13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur

13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur

15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily

15:00 Dubai 20:55 Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily

07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily

07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily

05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily

05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily

07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily

13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily

13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily

17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily

06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily

15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily

14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily

12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily

10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily

10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily

19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Salalah 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily

07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri

13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri

15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily

15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily

16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily

16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

CITY CINEMAContact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.netfacebook.com/citycinemaoman

SHATTIMidnight Special – (2D) (Drama) (PG)Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton3:00, 9:15 & 11:30PMI Am Wrath – (2D) (Action |Crime) (12+)Cast: John Travolta, Rebecca De Mornay7:15& 11:30PMTake Down – (2D) (Thriller) (PG12)Cast: Dominic Sherwood, Phoebe Tonkin3:45 & 10:00PMMothers Day – (2D) (Comedy| Drama) (15+)Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson5:30PMDhay Fe Abu Dhabi – (2D) (Drama) (PG)Cast: Hassan Hosni, Eid Al Thahiri7:45PMGreen Room – (2D) (Crime |Horror) (TBC)Cast: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots11:45PMPrecious Cargo – (2D) (Action) (12+)Cast: Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani5:15 & 9:30PMThe Jungle Book - (3D) Drama| Family) (PG)3:30, 5:30 & 7:30PM

MUSCAT GRAND MALLTake Down – 2D (PG12) ThrillerCast: Dominic Sherwood, Phoebe Tonkin4:00, 9:40 PMPrecious Cargo – 2D (12+) ActionCast: Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani6:00 PMThe Jungle Book – 3D (PG) Adventure 12:15, 2:45, 5:00, 7:00 PMI Am Wrath – 2D (12+) Action |Crime | DramaCast: John Travolta, Rebecca De Mornay2:15, 7:50, 11:45 PMGold Class : 9:00 PMMidnight Special – 2D (PG) AdventureCast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton12:30, 9:15, 11:30 PM

Gold Class : 3:45, 6:45, 11:00 PM

PANORAMA MALLBastille Day –2D (Action) (12+)Cast: Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Kelly Reilly3:45 & 11:30PMMidnight Special –2D (Adventure| Drama | Sci-Fi) (PG) VIP LOUNGECast: Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst3:45, 9:00& 11:15PMMidnight Special –2D (Adventure) (PG)3:45, 6:15, 9:15 & 11:30PMI Am Wrath –2D (Action |Crime | Drama) (12+) VIP LOUNGECast: John Travolta, Rebecca De Mornay6:45PMI Am Wrath –2D (Action |Crime ) (12+)8:15 &11:45PMTop Cat Begins –2D (Animation) (TBC)Voice Overs: David Hoffman, Ben Diskin3:30 & 5:30PMBaaghi –2D (Hindi| Action| Romance) (TBC)Cast: Shraddha Kapoor, Tiger Shroff6:15, 8:45 & 11:15PMPrecious Cargo –2D (Action) (12+)Cast: Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani10:00PM

The Jungle Book (MX4D) (Family) (PG)Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley3:30, 5:30, 7:30 & 9:30PMThe Jungle Book - (3D) Drama| Family) (PG)7:15PM

AZAIBA Top Cat Begins (2D) (Animation) (PG) Voice Overs: David Hoffman, Ben Diskin3:15, 5:00 PMSynchronicity (2D) (Mystery | Thriller) (15+) Cast: Chad McKnight, Brianne Davis, AJ Bowen3:00, 4:50, 11:30 PMThe Huntsman: Winter’s War (3D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain11:30 PMThe Jungle Book (3D) (Adventure) (PG) 5:15, 6:45, 9:15 PMFan (Hindi) (2D) (Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Joelle Koissi3:15 PMBaaghi (2D) (Action | Romance) (PG) Cast: Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor2:45, 6:15, 8:45, 10:15, 11:15 PMHijrat (2D) (Pakistan | Drama) (TBC) Cast: Asad Zaman, Rabia Butt, Noman Ijaz

6:45 PMManithan (2D) (Tamil) (Comedy) (TBC) Cast: Udayanidhi Stalin, Hansika Motwani8:45 PMSarrainodu (2D) (Telugu) (Action) (12+) Cast: Allu Arjun / Rakul Preet Singh7:15 PM

RUWIScreen 1Baaghi (2D) (Action) –PGCast: Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor2.30, 5.30, 8.30, 11.30 PMScreen 2The Jungle Book (2D) (Adventure) –PG3.00, 5.00, 9.30 PMHijrat Pakishtani (Action) –TBCCast: Asad Zaman, Rabia Butt7.00 PMBaaghi (2D) (Action) –PGCast: Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor11.45 PMScreen 3Fan (Thriller) –PG12Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Joelle Koissi3.30, 8.45 PMThe Jungle Book (2D) (Adventure ) –PG

6.30 PMBaaghi (2D) (Action) –PGCast: Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor11.45 PM

SURMidnight Special (Adventure) (PG) Cast: Micheal Shannon, Joel Edgerton3:30, 7:15, 11:45 PM.I Am Wrath (Action | Crime | Drama) (12+) Cast: John Travolta, Rebecca De Mornay5:30, 11:55 PM.Baaghi (Hindi | Action | Romance) (TBC) Cast: Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor9:15 PM.The Jungle Book 3D (Adventure) (PG) Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley.6:15 PM.Bastille Day (Action) (12+) Cast: Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Kelly Reilly.2:45, 10:15 PM.Synchronicity (Mystery | Sci-Fi) (15+) Cast: Chad McKnight, Brianne Davis4:30, 8:30 PM.

SOHAR

Mother’s Day– 2D (Comedy/Drama) (15+)Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson4:45PMPrecious Cargo– 2D (Action) (12+)Cast: Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani3:15, 6:45PMI Am Wrath– 2D (Action/Crime/Drama) (12+)Cast: John Travolta, Rebecca De Mornay5:00, 11:30PMThe Jungle Book – 3D (Drama, Family) (PG)3:30, 5:15, 7:15PMGreen Room-2D (Action/Crime/Horror) (15+)Cast: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots11:55PMMidnight Special – 2D (Drama/Sc-fi) (PG)Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton3:00, 9:00, 11:45PMTake Down – 2D (Thriller) (PG12)Cast: Dominic Sherwood, Phoebe Tonkin5:30, 7:15PMBastille Day– 2D (Action) (12+)Cast: Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Kelly Reilly3:00, 10:15PMBaaghi– 2D (Action) (PG)Cast: Shraddha Kapoor, Tiger Shroff9:15, 11:15PMManithan– 2D (Comedy/Romance) (TBC)

Cast: Udayanidhi Stalin, Hansika Motwani8:45PMSarrainodu – 2D (Action, Masala) (12+)Cast: Allu Arjun / Rakul Preet Singh7:00PM

BURAIMI

The Jungle Book (3D) (Adventure) PG7:30PMTop Cat Begins PG (Animation) Voice Overs: David Hoffman, Ben Diskin3.15, 5.00 PMGreen Room (Crime |Horror | Thriller) 15+Cast: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots6:45, 11.45 PMBaaghi (Hindi) (Action| Romance) PGCast: Shraddha Kapoor, Tiger Shroff3:30, 8.30 & 11:00 PMMidnight Special (Adventure|Sci-Fi) PGCast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton3.30, 9.30, 11.30 PMSynchronicity (Mystery| Sci-Fi| Thriller) 15+Cast: Chad McKnight, Brianne Davis, AJ Bowen5:30 & 8:00 PMTake Down (Thriller) PG (12+) Cast: Dominic Sherwood, Phoebe Tonkin6:00 & 9:45 PM

SALALAH

The Jungle Book (3D) (PG) (Adventure) 2:30, 6:30PMMidnight Special (2D) (PG) (Adventure) Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton1:00, 3:15, 9:00, 11:30PMI Am Wrath (2D) (12+) (Action |Crime) Cast: John Travolta, Rebecca De Mornay5:30, 11:55PMTop Cat Begins (2D) (PG) (Animation) 12:45, 4:30PMPrecious Cargo (2D) (12+) (Action) 1:15, 7:15PMMother’s Day (2D) (15+) (Comedy)Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson5:00PMBastille Day (2D) (12+) (Action)Cast: Idris Elba, Richard Madden3:00, 7:15PMBaaghi (2D) (PG) (Hindi) (Action)Cast: Shraddha Kapoor, Tiger Shroff8:30, 11:15PMManithan (2D) (TBC) (Tamil) (Comedy)Cast: Udayanidhi stalin9:00PM

CINEMA SCHEDULE CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

@SOHAR @ AZAIBA

Mother’s Day– 2D (Comedy/Drama) (15+)Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts4:45PM

Baaghi (2D) (Action | Romance) (PG) Cast: Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor2:45, 6:15, 8:45, 10:15, 11:15 PM

BAHJA CINEMAFilm information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

I Am Wrath (Action / Crime / Drama)Cast: John Travolta, Amanda Schull4.00, 8.00, 10.00, & 11.55 PMCP No: 1109 (12+)Take Down: (Thriller)Cast: Dominic Sherwood, Phoebe Tonkin4.00, 6.00, 10.00, & 11.55 PMCP No: 1110 (PG12)Green Room: (Horror / Crime / Thriller)Cast: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat2.00 & 8.00 PMCP No: 1111 (15+)Top Cat Begins: (Animation)Voice Overs: David Hoffman, Ben Diskin2.00 & 6.00 PMCP No: 1112 (PG)

STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776

Website: www.isurf.co.om

Sarrainodo (Telugu) (Action, Drama)Cast: Allu Arjun &amp; Rakul Preet Singh3:00 PM Cinema Main \6:45, 9:45 PM Cinema-3\Kali (Mal) (Comedy\ Drama)Cast: Dulquar Salmaan &amp; Sai Pallavi6:30, 10:00 PM Cinema Main \ 3:45 Cinema-3Theri (Tamil) (Action)Cast: Vijay &amp; Samantha3:30, 6:30, 9:30 PM Cinema-2Fan (Hindi) (Action\Thriller)Cast: Shahrukh Khan3:45, 6:45 PM Cinema -4From Friday: 6:45 PM Cinema-4Manithan (Tamil) (Comedy)Cast: Udhayanidhi Stalin &amp; Hansika Motwani9:45 PM Cinema -4From Friday: 3:45, 9:45 PM Cinema-4

Next Change: Jacobinte Swargarajyam (Mal) 24 (Tamil)

Programmes are subject to change

@ SHATTI

I Am Wrath – (2D) (Action |Crime) (12+)Cast: John Travolta, Rebecca De Mornay7:15& 11:30PM

WEATHER

360

Maximum

260

Minimum

TEMPERATURE

55-15%RELATIVE HUMIDITY

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

WITH LOVE

NAAFIL KHALIDApril 28, 2013

GAUTAM MADHAVApril 28, 2010

WEEK

END

UPDATE

LIFESTYLEC7T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

M any expatriates are now considering the bene-fi ts of working in Oman.

The high cost of living due to huge infl ation is taking away most of the pay package of foreign workers. It is diffi cult now for an average expatriate to save enough money for a comfortable retirement. The only remaining attraction is that Oman is still an income tax haven.

Retailers and property owners get greedy and they want a bigger share of our money. To own a prop-erty in the Sultanate seems to off er a solution for some expatriates. It gives them an opportunity to beat the rent trap. But the property de-velopers get them from mainte-nance charges and in most cases the cost is the same as paying rent.

You get to own the property but not the land the accommodation stands on. Maintenance cost will rise on the same rate as rental at 15 per cent per year.

The problem is that, Oman is now looking at rich international investors and not at residents who have toiled for years.

Private property developers are given a license to charge ex-orbitant prices to lure in foreign funds. About $7 billion worth of properties in the country have been sold mostly to non-resi-dents in the last 10 years. They estimate the figure will triple in the next decade after the com-pletion of the new developments.

What about ordinary residents who are already contributing to the economy? Majority of them earn just enough to keep their fam-ilies going. About 70 per cent of residents say these new properties are beyond their fi nancial means.

I am also amazed when govern-ment planners say that they are doing all this to create business and employment opportunities for nationals. I fi nd that hard to digest.

Retail owners benefi t most from the price rise and you don’t see more nationals being employed there. The truth is that in some sectors, retail outlets do not em-

ploy nationals at all. Property own-ers improve their bank balance by having their buildings constructed mostly by labourers. Yes, soaring building materials is a factor but how many nationals work in the cement and block factories?

Billions of dollars may pour in but they land in very few hands. It is like that kids’ game ‘pass the par-cel.’ The parcel is going around the same circle each and every time. And that circle is not getting bigger or extended to other circles. At the moment, ordinary nationals are content what comes their way but expatriates are diff erent.

They have the choice of pack-ing their bags when the financial heat is hotting up. It is not as lu-crative as it used to be and the pasture in their own countries is getting greener.

We don’t seem to have any graz-ing land left since international investors take them at wholesale. The bubble is beginning to come apart from the seams unless the harvest reaches all corners.

Well, we begin to hear words that were never spoken in the past from ordinary mouths. I hope they would fi nd the right channels to dissipate harmlessly.

If it is all in the name of progress, then let the parcel pass to all hands.

SO TO SPEAK

SALEHAL SHAIBANY

WATCH

Scan to buy tickets

Midnight Special

In theatres now

DO

BUY

Bamboo

Fusion Massage

At Spaloon Oman

Scan for details

LISTEN

Fast Car

By Jonas Blue

Featuring

Dakota

Scan to watch the video

The Green Pasture’s Soil is Cracking Up

Scan for details

Swim Gear

To take a dip

in the pool

LIFESTYLEC8 T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Khalil Gibran fans in Oman will get a chance to watch Rest Upon the Wind, a play inspired by the life and

times of the celebrated poet, writer, and painter.

It tells the story of Gibran’s strug-gle to deliver the message of love and peace to his fellow human beings, about his guardian angel, Mary, and those who tried to destroy him— his businessman neighbour, Marzoo and his secret lover, Michelline.

Written and directed by Nadom Sawalha, the play celebrates the Arab sense of humour and family warmth through the relationship of Khalil Gibran and his sister Miry-anna as they struggle to adapt to life in America.

Memories of childhood and his own spiritual awakening in Mount Lebanon are interspersed with the daily hustle and bustle of the Leba-nese enclave of Chinatown, Boston. The experience of migration and the longing for a new life are vividly por-trayed in the play.

Launched in 2011 in London, Rest Upon the Wind, has been popular the world over with several shows in New York, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.

The play has stunning visuals, live music, and electric performances from the strong cast. The show will be held at Al Bustan Palace on May 4 at 8 pm. –lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Rest Upon the Wind Comes to MuscatThe play, inspired by the life and times of Khalil Gibran, will be staged at Al Bustan Palace on May 4

WHEN & WHEREKhalil Gibran, Rest Upon the Wind (A unique English play on the life and times of Khalil Gibran)Date: May 4 (Wednesday) Venue: Oman Auditorium, Al Bustan PalaceTime: 8pmContact: Ashok Suvarna (+968 9932 4805)/ Imran Raj (+968 9987 8330)

Phot

ogra

phy:

Sup

plie

d

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O MSECTION

CONNECT H E D A I LY G U I D E

D

D4 VACANCY CARGO D7

T H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

RENT D2

*Tourist visa arranged

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

D2 T H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

FOR RENT

For viewing please call 99466729, 99316410, 92841690, 91313271, 24694088 or email us on :hartc@omantel.net.om

Mtr. Facing main RoadHAR Complex MSQ : 2,3-BHK Flats and 2 & 3 BHK villas with

Qurum : 6 BHK villa with garden, split Acs, shaded car parks, servant rooms

Darsait : 1 & 2-BHK Flats with AC & Shop Ruwi : 2-BHK & 3-BHK Flats and shopsAl Amerat : 2 & 3-BHK Flat , 3 & 4-BHK Villa with A/C

DAILY GUIDE

3 BHK, 3 toilets near Indian School

main Wadi Kabir & 2 BHK, 2 toilet

near Honda road Junction.

Contact: 99737562

Offi ce 55 SQ. Mtrs & 2 B /R new

bldg in Bausher behind bank Mus-

cat from owner. Contact: 92158031 Super deluxe 5 bedroom villa at

North Ghubrah. Contact: 99369081

3 Rooms, 2 Toilets Flat for Rent.

18 November Street. Near Mars

Hypermarket and The Chedi.

Ghobrah -Good for Commercial or

Residential use. OMR 295/- month.

Call 94477222

1,2,3 BHK fl ats & villas. Contact: 92144045

3 BHK without A/C Al Khuwair R.O

375/-. Contact: 92144045

2BHK with A/C Ghubra

R.O 325/-. Contact: 92144045

1BHK M.B.D R.O 250/-.

Contact: 92144045

1BHK Mumtaz R.O 225/-.

Contact: 92144045

Room at Al Khuwair RO 110/-.

Contact: 95317247

1BHK with A.C Ghubra R.O 275/-.

Contact: 92144045

House for rent 1 bedroom & sitting

room, 1 toilet & kitchen in Mawalah

near City Center.

Contact : 96968104

House rent 2 bedroom, Majlis,

2 toilets, kitchen & parking in

Mawalah near City Center.

Contact: 96968104

2 rooms fl at for rent in Wattaya.

Contact: 99202602

Running beauty parlor for rent in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 98689280

2 Bedroom fl at near Kuwait Mas-

jid, Wadi Kabir. Contact: 98498823

/ 97608564

Flat for rent : fl at available at Hamri-

ya & Wadi Kabir. Contact: 97380548

/ 99680499

Warehouse 400 sqm behind

Majan Hyper market near Bridge-

stone tyres, Ghala.

Contact: 95928800 / 98014921

Room for rent near Al Daser Rex

road Ruwi. Contact: 92099367 /

99797645

Modern Offi ce space for rent at

MBD area near ATLAS Hospital

with full local support by Omani

if required. Contact: 98825806 /

98825806,

Email: info@rns-group.com

Warehouse for rent at Ghala Ind.

Area. 800 & 2500 approx sqms

Near Hotel Al-Madinah Holiday,

Ghala. Container can enter. Imme-

diate access to roads & highways.

Contact : 94583320

Room or apartment for rent in

Qurum. Contact: 99664703

Executive bachelor at Rex Road

near Kamat Hotel telugu, kannada

or Tamil. Contact: 99151508

New building 1BHK, 3 BHK fl ats

with AC at Wadi Al Kabir behind

Muscat Bakery. Contact: 99338133

/ 92103604

Large Twin villa 6+6 rooms +2

halls +2 kitchens, Large independ-

ent compound, good for compa-

nies, staff accommodations /shar-

ing families/executive bachelors.

Contact 98048207

2BHK Ghubra South with A/C,

300 R.O . Contact: 99342661

1BHK Darsait 200/- R.O.

Contact: 94233661

2BHK Barka with A/C 160/-R.O.

Contact: 99342661

2 bedroom Flat, semi furnished

with spacious living areas com-

prising of 2 BR with attached

bathrooms, a living room, separate

bathroom and kitchen. The fl at has

Gym facility and secured under

ground parking. Perfectly situated

in Mumtaz Area nearby

Temple and Church,

rent RO 400/-. Contact 97487916

1BHK Ruwi & Qurum.

Contact : 99024730

Deluxe 1 & 2 bedroom fl ats, ideal

for offi ce / residence at Qurum

near PDO. Contact: 97721313 /

95070421

Luxury fully furnished 2 bedroom

fl at at Al Khuwair for short or long

term lease contract. Contact Atlas

Real Estate & Rent a Car LLC. Con-

tact Atlas Real Estate & Rent a Car

LLC. Contact 94617563 / 92888376,

tel : 24833848 / 24834888

1 BHK at Walja. Contact: 95915154

1000 SQM industrial land in

Misfah area with 3 rooms, 5 bath-

rooms, kitchen near Azaiba United

2 sides road facing large parking

space. Ideal for workshop, staff

camp, store. Contact: 99454425

1BHK new building with A/C

curtains near Khimji Mart MBD.

Contact: 99061408 / 99024039

Flat for rent in Ruwi, Mumtaz area

2 bedrooms. Contact: 24291500 /

91409667

Villa for rent 8 big room, 7 toilets,

big hall, Kitchen & store Al Khoud.

Contact: 91153933

Villa for rent, 4 rooms, big hall, 6

toilets, big living room, kitchen &

store Bousher 750/-OMR.

Contact: 91153933

Villa for rent room, toilet, hall,

kitchen, store with furniture water

& electricity included Bowsher

OMR 300/-. Contact: 91153933

Room for rent big room, toilet,

washing place including water &

electricity Bowsher OMR 200/-.

Contact: 91153933

Villa for rent, big hall, 4 room, 5

toilets, kitchen, store living room

in Ghubra OMR 650/-.

Contact: 91153933

Flat for rent in South Mabela.

Contact: 95331177 / 95230355

Offi ce space small in Azaiba.

Contact: 99428143

1BHK at Hamriya near Muscat

Pharmacy & 2 BHK at Mawaleh

near Mosque Sadiq Al Amin.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

Brand new double bed room fl ats

with two and three toilets, split ac,

elevators available at Al Khoudh

next to Al koudh health center.

Contact 99022675

1 BHK in Azaiba. Contact:

99385835 / 99428143

Flats in Wadi Kabir. Contact

94051789 / 97201688

Offi ce for rent in Mabela. Contact: 99355330

2 bed rooms fl at with hall,

2 bathrooms in Darsait near

Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715/ 24700120

Flats in Qurum. Contact 94051789

/ 97201688

New fl at at Al Wadi Al Kabir.

Contact: 96130797 / 92130703

Fully Furnished apartments in

Boucher (35) Contact 94051789 /

97201688

Flat for rent 2 BHK 2 split A/C, 2

toilets, Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti

Masjid. Contact 97007934 /

92629232

FOR RENTIN RUWI

1 BHK – SPILT A/C,

BUILT IN WARDROBE

&CENTRALIZED GAS.

SPACIOUS 2 BHK.

Contact :990 49 722

Flat in Wadi Al Kabir 2 bedrooms,

1 living room, 1 family hall, kitchen

& 3 bathrooms. Contact: 99277787

Two modern fully furnished & equipped offi ces available for rent

at Jasmine Complex Al Khuwair:1) 152 M2 with recepti on, 1 GM Offi ce, 2 meeti ng rooms, 26 working stati ons,

pantry, network connecti on.2) 132 M2 with recepti on, 7 offi ces,

6 working stati ons, 1 conference room, network connecti on.

Contact - 99469698

FOR RENTCommercial Space

Commercial Space For Rent in Al Khuwair. Ideal for Coff ee Shop / Restaurant / Offi ce Space / Showroom

27sqm / 68sqm / 128sqm

Contact: 96775026

DAILY GUIDET H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 D3

FOR SALE

FOR SALEFOR RENT

1100.00 m2 com. & Res. plot at heart

of Ruwi. Contact: 93666944

Expat leaving by 28th april,16, TV

Philips 25 ‘’ with dish TV receiver,

TV Trolley for RO.35 3 in one JVC

CD, VCD, radio & audio player

RO 25, dining showcase RO 15,

2 Godrej steel cupboards 25.

Contact 96764105

Excavator Volvo 240 & Hydraulic

Hammers. Contact: 99209427

Fork lift Caterpillar (tool carrier cat

it 28 f) oxy / PDO certifi ed with

excellent condition for sale.

Contact details: gsm: 99332937,

land ph: 24446535

A well running pharmacy for

sale at prime location. contact

99627621, 93240949

Big showroom for sale and fl oor

more than 200 SQM area in Ruwi

main road. Contact: 93591485 or

Whatsapp. Contact: 93333951

20 x40 containers. Contact: 99354909

HD Scaff oldings, Shuttering

Jacks, Wooden Planks, Shuttering

wood assorted, Tower hoist (lift),

Concrete Mixer, Bending Machine,

Steel Fabrication Machinery

(Searing/Cutting, lathe & Welding)

including tools for immediate sale:

Contact 99273774/ 99202278

Shop for sale near Oman House,

Muttrah. Contact 99024362.

400 sq mtrs Commercial/Resi-

dential land in Mabela Phase 5

Block 2. OMR 165 Thousand.

Contact 99333479 or 95215360

or 97509955

Dental chair, mobile dental X ray,

instruments, 5 year old, sale for

1000 Rials only in Al Buraimi.

Contact: 92737149

Single colorful Bed and Sofa

for Sale at Al Khuwair. Con-

tact 92881849 /What`s up No

97290565

Quality Warehouses

for rent at Mizfa 550 sqm to 3400 sqm.

Contact 99332291 / 96046951

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rent-

als. Full line, from Tables, Linen

& Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers,

Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware,

Chafi ng Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to

Large Sound Systems and spec-

tacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606

2222 for Catering and Croyden

9623 5555 for Sound & Light.

ww.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

ACC. AVAILABLE

ACC. AVAILABLE

Room available attached bath

behind Honda showroom at

Wattaya. Contact: 96390334

Single room sharing B/K at

Mumtaz area. Contact: 95212017

Single room available near

Darsait Lulu. Contact: 92120626

Big room with attach bathroom,

kitchen in Muscat near Riyam

Park RO 75/-. Contact: 95094028

Big room opp. Al Nahda hospital

for ladies. Contact: 92505321

Room with attached bathroom for

working ladies in a fl at in M.B.D.

Contact: 99694307

Villa for rent in South Mabellah,

3 bedrooms, sitting room, family

Lounge, kitchen, three Toilets

Contact 92212212

between 10 AM to 5 PM.

Furnished room with A/bathroom

in Al-khuwair33 for Indian Execu-

tive. Contact 95234062

A/C room rent 60 R.O Muttrah,

opp. Khimji Mart.

Contact: 97477670

Furnished room / Bath for

Executives Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99336206

Room for rent at Al Khuwair for

bachelor 115 RO with A/C bed,

Elect + water. Contact: 95190627

Studio type furnished room with

small kitchen, bathroom and big

balcony behind KIMS hospital

Cont 95405033

Rooms available with Kitchen

facility at Ruwi. Contact: 91214897

Furnish bedroom with attach

bathroom for executive bachelor.

Contact: 97704794

Furnished apartment for rent, two

rooms, majlis, hall, kitchen. Near

Carrefour al-mawalah.

Contact 99336776

Room with attached bathroom for

a family in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 97167857

Flats in Darsait. Contact

94051789 / 97201688

1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100,

2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O 200/-

in AL Khuwair. Contact 95154331

Flats in Muttrah. Contact

94051789 / 97201688

Offi ces in Ghala. Contact

94051789 / 97201688

Shops / fl ats available in Honda

Road, Ruwi & Mabellah Indus-

trial area. Contact 24833972/

24833974/ 99367448

Two bedrooms fl at in Al Ghobrah

near Oman Oil of 18 November Street.

OMR 330 Monthly. Contact 99333479

or 95215360 or 97509955.

Flat for Rent 2 bed room Near ISM

muscat Indian Scoole Dar sate

Tel : 00 968 95158570

Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Offi ces & Showrooms in Mutrah.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Duplex villa in QURUM 29.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Offi ces & Showrooms in Al Khoud.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Flat in Al Khuwair opp grand mall

4 room 3 toilet + hall kitchen in 3

fl oor 400. Contact 99420346

Flats, shops and store for rent in

Ruwi, MBD & Mumtaz. Contact:

97293708 / 92433127

New building Wattayah main road,

showroom & offi ce space.

Contact 94300909

2BHK fl at shops / ware house

space available for rent behind

new ROP building at Honda road.

Contact 91165807

Furnished offi ce (61M2) for sale

/ rent Al Khuwair near Zawawi

Mosque. Contact: 95611569

2BHK Wadi Kabir R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045

Flat for rent in South AlGhubrah

3 rooms, hall and 3 toilets, kitchen

rent 450/-. Contact: 99335580

2BHK split A/C 200/- Monthly

& 1BHK spilt A/C 150/- monthly

new building good location Barka

Market. contact 99342661

2BHK Big Size Flat Behind Bank

Muscat, Wadi Kabir. Near ISWK.

97826454, 24815012.

New Rent house in Mabela.

Contact: 99880841/96053220

02 BHK residential fl at opposite

to Al Nahdha hospital.

Contact: 99342733 /99795241

Wanted one room. Contact 98026234

Looking for a villa in Amerat area.

Contact : 95405033

ACC WANTED

BUYING

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

Buying cars for cash.

Contact 90202090

Separate entrance furnished

bedroom with attached bath and

kitchen for Executive bachelor in a

villa opp. Star Cinema.

Contact: 99314807

ROOM for RENT for Filipino, spa-

cious, new building in Al Khuwair

near City Seasons. Water, Wifi ,

Electric Included. Call 97728418.

Room for rent with furniture.

Al Bustan village. Contact:

93687466

Sharing Accommodation avail-

able for working ladies opposite

Al Nadhah Hospital. Preferably

Indians. Room with seperate toilet

and sharing kitchen.RO.90.

Contact 96524717

Room available in Mumtaz area

1 room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1

room, common bathroom. Interested

pleasecontact 92680041 Mr. Altaf

Sharing accommodation

near ISD. Contact: 99657340

Room available for Executive

bachelor at Al Hail.

Contact 96234708

Furnished room attached bath

for Indian bachelor, Al-Falaj

Ruwi & lady Wadi Kabir near

Mars hypermarket. CONTACT

96202458/96761960

Room with attached bathroom

and sharing kitchen available for

Executive bachelor or small family

at wadikabir Contact 93049849

Warehouse at Wadikabir - total

area 3500 sqm - covered ware-

house (500sqm), offi ce, ac-

commodation (1000sqm), open

area (2000sqm) please contact:

99273774 - 99202278

Four bedroom two fl oors luxurious

and spacious residential villa in

Al Hail North, near to the sea and

Oman oil. Each room has its own

bathroom. It has splits A/C’s and

shaded car park. OMR 750 month-

ly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955

For rent and investment Land

industrial shops in Rusayl.

Contact: 99323957 / 95490842

FOR RENT IN AZAIBA

4 Bedrooms excellent villa with car parking

Directly from the owner

Contact - 97094797

FOR HIRE

Crane trailer, hiab. Contact:

99354909

Quality concept trading LLC Crane

rental daily monthly cranes

available for rent at attractive prizes

Contact: 92870992

WANTED

IELTS Coaching (academic)

required nearby wadi Kabir

area. Please call on mobile or

msg on Whats up. Mobile no:

92927880/99012165

MV SALE

Hyundai Accent 1.6, 2014 model,

good condition. Contact : 95212017

Geely 1.3 model 2012

manual gear used 72000.

Contact: 96778006

Expatriate driver 4 WD Jeep

liberty 2007 model in excellent

condition 165000 K.M ,

2,500 R.O. Contact: 97008026

Prado 2007, Mazda 2000,

lancer 93, 3 ton truck double

cabin. Contact: 99454425

Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2012, expat

owned, company maintained,

125000 KMS, warranty up to 2018,

expected price E 8500.

Contact: 99330509

Honda CRV, 2015, white, expat

lady driven, 9000 kms, No.2

expected price 10500.

Contact: 99330509

FOR LADIES

Off er!! Treading Gold Facial &

Pedicure just for 10 RO, Al Doom

Parlour Ruwi: # 99619409

NRI

INDIAN RAILWAYS

Ticket Reservation

Hotel & Bus Tickets

Star Travel92820665 / 24711734

910 SQ FT, 1 B/R fully furnished fl at

at Quepem – Goa. Contact: 97094797

4 To 1- cents of house plots in

prime location- visible distance

from Kakanad Info Park for sale.

Prestige mall & proposed metro sta-

tion coming up in the locality.

Contact – 0091 8547767911 /

Email: sayed.m.fazal@gmail.com

MANPOWER

Praveen Thiyadiparambil has lost

Indian Passport No. G 0470146.

Finder please handover to ROP

Space for printing press available

at wadikabir with or without

machinery. Contact 99328430

Car accessories, upholstery, oil &

battery shop for sale in Seeb.

Contact: 92262284 / 98737197

Villas in Al Khoud.Contact 95056808 / 97201688

Luxury Apartments in Boucher

(35). Contact 95056808 /

97201688

Furniture and other treatment

items for Ayurvedic clinic.

Contact 97986525

Steel Scrap materials for immediate sale.

Contact 99273774/ 99202278

Almost new beach/ garden

lounge chairs /bar stools/ counter.

Photos can be sent 95865457

Urgent sale of steel scrap only

serious buyers kindly contact

+968 96725423 for viewing

the items.

LOST

CHANGE OF NAME

DRIVING

RESTAURANT FOR SALE

WITH TRADE LICENSE- Fully equipped, furnished & Recently Renovated- Size of the area - 359sq mtr- Under operati on in a Prime locati on from 16 years

Mobile number: 9232 1411

TAILORING SHOP FOR SALE

WITH TRADE LICENSE

Under operation in a Prime location with experienced

staff and stock

Mobile number: 9232 1411

I Parmod Kumar holder of Indian Passport No F 8802863, son of Ishwar

Singh having permanent residence in 326/19, New Pancham Nagar, Old

DC Road, Sonepat, HR and presently residing in PB No. 478, PC No. 322,

Falaj Al Qabail, Oman intend to change my name from Parmod Kumar

to Parmod Jaglan for all practical purpose. Any objection towards my

name change may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat,

Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P.Box No 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi,

Sultanate of Oman.

We, Palasmay Joseph George Wesley (name of father as per the pass-

port, holder of Indian passport No K 8458067 and Nirmala Wesley (name

of mother, holder of Indian passport No. F8466655) having permanent

address in 5/69 Alankara ST, Uvari, Tirunelveli - 627568, Tamil Nadu

(complete portal address in India) and presently residing at the following

address in Bank Muscat, PB No 134, PC No. 112, Sultanate of Oman, hereby

solemnly affi rm and declare to change the name of our child Master Saam

Paul Pelo (name as per present passport), holder of Indian passport No.

K 9307463 date of issue 04/03/2013 issued at Muscat. The name of our

child will be henceforth known as Saam Wesley (new name for all purpos-

es). Any objection towards change of name of our minor child may please

be communicated to Embassy of India , Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al

Khuwair, PB No. 1727, PC 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

I Jafakash Chulliyodan Pattom Valappil holder of Indian Passport No

G7767482, son of Ummer Kakkottakath Valappile Purayil having perma-

nent residence in Raha, Thayatheru, Kannur, Pin – 670002, Kerala, and

presently residing in PB No. 254, PC No. 131, Al Hamriya, Oman intend to

change my name from Jafakash Chulliyodan Pattom Valappil old name

to Jafakash Ummer for all practical purpose. Any objection towards

my name change may please be communicated to Embassy of India,

Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P.Box No 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi,

Sultanate of Oman.

I Sudheesh Kizhakkay Kuniyil Meethal Holder of Indian Passport No J

7416508, son of Vasu Kizhakke Puthiyotil having permanent residence in

Meluha, Kavilampara (via) Moyilothara P.O, Kerala 673513 and presently

residing in PB No. 98, PC No. 112, Ruwi, Oman intend to change my name

from Sudheesh Kizhakkay Kuniyil Meethal (old name) to Sudhin Vasu (new

name) for all practical purpose. Any objection towards my name change may

please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters,

Al Khuwair, P.Box No 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

DAILY GUIDED4 T H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

DRIVER

DOMESTIC HELP

DOMESTIC HELP

MISCELLANEOUS

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ARCHITECT

Urgently requires Hiab Driver & JCB Operator with valid Omani /

GCC driving license,

Mason having 5 years experience.

Contact: 24594868/ Fax: 24593880

Mobile 93210740

Email: info@sajgloballlc.com

Urgently required a Driver.

Contact: 99291154

Wanted female Muslim cook for fam-

ily at Qurum, visa available.

93387962

Urgently required Gynecologist& and General Practitioner with MOH

license for polyclinic in Saham.

Contact: 91311990

Urgently required Staff Nurse with

MOH license to work in a reputed

clinic, permanent or for leave

vacancy. Salary negotiable.

Contact 99048170

Wanted Staff Nurse for

a dermatology clinic in Muscat .

Must have MOH license and NOC.

Attractive salary off ered. Email:

clinicvacancy2015@gmail.com

GP doctor needed for reputed clin-

ic. Preferably with MOH license or

with Datafl ow & Paramatics pass

Contact: 95388934

ENGINEER/MECHANIC.

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

CATERING

BEAUTICIAN

Construction company seeking Marketing Executives, Electrical Diploma Engineer & Civil Engi-neer. Should have Omani driving

license. Email : info@greencover.net

Required Indian Engineer road

Construction 5/10 years experience

Eligibility BE or Diploma Civil Auto-

CAD Estimation with Oman (D/L) &

Indian Heavy Duty drivers.

Contact: 99882127

Email: georgymv@yahoo.com

A leading company in the fi eld of

construction Contracting excellent

grade required buildings Engi-neer with min 6 years experience

in Oman. Should have valid Omani

driving license.

Candidate should send C.V to

eng08vacancies@gmail.com

Urgently required subcontractor in construction for big projects.

Contact : 99416162

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Female B. Ed English teacher, 7

yrs exp seeking suitable placement.

Contact : 99739415 / 92091528

Teacher Female , Phd in Chemis-

try having 3.5 yrs of Experience in

India. Staying here on Family Visa

& seeking for a suitable placement.

Contact – 99675828, Email -

Anupam.tiwari67@gmail.com

Indian Lecturer M.Phil, M.Com,

MBA DMM , 3+ years of exp in col-

lege & 2+ years exp in corporate

seeks a suitable position.

Contact: 90369540

Email: abilashraji@gmail.com

Indian male, 25 yrs,

Accountant, 2.5 yrs in

Finance & Accounts, MBA

Finance & HR, exposure in

SAP, Tally, ERP 9 on visit visa.

Contact 96715420 / 91265020, Email : jijosrgo@gmail.com, simonjosephjc@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

SITUATION WANT-SIT.WANTED

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Indian male good experience in

accounts, admin and ERP Tally 9

seeking for suitable placement.

NOC available. Contact: 92650835

Pakistani male MBA fi nance 8

years experience in Accounting

& Finance GCC , D/L on visit visa.

Contact: 95035011

Email: mibm_af@yahoo.com

Indian male, M. Com with 3 yr

Oman Exp in Accounts with valid

NOC & D/L on Visit Visa.

GSM : 94744575

A Graduate of Alexandria in

Accounting has freelance interior

designing, experience in

diff erent design programs &

recorded projects achievements,

willing to join suitable job for

his qualifi cation and talents.

Contact: +201003966769 Oman:

99602608 C/o Osman. Email:

shadyhenaawy@gmail.com

A Graduate of Alexandria

Mechanical Power Engineering

and certifi ed International Pro-

curement Manager CIPM basics of

supply chain management BSCM

- APICS seeking suitable job for his

Qualifi cations. Contact:

20 01222399139 Oman

99602608 C/O Osman Email:

samer_henawy@hotmail.com

Senior Accountant Indian male

with 6 years experience up to

fi nalization in Tally with good MIS

reporting knowledge having Oman

D/L, NOC. Contact: 94035577

Email: azu090@gmail.com

Junior Accountant Pakistani

female with more than 2 years ex-

perience in tally with good knowl-

edge in Accounts receivable hav-

ing Oman D/L. Contact: 95287396

Email: mariamnaaz92@hotmail.

com

Accountant Indian male with 7

years experience up to fi nalization

tally & accounts receivable SAP

R/3, good knowledge of payroll

having Oman D/L, NOC.

Contact: 93733996

Email: thmsb182@gmail.com

ICSI & B.Com qualifi ed Corporate

Secretary (female) with 2 years

experience handling compliance

of 200 companies in Indian seeks

placement in compliance fi eld or

company incorporation & allied

fi elds. Contact: 94863182

Email: meghnasunil6@gmail.com

Indian male 7 years experience

as Accountant in Oman having

Oman driving license looking for

job, currently in Oman. NOC avail-

able. Contact: 92859733 Email:

parthasarathy67@gmail.com

Sudanese Accountant, Alexandria

University Graduate bachelor of

commerce Diploma of Marketing

professional photographer worked

in PR and social media for 2 years

looking for a job in public relations

media, social media or marketing.

Contact: 96976240

Senior Accountant Master (Fin)

ACCA (PART) 14 years of experi-

ence in accounts & payroll working

or focus, familiar with tally having

NOC & D/L, available on immediate

basis. Contact: 98579882

Email: khalidbinfarid@yahoo.com

ACCA member with 6 yrs of

experience in Oman looking for a

suitable job in fi nance.

Contact: 99284193

Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in

commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in ac-

counts/ fi nance fi eld. On visit visa.

Immediately available.

Contact 92836216 /

muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com

Accountant Indian male B.Com

with 8 years experience in Oman

knowledge in tally ERP, SAP AX

MIS upto fi nalization, NOC avail-

able. Contact: 96989872 Email:

radhakrishnank2007@rediff mail.

com

28/male/MBA - fi nance/B.Com -

Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/

India experience looking for a suit-

able placement.Contact 90187483

shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

Senior / Chief Accountant, having 12 years Oman experience

in reputed fi rms seeks suitable job.

Immediate available. #99513082

Part time Accountant up to

fi nalization audit & assignments.

Contact: 91126314

Part-time Accounting up to

fi nalization, Auditing, Taxation and

Project Finance assistance -

Contact: 91044655

DRIVER

ADMIN

DRIVER

Young Indian female, BSc Interior

Designer, with 2 years experience

seeking for suitable placement.

Contact: 91102695 / 92191721

Architect Interior designers 3d

Visualizer, 8 yrs exp, Indian male,

have Omani D/L available.

NOC & local release.

Contact: 92710047

Architectural Draftsmen diploma

in construction technology with 6

years experience in drafting and

detailing as per British standard

in Oman with valid Omani license

looking for suitable opportunity

Noc available. Call 94375897.

Free lance /part time autocad

works (ARCH/ MEP) 2D/3D

PH: 97103168

Piping designer with 14 years

experience working with PDO, OXY

for 10 years NOC available.

Contact: 92582356

Revit, Autocad D/man, expected

salary 200 OMR PH :92279784

Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD

Draftsman with 20 years profes-

sional experience is looking for

suitable job in Oman.

Please Contact: 96489798,

(+974) 66653780.

Required candidates for following

posts: Accountant, Storekeeper, Foreman Building Maintenance, Van-salesman (water), Helpers. Candidates with Omani driv-

ing license preferred. Contact

99273774/99202278

One of a Leading Excellent grade group of Companies is looking for a “Junior Accountant” ( Omani Na-

tionals only ) for their Duqum offi ce.

Interested candidates may send

their CV by email to

mkh.almajali@gmail.com

Required SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, Graduate B.Com/MBA. Minimum

6 yrs of experience, Knowledge of

Finalization & can handle accounts

independently. Contact: mail-

offi ce@fourseasonsoman.com

Wanted Male/female Indian cook

with experience in Omani & Indian

food for Omani Family. Visa avail-

able. Contact : Antony 99889459

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

Engineering consultancy offi ce

(new) looking for Architect with ex-

perience in Oman (portfolio needed)

hadi@hadi.om - 99441122

We are looking for photogra-pher with experience of handling

Photoshop and a ticket booking

person with knowledge of travel and

tourism. Interested candidate can

forward their CV to

consultancyvisa82@gmail.com

Wanted Staff with 3 years experi-

ence in Oman in real estate fi eld.

Contact: +968 95910186

Email: aburashid94dd@gmail.com

Urgently required an experi-enced MARKETING EXECUTIVE cum PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR with minimum 5 to 10 years Gulf

Experience, holding OMAN/GCC

Driving License, for a Carpentry &

Aluminium Division of a reputed

Construction Company in Muscat.

Interested candidates those who

can join locally may forward C.V. to

e-mail: assaud@omantel.net.om or

Fax: 24953530

Salesman required for electrical

equipments with driving license &

5/7 years working experience.

Fax your C.V 24833043

(Jinan Enterprises)

Urgently required Marketing Executive for a business agency

at Barka. Graduate with D/L and

minimum 2 years experience will

be preferred, fresher can also apply.

Contact: 98908634 or Send CV to

suntaka2015@gmail.com

Omani Public Relations Manager / Marketing manager required

for an offi ce in Azaiba. Full time

job. Omani citizens with Health-

care qualifi cation or marketing ex-

perience only need to apply with

English cv and photo to :-

arabhealth@alhakkim.com

EDUCATION

MEDICAL

MEDICAL

IT

Housemaid/ baby sitter looking for

job (overseas). Contact 95175192

Offi ce cleaning boy available on

contract basis. Contact: 94262954

Required Indian Mason – 5 nos., eligibility (minimum 5 yrs experi-

ence in road construction fi eld).

Contact: 99882127

Email: georgymv@yahoo.com

Thrust Boring contractor is

required. Contact immediately-

99438397

Thrust Boring Supervisor is

required. Contact immediately-

99438397

Electrician for Heavy Machines :

experienced with mobile cranes

and Wheel Loader (shovel) with

a background in troubleshooting

and reading a diagram .

Contact : 98856565 .

email : hr@wadibaad.com

Crane Hydraulic Mechanic : ex-

perienced with Mobile Cranes and

should have knowledge with trou-

bleshooting and hydraulic system

diagnosis . Contact : 98856565 .

email : hr@wadibaad.com

English Teacher required for a

private school in Barka. Degree +

B.Ed + IELTS. Send CV:

alburj@alhakkim.com /

GSM: 93211417

A well known private school is in need of Laboratory Assistant, English, Maths, Science & Kindergarten teachers. Contact: 96910649

Email: staffi ng.oman@gmail.com

REQUIRED AN AUDITORWith 6years of experience. Th e candidates should be a

commerce graduate experienced in auditing.

Interested candidates may mail their CV’s to:

auditbureau2016@gmail.com

Qualifi ed and experienced MBA

post graduate with proven work

exposure in Middle East & India,

having more than 5.5 years of rich

experience in accounts , project

coordination and administration

in (3.5 years UAE experience) oil

and gas projects is currently

looking for suitable job.

Contact 93953613, Email

allen.mathew83@gmail.com

Jordanian Senior Accountant 15

yrs experience in Oman fi nance &

accounts. Contact : 92881223

Accountant 8 Years experience

with D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084

Accountant 8Years Experience

with D/L and NOC. # 97712084

Sudanese female Accountant ex-

cellent knowledge, MS Offi ce, can

work under pressure.

Contact: 97200130

Accountant available with NOC,

7 years experience in Oman.

Ready to join immediately.

Contact 98263394

Indian male , 29 B.com ICWA

(pursuing) 7 years experience in

accountant / audit with valid Omani

D/L seeking for suitable placement,

NOC available. Contact: 94706954

Email: ajurn33@gmail.com

B.Com 3 years business process

outsourcing. Contact: 94657273

ACCA fi nalist with 2 years of

experience in a Construction

Company as an Accountant in

United Kingdom here on visit visa

for 3 weeks from 12 April - 3 May.

Contact: 99171627

Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA

Finance and marketing with IT

skills, 7+ yrs of experience,

Looking for suitable placement.

contact 94879615,Email-

sajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

Required marketing / PR manager

for a modern restaurant group in

Oman , profi cient in illustrator &

Photoshop charismatic , proactive ,

creative & fl exible excellent writing

/ Editing skills degree in relevant

area fl uent in English. Send CV to

marketingpr2016@gmail.com

Sales man for printing press with

driving license.

Contact: 92177095 / 93850727

Email: manager@dsdoman.com

Salesman for a printing press.

Contact: 99498949

Looking for Salesman with experi-

ence in vegetable and fruits sales,

good conduct, fl uent in English.

Should have driving license. Email

CV on: info@eigllcoman.com

Contact - 96339339

With 15 years of Gulf experience in

HR / Admin / logistics looking for

suitable position. Fluent in Arabic /

English with D/L.

Contact: 95824598

Indian male, 20 years experience

in Oman as personal assistant /

offi ce manager / executive sec-

retary / administrator / business

development assistant looking for

a change. holding Omani driving

license. local release available.

Contact 99168054

Lady Expat looking for full time

job with visa. Interested fi elds are

Admin, teaching, HR, back offi ce.

Contact: 91739424

Email: jinsijobs@gmail.com

Indian male – Post Graduation in

HR, having 18 years of experience.

Working in Oman since last 12

years. Capable of handling HR &

Administration. Well Acquainted

with Omani Laws. Valid Omani

License & car. Contact 96442435.

A Young dynamic post Graduate with 10 years experience of Offi ce

Administration cum transport in

charge in Oman to manage large

fl eet of PDO / Non PDO vehicles

in addition having experience of

managing the labor camp and staff

with their mess valid Omani D/L.

Contact: +968 - 92700274

Email: naqvi8084@gmail.com

Indian looking for customer ser-vice, purchase front offi ce Admin 5

years experience in UAE. Contact:

91744032

Indian female 26 years MBA (BBA,

BIRLA Institute, Oman) seeking for

full / part time job in Secretary /

Admin / Customer Support / Offi ce

Assistant / HR. Contact: 93241466

/ 92767450 Email:

sujasunny2003@hotmail.com

Filipino HRD especialist / material

controller supervisor with 18 yrs

experience looking for suitable job in

Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 /

(+968) 92659817

Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+

experience in Administration/HR,

Customer Support, Offi ce Coordina-

tor with good Computer skill, Now

on Visit Visa,looking for suitable

position. Contact: 90196235

Indian Male 19 years (8 Years in

Oman) well experienced in HR /

Admin in Oil & Gas, Construction

fi elds with Oman D/L seeks suit-

able position. Release / NOC avail-

able call: 92854993.

Young Omani male have experi-

ence 12 years as P.R.O, CLERK

Helper Supervisor Admin Supervi-

sor, H.R Manager have diploma in

H.S.E, IT and P.D.O license, looking

for H.R position or

P.R.O part time or full time.

Contact: 95933288

Teacher female 27 yrs, MCA

5 yrs experience in teaching in

India currently on visit visa

seeking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 96709509

Email: viyannifd@gmail.com

Driver with car. Contact:

91362320

Looking for job as light vehicle

driver 5 years experience.

Contact: 92640278

3 years experience D/L looking for

job. Contact: 94531957

Light driver wanted for suitable

placement. Contact: 95656941

Looking for a job light duty driver.

Contact: 95141473

Light duty & heavy duty driver, GCC valid D/L looking for job (over-

seas). Contact 95175192, Email :

oman.manpower@yahoo.com

Looking for jobs light vehicle

license, 5 years experience with

Toyota Corolla car.

Contact: 96345442 / 96789570

Indian light driver having 2 years

experience in Oman knowing

language English, Hindi & Arabic

need job. Contact: 97366822

An Electrical engineer with 4+

yrs of experience in Electrical

network (MT, LT) with professional

computer skills seeking for work.

Contact: 99841736 / 93955381/

+149922698343 Email:

e.kmmh@hotmail.com

Sales Representati ve for Food Services (Male/Female) Any Nati onality

Candidates with the below requirements can apply ONLY. • Must have food services experience (HORECA) minimum 6 Months • English speaking profi ciency and English writi ng is must• If expatriate then NOC is must.• The candidates who are available in Muscat can apply only.

Last date of Submitti ng the Applicati on: May 2nd, 2016

Send your CV with recent photograph on:

admiralsoman@gmail.com

A reputed Engineering & Contracting company in Muscat

urgently require an

Omani Receptionist cum PRO

To work in their offi ce in Muscat. Interested candidate with a

minimum of 2 years working experience should send their

updated CVs to: inteccllc@gmail.com

Required Customer Support En-gineer for IT Company with mini-

mum 2 years experience in ERP

software, MS Sql, Tally & Focus etc.

Contact: 98825806 / 98825806,

Email: info@rns-group.com

Required Shop Sales man + Hard-ware Technician for IT Company

with minimum 2 years experience.

Contact: 98825806 / 98825806,

Email: info@rns-group.comBeautician required for Al Gazala

beauty parlour, visa available.

Contact: 92534941

Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately

for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact: 95081010

Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com

Bangladeshi male light driver exp

4 years need job.

Contact: 92681457

Driver want job. Contact: 93822195

Driver looking for job.

Contact: 94357030

Looking for driving job.

Contact: 97855341

Looking for light driving job 2 yrs

exp. Contact: 91625977

Looking for driving job

experience 3 years Pakistani.

Contact: 93804176

8 years experience in driving heavy

D/L (PDO) H2S. Contact: 92091528

Pakistani male seeks job, have

Oman driving license, 6 years expe-

rience in driving. Contact: 96915494

Light Duty Driver looking for job.

Contact: 96250185

Light Duty Driver looking for job.

Contact: 96780325

Light driver looking for job.

Contact: 96798075

Light Duty Driver, 3 years 6 months

experience. Contact: 95768440

Experience driver looking for job.

Contact: 95113612

Driver 3/6 years experience,

I have 2 years experience out door

sales man in led light, Pakistani,

Oman experience 6 years.

Contact: 94565993 / 92627855

Family driver available.

Contact 92943094

DAILY GUIDET H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 D5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

Looking for part time job Secre-tarial / Data Entry / Documenta-

tion available every day after 5:00

pm Friday / Saturday full day area

preferred Ruwi/ CBD/ MBD / Al

Khuwair. Contact: 90414827

Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordi-

nator 12 years experience in Oman

in reputed companies, seek imme-

diate Employment. Call: 95244761

Sales & Marketing specialist with 16 yrs experience in Oman in

MNC retails telecom lubes

construction related industry

handled various projects, holding

valid Oman driving license,

release available.

Contact 96960991

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Civil Engineer diploma 3 years

Sudanese National experience 4

years at construction sites.

Contact: 91183608

Telecommunication Engineer 35 years experience with Omantel

company, Hindi , English & Arabic.

Contact: 91204243 / 94372096 /

99751612

5 years experience in supply chain

(warehouse logistics) procurement.

Contact: 90644186

Indian male 24 yrs ITC Electrical

2 years experience looking for job.

Contact: 95428225

Email: basil064@gmail.com

Electronics and Instrumentation

Engineer, B.Tech Indian male 24

years with 2 years Indian experi-

ence looking for suitable position

available in Oman on visit visa.

Contact: 91228010

Indian male Structural Engineer

(M.Tech) with 3 years Indian expe-

rience in designing searching for

suitable job placement.

Contact: 98334396,

Email: hashmath_ali@yahoo.com

Quantity Survey works part time /

freelance (civil). Contact: 95719108

Quantity Surveyor (Civil) 11 years

with Omani driving license, local

release available.

Contact: 95719108

Electrical Engg : M 32, having

8 yrs experience in MEP/ EPC

projects with MEDC, OETC & PAEW,

C.E.P holder with D/L,

seeking for better opportunity.

Contact: 93949885

Email: vamshhikodela@gmail.com

Associate Engineer Electronics

with 3 years of experience in Satel-

lite & CCTV searching for place-

ment. Contact: 99832706

Sudanese Mechanical Engineer +13 years experience in heavy

equipments maintenance experi-

ence in Oil fi eld. Contact 96583270

Proposed position Safety Offi cer

experience 04 yrs and 6 months

qualifi cation NEBOSH IOSH MS,

OSHA, fi re safety certifi cate,

Master in Social Science.

Contact: 93644060

Email: saff ar49@gmail.com

B.Tech & Diploma in Mechanical

having 3 years exp. in India looking

for suitable job. Contact : 90542737

Electrical B.E.C Engineer Paki-

stani male 24 years looking for a

job. Contact: 94049812 / 92958112

Civil Engineer having 7 years, 8

months experience with driving li-

cense immediately joining having

NOC. Contact : 99294954

Electrical & Electronics Engr,

knows autocad & revit.

PH: 93837973

Purchaser (construction) with 4

years experience & driving license.

NOC available looking for similar

job. Contact: 98956725

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

Filipino Male, 28 years Old.

Looking for job, Have experience

in Rent a Car/ Cargo & Logistics /

Real Estate/ Customer Care Execu-

tive / Sale Executive & Market-

ing/ Shop In- Charge with driving

license, w/ good computer and

communication skill.

GSM: 97761075

Male having visa, 3 years in

Oman with valid D/L

seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 95453393

Indian male 27 years BBA,

Administration marketing & sales

accounts, MS Offi ce can work

under pressure now on visit visa

looking for suitable position.

Contact: 90739819

Indian female master degree one

year experience seeking suitable

placement in any fi eld.

Contact 97792820

Email: pnjli.1991@gmail.com

Indian male, 28, post graduate,

6+ yrs exp in Oman in sales (back

offi ce) & credit control with valid

Oman D/L looking for suitable

placements. NOC available.

Contact: 920 66 523

BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants).

Contact: 92475206 Email:

zahaibzafar007@gmail.com

MANAGER

SKILLED LABOUR

Procurement / Contracts head

Indian 20 yrs wide experience in

top MNC areas Civil, MEP, Fire, road,

PDO & oil fi eld with Omani driving &

NOC available. Contact: 93737496

Procurement and Projects Man-ager having 10 years UAE experi-

ence, MBA Graduate with 6 sigma

& CPPM seeking suitable position.

Contact: 90772927

Purchase/Planning & Logistics

Manager, MBA (Finance), 14yrs.

Oman Exp. with D/L, NOC avail-

able, looking for suitable position.

Contact: 93826090,

Email: jskanchan01@gmail.com

Egyptian male 36 years

Warehouse Manager, 7 years in

Sultanate of Oman, 1 year in UAE,

and 3 years in Egypt.

Contact: +968 97200468 Email:

ayman_mano1979@yahoo.com

MEDICAL

HOSPITALITY

Indian male BE (ECE) having nine

years experience in medical tran-

scription / health care & documenta-

tion seeking suitable placement as

Medical Transcriptionist Insurance

Coordinator or Medical Secretary,

currently on visit visa.

Contact: 90658764

Email: princekjohn555@yahoo.com

Indian Bsc Female Nurse with

6.5 years exp, 4 years in KSA.

Passed Oman Pro Metric with 69%,

completed data fl ow. Presently in

Muscat in visit visa looking for a

suitable placement.

Contact: 94744900, 94742834,

jincyalphonese@gmail.com

Qualified Certified Management Accountant (CMA-USA) and cost and

management accountant (ACMA-

India) with over 25 years experience in

Sultanate of Oman in finance, banking

and administration is seeking a suitable

placement. NOC available.

Contact -95986767

Oman experienced Lawyer

Indian male, BA, Arabic, LLB, MBA

Knows English, Arabic with over 9 yrs in

legal field, now working as a legal

advisor in Muscat, seeks suitable

placement. NOC available.

Contact 97351649, advocatesharaf@gmail.com

Software testing professional

6 yrs exp , Engg Graduate.

Contact: 91739424,

Email: jinsijobs@gmail.com

Procurement Coordinator Indian

male 30 yrs B.Com (computers) 4

years experience in Saudi Arabia

in Construction Company, looking

for any suitable position on visit

visa till 15 May 16.

Contact: 0968-98590811 Email:

ibrahimhashmi220@gmail.com

INDIAN FEMALE, 23 years, BSC-

CS Diploma in IAD graphics, well

knowledge in computer applica-

tions 6 months experience pres-

ently in Sohar seeking suitable

placement. Contact: 96670907.

Email: ammuch.4@gmail.com

Indian Electronic Technician 5 years exp CCTV, Telephone,

video door phone, NOC available.

Contact: 99803912

Indian female M.Sc Computer

Science seeking suitable place-

ment in Muscat area.

Contact: 98660672

IT Support Engineer, Exp 3 years

in Oman 2 years in India.

Contact 94672759

Female 24 yrs, 3 years in IT

programmer now in Oman looking

for suitable job.

Contact: 96350234

9 years of Software Test Consult-ing and business analysis experi-

ence in various CBS (Core Banking

Solutions) and other Banking

related solution implementa-

tions with deep understanding of

Islamic Banking. Completed CDIF -

CIMA Diploma in Islamic Finance

and ADIF - Advanced Diploma

in Islamic Finance conducted by

CIMA, UK. NOC available. Contact:

manivannanbalaji@gmail.com

GSM: 9393 8086

IT

IT SALES / MARKETING

Indian male, 29 years BSc, Gradu-

ate, with Omani driving license

and 7 years of sales experience in

home appliances, IT products, mo-

bile and traffi c safety equipments

currently working on employment

visa, NOC available seeking for

suitable placement immediately.

Contact 97890607

Email: ashrafambar@gmail.com

10 yrs experience in Oman in

logistics / purchase have Oman

D/L looking for suitable placement.

Contact 96410767.

email :harishkts@yahoo.com

Procurement / Estimation male 15

years experience in Oman work-

ing with reputed company seeks

suitable placements. N.O.C available.

Contact: 93508898

Email: reghunair01@gmail.com

Indian Male, 30yrs, 7 year experi-

ence in marketing, (3 years Exp.

in Oman & Saudi) seeking suitable

placement in Sales & Marketing.

DL & NOC available,

Contact: 93329021,

gokulmohank85@gmail.com

D/L, NOC available looking for

salesman job, 1 year experience.

Contact: 91210380

10 years ICT Business develop-

ment & project management exp

in Oman looking for suitable sen-

ior position. Contact: 98987654

Senior Sales Executive, 10Yrs

Exp, India seeking immediate job.

Contact #+968 98444359,

+91 9880637906.

E: ahmed.shabbirsyed@gmail.com

Indian female, BSc, B.Ed, MBA,

Marketing having 3 years experi-

ence, seeks suitable placement in

marketing fi eld. Contact: 95041134

Email: divya.vini@gmail.com

35 years male, Lebanese holding

British passport, 10 years of experi-

ence in procurement, Omani Govern-

ment tenders, setup marketing plans

& strategies, importing, Organizing

events, management, have car, NOC

available. Contact 94123939

Email: 002015r@gmail.com

24 years experience Sr. Manage-

ment professional as Profi t centre

head. Industry electrical trade

looking for a suitable position in

Oman / UAE. Contact: 91195418

Email: ab_9616@rediff mail.com

26 yrs Indian male MBA Market-

ing Sales / Marketing Executive,

3 yrs experience now available

in Muscat on visit visa seeking

placement for immediate joining.

Contact: 95978874

Email: ansariafsar550@gmail.com

Indian male 37 years MBA

graduate in marketing with 9yrs of

experience in UAE in fi eld of brand

promotions & marketing with UAE

D/L on a visit seeking suitable

position. Conatct 95792820

Civil Engineer 8 years experience.

Contact: 90183630

Indian male, Structural Engineer

looking for job in structural design

fi eld. Having 6 years of experience

in design fi eld. Residing in Muscat.

Contact: 91176187

syam036@gmail.com

Pakistani male Diploma Civil En-

gineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling &

mega projects, valid license Oman.

Contact:98921022

B.Tech Mechanical Engineer 3 years experience in mainte-

nance and commissioning of com-

pressors, refrigeration system and

other industrial Equipments in an

engineering services company

on visit visa looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 91106765

Email: tamooraslam123@gmail.

com

Electrical Engineer having 16

years experience in switchgear

/ transformer / over head lines &

trading for sales / procurement &

project execution with valid Omani

D/L. Contact: +968 95994727

Email: qurm340@gmail.com

Diploma of Associate Engineering

in Civil technology 14 years expe-

rience in project of construction

works like buildings, roads, oil &

gas fi eld on visit visa expiry date

11/06/2016 looking for good job in

Oman. Contact: 00968 92161978

Email: qazijahangeer@gmail.com

Civil Eng exp 15 years NOC

available looking job change

Gulf experience over 12 years in

Oman, 8 years experience handled

MOH – project, MOS projects, MOS

– projects. Contact: 98036290,

cmsarasu@gmail.com

Indian male 23 years, young

dynamic looking for draughtsman

in civil. Contact: 94553406 Email:

choudharyibrahim93@gmail.com

Female Electrical Engineer, excel-

lent knowledge, Graduated with

distinction, can work under pres-

sure. Contact: 98133281

Indian female M.Tech in VLSI

Design B.Tech in electronics with

valid IELTS score 6.5 now in fam-

ily visa experience in teaching

& and admin. Contact: 90195131

Email: chinj.89@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech 2

yrs, experience HAVC fi refi ghting

CAD. Contact: 90150913 Email:

mahmanmechengg@yahoo.in

Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil

Engg (cert attested) knows auto-

cad revit, salary exp: 250

Ph : 92279784

Mechanical Engineer (B Tech)

Indian male with 1 year experience

on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact : 90510800, Email :

muhammedjaseem07@gmail.com

Sr. Electrical Engineer with17+

yrs of exceptional exp in spear

heading strategic planning and

project management initiatives &

executing various high rise resi-

dential & commercial building as

well as roads and highway project

with profi ciency in installation,

seeking a challenging position in a

dynamic organization.

Contact 96570891

INDIAN MALE, MARKETING & HR SPECIALIST,

25 yrs, Master degree with 2 yrs of experience both HR & Marketi ng,

now on visiti ng visa. Contact 96972939 / 96096723

Email : lijubn@gmail.com, jerrin007@gmail.com

Indian Female, 24 Years - MSc

Biotechnology. Worked in Inter-

national Crops Research Institute

For The Semi Arid Tropics for pro-

ject work as trainee. Looking for

suitable job. Mobile: 92619048,

Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com

Indian male BE (ECE) having 1 year

experience in Engineering and 8 years

experience in medical transcription

seeking suitable placement currently

on visit visa. Contact: 90658764

Email: princekjohn555@yahoo.com

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp

seeks suitable position ina reputed

company. NOC available.

Contact 96789711

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

Structural buildings marine. Avail-

able NOC release.

Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in

designing, assembling, commission-

ing execution etc having valid GCC

license too looking for a suitable.

Contact: 00968-98052942 Email:

azamjeelani78@gmail.com

HSE Engineer (B.E Mech+Diploma

Safety+NEBOSH+OSHA) over

10yrs. Exp, (Visa Release Letter

(NOC) available), seeking suit-

able placement, Mob:97061817,

Email:jayanammu1977@gmail.com

Indian male, B.Tech, Software

Engineer well knowledge in com-

puter applications, android tech-

nology technical support on visit

visa seeking suitable placement

in IT or BPO. Contact: 99014938 /

93841724

Email: offi cialpakku@gmail.com

B.E Mechanical Engineer, In-

dian male 34 years, having 10+

years experience in MEP build-

ing construction fi eld (HVAC,

Firefi ghting and Plumbing)

with Omani D/L. NOC available.

96978380;prajithks@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian

male 24 years with 1+years Indian

experience,(Certifi ed in Staad

Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman

(Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact 92835952. E-mail:

mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer & Project Manager Sudanese 29 yrs, more than 3 yrs experience in Mining Company,

Profession:Producti on & manufacturing, safety, fi re fi ghti ng designing,

Engineering Management, sales – Muscat, Oman. Contact 968 93642704,

Email : mohamedfdl87@gmail.com

Electrician looking for a job,

6 years experience. Contact:

96001823

Shovel, JCB, Grader, Excavator, Operator GCC valid D/L looking

for job(overseas), looking for job.

Contact 95175192

Indian male, 28 yrs, B.Sc Hospital-

ity Science with 5 yrs experience

in Hospitality & banking sectors in

Oman & India seeks suitable

placement. NOC available.

Contact 91383167

Indian male 26 B.Tech Civil Engi-

neer 3 year’s 8 months Experience

at building construction. In Oman

2 year’s experience N.O.C available

seeking suitable placement

Contact : 97396269

Email : usmanshaik42@gmail.com

An Iraqi civil with more than

30 years experience in (Iraq and

G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C)

available. Contact: 96561306

Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com

Indian male, Mechanical

Engineer having 1year experi-

ence, on visit visa looking for

suitable job. Contact:97416564,

Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

in Oman as a project engineer for

governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

Civil Engineer (B.Tech) Indian male

24 yrs having 1+ year experience in

Industrial construction with good

communication skills and software

knowledge, looking for suitable

position available on visit visa.

Contact 968 - 99779538 /

98694939

Email: arunsathyan92@gmail.com

Male QC inspector Mechanical,

NDT 20 years experience valid

Oman D/L , release available.

Contact: 91001104

Electrical Engineer Indian male

30 years, having 5 years of experi-

ence in industrial automation

& utility maintenance in Indian

(MRF Tyres) holding valid Oman

D/L. Contact: 92789995 Email:

akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

Indian male B-tech 8 years expe-

rience as senior electrical project

engineer / QC engineer on visit

visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact 94094543

Email: anwar425@gmail.com

An experienced Chartered Accountant

With over 25 years in varied industries, presently working with

a reputed group in Muscat, looking out for a suitable change.

Contact - 96491030

B.Tech (IT) experience in Net-

working server & desktop man-

agement in corporate environment

looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 92954613

Indian male, 24 yrs, B. Com Grad-

uate more than 1 year experienced

in accounts planning to come for a

family visit in oman seeking for a

suitable placement .

Contact : 99339544 / 99743709

Indian male : looking for any suit-

able position, Data Entry/ Secre-

tarial/ Documentation Level. 10+

years working experience. Gsm:

+968 - 90414827, Mail:

devenjayanthnair@rediff mail.com

Looking for a part time accounting

& admin job. Contact 99196621.

Indian Female looking for a part

time opportunity (Graphic Design/

Teaching/Research Assistant/

Business Development/Admin-

istration) Contact: 95811820 or

sankarikm06@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT,

valid Omani D/L seeking suitable

placement in IT/Network/Server

support/Retail sales.

Contact 91496939.

Indian male, Fire & Safety Engi-

neer having 1 year experience on

visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 95208305

Email: nirmalk558@gmail.com

A/C & Fridge Technician 25 years

experience in Oman India seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 95680380

Indian female, 27 yrs, B.E

(Telecom) with 3 yrs exp in IBM

(India) as Senior Security Delivery

Analyst. Now on family visa seek-

ing for suitable position.

Contact: 95600437

Tea boy looking for job Name:

Man Bahadar Contact No.

97859837

Indian male, M. Com with 3 yr

Oman Exp in Accounts with valid

NOC & D/L on Visit Visa, available

to join immediately .

GSM :94744575

Electrical & Electronics diploma

engineer Indian male 22 years,

2 years experience currently in

visit visa. Contact 93047707

adilm89@gmail.com

Indian Female, 29 Yrs Age, M.Sc

Microbiology, looking for Job any

reputed organization / Hospitals,

seeks suitable position.

Contact : 95218424 / 9610 6604.

On Family Residence Visa.

Indian male 34 years MBA fi -

nance & marketing 7 years experi-

ence in India accounts & Admin-

istration, currently in Muscat on

family visa. Contact: 98104991

Email: sureshkr01@gmail.com

Indian Female, M.Sc Computer Sci-

ence, Seeking suitable placement in

Muscat Area. Contact : 98660672

Indian B-Com Graduate 1 year

Experience in market survey, Valid

Driving License, looking for any

suitable post. Contact: 92567020

/ 96930392, shwayanad@gmail.

com

Indian male, M. Com, 11 years

experience in the fi eld of account-

ancy and Stores. Good knowledge

in SAP, Tally, oracle, MS offi ce and

Excel seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92859733

Senior Accountant, NOC avail-

able, more than 5 years exp., born

& bought up in Oman, Account-

ing upto fi nalization, computer

skills tally9, Sage ERP ACCPAC

500(6.0A), Vcams, Audit ,valid

Oman driving license, lan-

guages known English, Arabic,

Hindi. Can join immediately.

Tel: (+968) 96339599, E-mail-

(ahmedmohdkhan@gmail.com)

Indian male, M.Com, 7 years

Oman experience in the fi eld of

accounts and valid oman driving

license & NOC . Good knowledge

in SAP, Tally, oracle, MS offi ce and

Excel seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92859733

Indian male 42, BE-Civil 13 years

experience in Road construction.

looking for suitable placement.

having valid Oman driving license.

Contact: 95225214, Email:

Sudheerrokkala73@gmail.com

Indian Male 28 years, Mechanical

Engineer (Diploma) with 2 years’

experience, Automobile ITI NCVT,

CSWI-BGAS Painting QC Grade-2,

NDT Level-2, ISO Lead Auditor QA

(IRCA), Piping QC & Isometric Draw-

ings, WPS & WPQR, available on

Visit Visa, looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 90653733,

libinthomaslt@gmail.com

The Business Development Man-ager, Iraqi, Exp. 15 Years Inside and

outside Oman following activities:

construction(Very strong and quali-

fi ed to bringing business for civil

work Or any type of the construction

work for many million per year with

a good experience in pricing and

collect payment and cash fl ow &

marketing projects & investments &

tenders & real estate. #92385033

DAILY GUIDED6 T H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

CATERING SERVICES We do industrial catering

service, Canteen / mess,

3 times packed meals and

all types of catering events.

Contact: 92188777 / 99249899

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SERVICESWe Provide Cleaners,

Offi ce boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir Nati onal Est. LLC Contact : 94277020

A/C Maintenance & Servicing,

Fridge, Washing machine & Dish

washer repairing, Painting & Clean-

ing services, Electrical & plumbing.

Contact 99447257 / 97014234 /

24504281

we do building maintenance all

kind of works. Contact 99247663

PEST CONTROLAL TABA SERVICE LLC

Ants, Rodent, & cleaning On monthly,

Harmless & Odourless

100% Professional A ordable Rate !!!

CALL - 91464586

Pest control & Building cleaning all kinds of pest control building. Cleaning ti les /

Marble polishing monthly/ Yearly contracts available.

Contact: 98814733 /98814740 Al Husn Cleaning L.L.C

Water proofi ng ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Pest control treatments, Ocean center LLC

Contact 99344723

House shifting. Contact 99708138

Marble crystallization & grinding, cleaning & carpet shampooing.

Ocean center LLC.

Contact 99344723

Muscat Driving School estab-

lished for over 15 years drive

safe with MDS. Meet our profes-

sional friendly Instructor. Contact:

99773651 / 95840670 Sohar

26844412 Ruwi / Darsait 24781123

MGM 24399951 AL Khudh

24536348

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont

Maintenance services electric,

plumbing and A/C. Contact:

96524904 /94285064

Marble crystallization & grinding, Ocean center LLC

Contact: 99344723

All MEP & Civil shop drawings.

Contact : 93070771 Email :

designjob2014@gmail.com

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile

polishing, pest control &

anti-termite treatment, general

cleaning painting,Plumbing,

Electrical, shifting.

Contact Mundhir

Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C.

Contact: 24810137, 99450130

Complete building maintenance

Midawa Trading Est.

Contact: 94614479

House Shifting Packing. Contact: 99657644 / 98518013

Split A/C servicing R.O 10 only.

Contact: 94217681 /99210141

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance. Contact ABU QA-

BAS- 99320217 /24788722

CAD drawings Archi/ MEP CAD –

comply BIM. Contact: 91233975

Split & window A/c installation &

maintenance specialist package &

ducted units. Contact 98667326

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing,

Contact 99314807/24792998

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble. contact 24793614/

99314807

Split & window A/c servicing &

maintenance. Contact 93769089 /

95323517

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

SITUATION WANTEDEDUCATION/CLASSES/COMP./WEB.

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English

class for Malayalam Speakers in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months• Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

Karate and self defense classes

at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per

month twice a week Monday and

Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM.

Contact: 98294551

WEB, ERP and Business Intel-

ligence (BI) creation and manage-

ment at rock bottom price. Contact:

http//webviewoman

Window & split unit A.C servicing

& repairing. Contact: 99557080

Split unit & window unit A.C

servicing & maintenance.

Contact: 96236476

Split unit & widow unit A.C servic-

ing & maintenance.

Contact: 95323517 / 93769089

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation available on rent

10 ton Hiap Trailers. Contact

94207475 / 95649231/ 97982842

Transportation available Ruwi to

Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

HSE Engineer, Indian male, 4

Plus years experience in Oil & Gas,

Working in Shclumberger,

NEBOSH,IOSH, & NDT Certifi ed,

M Tech in HSE.

CONTACT-krish.569@gmail.com

Mobile- +91 9867016808

Indian female 27 yrs, Diploma in

Aviation & Hospitality manage-

ment, seeking suitable placement.

Curnetly in Oman, NOC Available.

Contact 94880684

Safety Offi cer 3 years of expe-

rience in safety certifi cations:

BE (Electrical and Electron-

ics Engineering),NEBOSH,

IOSH, DHSE, fi rst aid.

Contact +97474018995,

email:midhunmich@gmail.com

skype:midhunmike

Bachelor in Hotel Management

Having 13 years experience in

Catering Industry in all aspects of

Operations with D/L looking out for

a suitable placement.

Contact 90654826

Email: mailingsaikiran@gmail.com

Indian Female on a visit visa hav-

ing master degree seeking suitable

placement in any fi eld, 1 ,5 year

experience in HR .

Contact+968 91467576.

Indian male network cabling tech-

nician (19-years Gulf experience)

seeking for suitable placement.

Contact 0091-8089909265 (India),

Email: mohithavp@gmail.com

Indian female, MBA, Diploma in

Aviation & Hospitality mgt (IATA),

having 4 yrs of exp, on family visa

seeks job in Oman.

Contact-9910 4529, 95679557,

e-mail-jkramya91@gmail.com

27 years old Indian male looking

hospitality jobs in Hotel. Experience

in customer service, front desk,

housekeeping supervisor, captain,

cashier,guest relation manager.

Contact. +968-90351742Email.

samubaid6@gmail.com

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil &

Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughts-

man (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING

LICENSE) seeking job.

Contact: 93790601

LAND SURVEYOR: Male, more

than 12 years’ experience in land/

pipe line surveying in Oman and

UAE. Looking for suitable place-

ment. NOC available.

Contact 91215843

ELECTRONICS ENGINEER Indian/

male/24Yrs,Bsc.Electronics &

Communications,ITI,1.7 Years

experience as Service Technician

in India, on visit Visa, looking

For a Suitable Placement.

Contact :92794176 ,

E-mail: prathyushkp9@gmail.com

Marketing Communications Coordinator Indian, 25 years GCC

experience in Media, Advertising &

Marketing ATL + BTL

branding. Contact: 93031168

Email: arn14256@gmail.com

27 yearsold Indianmale looking

Jobs in documents Collection

executive.Experience in collection

executive.

Contact. +968-90358068

Email wasimsaif04@gmail.com

Indian male, 26 years old BA Gradu-

ate having 1 year experience in

accounts fi nance fi eld. Looking for

suitable Job On visit visa

immediately available.

Contact. 9565 9415

Anishkhan991867@gmail. Com

ELECTRONICS ENGINEER Indian/

male/24Yrs,Bsc.Electronics &

Communications,ITI,1.7 Years

experience as Service Technician

in India. On visit Visa,

Looking For a Suitable Placement.

Contact :92794176,

E-mail:prathyushkp9@gmail.com

Pakistani male 23 years old expe-

rience in travel agency - ticketing

looking for a suitable job, NOC avail-

able. Contact: 93253759

Indian male physiotherapist with

3 years of experience, with (moh

license and NOC available. seeking

suitable placement.

Contact 99767528, 91317863

Indian, 32 years, passed M.A.

English M.Sc Psychology, DHM &

B.Ed in English with 4 years expe-

rience seeking for part time or full

time job. Contact: 99869535

Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com

Indian with 3 years for experience

in sales and marketing fl uency in

English, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil and

Malayalam looking for suitable job.

Also hold valid Driving License,

currently in oman Mob : 93451439

HSE Engineer, Indian male, 4 Plus

years exp. in Oil & Gas, Working

in Shclumberger, NEBOSH, IOSH,

& NDT Certifi ed, M Tech in HSE.

#krish.569@gmail.com,

Mobile- +91 9867016808

Indian Male, 40 Years, B. Com, having

10 years experience in Oman, Tally

&ERP- looking for suitable placement

( Local release and Oman driving

license available. Tel- 92469789

Electrical diploma Engineer

Indian male 22 years, 2 years ex-

perience in control panel contact

93047707 adilm89@gmail.com

Indian Male 42 year’s, MBA, Sr.

Material controller having 12 years

experience in Oman with reputed

companies. Having Oman driving

License, Seeks suitable replace-

ment immediately. Available NOC.

Cont. 00968-92944026,

Email – charanjeet35@yahoo.co.in

ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN Indian/male/24Yrs,Bsc.Electronics

& Comm,1.7 Years experience as

Service Engineer in India. On visit

Visa, Looking For a suitable place-

ment. Contact : 92794176

E-mail:prathyushkp9@gmail.com

Indian male Executive Secretary

having vast experience in admin,

logistics & procurement well versed

with computer seeks suitable

placement. #99514286

Indian male Kerala, B.com & B.PE.

Currently on visit visa, looking for

a suitable job in Accounts, Store

keeper etc. Ready to join as early as

possible. Contact:-93301023,

email:- sajith3969@gmail.com

NOC available, Indian Male - MBA

(HR) and B.E (E.I.E) with total 9

years of experience in HR & Admin

and Business Development (3 yrs

of Gulf exp.) can join immediately -

Contact 91240251 /

kvaradhan@hotmail.com

Indian Male 42 year’s, MBA, Sr.

Material controller having 12 years

experience in Oman with reputed

companies. Having Oman driving

License, Seeks suitable replace-

ment immediately. Available NOC.

Cont. 00968-92944026,

Email – charanjeet35@yahoo.co.in

Female Dentist with MOH license

and NOC, 7 years experience 2 yrs

out of them in Oman looking for a

job. Contact 97401243

IT System Administrator 6 yrs

experience, male, Filipino Desk-

top, Laptop and printer Support,

Backup administrator, Router and

switch Network, Server Adminis-

trator. +968 94134295

Female dentist with MOH license

and NOC ready to join 7 years

experience 2 of them in Oman.

Contact 97401243

M. Sc Computer Science – 2 year

Experience – in India, looking suit-

able Placement. Email:-elvisgt6@

gmail.com, Mob:-+91 9497482305

(INDIA), Oman:-98291626.

Indian, 30 years, B. Com with 2

years Oman experience in Tally

ERP-9 available in Muscat seek-

ing suitable positions. Contact on

95186652

Having 10 years exp. in Admin &

HR in reputed companies. Pres-

ently working in Muscat and seek-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact No.: 97693456. email :

muralimahdav77@gmail.com

ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN Indian/male/24Yrs,Bsc.Electronics

& Comm, 1.7 Years experience as

Service Engineer in India, On visit

Visa, looking for a suitable place-

ment. Contact : 92794176,

E-mail:prathyushkp9@gmail.com

B-tech Civil with honours, Civil

Engineer (structures) Experience

more than six years.

Contact 91431483. Email

mohsinyousuf86@rediff mail.com

HSE Engineer,Indian male, 4 Plus

years experience in Oil & Gas .Work-

ing in Shclumberger NEBOSH, IOSH,

& NDT Certifi ed, M Tech in HSE.

CONTACT-krish.569@gmail.com

contact +91 9867016808

PART TIME ACCOUNTANT avail-

able, well experienced in account-

ing up to fi nalization. knowledge in

tally also. contact. 92643875

Chief Accountant 25 years

experienced looking for part/full

time accountant job.

Contact: 95598477 / 98803439

DAILY GUIDET H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 D7

TOURS

TOURS

RENT A CAR

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP

specifi cation for monthly rent &

small car with driver.

Contact: 99839898

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with

Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain

Marine Tours contact 98029602,

92808636

We arrange tours & accommoda-

tion at all the beautiful places in

Oman. Contact 99839898

Moon Travel L.L.CSaudi Arabian Government approved agent

Contact: Tariq Al Balushi - 99218069 Ahmed Maseehuddin - 99353611, O ce: 24790746/24706217

Umrah Package by Road & AirBus Departures- Apr 19, May 03, 17 & 31.2016

Ramadan Schedule - Jun 06, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26 & 30.2016

RENT A CARBest Rates for Saloon

Contact: 97869042 / 95730550

sales@modernreem.com

SITUATION WANTEDBUSINESS

Investment RequiredMinimum OMR 500,000 to transfer

5 Excavators big + 5 Tippers 2015

Astra, working on good profitable

Excavation projects. Assured

income 36 %.

98867530 / 99120532engrfaheem@hotmail.com

Required partner investor to

build an apartment in Al Mobelah.

Contact: 99355330

Investment opportunity for

lucrative building and decorative

product. Contact: 99421513

Email: borderlineomn@gmail.com

TRANSPORTATIONTRANSPORTATION

MATRIMONIAL

Keralite Muslim parents invite

proposals for their daughter 22 yrs

with MSC Psychology + MBA HR, re-

siding with parents in Oman. Good

alliance sought form boys from

well to do settled family preferably

working in Oman / GCC. Interested

Contact: 00968-94443037

27 years RC Girl working as

a staff nurse in MOH Sur seeks

suitable alliance from Kannur, Way-

anad, Kozhikode. Contact: 92115860

GOOD NEWS

Ayurvedic treatment for joint

pain, backache, paralysis, mas-

sage, steambath, obesity, Spondy-

litis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic,

18 November Street, Azaiba.

Contact: 99639695 / 97397320

Ayurvedic treatment for

backache, paralysis, arthritis etc &

massage, All Season

(Vaidyaratnam). Contact:

24475280 / 95371664 / 2504980

www.siddhayur.com

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know

more about Islam,

please call: 99425598, 99250777,

99353988, 99253818, 99341395,

and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360,

99730723

Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

Malankara Catholic Male Nurse (28) from Thiruvalla working in

Nizwa Private Co. Alliance invites

parents/nurses working in Oman.

Contact 968 98267338,

0091 9287215726

Indian male Roman Catholic 40yrs divorcee working in Muscat.

Seeks suitable alliance from

widow/ divorcee/ single.

Contact 96059801.

Driver with car.#93346085

Transportation. Contact: 95190627

Transportation. Contact 92015894

Transportation required from

Qurum to WadiKabir at afternoon

only 1 PM. Contact - 99012165

Transportation. Contact 99508282

D8 T H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDEEmail: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTEDDINING DELIGHTS

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s

publication. * Subject to space availability