Founded 1975 . Volume 40 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 1200106February 17, 2016 8 Jumada Al Ula 1437 AH

WEDNESDAY

305 40

To the students of Sultan Qaboos University, 2000

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTYTHE SULTAN

We should like to pay tribute once again to this university’s performance and its spirit of enquiry and scholarship. You - like those before you - bear the torch of knowledge in this society. Society is a network of interwoven and interconnecting threads and we need to preserve it. To do this we must hold onto our good customs and scrap those that are outdated.

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

Exclusive family beaches plan for Muscat

FAHAD AL GHADANIfahadnews@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Six areas on beaches in Bausher, Quriyat and Seeb are set to be earmarked for families, a Muscat Municipality offi cial has told the Times of Oman.

Also, smoking will not be al-lowed in these areas, and the driving of cars and four-wheel bikes will be barred too, accord-ing to Sultan Al Shaiee, an offi cial from the media department of the Muscat Municipality.

For families looking for ex-clusive areas on public beaches in Oman, where they can spend time alone, undisturbed by bach-elors, this comes as good news.

“Between 600 metres and 1,000 metres will be allocated for families in public beaches, including the Qurum, Azaiba and Seeb,” said Al Shaiee.

He further said the move fol-lows complaints by families about the lack of exclusive zones for them.

Following such demands, the Municipal Council had decided

to form a team to study the situa-tion. “The team members sought help from walis and other offi cial representatives of people in these areas to locate the right places to be earmarked for families,” said Al Shaiee.

Space for families“A team was formed, including members of the Muscat Munici-pal Council, to plan and organ-ise space for families at public beaches,” said Al Shaiee.

The team has submitted its suggestions to the Council, which are likely to be approved at a ses-sion next month.

“After that, the issue will be raised to the Minister of Diwan of the Royal Court, for fi nal approv-al.” Al Shaiee also disclosed there will be a media plan to spread awareness among the public on the need for this new move.

“Once approved, the Munici-pality will hold an awareness campaign addressing the public, including expats. Embassies will be addressed to spread aware-ness among the residents about their nationalities,” noted Al Shaiee. >A6

Muscat Municipality

plans to demarcate

beaches for families

where they can enjoy

alone, away from

the prying eyes

of bachelors

Bodies of missing Omani siblings foundStaff Reporter

MUSCAT: Two Omani broth-ers, who had gone missing in the Mussanah waters, have been found dead, the Royal Oman Po-lice (ROP) tweeted on its offi cial Twitter handle.

“The bodies of the missing Om-

anis have been found. The search operation has been stopped,” the Public Authority of Civil Defence (PACDA) also tweeted.

The Omani siblings had gone missing at sea last Thursday evening in the Abu Abali area of Mussanah province.

The boat, on which the sib-

lings set off for a fi shing trip, was found in the adjoining Barka province’s shores, with no trace of the brothers.

The Royal Oman Police and PACDA had pressed into service helicopters, vessels and divers to fi nd the 16-year-old Qusai and 12-year-old Luay.

M U S S A N A H

OMANHousing help for an Omani family

1Madad volunteer team, which is affi liated with charitable institution Dar Al Atta’a, has received praise and acknowledgement for their eff orts in providing a family with a

home. The aim of the charity is to build a house for a family within the Sultanate. The family owns the land, but is unable to aff ord a house construction cost. >A2

MORNING MINUTE

C1Bob Jungels claims Red Jersey with fi rst stage win

OMANBeachgoers urged to report oil pollution

2Ministry of Environment and Climate Aff airs has called upon citizens and

residents to report any cases of water pollution at Muscat beaches after a dhow loaded with diesel barrels sank near Al Seeb port on Friday. >A5

MARKETMuriya Tourism to invest $500m

3Muriya Tourism Development Company, the Sultanate’s leading

integrated tourism project developer, plans to invest $500 million for completing high-end hotels and other facilities in Salalah and Jebel Sifah. >B1

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

Rain, hail fall in Oman; one rescued from wadi

REJIMON K FAHAD AL GADHANI reji@timesofoman.com fahadnews@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Even after repeated warnings from police to refrain from crossing wadis during rain, rescue personnel had to rush to save a person stuck in his vehicle in an overfl owing wadi in Saham.

Nearly one hour after tweet-ing about the stranded person, the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance informed around 8:30pm that the person had been rescued and was in good health.

The man was stuck in his ve-hicle in a wadi in Sur Al Shiaydi in Saham.

Meanwhile, weather enthusi-asts said that there was heavy rain and hailstorm in many parts of Batinah and Muscat.

“Heavy rain fell in Madha, So-har, Shinas, Liwa, Buraimi, Bid Bid, Rustaq and Baushar. Rain also fell in diff erent parts of Muscat. Wadis are overfl owing in Batinah region and there are reports of traffi c gridlock. Hailstorm fell in Rustaq and Sohar area,” Badar Ali Nasser Al Baddaei, a weather en-thusiast who maintains an exclu-sive blog for weather updates, told Times of Oman,.

According to Oman meteorol-ogy’s latest update, 39 mm rain fell in Madha, 14mm in Baushar, 11.8 mm in Sohar, 11 mm in Bid Bid and Saham.

In its forecast for Wednesday, Oman Meteorology Department has predicted rain in northern parts of Oman and along the coast-al areas of Al Wusta Governorate.

S A F E T Y W A R N I N G

STREAKING THROUGH SKY: A picture of lightning streaking across the sky in the backdrop of Mo-

hammed Al Amin Mosque at Al Khuwair was captured by an amateur photographer Faisal Al Aufi in Muscat on Tuesday. See also >A3

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A2 W E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

OMAN

Housing help for a needy family

TARIQ AL HAREMItariqh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Madad volunteer team, which is affi liated with charitable institution Dar Al Atta’a, has received praise and acknowledgement for their ef-forts in providing a family with a home.

The aim of the charity is to build a house for a family within the Sultanate. The family owns the land, but is unable to aff ord a house construction cost.

“The team devised a simple way where people were asked to donate a small amount of money until we gathered enough for the actual house,” said Al Muhannad Al Shukeili, a member of the team.

For every rial donated, a wood-en block measuring 2x2x2 centi-

metres would be placed on a fl oor plan of a miniature house and built up until it is complete.

Required amountSome 25,000 wooden blocks would be used to construct the miniature house, which simu-lates the actual number of bricks and amount of concrete needed to build the house, as well as a total of OMR25,000 needed to con-

struct the family’s home.“According to a criteria created

by Dar Al Atta’a, the family had been chosen, and we hope that after this house is built, we can go on to choose another family that needs a home,” said Al Shukaili.

When asked by the Times of Oman about the criteria on the basis of which the family was chosen, Al Shukeili said he could not reveal that information in or-

der to respect the privacy of the family in question.

So far the organisation has col-lected OMR3,000. The Madad team will be available from Febru-ary 18 to 20 at the Muscat Grand Mall to give the public a fi rst-hand view of the project, as well as a chance to donate for a worthy cause. The donations will go to Dar Al Atta’a for the construction.

Madad volunteers

aim to build a house

for a family that owns

land, but is unable

to aff ord the cost of

house constructionPROGRESS INDICATOR: For every rial donated, a wooden block

measuring 2x2x2 centimeters would be placed on a fl oor plan of

a miniature house and built up until it is complete. – Tariq Al Haremi

Shura panel discusses penal codeTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Penalties imposed for a series of off ences and crimes that are part of the Omani Penal Code, are currently being studied by the Legal Committee of the Shura Council, the Head of the Commit-tee told the Times of Oman.

Dr. Mohammed Al Zadjali, head of the Legal Committee said that the Penal Code has been under review by the Shura Council for a period of three months.

“This is a law from 1974 and it is a very important one. It aff ects the liberties of people.

“Most important are the penal-ties imposed for a series of crimes

and off ences,” he said.Al Zadjali said it is too early to

say whether or not penalties will be toughened or what shall be proposed to the Shura Council.

“We are still studying the issue and we cannot elaborate further,” he added.

A press statement released by the Shura Council on Monday said the Council had hosted a number of academics from Sultan Qaboos University as part of its review of the Penal Code.

The penalties under discus-sion include crimes threatening national security, public morals, crimes against civil servants and fi nancial and commercial crimes.

The Omani Penal Code is one of the oldest laws in force in Oman, said the statement. It was pub-lished by Royal Decree in 1974 and was designed to govern the relations between individuals and their duties towards the society and public interest.

At the end of last month, the Shura Council had referred the draft Penal Code to the Legal Committee for study, after hav-ing received it from the Council of Ministers.

Al Zadjali said he expects the fi ndings to be presented at the General Assembly of the Shura Council in April, when voting on the amendments shall take place.

R E V I E W

This is a law from 1974 and it is a very important one. It aff ects the liberties of people. Most important are the penalties imposed for a series of crimes and off ences.

Dr. Mohammed Al Zadjali, Shura Council Legal Committee Head

A3

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Withdrawal of one medicine orderedTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Withdrawal of chil-dren’s medication Advil suspen-sion 100mg/ 5ml has been ordered in the Sultanate.

Ministry of Health, represent-ed by the Directorate General of Pharmaceutical Aff airs and Drug Control, issued an order to with-draw from shelves, stop dispens-ing or selling the children’s medi-cation Advil suspension 100mg/ 5ml due to a manufacturing defect in one batch of the medicine.

Advil suspension, which is man-

ufactured by the Canadian Pfi zer company, contains an active ingre-dient, Ibuprofen, which is used as a painkiller, anti-infl ammatory and antipyretic.

All health care providers in the government and private sectors have been advised to stop adminis-tering the medicine.

The withdrawal decision per-tains to the medicine in syrup form only.

There are other forms of Advil like tablets and capsules which are available in the Sultanate that have not been withdrawn.

A D V I L S U S P E N S I O N

RAIN IN OMANThirty-nine mm rain fell in Madha, 14mm in Baushar, 11.8 mm in Sohar, 11mm in Bid Bid and Saham yesterday. Hailstorm fell

in Rustaq and Sohar areas. In its forecast for today, Oman Meteorology Department has predicted rain in northern parts of

Oman and along the coastal areas of Al Wusta Governorate. — Supplied photo

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OMAN 600used items were available for sale at

the fi rst ever garage sale organised

at the Sultan Qaboos University

SQU garage sale generates funds for charity, student projects

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATIhassan@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: More than 600 used items were available for sale at the fi rst-ever garage sale that was organised at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) on Monday to promote the concept of reusable products.

All the earnings of the garage sale will be used to fund charitable organisations in Oman and sup-port student projects, according to Firdos Al Mahrouqi, organiser

of the event. She added that the whole concept of the sale is to raise awareness that many items that people may think are useless are actually very useful and can also be resold at reasonable prices.

Good response“Many students and volunteers from all governorates of Oman sent us their shoes, clothes, toys, books, paintings and many other interesting products,” Al Mahrou-qi added. The sale started at 3:00 pm and closed at 8:00 pm.

Jaber Al Lawati, a student at the College of Economics and Political Science, said adding a charitable and human touch to any event is a very important way for attracting visitors.

The event is a part of the 13th Business Week, organised by the Business Society, a student group at the College of Economics and Political Science at SQU.

Environment themedThe theme of the annual event for this year is Environmental Eco-nomics and it was inaugurated on Sunday.

The opening ceremony of the event was held under the patron-age of Dr. Abdul Monem bin Man-sour Al Hassani, minister of Infor-mation, in the presence of Dr. Ali bin Saud Al Bimani, the vice chan-cellor of SQU, and a number of academicians and students from the college.

Commenting on this year’s theme, Adnan Qais Al Kindi, a stu-

dent, said producing more with the same input is one solution to protect the environment and save costs.

Working hard “Waste management costs the Omani economy and is seen as bur-den. However, we can transform this cost into profi t by promot-ing the Environment Econom-ics concept,” Al Kindi said, add-ing that the students are working hard to educate youth in Oman on how to change their consum-ing behaviour and reduce usage of electricity.

“The event also features projects, research and ideas on Environmen-tal Economics as we have plans to promote the concept throughout the year,” Al Kindi added.

Several activities, such as a quiz competition, a chess competition, lectures on green energy, a horse show and a drone show will be held on the sidelines of the event, which will last until February 17.

The event is part of the 13th Business

Week, organised by the Business Society,

a student group at the College of Economics

and Political Science at the SQU

NEW INITIATIVE: All the earnings of the garage sale will be used

to fund charitable organisations in Oman and support student

projects, according to Firdos Al Mahrouqi, organiser of the event. –

Supplied photo

Awareness drive on automotive careersTimes News Service

MUSCAT: In a bid to raise aware-ness among youth on opportuni-ties in the automotive sector, the National Automotive Higher In-stitute (NAHI) has launched its multi-regional “School Visit Pro-gramme,” in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Nation-al Carrier Guidance Centre .

The initiative will help deliver a series of lectures on the automo-tive sector, and how NAHI em-powers students through a range of academic courses and modern facilities.

Over the next month, NAHI will make presentations to more than 500 youth in Muscat, Al Batinah South and Al Dakhliyah, discuss-ing what the institute provides, as well as what it will enable students to achieve within the industry’s growing career prospects.

Strategic partnersAlong with senior staff from Oman’s fi rst specialised automo-tive organisation, a number of NAHI’s strategic partners are sup-porting its drive for greater aware-ness, including delegates from NAHI’s Shareholders.

“Oman’s automotive sector is growing in multiple avenues of speciality and requires profes-sional technicians in multiple

areas; such as marketing, parts management, customer service, body repair and painting, as well as light and heavy vehicle servicing and maintenance. It is important

to capitalise on this opportunity through “centres of excellence” such as NAHI, as the industry’s development promises a diverse range of opportunities for the lo-

cal job market, and new choices for motivated and inspired young Omanis,” said Haji Al Balushi, gen-eral manager at NAHI.

He added, “By raising students’ awareness on the potential of the domestic industry, we are sup-porting the automotive sector’s contribution to the economy by providing a trusted establishment to invest in the national workforce. As we present our programmes, we believe that Oman’s local talent will continue to be our ‘vehicle’ for driving higher economic returns and growth in the local market.”

Multiple disciplinesAs the fi rst specialised automotive institute in the Sultanate, NAHI serves to equip and empower Om-ani students as professional tech-nicians across multiple disciplines within the automotive industry. As a centre delivering a two-pronged approach in the theoretical and practical aspects of automotive education, NAHI is now working with renowned international bod-ies, such as the Institute of Motor Industry (U.K.), to further its level of accreditation.

NAHI is the fi rst specialised au-tomotive organisation in the Sul-tanate of Oman, serving to equip students as professional techni-cians across multiple disciples within the automotive industry.

I N I T I A T I V E

SHOWING THE WAY: Over the next month, NAHI will make presen-

tations to more than 500 youth in Muscat, Al Batinah South and Al

Dakhliyah, discussing what the institute provides, as well as what

it will enable students to achieve within the industry’s growing

career prospects. -Supplied photo

‘Academia, industry need to work hand-in-hand’Staff Reporter

MUSCAT: A collaboration be-tween academic institutions and the industrial sector is very es-sential for both to become suc-cessful, said the acting Dean of the Caledonian College of Engineering.

“We are preparing engineers for the future of these industries so the partnership between aca-demic institutions and the indus-trial sector is vital,” said Dr Ahmed Al Hassan Balushi, acting dean of the Caledonian College of Engi-neering (CCE) on the sidelines of the signing ceremony of a Memo-randum of Understanding (MoU) with Gulf Muscat United LLC.

According to CCE offi cials, Gulf Muscat United LLC (GMU) is a leading company in the Sul-tanate of Oman.

“We really appreciate your col-laboration and the willingness to partner with us to ensure a prac-tical exposure, which is necessary for the academic curriculum,” Balushi said.

With a rich business back-ground in many countries in the region, GMU has a portfolio of diversifi ed global business activ-ity, including agricultural com-modities products, cement and building materials, construction, ICT and telecom, oil and gas, and properties development and in-vestment.

“Your alliance is a golden op-portunity for us, as well as the students; this will give exposure to the students, not only in the local Omani Market, but also in the overseas market,” the acting Dean noted.

Agreement signedThe MoU signed between CCE and GMU covers recruitment and student internships and explore straining, research and develop-ment opportunities in the fi elds of engineering and allied fi elds.

“This MoU will go a long way in our eff orts to attract young and talented Omani engineers to

build a sustainable future for our operations in Oman,” Mehdi She-kofteh Borhani, chairman of the GMU said.

According to the spokesperson of Caledonian college, a provi-sion for CCE graduate students to pursue student placement opportunities at GMU has also been created.

“This MoU will explore train-ing programmes for GMU, includ-ing custom-made short courses; other activities serving the engi-neering sector in the region are included, as well as cooperation in organising seminars and con-ferences,” he added.

C A L E D O N I A N C O L L E G E

PARTNERSHIP: The MoU signed between CCE and GMU covers

recruitment and student internships. – Jun Estrada

Volunteer initiative plans to enrol 4,000Times News Service

MUSCAT: After a successful fi rst year, Wiyakum, a volunteer-ing programme sponsored by Nama Group and Oman Network of Volunteers (Taawon), plans to target some 4,000 volunteers from diff erent parts of Oman, in a bid to cultivate a volunteering culture across the country.

At a ceremony held yesterday, the Nama Group and Taawon signed an agreement to launch the second Wiyakum project as part of the Group’s sustainability programme.

The Wiyakum project will be executed in two parts and include a nationwide competition to de-velop and implement volunteer programmes that serve the com-munity in disciplines such as en-vironmental conservation, health and safety, economic diversifi -cation and other social causes which refl ect the Sustainability Policy and Nama Group’s values.

The other part of the project seeks to strengthen the link be-tween Nama Group staff and the community. According to an of-fi cial at Nama Group, “Last year, more than 540 Nama staff were trained and received their vol-

unteer passports to record their volunteer hours.”

The OMR80,000 agreement was signed at Nama Holding, previously known as Electric-ity Holding Company, by Eng. Omar Khalfan Al Wahaibi, CEO of Nama Group and Chairman of the Sustainability Committee, and Khamis Said Al Alawi, Advi-sor of Oman Network of Volun-teers (Taawon).

The fi rst year of the Wiyakum programme attracted more than 3,800 participants, represent-ing more than 95 teams around Oman, who were encouraged to volunteer through the Wiyakum competition. Out of the total number of proposed projects, three were implemented, while others remain in the planning phase. One of the projects car-ried out helped to set up a special library for the blind at Sohar Uni-versity. Eng. Omar Al Wahaibi, CEO of Nama Group and Chair-man of the Sustainability Com-mittee, noted, “This year’s edition has been built around the success of last year’s achievements. The volunteer teams will be encour-aged to implement their projects and will be evaluated on the suc-cess and benefi ts realised”.

W I Y A K U M

A5

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HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATIhassan@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Ministry of Envi-ronment and Climate Aff airs (MECA) has called upon citizens and residents to report any cases of water pollution at Muscat beaches after a dhow (boat) load-ed with diesel barrels sank near Al Seeb port on Friday.

“Beachgoers all the way from Qurum to Barka coastlines have been asked to contact the Pollu-tion Operation Monitoring Cen-tre at 80071999 or 24693666 in case they witness any fl oating oil barrels, pollution or ship wreck-age,” MECA said in a statement.

While no leakage has been re-ported so far, ministry offi cials will go to the area on Wednesday to take stock of the situation.

The estimated number of miss-

ing barrels is between 150 and 300, according to Moza Al Salami, an offi cial from the Pollution Op-eration Monitoring Centre. She said the commercial dhow had a variety of goods, including pet-rol and diesel barrels, chemicals, medical tools, plastics and more.

Around 1,000 tyres are also re-portedly missing in the sea.

Al Salami said the fi shermen and beachgoers had collected some petrol barrels and placed the empty ones on the beach.

“There is no pollution, but these barrels can obstruct the fi shing boats’ movement,” she added. The Times of Oman (TOO) had reported on Saturday that eight Indian sailors on board the dhow were rescued by the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

“All the eight sailors were res-cued from the sinking dhow near Oman’s coast. All are in good health,” the ROP posted on its of-fi cial Twitter account on Satur-day afternoon. The dhow was on its way to Somalia from Sharjah.

“We noticed a problem by around 3 pm on Friday. We in-formed the shipping agent and they alerted the ROP. As water started entering the dhow, we moved to our own rescue boat and waited for help,” Gaff ar Sid-dique, the captain of the dhow, told TOO. “The rescue team had come fast and we were saved. However, we couldn’t salvage the sinking dhow,” Siddique added.

Almouj Marina announces successful test of anti-fouling tech for vessels

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Almouj Marina an-nounced the success of a month-long experiment to create environ-ment-friendly and technologically enhanced anti-fouling coating for vessels and other submerged structures.

The unique fi eld experiment, which was conducted in Almouj Marina and in partnership with researchers from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), helped suc-cessfully develop a non-toxic coating that has proven to be as eff ective as commercial anti-foul-ing paints without endangering the environment.

The project, the fi rst of its kind in the region, could help preserve Oman’s unique marine environ-ment and save the maritime indus-try millions of dollars annually.

Bio-fouling is the colonisation of submerged surfaces by unwanted organisms, such as bacteria, bar-

nacles, and algae. The fouling of boats, structures, and industrial equipment has had a major impact on the maritime industry.

For decades, toxic compounds have been used to keep the hull of ships free of organisms. This has led to the contamination of the marine environment and harmed many marine organisms.

Milestone momentKhalil Abu Jaber, Marina Manager at Almouj Marina commented, “This milestone moment is a ma-jor step forward in our quest to prevent the degradation and pol-lution of marine species in the Sultanate.

“Its success has the potential to ramp up eff orts to protect our oceanic treasures and position Oman as a safe haven for oceanic life. As a result of the strong out-comes yielded by the experiment, we along with our partners will extend the length of the eco-pro-

ject further as we move to enter a new phase of intense research development.”

Dr. Sergey Dobretsov, head of Department of Marine Science and Fisheries at SQU said, “Bio-fouling is a major problem for the marine industry, incurring costs of more than $15 billion per annum worldwide. Oman in particular has a great deal of bio-fouling thanks to its abundant coastal areas.

“Today, most manufacturers produce toxic anti-fouling paints that gradually release poisonous chemicals and harm any organ-isms that come in contact with it, in addition to contaminating the marine environment. As such, the development of an environ-mentally friendly coating will bring massive benefi ts to Oman, ranging from sustaining wildlife and ecosystems to signifi cantly reducing costs.”

The nano-coating developed during the experiment in Almouj

Marina, is technologically en-hanced and can cover more sur-face with less material. Produced with the aid of nano-technology, the coating successfully reduces the impact of bio-fouling on wa-terways, marine life, maintenance costs and fuel consumption.

He added, “Almouj Marina is the ideal location for conducting this experiment, thanks to its clean and clear waters as well as their dedi-cation to marine conservation.

The result is a coating that is free of toxic chemicals and capa-ble of transforming marine pres-ervation in Oman. Moving for-ward, we hope our next phase of research will be the beginning of a new era for the marine industry in the Sultanate.”

Kick-started as part of an agree-ment made between Almouj Mari-na and SQU in February 2015 with the help of The Research Council of Oman, the fi rst experiments were undertaken for fi shing nets.

N O N - T O X I C

ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY: A non-toxic coating was successfully tested which is as eff ective as commercial anti-fouling paints without

endangering the environment. – Supplied photo

While no leakage

has been reported so

far, ministry offi cials

will go to the area on

Wednesday to take

stock of the situation

UK education still popular among Omani studentsERIK PRINSerik@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: The United Kingdom is still popular with Omani stu-dents seeking higher education, participants of a reception held by the University of Kent said.

The University of Kent offi cials had paid a short visit to the Sul-tanate to reach out to prospective students, government organisa-tions and other universities.

“We are looking to increase our engagement with the Middle East in general and Oman in par-ticular. Not only to draw new stu-dents to our university, but also to make sure our research is known here and to look for possible part-nerships with other universities,” Dr. Anthony Manning, dean for Internationalisation, said.

The University admits about 40 Omani students a year. Popu-lar courses are Business, Law, Biosciences and Architecture, Manning told the Times of Oman.

He added that the University is also interested in starting ex-change programmes with Oman. While Omani students could come to the UK to study, British students could spend some time at an Omani university. “We have a growing Arabic section at our university, so there might be op-portunities here,” he said.

Khalid Al Raisi, who earned a

Masters in Business Administra-tion from the UK last year, said the country is still attractive to Oma-nis seeking to develop themselves.

“The level of education and competence of the staff is of a high standard. In Oman, we have an excellent schooling system, but the experience of the staff in the UK allows them to have the upper hand,” he stated.

Asked what he missed most from Oman while staying in the UK, Al Raisi said he had missed his family the most. “But fortu-nately, you start meeting new peo-ple, which makes it very interest-ing,” he said.

He said when he studied Me-chanical Engineering in the UK in the 80s, it was much more diffi cult to stay in contact with his fam-ily in Oman. “Nowadays, we have social media, which make things much easier. Back then, when I arrived in the UK, it was so much diff erent from Oman these days. It was a culture shock.”

Mubarak Al Balushi, who hopes to pursue a Masters degree in Broadband in the UK, said he is looking forward to studying there. “The advantage of spend-ing time there is that my Eng-lish language skills will improve. Contact with people from diff er-ent nationalities will enhance my knowledge of other cultures,” he said.

H I G H E R S T U D I E S

VIGIL: Beachgoers all the way from Qurum to Barka coastlines

have been asked to contact the Pollution Operation Monitoring

Centre at 80071999 or 24693666 in case they witness any fl oat-

ing oil barrels, pollution or ship wreckage. – File

Beachgoers urged to report oil pollution

A6

OMANW E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

The producers of Silverline fi lm factory, Parthi, S S Vasan were impressed and decided to produce the music video “Unnodu Nanirundal” - in Tamil and “Tere Bina” in Hindi (in Oman) after listening to the story of the music video and track of song composed by Muralidharan KN in Muscat

Thasleem Khan, music video director

Indian music video to be shot in Sultanate

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Silverline fi lm factory of India, the producers of famous fi lms, such as Singam, Puli and Nerethir, plans to make a roman-tic music video that will be shot in exotic locations across India and Oman.

The announcement was made after producers of Silverline fi lm factory of India were in Muscat scouting for locations for their next fi lm “Garuda” to be shot in the Tamil language.

As per the Hindu, mythology,

Garuda is the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Vishnu and in general, it’s a large eagle-like bird.

The Garuda fi lm will be pro-duced by Silverline Film Factory and will be directed by Thiru. It will be a commercial action enter-

tainer and the stars include top ac-tors Vikram and Kajal Agarwal.

Vikram is an Indian fi lm actor, who has acted in large number of Tamil and Bollywood fi lms and has also won six Filmfare Awards, as well as one National Award.

“The producers of Silverline fi lm factory, Parthi, S S Vasan were impressed and decided to produce the music video “Unnodu Nanirundal” - in Tamil and “Tere Bina” in Hindi (in Oman) after listening to the story of the music video and track of song composed by Muralidharan KN in Muscat,” said Muscat-based professional, Thasleem Khan, who will be di-recting the music video.

Director Thasleem Khan will be visiting to Chennai in India soon to select the lead actors and sing-ers. “The other characters will be chosen from Muscat and the mu-sic video will be shot in India and Oman,” Khan said.

The producers of

Silverline fi lm factory

of India were in

Muscat scouting for

locations for their

next venture

ROMANTIC VIDEO: Director Thasleem Khan will be visiting Chen-

nai in India soon to select the lead actors and singers.

MUSCAT: Eff orts made by the joint committee of the State Council and Majlis Al Shura regarding the report submitted for discussion about the remarks received from His Majesty the Sultan on the proposed amendments to certain provisions of the ‘Traffi c Law’ was praised by the Deputy Chairman of the State Council.

The meeting discussed the re-port, and decided to submit it to the next plenary meeting.

State Council Offi ce on Tues-day held its 7th meeting of the 1st annual sitting of the 6th term under the chair of Dr. Sheikh Al Khattab bin Ghalib bin Ali Al Hinai, Deputy Chairman of the State Council.

State Council Offi ce hosted Dr. Ahmed bin Ali Al Mashaikhi, Head of the Committee on Cul-ture, Media and Tourism, and Salim bin Ismail bin Al Sweid,

Rapporteur of the Committee for discussion about the proposal submitted by the Committee on Culture, Media and Tourism on “Cultural Civil Society Organi-sations from the legislative and regulatory perspective”.

The State Council Offi ce dis-cussed a number of proposals submitted by a number of hon-ourable members of various standing committees.

The meeting was also briefed on a number of letters from a number of stakeholders.

At the end of the meeting, agendas of the regular sixth and seventh sessions of the 1st annual sitting of the 6th term, scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 1 and March 2.

The meeting also discussed the topics on the agenda and took appropriate decisions in their regard. -ONA

D I S C U S S I O N

SIXTH TERM: The meeting was held on Tuesday under the aegis

of Deputy Chairman of the State Council. – ONA

Traffi c Law changes praised in meeting of the State Council

Policy to curb use of drugs reviewedTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Latest developments in several projects namely, the Na-tional Strategy for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances, 2016-2020, the National Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Centre Project, and the Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Projects was re-viewed by the health minister.

During the meeting, new plans of the National Commit-tee was discussed and the budget was ratifi ed.

Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Sai-di, Minister of Health, recently presided over the fi rst meeting of the National Committee for Narcotics and Psychotropic Sub-stances, which was held at the ministry’s headquarters.

The meeting was attended by senior members of the National Committee from Ministries and other stakeholders.

It should be noted that the Health Minister had issued a

decision to reform the National Committee for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances last January.

The Committee had proposed a National Public Policy in the fi eld of Narcotics and Psycho-tropic Substances control to be acknowledged by the cabinet.

It would create prevention and treatment plans in the fi eld of tackling the illegal use of drugs and psychotropic substances and follow-up on their imple-mentations.

Rules, regulationsThe committee also proposed rules, regulations and decisions relevant to Narcotics and Psy-chotropic Substances.

Moreover, it conducted and supported fi eld and scientifi c research and studies regarding drugs and psychotropic sub-stances in addition to exchang-ing regional and international experts in this fi eld.

M I N I S T E R O F H E A L T H

Majlis reviews rehabilitation plan of locals in Duqm

MUSCAT: Majlis Al Shura reviewed the replies from the Minister of Transport and Communications and Chair-man of Duqm Port Company on the training and rehabilitation plan for Duqm locals and the reply of the Minister of Agricul-ture and Fisheries on the fi shing port in Hadbin in a meeting on Tuesday.

It also reviewed the Minister of Manpower reply on the classifi cation of the private sector companies, the Minister of Health reply on the performance of Blood Bank and the reply of the Minister of Social Development on the establishment of schools for disabled.

The Council discussed the interpellation to the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning and Chairman of Oman Refi neries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) on the Omanisation plan, as well as the application submitted to the Minister Responsible for Financial Aff airs on the study of lifting fuel subsidy and the interpellation to the Minister of Commerce and Industry about the feasibility study for establishing Oman Mining Company.

Oman LNGThe meeting also reviewed a number of questions to the Minister of Oil and Gas on the tax levied on Oman LNG Com-pany.

In the foreign aff airs, the Of-fi ce reviewed the visions of the Umma Council of Kuwait on how to deal with reports issued by international parliamentary organisations about the GCC countries and the report of the delegation taking part in the 11th meeting of the member countries at the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, which was held in Baghdad.

The Offi ce also approved the minutes of the 9th regular meeting and the follow up re-port on the implementation of the decisions taken at the previ-ous meeting.

The members reviewed the ministerial replies referred from the Council of Ministers, a number of parliamentary ques-tions and interpellations by members addressed to a num-ber of public departments.

It also reviewed the letter and circulars from the international organisations, councils and par-liaments.

Majlis Al Shura Offi ce held its 10th meeting of its fi rst an-nual sitting 2015-2016 of its 8th annual term 2015/2019 under the chair of Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of Majlis Al Shura.-ONA

F U E L S U B S I D Y

Plan to maintain beaches

The suggested locations have also been approved by the Mu-nicipal Aff airs Committees in the wilayats of the Sultanate.

The team also discussed creating a special area on the beaches where people can play football and other games.The authorities have also de-vised a plan to properly main-tain the beaches and provide beachgoers with proper facili-ties. A leafl et prepared in coor-dination with the Ministry of Tourism, will inform beachgo-ers about the correct way to be-have on the beaches, as well as educate them on the upkeep of the beaches.

However, some people did not express their approval for the concept of having exclusive family areas at public beaches, arguing that beaches should be open to anyone and everyone.

“It doesn’t make sense to have a family area on a public beach. Single people are also harder to control in such situations,” said Shorooq, a resident of Muscat.

N E W P R O P O S A L

< FROM

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REGIONW E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

MAKING A POINT: Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, right, speaks next to Elmar Brok,

left, Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Aff airs, at the EU Parliament in

Brussels, Belgium. – Reuters

The UN Syria envoy, Staff an de Mistura, held talks with Syria’s foreign minister on Tuesday aimed at securing a cessation of hostilities and said Damascus had a duty to let the world body bring in humanitarian aid.

Turkey seeks allies’ support for joint ground operation in Syria

ISTANBUL/ANKARA: Turkey is asking allies including the United States to take part in a joint ground operation in Syria, as a Moscow-backed government advance nears its borders, raising the possibility of direct confrontation between the NATO member and Russia.

A large-scale joint ground op-eration is still unlikely: Washing-ton has ruled out a major off en-sive. But the request shows how swiftly a Russian-backed advance in recent weeks has transformed a confl ict that has drawn in most re-gional and global powers.

Syrian government forces made

fresh advances on Tuesday, as did Kurdish militia, both at the ex-pense of rebels whose positions have been collapsing in recent weeks in the face of the Russian-backed onslaught. The off ensive, supported by militias as well as Russian air strikes, has brought the Syrian army to within 25km (15 miles) of Turkey’s frontier,

while Kurdish fi ghters, regarded by Turkey as hostile insurgents, have extended their presence along the border. The advances have in-creased the risk of a military con-frontation between Russia and Turkey. Turkish artillery returned fi re into Syria for a fourth straight day on Tuesday, the defence minis-ter said, targeting the Kurdish YPG

militia which Ankara says is being backed by Moscow.

“We want a ground operation. If there is a consensus, Turkey will take part. Without a ground op-eration it is impossible to stop this war,” a Turkish offi cial told report-ers at a briefi ng in Istanbul.

“Turkey is not going to have a unilateral ground operation... We

are discussing this with allies.”Turkey on Monday accused

Russia of an “obvious war crime” after missile attacks in northern Syria killed scores of people, and warned the YPG it would face the “harshest reaction” if it tried to capture a town near the Turkish border. Russian air support for the Syrian government off ensive has transformed the balance of power in the fi ve-year-old war in the past three weeks.

World powers meeting in Mu-nich last week agreed to a pause in the fi ghting, but that is not set to begin until the end of this week and was not signed by the warring Syrian parties.

The UN Syria envoy, Staff an de Mistura, held talks with Syr-ia’s foreign minister on Tuesday aimed at securing a cessation of hostilities and said Damascus had a duty to let the world body bring in humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, Damascus says its objectives are to recapture Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city before the war, and seal off the border with Turkey that has served as the main sup-ply route into rebel held territory for years. Those would be the gov-ernment’s biggest victories of the war so far and probably end rebel hopes of overthrowing President

Bashar Al Assad by force, the ob-jective they have sought since 2011 with the encouragement of the West, Arab states and Turkey.

Kurdish forces continued their push eastwards towards IS-held territory northeast of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Hu-man Rights, a Britain-based group which monitors the war, said the Kurdish-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) - of which the YPG is a part - took a village just west of the town of Marea. That is the last major settlement before a swathe of territory held by the radical mil-itants stretching east across Syria and into Iraq.

The Syrian army also made ad-vances, with state media saying it had taken two villages north of Aleppo near the town of Tal Rifaat, which fell to the SDF on Monday.

With the help of Russian air strikes it also advanced from the government-held coastal city of Latakia, continuing a push into rebel territory and fi ghting to take the key town of Kansaba.

“If (the rebels) lose Kansaba everything in Latakia will go to the regime,” said Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory. “If no immediate support comes for fi ghters in (north) Latakia then it could fall in days.” — Reuters

Syrian forces and

Kurdish militia

encroach on Turkish

border as NATO and

Germany urge de-

escalation by Ankara

and Moscow

Zarif tells European lawmakers militancy is also their problemBRUSSELS: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told European Union lawmakers on Tuesday militants were also a European problem.

European parliamentarians quizzed Zarif about alleged hu-man rights violations in Iran, Iranian defence spending and nu-clear activity and Tehran’s stance on Middle East confl icts that have killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes, spurring a large in-fl ux of refugees into Europe.

Radicalised European citi-zens, often with immigrant back-grounds, have gone to Syria and Iraq to fi ght for IS militants, who claimed responsibility for the shooting and bombing rampage in Paris that killed 130 people in November.

“We all need to understand why some who behead innocent indi-viduals in our part of the world speak European languages with perfect accents. Why is it that this is happening?” Zarif told the Eu-ropean Parliament session.

“You feel the consequences of the growth of extremism in our region in terms of refugees that come to Europe, in terms of the spread of unfortunate terrorist incidents in various European cities. Extremism cannot be con-tained in one country or one re-gion, it’s a global menace, requir-ing a global response.”

In Syria, an off ensive by gov-ernment forces backed by Rus-sian air strikes and militias has regained signifi cant ground from rebels in the north near Turkey’s frontier, dimming prospects that a truce deal hatched by world powers in Munich last week will take hold soon.

Zarif said Tehran had no “boots on the ground” in Syria but only “military advisers” on the invita-tion of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. “We will move out military advisers when the local govern-ment deems it necessary for us to remove them,” Zarif said. “Why is Iran there? Because Iran believes that the alternative right now - ei-ther in Iraq or in Syria - is not a

democratic government but IS.”Syria’s war created a breeding

ground for the ultra-radical IS, whose insurgents now control large swathes of territory in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

Russia has come under criti-cism for not ceasing air strikes in Syria since the Munich agree-ment and has faced accusations that it was using lengthy and com-plex Syria diplomacy only to buy time to turn the tide of the war on the ground.

Zarif challenged that, saying: “Who is going to impose the mili-tary solution in Syria? Nobody. Russia can’t impose a military solution either... We need a politi-cal solution.”

“Are we talking about democ-racies in our region criticising Bashar Al Assad?” Zarif said. “This is not about democracy, this is not about the rights of the Syrian people. This is all about a convoluted, perverted concept of regional equilibrium, which they believe has been disturbed and they want a redress.” — Reuters

E U H E A D Q U A R T E R S

Bahrain frees four American journalistsDUBAI: Bahrain has freed an American journalist and her cam-era crew after accusing them of participating in an illegal gather-ing, and they are expected to fl y out of the country, the group’s law-yer said on Tuesday.

Bahraini lawyer Mohammed Al Jishi and media campaign group Reporters Without Borders iden-tifi ed the four as US journalist Anna Day and three members of her camera crew, all of them US citizens. Bahrain’s public pros-ecution offi ce did not name those arrested, but said it had ordered the release of four Americans af-ter interrogating them.

“They are on their way to the airport,” the group’s lawyer, Mo-hammed Al Jishi, told Reuters by telephone. A witness said the four

appeared to be in good health.Day has reported in the Middle

East, north Africa, Asia and Latin America for numerous media out-lets, mostly American.

Security forces had arrested the four on Sunday while they were “participating with a group of saboteurs who were carrying out riot acts in Sitra”, Bahrain Public Prosecutor for Manama Nawwaf Al Awadi said in a statement.

Sitra is a village east of Mana-ma. The prosecution statement, carried by the Bahrain News Agency, said they were interrogat-ed in the presence of their lawyers. It said the group had been found with cameras and computers, and were accused of “disturbing pub-lic order and exposing modes of transport to danger”. — Reuters

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

ONGOING OFFENSIVE: Turkish tanks stationed at a Turkish army position near the Oncupinar crossing

gate close to the town of Kilis, south central Turkey, fi re towards the Syria border, on Tuesday. – AFP

RELEASED: An undated photo of US journalist Anna Day provided

by Jesse Ayala, on Monday. Anna and three members of her cam-

era crew were detained in Bahrain on Sunday. – Reuters/Handout

ACCUSED: A fi le photo of Peter Mukerjea with wife Indrani Mukerjea.

CBI on Tuesday fi led a chargesheet in a court against Peter Muker-

jea, arrested in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case. - PTI

A8

INDIAW E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

Something in the range of $29.6 billion (India has received FDIs) in the last fi scal. In terms of percentage, it is 38 per cent rise in infl ows compared to 16 per cent dip all over the world

Nirmala Sitharaman, Union commerce and industry minister

Drug monitoring programme struggles to grow fast enough across countryMUMBAI/NEW DELHI: With-in days of being given a diphtheria jab during a school vaccination drive, 5-year-old Meraj Shabbir Khan’s leg became so swollen that he was hospitalised.

In a cramped Mumbai paediat-ric ward, third-year pharmacolo-gy student Nitin Shinde opens the boy’s fi le and notes the vaccine, his age and the doctor’s diagnosis of a skin infection.

That information is later logged into a computer program linked to a national database, part of In-dia’s fl edgling eff orts to track, ana-lyse and ultimately warn patients about unknown side eff ects of drugs on the market.

India’s six-year-old pharma-covigilance programme, which collects and submits suspected adverse drug reactions to a World Health Organisation (WHO) da-tabase, is key to improving drug safety in a country where medi-cine consumption is high, experts say. But insuffi cient staff and equipment, and a lack of aware-ness among medical professionals mean many potentially dangerous drug reactions go unrecorded, hos-pital personnel across India said.

GapsGaps in the system mean the government has less data to de-termine whether drugs might have harmful side eff ects. Also, relatively little information fl ows from one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical markets to the WHO database of over 12 million suspected adverse drug reactions.

“In a country of 1 billion people consuming so much medicine, obviously safety is a concern,” said G. Parthasarathi, dean of the pharmacy school at JSS Univer-sity in Mysore, adding the phar-macovigilance programme is still

gaining traction. “We’ve made a good start,” he said. Last year, In-dia contributed 2 per cent of the 2.1 million suspected reactions added to VigiBase, the WHO’s global database.

Tracking adverse drug reac-tions is urgent “in public health programmes where huge amounts of medicine are being used,” said Sten Olsson, a WHO programme expert at the non-profi t Upp-sala Monitoring Centre (UMC) in Sweden which maintains VigiBase.

The centre analyses the WHO database for worrying patterns among suspected reactions and, where there are safety concerns, publishes a “signal” that goes out to member countries.

It is up to those countries to act on that information or not. “We’re concerned that with some of our new signals nothing has been done with them,” said Ols-son. Indian health offi cials say the monitoring programme is a “high

priority” and a $14.5 million an-nual budget is suffi cient.

“We are going to develop a bet-ter pharmacovigilance system in India in due course,” said G.N. Singh, India’s drug controller. “Pa-tient health will be assured.”

Drug companiesThe programme could improve, experts say, if drugs fi rms contrib-uted more. To make a new drug in India, companies need permis-sion from the national drug con-troller after submitting safety and effi cacy data including from local clinical trials. For four years after an approved drug is on the market, fi rms must submit safety reports, including those on adverse drug reactions.

After that there is no mandato-ry requirement for them to report all adverse reactions, and smaller fi rms, which make up over a third of India’s market, often don’t have robust monitoring resources.

“They feel after four years,

every drug is safe,” said a person working in pharmacovigilance at a multinational drugs company in India. “That’s not the case.”

Last year, only about one tenth of the suspected adverse drug reactions India collected came from drugmakers, compared to 95 per cent in the United States. But making reporting mandatory for all companies and all drugs is not realistic, industry advocates say.

“You have up to 80,000 drugs on the market. You think the govern-ment is prepared to do pharma-covigilance for all of them?” said T.R. Gopalakrishnan, deputy sec-retary-general of the Indian Drug Manufacturers Association.

“Many manufacturers don’t even know where their drugs are being consumed.”

Some of India’s 179 monitor-ing centres operate smoothly, but other parts of the system aren’t working, programme administra-tors say. In interviews with staff at more than 20 centres, programme coordinators cited problems rang-ing from a shortage of person-nel, computers and funds to raise awareness among staff to a lack of cooperation from doctors who say they are too busy.

“I call doctors to my offi ce, serve them tea... and push them to report. What else can I do?” said C.B. Choudhary, who coordinates a monitoring centre at Katihar Medical College in Bihar state.

“I want the programme to start, but it isn’t happening,” he said. Not all centres require extra per-sonnel or equipment, and those that do are in the process of get-ting full staff , said V. Kalaiselvan, principal scientifi c offi cer at the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commis-sion which hosts the pharma-covigilance programme’s head-quarters in Ghaziabad. - Reuters

P H A R M A C O V I G I L A N C E

STAFF SHORTAGE: A pedestrian walks past the Lokmanya Tilak

Municipal General Hospital in Mumbai, Some of India’s 179 moni-

toring centres operate smoothly, but other parts of the system

aren’t working, programme administrators say. - Reuters

CBI fi les chargesheet

against Peter Mukerjea

MUMBAI: CBI on Tuesday fi led a chargesheet in a court here against former media baron Peter Muk-erjea, arrested in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case.

The agency fi led the supplemen-tary charge sheet in the case before Additional Metropolitan Magis-trate R. V. Adone here.

Peter, whose wife Indrani Muk-erjea is the prime accused in the case, was arrested on November 19 for his alleged role in the murder conspiracy. He was in CBI custody for two weeks. His bail plea was re-jected on February 12 by a special CBI court which observed that the charge sheet was yet to be fi led and investigation in the matter was still on. While Mukerjea (59) is

lodged in Arthur Road prison here, Indrani is in Byculla women’s jail.

Others arrested in the case are Sanjeev Khanna (Indrani’s ex-husband) and her former driver Shyamvar Rai. The trio were chargesheeted in the case after Sheena (24), Indrani’s daugh-ter from an earlier relationship, was allegedly strangled in a car in April 2012 and her body burnt was dumped in a forest in adjoining Raigad district.

CBI, which took over the probe from Mumbai Police late last year, suspects that fi nancial transac-tions led to the murder of Sheena.

The murder took place in 2012 but came to light in late August last year. - PTI

M Y S T E R I O U S M U R D E R

Journalists demand action against lawyers over attack

NEW DELHI: Journalists in-cluding top editors on Tuesday marched in the streets of Delhi protesting against the attack on them by lawyers in the Patiala House court complex on Monday as the political divide on the JNU issue escalated sharply.

The Congress alleged that there is a state of “undeclared emergen-cy” in the country while the BJP hit back, accusing Rahul Gandhi of being a “principal misleader” of Indian politics after he alleged that youth was being muzzled by the government.

The issue also echoed at a meet-ing Prime Minister Narendra Modi called to reach out to the Opposition ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament.

Accused of inactionThe role of Delhi Police, which was accused of inaction in the face of violence, and its chief B. S. Bassi came under intense attack from political parties and journalists who demanded his sacking.

A day after the unprovoked at-tack on journalists and students and teachers of the JNU) in the court complex on Monday, hun-dreds of journalists marched to the Supreme Court demanding action. The journalists took out a two kilometre-long march from the Press Club of India to the Supreme Court and submitted a memorandum to the Registrar, seeking cancellation of licences

of lawyers involved in beating of scribes.

A separate delegation of journal-ists met Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding his intervention in ensuring “accountability of the Delhi Police who watched silently as the assault happened”.

At Jawaharlal Nehru Univer-sity (JNU), sections of teachers

on Tuesday joined the students and boycotted classes demanding unconditional release of student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, charged with sedition.

A section of teachers also con-demned last week’s incident when anti-India slogans were raised at an event in the campus.

In a related development, the

Supreme Court agreed to give an urgent hearing on Wednesday to a plea seeking action against those involved in thrashing the journal-ists and JNU students and teach-ers in the Patiala House court complex where Kumar was to be produced. The petition fi led by N. D. Jaiprakash, an alumnus of JNU, who was hurt in the violence on

Monday, sought action against the people involved in the violence and over “inaction” on the part of Delhi Police.

Delhi Police Commissioner Bassi told the media that the al-leged inaction of police personnel is being probed and the guilty will face action if anyone had trans-gressed law.

Asked why the policemen pre-sent at the court complex did not intervene when the assault was going on, he merely said the is-sue pertains to people from “two diff erent lines of thought” con-fronting each other in a charged environment.

When pressed further, he said, “In the investigation, we will also probe whether there was any neg-ligence on part of any police per-sonnel. If it turns out to be so, the concerned offi cial will have to face legal action.”

Bassi had on Monday termed the assault as a “minor” incident, saying it was fallout of an emotive issue, comments which evoked strong reaction from journalists and JNU students.

‘Financial links’He said police are probing sus-pected “fi nancial links” between terror outfi ts and students alleg-edly involved in the raising of anti-India slogans at JNU.

The Congress stepped up attack on the government, saying there is a state of “undeclared emergency” in the country while BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of being a “princi-pal misleader” of Indian politics after he accused it of muzzling the youth.

“They are suppressing the voice of students in Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow. We’ll not accept this, we will fi ght this. They are putting RSS VCs(Vice Chancellors) in every University and College, they are trying to suppress the voice of the students,” the Congress Vice President told reporters in Sivasa-gar in Assam.

Seeking to derail any attempt by BJP to turn the protest against hanging of Parliament attack con-vict Afzal Guru on his third death anniversary at JNU campus into a battle between “patriots and anti-nationals”, Congress also de-manded that the Supreme Court should ensure an independent in-vestigation. - PTI

A day after the

unprovoked attack

on journalists

and students and

teachers of the

JNU in the court

complex hundreds of

journalists marched

to the Supreme Court

demanding action

‘FDI fl ows in country improving’

BENGALURU: Stating that the Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) infl ows in the country are improv-ing day by day, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said more and more investments are com-ing from sectors other than IT and ITeS.

“Highest investments are com-ing from services other than IT and IT-enabled services which may include a lot of things — it could be courier services; it could be getting into services that are partly related to logistics and re-tailing and so on,” she said in her address at the IIM Bangalore.

Construction and infrastruc-ture is the second highest sector which are receiving FDIs, the min-ister said. “We also have retail-ing, IT and IT-enabled services. Chemical industry also is receiv-ing - other than fertilisers, they are also receiving a lot,” she said.

Sitharaman said that India re-ceived FDI worth nearly $29.6 bil-lion, the highest amount received by any country in last fi scal.

“Among the countries, which do monitoring on FDIs fl owing into theirs, we seem to have received the highest amount in the last fi s-cal,” she added.

“Something in the range of $29.6 billion (India has received FDIs) in the last fi scal. In terms of per-centage, it is 38 per cent rise in infl ows compared to 16 per cent dip all over the world,” Sithara-man added. The minister said In-dia has received the highest FDIs compared to other countries only showed that the Indian economy is instilling confi dence in the minds of investors.

“It is only improving day by day.Largely individual, trust and other corporate entities are coming in,” she said. - PTI

H I G H E S T A M O U N T

Nirmala Sitharaman

SEEKING CANCELLATION OF LICENCES: Journalists holding a protest march from Press Club of In-

dia to the Supreme Court in protest against the Monday’s attack on mediapersons and JNU students

by lawyers outside and inside Patiala House Courts, in New Delhi on Tuesday. - PTI

NEW DELHI: Former Delhi University lecturer SAR Geela-ni was arrested on Tuesday on sedition and other charges in connection with an event here in which anti-India slogans were raised, police said.

“Geelani was arrested around 3am at the Parliament Street police station under IPC sections 124A (sedition), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 149 (unlawful assembly),” DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Nar-wal said.

Geelani was called to the police station last night where he was detained and ques-

tioned for several hours, and later arrested.

After his arrest, he was taken to RML Hospital for a medical examination, he said.

His arrest comes amid the raging row over the arrest of JNU students’ union presi-dent Kanhaiya Kumar over sedition charges in connection with an event on February 9 against the hanging of Parlia-ment attack convict Afzal Guru. At a Press Club event on February 10, in which Geelani was present on the dais along with three other speakers, a group allegedly had shouted

slogans hailing Afzal Guru.Taking suo motu cognisance

of the matter, the police reg-istered a case against Geelani and other unnamed persons on February 12.

Police had claimed that Geelani was booked as he is presumed to be the “main organiser” of the event.

“Request for booking a hall at the Press Club was done through Geelani’s e-mail and the nature of the event was proposed to be a public meet-ing, which did not turn out to be so,” a senior offi cial had said. - PTI

Former DU lecturer arrested in sedition case

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INDIAW E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

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BJP wins four seats, NDA fares better in by-elections

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday won four seats and the Congress two as the ruling NDA bettered the opposition in by-elections for 12 seats held across eight states three days ago.

Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Sama-jwadi Party (SP) was the worst suff erer. The SP lost two of the three seats it held in Uttar Pradesh — one each to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).The BJP also snatched two seats

from the Congress - one each in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

The BJP was the winner in Maihar (Madhya Pradesh), Mu-zaff arnagar (Uttar Pradesh) and in Hebbal and Devadurga in Kar-nataka. The Congress grabbed Bidar in Karnataka and Deoband in Uttar Pradesh.

Bihar’s Harlakhi seat was re-tained by the Rashtriya Lok Sa-mata Party (RLSP).The Shiv Sena won from Palghar in Maharash-

tra, the ruling TRS crushed the Congress in Narayankhed in Tel-angana and the CPI-M won from Amarpur in Tripura again with the BJP taking the second spot.

Punjab’s Kharoor Sahib con-stituency went the Shiromani Akali Dal way in an election boy-cotted by both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the state’s new entrant.

In BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Narayan Tripathi snatched the

Maihar constituency from the Congress by over 27,000 votes.

Tripathi had won the seat for the Congress earlier. He quit the house after joining the BJP.

Uttar Pradesh proved a shocker to the SP. BJP’s Kapil Dev Agarwal was declared elected from Muzaf-farnagar, where communal riots took place in 2013. He defeated Chittaranjan Swaroop of the SP by about 6,000 votes. Congress’s Mavia Ali worsted Meena Rana of

SP in Deoband by 3,424 votes.Both Muzaff arnagar and

Deoband seats were held by the SP, which faces assembly elec-tions in the state next year.

The SP’s consolation came in Bikapur in Faizabad district.

BJP’s Y.A. Narayanaswamy won from the high-profi le Heb-bal in Bengaluru North, defeating C.K. Abdul Rahman Sharief (Con-gress) by 19,149 votes.

The loser is the grandson of former union minister C.K. Jaff er Sharief. In the reserved Deva-durga constituency in Raichur district, BJP’s K. Shivana Gouda Nayak won by 16,871 votes over A. Rajashekhara Nayak of the Con-gress. In Bidar, Congress nomi-nee Rahim Khan fi nished on top, defeating Prakash Khandre of the BJP by 22,721 votes.

In all three places, the Janata Dal-Secular was a poor third.

In Bihar, the RLSP’s Sudhansu Sekhar was declared elected from Harlakhi, defeating Congress can-didate Mohammad Shabbir by over 18,000 votes.

The election was necessitated by the death of RLSP legislator Basant Kumar Kushwaha a few hours ahead of the oath-taking ceremony of the new Bihar as-sembly in November 2015. -IANS

Uttar Pradesh proved

a shocker to the

Samajwadi Party.

BJP’s Kapil Dev

Agarwal was

declared elected from

Muzaff arnagar, where

communal riots

took place in 2013

Anoushka loses, Asif Kapadia wins at Grammys

LOS ANGELES: Sitarist Anoush-ka Shankar once again lost in the World Music category at the 58th Grammy awards while Indo-British director Asif Kapadia reg-istered a win in Best Music Film section for his documentary Amy.

Anoushka, 34, was nominated in the Best World Music Album cat-egory for her solo album Home, a pure Indian classical album.

A tribute to her late father Ravi Shankar, the song featured two ragas. Anoushka, who was nomi-nated in the category for the fi fth time, lost it out to Angelique Kidjo for Sings.

The Indian sitarist appeared in great spirits as she took to pre-sent at the Grammy stage in a blue Manish Arora dress. -PTI

W O R L D M U S I C C A T E G O R Y

JUBILANT: Rashtriya Lok Samata Party MP Arun Sinha celebrates with party leaders after the party

candidate’s thumping victory in the Harlakhi Assembly by-poll, in Patna on Tuesday. - PTI

Vohra asks security forces to avoid collateral damage

SRINAGAR: In the wake of death of two civilians two days back, Governor of Indian-admin-istered-Kashmir N. N. Vohra on Tuesday directed security forces to exercise maximum restraint to minimise collateral damage while conducting operations against militants.

“Maximum restraint should be exercised to minimise collateral damage while conducting opera-tions against militants/terror-ists,” Vohra said at a high level meeting he chaired to review the maintenance of security in Kashmir Valley.

The directions came two days after two civilians were killed al-legedly in fi ring by security forces in Pulwama district during law and order problems in the after-math of an encounter between security forces and militants.

The state government has or-dered a magisterial probe into the incident leading to death of the two civilians, both Univer-sity students.

The meeting was attended by two Advisors to the Governor, Chief Secretary, DGP, Principal Secretary to Governor, Home Secretary, Corps Commander of

Army, Inspectors General of BSF and CRPF, Divisional Commis-sioner Kashmir, IGP Kashmir and senior offi cers of the State and central intelligence agencies.

The Governor directed the DGP to hold urgent discussions with the security forces to evolve a fully-agreed standard drill to be followed before and post-opera-tions against the militants.

He stressed the need for en-forcing strict pre-emptive meas-ures, including imposition of reasonable restrictions, as part of the approach to be followed in minimizing inconvenience to the people at large and ensure that the encounters against militants do not result in injury or any un-fortunate killing of innocent civilians.

The DGP was also directed to review and enforce clear proce-dures for the fi ring of live am-munition in dealing with varied emerging situations.

The Governor also stressed the urgent importance of pro-active steps being taken for creating awareness amongst the people at large to keep away from the area where operations against mili-tants were ongoing. - PTI

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

RESTRICTIONS: A policeman partially removes concertina wire

to allow women to pass in front of the closed shops during re-

strictions in Srinagar. Police in parts of Srinagar city on Monday

imposed restrictions by sealing off many residential areas to

prevent protests against the deaths of two youths in Pulwama

district on Sunday, local media reported. - Reuters

Cabinet may recommend revocation of President’s rule

NEW DELHI: With the Su-preme Court putting no hurdle in formation of a new government, the Union Cabinet may recom-mend revocation of President’s rule in the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh soon, possi-bly by Wednesday.

The Home Ministry is waiting for a report from Governor J. P. Rajkhowa about the latest po-litical situation in the sensitive border state after 31 MLAs, led by Congress dissident Kalikho Pul,

met him on Monday.Offi cial sources said the Gover-

nor’s report is expected soon and if it suggests formation of a new government, the Home Ministry will present a note before tomor-row’s scheduled meeting of the Union Cabinet to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Monday, Pul, accompanied by 31 MLAs, had called on the Gov-ernor to stake claim to form the next government in the state which is under President’s Rule. - PTI

A R U N A C H A L P R A D E S H

ELATED: Anoushka Shankar

speaks at the 58th annual

Grammy Awards on Monday, in

Los Angeles. - AP/PTI

A10

PAKISTAN W E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

1.1 MILLION-YEAR-OLD STEGODON TUSK This handout photograph taken on January 17, 2016 and released by the University

of Punjab, on Tuesday, shows a stegodon tusk at the discovery site at Padri village in

Jhelum district. A team of Pakistani researchers claims to have unearthed a 1.1 million-

year-old stegodon tusk in the central province of Punjab, potentially shedding new light

on the mammal’s evolutionary journey. Stegodonts, distant cousins of modern elephants,

are thought to have been present on earth from around 11 million years ago until the late

Pleistocene period, which lasted until the end of the last Ice Age around 11,700 years

ago. — AFP/UNIVERSITY OF PUNJAB

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa seeks Chinese corridor projects

ISLAMABAD: The disgruntled Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) gov-ernment has sought 6,000 mega-watt power projects and repre-sentation on the working groups of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

In a meeting with Federal Min-ister for Planning and Develop-ment Ahsan Iqbal in Islamabad on Monday, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak unveiled what he wants for his province in the multibil-lion-dollar project.

K-P has been pushing the gov-ernment to complete CPEC’s western route fi rst. Its eff orts paid off when at an all-party confer-ence on January 15, Prime Minis-ter Nawaz Sharif set the July 2018 deadline for the completion of the western alignment.

A list of 12 economic zones in the province was also scrapped with the fi nal number to be deter-mined after due consultation with Peshawar.

According to an offi cial hand-out, the Khattak-Iqbal meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. During the meeting, Iqbal clari-fi ed Khattak’s misgivings about CPEC and assured the latter that the Western route was very much part of the monographic study of CPEC.

He revealed that the Gwadar-Surab section will be completed by December 2016, while ground-breaking of the Dera Ismail Khan section – scheduled to be com-pleted by July 2018 — would be held in March.

“Western route is very much part of the CPEC framework and this has also been clarifi ed by Embassy of China in Paki-

stan,” said Iqbal. Offi cials who at-tended the meeting said Khattak has demanded that the federal government either set up power plants that generate between 5,000MW to 6,000MW or provide the provincial administration funds for it.

On this, the planning minister asked the chief minister to share details to justify this demand.

Energy projectsAround two-dozen medium to long-term energy related pro-jects with a generation capacity of 17,000MW and worth $34 bil-lion constitute a major part of the project.

Khattak also asked the fed-

eral government to complete the much-delayed Chashma Right Bank Canal project which would help provide irrigation water to the arid southern districts of K-P. Iqbal promised to arrange a meet-ing between the Water and Power Development Authority and the provincial administration.

Complaining that Punjab domi-nates all the energy-related ac-tivities planned under CPEC, K-P sought representation on various working groups of the multibil-lion-dollar project.

At the moment, only Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sha-rif is invited to meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Energy. Iqbal assured the K-P chief min-

ister that all provinces would be given due representation in the working groups.

Khattak demanded that fi ve special economic zones be set up along M-1 Motorway, in Bata-gram, Haripur, Bannu and Dera Is-mail Khan. To this, Iqbal asked the K-P government to come up with specifi c proposals for the zones as he urged them to hire well-reput-ed consultant to identify commer-cially viable sites in the province.

He also pushed Khattak on en-suring speedy land acquisition for sections of western route which pass through the province. Khat-tak also demanded that optical fi -bre and rail links also pass through his province. — Express Tribune

In a meeting with

Federal Minister

for Planning and

Development Ahsan

Iqbal in Islamabad

on Monday, Chief

Minister Pervez

Khattak unveiled

what he wants for

his province in the

multibillion-

dollar project

GOLDEN GOOSE: A general view of Pakistan’s Gwadar deep-sea port on the Arabian Sea in this fi le photo. — Reuters/Qadir Baloch/Files

Fiza appointed as member of UN panel on women empowermentISLAMABAD: A Pakistani wom-an has been named as a member of the United Nations body dedi-cated to the economic empower-ment of women.

Fiza Farhan was elected as a member of the fi rst ever High-Level Panel of the UN Secretary-General on Women’s Economic Empowerment, according to a communiqué released on Mon-day. Fiza is CEO of Buksh Foun-dation and director of Buksh En-ergy. She was also part of the ’30 under 30’ list by Forbes magazine for Social Entrepreneurs in 2015.

As a member of the panel, Fiza will join leaders of World Bank Group, International Mon-etary Fund, UN Women as well as several other eminent gen-

der and equality actors. She will also establish connection with economics experts, academics, trade union leaders, businesses and government representatives

from across the world. She said, “It is indeed an hon-

our for me to represent Pakistan and women of Pakistan on this prestigious High-Level Panel.

“It is time that we engage global leadership and galvanise political will to scale actions with meas-urable impact towards wom-en’s economic empowerment,” she added.

UN Women Country Repre-sentative in Pakistan Jamshed Kazi said, “While, Fiza will be pro-viding advice as a global thought leader, we also look forward to her continued contribution in cham-pioning women’s economic em-powerment right here in Pakistan in alignment with UN Women’s mandate.” — Express Tribune

F I R S T - E V E R

Fiza Farhan

UK police return MQM chief Altaf’s passport

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain retrieved his passport on Tuesday following cancellation of bail in a money laundering case earlier this month.

On February 1, the bail of the party’s supremo was cancelled in the case, exempting him from ap-pearing before London’s Metro-politan Police during future pro-ceedings in the case.

There was, however, no confi r-mation if his bank accounts were also restored which were seized along with the passport after the investigation was initiated.

While confi rming the develop-ment, party’s spokesperson Ami-nul Haque said returning of the passport was actually a proof that the allegations of money launder-ing were false, and termed it a tes-tament to Altaf’s innocence.

London police had cited ‘in-suffi cient evidence’ in the case leading to cancellation of bail, but it had denied that the charges were dropped.

On October 6 2015, the leader of the Karachi-based party was granted bail for the fi fth time since beginning of the investigation over undocumented cash found at the MQM London offi ce in December 2012.

Altaf had arrived in UK in Janu-ary 1992 seeking asylum after he escaped the country following an ‘assassination’ attempt. He was subsequently awarded a British passport in 2002.

Two alleged workers of the Mut-tahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were awarded collective prison terms of 14 years by a south dis-trict and sessions court in Kara-chi, the capital of Sindh province, on Tuesday.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Sikandar Amir Panhwar found Naeem, alias Cockroach, and Farhan, alias Tidda, guilty of possessing illicit weapons and ex-plosives. — Express Tribune

R E P R I E V E

A11

ASIAW E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

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South Korean leader vows hard line with North Korea

SEOUL: South Korean President Park Geun-hye pledged on Tues-day further “strong” measures against North Korea, after sus-pending operations at a jointly run industrial park as punishment for the North’s recent long-range rocket launch and nuclear test.

It was time to face the “uncom-fortable truth” that the North would not change, Park said in

comments that mark a signifi cant reversal for a leader whose policy on Pyongyang had been based on what she’d described as “trustpo-litik” that she hoped would lay the ground for eventual unifi cation.

Park said past eff orts at en-gagement had not worked. “It has become clear that the existing approach and goodwill are not going to break the North Korean regime’s nuclear development drive,” she told parliament.

Washington and Seoul are seeking support from Beijing, Pyongyang’s main ally, for tougher sanctions against North Korea for the February 7 rocket launch and January’s nuclear test.

‘Trustpolitik’ “The premise of ‘trustpolitik’ was that the North was a partner. The president’s comments in eff ect mean that premise was wrong. It is a complete turnabout in North

Korea policy,” said Hong Sung-gul, a political science professor at Kookmin University.

South Korea last week suspend-ed the operation of the Kaesong industrial zone, which had been run jointly with the North for more than a decade.

The industrial park was a key source of hard currency for the impoverished North. Seoul also agreed to enter talks with Wash-ington for deploying a missile defence system in South Korea, which China strongly opposes.

“The government will take strong and eff ective measures for the North to come to the bone-numbing realisation that nuclear development will not help its sur-vival but rather it will only speed up the collapse of the regime,” Park said.

She did not specify what the measures would involve. Seoul and Washington have said the rocket launch was in fact a long-range missile test that violated UN Security Council resolutions. The North said the launch was part of its scientifi c programme designed to launch satellites into space.

Park, whose father ruled South Korea for 18 years, had set out an ambitious plan early in her single

fi ve-year term to prepare the two Koreas for unifi cation.

That, and her call for confi -dence-building steps between the rivals, were a departure from the hard-line policy of her predeces-sor, Lee Myung-bak.

In a 2014 speech in Germany that became known as the “Dres-den declaration”, Park called for a new push for cooperation and exchange to bring the two societies closer.

She hoped Germany’s reunifi ca-tion would eventually be emulat-ed on the Korean peninsula. Park had sought to engage the North in dialogue since then, while also responding fi rmly to moves by North Korea that raised tensions, including a landmine blast at the border last year that wounded two South Korean soldiers.

Her top national security of-fi cials met senior aides to the North’s young leader, Kim Jong Un, in August and agreed to take steps to improve ties in the most substantial diplomatic engage-ment since a 2007 summit be-tween the Koreas.

Those eff orts have since fi zzled. South Korea is now on heightened alert for any kind of “extreme ac-tions” Pyongyang might take, Park said. - Reuters

Washington and

Seoul are seeking

support from Beijing,

Pyongyang’s main

ally, for tougher

sanctions against

North Korea for the

February 7 rocket

launch and January’s

nuclear test

China raps Australia foreign minister ahead of Beijing trip

BEIJING/TOKYO: China rapped Australian Foreign Min-ister Julie Bishop on Tuesday ahead of her visit to Beijing after she said Australia recognised the Philippines’ right to seek arbitra-tion in its dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea.

China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malay-sia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims.

The Philippines has chal-lenged Beijing at an arbitra-tion court in The Hague over Chinese claims.

Beijing has repeatedly and an-grily said it will not recognise the case. Speaking in Tokyo, Bishop said Australia did not take sides on the completing claims in the waters but was awaiting the out-come of the arbitration.

“We recognise the Philippines’ right to seek to resolve the mat-ter through arbitration, but we urge all claimants to settle their disputes peacefully without co-ercion, without intimidation,” she said.

RemarksAsked about the remarks, Chi-nese Foreign Ministry spokes-man Hong Lei said he believed Australia “understands” China’s position on the South China Sea. Hong repeated that China thought the Philippines arbitra-tion case was a contravention of international law and went against the consensus Beijing and Manila have had on the issue.

“China certainly will not ac-cept this. Australia ought not to selectively avoid this reality,” he told a daily news briefi ng.

Bishop also said she will seek clarifi cation from China about how it intends to use its reclaimed islands in the South

China Sea, including whether Beijing intends to grant access to other countries.

“In the past (Chinese) Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said they will be public goods, so I am seek-ing more detail as to how other nations could access these public goods,” Bishop said of the islands.

“Depending upon the answer he gives, we will look at the situa-tion,” she told reporters in Tokyo, where she met Japanese coun-terpart Fumio Kishida. Bishop, who will fl y to Beijing later on Tuesday for talks with Wang and other Chinese offi cials, would not say whether Australia would seek access to the islands Hong said China’s building on the islands was for its own defence, as well as providing facilities for the inter-national community to carry out search and rescue operations.

Regional peaceIt will not aff ect freedom of navi-gation or overfl ight, he added.

“We hope Australia can adopt an objective, fair and impartial position and not do anything to harm regional peace and stabil-ity,” Hong said.

Beijing has asserted its claim in the region with island build-ing projects that have reclaimed more than 2,900 acres (1,170 hec-tares) of land since 2013, accord-ing to the Pentagon.

It tested for the fi rst time last month a 3,000-metre run-way built on a reclamation on Fiery Cross Reef by landing several civilian airliners from Hainan island.

China has accused Washing-ton of seeking maritime hegemo-ny in the name of freedom of nav-igation after a US Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of a disputed island in the Paracel chain of the South China Sea in late January. - Reuters

S O U T H C H I N A S E A

TALKING TOUGH: South Korean President Park Geun-hye delivers

her speech during a plenary session at the National Assembly in

Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday. - Reuters

China warnsUS againstWashington plaza name

BEIJING: China’s Foreign Min-istry warned the United States on Tuesday there would be “serious consequences” if a plaza in front of the Chinese embassy in Washing-ton was named after a pro-democ-racy dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

By unanimous voice vote, the US Senate on Friday backed a plan to name the plaza after Liu Xiaobo, jailed for 11 years in 2009 on sub-version charges for organising a petition urging an end to one-party rule. China views Liu as a criminal.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the move ran “contrary to the ba-sic norms of international rela-tions” and China was resolutely opposed to it.

Futile“If the relevant bill is passed into law it will cause serious conse-quences. We demand the US Sen-ate stop promoting the bill and hope the US executive authorities put an end to this political farce,” Hong told a daily news briefi ng, without elaborating.

On Sunday, the Global Times, an infl uential Chinese state-run tab-loid, said the naming scheme was “futile”. - Reuters

A F T E R L I U X I A O B O

PARLEYS: Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, front right, meets

Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, front left, for talks at

Abe’s offi cial residence in Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday. -Reuters

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Private ownership or public enterpriseHasnain Iqbal

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has become a classic example of the failure of public ownership. The key reasons are po-

litical interference, abuse as a platform to extend patronage to supporters, corruption, ineffi cient management, overstaffi ng and a powerful trade union. The airline that was once a beacon for other airlines is now a basket case for decay and man-agement failure. PIA ran a staggering loss of Rs36 billion in 2015 while the cumulative losses over the decades run into hundreds of billions. The car-rier continues to bleed despite fuel prices being at their lowest and the government continues to bail the airline out burning a hole through the taxpay-ers’ pockets.

Meanwhile, the debate rages between the pro-ponents and opponents of the privatisation of PIA. The opposition is, as usual, only trying to extract political mileage out of the turmoil without a con-crete argument for or against private ownership.

This article aims at making sense of the massive wave of privatisation in the West in the post-Sec-ond World War era. It concludes that the experi-ence of private ownership for all its faults has been the reason behind the success of capitalism. Paki-stan seems bent on privatising PIA in the hope that private management will bring some sanity to the chaos. We have fl irted with privatisation earlier as well with mixed results. It has apparently been a success in the banking sector. The Big Six (all local banks except one) posted a whopping cumulative profi t of Rs130 billion in 2015. A dispassionate as-sessment is, however, needed to rule out cartelisa-tion and improved protection of consumer inter-ests post-privatisation.

Andrei Schleifer, Professor at Harvard and one of the top economists in the world, makes a lucid argument in favour of private ownership after ex-amining the historical experience of both private and public ownerships. He singles out two key at-tributes of the private entity to plead his case.

Private ownership is driven to innovate and re-duce costs. Conversely, the case for privatisation makes sense if the new owners have stronger in-centives to innovate and reduce costs. The success of capitalism versus socialism is founded on these two pillars. Even the Nobel laureates of econom-ics in the 1930s failed to appreciate the nature of ownership as the primary source of innovation.

They also argued that private fi rms fail to address social goals. This argument, too, is fallacious as so-cial obligations can be easily met through govern-ment regulation of the private entity. For example, in the case of PIA, the fear that the private owner-ship would be reluctant to fl y planes on unprofi t-able routes thus depriving some sections of the population fair access to air travel is misplaced. Government regulation is the answer, not govern-ment ownership.

Half a century ago, economists favoured gov-ernment ownership of fi rms fearing creation of market inequities such as monopoly. Some even argued for nationalisation of a few fi rms in each industry to facilitate a comparison between public and private ownership. Leading academics sup-ported state ownership of railroads and utilities in which it is virtually impossible to maintain ef-fectively competitive conditions. The scene dra-matically changed after the Second World War as states the world over went on a privatisation spree. The Contracting discourse emerged, which essen-tially argued for the government regulating private providers of services like education and health in-stead of owning them.

The argument against private provision of schooling holds that private schools avoid taking problem students, whom public schools can be forced to take. Schleifer argues that the govern-ment can easily address this by paying for the edu-cation of some students at the private entities thus meeting its social obligation of ensuring universal-ity of education as opposed to outright ownership of education provision.

“State fi rms are ineffi cient not just because their managers have weaker incentives to reduce costs or innovate, but because ineffi ciency is the result of the government’s deliberate policy of transferring resources to supporters,” asserts Schleifer. Simi-larly, trade unions around the world are typically the strongest opponents of privatisation because they are benefi ciaries of government largesse in exchange for political support. There is no dis-puting that the rot at PIA is the cumulative doing of successive governments. The best way forward now is its privatisation. We can only reap the fruits of privatisation if the process itself is transparent, if PIA is not sold to unworthy private entities for peanuts and if the government is willing to hold the privatised PIA accountable to its contractual obligations. - Express Tribune.

Tour de Oman to showcase Oman as prime destinationThis is in reference to story All set for ‘more exciting’ Tour of Oman’ (February 16). The Tour of Oman could be one of the most exciting sporting events that attracts people of all age groups irrespective

of their choice and desires. Obviously, the event has an added advantage to showcase Oman as one of the best tourist spots in the region. The media coverage makes it more impressive to envisage the land with traditional prosperity to rest of the world. Oman’s topography gives an exciting outlook to the event and possibly helps the sport enthusiasts from all around to be observant and explore the country together with the riders. I take this opportunity to wish all the participating teams the very best and safe touring. — Ramachandran Nair, Ruwi

Ridiculous laws on bouncers, wide balls help Indian batsmenThis refers to the story We are always top contenders in shorter formats: Dhoni (February 15). This fact is true because

the Indian side has always had a bad bowling attack. With multiple rules taking the sting out of bowlers the Indian batsmen are able to run amok. Had the ridiculous rules on bouncers and wide balls not been there, I am sure the South Asian would never be a tournament contender. — Michael Bernstein, Seeb

T I M E S O F O M A NW E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6A12

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Azizi opens IPA open dayMUSCAT: Abdul Aziz bin Mattar Al Azizi, minister of civil service and board chairman of the Institute of Public Administration, inaugurated yesterday the activities of the Open Day which is organized in honour of the best trainees and those who contributed to the Institute’s train-ing programmes. In an address, the minister underlined the necessity to celebrate achievements in the administrative development sector, which he said, served as a basis for the targeted comprehensive devel-opment in the Sultanate. He said eff orts to develop human resources translate the basic ideas of the fi ve-year development plans including the current one (2001 – 2005). He praised the relevance of the insti-tutes’ training activities in the last year.

1919: Germany signs an armistice giving up territory in Poland.

1933: The League of Nations censures Japan in a worldwide broadcast.

1955: UK announces its ability to make hydrogen bombs.

1979: China begins a “pedagogical” war against Vietnam.

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Eff orts to make labour market more fl exible and reduce cost of tax

compliance will help to improve Brazil’s investment climate. To

recapture reliable growth, however, the key will be improved confi dence

– and that hinges largely on the government’s capacity to overcome

the current political crisis

OTAVIANO CANUTO

Trump has mocked a disabled reporter, a prisoner of war and a news

anchor. It could be that he’s finally gone too far. You can no more criticise

Bush family in South Carolina than say you hate grits. It would be amazing if George who started out

as Jeb’s biggest liability, is the one to save him from a devastating defeat

MARGARET CARLSON

The trouble with banks, though notable, has been containable so

far. But should it evolve into a much sharper downturn, there could be

serious consequences for a slowing global economy and for fi nancial markets that have generally had a lousy start to the year. Those are

risks that the global economy and markets can ill aff ord at the moment

MOHAMED A. EL ERIAN

F R O M O U R A R C H I V E S

T O D A Y I N H I S T O R Y

A strong 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Christchurch, New Zealand where a deadly quake in 2011 killed hundreds

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A13

WORLDW E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

Former United Nations chief Boutros-Ghali passes awayUNITED NATIONS: Former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, whose term was marked by war in the former Yu-goslavia and famine and genocide in Africa, has died, the president of the Security Council said on Tues-day. He was 93.

The 15-member Security Coun-cil observed a minute’s silence after the death was announced by Venezuelan UN Ambassador Ra-fael Dario Ramirez Carreno, head of the Security Council for Febru-ary. No details were given.

An Egyptian, Boutros-Ghali served as UN chief from 1992 to 1996.

As the United Nations’ fi rst secretary-general from Africa,

Boutros-Ghali associated himself with the famine in Somalia and organised the fi rst massive UN relief operation in the Horn of Africa nation.

But success eluded him there and elsewhere as the United Na-tions tottered in an increasingly disorderly post-communist world, with the world body and the big Se-curity Council powers underesti-mating the deep animosity behind many confl icts.

US displeasureHe had a reputation for being prickly, and US displeasure with him was the driving force in his departure.

Earlier, Boutros-Ghali had

worked for Egyptian presidents Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak.

He accompanied Sadat on the historic 1977 visit to Occupied Je-rusalem and played a prominent role in the subsequent Camp David accords on the Middle East.

He was criticised for the UN’s failure to act during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and for not pushing hard enough for UN inter-vention to end Angola’s civil war in the 1990s, which was at the time one of the longest running con-fl icts in the world. Boutros-Ghali found himself jeered in Sarajevo, Mogadishu and Addis Ababa.

His style was to wade into crowds and confront protesters when security guards permitted.”I

am used to fundamentalists in Egypt arguing with me,” he told Reuters.

He shocked many in Sarajevo when he said he was not trying to belittle the horrors in Bosnia but that there were other countries where the “total dead was greater than here.”

He told Somali warlords and clan leaders to stop accusing the United Nations and him of coloni-alism, adding that Somalis should be worried that former colonial powers would ignore their plight if they continued to fi ght.

“The Cold War is fi nished,” he said.”Nobody is interested in the poor countries in Africa or any-where in the world. — Reuters

O B I T U A R Y

END OF AN ERA: Former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-

Ghali, right, chats to then-French President Jacques Chirac, left, at

the Francophone Summit in Hanoi, in this November 14, 1997 fi le

picture. — Reuters/Stringer/Files

Ukraine PM in setback as ‘loses public trust’

KIEV: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko suggested on Tues-day that Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk resign because his gov-ernment had lost public support, but said there should not be a snap election. The faction leader of Poroshen-ko’s party said it would ask parlia-ment to hold a no-confi dence vote within hours.

Poroshenko called for General Prosecutor Viktor Shokin to re-sign and said: “The same param-eters should be applied to the gov-ernment also... society has clearly decided that there have been more mistakes than achievements, and denied ministers its trust.”

Speaking in parliament after the statement, Yatseniuk was not explicit about whether he would resign or not, saying he would accept whatever decision parlia-ment made.

Shokin did tender his resigna-tion, however, the newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Poroshenko heads Ukraine’s largest party, and Yatseniuk the next largest.

Both are in the ruling coalition.Maksym Burbak, the parlia-

mentary leader of Yatseniuk’s party, told lawmakers that the consequences of voting against

the government would be felt “literally the next day - since this could trigger early elections and chaos”.

If the government collapsed, it would dismay Ukraine’s interna-tional backers, who have invested much cash and political capital supporting the government in its standoff with Moscow after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Ukraine’s failure to tackle cor-

ruption and implement reforms has already derailed a Western aid programme that keeps its war-ravaged economy afl oat.

IMF packageLast year, the International Mon-etary Fund gave Ukraine a $17.5 billion package to be spread over four years, but so far only $6.7 bil-lion has been disbursed.

Ukraine has been waiting since October for the next tranche of

aid, worth $1.7 billion, which has been held up by concerns over the slow pace of reform.

The economy minister quit at the start of February, complaining that corrupt vested interests were meddling in his ministry’s work.

Ukraine’s hryvnia currency weakened to a new 11-month low of more than 27 to the dol-lar on Tuesday, central bank data showed, and has fallen 12.2 percent since the start of this year alone.

Recession, insurgencyThe government is struggling to haul Ukraine out of recession at the same time as fi ghting a pro-Russian separatist insurgency in its industrial east. Yatseniuk took offi ce in 2014. His approval rat-ings have plunged to below 1 per cent but he has no obvious suc-cessor, although the parliamen-tary speaker and the technocrat fi nance minister are considered contenders. — Reuters

Ukrainian President

Petro Poroshenko’s

party, which is

the largest in the

ruling coalition,

said it would ask

parliament to hold

a no-confi dence

vote within hours

FRESH CRISIS: Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyiuk gestures while speaking during his an-

nual report at the parliament in Kiev on Tuesday. — AFP

Maksym Burbak, the parliamentary leader of Prime

Minister Arseny Yatseniuk’s party, told lawmakers

that the consequences of voting against the

government would be felt ‘literally the next day -

since this could trigger early elections and chaos’

WHO suggests novel methods to fi ght Zika outbreakLONDON: Countries battling the Zika virus should consider new ways to curb disease-carrying mosquitoes, including testing the release of genetically modifi ed in-sects and bacteria that stop their eggs hatching, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.

“Given the magnitude of the Zika crisis, WHO encourages af-fected countries and their part-ners to boost the use of both old and new approaches to mosquito control as the most immediate line of defence,” it said.

The WHO also highlighted the potential of releasing sterile ir-radiated male mosquitoes, a tech-nique that has been developed at the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Zika, which is now sweeping the Americas, is transmitted pri-marily by the Aedes aegypti mos-quito, which the UN health body described as an “opportunistic and tenacious menace”.

Many scientists believe Zika could be linked to microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, in new-borns and a serious neurological disorder in adults called Guillain-Barre syndrome.

“If these presumed associations are confi rmed, the human and so-cial consequences for the over 30 countries with recently detected Zika outbreaks will be staggering,” the WHO said.

Fighting the infection at source by eliminating the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes responsible for trans-mission is moving up the public health agenda, especially as the same insects also spread dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.

However, the concept of wip-ing out an entire mosquito species also raises serious ecological ques-tions, since it runs counter to pre-serving biodiversity.

Like rats and pigeons, Lines ar-gues, Aedes aegypti has adapted perfectly to modern urban living by breeding in everything from discarded bottle tops and used car tyres to pet water bowls and vases in cemeteries.

As a result, the diseases it carries are likely to be a growing threat to humankind in the years ahead.

While spraying or “fogging” with insecticide can provide part of the solution, WHO experts said they recommended evaluating newer tools, including a geneti-cally modifi ed prototype mosquito developed by Oxitec, the British subsidiary of Intrexon.

Die before adulthoodThe male mosquitoes are modifi ed so their off spring will die before reaching adulthood and being able to reproduce.

The WHO said its Vector Control Advisory Group rec-ommended further fi eld tri-als of the technique, following promising previous tests in the Cayman Islands.

Another option involves the mass release of male insects that have been sterilised by low doses of radiation, which the IAEA has already used to control tsetse fl y in parts of Africa.

An alternative approach uses Wolbachia bacteria, which do not infect humans but cause the eggs of females that mate with infected males to fail to hatch. — Reuters

G E N E T I C M O D I F I C A T I O N , U S E O F B A C T E R I A

While spraying or ‘fogging’

with insecticide can provide

part of the solution, World

Health Organisation experts

said they recommended

evaluating newer tools,

including a genetically

modified prototype

mosquito developed

by Oxitec, the British

subsidiary of Intrexon

52 members of Afghan forces killed in Helmand fi ghtingLASHKAR GAH (AFGHANI-STAN): Dozens of Afghan sol-diers and policemen have been killed in the southern province of Helmand since Sunday as the Tal-iban presses an off ensive in one of its heartlands, offi cials said.

Three local offi cials, who all spoke on condition of anonymity because they have been ordered not to talk about casualty fi gures, said 25 soldiers and 27 police-men had been killed in separate incidents in the province. Afghan security forces, fi ghting largely alone since the withdrawal of in-ternational forces in 2014, have been struggling for months to hold back the insurgency in Hel-mand, where the Taliban infl icted hundreds of casualties on NATO troops during years of fi ghting.

At least 11,000 civilians were killed or wounded in Afghanistan last year, in the worst year for ci-vilian casualties since the United Nations began keeping records in 2009. Heavy fi ghting over the winter points to the potential for even more bloodshed this year.

As well as the fi ghting in Hel-mand, Taliban operations in the northern provinces of Jowzjan, Kunduz and Baghlan have also severely stretched government forces and caused heavy casual-ties over recent days.

Attack by HumveesIn the worst incident in Helmand this week, insurgents in captured military Humvee vehicles packed with explosives launched a sui-cide attack on a checkpoint in the district centre of Sangin on Sun-day, killing seven soldiers and 15 policemen.

Nine soldiers were also killed in combat in Sangin, while an-other nine died in fi ghting in Musa Qalah district, northeast of Sangin, the offi cials said.

In other incidents, 10 police-men were killed fi ghting in Ger-eshk, a road junction north of the district capital Lashkar Gah, while two more were killed on Monday night in Khan Nashim in the south of the province by a man wearing a police uniform.

The Taliban, which the United States now estimates controls or threatens around a third of the country, have overrun large parts of Helmand, leaving beleagured government forces in district centres like Sangin and Marjah barely clinging on to a few offi cial buildings. Heavily mined roads have prevented reinforcements and supplies arriving, leaving many units cut off .

“Right now, some 250 police and 300 soldiers are surrounded by Taliban in Marjah and our forces are providing them sup-port from the air,” one of the of-fi cials said.”Roads to Sangin are mostly blocked with explosive devices and we cannot send rein-forcements.”

The outgoing US commander in Afghanistan, General John Campbell, recently ordered sev-eral hundred American troops to the province to bolster the de-fence, although they will be re-stricted to an advisory role unless they come under attack them-selves. — Reuters

C O N F L I C T

Given the magnitude of the Zika crisis, WHO encourages aff ected countries and their partners to boost the use of both old and new approaches to mosquito control as the most immediate line of defence

World Health Organisation

A14

GLOBAL EYEW E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

LEBANON: A general view of the Bay of Jounieh with houses and roads, north of Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday. — Reuters

BOLIVIA: A view of multifamily buildings decorated by painter Roberto Mamani and built by a housing programme of Bolivia’s Presi-

dent Evo Morales’ government in El Alto, on the outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia, on Monday. — Reuters

FRANCE: Customs offi cers stand in front of stuff ed leopards in a taxidermy hall as part of a fi ght against the traffi cking of protected

species at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, France, on Tuesday. French customs, who seized seven stuff ed animals in 2015,

deliver them to the museum for their collections. — Reuters

JAPAN: Taxis park outside Tokyo station in Tokyo, Japan, on Tues-

day. — Reuters

BRITAIN: A man walks across Millennium Bridge during sunrise in

London, Britain on Tuesday. — Reuters

GEORGIA: A car drives over Georgian Norik Yajian as he attempts to

beat a Guinness record in Tbilisi on Tuesday. — AFP

CHINA: A sperm whale stranded to death is salvaged from mudfl at

onto a Ship in Nantong, China, on Tuesday. — Reuters/China Daily

A15

WORLDW E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

It will no doubt be hard to believe, but I swear it is the strict truth: I knew nothing about this company until the scandal broke

Nicolas Sarkozy, Former French president

Vietnam seeks stronger US role in disputed sea

HANOI/RANCHO MIRAGE: Vietnam’s prime minister has urged a greater US role in pre-venting militarisation and island-building in the South China Sea, the government said on Tuesday, in a rare call for Washington’s support to curb Beijing’s mari-time expansionism.

During a summit of the Associ-ation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in California on Mon-day, premier Nguyen Tan Dung suggested to US President Barack Obama that Washington uses a stronger voice and “more practi-cal and more effi cient actions”, in comments likely to rile China.

Tension has spiked since Bei-jing’s construction of seven is-lands in the Spratly archipelago.

“Prime Minister Dung suggest-ed the United States has a strong-er voice and more practical and more effi cient actions request-ing termination of all activities changing the status quo,” the gov-ernment said on its news website.

The statement did not specifi -

cally name China, but it said Dung was referring especially to “large-scale construction of artifi cial is-lands” and “militarisation”.

With a large U-shaped line on its offi cial maps, China claims most of the South China Sea. Malaysia, the Philippines, Tai-wan, Brunei and Vietnam have rival claims.

Obama and allies from South-east Asia will turn their atten-tion to China on the second day of a summit intended to improve trade and provide a united front on maritime disputes with Bei-jing. Whereas China accuses the United States of seeking mari-time hegemony in Asia, Washing-ton says its interest in the South China Sea is preserving freedom of navigation.

In recent months, the United States raised the stakes by send-ing guided-missile destroyers USS Lassen and USS Curtis Wilbur close to disputed areas oc-cupied by Beijing.

Though communist Vietnam

routinely opposes China’s activi-ties in disputed waters, its lead-ers are usually wary of provoking a giant neighbour with which it shares over $60 billion of annual trade and maintains close ideo-logical ties.

Dung has earned popularity in Vietnam for pursuing stronger US trade and defence links and for taking a tougher line against China, compared to measured responses by other Vietnamese leaders to Beijing’s assertiveness.

Dung was controversially overlooked by the politburo last month in its nomination for party chief, meaning the end of his po-litical career when his term ends this year, posing a possible blow for Washington.

Dung also asked Obama to fully lift a lethal arms embargo on Viet-nam, which would be an “impor-tant way to strengthen political trust”, the government website quoted him saying. Obama will visit Vietnam in May, the White House said. — Reuters

Prime Minister

Nguyen Tan Dung

urged Washington to

use a stronger voice

and ‘more practical

and more effi cient

actions’ to prevent

militarisation in the

South China Sea

King Bhumibol Adulyadej recovers from infection, swollen lungBANGKOK: Thailand’s 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej has recovered from a blood infection and swollen lung but continues to have a high fever, the Royal House-hold Bureau said in a statement on Tuesday.

King Bhumibol, the world’s longest-serving monarch, has been in hospital since the end of May and has received treatment

for various ailments. He was last seen in public on January 11, when he left hospital to visit his Bangkok palace for a few hours.

Nervousness over his health and the succession has formed the backdrop to more than a decade of political crisis in Thailand, where the military took power in a coup in May 2014. “On the night of Feb-ruary 14, His Majesty the King’s

breathing quickened and an X-ray in the chest showed no lung infec-tion,” the palace statement said. “On February 15, the king’s fever was at 38.1 degrees Celsius.” That temperature is equivalent to 100.6 degrees F.

The king has a high tempera-ture, the statement said, and suf-fers from exhaustion. An X-ray on February 3 showed no infection in

the king’s chest, stomach, or brain, it said, but a medical team had found infections in other parts of the king’s body and was adminis-tering the monarch antibiotics and oxygen. The team was trying to determine the cause of the infec-tions, the statement said.

News about the royal family is tightly controlled in Thailand, where harsh laws protecting the

royals from insult make it a crime to defame, insult or threaten the king, queen, heir to the throne or regent. Crown Prince Vajiralong-korn is the only son of King Bhu-mibol and the heir to the throne.

While his father is widely adored by many Thais, who see him as a semi-divine fi gure, Prince Vajira-longkorn has yet to command the same level of popularity. — Reuters

T H A I L A N D

French judges question Sarkozy

PARIS: Former French presi-dent Nicolas Sarkozy, a poten-tial candidate in 2017, was taken for questioning by investigating magistrates on Tuesday about a scandal over excess spending in his unsuccessful 2012 re-elec-tion campaign.

A judicial source said Sarkozy, leader of the centre-right opposition Republicans, had been notifi ed in advance that the summons could lead to his being placed under formal examination, which would be a prelude to a possible trial.

He was driven to the head-quarters of the Paris fi nan-cial prosecutors’ offi ce to be questioned about the so-called Bygmalion aff air. Sarkozy has repeatedly denied knowledge of dual accounting and some $20.1 million (18 million euros) in false invoices issued by the Bygmalion event-organisation company that meant his cam-paign costs were more than double the legal limit.

Four senior fi gures in the 2012 campaign have already been placed under formal investiga-tion for alleged political fi nanc-ing off ences, including his cam-paign manager and treasurer. In a book, Sarkozy wrote: “It will no doubt be hard to believe, but I swear it is the strict truth: I knew nothing about this company un-til the scandal broke.” — Reuters

E X C E S S S P E N D I N G

PLENARY SESSION: US President Barack Obama, centre, during a

meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at Sunny-

lands estate on Monday in Rancho Mirage, California. – AFP

RECUPERATING: Thailand’s

King Bhumibol Adulyadej. – Reuters

A16

WORLDW E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

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Indonesia plans tougher laws to counter terrorism

JAKARTA: Indonesia has drawn up plans for tougher anti-terror-ism laws following last month’s militant attack on the capital, in-cluding detention without trial for up to three months compared with a week now, government sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

The proposals are likely to draw fi re from human rights activists, who have warned against jeop-ardising hard-won freedoms over nearly two decades since the end of president Suharto’s rule.

However, offi cials anticipate lit-tle opposition in parliament to the legislation, which would not be as strict as counter-terrorism laws passed in recent years by neigh-bours Australia and Malaysia.

President Joko Widodo’s gov-ernment moved quickly to reform the country’s 2003 anti-terrorism law after January 14, when four men attacked Jakarta’s business district with guns and explosives. IS claimed responsibility for the assault, in which the militants and four others died.

Details of the overhaul have been kept confi dential, but two government sources with direct knowledge of the draft law said it

would broaden the defi nition of terrorism and make it easier to both arrest and detain suspects.

The sources declined to be named because the legislation, which could be passed within the next few months, is still un-der consideration by parliament, where Widodo enjoys strong cross-party support.

“The new defi nition of terror-ism includes the possession, dis-tribution and trade of any weap-ons... or potential material that can be used as weapons for terror-ism acts,” said one.

The maximum period allowed for detention without trial will be

lifted to 90 days and for preven-tive detention to 120 days, both from a current limit of one week.

The law will also allow au-thorities to target anyone who recruits members for, or cooper-ates with a militant group, and to use electronic communications, intelligence reports and fi nancial transactions as evidence in court against suspects.

Indonesians who have joined militant training or participat-ed in terrorist acts in a foreign country will be stripped of their citizenship. Security offi cials say about 500 Indonesians have trav-elled to Syria and Iraq to join the

radical group IS and they estimate that about one in fi ve of these has returned, although most did not see frontline combat.

ArrestOver the past two months, Indo-nesian counter-terrorism forces have arrested dozens of men suspected of plotting attacks on government targets and major landmarks, and last week seven men were jailed for being sympa-thisers of IS.

But police have long complained that even when they are aware of radical activities, they are unable to detain known militants unless

they threaten or actually carry out an attack. The new law will allow the arrest of people merely “if they assemble to discuss terrorist and radical acts”.

The International Commission of Jurists last month urged the government not to undermine the process of justice by making it eas-ier for authorities to arrest people irrespective of whether there is suffi cient evidence of criminal activity. Elsewhere in the region, counter-terrorism measures have been more far-reaching.

Malaysia last April reintro-duced a law under which individ-uals can be detained without trial for up to two years with two-year extensions thereafter.

Australia has in recent years passed measures banning its citi-zens from returning from confl ict zones in Syria and the Middle East, while making it easier to monitor domestic communica-tions. The Southeast Asian coun-try has seen a spate of attacks in the 2000s, the deadliest of which was a nightclub bombing on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people.

Police have been largely suc-cessful in destroying domestic militant cells since then, but offi -cials have grown increasingly con-cerned about a resurgence inspired by IS and offi cials say homegrown radicals are regrouping. Security experts say one problem is that high-security prisons have become breeding grounds for militants, with radical clerics being able to preach and communicate with fol-lowers from behind bars.

The government sources said one of the legislative changes pro-posed involves segregating pris-oners convicted of terrorism from other inmates to minimise radi-calisation in prisons. Terrorism convicts will also be separated into three categories: masterminds or those involved in planning attacks, those involved in executing plans, and followers. — Reuters

Proposed legislation

includes longer

detention without

trial and will also

allow authorities to

target anyone who

recruits members for,

or cooperates with

a militant group

Excluding Greece won’t solve migrant crisis: Tusk

ATHENS: Excluding Greece from the open-border Schengen area will not solve the migrant crisis that is testing Europe’s cohesion to its limits, EU Council President Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.

Europe needed to improve the protection of its external bor-ders, he told reporters after talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Athens. That required more eff ort by Greece, but also more support from its European Union partners. Central European nations on Monday proposed draft-ing emergency back-up plans to halt the fl ow of migrants to West-ern Europe through the Balkans, ef-fectively ring-fencing Greece.

“The migration crisis is testing our union to its limits,” Tusk said. “For all those talking of excluding Greece from Schengen, thinking this is a solution to the migration crisis, I say no, it is not.”

Greece — the main entry point into Europe for more than a million refugees and migrants since last year, many crossing the sea from Turkey — is under intense pres-sure from its EU partners to tighten border checks. EU ministers last week gave Greece three months to fulfi l 50 recommendations to fi x its borders. If it does not, the EU mem-bers of the free-travel Schengen zone can impose checks on internal frontiers for up to two years.

Tusk, who was in Greece to rus-tle up support for an ambitious EU reform programme designed to keep Britain in the EU, was echoing sentiments expressed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said Greece needed help in meeting its border protec-tion duties, and not shunned. “Let me be clear,” Tusk said. “Exclud-ing Greece from Schengen solves none of our problems.”

Greece says the burden it is as-suming in the migrants crisis is disproportionate, adding strain on a nation reeling from six years of deep recession. — Reuters

S C H E N G E N A R E A

STRICT LEGISLATION: Indonesian police are seen near the site of an attack in Jakarta, Indonesia on

January 14, 2016. The new law will allow the arrest of people merely “if they assemble to discuss

terrorist and radical acts”. – Reuters fi les

MARKEWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMW E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6B

Muscat

5,380.03 + 3.65

+ 0.06%

Dubai

3,064.84+ 60.89

+ 2.03%

Abu Dhabi

4,140.22+ 32.80

+ 0.80%

Saudi Arabia

5,739.98+ 48.73

+ 0.86%

Kuwait

5,134.96- 4.17

- 0.08%

Bahrain

1,169.21+ 2.36

+ 0.20%

Qatar

9,873.13+ 15.93

+ 0.16%

CURRENCY RATES* DRAFT RATES (OMR1)* GOLD PRICES*Forex rates vs OMR1*

US Dollar ................................. 2.58

Euro ............................................2.30

Pound ............................................1.78

Indian Rs .............................. 176.21

Pak Rs .....................................267.31

Bangla Taka........................201.17* Rates are as of Feb. 16

Source: Bank Muscat

Indian Rs ................................... 177.50

Pakistan Rs ..............................271.25

Sri Lanka Rs ............................ 371.74

Bangla Taka........................... 203.50

Phil Peso .................................... 123.15

* Rates as of Feb. 16 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......14.40

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......13.90

Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ........... 135.00

Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............ 128.00

* Rates as of Feb. 16

Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

Type ............................Delivery...........Price

Oman Crude ............. (Spot) ........$29.24

Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........$29.44

Murban Crude ........ (Spot) .........$31,99

Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........$28.89

N.Sea Brent ............... (Spot) ........ $33.76

West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$29.25

CRUDE OIL PRICE

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IT’S NOT SMART ENOUGH TO HELP YOU DRIVE A TIMES OF OMAN

HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

Muriya to invest $500m

A E JAMESbusinesseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Muriya Tourism De-velopment Company, the Sultan-ate’s leading integrated tourism project developer, plans to in-vest $500 million for completing high-end hotels and other facili-ties in its two major destinations — Salalah and Jebel Sifah.

“We need another $500 mil-lion to build the remaining hotels and recreational facili-ties in both destinations in the next six to eight years,” Samih Sawiris, chairman of Muriya and of Orascom Development Holding, told Times of Oman in an exclusive interview.

Egypt-based Orascom Devel-opment has 70 per cent stake in Muriya, while the remaining 30 per cent is held by state-owned Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran). Sawiris, who was in Salalah to mark the offi cial opening of the fi rst phase of its integrated tourism complex, said that Muriya plans to build three more hotels here to make it a crit-ically-sized destination to be able to bring more and more air traffi c.

“We have three hotels with

700 rooms in Salalah.” “So far, we (Muriya) have invested $500 mil-lion in Oman for developing both destinations. Then we have taken $50 million loan from banks (for building the tourism project),” added the Sawiris.

He said that both tourism pro-jects (Salalah and Jebel Sifah) will be suffi ciently massed to at-tract additional tourists to Oman.

“In Salalah, we are building a destination and not just one or two hotels. We invest a lot in in-frastructure facilities (marina and desalination plants) in the beginning. We grow from there. It is a bit diff erent from other pro-jects,” added Ahmed Dabbous, chief executive offi cer of Muriya.

Sawiris noted that Muriya was the only company that continued to invest in a project without waiting for bank loans for development.

“During a crisis, banks will not fi nance projects, especially tourism and real estate projects. And everybody uses banks as an excuse (for delaying/scrapping tourism projects). We have de-cided that we will complete the projects with equity capital and we did not stop,” said Sawiris.

Muriya needs

another $500m to

build the remaining

hotels and other

facilities in Salalah

and Jebel Sifah

projects, said Muriya

Chairman

CRYSTAL CLEAR: Muriya plans to build three more hotels in

Salalah to make it a critically-sized destination to be able to

bring more and more air traffi c. — Supplied picture

Samih Sawiris. — Supplied picture

OMANTEL PERFORMANCEOmantel full year performance in 2015 was well received by market analysts, with leading advisors upgrading their share recommendation from ‘Hold’ to ‘Buy’ for the telecommunication stock. Full story in B2

B2

MARKETW E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

Investors upbeat on Omantel performance

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Oman Telecommu-nication’s (Omantel) full year performance in 2015 was well received by market analysts, with leading advisors upgrading their share recommendation from ‘Hold’ to ‘Buy’ for the telecommu-nication stock.

In a February 15 note to inves-tors, fi nancial market research company NBK Capital lifted its recommendation on Omantel shares from ‘Hold’ to ‘Buy’, noting

that 2015 operational results were 2 per cent better than analysts’ forecasts while noting net income was impacted by the impairment of WTL and VEoS programme.

“Excluding these exceptional items, group net profi t would have been OMR118.2 million, just 3 per cent short of the net income forecast of OMR122 million. Our recommendation have changed from Hold to Buy,” according to the note to investors.

Meanwhile, another note to in-vestors dated February15, Gulf Baader highlighted the positive outcome from the decision to im-

pair the investment of Worldcall Telecom (WTL) in Pakistan.

Worldcall Telecom“As per our view, the investment in WTL has been a dragger for the group results since 2008, the full impairment of this would mean the balance sheet of Omantel would become clean now. Though this would create short term nega-tive sentiments to the stock per-formance, the long term results would be net positive,” the Gulf Baader note said.

Omantel has posted the 2015 fi nancial year results, reporting

revenue growth of 6.9 per cent to OMR514.5 million, against OMR481.2 million for 2014, the highest revenue fi gure recorded in 4 years. Group operational per-formance has recorded strong growth before interest, tax and de-preciation (Ebitda) increasing to OMR254 million, from OMR243.2 million in 2014, an annual increase of 4.5 per cent.

Investing in the future of the na-tion, Omantel connects even the most remote communities of the Sultanate to each other and the rest of the world. Omantel is the Sultanate’s fi rst and leading inte-grated telecommunications ser-vices provider, enabling the digital society to fl ourish, allowing new ways of doing business and deliv-ering a world of information, news and entertainment.

Today, Omantel boldly inno-vates to deliver the highest lev-els of customer satisfaction, the broadest and most reliable nation-wide network while investing for Oman’s future development.

In a February 15

note to investors,

fi nancial market

research company

NBK Capital lifted its

recommendation on

Omantel shares from

‘Hold’ to ‘Buy’

Saudi and Russia to freeze oil output near record levelsDOHA: Saudi Arabia and Rus-sia agreed to freeze output at near-record levels, the fi rst coor-dinated move by the world’s two largest oil producers to counter a slump that has pummeled econo-mies, markets and companies.

While the deal is preliminary and doesn’t include Iran, it’s the fi rst signifi cant cooperation between Opec and non-Opec producers in 15 years and Saudi Arabia said it’s open to further action. Oil pared gains after the accord was announced, signaling traders see no immediate end to the global supply glut.

The deal to fi x production at January levels, which includes Qatar and Venezuela, is the “be-ginning of a process” that could require “other steps to stabilise and improve the market,” Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al Naimi said in Doha on Tuesday after the talks with Russian Energy Minster Alexander Novak. Qatar and Ven-ezuela also agreed to participate, he said.

Saudi has resisted making any cuts in output to boost prices from a 12-year low, arguing that it would simply be losing market share unless its rivals also agreed

to reduce supplies. Naimi’s com-ments may continue to feed spec-ulation that the world’s biggest oil producers will take action to revive prices.

Meeting demand“The reason we agreed to a poten-tial freeze of production is simply the beginning of a process” over next few months,” Naimi told re-porters. “We don’t want signifi -cant gyrations in prices. We don’t want a reduction in supply. We want to meet demand. We want a stable oil price.”

Oil pared gains in London, after rising before the meeting amid speculation the countries would discuss production cuts. Brent crude was 1.2 per cent higher at $33.78 a barrel at 11:39am in London, having earlier climbed as much as 6.5 per cent. While Novak has said he could consider cuts if other countries joined in, Russia faces signifi cant obstacles to do so. The freeze is conditional on other nation’s participation, Russia’s Energy Ministry said. Oil supply still exceeds demand and record oil stockpiles continue to swell, potentially pushing prices below $20 a barrel. - Bloomberg News

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

National Business Centre joins hand

with Fatma Al Riyami Consultancy

Times News Service

MUSCAT: National Business Centre (NBC), part of the Public Establishment for Industrial Es-tates (PEIE), on Tuesday signed an agreement to embrace Fatma Al Riyami Consultancy. The latter will benefi t from the NBC support dedicated to the small and medi-um enterprises (SMEs).

Fatma Al Riyami Consultancy is in a mission to drive corporate excellence in Oman organisa-tions and businesses, provid-ing demonstrable value through excellence and integrated man-agement solutions designed to engage customers, enrich perfor-mance and meet expectations.

ServicesThe services of the company range from project management, setting corporate management systems and transformation practices in compliance with in-ternational standards.

The National Business Centre

is an initiative launched by the Public Establishment for Indus-trial Estates at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) to off er promising Omani entrepreneurs a platform to develop their busi-ness ideas and advance them into growing ventures.

The centre aims at becom-

ing the premier platform for Omani entrepreneurs by provid-ing business development sup-port and guidance, training and mentoring, access to markets and industry experts and state-of-the-art, fully equipped, offi ce space, meeting rooms as well as presentation facilities.

A G R E E M E N T

FARES WELL: Oman Telecommunications Company has posted

a revenue growth of 6.9 per cent at OMR514.5 million in 2015,

against OMR481.2 million for 2014, the highest revenue fi gure

recorded in 4 years. - Times fi le picture

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

SIGNING SESSION: National Business Centre on Tuesday signed

an agreement with Fatma Al Riyami Consultancy. The latter will

benefi t from the NBC support dedicated to the small and medium

enterprises. - Supplied picture

B3W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

MARKET

Indian companywins gas pipeline contract in Oman

Times News Service

MUSCAT: A contract to build a 300-km-long natural gas liq-uid (NGL) pipeline as part of the $6.4-billion Liwa Plastic Indus-tries Complex was awarded to Punj Lloyd by Oman Oil Refi n-eries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic).

The Indian conglomerate en-gaged in engineering, procure-ment and construction also bagged another contract to build a 301-km-long natural gas pipeline from Oman Gas Company. The cost of these two contracts is esti-mated at $304 million.

The 14-inch pipeline for natu-ral gas liquid will be between New Fahud NGL plant and a steam

cracker unit (part of Liwa Plas-tic Industries Complex) at Sohar, the company said in a fi ling to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Gas supply to power stationIn view of increased gas demand and to ensure availability of sup-ply, Punj Lloyd will be laying an-other 32-inch gas pipeline to the existing 32-inch Fahud-Sohar pipeline for Oman Gas Company. The pipeline is being laid to sup-ply gas for North Power station.

The scope of the work also in-cludes construction of block valve and pigging stations.

Both the pipelines need to be completed within 38 and 35 months, respectively.

“We feel proud as we were se-

lected due to the strength of our technical and fi nancial bids. Also, Punj Lloyd was the only Indian contractor in Oman to be award-ed a seizable contract of the Liwa Plastic Industries Complex mega complex. Our past experience of delivering strategic projects in Oman and our prowess in pipe-lines globally, both stood testa-ment to our capabilities,” said Atul Jain, president and chief executive offi cer – pipeline and tankages – Punj Lloyd.

“Liwa Plastic Industries Com-plex will enhance the in-country value of products and will provide the necessary material to grow a downstream sector in the Sul-tanate, with a focus on the plastic industry. Liwa Plastic Industries Complex will also enhance the contribution of the industrial sector towards domestic produc-tion to 9 per cent by 202 and will create more than 13,000 new em-ployment opportunities for Oma-nis,” added Sultan bin Salim Al Habsi, chairman of Orpic.

The group’s order backlog stands at Rs2,540 billion. The order backlog is the value of un-executed orders on December 31, 2015 and new orders received thereafter.

Indian conglomerate

Punj Lloyd will build

a 300-km-long

natural gas liquid

pipeline as part of

Oman’s $6.4-b Liwa

Plastic Industries

Complex

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

India plans to attach Vodafone assets in case of tax default MUMBAI: India said it may seize Vodafone’s assets in the country if the company doesn’t pay a disputed Rs142-billion ($2.1 billion) tax bill that’s still undergoing international arbi-tration proceedings, according to a copy of the notice that was sent to the company this month.

Anil Sant, deputy commis-sioner of Income Tax, informed the company’s Vodafone Inter-national Holdings Dutch unit of its dues in a letter dated Febru-ary 4, according to the document. Spokesman Ben Padovan at Vodafone and a representative at India’s Tax Department declined to comment.

Any overdue amounts, even from overseas companies, may be recovered “from any assets of the non-resident which are, or may at any time come, within India,” according to the letter.

Foreign investorsVodafone has been fi ghting Indi-an tax authorities for years over its purchase of billionaire Li Ka-shing’s mobile-phone business in the country during 2007 in a case that analysts have said may infl u-ence foreign investors’ percep-tions about India.

“The tax authority is not privy to arbitration, and they will act against a company to recover the dues owed to them,” said Shardul J. Thacker, a partner at law fi rm

Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe. “The tax authorities do have a lot of powers and can seize assets and impose penalties on defaulters.” It’s not immediately clear what the government’s next steps would be if Vodafone were to decline the payment request.

Hutchison WhampoaThe dispute traces back to Voda-fone’s $11 billion acquisition of a 67 per cent stake in the mobile-phone business owned by Hutch-ison Whampoa, now part of CK Hutchison Holdings. While Vodafone has said it doesn’t owe the Indian government money because the transaction was con-ducted off shore, Indian authori-ties have sought to collect taxes on the deal because it involved the assets in the country.

Vodafone, the second-largest mobile carrier in India, began international arbitration pro-ceedings on the tax bill in 2014. It’s the biggest of three disputes Vodafone has had with India’s government under Prime Minis-ter Narendra Modi’s predecessor.

The other disputes involved the valuation of international transactions — a case that Voda-fone won at the Bombay High Court — and a separate ruling in October, whereby the court ruled that Vodafone didn’t owe as much as Rs85 billion in back taxes. – Bloomberg News

T A X B U R D E N

Mining fi rmsin South Africato cut more jobs

CAPE TOWN: Job losses in South Africa’s mining sector are likely to accelerate with mining companies such as Glencore and Anglo Amer-ican battling to cope with a global commodity price slump.

The government has warned that 32,000 workers in the sec-tor could lose their jobs as metals prices fall due to slowing econom-ic growth in China, the world’s big-gest metals consumer.

Industry offi cials predict more than 50,000 job cuts.

Companies in the industry, which employs about 500,000 peo-ple and contributes around 7 per-cent to South Africa’s GDP, say they have little choice but to cut jobs and close struggling mines to cope.

Labour unrestBut with more than a quarter of the working population unemployed the job losses could trigger labour unrest and erode support for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in local government polls expected after May.

Roger Baxter, chief executive of the Chamber of Mines, which groups mining fi rms, said the in-dustry shed around 47,000 jobs between 2012 and the fi rst quarter of 2015.

“Some parts of the industry are in the intensive care unit,” Baxter told Reuters at a mining confer-ence in Cape Town.

Anglo, the world’s fi fth-biggest diversifi ed global mining group by stock market value, started paring operations in 2013.

Chief Executive Mark Cutifani said last week the company would take even “bolder action” and it planned to exit more mines. He warned “things may still get worse before they get better”. - Reuters

G L O B A L S L O W D O W N

Kuwait petroleum seeks $10 billion loan to upgrade two major refi neriesKUWAIT CITY: Kuwait Nation-al Petroleum Company is seeking to borrow $10 billion from local and international banks to up-grade two refi neries to produce cleaner burning fuel.

Local banks are due to agree next month to lend $3 billion un-der favourable terms to Kuwait, according to Ahmad Al Jemaz, a deputy chief executive offi cer at the state oil refi ner.

The rest of the $10 billion needed will be sought from inter-national lenders, including from South Korean banks, he said.

“We have seen a good response to our request for loans to fi nance the project,” Al Jemaz told report-ers in Dubai on Monday.

Kuwait has spent more than $35 billion on oil, gas and petro-chemicals projects in the past two years, exceeding other Middle East nations, according to Meed research. Borrowing rates for

loans to upgrade the two refi ner-ies may be less than 4.5 per cent, Naveen Ahmed, analyst at Global Investment House KPSC in Ku-wait, said by phone on Monday.

“The banks will be jumping at deals like these,” Ahmed said.

“These projects are relatively low-risk because they’re being carried out by government-related enti-ties or are public- private partner-ship projects.”

The loans will be for Kuwait’s Clean Fuels Project to upgrade

the Mina Abdullah and Mina Al Ahmadi refi neries. The project, set to be completed by 2019, will produce diesel and jet fuel for do-mestic use and export. The hydro-cracker unit at Mina Al-Ahmadi started, producing 42,500 barrels

a day, Kuwait’s offi cial news agen-cy Kuna reported on Tuesday, cit-ing Mohammad Ghazi Al Mutairi, chief executive offi cer of Kuwait National Petroleum Company.

Capacity expansionThe Mina Abdullah refi nery’s capacity will be increased to 454,000 barrels a day from 270,000 barrels a day and the Mina Al Ahmadi plant’s capacity will be decreased to 350,000 bar-rels a day from 466,000 as one of its main crude processing units is retired, Al Jemaz said.

Kuwait is also planning a $30 billion refi nery to produce 615,000 barrels a day, a petro-chemical plant and a liquefi ed natural gas receiving terminal at Al Zour on the Persian Gulf coast.

Financing options include sell-ing shares to the public in the petrochemical unit and joint ven-tures, Al Jemaz said. – Bloomberg News

O I L & G A S

CLEAN FUEL: The loans will be for Kuwait’s Clean Fuels Project to upgrade the Mina Abdullah and

Mina Al Ahmadi refi neries. – Bloomberg News

Abu Dhabireplaces head of Finance Department

DUBAI: Abu Dhabi’s government replaced the head of its Finance Department and appointed a cab-inet minister as general manager of state-owned oil company Ad-noc as the oil producer grapples with low prices.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi’s ruler, issued a decree late on Mon-day naming Riyad Al Mubarak as head of the Finance Department in place of Hamad Al Hurr Al Suwai-di, state-run news agency reported.

In a separate decree, Sheikh Khalifa appointed Sultan Al Jaber as general manager of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, replacing Abdulla Nasser Al Suwaidi.

The reshuffl e comes as Abu Dhabi, home to 6 per cent of the world’s known oil reserves, may consider tapping its sovereign wealth fund. - Bloomberg News

R E S H U F F L E

UNDERGOING ARBITRATION: The dispute between India and

Vodafone traces back to Vodafone’s $11 billion acquisition of a 67

per cent stake in the mobile phone business owned by Hutchison

Whampoa, now part of CK Hutchison Holdings. – Bloomberg News

B4

MARKETW E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16

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

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ..................10,000 ............... 1,150........................ 1 ............0.115 ........... 0.115 ............ 0.115 ............0.115 ............. 0.110 ............ 0.005 ............. 4.545 ................ 0.115 .............. 0.114................... 0.115 ...................23,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ............................................10,500 .............. 2,940........................7 ........... 0.280 ...........0.280 ...........0.280 .......... 0.280 ............. 0.271............ 0.009 ............. 3.321 ................0.280............. 0.280...................0.288 ...................17,137,196 ..........0.100

OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ........................ 70,000 ...............8,760........................7 ............0.125 ........... 0.126 ...........0.125 ............0.125 ............. 0.122 ........... 0.003 ............. 2.459 ................0.125 ..............0.124...................0.130 ...................11,880,000 .........0.100

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 1,389,071........271,166..................... 49 ............0.195 ........... 0.197 ...........0.194 ............0.195 ............. 0.191 ............ 0.004 ............. 2.094 ................0.197 .............. 0.196...................0.197 ...................39,000,000.........0.100

OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH ............................................... 43,200 .......... 108,017..................... 20 ........... 2.500 ........... 2.550 ...........2.500 .......... 2.500 .............2.450 ........... 0.050 ............. 2.041 ................2.500 ............ 2.400...................2.500 ................ 238,642,988 .......1.000

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 1,390,077 ......222,760..................... 64 ............0.158 ........... 0.162 ...........0.158 ........... 0.160 ............. 0.157 ............ 0.003 ..............1.911 .................0.162 .............. 0.162...................0.164 ................. 230,630,400 .......0.100

OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 267,350 ........... 28,536..................... 24 ............0.107 ........... 0.107 ...........0.106 ........... 0.107 ............. 0.105............ 0.002 ............. 1.905 ................0.107 .............. 0.107...................0.108 ....................9,630,000 ..........0.100

OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 143,000 ............ 18,785......................14 ............0.130 ........... 0.132 ...........0.130 ............0.131 ............. 0.129............ 0.002 ............. 1.550 ................0.132 ..............0.130...................0.132 ...................38,075,284 .........0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 3,385,169 ...1,530,078................... 211 ........... 0.450 ........... 0.452 ...........0.450........... 0.452 .............0.446 ........... 0.006 ............. 1.345 ................0.452 ..............0.450...................0.452................ 1,035,903,814 ......0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 1,313,692 ......230,530..................... 74 ............0.175 ........... 0.176 ...........0.175 ............0.175 ............. 0.173 ............ 0.002 ..............1.156.................0.176 .............. 0.176...................0.177 ...................26,263,125 .........0.100

OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 266,446 ........... 25,035......................21 ........... 0.093 ........... 0.095 ...........0.093........... 0.094 .............0.093 ............0.001 ............. 1.075 ................0.095 ..............0.095...................0.096.................... 5,531,262 ..........0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 106,524 ..........159,159..................... 36 ............1.480 ........... 1.500 ...........1.480 ............1.495 ............. 1.480.............0.015 ............. 1.014.................1.500 ..............1.500................... 1.515 ................ 1,121,250,000 ......0.100

OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 397,400 ........... 56,027..................... 64 ............0.140 ........... 0.143 ...........0.140 ............0.141 .............0.140 ............0.001 ............. 0.714 ................0.142 ..............0.142...................0.144 ....................17,610,612..........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO......................................................................... 39,210 ............ 26,050......................11 ............0.656 ........... 0.668 ...........0.656 ........... 0.664 .............0.660 ........... 0.004 ............. 0.606 ................0.668 ..............0.668...................0.672................. 432,226,969 .......0.100

OM0000001509 ............DHOFAR INT.DEV.AND INV. HOLD. .................... 30,000 .............11,580........................6 ........... 0.386 ........... 0.386 ...........0.386........... 0.386 .............0.384 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.521 ................0.386 ..............0.380...................0.386................... 95,110,400 .........0.100

OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 184,000 ........... 50,600........................4 ........... 0.275 ........... 0.275 ...........0.275 ........... 0.275 .............0.274 ............0.001 ............. 0.365 ................0.275 ..............0.273...................0.275..................368,695,319 ........0.100

OM0000004669 ...........SHARQIYAH DESALINATION ................................10,600 ............ 48,702........................3 ........... 4.590 ........... 4.595 ...........4.590........... 4.595 .............4.590 ........... 0.005 ............. 0.109 ................4.595 ..............4.595...................4.800 ..................44,940,093 ........1.000

OM0000001087 ............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 383,935 ........... 76,807..................... 28 ........... 0.200 ...........0.202 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 .............0.200 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.202 ............ 0.202...................0.208 ................. 20,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ........................................................28,405 .............28,170......................15 ........... 0.992 ........... 0.992 ...........0.988........... 0.992 .............0.992 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.988 ..............0.960...................0.992 .................198,400,000 .......0.100

OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN ............................................................214 .....................21........................ 1 ........... 0.097 ........... 0.097 ...........0.097 ........... 0.098 .............0.098 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.097 ..............0.098...................0.100..................196,030,653 ........0.100

OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .................................................................... 249,771 ...........115,394........................7 ........... 0.462 ........... 0.462 ...........0.462........... 0.462 .............0.462 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.462..............0.462...................0.470..................255,422,079 .......0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ................ 5,000 ...............1,440........................2 ........... 0.288 ........... 0.288 ...........0.288........... 0.288 .............0.288 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.288..............0.287...................0.288 ...................6,048,000 ..........0.100

OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES .................................10,500 .............. 2,940........................2 ........... 0.280 ...........0.280 ...........0.280 .......... 0.280 .............0.280 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.280..............0.278...................0.280 ..................82,939,831 .........0.100

OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR .................................................................... 165 .....................46........................ 1 ........... 0.280 ...........0.280 ...........0.280 .......... 0.280 .............0.280 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.280..............0.268...................0.280 .................432,523,993 .......0.100

OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ........................................................... 110 .....................46........................ 1 ........... 0.420 ...........0.420 ...........0.420........... 0.430 .............0.430 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.420..............0.420...................0.000 ..................26,015,000 .........0.100

OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL .............................................. 50,000 ...............3,560........................7 ............0.071 ........... 0.072 ...........0.071 ............0.071 ............. 0.071............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.071 ..............0.070...................0.071 ...................12,425,000 .........0.100

OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER ........................................................273 .....................54........................2 ........... 0.202 ...........0.202 ...........0.194 ........... 0.205 .............0.205 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.194 ..............0.194...................0.205 .................138,351,923 ........0.100

OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ............................................................ 93 ..................... 19........................ 1 ........... 0.205 ...........0.205 ...........0.205........... 0.205 .............0.205 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.205..............0.194...................0.205 .................146,453,300 ........0.100

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 103,150 ............ 42,192......................17 ............0.410 ........... 0.410 ...........0.406........... 0.410 ............. 0.410............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.410 ..............0.406...................0.410 ...................21,525,000 .........0.100

OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY ...................................... 13,740 ............ 20,666........................6 ............1.510 ........... 1.510............1.500 ............1.505 ............. 1.510 ............-0.005 ........... -0.331................1.500 ..............1.500................... 1.565 ..................134,998,500 .......0.100

OM0000003141 ............ACWA POWER BARKA ...............................................10,082 ............... 6,291........................5 ........... 0.628 ........... 0.628 ...........0.620........... 0.624 .............0.628 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.637 ...............0.620..............0.620...................0.632...................99,840,000.........0.100

OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 215,400 ............ 13,146..................... 10 ........... 0.063 ........... 0.063 ...........0.061 ........... 0.061 .............0.062 ...........-0.001 ............-1.613 ................0.061 .............. 0.061...................0.063...................12,636,234 .........0.100

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 7,749,297 ...... 437,069...................285 ........... 0.053 ........... 0.057 ...........0.053 ........... 0.056 .............0.057 ...........-0.001 ............-1.754 ................0.057 ..............0.057...................0.058................... 16,238,916 .........0.100

OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS .............................................................16,000 .............. 4,960........................3 ............0.310 ........... 0.310 ...........0.310 ........... 0.310 .............0.328 ...........-0.018 ........... -5.488 ...............0.310 ..............0.310...................0.318 ...................15,500,000 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 17,892,374 .......3,552,695 ..........1,009 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......34........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 6,057,320 ......433,637................... 126 ............0.071 ........... 0.073 ...........0.071 ........... 0.072 ............. 0.071.............0.001 ............. 1.408 ................0.072 ..............0.072...................0.073................. 108,000,000 .......0.100

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ..................................................... 180,230 ............10,388......................12 ........... 0.057 ........... 0.058 ...........0.057 ........... 0.058 .............0.058 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.058 ..............0.057...................0.058.................... 7,250,000 ..........0.100

OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 722,460 ......... 103,312......................19 ............0.143 ........... 0.143 ...........0.143 ........... 0.143 ............. 0.143............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.143 .............. 0.143...................0.144 ..................209,152,009........0.100

OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.................................................71,431 ...............4,429........................2 ........... 0.062 ........... 0.062 ...........0.062........... 0.062 .............0.064 ...........-0.002 ............-3.125................0.062..............0.062...................0.064 ................. 62,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING ........................................9,591 ............... 3,655........................8 ........... 0.398 ........... 0.398 ...........0.370 ........... 0.382 .............0.400 ...........-0.018 ........... -4.500 ...............0.376 ..............0.370...................0.376 ....................2,292,000 ..........1.000

OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................... 16,390 ...............1,094........................4 ........... 0.067 ........... 0.067 ...........0.066........... 0.067 ............. 0.071............-0.004 ........... -5.634 ...............0.067 ..............0.067...................0.070.................... 5,038,936 ..........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 7,057,422 .......556,515....................171 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 6........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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 ....................................... 5,380.03 ............... 5,351.91 ................... 5,380.03 ................... 5,349.53 ................. 30.50 ................... 0.57Financial Index .................................... 6,702.88 ...............6,663.77 ................... 6,702.88 ................... 6,659.37 ..................43.51 ................... 0.65Industrial Index ....................................6,530.72 .............. 6,520.43 ................... 6,525.53 ...................6,535.99 ................ -10.46 .................. -0.16Services Index ...................................... 2,975.52 .............. 2,965.56 ................... 2,975.10 ...................2,959.32 .................. 15.78 ................... 0.53MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 827.72 ..................826.28 .......................827.67 ...................... 826.34 .................... 1.33 ................... 0.16

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded24,949,796 ................. 4,109,209 ..................1,180 ...............16,253,034,142 ................ 18 ........................8 .................... 14 .........................40

MSM index ends higher

MUSCAT: Supported by higher turnover and an uptick in bank-ing and telecom sectors, the MSM30 Index closed at 5,380.03 points, a gain of 0.57 per cent. The MSM Sharia Index increased 0.16 per cent to close at 827.67 points. Galfar Engineering was the most active in terms of vol-ume while Bank Muscat led in terms of turnover. Global Finan-cial Investment was the top gain-er, up 4.55 per cent, while Al Has-san Engineering was top loser, with loss of 5.63 per cent.

As many as 1,180 trades were executed on Tuesday, generat-ing turnover of OMR4.1 million with 24.9 million shares chang-ing hands. Out of 40 traded securities, 18 advanced, eight declined and 14 remained un-changed. Omani investors were net buyers for OMR1.27 million followed by GCC and Arab in-vestors for OMR54,000 while foreign investors switched to net sellers for OMR1.32 million worth of shares.

Financial Index advanced 0.65 per cent to close at 6,702.88

points. Global Financial Invest-ment, Bank Sohar, Al Sharqia Investment, Bank Nizwa and Bank Muscat increased 4.55 per cent, 1.91 per cent, 1.90 per cent, 1.41 per cent and 1.35 per cent respectively. Al Izz Bank and Al Madina Investments de-clined 3.13 per cent and 1.61 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index retreated 0.16 per cent to end the session at 6,525.53 points. Al Jazeera Steel up 0.71 per cent was the only gainer. Al Hassan Engi-neering, Oman Textiles, Galfar Engineering and Oman Cables declined 5.63 per cent, 4.50 per cent, 1.75 per cent and 0.33 per cent respectively.

Services Index closed at 2,975.10 points, up 0.53 per cent. Al Jazeera Services, Port Ser-vices, OIFC, Sembcorp Salalah and Renaissance Services gained 3.32 per cent, 2.46 per cent, 2.09 per cent, 2.04 per cent and 1.55 per cent respectively. National Gas and ACWA Power declined 5.49 per cent and 0.64 per cent respectively. — United Securities

Global Financial Investment was the top

gainer, grew by 4.55%, while Al Hassan

Engineering was top loser, with loss of 5.63%

Muscat Securities Market. – Times fi le picture

Sensex tumbles by 362 pointsMUMBAI: India's S&P BSE benchmark Sensex snapped two-day winning spree, tumbling by 362 points to end at 23,191.97 due to all-round selling pressure as the country’s exports shrank by 13.6 per cent in dollar terms in Janu-ary, for the 14th month in a row coupled with strong foreign capi-tal outfl ows. Higher global advices failed to give tonic to the domestic stock market, a broker said.

On macro data front, data re-leased by the government after market hours on Monday showed that India’s merchandise exports fell 13.6 per cent in dollar terms and 6.62 per cent in rupee terms, while imports fell 11.01 per cent in dollar terms and 3.82 per cent in rupee terms in January 2016 over January 2015.

The Sensex resumed higher at 23,688.61 and hovered in a range

of 23,692.08 and 23,164.54 before ending at 23,191.97, showing a loss of 362.15 points or 1.54 per cent. The Sensex had gained by 602.29 points or 2.62 per cent previous two days.

The NSE 50-share Nifty dropped by 114.70 points or 1.60 per cent to end at 7,048.25

In overseas stock markets, Eu-ropean stocks were trading higher in their afternoon trade. — PTI

I N D I A N M A R K E T

Wait for two years to purchase $65m-Gulfstream private jetSINGAPORE: Gulfstream Aero-space says it’s unable to keep up with demand from the rich.

Pay $65 million for the G650 or G650ER personal jets, and your wait to board them could be as long as two years, Scott Neal, Gulfstream’s senior vice presi-dent of worldwide sales and marketing, said in a Bloomberg TV interview on Tuesday at the Singapore Air Show.

The G650ER “has taken mar-ket share at the top end of the market. It’s really created a new market to itself,” Neal said. “The next available delivery for a new G650 or G650ER is a little over two years from now.”

Savannah, Georgia-based Gulf-stream is seeing such strong de-mand for its personal jets from corporations and chief executives that the General Dynamics Corp. unit is looking to increase produc-tion of planes in the G650 family, Neal said. Gulfstream is grabbing share from rivals with its fl agship large-cabin aircraft as the market

becomes more receptive to the usefulness of a private aircraft in running a business.

“We have seen a real shift to people understanding that busi-ness aircraft are truly for busi-ness,” Neal said. “Large compa-nies and private individuals can’t do what they do without the ben-efi t of a corporate aircraft.”

Millionaires in search of new toys are set to fuel a fourfold jump in Asia’s share of private jets in the next fi ve years, according to a 2013 forecast by aviation con-sultant Jetsolution International Services Ltd. Asians may own as much as 20 per cent of the global luxury jet fl eet by 2017 as eco-nomic growth spawns new mil-lionaires. Southeast Asia will cre-ate the next wave of demand for

private aircraft, benefi ting Gulf-stream, Embraer and Textron’s Cessna, the aviation consultant said. Asia Pacifi c is already Gulf-stream’s second-biggest market and “will continue to grow,” Neal said. “But it will be some time be-fore it overtakes the US I couldn’t predict when.”

The G650 family has a range of about 13,000 kilometres (8,080 miles), sleeps as many as 10 people and can cruise as high as 51,000 feet. Gulfstream delivered about 150 planes last year and is expanding its maintenance sup-port network, he said.

The plane can fi t 18 passengers in its 8.5-foot-wide cabin, accord-ing to the website. A longer, wider cabin and a choice of 12 fl oorplans off er more design confi gurations for meetings, entertaining and re-laxing, the company says.

A convection oven, large ice drawers and fi tted storage for fl atware and crystal enhance the dining options, according to the company. — Bloomberg News

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Renault Duster 4X4: The real off-roader

MUSCAT: Renault Duster 4x4 from Suhail Bahwan Automo-biles, the exclusive importers and distributors in Oman, is a break-through vehicle in its segment.

The Renault Duster 4x4 is capa-ble of meeting all the challenges: Tackling the city with its robust design or heading off the beaten track with its all-terrain capabili-ties. Thanks to its reinforced un-derbody, its high ground clearance and light weight, it demonstrates superb agility and enhanced off -

road performance when handling uneven surface. The Renault Duster 4X4 is the real off roader made for your active lifestyle, says a press release.

The Duster 4X4 features a new front-end with a redesigned grille, two chrome-plated strips and a new air intake. The double-optic front headlamps including day-time running lights enhance its unique character. The new 16” black diamond alloy wheels rein-force its assertive look.

Inside, the Duster 4X4 comes along with a brand new dash-board, redesigned seats with beige upholstery and many other features. It has been upgraded to deliver more comfort and refl ect its exterior styling.

The vehicle provides advanced technology - rearview camera ena-bles to detect and avoid potential

obstacles and with the cruise con-trol / speed limiter, mastering and modulating the speed of the car will be easy. The new Media Nav 2.0 multimedia system gives easy access to highly practical features thanks to its 7” touch screen: 2D or 3D navigation, audio streaming, hands-free Bluetooth.

With a high seating position, the Duster 4X4 gives an excellent vis-ibility to the driver. In addition, it comes with many safety features as standard: ESP (Electronic Sta-bility Program), ABS (Antilock Braking System), Tyre Pressure Monitoring, ISOFIX for child seat, front driver and passenger airbags.

The new Duster 4x4 is a travel companion equally equipped for day-to-day life as it is for adven-ture. Its off -road capabilities make it one of the most enjoyable vehi-cles in its category. Thanks to its

intuitive 4WD technology, its light weight and high ground clearance, it can adapt to every situation in complete safety.

Drivers enjoy a reassuring, high-up seating position which gives them better visibility of potential hazardous situations, while all versions are equipped with safe, precise power steering that de-livers a good standard of driving pleasure. Depending on trim level, the driver’s seat comes with height adjustability to help fi nd the ideal driving position. Drivers are also pampered by the height-adjusta-ble steering wheel (Depending on trim level) and user-friendly steer-ing wheel-mounted controls.

Thermal comfort has been engi-neered to meet the challenge of the GCC punishing climate. Particular care has been taken with the rout-ing of ducts to ensure fast cooling after starting in extreme heat.

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles is largely committed to support-ing Renault Oman’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman.

With a national network of more than 80 showrooms, service cen-tres and parts outlets, SBA has fur-ther built upon its legacy of trust, excellent customer service and providing value for money to each of its customers.

The Renault Duster

4x4 is capable

of meeting all

the challenges:

Tackling the city

with its robust

design or heading

off the beaten track

with its all-terrain

capabilities

Shake Shack opens 1st outlet in MuscatMUSCAT: The fi rst-ever Mus-cat Shake Shack was opened re-cently on the ground fl oor of City Centre Muscat - Oman’s premier dining, shopping and entertain-ment destination.

Shake Shack is a critically acclaimed, modern day 'road-side' burger stand known for its 100 per cent all-natural An-gus beef burgers (no hormones added ever), griddled fl at-top dogs, fresh-made frozen custard, crispy crinkle cut fries and more. A fun and lively community gath-ering place with widespread ap-peal, Shake Shack has earned a cult-like following around the world, says a press release.

Shake Shack’s fi ne-dining her-itage and commitment to sourcing premium, sustainable ingredients have helped to pioneer the crea-tion of a new ‘fi ne casual’ category in restaurants. Fine casual cou-ples the ease, value and conveni-ence of fast casual concepts with the high standards of excellence in thoughtful ingredient sourcing, preparation, hospitality and qual-ity grounded in fi ne dining.

Building on the success of its Middle East predecessors, the Muscat menu will feature all of the Shack classics including the ShackBurger, SmokeShack, and Shack-cago Dog. The ShackBurg-er, Shake Shack’s much-lauded burger, is made with cheese, fresh lettuce, tomato and Shack-Sauce, and fi nished with a but-

tered, toasted, soft potato roll. Shake Shack’s unique Smoke-Shack features hickory smoked veal, chopped cherry peppers and ShackSauce. The Shack-cago Dog is a hot dog inspired by a food typically only found in Chicago. This delicious hot dog is made with locally produced beef and eight toppings including Shack relish, onion, cucumber, pickle, tomato, sport pepper, celery salt and mustard.

Shake Shack’s frozen custard – dense, rich and creamy ice cream spun fresh daily – will be featured in shakes and concretes (frozen custard blended at high speed with mix-ins).

The Muscat Shack will off er a selection of concretes including a location specifi c concrete, the Baklava Blend (vanilla frozen custard blended with baklava and crumbled pistachios) and an all-time guest favourite - Shack Attack (chocolate frozen cus-tard, fudge sauce, chocolate truf-fl e cookie dough and Valrhona chocolate pearls, topped with chocolate sprinkles).

F I N E C A S U A L D I N I N G

Alfardan hosts Italian-themed evening with artist Gailani

MUSCAT: Alfardan Motors, the offi cial importer of Maserati in Oman, hosted an exclusive Italian-themed evening with acclaimed artist Ibrahim Gailani in the Ma-serati showroom.

Guests were treated to a feast for the senses, enjoying the uplifting sounds of authentic Italian music while indulging in classic Italian fare over lively conversation. In-spired by the fi ner things in life, Maserati hosted the event to in-spire guests with all things Italian, taking them on a cultural journey of sound, taste and the magnifi -

cent craftsmanship of Italy as em-bodied by the legendary Maserati marque, says a press release.

The invitation-only art event saw VIP clients and representa-tives of the media enjoy a unique collaboration of art and culture, where Gailani unveiled his Zeus Portrait, depicting the inspiration behind the Maserati Trident em-blem. Clients were invited to join in a unique experiential element and try their hand at painting canvas boards.

Based in Muscat, Gailani is a contemporary artist, curator, who

operates his art studio, exhibits his work and runs the Gailani Art Re-treat — a creative escape fusing art and music.

Throughout the evening Ma-serati proudly showcased the exceptional performance and in-imitable style of it the acclaimed Quattroporte and Ghibli models by off ering drive experiences to guests during the event.

Since opening its Maserati showroom in 2012, Alfardan Mo-tors has provided a world-class service to a ever-growing number of luxury car clients in Oman.

C U L T U R A L J O U R N E Y

MGS holds annual picnicMUSCAT: The Gujarati Wing of Indian Social Club, popularly known as Muscat Gujarati Samaj (MGS), recently held its grand annual picnic at the Barka MKR farm which was attended by more than 350 members, their families and other guests, says a press release. The annual picnic is one of MGS’s fl agship annual events and the perfect weather provided an ideal setting to hold the picnic in the sprawling lawns of the MKR farm. The day started off with the famous restaurant serving lip-smacking south Indian special Dosa from its specially set up live counters at the venue.

This was followed by exciting games initially for children, fol-lowed by ladies and then gents. Some interesting games were also played for couples; both the young and the young at heart. This was followed by a sumptuous lunch in the afternoon after which a spe-cially designed Bollywood quiz was conducted followed by the famous Housie game.

On the sidelines of the annual picnic event, Apollo Hospital, Muscat set up a free diabetic check-up camp where all visitors could voluntarily get their diabe-tes test done. Another highlight of the event was a live demon-stration and presentation by the

famous graphologist (handwrit-ing and signature analyst) Arvind Bhatt who not only read and dis-coursed the signatures of many, but also gave a detailed presenta-tion on handwriting analysis and how it could change one’s future.

The chief guest at the event was Neelu Rohra, second Secretary at the Embassy of India. Rohra gave away a coveted trophy to the Mus-cat Gujarati Samaj conferred by Vishwa Gujarati Samaj for MGS being the best Gujarati Samaj in the whole world.

Chandrakant Chothani, con-vener of the Muscat Gujarati Sa-maj, said: “This is indeed a very big achievement for the Muscat Gujarati Samaj and we dedicate

this award to our members, spon-sors and well-wishers. Muscat Gujarati Samaj not only con-ducts the maximum number of programmes in a calendar year but also off ers an array of various events, giving an opportunity to all its members to celebrate the various festivals and submerge in the diversity of Indian culture.”

A prize distribution ceremo-ny was held after which all the visitors drove back home after a round of evening snacks.

Arvind Toprani expressed his sincere thanks to one and all for their participation and wholehearted support to make the event a grand success and a memorable one.

F U N D A Y

Towell Group supplies medical devices to Royal HospitalMUSCAT: The Royal Hospital (RH) received medical devices and dietary supplement as an initiative from the Towell Group for social security and limited-income people, recently.

The celebration of this initia-tive was held in the main reception hall of RH’s Training and Studies Department with the attendance of Dr Qasim Ahmed Al Salmi, the hospital’s director general, and

Murtadha Ahmed Sultan, a mem-ber of the Towell Group Partner-ship Board, along with the hospi-tal’s medical and administrative personnel, says a press release.

The initiative, which is launched by the Towell Group, aims at pro-viding medical device and dietary supplement to a number of benefi -ciary social security and limited-income patients and strengthen-ing the concept of cooperation

between the public and private sectors in the Sultanate particu-larly in the fi eld of health care.

The initiative, with an overall cost of more than OMR45,000, in-cludes the provision of several sub-stitutionary medical device which consist of 15 2-pressure breathing apparatus, four resuscitators, four portable oxygen apparatus, two 10l oxygen apparatus, in addition to dietary supplement.

S O C I A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

B6 W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

ROUND-UP

IDF Oman unveils latest in technology, furniture

MUSCAT: Ahmed bin Nasser Al Mehrzi, Minister of Tourism, pre-sided over the formal inauguration of the 3rd IDF Oman - interior de-sign, décor and furniture exhibi-tion on Monday.

The expo ends today at the Oman International Exhibition Centre in Seeb, which is organ-ised by Al Nimr Expo, under the patronage of the Ministry of Hous-ing and Public Authority for Craft Industries. The exhibition timings are from 10am - 1pm and 4pm - 9pm, says a press release.

Oman’s rapid progress in the construction and the real estate sector, has witnessed the launch of numerous commercial, residential and tourism projects, thus creating a demand for interior and outdoor design, décor and furnishings.

The key objective of the exhi-bition is to display the latest in technology, usage of materials and innovative approaches to interior design, décor and furniture. IDF has helped meet the growing de-mand by bringing together all the leading companies in the industry under one roof.

In its third edition, IDF Oman is showcasing accessories and art,

bathroom, building material, car-pets, commercial interiors and fi t out, décor, fl ooring, furniture and furnishings, interior design, kitch-en, lightings, luxury life style, out-door design and build, renovation, retail fi t-out and eco building, sur-faces and fi nishes, textiles, Vastu and Fengshui, to complement the on-going construction of major infrastructure projects in the Sul-tanate, making the exhibition an ‘exclusive emporium’.

The exhibition is featuring more than 105 companies, with over 65 international companies from across the globe surpass-ing the past two editions. More than 35 companies are represent-ing by Italy which is managed by MEDINIT SRL for the third year running. Once again Alfardan Mo-tors is supporting the exhibition by displaying two Maserati cars to justify Italians as one of the fi nest and niche designers in the world.

Special highlights of IDF Oman are the CasaMedinit – Made in Italy, The Villa project, Paragon Arts activity and Sorabi Live Art by Jaafar Hamza.

The Villa, a lifestyle through the centuries will be one of the main highlights of IDF Oman which is created by Opera architects will welcome visitors at the entrance of CasaMédinit. The Venetian vil-las describe a unique case in the world, an element which charac-terises the region, where architec-ture and landscape, art and crafts-manship combine to create a real ‘Museum’ consisting of a collec-tion of over 4,000 buildings. This model typical of the Venetian area represents a precious heritage of our past and even today consti-tutes an element of great relevance appreciated worldwide as an icon of a lifestyle and elegance at the same time dynamic and creative.

The concept of The Villa comes

from the desire to exploit this in-valuable cultural heritage made of traditions and secular experi-ences through the involvement of local companies that reproduce in a modern way the skilful mastery of techniques and processes in use since ancient times.

The space is an opportunity to bring and introduce everything in Oman, a country which despite boasting centuries of history is deeply fascinated by the Made in Italy and is able to understand and appreciate the quality and craftsmanship.

Paragon Arts is another high-light of the exhibition which is a non-profi t, educational, social and entertainment CSR initiative cre-ated by Paragon International and sponsored by Al Mouj Muscat. The initiative aims at further promot-ing the local art movement, con-tributing towards exposing Oman-based artists and their art onto a wider arena and a global audience with a focus on art education and training by leading artists from all around the world most of whom reside in Oman.

All elements of the Paragon Arts programme commence in public spaces so as to expose and engage the greatest number of art afi cio-nado public to art and artists in an environment that is both enter-taining and social.

First time in Oman, Jaafar Hamza, Creative director of Boxo-bia from the Kingdom of Bahrain is performing the Live Sorabi Art – a unique fusion of Chinese style art with Arabic lettering. Hamza said, “I would like to thank Al Nimr Expo in giving this opportu-nity to showcase a unique form of art which is unseen by the citizens here. The art is a combination of three features: One being painting the manuscripts in reverse which can be read only with a mirror, sec-

ond being the Sorabi Art – a mix of Chinese art with Arabic letters and lastly the tool being used, which is only a pen.

Salim Omar Al Hashmi, CEO, Al Nimr Expo said, “The Interior Design, Décor & Furniture Exhibi-tion – IDF Oman is also dedicated to interiors professionals and is perfectly timed for start of the buy-ing season. In a fl uid and dynamic market, the expo helps manufac-turers and suppliers track po-tential buyers. Our trade visitors will also be able to establish new businesses, representations and outsource their project require-ments, thus making this event a ‘One Stop Solution’.

Adil Osman, Project director of Al Nimr Expo, said: “Aim of IDF Oman is also meant to provide lo-cal and international companies the opportunity to showcase their range of products, equipment, technologies and services to their target clients - the decision mak-ers and top offi cials of companies in Oman’s vibrant interior design, décor and furniture industry.”

The diamond sponsors for the event are; Kny Design GmbH, Abu Yasseen Designs & IFactory; The platinum sponsors are; Décor Collezione / Uday Khimji Inter-national, Global Pyramid, Better Homes: The Metal Engineering & Fahmy Furniture; The gold sponsors are; MAF + Partners, Al Hajiry Trading, Swiss Open Air Concept, Serial Kolor, Scavolini and Doge Veneziano and the visi-tor badge sponsors are Chiller and Vivid Security. The exhibition is also supported by Embassy of Italy in Muscat, Paragon Inter-national, American Hardwood Export Council, Egyptian Furni-ture Export Council, Association of Professional Interior Design-ers, LuxLive Middle East and AIA Middle East.

IDF has helped meet

the growing demand

by bringing together

all the leading

companies in the

industry under

one roof

Solemnity, splendour

mark graduation day

at Indian School Seeb

MUSCAT: Indian School Al Seeb (ISAS) hosted the graduation ceremony recently on the school grounds, honouring the passing out batch of Grade XII students.

It was a moment of sheer en-thusiasm and expectations as their remarkable journey of late nights and early mornings reached culmination. The chief guest, Wilson V. George, chair-man, Board of Directors of Indian schools in Oman and the guest of honour, George Abraham, CEO, Score Foundation, India led the customary convoy with the conventional tune played at the background. Parents and teach-ers were fi lled with pride when 130 students, fully clad in regalia joined the procession with jubila-tion, says a press release.

Members of the junior coun-cil pinned the rosettes and wel-comed the guests with fl oral trib-ute as a symbolic gesticulation, followed by the lighting of the lamp. The event began by school prayer rendered by the school choir of ISAS in an evocative mood. Gopika Gokul, the assis-tant head girl, extended a formal welcome to the guests.

In his speech, Nagesh Kelkar, principal expressed his gratitude to each and everyone present there and he conveyed that the key to success are acquisition of knowl-edge, willpower, confi dence, team work, perseverance, consistency and a fi rm belief in morality and ethics. He further added that ISAS has given strong wings to the stu-dents to fl y high and become the architects of future.

Everyone present there were rejuvenated when special prayers were rendered by Shiney Roy, HoD, English Department, I. Ab-dul Majeed, coordinator, Arabic Department and Ajay Chaubey, coordinator, Hindi Department.

In an entrustment ceremony,

members of the junior council looked quite assiduous when the senior council offi cially vested the responsibility and the author-ity to them for the upcoming new academic year and to hold the school fl ag high in all the school’s endeavours.

Abraham in his address high-lighted how his passion for crick-et and communication led to the shaping of the Association for Cricket for the Blind in India. He stressed that the problem is not with the eye or look, but with the mindset and outlook.

“Every day is a new challenge for us to fi nd solution with pas-sion. We need to defi ne our as-pirations and strive to achieve them through persistence and in-novative skills,” he said.

Abraham urged the passing out batch to imbibe ‘Passion’ – an ac-ronym for Potential, Aspiration, Skills, Solutions, Initiative, Op-portunity and at last the realisa-tion that ‘Nothing is impossible’.

Radiance of knowledge beamed in the illumination ritual where the students were reminded of the school’s motto ‘Education for ex-cellence’. The students were fi lled with renewed determination and responsibility when the memen-tos and scrolls were handed over to them. The nostalgic students off ered their profound and ear-nest thanks as they narrated how they grew into confi dent and con-scientious young adults. They took the audience on a sentimen-tal journey of 14 years down the memory lane.

Wilson, in his convocation ad-dress, reminded the students that it is the right time to introspect and evaluate whether they have reached up to their expectations and also to make plans for their challenging days ahead. He in-sisted on the statement ‘Do some-thing which you really want to do’.

S P E C I A L O C C A S I O N

KR gains huge response at OpmexMUSCAT: Khimji’s Storage So-lutions, part of KR Infra from the Khimji Ramdas Group partici-pated in the recently concluded Opmex (Oman Pack aging and Ma-terial Handling Exhibition) held at the Oman Exhibition Centre.

Khimji’s Storage Solutions par-ticipated as a lead exhibitor in the event which had an overwhelming response for the company’s pio-neering storage products, says a press release.

Operating from one of the larg-est stalls at the Opmex, the com-pany showcased some of its best-selling products and brands that ranged from racking/shelving units from Dexion, electronic fi l-ing systems from Bruynzeel and tool cabinets from Vidmar.

Anand Venkat, GM, Khimji’s Storage Solutions said: “As lead-ers in the packaging, logistics and storage industry, our participation

at Opmex presented customers and visitors with clear and con-cise solutions that match custom-specifi c requirements. The event was also an opportunity for both clients and customers to network and identify the right people for their unique requirements.”

He added that the event pre-sented great opportunities for businesses, thanks to Oman’s up-beat and fl ourishing logistics sec-tor. Khimji’s Storage Solutions, he emphasised, was fully equipped to provide top quality products and services to the industry in both the government and private sectors.”

“Our expertise of 25 years in the racking business is further strengthened by our team of quali-fi ed engineers and skills install-ers. Our new showroom located at Ghala, is spread across an area of 2,000 sq.m replete with displays of major brands from across the

world with an unparalleled variety of offi ce furniture,” said Venkat.

The company’s expertise lies in heavy and light duty shelving, shuttle racking; offi ce fi ling so-lutions; library solutions; work benches, lockers, pallets, bins and special cabinets. Its fi eld of opera-tional expertise extends to organi-sations, manufacturing plants, warehouses and distribution facil-ities, industrial projects and com-mercial establishments.

The division off ers solutions in security related products like safes and also specialises in pro-viding fl ooring solutions through the supply of carpets and raised access levels to meet large insti-tutional requirements. A team of specialised designers and trained technicians ensure total customer satisfaction right from product se-lection to satisfactory execution of the contract.

L E A D E X H I B I T O R

FCA’s technology maximises fuel economy of its brandsMUSCAT: Dhofar Automo-tive, authorised dealers of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) brands in Oman, have highly ef-fi cient aerodynamic vehicle designs that are linked to new fuel-effi cient technologies, light-weight materials, highly effi cient transmissions and ever more ad-vanced engines making them a fa-vourite amongst the local market, says a press release.

“FCA has always had a keen eye on the environment and en-deavoured to manufacture cars that are fuel-effi cient, making the most of, and doing justice to the limited resources we have,” said Bob Lee, vice president - Engine, Powertrain and Electrifi ed Pro-pulsion and Systems Engineer-ing at FCA. “Continuous research and development initiatives matched with a customer-centric approach - FCA pays utmost heed to these two critical components.”

FCA continues to incorporate a wide range of advanced features in their vehicles that unite and together work to maximise fuel economy without ever compro-mising on performance.

Once limited to vehicles cost-ing far more, the majority of the latest Chrysler, Dodge, RAM and Jeep models now feature the innovative TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission as standard. The state-of-the-art TorqueFlite eight-speed auto-matic transmission provides world-class shift quality, refi ne-ment and fuel effi ciency.

Breaking the myth that a pow-erful car is always high on fuel consumption, the FCA’s Fuel Saver Technology with cylinder-deactivation provides fuel econ-omy on 5.7-litre HEMI V8 pow-

ered models. This breakthrough in technology allows seamless transmissions between high-fu-el-economy in the four cylinder mode for casual long drives and the V8 mode when the driver de-mands more power. The benefi t is that the engine saves fuel while it runs in the usual fuel-economy mode and utilises the V8 power burst only when it is required. As with all FCA cars, all this is done without sacrifi cing vehicle per-formance or capability.

The all-new Chrysler 200, Fiat 500X and the Jeep Renegade (the fi rst vehicle available in the small SUV class with a nine-speed au-tomatic transmission) feature the 2.4-litre Tigershark engine with the MultiAir2. Paired with this engine, the nine-speed transmis-sion delivers numerous benefi ts to the customers. This duo coupled together provides for aggressive launches, smooth power delivery at highway speeds and improved fuel effi ciency versus competitive six-speed automatic transmis-sions. A typical example is the Chrysler 200 which delivers more than 6.53 L/100km on the highway.

Already unique among V6 en-gines for its refi nement, power, effi ciency and adaptability, FCA’s award-winning 3.6-litre Pentastar engine has been remade for 2016

models. Depending on the appli-cation, the redesigned V6 delivers fuel-economy improvements of more than 6 per cent while in-creasing torque by more than 14.9 per cent. This occurs at engine speeds below 3,000 rpm, where elevated torque has its most pro-found impact on the driving expe-rience. Increased fuel-effi ciency was a key impetus in the develop-ment of the redesigned 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine.

FCA has developed an exclusive all-wheel drive that disconnects a vehicle’s front or rear axle when the all-wheel drive capability is not needed. Thus by signifi cantly reducing the number of rotating components in the driveline, it goes to serve its primary mission of enhancing fuel economy.

Always off ering an option for a fuel-effi cient drive, most FCA cars come equipped with an Eco mode alternative. This is shown by FCA’s aggressive support for advanced powertrain develop-ment. It began as soon as the com-pany was established in 2009. From model-year 2011 to the pre-sent, FCA has introduced 15 new transmissions, 18 new engines and the battery-electric drive system featured in the acclaimed Fiat 500e all-electric vehicle – The need of the Hour.

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RECRUIT

Al Mumayaz introduces dedicated draw for ladies

MUSCAT: Launched in mid-Jan-uary, Bank Sohar comprehensively revamped the Al Mumayaz Sav-ings Scheme for the year 2016.

Following extensive customer feedback, the bank overhauled the scheme to off er the highest num-ber of prizes for any Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme to date; totalling well over 1,500 winners. The bank also aimed at including the broad-est possible spectrum of winners, introducing for the fi rst time ever

dedicated ladies’ monthly draws where two female account hold-ers will each win OMR5,000. This draw will be conducted alongside the hourly, children’s, general, branch guaranteed, and exclusive draws over the course of the year, says a press release.

Vital playersCommenting on the newly intro-duced draw exclusively for the ladies, Khamis Masoud Al Rahbi,

Senior AGM of Branches and Re-tail Sales at Bank Sohar, said, “We have always been proud support-ers of professional and independ-ent women and consider them as vital players toward the de-velopment of the country and its economy. As a bank, we also wish to identify and serve a broader spectrum of customers both with our products and our savings scheme. It is in celebration of this fact, together with the customer feedback we received, that we have introduced the dedicated monthly draw for the women as an incentive for even more ladies to save and reward those that have already done so.”

In order to be eligible for the dedicated OMR10,000 Ladies’ Draws, the accounts need only maintain a minimum monthly av-erage balance of only OMR1,000.

In addition to this draw, the Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme will continue with its hourly prize draws of OMR1,000 each from

Sunday to Wednesday; totalling over 900 winners by the end of the year. Another new addition this year is the daily children’s draw, which will see one minor account win OMR100 every day from Sun-day to Thursday. There will also be a monthly draw specifi cally for children where one minor account will win OMR1,000. In total there will be more than 240 winners of children’s draws before the end of the year.

This year’s general draws in-clude a monthly draw of 10,000 and a year-end draw of OMR200,000 split amongst four winners. As part of the monthly draws the bank will be conducting a branch guar-anteed draws where one account from each of the bank’s branches will win OMR1,000. This equates to over 250 winners before the end of the year. Lastly, the bank will also be conducting exclusive draws of OMR10,000 each month and OMR50,000 as part of the year-end draws.

Following extensive customer feedback,

Bank Sohar overhauled the scheme to off er

the highest number of prizes for any Al

Mumayaz Savings Scheme to date; totalling

well over 1,500 winners

New library inaugurated

at Indian School Al Seeb

MUSCAT: Indian School Al Seeb (ISAS) took one more fi rm leap on the road to excellence as the school’s newly renovated senior wing library was inaugurated by Wilson V. George, chairman, Board of Directors to the Indian schools in Oman, in the presence of the veteran keynote speaker from India, George Abraham, CEO, Score Foundation.

The other revered guests who witnessed the event were Biju Koshy, president, School Management Committee, and all other SMC members, says a press release.

Wilson expressed his elation at this momentous event and con-gratulated the school’s principal on achieving this success. He reiterated the fact that students should be constantly motivated to give their minds to library and books to help them in their ongo-ing quest of knowledge.

The senior library has been renovated and renewed to cater to the inquisitive needs of the young minds and to inculcate good reading habits in students. The new library off ers exhaus-tive reading material on a myriad of subjects — reference books, encyclopaedias, journals, maga-zines, audio-visual aids, language games, classics, etc.

One gets the feel of the books as one enters the brand new library where new racks have been fi xed with more capacity. The whole

place is replenished with bright new curtains, student furniture and the earmarked tables for the librarians and teachers. Books have been arranged department-wise in labelled book shelves as per the genre. Periodicals and magazines have been assigned a separate area. The library is equipped now with Internet fa-cility with a complete system of printer, projector, auto screen and barcode to have an easy ac-cess to the newly procured books in the library. The school man-agement has ensured that they cater to the growing needs of the senior students on all national and international competitive exams and admissions abroad.

The books, in due course, will be connected to the ERP system through bar coding and a comput-erised scheme will be followed for issuing books to students. The new contour of the library is the result of the incessant and en-thusiastic approach of the School Management Committee along with the tireless eff ort of Ana-mika Sharma, Coordinator Biol-ogy Department, Basma, Fatima, the Omani librarians and their team of teachers who selfl essly devoted their time to get it in the new shape. The new library is an additional feather in the progress of the school with the new wings of the building, additional staff room and the soon to start, school based transportation system.

E N C O U R A G I N G R E A D I N G

JCDecaux launches electroluminescent technology in collaboration with McDonald’s

MUSCAT: With over 50 year of ex-pertise, JCDecaux is committed to empower brands through bespoke and innovative solutions in harmo-ny with the city landscape. It aims at off ering to its advertising part-ners new room for creativity and greater opportunities to stand out.

In collaboration with Al Daud Restaurants, JCDecaux Oman has

brought for the fi rst time the elec-troluminescence technology in the Omani outdoor advertising pano-rama, says a press release.

Sebastien Soares, managing director at JCDecaux Oman said: “With the electroluminescent technology we are able to give a new dimension to the traditional static ads. We can programme the

display to provide unique lighting eff ects enhancing the message and creating the illusion of movement. The McDonald’s campaign ‘Cre-ate your taste’ is the best example of our commitment to push the boundaries and challenge the con-ventions in order to deliver out of the box ideas that match our cli-ent’s needs and expectations.”

“McDonald’s Oman is delighted to be in partnership with JCDe-caux in bringing out state-of-the-art solution relevant to our advertising requirements. We are proud of the electroluminescent technology as it enhances outdoor visibility,” said Ali K Daud, devel-opment licensee and president of McDonald’s Oman.

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

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Bank Muscat set to host Open Day on Feb. 22, 23

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the fl ag-ship fi nancial services provider in the Sultanate, has organised an exclusive Open Day for micro and small businesses to avail spe-cial discount on najahi business credit facilities.

The 2-day event will be held on February 22 and 23 across fi ve najahi centres in Bank Muscat head offi ce at Airport Heights and branches in Ruwi Rex Road, Al Khuwair Souq, Seeb Souq and Bar-ka Souq, says a press release.

This is the fi rst time a fi nance of-fer of this kind is being made avail-able to micro and small businesses in Oman. The unique event comes in line with the bank’s ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and commitment to partnership in strengthening the role of micro and small businesses to play an important role in diver-sifying the Sultanate’s economy and creating job opportunities for Omani youth.

Sadiq bin Mohammed Al Lawati, head of Retail Enterprises, said: “The concept of the Open Day is to provide a unique opportunity for micro and small business entrepre-neurs to avail special discount on business credit facilities at the des-ignated centres. The unique oppor-tunity reiterates the bank’s com-mitment to extending the helping hand to micro and small businesses to fulfi l their fi nancial needs. In step with responsible banking, the

focus of Bank Muscat is clear – cre-ate a sustainable fi nancial platform for the nation and people and there-by contribute to the country’s pro-gress and development. Committed to supporting economic growth and sustainable development, the bank seizes every opportunity to reiter-ate partnership in building the na-tion by creating opportunities for individuals and businesses to grow and prosper.”

Facilitating fi nancial inclusion, Bank Muscat najahi products and services have created a bench-mark, helping micro and small businesses to overcome hurdles and chart successful ventures with proper planning, fi nancial disci-pline and prudent management.

Early on, Bank Muscat identi-fi ed the opportunities and chal-lenges faced by this vital segment to develop a relevant suite of prod-ucts and services.

Securing credit without col-laterals and accessing innova-tive banking services have been hurdles faced by micro and small businesses. The specially designed najahi products mainly include credit facilities without collater-als to develop and grow micro and small businesses. With najahi, Bank Muscat fulfi lls the primary need of fi nance for the micro and small business segment.

The najahi suite of products in-clude the value added najahi Cur-rent Account, najahi Flexi Loan to support working capital, busi-ness expansion and other busi-

ness needs; najahi Business Credit Card; najahi Contractors Loan to help complete contracted jobs; na-jahi Contractors Bill Discounting to get immediate funds after com-pleting contracted jobs and Najahi PoS Receivables fi nancing for cus-tomers who use PoS machines for their sales.

The value added najahi Current Account off ers diff erentiated ser-vices, including Business Debit Card, branded cheque book, prior-ity queuing at branches, free ac-cess to Maktabi Business Centres and online banking services.

The najahi Business Debit Card off ers a daily withdrawal limit of OMR1,000. The higher withdraw-al limit helps customers to meet day-to-day cash requirements. na-jahi customers can also avail mul-tiple debit cards on the same ac-count allowing authorised persons to make transactions on behalf of the company.

Priority queuing facility is available for najahi customers at branches as also free access once a month to Maktabi Business Cen-tres in Muscat. najahi customers are required to maintain a mini-mum account balance of OMR500.

Maintaining cash fl ow is a chal-lenge faced by small businesses. Addressing this critical need, Bank Muscat launched the fi rst-of-its-kind najahi Flexi Loan facility. This facility gives the customer the power to choose when to avail the loan and for what period. Cus-tomers pay interest only when

they actually avail the loan and not when the facility is granted.

For very short term fi nancing, the bank has launched najahi point of sale (PoS) receivables fi nancing. The specially designed short-term fi nance facilitates the working capi-tal requirements of small business-es and helps maintain the cash fl ow.

The key features of najahi PoS receivables fi nancing include short tenor (ranging from one to six months) with daily installment repayments. A small amount is au-tomatically deducted daily from customers’ bank account to repay loan. The evergreen facility allows najahi customers to keep repaying and replenishing the loan, thereby ensuring assured cash fl ow

As with other najahi credit facili-ties, customers are not required to provide any collateral guarantee for PoS receivables fi nancing. The con-venience and speed of najahi PoS receivables fi nance help customers to meet their urgent requirement of funds. In a quick and hassle free process, najahi customers with 1-year PoS track record are eligible to avail the collateral-free fi nance.

The fi rst-of-its-kind najahi suite of products and services launched by Bank Muscat as part of its com-mitment to encourage entrepre-neurial initiatives, has become a big hit with micro and small busi-nesses, encouraging Omani youth to embark on entrepreneurial pur-suits and thereby make vital con-tributions to the economy.

Serving micro and small busi-ness customers across the Sultan-ate, najahi centres are also avail-able in Salalah Corporate branch, Buraimi branch, Nizwa Firq branch, Sohar Main branch and Sur branch.

Bank Muscat has launched a se-ries of initiatives to strengthen the SME sector in Oman. Serving as building blocks for entrepreneurs, these initiatives assume impor-tance in the backdrop of the prior-ity accorded by the government to develop the SME sector in Oman.

The 2-day event is

for micro and small

businesses to avail

special discount on

najahi business credit

facilities

BankDhofar supports Manpower Ministry’s Achievements & Visions Exhibition

MUSCAT: BankDhofar, the leading fi nancial organisation in the Sultanate, has extended its support to the ‘Ministry of Man-power, Achievements & Visions’ exhibition that was offi cially in-augurated by Ali bin Khalfan Al Jabri, undersecretary at the Min-istry of Information, held at the Muscat Grand Mall yesterday.

The three-day event was at-tended by high profi le guests and senior government offi cials, and it showcased the combined ef-forts of public and private sector organisations towards human re-sources development, providing training and career opportunities for Omanis, says a press release.

Commenting on the event, Ahmed Said Al Ibrahim - chief corporate services offi cer at Bank-Dhofar, said: “This exhibition comes within the framework of our concentrated eff orts to cement BankDhofar’s role as a key player in the development of the Omani economy through providing ca-reer development programmes and supporting training schemes for the national workforce. We are very proud of our continuous contribution that adds to the de-velopment of Omani manpower, improves the skill-set of the local workforce and provides career de-velopment opportunities through

training and vocational develop-ment programmes.”

BankDhofar strongly believes in supporting Omani talents and works to insure job-seekers un-derstand the market and choose career paths that suit them, ful-fi l their dreams and meet their aspiration. The bank has also been committed to contribute to the community development and to the growth of the national economy via providing job op-portunities for Omanis. Over the years BankDhofar has partnered with various public and private sector organisations nationwide to enrich the job market through supporting various initiatives that aim at revamping the overall professional knowledge and ex-pertise among Omanis.

BankDhofar has been a leader in the market in terms of attract-ing young talents and experts in the banking industry and rel-evant vocations. The bank prides itself as one of the best workplac-es in the Sultanate, and it contin-ues to grow. Today BankDhofar is recognised as one of the most tal-ent-attracting companies among the private sector organisations. It has achieved high levels of Om-anisation in all departments and units, with over 1,300 employees most of whom are Omani.

T H R E E - D A Y E V E N T

ahlibank announces MyHassad winners

MUSCAT: ahlibank announced the names of the MyHassad daily prize draw winners.

Sami Abdullah Sulaiman Al Balushi from Sohar branch, Shamsa Zaid Said Al Khudhoori from Barka branch, Qasim Mu-sabah Khamis Al Ghafri from Ibri branch and Muhammed Pananthodi from Al Khoudh branch, were the lucky winners of OMR1,000 each for the week.

MyHassad savings account continues to successfully satisfy the existing customers and at-tract new ones.

MyHassad Saving Scheme was introduced in July 2008 as an extension of the bank’s tradition of product innovation. Open-ing MyHassad Saving account is simple and easy. Customers need

only to open their MyHassad ac-count with OMR100 for their chance to win OMR1,000 in the next working day’s draw hence their chance to ‘open today and win tomorrow’ continues. Fur-ther enhancements in March 2009 allows customers to partici-pate in the OMR10,000 monthly draw, by maintaining a minimum OMR250 during the month.

Eff ective from June 2010 cus-tomers can also transfer their salaries to MyHassad saving ac-count and will be eligible to en-ter in the daily, monthly draw as per the balance maintained. This highlights the commitment of the bank to its long-term MyHassad account holders.

As one of the leading banks in the Sultanate, ahlibank pledges

to provide innovative, effi cient and secure products and services to give their valued customers a convenient banking experience.

Opening an account with ahli-bank is the fi rst step towards smarter and convenient banking services. ahlibank accounts de-liver an extensive and compre-hensive range of benefi ts, personal banking services and instant ac-cess through Online and SMS banking. The bank’s EMV (Chip) debit card provides global access to funds both at ATMs and shop-ping outlets. Credit cards allow greater freedom to shop with ease with lowest minimum payment of 3 per cent and the advanced online banking services off er easy access to accounts making banking with ahlibank a convenient experience.

D A I L Y W I N N E R S

Infi niti Q60, QX30 set to make debut at Geneva Motor ShowMUSCAT: Infi niti will present two all-new expressive models at the Geneva International Motor Show on March 1.

Joining them will be the thor-oughly revised Q50. All three share Infi niti’s iconic design language, innovative technologies and pre-cise driving characteristics, says a press release.

All-new are the Q60 sports coupe, promising a powerful drive from a highly-advanced new V6 twin-turbo engine boasting 405 PS, and the QX30 premium active crossover, with its highly-sculpted concept-like exterior, elevated stance and asymmetric cabin de-sign. They will be joined by the refreshed Q50 sports sedan, which features signifi cant performance and dynamic upgrades that deliver a more empowering and reward-ing drive experience.

Francois Goupil de Bouille, In-fi niti vice president, Europe, Mid-dle East and Africa commented: “This is an exciting time for In-fi niti, as we have transformed our product line-up and established sales records in Europe as we did across the globe. The new models set for their European debuts in Geneva highlight our commitment to expanding our product portfo-lio in new and thrilling directions, based on daring concept cars. This is the Infi niti way, and one that will help us achieve further success in

2016 and beyond.”The bold exterior of the Q60

exemplifi es Infi niti’s ‘Powerful Elegance’ design language, with distinctive proportions and taut, muscular lines. Innovative driv-etrain technologies and power channelled through the rear wheels deliver an exhilarating drive.

The high performance 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine from the new and exclusive ‘VR’ powertrain family continues the brand’s long-standing heritage of advanced six-cylinder powertrains production. The Q60 to be shown in Geneva features the higher-powered 405 PS V6 engine, providing one of the best power-to-effi ciency ratings in the sports coupe class.

Created for a new generation of premium buyers, the all-new QX30 boasts a purposeful, elevat-ed appearance that makes a bold visual statement, joining the Q30 as part of Infi niti’s new premium compact model line-up. Remain-

ing true to the ‘Powerful Elegance’ design approach that guided the original QX30 concept, the car demonstrates Infi niti’s design-led approach to product development.

Alongside the Q60 and QX30, Infi niti will also reveal an upgrad-ed version of the Q50 sports sedan, which has played a key role in the brand’s sustained global growth in recent years. As well as the pow-erful all-new V6 engine found in the Q60 sports coupe, making its debut in the Q50 is the company’s second-generation Direct Adap-tive Steering – comprehensively updated from the ground-break-ing fi rst-generation system, and Infi niti’s new Dynamic Digital Suspension, which gives the new sports sedan an optimal blend of ride comfort and class-leading re-sponse and agility.

The launch of these new and up-graded models in Europe comes at a time of rapid growth for Infi niti, and in the midst of an intense glob-al product launch period.

N E W M O D E L S

MGM signs deals for new global outlets to open in 2016MUSCAT: Muscat Grand Mall (MGM) announced the signing of 10 new tenants at the mall – ex-panding its retail portfolio and giv-ing customers increased choice at Muscat’s most popular shopping and entertainment destination.

An array of new outlets will be opening at Muscat Grand Mall, in February, including Belgian chocolatiers Jeff De Bruges, who will be stepping into Oman for the fi rst time, says a press release.

Adding to the mall’s already diverse apparel off erings, Arabic fashion brand Amani will open its doors soon, in addition to Sergeant Major – specialising in children’s fashion as well as Style Passport, a popular ladies’ cloth-ing brand.

Furthermore, cosmetics brands Oud Milan and Idoll will be com-ing to the mall with their special-ised products. Saudi-based retail-ers Abdul Samad Al Qarashi will open a branch of their perfume store and Nomination will bring their wares of jewellery designs to the Sultanate.

To boost the cuisine options

at Muscat Grand Mall’s Food Court, Burger Joint and Fish-hoek, fast food outlets will also be opening soon.

MGM is Oman’s most dynamic shopping destination. It is the fastest growing lifestyle hub in the Sultanate, off ering choice and convenience for shoppers and residents, as part of a combined

leisure experience. Boasting a three-screen cin-

ema, high-end residences and of-fi ce space, in addition to hosting the largest food court in Oman, Muscat Grand Mall is home to leading global brands such as Car-refour, Happy Land, City Cinema, Sharaf DG, HomesRUs, PAUL and Chili’s and Patchi among others.

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First off shore leg of SATT 2016 sets off to Abu Dhabi

MUSCAT: The fi rst off shore leg of EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour began on Tuesday with the nine international crews leaving Dubai bound for Abu Dhabi. The stage is the fi rst of fi ve that make up the 700-mile sailing adventure showcasing Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Doha in Qatar and Khasab, Sohar and Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman.

The event kicked off on Mon-day with a series of high-intensity in-port races in Dubai but the 61 nautical mile opening leg from the UAE’s largest city to its capital is a chance for the crews to test their mettle on a longer racecourse.

The teams, representing Oman, Kuwait, Germany, Great Britain, Monaco, the Netherlands and Switzerland, are racing identical 30ft Farr 30 yachts which puts the emphasis on the skills of the crew.

After a short race in which the CEOs of each of the team spon-sors took to the water, the EFG Sailing Arabia–The Tour fl eet gathered for the start of Leg 1. With light northerly winds fore-cast for the leg it looked set to be a downwind drag race to Abu Dhabi. Kuwaiti crew Team Zain, skippered by French sailor Cedric Pouligny, took an early lead in the leg when they opted to tack away from the rest of the fl eet.

The move nudged them ahead of their rivals but this afternoon they were clinging to a narrow lead of just one nautical mile over second placed Dutch crew TU Delft Challenge. Omani sail-ing star Fahad Al Hasni and his Renaissance Services team were in third but less than two miles separated the entire fl eet.

Gilles Chiorri, race director of EFG Sailing Arabia–The Tour, said the leg was turning out to be a fascinating race where tactics, skill and focus were all called into play. “The weather forecast for leg 1 is for light north north-west-erly wind to build from fi ve to 10 knots, and fl at waters - fabulous conditions to start the fi rst off -shore race,” he said.

“Team Zain opened up the game when they became the fi rst crew to tack onto starboard in a west-south-westerly breeze of six to nine knots. The wind is very unsteady because of the heat and so is constantly changing direc-tion. Team Zain will have to tack again to make it round a passing mark at the halfway point of the leg. Who will be right - the group of boats more off shore playing the call of not having to tack twice or the route taken by Team Zain which favours more tacks in the hope of picking up a nice wind

shift to cover less distance. It is turning into a fascinating fi rst leg that all crews are enjoying.”

Wednesday sees the Abu Dhabi In-Port Race series held in the wa-ters off Emirates Palace Marina. The second inshore showdown will be hotly contested after Team Averda claimed victory in the opening round in Dubai yester-day ahead of Wouter Sonnema’s TU Delft Challenge and the Om-ani team Al Mouj, Muscat led by Nico Lunven. The winning teams were awarded by Aaref Ibrahim Al Haranki, Board Member and Head of the Rowing Commit-tee in Dubai. A brand new trophy has been specially commissioned from British Royal Warrant holder and goldsmiths Thomas Fattorini Ltd, and will be awarded to the winning team of the 2016 EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour follow-ing the last leg into Muscat.

Results after the Dubai In-Port Race series: 1. Team Averda (GBR/Marcel Her-rera); 2. TU Delft Challenge (NED/Wouter Sonnema); 3. Al ouj, Muscat (OMA/Gilles Favennec); 4. EFG Bank Monaco (MON/Sidney Gavignet); 5. Team Zain (KWT/Cedric Pouligny); 6. Renaissance Services (OMA/Fahad Al Hasni); 7. Oman Airports-Al Thuraya Women’s Team (OMA/Dee Caff ari); 8. Team Bienne Voile (SUI/Lorenz Mueller); 9. Team Mangold (GER/Martin Felgenhauer).

S A I L I N G

DECENT START: Team Almouj Muscat in action during the EFG Sailing Arabia-The Tour 2016. – Supplied photo

2nd stage begins at Omantel Headquarter

MUSCAT: Omantel, the Sul-tanate’s leading provider of in-tegrated telecommunication services, is sponsoring the 7th edition of the challenging Tour of Oman racing series.

As a main sponsor, Omantel will be providing a fl eet of 20 branded vehicles that will be carrying back-up cycles for the international race teams.

The second stage of the racing series will set off from Oman-tel Headquarter in Mawaleh on Wednesdat at 11:35 am, cheered on by enthusiastic Omantel staff .

Commenting on the com-pany’s support for the iconic cycle racing series, Mohammed Hassan Al Lawati, Omantel Events Manager noted, “Oman-tel works closely with commu-nity groups and organisations to make a meaningful diff er-ence to the future development of the nation.

“Supporting notable sporting events such as the Tour of Oman demonstrates our commitment towards promoting Oman on the world stage, and promoting the sport of cycling amongst Omani youth.

“We are proud to support the Tour of Oman for the 7th year in a row.”

T O U R O F O M A N

Mohammed Hassan Al Lawati

Tour of Oman first stage honours goes to Jungels

MUSCAT: A beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures welcomed the peloton of the 7th edition of the Tour of Oman for stage one of the event. One hundred and 41 riders gathered in front of the Oman Ex-hibition Centre for the start of the race before taking on the 145.5-km ride all the way to Al Bustan.

The pack took off just after 11:00 heading west before returning to-wards Muscat.

After only two kilometres, two men managed to break away: Christoph Pfi ngsten (BOA) and Kenny De Haes (WGG). Five kilo-metres later they were caught by three other riders: Berden De Vries (ROP), Pieter Van Speyb-rouck (TSV) and Peter Koning (DPC). The gap rapidly grew over an unconcerned pack and reached 6’20 at km 25. From then on teams Astana and BMC took the chase on and the gap dropped. At the fi rst in-

termediate sprint (km 76), claimed by De Vries ahead of Dehaes and Van Speybrouck, the pack however remained 3’05 adrift.

The front fi ve managed to stay clear of the pack all the way to

km 116 when Dehaes and Koning were the fi rst to be dropped. Four kilometres later, the remaining three escapees were caught by the peloton just before the fi rst climb of the day. The pack remained

bunched all the way to the top of Al Hamriyah where Janse Van Rens-burg (DDD) made it fi rst ahead of Amaury Capiot (TSV) and Lau-rens De Plus (EQS). Just after that fi rst diffi culty, Pavel Kochetkov (KAT) gave it a go. After enjoying a 25’’ advantage at km 125 he was also to be caught.

The second bonus sprint (km 136) was then won by Capiot in front of Faria (LAM) and Dmitry Kozontchuk (KAT). Time then came for the big battle between the favourites on the climb up Al Jissah. Among the fi rst riders to be dropped was Richie Porte (BMC). Alexander Kristoff (KAT) winner of two stages here last year was the next of the big guns to struggle. Eventually, 16 men powered away.

Among the front group were the likes of Vincenzo Nibali (AST), Rui Costa (LAM), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Romain Bardet, Domenico Pozzovivo (ALM), Daniel Mar-tin, Bob Jungels (EQS), Eduardo

Sepulveda (FVC), Boasson Hagen (DDD) and Davide Rebellin (CCC). The fi nal climb of the day (km 140) was conquered by Daniel Oss (BMC) ahead of Sven Erik Bystrom (KAT) and Jakob Fuglsang (AST).

With just under fi ve kilome-tres to go, Sepulveda suff ered a crash, losing all hopes of claiming this fi rst stage in Oman. The front group remained together on the long downhill portion towards the fi nal straight. With two kilometres to go, Bob Jungels (EQS) managed to pull away, enjoying a 7’’ lead before the fi nal kilometre. The Luxemburg national champion stayed clear of his rivals and went on to capture his fi rst ever victory in Oman. Jungels also claims his fi rst success under his new Etixx Quickstep colours while Serge Pauwels (DDD), 6’’ adrift, fi nishes second and Romain Bardet third.

The day’s stage winner con-quered the overall leader’s Red Jersey and has a 10’’ lead over Pauwels and 14’’ over Bardet. The Luxemburger also leads the points classifi cation and the best young riders standings while Amaury Capiot (TSV) conquered the Most Aggressive rider’s jersey.

Crossing the line

alone with a six

seconds lead over

Pauwels and Bardet,

Jungels claimed

his fi rst success in

Oman, and his fi rst

win in his new Etixx

Quickstep colours

VICTORY CRY: Bob Jungels of Etixx-Quick Step team celebrates

as he wins the fi rst stage of the 7th Tour of Oman in Al Bustan on

Tuesday. – JUN ESTRADA / Times of Oman

ALL SMILES: Bob Jungels, right, and Amaury Capiot celebrate on po-

dium with guests of honour. – JUN ESTRADA/ Times of Oman

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Not moved on from CSK: Dhoni

PUNE: Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels ‘diff erent’ about captaining a new team in the Indian Premier League for the fi rst time in eight years and says he has not moved on from his days at the now sus-pended Chennai Super Kings.

“I would be lying if I say I have moved on. That is the special part of being a human being. There is got to be an emotional connect after eight years (with CSK),” said Dhoni at the jersey launch of his new team, the Rising Pune Supergiants.

Usually calm and composed on the fi eld, Dhoni got a tad emotional when asked about the team he led since the inception of the IPL.

“If you want me to be politically correct, that is not how I am. After eight years of IPL, it feels very diff er-ent to play for any other team.

“All of a sudden if you want me to say that I am very excited to play for a new team, don’t give credit to CSK and the fans for the love and aff ection they have given us, it will be wrong.

“But as a professional, I would

like to thank the Pune team for taking me.

“Of course there will be added responsibility as captain but as a professional we are supposed to do the job with more than 100 hun-dred percent commitment. And that is what we will try to do,” said the India limited-overs captain, a day after leading the team to a T20 series win over Sri Lanka.

Dhoni said he will miss playing alongside the likes of Suresh Rai-na, Ravindra Jadeja and Brendon McCullum before exuding confi -dence in the players picked for the new team.

“There are a lot of players we will miss. We were together for eight years, our core group was the same. We were so consistent and our strength was that we played as a team.

“We have taken some former CSK players but then at the auc-tion, the two new teams were ex-pected to do most of the buying. If you look at the six other fran-chisees, they have a settled lot. Therefore, the pressure will be on the new franchise,” he felt.

On playing against longtime In-dia and CSK teammate Raina, who will captain the other new team Gujarat Lions, Dhoni said: “We all know how destructive Raina is. At the same time, he will just not be playing me and us, he will be play-ing against the other teams too. He will be trying his best to do well. We have to make sure that we do the job that is expected from us.”

The maverick Kevin Pietersen is also part of the Pune unit. Asked about his plans to deal with former England batsman, Dhoni said “we will wait and watch”.

“Every player will have a role in

the team. There is a basic way eve-ry cricketer plays. KP is fantastic, somebody who is aggressive and expressive on the fi eld. Not only that, he like other seniors, has an added responsibility to groom the youngsters.

“We will have to wait and watch (about KP’s behaviour) but I don’t think it will be an issue,” added Dhoni. Besides Dhoni, the other big players in the Pune team are Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Australia captain Steven Smith and South African batsmen Faf du Plessis.

Dhoni is also pleased about CSK coach Stephen Fleming joining him at Pune.

“The life becomes slightly easy with him around. We know each other for long time. He is a fantas-tic coach. His management skills are very good. What I really like is that he is calm like me. It is good to have him and hopefully it will work for us.”

On Rahane, he said: “He is some-one who is very consistent. He may not be part of the playing 11 regu-larly in the T20 Internationals but that is because your openers Rohit (Sharma) and Shikhar (Dhawan) are doing really well. But if you look at his performances in the IPL, Rahane is among top-two, top three batsmen”. - PTI

Usually calm and

composed on the

fi eld, Dhoni got a

tad emotional when

asked about the

team he led since the

inception of the IPL

If you want me to be

politically correct, that

is not how I am. After

eight years of IPL, it

feels very different to

play for any other team

M.S. DhoniRising Pune Supergiants

MUSCAT AND SALALAH WINMuscat and Salalah have virtually put one foot in the

semifi nals of His Majesty’s Cup Football Championship

when they recorded contrasting victories in the fi rst

of the double-leg quarterfi nals on Tuesday. In the fi rst

match of the double header at the Seeb Sports Stadium,

Salalah edged Rustaq 1-0. Later in the second match,

former champions Muscat overcame a stiff challenge

from Saham for a 2-1 win. On Monday, record nine-time

winners Fanja scored a 1-0 win over Al Nasr while Su-

waiq and Al Khabourah played out a goalless draw. The

second leg matches of the quarterfi nals will be played

on February 27 and 28. — ISMAIL AL FARSI/Times of Oman

‘England have fi repower to win World T20’ CAPE TOWN: England bats-man Alex Hales believes his team has the talent and fi repower both in batting and bowling to win the forthcoming World Twenty20 cricket tournament scheduled to be played in India in March-April.

England lost their recent One-Day International (ODI) series against hosts South Africa 2-3 de-spite leading 2-0 after the fi rst two matches. The World T20 begins on March 8 with the fi nal match scheduled for April 3.

Hales impressed throughout the series against South Africa, hitting four half-centuries in the opening four matches before chalking up his second ODI century in the se-ries deciding match on Sunday.

When asked if the national side can win the World T20, the right-hand opening batsman was confi -dent in saying that they can.

“I don’t see why not. It’s defi -nitely the best side I’ve been in-volved with in Twenty20, with a

lot of young ball strikers and a good bowling attack as well,” Hales was quoted as saying by Sky Sports on Monday. “I think it’s a really excit-ing time - with the talent and fi re-power we have in our squad, peo-ple who can hit sixes all the way down to No 11. I think we’ve got a good chance,” Hales said.

Hales was markedly more comfortable during the ODI se-ries compared to the Test series against South Africa where he

was unable to put together a good string of performances.

“I was obviously very disap-pointed with how the Tests went. But it was my fi rst crack at it, and I feel I learned a lot from it,” the hard-hitting batsman said.

“It was good to fi nd some form with the white ball, and I feel in good touch going into these Twenty20s. We’ve got a big couple of months now, with the Twenty20 World Cup,” Hales concluded. - Reuters

C R I C K E T

CONFIDENT: England batsman Alex Hales.

Ronaldo back on Champions League goal trail at Roma

MADRID: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane reckons Cris-tiano Ronaldo is on top form as the Portuguese looks to increase his Champions League goals tally when they visit AS Roma in the fi rst leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday. Ronaldo is the competition’s leading marks-man this season with 11 goals, a record for the group phase.

Zidane, a Champions League winner playing for Real in 2002, said Ronaldo was on top of his game after the Portuguese scored twice in Saturday’s 4-2 Liga win over Athletic Bilbao.

“Cristiano is very important on the wing because when he attacks one-on-one he’s very good... he’s very hard to defend against,” Zidane added. “That’s how we scored the fi rst goal (against Athletic).”

Left back Marcelo has recov-ered faster than expected from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss Saturday’s home game, was back in training on Monday and named in the match squad.

“We have to be especially wary of the speed of (Roma’s) players because that could hurt us,” Real striker Karim Ben-zema was quoted as saying in Mundo Deportivo.

“They’re going to play to win because it’s a very important game for them at home. If we’re at our best we’ll win.”

Isco looks certain to play in central midfi eld with Zidane saying he gave Mateo Kovacic a game against Athletic to rest the Spaniard, who has been a regular alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric under the Frenchman. The match pits two recently appointed coaches against each other after Zidane and Luciano Spalletti took charge last month. — Reuters

C H A M P I O N S L E A G U E

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SPORTSW E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

Oman’s Sanad, Shihab shinein UAE Rotax Max Challenge

MUSCAT: Oman’s Sanad Al Raw-ahi and Shihab Al Habsi excelled in Round 10 of the UAE Rotax Max Challenge at Dubai Kartdrome during the weekend.

According to news posted on the www.dubaiautodrome.com, Sanad took top honours in the DD2 Class while Shihab clinched third place in the Mini Max Class.

According to the report, Round 10 was packed with incidents and controversies as a result of very close racing.

Pascal Pook once again domi-nate the Max Class, with Sanad Al Rawahi winning the DD2 Class, Hussein Umid Ali tops in the DD2 Masters, Enzo Fontanella win-ning his fi rst ever Junior Max fi nal, Theo Kekati claiming victory in the Mini Max and Ali Al Shamsi winning in the Micro Max Class.

After dominating Round 9 a day earlier, Pascal Pook was again in

fi ne form on the Speedway con-fi guration of the Kartdrome as he powered to victory in the Max Final and with it put himself in a strong position for the champion-ship title with two rounds to go.

He was followed across the line by Jakob Robinson in second and third place going to Abigail Birch.

Sanad Al Rawahi was untouch-able in the DD2 Class, winning the fi nal with ease while behind him Hussein Umid Ali and Kevin Day tussled it out.

Shihab thirdIn the end Umid Ali claimed sec-ond place and Day following in third, with Umid Ali taking maxi-mum points in the DD2 Masters. Enzo Fontanella claimed his maid-en win in the UAE Championship, winning the Junior Max Final after starting from the back of the grid.

Although Tehmur Chohan crossed the fi nish line fi rst, he suf-fered a penalty which promoted Fontanella to fi rst place, followed by Marcus Lee Marker in second and Taymour Kermanshahchi third.

Theo Kekati took a popular win in the Mini Max Class Final, from Ziggy Kermanshahchi in second and Shihab Al Habsi in third.

Daman Speed Academy driver Ali Al Shamsi scored his fi rst UAE Championship win in the Micro Max Class, ahead of Diaraf Keinde in second and also his highest fi n-ish at national level, with Fahad Al Khaled in third.

Special mention went to eight year old Keanu Al Azhari who fi nished fi fth in the tightly fought Micro Max Final, for which earned top rookie award.

Sanad Al Rawahi

took top honours in

the DD2 Class while

Shihab Al Habsi

clinched third place

in the Mini Max Class

Dubai Kartdrome

during the weekend

ALL WINNERS: Sanad Al Rawahi took top honours in the DD2 Class while Shihab Al Habsi clinched

third place in the Mini Max Class. – Supplied photo

MUSCAT: Oman’s rising tal-ent Shihab Al Habsi is geared up to take part in the Winter Cup karting championship in Italy next week.

Shihab Al Habsi, who is being groomed by Oman rally legend Hamad Al Wahaibi and his Al Wahaibi Motorsport (WMS) team, will be taking

part in the Winter Cup to gain experience at the interna-tional stage.

The Winter Cup is sched-uled to be held at the South Garda Karting in Lonato, Italy from February 19 to 21 with participation of 280 drivers from 17 countries.

Al Habsi, who the won Mini

Max title at the 2016 Dubai O-Plate championship at the Dubai Kartdrome in January, said he is looking forward for the Winter Cup and is hoping to achieve good results.

Shihab Al Habsi thanked coach Hamad Al Wahaibi and Al Wahaibi Motorsport for all the support.

Shihab all set for Winter Cup in Italy

India-Pakistan game ‘will be high-scoring’DHARAMSALA: The much-awaited World Twenty20 match between arch rivals India and Pakistan at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket As-sociation (HPCA) Stadium here will have a batsman-friendly pitch and is expected to be a high-scoring game, the ground’s cura-tor said here on Tuesday.

India and Pakistan will lock horns at the HPCA Stadium, which is nestled in the Dhaulad-har range of the Himalayas, here on March 19 and is expected to be a high voltage clash between two former champions of the show-piece tournament.

“For Twenty20s, you know how the wickets are. This one will also be the same; it will be a batsman friendly wicket. The pitch is such that it will be a high scoring game,” HPCA chief curator Sunil Chauhan told IANS during a chat here.

Chauhan further said that the condition of the pitch will not deteriorate through the course of the match but added that the out-fi eld will be lightening quick.

“For 40 overs the wicket will behave as the same. But the out-fi eld will be fast. We are prepar-ing it right now by using sand and organic manure. We will start preparing the pitches on Febru-ary 24,” said Chauhan.

“Currently, we are preparing the outfi eld. If you see the ground on February 28 or 29, you will see a lush green fi eld unlike now,” added Chauhan, pointing towards the outfi eld where work was on-going. Dharamsala will host six qualifying matches of the World T20 from March 9 to 13 and two main tournament games. Austral-ia and New Zealand will square off on March 18 followed by the India-Pakistan encounter. - PTI

W O R L D T 2 0

Kiwis keen on another green top

WELLINGTON: New Zealand coach Mike Hesson is hoping the Hagley Oval pitch for the second Test against Australia will pose a challenge for the batsmen from both sides after the green Basin Reserve wicket eased out by the end of the fi rst day of the opening Test.

Australia captain Steve Smith had little hesitation in put-ting New Zealand in to bat af-ter winning the toss in the fi rst Test that started last Friday in Wellington.

The hosts essentially lost the match in the fi rst hour as Australia exploited the seamer-friendly conditions and crashed to 51 for fi ve inside 12 overs. They were eventually skittled out for 183.

The pitch, however, browned off quickly and while Australia went through some tough peri-ods, the ball did little off the wick-et from the second day as they built up a massive 562 with Adam Voges scoring a double century.

Australia won the match by an innings and 52 runs on Monday.

“I would have liked this to have been much greener than it was. It only seamed for two hours and that meant that both sides weren’t able to be exposed in those conditions,” Hesson told reporters on Tuesday.

“It’s a bit diff erent when it seams for two hours, it makes the toss a little bit more important.

“I think if you’re good enough to make the most of it you can be exposed. Ideally you’d like both sides to have a bit of a crack at it when it does seam.”

New Zealand’s top seven bats-men in the fi rst innings at the Basin Reserve fell to catches behind the wicket, indicating how disciplined the Australians were with their lines and their ability to get the ball to do just enough off the surface.

The second Test starts on Feb-ruary 20 in Christchurch. - Reuters

T E S T S E R I E S

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SPORTSW E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

Nick, Danny, Pawan top Volkswagen PowerPlay

MUSCAT: The Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club recently con-cluded the third qualifying round of the Volkswagen PowerPlay 2016 Series, a unique golfi ng tour-nament exclusively sponsored by Volkswagen Oman, represented by Wattayah Motors.

The recently completed quali-fi er marks the conclusion of the third qualifi er of the 2016 tourna-ment and saw Nick Lewis, Danny van Biljon, and Pawan Singh as the top scorers with 58, 55 and 47 points respectively. As with the previous two qualifi ers, that took place in November and December, the recent event saw the partici-pation of over 40 talented golfers from across the capital. The 2016 Series will see a further fi ve quali-fying rounds take place, with the next taking place on February 19. The Grand Final is to be played in October 2016.

Commenting on the tourna-ment, Andrew Squires, the Gener-al Manager of Volkswagen Oman

said, “The Volkswagen PowerPlay tournament off ers a unique blend of risk and reward, which has been a compelling draw for golfers from across the capital since its launch in October 2014. As such we are proud to be partnering with Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club in what has emerged as one of the must-play golf tournaments in the country.”

“On behalf of Volkswagen Oman, I would also like to congratulate the three winners of each of the qualifi ers so far, as well as wish all the players of the upcoming quali-fi er rounds the best of luck in their respective tournaments,” he added.

The Volkswagen PowerPlay se-

ries sees players enjoy an innova-tive format of gameplay, which is unique in the Sultanate. At each nominated hole tournament play-ers choose between an ‘easy’ or ‘diffi cult’ fl ag position, with the more diffi cult fl ag positions off er-ing additional stableford points for a well-played hole.

This type of scoring off ers play-ers a risk and reward opportunity. In addition, holes 9 and 18 are op-tional bonus holes, where a player choosing a PowerPlay can earn bo-nus points.

However, the double risk on these holes can cause deducted stableford points if the hole isn’t

well played. This exciting format of golf adds another dimension to the game, which makes it dramatic and intensely competitive, with winners more often than not being decided on count backs.

Once all the Volkswagen Pow-erPlay qualifying rounds have concluded, each player’s best four rounds from up to eight qualifi ers will be collated; which will then produce a Grand Final Order of Merit. Through this unique for-mat, any player within the top 20 stands a chance of winning the Grand Final, which will consist of up to 60 players in the main fi eld in October 2016.

The Volkswagen

PowerPlay series

sees players enjoy

an innovative

format of gameplay,

which is unique in

the Sultanate

ISWK champions MUSCAT: Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir (ISWK) lifted the U-15 Inter-School football tro-phy suring the tournament or-ganized by TelyBoys at Al Ahli-Sidab Club. The champion boys from ISWK beat the fast footed players from Indian School Al Seeb through penalty shootout with both teams level at 1-1 after the completion of fulltime.

The tournament organised as part of the Republic Day cel-ebrations had the participation of Indian School Muscat, Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir, Indian School Darsait, Indian School Al Gubrah, Indian School Al Seeb and Indian School Muladha.

In the fi rst semifi nals In-dian School Al Seeb beat Indian School Muladha and in the sec-ond semifi nals ISWK edged past Indian School Al Ghubrah via penalties. “We don’t have many football tournaments to partici-

pate in, therefore this is an excel-lent opportunity for our boys to showcase their potential” said one of the coaches of the school team.

The Chairman of Indian Social Club (ISC) Dr Satish Nambiar, the chairman of BoD of the Indian Schools in Oman Wilson George, PM Jabir, convenor of the ISC Kerala Wing and Mahboob from Al Watan gave away the trophies and awards to the winners.

Adish Gandhi of ISWK re-ceived the award for the best player, while Riju Justin from Indian School Al Seeb, won the accolades for the best goal keeper.

The exhibition match between Foodlands XI and Telyboys XI resulted in a huge defeat for the organisers. A fusion musical per-formance by R.H. Rahman and Arun Darbi and scrumptious food served by Foodlands restaurant on the sidelines of the tourna-ment added to the attraction.

F O O T B A L L

CHAMPIONS: Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir.

RUNNERS-UP: Indian School Al Seeb.

ROYAL CHALLENGERS CLINCH TITAN CUPRoyal Challengers defeated Bisiya Lions by 20 runs to lift the Titan Cup organised by Titan

Cricketers at the Al Maha Club ground in Bausher. Earlier in the semifi nals, Royal Chal-

lengers beat Cheers XI by fi ve wickets and Bisiya Lions defeated Masters XI by fi ve wick-

ets. Sachin of Royal Challengers was adjudged the man of the tournament, while Nithin

Hegde of Royal Challengers was the man of the fi nal. Nithin Hegde was also declared the

best batsman and the best bowler award went to Zeeshan of Bisiya Lions. — Supplied photo

Oman to host 2017 Military World Cup

MUSCAT: Oman will organise the 2017 CISM’s World Military Cup for football from January 13 to 29 next year.

This was announced by Air Commodore Maktoum bin Salim Al Mazroui, Assistant Chief of Staff for Training and Joint Ex-ercises and Head of the Organis-ing Committee for the Military World Cup for Soccer 2017, and Abdul Hakeem bin Hamad Al Shano, Chairman of the Inter-national Military Sports Council (CISM) during a press confer-ence at Al Shafaq Club.

Sixteen national military teams are expected to take part in the tournament.

According to the offi cials, the matches will be played at three venues- Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Royal Oman Police Sta-dium and Seeb Sports Stadium.

Oman won runners-up posi-tion in the last two editions held in Azerbaijan (2013) and South Korea (2015) respectively.

F O O T B A L L

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

LeisureSECTIONC L I F E S T Y L E W E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

It’s four years since the Brisbane coast of Eastern Australia has faded out of the rear view mir-ror of their Land Cruiser. The

1993 model Toyota LC 75 Series diesel SUV had sped past the entire outback of Australia, the Far Eastern archipelago, the Himalayan sub-con-tinent and is in the Middle East now.

And they came a long way, cross-ing the Indian Ocean to the volcanic islands of Indonesia, through the pristine beaches of Thailand, Cam-bodia, the landlocked Laos, the dense tropical Myanmar, along the great Himalayan valleys wading through the Indian monsoon, then to the south touching Pondicherry, up again through the western coast to Kashmir and crossing the border to Pakistan leaving behind its chilling winters on highlands, Iran, Dubai and now in Oman, the 16th country!

For Greg, his wife Magali and their daughters Natasha and Anastasia, their life is a road trip where every-thing is about learning and adventure. And, you know, they have completed only one-third of their voyage. Greg says it will take eight more years to complete their road trip exploring the world. When your children read text-books to learn about the Himalayas, the Asiatic Lions or the biggest archi-pelago, these nomad kids experience it with their eyes and hearts.

Twelve years! That’s how long the family is expected to be on the road, through six continents and over 100 countries. The world tour is interac-tive; you can participate in plotting their route by providing suggestions and ad-vice, through their blog and website.

Greg, a former teacher of info-graph-ics in France, is a nomad at heart and the instigator of this family adventure. He’s been travelling since he was young

and now he has decided to explore eve-ry conceivable region with his family in their customised ‘car-home’.

Greg spent his childhood in West-ern Africa, from two-month-old to 18 years. Then his parents moved to New Caledonia and Greg to France to pur-sue his studies and in the nineties he moved to New Caledonia, but never settled. “In Caledonia I have a business of web design and I continue to teach online in a French University. The life was okay, but I want to move on. So we decided to move on,” says Greg.

“It took a long time to convince my wife. I used to visit Australia often. Then we travelled all around Aus-tralia for an year and later moved to New Zealand. The kids joined schools there, and then we moved back to New Caledonia. Finally we decided to hit the road in 2011 and had spent a whole year for planning, and preparation.”

Greg purchased the car, ‘Loongin’ that is how they call it, in Brisbane through e-bay. Loongin was fully equipped to meet the needs of the family. Stripped back to the bare es-sentials, the work took three months but Greg, with the help of a garage in Brisbane, has successfully built a real home on wheels. The vehicle is both their mode of transport and home for this long journey around the world. The car is fi tted with shelves, kitchen tables two bed-room tents, fridge, wa-ter shower, and solar powered heater…

“At fi rst we planned to go a bit faster - six continents in six years. Later we realised that we will need more time to explore and it was extended to ten years, and again we added two more years to complete the tour. We just don’t visit a country for the sake of saying that we have been there. We spend enough time there and visit maximum possible places. There is

no point in saying that I have been in Oman without visiting Jebel Shams, its Wadis, beaches, and cities like Sur.”

When the journey started, younger Anastasia was in fi fth grade and Na-talia seventh grade. Now they are in 10th and 12th studying online. The school in France sends them all cur-riculum on line. “Whenever exam time comes, we go to the French em-bassy in that country and they will help us to take on the exams. Most probably we will be in Kenya for the next annual examination,” they say.

“We are safe from all that the par-ents’ worrying factors such as par-ties, drugs, cigarettes, drinking, and violence… They have never been to parties and discotheques,” Greg says. But his worry is diff erent. “They can-not travel all the time. When they start their own life, how they will adapt to the modern urban society? They know how to set up a tent, make fi re, fi shing or small hunting… But they don’t know how to live in a city.”

The life is never monotonous for the nomad family. “Everything chang-es every time as we move. With the

money I have, we cannot check in to hotels,” he said.

Though the life is thrilling, it is a bit tough and many could not imagine living on the road. The family is living on 500 Euros, which Greg gets as pen-sion. They manage everything with this money, but had to ship their entire belongings two times, from Australia to Indonesia and Iran to Dubai. It is expensive, says Greg. “And from Oman also we have to ship the car either to Jordan or Ethiopia. Saudi Arabian authorities won’t allow right-hand-drive vehicles on their roads. We are looking for sponsors to help us ship our car to Africa.”

Greg calculates it will take three years to complete Africa and then cross the Mediterranean to Italy. “People won’t tolerate this kind of life style in the western part of Eu-rope. We will visit France, Italy and Spain for some friends. Then we will cross Turkey and through all the East European countries, and Mongolia reach the eastern tip of Russia and cross to Alaska. Then will explore Canada, all through the US, Latin America and down to the Argentinean tip of Tierra del Fuego.”

“My dream is that somebody will be waiting there in Argentina to buy my car to put it in a Museum. Then we would like to buy a small sail boat and sail through the oceans and spend the rest of our life off the South-Eeast Asian islands including Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. Sail by wind means no fuel. With our budget we will be okay. The budget is not okay in Europe,” Greg smiles.

The nomads have just turned 300,000 km in Nizwa last week. If you want to follow them, visit nomadsroad.com or facebook.com/nomadsroad

—shafeeq@timesofoman.com

Meet Greg and his family, for them life is an exciting road trip. Story Mohammed Shafeeqe Photos Shabin E

LIFE ON THE OPEN ROAD

Twelve years! That’s how

long the family is expected

to be on the road, through six

continents and over

100 countries.

Greg

Magali

Natasha

Anastasia

FIND-IT-ALLC6 W E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

Dhuhr 12.26pm

Asr 3.42pm

Maghrib 6.08pm

Isha 7.19pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 5.23am

PRAYER TIMINGS

CITY CINEMAContact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.netfacebook.com/citycinemaoman

SHATTINavy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans (Action| Horror) 15+Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff, Rick Fox5:00 & 7:15PMThe Choice (Drama | Romance) 15+Cast: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer5:15PMThe Pack (Horror| Thriller) 12+Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell11:45PMHow to Be Single (Comedy | Romance) 18+Cast: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson3:00, 7:15 & 11:30PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies (Action) 18+Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston2:45,9:15 & 11:45PMFitoor (Hindi | Romantic| Drama) 12+Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor , Katrina Kaif 9:15PMThe Finest Hour - 3D (Action) PG123:30 & 9:30PMThe Finest Hour - 2D (Action) PG127:00PMAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (Animation) PG5:30PM

MUSCAT GRAND MALLDead Pool – 2D (12+) Action | Adventure Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin11:45 PMHow to Be Single – 2D (18+) Comedy Cast: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson7:00 PMGold Class – 8:45, 11:00 PMFitoor – 2D (12+) Hindi | Romantic| Drama |Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor / Katrina Kaif / Tabu9:15 PMGold Class – 6:15 PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies – 2D (18+)

Action | Horror | Drama |Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston1:45, 9:30, 11:45 PMGold Class – 3:30 PMKongu Fu Style – 2D (TBC) Comedy | Animation|Voice over: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann4:00 PMThe Finest Hour – 3D (PG12) Action | Drama 12:15,11:30 PMAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip - 2D (Animation) (PG) 12:00, 2:30, 7:30PMEverything About Her - Taglog (PG) Comedy 4:30PMCapture the Flag – 3D (PG) (Animation)5:45 PM

PANORAMA MALLPride & Prejudice & Zombies-2D (Horror)(18+)Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston3:30, 7:45, 9:45, 11:45PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies- 2D (18+)-VIP LOUNGE3:30, 11:00PM

Fitoor-2D (Romantic, Drama) (TBC)Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif , Tabu 3:45, 6:15, 8:45, 11:15 PM Fitoor-2D (Romantic, Drama)(TBC)VIP LOUNGE- 8:30 PMThe Choice-2D (Drama, Romance) (15+)Cast: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer4:45, 7:00 PM The Finest Hour (MX4D)(PG12) 3.30, 6.15, 8.30, 10.45 PMThe Finest Hour 3D (action, Drama) (PG12)-VIP LOUNGE6:15 PMThe Finest Hour 3D (action, Drama) (PG12)9:15, 11:30 PMAlvin & the Chipmunks – The Road Chip (Animation,) (2D) (PG)3:00, 6:00 PM

AZAIBA Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (2D) (Action Horror) (18+)Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston2:30, 4:30, 6:30, 11:45 PMFitoor (Hindi) (2D) (Romance| Drama) (12+) Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Tabu2:45, 7:30, 9:15, 11:30 PMGhayal Once Again (2D) (Action) (PG12)

Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri3:45, 6:15, 11:30 PMSanam Re (2D) (Romance) (PG12)Cast: Yami Gautam, Pulkit Samrat3:30, 5:15, 10:00 PMBangalore Naatkal (Tamil) (2D) (Comedy)(PG)Cast: Arya, Sri Divya, Bobby6:15, 8:30 PMPavada (Mal) (2D) (Action | Comedy(PG) CP#Cast: Prithiviraj Sukumaran, Anoop Menon8:45 PM

RUWIScreen 1Fitoor (Romance / Drama) –12 +Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PMScreen 2Sanam Re (Romance / Drama) –12 +Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Yami Gautam3:45, 6:45, 9:45 PMScreen 3Ghayal Once Again (Action) –PG12Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri3:45, 6:45, 9:45 PM

SUR

Navy Seal: The Battle of New Orleans (Action |Horror) (15+) Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff7:30, 11:45 PMFitoor (Hindi) (Romance) (TBC) Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif.5:00, 9:15 PMPavada (Mal) (Comedy) (PG) CPCast: Prithiviraj Sukumaran, Anoop Menon10:30 PMVisions (Horror | Thriller) (15+) Cast: Isla Fisher, Anson Mount4:45, 8:45 PM.The Finest Hour 3D (English) (Action | Drama | History) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster6:30 PM

SOHARAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip -

2D (PG) AnimationVoice over: Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg5:45 PMThe Finest Hour - 3D (PG12) Action | Drama Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster5:00, 9:30, 11:45 PMDead Pool- 2D (PG12) Action | Adventure Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Moreno Baccarin11:45 PMGhayal Once Again - 2D (PG12) ActionCast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri6:30 PMBangalore Naatkal - 2D (T) (PG) ComedyCast: Arya, Sri Divya, Bobby6:30 PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies - 2D (18+) Action | Horror | Drama2:45, 9:15, 11:45 PMHow to Be Single - 2D (18+) Comedy 3:15, 7:15, 11:30 PMFitoor - 2D (TBC) Hindi | Romantic| Drama3:30, 9:15 PMNavy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans -

2D (15+) Action| Horror 3:00, 7:30 PMVisions - 2D (15+) Horror | ThrillerCast: Isla Fisher, Anson Mount, Gillian Jacobs4:45, 11:45 PM

Pavada - 2D (M) (PG) Action | Comedy

8:55 PM

BURAIMI

The Finest Hour – 3D (Action) (PG12)5:15, 6:45, 9:15PMNavy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans– 2D (Action/Horror) (15+)3:30, 5:35, 9:35, 11:30PMThe Pack– 2D (Horror/Thriller) (12+)Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell5:00, 11:45PMVisions – 2D (Horror/Thriller) (15+)Cast: Isla Fisher, Anson Mount, Gillian Jacobs3:30, 7:30PMFitoor – 2D (Romantic/Drama) (12+)Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Tabu3:15, 7:15, 11:15PMPavada– 2D (Action/Comedy) (PG)Cast: Prithiviraj Sukumaran, Anoop Menon

9:00PM

SALALAH

The Finest Hour (3D) (PG12) (Action)

Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster

2:55, 9:00PM

Navy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans

(2D) (15+) (Action| Horror)

1:05, 5:10PM

The Choice (2D) (15+) (Drama | Romance)

Cast: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer

11:35AM, 6:45PMThe Pack (2D)(12+) (Horror|Thriller) Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell12:00, 5:00, 11:55PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies (2D) (18+) Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston11:00, 2:00, 4:00, 7:00, 11:35PMDead Pool (2D) (12+) (Action | Adventure Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, 11:55PMPavada (2D) (PG) (Mal) (Action/Comedy)

9:05PM

Fitoor (2D) (12+) (Hindi|Romantic)

2:15, 8:55, 11:15PM

Bangalore Naatkal (2D) (PG) (Tamil)

(Comedy / Drama)6:10PM

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

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

Bahrain 24 605 074/133

Bangladesh 24 698 660

Brazil 24640100

Brunei 24 603533

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

Kazakhstan 24 692418

Kenya 24 697664

South Korea 24 691490

Kuwait 24 699628

Lebanon 24 693208

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 Polyclinc LLC 22004000

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

Middle East Airlines 24796680

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

@MGM @BURAIMI

Dead Pool – 2D (12+) Action | Adventure Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin11:45 PM

Fitoor – 2D (Romantic/Drama) (12+)Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Tabu3:15, 7:15, 11:15PM

BAHJA CINEMAFilm information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855

Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.comThe Pack (Horror / Thriller) (12+)Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell2.00, 6.00, 10.00, & 11.55 PM CP No: 321 Navy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans

(Action / Horror) (15+)Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff, Rick Fox 2.00, 10.00 & 11.55 PM. CP No: 322

How to Be Single: (Comedy / Romance) (18+) Cast: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann 4.00, 6.00 & 8.00 PM CP No: 323 The Choice: (Drama / Romance) (15+)Cast: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer4.00 & 8.00 PM CP No: 324

STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776Website: www.isurf.co.om

Pavaada (Mal) (Drama/Comedy) Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran & Miya George 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30PM Cinema Main Bangalore Naatkal (Tamil) (Com) Cast: Arya , Sri Divya & Rana Doggadathi 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30PM Cinema -2 Adi Kappyare Koottamani (Mal) (Com) Cast: Dhyn Sreenivasan & Namitha Pramod 6:45PM Cinema -2 2 Countries (Mal) (Com) Cast: Dileep & Mamta Mohandas 3:45 & 9:45PM Cinema -3Jil Jung Juk (Tamil) (Com) Cast: Siddharth & Sanath Reddy 3:45 & 9:45 PM Cinema -4 Airlift ( Hindi) ( Act)Cast: Akshay Kumar & Nimrat Kaur6.45PM Cinema 4Next Change: Miruthan ( Tamil), Monsoon Mangoes ( Mal), Neerja ( Hindi)Programmes are subject to change

@BAHJA

The Pack (Horror / Thriller) (12+)Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell2.00, 6.00, 10.00, & 11.55 PM CP No: 321

WEATHER

250

Maximum

160

Minimum

TEMPERATURE

75-50%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

MOHD AHYAN SHARIQFebruary 17, 2012

AADILEKSHMI LALFebruary 16

LIFESTYLEC7W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

The Road to SalalahHave you been able to capture

the beauty of an off -the-

beaten-path destination in

Oman? Send your pictures

with a caption & geo-locator to:

shafeeqe@timesofoman.com

Location: Somewhere on the Highway 31.

LIFESTYLEC8 W E D N E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 7, 2 0 1 6

TOURIST ARRIVALS IN 2015International tourist arrivals grew

by 4.4% in 2015 to reach a total of

in 2015, according to the latest UNWTO

World Tourism Barometer. Some 50 million

more tourists (overnight visitors) travelled

to international destinations around the

WORLD last year as compared to 2014.

1,184 million

277 million

REGIONAL RESULTSEurope (+5%) led growth in

absolute and relative terms

supported by a weaker euro

vis-à-vis the US dollar and

other main currencies.

Asia and the Pacifi c (+5%) recorded

13 million more international tourist

arrivals last year to reach

International tourist arrivals

in the Americas (+5%) grew

9 million to reach

International tourist arrivals in

the MIDDLE EAST grew by an

estimated 3% to a total of

Limited available data for

AFRICA points to a 3%

decrease in international

arrivals, reaching a total of

Source: World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)

53million

54million

191million

+5%

with uneven results across

destinations. Oceania (+7%) and

South-East Asia (+5%) led growth,

while South Asia and in North-East

Asia recorded an increase of 4%.

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

W E D N E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 7, 2 0 1 6

RENT D2

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

*Tourist visa arranged

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

D2 W E D N E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 7, 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

FLATS FOR RENT

CONTACT : 93202733

1 BHK and 2BHK Flats with Split ACs - Opp. to MOD -

Near Lulu Darsait

Luxury flat for rent in Bareeq Al Shatti buildingSpacious 2 BHK with sea view, split A/Cs, fixed wardrobes,

kitchen appliance. Near Opera Gallery.

Rent RO.900/- negotiable. Contact - 94084335 / 96920789

2 Bedroom centrally air condi-

tioned fl at in CBD Prime location.

Contact: 24714625/91173997

Shop Ruwi Rex Road. Contact: 95443207

2BHK /3 BHK OPP Star Cinema.

Contact: 92926199

1BHK Flat with spilt A/C near

star cinema 210/-. Contact:

99358589/95570288 /97079146

Sharing room rent near City

Centre Seeb. Contact: 99037669

Flats, 3 Rooms & AC, kitchen, hall,

in Al Mabela South, rent RO. 250/-

Contact - 99377290

Shop (rent 250/ 400) commercial

/ Residential building 1& 2 bed fl at

(fl at rent 350+ 250) available in

Wadi Kabir (Near Lulu) one bed fl at

200/- Wadi Al Kabir (near Toyota.

Contact: 92325212 /99451168

Flat for rent south Al Mabela.

Contact: 95331177/95230355

2 BHK fl at near Indian School

Wadi Kabir behind Sana for rent.

Contact: 92120539

Flat for rent, 3 bedroom, 2 bath

room, living room, 1 kitchen & store

240/- R.O at Darsait.

Contact: 92328142

Ware house for rent in Ghala

300sqmt. Contact: 99010741

/96007885

2 Bedrooms, kitchen, toilet, car

park R.O 200/- & 1 bedroom,

kitchen, toilet R.O 140 in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 95154331

1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100,

2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O

200/- in AL Khuwair.

Contact: 95154331

House in Amerat near to Makah

hypermarket with 3 room+ 5 toilet+

hall+ living room+ kitchen. Contact

98885055/ 92744168

2 bed rooms fl at with hall,

2 bathrooms in Darsait near

Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715/ 24700120

Villa for rent 4 room, hall, 3 toilet

(upstairs) R.O 350/- at Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99382008

Restaurant for rent or sale in Al

Ghobrah with its equipments and

permitions for workers. For details

contact: 95094062

1000sqmtrs industrial land for

rent in Ghala suitable for

warehouse workshop etc.

Contact 24700120 /92584715

Warehouse at Wadikabir - total

area 3500 sqm - covered ware-

house (500sqm), offi ce,

accommodation (1000sqm), open

area (2000sqm) please contact:

99273774 - 99202278

Flats for rent at Mawaleh near

Omantel main offi ce opposite Lulu

bandar comprises 3 rooms,

2 toilets and one kitchen OMR 250/-

Per month. Contact: 93131497 or

99203435

Villa is composed of 5 bedrooms

and sitting toilets and 5 living

room, kitchen and Seeb (North

Al Hail). Contact: 91130875

Villa 2bedroom, 1 sitting room,

small hall, Kitchen & 2 bath-

room behind Sultan center south

Mawalah 300/- O.R. Contact:

92757673 /99388138

For Rent near ONTC Bus stop Ruwi.

Contact: 99475052/99502708

Shop for rent near Al Nahdha

Hospital. Contact: 97380548 /

99680499

1/2/3 bedrooms fl ats at Al Hail

including utilities bills 92817777

2 Bed room fl at for rent in AL

Azaiba, well maintained, split A/Cs

300/- PM. Contact : 92447365

1B/R apartment executive fully

furnished at AL Khuwair 33 & 5

B/R villa unfurnished at Madinat

Al Ilam & 5 B/R villa furnished at

Madinat Al Ilam. Contact: Atlas

Real Estate & rent a car LLC 24834

888/99249069/92888376/94617

563 Email: info@alshahiintl.com

Flats for rent in Ruwi Mumtaz

area 2 bedroom. Contact:

91409667/24291500

WAREHOUSE AVAILABLE FOR RENT

IN BALADIA SANAYAH AMIRAT

(Floor area 600sqmtrs and mezzanine of 500sqmtrs)

1100sqmts fully cover warehouse

& staff accommodati onsPlease contact: G.S.M

99417229/92621039

INDUSTRIAL LAND FOR RENT (BARKA)

1100 SQ MTR free industrial land for

all purpose is available with compound and furnished

offi ce in BarkaContact:

24707088, 98283896

Shops for rent in Al Amerat on the

main road (express) opposite to

Mosque and a supermarket

Al Ehsan. Contact: 96434269

2 BHK fl at for rent Darsait near

Muscat Pharmacy, ISM.

Contact: 95158570

One / two B/R , RES / Comm fl at

near Bank Muscat Bausher directly

from owner. Contact: 92158031

1 BHK near medical Darsait

Muttrah House. R.O 180/-. #95076261

Modern and spacious 4 bedroom

twin villa for rent in Azaiba north

behind Nov 18st with detached

maids room. Contact 99317349

Flat in Wadi Al Kabir 2 bedrooms, 1

living room, 1 family hall, kitchen & 3

bathrooms. Contact: 99277787

2 BHK in MSQ opposite Al Fair with

split AC. Contact: 96708000

One large BHK in Al Khuwair near

Ibis hotel with A/C.

Contact: 95124975

2 BHK in Bareeq Al Shatti with split

AC. Contact: 96708000

DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 7, 2 0 1 6 D3

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

Running shop with paint machine for sale in kadra

- Prime locati on with good daily sales - 260 Square meters- Warehouse facility - Staff accommodati on

BUILDING MATERIAL SHOP FOR SALE

Interested parti es may call 9322 3382 or mail to cs@mpesllc.com

Single colorful Bed and Sofa

for Sale at Al Khuwair. Con-

tact – 92881849 / What`s up No

97290565

Heidelberg Off set 52x 74cm –

20 1/2 x 29 1/8 single Color – SORM

printing machine in good condi-

tion. Contact: 99369880

Restaurant for Sale - A running

Pakistani restaurant ideally located

at Saham for sale - for details

call 99417418

A well Established Indian restau-

rant with all necessary equipments

well qualifi ed staff furnished party

hall (capacity 150) is up for imme-

diate sale at MBD area.

Contact: 92978956

Space for printing press available

at wadikabir with or without

machinery. Contact 99328430

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

Fire rated portacabins and steel

caravans. ContacT: 94058574

Steel Scrap materials for

immediate sale:

Contact 99273774/ 99202278

Special Dental Center for sale.

2 Dentist room, dental lab, full

brand instruments with external

public pharmacy in Muscat.

Contact no. 99019144

LOST

NOTICE

ACC. AVAILABLE

FOR RENT

In Al Khuwair 2 rooms, toilet, avail-

able for Indian family or working

woman. Rent R.O 150/- per month

only. Please Contact: 97884967

Single room at Walja, opposite MBD

area SPAR available for executive

bachelors inclusive of electricity and

water for OMR 110/-.

Contact: 98958586

Flats 3 bedroom available at

Ghobrah near Indian School.

Contact: 99236718

Room with attached bathroom and

sharing kitchen available for

Executive bachelor or small

family at wadikabir 9304 9849

Room available in Mumtaz area 1

room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room,

common bathroom. Interested

please Contact: 92680041 Mr. Altaf

WANTED

IELTS Coaching (academic)

required nearby wadi Kabir area.

Please call on mobile or msg on

Whats up.

Mobile no: 92927880/99012165

BUYING

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

Commercial fl ats of 3 & 2 BHK

in Al Ghobra North 18 Nov street

RO.650/- & 450/- # 91776665

600 M2 showroom or offi ce in

Bousher in front of Dolphin com-

plex. RO.3.5 per m2. #91776665

Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Offi ces & Showrooms in Muttrah.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Brand new 4 BHK villa in Al Fai

compound Al Khoud. RO.475/-

Contact – 91776665

Villa of 3 BHK and sitting area in

Al Ghobra North. RO.525/-

Contact – 91776665

Luxury and brand new semi

furnished 2 BHK fl at in Remalbow-

sher. RO.550/- Contact – 91776665

Spacious 1 BHK fl at in Al Wattaya

with all split A/C’s and parking.

RO.300/-Contact – 91776665

Flats in Darsait. Contact - 94051789-97201688

Flats in WadiKabir. Contact - 94051789-97201688

Fully Furnished apartments in

Boucher (35) Contact: - 94051789-

97201688

Offi ces in Qurum opposite City

Center.# 94051789-97201688

Duplex villa in Qurum 29.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Mini Furnished Apartment in

Qurum. #94051789-97201688

Offi ces & Showrooms in Al Khoud. Contact 94051789-

97201688

SCRAP COMPANYFOR SALE OR RENT

(BARKA)An excellent Grade 1 Scrap Company, fully certi fi ed is available with compound

and furnished offi ce, in Barka Industrial Area.

Contact: 24707088, 98283896Flat for rent in Al Hail

south 2 bedroom. Contact:

91409667/24291500

Luxury villa of 5 BHK in Al Khuwair

33 RO.650/- Contact – 91776665

Commercial offi ce at prime

location in Azaiba for rent. 171sq.

mtr. Contact: - 91398925

For rent 1 B/R Apartment Execu-

tive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair

33, 5 B/R Villa – Unfurnished @

Madinat Al Ilam 5 B/R Villa – }

Furnished @ Madinat Al Ilam

Please Contact: Atlas Real Estate

& Rent A Car LLC24834888/

99249069 / 92888376/94617563

/ Email: info@alshahiintl.com

2 BHK apartment in

Al Wadi Al Kabir.

Contact 93252324, 99364041.

2 BHK Flats for rent, Muttrah near

Oman house S/ AC.

Contact: 97007934 / 92629232

New fl ats for rent at Darsait near

to ministry of sports, Mumtaz area

the fl ats include 1 living room, 2

Bedroom, kitchen, 3 toilets every

room with split A/C & high Quality

fi nishing, rent per fl at is R.O 340/-.

Interested candidates please

Contact: 00968- 92225523

One bedroom fl at with big balcony

in al Ghubra near Oman Oil of 18

November street. OMR 280 Month-

ly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955

1 & 2 BHK Ruwi C.B.D.

Contact: 99024730

3 BHK fl at near Darsait ID medical.

RO 420/- Contact – 99358589 /

97079146 / 95570288

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 96571151

1BHK fl at near Star Cinema 220/-

Contact 99358589 /95570288

Flats two bed room for rent in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 96571151

Near Hamriya Roundabout for

executive bachelors (no kitchen,

furniture and A/c available) includ-

ing water & electricity OMR 130.

Contact 98145825, 98949724.

2 BHK Flat for Rent (with split AC)

available for commercial or resi-

dential purpose in Al Khuwair Near

Badr Al Saama Polyclinic. Contact

9129 8773 / 9450 4213

FOR SALE

CAT Excavator with Bucket

Model: 330D, Year: 2007(Finance Available)

Contact: 99654205, 99338410

I Thayyil Shindu ( holder of

Indian passport No. L 9735252)

S.O Sivanandan having permanent

residence in Kizhinkirath House

Chelavoor P.O Calicut -673571,

kerala (Complete postal address

in India) and presently residing in

AL Bustan , Muttreh P.O Box. 1998 (

Complete postal address in Oman)

intend to marry Ms Rose Mary

Calado Talania holder of Pilipinas

passport bearing No. EB 8604693

D/O of Rey caasi Talania in Sultan-

ate of Oman according to Hindu/

rites. I swear that I am marrying

her at my own free will and not

under any duress and intimidation.

Any objection towards this Mar-

rying may please be communi-

cated to Embassy of India , Muscat,

Diplomatic Quarters , AL Khuwair,

PB No. 1727 , PC 112 , Ruwi ,

Sultanate of Oman.

2 clean & spacious fl ats with A/C,

fi rst fl at is behind City center Al

Seeb consist of 2 bedroom and liv-

ing room second fl at is in Al Khoud

3 consist of 1 bedroom and living

room. Contact: 93366421

Ibrahim Mohammed has lost

Bangladeshi Passport No. G

624612. Finder please handover

to ROP

1& 2 BHK fl ats for rent at Hamriya Wadi Adai, Al Khoud,

Mabela & shop at Al Khoud & land

line Contact: 24834644 GSM

93994401/02/03 3 lines

Two bedroom fl at in Al Ghubra

near Oman Oil of 18 Novem-

ber street. OMR 330 Monthly.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955.

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirt-

ing, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery,

Crockery, Glassware, Chafi ng Dishes,

Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound

Systems and spectacular lighting.

Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering

and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound &

Light. ww.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

MATRIMONIAL

Sunni Muslim girl, Mumbai origin,

24yrs BCA graduate from Oman,

homely with good religious value,

seeking alliance of age max 29 from

Muslim Sunni Mumbai origin family,

well settled in Oman or Middle East.

Contact: 94150040

M. Tech Girl Hyderabad SMP

invite alliance for their daughter

D.O.B 20.05.1989 Fair 5-2 groom

required graduate Engineer and

branch or pharmacist well settled

in gulf family status.

Contact: 94678861

Flats for sale Kerala Trichur fully

furnished 3BHK fl at 1575 sq ft ready

to occupy. Contact: 99073124

Ready to occupy fl at, 3BHK 1600

sq ft 1No & 3 BHK 1200 sq ft 1No. at

heart of Trichur N.H road frontage.

Contact: 99073124

Land for sale 40 cents NH 47 road-

side opposite Pankaj theatre alleppy

town. Contact: 968- 99075495

Email: mathewneena@gmail.com

Land for sale 13 cents peroorkada

Trivandrum 12L per cent and

22 cents eroor Kochi.

Contact: 96892973928

Email: pmnayar1810@yahoo.com

NRI

MV SALE

MV SALE

Volvo FHIZ 1997 with 1 year’s insur-

ance fl atbed tailors up to.

Contact: 99454425

Hyundai Tucson model 2011 No.2

and CC 2.4 light green colour prices

3800/- R.O . Contact: 99376544

2008 2ltr VW Passat, good condi-

tion, 115k km, 99659946, RO 2800

Chevrolet Ebica 2006 manual good

condition register 4.8.2016 550/-

R.O. Contact: 92802299

DAILY GUIDED4 W E D N E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 7, 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

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

BEAUTY

DRIVER

MEDICAL

ADMIN

ADMIN

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

SALES / MARKETING

Required urgently a Legal Consultant/ Lawyer for reputed

law fi rm in Sohar, Muscat. Can-

didates should have 5-7 years

experience as a Legal Consultant/

Lawyer with good knowledge of

Computer & should be fl uent in

English both written & spoken.

Email C V to shejaanil66@gmail.

com or Contact 99153620

between 8am to 1pm & 2pm to

5.30 pm on Sunday to Thursday

MBA Finance Indian lady 23

yrs currently on visit visa family

resident Oman seeking opportunity

for career enhancement in suitable

fi rms ready to join immediately.

Contact: 99872664 /92651331

Part Time Accounting, Accounts

Finalization as per IFRS, Audit

Preparation, Project Report, Training

for Accountants, Internal Audit,

Accounting System for New

Companies, Contact: 96975454,

email:ibfc.gcc@gmail.com

Indian male good experienced in

Accounts, ERP Tally 9 & Admin in

India & Oman, presently on visit

visa, looking for suitable placement.

Contact 94834687

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

Contact -91262604Email: chillapalli76@gmail.com

Wanted female GP, female Gynecologist, female Staff

Nurse, female X- Ray Technician With MOH license for Al Saadi

Specialized Medical Centre in Musanna.

DOMESTIC HELP

Indian male, 28, Post Graduate, 6

years exp. in Oman in Sales and

Credit Control , with valid Oman D/L

looking for suitable placements.

NOC available. Ph: 9206 6523

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Indian male M.com with 7 years of

experience in running own business

, seeking for job currently on visit

visa. Contact : 91089088

CA with 16 years experience in

fi nance / audit, seeking suitable

senior position and available for im-

mediate joining. Contact: 96320588

Accounts fi nance Indian male

35 years B.com MBA (F)

7 years experience tally ERP9 valid

Oman D/L family visa.

Contact: 93257426/95230114

Email: sibigeorgep@gmail.com

Indian female accountant having

more than 8 years of experience

in Oman. Can handle accounts

independently up to fi nalization.

Good knowledge of tally ERP9 and

MS Offi ce seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 91229415

Indian male MBA (F) with 6 years of

experience as accountant profi cien-

cy in A/C software like tally, focus,

Sap (FICO) seeking suitable place-

ment. Contact: 98665219 Email:

abdulhameed1527@gmail.com

Jordanian, Senior accountant, 15

yrs experience in Oman fi nance &

accountant. Contact: 92881223

Indian male M.Com with 10 years of

experience in Finance/accounting,

analysis, can do fi nalization inde-

pendently seeks suitable positions.

Contact 92839679(can join immedi-

ately- local release available)

Indian male 30 B.com, 6 yrs

accounts exp in East Africa & 1year

exp in Oman NOC available. Looking

for suitable placement.

Contact: 94613626

Email: sharis.shaheer@gmail.com

Accounts part time services

available to handle all accounts up

to fi nalization, on Monthly basis

fi nalization and consulting works.

Contact: 96247295

Accounting Assistant, BBA M.Com,

tally, peach tree, can work on current

visa ph: 98269281

Part time up to fi nalization.

Contact: 91126314

Indian male accountant with 7

years experience in Oman seeking

for suitable placement NOC avail-

able. Contact: 95578150 Whatsapp

BBM graduate with 3 years expe-

rience looking for job in fi nance /

Admin / retail currently on visit

visa. Contact: 98993590 Email:

mohammedasitucm@gmail.com

Indian male, B.Com with 6 years

experience as an Accountant,

looking for suitable placement.

Mob: 93903458 ,

Email : Akkandyrijesh@gmail.com

22 years experience in Oman for

accountants seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact: 99615920

Indian male bachelor degree

fi nance 3.5 years experience

in Oman handling cargo opera-

tion and accounts Oman driving

license holder seeking job in lo-

gistics account. Contac: 95137665

Email: shajeer002@gmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with

13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in

manufacturing, trading & contract-

ing Cos, capable of handling all

accounting, fi nance, banking, L/C,

import, export & fi nalization seeks

placement. NOC Available.

Call+968-98932752,

mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT-M. Com

Finance-Indian with 7 years expe-

rience in Finance & Accounts up to

fi nalization. Currently employed in

Oman. Having D/L & NOC.

Mob: 94122464,

Email: cammk13@gmail.com

Accounting Services for small/

medium Businesses. Accounting

from Data Entry to preparation

of P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash fl ow

and complete reports for auditing

Contact: 99679247

Indian female 25 yrs, MBA HR &

Marketing, with one and half years

experience as accountant and

6 months experience in teaching,

now on a visit visa,

seeking suitable position.

Contact: 99624044,

mail: np.neethu1@gmail.com.

Young 24, ACCA affi liate,

Advanced diploma in Accounting

and Business, seeking suitable

placement in Accounts, Finance or

audit With valid driving license.

Contact - 92430152,

Email - rau_dey@yahoo.com

Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA

Finance and marketing with IT

skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Look-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact : 94879615,Email-

sajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

Chartered Accountant - Indian,

9 yrs + Exp (7 yr in Oman & UAE) in

Finance, Accounts & Auditing, seek-

ing suitable position in Muscat/

Dubai ASAP, Can Join Immediately,

NOC Available, Contact : 98707434

/casmart007@gmail.com

28/male/MBA - fi nance/B.Com -

Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/

India experience looking for a

suitable placement. #90187483

shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

Indian Male Accountant 10yrs

Exp. in OMAN Retail & Furni-

ture Co. (Release Available)

GSM.92564955

Urgently required a Gulf experi-enced professional hair dresser cum beautician (lady) for a

reputed beauty salon, immediate

appointment. Contact: 99816262

/ 98557585 Fax: 24796211 Email:

skin.hair.makeup@gmail.com

A Well reputed Media Company looking for professional market-ing ladies with experience,

visa available. Send CV to

job08080@gmail.com or

Contact: 98563312

Experienced Graduates/MBAs with pleasing personality, excel-

lent communication skills and

own car for sales & marketing with

leading media enterprise.

jobs@interacoman.com

A Leading trading group is looking for Sales executives / Outdoor sales Co-coordinator having experience in construction

equipment / Building materials

with driving license & Release /

NOC. Email CV to

alhajoil@omantel.net.om or

fax: 24701683

Urgently Required Steel Fabri-cated Products Salesman with

an experience in steel fabrication,

MUST have Oman driving license,

and immediately join. Apply,

fax 00968–24605955, emails

sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com

Building material company look-ing for a Marketer with experi-

ence. Contact: 95342240 &

send CV to Email:

venice.decoration@gmail.com

Urgently required Marketing Executive with driving license

for sales of furniture. Contact:

97164554 / 99452755

Email: aliasgar.tarwadi@yahoo.

com

Required building material outdoor sales man with Omani

driving license

3 years experience in outdoor.

Contact: 24817708

Required marketing Executives females in Muscat with Oman

driving license. Email:

excellentchoice1ccs@gmail.com Need master cutter, tailor for tai-

lor shop. Contact: 99825211

Audit Assistants. Email: aoabmuscat@gmail.com

QHSSE ADVISOR - Interna-

tional Oilfi eld Services Company

requires a NEBOSH qualifi ed

QHSSE Advisor (Omani National)

to ensure continual improvement

in our Muscat base. Main duties

to include Journey Management,

supporting implementation of

policies and procedures, mentor-

ing staff , training coordination,

reporting, audit & inspection and

risk assessment. Submit CV to

me-job@interwell.com

Required Cleaners & offi ce boys. Contact 24707833

Looking for Indian or Bangla-deshi cook and Porata, Chapatti, maker for restaurant at Misfah.

Contact: 95212017

Wanted experienced continental cook for reputed family in Qurum.

Contact: 99466062

CATERING

OFFICE/SECRE.

MISCELLANEOUS

URGENTLY REQUIREDMobile Technician

(keralites only)Contact:

91577519/99737812

Décor Company looking for an Engineer or Technician deco-

rated with experience. Contact:

95342240 & send CV to Email:

venice.decoration@gmail.com

Senior Factory Control Room Operator Required for a Manufac-

turing Company in Oman. Candi-

date should possess a Diploma in

Electrical and Electronics

Engineering with minimum

5 years of experience.

Candidates who have experience

in Oman are preferred. Kindly

forward relevant resumes to

info.companyoman@yahoo.com

Building Material Salesman & Electrician cum plumber & C.CT.V Technician & maintenance work

super us or with D.L.

Contact: 993.83044

Local man power required for one

year for construction.

Contact: 99340205

Email: omaniantrad@gmail.com

One of the leading Business

Groups in Oman is looking for

Secretary- male / Secretary – Female / Accountant / Driver with valid Omani license

& Laborer (loading & unloading). Interested candidates

may apply to

muscat.supply@gmail.com

Required candidates for following

posts: Accountant, Storekeeper, Foreman Building Maintenance, Van-salesman (water), Helpers. Candidates with Omani driving

license preferred.

Contact 99273774/99202278

Wanted experienced English speaking Indian driver for reputed

family in Qurum.

Contact: 99466062

Urgently required heavy duty driver for trailer. Contact: Krishnan 99310859 or

24449345

An Indian light driver. Contact: 24705605, Ruwi

ENGINEER

LOOKING FOR SALES EXECUTIVES &

SALES ENGINEERS WITH AT LEAST TWO YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD

OF EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENTS,

CRUCHERS, QUARRY & MINING INDUSTRY.

Email: applyinggchr@gmail.com

Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately

for a clinic in Suwaiq. #95081010

Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com

Wanted lady Doctor with MOH

license – A clinic at Ghala for

morning shift. Contact : 99374541

Required General Practitioner doctor to open branches in Oman.

Contact 98116480

Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately

for a clinic in Suwaiq. #95081010

Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com

Vacancy dermatologist doctors & internal medicine for inquiry or

send CV. Contact: 24571094/

Fax: 24571097

Email: zmczahara@yahoo.com

Experienced CEO required

Kindly send your emails :- issa@nibras.om, kevin@nibras.om

Omani Based Group of companiesRunning a midsized successful holding organization

With multi discipline of fi elds is looking for an active CEO with minimum of ten years Experience

who has a global Business outlook, he should have strong leadership, and be able to give clear direction

and guidance to the management team.

FMCG is looking for a SALES SUPERVISOR - Bachelor ‘s degree on the same fi eld- 5 Years experience in the (FMCG) fi eld.- Minimum Age 30 to 40 years- Speaks English and Arabic- Driving license

Ready to directly of work Send your CV to Email :

receptionist@mescooman.com

A Female Postgraduate with over

5 years of working experience

in HR/Business Development/

Banking/Admin/Coordinative/

Secretarial duties seeks a suitable

placement.

Contact 99357522/92800281

26/Pakistani Male/MBA-HR

having 2 years of experience in

HR with MN Insurance Company

and banking industry is currently

in OMAN on VISIT VISA & looking

for a suitable job in HR, ADMIN or

FINANCE.

Email ahmadraja010@gmail.com

GSM 91716268/93228785

BBA Mare administration offi cer

with admin, Accounts purchase

experience valid Noc.

Contact: 91329571

Indian male MBA 33yrs having 10

yrs of exp seeking full time suit-

able placement in Administration/

HR/ Operations/ Coordination/

Logistics. Holding valid D/L.

Contact 99054786

MBA with 18 years of experi-

ence in Procurement, 2 years

in Sohar, Oman driving license

with vehicle, looking for suitable

position.M:94047501,

ahmed16071974@gmail.com

Indian female 27 yrs Masters

in computer, 2 yrs exp in admin.

Looking for full-time or part-time

jobs Contact: 99417993

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 MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf

exp in Administration/ HR & Pub-

lic relationship. Fluent in Arabic/

English with D/L. Looking for suit-

able position. Contact - 99897280

Indian female, Masters in HR,

having 4 + years Oman experience

in media management and HR,

looking for openings in HR, Educa-

tion, Admin, Corporate communi-

cations. Contact 98252030

Young Omani male have experi-

ence 12 years as P.R.O , Clerk helper

supervisor Admin supervisor , H.R

Manager have diploma in H.S.E, IT

and P.D.O license looking for H.R

position or P.R.O license . Looking

for H.R position or P.R.O part time or

full time. Contact: 95933288

REQUIRED PROJECT MANAGER

For an Infra/ Bldg project in Duqm/Oman

Graduate Engineer with 20+ years experience preferably

in Oman/ GCC with valid D/L and transferable visa,

computer literate.

Send CV to Email : omanproject2011@gmail.com

REQUIRE Primavera

Project Planner for outside Muscat

Project. Civil Engineer with min 10yrs planning

experience in Infra/Building projects Please send CV to

capsspac@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING

Required male / female Market-ing person for man power Supply

Company with minimum 3 years

experience with valid GCC / Oman

driving license.

Contact: 97158893 / 94148972.

Kindly send CV at

Email: rastllcmuscat@gmail.com

1. Material Controller - 01 (Graduate with 2-3 year experience work at site)2. QA/QC Engineer - 01 (2nd level certifi cate with 2-3 year experience in piping work at site.)3. Man Lift Operator -01 (card and 2-3 year experience work at site) Location: Sohar

Urgently required for an ongoing SRIP project:

Contact: GSM-92828693, Email: infoduqumoil@gmail.com

Leading Medical Services company in Oman is looking for General Practi ti oners, Nurses,

X-Ray Technician & Lab Technician

for immediate joining. Candidates with MOH license and NOC

only need to apply. Att racti ve salary package off ered to candidates who can

join us immediately.Send in your resume to

athirababylon@gmail.com. athira@babylon-om.com, info@babylon-om.com.

We are looking for Experienced Omani Receptionists for our

organization Ayaan Healthcare

centre. Contact - 93676708 Email:

jooprakash.mba@gmail.com

DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 7, 2 0 1 6 D5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

DRIVER

CATERING

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp

looking job. Contact: 99531802

Finance / Project/Program Manager ProfessionalQualifi cati ons : MBA, PMP, Six Sigma

Country Exposure Canada & Middle East, Industry Any Nati onality

Canadian, In Person Interview on Sundays

Contact No: 97203531, +923352855176

Interior Designer 3 years

experience, AutoCAD 2D & 3D

Max & Photoshop.

Contact number: 99025312

Interior Designer 4 years experi-

ence design and supervision skills

(3D Max, AutoCAD Photoshop.

Contact: 95246737

Email: yassalnajjar@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELP

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Indian male Electrical Engineer, 7 years experience, valid GCC driv-

ing license, NOC available looking

for suitable job. Contact: 96137008

Email: joshuaruarkfernandez@gmail.

com

B.SC civil Engineer, road construc-

tion fi eld with 13 years experience

in Oman. Contact: 92200485

Indian Electronics Engineer female

24 M.Tech 9Communication) Engi-

neer and signal processing) with C,C

++ & matlab programming skills 7 1

year exp in teaching. Seeking suit-

able jobs, now on visit visa.

Contact – 91310557/

Email: aswanimidhun12@gmail.com

Electrical diploma Engineer with

1.5 years experience in AutoCAD

designing for LV constructions and

diesel generator maintenance look-

ing actively for job in Oman.

Contact: 92171858/90595609

Email: nelsondas213@gmail.com

Indian male – B.Tech -8 yrs exp in

Mfg (operations /material)

seek suitable placement urgently -

NOC & Oman D/L available -

Contact 99462086 /

Email: vale_jazib@yahoo.com

Indian male, 22 Chemical Engineer residing in Oman looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 92379181

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) with

QA / QC piping Engineering (ASNT)

level 2 (UT, RT, MPT, LRT) with

experience QC Inspector in a expan-

sion project of a refi nery. Currently

on visiting working for suitable job.

Contact: 00968 97697944

Email: arskpo7@gmail.com

Omani HSE supervisor. Email:

jeebal3000@gmail.com

Sudanese Civil engineer - 4 years

experience – 98093544

27 years male diploma in Civil

Eng having 6 years Oman experi-

ence valid driving license seeking

suitable placement. Contact:

98809638 /98666735

Civil Engineer with Oman experi-

ence and having driving license.

Contact - 91102892

Civil Engineer B.E 12 years

experience with valid Oman

driving license NOC available.

Contact: 93843448

Civil Engineer B.E (Indian) having

total experience 14 years in build-

ing construction NOC available.

Contact 92971284

Email: mkamran1508@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (B-Tech) 2 year In-

dian experience contact 90493674

email-

inayathhussainshaik@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer (4 years

exp) (3 years HVAC 10 months

Piping Engineer) job visa Indian

Muslim (27). Contact: 90486758

Email: afsalhyder@gmail.com

Mechanical Eng. Diploma 31

years experience (22 Oman) Steel

fabrication, steel furniture, Powder

coating, Production and Planning.

Machine shop, looking for

Managerial position in Sohar.

Contact 99314899

Chemical Engineer Sudanese

male 29 yrs. Master degree in

chemical engineering , Experience

1 yrs and 2 months OSHA Course

,HACCP Course , look for suitable

job in Oman. Contact 96533430

Electrical Engineer with 18 years

exp in UAE. Contact: 98148034

Email: shassalih66@gmail.com

Indian male 26 yrs have 6 yrs

exp in technical assistant in tyre

production, visit visa at Ruwi.

Contact: 92600859

Civil diploma Engineer cum

quantity survey male 6 years

experience in Oman valid Oman

D/L. Contact: 93747759 Email:

jaleelvanimalkp@gmail.com

Iraqi Architect with 10 years of

experience in Engineering designs

and Construction Supervising

professional in 3Ds Max,

AutoCAD Photoshop.

Contact: 96011716

HOSPITALITY

Hospitality/Hotel/ Restaurants

Dynamic result oriented hospital-

ity professional with 20 years of

international exp. MBA in Hotel

Management, specializing in Hotel/

Restaurant start ups, concepts &

Franchise development with proven

records. Seeking for Challenging

positions in reputed groups as GM/

COO/CEO/Business Head. (NOC

available) Contact: 96059470

Project Engineer (Civil) Indian Male

11 years in Building Construction.

Visa release & D/L available.

Contact: 93836362/94605415,

mathan.civil04@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) with

2 and half years experience Indian

male 24 years in visit visa. Contact:

96620482 / + 919605423272

Email: bijumonps@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 6 years experience, 4

years in Oman, driving license avail-

able. Contact number 92553263

Telecom Engineer, Indian, M.Tech

(Communication System) 2 years

exp O& M of Ericsson BSC, RNC

equipments seeking suitable job,

presently on visit visa.

Contact: 968 93615443

Email: shabnaspk@gmail.com

Process Engineer Chemical Engi-

neer, MBA certifi ed in supply chain

(MGT) 6 years experiences in opera-

tion. Contact: +968 94690325 Email:

phahad.hashim@gmail.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer with MBA (Mktg) having 4 and half

years experience in technical com-

mercial and marketing fi elds with

valid GCC D/L, NOC available seeking

placement. Contact: + 968 96547828

Email: deva0234@gmail.com

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp

seeks suitable position ina reputed

company. NOC available.

Contact – 96789711

HSE Engineer B.Tech (safety & fi re)

M. Sc 8 years experience

Indian 31 years presently occupied

on notice period available with clean

NOC, holds Oman driving license &

owns car. Contact: 94616721

Email: aibelg19@gmail.com

Male GP Doctor with NOC 6 yrs

experience in Oman for perm/locum

job. Contact : 97746074

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

An experienced Sudanese female Dentist with MOH license look-

ing for job. Contact 96436517

/97396088

MANAGER

MEDICAL

Diploma holder in computer hard-

ware and networking with more

than 9 years experience and with

driving license seeking suitable

placement. Contact: 95249087

BCA Indian male one years expe-

rience system Admin IT support

MCITP CCNA looking for suitable

job currently on visit visa.

Contact: 94821943

Email: basithmck@gmail.com

Indian male 27 yrs master in

computer applications currently in

Muscat with Oman driving license

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 93191800

Email: vijilraj60@gmail.com

Indian Male, IT System Engineer

having 4 yrs of experience in sys-

tem administration.CCNA,MCSE,

Linux. Looking for suitable job.

Contact :91272867

Indian female 28 years, MCA,

B.com, 3 years experience in the

fi eld of computer hardware, ERP

software and windows network-

ing where planning, implementing

and troubleshooting with multiple

platform of OS Microsoft XP /7/8

on visit visa. Contact: 95089170

Email: anjuretnakar@gmail.com

Indian male 25 years BSC (C.S)

with basic hardware and software

knowledge seeks suitable place-

ment now on visit visa. Contact:

92319677

Email: ismabsc@gmail.com

Indian female, B.Tech graduate,

with one and half years experience

as ‘web developer’ interested in

web development and has experi-

ence working in HTML, CSS, Boot-

strap, JavaScript and Photoshop.

Contact : 9592 7075, e-mail id:

mariarosejacob90@gmail.com

LOGISTICS

IT

ITCan with driving 3 years experi-

ence per time job.

Contact: 92041902

Needed light driver job urgently.

Contact: 94085449

Light driver with car.

Contact: 96379697

Wanted driver. Contact:

91025698

Looking for job driver K.S.A 7

years & Oman 5 years education

H.S.C. Contact: 93940319

Looking for truck visa.

Contact: 94087276

Looking for driving job.

Contact: 98255214

3 years driver experience in

Muscat Oman, language known:

English, Hindi Arabic & Bengali.

Contact: 97462781

Driver with car 2015 model,

speak British English.

Contact: 94039796

Embassy experienced driver with

17 years experience seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 92191698

Pakistani light driver looking

for job with 5 years experience.

Contact: 92617293

Looking job for driving with car.

Contact: 90436094

Looking for job car driver.

Contact: 98388947

Light driver need job knows

Arabic & Hindi.

Contact: 95145988

Looking job L.T.V with car,

without car. Contact: 94436276

Driver, 5 years experience in

Oman looking for job.

Contact : +968 99139890

Job for driving. Contact: 98982410

Housemaid (overseas) Indian

family looking for job.

Contact 99531802

Indian Male, 36 years, over 16

years’ Stores, Logistics and Import

Export experience with US based

MNC, seeks suitable placement.

Mob: 9822 6568

B.Sc Civil Engineer, 27 yrs Oman

experience as Project Manager,

Structure Engineer looking for suit-

able placement. NOC / LOCAL trans-

fer available. Contact: 99349578

Email: farooqatm@hotmail.com

Procurement Engineer (27 years

single male with Oman Driving Li-

cense) having 7 years experience

(UAE 2, Oman 3) with expertise in

MEP, Water, Electromechanical,

Instrumentation seeking suitable

placements. Contact 95852033,

mail: hemal1988@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

Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in

designing, assembling, commis-

sioning execution etc having valid

GCC license too looking for a suit-

able. Contact: 00968-98052942

Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com

Electrical Testing Engineer (B.Tech) having 7 yrs Gulf expe-

rience expertise in testing pre-

commissioning commissioning of

electrical systems, currently on visit

visa seeks suitable job in Muscat.

Contact: 90188231

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

in Oman as a project engineer for

governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

Indian male, Mechanical

Engineer having 1year experi-

ence, on visit visa looking for

suitable job. Contact:97416564,

Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com7 Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in

the fi eld of Building Const. Oil &

Gas Seeking Job.94625598

Indian female (22) BE Computer

Science & pursuing MBA in sym-

biosis, looking for a job in

HR & IT with 2 years experience

in IT fi eld. Contact: 92649477 /

96043223

Indian female, 31 yrs, 7 yrs expe-

rienced as AutoCAD civil drafts-

man (2 yrs experience in Oman)

currently in Oman seeks suitable.

Contact 96789441

Email: simi5304@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer Indian male

30 years, having 5 years of experi-

ence in industrial automation and

utility maintenance in India (MRF

Tyres) holding valid Oman D/L.

Contact: 92789995 Email:

akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

MEP Engineer 5 years exp in Gulf

driving license NOC.

Contact 97838220

Mechanical Engineer with 3 Yrs

experience in international Oil

& Gas company looking for job

Contacts: Tel: 90164236 Email:

mustafaoshi-62@hotmail.com

Indian Electrical Engineer Btech,

female 24 seeking job, presently

in oman having 2 year experience

in design and estimation of Ht &Lt

projects. Contact 968 97436557,

Mail id : sibinanoop1@gmail.com

Diploma in Mechanical Eng piping system in AutoCAD work,

21+ years experience with Driving

license. Contact: 95267113

Email: rkakkaryil@gmail.com

Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years

old) – B.Sc Engineering (Hon)

Mining / Geotechnical Presently

in Muscat, 1.5 years experience.

Contact 91295802 /

acmfaslan123@gmail.com

Indian Male 23 years B.Tech

Civil having 2 years experience in

quantity survey and site manage-

ment looking for suitable place-

ment. Contact:- 95042656

Civil Engineer (BE) having total

5 years experience in building

construction looking for a suitable

placement. D/L available

Contact# 94450270

Road and Construction Engineer with 5 years exp in Oman.

Contact: 97667113

Egyptian male fi nance manager

7 years experience release avail-

able. Contact: 95539923

The Business Development Man-

ager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years

Inside and outside Oman follow-

ing activities: construction(Very

strong and qualifi 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 management of

the company & marketing projects

& investments& tenders & real

estate. Contact 92385033

MBA (marketing) with 17 years

experience in freight forwarding/

logistics industry in GCC & Oman.

Presently working as branch

manager in Muscat. Looking for a

suitable position. Release and NOC

available. Contact: 99856331

Indian male, with experience in

operations management, informa-

tion security, purchase & stores

mgmt, hold UAE driving license, on

visit visa, seeks suitable job.

Contact 91904541

Email: naushers@yahoo.com

The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15

Years Inside and outside Oman

following activities: tenders& real

estate& construction & marketing

projects& investments &

transportation & Marine services&

companies management& develop

business. Contact: :- 92385033

MISCELLANEOUS

SALES / MARKETING

Bangladeshi male, University

M.Com, Working as an Accountant

& Administrator in Oman;

searching better job.

Phone: 94864966

Email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

Offi ce boy, exp, knows English/

Hindi, can work on current visa

94263603

A Filipina lady having experience

in call center, airline booking and

reservations, secretarial and real

estate is now looking for a job in

any fi elds. Contact: 93839304

Indian female on visit MBA

(International Business- Market-

ing & Logistics), BE (Computers &

Science Engg.) Trained in SAP-BI/

BW with 1 year experience

seeking for job Contact: 90228586

Email:fathimasha16@gmail.com

Graduate, computer literate,

experienced in sales, credit

control, accounts, Omani D/L ,

seeks suitable placement.

Gsm 98805474

Well experienced COMMERCIAL/

PROCUREMENT MANAGER

Seeks immediate placement, Indian, over 26 years of

experience in import, purchase, logisti cs, commercial acti viti es.

Can join immediately.

Contact : 91048922 / 90502724 /

tk.sasi@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech

2 years experience HVAC design

& site Engg revit MEP Auto CAD.

Contact: 90150913 Email:

mahmanmechengg@yahoo.im

Indian female civil engineer

B.Tech having 3 years experience

sound knowledge of software,

REVIT STAD PRO structural detail-

ing currently on family visa seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 95345591

Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years

in Oman experience Valid Driving

License seeks suitable placement

Phone 97619722

Email – golamrob@yahoo.com

Sudanese Telecom Engineer, 5 years experience, 3 years in

Oman PMP certifi cate.

Contact: 93391008 Email:

momen.awadallam@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman

with license. Contact: 98975518

Mechanical Engineer male 26 yrs,

with 4 yrs of experience in manu-

facturing oil & gas retail, brand pro-

moting, marketing, logistics having

valid Omani D/L seeking for a suit-

able placement. Contact: 97098676

Email: ja237le@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

Structural buildings marine. Avail-

able NOC release. Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com

AutoCAD draftsman experience 2 years.

Contact: 93738335 /95809393

Email: mammoosing@gmail.com

Indian male 31 years with over 10

years sales & marketing experience

seeking suitable placement NOC

& Oman D/L available in addition

have profi ciency in Arabic language.

Contact: 95760969

Indian male UK- MBA (International

Business) having 2 years UK exp

with full UK D/L, now on visiting

visa. Seeking suitable jobs.

Contact – 96446013 /

mmmidhun777@gmail.com

MBA Indian male 4 years experi-

ence sales & marketing seeking suit-

able opportunities. Contact: 96931719

Male 26 BBA studied in Oman

3 yrs exp in MNC and now on visit.

Contact: 98180071

Email: nikhildasin@gmail.com

Indian male with 27 years of rich

experience in sales/ marketing in

Oman with driving license and pro-

fi ciency in Arabic language, seeks

suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact: 96725458

Email: ranisadhu@yahoo.com

Sales Engineer (M.Eng) Canada

fi ve + years Oman market experi-

ence with leading brands with

D/L. Contact: 93985140 Email:

jbom628@gmail.com

Indian male pluming sanitary

ware & building materials experi-

ence in outdoor sales (9 years)

experience with D/L UAE valid

visit visa. Contact: 98723456

Sri Lankan lady experienced in key

accounts, Market Demand planning

& Communications, Brand/Sales in

multinationals seeks placement in

Muscat. 98250829

Indian sales marketing professional

highly experienced in business

development in ME India and Africa

seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97897611

Indian male, Graduate, experi-

enced Sales person (FMCG) with

valid UAE driving license, on visit

seeks suitable position.

Contact 92419491 / 94881950,

Email : pranilpp76@gmail.com

Male 38 yrs Graduate 07 years

experience indoor / outdoor

electronic fi eld with D/License &

NOC available (as per new rule).

Contact: 92453375

MBA graduate having 6 years exp

in Sales & Marketing, 4 years with

PEPSI, India, having international

driving license permit seeks suitable

placement. Contact : 95308167,

Email : samir.pag@gmail.com

Indian male, MBA Marketing

having 2.5 years Sales experience

immediately looking for a suitable

position. Contact: 91415145,

Email: shariqs88@gmail.com

B.Com male 2 yrs experience in

sales Computer knowledge,

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98371144

email: nabilnazar22@gmail.com

TECHNICIAN /MECH.

Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years

experience preferably in water

sector and having valid driving

license call Ph:+968 99450811

Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fi tter

gulf & Indian exp looking job.

Contact: 95175192

Lady Secretary / Sales Co-co-

ordinator 12 years experience in

Oman in reputed companies, seek

immediate Employment.

Call: 95244761

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian Female Accountant, now

in Oman on Visit Visa, looking for

suitable placement.

Contact 94250871.

Sri Lankan Male, 23 years old with

3 years of Sales experience and

basic accounting knowledge (AAT

and Tally) Seeking for a suitable

position. Contact-94864296

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/ net-

working/ server, valid Omani D/L

seeking suitable placement in IT/

Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532

DAILY GUIDED6 W E D N E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 7, 2 0 1 6

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

SIT.WANTED

SITUATION WANTED

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian male AUTO CAD Draughts-

man (civil) 8 years experience,

seeking for part time job.

Contact - 99070584 /

email: remluvp@gmail.com

Diploma (Electrical Engineering) from Government polytechnic.

Age 27 years, 6 years Experience

in troubleshooting and managing

and Technical in substation as a

Electrical Engineer. Seek suitable

placement. Contact - 92995899,

MBA (F), B.COM. Indian female

having knowledge of accounts

with Tally looking for full or part

time job. Presently on family visit

visa. Contact: - 96259171. Email: -

bhumicapandya@gmail.com

Indian Male, total 8+years gulf

experience in Document Controller

/ Coordinator / Secretary. Looking

suitable position. Local release

available. CONTACT: 94524259

EMAIL: madhuppnair@yahoo.com

Mechanical Engineer (Indian

Male, 24 Years) with three years

experience, looking for suitable

job. Currently on visit visa, ready

to join immediately.

Contact 92175441,

Email: ihabeeb24@gmail.com

Indian female, holds LLB

& Masters in business

administration(MBA),2 yrs oman

experience as HR & Admin, seeks

suitable placement in jobs @

SOHAR. Contact: 96541959

IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/

networking/server support, valid

Omani D/L seeking suitable place-

ment in IT/Network/Server sup-

port. Contact 92607532.

BS in Civil Engineering Experience: 3 Year (Road Projects)

Omani license: 9 Years.

Contact: 97427701

Email: hassanrvc1989@gmail.com

Indian Male, 26 years, with 7

years of experience in Sales Field

in shipping company in Dubai,

looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety

Marine equipment and well versed

with MS Offi ce. Contact: 90182494

Accountant. Having 6 years

experience in accounts in reputed

companies. Presently working in

Muscat (NOC Available)

GSM. 00968-97010584, Email -

usman7678@yahoo.com

Iraqi civil Engineer with more

than 30 years experience in (Iraq,

U.A.E. and Oman) looking for a job,

(N.O.C.) is available.

Contact No. 95626218

Email- amin.sarim007@gmail.com

Bangladeshi male, University MA,

Working as Sales coordinator cum

Store In-charge in Muscat; search-

ing better job. Phone: 91997605

email: mohamednazrulislam2@

gmail.com

Indian Male ,MBA Finance &

Marketing 28 yrs,6+ Exp, with

oman D/L & NOC, Hospital Pharma

,Herbal ,FMCG, F&B Market-

ing ,construction A/c & sales ,

93379044

Diploma in civil engineering

having an experience 26years

(22years in Oman) experience

in Estimator / quantity surveyor

looking for a suitable placement.

Willing to join immediately

contact: 96328687.

Indian female, B.Tech graduate,

with one and half years experience

as ‘web developer’ interested in

web development and has experi-

ence working in HTML, CSS, Boot-

strap, JavaScript and Photoshop.

Contact 9592 7075, e-mail id:

mariarosejacob90@gmail.com

Indian male 26, on vist visa, 2+

yrs of experience with UAE D/L,

IATA-FIATA,BBA looking for any

suitable job. Contact 91324567

Bangladeshi Male, University MA,

Working as Sales coordinator cum

Store In-charge in Muscat; search-

ing better job. Phone: 91997605

email: mohamednazrulislam2@

gmail.com

33 year old Filipina with experi-

ence in Teleperformance, Manila

call centre ,now working as Wait-

ress in Qatar seeking suitable post.

Contact 99022484

Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Store keeper in

Muscat; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.

com

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil &

Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughts-

man (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING

LICENSE) seeking job. #90139903

Bangladeshi Male, University

M.Com, Working as an administra-

tor in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:94864966,

email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

Bangladeshi Male, University MA,

Working as Sales coordinator cum

Store keeper in Muscat; searching

better job. Phone:91997605. E mail:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

Assistant Manager – Planning

(B.Tech EEE): Indian Male, over

10 years( 7+ Yrs in Oman & UAE)

of experience in Project Plan-

ning & Scheduling, Liaison &

Coordination, Budgeting and

Client Interaction. Seeking a

suitable Job in Muscat. Contact

– 00971503529608, Email Id:

saravananbe44@gmail.com

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/net-

working/server, valid Omani D/L

seeking suitable placement in IT/

Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil &

Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughts-

man (holding Oman driving

license) seeking job. #90139903

Indian Male, 26 years, With 7

years of experience in Sales Field

in shipping company in “Dubai”

, looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety Ma-

rine equipment and well versed

with MS Offi ce. Contact: 90182494,

manojmallya999@gmail.com

Indian female 25 yrs, MBA HR &

Marketing, with one and half years

experience as accountant and 6

months experience in teaching,

now on a visit visa, seeking suit-

able position. Contact: 99624044,

mail: np.neethu1@gmail.com.

MBA (F), B.COM. Indian female

having knowledge of accounts

with Tally looking for full or part

time job. presently on family visit

visa. Contact :- 96259171. Email:-

bhumicapandya@gmail.com

Indian Male, 27 Years, MBA

Finance pursuing, BCA, 6 years

working in Airline Cargo Op-

erations, Airline Passenger Ticket

Auditing domain, looking for a

suitable placement, currently on

visit. email: jeevamal89@gmail.

com, Phone:- 91713489

Assistant Manager – Planning

(B.Tech EEE): Indian Male, over

10 years( 7+ Yrs in Oman & UAE)

of experience in Project Plan-

ning & Scheduling, Liaison &

Coordination, Budgeting and

Client Interaction. Seeking a

suitable Job in Muscat. Contact

– 00971503529608, Email Id:

saravananbe44@gmail.com

B.Com 5yrs experience good

command on tally, Excel sheet on

family visa. Contact: 98002428

Email: lubnakanwal36@gmail.com

Diploma in civil engineering

having an experience 26years

(22years in Oman) experience

in Estimator / quantity surveyor

looking for a suitable placement.

Willing to join immediately

Contact : 96328687.

Indian B.Tech 37 years Project

Engineer , 12 + years experience

in construction, maintenance of

STP, Pumping stations, sewer lines,

drinking water distribution and ser-

vice reservoirs & pipe lines. Contact:

99364007 / +91-887422635

Email: mdzubair01@gmail.com

Indian Mech Engineer, 9+ years

of Saudi experience in HVAC, MEP

oil & gas and hospital projects with

valid Saudi driving license can join

immediately. Contact: 99364007 /

+966-505899608

Email: shuebmech@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer with 11 years

experience in Electrical Design

(LV&HV) Villas , apartments ,

seek part time jobs.

Contact -91403412

Pakistani Male having 6 years

Experience Valid Omani Driving

license working as a Transport

Manager looking for a suitable

position. salary is negotiable.

mail: mohdnaveed043@gmail.

com, Mob: +96893363316 /

94202746

Light Duty Driver Professional,

Indian male having 5 years of

experience with valid Oman driving

licence.NOC Available. #91652481

SITUATION WANTEDEDUCATION/COMPUTER/WEBSITE

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

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English

class for Malayalam Speakers in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months• Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

Indian male 25 yrs, MBA (Finance,

Marketing), Overall 2 yrs exp in Ac-

counts/Finance fi eld, On Visit Visa.

Immediately available.

Contact - 92989197/94786544.

abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com

Bangladeshi Male, University MA,

Working as Store keeper in

Muscat; searching better job.

Phone: 91997605,

email: mohamednazrulislam2@

gmail.com

Electronics service Technician , 4 Years experience as Electronics

service engineer. Knowledge in all

type of Electronics items. Looking

for suitable placement.

GSM- 99105043

Highly experienced mechanical/

steel structural fabrication engineer

looking for suitable placement. NOC

available. Contact: 99860714,

hussain20173@gmail.com.

Part- Time Accountant, well experi-

ence senior accountant ,doing all

type of accounting works, Finaliza-

tion, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439

22, Indian BBA graduate, 1 year

experience, presently on visit visa,

looking for suitable placement.

Contact 91881053

Bangladeshi Male, University

M.Com.Working as an Admin-

istrator cum Accountant in

Oman; searching better job.

Phone:94864966,

email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

Indian male M. Com 10 years of

experience looking for Part time

Job can do fi nalization #97433387

or thodaforme@gmail.com

IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/

networking/server support, valid

Omani D/L seeking suitable place-

ment in IT/Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532.

Light Driver looking for job.

Contact:99594946

Sudanese Mechanical Engineer

26 years old (male) with 4 years

experience as Mechanical engineer ,

Sales engineer and Call center agent

seeking suitable placement. Contact:

+968.90644235

Bangladeshi Male, University

M.Com Working as an Administrator

cum Accountant in man; searching

better job. Phone:94864966,

email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

MBA - (F), M.Com, B.COM. Indian

female having knowledge of ac-

counts with Tally looking for part

time or full time job. Presently on

family visa. Contact :- 91892264.

Email:- yv.dixit@yahoo.com

Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Sales administra-

tor in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

Indian Female, BE Electronics and

Communication, having oman ex-

perience looking for full time or part

time job. Ready to join immediately,

currently on family visa.

Contact : 92115948 / 99327912

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/net-

working/server, valid Omani D/L

seeking suitable placement in IT/

Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532

Searching a land surveyor job fully

know latest instrument of Survey

GPS and Total station two year

OMAN experience.NOC Available.

Contact +96894144052,

Email- wasifnaz 313@yahoo.com

B.TEC ( IT) . 24 years, 2 Years of

experience in technical support,

software development, networking,

troubleshooting and managing. seek

suitable placement.

Contact GSM- 98184170

Indian male experienced material

segregation with D/L seeks suit-

able placement. Contact: 92715032

Email: santhoshgeorge99@gmail.

com

Purchase Executive Professional,

Indian male having 6 Years of

Experience in Oman Having Valid

Driving Licence working as a Pur-

chase offi cer, Looking for a suitable

Position, NOC/LR Available.

Contact: 95132564/96456071,

E-mail: naji1988@gmail.com

Indian male 26 years (MBA Fi-

nance) seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 92715032

Email: ajisd@yahoo.com

D.M.E, Indian, 12 yrs experience in

Oman, in Project Estimation, Execu-

tion, Quality & marketing working

as Estimation Engineer in acid &

water tanker, semi trailor company,

with havin driving license & will get

NOC, seeks suitable job in Oman.

Contact 98968495.

Senior Accountant Indian male 35

Years with 13 Years of Experience

(7 years in Oman) in Accounts &

Finance having valid Omani Driv-

ing License. Looking for job in GCC

Countries. # 96001918

Indian male 25yr B. Com 4

years experience in trading and

contracting fi eld in India looking

for suitable accountant vacancies.

Please contact 96155921 or

fysal.nellaya@gmail.com

Indian male looking job part time

driver. Contact: 93884951

Indian male BE, (ECE) 18 months

experience in Telecom Sector as

installation and Commissioning

Engineer, troubleshooting

the bts, 3G and LTE equipments cur-

rently on visit. Contact: 95183497

Email: v.karthi984@gmail.com

27,male,ACCA fi nalist, have

professional experience up to fi na-

lization of accounts, statutory and

internal audit, expertise in using

tally, focus and oracle software,

have 3.5 years experience in ac-

counts till fi nalization ,seeking for

permanent replacement in senior

position, GSM-91324962,

email-abdullah.nooralam@gmail.com

Chief Accountant , 7 years experi-

enced (out of 25 years experience

in accounts) worked in reputed

group companies. Currently procur-

ing MBA fi nance and having Omani

Driving License seeks suitable

openings from reputed companies.

Contact : 95598477 / 98803439

Indian male 25 yrs, MBA in mar-

keting on visit looking for a job in

Sales and Marketing. #91270215

Email: nibuvarughese13@gmail.com

Indian male, 23 years PG diploma

in Petroleum Engineering and

B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering

holding UAE driving license seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 95880127 / 95084905

Email: vijith2573459@gmial.com

Female 5 years experienced

Oman as Senior Accountant.

SKILLS : ERP9, MS OFFICE, SAGE,

ACCPAC. GSM # 95483804 / 9986

8330. MAIL :sararowshan344@

gmail.com

Indian male 25 yrs, MBA

(Finance, Marketing), Overall 2 yrs

exp in Accounts/Finance fi eld, On

Visit Visa. Immediately available.

Contact – 92989197 / 94786544.

mail: abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com.

Bangladeshi male, University MA,

working as administrator in Oman;

searching better job. #91997605

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

Indian male having 6 Years of

Experience in Oman Having Valid

Driving License working as a

Purchase offi cer, looking for a

suitable Position, NOC Available.

Contact: 95132564 / 96456071,

E-mail:naji1988@gmail.com

Indian Male, pursuing ACCA with

knowledge in C++, Java looking for

accounting job. Contact 94743462.

Email: zabinbashu@gmail.com

HR Manual, Employee Hand-

book, Recruitment, Training, HR

Consultancy. Are you looking for

freelancer HR professional? Please

contact on 97914669

BE Mechanical Engineer / MBA

Indian male 25 yrs, currently

working in Qatar skills MEP de-

signing surveying, Oracle, Auto-

CAD, SAP. Contact: 97474470866

& C/O in Oman 95071632

Indian Female, Master of Technol-

ogy (M.Tech) in Electronics &

Communication Engineering,

currently in Muscat with Family

Visa,1+ year experience in Teach-

ing seeks suitable placement in

Muscat. Contact 96209509

B.TECH ( IT) . 24 years, 2 Years of

experience in technical support,

software development, network-

ing, troubleshooting and manag-

ing, seeks suitable placement.

Contact GSM- 98184170

Bangladeshi Male, University MA,

5 years experience in IT sales &

marketing working as sales coor-

dinator in Oman; searching better

job. Phone: 91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

Indian, Keralite seeks cleaning job

part time. Contact: 90169048

Indian Male 4 years experience

Chef. Indian, Chinese Cuisine seek

suitable placement.

Contact: 99883019

DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 7, 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 WANT-

ED

TOURS

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation available Ruwi to

Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

From Mabela to Mawaleh for school

student. Contact: 92757673

Transportation. Contact: 96248040

Transportation. Contact :98505294

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

GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS

SIT.WANTED

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

MANPOWER

Transportation. Contact 92015894

Transportation in Muscat.

Contact: 96004045

DRIVING

SITUATION WANT-

ED

BUSINESS

Ayurvedic treatment for joint

pain, backache, paralysis, mas-

sage, steambath, obesity, spondy-

litis. Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic,

18 November Street, Azaiba. Con-

tact: 99639695 / 97397320

Ayurvedic treatment for backache,

paralysis, arthritis etc & mas-

sage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact:24475280 / 95371664 /

92504980 www.siddhayur.com

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments

& massage, Ayurvedic clinic at

AL Khuwair. Contact: 24478618 /

97263637 / 93309131

Indian Male 28yr age having

7year gulf+ Indian experience in

HR/Admin fi eld, looking for

suitable placement. #97914340,

Email: rajkv3086@gmail.com

Indian female 22 years 1 year ex-

perience in Secretary & Account-

ing, Tally, looking for suitable job

on visit visa. Contact: 97084473

Email: jumihasin10@gamil.com

Relationship Manager, Indian

male 28 yrs, BBA, MBA 5 year’s

exp, currently working in India

computer skilled. Contact: 0091

974710108 / 95071632

Part- Time Accountant, well ex-

perienced senior accountant ,do-

ing all type of accounting works,

Finalization, Budgeting available.

Contact : 98803439

Indian male Executive Secretary

having vast experience in admin,

logistics & procurement well versed

with computer seeks suitable

placement. Contact : 99514286,

Email : azimmohd@yahoo.co.in

D8 W E D N E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 7, 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDEEmail: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done

till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space

availability

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SERVICESWe Provide Cleaners,

Offi ce boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir Nati onal Est. LLC Contact : 94277020

Split & window A/c servicing &

maintenance. Contact 93769089 /

95323517

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing,

Contact 99314807/24792998

Building maintenance. Contact: 96173326

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

LEGAL SERVICEAn Indian lawyer Provides all legal

services in company matt ers. Labour issues, contracts, agreements, LLC formati on, legal help for starti ng new business in Oman, Civil, criminal

cases,.service issues.Ibrahim Al Massalhi.legal consultancy

Sarafudheen, LLB, MBA,Legal Advisor

Muscat. GSM: 97351649

FURNITURE SHIFTINGMaintenance,

Dismantling, Packing, Shifting & Fixing furniture with expert technicians.Contact: 99041337

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your

marble.# 24793614/ 99314807

Marble, Grinding, Crystallization.Ocean Center L.L.C.

Contact: 99344723

Water proofi ng ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

A/C maintenance & servicing,

fridge, washing machine & dish

washer repairing, painting & clean-

ing services, electrical & plumbing.

Contact 99447257 / 97014234 /

24504281

Split A/C servicing

R.O 10 only. Contact: 94217681 /

99210141

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont

Maintenance services electric,

plumbing and A/C.

Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance.

Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217

/24788722

Pest Control Treatments Ocean Center L.L.C.

Contact: 99344723

Cleaning & Carpet Shampooing Ocean Center L.L.C.

Contact: 99344723

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile

polishing, pest control & anti-ter-

mite treatment, general cleaning

painting,Plumbing, Electrical,

shifting. Contact Mundhir

Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C.

Contact: 24810137, 99450130

Cad drafting architecture MEP

design MEP BIM – REVIT.

Contact: 91233975

Marble ti les grinding & polishing, Mosaic ti les grinding & polishing,

carpet shampooing, sofa shampooing, pest control treatment & general cleaning

of villa & building.Express Building Cleaning Services.Contact 98480070 / 94134784

House shifting. Contact: 99708138

House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644 / 98518013