Times of Oman - February 7, 2016

Founded 1975 . Volume 40 No. | Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

February 7, 2016 28 Rabi Al Thani 1437 AH

SUNDAY

296 40

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTYTHE SULTAN

We believe that non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, respect for charters and conventions, and compliance with international law will – without doubt – lead the world to a more harmonious state which safeguards the interests of all nations. It is something that we have always called for through dissemination of the culture of tolerance,peace, co-operation and understanding between all nations. We also hope that this will lead to the eradication of the many causes behind violence and instability.

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

h

will

A6Top entries of first Times literary contest published

OMANOman on verge of losing its skilled talents

1Oman is on the verge of losing its most skilled talents as both Omanis and foreign workers are considering their options to move in other countries in the region. >A5

OMANCycling facilities

2Cycling infrastructure in Oman needs to be improved. >A6

MARKETIndustrial strategy

3Oman is expected to sign a pact for a new industrial strategy. >B1

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

Will school buses be publicly run in Oman?

REJIMON KFAHAD AL [email protected]@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: A plan to hand the run-ning of all school buses of Omani and expat children to a public transport company is being seri-ously considered, an official at the Royal Oman Police (ROP) told Times of Oman.

A number of accidents have raised concerns about the safety of the school transport system. Three Indian children, one In-dian teacher and two Omani driv-ers died in an accident in Nizwa when they were returning from a pleasure trip.

Shortly after that an Indian Class III student from Seeb Indian school was dragged by a bus inside the school compound for a few me-ters and is now undergoing treat-ment at orthopaedic department in Khoula hospital with damaged

pelvic bones. “There is a serious move to involve public transport system in ferrying school chil-dren as many complaints have been recorded from citizens and residents,” the ROP source told the Times of Oman.

Might take some timeHowever, he added that the plan might take some time to be imple-mented. “It’s a process which in-volves many drivers who depend on this for their livelihood. There-fore, the move will be imposed step-by-step so as to give such people a chance to settle down their businesses, and possibly find alternative sources of income,” said the ROP source.

Meanwhile, international school principals were open to ROP’s move.

“We welcome the move. It’s an excellent idea. We will definitely opt for it because safety of chil-dren, punctuality and other things will be ensured,” Attaullah Niazi, senior principal at Pakistan School Muscat, told Times of Oman.

On January 22, 2014, two boys and a girl from Pakistan School Muscat were killed when the bus on which they were travel-ling hit a vehicle belonging to the Muscat Municipality at Qurum Heights Road.

Safety of childrenLt Col Mahmud Ul Alam (Retd), the principal of Bangladesh School Muscat said that safety of children is their priority and so, if the government comes up with a plan to involve public transport

system which follows all safety steps, we would definitely follow it. A senior Indian school man-agement official said that it’s the best move to avoid risks in ferrying children.

Move welcomed“Cost escalation may happen. But when we compare it to the cost of children’s life, it’s negligible,” the senior official added. Many senior teachers from Indian schools also welcomed the move.

“I prefer the public transport system to step in for ferrying chil-dren. In the present set up, we see severe lapse of security. It’s a mess and the transport of children is in mess. Only good drivers and good buses can avoid accidents,” the In-dian school teachers added.

Parents from different Indian schools in Muscat also welcomed the ROP move.

“We all are open to this idea. This is a great initiative. We know that ROP never compromises on safety. So, our children will be safe,” a group of parents from dif-ferent Indian schools said.

ROP thankedAnother parent while welcoming the move thanked ROP for initiat-ing such an idea.

“This is the ideal solution need-ed at this time. We were worried too much following the accidents. We even were looking for flats nearby school to skip sending children on bus. ROP’s move is a soothing one. Eagerly waiting to see it happen,” Joy Regina, an In-dian school parent, said. >A6

In the wake of recent

accidents involving

school buses and

to improve safety,

ROP is planning a

separate entity to

ferry schoolchildren

Only 47% of Omani

graduates get jobs

RAHUL DASHASAN SHABAN AL [email protected]@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: More than half of Omanis remain jobless after graduating from colleges in the Sultanate, a survey conducted by the Ministry of Higher Edu-cation (MoHE) has revealed.

Speaking to the Times of Oman, a senior official from MoHE said the survey was carried out among 12,551 stu-dents, who have been search-ing for jobs after graduating from their colleges.

“The survey was published this month by the Graduate Af-fairs Department of the Min-istry of Higher Education,” the official said.

The survey pointed out that while 53 per cent remained job-less, 47 per cent Omanis got jobs after graduating from colleges.

The study also showed that students of Science, Philoso-phy and Engineering bagged jobs after passing out from col-leges, while students in the Arts struggled to get a job.

“The unemployment rates are going up for the Arts section as many companies in Oman are ignoring the importance of humanities,” Social Researcher Younis Ali, said.

Experts said there are too many university graduates, who are chasing fewer job openings. “I had applied for a job in gov-ernment academic institution in January 2015 and I was called for an interview in April 2015 and finally got rejected in Octo-ber 2015,” admitted a job seeker, Mohammed al Lawati.

Then there are people like Samira Ali Balushi who went for a job interview and was sur-prised to see more than 15 can-didates sitting there. >A3

F E B R U A R Y 1 0 A N D 1 1

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

Before the Opening of the Annual Session of The Council of Oman, 2005

Top Omanis to share

.Open Minds stage

TRAGIC CRASH: Three Indian children, one Indian teacher and

two Omani drivers died in an accident in Nizwa when they were

returning from a pleasure trip. Photo– Supplied

In a story published on page one of February 1 edition regarding a plan for tax on fast food and to-bacco, we’d like to make it clear that Oman had agreed along with its GCC partners to impose such a tariff in November last year, Oman’s Minister of Health Dr Ahmed Mohammed Al Saidi has

welcomed the move but has not stated it should be soon, it was in fact Dr Jawad Al Lawati, senior consultant and rapporteur of the National Tobacco Control Com-mittee at the Ministry of Health who said it must be as early as possible. We apologise for any confusion caused.

F E B R U A R Y 1 R E P O R T

Times News Service

MUSCAT: International speak-ers at the .Open Minds forum will share the stage with top Omani speakers, the forum’s organisers announced yesterday.

The .Open Minds forum, to be held at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah resort on February 10 and 11, will feature three top Omani speakers: Sheikh Ahmed bin Su-waidan Al Balushi, former min-ister of telecommunications and currently a corporate head, Dr Amer bin Awadh Al Rawas, group CEO of Tasneea Oil and Gas technology, and Colonel (re-tired) Abdulwahab Abdulkarim Al Balushi, general manager security and facilitation of Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC), and also acting general manager of Muscat International Airport.

Ahmed bin Suwaidan Al Bal-ushi was the minister of tel-ecommunications from 1984 to 2000. He is currently chairman of Al Balushi Investments LLC. Passionate about technology and telecommunications, he remains enthralled by sound travel.

Passion for dronesThe former minister also has a passion for drones and has filmed Oman from the sky in a series of unusual videos being showcased on Oman TV, which has captured the imagination of the viewing public.

Dr Amer Al Rawas is the group CEO of Tasneea Oil and Gas Technology, a specialised compa-ny in the design and manufactur-ing of products and equipment used in the extraction of oil and gas. Dr Rawas joined Tasneea as Group CEO in 2014. >A3

A clarification

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

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OMANS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

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Top speakers to take part in .Open MindsHe has extensive experience in various sectors, mainly telecom, oil and gas, and academics. Dr Ra-was will be talking about the impor-tance of social entrepreneurship.

Colonel (retired) Abdulwahab Abdulkarim Al Balushi, who previ-ously was a senior member of the police force and a top trainer, is to-day the general manager security and facilitation of Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC), and also acting general manager of

Muscat International Airport. After retiring from the police

force, he worked as a trainer and then joined the OAMC in 2011 to establish an aviation security department. Abdulwahab Al Bal-ushi said he believes the most important lesson in life is to con-tinue learning.

The .Open Minds thought lead-ership forum will see top global speakers, including entrepreneur Chris Gardner, Princess Beatrice

of York, Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit and other thought and change leaders.

The event is being presented by Areej Vegetable Oils and Deriva-tives (AVOD). Merge and Al Wisal are the event’s radio partners and the Times of Oman and Al Shabiba are the media partners. For more information and registration, con-tact: 99620757, 95122430; email: [email protected] and [email protected]

E V E N T

< FROM

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A1 Oil prices hit hiring

“For one job more than 15 peo-ple are fighting,” she said.

Oil prices are currently trad-ing at around $32 per barrel so most of the companies are not hiring. “As long as oil prices are on the lower side, most of the companies will not hire. I honestly do not see this situa-tion improving this year, which means it will be a hard year for graduates looking for jobs,” the company official added.

HR officials said universities must start revolutionising con-ventional models of higher edu-cation to meet the demands of the industry and be more crea-tive in technology and innova-tion. “There are a lot of people in the market, but it is hard to find a good Omani employee. That is one of the reasons we go for ex-patriate workers at times,” the official said.

E C O N O M Y

HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com [email protected]

Oman Air signs support dealTimes News service

MUSCAT: Oman Air has chosen Air France Industries KLM En-gineering and Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) to provide flight hour support for the CFM56-7 power plants that equip the airline’s Boeing 737NG aircraft.

The long term contract was formally signed in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, by Oman Air CEO Paul Gregorowitsch and Ton Dortmans, Executive Vice Presi-dent KLM E&M, in the presence of His Highness Mohammed bin Harub bin Abdullah Al Said and KLM President and CEO, Dr Ing Pieter Elbers. The decision was taken following receipt of a high-ly competitive offer.

The new contract builds on a working relationship between the two firms that has existed for years. It will enable the airline to maintain its excellent record for safety, reliability and on-time per-formance for many years to come.

PrioritiesOman Air’s Chief Executive Of-ficer, Paul Gregorowitsch, praised AFI KLM E&M and expressed his happiness at the signing the contract. “Oman Air’s over-rid-ing priorities are the safety of its passengers and crew, the reliabil-ity of its aircraft and an excellent on-time performance. AFI KLM E&M’s expertise and profession-alism will help us to maintain our unblemished record in each of

these vital areas,” he said.On his part, Franck Terner, Ex-

ecutive Vice President AFI KLM E&M, said: “We have worked regularly with Oman Air for sev-eral years. I am very pleased that the airline has now shown us this mark of trust by opting for our engine know-how.”

The partnership was announced as Oman Air continues its fleet and network expansion, under which the national carrier of the Sultanate will raise its fleet size from 30 aircraft at the start of the programme to 70 aircraft by 2020. These are expected to comprise 25 wide-body and 45 narrow-body aircraft, with the vast majority of the narrow-body fleet consisting of Boeing 737s.

M A I N T E N A N C E C O N T A C T

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Helping out the disabled in Oman

ERIK PRINS [email protected]

MUSCAT: Awareness about disabled persons in Oman goes hand in hand with providing services for disabled visitors at the Muscat Festival.

The booth set up by the Oman Association for the Disabled at the Al Amerat Park provides information, as well as services, a board member of the Association told the Times of Oman.

Ahmad Al Badi, board mem-ber, said the goal of the Associa-tion being present at the Muscat Festival is to inform people about the disabled in Oman and provide

services, such as wheelchairs, scooters and crutches, which can be used by the visitors.

In addition, they can provide informative books on the disa-bled and a monthly magazine called “Challenge.”

“It is very important that peo-ple get to know more about us and the challenges we face in daily life,” he stated.

Your chance to contributeVisitors can also buy handi-crafts, textiles, perfumes and bakhour, which have been man-ufactured by disabled members of the Association.

These handicraft activities are part of the daily lives of members, who are unable to work, Al Badi explained.

“Our presence has been re-ceived very well by visitors. They want to know more about the disabled and are eager to ask us.”

In addition, visitors can reg-ister for courses in the sign lan-guage, Al Badi said.

“We hope our presence will create more awareness on the issue and that people will be will-ing to contribute to our cause. Everyone is very much welcome to join us at our booth,” he said.

Oman Association

for Disabled’s goal

for being present at

the Muscat Festival

is to inform people

about the disabled

in Oman and provide

services

CREATING AWARENESS: The booth set up by the Oman Association for the Disabled at the Al Amerat Park venue of the ongoing Muscat

Festival provides information, as well as services. – Erik Prins

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As the global oil price crisis starts to bite deep in the economy, the Sul-tanate is on the

verge of losing its most skilled talents as both Omanis and for-eign workers are considering their options to move in other countries in the region.

The top destinations are the United Arab Emirates and Qatar where the low oil prices have very little impact because of the strong market fundamen-tals. Years of genuine economic diversification in those two countries are paying off now. Oman, which has been shuffling its feet for too long on diversifi-cation, now may pay the price of losing its skilled workers.

The country does not have large fiscal and external buffers and is now unable to reduce negative spillovers to neu-tralise oil income decline. Oil revenues still make up about 75 per cent of the Sultanate’s total income. Staff wages both in the public and private sec-tors are among the lowest in the region.

In the current oil price crisis, the government has

already frozen promotions, bonuses and other incentives. The private sector is following suit. Such financial motiva-tions keep the staff loyal to their employers and the lack of it will force them to look elsewhere.

The brain drain will severely hit the economic recovery and kill off the rudimentary diversification efforts which are already in place. Talented young Omanis in the middle management positions are restless and need to see the expansion of their careers.

To hurt OmanisationTo lose them to neighbouring countries that promise better pays and remunerations will severely hamper the 30-year old Omanisation drive. On the other hand, losing expatriates who are playing a key role in the private sector will reduce the market competitiveness. The void created by the depar-tures of the skilled workers, both Omanis and expatriates, cannot be filled by fresh gradu-ates who lack working skills and years of experience.

On the question of gradu-ates, youngsters armed with degrees, are now finding it tempting to cross the border to expanding economies that don’t depend on oil volatil-ity. In this trend, the void left behind will be difficult to plug in when all venues of talents start to depart systematically. For the government, it always

has been a case of finding quick remedies when its back is pressed to a wall. The example of this was evident last week when it was announced that the cabinet is considering removing some restrictions on foreign investment laws. Non-Omanis may be allowed to own businesses without the minimum requirement of hav-ing a capital of OMR150,000.

It is a desperate decision in the middle of an oil price crisis that tries to mend a collapsing wall with a handful of pebbles. That amount of capital will not get the business owner far in a very unpredictable market that is riddled with a maze of red tape and endless bureaucracy. You don’t diversify the economy with corner shops, cafes or the sale of vegetables. In the past, many opportunities to encour-age large business integration with multinational companies have been lost. Lack of re-searches that would have led to programmes for the utilisation of business skills is one factor that has not taken off.

International trade partner-ships, create not just employ-ment opportunities, but pay well to keep workers happy to stop them from leaving the country. Such partnerships also transfer knowledge and technology, which are much needed in a merging economy like Oman.

The brain drain, once it has started, will be difficult to re-verse. Oman will no longer be able to compete with countries that have ‘poached’ its skills when oil prices are high again.

Structural adjustments are badly needed for long-term brain gain. But serious efforts are needed to reverse the past slipups. The learning curve have many bends but if Oman cannot find a true path to latch on, then the word ‘diversifica-tion’ will continue to be elusive.

Oman is facing possibility of local, expatriate brain drain

COMMENTARY

SALEH AL SHAIBANY

SUNDAYBEAT

H AV E YOU R SAY AT T W I T T E R.CO M /T I M ES O F O M A N O R S CA N T H E CO D E TO I N STA N T LY P O ST YOU R T H O U G H TS .

Structural adjustments are badly needed for long-term brain gain

A6


Contests of this nature open the doors of young

minds, enabling them to be creative, thoughtful

and introspective

Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali, CEO of Muscat Media Group

Top entries of first Times literary contest published

Times News Service

MUSCAT: ‘Thoughts…& Expres-sions!’, a limited edition book publishing the winning entries of the inaugural Times of Oman Lit-erary Contest, has been officially launched by Ahmed Essa Al Zed-jali, CEO of Muscat Media Group.

The book, a collector’s item, was released by MMG in re-sponse to overwhelming requests from readers across the Sultan-ate, and should serve as a delight for readers.

The literary contest, which was the first of its kind in the re-gion, was initiated by MMG, with a view to providing talented and aspiring writers in the Sultanate a platform to express themselves and also benchmark their writing skills, with among the best writers in the region.

The contest, which was also car-ried online, saw an enthusiastic response throughout the Sultan-ate, and had participation from na-tionals of more than 22 countries, including a very healthy participa-tion from Oman.

The contest categories included General Essays, Short Stories and Poetry, with the best submissions being published in this book.

The second edition of the con-

test is scheduled to be announced shortly to encourage creative writ-ing at the school level, as MMG plans to integrate an inter-school contest and trophy into this latest contest, which is meant to stir the creative ideas of the young ‘writ-ers’ minds’ flowing.

“MMG’s work ethos has always revolved around the empower-ment of our readers. We believe that real empowerment comes not just from the sharing of knowledge and information, but from provid-ing a channel for expression, as well,” Al Zedjali said.

He also noted that, as the world moves forward into the digital era, where geographical barriers no longer exist for the communica-tion of thoughts and ideas, ‘effec-tive’ expression holds the key.

“Contests of this nature open the doors of young minds, enabling them to be creative, thoughtful and introspective,” Al Zedjali added.

He also thanked the sponsors of the contest, including Jindal Shadeed, Sohar Aluminium and Zubair Corporation, who came forward and shared MMG’s values and vision in the new competition.

“We look forward to the contin-ued privilege of association with our business partners in our fu-ture editions of this initiative, as

well,” he said.Pradeep Govind, who heads the

contest committee, remarked, “Unlike the regular writing con-tests normally held in the region, this competition was unique, in the sense that there were no re-strictions on the topics.

The participants were given a free run for their imagination and over four months to write, refine and submit their works,” he continued.

“With technology knitting the world progressively closer, we have every right and reason to be-lieve that the Times of Oman Liter-ary Contest could truly proliferate into a global event in the coming years,” Govind said.

“All good stories need good lis-teners, and I would like to thank Times of Oman for taking this initiative to provide such a huge platform for literary talent. It was a great experience being part of this,” Parvathi Preethan, one of the winners in the Short Storiescat-egory, told Times of Oman.

“The literary contest was a good opportunity to share our work and be part of the writing fraternity in this country. It gave me an oppor-tunity, also, to read other works and meet eminent judges. I hope the contest becomes an annual

event organised by TOO group,” Sujatha Snegupta, one of the win-ners in the General Essays catego-ry, told Times of Oman.

According to Arun Ananthapai, a winner in the General Essay group, TOO’s literary competition helped bring out the writer in him.

“I had many plots for short sto-ries and essays in my mind, but I lacked the platform to showcase my ability. TOO helped the bud-ding writer in me. This opportuni-ty I took very seriously. My objec-tive was to participate and my goal was to win,” Ananthapai said.

“So when I did win second place, I was ecstatic. This award made me popular. Friends and strangers congratulated me and praised my work, and people who knew me well were surprised by my hidden talent,” he added.

He also said that the recognition coming from an eminent panel of judges was even more rewarding.

The judges for the inaugural edition included Donald Sargent, regional teacher trainer and advi-sor in the Ministry of Education; Sonia Ambrosio de Nelson, Assis-tant professor in the Department of Mass Communications at Sul-tan Qaboos University; Michele Ni Thoghdha, Chief Supervisor for English with the Ministry of Edu-

cation; Patricia Groves, author and educator, and Jane Jaffer Bick-more, author of several books.

According to the judges,this was a difficult competition to judge.

“We witnessed a wonderful dis-play of talent. It was very inspiring, promising and an overwhelming experience to judge the works,” a judge said.

Further, according to Khalid bin Mohammed Al Zubair, Managing Director of the Zubair Corporation and Head of the Social Advisory Committee, the company joined this competition to assist in intro-ducing meaningful community- based initiatives throughout the Omani Society.

“Achieving high levels of literacy by forming the habit of regular reading is a lifetime skill for every member of the community. Com-municating with society allows for the study of issues arising from the heart of the community by identi-fying its needs,”he said.

“Zubair Corporation endeav-ours to engage those youths who are aware of the needs of the com-munity,” he added.

According to Mohammed Al Masoudi, CEO of Sohar Alumini-um, his company has been part of this initiative to promote literary talents in the Sultanate.

“Empowerment cannot be attained by industrial develop-ment alone, but also by the intel-lectual growth of its people,” Al Masoudi said.

“Through literature, we not only express our respect of the world with its tangible and abstract no-tions, but also contribute to the promotion of our culture. Oman has always been a cradle of mag-nificent literature, and great poets and writers have emerged from this land,” he added.

“The contest gave ample oppor-tunity to the youth to display their talents in the field of literature, and I welcome the initiatives taken up by Times of Oman to bring out the hidden talents of these youths,” N A Ansari, CEO of the Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel,noted.

As MMG is gearing up to an-nounce the much awaited next edition of the Times of Oman Lit-erary Contest, the call has begun for talented writers to activate their creativity and prepare their manuscripts for the next round of “Thoughts…& Expressions!”

The book, a

collector’s item,

was released by

MMG in response

to overwhelming

requests from

readers across Oman,

and should serve as a

delight for readers

OWNER’S PRIDE: Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali, CEO of Muscat Media Group officially launched ‘Thoughts…&

Expressions!’, a limited edition book. – Supplied photo

New move to improve safety

Sunil Kumar, another parent, said that they are afraid while sending children to school on buses, even if it comes under safe transport system.

“It was in the safe transport bus system recently that a child was left. Majority of the buses under the safe transport system lack safety measures as assured by the school officials,” Sunil Kumar added.

According to the ROP official, the plan may not necessarily be the Mwasalat buses but they would be part of a public trans-port company.

Mohammed Khalfan, a resi-dent of Amerat, welcomed the move saying that ferrying of school children is supposed to be handled by a proper author-ity, rather than individual bus drivers and owners.

“The new move will definitely improve safety in school buses and also employ drivers under proper guidelines,” said Mo-hammed. The driver who died in the Nizwa accident was 74 years old.

Ali Al Muqaimi, a private sec-tor worker, also welcomed the move saying once this is imple-mented, parents would be able to go to their work without fearing for the safety of their children.

“I make sure to call several times the driver picking up my child to school every day. Al-though the driver has a good background, the stories I hear nowadays fill my mind with all kinds of doubts,” said Al Muqaimi. However, Saleh Al Mashari, a school bus driver, feels that such a move would negatively affect him and oth-er peers who make their living from this work.

“This will cut our main source of income,” said Saleh, adding that many drivers have no is-sues with their work in terms of their performance or eligibility.

“I feel the chance should be open for everybody and the requirements for safety and driving tests can determine who can secure his job under the public transport company,” noted Saleh.

P U B L I C T R A N S P O R T

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Enthusiasts call for better cycling infrastructure ERIK PRINS [email protected]

MUSCAT: Cycling infrastructure in Oman needs to be improved, campaigners and cyclists said, pointing out the health and envi-ronment benefits of the sport.

Frans Kohler, member of Mus-cat Mountainbikers and an ex-perienced cyclist, told the Times of Oman (TOO) that Oman is a wonderful country to cycle in, but the problem is that facilities and rules are formulated accord-ing to cyclists, and favour motor-ists instead.

“As a cyclist, you have to surren-der to the traffic. You can ride any-where, but you’re always second to the motorists,” he said.

Kohler added that the rules and regulations for cyclists are also unclear.

“I remember when one of us was hit by a car while riding on the shoulder of the Muscat Express-way, he (the cyclist) was the one who was found guilty, instead of the person who was driving the car using his mobile phone, which is a clear offence,” Kohler said.

He also recalled that his group was once stopped by the police, who asked them if they had a per-mit for cycling on the road. Kohler also explained that he has had to stop transporting his bike by mounting it on his car, as it turns out it is forbidden.

He noted that traffic in Oman is not used to cyclists, which makes things more difficult.

A Royal Oman Police (ROP) spokesperson said cycling is only allowed on lanes, pavements, sec-ondary streets, parks and drive-ways, but not on the main streets. He noted that allowing this would endanger motorists.

An expatriate, who asked not

to be named, recalled that as a cy-clist, he was once was hit by a car in Muscat.

“As there was no dedicated cycling lane, I was riding on the side of the road when I was hit by a speeding car. The accident left me severely wounded and uncon-scious and worse still, the driver who hit me fled the scene,” he said.

An official from ROP’s traffic department told TOO that there is currently no data available on ac-cidents involving cyclists. He add-ed that statistics on accidents are recorded for only motorists. Also, traffic laws do not govern bicycles, except when cyclists cycle close to cars and obstruct their path or place other traffic at risk.

“In that case, a cyclist may have committed an offence,” the ROP official said.

He also confirmed that cur-rently there are no dedicated lanes or roads for cyclists, apart from the ones constructed by the Muscat Municipality.

Commenting on cycling infra-structure in Oman, Saif bin Sabaa Al Rushaidi, director of the Oman Cycling Association (OCA), re-cently told TOO that the country is on track to improve the situation.

“Oman is not yet a cycling na-tion, but awareness has gained momentum and we are on track to improve the infrastructure,” he said.

Al Rushaidi said new cycling paths in Muttrah, Azaiba and Seeb are just the beginning of these improvements.

Commenting on the cycling lanes Al Rushaidi spoke of, cyclist Kohler said they are not fit for cycling, as they had still not fully adapted to the needs of the cyclists.

“The cycling lane that was con-structed in Azaiba does not make sense, as they have obstructed it

in such a way as to deter motorists to use it to park their cars, which makes it useless for cyclists. In Muttrah, cyclists have to cycle on the footpath and mingle with the pedestrians, which is a problem,” he stated. According to Kohler, the first step to better serve the inter-ests of cyclists would be to formu-late clear rules.

“Now, you’re often dependent on the whims of the police offic-er as to how to apply the rules,” he said.

In addition, he noted that sepa-rate cycling lanes could easily be constructed on the pavement of underground electricity lines, which are already separated from other traffic.

Omani cyclist Khalid Al Shabibi had earlier urged the authorities concerned to improve the coun-try’s cycling infrastructure.

“There are some places in the country that encourage cycling, but it would be nice if the con-cerned parties in the country keep this in mind while design-ing roads and the infrastructure,” said Al Shabibi.

Ali Humaid Al Saidi, general secretary of OCA, agreed that the current cycling paths are not yet up to speed with the de-mands of cyclists.

“We have requested the Muscat Municipality to construct cycling lanes, but the end result is not in our hands,” he said.

Al Saidi further said his organi-sation is working “very hard” to defend cyclists’ interests, by pro-moting cycling, organising events and improving facilities.

“We cannot just rely on the gov-ernment. We need help from spon-sors, businesses and the public,” he said. He could not comment on the cyclists’ complaint that rules for cyclists are not clear.

N E E D S I M P R O V E M E N T


Lulu to open new outlet in SuwaiqTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Having established a firm foothold in the Sultan-ate for more than a decade, Lulu Group is gearing up for the opening of yet another store in the coastal town of Su-waiq today.

The 122nd outlet of the group and the 16th in Oman will be in-augurated by Shaikh Muhna bin Saif bin Salim Al Lamki, Gov-ernor of North Al Batinah. The opening of the newest outlet will see the group, which is on a vast expansion mode, anchor itself firmly to the modern, cus-tomer-centric retail landscape of the Sultanate.

Built over an area of 100,000 sq feet, the new outlet is de-signed with customer con-venience and product vari-ety in mind. The outlet has ample parking space, wide aisles for easy shopping a range of world-class products and brands at the fairest price which will be the major attrac-tion of the new outlet.

It will have separate sec-tions for fresh fruits and veg-etables, meat and poultry, fish, dairy products, ready-to-eat products and a state-of-the-art live bakery and hot foods kitchen. In addition to this, the outlet will feature high-fash-ion garments, electronics, IT products and home appliances, stationery etc.

Commenting on the new out-let, Ananth A.V, Regional Direc-tor, Lulu Oman said. “We see the retail sector going through a pe-riod of change. Innovation and quality will be the game chang-ers as the demands of custom-ers continue to increase.”

1 6 T H I N O M A N

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REGIONS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

Exodus to Turkish border as Syria forces assault on Aleppo intensifies

ONCUPINAR (TURKEY)/BEIRUT: Russian and Syrian government forces on Saturday intensified an assault on rebel-held areas around the Syrian city of Aleppo that has prompted tens of thou-

sands to seek refuge across the border in Turkey.

The assault around Aleppo, which aid workers have said could soon fall to government forces,

helped to torpedo Syrian peace talks in Geneva this week. Russia’s intervention has tipped the bal-ance of the war in favour of Presi-dent Bashar Al Assad, reversing

gains the rebels made last year.Any hopes of a ceasefire were

dampened by Assad’s foreign min-ister, who said it would be all but impossible to stop the fighting while rebels were able to pass free-ly across the borders with Turkey and Jordan.

Taking full control of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city before the civil war erupted five years ago, would be a huge strategic prize for As-sad’s government in a conflict that has killed at least 250,000 people and driven 11 million from their homes.

Advances by the Syrian army and allied militias are threaten-ing to cut off rebel-held zones of the city, still home to around 350,000 people, while more than a million live in government-controlled areas.

Mevlut Cavusoglu, foreign min-ister of Turkey, which has already taken in 2.5 million Syrians, said

up to 55,000 were now fleeing to the frontier.

Cavusoglu said the border was open, but at the Oncupinar cross-ing near the Turkish city of Kilis, which has been largely shut for nearly a year, refugees were be-ing shepherded into camps on the Syrian side.

Doors not closedThe local governor, Suleyman Tapsiz, said around 35,000 Syr-ians had reached Oncupinar in the space of 48 hours.

“Our doors are not closed, but at the moment there is no need to host such people inside our borders,” he said.

A Reuters reporter at Oncupinar could hear occasional shelling and saw several Turkish ambulances cross the border.

Meanwhile, on the Turkish side, dozens of Syrian refugees who had already made it to Turkey queued

up to beg the authorities to al-low their relatives in, or to cross the border in the hope of bringing them back.

Sitting in his car with his four children just inside Turkey, Ahmet Sadul, 43, was hoping to get back into Syria to look for relatives from his hometown of Azaz.

“Now there are thousands of people from Azaz all waiting on the other side. They escaped from the Russians. I want to go and get my relatives. They are bombing Syrians all the time. Many people have left Aleppo. But still there are many civilians there. If Russia is successful, we are all dead.”

Russia denies targeting civil-ians and says its actions are aimed at shoring up Syria’s legitimate government and combating terror-ism. The West and Turkey, which want Assad to step down, accuse Moscow of using indiscriminate force. — Reuters

Taking full control

of Aleppo, Syria’s

largest city before the

conflict erupted five

years ago, would be

a strategic prize for

Assad’s governmentAGONY: Internally displaced Syrians are seen at a shelter near the

Bab Al Salam crossing, across from Turkey’s Kilis province, on the

outskirts of the border town of Azaz, Syria on Saturday. — Reuters

Europe oil giants seek more Iranian crude

DUBAI: Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Satur-day that Iran’s crude oil sales to Europe after the lifting of international sanctions on Teh-ran had already reached above 300,000 barrels, according to the ministry’s news agency.

Iran’s oil exports, which had peaked at more than 3 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2011, fell to a little more than 1 million bpd after tougher sanctions were im-posed in 2012 because of its nu-clear programme.

Increased oil outputAfter the rubber-stamping of the nuclear deal with world powers last year, however, Tehran has or-dered a 500,000 bpd increase in oil output.

“Based on the contract signed between the National Iranian Oil Co and France’s Total, it was agreed that Total will buy 160,000 bpd of crude oil from Iran to be de-livered in Europe,” Zanganeh was quoted as saying by news agency SHANA, adding that the contract would be finalised on February 16.

Zanganeh also said Italy’s Eni was interested in buying 100,000 barrels of crude oil from Iran and

its representatives would visit Tehran in near future to discuss the contract.

“Eni has voiced its interest in one of Iran’s fields which will be treated like the agreement reached with Total,” he said.

Iran’s oil minister said Italian refiner Saras was interested in buying 60,000 to 70,000 barrels of crude oil from Iran.

Tehran is sweetening the

terms it offers on oil develop-ment contracts to draw the inter-est of foreign investors deterred by sanctions and low crude prices, as its pragmatic president seeks to deliver on his promise of economic recovery.

The new contracts, which include those in the upstream exploration and development sectors are expected to attract more than $40 billion in foreign investment.

Iran has postponed a planned oil conference in London, which was due to have taken place in February to reveal its new con-tracts, until November.

An Iranian official said “the US urged Tehran to hold off ” until a final nuclear deal was penned. — Reuters

D I V I D E N D S

Iran’s oil exports, which had peaked at more than 3 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2011, fell to a little more than 1 million bpd after tougher sanctions were imposed in 2012 because of its nuclear programme

Western powers attempt to solve Libyan imbroglioWASHINGTON: The United States and its allies are probably many weeks or even months away from launching a new military campaign against S in Libya, de-spite mounting concern about the group’s spread there and its attacks on oil infrastructure, US officials say.

The Pentagon has warned in recent weeks of the dangers posed by IS’ growth in Libya.

The US is developing military options, which were discussed at an inconclusive meeting last week of President Barack Obama and his top security aides, officials said.

Those options include in-creased air strikes, deploying US special operations forces and training Libyan security forces, officials say.

But the US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said enormous hurdles stand in the way of increased American mili-tary involvement.

The largest is the formation of a unified Libyan government strong enough to call for and ac-commodate foreign military as-sistance. Getting some allies on board could also require a new mandate from the United Na-tions, they said.

“We’re not there yet,” said one US official. He and other officials

with knowledge of internal de-liberations cautioned that it is too soon to estimate when mili-tary action might begin, but cau-tioned it could take many weeks or even months.

“As far as I’m aware, there is no clear intention to go ahead with the military-style action. There is a lot of thinking, a lot of thinking, a lot of planning,” said a Western diplomat.

WorriedUS and European officials de-scribe IS’ presence in Libya as increasingly worrisome, although not on the scale of its rule over swaths of Iraq and Syria.

Officials openly worry that the group could use its Libya haven to relieve the pressure from US air strikes and local forces against its

home base in Iraq and Syria.Ben Fishman, a former White

House aide under Obama who dealt with Libya policy, said there is concern in the Obama adminis-tration that military action now could disrupt the government formation process.

It might, he said, prompt mod-erate forces in Libya to back away.

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said earlier that the focus of the international community on Libya is political, not military.

Once a government is in place, “we have indicated a willingness, along with a number of other countries, to help them secure the country,” Carter said.He noted that “the Italians have indicated that they would take the lead in that, rather than United States, which is fine with us.” — Reuters

I S E X T R E M I S T S ’ T H R E A T

Under a UN-backed plan for a political transition, Libya’s two warring administrations are expected to form a unity government, but more than a month after the deal was agreed in Morocco, its implementation has been dogged by infighting

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INDIAS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

Pranab reviews Indian naval fleet at show of prowessVISAKHAPATNAM: President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday embarked on Presidential Yacht ‘INS Sumitra’ and reviewed the imposing international parade of fleet at IFR-2016 here where 50 countries across the globe have come together to participate in this show of prowess and prepar-edness by the Indian Navy.

Mukherjee, the Supreme Com-mander of the Armed Forces, was accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Min-ister Manohar Parrikar, among others at the International Fleet Review (IFR).This is the 11th fleet review after independence and the second international one being conducted in India.

The president was onboard ‘INS Sumitra’ which sailed through a display of 70 ships at anchorage off Visakhapatnam.

Speaking after reviewing the fleet, Mukherjee said 50 friendly Navies have sailed across oceans and sent Naval ships and/or del-egations to participate in the first IFR on the east coast of India at Visakhapatnam.

Strengthening bonds“Navies world over have conduct-ed fleet reviews to symbolise their loyalty, allegiance to the nation and strengthening bonds between

the sailors and the State. IFR 2016 does that much and much more”, the president said.

“IFR 2016, while focusing on the prowess of Indian Navy, has brought together Navies from across the globe here on Indian shores, signifying our common

desire to use the seas to promote peace, cooperation and friendship as also develop partnership for a secure maritime future”, he said.

The review had a combination of ships from Indian Navy as well as frontline Navies from across the globe. The ships from Indian Coast

Guard and Mercantile Marine also participated.

In this most formal of naval ceremonies, each ship dressed in full regalia saluted the president as he passed.

The president also reviewed the Indian Naval air arm in a display

of spectacular fly-past by several fixed wing and rotary aircraft com-prising 15 formations.

In the final stage of the review, a mobile column of warships and submarines streamed past the Presidential Yacht.

This display showcased the lat-est acquisitions of the Indian Navy.

Further, several enthralling wa-terfront activities, a display of Ma-rine Commandos and helicopter demonstrations were conducted to mesmerise the viewers.

The president said India’s geo-graphical location, astride the ma-jor shipping routes of the Indian Ocean, gives it a pivotal maritime role. “Considering the globalised nature of today’s political and eco-nomic environment, it is our be-lief that the present day maritime domain requires navies across the world to re-focus their efforts to counter the rising tide of non-traditional maritime challenges in the brown, green and blue waters across all oceans,” he said.

Mukherjee said the Indian Navy, accordingly, has re-aligned its maritime strategy, to reflect the changes in the evolving global en-vironment, and has established a credible record of cooperative ini-tiatives to promote stability of the oceans, and played a central role in ensuring safety of the vital sea

lines of communication, across the Indian Ocean.

Unique roleThe navies of the world have a unique role in promoting goodwill, nurturing peace and tranquillity in the oceans, he said.

“Your ships and all personnel participating at this momentous fleet review are ambassadors of great nations that you represent. The message of friendship and goodwill of your people strengthens our belief in promoting peace, pros-perity and stability for mutual co-existence and ensuring secure seas.

“Your presence in such large numbers has made this inter-national event spectacular and truly reflects the spirit of this IFR, we are indeed ‘United through Oceans’. The waters that lap our coast also wash your shores, these great blue ‘COMMONS’ indeed link us to each other.

IFR 2016 has enabled us to join hands and work together to se-cure our seas for the greater good of humanity and the world,” the President added.

Mukherjee complimented the Indian Navy, especially the East-ern Naval Command, for meticu-lous planning and flawless con-duct of Saturday’s splendid fleet review. - PTI

I F R - 2 0 1 6

INTERNATIONAL PARADE: President Pranab Mukherjee, centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, second

right, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, left, and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan, second left,

on board INS Sumitra at the International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. - PTI

BJP says Congress levelling false charges against Modi

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday accused Congress and its “first family” of levelling “false and baseless” al-legations against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Gujarat land deal issue to cover up its own corruption and fraud.

Calling Congress a “history-sheeter” in levelling false allega-tions, BJP said the opposition party has no moral right to talk of graft as its “top leaders are embroiled in corruption” and al-leged that it is trying to again stall Parliament during the upcoming Budget session.

BJP asserted land allotments made in Gujarat during Modi’s chief ministership were done as per law and through a transparent

three-tier evaluation process.“Congress is a history-sheeter

in making false charges as it has a policy of shoot and scoot and has not been able to prove any charges

against this government.The anti-poor and anti-devel-

opment Congress is, in fact, una-ble to digest the progress made by the NDA government led by Modi

and is thus trying to tarnish its image and stall the nation’s devel-opment,” BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma alleged.

“Land allotments done in Guja-

rat during Modi’s tenure as chief minister, over which Congress is making false and baseless charg-es, have been made as per law and after following a transparent three-tier evaluation process.

“They are creating such condi-tions ahead of the budget session of Parliament to stall it and stop the development process,” Shar-ma said.

NegativityHe said it reflects the “frustration” of the Congress leadership after having failed to stop Modi and his government from doing good work despite the negativity and hurdles created by the opposition.

“The Congress’ first family as well many top party leaders are embroiled in corruption and fraud cases of thousands of crores of rupees and are out on bail and may go to jail anytime. These in-clude Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul,facing charges...

“Kerala Chief Minister Oom-men Chandy and Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh are also embroiled in corruption cases, besides a number of its other lead-ers. They have no moral right to talk on corruption. Their only aim is to stall nation’s development through negative politics,” he said.

Sharma said despite hurdles and negativity, the prime minister is “popular” as 58 per cent of the population still like him as per an independent survey.

Alleging that there was “plun-der” of public land and forest land during Modi’s tenure as chief minister, Congress leader Anand Sharma on Saturday said, “A Special Investigative Team monitored by the Supreme Court should cover all the allotments and grants of public land when Anandiben Patel was the revenue minister and Modi was the chief minister.” - PTI

Calling Congress

a ‘history-sheeter’

in levelling false

allegations, BJP said

the opposition party

has no moral right to

talk of graft as its ‘top

leaders are embroiled

in corruption’ and

alleged that it is

trying to again stall

Parliament during

the upcoming Budget

session

NEW DELHI: Taking an aggressive stand, Congress on Saturday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for targeting the Gandhis, saying it was proud of the “family” and warned that any attempt “to separate them from the party” would attract a “befit-ting” reply.

The party’s sharp retort came as its war of words with the government intensified

ahead of the Budget session with Modi on Friday attacking Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, saying “one family” was disrupting Parliament to avenge defeat in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and stalling bills aimed at benefit-ing the poor.

Congress senior spokesman Anand Sharma on Saturday said the party was proud of the “family” which was “integral”

to it and the PM should refrain from provoking and insulting the principal opposition.

“It is a funny way of seeking cooperation by attacking the leadership of the Congress and we want to tell the Prime Minister one thing categori-cally that when he talks of our leadership or the family, we are proud of that and they are integral to the Congress,” he told reporters. - PTI

Congress hits back at PM, says proud of ‘family’

Cartoonist Sudhir Tailang passes away

NEW DELHI: Eminent cartoon-ist Sudhir Tailang, who chronicled contemporary Indian politics with wit and humour, died here on Sat-urday after battling brain cancer for over two years.

Tailang was under treatment for brain cancer since 2014 and breathed his last at his East Delhi residence in Mayur Vihar.

He would have turned 56 on February 26 and is survived by his daughter and wife.

The cartoonist, who had worked in a number of newspapers includ-ing Hindustan Times, The Indian Express and Times of India, was ad-mitted to Medanta Medicity hospi-tal in Gurgaon in December but was brought home around a month ago.

Tailang was awarded Padma Shri in 2004.

As a cartoonist, many politicians including Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Behari Vajpayee, P V Narasimha Rao, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi bore the brunt of his brush.

“He was fighting brain cancer since 2014 very bravely. However, after last Diwali, he started keep-ing unwell and was admitted to Medanta hospital. We brought him home in mid January when the doctors said there is nothing more they could do. He passed away at 1pm today,” said Aditi, Tailang’s daughter. - PTI

B R A I N C A N C E R

Jaitley pushes states to up infrastructure, anti-poverty spending

NEW DELHI: State govern-ments must spend more on in-frastructure and anti-poverty programmes, particularly after an increase in monetary allocations based on the 14th Finance Com-mission report, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said here on Saturday.

“It’s been a tradition to meet the states to discuss the budget and other economic issues. They gave their suggestions for more resources,” Jaitley told reporters after the meeting, that was called ahead of the national budget for the next fiscal, due on February 29.

Budget for the next fiscal needs to provide Rs1.10 lakh crore for implementing the One Rank One Pension and 7th Pay Commission award, Jaitley said

“Most states suggested that they have been concentrating on anti-poverty programmes, particularly on the agricultural sector,” he said and assured the states of more funding by the Centre.

“But resources of states have also increased after the 14th Fi-nance Commission. We want states to use these for anti-poverty schemes,” he said after the two-hour long meeting, adding: “We also hope they will spend further on infrastructure creation.”

Speaking to reporters, West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mi-tra also said that the central gov-ernment must keep its promise of releasing more funds to states.

“The last budget had promised 10 per cent more devolution to the

states,” he added.Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O.

Panneerselvam said his state was particularly hit by some of the Fi-nance Commission’s recommen-dations. “We have been adversely affected due to this horizontal sharing formula,” he said, drawing a distinction between vertical al-locations where states can spend the allocated money as they desire, as opposed to transfers based on parameters like poverty levels and fiscal prudence. - Agencies

M O N E T A R Y A L L O C A T I O N S

CRUCIAL MEETING: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, second left, Minister of State, Finance Jayant

Sinha, third left, and Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance Shaktikanta Das,

second right, at a meeting of finance ministers of all the states and Union territories in New Delhi on

Saturday. -PTI


Sudhir Tailang

DEMO: Aam Aadmi Party supporters holding a protest against Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben

Patel over a land scam in Ahmedabad on Saturday. — PTI

A9

INDIAS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

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India, Sri Lanka to enhancedefence sector cooperation

COLOMBO: India and Sri Lanka reviewed the entire gamut of bi-lateral issues, including defence and economic cooperation and the contentious fishermen’s issue, besides signing two memoran-dums of understanding (MoUs) as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj concluded a two-day visit to this island nation on Saturday.

Sushma Swaraj, who led an in-ter-ministerial delegation and co-chaired the ninth session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commis-sion with her Sri Lankan coun-terpart Mangala Samaraweera on Friday, also held a series of meet-ings with Sri Lankan leaders, including President Maithripala Sirisena, and delegations of po-litical parties.

“The joint commission ac-knowledged the depth, intensity and uniqueness of the multifac-eted India-Sri Lanka relations encompassing all spheres and founded upon civilisational and close people-to-people link-ages,” a statement issued by the Indian high commission here on Saturday said.

Both sides took stock of the preparations underway to begin negotiations on the economic and technology cooperation agree-

ment, according to the statement.“India will be holding a work-

shop in early March in Colombo on non-tariff barriers (NTB) and phytosanitary barriers (PTB), regulations and procedures,” it stated.

Cognizance was taken of the reconstitution of the CEOs Fo-rum on either side and the two sides discussed ways for further collaboration in various projects that have been under discussion, including the upgrade of Palali airport, infrastructure develop-ment at Kankesanturai port, Sam-pur power plant and a special eco-nomic zone in Trincomalee.

Defence being a key area of co-operation, the joint commission encouraged further intensifica-tion of cooperation through the several defence-related mecha-nisms already in place.

The two sides also agreed on the need to work together in the area of counter-terrorism.

Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in the aviation sec-tor and called for early signing of the revised air services agree-ment that has been pending since

September 2013.Renewable energy coopera-

tion was identified as a promising area for further cooperation In-dia thanked Sri Lanka for having endorsed Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi-initiated International Solar Alliance. The Indian hous-ing project for construction and repair of 50,000 houses was re-viewed with the joint commission expressing satisfaction over the completion of 44,000 houses.

In the tourism sector, the two sides discussed collaboration on establishing the Ramayana Trail in Sri Lanka and the Buddhist Circuit in South Asia. The joint commission felt that the small de-velopment projects (SDP) scheme had been an excellent model for the development partnership.

Projects under the SDP model include establishment of Civil and Mechanical Engineering complex and Skill Development Centre of the Faculty of Agricul-ture, both in Kilinochchi campus of University of Jaffna, and con-struction of Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Auditorium at the Uni-versity of Ruhuna.

“The joint commission also reviewed prominent non-SDP projects such as the construction of the Jaffna Cultural Centre on grant basis and the water sup-ply projects amounting to nearly $475 million to be undertaken by Indian companies under the Buy-ers’ Credit Scheme of EXIM Bank of India,” the statement said.

Cooperation in the sector of education was also assessed, in-cluding the scholarships available to Sri Lankan students to pursue under-graduate, masters, Ph.D degrees in Indian universities, Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) scholarships, and the potential to set up cam-puses in Sri Lanka by Indian insti-tutions of excellence.

Both sides also agreed to en-courage and facilitate collabo-ration and interaction in the agriculture sector and expedite implementation of the work plan agreed to under the MoU signed in 2015.

Both sides called for early con-vening of the joint committee for science and technology-related cooperation and the extension of

the programme of cooperation which had expired in 2014.

Both sides agreed to find a per-manent solution to the fishermen issue for which the Sri Lankan fisheries minister was invited to visit India.

Two MoUs were signed fol-lowing the meeting — one on construction of a surgical unit and supply of medical equipment at Batticaloa Teaching Hospital and another on renovation of 27 school buildings in the island na-tion’s Northern Province.

On Saturday, Sushma Swaraj inaugurated a “Rise of Digital India” exhibition, being held as part of the ongoing a festival of India in Sri Lanka, “Sangam”. She started the day by first calling on President Sirisena whom she briefed on Friday’s joint commis-sion meeting.

She later met former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratun-ga at the latter’s residence here.

Leader of the Opposition, R. Sampathan, who belongs to the Tamil National Alliance, also called on the visiting Indian minister. - IANS

Defence being a key

area of cooperation,

the joint commission

encouraged further

intensification of

cooperation through

the several defence-

related mechanisms

already in place. The

two sides also agreed

on the need to work

together in the area

of counter-terrorism

PARLEYS: India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, left, talks with Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during

their meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Friday. - Reuters

‘India sitting on cusp of digital revolution’ BOSTON (US): Asserting that India is sitting on the cusp of a digital revolution, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has exhort-ed senior executives of leading American IT firms to take advan-tage of the ‘Digital India’ initiative and tap the growth opportunities in the country.

“India is sitting on the cusp of a digital revolution,” the Union Minister for Communications and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday told executives of top American IT firms in a round table here.

“Whether it is big metropoli-tan cities or small towns, a well-connected India has the poten-tial to not only usher in economic and welfare opportunities for its citizens, but also the global eco-nomic order,” Prasad, who is here to attend the annual India Con-ference at the prestigious Har-vard University, said.

“Our government is taking every policy decision in a transparent, predictable and reasonable man-ner. Therefore, I encourage Ameri-can businesses to take advantage of the Digital India program, and the growth opportunities in India,” Prasad said.

Organised by US India Busi-ness Council, the round table was attended by senior executives of American and Indian compa-nies that included Google, AT&T, MasterCard, Facebook, American Tower Corporation, UST Global and iTech.

OpportunityPrime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive to connect Indian dias-pora across the country is a tre-mendous opportunity for both In-dian and US companies alike, said USIBC president Mukesh Aghi. “We encourage the development of policies that clear bureaucratic hurdles which may delay the im-plementation of achieving last-mile connectivity,” he said.

Noting that 85 per cent Indi-ans still do not have access to the Internet, Aghi said therefore, to fill this gap the government could make it easier to obtain clearances to install cell phone towers.

“IT infrastructure can be fur-ther expanded by lifting the ban on foreign satellite operators so they can provide spectrum in hard-to-reach areas,” Aghi said. - PTI

C O N F E R E N C E

13 KILLED IN BUS-TRUCK COLLISION The wreckage of the bus which collided with a truck in Madurai, Tamil Nadu on Saturday.

Thirteen persons were killed and 27 injured in a collision between a government bus and

a cement laden lorry at T Kallupatti, about 40km from here on Saturday, police said. The

bus driver was among those killed.- PTI

Leading car makers shifting gears to counter diesel banGREATER NOIDA: Even though the ban on the registration of diesel vehicles in the national capital potentially affects several leading automobile manufactur-ers, they are coming out with al-ternatives and getting ready to counter the prohibition, stake-holders said.

To curb the increasing levels of air pollution in New Delhi, the Supreme Court on December 16 forbade diesel automobiles with above 2,000cc engines from being registered till March 31, 2016.

The ban has somewhat affected the sales of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and multi-utility vehicles

(MUV), but manufacturers are preparing themselves in case the duration of prohibition is extend-ed in the national capital or ex-tends to other Indian cities as well.

“Very clearly, it has impacted us in the first quarter -- particu-larly Innova and Fortuner. The National Capital Region (NCR) accounts for 8-10 percent of our volume, but for dealers, the profit-ability is 50-60 percent,” N. Raja, Toyota Kirloskar Motor director for sales, said.

The Land Cruiser is another vehicle Toyota sells in India, which is also above the 2000cc but the SUV does not account for

majority of its sales.“Frankly our preparedness is

towards getting petrol options as Plan B,” said Raja. “We have engine options available, but it will not catch up with the launch dates, currently planned around mid-year. It will take further time.” Another option, he said, would be to bring down engine displacement the below 2,000 cc.

Out of some 3 million domes-tic sales of passengers cars in India annually, analysts pointed out that some 7 per cent is ac-counted for by the national capi-tal — which makes it a market of 210,000 units. - IANS

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

A10

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

The protesters are ready to begin dialogue with

the government, let’s not bulldoze that gesture

Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman

Imran asks Nawaz to initiate talks with PIA workers, issues demands

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to immediately begin dia-logue with workers protesting against the government’s planned privatisation of Pakistan Interna-tional Airlines.

“We are asking the premier to start talks with the protesters at once to resolve their issues, as well as end the agony of the protesters stranded at airports,” said Imran, while addressing PIA employees after arriving in Karachi.

Protests staged against the pro-posed privatisation of the national carrier have led to the halting flight operations for the last four days.

“The protesters are ready to be-gin dialogue with the government, let’s not bulldoze that gesture,” the PTI chief said. “Demonstrators need to be convinced why privati-sation is good for them and what effect it will have on their future.”

Imran also asked the prime min-ister to explain why protesters were fired upon.

“We also demand Nawaz Sharif to withdraw the Essential Services Act as soon as possible.”

If protesters are fired upon dur-ing a peaceful demonstration, then

all citizens should stand up for them, he added.

The PTI leader said, “If people think their household and children are in danger of starvation, they have every right to stage a protest.”

Talks held between the govern-ment and the protesting staff late

on Friday ended in a stalemate.According to Joint Action Com-

mittee (JAC) leader Sohail Baloch, flight operations would not resume till negotiations were successfully concluded. The protests turned deadly on Tuesday after three pro-testers were killed by ‘mysterious’

gunshots during a violent protest at Karachi airport, bringing air traffic across the country to near standstill.

Meanwhile, PTI released a list of demands put forth in the charter relating to PIA’s privatisation and other tax measures. — Express Tribune

Protests staged

against the proposed

privatisation

of the national

carrier Pakistan

International Airlines.

have led to halting

flight operations for

the last four days

CRACKDOWN: Pakistani paramilitary soldiers baton charge on employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) during a protest near

Karachi International Airport in Karachi on last Tuesday. - AFP

AGENDA Reduce petroleum

and kerosene prices

by Rs5 and diesel by

Rs20 per litre

Eliminate three

new taxes added on

electricity since Prime

Minister Nawaz Sharif

came to power

Eliminate Gas

Infrastructure

Development Cess

and announce that

the proposed new

infrastructure tax

on gas will not be

imposed

Take immediate steps

to revitalise state

institutions instead of

throwing them away

in a loot sale.

Immediately pay the

outstanding salary,

pensions of employees

of all state institutions

Introduce urgent

reforms and increase

direct tax collection

from the rich and

powerful tax evaders

Take immediate

steps to bring back

blackmoney of

Pakistanis from

Swiss banks, foreign

investments

Efforts on to revive Afghan peace talksISLAMABAD: Representatives from Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United States and China met in Is-lamabad on Saturday to continue work on a roadmap for peace talks with Taliban insurgents who have ramped up their violent campaign against the government in Kabul.

The talks are part of the latest effort to find a negotiated end to nearly 15 years of war in Afghani-stan, a conflict that has killed thou-sands of civilians and crippled the nation’s economy.

The Pakistani prime minis-ter’s foreign affairs adviser Sar-taj Aziz said in opening remarks in the Pakistani capital that he hoped the group would finalise a roadmap on Saturday to outline a way forward for direct dialogue between the Afghan government and Taliban groups.

Significant reduction“We are confident that the process would lead to a significant reduc-tion in violence (in Afghanistan),” Aziz said.

“We have to exert all our efforts and energies for keeping the pro-cess on track.”

Peace efforts broke down last year after it became known the Taliban movement’s founder and leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, who sanctioned the talks, had been dead for two years, exposing deep fissures within the insurgency.

In January, the group made a

raft of demands to be met as a pre-condition to joining talks, includ-ing the removal of the group from a UN blacklist, formal recognition of a political office for the group and the release of political prisoners.

Some observers were sceptical those demands would be met and there have also been doubts about whether competing factions of the Taliban that have been fighting for

control of the movement will be willing to join.

Nevertheless, the Afghan gov-ernment has said it expects at least parts of the Taliban to agree to peace talks within six months, Chief Executive Abdullah Ab-dullah told Reuters in New Delhi last week.

“There might be groups among the Taliban who might be willing to talk and give up violence,” Ab-dullah said, declining to give fur-ther details.

He said the countries involved in the four-way talks were dis-cussing where to hold Afghan-led peace talks once some Taliban groups decide to come to the ta-ble, and how to address the prob-lem of the groups who do not. — Reuters

B I D T O B R I N G A F G H A N T A L I B A N O N B O A R D

Eight killed as bomb blast rocks QuettaQUETTA: At least eight people were killed and more than 40 wounded in a bomb blast on Sat-urday in Pakistan’s western city of Quetta, hospital officials said, the latest attack in a region that will be home to the planned route of the $46 billion China-Pakistan eco-nomic corridor.

The blast occurred as a convoy of the Frontier Corps, part of Pa-

kistan’s paramilitary forces, was passing through the centre of the city near the district courts, said provincial home secretary Akbar Durrani.

Military or civilianIt was not immediately clear how many of the casualties were mili-tary or civilian.

Rich in resources, Balochistan

is at the heart of the multi-billion-dollar energy and infrastructure projects China and Pakistan are planning along a corridor stretch-ing from the Arabian Sea to Chi-na’s Xinjiang region.

Baloch activists and human rights groups claim the military has carried out a campaign of kid-napping, torture and extrajudicial killing of suspected separatists,

and a security crackdown has se-verely limited freedom of move-ment in the province.

January attacksIn January, five soldiers and two coast guard members were killed in separate attacks in the province, and a suicide bomber killed at least 15 people outside a polio eradica-tion centre in Quetta. — Reuters

B A L O C H I S T A N

Queen Maxima to arrive on Tuesday as envoy of UNISLAMABAD: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands will visit Paki-stan from February 9 to February 11 as part of her global efforts to promote financial inclusion.

The queen is the UN secretary-general’s special advocate for in-clusive finance for development and her scheduled visit comes in support of Pakistan’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy.

Launched in May 2015, the strategy aims to expand the avail-ability of the financial tools the poor need to protect themselves against hardship and improve their lives.

The special advocate’s vis-it will start in Islamabad on Tuesday from a meeting with State Bank of Pakistan Gover-nor Ashraf Mahmood Wathra and representatives of public and private banks to discuss their role in making financial services available.

In the afternoon, Queen Max-ima and World Bank President Dr Jim Yong Kim will attend the Universal Financial Access workshop held by the State Bank.

The World Bank is prepar-ing a programme to support the implementation of Pakistan’s financial inclusion strategy over the next five years.

Pakistan has a well-organised financial system but the use of formal services is low, particu-larly among women, farmers and small businesses.

She will also meet President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Min-

ister Nawaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, whose minis-try plays an important role in im-plementing the national strategy.

Improving accessShe will also hold discussions with representatives of interna-tional organisations, financial organisations, telecom compa-nies and microfinance institu-tions to explore their role in improving access to financial services such as savings, pay-ments, credit and insurance.

As she usually does during her country visits, the queen will ex-plore projects aiming to improve the lives of the poor by utilising transformative financial tools.

Among the programmes she will visit are the Benazir Income Support Programme, which de-livers government support to women through digital accounts, and Easypaisa – a digital, branch-less banking service that utilises banking agents in shops, where customers can deposit or with-draw cash, and even take out in-surance. — Express Tribune

F I N A N C I A L I N C L U S I O N

Queen Maxima

We are confident that the process would lead to a significant reduction in violence (in Afghanistan). We have to exert all our efforts and energies for keeping the process on track

Sartaj AzizPakistani prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser


A11

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SYDNEY FESTIVITIESFireworks explode next to spectators in front of the Sydney Opera House as it glows red as part of celebrations for the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Monkey

in Australia, on Saturday. — Reuters

Pyongyang brings forward rocket launch time frame defying world

TOKYO/SEOUL: North Korea may launch a rocket that it says will carry an earth observation satellite as soon as Sunday, after bringing forward and shortening the time frame for the launch, the Japanese and South Korean gov-ernments said on Saturday.

North Korea had earlier told the International Maritime Organi-sation (IMO) it would launch the

rocket some time between Febru-ary 8 and February 25, triggering international opposition from governments that see it as a long-range missile test.

Japan and South Korea said North Korea had issued a Notice to Airmen that the launch would take place some time between Sunday and the following Sunday, February 14.

Isolated North Korea says it has a sovereign right to pursue a space programme. But it is barred under UN Security Council reso-lutions from using ballistic mis-sile technology.

Fourth nuclear testTension has been high on the Kore-an peninsula following the North’s fourth nuclear test, on January 6.

A rocket test now would com-pound fears about North Korea putting a nuclear warhead on a missile that could reach not only South Korea and Japan but pos-sibly even the west coast of the United States. North Korea last launched a long-range rocket in December 2012, sending into orbit an object it described as a commu-nications satellite.

The new time frame was set

amid rising expectations that a launch was likely to happen soon, with US government sources on Friday saying North Korea could be ready by the US Super Bowl kickoff on Sunday, which will be Monday in Korea.

Fuelling activitySatellite images taken this week of North Korea’s Sohae rocket launch site show apparent fuelling activ-ity seen in the past shortly before a rocket launch, said Washington-based 38 North, a North Korea-monitoring project.

The IMO, a United Nations agency, did not immediately respond to a Reuters query for confirmation.

The International Telecom-munication Union, another UN agency, said it was not aware of an amended time frame for the launch from North Korea.

North Korean state media had not reported on the changed schedule.

On Friday, US President Barack Obama spoke by telephone with President Xi Jinping of China, North Korea’s main ally and neigh-bour, and agreed that a North Ko-rean launch would represent a

“provocative and destabilising ac-tion,” the White House said.

Obama and Xi also said they would coordinate efforts to re-spond to North Korea’s nuclear

test last month and said they would not accept North Korea as a nuclear weapon state.

“The leaders emphasised the importance of a strong and united

international response to North Korea’s provocations, including through an impactful UN Security Council Resolution,” the White House said. — Reuters

Japan and South

Korea said North

Korea had issued a

Notice to Airmen that

the launch would

take place some time

between Sunday and

the following Sunday,

February 14

UPPING TENSIONS: The Sohae Satellite Launching Station in North Korea is seen in this image

released on Friday. — Reuters/Airbus Defense & Space and 38 North/Handout via Reuters

Australia state PM offers 267 asylum seekers refugePERTH: The premier of an Aus-tralian state offered on Saturday to look after a group of asylum seekers facing repatriation to a camp on a remote Pacific island, adding to opposition to the fed-eral government’s policy of off-shore detention.

Daniel Andrews, premier of Victoria state, called on the fed-eral government not to return the 267 refugees, including 80 children and their families, who had been brought to Australia from Nauru island for medical treatment.

“Victoria stands ready to assist and care for the children and their families,” Andrews wrote in a let-ter to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that Andrews posted on his Twitter account.

His state would take full re-sponsibility for their housing, health and education, he said.

“Sending these children and their families to Nauru is not the Australian way. ..It’s wrong.

Medical professionals tell us this. Humanitarian agencies tell us this,” he said.

Under Australia’s immigration policy, asylum seekers attempting to come by boat are intercepted and sent to camps on Nauru or

on Manus island in Papua New Guinea. They are not offered re-settlement in Australia.

Most people trying to reach Australia by boat are from the Middle East and South Asia.

People-smuggling They usually make the voyage through people-smuggling net-works via Indonesia, often in rickety vessels.

The detention centre on Nauru houses about 500 people and has been widely criticised by human rights activists for harsh condi-tions and reports of systemic child abuse.

Andrews said sending the group, including 37 children born in Australia, to Nauru “will need-lessly expose them to a life of physical and emotional trauma”.

The Australian government says it does not place asylum seekers at risk of harm and offers to return them to their countries.— Reuters

P O L I C Y C H A L L E N G E D

Under Australia’s immigration policy, asylum seekers attempting to come by boat are intercepted and sent to camps on Nauru or on an island in Papua New Guinea

Hijacked Singaporean container ship releasedSINGAPORE: A Singapo-rean container vessel carrying 25 crew members, including those from India, was hijacked off the Nigerian coast last night and released in the wee hours on Saturday.

The Singapore-flagged ship, Safmarine Kuramo, was pro-ceeding from Pointe Noire in Congo to Port Onne in Nigeria when it was hijacked last night.

Crew safeThe Nigerian authorities se-cured the release of the crew and the vessel on Saturday morning, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement.

There were 25 crew on board the vessel, comprising nation-als from India, South Africa, the UK, Thailand and the Philip-pines, the MPA said in a state-ment, adding that all crew mem-bers are reported to be safe.

Maersk LineThe Singaporean authorities, however, did not specify the the exact number of Indians on board the vessel.

The 2004-built container ship is managed by Maersk Line. The vessel is currently anchored in the waters off the Bonny River delta where the waterway leads to Port Onne.

— PTI

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#TRENDING

Libya’s UN-nominated government in limbo

Richard Galustian

Sublime to the ridiculous is a cliche made for the decision of Libya’s United Nations-created unity government to

move out of exile in Tunisia - not to Libya, but further away, to Morocco.

Conjured into being by the UN in Decem-ber, the grandly-named Government of Na-tional Accord (GNA) is supposed to unify the country, end the civil war, staunch migration and crush IS.

In fact, this ‘unity’ government GNA is nothing of the kind. It consists of a nine-strong presidency council chosen by ‘Libya Dialogue’, a negotiating body much of which the UN itself appointed. Both Libya’s existing, warring, governments have already rejected it: The House of Representatives (HoR), the internationally recognised government in To-bruk, voted it down last month, while its rival General National Congress (GNC) in Tripoli announced its members face arrest if they set foot in the capital.

Even Tunisia, it seems, is uncomfortable at hosting this “virtual government”, hence its decision on the 3rd of February to move from a hotel in Tunis to a hotel in the Moroccan seaside resort of Skhirat.

Tunisia’s discomfort came in part courtesy of Rached Ghannouchi, President of Tunisia’s Ennahda party, anxious not to offend his fel-low extremists, notably his close friend Ab-del Hakim Belhadj, who controls the Tripoli Mitiga Airport and who supports the Tripoli based GNC.

In the middle of this uncomfortable storm is Fayez Seraj, until December a middling Tripoli businessman-cum-politician with no real enemies, and no real political clout.

He was chosen not by the Libyan people but by UN envoy Martin Kobler to lead the GNA as prime minister.

The move to Morocco was the main subject of debate by the presidency members in Tu-nis, with some arguing the switch should be to Malta, a move that may come to pass in what looks like a prolonged period of exile.

But the one thing this so-called gov-ernment will not do stuck in exile is fix

Libya’s problems.IS have taken advantage of Libya’s chaos to

establish themselves in the city of Sirte, and they have carried out several attacks on oil installations.

At least 47 were killed by an IS suicide bombing against a Libyan police training cen-tre earlier last month. Creating three govern-ments where there were two by the UN will not change this.

American military power can without doubt crush IS and heavy hints have been dropped in recent days led by the Pentagon declaring it has operatives in Libya seeking “partnerships” with militias.

Simultaneously, a team of British military and intelligence officers last week undertook a secret reconnaissance mission to Libya to plan RAF airstrikes against IS militants.

Enter Italy. Its defence minister Roberta Pinotti said there was “total agreement” that a Libya unity government should ask for help to fight militants before it could be given, to avoid fuelling “extremist propaganda” of yet another “Western invasion”.

Importantly, Tobruk army commander General Khalifa just returned from Cairo leading a Libyan delegation drawing up mili-tary operation plans.

The general has had enough it seems of the games by the other governments, including his own.

He is seeking to be the conduit for an inter-national intervention. Haftar is also the stum-bling block for the unity government.

Tobruk will not accept a unity government without him as army commander, Tripoli will not accept it unless he goes.

According to the the UN international ac-tion against IS can happen only if the GNA can get to Tripoli and then issue a formal invi-tation for the strikes.

But with both Libyan governments op-posing it, and their security impossible to guarantee, this looks to be unachievable - leaving it as a Frankenstein type creation with zero legitimacy.

America and it’s allies destroying IS wher-ever it exists is the only option, and sooner or later that will mean boots on the ground.

Early diagnosis can help in fighting cancer The report ‘Number of cancer patients in Oman on the rise’ (Febru-ary 6) explains a worrisome scenario. I agree that awareness can help diagnose cancer in the very early stages and before its spread-

ing. Even though there are multiple ways to support cancer awareness initiatives, contemporary lifestyle has major influence in the increasing number of patients. A recent study in India revealed that the late diagnosis of the disease is leading to a stage where it is reaching to beyond controllable, hence treatment becomes a real challenge. It is also a fact that many are not will-ing to take preliminary tests fearing that the result could be positive. At the same time a large number of cancer cases are diagnosed in India each year, as steps taken to counter the spread of the disease are simply not enough. The existing lifestyle and environmental factors are considered to be the key reasons influencing the spread of the disease. There is also an issue of non-availability of experts who can lead the community to improve their awareness

on the disease. Therefore, public awareness requires a boost right from remote places and smaller clinics to multi-speciality facilities. The reality is that public awareness on the disease is extremely low. We must appreciate the initiatives from Oman Cancer Association (OCA) in this respect. — Ramachandran Nair, Ruwi

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

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Tourism promotion agreement signedMUSCAT: An agreement on the appointment of a company to pro-mote the Sultanate as a tourism destination for Europeans was signed at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry here yesterday. The pact was signed by Mohsin bin Khamis Al Balushi, tourism undersecretary, and the board chairman of G J S Corporation. Balushi said the purpose of the agreement was to establish an office in Geneva to promote tour-ism in the Sultanate and the office will target tourism and travel com-panies and airlines, which organize tourist packages. A definite plan has been agreed with the promoting company to present the Sultanate as a possible destination for such tours.

1928: The US signs an arbitration treaty with France.

1944: The Germans launch a second attack against the Allied beachead at Anzio, Italy. They hoped to push the Allies back into the sea.

1978: Ethiopia mounts a counter attack against Somalia.

1983: Iran opens an invasion in the southeast of Iraq.

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Germany’s embrace of a more active global role has taken

place within a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape – one in

which German and other European leaders have had to accept that

most of the rest of the world does not share their preference for multilateral decision-making.

VOLKER PERTHES

Given the soup in which the ruling PML-N finds itself over a

controversial attempt to privatise the Pakistan International Airlines

(PIA) — it would be hard to deny the government’s good fortune in finding a timely diversion from its interior minister Chaudhry Nisar

Ali Khan’s destructive blitz.

KAMRAN REHMAT

Senator Bernie Sanders is a decent human being and a passionate

politician. He is also a grave threat to the Democratic Party. Because the Democratic Party is currently the only major US

party devoted to moderation and rational empiricism, Sanders’s

robust campaign for president is consequently a threat to the US.

FRANCIS WILKINSON

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

British astronaut Tim Peake plays ping pong in space to teach school children how liquids behave in space.

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3 Number of cancer patients in Oman on the risetimesofoman.com/Oman

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TAIWAN QUAKE S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

11 killed as apartments collapse

TAINAN (TAIWAN): A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan early on Saturday killing at least 11 peo-ple, most in a 17-storey apartment building that collapsed, with at least five people missing in the ru-ins of the complex as darkness fell, government officials said.

As rescuers searched for survi-vors, questions were raised about the construction of the Wei-guan Golden Dragon Building in the southern city of Tainan, with its floors that pancaked down on each other when the 6.4 magnitude tremor hit at around 4am(2000 GMT), at the start of a Lunar New Year holiday.

Nine of the dead, including a 10-day-old girl, were from the apartment building.

The baby was found in her dead father’s arms, media reported.

Plucking survivorsRescuers mounted hydraulic lad-ders and a crane to scour the ruins, plucking survivors to safety, with dozens taken to hospital.

An 18-year old man was found alive and conscious shortly after dark, and rescuers were working to get him free, Taiwan television

said. Buildings in nine other loca-tions in the city of 2 million people had collapsed and five were left tilting at alarming angles, a gov-ernment emergency centre said.

But a fire department official said rescue efforts were focused on the apartment block, where a child’s clothes fluttered from a first-floor laundry line and the smell of leaking gas hung in the air.

Watching TV“I was watching TV and after a sudden burst of shaking, I heard a boom.

I opened my metal door and saw the building opposite fall down,” said a 71-year-old neighbour who gave his name as Chang.

A plumber, he said he fetched some tools and a ladder and prised some window bars open to rescue a woman crying for help.

“She asked me to go back and rescue her husband, child, but I was afraid of a gas explosion so I didn’t go in.

At the time there were more people calling for help, but my lad-der wasn’t long enough so there was no way to save them.”

The quake was centred 43 km (27 miles) southeast of Tainan, at a depth of 23 km (14 miles), the US Geological Survey said.

Earlier in the day, an elderly woman, wrapped in blankets, was strapped to a board and slowly slid down a ramp to the ground as the

cries of those still trapped rang out.Rescuers used dogs and acoustic

equipment to pick up signs of life in the rubble.

Authorities said there were 96 apartment units in the Golden Dragon Building and 256 regis-tered residents.

Late in the day, city mayor William Lai said 5 people were missing there.

Rescuers clad in red and yellow overalls pulled 250 survivors from the ruins and later inserted huge supports under slabs of leaning concrete to buttress the ruins as they searched for more.

The fire department said 115 people had been taken to hospital from around Tainan.

Poor constructionCity officials said it was too ear-ly to determine if poor construc-tion was a factor in the build-ing’s collapse.

Liu Shih-chung, city govern-ment deputy secretary general, said television footage of the ru-ins of the commercial-residential building suggested the possibil-ity of structural problems related to poor-quality reinforced steel and cement.

The construction and engineer-ing companies that built the com-plex are no longer operating, re-cords showed.

Two neighbours said they had felt nervous about the construc-

tion when the building was going up in the early 1990s.

“I looked at it and thought, only people from out of town would buy there.

We local people would never dare,” said one of the neighbours, Yang Shu-mei.

Pacific Ring of FireA major earthquake in central Taiwan in 1999 killed about 2,400 people and caused damage across the island, which lies in the seismi-cally active “Pacific Ring of Fire”.

President Ma Ying-jeou visited an emergency centre and hospi-tal in Tainan while President-elect Tsai Ing-wen cancelled ap-pointments to help coordinate rescue efforts.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, which is in charge of Beijing’s re-lations with the self-ruled island, said China was willing to provide help if needed, Chinese state news agency Xinhua said.

Apple supplierTaiwan Semiconductor Man-ufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chip-maker and supplier to Apple Inc, said some wafers made in Tain-an had been damaged, affecting no more than 1 per cent of first-quarter shipments.

Other major Apple suppliers in Taiwan reported no impact on op-erations. — Reuters

Questions were

raised about the

construction of

the building in the

southern city of

Tainan, with its floors

that pancaked down

on each other when

the 6.4 magnitude

tremor hit at around

4am(2000 GMT), at

the start of a Lunar

New Year holiday

SURVIVOR: Rescue personnel help a victim at the site where a 17-storey apartment building collapsed during an earthquake in Tainan, southern Taiwan, on Saturday. — Reteurs

HORRIFYING: Rescue personnel work at a damaged building after an earthquake in Tainan, southern

Taiwan, on Saturday. — Reuters/Stringer

LUCKY TO BE ALIVE: Rescue personnel help a victim at the

site where a 17-storey apartment building collapsed during an

earthquake in Tainan, southern Taiwan, on Saturday. — Reuters

MIRACLE: Rescue workers remove a baby from the site where a

17-storey apartment building collapsed after an earthquake hit

Tainan, Saturday. — Reuters/Stringer

CALAMITY: Soldiers stand guard in front of a damaged building

and crushed vehicles after an earthquake hit Tainan, southern

Taiwan on Saturday. — Reuters

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GLOBAL EYES U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

BRAZIL: Revellers parade for Perola, Negra samba school during carnival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday. — Reuters

FRANCE: A speed boat sails on the Mediterranean sea in Nice, France, on Friday. — Reuters

PANAMA: Panama’s firefighters try to extinguish a fire on an old building at downtown in Panama City on Friday. According the local media no injuries and deaths were reported. — Reuters

PERU: Peruvian presidential candidate Julio Guzman’s supporters shout slogans during the election campaign at a rally in downtown Lima, on Friday. — Reuters

CHINA: A performer, centre, playing the role of an emperor, takes part in a rehearsal for the upcoming fair to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Monkey at Ditan Park, in Beijing, China, on Saturday. — Reuters

LATVIA: A boy on his bike looks on ice sculptures in the ice bar during the international ice sculpture festival in Jelgava, Latvia, on Friday. — Reuters

UNITED STATES: Singer Natalie Cole is memorialised at the 47th NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, California on Friday. — Reuters

A15

WORLDS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

EU top official asks Turkey to implement deal on migrants

AMSTERDAM: Europe needs Turkey to dramatically cut the number of migrants reaching Greece within weeks or the pres-sure for more border closures and fences will grow, the EU’s top offi-cial in charge of ties with Ankara warned on Saturday.

Frustrated that refugees con-tinue to stream into Greece

despite a November 29 deal be-tween Ankara and Brussels to slow down the flows, European Commissioner Johannes Hahn said Turkey must show results by the time EU leaders meet for a February 18-19 summit.

“This action plan was agreed more than two months ago and we are still not seeing a significant de-cline in the number of migrants,”

Hahn, the EU’s enlargement commissioner, told Reuters af-ter an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Amsterdam attended by Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu.

“Turkey could do more, I have no doubt,” Hahn said, adding that Ankara’s need to shift forces to curb violence in southeastern Turkey was “no excuse” for not

patrolling its western coast and cooperating with Greece.

The European Commission, the EU executive, is set to publish on Wednesday a report on Turkey’s progress in implementing the mi-grant deal.

While Turkish police targeting people smugglers have made ar-rests and Turkey has introduced a limited work-permit scheme for

Syrian refugees, the Commission report is likely to be critical.

“We need results before the EU summit to show leaders that this is working,” Hahn said.”I am con-cerned there’s not enough time.”

More than one million people arrived in Europe last year, fleeing war and failing states in the Mid-dle East and North Africa.

Numbers show little sign of fall-ing, despite the winter.

Asked to detail the cost of a failed deal with Turkey, Hahn said: “It increases the pressure to find other solutions,” referring to border fences that go against EU rules on the freedom of its citizens to move across frontiers to live and work.

ConsequencesHahn’s warning of the conse-quences of inaction was high-lighted by a call from Hungary and Austria at the Amsterdam meet-ing for fences on the Macedo-nian and Bulgarian borders with Greece and between Austria and Slovenia to stop migrants.

Hahn said if such fences were built it would only create a “dom-ino effect” with many EU nations closing their frontiers and putting at risk the bloc’s passport-free Schengen zone. — Reuters

European

Commissioner

Johannes Hahn said

Turkey must show

results of action to

slow down the flows

of the displaced

by the time of a

February 18-19

summit

This action plan was

agreed more than two

months ago and we

are still not seeing a

significant decline in the

number of migrants

Johannes HahnEuropean Commissioner

UN rights chief visits Sri Lanka over war crimes, faces protestersCOLOMBO: Hundreds of hard-line nationalists gathered out-side the United Nations’ office in the Sri Lankan capital Co-lombo on Saturday to protest against a visit by the UN human rights chief who will assess Sri Lanka’s progress in prosecuting alleged war crimes.

The UN says both Sri Lanka’s military and the Tamil Tiger re-bels most likely committed war crimes during a 26-year war which ended in 2009.

A UN resolution calls for post-war reconciliation and that all al-leged war crimes be investigated and tried in special courts by in-ternational judges.

However, many Sri Lankans oppose foreign involvement and supporters of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa believe the UN resolution aims to punish the military unfairly despite defeat-ing the Tamil Tigers.

Although the coalition of President Maithripala Sirisena has agreed to the resolution, the visit by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein follows comments by Sirisena saying that foreign par-ticiaption was not needed for an impartial inquiry into the war.

Al Hussein began his four-day

visit to Sri Lanka by visiting the UN office in Colombo to meeting UN officials.

Hours afterwards, protest-ers outside shouted “Al Hussein, hands off Sri Lanka” and “where were you when people in Afghan-istan and Iraq were killed?”.

Some held banners which read, “no war crime courts, no foreign judges” and “don’t send the mili-tary to guillotine”.

“We will not allow to set up courts to fulfil the need of West-ern nations.

Al Hussein has come here to take our war heroes to guillotine, but we won’t allow that to hap-pen,” Wimal Weerawansa, the National Freedom Front leader told the gathering.— Reuters

C R A C K D O W N O N T A M I L T I G E R S

FURIOUS: Sri Lankan riot police officers stand guard in front of

the UN head office during a protest against the visit of United

Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al

Hussein, in Colombo on Saturday. — Reuters

A UN resolution calls for

post-war reconciliation

and that all alleged war

crimes be investigated and

tried in special courts by

international judges

Three British troops injured in Iraq covert operationLONDON: Three members of Britain’s special forces were in-jured in fighting with IS gunmen in Iraq, the Mirror newspaper re-ported on Saturday without giving any details about its sources.

The Ministry of Defence said it did not comment on special forces operation.

The Mirror said the injured men were from the SAS and SBS units and were taking part in a 25-strong allied special forces patrol in northern Iraq when they came under fire by 30 IS fighters in armoured Humvees stolen from the Iraqi army.

It said the covert patrol by Brit-ish, German and US special forces aimed to identify IS positions out-side Mosul and spot weak areas in the militant group’s defences.

The report said the IS militants involved in the incident were all killed as the special forces fought back with assault weapons and called in an air strike. The three men hit by shrapnel were treated on the ground before being airlift-ed out by helicopter, it said.

Britain is taking part in air strikes on IS-held areas in Iraq and Syria and says it has troops present in Iraq providing training to Iraqi security forces. — Reuters

F I G H T A G A I N S T I S

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‘Oman to sign contract soon to study new industrial strategy’

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI [email protected]

MUSCAT: Oman is expected to sign an agreement for studying a new industrial strategy in two weeks, said a senior official from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The ministry is working on an

industrial strategy which will be developed through the United Na-tions Industrial Development Or-ganisation (UNIDO), Ahmed bin Hassan Al Dheeb, the ministry’s undersecretary, told reporters on Thursday.

A contract to start the study will be signed within two weeks, he said on the sidelines of an invest-ment opportunities seminar held at the Oman Chamber of Com-merce and Industry (OCCI).

New investment law Al Dheeb also noted that a new investment law will be sent to the concerned authorities in two months for review and approval.

“We are preparing the foreign direct investment law which is prepared through (the) World Bank,” he said, adding that a draft version has already been sent to

the government agencies and the private sector for review and feed-back.

The draft is being finalised with the help of legal firms and will then be sent to other government departments for review and hope-fully approval, the undersecretary noted. It is the normal process of every new law, he pointed out.

Assurance for investment According to Al Dheeb, the new law emphasises a lot on giving as-surance for investments to foreign investors and it will also be very clear 100 per cent ownership is al-lowed in what type of projects.

Asked if there are any particular target countries to attract invest-ment from, the official said that Oman is targeting everybody and all investors.

Some countries have expressed interest in establishing projects in the Sultanate and there are dis-cussions with some neighbouring countries as well, he noted, adding that neighbouring countries are among the target markets to at-tract investment from.

Industrial projects During the investment opportuni-ties seminar, production of poly-oxymethylene (POM), acetic acid, isocyanates (MDI), cold rolled products and ceramic tiles were discussed as five potential areas for investment.

Al Dheeb said that the location of these potential projects would depend on the source of raw mate-rials and whether the products can be exported or not.

Ministry of

Commerce and

Industryis working

on an industrial

strategy which

will be developed

through the United

Nations Industrial

Development

Organisation. A

contract to start the

study will be signed

within two weeks,

a senior ministry

official said

Oman’s mineral production exceeds OMR142m in 2014MUSCAT: Mineral production in Oman were valued at over OMR142.2 million in 2014, ac-cording to data published in Sta-tistical Year Book 2015 by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). NCSI has not yet issued figures for 2015.

Over the three years from 2012-2014, however, the total value of minerals produced in the Sultan-ate showed a continued decline, with corresponding figures being 159.7 million, 146.6 million and OMR142.2 million.

During 2014, the Sultanate ex-ported its entire production of 2,300 tonnes of copper cathodes, earning revenues of OMR6.1 mil-lion. Also, 165 kg of gold and 3,285

kg of silver, valued, respectively, at over OMR2.5 million and OMR732,000 were sold by Oman Mining Company in 2014, the re-port said.

During this period, produc-tion of marble rose to 1.56 mil-lion tonnes, valued at OMR21.7 million, as against 1.25 million tonnes worth OMR18 million produced in year 2013.

The Sultanate produced 8.72 million tonnes of limestone, worth OMR9.9 million in 2014, with corresponding figures for 2013 being 5.48 million tonnes valued at OMR7.8 million.

Also, as much as 3.38 million tonnes of gypsum, worth OMR5 million, and 751,200 tonne of chromite, valued at OMR22.8

million, were also produced in 2014.

Further, laterite production reached 753,100 tonnes, valued at OMR2.2 million, while quartz production was 282,900 tonnes, valued at OMR1.1 million.

During the same period, the Sultanate produced 72,100 tonnes of copper, worth over OMR22.5 million, and 37,500 tonnes of manganese, worth OMR417,800, while kaolin pro-duction exceeded 66,600 tonnes and was valued at OMR199,800.

Other products produced in 2014 include 12,900 tonnes of salt (OMR451,000), 305,400 tonnes of mud (OMR1.6 million) and 60,200 tonnes of sand dunes (OMR150,500). — ONA

O M A N I C O M P A N I E S

Ahmed bin Hassan Al Dheeb. — Times file picture

BUSINESS REPORTER

MUSCAT: Industrial invest-ment opportunities worth an estimated amount of OMR153.65 to OMR159.42 million in total were presented at a seminar organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday.

Production of polyoxy-methylene (POM), acetic acid, isocyanates (MDI), cold rolled products and ceramic tiles were discussed as five potential areas for investment during the event held at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI).

Investment opportunitiesThe investment opportuni-ties seminar was attended by Ahmed bin Hassan Al Dheeb, the ministry’s undersecretary, and a number of other officials as well as representatives of the business community.

Five potential projectsDuring the first part of the seminar, Atif Elgozali, engi-neering expert at the industrial investment department of Gulf Organisation for Industrial

Consulting (GOIC), gave a presentation on five poten-tial projects, saying that only preliminary studies have been conducted and more detailed studies will be done later.

Job creation According to him, the com-bined capacity of these projects reaches 345,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) and the proposed projects have the potential to provide 324 job opportunities.

The total area required for these projects is estimated to be in the range of 63,200 square metres, Elgozali fur-ther added.

He added that the proposed projects are expected to add value to the locally produced chemicals, in particular methanol and benzene.

Return on investmentThe return on investment for these projects ranges from 12 to 22 per cent, the expert said, adding that the break-even point as percentage of project sales for these projects lies in the range of 34 to 48 per cent.

The payback period for

these projects will be in the range of 3.33 to six years, he pointed out.

Project identification In addition, Elgozali stated that several points were taken into consideration for the identification of the projects. According to him, the project must be new and not imple-mented yet in the Sultanate. Its major inputs must be available in either Oman or other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The proposed products should meet local, regional or international demand. There should be an opportunity to export the products abroad.

The proposed project will facilitate the industrial integration with the existing industries in Oman. Process technology should be available for licensing. The products and process should be environmen-tally friendly and the project should provide job opportuni-ties for Omani nationals.

During the second part of the seminar, investment opportunities in the logistics sector were discussed.

Industrial investment opportunities worth OMR150m in Oman presented at a seminar

PRECIOUS: Oman produced 8.72 million tonnes of limestone, worth OMR9.9 million in 2014. — ONA

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PDO deploys collaborative video technology in fieldTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Librestream, the lead-er in mobile video collaboration solutions for enterprise, and Gulf Business Machines (GBM), the Middle East’s number one pro-vider of IT solutions and services, have been selected to provide the collaborative video camera solu-tion for Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) using Cisco net-working solutions.

PDO is the foremost explora-tion and production company in the Sultanate accounting for more than 70 per cent of the country’s

crude oil production and nearly all of its natural-gas supply.

PDO will use Librestream’s on-sight rugged smart camera devices and Inmarsat BGAN services in the field to share live video, images and audio with remote experts on their desktop computers or in Cis-co TelePresence rooms in a highly secure way.

Field emergenciesThese experts include internal PDO teams as well as third party suppliers or vendors, when re-quired, to rapidly diagnose field emergency situations.

“In many situations, field engi-neers need to stay a safe distance away from the equipment when di-agnosing emergencies such as well head relief valve failures. In this case, engineers can use the digital zoom on the onsight camera de-vice to give experts in the Muscat, Oman headquarters or a key sup-plier in North America the detail they need to help diagnose the field issue from afar,” explained Michael Murphy, vice president of Interna-tional Operations at Librestream.

“PDO has demonstrated a clear commitment to safety and innova-tion and we are pleased to be work-

ing with Cisco and GBM to deliver this solution,” he added.

PDO has already deployed the video collaboration solution in the field and identified benefits such as accelerated response to issues in the field as well as im-provements in safety and overall communication.

“The PDO project is one exam-ple of many where we’ve collabo-rated with Librestream, including a variety of deployments at leading global industrial firms — from au-tomotive and CPG manufacturers to O&G and utility operations. The Librestream platform combined

with Cisco’s leading networking and digitization solutions enable fully-immersive collaborations across remote teams,” said Chet Namboodri, Senior Director, Cisco Global Private Sector Industries.

Librestream, GBM deal Librestream recently signed an agreement with GBM, a Cisco Gold partner, to resell its onsight platform in the Middle East. As an authorised reseller, Gulf Business Machines will bundle the onsight offering from Librestream with Cisco networking products and re-lated services.

The onsight offering includes hardened, ex-certified video devic-es; collaboration software for desk-tops, smartphones and tablets; and centralized management tools.

“As a Cisco Gold partner and holder of master certification in both collaboration and security, we are proud to support PDO in this important initiative. PDO has been an important client of GBM for some time now, and we are proud to work with them as they continue to bring innovation to their business,” said Hani Nofal, vice-president, Intelligent Net-work Solutions, GBM.

I M P O R V E D S A F E T Y

Airlines in Middle East logstrongest traffic growth

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Middle East carriers had the strongest annual traffic growth at 10.5 per cent. As a result, the share of international traffic carried by Middle East airlines reached 14.2 per cent, surpassing their North American counter-parts (13.4 per cent), latest data from IATA reveals.

Capacity growth of 13.2 per cent exceeded the demand gains, pushing down load factor 1.7 per-centage points to 76.4 per cent, the IATA report said.

On the other hand, internation-al passenger traffic rose 6.5 per cent in 2015 compared to 2014. Capacity rose 5.9 per cent and load factor rose 0.5 percentage points to 79.7 per cent. All regions recorded year-over-year increas-es in demand, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) global passenger traffic results for 2015 showed.

“Last year’s very strong perfor-mance, against a weaker economic

backdrop, confirms the strong de-mand for aviation connectivity. But even as the appetite for air travel in-creased, consumers benefitted from lower fares compared to 2014,” said Tony Tyler, IATA director general and chief executive officer.

While economic fundamentals were weaker in 2015 compared to 2014, passenger demand was boosted by lower airfares. After adjusting for distortions caused by the rise of the US dollar, global airfares last year were approxi-mately 5 per cent lower than in 2014, the report said.

Global demandIATA also said that global demand (revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rose 6.5 per cent for the full year compared to 2014. This was the strongest result since the post-global financial crisis re-bound in 2010 and well above the 10-year average annual growth rate of 5.5 per cent.

Globally, annual capacity rose 5.6 per cent last year, with the

result that load factor climbed 0.6 percentage points to a record annual high of 80.3 per cent. All regions experienced positive traf-fic growth in 2015. Carriers in the Asia-Pacific region accounted for one-third of the total annual in-crease in traffic.

Asia Pacific carriers recorded a demand increase of 8.2 per cent compared to 2014, which was the largest increase among the three largest regions. Demand was stim-ulated by a 7.3 per cent increase in the number of direct airport con-nections in the region, resulting in time-savings for travelers.

Capacity rose 6.4 per cent, pushing up load factor 1.3 per-centage points to 78.2 per cent.

European carriers’ interna-tional traffic climbed 5 per cent in 2015. Capacity rose 3.8 per cent and load factor increased 1 percentage point to 82.6 per cent, highest among the regions. The healthy result in part was attrib-utable to a pick-up in consumer spending in the eurozone as well

as a moderate increase in flight frequencies.

Traffic growth slowed toward the end of the year owing to strikes at Lufthansa and the shutdown of Russia’s Transaero.

North AmericaNorth American airlines saw de-mand rise 3.2 per cent in 2015, broadly unchanged from the growth achieved in 2014. Capac-ity rose 3.1 per cent, edging up load factor 0.1 percentage points to 81.8 per cent.

Latin American airlines’ traffic rose 9.3 per cent in 2015. Capacity rose 9.2 per cent and load factor inched up 0.1 percentage points to 80.1 per cent.

While key regional economies, particularly Brazil, have been struggling, overall traffic has been robust.

African airlines had the slowest annual demand growth, up 3 per cent although this was a significant improvement over the 0.9 per cent annual growth achieved in 2014.

With capacity up just half as much as traffic, load factor climbed 1 per-centage point to 68.5 per cent. In-ternational traffic rose strongly in the second half of 2015, in conjunc-tion with a jump in trade activity to and from the region.

Global economy“Aviation delivered strong results for the global economy in 2015, enabling connectivity and helping to drive economic development. The value of aviation is well un-derstood by friends and families whom aviation brings together, by business travelers meeting cli-ents in distant cities, and particu-larly by those for whom aviation is a lifeline in times of crisis,” the IATA director general said.

“It is very disappointing to see that some governments still wrongly believe that the value of taxes and charges that can be extracted from air transport out-weighs the benefits — economic and social — of connectivity,” Tony Tyler said.

“The most recent example is the dramatic increase in the Italian Council Tax levied on air passen-gers. This 33-38 per cent hike will damage Italian economic compet-itiveness, reduce passenger num-bers by over 755,000 and GDP by €146 million per year. An estimat-ed 2,300 jobs a year will be lost. At a time when the global economy is showing signs of weakening, gov-ernments should be looking for ways to stimulate spending, not discourage it,” Tyler added.

Share of international

traffic carried by

Middle East airlines

reached 14.2%,

surpassing their

North American

counterparts of 13.4%,

in 2015, says IATA

Riyada holdssession for third batchTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Public Authority for SME Development (Riyada) con-ducted an engagement session for the mentors and business volun-teers who will be participating in the third batch of Mentorship Pro-gramme (Inspire & Success) 2015-2016 at Riyada.

This year’s programme includes 54 mentors, 16 business volun-teers and 90 mentees.

Khalid bin Al Safi Al Haribi, deputy chief executive officer for Operation of Riyada thanked the participants for their contribution to the programme.

He was then apprised of the Ri-yada’s strategy 2016-2020 and the objectives of Riyada in launching the mentorship programme which is designed to be an annual event in order to create a platform where small and medium enterprises (SMEs) receive guidance and sup-port from experienced mentors in a structured, open and collabora-tive environment.

P r i c e w a t e r h o u s e C o o p e r s (PWC), which is a member on the Mentorship Committee, spoke at the engagement session for the second year. The session began by addressing the programme’s roles and responsibilities of stakehold-ers, and defining the term men-toring and the difference between coaching, training and consulting.

The session also discussed the functional skills of mentoring such as building rapport and communi-cating effectively with your men-tor, active listening and the GROW model, and the mentoring practice.

It is worth to mention that, Riyada’s yearly mentorship pro-gramme is a trusting, one-to-one relationship between a business mentor and mentee, which aims to inspire Omani entrepreneurs.

M E N T O R I N G P R O G R A M M E

GLOBAL TRAFFIC RISES: International passenger traffic rose 6.5

per cent in 2015 compared to 2014. Capacity rose 5.9 per cent and

load factor rose 0.5 percentage points to 79.7 per cent. – File photo

Tony Tyler, IATA director gen-

eral and chief executive officer


‘Oman’s industrialisation is best diversification strategy’Times News Service

MUSCAT: Oman’s industrialisa-tion and development of human capital can prove to be the best diversification strategy for Oman. This was the outcome of a panel discussion hosted by the Muscat chapter of the Institute of Char-tered Accountants of India (ICAI) under the sponsorship of the Col-lege of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS), which organ-ised a panel discussion entitled, “Oman Economy—Sustainability by Economic Diversification.”

Abdulmalik Abdullah Al Hi-nai, a prominent economist and advisor at the Ministry of Finance (MoF) was the Chief Guest at the event.

Speaking at the event, Al Hinai stated that achieving sustainabil-ity through economic diversifi-cation is always a priority. Skills development and professional education of relatively young Omani human resources holds the key to the future sustainabil-ity of the economy. Professionally qualified Omani talent can prove to be the stepping stone for future growth and economic diversifica-tion. This may necessitate setting up more world class educational and academic institutions within Oman, he added.

Sheikh Nasser Sulaiman Al Harthy, director general of Finan-cial Investments at MoF, along with Mohammed Abdullah Al

Mamari, director of Financial In-vestments were also present.

The Chapter Chairman, N. Sreedhar, welcomed the dignitar-ies and guests. Delivering the key note address, Amaranth Bakhat emphasised on fiscal discipline and highlighted diversification strategies being implemented.

A panel discussion followed and a panel of five professionals deliberated upon numerous inno-vative ideas for the diversification of economy that included making Oman a regional oil and gas tran-sit hub by first achieving “zero crude export” and then further developing the downstream pet-rochemical industries, including surplus refining capacity import-ing crude and exporting petro-chemical products.

The development of dedicated Special Tourist Zones on the lines of Special Economic Zones to mitigate social impact of tourism was another idea.

The potential for using subsi-dised gas as a lucrative tool for the

industrialisation of the economy to attract energy intensive indus-tries, including basic metal smelt-ers on the back of world class in-frastructure and investor friendly policies, was also evaluated.

The possibilities of offering electricity to potential investors at lower prices by utilising the idle power generation capacity during a non-summer lean season was elaborated.

The panel also deliberated upon the divestment strategy and opined that probably this is not the right time to divest as the valuations will be low and the Government may rather want to resort to external borrow-ings and utilisation of reserves to finance the budget deficit. It was also mentioned that having a budget deficit is a normal eco-nomic phenomenon and with a very low debt to GDP ratio, Oman can easily raise funds overseas riding on excellent reputation, good ratings and strong econom-ic fundamentals.

I C A I P A N E L

ALL SMILES: A panel discussion was hosted by the Muscat ICAI

under the sponsorship of CBFS. — Supplied picture

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MARKET

Bank deposits in Oman grow 4.3%

MUSCAT: Private deposits at commercial banks in the Sul-tanate rose by 4.3 per cent to OMR11,639.5 million at the end of November 2015, compared to OMR11,155.5 million in the corre-sponding period last year, accord-ing to a monthly statistical bulletin published by the Central Bank of Oman (CBO).

The gross value for these de-posits as of the end of November 2015 includes the time deposits that stood at OMR3,208.0 million,

savings deposits of OMR4,350.5 million and demand deposits of OMR3,817.4 million, the report fur-ther added. The bulletin said that the total value for these deposits include OMR10,721.7 million and OMR917.7 million in foreign currencies.

As for the banking indicators for the commercial banks as at the end of November 2015, the bulle-tin said that the broad money and clearance to the deposits in rials was 25.3 per cent. The combined money and clearance to the gross

deposits was 22.2 per cent. The total percentage of loans to the de-posits was 102.1 per cent.

Foreign currencyThe rate of foreign currency de-posits to the total deposits was 12.5 per cent. The rate of foreign assets to the total loans was 14 per cent. The rate of foreign assets to the total assets was 10.4 per cent. Foreign liabilities to the total li-abilities were 17.6 per cent.

The on-demand deposits to the total private deposits were 32.6 per cent. The capital and reserves to the total deposits was 18.2 per cent. Meanwhile, the rate of allocations and the retained interests to the to-tal credit was 3.4 per cent. — ONA

Private deposits in commercial banks rose

to OMR11.64b at the end of November 2015,

compared to OMR11.16b in the corresponding

period last year, the CBO bulletin said


DEPOSITS RISE: The Central Bank of Oman said that the total value for these deposits include

OMR10.72 billion and OMR917.7 million in foreign currencies. - Times file

Muscat bourse cuts losses as crude oil prices rebound MUSCAT: Muscat Securities Market (MSM 30) index reduced the losses it had incurred in the first three weeks of the year, to close above 5,000 points, at the end of January 2016, despite the fact that it closed at 4,867 points on January 21, a record-low since April 2009.

The index had slumped by 4.2 per cent in January to close at 5179 points; reflecting a decline by 226 points in a slump wave that affected all world and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stock markets. While improvement in oil prices in the last week of Janu-ary helped stock markets’ indices climb again, it was still not enough to make up for the previous losses.

Oil prices slumped sharply last January to touch $22 per barrel. The expectations about the lack of oil supplies augmented prices to about $30 per barrel by the end of the month.

The sector indices fell by vary-ing degrees, with the biggest de-cline being seen in the service sector, which slumped by 5 per cent. The Sharia market index decline 4.5 per cent, compared to 3.5 per cent for the industry index and 2.1 per cent for the financial sector index.

Many stocks reached their re-cord lows during the year and were even close to their nominal value. The situation made the price at-tractive for investment companies and funds, which regarded this as a good way to augment their port-folios after the losses they had incurred over the past.

GCC institutionsThe purchases of local establish-ments vis-a-vis total trading were more than 60.3 per cent, com-pared to 49.1 per cent for the sales. GCC institutions purchases’ ratio to the total purchases was 10 per cent, compared to more than 28 per cent of the sales transactions.

In January 2016, the price of 40 stocks slipped, 13 companies went up and 23 companies re-

mained unchanged. The biggest gainers on the MSM were Al Ja-zeera Steel, which closed at 157 baisas, showing a 15.4 per cent in-crease. This was followed by Bank Dhofar shares, which increased by 11.6 per cent to close at 239 baisas. Takaful Oman Insurance shares came third on the top gain-ers list and increased by 11 per cent to close at 111 baisas.

Renaissance Services shares topped the losers’ list by dropping 22 per cent to close at 127 baisas, very close to its nominal value, which is 100 baisas. Galfar Engi-neering shares declined by 20 per cent to close at 56 baisas; below its nominal value.

Al Jazeera Services shares slumped by 19.8 per cent to close at 250 baisas. — ONA

S T O C K M A R K E T

ON RECOVERY PATH: The Muscat Securities Market index had

slumped by 4.2 per cent in January to close at 5179 points; re-

flecting a decline by 226 points in a slump wave that affected all

world and GCC stock markets. – Times file

Many stocks on the Muscat Securities Market reached the record lows during the year and were even close to their nominal value

‘Smartwatches won’t affect watch sales in a major way’MUSCAT: Smartwatches are not going to affect sales of tra-ditional watchmakers in a major way, said a top-level official of a leading lifestyle retailer in the Middle East. “We don’t see smartwatches taking over traditional watches. Wearable technology is actually enlarging the pie,” said Ramesh Prab-hakar, managing partner of Rivoli Group. Prabhakar said smartwatches from technology firms (like Apple and Sam-sung) cater to certain segments, especially youngsters. How-ever, he said; “Most manufacturers will recognise the fact that wearable technology is here to stay.”

Oman Refreshment board proposes 100% dividendMUSCAT: Board of directors of Oman Refreshment Compa-ny has recommended a cash dividend of 100 per cent (100 bai-sas for each share) for the year ended December 2015, subject to the approval of the shareholders in the forthcoming annual general meeting scheduled to be held on Sunday, the company said in a stock market filing. Oman Refreshment has achieved a net profit of OMR9,600,145 in 2015 compared to a net profit of OMR10,055,858. The board at its recent meeting has ap-proved the annual audited results.

National Pharmaceutical recommends 10% dividendMUSCAT: Board of National Pharmaceutical Industries has recommended a cash dividend of 10 per cent dividend, subject to the approval of the company at its annual general meeting fixed for February 24, the company said in a filing on Thurs-day to the Muscat Securities Market. The board approved the auditors’ report and the financial statements for the year 2015. The board also accepted the resignation of its directors Dr Abdullah Monjed Al Bader and Khaled Al Saeed.

Areej Vegetable Oils to pay cash and stock dividends MUSCAT: Areej Vegetable Oils & Derivatives board of direc-tors at its recent meeting approved cash dividend of 35 per cent (350 baisas per share and a stock dividend of 50 per cent (1 share for every 2 shares held), it said in a filing. The com-pany said the dividend payout is subject to the approval at the annual ordinary general meeting scheduled for March 1.

Iran to export oil to EuropeTEHRAN: Iran will start sending 300,000 barrels a day of crude to Europe, 54 per cent of the total it shipped before authorities on the continent put an embargo in place. Paris-based Total has agreed to buy about 160,000 barrels a day starting on February 16, the Ministry of Oil’s Shana website reported, citing Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh. - Times News Service/Agencies

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‘Oman’s industrial sector needs to diversify its sources of income’

Times News Service

MUSCAT: All market players are aiming to step up efforts towards the further development of the in-dustrial sector and thus diversify-ing income sources and advancing the national economy, in light of the global oil price slump.

Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Public Establishment for In-dustrial Estates (PEIE), said this on the occasion of the upcoming Sultanate’s Industry Day, which falls on February 9 each year.

“This support culminated by the issuance of the Royal Decree no. 32/2015 promulgating the system (law) of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE). The Royal Decree comes in line with the development witnessed to pro-vide a legal framework for contrib-uting effectively in localising na-tional investments and attracting foreign investments. It also falls in line with the advancement of ap-plying international conventions by taking advantage of several international cooperation agree-ments,” Al Hasani stated.

He further said the Royal Decree and the regulations of PEIE in-cluded legal aspects related to sev-eral functions and requirements of PEIE that contribute to attracting and developing investments in all sectors. It also grants PEIE with

additional incentives and benefits for several activities, as well as the industrial estates in the area of opening doors for foreign invest-ments with specific tax incen-tives to promote the capability of regional competition. As per the Royal Decree, integrated invest-ment outlets will be established within the industrial estates to provide government services with regards to the issuance of licenses, approvals, visas, activity registra-tion, among other services.

“As per the regulations, PEIE will attract local and international developers to develop, establish and operate some of the new in-dustrial estates, expand the exist-ing estates, and provide additional services in the estates that meet the needs and requirements of our investors,” Al Hasani pointed out, adding, “Since the regulations were announced, the final drafts of the executive regulations have been prepared and will be submit-ted to the board of directors for ap-proval before they are submitted to the Minister of Commerce and Industry for final approval. Work is also underway to establish in-vestment outlets in the industrial estates in cooperation with con-cerned government entities.”

Attracting investmentsCommenting on the results of PEIE’s 5th Plan, accompanying the 8th Development Plan (2011-2015), Al Hasani said, “The Pub-lic Establishment for Industrial Estates has been able to attract investments valued at more than OMR1,800 million, at a rate of OMR36 million annually. Besides, PEIE has been able to localise 805 projects involved in various in-vestment activities in the various industrial estates, at a rate of 161 projects per year, which brings the cumulative total of the projects to 1,555 by the end of 2015. The local-ised productive projects have con-tributed to the creation of 19,973 direct job opportunities, bringing the cumulative number of work-force in the industrial estates to 41,337.

Adding to this, more job oppor-tunities will be created through the projects that are currently under implementation (242 projects),

and the projects that have been al-located land (458 projects), which will commence production in the next three years. It is estimated that these projects will offer more than 33,000 job opportunities.”

He added that PEIE has been able to lease7.29 million square meters of lands for industrial, commercial and service uses, which will eventually boost the total area of leased space to around 32.2 million square meters at a growth rate of 1.46 million square meters per year.

The total area has increased by an additional 11.69 million square meters, with the total space touch-ing more than 90.5 million square meters, adding to the area of the new proposed industrial estates in Thumrait, Shinas and Al Mud-haibi. Land allocation for these es-tates had already been completed by the end of 2015.

Al Raha VillageOn the progress of the Al Raha Village, which is located in the Al Rusayl Industrial Estate, Al Hasani informed that the occu-pancy rate of the project during its first phase had touched 100 per cent.

The project will be inaugurated by Dr. Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, minister of Commerce and In-dustry on the Sultanate’s Industry Day. “This project will fulfil the fu-ture vision of PEIE and offer value added services in the industrial estates. Developed by the invest-ment arm of PEIE–Shumookh Investment and Services SAOC, the Al Raha Village is a township project with integrated residen-tial, commercial and recreational facilities, as well as other related services. The township has been designed to offer high living stand-ards in line with the international norms of observing best welfare for resident workers in the compa-nies and factories,” he pointed out.

He emphasised that the Al Raha Village has been designed to pro-vide an integrated solution to the problem of accommodating thou-sands of workers and technicians, who will be mobilised in the com-ing years. “This project is located at a strategic site on the Al Rusayl Industrial Estate.

It is being built over a total land plot of about 65,000 square me-ters. The project is divided into three phases at a total cost of OMR56 million and has a capac-ity to accommodate more than 11,000 residents.

The project comprises a full range of integrated facilities and services, including a central kitchen, dining halls, outdoor and indoor recreational facilities, a health centre, a transportation hub and around 3,000 square metres of commercial spaces,” he added.

Al Mazunah Free ZoneThe strategic location of the Al Mazunah Free Zone on the bor-der of the Sultanate of Oman and Yemen makes it the Gulf gateway for transit trade to Yemen and Eastern Africa. To enhance the opportunities of the Al Mazunah Free Zone, the government has developed a package of incentives and facilities to encourage inves-tors and facilitate the investment process. These incentives include exemption of profits from income tax and no need for income decla-ration, permit to import all eligible goods into the zone, and exemp-tion from the requirement of a minimum investment.

Al Hasani added, “In spite of the ongoing security and political con-ditions in Yemen, the Al Mazunah Free Zone could attract more than 10 Arab companies to invest in the zone in 2015. There are currently 41 companies operating in the Al Mazunah Free Zone. There are more applications under study and we hope we will sign up with them in the coming months.

EntrepreneurshipThe incubated companies at the National Business Centre, which fall under the umbrella of PEIE, has generated financial returns estimated at OMR1.3 million. “To-day, 29 companies are incubated in NBC and Riyada, with the occu-pancy rate exceeding 71 per cent. These companies have succeeded in providing 74 job opportunities,” the CEO of PEIE noted.

In 2015, the National Business Centre organised 10 events as part of various initiatives targeting dif-ferent segments of entrepreneurs,

including a series of events that marked the Global Entrepreneur-ship Week (GEW) that were or-ganised by NBC for the third con-secutive year in cooperation with a number of local institutions that support entrepreneurship. NBC is an initiative launched by PEIE at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) to offer promising Omani entrepreneurs a platform for de-veloping their business ideas and advancing them into growing ven-tures. The centre offers a premier platform for Omani entrepre-neurs by providing business de-velopment support and guidance, training and mentoring, access to markets and industry experts, and state-of-the-art and fully equipped office space, meeting rooms and presentation facilities.

MarketingSignificant efforts are being made by PEIE’s Directorate General of Marketing and Media to promote the industrial estates among vari-ous segments. “In 2015, several seminars and workshops were or-ganised to highlight various as-pects, including branding and marketing; sustainable manufac-turing; big data; and technologies for differently able people. In ad-dition, a meeting was hosted by PEIE for commercial attachés’ representatives in the Sultanate that was aimed at underlining the existing investment opportuni-ties in various industrial estates, which fall under the umbrella of PEIE in different governorates, and the value added services pro-vided by PEIE in collaboration with government and private bod-ies in Oman. Being a partner of the INCONET-GCC2 project, PEIE also hosted an Info Day to gener-ate awareness about Horizon 2020 (H2020), which underscored the international dimension and op-portunities offered by ‘Horizon 2020,’ the biggest European Re-search and Innovation funding programme,” Al Hasani said.

He also added that an online ser-vice, which was recently launched by PEIE on its website www.peie.om, will provide an interactive in-terface linking PEIE’s staff with existing and potential investors, and business owners.

“The Live Chat service aims to answer enquiries, provide as-sistance, and welcome sugges-tions, among other services. This service also aspires to strengthen relations with our existing and po-tential investors through a direct interaction with them and eventu-ally these relations shall grow fur-ther to become actual investments on the ground,” Al Hasani stressed.

Origin Oman CampaignThe campaign has continued its efforts inside and outside the Sul-tanate to support locally manu-factured products and motivate consumers, individuals or institu-tions, and encourage people to buy Omani products.

“PEIE participated in various events, including Gulfood 2015 in Dubai, the International Embas-sies Bazaar in Bahrain, Expo Halal in Spain, Omani Companies’ Exhi-bition in Ahvaz—Iran, SIAL Exhi-bition in Indonesia, as well as in an exhibition organised as part of cul-tural and tourism events in Gene-va on the occasion of 45th National Day. Additionally, OPEX 2015 was organised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the Public Au-thority for Investment Promotion and Export Development (Ithraa), and the Oman Chamber of Com-merce and Industry (OCCI). In the Sultanate, PEIE organised and took part in 15 exhibitions and events to disseminate awareness on the significance of supporting Omani products and its direct con-tribution to the advancement of the national economy,” he said.

Training and innovationPEIE accords prime importance to training activities to expand the knowledge and skills of its human cadres to ensure outstanding qual-ity of performance. “Through its Human Resources Development Centre, PEIE has continued its ef-forts to develop its national human cadres in the companies and facto-ries based in the various industrial estates. The centre offers a line-up of management and technical, lec-tures and awareness programmes. During the last five years, nearly 2,600 Omani employees have ben-efited from these activities,” Al Hasani stated.

Localised productive

projects have

contributed to

the creation of

19,973 direct job

opportunities,

bringing the

cumulative number

of workforce in the

industrial estates

to 41,337. Adding

to this, more job

opportunities will

be created through

the projects that

are currently under

implementation (242

projects), Public

Establishment for

Industrial Estates,

chief executive said

Sensex falls on weak global cuesMUMBAI: Global sell-off amid crude volatility pulled down the domestic market with bench-mark Sensex losing 253.72 points to close 24,616.97 during the week, while broader Nifty drifted below the key 7,500-level.

The week saw the market fall-ing three out of five sessions cou-pled with mostly range-bound momentum as investors opted for caution due to key Reserve

Bank of India's RBI’s) sixth bi-monthly monetary policy meet, while duly digesting the status quo in key interest rate.

But the sentiment got jittery following fresh slide in crude oil below $30-barrel reviving global economic down-trend concerns.

The rise in domestic PMI’s of manufacturing and service sec-tors also could not augment the stock-momentum as equally

choked by volatile rupee senti-ment and added global uncer-tainties emanated from strug-gling Chinese economy despite country’s central bank injecting more liquidity.

The benchmark Sensex re-sumed higher at 24,982.22 and hovered in a range of 25,002.32 and 24,187.54 before ending at 24,616.97, showing a loss of 253.72 points or 1.02 per cent. — PTI

W E E K L Y M A R K E T R E V I E W

Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani.— Supplied picture

AL RAHA VILLAGE: Al Raha Village, project will be inaugurated by Dr. Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, minister of Commerce and Industry on the Sultanate’s Industry Day. — Supplied picture

ORIGIN OMAN CAMPAIGN: Origin Oman Campaign has continued its efforts inside and outside the Sultanate to support locally manu-factured products and motivate consumers, individuals or insti-tutions, and encourage people to buy Omani products.— Supplied picture


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Kia introduces Drive Wise, new sub-brand

MUSCAT: Kia has introduced a new sub-brand called Drive Wise to encompass its future Advanced Driver Assistance Sys-tems (ADAS).

Drive Wise embodies Kia’s phi-losophy to realise intelligently safe vehicles featuring Kia’s latest and forthcoming ADAS technologies, says a press release.

Currently under development, Kia’s innovative Drive Wise tech-nologies are a part of Kia’s plans to manufacture partially autono-mous cars by 2020, and bring its first fully-autonomous vehicle to market by 2030. Drive Wise will enable Kia to introduce intelligent safety technologies to its future model range, helping to eliminate potential dangers – and, for many,

the boredom – of driving, while changing the ways in which own-ers interact with their vehicles.

According to an expert, Drive Wise reflects the progress of Kia’s autonomous driving technologies; from those available in current models to cutting-edge features be-ing developed over the next 15 years.

Tae-Won Lim, senior vice presi-dent, Central Advanced Research and Engineering Institute, com-mented: “Kia is undergoing a very promising and gradual process of introducing partially and fully au-tonomous technologies to its ve-hicles. Although the first market-able fully-autonomous car from Kia will not be available in the immediate future, the work our R&D teams are currently doing to develop our range of Drive Wise technologies is already improving on-road safety and driver assis-tance. The innovations presented at this year’s show demonstrate

the future direction we are taking.”The more advanced technolo-

gies under development by Kia provide the driver with greater levels of assistance, anticipating and reacting to changing road con-ditions and potential hazards to improve safety for all road users. By helping to eliminate many of the inherent dangers, stresses and hassles of driving on today’s con-gested roads, Drive Wise will en-able owners to focus more on the pleasures of driving.

Kia’s future Drive Wise tech-nologies on display at CES 2016 include Highway Autonomous Driving, Urban Autonomous Driv-ing, Preceding Vehicle Following, Emergency Stop System, Traffic Jam Assist and a new Autono-mous Parking and Out function, amongst others.

Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) – a maker of quality ve-hicles for the young-at-heart – was

founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor ve-hicles. Over 3 million Kia vehicles a year are produced in 10 manufac-turing and assembly operations in five countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering around 150 countries.

Reliable International Automo-tive (RIA), the distributor for Kia in Oman provides a rewarding ownership experience for custom-ers. Excellent product attributes and unmatched facilities easily ensure their absolute satisfaction, every mile of the way. No wonder then that Reliable International Automotive has been ranked amongst the top Kia distributors worldwide and has been honoured with prestigious accolades includ-ing the ‘Good Partnership award, ‘Family Like Care’ Service award’, and ‘Kia ‘Distributor of Distinc-tion’ award.

Currently under

development, Kia’s

innovative Drive

Wise technologies

are a part of Kia’s

plans to manufacture

partially autonomous

cars by 2020, and

bring its first fully-

autonomous vehicle

to market by 2030

Rossini, O Sole Miooffer Italian treat on Valentine's DayMUSCAT: Rossini at The Cave and O Sole Mio are inviting your loved ones and you on a culinary journey that is quintessentially Italian as always and in a special way this Valentine’s Day.

Rossini has carefully crafted a special menu for this day of love so that it can recreate the Italian experience in all its gastronomic grandeur. It will be a 7-course menu that will be prepared to perfection by the team of chefs, says a press release.

“The service we offer keeps up with the sophisticated tone of the restaurant. Those of you who might not know that in a discreet section of the restaurant is a pri-vate dining area that small groups can occupy to steal away some time while making the most of their dining experience,” men-tions Lawrence D’sa, general man-ager of Four Seasons Tourism.

O Sole Mio’s delicious menu is crafted with passion to take you on a real Italian gourmet expedi-tion. A 5-course menu has been chalked out specially for this day for your loved ones and you along with a special welcome drink.

“This Valentine’s Day, one can experience the true delight of Italian meal which has been care-fully designed by veteran Italian chefs,” stated Lawrence D’sa.

O Sole Mio has positioned itself as a trailblazing fully-licensed authentic Italian fine-dining res-taurant, with a wide selection of drinks and beverages making dining a fabulous experience.

Rossini and O Sole Mio (Radis-son Blu) come under the flagship of Four Seasons Tourism which also has Annab (Shatti Al Qu-

rum) Trattoria and Mamasan (Al Assalah Towers, Ghubra). The group has also started catering to private and corporate events by the name of Ahlan catering that also does home delivery.

S P E C I A L M E N U

The service we offer

keeps up with the

sophisticated tone of

the restaurant. Those

of you who might

not know that in a

discreet section of the

restaurant is a private

dining area that small

groups can occupy

to steal away some

time while making the

most of their dining

experience

Lawrence D’saGM of Four Seasons Tourism

Bank Sohar sponsors 5th ‘Maja’z Al Khair’ ForumMUSCAT: Bank Sohar, continu-ing its quest to promote tradition-al, cultural and sporting events in the Sultanate, recently sponsored the 5th Annual ‘Maja’z Al Khair’ Forum in the wilayat of Saham.

The event included various ac-tivities including a marathon race, camel and horses show, a tradi-tional shooting competition, a her-itage village, Omani folk arts and more, says a press release.

The eagerly awaited annual event was held under the auspices of Dr Yahya bin Bader Al Mawali, undersecretary at the Ministry of Social Development, and was held in the well-known Saham field. Representing Bank Sohar at the popular event was Salim Khamis Saif Al Maskry, DGM and head of Sohar Islamic, Rashid Saif Al Maskry, District Manager for the Batinah Region, and Abdullah Hamed Al Mahmoodi, chief man-ager - Marketing and Promotion at Bank Sohar.

Highlighting the bank’s spon-sorship of the event, Rashad Ali Al Musafir, acting CEO of Bank So-har said: “Bank Sohar has always been a major supporter of Omani culture, heritage and traditional sports. Such events ensure that local traditions are kept alive and continue to exist. Furthermore, these events also help to promote the tourism sector’s growth by fur-ther promoting the rich cultural heritage of the country to a broad-er audience.”

The event, which took place recently attracted visitors from across the region, began with a rec-itation from the Holy Quran fol-lowed by an introductory speech

by Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed Al Badi, the chairman of the Organising Committee. The first of the activi-ties to take place on the day was the marathon race, followed by an enchanting poetry recital and mesmerising traditional music played by local bands.

Following more traditional mu-sic and the arrival of the remaining marathon contestant, the field was prepared for the traditional shoot-ing contest that took place shortly thereafter and saw large number of participants in the contest.

The event concluded with an informative speech by Eng. Ali Al-Hamdi, followed by an award ceremony, wherein Dr Yahya Al Maawali presented awards to the winners in the competitions held earlier in the day as well as to the outstanding craftsmen in various fields, presented at the heritage village. Tokens of appreciation were also handed over to various private sector organisations such as Bank Sohar and to members of the organising committee for their

support of the forum. Sponsors of the event, including

various private sector organisa-tions such as Bank Sohar, together with members of the organising committee were then presented with mementos in recognition of their contributions towards the success of the event.

Shortly after the closing cere-mony, the chief guest was taken on a tour of the Heritage Village and the camel and horse exhibition.

Bank Sohar’s support of the 5th Annual ‘Maja’z Al Khair’ Forum falls in-line with its objective of promoting Oman’s national herit-age through activities such as tra-ditional competitive sports, cul-tural shows, and more.

Moreover, such events help cel-ebrate the history and traditions of the Sultanate and promotes voluntary work among the youth of the country.

Such events also help spread the key values of heritage, honour, competitiveness and excitement that the country treasures.

A N N U A L E V E N T

Salalah Rotana Resort hosts OWA award ceremonySALALAH: Salalah Rotana Resort, the Sultanate’s largest free-standing, five-star hotel, hosted over 100 volunteers and contributors that were awarded by the Omani Women Associa-tion (OWA) in Taqah.

Salalah Rotana Resort hosted the annual awarding ceremony organised by the Omani Women Association, says a press release.

The association, chaired by Fatima bint Obad Al Amri, was established with the sole aim of supporting individuals and fami-lies through workshops, training sessions on skills such as hand-crafts, photography, information and communication technology skills, etc.

The event was sponsored by the Mayor of Taqah, Sheikh Mo-hammad bin Saif Al Bou Saeedi who presented the awards and plaques to volunteers and con-tributors for their support to the organisation throughout the year.

Hossam Kamal, general man-ager of Salalah Rotana Resort, said: “Salalah Rotana Resort is delighted to host the Omani Women Association. The associ-ation is worthy of commendation for their unprecedented effort towards empowering the women in the Omani society. We are im-mensely proud to show our sup-port to this great organisation for their laudable contribution in the society over the years.”

Fatima Al Amri said: “We are happy to accept the warm wel-come from Hossam Kamal with the resort’s generous hospitality extended to us.”

Salalah Rotana Resort sup-ports multiple corporate social activities which are an essential part of its operational strategy in line with the Rotana corpo-rate sustainability initiative; Rotana Earth developed to ad-dress environmental, economic and social issues.

S U P P O R T

MEC partners with CompTIA

MUSCAT: Middle East Col-lege (MEC) has partnered with Computing Technology Indus-try Association (CompTIA), USA, to provide IT training and certification in various topics like computer hardware, net-working, security and project management to name a few.

Under the agreement there will be a training session for MEC teaching staff in Comp-TIA Certified Technical Trainer course (CTT+) which is focus-ing on mastery of core instructor skills that includes preparation, presentation, communication, facilitation and evaluation in a classroom environment, says a press release.

“MEC has entered into this agreement as part of its contin-uous approach to enhancing the skills of its students and staff members,” said Syed Thoufeeq Ahmed, acting head of Comput-ing Department.

“The new partnership along with others like SAP, Microsoft IT Academy, Linux Professional Institute (LPI), Cisco and Ora-cle Academic Initiative to name a few strengthen the institu-tion’s drive towards achieving its vision of contributing to the development of a harmonious and sustainable world through pursuit of knowledge. CompTIA is well-known among IT profes-sionals and we are optimistic about building this partnership to another level in future.”

It is worth to be mentioned that MEC strives to build strong professional partnerships with associations from around the world to enhance its students’ employability and the skills of its staff members.

I T T R A I N I N G

B6 S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

ROUND-UPRivoli opens its first Rado boutique in MCC

MUSCAT: Rivoli Group, the lead-ing lifestyle retailer in the Middle East, has increased its presence in the Sultanate, opening the first mo-no-brand Rado boutique in Muscat.

Situated in a prominent loca-tion within Muscat City Cen-tre (MCC), the brand offers an exclusive selection of its iconic Swiss watchmaking collections. Ramesh Prabhakar, managing partner of Rivoli Group, trav-elled to Muscat to host an elegant ribbon-cutting ceremony in the presence of select media and VIP guests, says a press release.

Commenting on the occasion, Ramesh noted: “Oman is an impor-tant and growing market for Rivoli, and we are delighted to be opening the first mono-brand Rado bou-tique in Muscat, which underlines the loyalty for the iconic Rado her-itage and style among clients in the Sultanate. With the location of the boutique in the heart of Muscat City Centre, we offer a genuine Rado lifestyle experience to local customers and visitors to Oman.”

Founded in Switzerland in 1917, Rado watches differ from the tra-ditional Swiss approach in the innovative use of hi-tech materi-als and distinct design. Rado pio-neered the use of a number of ma-terials that are unique within the watch making industry, including tungsten and titanium carbide, hi-strength ceramics, lanthanum and sapphire crystal.

Rado watches are iconic in de-sign, and are renowned for the ground breaking use of super strength hi-tech ceramic, winning a number of prestigious interna-tional design awards.

The Rado HyperChrome is the brand’s flagship collection, featur-ing a mono-bloc case in plasma hi-tech ceramic — a patented process first used by Rado. In this

unique process the case and strap elements take on a metallic look while retaining the lightweight, high-comfort features of tough, scratch resistant ceramic.

Their smooth stylish surfaces can be metallic or matte, crafted in an ever-expanding array of col-ours. They are also a gentle ap-proach to glamour; lightweight and hypoallergenic, hi-tech ceramic watches are incredibly comfort-able and can be worn by anyone with sensitive skin.

Entering the new Rado boutique in Muscat City Centre, one en-counters smooth black elements mixing with a range of elegant taupe and bronze tones which form the DNA of the Rado experi-ence. The luxurious ambience re-flects the spirit of the avant-garde brand, welcoming visitors to dis-cover the exclusive Rado collec-tions. In addition to the Rado True Thinline and Rado D-Original families, recent additions such as the HyperChrome and DiaMaster collections are also available for viewing in the boutique.

Highlighting the strong growth in the mid to premium watch seg-ment in Oman, Ramesh added: “Rivoli has expanded its footprint across the Middle East, and now has over 380 stores, including 25 in Oman, and we continue to grow within the Sultanate. Our perfor-mance is inspired by our goal to become the strongest luxury life-style retailer in the region. This is made possible by offering the fin-est international luxury brands of lasting value and high emotional

appeal in ideal environments. Of course, we are always committed to the highest standards of service on all levels of our business.”

“There’s a positive vibe in the marketplace that we are welcom-ing with open arms. Oman contin-ues to be a very important market for the luxury watch sector and we only see that demand growing in the coming years.

“We look forward to exploring new and different opportunities across Oman as the market contin-ues to evolve,” he concluded.

Since its inception over two dec-ades ago, the Rivoli name has been synonymous with luxury lifestyle retail. Today, the Rivoli Group has an established footprint in the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain with a diverse portfolio featuring over 110 international prestigious brands.

Rivoli straddles a wide spec-

trum of all things premium, from watches, eyewear and leather ac-cessories to writing instruments and luxury communication instru-ments. Notable brands within the Rivoli portfolio include; Breguet, Harry Winston, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, JaquetDroz, Omega, Montblanc, Vertu, J.M. Weston, Longines, Rado, Tissot, Swatch, among others

From its headquarters in Dubai, the group has swiftly established a reputation as one of the largest im-porters, distributors and retailers of luxury products with over 380 stores in the region.

Critical to the success of the group is an outstanding team of nearly 2,000 professionals driven to deliver a remarkable customer experience. The group also man-ages on-board duty free sales for leading airports and airlines.

The brand offers an

exclusive selection

of its iconic Swiss

watchmaking

collections

Omani Association for Elderly

Friends honours Bank Sohar

MUSCAT: In recognition of its continuous support to the Omani Association for Elderly Friends which has resulted in a 3-year long partnership, Bank Sohar recently received a token of ap-preciation from the association at their annual ceremony held at the Majan Hotel in Muscat.

The event was held under the patronage of His Highness Sayy-id Kamil bin Fahad Al Said, as-sistant secretary general of the Deputy Prime Minister office for Cabinet Affairs. Representing Bank Sohar and receiving the to-ken of appreciation was Abdullah Hamed Al Mahmoodi, chief man-ager - Events & Promotions at Bank Sohar, says a press release.

Commenting on the bank re-ceiving the token of appreciation, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, GM of HR and Corporate Support at Bank Sohar said, “As a local bank, we have always been fully com-mitted towards promoting and supporting the initiatives and ac-tivities of those institutions that

play an effective role in helping the members of our society.

“We believe that it is our fore-most responsibility to look after senior citizens, as it is an integral part of the Omani culture and tra-ditions. Through our support to the association over the years, we are glad to be able to make a small difference by our contributions and are proud to be part of this honouring event.”

The evening’s proceedings be-gan with the National Anthem and recitation of verses from the Holy Quran followed by a wel-coming speech by Salim bin Sroor Al Mahrouqi, chairman of the Omani Association for Elderly Friends. The event witnessed a number of poetry performances in addition to short videos about the senior citizens in Oman and the association.

Thanking Bank Sohar for its continuous support, Salim Al Mahrouqi said, “Bank Sohar has clearly become one of the lead-ing private sector companies in-

volved in CSR initiatives across the Sultanate.

“In previous years Bank Sohar donations helped the association acquire medical equipment and logistical necessities needed to better serve the elderly. It is an honour for us to host them at our annual ceremony and we look for-ward to a continued partnership.”

Bank Sohar strives to ensure that its contributions are care-fully planned and evaluated in order to diversify and reach out to the maximum number of peo-ple especially those in most need of it, offering recipients positive support and making a meaning-ful change.

Over the course of the past year, the bank supported a broad range of charitable organisations across the Sultanate, including Omani Association for Elderly Friends – North Sharqiyah and Muscat branches.

The bank’s CSR initiatives have always been central to its opera-tional strategy.

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

Lavish bundled offers

mark launch of Taiseer

Electronics’ new outlet

MUSCAT: To celebrate the opening of its fifth outlet in the Sultanate, Taiseer Electronics, one of Oman’s oldest and best-known technology retailers, has unveiled an unmatched array of bundled offers on a wide range of renowned home appliance and electronics brands.

Shaikh Mubarak bin Juma Ali Bahwan, chairman of Mubarak Bahwan Group, was the chief guest at the opening of the styl-ishly designed outlet, which brings Taiseer’s signature ser-vices to one of the fastest growing regions of the Sultanate: Down-town Barka, says a press release.

Like its outlets in Ruwi High Street (two stores), Al Amri Cen-tre Seeb, and Al Khoud Street, the newest branch in Barka rep-licates Taiseer’s hugely popu-lar multi-brand, multi-product, multi-service electronics retail concept. Brands on display span the entire spectrum of home electronics and consumer appli-ances, notably Panasonic, Akai, Hitachi, GREE, LG, Sony, Toshi-ba, Cooline, General, Classic, Mitsubishi, Napro, Asset, BEST, Super General, Moulinex, Dai-kin, Chigo, Sharp, Aftron, Black & Decker, Nikai, Samsung and Hisense, among others.

Already, Barka is abuzz with ex-citement not least because of the amazing bundled offers and spe-cial prices announced by Taiseer to mark the launch of its newest outlet. Split and window air-con-ditioners are available at a steal: 1.5 ton Split AC for OMR109.900, 2.0 ton for OMR140, window AC 1.5 ton for OMR92 and 2.0 ton for OMR109.

Topping the bundled offers is a 560 litre refrigerator which comes with a 39-litre electric oven. Bahar detergent powder

packs are thrown in for free with every fully automatic and semi-automatic washing machine models. Likewise, a 660-litre re-frigerator bundled with an 8kg capacity semi-automatic wash-ing machine comes with an in-credible offer of OMR240.

A common thread running through all of the bundled offers is value for money. Take, for ex-ample, the 150-litre fridge bun-dled with a vacuum cleaner, or the 160-litre fridge that is packaged a 26-litre microwave oven or the 32 inch LED TV for OMR49.900. Mixing and matching of products is carefully balanced to ensure significant price benefits and sav-ings to customers.

Another bestseller is Taiseer’s Italian-made 5-burner full safety cooking range that comes bun-dled with a 39-litre Electric oven – all for just OMR227.

LEDs also come bundled with an 8GB USB each. Besides, the first 100 customers stand to win lavish gift hampers courtesy of Bahar detergent.

“Taiseer prides itself on the value proposition that comes with its special prices and bun-dled offers,” said Jitu Tanna, di-rector, Taiseer Electronics.

“Together with our warranty coverage, post-sales customer service and superior service standards, we continue to nur-ture a strong and faithful custom-er following in all of the areas that we serve.”

Jitu Tanna also added, Estab-lished in 1975, Taiseer Electron-ics enjoys a formidable reputa-tion as a retailer that has a unique understanding of the needs of customers, which it caters for through the rollout of innovative storefronts suited to consumer shopping habits and lifestyles.

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Meethaq Sharia Board reviews 2016 strategy

MUSCAT: The Meethaq Sharia Supervisory Board led by Sheikh Dr Ali Qaradaghi, chairman, held the first meeting of 2016 in which the members approved the 2015 results and reviewed the Meethaq strategy for 2016.

The board reviewed new prod-ucts and services to be introduced in 2016, especially electronic banking services aimed at further adding value and convenience to Meethaq customers. The meeting also reviewed corporate finance, says a press release.

Sulaiman Al Harthy, deputy

chief executive officer – Meethaq Islamic Banking, said: “The Meethaq Sharia Supervisory Board discussed many important topics to consolidate the lead-ing position of Meethaq Islamic Banking in terms of financing receivables, branch network, products and services, IT infra-structure and human resources. Meethaq is proud to have on board some of the brightest minds on Islamic finance to chart the way forward. The Sharia Board has made valuable contributions in establishing Meethaq as the leading Islamic banking service provider in Oman.”

AchievementsIn 2015 Meethaq recorded many achievements relating to financ-ing major projects in various fields, thereby contributing to the growth and development of the Sultanate’s economy.

The notable finance facilities offered by Meethaq include the re-

financing facility of OMR78 mil-lion signed with Oman Shipping Company for its three very large crude carriers (VLCCs). Meethaq also extended Oman’s first and only Sharia based aircraft finance to the national carrier Oman Air for acquiring its second Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Islamic financing receivables amounted to OMR635 million in 2015 compared to OMR400 million in 2014. Islamic banking customer deposits amounted to OMR625 million in 2015 com-pared to OMR283 million in 2014.

Presently, Meethaq has 17 branches across the Sultanate and plans to expand the network as well as launch new products and services to complement the unique Islamic banking experience.

The bank has invested in staff, systems and controls to ensure the service is delivered in a profes-sional, segregated and fully Sharia compliant manner. Meethaq of-fers a full suite of Islamic banking

products and services, including savings account, current account, home finance, auto finance, credit card and mobile banking.

Redefining exclusive and rela-tionship based Islamic banking experience, Meethaq launched Hafawa Priority Banking service for high saving Meethaq custom-ers in 2015. Presently, the Hafawa network includes eight centres in Meethaq branches in Qurum, Al Khoud, Seeb, Saham, Ibra, Nizwa, Buraimi and Salalah.

Meethaq plans to further ex-pand the Hafawa network.

Meethaq has adopted the best practices in Islamic banking and finance worldwide to combine a robust model which protects customers and complements the Islamic banking industry. Every Meethaq product goes through the process of Sharia compliance certification by the Sharia Super-visory Board and is created in line with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Oman.

The board reviewed

new products and

services to be

introduced in 2016,

especially electronic

banking services

aimed at further

adding value and

convenience to

Meethaq customers

Special offer at Atana Hotels this Valentine’s DayMUSCAT: Atana Hotels cel-ebrates the month of love with a special offer of OMR85 in-clusive of taxes for a delightful double room including breakfast and a full day dhow cruise for two people valid for the whole month of February. The offer is valid for either Atana Musan-dam or Atana Khasab hotels, says a press release.

Two diverse properties, Atana Musandam is a family oriented re-sort with 110 rooms, suites and du-plexes, constructed with environ-mental sustainability at its heart. Atana Khasab Hotel offers 60 luxurious rooms, all with balcony and either sea or mountain views, plus fully licensed restaurants. Both are located on the Musandan peninsula or Oman, within driving distance of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

At Atana, the culture of Oman, interwoven with contemporary elements is celebrated from the design and layout of the buildings, clustered around a courtyard and

‘oasis’, to the Omani flavours in the restaurant, enhanced by the cultural activities on offer in the hotels. Celebrating the region’s colourful landscapes, spanning green mountains to azure seas; its welcoming people and their com-munities, Atana Hotels supports local initiatives and the commu-nity in a variety of ways.

Atana Musandam features weekly cultural nights (Thursday and Friday) where Omani artists and musicians showcase their work with an Oud player and local ladies demonstrating the prepara-tion of traditional Omani desserts whilst Omani’s in traditional dress light torches around the courtyard at sunset.

Guests are invited to sample the unique flavours as well as learn how to prepare the recipes handed down through generations whilst breathing in the scented aromas of the bakhour (perfumed incense) spread around the courtyard to greet the night.

S E A S O N O F L O V E

Orpic set to welcome new batch for International Scholars ProgrammeMUSCAT: Orpic is in the pro-cess of attracting a new batch for Orpic International Scholars. It is all set to welcome 10 new stu-dents to its International Schol-ars Programme.

The programme was launched in 2013 and so far 20 students have been granted scholarships to UK, the Netherlands, USA and Canada. This initiative is part of Orpic’s continued support to young students in North Al Bati-nah region as well as the Sultan-ate in general, says a press release.

The programme calls for stu-dents from North Al Batinah Gov-ernorate to benefit from the schol-arships provided based on preset criteria. Once applications are received, screening of candidates is carried out by Takatuf Scholars Programme and selected students are offered international scholar-ships for two years in a prepara-tory school followed by another 3 – 4 years for bachelor’s degree in one of the leading universities around the world.

Currently, seven students are studying at Fulford and St. Michaels University School in Canada, two students at United World College based in Maas-

tricht in The Netherlands, seven students at Gordonstoun and Millfield schools in UK and four students at The Hun School, Unit-ed World College and Brewster Academy in The United States of America. Nine students are ex-pected to complete their studies in summer 2016 and will go on to join one of the leading interna-tional universities to obtain uni-versity degree.

Nofal Al Saidi, GM - HR Ser-vices, Orpic, said: “Orpic plays a vital role in building the ca-pacities of young Omanis in col-laboration with Takatuf Scholars Programme. Orpic believes in

the importance of investing and developing Omani youth to cre-ate future leaders for the country. We are currently in the process of attracting a new batch for Orpic International Scholars to join their colleagues from the previ-ous groups and benefit from the opportunity provided to complete their education and gain more useful skills for their academic and practical life.”

Commenting on the pro-gramme, Sara Talib Al Ajmi, one of recipients of the Orpic Inter-national Scholars programme and currently studying at United World College, Maastricht said,

“I’m grateful to Orpic for pro-viding me with an opportunity to study abroad and experience new culture, a challenge that will definitely contribute positively in shaping my skills. I look forward to continue my studies and return back to Oman to contribute to the national development by working for Orpic.”

Orpic International Scholars programme is a true example of how Orpic invests in building the capacities of Omani youth as the programme aims to create future leaders who can contrib-ute to the economic develop-ment of the Sultanate.

S C H O L A R S H I P P R O G R A M M E

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MoT, Ooredoo sign MoU on sharing knowledge

MUSCAT: The Ministry of Tour-ism (MoT) signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Omani Qatari Telecommunications Com-pany (Ooredoo) recently.

The MoU was signed by Maitha bint Saif Al Mahrouqi, undersec-retary at the Ministry of Tourism, and Greg Young, CEO of Ooredoo Oman, says a press release.

Ooredoo and MoT will now part-ner and engage in knowledge shar-ing on the managerial and techni-cal side. This includes working together on various events, provid-ing ground support as when and required, and leverage each other’s strength in enhancing the experi-ence and making the event more attractive to the target audience. The two parties will also work towards increasing the attend-ance to workshops, conferences and events of either party through shared contacts and invitations.

The MoU also details how the two parties will cooperate in providing advanced telecommunication ser-vices at competitive prices for the tourism sector. Another important aspect of the partnership is con-ducting training sessions for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) working in the tourism sector.

After signing the MoU, Maitha said, “The Ministry of Tourism is constantly working towards im-

proving the services provided by the tourism sector and utilising the ministry expertise in implement-ing new programmes. We strive to improve our ways of working and using the latest technology is one way of doing this.

“This is why we have partnered with one of the leading telecom-munication company, Ooredoo, through this MoU. We would continue to partner with more or-ganisations and work together to develop our community and the tourism sector in the Sultanate.”

She also added, “One of the highlights of this MoU is the as-sistance we would be providing in training and enhancing the skills of employees working with SMEs in the tourism industry, as well as enhancing the communication service offerings to the tourism sector, both from a technology and an economic standpoint.”

Greg Young, CEO, Ooredoo Oman, said, “The MoU with the

Ministry of Tourism is an affir-mation of the importance of the touristic destinations that the Sul-tanate is enriched with. We gladly use this as an opportunity to make it more convenient for tourists to enjoy Oman and reduce any hur-dles. Through this partnership, we will support the activities of the ministry as well as implement the technical and health and safety training programmes. We would also like to strengthen our invest-ments in the local human capital and increase the local efficiency.”

He further added, “The strategy that we adopt with the government is based on the mutual benefits one derives in building an enriching work environment.

“We aim to share our knowledge and expertise in order to establish best working practices. We hope that our products, efforts and dedi-cation here at Ooredoo will help the Sultanate in achieving the growth we set out to realise.”

Ooredoo and MoT

will now partner and

engage in knowledge

sharing on the

managerial and

technical side

Jacaranda Ensemble

performs at ‘World

Music Night’ concert

MUSCAT: The auditorium of the Ministry of Education wit-nessed a full house concert titled ‘World Music Night’ recently performed by the German En-semble Jacaranda. The concert was organised by Arabesque International under the patronage of Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, says a press release.

A short film about the achieve-ments of the Muscat Chamber Music Series through the past year and half was screened. Mus-cat Chamber Music Series was launched in 2015 with the aim to offer the opportunity for the young Omanis to have different musical experiences by bring-ing professional artists to stay in Muscat between 10 days to two weeks before the concert, to conduct musical workshops with schools and university students. In the first season of the project (2014-2015), Arabesque Inter-national brought artists from dif-ferent countries: Egypt, Lebanon,

France, Baltic Countries, Italy and Germany. More than 4,000 Omani and foreign students ben-efited from these workshops.

Ahmed Abouzahra, the gen-eral manager of Arabesque In-ternational, gave a short speech thanking the audience. He also expressed his gratitude for the support of the German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, the German Ambassador, Oman Arab Bank, media partners and the Royal Oman Symphony Or-chestra for providing all the needed instruments to make the concert possible.

The artists talked to the audi-ence about the programme and the instruments they played on which were introduced to the Omani audience. The ensemble was so interactive with the audi-ence that it made them experi-ence a new atmosphere in the concert. Each musician masterly played on more than 10 instru-ments which made the audience applause for long expressing how delighted they were.

M U S I C A L M A S T E R P I E C E

Haya Water wins Riyada Award for best sponsor MUSCAT: Oman Wastewater Services Company (Haya Water) made a significant and remark-able achievement by winning the award for being best sponsor among major governmental com-panies in the second edition of the Riyada Award.

Haya Water has been awarded for all the efforts exerted in imple-menting the plans and strategies to support small and medium en-terprises in the field of wastewater projects, says a press release.

Eng Hussein bin Hassan Ab-dulHussain, CEO of Haya Water, said: “This important award is a recognition of all the efforts and dedication of the executive man-agement and staff of Haya Water to support small and medium en-terprises due to the prominent role that such enterprises play in supporting the national economy. Haya Water supported entrepre-neurship and small and medium enterprises through providing ap-

propriate opportunities and ser-vices and providing assistance on the procedures of floating tenders and winning contracts with Haya which will eventually contribute to the growth and development of these enterprises.”

Hussain added that Haya Wa-ter began developing plans and programmes to support small and medium enterprises in 2012. Haya Water has also implemented the decisions that were derived from the seminar on Development of Small and Medium Enterprises that was held in 2013 at Royal Camp in Seah Al Shamikaat.

Subsequently, there was anoth-er seminar to assess and evaluate the implementation of those deci-sions which was held last year at Sultan Qaboos University.

The outcome of this seminar was to encourage companies, which the government contrib-utes at least 40 per cent of its capital, to dedicate part of their

purchases and tenders for small and medium enterprises.

The CEO also confirmed that Haya Water has developed certain objectives to support and develop small and medium enterprises.

22.8 per cent of purchases and ser-vices were allocated for small and medium enterprises for the 2013, 25 per cent and 21 per cent for 2014 and 2015 respectively.

It is worth pointing out that the

percentage set by the authority concerned should not be less than 10 per cent. In addition, 181 small and medium enterprises were reg-istered with Haya Water during the three years mentioned above.

He also emphasised that this programme has received all the care and attention by the execu-tive management of Haya Wa-ter due to its significant role in achieving the In-Country Value (ICV) and supporting the nation-al economy, in general.

The programme, thankfully, has achieved the desired results. Hus-sain also expressed his thanks and appreciation to the General Au-thority of Small and Medium En-terprises Development for its en-during support to companies and establishments in order to develop this essential sector.

Haya Water executes one of the most important public services projects in the Sultanate in the field of wastewater treatment.

The project aims to protect fresh groundwater from contamina-tion and to find an alternative for using fresh water in irrigation, landscaping and other commercial purposes. This will contribute in maintaining the reserves of fresh water and preserve the right of fu-ture generations in this water.

The project also has environ-mental and health objectives which are as important as the goals previously mentioned in terms of the application of the company’s vision in making Oman greener and preventing the spread of dis-eases and epidemics.

Haya Water works hard to achieve its objectives in a timely manner in accordance with its master plan, taking into account the steady demographic and urban growth in the Sultanate.

Haya Water is planning to con-nect 80 per cent of the properties in wilayats of Muscat with the wastewater service by 2020.

A C H I E V E M E N T

ISM bronze award participants take

part in social outreach programme

MUSCAT: In partial fulfilment of the requirements of The Duke of Edinburgh International Award Scheme, as part of community services, the bronze award partic-ipants of Class XI went to Quriyat recently for village cleaning and social outreach programme.

This activity was aimed at arousing in the people of the lo-cality a flair for clean air and healthy environment which also helped the participants to dis-cover themselves as useful in-struments of social awareness. Students reached the outskirts of the hamlet Muzaraa at 8.30am and cleaned the Hail Al Gaf wadi till 10.30am, says a press release.

Participants were divided into different teams and they carried garbage bags to collect the waste littered all over the wadi. They picked up the plastic bottles, wrappers, tissue papers, dispos-able cups and plastic covers, lids, cartons etc. scattered all over. The waste collected was gathered and kept in one place to be disposed into the dust bins for proper dis-posal and recycling.

Later they moved towards

the nearby Muzaraa village and interacted with the women-folk conversing on hygiene and cleanliness. Students distributed various useful items as gifts to the children in the vicinity.

Later the teams converged at the Sed Wadi Diyaqa and ob-served the water reservoir with an eye of awe and wonder.

It gave the participants an opportunity of a life time to ad-mire the wonders of nature and the human skill in tapping the nature’s resources to the ben-efit of humanity. The students felt proud of their contribution towards the environment to keep

the surroundings clean. Students brought home the awareness not to engage in littering public plac-es unconsciously. They agreed in one voice to propagate awareness whenever possible.

This social outreach pro-gramme carried out under the supervision of the award leaders Jino Varghese, Augustine Joseph, Badriya Mansoor Al-Maashri, Sonali Korde and Novena A. left an indelible mark on the young minds. The award participants thanked the principal, vice prin-cipal and the teachers in charge for giving them the opportunity to perform a socially useful activity.

D U K E O F E D I N B U R G H I N T E R N A T I O N A L A W A R D

ISG organises kindergarten sports day MUSCAT: Indian School Al Ghu-bra (ISG) organised the annual kindergarten sports day with great fan fare and gusto on the school grounds recently.

Parents turned out in large num-bers to motivate their children. The chief guest on the occasion, Elba De’Souza, wife of Dr Mario De’Souza of the School Manage-ment Committee, declared the meet open, says a press release.

The customary lighting of the

torch by a budding athlete was a glorious spectacle.

Enthusiastic children marched impressively to the beats of the drums. Beautiful and colourful formations by the tiny tots which marked the silver jubilee celebra-tions of ISG were spectacular.

The little pupils participated in many fun filled drills and rac-es. The tiny tots demonstrated amazing agility and keenness in their participation.

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Its all in the mind, says Oman national team manager Zaidi

T.K. [email protected]

MUSCAT: All set to embark on an ambitious mission, Oman’s na-tional cricket team’s manager Ja-meel Zaidi is confident of his team leaving a long lasting impression on the world stage.

“We have had terrific and tough preparations since qualifying for the World Twenty20 and I have a strong belief that Oman can cause a flutter on big stage,” said the Karachi-born Zaidi in a chat with Times Sport.

“Our team is full of talented players and it all squares down to mental application,” he pointed out. “If we can exhibit the same cohesion and determination that we witnessed during the qualifiers, I don’t understand why we can’t beat those teams which we have defeated before.”

“Knowing yourself and your ca-pabilities and having self-belief is always one of the hardest skills to develop as both a person and

player and once you succeed in this aspect anything is possible in game of cricket,” Zaidi, who him-self has played a lot of cricket in Pakistan and beyond, said.

“We have given importance to counselling sessions as we un-derstand that the players need to prepare mentally more as positive mindset can help them in their performance,” Zaidi, who has been taking care of all the logistics per-taining to the team, said.

Zaidi went on to say that this as-pect had helped the players during the qualifiers.

“When we went for the quali-fiers, the prime focus was to ac-climatise as we were approaching freezing conditions after having trained in scorching summer here. Thanks to Cork County Cricket

Club we had the best facilities to train and that helped our boys to become psychologically strong. This confidence reflected in the results,” he detailed.

“This determination is what I expect from the boys again as Twenty20 is a game of fluctuations and on a given day the best all-round team wins,” he said. “There is no point in instilling fear while facing teams, who have achieved more than us.”

On batting worries in recent tours, Zaidi brushed aside con-cerns and said: “It is all in the mind. If they start focussing things will change for the good.”

Stepping aside, Zaidi gave 50-50 chance for Oman to progress in the World T20 in March, but he was confident of making the main

round of Asia Cup, which will be held in Bangladesh mid-February.

“We have beaten Afghanistan, Hong Kong and UAE (the teams Oman face in the Asia Cup qualifi-ers) before and I believe we can do a riposte in Bangladesh too,” Zaidi said, adding: “Winning a chance to play the big boys of Asia will boost our preparations.”

Zaidi hailed coach Duleep Men-dis and his staff Mazhar Salim (as-sistant coach), Rumesh Ratnayake and Sunil Joshi (bowling coaches)for fine tuning the boys.

“I also want to stress that field-ing skills are vital in T20s and I can vouch that we have a good field-ing unit now, thanks to the expert guidance of fielding coach Vijay Bharadwaj,” he added.

“All our players are physically fit

and raring to go and in eventuality we have a strong back up of play-ers who would fit easily into the shoes,” he said, at the same time thanking physio J. Premnath and trainer Dr. Manjunath.

Jameel Zaidi also praised Omani players who according to him are improving by leaps and bounds.

Meanwhile, the team manager extended gratitude to Oman Crick-et Board for all the support.

“They have done a lot for the team and we have got all that the

team wanted. I thank chairman Kanak Khimji, Pankaj Khimji and Madhu Jesrani for their strong support,” Zaidi signed off.

Oman’s fixtures at Asia Cup: Feb 19: Hong Kong v Oman at Fatul-lah; Feb 20: Afghanistan v Oman at Fatullah and Feb 21: Hong Kong v UAE, at Fatullah.

At ICC World Twenty20: March 9: Oman vs Ireland at Dharamsala; March 11 Oman vs The Netherlands at Dharamsala; March 13: Oman vs Bangladesh at Dharamsala.

The Sultanate’s

cricket team manager

Zaidi said ‘we have

had terrific and tough

preparations since

qualifying for the

World Twenty20 and

I have a strong belief

that Oman can cause

a flutter on big stage

POSITIVE OUTLOOK: Oman cricket team manager Jameel Zaidi, centre, with coach Duleep Mendis,

right, and assistant coach Mazhar Salim.

Our team is full of talented players. And if we can

exhibit the same determination that we witnessed

during the qualifiers, why can’t we beat those teams

which we have defeated before

Jameel ZaidiOman Cricket team manager

Watson joins IPL’s Bangalore for $1.4 millionMUMBAI: Australia’s Shane Watson attracted a top bid of $1.4 million and will join the Banga-lore franchise for the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament, while former England batsman Kevin Pietersen was bought by newcomers Pune.

All-rounder Watson was in high demand in Saturday’s auc-tion for the cash-rich tournament, the ninth edition of which will be played from April 9 to May 29.

“Incredibly excited to join such a great franchise. Looking for-ward to joining up with my new teammates in April,” the 34-year-old said on Twitter.

Watson will join a Bangalore team boasting power-hitters Chris Gayle, AB de Villliers and Virat Kohli as well as Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc.

Aaron Finch, Australia’s cap-tain in the shortest format, went unsold in the first round but was picked up by Rajkot at his base price of 10 million rupees ($147,000) after being invited back in the auction.

In-form New Zealand opening batsman Martin Guptill was also unsold in the first round of auc-tion for marquee players.

South Africa fast bowler Chris Morris, valued at five million rupees, fetched 70 million from Delhi after three franchises showed interest in him.

Delhi won another bidding war for West Indies all-rounder Car-los Brathwaite for 42 million and England wicketkeeper batsman Jos Buttler went to Mumbai for 38 million.

Pune, to be led by India’s limit-ed-overs captain Mahendra Sin-gh Dhoni and coached by former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming, outbid fellow newcom-

ers Rajkot to land Pietersen for 35 million rupees.

Pune and Rajkot were unveiled as the new teams in the Twenty20 competition, replacing Chennai and Rajasthan who were sus-pended for two years for their role in an illegal betting scandal.

All-rounder Pawan Negi, who was named in India’s World Twenty20 squad on Friday, at-tracted the highest bid among In-dians and was bought by Delhi for 85 million rupees.

India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who fetched 160 million rupees at last year’s auction, will play for the Hyderabad franchise after be-ing bought for 70 million. - Reuters

C R I C K E T

Pune, to be led by India’s

limited-overs captain

Mahendra Singh Dhoni,

outbid fellow newcomers

Rajkot to land Pietersen

for 35 million rupees.

Pune and Rajkot were

unveiled as the new

teams in the Twenty20

competition, replacing

Chennai and Rajasthan

who were suspended for

two years for their role in

an illegal betting scandal

Marsh keeps calm to guide Aussies to series-levelling win in New ZealandWELLINGTON: Mitchell Marsh kept calm after New Zealand got the sniff of an unlikely victory and scored his sixth One-day Interna-tional (ODI) half century to guide Australia to a four-wicket win in the second match of their one-day series on Saturday.

The victory levelled the three-match series at 1-1 with the final game in Hamilton on Monday. Australia have not lost a bilateral one-day series in October, 2013.

Marsh scored an unbeaten 69 and combined with John Hastings (48 not out) in an unbroken 86-run seventh-wicket partnership for the visitors as they overhauled New Zealand’s 281 for nine with 3.3 overs remaining.

David Warner top scored with 98 in Australia’s 283 for six, and combined with the recalled Usman Khawaja (50) in a 122-run opening stand that had set the foundation for their victory.

Mitchell Santner had almost tak-en the game away from the visitors with his left-arm spin, breaking the opening partnership and then trap-ping Warner leg before when the aggressive opener was within sight of his sixth one-day century.

Santner then had Matthew Wade brilliantly caught in the deep by Adam Milne for two to reduce the visitors to 197 for six in the 33rd over and give the hosts a sniff of victory in a game they had not played well enough to win.

Too many overs were peppered with boundary balls as they strug-gled with their length on a wicket that had little help for the bowlers.

They had also not posted a big enough target as their innings suf-fered from fits and starts with all of the batsmen, apart from Henry Nicholls, laying solid foundations only to fall when they needed to build. Kane Williamson top-scored with 60, though the hosts’ total was only pushed to a score considered defendable courtesy

of a 61-run eighth-wicket stand between Santner (45 not out) and Milne (36).

The 24-year-old Santner, who only made his international debut last year, is quickly impressing as an automatic selection in all for-mats of the game with his fluid bat-ting and handy left-arm spin.

Saturday’s match showcased his

blossoming capabilities, with New Zealand slumping to 193 for six in the 37th over and in danger of be-ing bowled out before their full al-location. Santner, who was joined by the right-handed Milne 12 runs later, however kept the strike tick-ing over to put the bowlers off their rhythm, turned singles into twos with hard running and hit the bad

ball to the boundary.Opening bowler Josh Hazle-

wood, however, ended the partner-ship, and stopped New Zealand from edging closer to a more com-petitive 300, to finish with 3-61 from 10 overs. - Reuters

C R I C K E T

NEW ZEALANDM. Guptill c Khawaja b M. Marsh 31 B. McCullum b Boland 28 K. Williamson c Smith b Zampa 60 H. Nicholls c Wade b M. Marsh 4 G. Elliott c Maxwell b Zampa 32 C. Anderson c Wade b Hazlewood 16 L. Ronchi c M. Marsh b Boland 19 M. Santner (not out) 45A. Milne c Smith b Hazlewood 36 M. Henry b Hazlewood 0 T. Boult (not out) 2 Extras (lb-4, w-4) 8 Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 281 Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-88, 3-95, 4-158, 5-164, 6-193, 7-205, 8-266, 9-266.Bowling: J. Hazlewood 10-0-61-3 (w-1); J. Hastings 10-1-42-0 (w-1); S. Boland 10-0-61- 2; A. Zampa 10-0-57-2 (w-1); M. Marsh 6-0-30-2 (w-1); G. Maxwell 4-0-26-0.AUSTRALIAU. Khawaja c&b Santner 50 D. Warner lbw Santner 98 S. Smith c Ronchi b Henry 2 G. Bailey b Henry 0 G. Maxwell b Boult 6 M. Marsh (not out) 69 M. Wade c Milne b Santner 2 J. Hastings (not out) 48 Extras (lb-2, w-6) 8 Total (6 wkts, 46.3 overs) 283 Fall of wickets: 1-122, 2-133, 3-133, 4-144, 5-191, 6-197.Did not bat: A. Zampa, J. Hazlewood, S. Boland Bowling: T. Boult 9.3-0-66-1 (w-3); M. Henry 10-0-57-2; K. Williamson 2-0-16-0 (w-1); A. Milne 9-0-58-0 (w-1); M. Santner 10-0-47-3; G. Elliott 3-0-20-0 (w-1); C. Anderson 3-0-17-0.Umpires: Billy Bowden, Sundaram Ravi.TV umpire: Ian Gould.Match referee: Chris Broad

S C O R E B O A R D

MATCH-WINNING KNOCK: Mitchell Marsh

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Oman U-14 squad for ITF World Team competition

MUSCAT: The Oman under-14 boys team will participate for the first time in the ITF World Teams Competitions when they launch their campaign in the qualify-ing rounds to be organised in Sir Lanka from March 3 to 8.

According to a press statement issued by the Oman Tennis As-sociation (OTA) on Saturday, the Sultanate’s tennis governing body has has picked Muneer Al Rawahi, Abdullah Al Raisi and

Marwan Al Khanjari for the Sri Lankan sojourn.

The team will be accompanied by Algerian coach Nabil Dob.

The Omani delegation will be led by OTA board member Abdal-lah Al Mukaddam.

Meanwhile, the OTA in-formed that ‘the team will train at Grand Hyatt tennis courts in addition to daily training ses-sions taking place at OTA courts in Hotel Intercon area’.

TENN I S

Abdallah Al Mukaddam

Marwan Al Khanjari

Muneer Al Rawahi

Abdullah Al Raisi

Moudhi, Maha win medals at Arab women’s tourney

MUSCAT: Omani athletes Mou-dhi bint Abdullah and Maha bint Thani excelled in the athletics competitions of the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST) be-ing organised in Sharjah from February 2. According to infor-mation received here, Egyptian Redha Adel won the gold medal, Emirati Hanan Ibrahim won the silver and Oman’s Maha bint Thani won the bronze medal in the javelin throw.

In the Heptathlon Javelin Throw, Oman’s Moudhi bint Ab-dullah won the gold medal, while Algerian’s Katia Meqran won the silver medal and Egypt’s Asma Mohammed Ali took the bronze medal. In the 4x400m race, Alge-ria won the gold medal, Bahrain silver and the UAE bronze.

In the hammer throw, Alge-

rian’s Zoweina Bu Zowiera won the gold medal, the UAE’s Wedad Irbahim won the silver medal and UAE’s Hanon Ibrahim took the bronze medal.

In the Heptathlon long jump, Egyptian Asma Mohammed won the gold, Algerian Katia Megran won the silver and the bronze medal went to Oman’s Moudhi bint Abdullah. In the heptath-lon competitions, Algerian Ka-tia Megran won the gold medal, Egyptian Asma Mohammed won the silver medal, while the bronze medal went to Omani Moudhi bint Abdullah.

In the 800m race, Bahraini Marta Herbano won the gold medal, Algerian Nariman Omara got the silver medal and Emi-rati Ruqaya Mohammed won the bronze medal.

ATHLET I C S

Hales misses ton but England seal victory

PORT ELIZABETH: England opener Alex Hales fell one short of a second One-day International (ODI) century as his team complet-ed a comfortable five- wicket vic-tory over South Africa on Saturday.

The hosts won the toss in the second game of the series and

posted 262 for seven in their 50 overs on a slow wicket that pro-duced nothing like the run-fest of Bloemfontein three days earlier.

Hales took England close to their target with a patient 99 from 124 balls as they reached 263 for

five from 46.2 overs. The touring side now lead the five-match series 2-0 with the third game in Pretoria on Tuesday.

AB de Villiers returned to form as he top-scored for South Africa’s with 73 from 91 balls, supported by

Faf du Plessis (46) and JP Duminy (47). Seamer Reece Topley re-corded career-best bowling fig-ures for England of 4-50 from nine overs, including the early scalp of Hashim Amla (4).

England lost opener Jason Roy (14) early in their reply, but Hales, usually an explosive opening bats-man, played an innings of accu-mulation rather than brute force, scoring just eight boundaries.

He fell one shy of his ton when he was caught by South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock off the bowling of Kyle Abbott after the ball brushed his glove.

England still needed 61 to win but were steered home by an excel-lent 48 not out from 28 deliveries by Jos Buttler. He was ably sup-ported by Moeen Ali (21 not out) as the pair put on 61 in just five overs against the wilting home attack to turn a tense run chase into a stroll.

Abbott, restored to the South Af-rican side after injury, was the pick of the home bowlers with three for 58 from nine overs. - Reuters

South Africa posted

262 for seven in their

50 overs. Hales took

England close to their

target with a patient

99 from 124 balls as

they reached 263 for

five from 46.2 overs

SOUTH AFRICAH. Amla b Topley 4 Q. de Kock lbw Stokes 22 F. du Plessis c Jordan b Rashid 46 A. de Villiers c Jordan b Stokes 73 J. Duminy lbw Topley 47 R. Rossouw c Buttler b Topley 11 F. Behardien (not out) 23 K. Rabada c Morgan b Topley 12 K. Abbott (not out) 7 Extras (lb-8, w-9) 17 Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 262 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-53, 3-98, 4-205, 5-206, 6-225, 7-245. Bowling: R. Topley 9-1-50-4 (w-2); D. Willey 7-2-33-0 (w-1); B. Stokes 9-0-54-2 (w-2); A. Rashid 10-0-43-1; M. Ali 10-1-41-0 (w-3); C. Jordan 5-0-33-0 (w-1).

ENGLANDJ. Roy b Abbott 14 A. Hales c de Kock b Abbott 99 J. Root b Abbott 38 E. Morgan c de Villiers b M. Morkel 29 B. Stokes b M. Morkel 0 J. Buttler (not out) 48 M. Ali (not out) 21 Extras (lb-11, w-3) 14 Total (5 wkts, 46.2 overs) 263 Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-117, 3-169, 4-176, 5-202.Bowling: K. Abbott 9-1-58-3 (w-1); K. Rabada 9-0-35-0; M. Morkel 8.2-0-31-2 (w-1); I. Tahir 10-0-66-0; F. Behardien 6-0-35-0 (w-1); J. Duminy 4-0-27-0.Umpires: Johan Cloete, Kumar Dharmasena.TV umpire: Chris Gaffaney. Match referee: Javagal Srinath.

SCOREBOARD

Fatma in doubles second place in Glasgow tourney

MUSCAT: Omani ace Fatma Al Nabhani settled for second place in the doubles competition of the $10,000 ITF Pro Circuit Tourna-ment in Glasgow on Saturday.

According to information re-ceived here, Fatma and her Ger-man partner Anna Zaja fought bravely in a closely-contested final before going down to Switzerland’s Nina Stadler and Belgian Kimber-ley Zimmermann 2-6, 6-7 (7).

Fatma also took part in the sin-gles competition but the top-seed-ed Omani’s compaign ended in the first round when she lost to Maia Lumsden 6-2, 6-0.

TENN I S

OMAN GIRLS BAG BRONZE AT GCC ENDURANCE EVENTOman national team, comprising Tamadhur Al Balushi, Shams Al Mudhafar, Dhuha Al

Mudhafar, Aida Al Saleemi, Ghanima Al Shekaili, Turkia Al Balushi, Mazyoona Al Ghabshi,

Salsabeel Al Mudhafar and Su’ad Al Faraji bagged the bronze medal in the team compe-

tition at the 1st GCC Endurance Championship for Women for 90km in Qatari capital of

Doha. The first place went to the UAE team while hosts Qatar claimed the second place.

Oman team was accompanied by manager Hamood Al Riyami, coach Jamal Al Baulshi

and assistant coach Said Al Balushi. — Supplied photo

Omani boys win eight more medals at GCC swimming championships

MUSCAT: Omani swimmers bagged won eight more medals, four gold and four sivler, taking their tally to 13 in the age group competition of the 13th GCC Short Course Swimming Cham-pionships in Doha on Saturday.

Mohannad Awlad Thani, tak-ing part in the 11–12 year-olds competition, won a gold in the 50

metre freestyle in a time of 30:22.Shihab Faiz won 200m back-

stroke gold in 2:27.88 in 13-14 years category.

In the competitions for the 15-17 year-olds, Isa Al Adawi won 100m freestyle gold in 53.89 while Mohannad Awalad Thani took top honours in the 50m back-stroke in 35.59 in 11-12 year-olds

category. Isa Al Adawi also won a silver medal in the 50m freestyle in 24.35.

Abdullah Al Hinai, taking part in 11-12 year-olds competitions, won 100m butterfly gold in 1:16.70 and 50m butterfly silver in 33.45.

In the 13-14 age group competi-tions, Shihab Faiz won 50m back-stroke silver.

SW IMMING

C3


AHF declares Gulf Hockey Fiesta as ‘sanctioned’ eventT.K. [email protected]

MUSCAT: The United Thalas-sery Sports Club (UTSC), who in association with the Oman Hockey Association (OHA), is gearing up to organise the Starcare Cup Gulf Hockey Fiesta at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on February 26, have got a shot in the arm with Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) under the International Hockey Federation (FIH) regulations formally recog-nising this regional venture.

UTSC, who had informed the

FIH through OHA about the forth-coming event, received this en-couraging reply from ‘Dato’ Tayy-ab Ikram, Chief Executive of Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).

In a confirmation letter to Javis

Ahmed, the secretary of UTSC, Tayyib Ikram had written: “Refer-ence to your request and applica-tion dated 1st February 2016 to hold the UTSC Gulf Hockey Fiesta 2016... on behallf of the AHF I am

pleased to formally sanction this tournament under the FIH regula-tions on Sanctioned and Unsanc-tioned Events”

Reacting to the news, UTSC of-ficial Mohammed Raffi said: “The Hockey Fiesta is definitely going to be the topper among all events conducted so far.

“The chief guest himself India goalkeeper Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh is a star attraction.

“As an icing on the cake, the tournament has got recognition and sanction from the most pres-tigious Asian Hockey Federation.

This is certainly a moment of joy.“We are very sincerely grateful

to S.A.S Naqvi for supporting us to achieve this.

“We express our heartfelt grati-tude to Dato Tayab Ikram. We also thank Oman Hockey Associa-tion for the tremendous back up support they have been giving us always. Looking forward for a tre-mendous tournament.”

The event has attracted hockey teams of all GCC countries. Teams from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE will be seen in action.

H O C K E Y

GRATEFUL: UTSC official Mo-

hammed Raffi.

Al Hail to host T10 tourney

MUSCAT: Al Hail Cricket Club will organise a T10 Super Cup hardball cricket tournament at the brand new grass ground in Mabellah on March 11.

According to information re-ceived from the organisers, the matches will be played on a knock-out basis with participation of 16 teams. The tournament is open to all the teams in lower divisions of Oman Cricket League.

The organisers have decided to give some interesting prizes be-sides the trophy and $300 for the title winners. There will be special

prizes for the bowler to bowl maxi-mum dot balls, best fielder and best disciplined team apart from regu-lar prizes. The teams who have already confirmed their partici-pation are Leighton Middle East, Master XI, Beatrice CT, QBG, Muscat XI, Yamaha Star XI, OCT Mabellah, Professional CT, Cale-donian College, Mott MacDonald, Nikki, Klair XI and Weatherford.

Registration for the Cricket Cot-tage Oman-sponsored will be on first-come-first-serve basis. For further details contact the organis-ers (Ph: 95998056 and 99623536).

C R I C K E TAsma, Huwaida shine at GCC junior golf tourney

MUSCAT: The Omani golfing duo of Asma Al Rashdi and Huwaida Al Barwani produced a stunning show in the 3rd GCC Junior Golf Championships organised in Bah-rain from February 2 to 4.

During the competition, organ-ised by the Bahrain Golf Associa-tion at the Royal Golf Club in Ma-nama, the Omani duo of Asma and Huwaida finished a creditable sec-ond on the leaderboard in the girls’ team gross category. Over three days of action, they carded com-bined gross scores of 214, 204 and 227, aggregating a scoreline of 645.

The Omani players were ac-companied on the tour by Oman Golf Committee (OGC) Chairman Mundhir Al Barwani as the Head of Delegation, Vice-Chairman Ahmed Al Jhdhamy (team manag-er) and coach Milo Breitenwisher.

The United Arab Emirates trio of Rabab Al Haj, Reema Al Heloo and Tara Al Marzooqi emerged the champions in the girls team gross championship. They put up combined scores of 559. Over three days, they carded scores of 186, 194 and 179.

Bahrain finished third in that category, with the team of Habiba Mahir Yousif, Riham Hisham and Mariyam Raeed Al Ansari pro-ducing a combined gross score of

828. Over three days, they scored 274, 269 and 285.

In another positive outcome for Oman at the big event, Asma fin-ished champion in the girls indi-vidual nett category. The talented Omani golfer posted scores of 93, 88 and 95 over three days to finish with a combined nett scoreline of 276.

Delighted with the perfor-mance, Asma said: “It’s good to have finished at the top in the nett event. Hopefully, I will get bet-ter with time and someday bring home a trophy in the gross catego-ry. Overall, it’s been a good outing.”

In the girls individual gross category, Asma took the fourth position on the leaderboard, pro-ducing scores of 107, 102 and 109 to get a combined scoreline of 318.Huwaida carded a total scoreline of 331 to finish sixth, after making scores of 107, 106 and 118.

The girls individual gross championship was won by the UAE’s Reema Al Heloo, who card-ed scores of 93, 100 and 87 to ag-gregate a total of 280.

Bahrain emerged champion in the boys team gross event, with the

trio of Eid Adel Muftah, Faris Al Qutami and Mohammad Al Athim producing a combined scoreline of 506. Qatar’s A Rahman Al De-haimi, Ali Al Mesafri and Ahmad Al Mutawa scored 524.

Boys finish fifthMeanwhile, the Omani trio of Ayman Al Balushi, Mohammad Al Balushi and Naseh Al Barwani set-tled for a modest fifth-place finish after carding a combined scoreline of 779 over three days. They had scores of 413, 413 and 374.

Bahrain’s Eid Adel Muftah, with a combined scoreline of 222, emerged champion in the boys individual gross category. He was followed by Qatar’s A Rahman Al Dehaimi on number two with 262. He finished ahead of third-place Ahmad Al Mutawa of Qatar, also with 262, on countback.

OGC Chairman Mundhir Al Barwani observed: “Asma and Huwaida finishing gross second was clearly the highlight of this competition for Oman. I hope the entire Omani team had a great experience. They are young, they

are learning fast, and these tour-nament experiences are helping them evolve quickly.”

Team manager Ahmed Al Jh-dhamy said: “It’s good to see that our players are getting very good exposure. Our coach Milo advised them in every step they required and it helped them a lot. Now we can boast of a solid women’s Om-ani Golf team.”

Standings: Girls team gross: 1. UAE 559 (Rabab Al Haj, Reema Al Heloo, Tara Al Marzooqi); 2. Oman 645 (Asma Al Rashdi, Huwaida Al Barwani); 3. Bahrain 828 (HabibaMa-hirYousif, RihamHisham, Mariyam-Raeed Al Ansari).

Girls individual gross: 1. Reema Al Heloo (UAE) 280; 2. Rabab Haj (UAE) 281; 3. Tara Al Marzooqi (UAE) 291.

Boys team gross: 1. Bahrain 506 (Eid Adel Muftah, Faris Al Qutami, Mohammad Al Athim); 2. Qatar 524 (A Rahman Al Dehaimi, Ali Al Mesafri, Ahmed Al Mutawa) 524; 3. Saudi Ara-bia 537 (Khalid Al Qunait, Ali Babtain).

Boys individual gross: 1. Eid Adel Muftah (Bahrain) 222; 2. A Rahman Al Dehaimi (Qatar) 262 (ahead on count-back); 3. Ahmad Al Mutawa (Qatar) 262.

The Omani duo of

Asma and Huwaida

finished a creditable

second on the

leaderboard in the

girls’ team gross

category while

Asma also won

the top honours in

the individual nett

category

OMANI STARS: Oman’s Asma Al Rashdi, second right, and Huwaida Al Barwani, second left,

with team manager Ahmed Al Jhdhamy, left, and coach Milo Breitenwisher. – Supplied photo

C4


Intimacy, Team Clutch, Dream Team bag top honoursMUSCAT: Intimacy, Team Clutch, The Dream Team bagged top honours at the 12th edition of the Ras Al Hamra Recreational Club (RAHRC) 3-On-3 basketball tournament here recently.

During the day-long tourna-ment, a total of 28 teams competed in three different categories. The categories included men’s above 19 years, boys under-18 and girls.

In the girls final, Dream Team beat And1 by three baskets.

In a thrilling boys under-18 final, Team Clutch prevailed over Patri-ots Legacy.

The men’s final too turned out to be a thrilling affair in which Intima-cy managed to overcame Lens Bud-dies to take the top honours.

Meanwhile, Mt. Lions girls team were adjudged the the best dressed team of the tournament.

The event was mainly sponsored by Al Hajiry Trading, Al Turki En-

terprise, Seven Seas and Adam Sons & Jewellers. The support sponsors were Red Bull and Pocari.

During the colourful prize dis-tribution ceremony, Jason Sam

Varghese, Executive Director of Al Hajiry Trading and PDO Bas-ketball Chairman Sabah Faadhil handed over the silverware and prizes for the winners.

Results: Champions: Intimacy (men), The Dream Team (girls), Team Clutch (boys). Runners-up: Lens Buddies (men), And1(girls), Patriots Legacy (boys).

MVP: Men: Khalid Al Harthy ( Intimacy); Girls: Muskaan (The Dream Team); Boys: Vivek Rajesh (Team Clutch). Best Dressed Team: Mt. Lions.

R A H R C 3 - O N - 3 B A S K E T B A L L

Raha rout Sinha, ISC

and PDO record wins

MUSCAT: Raha recorded a mas-sive 195-run victory over Sinha CT in a Muscat Pharmacy and Stores-sponsored Premier Division crick-et match on Friday.

Batting first, Raha CT put on 311 for nine in 50 overs. Zeeshan Ahmed and Sultan Ahmed scored 93 and 90 respectively. Ishara Madhushanka and Dileepa Srilal claimed three wickets each for Sinha.

In reply, Sinha were bowled out for 116 in 31.3 overs. Dhammika top scored with 36. Khalid Rashid and Tariq Hussain took four and three wickets respectively.

Brief scores: Raha 311 for 9 in 50 overs (Zeeshan Ahmed 93, Sultan Ahmed 90; Ishara 3/47) bt Sinha 116 in 31.3 overs (Dhammika 36; Khalid Rashid 4/21). Points: Raha - 3, Sinha– 0.

In a Khimji Ramdas-sponsored A Division match, Indian Social Club (ISC) defeated HJB by three wickets. Batting first, HJB were all out for 209 in 28.5 overs. Asif Ilyas top scored with 106. Puneet Singh claimed four wickets for ISC. In reply, ISC put on 215 for seven in 24.1 overs. Mahek Asher top scored with 58. Ahmed Khan claimed three for HJB.

Brief scores: HJB 209 in 28.5 overs (Asif Ilyas 106; Puneet Singh 3/18) lost to ISC 215 for 7 in 24.1 overs (Maher

Asher 58; Ahmed Khan 3/18). Points: ISC – 3; HJB – 0.

In an Al Ansari Group of Compa-nies-sponsored B Division match, PDO defeated OCT Seeb by eight wickets. Batting first, OCT Seeb put on 150 for seven in 20 overs. Sufyan Mahmood top scored with an un-beaten 92. Shakeel Arhsad and Ri-yaz Mohammed claimed two wick-ets for PDO. In reply, PDO scored 152 for two in 15.1 overs. Naveed Abdul scored an unbeaten 70.

Brief scores: PDO 150 for 7 in 20 overs (Sufyan Mahmood 92 n.o.; Riyaz Mohammed 2/25) lost to OCT Seeb 152 for 2 in 15.1 overs (Naveed Abdul 70 n.o.). Points: PDO – 3, OCT Seeb – 0.

FAP UTSC win thrillerIn a Raha Poly Products-sponsored C Division match, FAP UTSC edged Newrest Wacasco for a one run vic-tory. FAP UTSC put on 145 for nine in 20 overs. Faleel T top scored with 43. Jaganathan T claimed three wickets for Newrest Wacasco. In re-ply, Newrest Wacasco scored 144 for eight in 20 overs. Dipu RS top scored with 61. Shanidh Kootappa claimed four wickets for FAP UTSC.

Brief scores: FAP UTSC 145 for 9 in 20 overs bt Newrest Wacasco 144/8 in 20 overs. Points: FAP UTSC – 2, Newrest Wacasco - 0.

O M A N C R I C K E T

A DIVISION: Indian Social Club team pose for a group photo after

their victory over HJB. – Supplied photo

ISC FELICITATES FORMER INDIA EVES’ CRICKET CAPTAIN ANJUM CHOPRAFormer Indian women’s cricket captain, ‘Padma Shri’ An-

jum Chopra was felicitated by the Indian Social Club (ISC)

Muscat at an informal get-together organised at the club

on Friday. Anjum interacted with the gathering and spoke

at length about her early days as a young girl who started

playing cricket at the age of nine and the hardships and

struggles she had to bear with to reach the top. Anjum

made her debut in 1995 and was made captain of the

Indian women’s cricket team in 2002. Anjum represented

India in six World Cup tournaments. She was conferred the

Arjuna Award in 2007 and the Padma Shri in 2014 besides

a host of other awards and decorations. ISC Chairman Dr.

Sathish Nambiar felicitated Anum Chopra on the occa-

sion of her visit to the Indian Social Club and wished her

success in her future endeavours and invited her to visit

Oman again. — Supplied photo

Issa enters U-10 finalMUSCAT: Top seed Issa Al Suleimani stormed into the fi-nal of the under-10 competition at the ISC/Muscat Pharmacy Open Junior Tennis Tourna-ment organised by the Indian Social Club (ISC) Muscat.

After a first round bye, Issa blanked Aisha Al Busaidi 6-0 in the quarterfinals and agreed to play the semifinal on the same day when he downed J. Kaavya with an 8-5 score. Kaavya had earlier demolished Deren Ulu-tuna 6-0 in the quarterfinals. In the earlier matches, Aisha Al Bu-saidi had overcome R. Abhinav 6-3, Vatsal Manikandan downed Mikhail Sarit 8-1, Ali Al Busaidi defeated Praneet Raj 6-2.

In the boys U-14 first round, Ayaan Malhotra routed Malek Hanifi 8-0, Adarsh Srinivasan won 8-1 over Siddhant Shimp-ley, Varun Deepak beat Subodh Achar 8-2 and Kapil Mansinghan blanked Aditya RK 8-0.

Shlok Ail also advanced to the next round of the under-14 event with a convincing 8-1 win over Rishabh Kant Jha, Vivek Kolluru advanced with an 8-0 blanking of Aryan Shere and Prithvi Raj was impressive in his 8-0 victory over R. Varoon.

T E N N I S Leicester stun City, Spurs up to second

LONDON: Leicester City’s un-likely assault on a first Premier League title gathered more mo-mentum with a ruthless 3-1 demolition of Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday. The win helped them go five points clear at the top.

Defender Robert Huth scored twice and Algerian magician Ri-yad Mahrez fired in his 14th league goal of the season as Leicester sent a clear message of intent to those who still doubt they have the quality to become champions.

Tottenham Hotspur moved above Manchester City into sec-ond place, Kieran Trippier scor-ing the goal in a 1-0 win over Wat-

ford at White Hart Lane.Leicester, complete outsiders

at the start of the season, have 53 points from 25 games. Spurs are on 48, one ahead of City with Arsenal, playing away at Bourne-mouth on Sunday, on 45.

Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester face Arsenal next weekend and the Italian said all the pressure was on the league’s big guns in the most unpredictable of seasons.

“We know it’s a crazy league. We have to try in this crazy league but there are some big teams who have to win,” he said.

“The spirit is fantastic but I’ve said this from my first moment here in Leicester.”

Newcastle United clawed their way out of the relegation zone with Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring in a 1-0 home victory over West Bro-mwich Albion. Newcastle moved above Norwich City who dropped into the bottom three after a 2-0 defeat at basement side Aston Villa.

Sunderland fight backSunderland, in 19th place, scored twice in the final eight minutes to draw 2-2 at Liverpool.

On an afternoon which saw thousands of home fans walk out of Anfield late in the second half in a protest over ticket prices, liv-erpool had led 2-0 with goals from Roberto Firmino (59) and Adam Lallana (70). Firmino headed in at the back post from James Mil-ner’s cross and the Brazilian then turned provider for Lallana to make it 2-0.

Yet Johnson pulled one back on 82 minutes when keeper Simon Mignolet allowed his freekick to squirm past him and Defoe completed a fine fightback when he turned and smashed home a minute from time.

Everton struck three times in the first half on the way to a 3-0 win at Stoke City. - Reuters

Robert Huth scored twice and Algerian

magician Riyad Mahrez fired in his 14th

league goal of the season as Leicester sent

a clear message of intent to those who still

doubt their quality to become champions

w

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

HealthSECTIONC L I F E S T Y L E S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

They can be seen almost everywhere. Whether on roads, in theatres and shopping malls, or while driving, people

are always seen with earphones, either listening to music or hav-ing a conversation while using their hands-free set. The grow-ing addiction for these portable devices has raised serious con-cerns among audiologists and ear specialists, worldwide.

According to a press release is-sue by WHO last year, some 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at a risk of hearing loss owing to the unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues. Hearing loss has poten-tially devastating consequences for physical and mental health, as mentioned in the report.

Raising concerns on this perti-nent issue Dr Benaifer Bilimoria, ENT at Atlas Hospital, Al Ghubra, says, “Personal sound systems have become so overwhelmingly popular that it seems almost eve-rywhere you go, you see people of all ages tuned into what they want to hear and tuned out of the world around them.”

She says that while earlier a leading cause of hearing impair-ments used to be excessive noise exposure in the workplace, today many young people are losing their hearing at alarming rates owing to the excessive noise exposure from portable stereo earphones.

She believes that headphones and earphones appear to be the most damaging.

Since noise-induced hearing loss is a result of intensity (loud-ness) and duration of exposure, these devices may be capable of inducing a permanent bilateral sensorineural hearing loss — es-pecially if they are used at a vol-ume setting of four or above for extended periods.

While hearing loss remains to be the major side effect of these devices there are some other harmful effects too if used without caution.

“Some patients complain of migraine headaches while others experience ear buzzing, in which they have a hot and intense air like feeling in the ears. It occurs due to fatigue cochlea, which plays an im-portant role in auditory process-

ing. Cochlear fatigue that occurs continuously and is not addressed promptly can lead to persistent hearing loss,” informs Dr Benai-fer Bilimoria, while talking about other implications.

Some social issues like de-pression, being shut off from society, lack of social etiquettes also happen as patients go into their own cocoon, she adds. But how much hearing loss do ear-phones cause?

According to specialists the quantum of hearing loss depends on the duration, and also at the lev-el at which the music player is set. If the volume is turned up to about 90 per cent of maximum, and one listens for two hours a day for five days a week, a significant amount of hearing loss can be experienced in a span of 10 years.

Experts feel that it’s not just the device that’s causing the problem. The different level of use com-pared to what it used to be in the past has added on to the problem.

Dr Etienne Krug, WHO Director for the Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Pre-vention, said in a report that “More and more young people are placing themselves at risk of hearing loss. They should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back. Taking simple preventive ac-tions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk.”

So how much is too much?According to the research, as

many as 25 per cent of earphone users are damaging their ears be-cause of bad listening habits. A good measure for how loud is too loud they say is if you’re standing across an elevator cab — that’s about three feet away — if you can hear someone else’s music, that person is giving themselves a hearing loss.

So how to protect one’s ears?WHO recommends that the high-

est permissible level of noise expo-sure in the workplace is 85 dB up to a maximum of eight hours per day. The other precautions that one must take is to avoid loud music. It is also important to encourage children to use their headphones judiciously. Higher quality ear-phones that block out background noise are better option. —[email protected]

Story Swati Dasgupta

DANGEROUS DECIBELSHere are some loudness/time facts to consider (the unit of measurement is decibel):

Today many youngsters are losing their hearing

at alarming rates owing to the excessive noise

exposure from portable stereo earphones.

Most portable stereo music

systems produce sound in the

range of 95-108 dB at level four

and in excess of 115 dB at

level eight. For comparison, a

soft whisper is usually measured

at 30dB.

At 95 dB, damage will occur after four hours of exposure per day.

At 100 dB, damage will occur after two hours of exposure per day.

At 105 dB, damage will occur after one hour of exposure per day.

At 110 dB, damage will occur after 30 minutes of exposure per day.

At 115 dB, damage will occur after 15 minutes of exposure per day.

At 120-plus dB, damage occurs almost immediately.

SAFE LISTENING

SAFE LISTENING

FIND-IT-ALLC6 S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

Dhuhr 12.26pmAsr 3.38pmMaghrib 6.02pmIsha 7.14pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 5.28am

PRAYER TIMINGS

CITY CINEMAContact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.netfacebook.com/citycinemaoman

SHATTIThe Finest Hour - 3D (Action) PG12Cast : Christopher Whitelaw, Casey Affleck2:45,9:00 & 11:45PMThe Finest Hour - 2D (Action) PG127:00PMJane Got A Gun - (Action| Drama) 12+Cast: Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor5:00,9:45 & 11:30PMGhayal Once Again - (Action) PG12Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri3:00 & 9:15PMAshby - (Comedy) 15+Cast: Mickey Rourke, Nat Wolff3:15 & 7:00PMIntruders (Drama | Horror | Thrille) 15+Cast: Rory Culkin, Leticia Jimenez, Jack Kesy11:45PMConcussion (Biography | Drama | Sport) 12+Cast : Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks5:30PMAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (Animation) PGCast: Jason Lee, Jessica Ahlberg, Josh Green5:15PMRide Along 2 (Action | Comedy) 15+Cast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart7:15PM

MUSCAT GRAND MALLWild Horses - 2D (PG12) Crime| DramaCast: Robert Duvall, James Franco12:15, 3:30, 11:45 PMThe Finest Hour - 3D (PG12) Action | Drama Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster2:15, 9:30, 11:30 PMGold Class - 3:30, 8:45,11:00 PMEverything About Her - Taglog (TBC) 12+Cast: Angel Locsin, Xian Lim, Vilma Santos4:30 PMRide Along 2 - 2D (15+) Action | ComedyCast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart7:15 PM

Ghayal Once Again - 2D (PG12) ActionCast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra , Om Puri9:00 PMGold Class - 6:15 PMAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip - 2D (Animation) (PG) Cast: Jason Lee, Jessica Ahlberg, Josh Green12:00, 5:30 PMCapture the Flag - 3D (PG) Action| Comedy Voice over: Dani Rovira, Michelle Jenner1:45, 7:30 PM

PANORAMA MALLThe Finest Hours (Action)(MX4D)(PG12)Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster3.30, 6.15, 8.30, 10.45 PMThe Finest Hours 3D (Action, Drama)(PG12)-VIP LOUNGE3:30, 6:15, 11:00 PMThe Finest Hours 3D (Action, Drama) (PG12)4:30, 9:15, 11:30 PMEverything About Her (Tagalog) (TBC)Cast: Angel, Xian Lim, Vilma Santos6:45PMAlvin & The Chipmunks – The Road Chip (Animation,) (2D) (PG)2:30, 6:00 PM

Jane Got A Gun (Action, Drama) (2D) (12+)Cast: Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton2:30, 9:45, 11:45 PMGhayal Once Again (Action) (2D)(PG12)Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri3:30, 6:15, 8:45, 11:15 PMAshby (Comedy, Drama) (2D)(15+)Cast: Mickey Rourke, Nat Wolff4:15, 7:45 PMGhayal Once Again (PG12)-VIP LOUNGECast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri8:30 PM

AZAIBA Wild Horses (2D) (Crime) (PG12) Cast: Robert Duvall, James Franco2:45, 4:30, 6:30, 11:45 PMCapture The Flag (2D) (Animation) (PG)Voice over: Dani Rovira, Michelle Jenner2:30, 4:45 PMGhayal Once Again (Hindi) (2D) (Action) (PG12)2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00, 11:30 PMSanam Teri Kasam (Hindi) (2D) (PG12) Cast: Mawra Hocane, Vijay Raaz3:00, 8:30 PMBangalore Naatkal (Tamil) (2D) (TBC) Cast: Arya, Sri Divya, Bobby6:30, 8:30 PM

Adi Kapyare Kootamani (Mal) (2D) (PG12) Cast: Dhyan Sreenivasan, Mukesh, 9:20 PM

Airlift (2D) (Drama | History) (12+) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur 6:00, 11:30 PM

RUWIScreen 1Ghayal Once Again (Action) –PG12Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri3.30, 6.30, 9.30PMScreen 2Sanam Teri Kasam (Romance) –PG12Cast: Mawra Hocane, Vijay Raaz3.45, 6.45, 9.45PMScreen 3Airlift (Action / Thriller) –12+Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur 3.45, 6.45, 9.45PM

SURThe Finest Hours 3D (English) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster3.00,7.30,11.30PM.

Ghayal Once Again (Hindi)) ( PG12 )Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra , Om Puri3.15,8.55, 11.15PMIntruders (English) (Drama) (15+)Cast: Rory Culkin, Leticia Jimenez, Jack Kesy5.15, 9.45PMWild Horses (Crime| Drama) (PG12)Cast: Robert Duvall, James Franco7.00PM.Alvin and the Chipmunks – The Road Chip (Animation) ( PG) Cast: Jason Lee, Jessica Ahlberg, Josh Green 5.45PM

SOHAR

Airlift - 2D (12+) Drama | History | Thriller

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur

4:30PM

Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip - 2D (PG) Animation

Cast: Jason Lee, Jessica Ahlberg, Josh Green

4:45PM

The Finest Hour - 3D (PG12) Action | Drama

Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster

2:45, 9:00, 11:45PM

The Finest Hour - 2D (PG12) Action | Drama

7:00 PM

Ashby - 2D (15+) Comedy | Drama |

Cast: Mickey Rourke, Nat Wolff

2:45, 5:00PM

Ghayal Once Again - 2D (PG12) Action

Cast : Sunny Deol & Anchai Munjai

2:30, 6:30, 9:15, 11:15PM

Wild Horses - 2D (PG12) Crime| Drama

Cast: Robert Duvall, James Franco

2:30, 9:45PM

Jane Got A Gun - 2D (12+) Action| Drama

Cast: Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton

7:00, 11:30PM

Adi Kapyare Kootamani- 2D (M) (PG12)

Cast: Dhyam Srinivasan, Namitha , Aju

8:55PM

Intruders - 2D (15+) Drama | Horror | Thrille

Cast: Rory Culkin, Leticia Jimenez, Jack Kesy

5:00, 11:45PM

Bangalore Naatkal - 2D (T) (TBC) Comedy

Cast: Arya, Sri Divya, Bobby

6:45 PM

BURAIMI

The Finest Hours – 3D (Action/Drama)

(PG12) Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben

Foster 3:30, 7:30, 11:30PM

Jane Got A Gun – 2D (Action/Drama) (12+)

Cast: Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton5:45, 9:45PMAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip – 2D (Animation) (PG)Cast: Jason Lee, Jessica Ahlberg, Josh Green5:15PMIntruders – 2D (Drama/Horror/Thriller) (15+)Cast: Rory Culkin, Leticia Jimenez, Jack Kesy

5:30, 9:30, 11:45PM

Wild Horses – 2D (Crime/Drama) (PG12)

Cast: Robert Duvall, James Franco, Josh

Hartnett

3:30, 7:00PM

Ghayal Once Again – 2D (Drama) (TBC)

Cast : Sunny Deol & Anchai Munjai

3:15, 7:15, 11:15PM

Adi Kapyare Kootamani – 2D (PG12)

Cast: Dhyam Srinivasan, Namitha, Aju

9:00PM

SALALAH

The Finest Hours (3D) (PG12) (Action) Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster11:35AM, 2:45, 6:45, 9:30 &1 1:30PMCapture The Flag (3D) (PG) (Animation)Voice over: Dani Rovira, Michelle Jenner11:00AM & 4:45PMAshby (2D) (15+) Comedy | Drama) Cast: Mickey Rourke, Nat Wolff11:45AM & 6:45PMJane Got A Gun (2D) (12+) (Action| Drama) Cast: Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton12:45, 5:00 & 11:45PMGhayal Once Again (2D) (PG12) (Action) Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra , Om Puri2:05, 7:00, 9:00 &1 1:15PMAdi Kapyare Kootamani (2D) (PG12) (Mal)Cast: Dhyan Sreenivasan, Mukesh, 8:45PMAirlift (2D) (12+) (Drama, History, Thriller) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur 4:15PM Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2D) (PG) (Animation)Cast: Jason Lee, Jessica Ahlberg, Josh Green2:00PM

CINEMA SCHEDULE CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

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 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 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



TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)


SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)



13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur

13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur



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)



13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri





TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)


TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)



TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)



TO SUR (ROUTE 55)



TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily


TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)





TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)


DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)


TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)



13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri

13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri



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

@BAHJA @STAR CINEMA

Capture the Flag: (Animation / Adventure)Voice over: Dani Rovira, Michelle Jenner2.00. & 6.00 PM. CP No: 315 (PG)

Adi Kapyare Koottamani ( Mal) ( Drama) Cast :Dhyan Sreenivasan, Mukesh 6:30PM Cinema Main, 3:30 & 9.30PM at Cinema 2

BAHJA CINEMAFilm information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

Intruders: (Horror / Thriller)Cast: Rory Culkin, Leticia Jimenez, Jack Kesy4.00, 10.00 & 11.55PMCP No: 316 (15+)Wild Horses: (Crime / Drama) Cast: Robert Duvall, James Franco, Josh Hartnett4.00, 10.00 & 11.55 PM. CP No: 318 (PG12)Ashby (Comedy / Drama / Romance)Cast: Mickey Rourke, Nat Wolff, Emma Roberts2.00. & 6.00 PM. CP No: 317 (15+)Capture the Flag: (Animation / Adventure)Voice over: Dani Rovira, Michelle Jenner2.00. & 6.00 PM. CP No: 315 (PG)Standoff: (Thriller)Cast: Thomas Jane, Laurence Fishburne8.00 PM. CP No: 138 (12+)Ride Along 2: (Action / Comedy) Cast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart8.00 PM. CP No: 112 (15+) STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776Website: www.isurf.co.om

Adi Kapyare Koottamani ( Mal) ( Drama) Cast: Dhyan Sreenivasan, Mukesh, 6:30PM at Cinema Main, 3:30 & 9.30Pm at Cinema 22 Countries (Mal) (Com) Cast: Dileep & Mamta Mohandas 3:30& 9:30 at Cinema Main, 6.30PM Cinema -2 Ghayal Once Again (Hindi) (Action) Cast : Sunny Deol & Anchai Munjai 6:45 PM at Cinema- 3 Visaranai (Tamil) (Thriller) Cast: Dinesh, Anandhi 3:45 & 6.45PM at Cinema -4Airlift (Action / Thriller) –12+Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur3.45 & 9.45PM at Cinema 3 Irudhi Suttru (Tamil) (Sports) Cast: R. Madhavan & Ritika Singh 6:30PM at Cinema -4NEXT CHANGE: PAVADA (MAL) SANAM RE (HINDI) MIRUTHAN (TAMIL)

@SALALAH

Ashby (2D) (15+) Comedy | Drama) Cast: Mickey Rourke, Nat Wolff11:45AM, 6:45PM

WEATHER

240

Maximum

170

Minimum

TEMPERATURE

35-65%RELATIVE HUMIDITY

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 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

[email protected]

HAYA AYOOB KHANFebruary 7, 2008

VINAY VINOD NAIRFebruary 7, 2012

WITH LOVE

DARRLY JOHNYFebruary 7, 2007

LIFESTYLEC7S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

Easily stressed? At risk of developing high BP

The tendency to take more stress during youth may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure later in life, suggests a study. Also, stressed youths who are over-weight are three times more likely to develop high blood pressure, showed the findings, published online in the journal Heart.

Casey Crump, researcher from the Stanford University in California, US used the national disease registry data to track the

health of more than 1.5 million 18-year-old men, who had been conscripted into the army in Sweden between 1969 and 1997, till the end of 2012. None of the conscripts had high blood pressure when they began their stint in the military. Their stress resil-ience level was measured by structured interview.

The men were quizzed about psychological adjustments made, their conflicts and successes, and responsibilities as-sumed at school, home, or at work, to gain a picture of an indi-vidual’s emotional stability and maturity, and arrive at a score of between one and nine on the stress resilience scale, with nine indicating high resilience. Between 1969 and 2012, some 93,000 of the conscripts were diagnosed with high blood pressure. The average age of the men at the end of the monitoring period was 47, and the average age at diagnosis was 49. A low stress resil-ience score at the age of 18 was associated with a heightened risk of developing high blood pressure in later life. Men in the bottom 20 per cent of scores had a more than 40 per cent heightened risk of the condition than those in the highest 20 per cent of scores.

Eating lima beans may boost longevity

If new research in male fruit flies holds up, eating lima beans might help men live longer. The researchers found that adminis-tering an oral dose of prunetin, found in lima beans, to male fruit flies extends lifespan, increases fitness levels, and improves their glucose balance.

“Our study provides novel insights into plant bioactive re-search and suggests a potential to combat ageing comparatively

simple by the intake of a plant bioactive,” said one of the re-searchers Anika Wagner from University of Kiel in Germany.

“Further studies in mammalian species/humans are needed to validate initial data which were generated in the model organ-ism Drosophila melanogaster,” Wagner noted.

To make their discovery, scientists separated fruit flies ac-cording to sex prior to the start of the experimental treatment to compare prunetin-mediated effects on both males and females.

The flies were then chronically administered either a prune-tin-containing diet or a prunetin-free control diet.

The flies were monitored every other day, and dead flies were counted. The researchers found that prunetin-fed male flies lived longer than those receiving the control diet.

To evaluate their health state / fitness, the flies were coerced to climb up in a transparent tube and the distance which they could overcome in a defined time period was calculated. This effect was not found in females. As females are long-lived com-pared with their male counterparts, prunetin apparently “femi-nises” male flies via its estrogenicity, the researchers said. -IANS

B R I E F S

It’s everywhere — inside as well as outside your home. As digital device usage in-creases, you’re exposed to

more and more of it without real-ising how it may affect your vision in the future. We’re talking about blue light.

In its natural form, your body uses blue light from the sun to reg-ulate your natural sleep and wake cycles. This natural light also helps boost alertness, heighten reaction times, and elevate moods.

However, we use our eyes much differently than prior generations because we now use a number of artificial sources of blue light in-cluding digital screens, electronic devices and LED lighting. The evo-lution in digital screen technology has advanced dramatically over the years, and many of today’s electronic devices use LED back-light technology to help enhance screen brightness and clar-ity. These LEDs emit very strong blue light waves. Because of the widespread use and increasing popularity of these devices, we are now exposed to more sources of blue light for longer periods of time. Studies suggest 60 per cent of people spend more than six hours a day in front of a digital device.

The flickering of this artificial blue light creates a glare that can reduce visual contrast, affect-ing sharpness and clarity. That in turn could contribute to eyestrain, headaches, physical, and mental fatigue due to increasing amounts of time sitting in front of a com-puter screen or other electronic

device. Studies show this high-energy, blue-violet light has been found to cause significant damage to retinal cells, and is a risk factor for the onset of age-related macu-lar degeneration, a deterioration of the part of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision.

Our eyes’ natural filters do not provide sufficient protection against blue light rays from the sun, let alone the blue light ema-nating from these devices, or from blue light emitted from fluores-cent-light tubes.

Mother Nature arms us with “internal sunglasses” made up of macular pigment. This pigment,

which is comprised of zeaxanthin (zee-uh-zan-thin) and lutein at a ratio of 2:1, is found in the centre of the macula. This pig-ment absorbs harmful blue light that can affect eye health. These “sunglasses” protect the rods and cones needed for central as well as peripheral vision.

However, if this macular pig-ment isn’t at optimal density, it will allow more blue light to dam-age these rods and cones, negative-ly affecting not just what you see, but how you see.

Zeaxanthin and lutein aren’t produced by the body, they must be ingested in order to ensure op-

timal macular pigment density. Zeaxanthin can be found in foods like corn, wolf berries and peppers. Lutein is found in foods like spin-ach and kale. Since the average diet is scarce in zeaxanthin, sup-plementing this antioxidant is key. Vitamins for macular health, like those made by EyePromise, can be of big benefit.

Vision becomes even more pre-cious as we age, since the loss of independence a very real threat to aging Americans. Reduce your risk of harmful effects of blue light to your vision by increasing the den-sity of your “internal sunglasses.”—BPT

Are we Turning a Blind Eye to Blue Light?

S T I F F N E C KMost of the time we are sitting at a computer for long hours and when we get up all of a sudden we feel a stiffness in the neck. Try these two stretch exercises to ease but if the pain persists then consult a doctor to determine the root cause of your pain.

M O V E O F T H E W E E K

Lie on the floor with your legs on a chair, with both your knees and hips at ninety degrees.

Place your arms on the floor at either 45 degrees or shoulder level with your palms up. This

exercise will place your head in the same plane as your shoulders, and allow the muscles of your neck and upper back to release. Stay here until

your back settles into the floor, typically for

5-10 minutes.

Sit on the floor with your back up against the wall and your feet hip-width apart. Pull your shoulder

blades together and down, tighten your thighs, and pull your toes back. Be sure that your feet stay straight. Your head

should be touching the wall. Hold for 3 minutes.

E A S E A

I N N E W S

Aggression can lead to genera-tion of new nerve cells in the brain and also change the ac-tivity of existing cells, new research has found. A team of neurobiologists from the US and Russia studied the changes that occurred in the brains of mice demonstrating aggressive behaviour, which attacked oth-er mice and won in fights.

After a win, these mice be-came even more aggressive, and new neurons appeared in their hippocampus - one of the key structures of the brain, the re-searchers found. In addition to this, in mice that were allowed to continue fighting certain changes were observed in the activity of their nerve cells.

The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Neu-roscience. The scientists hope that the new information on the neurobiological bases of aggression will not only help in understanding this important phenomenon, but will also en-courage research in other areas — and even help in finding caus-es of autism and other similar disorders in humans. -IANS

How aggression can change your brain

LIFESTYLEC8 S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 7, 2 0 1 6

MANY BENEFITS OF BREAKFAST

MANY BENEFITS OF BREAKFAST

It is said that leaving home without having breakfast is just like leaving your running shoes before the race. A healthy breakfast not only helps us fuel our body’s energy supply, it also increases our tendencies to eat healthier

throughout the day. Here are 10 benefits of having the first meal of the day.

11Helps in Losing WeightIt has been proven that those who eat in the morning eat much less at lunch. Since the metabolism is boosted it prevents the body from storing more fat and thus helps in losing weight. Nutrition-ists strongly recommend never to skip breakfast.

22Builds your ImmunityIf you want to have a better im-munity then it’s important to have the first meal of the day as the immune system works much better. Researchers at Cardiff University showed that people who regularly ate breakfast were less likely to suffer colds, flu, and other respiratory tract illnesses than breakfast-skippers.

33Cuts the Risk of Ailments Eating a healthy breakfast can reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes. That’s prob-ably because it reduces the risk of gaining excessive weight. Ac-cording to a study by the Harvard Medical School, breakfast eaters are half as likely to have a blood-sugar problem.

44Lowers your Cholesterol LevelBreakfast prevents the body from starving, increases metabolism ,and thus the chances of overeat-ing reduces. All these help in re-ducing the cholesterol level. 55

Revs up your EnergyBreakfast is a true source of en-ergy. Many of us feel tired in the morning and throughout the day just because we have skipped breakfast. Eating a breakfast that's high in fibre and carbohydrates help you feel less tired throughout the day, according to a 1999 study in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.

66Boosts Brain PowerAfter a night of fasting, eating first thing in the morning provides a fresh supply of glucose to fuel the brain. Breakfast can increase fo-cus, awareness, and ability to with-stand a day of work. A study in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that eating high-energy foods for breakfast could help boost short-term memory.

77Meets your Nutritional NeedsMany breakfast foods (such as eggs, dairy, fortified cereals, and whole grains) are very good sourc-es of essential nutrients like folate, calcium, iron, B vitamins and fibre. Eating these helps you meet nutri-tional recommendations, which many people can find difficult to get elsewhere if they are just hav-ing two meals a day.

88Improves your MoodRegular breakfast eaters are less likely to be emotionally dis-tressed or depressed, according to a study by the University of Bristol. You're also less likely to be grouchy when you aren’t dis-tracted by hunger pangs.

99Prevents OvereatingAfter waking up, everyone feels a bit hungry. Some might think that they are not hungry enough to eat and skip breakfast this can cause them to feel hungrier than they should and overeat at lunch. Having a bite in the morning will keep hunger away and help avoid overeating.

1010May Increase your LifespanStudies showed that people who lived to be 100 years old consume breakfast more regularly than those who don't. Since we know that breakfast is associated with a whole host of health benefits, this shouldn't come as a surprise.

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

S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

RENT D2

*Tourist visa arranged

Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

D2 S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 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 building

Spacious 2 BHK with sea view,

split A/Cs, fixed wardrobes,

kitchen appliance.

Near Opera Gallery.

Rent RO.900/- negotiable.

Contact - 94084335 / 96920789

STORE FOR RENT

500 sqm store with 200 sqft offi ce & 200 sqm

covered shed for rent at Mabella Ind No-11 on main road,

direct from owner.

CONTACT - 99278002

FOR RENT3 BHK @ Ghobrah -18th

November St

2 BHK @Bousher - Bousher

Shabia

Studio Flat - Alkuwair 33

Shop for Rent 156 SQM -

Bousher Shabia

GSM: 99 014 885 / 92 871 744

Contact Person

Mr.Mudassir :99314330

Mr.Joao Pereira: 99435952

RESTAURANT

AVAILABLE

FOR RENT Of area 500 Sq mts with well

equipped kitchen and dining

facility on Ground Floor at

DARVESH Building,

Near Royal Hospital.

Flat for rent in CBD area - Ruwi

Two rooms and a large hall•Office spaces for rent in Al Hail on

the main road On the same building

of Al Khamis Shoes at Al Hail

•2 bed room flats in Qurum 29 for

rent next to ABA New building

-split AC - Good location

Contact No: 96177505

We have staff accommodation in

Bowshar 30 to 40 people can stay

easily commercial building.

Contact: 93782735/ 99208033

We have 2 BHK flats, office avail-

able in Ghala, Azaiba new building.

Contact: 93782735 / 99208033

We have 150 sqm offices in Ghu-

bra prime location already parti-

tion done rent 650/- O.R.

Contact: 93782735/ 99208033

We have 2BHK flat in Ghubra near

Indian School 325/- R.O

Contact: 93782735 / 99208033

We have 1 BHK, 2BHK flats for rent

in Mabela 7, 1BHK 175 RO, 2 BHK

200/- RO, new building.

Contact: 93782735 / 99208033

One / two B/R , RES / Comm flat

near Bank Muscat Bausher directly

from owner. Contact: 92158031

3 & 2 Bedroom Townhouse with

Swimming pool, free Wi-Fi for Rent

near British Council in Madinat Sultan

Qaboos. #92197959 / 92502497.

Office for rent located in Prime

location of Azaiba Main Highway.

Contact: 92197959 / 92502497.

Showroom, readymade office with

ACs & free internet 2 B/R flats with

split ACs & free internet available at

Al Khuwair near KM Hypermarket.

Contact: 99460330

Villa in Al Khoud for staff accom-

modation, like nurses or teachers

can accommodate 30 to 35 people.

Rent RO.1200/-. Contact - 91178282

1 BHK Ghubra R.O 250/.

Contact: 97799175

Flats for rent at Mawaleh near

Omantel main office opposite Lulu

bandar comprises 3 rooms, 2 toilets

and one kitchen OMR 250/- Per

month. # 93131497 or 99203435

2 Bedrooms Flat for rent located

in Prime location of Al Khuwair.

Contact: 92197959 / 24527852.

FULLY RENOVATED 5 BHK VILLA

For Rent in Azaiba, behind Al Sawa

Towers. WITH Majlis, Living room,

Dining, Kitchen, Laundry, Store.

CONTACT: 93332444, 95166141

Commercial office at prime loca-

tion in Azaiba for rent. 171sq.mtr.

Contact:- 91398925

Two bedroom flat in Al Ghubra

near Oman Oil of 18 Novem-

ber street. OMR 330 Monthly.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955.

FOR RENTOFFICES

PRIME LOCATIONS:

AT: WALJA - HAMRIYA

– SEEB - BARKA

CALL:

99332242 [email protected]

FOR RENTOFFICES &

SHOWROOMS

MAIN ROAD

PRIME LOCATION:

BARKA - OPPOSITE

MARS

CALL: 99332242 [email protected]

WAREHOUSE AVAILABLE FOR RENT

IN BALADIA SANAYAH AMIRAT

(Floor area 600sqmtrs and mezzanine of 500sqmtrs)

1100sqmts fully cover warehouse

Please contact: G.S.M

99417229/92621039

DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 7, 2 0 1 6 D3

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

Flats & offices for rent in CBD

Ruwi. Contact: 92820734 /

95345909

One bedroom flat with big balcony

in al Ghubra near Oman Oil of 18

November street. OMR 280 Month-

ly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955

Four bedrooms villa in Al Athaiba

300 m away from Shell Petrol

Station in an excellent condition.

Contact: 97755586

1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-.

Contact: 92144045

Flat for rent in Wadi Al Kabir next

5 Al Hassan company, 2 bed room

& 3 toilets. Contact: 99210008

FOR SALE

High quality

Warehouses

for rent at Mizfa

550 sqm to

3400 sqm.

Contact

96046951 / 99332291

2 BHK Ghubra R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045

1,2 BHK Darsait. Contact:

92144045

Flat in Hamriya. # 99341112

1000sqmtrs industrial land for

rent in Ghala suitable for

warehouse workshop etc.

Contact 24700120 / 92584715

2 bed rooms flat with hall,

2 bathrooms in Darsait near

Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715 / 24700120

02 BHK Commercial / Residential

(with split AC) flat at Honda road.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

QSR OUTLET FOR SALE

Capital Area in a well known Mall.

Interested buyers may

contact

on 99077960 or

94306216

CONTRACT BUSES REQUIRED

FOR TRANSPORTATION OF WORKMEN

Contact Number : 97970935, 94306683

One of the leading construction companies in Oman

requires 65/30 seater buses on contract basis for

transportation of their workmen from camps to various

sites located in Muscat region. Th ose interested may

please contact within one week from the date of this

advertisement.

1BHK Wadi Kabir R.O 200/-.

Contact: 92144045

1,2,3 BHK. Contact : 92144045

Villa 2 room, 1 sitting room, 1

lobby, 2 bathrooms at South Ma-

walleh behind Discount Supermar-

ket. # 92757673 / 99388138

Flats shops & store for rent in

Ruwi MBD Honda road.

Contact: 92433127 / 97293708

Available in Haima two shops

with 500 SQMTR work shop at

the back facing main road next to

Zawawi Service Centre. Contact :

99087329 / 96228586

Flat for rent in Al Ansab 1, 2

rooms, living room, kitchen & A/C.

Contact: 91256340 1& 2 BHK flats for rent at Hamriya Wadi Adai, Al Khoud,

Mabela & shop at Al Khoud & land

line Contact: 24834644 GSM

93994401/02/03 3 lines

3 BHK flat near Darsait ID medical.

RO 420/- Contact – 99358589 /

97079146 / 95570288

1000 sqm industrial land with

compound wall & two rooms at

Misfah. # 99342733 / 99795241

Single room attach bath with

kitchen in Muscat 100/- R.O.

Contact: 95094028

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 96571151

02 BHK Residential flat opposite

to Al Nahdha hospital.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

PDO APPROVED PORTABLE OFFICE FACILITIES

ON SALE

Contact Person - S. Sundaram- 00968 93221934

- Viral Desai - 00968 93221397

PORTA CABIN OFFICE – 1200 SQ.M – 32 SECTIONS



PORTA CABIN OPEN HALL – 500 SQ.M – 14 SECTIONS

We have shops for rent in Ghala.

Contact: 93782735 / 99208033

Perfect 5 BHK villas in Azaiba

RO 800/-. Contact: 94232344

2BHK flat at Darsait nearby Indian

School RO 290/-. Contact: 94232344

Shop / office nr Oman house &

Khimji H.O Muttrah.

Contact: 99233116

2 Bedroom centrally air condi-

tioned flat in CBD prime location.

Contact: 24714625 / 93527328

Flats for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99376454

1BHK flat near Star Cinema 220/-

Contact 99358589 /95570288

Flats shops & store for rent in

Ruwi, MBD area & Honda road.

Contact: 92589235/ 94579531

Flats two bed room for rent in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 96571151

New flats for rent at Darsait near

to ministry of sports, Mumtaz area

the flats include 1 living room, 2

Bedroom, kitchen, 3 toilets every

room with split A/C & high Quality

finishing, rent per flat is R.O 340/-.

Interested candidates please

Contact: 00968- 92225523

2 bedrooms, kitchen, toilet, car

park R.O 220/- & 1 bedroom,

kitchen, toilet R.O 140 in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 95154331

3BHK flat for rent in Ghubra.

Contac: 99328070

New flat in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact: 98185135

1&2 BHK flat in Walja.

Contact: 98218279

4 BHK villa in AL Khuwair RO 525.

Contact: 94232344

Flat in Wadi Al Kabir 2 bedrooms, 1

living room, 1 family hall, kitchen & 3

bathrooms. Contact: 99277787

3 Bedroom flat in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact 95755953 / 95555162

Brand new deluxe flats located

near Seeb flyover on the right hand

side the main road coming from the

Seeb palace round about, 2 bed-

rooms family, hall, kitchen, 3 toilets

& split unit. Contact: 97755586

Family flats in Wadi AL Kabir, Ham-

riya, Muttrah, Al Khuwair, Ghubrah,

Bowshar, Al Hail North & Al Seeb.

Contact: 95250300 / 92125648

2 BHK in MSQ opposite Al Fair with

split AC. Contact: 96708000

2 BHK in Bareeq Al Shatti with split

AC. Contact: 96708000

Villa is composed of 5 bedrooms

and sitting toilets and 5 living

room, kitchen and Seeb (North Al

Hail). Contact: 91130875

Flat with 3 bed rooms, sitting

room, dining room, store, kitchen,

3 toilets Al Ghubra, opposite Chedi

Hotel. Contact: 99321264

1 & 2 BHK Ruwi C.B.D. #99024730

CONTD ON PG 6

FOR SALERunning carpentry

workshop with CNC

machine and 5 skilled labours

in Barka industry area.

Running Aluminum

workshop with three skilled

labours in Barka industry area

Contact: 98084356

Running shop with paint machine for sale in kadra

- - 260 Square meters- Warehouse facility

BUILDING MATERIAL SHOP FOR SALE

9322 3382 or mail to [email protected]

Commercial flats of 3 & 2 BHK

in Al Ghobra North 18 Nov street

RO.650/- & 450/-

Contact: 91776665

600 M2 showroom or office in

Bousher in front of Dolphin

complex. RO.3.5 per m2.

Contact – 91776665

Brand new 4 BHK villa in Al Fai

compound Al Khoud. RO.475/-

Contact – 91776665

Luxury villa of 5 BHK in

Al Khuwair 33 RO.650/-

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 flat in

Remalbowsher. RO.550/-

Contact – 91776665

Spacious 1 BHK flat 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

Offices in Qurum opposite City

Center. #94051789-97201688

Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Offices & Showrooms in Muttrah.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Mini Furnished Apartment in

Qurum. Contact: 94051789-

97201688

Duplex villa in Qurum 29.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud. Contact: 94051789-

97201688

Ladies Beauty parlour for sale.

Contact: 96392978 / 96700192

DAILY GUIDED4 S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

ENGINEER/TECH/MECH

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

CATERING

BEAUTY

BEAUTY

DRIVER

MEDICAL

MEDICAL

IT

DRIVER

ADMIN

CATERING

ADMIN

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

SALES / MARKETING

Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp

looking job. Contact: 99531802

Required urgently an Indian Junior Legal Consultant /Lawyer for a reputed Law Firm in Mus-

cat &Sohar. Candidates should

have 3-5 years local experience

in Oman as Legal Consultant/

Lawyer with good knowledge of

Computer & should be fluent in

English. Email C V to

[email protected]

Required urgently a Legal Consultant/ Lawyer for reputed

law firm in Sohar, Muscat. Can-

didates should have 5-7 years

experience as a Legal Consultant/

Lawyer with good knowledge of

Computer & should be fluent 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

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/ finance field. On visit visa.

Immediately available.

Contact – 92836216 /

[email protected]

Contact -91262604Email: [email protected]

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

DOMESTIC HELP

Required Cleaners & office boys. Contact 24707833

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 6523ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Required X RAY Technician, Lab Technician, General Practitioner, Gynecology, Staff Nurses. Contact: 95133572

Email: [email protected]

Indian male MBA finance / mar-

keting 34 yrs, 7 years experience

in India Accounts / Administration

/ office jobs currently in Muscat

on family visa. Contact: 98104991


Indian female B.Com, ACCA affili-

ate fresher seeking for job in Audit-

ing finance & accounting in family

visa holding Oman driving license.

Contact: 92264638 / 99858867


Pakistani male 11 yrs experience

in accounts, finance looking for

suitable job. Contact: 91479315


Finance Manager 22 years Oman

experience available. Transfer

possible. Contact: 95631834 /

91302906

Indian Accountant with experi-

ence in financial/cost accounting,

Administration, HR and Mate-

rial Management in construction

(more than 30 years) seek suitable

placement. Contact 98598099

B.Com 32 yrs male Accountant

having 8 yrs Oman experience in

Construction Co. seeking immedi-

ate change (NOC available).

Contact: 98624850

Indian male 7 yrs Oman exp,

tally ERP 9, Accounting, Inventory

controlling & IT Supports seeking

suitable job. NOC Available. B.Com,

PGDCA. location Sohar having

Oman D/L. Contact 98317698,


Indian male 25 B.Com IATA

diploma 2 yrs exp in accounts,

good looking currently in Oman,

NOC available. Contact: 99323841

Email:[email protected]

Indian male 32 yrs having 8 years

experience in Oman looking for

suitable placement NOC & Oman

D/L available (release available if

required). Contact: 98093515

Indian male having good experi-

ence in accounts and in accounting

and in accounting software’s ready

to join immediately

Contact +91 9444965126

Young 24, ACCA affiliate,

Advanced diploma in Accounting

and Business, seeking suitable

placement in Accounts, Finance or

audit With valid driving license.

Contact - 92430152,

Email - [email protected]

15 years experienced in finance &

treasury management CPA, CMA,

ACCA, MBA, qualified Chartered

Accountant available for imme-

diate joining as head of finance,

financial advisor, financed consult-

ant. Contact: 94872345


Indian male - M Com and

More than 5 year experience in

Finance and Accounting seek-

ing suitable placement immedi-

ately. Now in Oman on visit visa.

Contact:97724457 / 99886476

[email protected]

A young CA (ACA & ACCA quali-

fied) with 4 years experience in

one of top audit firms in UK & KSA

seeks suitable placement in Oman.

Contact: +44 7480 1196 74/

+968 93595050 email:

Kamran [email protected]

Indian accountant professional

with 3 years experience currently

on visit visa looking for suitable

job openings. Contact: 92390604


M.Com & MBA finance Indian 10

years of experience in finance &

accounts up to finalization

currently available in Oman.

Contact: 90501642,


Indian male, B.Com with 6 years

experience as an Accountant,

looking for suitable placement.

Mob: 93903458 ,

Email : [email protected]

Demi Chef needed urgently for

seafood and fish and chips 2 male

Filipino Waiter needed urgently

with experience. Contact: 92382239

/ 98260306

Chinese / Arab/ Grill, Cooks. Contact: 95529970

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with

13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in

manufacturing, trading & con-

tracting Cos, capable of handling

all accounting, finance, banking,

L/C, import, export & finalization

seeks placement. NOC Available.

Call+968-98932752,

mail:[email protected]

Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA

Finance and marketing with IT

skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Look-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact : 94879615,Email-

[email protected]

Presently working as Senior

Accountant having 16 years

experience in Oman with Oman

D/L looking for new placement,

NOC available.

Contact : 95060390

Indian male ,34yrs B.com MBA

(Awaiting result), with 8 yrs

experience in accounts with

license looking for suitable posi-

tion. Immediate joining and NOC

available. Contact -97463145 or

[email protected]

Indian male, B.Com with 6 years

experience as an Accountant,


Mob: 93903458 ,Email :

[email protected]

Indian male 30 yrs, B. Com, 6

yrs accounts exp in East Africa &

1 yr exp in Oman, NOC available


Contact: 94613626


Indian female Accountant B.Com

P.G.D.C.A Tally 8 years exp in

Oman. Contact: 93726921

B. Com Diploma Computer 3 years

experience as an Accountant

Indian male (25) seeking place-

ment Accountant / Admin /

sales on visit visa.

Contact: 98437731


Indian Male Accountant 10yrs

Exp. in OMAN Retail & Furni-

ture Co. (Release Available)

GSM.92564955

28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com -

Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/

India experience looking for a

suitable placement.

Contact 90187483

[email protected]

Part time Accountant, up to fina-

lization, looking for job after 5pm

(location prefer – MSQ to

Al Hail). Contact: 95694737

Finance & Accounts Indian male

35 years B.Com MBA (F) 7 years

experience tally ERP9 with valid

D/L family visa.

Contact: 93257426 / 95230114


Indian male B.Com with 1 year

experience in Oman as Account

having driving license seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 93415880 Email:

[email protected]

Part time accounts qualified

experience accountant.

Contact: 91126314

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT-M. Com

Finance-Indian with 7 years expe-

rience in Finance & Accounts up to

finalization. Currently employed

in Oman. Having D/L & NOC. Mob:

94122464,


Indian male, MBA (finance), 1 year

experience in Oman having Oman

D/L and NOC on visit visa looking

for a suitable job.

Contact: 94103975

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:

[email protected]

Wanted experienced beautician and hairdresser for the reputed

ladies beauty center at Qurum.

Contact: 97453246


Beauty expert required to work

in Salon in Al Amerat. # 93336061

Reputed organization is looking

for heavy duty drivers for trailers

Omani / expat (3 nos) and outdoor

Sales Executive for hardware and

general trading with valid D/L (1 no).

Send your CV on

[email protected]

Wanted Driver. Contact 91025698

Office furniture Sales Executive with minimum 5 years experi-

ence & valid Omani driving

license, should have experience in

handling office furniture projects,

Tenders & Retail. Candidates

should have NOC from the current

employer. Interested candidates

can apply by mail:

[email protected]

Fax: 24818818

Urgently required Marketing Executive with driving license

for sales of furniture. Contact:

97164554 / 99452755


Wanted marketing personnel for

acquiring Premium customers for

MNC. Should have communica-

tion/sales skills and must possess

Oman D/L. Contact 96545020.

Urgently required Marketing Executives with driving license

for sales in artificial grass & steel

fabrication. Contact 99104577


Delegate must hold a driving license. To fill the shelves of shops (merchandiser) one year

experience in similar field, good

salary, allowances an employment

contract # 24810474 / 95872588

Experienced Sales Executive

required for Restaurant Marketing.

Send CV : Deepak@jashnoman.

com, call 96500750

Employee marketing company

engaged in the design, promotion and advertising is required. Contact: 96656972 / 99719973

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

[email protected],

[email protected]

Light driver 10 years experience

looking for suitable job, can speak

English, Arabic & Hindi.

Contact: 92360040

Driver, 2 yrs exp looking for suita-

ble placement. Contact: 97133246

Light driver need job knows

Arabic & Hindi. Contact: 95145988

Looking for job driver K.S.A

7 years Oman, 5 yrs, education

S.SC. Contact: 93940319

Light duty driver looking for job,

5 years exp. Contact: 97170619

Indian Keralite male 25 yrs, light

driver looking for job.

Contact: 91616786

Indian light driver having 2 years

experience in Oman knowing

language English, Hindi & Arabic,

seeks job. Contact: 97366822

Indian female 27 yrs with 5 yrs

HR /Admin experience seeking

suitable placement with valid

Oman driving license.

Contact: 98236033

Senior Management

Executive An Omani Road

Construction Contracting

Company Seeks GM/ Senior

Contract Manager.

Mail :

[email protected]

GSM 94293031

REQUIRED PROJECT MANAGER

FDuqm/Oman

20+ years experience preferably in Oman/ GCC with valid D/L

and transferable visa, computer literate. Send CV to Email :

[email protected]

Developers needed with experience in .net, C#, EF Code

First, WCF, MVC 4/5, WebAPI, SQL

and WF 4.5 must. Work from home

role for an Australian company.

Send resume to


Indian female, M.Tech electron-

ics 6.5 IELTS experience as VLSI /

Electronics project trainer & institute

administration currently in family

visa. Contact: 90195131 /24551290


Indian male MBA 33yrs having 10

yrs of exp seeking full time suitable

placement in Administration/ HR/

Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics.

Holding valid D/L. Contact 99054786

Pakistani male 7 yrs experience in

purchase & HR looking for suitable

job with valid Oman driving license.

Contact: 91020279,


Indian male, Graduate having more

than 10 years experience in logistics

& freight forwarding with GCC

license, looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 91714980


Omani, male, 20 yrs exp. in PR,

Admin etc. seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact 91221773

Looking for H.R Admin Assistant post or any related position, cur-

rently on visit visa, available for

immediate placement Qualifica-

tion MBA H.R. Contact: 94665450

Email:

[email protected]

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

Indian male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf

exp in Administration/ HR & Public

relationship. Fluent in Arabic/

English with D/L. Looking for suit-

able position. Contact - 99897280

Filipino male with 13 years HR

and Administration managerial

experience. MBA & CIPD holder.

Currently looking for job in Oman.

Interested employer

pls call 97728418.

Indian Female, MBA-HR having

8+ experience in Administration/

HR, Customer Support, Office Coor-

dinator with good Computer skill,

Now on Visit Visa,looking for suit-

able position. Contact: 90196235

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

REQUIRED

GENERAL MANAGERFor a leading Insurance Broking Company in

Oman for immediate appointment.

Candidate with Insurance Qualifi cations,

good experience and market knowledge with proper

documents for local transfer may send C.V. to

email: [email protected]

Wanted A/c Mechanic, Electri-cian / Plumber, Carpenters, Driv-er. Contact 94147874 / 97014234,

[email protected]

Wanted: HEAD OF QA/QC & SALES ENGINEERS : Candidates with

Minimum 5-7 Years Experience in

one of the leading manufacturing

company in Sohar Industrial Area,

suitable candidates send their CV

to the below email :

[email protected]

Require LAB TECHNICIAN ,The

desired candidate must be a gradu-

ate/diploma in Civil Engineering

with minimum experience of 3 to

5 years as Lab Technician having

Experience of testing construc-

tion materials on Building/ Road

projects. Send your CV to:

[email protected].

Wanted A/C Technician with

local experience.

Contact : 95779616

Indian female PGDHRM MSW hav-

ing 5+ experience in HR Assistant

Administration customer support

good computer skill DOA, CIT Tally

now on family visit visa looking for

suitable position. Contact: 95352527

Indian Gulf experienced in con-

struction site admin, HR and Store

keeping on visit visa seek suitable

placement. Contact 92196001

Looking for experienced

Sales Executive, Driver

for joinery & Décor Company.

Interested candidates in similar

fi eld with driving license


[email protected]

Audit Assistants. Email: [email protected]

Accountant with knowledge of

Tally. Driving license preferred.

Send C.V to [email protected]

QHSSE ADVISOR - Interna-

tional Oilfield Services Company

requires a NEBOSH qualified

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

[email protected]

Required Marketing Executives. Send your CV Email:

[email protected]

SALES / MARKETING

ARCHITECTURE

Indian female diploma in archi-

tecture having 5 years of working

experience in Oman (Engg Consul-

tancy having valid Oman driving

license. Contact: 96683293

1. Marketing Executive (having experience in building

material trading , sanitary wares , kitchens , doors)

2. Lawyer (Indian - female) - awareness of Omani laws /

excellent interpretation / able to translate , review , direct ,

and advise

3. Procurement Coordinator – Having minimum

2 year experience in procurement job

SITUATION VACANT

Email- [email protected] - [email protected]

Housemaid required for Keralite

family. Contact 95405033

Indian family urgently needs a full time Housemaid who knows

cooking. Should be skilled in

preparation of Non-Veg dishes.

Preferably from Hyderabad, India.

Company visa, good salary + bonus,

air –ticket for leave travel provided

by company. Contact 99349924

Required male Nurse part / full

time to take care of male, 95 yrs

old. Contact 99333292,


Urgently required for a Medi-cal Centre in Muscat & Salalah GP Doctor, Pediatrician (male /

female) Gynecology, Nurses (male

/ female) with or without MOH

license, salary negotiable. Send

your CV : [email protected]

or contact 92681842

Wanted female Ayurvedic

therapist with or without MOH.

Contact: 97263637 / 93309131

Wanted urgently lady Doctor GP or DGO for immediate appointment.

Contact : 99310590


Beautician, Indian exp. required

visa. Contact 95175192


SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

DRIVER

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Process Engineer Chemical Engi-

neer, MBA certified in supply chain

(MGT) 6 years experiences in opera-

tion. Contact: +968 94690325 Email:

[email protected]

HSE Engineer (B.E Mech+ Diploma

Safety + NEBOSH+ OSHA) over

10yrs. Exp, (Visa Release Letter

(NOC) available), seeking suitable

placement. Contact :97061817,


UPS Technician Electronics, Elec-

tronic technician, Solar power prod-

ucts 11 years experience in power

electronics looking for job Oman.

Contact: 99680821


Indian male Electrical Engineer with MBA (Mktg) having 4 and

half years experience in technical

commercial and marketing fields

with valid GCC D/L, NOC available

seeking placement.

Contact: + 968 96547828


Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) with

2 and half years experience Indian

male 24 years in visit visa. Contact:

96620482 / + 91 9605423272


Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp

seeks suitable position ina reputed

company. NOC available.

Contact – 96789711

Indian male 26 yrs have 6 yrs

exp in technical assistant in tyre

production, visit visa at Ruwi.

Contact: 92600859

Indian female (22) BE Computer

Science & pursuing MBA in sym-

biosis, looking for a job in HR & IT

with 2 years experience in IT field.

Contact: 9649477 / 96043223

Male 38 yrs Graduate 07 years

experience indoor / outdoor

electronic field with D/License &

NOC available (as per new rule).

Contact: 92453375

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

Finance / Project/Program Manager Professional

East, Industry any (experienced in Banks (Islamic) Telecom Transport

In Person Interview on SundaysContact: 97203531, +923042955747

Civil AutoCAD Draughts man 5 years experience on visit visa.


[email protected]

Interior Designer 4 years experi-

ence design and supervision skills

(3D Max, AutoCAD Photoshop.

Contact: 95946737


DOMESTIC HELP

Indian male, B.Tech Graduate

seeking for job on any position

presently on family visa.

Contact 94597785

Highly experienced Indian

Civil Engineer looking for suitable

placement. NOC available.

Contact 95715278

Iraqi Architect with 10 years of

experience in Engineering designs

and Construction Supervising

professional in 3Ds Max, AutoCAD

Photoshop. Contact: 96011716

Civil Engineer 4 years experience

(Site Engineer). Contact: 94703391

Soft ware Engineer available, 1

year experienced in Oracle –DB,

VB. Net, SQL. Interested contact:

97440378

Indian male 30 yrs ( I.T.I Fitter)

8 years Gulf experience in U.A.E

Steel Structural fabrication fore-

man in oil field presently on visit

visa in Oman needs immediate

placement. Contact: 92456027

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.


[email protected]

Indian male, Electronics Engineer

with 16+ yrs experience in ELV sys-

tems looking for suitable position

in Sales, Business Development or

operations, having valid license &

local release. Contact 98143907 or

[email protected]

Sudanese Civil Structure Engineer, 3 years experience with

residence and Omani license, good

at AutoCAD Etabs Staad.

Pro looking for suitable job.

Contact: 97906770

Mechanical Engineer, Experience

in the power plant and any types of

the Mechanical work, looking for

mechanical jobs.

Contact: 92827254 /94641669

Indian male 23 years PG diploma

in Petroleum Engineering & B.Tech

in Mechanical Engineering seek-

ing employment as Entry level

field engineer.

Contact: 95084905 / 95880127


MEP Engineer 5 years exp in Gulf

driving license NOC.

Contact: 97838220

Civil Engineer (Diploma) having

11 years experience in building

construction, looking for a suitable

placement , having Oman driving

license. Noc available. Contact:

95075365


Mechanical Engineer , having 10

years experience in QMD (pip-

ing, steel structure, static & rotary

equipments) ASNT-L-II ( UT/

RT/PT/DPT) & Visual inspection,

material inspection, finalization

of handing over documents, avail-

able on visit visa & ready to join

immediately. Contact: 95415062 /

92838396

E

EDUCATION

Looking for part time tutoring on

Mathematical & Statistics.

Contact: 99229700

Indian : female – MBA in foreign

trade ,BE Computer Science, sap

trained bi/bw with one year expe-

rience seeking for job.

Contact 90228586

email:[email protected]

teaching also preferred.


in Oman as a project engineer for

governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian

male 24 years with 1+years Indian

experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/

Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).Look-

ing for a Suitable position. Avail-

able In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat)

on Visit Visa.

Contact: 92835952. E-mail:

[email protected]

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



in construction having driving

license & NOC. Contact: 94194399


Civil Engineer 6 years experience,

4 years in Oman, driving license

available. Contact 92553263

Electrical Engineer B.Tech with

4 yrs experience in India available

on visit visa looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 94741401 /

97239852 Email:

[email protected]

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

Indian male diploma in Mechani-

cal Engineering have 12 years

experience in oil and gas in GCC on

visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 92932763


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 : [email protected]

Diploma in Mechanical Eng piping system in AutoCAD work,

21+ years experience with Driving



7 years teaching experience in

Political Science at University level,

5 years experience as Intellectual

property lawer 20 years experi-

ence of Arabic / English visa versa ,

translation / interpretation / Editing

, 20 years of experience in manage-

ment, Tri lingual (Arabic / English /

French) Contact : 92175153

B.Tech Civil, 25 yrs female, 3 yrs

exp in qty survey have valid GCC


Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years

old) – B.Sc Engineering (Hon)

Mining / Geotechnical Presently

in Muscat, 1.5 years experience.

Contact 91295802 /

[email protected]

Road and Construction Engineer with 5 years exp in Oman.

Contact: 97667113

10 years experience in Dubai

& Bangladeshi as a BSC En-

gineer on structural designer

& construction having Dubai

municipality approval & driving

license. Contact: 91206763 Future

008801758846027 Email:

[email protected]

Diploma in Electronics, 2 years

exp in telecommunication.


telecommunicationvishnumadhull

@gmail.com

Indian female diploma in tool

& die making with 1 1/2 years

experience looking for suitable

job. Contact : 94743992 Email:

[email protected]

Electrical Engineer with 18 years

exp in UAE. Contact: 98148034


7 Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in

the field of Building Const. Oil &

Gas Seeking Job.94625598

HOSPITALITY

Hotel Management Degree holder,

Indian Male, with 4 years work ex-

perience (Kuwait & India) looking

for “Supervisor” position in F&B

Department. Contact 96278739 or

email [email protected]

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

Electrical Testing Engineer (B.Tech)

having 7 yrs Gulf experience exper-

tise in testing pre-commissioning

commissioning of electrical sys-

tems, currently on visit visa seeks

suitable job in Muscat. Contact:

90188231

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


Indian male, Mechanical

Engineer having 1year experi-

ence, on visit visa looking for

suitable job. Contact:97416564,


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: [email protected]

Diploma Engineer (Civil) looking

for job 7 years experience in Oman.

Contact: 93017821

IT

IT

Female Nurse Indian, total 15 yrs

experience, 6 yrs in KSA, promet-

ric passed with 66% ready to join

immediately. Contact: 95525004 /

98146565

Indian,Kerala,Msc-Nursing, Female,Experience-4Years-Medical

Surgical ward & OP,Pro -metric

completed-On Family joining visa-

immediate joining-Muscat, looking

- Infection Controller,Staff nurse,

Nurse Educator.Cont.93591681-

[email protected]

Indian male GP Doctor looking for

suitable post. Dataflow & prometric

completed. Contact: 90377433

An experienced Sudanese female Dentist with MOH license look-

ing for job. Contact 96436517

/97396088

MANAGER

MEDICAL

Procurement Manager / Commer-

cial Manager / G.M Indian male

having 26 years of experience in

Import, procurement, logistics,

Commercial activities, Warehousing,

TRD & Sales. Contact: 90502724


Office Manager / personal Assistant

with extensive experience in overall

admin, commercial activities, pur-

chase, accounts with driving license

seeks suitable change. Local release

available. Contact 99168054

Safety Manager B.Tech (safety &

fire) M. Sc 8 years experience Indi-

an 31 years presently occupied on

notice period available with clean

NOC, holds Oman driving license &

owns car. Contact: 94616721


Store Incharge / Store keeper 8

years experience in Oman, NOC

& release is available looking for

good job. Contact: 98178804 /

96703816

The Business Development Man-

ager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years

Inside and outside Oman follow-

ing activities: construction(Very

strong and qualified 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

The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15

Years Inside and outside Oman

following activities: tenders& real

estate& construction & marketing

projects& investments & trans-

portation & Marine services&

companies management& develop

business. Contact: :- 92385033

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


Camp Supervising 6 years looking

for a good job. Contact: 98178804 /

96703816

IT Service Desk Management with

3 years experience now on visit

visa looking for suitable placement.


[email protected]

Indian male 3 years experience

in IT as Linux Administrator and

1 year experience in Amazon

EC2, cloud at Wipro technologies

Bangalore looking for a suitable



Indian Male, IT System Engi-

neer having 4 yrs of experience in

system administration.CCNA,MCSE,

Linux. Looking for suitable job.

Contact :91272867

Sudanese Male 29 yrs B.Sc Com-

puter Science, diploma computer

engineering 6 yrs. experience , DBA

oracle PL-SQL, Oracle SQL devel-

oper, MS sql-server ,visual studio

vb, network ,driver license Oman.

Email: [email protected] ,

Mob: 91415886

Indian sales marketing professional

highly experienced in business

development in ME India and Africa

seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97897611

Indian female, MBA in Garment

Manufacturing Technology, having

over 8years exp in Merchandising &

Marketing, worked for brands Zara,

H&M, DKNY, Even & Odd, Soya Con-

cept & many more, now on family

visa looking for a suitable position.

Pls contact: 95604511.


Indian male 23 Graduate with 1

year experience with valid Oman

driving license looking for a


Indian male 26, with more than 3

years experience in Counter Sales

& Marketing with valid N.O.C Cont:

94704522, 97826454 & Email-

[email protected]

Indian male, experienced Sales

Executive with D/ L seeks suitable


Experienced Indian male with

Oman driving license and NOC

looking for sales & marketing or

purchase jobs. Contact: 97360689

Indian male 27 yrs, B.Com, tally

4 years sales exp in electrical &

building materials with valid D/L.

Contact: 98462052

Marketing exceutive BBA, MCOM,

Tally, exp in accouting

(can continue in current visa)

ph : 98269281

26 years male MBA in Market-

ing & Finance Graduate having 2

years exp in sales & marketing in

Mitsubishi Motor seeks suitable



Male 38 yrs Graduate 07 years

experience indoor / outdoor

electronic field with D/License &

NOC available (as per new rule).

Contact: 92453375

MBA with 18 years of experience

in Procurement, 2 years in Sohar,

Oman driving license, looking for

suitable position.M:94047501,

[email protected]

Indian male plumbing sanitary

ware & building materials experi-

ence in outdoor sales (9 years)

with valid D/L UAE.

Contact: 98723456

Indian male diploma in logistics

management looking for an open-

ing, presently in Oman on visit

visa. Contact: 93373421

Indian male, MBA Marketing hav-

ing 9 years’ experience in India

in marketing is seeking suitable

placement. Currently in Muscat on

business visa. Contact: 92417523

Indian male, BBM, MBA, having

3 years experience in Sales looking

for suitable job. Contact: 92796046

SALES / MARKETING

MISCELLANEOUS

LOGISTICS

Filipina lady very urgently look-

ing job only in boutique, release

available ready to join immediately.

Contact: 97122152 / 91240759

Sh. Carpenter, steel fitter, helper,

seeks visa. Contact 95175192,

email : oman.manpower@yahoo.

com

Bachelor of Science in Agricul-

ture, Major in Animal Science,

Male, 5yrs experience in poultry

farm, seeking for job.

Contact 96093752.

Sudanese male 43 PHD Busi-

ness Management DiPCii, CITIP,

ARM54, 12 years experience in

insurance field, seeking insurance

post or risk management or teach-

ing in University.


[email protected]

A Filipina lady having experience

in call center, airline booking and

reservations, secretarial and real

estate is now looking for a job in

any fields. 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


Graduate, computer literate,

experienced in sales, credit

control, accounts, Omani D/L ,

seeks suitable placement.

Gsm 98805474

Light duty driver looking for job.

Contact : 95827886

Looking job L.T.V with car,

without car. Contact: 94436276

Driver, 5 years experience in

Oman looking for job.

Contact : +968 99139890

Driver with car, full time / part

time job. Contact: 96320385

Driver with land cruiser,

Indian seeks placement.

Contact: 99725003

Light driver need job knows

English, Hindi & Arabic.

Contact: 92820309

Job for driving. Contact:

98982410

Pakistani male light driver 10 yrs

in UAE & 1 yr in Oman.

Contact: 93709393

Housemaid & Driver, valid GCC

D/L (couple) overseas looking for

job. Contact 95175192

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


Structural buildings marine. Availa-

ble NOC release. Contact: 92451323.


B.Tech Chartered Electrical

Engineer, AMIEI with 5 years of

experience in electrical power

transmission and distribution in

industrial, residential & commercial

sectors. Expertise in load designing

BOQ, Estimations, transformer and

switchgear selections. Leadership

skills in project execution & man-

agement. Contact: 94638744


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


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

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech

2 years experience HVAC design

& site Engg revit MEP Auto CAD.


[email protected]

Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years

in Oman experience Valid Driving

License seeks suitable placement

Phone 97619722

Email – [email protected]

Mechanical Engineer with 3 Yrs

experience in international Oil

& Gas company looking for job

Contacts: Tel: 90164236 Email:

[email protected]

Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman

with license. Contact: 98975518

Sudanese Architectural Engineer

2 years experience in Oman, Revit,

AutoCAD 3Ds max Archicad looking

for suitable job. Contact: 94722356


Sudanese Telecom Engineer, 5 years experience, 3 years in

Oman PMP certificate.


[email protected]

Indian male, MCA, 15 years experi-

ence in Oracle, developer, Orion

Sage ERP, 5 years in Oman working

as IT In charge, with NOC release

and transferable visa.

Contact: 95398567,


DAILY GUIDED6 S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

BUYING

SIT.WANTED

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirt-

ing, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery,

Crockery, Glassware, Chafing 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: [email protected]

ACC. AVAILABLE

Accommodation for couple or

working lady, near Al Nahda

hospital. Contact 95871148

Room for rent with attach B/R &

kitchen for R.O 75/- without Elect/

water, near BP Petrol Pump Mabel-

lah . Contact: 91516775 / 99772515

Sharing accommodation near

Hamriya flower shopping super-

market. Contact: 98985763

Single room attached bath at

Mumtaz area. Contact 95212017 /

90562744

Furnished room available for

Executive bachelor in Ruwi area.

Contact: 99054542

Furnished room for an Indian in

Al-Khuwair33 - 95234062

Room with kitchen, bath avail-

able in Ruwi for a couple or single

working lady. Contact: 91450718 /

91429608

Accommodation available at

Al Hail Keralite family only.

Contact: 96234708

Furnished bedroom with at-

tached bath and kitchen, separate

entrance available for Executive

bachelor for R.O 150/- per month

all inclusive in a villa OPP star

cinema. Contact: 99314807

Hail Independent rooms RO 140/-

& 160/-. Contact 95529970

A big room available for Muslim

couple / small family executive

bachelor near Hamriya R/A rent

130/- OMR, including water /

Electricity. Contact: 99495131

Ghubra. Beautiful Room. Indian

Lady/Couple/Bachelor. Non-cook-

ing, Vegetarians. Contact 99283938

Spacious semi furnished room

with separate bathroom for execu-

tive bachelor opposite OC centre

Ruwi. Call: 92273779

Room available in Mumtaz area 1

room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room,

common bathroom. Interested

please Contact: 92680041 Mr. Altaf

FOR SALEDental X- Ray Almost new for sale.

Contact: 91232778

Used supermarket shelvings .

Contact: 97752395 / 97752395

Expat leaving household items

for sale, 3 ACS, fridge, gas cylinder,

5 computer tables & sofa bed and

other. Contact: 94412557

3BHK flat for rent / sale at

Dar Al Maha (Greater Muttrah).

Contact: 99321792

Running family restaurant for sale

/ rent in Wadi Kabir with party hall,

total capacity around 200 people

around 300 sq mtrs.

Contact: 95061994

Excavation contracts worth RO 2

million + Big Volvo Excavators &

2015 Astra 5 tippers for sale.

Contact: 99120532 / 98867530

Restaurant & Coffee Shop for sale

in Ghala area. For details contact

99072003

Well running restaurant with 100

mess for sale at Misfa.

Contact: 95212017 / 99608600

Porta cabin for sale in Misfa.

Contact: 99442438 / 96578799

Marble factory for sale location

Misfah. Contact: 98586828

Restaurant items for sale.

Contact: 96772479 /98428507

Supermarket for sale in Amerat

(5) for part-time workers does not

have required 35/000 retractable

negotiate. (Omani National)

Contact 96656972 / 99719973

FOR RENT

Indian B.Tech 37 years Project

Engineer , 12 + years experience in

construction, maintenance of STP,

Pumping stations, sewer lines,

drinking water distribution and

service reservoirs & pipe lines.

Contact: 99364007 /

+91-887422635


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


Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Store keeper in

Muscat; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@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

Indian male 25 yrs, MBA (Finance,

Marketing), Overall 2 yrs exp in

Accounts/Finance field, On Visit

Visa. Immediately available.

Contact - 92989197/94786544.

[email protected]


MA, Working as Store keeper in

Muscat; searching better job.


mohamednazrulislam2@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 Ma-

rine equipment and well versed

with MS Office. Contact: 90182494,

[email protected]


M.Com.Working as an Admin-

istrator cum Accountant in

Oman; searching better job.

Phone:94864966,


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

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil &

Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughts-

man (holding Oman driving

license) seeking job.

Contact 90139903


M.Com Working as an Administra-

tor cum Accountant in man; search-

ing better job. Phone:94864966,


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:- [email protected]


MA, Working as Sales administra-

tor in Oman; searching better job.


[email protected]

Purchase Executive Professional,

Indian male having 6 Years of

Experience in Oman Having Valid

Driving Licence working as a Pur-

chase officer, Looking for a suit-

able Position, NOC/LR Available.

Contact: 95132564/96456071,

E-mail: [email protected]

Searching a land surveyor job

fully know latest instrument of

Survey GPS and Total station two

year OMAN experience.NOC Avail-

able. Contact +96894144052,

Email- wasifnaz [email protected]

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

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

earn in two monthstion guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

SALES / MARKETING

Indian male B. Pharm 15 years

sales experience MOH Pharmacist

license driving license looking

for opportunities in Pharmacy or

Sales and marketing can get NOC.

Contact: 99694865

MBA graduate having 6 years exp

in Sales & Marketing, 4 years with

PEPSI, India, having international

driving license permit seeks suitable

placement. Contact : 95308167,


Indian male, MBA Marketing

having 2.5 years Sales experience

immediately looking for a suitable

position. Contact: 91415145,


B.Com male 2 yrs experience in

sales Computer knowledge,

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98371144


SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fitter

gulf & Indian exp looking job.

Contact: 95175192

TECHNICIAN /MECH.

TOURS/TRAVELS

Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years

experience preferably in water

sector and having valid driving

license call Ph:+968 99450811

Send CV to [email protected]

Indian male 26 yrs, 7 yrs experi-

ence in airfare, audit, air ticketing

well verse with Microsoft Office

Windows application seeking for

suitable position.

Contact: 94894170 / 95618311

Indian male 26, on vist visa, 2+

yrs of experience with UAE D/L,

IATA-FIATA,BBA looking for any

suitable job. Contact 91324567

A dynamic professional, female,MBA,8 yrs MNC exp in

Purchase, Secretary, Sales Coordi-

nation, Office Assistant, Logistics,

Petty Cash, Stock, Dispatch, Project

management, Documentation,

residing in oman with valid NOC

from current company, looking for

suitable job, ready to join immedi-

ately. Contact:-phone:-94157662


Indian male experienced Office Asst

with D/L looking for suitable job.

Contact: 97718658

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

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: [email protected].

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:

[email protected]

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:-

[email protected]

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:

[email protected]

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 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

Indian male 34 Yrs., Dual MBA

Finance and marketing With

IT skills, 7+ yrs. of experience,


Contact: 94879615, Email-

[email protected]

22, Indian BBA graduate, 1 year

experience, presently on visit visa,


Contact 91881053

Highly experienced mechanical/

steel structural fabrication engineer

looking for suitable placement. NOC

available. Contact: 99860714,

[email protected].

B.Com 5yrs experience good

command on tally, Excel sheet on

family visa. Contact: 98002428


B.TEC ( IT) . 24 years, 2 Years of

experience in technical support,

software development, networking,

troubleshooting and managing.

seek suitable placement.

Contact GSM- 98184170

Electronics service Technician , 4 Years experience as Electronics

service engineer. Knowledge in all

type of Electronics items. Looking for

suitable placement. GSM- 99105043

Light Duty Driver Professional,

Indian male having 5 years of

experience with valid Oman driving

licence.NOC Available.

Contact 91652481

Part- Time Accountant, well expe-

rience senior accountant ,doing all

type of accounting works, Finaliza-

tion, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439

Indian male experienced material

segregation with D/L seeks suita-

ble placement. Contact: 92715032

Email: santhoshgeorge99@gmail.

com

Indian male 26 years (MBA Fi-

nance) seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 92715032


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.

Indian male, 26 years, With 7 years

of experience in Sales Field in ship-

ping company in “Dubai” , looking

for suitable placement. Experienced

working in safety Marine equip-

ment and well versed with MS

Office. Contact: 90182494,

[email protected]

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 M. Com 10 years of

experience looking for Part time

Job can do finalization #97433387

or [email protected]

Indian male 25yr B. Com 4

years experience in trading and

contracting field in India looking

for suitable accountant vacancies.

Please contact 96155921 or

[email protected]

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


27,male,ACCA finalist, have

professional experience up to fina-

lization of accounts, statutory and

internal audit, expertise in using

tally, focus and oracle software,

have 3.5 years experience in ac-

counts till finalization ,seeking for

permanent replacement in senior

position, GSM-91324962,

[email protected]

Chief Accountant , 7 years experi-

enced (out of 25 years experience

in accounts) worked in reputed

group companies. Currently procur-

ing MBA finance 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.

Contact 91270215


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 field, On

Visit Visa. Immediately available.

Contact – 92989197 / 94786544.

mail: [email protected].

Bangladeshi male, University MA,

working as administrator in Oman;

searching better job.

Contact 91997605

[email protected]

Indian male having 6 Years of

Experience in Oman Having Valid

Driving License working as a

Purchase officer, looking for a

suitable Position, NOC Available.

Contact: 95132564 / 96456071,

E-mail:[email protected]

Indian Male, pursuing ACCA with

knowledge in C++, Java look-

ing for accounting job. Contact

94743462.


Indian, Keralite seeks cleaning

job part time. Contact: 90169048

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 male, 23 years PG diploma

in Petroleum Engineering and

B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering

holding UAE driving license seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 95880127 / 95084905


Indian Female, Master of Tech-

nology (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

Indian Male 4 years experience

Chef. Indian, Chinese Cuisine seek

suitable placement.

Contact: 99883019

Bangladeshi Male, University MA,

5 years experience in IT sales &

marketing working as sales coor-

dinator in Oman; searching better

job. Phone: 91997605, email:

[email protected]

Indian Male 28yr age having

7year gulf+ Indian experience in

HR/Admin field, looking for

suitable placement.

Contact:97914340,


Indian Female Accountant, now

in Oman on Visit Visa, looking for

suitable placement. #94250871.


TOURS

TOURS

RENT A CAR

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP

specification for monthly rent &

small car with driver.

Contact: 99839898

SITUATION WANT-ED

TOURS

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation in Muscat.

Contact: 96004045

Transportation. Contact :98505294

Transportation.Contact: 99099714

Transportation available Ruwi to

Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

DRIVING

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

MV SALE

Toyota Haice delivery van 2015

model, high roof in condition.

Contact: 99471699 / 95339183 /

94082616

Hyundai Santafe 2010 model, 2.7

litres, Black Colour, Expat driven,

well maintained, 86000 kms.

Contact - 93304439.

MANPOWER

WANTED

IELTS Coaching (academic) required

nearby wadi Kabir area. Please call

on mobile or msg on Whats up.

Mobile no: 92927880/99012165

GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS

MATRIMONIAL

Keralite Hindu EzhavaParents invites suitable alliance for their son

26 yrs, Nakshtaram Rohini employed in Muscat.

Girl, resident of Oman is preferred.

Please write to: [email protected]

Transportation Al Khuwair.

Contact: 92711421

Transportation. Contact 92015894

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

Ayurvedic treatment for back-

ache, paralysis, arthritis etc &

massage, All Season (Vaidyarat-

nam).Contact: 24475280 /

95371664 / 92504980

www.siddhayur.com

Flats for sale Kerala Trichur fully

furnished 3BHK flat 1575 sq ft ready

to occupy. Contact: 99073124

For sale 2 BHK with full furniture in-

terior near St. Blaise School Church

Amboli Andheri West Mumbai.

Contact: 95434412

Ready to occupy flat, 3BHK 1600

sq ft 1No & 3 BHK 1200 sq ft 1No. at

heart of Trichur N.H road frontage.

Contact: 99073124

Located about 1/2 km behind

Cherplasseri town bus stand (Palak-

kad) 8 cents or 16 cents of residen-

tial plot for sale @ 3 lakh per cent.

Contact 97375638.

NRI

SITUATION WANT-ED

BUSINESS

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments

& massage, Ayurvedic clinic at

AL Khuwair. Contact: 24478618 /

97263637 / 93309131

D8 S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 7, 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done

till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SERVICESWe Provide Cleaners,

General cleaning etc.

Contact : 94277020

Split & window A/c servicing &

maintenance. Contact 93769089 /

95323517

Building maintenance. Contact: 96173326

Cleaning services sofa, carpet,

shampoo old house or new house.

Contact: 92179395

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

LEGAL SERVICE

L

new business in Oman, Civil, criminal cases,.service issues.

Sarafudheen, ,L dvisor

uscat. GSM: 97351649

FURNITURE SHIFTING

Maintenance, Dismantling, Packing,

Shifting & Fixing furniture with expert technicians.Contact: 99041337

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing,

Contact 99314807/24792998

A/C maintenance & servicing,

fridge, washing machine & dish

washer repairing, painting & clean-

ing services, electrical & plumbing.

Contact 99447257 / 97014234 /

24504281

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble.Contact 24793614/

99314807

Marble, Grinding crystallization.

Contact: 99344723

Water proofing ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

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

Split A/C servicing

R.O 10 only. Contact: 94217681 /

99210141

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

Documents

Times of Oman - February 7, 2016