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

SALEH AL SHAIBANYsaleh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman lost $14 billion worth of revenues in 2015 com-pared to a year earlier due to low oil prices, official statistics show.

The government produced around 981,000 barrels of crude oil per day last year compared to 943,500 barrels per day in 2014.

Oman sold its oil at an average price of $56.5 per barrel in 2015, which was 45 per cent less than the previous year, according to the National Centre of Statistics and Information (NCSI).

In 2015, Oman based its budget at the oil price of $85 per barrel with a deficit of OMR2.5 billion. The government has not finalised the actual deficit in 2015 but it is expected to be considerable more than the planned one.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already cau-tioned Oman to make urgent steps to secure the future of its fiscal budget.

It had urged the government to embark on the long-term eco-

nomical sustainability plans. The IMF also urged Oman to

cut its wages bills on the public sector. In the Arab Spring of 2011, it encouraged the government to create more economic security for Omanis.

This year, Oman has already shown its commitments by re-forming the subsidies with hikes in taxation and fuel prices.

Oman had a fiscal deficit of 15 per cent last year and in 2016 the deficit is expected to be 17 per

cent as the low oil price eats into export earnings and blows a hole in the country’s budget.

Central Bank of Oman’s Execu-tive President Hamood Sangour Al Zadjali said earlier that the government is able to absorb the losses from the foreign exchange reserves. He also dismissed spec-ulations that Oman will ditch the dollar peg.

With breaking-even crude oil prices of $75 per barrel for the 2016 budget, Oman will need to dig deep into the reserves to come up with financial discrepancy to wipe out the OMR 3.5b deficit.

February 8, 2016 29 Rabi Al Thani 1437 AH

MONDAY

297 40

We acquire our knowledge from those who have gone before us, whose endeavours, thoughts, deductions and concepts led them to gain knowledge about the world around them.

To the students of Sultan Qaboos University, 2000

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTYTHE SULTAN

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

Oman lost $14b in revenue due to low oil prices in 2015

O F F I C I A L D A T A

Muttrah Souq traders at risk of losing everything

REJIMON Kreji@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: It is renowned as one of the oldest marketplaces in the Arab world, but shopkeepers at Muttrah Souq face a very modern problem - they cannot get insur-ance for their businesses, leaving them at risk of losing everything.

Counting the cost is Mazrook Keethadath, the shop manager of the Muttrah warehouse that was gutted last week with goods worth

OMR200,000 inside it. He said his firm was denied insurance and that many others like him are to-tally unprotected.

Traditional marketplaceSome 1,000 shopkeepers make their trade inside the traditional marketplace which is more than 200-year-old and attracts thou-sands of tourists every year.

“Citing risks, they denied in-surance coverage. Now, in the accident, I have lost goods worth

OMR200,000,” Mazrook, who has been resident in Oman for the last 25 years, said. “Majority of the shops in this Souq are not insured. Companies are reluctant to pro-vide coverage,” Mazrook added.

Brokers in Oman confirmed to Times of Oman that the Souq is a

major headache and that insur-ance companies are reluctant to provide cover.

“Both fire and flood risk are too high in that area. Providing an in-surance coverage to the shops in Muttrah Souq is not at all practi-cal. Long back, a study conducted

by a Norwegian firm had stated that Muttrah Souq is in Orange Zone, the worst one, for flood risks. Same is the case of fire risk too,” a senior official from an in-surance firm, said.

“There is no separation be-tween shops in the Souq. Entry for fire engines into the area is not easy. If we categorise the safety levels for the shops in Souq, then they will be falling in category 3, the worst one,” the insurance firm official said.

Meanwhile, another insurance company official said the identi-fication of property ownership is quite difficult in Muttrah Souq.

“Those who approach us fail to provide the actual identity of the property owner. That makes it very difficult for us to insure and fulfil claim when something hap-pens,” the insurance company of-ficial added.>A6

Many traders have no insurance to cover

them against flood or fire and brokers admit

they are reluctant to cover Souq businesses

NO INSURANCE COVER: Companies are reluctant to provide insur-ance cover to shops in Muttrah Souq. -Supplied photo

48-hour detention for driving on shouldersFAHAD AL GHADANIfahadnews@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Drivers found using road shoulders will be detained for 48 hours and then referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal action, the Royal Oman Po-lice (ROP) has warned motorists in a tweet.

A shoulder often serves as an emergency stopping lane, and is a

reserved lane for emergency ser-vices like ambulances etc.

“It has been noticed that some motorists drive on the road shoul-ders trying to escape from traffic congestion, which is considered a traffic violation,” said the ROP in its tweet.

The tweet was welcomed in the social media by many individu-als believing that such behaviour leads to more traffic congestion.

“If everybody is patient and stick to their lane, then traffic con-gestions will be less and the time drivers have to spend in jams will be also less,” said Sanad Al Rahbi, a motorist based in Muscat.

He added that everybody feels that he is busy and only his time is precious neglecting others. “Such motorists should take the issue a bit serious and start respecting the road ethics and adhere to the

traffic rules,” said Sanad. Like Sanad, Salim Al Shukaili,

a motorist based in Nizwa also asked ROP to deal more sternly with such violators. “It’s not only those driving on the road shoul-ders but others who keep chang-ing lanes while getting stuck in traffic. This is really bad and leads to more delays for other motorists as they get stuck on the road,” said Al Shukaili. >A6

R O Y A L O M A N P O L I C E W A R N I N G

OMANAn avid Youtuber

1An avid Youtuber aims to prove that there is a beauty in being different. >A3

OMANBusiness groups upbeat

2Business groups are upbeat on the benefits of the major networking conclave. >A5

MARKETOman’s gas production

3Oman’s natural gas production and imports rose 5.6 per cent.>B1

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

A6Sayyida Mona to be the guest of honour at .Open Minds

MORNING MINUTE

CBO Executive President Ham-ood Sangour Al Zadjali.

A2 M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

OMAN

Indian Coast Guard ship to visit Muscat Times News Service

MUSCAT: Indian Coast Guard ship Sankalp is scheduled to visit Oman from February 9 to 13. ICGS Sankalp will be on a goodwill visit to Muscat, in a step to further em-phasise the existing cooperation in defence and security between India and Oman.

The visit also aims at improv-ing cooperation with the Royal Oman Coast Guard. The ship is on a four- nation overseas deploy-ment tour in the GCC, with Mus-cat being the final port, prior to her return to India. The Sankalp, the 5th Advanced Offshore Patrol Ves-sel of the Indian Coast Guard, was designed and built by India’s Goa Shipyard Limited and commis-sioned on May 20, 2008.

‘Sankalp’, meaning Determi-nation, is symbolic of the Indian Coast Guard’s will and motivation to strive for excellence.

The Sankalp has 16 officers and 97 personnel on board, under the Command of Deputy Inspector General Mukul Garg.

The ship is based in Mumbai, under the administrative and operational command of Coast

Guard Regional Commander (West), Mumbai.

The 105m long Sankalp, equipped with state of the art navigational and communication sensors, is capable of deploying Advanced Light Helicopters and Chetak helicopters.

Operating at normal speeds, she has an endurance of 6,500 nautical miles and can remain at sea for 25 days without refuelling, thus sail-ing up to her motto – ‘Extending the Horizon’.

The Sankalp has been exten-sively deployed on the western seaboard from Gujarat to the Ker-ala coast, the International Mari-time Boundary Line patrol, and surveillance off the Lakshadweep and Minicoy group of Islands.

The ship has also visited many foreign ports on goodwill visits during overseas deployments, which include a maiden voyage by a Coast Guard vessel to Australia. The visit of ICGS Sankalp to Oman is the third visit by an Indian Coast Guard Ship to Oman in the last three years. Including the ICGS Samudra Prahari and ICGS Vijit, which visited Muscat port in Mar 2013 and Jan 2015, respectively.

G O O D W I L L T R I P

BOOSTING TIES: The Sankalp, the 5th Advanced Offshore Patrol

Vessel of Indian Coast Guard, was built by India’s Goa Shipyard

Limited and commissioned on May 20, 2008. – Supplied photo

German tech firm comes to aid of Omani innovators

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADIelham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: When Oman-born Zièd Bahrouni read an article about the Sultanate’s ambition to become an innovation hub in the Gulf region, he was inspired to contribute to this worthwhile mission.

While studying in Germany, he co-founded Motius, a high-tech research and development com-pany headquartered in Munich, which is now helping Omani inno-vators transform their ideas into unique products.

The company, which solves technical problems and develops products for international custom-ers, was established in Germany three years ago and entered Oman’s market a few months later through representation by Genius Solu-tions, a 100 per cent Omani-owned technology solution provider.

Motius is now cooperating with Oman’s Research Council to turn the ideas of Omani talents into realities, and is currently work-ing on two projects funded by the

council, which combine Omani traditions and values with state-of-the-art technology.

New projectsThe projects involve the develop-ment of a bread making machine to make traditional Omani Khubz, as well as the creation of an in-telligent prayer mat, Bahrouni, Motius’ managing director, told Times of Oman.

The Khubz making machine is an automatic bread maker, while the intelligent prayer mat teaches children how to pray by correct-ing their mistakes in real time and in a game environment, using a camera and the latest technolo-gies for gesture recognition and

gesture analysis.Both projects are the first of

their kind and among the first projects being funded by the Re-search Council, Bahrouni said, adding that the company wanted to be involved from the very begin-ning of the process.

Pool of talentsAccording to Bahrouni, what makes Motius different from oth-er companies is that it does not work with fixed employees, but instead has a pool of elite senior students, academic researchers and young engineers.

In addition, students at the end of their studies account for a large portion of this group, so

the pool is very young and very close to new technologies and new research, which allows the company to be very innovative, Bahrouni explained.

The company’s objective is to involve Omanis in various stages of the development of a product, in order to make a meaningful con-tribution to the local community and add value to the country.

Commenting on the processes involved, Bahrouni said that the Research Council selects some of the ideas from entrepreneurs in Oman and allocates resources to them.

Motius helps to transform those ideas into actual products, and then companies can be founded to sell those products, he said, adding that Motius will afterwards be-come a technical partner of those companies.

Project specificationHe noted that as some project ide-as may not be clear, the first stage would involve project specifica-tion, during which the customer or innovator is involved in work-ing out an exact project.

After planning and developing a proposal for a solution, a compre-hensive plan is prepared and the work on the project starts after it has been accepted.

Bahrouni pointed out that the prototype is then developed in Germany and the finished prod-uct is to be sent to the customer, based on which a company can be formed.

Mass productionIn order to bring added value to the economy, the mass production would take place in Oman, as the machines will be built in a man-

ner that allows for the products to be manufactured in Oman, with technologies supplied by Motius.

The intellectual property is owned by the innovators, themselves,while the Research Council takes care of patent is-sues, the young entrepreneur said, adding that Motius can support them in doing so.

Staying true to his roots, Bah-rouni believes it is important to use local resources.

If a venture or a company is sup-posed to be established in Oman, its management should be a local, he said.

Local understandingHe believes that local people have a better understanding of the mar-ket and the sensitivities, which facilitate the implementation of projects. At the same time, they contribute technically to the pro-ject, he added.

Bahrouni noted that innovators gain experience through involve-ment in the project, as Motius is in favour of hands-on work, rather than theoretical training.

Asked if the company also sup-ports its customers in marketing, he said that Motius is focused on research and development, but can provide consultancy on such matters, given its experience.

Approaching MotiusAccording to Bahrouni, innova-tors can directly approach the company, as representatives are available in the Muscat office, while he is based in Munich and frequently travels to Oman.

In addition to cooperation with the Research Council, Motius of-fers its services to private custom-ers and a number of companies, helping them design projects, dig-itise their processes, build apps and solve specific technical prob-lems. The company has been op-erating successfully in Germany, and its customers include BMW and Bosch.

Motius, a high-

tech research

and development

company

headquartered in

Munich, which is

now helping Omani

innovators transform

their ideas into

unique products

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

HELPING HAND: The company’s meeting with an Omani innova-

tor. - Supplied photo

Three persons

arrested for

trying to

smuggle khat

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Three persons, all of Arab nationality, were taken into custody in Dhofar for attempting to smuggle 1,564 packets of khat as they approached the Omani coast on board a fishing boat, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) reported.

The ROP reported that the accused have been referred to the Public Prosecution.

Everyone is encouraged to report to the ROP any suspi-cious activities related to at-tempts to smuggle drugs into the country, either through the hotline 1444 or the emer-gency number 9999.

Last month, the ROP launched an anti-smuggling action film, as they adopted Hollywood-style tactics to raise awareness to stress that everyone has a responsibility in fighting crime.

Speaking to the Times of Oman, a ROP official ear-lier called smuggling on the coasts “the biggest problem the police face.”

“One of the major prob-lems Oman faces comes not from within the country, but from outside,” he stated.

He said that the security of the nation is not only a responsibility of the police, but of all. “The citizen is an ally in ensuring security and cooperating with police offic-ers, under the banner that at some level, we are all police officers,” said the official.

21 expats arrestedIn another development, the ROP reported that police in Buraimi have arrested 21 foreigners of various Asian nationalities. Eleven among them are accused of illegally entering the country, four had their residence permits expired and six had fled their work places, ROP reported.

C R I M E

Bangladeshi airline suspends operations

Times News Service

MUSCAT: A private carrier of Bangladesh, United Airways, has suspended flight operations due to unavailability of aircraft. “As soon as the aircraft becomes service-able, flights will resume,” the air-line said in a posting on the Dhaka Stock Exchange on Thursday.

United Airways flies to Dhaka in Bangladesh three days a week from Muscat on Airbus 310 which has around 250 seats (all economy).

“Our choice has become limited now with the United Airways no more flying to Bangladesh,” said Nirmal Kumar Das, a Bangladesh expatriate living in Oman for the last 20 years. Das said he now has to depend on Oman Air or Bi-man Bangladesh for his flights to Bangladesh.

“Their service was good but sometimes, the flight used to get delayed from Muscat,” he said.

This is not the first time the private carrier has suspended its flight operations. Domestic and international flights of the airline remained suspended for several days in September 2014 following a conflict among its directors.

Launched in 2007, the private airline fleet of Bangladesh consists of 11 planes, including one Dash 8, three ATR 72s, five MD 83s and two Airbus A310s and operates in-ternational flights to Muscat, Jed-dah, Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, Kathmandu and Kolkata in India.

A travel agent said they had given refunds to all the people who had approached them after the flight cancellation started.

“While some people bought tickets for other airlines, oth-ers claimed the refund money as United Airways, the largest private airliner of Bangladesh cancelled their flights from Muscat,” a travel agent said.

In September 2014, it had to suspend operations for three days due to financial crisis.

P R I V A T E C A R R I E R

Our choice has become limited now with the

United Airways no more flying to Bangladesh

Nirmal Kumar Das, Bangladeshi expat in Oman

A3

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‘Being different is a beautiful thing’

TARIQ AL HAREMItariqh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Being different is part of a person’s uniqueness and often some people are not accepted for who they are due to their different lifestyles, thoughts and opinions. This forces them to hide behind a mask to fit into certain sections of society or community.

#Oman Pride features an am-bitious Youtuber, Ashwaq Saif Al Maskery, who aims to prove that there is an assured beauty in be-ing different and hopes to be part of the global community of Youtu-bers who inspire their followers.

“I want to show people that there is no harm in being differ-ent, that’s how we were made as humans,” said Al Maskery.

“Everyone lives different life experiences and we should re-spect their perspectives in life, whether we agree with them or not,” she added.

Her web-series, #Perspectives, is a social experiment in which she

asks random questions to stran-gers and documents their answers which show how people think dif-ferently about various subjects.

“Each episode features one question posed to people, with the different answers that it elicits. People really enjoyed it, so I de-cided to film season two in Oman,” she explained about the first sea-son of #Perspectives which was filmed in the United Kingdom.

Fearing “oblivion,” Al Maskery said one of her goals is to “influ-ence people positively” so that she wouldn’t be forgotten.

Life goalsShe said, “One of my ultimate life goals would be to reach as many people as possible and make them smile. That would mean the world to me.”

“I want to inspire people to be-lieve that they can do whatever it is they set their mind to do.

“I would ask people to experi-ment and try new things in life. If they enjoy it then they should go for it. If they don’t, then they shouldn’t continue with it be-cause they would probably be not so good at it,” she added, with some words of advice.

Al Maskery is a strong believer in uniqueness and individuality. In a society or a community that hardly ever supports a person’s creative or unusual goal target which is not a prime money mak-ing plan, is something one comes across very commonly.

“I want to remind people that you don’t have to study something to go and pursue it,” she said.

“Just do what you love, because that would be your greatest mo-tive to continue doing it. Do it for yourself because you love it; not for the views, the fame or the money because you wouldn’t be able to give it your everything and people will be able to see right through you,” added Al Maskery.

To follow Ashwag’s Youtube channel: Shog AL Mas

Twitter: @ElShog

Youtuber Ashwaq

Saif Al Maskery’s

web-series,

#Perspectives, is a

social experiment

in which she asks

random questions

to strangers and

documents their

answers which show

how people think

differently

Water research plan okayedTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Chaired by His High-ness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Advisor of His Majesty the Sultan and Chairman of The Re-search Council (TRC), the TRC Board has approved a proposal to establish a strategic research pro-gramme on water related research.

First meeting of 2016The approval came at the first meeting of the TRC 2016 held on Sunday at the headquarters of TRC in Al Othaiba and as part of a move to implement the recommenda-tions of the third Sultan Qaboos Science Chairs Symposium, organ-ised by the Sultan Qaboos Higher

Centre for Culture and Sciences.The Board granted approval, in

principle, of a proposal to estab-lish the Environmental Excellence Centre, in response to the need in the Sultanate to create a special-ised centre in environmental in-dustries, to include the study of the added value of waste.

Be’ah proposalThe step was proposed by Oman Environmental Services Hold-ing Company (Be’ah), to become a centre that provides innovative so-lutions and modern technologies for waste-related environmental challenges, and in order for it to be a platform to improve the capabili-ties of the environmental sector in

the Sultanate, to keep pace with global capabilities.

Summary reportBoard members were also briefed on the summary report on the progress of the strategic research programme on developing an inte-grated management for the Dubas Bug research Programme. They heard a follow up to the ex-ecution of the decisions of the third TRC Board meeting for the year 2015, including results of the second call of the Open Research Grant Programme for the year 2015, and the report of the eighth meeting of the International Ad-visory Board, which was held last October.

T R C B O A R D M E E T I N G

Civil Service Minister to take part in Dubai event

MUSCAT: Delegated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Sheikh Khalid bin Omar Al Marhoon, Minister of Civil Ser-vice will take part in the World Government Summit due to be held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Monday.

The three-day summit will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, United Arab Emirates Vice President, Prime Minister, Ruler of Dubai.

3,000 participantsMore than 3,000 participants from 125 countries will take part in the summit. Leaders, ministers, senior officials and experts from various countries around the world and interna-tional organisations will deliver speeches to explore means of developing government work according to latest develop-ments and future trends. -ONA

W O R L D S U M M I T

A4 M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

For detailed coverage log on to www.timesofoman.com

ERIK PRINSerik@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Did you know that the camera on your mobile phone was inspired by a Muslim intellectual called Ibn Al Haytham? That a scholar called Al Mawsili invented a way to treat the eye disease cata-ract, a technique which is still ap-plied in hospitals today?

That Muslim doctors invented medicines that eventually reached the West and influenced phar-macists there? And that the word ‘traffic’ comes from the Arabic word ‘taraffaqa’?

These and many other inven-

tions are showcased at the global exhibition, ‘1001 Inventions’, one of the highlights of the Muscat Festival this year, being held at Al Amerat Park.

It focuses on the scientific herit-age of the ancient Golden Age of Is-lamic civilisation, which produced Arab intellectuals and scientists like Al Razi, Ibn Sina, Ibn Al Hay-tham and others. The interactive displays as well as the staff, each of which portray an old inventor, in-troduce visitors to the significance of these age-old inventions which laid the foundation for many items we use today.

‘Abbas Ibn Farnas’, who was

known to have invented wings to be able to fly, told the Times of Oman that this is the first time the exhibition is being held in the Sultanate and that it was received very well by the public.

“Many people like this exhibi-tion, as it is both educational and interactive”, he said. “But it is also funny, as there are games children can enjoy here,” he said.

‘Ibn Farnas’ said that foreign visitors are often surprised to see such an exhibition in Mus-cat. “Many families visit more than once, as there is so much to see,” he said.

‘1001 Inventions’ has certainly surprised visitors to the Mus-cat Festival. Alaa Ali, an Omani, expressed her surprise at this exhibition.

So much to learn“I like it as there is so much to learn about these intellectuals who cre-ated something to make our lives better. I was not aware of these inventions having come from the

Muslim civilisation,” she said.Charry Deleon, a Philippine na-

tional, said she and her children very much enjoyed it.

“This is all new to me and my children love to play the games here. I am looking forward to go to other halls,” she said.

Justine King from France said such an exhibition is necessary to remind us of our heritage.

“I think we have a lot to learn about what happened in the past in this part of the world. We tend to forget about where the inventions came from. The younger genera-tion can particularly benefit from this exhibition,” she said.

‘1001 Inventions’,

focuses on the

scientific heritage of

the ancient Golden

Age of Islamic

civilisation, which

produced Arab

intellectuals

HIGHLIGHTING HERITAGE: ‘1001 Inventions’ has certainly surprised visitors to the Muscat Festival. – Talib Al Wahibi

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1,001 surprises for visitors

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Business groups upbeat on B2B

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: With just a day to go for Tuesday evening’s Back to Business (B2B) event, representa-tives of business groups are upbeat about the benefits of this major networking conclave.

Four of them who shared with the Times of Oman their views on the event were all appreciative of the opportunities the events brings to businesses.

“It’s the people who do business, and this event brings people to-gether. B2B enables businesses to achieve focused, practical oriented

interaction in a friendly environ-ment. It’s a must attend for busi-ness leaders in Oman,” Susan Rae, the chairperson of the Australian Business Group Oman (ABGO) said. Maggie Jeans from the Brit-ish Business Forum Oman said business is about networking.

“This event brings together all the business groups to give compa-nies the opportunity to make new contacts,” she added.

This year, we have the added stimulus of having the TED lead-ership theme and Drew Dudley as a speaker ,” she further said.

Galina Prokhina, from the Oman

American Business Centre, said over the past three years, B2B has evolved into a networking event platform which attracts various shareholders in Oman.

“This year, specifically, we ex-pect to have more local SMEs and social media activists to be pre-sent. Attending the event this year will provide you with the added opportunity to hear our guest speaker Drew Dudley on how eve-ryday leadership can change your life,” Prokhina said.

Around 400 to 500 participants are expected to attend the B2B net-working event.

Participants of the

Back to Business

(B2B) event are

appreciative of the

opportunities the

events brings

to businesses

Indian music director duo excited about Oman debutRAHUL DASrahuldas@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: World famous In-dian music director duo, Salim Sulaiman, who performed in the opening ceremony of the Fifa World Cup in 2010, is excited about their Muscat event this month.

The sensational musician brothers, who have composed music for more than 100 Bolly-wood films and television shows, will make their Oman debut at the City Amphitheatre, Qurum on February 19.

In an exclusive interview, the bothers said that they are excited, humbled and really looking for-ward to the Muscat event.

So much love “The people of Muscat have been giving us so much love ever since our songs hit the charts. We re-ally owe them a great concert and we are happy to have this oppor-tunity to give back love through our concert,” they told the Times of Oman.

One of the Bollywood’s hottest music directors, the duo said they will be performing some of their biggest hits from Chak De India, Kurbaan, Band Baaja Baarat, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Fashion, etc.

“We will also sing some of our Sufi devotional songs like Bismil-lah and Allahu Akbar, some old melodies from the 60s and 70s and end with a Punjabi dance mix. This is very special to us and we will make sure that the people of Muscat remember this concert for a long time to come,” they said.

Regarding their career in mu-sic, the brothers said they started their career as teenagers.

“Making music happened to us very early and we never realised that this passion would turn into our profession.

“We both grew up listening to similar artistes. We chose our in-struments in such a way that we complemented each other and

made music together,” they saidRegarding the way Bollywood

music and expectations from mu-sic composers have changed since they joined the industry, they said the film industry keeps going through different phases.

“We as composers have al-ways followed our hearts when it comes to composing. We always believed in making a good song rather than a hit song. We have never ever succumbed to any pressure,” they added.

Hollywood filmOn being roped in to compose for the Hollywood film Sold, they said they got a call one day from film maker Jeffery Brown and that was it. “We loved the story and everything else followed,” they added.

Regarding songs close to their heart, they named Ali maula and Yeh haunsla as being two very special numbers.

Akshay Chowdhary, Director of Light & Shadow Enterprises, said, “We are extremely happy to bring to Oman the dynamic duo that

has been scoring music for Hindi films for a long time now. They are among India’s top music com-posers, having scored for more than 100 films including Chak De India, Band Baaja Baaraat, Kurbaan, Heroine, Fashion, Aaja Nachle, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Fashion and Iqbal among others.”

Top singersThe Salim-Sulaiman concert will have an ensemble of 25 musicians performing on stage. “Some top singers from Bollywood, includ-ing top female singer Shweta Pan-dit, will be accompanying them,” Akshay said.

Steeped in a family tradition of music as the sons of composer and veteran of the film industry Sadruddin Merchant, Salim mas-tered the piano at the Trinity Col-lege of Music in London while Su-laiman took up tabla training with legends such as Taufiq Qureshi and Ustad Zakir Hussain.

They have also composed sev-eral records incorporating cin-ematic, folk, electronic and Sufi influences to their music. “They have really redefined the music scene in India,” Akshay Chowd-hary said.

Light & Shadow EnterprisesThe programme is being brought to Oman by the Sultanate’s event management agency, Light & Shadow Enterprises.

The presenter of the concert is Minara, a product of Areej Vegetable Oils and Derivatives (AVOD) S.A.O.G. “Over the years, we have made the effort to rede-fine entertainment in Oman.

Concerts such as Temptations Reloaded with Shahrukh Khan and Katrina, Akon’s Live Concert and Salman Khan’s event which we have done in the past have proved our organisational skills, set up abilities, production calibre and eye to detail. Continuing the tradition, we want this to be the biggest concert of the year,” said Akshay Chowdhary.

F E B R U A R Y 1 9

Salim-Sulaiman concert will have an ensemble of 25 musi-cians performing on stage.

Architecture, engineering forum beginsMUSCAT: First Forum of Ar-chitecture and Civil Engineer-ing of the Sultan Qaboos Uni-versity (SQU) Architecture and Civil Engineering Group was organised under the auspices of Eng. Salim bin Hamad Al Kyma-ni, CEO of Parson International Company Parson and in the presence of Prof. (Dr.) Khalifa Al Jabri, Head of the Civil and Architectural Engineering Department.

Raising efficiencyDr. Shaham Rajab Al Allush, Assistant Professor of Civil Ar-chitecture Department and the group’s supervisor said that this event is part of a series of student activities aimed at raising the ef-ficiency of university graduates, to activate the student’s role in university life, and to promote interaction between the univer-sity and companies and profes-sional institutions. The activities lasted for a day. -ONA

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OMANM O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

Citing rain and flood, a few years back, they started

to deny insurance. Due to climate change, every year,

we are experiencing two or three rains and floods

Hussain Juma Al Balushi, representative

of the merchants in Muttrah Souq

Bait Al Zubair brings together Omani and Italian musicians

Times New Service

MUSCAT: Bringing together some of the finest musicians from Oman and Italy, Bait Al Zubair is supporting a new musical collabo-ration between the two countries.

Partnering with the Omani Oud Hobbyists’ Association and the Italian Quintet “Nomos” with Emanuele Buzi, the two ensembles will perform famous melodies from Italian lyrical op-era, such as Rossini and Verdi, to contemporary music from Mor-

ricone, among others, and tradi-tional Omani pieces, along with selections the two groups will perform together.

In the words of the Ambassador of Italy to Oman, Paola Amadei,

“The concert ‘The Sounds of Italy and Oman’ is the result of a collab-oration I have promoted between the Conservatorio di Palermo, one of the most ancient Italian music academies, and the Oud Hob-

byists’ Association. At the same time, it is a starting point for clos-er artistic cooperation between Italian and Omani musicians who share not only a true love for mu-sic and for their cultural and ar-tistic heritages, but also a strong desire to share with us some of the melodies and rhythms character-istic of their music traditions.”

Two worlds meet and mergeThe musicians featured in this unique event are from two coun-tries that are apparently only dif-ferent in culture, but have great similarities that emerge in music - Italy and Oman.

The two worlds meet and merge through a repertoire of popular music with ancient roots for the acoustic guitar, Italian mandolin and the Arabian Oud.

The “Oud Hobbiysts’ Associa-tion”, founded in 2005 under the auspices of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, seeks to preserve and promote the musical heritage represented by the oud, an instru-ment particularly dear to Omanis.

The musicians of the “Oud Hobbyists’ Association” who will participate in the concert are Ni-bras Al Mullahi on the Oud, Wa-hab Al Dhanki, Kanun, Tahra Al Balushia, Violin, Nasser Al Kindi, Violin, and Ahmed Al Siyabion the Omani Percussion.

Quintet “Nomos” was estab-lished in 2011 by Emanuele Buzi, one of the most famous and tal-ented mandolinists on the inter-national scene - and includes, Raf-faele Pullara, Mandolin, Mauro Schembri, Mandolin/Mandola, Flavio D’Ambra, Guitar, Giovanni Gonfaloni, Guitar, and Andrea Scimè, Double Bass.

The Ensemble is strongly sup-ported by the Conservatory “Vin-cenzo Bellini” of Palermo, one of the oldest Italian conservatories and one of Italy’s most active chamber music groups.

The combination of European plucked string instruments, the mandolin and guitar with the oud, in the context of the tradi-tional music of Oman, can be seen as representing a particu-larly rare and significant dialogue between cultures.

The concert is made possible thanks to the support of the Ital-ian Embassy in Muscat, Bait Al Zubair Foundation, Oman Arab Bank, ValvitaliaSpA, Al Nah-dha Overseas L.L.C., and Sering International.

The musicians

featured in this

unique event are

from two countries

that are apparently

different in culture,

but have great

similarities that

emerge in music

UNIQUE EVENT: The combination of European plucked string

instruments, the mandolin and guitar with the oud, in the context

of the traditional music of Oman, can be seen as representing a

significant dialogue between cultures. – Supplied photo

‘ROP should act tough against violators’

He added that ROP should impose more fines and act tough against such violators.

“However, some might have an emergency case but they have to show proof once found guilty for driving in that lane as it is for the ROP to decide whether the case is fit for consideration,” said Al Shukaili.

Moreover, this lane is also used

by ambulances whenever they transfer patients in an emergency case to hospitals.

“How many cases were stuck and delayed because of the mis-behaviour of such motorists,” said Omar Al Wahaibi.

He added that such cases can-not bear any delay and should reach hospital as soon as possible. “ROP has to question such viola-

tors legally in case their behav-iour leads to serious end,” said Al Wahaibi.

A reliable source at ROP ex-plained that the reason for driving on the road shoulders is a viola-tion and yellow lines are sign for the end of road allocated for public use. “Such violators driving on the road shoulders show disrespect for others as the road shoulders

is allocated for everybody in case they face emergencies on road,” said the source.

He added that some years back, Public Prosecution in coordina-tion with ROP issued a statement that driving on the road shoulders is a violation and the case should be registered with the public pros-ecution and the violators status would be decided by the court.

E M E R G E N C Y U S E S

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Her Highness Sayyida (Dr) Mona bint Fahd Al Said, as-sistant vice-chancellor for inter-national cooperation, will be the guest of honour at the .Open Minds forum, which will be held at the Ballroom of the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah on February 10 and Feb-ruary 11. The .Open Minds thought leadership forum will see top glob-al speakers, including entrepre-neur Chris Gardner, Princess Bea-trice 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.

. O P E N M I N D S

< FROM

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Her Highness Sayyida (Dr)

Mona bint Fahd Al Said.

Sayyida Mona to grace .Open Minds forum

‘Perishable goods

should not be stored’

Moreover, the nature of the stock is also a big problem. If they are stocking risky items, then they should follow all kinds of safety measures set by the police. They do not do so and therefore, we can-not insure them,” the insurance company official said, adding that the stock is also a floating one, which is not audited properly in case of majority of the shops and warehouses in Muttrah Souq.

Hussain Juma Al Balushi, rep-resentative of the merchants in Muttrah Souq, said they are cursed to suffer these accidents when they are not covered by insurance companies.

“Citing rain and flood, a few years back, they started to deny insurance. Due to climate change, every year, we are experiencing two or three rains and floods. Al-ready, we are suffering huge losses in rains and in addition to that, these kind of fire accidents also cause immense damage and loss,” Al Balushi added.

Meanwhile, Tawfiq Al Lawati, Majlis Al Shura member from Muttrah, said the concerned au-thorities should step in to help the traders in Souq.

“Redesigning the souq can re-solve the issue to an extent. In ad-dition to that, traders should also be aware of the risks. Why do they stock items worth thousands of rials in Muttrah itself ? Why can’t they move it to Wadi Kabir or other areas? Risk can be avoided up to an extent if the traders act in a logical fashion,” the Shura member said.

Around 1,000 shops are nestled in Muttrah Souq, one of the old-est markets in Oman, dating back about two hundred years.

Muttrah Souq is a prototype of old Eastern markets, charac-terised by narrow winding alleys roofed with wood where handi-crafts like silverware, daggers, tra-ditional clothes, new apparel and shoes, in addition to the famous Omani sweets (Halwa), spices and braziers are sold.

M U T T R A H S O U Q

< FROM

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

Omantel regrets

temporary

service outage

Times News Service

MUSCAT: In order to enhance the customer experience, Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) would like to draw its customer’s attention that an upgrade of intelligent Network will be carried out on Tuesday (February 9, 2016) from 1:00 am to 3:00 am.

A temporary service out-age may be experienced by our valuable customers during the upgrade.

Omantel regrets any incon-venience this may cause and thanks its customers for their understanding.

N E T W O R K U P G R A D E

Times News Service

MUSCAT: The National Bank of Oman (NBO) has announced the launch of the second edition of its In-novation in SME Award for students, a competition designed to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs and support Oman’s wider economic diversification agenda.

N B O

SME award

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REGIONM O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

Syrian forces step up assault on Aleppo

ONCUPINAT (TURKEY)/BEIRUT: Aid trucks and ambu-lances entered Syria from Tur-key on Sunday to deliver food and supplies to tens of thousands of people fleeing an escalating gov-ernment assault on Aleppo, as air strikes targeted villages on the road north to the Turkish border.

Russian and Syrian forces in-tensified their campaign on rebel-held areas around Aleppo that are still home to around 350,000 people and aid workers have said the city - Syria’s largest before the war - could soon fall. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, said air strikes, thought to be from Rus-sian planes, hit around the vil-lages of Bashkoy, Haritan and Kfr Hamra north of Aleppo on Sun-day, the latter two lying near the road to Turkey. Russia’s interven-tion has tipped the balance of the war in favour of President Bashar Al Assad, reversing gains the re-bels made last year. Advances by the Syrian army and allied mili-tias, including foreign fighters, are threatening to cut off rebel-held zones of Aleppo.

“In some parts of Aleppo the Assad regime has cut the north- south corridor... Turkey is under threat,” Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted by the Hur-riyet newspaper as telling report-ers on his plane back from a visit

to Latin America. Turkey’s armed forces had the full authority to counter any threats to its national security, he said, although senior government officials have said the NATO member does not intend to mount any unilateral incursion into Syria. Powers in the region, which, like Turkey, want to see Assad removed from power, have expressed readiness to intervene with ground forces provided it is part of a co-ordinated interna-tional effort.

UAE ground troopsThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Sunday it was ready to send ground troops to Syria as part of an international coalition to fight against IS militants.

Saudi Arabia said last week it was ready to participate in any ground operations in Syria if the US-led coalition decided to start such operations.

Syria would resist any ground incursion into its territory, its for-eign minister said on Saturday.

Taking full control of Aleppo would be a huge strategic prize for Assad’s government in a five-year conflict that has killed at least 250,000 people across the coun-try and driven 11 million from their homes. It could also push a massive new wave of refugees to the Turkish border.

Turkey has kept an open-door policy to civilians fleeing Syria throughout the conflict but is coming under growing pressure from Europe to stem the flow of migrants, and from the United States to secure the border more tightly. It is already sheltering more than 2.5 million Syrians, the world’s largest refugee popula-tion. But at the Oncupinar cross-ing, which has been largely shut for nearly a year, the newest ar-rivals were being shepherded into camps on the Syrian side.

“If those (refugees) have come to our door and they have no other choice and if needed we will let those brothers in, we have to do that,” Erdogan was quoted as say-ing. Aid officials at the Oncupinar

border crossing said their efforts for now were focused on getting aid to the Syrian side of the border, where Turkish agencies have set up new shelters. “We’re extending our efforts inside Syria to supply shelter, food and medical assis-tance to people. We are already setting up another camp,” an of-ficial from the Turkish Humani-tarian Relief Foundation (IHH), which is funded by donations and carries out humanitarian work inside Turkey and abroad, told Reuters. “At the moment all our preparations are to make sure these people are comfortable on the Syrian side of the border.”

At a camp at Bab Al Salama, in-side Syria and across from Oncu-pinar, children played in the mud-dy lanes between rows of tents lashed by rain. Some were ripped and caked with mud, but others appeared to be newly set up.

A flag of the opposition Free Syrian Army fluttered over the road leading out towards the Syr-ian city of Azaz along which many of the displaced have travelled in recent days. Opposition fighters armed with Kalashnikovs wan-dered nearby. — Reuters

Turkey delivers aid

as tens of thousands

amass on Syrian side

of border; UAE says

ready to send

ground troops

Algerian lawmakers

pass proposed reforms

ALGIERS: Algerian lawmakers passed constitutional reforms on Sunday proposed by President Ab-delaziz Bouteflika after the 2011 protests, including reinstating a two-term limit for the presidency and boosting parliamentary powers.

Government officials said the amendments fulfilled Bouteflika’s promises to strengthen democ-racy, but opposition leaders dis-missed them as superficial tweaks to a system long dominated by the ruling FLN party and the military.

The FLN along with the RND and other pro-government parties hold a majority in both chambers of the parliament and 499 out of

517 lawmakers present voted in fa-vour, with 16 abstaining.

Several opposition parties boy-cotted the vote.

“The reforms we have started allow us to move to a new political and constitutional phase, based on democratic principles,” Bouteflika said in a statement read by the sen-ate chief on his behalf.

Approval of the reforms should prompt the naming of a new gov-ernment cabinet by Bouteflika, an independence-era veteran whose has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013 despite re-election in 2014 to a fourth term. — Reuters

S T R E N G T H E N I N G D E M O C R A C Y

Turkey has kept an open-door policy to civilians fleeing

Syria throughout the conflict but is coming under growing

pressure from Europe to stem the flow of migrants, and

from the United States to secure the border more tightly.

FOOD AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES: Ambulances enter Syria from Turkey at Turkey’s Oncupinar border

crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern city of Kilis, Turkey on Sunday. – Reuters

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INDIAM O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

We do not want youths to become job seekers. We want youths to become job creatorsNarendra Modi, Prime minister

Made-in-India vaccines for deadly Zika virus all set for testingNEW DELHI: The irony is com-plete, India has no reported cases of the dreaded Zika virus infec-tion, but is the first country in the world to have ready for testing not one but two vaccines against the virus that is causing nightmares in The Americas.

Whether the Zika breakthrough from India becomes a full-fledged vaccine or not will be known later, but for the first time an Indian company has been nimble, fast and foresighted to beat the western pharma giants on their own game.

One will have to wait and watch to see how the patent battle is fought, on this occasion the dice is already loaded in India’s favour.

This huge globally significant ‘Zika biotech moment for India’ could not have come at a more op-portune time, the country is cel-ebrating the 30th anniversary of the setting up of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) which start-ed in 1986, under the leadership of the tech savvy late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The then land of snake charm-ers, elephants, and the ‘Hindu rate of growth’ has now transformed into innovation hub with current Prime Minister Narendra Modi another tech-savvy, science loving leader who has given the big chal-lenge of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Start-up India’. The Zika virus vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech In-ternational Limited, Hyderabad

goes well beyond the prime minis-ter’s catchy slogans as it is truly a ‘made in India’ by Indians moment and the patent on the product is also Indian.

Unbelievable storyThe unbelievable story of the Zika virus vaccine breakthrough actually begins in 1996 with the remarkable tale of a middle class Tamilian farmer’s son who trained to be a molecular biologist at the University of Wisconsin-Mad-ison in USA deciding to come back to India.

Krishna Ella, now the chair-man-cum-managing director of Bharat Biotech was then egged by his mother to return to his mother-land from USA.

Ella recalls his mother saying, “Son, you only have a 9-inch stom-ach and how much ever money you make, you can’t eat more than that.You come back and do whenever you want, I will see to it that you get food! As long as I am alive, you will not starve.”

Then ‘start-ups’ were not sexy, yet Ella took the risks and today he commands a $100 million com-pany that specialises in vaccine production. Having mastered the making of the world’s cheapest hepatitis-B vaccine and the bulk supply of the oral polio vaccine of which Ella says he has supplied 3.5 billion doses among several other vaccines. Ella’s company also part-

nered with Indian government to make the first-ever Indian-made vaccine called ‘Rotavac’, a vaccine against an infectious diarrhoea disease caused by Rota virus that afflicts children. Ella being a sci-entist himself invests a lot in re-search and development and that is probably what led him start work developing vaccines against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Chikungunya both viral diseases that are mosquito borne.

Yet many believe the DBT has not lived up to its expectation in recent times since the most ur-gently-needed National Biotech

Regulatory Authority India Bill has been pending with the Parlia-ment almost shackling the sector to a huge slow down.

The one big success from the DBT was the piloting of the intro-duction of the genetically-mod-ified variety of cotton called Bt Cotton more than a decade ago, the first and only GM plant India has embraced.

The country then dithered when it debated the introduction of Bt Brinjal but then taking a moral high ground placed a ‘moratorium’ on its introduction.

Today the government tech-

nocracy of the biotech sector is unable to take a decision whether Indian farmers should be given an opportunity to grow GM Mustard, even as the country spends scarce foreign exchange importing edible oils. The Indian biotech sector is today worth about $7 billion and according to the National Bio-technology Development Strategy unveiled a few weeks ago, the tar-get is to make it into a $100 billion industry by 2025.

However, for that to happen relevant legislations need to be passed post haste.

In addition, what needs to be ensured is that executive pow-ers come back to rest with the executive.

India may be the only country in the whole world where the Su-preme Court has been deliberating for several years on whether ge-netically modified crops are good or bad for the country.

It is for governments to decide on such important national poli-cies, not judges of the apex court howsoever learned they may be.

Ultimately, trust has to be rested with experts by putting in place an impartial and transparent regula-tory system.

The real test of the government on whether it truly supports the Indian biotech sector would be-come tangible if it understands the huge first mover advantage that Bharat Biotech has given to

India through its foresight and disease forecasting ability to po-sition a Zika virus vaccine well ahead of others. As Union Sci-ence Minister Harsh Vardhan is fond of saying ‘IT’ meant ‘India Today’ and on the same lines ‘BT’ means ‘Bharat Tomorrow’ and for that to happen the ball is really in Prime Minister Modi’s court who can use his good offices to push for early assessment of the Indian Zikavac vaccines.

SupportElla requests that Modi himself intervene by supporting a pro-ject which embodies all of what Modi stands for ‘Make in India; Start-up India; healthy India’, he believes the visionary prime min-ister that Modi is, could use the first mover advantage that Bharat Biotech has given to India for what he describes ‘vaccine diplomacy’.Ella suggests that if Modi, who is known for his out-of-box foreign policy initiatives, can now win lots of diplomatic Brownie points by transferring the technology to a friendly country like Brazil which is reeling under the impact of the Zika epidemic.

Since as they say ‘a friend in need is friend indeed’ and today both South and North Ameri-ca could hugely benefit by In-dia’s large hearted magnanim-ity to mitigate a global health care emergency. - PTI

F I R S T C O U N T R Y

BREAKTHROUGH: A journalist takes images of a presentation on the Zika virus at a press conference in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Vaccines and bio-therapeutic manufacturer Bharat Biotech said it was developing two candidates for vaccines for Zika infection.-AFP

Congress posts FAQs on website to clear air on Herald issueNEW DELHI: Congress has come out with a set of ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ to present its side of the story regarding the National Her-ald issue as the party said that the Gandhis have not benefited finan-cially from Young Indian Ltd.

The party also dismissed as “absolutely false” the claim that Young Indian (YI) Ltd, the compa-ny formed in the wake of financial troubles concerning Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), was a “real es-tate company”.

Congress also underlined that there is no restriction in law on po-litical parties giving loans and the Election Commission had issued a clear order in this regard in No-vember, 2012.

Complaint dismissed“BJP leader Subramanian Swa-my had sought derecognition of Congress on this ground but his complaint was dismissed by a full bench order of the Election Com-mission” at that time, AICC said.

On whether Sonia or Rahul Gandhi benefited financially from

Young Indian, it said, “No. As di-rectors or shareholders of Young Indian, a non-profit, Section 25 company, they are prohibited by law from drawing (and have not drawn) any financial benefits from the company.”

It also denied that any assets were transferred from AJL to YI.

“All the assets and the income of AJL remain with the company. Not a single paisa has gone to YI, YI directors or YI shareholders,” it said in the FAQs on its website un-der the heading, ‘National Herald’. It rejected as “false” the claim that YI was created to usurp the prop-erty owned by AJL.

“On the contrary, Young In-dian, being a non-profit Section 25 company, as the major share-holder AJL, in fact, enhances the safeguards on the properties of the AJL,” it said.

On the claim by Finance Minis-ter Arun Jaitley that YI is a real es-tate company, it said the statement was “absolutely false”.

“Absolutely false. YI does not own a single real estate asset or

immovable property. AJL contin-ues to own all its assets. The al-legation is, therefore, completely baseless,” it said. Congress also de-nied claims that YI now owns the property of AJL.

“No, both Young India and As-sociated Journals Ltd are separate entities. All assets and properties

of AJL continue to remain with AJL. This allegation is akin to falsely alleging that a shareholder in Indian Hotels Ltd. has rights on hotel properties of the Taj Group and owns a particular hotel or can move into it!” the party said.

On the justification behind Con-gress giving loans of Rs90 crore to

AJL, the party maintained it has fi-nancially supported AJL over sev-eral decades through the financial ill- health of the company.

“This reflected the party’s com-mitment to support AJL, the voice of the freedom movement,” it said.

No commercial bank was willing to lend a single rupee to AJL due to the negative worth of the company, its “meagre income and its over-leveraged” balance sheet, it said. According to Swamy’s complaint, all who are named in the case were directors of YI, a company that was incorporated in 2010 and took over the “debt” of AJL, the publisher of National Herald.

‘Political move’Sonia and Rahul last week moved the Supreme Court seeking the quashing of the criminal case and summons issued to them and five others on several grounds, including that the complaint by Swamy in the National Herald case was a “politi-cal move” aimed to “defame” them. Congress also denied claims that YI now owns the property of AJL.

“No, both Young India and As-sociated Journals Ltd are separate entities. All assets and properties of AJL continue to remain with AJL. This allegation is akin to falsely alleging that a shareholder in Indian Hotels Ltd. has rights on hotel properties of the Taj Group and owns a particular hotel or can move into it!” the party said.

On the justification behind Con-gress giving loans of Rs 90 crore to AJL, the party maintained it has fi-nancially supported AJL over sev-eral decades through the financial ill- health of the company.

“This reflected the party’s com-mitment to support AJL, the voice of the freedom movement,” it said.

No commercial bank was willing to lend a single rupee to AJL due to the negative worth of the company, its “meagre income and its over-leveraged” balance sheet, it said. According to Swamy’s complaint, all who are named in the case were directors of YI, a company that was incorporated in 2010 and took over the “debt” of AJL, the publisher of National Herald. - PTI

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

IN TROUBLE: Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi leave the Patiala House Courts after a hear-ing in National Herald Case in New Delhi. - PTI file photo

Modi blames Congress for project delays, cost overruns

PARADIP (Odisha): Sharply crit-icising project delays of the past that lead to huge cost overruns, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said a new work cul-ture of conceiving and completing projects before time is needed to boost economic growth.

Rejecting opposition Congress’ charge that projects he has been inaugurating in recent months were all started during their time, he said as prime minister he would have been happy if the projects were completed 15 years back and led to creation of jobs.

Dedicating to the nation Indian Oil Corp’s Rs34,555-crore refin-ery here, Modi said the govern-ment is targeting reduction in oil import dependence by 10 per cent

by 2022 by creating policy envi-ronment that supports raising do-mestic output as well as by mixing bio-fuels like ethanol in auto fuels.

“It is very natural that I am happy to inaugurate projects. But as prime minister of a country, I don’t feel happy at all. I would have been happy if these works would have been completed 15 years back, when lakhs of people here would have got jobs,” he said.

He added that projects in the

country face obstructions in the form of court proceedings, tender process and sometimes agita-tions, making them very costly.

Development“For the development of the coun-try, we all — citizens, bureaucracy, industry and policy makers, have to give birth to such a culture where projects start on time, pro-gress within the scheduled time, and finish within the pre-decid-

ed time so that country gets the benefit, the benefit comes before scheduled time,” he said.

The government, he added, was “trying to bring in this change so that there is no serious loss to the exchequer because of delay.”

Initiatives have to be futuristic and completed before the desig-nated time period.

“Delays shouldn’t occur,” he said, adding that in the past, ideas originated 50 years back, would

take 10 years to put them on paper and conceived, a similar number of years to lay foundation stone and many more years before it is completed.

Modi said the Paradip refinery, whose foundation stone was laid by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2000, will cre-ate lakhs of jobs as it will manu-facture raw material for several industries, including plastics.

The government is promot-ing skill development, provid-ing finances to youth under the MUDRA scheme and giving in-centives under ‘Start Up India, Stand Up India’ initiative.

“We do not want youths to be-come job seekers. We want youths to become job creators,” he said, adding that under the MUDRA scheme, Rs1 lakh crore has been given so far.

Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd (MUDRA) is a new institution set up by the government to provide funding to the non-corporate, non-farm sec-tor income generating activities of micro and small enterprises whose credit needs are below Rs1 million. With the country depend-ent on imports to meet 79 per cent of its oil needs, Modi said oil im-ports have to be reduced. - PTI

Prime Minister

Narendra Modi said

a new work culture

of conceiving and

completing projects

before time is

needed to boost

economic growth

ELATED: Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at the crowd during his visit to Jagannath temple in Puri on Sunday. - PTI

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IIM-Lucknow achieves 100% final placementLUCKNOW: The Indian Institute of Management-Lucknow on Sun-day said it has achieved 100 per cent final placement for its 30th batch of 446 students in a record time of just over three days.

The recruitment drive saw par-ticipation from over 160 domestic and international recruiters, a re-lease by the institute said.

The highlight of the place-ment season was participation of esteemed firms like Alvarez & Marsal, BlackRock, Advisors, MasterCard and o3 Capital which marked the ascent of IIM-L as a preferred recruitment destination for marketing, finance and con-sulting roles in the country, it said.

Top segmentsThe top four segments based on roles offered were sales and mar-keting (25 per cent), finance (22 per cent), consulting (21 per cent) and business development includ-ing some extremely sought after and niche profiles in the finance domain. The rest of the offers came from domains such as operations/supply chain, general management (7 per cent), systems/IT (10 per cent), market research, analytics and Human Resources.

Some of the top recruiters across different sectors were Accenture, Aditya Birla Group, Amazon, Avendus, Flipkart, Hin-dustan Unilever, P&G, TAS and The Boston Consulting Group, the release said. - PTI

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Congress ‘intolerant’ towards mandate of people: Venkaiah

HYDERABAD: Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday ac-cused the Congress of being “intol-erant” towards mandate of people and indulging in excuses to block the bills and the Parliament pro-ceedings. “... there is no excuse at all...Congress should stop making excuses and blocking the bills.

Obstruction and blocking of the bills is blocking progress of the country. And it is Congress which is making excuses say-ing we are being not consulted,” the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.

“We never ignore anybody, we are consulting all parties. Ump-teen number of times, Congress has been spoken to. Even prime minister has invited Congress president and even I have been to the house of Congress President twice...there is no question of ig-noring,” Venkaiah said.

Inherited“What we inherited from Congress party is fiscal deficit, revenue defi-cit, trade deficit, current account deficit and above all trust deficit. Now those deficits are over and

India is moving forward and they should recognise that and should not find excuses to block the bills and block the Parliament,” he said.

The senior BJP leader accused the Congress of being “intolerant” to people’s mandate and asked the party to realise it and support the government.

“They (Congress) should func-tion democratically and they should understand the spirit of democracy and respect mandate of people. They are intolerant to-wards the mandate of the people. Mandate is for Modi, mandate

is for development and mandate is for good governance,” he said. Let the Congress also realise this and support the government, in-stead of bringing lame excuses, Venkaiah said. He sought to know where are the excuses (from the government side). Prime Minister Narendra Modi is moving ahead and now international recogni-tion and respect has come to India, he stressed.

Venkaiah said worldwide econ-omy has slowed down, but India is moving forward. India is the most favourite destination, according

to World Bank, ADB, IMF, World Economic Forum and everybody is saying with one voice.

“(There is) International slow down, China is going negative and India is moving forward...where is the question of finding excuses?” the Union minister asked.

CommentsHe was reacting to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s recent comments that the PM should stop making excuses and start running the country. Social se-curity measures are being taken up, he said, adding that 20 crore bank accounts were opened and PM crop insurance scheme has been launched. On the forthcom-ing Budget session, he said, “In the upcoming Parliament session my priority is GST bill, Real Estate Development bill, Bankruptcy bill. There are few more bills. I only hope the Opposition parties also join hands together to pass these progressive bills which will help the country,” Venkaiah said.

The GST in fact will increase the GDP by 1.5 to 2 per cent. That be-ing the case, I don’t think why any-body should oppose the bill, except for political reasons, he said.

“Obstructing the bill is obstruct-ing the progress and growth of the country and affecting the poor and common people. I hope the political parties understand this and come forward to support,” he added. - PTI

Union Minister M.

Venkaiah Naidu was

reacting to Congress

vice-president Rahul

Gandhi’s recent

comments that the

PM should stop

making excuses

and start running

the country

(There is) International

slow down, China is going

negative and India is

moving forward...where

is the question of

finding excuses?

M. Venkaiah NaiduParliamentary Affairs Minister

Indians taken hostage by IS in Mosul are alive: SwarajNEW DELHI: The 39 Indians taken hostage by IS more than one-and-a-half-years ago from Mosul in Iraq were alive, Ex-ternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told their families here on Sunday, based on her recent meetings with Arab and Pales-tinian leaders who indicated to this effect.

Swaraj, who had sought a meeting with the families which is the ninth since the ab-duction of these Indians in June 2014, also assured them that the government was “fully and con-tinuously engaged” and “every possible effort” was being made to ensure their release.

According to official sources, the minister told them that dur-ing a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the leader informed her that the “Indians are alive and made to work” in war-torn Iraq as per his government’s intelligence information.

The minister also referred to her visit to Bahrain on Janu-ary 23 for the first India-Arab League Cooperation Forum and said during the meeting, a declaration was adopted which said, “The two sides expressed concern at the kidnapping of 39 Indian workers in Mosul in Iraq in June 2014 and 3 Indian workers in Sirte in Libya in June 2015”. - PTI

K I D N A P P I N G

Mehbooba can’t keep guessing on government formation: OmarJAMMU: With no government in place in Indian-administered-Kashmir for exactly a month, Na-tional Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Sunday said PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti cannot keep the entire state “guessing” and must form a new government or be bold enough to snap alliance with BJP and face polls.

The former chief minister also made it clear that his party Nation-al Conference(NC) is not ready to support BJP in case the PDP-BJP alliance snaps.

He also wanted Mehbooba to clear the air on the Jammu and

Kashmir-specific Confidence Building Measures(CBMs) that she wants the Modi government to commit to create an atmosphere congenial for formation of the new government.

“Mehbooba Mufti has been qui-et for long and she can no longer remain silent. She must clarify her stand on two-three issues and clear the air as to what are those CBMs and how long she will wait for those Confidence Building Measures and why did the need of CBMs suddenly arise after the demise of Mufti Mohammed Say-eed,” he told reporters on the side-

lines of a function here. Omar said that National Con-

ference has been telling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) time and again that if they are not ready to form the government, they should be bold enough to break the alliance.

“We will go back to the people, but I am unable to understand the way of their leadership. They ask for Confidence Building Measures, but I am not sure that within the party people know or not, but out-side nobody knows what they have asked for,” he said.

He said that even BJP was not

aware of what PDP was asking for. “Even as BJP has said that please clearly tell us what you are asking for, so we too would want to know what are the CBMs which Meh-booba Mufti is asking for, and did they keep a timeframe, a deadline,” Omar said.

Ongoing stalemateWhen asked what could be the rea-son for the ongoing stalemate over the government formation and whether the PDP president was scared to lead the state, Omar said, “I don’t want to say whether she is scared or not.

“I want to say that she is a leader and she has to lead and she cannot follow, even if she is not ready to lead the state as of today then with conviction she should announce but she is not even saying no and not yes and has kept the entire state guessing”.

Omar said that although an elected government is not in place, the alliance between PDP and BJP is still intact.

“The agreement as far as our knowledge is concerned, the alli-ance (between BJP and PDP) still exists. We haven’t heard either from BJP or PDP that alliance has

been broken, so the alliance exists and if the alliance exists, then why not government (is formed).

“Agenda of the alliance was formed and Mufti sahab was made the chief minister. What has changed in the past ten months that today even though they have numbers in the assembly they are not ready to form the government”, he said.

Jammu and Kashmir has been without a government since the demise of Mehbooba’s father Muf-ti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7. The state came under Gover-nor’s rule the next day. - PTI

J A M M U A N D K A S H M I R

Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN.

A10

PAKISTAN M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

The Indians would love to visit Pakistan in

larger numbers...so both sides need to grow

up and make the process less cumbersome

Barkha Dutt, Indian TV journalist

ONE FOR THE ALBUM Pakistani weightlifters pose for a photograph during the 12th South Asian Games in Guwahati, India, on Sunday. — PTI

‘Benazir murder shocked Nawaz’

KARACHI: One of Benazir Bhut-to’s bitterest foes, Nawaz Sharif, was visibly shaken after the killing of the Pakistan Peoples Party lead-er as he flew in to Larkana follow-ing her assassination in December 2007. It seemed like a watershed moment for him.

This incident, amid other anec-dotes, was narrated by Indian TV journalist Barkha Dutt during the launch of her book, This Unquiet Land, on the second day of the 7th Karachi Literature Festival Satur-day morning.

Barkha was sure about Nawaz’s

reaction, because she had hitched a ride with the two-time prime minister from Lahore to Larkana.

When an audience member asked the journalist to share an-ecdotes about her experiences in Pakistan, she said once after in-terviewing Benazir’s husband, and future president, Asif Ali Zard-ari, she was told that nothing was recorded due a technical glitch. Barkha then went back to Zardari and for the first time saw his famed temper boil over as he threw the mike away and got really angry.

“After initially refusing to re-

record, he finally came around, thanks to my persistence,” re-membered Barkha. Barkha also informed the audience about how she came to Pakistan following the Abbottabad raid in 2011.

“I wasn’t getting a visa so I tweeted (then interior minister)

Rehman Malik about it and then got it,” she recalled, saying the move later became controversial.

Even before an audience mem-ber finished his question about In-dia’s ‘biased policy towards Paki-stani players in the Indian Premier League (IPL),’ Barkha cut him off,

saying, “the non-inclusion of Paki-stani players (in IPL) is a matter of shame.” Earlier, the session began with columnist Ghazi Salahuddin commending the award-winning journalist for her book’s ‘scoop’: the secret ‘deniable’ meeting be-tween the Indo-Pak premiers on the sidelines of the 2014 Saarc summit in Nepal.

Modi’s Pakistan policyDescribing Narendra Modi’s Pa-kistan policy as unconventional, Barkha said the Indian premier manages to surprise both his crit-ics and supporters when it comes to Delhi-Islamabad relations.

“This proves that he’s not play-ing to the script when it comes to Pakistan,” said Barkha.

She explained this philosophy better by answering a question later, saying “the BJP is strident in opposition and innovative in government.”

Criticising dynastic politics in both countries, Barkha said the present-day Bhuttos and Gandhis are out of sync with the changing electorate, adding that the Con-

gress (like the PPP in Pakistan)has no immediate future in politics.

When asked by the moderator to comment on rising extremism in her country, Barkha negated the notion saying “everything is amplified.” She admitted that in-tolerance has risen in the country but it is more than intolerance for the other religion, it is for any other point of view. It is now near impossible to have a civil conver-sation about anything owing to the ‘social media mobs’. “Intolerance of the other’s point of view” has in-creased, she said.

India’s future safeHowever, she acknowledged that India’s future is safe since people always push back the intolerance, thus ensuring that the state hov-ers in the centre and not towards any extreme.

Salahuddin lamented this lack of collective sense in Pakistan, saying the way Indian civil society came out to the streets in protest after the 2012 Delhi bus rape in-cident can never be replicated in Pakistan. — Express Tribune

This incident, amid other anecdotes, was

narrated by Indian TV journalist Barkha Dutt

during the launch of her book, ‘This Unquiet

Land’, during the 7th Karachi Literature

Festival on Saturday

ICON: Supporters of slain premier Benazir Bhutto gather on the

sixth anniversary of Bhutto’s assassination, at a rally in Lahore on

December 27, 2013. — AFP file photo

Leading clerics scramble to grab seats on advisory bodyISLAMABAD: Influential reli-gious scholars from across the country have begun muscling their way into acquiring a seat on the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) upon the retirement of 10 members of the advisory body, it emerged on Saturday.

A senior official of the council

said that seven members retired on January 22 and three will re-tire on March 2. The council is a constitutional body which offers recommendation to parliament regarding Islamic laws.

Currently, Maulana Muham-mad Khan Sherani of JUI-F is the chairman of the 20-member

body. Members are handpicked by the Prime Ministers Office for appointment on the council for a period of three years.

The offer of a lucrative salary package and the perks of protocol, expensive cars allure clerics from all schools of thought to vie for a seat. — Express Tribune

C O U N C I L O F I S L A M I C I D E O L O G Y

Police register report against PM’s top aides

ISLAMABAD: Police registered a criminal case on Saturday against top aides of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in connection with the kill-ing of two PIA workers as signs of discord appeared within the ranks of Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (Palpa) over the on-going strike against the govern-ment plans to sell off the national flag carrier.

Police registered a first investi-gation report (FIR) against several federal government officials, in-cluding Information Minister Per-vaiz Rashid, Privatisation Com-mission head Muhammad Zubai on the complaint of PIA Joint Action Committee Chairman Sohail Baluch.

PIA official Asif and another of-ficial Mama Maqsood have also been nominated in the FIR which includes charges of murder and at-tempted murder.

“A case has been registered on the court orders. Sohail Baluch is the complainant in the FIR,” con-firmed District Malir police offi-cial Rao Anwar. — Express Tribune

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CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONSLion dancers carry their costumes on the Eve of the Chinese New Year celebrations in Manila’s Chinatown, Philippines on Sunday. - Reuters

120 still trapped in rubble as Taiwan quake toll rises to 26

TAINAN: Rescuers pulled more survivors from a collapsed apart-ment tower in Taiwan on Sunday and kept searching for about 120 people still believed trapped in the rubble a day after a strong earth-quake shook the island.

Those found alive include a 20-year-old identified by Taiwan media as Huang Kuang-wei and another man in his 20s surnamed Kuo, who was able to walk out of the wreckage, supported by rescu-ers. Both were sent to hospital.

Firefighters, police, soldiers and volunteers combed through the ruins, some using their hands, watched anxiously by dozens of the victims’ family members who wore thick jackets, woollen hats and scarves to combat the winter chill.

Medical staff with empty gur-neys waited nearby.

“She’s not answering my phone

calls... I am trying to hold my emo-tions and stay strong. I’ll do that until I find her,” said a woman sur-named Chang, 42, waiting to hear from her 24-year-old daughter who lived on the fifth floor of the complex.

Another lady, who gave her fam-ily name as Li, said she thought a friend she met at a Buddhism class two years ago lived in the collapsed building. She has her cellphone number but has not called it, Li said.

“I’m afraid to. I’m afraid I’ll cry,” she said. At least 26 people are known to have died in the quake, which struck at about 4am on Sat-urday, at the beginning of a Lunar New Year holiday, with most found in the collapsed Wei-guan Golden Dragon Building in the southern city of Tainan.

Around 120 people are still be-neath the rubble of the commer-cial-residential block, with most them trapped deep in the wreck-age, the government said.

Bodies continue to be found, in-cluding those of two sisters, aged 18 and 23, Taiwanese media re-ported. The building’s lower floors pancaked on top of each other in the 6.4 magnitude quake and then the whole structure toppled, rais-ing immediate questions about the quality of materials and workman-ship used in its construction in the 1990s. President Ma Ying-jeou is scheduled to visit the disaster zone on Monday, the first day of the Lu-nar New Year.

Tsai Ing-wen, elected president in elections last month, will also visit Tainan the same day.

Tainan Mayor William Lai told reporters about 120 people are be-lieved still missing in the debris, with efforts focusing on some 30 people who are closest to the res-cuers and lighter equipment like drills being used.

The extent of damage to the Golden Dragon Building has raised questions.

Poor constructionLiu Shih-chung, Tainan city gov-ernment deputy secretary gen-eral, said television footage of its ruins suggested the possibil-ity of structural problems related to poor-quality reinforced steel and cement.

However, city officials have said it is too early to say for certain if poor construction was a factor in the collapse.

Authorities said the building had 96 apartments and 256 regis-tered residents, though more peo-ple were inside when it collapsed.

Rescuers wearing red and yel-low overalls have pulled more than 240 survivors from the ruins and inserted huge supports under slabs of leaning concrete as they searched for additional survivors.

Buildings in nine other locations in the city of 2 million people had collapsed and five were left tilting at alarming angles. - Reuters

At least 26 people are

known to have died in

the quake with most

found in the collapsed

Wei-guan Golden

Dragon Building

in the southern

city of Tainan

LUCKY: Rescue workers carry a woman on a strecher from a collapsed building after an earthquake in

Tainan, Taiwan, on Saturday. -PTI/AP

Malaysia’s new Twitter police target critics of prime ministerKUALA LUMPUR: Digitally savvy Malaysian police have been taking to social media to issue warnings to critics of scandal-hit Prime Minister Najib Razak in an unusual online campaign that crit-ics say is unlikely to work.

Najib is facing the biggest po-litical crisis in his seven-year pre-miership over a multi-billion dol-lar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and over deposits of $681 million in his private bank account.

DenialNajib, chairman of the 1MDB advi-sory board, has denied any wrong-doing and says he did not take any money for personal gain.

Attorney General Apandi Ali last week closed investigations of Najib and said the $681 million was a donation from a Saudi Ara-

bian benefactor and most of it had been returned.

That has not stopped Malay-sians taking to social media to voice their exasperation.

A caricature of Najib was widely shared recently.

The police responded within hours, with an online warning to the artist who drew it, Fahmi Reza, telling him they were watching his Twitter account and he should use it “prudently and in line with the law”, he said.

“The ruling elite of this country has always been intolerant to dis-sent. They’re always afraid of los-ing their throne,” Fahmi said.

“But the people have changed. The culture of protest and resist-ance is growing stronger.” Fahmi was not the first person to be warned over social media com-ment as the police for the first time

make use of Twitter to identify people who are being watched and caution them about repercussions.

“Action will be taken against individuals who spread false in-formation,” is a typical warning to appear on Twitter, often accompa-nied by the Twitter handle of the person it is being directed at.

Responding to criticism of the attorney general’s decision to drop the investigations of Najib, police told another Twitter user: “Inves-tigations will be carried out on the posts made by the owner of this Twitter account”.

A police spokeswoman con-firmed that the Twitter account is-suing the warnings was an official Malaysian cyber unit account but she declined to comment on spe-cific warnings, such as the one is-sued to Fahmi.

She referred queries to the head

of the police cyber unit but he de-clined to make any immediate comment. The Home, or interior, Ministry which is in charge of the unit, did not respond to a request for comment. ‘Naive’ Najib has taken steps that critics say are aimed at stemming opposition.

He sacked a deputy prime min-ister who was critical of him, re-placed a former attorney-general and authorities have suspended some media and blocked websites.

Asked to comment on criticism of suppression of dissent, Minister of Communications Salleh Said Keruak said police and the com-munications regulator were en-forcing the law.

“It is not a crackdown. We are just doing the ordinary enforce-ment,” he said, adding that author-ities had taken action in nearly 3,000 cases last year under a tel-

ecommunications and multime-dia act.

CriticismNajib’s Facebook page has over the months been flooded with criti-cism and calls on him to resign.

A former cabinet minister, Rafi-dah Aziz, said in a Facebook post on Monday that cracking down online would not work.”It is so very naive to think that shutting down blogs and intervention in so-cial media will actually stop people from talking,” she said.

Salleh said the authorities took the law seriously. “It is an offence...to upload any comment, request, suggestion or other communica-tion which is obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person,” Salleh said. - Reuters

O N L I N E W A R N I N G

Filmmaker seeks to rekindle lost pride in soccer

KUALA LUMPUR: In a coun-try that pays as much attention to England’s soccer Premier League as it does to local politics, one film director is seeking to rekindle lost pride in a national game that has languished in the doldrums for four decades.

Top-grossing Malaysian film-maker Chiu Keng Guan’s new movie Ola Bola! opened on Jan-uary 28 in cinemas nationwide with the tagline “You Will Be-lieve Again”. Belief, however, is in weak supply among football-made Malaysians as the country slides down the global rankings of governing body FIFA.

“I want to bring back the golden era. We have to believe in something to go further,” said Chiu, whose last movie The Journey raked in 17 million ringgit ($4.12 million) and set a Malaysian box office record in 2014. Malaysia reached the ze-nith of its success in 1972 when it qualified and played in the first round of the Munich Olym-pics, beating the United States 3-0 but losing to 0-3 to West Germany and 0-6 to Morocco.

The match that defined the “Golden Era”, however, was Ma-laysia’s 2-1 victory over South Korea before thousands of ec-static fans that earned them a spot in the 1980 Moscow Olym-pics — a tournament that, alas, they ended up not attending.

Malaysia sat 171st in world rankings in January, nearly 100 spots adrift from 79th place in 1993. Fans blame decades of mismanagement by football au-thorities. - Reuters

M A L A Y S I A

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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

UNUSUAL CAMPAIGN: Malay-

sia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak

is facing the biggest political

crisis in his seven-year premier-

ship over a multi-billion dollar

scandal at state fund 1Malaysia

Development Berhad and depos-

its of $681 million in his private

bank account. - Reuters file photo

UN rights chief meets Lankan Tamil leaders

COLOMBO: The UN human rights chief travelled to Sri Lanka’s Northern Province on Sunday and met with ethnic Tamil lead-ers who sought his help in finding out the fate of over 4,000 civilians reported missing during the brutal civil war.

UN High Commissioner for Hu-man Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, who is in Sri Lanka on a four-day visit, met Northern Governor HMGS Palihakkara and Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran.

“The discussions very much focused on the challenges and the problems faced, plans and achievements in connection with the region and people who aspire to see more information in terms of those missing and detained,” Hussein told reporters. During his meeting with Wigneswaran in Jaffna, the issue on political pris-oners was discussed.

Wigneswaran later said Hus-sein’s visit to the North has given some hope for the political prison-ers. The UN official assured that he will raise their concerns with the government in Colombo. “These discussions will continue today and tomorrow with the highest po-sitions of the state,” Hussein said. According to UN figures, up to 100,000 people were killed in the three-decade long civil war with hundreds still missing. - PTI

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UN group’s unjustified protection of AssangeNoah Feldman

In an astonishing report, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has accused Sweden and the UK of arbitrarily

detaining Wikileaks founder Julian Assange be-cause of a sexual-assault investigation against him in Sweden.

To be sure, it’s unknown whether he’s guilty of the charges. Likewise, it’s impossible to know whether Assange criminally conspired with US Army Private Bradley Manning to steal classi-fied material, or whether Assange and Wikileaks simply published that material in a manner that should be protected by the First Amendment.

But what seems highly likely is that Assange’s detention is anything but arbitrary — it’s because of the investigation of serious crimes.

The working group, which is under the high commissioner for human rights, only Friday made public the report it wrote in December.

It recites the basic facts: Swedish prosecutors began to investigate Assange in 2010 “based on allegations of sexual misconduct,” which is a bit of an understatement because the charges were for rape. The prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant. Assange was detained by British authorities in Wandsworth Prison, and apparently held in isolation for 10 days. Then Assange was put under house arrest in the UK for 550 days. Given that he was a flight risk, home detention seems like a proportionate and humane response to the situa-tion, not a rights violation.

In the meantime, Assange sought asylum from Ecuador — not on the grounds that he shouldn’t be prosecuted for rape in Sweden, but on the specula-tive grounds that from Sweden he might be extra-dited to the US where he would be prosecuted for conspiring with Manning. He’s been in the Ecua-dorian Embassy in London ever since.

To be sure, Assange isn’t under indictment in the US — not even a sealed indictment, federal prosecutors have said. A Department of Justice investigation of his conduct is ongoing. His Ecua-dorean asylum is thus a way for him to escape the sexual-assault charges in Sweden.

So what’s arbitrary about all this, according to the working group? Assange spent 10 days in prison, more in house arrest and is now in the Ec-uadorian Embassy. But a legally legitimate arrest

warrant was issued for him. And he was a flight risk. Under those circumstances, house arrest wasn’t arbitrary, and was surely quite reasonable when compared with prison. His “detention” in the embassy is an attempt to avoid a valid warrant. Formally speaking, it probably isn’t detention at all — and it’s certainly not arbitrary.

The basis for the working group’s conclusion is that “Sweden is obliged by applicable law and Convention obligations to recognise the asylum granted to Assange, and no exceptions apply.” The reason Sweden is supposed to recognise Ecuador’s asylum offer is that, in the judgment of the working group, “Mr. Assange faces a serious risk” of being extradited to the US

What would happen to Assange in the US? Ac-cording to the working group, all that matters is that according to Ecuador, Assange faces “a well-founded risk of political persecution and cruel, in-humane and degrading treatment.”

So there’s the complete logic of a working group’s report: Assange might be charged with a crime in the US Ecuador thinks charging him with violat-ing national security law would amount to “politi-cal persecution” or worse. Therefore Sweden must give up on its claims to try him for rape, and the UK must ignore the Swedes’ arrest warrant and let him leave the country.

Sweden responded to inquiries from the work-ing group by explaining, very reasonably, that there was no extradition order before it. And if it had one, it would make sure it could extradite Assange to the US in a way that was consistent with its inter-national obligations before it did so.

What’s more, Sweden pointed out that inter-national law doesn’t recognise a right of diplo-matic asylum in an embassy, like the one Assange claims. It added that no one thinks it’s a good grounds for asylum for someone charged with a nonpolitical crime like rape.

All this is legally correct. So is the British gov-ernment’s explanation to the working group that it doesn’t recognise diplomatic asylum, and that Assange’s residency in the Ecuadorian Embassy to escape arrest itself violates UK law. — Bloomberg View

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Wrong to suspend Jet Airways crew over Nigam song This refers to the news Jet Airways suspends five cabin crew over Sonu Nigam’s in-flight singing (February 6). The suspension of the crew by the authorities is really unfortunate. It is too harsh to punish

the crew for allowing Sonu Nigam to sing in the flight. This should be considered as an occasional incident as it was only a short time in-flight entertainment. The passengers were lucky to listen to Sonu live on board a flight. Though the announce-ment and inter-phone systems in a flight are tools for safety information, the singer was allowed to use it with the permission of the crew members. The crew should be spared from punishment as no passenger has complained against the incident. — P. A. Jacob, Muscat

Players indulging in foul play should not be part of official teams This refers to the news Pakistan’s Shah banned for three months for doping offence (February 7). For the past few years, every now and then, Pakistani cricket players

have been banned or suspended for one thing or the other. It is a pity to see a small number of individuals tarnishing a great sport playing nation just for a bit of more fame. Instead of reinstating such players by saying they have moved on, they should never be part of national teams. — Khalid Dildar, Seeb

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Oman, Morocco to boost cooperationMUSCAT: The Omani-Moroccan joint committee held its first ses-sion meeting at Al Ghubrah guest house here yesterday under the chairmanship of His Highness Sayyid Faisal bin Ali Al Said, minister of natural heritage and culture; and Mohammed bin Isa, Moroccan foreign affairs and cooperation minister. Sayyid Faisal welcomed the guest and his delegation wishing the joint committee success. He also stressed the depth of bilateral relations. He hoped that the committee would achieve cooperation in economic and trade fields between the two countries, nothing that the two countries had previously cooper-ated in education and renovation of Omani historical landmarks.

1904: In a surprise attack at Port Arthur, Korea, the Japanese disable seven Russian warships.

1943: British General Orde Wingate leads a guerrilla force of “Chindits” against the Japanese in Burma.

1971: South Vietnamese ground forces, backed by American air power, begin Operation Lam Son 719, a 17,000 man incursion into Laos that ends three weeks later

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By so openly declaring their allegiance to Hillary Clinton,

with her bird-in-hand approach, Democratic Party’s leaders are

pushing away people who could have been its future. What they

think of as unity, those attracted to Bernie Sanders’ idealism see as

another sign that the game is rigged

LEONID BERSHIDSKY

With Zika, stocks of travel companies have already slumped ‘after US healthofficials warned

pregnant women and those planning pregnancies against visiting affected areas such as

Brazil, Puerto Rico and Barbados’, which is particularly bad news for

recession-ridden Brazil

MAC MARGOLIS

Populist leaders share the Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin’s

belief that ‘politics must take precedence over economics.’

Indeed, they value it over every other kind of policy consideration.

Politics is not a means to an end, but the air they breathe, and

policies are merely instruments in their endless struggle to stay alive

JACEK ROSTOWSKI

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

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

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

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FUND-CRUNCHED: A Malawian trader counts money as he sells maize near the capital Lilongwe, Malawi last Monday. Floods and an El Nino-triggered drought have hit the staple maize crop, exposing the

fragility of Malawi’s progress, which was partly rooted in a fertiliser grant for small-scale farmers that the government, now starved of donor funds, can ill afford. – Reuters

LILONGWE: As she walks along a dirt road in central Malawi, Louise Abale carries her precious maize wrapped in a brightly coloured cloth and balanced on her head.

Because of drought in Malawi and across southern Africa the grain has doubled in price in the space of a year, and now costs around $0.28 (200 kwacha) a kilo.

Like many, Abale is struggling to pay for maize, a staple of the diet, and says her own - stunted - crop will not be ready for harvest for two months. “It’s too expensive, I have almost no money,” she said.

In all 2.8 million people in Ma-lawi, or 17 per cent of the popula-tion, now face hunger, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

Drought and floods have hit the maize crop, exposing the fragility of gains which had seen Malawi’s rates of malnutrition slashed in the past two decades.

Starved of donor fundsThat progress was partly rooted in a fertiliser grant for small-scale farmers. But now the gov-ernment, starved of donor funds following a graft scandal over two years ago, can ill afford such payments and says it must scale down the programme.

Ironically, policies aimed at en-suring basic food security are partly to blame for a cycle of rural poverty and aid dependency in this land-locked African nation, leaving the population vulnerable to climate shocks, economists say. “There is no doubt that the fertiliser subsidy was only feasible due to donor sup-port,” said Ed Hobey, an analyst at Africa Risk Consulting. “At best, it was unsustainable without contin-ued donor support, at worst, it was an illusion built on aid.”

Launched in 2005, the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) provides qualifying farmers —

those with limited income but a plot of productive land - with two coupons which can be redeemed for two 50-kg bags of fertiliser. The recipients make a modest contri-bution, with the government foot-ing most of the bill.

Because the government is sub-sidising the production of maize - the main source of calories for many poor households — it also bans the export of the grain.

The programme is credited by the government and some aid agencies with lifting maize pro-duction and cutting hunger.

The data appear to back that up.The United Nations Food and

Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says the percentage of Malawi’s malnourished population fell to 21.8 per cent in 2012-14 from 45 per cent two decades earlier.

But FISP’s role here is difficult to untangle as most of those gains were made before 2005. Still, there is evidence of benefits, including indirect ones. Stunting among Malawi children — a key nutrition measure — fell to 42.4 per cent in 2014 from 49 per cent in 2002.

But the programme has also had unintended consequences.

The focus on food security, in-cluding the ban on maize exports, has discouraged investment in more productive commercial farming methods.

Concern“Our concern with the export ban is that it limits the scope to expand production among more medium and large-scale farms if they are unable to market the surplus,” said Richard Record, World Bank Senior Country Economist, World Bank in Malawi.

In the long run such a ban stunts food production, especially in an age of increasingly high-tech farming, economists say.

FISP also diverted state funds from other areas.

In all, FISP has accounted for as much as 9 per cent of government expenditure and over half the ag-ricultural budget, leaving scant funds to invest in rural transport links and other projects that would benefit the countryside.

“The FISP was not matched by

increased investment in rural in-frastructure especially roads and irrigation,” said Hobey of Africa Risk Consulting.

This retards development of other sectors in the farm value chain, such as canning, which can kick-start industrialisation, econ-omists and analysts say.

Initially FISP met its objec-tive: providing calories to the ru-ral poor. Between 2007 and 2014 Malawi produced bumper maize crops, with surpluses recorded since 2007 — until last year.

A study in the The American Journal of Agricultural Economics found a 15 per cent boost in maize production under FISP coincided with a 15 per cent decrease in the amount of land devoted to the grain. This suggests small-scale farmers diversified to cash crops such as tobacco and cotton.

Today FISP is no longer viable, government officials and analysts say. Donor funds for the budget have dried up in the wake of a scandal over two years ago dubbed “cashgate”, in which state officials siphoned millions of dollars.

“We are going to have to be scal-ing down expenditure on FISP, we are reacting to diminishing re-sources of funds for the budget,” Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe told Reuters. Belt tightening is underway, though the number of FISP recipients has remained un-changed at 1.5 million.

Instead of paying $0.70 (500 Malawian kwacha) toward the two 50kg bags of fertiliser subsidised, Gondwe said farmers would now pay 3,500 kwacha. The cost of a bag is around 20,000 kwacha.

UnaffordableSeveral subsistence farmers inter-viewed by Reuters in their fields said they could not afford the 3,500 kwacha, let alone the full cost.

The price for fertiliser has surged as it is imported and the kwacha has been sliding against the dollar, losing 63 per cent in the past 12 months.

Gondwe said the programme this financial year would cost 54 billion kwacha instead of an origi-nal estimate of 40 billion, plus an additional 8 billion rand for seeds.

To be sure, FISP has helped in-dividual farmers, such as Salome Banda. Five years ago, Banda made the transition from subsistence farming to producing a surplus of maize for market because she re-ceived the grant once.

“I have not had it since 2010 but I can buy my own fertiliser now,” she told Reuters as she stood proudly by 50kg bags of her maize stacked in a warehouse north of Lilongwe. She said one FISP grant tripled her production that season.

For others, the benefits have not translated into such gains - and even Banda, while she produces surpluses, has hardly made the leap to more productive, technical farming.

“When I got FISP, I fed all my children,” said Matezenji Watsoni, a 35-year-old mother of seven, as she waited outside a World Food Programme relief station in a rural Lilongwe suburb for a 50kg bag of maize.

“But this is the third year I have not had it, and it has brought hun-ger to my house,” she said.

This year a perfect storm is brewing after a decade of maize surpluses turned into a deficit of 225,000 tonnes in 2015, in a coun-try that consumes 3 million tonnes annually. The harvest this season looks set to be even worse.

Another unintended outcome of the FISP is that by subsidising peasant farming, people have an incentive to remain on the land, adding to rural population pres-sures. Late rains have clothed cen-tral regions in simmering shades of green but this idyllic image be-lies the late start to the summer planting season and the grinding poverty of rain-fed, hand tilled ag-riculture.

Malawi, which has done little to industrialise, is also barely urban. In 1990, 88 percent of the popula-tion was rural, a number that was 84 per cent in 2014, according to World Bank data. Sub-Saharan Af-rica as a whole is 63 per cent rural.

Asked about industrialisation, finance minister Gondwe, a jovial septuagenarian, looked almost be-mused. “It will take time to indus-trialise. But don’t forget this coun-try cannot even make a needle. So to base your policy on that prob-ably is asking too much.” — Reuters

Focus on basic food

security hampered

wider development;

subsidy for small-

scale farmers at risk

as aid taps run dry

The price for fertiliser has surged as it is imported

and the kwacha has been sliding against the dollar,

losing 63 per cent in the past 12 months.

LATE RAINS: Subsistence farmer Nelson Sikanawawe walks through his field of maize after late rains near the capital Lilongwe, Malawi

last Monday. – Reuters

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2.8M FACE HUNGER AS DROUGHT AND FLOODS HIT MAIZE CROP IN MALAWI

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FRANCE: Waves crash against the sea front in Wimereux as strong winds battered northern France, on Sunday. — Reuters

INDIA: Brides pose for a selfie as they wait for the start of a mass marriage ceremony in Ahmedabad, India, on Sunday. A total of 84 Mus-

lim couples from various parts of Ahmedabad on Sunday took wedding vows during the mass marriage ceremony organised by a Muslim

voluntary organisation, organisers said. — Reuters

UNITED STATES: A general view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the skyline of downtown San Francisco prior to Super Bowl 50 between

the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers on Saturday. — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters

TUNISIA: Tunisian soldiers particpate in an exercise along the

frontier with Libya in Sabkeht Alyun, Tunisia on Saturday. — Reuters

BRAZIL: Revellers parade for the Unidos do Peruche samba school

during the carnival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday. — Reuters

UNITED STATES: Members of the US military drive past Levi’s

Stadium before NFL Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California,

United States, on Saturday. — Reuters

CHINA: A passenger walks inside a station of the Subway Line

Number 1 on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, in Beijing,

China, on Sunday. — Reuters

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North Korean long-range rocket puts ‘satellite’ into polar orbit

SEOUL: North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Sunday carrying what it called a satellite, but its neighbours and the United States denounced the launch as a missile test, conducted in defiance of UN sanctions and just weeks af-ter a nuclear bomb test.

The US Strategic Command said it had detected a missile en-tering space, and South Korea’s military said the rocket had put an object into orbit.

North Korea said the launch of the satellite Kwangmyongsong-4, named after late leader Kim Jong Il, was a “complete success” and it was making a polar orbit of Earth every 94 minutes. The launch or-der was given by his son, leader Kim Jong Un, who is believed to be 33 years old. The launch prompted South Korea and the United States to announce that they would ex-plore the feasibility of deploying an advanced missile defence sys-tem in South Korea, which China and Russia both oppose, “at the earliest possible date.”

CheeringNorth Korea’s state news agency carried a still picture of a white rocket that closely resembled a previously launched rocket, lift-ing off. Another showed Kim sur-rounded by cheering military of-ficials at what appeared to be a command centre.

North Korea’s last long-range rocket launch, in 2012, put what it

called a communications satellite into orbit, but no signal has ever been detected from it.

“If it can communicate with the Kwangmyongsong-4, North Korea will learn about operating a satel-lite in space,” said David Wright, co-director and senior scientist at the Global Security Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“Even if not, it gained experi-ence with launching and learned more about the reliability of its rocket systems.”

The rocket lifted off at around 9:30am Seoul time (0030GMT) on a southward trajectory, as planned. Japan’s Fuji Television Network showed a streak of light heading into the sky, taken from

a camera at China’s border with North Korea.

North Korea had notified UN agencies that it planned to launch a rocket carrying an Earth obser-vation satellite, triggering opposi-tion from governments that see it as a long-range missile test.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the launch, at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea, diplomats said.

Isolated North Korea had ini-tially given a February 8-25 time frame for the launch but on Satur-day changed that to February 7-14, apparently taking advantage of clear weather on Sunday.

North Korea’s National Aero-space Development Administra-tion called the launch “an epochal event in developing the country’s science, technology, economy and defence capability by legitimately exercising the right to use space for independent and peaceful purposes”.

The launch and the January 6 nuclear test are seen as efforts by the North’s young leader to bolster his domestic legitimacy ahead of a ruling party congress in May, the first since 1980.

North Korea’s embassy in Mos-cow said in a statement the coun-try would continue to launch rock-ets carrying satellites, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.

South Korea and the United States said that if the advanced missile defence system called Terminal High Altitude Area De-fence (THAAD) was deployed to South Korea, it would be focused only on North Korea. South Ko-rea had been reluctant to discuss openly the possibility of deploying THAAD. “North Korea continues to develop their nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, and it is the responsibility of our Alliance to maintain a strong de-fense against those threats,” Gen-eral Curtis M. Scaparrotti, US Forces Korea commander, said in a statement. “THAAD would add an important capability in a layered and effective missile defence.”

China, South Korea’s biggest trading partner, repeated what it says is “deep concern” about a sys-tem whose radar could penetrate its territory. South Korea’s military said it would make annual military exercises with US forces “the most cutting-edge and the biggest” this year. North Korea objects to the drills as a prelude to war by a Unit-ed States it says is bent on toppling the Pyongyang regime.

The United States has about 28,500 troops in South Korea.

US Secretary of State John Ker-ry said the United States would work with the UN Security Coun-cil on “significant measures” to hold North Korea to account for what he called a flagrant viola-tion of UN resolutions on North Korea’s use of ballistic missile technology. South Korea’s navy retrieved what it believes to be a fairing used to protect the satel-lite on its journey into a space, a sign that it is looking for parts of the discarded rocket for clues into the isolated North’s rocket pro-

gramme, which it did following the previous launch. China expressed regret over the launch and called on all sides to act cautiously and refrain from steps that might raise tension. China’s Foreign Min-istry said late on Sunday that it had summoned the North Korean ambassador to “make represen-tations and make clear China’s principled position”.

China is North Korea’s main ally, but it disapproves of its nu-clear weapons programme.

Russia, which has in recent years forged closer ties with North Korea, said the launch could not but provoke a “decisive protest”, adding Pyongyang had once again demonstrated a disregard for norms of international law.

“We strongly recommend the leadership of the Democratic Peo-ple’s Republic of Korea think about whether a policy of opposing the entire international community meets the interests of the country,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the launch and urged North Korea to “halt its provocative actions”.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said it was an unforgiv-able act of provocation. Australia condemned what it called North Korea’s dangerous conduct while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch was “abso-lutely unacceptable”, especially after the North’s nuclear test last month. North Korea has said that its fourth nuclear test was of a hy-drogen bomb. The United States and other governments have ex-pressed doubt over that claim. North Korea is believed to be working on miniaturising a nucle-ar warhead to put on a missile, but many experts say it is some way from perfecting such technology.

It has shown off two versions of a ballistic missile resembling a type that could reach the US West Coast, but there is no evidence the missiles have been tested. — Reuters

South Korea, US to

discuss deploying

THAAD missile

defence as China

voices ‘deep concern’

Sudanese migrant stabs Israeli soldier, shot deadOCCUPIED JERUSALEM: A Sudanese migrant in Israel stabbed and wounded a soldier in an apparent act of solidarity with Palestinians and was shot dead, police said.

If that motive is confirmed, it would be the first such attack by a foreigner during a four-month-old surge of Palestinian street vio-lence fuelled in part by anger at perceived Jewish encroachment on a occupied Jerusalem mosque.

In the occupied West Bank, a tent used as a synagogue near an Israeli outpost was the target of a suspected arson attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called at the weekly meeting of his cabinet on Sunday for international condemnation of “this heinous act” and said it should equal the outcry over the desecration of mosques by sus-pected Jewish militants in re-cent years.

Police, commenting on the stabbing in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, said the suspect lightly wounded a soldier at a bus

station and fled, pursued by an-other soldier who shot him.

“The behaviour, the loca-tion, the flight, the targeting of a soldier - all of these add up to a nationalistic attack,” Ashkelon police chief Shimon Portal told reporters,. Before he died, the wounded suspect “mumbled a few unclear statements in Arabic but otherwise did not say a word,” Portal said. A police spokeswoman

said efforts to identify the suspect “thus far” had determined he was Sudanese. She did not elaborate on what he had been doing in Israel.

Thousands of Sudanese have entered Israel illegally through neighbouring Egypt in recent years, some seeking work and others asylum. Israel’s efforts to repatriate them have been ham-pered by the fact it has no ties with Sudan. — Reuters

V I O L E N C E

Australian woman kidnapped in Burkina Faso freed in NigerNIAMEY: An elderly Australian woman kidnapped with her hus-band in Burkina Faso by a group affiliated to Al Qaeda has been freed, neighbouring Niger’s Presi-dent Mahamadou Issoufou said on Saturday.

Issoufou presented the woman, Jocelyn Elliott, at a news con-ference in Dosso, southwestern Niger, and said authorities were intensifying efforts to secure the release of her husband.

The pair were seized on Janu-ary 15. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said on Friday it had kidnapped the couple and would release the woman uncondition-ally due to public pressure and

guidance from Al Qaeda leaders not to involve women in war.

The circumstances of her re-lease and how she arrived in Ni-ger were not immediately clear.

GratefulFor over 40 years, Dr Ken Elliott and his wife, who are in their 80s, have operated a 120-bed clinic in the town of Djibo near Burkina Faso’s border with Mali.

Their children in Australia said they were “deeply grateful for the safe release of our mother Jocelyn”.

“We are trusting that the moral and guiding principles of those who have released our mother

will also be applied to our elderly father who has served the com-munity of Djibo and the Sahel for more than half his lifetime,” they said a statement.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull thanked the governments of Niger and Burki-na Faso for their assistance and confirmed that his government had spoken to Jocelyn Elliott fol-lowing her release.

The Elliotts were abducted from the town the same day Al Qaeda fighters raided a restau-rant and hotel in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, and killed 30 people, many of whom were foreigners. — Reuters

R E L E A S E D

North Korea’s state news agency carried a still

picture of a white rocket that closely resembled

a previously launched rocket, lifting off.

BEAMING WITH SUCCESS: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, centre, watches a long-range rocket

launch into the air in North Korea, in this photo released by Kyodo on Sunday. – Reuters/Kyodo

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RISING TENSIONS: An Israeli soldier aims his weapon during

clashes in the occupied West Bank town of Qabatya, near Jenin

on Saturday. – Reuters

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France restricts blood transfusions from travellers over Zika outbreak

PARIS: Travellers coming back from any outbreak zones of the Zika virus will need to wait at least 28 days before giving blood to avoid any risk of transmission, French Health Minister Marisol Touraine said on Sunday.

Zika, which is rapidly spread-ing through the Americas and has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is pri-marily transmitted through mosquito bites.

However, Brazil in the last week

announced two cases of transmis-sion through blood transfusions from infected donors.

“Someone who comes from a zone where there is Zika cannot give blood for 28 days,” Touraine said in an interview with Europe

1 radio, news channel iTele and Le Monde daily. She also advised pregnant women to inform the authorities if they had travelled to any of the zones.

Eighteen cases have been re-ported in travellers in France,

Touraine said. The mainland part of the country has been spared by the virus, but it has hit some of its overseas territories such as the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and French Guy-ana which neighbours Brazil.

Meanwhile, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that the outbreak is discouraging many Americans from traveling to Latin America and the Caribbean, with 41 per cent of those aware of the disease saying they are less likely to take such a trip.

Airlines and cruise ship op-erators have yet to report drops in bookings because of Zika, and ana-lysts have downplayed the impact that newly sedentary parents-to-be could have on their revenue.

Two-thirds of AmericansStill, awareness of the mosquito-borne virus has surged to nearly two-thirds of Americans, accord-ing to the poll of 1,595 adults in the United States conducted February 1-5. That compares with 45 per cent who had heard of Zika in a Re-uters/Ipsos poll from late January.

“I am actively trying to get preg-nant with my husband, so I am a little bit concerned,” said Erica, a respondent who said she was bit-ten by a mosquito during a Janu-ary trip to the US Virgin Islands, where Zika has been reported.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised pregnant women to avoid travel to areas with an active outbreak of Zika, and the World

Health Organisation has declared an international emergency over the disease. Erica, who asked only to be identified by her first name for personal reasons, said she no longer plans to visit Jamaica this summer to celebrate her wedding anniversary.

“We’ve definitely gone back to the drawing board on that,” she said, referring to the island, which is on the CDC warning list.

Of those aware of the virus, 41 per cent said they were less likely to travel to Puerto Rico, Mexico or South America in the next 12 months because of Zika, the poll found. Some 48 per cent said Zika had not changed the likeli-hood of their visiting those desti-nations, while others did not know.

Six out of 10 Americans aware of Zika said the virus concerned them, including 18 percent who said they were very concerned, ac-cording to the poll.

“It’s contagious, and it’s new,” said respondent Toni Brockington, 42, who lives near Fort Bragg, Cali-fornia, and had considered visiting Mexico before learning about the outbreak.

“The virus, along with the re-ports of violence and drugs and tourist ransoms, is making it less and less attractive.” — Reuters

Someone who comes

from a zone where

there is Zika cannot

give blood for 28

days, said French

Health Minister

Marisol Touraine

on Sunday

SAFETY MEASURES: A municipal health worker checks a water tank for mosquito larvae inside a

home as as part of the city’s efforts to prevent the spread of the Zika virus vector, the ‘Aedes aegypti’

mosquito, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Saturday. — Reuters

GOP debate fiasco to cost Rubio in New HampshireMANCHESTER (US): Republi-can White House contender Mar-co Rubio struggled at a debate on Saturday at the worst possible time, potentially confounding his bid to emerge as Donald Trump’s chief rival in New Hampshire and giving hope to three rivals des-perate for a strong showing.

Under assault from New Jer-sey Governor Chris Christie over his level of experience as a first-term US senator from Florida, Rubio retreated time and again to canned statements from his stump speech and looked uncom-fortably rattled for the first time after seamless performances at seven prior debates.

“Marco, the thing is this,” Christie said during one heat-ed exchange early in the night, “when you’re president of the United States, when you’re a gov-ernor of a state, the memorised 30-second speech where you talk about how great America is at the end of it doesn’t solve one prob-lem for one person.”

While Rubio recovered lat-er in the debate, the timing of his performance was terrible, coming three days before New Hampshire Republicans regis-ter their choices on Tuesday in the nation’s second nominating contest.

The debate at St. Anselm Col-lege was the last face-off of the candidates before the vote.

Rubio’s tough moments may breathe new life into the cam-paigns of Christie, former Flori-da Governor Jeb Bush and Ohio Governor John Kasich, three experienced politicians who, like

Rubio, represent establishment Republicans.

All three have suffered from the dominance of front-runner Trump in the Republican race.

They are badly in need of a breakout moment to change the trajectory of the battle in New Hampshire, where the polls show Trump in the lead, Rubio in sec-ond and Texas Senator Ted Cruz in third place. Trump did not have his best debate. He looked flustered in a fight with Bush over the use of eminent domain in ad-vancing the interests of public use projects and private industry.

But he seemed to do well enough to possibly win on Tues-day in what would represent his first victory of the 2016 race, erasing the pain from a loss in the Iowa caucus last week. — Reuters

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

Marco Rubio

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FIGHTING WITH ORANGES A participant is hit by an orange during an annual

carnival battle in the northern Italian town of Ivrea

on Sunday. Dressed up as Middle Age kings’ guards, a

group of men ride in a horse-drawn carriage and pelt

‘foot soldiers’ with oranges as thousands of people

gather to re-enact a Middle Age battle when the

townsfolk of Ivrea overthrew a ruler. In a strange twist,

instead of swords and cross bows, these days the

weapons of choice are oranges. — Reuters

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Natural gas production and imports grow 5.6% in 2015

A E JAMESbusinesseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman’s natural gas production and imports rose 5.6 per cent to 39,806 million cubic metres (MNCM) in 2015, up from 37,687 MNCM in 2014.

Of this, while non-associated gas and imports showed a growth of 6.2 per cent to 32,806 million

cubic metres , associated gas pro-duction rose 3.1 per cent to 7,001 MNCM, according to the latest statistics released by the National Centre for Statistics and Infor-mation (NCSI).

A sizable portion of natural gas in Oman is used by various mega

industrial projects, which stood at 22,036 MNCM last year, against 21,169 MNCM in 2014.

Natural gas is also used in oil fields, either for producing steam water or for reinjection, with as much as 8,773 MNCM in natural gas being used in oil

fields, against 7,838 MNCM units consumed in 2014.

Additionally, natural gas con-sumption grew in line with growth in crude production from enhanced oil recovery projects. Overall crude oil production grew by 4 per cent to 358.10 million bar-

rels in 2015, from 344.37 million barrels in2014.

Other major consumersOther major consumers of natu-ral gas in Oman include power producers, small-scale industries and liquefied natural gas plants. Natural gas used by power and desalination plants stood 4.1 per cent higher, at 8,324 million cubic metres , for 2015.

The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) estimates gas consumption in the electricity and water desalination sector to rise substantially in the next five years, mainly due to a ro-bust growth in capacity to support the growing demand for power and water.

While the national demand for gas will rise sharply over the com-ing five years, the rate of increase is by no means evenly distributed, with requirements set to spike in some regions, officials noted.

Also, several mega industrial projects are waiting for natural gas commitments from the Oman government, prior to proceeding with their proposed expansion programmes.

In fact, the Ministry of Oil and Gas is responsible for supplying gas to various consumers and the obligations are set out within the agreements.

While non-

associated gas and

imports showed a

growth of 6.2 per

cent to 32,806

MNCM, associated

gas production rose

3.1 per cent to 7,001

MNCM, according to

the latest statistics

released by NCSI

ROBUST DEMAND: Natural gas consumption grew in line with growth in crude production from enhanced oil recovery projects. — Times file picture

Gulf stocks end lowerDUBAI: Stocks across the Gulf fell, following a drop in global markets, as traders cashed in on gains after a gauge of the region’s biggest companies climbed to a three-week high.

The Bloomberg GCC 200 In-dex, which tracks some of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) largest compa-nies, slipped 0.8 per cent from the highest level since January 11. The Tadawul All Share Index was the region’s biggest decliner as it retreated 1.3 per cent, fol-lowed by ADX General Index with a 0.9 per cent drop. The MSCI World Index lost 1.6 per cent on Friday.

Saudi Arabia’s benchmark in-dex posted its first slide in three days. Jabal Omar Development Co. and Saudi Basic Industries Corp. led the drop, falling 2.3 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respective-ly. Dubai’s DFM General Index decreased 0.7 per cent, the first decline in three days, as trading volumes slid to about two-thirds of the 12-month daily average. Qatar’s QE Index lost 0.7 per cent, led by Industries Qatar, the country’s biggest petrochemi-cals company by revenue. It re-treated 2.8 per cent after report-ing a 30 per cent plunge in profit for 2015.

Kuwait’s SE Price Index gained 0.2 per cent and Bah-rain’s Bourse All Share Index was little changed. — Bloomberg News

G C C B O U R S E S

B2

MARKETM O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

Ministry issued 843 industrial licences in 2015

Times News Service

MUSCAT: As many as 843 in-dustrial licences were issued in 2015 with a total investment of OMR9.31 billion compared to 754 licences in 2014, according to the data supplied by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Engineer Mohamed bin Said Al Mahrouqi, acting secretary of in-dustrial register at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said that the number of industrial registers (under issuance) during 2015 re-corded a significant increase.

“One hundred and sixty-three

industrial registers for existing projects were recorded during 2015, with a total investment of OMR427.12 million compared to 169 industrial registers for the existing projects recorded in 2014 with a total investment of OMR209.22 million,” he added.

Mohamed Al Mahrouqi indicat-ed that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry seeks to attract vari-ous industrial investments through the incentives it provides for inves-tors in the industrial sector.

The Sultanate of Oman enter-

tains promising investment op-portunities in the industrial sec-tor. It also provides various raw materials, qualified human re-sources and many other essential elements that can give this sector an opportunity to grow constantly and gradually.

This is an objective sought after by owners of companies and facto-ries; in addition to investors who will be able to take their decisions according to a vision based on sound and correct bases to achieve strategic goals of the Sultanate.

These goals include spread-ing an umbrella of security and supporting the economic boom through diversifying the sources of income and promoting in-vestment. The ministry is now working on simplifying the pro-cedures through its electronic portal ‘Invest Easy’.

These licences were

valued at OMR9.31

billion in 2015. In

2014, 754 licences

were issuedEngineer Mohamed bin Said Al

Mahrouqi. – Supplied photo

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Award winning factories will be honoured on Industry DayTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Ministry of Commerce and Industry will celebrate Oman Industry Day on Tuesday. This day is being celebrated every year on February 9 to mark the Royal visit of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the Rusayl Industrial Es-tate on February 9, 1991.

The ministry pays great atten-tion to celebrating this occasion annually through holding an an-nual open meeting in which the minister of commerce and indus-try meets manufacturers and the parties interested in this sector. In conjunction with celebrating Oman Industrial Day, the facto-ries winning Sultan Qaboos In-dustrial Excellence Award for the best five factories this year, will be honoured.

Held at Barr Al Jissah Resort, the celebration will be patronised by Lieutenant-General Hassan bin Mohsen Al Shariqi, Inspector General for Police and Customs. It will be attended by some min-isters, advisor, undersecretaries and others associated with the industrial sector.

Opinions of manufacturersThe celebration aims to closely identify the latest developments related to the industrial sector in the Sultanate. During the cel-

ebration, authorities will listen to opinions of manufacturers about the important challenges and obstacles facing the industry in Oman. They will also discuss pos-sible solutions and proposal for developing the industrial sector.

The authorities will also seek to reply on their inquiries that lie within the scope of the ministry, refer the inquiries related to ex-ternal entities to the concerned parties and follow up with these entities so as to find solutions.

Engineer Nahla bint Abdul Wa-hab Al Hamdiah, director general at the Directorate General of Industry in the Ministry of Commerce and

Industry said: “The ministry offi-cials thought that it is appropriate to distribute the Sultan Qaboos In-dustrial Excellence Award this year in conjunction with celebrating Oman Industry Day.”

Two celebrations“The decision of combining the two celebrations was taken early last year. Since the last edition of Oman Industrial Day, coordina-tion has been made to form com-mittees as well as technical and administrative working teams to organise the two occasions. Efforts are still being exerted and work is still in progress to organise the event well as usual,” she explained.

“A workshop entitled ‘Ways to deal with challenges facing the industrial sector’ brought manu-facturers from various industrial sectors together. A seminar that reviewed the investment oppor-tunities in the industrial sector has also been held. It was at-tended by representatives from the Gulf Organisation for Indus-trial Consulting; in addition to a selected group of investors and persons interested in the indus-trial sector. Such events were also accompanied by some activities held in the industrial estates and organised by the Public Estab-lishment for Industrial Estates,” Al Hamdiah said.

O M A N I N D U S T R Y D A Y

Nahla bint Abdul Wahab Al

Hamdiah. – Supplied photo

GlassPoint appoints local CSR and sustainability firmTimes News Service

MUSCAT: GlassPoint Solar, mak-ers of solar steam generators for the oil and gas industry, announced a strategic partnership with local Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability experts, Sustainable Square Oman.

Sustainable Square will work with GlassPoint to establish its so-cial investment strategy and launch new programme that best serve the Sultanate and the Omani people.

“We are committed to creating long-term value for Oman that ex-tends well beyond our solar oilfield projects,” said GlassPoint presi-dent and chief executive officer Rod MacGregor.

“It’s important our social re-

sponsibility strategy aligns with GlassPoint’s vision and that of our stakeholders so we can contribute where it’s needed most. By partner-ing with local experts embedded across Oman’s CSR landscape, we will be able to maximise our invest-ment and create impactful projects to benefit Oman’s society, environ-ment and economy,” he added.

Led by Corporate Social Re-sponsibility expert and rising Omani entrepreneur, Shaima Al Lawati, Sustainable Square will provide GlassPoint with the sup-port and insight needed to en-hance the positive impact it brings to the country. Shaima and her team have a successful track re-cord of developing differentiated, results-driven CSR initiatives for

global businesses in Oman and the Gulf region.

Robust CSR programmeAl Lawati, who serves as Sustain-able Square Oman’s founding part-ner and senior sustainability and social investment advisor, com-mented: “We are excited to have this opportunity to work closely with GlassPoint and develop a robust CSR programme from the ground-up.”

“As a small Omani enterprise, we appreciate the support we re-ceive from our partners and the growing prominence social in-vestment has in generating busi-ness returns. We are committed to developing a niche-localized CSR program that will improve

GlassPoint’s business operations, optimize their internal processes and enhance the well-being of our communities,” Al Lawati added.

GlassPoint is currently build-ing one of the world’s largest solar plants with Petroleum Develop-ment Oman (PDO).

Named Miraah, which means mirror in Arabic, the project will harness the sun’s energy to pro-duce steam used to extract heavy and viscous oil at Petroleum De-velopment Oman’s Amal field in south Oman.

Miraah will save 5.6 trillion British Thermal Units (BTU) of natural gas each year, resulting in significant energy savings that support economic diversification and job creation.

I N V E S T M E N T S T R A T E G Y

Salwa Al Shahaibi promoted as

leasing manager of Hamptons

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Hamptons Interna-tional & Partners has promoted Salwa Al Shahaibi to the posi-tion of Leasing Manager in the Muscat – Oman office. This also comes a few months after win-ning the prestigious award for Real Estate Woman of the Year.

In her new position, Salwa will be responsible for overseeing her leasing team, marketing and negotiating lease transactions and agreements for property in Muscat, overseeing completion of all necessary paperwork and ensuring high levels of customer service. She will also assist the head of agency, Daniel Sellu, in the overall performance of the leasing department in Hamptons.

Underscoring the initiative to encourage and support Omanis, Hamptons International has al-ways stood by the belief in prac-tice of strengthening the local workforce by training them in var-ious lines of service and enhanc-ing their knowledge and skills.

With over nine years of ex-perience in the real estate sec-

tor, Salwa is the recipient of the Real Estate woman of the year award 2015. She is considered an expert in her field with excep-tional knowledge in the concepts, practices, and procedures of the Oman leasing market.

Commenting on this executive decision, Benjamin Cullum, gen-eral manger of Hamptons Inter-national said: “It gives me great pleasure to reward hard work and loyalty and Salwa’s promotion is a case in point. Her immense po-tential has been tried and tested over the years of her tenure in the company and her promotion is well deserved.

N E W R O L E

DEAL: Sustainable Square will work with GlassPoint to establish its

social investment strategy and launch new programme that best

serve Omani and the people. - Supplied photo

B3M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

MARKETGulf Finance opens office in JeddahTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Opening of the new head office and branch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, marks the third an-niversary of Gulf Finance’s pres-ence in the Kingdom.

Gulf Finance has become one of the leading providers of Shaira-compliant finance to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia focusing on heavy equipment, plant and machinery.

The company first established a presence in Jeddah in 2012 and expanded into the central region with a new branch in Riyadh in 2015. Gulf Finance currently em-ploys over 40 staff, of which 60 per cent are local Saudi employees.

It has over 200 clients in a range of sectors such as contracting, manufacturing, industrial, prop-erty, logistics and retail and has successfully grown its asset book to over 200 million Saudi riyals as of December 2015.

Thamer Jan, Chairman of the board of directors, Gulf Finance Saudi Arabia, said: “Our new of-fice in Jeddah extends our reach in Saudi Arabia and allows us to pen-etrate further into the SME fabric, where small businesses are esti-mated to account for 90 per cent of registered business and 60 per cent of employment.”

N E W B R A N C H SME sector can help a nationweather crisis: Entrepreneur

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI elham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: A strong small and medium enterprise (SME) sector can help a country in times of fi-nancial crisis and plays a key role in economic diversification, says Zièd Bahrouni, an Oman-born entrepreneur.

Bahrouni, the co-founder and managing director of Motius, a high-tech Research & Develop-ment (R&D) company in Ger-many, decided to enter the Omani

market to contribute to the coun-try’s mission of becoming an inno-vation hub in the Gulf region.

Motius, which solves techni-cal problems and develops prod-ucts for international customers, is represented in Oman through Genius Solutions, a 100 per cent Omani-owned technology solu-tion provider.

Speaking to the Times of Oman, Bahrouni said many countries as-

pire to become an innovation hub and it requires good and market-oriented ideas, funding and R&D ability. Oman is building its R&D capacity, and good ideas and fund-ing are available, he noted, ex-pressing the hope that companies like Motius would help expand the R&D capacity in the Sultanate.

Asked if there is room for more technology companies in Oman, Bahrouni said, “Not only is there

room but there is the necessity to do so. In the context of diversify-ing the economy, there has to be an SME layer that is export-oriented.”

Time of crisis Highlighting the importance of strong small and medium compa-nies, he noted that Germany is a country most known for its SME layer and it has been witnessed what this section could do during the crisis in the last few years.

Germany has one of the best per-formances in the financial crisis in the world because of these com-panies and that has shown to the world and especially the Gulf states why these companies are so impor-tant when it comes to diversifying the economy, he commented.

In addition, he said Germany is a good example when it comes to the link between the industry and the academic world, which has a lot to do with the fact that there are a lot of industries in Germany. It is a chicken and egg situation, Bahrouni said, adding that the more industries you have, the more universities you have, and so is the situation the other way around. He also emphasised the importance of hands-on train-ing, which can complement the-oretical training.

Asked about the characteristics of a good business idea, Motius’ managing director noted it is one that has a market and succeeds financially. A company should be high-tech, export-oriented, inno-vation-oriented and should create job opportunities, he added.

Bahrouni also said in his opin-ion, the missing financial success at the beginning should be more tolerated here than in other coun-tries because the goal is more long-term and the country could sustain the lack of financial suc-cess in the initial stages.

Expansion plans Commenting on Motius’ future plans, he said the company plans to expand in Oman and is also considering expansion in the region as well. Bahrouni added that Oman still remains the com-pany’s focus, and will probably continue to be so. He said it is his pleasure to contribute to the Sultanate’s efforts to become an innovation hub.

Oman-born

entrepreneur said

that the strong

small and medium

enterprise sector

plays a key role

in economic

diversification

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STRESS ON INNOVATION: Zièd Bahrouni, an Oman-born entrepre-

neur, the co-founder and managing director of Motius, decided to

enter the Omani market to contribute to the country’s mission of

becoming an innovation hub in the Gulf. – O. K. MOHAMMED ALI/Times of Oman

Dubai real estate prices decline by 11% in 2015 Times News Service

MUSCAT: Dubai’s residential sales across-the-board declined in 2015, with villa sales prices down year-on-year by 11 per cent and apartments by 8 per cent, ac-cording to a report by Asteco, a leading real estate consultancy.

Villas on Palm Jumeirah re-corded price declines of 13 per cent over the year, dropping to Dh2,475 per square feet on aver-age and The Meadows was also down 15 per cent to Dh1,150, says the study, which provides a review of last year and 2016 outlook.

A total of 13,500 apartments and 800 villas were added to Dubai’s residential real estate supply in 2015, and a further 22,000 apartments and 7,700 vil-las are scheduled to be delivered in 2016, with downward rental rate pressure likely to continue through to 2017, says the report.

The report flags the impact of delayed project delivery in 2015 and a large pipeline for 2016, cou-pled with the demand slowdown

and continued low oil prices, as an indicator of market prospects this year, with both rental rates and sales prices coming under further pressure.

“However, if we look to the medium and long-term, the out-look is more positive with de-mand more than likely to grow in line with the progress of key infrastructure projects currently underway, such as Dubai World Central Airport and Expo 2020,” said John Stevens, managing director of Asteco.

Villas and townhousesEnd-users, rather than investors, were the predominant buyers of villas and townhouses, with a clear preference for smaller 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom units, rather than large villas. New com-munities such as Mudon and Arabian Ranches Phase 2 saw improved levels of activity, offer-ing better-priced yet good quality alternatives to some of the more established areas.

At the high end of the apart-

ment market, Jumeirah Beach Residence was down 16 per cent to Dh1,370 per square feett and apartments on the Palm Jumeirah dropped 14 per cent to Dh1,720 per square feet on average.

Villa rentals were down 9 per cent on average year-on-year, but Al Barsha recorded an in-crease for three-bedroom villas, up 9.2 per cent to Dh213,000 per annum while in Mirdiff similar properties rose 4.2 per cent to Dh138,000.

The biggest falls came in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim where three-bed villas dropped more than Dh50,000 or 20 per cent on average to hit Dh195,000, while larger four-bedroom homes in Arabian Ranches and Jumei-rah Park were also down 19 per cent to Dh243,000 and 15.5 per cent to Dh145,000 respectively.

“With fresh new supply enter-ing the market, this is forcing property owners, especially of older independent villas, to be-come increasingly competitive on pricing,” remarked Stevens.

R E S I D E N T I A L S A L E S

SALES DROP: End-users, rather than investors, were the predominant buyers of villas and town-

houses, with a clear preference for smaller 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom units, rather than large villas,

accroding to a report by Asteco. - Supplied photo

Iran to benefit from trade in South AsiaMUSCAT: Iran stands to gain the most from the growing in-tegration of commodity-related trades within South Asia (India-Pakistan-Iran), according to 34 per cent of respondents to a Gulf Intelligence Industry Survey of 250 energy professionals oper-ating in the Middle East.

The lifting of sanctions on Iran on January 17 will have a far-reaching impact on both political and energy dynamics within South Asia and the wider Silk Road, which stretches from Beijing to Lagos. Iran is highly ambitious about its plans.

- Times News Service

S U R V E Y

TALKS WITH FOREIGN INSURERTo further strengthen cooperation between Export

Credit Guarantee Agency of Oman and N.V. Nationale

Borg-Maatschappij of The Netherlands, officials

discussed credit insurance and ways to strengthen

cooperation. — Times News Service

B4

MARKETM O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7

REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION .........................73,492 ...............9,554........................7 ............0.130 ........... 0.130 ...........0.130 ........... 0.130 .............0.120 ............0.010 ............. 8.333 ................0.130 .............. 0.125...................0.130 ...................12,355,200 .........0.100

OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 1,763,352 ......255,642................... 103 ............0.137 ........... 0.148 ...........0.137 ............0.145 ............. 0.135 .............0.010 ............. 7.407 ................0.148 .............. 0.148...................0.000 ..................42,144,398 .........0.100

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 1,412,150 ..........87,047..................... 87 ........... 0.059 ........... 0.063 ...........0.059 ........... 0.062 .............0.058 ........... 0.004 ............. 6.897 ................0.062.............. 0.061...................0.062 .................. 17,978,799 .........0.100

OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING ........... 457,305 ............43,019......................21 ........... 0.092 ........... 0.097 ...........0.092........... 0.094 .............0.090 ........... 0.004 .............4.444 ................0.096 ..............0.096...................0.098................... 11,456,250 .........0.100

OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 364,016 ........... 20,699......................21 ........... 0.056 ........... 0.059 ...........0.056 ........... 0.057 .............0.055 ........... 0.002 ............. 3.636 ................0.057 ..............0.057...................0.058................... 11,807,629 .........0.100

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT .................. 21,815 ...............2,458........................5 ............0.112 ........... 0.114............ 0.112 ............0.113 ............. 0.110 ............ 0.003 ............. 2.727 ................ 0.114 ...............0.113................... 0.115 ...................22,600,000 ........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 4,813,427 ......842,708...................203 ............0.169 ........... 0.177 ...........0.169 ............0.175 ............. 0.171 ............ 0.004 ............. 2.339 ................0.175 .............. 0.175................... 0.176 ...................26,263,125 .........0.100

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ...........................................................9,712 ...............8,974........................2 ........... 0.924 ...........0.924 ...........0.924........... 0.924 .............0.904 ........... 0.020 ............. 2.212 ................0.924..............0.928...................0.992 ................ 184,800,000 .......0.100

OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 506,818 ............48,198..................... 33 ........... 0.094 ........... 0.096 ...........0.094........... 0.095 .............0.093 ........... 0.002 ..............2.151.................0.095 ..............0.095...................0.096....................8,550,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 2,744,085 ......529,420..................... 84 ............0.188 ........... 0.194 ...........0.186 ........... 0.192 ............. 0.188............ 0.004 ............. 2.128 ................ 0.191 .............. 0.191...................0.192 ...................38,400,000.........0.100

OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ............................................................ 911,250 ..........236,925......................17 ........... 0.260 ...........0.260 ...........0.260 .......... 0.260 .............0.255 ........... 0.005 ..............1.961.................0.260............. 0.260...................0.265..................401,629,422........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 486,500 .........320,542......................16 ........... 0.660 ........... 0.660 ...........0.656 ........... 0.660 .............0.648 ............0.012 ............. 1.852 ................0.656 ..............0.652...................0.656 ..................429,623,192 ........0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 723,574 ......... 319,255..................... 58 ........... 0.440 ........... 0.446 ...........0.440 .......... 0.442 .............0.434 ........... 0.008 ............. 1.843 ................0.444..............0.444...................0.446 ............... 1,012,985,588 ......0.100

OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ................................ 30,000 ...............8,520........................ 1 ........... 0.284 ...........0.284 ...........0.284 .......... 0.284 .............0.280 ........... 0.004 ............. 1.429 ................0.284..............0.284...................0.286 ..................84,124,686 .........0.100

OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL ............................................. 410,897 ........... 29,393..................... 34 ............0.071 ........... 0.074 ...........0.070........... 0.072 ............. 0.071.............0.001 ............. 1.408 ................0.073 ..............0.072...................0.073...................12,600,000 .........0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 193,732 ..........280,652..................... 33 ............1.435 ........... 1.460 ...........1.435 ............1.450 ............. 1.430............ 0.020 ............. 1.399 ................1.460 ..............1.460...................1.480 ................1,087,500,000 ......0.100

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 1,896,700 ...... 297,926................... 137 ............0.155 ........... 0.159 ...........0.155 ............0.157 ............. 0.155 ............ 0.002 ............. 1.290 ................0.155 .............. 0.153...................0.156 ................. 226,306,080 .......0.100

OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 463,934 ..........126,736..................... 32 ........... 0.273 ........... 0.275 ...........0.272........... 0.273 .............0.270 ........... 0.003 ..............1.111 .................0.272..............0.272...................0.273..................366,013,898 ........0.100

OM0000001087 ............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 305,500 ............61,105......................12 ........... 0.200 ...........0.202 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 ............. 0.198............ 0.002 ............. 1.010 ................0.200 ............ 0.200...................0.206 ................. 20,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 452,200............55,538..................... 35 ............0.122 ........... 0.124 ...........0.122 ............0.123 ............. 0.122 ............0.001 ............. 0.820 ................0.123 ..............0.122...................0.124 ...................38,224,088.........0.100

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ..................................................10,000 ...............3,900........................3 ........... 0.390 ...........0.390 ...........0.390........... 0.390 .............0.388 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.515 ................0.390..............0.380...................0.390 ..................20,475,000 .........0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ..............83,000 ............ 23,827......................14 ........... 0.285 ........... 0.293 ...........0.285........... 0.287 .............0.286 ............0.001 ............. 0.350 ................0.291 ............. 0.290...................0.291 .................... 6,027,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ............................................................... 1,000 ..................304........................ 1 ........... 0.304 ...........0.304 ...........0.304 .......... 0.304 .............0.304 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.304............. 0.300...................0.304 ..................15,200,000 .........0.100

OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK ............................................................................126 .....................23........................ 1 ............0.185 ........... 0.185 ...........0.185 ........... 0.186 ............. 0.186............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.185 ............. 0.000...................0.185 ..................265,056,723 ........0.100

OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ................................................. 500 .................. 120........................ 1 ........... 0.240 ...........0.240 ...........0.240 .......... 0.265 .............0.265 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.240 ............ 0.260...................0.264 .................. 16,219,132 .........0.100

OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ...................... 206,830 ............15,466..................... 20 ........... 0.074 ........... 0.076 ...........0.074 ........... 0.075 .............0.075 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.075 ..............0.075...................0.076....................2,250,000 ..........0.100

OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ...........................................................497 .................. 212........................2 ........... 0.424 ........... 0.430 ...........0.424........... 0.430 .............0.430 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.430..............0.430...................0.470...................26,015,000 .........0.100

OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 223,226 ............21,199........................9 ........... 0.095 ........... 0.095 ...........0.093........... 0.095 .............0.096 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.042 ...............0.093 ..............0.093...................0.095.................... 5,590,106 ..........0.100

OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ............. 111,000 .............23,213......................12 ............0.211 ........... 0.212 ...........0.208 .......... 0.209 ............. 0.212 ...........-0.003 ............-1.415 ................0.208..............0.205...................0.208 ................... 7,016,433 ..........0.100

OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 1,154,409 ......184,905......................81 ............0.160 ........... 0.162 ...........0.159 ........... 0.160 ............. 0.164............-0.004 ........... -2.439 ...............0.159 .............. 0.155...................0.159 ................... 19,983,674 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 19,831,047 .....3,857,479 ............1,085 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......30........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ..................................................... 3,097,143 ...... 175,262....................115 ........... 0.057 ........... 0.058 ...........0.055 ........... 0.057 .............0.053 ........... 0.004 ............. 7.547 ................0.057 ..............0.056...................0.057.................... 7,125,000 ..........0.100

OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................. 136,501 ............... 9,795..................... 20 ........... 0.070 ........... 0.074 ...........0.070........... 0.072 .............0.068 ........... 0.004 ............. 5.882 ................0.071 ..............0.070...................0.071 .................... 5,414,976 ..........0.100

OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 225,000 ............14,814..................... 20 ........... 0.065 ........... 0.066 ...........0.065 ........... 0.066 .............0.063 ........... 0.003 ............. 4.762 ................0.065 ..............0.065...................0.066...................66,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING ....................................... 1,000 .................. 360........................ 1 ........... 0.360 ...........0.360 ...........0.360........... 0.360 .............0.352 ........... 0.008 ............. 2.273 ................0.360..............0.360...................0.364 ...................2,160,000 ..........1.000

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 3,238,854 ......236,046..................... 85 ........... 0.070 ........... 0.075 ...........0.070........... 0.073 .............0.072 ............0.001 ............. 1.389 ................0.073 ..............0.073...................0.074..................109,500,000 .......0.100

OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 159,059 ............... 4,613......................13 ........... 0.029 ........... 0.029 ...........0.029........... 0.029 .............0.029 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.029..............0.028...................0.029 ...................2,465,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ...................................................... 500 ..................204........................ 1 ........... 0.408 ...........0.408 ...........0.408........... 0.408 .............0.408 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.408..............0.408...................0.000 ................. 64,260,000 ........0.100

OM0000001590 ............MUSCAT FINANCE ..................................................... 20,000 .............. 2,500........................ 1 ............0.125 ........... 0.125 ...........0.125 ............0.125 ............. 0.125............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.125 .............. 0.123...................0.126 ...................31,452,309 .........0.100

OM0000001723 ............OMAN ORIX LEASING .............................................. 20,000 ...............2,560........................ 1 ............0.128 ........... 0.128 ...........0.128 ........... 0.128 ............. 0.128............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.128 .............. 0.125...................0.128 ................... 30,897,157 .........0.100

OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 550,334 ........... 78,638..................... 20 ............0.142 ........... 0.143 ...........0.142 ........... 0.143 ............. 0.143............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.143 .............. 0.143...................0.144 ..................209,152,009........0.100

OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE .................................5,780 .................. 621........................4 ............0.106 ........... 0.108 ...........0.106 ........... 0.107 ............. 0.109 ...........-0.002 ............-1.835................0.106 ..............0.106................... 0.111 ...................10,700,000 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 7,454,171 ....... 525,413................... 281 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ...... 11........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS AND SUKUK MARKET ...................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 ........................3,112 .................. 297........................2 ........... 0.096 ........... 0.096 ...........0.095 ........... 0.096 .............0.096 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.095 ..............0.095...................0.180 ....................31,119,515 ..........0.100

.............................................SUM: .......................................................................................3,112 .................. 297........................2 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. .........1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

O M A N S T O C K S

INDICESIndex .................................................High .................Low ..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff %MSM30 Index ....................................... 5,299.26 ...............5,234.21 ................... 5,298.60 ...................5,240.49 .................. 58.11 ....................1.11Financial Index .................................... 6,574.22 .............. 6,482.55 ................... 6,572.99 ...................6,498.53 ................. 74.46 ................... 1.15Industrial Index .................................... 6,552.71 .............. 6,508.29 ....................6,551.85 ................... 6,515.43 ................. 36.42 ................... 0.56Services Index .......................................2,959.31 .............. 2,932.78 ................... 2,959.29 ................... 2,933.18 .................. 26.11 ................... 0.89MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................821.89 .................. 812.74 .......................821.87 ...................... 814.92 ....................6.95 ................... 0.85

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded27,288,330 ................. 4,383,188 ..................1,368 ................15,656,575,375 ................27 ........................4 .................... 11..........................42

MSM index ends higher

MUSCAT: Supported by local in-stitutional buying, the MSM 30 In-dex advanced 1.11 per cent to close at 5,298.60 points. The MSM Sha-ria Index closed at 821.87 points, up 0.85 per cent.

Al Anwar Holding was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. Port Services, up 8.33 per cent was the top gainer while Al Jazeera was the top loser, with loss of 2.44 per cent.

As many as 1,368 trades were executed on Sunday, generat-ing turnover of OMR4.4 million with 27.3 million shares changing hands. Out of 42 traded securities, 27 advanced, four declined and 11 remained unchanged.

At the close of the session, Om-ani investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR258,000 worth of shares, while GCC and Arab investors switched to net sell-ers at OMR176,000 followed by foreign investors, who were net sellers, sold shares amounting to OMR82,000.

Financial Index rallied 1.15 per

cent to finish at 6,572.99 points. Al Izz Bank, Oman & Emirates Holding, Al Madina Investments, Global Financial Investment and Al Anwar Holding gained 4.76 per cent, 4.44 per cent, 3.64 per cent, 2.73 per cent and 2.34 per cent respectively.

Takaful Oman and Gulf Invest-ment Services declined 1.83 per cent and 1.04 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index ended posi-tively at 6,551.85 points, up 0.56 per cent. Oman Fisheries, Galfar En-gineering, Al Hassan Engineering, Oman Textiles and Raysut Cement gained 7.55 per cent, 6.90 per cent, 5.88 per cent, 2.27 per cent and 2.21 per cent respectively.

Al Jazeera Steel and National Aluminium declined 2.44 per cent and 1.42 per cent respectively.

Services Index gained 0.89 per cent to close at 2,959.29 points. Port Services, Renaissance Ser-vices, OIFC, Ooredoo and Omantel gained 8.33 per cent, 7.41 per cent, 2.13 per cent, 1.85 per cent and 1.40 per cent respectively. - United Securities

Port Services, up 8.33 per cent was the top

gainer while Al Jazeera, which declined by 2.44

per cent, lost the most on Sunday

China’s foreign exchange reserves drop to $3.23 trillionBEIJING: China’s foreign-ex-change reserves shrank to the smallest since 2012, indicating that the central bank sold dollars as the yuan’s retreat to a five-year low ex-acerbated depreciation pressure.

The world’s largest currency hoard declined by $99.5 billion in January to $3.23 trillion, accord-ing to a People’s Bank of China (PBOC) statement released on Sunday. The drop was less than a survey’s median estimate of a $120 billion loss. The stockpile fell by more than half a trillion dollars in 2015, the first-ever annual decline.

Policymakers fighting to hold up the weakening yuan amid slower economic growth, plunging stocks and increasing outflows have been burning through the reserves.

Devaluation of currencyThe draw-down has continued since the central bank’s surprise de-valuation of the currency in August, when the stockpile tumbled $94 bil-lion, a monthly record at the time.

“While the remaining reserves represent a substantial war chest, the rapid pace of depletion in re-

cent months is simply unsustain-able,” said Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pa-cific chief economist at IHS Global Insight in Singapore.

“Domestic private investors and global currency traders see a one-

way bet against the currency. This has resulted in large-scale private capital outflows since early 2015 as expectations mount that the PBOC will eventually be forced to capitulate once its reserves are

sufficiently depleted.”Capital outflows increased to

$158.7 billion in December, the most since September and were $1 trillion last year, according to estimates from Bloomberg Intel-

ligence. That’s more than seven times the amount of cash that left in 2014. The PBOC has stepped up efforts to stem the exodus, warning speculators that they will be pun-ished. It intervened in the Hong Kong market last month after the yuan’s offshore exchange rate sank to a record 2.9 per cent discount to the onshore rate.

Apart from selling dollars, the monetary authority also gave guid-ance to some Chinese lenders in the city to suspend yuan lending to curb short selling, a move that contributed to the overnight in-terbank lending rate surging to an all-time high of 66.8 per cent on January 12.

Yuan outlookThe median estimate in a Bloomb-erg survey is for the yuan to drop to 6.76 a dollar by the end of this year, with Rabobank Group the most pessimistic with a 7.53 prediction. The currency has declined 1.24 per cent so far this year, closing at 6.5755 in Shanghai on Friday. Chi-nese financial markets are shut for the Lunar New Year holiday.

China’s top economic planner said that the objective for this year is for an expansion in the range of 6.5 per cent to 7 per cent. The 6.9 per cent growth in 2015 was the slowest in 25 years.

Exports probably declined for the seventh straight month in Jan-uary, according to the median esti-mate in a survey before data due on February 15. China increased its gold hoard in January, raising its holdings to 57.18 million ounces at it looks to diversify its foreign-ex-change stockpile.

“The smaller decline in the re-serves suggests that some capital outflow restrictions imposed in January worked," Shen Jian-guang, chief Asia economist at Mizuho Securities Asia in Hong Kong, wrote in a note, adding that he estimates the drop in February will be ‘much smaller’. - Bloomberg News

E C O N O M Y

CAUTIOUS APPROACH: Apart from selling dollars, the People’s Bank of China also gave guidance to

some Chinese lenders in the city to suspend yuan lending to curb short selling. – Bloomberg News

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

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

E- IMESTECH STUFFTECH STUFF

BBLACKBERRY FIRES 200 STAFF IN PROFIT PUSH BlackBerry fired about 200 employees in Florida and Ontario as the smartphone and software maker continues its efforts to trim costs. The job cuts include 75 people at its location in Sunrise, Florida, according to information posted by the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity on its website. BlackBerry had 6,225 employees in February 2015, the company said in a filing at the time. — Bloomberg News

M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

SLOW DOWNENJOY THE RIDE

T E C H U P D A T E S

LinkedIn shares decline after sales outlook trails estimates

LinkedIn shares posted their biggest ever decline after the professional networking site forecast a year of slower rev-enue growth amid signs of weakness in sales of advertis-ing and marketing tools. Rev-enue will be about $820 mil-lion in the first quarter, and $3.6 billion to $3.65 billion for 2016, the company said in a statement on Thursday. That

missed analysts’ average estimate for $867.1 million and $3.9 bil-lion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. LinkedIn had 414 million users in the fourth quarter, up from 396 million in the prior period. The shares of Mountain View, California-based LinkedIn fell as much as 43 per cent to $110.01, the biggest decline since the company’s initial public offering in May 2011. Analysts almost across the board either lowered their price targets, their recom-mendation or both. A few analysts admitted to being wrong about the company’s prospects and strategy. While Chief Executive Of-ficer Jeff Weiner has made investments to diversify the business, like acquiring education website Lynda.com for $1.5 billion last year, it will be a while before those efforts contribute meaning-fully to revenue. In the meantime, LinkedIn is facing a slowdown in its marketing- services business, which companies use to find potential customers, show them ads and relevant information and generate sales leads. Sales to recruiters, who use LinkedIn to find candidates for jobs, are also slowing. — Bloomberg News

Microsoft acquires start-up application firm SwiftKey

Nvidia wins trial brought by Samsung over chip patent

Microsoft has agreed to buy UK start-up SwiftKey, the applica-tion company best known for its free software that replaces the default keyboard on phones and tablets manufactured by Apple and Alphabet. The FT reports the deal was agreed for about $250

million, citing people familiar with the matter. SwiftKey is one of the most popular alternative keyboards on the iOS and Android mobile platforms, installed about 300 million times across both. It uses machine-learning to predict the ends of sentences as a user types, and after initially charging a small fee for downloads is presently monetised through in-app payments for features such as different colored themes to suit customer tastes. Crucially per-haps for Microsoft, it does not currently support the Redmond, Washington-based company’s Windows Phone or Windows 10 platforms. The market for third-party keyboards became more attractive to software makers since Apple first allowed such prod-ucts to be installed directly into its iOS mobile operating system in 2014. Prior to this, developers were not allowed to replace the default keyboard on the iPhone or iPad. — Bloomberg News

Nvidia won a scaled back patent-infringe-ment trial brought by Samsung Electronics over computer-memory chip technology, potentially tipping the scales in a fight be-tween the two over royalties for computer graphics. Nvidia fended off a claim that it infringed a patent owned by Samsung, in a federal jury trial in Richmond, Virginia, said Friday. The case had originally started with four Samsung patents and was whittled down to just one after Samsung dropped one patent before trial and the judge ordered a mistrial on two others. “We are pleased with the outcome of this case, which reflects the jury’s careful attention to the facts and the

law that applied,” said Hector Marinez, an Nvidia spokesman. Samsung filed the complaint in November 2014 in retaliation for patent-infringement claims lodged by Nvidia. While this trial was over memory chips, the dispute began after two years of licensing talks failed over graphics processors needed to play games and watch movies on smartphones and tablet devices, Nvidia has said. Nvidia is trying open up new revenue streams by forcing rivals to pay for what that company says are unique products its re-searchers invented and designed. Samsung is countering by ar-guing that Nvidia is using its inventions in memory chips with-out permission. Computer graphics cards powered by Nvidia’s chips also depend on the amount of memory semiconductors attached to them. Those memory chips are are made by Sam-sung and its competitors. — Bloomberg News

Amazon to open 300 physical bookstores

SHIRA OVIDE

It seems silly for a company born in cyberspace to risk the mortal combat of physi-cal stores, where profit mar-gins are pitiful and annoy-

ances are high. Yet Amazon.com, the world’s biggest online retailer, has its eye on opening perhaps 300 to 400 physical bookstores, accord-ing to the CEO of a big mall owner.

Even if the stores don’t material-ise on that scale, Amazon will still be far more bricks and mortar than people generally imagine. Amazon has about 120 million square feet of merchandise warehouses and computer data centres around the world — roughly the equivalent of 700 Wal-Mart supercentres. Ama-zon is opening company store-plus-mailroom centres on college cam-puses, and it is adding to its network of small warehouses to help with a fledgling service delivering tooth-paste and batteries in a couple of hours in some cities.

It’s fair to say few people truly know what Amazon’s goals are with its physical stores. To believe in Amazon is to give it the benefit of the doubt when it pursues pro-jects that seem ill-advised or out of character. Often the odd ideas pan out — as computer services rented

by the hour became the successful Amazon Web Services operation. Sometimes the fliers Amazon takes crash and burn. See, for example, Amazon’s Fire smartphones.

Seattle headquartersAmazon has been tiptoeing into stores since last fall, when it opened a bookstore a short drive from its Seattle headquarters. In most cases, Amazon doesn’t need a physical showcase for its wares. The com-pany is leaping ahead even as tradi-tional retailers are finding e-com-merce is much harder than Amazon made it look.

But as Amazon expands its in-house electronics line from just its Kindle readers into full-fledged tab-lets, TV set-top boxes, digital assis-tants that can order pizza and com-puters in the kitchen, perhaps the company is finding it needs to show people in person how Amazon hard-ware works in tandem with its shop-ping and digital media offerings.

In the Amazon Seattle store, for example, the selection tilts more to-ward Amazon gadgets than to books. Bloomberg’s Spencer Soper report-ed store shoppers can ask Echo — Amazon’s voice-activated speaker — to read aloud the electronic books sold on Amazon. (Don’t worry, moms and dads. Echo’s creepy com-

puter voice won’t displace you from bedtime story duties.)

Physical stores may also be part of Amazon’s solution to its thorni-est problem: Merchandise bought online still needs to travel through physical distribution networks. And that is a slog. Small Amazon inven-tory hubs have been a central plank in Prime Now, the service to deliver some goods to Prime members in one to two hours. If at least some Amazon stores also serve as cen-tralised package pickup centers or warehouses to stow inventory clos-er to shoppers’ homes, it could ease burdens on Amazon’s overloaded distribution networks.

There are existing models for this approach. Amazon has deals with dozens of places to host Amazon Lockers, which are mini package pickup centers in spots like conven-ience stores and parking garages. Amazon will also have this year more than a half dozen physical stores on university campuses, to serve in part as de facto package pickup centers for students who make Amazon purchases. The University of Pennsylvania said it found almost half of all packages in its student mailrooms were Am-azon deliveries.

Having more centralised pack-age pickup spots is especially useful

in urban areas where people may not be able to have items delivered while they are away from home. Existing apparel retailers and big box stores like Best Buy are al-ready making their stores and e-commerce work hand-in-hand by letting people buy online and pick up in stores, or check out items in stores and then order online.

Inevitable comparisonsEvery time a technology company wades into brick and mortar, inevi-table comparisons are made to Ap-ple and its highly successful chain of retail stores, which started opening in 2001. In the 12 months ended in September 2014, Apple sold more than $21 billion worth of merchan-dise in its retail stores, or 12 percent of the company total sales in that period. Amazon and Apple are dif-ferent animals, of course, and that makes stores less of an obvious foray for Amazon. Yet Apple stores turned out to be an important place for the curious to try unfamiliar Apple products and new ideas like digital music and smartphones, plus highly visible symbols of Apple’s coolness to build consumer loyalty. If Amazon can borrow from those goals — plus get help with its physi-cal growing pains — then stores are a flier worth taking. — Bloomberg News

Even if the stores don’t materialise on

that scale, Amazon will still be far more

bricks and mortar than people generally

imagine. Amazon has about 120 million

square feet of merchandise warehouses

and computer data centres around the

world — roughly the equivalent of 700

Wal-Mart supercentres

B6 M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

ROUND-UP

Aftershock offers exciting free gifts on every purchaseMUSCAT: Aftershock an-nounced its much awaited pro-motion ‘Shop and get stunning accessories and clutch bags on every purchase’, to complement the look. This promotion is for a month and ends on February 29, says a press release.

The store offers stunning col-lection of dresses, accessories and evening bags to today’s fash-

ion conscious women, this pro-motion is certainly a great oppor-tunity for the buyers to take home exciting accessories and clutch bags home. To take advantage of this offer, ne can visit the After-shock showroom at the Oman Avenues Mall.

The Aftershock range includes tops starting from OMR16.9 and dresses starting from OMR22.9.

Aftershock London is a Brit-ish based designer womenswear brand. It offers an array of casual wear, occasion wear as well as stunning accessories within its womenswear range.

It is firmly established in the fashion market as an aspirational brand delivering the concept of ‘affordable glamour’ and ‘afford-able luxury’ to its customers.

P R O M O T I O N

All-new 2016 Toyota Corolla with MultiDrive 7S launched in Oman

MUSCAT: The 2016 Toyota Co-rolla with MultiDrive 7S Trans-mission has been launched in Oman. Now Toyota customers will experience what it means to ‘Drive Smooth and Save Smart.

To the many enthusiasts in the automotive industry, the 11th generation of the world famous Toyota Corolla is no less than an icon. Not only does it have a leg-endary reputation, it offers a truly impressive resale value even after years of use. Corolla enthu-siasts have an added sense of ex-citement to know that the 2016 Toyota Corolla is now available in

Oman with MultiDrive 7S trans-mission, says a press release.

Toyota, a technology leader in many countries, has innovated the 2016 Corolla to deliver a very smooth, yet powerful driving per-formance topping it up with class leading fuel efficiency.

“Now there will be more fun-filled driving trips and less visits to the gas station, chuckled a proud new owner adding, “It is really a smoother, silkier drive…one that lasts longer, goes farther on the same amount of fuel…yeah…I am living it and loving it!”

The new MultiDrive 7S contin-uously variable transmission me-ticulously controls the speed and shifting pattern to realise excellent power train performance while ensuring a powerful and linear acceleration. It also has a 7-Speed sequential shiftmatic mode with manual gear shifting-like charac-teristics that give the driver com-plete control when required.

Making a strong design state-ment with its unique visual signa-ture, the 2016 Corolla MultiDrive 7S signifies Toyota’s brand evolu-tion. The Corolla’s design theme combines clean lines and balanced proportions to give it an immedi-ate visual impact. It tapers at the front and rear of the vehicle to help

emphasise the wheel arches and wheels-to-the-corner stance.

The bars of the grille on the 2016 Corolla extend into the sleek LED-adorned trapezoidal head-lamp clusters to give the car a broad, thrusting nose. The flanks sport character lines that empha-sise the Corolla’s rear arches and the kicked-up leading edge of the

side glass. At the back, protrud-ing wraparound tail-lamp clusters and a chrome bar contribute to a wedge-like rear three-quarter pro-file. Adding to the style quotient is a trendy rear spoiler.

The design lends itself to an even more spacious cabin that offers refined comfort and class-leading legroom with abundant storage

space. Also, the interior looks up-market thanks to the piano-black finish to the infotainment system, a soft-touch dashboard and so-phisticated dark grey accents.

Under the bonnet lies a pow-erful 2.0 litre engine mated with Multi Drive 7S transmission that ensures smooth shifting and high fuel efficiency. Corolla is also avail-able with a 1.6 litre engine.

This particular model comes with all the safety, comfort and convenience specifications that add to customers’ delight — in-cluding ABS with EBD and brake assist, airbags, cruise control, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and a 6.1” display audio system that can play CDs, DVDs, USB devices and has a bluetooth connection.

In fact, the name ‘Corolla’ rep-resents the peak of Toyota’s re-nowned quality engineering, design evolution and value-for-money focus. This is unmatched in its class. That said, customers are to be thanked for their faith in Toy-ota and for making it a best-seller in the region.

Engineered to provide high ac-tive and passive safety standards, the Corolla also offers enhanced pedestrian impact protection. The adoption of numerous en-

ergy absorbing components offer significantly improved pedes-trian protection in the event of a frontal impact.

For occupant protection, im-pact-absorbing structures have been adopted for the interior part of the pillar areas to ensure cabin safety. To help reduce the impact of a collision on occupants, the 2016 Corolla MultiDrive 7S is equipped with SRS airbags for the driver and front passenger.

In addition to the above, the 2016 Corolla also features other class-leading features such as LED projector headlamps with integrated-type daylight run-ning lights, smart entry system with push button start , 3.5’’ TFT multi-information display, re-tractable outer mirrors with turn signals and chrome garnish, audio + MID controls on steering wheel, cruise control and moonroof, amongst others.

The 2016 Corolla MultiDrive 7S invites you to any Toyota show-room to take a closer look.

In Oman, the nationwide parts and service network of Saud Bahwan Automotive supports Toyota outstanding product qual-ity. No wonder then that today, Toyota is one of the most trusted and well-known brands.

To the many

enthusiasts in the

automotive industry,

the 11th generation

of the world famous

Toyota Corolla is no

less than an icon

BankDhofar achieves ISO 27001:2013 re-certification

MUSCAT: In recognition of its commitment to provide best-in-class banking services through adopting best security practices and employing latest technology in the financial sector, BankDhofar has achieved the revised ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Information Security Re-Certification for its informa-tion technology division and infor-mation security department.

The ISO 27001 certification as-sures BankDhofar customers that the confidentiality, integrity and availability of their information is secure in accordance with an in-ternationally recognised standard available from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), says a press release.

Dr Tariq Taha, assistant gen-eral manager & chief information officer at BankDhofar, said: “The ISO 27001 re-certification has enabled us to build a successful and best-in-class information se-curity management system, which

leads to an increased protection of our customer information. The ISO 27001 certification is a clear indication of the strength of our investments in people, process and technology for enhancing the customer experience by improving the security measures.”

The bank has been continu-ously investing in systems and procedures to adhere to best se-curity standards. A successful im-plementation of the Information Security Management System (ISMS) reduces the IT related op-erational risks, builds confidence in the stakeholders, demonstrates increased protection of the infor-mation and increases trust be-tween the bank and its customers.

The ISO 27001 accreditation is a formal certification proving that BankDhofar fulfils the high-est levels of security and has im-plemented an ISMS on par with global standards. The standard specifies the requirements for im-

plementing, monitoring, review-ing, maintaining and improving a documented ISMS within the context of the organisation’s over-all business risks.

Aspiring to be the best bank in the Sultanate of Oman and the wider Gulf area, BankDhofar works constantly to cater for customers’ needs and requirements, setting the standards for the best custom-er experience within the banking industry in the Sultanate through creative solutions and innovation.

The combination of the thor-ough vision of BankDhofar’s ex-ecutive management, the compre-hensive operational strategy that revolves around following best international banking practices and providing best customer ex-perience, as well as commitment to community development and contribution to the growth of the national economy, placed Bank-Dhofar on top of the list of best banks in the region.

R E C O G N I T I O N

The ISO 27001 re-certification has enabled us to build

a successful and best-in-class information security

management system, which leads to an increased

protection of our customer information. The ISO 27001

certification is a clear indication of the strength of our

investments in people, process and technology for

enhancing the customer experience by improving the

security measures

Dr Tariq TahaAssistant general manager and chief information officer at BankDhofar

alizz Islamic bank introduces new

3D Secure service on debit cards

MUSCAT: alizz Islamic bank has announced the introduction of digital commerce 3D Secure ser-vice for all its debit cards.

The new service allows alizz Islamic bank customers to shop online securely with their debit cards on any merchant websites that subscribe to the services of ‘MasterCard Secure Code’, says a press release.

3D Secure Service confirms the identity of the customer through a simple check-in process as it provides a password to protect the online transactions, just like using a PIN at an ATM. This pass-word protection system provides extra security on transactions that are processed online.

Commenting on the service, Sadiq Al Lawati, head of eChan-nels at alizz Islamic bank said: “After launching 3D Secure for our credit cards we have now ex-tended this service to our debit cards. This is the most advanced fraud prevention system that is available at the moment and with this internationally recognised security standard, we further enhance the security of Internet payments by significantly reduc-ing the risks of digital fraud.”

Registration to this service is available when the card holder is processing a transaction online.

After entering the card details on the merchant page, the card hold-er will be redirected to the alizz connect page where they can pro-vide their information to create a

User ID and password.If the user has forgotten their

password, they can use the forget password link available on the page to reset the password.

In the circumstance of the ac-count being blocked due to en-tering incorrect details the cus-tomers can call the alizz Islamic bank call centre on 80072265 to unblock the account.

alizz Islamic bank continues to enhance its eBanking portfo-lio by providing customers with the ease of having their banking needs just a click away in a safe and secure environment. This ap-proach is part of the bank’s belief of putting customers’ needs first and their service foremost with the most innovative and conveni-ent Sharia compliant products and services.

N E W S E R V I C E

3D Secure Service

confirms the identity of

the customer through a

simple check-in process

as it provides a password

to protect the online

transactions, just like

using a PIN at an ATM

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Al Suwadi supports local schoolsMUSCAT: Al Suwadi Power Com-pany (ASPC), which owns and op-erates the 744MW power genera-tion plant in Barka, worked with the local schools in their commu-nity recently to help them set up interactive classrooms and gifted smart electronic boards and pro-jectors, says a press release.

Representatives from ASPC went to Abd Bin Al Julanda Ba-sic Education School in Barka to

distribute four smart electronic boards. The school had organised a small function where the gifts were received by Ali Al Jabry, the assistant principal. This was fol-lowed by a demonstration session for the teaching faculty by Yasser Talib Al Balushi, the mathematics teacher. The highly-versatile and advanced boards will help stu-dents enjoy the learning process as it allows for a more graphical

presentation of the curriculum. It enables teachers to impart knowl-edge in a more scientific, commu-nicative and collaborating manner.

Al Suwadi also gifted five projec-tors for the classrooms of Al Amal Education School at Barka. The projectors would assist the teach-ers in displaying information and educational material in a way that catches the attention of the young mind. The gifts were received on

behalf of the school by A’mal Al Mawali, assistant principal of Al Amal Education School who ex-pressed her thanks and praised the company for its support.

“At ASPC, we are committed to working closely and support the needs of our community as part of corporate social responsibility. It is important that education is im-parted in a more interactive man-ner to today’s tech-savvy children.

Our effort is a step in that direc-tion. We want our future leaders to benefit from the best that the tech-nology has to offer,” said Navneet Kasbekar, chief executive officer of Al Suwadi Power Company.

Al Suwadi sells electrical power to Oman Power and Water Procurement Company under a 15-year power purchase agree-ment and practices good corpo-rate governance.

Representatives from

ASPC went to schools

in Barka to distribute

smart electronic

boards and projectors

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I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. — Michael Jordan

First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.— Aristotle

If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down. —Mary Pickford

What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that’s another matter.— Peter F. Drucker

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Lulu opens new outlet in Suwaiq

MUSCAT: Middle East retail ma-jor Lulu Group has further expand-ed its presence in the Sultanate of Oman by opening its latest hyper-market in Suwaiq, a coastal town in the north east of the country.

The 16th Lulu hypermarket in Oman was officially inaugurat-ed by Sheikh Muhanna bin Saif bin Salim Al Lamki, governor of North Al Batinah in the presence of several high-ranking officials from various government depart-ments and representatives from local business communities, says a press release.

The new 100,000-sq-ft Lulu hy-permarket will serve the residents of Suwaiq and its surrounding ar-

eas with a wide range of products from all over the world. The hyper-market has separate sections for fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy products, ready-to-eat products and a state-of-the-art live bakery and hot foods kitch-en and a huge area dedicated to department store which includes garment, electronics, IT products, home appliances etc. The product mix in Lulu Suwaiq encompasses a wide selection of premium UK and US goods, including special products air-flown for freshness. The new hypermarket will have lots of inaugural offers and deals in almost all categories.

Speaking after the inauguration,

Yusuff Ali M. A., chairman of Lulu, said: “Oman has always been a pre-ferred destination for us because of its stable political environment and promising market. We thank His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the people of this coun-try for encouraging us in all our expansion strategies and efforts in Oman. The group will open seven more hypermarkets in various re-gions of the country in the next two years,” added Yusuff Ali.

Nurturing local talentOn providing training and employ-ment opportunity to the educated Omani youth, he said: “It is also our endeavour to nurture the local tal-

ent and a proof of this is our strong Omani work force of 2,000 strong that form the nucleus of our opera-tions here in Oman. Our aim in the wake of the aggressive expansion plans is to provide employment to more Omani nationals by the end of 2017,” said Yusuff Ali. Currently Lulu provides best quality training to absorb them in various mana-gerial and specialised sections to Omanis,” he added.

Regardless of the challenges arising from the volatile oil prices, Yusuff Ali expressed optimism on the economic outlook of the coun-try. “We’re very optimistic based on the circumstances in general. The impact of fluctuating oil prices

is not going to distract us from the long-term goals of our business in Oman. Despite the signs of fiscal caution, there is no need for resi-dents to press the panic button. The government has initiated compre-hensive measures and substantial strategies to tide over the crisis and create a positive impact on the lives of citizens. This is definitely a clear sign that the economy is on track to overcome the challenges and achieve its objectives successfully.”

Other important attendees at the inauguration were Saifee Rupawala, CEO of Lulu Group, Ashraf Ali M. A., executive direc-tor, Ananth A. V., Oman Regional Director, and other top officials.

The new 100,000-sq-

ft Lulu hypermarket

will serve the

residents of Suwaiq

and its surrounding

areas with a wide

range of products

from all over the world

EXPANSION: The 16th Lulu hypermarket in Oman was officially inaugurated by Sheikh Muhanna bin Saif bin Salim Al Lamki,

governor of North Al Batinah, in the presence of several high-ranking officials from various government departments and

representatives from local business communities. – Jun Estrada/TIMES OF OMAN

Oman Packaging and Material Handling Exhibition opens todayMUSCAT: Innovative products and technologies for the packag-ing and material handling industry will be on display at Opmex 2016 which will open today.

The event, which is organised by OITE Trade Fairs, is supported by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estate and will show-case solutions of 50 international brands exhibiting from eight coun-tries. Coincided with the exhibi-tion, an executive conference will gather renowned decision makers and thought-leaders, to present and discuss emerging topics in the packaging and material handling, to help industries and trade pros-per and develop in Oman, says a press release.

The exhibition links two essen-tial processes in marketing prod-ucts: Branding and Distribution. Packaging as it serves two func-tions, the first to brand a product in a way to appeal to buyers, the other function is to protect the product during shipment from the manufacturer to the store selling it. Packaging is also a function of protection as the product sits on store shelves waiting for consum-ers to come along and purchase it. Omani companies exhibiting

packaging related products and technologies at Opmex include Sohar Paper Cores, Industrial Packing International, Technovaa. While, Season International Trad-ing & Industries, Kimoha, Al Thika Packaging, Wellbound, ÜnlüAl-maliMakina Ltd, Pietribiasi, Me-legariManghiSrl, SIAD Macchi-neImpianti and ACCIAI MELLA are exhibiting from India, Turkey, Italy, Bahrain and UAE.

Leading packaging companies showcasing their products and services are: Al Thika Packaging, Industrial Packing International, Season International Trading & Industries Co. (SITCO), Kimoha, Technovaa, Welbound, ÜnlüAl-maliMakina Ltd, Pietribiasi, Me-legariManghiSrl, SIAD Macchi-neImpianti, Sohar Paper Cores and Acciai Mella.

On the other flip, material handling will encompass ware-housing and logistic services and equipment as well as processing technologies for fast moving con-sumer goods (FMCG). Companies such as Khimji Ramdas, Saeed Bin Nasser Al Hashar, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, Al Jenaibi Interna-tional Automobiles, Oasis Trad-ing & Equipment, Arabian Car

Marketing and Mohsin Haider Darwish are leading companies in Oman who will be exhibiting at Opmex 2016.

Leading material handling and logistics companies showcasing their products and services are Technical Supplies & Services Co., Regionality DMCC, TVH, JAS-PA, Saeed Bin Nasser Al Hashar, Business International Group, Khimji’s Storage Solutions, Al Je-naibi International Automobiles, International Equipment & Con-tracting Company (IECC), Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA) and Saud Bahwan Group.

Toyota forklifts from Toyota Industrial Equipment, the world’s leading brand of material han-dling equipment with over 2.5 million units sold in over 200 countries. The all new 8FB series in electric powered forklifts with more advanced features is latest feather in the cap.

Thermo-King’s transport refrig-eration range sets new industry standards for reliability, perfor-mance and efficiency. The new T-Series and the CE/V series ranges have been specially developed to exceed customers’ expectations in truck refrigeration.

JLG, another word class brand from USA is a leading manufactur-er of access platforms in the world. With state-of-the-art engineering and versatility in design, the com-pany is dedicated to meet the chal-lenging and increasing demand of reaching heights safely, effectively and quickly.

Worldwide, Palfinger stands for the most innovative, reliable and cost-effective lifting solutions for use on commercial vehicles and in the maritime field. The core prod-uct is the Loader Crane.

In Oman, Toyota, Thermoking, Palfinger and JLG access plat-forms are backed by unmatched nationwide service and parts net-work of Saud Bahwan Group.

Business grows by increasing products outreach to regional and global customers, and creating new markets depends heavily on how products are packaged, han-dled and delivered to these cus-tomers. It is a very critical process that cannot be fragmented, and it’s an innovation domain that prospers to ease its complications for manufacturers, marketing and operation managers to achieve their objective of sustainable business growth.

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

Charm your loved ones with Liali’s Valentine’s Day ideasMUSCAT: Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love and bond-ing that you share not only with your partner but also your fam-ily and friends.

Make your loved ones feel spe-cial with Liali’s beautiful gift ide-as that complement every rela-tionship. Affordable luxury to suit every budget, Liali’s Valentine special designs are here to leave a lasting impression.

So, whether you fancy dia-monds, gold or coloured stones for your gift of love, Liali’s Valen-tine’s collection is your personal expression for your special some-one, says a press release.

Complete with hearts, dia-monds and superior craftsman-ship, the new range boasts of scintillating diamonds strewn to-gether in strings of designer excel-lence to form pendants, bracelets, bangles and rings. Whether it’s the Love Bands a set of two rings that can be worn together starting at OMR540, or the intricate pave settings of the Midnight Rose Col-lection starting at OMR726, each design in the Valentine collection is poised brilliant to carry off an ethnic, western or even a cocktail soiree with equal élan and is sure to last long after the flowers and chocolates are gone.

Gold symbolises everlasting love, so move over handbags and perfumes and shower your loved one with a valuable investment in precious gold. For the romantic at heart and gesture, Liali offers adorable ‘heart’ pendants starting at OMR70.

The celebration of Valentine’s Day is incomplete without flow-ers and chocolates. Liali cele-brates the day of love by offering its customers a delicious box of chocolates on a purchase of over OMR100 and will arrange to send a gorgeous bouquet of red roses to your beloved on the purchase of over OMR500.

A F F O R D A B L E L U X U R Y

Meethaq extends support to traditional shooting contest

MUSCAT: Meethaq, the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman from Bank Muscat, extended support to the annual traditional shoot-ing competitions which conclud-ed in the wilayat of Saham under the auspices of Sheikh Muhanna bin Saif Al Lamki, governor of North Batinah.

Shooting enthusiasts from dif-ferent governorates participated in the popular contest, says a press release.

The support to the event comes within the bank’s strategy to pro-

mote and preserve the country’s traditions, heritage and culture. As the nation’s leading Islamic finan-cial institution, Meethaq seeks to utilise opportunities in reaching out to people and familiarising them with the country’s heritage and traditions. In recognition of the support to the event, the bank was honoured in the concluding ceremony of the competition.

Sultan Al Maamari, Meethaq Branch manager in Saham, re-ceived the memento from the guest of honour on the occasion.

Aimed at supporting activities linked to the country’s traditions, heritage and culture, Meethaq remains committed to shoulder-ing its developmental and social responsibilities within the frame-work of cooperation and support to all segments of society.

The bank seeks to set an exam-ple in extending support to show-case Oman’s heritage and culture as part of activities to develop the country as a favourite desti-nation and thereby promote its tourism potential.

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

Big Valentine’s Day

celebration planned

at InterContinental

MUSCAT: Valentine’s Day is here again and love is on the menu at InterContinental Mus-cat. Enjoy the most romantic cel-ebration of the year with memo-rable dining experiences, says a press release.

Latino beatsTrader Vic’s celebrates Valen-tine’s Day in style paired with La-tino beats from ‘Ire Band’ prom-ising you an unforgettable night. Enjoy a four course dinner with a choice of Lobster mango-avo-cado salad with Tahitian sauce or teriyaki chicken in crispy California maki roll as a starter, raspberry sorbet, mixed seafood bouillabaisse with stuffed mush-room risotto rice or honey pepper sesame beef stir fry on a bed of crispy noodle as the main course, and to finish it off with Rose scented panna cotta with mixed berries compote, inclusive lover’s cocktail for two.

Musandam Café and Terrace Restaurant will make the night truly magical — enjoy the sump-tuous Valentine seafood din-ner including a complimentary selected beverage in the invit-

ing indoor dining space or the wide-open outdoor along with live piano music.

Al Ghazal offers a three course dinner for two with complimen-tary selected beverage. Dance the night away to the sound of DJ Junior.

Italian dinner Or relax in Tomato Restaurant with two romantic venue options — be it in the restaurant or pool island with beautiful romantic views of our gardens and let Chef Marco spoil you with his tantalis-ing mouthwatering Italian din-ner set menu, Scallop bruschetta with basil and ginger, Pan-fried red snapper with cauliflower-saffron puree and sweet and sour caponata, duo of prawn and beef served with purple potato, zuc-chini spaghetti and truffle sauce, chocolate heart and berries with strawberry coulis including com-plimentary selected beverage.

Don’t forget to order famous Valentine’s cake at the Majlis Al Shams for your loved one.

The InterContinental Mus-cat also offers Valentine’s Day room package.

S E A S O N O F L O V E

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SECTIONC M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

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Working hard to get back to rhythm: Jatinder

T.K. MOHANDOSSsportseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: He might have strug-gled a bit since that exhilarating performance in Ireland and Scot-land in the successful ICC World T20 Qualifier campaign.

But this young man is highly ambitious and determined to take a large chunk of responsi-bility in Oman’s campaign in the Asia Cup qualifying campaign this month and also next month’s all-important World T20.

‘Jatti’ to friends and team-mates, ‘Mr. Consistent’ to the media and for some ‘Oman’s Kohli’, Jatinder Singh has come a long way since the days of being a school cricketer.

Now considered the backbone of Oman national team, Jatin-der has proved time and again that he can hold the innings together with confidence and perseverance.

In Ireland and Scotland with former England star Derek Pringle as a technical advisor, who gave insight into local con-ditions, Jatinder along with Zeeshan Maqsood and Zeeshan Siddique had stood tall in their ambitious quest.

If Jatinder was consistent throughout, the two Zeeshan’s had proved their prowess to steer Oman to victory on many oc-casions. To be precise Zeeshan Siddique was the crucial man in making Oman realise their dreams with a match-winning performance against Namibia. No wonder many call him ‘Man Namibia’ now.

However, Jatinder stood out amongst all after aggregating 213 runs in seven matches and also getting a mention worldwide.

The Indian School Muscat’s Alumni also mentioned that he rated his 65 (off 56 balls) in Oman’s famous victory over The Netherlands at the Qualifier as the best.

However, in recent tours to the UAE and Rajkot, Jatinder did not do much to get noticed as during the Qualifier.

Speaking to Times Sport,

Jatinder said that there was in-deed a dip in form and is working hard to improve.

“Well, I am working hard to maintain my form,” he said, add-ing: “I did miss few good knocks in the UAE and Rajkot, but I am pretty confident and will capital-ise in the T20 Asia Cup and T20 World Cup qualifiers.”

Jatinder understands his im-portance in the middle overs and said he will deliver his best once again. “Preparations are going pretty well. Everybody is working really hard and put-ting in tremendous efforts on the field. As we are going for the tournament quite early, this will benefit us a lot,” Jatinder, who credited the conditioning camps at Cork County Club in Ireland well ahead of the Qualifier for the team’s success, said.

Jatinder said that he has a pos-itive mindset. “At this moment I am staying positive, mentally strong, keeping cool and working hard in the nets and I will defi-nitely make an impact.”

That comment reflected on Jatinder’s determined attitude and he has one chance to prove himself before his passionate fans when the national team takes on the visiting MCC on Monday evening, which inci-dentally will be part of the warm send-off for Oman national cricketers. On Sunday playing for Muscat CT he was out cheaply.

On behalf of the team, Jatinder remarked, “Team is pretty con-fident, everybody is charged up in the camp. There are positive vibes. Everybody is looking fitter and better. We are confident of doing well.”

This time around Jatinder also has senior campaigner Adnan Ilyas, who missed out on quali-fiers, on his side and it is strongly believed that the duo can do won-ders for the team.

Going into Asia Cup and World T20, Jatinder is once again on a dream sojourn hoping that he can make a long lasting impression.

Who knows a terrific show can also open doors to bigger leagues of world cricket.

‘Jatti’ to friends and teammates, ‘Mr.

Consistent’ to the media and for some

‘Oman’s Kohli’, Jatinder Singh has come

a long way since the days of being

a promising school cricketer

Stage set for warm send-off to Oman national team and inauguration of cricket infrastructure Sports Reporter

MUSCAT: Stage is set for a glitter-ing send-off for the Oman national cricketers as Oman Cricket has ar-ranged plethora of activities at the Ministry of Sports Affairs ground in Al Amerat.

The colourful setting at Al Amerat ground will be graced by the pres-ence of Minister of Sports Affairs Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed Al Mardhouf Al Saadi and Oman Crick-et Patron-in-Chief His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.

Adding spice to the evening will be a T20 warm-up game for the India-bound national team against strong-looking Marylebone Crick-et Club (MCC), who are enjoying a successful tour. However, MCC lost to Muscat CT on Sunday, thanks to Sudeep Chawla’s ton.

The evening will also witness the official unveiling of the new cricket infrastructure at Al Amerat. Sayyid Haitham and Sheikh Saad Al Saadi will officially open the floodlight facilities at the venue and mark a new beginning for Oman Cricket. Also to be present will be the Wali

of Al Amerat and other top digni-taries. Speaking to media the other day, Oman Cricket’s Pankaj Khimji had said that ten wickets at the first ground are already put to use and the second ground too has an addi-tional 10 pitches.

Games of the second ground are likely to begin soon. Practice facilities with 12 more pitches are also being set up. After the official unveiling of the facilities, the na-tional cricketers will be provided with official jerseys and kits for their ambitious tour.

BDM is sponsoring the kits for

the team and Samsonite (Khimji) is providing the players with spe-cial baggage. Ketan Mehta (Syn-ergy) has designed the jersey and logo for the player kits.

Ready for the showSpeaking to Times Sport Oman Cricket General Secretary Madhu Jesrani said: “Everything is in place for tomorrow’s (Monday) event and we are ready.”

Madhu Jesrani said that it will be high profile event with leading digni-taries taking part and a great cricket match to follow. “Royal Oman Po-

lice will be in hand to help visiting spectators. We are hoping for a large turnout (more than 5000 cricket enthusiasts) and special parking ar-rangements have been made close to the ground,” said Madhu.

“Seating arrangements have been made for special guests and the others can opt for the hill slopes all along the ground to make them-selves comfortable,” he added.

“Special refreshments stalls will be put at the venue and a DJ has been arrange to belt out music and keep the spectators entertained throughout the evening,” he said.

Madhu also said that there could be representation from Interna-tional Cricket Council as well. Meanwhile, former India wom-en’s cricket team captain Anjum Chopra will also be present.

“I thank MCC for visiting Oman at the appropriate time and provide the national cricketers with much-needed match practice,” he said.

“The inauguration of floodlights will begin at 6 pm followed by un-veiling of team jersey and the Asia Cup, World T20 plans. The match will begin at 7 p.m.” Madhu said.

G R A N D C E L E B R A T I O N S

Oman Cricket Patron-in-Chief Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq

Al Said and Minister of Sports Affairs Sheikh Saad bin

Mohammed Al Mardhouf Al Saadi will officially unveil

the floodlit facilities at the Al Amerat cricket ground and

also present official jerseys and kits to national team

C2

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Kiwis need power hitters to step up in final ODI against Australia

WELLINGTON: New Zealand need more runs from the middle order and must build on partner-ships when they get started to boost their chances of beating Aus-tralia in the final one-day match in Hamilton on Monday.

Australia levelled the three-match series on Saturday with a four-wicket victory in Welling-ton, where Mitchell Marsh and John Hastings put on an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 86 that saw them home after some nervous moments following a mid-order collapse.

Despite New Zealand taking four top-order wickets for 22 runs, and two in the middle order for six, their 281 was not enough of a tar-

get to defend after a century open-ing stand from David Warner and Usman Khawaja.

New Zealand’s top order of Mar-tin Guptill, Brendon McCullum

and Kane Williamson have put down foundations, though they have also been guilty of getting out at times when they should have consolidated, while Henry Nichol-

ls scored a composed 61 in the first game at Eden Park.

However, the engine room of the lower-middle order, where the team’s power hitters are, have not

produced the volume of runs ex-pected of them.

Grant Elliott (21 and 32), Corey Anderson (10, 16) and Luke Ronchi (16, 19) have all failed to kick on at a time when the team were seeking attacking momentum in the final 15 overs.

In the first match at Eden Park, Ronchi was the last of the trio dis-missed in the 45th over. In Wel-lington, all three were back in the pavilion by the 41st. All had spent time establishing themselves be-fore falling.

That has left the bowlers and the improving Mitchell Santner to close out their innings. The rookie all-rounder has demonstrated how comfortable he is in international cricket despite only making his de-but last June.

Santner, who turned 24 on Fri-day, has innings of 35 not out and 45 not out, and combined with the fast bowlers to add 44 runs in 32 balls in Auckland and 76 runs in 58 balls in Wellington.

While New Zealand scored 307 in the first game, which they won by 159 runs after Australia slumped to 41-6 in nine overs, the score on Saturday was barely com-petitive, despite Santner suggest-ing it might have been enough.

“In our innings we lost wickets at key times when we were trying to build partnerships but we did all right to get to 280 which was reasonably competitive,” he told reporters.

“We were in a pretty good spot when they were six down ... and knew if we got one more we were right in it. Fair play to Mitch and John, that was a serious partner-ship.” - Reuters

New Zealand’s top

order of Martin

Guptill, Brendon

McCullum and Kane

Williamson have put

down foundations,

though they have also

been guilty of getting

out at times when

they should have

consolidated

WELLINGTON: New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner is in doubt for the final One-day International against Australia in Hamilton on Mon-day after complaining of a sore right foot following the second game in Wellington.

The 24-year-old Santner was New Zealand’s best player in Australia’s four-wicket victory, that levelled the three-match series, scoring 45 not

out and marshalling his side to 281-9 and then taking 3-47 with his left-arm spin.

Leg spinner Ish Sodhi has been brought into the squad as precautionary cover, should Santner not be fit enough to play at his home ground at Sed-don Park.

A decision on Santner’s fitness would be made just before the match, New Zealand Cricket said in a statement on

Sunday.Santner, who only made his

international debut last year, is quickly impressing as an auto-matic selection in all formats of the game with his fluid bat-ting and handy left-arm spin.

He has scored 35 and 45 in the two matches of the series, without being dismissed, and guided the tailenders through to the end of New Zealand in-nings in both matches. - Reuters

Santner a doubt as Sodhi brought in

NOT FIT: Mitchell Santner complained of a sore right foot and is likely to miss the final ODI.

BCCI to convene SGM before responding to top court

MUMBAI: Cornered by the Supreme Court’s latest missive to “fall in line” with the recom-mendations of the Justice R M Lodha Committee, the BCCI on Sunday decided to convene a Special General Meeting before responding to the apex court.

BCCI President Shashank Manohar, himself a lawyer by profession, attended the meet-ing of its legal panel here com-prising P S Raman (Tamil Nadu, chairman), D V S S Somayajulu (Andhra) and Abhay Apte (Ma-harashtra), along with treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary.

It is learnt, that in the meet-ing, it was decided that an SGM would be convened at the earli-est to get the views of the BC-CI’s various affiliates before it responds to the Supreme Court on the issue.

As per the BCCI’s Memoran-dum of Rules and Regulations 21 days’ notice has to be given to convene an SGM, but the Presi-dent has the discretionary pow-ers to direct the secretary to con-vene an SGM “at shorter notice in which case as a notice of at least 10 days shall be given.” - PTI

C R I C K E T

Australia’s Richardson returning home, Paris joins team

WELLINGTON: Australia pace bowler Kane Richardson is to return home for further ex-amination on a back injury and has been replaced by Joel Paris in the squad for their final one-day match against New Zealand in Hamilton on Monday.

Richardson, 24, did not play in Australia’s four-wicket vic-tory in the second match in Wellington on Saturday. “Kane Richardson’s back pain hasn’t subsided sufficiently to take part in the final ODI in Hamil-ton,” a Cricket Australia spokes-person told Australian report-ers in Wellington on Sunday.

Paris has just finished play-ing a Sheffield Shield match for Western Australia against New South Wales in New Zealand.

Richardson joins a long list of injured Australian pace bowl-ers with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins both long-term injury concerns. Nathan Coulter-Nile is also sidelined, though James Pattinson, who has been com-plaining of shin soreness, has joined up with the Test squad.

Aaron Finch and all-rounder James Faulkner are suffering from hamstring injuries. - Reuters

O D I

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SPORTSM O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

Yasir Shah banned for three months for doping offenceDUBAI: Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah has been given a three-month ban after pleading guilty to an inadvertent doping offence, the International Cricket Council said on Sunday.

The 29-year-old’s urine sam-ple, provided in an in-competi-tion test conducted on November 13, was found to contain the pres-ence of chlortalidone and he was subsequently provisionally sus-pended in December.

Chlortalidone is a diuretic drug which features in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of prohibited substances. Shah plead-ed guilty to the charge and said he had mistakenly taken his wife’s blood pressure medication which contained the banned substance.

“While making the decision, the ICC accepted that Shah had inadvertently ingested the ‘speci-fied substance’ for therapeutic reasons, specifically to treat his blood pressure,” the ICC said in a statement. “He was able to sat-

isfy the ICC through evidence and submissions prepared on his behalf by the Pakistan Cricket Board that he had no intention to enhance his sporting perfor-mance or to mask the use of an-other performance enhancing substance.”

Shah’s sample was taken in Abu Dhabi which hosted the second match of Pakistan’s one-day se-ries against England and the ban will rule him out of the World Twenty20 in India, starting from March 8.

A wily leg-spinner who has

bagged 76 wickets in 12 tests, Shah has also played 15 one-dayers and can return to playing cricket again on March 27.

Shah said his case should be a reminder for all cricketers that they have to take responsibil-ity and be extra cautious towards what goes into their body.

“I assure all fans and followers of the Pakistan cricket team that I have never taken a performance enhancing substance nor have I ever had the intent of masking any such substance,” he said.

“I have always been careful to check my medication with doc-tors and medical support staff to ensure it does not contain any substance on the prohibited list.

“However, I acknowledge that I should have taken extra pre-cautions to ensure that my blood pressure medication was stored separately from my wife’s medi-cation so that there was no possi-bility of my wife’s medication be-ing mistaken for my own.” - Reuters

C R I C K E T

Yasir Shah.

Oliver, Asta win at Festival Triathlon turned ‘Duathlon’

Sports Reporter

MUSCAT: High seas and low, read lack of, support had impact-ed the Muscat Festival Triathlon but a determined Oman Triathlon Team and equally enthusiastic triathlon enthusiasts made the annual event a grand success on a

‘windy and cool’ Friday.Owing to the high tides, the

Oman Triathlon Team, who were already affected by the Festival organisers’ reluctance to support the event, were forced to turn the Triathlon into a ‘Duathlon’ by cancelling the swim section while including an additional sprint ses-sion to the programme.

The changed format saw the participants in the Olympic cat-egory start with a 10km run and then taking part in the 40km bike before concluding with a 5km run.

In Sprint category, it was 5km run and 22km bike followed by 2.5km run. In the Olympic category Oliver Boast took the top honours

in the men’s section followed by Suleiman Al Alawi and Karl Street in that order. Asta Parker emerged the women’s winner while Jolanda van Schaijk and Patricia finished second and third respectively.

Gibbs, Hart shineDavid Gibbs won the men’s event in the Sprint category while Ahmed Al Falahi and Bert Michels settled for second and third places respectively. Sally Hart won the women’s title ahead of Ania James.

Oman Triathlon Team thanked all the participants for making the event a great success while mak-ing a special mention of contribu-tion made by the individuals, mar-

shals and the timekeepers. “The event changed from Tri-

athlon to a Duathlon as the sea was not happy! Sorry to those who spent hours in swim training but many events are coming don’t worry!,” said Oman Triathlon Team member Suleiman Al Ala-wi. “Also, sorry for no prizes. We were happy to have the Triathlon as part of the Muscat Festival. But we got nothing from the Festival.”

Results: Olympic category: Men: 1 Oliver Boast, 2 Suleiman Al Alawi, 3. Karl Street. Women: 1 Asta Parker, 2 Jolanda van Schaijk, 3 Patricia.

Sprint category: Men: 1 David Gibbs, 2 Ahmed Al Falahi, 3 Bert Michels. Wom-en: 1 Sally Hart, 2 Ania James.

Owing to the high

tides, Oman Triathlon

Team were forced

to turn the Triathlon

into a ‘Duathlon’

by cancelling the

swim section

WARM WELCOME FOR OMAN WOMEN’S ENDURANCE TEAMOman national women’s team who won the

bronze medal at the first GCC Endurance Cham-

pionship for Women in Doha returned home to

a warm welcome. The team, comprising Tama-

dhur Al Balushi, Shams Al Mudhafar, Dhuha Al

Mudhafar, Aida Al Saleemi, Ghanima Al Shekaili,

Turkia Al Balushi, Mazyoona Al Ghabshi, Salsa-

beel Al Mudhafar and Su’ad Al Faraji, received at

the Muscat International Airport by Oman Eques-

trian Federation officials Dr. Juma bin Rashid Al

Mashaikhi and Ahmed bin Saif Al Abri. — ONA Barca regain three-point lead with win at Levante

Ayaan, Shlok, Hassan win

MADRID: Barcelona cruised to a 2-0 win at Levante with Luis Su-arez scoring his 36th goal of the season on Sunday to regain their three-point lead over Atletico Ma-drid at the top of La Liga.

Bottom team Levante might have snatched at least a deserved point with better finishing against Barca, in lackadaisical mood after their 7-0 demolition of Valencia in the King’s Cup on Wednesday. Le-vante central defender David Nav-arro gave Barca a fortunate lead in the 21st minute when he turned an Andres Iniesta cross meant for Li-onel Messi into his own net.

The visitors had to wait until the second minute of added time to make the result safe when Suarez finished off a fast counter-attack with his 20th Liga goal as Levante tried to snatch an equaliser and were caught off guard.

Barcelona, with a game in hand, have 54 points to Atletico’s 51 after a 3-1 win over Eibar on Saturday. Real Madrid are third with 47.

Barca might have been a goal up after two minutes when Messi had the ball in the net from Iniesta’s pass into the box but it was over-ruled for offside — a harsh decision as television replays showed. - Reuters

MUSCAT: Ayaan Malhotra, Shlok Ail and Hassan Haider advanced to the second round of the boys under-18 singles at the ISC/Mus-cat Pharmacy Open Junior Ten-nis Tournament. Ayaan Malhotra won his first round match of the boys U-18 singles bating Eyad Al Khanjari 8-5.

In other first round matches of the under-18, Schlok Ail defeated Gareth Maclure 8-4. Hassan Haid-

er overcame Sultan Suhail Musa with an 8-4 verdict. The Maclure siblings enjoyed mixed fortunes. Ethan won his first round of the U-18 singles with a 8-1 victory over Aanvik Singh and saved the blues for the Maclures before Gareth went down in his match.

Meanwhile, the organisers is-sued a correction stating Praneeth Raj defeated Ali Al Busaidi 8-2 and not as reported earlier.

L A L I G A

I S C T E N N I S

C4

SPORTSM O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

COACH LOPEZ CARO BEGINS TRAINING OMAN NATIONAL SQUADOman national football team’s newly appointed Spanish coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro started his first train-

ing camp with the team at the Seeb Sports Stadium on Saturday. The former Real Madrid and Saudi Arabia

coach, on a one-year contract with the Oman Football Association (OFA), will be preparing the Sultanate’s

squad for their remaining two World Cup/Asian Cup joint qualifiers. In the Group D qualifiers of the 2018

World Cup/2019 Asian Cup, Oman have 11 points against group toppers Iran’s 14. Oman need to win both their

remaining matches to clinch the direct berth into the next round of the World Cup qualifiers — first against

Guam at home at March 24 and an away outing against Iran on March 29. — ISMAIL AL FARSI/Times of Oman

SCAN THIS FORMORE PHOTOS

Landscape Architecture win

MUSCAT: Landscape Architec-ture eased to an 83-run victory over Al Maddah in an Enhance-sponsored D Division cricket match at the Municipality Ground II on Friday.

Batting first, Landscape Archi-tecture scored 185 for the loss of three wickets in 20 overs. Prasad Peruli top scored with an unbeat-en 88. In reply, Al Maddah were bowled out for 102 in 15 overs. Mohammed Ithesham claimed four wickets for Landscape.

Brief scores: Landscape Architec-ture 185 for 3 in 20 overs (Prasad Peruli 88 n.o.) bt Al Maddah 102 in 15 overs (Nikhil 33; Mohammed Ithesham 4/14). Points: Landscape Architecture – 3, Al Maddah - 0.

Professional Trading winIn another Enhance-sponsored D Division match, Professional Trading defeated Carillion Alawi by nine runs. Batting first, Profes-sional Trading managed to score 170 for six in 20 overs. In reply, Carillion Alawi scored 161 for nine in 20 overs.

Brief scores: Professional Trading 170 for 6 in 20 overs (Rasik E.P. 46 n.o,; Issam Othman 2/26) bt Carillion Alawi 161 for 9 in 20 overs (Yusuf Zoher 59; Su-jash K.R. 3/30). Points: Professional Trading – 2, Carilion Alawi- 0.

Majees A down Falcons In an E Division match, Majees

A recorded a 15-run win over En-hance Falcons. Batting first, Ma-jees A scored 178 for eight in 20 overs. In reply, Enhance Falcons were restricted to 163 in 18.4 overs.

Brief scores: Majees A 178 for 8 in 20 overs (Adnan Mehboob 46; Santosh Kumar 4/27) bt Enhance Falcons 163 in 18.4 overs (Sparsh Agarwal 41; Adnan Mehboob 3/39). Points: Majees A – 2, Enhance Falcons - 0.

Easy for GME In another E Division match, Global Money Exchange (GME) defeated Ibrahim Kishri by 63 runs. Batting first, GME scored 221 for seven in 20 overs. In reply, Ibrahim Kishri were bowled out for 158 in 16.3 overs.

Brief scores: Global Money Ex-change 221 for 7 in 20 overs (Amal Raj 58, Sajeev S 57; Mohammed Wasim 3/20) bt Ibrahim Kishri 158 in 16.3 overs (Afzal Mirza 57; Anurag P. 2/28). Points: Global Money Exchange – 3, Ibrahim Kishri - 0.

Bahihi win against MCCC In an F Division match, Bahihi de-feated Muscat Cricket Coaching

Centre (MCCC) by three wickets. Batting first, MCCC scored 123 for nine 20 overs. In reply, Bahihi scored 125 for four in 13.3 overs.

Brief scores: MCCC 123 for 9 in 20 overs (Bhavesh Mehta 51) lost to Bahihi 125 for four in 13.3 overs (Murad Khan 41 n.o., Rahul Ramachandran 41 n.o). Points: Bahihi – 3, MCCC - 0.

Oasis Water beat OUA Travel In another F Division match, Oa-sis Water defeated OUA Travel by 20 runs. Batting first, Oasis Water scored 168 for six in 20 overs. In reply, OUA Travel were bowled out for 148 in 18.5 overs.

Brief scores: Oasis Water 168 for 6 in 20 overs (Nazar Karikalakath 58; Shafeeq 3/35) bt OUA Travel 148 in 18.5 overs (Ratheesh P. 6/19). Points: Oasis Water – 2, OUA Travel - 0.

Ahli Bank too good for NBO In an H Division match, Ahli Bank registered a six-wicket win over National Bank of Oman (NBO). Batting first, NBO scored 138 for nine in 20 overs. In reply, Ahli Bank scored 141 for four in 18.4 overs.

Brief scores: NBO 138 for 9 in 20

overs (Ramesh V. 45; S.M. Imran 4/31) lost to Ahli Bank 141 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Imran S.M. 57 n.o.; Zafar Iqbal 2/16). Points: Ahli Bank – 2; NBO - 0.

Al Ansari edge Axis Group In another H Division match, Al Ansari defeated Axis Group by 32 runs. Batting first, Al Ansari scored 193 for six in 18 overs. In reply, Axis Group scored 161 for eight in 18 overs.

Brief scores: Al Ansari 193 for 6 in 18 overs (Sohail Khan 82, Ameet Sampath 57) bt Axis Group 161 for 8 in 18 overs (Vineesh Raj 43; Adnan Nalwalla 3/20). Points: Al Ansari – 2, Axis Group - 0.

HFP edge Bronze Rock In an I Division match, HFP de-feated Bronze Rock by three wick-ets. Batting first, Bronze Rock scored 160 for nine in 20 overs. In reply, HFP scored 163 for seven in 19.2 overs.

Brief scores: Bronze Rock 160 for 9 in 20 overs (Suman Bhowmick 60; Jobin Thomas 2/13) lost to HFP 163 for 7 in 19.2 overs (Nikhil Thekkan 57 n.o., Mo-hammed Amran 3/29). Points: HFP – 2, Bronze Rock - 0.

Landscape

Architecture scored

185 for three in 20

overs. In reply, Al

Maddah were bowled

out for 102 in 15 overs

D DIVISION: Professional Trading. – Supplied photos

F DIVISION: Oasis Water celebrate their victory.

GME STARS: From left, Sajeev, Amal Raj, Shafeek.

F DIVISION: Bahihi players pose for a group photo.

Oman swimmers bag

16 medals at GCC

championships

MUSCAT: Omani athletes bagged a three medals, two gold and one bronze, to conclude their par-ticipation in the 13th GCC Short Course Swimming Champion-ships in the Qatari capital of Doha with a total of 16 medals.

Oman’s final tally of medals included ten gold, five silver and one bronze. Oman Swimming As-sociation chief Taha bin Sulaiman

Al Kishri, who is also the chairman of the championships Organising Committee and chairman of both the Arab swimming federation, at-tended the closing ceremony along with Khalil Al Jabir, chairman of Qatar Swimming Association, and Faisal Sowar, Secretary of Bahrain Swimming Association and pre-sented the championship trophy eventual winners Qatar. - ONA

S W I M M I N G

OC’s Level 0 umpires course

MUSCAT: Oman Cricket will conduct a Level 0 course for cricket umpires from February 20 to 25 as part of its development programme. The course, based on the MCC Laws of Cricket, will be conducted by A. R. Srinivasan, an experienced umpire who had of-ficiated in over 50 matches in ICC and ACC conducted tournaments.

The course will take place at Al Falaj Hotel starting on February

20 from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm fol-lowed by classes from February 21 to 25 (from 7.00 pm to 9.45 pm).

Interested candidates may regis-ter their names with Oman Cricket on or before the February 17 along with passport and national ID Res-ident Permit copies, two passport size photographs and course fee of OMR. 25. For further details con-tact Iqbal Ariwala or Ajith D’Costa (24787085/2478087).

C R I C K E T

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

GearSECTIONC L I F E S T Y L E M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

If amongst all, there was one thing to be picked out about Italians, it would be their devotion to finesse. Their love for arts and beauty, is re-

flected in anything that comes out of the lo Stivale — the heart of the Mediterranean.

From sulptures to paintings, to piazza, pizzas and even soccer — all portray the Italians’ penchant for perfection, in their unexam-pled designs, quality, and flavour. Ahh, and how could we forget their cars; exemplars of the very best engineering – the homeland of Ferrari.

Every Italian designed car, with its lines, curves, and grace, cap-tures instant marvel, that makes it a lot more exciting than any other; one that makes you think it’s not of this world, and looks fast even when it is not moving.

And so the other day when we got a chance to lay our hands on one of the best Italian creations, excitement peaked, and joy knew no bounds. From the house of Maserati, the car was envisioned to offer a unique conjunction of elegance and sportscar verve, drawing on the iconic brand’s de-sign tradition.

Its sleek silhouette defined by the prominent Maserati grille with concave vertical fillets and

the trident badge sitting in the middle, the Maserati Ghibli S Q4, pays homage to the GranTurismo and the famous Maserati icon from the past, the historic A6 GCS Berlinetta.

The Ghibli’s exterior is another example of Maserati’s simple yet brilliant design. The premium executive sedan is scaled down version of its bigger sibling, the Quattroporte. Relatively compact for its class, the Ghibli S Q4 is bril-liantly rendered, with a deep shov-eled nose, sleekly sculpted fenders, and a pert rear end with a roofline.

The aggressive front headlights accentuate the overall dynamic design. Especially when glowing in the dark, it looks as if the devil itself is staring at you. Incorporat-ed in the headlight units, the LED indicator lights replicate the dis-tinctive motif of Maserati’s three signature side air vents.

Sitting in the driver’s seat of the Maserati Ghibli S Q4 imparts a sense of total control. The three-spoke leather-clad steering wheel, with controls for interacting with the main multimedia functions, frames a simple but striking in-strument panel. The large speed-ometer and tachometer have el-egant white backlighting and are separated by a 7-inch TFT display that shows the car’s dynamic data.

The front bucket seats are ample and plush. The all-electric front seat adjustment system helps to achieve the optimal driving posi-tion in terms of height, depth and the angle of the back and seat, and also includes four different lum-bar support settings. The optional pedal height adjustment system, operated by a control in the front of the driving seat, allows the pre-cise positioning of the accelerator and brake pedals.The centre of the dashboard is dominated by the tra-ditional Maserati clock with blue face and aluminium details and the large 8.4-inch display of the Maserati Touch Control, the ac-cess portal for the entertainment technologies and control center for most of the onboard devices.

The elegant but sporty soul of the Ghibli is highlighted in the dark mirror (high-gloss) trim, with five options. The sporty feel of the carbon fibre finish can be combined with the Active Shift gearshift paddles, mounted behind the steering wheel and integrated into the steering column, and the sporty brushed steel pedals.

For those seeking even greater luxury, the entire interior— seats, dashboard, doors and centre con-sole — can be upholstered in even higher premium quality, with multiple combinations of materi-

al, design, and stitch. It is the rear compartment that annoys a bit, with the seats a bit too flat, and the leg space really tight despite the car having a long wheelbase. Perhaps it is the big 80ltr fuel tank and an even bigger 500ltr boot that are to be blamed for it (or not really. Good thing they are big). Also, Ghibli is an executive sedan, and there is the Quattroporte for more rear space.

While the Ghibli looks and feels amazing, driving it is an even bet-ter experience. The all-wheel drive sedan is powered by a 404bhp Ferrari-tuned 3.0ltr twin-turbo V6 engine with 550Nm of torque. The acceleration is responsive, and holds power throughout the range, giving all the snappy drive you’d want from a car that can also fit your family.

The innovative ‘On demand’ all-wheel drive system combines maximum driving pleasure with enhanced safety on all road sur-faces. In normal conditions, the rear-wheel drive system transfers the power of the V6 to the road, but if the road surface turns slippery or the wheels lose grip, the system instantaneously (within 150 mil-liseconds) transfers the necessary drive force to the front wheels.

The Ghibli is wide and stable with ample grip. You can go real

fast and feel secure doing it, with the four-wheel-drive system seamlessly handling changing traction conditions. There’s also a choice of driving modes, from economy, normal, and sport to a mode with all stability control turned off. To make matters sport-ier, the S Q4 features a limited-slip diff, and Maserati’s performance oriented Skyhook variable damp-ers, and a sport exhaust. Ripping through tight coastal roads, or ac-celerating on the freeways, the Ghibli’s exhaust soundtrack is to-tal aural ecstasy. On-board enter-tainment is highlighted by the new 900W, 10-speaker and additional sub-woofer, Harman Kardon audio system which comes as a standard feature that will incorporate both the subwoofer and 12-channel am-plifier. The Ghibli has the option to upgrade to the premium Bowers & Wilkins system, with a 16-channel 1,280-watt amplifier and 15 speak-ers, featuring the ‘Clar-Fi’ func-tion designed to improve the audio of compressed music files (now that’s really something).

Maserati adds its own form of flare to the offerings. With the Ghibli S Q4, there’s thrill of the powerful drive, pleasure of good looks, and of course the unsurpass-able charm of flirting with an Italian. — faisal@timesofoman.com

T H E I T A L I A N B E A U T YAstonishing look, awesome power, and carrying

the Maserati moniker, the Ghibli S Q4 definitely

makes a bold statement and is a solid alternative

to German sedans.

TECH SPECSMaserati Ghibli S Q4

(AWD)

Engine3.0L Twin-Turbo V6

TransmissionEight-Speed ZF

Automatic

Power404bhp, 550Nm

(1750rpm)

Performance0-100kph: 4.6 seconds

Top Speed 283kph

Trunk Capacity 500ltr

Fuel Tank Capacity 79.8ltr

Curb Weight 1,870kg

Authorised DealerAl Fardan Motors,

Azaiba

+968 2452 3014,

+968 9882 9993

Story Faisal Mohammed Naim

FIND-IT-ALLC6 M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

Dhuhr 12.26pmAsr 3.39pmMaghrib 6.02pmIsha 7.14pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 5.28am

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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

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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

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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 Puri

3.15,8.55, 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) Voice over: 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

Voice over: Jason Lee, Jessica Ahlberg.

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

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Cast : Sunny Deol & Anchai Munjai

2:30, 6:30, 9:15, 11:15PM

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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

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Cast: Dhyam Srinivasan, Namitha , Aju

8:55PM

Intruders - 2D (15+) Drama | Horror | Thrille

Cast: Rory Culkin, Leticia Jimenez, Jack Kesy

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Cast: Arya, Sri Divya, Bobby

6:45 PM

BURAIMI

The Finest Hours – 3D (Action/Drama)

(PG12) Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck

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)Voice over: Jason Lee, Jessica Ahlberg5:15PMIntruders – 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

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Saudi Arabia 24601705

Senegal 24694139

Somalia 24697977

South Africa 24647300

Spain 24691101

Sri Lanka 24697841/2

Sudan 24697875

Switzerland 24603267

Syria 24697904

Tanzania 24601 174

Thailand 24 602684/5

Tunisia 24603486

Turkey 24697050/1/2

UAE 24400000

United Kingdom 24609000

United States 24643400

Yemen 24600815

PHARMACIES

Round the clock

Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24782666

Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi 24702542

Salalah 23291635;

Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra 24503585

Muscat Region

Apollo, Al Hamriya 24787766

Muscat, A Seeb Market 24421691

Muscat, Al Khuwair 24485740

Muscat, Al Hail South 24537080

Dhofar Region

Muscat, Al Nahdha Road,

Salalah 23291635

HOSPITALS

Al Amal Medical & Health Care

Centre 24485052

Atlas Hospital

Ruwi 24811743/

Ghubra 24504000

Al Musafir Specialised

Medical Clinic 24706453

Hatat Polyclinic LLC,

Ruwi 24563641

Azaiba 24499269

Sohar 2683006

Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2

Al Massaraat Clinic &

Laboratory 24566435

Al Makook Medical

Coordinance Centre 24499434

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780

Capital Polyclinic 24707549

Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic,

Ruwi 24799760/1/2

Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740

Ceregem National Raak 24485633

Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217

Elixir Health Centre 24565802

Emirates Medical Centre 24604540

1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274

Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340

International Medical

Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5

Kims Oman Hospital 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency 24760123

Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128

MBD 24799077

Al Khuwair 24478818

Magrabi Eye and

Ear Hospital 24568870

Muscat Private Hospital 24583600

Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment

Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666

Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000

AIRLINE OFFICES

Muscat Airport Flight information

(24 hours) 24519456/24519223

Aeroflot 24704455

Air Arabia 24700828

Air France 24562153

Air India 24799801

Air New Zealand 24700732

Biman Bangladesh Airlines 24701128

British Airways 24568777

Cathay Pacific 24789818

Egypt Air 24794113

Emirates Air 24404400

Ethiopian Airlines 24660313

Gulf Air 80072424

Indian 24791914

Iran Air 24787423

Japan Airlines 24704455

Jazeera Airways 23294848

Jet Airways 24787248

Kenya Airways 24660300

KML Royal Dutch Airlines 24566737

Kuwait Airways 24701262

LOT Polish Airlines 24796387

Lufthansa 24796692

Malaysian Airlines 24560796

Middle East Airlines 24796680

Oman Air 24531111

Pakistan International

Airlines 24792471

Qatar Airways 24771900

Qantas 24559941

Royal Jordanian 24796693

Saudi Arabian Airlines 24789485

Singapore Airlines 24791233

Shaheen Air 24816565

SriLankan Airlines 24784545

Swiss International

Airlines 24796692

Thai Airways 24705934

LISTINGS

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36)

15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily

15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily

15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily

06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily

08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 15:45 Daily

13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily

16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily

16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily

14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

08:00 Nizwa 10:20 Daily

08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily

14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62)

06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily

06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily

10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily

10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily

19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:50 Daily

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily

06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily

13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur

13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur

15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily

15:00 Dubai 20:55 Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily

07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily

07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily

05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily

05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily

07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily

13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily

13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily

17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily

06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily

15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily

14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily

12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily

10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily

10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily

19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Salalah 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily

07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri

13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri

15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily

15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily

16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily

16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

@SUR @SALALAH

Ghayal Once Again (Hindi)) ( PG12 )Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra , Om Puri3.15,8.55, 11.15PM

Jane Got A Gun (2D) (12+) (Action| Drama) Cast: Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton12:45, 5:00 & 11:45PM

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)2.00. & 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) 8.00 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 & 9.30PMCinema 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)

Programmes are subject to change

@SOHAR

Bangalore Naatkal - 2D (T) (TBC) ComedyCast: Arya, Sri Divya, Bobby6:45 PM

WEATHER

240

Maximum

140

Minimum

TEMPERATURE

30-60%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

extra@timesofoman.com

NOUSHAD KAYAKOOLFebruary 8, 2011

BLESSING JEYARAJFebruary 8, 2013

NIRANJAN GANESANFebruary 8, 2008

PRAISE JEYARAJFebruary 8, 2013

WITH LOVE

LIFESTYLEC7M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

Keeping your car clean pays: not only the car looks beautiful as ever, it also increases the external life of the

car by years, the value of which you will realise, when you sell it.

Frequently washing and wax-ing your vehicle is the best way to maintain the exterior paint finish of the car for years to come — but only when you do the job of clean-ing it yourself. Yes, you heard it right: Yourself. If you thought hir-ing someone to wash your car every morning would keep matters per-fectly in order, well think again.

Instead of doing any good, that cleaner is actually deteriorating your car’s finish drastically, by first washing it with cheap detergent; dish washing liquid in most in-stances, and second using a dirty coarse cloth to wipe the water off afterwards. The soiled cloth not just wipes the water off, but also gifts your car enough swirls and scratch-es with enough dirt trapped in the rug, having been used on N number of cars since early morning.

And don’t even rely on those auto-matic washing centres: those heavy rubber flaps doing a swish job on your car’s armour also does much damage to the car paint creating

visible swirl patterns, pretty per-manent in nature, and taking of the sheen very fast.

The reality is that there are only two ways to effectively clean your car. Either have it washed manual-ly under your supervision, ensur-ing only good quality products are used, or, (and this is the better one, giving you supreme satisfaction) do it yourself.

Ask any real car lover, and they would tell you how they spend a few hours every weekend with their car — cleaning and polishing it. And it is not at all that difficult as you think. You could even opt to carry the washing/cleaning process in steps, dividing the various procedures week-wise. Some could even be em-ployed monthly or annually.

Three simple car wash rules:1. Use only good quality products like Meguiar’s, Mothers, or even the cheaper but still good ones like Formula 1 and Turtle. They’re ide-al for removing dirt above and be-low the surface, eliminating swirls and other imperfections and leav-ing a high-gloss shine. Using cheap unbranded products could severe-ly damage the paint of your car (as most wash stations do). 2. Before starting any cleaning

process, always ensure your car is parked in a cool, shady place. Sun rays are a killer for both the car and your skin. For best results, the car’s surface should be no more than warm to the touch.3. Have a good stock of microfibre towels at hand for washing and dry-ing the car, and for applying and removing car wax and related car-care products. A microfibre towel is gentler to a car’s finish than a cotton towel or chamois, which could mar the finish, creating slight scratches or ruts that accumulate over time.

To keep the car’s paint shin-ing like new, follow the following four-step process:

Washing The most critical of the four steps, it involves removing loose contami-nants — the real culprit, gradually accumulating on the surface of the finish, creating a gritty residue that causes scratches.

Wash the car thoroughly, us-ing the car-wash, working from the top down and utilising a lamb’s wool or microfibre washing mitt. Re-dip the mitt in the bucket af-ter each panel of the car is washed. That cleans the mitt and ensures that you’re again working with fresh suds. Dry the car thoroughly with

a soft, absorbent waffle-weave mi-crofibre towel. Experts recommend weekly washing.

Cleaning Next, inspect the paint, searching for above-the-surface bonded con-taminants such as a thin film of tree sap, bird droppings or pollen and below-the-surface defects such as swirls, or oxidation caused by the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

Use a clay bar designed for car care (such as Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay Kit or Mothers Cali-fornia Gold Clay Bar Kit) to shear off and remove the contaminants if any present. Rub it over the affected area, kneading and turning it to ex-pose a clean area when necessary.

For below-the-surface defects, you can use a cleaner with mild abrasives (such as Meguiar’s Ul-timate Compound or Mothers California Gold Pure Polish). Use a microfibre cloth or foam applica-tor pad to apply it, using small cir-cular, overlapping strokes. Never apply hard pressure.

Cleaning a section of the vehicle at a time, remove the cleaner with a microfibre towel that you’ve folded into fourths. Use one side to break up and wipe away the hazy product, then flip the towel over to a clean side to remove any additional residue. Your paint should now feel smooth and should be free of swirls and defects.

If upon the initial inspection you do not find any defects — either above or below the surface – you can skip the cleaning step altogether and go straight to polishing and waxing.

PolishingPolishes and glazes add lustre but do not protect the finish, so using them is entirely optional, espe-cially since clear-coat finishes are highly resistant to oxidation. Even years-old cars generally retain their shine to the day.

Nevertheless, the polish can re-store the natural oils your paint once had, making the car’s surface even more reflective and shiny. Using a polish or glaze once a year may be

helpful. Apply the polish using small circular, overlapping strokes with a microfiber cloth or foam applica-tor pad on one section of the car at a time, removing the polish with a mi-crofiber towel after the product be-comes hazy. Don’t allow the polish to dry completely. Trying to remove dry polish will almost certainly result in scratches to the finish.

WaxingFor protection, you need to apply a car wax, and experts recommend it at least once every three months. There are varieties of wax that could be used much more frequently, some even every few days.

The newest synthetic polymer-based waxes (such as Meguiar’s Ultimate Wax, Mothers California Gold Synthetic Wax and Turtle Wax ICE Premium Care Liquid Wax) generally provide longer-lasting protection and are easier to use in the sun than older-style car-nauba-based waxes. Normally, the newer liquid or paste waxes pro-vide the longest-lasting protection — usually three or four months if the car is kept in a garage and not exposed to a harsh environment.

Spray waxes (such as Meguiar’s Ultimate Quik Wax, Mothers Califor-nia Gold Spray Wax and Turtle Wax ICE Premium Care Spray Wax) are designed for quick application but generally don’t offer the same long-lasting protection as the liquids or pastes, and better be used as booster between the quarterly applications of the liquid or paste waxes.

Caution for Matte FinishesExcept for washing with a car wash product, nothing should be done to or applied to a car covered in a matte paint with flat finish. The matte fin-ish also can be cleaned in a brush-less automated car wash as long as the machine does not apply any shine agents.

And as with glossy finish, it is impor-tant to clean bird droppings, tree sap and other surface contaminants from a matte paint finish immediately.—faisal@timesofoman.com

Frequently washing and waxing your vehicle is the best way to maintain the exterior paint finish of the car for years to come – but only when you do the job of cleaning it yourself.

Guide to DIY Car CleaningKeeping your car clean is important for your car’s long life. Assigning the task to others won’t help much. After all, looking after your car is well worth it when it’s time to re-sell.

Story Faisal Mohammed Naim

LIFESTYLEC8 M O N DAY, F E B RUA RY 8 , 2 0 1 6

Salt: Great on Steaks But Not on Paint

If you don’t remove it, road salt can corrode the body, wheels, and undercarriage of your vehicle. So make sure your entire car gets a

good scrub-down.

Get Plenty of Fluids

Windy weather can take a toll on all the fluids in your vehicle. Be sure to

keep a periodic check and top-up whenever needed.

Wash Behind the Gears

Don’t actually mess with the gear stick, but do make sure you wipe the interior properly; even spots you don’t typically

see, such as under the rubber cup holder inserts.

Let in Some Fresh Air

Your car’s air-filter stops dirt, pollen, and other particles

from getting into the ventilation system, which makes the filter clogged over the time. Be sure

to regularly check and clean or replace whenever necessary

for efficient working of the car engine. Let it breathe easy.

The Wiper Act

Chances are your windshield wipers could be

damaged by now after years of negligence. They have lived their

life; so it’s time to install a new pair.

And While You are at It

You may also want to check the condition of your tyres, change

the oil, and try a bottle of fuel system cleaner to really get

all those cobwebs out.

Our cars frequently get dirty in the cold windy weather. Besides washing,

everytime they get dusty from a drive or lying in the garage, the best way

to clean the dust off is to follow these tips and keep them spic and span.

WHEN THE WEATHER IS WINDY

Source: 100things2do.ca

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

M O N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 8 , 2 0 1 6

RENT D2

*Tourist visa arranged

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

D2 M O N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 8 , 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

High quality

Warehouses

for rent at Mizfa

550 sqm to

3400 sqm.

Contact

96046951 / 99332291

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. Contact: 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

2 Bedrooms Flat for rent located

in Prime location of Al Khuwair.

Contact: 92197959 / 24527852.

Villa in Al Khoud for staff accom-

modation, like nurses or teachers

can accommodate 30 to 35 people.

Rent RO.1200/-. Contact - 91178282

FULLY RENOVATED 5 BHK VILLA

For Rent in Azaiba, behind Al Sawa

Towers. WITH Majlis, Living room,

Dining, Kitchen, Laundry, Store.

CONTACT: 93332444, 95166141

1 BHK Ghubra R.O 250/.

Contact: 97799175

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

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

Commercial office at prime loca-

tion in Azaiba for rent. 171sq.mtr.

Contact:- 91398925

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

2 Bedroom centrally air condi-

tioned flat in CBD prime location.

Contact: 24714625 / 93527328

FOR RENTOFFICES

PRIME LOCATIONS:

AT: WALJA - HAMRIYA

– SEEB - BARKA

CALL:

99332242 khamisco@alkhamis.com.om

FOR RENTOFFICES &

SHOWROOMS

MAIN ROAD

PRIME LOCATION:

BARKA - OPPOSITE

MARS

CALL: 99332242 khamisco@alkhamis.com.om

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

INDUSTRIAL LAND

FOR RENT

(BARKA)

1100 SQ MTR free industrial land for

all purpose is available with compound and furnished

offi ce in BarkaContact:

24707088, 98283896

WAREHOUSE

FOR RENT

300 SQM- 6 M high

at

WadiKabir

Contact

99711949

DAILY GUIDEM O N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 8 , 2 0 1 6 D3

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

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

2 bed rooms flat with hall,

2 bathrooms in Darsait near

Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715 / 24700120

Flat for rent in Wadi Al Kabir next

5 Al Hassan company, 2 bed room

& 3 toilets. Contact: 99210008

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

02 BHK Commercial / Residential

(with split AC) flat at Honda road.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

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

New flat in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact: 98185135

1&2 BHK flat in Walja.

Contact: 98218279

2 BHK Flats for rent, Muttrah near

Oman house S/ AC.

Contact: 97007934 / 92629232

2 clean & spacious flats with A/C,

first flat is behind City center Al

Seeb consist of 2 bedroom and liv-

ing room second flat is in Al Khoud

3 consist of 1 bedroom and living

room. Contact: 93366421

Shop for rent near Al Nahdha

Hospital. Contact: 97380548 /

99680499

Two bedroom flat in Al Ghubra

near Oman Oil of 18 Novem-

ber street. OMR 330 Monthly.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955.

Shop / office nr Oman house &

Khimji H.O Muttrah.

Contact: 99233116

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

1 & 2 BHK Ruwi C.B.D. #99024730

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

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

CONTD ON PG 6

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 cs@mpesllc.com

Commercial flats of 3 & 2 BHK

in Al Ghobra North 18 Nov street

RO.650/- & 450/- # 91776665

600 M2 showroom or office in

Bousher in front of Dolphin com-

plex. RO.3.5 per m2. # 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

Duplex villa in Qurum 29.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Mini Furnished Apartment in

Qurum. Contact: 94051789-

97201688

Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud. Contact: 94051789-

97201688

Carpentry workshop with all basic

equipments, tools, amenities and

a work force of 15. Total area 1600

SQ.M and a built up area of 800

SQ.M. Accommodation for workers

within the compound. Excellent

goodwill and reputation created in

the market since the last 14 years.

Contact 95219895 or

Email: mci.carpentry@yahoo.com

Fire rated portacabins and steel

caravans. ContacT: 94058574

Ladies Beauty parlour for sale.

Contact: 96392978 / 96700192

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

ACC. AVAILABLE

Fully furnished room with attached

bath for Executive bachelor, behind

Al Meera hypermarket, Azaiba 150/-

R.O. Contact: 99455735

Single room attached bath, kitchen

in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99336206

Accommodation for couple or

working lady, near Al Nahda

hospital. Contact 95871148

URGENTLY REQUIREDWell reputed modular kitchen showroom

looking for1. Showroom Manager

2. Marketing &

Sales man

3. Store keeper

4. Offi ce boy

Minimum 2 years

experience & Oman

valid D/L& NOC.

Contact - 98431694 /

info@ik.om

DAILY GUIDED4 M O N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 8 , 2 0 1 6

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

ENGINEER/TECH/MECH

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

CATERING

BEAUTY

DRIVER

MEDICAL

MEDICAL

IT

ADMIN

ADMIN

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

SALES / MARKETING

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

shejaanil66@gmail.com

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 /

muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com

Contact -91262604Email: chillapalli76@gmail.com

Wanted female GP, female

Gynecologist, female Staff

Nurse, female X- Ray Technician

With MOH license for Al Saadi

Specialized Medical Centre

in Musanna.

DOMESTIC HELP

Indian male, 28, Post Graduate, 6

years exp. in Oman in Sales and

Credit Control , with valid Oman D/L

looking for suitable placements.

NOC available. Ph: 9206 6523

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

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

Email: sureshkr01@gmail.com

Indian male, 26 with MBA (Finance

/ Marketing) having 2 years experi-

ence in (Accounts / Finance) on visit

visa looking for suitable position

immediately joining available.

Contact: 92989197 Email:

abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com

Indian female Accountant 8 yrs

exp in Oman. Contact: 93726921

Professional Accountant with

Pakistani Nationality having an

experience of oracle ERP seeking

a suitable placement in Muscat

Oman. Contact: 91405182

Email: muaz777@gmail.com Indian male, MBA in finance with

more than 6 years of experience,

proficiency in accounting software

like tally, focus SAP (FICO) etc

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98665219 Email Id:

abdulhameed1527@gmail.com

Indian male 12 yrs exp in

accounts location Sohar .

NOC available. Contact :91212471,

Email: rennyj6@gmail.com

Bangladeshi male having MBA

(finance) & M.com (accounting)

with 2 yrs exp. looking for suitable

placement have valid D/L & NOC.

Contact :968 92491009,

Email: rasubiswas4@gmail.com

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

Email: mira.somya@gmail.com

Pakistani male 11 yrs experience

in accounts, finance looking for

suitable job. Contact: 91479315

Email: bilalnazir65@hotmail.com

Finance Manager 22 years Oman

experience available. Transfer pos-

sible. # 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,

Email: sukuanilkumar@gmail.com

Indian male 25 B.Com IATA

diploma 2 yrs exp in accounts,

good looking currently in Oman,

NOC available. Contact: 99323841

Email:rohitpanam@gmail.com

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 - rau_dey@yahoo.com

Indian male 30 yrs, B. Com, 6

yrs accounts exp in East Africa &

1 yr exp in Oman, NOC available

looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 94613626

Email: sharis.saheer@gmail.com

Indian female Accountant B.Com

P.G.D.C.A Tally 8 years exp in

Oman. Contact: 93726921

Part time accounts qualified

experience accountant.

Contact: 91126314

Demi Chef needed urgently for

seafood and fish and chips 2 male

Filipino Waiter needed urgently with

experience. # 92382239 / 98260306

Chinese / Arab/ Grill, Cooks. Contact: 95529970

28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com -

Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/

India experience looking for a

suitable placement.

Contact 90187483

shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

B. Com Diploma Computer 3 years

experience as an Accountant

Indian male (25) seeking place-

ment Accountant / Admin / sales

on visit visa. Contact: 98437731

Email: faisalcpsy@gmail.com

Indian Male Accountant 10yrs

Exp. in OMAN Retail & Furni-

ture Co. (Release Available)

GSM.92564955

15 years experienced in finance &

treasury management CPA, CMA,

ACCA, MBA, qualified Chartered

Accountant available for immedi-

ate joining as head of finance, fi-

nancial advisor, financed consult-

ant. Contact: 94872345

Email: mfta27@gmail.com

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

nidhink85@gmail.com

Indian accountant professional

with 3 years experience currently

on visit visa looking for suitable

job openings. Contact: 92390604

Email: sachinkokkatt@gmail.com

M.Com & MBA finance Indian 10

years of experience in finance &

accounts up to finalization

currently available in Oman.

Contact: 90501642,

Email: bobykkj@gmail.com

Indian male, B.Com with 6 years

experience as an Accountant,

looking for suitable placement.

Mob: 93903458 ,

Email : Akkandyrijesh@gmail.com

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:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com

Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA

Finance and marketing with IT

skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Look-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact : 94879615,Email-

sajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

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

joseph12a3@gmail.com

Indian male, B.Com with 6 years

experience as an Accountant,

looking for suitable placement.

Mob: 93903458 ,Email :

Akkandyrijesh@gmail.com

Finance & Accounts Indian male

35 years B.Com MBA (F) 7 years

experience tally ERP9 with valid

D/L family visa.

Contact: 93257426 / 95230114

Email: sibigeorgep@gmail.com

Indian male B.Com with 1 year

experience in Oman as Account

having driving license seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 93415880 Email:

nithin_thomas1992@hotmail.com

ENIOR 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,

Email: cammk13@gmail.com

Urgently required a Gulf experi-enced professional hair dresser cum beautician (lady) for a

reputed beauty salon, immediate

appointment. Contact: 99816262

/ 98557585 Fax: 24796211 Email:

skin.hair.makeup@gmail.com

Wanted experienced beautician and hairdresser for the reputed

ladies beauty center at Qurum.

Contact: 97453246

Email: souzawilfred@gmail.com

Beauty expert required to work

in Salon in Al Amerat.

Contact: 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

ocm@theocmgroup.com

Wanted Driver. Contact 91025698

Office furniture Sales Executive with minimum 5 years experience

& valid Omani driving license,

should have experience in handling

office furniture projects, Tenders &

Retail. Candidates should have NOC

from the current employer. Inter-

ested candidates can apply by mail:

info@smartvisionoman.con

Fax: 24818818

Urgently required Marketing Executive with driving license

for sales of furniture. Contact:

97164554 / 99452755

Email: aliasgar.tarwadi@yahoo.com

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

Email: info@greencover.net

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

sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com

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 :

info@anwaarfahud.com

GSM 94293031

Required Electrician ITI experi-

enced in L.T works or M.E.P with

MEDC license. Contact: 99364007

/ 99454425

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

Email: atif.saad@mis.technology

Indian female Graduate over

6 years experience in Admin

operations support with excellent

communication skills looking for

suitable job. Contact: 94231020

Young Omani male have experi-

ence 12 years as P.R.O, CLERK

Helper Supervisor Admin Supervi-

sor, H.R Manager have diploma in

H.S.E, IT and P.D.O license, looking

for H.R position or P.R.O part time

or full time. Contact: 95933288

Indian female, M.Tech electron-

ics 6.5 IELTS experience as VLSI /

Electronics project trainer & institute

administration currently in family

visa. Contact: 90195131 /24551290

Email: chinj.89@gmail.com

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,

Email: afaiz7345@gmail.com

Indian male, Graduate having more

than 10 years experience in logistics

& freight forwarding with GCC

license, looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 91714980

Email: medileep@gmail.com

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 Qualification

MBA H.R. Contact: 94665450 Email:

paulwesleywilliaams@yahoo.com

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 experi-

ence. 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: iscoman@omantel.net.om

Wanted A/c Mechanic, Electri-cian / Plumber, Carpenters, Driv-er. Contact 94147874 / 97014234,

globalaccessunited@gmail.com

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 :

soharcreative@gmail.com

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:

rakesh@uniqueom.com.

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

Contact: 99328494 Email:

malsinani@tibiaan.co.om

Required experienced Accountant for group of restaurant.

Visa available. Contact: 99190190

Audit Assistants. Email: aoabmuscat@gmail.com

Accountant with knowledge of

Tally. Driving license preferred.

Send C.V to info.rsttllc@gmail.com

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

mejob@interwell.com

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- rgeorge@omantd.com - atalibus@omantd.com

Required Cleaners & office boys. Contact 24707833

Keralite house maid required for 3

hrs evening part time job at Ghubra.

Contact:92448315

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 X RAY Technician, Lab Technician, General Practitioner, Gynecology, Staff Nurses. Contact: 95133572

Email: kunoozghala@gmail.com

Required male Nurse part / full

time to take care of male, 95 yrs

old. Contact 99333292,

Email : topraniav@gmail.com

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 : moc.hrd2015@gmail.com

or contact 92681842

Required Cook, Omani food &

continental experienced. Visa

available. Contact: 99190190

CATERING

Wanted female Ayurvedic

therapist with or without MOH.

Contact: 97263637 / 93309131

Wanted urgently lady Doctor GP or DGO for immediate appoint-

ment. Contact : 99310590

Email: tjmaluke@gmail.com

Required Marketing Executives. Send your CV Email:

ocean@omantel.net.om

A young CA (ACA & ACCA qualified)

with 4 years experience in one of top

audit firms in UK & KSA seeks suit-

able placement in Oman. Contact:

+44 7480 1196 74/

+968 93595050 email:

Kamran hkamran112@gmail.com

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

Part time Accountant, up to fina-

lization, looking for job after 5pm

(location prefer – MSQ to

Al Hail). Contact: 95694737

DAILY GUIDEM O N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 8 , 2 0 1 6 D5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

BEAUTY

DRIVER

CATERING

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp

looking job. Contact: 99531802

Finance / Project/Program Manager Professional

In Person Interview on SundaysContact: 97203531, +923042955747

Civil AutoCAD Draughts man 5 years experience on visit visa.

Contact: 99759284 Email:

ahmedimran945@gmail.com

Interior Designer 4 years experi-

ence design and supervision skills

(3D Max, AutoCAD Photoshop.

Contact: 95946737

Email: yassalnajjar@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELP

Technical Analysis Trainer with

automated trading system (NSE)

looking for a job. Contact: 91285811

Diploma in Civil Engineering

having an experience 16 years (8

years in Oman) looking for a suita-

ble placement. Contact: 95900744

/ 98028329

Email: skalam744@gmail.com

B.E .Mechanical Engineer Indian

over 4 yrs of exp in HVAC design

auto cad drafting on visit visa.

Contact 90305596, Email:

shaikrizwan330@gmail.com

Mechanical Eng. Diploma 31

years experience (22 Oman) Steel

fabrication, steel furniture, Powder

coating, Production and Planning.

Machine shop, looking for Mana-

gerial position in Sohar. Contact

99314899

Seeking for Job: Male Bachelor of

Science In Industrial Technology

Graduate Job Exp.6yrs water safe-

ty rescue/lifeguard/scuba diving

Contact: 96094260 / 96023570

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

Indian male, Age 22, B.Tech,

Mechanical Engineer, 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

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

Indian Lecturer Lady, MTECH

with 5+ years teaching experience

in Electrical engineering - RUWI-

95073922 /

chithrarakeshkumar@gmail.com

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:fathimasha16@gmail.com

teaching also preferred.

Process Engineer Chemical Engi-

neer, MBA certified in supply chain

(MGT) 6 years experiences in opera-

tion. Contact: +968 94690325 Email:

phahad.hashim@gmail.com

HSE Engineer (B.E Mech+ Diploma

Safety + NEBOSH+ OSHA) over

10yrs. Exp, (Visa Release Letter

(NOC) available), seeking suitable

placement. Contact :97061817,

Email:jayanammu1977@gmail.com

UPS Technician Electronics, Elec-

tronic technician, Solar power prod-

ucts 11 years experience in power

electronics looking for job Oman.

Contact: 99680821

Email: joshypulikkottil@gmail.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer with MBA (Mktg) having 4 and half

years experience in technical com-

mercial and marketing fields with

valid GCC D/L, NOC available seek-

ing placement.

Contact: + 968 96547828

Email: deva0234@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) with

2 and half years experience Indian

male 24 years in visit visa. Contact:

96620482 / + 91 9605423272

Email: bijumonps@gmail.com

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp

seeks suitable position ina reputed

company. NOC available.

Contact – 96789711

HSE Engineer B.Tech (safety & fire) M.

Sc 8 years experience

Indian 31 years presently occupied

on notice period available with clean

NOC, holds Oman driving license &

owns car. Contact: 94616721

Email: aibelg19@gmail.com

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.

Contact: 92789995 Email:

akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

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

mazher2005@yahoo.com

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

Email: vijith2573459@gmail.com

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

Email: azharraaz@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer B.Tech with

4 yrs experience in India available

on visit visa looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 94741401 /

97239852 Email:

sobinthomask05@gmail.com

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

Email: pnpraveen@yahoo.co.in

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 anand786x@yahoo.com

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

B.Sc Civil Engineer, 27 yrs Oman

experience as Project Manager,

Structure Engineer looking for

suitable placement. NOC / LOCAL

transfer available.

Contact: 99349578

Email: farooqatm@hotmail.com

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

in Oman as a project engineer for

governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian

male 24 years with 1+years Indian

experience,(Certified in Staad

Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman

(Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact: 92835952. E-mail:

mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in

designing, assembling, commis-

sioning execution etc having valid

GCC license too looking for a suit-

able. Contact: 00968-98052942

Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com

IT

IT

Indian male Nurse Prometric 70%

with MOH license. Smart & fluent

in English. Ready for immediate

joining. Contact – 92194649

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-

rajina99@gmail.com

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

Email: tk.sasi@gmail.com

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

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

Email: naushers@yahoo.com

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.

Contact: 95917613 Email:

shithin.kanakadas@gamil.com

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 placement.

Contact: 92889678

Email: amalpathikal@gmail.com

SAP / ABAP certified Indian female

(30), BCA, MCA, ASP. Net certifica-

tion having 2 yrs of experience

family visa, seeking placement.

Contact: 99109121

Email: ashamaryphilip@gmail.com

Indian female, B.Tech graduate,

with one and half years experience

as ‘web developer’ interested in

web development and has experi-

ence working in HTML, CSS, Boot-

strap, JavaScript and Photoshop.

Contact : 9592 7075, e-mail id:

mariarosejacob90@gmail.com Sudanese Male 29 yrs B.Sc Com-

puter Science, diploma computer

engineering 6 yrs. experience ,

DBA oracle PL-SQL, Oracle SQL

developer, MS sql-server ,visual

studio vb, network ,driver license

Oman. Email: chastity643@gmail.

com , Mob: 91415886

LOGISTICS

Looking job for driving with car.

Contact: 90436094

Looking for job car driver.

Contact: 98388947

Light driver looking for job expe-

rience 8 years. Contact: 94297563

Light driver. Contact: 99141481

Light driver looking for job.

Contact : 95494310

Light driver 10 years experience

looking for suitable job, can speak

English, Arabic & Hindi.

Contact: 92360040

Driver, 2 yrs exp looking for

suitable 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

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

Beautician, Indian exp. required

visa. Contact 95175192

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

Civil Engineer 11 years experience

in construction having driving

license & NOC. Contact: 94194399

Email: shiblyrock@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 6 years experience,

4 years in Oman, driving license

available. Contact 92553263

Electrical Testing Engineer (B.Tech)

having 7 yrs Gulf experience exper-

tise in testing pre-commissioning

commissioning of electrical

systems, 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

Email: ja237le@gmail.com

Indian male, Mechanical

Engineer having 1year experi-

ence, on visit visa looking for

suitable job. Contact:97416564,

Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com

Procurement Engineer (27 years

single male with Oman Driving Li-

cense) having 7 years experience

(UAE 2, Oman 3) with expertise in

MEP, Water, Electromechanical,

Instrumentation seeking suitable

placements. Contact 95852033,

mail: hemal1988@gmail.com

Indian Electrical Engineer Btech,

female 24 seeking job, presently

in oman having 2 year experience

in design and estimation of Ht &Lt

projects. Contact 968 97436557,

Mail id : sibinanoop1@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman

with license. Contact: 98975518

Diploma in Mechanical Eng piping system in AutoCAD work,

21+ years experience with Driving

license. Contact: 95267113

Email: rkakkaryil@gmail.com

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

license. Contact: 91309475

Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years

old) – B.Sc Engineering (Hon)

Mining / Geotechnical Presently

in Muscat, 1.5 years experience.

Contact 91295802 /

acmfaslan123@gmail.com

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:

engr.masud.civil.@gmail.com

Diploma in Electronics, 2 years

exp in telecommunication.

Contact: 94519571 Email:

telecommunicationvishnumadhull

@gmail.com

Indian female diploma in tool

& die making with 1 1/2 years

experience looking for suitable

job. Contact : 94743992 Email:

selveena054@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer with 18 years

exp in UAE. Contact: 98148034

Email: shassalih66@gmail.com

7 Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in

the field of Building Const. Oil &

Gas Seeking Job.94625598

Indian female, 31 yrs, 7 yrs expe-

rienced as AutoCAD civil drafts-

man (2 yrs experience in Oman)

currently in Oman seeks suitable.

Contact 96789441

Email: simi5304@gmail.com

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

Indian Male, IT System Engi-

neer having 4 yrs of experience in

system administration.CCNA,MCSE,

Linux. Looking for suitable job.Con-

tact :91272867

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,

Email: anasa4@gmail.com

Diploma Engineer (Civil) looking

for job 7 years experience in Oman.

Contact: 93017821

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

Structural buildings marine. Avail-

able NOC release. Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com

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

Email: ceng.shaz@gmail.com

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.

Contact: 90150913 Email:

mahmanmechengg@yahoo.im

Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years

in Oman experience Valid Driving

License seeks suitable placement

Phone 97619722

Email – golamrob@yahoo.com

Mechanical Engineer with 3 Yrs

experience in international Oil

& Gas company looking for job

Contacts: Tel: 90164236 Email:

mustafaoshi-62@hotmail.com

Sudanese Architectural Engineer

2 years experience in Oman, Revit,

AutoCAD 3Ds max Archicad looking

for suitable job. Contact: 94722356

Email: maya40999@hotmail.com

Sudanese Telecom Engineer, 5 years experience, 3 years in

Oman PMP certificate.

Contact: 93391008 Email:

momen.awadallam@gmail.com

DAILY GUIDED6 M O N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 8 , 2 0 1 6

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

SIT.WANTED

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: info@tunesoman.com

ACC. AVAILABLE

Hail Independent rooms RO 140/-

& 160/-. Contact 95529970

Room for rent with attach B/R &

kitchen for R.O 75/- without Elect/

water, near BP Petrol Pump

Mabellah . 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

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. Inter-

ested 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 female, B.Tech graduate,

with one and half years experience

as ‘web developer’ interested in

web development and has experi-

ence working in HTML, CSS, Boot-

strap, JavaScript and Photoshop.

Contact 9592 7075, e-mail id:

mariarosejacob90@gmail.com

Indian male 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. #92607532

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,

Manojmallya999@gmail.com

B.Com 5yrs experience good

command on tally, Excel sheet on

family visa. Contact: 98002428

Email: lubnakanwal36@gmail.com

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 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.

email: richagandhi25@gmail.com

Indian male 4 years sales experi-

ence & Business development

look forward for suitable position.

NOC & Oman D/L available.

Contact: 97198976

Email: qubaisakhan@gmail.com

Indian male Plumbing, sanitary

ware & building materials, experi-

ence in outdoor sales, with valid

D/L UAE. Contact: 98723456

Indian male, Graduate, experi-

enced Sales person (FMCG) with

valid UAE driving license, on visit

seeks suitable position. Contact

92419491 / 94881950,

Email : pranilpp76@gmail.com

Marketing Executive, BBA,

M.Com, Tally, Peachtree, Dip in

logistics, knowledge in accounting

assistant , can work in current 2 yr

visa. Contact : 98269281

Indian male 23 Graduate with 1

year experience with valid Oman

driving license looking for a

placement. Contact: 93379169

Indian male 26, with more than 3

years experience in Counter Sales

& Marketing with valid N.O.C Cont:

94704522, 97826454 & Email-

md.noman.mansoori@gmail.com

Indian male, experienced Sales

Executive with D/ L seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 97853426

Experienced Indian male with

Oman driving license and NOC

looking for sales & marketing or

purchase jobs. Contact: 97360689

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 shiju@spec-link.com

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

Email: shiji4123@gmail.com

Indian male experienced Office Asst

with D/L looking for suitable job.

Contact: 97718658

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

Bangladeshi Male, University

M.Com, Working as an administra-

tor in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:94864966,

email: sunrisetoiqbal@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,

Manojmallya999@gmail.com

Indian female 25 yrs, MBA HR &

Marketing, with one and half years

experience as accountant and 6

months experience in teaching,

now on a visit visa, seeking suit-

able position. Contact: 99624044,

mail: np.neethu1@gmail.com.

Indian Male, 27 Years, MBA

Finance pursuing, BCA, 6 years

working in Airline Cargo Opera-

tions, Airline Passenger Ticket

Auditing domain, looking for a

suitable placement, currently on

visit. email: jeevamal89@gmail.

com, Phone:- 91713489

Assistant Manager – Planning

(B.Tech EEE): Indian Male, over

10 years( 7+ Yrs in Oman & UAE)

of experience in Project Plan-

ning & Scheduling, Liaison &

Coordination, Budgeting and

Client Interaction. Seeking a

suitable Job in Muscat. Contact

– 00971503529608, Email Id:

saravananbe44@gmail.com

MBA (F), B.COM. Indian female

having knowledge of accounts

with Tally looking for full or part

time job. presently on family visit

visa. Contact :- 96259171. Email:-

bhumicapandya@gmail.com

Assistant Manager – Planning

(B.Tech EEE): Indian Male, over

10 years( 7+ Yrs in Oman & UAE)

of experience in Project Plan-

ning & Scheduling, Liaison &

Coordination, Budgeting and

Client Interaction. Seeking a

suitable Job in Muscat. Contact

– 00971503529608, Email Id:

saravananbe44@gmail.com

Diploma in civil engineering

having an experience 26years

(22years in Oman) experience

in Estimator / quantity surveyor

looking for a suitable placement.

Willing to join immediately

Contact : 96328687.

Indian B.Tech 37 years Project

Engineer , 12 + years experience in

construction, maintenance of STP,

Pumping stations, sewer lines,

drinking water distribution and

service reservoirs & pipe lines.

Contact: 99364007 /

+91-887422635

Email: mdzubair01@gmail.com

Indian Mech Engineer, 9+ years

of Saudi experience in HVAC, MEP

oil & gas and hospital projects

with valid Saudi driving license

can join immediately. Contact:

99364007 / +966-505899608

Email: shuebmech@gmail.com

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.

abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com

Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Store keeper in

Muscat; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.

com

22, Indian BBA graduate, 1 year

experience, presently on visit visa,

looking for suitable placement.

Contact 91881053

Highly experienced mechanical/

steel structural fabrication engineer

looking for suitable placement. NOC

available. Contact: 99860714,

hussain20173@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,

Manojmallya999@gmail.com

Bangladeshi Male, University

M.Com.Working as an Admin-

istrator cum Accountant in

Oman; searching better job.

Phone:94864966,

email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/

networking/server support, valid

Omani D/L seeking suitable place-

ment in IT/Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532.

Light Driver looking for job.

Contact:99594946

Sudanese Mechanical Engineer

26 years old (male) with 4 years

experience as Mechanical engineer

, Sales engineer and Call center

agent seeking suitable placement.

Contact: +968.90644235

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil &

Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughts-

man (holding Oman driving

license) seeking job. #90139903

Bangladeshi Male, University

M.Com Working as an Administra-

tor cum Accountant in man; search-

ing better job. Phone:94864966,

email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

MBA - (F), M.Com, B.COM. Indian

female having knowledge of ac-

counts with Tally looking for part

time or full time job. Presently on

family visa. Contact :- 91892264.

Email:- yv.dixit@yahoo.com

Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Sales administra-

tor in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

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 313@yahoo.com

Indian Female, BE Electronics and

Communication, having oman ex-

perience looking for full time or part

time job. Ready to join immediately,

currently on family visa.

Contact : 92115948 / 99327912

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/net-

working/server, valid Omani D/L

seeking suitable placement in IT/

Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532

Indian male 34 Yrs., Dual MBA

Finance and marketing With

IT skills, 7+ yrs. of experience,

looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 94879615, Email-

sajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

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

SALES / MARKETINGMISCELLANEOUS

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.

Contact: 96796630 Email:

brhomalkhoozamy@yahoo.com

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

Email:fathimasha16@gmail.com

Graduate, computer literate,

experienced in sales, credit

control, accounts, Omani D/L ,

seeks suitable placement.

Gsm 98805474

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

placement. Contact: 94676974

Email: dabdulmuqsit@gmail.com

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,

ahmed16071974@gmail.com

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

having 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

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 suit-

able placement. Contact : 95308167,

Email : samir.pag@gmail.com

Indian male, MBA Marketing

having 2.5 years Sales experience

immediately looking for a suitable

position. Contact: 91415145,

Email: shariqs88@gmail.com

B.Com male 2 yrs experience in

sales Computer knowledge,

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98371144

email: nabilnazar22@gmail.com

DAILY GUIDEM O N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 8 , 2 0 1 6 D7

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.

BUYING

MANPOWER

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

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

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

Experienced 10 Shuttering

carpenters, 10 Steel Fixers and

10 mason to ready to joined with

our organization with release

& NOC. Salary will be fair, food

and accommodation is available.

Contact 90234289 / 91496549 /

24494900

D8 M O N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 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

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

Sarafudheen, L dvisor

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.# 24793614/ 99314807

Marble, Grinding, Crystallization.

Ocean Center L.L.C.

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

Express Building Cleaning Services.Contact 98480070 / 94134784

Ain Al Zaman International For Trad & Cont joint company which

is recorded under the commercial

register in directorate general for

trade industry number 1120502 is

going to change its name to Ain

Al Zaman International For Trad

& Cont L.L.C company. This is to

inform anybody who concerns

about that.

Ahmed & Abbas Sons Ali Qasim joint company which is recorded

under the commercial register

in directorate general for trade

industry number 3050700 is going

to change its name to Ahmed Ali

Qasim Al Ajmi for Trad joint com-

pany. This is to inform anybody

who concerns about that.

MATRIMONIAL

CHANGE OF NAME

SERVICES

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: satishkumar@altesoman.com

House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644 / 98518013