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WEDNESDAY, October 21, 2015 / 7 Muharram 1437 AH timesofoman.com wtimesofoman.com facebook.com/timesofoman twitter.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

The private sector now, more than at any time in the past, is required to redouble and accelerate its efforts, with confidence, and utilising all opportunities in promisingly productive avenues. This will lead, with God’s permission, to positive, tangible effects in the economic and social life in the coming years

On the occasion of the 28th national day

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTYTHE SULTAN

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

UAE visa loopholes are being closed to expats

REJIMON K /RAHUL DAS reji@timesofoman.comrahuldas@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Loopholes which some travellers from Oman have found to dodge new rules requir-ing an e-visa to cross the border in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are closing fast.

Confusion has dogged the new procedure which does away with visa-on-arrival for any person whose home country does not have a treaty with the UAE.

Since the new regulation came into force, the majority of airlines have begun denying travel for residents to the UAE if they don’t hold the e-visa, but one airline flying out of Muscat has still been allowing passengers to fly.

“A particular airline is able to provide visas because it is a GCC carrier. However, it’s just a temporary arrangement. That too will be stopped in the coming weeks,” a travel agent said.

A spokesperson of Emirates Airlines said they are following UAE guidelines. “We are follow-ing regulations based on guide-lines from General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Af-fairs Dubai. So this is checked during the check-in process and it should be checked again at the immigration counter in Muscat,” the spokesperson said.

Citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia do not require a visa to travel to the UAE. “However, GCC residents do require UAE visas and should

apply online at ednrd.ae,” the spokesperson said.

While no one from Oman Air was available for comment, pas-sengers told Times of Oman that they had also been prevented from flying without the e-visa, in accordance with the new rule.

From October 1, the UAE in-troduced the changes related to entry to the Emirates for expatri-ates living in the GCC countries.

Under the new rules, regard-less of the profession, expatri-ates now have to apply online for an e-visa.

Earlier, expatriates holding a certain professional status were eligible to get visa-on-arrival in the UAE. >A6

Since the new rule came into force, GCC

residents are having trouble visiting the UAE

and many had to change their travel plans

OMANHaitham opens expo

1HH Haitham bin Tariq Al Said opened the GCC Archeology Exhibition. >A3

OMANBattle of the bands

2 Oman-based bands will face each other in a battle of the bands. >A4

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

A4Sayyid Fahd meets Estonia prime minister

MARKETEconomic outlook

3There is ‘cautious optimism’ about Oman’s economic prospects. >B1

OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO TIMES #OMANPRIDE CAMPAIGNJoining hands with the Times of Oman for its #OmanPride campaign that focuses on positive news and what is good in Oman,

enthusiastic readers have sent stunning pictures that showcase the country’s beauty. The shimmering spectacle at the

Muttrah Corniche is a treat to the eyes. — Soumya N Ghosh See also >A6

#OMANPRIDE

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Driving licence rules get tougher

FAHAD AL GHADANI/RAHUL DASfahadnews@timesofoman.comrahuldas@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Expatriates, whose driving licences can’t be ex-changed for Omani licences, have to undergo a drum and slope test, even if they hold a valid per-mit back home, according to a senior official at the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

Speaking to the Times of Oman, the official said this de-cision was made after the ROP

found that some driving licences issued in particular countries were fake. “The decision was changed after a detail study by the authorities concerned at the ROP,” said the official.

He, however, said that this decision does not affect expats who can exchange their driv-ing licences as Oman has signed agreement with some countries.

The rule, which became effec-tive in 2010, has been revoked recently, according to the ROP. “It’s now mandatory for all ex-

pats to undergo an eye test, sig-nal test, drum and slope tests and then the road test to get a licence. There is, however, no require-ment for a letter from the spon-sor, which was mandatory until a few years back. Now, just a copy of his/her valid resident card, along with a couple of passport size photographs, should suffice, along with the payment of pre-scribed fee for opening a file with the licence issuing authority,” said a driving instructor, who got instructions from the ROP. >A6

R O P

Under the new rules,

regardless of the

profession, expatriates

have to apply online

for an e-visa. Earlier,

expatriates holding a

certain professional

status were eligible

to get visa-on-arrival

in the UAE

A2 W E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

OMAN Five-year-old Basma Mohammad Faisal is anxiously awaiting an Indian visa to go there for liver transplantation as the facility is not available in Oman or back home in PakistanCondition of sick girl deteriorates >A5

Omanis planning to visit Iraq advised precautionsTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Omanis planning to visit Iraq should take precautions against cholera as an outbreak has been reported in the country, Oman’s Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs has said.

“Omanis travelling to Iraq from Oman have to follow health in-structions strictly so that they don’t contract the disease, espe-cially during this season,” a state-ment from the ministry said.

“Guidelines on how to keep the disease at bay are available. Peo-ple should follow them strictly,”

the statement added. The Iraqi media quoted Iraq’s Health Min-istry, which reported that a chol-era outbreak had affected around 100 Iraqis in late September, which has now spread to more than 1,400 patients.

Global news agencies reported that the number of confirmed cases of cholera in Iraq had risen to 1,201, following an outbreak that started along the Euphrates river last month. The report also pointed out that there had been only one confirmed death result-ing from the disease, in the Babil province, south of Baghdad.

C H O L E R A O U T B R E A K

Confirmed cases of cholera in Iraq have risen to 1,201.– File photo

MUSCAT: A total of 107 cen-tres have been approved by the Ministry of Interior for the cast-ing of votes for the Majlis Al Shura elections scheduled for October 25. The polling booths in the various wilayats are as follows: Muscat Governorate:

Muscat: Al Zahra Basic Edu-cation School and Safana bint Hatem Al Taei Basic Education School; Muttrah: Wattaya Ba-sic Education School and Imam Jaber bin Zaid School; Al Am-erat: Al Sahba bint Rabia General Education School for Girls and Al Harith bin Khalid Basic Edu-cation School; Bausher: Faidh Al Ma’arifa Basic Education School and Al Oula Basic Education School; Seeb: Asila bint Qais Ba-sic Education School and Ahmed bin Al Nuaman Basic Education School; Quriyat: Daghmar Basic Education School, Zainab bint Abi Sufiyan Basic Education School and Aubai bin Thabit Basic Education School. - ONA

More details on the website

O C T O B E R 2 5 E L E C T I O N S

107 centres approved for Majlis polls

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OMANW E D N E S DAY, O C TO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

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Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN.Haitham

opens GCC exhibitionMUSCAT: His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Min-ister of Heritage and Culture, opened the 5th Joint GCC Archae-ology Exhibition at Bait Al Zubair Museum in Muscat on Tuesday.

Being hosted by the Sultanate and represented by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, the exhi-bition will run until November 19.

Salim bin Mohammed Al Mah-rouqi, Undersecretary, Ministry of Heritage and Culture for Heritage Affairs, said the expo would enable people to familiarise themselves with the common history of GCC, as well as their diverse traditions and heritage.

The exhibition is being held in accordance of the decisions of the 16th GCC meeting of the under-secretaries of archaeology and museums, held in Qatar in June. It includes 300 archaeological pieces from the pre-historic period. Items dating back to the pre-Islamic pe-riod as well as various Islamic pe-riods are also on display. -ONA

A R C H A E O L O G Y

HERITAGE SHOW: The Fifth Joint GCC Archaeology Exhibition at

Bait Al Zubair Museum in Muscat was opened by His Highness

Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and Cul-

ture. The expo is being hosted by the Sultanate and will continue

until November 19. – ONA

Minister of Royal Office receives US military officialMUSCAT: Gen Sultan bin Mo-hammed Al Nu’amani, Minister of the Royal Office, received in his office here on Tuesday Vice Admiral Kevin M Donegan, Commander of the US Naval Forces Central Command and the US 5th Fleet. Topics of inter-est to the two friendly countries and the march of good bilateral relations and means of enhanc-ing them in all fields to serve the joint interests, were discussed.

The meeting was attended by Greta C Holtz, the US Ambassa-dor to the Sultanate.

RNO Commander receives US Vice AdmiralRear Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al Ra’eesi, Command-er of the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO), received in his office at Mu’askar Al Murtafa’a on Tues-day Vice Admiral Kevin M Don-egan, Commander of the US Na-val Forces Central Command and the US 5th Fleet. -ONA

D I P L O M A C Y

A4 W E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

OMAN

Muscat set for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre performanceTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre will bring its world-fa-mous production of Hamlet enti-tled, “Globe to Globe Hamlet” to Oman, to be presented at the Min-istry of Education auditorium.

The Globe Theatre will arrive in Oman at the end of the week to per-form at the Ministry of Education auditorium in Wattayh on October 22. Tickets can be bought from the British Council in Muscat.

The production had opened on April 23, 2014, to mark the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. As part of the completely unprecedented theatrical adven-ture, the Hamlet production will tour every single country on earth over the course of two years. Six-teen men and women are currently travelling across seven continents, performing at various venues.

Dominic Dromgoole, artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and director of Hamlet,

said, “The ‘Globe to Globe Ham-let’ (concept) was created with the aim of performing Hamlet before as many people as possible, in as diverse a range of places as pos-

sible. The central principle of the tour is that Shakespeare can enter-tain and speak to anyone, no mat-ter where they are on earth; and that no country or people are bet-ter off without the lively presence of Hamlet.”

Cultural relations Jonathan Wilks CMG, the Brit-ish ambassador to Oman, said, “I am delighted to support this amazing opportunity to reinforce cultural relations between our two countries. Shakespeare has been successfully translated into many languages, including Ara-bic, because he speaks to human-ity about universal values. I wish everybody from Oman who sees the performance a memorable and enjoyable evening.”

G L O B E T O G L O B E H A M L E T

TARIQ AL HAREMItariqh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman-based bands will get the opportunity to face each other in a battle of the bands, where the winner will have the privilege to become the support-ing act for one of the biggest inter-national names in rock, Stereo-phonics.

Seven bands will take the stage on Friday, September 23 at the Shangri La Barr’s Al Jissah Ball-room before a panel of renowned judges in the music industry, to battle it out and claim the opening act for Stereophonics, who will perform live in Muscat on Thurs-day, November 12.

“It’s a good chance for local bands to become a supporting act for Stereophonics, as most bands usually do”, said Terence Pereira, marketing manager at Alive En-tertainment.

“We want to make it like a night out and not just a boring competi-tion. We want the audience to be amazed and the bands to feel spe-cial… to make a big deal of them”, continued Lisa Linehan, event manager at Alive Entertainment.

International bands have at-tempted to register for the com-

petition, but were turned down as the competition is solely meant for local Omani bands.

“We had a few registrations from outside Oman, but we had to inform them that the competi-tion is only for Omani bands”, ex-plained Pereira.

The seven bands short listed for the competition are: B-Sharps, Coffee Soup, IRIS, Marshall’s Law, Noisy Neighbours, T-Band and Wadi Dogs.

JudgesThe bands will have 20 to 30 min-utes to set up and perform for the crowd, where they will be judged based on the standard assessment for performing arts during an au-dition. “We are judging based on the basic criteria, such as stage presence, crowd engagement and most importantly the music and sound”, said Pereira.

The judges are still to be con-firmed due to complications of some shortlisted names, who

have not been able to attend, but also prove Alive Entertainment’s commitment to providing trust-worthy and knowledgeable judges in the field of music.

“We want to make sure we have the right judges; we don’t want just anybody. So we are going through a few names, but unfor-tunately some of them can’t make it,” Pereira explained.

“But we do have four names that are all based in the music in-dustry,” he added without reveal-ing the names of the judges.

The winners will be announced on the same day at the venue, where the results will be revealed before the audience and band members together.

TicketsDoors will be open at 7pm and the show will start at 8pm, with tick-ets being sold at the door. Tickets will be available for OMR5 for those who arrive before 9 pm and OMR8, for arrivals after 9 pm.

Seven Oman-based

bands will take the

stage to face each

other on September

23 before a panel of

renowned judges in

the music industry

Estonian prime minister in Sultanate on three-day visitMUSCAT: Taavi Roivas, Prime Minister of the Republic of Esto-nia, arrived here yesterday on a three-day visit to the Sultanate.

His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Min-isters, led the welcoming party for the guest and his delegation upon their arrival at Muscat Airport.

An official welcome ceremony was accorded for the guest. When the airplane carrying the guest came to a stop in the place specified for it, Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said received and welcomed him in the Sultanate, wishing him and his accompanying delegation

a successful visit and a pleasant stay. Then, the guest introduced his accompanying senior officials to Sayyid Fahd.

After that, Sayyid Fahd accom-panied the guest to the Dais of Hon-our where the Protocols Guard of the Royal Oman Police (ROP) per-formed the salute and the National Anthem of Estonia and the Royal Anthem of Oman were played.

Then, the Commandant of the Pro-tocols Guard proceeded to the Dais to obtain permission from the guest and Sayyid Fahd to inspect the first column of the Protocols Guard.

After inspecting the Protocols Guard, the guest shook hands with the welcoming party members comprising a number of ministers, the head and members of the mis-sion of honour that will accom-pany the guest during the visit, the accredited Ambassador of Bru-nei Darussalam to the Sultanate (Dean of the Diplomatic Corps), a number of senior officers of the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and Royal Oman Police (ROP). -ONA

D I P L O M A C Y

WARM WELCOME: His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the

Council of Ministers, led the welcoming party for Taavi Roivas, Prime Minister of the Republic of Esto-

nia, who arrived in Muscat on Tuesday. – ONA

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

The central principle of the tour

is that Shakespeare can enter-

tain and speak to anyone, no

matter where they are on earth.

– Supplied photo

BIG BRAND: It’s a good chance for local bands to become a sup-

porting act for Stereophonics. – Supplied photo

Wetlands plan discussedMUSCAT: A seminar was held here for developing a national strategy for wetlands and pro-viding a national vision for their preservation and management in the Sultanate, while ensuring optimum benefit from them.

The seminar, which focused on the national strategy for wetlands, was organised by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, on Tuesday. -ONA

E N V I R O N M E N T

The ‘Globe to Globe Hamlet’ (concept) was created with

the aim of performing Hamlet before as many people as

possible, in as diverse a range of places as possible

Dominic Dromgoole, artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

Bands to compete for Stereophonics opening act slot

A5

OMANW E D N E S DAY, O C TO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

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Ailing girl Basma’s condition worsens

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Five-year-old Basma Mohammad Faisal’s condition deteriorated on Tuesday after she refused to eat anything for the third consecutive day.

Her father, Mohammad Faisal Raza, said she is to undergo an en-doscopy test immediately.

“We went to a private hospi-tal in Nizwa, but I was told that they don’t have this facility. Then

I went to a government hospital, which in turn has referred my daughter to the Royal Hospital in Muscat. Now we will try to get her admitted there today,” he told the Times of Oman on Tuesday.

Acute shoulder pain The little girl was also said to be complaining of acute shoulder pain for the last couple of days. “Right now, she is being fed di-rectly through her bloodstream through a drip lodged in her vein,” Raza said.

He also informed that the fam-ily is still awaiting the Indian visa. “It has been 10 days since we ap-plied for the Indian visa, but there is still no news of our visa. I went to the Indian Embassy on Sunday too but they told me that the visas are yet to be approved by Indian government. We will fly to India as soon as we get the visa,” he said.

The five-year-old is unable to

eat or digest food. She is unable to retain whatever little she eats and vomits it all as the tube con-necting her liver to the pancreas is partially blocked.

Raza, a Pakistani national, plans to take her to India for liver transplantation as soon as possi-ble, as this facility is not available in Oman or back home in Paki-stan. “I lost my elder daughter to the same disease about 11 years back. I don’t want to lose her and plan to get both the operations done at Global Hospital in Chen-nai in India,” he said.

His elder daughter, Asfa Mo-hammed Faisal had died in De-cember 6, 2004 and she too was suffering from liver cirrhosis.

“Then also, the doctors had suggested a liver transplant, but we could not afford the treatment and she died,” Raza, who has been working in Sultanate since No-vember 1991, said.

Ten days on, family

still awaits Indian

visa to take her there

for liver transplant

IN NEED OF URGENT MEDICAL HELP: Basma is unable to eat or digest food. She is unable to retain

whatever little she eats and vomits it all as the tube connecting her liver to the pancreas is partially

blocked. – File photo/Times of Oman

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OMANW E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

I used to get visa to the UAE at the border check-

post. Last time, I was told to apply online. Then

I returned and did it. After 24 hours, I got it

Saji Kumar, an Indian businessman

BEAUTY OF OMAN THROUGH READERS’ CAMERASFor helping us celebrate all that is good in Oman, contributors and readers have been sending images to Times of Oman’s #OmanPride campaign, capturing the beauty of the Sultanate. The Times

of Oman initiative, a dedicated platform for good news, has received positive response. We once again urge citizens and residents to share with us anything that you feel promotes what’s best in the

country we all call our home. It can be beautiful photographs, videos or words. - Nikhil Philip Jacob, Soumya N Ghosh, Rimna Rasheed contributed for the #OmanPride campaign.

Jazz Quartet’s show

in Muscat this week

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Two concerts of the Ari Roland Jazz Quartet’s, spon-sored by the US Embassy in Mus-cat, will be organised in Muscat this week.

The quartet will perform on October 22 at Sahwa Gardens from 7pm to 9pm and on Oc-tober 23 at Qurum Public Park from 7pm to 9pm. The concerts are free of charge and open to the public.

Musical contributionsThe Quartet will share and pro-mote one of the most important musical contributions America has made to the world: Jazz Mu-sic. As a “Jazz Ambassador” for the US Department of State, Ari has travelled throughout the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa for more than 100 pro-grammes since 2007.

A fully professional jazz bass-ist in New York City at 16, Ari also received classical training for 5 years at The Juilliard School.

He has worked with many of

the most significant figures in jazz, including Barry Harris, Bet-ty Carter, and Harry Connick Jr.

Roland’s quartet is completed by band members Zaid Nasser, playing the alto saxophone, Chris Byars who plays the tenor saxo-phone, and Keith Balla, playing the drums.

J A Z Z M U S I C

Ari Roland has travelled

throughout the Middle East,

Europe, Asia and Africa for

more than 100 programmes

since 2007.

UAE online visa

The move does not affect those from countries with treaties with the UAE, such as the Euro-pean Union.

“We heard that many people, who landed in the Emirates hop-ing to avail the visa-on-arrival fa-cility, were denied a visa and were returned. However, for those, who flew on a certain airline, they were able to get visa-on-arrival,” the travel agent added.

“Many other expatriates, who entered the UAE by road, were also denied visa. However, some were able to get it,” residents told the Times of Oman.

Times of Oman’s (TOO) at-tempts to get a clear picture on the issue from the UAE ministry went in vain. Emails and phone calls made to the Ministry re-mained unanswered.

“I used to get visa to the UAE at the border check-post. Last time, I was told to apply online. Then I returned and did it. After 24 hours, I got it. Now, travellers have to plan in advance,” Saji Ku-mar, an Indian businessman in Muscat, told TOO.

A family had to face similar hassles at the border as there was confusion at the check post.

“I got a visa for myself, wife and daughter. But I could not manage to get one for my son. Later on, af-ter a long wait, we managed to get a visa for him. So, we continued with the trip. But we saw many

people being asked to return after they were denied a visa,” a family from Muscat said.

According to the new norms, for getting a UAE visa, a GCC res-idence entry permit is valid for 30 days before entry from the is-suance date, and allows a stay pe-riod after entry of 30 days, which can be extended to 60 days.

A GCC accompanied entry permit is valid for 60 days before entry from the issuance date, and the stay period after entry is 60 days, which can be extended by another 60 days.

However, upon arrival, if the GCC residency is found to have expired or cancelled, the entry permit holder shall not be grant-ed entry, and if the profession of the GCC resident is determined to have been amended after the issuance of the entry permit, the holder shall not be granted entry.

The GCC residency must be valid for at least three months from the arrival date and the passport must be valid for at least six months from the arrival date.

Also, checks have to be con-ducted before allowing entry to foreigners, with temporary passports. However, foreigners possessing only emergency pass-ports will not be allowed entry into UAE. The new rule also stip-ulates that a GCC resident e-visa is only valid for entry into the ar-rival/issuance port in UAE.

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Textile exhibition to boost India-Oman ties

Times News Service

MUSCAT: A textile exhibition or-ganised by the Indian Embassy at the Promenade Garden of Oman Avenues Mall, has received a huge response.

“There has been a great footfall to the textile exhibition and a lot of enquiries on the textiles that are on display and from where they can be sourced. We have got re-

lated trade enquiries too,” said an official from the Indian Embassy. The exhibition is aimed at enhanc-ing cultural ties between India and Oman, with the embassy exhibit-ing a traditional textile collection from different parts of India.

Entitled, “Vastram- The Splen-did World of Indian Textiles”, the exhibition features 37 tradi-tional Indian textiles and a large site-specific installation in three categories of painted printed, wo-ven and non-woven, embroidered

and embellished cotton.“The collection investigates the

global influences on new materi-als, from machine spun yarn to handloom cotton and synthetic dyes for vegetable and mineral dyes. The role of the Indian gov-ernment after Independence was also to ensure that textiles are sustained through the use of new techniques, technology introduc-tion, research on documentation and conserving traditions,” an em-bassy official said.

Jamdani sarees, Chanderi weave, Chamba rumals, Pulkah-ree, Sunjani Kantha and Ikat are some of the types of traditional textile on display at the exhibition.

The Indian subcontinent was the most important cotton manu-facturing region in the world, with many references to Indian cotton fabrics being found in the tombs of the Pharaohs in Egypt.

Between the 12th and 18th cen-turies, cotton was cultivated in virtually every region of the In-dian subcontinent. From Punjab in North India and Bengal in West India to Andhra Pradesh in South India, the cotton shrub is essential among peasant crop rotations and integral to the farmer’s strategy of survival. Hamida Khatoon Naqvi has enumerated 35 different varie-ties of cotton cloth that were pro-duced and consumed in this region in 1500 B.C., according to a state-ment by Shelly Jyoti, the curator of the exhibition.

Jyoti, the curator of the exhibi-tion is a fashion designer and an independent curator, whose work references the cultural context of Indian history. Jyoti is a trained fashion designer with National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi.

The exhibition aims

at enhancing cultural

ties between India

and Oman, with the

embassy exhibiting

a traditional textile

collection from

different parts

of the country

INDIAN TEXTILES: ‘Vastram- The Splendid World of Indian Tex-

tiles’, the exhibition features 37 traditional textiles. –Supplied photo

Driving licenceHe added that ROP will open the file if they are convinced about the validity of these documents and their eligibility to drive ve-hicles. “Once the file is opened, the applicant has to appear for an eye test and start learning how to drive on Oman’s roads, irrespec-tive of the nature of their job or the level of their academic quali-fications,” he said.

The news is a huge setback for expats who are planning to learn driving in Oman. “I was told that the Indian licence is no longer valid,” said Sudhir, who had visit-ed Qurum police station to get his

green book so that he could learn driving. Before going there, he had also got his Indian licence at-tested from the Indian embassy, and counter-attested it from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qu-rum. “Still, it didn’t work. Now, I will have to shell out a huge sum for my licence,” he said.

Driving instructors charge between OMR6 and OMR8 per class and per hour. There are others, who draw out a contract, which can start from OMR300 for 50 classes. “This works out to be a very expensive proposition,” he said.

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Poll panel meetingMUSCAT: A meeting of the Ma-jlis Al Shura Eighth Term Elec-tions Higher Committee was held on Tuesday at Athaibah, under the aegis of Sheikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Manwari, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court.

During the meeting, the com-

mittee reviewed a number of issues put forward by Shura’s Eighth Term Elections Main Committee, including the pro-cedures of election held on Oc-tober 18 at the polling centres at Oman’s embassies in the GCC countries. -ONA

M A J L I S A L S H U R A

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REGIONW E D N E S DAY, O C TO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

Syrian rebel leader killed in raid

BEIRUT/ANKARA: Russian air strikes in Syria’s Latakia province killed a rebel commander and four other fighters from a group armed by foreign countries, a spokesman for the group said on Tuesday.

The attack on Monday evening marked the third time Russian war planes have targeted the First Coastal Division group since Mos-cow began its air strikes in support of President Bashar Al Assad on September 30, the group’s spokes-man Fadi Ahmad said.

He said a further 15 civilians had been killed in the air strike in Jabal Akrad, a rural, mountainous area in the province. The Syrian Obser-vatory for Human Rights earlier put the death toll at 45 rebels and civilians.

Potent weaponThe First Coastal Division is one of several groups that have received foreign military support includ-ing US-made anti-tank missiles, the most potent weapon in the rebels’ arsenal.

The group, which fights under

the umbrella of the “Free Syrian Army”, confirmed the death of its chief of staff, Basil Zamo, formerly a captain in the Syrian military.

Ahmad said a fighter trained in the use of the anti-tank TOW mis-siles had also been killed.

The Russian jets had struck one of the group’s headquarters, and then struck the same target again after rescue workers had arrived on the scene.

“They have hit us three times now. They are hitting us on the grounds of IS, but they are hitting the ones who do them most dam-age - the Free Syrian Army,” said

Ahmad, speaking from the area via an internet messaging system.

Russia’s air strike campaign in Syria has killed 370 people, one third of them civilians, since it started three weeks ago, the Ob-servatory said on Tuesday.

FSA groups, often led by for-mer Syrian army officers, have widely been eclipsed by militants including the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and IS. Though they describe themselves as part of an army, they do not operate with a centralised command and control structure.

Some FSA groups have received

support including military train-ing by foreign countries.

The commander of another such group, the Nour Al Din Al Zinki Brigades, was killed in fight-ing south of Aleppo on Monday.

DeathsThe Syrian army backed by foreign fighters have launched a series of ground offensives against insur-gent-held areas of western and northwestern Syria since Russia began air strikes in the country.

Meanwhile, at least three Rus-sians fighting alongside Syrian government forces were killed and

several more wounded when a shell hit their position in the coast-al province of Latakia, a senior pro-government military source said on Tuesday.

If confirmed, the deaths which occurred on Monday night would be the first known incident of Rus-sians killed in Syria since Moscow began air strikes on September 30.

Syrian officials could not be reached for comment. Russia’s de-fence ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Hu-man Rights, which monitors the conflict, told Reuters that his sources in the area had confirmed the deaths of Russians, but did not have a figure. He said he believed they were not regular Russian forces but volunteers.

The pro-government source, who is familiar with military events in Syria, said that at least 20 Russians were at the post in the Nabi Younis area when the shell struck.

“It’s a 90 per cent probability that the shell was fired by the mili-tants,” he told Reuters.

The Kremlin has said there are no Russian troops in combat roles in Syria, though it has said there are trainers and advisors work-ing alongside the Syrian military, and forces guarding Russia’s bases in western Syria. The Kremlin has said it is not undertaking any steps to recruit and deploy volun-teer fighters.

In Ankara, two senior govern-ment officials said that Turkey

is ready to accept a political transition in Syria in which As-sad stays in symbolic power for six months before leaving office, and is discussing the plan with Western allies.

“Work on a plan for Assad’s de-parture is under way... (Assad) can stay for six months and we accept that because there will be a guar-antee of his departure,” one of the officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“We have moved forward on the issue to a certain degree with the United States and our other allies. There is not an exact consensus on when the six-month period would begin, but we think it won’t be too long.”

The United States will put the proposal to Russia, one of the Turkish officials said, but it was not clear whether Moscow would entertain the idea.

European nations have strug-gled to find a common position on the role Assad should play in the solution of the Syrian crisis. France is keen to see Assad go as soon as possible, while Germany would prefer to have him involved in the transitional phase before he quits.

Britain wants Assad to leave power “at some point” as part of any deal by world powers to end the four-year-old conflict, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Tuesday.

Assad said in an interview with Iranian television aired on Oc-tober 4 that it was not up to any foreign official to decide Syria’s future, including any transitional period mooted. “The future politi-cal system, and which individuals govern Syria, this is a decision for the Syrian people. That’s why these statements don’t concern us,” he said. — Reuters

The attack on

Monday evening

marked the third time

Russian war planes

have targeted the

First Coastal Division

group since Moscow

began its air strikes

UN deal to end Libya crisis stalled as draft is rejectedTRIPOLI: UN attempts to bro-ker a national government with Libya’s warring factions stalled on Tuesday after the elected parliament rejected a draft of an agreement meant to end the cri-sis.

Libya is caught in a conflict be-tween the internationally recog-nised government and its elected parliament and a self-styled gov-ernment controlling the capital Tripoli, each backed by rival armed factions.

After months of talks, the United Nations proposed a na-tional power-sharing govern-ment to end a war international powers worry is allowing hard-line militants to gain ground.

In a confusing announcement on Monday night, House of Rep-resentatives President Aghila Saleh said most members of the elected legislature rejected the proposal, which named a six-member council as the executive of a unity government. But some lawmakers said there had been a show of hands and others said there had been no official vote.

However, the lawmakers said there was a general rejection of the unity proposal because of changes they said were made to appease Tripoli, even after the House of Representatives had already agreed to the initial deal

earlier this year. “The majority of the House of Representatives rejected the proposed govern-ment... because there were too many violations to the draft,” law-maker Mohammad Al-Abani told Reuters. Despite the resistance, delegations from both factions say they want to keep negotiating. Libya’s recognised government has operated out of the east of the country since last year when an armed faction called Libya Dawn took over Tripoli in the west, set up its own government and

reinstated a former parliament known as the GNC.

The GNC is also struggling to present a united front on the UN deal and has yet to vote officially. Some GNC leaders have rejected the deal, while on Tuesday a group of 25 lawmakers said they accepted it.

“I see the two non-votes as a convergence of the hardliners in both camps to preserve to status quo,” said Mattia Toaldo, Libya expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations. — Reuters

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

Israelis, Palestinians urged to avoid ‘abyss’

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Palestinians and Israel on Tuesday to step back from a “dan-gerous abyss” as he arrived on a snap visit to the region at the head of international efforts to quell three weeks of violence.

The bloodshed began with a string of stabbing attacks on Is-raelis in occupied Jerusalem. One reason given by Palestinians for the surge in violence is anger over perceived Jewish encroachment on occupied Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque compound.

Speaking moments after arriv-ing, Ban said the wave of unrest was undermining Palestinian hopes for statehood and Israel’s longing for security. “This con-flict has gone on for far too long,” he said. “We must, for the future of our children, come back from this

dangerous abyss, safeguard the two-state solution and lead people back onto the road towards peace.”

Ban, whose trip was announced in Israel only hours before his arriv-al, was to meet Prime Minister Ben-jamin Netanyahu later in the day in occupied Jerusalem. He will see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday, Palestinian officials said.

US Secretary of State John Ker-ry, who is to hold talks with Net-anyahu either in the Middle East or in Germany during the prime minister’s visit there on Wednes-

day and Thursday, has said Israeli and Palestinian leaders need to clarify the status of the Al Aqsa compound to help stop the vio-lence. Kerry planned to meet Ab-bas and Jordan’s King Abdullah, likely in Amman, later this week.

Palestinians are fuming at what they see as increased Jewish vis-its to the Al Aqsa plaza. Israel in-sists it has made no changes to the rules at the site.

“Israel has not and will not change the status quo. That (to suggest otherwise) is one huge lie,” Netanyahu said in a speech to international Jewish leaders meeting in occupied Jerusalem on Tuesday.

In the latest deadly incident, a Palestinian vehicle ran over and killed an Israeli motorist whom a Reuters photographer said was using a club to hit Palestinian pro-

testers and cars on a roadside in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli police said the man had stopped his car after stones were thrown at it.

The driver of the Palestinian vehicle, which the photographer said the Israeli had hit with his club, later turned himself in to Palestinian police, which had no comment on the event. Israeli po-lice said it was not immediately clear if the Israeli had been run over deliberately.

About two hours later, another Palestinian rammed his car into a bus stop near an Israeli settle-ment in the occupied West Bank, injuring two people, the Israeli military said. It said the man then got out of the vehicle and tried to stab people before being shot by security forces. Police said he had been killed. — Reuters

R I S I N G T E N S I O N S

Saudi Arabia, US likely to prepare MERS vaccine: WHOGENEVA: The United States and Saudi Arabia may prepare a vaccine for Middle East Respiratory Syn-drome (MERS) to try and head off the next outbreak of the disease, the head of the World Health Organiza-tion (WHO) said on Tuesday.

Margaret Chan said Saudi Health Minister Khaled Al Falih was discussing this with US public health officials.

“They communicated and looked at collaboration and to see whether we can, in terms of preparedness, get some vaccines ready in advance of another MERS outbreak,” Chan told reporters.

MERS has killed at least 571 of 1,595 people infected since September 2012, mainly in Saudi Arabia.

There are currently no licensed vaccines available for MERS. In July, researchers trying to develop a vaccine in the United States said they had early signs of success in animal experiments.

ResearchAl Falih, who also heads the Saudi national oil company, was “much more forthcoming” than Riyadh had been in the past, Chan said, and had $70 million for research that would help fill the many gaps in the science of MERS. — Reuters

D E A D L Y D I S E A S E

CRASH SITE: Rebel fighters from the Ahrar Al Sham Movement inspect a site as they gather pieces

of the wreckage of unidentified and unmanned aircraft that had crashed on Monday at their base in

Maarchmarein village in the southern countryside of Idlib, Syria on Tuesday. – Reuters

We must, for the future of our children, come back from

this dangerous abyss, safeguard the two-state solution

and lead people back onto the road towards peace.

Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General

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CELEBRATIONS: A Libyan woman holds a picture of Major-

General Halifa Haftar as people celebrate the decision by their

parliament to reject the UN proposals for a national unity gov-

ernment, in a public square in Benghazi late Monday. – AFP

A8

INDIAW E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

Acts of vandalism extremely disturbing, says Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday deprecated the rising incidents of intolerance and vandalism which he said was an “extremely disturb-ing trend” and called for a “civi-lised mode” of discussing and de-bating issues.

He also said the BJP has put on notice some of its own leaders who had made controversial state-ments in the wake of the Dadri lynching incident making it clear that the party has“outright shown our disagreement with these kinds of statements”.

Jaitley’s disapproval of vandal-ism resorted to by people to regis-ter contrarian views come against the backdrop of the Shiv Sena forcing cancellation of a music concert by Pakistani legend Ghu-lam Ali and talks between Indian and Pakistani cricket board chiefs and blackening of the face of Sud-heendra Kulkarni in Mumbai and ink attack on Jammu and Kashmir MLA Engineer Rashid here by a fringe outfit.

Dadri incidentHis strong words also come amidst increasing incidents of intoler-ance ever since the Dadri incident in UP after which a truck conduc-

tor from Kashmir valley was killed in a petrol bomb attack by a mob in Jammu on suspicion of smug-gling cow for slaughter and killing of a Muslim youth in Himachal Pradesh on similar suspicion.

“All right-thinking sections will have to distance themselves from these kind of methodologies,” he said. Jaitley said that those using

these methods, including copy cat vandalism, must also “introspect” whether they are adding to the quality of Indian democracy or are they really reducing the credibil-ity of India as a country before the eyes of the world itself.

Noting that it was “an extremely disturbing trend” where some peo-ple have been resorting to vandal-

ism as an instrument of register-ing their protest or conveying their views, the minister said it was quite possible that in a large coun-try like India there may be “diver-gent views” on many subjects.

“But we had a tradition of civility in conveying those different opin-ions. Also particularly because some of these issues are extremely

serious,” the finance minister told reporters in his office.

He said some issues can reflect on inter-community relations while others can reflect on sensitive areas such as Jammu and Kashmir.

“There are issues which impinge on our relations with our neigh-bouring countries and, therefore, there has to be a proper civilised mode of discussing and debating these issues,” he said.

To a question on the Sena pro-test in the BCCI office against the resumption of cricketing ties, Jait-ley made it clear that he would only urge the ally that it must realise that it is part of central and state govern-ment and it has a responsibility.

“Issues like relations with neighbouring countries will have to be conducted, on the basis of a very well-thought out strategy. They can’t be conducted in a man-ner on the streets itself.

“That can’t decide how we deal with out neighbouring countries.And therefore, I think it is ex-tremely important that every po-litical party, including my friends in the Shiv Sena realise the impor-tance of this,” he said.

Asked about the tactics em-ployed by Shiv Sena to register protests, he said the same standard of civility applies to all.

Replying to questions on pro-vocative statements made by BJP leaders like Sangeet Som, an ac-cused in the Muzaffarnagar riots case, and whether the government should be strict with them, Jait-ley said, “You see, after the prime minister’s comment, the Presi-dent (Amit Shah) had called three gentlemen. He has very firmly told them that their statements are not appreciated by the party at all. They have been put on notice. Therefore I am sure that they cor-rected themselves”.

He said as a political organisa-tion, as a party and as a govern-ment, “our spokesmen are act-ing with utmost restraint and by various statements including the present one I am making to you, we have outright shown our disa-greement with these kind of state-ments”. Refusing to go into the issue of individuals, he said that within the political space, there will be some people who rely on some kind of sensationalism in the media to create a constituency for themselves. - PTI

Indian finance

minister said those

using these methods

must also ‘introspect’

whether they are

adding to the quality

of Indian democracy

or are they really

reducing the

credibility of India

as a country before

the eyes of the

world itself

But we had a tradition of civility in conveying those different opinions. Also particularly because some of these issues are extremely serious

Arun JaitleyFinance Minister

KIRNAHAR (West Bengal): President Pranab Mukherjee has yet again come out with an appeal for practicing tolerance and to accept differences while respecting dissent, in remarks that come in the midst of grow-ing intolerance in the country.

“Our civilisation teaches us to promote tolerance, to accept differences and to respect dissent. Therefore, that is the essence which has kept us together.

“Therefore, what I stated, that we should recognise this underlying message and con-vey it in our actions, day-to-day practices...whether it should be the part of our civilisation and culture, in our behaviour,

in our approach and attitude,” the president told NDTV at his home in Kirnahar.

CommentsHe was asked about his Monday’s strong comments whether tolerance and ac-ceptance of dissent was on the wane in the country and what were his concerns that made him make the statement.

The reason, he said, was that during his visit to the three West Asian countries last week, he was asked about the “chemistry” of India which has a very successful, multi-party parliamentary democracy in a country of so much diversity with various languages, races,

religion, customs, beliefs and a huge multitude of people.

“Then I told them perhaps it is the very essence of our civilisation which has kept us around and which has bound us together and we celebrate diversity. It is a part of us.

“Our civilisation teaches us to promote tolerance, to accept dif-ferences and to respect dissent. Therefore, that is the essence which has kept us together,” he said.

Greeting the people on the occasion of ‘Durga Puja’, he said, “let them enjoy the festi-val and at the same time carry the message of this festival in their day to day lives and practices.”- PTI

Pranab repeats appeal for practicing tolerance

Russia is India’s ‘tried and tested real friend’: SushmaMOSCOW: Asserting that its foreign policy towards Russia has never changed, India on Tuesday said it was its “tried and tested real friend”.

During her meeting with Rus-sian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she was very happy to convey that there was progress on all components “Dru-zhba-Dosti”, the vision document agreed upon during the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin last year.

“I want to tell you that Russia is India’s tried and tested part-ner and a real friend. Our foreign policy towards Russia has always been the same,” Swaraj said.

On his part, Lavrov said he was hopeful that Swaraj’s visit will provide impetus to India-Russia ties. He also referred to India’s entry into Shanghai Coopera-tion Organisation (SCO) and said that its full membership will give boost to the efforts of the group in achieving its goals.

Russia has been favouring In-dia’s permanent SCO member-ship, saying joining of the group by the largest democracy will add weight to the organisation.

The SCO had set in motion the process of granting India a full membership of the grouping at its meeting in the Russian city of Ufa in July.

Energy clubIndia, one of the largest energy consumers in the world, is keen to get the membership of the bloc as it will help it play a major role in the SCO energy club which was set up to create a unified energy mar-ket as well as to ensure coopera-tion among major oil and gas com-

panies from the member nations.Three major suppliers of en-

ergy — Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan – have been playing major roles in the SCO energy club and the Indian government feels getting membership of the bloc will give it greater access to a number of key energy projects in the region.

SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presi-dents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India, Iran and Pakistan were admitted as observ-ers at the 2005 Astana Summit.

Lavrov also talked about India going to chair the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-China-South Africa) next year and said Tuesday’s meeting was a good opportunity to recap the functioning of the grouping.

Meanwhile, India on Tues-day asked Russia to share any information it has on the seven-decade-old mystery surrounding

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.The development came after

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that India will declassify files on Bose beginning January 23 next year.

InformationThe issue was raised by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“The Russian foreign minister said he will look into the matter and will let India know if there was any information,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

Bose’s family feels a number of countries including Japan, Rus-sia, Germany and Britain have in-formation on his disappearance.

During a meeting with Ne-taji’s family members last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that “there is no need to strangle history”. - PTI

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

Returning Akademi awards a courageous act: Sharmila

NEW DELHI: Veteran Indian actress Sharmila Tagore on Tuesday backed writers, who are returning their Sahitya Aka-demi awards to protest against rising intolerance, calling it spontaneous and brave move.

“It’s a challenging time for In-dia. There is a conflict between modernity and serious threat of regression and there is kind of ban on freedom of speech as the Akademi awards are being returned,” the 68-year-old Na-tional Award-winning actress said at the CII Big Picture Sum-mit 2015 here.

“It is a courageous act, because dissent is now violent, it is not just verbal disagreement. There is a physical assault involved. People are standing up against that and countering. I feel this a very positive and spontaneous response,” she said when asked about her view on the issue.

The rationale behind return-ing the awards has been ques-tioned by some, but the Amar Prem star said the protest is giving us an ultimatum about the damage the intolerance will cause to the country.

“...It is my personal point of view that what the writers, who are returning their awards, are doing is a spontaneous move-ment. What is happening is re-minding us of Emergency and Babri Masjid. We are reminded that this is a serious threat to the fabric of our country. It is a spontaneous protest,” she said.

Calling the Dadri lynching incident as “scary”, Sharmila de-manded justice for the victim. - PTI

S U M M I T

WARM GREETINGS: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov,

right, shakes hands with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj

during their meeting in Moscow on Tuesday. - AFP

CANDID: Veteran actress

Sharmila Tagore addresses

the CII Big Picture Summit

2015, in New Delhi on Tues-

day. - PTI

It is a courageous act, because dissent is now violent, it is

not just verbal disagreement. There is a physical assault

involved. People are standing up against that and countering.

I feel this a very positive and spontaneous response

Sharmila Tagore, Veteran Indian actress

A9

INDIAW E D N E S DAY, O C TO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

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Pulse ‘war’ breaks out in poll-bound Bihar

PATNA/NEW DELHI: As prices of pulses rose further, the Centre and government of Bihar were on Tuesday locked in a blame game with Chief Minister Nitish Nu-mar even taunting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep his achche din with him and give people back their purane din.

The Congress also raised ques-tions on the policies of the Modi government to tackle the skyrock-eting prices of pulses.

Retail prices of tur dal on Tues-day rose further to touch Rs210 per kg while urad rates increased to Rs198 per kg in the retail market despite the government’s action against hoarding and other meas-ures to boost supply.

With rise in prices of pulses becoming an issue in the ongoing Bihar elections, the Centre blamed the Nitish government for decline in production of pulses and for not utilising special central fund for price stabilisation.

“The Centre wrote six letters to the state governments, including

the Bihar government to take ben-efit of ‘Price Stabilisation Fund’ to provide succour to the consumers, but the politically motivated Nit-ish Kumar government deliberate-ly did not utilise it,” Union Agricul-ture Mnister Radha Mohan Singh told reporters in Patna.

“Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi and West Bengal which used the ‘Price Stabilisation Fund’, are selling pulses at Rs120 to Rs130 per kg through retail outlets,” he said. The Price Stabilisation Fund is raised by the state to which the Centre contributes 50 per cent of the money. The Agriculture Min-ister accompanied by Union Food Minister Ramvilas Paswan was replying to Nitish Kumar raising accusing fingers at the central gov-ernment for price rise, particularly that of pulses.

“The production of pulses saw a steady decline in Bihar since 2012-

13 but it did not take appropriate measures to boost production of pulses despite assistance from the Centre,” Singh, who also hails from Bihar, said.

Hitting out at Modi government at the rising price of pulses, Kumar sarcastically asked the Prime Min-ister to “keep your achche din(good days) with you and return people their purane din (old days).”

“I feel like laughing at union ministers blaming me for skyrock-eting prices of pulses. If it was so, the price of pulses should have been Rs200 per kg only in Bihar...

“Why it is selling at Rs200 per kg in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh?” Kumar won-dered addressing an election rally at Nalanda, his home district.

“Paswan charged Kumar with not taking appropriate steps to contain prices of pulses with an aim to sully the image of the Modi

government during polls.“The Bihar government could

have imported pulses if it had any concern for the people as there is ‘zero’ import duty on it,” Paswan said and asked, “Who had stopped the state government from im-porting pulses?” Congress held the Modi government “responsible” for the rising prices of pulses, say-ing it has imported a paltry six lakh tonnes when the need was for 50 lakh tonnes. Party’s senior spokes-man Anand Sharma told reporters in Delhi that there is generally a 40 to 50 lakh tonne shortfall in the de-mand and supply of pulses, and the same is generally imported.

A former commerce minister, Sharma said that this time, the production of pulses was even less but the Modi government im-ported just six lakh tonnes when it should have imported 50 lakh tonnes. - PTI

With rise in prices of

pulses becoming an

issue in the ongoing

Bihar elections, the

Centre blamed the

Nitish government for

decline in production

of pulses and for

not utilising special

central fund for

price stabilisation

PROTEST: Congress workers distributing ‘Tur Dal’ packets to slum dwellers during their protest

against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over price hike of pulses, in Bhopal on Tuesday. - PTI

India seeks BRICS

investment with

low corporate taxes

MOSCOW: India on Tuesday asked BRICS partners to invest in its flagship programmes like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Skill India’, asserting that the government has laid down a clear roadmap for lowering corporate taxes which has created immense opportuni-ties for foreign investors.

While addressing a meet of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Minis-ters of Industries, External Af-fairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also made a strong pitch for re-moval of structural impediments for increasing trade engagement among members of the group.

“We have laid down a clear roadmap for lowering corporate taxes. There is also a renewed thrust on public investment in infrastructure. All these create immense opportunities for com-panies from BRICS countries to work in India,” Swaraj said.

India also invited the BRICS partners to actively participate in its flagship initiatives includ-ing ‘Make in India’ ,’Smart Cities’ and ‘Skill India’.

“India’s medium term growth prospects have significantly im-proved following several policy in-itiatives. The FDI limit in railways, defence and insurance sectors have been liberalised. Coal and

mining sectors are witnessing a revival. We are working on an am-bitious deadline for implementing goods and services tax,” she said.

Listing initiatives by the Nar-endra Modi government to boost growth, Swaraj said financial inclusion was one of the focus areas as part of which more than 170 million bank accounts have been opened and over 100 million debit cards with insurance cover has been issued.

“The manufacturing sector in India is witnessing a new dyna-mism under the Make in India. Initiatives such as Skill India and Digital India are transforming the climate for doing business in India.

“The 100 smart cities pro-gramme is altering the paradigm of urbanisation in India and opening up unparalleled invest-ment and business opportuni-ties,” said Swaraj.

Swaraj said there has been re-newed interest in India by the global investors community and referred to a leading consultancy describing India as the most at-tractive investment destination in the world.

“The FDI inflows into India in 2014-15 have already reached a historic high of $44 billion. Fo-rex reserves are at all time high of over $350 billion,” she said. -PTI

M E E T I N G

ONE FOR THE ALBUM: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj

with other leaders at BRICS Ministers of Industry Meeting in

Moscow, on Tuesday. - PTI

A10

PAKISTAN W E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

SECURITY TIGHTENEDA Pakistani paramilitary soldier uses a sniffer dog to search a vehicle at a checkpoint in Quetta on Tuesday following an over-

night explosion. At least 11 people were killed and many more wounded on October 19 when a powerful bomb ripped through a

passenger bus in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, local officials said. — AFP

‘Sharif’s approval rating 75%’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif emerged as the most popular political leader with an approval rating of 75 per cent, according to a nation-wide survey carried out by Pa-kistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT).

The survey conducted on the completion of the second year of the current parliament and the provincial assemblies shows that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is not far behind his broth-er with an approval rating of 72 per cent.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan drew an approval rating of 49 per cent, while Mut-tahid Qaumoi Movement leader Altaf Hussain polled 13 per cent of the 3,231 respondents from a cross-section of incomes living in rural and urban areas of all the four provinces.

Around 27 per cent of the respondents of the PILDAT survey approved the leader-ship of Asif Zardari. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid chair-man Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain earned 19 per cent approval while Awami National Pakistan chief Asfandyar Wali followed with 18 per cent approval.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had the highest approval amongst the popula-tion, with 70 per cent of the re-spondents rating the party’s com-petence highly.

Its closest rival PTI came a dis-tant second with an approval rat-ing of 44 per cent. The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and the Pakistan People’s Party came away with 40 per cent and 36 per cent approval, respectively.

The MQM emerged as the most negatively rated political party in the country with an ap-proval rating of 14 per cent, even below the Dr Tahirul-Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) that polled 19 per cent.

Slightly higherThe ANP picked up 21 per cent and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazlur-Rehman (JUI-F) had only a slightly higher approval ratings at 23 per cent.

Around 66 per cent of the re-spondents approved of the overall quality of democracy in Pakistan.

Supreme CourtRespondents gave 64 per cent ap-proval rating to the independence of media, 56 per cent to the effec-tiveness of the Supreme Court and 52 per cent to democratic oversight of security set-up.

Around 59 per cent of the re-spondents believe that the gen-eral election in 2013 was some-what to completely transparent and fair.

On the other hand, 30 per cent respondents see the election as somewhat to completely rigged.

Very importantA substantial 80 per cent of the respondents say that holding lo-cal government elections nation-wide are very important.

Only 11 per cent of the re-spondents believe that hold-ing these elections is either not important or not important a t all. — Express Tribune

The survey conducted on the completion of

the second year of the current parliament

and provincial assemblies shows Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan drawing

an approval rating of 49 per cent

The ruling Pakistan

Muslim League-Nawaz

had the highest

approval amongst

the population, with

70 per cent of the

respondents rating it’s

competence highly

Nawaz Sharif

Seminaries see 74% drop in foreign enrolments after syllabus changeISLAMABAD: Enrolment of foreign students in the country’s seminaries has fallen by as much as 74 per cent in the wake of their failure to embrace a more modern system of education in line with the changing world.

While the local clerics admit-ted that they had fallen short, they argued that the government’s new laws for issuing no-objection cer-tificates (NOCs) to foreigners re-mained a major stumbling block for those seeking admission in Pa-kistan’s seminaries.

Six seminaries raided, particu-lars of 1,500 students verified

These reasons have led foreign students to opt for India, Egypt, South Africa, Iran or the United Kingdom in the past eight to 10 years to pursue new forms of qual-ity religious education, govern-ment officials and clerics told The Express Tribune.

They estimated that 10,117 stu-dents from more than 45 countries were studying at Pakistan’s semi-naries in 2005-06, but the interior ministry puts the current figure at 2,673 students from 37 countries.

“We are preparing a soft pro-cedure for foreign students in the light of an agreement with repre-sentatives of the Wifaqul Madaris (education board for seminaries),”

said Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf.

He, however, admitted that this agreement was pending with his ministry since 2012. “It could not be implemented due to differences between clerics and the govern-ment.” He hoped that moderate seminaries would attract students from other countries.

Dr Manzoor Ahmed Al Azhari, who studied at the Al Azhar Uni-versity in Egypt and is an associate professor at the HITEC University in Taxila, said: “Seminaries cannot

become moderate, while interna-tional students prefer religious institutions that teach modern Islamic education with better re-search methods.”

Stringent proceduresAs for the strict laws, former re-ligious affairs secretary Vakil Ahmad Khan said Pakistan had introduced stringent procedures only on the demand of Pakistan’s brotherly countries.

He said the then interior minis-ter Aftab Sherpao had ordered de-

porting the foreign students who failed to produce NOCs. “It was a good step. We must regularise the system.”

Abdul Quddus, spokesman for the Wifaqul Madaris, said: “Our seminaries host around 70 per cent foreign students. A compli-cated registration process forces foreigners to leave Pakistan’s seminaries.”

At present 1,273 Afghan nation-als are studying at Pakistani mad-rassas, with more than 900 of them in Balochistan alone. — Express Tribune

M O D E R N E D U C A T I O N

Climate change lessons take to stage in rural SindhBADIN: Mir Muhammad’s fam-ily had reason to celebrate: after the harvest of their rice crop, they were planning to throw a wedding.

But then flash floods hit their three-hectare farm, washing away the family’s sole source of income and their dreams of the big day.

This was the scene played out on the makeshift stage of an open-air theatre in Badin district of Paki-stan’s Sindh province - a region, like many others in Pakistan, try-ing to find ways to better under-stand and deal with worsening climate change impacts.

“Nature has destroyed all our plans,” lamented Zuleikha Bibi, who played Muhammad’s mother in the production. “We were pre-paring for the wedding of our eld-est son, but the flood has turned all our happiness into mourning.”

Sufferings of poor peopleAn audience of over a hundred

men, women and children from Badin’s fishing and farming com-munities watched as the actress wiped away her pretend tears. Then they listened, engrossed, as a singer in traditional Sindhi dress sang about the sufferings of poor people in the region.

The show is the brainchild of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), a non-governmental organisation

based in Karachi that works for the social and economic welfare of vulnerable communities.

Looking for a way to help villag-ers adapt to the effects of extreme weather and flooding, the forum hit on the idea of putting on plays.

“We are using theatre as an advocacy tool to educate peo-ple about the adverse impacts of climate change on their daily lives,” said PFF project manager Maria Soomro.

In a region where the majority of the rural population is illiterate, theatre is an effective way to com-municate new ideas, Soomro said.

Using local language, traditional songs and folklore, the perfor-mances aim to raise awareness about issues such as shortages of water for agriculture, erratic rain-fall, frequent floods and droughts.

On the stage in Badin, young actors told the audience how extreme weather conditions in the province impacted on their studies.

“I was a student in seventh grade and I had to quit my school due to flash floods last year,” said Far-zana Bangash, 12. She urged the audience to find ways to mitigate the impact of flooding and erratic rainfall on their crops.

The messages, which began tak-ing to the stage last year, appear to be getting through.

Farmer Shagufta Bhel said that after watching a show in June last year, she and her family stopped sowing genetically modified seeds for their wheat and rice crops, saying they feared they would be less adaptable to increasingly extreme weather.

“We have been sowing local seeds instead, and getting good yield too,” she said.

According to a recent report by the US-based World Resources Institute, floods in Pakistan affect 715,000 people each year, and by 2030 that number could increase to as many as 2.7 million.

Annual losses as a result of river flooding amount to just short of 1 percent of Pakistan’s GDP - about $1.7 billion - the report added.

“We can’t provide food to eve-rybody affected by floods and droughts in the province but we can definitely sensitise them to the issues,” said the PFF’s Soomro.

The PFF put on its first open-air play in June 2014 in Karachi and has since held over 20 per-formances in rural areas of six districts of Sindh province. Each cast uses 15 volunteers, mostly local people, who get a week of acting training before they start, Soomro said.

Using its own funding and work-ing in collaboration with other NGOs, the forum plans to expand its theatre project to other dis-tricts of the province.

Experts agree that theatre is an effective tool for making a topic as complex as climate change more easily understandable and rel-evant to a wide audience.

“The beauty of open-air theatre is that it attracts a large audience for entertainment and helps con-vey a critical message in the local language of the people,” said Sar-war Bari, national coordinator of the Pattan Development Organisa-tion, an NGO in Islamabad.

Shafqat Aziz, a food security ex-pert with Oxfam Novib, the Dutch affiliate of anti-poverty charity Oxfam, said the plays also help em-power people, motivating some to ask government representatives for policies on issues such as food security and crop insurance.

“The awareness drives affected communities to a decision-mak-ing position and this is where they try to come up with effec-tive solutions for tackling climate change,” he said.

As the 30-minute play came to an end on the Badin stage, one of the characters, a farmer named Si-kandar Sanam, turned to the audi-ence to talk about seeds. One good adaptation strategy, he suggested, would be for communities to store the seeds of native crop varieties.

“Our local seed varieties of rice and wheat can tolerate floods and droughts,” Sanam said. “So we should form a local seed bank to preserve our own seeds, shouldn’t we?” The audience shouted in agreement. — Thomas Reuters Foundation

E N V I R O N M E N T

Using local language, traditional songs and folklore, the

performances aim to raise awareness about issues such

as shortages of water for agriculture, erratic rainfall,

frequent floods and droughts. On the stage in Badin,

young actors told the audience how extreme weather

conditions in the province impacted on their studies

Maryam toback US plan for girls educationISLAMABAD: US First Lady Michelle Obama has invited Maryam Nawaz to join hands in supporting a special pro-gramme wherein girls and women would be encouraged to complete their education and build their careers.

A source told The Express Tribune that the invitation to “Let Girls Learn” had been ex-tended during the recent visit of US National Security Council staffer Peter Lavoy.

Michelle Obama tells Muslim schoolgirls that education will give them everything they need

“The US first lady was look-ing for a woman with the larg-est clout and following, and we couldn’t find a person bet-ter than Maryam Nawaz,” the source quoted Lavoy as saying.

The programme aims to en-courage girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 19 to complete their education and build their careers.

Maryam Nawaz to home-school 10-year-old daughter for security reasons. — Express Tribune

‘ L E T G I R L S L E A R N ’

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Religious students take mid-term exams at Jamia Binoria, the nation’s largest

seminary in Karachi in this file picture. — AFP

China trashes Uighur leader comments on XijiangBEIJING: China on Tuesday condemned a top exiled Uighur leader for her “absurd” comments about Britain’s lavish reception for President Xi Jinping, adding that its far western region of Xinjiang was at peace.

The red carpet Britain is roll-ing out this week to welcome Xi is stained with the blood of Uighurs, Tibetans and dissidents, Rebiya Kadeer, the president of the World Uyghur Congress, said in Tokyo on Monday.

China’s repressive policies had turned Xinjiang, home to the Mus-lim Uighur people, “almost into a war zone”, Kadeer added.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chu-nying on Tuesday dismissed Kad-eer’s remarks as being “absurd and extreme”, and characterised them as “ignorant speech”.

“All types of people in Xinjiang live and work in peace,” Hua told a daily news briefing.

“There is only a small group of people that seek to destroy China’s ethnic harmony and social stabil-ity. I think their actions and words should be condemned.”

China says extremist militants and separatists operate in energy-rich Xinjiang on the borders of central Asia, where violence has killed hundreds in recent years.

Radio Free Asia reported that at least 50 people died last month in an attack at a Xijiang coal mine that police blamed on knife-wielding separatists, just before China marked 60 years since its founding of the Xinjiang Autono-mous Region.

But exiles and rights groups say China has never presented con-vincing evidence of the existence of a cohesive militant group, and that much of the unrest can be traced back to frustration at con-trols over the culture and religion of the Uighur people.

Beijing strongly denies such charges. — Reuters

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Civilians flee as Taliban rebels threaten Afghan city

LASHKAR GAH (AFGHANI-STAN): Taliban militants ad-vanced on the capital of the vola-tile southern Afghan province of Helmand on Tuesday amid fierce fighting with government forces that threatened to cut off a major highway and prompted many fam-ilies to flee.

The fighting near the town of Lashkar Gah comes three weeks after the Taliban won its biggest victory in the 14-year war, cap-turing the northern town of Kun-duz and holding the city centre for three days before government forces regained control.

Helmand province“Helmand’s capital appears to be under serious military pressure,” a Western official said. “We’re hearing reports about civilians fleeing in large numbers.”

Helmand province is one of the

world’s biggest centres of opium cultivation, with a complex mix of warring tribal groups and Tali-ban insurgents creating a chronic problem for the Western-backed government.

Provincial Governor Mirza Khan Rahimi said heavy fighting had been going on for two days in the district of Gereshk to the north of the city. The fighting has threatened Highway One, the main transport artery linking the major southern city of Kandahar with Herat.

Farhad Dawary, head of the lo-cal Civil Societies Union, which represents non-government so-cial organisations, said that after days of fighting, families were both fleeing to Lashkar Gah from outlying areas and trying to es-

cape from the city. “There is fear among the people in Lashkar Gah, there are lots of rumours the city might fall,” he said.

Major advancesGovernment officials said Lashkar Gah would not fall but one security source said the town of Baba Ji, to the north of the pro-vincial capital had fallen and the Taliban itself said it was making major advances.

“The fighting is ongoing in full force and we have killed 25 gov-ernment forces and seized a num-ber of weapons,” said spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi.

The fall of Kunduz at the end of last month came as a profound shock in Afghanistan, piling pres-sure on the government of Presi-

dent Ashraf Ghani and raising questions over the capacity of se-curity forces to maintain stability.

Afghan government forces, which have taken on the bulk of fighting since international troops ended most combat operations last year, have struggled to contain the Taliban, which has stretched the army in a series of operations across the country.

As the battle continued near Lashkar Gah, there were also re-ports of heavy fighting in the Ghu-rian district near the major west-ern city of Herat.

The Taliban raised their flag in the main district centre for a few hours before police reinforce-ments arrived and cleared them out, Herat police chief, General Abdul Majid Rozi said. — Reuters

The fighting near the

town of Lashkar Gah

comes three weeks

after the Taliban

won its biggest

victory in the 14-

year war, capturing

the northern town of

Kunduz and holding

the city centre for

three days before

government forces

regained control

Japan admits radiation casualty at FukushimaTOKYO: Japan on Tuesday ac-knowledged the first possible casualty from radiation at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, a worker who was diagnosed with cancer after the crisis broke out in 2011.

The health ministry’s recog-nition of radiation as a possible cause may set back efforts to re-cover from the disaster, as the gov-ernment and the nuclear industry have been at pains to say that the health effects from radiation have been minimal. It may also add to compensation payments that had reached more than $59 billion by July this year.

More than 160,000 people were forced from their homes after

the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant following an earth-quake and tsunami in March 2011, the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier.

Mental traumaHundreds of deaths have been attributed to the chaos of evacu-ations during the crisis and because of the hardship and mental trauma refugees have ex-perienced since then, but the gov-ernment had said that radiation was not a cause.

The male worker in his 30s, who was employed by a construc-tion contractor, worked at Tokyo Electric Power Co’s Fukushima Daiichi plant and other nuclear

facilities, a health ministry offi-cial said.

Of total radiation exposure of 19.8 millisieverts (mSv), the worker received a dose of 15.7 (mSv) between October 2012 and December 2013 working at Fuku-shima, said the official.

LeukaemiaWhile the exposure amount was lower than the annual 50 mSv limit for nuclear industry work-ers, the government had decided it cannot be ruled out that the worker’s leukaemia was a result of radiation, the official said. To-kyo Electric is also facing a string of legal cases seeking compensa-tion over the disaster. — Reuters

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

INSURGENCY: Taliban militants stand next to the wreckage of components jettisoned by a damaged

aircraft, which the militants say they had hit, in Sayed Karam district of eastern Paktia province,

Afghanistan on October 14, 2015. — Reuters/Stringer

PESHAWAR (PAKI-STAN): Weeks after the Afghan Taliban’s biggest battlefield success since 2001, dissident com-manders unhappy with their new leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour are meeting to choose a rival, they told Reuters on Tuesday.

Analysts say the recent brief occupation of of Kunduz has cemented Mansour’s power, boost-ing his reputation among foot soldiers and causing the U.S. government and NATO to slow plans for withdrawing their troops.

Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi, a spokesman for the anti-Mansour faction, said a new leader would be chosen within days.

“There is one agenda, and that’s to choose the new emir (leader) unanimously and get rid of Mullah Mansour,” he said. Niazi said the dissident commanders would not accept Man-sour. Just weeks after the peace talks, Mansour was hastily appointed head of the Taliban when Kabul’s intel agency leaked news that Mullah Omar, the founder of the group, had been dead for more than two years. — Reuters

Dissident militants set to choose rival leader

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Christine Lagarde and Jim Yong Kim

In just six weeks, world leaders will meet in Paris to negotiate a new global climate-change agreement. To date, 150 countries have sub-

mitted plans detailing how they will move their economies along a more resilient low-carbon trajectory. These plans represent the first genera-tion of investments to be made in order to build a competitive future without the dangerous lev-els of carbon-dioxide emissions that are now driving global warming.

The transition to a cleaner future will require both government action and the right incentives for the private sector. At the centre should be a strong public policy that puts a price on carbon pollution. Placing a higher price on carbon-based fuels, electricity, and industrial activities will cre-ate incentives for the use of cleaner fuels, save en-ergy, and promote a shift to greener investments. Measures such as carbon taxes and fees, emis-sions-trading programs and other pricing mecha-nisms, and removal of inefficient subsidies can give businesses and households the certainty and predictability they need to make long-term invest-ments in climate-smart development.

At the International Monetary Fund, the focus is on reforming its member countries’ fiscal sys-tems in order to raise more revenue from taxes on carbon-intensive fuels and less revenue from oth-er taxes that are detrimental to economic perfor-mance, such as taxes on labour and capital. Pricing carbon can be about smarter, more efficient tax systems, rather than higher taxes.

Carbon taxes should be applied comprehensive-ly to emissions from fossil fuels. The price must be high enough to achieve ambitious environmental goals, in alignment with national circumstances, and it must be stable, in order to encourage busi-nesses and households to invest in clean tech-nologies. Administering carbon taxes is straight-forward and can build on existing road fuel taxes, which are well established in most countries. Car-bon pricing will be in many countries’ best inter-ests, owing to the many domestic environmental benefits. For example, burning cleaner fuels helps to reduce outdoor air pollution, which, according to the World Health Organisation, currently caus-es about 3.7 million premature deaths a year.

It is vitally important to address the impact of

energy-price reforms on vulnerable groups in eve-ry society. So these reforms will need to be accom-panied by adjustments to fiscal systems and safety nets, among other things, to ensure that the poor are not harmed.

The World Bank Group is supporting countries and businesses as they develop climate-friendly public policies, invest in carbon markets, and ex-plore financial innovations to ease into low-carbon transitions. The Group is leveraging its experience and global reach for learning and knowledge ex-change through programs like the Partnership for Market Readiness.

From that experience, we have developed, along-side the OECD, initial principles to help guide and inspire future carbon-pricing schemes. By draw-ing on these principles, countries, regions, states, and businesses can move faster to tackle the cli-mate challenge confronting us all. The principles are based on fairness; alignment of policies and ob-jectives; stability and predictability; transparency; efficiency and cost-effectiveness; and reliability and environmental integrity.

To help achieve our climate objectives, we need to promote dialogue about the necessary policy measures before and beyond the climate-change conference in Paris. That is why we are announc-ing a “Carbon Pricing Panel,” which will bring to-gether heads of state, city and state leaders, and representatives of top companies to urge countries and businesses around the world to put a price on carbon. Carbon pricing policies are already being implemented by some 40 national governments, including that of China, the world’s largest emitter, and 23 cities, states, and regions that are putting a price on carbon.

Many other governments also are reforming energy prices, and more than 400 companies re-port using a voluntary, internal carbon price. That makes sense. Top companies must effectively manage exposure to climate risk in order to gener-ate higher profits and ensure more stable earnings.

All of these actions are welcome; but we view them as being only initial steps. Together with the leaders of the Carbon Pricing Panel, we call on gov-ernments to seize the moment – for the sake of the planet and future generations – to put a price on carbon pollution that reflects the environmental damage it causes. We stand ready to support gov-ernments that act. - Project Syndicate

Stephen Harper had polarised Canadian societyThis refers to the news story, Canada’s Trudeau defeats Harper in shock election win (October 20). I had been expecting such an election outcome as Stephen Harper has polarised the country. His focus on boosting the tar sands industry is one such issue. While

keeping business in mind his administra-tion turned a blind eye to the environ-mental degradation accompanying this development. Additionally, the once immigrant-friendly country is currently not welcoming refugees from war zones. In my view, all this is set to change and this is the very reason why the electorate chose Trudeau over the incumbent. — Sam Johnston, Ruwi

Sehwag a great player but was only fit for One-day games This refers to the online story, We will never ever have a Viru again: Gambhir (October 20). Virender Sehwag was indeed a great player. I remember many of his innings, and his fightback against Australia in a Test match at home, which made the tourists get beaten soundly. However, to me he was more fit for One-dayers with only cameo stunts in the Test matches. — Sunil Udas, Muscat

Sehwag tamed bowling attacksThis refers to the online story, We will never ever have a Viru again: Gambhir (October 20). Sehwag was one of the best batsmen of our times. He tamed bowling attacks from all around the world with his hard hitting batting. — Salman Raees, Muscat

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Symposium on cultural tourism openedMUSCAT: Salim bin Ismael Suwaid, vice president of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), presided at the opening session of a symposium on cultural tourism at Crowne Plaza Hotel here yesterday. The two-day forum is being organised by the Direc-torate General of Tourism and the Omani National Committee for Education, Culture and Science (ONCECC) in collabora-tion with the Unesco.

1600: Tokugawa Ieyasu defeats his enemies in battle and af-firms his position as Japan’s most powerful warlord. 1872: The US Naval Academy admits John H. Conyers, the first Afri-can American to be accepted.

1940: Ernest Hemingway’s novel For Whom the Bell Tolls is published.

1983: The United States sends a ten-ship task force to Grenada.

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Republican Party is adamant about not wanting Trump. He still hasn’t picked up a single congressional endorsement.

His slash-and-slash campaign style constantly earns him

new enemies, and hardens the opposition of old ones

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In case of Libya, Obama lost interest after Gaddafi’s regime fell and never committed the resources to keep the country

together. That decision was likely one reason Osprey never won the

contract that Hillary Clinton’s friend Blumenthal tried to set up

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Although it’s tempting to blame the filter craze on humanity’s

virulent vanity, the more boring truth is that – pre-Instagram

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South Koreans, mostly elderly and some in wheelchairs,

had gathered on Monday in the east coast city of

Sokcho near the border for medical check-ups and a

briefing on appropriate conduct while in the North

Koreans rejoice family reunions

SOKCHO (SOUTH KOREA): Nearly 400 South Koreans crossed the heavily armed border into North Korea on Tuesday to be reunited, in an outpouring of emotions and tears, with family members separated for more than six decades since the 1950-53 Ko-rean War.

The two Koreas, which are di-vided and remain in a technical state of war, agreed to hold the family reunions for the first time since February last year after ne-gotiating the end of a standoff at the military border in August.

First meetingParticipants, some as old as 88, were reunited at the resort of Mount Kumgang just north of the militarised border with chil-dren and spouses from whom they had been separated when the peninsula was divided at the end of the war. “Father, it’s me, your son,” Chae Hee-yang, 65, from the South told Chae Hoon-sik, 88, from the North, as they wept at their first meeting since the younger man was just a year old, according to a report by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

Foreign news outlets were not allowed to cover the event.

Families separated since the war have no means of commu-nication and often do not know if relatives on the other side are surviving.

In the first round of reunions starting Tuesday, 96 North Kore-ans and their families met about 390 people travelling from the South. The second round reunites about 190 North Koreans with 90 South Koreans and their families.

The South Koreans, mostly el-derly and some in wheelchairs, had gathered on Monday in the east coast city of Sokcho near the border for medical check-ups and a briefing on appropriate conduct while in the North.

On Tuesday morning they boarded buses to cross the border.

The reunions, held in a ball-

room at the Mount Kumgang re-sort, are watched by officials and media and include only two hours of private time before they end on Thursday.

South Korean participants are advised to steer clear of a long list of topics, such as the North’s po-litical leadership or living stand-ards, to the frustration of some of the visitors. A guidebook suggests advance preparation of notes for subjects to be discussed with North Korean kin, such as the dates of parental deaths, as time is limited and the emotions can be overwhelming.

Before leaving on Tuesday for a reunion with his elder brother in the North, Kim Ki-joo strug-gled to frame the questions he would ask at their first meeting in 65 years.

“It is thrilling but I can’t or-ganise my thoughts,” Kim said. “I can’t think of what to say. We are being reunited after 65 years, when I was 11. I want to ask if he can recognise me.” — Reuters

Participants, some

as old as 88, were

reunited at the resort

of Mount Kumgang

just north of the

militarised border

with children

and spouses

OUTPOURING OF EMOTIONS: South Korean Lee Ok-yeon, left,

meets her North Korean husband Chae Hoon-shik during the

separated family reunions at Mount Kumgang resort, North Korea,

on Tuesday. – Reuters/Korea Pool/News1

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In shock election win, Canada’s Trudeau defeats HarperMONTREAL/CALGARY: Cana-da’s Liberal leader Justin Trudeau rode a late surge to a stunning ma-jority election victory on Monday, toppling Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives with a promise of change and returning a touch of glamour, youth and cha-risma to Ottawa.

Harper caused confusion on Tuesday, making no mention of his future plans as he addressed supporters after a crushing elec-tion defeat even though his par-ty said he would step down as party leader.

Shortly after Harper called Trudeau to concede defeat in Monday’s vote, his Conservative Party issued a statement saying he had asked the party to elect a new interim leader.

But when Harper spoke to a rally in his home riding in Calgary, he made no mention of quitting as leader. Confused reporters won-dered whether the party statement was a hoax, and it took Conserva-tive officials several minutes to confirm it was genuine.

Harper has no plans to address the media on Tuesday, an aide said. The outgoing prime minister most likely will return to Ottawa soon to prepare for a formal handover of power to Trudeau in a few weeks.

Harper will continue to sit as a member of Parliament (MP), party president John Walsh said in a second statement issued later on Tuesday.

Walsh said he asked the newly elected caucus of Conservative MPs to choose an interim leader as soon as possible, as a process to pick a longer-term leader is es-tablished. The Conservative party announced Harper’s resignation, ending a nine-year run in power and the 56-year-old’s brand of fis-cal and cultural conservatism that voters appeared to sour on.

Parliamentary majorityThe Liberals seized a Parliamenta-ry majority, a turn in political for-tunes that smashed the record for the number of seats gained from one election to the next.

The centre-left Liberals had been a distant third place party be-fore this election.

“My friends, we beat fear with hope. We beat cynicism with hard work. We beat negative, divisive politics with a positive vision that brings Canadians together,” Trudeau, 43, told a crowd of cheer-ing supporters in Montreal.

“This is what positive politics can do.” The photogenic son of former prime minister Pierre

Trudeau pledged to run a C$10 bil-lion annual budget deficit for three years to invest in infrastructure and help stimulate Canada’s ane-mic economic growth.

This rattled financial markets ahead of the vote and the Cana-dian dollar weakened on news of his victory. Trudeau thanked his two closest friends and advisers for shaping his campaign to show “that you can appeal to the better

angels of our nature. And you can win doing it.”

Trudeau has said he will repair Canada’s cool relations with the Obama administration, withdraw Canada from the combat mission against IS militants in favour of humanitarian aid and training, and tackle climate change.

Trudeau vaulted from third place to lead the polls in the final days of the campaign, and will now

return to the Prime Minister’s res-idence in Ottawa where he grew up as a child.

“When the time for change strikes, it’s lethal,” former Con-servative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said in a television in-terview. “I ran and was successful because I wasn’t Pierre Trudeau. Justin is successful because he isn’t Stephen Harper.”

Liberal supporters at the party’s campaign headquarters broke into cheers and whistles when televi-sion projected that Trudeau would be the next prime minister.

The Conservatives become the official opposition in Parliament, with the left-leaning New Demo-cratic Party in third.

The NDP’s fall was highlighted in Quebec, where it had had the majority of its seats, while the separatist Bloc Quebecois won 10 seats, up from just two previously. BQ leader Gilles Duceppe, how-ever, failed to win a seat.

The Liberals’ win marks a swing toward a more multilateral ap-proach in global politics by the

Canadian government, which has distanced itself from the United Nations in recent years.

The former teacher took charge of the party just two years ago and guided it out of the political wil-derness with a pledge of economic stimulus and stirring appeals for a return to social liberalism.

Born to a sitting prime minister who came to power in 1968 on a wave of popular support dubbed “Trudeaumania,” Trudeau will be-come the second-youngest prime minister in Canadian history and brings an appeal more common in movie stars than statesmen.

Pierre once jumped from a trampoline into the crowd. With boyish good looks, Justin thrusts himself into throngs and puts his hand to his heart when listening to someone.

Selfie requests are so common he happily takes the camera and snaps the photo himself, often cheek to cheek. He is the married father of three young children.

Criticised for being more style than substance, Trudeau has used attacks on his good looks and privileged upbringing to win over voters, who recalled his father’s rock-star presence and an era when Canada had some sizzle on the world stage. - Reuters

H A R P E R R E S I G N S

ELATED: Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau gives his victory

speech after Canada’s federal election in Montreal, Quebec, late on

Monday. - Reuters

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Xi says China and Britain are ‘increasingly interdependent’

LONDON: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday hailed the “bright future” of closer relations with Britain, addressing lawmak-ers as part of a pomp-laden visit during which more than $46 billion of deals are expected to be signed.

Britain rolled out the red carpet for Xi, who was honoured with a 41-gun salute and given a ride in a gilded carriage with Queen Eliza-beth before addressing lawmakers from both Houses of Parliament.

A few dozen protesters calling on Prime Minister David Cameron to raise human rights with Xi were outnumbered by the thousands of China supporters thronging The Mall, one of London’s most fa-mous avenues, as Xi rode with the

queen for a private lunch.“China-UK relations will cer-

tainly embrace an even brighter future,” Xi, 62, told assembled law-makers including Cameron and opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. His words were translated into English.

“It is fair to say that China and the UK are increasingly interdepend-ent and are becoming a community of shared interests,” said Xi, who quoted Chinese proverbs, William Shakespeare and English states-man Francis Bacon in his speech.

Xi’s welcome was steeped in pageantry, underlining the grow-ing importance of China to Brit-ain: Cameron hopes the visit will cement a lucrative place for Brit-

ain as Beijing’s closest friend in the West. Hailed as the start of a “golden era” in Sino-British rela-tions, the visit, which will seal £30 ($46.4 billion) in deals, has been criticised by activists who accuse Cameron of turning a blind eye to rights abuses.

It has also ruffled feathers among some of Britain’s tradi-tional allies, such as the United States, where Xi’s visit last month was tainted by friction over cyber-theft and Beijing’s moves in Asian maritime disputes.

Police made sure the few dozen protesters had little chance of dis-rupting a carefully choreographed ceremony which included Xi ac-companying the Duke of Edin-

burgh, the queen’s husband, to inspect the guard of honour before leading the procession.

Those protesting against Chi-na’s human rights record were kept far from the procession, with their banners all but eclipsed by “I love China” flags.

InvestmentFor Britain, the four-day state visit is the culmination of a three-year charm offensive to attract investment in infrastructure, nu-clear power and the government’s planned transformation of north-ern England.

One deal expected to be signed during Xi’s visit is a plan for two state-owned Chinese utilities to

invest in a £16 billion ($25-billion) nuclear power project being built by French utility EDF at Hinkley Point in southwest England.

Britain said more than £30 bil-lion worth of deals would be signed during the visit, creating some 3,900 jobs.

Britain has won praise from China for its discretion in dealing with human rights issues by rais-ing them behind the scenes, a pol-icy London says is more effective than hectoring Beijing publicly.

A visit to China last month by finance minister George Osborne sealed the deal, with influential Chinese tabloid the Global Times praising his “etiquette”.

Cameron has said he will not duck sensitive issues such as the impact of cheap Chinese imports on struggling British steel-makers, however, and main Labour leader Corbyn has promised to raise rights when he meets Xi.

Xi may express China’s hopes that the European Union remains united — a thorny subject for Cam-eron, who has pledged to renegoti-ate Britain’s relationship with the European Union before a referen-dum to be held by the end of 2017.

But any such sour notes, includ-ing Prince Charles’ decision to not attend a state banquet, are unlikely to spoil a visit that has been long in the making.

Britain was the top destination for Chinese money in 2014, with $5.1 billion in investment, accord-ing to law firm Baker & McKenzie.

This year, it became the first Western nation to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Invest-ment Bank after Washington had pressed allies not to join. - Reuters

Britain rolled out the

red carpet for Chinese

President Xi Jinping,

who was honoured

with a 41-gun salute

and given a ride in a

gilded carriage with

Queen Elizabeth

before addressing

lawmakers from both

Houses of ParliamentROYAL COLLECTION: Chinese President Xi Jinping, second right, and his wife Peng Liyuan, right, Brit-

ain’s Queen Elizabeth II, second left, and Britain’s Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, left, view a display

of items relating to China in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday. - AFP

Pistorius out on parole after a year behind bars for killing girlfriend

PRETORIA: Oscar Pistorius, South Africa’s double-amputee “Blade Runner”, was released on parole late on Monday, just short of a year into his five-year sen-tence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013.

The disgraced Paralympic gold medallist must serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest but still faces an appeal on November 3 by prosecutors who argue that he should have been convicted of murder, not culpable homicide.

Guilty of lesser chargePistorius, 28, who was found guilty of the lesser charge when he fired four shots through a locked bath-room door and hit Steenkamp, will be confined to his uncle Arnold’s home in a wealthy suburb of the capital, Pretoria.

Pistorius had been expected to leave prison on Tuesday, and his early release took media by sur-prise. Family spokeswoman An-

neliese Burgess said on Tuesday that they were glad to have Pis-torius home and that the athlete would observe his parole condi-tions closely.

“The family is happy that Oscar is home, but they want to make the point that his sentence continues,” Burgess said outside the house.

The Department of Correc-tional Services said officials at the capital’s Kgosi Mampuru II prison, formerly known as Pretoria Cen-tral, had acted to avoid a media scrum at its gates.

“The handling of the actual placement is an operational mat-ter of the local management, and how they handle it is their pre-rogative,” department spokesman Manelisi Wolela said in a text mes-sage. “They carry it out in the best interest of all parties concerned.”

A lawyer for Steenkamp’s fam-ily, who publicly questioned the verdict in August, said they were indifferent to his release in view of their loss.

“To them it doesn’t matter whether he was released yesterday a few hours earlier or a few hours later,” lawyer Tania Koen said on Talk Radio 702.

“Whether he remains incarcer-

ated or not, it makes no difference to them now because Reeva is still not coming back.”

A neighbour who declined to be named told Reuters it was sad Pistorius was freed having served

less than a year in prison.“This is hardly a prison,” she said

of the leafy suburb of Waterkloof, where Pretorius is under house arrest. But Dewald Reynders, a former athlete who said he trained with Pistorius in the past, wel-comed the news.

Reynders said he’d known Pisto-rius since 2004 and had seen what effect the media scrutiny had on the then teenage boy.

“I’m glad he was released qui-etly last night. He shouldn’t have to go through all of it over and over again.”

A bouquet of flowers was deliv-ered to the house although it was unclear who had sent it.

The athlete, whose lower legs were amputated when he was a baby, was freed in line with South

African sentencing guidelines that say non-dangerous prisoners should spend only one-sixth of a custodial sentence behind bars.

Pistorius will be allowed to leave the house on occasion.

“The conditions are strict and he will be able to leave the house to go to work, go to church or to buy groceries,” said Karen van Eck, an attorney with Clarke and Van Eck Attorneys.

But as his job is competitive athletics this could prove chal-lenging for him, as events far from the house will likely be off limits, said Van Eck.

Prosecutors argue that the ver-dict should be one of murder be-cause Pistorius must have known that the person behind the door could be killed. Their appeal is due to be heard on November 3.

The state will argue that the trial judge misinterpreted parts of the law. A murder conviction would result in a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. - Reuters

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

BRIEFING: Anneliese Burgess, spokesperson for the family of South

African Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, reads

a short statement outside the home of Pistorius’ uncle Arnold in

Pretoria, on Tuesday. - Reuters

Slovenia deploys army to control flow of migrants

L J U B L J A N A / G E N E VA : Slovenia deployed the army to guard its border as thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny country from the south, and said it may resort to “physi-cal barriers” like neighbouring Hungary if the number of arriv-als continued to grow.

In Geneva, the United Na-tions said on Tuesday that more than half a million refugees and migrants have arrived by sea in Greece this year and the rate of arrivals is rising with over 8,000 coming on Monday alone.

Slovenia’s interior ministry raised the possibility of setting up physical barriers along its southeastern border if the num-bers of migrants increased.

Interior state secretary Bost-jan Sefic said he could not ex-clude the possibility of “safe-guarding border crossings with physical obstacles,” as he re-sponded to a Reuters question about whether Slovenia would follow Hungary’s example in setting up a fence.

Attempts by Slovenia to ra-tion the flow of migrants since Hungary sealed its border with Croatia at midnight on Friday have triggered a knock-on ef-fect through the Balkans, with thousands held up at border crossings. About 19,500 mi-grants have entered Slovenia since Friday, the Interior Min-istry said. - Reuters

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Obama dreams of Mars with teen scientists

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama got a guided tour of the moon late Monday, peer-ing at its craters through a large reflective telescope set up on the South Lawn of the White House to promote science and technol-ogy careers at “Astronomy Night”.

Obama was joined by budding young scientists who checked out a moon rock and took selfies with NASA astronauts and other sci-ence celebrities.

Chief among the selfie targets: Ahmed Mohamed, better known as “clock boy.” Mohamed, 14, was arrested last month when he brought a homemade clock to his Dallas-area school that teachers mistook for a bomb. Mohamed was wearing a NASA t-shirt when he was arrested. The photo went viral, prompting an invitation from Obama to the astronomy event. Obama briefly met Mo-hamed as he shook hands with students at the event, giving the student a hug. “We need to inspire more young people to ask about the stars,” Obama told the crowd,

urging parents and teachers to help students explore the field.

Glimmers“We have to watch for and culti-vate and encourage those glim-mers of curiosity and possibility - not suppress them, not squelch them,” he said.

Obama told the students that

his staff don’t let him “tinker with the telescopes,” and got help look-ing at the moon from high school senior and astronomy buff Sofy Alvarez-Bareiro of Brooklyn, New York. Alvarez-Bareiro explained to Obama that the craters were “the result of heavy bombardment with other gigantic space stuff”.

“Is ‘space stuff’ a scientific term?” Obama quipped, drawing laughs from about 300 students and teachers at the event.

Obama said that earlier in the day he spoke to astronauts living on the International Space Sta-tion (ISS). — Reuters

US president got a

guided tour of the

moon, peering at

its craters through

a large reflective

telescope set up on

the South Lawn of

the White House ASTRONOMY NIGHT: US President Barack Obama looks at the moon through a telescope with Agatha Sofia Alvarez-Bareiro, a high school senior from Brooklyn, New York, during the second White House Astronomy Night on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington late Monday. – Reuters

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Orpic names preferred bidders for Liwa plastics complexTimes News Service

MUSCAT: State-owned Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) on Tuesday named Tecnimont, a joint venture between GS Engineering & Construction Corporation and Mitsui & Company and PunjLoyd as preferred bidders for three of four packages for its $5.2 billion Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC) project.

The three packages include the natural gas extraction unit in Fa-hud, the natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline between Fahud and Sohar and three plastics plants in Sohar,

the company said in a statement. Orpic intends to sign the final

engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contracts af-ter finalising the agreements and receiving final investment deci-sion on the project, which is ex-pected by the year-end.

Orpic will soon be announcing the preferred bidder for the larg-est package (package one), which includes the steam cracker and as-sociated utilities in Sohar.

The $5.2 billion-project will transform LPIC’s presence in the international petrochemicals marketplace as well as support the development of a downstream

plastics industry in the Sultanate. It will also create new business op-portunities, and generate signifi-cant employment opportunities.

“Following commissioning, plastics production is forecast to have increased by more than 1 mil-lion tonnes; giving Orpic a total of 1.4 million tonnes of polyethylene and polypropylene production. The operation will be one of the best integrated refinery and pet-rochemical facility combinations in the world and will be able to achieve the maximum value addi-tion for Oman’s hydrocarbon mol-ecule,” he added. The project will be commissioned in 2018.

All relevant environmental per-mits have been obtained from the Ministry of Environment and Cli-mate Affairs, and all technical and commercial terms and conditions for supply of utilities, such as elec-tricity and cool water, have been finalised with Majees and Majan. Gas supply agreements, are being finalised with the Ministry of Fi-nance and Oil and Gas.

Eleven strong biddersAs many as 11 strong bidders sub-mitted financial tenders for the three considered packages and after a thorough evaluation pro-cess the preferred bidders were

presented to Orpic’s major tender board. The Tender Board studied the detailed bids and subsequently approved the names of preferred bidders. In the next two weeks, a detailed discussion will be held with the preferred bidders in order to finalise the contracts. The final package for the steam cracker will be announced soon.

“We are very pleased to receive such high calibre financial ten-ders for EPC works on this re-gionally significant project. Liwa Plastics Industries Complex will have a substantial flow on effect on the national economy, and we are looking forward to partnering

with leading proponents to deliver a best in-class result,” said Musab Al Mahruqi, chief executive of-ficer of Orpic. Land agreements with Sohar industrial Port Com-pany, Sohar Free Zone and Fahud are scheduled for signing with the Ministry of Housing.

Upon commissioning in 2018, Orpic’sLiwa Plastics Industries Complex will transform Orpic’s product mix and business model, double company profit, create new business opportunities, generate significant employment oppor-tunities and support the develop-ment of a downstream plastics industry in Oman.

M A S S I V E P R O J E C T

‘Cautious optimism’ onOman’s economic outlook

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADIelham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: There is ‘cautious optimism’ about the economic prospects in Oman in the next 12 months, said business leaders who believe that the persistence of concerns depends on how long the oil prices will remain low.

In the next 12 months, there will be a level of optimism but it can go down and the key question is for how long the prices will stay low, T. Ganesh, chief financial officer (CFO) at Bank Muscat, said at the OER Finance Summit at Crowne Plaza Muscat on Tuesday.

The summit, which discussed managing finance in an uncertain business environment, also fea-tured the presentation of the OER Top 20 Awards 2015 to Oman’s largest companies listed on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM).

The event was attended by guest of honour Sayyid Hamid bin Sul-tan Al Busaidi, who is the director general of support and services

and in charge of Oman Centre for Governance and Sustainability, Capital Market Authority (CMA).

The summit brought together chief executive officers (CEOs) and CFOs of a number of compa-nies to discuss a range of issues including managing business risk, negotiating financial uncertainty and striking a balance between short-term objectives and long-term sustainability.

Better preparation During a panel discussion, the Bank Muscat CFO compared the situation in 2015 with that of 2009, saying that the govern-ment had been better prepared this time. “If you look at 2009, within three to four months of low oil prices, there was a significant impact on business conditions in Oman,” Ganesh said.

He added that government

spending, which plays an impor-tant role in the economy and busi-ness, has not come down signifi-cantly in the last one year.

Another panelist Aftab Patel, CEO of Al Omaniya Financial Services, also said that he is ‘cau-tiously optimistic’ and noted that those companies which can craft innovative and smart strategies will have opportunities.

The need for economic diver-sification was highlighted by Avi-nash Patodia, head of finance at Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel, who said that such a practice would help strengthen the economy.

PDO’s efforts Haifa Al Khaifi, finance direc-tor at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), said that the situa-tion is difficult for the industries, especially the oil and gas sectors, but said that PDO is determined

to continue its efforts to increase production and contribution to the economy through various initiatives, such as enhancing ef-ficiency and optimisation.

However, unlike the panelists that expressed ‘cautious opti-mism’, R K Mehta, Group CFO at MHD Group of Companies, said that he is not optimistic as chal-lenges are ‘all over the place’. The panel also included Jorgen Latte, CFO at Ooredoo – Oman and Sha-hid Rasool, chief investment of-ficer at Ominvest.

Economic vision In a presentation at the summit, Alfred Strolla, managing partner of Deloitte Oman, commented on the sustainability of financial prospects in the short term, say-ing, “As a general trend, we are op-timistic due to the sound vision of the Omani government in diversi-

fication of the economy.” He also said that the encourage-

ment of the tourism industry in Oman, the introduction of the rail-way project, the strategic position of Duqm and investments in min-ing and minerals are factors that would help boost the economic landscape in the Sultanate.

In addition, Strolla said that a survey conducted by Deloitte within the region, showed that the top priorities of CFOs include cost reduction, organic growth and in-creasing cash flow.

Oil revenues Khalid Ansari, managing partner, KPMG Oman, discussed the chal-lenges for business due to falling oil prices, saying that the drop in oil prices from $75 to $50 results in 33 per cent reduction in oil rev-enues. The gradual weakening in economic conditions will adversely affect the banking industry, he said but noted that banks in Oman in general have not felt the pinch yet.

According to Ansari, cash man-agement will remain a corporate priority for at least next 12 to 24 months. “Those companies that continue to thrive through all economic cycles are those that recognise that ‘cash’ never loses its appeal,” he said.

The other experts who deliv-ered presentations at the summit were Charlotte Duke, partner at London Economics; Paula Rama-da, partner at London Economics; and Sanjay Kawatra, audit partner at E&Y Oman.

The persistence

of concerns about

economic prospects

in the next 12 months

depends on how

long the oil prices

will remain low, said

business leaders

Opec memberscompete for market share in Asian regionTOKYO: When it comes to decid-ing how much to charge Asian oil buyers, Opec members are show-ing little regard for tradition.

Suppliers from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) have long moved in lock-step, raising or lowering prices in tandem. Now, Kuwait is undercut-ting Saudi Arabia by the most on record and Iraq is also selling its oil more cheaply than the group’s big-gest member. Qatar is pricing car-goes at the biggest discount in 27 months to competing crude from the UAE’s Abu Dhabi.

While the group that accounts for about 40 per cent of global oil supplies maintains a collective strategy of flooding the market with crude, the semblance of unity has vanished when setting month-ly selling prices. With Asia forecast to account for most of the growth in global oil demand this year, com-petition for the region’s buyers is trumping historical allegiances.

Russia, Brazil and the US“It’s a full-on fight for market share within Opec,” said Virendra Chau-han, a Singapore-based analyst at industry consultant Energy As-pects. “That’s even as the group tries to fend off a rise in non-Opec production from countries such as Russia, Brazil and the US.”

The battleground is the Asia-Pacific region, which will account for about 34 per cent of global oil demand in 2015, according to the latest monthly report by the In-ternational Energy Agency. China alone will be responsible for more than a quarter of consumption growth next year, the Paris-based group forecasts. The nation is im-porting near record amounts as it takes advantage of low prices to fill its stockpiles. - Bloomberg News

E N E R G Y M A R K E T

FINANCE SUMMIT: The OER Finance Summit, which discussed managing finance in an uncertain

business environment, also featured the presentation of the OER Top 20 Awards 2015 to Oman’s

largest companies listed on the Muscat Securities Market. - Supplied picture

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Vietnam forecasts strong economic growth next yearHANOI: Vietnam’s leaders are forecasting strong economic growth even as the government will fail to meet a 2015 goal of restructuring nearly 300 state-owned companies.

The government expects gross domestic product expansion of 6.7 per cent next year, a rise from 6.5 percent in 2015, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said in a speech to parliament on Tuesday. Viet-nam is targeting average economic growth of 6.5 per cent to 7 per cent from 2016 to 2020. Inflation this year is expected to be two per cent, the lowest in 15 years, he said.

Vietnam’s economic expansion next year would be at the fastest pace in 9 years, girded by strong

exports and foreign investments. A cloud over the country’s economic picture is public debt and the gov-ernment’s failure to meet its goal to privatise 289 state companies this year. The government expects to sell shares in just 200 state en-terprises this year, Dung said. It plans to reduce the budget deficit to 4.95 per cent of GDP next year from 5 per cent this year.

Economic reform“Economic reform is still slow,” Dung said. “Restructuring, over-hauling of state companies in ag-riculture is slow and missing the target. Macro-economic stability is not sustainable with the budget deficit remaining at a high level

and public debt rising quickly.” The government remains com-mitted to privatising state-owned companies, he said.

“After being privatised, compa-nies have stronger financial capa-bilities, better corporate govern-ance and are more efficient,” Dung said. “Financial reports of 2,400 companies one year after being privatized show their revenues increased by 34 per cent and after-tax profit rose 99.9 per cent.”

Vietnam’s 2015 credit growth is forecast at 17 percent, the highest since 2011, Dung said.

Meanwhile, Vietnam Dairy is willing to raise foreign ownership in the country’s biggest company by market value to the maximum

level the government would allow.“We want to open the room by

the limit allowed by the govern-ment because the investment of overseas investors will not just bring capital but also advanced corporate management experienc-es,” said Bui Thi Huong, an execu-tive director at the dairy producer. The company is awaiting govern-ment guidance, she said.

Vinamilk, as the Ho Chi Minh City-based company is commonly known, “welcomes” the govern-ment decree allowing foreigners to increase stakes in certain in-dustries to as much as 100 per cent from a cap of 49 percent, Huong said in an e-mailed response to questions. - Bloomberg News

E C O N O M Y

Power demand in Oman set to double by 2020

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Peak power demand in Oman will double to 9,133 meg-awatts (MW) in 2020 from 4,455 MW in 2013, according to a pro-jection by Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP). This will add significant pressure on the Sultanate’s already tight natural gas resources used to fire local power stations, feed indus-tries such as petrochemicals, and for export in liquefied form.

This was revealed at a work-shop on Tuesday participated by Oman’s top 100 energy sector stakeholders to draft and shortlist the most critical recommenda-tions to be included in a 25-year Energy Master Plan, including education reform, that could help set the Sultanate on a sustainable path as an energy consumer and exporter for the coming decades.

Under the auspices and guid-ance of the Ministry of Oil and Gas, the 100 delegates at the workshop agreed that Oman needs to devise a long-term strat-egy to diversify its energy mix and add alternative power generation

sources such as renewable ener-gies, while also enhancing en-ergy efficiency and improving de-mand-side management both on an individual and industrial level.

“Human capital development is the cornerstone to any organi-sation wanting to survive a com-petitive industry and grow. The interaction between industry and academia is critical to pre-pare and develop the workforce required to grow the industry. As the mismatch continues between industry demands and academia, including vocational training in-stitutes, fresh recruiters tend to waste more time getting retrained and skilled, while industry re-sources are wasted getting what academia is set to achieve,” said Salim Al Aufi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil & Gas, who at-tended the OEF Workshop 2015.

Hydrocarbons sectorThe Sultanate’s hydrocarbons sector, which accounts for rough-ly half of Oman’s gross domestic product (GDP) according to the country’s Ministry of Finance, is a major employer of Omanis and

has brought some of the most so-phisticated technologies for oil recovery to Oman.

Given the sector’s significant role in the Sultanate, it will have to be at the forefront of address-ing pressing domestic challenges such as the alignment of industry and academia, supporting the de-velopment of small and medium enterprises, and fostering innova-tion and human development as part of a broader strategy to trans-form the country into a sustain-able, knowledge-based economy from a hydrocarbon-based one.

“It is crucial to bolster coor-dination between the relevant bodies — Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Education and In-dustry — to address alignment, funding and replication of voca-tional training programmes that are proving successful and are critical enablers to raising pro-ductivity and longer-term sus-tainability,” said Raoul Restucci, managing director of Petroleum Development Oman, who led one of the workshop’s sessions.

As larger numbers of Oman’s young and growing population are entering the domestic job market, matching workers’ skills with rapidly-evolving labour market requirements in particu-lar has emerged as a top concern among industry and government leaders in recent years. This is of particular importance in a high-ly-competitive, globalised world constantly striving to improve productivity, and requires a best-practice approach to education and training as part of a broad ‘skills matching’ strategy.

Sultanate’s top

100 energy sector

stakeholders

gathered to draft

and shortlist

recommendations

for the 25-year long

Energy Master Plan

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Salim Al Aufi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas

South Africa’s economy faces challenging futureJOHANNESBURG: South Af-rica’s economy faces a challeng-ing future and is constrained by a lack of certainty about electricity supply, Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago said.

“South Africa’s growth outlook is extremely fragile,” Kganyago said at a conference in Johan-nesburg on Tuesday. “Investment plans could be shelved or delayed because of lack of guarantee of electricity supply. These con-straints had contributed to the decline in our estimate of poten-tial output growth.”

Africa’s second-largest econ-omy contracted in the three months through June for the first time in more than a year as power shortages, low global demand and falling commodity prices weighed on output.

The Reserve Bank is facing a dilemma, with inflation forecast to exceed its 3 per cent to 6 per cent target range while it lowered its economic growth forecast for 2015 to 1.5 per cent, unchanged from last year’s rate.

The Monetary Policy Commit-tee (MPC) kept its benchmark repurchase rate unchanged in September after raising it by a full percentage point to 6 per cent in three steps since last January to contain price growth.

The exchange rate remains one of the main risks to inflation even as the pass-through to prices has been relatively muted compared with previous episodes of rand weakness, Kganyago said.

“This does not mean were try-ing to act against rand weakness,” he said. The currency was 0.6 per cent stronger at 13.2175 per dol-lar in Johannesburg, paring its decline for the year to 13 per cent.

A government report on Wednesday will probably show inflation accelerated to 4.7 per cent in September, according to the median estimate of 26 econo-mists surveyed. The MPC “re-mains on a gradual normalization path and is of the view that mon-etary policy remains accommo-dative,” Deputy governor Daniel Mminele. - Bloomberg News

G R O W T H O U T L O O K

ECONOMIC GROWTH: Vietnam’s economic growth next year will be at the fastest pace in nine years, girded by strong exports and foreign investments. – Bloomberg News

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Google makes first China investment since 2010 pulloutHONG KONG: United States-based Google is making its first di-rect investment in a Chinese firm, an artificial-intelligence start-up, since mostly quitting the country in 2010 over censorship concerns.

Google is leading a round of funding for Mobvoi, a company operating a Chinese-language voice-activated search engine. Google used Mobvoi instead of its own blocked service in the Moto 360 smartwatch released in China in June.

The deal underscores how Google may be edging back into the world’s largest mobile market with its first strategic investment in years. In 2014, a growth eq-uity arm of the corporation called Google Capital invested in Inno-Light Technology, a Suzhou-based company that makes high-speed data transmission hardware.

“Mobvoi is very excited to wel-come Google as an investor as both companies share a long-term view on technologies,” Li Zhifei, the company founder and a for-mer Google employee, said in a statement without specifying the amount that the Mountain View, California-company is investing.

Mobvoi, known in Chinese as Chumenwenwen, has raised $75 million from backers including Se-quoia Capital and ZhenFund, the company said on Tuesday.

In 2010, Google said it wouldn’t self-censor content for Chinese services, and then shut its local search page and directed users to its Hong Kong website. United States-based Internet firms, in-cluding LinkedIn Corporation, that operate in China are currently required to censor local content.

While China’s government now blocks Google’s Gmail, search servic-es and YouTube, its Android mobile operating system remains popular.

Going backGoogle’s Android operating soft-ware remains the most-used mo-bile platform in the country. Goog-le is considering opening an app store for Chinese users, tech blog The Information has reported.

Mobvoi, founded by two former Google employees who worked in translation and voice search at the California campus, will use the money to strengthen its artificial intelligence development, explore smart car technologies and hire more people.

The startup also is developing hardware, including a smartwatch called the Ticwatch, integrating its own operating system and voice search, said Li Yuanyuan, a co-founder. Mobvoi has partnered with 100 data providers, includ-ing online travel agent Ctrip.com International Limited nd con-sumer review site Dianping.com, she said. - Bloomberg News

A R T I F I C I A L - I N T E L L I G E N C E

United Power’s Manah plant achieves milestone in health and safety recordTimes News Service

MUSCAT: United Power Compa-ny said its Manah power plant lo-cated near Nizwa has successfully completed over 7,000 loss time incident (LTI) free days. Three years ago, Manah celebrated 6,000 incident free days, which at that time was considered the highest on record for a gas turbine power generation facility in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states.

The current milestone is a con-tinuation of the excellent worker health and safety standards ap-plied by United Power and the Manah plant operator, STOMO (Suez-Tractebel Operation and Maintenance Oman), standards which are applied to the entire gamut of activities encompass-ing operations and maintenance of the plant.

“A total record of 7,000 days or over 19 years of continuous opera-tion with an LTI incident makes this a significant milestone for both the plant crew and our cli-ents. Safety in every aspect of op-erations is the top priority of the company,” said Murtadha Ahmed Sultan, chairman of United Power.

Safety protocols“United Power is actively involved in the safety protocols of its op-erator STOMO, and participates regularly in both safety walks and safety committee meetings. I would like to congratulate every-one involved who has made this milestone possible,” he added.

“United Power maintains and complies with the highest in-dustry standards of health and safety and our operations at the Manah power plant are reflective of the strict guidelines which are adhered to. I would also like to take this opportunity to person-ally congratulate every employee, stakeholder and contractor who has made it possible for us to achieve over 7,000 LTI free days –with a special mention to SOGEX who were the plant operators from 1996 until 2009 and STO-MO (a group company of ENGIE (previously GDF Suez) who have since taken over plant operations and ongoing maintenance. We are confident that with their con-tinuous support, this number will surely rise in the future,” said Zo-her Karachiwala, chief executive

officer of United Power Company. The Manah power station,

which began operations in Sep-tember 1996,broke new ground as it was the first privately owned and operated gas turbine power plant in Oman and the first privately owned power generation facility to interconnect with the country’s national power grid. This model of private power generation compa-nies partnering with the Govern-ment of Oman has set the bench-mark for which all other power plants in the Sultanate have since been commissioned.

“We are very proud of this big achievement by United Power. It shows the leadership of the Board and Management in embedding the HSE culture at all levels. We celebrate this success for the whole sector and wish United

Power all the best in achieving a further 1,000 safe days and more,” said Ahmed Al Jahdhami, chief executive officer of Oman Power And Water Procurement Company (OPWP).

Consistent recordHealth and safety are of para-mount priority in the power sec-tor and statistics have shown that the Manah Power Station dem-onstrates a consistent record of excellence in this regard.

Qais Al Zakwani, executive director and member of the Au-thority for Electricity Regula-tion (AER) commented, “From the authority’s perspective, we have a broader view on what is good performance, as we can eas-ily compare between companies. When we come across something like this, we know how hard it has been to achieve it. I hope we can use the lessons learnt in United Power to share with other compa-nies in the sector.”

“If someone tells us 7,000 LTI free days is an impossibility, we know it is not true. It has been achieved by United Power and should be possible elsewhere as well. I applaud the entire team who has contributed to this achievement,” he added.

Mike Maudsley, general man-ager of STOMO said, “All of us at STOMO are very proud of the hard work and commitment to health and safety provided by the staff over the last year and are particu-larly pleased with this milestone.”

C O R P O R A T E

OIL PRICE IMPACT: Exports of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas fell by 39 per cent to OMR4.09 billion in the first

half of 2015 from OMR6.71 billion in the same period last year. - File photo

Oman’s exports fall 33% on global commodity gloom

A. E. JAMESbusinesseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman’s total exports for the first half of 2015 declined by 32.61 per cent to OMR6.81 bil-lion from OMR10.11 billion for the same period last year.

The fall in export revenue was mainly on account of a fall in oil and gas prices in international markets and re-exports. The av-

erage price of Oman Crude fell by 43.5 per cent to $59.8 per barrel for the first nine months of this year from $105.81 a barrel for the same period of 2014, according to the latest monthly data released by National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

As a result, exports of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas fell by 39 per cent to OMR4.09 billion in the first half

of 2015 from OMR6.71 billion in the same period last year. Of this, crude oil exports showed a 40.3 per cent fall, while liquefied natu-ral gas exports were down by 27.5 per cent. The Sultanate produced 267.06 million barrels of crude oil in the first nine months of 2015, up by 3.2 per cent over the same period last year.

Non-oil exports fallLikewise, non-oil exports plunged by 9.8 per cent to OMR1,663.8 mil-lion from OMR1,845.2 million, the NCSI report showed.

Among various product seg-ments, plastics and rubber prod-ucts plummeted by 25.6 per cent to OMR130.6 million.

The Sultanate’s export promo-tion agency is targeting a 15 per cent growth in non-oil exports.

Re-exports also showed a drastic fall of 32.1 per cent to OMR1,057.4 million from OMR1,557.5 million during the first half under view.

Oman’s export development agency Public Authority for In-vestment Promotion and Export Development (popularly known as Ithraa) is taking several initiatives to enhance non-oil exports. These programmes include visits of trade delegation, participation in inter-national exhibitions, business-to-business meetings and market studies in potential export markets.

The fall in export revenue was mainly on

account of a fall in oil and gas prices in

international markets and re-exports

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

ACHIEVEMENT: The current milestone is a continuation of the

excellent worker health and safety standards applied by United

Power and the Manah plant operator, STOMO. - Supplied picture

Mobvoi is very excited

to welcome Google as

an investor as both

companies share a

long-term view on

technologies

Li ZhifeiFounder, Mobvoi

Apple to open new store in China

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook said the company will open its 24th store in China on Saturday, ex-panding an important retail foot-print in its largest market outside of the United States.

China has become an increas-ingly critical component of Apple’s global business and helped it sell a record 13 million iPhones dur-ing the debut weekend of its latest handsets last month.

Apple stores there are crucial for introducing Chinese consum-ers to the brand and educating users there, Cook said at a Wall Street Journal conference in La-

guna Beach, California, on Mon-day evening.

“Our customer base specifically is extremely young, and they’re thirsty for classes and seminars,” Cook said, without naming the city for the new store. “These stores are taking on just a huge role as the face of the company.”

Investors keep a close eye on how Apple fares in China, particularly now that the country is on track for its slowest full-year economic expansion in 25 years. Domestic vendors such as Xiaomi and Hua-wei are moving up into the mid- and high-end segments, challenging Ap-ple and Samsung. - Bloomberg News

E X P A N S I O N

B4

MARKETW E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20

REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER ............................................................ 191,900.............70,521......................11 ........... 0.360 ........... 0.370 ...........0.360........... 0.368 .............0.358 ............0.010 ............. 2.793 ................0.370 ..............0.366...................0.374 ................... 81,331,680 .........0.100

OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 1,294,406 ......228,923..................... 60 ............0.175 ........... 0.178 ...........0.175 ............0.177 ............. 0.175 ............ 0.002 ............. 1.143.................0.177 .............. 0.177...................0.178 ................... 51,445,231 .........0.100

OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 307,000 ............31,309........................7 ............0.101 ........... 0.102 ...........0.101 ........... 0.102 ............. 0.101 .............0.001 ............. 0.990 ................0.102 ..............0.100...................0.103 ....................6,002,008 ..........0.100

OM0000001087 ............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ................................ 80,000 ............ 20,750........................4 ........... 0.260 ...........0.260 ...........0.258........... 0.259 .............0.257 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.778 ................0.258 ..............0.256...................0.258...................25,900,000 ........0.100

OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 110,000............ 22,570........................4 ........... 0.207 ...........0.207 ...........0.205........... 0.205 .............0.204 ............0.001 ............. 0.490 ................0.205.............. 0.191...................0.205 .................292,132,410 ........0.100

OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ........................115,471 ............. 19,195......................14 ............0.166 ........... 0.173 ...........0.166 ............0.166 ............. 0.166............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.166 .............. 0.166...................0.169 ................... 15,776,640 .........0.100

OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 769,050 ............ 90,751........................8 ............0.125 ........... 0.125 ........... 0.118 ............0.118 ............. 0.118 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................ 0.118 .............. 0.118...................0.120 ................. 236,036,909 .......0.100

OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT ........................................................... 24,250 ............. 10,816........................9 ........... 0.446 ........... 0.446 ...........0.446........... 0.446 .............0.446 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.446..............0.446...................0.480 .................147,569,229 ........0.100

OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 2,918,000 ......996,990........................4 ........... 0.342 ...........0.342 ...........0.340 .......... 0.342 .............0.342 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.342..............0.330...................0.342 .................101,305,079 ........0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 266,000 ......... 143,640..................... 28 ........... 0.540 ...........0.540 ...........0.540........... 0.540 .............0.540 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.540..............0.536...................0.540 ...............1,237,584,202 ......0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 315,620 ......... 512,872........................5 ............1.625 ........... 1.625 ...........1.620 ............1.625 ............. 1.625 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.625 ..............1.620...................1.630 ................ 1,218,750,000 ......0.100

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 198,803 ............19,880........................3 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100 ........... 0.100 .............0.100 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.100 ..............0.100...................0.102 .................. 20,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 732,175 ...........128,131........................7 ............0.175 ........... 0.175............0.175 ............0.175 ............. 0.175 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.175 .............. 0.175...................0.179 ................. 252,252,000 .......0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO...........................................................................2,000 ...............1,504........................ 1 ............0.752 ........... 0.752 ...........0.752 ............0.756 ............. 0.756............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.752 .............. 0.752...................0.756 ..................492,113,838 ........0.100

OM0000004248 ...........SMN POWER HOLDING .......................................... 179,700 .......... 134,416........................ 1 ............0.748 ........... 0.748 ...........0.748 ............0.748 ............. 0.748............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.748 .............. 0.748...................0.820 .................149,327,429 ........0.100

OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH .............................................. 2,983,037 ... 7,755,896........................ 1 ........... 2.600 ...........2.600 ...........2.600 .......... 2.730 .............2.730 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................2.600............. 2.600...................2.730 ..................260,598,142........1.000

OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL ............................................. 512,540 ........... 43,928..................... 20 ........... 0.086 ........... 0.086 ...........0.085 ........... 0.086 .............0.086 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.085 ..............0.085...................0.086...................15,050,000 .........0.100

OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER .................................................. 99,162 ............ 21,320........................2 ............0.215 ........... 0.215 ...........0.215 ............0.215 ............. 0.215............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.215 .............. 0.215...................0.218 .................. 145,100,797 ........0.100

OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ....................................................23,335 ............... 5,017........................6 ............0.215 ........... 0.215 ...........0.215 ............0.215 ............. 0.215............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.215 .............. 0.215...................0.220 ................. 153,597,363 ........0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 118,202............ 33,596......................13 ........... 0.283 ........... 0.285 ...........0.282........... 0.284 .............0.285 ...........-0.001 ............-0.351................0.282..............0.282...................0.285....................5,964,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001509 ............DHOFAR INT.DEV.AND INV. HOLD. ................... 212,456 ........... 84,557........................ 1 ........... 0.398 ........... 0.398 ...........0.398........... 0.398 .............0.400 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.500 ...............0.398 ..............0.392...................0.398...................98,067,200 .........0.100

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 397,500 ........... 74,433..................... 33 ............0.186 ........... 0.189 ...........0.186 ............0.187 ............. 0.188............-0.001 ........... -0.532 ...............0.187 .............. 0.186...................0.187 ...................37,400,000 .........0.100

OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING ............ 25,000 ...............2,625........................2 ............0.105 ........... 0.105 ...........0.105 ........... 0.105 ............. 0.106 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.943 ...............0.105 .............. 0.105...................0.108 ................... 12,796,875 .........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 691,140 ........... 131,761..................... 59 ............0.191 ........... 0.192 ...........0.189 ............0.191 ............. 0.193............-0.002 ........... -1.036................0.190 .............. 0.189...................0.190 ...................28,664,325 .........0.100

OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ............................................................. 16,100 ...............5,094........................6 ............0.316 ........... 0.318 ...........0.316 ............0.316 .............0.320 ...........-0.004 ........... -1.250 ...............0.316 .............. 0.316...................0.320 ..................15,800,000 .........0.100

OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ............ 54,000 ...............6,094......................11 ............0.112 ........... 0.114............ 0.112 ............0.113 ............. 0.116 ............-0.003 ........... -2.586 ............... 0.114 ...............0.113................... 0.114 ................... 10,170,000 .........0.100

OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ............. 141,450 .............31,036......................19 ............0.218 ...........0.220 ...........0.218 ........... 0.219 .............0.225 ...........-0.006 ........... -2.667 ...............0.218 ..............0.214...................0.219 .................... 7,352,148 ..........0.100

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 2,840,493 .....241,430................... 137 ........... 0.089 ........... 0.089 ...........0.083........... 0.085 .............0.089 ...........-0.004 ........... -4.494 ...............0.085 ..............0.083...................0.085...................24,648,354.........0.100

OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................88,980 ............... 8,757......................12 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.097 ........... 0.098 ............. 0.105............-0.007 ........... -6.667 ...............0.097 ..............0.097...................0.099....................2,940,000 ..........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 15,707,770 ......10,877,810 .............488 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......29........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ................... 20,000 .................. 700........................2 ........... 0.035 ........... 0.035 ...........0.035 ........... 0.035 .............0.035 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.035 ..............0.034...................0.035....................2,975,000 ..........0.100

OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 747,981 .......... 112,604..................... 70 ............0.151 ........... 0.151 ............0.150 ............0.151 ............. 0.152............-0.001 ........... -0.658 ...............0.150 .............. 0.149...................0.150 ................. 220,852,820 .......0.100

OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 186,760 .............13,083..................... 10 ........... 0.070 ........... 0.071 ...........0.070........... 0.070 ............. 0.071............-0.001 ........... -1.408 ...............0.070..............0.069...................0.070...................70,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ........................................................15,199 .................. 826........................4 ............0.055 ........... 0.055 ...........0.054........... 0.054 .............0.056 ...........-0.002 ............-3.571 ................0.054..............0.054...................0.058.................... 6,750,000 ..........0.100

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 2,598,589 ...... 194,752..................... 47 ........... 0.076 ........... 0.077 ...........0.074 ........... 0.075 .............0.078 ...........-0.003 ........... -3.846 ...............0.074 ..............0.074...................0.075 ..................112,500,000 ........0.100

OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING .....................................71,500 ............ 26,962..................... 30 ........... 0.388 ........... 0.388 ...........0.370 ........... 0.378 .............0.402 ...........-0.024 ........... -5.970 ...............0.370 ..............0.364...................0.370....................2,268,000 ..........1.000

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 3,640,029......348,927................... 163 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

BONDS MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 ...........................672 .....................63........................2 ........... 0.094 ...........0.094 ...........0.094........... 0.094 .............0.094 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.094..............0.094...................0.098................... 30,471,192 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: ..........................................................................................672 .....................63........................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 ....................................... 5,929.49 ...............5,920.01 ...................5,920.04 ...................5,924.02 .................. -3.98 .................. -0.07Financial Index .....................................7,312.36 ...............7,272.68 ................... 7,272.85 ................... 7,303.45 ................-30.60 .................. -0.42Industrial Index .................................... 7,355.12 ...............7,332.08 ................... 7,332.08 ................... 7,353.24 ................ -21.16 .................. -0.29Services Index .......................................3,278.15 .............. 3,272.34 ................... 3,278.08 ...................3,273.08 ....................5.00 ................... 0.15MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................909.24 ................. 908.20 ...................... 908.20 .......................909.91 ................... -1.71 .................. -0.19

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded19,348,471 ................11,226,800 .....................653 ................14,713,556,724 .................. 5 ......................15 .................... 16 .........................36

MSM index in red zone

MUSCAT: Fall in share prices continued on the Muscat bourse on Tuesday. The MSM30 Index closed at 5,920.04 points, down by 0.07 per cent. The MSM Sha-ria Index declined 0.19 per cent to close at 908.20 points.

Sembcorp Salalah was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. Tuesday’s top gainer was Sohar Power, up by 2.79 per cent, while Al Batinah Development and Investment Holding was the day’s top loser, down by 6.67 per cent.

As many as 653 trades were ex-ecuted during the trading session generating turnover of OMR11.2 million with 19.3 million shares changing hands. Out of 36 trad-ed securities, five advanced, 15 declined and 16 remained un-changed. Omani investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR7.8 million worth of shares followed by GCC and Arab investors at OMR957,000. Foreign investors, who were net sellers, sold shares amounting to OMR8.8 million.

Financial Index retreated 0.42 per cent to close at 7,272.85 points. Gulf Investment Services, Oman United Insurance and ahl-ibank increased by 0.99 per cent, 0.78 per cent and 0.49 per cent, respectively. Al Batinah Invest-ment, Bank Nizwa, Al Sharqia Investments, Al Izz Bank and Al Anwar Holding declinedby 6.67 per cent, 3.85 per cent, 2.59 per cent, 1.41 per cent and 1.04 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index closed down at 7,332.08 points, down by 0.29 per cent. Oman Textiles, Galfar Engineering, Oman Fisheries, National Aluminium and Gulf In-ternational Chemicals declined by 5.97 per cent, 4.49 per cent, 3.57 per cent, 2.67 per cent and 0.35 per cent, respectively.

Services Index gained by 0.15 per cent to close the session at 3,278.08 points. Sohar Power and Renaissance Services advanced

by 2.79 per cent and 1.14 per cent, respectively. National Gas, Phoe-nix Power and Oman Investment and Finance Company fell by 1.25 per cent, 0.66 per cent and 0.53 per cent, respectively.

Emerging stocks retreat Emerging-market stocks retreat-ed from a two-month high and Asian currencies weakened as a selloff in commodities along with prospects of higher United States interest rates damped demand for riskier assets.

China’s Cnooc and South Ko-rea’s Posco fell at least 1.5 per cent to lead energy and materials stocks lower. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng China Enterprises Index slid from a two-month-high and South African stocks lost 0.9 per cent. Malaysia’s ringgit sank 1.4 percent and South Korea’s won halted a four-day gain versus the dollar. Russia’s rouble was lit-tle changed. South Africa’s rand appreciated for the first time in three days.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index lost 0.4 per cent to 864.04 in London, halting a three-day gain. The Bloomberg Commodity Index sank the most in a month Monday after data showed Chi-na’s economy in the third quar-ter expanded at the slowest pace since 2009. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco chief John Williams said the US central bank should raise interest rates in the near future as inflation is expected to stabilise and growth will stay on track.

“Markets are reacting to the Chinese data because basically China is the major commodity buyer, if they are slowing down then their demand for commodi-ties is also going to slow down,” said Andrew Sullivan, manag-ing director for sales trading at Haitong International Se-curities Group in Hong Kong. “ – United Securities/Bloomberg News

The top gainer was Sohar Power, up by 2.79

per cent, while Al Batinah Development and

Investment Holding was the day’s top loser

Sensex slips; rupee depreciatesMUMBAI: Bomaby Stock Ex-change main index S&P BSE Sensex snapped its three-day win-ning spree, by slipping 58 points to close at 27,306.83 on fresh selling pressure from operators mainly in metal, refinery and realty sectors in view of cautious remarks on the Indian economy by Standard and Poor agency amidst mixed trend in global markets.

However, dismissing Standard and Poor's cautious remarks on

the Indian economy as a mere "point of view," the Finance Min-istry today said GDP will expand by over 7.5 per cent.

The Sensex resumed higher at 27,402.90 and hovered in a range of 27,432,97 and 27,216.40 before ending at 27,306.83 showing a loss of 58.09 points or 0.21 per cent. The Sensex had gained by 585.26 points or 2.19 per cent in previous three days. The CNX 50-share Nifty eased by 13.40 points.

Rupee declinesSnapping its four-day winning spree against the US currency, the Indian rupee on Tuesday fell by 25 paise to 65.05 on fresh dol-lar demand from banks and im-porters despite persistent foreign capital inflows.

The domestic currency opened sharply lower at 64.95 as against Monday's level of 64.80 at the forex market. It hovered in the range of 64.86 and 65.06. - PTI

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Home Centre celebrates 20th anniversary in style

DUBAI: Home Centre, the largest home retailer in the Middle East, celebrated its 20th anniversary milestone with a gala event head-lined by popular Arab singer and superstar Nancy Ajram, who is also Home Centre’s brand ambassador.

Prominent media personalities,

socialites and senior management from Landmark Group across the Middle East were present to com-memorate the occasion. Guests were treated to an audio-visual spectacle with live entertainment, enjoyable acts and foot-tapping musical renditions that created a vibrant atmosphere at Madinat Arena, Dubai, says a press release.

Nancy Ajram led the guests through a sneak peek of Home Centre’s brand new television commercial, in which she plays an integral part. She also show-cased Home Centre’s latest annual catalogue that featured some of

her personal favourites from the brand’s latest collections.

Speaking about her association with Home Centre, Nancy said: “I’m delighted to be part of the Home Centre family. Homes are an extension of one’s personality through which they are able to ex-press themselves and Home Cen-tre very well gives you the kind of products that help you create that ‘space’. Being someone who takes pride in my home, Home Centre is certainly a brand I can connect to. I look forward to our association in the months to come.”

Commenting on the occasion,

Médéric Payne, CEO of Home Centre, said: “This is a significant milestone for us and we are glad that our guests enjoyed the cele-brations. The evening with Nancy Ajram and our specially invited guests was a great way to kick off our expanded growth strategy for the brand.”

He added: “Going forward, we are set to open over 50 new stores and refit more than 40 existing stores by 2020. We have launched our omni-channel presence and will introduce a host of new prod-uct offerings to meet customer needs and expectations. Addition-ally, we look forward to continue to strengthen bonds with our loyal customers through engaging ac-tivities that have been lined up fea-turing Nancy Ajram.”

The event also received a posi-tive response on social media with many attendees tweeting and uploading pictures on Instagram throughout the evening.

A grand cake cutting ceremony was led by Nancy Ajram, Médéric Payne and Aarti Jagtiani, director of Landmark Group.

Guests were treated

to an audio-visual

spectacle with live

entertainment,

enjoyable acts and

foot-tapping musical

renditions that

created a vibrant

atmosphere

Khimji’s Watches unveils

Frederique Constant

Horological Smartwatch

MUSCAT: The new Frederique Constant Horological Smart-watch, a Swiss timepiece with connected functionality is now available in the Sultanate of Oman exclusively at Khimji’s Watches.

A quality product with longev-ity created from fine materials and made by hand, the Geneva-based Frederique Constant says it features all the attributes of a luxury watch as well as Full-power’s MotionX. Fullpower is a tech company in California that makes activity and sleep-track-ing technologies used in products from Jawbone, Nike and others. Its end-to-end MotionX is now fully integrated into Frederique Constant’s smartwatches, in-cluding the Horological.

These Swiss Horological Smartwatches have bi-direction-al communication with iPhone and Android Apps. They are the perfect synthesis of high-tech innovation and traditional Swis-swatch craftsmanship; the link between modern and classic.

Available in stainless steel or rosegold-plated cases with leath-er straps (in brown or black) or a steel bracelet, the Frederique Constant Horological Smart-watch also features an analogue display. The watch connects to the MotionX-365 app on a smartphone, while sensors in-side track activity and sleep, so all detailed patterns are there-fore communicated to the app and then displayed.

The smartwatch has dials that are finished with galvanised black or silver backgrounds and applied indexes, along with di-amond-cut hands that indicate time and connected information.

L U X U R Y W A T C H

Suhail Bahwan celebrates Omani Women’s Day with pride and joyMUSCAT: Omani women em-ployees of Suhail Bahwan Group companies celebrated Omani Women’s Day with joy and pride at the group’s headquarters in Al Rawaq in Qurum.

Amal Suhail Bahwan, manag-ing director and board member of Suhail Bahwan Group, joined her Omani colleagues to celebrate the occasion with the cutting of a cake, says a press release.

Addressing the Omani women

employees, Amal said, “Suhail Bahwan Group is pleased to cel-ebrate this great day as this is an honour for the Omani women, ap-preciating and recognising their contributions, achievements and values they bring to the Omani society. Each one of us should feel that we are working for our own company not just as an ordinary employee and make sincere effort to achieve as a team member.”

Omani Women’s Day is cel-

ebrated across Oman in response to the Royal directives of His Maj-esty Sultan Qaboos bin Said allo-cating October 17 as the day for the Omani women.

The Suhail Bahwan Group has commenced several initiatives for the Omani employees particularly the women employees that include recognising and awarding the best employees of the month, regular training programmes to upgrade their professional skills, etc.

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

Middle East Health Conference

to be held from October 25-27

MUSCAT: The Middle East Health and Safety Conference will be held from October 25 - 27, at the Grand Hyatt Muscat.

The conference will be held in cooperation with the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Oil and Gas, and Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI), Sultan-ate of Oman along with the In-stitute of Health & Safety (IHS), The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), In-ternational Institute of Safety & Risk Management (IISRM), The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), The Char-tered Institute of Building (CIOB) and World Safety Organisation (WSO), says a press release.

The Middle East Health and Safety Conference will provide the region’s HSE professionals with an international platform to share knowledge and network with their peers. This interactive platform will equip the attendees with the latest and proven meth-odologies, practices and technol-ogies. The conference will focus on improving and boosting em-ployee commitment, morale, con-fidence, performance and build

the organisation’s reputation.The event will bring HSE pro-

fessionals from sectors like oil and gas, transportation, construc-tion, aviation, energy and manu-facturing companies will attend to understand the latest innova-tions, available technologies and to build new business relation-ships while establishing profes-sional contacts.

Knowledge sharing platformThe conference will highlight — Latest technologies, methodolo-gies, practices and key trends in reducing lost time, risk identi-fication, HSE management sys-tems, behavioural safety, fatigue management, fire safety, etc. Participants at the summit will include important government bodies, regulatory authorities, health, safety and environment professionals along with global solution providers to name a few. This will be a knowledge shar-ing platform to bring in expertise from all across the Middle East & the globe.

The key topics which will be discussed at Middle East Health and Safety Conference are:

make effective HSEMS

commitment to HSE

Mindset Challenges

incident at work

management

& RescueThe three-day conference and

exhibition will be a confluence of Middle East’s HSE experts like Dr Brent Pasula, vice president, HSSE, Petrofac ECOM; Andrew Clarke - HSE manager, Global Wells Organisation, BP Oman; David Wilson, general manager, HSSE Port of Salalah ; Dr Maco-douSall - Epidemiologist Saudi Aramco vice president, IHPM-MENA; Dr Mohammad Aref- HSSE manager, UAE Weather-ford; Dr Mohammed Abdulrazik Hamza, Medical Consultant, Ministry of Health, Oman; Eng. Nadira Al Hinai, founder and president, Occupational Safety & Health Omani Society, to name a few.

I N T E R A C T I V E P L A T F O R M

Golden Tulip Nizwa Hotel holds annual staff party

MUSCAT: Golden Tulip Nizwa Hotel held the 21st annual staff party. The evening started with a welcome speech given by Sandeep Jaitly, general manager, where a warm welcome was given to all the team members on behalf of the en-tire board and management.

The team members who have completed their 10 years of job tenure with the organisation were recognised with the long service awards on this occasion. It was a grand evening with lots of games and group performances, says a press release.

Valuable gifts were distributed to every employee of the hotel for the hard work and efforts they had put in for the success of the com-pany over the years. Main high-light of the evening was the ‘Om-ani traditional dance’ performed by housekeeping department, dazzling Bollywood group dance performed by F&B team, solo and duet song performance by House-keeping and Administration team and a fashion show.

F U N D A Y

Geepas launches innovative electronics catalogue appDUBAI: Geepas launched its very own Electronics Catalogue Appli-cation, the first of its kind in the market, that enables customers and dealers get instant access to Geepas’ extensive range of more than 1,500 products across varied

-ucts, home appliances, kitchen appliances, lighting devices and personal gadgets.

The innovative application brings Geepas to the customer’s hand, making information access much more convenient and easy. Geepas customers and dealers can now stay updated with the lat-est products across all categories, check products with the most wanted specifications, compare products, and find out about the latest offers and events available at Geepas all across the region, says a press release.

The application is made availa-ble in the Apple Store for all Apple devices, and in the Play Store for all android devices, as well as other operating systems. With a simple-to-use attractive interface, the Geepas Catalogue App provides a direct bridge with the customers and dealers who are always on the move and prefer being informed about Geepas in any part of the world. With a smart push notifica-tion system, the Geepas Catalogue App ensures that customers don’t miss any action that happens in Geepas while they are busy with their daily routines.

“The need for collaborative and

detailed product information on the move is rapidly growing today. The world is embracing technol-ogy at an incredible pace, and we have to keep up with the times. Geepas Catalogue App puts all the information customers need be-fore they purchase in one acces-sible, easy-to-use app.

“Customers have complete ac-cess to our product database in the palm of their hands, For us, this is an achievement beyond measure that takes us much clos-er to our customers,” said Nizar T. N., director of Operations, West-ern International Group.

Geepas is a part of Western International Group and has one of the world’s largest electron-ics product portfolios with over 1,500 products in entertainment products, home appliances, kitchen appliances, lighting de-vices and personal care gadgets. Geepas thrives on its phenom-enal after-sales service, with an extraordinary three-day service

turnaround time period, virtu-ally overshadowing every other brand in the world. Geepas is gaining popularity for its relia-ble and quality products at cost-effective pricing.

F I R S T O F I T S K I N D

The world is embracing

technology at an

incredible pace and

we have to keep up

with the times. Geepas

Catalogue App puts

all the information

customers need before

they purchase in one

accessible, easy-to-

use app

Nizar T. N.Director of Operations, Western International Group

Delicio X-Quiz-itz set

to be held on Friday

MUSCAT: After last year’s grand success of the Marvel themed X-Quiz-itz, team Muscat Codex is back again organising a bigger show this year.

The Delicio X-Quiz-Itz Inter School Quiz completion is sched-uled to be held on October 23 at Al Falaj Hotel. The quiz show, which is held under the patron-age of Chaitanya Khimji, will be hosting its prelims today on the Indian School Wadi Kabir prem-ises, says a press release.

Hala Jamal, Midhun Mukund, Fayas Fazil and Midhun Thomas make up Muscat Codex. This young enthusiastic team is very much known in the quizzing community in Oman. They took a passion and turned it into a won-derful event which schools look forward to.

Started in May 2013, Muscat Codex has hosted more than 30 stage shows.

“The Times of Oman quiz has been an inspiration to us and their support has been a success factor to the events,” says the team.

From the registered 504 teams from more than 12 participating schools, the prelim will be wit-nessing the qualified 201 teams, who will be battling to secure their position in the finals repre-senting their Alma Mater.

“We wanted to give more schools and more students an op-portunity to be on stage, hence we decided to split the selection of the finalists unlike last time,”

says Hala Jamal, Quiz Master and also added that, “this year we decided to do something magical, and hence the theme of Delicio X-Quiz-Itz is Harry Potter.”

“Growth is what we are hoping to achieve every year, and we have succeeded in that,” said Midhun Thomas. “Our principle partners and our title sponsors are very supportive of our initiative which has been a huge morale booster for us. A special thanks does go indeed to our patron Chaitanya Khimji who has been with us as a mentor from the start,” added Fayas Fazil.

“Last year our quiz was ex-tremely successful because of the quality of quizzing and because we heavily relied on the experi-ence we provide the teams and audience. The audience were enthralled by our visual effects and we are hoping to boost it with the thrill of the Wizarding World. The audience are in for a good surprise,” says Midhun Mukund, creative director for Muscat Codex.

Q U I Z C O M P E T I T I O N

B6 W E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UPNew Toyota Land Cruiser launched

MUSCAT: The all-new Toyota Land Cruiser was launched in Oman at a well-attended func-tion. Koji Nagata, general manager, Middle East & North Africa – Toy-ota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Sadayoshi Koyari, chief engineer - Toyota Development Center 3 were present on the occasion along with prominent personalities from the public and private sectors, says a press release.

In his message Salim Mohamed Bahwan said: “At Saud Bahwan Automotive, it is a matter of tre-

mendous satisfaction to note that Toyota has made rapid strides in Oman. Many of the models such as the Corolla, Camry and Hilux are household names while oth-ers such as the Land Cruiser enjoy iconic status.”

“The Land Cruiser which has a rich legacy of over six decades is now reborn to meet the future with enhanced luxury and a bold new look. We are confident that the new Land Cruiser will exceed the expectations of our custom-ers,” he added.

In his keynote address Koji Na-gata highlighted TMC’s customer focus. “We are one company that really believes our customers al-ways come first. We offer the high-est levels of safety and quality. A Toyota delivers true peace of mind as well as an emotional experience. One of our slogans is “Creating Ev-er-better Cars”. It’s more than just words, it’s a mission,” Nagata said.

Speaking about the all-new

Land Cruiser, he added: “Toyota has been selling the Land Cruiser in the Middle East for more than half a century. We are very grateful to you for your loyalty and support all these years. We believe there is nothing more important than cus-tomer satisfaction. Hence, our aim is not to just meet but also surpass customer’s expectations. Our new Land Cruiser Wagon was designed with this philosophy in mind. As a flagship model, it delivers peace-of-mind, excitement and luxury all at the same time. Moreover, we ex-pect the new Land Cruiser to also set the standard for its class.

“This new model was designed drawing upon feedback from peo-ple right here in this country. You told us what you wanted and I think you would find that we have

given it to you. The Land Cruiser offers amazing utility. It is reli-able and tough, it can go anywhere, do anything. Yet it is luxurious. It delivers upgraded performance, the latest technology, and safety. In the Middle East, this vehicle has been especially popular, in fact, legendary. It was a hit when we first started selling it. And, it is even more loved today.”

Concluding with a flourish, Nagata remarked: “What’s better than a Land Cruiser? Only a new Land Cruiser!”

Later in the evening the chief engineer of the all-new Toyota Land Cruiser, Sadayoshi Koyari shared his experience about the development process.

“When we, at Toyota, talk about the Land Cruiser, we talk about

“Land Cruiser-ness” — that is, the special quality that a Land Cruiser should have. Land Cruisers are loved by customers around the world,” he said.

Redesigned model“This redesigned model offers ele-gance, sophistication, luxury — but it’s also tough and practical. It’s at home on the road in towns and cit-ies. And beyond that — cruising the land, it offers not just excitement but utility. It really is the “luxuri-ous bridge between civilization and adventure” — and we have made every effort to make it so. Toyota delivers what it promises — without compromises. Proof is the new Land Cruiser,” he added.

With the new Land Cruiser, Toyota has elevated the meaning

of the term SUV with new exterior and interior, new design features and new safety technologies added to a major drivetrain upgrade and enhanced multimedia features, making this makeover far more than metal-skin deep. In fact, the key features of the new Land Cruiser include the impressive new 8-speed automatic transmis-sion, the attention grabbing 20” alloy wheels, pampering premi-um leather seats and reassuring safety features such as the new rear cross traffic alert and the lane change alert. Topping it all is the 11.6” dual full HD rear entertain-ment system featuring 14 state-of-the-art JBL speakers.

“These, by no means, are a com-plete list of features in the new Land Cruiser to which neither words nor images can do justice,” remarked a spokesperson for Saud Bahwan Automotive. “To know the Land Cruiser in reality, one has to experience it, and that is best done by visiting the showroom.”

The launch event also featured a one-of-a-kind creative perfor-mance by two talented acrobats who complemented each other superbly, sweeping the audi-ence away in this spectacle of the senses. They were followed by mesmerising LED dancers. A dramatic unveiling of the all-new 2016 Land Cruiser took place im-mediately thereafter!

The launching of the all-new Land Cruiser drew a very enthu-siastic response from the distin-guished guests. “Land Cruiser is truly in a league of its own,” re-marked an invitee. “Now, even more so, with the new model set-ting new benchmarks for many to emulate,” remarked another.

The all-new Land Cruiser is now on display at all Toyota showrooms.

With the all-new

Land Cruiser, Toyota

has elevated the

meaning of the

term SUV with new

exterior and interior,

new design features

and new safety

technologies added

to a major drivetrain

upgrade and

enhanced multimedia

features, making this

makeover far more

than metal-skin deep

BankDhofar marks World Food DayMUSCAT: BankDhofar, showing commitment to the community and stressing its role as an inte-gral member of society, marked World Food Day in partnership with Dar Al Atta’a Association, says a press release.

Sami Omar Al Zadjali, head of Marketing & Corporate Com-munications at BankDhofar, said: “World Food Day is a day of ac-tion against hunger. On October 16, people around the world come together to declare their commit-ment to eradicate hunger. Events and public awareness campaigns are organised worldwide to en-gage diverse audiences in action against hunger.

“We at BankDhofar have part-nered with Dar Al Atta’a Associa-tion to encourage volunteers and donors to give away non-perish-

able food items which will be dis-tributed to families across Oman.”

This year Dar Al Atta’a collabo-rated with a number of organisa-tions, including schools, public and private sectors institutions to collect enough food to feed a large number of families in different parts of the Sultanate.

“We at BankDhofar work to-wards supporting sustainable CSR initiatives and we invest in long term objectives of all social sup-port and community activities. We have strategic partnerships with various public and private sec-tor organisations, as well as non-profit and charitable organisations to help us extend our outreach and play a proactive role in the com-munity. BankDhofar has proudly supported numerous initiatives, institutions and organisations,

providing essential services to the community,” added Al Zadjali.

Taking proactive steps on the path of the Sultanate’s social de-velopment and prosperity, Bank-Dhofar puts corporate social re-sponsibility at the forefront of its commitments.

Community and social aware-ness campaigns, as well as a strong focus on engaging staff, are being promoted across the bank through various channels. More than just financial support and fund-raising, BankDhofar is dedi-cated to sustainable philanthropy causes, participating in events and activities across the Sultan-ate, collaborating with various organisations and non-profit as-sociations to reinforce its social responsibility and community outreach programmes.

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

WCAS organises workshop

MUSCAT: Waljat College of Ap-plied Sciences (WCAS), Muscat organised a workshop recently on entrepreneurship for third semester of engineering and BCA students.

This workshop was among one of the series of activities under-taken by the Entrepreneurship Club which aims at understand-ing the ecosystem of Oman and starting a business of own, says a press release.

Essam Hussain Ali Al Lawati, lecturer and head of Business Centre (Entrepreneurship Cell), Business Department, Higher College of Technology, was the resource person. He shared his concern for entrepreneurship in Oman with the dean of the col-lege S. L. Gupta.

Lawati spoke on importance of creativity and innovation to en-hance entrepreneurship at vari-ous areas.

E N T R E P R E N E U R I A L S K I L L S

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Always be smarter than the people who hire you. — Lena Horne

QUOTES

Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Begin it now. — J. W. von Goethe

Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the

haystack. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview.

So, in the end, it’s ultimately based on your gut. How do I

feel about this person? What are they like when they’re

challenged? I ask everybody that: “Why are you here?” The

answers themselves are not what you’re looking for. It’s the

meta-data. — Steve Jobs

editor@timesofoman.comwebeditor@timesofoman.com

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All-new Hyundai Sonata crowned ‘Car of the Year’

MUSCAT: The all-new Sonata is celebrating being recognised as Saudi Auto magazine’s Car of the Year award. The dynamic vehicle was introduced in Saudi Arabia in 2014 and has taken pole position in the annual awards thanks to its advanced technological features and refined design in keeping with Hyundai’s ‘Modern Premium’ brand direction.

Commenting on the accolade,

Jin (James) Kim, vice president and head of Operations for Hyun-dai Africa and Middle East said: “This type of recognition from one of the leading publications in our biggest Middle Eastern market is invaluable. It reaffirms our posi-tion as the region’s second biggest automotive manufacturer and one of the leaders within the midsized sedan segment.”

The all-new Sonata was judged by a panel of technical experts within the Saudi Auto team which recognised the model as the strongest performer in the

segment beating competitors such as Nissan and Toyota, says a press release.

The winning 7th generation of the Sonata was the result of three years of research and development conducted by Hyundai in the Mid-dle East and around the globe, in order to maximise product com-petitiveness and satisfy the diverse needs of the Middle East market.

“The all-new Sonata is spectac-ular from all angles — from its dra-matic exterior look, to its overall design concept which focuses on ‘Inner Force’, a theme that points

to evolved aesthetics and confi-dent perfection – this vehicle is a deserving winner of our car of the year award,” said Bakur Azher, publisher and editor-in-chief of Saudi Auto magazine.

The model has proved extreme-ly popular with 28,556 units sold in the Middle East in 2014, a 6 percent rise year on year. The So-nata has traditionally been one of Hyundai’s best-selling models across the Middle East and since its introduction in 1985, cumula-tive global sales have reached al-most seven million units.

The all-new Sonata

was judged by a

panel of technical

experts within the

Saudi Auto team

which recognised

the model as the

strongest performer

in the segment

Oryx Property Show to

feature host of modern

projects on October 30

MUSCAT: The Times of India (ToI), India’s largest newspa-per, in association with Muscat-based East Expo, is organising Oryx Property and Investment Show on October 30 and 31 at Holiday Muscat, Al Khuwair.

Well-known property devel-opers from five countries will participate in the two-day in-ternational exhibition, says a press release.

Oryx Property and Investment Show will showcase properties and money investment from the UAE, Singapore, Oman, Malya-sia and India. Both commercial and residential projects will be featured in the show. Property developments, which will be showcased at the property show,

will be known for their latest technological advancements and new construction trends.

The exhibition will help both citizens and expatriates of the Sultanate to get first-hand infor-mation about the latest trends in the property sector. This is a rare opportunity as internationally well-known companies are com-ing under one roof. Moreover, the exhibition will also showcase some of the leading and upcom-ing projects in Oman.

The Indian pavilion at the exhi-bition will have the largest pres-ence as more than 30 real estate developers are taking part in it. Properties from different states and major cities in India will be showcased at the exhibition.

R E A L E S T A T E

Bank Sohar streamlines management structureMUSCAT: In its constant en-deavour of achieving business excellence through streamlined operations and ever-improving efficiency, Bank Sohar has an-nounced the implementation of a new management structure.

The new structure, together with the bank’s longstanding commitment towards ensuring a steady career growth path for its staff, has seen 12 existing senior management members promoted to key leadership positions within the bank.

Commenting on the new pro-motions Rashad Ali Al Musafir, Acting CEO of Bank Sohar, said: “The business of Bank Sohar has grown exponentially over the past few years with an ever increasing clientele base on both the retail and corporate front. In order to ef-ficiently support this growth trend, we have streamlined our senior management structure with an en-hanced focus on strategy, business

growth, operational efficiency and people development. In doing so, a number of the bank’s senior man-agement members will take on greater responsibilities within the bank, whilst also ensuring employ-ee empowerment down the line.”

As part of the new restructure the bank has appointed Sasi Ku-mar, as the group general manager of Business, where part of his new role, he will head Retail Business, Treasury, Investment and Cor-

respondent Banking divisions in addition to overseeing Corporate Banking and Strategy. Munira Ab-dulnabi Macki will take on her new position as GM of HR and Corpo-rate Support while R. Narasimhan has been promoted as the GM of Retail Banking; each overseeing their respective divisions within the bank. Mujahid Al Zadjali has been promoted to the position of DGM and Head of IT and Alter-nate Channels while Mustafa Ali

Mukhtar has been promoted as the DGM and Head of Corporate Banking where he will head the Trade Finance unit in addition to Large Corporate business. As a part of the restructure, Salim Khamis Al Maskery will assume the position of DGM and Head of Sohar Islamic.

Other appointments also in-clude the promotion of Khamis Al Rahbi as Senior AGM of Branches; who will now oversee the bank’s

branch network in its entirety. Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi has also been promoted to the position of Senior AGM of Marketing and Customer Experience as a result of which he will now also handle Customer Experience in addition to his former responsibility as the Head of Marketing. Other new ap-pointments include Mohamed Do-hadwala as Senior AGM of Invest-ment and Correspondent Banking and Khalifa Ahmed Al Ghammary as Senior AGM of Credit Control; while Saif Masoud Al Harthi and G. Rajasekeran will take on their new roles as AGM of Central Op-erations and AGM and Acting CFO respectively.

“Each of these staff members have proven themselves as capable business leaders since the incep-tion of the bank and I would like to congratulate each of them on their new roles. I am confident their new appointments will serve to further strengthen their own capabilities;

whilst the new structure as a whole will greatly support the bank’s drive towards not only achieving, but also surpassing, our business targets and maintaining the bank’s image and reputation as one of the most successful banks in the country,” added Rashad Al Musafir.

This management restructure falls on the back of the bank’s re-cent shift to a district structure for its retail branch management. Following the Bank Sohar Board’s approval for the concept of district managers, the bank, in August, replaced the former zonal branch structure, followed by the bank. The new structure includes three districts – Muscat, Batinah and Sharqiya; with 23 of the bank’s 26 branches split into each district based on their location with a dedicated district head at the helm of each. The Salalah and MBD branches and the bank’s relation-ship banking unit continue to op-erate as separate entities.

P R O M O T I O N S

Al Felaij introduces Aviator watch in Oman

MUSCAT: Al Felaij Watches intro-duced to its valued customers the vintage Swiss watch brand Aviator in Oman, says a press release.

The vintage family is dedicated to the ‘Pioneer Era’ and ‘Golden Age’ of aviation.

It includes the evolution from pocket watch style wristwatches to classical pilot watches of the Second World War.

Inspired by the history of MIG aircraft, Aviator created a fam-ily of watches named after these legendary fighter planes. The pro-fessional special range of watches was built to meet the most rigor-ous requirements of contempo-rary aviators.

The product development pro-cess at Aviator involves real pilots who provide new ideas and inspi-ration to the team.

The ideas for new models are born with reference from aviation environment.

The most important character-

istics of Aviator watches are the visibility, readability and water resistance to provide smooth work of watches even in extreme work conditions.

S W I S S B R A N D

Omantel launches 4th edition of

Business Excellence SME Awards

MUSCAT: In line with its contin-uous efforts to support the growth of the national economy and SME sector in particular, Omantel an-nounced the launch of the 4th edi-tion of Omantel Business Excel-lence SME Awards 2015.

The nominations will be opened for the awards from today in six categories, namely: Best Perform-ing Company — Small Enterprise, Best Performing Company — Me-dium Enterprise, Best New En-trant, Turnaround Success Story of the Year, Community Contribu-tion and Business Idea of the Year, says a press release.

Omantel’s Business Excellence SME Awards come as part of the company’s efforts to recognise Omani entrepreneurs who man-aged to establish viable business enterprise and contribute to the growth of the national economy. It also aims at highlighting the role played by small and medium enterprises owners and sharing their experiences to be sources of inspiration and pride and as role models for their peers.

Commenting on the launch of the 4th edition of Omantel Busi-ness Excellence SME Awards, Sheikha Hamed Al Awfi, Market-ing Communication Manager at Omantel Business Unit said, “Omantel is very keen on con-tinuing its support for SMEs and maximise its contribution to the sustainable growth of this key sector. To this end, it seeks to sup-port the endeavours made to lev-erage the potential of the sector to the utmost. We learned from our past experiences that SMEs own-ers are enthusiastic to contrib-

ute to the growth of the national economy and maximise the role played by the sector in business activities. Hence, Omantel has designed a number of packages that meet the different needs of SMEs and help them to ensure more growth.”

“The launch of this year’s edi-tion builds upon the success we had in the previous three ver-sions and the great response we have received through the last three versions of the award. I am pretty sure that the response this year will be even greater and this is very clear from the number of applicants and the keenness by all SMEs to showcase their suc-cesses. We also hope that this year’s awards will help us to shed light on the success stories we have and the contributions made by such successful SMEs,” she pointed out.

“Omantel has allocated a num-ber of awards for winners this year. The winner from each cat-egory will receive OMR5,000 in addition to one-year free of charge subscription to one of our fixed or mobile SME packages, 50,000 promotional SMSs, two smart phones and free market-ing campaign for their organisa-tions. All SMEs can take part in this competition by filling the registration form available on the competition website www.oman-tel.om/smeawards, registration to the competition will close on November 20. They may also reg-ister and send the form by mail. The registration forms will also be available at Omantel outlets,” Al Awfi added.

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

The launch of this

year’s edition builds

upon the success we

had in the previous

three versions and

the great response we

have received through

the last three versions

of the award

Sheikha Hamed Al AwfiMarketing Communication Manager, Omantel Business Unit

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Chen and Le Coq stay in front at RS:X World Championship

MUSCAT: Peina Chen of China and Pierre Le Coq of France con-tinue to lead their respective fleets at the RS:X World Windsurfing Championships in Al Musannah, but light tactical conditions made for some challenging racing on the second day.

The wind, when it did fill in, was lighter than expected and never reached more than 8kts. This led to an exceptionally physical day where skilful pumping played a major part in success on the race-course. With three more qualifying races per fleet (men and women) to complete, racing got underway promptly at 1200. Men were first off and enjoyed some of the best breeze of the day.

Although Le Coq has managed to maintain his overall regatta lead with another couple of wins to add to his already impressive scoreline, he didn’t have it all his own way on Tuesday in the 85-strong fleet.

In the second race of the day (White Group) Pastor Lafuente Ivan of Spain sailed well, overtook

Le Coq in the closing stages, and notched up his first win of the week.

In Yellow Group, Zhichao Zhi of China, sailing his first ever world championship, seems to have super-fast all round speed. After today’s racing he has a scoreline of 4, 1, 2 to lift him up the rankings to second overall.

Commenting on his impressive result, Zhichao Zhi said: “This is the first time I have sailed abroad, and at a world championship, so I am delighted to be here and I am really happy to be doing so well. I think the reason I am fast in these conditions is because I am so light.

The aim now is to continue to do well by sailing normally without too much pressure. I am really keen to learn from the other guys and to keep improving.”

Hard conditionsChatting about the challenging conditions, Pierre Le Coq added: “Three races in those conditions is very hard for us. Very challenging to be in front and to be consistent so I am really happy and I am ready for the rest of the week. It was very important to make good starts and good choices early on today be-cause in these 20 minute races, it is

difficult to come back if you make a wrong decision. Thankfully my speed was still okay but some of the other guys are really fast too so I need to keep an eye on them.”

In the women’s fleet 26 year-old Peina Chen who recently finished second at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao, retains the overall lead but said she found it extreme-ly tough. Also, having to do penalty turns in the first race of the day for incident on the start line wasn’t a good start to the day.

One of the most notable perfor-mances came from Charline Picon of France). Picton who won the

Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta (Rio 2016 Test Event) two years in a row and the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Santander, showed her true col-ours with a stunning performance.

In the closing stages of race one, in the last short reach to the finish, she out-pumped race leader Zofia Noceti-Klepacka of Poland and, in fine style, snatched first place. She then went on to score another first place and a second, which lifts her up the rakings to second overall.

Picon commented: “I had a very good day today but it is tough here. Last week we had good conditions

but this week it is light and physical-ly demanding. Also because there are a lot of sailors and countries us-ing the event as an Olympic qualifi-er it is extremely competitive. Peina Chen, for example, is in very good shape. From here on it will be in more tough because we’ll be racing only the best girls in the gold fleet where every point is important.”

Peina Chen commenting on Pi-con’s speed said: “She also sailed smart in race two and on the last tack of the race I lost my lead to her. She then pipped me to the post for second in race three.”

On her performance elsewhere, Chen added: “Doing turns in the first race was not ideal but I tacked too fast, into Marina’s (Alabau Neira) water so naturally had to do something about it. I have to say it is really great racing because it is so close. I am however, looking for-ward to a rest tomorrow.”

Poland’s Malgorzata Bialecka, who won the final Blue Group race of the day, retains third place overall.

She said it was all about starting right and pumping. “We had slight-ly less wind, and it was a bit shifty so the most important thing was pumping. I was incredibly tough however, so feel tired now. I do be-lieve it is going to be a lot harder when we split in two fleets [gold and silver] because all the best girls are going to fight together so it will be pretty tough.”

The fleet can now relax and en-joy a well-earned day of rest and recuperation on Wednesday. Rac-ing resumes on Thursday at 12.00 noon. Men and women’s fleets will be split in to gold and silver fleet, according to overall rankings from the first two days (six races). The final races and medal races will take place on Saturday.

The wind, when it

did fill in, was lighter

than expected and

never reached more

than 8 knots. This led

to an exceptionally

physical day where

skilful pumping

played a major part

in success on

the racecourse

Viru quits and feels lucky to have played in era of greats>C5 & C6

CLOSE CONTEST: The men’s fleet witnessed a close contest at the Al Musannah Sports City on Tuesday. – Supplied photo

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Blomstrand goes two clear at Muscat Hills

MUSCAT: MENA Golf Tour deb-utants Christofer Blomstrand and Julian Kunzenbacher firmly put themselves in pole position head-ing into the final round of the Mus-cat Hills Golf Citizen Champion-ship on Tuesday.

Sweden’s Blomstrand backed up his opening round of a 67 with an-other solid 68 to reach nine under for the tournament, just two clear of Germany’s Kunzenbacher as the pair left many regular contenders trailing in their wake. Morocco’s Younes El Hassani carded back-to-back 69s to move into a tie for third

on six-under along with Australia’s Ryan Smith as a four-man group, led by Sweden’s Per Barth, who won the ShaikhMaktoum Dubai Open, shared fifth a further shot adrift.

Attributing his solid all-round golf to warmer weather, Blomstrand said: “I find it a lot easier to swing in these conditions than at back home where winter has set in, signally the end of the golf season for many.

“Barring early hiccups when I bogeyed a couple of holes, I think I played really well, tee to green, and holed some good putts, especially the one on the 16th which I sank from 16 feet.

“This event has provided me with a perfect opportunity to warm up for the second stage of the European Tour qualifier. With so many players shooting in red numbers, it just shows how good is the standard of golf on the tour,” said the 23-year-old from Skanor, 30km south of Malmo.

Even Kunzenbacher was de-lighted the way things have turned out for him. “It’s my very first event on the tour and I am enjoying the competition.

“The course is fairly easy and it’s just that sometimes you find it dif-ficult to read the greens.

“When you play golf, you play to win. And I will be taking this posi-tive mindset into the final round,” said the 22-year-old German, who eagled the par-five 13th, smashing his 6-iron from 200 yards to within 40 centimetres of the pin.

Morocco’s Younes El Hassani, who leads the MENA Division by four shots from his compatriot Mehdi Saissi, fancies his chances of a racking up a top-three finish.

“Slowly, but steadily I am get-ting back into the groove of things. I have made nine birdies and just

three bogeys in the last 36 holes, which is nice. My driving is good and so is the iron play. If I can hole a few more putts, I stand a realis-tic chance of finishing among top three,” said the experienced pro-fessional from Tangiers.

Young Scottish Ben Alexander, who shared the overnight lead with Blomstrand, Stuart Archibald and Cyril Suk after opening with a 67, stumbled to a 76, but managed to stay in front in the amateur di-vision at one where he is joined by India’s Rayhan Thomas, who fol-lowed his opening 70 with a 73.

Elsewhere, England’s Archibald moved to five under after return-ing a level-par 72 while Czech Re-public’s Suk carded a 74 to stay in the frame for a good finish at three under along with England’s Josh-ua White, the 2014 MENA Golf Tour champion.

The cut was made at four over 148 with 45 professionals and 10 amateurs making it to the final round. Local amateur Azzan Al Rumhy, meanwhile, carded seven over 71 in the second round for a total of 160. On Monday, Oman’s top golfer returned a nine-over 81.

Sweden’s Blomstrand backed up his opening

round of 67 with another solid 68 to reach

nine under, just two clear of Germany’s

Kunzenbacher as the pair left many

regular contenders trailing in their wake

SOLID SHOW: Christofer Blomstrand, a MENA Golf Tour debutant from Sweden, in action at Muscat Hills on Tuesday. – Supplied photo

MANGALOREANS CUP CRICKET TOURNAMENT ATTRACTS 18 TEAMSTeam New Mangaloreans conducted the draw of the first Mangaloreans Cup cricket tournament at Khana Khazana Restaurant

in Ruwi on Monday. The tournament, which has attracted 18 teams, will be played in Bausher from October 23 to 30. Abu Ha-

tim Group, Khana Khazana Restaurant and Team New Mangaloreans are the major supporters of the tournament. — Supplied photo

Percy Pereira retains

veterans singles title

MUSCAT: Continuing with his fine form, Percy Pereira came up with another stunning show to retain the veteran singles crown at the ongoing National Bank of Oman-sponsored annual badmin-ton tournament organised by the Indian Social Club (ISC) Muscat.

In the final, he took on Yogesh Narula, an opponent who was unseeded but upset a few seeded players en route to the final.

However, experienced Percy started the first game comfort-ably and built up a commanding lead as Yogesh struggled to get his

game together. He was not able to find his rhythm and Percy had an easy game winning 21-6.

The second game saw Yogesh coming out in a positive frame of mind, matching Percy and took the lead in the starting of the game. However, going into the interval, Percy had a slight advantage. The game went neck and neck with both players exhibiting very good strategy and placements.

Percy kept his cool and went on to win the game 21-18 and with that the title, taking his tally to three ti-tles so far in the tournament.

I S C B A D M I N T O N

FINALISTS: Percy Pereira, left, with Yogesh Narula. – Supplied photo

Duminy out and Morkel unsure for last two ODIs

CHENNAI: The South African cricket team has suffered a po-tential double blow as star pair JP Duminy and Morne Morkel have suffered injury.

Duminy lacerated a finger while trying to field a shot from his own bowling in the third One-day In-ternational (ODI) against India at Rajkot and will miss the remain-ing two ODIs of the series, cricket.com.au reported on Tuesday.

There is a question mark on Morkel for Thursday’s match after he ended up with a sore leg follow-ing the man-of-the-match per-formance in Sunday’s encounter. South Africa lead the series 2-1. Duminy wrung his hand in pain immediately after the incident on Sunday but continued to remain

on field, but South Africa have since declared his unavailability, naming Dean Elgar as his back-up.

Elgar is the incumbent South Africa Test opener but hasn’t played ODI cricket since 2012. The last of his five ODIs came in a series in England that year and he was dropped after he scored just 93 runs at an average of 23.25.

The 28-year-old is also a part-time left-arm spinner, so will likely account for some of the overs originally allotted to Duminy if selected.

The Proteas also have batsman Khaya Zondo in their squad, or could opt to feature a frontline bowler from among Kyle Abbott, Chris Morris or Aaron Phangiso in the absence of Duminy. - IANS

C R I C K E T

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Oman has no interest to host Gulf Cup 2015: Sayyid KhalidT.K. MOHANDOSSsportseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman will not host the 23rd Gulf Cup of Nations, which was scheduled for December 2015 in Kuwait.

Oman Football Association chairman Sayyid Khalid Al Bu-saidi in an exclusive comment to Times Sport on Tuesday categori-cally stated, “we have no interest to host the Gulf Cup 2015.”

He went on to add, “the tourna-ment as it stands now is postponed to December 2016 or January 2017.”

However, he did not comment when a decision will be taken on the dates and venue.

According to reports emerging from Kuwait on Monday, the Ku-wait cabinet decided not to host the Gulf Cup this year.

The decision was made on Mon-day during the cabinet’s weekly meeting chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah, in

line with a proposal by Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al Humoud Al Sabah.

Sheikh Salman had briefed the

cabinet on the outcome of the recent joint meeting with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Laus-anne, Switzerland, that discussed compatibility of the sports laws in

Kuwait on the legal and organising level, said Minister of State for Cabi-net Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Ab-dullah Al Mubarak Al Sabah.

The suggestion was that after

the FIFA move, Kuwait would not host the 23rd Gulf Cup of Nations, and the suggestion was given the cabinet’s approval.

Internal issueAccording to Reuters report, FIFA had said the ban was handed down because of government interfer-ence in the running of the Kuwait Football Association.

In last year’s Gulf Cup, Qatar had beat hosts Saudi Arabia 2-1 to lift the pennant.

Meanwhile, Sayyid Khalid said: “What is happening in Kuwait Football Association is an internal issue and we do not want to com-ment on it.

“We just hope things will be re-solved as soon as possible and Ku-wait athletes can quickly be back in international competitions.”

F O O T B A L L

We just hope things will be resolved as soon as possible and Kuwait athletes can quickly be back in international competitions

Sayyid Khalid Al BusaidiOFA chief

Bank Muscat picks teams for 2015 Green Sports initiative

MUSCAT: In step with the ‘Let’s Do More’ vision for the nation, the community and the environ-ment, the Green Sports initiative launched by Bank Muscat to pro-mote Oman as a sporting nation marked a milestone as the flag-ship financial services provider signed agreements with 15 new beneficiaries for 2015 at a cer-emony held under the auspices of Shaikh Rashad bin Ahmed Al Hi-nai, Undersecretary at the Minis-try of Sports Affairs.

The ceremony held at the bank’s head office was attended by digni-taries, senior bank officials and representatives of sports teams.

The 2015 Green Sports benefi-ciaries are Al Wast Sports Team of Al Khabourah, Al Jazeera Sports Team of Al Musannah/Widam Al Sahil, Al Genz Sports Team of Su-waiq, Al Tadhamun Sports Team of Adam, Al Qabasan Sports Team of Samail, Hayy Al Turrath of Ni-zwa, Al Nasr Sports Club of Bahla, Al Iraqi Sports Club of Ibri, Al Ho-wayan Sports Club of Bidiya-Al Hawiyah, Al Khoudh Sports Club of Al Khoudh;, Itihad Al Sahil of Qurayat, Al Lajal Sports Team of Wadi Al Maawil, Al Shabab Sports Team of Shinnas, Dhahir Al Fowars Sports Team of Yanqul and

Al Arabi Sports Team of Manah. With this, the unique Green

Sports social responsibility initia-tive marking the successful fourth year has benefited a total of 49 teams across the Sultanate.

Shaikh Rashad bin Ahmed Al Hinai congratulated Bank Muscat for the success achieved by the Green Sports initiative.

“The support to develop sports infrastructure across the Sultan-ate complements the government efforts in building a sporting na-tion. The initiative benefiting communities, especially youth, also contributes to sustainable development and protection of the environment, thereby ensur-ing all-round development in Oman,” he said.

“The availability of proper sporting infrastructure across the Sultanate is a boon for the game of football. The gesture by Bank Muscat to promote sports and games is a motivation for corpo-rates to join hands with the gov-ernment to strengthen the coun-try’s sporting credentials.”

In 2015, the bank widened the scope of Green Sports initiative beyond the greening of football fields. From this year, sports teams seeking Green Sports support can

choose from four options to either green their football fields with nat-ural or synthetic turf, or avail sup-port to affix flood lights or water desalination equipment to facili-tate greening of fields in areas fac-ing problems of water salinity. The move is aimed at providing wider representation to teams to build sustainable sports infrastructure in all parts of the Sultanate.

Waleed K. Al Hashar, Group General Manager of Corporate Services, said: “Bank Muscat is im-mensely proud to enhance support for the Green Sports initiative as part of its CSR strategy to further strengthen its leadership role in social responsibility and facilitate partnership between the govern-ment and the private sector for sustainable development and pro-gress of Oman, inspired by the di-rective of His Majesty Sultan Qa-boos bin Said to activate the role of the private sector in social respon-sibility and development of Omani society. We wish all the beneficiary teams success in contributing to sporting excellence in Oman.”

Giving a major thrust to sus-tainable development, the sports infrastructure facilities devel-oped with Green Sports support are also serving as a meeting place for children and youth to be en-gaged in gainful activities.

The facility is being used to host various youth activities, group weddings and other community celebrations. Such community programmes are helping children and youth to develop strong posi-tive character traits. Bank Mus-cat recognises that sustainable development has the potential for achieving long-term benefits spanning economic, social, cultur-

al and environmental dimensions.Bank Muscat is committed to

supporting all deserving teams to develop sports infrastructure across the Sultanate. The fund-ing criteria for the Green Sports programme include that sports teams should have been in exist-ence for three years with a mini-mum membership of 300 youth from the local community. The bank recognises that local teams wield immense influence on neighbourhood communities, es-pecially youth, hence teams with modern infrastructure facilities can help raise sporting heroes for the country.

Salim Al Kaabi, DGM of Hu-man Resources, in the welcome address said: “The Green Sports initiative reiterates the bank’s support to Oman’s youth who rep-resent the future of Oman. True to its commitment to supporting varied sporting activities in the country, Bank Muscat remains at the forefront in offering the re-quired encouragement to youth.

“As the nation’s leading finan-cial institution, Bank Muscat aims to motivate other corporates to provide the required impetus for youth to excel in all arenas and thereby contribute the develop-ment and progress of Oman.”

The consistent progress of the Green Sports initiative confirms the bank’s commitment to the programme aimed at providing ample opportunities for young Omanis to develop their sporting talents in an ideal environment. The programme is expected to go a long way in developing the sporting skills and talents of Om-ani youth, thereby promoting the game of football in Oman.

With new agreements, the unique Green

Sports social responsibility initiative

marking the successful fourth year has

benefited a total of 49 teams across Oman

Harun to conduct AFC course in IndiaMUSCAT: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has select-ed the Sultanate’s experienced goalkeeping coach and coaching instructor Harun Al Bartmani to conduct a goalkeepers coaching course in India.

According to information re-ceived from the Oman Football Association (OFA) on Tuesday, the course is scheduled to be or-ganised in the east Indian state of West Bengal from November 1 to 8.

Around 24 coaches are expected to attend the course.

Harun has had extensive experi-ence previously in both goalkeeper coaching as well as conducting seminars on behalf of the AFC.

The seminar will be divided into theoretical and practical sessions. The theoretical sessions, which will be held in the mornings, will cover coaching tactics, case stud-ies as well as other fundamentals of goalkeeping coaching. Practi-

cal sessions, which will be held in the evenings, will cover medical, fitness and nutritional aspects of coaching.

West Bengal which is home to some of India’s biggest clubs and is rich in football culture.

F O O T B A L L

INDIA BOUND: Harun Al Bartmani

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History means nothing against Springboks, say All BlacksWEYBRIDGE: When it comes to crunch Test rugby, there is little that New Zealand and South Af-rica do not know about each oth-ers game. But familiar foes or not, the All Blacks expect Saturday’s World Cup semifinal to go up a notch in skill and intensity.

Settling into their base in leafy Surrey after their clinical nine-try quarterfinal rout of France in Car-diff, the world champions began to turn their attention to a Spring-boks side who they have beaten in 10 of their last 12 meetings.

The last match-up came three months ago in Johannesburg when

the All Blacks, 20-17 adrift with six minutes left, needed a late Richie McCaw try to get them home.

South Africa had triumphed by two points in the same Ellis Park stadium a year ago and New Zea-land forward Kieran Read said the All Blacks needed to be wary.

“Two teams who have got a lot of history over the last few years, played some pretty outstanding test matches so looking forward to a big challenge,” Read said.

“History has shown that pri-or form means nothing when it comes to a finals game. We’ve got to turn up and certainly take les-

sons from the games we’ve played against them in the past.”

The mantra coming out of the All Blacks camp was needing to raise their intensity again, analys-ing the physical challenge that the Springboks will pose but focus on honing their own game.

Flanker Jerome Kaino said. “Regardless of what style they are going to bring we need to try and improve and focus on what we need to do.”

Wallabies get better newsAustralia, meanwhile, are grow-ing in confidence that they will be

back to full-strength for Sunday’s semifinal against Argentina after getting better news on their in-jured players.

Number eight David Pocock, whose presence at the breakdown was badly missed in last weekend’s heart-pounding 35-34 victory over Scotland, is making steady progress from a calf injury.

Pocock suffered the calf in-jury during their final pool match against Wales.

Pocock has still not taken part in full-contact training but Wallabies coach Michael Cheika expects him to be fit to tackle the Pumas.

Joubert treated ‘unfairly’Australia coach Michael Cheika has again come to the defence of South African referee Craig Jou-bert, saying it was “unfair” that the officials had singled him out over his decision to penalise Scotland in Sunday’s quarter-final.

World Rugby issued a statement on Monday confirming it had re-viewed the decision and agreed that Joubert had made a mistake in awarding the penalty, which Australia kicked to win the match 35-34, instead of a scrum.

Cheika, who has had a series of highly-publicised disputes with

referees over the years, told report-ers on Tuesday that he hoped other referees would stand by Joubert.

“I did feel for him. It is a bit sur-prising because no other decision in the tournament has been re-viewed,” Cheika said.

“I really feel for the ref. I genu-inely feel for him. It is so unfair. No other referee has had his stuff put out there like that and Craig Jou-bert is a very good referee.

“Genuinely I have never seen that before. I am not sure why that deci-sion had to be publicly reviewed and put out there. I really hope his fellow referees stand by him.” - Reuters

R U G B Y W O R L D C U P

FIFA leaves door open for Platini presidential bid

ZURICH: Suspended European soccer chief Michel Platini may be able to run for president of FIFA if he wins an appeal against his 90-day ban, the world govern-ing body said on Tuesday.

Outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Platini were both sus-pended earlier this month, plung-ing FIFA into even deeper turmoil as authorities in the United States and Switzerland pursue corrup-tion investigations in which 14 people have so far been indicted.

Meeting for the first time since the suspensions of the two most powerful men in soccer, FIFA’s executive committee confirmed that the election to replace Blatter would take place at an extraordi-nary Congress in Zurich on Feb-ruary 26, when members would also vote on reforming the organi-sation’s statutes.

That initially looked like a blow for former French midfield star Platini: a delay in the election would have given him more time to appeal, as candidates have to register by October 26 and under-go an integrity test in the follow-ing 10 days.

Domenico Scala, who oversees the electoral process, told the com-

mittee that candidates’ bids would not be processed if they were banned, FIFA said in a statement.

But a subsequent line appeared to give hope to Platini.

It read: “Should such a ban be lifted or expire before the FIFA presidential election....the Ad-Hoc electoral committee would decide, depending on the respective exact point in time, on how to proceed with the candidacy concerned.”

Whoever next takes the helm at FIFA will face a huge challenge

to restore the reputation of the organisation responsible for run-ning the most popular sport on the planet.

Platini’s appeal will first have to go to the FIFA Appeal Commit-tee and, if unsuccessful, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a process which UEFA said last week should be competed by mid-November.

Platini, who has been UEFA president since 2007, had until his suspension been considered

the firm favourite to succeed Blat-ter. Since then, the race has been thrown open. The only other can-didates to register so far are Jorda-nian Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and former Trinidad and Tobago mid-fielder David Nakhid, who have both submitted the required five nomina-tions from national associations.

Sources close to UEFA have said they are still uncertain if Eu-rope will find an alternative can-didate to Platini before the dead-line. - Reuters

Meeting for the

first time since the

suspensions of the

two most powerful

men in soccer, FIFA’s

executive committee

confirmed that the

election to replace

Blatter would take

place in Zurich on

February 26

CRUCIAL MEETING: FIFA’s acting president Issa Hayatou, centre, speaks as vice-president Angel Ma-

ria Villar Llona and acting Secretary-General Markus Kattner look on during an extraordinary FIFA

executive committee in Zurich on Tuesday. – AFP

ZURICH: The head of Asian soccer, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, says he has been “urged” to stand in the election for FIFA president but wants to gauge opinion from football federa-tions in the region before he decides whether to run.

British media reports last week suggested Sheikh Salman had decided to run in the election but in a letter to members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee and the FIFA executive commit-tee, which has been seen by Reuters, Sheikh Salman said those reports were based on a “misunderstanding”.

In the letter, dated October 18, Sheikh Salman said he had not “actively considered” running for president of world soccer’s scandal-hit governing body, adding: “More impor-tantly, I am not a candidate today. You and the AFC mem-bership that you represent are the people that I am responsi-ble to and whom I am elected to guide and serve. Without seeking your views, I would fail in my duties. It is largely in your hands if I accept the challenge.”

However Sheikh Salman added: “I have recently been urged by a growing number of senior football administrators, FIFA members and personali-

ties of public life to become a candidate now that UEFA president Michel Platini faces obstacles on his path to the FIFA presidency.”

Sheikh Salman had initially backed Frenchman Platini to replace outgoing FIFA presi-dent Sepp Blatter.

The deadline for nomina-tions for the FIFA vote is Oc-tober 26 and Sheikh Salman asked for feedback by Tuesday.

“Only after reviewing your comments and taking advice from close friends, advis-ers and after discussing all options with the people most important to me, my family, will I even consider such a major step,” he added. - Reuters

Salman seeks Asian FAs opinion on candidacy

‘AFC chiefs plan new marketing deal without tender’

SINGAPORE: The Asian Foot-ball Confederation (AFC) has lined up a new eight-year deal with a sports marketing agency owned by French media group Lagardere without offering it to a formal tender, two sources close to the process said.

The marketing agreement with World Sports Group (WSG), re-named Lagardere Sports last month in a re-brand by the French group, replaces an existing $1bil-lion deal which still had more than

four years to run, the sources said.Speaking on condition of ano-

nymity because minor aspects of the agreement are still being fi-nalised, the sources said the new contract overwrites the master rights agreement signed in 2009 with former Asian soccer chief Mohamed bin Hammam.

Confident of a new dealBin Hammam was banned from soccer for life by the sport’s global governing body FIFA in 2012 for

unspecified ethics breaches. Bah-rain’s Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa replaced him as AFC president in 2013.

Lagardere Chief Operating Of-ficer Andrew Georgiou said he was confident of a new deal.

“We have had negotiations and expect to renew the contract,” he said on Tuesday.

Lagardere Sports activities in-clude among others marketing rights management, athlete man-agement and brand consulting.

The sources close to the pro-cess said the AFC would receive a significant financial increase on the 2009 deal but did not specify how much.

The AFC declined to say wheth-er a deal had been agreed with La-gardere Sports.

“We have discussed our next commercial contract with a number of companies and when any deal is concluded we will an-nounce it in the usual way,” an AFC spokesperson said. - Reuters

S O U R C E S

NorthEast beat Chennaiyin 2-0 in ill-tempered match

GUWAHATI: NorthEast United tasted their first win of the season with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Chennaiyin FC in an eventful In-dian Super League (ISL) football match that was marred by frayed tempers and violent conduct of play-ers of both sides here on Tuesday.

Portuguese midfielder Simao Sabrosa converted from the pen-alty spot in the 90th minute while Argentine forward Nicolas Le-andro Velez put the game beyond Chennaiyin’s reach in the injury time (90+5) to hand NorthEast United their first points in the sea-son at their home ground.

The match, which saw one red

and 10 yellow cards being shown by the referee, witnessed many heated moments, with the play-ers almost exchanging blows at times. Chennaiyin played with 10 men from the 40th minute after Harmanjot Khabra was given a straight red card by the referee for violent conduct.

Before the half time, NorthEast coach Cesar Farias and his Chennai-yin counterpart Marco Materazzi exchanged heated words from their touchlines. This brought players and officials from both sides face-to-face and on the verge of exchanging blows and the match was interrupt-ed for about five minutes. - PTI

I S L

Vijender faces Dean Gillen

LONDON: After a knockout de-but, star Indian boxer Vijender Singh will face Englishman Dean Gillen in his second professional bout and the part-time firefighter has promised to be a “dangerous opponent” in the bout scheduled for October 30 here.

Vijender made an immediate impact in his pro debut this month when he destroyed Sonny Whit-ing in three rounds in Manchester. The 29-year-old will face Notting-ham’s Gillen over four rounds as he looks to claim the record of his first unbeaten pro-fighter. - PTI

B O X I N G

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Dhoni compares Viru to VivNEW DELHI: The cricketing fraternity on Tuesday paid glori-ous tributes to just-retired Viren-der Sehwag with India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni leading from the front, comparing his de-structive batting with that of leg-endary Viv Richards.

“Didn’t see Viv Richards bat in person but I can proudly say I have witnessed Virender Sehwag tearing apart the best bowling attacks,” Dhoni wrote in his twit-ter handle.

“Talent in batting is one thing but to have the mindset of Virupa in batting is as close to impossible as it can get. We keep saying be positive. Look for a single but he was one person who was always looking for a boundary. Many will try to play like you but my advice would be to enjoy your (batting),” he said.

“Batting and be themselves. Congrats on a fantastic career,” the India limited overs captain added.

Sehwag, one of the world’s most destructive batsmen to

have played the game, today an-nounced his retirement from international cricket and the In-dian Premier League, bringing an end to an illustrious career span-ning 14 years.

Sehwag had already hinted about his imminent retirement at a function in Dubai on Monday and chose his 37th birthday on Tuesday to put an end to his amaz-ing career and said he was grateful to have done things his way.

‘Modern day legend’India Test skipper Virat Kohli, who started his career along aside Sehwag in Delhi Ranji team, termed the dashing right-hander as a “modern day legend”.

“Pleasure to have played with you @virendersehwag bhai. What an amazing career. Thanks for the guidance and the memories. Mod-ern day legend!” Kohli tweeted.

Sehwag’s another Delhi team-mate Shikhar Dhawan wrote: “The original opener; the dare devil. Congratulations @viren-dersehwag paaji on a wonderful

journey & all the best for the fu-ture. Rab Raakha.”

Former India batsman VVS Laxman also tweeted: “Congrats bratha @virendersehwag on a fabulous career.”

“A pure entertainer who gave us sooo much joy. Thanks for all the gr8 memories #LEGEND,” wrote Dhawan.

Bollywood bids adieuAs Sehwag announced his retire-ment, many Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Manoj Baj-payee, Anupam Kher and Paresh Rawal thanked the “bravest”, “coolest” and “fearless” crick-eter for several glorious moments on the field.

Here’s what the celebrities tweeted:

Shah Rukh Khan: “Will miss you on the field yaar @virenderse-hwag. You are the gentlest, coolest and bravest of sportsmen I have ever come across. Love and health to you.”

Manoj Bajpayee: “One of my biggest favourites @virederse-

hwag retires today. Someone who changed the nature of bat-ting in test and one day. Will miss you Viru.”

Anupam Kher: “Thank you @virendersehwag for giving us mil-lions of glorious moments on the cricket field. We will miss you. Have a great life ahead.”

Paresh Rawal: “Virender Se-hwag had Tendulkar’s class...Gan-guly’s aggression...Fearless player. Great entertainer. Good luck for future endeavours #ThankY-ouSehwag.”

Karan Wahi: “From G block school in Vikas Puri to the biggest stadiums..nothing changed ...He just tore apart every opposition ..Thank You @virendersehwag”

Masaba Gupta: “One of my fa-vorite cricketers announces his retirement @virendersehwag ! Feel like one part of my memory of Indian cricket is fading.”

Gaurav Kapur: “Every cricketer he played with has a joyous story about @virendersehwag. That’s also what he gave us fans, pure unbridled joy! #HBDSehwag.” - PTI

R E A C T I O N S T O V I R U ’ S R E T I R E M E N T

City wary of more injuries

LONDON: Manchester City will be almost as concerned to avoid further injuries as they are to take three Champions League points when Sevilla visit the Etihad Sta-dium on Wednesday.

Four days later Premier League leaders City have a big local derby at third-placed Manchester United.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side are al-ready without top scorer Sergio Aguero who hit six goals in two games, five of them in 20 minutes against Newcastle United, before suffering a hamstring problem playing for Argentina.

Playmaker David Silva was also injured on international duty and will miss Wednesday’s game against his fellow countrymen.

Captain Vincent Kompany was not considered fit enough to play in Saturday’s 5-1 win over lowly Bournemouth while midfielder Samir Nasri strained a hamstring injury in that game.

“I prefer to play with Aguero and Silva,” Pellegrini told reporters before adding he was “very hap-py” with the performances of at-tacking players Raheem Sterling, who scored a hat-trick, Wilfried Bony and record signing Kevin De Bruyne. Both teams have three points from two Group D matches after losing to Juventus and beat-ing Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Wednesday’s game will be an emotional occasion for City wing-er Jesus Navas who came through Sevilla’s academy and played near-ly 400 times for the club.

Navas, a World Cup and Europe-an Championship winner who last

played for Spain in March 2014, won two UEFA Cups, one Europe-an Super Cup and two King’s Cups before leaving for City in 2013.

Sevilla’s stuttering start to their La Liga campaign continued on

Saturday when the Europa League holders had to come from behind to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw at modest Basque side Eibar.

Unai Emery’s side are 12th af-ter eight matches, having man-

aged only two wins, although they did beat Spanish and European champions Barcelona 2-1 earlier this month.

“The draw left a bitter taste but was also positive as it was the third

match in a row we accrued points,” said goalkeeper Sergio Rico after the game at Eibar.

“That allows us to continue growing as a team although there are still things to improve.” - Reuters

Manuel Pellegrini’s

side are already

without top scorer

Sergio Aguero who

hit six goals in two

games, five of them in

20 minutes against

Newcastle United,

before suffering a

hamstring problem

playing for Argentina

MOSCOW: Manchester United return to the scene of their 2008 Champions League triumph looking for a second away win over CSKA Moscow in exactly six years on Wednesday.

United, who won their third crown when they beat Chelsea on penalties at the Luzhniki Stadium in May 2008, returned to the Russian capital on Oct. 21, 2009 and beat CSKA 1-0 with a late goal by Antonio Valencia. The Red Devils will be looking to repeat that victory at a different venue, the Arena Khimki, as the Luzhniki is un-der reconstruction for the 2018 World Cup finals.

United will travel to Moscow in good heart after an excel-

lent 3-0 win away to Everton kept them third in the Premier League at the weekend.

Manager Louis van Gaal was delighted with that return to form following a defeat by the same score away to Arsenal in the previous game.

Morgan Schneiderlin, Ander Herrera and Wayne Rooney scored the goals, with Rooney once again playing just behind new young striker Anthony Martial, who has made a fine impression since joining from AS Monaco in the close-season.

“Maybe it is the start of many, many victories. I am not stupid, I won’t change too much on Wednesday,” said Van Gaal, who left out fellow Dutchmen

Danny Blind and Memphis Depay at the weekend follow-ing the Netherlands’ failure to qualify for Euro 2016.

While United may have one eye on next Sunday’s local derby against Manchester City, they would do well not to un-derestimate a CSKA side who have been in excellent form domestically as well.

CSKA are unbeaten in their last 19 matches in the Russian Premier League, equaling a club record set in 2001, and beat Ural 3-2 on Saturday to stay five points clear of second placed Lokomotiv Moscow. However, head coach Leonid Slutskiy has been critical of his team’s performance.

“Unfortunately we are unable

to fully control the whole match,” said the 44-year-old, who in August also started to coach the Russian national team.

CSKA will be without Bibras Natcho who is suffering from a head injury, but fellow mid-fielder Roman Eremenko is expected to be fit following a groin strain. Experienced cen-tral defender Vasili Berezutski is also expected to return.

Russian international goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev will be hoping for an upturn in fortunes. CSKA’s captain is looking to end an unwanted record, having failed to keep a clean sheet in 33 consecutive appearances in the Champions League. - Reuters

United back in Moscow after six-year absence

CONFIDENT BUNCH: Manchester United’s Dutch manager Louis van Gaal, centre, talks to his players during a training session

ahead of their UEFA Champions League football match against CSKA Moscow on Wednesday. – AFP

Unhappy Toure slams critics, hurt by lack of recognition

LONDON: Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has ex-pressed his disgust at those who are quick to criticise his per-formances and admits to being hurt by what he feels is a lack of recognition.

The Ivory Coast captain also claimed that winning trophies and earning a lot of money have not made him any happier as he feels sickened by “lots of bitter people who tried to dirty my name”.

Last season, Toure scored 10 league goals, half his total from the previous campaign, as City failed to defend their title, finishing eight points behind champions Chelsea in second place. “I have just come out of a season with City where we finished second in the English league, which is the hardest in the world,” Toure told L’Equipe on Tuesday.

Concerning the goal-scoring exploits which helped City win the league the previous season, Toure said: “I scored 26 goals, 20 in the Premier League, and nobody mentioned it. You un-derstand a bit my disgust. Here (in England), when it is bad, they stress it; when it’s good, they leave that in the dungeon. They have always used their methods to annoy and alienate me.”

Toure has won the Premier League twice and the FA Cup once, says the media should focus more on his trophy haul rather than his pay packet.

“It has hurt me. Everyone thinks I am happy: I have won titles, lots of money, but, no, I am not happy.” - Reuters

F O O T B A L L

UPSET: Manchester City mid-

fielder Yaya Toure. – Reuters

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Lucky to have played in era of great cricketers, says Sehwag

NEW DELHI: Virender Se-hwag, who retired from interna-tional cricket on Tuesday after representing the country for 14-long years, said that he was priv-ileged to have played in an era of greats like Sachin Tendulkar.

The 37-year-old Sehwag, who donned India colours from 1999 to 2013, said that he learnt a lot from the likes of Tendulkar, Ra-hul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Anil Kumble.

“I am lucky that I played for the country with great play-ers like Sachin, Dravid, Gan-guly, Anil Kumble, V V S Lax-man, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, M S Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj. I learnt a lot from them, the way they played and the way they prepared for games,” Sehwag said.

The only triple centurion Indian in Test cricket, Sehwag said he did not see his game only in terms of statistics, though he did possess at least a feat even a Tendulkar or a Sunil Gavaskar does not boast of.

“I don’t see my career like ‘I am the only triple centurion in Test cricket’. My role models were Sachin, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev. I grew up watch-ing them play and I also learnt a lot from them,” said Sehwag, who scored 8586 runs from 104 Tests (average 49.34) and 8273 runs from 251 ODIs.

He said he was happy to retire from international cricket.

“I played my game. My funda was to score on every ball and bowl a bit if I can.I want to hit every ball, it’s see the ball and hit it. I always had positive mind-est. That is how I played the game. Because of the positive mindset, I was able to score a lot of runs,” said Sehwag, who last played in India colours in a Test against Australia in Hyderabad in March 2013.

“I have scored a lot of runs and I am pretty happy with my career. I can’t say that I have achieved less or achieved more. I am happy to retire from in-ternational cricket. I will miss cricket, the bat and the ball but I think it is the time to retire. Thanks to all my fans, the BCCI, my coaches, friends, colleagues and team-mates who supported me always,” he added. - PTI

F E E L I N G P R O U D

IT’S OFFICIAL: Virender Se-

hwag calls it quits. – PTI

Bestowed the sobriquet of ‘Sultan of Multan’ after his triple ton in Pakistan, Viren-

der Sehwag carved a niche for him-self with his great hand-eye coor-dination to become India’s most destructive opening batsman of the modern era.

A fierce cutter of the cricket ball, Sehwag, 37, made a place for himself in the Sachin Tendulkar era with minimum footwork and maximum intent, a genius that was a delight on the field.

Making his international debut in an ODI against Pakistan, Sehwag went on to play 104 Tests and 251 one-day matches for India, scoring 8586 runs at an average of 47.35 in the longest version and 8273 runs in the 50-over format.

But it was his strike-rate of 82.23 in Tests and 104.33 in ODIs is what set him apart from his contemporaries. Sehwag has reg-istered 23 hundreds and 32 fifties in Test matches, while his 15 tons and 38 fifties were also delight-ful knocks in ODIs. He might have been trapped LBW for 1 in his ODI debut against Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar, a man against whom he won many battles in years to fol-low, but Sehwag scored a brilliant ton in his first Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein, while bat-ting at No.6. India lost the match by 9 wickets but Sehwag’s 220-

run fifth-wicket partnership with Sachin (155) is what stood apart making it clear that the boy from Najafgarh was here to stay.

Having instilled fear in opposi-tion bowlers, Sehwag’s crowning moment came in 2004, when he blasted a 309 against Pakistan and became the first Indian to score a triple ton in cricket history.

His voracious appetite for runs continued as four years later he scored the fastest triple century—in 278 balls — in world cricket af-ter hitting an unbeaten 319 against South Africa in Chennai.

Sehwag also holds the distinction of being one of the four batsmen in the world to have surpassed 300 twice in Test cricket, and the only one to score two triple centuries and take a five-wicket innings haul. Sehwag also notched up six double centuries in his 11-year-old Test career during which he made a dis-tinct place for himself in a batting line-up comprising big names like Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly.

In April 2009, Sehwag became the only Indian to be honoured as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for his performance in 2008, subsequently becoming the first player of any nationality to re-tain the award for 2009.

On December 8 2011, he hit his maiden double century in ODI

cricket, against West Indies, be-coming the second batsman after Tendulkar to reach the landmark.

His score became the highest in-dividual score in ODI cricket — 219 off 149 balls which was later bet-tered by Rohit Sharma — 264 off 173 balls on November 13 2014.

He is one of only two players in the world to score a double hun-dred in ODIs and a triple hundred in Test Cricket, the other being Chris Gayle.

Sehwag’s on-field duels with Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram and Austral-ian greats like Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne is stuff what fair-ytales are made off.

Sehwag’s pep talk to Akhtar is also well chronicled when the Jat from Haryana told the Rawalpindi Express that Beta beta hota hai, baap baap hota hai, while referring to Sachin Tendulkar’s famous hook shot against the speedster.

The story goes something like this: Sehwag was batting on a score close to 200, Akhtar kept pepper-ing him with bouncers and kept asking Sehwag to hook.

Sehwag’s response to Akhtar was “your daddy is batting at the other end, ask him and he will hook”.Sachin was batting at the other end and Shoaib bowled the bouncer to him. Sachin hooked him for 6 and that is when Sehwag

uttered those words. Sehwag’s useful off-spinners were always an added advantage and a help for many of his captains, who utilised his part-time bowling to frustrate opposition batsmen.

He bagged 40 Test wickets and 96 scalps in the ODI format.

His career though ended on a disappointing note after he was dropped from the Indian squad post the second Test against Aus-tralia in March 2013 and could never find his way back.

Incidentally, his last ODI was also against Pakistan, against whom he had made his debut, in January 2013 at Eden Gardens.

Sehwag’s domestic endeavours are also no small feat as the top-or-der batsman plundered 14396 runs in 191 first-class matches since making his debut in the 1997-98 season. His association with Team Delhi was a long one in which Se-hwag enjoyed many a successes and nurtured quite a few talents.

The ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ recent-ly switched loyalties, to captain the Haryana state side in Ranji Trophy. Though he admitted that it was only to make way for young Delhi talent. His short stint with Leices-tershire county in their T20 Cup and his presence in the IPL with Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Pun-jab were also thoroughly entertain-ing like the rest of his career. - PTI

A fierce cutter of the cricket ball,

Sehwag, 37, made a place for himself in

the Sachin Tendulkar era with minimum

footwork and maximum intent, a genius

that was a delight on the field

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Luplercrsa

NEWhwagtionareprlongilegegrea

Thdonnto 20fromhul DAnil

“I the ers guly,manKhanSingfromand gam

ThIndisaid in tedid p

F E E

IT’S hwa

Born on October 20, 1978 at Najafgarh, Delhi. Made One-day International debut against Pakistan in 1999 as an all-rounder batting at No .7.Scored maiden ODI century from 69 balls against New Zealand in 2001.Scored a century on Test debut against South Africa in 2001.In 2008 Sehwag scored the quickest triple-hundred in a test match, taking 278 deliveries against South Africa in Chennai.He scored the quickest ODI century by an Indian against New Zealand in 2009, taking just 60 balls, a record which was broken by

Virat Kohli four years later.In 2011 against West Indies, Sehwag became only the second batsman, after Sachin Ten-dulkar, to score 200 in an ODI.He has 23 centuries in Test Cricket, including the only two triple centuries by any Indian batsman.Sehwag is one of the four batsmen in the Test history to score two triple centuries, alongside Don Bradman, Brian Lara and Chris Gayle.He was a member of India’s victorious squads in the 2007 World Twenty20 and the 2011 World Cup.Sehwag played 104 Tests, 251 ODIs and 19 T20Is, scoring over 17,000 international runs.

F A C T B O X

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

LeisureSECTIONC L I F E S T Y L E W E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

Standing on the hilltop which is home to the

Piazzale Michelangelo I breathe deeply as I gaze

down on the city of Florence below.

STORY SCOTT ARMSTRONG

The Arno River snakes through this jewel of Italy as the sun sets over the stun-ning sprawl of rich red terracotta roofs perched

atop medieval buildings of all shapes and sizes, some washed in white, others summer yel-lows or burnt oranges.

Even the lofty dome of the Ca-thedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in the Piazza del Duomo, which rises out of a sea of autumnal colours surrounding it, seems small from this height.

One could almost think they were flying, and for a brief instant you understand how a wish to soar and swoop over the majesty be-low could inspire one of its most famous sons Leonardo da Vinci to conceive of flying.

Soaking in the landscape, oblivi-ous to those around me, I wonder if this view was the fuel behind Leonardo’s elaborate plans for hel-icopters and ornithopters all those centuries ago. Did he stand in the same spot as I now, centuries ago, formulating plans to make his dreams take flight?

A romantic notion indeed, but then Florence is a city that throughout history has embraced the idea that dreams should be realised, that boundaries should be broken, and that humankind can always be more than it is, in so many diverse and different ways.

Any guide book will tell you that Firenze, as the Italians call it, was the birthplace of the Re-naissance. Its leaders (then the wealthy Medici family) support-ed the arts and scientific endeav-our equally, creating the right cultural environment for people such as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Botticelli to flourish.

What the guide books and web-sites won’t tell you though is that the spirit of the Renaissance lives on in Florence in a palpable way. It is, of course, steeped in history and culture, as you stroll through the streets you breathe in the past, but somehow, more than anywhere this traveller has been, its legacy resonates into the present.

Having not the genius or poetry of the Great Men of the Renais-sance it is perhaps difficult to translate the feeling of Florence into words on a page, but the vi-brancy of the city and its residents is akin to a physical force.

If you sit and watch its people pass by, whether young or old, you see that the spark of openness, of curiosity, of simply wanting to be alive and enjoy life, burns brightly still. Florence is a city not defined by the ghosts of its past, but in-spired by them.

It is a place to come for all in need of their own personal renais-sance, not to escape the bitterness in the world, but to be reminded that hope, beauty, intellect and creativity remain as strong a force today as it was when Leonardo was a 14-year- old just starting out on his apprenticeship in Florence.

Have I tempted you yet? Plan-ning that trip now? So how to make the most of a trip to this beautiful city? Two answers, firstly ask a lo-cal and secondly just don’t worry about getting lost, explore.

On point one, rather than book into a hotel my family and I were lucky enough to be connected with Apartments Florence – apart-mentsflorence.it – run by young Florentines who love and know every inch of their city and who have hundreds of bespoke luxury properties dotted throughout

prime locations.Our home in Florence was

to be Barbadori, a chic modern (recently refurbished) two-bed-room apartment tucked away in a private alley but which was ap-proximately 45 seconds walk to one of Florence’s most prized at-tractions, the Pont Vecchio.

The ‘Old Bridge’ which has arched over the River Arno since medieval times is lined with jewel-lery shops. It is also one of the best locations from which to explore the city, with iconic landmarks in every direction.

Visiting during the height of Au-gust’s heat the apartment’s air con-ditioning proved to be a real boon (rather than just a ceiling fan), and it provided the ideal retreat after long days of exploring. Booking with Apartments Florence also proved to be great move.

We were ‘checked in’ by Franc-esco, one of those passionate Flor-entines who knows the city like the back of his hand.

He sat with us talking through all the locations he felt, as a local, we should go. Forget the tour bus, he said, just walk, search, and get lost.

Of course, we could not go too wrong as he circled our location and his top picks on a map.

And so we set off in search of his recommendations, including heading through the medieval gate at the Piazzetta di San Miniato (passing the Fuori Porta restau-rant where his girlfriend works), up the ‘Poggi ramps’, stopping half-way up to take in the Poggi rose gardens, before climbing to the top and the Piazzale Michelangelo.

Here a bronze cast of Michelan-gelo’s Statue of David looks down on the city below. It is here newly married couples come to have their wedding pictures taken, as gathered tourists part respectfully to allow them their big day.

Returning to that view you scan the city and your map looking for all the landmarks.

Beyond the Pont Vecchio, the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral and its nearby Baptistery of St John, both wait for your visit in the grand Piazza del Duomo.

To the right of the ‘Old Bridge’ the Piazzale degli Uffizi, where statues of Leonardo and Michel-angelo gaze upon the latest gen-eration of artists selling their creations to passing tourists head-ing towards the Palazzo Vecchio. These and so many more sights are circled on the map.

Florence is winding, twisting maze of a city where history in-termingles with modern shops, urbane bars and sophisticated looking eateries.

It is a place for the young or the young at heart, it’s a place to be inspired, fall in love, or re-affirm love, and simply refresh your soul.scottarmstrong@timesofoman.com

Where to Stay: For hundreds of apartments check out apartmentsflorence.it

How to Get There: Many airlines fly into Milan, including Oman Air which operates a direct flight from Muscat to Milan. From there the excellent Italian train system connects to Florence.

LIFESTYLEC8 W E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

Phot

os :

Supp

lied

, Shu

tter

stoc

k

What makes a great book? Some say it is the degree of empathy that the author draws from you. Others feel it is the emotional connect you make with the char-acters in the book. Another defi-nition I make is if a book inspires you to write something on your own then it enters the privileged world of great literature. A great book is something that you can’t put down and makes you give it a place in your thoughts for the rest of your life. The Shining is all this and more.

The Shining was not the first Stephen King book I read. Cujo and Pet Sematary came earlier. But The Shining made me feel that Stephen King is the best horror fiction writer in the world. No one else makes you hesitate to walk to

the toilet at the end of the corridor in the middle of the night the way King does.

King’s choice of character is master class. The characters in the story are six-year-old Daniel Torrence, his mother Wendy, and father Jack. Jack is the guy we all know who has it in him to be more than what he is but loses it all to his anger and falls prey to alcohol. Wendy is weak and small to Jack’s rage and masked insecurity. The only man in the family is little Danny. And he has to pit his might against an enemy that can terror-ise even an adult.

Danny is not a normal child and possesses a gift called the ‘Shin-ing’. Danny is psychic and can see into the future and feel out past events. When Jack loses his

teaching job at the school he takes up a temporary position as a win-ter caretaker of a luxurious hotel located in the wilderness of the Colorado Rockies, The Overlook.

Jack and Wendy are delighted at the prospect of spending a few months in the hotel which will remain cut off from the world during the winter. Wendy be-lieves Jack can complete his play and become a famous author and Jack wants to prove that he can stay off alcohol and do something worthwhile. Only Danny knows that The Overlook is evil and that Jack has not selected the job at the ‘Overlook’ as caretaker. Rath-er the ‘Overlook’ has selected his family with malevolent intention because of Danny’s psychic abil-ity. Incidents start happening that

are temporary blips on the picture perfect family. Like a rack, events stack up against Danny and his family. The pressure builds up inexorably with a sense of even-tual doom. Since 1977, when this book was first published, Stephen King lives in the minds of hotel guests forever.

- Reviewed by Cyril Antony George

LIFESTYLEC9W E D N E S DAY, O C TO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

Y O U R F A V O U R I T E B O O K

ARE YOU A PROLIFIC READER? Which is your favourite book? Pick one and send in your thoughts on it.

Contactsalim@timesofoman.com

Why Do You Love Photography?It isn’t just a passion. I have been clicking in the wild for so many years now, and have already around 10,000 selected pictures of Oman’s wildlife, stored in 5-6 hard disks. I want to create awareness about the rich wildlife we have here in Dhofar. I need to make my own contribution in conserving wildlife in Oman.

How Did You Get Into It?During my childhood days I just wanted to have cameras and click photos of anything. It was my mentor and teacher, Sayyid Musallam Ali Al Busaidi, who gave me the first camera as a gift years ago. Through him only I learnt about the wildlife in Dhofar.

How Can I Get Into It?You don’t have to wait. Buy a camera and some zoom lenses, and get into the wild. You might come across birds, snakes, foxes, wolves, and anything out there. Dhofar is a great region for wildlife photography. In Oman there are several nature reserves including Ras Al Hadd Turtle Reserve, Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, Wadi A’Sareen and Daymaniyat Islands.

What’s Your Pro-Tip?The first thing you need to be a wildlife photographer is a sharp eye. And, sometimes you have to be a bit lucky, too, to see wildlife.

For wildlife photography in Oman, contact Said (+968 9606 0560) at omandiver1@gmail.com, instagram:omani_diver.Other wildlife photographers based in Oman can be contacted on the Facebook page of Wildlife of Oman.PATIENCE

AND LUCK

THE HOBBYISTSaid Al Shanfari

Wildlife Photographer

The first thing you need to be a wildlife photographer is a sharp eye. And sometimes you have to be a bit lucky, too, to see wildlife.

The ShiningA horror story by Stephen King

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FIND-IT-ALLC10 W E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

CITY CINEMAContact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68. www.citycinemaoman.netfacebook.com/citycinemaoman

SHATTICrimsom Peak (Drama, Horror)(15+)(2D)Cast : Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston2:45, 7:00, 9:15, 11.30 pmWar Pigs (Action, War) (12+)Cast : Luke Goss, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Liddell4:00, 8:00 pmThe Martian (3D) (Action, Sci-Fi) – PGCast : Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain2:15, 4:45, 11:45 pmPet Pals in Windland (Animation) (PG)Voice Overs: Gerolamo Alchieri, Nanni Baldini 12:45, 2:30 pm99 Homes (Drama) (PG)Cast : Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon6:00 pmLegend (Biography, Crime, Thriller) – 12+Cast Tom Hardy, Emily Browning9:15 pmBefore We Go (Comedy, Drama) (15+)Cast : Chris Evans, Alice Eve, Emma Fitzpatrick7:30 pmMomentum (Action, Thriller) (15+)(2D)Cast: Olga Kurylenko, James Purefoy 12:30, 5:00, 9:45, 11:45 pm

MUSCAT GRAND MALLThe Last Witch Hunter 2D (Action| Fantasy) Cast : Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood9:15PM PG12Momentum 2D (Action, Thriller) (15+)12:15, 7:15 PMCrimsom Peak 2D (Drama, Horror) (15+)Cast : Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, 11:30PMGold Class : 8:45PMPet Pals In Windland 2D (Animation) (PG)10:30AM & 2:45PMGold Class : 4:45PMPan 3D (Adventure | Family | Fantasy ) (PG)

12:30 & 07:00PMThe Martian 3D (Action| Adventure) (PG)04:30 & 11:45PMGold Class: 3:30 & 11:00PMThe Walk 3D (Adventure) (PG)Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt2:15PMGold Class : 6:15PMEtiquette for Mistresses 2D (Tagalog) Cast: Kris Aquino, Claudine Barretto (TBC)4:30PM

AZAIBAMomentum – 2D (15+) Action, ThrillerCast: Olga Kurylenko, James Purefoy, Morgan Freeman 2:15, 11:50pmPyar Ka Punchnama – 2D (PG12) Comedy, Cast - Sunny Singh Nijjar, Sonalli Sehgal 2:15, 6:15, 8:45, 11:15 PMPet Pals In Windland – 2D (PG) Animation4:45 PMJazbaa – 2D (12+) Drama, Action, Adventure Cast – Aishwarya Rai Bacchan, Irrfan Khan, 2:15, 6:15, 8:30, 10:45 PMThe Martian – 3D (PG) Action, Adventure, 2:10, 6:15 PM

Wedding Pullav – 2D (PG) ComedyCast: Rishi Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Upasna4:45, 9:35 PMPan – 3D (PG) Adventure, Family, FantasyCast: Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman2:00 PMCrimsom Peak - 2D (15+) Drama, Fantasy, Cast – Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston4:00, 11:55 PMLife of Josuty – 2D (PG12) Family, Drama Cast: Dileep, Jyothi Krishna , Kalabhavan Mani8:50 PMThe Fighter – 2D (TBC) Action Cast: Ram Charan, Rakul Preet Singh7:00 PM

RUWIScreen 1Pyaar Ka Punchnama-2 (Comedy) – PG12Cast : Kartik Aaryan, Nushrat Bharucha3.30, 9.30 PMJazbaa (Action / Drama ) – 12+Cast : Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Irrfan Khan 6.30 PMScreen 2

Jazbaa (Action / Drama ) – 12+3.45, 9.45 PM Singh Is Bling - 2D (PG12) Action |Comedy 6.45 PMScreen 3 Talvar (Mystery/Thriller) – PG12Cast: Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Tabu 3.45, 9.45 PMJawani Phir Nahi Aani (Comedy) – 12+6.45 PMCast: Humayun Saeed, Javed Sheikh

SOHARThe Martian - 3D (PG) Action, Adventure Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen2:15, 9:00, 11:40 PMCrimsom Peak - 2D (15+)Drama, Horror Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, 5:00, 9:15 PMMomentum -2D (15+)Action | ThrillerCast: Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman 7:00, 11:30 PMBefore We Go – 2D (15+)Comedy| Romance Cast: Chris Evans, Alice Eve, Emma Fitzpatrick2:45, 7:15 PMJazbaa - 2D (12+) Drama, Action & Adventure

4:30 PMPet Pals In Windland - 2D (PG) Animation 2:45, 4:15 PMWar Pigs - 2D(12+)Action | War2:30, 11:45 PMWedding Pullav - 2D (TBC) Romance| Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Upasna4:30, 6:45 PMLife of Josutty - 2D (M) (PG12) Family 6:00 PM The Fighter 2D (Telugu) (TBC) ActionCast: Ram Charan, Rakul Preet Singh8:45 PMPatthu Endrathukulla - 2D (T) (PG12) ActionCast: Vikram, Samantha9:00 PMThe Last Witch Hunter - 2D (PG12) Action11:30 PM

BURAIMIMomentum – 2D (Action, Thriller) (15+)6:30, 10:00, 11:45PM Crimsom Peak – 2D (Drama, Fantasy (15+)4:15, 11:30PMKung Fu Jungle – 2D (Action | Thriller) (12+)Cast: Donnie Yen, Charlie Yeung, Baoqiang 4:45, 8:15, 9:45PM

The Last Witch Hunter – 2D (Action) (PG12)11:45PMLife of Josutty – 2D (Drama, Action) (PG12)6:45PMJazbaa – 2D (Drama, Action ) (12+)4:30, 7:00PMSingh is Bling– 2D (Action/Comedy/) (PG)9:15PM

SURMomentum (Action | Thriller) (15+) 4:00, 5:45, 9:30 PMCrimson Peak (Drama | Horror) (15+) 7:30, 11:55 PMWar Pigs (Action | War) (12+) 4:15, 6:00, 7:45 PMJazbaa (Hindi) (Action | Drama) (12+) 9:45 PMLife of Josutty (Mal) (Family) (PG12) 11:15 PM

SALALAH

The Last Witch Hunter (2D) (PG12) (Action)

Cast: Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood

9:15, 11:55PM

The Martian (3D) (PG) (Action, Sci-Fi)

2:15, 5:05PM

Crimsom Peak (2D) (15+) (Drama)

10:00AM, 2:00, 7:40PM

Momentum (2D) (15+) (Action/Thriller)

12:00, 4:05, 9:50, 11:45PM

Pan (3D) (PG) (Adventure/Family/Fantasy)

12:15PM

Pet Pals In Windland (2D) (PG) (Animation )

10:45AM, 1:45PM

War Pigs (2D)(12+) (Action/War)

10:15AM, 11:35PM

Jazbaa (2D)(12+) (Drama/Action/Adventure)

7:00PM

Kung Fu Jungle (2D) (12+) (Action/Thriller)

12:05, 3:15PM

Wedding Pullav (2D) (PG) (Romance/)

4:45PM

Patthu Endrathukulla (2D) (Tamil) (Action)

Cast: Vikram, Samantha (PG12)

8:35PM

The Fighter (2D) (PG12) (Telugu) (Action)

Cast: Ram Charan; 6:00PM

CINEMA SCHEDULE CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

ROYAL OMAN POLICE

Emergencies and inquiries: 9999

General Directorate of

Passport and Residence 24569603

Directorate General

of Customs 24521109

Traffic violations inquiries 24510228

Public Relations Admin 24560099

EMBASSIES IN OMAN

Afghanistan 24698 791/4

Algeria 24605 593

Bahrain 24 605 074/133

Bangladesh 24 698 660

Brazil 24640100

Brunei 24 603533

China 24 696782

Cyprus 24 699815

Egypt 24 600 982/411

France 24681 800

Germany 24835000

India 24684500

Indonesia 2469 1050

Iran 24 696 944/7

Iraq 24603642

Italy 24693727

Japan 24 601 028

Jordan 24692760/1/3

Kazakhstan 24 692418

Kenya 24 697664

South Korea 24 691490

Kuwait 24 699628

Lebanon 24 693208

Libya 24603466

Malaysia 24698329/643

Morocco 24696152/3

Nepal 24696177

Netherlands 24603706

Pakistan 24603439

Palestine 24601312

Philippines 24605335

Qatar 24 691 153/2/4

Russia 24602894

Saudi Arabia 24601705

Senegal 24694139

Somalia 24697977

South Africa 24647300

Spain 24691101

Sri Lanka 24697841/2

Sudan 24697875

Switzerland 24603267

Syria 24697904

Tanzania 24601 174

Thailand 24 602684/5

Tunisia 24603486

Turkey 24697050/1/2

UAE 24400000

United Kingdom 24609000

United States 24643400

Yemen 24600815

PHARMACIES

Round the clock

Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24782666

Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi 24702542

Salalah 23291635;

Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra 24503585

Muscat Region

Apollo, Al Hamriya 24787766

Muscat, A Seeb Market 24421691

Muscat, Al Khuwair 24485740

Muscat, Al Hail South 24537080

Dhofar Region

Muscat, Al Nahdha Road,

Salalah 23291635

HOSPITALS

Al Amal Medical & Health Care

Centre 24485052

Atlas Hospital

Ruwi 24811743/

Ghubra 24504000

Al Musafir Specialised

Medical Clinic 24706453

Hatat Polyclinic LLC,

Ruwi 24563641

Azaiba 24499269

Sohar 2683006

Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2

Al Massaraat Clinic &

Laboratory 24566435

Al Makook Medical

Coordinance Centre 24499434

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780

Capital Polyclinic 24707549

Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic,

Ruwi 24799760/1/2

Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740

Ceregem National Raak 24485633

Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217

Elixir Health Centre 24565802

Emirates Medical Centre 24604540

1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274

Hamdan Hospital 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

BAHJA CINEMAFilm information 24540856 / Advance Booking

24540855

Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

Crimsom Peak (Drama, Horror)(15+)(2D)

Cast : Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom

Hiddleston

4.00, 7.30, 9.45 & 11.55 pm

CP No: 2785 (15+)

Momentum (Action / Thriller )

Cast: Olga Kurylenko, James Purefoy, Morgan

Freeman

4.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 p.m.

CP No: 2786 (15+)

Before We Go (Comedy / Drama / Romance)

Cast: Chris Evans, Alice Eve, Emma Fitzpatrick

2.00 & 6.00 pm

CP No: 2787 (15+)

Pet Pals in Windland (Animation / Comedy )

Voice Overs: Belinda Keller, Anthony Lawson

2.00 & 6.00 pm

CP No: 2788 (PG)

STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776

Website: www.isurf.co.om

Life Of Josutty (Family Ent)

Cast: Dileep, Joythi Krishna, & Rachana Narayanan

3-30 Pm Cinema -2 ; 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema Main

Rudrama Devi (Telugu) (Act/Thrill )

Cast : Anushka Shetty, Allu Arjun & Rana Dagubati

6-45 Pm Cinema -4

Rudrama Devi (Tamil) (Act/thrill)

Cast: Anushka Shetty, Alu Arjun & Rana Dagubati

3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 Pm Cinema-3

Kunji Ramayanam (Mal) (Drama/Com)

Cast: Vineeth Srinivasan, Aju Verghese & Srinda

3-45 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema -4

The Fighter (Brucelee) (Telugu) (Act)

Cast: Ramcharan, Rakul Preet Singh &

Bramanandan

3-00 Pm Cinema Main; 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema -2

Next Change: Ennu Ninte Moideen 10 (Mal),

Endrathu Kulla (Tamil), Shaandaar (Hindi)

Programmes are subject to change

@MGM @RUWI

The Last Witch Hunter 2D (Action | Adventure | Fantasy) PG12Cast : Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie, Elijah WoodTiming: 9:15PM

@SHATTI

Crimsom Peak (Drama, Horror)(15+)(2D)Cast : Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom HiddlestonTiming: 2:45, 7:00, 9:15, 11.30 pm

@SOHAR

Patthu Endrathukulla - 2D (T) (PG12) ActionCast : Vikram, SamanthaTiming : 9:00 PM

Pyaar Ka Punchnama-2 (Comedy) – PG12Cast : Kartik Aaryan, Nushrat Bharucha, , Sunny Singh NijjarTiming: 3.30, 9.30 PM

Dhuhr 11.57pmAsr 3.15pmMaghrib 5.42pmIsha 6.52pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 4.51am

PRAYER TIMINGS

WEATHER

330

Maximum

270

Minimum

TEMPERATURE

50-75%RELATIVE HUMIDITY

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

SOWMITHRI BALAJI October 21, 2009

TIANA VIOLA PINTO October 21, 2002

WITH LOVE

LIFESTYLEC11W E D N E S DAY, O C TO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

A Bond with Nature

Location: Wadi Bani Ghafir (Rustaq-Miskin Road),

23°25’44.8”N 57°18’09.8”E

Have you been able to capture the beauty of an

off-the-beaten-path destination in Oman? Send

your pictures with a caption & geo-locator to:

salim@timesofoman.com

I N T H E N E W S

B R I E F

DUBAI: Classic car aficiona-dos will be spoilt for choice with 80 of the rarest, most desirable cars from the 1950s through to the 1980s gathered for the first time under one roof. Classic cars bring out the enthusiast in eve-ryone whether it be a restored 1960s Mini Cooper S or a vintage Rolls-Royce, there’s something that appeals to every budget and

every taste. For the first time, a host of motoring icons will join the leading lights of the Dubai In-ternational Motor Show (DIMS) as part of the Motoring Nostalgia Museum for classic and histori-cally significant cars.

Some of the world’s most de-sirable and collectible cars from the 1950s to the 1980s will add a vibrant new dimension to the

show for the visitors who will make their way through the Dubai World Trade Centre’s (DWTC) doors from November 10 to 14. “This new addition to DIMS is go-ing to be something very special,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC.

“We are aiming to make it fun, engaging and interactive by show-

casing the great eras of the mo-toring industry that will take our visitors back in time. It opens the Dubai International Motor Show up to a wider audience who are interested in all types of cars re-gardless of their age. These iconic vehicles are symbols of their gen-erations, as well as unique pieces which represent some of the greatest years of motoring.”

A collection of the finest and most significant cars in the histo-ry of the automobile from Europe, the United States and Asia have been generously loaned from Mo-hammed Ben Sulayem, Tomini Classics, the Sharjah Museum and the Al Ain Classics collections as well as from a number of proud owners from the Dubai Grand Pa-rade for the duration of the show. Catherine Grennan, Head of Clas-sic Car Division, Tomini Classics, said: “Tomini Classics is thrilled to have the opportunity to share our collection with the car en-thusiasts who visit the Motoring Nostalgia Museum.”lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Motoring Nostalgia Museum at Dubai International Motor Show

It’s Veni, Vidi, Vici at Nathu La

GANGTOK: Visiting Nathu La is no less than a pilgrimage, but not of the religious kind. At 14,420 feet above sea level, one is struck by the sheer history that sur-rounds this strategic mountain pass which connects the north-east Indian state of Sikkim to the Chumbi Valley in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.

An off-shoot of the famous Silk Road which networked trade routes since 500BC, the “listening

ears pass” or Nathu La is about nature, history, beauty, and sheer ingenuity all rolled into one.

No amount of preparation can get one ready to travel to the his-toric pass. The overcast skies only added to the chill when we set off from Gangtok, the capi-tal of Sikkim, in an SUV at 8.30am. The next four hours that followed made for one of the most unforgettable trips I have ever undertaken.

Just 54km from Gangtok, Nathu La was a nodal point for commerce and exchange of knowledge between India, China and rest of the world. The roads meandered to sights that make one cling on tightly to the seat.

At some hairpin bends, the val-ley below looks like a good dozen kilometres down; however, at another turn, it’s a pristine wa-terfall that wakes a traveller’s visual sense.

Sealed by India after the 1962 Sino-Indian War, Nathu La was re-opened in 2006 fol-lowing numerous bilateral trade agreements.

Nathu La is one of the two open trading border posts between China and India, the other being Shipkila in Himachal Pradesh.

With the opening of Nathu La as the second route for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims in June, the neighbours have gone a step ahead in strengthening con-fidence-building measures.

A visit to Nathu La is strictly monitored by the Indian Army and it’s open on five days of the week, barring Mondays and Tuesdays. -IANS

LIFESTYLEC12 W E D N E S DAY, O CTO B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

These cities are not mere concrete jungles. They

are big, bold, and beautiful. They are destinations

with urban pleasures steeped in natural and man-

made beauty, and a combination of magnificent

architecture and breathtaking vistas.

Barcelona, SpainThe capital city of the autonomous commu-nity of Catalonia in Spain and Spain’s second most populated city, Barcelona is a banquet for the senses, with its mix of ancient and modern architecture, tempting cafes and markets, and sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches. Visit the Museu Picasso, or throw down a towel on Barceloneta beach. When the sun goes down, it offers the best nightlife in the world.

Florence, ItalyCapital of Italy’s Tuscany region and birth-

place of the Renaissance, Florence is a beauty in its art, architecture, history, and cuisine. The most popular sites include the Cathe-

dral, the Baptistery, the Uffizi, the Bargello, and the Accademia. The churches of Santa

Maria Novella and Santa Croce are veritable art galleries, and the library of San Lorenzo

is a magnificent exhibition of Michelangelo’s architectural genius.

Cape Town, South AfricaA port city on South Africa’s southwest coast,

and on a peninsula beneath the imposing Table Mountain, Cape Town blends urban

culture with the great outdoors. Slowly rotat-ing cable cars climb to the mountain’s flat top,

from which there are sweeping views of the city, the harbour and boats heading for Robben

Island in Table Bay. The prison that once held Nelson Mandela is now a living museum.

Prague, Czech RepublicNicknamed ‘the City of a Hundred Spires’, Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is bisected by the Vltava River. It’s known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colourful baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, with a popular show. Each of Prague’s districts has its own characteristic atmos-phere and unique charm.

Rome, ItalyRome wasn’t built in a day, and you’ll need much more than a day to take in this time-

less city. A sprawling, cosmopolitan city with nearly 3,000 years of globally influential art,

architecture and culture on display, Italy’s capital city has ancient ruins such as the Ro-man Forum and the Colosseum which evoke the power of the former Roman Empire. The

city is a real-life collage of piazzas, open-air markets, and astonishing historic sites.

Paris, FranceOne of most visited tourist attraction having various notable architectural landmarks and natural locations, Paris, France’s capital, is a major European city and a global centre for art, fashion, gastronomy, and culture. Beyond the landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral, picturesque 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine.

Vancouver, CanadaThe largest city in British Columbia, Canada, Vancouver is a popular filming location, and is surrounded by mountains. The city’s forests, grand parks, and impressive suspension bridge beckon travellers to explore them, as do the city’s shops and museums. It’s bounded to the north by English Bay and the Burrard Inlet and to the south by the Fraser River.

Kyoto, JapanThe former capital of Japan, famous world-wide for its temples and shrines, Kyoto was the centre of politics and culture for 1,100 years. It’s a refined city on the island of Honsh with thousands of classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines, and traditional wooden houses. It has four geographical features, the coastal area around Maizuru Bay, the Tanba Mountains, Kyoto Basin, and the Yamashiro Basin.

Rio de Janeiro, BrazilThe bustling city of Rio de Janeiro has been one of Brazil’s most popular and frequented tourist destinations for decades. The city is also known for its sprawling shanty towns. Its Carnival festival, featuring parade floats, flam-boyant costumes and samba, is considered the world’s largest, and is famed for its Copaca-bana and Ipanema beaches, 38m Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mt. Corcovado and Sugarloaf, a granite monolith.

Beautiful Cities Around the World

D R E A M H O T E L

Taj Falaknuma Declared Best Palace Hotel in the World

HYDERABAD: The Taj Falak-numa has been awarded number one position among the best pal-ace hotels in the world category for 2015 by the world’s leading travel and tourism website - Trip Advisor. The coveted award is given to hospitality industry’s best that have attained outstand-ing reviews from discerning trav-ellers across the world, according to a statement by Taj Falaknuma.

After 10 years of sensitive res-toration, the Taj Group of Hotels opened this 60 room private pal-

ace in 2010 to offer its guests a glimpse of the imperial lifestyle of the Nizams, the rulers of erst-while Hyderabad state.

Once the residence of Mir Mahboob Ali Khan (1869-1911), the sixth Nizam, the palace had been lying unused since 1911.

It was Nawab Vaqar-ul-Um-ra, the Nizam’s prime minister, who built the palace in 1893. Im-pressed by its magnificence, the Nizam bought it for himself.

It is amongst the most luxuri-ous of all Baroque mansions in

India. The interiors of the Taj Falaknuma Palace are a state-ment in royal opulence, replete in its large Venetian chandeliers, rare furniture, grand marble staircases, priceless statues and objects d’art and murals en-cased in ornate frames along with a Palace Library, which is a collector’s envy and home to rare manuscripts and an ac-claimed collection of books.

“It is our constant endeav-our to offer unique and impec-cable experiences to our guests. This award is really a testa-ment to our staff’s efforts to ac-cord world-class service, deeply rooted in India’s rich tradition of Indian hospitality delivered with warmth and sincerity to our guests,” said Taj Falaknuma Palace general manager Girish Sehgal. Taj Falaknuma Palace was also recently acknowledged by Conde Nast Traveller UK Readers’ Travel Award for being amongst the world’s best hotels and Travel + Leisure India & South Asia’s India’s Best Herit-age Hotel Awards 2015. -IANS

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 D8

W E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

RENT D2

RENT: NEAR AL FALAJ HOTEL : DELUXE 1 B H K with 2 bath rooms, built in wardrobe, security & split a/c with furnished & without furnished. Watt ayah- Honda S/R-Back side : DELUXE 2 B H K with 3 bathrooms-built in wardrobe, split a/c ,security . Contact:

990 49 722

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

One /two, B/R, Res / comm. flats

near Bank Muscat Bausher from

owner directly . Contact: 92158031

Flat for rent in Al Hail 5 floor build-

ing 1bedroom R.O 180/-, 2 bedroom

R.O 260/- Mabela, 3 bedroom R.O

280/- near Nesto Hyper market.

Contact: 99614346

2BHK flat + AC Amerat 6 km from

Amerat police. Contact: 95521432

600 SQT Commercial flat for rent op-

posite Oman flourmill Darsait more

details please Contact: 91214849/

95729711

1BHK R.O 190/- & 2BHK R.O 225/-

near Medical Darsait Muttrah house.

Contact: 98748925

New buildings commercial / residential in Muttrah both

will BE rented out for one com-

pany only for more details. Contact:

99364735/95729711 Deluxe 3 BHK Penthouse with Seav-

iew, ideal for office / residence at

Qurum near PDO. #9772 1313

Villa at Al Khuwair having six

bedrooms, six bathrooms, sitting,

dinning, hall, kitchen . Contact

24833972/24833974/99367448 Single BHK flat avail-

able in Honda road Ruwi Contact

24833972/24833974/99367448

Brand new deluxe flats located near

Seeb fly over on the right hand side

of the main road coming from the

Seeb palace roundabout, two bed-

rooms family, hall, kitchen, 3 toilets,

balcony & split unit AC.

Contact: 97755586

D2 W E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

3 rooms, Majlis, living room,

kitchen, 4 toilets & swimming pool

in Amerat Heights (phase one).

Contact: 99277377

Um Obelah 5/1 just walking dis-

tance from the Nesto hypermarket

and opposite the new pullman mall,

2 bedrooms with two toilets and

seating area on 4th floor. only 250

omani rial. Contact 99203381

Flat for rent, 3 bedrooms, kitchen &

bathroom in wadi kabir for 280 RO.

Contact : 97771444

3 BHK Penthouse Flat with Split

A/Cs, Free Unlimited Broadband

WiFi, Security access system, Pvt.

Terrace & Secured car park,

Opposite Kims Hospital Al Falaj,

Monthly Rent: 625/-.

Contact: 99657906 or 24702141

1BHK Wadi Kabir. #99024730

1& 2 BHK C.B.D. Contact: 99024730

Duplex flat Al Athaiba, near Sultan

Center 3BHK, 3 Bathrooms, hall &

living room family only 500/-R.O.

Contact: 92479515

Flat AL Ghubrah near 18 Nov ST,

bedroom, living room, 2 bathrooms,

first floor without ac family only

325/- R.O. Contact: 92479515

Deluxe beach front villa at Al Hail

North with 5 bedrooms and Staff

quarter having excellent finishes is

available for immediate occupation.

Contact: 93888666 / 244493666 /

99228454

Bedroom ground floor apartment

with sitting, 2 baths, big richen close

to Indian School near to Mars

hypermarket Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 98011224

For rent one bedroom Majlis, 2

toilets, kitchen, balcony Greater Mut-

trah near Muscat Electricity distribu-

tion new building rent

R.O 230/-. Contact: 99243059

Deluxe 2 bedroom flats MBD, Ruwi,

Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99472457 /

24707340

Al Hail Villa & Flats. Contact: 95282986

Flat 2bedrooms, 2 toilets, kitchen

and sitting room in Al Ansab.

Contact: 95302993 / 95216161

Office/Shop 28 SQM, Wadikhabeer,

Contact 93004902

2BHK with Split Unit A/C ,

Wadikhabeer near Indian School,

99441193, 93004802

2BHK with Split Units , WadiKhabeer,

93004802.

Flats and shops for rent in Ruwi,

MBD Mumtaz area. Contact :

97293708 / 92433127

2 BHK available Ghubra near

Al Maha hotel. Contact: 99269751

1BHK , 3BHK flats at Wadi Al Kabir

new building with split unit and lift

behind Muscat Bakery.

Contact: 99338133

Furnished room for rent at

Al Khuwair R.O 225/- for family only.

Contact: 99251975

Villa Al Amerat behind Al Raffah

Hospital 5BHK, living room, hall, 6

bathrooms, split ac family only 425

R.O. Contact : 92479515

Deluxe, spacious & air conditioned

two bedroom flats with good quality

finishes, wardrobes & secured base-

ment parking are available for rent

in Azaiba North, close to 18th No-

vember Street. Contact: 93888666 /

24493666/ 99228454

Air conditioned two bedroom flats

centrally located at Al Khuwair

are available for rent. Contact:

93888666 / 24493666 / 99228454

2 rooms, bath room & kitchen OR.

175/- & 2 B.H.K OR. 250/- Wadi Kabir

near Sana. Contact: 95094028

Flat Al Khuwair near Bader

AL Samaa, 2 BHK living room,

2 bathrooms, Kitchen split ac family

only 350 R.O. Contact 92479515

Flat 3 mint from Indian School,

2 BHK, living room, 3 bathrooms

without A/c, Ground floor family only

340/-R.O. Contact 92479515

Flat for rent 2BHK Wadi Kabir near

Kuwaiti Mosque. Contact: 97007934

/ 92629232

Staff accommodation / 2 storey

full building available for rent in

Rusayl, near Industrial area. Contact:

99352441 / 98116480 / 99358724

2 bed room flat at Al Khodh com-

mercial Street Souq. Contact :

99224748 / 99332297

1000 sq mtrs industrial land in Gha-

la suitable for ware house, work shop

etc. Contact : 24700120 / 92584715

Brand new residential flats in Wadi

Kabir near Muscat football club,

have 2 bedroom family hall, 2 toilets,

Kitchen with spilt AC for 250/- R.O.

Contact: 95999904 / 98585889 /

92383886

2bed room villa in Sidab, 2 Bedroom

villa in Wadi Kabeer. Contact :

95755953 / 95555162

Villa for rent in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact: 95562646 / 99059333

Furnished flat for rent, 3 rooms with

attached bathroom, 1 dining room,

1 sitting room, 1 kitchen at Al Hail

South. Contact 99835995

For rent a full office building of

3100 sq mtrs opposite to Central

Bank in CBD (Ruwi) for R.O 4 per Sq

mtrs. Contact: 95330200

600 SQT commercial flat for rent

opposite Oman flourmill Darsait

more details.#91214849/ 99364735

1 room, 2 rooms, 3 rooms with all

supplements including water elec-

tricity and sewage. Also we provide

the following services free 1plumber,

electrician for any failed center for

garbage on price call on Farahat

98020768 , Hilal 96541263

New flats for rent At Darsait near to

Ministry of Sports, Mumtaz area the

flats includes1 living room,

2 bedrooms, Kitchen, 3 toilets, every

rooms with split A/C, high quality

finishing, rent RO 340 /-.

Contact: 00968 92225523

Workers’ campus, shops, work-

shops, stores in a building in

Al Misfah, Wilayat Bausher.

Contact 98918090

02 BHK commercial / residential

(with split AC) Flat at Honda road.

Contac: 99342733 / 99795241

02 BHK residential flat opposite

to Al Nadha Hospital. Contact:

99342733 / 99795241

1000sqm industrial and with com-

pound well & two rooms at Misfah.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

Readymade office space for rent

(100sm) in Bank Melli Iran building,

MBA area, Ruwi, opposite Center

Point. Contact: 99011352

Shop / store for rent about 250 sq

mtrs area in the heart of Ruwi City

good for restaurant, store or general

sale. Contact 99326639

DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5 D3

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

FOR RENT

Shop for sale North Al Hail near

Zam Zam Hyper market. Contact:

99618161 / 94422131/ 96557131

Expat leaving, house hold Items

for sale W. machine, A/C, furniture.

Contact: 90320430

A reputed Muscat based logistics

company owned & well maintained

MAN prime mover (2011) & Trailer

(40 ton) available for sale. model

year 2011. Done (730000) kms and

in excellent condition. For buying

enquiry & inspection of the vehicle,

please call Mr. Hamed Al Brashdi on

92829030 on or before 3 PM of 25th

Oct’ 15.

Well running shop at Hamriya (5

yrs old), for immediate sale. With 2

visa activity printing & stationery,

designing, corporate gift items, sig-

nage work. Contact: 96395770

A well running Pharmacy at prime

location for immediate sale. Contact

92548672 / 99627621 / 99516236

Attention to wholesalers, retailers

& manufacturers. We can Sell/Buy

your dead stock. Contact : 99742983,

95226989

Split A/C -2, Window A/C- 25, Iron

cot- 120, cupboard - 130, water

cooler - 2, Gas big - 2, small-3 ,

Grinder-1 , Chapatti tava-1 ,

Fully furnished, 2 bedroom luxury

flat for rent at Ghala for short or long

term basis. Contact: 91786526 /

99881653

2bedroom centrally air conditioned

flat at CBD. Contact: 24714625 /

94460790

Flats in Wadi Kabir. Contact:

99376454

2 bedrooms flat with hall, 2

bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat

Municipality. Contact: 92584715 /

24700120

1BHK flat spilt with A/C Al Khu-

wair, 230/-. Contact: 99358589 /

95570288

Ware house space for rent at Ghala

and Barka up to 20000/- Sqm.

Contact: 99509460 / 93731363

1, 2 BHK in Azaiba. Contact:

99385835 / 99428143

1BHK flats available for rent in CBD

area. Contact: 98116480

1 & 2 bedroom flats available for

rent in wadi-kabir (opp: pencil bldg),

ideal for company staff / families -

bulk corporate deal possible.

Contact: 97677170

Running furniture showroom for urgent sale.

Ladies beauty parlor sale at u rah.

Contact - 91135930

Running furniture showroom for urgent sale.

Ladies beauty parlor sale at u rah.

Contact - 91135930

ACC. AVAILABLE

ACC. AVAILABLE AVAILABLE

Available for rent 1500 sqmt,

secured plot, suitable for keeping

containers, construction equipments,

trailers etc, near Sohar Airport-

Contact 98236616

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirt-

ing, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery,

Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes,

Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Sys-

tems and spectacular lighting. Call

Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and

Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light.

ww.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

For saleA reputed Muscat based

logistics company owned & well

maintained MAN prime mover

(2011) & Trailer (40 ton)

available for sale. model year

2011. Done (730000) kms and in

excellent condition.

For buying enquiry & inspection of the vehicle, please call Mr. Hamed Al

Brashdi on 92829030 on or before 3 PM of 25th Oct’ 15.

Fully furnished office space in As

- Assalah Tower Ghobra. Contact:

98202001

Furnished room with attached

bathroom separate balcony MBD

area available for couple or Execu-

tive bachelor. Contact: 96275098

Furnished single room for Exe.

bachelor at Rex Road near Kamat

Hotel with WIFI available. Contact

92873832

Furnished room available in Ruwi.

Contact: 99740622

Sharing accommodation available

in Bausher with split AC. Contact:

99223261

Sharing accommodation available:

Bedroom with attached bathroom

for Indian executive bachelors.

97704794

Furnished single rooms available

for Executive bachelors at Ruwi.

Contact : 93431089

Furnished master b.room with

attached bath ,and Furnished

room with sharing bathroom fully

equipped kitchen immediately avail-

able in N. Azaiba. 95450250

CLASSES

SITUATION WANT-ED

BUSINESS

M.V.FOR SALE

ACC. WANTED

BWM 320i 2006, 120K kms, black fully automatic engine interiors exte-

riors in excellent condition R.O 4200

(O.N.O). Contact: 92801633

Toyota Fortuner Safari2013 First

hand owner from oman Toyota

agent Kilometers Reading : 41700

km Phone:95203620

4-5 bedrooms villa with / without

swimming pool in Wave / Madinat

Qaboos / Al Shatti area. Contact:

91396909

INVESTORS in real estate needed

to develop and construct a low cost

housing and memorial/burial parks

in the Philippines. Return of invest-

ment is very good due to big de-

mands. Business partner is available

to help you. Please email drjmd719@

gmail.com for details.

IELTS & TOEFL

Academic / General

Target Band 8

TQT Institute.

Ph # 24480800 / 99347202

stove-2, kitchen equipment etc .

Contact: 99328223

Office for sale in Ruwi Cham-

ber Oman. Contact : 94241385 /

97244766

Homegym with cross trainer for

sale. Contact 95367937

Comm. & Res land in the heart of

Ruwi 2400 sq mtr for sale.

Contact : 91155779

Comm. & Res land in Darsait, opp.

Pakistani School, 900 sq mtr for sale.

Contact: 91155779

Used Fabrication machinery for

sale : Fabrication machinery and

tools in excellent condition for

immediate sale. Contact

94652485/ 99273774/ 99202278

Comm. & res. land for investment

for 25 years in Ghala heights.

Contact: 91155779

Comm. & Res land in Ghala heights

400 sq mtr for sale. Contact:

91155779

For sale land in Amerat 3000 Sq.mt

with petrol pump permission.

Contact 99323957 / 92702891

Semi furnished two Bed room flat

immediately available in N.Azaiba

.Contact -95450250

Furnished room for rent Indian fam-

ily near Honda road. #99076546

Room available at Walja. Contact

96246625

Sharing accommodation for family

or bachelors near Indian school Ghu-

bra. Contact : 99836676 / 99056701

Single room attached bath

S/ kitchen at Mumtaz area.

Contact: 95212017 / 96916398

1 BHK available at Al khud in Baskin

Robbins building. R.O.200. Contact:

97261418, 94194876, 99478492

Furnished room for rent for Indian

family near Honda Road. contact

99016546

Sharing accommodation available at

Darsait near ISD specious room, bath,

passage sharing kitchen. Preference

Vegetarian. Contact: 99419390

Studio flat MBD Ruwi.contact

95698714

Room for Rent Alkhuwair - Behind

Al Aktham Restaurant. 120 RO.

With elec. and water.For executive

bachelors only. Contact : 98803261

Flat for rent available in CBD near

Costa Coffee. Mobile no.92820734

Private room with toilet near Qurum

park incl. W& E, monthly RO 220/-.

Contact Hassan 99349990

Accommodation available for

indian executive bachelor’s (no

kitchen).RO:125 including water

and electricitycontact 98145825,

98949724

DAILY GUIDED4 W E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DOMESTIC HELP

EDUCATION

CATERING

ENGINEER/TECH/MECH

ACCOUNTANT

DRIVER

MEDICAL

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SALES / MARKETING

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

We required driver (L.M.V). Con-

tact: 92392979

Urgently required one experi-

enced House Driver to work in

capital area. Contact: 93888666 /

24493666 / 99228454

Required Driver for home. Contact

92542504

Required heavy duty driver,

preferably with good experience

and communication skills. Contact:

91408759 Email: hanaa.alritaj@

gmail.com

Urgently requires Heavy Duty Driver with valid Oman

driving license and electrical

foreman (Diploma holder with

6 years over head line experience.

Fax: 24814699 ,

Email: info@sajgloballlc.com

GSM : 93210740

Required Indian driver with

Omani driving license and experi-

ence to work in house. Contact :

96255558

Driver with Oman driving licence

needed. Visa available.

Contact 94288863

ADMIN

Required Prometric passed nurse to

join clinic from end August. Contact:

99352793

Female Lab Technician required

urgently for Sohar International

Medical Centre-reasonable sal-

ary and furnished accommodation

-email: muttaheraziz@yahoo.com ;

sohar.imc@gmail.com / tel:91304511

/ 92369417 /93342567

Request urgently a Pharmacist

for new pharmacy in Amerat only

Indian (male) National with MOH

license. #only Watsap: 97313310

New private clinic looking for GP

Doctor & OBS & GYNK Doctor & staff

Nurse with MOH license in Oman.

Contact: 97882811

Required lady physician with Ultra

Sonography license lab techni-

cian male/female for a poly clinic

in south sharqiyah region. Email:

writevinnu@gmail.com

Required MOH licensed Laboratory

Technician for a reputed Medical

center at Azaiba ready to join by

1st Jan 16. Please contact any time:

92724345 evening only:

99676812

Wanted Staff Nurses (female) with

or without MOH license for a poly-

clinic near Sohar. Excellent salary &

accommodation. Contact 99006915,

email : alhinaee.clinic@yahoo.com

Medical care center, Multispecialty

clinic, Seeb requires General Practitioner, medical lab techni-cian & pharmacist. Mail CV to -

sarita_h23@yahoo.com

or Call - 97884856

Immediate Opening for laboratory

technician. Should have MOH license

to work in medical centre in capital

area. Excellent Package,

Accomodation will be offered.

Contact 99340135

Required teachers with B.Sc B.Ed

, BA B.Ed, Karate and art for Omani

Pvt. School. Contact : 95141554 /

95825772

Post Graduate researcher required. Contact 99229700

ARCHITECT

Interior Designer; Post Graduate

in Interior Design with Diploma in

Journalism, 2 years work experi-

ence (1 year in UAE) in concep-

tualizing designs for residential/

commercial projects. Interested in

taking up full-time, part-time or

freelance projects in Oman. Contact

no. 97897018 Email: nimimenon@

gmail.com

Interior 3d designer, good knowl-

edge in softwares. #93837973

Architect with bachelor degree

4 years experience in architec-

tural design (interior & exterior)

professional in (3D Max- Archicad

- AutoCAD - Photoshop). Contact:

96041201 Email: amer.yousfan@

gmail.com

Senior Finance Manager, B.Com,

ACA, ACMA, Indian Male with 19

years experience and 10 years in

Oman. Currently employed with a

reputed Manufacturing and Trading

Company. NOC available. contact

-97239328

Wanted Accountant in finance

department of trading company.

CA with 4 years local experience.

All accounting, finalization and

reporting, Age below 30 years driv-

ing license and NOC must. Contact:

99332547

Urgently Required: Accountant

cum Store Keeper- with 3 years

experience in building construction,

MUST have NOC and immediately

join. Apply, fax 00968–24605955,

emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com.

Required Accountant present in

Oman. Not for candidates on visit.

Contact: 99454425

Wanted Accountant. Contact: 94007259

Email: smylackal@gmail.com

Required ACCOUNTS OFFICER to

ensure accurate processing of rev-

enue data into ERP systems and in-

voicing module. Posting of invoices

to customer SAP portal and delivery

to customer offices and interface

with Country Manager / Reporting

to Regional CFO. Qualifications : BSc

Accounting. Relevant experience

and knowledge on Online Account-

ing Systems especially the cus-

tomer SAP system. SUBMIT CV to :

me-job@interwell.com

Fresher 24 years B.Com Graduate,

Tally 7.2 & ERP-9, looking for a suit-

able placements in accounts. Contact:

97219505

Accountant finance Indian male 24

years B.Com Tally ERP-9, 4 years

working experience in India on visit

visa seeks immediate and suitable

placement. Contact: 95583953 /

96392009 Email: shafadmusthafa@

gmail.com

Accounts finance Indian male 22

years B.Com Tally ERP-9, 2 years

working experience in India on visit

visa seeks suitable placement. Con-

tact: 95636987 / 94280567 Email:

nihadniha777@gmail.com

Male accountant BSc Hons (Finance

& Accounts) having 2 years experi-

ence in accounts, looking for suitable

job on visit visa. Contact: 91420128

Accountant Indian male 6 years

experience in Oman having driving

license & NOC. Contact: 96012973

Indian male Accountant looking

for a suitable placement in Salalah.

More than 20 years experience in

accounting job (upto the finalization

of accounts), 8 years working experi-

ence in Middle East in Dubai, Salalah.

Contact: 91325029

Sr. Accountant M.Com (finance) 15

years experience (2 years in Oman)

with a reputed firm, NOC available.

Contact: 92404608

Email: jin_75@rediffmail.com

Accountant Indian male Charted

Accountant and bachelor in Com-

merce having 3.5 years experience

in Auditing presently in Muscat

and seeking for suitable position.

Contact: 91656202 Email:

sanoopvarghese90@gmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT. 8 years

experience. Noc Available. Oman

driving License seeks suitable Op-

portunity. GSM- 98184170

CMA, three years experience 24, In-

dian on visit visa seeking accounts

/ Audit position. Contact: 96694516

Email: kalathiljoe@live.com

Indian male 25 B.B.M Arabic,

English, Hindi speaking 2 years

experience in Accounting at Oman

seeking suitable placement. Contact:

91266733 / 96392009 Email:

safvank.k9@gmail.com

Accountant, B.Com, male, having

2 years Oman & 8 years Kerala ex-

perience in finalization of accounts,

stock maintenance, payroll, tally

ERP , MS Office etc. NOC in hand.

Contact: +917356273548 Email:

shajumathew23@gmail.com

ACCA member / B.Com looking for

Accountants / auditing or relevant

job on visit visa. Contact:

97769145

Accountant cum Sales Execu-

tive Indian male 29 yrs, 6 years

experience in Oman presently on

visit visa, Oman D/L, NOC available.

Contact: 95273713, Email:

binadam399@gmail.com

Having 14 yrs exp in accounts &

finance, looking for senior jobs in

accounts. NOC available. Contact :

99800982 / 94413946

Male, 27 years work experience

3 years lost employment Admin-

istration Manager and Finance

Executive education MBA and BBA

finance C.G.P.A 3.71 Good hardwork-

ing professional. #99685330 Email:

hussain_ca87@yahoo.com

A fiberglass products manifest-

ing company required experienced

South Indian Cook. Interested can-

didates. Please email CV to

alhosnif@gmail.com or call on

99871101

Wanted full time maid for Indian

family. Visa provided. Contact :

97448484 / 95539842

ACCOUNTANT, Indian male 28 years,

6 plus years of GCC experience, pres-

ently working in Oman as an Account-

ant, seeking for a suitable job position,

NOC available, Contact: 95089869

E-Mail: anuchunda@gmail.com

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT, Indian

male having 7 years experience as

functional finance head, presently

working in Muscat as Asst. Finance

Manager seeking for a suitable posi-

tion. NOC available, contact 9178 9950

/ Email: igneshmlazar@gmail.com

SITUATION WANT-ED

SIT. WANTED

ADMIN/ HR MISC

Urgently required for a Hotel

/ hotel apartments in Muscat:

Receptionists (Omani) – male /

female. Contact 97677211

A well reputed profile sheet &

Purlin manufacturing company

urgently requires following person-

als with valid Oman driving license,

Factory Manager, Accountant, Sales

Executive. Send your CV to ap-

plymd2015@gmail.com

Required cleaner/helper for res-

taurant at Ruwi high street. labour

clearance ready. Contact 92836495

Indian female MBA , 3 Years

experience in Admin MIS , family

Visa. Contact 98234427,

jkjsmith01@gmail.com

10 years Gulf & 4 years Oman

experience in HR / Admin & lo-

gistics fluent in Arabic / English

with D/L looking for suitable

position. Contact: 95824598

Looking for job Admin / HR. Re-

lease available. #94229041

A BBA degree holder Man look-

ing For suitable job #95864575

Indian, Male having 8 years in

purchase and admin furnish-

ing / metal scrap On visit visa,

available to join Immediately

if selected – contact 00968-

96675184 , 97704828

Indian male, HR / Admin (MBA)

Executive with 3 years experi-

ence (UAE , India) seeks suitable

placement ready for immediate

joining. Contact: 90162412

HR/ Recruitment specialist

with 8 years Oman experience in

entire gamut of HR functions like

resource planning, recruitment,

HR policies & procedures perfor-

mance appraisal, expatriate af-

fairs, exit interviews & ticketing.

Contact 93825307

Email: javthath@rediffmail.com

Indian female graduate fluent in

English/Arabic(work purpose) with

5+ experience in Admin, Logistics

and 2 years in Insurance handling,

looking for suitable opportunity.

Contact 93221054,

email: nurinabhavania@ymail.com

Domestic helper for a family in

Muscat. Must be able to cook Indian

food & speak Hindi. Cleaning home

laundry and accompanying chil-

dren. Contact: 91396909

Required Sales executive & Graph-ic Designer Omani with experience

for Advertisement company. Submit

CV to choice.ap@gmail.com Contact:

97982427 or 97982406

Sales man with 3- 5 years experi-

ence with driving license to work

in insurance brokerage in Oman.

Contact: 93544244

Required Sales Executive with

corrugated cartons manufacturing

background. Minimum 3+ years

experience. Omani D/L is a must.

Please send CV to this email:

corrugatedpackagingoman@gmail.

com

Wanted outdoor salesman for elec-

trical, hardware and sanitary items.

Should have 3 years local experi-

ence selling similar products. Age

below 30 years, driving license and

NOC must. Contact: 99332547

Job opportunity in real estate

company, with experience in Real

Estate Management field. Send CV :

careers@realestatesouq.com

Require sales executive with expe-

rience in hydraulic hoses, crimping

and services / building materials -

contact@absmct.com/92830110

Required urgently for sales of

building materials, PPE & related

products with driving license & 4+

yrs experience in this field. Email

CV & expected package to

salesforoman@gmail.com

Urgently required: Sales Execu-tive- with 5 years experience in

aluminum and sales, MUST have

NOC and immediately join. Apply,

fax 00968–24605955,

emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com

Required Sales Executive for a

leading building material manufac-

turer in Oman having valid Omani

Driving License and 1-2 years of

sales experience. NOC from the cur-

rent sponsor is required.

Contact: 95646844

Sales & Marketing Executive for

travel and tourism.

Contact: 92890506

A trading company in Muscat requires Sales Executive with

minimum 1 yr experience & Oman

driving license & welding machine /

electronics / power tools technician

with min. 1 year experience.

Email: jobs.trading2015@gmail.com

Sales Co-Ordinator Required Urgently – Any Graduate with 1-2

years experience in DTP work with

good knowledge of MS Office and

Internet, Age: 21-28 years can apply

to careers@teejanequipment.com

Wanted Sales man (experienced in

transporting etc). contact 94007259

Email: smylackal@gmail.com

Required experienced Sales / Marketing Executives having light

license. Send your CV

ocean@omantel.net.om

Accountant Indian female having

5 years exp in finalization, audit

and administration in GCC pres-

ently in Muscat seeking suitable

position. Contact 97323574 Email:

sreeja@236@gmail.com

10 yrs UAE experience fin. Control-

ler looking for job change. Contact:

98006226

Accountant Indian male 10 years

experience in Oman can do up to

finalization and good knowledge of

Tally ERP- 9 can be joined immedi-

ately with NOC. Contact: 94134085

Email: muscatoman95@yahoo.com

Sr. Accountant (finance) 14 yrs Gulf

experience in contracting & trading,

valid UAE driving license (visit visa-

Salalah) looking for suitable place-

ment. Contact: 98110814

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, WITH Oman

D/L & 8 yrs experience, 7 yrs Oman &

1 yr India in manufacturing, trading

& contracting Cos, independently

handling all accounting, finance,

banking, L/C, import, export &

finalization seeks placement,

Call +968 95436710

Keralite lady (2 yrs experience in

Oman) required job in Accounts. Con-

tact: 97096918

Accountant, Indian female on visit

visa degree: B.Com, exp 6+ years in tally

ERP-9 (latest), finalization of account,

Tax, Accounting, Stock maintenance

payroll etc. Contact: 91551164 /

91175456 Email: jothipriya@gmail.com

10+ yrs UAE experienced Fin.

Controller looking for job change.

Contact: 98006226

Accountant with 3 yrs exp in Oman

having driving license and Noc.

Contact: 91307632

MBA (F&M) experience 1.3 year.

Contact: 97445488

Email: abinbabygeorge@gamil.com

Part Time Accounting, Accounts

Finalization, Audit Preparation,

Internal Audit, Accounting System for

New Companies, Contact: 96975454,

email : ibfc.gcc@gmail.com

Sri Lankan Male Accountant, Age

26, BBA Spl, CA Inter, Having more

than 5 years’ Experience in

accounting field seeking for Suitable

Placement NOC Available Contact:

97250638 msmnaja@gmail.com

Indian male with B.Com, MBA

finance & marketing 14 yrs exp seek-

ing suitable placement.

Contact : 0091 8697292219,

Email : rejesh.nair@gmail.com

Indian male 8 years experience hav-

ing B.Com and MBA ready to work in

HR customer service,

Admin banking & related field.

Contact : 97436890 / 96939803.

Email: girimub@gmail.com

Indian lady, bachelor degree in

Preparatory Programme (BPP) and

Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), com-

pleted training course in MS Word,

Excel, Power Point and Outlook from

KTI looking for full time / part time

job opportunity in Oman.

Contact 92437568, 96795853,

Email: linda_navs@yahoo.com

Accountant, Indian Male, 15 Years ex-

perience (8 Years in Oman with Driving

License & NOC) Seeks suitable place-

ment, Contact 94117616, 91238272

praveen78oman@gmail.com

Male, business Graduate having an

experience of 10 years in the field of

banking & finance, administration ,

currently employed at EPC Contract-

ing Company as Finance & Admin

manager is looking for a suitable posi-

tion, NOC available can join within 2

weeks. Contact : 93235690

Chief Accountant, 12 years of Oman

experienced looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 99513082

Part time accountant, senior ac-

countant, doing all type of ac-

counting works, up to finalization.

contact.95254864

Situation Vacant

Star Hotel looking for a

well experienced Indian

Chef / South Indian with

minimum 3 yrs

experience.

Email : albalushi@hotmail.co.uk, mutrahhotel@googlemail.com

Or Call: 96668830 / 24790951 / 24790952

Wanted Civil Engineer, gradu-

ate for building construction and

maintenance company. Should have

3 years local experience handling

construction projects. Age below 30

years, driving license and NOC must.

Contact: 99332547

Urgently required Civil Engineer,

Diploma holder with experience.

Contact: 95766844

Urgently required for a leading

Company Planning engineer. Fax

: 24478522, Email : gh1.careers@

gmail.com

Turning or Mechanical Engineer wanted to work in workshop if

interested please call: 96996884 /

98021385 / 99745330/ 95179003

Experienced construction Civil Engineer with qualification

(attested) certificates & with Omani

driving license.

Contact: slayhawk@yahoo.com

Aluminum Foreman – with

minimum 5 years experience in

aluminium fabrication, MUST have

NOC and immediately join. Apply,

fax 00968–24605955, emails

sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com.

Urgently Required: Mechanical Engineer for a steel fabrication

welding workshop 10 yrs exp he

should know how to design drawing

with auto cad estimate & quotation

he must have exp to supervise job of

workshop & sites. Contact: 97130671

Required foreman for a steel weld-

ing workshop 10 yrs exp.

Contact :97130671

Wanted urgentlyA well known family in

Oman urgently needed an

experienced Indian

female part time or full

time Nursing Assistant to

take care of their Mother

recovering from stroke.

Contact 99717791 or 94084335

Part time accounting works up to

finalization on monthly basis.

Contact: 96247295

Accountant Indian male 32 years

B.Com 5 Plus years experience in

Oman, seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 94410485 / 98008164

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with 13yrs

experience, 6 yrs Oman in manu-

facturing, trading & contracting Cos,

capable of handling all accounting,

finance, banking, L/C, import, ex-

port & finalization seeks placement.

NOC Available. Call+968-98932752,

mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com

Finance Manager, 12 years experi-

ence in leading Construction and

manufacturing companies (9 years

in Oman) have strategic vision and

proven leadership ability. B.Com,

CPA- USA & modern accounting

certificate from “AUC”. “NOC” in

hand. Contact: 97220505

Indian female 28 years M.Com,

Accountant having 6 years experi-

ence in Accounts, finalization, Tally

currently on visit visa.

Contact : 95595083 Email:

merlinfernandes16@yahoo.in

ACCA finalist, Recent B.Com Gradu-

ate, Indian female, looking for full

time employment in Accounting

and Audit. +968 96964379,

sangeethaumesh5@gmail.com

One of the leading porcelain tiles manufacturing company in Oman needs the following candidates:

1. IT Executive with 3 - 5 years of experience in IT (Male /

Female).

2. Executive Assistant to M.D (for our factory at Sohar) with 3

- 5 years of experience in same field (Female).

3. Marketing Co-ordinator with minimum 3 years’ experience

in same field (Male / Female).

Omani candidates are more preferable.

Please send CV within 5 days to jobsa@omanporcelain.com

Quantity SurveyorDiploma/Degree in Civil Engineering

Having minimum 5-10 years experience in

building construction company in Oman/GCC

Countries.

Must be able to prepare estimates, tender, material

take off and material sourcing, handling of projects

and handling of labour force.

Forward CV to email: alyounistrading@gmail.com Fax: 24706099

EDUCATION

Required English Teachers (native

speaker), candidates for teaching

should have minimum bachelor de-

gree and having experience not less

than 3 years. Please submit your CV

through email till 15th of October

2015 for more information please

Contact: 24498423.

Email: info@omrantraining.com

DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5 D5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

DOMESTIC HELP

EDUCATION

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

MEDICAL

MEDICAL

IT

HOSPITALITY

MISCELLANEOUS

PROJECTS

BA Export Management, GCC, D/L

12 years Muscat experienced in

purchase / commercial seeks any

placement. Contact: 99775988

Microbiologist, Indian female, 25

yrs Msc Microbiology with 2.5 yrs

Exp in Hospital & Dairy industry. Ex-

pertise in Microbial analysis of milk

products and clinical samples. Cur-

rently in Oman seeking for suitable

job opportunities. GSM#94767297

Email:shobi24190@gmail.com

Indian male 30 yrs 9 experience

in Oman housekeeping supervisor

with NOC seeking suitable place-

ment. Contact: 96254837 Email:

sudheeshmrf@gmail.com

Omani National looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 91908052

Maintenance foreman looking for

suitable position in real estate or

MEP work. Contact : 99526958

Indian female Diploma in Indian &

foreign Accounting having 1 year

experience in Oman seeking suit-

able placement. Contact: 95714285

DESIGNER

Indian House maid looking for job.

Contact: 91834383

Jordanian Engineer in MECHANICAL

& MANUFACTURING Good experience

Sheet Metal Fabrication, AutoCad,

Solidworks 3D, Storage Tanks & Silos,

Sales - Speaking Arabic/English/Rus-

sian -GSM#90198575 / 99201710

Indian Mechanical Engineer, 30, having 8yrs of UAE Sales/Busi-

ness Development. experience in

Electromechanical and Irrigation

sectors. Contact no- +971558763220

email id-sangowri@outlook.com

DRIVER

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

DRAUGHTSMAN

Autocad d/man, exp in arch, interior

3d, photoshop. Contact : 93837973

Civil designer, Autocad, Diploma

(3 yrs) Civil Engg, well exp PH :

92741929

Architectural & Structural Draughtsman 5 years experience.

Contact: 97312627

Draughtsman Civil with AutoCAD.

Contact 97105408

Autocad D/man Exp in Arch , Interior

, knows 3D, Photoshop Ph :

93837973

Indian male 28 yrs, Master degree

in Computer Application and CCNA

certified, 2 years exp in Oman look-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact: 93295112 Email:

syedsadathali.mca@gmail.com

Indian female, 30 yrs, Interior Designer

Bachelor degree with 5 yrs working experience seeking suitable

placement in Oman. Contact 98499975,

Email :swasdesigner@gmail.com

M. Com B. Ed Indian lady

looking for suitable openings.

Contact: 97668603

Civil Engineer, Indian male, 25

years, B.Tech, have 3 years experi-

ence in building construction seeks

suitable positions. 92609893,

alenalexander123@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer (B.E) with 5

years experience (3 yrs in Gulf) NOC

available. Contact: 92119851 Email:

mayurdevadiga@gmail.com

Resident Engineer B.E civil 25 years

exp 12 yrs in Architecture consul-

tancy having Oman Dubai D/L NOC

available. Contact: 95732453

Email: milindj951@gmail.com

Indian female MDS Endodontics,

9.5 yrs experience recently cleared

Oman prometric 84% looking

for suitable placement. Contact:

95624156 / 97233074

Project/ Program Manager/ Finance professional

bank, telecom, transport. .

Contact - 97203531

Interior designer, advanced diplo-

ma interior, 3dmax maya coreldraw,

photoshop. Contact : 93837973

Driver, 42 yrs, suitable job K.S.A 12

years Oman, 4 years release avail-

able. Contact: 93885404

Looking for driving job. Contact:

93650209

Light driver need job exp 4 years.

Contact: 94208089

Looking for driving job. Contact

98219182

Indian driver, 4 years experience

in Oman with car looking for suit-

able job (NOC available). Contact:

93053917

Light duty driver looking for job, 2

yrs exp. Contact : 96342684

Driver seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98134080

Pakistani, light driver looking for

job exp, 4 years. Contact: 96346582

20 years experience. Contact:

94795033

Indian Driver need job. conrtact

91254539

Light driver looking for job.

Contact: 96942547

Light driver looking job

exp. 4 years. Contact: 94208089

20 years experience Driver D/L in

Oman, seeks suitable job.

Contact : 99775728

Light driver for job 5 yrs exp.

Contact: 92171166

Bangladeshi male driver, 48 yrs,

exp 14 years, 9 years need job &

visa, got release letter. Contact:

99165961

Pakistani driver seeks for job,

holding license of Oman exp in

driving in Oman 6 years. Contact :

92604918

Indian driver 13 yrs exp. looking for

fulltime or part time jobs. contact

91103909

Pakistani male light vehicle driver

looking for job. Contact: 96474528 Driver with car. Contact :91452930

ME Communication System, Exp

in RF/Microwave, Access Ctrl, Net-

working & Server Ph: 95508754

Indian male (22) Java /J2EE

specialization with BCA Graduate

having 6 months experience in web

application development / IT techni-

cal support, looking for suitable job.

Contact: 00968 96292480 Email:

farzeenfarook@gmail.com

IT Telecom / Networking Engineer

with CCNA & CCNP, 3 yrs experi-

ence, currently in visit visa. contact

97435944 Email: abdulsameerr@

gmail.com

Computer and Systems Engineer. Contact: 91770668

Indian male B.Eng in IT CCNA

MCITP, 2+ yrs exp in IT support,

Networking and Server support.

#93311963 Email: sajal035@gmail.

com

Male 25 years B.E (CSE) 3.5 years

experience in System and Network-

ing / IT support currently in visit

visa looking for a suitable job. Con-

tact: +968-98914760

IT System Administrator MCSA Su-

danese UAE experience. #91302074

B.Tech prince 2 certified IT Proff.

with 16+ yrs experience, 8 years

experience in banking IT projects

and risk management, support

vendor management looking for a

suitable position on visit visa. Con-

tact: 92703635, email : anilsingh@

live.in

Indian male 28 yrs, Master degree

in Computer Application and CCNA

certified, 2 years exp in Oman look-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact: 93295112 Email:

syedsadathali.mca@gmail.com

Computer & Network Engineering.

11 yrs experience looking for

suitable job. Contact 92811179/

95882614 Email: khalido24@

yahoo.com

B.F hotels management 2 years exp

food and beverages service, kitchen,

4 languages, N.O.C available. Con-

tact: 95196212 Email:

mido.hossams09@yahoo.com

Hotel exp 4 years F+ B (service) visit

visa expires 13/11/2015, B.A Hotel

Management. Contact: 91987013 /

96971643 Email: shinekls34@gmail.

com

Indian 14 years experience in con-

sumer goods as Marketing Manager

with visa D/L. Contact: 90314809

Indian HSE Manager, Grad IOSH & I

Dip Nebosh aged 43 years with more

than 20 years of experience working

in reputed oil & Gas / construction at

Oman seeking suitable HSE Position

(Manager / Trainer / Advisor). NOC

available. Contact: 97926801

Email: johnkjoseph630@yahoo.com

Manager- Media & Advertising

industry-15 yrs Gulf exp - seeks suit-

able opening- 93031168

Indian female 2+ years Oman

experience with D/L seeks suitable

position in Business development /

corporate & retail sales in training

/ IT / education ITES companies.

Contact: 98989784

Indian Male 22 years B. Com Gradu-

ate currently in Oman on family visa

looking for a job, preferably in sales

department. Also possess a valid

Oman driving license.#98504698

Indian male 10+years of Gulf experi-

ence as a Sales Executive in FMCG

Industry with valid GCC license.

Contact: 93512696

Pakistani male, 8 years sales and

marketing experience specialized in

MBA, Marketing with valid driving

license (GCC), NOC and with best

sales performance award looking

for suitable position Email: sheraz.

rotanahotel@gmail.com , 99249296

/ 93313173

Indian male, 23 yrs, post Graduate

Mechanical Engineer M.SU (U.K) 1

year Sales exp. having Oman D/L

seeking for suitable employment

in reputed firm. Contact: 91419764

Email: z.enggoman@gmail.com

Female Electrical power system

Engineer with experience seeks suit-

able placement. Contact: 99842083

Indian female 25 years B.Tech

(Electrical) having 4 years experi-

ence in tendering, estimation and

costing seeking suitable placement

currently on family visa. Contact:

97228117

Indian male 26 y Mechanical en-

gineer on express visa with 4 years

India experience in HVAC Design/

Estimation/Site Execution is seek-

ing a suitable job in Muscat contact

99339707 (ashfaq_1974@yahoo.

com)

Maintenance planner (CMMS),

Indian male 29 yrs, B.Com, MBA hav-

ing 5 years Gulf exp in oil and gas

industry in planning dept. currently

on visiting visa, looking for suitable

job. Contact: 93179096

Civil Engineer, Indian male, 11 years

experience in construction, having

D/L and NOC. Contact: 94194399

Email: shiblyrock@gmail.com

B.E Mechanical Engineer Indian

male 27 years having 4 years experi-

ence including 2 years GCC experi-

ence, seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 90156984 Email:

noorullahanas@gmial.com

M.Tech (Electronics) Indian lady (on

visit), 5 years teaching experience

in engineering colleges also running

entrance coaching centre for 8 years

is looking for a better placement in

colleges, schools & office etc. Con-

tact: 93596002

Indian male 23 years, B.Tech Electri-

cal Engineer 2 years experience in

construction + Auto Cad designing,

is looking for suitable job. Currently

on visiting visa. Contact: 98266897

Email: elbinkeldhose92@gmail.com

Indian B. tech Civil, 19 years exp ,

seeks suitable position.

Contact: 98365910

Email: kks.pkd1969@gmail.com

Omani Mechanical Engineer with

2years Experiences looking for new

opportunity . Contact:95993315,

alrus7idisaif@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer, B.Tech, with 8

years GCC experience (5 years in

Oman) in MEP & Oil/gas construc-

tion/Inspections side with NOC, is

seeking new assignments in Oman.

Has attested degree certificate and

Oman D/L. Contact No.96083636,

Email:tobineasow@gmail.com

Indian male, Mechanical Engi-

neer having 1Year experience,

on visit visa looking for suit-

able job. Contact:97416564,

Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com

Indian male 24 years Instrumenta-

tion technician have 2.5 years expe-

rience in India, seeks a suitable job.

Contact: 92696798 Email: ajoarik-

katt@gmail.com

Diploma Engineer civil. Contact

91151237

Architect more than 2 years exp in

design, site supervision with strong

knowledge in AutoCAD, Revit , 3D

Max, Photo shop and Microsoft

office looking for a good job. N.O.C

available. Contact: 90162685 Email:

mohamed.dakrory92@gmail.com

Qualified Engineer with 3-5 yrs exp

in purchase, 2.2 yrs in automotive

service, excellent communication,

presentation and management skills.

PH: 968 91306841; Email:

shanyphilip23@gmail.com

Indian male B.Tech Mechanical

Eng (2 years exp in India) fire safety

seeking suitable placement. Contact:

93523752

Telecom Engineer Indian male 27

years, Telecom field Engineer expe-

rienced in vsati microwave 1.3 years

of experience. Email: rogin.mk@

gmail.com Contact: 95216362

Civil Structural Engineer profes-

sional in R.C structural design & Q.S

& shop drawings. C.N (97983610)

Electronics diploma 1 year exp in

telecommunication, mobile tower

field support Engg. Vishnu Madhu

Soodanan. Contact: 94519571 /

95233636 Email: vishnumadhull@

gmail.com

BSc. in Civil Engineer 12 years ex-

perience in infrastructure & building

having UAE D/L currently on visit

visa looking suitable placement.

Contact 91206763 Email:

delwar.civil.97@gmail.com

Diploma in Civil Engineer, have

total 4.5 years experience & have 1.5

years experience in Oman. Contact:

96535084

Mechanical Engineer (Indian male) with experience in HVAC & Fire fight-

ing looking for suitable placement

in electro mechanical field. Contact:

90154793 Email:

sangu.vazhoor@gmail.com

BE Mechanical Engineer, 23 years,

Indian male on visit available for im-

mediate placement please contact:

96145820 or arunsankar.10.92@

gmail.com

B.Tech Engineer (Civil), having 14

yrs of experience (6 years in Oman)

with valid driving license is seeking

for a suitable placement. NOC avail-

able. email: masum.civil10@gmail.

com GSM:97455456

Civil Engineer B.Sc 5 years experi-

ence with building construction

companies in Oman seek suitable

placement. Contact: 98180524

Electrical Instrument Engineer

having 10 years experience in high

voltage and low voltage with exten-

sive experience in instrumentation

& automation, approved from PAEW

for more info. Contact: 92950788 /

Email: engtariq2007@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer with 7 years

experience in oil & gas field have

extensive experience in QA/ QC

(Static equipment) , have API 653 &

CSWIP3.1 certifications for more info:

khaled19858@gmail.com Contact:

91917294

Civil Engineer 5 years experience

with construction companies in

Oman having valid driving license

seek suitable placement. Contact:

99742280

Mechanical Technician oil & gas

with 9 yrs experience in GCC worked

in rotating EQP, Static EQP, commis-

sioning and troubleshooting looking

for an opening. Contact: 99598462

Email: bakash_85@yahoo.co.in

Mechanical Engineer, Indian male

22 years seeking job in a reputed

firm in Oman. ASNT- NOT level 2

course completed 2 years experi-

ence in India. Available in Oman on

visit visa until 06/11/2015. Contact:

95393960 / 95037962

Diploma Civil Engineer 11 yrs expe-

rience (9 yrs building construction

+ 2 yrs O&G) with valid Oman D/L

seeking suitable placement. Contact:

97669006 / 99142744 Email:

shafique88am@gmail.com

A senior professional with Engi-

neering background is available for

Executive lead in Contract Manage-

ment, Coordination, Execution in

construction establishments and

consultancies. Contact: 99703972

Experienced Civil Engg profes-

sional 12/26 years ran a company

as Working partner have estima-

tion, tendering of high rise building

infrastructure steels conc. Products

seeks suitable placement. contact

95360102 / 94460357

Civil Structural Engineer profes-

sional in R.C Structural design & Q.S

& shop drawings. C.N (97983610)

Project Engineer (Electrical) 5 years

experience in Oman primary substa-

tions + OHL, oil & gas, AutoCAD de-

sign driving license. NOC available.

Contact: 93210528 / 99410588

B.Tech Software Engineer nearly

2 yrs Engineer nearly 2 yrs experi-

ence seeking job in Oman, currently

on visit visa. Contact: 95184451

Indian B.E Electronics Communica-

tion Engineer available in Muscat

on visit visa 3+ years experience in

automation system. Contact:

97439738

Civil Engineer with 8 yrs exp in

construction field & all related work,

having Oman driving license & NOC.

Contact: 97613084

4 years experience Electrical Engi-

neer electrical primary substations

UG cables and OHL, fluent in English

and Arabic. Contact: 91204243

Electrical Engineer 4 years experi-

ence oil and gas electrical substa-

tion water project fluent in Arabic

and English primavera p6 operator.

Contact: 99525856

M.Tech having 3 years experience in

Mechanical Engineering department

looking for any University to hire.

Contact: 90150913

Email: rahmanmechengg@yahoo.in

B.Tech Mechanical Engineer with

MBA in marketing & HR 3 yrs exp

seeking suitable placement. #0091

9846568080 / 0091 4772702080,

Email: jbabu4@gmail.com

Civil Engineer, Indian male 29, hav-

ing 7 years exp in construction field&

Auto Cad in Oman. Having valid

driving license. Fluent in English &

Arabic. Looking for suitable job in

reputed firm. Contact - 99650569

Indian male, 26 yrs, B. Tech Com-

puter Science, 4 years experience

as System and Network Engineer

looking for suitable job. #93125669

Email: amritrajgt18@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer Indian male

2.5Years Of experience Looking

for suitable Job. Contact:91845173

Email:er.joshidhaval@gmail.com

B.Sc Civil 9 years experience look-

ing for suitable placement as a

Residence Engineer having valid

Omani D/L. Contact : 94431917 Email:

gmssohel.ce@gmail.com

Bangladeshi female Project Engi-

neer Civil having 5 years experience

or construction site currently or

visit visa looking a suitable position.

Contact 91207329

Email: dipabangladesh@yahoo.com

Male Project Engineer (Civil) 12

years experience Dubai + SA in con-

struction & water supply field with

valid UAE D/L Currently on visit visa

looking suitable position.

Contact: 91206763

Email: delwar.civil.97@gmail.com

Indian male, 26 yrs, 4 years experi-

ence diploma in Civil Engineering

field on visit visa looking for suitable

job. Contact: 95585564

Email: safvanullal6644@gmail.com

Civil Engineer B.Sc -6 years experi-

ence with constructions companies

- 1 years in Oman - qualified as Site

Engineer & Planning Engineer.

Contact+968-94682217

Degree Civil Engg total 9 yrs experi-

ence, 7 yrs in Oman Construction

Company with valid Oman driving

license. Contact: 99721926

Email: tanvircivil@gmail.com

Civil Engineer degree, diploma,

Staad pro, Auto CAD 18 months In-

dian exp seeks suitable opportunity.

Contact: 93682529

Aeronautical Engineer Indian

female 22 yrs, currently on family

visa looking for suitable position in

any air line / Engineering Industry.

Contact: 91705598

Email: nikhimnoushad@gmail.com

Engineer with 4 years Telecom

experience in Oman, having Oman

driving license looking for a suitable

opportunity. Interested in marketing,

NOC available. Contact : 98513495

SUPERVISOR: Indian male site

supervisor (AIR CONDITIONING)

25 years of experience with valid

Oman Driving lic

Contact: 97498809, 93391910

Email: hilariankj@gmail.com

Engineer with 3 yrs experience in

Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical

maintained field on visit visa looking

for suitable job. Contact 99191535

Email: fareed029@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer Indian male 29

years, having 5 years of experience

in industrial automation and utility

maintenance in India (MRF Tyres),

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 92789995 Email:

akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING

Road and Construction Engineer

exp 5 years in Oman. #97646908

Btech computer science graduate

2015 passout.. Android application

marketing.. Having good communi-

cation skills and mindset to work in

a team. Contact 91024385

B.Tech Elec., Engineer, 8 yrs exp in

Oman valid D/L. #91456023

Indian BE (MECH) aviation BE

degree diploma in material quality

management 17 years Navy aviation

13 years construction purchase

stores professional on visit.

Contact: 90205082 /98796982

Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suit-

able job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com

C-SWIP 3.1 ASNT level 2 QC Mech.

Engr 5+ yrs exp Indian male 26

seeks suitable placement.

Contact : 91823331

Email: kannasekhar46@gmail.com

Electrical and Electronics Engineer with one year experience and GCC

licence holder seeking a job

mail – shyjalpk@gmail.com

Indian male BE Mechanical currently on 2 yrs free visa with NOC

& local release. Looking for suitable

job in Muscat.

Contact – 90296975 /

ali.syedausaf@gmail.com

Medical Lab technician, MSc, 29

years, An Indian female having 3

years experience with prometric

passed on family visa seeking suit-

able placement in capital. Contact:

93231549 Email: sujithsolomon@

yahoo.co.in

MSc Nurse specialized in OBG,

3 years experience-certified ACLS,

BLS, on visit visa, seeking suitable

opportunities Contact: 90125347

Indian female Dentist (BDS) 3 Yrs

Exp ,PROMETRIC Passed, Presently

in Visit visa looking for placement.

Contact-24286098, 99284260

Indian female, Ayurvedic doctor

(BAMS) with 7 years experience

looking for job: Now on family visa,

Contact: 94051242; Email: anil-

nath2000@gmail.com

Palestinian dentist looking for job in

private hospitals, Medical Center or

Dental Centers

in Muscat 15 yrs exp P. hospitals out

Muscat. Contact:

96951750

Indian female Bsc nurse with

3year experience prometric passed

seeks suitable placement.contact

95782544

Indian male Nurse, prometric

passed seeks suitable placement.

Contact 97284508I

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com

D6 W E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

SIT.WANTED

SIT.WANTED

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

India male 33 years. DCT, BBA,

OSHA, looking for Job in Construc-

tion HSE, 11 Years experience with

GCC license, NOC available

Contact :- 9418 4280

Indian male having 7 Years of Expe-

rience in Oman Having Valid Driving

License working as a Office Driver

,Looking for a suitable Position, NOC

Available. Contact: 99680429, E-

mail:anzarkutty1975@gmail.com

Syrian architect have years and half

experience in oman looking for work,

full time perfect in architectural

programs 3d max , auto cad , Pho-

toshop , and sketch up. for contact :

0096897482871

Female, Indian, 35 years, Bachelor

of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) fresh gradu-

ate with BSc looking for positions in

Front Office, administration office,

or any suitable positions in hospital,

polyclinic, companies or Institutions.

Contact 90236481.

Indian Male 47 years MBA-Opera-

tions Management with total 25 Yrs

exp inclusive of 9 yrs in Oil & Gas

sector in Oman, having valid Omani

D/L & NOC, seek challenging posi-

tion in SCM/Logistics/Procurement.

GSM-94236414. Mail id –

dialindia33@gmail.com

Well experienced management

finance specialist having 18 years

experience available for placement.

Contact.95602518

23, Male, ACCA Affiliate, OBU Bsc,

2.5 years of experience in audit and

finance in Big 6 Firms, Looking for

permanent placement in similar

field. Release NOC available. Contact:

#95140445, a.saran891@gmail.com

22, Male, Indian, BBA (Marketing),

1 year experience in India, Looking

for suitable placement in Sales and

Marketing. #91897046,

azzamsiddique1@gmail.com

Indian Male,27,ACCA Part

Qualified,B.COM with 7+ yrs exp in

receivables and credit control in

Oman looking for suitable place-

ments. NOC available. # 9657 4343.

Indian Female, Science Graduate,

3 years Experience in Teaching back

home. Looking for a suitable job op-

portunity as a teacher, in Schools in

Muscat Region. Contact : 96431456

/ 95704814

Looking for a suitable job as Jr.

Accountant/ Jr. Administration in

a reputed company. NOC Available.

GSM # 93004738.

ACCOUNTANT, Male, 8 years experi-

ence, presently working in Oman as a

Senior Accountant with oman Driving

license. NOC available, seek suitable

opportunity. GSM: 97705854

Chemical Engineer Indian 2 years

of experience in production field

Contact: 91247222

Email:sahadpoonchola@gmail.com

Syrian male 3yrs. exp in IT support,

Networking, Security systems, Serv-

er support, IT sales and marketing.

Valid Omani D/L seeking suitable

placement. Contact 91033395

Civil Autocad Draughtsman part

time work for job mob :

96023726

Indian female, MBA, 25yrs Having

4yrears of experience in MNC, hands

of experiences in recruitment and

administration, flexible for any suit-

able job placements currently in

visting visa. Contact Tel : 98864639

Email : neethuvijayan06@gmail.com

Indian Male, 25, Chartered Account-

ant, working with ICICI Bank India.

On a Visit Visa in Oman. Staying with

parents at Azaiba. Ph: 24492638.

Email: shyamal008@gmail.com

Indian Male, 26 Yrs, Business

Management, 6 years in Oman.

Knowledge of MS Office and Arabic

Language. Seeks suitable position.

Contact 93931935

Indian Mechanical Engineer, 30, having 8yrs of UAE Sales/Busi-

ness Development. experience in

Electromechanical and Irrigation

sectors. Contact no- +971558763220

email id-sangowri@outlook.com

Indian male, with finance and Law

degree, having more than 25 years

of experience in Finance/ Accounts /

Audit (5 years of Oman experience)

seeks suitable placement. NOC avail-

able. Contact: 98421619.

E-mail: talemadhamu@yahoo.com.

Indian male Executive Secretary

having vast experience in admin,

logistics & procurement well versed

with computer seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact : 99514286

Pakistan Male: 24 years,M.Com

Finance having 2.5 year experience

as a accountant & marketing execu-

tive looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 97670816,

E.mail: naeem.ahsan68@gmail.com

ACCOUNTANT: Indian male 25 hav-

ing 4 years experience in accounting

& having well knowledge in tally.

Contact:968094535881,

0091 9037622048,

Email: vishnuraj889@gmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, 8 years ex-

perience ,Oman driving licence,Noc

available. Seek Suitable opportunity.

GSM- 98184170

Senior Accountant. 8 Years experi-

ence. NOC available. Oman driving

license. Seek suitable opportunity.

GSM- 98184170

31 year Indian male PG in HR ,with 5

yrs Professional experience in HR in

Construction Oil & Gas Oman seek-

ing for a suitable placement. Kindly

contact me on 93488914, email-

Kaarthickshankar@gmail.com

MBA Finance with more than five

years of experience in Finance &

Accounts including GCC, looking for

a suitable opening. Having UAE driv-

ing license. #91391802.

Indian female with MBA in finance

seeking immediate placement.

Contact: 968-93316493

Sudanese/26/Bsc Computer Sci-

ence /3 years exp/skills Excellent

knowledge in operating systems

and maintaining computers Java

Programmer Web Developer Linux

SMS solutions Android developer/

email khalid.omx@gmail.com/

# 944958080 and 99758186.

Indian male B.Eng. in IT,CCNA,

MCSA,MCSE, 2.5 yrs + exp. in IT sup-

port, networking and server support

valid Omani D/L seeking suitable

placement in IT/Network/Server

support. Contact 92607532

Indian B.E Computer Science graduate

2012 passout. 1 .5 yrs exp. in Account-

ing. Having good communication skills

and mindset to work in a team. Having

NIIT certificate in Diploma in Java

Technology. # 97767894

Email: jinsonjacobjohn@gmail.com

Indian male 24 YEARS, B.Tech (Elec-

trical & Electronics), having 2 yrs. exp

as Electrical Site Engineer. Done IOSH

& NEBOSH- IGC certifications, seeking

for suitable placement in any related

industries. Contact 98045482,

Email: mastanshaik1008@gmail.com

Indian male, 24 years, HSE Engineer

having 2 years of Indian experience.

Done IOSH & NEBOSH- IGC certifica-

tions, seeking for suitable placement

in any related industries.

Contact 98045482

Indian male 22yr BBA with LOGIS-

TIC Diploma, exp in tally and data

entry seeking in suitable placement.

Contact; 90151739

email shakeeb.mp280gmail.com

Indian Male (Diploma in electronics

Engineering and CCNA.) having 9

years of experience in Networking, 5

years’ experience in Oman. Looking

for a suitable Placement. NOC avail-

able. GSM- 93787098,

Email –anishktr@gmail.com

Mechanical Draftsman, Indian male

27, Diploma in Mechanical Engineer-

ing having 7 years of experience

in Auto CAD looking for a suitable

placement.#97351786 / 96143708

mohammednazeer07@gmail.com

ACCA Affiliate, OBU Degree, 2.5

years experience in audit and

finance in Big6 firm, Looking for

permanent placement. NOC release

available. Contact: #95140445,

a.saran891@gmail.com

27, male, ACCA finalist, have pro-

fessional experience up to finali-

zation of Accounts, Statutory and in-

ternal audit, expertise in using tally

and focus & Oracle Software, have

3.5 years experience in accounts

till finalization, seeking for

permanent replacement ,GSM-

97654769,email id-

abdullah.nooralam@yahoo.com

B.E Mechanical Engineer with 2

years’ experience in HVAC field on

visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 93442296

Email Id: sal201091@gmail.com.

MBA (F) B.COM Indian female

having knowledge of accounts with

Tally looking for full or part time job.

Presently on family visit visa.

Contact: - 96259171. Email: -

bhumicapandya@gmail.com

Indian Male, MBA, Talented

management expert having 6 year

experience at U.A.E, India and Oman

in luxury goods and Retail. Seeking

suitable openings in related or same

field. Contact:92700670

Email: jobcareer44@gmail.com

B.Tech EEE with 4+ years experi-

ence in the field of it, networking,

ex-tonics etc. presently working in

Amazon India development centre as

a content quality associate seeking

for suitable jobs in Oman.

Contact : +91 9940514005, 93116402

email: mail2nbn@gmail.com

MBA Finance with more than five

years of experience in Finance &

Accounts including GCC, looking for

a suitable opening. Having UAE driv-

ing license. Contact no..91391802

Part- Time Accountant, well experi-

ence senior accountant ,doing all

type of accounting works, Finaliza-

tion, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439

Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years

in IT Trainer / Computer Teacher,

looking for a better position in Oman,

already working in Prestigious Con-

struction Company. # 95983711.

Join.mtmali@gmail.com

M. Tech VLSI design, B. tech Elec-

tronics and instrumentation, Indian

female,3 years teaching experience

for graduation level students,

seeking suitable placements .

Ph:00968 92904155.

email-achusooraj@gmail.com

Indian 26M, B. Tech Computer Sci-

ence graduate, 3 years exp in India,

looking for suitable job in Muscat.

Contact : 93125669,

Email : amritrajGT18@gmail.com

Sudanese/Bsc IT/26/2 years experi-

ence/excellent Eng-Arb speaking/

Omani driving license/96387227/

henrykarrar@gmail.com

MBA - (F), M.Com, B.COM. Indian

female having knowledge of accounts

with Tally looking for part time or full

time job. Presently on family visa.

contact 91892264. mail: yv.dixit@

yahoo.com

Admin, having 10+ years experience

in Admin/HR/Logistics/Time Keeper,

in reputed companies. Presently work-

ing in Muscat. Contact94369965mail

- satya1528@gmail.com

Two year experience in Oman,

experience in sales, purchase and

system admin, Having GCC license.

Contact number 97475860,

Yadhukrishnan08@gmail.com

Indian male B.Eng. in

IT,CCNA,MCSA,MCSE, 2.5 yrs + exp.

in IT support, Networking and Server

support with valid Omani D/L seeking

suitable placement in IT/Network/

Server support. contact 92607532

Indian Female BSC nurse with 8+

years of experience including 3

years of GCC exp. Oman Promet-

ric passed with 57 %. Currently in

Oman. Contact : 98034384

Indian male Accountant, 12 years

experience, looking for a full time

or part time job, experience in tally

also. Contact 98983122

Site Supervisor/ L Driver, Pakistani

Male 33 with valid D/L, 4 years

experience in Muscat, fluent in

English, Arabic looking for suitable

place. Contact: 97950869

Indian Male, 25, Chartered Ac-

countant, working with ICICI Bank

India. On a Visit Visa in Oman.

Staying with parents at Azaibah.

Ph:24492638.

Email: shyamal008@gmail.com

Filipino Senior Architect with 13

years GCC experience. Proficient

in 3D StudioMax, AutoCAD, Revit,

Phostoshop, and Microsoft Office.

With NOC and Omani driving li-

cense. Please contact 91292933.

Indian female, 40 yrs, 7 yrs experi-

ence in customer service, with D/L

seeks suitable placement.

Contact 95580711

ME Civil- structural Engineer, 8 Years Structural Engineer ex-

perience, Looking for Structural

Designer, supervisor or site engineer

Position. Iranian male.

Contact: 93696929

Email: mhsaz1359@gmail.com

Indian Male 23 years B.Tech Civil

Engineering having 2 years experi-

ence in quantity survey and site

management looking for suitable

placement. Contact- 95042656

Indian female, MBA, 25yrs Having

4yrears of experience in MNC, hands

of experiences in recruitment and

administration, flexible for any suit-

able job placements currently in

visting visa. Contact: 98864639

Email : neethuvijayan06@gmail.

com

Indian Male -25years B.Tech

Engineer seeking any suitable jobs

in Oman ,currently on visit visa.

Contact : Haneesh N. Surendran,

Mob : 90126573,

Email: - haneeshns02@gmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, 8 years

experience, Oman driving license,

Noc available seeks suitable oppor-

tunity. GSM- 97705854

Female Junior Architect, Excel-

lence in Autocad, Sketching & Mod-

elling, Internship - KHAM Designs,

Bangalore. Presently with Atulya

Architects & Associates. Email

saatvika.frozenmusic@gmail.com

Contact 00968-94057427.

Electronics System Eng. UK Gradu-

ate. Indian Female with relevant

work experience. Eng. Analysis,

Instrumentation and Control, Power

& Heat, Electrical & Fluid, Drives &

Actuators etc. Looking for an entry

level position. Email

s.dinesh1508@gmail.com.

Mobile: 97848075, +91-8105413827

Indian male BE Electrical & Elec-

tronics and PG in power systems

(transmission & distribution) on

visit seeking placement.

Contact 94669679

E Mail : prsabarish@gmail.com

Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+

experience in Administration/HR,

Customer Support, Office Coordina-

tor with good Computer skill, Now on

Visit Visa looking for suitable

position. Contact: 90196235

Female, 35years, Bachelor of Phar-

macy fresh graduate with BSc and

MA looking for suitable position in

hospital, polyclinic, companies or

Institutions. Contact 90236481.

Electrical Maintenance Engineer, 29,

Indian Male, having 7+ years exp. in

reputed companies. Seeking suitable

placement in Oman. #- 98440637.

Mail ID : venkatbadri23@gmail.com

Administration - Having 9+ years

exp. in Admin & HR in reputed com-

panies. Presently working in Muscat

and seeking for suitable placement.

Contact No.: 97693456.

email : muralimahdav77@gmail.com

Indian male 24 B.Tech IT(engineer)

2.5 years exp in hardware network-

ing, programming such as C and C++.

Currently on visit visa seeks suitable

placement. Contact 95153693

Indian male Auto Cad Draughtsman

(civil) 8 years experience seeking for

part time job.

Contact : 00968 99070584,

Email: remluvp@gmail.com

Indian male having 25 years exp in

telecom optical fiber cables, network

CCTV Administration office automa-

tion seeks job, now in visit visa.

Contact: 91385373 Email:

sridharbsnlma1455@gmail.com

Indian male 32 M. A. English and

having 4 years of experience in

teaching current company is ready

to issue release letter.

Contact : 99869535

Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com

Sudanese male, 31 years, have 3

year Diploma in electrical engineer

, 6 year experience in construction

and electrical production plant .

Mobile No ; +96894549609

Indian male 37 years B.Tech Gradu-

ate having 12 years experience of

Electrical DCRP Works / Jobs in

Oman with driving license looking

for suitable opening. NOC available

can join immediately. Contact :

saiviharvasanth@gmail.com

Bangladeshi, looking job for sales

man having 3-4 years experience in

readymade garments.

Contact : 97756028

Indian female B.ARCH with 10 years

experience (Indian & Oman) as an

Architect is seeking a suitable in

Muscat. Contact: 92412810

BE Civil Engineer with 11 years of

experience in building construc-

tion with valid Oman DL, looking for

suitable placement, NOC available.

Please contact 91329910.

Indian male 24 B.Tech IT (engineer)

2.5 years exp in hardware network-

ing, programming such as C and C++.

Currently on visit visa seeks suitable

placement. Contact 95153693

Indian male 23yrs, 2yrs exp. In Accounts (india). Seeking suitable

position in accounts. Currently on

express visa. M: 94399509,

E. midhunaloor16@gmail.com

Indian Male: 31yrs 8 Years Experi-

ence in the field of Business Develop-

ment/ Sales/ Retail/ Logistics with

good communication Skills seeking

for suitable job in Oman . Now avail-

able in Visit visa valid till (21st Oct).

Contact; 99052340 ,

email: pradee.ys@gmail.com

ACCOUNTANT , Indian male 30

years B.Com Having 7 years of Oman

experience in the field of accounts &

finance seeks for better placement.

Contact : 96143708 / 97351786

ME Civil- structural Engineer, 8

Years Structural engineer experi-

ence, looking for Structural Designer,

supervisor or site engineer Position.

Iranian male. Contact: 93696929,

Email: mhsaz1359@gmail.com

Civil Autocad draughtsman looking

for part time job. Mobile: 95218737

ACCOUNTANT, 8 years experience,

Oman D/L, Noc available seeks suit-

able opportunity. GSM- 98184170

Network/Noc Engineer, Indian male

27 years B.com (General) 5 years &

4 month’s of experience in the field

of networking seeks for better place-

ment. Contact :97663834,

bro’s no:98730758

Indian male, BBA, having 8yrs exp

including 2yrs of (UAE) exp looking

opportunities withinSales, Logis-

tics, Retail, Operations. CONTACT

99052340, Mail Id: pradee.ys@gmail.

com

B.Com Graduate, associate insur-

ance, 25 year male, 3 years experi-

ence in accounts and 3 years in sales

and marketing.#no-95236312, mail

id-lilommca@gmail.com

Syrian Architect years experience

in oman for work 2d plans and 3d

internal and external projects in co-

operation or even a piece . for contact

: 97482871

Electrical Engineer with BS & MS

Degree having 5 years of Experience

in Electrical Utility/Water sector

seeks a suitable job (on visit).

Contact: snaveelh@gmail.com

Phone: 24413033/ 95731852

DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5 D7

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

Split & widow unit A.C servicing &

repairing. Contact: 99557080

Split & window unit A.C servicing

& maintenance. #96236476

Window & split unit A.C ser-

vicing & maintenance. Contact

93769089 / 95323517

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet

& sofa shampooing, Contact

99314807/24792998

Split window unit A/ C servicing.

Contact 94694472

Cleaning & Carpet Shampooing, Ocean Center LLC. #99884591

Pest Control Treatments. Ocean Center LLC. #99344723

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile

polishing, pest control & anti-

termite treatment, general clean-

ing painting, Plumbing, Electrical,

shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi

trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

House shifting & packing. Contact: 99657644 /98518013

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble. contact 24793614/

99314807

Window & split unit A.C ser-

vicing & maintenance. Contact

93769089 / 95323517

Pest Control Gulfa Intl .LLC. Contact: 92326955

Water proofing ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS-

99320217 /24788722

WEBSITE

WEB, ERP and Business Intel-

ligence (BI) creation and manage-

ment at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

SIT.WANTED

SIT.WANTED

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian male MBA, 2 years

experience in sales and 2 years

experience in HR with D/L looking

for a suitable position. Contact:

91202335 Email: mrishad90@

yahoo.com

Indian male, 26 M.A., 2 yrs experi-

ence in India and 11 months in

Oman looking for job in sales or ac-

counts. Contact: 97022508 Email:

zakariyazba@gmail.com

Having 5 years exp, as office

coordinator, NOC available. Contact:

92889617

Indian male, 38 years BE & MBA

in Marketing from UK and 12 years

experience in the IT industry

seeks suitable placement. Contact:

91200413 Email: mniyaz@hotmail.

com

Indian male 38 yrs , MBA in Mar-

keting with Oman D/License, over

8 yrs experience in ironmongery

scheduler / specifier & general

trading, currently on visit visa. NOC

available. Contact: 98891737

BBA Keralite, male, 23 yrs, ex-

perienced in Automotive Sales &

Admin on visit. Contact 94742679,

Email: jafarj4@gmail.com

Indian male, 4 years experience in

Sales. Oman experience with NOC

& driving license seeking suitable.

Contact: 96607645

Indian male, 31, MBA Marketing

and Finance with 8 years’ experi-

ence in FMCG industry specialized

in sales, trade marketing and key

accounts as manager seeks suit-

able position. Contact 94743589

Indian male, U.K Post Graduate

M.A, MBA, 3 years Experience,

looking position within Marketing,

Branding, Business Development

& PR.

Contact: 91-8939165131

Email: greetings111@hotmail.com

MBA qualified sales and market-

ing candidate having an experience

of 1 and half years available in

Oman on visit visa seeks place-

ment. Contact: 97436706 Email:

anshusamue10001@gmail.com

Indian male 21+ years Managerial

experience in Oman in FMCG Indus-

try seeking suitable placement with

NOC can head any Business / work-

ing partner. Contact: 95264562

Experienced skilled candidate

with driving license seeks position

sales in Salalah. Contact: 98579382

Sales Executive experience in

Oman 4 years, has driving license.

Contact: 96039024

Marketing and Sales candidate

with 8 years experience in GCC

looking for suitable position. Hav-

ing NOC and valid Oman diving

license. Contact: 96669152

Indian male more than 8 years

experience in UAE in Office , Sales

Marketing with good computer skills

having driving license looking for

suitable placement. #99369081

Email: shazulashraf60@gmail.com

Male BA, with D/L having 7 years

exp in Oman wanted suitable

job in Sales inventory & procure.

#92191026

Sales and marketing - male 27 yrs,

2 years experience seeking suit-

able placement with Oman D/L.

Contact: 95642740 Email:

shaijichakkara@gmail.com

Indian male Sr. Sales Executive, 15 years exp in retail sector

looking for vacancies. Contact:

96768382

SALES / MARKETING

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

Indian Male more than 10 years

gulf experience in Office / Sales

Coordinator, Admin, Secretarial

and purchase with good com-

puter skills. Having Driving li-

cense and NOC available. Looking

for suitable placement. Contact

95149624

Chemical Engineer, Indian, 2 years

of exp in industrial production, seek-

ing suitable placement. #91247222

Indian male, 4 years of experience

in Structured cabling, termination

and Fiber optic splicing. Look-

ing for a suitable Placement. NOC

available. GSM- 92484039, Email

–rajaveer8989@gmail.com

Indian male , 23 yrs, postgraduate

Mechanical Eng. (M.Sc, UK), 1 year

sales exp, having Oman DL, seeking

for suitable employment in reputed

firm. Contact: 91419764 Email:

z.enggoman@gmail.com

Pakistani male, MBA(Marketing)+PGD(HR) with 9

yrs experience in banking & hospital

industry (Consumer Credit Review,

Admin & HR). 3 yrs experience as

Asst Manager, Admin & HR in fa-

mous private hospital in Oman with

NOC. Contact: 95761982 or umerok@

hotmail.com

Structure/Pipeline,Piping Draughtsman have 12+ yrs. Exp. in

Oman seeking suitable placement.

Contact 92103713 NOC available.

Indian male 25 years, MBA finance

and marketing with tally have 1.3

year experience in India. Now in

Oman on visit visa. GSM: 97445488

Indian male, 19 years experience

in purchase, material coordinator in

building construction & factory pro-

duction field. have good computer

skills & driving license and NOC,

looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 99008101

Working as Senior accountant,5yr.

exp.in oman, Accounting upto

finalisation, relevant computer skills

tally9, Sage, vcams , Audit ,valid

oman driving license, languages

known English, Arabic, Hindi. NOC

avaliable can join immediately.

Tel: (+968) 96339599. E-mail-

(ahmedmohdkhan@gmail.com)

Indian Female, 35years, Bachelor of

Pharmacy (BPharm) fresh graduate

with BSc and MA looking for posi-

tions in Front Office, administration

office, or any suitable positions in

hospital, polyclinic, companies or

Institutions. Contact 90236481

Network/Noc engineer, CCNA certi-

fied & CCNP trained, Indian male 27

years B.com(general) 5 years & 4

month’s of experience in the field of

networking seeks for better place-

ment.#97663834 / 98730758

INDIAN FEMALE– ME in CSE with 2

years’ experience in teaching seek-

ing Suitable Job Opportunity. Con-

tact: 94263445 or +91 9486251274,

E mail – apshinmar@gmail.com

DRIVING

COMPUTER

MATRIMONIAL

Looking for alliance from Tamil

Muslim grooms for working girl

28 years 5 FT. Wheatish Contact:

93263185 Email: mrtgifts@gmail.com

Thiya girl 27/150 B.Tech Star Chothi

seeks alliance from professional

B.Tech / MBA from Kannore / Malabar

area. Contact: 99454129

Malayalee boy-36-Manager in MNC -

seeks alliance-0091 7639622079

Seeking alliance for our son from

Muslim families. Interested

families Contact: 99889590

NRI

Water front luxurious apartments

at Marine drive Kochi, DD Samudra

Darshan Apartments 1850 sq. ft INR

1.60 CR (negotiable). Common ameni-

ties include multi gym billiards, home

theatre party hall etc. #Owners 968

- 99754109 AND 971 - 505194598 or

email: porus2009@gmail.com

Water front luxurious apartments at

Marine drive Kochi, prestige Neptune

courtyard 2225 sq. ft, INR 1.80 CR (ne-

gotiable) common amenities includes

4 swimming pools multi gym party,

halls, squash courts walk ways etc.

Contact Owners: 968 - 99754109 &

971 - 505194598 or Email:

porus2009@gmail.com

Architect designed 5000 Square

feet exquisite Villa in 16 cents of

land at a scenic location on Aak-

kulam Road, Ulloor, Trivandrum for

sale. Contact +968 95372011

LOST

GOOD NEWS

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments &

massage, Ayurvedic clinic at

Al Khuwair. Contact: 24478618 /

97263637 / 93309131

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 backache,

paralysis, arthritis etc & massage,

All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact

24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980

www.siddhayur.com

Rajesh Narakathil Balakrishnan has

lost Indian Passport No. M2924237.

Finder please handover to ROP.

Ammer Hussain has lost Bang-

ladeshi Passport No. Z 0038239.

Finder please handover to ROP

Anwar Ulhaq has lost Pakistani

Passport No. KG 855206. Finder

please handover to ROP

FOR LADIES

GOOD OFFER for ladies: (Golden facial

Golden bleach, Haircut-10 RO. Only)

this offer started from 10th October

to 10th November. #99619409,

Hattat Modern Parlour

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Welder fabrication, 6g 3g,tig arc gas

PH : 95068064

Welder 6G, 3G ARC , Fabrication gulf

exp ph : 92858985

Registered Filipina Nurse look-

ing for a suitable job in Admin/

receptionist, experience in admin, on

visit visa seeks placement. Contact

97435849

Indian male 22 years, looking for

suitable placement in Hardware

and Networking field, Having 1 year

exp. in India, training in al ameen

computers Muscat Ruwi. Qualifi-

cation is Diploma in Electronics

and Communication at present I

am having my valid employee

visa In the same work. Contact : -

9739622910/8050101914, Email ID

:- fairozhuded13@gmail.com

Admin, having 10+ years experience

in Admin/HR/Logistics/Time Keeper,

in reputed companies. Presently

working in Muscat. conrtact 968

94369965,mail - satya1528@gmail.

com

Civil Engineer B.Sc -6 years

experience with constructions

companies - qualified as A Project

Engineer & Planning Engineer . Con-

tact+968-94682217

Sudanese / Arabic & English teacher for all nationalities / willing

to teach at home. Tel:

94211377

B.Tech CS, Indian female 23 yrs,

looking for suitable placement (IT/

Banking / Administrator) currently

on visit visa & ready to join

immediately. Contact:

94704707 Email:

sooryasnkr1@gmail.com

Indian male with over 8 years

experience in sales & marketing

seeking suitable placement holding

valid Omani driving license, fluent in

English & Arabic. #97890681

LOGISTICS

10 yrs exp in Oman in logistics-

have Oman D/L-looking for suitable

placement-contact 96410767, email:

harishkts@yahoo.com

Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com

D8 W E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

RENT A CAR

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with

Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine

Tours # 98029602, 92808636

TOURS

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

TRANSPORTATION

Transport. Contact:

94510847

Transportation available Ruwi to

Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

Transportation available.

Contact: 99867456

Pick & drop any time. Contact: 93598436 / 96743215

Pick & drop any time. Contact:

92218001/ 96502406

MANPOWER

We offer labour for loading and

unloading if any one required we

are providing this service. Contact:

95208185 /95456022

Leading manpower agency to hire Recruiter from India housemaids. Contact: 99226093,

Email: fesalwardi48@gmail.com