Times of Oman - September 3, 2015

44 164

6 085010 120010 SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH THE VIDEO

SAND ART Sand is not just for building castles.

Pour them with precision on canvases and have a wonderful piece of art. Nikos Zarras shares his sand secrets >C7

DIGEST VIDEO Top stories in one minute with our new daily Digest

THURSDAY, September 3, 2015 / 19 Dhul Qa’ada 1436 AH timesofoman.com

wtimesofoman.com

facebook.com/timesofoman

twitter.com/timesofoman

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

More electricity use behind inflated bills

1

The hike in electricity bills during summer can be a result of excessive consumption and service providers should not necessarily be held responsible for the increase, said Qais bin Saud Al Zakwani, head of the Authority for Electricity Regulation. The statement was in response to a story published in the Al Shabiba newspaper. >A5

INDIA

Nationwide strike cripples normal life

5.30am-6:30am This NOTAM window has been in force for a long time and there is no limit yet for it to be over

Runway work hitting early birds in Oman Airlines have thanked passengers using Muscat International Airport for patience as work shuts the runway three times a week

RAHUL DAS

rahuldas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Passengers travelling on early morning flights in and out of the capital are coping with delays three times a week as maintenance work forces bosses to close the runway at Muscat International Airport.

Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC) is currently shutting the runway from 5.30am to 6.30am on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, meaning passengers and airlines are having to make alternative arrangements or face inevitable delays.

Yesterday, airlines moved to thank passengers for bearing with the ‘essential’ work by OAMC. Speaking to the Times of Oman, Saeed K Al Zadjally, general manager, technical services, OAMC, said this was a normal shutdown

procedure to carry out maintenance on the runway.

“It is a normal practice conducted through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) notification for the airline,” he said.

NOTAM A NOTAM is a notification filed with an aviation authority to alert pilots of potential hazards along a flight route that could affect the safety of the flight.

He, however, could not say when it would be withdrawn.

“This NOTAM window is valid between 5:30am and 6:30am for a long time and there is no limit yet for it to be over as this is essential for maintenance,” he said.

The closure of the runway has forced a number of airlines to reschedule their flights.

A spokesperson of Oman Air said, “Maintenance of the airport

from time to time is vital, as it is for every other airport around the world. As one of the key stakeholders of the Muscat International Airport, Oman Air extends its full cooperation, while working hard to minimise any resulting disruption for passengers.”

Speaking on the runway closure, the spokesperson of Oman Air, said: “We have worked with the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) and agreed on the best time for closure.

“The network and planning department of Oman Air, take the runway closure times into consideration when they plan the schedule, so that no Oman Air flights are affected.

“We would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during the airport’s maintenance period and we look forward to the resumption of normal service.”

Qatar Airways flights, which are scheduled to depart at 5:20am on those days, are now taking off slightly earlier at 5am, so the runway closure has no impact in this case. “Beyond that there may be inevitable circumstances which may lead to flight delays,” said a Qatar Airways spokesperson. >A6

MAGNITUDE FIVE

Oman station records Salalah sea earthquake REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An earthquake of magnitude 5 on the Richter scale was recorded by an earthquake monitoring station at 11:20am in Oman, an official from the centre said.

“The epicentre of the earthquake was some 312km from Salalah in the sea. We have received reports of aftershocks,” the official said. The earthquake was 10.0 km deep, according to the US Geological Survey.

In April, May and July, a series of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging between 4 and 5 on the Richter scale were recorded in the northern parts of Oman.

According to experts, northern parts of the Sultanate are prone to earthquakes.

Scientists who have studied the seismic zones of the Sultanate, say that based upon calculations on how the earth plates shake in a given geographic area (Peak Ground Acceleration), the highest probability has been found in the northernmost city of Khasab.

Recently, Oman earthquake monitoring centre officials had said that as part of implementation of Phase I of the Strong Motion Seismic Network, 62 stations would come up across Oman.

Chevening scholarship relaunched in Oman

A2

INFLUENCING VOTERS

Shura candidates warned against bribing voters TARIQ AL HAREMI FAHAD AL GHADANI

MUSCAT: As the October elections for the Majlis Al Shura approach, candidates have been reminded against indulging in bribery and other such illegal activities to influence the elections.

As per the law for the Majlis Al Shura elections, Article 71 states that candidates who bribe a voter will have to face imprisonment

between six months and three years and pay a fine between OMR1,000 and OMR3,000.

“One of those two punishments will be awarded to those who bribe or profit from bribery for a vote for himself or other candidates. Those who facilitate, promote or mediate the bribery will also be punished,” according to the law published on the Majlis Al Shura website. >A6

2

A day-long nationwide strike impacted normal life in various parts of the country with coal production, banking operations and transport services being hit the most, while violent clashes erupted in West Bengal resulting in arrest of 200 persons. Union leaders claimed that over 150m workers went on strike. >A9

MARKET

Oman-Taiwan trade touches $3.8b

3

Bilateral trade between Oman and Taiwan stood at $3.82 billion last year, up from $3.7 billion in 2013, says a senior Taiwanese official.

“Taiwan is the second largest importer of Omani oil and, in addition to oil, we imported oilrelated products, minerals and chemicals,” said Kenneth K. M. Liao, the official. >B1

blog.timesofoman.com

ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

IN DUBAI POLICE CUSTODY

Jewellery group’s boss ‘ready’ to mortgage property REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: “We will clear all dues even if we have to mortgage our properties,” an official told the Times of Oman, quoting M M Ramachandran, chairman of the group, who is in the custody of Dubai police for allegedly issuing bad cheque.

“In talks with banks, our chairman has assured that all dues will be cleared even if we have to mortgage our properties in the GCC countries. We have hired a consultant group to resolve the issue. They are looking for options,” Shyam Mohan, head of communications, Atlas Jewellery, told the Times of Oman.

According to reports, Ramachandran and his daughter were taken into custody by the Dubai Police in cases relating to suspected bounced cheques.

Following the arrests, the shocked NRI community in the region, especially the Keralites, have launched an online petition in support of Ramachandran.

Meanwhile, several Indian expatriates have committed to buying gold from the Atlas Jewellery stores to boost their sales.

Keralites are also active on Twitter in support of Ramchandran #WeSupportAtlasRamchandran.

Talking to the Times of Oman, Saraswathy Manoj, an Indian social worker in Muscat, said she has bought a few grams of gold from an Atlas Jewellery outlet in Ruwi, adding that she was also

NRI community in the region, especially the Keralites, have launched an online petition in support of Ramachandran

part of a WhatsApp group where members are contemplating the same. “Whenever our group has approached the Atlas Hospital seeking support for stranded patients, they have helped us. They have never been reluctant,” added Saraswathy.

Atlas Jewellery was founded

by Ramachandran in Kuwait in 1981, but he was forced to relocate to Dubai after its trading was suspended during the first Gulf war. The group also has interests in real estate and healthcare. It owns and manages two hospitals in Muscat.

A2

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

OMAN

The signing here is the first sign of our commitment to Oman and support to the national agenda Mathew Foster, general manager of BAE Systems

Chevening scholarship programme relaunched for Sultanate students The programme will give four Omani students a unique opportunity to study for a Master’s degree in the areas of science, engineering and technology in a university in the United Kingdom

TARIQ AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Four years after discontinuing the Chevening programme in the Sultanate, British Aerospace (BAE) Systems re-launched it under its sponsorship in Muscat.

Mathew Foster, general manager of BAE Systems, Oman,

and Jonathan Wilks, British ambassador to Oman, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to sponsor the Chevening/ BAE Systems Oman Scholarship programme.

The programme will give four Omani students a unique opportunity to study for a Master’s degree in the areas of science, engineering and technology in a university in the United Kingdom (UK).

“The company (BAE Systems) has a long heritage in Oman and as you know it is a supporter and partner in the development of the Sultan’s Armed Forces,” said Foster.

Commitment “The signing here is the first sign of our commitment to Oman and support to the national agenda and the development of the nation,because we believe in strong education and strategy in all the markets we operate in, and Oman is no exception,” “By sponsoring the Chevening Scholarships, we are building on our strategy of ensuring that Oman’s future leaders have the right skills and experience to take the country to the next level,” he added further.

Four years ago, Oman was one of over 160 countries operating the Chevening programme until

NEW BEGINNING: Mathew Foster, general manager of BAE Systems, Oman, and Jonathan Wilks, British ambassador to Oman, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to sponsor the Chevening/BAE Systems Oman Scholarship programme. -Supplied photo

its stoppage. Commenting on the reasons behind the halt of operations, Wilks explained, “We refocussed the Chevening programme on developing countries four years ago and Oman was considered a developed country, and that is it was stopped.”

“But we have developed a way now by private sector sponsorship to match it one to one with the government sector,” he said.

In order to submit an eligible application for a Chevening Sponsorship, candidates must be citizens of a Chevening-eligible country and intend on returning there for a minimum of two years after completing the programme. Furthermore, the candidate must hold an undergraduate degree, have at least two years of work experience and must never have received funding from the

UK government to study there.

“We will choose candidates on the basis of their abilities in their subject areas but also on their potential to take leadership roles in future in the private sectors,” said Wilks. Ahmed Al Mukhaini, a Chevening alumni and advisor in the Capital Market Authority, received his master’s degree in Economic Development from Durham University after going

through the programme. He said that youths today could greatly benefit from the programme and that not many realise the opportunity that is before them. The programme helped him gain self-confidence, knowledge and a sense of competitiveness.

“The youth today are not aware of its value and they always have to compete (with students) at the central admissions unit. In interviews, particularly, they have to convince employers that they are the ones that could make a change,” said Al Mukhaini.

“Many people here do not realise that a Master’s is a professional degree that really takes you to the next level of your career. There is also a certain element of prestige when your curriculum vitae(CV) says that you are a Chevening scholar,” he added.

The Chevening programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), currently operates in over 160 countries with 600 scholarships awarded in 2014/2015. Since its launch in 1983 over 44,000 alumni went on to become leaders in their country, society and community in a range of fields including politics, business, media, religion, science and academia.

CRIME

Two boatloads of alcoholic drinks, narcotics seized

CONTRABAND: The Directorate of Narcotics Control of the Dhofar Royal Oman Police arrested two Omani nationals in possession of khat with the intention of trafficking. – Supplied photo

Times News Service MUSCAT: Royal Oman Police coast guards intercepted a boat off the coast of Musandam with two Asians aboard and arrested them for carrying alcoholic beverages. The officers seized 25 medium sized cartons of alcohol.

In another part of the Sultanate, coast guards affiliated with the Dhofar ROP intercepted a boat off the coast of Mirbat Wilayat carrying a large amount of khat. The people on board were arrested.

The suspects were referred to the Public Prosecution.

Smuggling attempts foiled at borders A source from the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said that customs officers foiled an attempt to smuggle 104 kilogrammes of chewing tobacco through Wadi Al Jazi border post in Buraimi Wilayat.

Similarly, the ROP Customs detected an attempt to smuggle tens of kilogrammes of chewing tobacco through the Al Wajajah border.

Officers also foiled an attempt to smuggle 300 psychotropic tablets at Muscat International Airport.

belong to him, and that he entered the country illegally, which led to his arrest.

19 Asians arrested for violating labour law Royal Oman Police officers in Al Buraimi arrested 19 Asians for violating the labour law and foreign residency law, while four of them were also charged with entering the country illegally.

Elsewhere in the Sultanate, officers at the Wadi Al Jazi border post arrested a driver for attempting to smuggle 137 cartons of cigarettes which he had concealed in different parts of his vehicle. They were all referred to the Public Prosecution.

Three nationals arrested for robbery Three nationals were arrested in Liwa for robbing a commercial store. A Royal Oman Police source said that the suspects cut the chained lock and broke open the doors of the store before decamping with OMR2,000. After investigations, the ROP apprehended the suspects who confessed to their crime.

Citizens held on drug trafficking charges The Directorate of Narcotics Control of the Dhofar Royal Oman Police arrested two Omani nationals in possession of khat with the intention of trafficking.

The suspects were arrested after they aroused the suspicion of a police patrol in Sahl Hamran. The police seized 49 bundles of Khat.

Man, two women arrested by police A man and two women, all Asians, were arrested by the Al Buraimi Royal Oman Police for prostitution. Reports indicate that the accused were performing illicit activities in a rented house in exchange for money.

The ROP calls on real estate owners to identify the tenant and report any illegal activities.

Arrested for impersonation and illegal entry The Royal Oman Police foot patrol officers in Al Buraimi arrested an Asian on charges of impersonation and entering the Sultanate illegally.

After stopping him, officers inspected the documents of the accused and found that they do not

Citizens held over possession of narcotics The Directorate of Narcotics Control of the North Al Batinah Royal Oman Police were able to arrest four citizens in A’Zahiya area in Liwa for possession of heroin as well as its trafficking and use.

A4

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

OMAN

5th

term of the State Council involved many proposals; some of them were implemented while others are on the way to being implemented in the next stage

State Council’s output praised The State Council, at the end of the fifth term, approved many proposals which won the praise of the Council of Ministers LEGISLATIVE FUNCTIONS: The fifth term had been busy with legislative affairs that fall within the ambit of the State Council.–ONA

MUSCAT: Fifth term of the State Council has seen significant activity with regard to the terms of reference in the basic law of the State and many other laws prepared by the Council of Ministers and approved in co-ordination with Majlis Al Shura, Dr Khalid bin Salim Al Saeedi, secretary general of State Council, has said.

Al Saeedi said in a statement to the Oman News Agency (ONA), that the Council, at the end of the fifth term, approved many proposals which won the praise of the Council of Ministers, and added that some of them were implemented and others are on the

way to being implemented in the next stage.

He emphasised that this would pass on more responsibilities to the State Council which will be enable it to interact with the society and meet its hopes.

On the co-ordination between the State Council and Majlis Al Shura, he said that it was improving, and that the first joint session to approve the draft budget of the Consumer Protection Law had been held.

He said the fifth term had been busy with legislative affairs and other aspects that fall within the terms of reference of the Council.

Al Saeedi said that parliamentary work is always developing, and so is the Shura march, and expressed the hope that the coming period will witness the emergence of persons who are able to take responsibility.

However, it is primarily the responsibility of the citizen to choose the right candidate for membership of the Majlis, he added.

He confirmed that the State Council and Majlis Al Shura will work together and complement each other, and wished that the next term will be full of action and will serve public interest.–ONA

YOUTH AMBASSADORS

Oman youth set to welcome Taiwan student delegation

STUDENT BONDING: Taiwanese students will interact with Omani youth and gain a better understanding of the Sultanate. –File photo

Times News Service MUSCAT: Sixteen college students from leading universities across Taiwan will be visiting Muscat in the coming days to introduce their culture and traditions to Omani youth and gain a better understanding of the Sultanate.

Since 2009, Taiwan has conducted the International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Programme, which allows talented Taiwanese youths to participate in international affairs and broaden their horizons.

Through a wide array of exchanges and interactions, the Youth Ambassadors have demonstrated Taiwan’s important role on the international stage as a provider of humanitarian aid, promoter of cultural exchanges, and torchbearer of Chinese culture.

To further enhance the outcome of the programme, ‘Youth from Taiwan, Compassion for All’ has been chosen as the theme for the 2015 delegation.

The goal is to not only highlight the vitality and kindness of Taiwanese youth, but also reiter-

ate their commitment to issues of global concern such as humanitarian aid and sustainable development.

The International Youth Ambassadors from Taiwan will perform on stage to demonstrate the authenticity, benevolence, and sophistication of their country, and present its natural environment and cultural heritage.

This will allow international audiences to gain a better appreciation of the spirit conveyed by the theme of the delegation as well as the vitality of modern Taiwan.

They will meet local youths and give performances that combine dance and music. With a spirit of professionalism and teamwork, they aim to introduce Taiwan to friends from around the world, convey the essence of this year’s theme, and represent all that Taiwan has to offer.

The performance, entitled Energetic New Taiwan, is divided into 12 acts and focuses on six main aspects such as the natural environment, lifestyle of health and sustainability, cultural heritage, and cuisine, in addition to cultural creativity, and warmth.

SCOUTS TRAINING The Scouts Directorate, in collaboration with the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, held a camp to train scouts on shrouding and washing of dead bodies. -ONA

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

Tweet all about it

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH TWITTER PAGE

AV I AT I O N S E C U R I T Y

A5

OMAN ‘High usage leads to power bill hike’ A top official has said that excessive consumption

RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC: When the new Muscat airport terminal building opens, annual passenger capacity will reach 12 million. –File photo

during summers

Thales gets Oman’s airport security solution contract

electricity bills

is the reason why increase and service providers should not be held responsible

Times News Service MUSCAT: Thales, a major provider of security solutions for critical infrastructure, has been selected by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Oman for the full deployment of an integrated security solution for the Muscat International Airport and Salalah’s new airport.

Thales is delivering state-ofthe-art technologies to ensure the protection of both infrastructure as well as travellers.

Thales is taking charge as Master System Integrator (MSI) for both airports, and is providing a high technology integrated security solution managed by an airport operation control centre, including perimeter intrusion detection system, video protection system, and access control, apart from screening equipment, security check points, access and backbone network, and data centres to ensure high performance and quality of services, according to a press release.

In addition, Thales is responsible for testing new technologies, training operators and developing new procedures for improving the airports’ multifaceted operations.

The development of the Muscat

Thales is taking charge as Master System Integrator (MSI) for both airports, and is providing a high technology integrated security solution managed by an airport operation control centre. Thales is delivering state-of-the-art technologies to ensure the protection of both infrastructure as well as travellers

International Airport is the largest infrastructure project in Oman.

When its new terminal building opens, annual passenger capacity will reach 12 million, helping the Sultanate with the development of its tourism industry.

Salalah, Oman’s second largest city is already benefitting from its new airport after it was officially opened on June 15, 2015, with an initial annual capacity of one million passengers.

Both airports are able to accommodate the world’s largest aircraft, the Airbus A380.

Thales’s experience in provision of security solutions is playing a crucial role in ensuring the

efficient and on time delivery of all the systems and equipment to both airports. The state-of-the-art technologies are also helping the airports become interconnected through hub development with inter-operability and full service support for security stakeholders.

This selection is the latest in a long line of projects confirming Thales’s position as a leader in global airport security solutions.

Thales secures the latest and most state-of-the-art critical infrastructures: the airports in Dubai and Doha, the new commercial port in Doha and oil and gas sites in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Iraq, in addition to Eurasia.

SUMMER LUXURY: It is not unusual to have two air conditioners (ACs) working during summer instead of one, and this means a doubled bill.

MEHDI AL LAWATI MUSCAT: Increase in electricity bills during summer can be a result of excessive consumption and service providers should not necessarily be held responsible for the increase, said Qais bin Saud Al Zakwani, head of the Authority for Electricity Regulation.

Al Zakwani’s statement was in response to a story published in Al Shabiba, the sister publication of Times of Oman, following a number of complaints from citizens in Al Suwaiq, indicating an ‘unreasonable’ rise in electricity bills.

“It is not unusual to have two air conditioners (ACs) working during summer instead of one, and this means a doubled bill. Let us also not forget that a compressor uses more energy to cool the air due to the hot weather, especially when lowering AC’s temperature.”

No technical problems Ahmed Said Al Arafati, senior customer affairs officer, did not expect any technical problems with the meters.

He, however, explained that it is not uncommon for company

Suwaiq company accepts bill ‘mistakes’ MUSCAT: Following a number of complaints from citizens in Al Suwaiq about inflated power bills in summer, the concerned company has admitted that there was ‘something wrong’ with counting ‘some’ bills.

A senior commercial affairs manager at the company

staff or a third-party they hire to not check the power usage on a monthly basis. In such cases, the estimated usage is considered.

However, that usage can be much less than the real consumption in summer.

Therefore, customers get a shock when the real consumption is counted the month after.

Al Zakwani said, “We have followed up on the issue and set guidelines for estimating the billing amounts. The guidelines will, to a great extent, offer a close estimation to the real usage should

explained that the main reason behind the hike was that June’s electricity consumption was ‘estimation’ and the actual usage had been added to the month after.

He assured that the company will revise the bills and give consumers adequate time to pay back.

they have been followed accurately.” Officials have urged customers to file their complaints against electricity companies through the authority, explaining that the courts are unlikely going to look into any electricity-related cases without them being checked by the authority.

“As a regulatory body, we are responsible for looking into the complaints and making a decision to resolve the dispute. Should any of the parties disagree with the rule, they can appeal against it in the court,” he added.

A6

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

OMAN

Pakistan School Sohar shifting to its own building is a milestone for everyone Adnan Shehzad, Chairman, Pakistan schools

Plans to add 2 schools for Pakistan students Our aim is to ensure a Pakistani school in every major city of Oman with better infrastructure and all the modern tools to provide quality education Adnan Shehzad overtime to complete the formalities required for permission to start new branches. – Supplied photo

Currently, 5,426 students are enrolled in six Pakistani schools with a total staff strength of 307

SHAHZAD RAZA

shahzad@timsofoman.com MUSCAT: As the number of Pakistani students enrolling in schools continues to rise in Oman, the Pakistan School System is focussing on adding more branches to its network, which currently comprises one school each in Muscat, Seeb, Mussanah, and Nizwa, in addition to Sohar and Salalah.

The number is likely to rise

Better infrastructure “Our aim is to ensure a Pakistani school in every major city of Oman with better infrastructure and all the modern tools to provide quality education. We have achieved some of our targets and would like to accomplish a few more before our term ends on June 12, 2016,” said Adnan, responding to a query from the Times of Oman.

Pakistan School Sohar moved to

172 youth honoured for achievements MUSCAT: Under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Taimour bin As’ad Al Said, Assistant Secretary General for International Cooperation at the Research Council, the National Youth Commission (NYC) honoured 172 youths in ‘Thank You Our Youth Initiative’, on Wednesday evening. The ceremony was organised to honour the Omani youth for their domestic, regional and international achievements during 2014.

This ceremony embodies the Royal vision in taking care of the outstanding talents in the Sultanate, and stems from the keenness of NYC to increase constructive competition in all forums and nurture outstanding talents in various fields.

The ceremony, which was held at Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, honoured 172 young people, ageing between 15 to 39 years, for

their individual and collective achievements.

The number of honoured young people who have accomplished individual achievements was 99, including 40 members at the local level and 12 at the regional level while the number at the international level stood at 47 in the literary, artistic, sporting, scientific, technical, religious, legal and entrepreneurship fields.

In the collective achievements categories, 9 award-winning teams at the local level were honoured consisting of 38 youths, 5 projects at the regional level consisting of 21 youths, and 3 projects at the international level consisting of 14 youths. This brings the total number to 17 projects, represented by 73 youths who excelled in the art, scientific, technical, legal and entrepreneurship areas. -ONA

Chairman, Pakistan schools

NEW BRANCHES: School management committees are working

pretty soon with two new schools on the horizon in Buraimi and Ibri, respectively.

Currently, 5,426 students are enrolled in six Pakistani schools with a total staff strength of 307.

Determined to provide schools in every major town of Oman, Pakistan Schools System Board of Directors (BoD), headed by chairman Adnan Shehzad, and school management committees are working overtime to complete the formalities required for permission to start new branches.

S AY Y I D TA I M O U R

MAINTENANCE WORK

its own building recently, becoming the third one to have its own premises after PSM and Pakistan School Salalah.

A total of 552 students are studying at the school in Sohar with 24 teachers and four other staff members. While the construction of the school building started in April 2013, it took a little over two years to complete and the school, built at a cost of OMR247,000, finally started operating from its new premises on August 20. It is an HSSC school offering classes from KG to Class 12 with two modern science and computer laboratories.

The BoD chairman thanked the school management committee, parents and well-wishers who contributed towards the realisation of the Sohar school project.

“Pakistan School Sohar shifting to its own building is a milestone for everyone. We are now hoping for the inauguration of our school in Buraimi in September itself

which is likely to be sufficient for about 400 students. The school in Buraimi will initially have classes from KG to Class 8 with a staff strength of about 16 people,” explained Adnan.

Adnan said his team was trying its best to complete the formalities for a Pakistan school in Ibri as well and they hoped that the school would start functioning for the next academic session.

Development plans Talking about major developments at PSM, he said with a strength of over 2,600 students, the school needed more classes.

“We have decided to build a separate three-floor college block which will comprise the administrative block on the ground floor with the second and third floors having classrooms. If we get the ministry’s approval this month, we will conduct its foundation ceremony by mid-October,” added the chairman.

Some flights A1 getting delayed < FROM

A spokesperson of Ethiopian Airlines, said their flight is scheduled to arrive at the Muscat International Airport at 3:55am and leave at 4:35am.

“But we are delayed sometimes as we avoid flying over Yemeni airspace. Then, if we are delayed, we can only fly after 6:30am as the runway is closed,” he said.

The official also said that they have been affected by the runway closure at Muscat on August 12, August 23 and August 30 recently and their flight was delayed for an hour each time. “However, we are making desperate efforts to be on time,” he added.

Hundreds of flights using Yemeni airspace to reach their destinations in Africa make a detour due to the ongoing unrest thus

increasing the flying time from Muscat. “Due to that problem flying time has increased by 90 minutes to several destinations in Africa. To add to that we have airport also closed,” said M Ghosh, who regularly travels to Africa on business trips.

Emirates, however, said that they are not affected by the closure.

“It has no impact on our flights,” said a spokesperson of Emirates.

“Morning flights on weekdays are very essential. So I would request the concerned authorities to open the runway as early as possible,” said Abdullah Al Hashmi, a passenger who regularly travels to Dubai on business trips in the morning.

D H O FA R

Seminar focuses on civilisational roots, global ties of the Sultanate SALALAH: A seminar on civilisational communication between Oman and the rest of the world began at the theatre of the Directorate General of Heritage and Culture in the Governorate of Dhofar today under the auspices of Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan Al Busaidi, minister of state and governor of Dhofar.

The two-day seminar has been organised by the main committee for celebrating Nizwa the capital of Islamic culture, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Heritage and Culture in Dhofar.

The seminar’s programme includes presenting three key themes comprising 11 working papers by a group of researchers and specialists from within and outside the Sultanate.

Working papers The first day of the seminar included the first theme on OmaniAsian Civilisational Communication as three working papers were presented.

Dr Farouq Omar Fouzi, professor and academic in the Islamic history from the Republic of Iraq

titled ‘Omani Civilisational Communication with North Africa’ was presented by Dr Mohammed Ahmed Jahlan, associate professor at the College of Arts and Languages in University of Ghardaia in Algeria. Dr Mohammed bin Nasser Al Manthri, consultant of religious programmes at the Public Authority for Radio and Television (PART) presented the second paper with reference to East Africa.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS: The two-day seminar has been organised by the main committee for celebrating Nizwa the capital of Islamic culture. – ONA

presented the first paper with reference to Iraq whereas Dr Mohammed bin Sa’ad Al Moqadam, academic and lecturer at the College of Arts and Social Sciences in the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) presented the second paper with reference to Persia.

Ismail bin Ahmed Al Zedjali

from the Office of the Special Advisor for External Liaison to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, presented the third working paper with reference to India.

The second theme on the Omani-Afro-European Civilisational Communication included four working papers. The first paper

Europe Dr Ibrahim bin Yahya Al Busaidi, academic and lecturer at the SQU College of Arts and Social Sciences presented the third working paper with reference to Europe, comprising Portugal, Britain and France, whereas the fourth paper was presented by Ruth K. higher studies student from the United States of America (USA) in the SQU, with reference to North and South America.

Activities in the seminar also include panel discussions with participation of a group of academics and professors, experts and specialists from within and outside the Sultanate. – ONA

SHURA POLLS

A1 Rules to ensure fairness of elections < FROM

Talib Al Amri, head of media, Ministry of Interior, said, “Last year and the year before that no complaints were filed in this regard. However, those who want to complain about someone trying to bribe them, should approach the Public Prosecution. After the Public Prosecution alerts us we will take action. If people are bribed they should also complain to the Public Prosecution.”

Al Amri said that rules are meant to ensure fairness and preserve the integrity of the election.

He said, candidates must maintain the spirit of the campaign and respect the election process.

In other rules according to Ar-

ticle 69, imprisonment of 10 days to one year and a fine between OMR1000 and OMR4,000 or any of the two punishments is imposed on those who force their way into election centres or voting areas and either disrupt the voting process or cause harm to those monitoring the process.

The punishment also applies to anyone carrying a weapon to the election centres and voting areas, tampering with the ballot box, adding their own name or another name, and tampering with information on lists, apart from applications or statements to harm the election process, violating advertising regulations

during campaigns, and impersonating someone to vote or vote more than once.

Slander and defamation of a candidate which could affect his or her votes, harming those who process votes and anything else that would affect the voting process, is also punishable.

Additional punishments are included in Article 70 which states that imprisonment between 10 days and one year and a fine between OMR1,500 and OMR3,000, or any of the two, will be given to those who write their name, the name of another person, remove or prevent a candidate from registering his or her name.

Those who destroy or conceal any document which could affect the election, as well as those who prevent or delay any operation which could affect the election process, can also be punished.

The Supreme Committee for Majlis Al Shura elections held its sixth meeting yesterday under the chairmanship of Sheikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Monawari, Vice President of the Supreme Court and the Chairman of the Committee in the presence of members of the Committee.

The meeting discussed the implementation of the decisions of the Committee and the preparations of the sub committees.

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

A7

REGION 18 Turkish workers abducted in Baghdad An Iraqi police colonel said the Turks were kidnapped by blackclad gunmen in pickup trucks, and that authorities had formed a committee to investigate their kidnapping

BAGHDAD: Gunmen kidnapped at least 18 Turkish employees of a company building a football stadium in Baghdad on Wednesday, officials said, but it was not immediately clear who was holding them.

Dozens of Turks have been kidnapped in Iraq by the IS group over the past 18 months and later released, but the latest abductions took place in Sadr City.

“Eighteen Turkish citizens working for a construction company in Baghdad have been kidnapped,” Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters.

“We are in close contact with the Iraqi (interior) ministry and hope the incident will end positively.”

An Iraqi police colonel said the Turks were kidnapped by blackclad gunmen in pickup trucks, and that authorities had formed a committee to investigate their abduction.

Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said those seized were three engineers, an accountant and 14 workers.

“We have learnt that the Turk-

CONFLICT: A boy rides his bicycle past a stadium being built by a Turkish company in Baghdad’s Habibiya district on Wednesday. — Reuters

ish workers had been separated from workers from other countries during the kidnapping and were specifically chosen,” he was quoted as saying by the state-run Anatolia news agency.

Ransom demand Nurol Insaat, a leading Turkish construction company, confirmed in a statement to AFP that its workers had been abducted in Baghdad and said that it had not yet received any ransom demand.

Nurol’s website said it had been awarded a “design-build contract” for a 30,000-seat Sadr City Stadium, and that the project includes practice fields and a hotel.

Kidnappings for ransom are a persistent problem in Baghdad, and the identity of the kidnappers was not immediately clear.

A political motive is also possible, as Sadr City is a stronghold of pro-government Shiite

paramilitary groups battling IS, which overran large areas of Iraq last year.

Ankara has been accused of complacency towards IS and complicity in assisting the jihadist group, which also holds substantial territory in Syria, just over Turkey’s southern border.

Turkey has carried out limited strikes against IS in Syria, but in an indication of its priorities, has directed far more firepower against the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The latest kidnappings were the third time a large group of Turks has been seized in Iraq over the past year and a half.

IS abducted 46 Turks from the country’s consulate when the militants seized the northern city of Mosul in June 2014, as well as more than 30 Turkish truck drivers. Both groups of captives were later freed.

Turkey is a major trade partner for Iraq, especially with the country’s autonomous Kurdish region.

But the relationship between Ankara and Iraqi Kurdistan has been a source of tension with Baghdad, which considers the autonomous region’s independent export of oil via Turkey to be illegal.

Relations between Baghdad and Ankara have been rocky for years, with the two sides also at odds over the Syrian civil war.

But ties have improved somewhat since Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi took office last year, replacing Nuri Al Maliki, who had repeatedly clashed with Ankara.

Baghdad turned to mostly majority sect volunteer forces for support as IS advanced towards the capital in June last year, and they have played a key role in halting and then reversing the extremists’ gains. — AFP

CHEMICAL WEAPON USE IN SYRIA

Russia holds up probe UNITED NATIONS: Russia said on Wednesday it was still considering the details of how to establish a UN team to investigate chemical weapons attacks in Syria, holding up final Security Council approval to launch the probe.

Last month, Russia joined the 14 other council members in adopting a resolution setting up the team, in a rare display of unity

over how to address the deadly conflict.

UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon last week then informed the council of the specifics of his plan to set up the three-person panel.

The council was given five days to respond to the proposal but that deadline passed on Tuesday without action after Russia refused to sign off on Ban’s blueprint. — AFP

A8

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

INDIA Deflation new challenge for economy’s growth per cent than currently being forecast.” Several agencies including Fitch and other experts have lowered the growth forecast for the current fiscal in light of the global financial turmoil and the slowdown in pace of reforms.

The first quarter GDP data released by the government on Monday revealed that the economic growth, measured by GVA slowed to 7.1 per cent as against 7.4 per cent in the corresponding period last fiscal.

The GDP, though expanded at 7 per cent, up from 6.7 per cent.

Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian said one real challenge that looms ahead appears not to be the price inflation but the possible price deflation

NEW DELHI: The Indian government on Wednesday flagged deflation as a new challenge for the economy but expressed hope that the growth will be close to 8 per cent in the current fiscal year, notwithstanding lower first quarter GDP number.

“Overall, economic growth is moving in the right direction, although its pace is still below what the economy needs...but at a pace that is expected to pick up in re-

SPELLING OUT: Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian addresses the media in New Delhi on Wednesday. - PTI

sponse to the ongoing reforms.”

“And one real challenge that looms ahead appears not to be the price inflation but the possible price deflation,” Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian said.

Talking to the reporters on below-than-expected first quarter growth, he said, the numbers sug-

gest that “economy is recovering” and is consistent with the other more high-frequency indicators such as revenue collection and real credit growth.

On growth forecast, he said, “the Economic Survey said 8-8.5 per cent. Certainly if GDP numbers are reaccessed, we are closer to 8

Inflation As regards to inflation, the wholesale price index has been in the negative zone since November 2014, while the retail inflation (CPI) too has fallen sharply.

Subramanian, however, evaded questions on the need to cut rates

by RBI to bolster economy in wake of low inflation.

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, who had cut rates by 0.75 per cent in three tranches since January, maintained status quo in the last monetary policy review in August despite pressure from the industry and the government.

The next policy is due on September 29. - PTI

INCESSANT RAINS

Assam flood situation worsens, toll tops 24 GUWAHATI: The flood situation in the north-eastern state Assam deteriorated as incessant rains pounded the state on Wednesday and four more persons lost their lives in it as the calamity affected nearly 10 lakh people in over 2,000 villages.

The Dibrugarh administration has called in the Army to evacuate marooned people from different parts of the district, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said in its flood report.

With today’s four death the toll in the current spell of floods has risen to 24. A total 29 has been killed in the two spells of floods this year.

ASDMA reports said two persons were killed under Naduar revenue circle in Sonitpur district, while one died in Mayong revenue circle of Morigaon.

Another person lost his life at Samaguri revenue circle in Nagaon district since Tuesday.

It said nearly 1 million people are affected in 2,005 villages across Dhemaji, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Goalpara, Morigaon, Cachar, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Tinsukia, Darrang, Baksa, Nalbari, Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Golaghat and Nagaon districts.

SUBMERGED: People wade through floodwaters to shift to safer areas in flood-affected Lakhimpur district of Assam on Tuesday. - PTI

Dhemaji is the worst-hit district where nearly 240,000 people are reeling due to the flood.

It is followed by Dibrugarh where more than 134,000 people have been affected.

ASDMA said nearly 170, 000 hectares of crop land are under water and authorities have opened 308 relief camps in Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Cachar, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Sonitpur, Nalbari, Dibrugarh, Morigaon and Nagaon providing shelter to more than 175,000 people.

Kamrup metropolitan district authority has indefinitely suspended all types of ferry and boat services on Brahmaputra in Guwahati city as the river is flowing above the danger mark. - PTI

SHEENA BORA MURDER CASE

Peter and wife Indrani brought face to face, quizzed extensively MUMBAI/KOLKATA: Former Star India CEO Peter Mukherjea’s statement was on Wednesday recorded in the Sheena Bora murder case by police which is understood to have quizzed his wife Indrani and the other two accused in his presence.

Mukherjea reached the Khar police station in India’s financial capital here at 10.30am to record his statement. Indrani, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyam Rai, who were allegedly involved in the murder were also brought there.

The police are understood to have questioned the three accused in the presence of Peter and their counsel in perhaps the first such confrontation since Indrani was arrested on August 24 for allegedly murdering Sheena and hiding her

body in 2012. Indrani is accused of killing Sheena, her daughter from an earlier relationship, in 2012 over a financial dispute, with the help of her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyam Rai. Mukherjea had gone to the police station last week, but the Mumbai police had refused to accept a written statement from him and he was told that when the police needed, they would call him for questioning.

A local court had earlier extended the police custody of the three accused — Indrani, Sanjeev Khanna and Shyam Rai — till September 5. Peter Mukherjea, who has been married to Indrani Mukherjea for 13 years and set up a media company with her, had first said that he was unaware that Sheena Bora was his wife’s daughter and that

QUESTIONED: A file photo of Indrani Mukherjea and her husband

Peter Mukherjea. Peter’s statement was recorded in the Sheena Bora murder case by police on Wednesday. - PTI

Indrani had introduced her as her sister. A few days after Indrani’s arrest, Peter Mukherjea amended his version to say Sheena Bora did inform him that she was his step-

daughter, but he had no reasons not to believe his wife Indrani’s denial of that claim though he found it “difficult to digest”.

He claimed that the same thing

was communicated to him by his son Rahul Mukherjea, but he had not believed him as well.

Peter maintained that he vaguely remembered the date when he was told about the fact and it was sometime in 2011.

Sheena Bora was engaged to Rahul, Peter Mukherjea’s son from an earlier marriage, when she was allegedly murdered on April 24, 2012. The 24-year-old was allegedly strangled in a car, then her body was burnt and dumped at a forest in Raigad, about 84 km from Mumbai. Her purported remains were found a month later and buried by the police, which treated the body as unclaimed.

For three years, Indrani told her family and friends that Sheena had shifted to the US. On Tuesday, a man claiming to

be Sheena’s biological father, Sidhharth Das surfaced and said that he was not in touch with Indrani.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police team on Wednesday seized a laptop and papers related to bank accounts and investments of Indrani’s former husband and co-accused Sanjeev Khanna in the Sheena murder case from his residence in the southern part of the city.

According to a senior officer of Kolkata Police, the team from Mumbai Police, alongwith a team from the force of Kolkata, visited Khanna’s residence in Hastings area this morning and seized his laptop as a part of their probe into the murder mystery.

He said the Mumbai Police team also seized papers related to Khanna’s bank accounts and investments. - PTI

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5 SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

Love us on Facebook

Strike leads to $3.7 billion loss The strike — the biggest in India for more than two years — included staff at state-run banks and mines as well as some factory, construction and

DESERTED: The flyover besides Howrah Station looks almost deserted in Kolkata during the nationwide strike of Trade Union workers to protest against alleged anti-labour policies of the Central government, on Wednesday. - PTI

transport workers SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

NEW DELHI: Millions of workers across India went on strike Wednesday in protest at planned labour law reforms, the biggest show of strength by trade unions since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office.

They say labour reforms planned by Modi’s government will put jobs at risk, and are demanding it scrap changes that would make it easier to lay off workers and shut down unproductive factories.

All India Trade Union Congress secretary Gurudas Dasgupta said the response had been “magnificent” and estimated over 150 million workers participated in the strike, although this could not be independently confirmed.

The strike — the biggest in India for more than two years —included staff at state-run banks and mines as well as some factory, construction and transport workers.

“This strike is a reminder to the government that it must consult the millions of employees (affected) before changing the labour laws,” striking bank worker Amit Khanna said in New Delhi.

Most cities remained peaceful,

ARTICLE, PHOTOS W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N .C O M

but clashes between police and activists broke out in the eastern state of West Bengal, which has a long history of left-wing union activism.

Television footage showed police baton-charge protesters in the state capital Kolkata and drag away women strikers who had staged a sit-in, while protesters threw stones and smashed vehicles. Nearly 200 people were arrested across the state, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. Banks, shops and other businesses remained closed in the city, stranding commuters and travellers at the main station, while dozens of flag-waving protesters halted suburban trains.

In Delhi, long queues formed at bus stops early Wednesday, while passengers were stuck at airports as many taxis and autorickshaws stayed off the streets.

Industry body Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (Assocham) estimated $3.7 billion in economic losses from the

strike, singling out the country’s ports where exports were left lying on the docks.

“Labour reforms are necessary and the government should intervene to come to an agreeable solution in the interest of the industry and the nation as a whole,” Assocham general secretary D.S. Rawat said.

Later Wednesday, the government sought to downplay the strike, saying it was “not felt much” in most parts of the country. However, it stressed its commitment to the welfare of the working classes.

The government has taken “positive steps.... on nine of their twelve demands which will be met as per their aspirations,” it said in a brief statement.

The government’s proposals would make it easier for firms with as many as 300 workers to fire employees without needing government permission, up from the existing cap of 100, and make it more difficult to create new unions. Although trade unions agree reforms are overdue, they oppose the proposals, saying they would leave workers with less job security while the level of legal protection on pay and other conditions would be reduced. - AFP

INDIA

A9

A 10

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

PAKISTAN Almost all Uighur militants eliminated, says Mamnoon Meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain said a recent anti-terror operation codenamed Zarb-e-Azb ‘has been successful in eradicating the terrorism from our country’

BEIJING/WANA (PAKISTAN): Almost all members of the Uighur militant group the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) have been eliminated from Pakistan, the country’s president said on Wednesday during a visit to Beijing.

China blames violent unrest in its far western region of Xinjiang on extremist separatist groups like ETIM, which it says wants to set up an independent state called East Turkestan and have bases in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Many foreign experts, however, have questioned whether ETIM exists as the coherent group China claims it is.

Meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain said a recent anti-terror operation codenamed Zarb-e-Azb “has been successful

ALLIES: Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, meets with Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, third right, at The Great Hall Of The People in Beijing, China on Wednesday. — Reuters

in eradicating the terrorism from our country”.

“It has also been very helpful in eliminating the ETIM element from our country and I think almost all the ETIM people in our country have been eliminated.

Maybe, if they are there, there should be very few,” Hussain said.

China and Pakistan were “iron brothers” and always helped each other “with great zeal”, he added.

Hussain is in China to attend a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Asia.

“China will unswervingly support Pakistan’s efforts in safeguarding its national security,” Xi told Hussain, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency.

Hundreds have died in violence in Xinjiang in the past few years, blamed by Beijing on the militants.

China says ETIM recruits Uighurs who have gone to Turkey and trains them with extremist groups in Syria and Iraq, with the intent of returning to Xinjiang to launch attacks.

Meanwhile, air strikes carried

out by warplanes bombarded the Shawal Valley on Wednesday, killing at least 17 suspected militants, intelligence officials told Reuters.

Four militant hideouts were destroyed, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Bombardment Abdul Rehman, a resident of the nearby village of Mana, told Reuters by telephone that he had heard the bombardment, but could not reach the targeted area

to see the extent of the damage.

The air strikes took place in a part of the border area between the North and South Waziristan tribal regions where some civilians are still present. Most were evacuated last year, when Pakistan launched a full-scale offensive against the Pakistani Taliban and its allies in North Waziristan.

A renewed offensive in the Shawal Valley, including ground forces, began last month, aiming to clear out the remaining districts the military says are still home to Taliban fighters. — Reuters

PUNJAB

3 suspects in church attacks killed in escape bid LAHORE: Pakistan police said on Wednesday that three militants suspected of involvement in suicide attacks on two churches had been killed during a failed escape attempt.

Police had taken the suspects to a village in the suburbs of the Punjab provincial capital Lahore to retrieve suicide vests and weapons, and came under attack as they returned.

“The attackers opened fire on police to try to release the terrorists. Police returned fire and the three militants were killed during the exchange of fire,” Haider Ashraf, a senior police official in Lahore, told AFP. The trio were arrested along with two others on August 4 over the twin Taliban suicide attacks on two churches in Lahore’s Youhanabad district in March that killed 17 people and wounded more than 70. Police said two officers were wounded in the clash with the attackers, who fled.

Punjab police spokeswoman Nabeela Ghazanfar confirmed details of the incident.

In late July the detained leader of a group behind some of Pakistan’s worst sectarian atrocities was killed in a similar shootout.

Malik Ishaq was shot dead along with fellow Laskhar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militants, including senior commanders, in Punjab as his cadres tried to free him from custody, police said.

So-called “encounter” killings like Wednesday’s incident and Malik’s death have long aroused suspicion among rights activists in Pakistan. They say police use them to dispose of suspects without going through the courts.

The bombings occurred in March during prayers at two churches located around half a kilometre apart in Youhanabad, which is home to more than 100,000 Christians, officials said. — AFP

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

Stay ahead of the curve with WhatsNews

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY INSTALL WHATSNEWS

A11

ASIA

E R AWA N S H R I N E B L A S T

Thai police issue warrant of arrest against Turkish man BANGKOK: Police claimed significant progress on Wednesday towards finding the mastermind of Thailand’s deadliest attack after an arrested man admitted being near the August 17 shrine blast and fingerprints tied him to the room of a suspected bomber.

The unidentified man, arrested less than a kilometre from the Cambodian border on Tuesday, had told police he was not the bomber, but was in same area when a massive explosion killed 20 people.

“It’s natural that the suspect will deny he did it, but we still have to continue to look into that,” deputy national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda told reporters. “Right now the case has progressed about 70 percent already.” The latest suspect had stayed in the same Nong Chok area of Bangkok as another man arrested in a raid on Saturday that found stacks of fake passports, TNT, C4 and fertiliser.

An arrest warrant was issued on Wednesday for a Turkish man who police believed was in his home country.

He is married to a Thai woman currently in Turkey who was in contact with Thai authorities.

She had rented a room in a second Bangkok building raided by police, where bomb-making materials were found.

According to AFP, this is the first time that the Thai police have identified the nationality of a suspect in their probe. National police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri named the new suspect as Emrah Davutoglu, adding “he is Turkish”.

The warrant accused him of possessing “war materials.”

Police have received a torrent of criticism for leading a patchy probe and statements from top officials about possible perpetrators, motives and information extracted from suspects have been contradictory, speculative and often cryptic.

Police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri said the latest suspect’s prints were found on explosives in the same room. “The man... may be the person who took the bomb out of the room or brought the bomb to the location of the in-

National police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri named the new suspect as Emrah Davutoglu, adding “he is Turkish”. The warrant accused him of possessing “war materials”

cident,” Prawut said on TV. Prawut also said biometric systems would now be used at immigration checkpoints to catch any suspects. The investigation has gained momentum since the

and foreign extremists.

Thailand’s forced repatriation of 109 Uighurs to China in July caused international outrage and saw protesters smash windows and ransack parts of the Thai consulate in Istanbul.

Many Uighurs transit through Southeast Asia to try to get to Turkey, which has a large diaspora.

Though many details remain unknown, a connection with Turkey has been established. It is unclear if the two detained men are Turkish but police have been interrogating them though a Turkish translator and fake Turkish passports were seized in one raid.

KEEPING VIGIL: Thai Army officers stand guard at a gate of the military barracks believed to be holding two arrested bomb suspects involved in the recent Bangkok blast in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday. - Reuters

weekend raids, before which the authorities had little more than a low-resolution surveillance camera video of a man in a yellow shirt leaving a rucksack at the popular Erawan Hindu shrine

Malaysia police plan to question Mahathir Wan said, that it was very unlikely the police would file formal charges against Mahathir. Malaysia’s political upheaval follows a media report in July that said investigators looking into alleged mismanagement at debt-laden state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had traced a payment of more than $600 million to an account in Najib’s name.

Mahathir made surprise appearances at a protest in Kuala Lumpur, calling for a ‘people’s power’ movement to topple Prime Minister Najib

KUALA LUMPUR/ZURICH: Malaysian police want to question former premier Mahathir Mohamad about anti-government comments, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday, in what appeared to be a bid to stifle the veteran leader’s campaign to bring down the prime minister.

Mahathir, still a hugely respected and influential figure, made surprise appearances at a protest in Kuala Lumpur on the weekend, calling for a “people’s power” movement to topple Prime Minister Najib Razak over graft.

“Tun (Mahathir) made several allegations in his speeches ... that

PUBLIC OUTCRY: ‘Bersih’ (Clean) supporters during a rally held last week in Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur. - Reuters

warrants police action,” police spokeswoman Asmawati Ahmad said. Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar would take a statement from Mahathir, she said.

It was not clear if Mahathir would face any charges.

“As far as I am aware, he has not been approached by the police yet.

We will comply with the police on whatever is needed,” the aide, Sufi Yusoff, said. Najib has denied any wrongdoing and says he did not take any money for personal gain but, nevertheless, faces the biggest

crisis of his political career.

‘Repurcussions’ The police questioning of the country’s longest-serving leader would appear to raise the political stakes for both sides.

“If the police called in Mahathir and treated him the wrong way then the political repercussions would be severe,” said Wan Saiful Wan Jan, chief executive of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs. “The calls for Najib to resign will only get stronger.”

Accounts frozen Swiss authorities said on Wednesday they had frozen funds in Swiss banks amid a probe into people linked to Malaysia’s troubled state investment fund, 1malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), on suspicion of corruption and money laundering.

“The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has frozen assets amounting to several tens of millions of US dollars on Swiss bank accounts,” an OAG spokeswoman said by email in response to an enquiry.

“At this early stage of the procedure, the OAG is analysing and consolidating evidence. The OAG is already in contact with the malaysian authorities. “International cooperation with foreign countries, in particular with malaysia, will probably be necessary to establish the facts,” she added.-Reuters

moments before the blast.

With no claim of responsibility, speculation has centred on sympathisers of Uighur Muslims, opponents of the military government, southern ethnic Malay rebels

Turkey’s concern Turkey’s embassy in Bangkok issued a statement expressing concern about “speculative new reports” on the nationalities of those arrested and said it had asked for clarification. Thailand’s army chief and defence minister left for a three-day visit to China on Wednesday but said it was a scheduled trip unrelated to the investigation. -Reuters

KOREAS

Pyongyang warns Seoul over latter’s claim on peace deal SEOUL: North Korea on Wednesday accused the South of misrepresenting their agreement to defuse tensions and warned the hard-won deal was being undermined by claims Pyongyang had made an apology for border landmine blasts.

The explosions maimed two South Korean soldiers on patrol last month and triggered a crisis that brought the rivals to the brink of armed conflict.

A deal to de-escalate tensions was reached last week following marathon talks in the border truce village of Panmunjom that committed them to starting an official dialogue.

But a spokesman from Pyongyang’s powerful National Defence Commission (NDC) said the South was misrepresenting the agreement and claiming North Korea apologised for the explosions. According to the sixpoint deal, the North “expressed regret” over the incident, but the NDC spokesman said Pyongyang was merely offering condolences to the victims.

“To put it simply, it was no more than saying ‘I’m sorry about your suffering’,” he was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency.

The spokesman also attacked the South for conducting a massive joint live-fire drill with the United States after the agreement.

“Should the South leave the current situation as it is, the precious sprout for national reconciliation would be nipped by severe frost and the North-South relations would be pushed back to confrontation,” he said.

“The South Korean authorities must stop interpreting the deal in a foolish way and refrain from words and acts that threaten hard-won peace”.

South Korea fired back at the North’s criticism, saying the deal was predicated on Pyongyang’s apology. “This is not a time for back-and-forth over the wording.

The two sides should implement the agreement in full faith and move forward”, Jeong JoonHee, spokesman for the unification ministry which oversees cross-border relations, later told journalists.

The two rivals came close to conflict last month after South Korea, in retaliation over the blasts, switched on banks of giant speakers, which had lain silent for more than a decade, blasting propaganda messages into North Korea. -AFP

TO CUT LOSSES

Part of Sri Lanka’s vanity airport becomes rice warehouse COLOMBO: Part of a vanity airport built by toppled Sri Lankan strongman Mahinda Rajapakse will be used as a rice storage warehouse to reduce losses after failing to take off, officials said on Wednesday.

Rajapakse International aiport, located in the remote farming outpost of Hambantota 250 kilometres (180 miles) from Colombo,

has been shunned by airlines after setting planes on a collision course with migrating birds.

The 550-employee airport in the ex-president’s constituency has become a highlight on a “Rajapakse white elephant tour” run by local guides. It operates at a huge loss and is used only by one airline, low-cost carrier flydubai, with just a handful of passengers arriving

each week. The near-empty airport has provided a surprise boon to rice farmers, however, after a bumper harvest left them short of shortage space.

“A cargo terminal was released to the (state-run rice buyer) Paddy Marketing Board to store the rice harvest from the Hambantota region,” said an airport official who asked not to be named. “The first

truckload of rice arrived today and has already unloaded at the empty cargo terminal.”

Police said the inaugural delivery was met with unrest as dozens of airport employees loyal to Rajapakse protested against the rice storage plan. “They should be happy that at least trucks are landing there to make the airport viable,” a senior police officer told AFP.

Built on a migratory route for birds, the airport soon proved notorious for plane-bird collisions after opening in 2013. The first flight to land shattered its windshield after being struck. National carrier SriLankan Airlines was under orders from Rajapakse to land at the $210 million hub.

But it halted flights immediately after Rajapakse lost January’s

presidential election to Maithripala Sirisena. Rajapakse spent lavishly on infrastructure, with huge vanity projects including a deep sea port, six-lane highways, an international conference centre, a cricket stadium and a dry-zone botanical garden.

The projects were criticised for ignoring feasibility studies and environmental warnings. -AFP

A12

TIMES O F O MAN

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

#TRENDING ONLINE HOT PICKS MOST READ

MOST SHARED

TIMESOFOMAN.COM

FACEBOOK.COM/TIMESOFOMAN

TOTAL VIEWS

TOTAL PAGE LIKES

22,326,321

217,871

1 Tribute to British hiker who

1 Police to crack down on

died in Oman

drivers ferrying passengers illegally in Oman

bit.ly/tributetohikerbushra

bit.ly/illegalferrying

2 Atlas group will mortgage

properties to clear dues if needed, says official bit.ly/atlasgroupmortgage

Founder: Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali Chairman / Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Anees bin Essa Al Zedjali Chief Executive Officer: Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali EDITORIAL Telephone: 24726666 Fax: 24813153 E-mail: editor@timesofoman.com ADVERTISING Telephone: 24726666 Fax: 24812624 E-mail: advertising@timesofoman.com CIRCULATION Telephone: 24726666 Fax: 24818270 E-mail: circulation@timesofoman.com

3 British citizen died trying to

save others in Oman 2 Test cricket is no ‘Child’s

bit.ly/bushradiesavingpals

Play’, says Ashwin bit.ly/testcricketnochildsplay

4 Oman tour operators,

hoteliers call for stop spots on major tourist routes

3 Business opportunities

forum in Oman set to offer contract worth OMR100 million

bit.ly/stopspottouristarea

Printed and published by: Muscat Media Group Post Box: 770 Postal Code: 112

5 Social clubs in Oman told to

bit.ly/businessforumcontract

hold elections bit.ly/socialclubspollorder

4 Oman station records

Salalah sea earthquake bit.ly/quakeoffsalalahcoast

TIMESOFOMAN.COM/OPINION

5 The Wave Muscat rebranded,

is now Al Mouj Muscat bit.ly/waveisalmoujmuscatnow

SYED FAZL-E-HAIDER MOST POPULAR VIDEO

TIMESOFOMAN.COM/VIDEOS Francis Wilkinson CNN’s Thom Patterson looks at some commercial “Vertical Takeoff and Landing” planes that are currently in development

The strategically-located Gwadar port has the potential to emerge as the mother port of the region.

It is ironic that a geo-strategically located province with world class gold mines and tremendous energy resources is stuck in medieval times bit.ly/peaceinbalochistan

TWEET WE LIKE @jemouque79 Amazing Iranian dish for lunch today. @ Muscat, Sultanate of Oman https://instagram.com/ p/7IDzVkBvRZ/

INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY

STEVE RICHARDS

INSTAGRAM.COM/TIMESOFOMAN With the rise of Jeremy Corbyn, even BBC outlets feel compelled to invite on to their programmes individuals who are a few millimetres to the left of that dreary consensus – the consensus that insists public spending is a ‘waste’ bit.ly/corbynreiventcampaign

ELIZABETH DAVAS «

SHARE THIS!

Gun rights kill gun safety in the US

Photo: Michael Angelo Bandola

L

ori Rodriguez wants her guns. The city of San Jose wants to keep its citizens safe. The conflict between them, now in federal court, is in many ways the crux of gun politics in the US. In January 2013, police responded to a call from the Rodriguez home after Lori’s longtime husband, Edward Rodriguez, exhibited signs of distress and erratic behavior, according to the Rodriguez legal complaint filed against the city and its police force in August. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation.

Together, the Rodriguezes possessed 12 guns. Edward’s hospitalization resulted in a psychiatric hold, which prohibited him from possessing firearms for five years. Police removed the guns from the residence over Lori’s objection. Lori, with support from gunrights groups, is now suing to get the guns back.

She says she will store them in a locked safe to which she alone will have access.

Her husband, however, will be right there in the house with her.

In a previous state trial in which the city’s right to withhold the guns was upheld, a judge summarized the police encounter with Edward: “When Officer Valentine asked Edward if he wanted to hurt himself, Edward responded by attempting to break his own thumb. Based on his observations and Edward’s attempt to hurt himself, Officer Valentine determined that Edward, who weighed nearly 400 pounds, was a danger to himself and others.”

The city still won’t turn the guns over. “Are we acting with an abundance of caution?

Yeah,” city attorney Rick Doyle told the local NBC affiliate.

“We’re concerned about somebody having access to firearms who shouldn’t.”

That pretty much sums up the view of bluestate America, where the priority is keeping guns out of the hands of people who might be dangerous -- even if that leads to inconvenience or an occasional bureaucratic mistake.

But if you’re the sort of person who thinks it’s perfectly normal to own 12 guns, the phrase “abundance of caution” can translate as “running roughshod over constitutional

rights.” The Ring of Fire blog on the website of a California attorney spells out the fear.

“When the law imposes restrictions on the fundamental right to keep and bear arms due to ‘mental illness,’ does the government’s definition of the term mesh with the common understanding?” says a post on the blog.

“California paints with a broad brush regarding its restrictions on firearm ownership by the ‘mentally ill.’”

There are many reasons why the nation bangs its collective head against the wall each time a lunatic opens fire. But the punctuation in that post hints at one.

As soon as the context is guns -- buying them, selling them, storing them, bearing them, firing them -- the people who feel most passionately about gun rights find cause to put quotation marks around words like “mental illness,” as if mental illness is itself a figment of some guncontrol advocate’s imagination.

Yet the dangerous nexus of mental illness and guns is not in our heads. The ease of access to firearms extends both to criminals, who can buy at will in the vast unregulated marketplace, and to the mentally ill, who unless they have been committed and have had their names officially included on a list prohibiting purchases, will generally pass background checks -- no matter how violent the delusions of the night before.

When a Missouri gun shop sold a handgun in 2012 to a paranoid schizophrenic even after her mother had asked the store not to, the customer brought her new gun home and shot her father dead. The mother sued the shop, but in all likelihood it’s the shop that has the law on its side, not the grieving widow.

While Lori Rodriguez waits to get her old guns back, she is free to purchase new guns and store them at home.

That, her attorney Don Kilmer said in an e-mail, “is why keeping her property from her is irrational.” The demand for frictionless gun sales and unfettered possession is broadly accommodated by the law.

Even California is perpetually behind in trying to keep track of dangerous people with access to firearms. In the U.S., there simply is no contest between gun rights and public safety. — Bloomberg View

READERS’ FORUM Infrastructure projects should not go to waste This refers to the online story, Sri Lanka ex-president’s vanity airport to be used to store rice (September 2). To me, the leader of the country, Maithripala Sirisena, seemed a visionary. However, the conversion of an airport to a rice silo seems simply ridiculous. Even if he is against former president Manhinda Rajapakse’s policies, it should not mean that such infrastructure projects go to waste. It seems the current leadership believes in revenge politics instead of the development of the masses.

I believe it should follow Pakistan’s example. Islamabad had earlier signed a deal with Singapore to run its Gwadar port, but, due to policy change, it is now operated by the Chinese.

— Sundeep Widhartha, Muscat Scan this QR code to send letters to the Readers’ Forum, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi).

Katrina was a monster that didn’t care about the colour of your skin or what block you lived on. She was a storm of equality — how great or little your suffering, she found a way to tear her teeth into your psyche. She left her mark on me in a quiet way, dangerously under the surface bit.ly/katrinavictimmemory

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES AUGUST 2000 SQU welcomes new batch of students MUSCAT: Dr Saud bin Nassir Al Riyami, vice president of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), yesterday presided over a ceremony organised to celebrate the 15th batch of SQU’s students. In an address, he said SQU was well-prepared to provide all that was required for the students to excel in their academic life. He outlined the teaching system, which he said, depended on both students’ sense of responsibility and academic supervision.

Well played Team India!

Congratulations to Team India and the new Test captain Virat Kohli for the long awaited Test series victory against Sri Lanka on their home ground. Great captaincy and a great team effort. Hope the same continues in upcoming tours.

India’s performance in the series has been commendable, especially in the light of a loss in the first Test. Such an unexpected loss usually guts the morale of team. However, the batting looked very vulnerable and the slip catching looked far from assured. For once, the bowling on this tour turned out to be strongest. I think the tactic of selecting five bowlers will work only if we get perfect fast bowling all-rounders like Shane Watson. — Mohammad Osama Rawat, Ruwi

PICTOGRAPH

OMAN’S GLOBAL TRADE EXCHANGE From February to April 2015, not including oil or re-exports (In million rials) February

275.2

March

226.7

April

263.9

OMAN TOTAL EXPORTS OMAN TOTAL IMPORTS

TODAY IN HISTORY

NEW INDIA ASSURANCE

1666: The Great Fire of London, which devastates the city, begins.

Protect the welfare of your workforce through New India’s WORKMEN COMPENSATION POLICY.

1945: Japan signs the document of surrender aboard the USS Missouri, ending World War II.

www.newindiaoman.com

1963: Alabama Governor George Wallace calls state troopers to Tuskegee High School to prevent integration.

1970: NASA cancels two planned missions to the moon

927.1

921.2

883.1

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

A13

WORLD O N E V E O F W O R L D WA R I I PA R A D E

PROTESTS IN US Baltimore City police form a line to hold protesters back during a demonstration at the Inner Harbor on Wednesday in Baltimore, US. Rose said he was injured when he was hit by a car when demonstrators tried to shut down traffic during the pretrial hearing for six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray. Earlier this year Gray, 25, suffered a severe spinal cord injury while in police custody and later died. His funeral was followed by rioting, looting and arson. — Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Japanese invaders extremely cruel: Xi

Images/AFP

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that Japanese invaders of the country before and during World War II behaved with barbarity and tried to slaughter the people into surrender, as China gears up for a military parade to mark the war’s end.

Using unusually strong language at a medal ceremony for veterans and their descendants, Xi said that the invaders were “fiendish”.

Unprecedented brutality “The Japanese militarist invaders were extremely bloody and cruel, who treated the Chinese people with unprecedented brutality, and tried to use massacres and death to get the Chinese people to yield,” Xi said, in remarks released by the official Xinhua news agency.

“In the face of the butchers’ knives of the invaders, the Chinese people used their flesh and blood to build a new Great Wall,” he added.

The government has repeatedly said that Thursday’s parade is not aimed at today’s Japan, but to remember the past and cherish the present peace. China and Japan have long sparred over their history. China consistently brings up events like the 1937 Nanjing Massacre in which it says Japanese MYSTERY

Millions of Chinese died in the war, and China rarely misses an opportunity to remind its people and the world of the horror visited upon it, especially as the government thinks Japan has never properly atoned

troops killed 300,000 people in its then capital.

A postwar Allied tribunal put the death toll at 142,000, but some conservative Japanese politicians and scholars deny a massacre took place at all. Thursday’s parade, featuring some 12,000 troops, is the highlight of events in China this year marking 70 years since World War II ended in Asia. — Reuters

20 killed, dozens injured in IS bombings near mosque The Houthi-

Yasser Arafat

controlled Saba news

French probe into Arafat death closes sans charges

agency said in a text

NANTERRE (FRANCE): French judges investigating claims that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was murdered have closed the case without bringing any charges, a prosecutor said on Wednesday.

“At the end of the investigation... it has not been demonstrated that Mr Yasser Arafat was murdered by polonium-210 poisoning,” the three judges ruled, according to a statement from the prosecutor from the court in Nanterre near Paris told AFP. Arafat died in Percy military hospital near Paris aged 75 in November 2004 after developing stomach pains while at his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

mosque, followed

Polonium poisoning His widow Suha has maintained he was poisoned, possibly by highly radioactive polonium.

But the judges ruled there was “not sufficient evidence of an intervention by a third party who could have attempted to take his life,” the prosecutor said. — AFP

message that the first explosion was caused by a suicide bomber in the Al Mo’ayyad by a car bomb blast that targeted medics outside the building

SANAA: At least 20 people were killed and dozens wounded in two bombings near a mosque in a northern district of the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Wednesday, media run by the city’s ruling Houthi militia said.

According AFP, the IS group claim responsibility for the attack.

Al Masirah television cited on its Twitter account the spokesman of the Houthi-controlled healthy ministry as saying that the casualty toll was a preliminary figure.

The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency said in a text message that the first explosion was caused by a suicide bomber in the Al Mo’ayyad mosque, followed by a car bomb blast that targeted medics outside the building. It said there were 25 dead and wounded.

Earlier, a gunman killed two

WAR: A man looks at smoke billowing from a military academy during a Saudi-led airstrike in Yemen’s Sanaa on Wednesday. — Reuters

Yemenis working for the International Committee of the Red Cross north of the capital Sanaa on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the humanitarian organisation said.

Red Cross staffers “Sadly, two of our staff were brutally killed on their way back from Saada to Sanaa,” the ICRC’s Yemen spokeswoman Rima Kamal said, referring to the northern stronghold of Shiite rebels who have been battling loyalists of the exiled president.

The pair were travelling with two colleagues in two vehicles “clearly” marked with the Red Cross emblem when they were

stopped in Amran province by a gunman who opened fire at the vehicles, Kamal told AFP. “One of our colleagues passed away on the spot while another sustained critical injuries and was transferred to an MSF (Doctors Without Borders) hospital... where he passed away shortly after,” she said. The other two were unharmed, she added.

The head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen, Antoine Grand, said the victims were a field officer and a driver.

“The ICRC condemns in the strongest possible terms what appears to have been the deliberate targeting of our staff,” Grand said in a statement.

He added that “it is premature for us at this point to determine the impact of this appalling incident on our operations in Yemen.”

But ICRC spokeswoman in Geneva Sitara Jabeen told AFP that “after this incident we have stopped all our movements in the country for the time being.”

Attackers unknown The ICRC said it was not immediately clear who carried out the attack, noting that there had been a number of security incidents involving the organisation in recent months.

On August 25, the ICRC said it had suspended its operations in Yemen’s second city Aden

after gunmen robbed its main office while holding staff at gunpoint.

The organisation has stepped up its relief activities in Yemen since the rebels entered Aden in March prompting President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee to neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which has led a military intervention to restore him to power.

Aden recaptured His loyalists have since recaptured Aden but security in the battered southern port city remains fragile.

The ICRC says it provides vital humanitarian support to hundreds of thousands of people in need across Yemen. — Agencies

MIGRANT CRISIS

Uproar as Czech police tag refugees with numbers PRAGUE: Human rights activists and lawyers in the Czech Republic on Wednesday slammed local police for marking the hands of refugees with numbers after detaining them on a train.

“There is no law allowing the police to mark people like this,” Zuzana Candigliota, a lawyer with the Czech Human Rights League, told AFP. The measure has raised eyebrows as it recalls Nazi Germany’s practice of marking the arms of concentration camp prisoners with numbers.

Czech police used markers to write numbers on the hands of 214 refugees, mostly Syrians, detained Tuesday at a southeastern border crossing on trains from Austria and Hungary.

Interior ministry spokeswoman Lucie Novakova said the move was introduced because of the increasing number of children among the refugees.

“Our goal is to prevent the children from getting lost,” she told AFP. The measure was used with large groups of refugees to keep record of family members, according to Katerina Rendlova, spokeswoman for a unit of the Czech police dealing with foreigners.

“We also write the code of the train they have arrived on so that we know which country we should return them to within the readmission system.”

Unlike some other EU member states, Czech authorities maintain that migrants who enter the coun-

try without first having made an asylum request should be returned to the state from which they arrived, in line with the EU’s Dublin Provision.

The overwhelming majority of Czechs oppose hosting refugees, according to an August survey by local polling agency Focus in which 93 per cent of respondents said they should be returned to their country of origin.

Rendlova said the refugees “used to get the numbers on a piece of paper but they kept throwing them away”.

They have agreed with the marking -- they don’t have a problem with this, they know it’s in their interest.” But rights activists and lawyers cite legal and ethical concerns. — AFP

ATROCIOUS: Seventy-one people stand in a truck during a public re-enactment referring to the 71 dead refugees found in the back of an abandoned truck, in Bochum, Germany on Wednesday. —Reuters

A 14

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

WORLD

Share your world with us on Instagram

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY SHARE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS

Brooks returns as News Corp UK chief The British journalist was arrested on suspicion of being involved in hacking of phone voice mails, but was cleared of all charges last year

LONDON: British ex-editor Rebekah Brooks, the fiery redhead who resigned over a tabloid phonehacking scandal, will return to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp as head of its UK division, the company said on Wednesday.

Brooks, who formerly edited The Sun and The News of the World and was behind some of their most famous scoops, stepped down as chief executive of the business in 2011 at the height of the scandal.

She was arrested on suspicion of being involved in the hacking of phone voice mails by journalists, but was cleared of all charges

last year. “Rebekah will lead a great team at News UK into the digital future, while maximising the influence and reach of our newspapers,” Robert Thomson, chief executive of News Corp, said in a statement.

Brooks said she was “delighted to return to News UK.” “I am confident that we can meet the many challenges of this digital age with a combination of cuttingedge technologies and world class journalism,” she said.

Brooks was initially reluctant to take the role but was persuaded by the Australian-born business mag-

nate, with whom she has a close relationship, according to the Financial Times.

Before the scandal broke, Murdoch treated Brooks like a daughter and she was close friends with Prime Minister David Cameron, who went to school with her racehorse trainer husband Charlie.

She once disguised herself as a cleaner and hid in the bathroom of a rival paper for two hours before stealing an early edition so the News of the World could lift its scoop on Prince Charles, according to her former editor Piers Morgan. Such determination helped

her to rise to become editor of the News of the World between 200003 and The Sun between 2003 and 2009.

As she rose ever higher in the Murdoch empire, she became part of his inner circle. After Murdoch announced the closure of the News of the World in 2011, he was asked by journalists what his first priority was. Gesturing at Brooks, he said: “This one.”

Brooks and her husband socialised with Murdoch’s daughter Elisabeth as part of a rural elite known as the Chipping Norton set, which also included Cameron.- AFP

Rebekah Brooks

B

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

MARKE

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH THE VIDEO

DIGEST VIDEO Top stories in one minute with our new daily Digest

Muscat 5,750.88 - 53.93 - 0.93%

Dubai 3,513.95 - 70.64 - 1.97%

Abu Dhabi 4,365.53 - 9.71 - 0.22%

Saudi Arabia

7,345.73 - 92.70 - 1.25%

Kuwait 5,763.31 - 34.46 - 0.59%

Bahrain 1,298.98 - 0.03 - 0.00%

Qatar 11,346.35 - 68.74 - 0.60%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (OMR1)*

GOLD PRICES*

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

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.27 Pound ...........................................1.68 Indian Rs ..............................171.20 Pak Rs ...................................266.03 Bangla Taka.......................199.52

Indian Rs .................................... 171.75 Pakistan Rs ............................ 269.50 Sri Lanka Rs ........................... 347.25 Bangla Taka.............................201.70 Phil Peso ...................................120.90

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......14.60

Oman Crude............. (Spot) ........$46.84 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........$46.84 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) .........$48.21 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) .........$47.24 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ........$49.03 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$44.64

* Rates are as of September 2 Source: Bank Muscat

* Rates as of September 2 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) ........14.10 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............ 137.50 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............. 130.75 * Rates as of September 2 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

FUNDS FOR BUSINESSES

Oman Development Bank to extend funding to more sectors Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Development Bank (ODB), the Sultanate’s stateowned specialised bank for funding small and medium enterprises, plans to extend its funding to more sectors, including logistics.

Further, the bank is also mulling introduction of new products as well such as leasing, said the

bank’s corporate branch manager Eng. Ahmed Khalifa Al Hajri.

Presently, the bank covers several sectors including tourism, industries, education, healthcare, agriculture and livestock, fisheries, information technology, consultancies and workshops.

Last year, ODB’s gross loans portfolio touched OMR116.61 million, and the industrial sector

made up the major share of the loans portfolio at 26 per cent.

With 18 branches and 250 committed employees, the bank has been able to fulfill its duties as a crucial facilitator in the development sector, Eng Ahmed Khalifa said in his presentation.

ODB offers working capital loan up to OMR1 million at attractive interest rate to SMEs that do not

Oman-Taiwan bilateral trade touches $3.8b Machinery, electronics,

Taiwan to share aquaculture and solar energy expertise

automobile parts, computers, ICTrelated and hi-tech products topped the list of Taiwan’s exports to Oman

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Bilateral trade between Oman and Taiwan stood at $3.82 billion last year, up from $3.7 billion in 2013, says a senior Taiwanese official.

“Taiwan is the second largest importer of Omani oil and, in addition to oil, we imported oil-related products, minerals and chemicals,” said Kenneth K. M. Liao, representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Oman.

Speaking to Times of Oman, Liao said that machinery, electronics, auto parts, computers, ICT-related and high-tech products topped the list of Taiwan’s exports to the Sultanate.

“The representative office started its activities 38 years ago and has been making efforts to enhance trade and cultural cooperation in various sectors with Oman. I am glad to see the growth of Oman-Taiwan relations in all aspects,” the official said.

He added that there is huge potential for bilateral cooperation

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Taiwan will be offering its expertise in the field of aquaculture to Oman as the country is diversifying its economy, said an official.

“Oman’s government has invited Taiwanese fishery experts to share their knowledge on aquaculture sector and help breed grouper fish,” said Kenneth K. M. Liao, representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Oman.

Fisheries and agriculture are important sectors for the

Sultanate, especially now that the country is seeking to develop its non-oil sectors, Liao told Times of Oman.

Solar energy In addition, the official said that solar energy is another area for cooperation as Taiwan is one of the largest producers of solar cells in the world.

Recently, two professors from Taiwan visited Sultanate of Oman’s Sultan Qaboos University and delivered lectures about solar energy in a week-long workshop that attracted extensive attention, Liao noted.

contract to engage the Taipei Exchange as expert consultants, Liao noted.

Kenneth K. M. Liao – Times of Oman

in the field of ICT, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as fisheries.

In June, Oman’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) signed a

Capital market The contract covers consultancy assistance to be provided by the Taipei Exchange to assist in the design and development of capital market products and services in Oman aimed at supporting the growth of SMEs, according to Taiwan News.

The Taipei Exchange is a nonprofit stock exchange entity based in Taipei and was founded in 1994. It operates markets and trading of equity, bond and other securities, and licenses firms and other entities that trade the securities it lists. >B4

have access to such facilities from commercial institutions due to lack of relevant information. The loan tenure is up to 180 days.

The Oman Development Bank has been nurturing the small and medium enterprises sector in the Sultanate with its expertise in industrial finance, the bank officials said, while addressing a seminar.

Major products offered by the

bank include term loan, fixed deposit, and working capital finance.

Term loans Customers can avail term loan up to OMR1 million at a fixed rate of 3 per cent per annum, and tenure of up to ten years. Also, there is a repayment holiday of up to five years.

ODB loans cover up to 56 per cent of the project cost.

ODB term loans are processed in a very short time, and an advanced software has been installed to speed up review process.

The Izdihar Fixed Deposit scheme is designed as a safe avenue for parking surplus funds, and offers attractive interest rates.

The bank has been a strong partner in enhancing local production and in-country value. >B4

B2

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

MARKET VISIT TO PEIE

India’s real estate delegation on familiarisation trip Times News Service

EXCHANGE OF VIEWS: PEIE officials said their vision was to enhance Oman’s position as a leading regional centre for manufacturing, ICT, innovation and entrepreneurship excellence, and attracting industrial investments. – Supplied photo

ENERGY MARKET

Oil retreats below $45 MELBOURNE: Crude dropped below $45 a barrel before United States government data forecast to show stockpiles expanded in the world’s biggest oil consumer.

Futures slid as much as 3.4 percent in New York, extending Tuesday’s 7.7 per cent decline. Inventories probably increased by 900,000 barrels last week, according to a survey before a report from the Energy Information Administration on Wednesday.

Oil has faltered after the biggest three-day rally in 25 years amid speculation a global glut that drove prices into a bear market will be prolonged. Crude will trade between $40 a barrel and $60 a barrel into 2016 as rising supplies overwhelm demand, according to Ian Taylor, chief executive officer of Vitol, the biggest independent oil trader.

“The market needs to see a significant supply-side response to alleviate the current concerns about global demand,” Michael McCarthy, a chief strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney, said by phone. “Volatility in energy markets continues.”

West Texas Intermediate for October delivery fell as much as $1.55 to $43.86 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $44.58.

The contract slipped $3.79 to $45.41 on Tuesday. - Bloomberg News

MUSCAT: A delegation from CBRE India, the international real estate services firm, visited the headquarters of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) on Wednesday at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat, to get acquainted with the vision, mission and main services of PEIE and the various industrial estates that fall under its umbrella throughout the Sultanate.

PEIE officials said that the vision of PEIE is to enhance Oman’s position as a leading regional centre of manufacturing, ICT, innovation and entrepreneurship excellence, and its mission in attracting industrial investments and providing continued support,

through regionally and globally competitive strategies, good infrastructure, value adding services, and easy governmental processes.

Foreign investment The delegation was also briefed on the objectives of PEIE. These objectives comprise attracting foreign investments to the Sultanate and localising the national capital; contributing to stimulating the private sector to achieve sustainable economic and social development; strengthening relations with the concerned authorities to ensure the overflow of investment process and overcome any obstacles faced by investors; reinforcing cooperation with related international and regional organisations to boost the exchange of experi-

ence, knowledge and techniques used; developing employees’ skills and performance through a set of training programmes; contributing to creating new job opportunities; encouraging exports and the establishment of export industries, and increase the market share of locally manufactured products; stimulating the economic sectors in the Sultanate including transport, tourism, banking, among others; and achieving environmental sustainability.

PEIE officials underscored the value-adding initiatives managed

by PEIE, which include Origin Oman Campaign, National Business Centre, Industrial Innovation Centre, Human Resources Development Centre, and Communication and Investor Services Centre.

Incentive package to attract small units to Duqm region competitive edge,” he said.

Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority has created a one-stop-shop clearance facility to offer efficient services to investors

Times News Service MUSCAT: A large number of investment opportunities are available for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Duqm and the special package of incentives make the port city more attractive.

“The projects, which are underway in the free zone such as the Duqm port, the dry dock, the refinery, the airport, heavy petrochemicals industrial projects, warehouses, logistics services and tourism ventures, are all aiming to support the economic diversification plan, and these project

SEMINAR: Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority held a seminar at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry branch in Dhofar as part of a series of seminars organised by the authority. – Supplied picture

will provide investment opportunities to the local private sector, small and medium enterprises, as well as, promising employment opportunities to young Omanis,” said Ismail bin Ahmed Al Balushi, deputy chief executive officer of Special Economic Zone Authority Duqm, while addressing a seminar in Salalah.

Duqm Special Economic Zone

Authority held a seminar at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry branch in Dhofar as part of a series of seminars organised by the authority since the beginning of this year to create awareness among local business community about the investment opportunities available at the free zone.

Al Balushi explained that the Duqm Special Economic Zone

Authority seeks to attract investments in the Sultanate. The authority offers several incentives and benefits package to investors to their expectations. “Royal Decree No. 79/2013 promulgating Duqm Special Economic Zone Law stipulates a package of facilities and benefits that meets investors’ expectations and ambitions and boosts the zone’s

Various licences He pointed out that Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority has created a one-stop-shop clearance facility to offer efficient services for investors, which include the issue of commercial registrations, the zone’s lands usufructuary licences, the registration of usufruct contracts, the issuance of municipal licences and environment permits, and other permits including industrial, tourism and mining licences.

The first presentation at the seminar was conducted by director of the labour licence and investors visas department, Sultan Al Shraiqi.

He covered the investment opportunities offered by the free zone. The second presentation was conducted by Eng. Hussain Al Zadjali in his capacity as the Buildings Projects Officer, which covered the projects underway at the free zone.

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

REINSURANCE

Insurance retention rate rises in Oman

Times News Service MUSCAT: Reinsurance premium of Omani insurance companies was OMR170 million, out of the total premium of OMR400 million last year, which is against OMR165 million out of a total amount of OMR360 million in 2013, according to the Capital Market Authority (CMA).

Reinsurance retention ratios have improved in view of the fact that reinsurance premium as per cent of total premium declined to 43 per cent last year from 46 per cent in 2013, said Nasr Ahmed Abdullah Al Salhi, director of Valuation and Risk Surveillance at CMA. Al Salhi said that reinsurance and retention ratios is very importance insurance related topic which affects the volume of the insurance company business and results. Risk management and increasing retention ratios and reducing reinsurance with external companies are very essential.

The Capital Market Authority’s Directorate General of Insurance Supervision organised a training programme on the reinsurance principles for 34 participants working for insurance companies.

The programme covered topics such as introduction to reinsurance, main issues of reinsurance including methods, terms of co

Reinsurance premium of Omani insurance companies was OMR170m, out of the total premium of OMR400m last year, which is against OMR165m out of a total OMR360m in 2013

reinsurance, awarding reinsurance and risk transfer mechanisms. The second topic was implantation of the advantages and operations of facultative reinsurance, while application of advantages and operations of relative reinsurance was also discussed.

The last topic covered accounting methods used for various types of reinsurance.

CMA has concluded six training programmes and eight programmes are underway for the employees of insurance companies sponsored by CMA this year.

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

B3

MARKET NEW PROJECTS

Tender Board awards contracts worth OMR25m MUSCAT: Oman’s Tender Board on Wednesday awarded contracts worth OMR25.43 million for building various projects and services. The decision was taken by the board, which met under the chairmanship of Dr. Rasheed bin Al Safi Al Huraibi, chairman of the Tender Board.

The contracts that were awarded include supply of medical equipment for labs and blood transfusion services for the Ministry of Health for OMR5,836,346, construction of the administration building for the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital for OMR5,439,431, landscaping works and irrigation services at the Sultan Qaboos University (January 2016 to December 2019) for OMR2,695,019, provision of mathematics curricula expert and science curricula expert for the Ministry of Education for OMR110,040 and additional works for upgrading efficiency of PERFORMANCE

Sohar Poultry’s annual profit moves up

DEVELOPMENT: The board met under the chairmanship of Dr Rasheed bin Al Safi Al Huraibi, chairman of the Tender Board. This picture is used only for illustrative purpose only. – Times file picture

Sinaw-Mahout-A’Duqm road first part for OMR7,582,637.

The board also opened bids construction of Oman Cultural Complex, operation and maintenance

of assets of the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW) in the Governorates of Al Dakhiliyah, Musandam, Al Wusta, North Al Batinah and South Al Sharqi-

yah, as well as water networks, wells, pumping plants, buildings and their annexes.

It also opened technical bids for construction of water transport

line from Bausher to A’Seeb in the Governorate of Muscat.

Other contracts for projects awarded on Wednesday include additional works for designing and rehabilitating Wadi Al Jahawer road in the Wilayat of A’Suwaiq at OMR1,479,601, additional works for construction of Titam-Qaftout road in the Governorate of Dhofar at OMR500,657, additional works for construction of a building for the General Diwan of the Ministry of Tourism in Al Khuwair in the Governorate of Muscat at OMR465,848, additional works for construction of sport stadium at the sport complex in Khasab in the Governorate of Musandam at OMR413,210, additional works for additional injection works by suppressor materials and construction of breaker wall at the side body of Wadi Dhaiqah Dam, between the two dams and in the foundations at OMR276,030, additional

works for provision of consultancy services and supervision on construction of tunnels at the existing Al Batinah road “third stage” first part at OMR217,450 and additional works for extension of the leasing contract of the existing building in the Wilayat of Al Amirat and used by female students of health institutes affiliated to the Ministry of Health in the Governorate of Muscat at OMR156,000.

Also, contracts for additional works for supply and installation of medical equipment for the Royal Hospital at OMR99,706, works for provision of consultancy services for the design and supervision on paving Al Mazyounah-Sha’eit road in Dhofar at OMR54,883 and additional works for provision of maintenance services with spare part for medical devices available at various health institutions of the Ministry of Health at OMR14,143 were also awarded. – ONA

IMF praises economies in Asia; cautions on volatility

Times News Service MUSCAT: Sohar Poultry profit increased to OMR664,598 for the year ended June 2015, which is against OMR633,227 for the previous year.

The company’s board has approved the financial results and the annual general meeting will consider it in its meeting scheduled to held on September 28.

The company’s sales income also moved up to OMR8.14 million for the year ended June 2015, against OMR8.07 million for the previous year. Gross profit was OMR4.25 million, against OMR4.10 million during the period under review.

Christine Lagarde’s comments come as financial markets gyrate over concerns about the health of China’s economy and its effect on emerging economies and their currencies

CREDIT

Agency okays OMR6.2m export credit MUSCAT: Export Credit Guarantee Agency (ECGA) has approved OMR6.2 million credits at its board meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of Said bin Saleh Al Kiyoumi, chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) and chairman of ECGA board of directors.

The approved credit for domestic sales of insured exporters at ECGA reached OMR760,000, while the approved credits for exports reached OMR5.4 million.

Al Kiyoumi held another meeting with ECGA employees where he spoke about ECGA and its important role in encouraging small and medium-sized entrepreneurs to export their products. – ONA

JAKARTA: International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Lagarde on Wednesday declared Asian economies were doing ‘pretty well’ despite the volatility caused by China’s slowdown and unease on global financial markets.

Lagarde’s comments in Indonesia come as financial markets gyrate over concerns about the health of China’s economy — the world’s second-largest — and its effect emerging economies and their currencies.

World stock markets plunged further this week as more evidence emerged of China’s economic slowdown, triggering heavy sell-offs from Tokyo to New York and spurring cuts to global growth forecasts.

Lagarde, in Jakarta for a twoday visit, said the recent turmoil highlighted the ‘extraordinary gains’ made by Asian economies but warned further volatility was on the horizon. “Now the situation

CAUTIOUS: Christine Lagarde speaks at a conference in Jakarta on Wednesday. The IMF and the World Bank said on September 1 that they would hold their 2018 annual meetings on the Indonesian island of Bali. – AFP

is changing yet again, and we are all feeling the impact of China’s rebalancing and moving to a revised business model,” she told a conference. “What has been demonstrated in the last few weeks is how much Asia is at the core of global economy, and how much disruptions occurring in one market in Asia can actually spill over to the rest of the world.”

Slower growth in major economies like China and Japan, lower commodity prices and the prospect of higher interest rates in the United States would continue to weigh on regional markets, Lagarde added.

Despite external pressures and the slower pace of expansion in Asia, the IMF chief said “this whole region, in the world, is doing pretty well”, and would continue to be a key source of global growth.

Asia stocks drop Lagarde this week added her voice to private sector economists that have already cut their world growth estimates, conceding growth would likely be weaker than the 3.3 per cent estimate the IMF made just two months ago.

Asian stocks fell, led by a retreat in energy and utilities companies, as weak US manufacturing data

added to concern about a slowdown in global economic growth.

China Oilfield Services and Kunlun Energy lost more than 4 per cent in Hong Kong as crude oil declined below $45 a barrel. Tenday historical volatility on Japan’s Topix index surged to the highest level since March 2011. Fonterra Co-operative climbed 4.9 per cent in Sydney after milk prices surged.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index dropped 0.7 per cent in Hong Kong, with two shares falling for each that rose. Anemic demand from emerging markets including China translated into leaner factory order books in the United

States, data showed on Tuesday.

Japan’s Topix declined 0.8 per cent. The Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.2 per cent on the last trading day of this week as investors gauged the level of state support before a major military parade on Thursday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.2 per cent and the Hang Seng China Enterprises of mainland firms listed in the city lost 1.6 per cent. Markets in the city are closed on Thursday.

South Korea’s Kospi index added 0.1 per cent and New Zealand’s NZX 50 Index lost 1.2 per cent.

India’s S&P BSE Sensex Index slipped 0.4 per cent. Singapore’s Straits Times Index was little changed and Taiwan’s Taiex index gained 0.2 per cent.

“You have worries about the global growth outlook led by Chinese concerns at a time when the Fed is thinking about raising interest rates, and that’s leaving investors very twitchy,” said Shane Oliver, a Sydney-based global strategist at AMP Capital Investors in Sydney, which oversees about $114 billion.

“I think we’ve seen the worst, but it’s an environment where volatility is likely to continue.”

Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index added 0.7 per cent after the underlying measure fell 3 per cent on Tuesday, its third-biggest loss of 2015, as reports showed US manufacturing grew at the slowest pace in two years and China’s official factory gauge slumped to the lowest in three years. - Agencies

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

B4

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

MARKET MSM index closes in red

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index .......................................5,802.20 ...............5,750.88 ....................5,750.88 ...................5,804.81................-53.93 .................. -0.93 Financial Index .................................... 6,964.78 .............. 6,894.43 ...................6,894.43 ................... 6,985.81................-91.38 ...................-1.31 Industrial Index ....................................7,589.38 ...............7,505.83 ....................7,505.83 ................... 7,589.38................-83.55 ...................-1.10 Services Index ...................................... 3,239.09 .............. 3,225.27 ................... 3,225.27 ...................3,239.09................ -13.82 .................. -0.43 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 917.08 .................. 908.51 .......................908.51 .......................916.99.................. -8.48 .................. -0.92 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 12,447,771 ...................3,481,416 .....................787 .................14,511,117,970 .................. 2 ..................... 25 .................... 19 .........................46

Oman Textile Holding, up by 9.83 per cent, was the top gainer, while the top loser was

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

United Power, down by 9.94 per cent 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

MUSCAT: Negative sentiments prevailing worldwide weighed heavily on the MSM 30 Index, which closed at 5,750.88 points, down by 0.93 per cent. The MSM Sharia Index also declined 0.92 per cent at 908.51 points.

Ominvest was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. Oman Textile Holding, up by 9.83 per cent, was the top gainer while the top loser was United Power, down by 9.94 per cent.

As many as 787 trades were executed in the trading session generating a turnover of OMR3.4 million with more than 12.4 million shares changing hands. Out of 46 traded securities, two advanced, 25 declined and 19 remained unchanged.

Foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR245,000 followed by Omani investors at OMR40,000. Arab and GCC investors, who were net sellers, sold shares amounting to OMR286,000.

Financial Index saw continued selloff in large caps to close at

6,894.43 points, down by 1.31 per cent. Bank Nizwa, Al Sharqia Investments, Al Madina Takaful, Al Batinah Investment and Al Anwar Holding declined by 4.62 per cent, 4.50 per cent, 4.49 per cent, 3.85 per cent and 3.74 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index declined strongly by 1.10 per cent to close at 7,505.83 points. Oman Textile Holdings, up by 9.83 per cent, was the only sector gainer. Galfar Engineering, Al Anwar Ceramics, Raysut Cement, Construction Materials and Al Maha Ceramics fell by 4.90 per cent, 4.84 per cent, 2.94 per cent, 2.78 per cent and 1.16 per cent, respectively.

Services Index ended the session at 3,225.27 points, a loss of 0.43 per cent. SMN Power gained 1.60 per cent to close at OMR0.760. United Power, OIFC, Renaissance Services, Al Batinah Power and Phoenix Power declined by 9.94 per cent, 2.87 per cent, 2.35 per cent, 0.92 per cent and 0.67 per cent, respectively. – United Securities

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

OM0000004248 ...........SMN POWER HOLDING .......................................... 174,761 ...........132,818........................6 ............0.760 ........... 0.760 ...........0.760........... 0.760 ............. 0.748.............0.012 ............. 1.604 ................0.760..............0.760...................0.780.................. 151,723,056 ........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN ..................................................... 50,000 ............... 5,750........................1 ............0.115 ........... 0.115............ 0.115 ............0.115 ............. 0.115 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.115 ...............0.113................... 0.115 ..................230,035,971........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .................................................................... 2,345,820 .. 1,083,769..................... 83 ........... 0.462 ...........0.462 ...........0.462........... 0.462 .............0.462 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.462..............0.462...................0.466..................255,422,079 .......0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT ............................................................ 12,357 ...............5,660........................1 ........... 0.458 ........... 0.458 ...........0.458........... 0.458 .............0.458 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.458..............0.458...................0.502 ................. 151,539,701 ........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............. 25,000 ...............6,500........................2 ........... 0.260...........0.260 ...........0.260 .......... 0.260 .............0.260 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.260..............0.252...................0.258....................5,460,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 165,215 .............21,632........................2 ............0.130 ........... 0.131............0.130............0.131 ............. 0.131 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.131 .............. 0.127................... 0.131 ...................40,710,207 .........0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ............................................................ 195,103 ............ 46,965........................7 ............0.241 ........... 0.241 ...........0.240 .......... 0.241 .............0.241 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.240 .............0.238...................0.240 .................372,279,580........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER.................................................................3,160 ............... 1,079........................3 ........... 0.342 ...........0.342 ...........0.340 .......... 0.338 .............0.338 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.340............. 0.340...................0.348 ..................74,701,380 .........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 381,509 ......... 271,496..................... 49 ............0.712 ........... 0.716............0.708............0.712 ............. 0.712............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.712 ..............0.704...................0.712 ................. 463,472,292 .......0.100 OM0000004669 ...........SHARQIYAH DESALINATION ......................................366 ............... 1,574........................2 ........... 4.300...........4.300 ...........4.300 .......... 4.280 .............4.280 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................4.300 ............ 4.200...................4.400 ..................41,859,324 .........1.000 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH...................................................5,128 ............. 13,051........................3 ........... 2.545 ...........2.545 ...........2.545........... 2.545 .............2.545 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.545..............2.545...................2.600 .................242,938,561........1.000 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ....................................................61,920 .............13,289........................3 ............0.215 ........... 0.215 ...........0.213 ............0.215 ............. 0.215............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.213 ..............0.213...................0.217..................153,597,363 ........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY......................................72,974 ...........141,574......................17 ............1.945 ........... 1.945 ...........1.935 ........... 1.940 .............1.945............-0.005 ........... -0.257 ...............1.935 ..............1.930...................1.935 ..................174,018,000........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 121,681 ...........199,555..................... 45 ............1.650 ........... 1.650 ...........1.630 ........... 1.640 ............. 1.650............-0.010 ........... -0.606 ...............1.630 .............. 1.630...................1.640................1,230,000,000......0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................ 215,873.............46,713........................4 ............0.218 ........... 0.218 ...........0.215 ........... 0.216 .............0.218............-0.002 ........... -0.917................0.215 ..............0.210...................0.215..................145,775,685 ........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ..................................................73,968 .............37,820......................15 ............0.512 ........... 0.512 ...........0.510 ............0.512 ............. 0.518............-0.006 ............-1.158................0.512 ..............0.506...................0.512...................26,880,000.........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 403,094 .........200,283.....................24 ........... 0.502 ...........0.502 ...........0.494........... 0.496 .............0.502 ...........-0.006 ............-1.195 ................0.494..............0.490...................0.494 ............... 1,136,744,008 ......0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 522,166 ..........157,843......................14 ........... 0.306 ...........0.306 ...........0.296........... 0.302 .............0.306 ...........-0.004 ........... -1.307 ...............0.296..............0.291...................0.296 ................ 404,894,496 .......0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 547,350 ...........92,982..................... 30 ............0.172 ........... 0.172 ...........0.169 ........... 0.170 ............. 0.173............-0.003 ............-1.734................0.169 ..............0.169...................0.173 ................. 245,044,800 .......0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 314,820 ............33,371......................15 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106........... 0.106 .............0.108 ...........-0.002 ........... -1.852................0.106..............0.106...................0.107................... 12,918,750 .........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 332,532 ............55,137..................... 36 ............0.170 ........... 0.170 ...........0.165 ............0.166 ............. 0.170............-0.004 ........... -2.353 ...............0.168 .............. 0.165...................0.167...................48,248,069.........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ...........................48,100 ............... 5,105......................11 ............0.105 ........... 0.107 ...........0.105 ........... 0.106 .............0.109 ...........-0.003 ........... -2.752 ...............0.106..............0.105...................0.107.................... 6,237,381 ..........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 196,000 ...........48,446......................13 ........... 0.250 ...........0.250 ...........0.245........... 0.247 .............0.254 ...........-0.007 ........... -2.756 ...............0.245............. 0.240...................0.246 ..................24,700,000.........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 267,122............ 45,056.....................22 ............0.170 ........... 0.170 ...........0.168 ............0.169 ............. 0.174............-0.005 ........... -2.874 ...............0.168 ..............0.168...................0.170...................33,800,000.........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ...................................................... 148,207 .........170,844......................12 ............1.190 ........... 1.190............1.140 ............1.155 ............. 1.190............-0.035 ........... -2.941 ...............1.140 .............. 1.140...................0.000 ................ 231,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 387,254 ........... 22,083......................19 ........... 0.057 ........... 0.058 ...........0.057........... 0.057 .............0.059 ...........-0.002 ........... -3.390 ...............0.057..............0.057...................0.058................... 11,807,629 .........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 1,261,832 ......226,576..................... 99 ............0.180 ........... 0.182 ...........0.178 ........... 0.180 ............. 0.187............-0.007 ............-3.743................0.178 .............. 0.178...................0.180...................27,013,500 .........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................75,620 ...............7,540......................13 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.098........... 0.100 .............0.104 ...........-0.004 ........... -3.846 ...............0.100..............0.100...................0.101 ....................3,000,000..........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL...............................................55,000 ...............4,685........................8 ........... 0.086 ...........0.086 ...........0.085........... 0.085 .............0.089 ...........-0.004 ........... -4.494 ...............0.085..............0.083...................0.085...................14,875,000 .........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 173,637 .............18,482......................21 ............0.106 ........... 0.109 ...........0.105 ........... 0.106 ............. 0.111 ............-0.005 ........... -4.505 ...............0.107 ..............0.107...................0.108....................9,540,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES .................................43,937 .............15,554........................2 ........... 0.354 ...........0.354 ...........0.354........... 0.354 .............0.372 ...........-0.018 ........... -4.839 ...............0.354..............0.354...................0.368..................104,859,643........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 1,125,861 .......109,504..................... 85 ........... 0.099 ...........0.099 ...........0.096........... 0.097 .............0.102 ...........-0.005 ........... -4.902 ...............0.096..............0.095...................0.096...................28,128,122 .........0.100 OM0000001822............UNITED POWER .............................................................2,305 ...............7,203........................5 ............3.125 ........... 3.125 ...........3.125 ............3.125 .............3.470 ...........-0.345 ........... -9.942 ...............3.125 ............. 0.000...................3.125 ....................2,500,000..........1.000

INDIAN MARKETS

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 9,809,672 .. 3,249,937...................672 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Sensex slumps again; rupee rises

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......33........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET .................................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING .................................... 32,000 .............10,368........................9 ........... 0.324 ...........0.324 ...........0.324........... 0.324 .............0.295 ........... 0.029............. 9.831 ................0.324..............0.324...................0.000 ...................1,944,000 ..........1.000

MUMBAI: Markets continue to decline for the third consecutive day due to persistent selling pressure, the S&P BSE benchmark Sensex hit more than a year by slipping 243 points to close at 25,453.56 and the CNX 50-share Nifty fell by 69 points to finish at 7,717.

Foreign capital outflows affected the market sentiment.

Sensex resumed higher at 25,891.95 and firmed up further to a 25,939.37 on initial buying.

However, it dropped to 25,395.09 before ending at more than oneyear low at 25,453.56, showing a loss of 242.88 points or 0.95 per cent. It has dropped by 938.82 points 3.56 per cent in 3 days.

Rupee appreciates Rising for the second consecutive day, the rupee closed 3 paise higher at 66.19 against the US dollar on Wednesday on fag-end selling of the greenback by banks and exporters.

The rupee opened lower at 66.32 as against Tuesday's closing level of 66.22 and eased further to 66.33 on initial demand for US dollar from banks and importers. However, it washed out initial losses and recovered to 66.11 on selling of dollars by exporters before finishing at 66.19, a gain of three paise. The rupee has gained 29 paise, or 0.44 per cent, in the two days. - PTI

OM0000001301 ............DHOFAR CATTLE FEED .......................................... 109,500 ........... 21,900........................2 ........... 0.200...........0.200 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 .............0.200 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.200 ............. 0.191...................0.203 ..................15,400,000.........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .........................................................5,000 ..................250........................1 ........... 0.050 ...........0.050 ...........0.050........... 0.053 .............0.053 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.050..............0.048...................0.054 ...................6,625,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING......................................4,000 .................. 356........................1 ........... 0.089 ...........0.089 ...........0.089........... 0.087 .............0.087 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.089..............0.084...................0.089....................6,543,096 ..........0.100 OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ................................... 500 .....................56........................1 ............0.112 ........... 0.112............0.112 ............0.112 ............. 0.112............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.112 ..............0.105................... 0.112 ...................11,200,000 .........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 491,914............ 72,720......................41 ............0.148 ........... 0.148 ...........0.147 ........... 0.148 .............0.149............-0.001 ............-0.671................0.148 ..............0.148...................0.149..................216,465,016 ........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ....................13,644 .................. 478........................2 ........... 0.035 ........... 0.035 ...........0.035........... 0.035 .............0.036 ...........-0.001 ........... -2.778 ...............0.035..............0.035...................0.036....................2,975,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK................................................32,841 .............. 2,200........................2 ........... 0.067 ...........0.067 ...........0.067........... 0.067 .............0.069 ...........-0.002 ........... -2.899 ...............0.067..............0.065...................0.067...................67,000,000.........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 1,883,900 .......116,972..................... 47 ........... 0.064 ...........0.064 ...........0.062........... 0.062 .............0.065 ...........-0.003 ........... -4.615................0.062..............0.061...................0.062 ..................93,000,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 2,573,299......225,300...................106 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 9........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS MARKET .................................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 .......................... 3,409 .................. 375........................2 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.110 ............0.112 ............. 0.112............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.110 .............. 0.110................... 0.115 ...................33,907,900.........0.100 OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 ............................................2,546 .................. 255........................3 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100........... 0.100 .............0.100 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.100..............0.100...................0.110 .................... 7,150,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 .............................................2,952 .................. 295........................1 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100........... 0.103 .............0.103............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.100..............0.100...................0.110 ...................32,923,196 .........0.100 OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 .....................55,893 ...............5,254........................3 ........... 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: ................................................................................... 64,800 ............... 6,179........................9 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........4........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

B I L AT E R A L T R A D E

< FROM

B1

Taiwanese firms keen to invest in free trade zones

Liao said that Taiwanese companies are keen to invest in the Sultanate in various spheres, especially in the country’s free zones and refinery sector. In addition, Taiwan has expertise and experience in the railway sector, which it is interested in sharing with Oman that is developing its national railway, he added.

According to him, Taiwan’s knowledge of this sector is reflected in its bullet train, which runs at a speed of 300km/h (186 mph) on a rail line that runs along the west coast of Taiwan from Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung. “We hope that Omanis go to Taiwan to see our infrastructure. A better understanding

of our accomplishments would pave the way for cooperation in this field,” said Liao.

Tourism Leisure and medical tourism are other potential areas for collaboration as Taiwan is very advanced in these sectors, he added. In May, Taiwan held a successful workshop and travel fair in Muscat for local tour agents.

“Tourists can enjoy Taiwan’s many attractions. Also, medical tourism in Taiwan is very advanced but, unfortunately, people here are not very familiar with it.

High quality treatment is provided to patients at reasonable prices in Taiwan,” the official noted.

Medical delegation He said that last year, a delegation from Taiwan’s prestigious Chang Gung Memorial Hospital planned to visit Oman to explore the opportunities for cooperation in the medical field but it coincided with the Sultanate’s National Day holidays.

They may visit Oman later this year or next year, said the representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.

Taiwan also has good quality universities which can cooperate with Omani universities and students, Liao said, expressing hope that relations between Taiwan and the Sultanate of Oman would prosper further.

LOAN

< FROM

B1 ODB helps small, medium firms The bank helps SMEs by engaging local auditing consultancies to coach and develop such SMEs to prepare their own financials.

The entire consultancy costs are borne by ODB for the first year. However, it’s mandatory for SMEs to submit financial statements to avail working capital loans.

The range of working capital loans includes loan against trust receipt, bill discounting facility, export bill discounting, pre-shipment finance and seasonal loans.

As much as 85 per cent of working capital loans issued by ODB went to the industrial sector.

ODB uses internal credit scoring model, and adopts uniform mode of risk assessment. Moreover, empanelled consultants have been appointed to speed up docu-

BOOST TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Oman Development Bank offers working capital loan up to OMR1 million at attractive interest rate to SMEs that do not have access to such facilities from commercial banks due to lack of relevant information. – Supplied picture

mentation. The bank has helped several local brands to grow to their full potential and become major business firms, added Eng Ahmed Khalifa.

The bank as conducted a seminar introducing its range of products and services designed to

finance development projects in the Sultanate joining hands with the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates at Knowledge Oasis, Muscat. Entrepreneurs, business leaders and officials from various industrial sectors attended the seminar.

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5 SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

Love us on Facebook

B5

ROUND-UP

Nissan offers benefits on Maxima In an effort to make Nissan vehicles affordable and accessible to all, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has taken up this unique initiative

MUSCAT: Nissan from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has been receiving rave reviews on its seasonal offers on sedan models that will last till October 16.

Its exclusive vehicle promotions are enticing and one-of-a-kind promising unlimited benefits to valued patrons.

Nissan has a heritage of showcasing some of the most amazing benefits for its customers by introducing unique offers on its prestigious line-up of vehicles. In an effort to make Nissan vehicles affordable and accessible to all, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has taken up this unique initiative, says a press release.

What’s on offer?

Auto enthusiasts can now avail exciting benefits on the Nissan Maxima that include cash gift up to OMR1,000, free service for two

years or 20,000km (periodic maintenance only), free registration, six years unlimited mileage warranty and easy and convenient financing options. Flexible EMI’s can also be tailor made for any individual requirement from in-house Auto Finance team.

with other cars in this class. To this end, four driver-selectable modes are available: D-mode or the automatic mode; DS mode which is the drive sport automatic; Shift lever and Paddle shifter which is the manual mode.

The Nissan Maxima’s main USP is undoubtedly its comfort quotient – it provides the comfort of performance, smoothness and power as only a Nissan vehicle can. It also offers the comfort of design that is dedicated to quiet relaxation. And last but not the least, the comfort of knowing that one is safe with the advanced safety features that are available in the all latest Maxima’s.

Interactive social media Customers can also get unlimited access to Nissan’s prestigious vehicle line up at the comfort of their homes or offices. Simply visit Nissan Oman’s Facebook page i.e http://www.facebook.com/Sbanissanoman or send an SMS to get updated information on any of the vehicles from the house of Nissan.

The Mighty Maxima The breakthrough exterior design of the Maxima imparts a feeling of powerful driving motion which combines an aggressive stance and the powerful 3.5L, V6 engine with 290 HP/64000 RPM Xtronic CVT transmission. The Nissan Maxima delivers quick acceleration and lasting euphoria with Paddle shifter, Cruise control and Bluetooth technology for a better driving experience. Taking into consideration the driver’s comfort, the vehicles comes with auto A/C with dual zone climate control, stylish sunroof and 19” alloy wheels. The vehicle is enhanced by features like intelligent key push start button, ABS, EBD, BA, Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) with Traction control system (TCS) and xenon lights. Lastly, it comes with striking front and rear parking sensors and 6 SRS air bags.

Apart from its performance, Ni-

ssan Maxima also offers maximum comfort and safety. Maxima provides extremely nimble handling and leaves the driver feeling confident and in control. Braking is strong and the vehicle is relatively quiet as well, thanks to an improved engine-mounting system and more rigid body and six standard airbag system is available to ensure safety of all the passengers.

Maxima’s unmatched comfort levels also features 8-way power driver seat (which is a standard), 4-way power front passenger seat, a high end Bose sound system and for a premium look and feel it comes with leather appointed seats and steering with characteristic stitch.

The Digital compass in rearview mirror makes reversing easy and convenient. The Tilt-down of outside mirrors during reversing the vehicle comes with memory func-

tion and adds to the classic look of the new model.

The prestigious vehicle has received several accolades including the ALG’s Residual Value Award for best full-size car and the Best Resale Value in its class by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.

Quality of power, performance and safety shows in the eyecatching exterior of the Maxima with rear combination lights, a new front grille design, large glass surfaces and 19-inch aluminiumalloy wheels. Key features include High Intensity Discharge (HID) Xenon headlights, smoked appearance headlights, a compass in the rearview mirror, a rear spoiler, fog lights, dark satin chrome front grille, outside mirrors with integrated turn signals and metallic trim. And it’s the fine exterior appointments that hint at luxury within the sedan.

TIMEPIECE

Roomy interior A luxury sedan should ease both the body and the mind and keeping this thought central, the Nissan Maxima’s warm and roomy interior provides a quiet space to stretch out and discover the rewards of ergonomic design. All the information which one needs while driving is easily accessible with the RearView Monitor and the interactive Nissan Hard Drive Navigation system.

Care has been taken to ensure that all the controls are comfortably within the reach of the automobilist and the wide range of fun youthful features include 2-DIN audio system featuring an AM/ FM radio and seven speakers. Nissan Maxima is engineered, built, tuned and aimed at young drivers who prefer sporty handling and a firmer ride as opposed to the softer, more luxurious rides associated

Family sedan While at its core, the Nissan Maxima is a family sedan that seats five people, it offers enough performance and handling to please young drivers who really value these two qualities. In addition, the Maxima has abundant amount of standard features and a modernised, comfortable interior, together with the guarantee of customer-centric and outstanding services of the Suhail Bahwan Automobiles.

SBA is largely committed to supporting Nissan’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman. With a national network of more than 19 showrooms, 22 Service centres and 35 spare parts outlets, SBA has further built upon its legacy of trust, excellent customer service and providing value for money to each of its customers.

KO-HAF RESEARCH

Unique Bell & Ross BR03-92 'MT' now available at Khimji’s Watches MUSCAT: Based on the principle that the essential should never give way to the superfluous, Bell & Ross engineers have designed a practical watch that is perfectly adapted to professional use.

Paying tribute to the military who were the first professionals to use the wristwatch as fundamental instruments for their missions, Bell & Ross has unveiled an authentic military version of the BR 03 Ceramic: the BR 03 Military Type.

To view this unique timepiece, visit the Khimji’s Watches showroom, says a press release.

Made entirely from ceramic, the BR 03 Military Type is lightweight, high-performance and virtually unscratchable. The antireflective matte black of the case and the khaki of the dial, which is the colour of the military uniform, make a superbly camouflaged watch. In line with the military technical specifications, the khaki

dial is perfectly readable both day and night, the sapphire crystal is scratch resistant and the movement is a high-precision.

Brandished with the symbolic red “MT” for Military Type, all of the indicators including the hands, indices and numerals are coated with the photoluminescent, Superluminova which makes for easy readability at night. As for the daytime, this timepiece is equipped with an antireflective sapphire assuring that this watch is able to handle some of the most extreme conditions.

Rounding out an already spectacular timepiece, the BR 03 Military Type is appropriately water resistant up to 100 metres.

Its 42mm dial simplistically depicts the large type three, six, nine and 12 in their respective positions giving the watch an easy-toread feeling. The option for a black rubber strap or a khaki heavy-duty

canvas strap allows for a bit of customisation while each ensures top performance for a physically demanding occasion.

Besides the thematic colour schemes behind this military inspired timepiece, the BR 03 Military Type has a technical superiority that sets it apart from previous versions. In true Bell & Ross fashion, this watch reflects the four pillars that make Bell & Ross a noteworthy brand: legibility, functionality, precision and water-resistance.

Khimji’s Watches is one of Muscat’s leading franchisee for luxury watches, jewellery, accessories and writing instruments. Khimji’s Watches offers a range of global designs from world’s best brands such as Rolex, Cartier, Chopard, Piaget, Mikimoto, Girard Perregaux, Tudor, Oris, Frederique Constant, Bell & Ross, Caran d’Ache and Kieninger.

PERFORMANCE CROSSOVER

Jaguar F-Pace sets standard for ride, handling MUSCAT: Featuring sports-car derived chassis systems and evaluated on the same demanding roads as all other Jaguar vehicles, the new F-Pace will offer an unrivalled breadth of dynamic ability. This is a performance crossover designed around people who love driving.

The new F-Pace will reward drivers and passengers alike with a blend of agility and comfort that is unlike anything else in the segment. Whether on twisting mountain passes, flowing country roads or high-speed motorway cruising, the new F-Pace delivers responsiveness and precision with exceptional refinement and composure, says a press release.

“We haven’t made any compromises or exceptions: the new FPace had to be a true Jaguar and had to deliver the dynamics DNA. We’ve tested ride and handling to the limit in all environments and in all conditions, and the result is that the new F-Pace is as engaging and rewarding to drive as it is comfortable and quiet. As soon as you get into the vehicle you know immediately that it’s a good place to be,” said Mike Cross, Chief Engineer of Vehicle Integrity, Jaguar.

Developed using Jaguar’s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture, the new F-Pace is designed to handle with precision and control without sacrificing ride comfort – it’s what makes a Jaguar stand apart from the competition. Taking full advantage of the body

The new F-Pace will reward drivers and passengers alike with a blend of agility and comfort that is unlike anything else in the segment. Whether on twisting mountain passes, flowing country roads or high-speed motorway cruising, the new F-Pace delivers responsiveness and precision with exceptional refinement and composure

structure’s inherently high stiffness, the sophisticated double wishbone front suspension and integral link rear suspension provide the best possible starting point: tuned to perfection, they make the new F-Pace incredibly responsive yet also ensure that the impacts,

undulations and extreme cambers of even the most challenging roads are handled with ease.

The electric power-assisted steering system maintains Jaguar’s leadership in steering. Everything between the steering wheel rim and the tyre contact patch is

optimised to ensure that the new F-Pace responds immediately to the slightest input, giving a truly connected feel. Incorporating all of the learning from F-Type, the system gives even greater feedback.

Combined with the torque vectoring technology first developed for F-Type and the torque on-demand all-wheel drive system, the new FPace delivers outstanding agility in all weathers and on all surfaces.

To make development and testing even more efficient, the vehicle integrity team’s subjective assessments are fed back into the computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools used by the vehicle dynamics CAE team. This improves the models and therefore delivers even better simulation results – and vice-versa. This iterative loop of continuous improvement ensures that prototype vehicles are ever better, benefiting the tuning and assessment process.

Audi A8 all set to introduce piloted driving initiative INGOLSTADT: At Audi piloted driving means safe, comfortable driving in partnership. Because of this, the company has been actively involved in the Ko-HAF research initiative, which develops standards and solutions for cooperative highly-automated driving. Audi will introduce piloted driving in the next generation of the Audi A8, say a press release.

Audi is participating in the ‘Cooperative Highly-Automated Driving’ initiative (Ko-HAF).

The aim of Ko-HAF is to develop standards and technologies that enable cooperative driving between highly-automated vehicles in everyday road traffic – for example merging with traffic on highways. The project work covers various subject areas from computer simulations to test drives on closed sites and later on public roads. In addition to Audi, other German car manufacturers, suppliers and universities are involved in the project. The initiative is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy.

Audi is actively involved in all subject areas within the research initiative. These include: The development of precise street models as the basis for digital maps the localisation of cars via digital maps and environmental features using the data from the environmental sensors concepts to allow the driver to safely take control of the driving highly automated reaction to disruptions in traffic anticipatory automated driving for optimised traffic flow, more comfort and increased road safety.

For years, the brand with the four rings has been carrying out pioneering work in the area of piloted driving. As a result of this, a driverless Audi RS 7 completed a circuit of the Grand Prix track in Hockenheim at race speed in October 2014. In July 2015, a further developed Audi RS 7 piloted driving concept completed a series of faster laps on the Californian Sonoma Raceway. Both cars showed how precisely and safely Audi has mastered piloted driving even at the outer limits of physics.

Audi has also recently conducted successful testing on public roads. At the beginning of 2015, an A7 piloted driving concept with a large number of series production and near-series production technologies on board drove from Stanford in Silicon Valley via Bakersfield to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

At CES Asia in May 2015, journalists also had an opportunity to experience piloted driving – in the heavy traffic of the Shanghai city highway. On the basis of these findings, Audi has prepared integrated strategies for piloted driving. Cooperative behaviour, e.g. at highway entrances, plays a central role here.

The technologies for piloted driving stand for safety, partnership, time-saving, efficiency and comfort. Audi will introduce these to series production in the next generation of the A8 luxuryclass sedan. In the first phase, the new systems will be able to take over the driving when parking or in stop-and-go traffic on the freeway up to 60 km/h.

B6

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UP Oman LNG supports SQU research students

The research investigates possible implications of geographic, economic and social impacts on upcoming developments and sustainability at the Ras Al Hadd area

MUSCAT: To encourage more Omani specialists and university students to venture into the field of studies and research, Oman LNG supported a first ever environmental and geographical im-

pact analysis research study at Ras Al Hadd area carried out by a research team from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU).

The research investigates possible implications of geographic,

economic and social impacts on upcoming developments and sustainability at the Ras Al Hadd area, says a press release.

The beneficial role of research in the development of modern societies requires no introduction. For centuries, findings from scientific research have been pivotal in developing cures for diseases and alleviating the sufferings of mankind.

“We are happy to be able to play a part in promoting learning and development of research in Oman. Investing in Omani talents pays back constructively in serving our community, in serving Oman and the wider world,” said Khalid Al Massan, chief executive

officer of Oman LNG Development Foundation.

Oman LNG has an ambitious Social Investment Programme addressing many areas of development in Oman but broadly divided into three main categories: A Community Fund that targets initiatives related to the Sur Community where its world-class threetrain liquefaction plant is located; a National Fund that covers a large swath of the company’s social development programme including donations, national projects and human resource development; and a Reserve Fund to address the sustainability of the company’s social investment programmes.

E X C E L L E N C E AWA R D

Al Mar’a to honour women excellence MUSCAT: The Al Mar’a Excellence Awards is back! Bigger and better this time, it’s all set to applaud extraordinary women in the Sultanate.

“Would you believe it if we told you that it’s already that time of the year when your favourite Arabic women’s magazine, Al Mar’a, is geared up to felicitate exceptional women at the Al Mar’a Excellence Awards? Yes, it’s time for the successful, the hardworking, the diligent and the conscientious to be given their well-deserved place in the spotlight,” said a magazine official.

As the curtains go up at the InterContinental Muscat Gardens on October 21, the dazzling evening will see Omani women being awarded for their commitment, perseverance, unfailing deter-

mination and tireless efforts in climbing the ladder of success in their respective fields, says a press release.

The nomination process is underway and there is a lot of enthusiasm among women in Oman to either nominate themselves or those who they think are deserving of these prestigious awards.

We hope to see many more Omani women achievers come to the forefront with the fifth edition of the awards.

On board for the event are Nissan as support partner, Times of Oman and Al Shabiba as media partners and Ruwi Modern Printers as print partner.

The awards once again celebrates the ‘different shades of a woman’. With accolades ranging across 15 categories, namely:

Corporate Leadership, Fashion Design, Performing Arts, Fine Arts, Educational Services, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Health Services, Science and Industry, Technology, Sports, Petroleum Services, SME Sector, Social Responsibility, Marketing & Sales and the World of Beauty, the awards wish to honour and in turn empower women to make their dreams come true; irrespective of which sphere their hearts lay in.

Apart from these, two remarkable women will also be the recipients of the prestigious Woman of the Year and Most Promising Woman of the Year Awards.

In light of the awards, here’s what Ghada Al Yousef, the Al Mar’a Woman of the Year 2014, had to say: “I am greatly honoured to receive the Woman of the Year

Award from Al Mar’a and to be recognised amongst such an inspirational group of women! I would like to thank Al Mar’a for supporting the professional development of Omani women by celebrating success and identifying role models in all sectors in Oman.

Though each one of us has our own spheres, what brings us together in this event is our drive and passion for what we do.”

Hurry! We want you to be in the running for an Al Mar’a Excellence Award! To join the host of women who are nominating themselves and other meritorious candidates, all you have to do is log on to www. almaraonline.com and fill up the nomination form. Yes, it’s as simple as that! You, dear woman, are an Al Mar’a achiever and it’s time to let the world know!

C R E AT I V E B R E A K T H R OUG H

Lexus amazes with hoverboard ride MUSCAT: Lexus’ latest attempt at amazing the world with its concept hoverboard made quite a mark. And months after that Lexus is planning to completely reveal the hoverboard following a successful testing phase in Cubelles, Barcelona, says a press release.

Mark Templin, executive vice president at Lexus International, said: “Embarking on this project, we set out to push the boundaries of technology, design and innovation to make the impossible, possible. With this project we call ‘SLIDE’, we collaborated with partners who share our passion for creating enjoyment out of motion.

Even through combining our technology and expertise, we discovered making a hoverboard isn’t an easy process. We’ve experienced the highs and lows and have overcome a few challenges, but through mutual determination we have created a demonstration of our philosophy in design and technology to create ‘Amazing in Motion’.”

According to Takayuki Yoshitsugu, chief representative, Middle East and North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corpora-

tion, “The Lexus Hoverboard represents a significant technological and creative breakthrough, opening the door to a future with unlimited possibilities. At Lexus, we constantly challenge ourselves and our partners to push the boundaries of what is possible, and our revolutionary new hoverboard epitomises our quest for technological leadership while carrying forward the brand’s uncompromising approach to design and innovation. We deeply appreciate the encouragement of our customers who have always supported our design-led initiatives over the years.”

The Lexus Hoverboard project began 18 months ago through col-

laboration with a team of scientists from IFW Dresden and Evico GmbH, who specialise in magnetic levitation technology. Following extensive testing with pro skateboarder and hoverboard test rider Ross McGouran, in Dresden, Germany, the team were determined to push the hoverboard to its limits and conduct further tests within dynamic surroundings.

“I’ve spent 20 years skateboarding, but without friction it feels like I’ve had to learn a whole new skill, particularly in the stance and balance in order to ride the hoverboard. It’s a whole new experience,” said Ross McGouran.

Since the Lexus Hoverboard was

unveiled in June, testing has been carried out in a specially constructed hoverboard park, combining elements from skate culture with technology within its architecture.

Up to 200 meters of magnetic track was transported to Barcelona from the Dresden facility to lay beneath the hoverboard park surface in order to create the dynamic test, offering Lexus the opportunity to demonstrate tricks no skateboard could ever perform, like travelling across water. Lexus has captured the final ride footage and released it as a film led by award winning director Henry-Alex Rubin.

The Lexus Hoverboard technology features two “cryostats” — reservoirs in which superconducting material are kept at -197 degrees through immersion in liquid nitrogen. The board is then placed above a track that contains permanent magnets.

In Oman every Lexus vehicle comes with special benefits and privileges such as six years unlimited extended mileage protection and Lexus Prestige Club Card that offers 24 hours on-road assistance from AAA.

SPECIALIST

Al Hayat welcomes senior ENT consultant MUSCAT: Al Hayat International Hospital, Al Ghubra welcomed Dr Ameet Kishore, MBBS, FRCS (Glas), FRCS (Edin), FRCS-ORL (UK), visiting senior consultant ear, nose, throat and neurotology in its ENT department. (He is visiting on September 5 and 6 Saturday and Sunday) After obtaining his MBBS from Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, India, Dr Ameet Kishore completed his higher surgical training in ENT Surgery in the UK and attained Fellowships of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh as well as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He was then appointed consultant and senior lecturer at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary University Hospital. He has also travelled to various centres in the USA and Europe as part of his training, says a press release.

He is currently a Senior Consultant Surgeon in ear, nose, throat and Neurotology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi. He is also the director and chief consultant of Adventis – A centre for Advanced ENT Service. He has over 20 years of experience in all aspects of ENT and has trained and worked extensively at leading international centres in UK, Europe and USA. He has large experience in otology and neuro-otology and thus expertise in microscopic surgery for treating diseases of the ear, facial nerve and hearing.

He has trained and worked at the National Centre for Cochlear Implantation (UK) since 1995 and has extensive experience in management of deafness with cochlear implantation, implantable hearing aids, bone anchored hearing aids and auditory brainstem implantation.

He is the lead cochlear implant surgeon at Apollo Hospital, Delhi and is responsible for one of the leading hearing implant programmes in the country.

Experienced in endoscopic nasal and sinus surgery, he is competent in minimally invasive surgery such as balloon sinuplasty and advanced endoscopic sinus surgery procedures for sinusitis and anterior skull base conditions (pituitary surgery and Endoscopic CSF leak closure).

Dr Kishore was trained at the Royal Hospital for sick children, Glasgow that has empowered him to manage paediatric ENT disorders safely and successfully. He is experienced in the use of lasers, radio frequency and coblation.

Awards and achievements Has received multiple awards at undergraduate, postgraduate and also at consultant level for academic excellence.

Has obtained fellowships at various international centres in UK, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and USA for Otology, Neuro-otology, Cochlear Implantation, Rhinology and Paediatric ENT. He has over 30 publications in various peer reviewed ENT journals, and has written chapters in a number of books too.

He was appointed as Hon. Sr Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, UK. Presented widely at a number of national and international meetings and is invited as teaching faculty to various national and international courses, conferences and symposia. Is a member of national and international ENT societies, and is currently the Secretary of the Cochlear implant Group of India.

Dr K. P. Raman, chairman, Al Hayat International Hospital said, “The demand for our ENT services and especially the plan to start Cochlear Implant programme has resulted in the ex-

After obtaining his MBBS from Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, India, Dr Ameet Kishore completed his higher surgical training in ENT Surgery in the UK and attained Fellowships of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh as well as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow

pansion of our ENT department.

It is our constant endeavour to make available the most modern facilities to our patients.”

Al Hayat International Hospital team of highly skilled and experienced ENT Surgeons perform ENT Surgical procedures for conditions requiring surgery like tonsillectomy, septoplasty, tympanoplasty, stapedectomy, mastoidectomy Neurotology & Cochlear Implantation, Microscopic Ear Surgery, Endoscopic Nose - Sinus Surgery & Balloon Sinuplasty, Paediatric ENT, Microlaryngeal & Laser Surgery, Management of salivary gland disorders including salivary gland endoscopy, submandibular and parotid gland surgery as well as thyroid gland surgery.

Well versed in microlaryngeal surgery and phonosurgical techniques for hoarseness. Routinely perform endoscopic nasal and sinus surgical procedures with large experience in Functional Endoscopic SinusSurgery (FESS). Well equipped with specialised tools such as endoscopic camera systems, microdebrider, Balloon Sinuplasty, radiofrequency and lasers. Also perform advanced endoscopic procedures such as orbital decompression, optic nerved compression, dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR), sphenopalatine artery ligation, endoscopic closure of CSF leaks and endoscopic pituitary tumour surgery. Have experience in the use of surgical navigation systems for sinus and skull base surgery.

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5 SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

Love us on Facebook

B7

ROUND-UP

BankDhofar marketing head wins ‘Most Influential Officer’ award SINGAPORE: In yet another achievement, BankDhofar head of marketing & corporate communications received the title of Asia’s ‘Most Influential Chief Marketing Officer’ at the World Brand Congress Awards 2015.

The award was handed over to Sami Al Zadjali at a high profile ceremony that was held recently in Singapore and was attended by elite branding and marketing professionals from around the world, says a press release.

Asia’s ‘Most Influential Chief Marketing Officer’ awards is an annual platform that celebrates the most influential

Well-deserved recognition Ahmed Said Al Ibrahim, chief corporate services officer at BankDhofar, noted: “We are very proud to see such a prestigious award from a highly esteemed institution received by Sami. It is a welldeserved recognition that shows

achievements in the world of marketing

R E A L E S TAT E E X H I B I T I O N

time and again the determination and commitment of BankDhofar team members who strive to excel and stand out from the crowd. Being a leading brand in the Sultanate, we at BankDhofar are proud to have achieved a lot in terms of staff development as well as unique customer experience and innovative banking solutions, and we aspire to always be the best in all our operations and business practices.”

Asia’s ‘Most Influential Chief Marketing Officer’ awards is an annual platform that celebrates the most influential achievements in the world of marketing, and it brings together elite professionals in marketing, branding and advertising from around the world to highlight the best creative industry practices and achievements

across Asia.

On the side-line of the award ceremony, Sami participated in a seminar that discussed ‘Building Brands in the Age of Transparency and Relevancy’. “I am very glad to be part of this high profile event, and I would like to thank the organisers and the management of BankDhofar for making this possible,” he said.

Sami Al Zadjali is currently the head of marketing & corporate communications at BankDhofar, and he has over 20 years of work experience in branding, marketing strategies, advertising, corporate communications, digital marketing, sales and events.

Sami continues to be the man behind the most successful branding and communications campaigns across the Sultanate.

PRODUCT LAUNCH

Indian embassy DCM set to inaugurate India Home Fair MUSCAT: India Home Fair, presented by HDFC, India’s largest home loan bank, will be inaugurated by Gloria Gangte, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM), Embassy of India, at Al Falaj Hotel in Muscat on September 4 at 11.30am.

The two-day event will showcase properties and real estate developments from different parts of India by more than 40 reputed builders. The pan-India presence of properties ensures that there is something in store for all Indians who are staying in the Sultanate.

Entry to the exhibition is free and the public can view the stalls from 10.30am onwards on both the days, says a press release.

This is for the first time a reputed and a leading bank in India is bringing together all the major builders from India on a common platform for the benefit of Indians, working and staying in Oman.

HDFC has selected those builders who are trustworthy and have proved their merit in the Indian market. Besides, HDFC has also ensured that those builders who comply with the norms of the government of India and various state governments are showcasing their project at the two-day event.

“HDFC has been one of the drive forces behind the success story of the Indian real estate sector. The largest home loan bank in India has been offering support to builders and their customers at the same time. Indian Home

The two-day event will showcase properties and real estate developments from different parts of India by more than 40 reputed builders Fair 2015 is the right avenue for Indians in Oman to choose their dream properties as more than 40 reputed builders from different parts of country are participating in the exhibition. Another attraction of the exhibition is the Pan India Presence even include builders from Tier III cities such as Nagpur, Lucknow Calicut, Kochi, Trichur, Coimbatore, Trivandrum and Panaji . This will help customers to buy projects in mega cities and local places, suiting to their style and taste,” observed Navneet Prasad, regional head of HDFC. “On its part, HDFC has many novel schemes which are aimed at prospective real estate buyers. All the home loan schemes of the bank will be explained and will be made available at the exhibition venue,” he added.

“Buoyed by the success of the previous editions of India Home Fair we are expecting a huge turn-

out at this year also. For the benefit of visitors, we have selected all the major builders from different states in India. Thus, there is a pan-India presence at the exhibition. These builders are showcasing a wide range of projects which have already completed or are in the process of completion,” said Abhimanyu Kukreja, Oman office in charge of HDFC. Special promo event “To help our visitors we will be starting a help desk at the venue.

There will be special promotional events for visitors from interiors of Oman. Besides, the exhibition will have on the spot bank loan documentation facility. Prime and premium properties from all the major states and on the spot facility for bank loan set apart Indian Home Fair from other exhibitions,” said Lijihas Hussain, director of Molecules International, which is organising the property exhibition along with World National Exhibitions.

Some of the major builders who will take part in the annual exhibition at Al Falaj Hotel include Ansal Housing & Construction, Godrej Properties, Hiranandani, ShapoorjiPallonji, Lodha Group, H&S, Kalpataru, Casa Grande Private Limited, Crescent Builders, Mayfair, Nahar Group, Omkar Realtors & Developers, Ozone Group, Phoenix Group, Queen’s Habitats, SFS Homes, Arthais, and ATS Homes.

Muscat Pharmacy launches New Zealand Manuka honey MUSCAT: Muscat Pharmacy & Stores launched new products from Manuka Health New Zealand, world leader in New Zealand natural health solutions, specially for hypermarkets in Oman during a launch meeting held in Woodlands Restaurant in CBD recently.

This was held in the presence of Mani Gopalakrishnan, national sales manager, commercial division, Muscat Pharmacy, Pradeep Despande (general manger, General Food Supplies) Godwin Joseph (Manuka Health-Oman) and 24 marketing staffs, says a press release.

Manuka Health are producers of a range of products, the most prominent being pure MGO (methyl Glyoxal) brand Manuka Honey, which has proven benefits for health problems and is now being sold in more than 55 countries around the world.

New products such as Manuka honey blend, clover honey, wild

RECOGNITION

L&T Oman felicitates Omani staff for long service MUSCAT: In a first of its kind initiative, L&T Oman has felicitated 17 of its Omani employees for their long and meritorious service at a function held yesterday.

L&T Oman with Zubair Corporation, one of the leading and most respected business houses in the Sultanate, has participated in the emergence of the Sultanate of Oman by playing a vital role in the socio-economic and cultural development of the Sultanate as envisaged by the visionary leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, says a press release.

As it has grown, the company has paid special attention to developing local human capital with almost 2,000 Omani nationals employed across various projects.

Attracted both by the company’s

brand image and the opportunity to work on projects of scale and magnitude, these employees once on board, are given plenty of opportunities through various performance-driven initiatives and training programmes which lead to better, faster professional growth for them.

“Our employees have helped endow L&T Oman with a unique-

ness and I am delighted that with the help of the people of Oman, we have been successfully participating in the spectacular development of the Sultanate,” said S. N. Subrahmanyan, member of the Board and senior executive vice-president – Infrastructure & Construction, Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

“We believe that performance

is only possible if we have the right people as our prime assets and today I am very pleased to see that the opportunities we have given our Omani colleagues have been well-accepted. My heartiest congratulations to all our employees, especially our Omani colleagues, who are being rewarded for their commitment, enthusiasm, zeal and hard work and I am absolutely certain that they will continue to perform with the same commitment and vigour in our journey ahead.”

Besides offering the best-inclass work environment and growth opportunities to its own employees, L&T Oman also supports SMEs to create more business and employment opportunities for Omani nationals.

flower honey, suckles and green tea products are now available in major hypermarkets like Carrefour, Lulu, Al Fair and Nesto hypermarkets in Oman. Muscat pharmacy commercial team will make available the products in other major outlets in Oman soon.

Manuka Health’s commitment from the very beginning has been to provide premium natural products that combine the very best of nature and science. Utilising natural bio-active ingredients unique to New Zealand, they produce a wide range of premium products including MGO Manuka honey, royal jelly, green tea, suckles, blend and kids wellness products such as kids syrup and these all products are available in all major pharmacies in Oman.

“From beekeeping production MH use methods proven to preserve the bioactivity and potency of the natural ingredients, and apply scientifically validated testing to guarantee the quality of MH

products. Manuka Heatlh scientific research partnerships aid ongoing innovation as it continues to break new ground in providing trusted, effective natural health products to our customers.

“Manuka honey industry has shown remarkable growth over the past few years as the honey’s qualities attracted the interest of the multibillion dollar global nutraceutical market and healthconscious consumers alike.

“Taking this valuable product and adding more value through cutting-edge R&D is proving to be a winning recipe for Te Awamutubased company, Manuka Health New Zealand. Manuka Health is about producing natural health products; sourcing, harvesting and processing and taking products to the world designed to help people improve their health. Key to our development has been developing the scientific evidence to support our products,” says Kerry Paul, chief executive, Manuka Honey.

B8

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UP

Love us on Facebook

Ooredoo opens its eighth outlet Operated by the company’s long-term partner Enhance, a WJ Towell Group company, the store in Jalan Bani Bu Ali has been designed to offer customers in Sharqiyah a full range of telecommunications solutions and value added services

MUSCAT: As part of its expansion plans for 2015, Ooredoo has opened its latest franchise store in Jalan Bani Bu Ali, under the auspices of Sheikh Mahmoud bin Sulaiman, Deputy Wali of Jalan Bani Bu Ali. Operated by the company’s long-term partner Enhance, a WJ Towell Group company, the store has been designed to offer customers in Sharqiyah a full range of telecommunications solutions and value added services, says a press release.

Feras Al Sheikh, director of Consumer Sales at Ooredoo, said: “Our franchise concept has been a great success and we will continue to actively pursue new partnerships and identify new locations to reach more of our customers and meet their growing demands.”

He added, “Our partnership with Enhance goes back to 2005, and today we are proud to say that this successful decadelong partnership has entered a new stage, going beyond simply product distribution.

“The Jalan Bani Bu Ali store is no different to our other 36, in that it offers a full portfolio of our leading products and services with the promise of an exceptional customer experience.”

Ooredoo has recently modernised the 2G and 3G networks in this area by building several new sites and enhancing the coverage and capacity of a large number of sites in the area, to provide 3G and 4G technology to customers. The

company has also rolled out their state-of-the-art fibre network in the Al Sharqiyah region, which will not only ensure high speed data and bandwidth, but also provide a significantly enhanced customer experience.

Ahmad Abbas, general manager of Retail Solutions, Enhance Oman, Said: “We are delighted to crown the Enhance-Ooredoo partnership in opening our biggest state-of-the-art franchise store in an area that needed it the most.

The Jalan Bani Bu Ali store is one of five stores under Enhance management and we look forward tofurther contributions in reaching out to more regions of the Sultanate in the near future.”

Working in partnership with some of Oman’s leading retail companies, the Jalan Bani Bu Ali store is Ooredoo’s eighth franchise across the country, including Rustaq Samaiel, Amerat and Al Musannah which are also operated by Enhance.

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

SUPPORT TO YOUTH

Bank Muscat to host ‘Oman at Work’ evenings by Ithraa MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, as part of its commitment to support youth, who represent the future of Oman, is hosting ‘Oman at Work’ evenings organised by Ithraa.

‘Oman at Work’ is a series of four events comprising dialogue and panel discussions aimed at helping better understand the challenges and opportunities of the future work environment and the fundamental impact this will have on how Oman attracts, nurtures, retains and motivates a talented workforce, says a press release.

The ‘Oman at Work’ series opens on Monday September 7 with a panel discussion on ‘The World of Work: A New Dynamic’, followed by ‘Millennials: A Different Work Perspective’ on Tuesday September 8. The third event will be held on Monday September 14 on ‘Vocational Training: Changing Perceptions’ and the concluding

session on Wednesday September 16 on the theme ‘STEM: Jobs of the Future’. All the four events will be held at Bank Muscat head office from 7:30pm to 9pm.

Reckoned the ‘best place to work in Oman’, Bank Muscat has achieved qualitative advance in the human resources sector as it attracts the best Omani cadres for employment at all levels. Bank Muscat is focused on developing its leadership pool from among the young Omanis and thereby contribute to Oman’s future by investing in talent which is the real

wealth of the nation.

Over the years, Bank Muscat has adopted innovative strategies to equip Omani employees to take up leadership positions in tandem with future challenges. The bank has developed a comprehensive Learning & Development strategy for skill and knowledge enhancement vis-à-vis the requirement of various departments. The bank’s women empowerment strategy is also notable as 42 per cent of employees are women holding various positions, including senior management positions.

DRAMA SHOW

Gujarati Wing celebrates 40 years of its journey in Oman MUSCAT: Muscat Gujarati Samaj (MGS), as it is fondly known, or officially the Gujarati Wing of Indian Social Club, arranged a very popular drama Pappa to Avaj Hoi Chhe (A Father would be like this only…) as part its celebration of 40 years’ glorious journey in Oman.

As the auditorium filled with MGS enthusiastic members, chief guest Brahmachari Koshalprasad inaugurated the event by ‘Deep Pargatya Ceremony’ along with other dignitaries of Muscat Gujarati Samaj, Anil Khimji, Kiran Asher, Raju Ved, Anil Vadher and Arvind Toprani, says a press release.

Pappa to Avaj Hoi Chhe is a popular Gujarati social-comedy family based drama, which shares the father-son relations along with an important message with pure entertainment. The artists executed their roles wonderfully and entertained the audience during complete course of drama.

They got repeated applause from the audience, who seemed to enjoy more as the story progressed.

The drama team has already staged 258 shows so far, and the team has travelled extensively across USA, UK and Middle East before the Muscat show. It got a lot of appreciation from one and all. MGS members were all delighted to witness such a meaningful drama.

Chandrakant Chothani, MGS convener, conveyed heartfelt

thanks to the sponsors and wellwishers for their continued support. Kiran Asher in his motivating speech admired activities carried out by MGS, and also wished success for its upcoming events on October 8, 9 and 10.

MGS has made ambitious plans to celebrate its journey of four decades with arrangement of many such programmes coming up very soon, and give the members many such evenings to cherish for long.

C

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

SECTION

AAMIR APOLOGISES TO FANS AND PLAYERS Disgraced Pakistan paceman Mohammed Amir issued a public apology to fans and players on Wednesday as his five-year ban for spot-fixing expired, vowing to make a fresh beginning. >C2

SPOR YOUR GAME

S

INSIDE LIFESTYLE

KHASAB CASTLE:E: AN EDIFICE NOT TO MISS >C11

Oman eye full points against Turkmenistan Oman coach Paul Le Guen said there will be no excuses nor complaints as they seek another victory in the joint qualifiers for the World Cup and Asian Cup

MUSCAT: Boosted by the return of key players, including captain and custodian Ali Al Habsi, Oman are eye full points as they take on Turkmenistan in the joint Group D qualifier for 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup to be played at Seeb Sports Stadium on Thursday.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. In the recent friendly match played against Yemen,

which the hosts won by a solitary goal, Oman missed the services of Ali Al Habsi, who was busy with English Championship side Reading, as well as Eid Al Farsi and Ahmed Mubarak ‘Kanu’.

However, the team are now strengthened by their return and are raring to go at Turkmenistan.

Oman, who began their campaign with a 2-1 away win against

CONFIDENT: Oman captain Ali Al Habsi, right, speaks as coach Paul Le Guen, second left, looks during a press conference on their eve of their match against Turkmenistan on Wednesday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

India, are confident of winning full points against Turkmenistan.

Speaking at match-eve press conference, Oman’s French coach Paul Le Guen said: “There will be

UNDER PRESSURE

Qatar team feels heat ahead of World Cup qualifier with Bhutan DOHA: Qatar coach Jose Daniel Carreno admitted Wednesday his team is under pressure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the country’s last chance to reach the finals before hosting the event four years later.

Speaking ahead of the AFC Group C match against Bhutan in Doha on Thursday, Qatar’s first home game of the qualifiers, the affable Uruguayan said he was confident his team would respond to the challenge.

“Yes, definitely there’s pressure but it’s a kind of pressure we enjoy,” he told reporters at a Doha press conference. “We think we have enough strong points to enable us to play in the Russian World Cup in 2018.”

Qatar is aiming to avoid becoming the first nation since Italy in 1934 to host the World Cup without ever having played in the finals. So far in qualification they have a 100 percent record, having played and won one game, a 1-0 victory in the Maldives.

The three points though masked a poor performance and the fact that Qatar only won in Male due to a 99th minute goal.

Thursday’s match against Bhutan — who lost their first two qualifiers 7-0 and 6-0 — should provide Qatar with another three points. Tougher tests lie ahead however, with matches against

Speaking ahead of the AFC Group C match against Bhutan in Doha on Thursday, Qatar’s first home game of the qualifiers, the affable Uruguayan said he was confident his team would respond to the challenge

the top two sides in Group C at the start of this week’s games, Hong Kong and China, within the next six weeks.

Hong Kong play in China on Thursday. Carreno, who only took over as Qatar coach in June following the sacking of Algerian Djamel Belmadi after a dismal showing in the Asian Cup, said the key against Bhutan would be to score early.

“The Maldives was a good les-

son for us that we will benefit from in the future,” said Carreno, the former coach of Qatar league side Al Arabi, now managed by Gianfranco Zola.

“Teams suffer when they play the smaller teams. Maybe we will suffer when we play Bhutan but we will try and score an early goal to open up the match.”

Confidence among the 2022 hosts was boosted by a 4-0 friendly win against Singapore last week.

A convoluted qualification system means Qatar is aiming to be one of the group winners or four best runners-up from the AFC’s eight groups of five teams.

These 12 will then be placed into two groups of six, with the first two in each group heading to Russia. At the beginning of 2015, Qatar may have been a strong outside bet for Russia.

Confidence was high after winning the Gulf Cup in 2014, Qatar’s first trophy abroad, where they beat neighbours Saudi Arabia 2-1 in the final.

But a poor Asian Cup — where they were thrashed 4-1 by UAE, beaten 2-1 by Bahrain and 1-0 by Iran — has dampened expectations.

However, if Qatar fails to qualify for Russia, one happier lesson from history is that 1934 was not only Italy’s first finals but also the first time the “Azzuri” won the World Cup. - AFP

no excuses nor complaints. Any match in the qualifiers in very important. We are keen not to lose any points at home or away.”

Referring to the friendly against

Yemen, he said: “We did not grab the opportunities that came our way. But the match against Turkmenistan will be different.”

With the return of Ali Al Habsi,

Eid Al Farsi and Ahmed Mubarak ‘Kanu’, we will have a different formation and tactics.

Le Guen, who expressed satisfaction with the current training camp, said the presence of veteran striker Imad Al Hosni will also strengthen the team.

Le Guen also said: “(Defenders) Mohammed Al She’eba and Jaber Al Awaisi as well as Mohammed Al Mashari not fully engaged during the last season due to several reasons.

“But we have discussed the issue with the OFA chief Sayyid Khalid (Al Busaidi) and requested for their return to the team.”

Meanwhile, Ali Al Habsi said the team is aware of the significance of the match.

“We have to concentrate on the match in hand and try to win full points,” he said.

C2

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY INSTALL WHATSNEWS

Stay ahead of the curve with WhatsNews

Pakistan trio restricted at home despite end of spot-fixing bans The pair will be under strict monitoring for months before being allowed to play international cricket again

LAHORE: The International Cricket Council’s five-year bans on former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and pace bowler Mohammed Asif ends on Wednesday, but the long road back for the players will begin under heavy restrictions.

The pair will be under strict monitoring for months before being allowed to play international cricket again, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“The PCB has given me a target that includes improving fitness, attending sessions with a psychiatrist and delivering lectures to young cricketers for awareness against misdeeds as a national player,” Asif, 32, said during a prac-

REHABILITATION: Pakistani paceman Mohammed Aamir meets with children suffering from thalassemia at a treatment centre in Lahore.

tice session at the Model Town Ground in Lahore.

“I will have to achieve the target in two months and only after that will I be allowed to play freely.”

Butt and Asif were banned for

spot-fixing during Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010, particularly for bowling deliberate no-balls by prearrangement during the fourth Test at Lord’s. Both have served jail sentences in Britain and were

given minimum five-year bans by an ICC tribunal. Butt was also given a two-year suspended sentence.

Both players said they were ready to meet the board’s demands.

“I just want to play cricket,

which runs through my blood,” former captain Butt said.

A PCB official said the trio would only be allowed to play “controlled cricket and start with club cricket for now.”

DISGRACED

LETTER

Returning Aamir issues public apology to fans and players KARACHI: Disgraced Pakistan paceman Mohammed Aamir issued a public apology to fans and players on Wednesday as his fiveyear ban for spot-fixing expired, vowing to make a fresh beginning.

The 23-year-old is eligible to return to all levels of cricket from Wednesday, along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, who were also banned for their part in the notorious 2010 Lord’s spotfixing scandal.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) kicked them out of the game for five years for orchestrating deliberate no-balls in return for money during a Test against England. They were also jailed by a British court.

Aamir, who has repeatedly voiced contrition for the scandal, said sorry once again.

“I sincerely apologise to everyone I have hurt — my colleagues, my fans, family and my country,” he said in a statement.

“I will never be able to explain how much I regret the mistake I made at the promising start of my career. I disappointed my teammates and seniors who expected much better from me.”

A precocious talent, Aamir graduated to play for Pakistan aged just 17 in 2009 and received

I sincerely apologise to everyone I have hurt — my colleagues, my fans, family and my country. I will never be able to explain how much I regret the mistake I made at the promising start of my career Mohammed Aamir Pakistan fast bowler widespread sympathy from across the cricketing world at the time of his ban.

Partly because of his youth and naivety, the ICC earlier this year allowed him to return early to domestic cricket.

He featured in Grade-II cricket in April, taking an impressive 22 wickets in four matches before getting injured. Aamir said he wanted to win over doubting fans through his performances.

“I am not sure if I can ever be truly forgiven but I hope to win your trust and love with my upcoming performances. I believe this will be the best way to redeem the past,” he said.

“No matter how sorry I feel I can’t change the past. What I can do is start fresh and make a cleaner and brighter history, for myself and for Pakistan.”

Former players were divided on whether the three players should be allowed to play for Pakistan again.

While former captains Ramiz Raja and Rashid Latif vociferously opposed the tainted trio’s return to the national side, pace legends Wasim Akram, Imran Khan and Shoaib Akhtar advocated a second chance.

Aamir said he has set small goals for himself and is not targeting an early return to international cricket.

Before banned, Aamir had taken 51 wickets in 14 Tests and 25 in 15 One-day Internationals. He also had 23 wickets in 18 Twenty20 matches. - AFP

P L AY I N G F U T U R E

Clarke takes indefinite break SYDNEY: Former Australian captain Michael Clarke on Wednesday pulled out of his Big Bash League deal with the Melbourne Stars and said he will take an indefinite break from the game.

The 34-year-old, one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation, retired from international cricket last month after the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval.

Clarke was expected to honour a two-year contract signed in April with the Stars in Australia’s domestic Twenty20 league, but he said he needed time away from cricket.

“Right now for me, I just think my body and my mind need some time away from the game of cricket... and just see what that’s like to be without it,” he told Triple M radio.

Clarke, who has long battled back problems, said quitting international duties had prompted him to consider his wider playing future, as his pregnant wife Kyly prepares to give birth to the couple’s first baby in January.

“It’s been a big part of my life and I just think that with my retirement from international cricket now I just need to take myself away from the game of cricket for a little while and just see what that’s like. To actually be without it,” he said.

“You push yourself to the max

“They will be strictly monitored by professional cricketers and psychiatrists for a few months. If they prove their fitness and morality, they will be allowed to play domestic cricket at the first-class level,” the official said, declining to be named.

A third player, fast bowler Mohammed Aamir, was also banned until September but the chairman of ICC’s anti-corruption unit exercised his discretion to give him an early reprieve in January.

Left-arm paceman Aamir was marked as a great prospect for Pakistan in his early days. At the age of 18 he became the youngest bowler to capture 50 Test wickets during the controversial test match at Lord’s in 2010.

According to a revised anticorruption code, a banned player can appeal the ICC to allow him to resume playing domestic cricket before the end of the ban.

The PCB had decided to help Aamir with his appeal but ruled out helping Butt and Asif with any relaxation.

Though the ban is lifted, serious opposition from officials and hostility from Pakistan’s cricketobsessed fans will mean the road to redemption will be a long one for the tainted trio. - Reuters

TIME AWAY FROM CRICKET: Michael Clarke

when you’re playing sport at the highest level and now I’ve pressed stop on that part, in regards to international cricket, I just think my body... and my mind just needs that break.”

As well as his injury issues, Clarke also cited the continuing psychological impact of close friend and team-mate Phillip Hughes’ death as a factor in his decision “I guess that’s part of it as well.

How big a part? Right now I’m unsure,” he said.

“I just need this time to allow myself to go through whatever I need to go through to be able to move forward.”

Hughes died last year after being hit on the head by a bouncer at

the Sydney Cricket Ground, with a shattered Clarke giving a moving eulogy at his funeral.

But Clarke did not rule out returning to the crease at some point, leaving open the possibility of playing the second year of his contract with the Stars.

“I’m really hopeful that love and passion that I’ve always had for the game will come back,” said the batsman, who scored 8,643 runs in 115 Tests.

“I’ve got a two-year deal at the moment, so hopefully it all turns out ok and I come back and play next year. “But even if they decide they don’t want me to play, I’m hopeful I’ll be able to help the club have success in another way.” - AFP

Pakistan press India for cricket series LAHORE: Pakistan’s cricket chief on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Indian cricket board secretary pressing him for an update on a proposed series between the arch-rivals in December this year.

A two Tests, five one-day and one Twenty20 series in United Arab Emirates is shrouded in uncertainty with volatile relations between the South Asian nuclear rivals at one of their lowest ebbs.

Pakistan accused India of killing nine civilians on the border last week, barely a week after talks between the countries’ national security advisers were called off. The two countries have not played a full series against each other since 2007, though Pakistan toured India for a short series in December 2012.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said he had written to Anurag Thakur, secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“I have written a letter to Mr Thakur, in the main saying that cricket and politics should be kept apart,” Khan said.

“I am positive that the BCCI shall be able to convince the Indian government that it ought to honour its MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the PCB,” he added.

Last year PCB and BCCI had signed a MoU under which they were scheduled to play six series in the 2015-2023 Future Tours Programme, but all were subject to clearance from New Delhi.

Khan, a former foreign secretary and a career diplomat, said that strained relations should not affect cricket.

“While relations between Pakistan and India have seen its share of ups and downs, cricket should be kept out of it,” he said.

Thakur has previously said that the countries’ cricket teams should not meet while relations between the South Asian neighbours remain fraught, saying cricket cannot be played with bullets.

“On one hand there is a rise in terrorist activity, on the other you can’t expect to play a cricket series with Pakistan,” Thakur said in July.

But last week Thakur softened his stance, telling a private television channel in Pakistan that a series was possible.

“If situation improves I cannot rule out cricket series in December,” Thakur said.

“I toured Pakistan in 2004 and was overwhelmed, and when Pakistan toured India the following year I distributed sweets on their captain’s (Inzamam-ul Haq) birthday.” - AFP

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

C3

SPORTS C O M M E N TA RY

Indian team showed they are made of sterner stuff

Ishant’s behaviour pathetic display of aggression: Bedi

I

ndia’s magnificent comeback from behind series win over Sri Lanka is an achievement to be very proud of. It is one of those rare series wins overseas for the Indian team and even though the cynics may scoff and suggest that it was only against a depleted and inexperienced Sri Lankan team it was special because of the fact that India had lost the first Test.

Losing and winning is part of the game but when one loses from a position of strength then the mind starts to wonder what happened, what went wrong and the doubts begin to get stronger.

This team showed that its made of sterner stuff and picked itself up very quickly and turned the tables on its hosts. To the credit of the hosts they didn’t try to sit on their lead and prepare pitches that would have suited their strength but gave pitches that produced top class cricket.

India had injury problems with the prolific Murali Vijay missing the first Test and then the century maker in the first Test Shikhar Dhawan breaking his hand and thus going back home.

However, they found men for all the occasions as in the second Test young Rahul scored a fine century and then in the decider, Pujara making a comeback to the team and that too as an opener carried his bat through with an unbeaten 145.

Skipper Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane also chipped in with centuries and Rohit Sharma got couple of half centuries too.

The determination that India possessed could be seen from the efforts of Amit Mishra and Ravichandran Ashwin with the bat as they hung around and didn’t give their wickets away.

It is not always the runs that you score that matter but when and with whom that can make the difference. Mishra’s stand with Pujara in the first innings of the final Test ensured India got over 300 runs on a difficult pitch.

The bowling spoils were shared between the spinners and the seamers with Ashwin and Mishra picking most of the wickets and Ishant Sharma giving it the thrust at the start of the innings.

Ashwin seemed to toy with the Sri Lankan batsmen and his dismissal of the

Bedi has also said Test skipper Virat Kohli needs to control

India had injury problems with Murali Vijay missing the first Test and then Shikhar Dhawan breaking his hand and thus going back home.

However, they found men for all the occasions

retiring Sangakkara on all four occasions was brilliant.

He had the Sri Lankan legend mesmerised and hanging his bat out with Rahane completing the act with superlative catching.

Mishra too got enough zip and turn to keep the pressure on and rolled over the tailenders which is often the hardest thing to do.

Ishant Sharma has seldom bowled better than he did in this series. He was fast, he was accurate, he was constantly at the batsmen asking questions to which they had few answers.

Although he had a bit of a problem with no balls in the final Test the way he was running in smoothly was terrific to watch.

More importantly he bowled a fuller length and got the rewards as the batsmen did not know which ones to play and which to leave and ended up poking their bats outside the off-stump and getting caught. The fielding also was top quality and once India finalises it’s slips specialists then they will get wickets sooner too.

It was a memorable allround performance by a young team under a young skipper and one that gives hopes for a bright future for Indian cricket. - PMG

his own belligerence and be a role model for his players

NEW DELHI: Terming Ishant Sharma’s verbal duels with the Sri Lankans a “pathetic display of aggression”, former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi has said Test skipper Virat Kohli needs to control his own belligerence and be a role model for his players.

Ishant played a vital role in India’s series clinching win in Colombo, bagging eight wickets in the match to join the 200 wicket-takers club. But his continuous verbal duels on the field not only cost him 65 percent of his match fee in the second game but a second offence at the SSC in the third and final Test attracted an ICC ban for one Test match. Bedi called it an unfortunate series of events.

“See they talked about aggression and then an Ishant gets banned for a match. Is this what you want on a cricket field? This is pathetic display of aggression.

And remember this has nothing to do with Virat’s aggression, who is just giving statement after statement and trying to sell his aggression through words,” Bedi said in an interview.

“He (Kohli) did a very good job

PATHETIC: Referring to Ishant Sharma’s verbal duels with Sri Lankans, Bishan SIngh Bedi asked, ‘is this what you want on a cricket field?’

in the context of this series but he needs to control his aggro.

“There is always one camera which is focused on the captain, so he has to be an exceptionally good role model. You be aggressive with your bat, ball and fielding not with your mouth.

“These are very early days as far as his captaincy is concerned.

There is so much more to be done.

And there are far too many lacunas in the Indian team. We would be absolutely blind if we don’t see the shortcomings now,” Bedi said.

Kaushal reported for illegal action COLOMBO: Sri Lanka off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal has been reported for a suspect bowling action during the third test against India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old, with a distinctive high-knee run-up, has played six tests for Sri Lanka and has been earmarked as the island country’s spin spearhead when Rangana Herath, 37, eventually retires.

Kaushal has already taken two five-wicket hauls in his career and picked up 13 scalps in the three tests against India, the third highest tally behind Herath and paceman Dhammika Prasad (both 15) for the Sri Lankans.

“The match officials’ report,

REPORTED: Tharindu Kaushal

The bold, beautiful and ugly side of Kohli and his boys

N

What did Kohli have that helped him do what he did, and what did the others before him didn’t have to do what Kohli did?

India had crossed the sea in these years were far fewer than the figure 22 suggests. Does that take any shine out of the moment Kohli and his boys are celebrating now?

That brings us to another interesting point: what did Kohli have that helped him do what he did, and what did the others before him didn’t have to do what Kohli did?

Kohli didn’t have under his command anyone who looked awesome: the boys were good, talented and committed. They showed their potential now and then, but there was nothing about them that sent out out-of-this-world hints. They

ed to do, what’s the fuss all about.

Let’s not go overboard for goodness sake. This Sri Lankan team was a very weak side. They should have destroyed them,” said Bedi.

“But a win is a win. I would like to congratulate the boys, but there is no point in the country going berserk over this victory.

“There has to be some stability in the mind. You lose, you go mad and then you win, you again go crazy.

When are we going to mature and accept defeat and victory in a very balanced manner,” he added. - PTI

SPINNER

C O M M E N TA RY

ow that Team India have recorded their first series victory in Sri Lanka in 22 years and the moment is being drummed up as historic, it’s fair to take a look back in time to take in the hysteria behind the celebration before wondering a bit about a seemingly simple puzzle: why did it take so long?

Is it purely an instance of history being made to happen by a young and aggressive leader or is it just an inevitable turn of event waiting to happen anyway, no matter who led whom or who did what?

After Mohammed Azharuddin led India to a 2-1 win in 1993, India have had six stalwarts as leaders before Kohli took over the reins.

They were Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble and MS Dhoni. Three of them—Tendulkar, Dravid and Sehwag— had never toured Lanka as captains.

Ganguly and Kumble had to live with a 1-2 loss and Dhoni had to settle for a 1-1 draw, with a win and a loss and a draw.

So, history brings us to the truth that in 22 years, and before the just-concluded visit, India have toured Lanka just three times to play Test matches.

The long duration of time doesn’t look that long and winding in view of the fact that the number of times Team

In a come-from-behind series win, India registered two comfortable Test victories after losing the opening game in Galle. But Bedi, who congratulated the young team for the win, opined that the visitors were up against a weak opposition and the celebrations that followed were uncalled for.

“If they would have won 3-0 then I would have understood. Ok, now you have won, but what’s the need for this craziness. You had gone there to win, right.

“So you did what you were expect-

were ordinary guys going about the task they were required to perform as best as they could.

What was it that really made the difference? The football kick executed by the skipper after taking the catch of Kushal Perera in the first innings when the Lankan was tearing the Indian attack apart?

The “dinner date” advance made by an unromantic Ishant Sharma as the batsman was walking back to the dressing room? Or the Lankan attempts at sledging, staring and bouncing Ishant out that we got to know now had rubbed the 6.3 feet man the wrong way?

Obviously, Kohli, despite having more than his fair and unfair share of say in moments of ugly drama unfolded onfield when the Indians were fielding, was not in his usual best or looked the sort of hot and spicy self he used to be.

The responsibility bestowed upon him may have diluted his antics. In that context, the transformation we have seen in Ishant Sharma was something Kohli had been hoping to happen: an angry fast bowler nursing a hurt in the heart. But is there more to it than meets the eye? Was that something made to happen or just happened?

The image of Ishant tapping his helmet possibility to taunt Dhammika Prasad who greeted the No.11 batsman with a series of bouncers into bowling more of the same stuff

as he ran down the pitch to take a single was not ugly, but the hysterical beating of the head after taking the wicket of Dinesh Chandimal in the second innings was disgusting.

An angry, 6.3 feet bowler is the right stuff for your cause, but Kohli need to learn how to instill the right amount of anger in the boys under his command. Excesses are unwelcome.

The other side of the story is that the current Lankan team is the weakest of them all in the last 22 years. Kumar Sangakkara looked overwhelmed by the occasion. His body was there, but the mind seemed resigned to the inevitable that was about to happen.

The seniors in the team were too old for the task, and the youngsters were settling in their roles they had just inherited. Also, it was a team beaten fair and square by Pakistan a few weeks ago. There was no better time for India to tour Lanka, perhaps.

For now, time and luck seem to favour Kohli. At least until he and his boys get on a flight to England, Australia or South Africa, which is not going to happen anytime soon.

The writer is a freelance contributor based in India. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman

which was handed over to the Sri Lanka management, cited concerns about the legality of the 22-year-old’s bowling action,” the governing body said in a statement.

Kaushal will have to undergo a test on his bowling action within 14 days but will be allowed to continue bowling in international cricket until the results are known.

Sri Lanka are not in action until October when they host West Indies in a series featuring two test matches, three one-day internationals and two Twenty20s.

Sri Lanka lost their first series at home to India in 22 years when the Virat Kohli-led tourists fought back from an opening defeat to win 2-1 on Tuesday. - Reuters

C4

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS Hamilton to pick up speed at Monza track

RICH HAUL

Sunday’s race, at a super-fast track that faces an uncertain future despite its historic status as a temple to Ferrari, could see Hamilton accelerate ever closer to his third Formula One world championship

MONZA: New father Nico Rosberg has plenty to be happy about right now but Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton intends to be smiling just as much after this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

Sunday’s race, at a super-fast track that faces an uncertain future despite its historic status as a temple to Ferrari, could see Hamilton accelerate ever closer to his third Formula One world championship.

“At the moment it doesn’t look like it is possible to beat Hamilton,” said retired triple champion Niki Lauda after the Briton won last month’s Belgian Grand Prix to go 28 points clear of Rosberg with eight races remaining.

“If Lewis does not make a mistake in the next couple of races, it will be hard for Nico,” said the Mercedes team’s non-executive chairman.

A dramatic, high-speed blowout in practice at Spa, coupled with a similar one on race day for Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, did little for Rosberg’s peace of mind ahead of the birth of his daughter last Sunday.

Any sleepless nights since then will have been more to do with his home life, however, with Pirelli’s post-Belgium enquiry expected

Oman swimmers win five more medals at GCC championships

CLEAR FAVOURITE: Lewis Hamilton

to exonerate their tyres from any structural failure.

Safety will still be a prime concern at the fastest track on the calendar, with the paddock community mourning the death in America last week of British IndyCar driver and former F1 racer Justin Wilson.

Vettel, furious after his scare at Spa, will be setting his sights on coming back with a different kind of bang in his first race at Monza in Ferrari’s red overalls.

A victory in front of the passionate home fans, at the circuit where he took his first F1 victory with Toro Rosso in 2008, would make Vettel the first since Stirling Moss in the 1950s to win the Italian Grand Prix

with three different teams.

The four times champion cannot be ruled out, with Ferrari likely to be Mercedes’ closest rivals given that Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat are expected to take engine penalties, but Hamilton remains the clear favourite.

Last year he won from pole position and set the fastest lap at Monza before going on to win six of the last seven races and take his second title. This time, he arrives on the back of 10 poles in 11 races and six wins to Rosberg’s three.

If he wins at Monza on Sunday for the third time in his career, Hamilton will become the first driver to take successive Italian Grand Prix victories since his

compatriot Damon Hill with Williams in 1994.

Monza’s own future will also be in the spotlight, with the circuit still to agree a new contract after 2016 and more talks with commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone sure to take place over the weekend.

For Hamilton, as much as any Formula One fan, a calendar without Monza would be unthinkable.

“It’s an awesome track -- so fast and with some of the most passionate fans you’ll see anywhere in the world,” said the Mercedes driver. “Racing in Italy brings back a lot of good memories for me and I’d love to add to those this weekend.” - Reuters

UNANIMOUS BACKING

MUSCAT: Omani swimmers bagged five more medals on Wednesday to add to the four they had won on of opening day of the the GCC Swimming Champinships in Doha.

According to information received from the Oman Swimming Assocaition, the Omanis won two gold, one silver and two bronze on the second day of the champinships.

Isa Al Adawi won the gold in 200m freestyle in time of 1:57.97 while Abdulrahman Al Kulaibi took top honours in 400m freestyle in a time of 4:57.88.

In the under-10 4x50freestyle, Oman team took silver. The team comprising Naser Al Kindi,

Ahmed Al Balushi, Kaab Al Riyami and Adam Al Raisi clocked 2:29.43 for their second place finish.

Khalid bin Mohammed Al Kulaibi won his bronze medal in the 1,500m freestyle in open category in a time of 17:27.11 while Abdulrahman bin Yahya Al Kulaibi won a bronze medal in the 200m backstroke in a time of 2:20.42.

Meanwhile, Adam bin Salim Al Raisi and Naser bin Saif Al Kindi finished fifth and seventh respectively in the 50m freestyle for juniors. Opening day, Oman swimmers had won two gold and two bronze. So far the Sultanate swimmers bagged a total of nine medals, including four gold, one silver and four bronze.

FOOTBALL

Los Angeles enters 2024 Olympic race India coach calls on LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles joined the race to win the 2024 Olympics here on Tuesday after city leaders gave unanimous backing for a bid to stage the sporting extravaganza for a third time.

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) formally named Los Angeles as its candidate soon after the city council members voted 15-0 in favour of supporting the bid.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Los Angeles as our US bid city for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” USOC chief Scott Blackmun said.

“LA has the proven experience in hosting the Games, and knows how to deliver world-class events for athletes and an extraordinary experience for fans.”

Los Angeles has hosted the Olympics twice before, in 1932 and in 1984, widely regarded as one of the most commercially successful Games of the modern era. “The Olympics loves LA & LA loves the Olympics,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “We hope to return the Games back home.”

The United States has not hosted a Summer Olympics since the Atlanta Games in 1996.

Los Angeles faces fierce competition from other cities that have already entered the race for

Los Angeles has hosted the Olympics twice before, in 1932 and in 1984

the 2024 Games, including Paris, Rome, Hamburg and Budapest.

Although the high costs of staging the biggest sporting event on the planet has dissuaded some cities from chasing the Olympics, Garcetti emphasised that the Los Angeles bid benefitted from the fact that many venues were already built.

“It is important to stress that we are not changing the face of our city to fit the Olympic Games,” Garcetti said. “We have a vision of our city that the Olympics can benefit from, not vice versa.”

Blackmun said Los Angeles’s bid was in keeping with the International Olympic Committee’s recent pledges to scale back the vast spending associated with the Games. The IOC was “looking to partner with cities to create a new hosting model, a model that sheds excessive spending, using existing venues and builds as little as necessary.”

The decision to award the

Games will be taken in 2017. Leading British bookmakers Ladbrokes have installed Paris as the early favourite, with Rome 4/1 and Los Angeles and Hamburg at 7/1.

Bullish projections Los Angeles re-entered the running for 2024 after USOC’s original choice Boston withdrew amid fears of taxpayers being left on the hook for cost overruns.

LA24, the nonprofit running the Los Angeles bid, last week issued a detailed 200-page draft bid book that bullishly projected the games could deliver a surplus, despite a $4.6 billion price tag.

Local businessman and philanthropist Casey Wasserman, the chair of LA24, said an Olympics in Los Angeles “can be and will be the most responsible Games possible.”

LA24 said the Games could generate $4.8 billion, resulting in a profit of around $161 million.

Los Angeles city analysts however sounded a note of caution

last week, stating it was “difficult to determine the fiscal impact and risk to the city of hosting the 2024 Games at this time.”

A review of the budget detailed in the bid book warned that costs for one of the key construction projects, the Olympic Village, may “significantly exceed” the projected $1 billion it was expected to cost.

Tuesday’s city council vote backing the Olympic bid contains wording that allows Los Angeles City ongoing scrutiny of possible bid costs. “This is the engagement not the wedding — and now we’re in the prenup stages,” council leader Herb Wesson said.

The Los Angeles bid relies heavily on existing venues such as the downtown Staples Center, home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, which would host gymnastics. A revamped Los Angeles Coliseum — the main Olympic stadium used in the 1932 and 1984 Games — will be at the heart of the Olympics.

The bid also outlines plans to incorporate famous Los Angeles city landmarks and attractions, such as mountain biking in the shadow of the Hollywood sign, beach volleyball on the golden sands of Santa Monica and Hollywood Boulevard hosting the marathon and road cycling. - AFP

bosses to tackle TV companies’ demands NEW DELHI: India soccer coach Stephen Constantine has told his bosses to stand up to the dominating television companies if they ever want local football to flourish in the floundering South Asian nation.

Constantine, preparing for India’s World Cup qualifier against Iran in Bangalore on Tuesday, has seen friendly matches scrapped and domestic league matches moved to hotter afternoon times by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to accommodate demands from television companies.

The English coach, in his second spell in charge, called on the AIFF to synchronise its calendar with world governing body FIFA and the television companies to give the country, ranked 156th in the world, a chance of competing internationally.

“Is it that difficult to sync your calendar? It’s not when you’ve the development of the game (as target). It is when you’re thinking about TV ratings,” he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express on Wednesday.

“It’s not possible that a TV station can tell us when we can start our season. But that seems to be one of the problems.”

The much-travelled Londonborn coach returned to take charge of India in January, having ended his first spell in 2005 and then going on to manage Malawi, Sudan and Rwanda among others.

He helped India advance through the first round of World Cup qualifiers thanks to a 2-0 success over another of his former sides, Nepal, but the second phase has started with 2-1 losses at home to Oman and away to Guam.

After the Guam defeat, Constantine hoped to be taking part in the South Asian Football Championships but his scheduling requests fell on deaf ears.

“I had asked it to be held after the Guam game in June when I had the players together for a couple of weeks. For reasons unknown to me, it’s December,” said Constantine, who was worried about player availability with the tournament coming on the back of the Indian Super League. - Reuters

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5 SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

Love us on Facebook

C5

SPORTS

Al Amari excels as Omanis gain from Abu Dhabi Chess Festival Schoolboy Jijo wins third place in junior tourney

GOOD SHOW: A group photo of Oman players.

Oman’s performance was a brilliant showing by Musallam Salim Al Amri who excelled both in the Open tournament as well as the unrated category, taking the top honours in the latter section

A SESHAGIRI RAO

raoas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: The Omani chess players gained in experience as well valuable FIDE rating points at the recently concluded Abu Dhabi Chess Festival in the UAE capital.

But the highlight of Oman’s performance was a brilliant showing

by Musallam Salim Al Amri who excelled both in the Open tournament as well as the unrated category, taking the top honours in the latter section.

The player from Salalah, in fact, came close to winning the top place in the open category too but failed in his last game to finish in the 10th place in a highly rated field.

Going into the final round of the

nine-round event, Musallam was on 6.5 points, same as five others with only two — Iranian Ebrahim Ghadiri and Turan Asgarova of Azerbaijan, both had seven points each.There were as many as nine players on six points.

A victory in the the final game would have placed Musallam in the top bracket but he was pitted against eventual champion Turan Asgarova, the Azerbaijan girl proving too strong for Musallam. The defeat meant he had to settle for 10th place in a field of 150 players.

However, his remarkable showing assured Musallam of top place in the unrated category.

“It’s a good show by Musallam,” Ismael Karim, Oman national team coach, said.

FOOTBALL

TOP HONOURS: Musallam Salim Al Amri receives his award.

“He showed good concentration and kept his composure throughout the tournament. That’s why he could play at such level,” Ismael Karim, who is also the in-charge of the International Chess Academy of Oman, said.

“Unfortunately in the last round he was paired against a tough opponent in Turan Asgarova,” the coach added.

“The competition was such that his loss to the Azerbaijan player saw him dropping down to 10th place, which I think is not bad for a player who has entered as an unrated player,” he said.

“The positive for Musallam is he has topped the unrated player category, which will give him a lot of confidence.”

Real benefits According to Ismael Karim, the real positives and the ‘benefits’ — not just for Musallam but also other Omani players — to come out of their excellent showing Abu Dhabi will be realised in October.

“The benefits for Musallam and all other Omani players will be realised on October 1 when the FIDE Ratings will be out,” he said.

“As I said Musallam went to Abu Dhabi as an unrated player. Now he will gain 1974 FIDE Rating

points. And it will be the same with others,” he added.

At 49th place Ahmed Al Makhamari was the other Omani to finish in top 50 while Saif Al Harasi, Hassan Al Kathiri, Mohammed Salim Al Mamari and Mohammed Ahmed Al Amri have not been that successful.

However, most of them will be gaining FIDE Rating points.

Mohammed Al Amri, who started as an unrated player, did well in both open and blitz events. According to Karim, he even defeated an International Master in the blitz.

As a reward he will be getting 2035 FIDE Rating points on October 1.

According to Karim, Hasan Al Kathiri will get 1512 points, Ahmed Al Kakhamari 1655 while Saif Al Harasi will gain 20 points to add to his current FIDE Rating points of 1662.

The next outing for the Omani players will be the World Youth Chess Championships to be organised in Greece from October 24 to November 6.

“The preparations have to start now,” said Karim.

“First we need to go through the selection process and then organise full-fledged training camps for the players. We will soon be getting into that process,” he said.

JUNIOR CHAMPION: Jijo Joy with coach Ismael Karim

MUSCAT: While Omani chess players excelled in both open and blitz events at the Abu Dhabi Chess Festival, Jijo Joy, a Muscat-based Indian schoolboy clinched the third place in the junior category in the UAE capital recently.

Jijo, a student of Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir, maintained an unbeaten record to achieve the third place.

According to his coach Ismael Karim, the junior tournament saw the participation of different age group players right up to under-16s taking competing against each other and despite coming up

against bigger players, Jijo did well remain unbeaten.

“The junior tournament attracted some of the best talents from across the world.

And it is commendable Jijo has not lost a single match,” Ismael Karim said.

In the seven-round event, Jijo won five and drew two matches to finish with six points. “Those two draws meant he had to satisfy with the third place,” Karim added.

Interestingly, the top two places were won by Azerbaijanis with under-16 players Rafili Saifl taking top honours ahead of under-10 player Manafov Vugar.

I S C TA B L E T E N N I S

FIFA reform taskforce meets for first time BERN: A 12-member committee set up by FIFA to draw up farreaching reforms to the organisation in the wake of a corruption scandal met for the first time in Bern on Wednesday.

Headed by Swiss lawyer Francois Carrard, the committee will first hear from Domenico Scala, who is chairman of FIFA’s Audit and Compliance Committee, according to an informed source.

No agenda details were released. Carrard, 77, was appointed by FIFA on August 11 to lead the Reform Committee after the corruption scandal erupted in May, when seven football officials were arrested at a Zurich hotel on the eve of a FIFA Congress.

The seven FIFA officials were among 14 people facing charges in the United States over more than $150 million of bribes for marketing and broadcasting contracts.

In parallel, Swiss investigators are looking into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term at the Zurich congress but, under pressure from the arrests, he suddenly announced he would stand down next February when

The committee will first hear from Domenico Scala

a new election for his post would be held. Subsequently he announced that a reform committee taskforce would be set up to draw up a list of changes.

Blatter denies any wrong-doing and Carrard has gone on record as saying that there was not a shred of evidence against his fellow Swiss.

Carrard, who previously was in charge of implementing reforms at the International Olympic Committee in the wake of the bribery scandal-hit Winter Olympics of 2002, is due to present his reform proposals to a FIFA congress meeting on February 26, when Blatter will officially stand down.

The Reform Committee, which will sit for two days, comprises two officials from each of the six FIFA confederations. - AFP

FINALISTS: P. Sai Saran, right, and R. Subramanian. – Supplied photos

GOOD TEAMWORK: Shounak Kelkar, left, and Sai Prem.

Sai Saran captures men’s A title MUSCAT: Talented teenager P. Sai Saran captured the men’s A singles title at the Annual Table Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club Muscat and co-sponsored by Muscat Insurance Services (MIS) and Oman United Insurance Company (OUIC).

In the final, Say Saran was in full flow and put the full repertoire of his talents on display as he downed seasoned campaigner R. Subrama-

nian with scores of 11-7, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-1 and captured his second title of the tournament having already won the boys under-15 singles crown.

Sai Saran showed brilliant reflexes and anticipation and faced paced rallies were a delight to watch. Subramanian was in the hunt most of the time but Sai Saran proved more consistent of the two players.

Subramanian kept up the pres-

sure until nine-all in the third game before losing it but bounced back to win the fourth game and keep his hopes alive.

Subramanian ran out of favour as Sai Saran went all out to take a 9-0 lead before Subramanian opened his account but did not possess the armoury to stop the talented Sai Saran.

Teenagers Shounak Kelkar and MV Sai Prem, both thirteen, created a sensation in the men’s doubles

event when they scored two exciting back-to-back victories.

Shounak and Sai Prem rallied from two games down to defeat the team of R. Subramanian and Waheed Sattikar 7-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 and followed it up with a brilliant 11-8, 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7 victory over the fancied pair of Simon Joseph and Pranav Vinod to line themselves a semifinal clash against the top seeds, Suhail Khan and Srinivas Iyer.

C6

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH TWITTER PAGE

Tweet all about it

FOOTBALL

‘Panenka’ kick tricks keepers for four decades PRAGUE: For four decades, goalkeepers have been haunted by the “Panenka” penalty kick that leaves them diving to the side while the ball falls slowly into the middle of the net.

The western world first became aware of the kick a year after it had been invented by then-Czechoslovak midfielder Antonin Panenka when, in the 1976 European Championship final, he fooled West German ‘keeper Sepp Maier to hand his country a surprise win.

“If I had missed then, I would have been a turner with a fortyyear record in the job today,” smiles the 66-year-old, still sporting his trademark moustache.

The Belgrade final headed into penalties as Czechoslovakia and West Germany were tied 2-2 after extra-time. Four Czechoslovaks and three Germans scored while Uli Hoeness failed, the score being 4-3 before the last penalty.

Panenka took a quick run up, looking set for a fierce blast and Maier dived to his left while Panenka checked his run and his gently-chipped shot took a slow

curve and landed safely in the net.

“Definitely you must have some courage, but in the first place it is necessary to practise hard, otherwise it would be too risky to try this kick,” Panenka said.

“I myself perfected it during the months before Euro 1976.”

The idea of fooling goalkeepers in this way came to the Bohemians Prague playmaker almost by accident, and some time ahead of its televised grand premiere in Belgrade.

Beverage or chocolate “We regularly practised penalties and free-kicks with our ‘keeper Zdenek Hruska, betting a small amount of money, a beverage or a chocolate bar on each penalty,” Panenka explained.

“Since Zdenek quite often cleared my kicks, they became quite costly for me.

“He systematically dived to the right or left, so I tricked him before kicking the ball gently into the middle -- he didn’t stand a chance.

“The only trouble was that I started to put on weight because of all that chocolate and beverages!”

Definitely you must have some courage, but in the first place it is necessary to practise hard Antonin Panenka The trick remained hidden from the western world, separated from the East by the so-called ‘Iron Curtain’. Panenka introduced the kick step by step, in friendlies and in the Czechoslovak league.

And then June 20, 1976 came and Panenka found his way into the football history books. Brazil-

ian legend Pele once said that “only a fool or a genius” could venture to take such an unexpected kick at a crucial moment like the last penalty kick of a European tournament.

A French journalist once dubbed Panenka “a football poet”.

“I certainly don’t think I’m a fool,” says Panenka.

Costa wants to repay coach’s faith with goals Costa made his Spain debut in a 1-0 friendly victory against Italy in March last year but did not open his account for the European champions until his seventh

MADRID: Spain striker Diego Costa is determined to repay the faith shown in him after he chose La Roja over his native Brazil and knows he still has a lot to prove after a stuttering start to his international career.

Costa made his Spain debut in a 1-0 friendly victory against Italy in March last year but did not open his account for the European champions until his seventh, and most recent, appearance, a 4-0 Euro 2016 qualifying win against Group C minnows Luxembourg in October.

The 26-year-old Chelsea forward has returned to the squad after a series of niggling injuries and will have another chance to show his worth if coach Vicente del Bosque deploys him in Spain’s qualifiers at home to pool leaders Slovakia on Saturday and away to

I CAN GIVE A LOT MORE: Diego Costa

Macedonia three days later.

“I never regretted choosing to play for Spain and I want to repay the confidence that has been shown in me,” Costa told a news conference at Spain’s training base outside Madrid on Wednesday.

“I am feeling better physically all the time,” he added. “I know I can give much more and hopefully that will start now.”

With six matches played, Slovakia top Group C on a maximum 18 points after their surprise 2-1 over Spain in Zilina in October.

Chasing a third consecutive continental triumph, Spain have 15 points at second, with Ukraine a further three points behind at third.

Costa agreed with a reporter who

suggested anxiety may be hindering his progress with the national team but said he was feeling more at home in the side all the time.

“It’s very important to me personally to perform well and score goals as that will give me confidence,” he said. “There are no excuses, I need to do better. I haven’t done anything yet and I think I can give a lot more.

“I am in a team with the current champions but I am feeling more comfortable all the time and closer to my teammates and that’s very important too.”

De Gea issue Meanwhile, Del Bosque has urged goalkeeper David De Gea to put his failed transfer to Real Madrid

from Manchester United behind him and focus on being a “good professional”. De Gea’s move to Real was wrecked in bizarre circumstances on Monday when the paperwork was not delivered until after the midnight deadline.

Real and United blamed each other for the bureaucratic snafu, which means De Gea will remain in Manchester, while Real’s Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas, who was meant to join United as part of the deal, stays in Madrid.

De Gea, whose United contract expires at the end of the season, could find himself in limbo, at least until the end of the year when the market opens again.

While the transfer saga rumbled on, United coach Louis van Gaal left the 24-year-old former Atletico Madrid keeper out of the squad, with Argentina’s Sergio Romero playing instead.

“I don’t want to say anything drastic about what we will do,” Del Bosque, who has hinted De Gea will not be selected if he is not playing regularly, told Spanish radio.

“We have to wait and see what happens and the important thing is that David... looks to the future and is a good professional,” he added. “We have to hope that David can play for (United) and is active so we can count on him in future (Spain) squads and he can show what a good keeper he is.

“It’s a difficult situation for him but he has to be happy to be in the national team and at (United) and in the future he will be able to decide where he would like to go.” - Reuters

Czechoslovakia shed its Communist rule in 1989 and split peacefully into the Czech Republic and Slovakia four years later.

Followers abound After the 1976 Europeans, Panenka went on to trick French ‘keeper Dominique Dropsy in April 1979,

in a qualifier for the 1980 tournament in Italy when Czechoslovakia finished third..

In a shootout in the third-place play-off against Italy, as well as at the 1982 World Cup, Panenka changed his strategy, scoring with shots into the corner.

“The ‘keepers already knew me and they didn’t move any more,” said Panenka, who scored 17 goals in 59 games for the Czechoslovak national team.

Panenka, who left Bohemians Prague for Rapid Vienna in 1981, enjoys watching the growing list of his followers, including Zinedine Zidane, Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti, Helger Postiga, Sergio Ramos or Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“I am very happy that my idea is not dead,” beams the man who is president of his beloved Bohemians.

He said his only regret was that he could never copyright his famous invention.

“If I could have that, I wouldn’t be here with you but somewhere in Hawaii, sipping my cocktail in an armchair on a beach. I would be pretty rich.” - AFP

RECORD

Premier League spending will only increase: experts LONDON: Foreign clubs are the main beneficiaries of the Premier League’s transfer dealings and will continue to be so with forthcoming increases in broadcast revenue, financial analysts predicted as the summer window finally closed this week.

Although many fees remain unofficial, it was generally agreed that of the 10 most expensive deals involving English clubs since the end of last season, seven of the players were bought from other leagues.

Germany’s Bundesliga benefited most, with VfL Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen receiving almost £100 million ($153.09 million) between them for Kevin de Bruyne (sold to Manchester City), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) and Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) respectively.

Gross transfer fees to overseas clubs of £585 million were 10 per cent up on the previous year, according to the annual analysis by the Deloitte business advisory firm. “Since the introduction of the new (Premier League) broadcast deal for 2013-14, spending on overseas players has nearly doubled,” Deloitte’s Alex Thorpe told Reuters in an interview.

“In 2012 it was 300 million pounds. This summer it was 585 million. That shows how broadcast revenues have driven the increase in clubs’ spending in the international market. And it’s not just the transfer fees. They can

also offer financial packages that are very attractive to international players.

“Not only is the Premier League a net importer of talent, way ahead of other leagues in gross and net spending, but Germany and France have actually been net exporters.”

Given that a lucrative new domestic broadcast deal, a 70 percent increase on the existing one, comes into effect next season, with overseas rights still to be negotiated, Thorpe sees no reason why the current trends will not continue.

“Looking to the future, the biggest factor driving transfer spending has been broadcast revenue, so that has already been taken care of for the next three years,” he added.

“So spending is not only going to continue, it is going to increase. Clubs will still have the ability to spend at these kind of levels if they so choose.”

According to Deloitte’s figures, Premier League clubs’ record gross spend of 870 million pounds was more than double that of Italy’s Serie A, the second highest.

But there was an unexpected benefit in the strength of the pound against the euro, which according to corporate broker Foenix saved them £85 million in buying players from European clubs.

The next transfer window for all Europe’s major leagues opens on January 1. - Reuters

NEW SIGNING

My family more nervous than me about United move: Martial PARIS: The family of Manchester United’s latest signing Anthony Martial were more nervous than he was about him becoming the world’s most expensive teenager by moving from AS Monaco.

The fee for the 19-year-old, dubbed the new Thierry Henry despite barely 50 first-team games for the Ligue 1 side, was put at £36 million ($55.11 million) by British media and as high as 80 million euros ($90.27 million) by French media. However, the forward told a news conference at France’s

training camp in Clairefontaine on Wednesday that he was not concerned about the cost of the transfer.

“My family were definitely a bit nervous because of my high price but I’m going to stay focused on my work,” he said.

“I’m not sure I’m worth 80 million euros. I left for the football side. It’s quite crazy for a player of my age but that’s how the market works. This sum has been negotiated between the two clubs.”

Martial does not believe his

price tag will be a problem as he learns to adapt to the English Premier League.

“I don’t see myself as being under any pressure. Since I was young, people have told me I have the right characteristics to play in England,” he added.

Martial said United manager Louis van Gaal had asked him his best position and been told it was in the centre.

“But he told me I can play in a number of positions,” the French Under-21 international added.

“It’s the coach who decides.”

Nor did Martial appear overawed by the prospect of featuring alongside players like England captain Wayne Rooney.

“It’s normal Wayne Rooney doesn’t know me,” he said.

“Next to him I’ll improve my game a lot.”

Martial, who scored nine goals in 35 league matches last season, has been called up by Euro 2016 hosts France for friendlies against Portugal in Lisbon on Friday and Serbia in Bordeaux on Monday. - Reuters

NEW THIERRY HENRY: Anthony Martial

C

SECTION

LIFESTYLE

Culture WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

BY S WAT I DA S G U P TA

Sand is not just for building castles. Pour them with precision on canvases and have a wonderful piece of art. Nikos Zarras shares his sand secrets

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

LIFESTYLE

F

Art is such a passion that it cannot be explained in words. Only an artist can understand the depths of it

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED, SHABIN E

C8

or Nikolaos (Nikos), each painting is an inspiration from everyday life and the spontaneous use of colourful sand adds on to the beauty. It has been just four years for him in Oman and Nikos Zarras is already a known name in the art circle of Oman. The artist, who has been painting since 1991 as a professional, developed love for this art at the age of seven and since then there was no looking back.

“Art is such a passion that it cannot be explained in words. Only an artist can understand the depths of it,” says Nikos.

Going back to his roots Nikos tells us that he was born in Johannesburg, where he lived until the age of seven. “Drawing was a natural obsession for me at a young age,” remembers the artist.

After completing his high school at the age of 16, he attended the fine art department in the Polytechnic School of Trikala, Greece, where he later taught design, history of art, sculpture, traditional crafts, and puppet designing.

“I later moved to Athens and studied at the University ‘Conservation of Ancient Monuments and Works of Art’, he adds.

Nikos, who came to Oman four years back, has been working on various techniques since then and experimenting with different materials for his paintings.

His first pure sand painting was made in the year 2000. “It was the beginning of my new series of art,” he adds.

Talking about sand painting the artist says that to make a perfect piece many things should be kept in mind. “A lot depends on the design and it takes from one week to even 1-2 months to finish an art piece, depending on the size and design,” he explains.

Nikos tells that his sand paintings are created with pure sand collected from the beaches of different regions. “It is an actual painting on a canvas and sand is glued with a special glue through many layers,” he informs further.

It starts with a canvas where he sketches an actual piece of art and then glue the pure sand grains in the specific individual sections to get the 3D effect.

“The painting starts with a sketch followed by pouring the pure colour sands by hand. The work is protected with a varnish to prevent it from damaging,” he explains.

Reminiscing his initial days in Oman, Nikos tells that four years back when he was new to this country it took time for people to respond to his work but gradually his work started getting recognition. Having done various interior design work for shops and houses as well as creating and decorating baby rooms, Nikos participated in his first charity exhibition in Bait Muzna in regards to Duqm Project and also for the Bahrain Cancer Association.

“My first exhibition was in Bait Muzna Gallery with various other artists at the Royal Mirage with Galatea Gallery in Dubai. I had several exhibitions in Greece, as well as Trikala before,” he says.

While his sand paintings are currently being exhibited at Art Hub, Abu Dhabi, he has broadened his horizon over the years.

“I also specialise in oil paintings, iconography, acrylic paintings, abstract paintings, realistic paintings, recycling clay, and sculptures.

I am doing special sand paintings where I use ‘pure sand’ without colour,” tells the artist. Nikos’ talent is gradually getting recognised and known in Muscat and he says that the response has been very positive so far.

While he is currently taking arts and crafts classes for children at galleries and schools in Muscat, simultaneously he is also working on his sand paintings for his upcoming exhibition in Muscat besides working for various interior design works. swati@timesofoman.com Nikos Zarras can be contacted at +968- 95228206 Visit http://www.nikoszarras.com/

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

C9

LIFESTYLE H O L LY W O O D

Phantom (In Theatres Now)

Brighten your home with candlelight and buy a candle holder with a rustic touch Scan for details

Scan to buy tickets

LISTEN

PRODUCTION banner Warner Bros has pushed the release date of actor Gerard Butler’s drama film Geostorm by three months.

It will now release in 2017.

The studio originally dated the film for October 21, 2016, but it will now come to the screens on January 13, 2017. Geostorm marks the feature directorial debut of Dean Devlin, who teamed with Roland Emmerich to produce 1996s Independence Day, reports variety.com. Devlin’s Electric Entertainment is producing Geostorm with Skydance Productions.

‘Scream’ Pays Tribute To Wes Craven

Photo: Wires

PLAY

Gerard Butler’s ‘Geostorm’ Release Date Shifted

Photo: Wires

BUY

WEEKEND UPDATE

WATCH

by Birdy and Rhodes

Photos: Supplied

at Zumba Fitness with Marissa at the Scan for more information

Al Munif Sports Centre in Al Khuwair

Scan to watch the video

Whose Decision Is It Anyway?

SALEH AL-SHAIBANY

SO TO SPEAK What do you think?

Scan below to have your say on Facebook/TimesofOman

I

was browsing through an old history volume the other day when I had nothing better to do. I came across a quote that made me think long and hard.

Albert Einstein, towards the end of his life, reviewed his achievements and said, “if only I had known, I would have become a watch maker.”

His theories helped engineers build an atomic bomb. Was Einstein regretting his decision to tell the world about his discoveries? In 1955, the man was dying but he was not sure whether he was leaving behind a world that would become a better place. To all of us, the past has a funny way of catching up with the present.

Like a long, lost friend, it pops up unexpectedly to haunt your life.

Einstein realised too late to reconcile with himself and perhaps the thought hastened his death.

But for ordinary people like you and me, the best way to come to terms with the past is never to be too clever with the present.

All the yesterdays we lived were

never mistakes, only the decisions we made were. As we now live in a very fast lane, the past catches with us earlier because we tend to make quick decisions to keep pace with pressing demands. The tragedy is that we don’t always know when we are making the right move. Take the example of a businessman who took a wrong turn. I saw him shuffling in a shopping mall leaning heavily on a stick. Over a cup of coffee, he poured all his troubles to me. He left his job selling insurance policies to become a food distributor.

As he was building a successful business, he ignored chest pains because a doctor’s appointment wouldn’t fit into his busy schedule. He collapsed in his office and his employees had to rush him to the hospital. He has not fully recovered from his heart attack but now runs his business with the help of his pace-maker.

He told me that if he had known that he would end up with a crutch, then he would have been selling insurance all his working life. Life seems to have a clear

As we now live in a very fast lane, the past catches with us earlier because we tend to make quick decisions to keep pace with pressing demands

message to all of us. Put one step wrong and your future will pay for it. If that is the case, then every decision you make today carries a price tag. Fear of doing the wrong thing is behind most of the bad decisions we make. We live in a pressure cooker where the temperature rises whenever we ap-

proach a crossroad. Do we turn left, right or stay where we are? It is very clear that indecisiveness is behind many missed opportunities because we are afraid of making a bad decision. Fear of becoming stagnated drives us mad and it is a single factor that forces us to plunge into an unknown depth.

When the heart races and you think you need to make changes then it might be a good idea to do nothing for a while. Most of the reckless evaluations are made on the spur of the moment. Sometimes, you glorify your decisions because you are bored with the routine and not because it is important to your life. Here is a simple test: If your mind can drift away to something else then there is no urgency. You can sleep it off and reconsider the whole thing another day. Next time you think you need to make that important decision, take a long walk first before you dive into unknown waters. It is either that or end up walking in the shopping malls with a crutch wondering what it could have been.

Scott Eastwood to star in ‘Overdrive’

Photo: Wires

Let It All Go

Drop in for a beginner Zumba dance class

TV SERIES Scream paid tribute to late horror film director Wes Craven with a memoriam title card: “Thanks for the screams”.

Though Craven admitted prior to the show’s debut that he had little — if anything — to do with the MTV series, Scream is based on the Nightmare on Elm Street director’s 1996 horror-thriller of the same name, which still stands as the definition of the genre, reports ew.com.

ACTOR SCOTT Eastwood will star in Overdrive, an action project which centres on two car thieves, brothers, who travel to the south of France for new opportunities and wind up in the crosshairs of the local crime boss. Scott, son of legendary actor-filmmaker Clint Eastwood, is emerging into his own as an actor. He earlier wrapped shooting for Suicide Squad, that centres around DC Comics’ villains.

He can also be seen opposite Taylor Swift in the pop star’s latest video, Wildest Dreams. — IANS

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

C10

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

PRAYER TIMINGS

@SHATTI

@AZAIBA

Welcome Back – 2D (Action / Thriller) (TBC) Cast: John Abraham, Shruti Hassan 3:00, 8:45, 11:30PM

@RUWI

SUR The Transporter Refueled (Action | Crime | Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 3:45, 07:15, 11:45 PM Hitman: Agent 47 (Action) (PG12) Cast: Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware Timing: 05:30, 09:45 PM The Game Maker (3D) (Adventure) (PG) Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Cavanagh 5:15 PM Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals (PG) Cast: Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni 2:15, 03:45 PM Welcome Back (Hindi) (Comedy) (TBC) Cast: Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar 1:00, 09:00, 11:30 PM Phantom (Hindi) (Action | Drama) (PG) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Rajesh Tailang 7:15 PM

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68. www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI The Transporter Refueled (PG12) (Action, Crime) Cast : Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 3:45, 7:45, 9:45, 11:45 pm Welcome Back (Comedy, Crime) (Hindi) Cast: Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia 2:15, 8:45 pm Purgatory (Horror, Mystery) (TBC) Cast: Emilio Rivera, Taylor Nichols 2:00, 11:45 pm Barbie Rock N Royals (Animation)(PG) Voice Overs : Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni 2:00, 5:15 pm Hitman – Agent 47 (Action, Crime)(PG12) Cast : Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware 5:45, 9:30, 11:30 pm Southpaw (Action, Drama)(15+) Cast : Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams 3:35, 7:00 pm Phantom (Action, Drama)(HINDI) PG Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif 6:00 pm

12:30 & 9:30 PM Southpaw (Action) (12+) Cast : Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams

MUSCAT GRAND MALL The Transporter Refueled : 2D (Action, Crime, Thriller ) (PG12) Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 3:00, 5:00, 10:00 & 11:55PM Gold Class : 2:15, 9:15 & 11:15PM The Games Maker: 3D (Family) (PG) Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Cavanagh 10:45AM & 3:00PM Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals : 2D (Animation) (PG) Cast : Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni 10:00AM, 11:40AM & 1:15PM Gold Class : 12:30PM Hitman: Agent 47 : 2D (Action, Crime) (PG12) Cast : Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware 1:00PM, 7:00PM & 11:45PM Gold Class : 4:15PM Welcome Back : 2D (Comedy, Crime, Drama) (TBC)

2:00, 5:15 pm Barbie Rock N Royals (Animation)(PG) Voice Overs: Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni

Cast : Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham,Dimple Kapadia 7:00PM Gold Class : 6:15PM Lila & Eve 2D (Drama, Thriller) (12+) Cast : Jennifer Lopez, Shea Whigham 5:15PM Southpaw 2D (Action, Drama, Sport ) (15+) Cast : Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams 12:30PM & 9:30PM Gold Class (Only on Friday) 2:00PM Phantom 2D (Action, Drama, Thriller) (PG) Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif 9:00PM

3:30, 7:15, 9:15, 11:15 PM The Transporter Refueled - 2D (Action/Crime/Thriller) (PG12) Cast : Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol, Ray Stevenson

3:50 PM Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals – 2D (PG) Cast – Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni 12:00, 1:30, 2:15 PM The Games Maker – 3D (PG) Adv, Family Cast - Joseph Fiennes, Tom Cavanagh 12:00, 3:00 PM Dynamite – 2D (PG) Action, Romance Cast - Vishnu Manchu, Pranitha Subhash 5:00 PM Purgatory – 2D (12+)Horror, Mystery Cast - Emilio Rivera, Taylor Nichols 12:45, 6:15 PM Savaale Samaali – 2D (PG) Action, Drama Cast - Ashok Selvan, Bindu Madhavi 7:45 PM Welcome Back – 2D (TBC) Comedy, Crime Cast - Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham,Dimple Kapadia 12:30, 2:00, 7:45, 10:30 PM

AZAIBA The Transporter Refueled - 2D (PG12) Action, Crime, Thriller Cast - Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 3:30, 7:15, 9:15, 11:15 PM Hitman: Agent 47 – 2D (PG12) Action, Crime, Thriller Cast – Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware 5:15, 10:05, 11:55 PM Phantom - 2D (PG) Action, Drama, Thriller Cast - Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif 5:00, 7:40, 9:15, PM Loham – 2D (TBC) Action Cast - Mohanlal, Andrea Jeremiah, Siddique

2.30, 5.30, 8.30, 11.30 PM Welcome Back (Comedy) – TBC Cast: John Abraham, Shruti Hassan, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Paresh Rawal

Cast: Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif 3.00, 7.15, 11.45 PM The Transporter Refueled (Action) - PG12 Cast: Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson 5.30, 10.00 PM Screen 3 Brothers (Drama/ Sports) – 12+ Cast: Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff 3.30, 6.15, 9.00, 11.45 PM SOHAR Hitman: Agent 47 - 2D (PG12) Action, Crime, Cast : Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware 6:45 , 10:00 , 11:45 PM Phantom - 2D (H) (PG) Action, Drama Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif 7:35 PM Loham - 2D (M) (PG) Action Cast : Mohanlal, Andrea Jeremiah, Siddique 5:15, 7:30 PM The Transporter Refueled - 2D (PG12) Action, Crime, Thriller Cast : Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 2:30, 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 PM Welcome Back - 2D (TBC) Comedy, Crime Cast : Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia 4:30 , 08:30 , 11:20 PM The Games Maker - 3D (PG) Adventure

RUWI Screen 1 Welcome Back (Comedy) - TBC Cast: John Abraham, Shruti Hassan, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Paresh Rawal 2.30, 5.30, 8.30, 11.30 PM Screen 2 Phantom (Action) – PG

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

BURAIMI The Transporter Refueled– 2D (Action, Crime, Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson Timings: 4:45, 8:15, 10:00, 11:45PM Hitman: agent 47 – 2D (Action, Crime) (12+) Cast: Rupert Friend, Zachary Quinto Timings: 3:00, 6:30, 9:45PM Barbie Rocks N Royals– 2D (Animation) Cast: Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni Timings: 3:00, 5:45PM Let Us Pray – 2D (Action / Thriller) (18+) Cast: Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson Timings: 4:30, 7:15, 11:30PM Phantom – 2D (Action / Thriller) (PG) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif Timings: 6:10PM WITH LOVE

TEMPERATURE

15:00 15:00 15:00

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 06:30 08:00 13:00 13:00 16.00 16.00

07:00 07:00 13:30 13:00 13:00 13:00 17:00

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

08:50 Daily 11:00 Daily 14:30 Daily via Ibri 15:45 Daily 17:40 Daily 18.35 Daily 20:20 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

36 30

Daily Daily

Fahud Yibal

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

08:40 11:00

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

20:00 20:30 23:30 07:40

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

19:50 13:15 22:30 07:30

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

Daily

08:30 11:30 15:30 18:30 17:35 20:55

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

07:00

Daily

10:50 13:40 16:15 19:10 18:45 21:35

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 07:30 07:30 13:00 13:00 15:30 15:30

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

11.45 13.30 14.00

AVANISH September 3, 2010

K.R.NAKITHRA September 4, 2011

MOHAMMAD AQSA ANJUM September 4, 2008

AVINASH September 3, 2010

RUHIKA C.K. September 4, 2008

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to extra@timesofoman.com

LISTINGS

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

07:00

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 06:00 06:00 13:00 13:00 15:00 15:00

Ruwi Ruwi

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

06:00 14:30

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100) Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

JESSICA SANTOSH September 3, 2010

0

Daily Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100) 07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

WITH LOVE

Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62) 06:30 06:30

Loham (Mal) ( Act ) Cast: Mohanlal, Andrea & Renji panikkar 3-30 & 10-00 Pm At Cinema Main; 6-30 Pm At Cinema-2 Thani Oruvan (Tamil) ( Act\Drama ) Cast: Jayam Ravi, Nayanthara & Arvind Swami 6-30 Pm Cinema Main; 3-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema-2 Savaale Samaali (Tamil) (Rom/Act) Cast Ashok Selvan & Bindu Madhvi 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema-3 Madura Naranga ( Mal ) ( Drama\Com ) Cast: Kunchako Boban, Biju Menon 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema - 4 Paayam Puli (Tamil) (Rom/Drama) From Friday Cast: Vishal & Kajal Agarwal 3-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema-2; 6-30Pm Cinema Main Dynamite (Telugu) (Act) From Friday Cast: Manchu Vishnu, pranitha & Achu 3-00Pm At Cinema Main; 6-30 Cinema-2 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema-4 Next Change: Double Barrel (Mal) Programmes are subject to change

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) Sur Sur

Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om

Minimum

ROYAL OMAN POLICE 07:30 14:30

STAR CINEMA

40-90%

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54) 08:00 08:00

08:55 Daily 11:40 Daily 20:20 Daily via Ibri 14:55 Daily 17:40 Daily 19:20 Daily 22:15 Daily

No Escape (Action/ Thriller ) Cast: Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson 2.00 p.m. & 6.00 p.m.

CP No: 2278 ( 12+ ) Transporter Refueled (Action/Thriller/Crime) Cast: Ed skrein, Ray Stevenson, Gabriella Wright 4.00 p.m., 8.00 p.m., 10.00 p.m. & 11.55 p.m.

CP No: 2280 ( PG 12) Purgatory (Dramma/ Horror) Cast: Oona Chaplin, Sergi Mendes, Ana Fernades 10.00 p.m. & 11.55 p.m.

CP No: 2283 ( 12+ ) Lila & Eve ( Dramma / Thriller ) Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Shea Whigham, Viola Davis 4.00 p.m. & 8.00 p.m.

CP No: 2284 ( 12+ ) Barbie Rock N Royals: ( Animation) Voice Overs: Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni, Bethani Brown 2.00 p.m. & 6.00 p.m.

CP No: 2277 ( PG )

0

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 20:50

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54) 14:30 14:30

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

Film information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

16:30 18:00 19:30

BAHJA CINEMA

WEATHER

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36) Quriyat Sur Jaalan

SALALAH Hitman Agent 47 (2D) (PG12) (Action) 10:05AM/12:15/11:55PM The Transporter Refueled (2D) (Action) Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 10:45AM/1:15/7:15/9:30/11:45 PM (PG12) Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals (2D) (PG) (Animation) Cast: Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni Timings: 10:15/11:45AM/04:00PM Welcome Back (2D) (TBC) (Comedy/Crime/) Cast: Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia 4:00/9:00/11:15PM No Escape (2D) (12+) (Action/Thriller) Cast: Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson 12:30/3:00/7:40 PM Purgatory (2D) (12+) (Horror/Mystery) Cast: Emilio Rivera, Taylor Nichols Timings: 02:30/5:45PM Phantom (2D) (PG) (Hindi) (Action/Drama) 6:45PM The Games Maker (3D) (PG) (Adventure/) Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Cavanagh, Megan Charpentier 10:15AM/2:00PM Dynamite (2D) (PG) (Telugu) (Action) Cast: Vishnu Manchu, Pranitha Subhash, J. D. Chakravarthy, 5:00PM

Cast : Joseph Fiennes, Tom Cavanagh 2:45 , 04:45 PM Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals - 2D (PG) Cast : Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni 2:00, 3:40 PM Purgatory - 2D (12+) Horror, Mystery Cast : Emilio Rivera, Taylor Nichols 2:00, 10:20, 11:55 PM A Walk in the Woods - 2D (15+) Adventure Cast: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte 3:30, 5:30 PM

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) Destination

12.11pm 3.39pm 6.29pm 7.41pm 4.32am

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

@MGM

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

Afghanistan Algeria Bahrain Bangladesh Brazil Brunei China Cyprus Egypt France Germany India Indonesia Iran Iraq Italy Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya South Korea Kuwait

24698 791/4 24605 593 24 605 074/133 24 698 660 24640100 24 603533 24 696782 24 699815 24 600 982/411 24681 800 24835000 24684500 2469 1050 24 696 944/7 24603642 24693727 24 601 028 24692760/1/3 24 692418 24 697664 24 691490 24 699628

Lebanon Libya Malaysia Morocco Nepal Netherlands Pakistan Palestine Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Senegal Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Switzerland Syria Tanzania Thailand Tunisia Turkey UAE United Kingdom United States Yemen

24 693208 24603466 24698329/643 24696152/3 24696177 24603706 24603439 24601312 24605335 24 691 153/2/4 24602894 24601705 24694139 24697977 24647300 24691101 24697841/2 24697875 24603267 24697904 24601 174 24 602684/5 24603486 24697050/1/2 24400000 24609000 24643400 24600815

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi Salalah Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya Muscat, A Seeb Market Muscat, Al Khuwair Muscat, Al Hail South Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

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

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

C11

LIFESTYLE

KHASAB CASTLE An Edifice Not to Miss Standing majestically in the middle of the town is the Khasab Castle in the Governorate of Musandam. Having a strong presence for more than four centuries, the present structure was built on the ruins of the old castle.

GHAWI BAZAAR

BUY LOCAL: DISHDASHA The predominantly white, full-length garment worn

by Omani men is known as Dishdasha or Kandoura.

The robe is a symbol of national identity and one’s own individuality. The garment can be made in other colours too. People opt to wear white during summer while darker colours are preferred in winter.

lifestyle@timesofoman.com

WHAT

A

ccording to the brochure distributed at the castle, “The Portuguese constructed the present fortress at the beginning of the 17th Century with an ambitious plan for dominion over the Strait of Hormuz. However, their hopes were dashed when, in 1624, they failed to capture Hormuz. A quarter of a century later, the Portuguese were expelled from Oman and the castle was modified to suit their own military needs.”

It goes on to add that the castle, which housed the wali and his family in recent centuries, and which once held prisoners, has been restored and transformed into a regional museum.

The castle’s gigantic middle tower has been renovated to become a museum for displaying various handicrafts and archaeological collections in Musandam Governorate. Also renovated are the housing facilities in the castle, which were converted into a furnished home containing the entire furniture of the castle, including an exhibition of traditional clothes and ornaments.

The castle’s gigantic middle tower has been renovated to become a museum for displaying various handicrafts and archaeological collections in Musandam Governorate

HOW MUCH The average cost for tailoring a dishdasha is about OMR20. Though cotton is the preferred fabric, many innovations are happening in the dishdasha manufacturing sector. For example, Al Obaidani Stores, the pioneers in dishdasha making in Oman, has introduced a unique product known as ‘wrinkle-free dishdasha’.

WHERE

A model of Bayt AlQefel (the lock house) is built in the castle’s courtyard, with exhibits of the boat types this governorate is famous for, along with a model of the Al-Arish suspended house. A well has been dug that demonstrates the method of drawing water from it, in addition to a traditional oven and hand mill (a hand mill is a grinder made of rock or solid stone in the form of two circular grindstones, the top one of which revolves on the lower. A hole in the centre of the stones was where a metal peg was inserted for turning the mill by hand).

The castle’s courtyard stations boats and houses representative of the distinctive heritage of Musandam.

The museum which is part of the central tower of the castle, exhibits in-depth information on rock art, geology, wildlife, architecture and other aspects of Musandam culture. Documentary film footage and a treasury of artefacts accompany the exhibits.

Of particular interest is a fantastic collection of antique jirz, the small, long-handled axe that has become a central symbol in the heritage of Musandam.

Timings: 9:00am to 4:00pm from Saturday to Thursday. On Friday it is 8:00am to 11:00am.

Readymade dishdashas are available in souqs and popular garments shops across the Sultanate. However, many people prefer custom-tailored garments from seasoned tailors. Check out latest collections at Al Obaidani Stores at: dev.ingwebtech.com Have a favourite Omani product or shop?

Tell us about it: ameerudheen@timesofoman.com

PHOTOS: MRUDU NAIK (KHASAB CASTLE), SHABIN E (DISHDASHA)

Omani dishdasha has a long slit opening at the centre of the chest. A long tassle known as Fareeka hangs down from the neckline, while a specific pattern of embroidery adorns the wrists, neckline, and the shoulder blades. Bisht is the most popular accessory that complements the robe. Made of camel hair or wool, the cloak is often embroidered and quilted with golden threads. It is worn over the garment during weddings and reception parties.

Misbah, which consists of 33 beads made of amber, rare jewels or other materials of different colours, is another common accessory.

C1 2

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

LIFESTYLE

POPULAR ARAB FILMS THE CALL OF THE NIGHTINGALE (DOA AL-KARAWAN) HENRY BARAKAT, 1960 The film, based on a novel by the great Taha Hussein, tells the story of the heroine, a peasant girl, who decides to take revenge on a handsome engineer who seduced her sister and caused her ‘honour’ killing by her uncle. Though she becomes his live-in maid to take the revenge, she finds herself falling in love with him. The role was played by young Faten Hamama who went on to become a super star in the Arab film industry.

THE MUMMY (AL-MUMMIA) SHADI ABDEL SALAM, 1969

12 ANGRY LEBANESE ZEINA DACCACHE, 2009

Touted as the most successful full-length feature film by Shadi Abdel Salam, The Mummy is set in Egypt at the end of the 19th century. It tells the story of a peasant family living off the illegal trade in pharaonic treasures. The overall theme of the movie is the clash between ancient and modern Egypt and the importance of preserving Pharaonic culture. Abdel Salam, also a great costume and set designer, based everything on meticulous research and its aesthetic rigour was never rivalled in Egyptian cinema.

Zeina Daccache’s film is an attempt to reform the country’s criminal and penal laws and improve prison living conditions. With the movie, Daccache also was able to extend her drama-therapy work to prisons across Lebanon. The deeply moving film is full of humanity as it describes the process of lifting men from states of despair into a renewed desire to live and build a different future.

FERTILE MEMORY (AL DHAKIRA AL KHASBA) MICHEL KHLEIFI, 1980 Considered as the finest Arab film-maker of his generation, Palestinian Michel Khleifi tells the story of two women in Fertile Memory. One is a young Palestinian novelist, a divorcée, living with her daughters in the Occupied Territories, while the other is Khleifi’s illiterate aunt, who lost her husband just after the 1948 war. This is the first feminist Arab film that won critical acclaim because of its political engagement.

THE NIGHT (AL-LAIL) MOHAMMAD MALAS, 1993 This Syrian film is about the director’s home town of Quneitra, which remains in the ruins after Israelis devastated it in the 1967 war. The movie tells the story of three generations. It begins with the Syrian fight for independence against the French in the 1930s, moves through the 1948 war with Israel, and into recent times. A highly acclaimed director, Mohammed Malas’ film is influenced by Tarkovsky in the use of long, contemplative dream and memory sequences.

D

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

SECTION

CONNEC T H E D A I LY G U I D E

RENT

D2

VACANCY

D4

CARGO

D7

D2

T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

Twin villa for rent in Bowshar, near Muscat Private Hospital.

Contact 92760281

Brand new 2 BHK flat for rent in Wadi Hatat, No7, Opp. Khalid bin Waleed Mosque. Contact: 99353899

1 BHK with split A/C in Darsait, opp. Muscat Municipality.

Contact : 96708000

Brand new 2 bedroom flat for rent in Mabela. Contact 92460281

Available furnished meeting hall for seminars on a hourly, daily, monthly, yearly basis. please contact 93203773 : Email: mbdeast@gmail.com

3BR villa, sitting, dining & hall, Azaiba behind Al Meera H- Market.

Contact: 99259977 / 95033008

We have small building for rent in Bowshar commercial building can be used as staff accommodation or store. # 93782735 / 99208033 We have 2BHK in Ghubra 18th November Street near sea 2 rooms sitting, hall, Kitchen & 3 bathrooms.

Contact : 93782735 / 99208033 We have flats, offices, shops, warehouse, basement for rent in Ghubra, Al Khuwair, Ghala, Azaiba, Maibela.

Contact : 93329476 / 99208033 We have offices for rent in Ghala brand new building.

Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 Two shops in Muttrah Souq, for rent more details pleas.

Contact: 91214849 / 95729711 600 SQT commercial flat for rent, opposite Oman flour mill Darsait. For more details please Contact: 91214849 / 95729711 One bedroom apartment at Al Hail South. Contact: 99336255 2 bedrooms at Darsait Behind Indian School. Contact: 99336255 Shop / flat 2 bedroom 1sitting room for rent at Al Hamriya main road.

Contact: 97236696 Flat for rent at WK near Jabir Bin Zeid mosque monthly rent R.O 250/- , 12 chq payable on 1st. of every month. Contact: Abdulla 99445880/98292846 Morgan 1 Bedroom attached, toilet & kitchen in AL Khuwair R.O 140/-.

Contact: 95154331

Shop/ comm./ Resi building 1&2 bed flat available in Wadi Kabir (near Lulu) one bedroom flats 200/- Wadi Kabir & Misfa land for rent 1000 SQM Al Khuwair 6 bedroom villa 900/- . Contact: 99451168 3BHK Flats & 6BHK Villa in Azaibah.

Contact : 96775026 2 bedroom fully furnished luxury flat for rent at Ghala for short or long term basis. Contact: 91786526 / 99881653 Luxury fully furnished 2 bedrooms flat at Al Khuwair & luxury fully furnished 5 bedroom villas at Madinat Al Ilam. For short or long term lease contract. Contact Atlas Real Estate & Rent a Car LLC. Contact : 93201688 / 92888376 Tel: 24833848 / 24834888

Fully furnished 3 BHK accommodation with all spacious rooms in a villa at Darsait near ISD. Contact: 9526 5289 / 9604 8422 250 sq mtrs restaurant for rent in Plaza Hotel, Walja Ruwi.

Contact 99326339 2 & 3 BHK flat in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new flat available at Mabela in front of Modern English School Contact: 96239126

Furnished room for rent at Al Khuwair R.O 225/- for family only.

Contact: 99251975

We have 3BHK fully furnished villa in Ghubra 18th November near Automatic Restaurant.

Contact: 93782735/ 99208033

1BHK, Darsait, walking distance to ISM , neat and clean building, ground floor, OMR 260/- per month rent Call IQRAR on 99076557

2 BHK Flats for rent Muttrah near Oman house. Contact: 97007934 / 92629232

2BHK with split A/C in MSQ Opp. Al Fair. Contact : 96708000

1, 2, 3 BHK flat in Qurum.

Contact 99792181

2+3 BHK Qurum. Contact: 99024730

3 & 4 BHK Villa in Al khuwair.

Contact 99792181

Studio flat Al Khuwair.

Contact : 99024730

3 BHK flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99792181

1+2 BHK Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99024730

New 1 & 2 BHK in Ruwi, total 15 flats.

Contact 99792181

Various rooms for rent in Al Khuwair near Ibis Hotel.

Contact : 95124975

3Bedrooms Flat in Al Hail 92817777

4bedrooms villa with 2 halls, 4 bathrooms in Darsait behind Khimijis Mart. Contact: 92584715 / 24700120

New 1 & 2 BHK flat in Ghubra.

Contact 99792181

For rent office & flat Ruwi- CBD. Contact: 92820734/ 95345909

Industrial shed / warehouse for immediate lease in Rusayl industrial estate. Contact : 24792173 Email: abcon@omantel.net.om

3 BHK, 3 bathrooms 2 balconies, nr. Al Hassan , W/Kabir R.O 325/-.

Contact: 99384640

One BHK Wadi Kabeer near Sana RO 190/-. Contact: 95094028

Spacious 2BHK in MBD. Contact : 99713489

3 Bedroom flat at Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99447257/97014234

Basement in MBD. Contact: 99713489

2bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 kitchen opp. Star Cinema.

Contact: 92926199

2+ 6 BHR villa Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99024730

1BHK Al Falaj. Contact: 97799175 / 92144045

Bobcat Grader and roller for rent.

Contact: 94584688

1+2 BHK Ruwi, Darsait.

Contact : 99024730

1BHK flats available for rent in CBD area. Contact: 98116480

1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-.

Contact: 97799175

Pent house for rent 1 sitting, 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, 1 kitchen RO 225/-, location Al Khuwair, near DHL Courier. Contact 95620900 / 92976722

Room with A.C Al Khuwair R.O 120/. Contact: 97799175 1000 sq mtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse etc.

Contact: 24700120 / 92584715 We have 2BHK fully furnished in Bareeq Al Shatti Qurum near Opera House. Contact : 93782735 / 99208033 3BHK well maintained flat (villa type) G. floor split A/C separate entrance, parking, and compound available in Al Khuwair behind Sagar Polyclinic Way no. 3922, Block 239, Villa No. 1839. Contact: 99253125 House for rent in Sidab 8 rooms, 6 toilets RO 550/-.

Contact: 96606679 / 99856551 Flat for rent near Al Nahdha Hospital in Hamriya. Contact: 97380548 / 99680499 2 rooms, 2 toilets, kitchen in Al Ansab. Contact 94229023

Brand new flat 2 bedrooms with 1 Majlis, 3 bathrooms, kitchen in South Ghubra behind Oman oil RO 350/-. Contact 95367767 Flats in Al Khuwair 33 & Wadi Al Kabir. Contact: 92800007 4 bedroom villa with 3 maid room, big compound & parking area. Ideal for kindergarten or expat tenants residency. Contact:24566217 / 24564686 Office & retail space available Alasfoor Plaza, Qurum.

Contact: 24566217 / 24564686 For rent if require flats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send me messages through Whatsapp.

Contact: 99376454 1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco. OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has Electricity and boundary wall.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 1 & two bedroom flats available for rent in wadi-kabir (opp: pencil bldg), ideal for company staff / families bulk corporate deal possible.

Contact 97677170 Bath attached room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569 3 Bedroom flat with 3 attached toilets, split A/C, brand new available, behind Kims Hospital.

Contact 95225662 4 bedrooms villa with 2 halls, 4 bathrooms in Darsait behind Khimjis mart. Contact: 24700120 / 92584715

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

D3

DAILY GUIDE

FOR RENT

GOOD NEWS Ayuredic massage backache, joint pain, neck pain etc.

Contact 98254909 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

AVAILABLE

MATRIMONIAL

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. ww.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

Indian Muslim male 40 years seek suitable alliance. Contact: 93781101 A 28yrs Keralite Muslim good looking boy working in Oman from a decent family, looking for alliance from similar background. # 99230928 Ezhava Lady, Divorcee, 37, 5.3”, Pharmacist in Muscat. suryakv2010@gmail.com, +91 9961176066

WANTED Villa for rent in Walaja Honda road. Contact: 91218273 Villa for rent in Al Khuwair 33, 8 bedrooms & 5 bathrooms with parking area near Taimur Mosque.

Contact: 99366624

Indian coca requirement with experience. Contact: 99209264

FOR SALE We have complete office furniture for sale very nice & affordable price .

Contact : 93782735 / 99208033

ACC. AVAILABLE Fully furnished room with attached bath and sharing kitchen, living & dining with all other facilities in Ghala - RO-160/- Contact 99763306

Indian male 40 yrs Christian, working in Muscat, .looking for life partner, divorced or single.

Contact: 96059801

UNIVERSAL SCRAP BUYERS AT AMAZING PRICES Convert ANY type of Scrap into Money by selling us the scrap Great prices are guaranteed for our clients!

Call this number now for urgent response -

96059470 *Kindly note that the scrap should be 50 tons onwards

Flat and show room for rent Al Khuwair 33, Al Ghubrah, Darsait and Jibroo. Contact: 24485240 / 24485241 / 93651633 / 92109563

Beauty salon in Ghubrah for sale Contact: 94689448 Sales tyre shop. Contact 97964518

Single room, bath Darsait R.O 140/-.

Contact: 93289652

Room for rent. Contact Farahat 98020768, Hilal: 96541263

Small medium Business in Darsait with furniture rent 260/- P/M for sale. Contact: 91391353

Room with attached bath available at Al Khuwair for working couples or ladies. Contact: 96001490

CLASSY, CREATIVE AND AFFORDABLE INTERIOR DESIGN 'Ğƚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵŝnjĞĚ͕ &ŝƫŶŐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ŝŶƚĞƌŝŽƌ ĚĞƐŝŐŶƐ ŵĂĚĞ ĨƌŽŵ ƐĐƌĂƚĐŚ͘ Our professionals give YOU: ͻ ƵƚŽ ĂĚ >ĂLJŽƵƚ ͻ D W ƌĂǁŝŶŐƐ ͻ Ϯ ĂŶĚ ϯ ĚƌĂǁŝŶŐ ͻ /ŶŶŽǀĂƟǀĞ ŽŶĐĞƉƚ ĞƐŝŐŶ Hurry now and call this number

Godrej diesel 3.0 ton forklift for sale, model 2014 in immaculate condition.

Serious buyers – pl contact +968 9321 8310 / 93223382.

Fully furnished sharing Executive bachelor at Wadi Kabir. #99325387

ĨŽƌ ĂŶ ĞdžĐůƵƐŝǀĞ ůŝŵŝƚĞĚͲƟŵĞ ŽīĞƌ ĚŝƐĐŽƵŶƚ͊​͊​͊

Room with toilet in Bowshar.

Contact: 96961306

House in Muscat, near Muscat temple. Contact : 97711551 Flat for rent penthouse Al Amerat Al Mahaj. Contact: 92738298 2BHK & 1BHK flats available in Darsait. Contact : 99357586 / 97500025 2 BHK pent-house having very spacious balcony with sea & city view RO 325 and 1BHK RO 240, adjacent to Indian Nursery Darsait.

Contact : 99476728 / 98484415 4 BHK single villa in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 97616158 I BHK Flat -4 Nos at Hamriya – R.O. 200/- . 2 BHK - 2 Nos / 1 BHK- 2 Nos, at Wattayya R/A near the mosquefor Families. Contact 96457757 9 am to 7 Pm. House for rent in Sidab at reasonable rent. Contact:: 95555162 / 95755953 Flat for rent with AC in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 95555162 /95755953 Fabulous AC flat at Al Khoud 3 bedrooms, hall and kitchen RO 270/for rent. Contact: 99334699 Brand new villa Bosher 37, 4 BHK. Contact: 91936034

Single bedroom flat at Ruwi, Al Falaj area. Contact: 95698714

Seeking alliance for our son from Muslim families. Interested families Contact: 99889590

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

91494149

Aluminium workshop at Wadi Kabir with all machineries and 3 skilled workers. Contact: 99536206 / 99605915 Restaurant For Sale: Excellent Location at Al Rustaq on Main Highway. Next to Qaboos Mosque and High Court Complex.

Contact # 99227861.

Wall papers, grass carpets sale & fixing. Contact: 99834373 / 96642500 Shop for sale in Ruwi High street, Contact 96078411 400 sq mtrs Commercial/Residential land in Maabela Phase 5 Block 2.

OMR 140 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Used Fabrication machinery for sale : Fabrication machinery and tools in excellent condition for immediate sale. Contact 94652485/ 99273774/ 99202278

Separate room with A/c, Small Fridge and Bed, for non-cooking Asian bachelor, behind Shell filling station, Ghoubra round about.

Contact: 94263390

EŽ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ ƐĐƌƵƟŶŝnjĞ ƐƚĂī ĂŵŽŶŐ ƚŚŽƵƐĂŶĚƐ͍ EĞĞĚ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ƐƚĂī Ăƚ ĂŶ ĂƌƌĂŶŐĞŵĞŶƚ͍ tĞ ĂƌĞ Ă ŵĂŶƉŽǁĞƌ ĂŐĞŶĐLJ ǁŚŽ ŚĞĂĚͲŚƵŶƚ ƚŚĞ ƐƚĂī ĨƌŽŵ ĂŶLJ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ͊ tĞ ƐĐƌĞĞŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ ƐĞǀĞƌĂůůLJ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ LJŽƵ ŐĞƚ ŽŶůLJ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ŝƐĐŽǀĞƌ ǁŚLJ ƚŽƉ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞƌƐ ƉƌĞĨĞƌ ƵƐ ĨŽƌ ƐƚĂĸŶŐ͊

Hurry and call this number now!

95967902

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE

Furnished room for rent at Al Khuwair RO 225/- for family only.

Contact 99251975 Fully furnished 1BHK with all household items in Darsait near Lulu on monthly Basis. #99378397/99493500 Sharing accommodation in CBD area for non cooking Executive bachelors, wifi free, advance deposit.

Contact 91852710

HONDA CR-V 2008, purchased 2009, 4WD, Full option, No.1 model, Cruise control, leather seats, Sun roof, 1,23,000KMS, OMR 5000/-, expat leaving, for sale at SOHAR, Contact Samuel 99108311

Sharing accommodation available for working lady or couples near Ruwi Church. Contact: 92837206

Prado ,2012. Contact : 99336093 Furnished room for Indian Bachelor in Al Falaj area (Ruwi) & Lady in Wadi Kabir (near Al Maya).

Contact 96761960 Room attached toilet and kitchen near Indian School Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 95345537

Required investors for different projects. Contact: 99674870 New company seek partnership.

Contact: 96996938 General Investors. Gsm-99674870

ACC. AVAILABLE LOST Fully furnished room for a decent expatriate. independent kitchen, bathroom in Wadi Adai.

Contact 96243086 at 5p.m.

AFFORDABLE QUALIFIED STAFF AVAILABLE:

Hossain Mustak has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. AA 3741669.

Finder please handover to ROP.

Shahnaz Shahen Shah Mirza has lost Indian Passport No. G 2696868.

Finder please handover to ROP

2000 model man prime mover excellent condition.

Contact: 99316151 Sportage, 2013. Contact 99336093 Land Cruiser 2012.

Contact 99336093

SELL/BUY Looking for purchase of a residential building with minimum 25 unoccupied flats in Ghala, Bousher, Azaiba, Ghubrah.

Contact: 99261522

Used furniture & Electronic items, office & house. Contact: 99834373 /96642500

FOR EXPATS From owner plot of land near Zanzibar, airport price RO 15000.

Contact 99348943

D4

T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Operation Manager with accounts back ground, B.com, Indian, 20 years experience, presently working in a transport company, holding oman license seeks suitable placement. contact.95254864 Part Time Accounting, Accounts Finalization, Audit Preparation, Internal Audit, Monthly Profitability Reports, Onsite Tally Training, Contact : 96975454, Email :ibfc.gcc@gmail.com Part time Accounting qualified & experienced Accountant.

Contact: 93858725 Jordanian Accountant (ACPA) with more than 15 yrs experience in Oman (Accounts, Purchase & finance.

Contact: 92881223 Email: kamal_sarhan@yahoo.com Indian male MBA finance & pursuing CMA having 2.6 years experience in Auditing & accounts field looking for a job in Muscat.

Contact 92640613, Email: shabeersha797@gmail.com 13 years exp (7.5 years Gulf exp) B.Com Graduate, looking for Accountant job, GSM No:-92957064 , NOC Available.

SITUATION WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

B.Com, CA Inter (Indian) with 5 years experience (2 years GCC) in Accounts & Audit field. Contact: 95584531/ razikthumbe@gmail.com

ACCOUNTANT

ENGINEER

Urgently required Accountant Gulf experience to handle accounts up to finalization. Contact : 99658756

Require experienced Electricians for immediate appointment in Dubai.

Applicants must be able to work independently. Contact: 99869002, Email: fwi2009@outlook.com

Urgently required Junior Accountant. Please send CV: hr.azatllc@gmail.com

BEAUTY Required Beautician for a beauty salon in Muscat (visa available).

Contact: 97605308 Required experienced Hairdressers / full beauticians with exp in Ghubrah. Contact:97964519 / 94241385

DRAFTSMAN K.Design LLC requires “2d & 3d Draftsman” with minimum 3 yrs experience. Send CV to k.designoman@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELPER Required a House Maid preferably Muslim for a very reputed Omani Family in Muscat. Should be able to speak in Hindi / Arabic.

Contact 95216563

DRIVER Need Heavy Drivers with valid GCC D/L.Contact.92252507 Email:- hamood@omankmtc.com Heavy Duty Driver with license & NOC. Contact: 95959494 or E-mail: jobdsint@gmail.com REQUIRED URGENTLY Heavy Driver & Light Driver, Omani National. Contact -99752720.

Email : cvoman5@gmail.com, Fax : 24703313 Looking for an experienced house driver for an Omani family. Interested candidates may #96203333 Light vehicle driver.

Contact: 99347515 Experienced Driver with car or without car. Visa available.

GSM 942 888 63 / 9905 3844 Driver heavy duty required urgently for trailer. Oman / GCC experience must. Those ready for immediate joining. Contact: 99310859

ENGINEER Leading construction company requires two Civil Engineer with minimum 5 years site experience in gulf. require gulf license and NOC. Send your CV to degree.engineer2015@gmail.com A Mechanical Engineer with salesmanship experience of 5 years & above preferable with Oman drivers license and NOC. Please forward your CV to almaadhi.trd@gmail.com

MEP Engineer on urgent basis required for immediate placement.

Please contact tgi17@omantel.net.om

EDUCATION

MBA finance having 5+ years experience in accountant with UAE D/L & NOC available.

Contact : 96970930 Email: tahirabbas85@hotmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Sales man / interior designer wanted for prestigious interior design and office furniture Supply Company. Experience and drivers license needed.

Excellent remuneration package.

Email: tony@materials-plus.com

Egyptian language school Muscat requires 2 English Teachers (bachelor degree in education) + 5 years experience with IELTS or Toifel) applications with supporting documents to be sent by mail to egymuscat@yahoo.com or fax 24697047

Required Salesman in Salalah very good commission.

Contact 92760281

Urgently required experienced Teachers for Mathematics and Science (physics) for a reputed bilingual School in Al Ansab. Send CV to Email – aleithar@hotmail.com or Contact - 24585343

Sales Executive Industrial products : 2-3 yrs of exp. with good communication & computer skills. D/L is must. Send resume to salescvv@hotmail.com

Post Graduate researcher required.

Contact 99229700

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ED

IT Business Development Manager/ Business Manager for Software Business. Gulf experience preferred. hamoudj@yahoo.com Required Marketing Manager for educational programs.

Contact: 99674870

MEDICAL Vacancy for lady Doctor on morning shift for clinic at Ghala with OR Without MOH. Contact: 97746296 Medical CARE Centre, Multi Specialty Clinic, Seeb, requires General Practioner, Medical Lab Technician & Pharmacist. Send CV at Email : sarita_h23@yahoo.com or call 97884856

MISCELLANEOUS Looking for project Managers, Site Engineers & Office Secretary for a construction company Email Id: rgeorge@omantd.com Established real estate company looking for male or female property agents for leasing and sales of the property. Applicant must be Graduate, possess Omani or GCC driving license. Having oman market experience. Apply with NOC. Attractive salary +commission. Send your CV: property@ labdmarkmuscat.com Required Indian or Pakistani calligrapher & Painter (staff accommodation) Contact# 24480487/24483493

Looking for Outdoor Salesman for heavy equipment spare parts.

Contact - 93292015, Email: mail.om@gulfcenter.co

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

35 yrs male, MBA Finance with 5 years GCC Accounts & Admin experience. VDL.NOC available, looking for suitable placement.

Contact:96763275 Indian male having 5 years of experience in Oman as accountant cum office administrator with Omani driving license looking for a new placement. Contact: 94173818, email: nibinkjames@gmail.com Fresher looking for a career opportunity B.Com good physique, quick learner English speaking.

Contact: 93368464 Indian CA 10yrs of Oman experience in treasury, financial reporting, consolidation, ERP implementation in Trading, construction, Oil & Gas sectors. NOC available.

Email: caramdas.s5@gmail.com GSM: 91310237 Male 29 yrs, 5+ experience, 4 yrs in HME (Office Assistant) 1 yr experience in accounts & marketing seeking for suitable position.

Contact: 00968 96505486 Pakistani Qualification M.Com (finance) experience 2 years as Internal Auditor, 3 years as Finance Manager.

Contact: 00968- 91490367 Part time Accountant, up to finalization, looking for job after 5pm (location prefer - MSQ to Al Hail).

Contact: 95694737

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

Indian female M.A Economics with diploma in Indian 8 foreign accounting having 1 year experience in Oman seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 95714285 Accountant 4 yrs experience looking for job. Contact 96182302 Email: rishad.sainudheen@gmail.com Accountant 36 yrs Indian male 10 yrs UAE experience in Accounts, Insurance currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 96334958 / 95217432 Indian male, 30 years, CMA (Inter), M.Com 8 years experience in Accounting, Auditing with NOC& valid Oman D/L. Contact: 96746420 Email: sijuthampi@ymail.com Accountant with more than 6 years experience in SAOG company looking for middle management position.

Strong English/Arabic correspondence. Valid DL. NOC available.

Contact 91116924 Indian female B.Tech (EEE) MBA finance with 1and half years experience as Bank Officer in India seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 91358676 / 98157895 Email: sujivu88@gmail.com Indian male B.Com Graduate 24 years looking for suitable placement. Contact: 97219505 25 years male BBA (Hons) CFAC ACCA having 3 years experience as top management operations, Accounts seeking suitable placement. Contact : 92829595 Email: saqib4u1@hotmail.com Young, energetic 24 yrs, ACCA finalist, Advanced diploma in Accounting and business, seeking suitable placement in accounts, finance or audit.

Contact: 92430152 Email: rau_dey@yahoo.com Indian CA with 15 yrs exp. working as Head of Finance for US MNC. NOC Available - 94047434 Urgent: Accountant Indian female 6+ years experience degree B.com (AC) MBA middle level carrier skill cum tally 9 balance sheet auditing payroll profit & loosest visit visa.

Contact: 91551164/91175456 Email: mk.jothipriya@gmail.com A Sri Lankan lady chartered accountant with five years experience (including article ship), on family visa in Oman looking for a suitable job. Contact: 91259845 Email: amashermila@gmail.com Indian 23 years B.B.M diploma in computer accounting tally 9 excel 3 years (India) 1 year Oman as accountant, stores sales accounts, local visa NOC available.

Contact: 92579311 Indian 24 years MBA finance 2 years experience seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98222753 Email - shemeejup@gmail.com

12 yrs of Oman experienced Chief Accountant looking for immediate placement. Contact 99513082 Email: devan801@gmail.com

DRIVER Looking for driving job driving experience more than 3 years.

Contact: 97459022 Driving job. Contact: 99109458

Accounts finance Indian male 35 yrs B.Com, M.B.A tally exp 9.7 yrs exp 1.5 yr Oman family visa N.O.C available. Contact : 93257426.

Email: sibigeorgep@gmail.com Accountant with more than 30 years experience in both financial and cost accounting seek part time assignment in Muscat or Sohar.

Contact 98598099

ART DIRECTOR Art director / creative director/ 8 years experience with Omani license, NOC. Contact : 95136862 Email: aunmoeid@gmail.com`

ADMIN Indian female 24 years BE Electronics now in Oman visiting visa searching job for any administrative sectors telecommunicating banking teaching.

Contact: 95935867 / 99536948 Email: anjujose011@gmial.com Filipina, 10 yrs experience in Fashion Retail, Shipment, Logistics, Inventory, Warehouse Control and Store Management is seeking employment. Call +971565833126 or 97728418.

Indian male MBA 33 yrs having 10 yrs exp seeking suitable placement in Administration / HR/ Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics etc. Holding valid D/L. Contact - 99054786 Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR. joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437 Indian Female MBA, 3 Year Experience in Admin MIS , Family Visa. Contact 98234427, jkjsmith01@gmail.com

Light duty driver 5 years exp in Oman. Contact: 92602182 Looking for job driver with car.

Contact 96493236 L.T.D driver exp, 5 years know Hindi, English, Arabic, and Education B.A. Contact 98522914 Pakistani driver, 5 years ex seeks placement. Contact: 97429442 Driver available 24, HRS, car without car. Contact: 98522914 Pakistani diploma civil (Eng) 24 year 1.5 years experience in Pak) 2 years in (Oman). Contact: 97138320 Looking job LTV D with car.

Contact: 94436276 / 97433432 Driver looking for job, 20 years experience. Contact: 94795033 Light driving with 6 years experience in Oman. Contact: 94001751 Light vehicle Driver 5 years of experience, with Oman driving license looking for a job. Contact 97319805 / 92171166 Indian light duty driver.

Contact 94269229 Light Driver. Contact 95779594, Ruwi H.T. V Driver, Pakistani experience, 6 yrs, seeks work in company only.

Contact 93985087 Light duty driver, 8 yrs exp.

Contact: 96736744 Sri Lankan driver. Contact 97387112

DOMESTIC HELPER INDIAN(Male) MBA with 5+ years of experience in HR and ADMIN. Looking for suitable position.

96395254, shm1691@gmail.com 14 years of gulf experience in HR / Admin & logistics fluent in Arabic / English with D/L looking for suitable position. Contact: 95824598

House maid looking for job.

Contact: 99879576

DRAFTSMAN Indian Civil Draftsman looking suitable placement 5 yrs experience (Gulf). Contact: 98064097

Indian, 16 yrs Oman experience in Admin / Office management and have D/L. Also have accounting knowledge. Contact: 99573353

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

32 years male, 11 years experience in indoor sales graphic designing, administration events looking for job. Contact: 98392508

Mechanical Engineer 22 yrs Indian male currently on permanent visa and valid Omani driving license seeking for suitable job.

Contact : 91652927 / 99680181 Email: fawariz.09@gmail.com

Purchase, Admin, Indian male, 15 yrs Gulf experience.

Contact95435370

DRIVER Driver with car. Contact : 91452930 Wanted driver. Contact 95112461 Driver job wanted.

Contact: 99343782 Car with driver or without cat specially Companies.

Contact 97943750 / 97408900

HSE Engineer, NEBOSH IGC and IOSH certified with 2 years industry and Oil & Gas experience looking for urgent placement.

Contact 91476537.

Indian diploma Civil Eng, 2 yrs exp. Infrastructures project (4G – Towers, substation) landscaping & Auto CAD. Contact: 94756183 Email: indianexpat1@gmail.com B.Tech Electrical & Electronics with 1 year experience seeking for suitable job. Contact: 91 9497883413 Email: rakesh1.mohan@gmail.com

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED ENGG. / TECHNICAL

MISCELLANEOUS

Over 22 years of comprehensive experience in overall construction execution& management qualification. BE (Civil).

Contact : +968 91816590 Building Construction Supervisor looking for small Omani co. to handle independently or suitable placement with Omani D/L. Contact: 93061107 Civil Engineering Diploma, Site coordinator now preset in Oman, seeking job in Oman. Contact : 92887561 Email: jubincivileng@gmail.com Mech. Engg Indian male having 1 year exp looking for suitable job.

Contact : 92835957 Indian 22 years male, Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech has done internships, born and brought up in Oman with Omani driving license, seeking suitable jobs.

Contact: 92791637 Email: ashwinsureshkotturethu@gmail.com Indian male, 23 years Electrical & Electronics Engineer having 1 year experience in Google company need suitable placement.

Contact: 91118694, Email: sharath2909@gmail.com Indian mechanical Engineer 31 yrs, 8+ experience in sales & BD including GCC, having Oman driving license & NOC. Contact: 97116858 Email: menonamit1984@gmail.com C-SWIP 3.1 ASNT level 2 QC Mech.

Engr 5+ yrs exp Indian male 26 seeks placement.

Contact : 91823331 Email: kannasekhar46@gmail.com Indian male 27 yrs BE mechanical & W/diploma in automobiles 2 yrs teaching experience in designing (AutoCAD) seeking suitable position.

Contact: 94183625 Indian male 29 yrs old B.E electronic & Communication Engg (5 yrs experience in Oman) with valid D/L. Contact : 96652145 Electronics technician 20 years experience India, Saudi Arabia.

Contact 91969726 MSC Electronics Female, 24 years, 1 year experience in MR Scan Testing on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 91111675 28 years male diploma in Civil Engineer 6 years experience in Oman valid Omani driving license seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98666735 /90289111 Email: engrjahedbd@yahoo.com Civil Engineer Pakistani 12 +2 years Oman experience D/L seeks placement. Contact: 94392616 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 25 years experience in Civil Engineering looking for job at consultancy from for suitable position.

Contact : 97803710 Young BA looking for a job as Secretary / document controller, typewriting 40 W.PM shorthand also available. NOC from the present co. available. Contact: 93085851 Indian male, Supervisor Electrician Diploma 8 yrs in Oman. NOC available. Contact 95057068, jratheesh@yahoo.com Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer 23 having knowledge in HVAC looking for suitable vacancy. Contact: 95434381 Email: shuhaibuman313@gmail.com Indian male Mechanical Engineer having 2+ years experience in releniery piping + equipment seeking suitable position. Contact: 94768977 Civil Engineer with 6 yrs experience in can satiny firms structural design and supervision also worked as materials engineer. Contact: 96086214 Indian male Civil Engineer with Engineer with 2 years experience in Building project is available currently on visit visa. Contact: 92841583 Tunisian Civil Eng, Graduated flam the University of Tunisia past experience supervised several projected in the Island of djerha in the capital Tunis I have good experience with consulting engineer and contractor now in Muscat.

Contact: 94745527 Email: khereddianeb@gmail.com

Indian Male, 29, 9 years exp in Sales in Oman (Buraimi) with valid D/L looking for suitable placements, NOC available .Ph: 9360 1947

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

IT

Indain male, 23 yrs, B.E in Mechanical post Graduation Diploma in piping Engineering, seeking job in relevant field.Contact : 94786570 Email: asim.hajwani6@gmail.com

Network System Engineer switches, Routers, Servers, load balancers, CCTV 5 years of exp holds B.E (ECE) CCNA looking for good opportunity Indian visit visa. Contact 91911792 Email: arafakdnl@gamil.com

Civil Engineer diploma holder having a 4 years experience seeking a suitable replacement. Contact: 98782698 Email: engr.rabiul007@gmail.com Mechanical and manufacturing Engineer , age 26 yrs masters ( Singapore) having 2 years Oman work experience with valid Oman driving license on visit visa available immediately.

Contact: 95498953

Tunisian Master degree in Computer Science, with experience in creating websites in development looking for a job in the Sultanate of Oman currently in Muscat.

Contact: 94745546 Email: safouane.gouja@gmail.com

MEDICAL

Female, BE(hons) Systems Administration, 2 years teaching experience. Seeking suitable placement in Higher Education/Training industry.

Email: sadia_fatima@hotmail.com Contact:96447091

SALES / MARKETING Indian male B.Com, MBA having 2 years experience in Marketing and Advertising on visit visa looking for suitable openings.

Contact: 96559835 Email: rintomatam@gmail.com

Indian male B.Eng. in IT,CCNA, MCSA,MCSE, 2yrs + exp. in IT support, networking and server support valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532

10 yrs financial products sales & marketing experienced 5 years in banking Indian male 32 yrs on visit visa looking for suitable position.

Contact : 92882053

Store Supervisor or Site Supervisor, Indian male 30 years, looking for suitable placement in any reputed company. Having 5 years of gulf experience with good communication skills. Willing to work in any GCC country. Contact: 00968 97756269, Email: razzakbmt@gmail.com

B.Tech Mechanical Engineer with 2 years experience in HV AC and plumbing - nikhilchandpm@gmail. com ; GSM: 97654489

Lecturer in nursing(MSc) specialized in OBG, 3 years experience, on visit visa, seeking teaching opportunities Contact:90125347

Indian 41 years, 2 years Dubai experience Sales of banking insurance products looking for suitable job.

Contact: 96564721

MEP foreman looking for a suitable position. Contact: 99526958

Indian male, MSc, MPhil, BEd Chemistry,2 Yrs Teaching experience and having experience in lab analyst, currently on visit visa, seeks suitable post. Contact 90208673

Have the previous experience in building material sales field and also experience as store keeper, with release paper & visa valid upto 19/09/15. Contact: 96451129 / 95563071

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 Instrumentation Engineer, nearly 4 yrs experience in oil & gas industry, seeks job in Oman. Contact 90198210, Email : terinsam@gmail.com Indian male 25MBA having 4years Gulf experience in Coordination with contracting company .NOC Available.

Looking for(Store,Coordination,Admin Backoffice) Jobs Ph:95405885 Civil Engg, B.Tech fresher Indian male currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement. Contact 91702450 Email: tijoct2015@hotmail.com Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 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 SUPERVISOR: Indian male site supervisor (AIR CONDITIONING) 25 years of experience with valid Oman Driving license, seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 97498809, 93391910 Email: hilariankj@gmail.com Electrical Engineer, Indian male, 29 yrs having 5 yrs of experience in industrial automation & utility maintenance in India (MRF yres) seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92789995, Email : akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Btech computer science graduate 2015 passout.. Android application marketing.. Having good communication skills and mindset to work in a team. Contact 91024385 Civil Engineer Indian male 10 yrs exp having Omani D/L looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94194399 (shiblyrock@gmail.com) Electrical and Electronics Engineer with one year experience and GCC licence holder seeking a job mail – shyjalpk@gmail.com Civil Engineer (diploma) 3.5 yrs exp, seeking for placement.

Contact: 95200650

IT BE, ECE Mumbai university skills in C, C++, windows, linux, controller and processor RTOS, Electronics, Networking, 6 months experience in embedded software seeks placement. Contact : 917774864736 Email: sadatbtisekar@gmail.com SAP BW Analyst : Indian male, 26 yrs, B.Tech (CS & E) from ASET, New Delhi, worked as a Business Analyst in Software Industry.

Contact 98008127 / 92878708, vaisakh.bhaskar@gmail.com IT Engineer, 6 yrs exp in software projects & development (OCJA) on visit visa. Contact: 99487493 28 M, Indian, have done master degree in computer application, 2 years exp in Oman, looking suitable placement. Contact: 93295112 Email: syedsadathali.mca@gmail.com

ENT surgeon board degree & prometric exam looking for a job in private hospitals & medical complexes.

Contact: 91347226 OB/ Gynecologist board degree & prometric exam looking for a job in private hospitals & medical complexes. Contact: 91347226 Female doctor GP, 8 years experience with prometric & viva, MOH passed and NOC, seeking GP position within Muscat area. Contact 95043021

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Facility / Project Management 5 yrs of exp holds BE (ECE) MBA, Indian on visit visa looking for suitable openings. Contact : 98580569 Email: arafacareer@gmail.com Supervisor fabrication. 30 years experienced in oil and gas industry with thorough knowledge of PDO procedures. contact 99365694, 92362946, 99208102 email: tapasroy21@yahoo . com Supervisor / Forman interior / electrical with Oman driving license.

Contact: 98767559

MISCELLANEOUS Management Professional accountable, responsible for profitable management can handle the entire operations, HR/Recruitment, Business development & Sales & marketing & etc, Great organizational skills with over 23+yrs exp. in Bombay, Saudi Arabia, Dubai-UAE & Oman(11yrs) as General Manager - Publications, Printing,Media. open to any industry, can Join immediately w/NOC. Contact : +968 98864706/99574638 Mail : akdas_uae@yahoo.com

PROJECTS Indian male, with 8 yrs exp. in Oman (BA- Graduate) working as a project Sales Coordinator, with Oman D/L, looking for suitable job, ready to join immediately with NOC, open for Sales & Marketing also.

Contact 95245057

SKILLED/ UNSKILLED Building construction supervisor looking for small Omani company to handle independently or suitable placement in good company with Oman D/L. Contact 93061107

SALES / MARKETING Business intelligence / Global Marketing management specialist with 9 years of experience developing brand value & managing overall projects to achieve business objectives seeking suitable position on family visit.

Contact: 91902154 PGDM in Marketing & finance and specialization in SCM in Belgium University, 14 months experience in cooperative relations looking for suitable job. Contact: 92050773 Indian male Graduate with 2 yrs exp in sales advertising, presently on visiting visa looking for suitable opening. Contact: 95462921

Indian looking for a part time accounting or Internal Auditing job, contact 99196621.

Indian male 32 years MBA (Marketing) with 7 years experience in Oman and having driving license seeks suitable placement. NOC available. Contact: 95902458 Sales and marketing - male 27 yrs, 2 years experience seeking suitable placement with Oman D/L. Contact: 95642740 Email: shaijichakkara@gmail.com Senior Sales Engineer 4 years experience in Oman with D/L, Sales electrical products PDO OXY supply liaison with MEP contractors and consultants NOC available.

Contact: 0091 9895799737 Email: thomasjmuscat@gmail.com Contact : 99447853 Nine years UAE experienced Graduate Indian male with valid UAE/ GCC, D/L on visit seeks sales / admin position. Contact: 98826959 Indian male, 2 yrs exp. in Sales with D/L seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92055093

TOURS & TRAVELS

Indian female, 25yrs Bsc nursing with MHA (Master of Hospital Administration) looking for a suitable placement. Currently on visit visa valid up to 25 November 2015.

Contact: 9951 3267, email: alinaelshaddai@gmail.com Chartered CIPD HR, MBA having 5+ years of experience in Oman and 7 years in GCC looking for job opportunities. Call 97728418 Store Supervisor or Site Supervisor .

Indian male 30 years age.

Looking for suitable placement in any reputed company. Having 5 years of gulf experience with good communication skills.

Willing to work in any GCC country.

Contact: 00968 97756269 , Email: razzakbmt@gmail.com 32 years Indian Male MSC, MBAHR having 7+yr Exp(HR and SAP operations) with Oman valid driving license, seeking suitable opening in Human Resource & Admin/backend jobs.Contact: 00968-99322978 Iranian male. ME Civil- structural Engineer, 8 Years Structural engineer experience, Looking for Structural Designer, supervisor or site engineer Position. Contact: 93696929 Email: mhsaz1359@gmail.com Land Surveyor experience 6 years in landscape , construction and roads for contact : 0096895244840, 0096899703488, e-mail: eng.amr_salama@yahoo.com

Five years experience in Travel field ,BCom., IATA & pursuing MBA, Presently working in the Travel Desk of (ITC managed) Five Star Hotel in India, looking for a suitable position in the Middleeast. pls contact 9470 5767

Indian male 27, looking for suitable placement in Piping Design & Engineering.Having 7 years of experience in AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS (11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact : 97351786 / 96143708/ 97357143

11 yrs experience in travel field B.Com, IATA, MCSE working for Qatar Airways, Sales reservation ticketing driving license & NOC available. Contact 92954613

ACCA Affiliate, Oxford Brookes Bsc, 2.5 years experience in audit, finance in Big 6 and oil industry, NOC release available. a.saran891@gmail.com, 95140445

MISCELLANEOUS Indian male, B.com, MBA, having 5 years experience (3 years in U.A.E) is currently seeking suitable opportunities within finance/ accounts/admin dept.

Contact:93953613, allen.mathew83@gmail.com B.Com graduate, 11 years experience in Accounts, 9 years Oman experience , Oman valid driving license, looking for suitable post.

Mob:92758404 NOC Available.

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, Indian male,29 years.8 years experience .Presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with oman Driving license. NOC available. Seek suitable opportunity.

GSM: 97705854 Two year experience in Oman, experience in sales, purchase and system admin, Having GCC license.

Contact number 97475860, Yadhukrishnan08@gmail.com Indian Male, 32 yrs, MBA-HR, Trainer & Faculty worked on Omanisation & nationals development activities with 10 yrs of experience seeking suitable job. Contact : 93891401 saiprasad_18@yahoo.com Sudanese 29 male (Bsc computer science,diploma computer engineering), 6 yrs. experience dba oracle plsql , ms sql-server ,ms visual studio vba,network Omani Driver licence language English, Arabic Tel: 91415886

B.com .5 yrs exp. of oman Looking for an Accounts job work, preferred to do from home. Well versed with TALLY Accounting software.

Contact 95482970 Pakistan Male: 24 years, M.Com Finance having 2.5 year experience as a accountant & marketing executive looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 97670816, e.mail: naeem.ahsan68@gmail.com

ME Civil- structural Engineer, 8 Years Structural engineer experience, Looking for Structural Designer, supervisor or site engineer Position.

Iranian male, Contact: 93696929 Email: mhsaz1359@gmail.com ACCOUNTANT, Male, 8 years experience, presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with Oman Driving license. NOC available, seeks suitable opportunity. GSM: 98184170 Civil Engineer Indian 20 years experience (1 year in Oman) in management and construction seeks suitable placement. Contact: 91718976 Male, 32 years M.A. English M.SC psychology and B.Ed in English having 4 years experiences in teaching present company is ready to issue release letter. Contact : 99869535 Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com Filipino (Male), 33 yrs/old, 9 yrs. experience in marine transportation (seaman/deck crew), & 3 yrs. in sales (electronic devices) currently on visit visa & looking for a suitable employment. GSM: 94750459 Indian male, 14 yrs Experience in Maintenance & Supervisor in hotel field ( Electrical . Ac Mechanical & Plumber ) N O C available Contact 95253640 email-hareeshma24@yahoo.com Senior Accountant Indian male Graduate CA Articleship completed 18 years of experience currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement contact.97498809,93391910 Email.hilariankj@gmail.com Electrical Maintenance Engineer, 29, Indian Male, having 7+ years exp. in reputed companies. Seeking suitable placement in Oman.

Contact - 98440637. Mail ID : venkatbadri23@gmail.com Indian male 22 years, Looking for suitable placement in Hardware and Networking field, 1 year exp. in india an have done training in al ameen computers. With good communication skill, Qualification is Diploma in Electronics and Communication.

Contact : - 95632209,95068075, Email- fairozhuded13@gmail.com Sudanese 29 male (Bsc computer science, diploma computer engineering), 6 yrs. experience , dba oracle pl-sql , ms sql-server ,ms visual studio vba, network, Omani Driver licence language English, Arabic. Email:chastity643@gmail. com, Mob:91415886 Having 9+ years exp. in Admin & HR in reputed companies. Presently working in Muscat and seeking for suitable placement.

Contact No.: 97693456. email : muralimahdav77@gmail.com Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in Accounts, IT & Administration, looking for a better position in Oman, already working in Prestigious Construction Company. Contact:95983711.Join.mtmali@gmail.com Indian male 24 years,B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic) having 2 years working experience as an Electrical site Engineer, currently on visit visa.

Seeking suitable placement.

Contact no. 98045482, Email: mastanshaik1008@gmail.com Indian male 23 years, B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic) having 4 years working experience as an Electrical site Engineer, currently on visit visa.

Seeking suitable placement.

Contact no. 98045482 Email: mastanshaik1008@gmail.com

Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in IT Trainer, looking for a better position in Oman, already working in Prestigious Construction Company.

Contact:- 95983711.

Join.mtmali@gmail.com

29 years femaile (MBA-Finance) with 4 + years experience (India & Oman) in administration & teaching seeking suitable placement in an established organization. #96371655.

Civil Engineer Indian 20 years experience (1 year in Oman) in management and construction seeks suitable placement. Contact: 91718976 , email : mdnaveed71@gmail.com

Male, 32, having 7 years experience in New Car sales and rental. Currently working for one of the most reputed Brand in India is seeking a suitable change. Contact +91 9045232273

Male, 32 years M.A. English M.Sc Psychology and B.Ed in English having 4 years experience in teaching present company is ready to issue release letter.

Contact : 99869535 Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com

Looking for managerial post (full time ) ,More than Ten years of experience in Team Development ,Training ,Planing, Administration, Sales & Marketing, Advertisement and Credit Control and Logistics.

Contact 91076608 /+919048648108 NOC available

Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in Computer Teacher, looking for a better position in Oman, already working in Prestigious Construction Company. Contact:- 95983711, join.mtmali@gmail.com Light duty driver, 23yrs. Can speak Arabic, Hindi, Bangla and understand English. Release available.

Ph.92854775 / 93487450

Sales Representative or Purchase officer. Indian male 31 years, Looking for suitable placement in CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES and OILFIELD INDUSTRIES. Having 7 years of gulf experience in FASTENERS and BUILDING MATERIAL. Having a valid D/L. Contact: 00968 92480985, Email: fayubeig@gmail.com CONTD ON PG 7

D6

T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

TOURS

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours Contact- 98029602, 92808636

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

TRANSPORTATION

Car for rent. Contact: 92516090 Butter cup rent a car competitive prices new car 2016.

Contact: 97249449

Transportation available.

Contact: 99867456

Transportation. Contact 99664703

Ruwi, Muttrah, Muscat, Al Khuwair & Qurum. Contact - 95415272

Transportation available.

Contact 95570429

Driver with car. Contact: 94004667

Transportation. Contact: 96538078

Transport available in Ghala, Ruwi , Ghubra, Al Khuwair & Azaiba.

Contact: 91495819

Transportation. Contact:98522914

FOR HIRE Volvo 12 Ton Truck for monthly rent. Contact: 98713900

Transportation. Contact 99508282 Transportation. Contact: 98244078 Pick & Drop any time.

Contact: 97014786

T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 3, 2 0 1 5

D7

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

CLASSES

SIT.WANTED Housemaid looking for job.

Cont : 95587492 Indian Male, 28, B.Com, 6+ yrs exp in Accounts, 2 yrs in Oman with Valid Oman D/L, NOC available.

Contact 9719 4864 BRANCH-HEAD, MBA-BBA, Indian Male having experience in UAE, India, Oman total 5 years (including MNC), looking for similar or same openings.

NOC available. mobile: 92700670, email:catanalur131@gmail.com Accounts Head/Manager looking for job with Gulf Experience (NOC available). Contact : 94164650. email: msaleem.kr@gmail.com Sales Representative or Purchase officer. Indian male 31 years, looking for suitable placement in construction industries and oilfield industries. Having 7 years of gulf experience in fasteners and building material. Having a valid driving license. Contact: 00968 92480985, Email: fayubeig@gmail.com Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in Accounts, IT & Administration, looking for a better position in Oman, already working in Prestigious Construction Company. # 95983711.

Join.mtmali@gmail.com Indian Male, 28, B.Com, 6+ yrs exp in Accounts, 2 yrs in Oman with Valid Oman D/L, NOC available.

Contact: 9719 4864 Babar Ali Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in Accounts, IT & Administration, looking for a better position in Oman, No need of Visa, already working in of the Omani Construction Company.

Contact:- 95983711.

Indian male MBA finance and marketing. Having 2 year experienced in accounting, looking for suitable job opportunities. Available on visit can join immediately. Cont: 94676974 Email: anfalruk@gmail.com SALES MANAGER (MECHANICAL ENGINEER)-Over 5 yrs in Oman, with experience in Industrial Products & Services with Noc & driving license looking for the challenging opportunities. Notice period Ends on 27th August -2015 . GSM - 95291830 ACCOUNTANT, Male, 8 years experience .Presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with Oman Driving license. NOC available seeks suitable opportunity. GSM: 98184170 Indian Female Lawyer having 11 yrs experience presently working in Oman seeks placement in Legal/HR/ Admin etc. NOC available Contact-94436960 Email: famidakhan123@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer : Indian , male 23 years, 2 years experience, on visit visa . Seeking suitable placement. Contact : +968 91409712 , Email : nibin.nani@gmail.com

Filipino (male), 37 yrs. old, having 8yrs. experience in Operation (Shipping & Logistics) currently on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact 97121525 24 years, ACCA affiliate, 2.5 years of experience in audit, finance in Big6 and oil industry, looking for suitable placement, NOC release available. Contact 95140445, Email: a.saran891@gmail.com

Spoken English IELTS & Computer classes.

Contact: 92088325 / 24799938

WEBSITE

INDIAN MALE 24 YEARS, B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic).Having 2 years experience as Electrical Site Engineer in Constructions. Done IOSH & NEBOSH- IGC certifications.

Seeking for suitable placement in constructions or in any related industries. Contact no: 98045482/ mastanshaik1008@gmail.com Indian male, 29 yrs, B.Tech Electronics & Communication Eng. + diploma in SAP, 7 years professional experience, looking for a job in Oman / other GCC countries.

Contact: 0091 973 928 5790, Email: rahul.rn198@gmail.com AutoCad Civil Draftsman – Having 3 years- experience, looking for a placement.(Full- time or Part time) 99627427 / 96154564.

Indian male MBA finance and marketing having 2 year experienced in accounting. Having good knowledge in Tally ERP and advanced excel.

Looking for suitable job opportunities. Available on visit visa can join immediately. Contact:94676974, Email : anfalruk@gmail.com Indian Male, 37 Years , B Tech Graduate Electrical. Having 12 Years Experience of DCRP Works / Jobs in Oman with Driving License, Looking for an suitable opening, NOC Available. Contact – 92122338, Email saiviharvasanth@gmail.com Male available for a part time accounting & admin job, Contact:99196621.

Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant ,doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available. #98803439

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

Sales Representative or Purchase officer. Indian male 30 years, Looking for suitable placement in CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES and OILFIELD INDUSTRIES. Having 5 years of gulf experience in FASTENERS and BUILDING MATERIAL. with good communication skills.

Contact: 00968 97756269, Email: razzakbmt@gmail.com Masters in Information Systems and IT with more than 12 years experience seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 98502793, email:jobsrs6@gmail.com Advertising/media executive with 15 years gulf experience with oman driving license. Seeks good opening.

Contact 93031168

INDIAN MALE 23 YEARS,B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic) having 4 years working experience as an Electrical site Engineer, currently on visit visa. Seeking suitable placement. Contact no. 98045482

Filipino (male), 37 yrs. old, having 8yrs. experience in Operation (Shipping&Logistics) currently on visit visa looking for suitable job.

GSM: 97121525

21 years, B. Com, graduate male ‘fresher’ well versed in English, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam with Driving license looking for a suitable job. Contact: 96799287

Quantity Surveyor-MEP (Estimation/Project) ,Total 10 Years Experience (3 years in Oman).

Having NOC & Oman D/L, Looking for suitable job, Contact - 97906551

DRIVING

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Split & widow unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807

Split & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 96236476 Window & split unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517

One stop shop business services : Public Relation (PRO) formation new companies, LLC companies, Investor visa, business setup, prepare businesses & companies accounts, legal services, representing you and your company. Contact: Saleh : 96723485

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089/95323517

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722 A/C Technician, all refrigerator items, installation.

Contact: 92279370 Air condition maintenance split and window A/C split a/c ducted and package type units.

Contact: 98667326

NRI

All maintenance & repairs.

Contact Rizwan: 99429071, RMPM Trading.

General cleaning in buildings villas all types interior, exterior, polishing dry cleaning carpets, rugs, marble etc. Contact 94134784 / 98598280 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 House shifting & packing.

Contact: 99657644 /98518013

An NRI wants to sell his properties, in Ernakulam (6 cent villa near Amrita hospital), Trivandrum (plot near Kowdiar Palace), Trivandrum (plot near Kumarapuram Jn.) and Pandalam (opposite Ayyappa temple by the side of MC road). Please call: 94052733 or 94070407

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

D8

T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624