Times of Oman - July 5, 2015

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RAMADAN PRAYER TIMINGS

IFTAR 7.03PM FAJR 3.58AM

SUNDAY, July 5, 2015 / 18 Ramadan 1436 AH

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Pay traffic fines before leaving, ROP tells expats To avoid hassles at the airport, expats should clear their fines before leaving Oman even for short vacation or for good

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Expatriates going on vacation or leaving the country for good must settle all the fines accrued on account of traffic violations, to avoid delay in travel, the Royal Oman Police said in its latest notice. “The traffic fines (local and Gulf Cooperation Council) imposed on them has to be cleared before ending their travel procedures,” the notice said. The rule came into effect on June 1. The Royal Oman Police had put in place traffic fines clearance operation at the airports and borders in January this year for

expats leaving the country on a permanent basis, which was later also used to collect traffic fines from all expats leaving the country temporarily too. “By publishing the notice on collection of traffic fines repeatedly, police is giving expatriates a clear message that they won’t be lenient anymore,” Sunil Kumar KK, an Indian businessman who often travels out of Oman, told the Times of Oman. “While purchasing tickets to fly out of Oman, expatriates driving vehicles should check whether they have any fines or not. It is better to clear these fines in advance rather than facing hassles at the airport or at the borders,” Sunil Kumar added.

In April, reliable sources had revealed to Al Shabiba, the sister publication of the Times of Oman, that the number of traffic violations recorded during 2014 stood at 6,015,323, an increase of more than 64 per cent compared to 2013. In 2013, the number of violations was 3,889,301. According to the traffic law amendments under discussion, violators could face heftier fines and jail terms. Under proposals to be debated, offences like reckless driving, over-speeding, wrong overtaking, driving on the shoulders of roads, or using cellphones while driving may land drivers in jail for a period ranging from 10 days to three months.

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Rain predicted in Dhofar areas

Oman’s tourism Duqm-Jebel Ali feeder potential unexploited service to start soon

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Oman meteorological department has predicted rains in Dhofar and adjoining areas in its latest forecast. “Skies will be cloudy along the coastal areas of Dhofar and adjoining mountains. There are chances of rain too. In the rest of Oman, skies will be clear. >A2 5.4 ON RICHTER SCALE

No loss of life, property in Sea of Oman earthquake Staff Reporter MUSCAT: An earthquake measuring 5.4 on Richter scale was recorded at the Sultan Qaboos University’s earthquake monitoring centre at around 4:45am. “Our centre recorded the earthquake. So far we have not received any report of damage due to the earthquake,” an official from the centre said. According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre of the earthquake was 362km southeast of Salalah, in the Sea of Oman. The earthquake was 10.0 km deep.

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Tourism is still unexploited in the Sultanate largely because many local business people are not yet convinced that the huge natural resources available in the country are enough to attract quality tourists. Three decades on, Oman is still heavily relying on the Khareef in Salalah. >A6

MARKET

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A feeder container shipping service planned between Jebel Ali and Duqm will start by the end of the year, said a senior official at the Port of Duqm Company. As many as 70 per cent of the oil and gas fields are located in the range of 300 km from the port of Duqm. >B1

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CABLES

His Majesty sends greetings MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria on his country’s Independence Day anniversary. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his wishes of good health, happiness and a long life to the president, praying to the Almighty Allah to return this and similar occasion on him and the Algerian people further progress and prosperity. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to President Nicolas Maduro of the Republic of Venezuela on his country’s Independence Day anniversary. >A2

Sultanate’s crystallized discomfort

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Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

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Duty-free buys count in luggage weight REJIMON K reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Dispelling misconceptions on the hand baggage weight allowance, airline officials and travel agents said that the weight of items purchased from duty-free shops come within the same limit and is not an additional entitlement. “Many passengers believe that the weight of items purchased from the duty-free shops at the airport is excluded from the hand baggage weight. So, they exceed the hand baggage weight limit and finally land in trouble when they are stopped at the gates. To avoid this, we advise passengers that items purchased from duty-free shops are also included in the hand baggage weight,” BP Kulkarni,

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country manager of Air India, told the Times of Oman. “Even if it is the case of additional payment for extra baggage, our airline has the lowest charge when compared to others,” Kulkarni added. >A5


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