Times of Oman - December 6, 2015 by Muscat Media Group

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FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

On the occasion casion of the onal Day 28th National

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ m’ The human being is the main instrument in the creation on of progress, and he is the beneﬁciary of this progress. As far as this progress can provide an honourable life for the individual and for society, all involved in it can takee pride in its good and fruitful results.

SUNDAY, December 6, 2015 / 24 Safar 1437 AH

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UAE’s e-visa returns to haunt air passengers Expatriates report facing ‘issues’ at Hatta border

Though the UAE authorities had stressed that there

Staff Reporter

would be no issues

MUSCAT: Expatriates planning to enter the Sultanate of Oman from the UAE through the Hatta border crossing are reportedly facing problems, claimed sources. “They have been told to use the Sharjah route via Kalba to enter Oman,” claimed the sources. “We are not clear why this is being done. It is on the UAE side, so we in Oman cannot get an official version

with e-visas until December-end, the withdrawal of visaon-arrival facility for Air Arabia travellers, has only added to the confusion

or a clear picture on why it is being done,” added the source. National Day As the National Day holidays of the Sultanate and the UAE coincided, a huge rush was seen at the OmanUAE borders. “A few of my friends travelling to Muscat were redirected from the Hatta border to Kalba road. It took them an additional two hours,” a source told the Times of Oman.

REJIMON K reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Confusion over e-visa for travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues, as one of the airlines has stopped providing the visa-on-arrival facility to its passengers as per directives from the UAE authorities. Air Arabia “On December 1, we were advised to update passengers that they would need an e-visa if they wished to travel to the UAE,” said a senior official from the Air Arabia office in Muscat. Air Arabia ﬂies 17 times a week to Sharjah and four times a week

to Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE. The airline was providing the visa-on-arrival facility, until the UAE authorities directive forced them to withdraw it. However, officials from Oman Air and flydubai’s general service agent (GSA) office have confirmed that they are giving visa-on-arrival facilities to the UAE-bound passengers. “Meanwhile, Oman Air continues to accept travellers, but visas are obtained on arrival,” stated an official from Oman Air, in writing, to the Times of Oman. The flydubai GSA official also

said: “We are providing visa-onarrival to our passengers. We stand by the previous notice.” e-visa applications On November 23, Col Talal Ahmed Al Shangeti, the UAE’s general director of Airports Affair Sector, had issued a notice regarding lifting of curbs on visaon-arrival facility and that the Dubai government had resumed its visa-on-arrival facility until the website was updated to receive e-visa applications. The statement from the UAE said that they were updating the

NAT U R A L C A L A M I T Y

Oman Air’s advisory for Chennai flyers REJIMON K reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Passengers travelling from Muscat to Chennai have been advised to travel via Bengaluru or re-book their tickets for travelling from Chennai after December 10, Oman Air tweeted on its official Twitter handle. “As per the latest notification, the airport will be closed until December 8. So, passengers from Muscat to Chennai are advised to travel via Bengaluru or re-book their tickets from Chennai after December 10,” Oman’s national carrier, which operates 14 flights to Chennai per week, stated. >A6

Ischaemic heart disease

O M A N P R I D E C A M PA I G N

First Omani to get Sloan Masters from London Business School REJIMON K reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Aadil Al Saadi is the ﬁrst Omani to complete a Sloan Masters degree in Leadership and Strategy at the London Business School (LBS), United Kingdom, and receive the Oman Ambassador award for his outstanding achievement. In today’s #OmanPride campaign series, Times of Oman features Al Saadi’s achievements. “I am honoured to receive this award, and to represent Oman,” 33-year-old Al Saadi, who is also an official at the Central Bank of Oman, said. Al Saadi was the ﬁrst Omani to be admitted to the Sloan programme at the London Business School. All over the world, only three elite business schools offer the Sloan programme: LBS in the United Kingdom and Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. The award was given by Oman’s Ambassador to the UK during the

Aadil Al Saadi.

45th National Day ceremony held in Swansea on November 21. “There were around 3,000 contenders. However, I was adjudged to win the ﬁrst place,” Al Saadi added. “I enjoyed the cultural diversity at London Business School, and I was thrilled to promote Omani culture among the London Busi-

ness School community. This award, in addition to the business network I have established, has inspired me to unlock my potential to become an entrepreneur,” Al Saadi, who is active in the cultural and entrepreneurial ﬁelds in London and at the Anglo Omani Society in the UK, said. >A6

e-visa system and improving the process to make it user-friendly for travellers. Therefore, they did not have any objection to any airlines operating in the GCC region ferrying passengers without an e-visa. “This revamp will continue until the end of December this year and we shall update you about any progresses,” added the statement. Visa-on-arrival Even after the UAE authorities revoked the visa-on-arrival facility norms for expatriates in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

countries on October 1, passengers travelling on ﬂydubai continued to get visa-on-arrival. However, on November 18, they stopped the visa-on-arrival facility for passengers and they resumed the process with passengers ﬂying to Dubai. Earlier, on October 1, the UAE had announced that regardless of their professional status, expatriates would have to apply for an evisa to enter the UAE through air, sea or by road. Earlier, depending on their professions, many expatriates were able to procure visa-on-arrival.

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FINLAND

HM sends greeting MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to President Sauli Niinisto of the Republic of Finland on his country’s Independence Day anniversary. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere greetings and wishes of good health and happiness to the president and his country’s people further progress and prosperity. —ONA TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Remove stickers from cars: ROP

Motorists have been directed to remove celebratory stickers from their vehicles. >A2

OMAN

Sharakah to boost self-employment

Sharakah aims to cut down dependence on jobs by creating selfemployment opportunities. >A4

OMAN

Oman colleges must embrace global norms

Local universities must start revolutionising conventional models of higher education. >A5

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

OMAN F R I E N D LY V I S I T

Shabab Oman leaves Cochin MUSCAT: Second Shabab Oman vessel of the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) left India on Thursday on its way back to the Sultanate after taking part in the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the opening of embassy of India in Muscat. The visit of the vessel to India was part of its second world tour (2015 Omani-Indian Friendship Bridge), which came in response to the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. It was seen off by Sheikh Hamad bin Saif Al Rawahi, Oman’s ambassador to India, the Military Attaché and a number of senior officers of the Indian navy and Royal Navy of Oman. -ONA

Remove stickers from cars: ROP Police had allowed motorists to put stickers on their cars for the 45th National Day celebrations

CELEBRATORY STICKERS: This year, the Royal Oman Police had formulated a series of rules regarding the decoration of vehicles with stickers for the National Day celebrations. – Supplied photo

BOOSTING TIES: The visit of second Shabab Oman vessel to India

was part of its second world tour. – ONA

Times News Service MUSCAT: Motorists have been directed to remove celebratory stickers from their vehicles, Royal Oman Police (ROP) said in a tweet. The police had allowed motorists to put stickers on their cars to celebrate the 45th National Day from November 18 until Saturday, December 5. This year, a series of rules regarding the decoration of vehicles

with stickers were formulated by the ROP. As per the new ROP rules, motorists were not allowed to paste stickers on the front and rear windshields, side windowpanes, number plates, rear-view mirrors and on the head or tail lights. They were also advised not to decorate the hood of the car with fabrics as it could catch ﬁre. “Motorists should refrain from using

undigniﬁed and offensive graphics and slogans. The decoration should not change the colour of the vehicle,” ROP had said earlier. The statement had also warned motorists that those who failed to comply with the guidelines will have to bear legal consequences. ROP had also posted an illustration on its Twitter account to describe the parts of vehicles that can be decorated.

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

OMR4.8 m

OMAN

is the amount invested by Sharakah to date which is almost 90 per cent of its capital

‘Sharakah to boost opportunities for self-employment and SMEs’ Sharakah General Manager Abdulla Al Jufaili said the vision of the company is to help people establish their own businesses to reduce reliance on jobs and boost the economy of the Sultanate

SALEH AL SHAIBANY

saleh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Sharakah aims to cut down dependence on jobs by creating self-employment opportunities to help people set up proﬁtable businesses or expand their existing trades. In an exclusive interview with the Times of Oman, Sharakah General Manager Abdulla Al Jufaili said the vision of the company is to help people establish their own businesses to reduce reliance on jobs and boost the economy of the Sultanate. “Indeed, our mission, vision

and objectives recognise the importance of entrepreneurship to society, its key role in economic development and the benefits that flow from it. We are proud that our work in this regard creates jobs, powers the economy and contributes towards Oman’s international competitiveness,” Jufaili explained. Sharakah, which was established in 1998 by a Royal Decree, funds individuals aspiring to set up a business with the aim of contributing to the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The projects financed by

Though Sharakah supports projects from different sectors, its emphasis is on the hospitality industry, manufacturing, education and training and entertainment. He said that such sectors bring addedvalue to the local market

Sharakah represent different sectors, including information technology, engineering, manufacturing, services and food industries. The company supports both

start-ups and business owners in different regions of the country. He said Sharakah has so far supported 76 projects across the country.

“To date, Sharakah has invested a total of OMR4.8 million, or almost 90 per cent of our capital. We believe that such investment has been utilised in the right manner and we are expecting more outcomes in the near future,” Jufaili added. Though Sharakah supports projects from different sectors, its emphasis is on the hospitality industry, manufacturing, education and training and entertainment. He said that such sectors bring addedvalue to the local market. However, most applications are related to the food and beverage business. “We have cross checked this with our counterparts in the region and found that this, indeed, is the current trend,” Jufaili pointed out. But Sharakah has rigorous rules to screen applications that suit eligibility of the companies to ensure the long-term survival of the business. The top considerations include entrepreneurship with viable business plans. Trades that will provide employment opportunities and contribute to community development are also receive top consideration. “ We are also looking for projects that are able to produce products

and services that have a competitive advantage and have potential for significant sales growth,” Jufaili explained further. Sharakah funds start-up companies willing to contribute 33 percent of the investment amount. For existing businesses, it has to be 20 percent of the total investment. But Jufaili said Sharakah’s initiatives are not without challenges. “The challenges that we specifically face are mostly related to not receiving supportive documents or poor business plans. It is of utmost importance to not only us as financiers, but also the SMEs themselves to have accurate data about the market they plan to venture into,” the Sharakah General Manager concluded. Sharakah provides financial support in the form of loans, equity support and facilities at discounted rates and also provides technical and management consultation for projects after analysing feasibility studies and project plans. It also participates in local, regional and international events and conferences which feature discussions on issues connected with the SMEs.

ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME

AL MOUJ WINTER CARNIVAL CONCLUDES

Huge crowds thronged the Al Mouj Winter Carnival at The Wave Muscat, which concluded on Saturday. Held for three days from December 3 to 5, it saw the Walk at Al Mouj Muscat transformed into a wonderland of winter fun. -Hassan Shaban Al Lawati and OK Mohammed Ali

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PDO launches major review of contractor staff welfare Times News Service MUSCAT: A ﬁrst-ever investigation into the welfare of 30,000 staff in its contractor community has been launched by the Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). At a conference held at its Mina Al Fahal headquarters, senior representatives of some 200 of PDO’s main contractors and subcontractors were invited to participate in a workforce welfare assessment programme, underpinned by the need to demonstrate “duty of care” responsibilities to staff and ensure full compliance with Omani labour laws. The three-year benchmarking programme, called Project Prism, is a ground-breaking initiative for the oil and gas sector focused on the well-being of workers, and providing support and engagement with companies, with the aim of identifying and sharing best practices and raising standards. Commenting on the programme, PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci said, “Project Prism is about embedding effective and caring labour practices among our contractors and ensuring that personnel at every level are engaged and supported well, and in accordance with national legislation and best international standards. “We want to work with our contractors to help create a better work environment across our op-

BENCHMARKING: Senior representatives of some 200 of PDO’s

main contractors and sub-contractors were invited to participate in a workforce welfare assessment programme. – Supplied photo

erations and beyond. We cannot expect people to give their best for PDO and their companies without demonstrating the equivalent commitment to our respective staff. The interviews, which will be carried out with contractor personnel, will be completely conﬁdential and employees will be able to speak freely and honestly so that we can identify key issues, assess and raise operating standards and share best practices and, not least, recognise top- performing companies.” The 61-question survey, which will be conducted by independent consultants Inspirational Development Group on behalf of PDO, covers a wide range of topics provided in the ﬁeld, including safety, pay, training, medical

care, food, accommodation and human resources. The survey, targeting 3,000 PDO employees, will be conducted out at PDO’s seven main Interior locations at Fahud, Lekhwair, Yibal, Qarn Alam, Marmul, Nimr and Bahja in one of six languages - Arabic, English, Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam and Tagalog. After evaluating the data collected, the company will provide each contractor with detailed feedback and offer high-level coaching and advice on putting in place best practices. The survey follows a pilot programme last year in which 1,500 PDO contractor staff from 20 companies were surveyed to identify areas where improvements could be made to optimise their performance and productivity.

PROGRAMME

Best of British training and education to be showcased Times News Service MUSCAT: A delegation of more than 30 UK education and training providers will visit Oman today, seeking opportunities to showcase training and partnership opportunities to Omani ministries, companies and universities. The UK is well regarded as a centre of excellence for corporate and executive training across a range of areas and is experienced in working with overseas clients to deliver training tailored to their speciﬁc needs. Universities, colleges, private training providers and companies specialising in providing business solutions, such as recruitment, are part of the delegation and are offering a wide range of professional development programmes, vocational qualiﬁcations, teacher training, courses with industry recognised accreditation and management consultancy. The participating organisations are looking for partner-

We hope there will be many opportunities for collaboration Amanda Selvaratnam The Training Gateway

ship opportunities, including direct delivery of their programmes, franchising and licensing arrangements,to develop educational partnerships with local universities and colleges. Amanda Selvaratnam, one of the mission leaders from The Training Gateway said, “We are delighted to be bringing another delegation, after our earlier successful visit,

and we are looking forward to the excellent programme of meetings and events that have been arranged for us by UKTI in Oman. We hope that there will be many opportunities for collaboration, partnerships and the building of long term relationships between organisations and institutions in Oman and the wide range of providers in the delegation.”

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ocal colleges and universities must start revolutionising conventional models of higher education, to meet the demands of the industry, and be more creative in technology and innovation. The industries in Oman are going through a shift towards globalisation and they need to employ workers to keep up with the pace of international business demands. This is one reason why the private sector insists on recruiting employees who earned their degrees abroad. The CVs of those with local qualiﬁcations are at the bottom of the application heap because Oman-based higher education institutions try to cut corners with their academic curriculum. Too many graduates chasing fewer jobs With too many graduates chasing fewer jobs, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Omanis to get the nod because employers have a wide pool of choice when they advertise for positions. It’s no secret that companies prefer to employ expatriates because they are

educated in their countries where the education system embraces industrial changes. The ability to put technology at the heart of the learning agenda is something local education intuitions need to prioritise. Academics must realise that it’s the global demand that drives development and local industries have no choice but to follow. Right balance of theory and practice needed Perhaps one thing our universities and colleges do wrong is to employ teachers straight from other academic institutions. In a changing world, educational institutions need to create the right balance by employing teachers with industry experience as well as those with pure academic background. You cannot effectively teach a technology that you have never used or applied at workplace. Theories are best explained by a teacher who has put it into practice. Fusion of industry experience and academic excellence is what office directors look for in graduates. Students in Oman too need to be involved in extra curricular activities to harness innovation in the ﬁeld of education. Many employers complain that graduates are not creative enough and that they cannot meet the growing demands because it was not in their syllabi. In real life, businesses are at the mercy of the markets and if graduates are not equipped with the right practical skills, then no employer would touch them. In other words, while most universities around the world have changed their set of courses to include technology in real-time, here in Oman, we are still lagging behind by several decades. Colleges and universities must use a new path that allows them to be more col-

laborative and creative in their approach to help the private sector. Therefore, colleges and universities must create a professional relationship between themselves on the one hand, and the industry on the other. They must make it work, too. With the government already committed to big projects such as the railway, they would need more than 20,000 employees to lay the 2,135-km long tracks. The mining industry is also taking off as air transportation is. One way to bridge the gap is to create excellent research centres. At the moment, research conducted by the local higher education institutions is mediocre. These research works are broad and do not cater to the needs of the industries based in Oman. Most of them are copy-and-paste work, with a few modiﬁcations designed to pass as original. There are no stringent laws to test their originality. Industries are willing to fund research but professors of universities need to prove they are up to the task of making real changes to bridge the gap between the two. Need to push the frontiers of knowledge The frontiers of knowledge can be pushed if the academic masters are willing to work in tandem with the private sector, and not just provide a lip service. Global changes wait for no one. We cannot push out graduates for the sake of doing it who cannot stand the test of excellence when they apply for jobs. Universities need to employ individuals who understand both worlds. Pure academicians are not enough because they cannot on their own prepare students for the practical world. Together, they can produce job ready graduates for the changing world.

MUSCAT: Reputed companies were invited by the Municipality on Tuesday, to register with the tender board, to install public toilets in the Muttrah Souq. According to Salim Al Ghammari, a member of the Muscat Municipal Council, the toilets will be located in the Souq’s central area and will have separate facilities for males and females with separate entrances. Al Ghammari said that the visitors were currently grappling with a shortage of public toilets in Muttrah Souq. “The current situation of public toilets in Oman is not acceptable,” Al Ghammari said, adding that the municipality aims to extend the toilet services to other wilayats of the Sultanate too. Al Ghammari noted that the new public toilets will feature state-of-the-art services. “A worker will be appointed for each toilet to ensure the highest hygiene standards,” he added.

HONOUR

HM award for voluntary work 2015 announced MUSCAT: Assigned by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, yesterday presided over the celebration of 4th edition of His Majesty the Sultan Award for Voluntary Work 2015, at Al Bustan Palace Hotel. Sheikh Mohammed bin Said Al Kalbani, Minister of Social Development, a number of ministers, and ambassadors accredited to the Sultanate were among those present on the occasion. Dar Al Atta’a, Oman Cancer Association at ﬁrst place The winning individuals, establishments, companies and associations were honoured at the ceremony. The ﬁrst place went to the

Oman Cancer Association for the project “Dar Al Hanan” and Dar Al Atta’a Association for the “Big Give Competition”. The second place went to a project of the Oman Lawyers Association. The third place went to a project on educating disabled of Al Noor Association for the Blind, Salalah Branch. A Ministry of Social Development speech, a documentary, a lecture and recital of poetry on voluntary work were the other highlights of the occasion. Ninety-nine projects; 50 individual projects 38 projects of civil establishments and companies and 11 projects of the companies supportive to social responsibility will compete for the 15 winning places covering different ﬁelds. -ONA

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015 The purpose of this trip is to allow my fellow Sloans to experience Oman’s rich culture, authentic cuisine, fascinating history, and its warm hospitality while networking with Omani entrepreneurs Aadil Al Saadi, Sloan scholar

OMAN

Telecom regulator accredits fifth registrar for Top-Level Domain Al Rawahi said the TRA had accredited four registrars at the project launch and the ﬁrst phase was dedicated to government, private and community institutions.

TRA is adding a ﬁfth registrar by accrediting the AbuGhazaleh Intellectual Property to enhance the competitive environment, which will serve the growth of the domain names market and e-commerce in Oman DOMAIN NAMES PROJECT: TAG-Domains’ (Talal Abu-Ghazaleh) Executive Director Mahmoud Lattouf made a presentation on AGIP and its willingness to register Internet domain names. – Supplied photo

Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman’s Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) has accredited the ﬁfth accredited registrar for the country’s code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) of Sultanate of Oman (.om) and its Arabic domain, an official commu-

niqué said on Tuesday. During a press conference, Sulieman Al Rawahi, responsible for managing the domain names department, presented a summary of the domain names registration project.

He also reviewed the TRA’s efforts in promoting the internet domain names project and developing the procedures and regulations governing registration in the project, the statement said. “The TRA by launching this pro-

ject is aiming to reﬂect the Omani identity and promote Arabic content,” Al Rawahi said, adding, “It also aims to provide better security for domain names information as registration is carried out by accredited registrars in Oman.”

Fifth registrar He said TRA is adding a ﬁfth registrar by accrediting the AbuGhazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) in order to enhance the competitive environment, which will serve the growth of the domain names market and e-commerce in the Sultanate, which in return serves to boost the knowledge society. “Domain names are the addresses of internet websites, and these names are either Latin letters or written in languages or scripts, which do not use the Latin alphabet, such as Arabic,” he added. The statement said the TRA is adopting a Registry-Registrar Model for registering domain names, through which private companies were accredited to compete and registering domain names on behalf of the TRA. The AGIP is joining the previously Accredited Registrars—Omantel, Ooredoo, Gulf CyberTech and Oman Data Park. TAG-Domains’ (Talal AbuGhazaleh) Executive Director,

Mahmoud Lattouf gave a presentation on AGIP and its willingness to register internet domain names. He also offered some incentives and features for the users, who are willing to register through AGIP. On the occasion, criteria for selecting accredited registrars were also discussed, which include fulfilling technical and financial requirements laid down by the companies, the statement said. For domain names registration, applicants are advised to refer to the registration terms and conditions described in the Domain Names Regulation and the rules and guidelines issued by the Domain Names Administration of the TRA. Worldwide The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organisation (TAG-Org) was established in 1972 and operates out of 80 offices and 180 representation offices worldwide. It is one of the accredited registrars and an ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and is offering domain registration services, including a wide range of high-level domains (gTLDs) and country code domains (ccTLDs) and internationalized domain names (IDNs).

A FUSION OF DESIGN

Top designers to showcase collections Times News Service MUSCAT: Muscat is all set to welcome a bevy of international models, who will sashay down the ramp at a glittering event that will encompass the culture and rich heritage of India and Pakistan. Renowned designers Anita Dongre from India and Rizwan Beyg from Pakistan will showcase their intricate and exquisite designs at a fashion show. The inspirations of Beyg are infinite: seashells, mother of pearl, turquoise stones and floss floral embroideries in rich colours of ivory and black are common. The palette is subdued, with flashes of colour thrown in with a touch of whimsy. Watermelon pink, beige and biscuit, turquoise and mus-

Anita Dongre from India.

Rizwan Beyg from Pakistan.

tard mixed with pomegranate red, black and always white silver and dull antique gold. His collection brings the hand embroidered three-dimensional ﬂower and is the leitmotif of the collection. Dongre is a household name and a highly respected leader in the global fashion fraternity.

She is also celebrated for her commitment to reviving, sustaining and empowering traditional Indian crafts. With a vegan and no-leather policy, combined with a desire to make fashion accessible, she has crafted a folio of brands to meet Indian consumers’ need for fash-

ionable wear. She was feted for the same by the Textile Minister of India at the Lakme Fashion Week, Summer/Resort 2015. The showstoppers for the event will be well-known actress Tabu from Bollywood and Ahsan Khan from Pakistan. Tabu will walk the ramp for Dongre and Khan for Beyg. Dongre and Beyg will be in Muscat on December 10 for their fashion show entitled, “A Fusion of Design,” brought to you by Keylight Productions, a division of Doc LLC. Golden International and the Times of Oman will be the presenters. The event will be powered by Services and Trade & Driven by BMW. The official airline partner is Oman Air and the travel partner is Al Hashar. The beauty partner is Dashing Nails.

SLOAN SCHOLAR

< FROM

A1 ‘Ready to share knowledge’ While talking about his plans, Al Saadi said he is interested in sharing his knowledge and experience with Omani entrepreneurs and also corporate, which are considering innovative ways to operate effectively and boost productivity, especially during the current economic turbulence. OmanFEAT Currently, Al Saadi is also working on a project named Oman-

FEAT, which will see 12 Sloan fellows visit Oman between December 18 and 24. “The purpose of this trip is to allow my fellow Sloans to experience Oman’s rich culture, authentic cuisine, fascinating history, and its warm hospitality while networking with Omani entrepreneurs,” Al Saadi said while thanking Lamya Harub, a co-organiser of OmanFEAT and a visiting PhD Scholar at Columbia University, for her contribution to

making the OmanFEAT initiative come true. “Lamya has been instrumental in the planning and executing the trip’s logistics, sponsor networks and creative inputs.” “I also want to thank Ahmed AlIsmaili for his assistance with the trip website,” Al Saadi added. Al Saadi has worked in the Consulting, Strategy and Programme Management ﬁeld in Canada, UK, the United Arab Emirates and Oman for 11 years. H E AV Y R A I N S

Chennai A1 ﬂooded < FROM

The Chennai airport was closed on December 2 following heavy rains. So far, the heavy rainfall has claimed around 350 lives. It is reported that the city saw its worst rainfall in the last century. On Saturday, India’s Minister of State for Aviation, Mahesh Sharma said commercial flight operations may take two more days to resume at the Chennai airport. Earlier, it was being reported that flight operations would resume partially at the airport on Saturday. The minister said commercial flight services cannot be resumed at the airport as of now. “We should give it two days. Once power supply is restored and water evacuation happens, we can restart commercial flight services,” he added. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Rs 10 billion in aid to Tamil Nadu. This will be in addition to the Rs9.4 billion already announced by the Centre.

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 6, 2 0 1 5 The operation took place in the town of Deir Ammar, northeast of the city of Tripoli. The explosion killed the wife and mother of the suspect, whose name was Mohammed Hamzeh, A security source, Lebanon

C I V I L WA R

UN envoy meets Hadi to discuss peace talk prospects ADEN: The United Nations envoy to Yemen met President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi on Saturday to discuss prospects for peace talks between his embattled Aden-based government and Houthi forces, a source close to Yemen’s president said. Forces loyal to Hadi backed by mainly Arab states have been locked in eight months of civil war with the Houthis who rule the capital Sanaa. Previous UN-led efforts to end the conﬂict through dialogue have failed as battles rage across the country and Saudiled warplanes bomb positions of Yemen’s ascendant Houthi group and its Yemeni army allies. The source said UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s talks with Hadi aimed to lay the groundwork for a second round of talks in the Swiss city of Geneva. It is the ﬁrst time the envoy has paid an official visit to Aden, which Hadi declared the temporary capital after Arab coalition forces seized it from the Houthis in July. But the government and its allies have struggled to impose their authority in the city, which teems with shadowy gunmen who carried out two shootings on Saturday. — Reuters

REGION

‘Turkish troops deployment in Iraq violates global law’ Iraq’s prime minister and foreign ministry called on Turkey to withdraw its forces from the Iraqi soil

BAGHDAD: Iraqi President Fouad Massoum on Saturday called the deployment of several hundred Turkish troops inside Iraq near the northern city of Mosul “a violation of international norms and law”. A Turkish security source said on Friday the forces would provide training for Iraqi troops near Mosul, which is controlled by IS militant group. Necessary measures Iraq’s prime minister and foreign ministry have called for Turkey to withdraw its forces. In an online statement, Massoum also called on Turkey to withdraw the troops and asked Iraq’s Foreign Ministry to take the necessary measures

RISING TENSIONS: A tunnel used by IS militants is seen in the

town of Sinjar, Iraq on December 1, 2015. A Turkish security source said on Friday that forces would provide training to Iraqi troops near Mosul, which is controlled by IS militant group. – Reuters

“to preserve the country’s sovereignty and independence”. IS militants overran Mosul in June 2014. A much anticipated counter-offensive by Iraqi forces has been repeatedly postponed because they are tied down in ﬁghting elsewhere. A senior Kurdish military officer based north of Mosul told Reuters that additional Turkish trainers had arrived at a camp in

the area overnight on Thursday escorted by a Turkish protection force. A small number of Turkish trainers was already at the camp to train a force called Hashid Watani (national mobilisation), which is made up of mainly former Iraqi police and volunteers from Mosul. It was formed by former governor Atheel Al Nujaiﬁ, who is close

LEBANON

Militant kills self, two family members BEIRUT: A suspected militant killed himself and two members of his family in northern Lebanon on Saturday when he blew himself up during an army raid on his home, security and medical sources said. The army has carried out a series of raids since two suicide bomb blasts claimed by IS killed 44 people in a crowded commercial and residential area of Beirut

last month. Saturday’s operation took place in the town of Deir Ammar, northeast of the city of Tripoli. The explosion killed the wife and mother of the suspect, whose name was Mohammed Hamzeh, a security source said. The source said Hamzeh was part of a group that had pledged allegiance to IS. At least 10 other people were wounded in the blast, including four security personnel. Bullet

holes and bloodstains marked the walls and staircase inside the building after the raid. Raids Security forces carried out further raids in the same town after the incident, and arrested several Lebanese and Syrian nationals, the security source said. A Lebanese court charged 26 people last week with belonging

to IS, 23 of whom were directly linked to the Beirut bombings on November 12 which targeted a suburb. The Syrian civil war across the border has routinely spilled over into its smaller neighbour, with militants bombing targets, clashes between gunmen who support opposing sides in Syria, as well as between the Lebanese army and hardliners. — Reuters

to Turkey. There was already a small number of Turkish trainers there before this latest deployment. “Our soldiers are already in Iraq. A battalion of soldiers has gone there. Training was already being given in that region for the last two to three years. This is a part of that training,” one senior Turkish official said. The United States was aware of Turkey’s deployment of hundreds of Turkish soldiers to northern Iraq but the move is not part of the US-led coalition’s activities, according to defence officials in Washington. Powerful armed groups have pledged to ﬁght a planned deployment of US forces to the country. Turkey has in recent months been bombing Kurdish militant positions in northern Iraq. “Turkish soldiers have reached the Mosul Bashiqa region. They are there as part of routine training exercises. One battalion has crossed into the region,” the source said. He said troops had already been in Iraqi Kurdistan and had moved to Mosul accompanied by armoured vehicles, in a move which coalition countries targeting Islamic State were aware of. Video released on the website

of Turkey’s pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper showed flatbed trucks carrying armoured vehicles along a road at night, describing them as a convoy accompanying the Turkish troops to Bashiqa. Another senior Turkish official said the soldiers in the region were there to train Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. Turkey has close relations with the Kurdish autonomous zone of northern Iraq, though it views Syrian Kurdish groups across the border as hostile to its interests. “This is part of the fight against IS),” he said, adding that there were around 20 armoured vehicles accompanying them as protection. On Tuesday, the United States said it was deploying a new force of special operations troops to Iraq to conduct raids against IS there and in neighbouring Syria, ratcheting up its campaign against the group. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi’s office has said it welcomed foreign assistance but Iraq’s government would need to approve any deployment of special operations forces anywhere in Iraq. Abadi reiterated that foreign ground combat troops were not needed in Iraq. — Reuters

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015 A sort of panic was created that the pollution has increased so much that something drastic has to be done Arvind Kejrival, Delhi chief minister

INDIA MEDIA REPORTS

Odisha denies girl students’ detention BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government on Saturday denied media reports that girl students were detained in a room during Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to ‘Maa Rama Devi University’ campus on December 3 even as the girls sought intervention of the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC). “No female student was conﬁned in a closed place. The media reports on conﬁnement of girls were not based on facts,” parliamentary affairs minister B. K. Arukha said in a statement in the assembly as per the ruling of Speaker Niranjan Pujari. Pujari had earlier directed the state government to issue a statement on the allegations of girl students having been detained after opposition Congress members disrupted proceeding of the House and demanded unconditional apology from the chief minister. The assembly was adjourned at least four times during the day

due to the din by the opposition legislatures who described the incident as illegal and violative of the human rights and constitutional rights of the girl students. As the impasse continued in the Assembly for the second consecutive day, Pujari convened an all party meeting where it was decided that the government will give a statement on the allegations about girls’ detention. However, the situation worsened when Priyadarshi Mishra, one of the BJD legislatures, in a media statement drew parallel between the college girls and the female human bomb that killed former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. The issue was raised in the assembly by leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress who demanded apology from BJD legislature. Accordingly, Mishra was called to the House and gave a statement on the issue where the MLA from North Bhubaneswar. - PTI

Economy faces weak recovery, says former PM and their implications for the working classes. Noting that removing poverty was a major task before the country and requires a high rate of economic growth and a rapid increase in employment opportunities, Manmohan Singh said there was a broad consensus that India’s economy needs to grow at an annual rate of about eight percent and there should be productive new job opportunities for 10-12 million people every year.

Manmohan Singh also said that there was inadequate job creation and uncertainty ahead for public enterprises

NEW DELHI: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday slammed the policies of the Narendra Modi government, saying economy faces fragile recovery, there was inadequate job creation and uncertainty ahead for public enterprises. Addressing the 31st plenary session of Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intuc) here, he said there was dissatisfaction among workers over ‘anti-labour and unimaginative economic policies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’. “The trade union movement has to be aware that at present Indian economy faces a fragile recovery and inadequate expansion of employment opportunities. Public enterprises face an uncertain future,” he said, adding employment-oriented programmes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act face reduced allocations. “In the name of structural labour reforms, efforts are being made to reduce the scope for secure industrial jobs in favour of contract labour and hire and ﬁre

Manmohan Singh at the plenary Session of INTUC in New Delhi, on Saturday. – PTI

approach. It is generally agreed that we need at least 500 million skilled workers by 2022. The actual pace on the ground is only a fraction of this target,” he said. Manmohan Singh said industrial strife, strikes and lockouts were not the best means to resolve unrest. “We must enlarge the available space for resolving industrial problems through peaceful dialogue involving all the stake holders of the tripartite process - namely workers, industry and government.” Trade unions He said Congress has always believed that trade union movement is an integral part of social democracy and every encouragement ought to be provided to promote collective bargaining to secure for labour a just and fair share of development’s beneﬁts, but the movement has to take into account fast-changing social and economic conditions and make an objective assessment of the present regime’s economic and social policies

Labour standards He said the trade union movement can play a very important role in ensuring that the growth process is both inclusive as well as environmentally sustainable and Intuc’s agenda of job creation, respect for labour standards and rights at work responds well to these imperatives. “This visionary agenda rightly focuses on providing productive job opportunities to young workers, ensure zero gender discrimination, and expanding the frontiers of social security focusing on health, education and housing and guarantee of freedom of association and collective bargaining,” he said. Manmohan Singh called on Intuc to expand its coverage to cover more workers in the unorganised sectors such as agriculture and construction and pay particular attention to needs of women workers. Intuc must also play a more important role in programmes, he said. - IANS

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FIGHTING POLLUTION

‘Delhi to stop odd-even car experiment if it’s inconvenient’ NEW DELHI: Amid widespread apprehension over the odd and even number scheme for private vehicles, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday struck a conciliatory note and said it will be tried out for limited period of time and it will be stopped if there are problems galore. With experts and Opposition parties questioning the practicability of the scheme, Kejriwal said many things were yet to be thrashed out including exemptions for certain private vehicles and it was a decision taken in principle which will be ‘thought through’. “In principle, a decision has been taken. Many things are yet to be thrashed out... We will experiment with it for some time. May be for 15 days. If there are too many problems, it will be stopped,” he said at the HT Leadership Summit here. Court’s observation Kejriwal said his government had planned to introduce the scheme at a later stage after strengthening the public transport system but was forced to take the drastic step following ‘panic’ in the wake of Delhi High Court’s observation that the city has become a ‘gas chamber’. “A sort of panic was created that the pollution has increased so much that something drastic has to be done,” he said. In a radical step to curb air pollution, the city government on Friday announced that private vehicles bearing odd and even registration numbers will be allowed to ply only on alternate days starting January 1. Seeking to assuage concerns, Kejriwal said his government would not allow the people to be inconvenienced. He said he had thought of introducing such a measure only after taking a number of steps, including redesigning the roads, augmenting public transport. - PTI

PA R L I A M E N T S E S S I O N

Passage of goods and services tax, real estate bills top agenda NEW DELHI: With repeated disruptions in second week of the winter session putting its legislative agenda on the backburner, the government has proposed heavy business in both Houses of Parliament next week, listing key legislation like Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Real Estate bills for consideration and passage. It plans to pass six bills in the Lok Sabha and seven in the Rajya Sabha next week. Of these, two bills are already listed in the Lower House and three in the Upper House. The government’s main focus will be on the passage of the key GST Bill, officially known as The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014, as passed by the Lok Sabha and as reported by a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha. The federal government plans to roll out the Goods and Services Tax from April next year. Other important bills include the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, which was discussed in Rajya Sabha on Friday. The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Rajya Sabha has allotted a time of four hours for the GST Bill and two hours for the Real Estate Bill. The Select Committees of the House have already submitted their reports on these two bills which are pending for further consideration and passing by the Rajya Sabha. The legislative agenda of Lok Sabha includes consideration and passage of the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salary and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill 2015, the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2015, The Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill 2015, the Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill 2015, and the Industries (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill 2015. The government also plans to take up the discussion and voting on Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2015-16 and Demands for Excess Grants (General) for 2012-13 in the Lok Sabha in the third week of the winter session, sources in the Parliamentary

Main focus will be on the passage of the key GST Bill, officially known as Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014, as passed by the Lok Sabha and as reported by a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha

Affairs Ministry said. In the Rajya Sabha, it plans to take up the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, on which discussion has already begun, the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill 2015 and the Whistle Blower Protection (Amendment) Bill 2015, as passed by Lok Sabha. While the ﬁrst bill was taken up in Rajya Sabha on Friday on which Congress, Samajwadi Party and some others advocated caution, the Whistle Blower Bill was listed on Friday but could not be taken up. Juvenile Justice Bill Besides, the Upper House is also slated to take up the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2015, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2015, The Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill,2015, The Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, 2015, as passed by Lok Sabha, The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013, and the Child Labour (Protection and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012.

The government sources maintain that after the lapse of the land ordinance, it is keen to ensure that three other ordinance-related bills are passed by Parliament. These are the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2015 to deal with cheque bounce cases, The Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts and Commercial Bill, 2015 that enables the creation of commercial divisions in high courts, and another to convert The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 into an Act, which was brought to achieve the purpose of speedy settlement of disputes via arbitration. Two of these bills are listed for next week. The non-legislative business which could be taken up in Lok Sabha next week include a discussion on drought situation in the country, price rise and India’s relations with neighbouring countries. In Rajya Sabha, the situation in Nepal and India-Nepal relations and price rise could be discussed. The discussion on Nepal situation has been converted from Calling Attention of the government to a short duration discussion as per the decision of the House. - PTI

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INDIA

Flood-hit Chennai airport will be closed until December 8: Air India IN A NUTSHELL Over 28,000 people

Army chief conducts aerial survey of ﬂood-hit areas

have been moved

Limited operations of ferry ﬂights from the airport began on Saturday

Air India operated as many as four such ﬂightss.

Technical ﬂights have started but it may take 2-3 days to resume commercial ﬂights

Twenty-seven truck of ready-to-eat meals, drinking water bottles and food items have also been sent

Situation is improving and ﬂood waters were receding

Connectivity in Tamil Nadu has been restored

City bus services have begun functioning

Power supply has been restored to over 90% of the city

Railways continue to operate special intra-city and outstation services

to safer locations from rain and ﬂoodaffected areas of Chennai and adjoining areas and tonnes of relief material have been dispatched to the state of Tamil Nadu

NEW DELHI: Closure of Chennai airport has been extended till December 8, the Air India said on Saturday even as Airports Authority of India (AAI) was monitoring the situation to take a decision on resuming normal operations. “The closure of the Chennai Airport has been further extended till 11am of December 8, 2015,” Air India said mentioning it in a statement about its ﬂights to Hyderabad and Port Blair from Chennai. In the wake of heavy rains and ﬂooding of the runway and nearby operational areas, AAI had closed the airport for normal operations on December 2 till December 6. When contacted, an AAI spokesperson said the situation at the airport was being constantly monitored and a decision on extending the closure period has not been taken yet. Limited operations of ferry BRIEFS

NO FUEL SHORTAGE: There is no shortage of fuel in Chennai or its suburbs, where petrol pumps were closed for safety following ﬂoods, Indian Oil Corporation has said. – PTI

flights from the airport began on Saturday and Air India operated as many as four such flights. Technical flights have started from rain-hit Chennai airport where operations were suspended on Wednesday following flooding but it may take 2-3 days to resume commercial flights, federal minister Mahesh Sharma said on Saturday. More than 28,000 people have been moved to safer locations from rain and flood-affected areas of Chennai and adjoining areas and tonnes of relief material has been dispatched to Tamil Nadu, the federal government said on Saturday said. Army Chief General Dalbir Singh undertook an aerial survey of the worst flood-hit parts of the city and surrounding areas on Saturday and said the troops would

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continue rescue efforts till it was required by the administration. Water and food supplies Twenty-seven truck loads of ready-to-eat meals, 400,000 bottles of drinking water and other essential food items have also been sent to the state. A meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) was held here under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary P. K. Sinha to review the ﬂood situation in the state and take stock of the relief measures being done by multi-

Lalu’s daughter Misa wants Modi to apologise PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti on Saturday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders should apologise to nearly 110 million people of Bihar for falsely stating the state’s economy was in a poor shape. Misa Bharti, a doctor-turnedpolitician and one of the outspoken Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders, on Saturday targeted Modi and BJP leaders for misleading people in the wake of the latest ﬁndings of the National Institution for Transforming India Aayog.

Gadkari unveils Rs500b road projects in Andhra VIJAYWADA: Federal government is taking up road projects worth more than Rs500 billion in Andhra Pradesh, including an Outer Ring Road at Vijayawada, where the State’s new capital city is coming up. Announcing this here on Saturday, federal road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said these new schemes, which include 392km of national highways, are in addition to similar projects worth more than Rs150 billion which are already going on in the State ruled by TDP-BJP alliance. He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for a six-lane ﬂy-over at the famous Kanaka Durga temple here and three other ventures. He declared different road projects. - Agencies

vices are expected to begin from Monday,” it said. NCMC was also told by officials participating in the meeting that the restoration of Chennai airport will be completed in a day or two. “Meanwhile, the operation of the civilian ﬂights from the Naval air Base in Arakkonam continues,” it said. Telecom services are not fully functional in the affected areas, Sinha directed that necessary steps should be taken to restore the same at the earliest. Transport links were being slowly restored, while a government statement said that 1.15 million people had been rescued and housed in 5,009 relief camps. Unlike some areas such as Mylapore, Adyar and Annasalai where the water level has receded and electricity

supply partially restored, people in many pockets in north Chennai continued to remain cut off. In Korukkupet in north Chennai, a resident complained that nobody from the government or any political party visited her locality to offer relief. In several localities, apartment owners pumped out stagnant water through hired pumps. Southern Railway is operating special trains from Chennai to Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Tiruchendur, Karaikal and Tirunelveli. - Agencies

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LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

FA M I LY P L A N N I N G

New Delhi on high alert over possible terror attack NEW DELHI: The national capital has been put on high alert after Delhi police registered an ﬁrst information report earlier this week regarding a possible ‘terror strike’ by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a top police officer said here on Saturday. The officer, on the condition of anonymity, said that the Special Cell unearthed the ‘terror strike’ conspiracy after receiving an intelligence input in November about two suspected LeT operatives.

ple agencies like NDRF and army. An official statement said the situation is improving as Chennai did not experience heavy rainfall since and the ﬂood waters were receding. “National Disaster Response Force and armed forces sent by the government of India have rescued more than 28,000 persons. As the need for rescue has come down, the 50 NDRF teams and 13 army columns deployed are now more pressed into relief services rather than rescue,” it said. It added that road connectivity in the state has been restored and city bus services have begun functioning. “Power supply has been restored to more than 90 per cent of the city. Railways continue to operate special intra-city and outstation services and normal ser-

It’s a male dominated world: Nicole Kidman TOKEN: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar presents a memento

to Bill Gates, co-chair and trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, at a meeting in Patna on Saturday. – PTI

Bill Gates, Nitish to work together on major health issues PATNA: Bill Gates, co-chair and trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here on Saturday and discussed ways to work together on key health indicators like family planning and immunisation for the next five years. The foundation offered commitment to work together on areas of health like maternal, neonatal and child health, nutrition, infectious diseases management (diarrohea, pneumonia and tuberculosis) and elimination of Kala-azar, and enhance support through technical assistance in sanitation, digital financial inclusion as well as agriculture. “We stand committed to work collaboratively with the government for the next five years to help achieve their public health and development goals,” Gates said. In addition to the chief minister, the meeting was also attended by chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, R. K. Mahajan, principal secretary, Health, S. M. Raju, secretary, Social Welfare and Chanchal Kumar, secretary to the chief minister among others. Gates was joined by key members of his India leadership team. The Bihar government had in the past successfully partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to eliminate polio disease from the state. Commenting on the meeting,

Nitish said health and nutrition were critical indexes of Bihar’s progress. “The state government is committed to ensure equitable health and nutrition services and increased health ﬁnancing to bring about greater improvements in health and nutrition outcomes so that we can make a signiﬁcant difference to all,” Nitish was quoted in an official statement. Universal healthcare “We need to strengthen our health system so that marginalised communities can receive universal healthcare. We will continue working closely with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to accomplish our health, nutrition and development goals,” he said. Further, to enhance the state’s efforts to reduce neo-natal mortality, the chief minister said his government was open to the suggestion of involvement of high quality private sector operators, under requisite public private partnerships (PPP) to deliver high quality neonatal care through SNCUs (Special Newborn Care Units). He said the state was willing to look into attractive contracting and payment systems for which he requested the Foundation to provide technical support. Nitish assured the foundation of bringing structural changes in the public health systems. - PTI

NEW DELHI: Hollywood superstar Nicole Kidman believes the world is still dominated by males even though there is a need for the equality of sexes. “It is a male dominated world. That’s just a fact. When people say there is no need for feminism anymore because there is equality we know that’s not a true statement. The world is changing in the sense of the need and desire for equality between sexes. But there is still an enormous way to go,” Kidman said while replying to a query at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2015 here. “I don’t think it is a controversial statement at all. This is why there is a need for female equality. I am not saying that the female is not valued but it is still male dominate. Equality of the sexes, if that can be achieved, it can be a very different world.” The 48-year-old actress said education and a humanist approach is important in protecting the family unit. Taking care of family “Female dynamic is such an important dynamic in the world to exist. We nurture. We are the contributors to the family in a way the male is not and without the family unit surviving and becoming stronger, the world does not work. Primarily, we have to take care of family, men women and the both sexes of children.” The actress said she learnt about women’s issues from her feminist mother. “I always speak passionately about women’s issues because my mother is a feminist. She is 75-year-old and she is still passionate...” Nicole, who got married to musician Keith Urban after her divorce from Tom Cruise, credits her partner for helping her achieve a quiet family life despite her Hollywood fame. “I live a very quiet family life. I have created a very tight intimate family. I have a wonderful partnerhusband, who is just very open hearted, engaged and wonderful father and husband. We create a very close family. I have this life and I have that life as well.” - PTI

CANDID: Nicole Kidman speaks at the ‘HT Leadership Summit

2015’ in New Delhi, on Saturday. The actress said education and a humanist approach is important in protecting the family unit. – PTI

Never been offered a Hindi film role, says Hollywood superstar NEW DELHI: Oscarwinner Nicole Kidman fell in love with Indian movies while working on Baz Luhrmann’s musical Moulin Rouge!, which was inspired by Bollywood dramas. “I have never been offered,” Nicole said when asked whether she would like to do a Bollywood movie. “We stole a lot from Bollywood on Moulin Rouge!’I watched a lot of Bollywood films when we did ‘Moulin Rouge!’. I remember Baz Luhrmann would screen all these Bollywood films and that’s when I fell in love with them. We tried to do a little bit of it in the movie but it is very hard. It is an incredibly hard art form to emulate,” Nicole said during a session at Hindustan Times Leader-

ship Summit 2015 here. She feels Bollywood should not lose its uniqueness by emulating Hollywood movies. “I don’t know why as a country you would want to emulate Hollywood. It is very important culturally for countries to maintain their identity through their art. You can go and see a Hollywood movie but the most important thing is to make movies that are your own, that represent you and the power of your culture.” Though she is not working in a Bollywood movie, the actress is a part of a ﬁlm, which is partially set in Kolkata. The movie is titled Lion and also stars Dev Patel. “Half of the ﬁlm is set in Kolkatta and the other half in Tasmania.” - PTI

A10

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015 In the ﬁrst quarter of the current calendar year, PIA paid Rs3.37 billion to service the debt that it owed to various domestic and international investors

PAKISTAN ROLE IN SUBVERSION OF CONSTITUTION

FIA opens fresh investigation into Musharraf treason case

Pervez Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: As per the threejudge special court’s order, a four-member team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has restarted investigations into the high treason case against subversion of the Constitution on November 3, 2007. On November 27, 2015 the special court directed the FIA to reinvestigate the case and record anew the statements of former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, former law minister Zahid

Hamid and former Supreme Court chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar regarding their alleged role in subversion of the Constitution. The FIA was ordered to submit its report on December 17. Earlier on November 10, 2015 the Islamabad High Court (IHC) set aside the special court’s November 21, 2014 order for inclusion of the names of Musharraf’s alleged abettors — Aziz, Hamid and Dogar — in the case and ordered the federal government to reinvestigate them.

The team — headed by the FIA Additional Director General Wajid Zia and including Maqsood Ul Hasan, Dr Usman and Abdul Qadir — has gathered copies of the statements of Aziz, Hamid and Dogar from the IHC and will record their statements. Former chief justice Dogar has moved the IHC and challenged the November 27 order of the special court through his counsel Syed Iftikhar Gilani. Dogar has contended that the special court did not have the

power to order an investigation against any person not cited by the federal government. “The (November 27) order is not within the powers of the special court as conferred by Criminal Law Amendment (Special Courts) Act, 1976,”. Dogar’s counsel argued before the IHC on Friday. Under the Act, he said, the powers to amend or submit an additional statement, at any time, is conferred on the federal government, and not to the special court.

Government rejects PIA’s demand of Rs248b bailout restructuring plan that could not get Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s nod, PIA Board members and management wanted the federal government to give Rs3.5 billion per month to pay off the debt and the mark-up

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has refused to service Rs248 billion debt of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from the budget, rejecting a demand of the national ﬂag carrier that sought Rs3.5 billion per month to avoid default until the airline was privatised. The Board of Directors at PIA and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Aviation Shujat Azeem took up the issue of budgetary support to settle legacy loans of the loss-making national ﬂag carrier with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar during a meeting held early this week in Lahore, said the ministry officials. The federal government was also reluctant to sell two of PIA’s

I M R A N FA R O O Q M U R D E R

Murder case registered against Altaf

The officials said the board demanded the government to pick up the cost of debt and servicing, as it was a drain on PIA’s proﬁt.

Under its proposed

on it

He said the IHC set aside the special court’s November 21, 2014 order for inclusion of the names of the alleged abettors in the case and ordered the federal government to reinvestigate them. “The special court order disregarded the IHC judgment,” Dogar said, adding that he termed the November 27 order a ‘harsher version’ of the special court’s earlier order and that he felt ‘harassed and mortiﬁed’. He requested the IHC to set aside the special court’s new order as well. - Express Tribune

LOSS-MAKING: Under a condition of the $6.2-billion IMF programme, the government is bound to invite Expression of Interest from prospective investors by December 31 and sell the airline by June next year. – Express Tribune ﬁle photo

hotels — the Roosevelt Hotel New York and Scribe Hotel Paris — to pay off the national flag carrier’s ballooning debt that stood at Rs248 billion at the end of March this year, officials added. They said the fate of these hotels would be decided afterwards. Valuation study Due to a delay in completion of the valuation study of both hotels and on-going restructuring of the financial statement, the PIA Board has not yet approved the financial statements of April-June and July-September quarters. The board will meet on December 8 to approve the pending financial statements. Under its proposed restruc-

turing plan that could not get the finance minister’s nod, Board members and the management wanted the federal government to give Rs3.5 billion per month to pay off the debt and the mark-up on it, said the officials. However, the minister refused to open the federal purse but promised that he could help in arranging loans from commercial banks on the balance sheet of the national flag carrier. Dar is said to be not too happy with the board and management for finding an easy path to restructuring that puts the entire burden on the federal government. The majority shareholder’s focus was on whether the PIA could default on its debt obligations, as it

might carry adverse implications for the on-going privatisation programme, said a Board member on condition of anonymity. The federal government has already extended sovereign guarantees to help the PIA roll over Rs6.8 billion Sukuk borrowings that were not retired on time. Under a condition of $6.2 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the government is bound to invite Expression of Interest from the prospective investors by December 31 and sell the airline by June next year. To remove legal hindrance in the PIA privatisation, the government is also in the process of issuing a Presidential Ordinance to repeal the 1956 Act of the PIA.

Debt servicing In the first quarter of the current calendar year, PIA paid Rs3.37 billion to service the debt that it owed to various domestic and international investors, according to the company’s balance sheet. By the end of March, PIA owed Rs65 billion in long-term financing facility and Rs54.5 billion in short-term debt. In addition to this, the PIA owed over Rs104 billion in trade and other payables, Rs19.6 billion in term finance certificates and Sukuk and Rs5 billion in running finance facility. In December, Rs3.6 billion short term debt is maturing that the national flag carrier owes to Habib Bank Limited. The National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has taken maximum exposure and given Rs58.7 billion loan to PIA till March this year including Rs44 billion short term to keep the national flag carrier flying, according to the consolidated financial statement. JP Morgan Chase has given Rs13.8 billion long-term loan, Citi Bank Rs10.4 billion, Standard Chartered Bank Rs9.3 billion and Faysal Bank Rs5.8 billion till March this year. The officials said that besides seeking money for debt servicing, the Aviation Division also sought federal government help for acquiring aircraft to introduce premium services on long-haul flights. In the first quarter of this calendar, the PIA earned 23 per cent of its revenue from United Kingdom routes and 10 per cent from the Americas. - Express Tribune

Altaf Hussain

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered on Saturday a case against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain and other party leaders for alleged involvement in the murder of former party leader Dr Imran Farooq. FIA’s counter-terrorism wing in Islamabad has ﬁled the case which has been registered under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Apart from the MQM chief, Muhammad Anwar, Iftikhar Hussain, Moazzam Ali Khan and Khalid Shamim have been nominated in the FIR. Reacting to media reports of the case against the MQM chief, party spokesperson Aminul Haque said, “We heard about the case from media reports.” “The timing of the registration of the case is surprising, it seems like a mala ﬁde intention,” he added. Further, Haque questioned, “Cases are registered at the scene of crime then why was it registered in Pakistan.” he questioned. Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan had stated that the federal government has decided to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) in Dr Imran Farooq murder case in Pakistan. Dr Farooq was stabbed and bludgeoned to death near his apartment in Green Lane, Edgware, in September 2010. - Express Tribune

POWER PLANTS

Undeterred by climate summit, Pakistan embraces coal KARACHI: Last few weeks have been monumental for Pakistan’s energy landscape. The country has moved closer to unlocking millions of tons of lignite buried in its desert and land has been bought near the port to build facilities to store the fossil fuel and build power plants based on imported coal. Also, executives have frequently travelled to China and elsewhere to meet lenders and consultants. For as long as one can remember, Pakistan has used oil and gas to meet two-thirds of its electricity demand. Time and again, the country was left at the mercy of price ﬂuctuations in international markets, especially as its own gas reserves depleted. In 2013, after Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) came into power largely on the back of a promise to eliminate dilapidating power cuts, it became apparent that coal’s inclusion in country’s energy mix was imperative. Energy economics From almost nothing at the moment, Pakistan now aims to add 8,100 megawatts (MW) through coal to its system — as much as 40 per cent of its existing generation capacity. The obvious reason for using coal is energy economics. Electricity produced using coal is cheaper than both oil and gas. While use of alternatives, like wind, solar and hydel has also been encouraged, coal-based power plants remain most viable for investors

Half of them are located near Karachi. One project — the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company’s (SECMC) 660MW project — will be built near the coal mine in Tharparkar district. These projects have Chinese backing in shape of loans from Chinese banks and equity participation from investors.

RESERVES: Tharparkar district boasts of holding 180 billion tons of coal which could not be exploited due to various reasons since its discovery in the early 1990s. – Express Tribune ﬁle photo

and national grid, officials say. But Pakistan’s belated move comes when developed countries are vigorously moving away from coal. Pressure is also on large consumers like China and India to cut back on its use, as evident from This has not deterred Muhammad Ali Tabba, a director at Lucky Electric, which is building a coalbased 660 MW power plant. “Pakistan will continue to re-

main a marginal player even after all the coal plants come up,” he said. “Statistics speak for themselves,” he says. “Pakistan consumes around 4 million to 4.5 million tons of coal a year. In few years’ time this would increase to 26 million tons and not more. On the other hand, India is burning 500 to 600 million tons of coal and China uses over a billion tons.” Obsolete coal plants in many

developed countries, which have already run their course, are still being used, he said. Ten plants planned Without explicitly mentioning it, Islamabad has laid out such plant speciﬁcations and efficiency levels that only low-emission super critical plants would be built. Out of the ten plants planned, nine depend on imported coal.

No option SECMC’s CEO Shamsuddin Shaikh said Pakistan’s carbon foot print was already too low to warrant any concern. “Our country does not have any other option. We have to go with coal.” About the push for alternates, he said thermal power still accounted for most of the global base load, which basically meant reliable supply of electricity. “Wind, solar and even hydro power plants depend on seasons and conditions. They cannot be relied upon for uninterrupted supply.” Industry officials say that ﬁve projects including Lucky’s 660MW, K-Electric’s 700MW, Hubco’s 1320MW, SECMC’s 660MW and another 1,320MW project of Sinohydro Resources and Al-Mirqab Capital are in advance stages of implementation. “I have serious doubts if the other projects will materialise,” said an official, referring to the three coal-based power plants planned in Punjab. These will use imported coal, which will be shipped to Port Qasim and transported upcountry

via Pakistan Railways. Activity is picking up near Karachi as K-Electric and Lucky have bought land at Port Qasim in recent weeks. Lucky intends to have ﬁnancial close by April 2016 and SECMC’s funding will be secured by this year’s end. Despite repeated attempts the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) Managing Shah Jahan Mirza was not available for comments. While all the coal-based power projects have been made part of multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative, one project has been left on its own — K-Electric’s $1 billion 700MW power project in Karachi. “Apparently, the reason behind this is that K-Electric is a private company,” said a company official. Ease power crisis “Our view is that we are doing the same thing of helping ease the power crisis. So there shouldn’t be any discrimination.” All other coal power plants are linked with National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) system, which transmits electricity to every part of the country except for Karachi. “Isn’t that unfair? We are the only project for country’s largest city and government has not included us in its initiative.” Being part of the CPEC helps give more credence to a project along with certain ﬁscal incentives. - Express Tribune

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Anti-graft agency questions Najib over deposits in bank that it would be recording Najib’s statement in connection with graft allegations at SRC International, a ﬁrm linked to 1MDB, and the funds in his account.

Malaysian prime minister cooperated with the officers during the meeting, which lasted twoand-a-half-hours

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian anti-corruption officials questioned Prime Minister Najib Razak on Saturday in an investigation into deposits of funds totalling $615.53 million (2.6 billion ringgit) into his bank accounts that have prompted calls for his resignation. Graft scandal The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said in a statement that Najib cooperated with its officers during the meeting, which lasted two-anda-half-hours. A graft scandal erupted around

GRAFT SCANDAL: Men walk past a 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) billboard at the funds

ﬂagship Tun Razak Exchange development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in this March 1, 2015 ﬁle photo. A graft scandal erupted around Prime Minister Najib Razak in July when the Wall Street Journal reported that investigators focused on state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had found that funds had been transferred into Najib’s bank accounts. – Reuters Files

Najib in July when the Wall Street Journal reported that investigators focused on state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had found that funds

had been transferred into Najib’s bank accounts. Critics have accused the government of dragging its feet on the investigation and have called

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for Najib to step down due to his failure to fully explain where the money came from, why it was paid, or how it was used. The MACC said on Thursday

Wrongdoing Najib, who chairs the 1MDB advisory board, has denied wrongdoing or taking any money for personal gain. The MACC has said earlier that the money was a political donation from an unidentiﬁed Middle Eastern benefactor. The government has repeated that explanation in parliament, but most Malaysians, not just the prime minister’s critics, remain dissatisﬁed with that answer, and noted his failure to take legal action against the Wall Street Journal. The fund is also being investigated by law enforcement agencies in Switzerland, Hong Kong and the United States, media and sources have said. Controversy The controversy has battered Malaysian markets with the ringgit losing about a quarter of its value to become Asia’s worst-performing currency this year. The MACC statement said it will keep the public informed of developments. — Reuters

HEIGHTENED ALERT

Five held in Malaysia for suspected IS, Al Qaeda links KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s police said on Saturday that it had arrested ﬁve people, including a European employed as a teacher, on suspicion of links with militant groups like the IS group State and Al Qaeda. Malaysia is on heightened alert after reports on Friday that ten Syrians linked to IS entered neighbouring Thailand in October to attack Russian interests. Police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said that four of those arrested were foreign nationals and one was a Malaysian. The arrests were made between November 17 and December 1. Among them was a 44-year-old European who was employed as a temporary teacher in the state of Penang, and had links with Al Qaeda and allegedly participated in militant activities in Afghanistan and Bosnia, the police said. Three other suspects - a 31-yearold Indonesian man, a Malaysian and a Bangladeshi - were part of a cell linked to the IS group and are were tasked with recruiting volunteers to take part in militant activities overseas. The leader of the cell was the Indonesian who is said to have vowed allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi through Facebook in 2014. — Reuters

CRACKDOWN ON PROTEST

South Korean activists rally in Seoul, demand Park’s apology SEOUL: Anti-government protesters marched through downtown Seoul on Saturday, demanding South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s apology for cracking down on a protest last month when farm and labour activists clashed with police. Saturday’s rally in the capital drew around 14,000 people, according to police estimates, far

fewer than the 60,000 that attended the rally on November 14. It went ahead after a court rejected the government’s request for an injunction, made in the aftermath of the violent scenes at earlier demonstration, which had been organised by some of the country’s most militant activist groups to protest against Park’s labour market and education poli-

cies. Park’s conservative government plans to make it possible for employers to dismiss workers based on performance and to cap the salaries of senior employees in order to encourage employers to hire younger people and ease youth unemployment. Activists were also protesting against Park’s decision to replace privately published school history

KILLING OF CIVILIANS

Afghan president promises inquiry into mortar attack KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani promised an investigation on Saturday into a mortar attack by government troops a day earlier that killed at least eight civilians and wounded two others near a mosque in a district south of Kabul. Ghani expressed his condolences and said a ministry of defence team would investigate the incident which he said took place during an operation in the Sayedabad district of Maidan Wardak province, an area with a heavy Taliban presence. Local officials said army mortar bombs fell near a mosque, killing eight civilians and wounding two others, while the Taliban said 10 people gathered around a ﬁre in

PLEDGE FOR JUSTICE: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. – Reuters

front of the mosque were killed and eight wounded in the attack. According to United Nations ﬁgures, nearly 5,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded

in the first half of the year, the highest number since the UN began keeping records in 2009, as fighting has intensified across the country. In its report in August, the UN said most casualties were caused by the Taliban but incidents like the one in Wardak allow the insurgents to point the finger at government troops who have taken over the fighting since NATO forces ended their combat mission last year. “The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns this crime of the Kabul regime and views it as a clear illustration of their brutality and merciless nature towards the common people,” the movement said in a statement. — Reuters

textbooks with government versions, a move they say is an attempt to whitewash military dictators’ oppression of democracy and human rights in South Korea until the mid1980s. Charges were laid against dozens of people in the wake of the rally last month, which saw riot police use water cannon and pepper spray after some protesters attacked police with metal pipes and

sharpened bamboo sticks. Arrest warrant An arrest warrant has been issued against the head of the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), who has taken sanctuary in a Buddhist temple in Seoul, from where, on Saturday, he repeated a call for a general strike. “What is our demand? Stop

the move to worsen labour conditions that only fattens capitalists,” KCTU chief Han Sang-gyun said in his video message to the rally. KCTU has frequently issued calls for a general strike in recent years but the only signiﬁcant action taken has been rotating work stoppages at locations where unionised labour is highly organised. — Reuters

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READERS’ FORUM Expatriates should help ﬂood-hit people in Chennai This refers to the report, ‘Tamil expatriate in Oman worried, as Chennai ﬂooded’, Times (December 5). The misery of people in Chennai from the heavy downpour and the unexpected deluge is complete. Though the actual situation would be much worse than the stories being carried out in the print and visual media depict, I’m sure the expatriate Indian community in Oman would join them and pray for an early recovery from calamity. It would be highly appreciated if the Indian Social Club in Oman temporarily suspends its leisure activities and diverts some funds to help the suffering Scan this QR code people of Chennai. to send letters to the - Ramachandran Nair, Ruwi 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).

Exorbitant taxi fares This refers to the article, ‘Muscat Airport Taxi fares highest in GCC’. Recently when we had to go to India, we took a local taxi from Wadi Kabir to the airport and they charged only OMR5. However, when we returned and took a taxi from the airport to Wadi Kabir, they charged us an exorbitant amount of OMR10. We were in no position to argue as it was late in the night and the taxi drivers stuck to their stand. The commuter does not need a luxury car to go to his home and there is no need for latest cars of premium brands. The authorities should note the difference in fare between the orange and white taxis and normal taxis, and regulate it. - Vivek Pai, Wadi Kabir

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uring the last decades of the twentieth century, Silicon Valley was the unparalleled epicenter of high-tech innovation. Other regions tried to imitate its success, but none succeeded. France’s Sophia Antipolis, a top-down attempt by the government to create an innovation hub near Cannes, never evolved beyond its origins as a relatively tranquil technology park — notwithstanding its mythological name, California-like weather, and the surrounding area’s unbeatable gastronomy. In the twenty-first century, however, Silicon Valley’s competition has gotten fiercer — as reflected by the increasing number of locations affixing the chemical element to their names: Silicon Alley (New York), Silicon Wadi (Tel Aviv), Silicon Sentier (Paris), etc. In London, for example, the emergence of Silicon Roundabout in the late 2000s caught the British government almost by surprise. Now rebranded Tech City, the innovation hub in the old Shoreditch neighborhood has evolved into one of London’s key economic engines and talent magnets. Similar scripts are playing out around the world. In Berlin, a new startup is said to be founded every 20 minutes. Paris is busy building what will be Europe’s largest incubator at Halle Freyssinet. And in Tel Aviv, the phrase “Startup Nation” has gone from a political slogan to economic reality. For the first time, “unicorns” (startups that reach a valuation of more than $1 billion) are no longer the exclusive preserve of the United States – a reality that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago. A bright generation of global youth — from Mumbai to Prague to Kenya to Singapore — is betting on innovation, and American venture capital funds, sustained by access to cheap financing, are sating their investment appetites overseas. There are several factors behind this phenomenon. In a globalized world, capital flows have accelerated and extended their reach. Innovators around the world are able to muster support from traditional venture capitalists or from crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter. Ideas move even faster — propelled, sustained, and strengthened by the Internet. And the ability to turn them into reality is keeping pace, as global supply chains and new technologies like 3D printing reduce implementation times. Meanwhile, the Great Recession that followed

the 2008 global financial crisis has disrupted traditional industries, while creating a large surplus of creative talent and affordable workspaces. As a highly mobile, well educated, risk-taking workforce converges on urban hubs, the excitement of city life, coupled with the availability of co-working spaces and a variety of supporting mechanisms, helps to sustain innovative momentum. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg provided what is perhaps the pithiest summary of the attraction of urban life. Speaking at Stanford University’s 2013 commencement, he quipped, “I believe that more and more Stanford graduates will find themselves moving to Silicon Alley, not only because we’re the hottest new tech scene in the country, but also because there’s more to do on a Friday night than go to the Pizza Hut in Sunnyvale. And you may even be able to find a date with a girl whose name is not Siri” (the digital personal assistant installed on Apple’s handheld devices). Bloomberg is generally credited as one of the major forces behind Silicon Alley. During his tenure in office, he funded early-stage technology companies, hired the city’s first chief digital officer, and launched a new university to develop high-tech talent. Similar policies are now being implemented in many urban areas, in order to attract a critical mass of creative, technologically savvy people. Cities, as a recent World Economic Forum report highlights, are rapidly becoming not just drivers of innovation, but also testing grounds for new technologies, such as reprogrammable space, selfdriving mobility, urban farming, and intelligent street lighting. Meanwhile, vehicle-hailing apps like Uber and apartment-sharing platforms like Airbnb are demonstrating how cities have become some of the most fertile environments for technological development. That is yet another reason why many new startups are putting down roots in urban centres. Most likely, this proliferation of innovation is just the beginning. As the Internet continues its penetration of all aspects of our lives, we are entering what the computer scientist Mark Weiser has called the era of “ubiquitous computing” – a time when technology is so prevalent that it “recedes into the background of our lives.” Before long, the digital world and the physical world will be indistinguishable. The era of “Silicon Everywhere” is upon us – and it is taking shape in the world’s cities. - Project Syndicate

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Seminar on marketing and export MUSCAT: Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, undersecretary for commerce and industry at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, opened a seminar on marketing and export at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) conference hall, yesterday. The symposium is being organised by the OCCI, in cooperation with the Arab-British chamber. Jamil bin Ali Sultan, vice president of the OCCI, gave an address, in which he pointed to the importance of the symposium, which aimed to highlight the latest developments in marketing and export strategies particularly to the European markets.

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S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 6, 2 0 1 5 US government sources have said Tashfeen Malik and her husband Rizwan Farook may have been inspired by IS , but there was no evidence the attack was directed by the militant group or that the organisation even knew who they were.

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WORLD DOWNING OF JET

FIRE DESTROYS AFGHAN MARKET

Afghan shopkeepers try to salvage their belongings after a ﬁre broke out at a footwear market in Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday. There were no reports of casualties, police said. — Reuters

NO IMPACT ON PROJECTS:

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters after a meeting in Ankara, Turkey. – Reuters/Presidential Palace Press Office/Handout

Energy projects unaffected by row with Russia, says Erdogan

California killers were IS followers: Militant group The declaration came three days after Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik carried out the attack on a holiday party

SAN BERNARDINO (CLAIFORNIA): IS militant group said on Saturday that a married couple who killed 14 people in California in an attack the FBI is investigating as an “act of terrorism” were followers of the militant group based in Syria and Iraq.

The group’s declaration, in an online radio broadcast, came three days after US-born Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his wife Tashfeen Malik, 29, a native of Pakistan, carried out the attack on a holiday party for civil servants in San Bernardino, about 60 miles (100 km) east of Los Angeles. The two died hours later in a shootout with police. US government sources have said Malik and her husband may have been inspired by IS , but there was no evidence the attack was directed by the militant group or that the organisation even knew who they were. The party the couple attacked was for workers in the same local government agency that employed Farook. If Wednesday’s mass shooting proves to have been the work of people inspired by militants, as investigators now suspect, it would mark the deadliest such attack in the United States since Septem-

ber 11, 2001. Two ethnic Chechen brothers inspired by Al Qaeda killed three people and injured 264 in a bombing attack on the Boston Marathon in April 2013. “Two followers of IS attacked several days ago a center in San Bernadino in California,” the group’s daily online radio broadcast Al Bayan said on Saturday. An English-language version of the broadcast was later released calling the attackers “soldiers” of IS, rather than “followers” as in the original Arabic version. It was unclear if the English version was claiming them as members, or why there was an inconsistency. Comments The broadcast came a day after Facebook conﬁrmed that comments praising IS were posted around the time of the mass shooting to an account on the social media website established by Malik under an alias.

However, it was uncertain whether the comments were posted by Malik herself or someone with access to her page. “There was a pledge of allegiance,” David Bowdich, assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Los Angeles office, told a news conference about a reported loyalty pledge posted on Facebook by Malik on the day of the attack. A Facebook Inc spokesman said the proﬁle in question was removed by the company on Thursday for violating its community standards barring promotion or praise for “acts of terror.” He declined to elaborate on the material. CNN and other news media outlets reported the Facebook posts on Malik’s page included a pledge of allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. “Ye are now investigating these horriﬁc acts as an act of terror-

ism,” Bowdich told reporters. He said the FBI hoped examination of data retrieved from two smashed cellphones and other electronic devices seized in the investigation would lead to a motive for the attack. The couple had two assaultstyle rifles, two semi-automatic handguns, 6,100 rounds of ammunition and 12 pipe bombs in their home or with them when they were killed, officials said. Bowdich said they may have been planning an additional attack. The attack prompted the New York Times to run its first frontpage editorial since 1920, saying it was “a moral outrage and a national disgrace” that the sort of firearms used in the attack were so readily available. “These are weapons of war, barely modified and deliberately marketed as tools of macho vigilantism and even insurrection,” the newspaper said. — Reuters

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s row with Moscow over the downing of a Russian jet over Syria has not affected joint energy projects, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday. Russia has imposed trade sanctions against Turkey, including freezing investment projects and restricting food imports, after the Turkish air force last week shot down a Russian fighter bomber near the Syrian border as it took part in the Kremlin’s campaign against militants in Syria. Russia buys about $1 billion worth of Turkish food and other products annually and is Turkey’s No. 1 energy provider, shipping gas, coal and oil. It is also due to build Turkey’s first nuclear power station in the town of Akkuyu, a deal worth $20 billion. “There is no sign yet that the problems with Russia will affect projects like natural gas and the Akkuyu nuclear power plant,” Erdogan said in a speech to businessmen that was broadcast live by NTV news channel. Denial He denied Russian assertions that Moscow had suspended talks with Turkey on the planned TurkStream natural gas pipeline project, saying Turkey was the one to halt work. “Do not believe the erroneous press reports that Russia has halted TurkStream. Just the opposite. This is a project that we shelved because our demands were not met,” he said. “No negativity has resulted from the problems we have recently faced,” he said. “Turkey will not collapse because of your imports of $1 billion. Who cares if you buy it or not? We’ll find other sources behind different doors.” Turkey is seeking to buy additional gas from Qatar and Azerbaijan should Russian supplies decline, he said. It will also pursue renewable, domestic sources. — Reuters

PA R I S S U M M I T

Climate talks enter new phase as negotiators agree to draft accord PARIS: Global climate change talks in Paris moved into a new, tougher phase on Saturday as negotiators agreed to a draft accord that still leaves hundreds of points of dispute for ministers to resolve next week. While a largely procedural step in the four-year quest for a binding deal to slow global warming, the fact that senior government officials from almost 200 nations agreed on the draft marks an improvement over the last failed summit in Copenhagen six years ago, where no such text was even approved. “This text marks the will of all to reach an agreement,” Laurence Tubiana, French climate envoy, told delegates at the halfway point of the meeting lasting until December 11. The top del-

egate from China, Su Wei, said the ﬁrst week of the talks “though very difficult, have produced very good results and provide a strong foundation for next week.” New text Even so, the new text highlights the enormity of work that lies ahead for foreign ministers including US Secretary of State John Kerry, who must ﬁnd consensus on the most contentious issues that have bedevilled talks for four years. Negotiators have left them 939 pieces of bracketed text representing the varying options for resolving points of disagreement. Some developing nations want to phase out fossil fuels by 2050, for instance, but China is among those preferring to promise mere-

ly to shift to a low-carbon economy this century. An agreement at the UN summit on the outskirts of Paris is expected to represent by far the strongest global accord yet to commit both rich and developing nations to curbing the rise in greenhouse gas emissions widely blamed for climate change, although further action will be needed to avoid global temperatures rising beyond a dangerous threshold, officials say. Agreement The agreement will not proscribe speciﬁc measures or targets, which are being undertaken at a national level. But it would create a legal framework on key issues such climate ﬁnance for developing nations, beyond a goal of $100 billion

a year already set for 2020, and set a long-term goal for the shift from fossil fuels. The text, running to 43 pages including a 21-page core agreement, leaves most of those issues to be worked out. “We had hoped that our work would be further advanced,” said Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa, who speaks on behalf of more than 130 developing nations. The fear is that the talks could end with a weak deal with so much work left. Early this year, the text had been about 100 pages, roughly halved by the time the Paris summit began. The new draft is likely to be far shorter, with work set to intensify toward late next week as many nations hold out until the last possible moment to defend their key po-

sitions. The text marks progress since Copenhagen. At that 2009 meeting, negotiators never even managed to approve such a formal draft to lay out the options. “The situation couldn’t be more different from Copenhagen... when delegations were more interested in grandstanding,” said Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence unit think-tank. Chances He said the chances of a deal next week “now look pretty good.” Many nations said the draft, the result of four years of work since the process was launched in Durban in 2011, leaves too much unresolved for a deal meant to chart ways to rein in rising greenhouse

gases blamed for causing more ﬂoods, heat waves, droughts and rising sea levels. Some developing nations said the new text showed a widening acceptance by rich nations to help them to cope with loss and damage from major impacts of climate change, such as hurricanes or sea level rise. “Two years ago the discussion was whether loss and damage existed,” Saint Lucia’s Environment Minister James Fletcher said. Now, he noted, options on loss and damage were part of the core draft text. All sides agree that promises for curbs on greenhouse gas emissions fall far short of action needed to limit global warming to a U.N. goal of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6F) above pre-industrial times. — Reuters

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RUSSIA: Actors dressed as Ded Moroz, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus, and his granddaughter Snegurochka ride a sleigh, driven by a coachman, during a festive pre-holiday ceremony in central Moscow, Russia, on Saturday. –Reuters

ITALY: A picture shows Christmas lights and decorations made with white and red umbrellas, on Friday in the Via del Pelligrino in central Rome, Italy. – AFP

PLANET PLUTO: This handout picture obtained from NASA on December 5, 2015 shows an image

taken from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft showing new details of Pluto’s rugged, icy cratered plains on the planet Pluto. The US space agency has released a series of sharp Pluto snapshots, billing them as the best close-ups of the dwarf planet we may see for decades. – AFP/Hnadout/NASA

CRIMEA: Six-week-old male white Bengal tiger cubs are covered with blankets to keep them warm

PERU: Seagulls ﬂying near a sailboat are seen from San Lorenzo island in Callao, Peru, on Friday.

at a zoo in the Black Sea resort of Yalta, Crimea Peninsula, on Friday. – AP/PTI

San Lorenzo island, the largest island of Peru, is located 4.5 km off the port of Callao. – Reuters

RUSSIA: A visitor poses for a picture near a life-sized statue of Russian President Vladimir Putin made of chocolate, which is on display at the Festival of Chocolate fair in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Saturday. – Reuters

THE PHILIPPINES: Philippine Air Force pilots stand next to

newly acquired AgustaWestland AW109E helicopters during a ceremony at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay city, metro Manila on Saturday. – Reuters

FRANCE: Dancers rehearse an adaptation of ‘Beauty and the Beast’, with choreography by Thierry Malandain and music by Tchaikovski on Friday at the Gare du Midi concert hall in Biarritz, southwest France. – Reuters

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 6, 2 0 1 5 Aung San Suu Kyi told us that Than Shwe said to her he was in favour of democracy taking root in Myanmar and also recognised her activities and achievements Win Htein, Senior NLD leader

WORLD

Suu Kyi ‘optimistic’ after talks with Shwe Suu Kyi met secretly with the former strongman Than Shwe, a psychological warfare expert turned junta supremo, who faded from the public

Aung San Suu Kyi

eye after transferring power to a reformist, quasi-civilian government in 2011

YANGON: Aung San Suu Kyi is positive about Myanmar’s future after meeting the former dictator who detained her for 15 years, an aide said on Saturday following her latest overture to erstwhile enemies before an historic power shift. Suu Kyi met secretly on Friday

with the former strongman Than Shwe, a psychological warfare expert turned junta supremo, who faded from the public eye after transferring power to a reformist, quasi-civilian government in 2011. The two were at odds for two decades as Suu Kyi led a nonviolent struggle against the army rule under which Myanmar was a pariah and kleptocracy isolated by the West. Than Shwe kept Suu Kyi under house arrest for most of his 19 years in power. Her National League for Democracy (NLD) won last month’s general election, trouncing a ruling

‘ S P E C U L AT I V E ’

Report links Paris militant group to people in Britain LONDON: The militant network behind last month’s attacks in Paris had links to people in Britain, the Wall Street Journal has said in a report that British police described on Saturday as “speculative”. Several people suspected of having connections to Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the IS militant and alleged ringleader of the November 13 attacks, are based in Britain, according to two unidentiﬁed Western officials the Journal cited late on Friday. The officials told the Journal those people, including some of Moroccan heritage, were based in the Birmingham area in central England, about 120 miles (190 km) from London. There has been no official suggestion in London of any direct links between the group that carried out the attack that killed 130 people. But extremist groups are often loosely arranged and contacts, including the use of social media, are widespread. West Midlands Police, based in Birmingham, said on Saturday that media reports regarding the Paris attackers and potential contact with people or places in the city were “speculative”. Support Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale said the force’s counter-terrorism unit was “working hand-in-hand” with counter-terrorism colleagues in London, the national counter-terrorism network and security services to provide support to the French and Belgian investigations into the attacks. Britain’s Mirror newspaper reported that British police were investigating claims that a member of the gang that attacked Paris made several phone calls to Birmingham in the run-up to the atrocity. “They were made shortly before the Paris attacks. British

Britain is on its second-highest alert level of ‘severe’, meaning a militant attack is considered highly likely

police are urgently investigating whether anyone in the UK was involved in those atrocities and also whether there is a linked terror cell based here,” the Mirror cited a source as saying. Worst militant attack Britain suffered by far its worst militant attack in July, 2005, when 52 people were killed by suicide bombs on underground trains and a bus. Britain is on its second-highest alert level of “severe”, meaning a militant attack is considered highly likely. This is mainly due to the threat the authorities say is posed by IS militants in Syria and Iraq and their encouragement of supporters to carry out attacks in their homelands. Charles Farr, the director general of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, said last month that up to 800 Britons had travelled to Iraq and Syria, some to join IS. About 50 per cent had returned home while about 70 were believed to have been killed, Farr said. Britain says seven plots have been foiled in the last year, although not on the same scale as those carried out in Paris, and counter-terrorism officers make on average an arrest every day. - Reuters

SUICIDE BOMBERS

Triple suicide attack kills 30 in Lake Chad N’DJAMENA: Three suicide bombers attacked the island of Koulfoua on the Chadian side of Lake Chad on Saturday, killing around 30 people and injuring 80, two security sources said. The sources said the attacks coincided with market day. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attacks although the swampy maze of islands has previously

been targeted by militant group Boko Haram from neighbouring Nigeria. Chad extended a state of emergency in the region last month after a double suicide attack that killed 12 people. Earlier this year, thousands of people ﬂeeing Boko Haram sought refuge on the island although it was not immediately clear if they were still based there. - Reuters

party formed by Than Shwe. That outcome was interpreted as both an NLD public mandate and a protest vote against the military’s political role. “Aung San Suu Kyi told us that Than Shwe said to her he was in favour of democracy taking root in Myanmar and also recognised her activities and achievements,” Win Htein, a senior NLD leader, told Reuters. “They talked about laying a solid foundation for democracy.” Peacemaking moves The meeting comes amid a ﬂurry of peacemaking moves by the Nobel laureate towards the heavyweights of a junta that persecuted her movement and saw the former British colony crumble under trade embargoes and economic mismanagement. Suu Kyi met on Wednesday with Than Shwe’s protege, Min

A1 5

Aung Hlaing, who heads a military the NLD must work with in a power-sharing government next year. The junta wrote a constitution that enshrines roles for the military in the executive and legislative branches, widely seen as safeguards for the its vast business interests. Any NLD attempts to change that soon could face resistance. Suu Kyi met Than Shwe due to “her belief in his inﬂuence on the government and the Tatmadaw (military),” Win Htein said. That view is shared by many in Myanmar, who have long believed Than Shwe was either dead or still running the country from behind the scenes. Neither Than Shwe nor his inner circle have publicly revealed why they chose to dissolve the world’s longest running military regime and allow political and economic liberalisation. -Reuters

S E C O N D AT TA C K

British bombers hit oil field targets in Syria L O N D O N/ WA S H I N GTO N : British bombers made their second round of strikes on IS targets in Syria late on Friday, again hitting oil fields, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday. It said Tornado and Typhoon warplanes from Britain’s air base in Akrotiri, Cyprus conducted eight strikes on targets in the IS-controlled oilfield at Omar in eastern Syria. The ministry said an unmanned Reaper drone also destroyed an IS truck-bomb south of Sinjar. “Last night we saw the Typhoons in action for the first time, successfully hitting an oilfield, oil well-heads in eastern Syria out in the Omar field,” British defence minister Michael Fallon told Sky News while on a visit to the Akrotiri base. British lawmakers approved the bombing of IS targets in Syria on Wednesday. Hours after that approval, British bombers struck the oilfields that the government says are being used to fund attacks on the West. “Air strikes can make a difference in starting to squeeze IS back into its heartland, reduce its ability to re-supply and reinforce over in Iraq...and to cut off its sources of revenue. They’ve been making a lot of money out of oil,” said Fallon.

FIGHTER JET: A Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet sits on the tarmac at the RAF Akrotiri airbase, near Cyprus’ second city of Limassol, on Saturday. British warplanes are flying operations against IS in both Syria and Iraq from the RAF base of Akrotiri. - AFP

He said there were no reports of any civilian casualties. The Typhoon ﬁghter bombers had only arrived at Britain’s Cyprus base on Thursday, bolstering its strike force of Tornado warplanes. Meanwhile, the United States and its allies targeted IS with 12 strikes in Iraq and 11 in Syria on Friday, the US military said. Seven of the strikes in Iraq hit ﬁve IS tactical units, 12 buildings, and a weapons cache near Ramadi, a statement issued on Saturday said. - Reuters

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SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

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Fire kills 32 on Azeri oil platform Fire on oil platform operated by Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR started after a gas pipeline was damaged in heavy wind

TRAGEDY: A still image shows an oil platform on ﬁre in the Caspian

Sea, Azerbaijan, on Saturday. – Reuters/Meydan TV via Reuters TV

BAKU: Thirty-two workers have died after an offshore oil platform operated by Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR caught ﬁre in the Caspian Sea, the head of an independent committee said on Saturday. SOCAR declined repeated re-

quests for comment from Reuters. “According to our information, 32 workers died, while 42 workers were rescued last night.... The ﬁre on the platform was ﬁnally extinguished,” said Mirvari Gakhramanly, head of Azerbaijan’s Oil Workers’ Rights Protection Com-

mittee. SOCAR said on Friday that the ﬁre on a platform in Azerbaijan’s Guneshli oil ﬁeld had started after a gas pipeline on the platform was damaged in heavy wind. It said rescue attempts were being complicated by a severe storm. One worker called a Reuters correspondent from the platform and said there were 84 people trapped there. The worker did not want to be named. It was not clear whether his statement was now out of date. SOCAR said on its Facebook page on Saturday that 26 workers had been rescued from the platform. It did not give details on whether there had been deaths or how many people were initially on

the platform. Around 60 per cent of SOCAR’s oil production passes via the platform where the fire broke out, meaning the company’s output will be temporarily hit. The bulk of Azerbaijan’s oil is produced elsewhere, however, including on fields operated by British oil major BP. BP Azerbaijan was not available for comment on Saturday on whether adverse weather in the Caspian or the fire on SOCAR’s platform had affected its production. In a separate incident, SOCAR said on Friday that three workers were missing from another of its offshore oil platforms in the Caspian after an accident during the storm. — Reuters

SWITZERLAND

Czech politician ‘held’ for forging bank documents PRAGUE/BRATISLAVA: Swiss police arrested a Czech communist member of the European Parliament and three Slovak nationals who tried to withdraw $380 million (350 million euros) from a bank using forged papers, Czech and Slovak officials said on Friday. Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec conﬁrmed the arrest of the four men. They include Miloslav Ransdorf, 62, an expert on Karl Marx and a former philosophy teacher who speaks about dozen languages and who has served in the European Parliament since the Czech Republic’s entry to the European Union in 2004.

“Swiss authorities told our ambassador that Mr Ransdorf was released (from custody), so I assume he could be on his way home now,” Michaela Lagronova, a Czech foreign ministry spokeswoman, said on Friday. She said the politician had not contacted the Czech embassy in Switzerland, so the ministry had no further details. Reuters was not immediately able to contact Ransdorf for comment. Media reports said the group tried to withdraw the money at a Zurich bank on Thursday but the documents they presented did not match records. — Reuters

N AT I O N A L FAT H E R ’ S D AY

ONE FOR CAMERA: An army official takes a picture of him in front

of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej pictures as people gather to mark his 88th birthday, in Bangkok on Saturday. – Reuters

Thais celebrate King Bhumibol’s birthday BANGKOK: Thais celebrated the birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Saturday. Celebrations in Thailand, where the king’s birthday is also national Father’s Day, come amid a widening police investigation into a group of people charged with insulting the monarchy. Ten people, including senior police and military officers, have been charged with a range of offences, including corruption and alleged royal defamation, over their involvement in two nationwide cycling events aimed at celebrating the royals. Two suspects have died in military custody. Outlawed Criticism of Thailand’s monarchy is outlawed by draconian lese majeste laws that provide for jail sentences of up to 15 years for each perceived insult to the monarchy. Since taking power in a May 2014, the ruling junta has cracked down on perceived royal insults and has doled out record jail sentences of up to 60 years for lese majeste offences. The royal insult investigation comes amid growing concern over the health of the king, who is highly revered by Thais, and the question of succession - an issue which will dominate political developments in the Southeast

Asian country. King Bhumibol, who turns 88, was last seen in public on September 1, and officials say he will not be making a public appearance on his birthday. The king has spent the past few months at a Bangkok hospital where he was treated for ‘water on the brain’, or hydrocephalus, a build-up of cerebrospinal ﬂuid that surrounds the brain. Cancelled He cancelled a public appearance to mark his birthday last year, on medical advice. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is expected to carry out ceremonies to mark his father’s birthday, including an evening candle-lighting ceremony in Bangkok to pay tribute to the king. Having reigned for nearly seven decades, King Bhumibol is the only monarch that most Thais have known, and anxiety over the eventual succession is seen as an aggravating factor in Thailand’s bitter political divide. “I have a deep love for him and want him to be healthy,” said Suchada Charan, a retiree from Bangkok, after giving alms to Buddhist monks in honour of the king’s birthday. “Father’s Day in Thailand is the king’s day. He is our father,” she said. — Reuters

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

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‘Mining sector should be given high priority in supply of gas’ Shortage of gas is a challenge facing the local mineral industry, which has a high potential to contribute to the national economy, said a senior official

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MUSCAT: Mining sector should be given priority in gas supply given the high potential of this indus-

try to contribute to the national economy, said a senior official. Shortage of gas is one of the challenges facing the local mineral industry, Hussain Al Zubaidy, director of Exploration Department at the Public Authority for Mining, told Times of Oman. “As I know, in the year 2018, gas will hopefully become available for the local industry,” Al Zubaidy said on the sidelines of the ﬁrst Oman Minerals and Mining Exhibition and Conference held recently at the Oman International Exhibition Centre. Mineral projects “A lot of mineral projects are waiting because of the gas (issue) so when gas is available, I think the priority should be for the mineral industry,” he said, emphasising the importance of this sector in Oman and other countries. Al Zubaidy also highlighted the signiﬁcance of using modern tech-

In the year 2018, gas will hopefully become available for the local industry Hussain Al Zubaidy

Director of Exploration Department, Public Authority for Mining

niques in the mining industry in order to enhance efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Modern industrial techniques are really important given the fact that Oman is seeking to develop

N C S I D ATA

Oman reports trade surplus MUSCAT: Oman’s trade balance for the ﬁrst seven months of 2015 registered a surplus of OMR1,581.3 million, despite a 31.7 per cent decline in exports during the period. Merchandise exports, which include oil and gas, non-oil exports and re-exports registered a decline of 40 per cent, 7.1 per cent and 22.9 per cent, respectively, according to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). The Sultanate’s trade balance during the ﬁrst seven months of 2014 had registered a surplus of OMR5272.8 million. According to NCSI’s data, foreign trade revenue fell to OMR8.66 billion from OMR11.80 billion last year. Merchandise imports, on the CRUDE SUPPLIES

Opec’s unity broken on lack of output cut LONDON: Opec abandoned all pretense this week of acting as a group. It’s now every member for itself. At a chaotic meeting on Friday in Vienna that was expected to last four hours but expanded to nearly seven, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) tossed aside the idea of limiting production to control prices. Instead, it went all in for the one-yearold Saudi Arabia-led policy of pumping, pumping, pumping until rivals — external, such as Russia and US shale drillers, as well as internal — are squeezed out of market share. “Lots of people said that Opec was dead; Opec itself just conﬁrmed it,” Jamie Webster, a Washington-based oil analyst for IHS, said in Vienna. The group says it will keep pumping as much as it does now — about 31.5 million barrels a day — effectively endorsing limitless output. — Bloomberg News

other hand, posted a marginal fall of 0.7 per cent during the period toOMR6.48 billion, against OMR6.53 billion a year ago. However, imports rose 33 per cent in terms of quantity, which touched 15.54 million tonnes during the period. Oil and gas exports suffered a 40 per cent drop to OMR4.77 billion, compared with OMR7.96 billion in the January to July period in the previous year. Revenue from crude oil exports fell 41.4 per cent to OMR4.08 billion from OMR6.96 billion, while reﬁned oil declined 39 per cent to OMR99.6 million from OMR163.2 million, a year ago. Liqueﬁed natural gas exports were slumped 28.9 per centto OMR591.7 million, from OMR832.4 million last year.

ity for Mining, would help address the challenges facing this sector and help enhance its contribution to the country’s gross domestic product. The draft has been sent to the relevant authorities for approval and hopefully it will not take a very long time to be ﬁnalised and approved, Al Zubaidy noted.

Non-oil exports also plunged 7.1 per cent to OMR1.92 billion from OMR2.06 billion last year. Minerals, along with plastic and rubber products, suffered the most with export revenues, falling by 15.9 per cent and 24.6 per cent, respectively, during the January to July period. Chemical products, however, saw a 4.7 per cent growth in exports. Re-exports on the other hand declined by 22.9 per cent to OMR1.36 billion this year, as against OMR1.77 billion last year during the period. The quantity of merchandise imports by sea recorded a growth of 37.7 per cent at 9.29 million tonnes amounting to OMR3.83 billion, while that by land touched 6.22 million tonnes, marking a growth of 26.6 per cent. – ONA

– Times of Oman picture

its local mining industry instead of just exporting minerals as raw material. The official expressed hope that the new mining law, which has been drafted by the Public Author-

Regulatory environment He also commented on the regulatory environment in Oman and government processes which, according to some experts at the conference, have not been streamlined for mining. The experts believe that a onestop-shop initiative would be a much better alternative to the existing regulations, under which multiple entities are involved in licensing applications. The director of Exploration Department at the Public Authority for Mining said that hopefully the processes will be facilitated after

the approval and introduction of the new mining law. Currently, the procedure is based on the existing regulations but hopefully the registration process will take a shorter time after the new law is ﬁnalised, he said. Al Zubaidy also reiterated the authority’s support for local companies in the mineral sector. “We support them to invest in the minerals. We have plenty of examples of local companies which started as a small company and now have become large companies,” he said. The official noted that the authority’s information is always available to these companies, which can be utilised by them.

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SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

MARKET Oman’s largest home show offers huge mix of products and services Times News Service

The trade show will feature a comprehensive mix of products and services, including furniture and furnishings

MUSCAT: Oman’s largest exhibition on the home building and interiors environment will be opened on December 7, offering customers and visitors an unprecedented opportunity to choose from a most comprehensive display of equipment, products and services to be showcased under one roof in the Sultanate. Being held under the patronage of the Ministry of Housing, the Home Show has been organised by Global Exhibitions & Conferences

(GEC), and will take place between December 7 and 9 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre. Home Show will be formally inaugurated byAyisha Khalfan Jameel Al Siyabiah, president of the Public Authority of Craft Industries, a company release stated. She will be joined by highranking dignitaries from the government and private sectors, as well as prominent ﬁgures from the construction, real-estate and home décor segments at the formal opening of the Home Show on December 7.

GEC’s flagship trade show will feature a comprehensive mix of products and services, notably furniture and furnishings, bedroom and bathroom sets and fittings, kitchen systems and appliances, doors and windows, home appliances and electronics, wall and floor coverings, lighting and fixtures, garden and landscaping, home construction and building materials and a selection of smart home solutions. Also showcasing their services will be an array of service-providers catering to all aspects of the

homebuilding and homeownership space. “We are delighted to have the presence of the leading lights of various related industry as exhibitors during the ﬁfth edition of The Home Show. The strength of their participation underscores the popular appeal of this annual event, which has broken new ground this year in attracting the broadest ever representation of products and services associated with the home environment,” added Clemento Fernandes, projects director, GEC.

S E E D C A P I TA L

I N T E R NAT I O NA L C O N F E R E N C E

Forum to focus on venture capital, start-up business Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Conference 2015 will start on Sunday, during which an announcement will be made about the formation of the country’s ﬁrst venture capital company. The Oman Venture Capital Company (Ethmar) will be formed exclusively by investors from the private sector. The two-day event, which will be held under the patronage of Ali Masoud Ali Al Sunaidy, minister of Commerce and Industry,at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, will bring together potential investors, experts, entrepreneurs and students. Joint collaboration The conference is a joint collaboration between the Sultanate’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Iskan Oman Investment Company. The conference seeks to create a platform to trigger and bring together high-growth potential start-ups and alternative funding sources, such as angel investors and venture capitalists, by showcasing successful experiences from other applicable role mod-

Ayisha Khalfan Jameel Al Siyabiah. — Supplied picture

els of the world. During the event, three selected projects will be announced that have successfully fulﬁlled the criteria for potential co-investment by Ethmar. The conference is supported by the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Riyada) and the Al Raffd Fund. The other co-organisers of the conference are KPMG, Trowers&Hamlins, the Institute of Cost and Management Accounting and 1Pulse Oman. According to the organisers, since venture capitalists screen projects thoroughly, they evaluate the entrepreneur’s project more accurately, thereby ensuring its success. Venture capital funds encourage innovative businesses that otherwise may have struggled. The role of venture capital is vital to inspire self-employment, which in turn will boost the economy and contribute to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

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Oman to host forum on technology MUSCAT: Activities of the EU-GCC Science and Technology International Cooperation Network (INCONET-GCC2), International Conference on Collaboration for Innovation: Linking GCC and EU will begin on Monday under the auspices of Talal bin Sulaiman Al Rahbi, Deputy Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning. The two-day conference, hosted by the Sultanate, represented by The Research Council with broad Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and European participation, aims at enhancing technology and means of cooperation and communication, exchanging ideas and experiences in fields of science and technology between the GCC countries and EU, as well as finding new markers for investing innovative ideas. The conference comes as part of the European Commission initiative, which aims at providing those concerned with scientific research in the EU countries and GCC states with the opportunity to exchange viewpoints on areas of science. It will discuss cooperation, strategies and programmes, as well as horizon 2020 opportunities and support services for GCC countries. — ONA

T H R E E - D AY M E E T I N G

Major export credit insurance agencies to meet in Muscat MUSCAT: An annual meeting of the representatives of export credit risk insurance and investment in Arab and Islamic countries will be conducted in Oman on Monday. The meeting of the members of the Aman Union will be hosted by the Export Credit Guarantee Agency of Oman (ECGA) and will be held at Muscat InterContinental Hotel under the auspices of Said bin Saleh Al Kiyoumi, chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI). ‘Aman union’ The meeting will be attended by executives of the export credit insurance agencies and Dhaman agencies in the Arab and Islamic countries ‘Aman union’ and will discuss the challenges facing the export guarantee insurance industry and how they

can be addressed. Imad bin Saud Al Harthy, acting director general of ECGA, said ‘Aman Union’ aims to develop and activate the role of the Arab and Islamic national guarantee agencies in the growth of the national economies. New insurance products The three-day meeting will discuss the developments related to the effect of oil price slumps on the guarantee insurance industry and the new insurance products, such as guaranteeing sukuk. It will also discuss the activities and performance of export credit guarantee agencies during the past year, the credit and risk trends in Middle East and North African markets, the need to enhance awareness of the commercial insurance risks, the challenges facing foreign trade and the involvement of policyholders in managing payments. – ONA

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

MARKET WIND POWER

Technology giants team up to push for renewable energy NEW YORK: Renewable-energy developers are increasingly selling wind power straight to the users, tapping a new customer base as some traditional utility buyers are backing away. Technology giants have led the way, including Google’s deal on December 3 for 625 megawatts of US wind power and Microsoft’s biggest-ever wind deal on December 1. Other industries are following suit, with businesses, universities, government agencies and other non-utility buyers accounting for 32 per cent of US contracts this year through early November, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), up from ﬁve per cent for all of 2013. Three parallel trends Three parallel trends are driving the shift. Companies have realised that buying renewable energy from developers is often cheaper than getting power from their local utilities. At the same time, a growing number of utilities have met state renewable-energy mandates and are putting the brakes on new

“We don’t have to wonder what our power prices will be for 20 years,” Rick Needham, Google’s director of green business operations, said in an interview.

deals. Meanwhile, US wind installations are expected to climb 76 per cent this year. “If utilities in Kansas don’t need power right now, you as a developer either are forced to sit on the project for years or ﬁnd a different class of buyer,” said Quayle Hodek, chief executive officer of Renewable Choice Energy, a Boulder, Colorado-based consultant that matches Fortune 500 companies with renewable energy projects looking to sell electricity. New market That’s opening up a new market for developers, which typically can’t line up ﬁnancing for new wind farms until they’ve also lined up long-term buyers for the power. Companies are creating “a new source of demand,” said Jacob Susman, CEO of OwnEnergy, a New York-based developer of mid-sized wind farms that was acquired by Electricite de France in August. OwnEnergy’s customers have included Yahoo and Procter & Gamble. Under these deals, a corporate

GREEN ENERGY: Non-utility buyers have purchased more than 800

megawatts of wind power this year. - Bloomberg ﬁle picture

buyer typically signs a long-term contract for the electricity with the developer. The power is delivered through the local grid; rarely is there a direct transmission line from the wind farm itself. For businesses, these contracts provide two main advantages: price and predictability. “Day one, we’re going to be sav-

ing 10 percent over what we’re paying today,” said Rame Hemstreet, chief energy officer at Kaiser Permanente, which has a contract to buy 153 megawatts of wind and solar capacity from NextEra Energy. Not only are prices lower, they’re often locked in by yearslong power-purchase deals.

Utility demand At the same time, demand from some utilities is slowing. Most states are on track to meet renewable portfolio standards, policies that require utilities to source a certain percentage of their power from clean sources, and ﬁve already have, according to Susan Sloan, vice president of state policy at AWEA. That’s not slowing wind installations, which are expected to reach nine gigawatts this year in the US, up from 5.1 gigawatts in 2014, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That means more developers than ever are seeking power-purchase agreements. Technology companies including Google were some of the ﬁrst movers, often to run powerhungry data centres. The Alphabet company has signed deals

Yahoo's next big headache “The market has a dim view of the company’s current strategy,” Smith wrote. “Selling the core business now is the best outcome for Yahoo shareholders. We urge you to change direction and do the right thing for shareholders. As we have expressed to you, we expect the shareholders’ interest to remain of paramount importance and will look to make signiﬁcant changes to the board if you continue to make decisions that destroy shareholder value.” Representatives of Yahoo and Starboard declined to comment.

Yahoo can go forward with the spin-off and risk getting hit with a tax bill of more than $12 billion, or choose a safer route, such as selling Yahoo’s main business and turning it into nothing more than a shell that owns shares in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan Corp.

TURBULENCE AHEAD: Yahoo’s board of directors have to decide the future of one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent but troubled companies. — Reuters ﬁle picture

SAN FRANCISCO: The risk of a proxy ﬁght against Yahoo’s board is mounting as directors debate how the company can satisfy investors fed up with lackluster performance and persistent uncertainty over the spin-off of a $30 billion stake in Alibaba Group Holding. Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer and her fellow directors met this week amid reports they were considering drastic options, including scrapping the spinoff or selling Yahoo’s main Internet business. The meeting came after activist shareholder Starboard Value publicly demanded changes

last month and threatened a ﬁght for board control. For now, the company and its board haven’t signalled a change in direction. Yahoo, more than three years into Mayer’s turnaround effort, is struggling to expand sales and stem market share losses. The Alibaba stake, which has helped prop up the company’s stock price, is slated to be divested next month, but Yahoo failed to get pre-approval from the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on its tax-free status. Mayer can go forward with the spin-off and risk getting hit with a tax bill of more than $12 billion,

or choose a safer route, such as selling Yahoo’s main business and turning it into nothing more than a shell that owns shares in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan Corp. “The board’s under tremendous pressure,” said Stephen Diamond, a professor at Santa Clara University’s School of Law. A proxy fight is “a credible threat certainly to the board if they can’t find another solution.” Starboard is one of the most prolific US activists and has successfully forced companies to heed its wishes in the past. Last year, the activist persuaded investors to replace Darden

Restaurants Inc.’s entire 12-member board after the unpopular sale of its Red Lobster chain to Golden Gate Capital. The activist investment ﬁrm also recently helped push office- supply rivals Staples Inc. and Office Depot into a merger. An problematic spinoff of the Alibaba shares may spur a similar battle for control of Yahoo’s board. In November, Starboard chief executive officer Jeffrey Smith sent a letter to the board and management, saying he wasn’t happy with Yahoo’s direction despite “numerous conversations and meetings” over the past year.

Declining value Yahoo, a Web pioneer, has lost ground in the consumer-Internet market amid the rise of Google and Facebook. The company’s shares have declined 31 per cent this year and investors are no longer giving Yahoo’s main business any significant valuation. Yahoo’s market value of $33 billion is less than the sum of its $30 billion Alibaba stake, $8 billion in Yahoo Japan shares and $6.8 billion in cash and equivalents, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “The board is going to end up having to negotiate something with Jeff one way or the other,” said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, referring to Starboard’s CEO. “They can do it behind closed doors or they can do it after he prevails in a proxy fight.” In September of 2014, Starboard sent its first salvo with a letter urging Mayer to find a solution to escape a hefty tax bill, with some proposed options, including a tax-efficient spinoff of the Alibaba Group shares and a similar move for the company’s stake in Yahoo Japan. — Bloomberg News

for about two gigawatts of clean energy worldwide since 2010. Including the ﬁve contracts the company announced on December 3, it has deals for more than 1.3 gigawatts of wind power in the US and Sweden. Facebook and Apple have also made signiﬁcant purchases of clean energy. Beyond tech companies That’s spreading to other industries. “The trend is extending beyond tech companies, which are the usual adopters,” said Hannah Hunt, a research analyst at AWEA. Non-utility buyers have purchased more than 800 megawatts of wind power this year. Owens Corning, a supplier of building materials and other industrial products, announced on November 13 a deal to purchase 125 megawatts from a wind farm under development in Texas. Dow Chemical, the United States General Services Administration, and Ohio State University have also struck deals to buy wind power from developers instead of utilities. — Bloomberg News S O L A R - PA N E L M A K E R S

Chinese ﬁrms face renewal of European Union tariffs BRUSSELS: European Union threatened to renew tariffs on solar panels from China, potentially rekindling what was the EU’s biggest trade dispute of its kind. The European Commission said it would examine whether to re-impose two sets of duties introduced in December 2013 to counter alleged below-cost — or “dumped” — imports of solar panels from China and alleged Chinese subsidies. The opening of the renewableenergy trade probes coincides with a United Nations meeting in Paris aimed at striking a global agreement to curb fossil-fuel pollution, of which China is the biggest source, that is blamed for climate change. The reviews “will determine whether the expiry of the measures would be likely to lead to a continuation or recurrence” of dumping and subsidisation and “a continuation or recurrence of injury to the union industry,” the commission, the 28-nation European Union ’s trade authority in Brussels, said on Saturday in the Official Journal. The anti-dumping and antisubsidy duties were due to expire on December 7 and will now stay in place during the inquiries, which can last as long as 15 months. The levies are tied to an EUChina agreement in late 2013 to curb European imports of Chinese solar panels after the commission concluded that they unfairly undercut producers in Europe such as Solarworld AG. — Bloomberg News

WA L L S T R E E T

Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN. Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

US investors look for year-end rally NEW YORK: This week’s backto-back equities selloff might have been a chance to ride a US stocks rally towards the end of the year, amid the goldilocks economy scenario of a strong jobs market and falling oil prices. The S&P 500 rallied two per cent on Friday to eke a slight gain for the week, the ninth up week out of the last 10, after the US economy added more jobs than expected in November in a show of the economy’s resilience. The data likely paved the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month for the ﬁrst time in nearly a decade, while still keeping the US central bank committed to a shallow and slow pace of increases. “The story today in the US is growth with modest inﬂation, which is great for equities,” said Paul Zemsky, chief investment officer, multi-asset strategies and solutions at Voya Investment Management in New York. “I see nothing on the calendar outside a geopolitical event that

is going to make them (the Fed) change course at this point,” he said. Markets have for weeks expected the Fed to raise rates after its December 15-16 meeting. Earlier in the week, stocks sold off after the unwinding of short bets on the euro seeped into most asset classes. The euro posted its largest daily gain against the US dollar in more than six years on Thursday after ECB President Mario Draghi’s statement fell short of expectation for further easing. Some of the selling was related to leveraged funds that were likely forced to close positions as volatility jumped. According to Bank of America research, these funds, which were heavily involved in the dramatic stocks selloff in late August, had returned to the level of leverage they had prior to that downturn. Draghi on Friday said the ECB could deploy more stimulus if needed, leading traders to reestablish short positions in the bloc’s single currency. — Reuters

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Nissan offers exciting beneﬁts on Armada 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 its ongoing seasonal offers on the Nissan Armada. Nissan has a heritage of showcasing some of the most amazing benefits for their customers by introducing unique offers on their prestigious lineup 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. Unique offering Auto enthusiasts can now avail exciting benefits on the Nissan Armada that include cash gift of OMR1,000, free insurance (Oman only), 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 EMIs can also be tailor made for any individual requirement from in-house Auto Finance team. Social media Customers can also get unlimited access to Nissan’s prestigious vehicle line up at the comfort of their homes or offices. Simply vis-

it Nissan Oman’s Facebook page i.ehttp://www.facebook.com / Sbanissanoman or send an SMS to get updated information on any of the vehicles from the house of Nissan. Amazing Armada The Armada comes equipped with a standard 5.6-litre Endurance V8 engine rated at 320 horsepower and 54.3kg/m of torque, along with an advanced 5-speed automatic transmission, heavy-duty fully boxed ladder frame and comfortable double-wishbone suspension. Armada has a towing capacity of up to 4,000 pounds (when properly equipped). The vehicle is perfect for a big sized family and a perfect option for family getaways, off-road outings etc. Combining unbridled power, premium interior comfort and a wide range of available technology, the Nissan Armada continues to stand out in the full-size SUV segment. 2015 enhancements Armada’s memory system allows drivers to save preferred driving positions. Push a button on the Intelligent Key remote and it recognises who is who, then moves the driver’s seat, the power adjustable pedals, and outside mirrors

accordingly. The 3 climates in one; Armada’s Dual-Zone Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) means each front passenger gets to choose different temperatures, and rear passengers have their own controls too. The Armada’s touch-screen technology gives drivers easy options; just tap the all-new touch screen, enter an address, intersection, or even a phone number, and the Nissan Navigation System displays the desired route on a conventional map or on the 3-D map. And the new lane-guidance feature not only shows where to turn, but which lane to stay in. With key points of interest to choose from, drivers can get around like a local almost anywhere. A newly available power 60/40 third row bench gets things moving. With three rows of even more luxurious than- before seating, room for eight with a second row bench, and an available powerfolding third row bench, the upgrades are all around. And with 20 cubic feet of cargo space, it’s fun for eight and their gear. Versatility at its best Armada’s expressive exterior design combines modern styling with traditional Nissan SUV rug-

gedness. With its wide stance, long 3130mm wheelbase and short front and rear overhangs, Armada offers a highly manageable length of just over 17 feet (5255mm) – along with exceptional passenger and cargo room. Armada LE models feature chrome grilles (bodycolor on Armada SE), while all models include chrome front door handles body-color rear door handles, one-piece type roof rails, side step rails, halogen headlights and privacy glass on 2nd and 3rd row windows and rear liftgate. Armada also features two-piece body-color side moldings with chrome insert strips on LE Other available equipment includes fog lights, chrome roof rack and chrome tailpipe ﬁnisher, poweroperated ﬂip-out rear quarter windows, power-folding outside mirrors with integrated turn signals and puddle lamps, power-operated liftgate and power tilt/sliding glass sunroof. The Armada interior, like the exterior, combines modern style, functionality and versatility for active families. The large, comfortable interior offers class-leading 2nd row roominess and best-inclass interior overhead – along with standard seating for eight. Entertainment options Drivers have an option to choose the Nissan DVD Entertainment Systemwith a new, larger Dual Headrest 8” monitor with 2 headphones. Answer by simply hooking up the camcorder, inserting a DVD, or connecting your MP3 player to the DVD player’s auxiliary inputs, and sources what you seek to see. When the Armada is parked, drivers can double the enjoyment with the same material displayed on the front LCD. 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.

S TA G E P E R F O R M A N C E S

TMI organises musical concert MUSCAT: Talentz Music Institute (TMI) celebrated its Musical Concert 2015 recently. Over 100 students performed live on stage and enthralled the audience, making their parents proud. The programme opened with the National Anthem of Oman which helped create an atmosphere for the 45th National Day celebrations, says a press release. Performances included choruses, violin ensembles, keyboard and piano accompaniments, band performances, singing, and of course dance numbers, among many other items. TMI students also participated by brilliantly conducting the event. For many students it was their debut performance on stage in front of an audience of over 300. John Travas, TMI manager, remarked: “We at Talentz Music Institute think of this concert as a platform for all students to display their hidden talents; it really helps in bringing out the musicians in them.” He added, “Guests were pleased about the concert

and lauded the performance of children and further encouraged them to take their talent to the next level. This kind of event is the fruit of many hours of tireless work from the TMI teachers Ravi, Prashanth, David and Lorna, as well as Talentz staff.” Lights and sound by the Talentz staff from their Rental Division added to the grandeur and success of the event. It was a memorable day for some of the students in advanced grades who had excelled in music examinations by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity College London. Students who achieved merit or distinction from Grades V to VIII were felicitated and honoured by the guest of honour, Rev. Fr. Raul Ramos, with TMI trophies and TMI certiﬁcates. “The event was a grand success and we do hope to conduct similar events periodically,” remarked Mildred Fernandes, managing director of TMI.

HIGH-END TIMEPIECE

Mistal celebrates success of Greubel Forsey in Geneva MUSCAT: For more than a decade, Greubel Forsey, the much acclaimed Swiss watch-making company specialising in high-end timepieces, has been introducing highly creative ideas, each with a distinctive character. After being honoured with many prizes, like the Prix Gaïa in 2009 and Prix du Concours International de Chronométrie in 2011, Greubel Forsey Vision timepiece recently won the prestigious “L’Aiguille d’Or” at the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie in Geneva. The Aiguille d’Or the ‘Golden Hand’ is the top prize at the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève. Awarded by a jury that consists

of the most eminent collectors and watch journalists, this prize is the one coveted by the entire watch-making industry. Launched in 2004 by Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, with its base in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Greubel Forsey’s exclusive timepieces have drawn the keen attention of discerning watch enthusiasts across the globe. Mistal, a part of the Ajit Khimji group, homes some of the world’s most exquisite watches, giving each iconic work of art its own distinct niche of glory. A lavishly decorated showroom with a special VIP entrance and plush interiors, Mistal brings to Oman some of the

PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILL

most sought after and high-end designer labels in watches and jewellery, says a press release. Honoured “Being the dealers of this aweinspiring collection of timepieces, its ever-growing success brings us great pride and joy. With numerous accolades to its name, including the most recent L’Aiguille d’Or, we are indeed honoured to be so closely associated with this revered label,” said Dharmesh Ajit Khimji. “We are certain that this particular timepiece is going to raise the keen brow of interest amongst true watch aﬁcionados in the country.”

Housed in a white gold case and driven by the Tourbillon 24 Secondes – the third ground-breaking invention conceived by the watchmakers in La Chaux-de-Fonds – the Vision model stands out for its sobriety and simplicity of appearance. It suffices to turn the timepiece over to realise just how original a creation it is. Focused on honing the proportions of the case, the creators however refused to sacriﬁce the internal mechanism and the inclination of the tourbillon. On the display back, a dome carved out of sapphire crystal forms a cupola that both houses the tourbillion and allows it be viewed – particu-

larly its lower bridge, the form of which is comparable to that of a vaulted Roman arch. The fashioning of this piece, with its ‘barrelpolished’ surface, requires such rare expertise that each bridge with this ﬁnish is discreetly signed by the craftsman-decorator who completed it. Greubel Forsey’s priorities have steered clear of traditional marketing techniques and instead developed an obsession for pushing the limits of creativity and craftsmanship. Greubel Forsey is true deﬁnition of horology and artistic creation creating an inseparable symbiosis between technical and aesthetic dimensions.

SAFETY FIRST

Mazoon Electricity holds workshop

Gavel Clubs inaugurated at ISG MUSCAT: Indian School Al Ghubra (ISG) inaugurated the Gavel Clubs at a grand ceremony recently to give students the conﬁdence to become a competent speaker. The event was attended by senior Toastmasters and mentors, parents and students. Papri Ghosh, principal, in her welcome speech said that the biggest fear is the fear of public speaking. To become a good speaker one needs proper training, practice and opportunities. She encouraged the students to make use of the opportunity and equip themselves with the necessary skills that will help them in all spheres of life, says a press release. The chief guest Dr Mario C De’Souza, member, School Management Committee and also a

senior Toastmaster, gave an inspiring speech motivating the students to gain confidence and to become eloquent speakers. Under the able guidance of the distinguished Toastmaster Robin Anand, division director, 150 students who have enrolled were grouped into five Gavel clubs. The names of the clubs are the names of five gems: Amethyst, Blue Sapphire, Citrine, Diamond and Emerald. Each club has 30 members under the supervision of a Toastmaster Mentor and a teacher councillor. He also introduced the CBSEi Gaveliers of ISG who enthralled the audience with their wonderful demo session. They presented prepared speeches and spoke on table topics. The Joke master came up with

hearty jokes which entertained the audience. This indeed was a great insight to the newly inducted members and their parents about the proceedings of the Gavel Club. G. Sreekumar, the vice principal, in his vote of thanks stated that “An ignited mind is the most powerful weapon on the earth, and this can be achieved only through proper education.” He urged the students to uphold the vigour and enthusiasm in the upcoming sessions too. This platform will deﬁnitely bring out the best in each child by not only improving his/her communication skill and leadership qualities but also enhance his/her personality development and self conﬁdence.

MUSCAT: With 521 employees, Mazoon Electricity Company has challenged itself to build the safest work place culture possible. Recently its key executive team completed a leadership programme which focused on ensuring that health and safety remained a key pillar for the organisation and at the core of its corporate culture. The two-day workshop was facilitated by Nick Wharton, a principal consultant at JOMC and a thought leader in creating an engaged and positive safety culture within organisations, says a press release. Mazoon Electricity Company is committed to sustaining a health and safety culture across all of its business units. Zahir Abdullah Al Abri, CEO, said: “We are mindful that our employees work hard for the good of our company. It is our priority to ensure that they have a safe environment to work in, and that they are also knowledgeable in all safety aspects pertaining to their job. There should be limited risk associated with doing your job well, once the right procedures are in place. Safety does not come around by accident, most accidents happen because they have not been prevented. The

most important thing at the heart of Mazoon Electricity Company is our employees. We want them to go home safely to their families at the end of the working day.” The HSE Leadership Workshop discussed the safety culture journey and challenged the participants to alter their mindsets to become more safety aware. The participants learnt ways to inspire their colleagues to want to work and behave safely, and to promote strong and active safety leadership from the top right through the organisation. They looked at how great leadership can get people to believe in what they are doing and see that it is important. By the end of the

course they knew that they, as the leadership of Mazoon, would have acquired new ways to motivate their colleagues to work at the optimum safety levels. Saleem Nasser Al Mahrooqui, Mazoon’s HSE Manager, said, “We have many employees out in the ﬁeld and we have to ensure that all of our team are Health and Safety conscious, be they internal or remote. We are constantly identifying our main hazards and assessing our risks. This leadership workshop went a step further; it has given us new ways to be proactive and to integrate occupational health and safety management into the general management system of Mazoon.”

SUN DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

ROUND-UP Bank Nizwa recognised at Islamic banking awards In their debut year, the Islamic Retail Banking Awards have been designed to recognise the contribution of individuals and institutions in the Islamic ﬁnance sector

MUSCAT: Bank Nizwa claimed two awards at the 7th World Islamic Retail Banking Conference winning the ‘Strongest Islamic Retail Bank in Oman’, while its AGM of Retail Banking, Asad Batla, swooped the ‘Upcoming Personality in Retail Banking’ for the year. Since inception, Bank Nizwa has time and again proved its commitment to redeﬁning the banking experience in Oman. Working to achieve its goals, the retail division has been providing customers

with innovative products and services, all underpinned by responsive customer care and technologically advanced solutions to meet today’s dynamic lifestyles, says a press release. This approach has brought about positive change in Oman’s retail banking sphere, prompting other institutions to re-examine their product and service offerings. In addition, the division has also helped solidify the bank’s position as the leading Islamic Bank

MARKETING INSIGHT

in Oman, while expanding its network to 11 branches strategically located across the Sultanate. Receiving the award on behalf of Bank Nizwa, Dr Ashraf Al Nabhani, general manager, Corporate Support, said, “It is truly an honour to receive such recognition from an organisation that is considered to be a point of reference in our growing industry. Bank Nizwa has once again demonstrated its ability to offer competitive Shari’acompliant products and services

that have been singled out for their excellence and to that end; I extend my sincere gratitude to both the bank’s employees and customers who have made this possible.” He added, “I would also like to congratulate our AGM of Retail Banking, Asad Batla for winning the award of ‘Upcoming Personality in Retail Banking’ for the year and representing Bank Nizwa in the best way possible.” In their debut year, the Islamic Retail Banking Awards have been designed to recognise the contribution of individuals and institutions in the Islamic ﬁnance sector. These are assessed and selected based on a rigorous efficiency study conducted by an independent UAE-based Islamic ﬁnance research organisation. More than 25 awards were presented, going to some of the most successful Islamic retail banks and experts from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

SPECIAL OCCASION

Sadia celebrates 45th National Day MUSCAT: Sadia, the Middle East’s leading brand in frozen food products, commemorated the Sultanate’s 45th National Day with an evening of fun and exciting prizes at Oman Avenues Mall. In an event held over the weekend, animated and enthusiastic Sadia staff rounded up children and grown-ups alike to participate in a variety of games and fun activities, says a press release. Sadia commemorated Oman’s 45th National Day, by paying tribute to a leader who has encouraged growth and progress and to whom

they owe their success in Oman. The evening saw crowds of visiting shoppers to Oman Avenues Mall convene around a makeshift stage on the second ﬂoor where an emcee drummed up enthusiasm for a host of activities being conducted. More than 50 valuable gifts and vouchers were distributed among the participating crowd with the event attracting more eager onlookers as the evening wore on. When the excitement ﬁnally wound down everyone went home with an array of surprising prizes and mementos.

SOCIAL SERVICE

SBA conducts ‘Blood Donation Drive’

Sohar University professor chairs CMO Middle East Summit in Dubai MUSCAT: Marcus Evans group, headquartered in Cyprus, organised its ﬁrst Middle East Summit of the Chief Marketing Officers. The summit, which took place recently in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dubai, was chaired by Dr Rakesh Belwal, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Business at Sohar University. The aim of the summit was to offer regional marketing professionals and global agencies and consultants an intimate environment for focused discussions on key drivers of marketing effectiveness in the Middle East, says a press release. “It was a different experience meeting and listening to the CMOs and heads of renowned marketing companies, such as Unilever, Johnson and Johnson, Citigroup, Nestle Waters, Dunkin, Fujitsu, Microsoft, Saudi Telecom Company, Jumeirah group, Yas Marina Circuit, and Volkswagen,” informed Dr Belwal. “The summit adopted an interesting format which included audio-visual presentations, one to one networking, forums, and networking dinner–and offered many opportunities of interaction based learning and mutual collaborations,” added Dr Belwal, who is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at UQ Business School, Australia. Marcus Evans is a global multi-

faceted media, corporate marketing, and information company that employs 3,000 professional in 59 worldwide locations. The summit was organised by Lora Bogoeva, senior executive producer and her team of specialists at Marcus Evans. In this two days long event, Dr Belwal delivered an opening address to the participants on the overall marketing situation in the Middle East and also his closing comments towards the end of the event. “The Marcus Evans summit was successful in uniting decision makers and solution providers through visionary keynote presentations, real-life case studies and interactive sessions and their sophisticated web-based scheduling system enabled delegates and providers seamless connect with the schedules offering one-on-one business meetings and presentations,” stated Dr Belwal. Professor Zeljko Sevic, Dean of the Sohar University Faculty of Business congratulated Dr Belwal on his industrial engagement efforts and has reiterated again the readiness of the Sohar University’s Faculty of Business to engage with the businesses and become a leading Omani business school in terms of industrial engagement, and applied business research and business advising.

MUSCAT: Nissan from Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA) recently concluded a ‘Blood Donation Drive’ in association with the Ministry of Health in view of the 45th National Day of Oman at their showrooms located in Qurum and Sohar. The drive was a huge success and was supported by an overwhelming number of volunteers that comprised primarily of Nissan’s Sales Service and Parts Employees. The total number of successful donors stood at 28 in Qurum and 34 in Sohar showrooms respectively, says a press release.

SBA, for the past decade, have emerged pioneers in introducing new schemes, programmes and events that keep them at par with current technological advancements keeping in mind their moral social responsibility too. Hence, the ‘Blood Donation Drive’ initiative by SBA is just one of the many examples in this regard. SBA’s active participation of such an activity indicates its social (moral) presence in Oman. This goes to show that SBA has been successfully growing in operations and is consistently spreading its network throughout the Sultanate of Oman.

EASY SERVICE

EXHIBITION

Marmul Travel launches its new revamped public portal MUSCAT: Marmul Travel and Tours (MTT) launched its revamped public portal www.marmultravels.com and Mobile App on Android and iPhone recently. The new refurbished site, designed for an intuitive customer friendly experience, provides new ways for its customer to interact, which uses state-of-the-art technology. This new website has been developed with tools to monitor each and every component of the travel plan of any customer. This website will be a perfect link between the suppliers and the customers with incredible speed and unmatchable efficiency, says a press release. The main objective of creating this unique and user-friendly website is to provide travellers with all necessary information to plan their travel including the day-today details of the airlines, their

routes, rates, and data related to the particular destination. The rates offered by various airlines and various travel plan options can be availed and compared from the data available on the website without moving from your seat. Marmul’s new website and Mobile App features the availability of booking and the lowest possible pricing. More than 50,000 hotels with multiple supplier domains, more than 600 airport lounges and multiple travel insurance providers have showcased their products with their competitive price range on Marmul’s website. The website accepts online payments through Visa and MasterCard with a guarantee of lowest possible prices and best possible services. The website quotes prices in Rial Omani, and products on offer are not limited to Oman.

The website further enables ﬂight booking and ticketing to different carriers operating from Oman and India, and that includes Air India Express, Go Air, Air Asia... so on and so forth. Customer transactions are completely protected at two ends, one at their website which is encrypted through SSL secure from VeriSign, and at the payment gateway which is from Bank of Muscat. Customers can also access a database of travel related information, country travel guides, weather reports, currency converter, passport and visa, destination details, as well as Muscat International Airport ﬂight information on the website. Marmul’s new website has been formulated with high security features to protect the interests of every customer and offers unique security log-in features.

H E A LT H C A R E

Kims offers ﬁnest medical services at gynaecology dept MUSCAT: The gynaecology department at Kims Oman Hospital (KOH) extends its patients high level of total care and medical support. Gynaecology and Obstetrics department at Kims Oman Hospital features various medical specialities and offers total care for women at all ages. Led by

highly skilled and compassionate doctors whose areas of expertise includes high risk pregnancies, infertility, prenatal counselling, VBAC (Vaginal birth after caesarean), gynaecological surgeries, deliveries and caesareans as well as antenatal and post natal exercise, says a press release.

“Our gynaecology department is concerned with all aspects of women’s overall health and wellness. During and after delivery, women know that they and their newborns will receive the best of care from the experienced staff at Kims Oman Hospital,” said Dr Hussam Akoum, COO at KOH.

PSM takes part in Cultural Exchange Programme MUSCAT: Pakistan School Muscat (PSM) took part in the Cultural Exchange Programme recently in Qurum Garden. PSM Junior Branch excelled in this vibrant and traditionally abounding exhibition. The true colours of all provinces of Pakistan were showcased for a large number of visitors, says a press release. An array of amazing performances by the students on the traditional music kept the visitors glued to the arena, fetching them the well-deserved applause from the audience. The traditional Pakistani food with its unique taste kept attracting the visitors to the stall displayed by PSM. The colourful celebration was joined by Adnan Shahzad, chairman Board of Directors (BOD), members BoD, Atta ullah Niazi, senior principal Pakistan School System, and Khalid Jadoon principal Pakistan School Muscat.

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Range Rover Evoque Convertible unveiled

MAGICAL MOMENTS

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The new model sits

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

at the pinnacle of the Evoque portfolio as the most exclusive and capable convertible in the world

DUBAI: Land Rover has unveiled the world’s first luxury compact SUV convertible. Range Rover Evoque Convertible combines the bold design and refinement of Evoque with comprehensive specification and a sophisticated folding roof to create a no compromise, all-season convertible. The ground breaking and distinctive shape of the original Range Rover Evoque lends itself to an elegant convertible design and the new model sits at the pinnacle of the Evoque portfolio as the most exclusive and capable convertible in the world, says a press release. As the fifth member of the Range Rover family – and the first ever convertible – the highly desirable new model combines traditional Range Rover luxury with a distinctive four-seat design and

versatile storage. The Range Rover Evoque Convertible has been engineered to meet Land Rover’s most rigorous standards, ensuring exceptional structural rigidity, trademark refinement, outstanding levels of safety and unrivalled breadth of capability. Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design director and chief creative officer, commented: “Range Rover Evoque Convertible is a vehicle for all seasons. Its uniquely distinctive design and world-class engineering adds another dimension to the Range Rover family, further enhancing its desirability and appeal.” The global SUV market is forecast to grow by 20 per cent over the next five years and Evoque Convertible will play a key role in continuing Range Rover’s 45-year success story, pioneering an allnew SUV sector. Evoque Convertible’s eyecatching exterior design is made possible by a sophisticated fabric roof shaped to create a crisply defined silhouette that remains

faithful to the original design. Its Z-fold mechanism lays flush with the rear bodywork for a sleek, uncluttered appearance when lowered. The fabric roof is the longest and widest currently fitted to any vehicle on sale today. The fully-automated roof stows in 18 seconds, and can be raised in 21 seconds, at speeds up to 30mph. When closed it provides high standards of refinement with a layer of acoustic insulation ensuring interior comfort on a par with five-door Evoque. In addition, the position of the roof doesn’t affect loadspace, with a generous 251-litre boot offering unrivalled practicality for a convertible. At the heart of the high-class cabin is an all-new, high-resolution 10.2-inch touchscreen with Jaguar Land Rover’s next-generation infotainment system, InControl Touch Pro, which debuts in a Land Rover. Raising the standard of connectivity for the brand, the highly-responsive and super-fast InControl Touch Pro offers seamless smartphone integration.

Safety hasn’t been overlooked with a Roll-Over Protection Device featuring deployable rollover bars hidden in the rear bodywork. It deploys two aluminium bars within 90 milliseconds in the unlikely event of a roll-over situation to create a survival space for occupants. Land Rover’s full suite of lightweight, all-aluminium four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines is available with the potent 240PS Si4 petrol providing outstanding levels of performance and refinement. Evoque Convertible is underpinned by Land Rover’s worldclass all-terrain capability, using the same advanced technologies as Evoque five-door and Coupé derivatives. A customary choice of four-wheel drive powertrains combines with Land Rover’s ninespeed automatic transmission, Terrain Response system, Wade Sensing and All-Terrain Progress Control to ensure Evoque is a convertible for all seasons. The new Range Rover Evoque Convertible will be produced at Land Rover’s Halewood plant in the UK, alongside the five door and Coupé bodystyles, and goes on sale across from Spring 2016 in more than 170 markets worldwide.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

First Stop stores receive excellent response MUSCAT: First Stop store is a globally acclaimed retail initiative by Bridgestone and receiving great response in Oman. First Stop stores in Al Amerat and Seeb, in partnership with Towell Auto Centre, are nearing one year of operation. First Stop Store Al Amerat is located in Al Maha fuel station, near KFC and First Stop Store Seeb is situated en route to Seeb souk and located in Oman oil fuel station. Both stores have received a warm and spirited response from the customers for their distinguished service, says a press release. The current retail scheme in which one can avail 4th tyre at 50% price on cash purchase of four tyres is attracting even more consumers towards First Stop stores. In addition, Bridgestone Bank Muscat tie-up has opened a convenient payment option for customers through the 0% Inter-

est 12 month Easy Payment Plan. First Stop stores are a class apart from a regular tyre retail shop. First Stop store plans to offer other brands of tyres along with Bridgestone to cater to all different segment of customers. First Stop store renders an array of facilities ranging from sale of genuine and top quality branded tyres to services like wheel alignment, wheel balancing, tyre rotation, etc with guidance on tyre care and maintenance. In ad-

dition, they also cater to numerous automotive needs such as oil change, battery change, etc. “It is due to our customers’ faith, patronage and trust in us that we have come so far and it is this commitment that we strive to maintain,” said Oomen John, AGM Bridgestone Tyre division at Towell Auto Centre. “It is our constant endeavour to grow our networks so you can never be too far from our care.” First Stop stores have full range

of tyres and extensive auto care service and are well-equipped and manned with professional and trained personnel, aptly named ‘Safety Advisers’. The highly skilled team has the knowledge and expertise to assist customers in choosing the right product and service for their vehicle to keep them safe on the roads. With the commencement of the new airport as well as the city of Muscat expanding, Seeb has lately seen a marked increase in traffic. TAC has realised the need to have a professional store in Seeb. On the other hand, Al Amerat has urbanised rapidly in a very short span with more and more people moving to this newly developed town. Given its location, Amerat was also recognised as an important area that needed a dedicated First Stop store to cater to the customers in that region.

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

Pizza Hut conducts knowledge sharing workshop MUSCAT: Pizza Hut recently conducted a knowledge sharing programme for its national cadre employed at all its outlets across Oman. The workshop forms part of the company’s continuous employee development initiatives to provide a higher quality service to its customers, says a press release. “At Pizza Hut, particularly at the KR Group, it’s all about the people and the customer. We hone the efficiencies of our staff to improve customer service and ultimately customer satisfaction. This workshop, therefore, reﬂects our commitment to investing in people development; it proved informative and helpful to the individual, the Pizza Hut team and the organisation,”

said Vivek Pande, CEO, Lifestyle Group, Khimji Ramdas. Pizza Hut Oman runs on its customer-centric motto `delight in every bite’. Creating awareness through training and establishing process controls is pivotal to the delight and satisfaction of customers and providing best in

class service. Yogesh Shah, general manager, Pizza Hut Oman, said: “Our real happiness lies in witnessing these vibrant young employees in action at their work place post training. It gives us even greater joy and pride when we see them grow within their area of expertise.”

Conducting the training programme held at Pizza Hut Al Hail were Sulaiman Rashid Al Hosni and Salem Saleh Al Balushi from the Pizza Hut Human Resource and Operations department. The team drew on their combined 17 plus years of experience to deliver an interactive training session that coached participants in communication skills and related onthe-job efficiencies. Commenting on the initiative, Salwa Darwish Saad Allah Al Manwari, one of the participants, said: “It was a very interactive workshop. One of the key learning aspects was that a leader should create a work environment of respect so that their team supports them willingly.”

Happy Land marks 45th National Day MUSCAT: Happy Land in Muscat Grand Mall (MGM) celebrated 45th National Day. They organised an entertainment programme participated by the young and old public visitors. During the celebration a special cake was cut expressing the joyous occasion of National Day amid a festive atmosphere and

this event coincided with the third anniversary of the opening of the Happy Land in MGM. Happy Land management expressed their most sincere wishes to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and prayed to God to protect him and provide him with good health and happiness and a long life.

L&T STAFF CELEBRATES

Larsen & Toubro Electromech employees celebrated the 45th Oman National Day, decorating their office with national ﬂags and balloons, cutting the cake and the Omani staff expressing their gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for the development and progress achieved by the country under HM’s benevolent rule. — Supplied photo

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

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Qatar Airways starts daily ﬂights to Nagpur Qatar Airways will operate an A320 daily between Doha and Nagpur in India with an average ﬂight time of just over four hours

DOHA: Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, now offers non-stop ﬂights to Nagpur from Doha, taking the airline’s total weekly passenger ﬂights from 95 to 102 across 13 key cities in India. Nagpur is third largest city in the

Indian state of Maharashtra and is a major trade and business centre. The city has been identified as one of the flagship smart metropolises by the Government of India, with a special economic zone, multimodal international cargo hub and a new airport in the pipeline. Qatar Airways will operate an A320 daily between Doha and Nagpur with an average flight time of just over four hours. The aircraft will feature 144 seats in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy, says a press release. Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive of Qatar Airways, said: “We are delighted to add Nagpur as Qatar Airways’ 13th destination in India. The additional service is evidence of the growing demand in the Indian market and further strengthens our commitment and focus in the region. Qatar Airways is proud of the fact that we serve more destinations in India than

N AT I O N A L D AY

any other country in our network. Leisure and business travellers from Nagpur can now experience enhanced connectivity to more than 150 international destinations through seamless connections via Doha’s Hamad International Airport. “We look forward to welcoming new passengers on-board our award-winning product, and to connect Nagpur to the rest of our rapidly expanding network.” Qatar Airways connects 13 cities in India to an exciting choice of destinations via its hub in Doha including Chicago, Dallas, Houston, London, Miami, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Barcelona, Rome, Washington D.C. and many more. Qatar Airways Cargo also has robust operations in India, currently offering its services to Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai with 27 freighter frequencies per week. In addition,

Qatar Airways also carries cargo in the belly-hold space of all passenger aircraft. Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 18 years of operation and today flies a modern fleet of 173 aircraft to 153 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America. Since the beginning of the year, Qatar Airways has begun services to Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Abha (Saudi Arabia), and Faisalabad, Sialkot and Multan in Pakistan. In the pipeline before the end of this year is Durban (South Africa). The airline’s network growth will be further boosted next year with the introduction of three new US destinations, Los Angeles, Boston and Atlanta, two new Australian destinations, Sydney and Adelaide and also Birmingham in the UK.

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CHERRY & BERRY CELEBRATES OMAN’S 45TH NATIONAL DAY

The ﬁrst outlet of Cherry & Berry Frozen Yogurt, which was opened recently at Bareeq Al Shatti, Qurum, celebrated Oman’s 45th National Day with pomp and colour. A special cake-cutting ceremony, held to celebrate the National Day, was attended by a number of local dignitaries, company management and customers. — Supplied photo

SPECIAL OCCASION

AVOD shares joy OAB celebrates 45th National Day MUSCAT: Areej Vegetable Oils & Derivatives (AVOD) celebrated the 45th National Day with a gathering for all employees. The company premises were decorated in Oman’s colours to promote a feeling of patriotism in all AVOD employees. Prem Maker, managing director of AVOD, gave a speech praising His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s excellent leadership over the past 45 years. “It is under his visionary leadership that Oman has grown to be one of the most stable and peaceful countries in the world,” Maker remarked. Eng. Salem bin Nasser AlBortmany, executive director of AVOD, discussed the peaceful development of Oman, the thriving business environment in the country, and the rapid economic growth over the last four-and-ahalf decades. “Oman has experienced rapid growth in all sectors over 45 years, and this growth is indicative of an even brighter business environment in the future. AVOD

has beneﬁted from Oman’s business landscape, and we look forward to greater achievements in the future,” said Al Bortmany. The event was concluded with a catered meal, during which employees of all levels interacted and shared ideas. “On behalf of the company’s employees, we salute His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and wish him the best of well-being and long life,” Al Bortmany added.

MUSCAT: Coinciding with the occasion of the 45th glorious National Day celebrations, the Social Committee at Oman Arab Bank (OAB) organised a ceremony to celebrate this auspicious occasion, which was attended by the senior management team and all staff at the bank’s head office. The ceremony started by playing the national anthem, followed by a live performance by a folklore band that enchanted the audience with some national songs and other traditional music. The band created a highly charged patriotic atmosphere that prevailed during the celebration, reﬂecting the overwhelming sentiments of love towards Oman and His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the leader of the blessed Omani renaissance. Mohammed Al Ouﬁ, head of Social Committee, said: “It gives us a great honour to join the nation in celebrating the occasion of the 45th National Day, and to extend our sincere congratulations to His Majesty, coupled with our heartfelt prayers that

E D UC AT I O NA L P R O G R A M M E

Allah Almighty shall grant Oman and its people more security, stability and welfare and protect His Majesty and bestow on him blessings of good health, happi-

ness and long life.” OAB is keen to participate every year in this glorious national occasion across all its network of branches, as they will be brightly

lit and decorated with lights and banners expressing loyalty and allegiance to His Majesty in celebration of this auspicious occasion which is close to our hearts.

FROZEN FRUIT PULPS

Oman LNG facilitates improved A’Saffa Foods’ Khayrat range learning environment for blind offers a refreshing choice MUSCAT: State-of-the-art braille educational programmes were delivered to Omar bin Al Khattab Institute for the Blind; a contribution by Oman LNG, recently. This donation builds on previous ones where the institute received several pieces of equipment and accessories including lunar screen magniﬁers, laptop computers, braille machines and software pens, says a press release. Latest efforts by the company extended support to the Al Noor Association for the Blind in Al Dakhiliyah governorate. The efforts facilitated the provision of modern braille sense equipment to the association as well as training, directing much needed assistance towards easing everyday life for people living with disabilities in the country. Oman LNG has similarly funded the supply of critical articles such as the acquisition of braille equipment and a complete braille printing press for the Dhofar and

Muscat centres of the Al Noor Association respectively. The support provided by Oman LNG is part of the ﬁrm’s ambitious Social Investment Programme addressing many areas of development to improve the quality of life for people in the Sultanate. Their Social Investment Programme is 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.

MUSCAT: A’Saffa Foods, Oman’s leading food producer, has a wide range of delectable and refreshing frozen fruit pulps under its Khayrat brand. The products are sourced from India’s agriculturally rich farms to offer the very best for families across the Sultanate. Fruits used in the brand’s Khayrat range are cultivated and harvested in the fertile and pristine acres of some of the best fruit orchards in India. The Alphonso Mango Pulp is packaged using the best quality Alphonso mangoes to retain natural sweetness, aroma and colour in the fruit. Similarly the Totapuri Mango Pulp are also cultivated and packaged using the best and safest methods. Likewise, ‘Khayrat’ guava, strawberry

and orange pulp is also packaged using the best quality fruits to retain natural sweetness, aroma and colour, says a press release. Sidhartha Lenka, Head of Marketing and Sales, A’Saffa Foods, said: “Over the past decade families across Oman have trusted us to bring them an exciting range

of natural, healthy, pure and tasty products to the table and we are very proud to serve Frozen fruit pulps to the market.” “The name Khayrat means ‘the ﬁnest of crops’ or the ‘best quality ingredients’ and this is what we strive to provide for our customers in everything we produce. As is with all of our food products, we have undertaken extensive research and are very conﬁdent that with the A’Saffa Foods stamp of quality behind them, the Khayrat range of products will continue to delight our customers. It is noteworthy; that we take great pride in our food and will continue our tradition of serving family-favourite foods that are healthy and wholesome,” he elaborated.

F E S T I V E AT M O S P H E R E

Annual literary, cultural contest held at Indian School Muladha MUSCAT: The annual literary and cultural competition Shruthilaya 2015 was conducted in a magniﬁcent way on the premises of Indian School Muladha with an intention to provide each and every child an opportunity to unleash the innate talents and showcase their absorbed aptitude and creative ideas. The event set off to a fabulous start with the preliminary rounds conducted recently for a wide array of performing items. The programme witnessed the participation of students in ﬁve categories sub junior 1, sub junior 2, junior, senior and super-senior con-

ducted in 16 different venues. The school campus was ﬁlled with the festive fervour and zeal as all the venues were reverberated with the enthusiastic participants, parents, teacher-in-charges and the judges, says a press release. Around 1,450 students took part in the preliminary rounds for

the events like light music, instrumental music, recitation and elocution in English, Hindi and Malayalam, Western music, Arabic song, Just a Minute, folk dance, western dance, classical dance, classical song, declamation, fancy dress and news reading. Apart from percussion, vegetable carving, mehendi designing, mono act, and banquet, collage making was the new addition in the list of the performing items this year. The Salalah house emerged as the frontrunner in the competitions followed by Nizwa house and Muscat house in the second and third positions respectively.

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Kohli, Rahane partnership puts India in command of Kotla Test India’s overall lead swelled to 403 against a beleaguered South African team who were shot out for 121 in the ﬁrst innings and have not gone past 185 in the series

CRUCIAL PARTNERSHIP: India’s captain Virat Kohli, right, is congratulated by teammate Ajinkya

Rahane as he completes a half century during the third day of their fourth Test match against South Africa at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday. – AFP CRICKET

TRIPLE STRIKE: South Africa’s Morne Morkel, left, celebrates after

dismissing India’s Rohit Sharma during the third day of their fourth Test match agaisnt South Africa at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday. – AFP SCOREBOARD

India 1st innings: 334 South Africa 1st innings: 121 India 2nd innings Murali Vijay c Vilas b Morkel Shikhar Dhawan b Morkel Rohit Sharma b Morkel C. Pujara b Imran Tahir Virat Kohli (not out)

3 21 0 28 83

one in the first innings, was out for a golden duck after a fuller Morkel delivery eluded his tentative prod and rearranged his stumps. After the lunch break, Morkel castled Shikhar Dhawan with a searing, inswinging yorker to dismiss him for 21 while Imran Tahir dismissed Pujara (28). India could have been in bigger trouble when Kohli, then on five, was ruled caught behind only to be called back after TV replays showed the leg-spinner had overstepped. Kohli, hand on hip, was seen glaring at the umpire after being given out initially suggesting he did not nick it in an act of defiance that is unlikely to go unnoticed by the match officials. That was the only blip in an otherwise fluent knock by the Indian

Ajinkya Rahane (not out) Extras (lb-2, nb-1) Total (4 wkts, 81 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-8, 3-53, 4-57.

Harbhajan Singh

“home advantage” is prevalent in cricket and every host nation has the eight to prepare pitches of their choice. “Whenever any team goes abroad to play, it encounters wickets not conducive to their strengths. Even when we play overseas, it happens. It is not the ﬁrst time that balls have turned in Indian pitches,” the off-spinner said here, on the sidelines of the launch of a portal named bookmysports.com. “India has been producing spinoriented wickets for a long time. If the hosts doesn’t take advantage of their strengths, who will.” The tweaker though refrained from commenting on the extent to

which a host nation can go to seek advantage and refused to comment on ICC’s verdict regarding the Nagpur pitch. “Neither I was in Nagpur, nor did I play the match, so I won’t be able to comment how the wicket was. But I am happy India won the match and the series. I hope they win here too and make it 3-0,” he added. The ‘turbanator’ is primed on performing for his state team Punjab in domestic cricket to cement his place in the national team after making a comeback in the Sri Lanka series earlier this year after a considerable time in wilderness. “Right now my focus is only on Ranji Trophy,” India’s third highest wicket-taker with 417 Test scalps said. The Jalandhar-born rightarmer also responded defensively to queries regarding the dilemma in resumption of India-Pakistan cricket. A series, scheduled to start from December 15 in Sri Lanka, awaits the Indian government’s approval. “As a player, I can only do what my parent body asks me to do. If our parent body gives a green light, the play players will happily oblige.” - IANS

captain whose silken touch was in full display in each of the 10 boundaries he hit in his knock. He and Rahane were largely unperturbed during the series-high partnership even though Morkel bowled his heart out, mixing pace and reverse swing but not getting much support from the other end. “We threw everything at them this morning, but they batted incredibly well,” said Proteas paceman Kyle Abbott who did not mind India batting on further. “To be quite honest, the longer they bat, probably the happier we are because more overs are taken out of the game. “To be quite honest, I thought they’d probably have a crack at us tonight, maybe the last hour or so. But they want to drag it out.” - Reuters

It’s good to see Kohli return to form and play positively

hanks to a century plus partnership between skipper Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, India have taken a vice-like grip on the fourth and ﬁnal Test match at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. It was good to see Virat Kohli return to form and play as positively as he did. Ajinkya Rahane, the centurion of the ﬁrst innings, gave him good company and ensured that India recovered from the loss of their four wickets for just 57 runs. Morne Morkel was bowling a brilliant spell getting the ball to move both ways and mixing the short delivery to good effect. Unfortunately, he didn’t get much support from the other end. So Kohli and Rahane were able to rebuild the Indian innings. Rohit Sharma failed once again getting out to a peach of a delivery from Morne Morkel.

Morne Morkel was bowling a brilliant spell getting the ball to move both ways and mixing the short delivery to good effect. Unfortunately, he didn’t get much support from the other end. So Kohli and Rahane were able to rebuild the Indian innings His promotion up the order raised eyebrows but the thinking behind it would have simply been his record as an opening batsman in limited overs cricket where he flourishes with the ball coming quickly onto the bat. Unfortunately he got out first ball and which meant that his place in the squad will be under fire. Shikhar Dhawan also struggled and with Murali Vijay falling cheaply India did look a little vulnerable at the top. For a batsman with such solid defence, Cheteshwar Pujara gets bowled far too often and he will certainly have to have a relook at his method which is not getting him the runs like a few years ago. The most heartening aspect

52 3 190

Bowling: Morne Morkel 17-6-29-3; Kyle Abbott 17-6-38-0; Dane Piedt 18-1-53-0; Imran Tahir 21-4-49-1; Dean Elgar 8-1-19-0.

C O M M E N TA RY

Harbhajan backs practice of home advantage in pitch controversy NEW DELHI: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Saturday backed the practice of “home advantage”, in reference to the nature of pitches prepared by India for the ongoing Test cricket series against South Africa. India have taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-match series which are being played on slow, low, prodigiously turning tracks with the ﬁrst and third matches ending within three days. The fourth Test is underway here at the Freozeshah Kotla where action is taking place on a similar track leading to a section of experts, based in home and abroad, criticising the hosts for stooping too low to win, alleging the absence of “fair play” in the “doctored” tracks. The International Cricket Council (ICC) added fuel to ﬁre by terming the third Test pitch at Nagpur as “poor”. The allegations have evoked a split response from the cricket community with India Test skipper Virat Kohli and team director Ravi Shastri backing their right to have a pitch of their liking while other have been left not too impressed with the unabashed claim. The 35-year-old opined that

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli struck a fluent unbeaten 83 to help India overcome a top order collapse and virtually bat South Africa out of the contest on day three of the fourth and final Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium on Saturday. Playing his first match as Test captain at his home ground, Kohli partnered Ajinkya Rahane (52 not out) to cobble together the first century stand of the low-scoring series after India had slumped to 57 for four following Morne Morkel’s triple strikes. The duo had raised 133 runs for the fifth wicket when bad light stopped play. India’s overall lead swelled to 403 against a beleaguered South African team who were shot out for 121 in the first innings and have not gone past 185 in the series. “We batted well in the first innings, they folded cheaply. I think 213 is a big margin,” India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja told reporters, referring to the hosts’ first innings lead. “As the match progresses, this wicket is going to deteriorate. We are in a strong position.” Morkel orchestrated India’s top order collapse, claiming two wickets in two balls in the morning after India, who have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, had opted against enforcing the followon and decided to set the visitors a target instead. Morkel drew first blood with a short delivery to dismiss opener Murali Vijay caught behind. The batsman pointed to his arm-guard to suggest he did not nick it before leaving the field shaking his head. Rohit Sharma was sent ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara, who was hit on the arm while fielding at short leg on Friday, but the batsman could not justify his promotion. The right-hander, who scored

from the Indian point of view would have been Virat Kohli’s return to form. Like Ajinkya Rahane did in the first innings, Kohli played close to his body and did not reach out for deliveries outside the off stump. As he settled down, he played some crisp drives and now looks set to get another Test century. Rahane was as solid as he was in the first innings and he capitalized on his good form in the first innings with another fine innings. India already have a lead of more than 400 runs and they will look to bat out the first session and leave South Africa close to 500 to chase in the final innings on a pitch which is yielding more turn. - PMG

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

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Steyn helped me get used to sub-continent pitches: Abbott Abbott and Morne Morkel have been impressive in the ﬁnal Test of the four-match series, asking difficult questions of the batsmen with their pace despite bowling on a relatively spinfriendly track

NEW DELHI: Having bowled well in the fourth Test against India at the Ferozeshah Kotla here, South African pacer Kyle Abbott credited fellow pacer Dale Steyn for helping him adjust to conditions in the sub-continent. Abbott and teammate Morne Morkel have been impressive in the final Test of the four-match series, asking difficult questions of the batsmen with their pace despite bowling on a relatively spinfriendly track. The 28-year-old claimed five for 40 in 24.5 overs during India’s first innings and put his performance down to tips provided by the vastly experienced Steyn.

INCREDIBLY PROUD: South Africa’s Kyle Abbott, right, celebrates after dismissing India’s Cheteshwar Pujara during their fourth Test match at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi. – AFP

“I have discussed a lot about bowling in the sub-continent with Dale Steyn. He would always feel that he is in the game here because generally the pitches are not a hundred percent ﬂat. Yes, they are a bit slow, but they offer inconsistent bounce and a bit of reverse swing,” Abbott said. “So he would tell me that he always felt he had a chance and I took that on board. It is a mindset in that

if you tell yourself that it is going to be ﬂat and hard for the seamers then it is going to be like that.” “But if you make the batsmen play 90-95 percent of the balls, and if one keeps up and one stays low or it swings a bit, you are going to give yourself a lot of opportunity,” he added. “Steyn has had success in the sub-continent over the years and that is something I took on board.”

Ability to do well Abbott did not manage to bag a wicket in India’s second innings on Saturday despite coming close on several occasions, but Morkel managed three scalps. The right-armer asserted he is happy with the performance he and Morkel produced. “Incredibly proud to have bowled well today. Tough conditions here in India. This is a series where the spinners have dominat-

ed so it was nice to get a couple of wickets with the seamers.” “Morne probably took his lessons from the ﬁrst innings and bowled a slightly full length. I thought the yorker was probably was probably an out of the boxing thinking and something that you do in these situations when the pitches are not helping you much.” “There is nothing off the deck. You got to make the ball do a bit in the air. Sometimes we need to take the pitch totally out of the play, which we did,” he added. “Going forward, I am going to take a lot of conﬁdence out of this. There were probably a few questions on my performance in South Africa,” he said. “But I have shown that in a situation where the ball is reversing, I have the ability to do well.” “I am going to take that knowledge in the future and any sort of deck I get, I will give my best.” The pacer also opined that Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane batted defensively during their 133-run partnership which made things even more difficult for the Proteas. India were 190 for four at stumps on day three with an overall lead of 403 runs on Saturday. “They batted at a strike rate of around 40. So when the batsmen are not taking any risks and there nothing off the deck, it becomes a bit difficult to take wickets. Even when we tried to tempt them into a shot, they either left it, or tried to defend. So it became a bit frustrating,” he stated. “But its Test cricket, at the end of the day and we are testing our skills and our patience.” - IANS

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BCCI has too many politicians, says Chappell

CRITICAL: From left, former Delhi High Court judge Justice Mukul Mudgal, former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell, Indian cricketer Gautam Gambir and former Indian cricketer BS Bedi at the ‘HT Leadership Summit 2015’ in New Delhi on Saturday. – PTI

NEW DELHI: There are far too many politicians in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and cutting back on some of them might help it become more professional, according to former Australia captain Ian Chappell who said it is important for the board to put in place a good team to restore its credibility. “BCCI has got way too many politicians involved. Cutting back on them isn’t a bad start,” said Chappell at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here on Saturday. Besides Chappell, former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi, opener Gautam Gambhir and Justice Mukul Mudgal were also a part of the panel discussion, where all the panelists demanded more ac-

countability, transparency and honesty from the BCCI. Chappell termed the Indian board as a “bully” when asked to describe it in one word and said that it actually bullies other boards to fall in its line. Citing the example of the Decision Review System, Chappell said there should be similar rules for every cricket playing nation but India never uses it in bilateral series. “India has a lot of power now, but with power comes responsibility. I don’t trust the DRS either and I think it is a rubbish system. But that is beside the point. Either every one has to use it or not use it,” he insisted. Chappell suggested that the BCCI should have a proper team to run the sport in the country.

“Like you cannot have all 11 bowlers or all 11 batsmen in a team. Similarly, to run a cricket body, all should not be cricketers but some administrators also. Putting an administration body together is like picking a cricket team,” he said. Bedi rated BCCI zero on a scale of 1 to 10 as far as BCCI’s professionalism is concerned. “The credibility factor is very low as far as the BCCI is concerned. The accountability of the BCCI is absolutely zero,” stressed Bedi. Gambhir also said it was important that the BCCI employ right kind of people so that there is transparency. “I think there should be more transparency and I feel the current regime is looking to bring in that,” he said. - PTI

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Windies suffer embarrassing defeat in Test buildup tie BRISBANE: An almost fullstrength West Indies have crashed to an embarrassing 10-wicket loss to an inexperienced Cricket Australia XI in their only warm-up match ahead of next week’s first Test against Steve Smith’s team in Hobart. Jake Carder and Tim Paine needed just 17 balls to score the required 10 runs in the home side’s second innings to record the 10-wicket victory on Saturday at Allan Border Field in Brisbane. Much worse It could have been much worse for West Indies had captain Jason Holder (65) and Kemar Roach (36) not combined for a 79-run eighth-wicket partnership after they had slumped to 97 for seven in their second innings, which helped ensure the hosts would bat again. “It’s a tough loss and not the start we were looking for on this tour,” Holder told reporters in Brisbane. “We definitely have some areas to improve on. We didn’t spend enough time in the middle as batsmen and when we bowled we were not as disciplined as we should have been. We definitely need to tighten up.” The visitors had conceded a 201-run first innings lead to the inexperienced CA XI side, six of whom were making their first class debut in the match. Seven of the CA XI team were also aged 21 or younger. Leg-spinner Cameron Boyce was the pick of the home side’s bowlers in the West Indies’ second innings, with figures of four for 84 from 20 overs. Taylor rested The only regular Test player missing from the West Indies side was strike bowler Jerome Taylor, who was rested for the match. “Obviously we will cop some criticism and we need to improve, there is no doubt about it going into the test against the second ranked team in the world,” Holder said in reference to the first of the three matches against Australia starting at Hobart next Thursday. “We have to make the most of these coming days and make sure our preparation is right heading into the test. “We are at that stage where we are stagnant and have been for the past few months. “We need to try something different and each player has to look in the mirror and reflect on how they can lift.” - Reuters

CRICKET

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar pulls out of Masters Champions League MUMBAI: Former Pakistan star pacer Shoaib Akhtar on Saturday said he will not be participating in the Masters Champions League (MCL), the ﬁrst of its kind tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aimed at giving retired cricketers a chance to take the ﬁeld again. The 40-year-old, who featured in the Cricket All Stars Twenty20 tournament in the United States recently, wished MCL good luck and all the best. The MCL, which will feature a total of six teams playing in the Twenty20 format, has already got approval from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Shoaib Akhtar

This ﬁrst edition is slated to start on January 28 next year, and will go on till February 14. The six teams will accommodate a total of 90 players (15 members per

squad) which will entirely be held in different stadia across the UAE. “Sorry to inform you guys that am pulling out from MCL league in Dubai. But good luck and my

best wishes to MCL,” Akhtar tweeted on Saturday. The league will feature only retired international players. Brain Lara, Adam Gilchrist, Wasim Akram, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly and Jacques Kallis have been signed up as ‘icons’ so far. The matches will be held across the UAE in Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium — destinations which have previously hosted cricket tournaments including the Indian Premier League (IPL), as well as One-Day Internationals (ODIs), T20Is and several Test matches. - IANS

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 6, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS Belgium edge India, to face Australia in ﬁnal

FOOTBALL

Blatter to make case to FIFA ethics body in coming weeks: report

Cedric Charlier’s ﬁfth minute strike was enough for Belgium to down India and move into the ﬁnal

RAIPUR: Belgium pipped a hardworking India 1-0 in the second semifinal to set up a summit clash against world champions Australia in the the FIH Hockey World League (HWL) Final at the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Stadium here on Saturday. Cedric Charlier’s fifth minute strike was enough for Belgium to down India and move into the final. Australia reached the final after defeating the Netherlands 3-2 in the first semifinal on Friday. India will have the chance for consolation when they face the Netherlands in the bronze medal match on Sunday. It was a match that saw India challenging a strong Belgian defence, that held firm and the hosts threw everything at the Europeans but the equaliser was not be seen. India pressed high from the beginning but the Belgian defence held firm. Mohammad Amir was prevented from meeting a pass from Akashdeep Singh. Ramandeep Singh and S.V. Sunil were India’s trump card from the right and they were doing well. But Belgium scored from their first real attempt at the post in the fifth minute. Jerome Truynes’s cross set up an unmarked Charlier at the top of the circle and he employed a fiery backhand strike that beat Indian goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh, who

KEEN BATTLE: India and Belgium players in action during the second semiﬁnal of the FIH Hockey

World League in Raipur on Saturday. – PTI

was slow in his reaction. It forced India to play a bit controlled game as Roelant Oltmans directed Sardar Singh to play deep and control the possession. Belgium, coached by New Zealander Shane McLeod upped the ante and almost got their second goal after Thomas Briels received an aerial ball and came one-onone with Sreejesh, who had to rush ahead to deny the forward the chance in the closing part of the ﬁrst quarter. In the second quarter, India continued their ploy of controlled aggression but failed to get a clearcut chance. Sunil did well to enter the circle before crossing it for Akashdeep, who failed to reach to the ball in the 18th minute and later Talwinder Singh looked in a hurry while executing a build-up play from the open spaces.

Belgium, too got their chance when Tanguy Cosyns intercepted a Sardar pass from the centre of the pitch and made a solo run into the Indian circle but his reversehand hit sailed over the Indian post, bringing a sigh of relief for the packed crowd. After the change of ends, the battle reached its simmering peak with India looking desperate for the equaliser. They intercepted well, especially Sunil, who was in the thick of things. The Karnataka forward, with his speedy run, involved in a one-two with Akashdeep, who was denied by goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch. Belgium defenders man-of-thematch Arthur van Doren, Loick Lupayert and Gauthier Boccard had a very good game, halting India’s every raid. They didn’t allow

a penalty corner that was desperately sought by the Indians. Belgium, too relentlessly went on the attack, peppering Indian defence and keeping Sreejesh on the guard. Meanwhile, Manpreet’s aerial pass was controlled admirably by Akashdeep inside the Belgian cicle. But his attempt at the goal was wayward. Similarly, in the fourth quarter, India threw everything at the Belgian defence. Sunil also had another chance in front of the goal post but he drove straight at the goalkeeper and the teams were involved in goal melee. India’s demand for a penalty corner on the version that Lupayert was blocking them from attempting shots was denied as the game came to a conclusion with a 1-0 victory for the European side. - IANS

CRICKET

ICC to launch U-19 World Cup on Monday DHAKA: The International Cricket Council (ICC) will launch the 2016 Under-19 World Cup during a ceremony here on Monday. ICC General Manager (Cricket)

Geoff Allardice, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hassan, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara and Bangladesh duo of Mustaﬁzur Rahman

and Taskin Ahmed will be present at the function. The tournament will be held from January 22 to February 14. This is the second time Bangladesh

CRICKET

GCC defeat PSM to clinch National Day cricket title

MUSCAT: Gulf Cricket Centre (GCC) defeated Pakistan School Muscat (PSM) to lift the Senior Cup title at the 45th National Day of Oman cricket tournament organised by GCC. In the eight overs-a-side match, GCC after electing to bat ﬁrst, put up a target of 78 runs. Sagar top scored with 17 runs while Amandeep and Sanjit contributed 15 not out and 12 respectively.

In relly, PSM could manage only 66 runs. Muntazir scored 18 runs. For GCC, Sanjit Kanojia and Amandeep claimed two wickets each. Man of the match award went to Amandeep of GCC. Ahmed Mohammad Hasan Al Yahmadi, Ministry of Sports Affairs official, presided over the prize-giving ceremony. Kishore Sampat, Managing Director of Intesar Corporation

LLC. Sanjay Tiwary, GM of National Stone LLC, Mohammad Nawaz, Attaulah Niazi, Khalid Jadoon and Latha Ramakrishnan were guests of honour. The tournament was sponsored by Intesar Corporation LLC, Al Nafeesa Jewellery, Oasis Water, Al Hosani Group of Companies, National Stone LLC, Al Faisal and Purshottam Kanji Exchange LLC.

are hosting the event after holding it the ﬁrst time in 2004. South Africa are the defending champions, having won the title in the United Arab Emirates last year. - IANS

ZURICH: Suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter said in a Swiss newspaper interview published on Saturday that he expects to make his case to the ethics committee of soccer’s governing body in the coming weeks. Blatter was suspended in October for 90 days along with European soccer boss Michel Platini amid a deepening corruption scandal as the sport faces criminal investigations in Switzerland and the United States. FIFA’s Ethics Committee is investigating their conduct and they could face much longer suspensions when the ﬁnal verdict in the case is announced later this month. “The week after next, I have the chance to comment,” Blatter told Zurich’s Tages-Anzeiger daily. “Then the ethics committee must prove that I have behaved unethically. And one cannot prove what is not true.” Blatter also said it was “super” that a package of reforms proposed by to clean up the scandalplagued FIFA was approved so easily this week.

Sepp Blatter

The measures included limits to the number of terms top officials can serve and a new separation of policy and management positions, with a 36-member FIFA council replacing the 25-member executive committee. Sepp Blatter added that he should receive some recognition for the proposals. “One should mention the author of the reforms,” Blatter was quoted as saying. “It was the elected FIFA president who initiated this process at the 2011 congress.” - Reuters

FOOTBALL

Former Peru soccer chief arrested in FIFA probe LIMA: The former longtime president of Peru’s soccer federation, Manuel Burga, has been arrested as part of an ongoing U.S.led investigation into corruption at the sport’s world governing body, FIFA. Burga is among 16 people, including current and former Latin American soccer chiefs, who were charged on Thursday with multimillion-dollar bribery schemes for marketing and broadcast rights. Burga, 58, who was head of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) for 12 years until 2014, denied wrongdoing as police arrested him late on Friday outside his home in the Peruvian capital, Lima. “I’m helping police with their

enquiries, I’d been waiting for them... They’d already informed me that I would see an arrest warrant,” Burga told local television reporters outside his house. “I reiterate that I’m innocent. I haven’t received any bungs or bribes,” he said, before being driven away in a police car. Police chief Vicente Romero said officers were acting on an international warrant for Burga’s arrest. It was not immediately clear if Burga remained in police custody on Saturday. Burga won reelection as FPF president twice but was barred last year by the organisation from running for a fourth term as criticism grew over his management of the federation. - Reuters

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

SPORTS F1

Things with Rosberg will never be perfect: Hamilton LONDON: Reigning Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton believes his relationship with Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg will “never be perfect” but both remain fully committed to the team. Hamilton won his third title in 2015 as he and Rosberg combined for 12 one-two ﬁnishes over 19 races, but the year was soured by clashes between the two. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has warned he could replace one of the drivers if their relationship damages the team. “It is never going to be all ﬁne and dandy,” Hamilton was quoted as saying by BBC on Friday, when asked about his relationship with Rosberg.

The 30-year-old added that Mercedes “can’t really complain” about the results they are delivering. “It is never going to be perfect. But we have a winning formula. We always get a one-two when the car is ready to give a one-two,” he said. A year of simmering tensions came to a head at both the Japanese and United States Grands Prix when Rosberg felt Hamilton had been too aggressive while passing him at the start of the races. After his win in US, which secured him his third world title, Hamilton tossed Rosberg the cap he had to wear on the podium only for his teammate to throw it straight back at him. - IANS

GALFAR’S TOP PERFORMERS: From left, Binu Thomas, Rizwan Afgan and Srikant Achariya. – Supplied photo

Five-wicket Jaspreet stars in NYDT’s win CO defeated and Ooredoo B by eight wickets at the Municipality Ground IV during the morning session on Friday. Batting ﬁrst, Ooredoo B were bowled out for 88 in 17.2 overs. Murtaza Shah claimed three wickets for SARCO. SARCO completed their bonus point victory by scoring 91 for two in 8.1 overs. Tosim Khan top scored with an unbeaten 53 to see the win through. Mudassir claimed two wickets for Oordeoo B.

Batting ﬁrst, ISC were bowled out for 170 in 29.4 overs. In reply, NYDT scored 173 for six in 25.5 overs FIVE FOR: NYDT’s Jaspreet Singh, left, being honoured for his ﬁve wicket haul against ISC. – Supplied photo

MUSCAT: The National Youth Development Team (NYDT) recorded a four-wicket victory over Indian Social Club (ISC) in a Khimji Ramdas-sponsored A Division match at the Municipality Ground I during the morning session on Friday. Batting ﬁrst, ISC were bowled out for 170 in 29.4 overs. Amandeep Singh top scored with 44 runs. Jaspreet Singh claimed ﬁve wickets for NYDT. In reply, NYDT scored 173 for six in 25.5 overs with Shuaib Ismail and Mohammed Ali top scoring with 75 not out and 60 respectively. Abbas Naqvi claimed three scalps for ISC in a losing cause. Brief scores: ISC 170 in 29.4 overs (Amandeep Singh 44; Jaspreet Singh 5/24) lost to NYDT 173 for 6 in 25.5 overs (Shuaib Ismail 75 n.o., Mohammed Ali 60; Abbas Naqvi 3/31). Points: NYDT - 2, ISC – 0.

Galfar edge New Media In another A Division match, Galfar defeated New Media by a six runs at the Municipality Ground II during the morning session on Friday. Batting ﬁrst, Galfar put on 220 for eight in 30 overs with Rizwan Afghan top scoring with 55 runs. C. Jagath claimed three wickets for New Media. In reply, New Media scored 214 for nine in 30 overs with Imran Rijvi and Rajeesh scoring 67 and 63 runs respectively. Srikanth and Binu claimed three wickets each for Galfar.

panies-sponsored B Division match, Design Unit Engineering (DUE) defeated Uday Khimji by eight wickets at the Municipality Ground III during the morning session on Friday. Batting ﬁrst, Uday Khimji put on 143 for ﬁve in 20 overs. Umar top scored with 50. Rajesh claimed three wickets for DSE. DSE completed their victory by scoring 144 for two in 20 overs thanks to an unbeaten 103 by Shamas Rana, which enabled the team to seal the bonus point win.

Brief scores: Galfar 220 for 8 in 30 overs (Rizwan Afghan 55; C. Jagath 3/27) bt New Media 214 for 9 in 30 overs (Imran Rijvi 67, Rajeesh 63; Srikanth 3/29). Points: Galfar - 2, New Media - 0.

Brief scores: Uday Khimji 143 for 5 in 20 overs (Umar 50; Rajesh 3/19) lost to DSE 144 for 2 in 12.3 overs (Shamas Rana 103 n.o). Points: DSE 3, Uday Khimji - 0.

DSE down Uday Khimji In an Al Ansari Group of Com-

SARCO win In a Raha Poly Products-sponsored C Division match, SAR-

Brief socres: Oordeoo B 88 in 17.2 overs (Murtaza Shah 3/10) lost to SARCO 91 for 2 in 8.1 overs (Tousim Khan 53 n.o). Points: SARCO – 3 , Ooredoo B – 0.

L&T humble Huawei In another Raha Poly Productssponsored C Division match, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) defeated Huawei by nine wickets at the Municipality Ground I during the morning session on Thursday. Batting ﬁrst, Huawei put on 144 for eight in 20 overs. Syed Mujaba top scored with 32. Sunil Chauhan claimed three wickets for L&T. L&T completed their bonus point victory by scoring 146 for the loss of just one wicket in 18.4 overs. Valiappan and Althaf top scored with 47 not out and 48 respectively. Brief scores: Huawei 144 for 8 in 20 overs. (Sunil Chauhan 3/25) lost to L&T 146 for 1 in 18.4 overs (Valiappan 47 n.o., Althaf 48 n.o). Points: L&T – 3, Huawei – 0.

OOC GEARING UP TO HOST OLYMPIC DAY EVENTS

Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) is all geared up to host the 2015 Olympic Day event across the Sultanate on Tuesday. Accoding to a press release issued by the OOC on Saturday, the working committee, entrusted with the responsibility of planning and organising the activities, is working hard under the chairmanship of Oman Tennis Association chairman and OOC treasurer Mutassim Al Zadjali to make the annual event a great success. The 2015 Olympic Day events will take in six places in governorates like Muscat, Dhofar, Musandam, Al Dhahirah and the Interior region. — Supplied photo

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 6, 2 0 1 5 SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

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LA LIGA

Real end turbulent week with victory over Getafe MADRID: Real Madrid ended a turbulent week off the pitch on a high on Saturday when Karim Benzema struck twice and Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale scored a goal apiece in a 4-1 victory over Getafe in La Liga. Real were expelled from the King’s Cup on Friday after ﬁelding an ineligible player in Wednesday’s last 32, ﬁrst leg at third-tier Cadiz, the latest setback in a difficult few weeks for the world’s richest club by income. Hammered 4-0 at home by champions and leaders Barcelona last month, Real needed a strong performance against city neighbours Getafe to relieve the pressure on coach Rafa Benitez. Benitez, who took over from the

sacked Carlo Ancelotti at the end of last season, was roundly whistled when his name was read out with the team lists before kickoff and there were more chants during the game calling for president Florentino Perez to step down. France forward Benzema, whose legal problems have been another of Real’s off-ﬁeld distractions, opened the scoring in the fourth minute when he volleyed in Pepe’s cross. Benzema, who is under investigation over his alleged involvement in an attempt to blackmail France teammate Mathieu Valbuena with a sex video, added a second in the 16th minute with a low shot into the corner. Bale made it 3-0 in the 35th after

being set up by Ronaldo, who put Real out of sight against a woeful Getafe when he ﬁnished off a swift break three minutes later. Eased off The afternoon marked the ﬁrst time this season Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo, collectively known as “BBC”, have scored in the same La Liga game. Real eased off in the second half and Getafe defender Alexis Ruano pulled a goal back at a 70th minute corner, prompting more whistles directed at their own team from some sections of the home crowd. The victory lifted Real above Atletico Madrid into second place on 30 points from 14 matches, three behind Barca. - Reuters

BENZEMA BRACE: Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, right, celebrates after scoring a goal during their La

Liga match against Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Saturday . – AFP

Rampant Leicester go top though Vardy streak ends Manchester City’s dismal 2-0 defeat at Stoke City in the early kickoff opened the door for 20001 pre-season title shots Leicester to reach the summit after 15 games and they responded in emphatic fashion in south Wales

LONDON: Jamie Vardy’s record scoring streak ended but Leicester City’s improbable Premier League title challenge continued with Riyad Mahrez’s hat-trick sealing a 3-0 win at Swansea City that put them top on Saturday. Manchester City’s dismal 2-0 defeat at Stoke City in the early kickoff opened the door for 20001 pre-season title shots Leicester to reach the summit after 15 games and they responded in emphatic fashion in south Wales. Mahrez scored twice in the ﬁrst 22 minutes and struck again after the break as Leicester moved on to 32 points, two clear of Arsenal who moved above Manchester City with a 3-1 home defeat of Sunderland -- Olivier Giroud scoring for both sides. Vardy had scored for 11 consecutive Premier League matches and while he drew a blank at the Liberty Stadium, it had no effect on Claudio Ranieri’s conﬁdent side who are still unbeaten away from home in the league this season. Two goals inside the opening

HAT-TRICK: Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez celebrates with Wes Morgan after scoring their third goal

during their Premier League match against Swansea City at Liberty Stadium on Saturday. – Reuters

15 minutes from Stoke’s Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic, both created by inﬂuential Swiss playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri, condemned injury-hit City to defeat at a blustery Britannia Stadium. “We can’t accept how we played today,” City keeper Joe Hart said. “It was a disappointing start and we could not recover from it.” Manchester United failed to take advantage of City’s defeat, drawing 0-0 at home with West Ham United to stay fourth, level on 29 points with their neighbours. There were some boos at fulltime after a fourth 0-0 draw in their last six home games. “The most important thing is

we are dominant and creating chances, but we have to improve because we don’t score,” United manager Louis van Gaal said. Fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur also missed the chance to capitalise as they drew 1-1 at West Bromwich Albion. Dele Alli had given the visitors an early lead but James McClean headed West Brom level as Tottenham drew for the eighth time so far in the campaign. Leicester, who spent a total of 140 days propping up the Premier League last season, the most by any club to avoid relegation, were too good for free-falling Swansea. And they proved that their

ISL

Chennaiyin FC beat Pune City 1-0 to enter semis PUNE: India’s Jeje Lalpekhlua scored the only goal to help Chennaiyin FC storm into semifinals of the Indian Super League (ISL) second season with a 1-0 win over hosts FC Pune City at the Balewadi Stadium here on Saturday. With the visitors needing only a draw to progress into the semifinals, 24-year-old Lalpekhlua scored in the 64th minute to help Chennaiyin reach play-off stages of the ISL with full confidence. After their win, Chennaiyin have climbed to second spot in the points table with 22 points from 14 games, having won seven, drawn one and lost six. With the loss in their last game of the season, Pune are now in the seventh position with 15 points from 14 games, having won four, drawn three and lost seven. Chennaiyin’s Elano Blumer and Mehrajuddin Wadoo will miss the first leg of the semis through suspension after picking up their fourth yellow cards. Both teams started on a posi-

Lalpekhlua scored in the 64th minute to help Chennaiyin reach play-off stages

tive note in the match but it was the visitors who took the initiative to surge upfront. Chennaiyin got a couple of chances in the ﬁrst half but failed to make the most of it. The home side’s defence looked shaky right from the start letting the Chennaiyin forward to sneak into their box. With a see-saw battle both the sides went into halftime with scoreline showing nil. But the second half showed a much improved play from both the sides, as the teams looked to get the lead. Finally in the 64th

minute, the deadlock was broken by the Indian much to the surprise of the home fans gathered to cheer for their team in the last home match of the season. Stiven Mendosa played the ball for Jeje whose left footed shot came off Pune defender Govin Singh Moirangthem and the rebound was slotted home by the India international at ease to make it 1-0. From there on, Marco Materazzi’s men focused on their defence at large not to allow the opposition to level things up. With the Chennaiyin defence standing tall right through the match, it was an empty handed return for the Pune side in the second edition. Defending champions Atletico de Kolkata, FC Goa, Chennaiyin FC and Delhi Dynamos FC are the four teams to make it to the playoff stages of the season 2. The first leg of the first semifinal match is scheduled for December 11. - IANS

form is not all about Vardy’s scoring prowess as Mahrez produced three clinical strikes. The Algerian, who cost £500,000 ($755,500) when he joined from French club Le Havre, headed them in front after ﬁve minutes, looked offside when he swept in a second after 22 and rounded off a great day in the 67th minute after a counter-attack. He now has 10 league goals this season. Remi Garde is still awaiting his ﬁrst win as manager of bottom club Aston Villa but earned some comfort in a 1-1 draw away to Southampton. Fellow-strugglers Norwich City lost 2-0 at Watford. - Reuters

RUGBY

Dusautoir retires PARIS: France captain Thierry Dusautoir, the 2011 World Player of the Year, has announced his retirement from international rugby. The 34-year-old said he made his decision to quit after recent discussions with new France coach Guy Noves. “We arrived at the same conclusions,” Dusautoir told the French newspaper L’Equipe. “If I had tried to continue, forcing to do, I would have shown more vanity than anything else. In fact, I believe that this is the wisest decision.” A tireless ﬂanker known for his legendary tackling and deft ballhandling skills, Dusautoir made his test debut in 2006 and played a total of 80 internationals. His last appearance was in the

World Cup quarterﬁnals in October, where France suffered a record 62-13 loss to the eventual champions New Zealand. “It was clear that I would not be playing the next World Cup (in Japan in 2019),” he said. “I’ve always set myself big goals but this one was not reachable and it was never in my intention to just grab a few more caps.” Born in the Ivory Coast, Dusautoir moved to France when he was 10 and did not start playing rugby until he was 16 because his mother thought the sport was too rough for her son. Dusautoir was appointed France captain in 2009 and led his team 56 times, a record for his country. Under his guidance France won 26 Tests and lost 28. - Reuters

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

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INTEREST GROWS FOR RESURGENT FORWARD More likely to pitch up at Stamf Stamford Bridge in the New Year is Nikola Kalinic, the t Croatian striker who is third on Serie A’s current topscorers with nine goals from 12 appearances for Fiorentina

Kalinic is a gamble now, but could be impossible to resist in the near future

t seem seems like the “kisses that Jose and cuddles” c Mourinho shared with Mourin Diego Costa at half-time in Chelsea’s 0-4 win at MacChelse cabi Tel Aviv last l Tuesday evening weren’t enough enou to maintain the peace for too llong. explanation offered by The expla Mourinho to his angry exchange with his striker strik as they headed toroom, caused wards the changing cha apparent lack of movement by an apparen Spaniard, wasn’t confrom the Sp vincing and the th subsequent dropping of Costa, Costa a loss of “privilege” according to his manager, for the game against Tottenham exposed the weak pretence. pret As he realised realis he would not get onto the field at White Hart Lane, Costa reacted by throwing his pink bib down from his dugout seat in a fit of petulance petulanc that will do little to endear himself himse to the manager altroubled with finding a way ready trouble to arrest the sstriker’s slide in form that has seen him score just three times from 11 league games. with the deci“We are happy ha verdict on sion” was Mourinho’s Mo the deployment deployme of Eden Hazard, midfielder, by trade an attacking a centre-forward for the goalless at centre-forw Spurs, but the knowledge draw at Spurs Costa’s understudies that he, or C Radamel Falcao Falc and Loic Remy, don’t carry the th same clinical ruththe striker who hit 20 lessness as th way to delivering Chelgoals on the w Premier League title last sea the Prem concern the Portuguese. term, will con Linked with Blues So then it is no n surprise that, with transfer market loomthe January tr have been linked with ing, Chelsea h as they attacking reinforcements rein aim to arrest ttheir nightmarish defence of their title. Munich’s £75 millionBayern Mu rated Thoma Thomas Muller has been even more ablinked but possibly pos surd are reports that Mourinho rep is apparently keen on Emmanuel

Adebayor, who comes with buckets of Premier League experience and the bonus of no price-tag but has a record of fractious behaviour that makes Costa look conformant. More likely to pitch up at Stamford Bridge in the New Year is Nikola Kalinic, the Croatian striker who is third on Serie A’s current top-scorers with nine goals from 12 appearances for Fiorentina. Paulo Sousa spent £3.85 million to sign him from Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the summer, a bargain considering the 19 goals he scored last season which included a header in the Europa League final with Sevilla in May, and has been rewarded with a sensational run of form that has fired La Viola up to third, two points behind league leaders Napoli, with a third of the season gone. Resurgence Kalinic, who finally found form in Ukraine with Dnipro after underwhelming in his first two seasons following two troubled years in England with Blackburn Rovers, signed a four year deal in Florence but his eligibility for the Champions League will be attractive to Chelsea and Mourinho. With Khouma Babacar, on four goals from seven appearances so far, being eased into the Sousa era after knee problems curtailed his progress last term, and Giuseppe Rossi struggling to return to form after his own series of knee injuries, Kalinic has delivered the goals and with owner Andrea Della Valle pledging La Viola “won’t hold back” in the transfer market in the bid to remain at the top end of Serie A, it is hard to see them relinquishing the Croatian striker easily regardless of the money on offer. Della Valle was speaking after a quick-fire second half double from Kalinic rescued a 2-2 draw against Empoli after Fiorentina had gone two goals down and, after also drawing with Sassuolo on Monday night, Sousa has warned that his team may be growing tired as they juggle domestic demands with the Europa League. Reliance on Croatian duo There is also a feeling that in relying on Kalinic and his fellow Croatian Josip Ilicic, the midfielder who has chipped in with four, for goals, they are pinning their hopes on two overachieving attackers who have

never previously been so prolific. Borja Valero, who got Fiorentina’s goal at Sassuolo, joins the duo in the attacking trio that Sousa usually favours at the tip of his 3-42-1 system that operates on high possession, compact defensive shape and fluid player positioning. Both Ilicic and Kalinic were on the scoresheet for their standout result so far this season, the 1-4 win at title rivals Inter Milan where Kalinic scored a hat-trick by feeding off direct balls that bypassed a sluggish midfield and exposed a vulnerable defence. It was Kalinic latching onto a threaded pass in behind Inter’s back 4 that earned Miranda a red card, the Brazilian having to scythe the striker down to stop him scampering away for another goal. Strengths Instinctive finishes have converted crosses into the box at Sampdoria and Verona and at 6ft 2 inches tall he is proving himself to be a strong, effective presence in holding up the ball and linking together attacking moves. He is most dangerous as a calm and composed operator in-front of goal however, with only Roma’s Edin Dzeko boasting a better shot accuracy rate than Kalinic’s 63 percent out of the strikers who have registered 30 shots or more in Serie A. Against Empoli, the goals came via a header and a smart finish from a Babacar pass, while in the dying stages the Croatian could have nicked it but his effort struck the bar. That would have put Fiorentina back on top of Serie A, where the 1-4 win at Inter in late September positioned them for the first time since 1998-99, but they remain in touching distance as they cling onto the dream of delivering a first Scudetto since 1969. Kalinic continuing his rich vein of form will be vital to that dream and it could, given the lessons of the past, either fizzle out or be lost to another club. Maybe he’s a gamble now, but could be impossible to resist in the near future. Chelsea may feel January is too early to gamble on Kalinic as the answer to Costa’s plight, but if he leads Fiorentina to glory then the demand for the born-again Croat may be impossible to resist. - ADAM GRAY / o-posts.com

Health LIFESTYLE

SECTION

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

ISCHAEMIC HEART DISEASE You can invite ischaemic heart disease (IHD) by enjoying a high-protein, fatty diet, following a sedentary lifestyle, and indulging in addictions like smoking. The incidence of this disease is increasingly being found among people in their 30s and 40s worldwide. Do you want to be one of them? S T O R Y

H U B E R T

VA Z

S U N DAY, D EC EMB ER 6, 2 0 1 5

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

LIFESTYLE MAIN CAUSES OF ISCHAEMIA

ardiac ischaemia is a coronary artery disease, which occurs when plaque and fatty matter get deposited on the inside walls of an artery, such that it is unable to supply enough oxygen-rich blood to meet the heart’s pumping needs. Ischaemia is often experienced during exercise or some form of exertion, during excitement or stress, while eating or even due to exposure to extreme cold conditions. Doctors explain that faulty lifestyles and diet can cause coronary artery disease, which can progress to a point when ischaemia occurs even without any significant exertion or stress (during a state of rest). It can show up without any warning signs, although it is said to be more common among diabetics. Treatment of ischaemia usually involves a three-fold approach comprising changes in lifestyle, medication and specialised procedures to clear blocks in arteries, like balloon angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery. However, it is of utmost importance to take up a low-salt, low-trans fat, low sugar diet and give up a sedentary lifestyle by getting involved in activity and exercise. Diet and exercise combined with medication to help the heart function better can significantly improve the health of any patient suffering from ischaemic heart disease. Dr Satish Manoharan, cardiologist, Al Hayat Hospital, says the incidence of ischaemic heart disease is being found in more and more young people these days, mainly because of faulty diet and a sedentary lifestyle along with addictions like smoking and alcohol consumption. One can reduce the risks of heart disease by simply staying away from these dangers. Here are answers to some key queries on ischaemic heart disease: What is ischaemic heart disease? Ischaemic heart disease is the most common form of heart disease and a common cause of death in countries around the world. Ischaemia refers to “reduced blood supply” to the heart via the coronary arteries due to blocks along the walls of the arteries in the form of cholesterol or fatty deposits. This reduces the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscles, which is crucial for proper functioning of the heart.

diabetes mellitus smoking hypertension

high cholesterol levels

genetic and hereditary factors

What are the main causes of ischaemia? The key causes of ischaemia are as follows: Ċ Smoking Ċ Diabetes mellitus Ċ High cholesterol levels Ċ Hypertension (High blood pressure) Ċ Genetic and hereditary factors Ċ Stress Ċ Sedentary lifestyle Ċ Faulty diet Who can be more prone to IHD and what are the key symptoms? The incidence of heart disease ase used to be earlier among people le in their 50s and 60s, but now it has been seen even in people in their 30s and 40s. Those who have a sedentary lifestyle, faulty diet and family history of IHD are more at risk. The common symptomss include angina, acute chest st pain, and difficulty in breathingg or swelling of the extremities duee to weakness of the heart muscle. Can the risks of IHD be reversed among younger individuals who take necessary precautions? Deﬁnitely, younger individuduals can considerably reduce the risks by avoiding fatty diets, ets, smoking, sedentary lifestyle as well as stress levels, which are the main causes of IHD. Avoidoiding foods rich in saturated fats helps in reducing lipid levelss in the blood and to prevent arterteriosclerosis. Adequate regular ular exercise is also essential. hubert@timesofoman.com

stress

sedentary lifestyle

faulty diet

Eat, Drink Right If you want to avoid ischaemic heart disease, here’s what to do right away: Ċ Cut down on beverages, juices with added sugar. ĊŗŗAvoid full cream milk and dairy products. ĊŗŗAvoid alcohol or drink in moderation. ĊŗŗAvoid foods that have partially hydrogenated oils. ĊŗŗAvoid processed food. ĊŗŗLimit the use of condiments (mustard, pickles, and sauces) ĊŗŗSwitch to lean meat or poultry. ĊŗŗUse less salt in cooking. ĊŗŗFlavour foods with herbs, spices, and lemon. ĊŗŗAvoid sodas, candy, and fast food.

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 6, 2 0 1 5

LIFESTYLE

Try

BRIEFS

Japanese scientists discover HIV inhibiting protein

W hy

Here are a few simple, time-tested foods, techniques,

and remedies to try, and a bit about why. Have you tried any of these tricks? How did you like them? Do you have a favourite remedy of

Eat Grapefruit to Rid Fever The pulp or juice of grapefruit is good for a quick recovery from fever. It also reduces the burning sensation that occurs when the body reaches a high temperature. Grapefruit is also good for boosting the immune system against colds and other illnesses.

your own? Tell us about it at lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Japanese scientists have discovered a protein, found in humans, that has inhibitory effects on the human immuno-deﬁciency virus (HIV), the media reported. It was found, that virus in the cells with the protein known as MARCH8 did not affect the healthy cells in an individual, according to the report. Kenzo Tokunaga, who participated in the research, said he hopes for development of a drug, that helps produce MARCH8 in the body, so that it can be used for HIV treatment, Efe news agency reported. The research was based on cultivating HIV viruses using cells with MARCH8 and cells without it, after which it was concluded, that most of the infected cells having MARCH8 did not infect other healthy cells.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

Hidden belly fat may be killing you

Have Cinnamon to Quell Digestive Disorders Cinnamon is helpful in reducing discomfort associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, especially a feeling of bloating. Cinnamon kills bacteria and heals infections in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby enabling the gastric juices to work normally.

DECODING DOCTOR

Massage your Face to Relieve Tension Do a simple face massage at home for relieving tension after a hard day’s work. Apply some fragrant oil or lotion on your face and gently begin massaging in a circular motion. Begin with the area under your ears, then move upwards to the temples, followed by the area around the eyes, and ﬁnally along the sides of your face.

Arthritis What is arthritis? Arthritis refers to an inﬂammation of any joint in the body. It is just an inﬂammation and there are many kinds of arthritis. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, an age-related arthritis, which affects the knee joint or hip joint. Do arthritic conditions set in after a particular age? Most arthritis conditions arise later in life. It starts with mild pain in the knee, which appears and disappears, then comes back again.

Visceral or ‘belly fat’ stored within the abdominal cavity can do more harm to health than subcutaneous fat (fatty tissue lying directly under the skin), says an expert. Belly fat can cause conditions such as diabetes mellitus and heart disease and is associated with abnormal lipid proﬁles and insulin resistance. “As many as 30 per cent of people who come to us for weight loss are unaware of underlying medical conditions such as hypertension, hypothyroid, diabetes, hyperinsulinemia and arthritis, which need immediate medical attention,” said Vandana Luthra, founder of VLCC, an Indian wellness brand. Given that it is ‘hidden’, visceral fat is difficult to measure using traditional methods and is, therefore, rampant in Indians as compared to their western counterparts. A recent study by Annaswamy Raji, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, showed, that Indians have signiﬁcantly more total abdominal and visceral fat for any given body mass index (BMI) as compared with Caucasians. -IANS

Regular exercise and sports help in enhancing the health of joints and keeping arthritis away, says Dr Hazeem Hamza, specialist-orthopaedic surgery, Al Hayat Hospital.

Such conditions can be treated with medication to slow down the process. Hereditary factors also play an important role in the development of arthritis. Can one take precautions to strengthen bones? Regular exercise is one good way of keeping your bones and joints in good condition. One must take up some sports for keeping joints healthy and improving mobility. Also, obesity can be a predisposing factor as the pressure of one’s body weight is usually felt on the

knees. So keeping one’s weight in control also helps. Should arthritis patients avoid any particular activity or sports? Sports is good for the health of joints. There are no sports, which can damage the cartilage (which binds the bones), but if you do have a knee injury then your chances of getting arthritis is higher. Which is the most serious form of arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis, which mostly

affects the hands, can be said to be the most serious form of arthritis, but even that can range from mild, moderate to serious conditions. For what forms of arthritis is surgery recommended? Surgery is recommended for severe forms of osteoarthritis where the cartilage is totally damaged and the knee joint has to be replaced. There are also many minimally invasive surgical procedures for treating early forms of osteoarthritis, instead of going in for total knee replacement. — Hubert Vaz

C10

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

PRAYER TIMINGS

@SHATTI

@AZAIBA

Krampus (Horror | Fantasy) (12+) Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette 4:30, 10:15 PM Tamasha( Hindi) (Drama) (PG12) Cast: Ranbir kapoor, Deepika Padukone 6:45 PM Pathemari ( Malayalam) (Drama) ( PG12) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan 11:00 PM

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI In the Heart of the Sea (3D) (Action | Adventure | Biography) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 2:15, 5:00, 6:45, 9:15, 11:45 PM Bridge of Spies (Biography | Drama) (PG) Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 8:45, 11:30 PM Bus 657 (Action | Crime | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 2:45, 9:30 PM Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implausible (3D) (Animation | Comedy) (PG) Voice Overs: Karra Elejalde, Janfri Topera 3:00 PM The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 (3D) (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 6:15 PM Victor Frankenstein (Horror | Sci-Fi) (12+) Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy 4:30, 7:15, 11:30 PM Arbaa A Kotchina (Arabic) (PG) CP# Cast: Oka, Ortega 4:30 PM MUSCAT GRAND MALL In The Heart of The Sea (Action)(3D)(PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan 11:45AM, 6:30, 9:00 & 11:30PM Gold Class : 3:30, 8:30 & 11:00PM Bus 657 (Action | Crime | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 2:00 & 11:45PM Creed (Drama | Sport) 15+ Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 4:00 & 9:15PM Gold Class :6:00PM The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 : 3D (Adventure/Sci-Fi) PG12

Victor Frankenstein (Drama)(2D)(12+) Cast : Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Jessica Brown Timings : 7:15 , 11:45 pm

Bus 657 (Action | Crime) (12+) CP# Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista, Robert De Niro Timing: 2:45, 9:30 PM

1:45PM & 6:45PM Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implausible (3D) (Animation | Comedy) (PG) 12:00PM A Second Chance (Roamance / Drama) PG12 Cast : Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz 4:15PM

2:30, 4:45, 6:45 pm Bridge Of Spies (Drama)(2D)(PG) Cast : Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 11:30 pm Victor Frankenstein (Drama)(2D)(12+) Cast : Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 7:15, 11:45 pm

PANORAMA MALL In The Heart of The Sea (Action)(3D)(PG12) Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan 5:00, 9:15, 11:30 pm In The Heart of The Sea (Action, Adventure) (MX4D)(PG12) 2:45, 5:45, 8:30, 11.30 PM In The Heart of The Sea (Action, Adventure) (3D)(PG12)- VIP LOUNGE 3:45, 6:30, 8:45, 11:00 PM Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2 (3D) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 2:30, 7:15 pm (Action, Adventure) (PG12) Bus 657 (Action, Crime)(2D)(12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 2:30, 9:45 pm Creed (Drama, Sport)(2D)(15+) Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone

AZAIBA In the Heart of the Sea (3D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 12:00, 4:45, 9:15, 11:30 PM Hate Story-3 (Hindi) (Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Daisy Shah 2:00, 4:20, 6:40, 9:05, 11:45 PM Tamasha (Hindi) (Romance | Comedy) (PG) Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15, 11:30 PM Pathemari (Mal) (Drama) (PG) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan 11:50 AM, 7:00, 9:30 PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Hindi) (Romance) 2:45, 6:00 PM (PG) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 (3D) (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) 2:15, 11:45 PM

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) Destination

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

15:00 15:00 15:00

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

Quriyat Sur Jaalan

16:30 18:00 19:30

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

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) Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

20:50

Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Sur Sur

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

Fahud Yibal

Daily Daily

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

Daily Daily

Marmul

20:00 20:30 23:30 07:40

Daily Daily Daily Daily

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

06:00 14:30

Ruwi Ruwi

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

07:00

06:00

Marmul

16:30

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) 08:30 11:30 15:30 18:30 17:35 20:55

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

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

BURAIMI In the Heart of the Sea– 3D (Action) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 6:45, 9:00, 11:30PM

28 20 Minimum

11.45 13.30 14.00

STAR CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om

Pathemari (Mal) (Rom/Drama) Cast: Mammootty, Jewel Mary, Joy Mathew, Srinivasn 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Main Cinema Anarkali (Mal Rom/Drama) Cast: Prithviraj, Biju Menon & Priya Glor 6-45 Pm Cinema -3 Amar Akbar Anthony (Mal) (Act/Drama) Cast: Prithviraj & Jaya Surya 3-45 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema -3 Inji Iduppazhagi (Tamil) Cast: Arya & Anushka Shetty 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema -2 Shankara Bharanam (Telugu) Cast : Nikhil Siddharth and Nanditha 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 Pm Cinema-4 Programmes are subject to change

WITH LOVE

NIMAI NAND SABISH December 6, 2013

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

50-75%

VISMAYA December 6, 2007 Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

LISTINGS

ROYAL OMAN POLICE Emergencies and inquiries: 9999 General Directorate of Passport and Residence 24569603 Directorate General of Customs 24521109 Traffic violations inquiries 24510228 Public Relations Admin 24560099 EMBASSIES IN OMAN

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 06:00 06:00 13:00 13:00 15:00 15:00

Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

10:25

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

Ruwi

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100) 07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

07:00

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 12:00 18:45

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62) 06:30 06:30

SUR In the Heart of the Sea 3D (Action) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 4:30, 8:00, 11:55 PM Bus 657 (Action | Crime | Thriller ) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 6:15, 9:15 PM

In the Heart of the Sea (Action / Adventure) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan 3.30, 7.30, 9.45 & 11.55 p.m. CP No : 3031 (PG12) Krampus (Comedy / Fantasy / Horror) Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner 4.00, 8.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 3032 (12+) Bus 657 (Action / Crime / Thriller) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Robert De Niro 2.15, 6.00 & 10.00 pm CP No : 3033 (12+) The Keeping Room (Drama) Cast: Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld 1.45 & 5.45 pm; CP No : 3033 (15+) Hunting the Phantom (Action / Adventure) Cast: Kristanna Loken, Armand Assante 11.45 a.m; CP No : 3027 (12+) Creed (Sports / Drama) Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 12.00 p.m; CP No : 3026 (15+)

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 07:30 14:30

RUWI Screen 1 Hate Story 3 (Thriller) – PG12 Cast : Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Karan Singh Grover 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM Screen 2 Tamasha (Romance/Drama) – PG12 3.45, 9.45 PM Pathemari (Drama) – Tamil – PG Cast : Mammootty, Jewel Mary 6.45 PM Screen 3 Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Family) – PG Cast : Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor 3.45, 9.45 PM Tamasha (Romance/Drama) – PG12 6.45 PM

Film information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

SALALAH In the Heart of the Sea (3D) (PG12) (Action Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 1:45, 6:35, 11:30PM In the Heart of the Sea (2D) (PG12) (Action Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 10:30AM Bridge of Spies (2D) (PG) (Biography Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 11:15AM, 4:00, 8:55PM Bus 657 (2D) (12+) (Action| Crime | Thriller) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 12:00, 3:15, 11:55PM Creed (2D) (15+) (Drama | Sport) Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, 12:45, 5:00, 11:45PM Krampus (12+) (Comedy | Fantasy | Horror) Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette 7:35PM Mortadelo and Filemon: (3D) (PG) (Animation |Comedy) Voice Overs: Karra Elejalde, Janfri Topera 10:15AM, 2:00PM Tamasha (2D) (PG12) (Romance| Drama) Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Javed Sheikh 6:30PM Hate Story 3 (2D) (PG12) (Thriller) Cast: Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Daisy Shah, 9:00PM Rangi Taranga (2D) (PG12) (Kanada) Cast: Nirup Bhandari, Radhika Chetan, 3:45PM Pathemari (2D) (PG12) (Malayalam) (Romance / Thriller) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan 9:30PM

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

Pathemari (Mal) (Drama) (PG) CP# Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan, Jewel Mary Timing: 11:50 AM, 7:00, 9:30 PM

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54) 14:30 14:30

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

SOHAR Bridge of Spies - 2D (PG) Drama | History Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 4:15, 11:45 PM Tamasha - 2D (PG12) Romance| Drama Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 6:30 PM Creed - 2D (15+) Drama | Sport Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson 2:45, 9:15 PM In the Heart of the Sea - 3D (PG12) Action Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 12:30, 2:30, 9:30, 11:45 PM In the Heart of the Sea - 2D (PG12) Action Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 7:00 PM Victor Frankenstein - 2D (12+) Drama Cast : Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy 4:45, 6:45, 11:45 PM Pathemari - 2D (M) (PG12) Drama Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan 12:15, 9:15 PM Mortadelo and Filemon - 2D (PG) Cast : Voice (Karra Elejalde, Janfri Topera 2:45 PM Arbaa A Kotchina - 2D (Arb) (PG) Cast : Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz; 4:30 PM Bus 657 - 2D (12+) Action| Crime | Thriller Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 2:30, 11:30 PM The Keeping Room - 2D (15+) Drama Cast : Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld 5:15 PM Hate Story 3 - 2D (PG12) Thriller Cast : Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Daisy Shah, Karan Singh Grover 12:15, 7:00, 9:00 PM

BAHJA CINEMA

Bus 657 – 2D (Action, Crime, Thriller) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista 4:45, 10:00, 11:45PM The Keeping Room– 2D (Drama) (15+) Cast: Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld 5:30, 7:15PM Krampus – 2D (Comedy, Fantasy) (12+) Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette 5:15, 11:15PM Tamasha– 2D (Romance, Drama) (PG12) Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 7:30PM Pathemari– 2D (Romance, Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan 9:00PM

WEATHER

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36)

17:30

12.03pm 3.05pm 5.25pm 6.40pm 5.15am

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

@PANORAMA MALL

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 Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128 MBD 24799077 Al Khuwair 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000 AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours) 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot 24704455 Air Arabia 24700828 Air France 24562153 Air India 24799801

Air New Zealand 24700732 Biman Bangladesh Airlines 24701128 British Airways 24568777 Cathay Pacific 24789818 Egypt Air 24794113 Emirates Air 24404400 Ethiopian Airlines 24660313 Gulf Air 80072424 Indian 24791914 Iran Air 24787423 Japan Airlines 24704455 Jazeera Airways 23294848 Jet Airways 24787248 Kenya Airways 24660300 KML Royal Dutch Airlines 24566737 Kuwait Airways 24701262 LOT Polish Airlines 24796387 Lufthansa 24796692 Malaysian Airlines 24560796 Middle East Airlines 24796680 Oman Air 24531111 Pakistan International Airlines 24792471 Qatar Airways 24771900 Qantas 24559941 Royal Jordanian 24796693 Saudi Arabian Airlines 24789485 Singapore Airlines 24791233 Shaheen Air 24816565 SriLankan Airlines 24784545 Swiss International Airlines 24796692 Thai Airways 24705934

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 6, 2 0 1 5

C11

LIFESTYLE Healing the Thai Way

FA M I LY A D V I C E

ASK DR. GERRY

‘Grey’ Matters Cause Concern

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE By Hubert Vaz

Thai massage, said to have been created around 800-1200AD, has been influenced by multiple disciplines including Theravada Buddhism, Ayurveda, Hatha Yoga, principles of Chinese Meridians, and other Thai practices. All these influences have brought about the current-day traditional Thai massage. Traditional Thai massage techniques focus on pressure points, Thai stretching, energy lines, and the body’s natural forces. Joints are freed and mobilised, to relieve tension and stress and induce relaxation. Thai massage is not exactly a normal massage done with the application of oils or lotions. The Thai style of massage is used primarily for the management of chronic pain and resulting disability. It has been found highly beneficial for relieving chronic back pain, migraine headaches, soft tissue disorders, inflammations, joint pains as well as emotional disorders. It mainly involves the stimulation of pressure points that unclog the body’s energy path-

ways, allowing healing energy to ﬂow freely. The Technique A session of Thai massage usually lasts between 11/2 -2 hours and the techniques to be employed are tailored to suit individual needs. There are four positions for performing Thai massage: on the back, on the stomach, on the side, and sitting. It is not obligatory to use all of them during one session. The therapist begins the work from the feet and proceeds upwards, covering the whole body up to the head and face. The massage technique consists of slow and rhythmic compression along energy lines, working on pressure points, stretching, mobilising joints with postures resembling yoga positions, so as to bring about a peripheral stimulation. The pressure strength might be soft, moderate or hard depending on the individual’s, age, sensitivity, muscular tension and health condition. The treatment is usually administered on the ﬂoor

with the patient dressed in comfortable wraps. Beneﬁts of Thai Massage Thai massage soothes and enhances mobility of muscles, joints, ligaments by relieving spasms and tension. The combination of pressure on speciﬁc points and yoga-like stretches does the trick. Patients report to have relaxed muscles and joints immediately after a session of Thai massage. The slow movements also allow the mind to relax, thereby inducing enhanced mental wellbeing. Thai massage enhances the circulatory system, allowing more oxygen to the brain. This

MOVE OF THE WEEK

SHOULDER EXERCISE Strengthen your shoulders with this simple exercise at home. Sit tall with your legs bent and a resistance band wrapped around feet crossed in an X formation. Hold both ends of the band in both hands. Squeeze shoulder blades together and open arms to sides, as if you were opening a newspaper. Slowly return to start. This exercise improves strength and mobility of the shoulder joint and reduces chances of developing frozen shoulder.

AT THE SHOULDER major bones meet and create a 90-degree angle

of people develop frozen shoulder during their lifetime.

muscles pass through the shoulder joint

NEVER STRETCH A COLD MUSCLE minutes of cardiovascular exercise should be done before doing shoulder exercises.

repetitions of these exercises should be done with 2 sessions a day.

lowers the incidence of migraines and headaches, besides lowering the chances of blood clotting in the arteries. It has been found to be particularly beneficial in treating arteriosclerosis, arthritis, back pain, diabetes, digestive disorders, cardiac disorders, headaches and migraine, inflammation, numbness, neck pain, shoulder pains, joint pains, sciatica, even asthma, and sinusitis. It is also has psychological benefits like reducing stress and anxiety, building self confidence and positivity, developing discipline and self control, and raising stamina and energy levels. Available at: Refresh Spa Villa No 5885, Al Qurum Opposite Qurum Commercial Complex;+968 2456 6775; info@refreshroyal.com Chi The Spa Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa Between Al Waha and Al Bandar +968 2477 6828; chi.muscat@shangri-la.com

I am a 19-year-old college girl. Recently, I have noticed many grey hair on my head and it makes me very conscious. My friends have suggested that I use hair colour but my mother will not let me do so. She says colour will damage my hair so early in life. I feel very embarrassed when some people pass comments about my grey hair. What could be the cause and how to get rid of it? SS Dear SS I understand the difficulty you have. It’s a problem which causes anxiety and self-consciousness. I have had a talk with our dermatologist to understand the cause and treatment for premature greying. Unfortunately the cause may be genetic and the exact reasons are not well understood. So where do we go from here. Firstly, I think you need to talk with your mother, explain to her the impact that the greying is having on you and get a dermatological consultation. You need to get it assessed and if there are any treatable causes it must be treated, sooner than later. If it cannot be reversed I’m sure the doctor will be able to help you on the question of hair colouring. In life there are two types of problems, those we can solve and those that need to be endured. If it has to be endured, let’s see if we can put a positive spin on it and make it a fashion statement. Dr Gerry

Dr Gerry D’Costa has an MD in psychiatry and a special interest in the areas of anxiety, depression, addiction, and children’s psychiatry. He has practised as a specialised psychiatrist at Badr Al Samaa hospital in Ruwi for the last 9 years. Every week, Dr D’Costa offers his advice and professional insights to the readers of Times of Oman. Send your questions to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

C12

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 6, 2015

LIFESTYLE

HOW DANGEROUS IS YOUR SMARTPHONE? It’s True: Selﬁes killed more people than shark attacks in 2015. While death by selﬁe may be considered

a rare occurrence and at the extreme end of the dangers they pose, the health risks associated with smartphones are no joke. In fact, they are ever increasing. Here’s a look at four common problems smartphones can afflict on users and how we can all avoid them by being a bit smarter ourselves.

Phone Claw Perhaps the most common problem people encounter is the cramping and soreness felt in wrists and ﬁngers when using smartphones. Repeating actions, such as using your thumb to scroll on screen or typing on a small keyboard, can cause tenosynovitis (inﬂammation of tendons). Symptoms start as pain and stiffness in the thumb area but can spread to the forearm and cause weakness in the hand. To minimise pain felt when scrolling or texting, it is recommended you vary the hand you use for completing smartphone tasks, and use a bigger keyboard, such as one on a laptop, for typing longer e-mails. Text Neck Smartphones quite literally are a pain in the neck, say researchers who demonstrate how the posture we commonly take when looking at our phone increases stress on the neck. Heads tilted at a 15 degree angle downwards to look at screens increases the effective weight placed on our neck by 27 pounds, while a 60 degree tilt causes a 60 pound increase. This excessive stress may require a corrective operation. To avoid this, people are advised to regularly take breaks from looking downwards and to lift and stretch their necks. Wherever possible, use voice recognition services and swap texts for phone calls.

Shark Vs. Selﬁes

So far in 2015, more people around the world have died as a result of selﬁe mishaps than have died from shark attacks

12 8 Selﬁe Related Deaths

Shark Related Deaths

Eye Strain Imagine the pain you feel in your arm muscles after holding something heavy for a long time — that is exactly how your eye muscles feel after staring at your smartphone for a long time. Digital eye strain is made even worse by the harmful blue light emitted by the screens of smartphones that can penetrate deep into the eye. This can damage the eye’s retina which has been linked to macular degeneration — the most common cause of sight loss in the developed world. You can combat this risk with interface eyewear. Tinted lenses filter out 80 percent of the most harmful blue light, and unlike other computer eyewear, the optical power of interface is continuously adjustable. This allows wearers to change the power to focus comfortably and reduce the strain felt by eye muscles when looking at screens. Accidents If you are looking at your phone, you are more likely to trip over your feet, walk into a lamppost or have a more serious accident — so far this year four selfie deaths have been caused by falls. Researchers at the University of Washington found pedestrians using their phone are four times more likely to forget to look for traffic before crossing or ignore traffic lights, while a Carnegie Mellon study found drivers even just listening to a phone call have been seen to commit errors as if they were under the influence of alcohol. Smartphones are not just a cellphone; they are music players, news sources, cameras and central to our social lives. But however integral they have become to our daily routine, we must make sure we remain aware of their hazards and are using them in the smartest ways possible. Accidents are avoided when we remain aware of the world around us and ensure our smartphone is never the sole focus of attention. - brandpointcontent.com

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

SECTION

CONNEC T H E D A I LY G U I D E

RENT

VACANCY

FOR RENT NEAR AL FALAJ HOTELDELUXE 1 BHK,SPLIT A/C. BUILT IN WARDROBE & 2 BATHROOM. WITH & WITHOUT FURNISHING.

CONTACT : 990 49 722

CARGO

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

*Tourist visa arranged

E t &ůĂƚƐ Θ ^ŚŽǁƌŽŽŵƐ ĨŽƌ ZĞŶƚ 1/2/3 BHK Flats & Showrooms at DƵƩ ƌĂŚ͕ ŶĞĂƌ KŵĂŶ Ň ŽƵƌ ŵŝůůƐ͕ ϭϬ ŵŝŶ͘ ĨƌŽŵ ĐŽƌŶŝĐŚĞ͘ ĞƋƵŝƉƉĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƉůŝƚͬ ĐĂƐƐĞƩ Ğ ƵŶŝƚ Ɛ͕ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĞƚ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͕ ĨƌĞĞͲ ƚŽͲĂŝƌ ĚŝƐŚ ĐŽŶŶĞĐƟ ŽŶ͕ ds ŵŽŶŝƚŽƌĞĚ͕ ďĂƐĞŵĞŶƚ ƉĂƌŬŝŶŐ͘ ZĞŶƚ ZK͘ϮϱϬͬϯϱϬͬϰϱϬ ;EĞŐŽƟ ĂďůĞͿ ƉĞƌ ŵŽŶƚŚ͘

ŽŶƚĂĐƚ ͗ ϵϵϮϮϵϮϲϯ͖ ϵϯϮϮϭϬϱϰ͖ ϵϱϮϭϱϮϴϵ

We have 3BHK villa fully furnished in Ghobrah 18th November. Contact: 93782735/99208033 We have open space offices in Ghala new building. Contact: 93329476/99208033 We have coffee shop for rent or sale in Al Khuwair. Contact: 93782735/99208033 We have 200sqm Basmat in Al Khuwair. Contact: 93329476/ 99208033 Flat in Wadi Kabir, 3 BHK rent 280/- R.O. Contact: 99330810 An industrial land 1400SQM in industrial Bausher (Muscat) in front of Oman cement located on the main road for further details. Contact: 99719973 /95858928 2 Bed rooms ﬂat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality. Contact: 92584715/ 24700120 1000 SQMTRS industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse workshop etc. Contact 24700120 /92584715 1 BHK available at Al Khoud in Baskin Robbins building. RO 200/Contact: 97261418, 99478492, 98181649

Villa for rent four spacious bath attached bedroom private swimming pool, Gymnasium (common) with electrical equipment and free maintenance secured compound at Madinat Al Illam. Contact: 98027975 One & two bed room apartments available for rent, opposite the new Panorama Mall at south Ghobrah close to Muscat Grand Mall, next to Diwan office. Contact: 99833747 1 Bed room in Al hail south R.O 130/- Monthly. Contact: 93993354 4 Bedroom Twin Villa for rent in Al Hail South, easy access to Sultan Qaboos Highway Contact 98080822

2BHK near Oman house behind Khimji H.O R.O 200/-. # 95865686 We have 2 BHK ﬂats in Ghobrah, Ghala, Azaiba. Contact: 93782735/99208033 Store available in Honda road Ruwi. Contact 99481931 Flats for rent in Wadi Kabeer. Contact: 99388994

Brand new 2 Bedroom apartment with maid room for rent in Rimal Bausher with private parking Contact 98080822

7 Bedrooms villa in Ghobrah North. Contact - 96420432

One BHK with A/C and one large room for rent in AL Khuwair near Ibis hotel. Contact: 95724975

Showroom for rent at Wadi Kabir perfectly suitable for travels, money exchange, Auto parts up holster advertising materials. Contact: 94143636

Rent one room, 1 toilet, big hall, with air-condition Wadi Adai. Contact: 99345137 One ﬂats for rent 2 bedroom all with bath al Ghobrah north near Indian school (hot burger restaurant) tell 9976610

One ﬂats for rent 2 bedroom all with bath al gubrah north near indian school (hot pargur restaurant) Tel: 99766103

1BHK near medical Darsait Muttrah house R.O 175/- & 2 BHK R.O 220/-. Contact: 98748925

Flat for rent 3 bedrooms, kitchen & bathroom in Wadi Kabir for 260/RO. Contact- 97771444

Excellent office 5 rooms Al Khuwair O.A. Bank building 850/-R.O. Contact: 94232344

Room for rent near Al Dasar Ruwi. Contact 99797645/ 92099367

We have fully furnished offices in Ghala new building good price. Contact: 93782735 / 99208033 We have office in Ghobrah main road Prime location. Contact: 93782735/99208033

Villa for rent 4 BHK, plus 1 sitting room and 1 extra servant room at 18 November road behind Oman Oil. Contact: 99373290/ 24815012

We have 2BHK ﬂat in Ghala. Contact: 93329476/99208033

1BHK new bldg with A/C curtains near Khimji mart MBD. Contact: 99061408 /99024039

Room, kitchen & bath in north Ghobrah include E/W & AC split 200/- R.O. Contact: 92811110

1BHK ﬂat near Hamriya hotel. Contact: 96500860

4 BHK villa for rent Al Khuwair 650/- O.R Contact: 94232344

Flats for rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99376454

2 BHK with spilt A/C in W.K behind Sana fashion. Contact: 96708000 1 BHK with split A/C in Darsait opposite Muscat Municipality. Contact: 96708000 2 BHK with spilt /AC in MSQ opposite AL Fair. Contact: 96708000 Beautiful villa directly on beach in best location in Shatti Qurum 1800 OMR. Contact: 95887572 2 BHK Honda road Ruwi. Contact: 99224748 /99332297 Flat for rent at Wadi Al Kabir next Al Hassan.co, 2 bedroom, 3 WS, 1 sitting room. Contact: 99210008

2 BHK in Al Meera MKT building in Al Khuwair available. Rent RO420. Contact 94047434 Sohar: 3BHK AND 4BHK FLATS, R.O 200 and R.O 215 respectively. (New Building with CCTV camera with Split A/C). Contact: 99881426 / 92123699 House for rent in AL Amerat opposite office Justice, 3rooms, Majlis , 4 toilets, living room ,food hall & kitchen. Contact: 99252494 A Bedroom along with separate bathroom available for rent for an Executive Bachelor in Al Khuwair (near Zawawi Mosque). Contact 92138451

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE HOME THEATER & KARAOKE BRING HOME - LIVE MUSIC & CINEMA GENERAL ELECTRONICS SERVICES LLC CONTACT: 99627299 / 93327841

ZƵŶŶŝŶŐ ĨƵƌŶŝƚƵƌĞ ƐŚŽǁƌŽŽŵ ĨŽƌ ƵƌŐĞŶƚ ƐĂůĞ.

FOR RENT

MV SALE Prado 2010 expat driven good condition. Contact: 91396589 /91396776 MAZDA 626, 2001, VGC, full service history, expat single user RO 1100, Contact: 99296768/ 93033072

AVAILABLE FOR RENT 100 Sq Mts Showroom On Ground Floor at Darvesh Building, Near Royal Hospital. Contact Person

Mr. Mudassir : 99314330 Mr. Sajeev : 98157340

FOR RENT

FOR FUTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT ON

95621492/96554579

Furnished sharing accommodation in ruwi near O.K. Center for non-cooking indian bachelor. Gsm 9880-5474

Cat – D8K, Model 1985, Scania water tanker, model 1993, Mitsubishi bus s28 seat, Model 2003, Hamm roller, model 2003. Contact: 99207592 & 99882570

Furnished room in new building for working Muslim lady/ Muslim couple only. Location AINT, Darsait. Contact - 99008069

BMW 318/ 2003 for sale. Contact 96364990 Ford focus, automatic, 2010 model, silver colour, expat driven, 58000 kms, dealer serviced, registration till sep 2016, price ro 2750. Contact- 93207590

FOR SALE Immediate sale of well running pharmacy at prime location. Contact- 99627621, 99516236

600 SQT commercial flat for rent opposite Oman flourmill Darsait more details. Contact: 91214849/ 99364735 5 BHK villa at Mabela 7 for Rent. Contact: 99428221/ 99269912 1BHK flat near Star Cinema 220/-. Contact 99358589 /95570288 Studio in souk Al Khoud behind of Al Ahali bank with 2 BR toilet+ kitchen in 2 floor 160RO. Contact 99738881 Flats and shops for rent in Ruwi Honda road Mumtaz area. Contact: 97293708 /92433127 Flat for Rent 1/2 BHK Flat at Muttrah, near Oman flour mills, 10 min. from Corniche.Equipped with split unit ACs, internet points, free-to-air dish connection, CCTV monitored, basement parking. Rent RO.250/350 per month. Contact: 99229263; 93221054; 95215289

We have complete office furniture for sale very nice like new rare use. Contact: 93782735 93329476

New ﬂats for rent Darsait Al Sahel. Contact: 99311525 / 92533356 2 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33 1 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33 1 B/R Flat - Fully Furnished @ Salalah Near New Lulu. 2 B/R Flat - Fully Furnished American standard @ Salalah. 5 B/R Villa - Fully Furnished @ Madinat Al Ilam, 5 B/R Villa Unfurnished @ Madinat Al Ilam 5 B/R Villa - Unfurnished @ Al Mawalah North Brand New Please Contact: Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC. 24834888, 99249069 / 92888376/92888374 Email: info@alshahiintl.com For Rent Flats in Darsait 94051789-97201688 For Rent Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35) 94051789-97201688

Villa with 5 rooms, two sitting rooms, 5 toilets and kitchen at Al Hail North. Contact: 91130875

For Rent Mini Furnished Apartment in Qurum- 9405178997201688

For Rent Flats in Ghala Heights 94051789-97201688

For Rent Flats in Wadi Kabir 94051789-97201688

For Rent ﬂats in MuttrahContact – 94051789-97201688 Offices for Rent GalaContact –94051789-97201688 For Rent Duplex villa in Qurum 29- 94051789-97201688 For Rent offices in Qurum opposite city center- 9405178997201688 For Rent Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud-Contact 9405178997201688 For Rent Flats in Mawalah south-94051789-97201688 For Rent brand new villas in Al Ansab- Contact 9405178997201688 For Rent Offices & Showrooms in Muttrah -Contact - 9405178997201688 2 BHK ﬂat available for rent in Darsait. Contact: 99357586

WANTED Required commercial villa from Azaiba to Al Khoud area adjacent to main Roads. Contact: 92640246/91395738

Sharing Accommodation Required for Non cooking Executive Lady in Darsait /Ruwi/Wadikabir. Contact 99360615

Chaverlet Epica 2004 model RO -700, for sale. Contact 92194205

Porta cabin for sale. Contact: 99883502/95398929

Single BHK ﬂat available in Honda road Ruwi. Contact - 24833972/ 24833974/99367448

ACC. WANTED

ACC. AVAILABLE

Urgent shop sale in Wadi Kabir Sanaya. Contact: 95949668

AVAILABLE SHARED FULLY FURNISHED OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT WITH SEPARATE ENTRANCE PRIME LOCATION IN AZAIBA. TOTAL AREA 201sq.m.

ŽŶƚĂĐƚ Ͳ ϵϭϭϯϱϵϯϬ

FOR SALE or rent Tata Dawoo Truck 12 ton 2014 Model. Contact: 92719681

Building material and jotun paint shop for sale at Ruwi and Ghala. Contact: 99421228

SHARED OFFICE SPACE

>ĂĚŝĞƐ ďĞĂƵƚǇ ƉĂƌůŽƌ ƐĂůĞ Ăƚ DƵƩ ƌĂŚ͘

Fully equipped running café for sale at Wadi Al Kabir. Contact: 99636550 Coffee shop Mabela industrial area for sale. Contact: 92253080 Beauty Salon for urgent sale in Azaiba prime location behind Al Fardan building. With sponsor and 1 staff and 1 ready visa clearance. Call: 95318629 / 95169411 Ladies saloon with 2 staff for sale in Mawalah. Contact 94197589 Sale house & office furniture & electronic items. Contact : 99834373/ 96642500/22010080

Available office space in Prime location on 18th November Street, Azaiba Kindly. Contact: 99288664

Full furnished 1BHK ﬂat at OMR 260/- available for 4 months. Contact: 92148699 location Ghala

Luxurious villas in a Gated community with all the modern facili es at Vakathanam By-Pass (MC road-NH 220) Web: www.royalcastles.in email: info@royalcastles.in +968 92855909, +91 9961 11 9988

Furnished room for non – cooking bachelor near Softy ice cream Ruwi. Contact: 93120054/91107383 1 Bedroom with attached Bath, fully furnished, separate entrance at Mabela for ladies only. Contact: 99634841 Furnished rooms attached bath for Indian bachelor in Al Falaj Ruwi & lady in Wadi Kabir. Contact 96202458 /96761960 1BHK fully furnished spacious for rent CBD, ideal for family or two bachelors easy access to Main road near Sheraton hotel with all electronics & furniture. Contact: 96444400 /5pm -10pm Single bed room with attached bath, separate entrance, Honda road near NBO for ex bachelors. Contact: 91410434 Big room available near Hamriya R/A for Muslim couple / small family / Executive bachelor rent 150/per month including W+ E. Contact : 99495131 1 Bedroom with bathroom available for rent. Only Indian female. Contact - 92394614

For Sale Luxury Apartments in Bousher (35) -Contact 9505680897201688 For sale Fully Furnished apartments in Bousher (35) Contact- 95056808-97201688

Large room with separate bathroom, sharing available in Al Khuwair. Contact - 95250161

A running restaurant for sale near Oman oil petrol Pump Al Uqdah (Barka). Contact: 99059013

Single room bathroom in Darsait R.O 140/-. Contact: 93289652

For sale villas in Al Khoud 95056808-97201688

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

Two bed room kitchen ﬂat available in Ruwi beside Ruwi, ONTC bus stand , behind Sun city hotel for rent. Contact: 92603863/99005931 Spacious separate room with A/c and Bed, for non-cooking Asian bachelor, behind Shell ﬁlling station, Ghobrah round about. Contact: 94263390

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting room, Kitchen & store including utilities bills at Al hail. Contact 92817777

Beauty parlor for sale Muttrah. Contact: 93142676

AVAILABLE

Room with bath for executive bachelor near A/C ﬂat, hotel. Contact: 99643845 Single room for expat Indian bachelors near Al Aktham restaurant Al khuwair for RO 120. Water and electricity included. Contact : 98803261

NRI royal castles

vakathanam, kottayam

Plot for sale Shadnagar Municipality, Mahboob Nagar District, walk able distance to existing colonies, national highway and basic amenities at reasonable price. Contact – 0091 8686631669 Plot, propeties for sale in prime location in pune 95272138,(+918390982975) Available on rent 2 Bedroom furnished ﬂat in Koregaon Park, Pune and Maharashtra, India.#99374187.

MATRIMONIAL 27 years Kerala boy, Hindu Ezhava (Atham) diploma holder working in Oman seeking suitable alliance. Contact: 95606132 Ezhava divorcee, 37, 5.3”, pharmacist in Muscat. Contact - +919961176066 suryakv2010@gmail.com Indian male christian 40yrs.working in muscat.looking for life partner. divorced or single.Contact :91429811 Keralite R.C. Boy, 30yrs, 161cm, MBA (Finance) Working in Oman seeking suitable alliance. Contact: 92290247 / 97302978 35 Christian male, LLB, working as project executive divorce. #97413778

LOST It is notiﬁed for the information that my original qualifying examination certiﬁcate of main secondary, Examination of year 2011 and roll no. 8107546 issued by CBSE has been actually lost. Name of candidate SYED HUSNAIN.Full Address/Tel. PO.BOX.44 SALALAH.S.OF.BACK SIDE OF OLD LULU SULTANATE OF OMAN 00968.95206738.

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 6, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT tĞ ĂƌĞ ůŽŽŬŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ Ă ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ

ACCOUNTANT

WŝƚŚ KŵĂŶ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ^ĐŝĞŶƟ Į Đ >ĂďŽƌĂƚŽƌǇ ƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ ͬ ŝŐŝƚĂů ^ŝŐŶĂŐĞ ͬ EĞǁ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ƐĂůĞƐ͘ ŐĞ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ϯϱ ǇĞĂƌƐ ǁŝƚŚ Ăƚ ůĞĂƐƚ ϯ ǇĞĂƌƐ ŽĨ ƉƌŽǀĞŶ ƚƌĂĐŬ ƌĞĐŽƌĚ ŝŶ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĂďŽǀĞ Į ĞůĚƐ͘ ^ŚŽƵůĚ ŚĂǀĞ ĞǆĐĞůůĞŶƚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟ ŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ KŵĂŶ ͬ> ĂŶĚ EK ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ͘

A leading Company in Oman looking for Accountant, B.Com with min 3 -5 yrs of exp required. Female preferred. Please send your CV to :

WůƐ ^ĞŶĚ ǇŽƵƌ s ƚŽ ũŽďƐΛďŝƐŚĂƌĂ͘ĐŽŵ Žƌ &Ăǆ ͗ ϮϰϳϵϰϴϬϳ

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'Ǉŵ /ŶƐƚƌƵĐƚŽƌ Ͳ >ĂĚŝĞƐ ;KŵĂŶŝͬ ǆƉĂƚͿ

tĂŝƚƌĞƐƐ Ͳ >ĂĚŝĞƐ DĂƐƐĂŐĞ >ĂĚǇ For a reputed four star hotel Please send CV at

ŚŽƚĞůũďƐΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ͕ &Ăǆ ͲϮϰϱϵϯϮϮϳϳ A reputed Dairy Company in Oman is looking for following Vacancies.

cvoman5@gmail.com REQUIRED for a Contracting Co.

Freelance Civil Engineer / QS Required for preparation of BAR BENDING SCHEDULE for completed project of approx. area 10,463 Sq. M, GF only.

Contact – 97257060

WANTED

Van Salesman:

Civil Engineer (Building Construction) 2 Nos

3 Year experience with NOC

Qualification: BE in Civil Engineering

Drivers – Omani National Only:

Electro Mechanical Engineer (Building Services)1 No.

2 year experience with Valid Omani D/L

Debt collector: Omani National with 4 years experience with Valid Omani D/L Please forward your CV’s to

ǀĂĐĂŶĐǇϬϵϳΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ

REQUIRED for a Contracting Co.

- Civil Engineer / Buildings (with not less than 5 years experience).

- Mechanical Engineer Email: haldun.yildirim@icc-oman.com

Qualification: BE in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Send detailed resume to sskpvr@gmail.com

>ŽŽŬŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ǆĞĐƵƟ ǀĞ ^ĂůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ^ĂůĞƐ ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌƐ

Wanted heavy driver. Contact 91770195

WůƐ ^ĞŶĚ ǇŽƵƌ s ƚŽ

For a restaurant in Muscat. The candidate must have 3 to 5 years of experience in this field. A valid Omani driving licence. Fluency in spoken english.

ũŽďƐΛďŝƐŚĂƌĂ͘ĐŽŵ Žƌ &Ăǆ ͗ ϮϰϳϵϰϴϬϳ

CONTACT - 91170489

A Leading Marble Manufacturing Company in Sultanate of Oman having a vacancy for the post of

Electrical Engineer The candidate must be an university qualified engineer or a higher degree diploma holder with a minimum industry experience of 3 years. Fluent in written & spoken English, knowledge about power, CPU, inverters & electrical panels isrequired. Suitable candidates may submit their complete CV with certificates to:

em-o@nassarstone.com or seniorpro@nassarstone.com Or Fax –on: 24446049

MEP Engineer with minimum ﬁve years PDO / ministry experience. Please send CV to info@globaltechinternational.com Contact: 99150203/91404425 Civil Engineer with minimum ﬁve years, PDO Experience, earth work and building construction (PDO driving license preferred. Please send CV to info@globaltechinternational.com Contact: 99150203/91404425

LAWYER Arab lawyer fluent in English with five years experience for law firm. Contact: 92424593

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VACANCY 1. Service Administrator: A qualified Electro/Automobile/Electric Diploma holder with minimum 2 years’ experience on deskjobs such as preparing quotation, supplier correspondence, warranty claims etc. Age between 25 – 30.

DESIGNER Media company need Graphic Designer Male - Female no need experience, need to have experience on Graphic Design Programs. magicﬁngerprint1@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELP Need excellent cook & housekeeper. Contact Whatsapp: 95887572 Small Omani family in Muscat requires an educated House maid. Contact – 98500222

Full time living House maid required for an Indian female in Al Ghobrah. Contact: 97084023

ENGINEER Civil Site Supervisor for telecom tower projects across Oman. Send CV to fyjo@spec-link.com or call +968 9946 7227 Seeking a well experienced diploma Engineer (electrical) with valid Oman driving license kindly. Contact: 99288664 Engineering consultancy ﬁrm in Sur looking for graduate Civil Engineers. Interested candidates apply to babupj@ gmail.com or call 99318205

Medical CARE Centre, Al Seeb, requires General Practitioners and Pharmacist, Please Mail CVsarita_h23@yahoo.com or call 97884856. Required General Physician, Gynecology, Lab Technician & Pharmacists. Contact: 95133572 Email: kunoozghala@gmai.com Lab Technician Wanted A Polytechnic in Sohar is looking for a lab technician with or without MOH license Contact 93828382 or sajapharmacy@gmail.com Wanted Staff Nurses (female) for a polyclinic with or without MOH license. Excellent salary & accommodation. Contact – 99006915 / dxbclinic@yahoo.com Wanted Canary clinic MBBS Doctor with 3 years experience MOH license holder gets, Good offer salary. Contact 94395199 Email: canarymoh@gmail.com Required for urgent appointment with MOH license and valid NOC against the following vacancy in a polyclinic in Muladdah (Musanah) radiologist cum sinologist, Gynecologist & obstetrician & pediatrician & Lab Technician. Contact: 99110254

Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa. Immediately available. Contact – 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com CA Final (Group I), Indian Female, Accountant, 5+ year’s exp, in A/ Cs, Audit, Tally, ERPs. Available in Muscat & looking job in A/Cs. Ph:94704800 email id: vinithsavith@gmail.com 25 years (20 years in Oman & 5 years in Indian) well experienced finance controller seeking for suitable position, with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 99756765 Indian male 29yrs M.com (finance) MBA (Finance & HR) ICWA (pursuing) 5 yrs experience in accounts, tally sage sap on visiting visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 92840519/98450609 Chief Accountant 25 years experienced, for the last 7 years working as Chief Accountant seeks immediate placement. Contact: 95598477/98803439 Indian male B.Com Accountant 10 yrs in Oman exp in accounts, knowledge of sales, purchase, admin, hr, tally ERP & focus RT. Having NOC & D/L, looking for suitable job. Contact - 93086105 Senior Accounts Admin Manager B.com M.com 25 years experience accounts up to finalization holding light duty license seeks suitable placement. Contact: 93064975 Accountant Bachelor of commerce English, 2 years experience visit visa. Contact: 98584398/ 95539923

2. Accountant: A qualified B.Com/M.Com/C.A. Inter accountant with minimum 4 years’ experience in accounting with banking knowledge. Age between 25-30. Attractive Salary and terms Offered

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MEDICAL Wanted a female staff Nurse with MOH license to work in a polyclinic good salary offered. Contact: 97121359/96493058 (2 to 4 pm) Wanted Lab Technician with MOH license for Ibra clinic. Contact – 99373493/ Email: jmjmedicare@gmail.com Wanted GP Doctor with MOH license, job location in muscat with good salary and beniﬁts. Drop ur cv at careerhr1972@gmail.com.

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

Wanted driver. Contact 91025698

MEDICAL

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Nationality – Indian or Philippines (better if available in Oman)

careerhr1972@gmail.com

Urgently required senior purchaser civil expats candidate, must have at least 10 years of experience in similar ﬁeld. Email: samtrading@altaher.com address P.O. Box 1413, PC 112, Ruwi

Required locally available Indian national light duty driver for Omani House. Visa readily available. Contact: 99420752

AN OUTDOOR CATERING SUPERVISOR

ĂƉƉůǇŝŶŐŐĐŚƌΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ

We are looking for Chief Financial Officer, Male 40- 45 years old, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with 5 - 15 yrs. of experience. Contact: +968 24702133 Email: admin-dept@daud.om

DRIVER

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REQUIRE

Candidates with NOC or on visit visa can apply, please drop your CV at

ENGINEER

Branded salon in Muscat requires a beautician with skills of: Manicure, Pedicure, Nails techniques, Massage, Facial and waxing. Contact- 98500222

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ǁŝƚŚ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ĞĂƌƚŚŵŽǀŝŶŐ ĞƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚƐ͕ ĐƌƵĐŚĞƌƐ͕ ƋƵĂƌƌǇ Θ ŵŝŶŝŶŐ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌǇ͘ ŵĂŝů͗

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

BEAUTY

SITUATION WANTED SSITUATION WANTED

Wanted Business Development Exe/ Sr.Exe with customs clearance & shipping exp. Contact: 91204131 Email: daralhamael@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Urgently required for a reputed company in Oman (Tyre, Battery & Lubricant division) Sr. Executives/ Executive-5 nos (Sohar, Nizwa & Muscat), Techno Commercial Professional-5nos, Driver (Omani)-1no. Required minimum 3-5 yrs experience in the same ﬁeld with market exposure holding valid Omani driving license or GCC. Kindly fwd your CV’s to ashwin@taasintl.org Contact: (+968)93891700 Urgently require two caretakers for a building in capital area. Contact: 93888666/99228454/24493666 A reputed construction company in Muscat urgently requires the following candidates (Omani Nationals only) Civil Engineer & P.R.O & light duty driver. Send C.V to hr.azatllc@gmail.com or call 99344896 Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com or call Ph:+968 99450811

SALES / MARKETING Required a female marketing executive with valid Omani driving license for a reputed restaurant and catering Services Company. She should able to communicate in Arabic. Contact: 95892831 Kitchen cabinet manufacturing company is looking sales person, most have Oman D/L and must know any kitchen designed software and two years experience. Contact: 93326636 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

SECT. /OFFICE Personal Assistant, 5yrs experience in Oman or GCC. MBA or equivalent. Part-time preferred. Call 95364625.

TECHNICIAN /MECH. Urgently required cold room refrigeration Technician must know up to commissioning gulf experience preferred .Pls forward CV to nasmatmasirah@gmail.com Contact: 97982623/ 95183616 Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license call Ph:+968 99450811 Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ARCHITECT /AUTOCAD AutoCAD D/man Experienced. Contact : 93837973 Interior Designer Experienced knows 3D max Photoshop: Contact 93837973 Architect (B. Arch) 5 years experience seeking job. Contact 96146645 Email: anjuovil@gmail.com

Male Indian with 7 years experience in accounting & 6 years experience in sales and marketing very good knowledge of tally currently in Muscat on a visit visa. Contact: 96148427 Email: jijokurianp@gamil.com Indian lady, bachelor degree in Preparatory Programme (BPP) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), completed training course in MS Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook from KTI looking for full time / part time job opportunity in Oman. Contact 92437568, 96795853, Email: linda_navs@yahoo.com Accountant with more than 30 years experience in construction (experience in accounting/administration/HR/material management) and with own car seeks part time or full time assignment preferably in construction either in Oman or UAE. Contact 94674031 Accountant Indian female 23 years M.com graduate 2 and half years of experience as accountant in Indian, now on visit visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 91358654 Email: rizwanagul92@gmail.com Indian female accountant 5 years of experience in accounting tally,sales coordination, and admin, currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement Contact :95684179 12 years of Oman experienced chief accountant looking for suitable position. Contact: 99513082 Accountant job wanted 8 years experience, 5 years in India, 3 years in Oman knowledge of tally ERP 9 NOC available. Contact: 91162503 Indian male 9 years experienced in storekeeper cum accountant with D/L Oman & UAE. Contact: 97085435 Email: sudhimohd@gmail.com Indian male MBA ﬁnance 12 years experience in Muscat seeking suitable position can join immediately. Contact: 96055815 Email: shaiks111@gmail.com 28/ male MBA – ﬁnance /B.com – accountant with 4 years of Dubai / India experience looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 90187483 Email: shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com ACCA affiliate, fresher, Indian male, valid driving license, looking for full time employment in Accounting and Finance, also open to other opportunities, Contact +968 91291520, Email: shahidazeez5@gmail.com

Accountant Indian 10 years experience in Oman, capable for handling all accounting functions and finalization good knowledge of tally ERP9 NOC / release available with immediately joining. Contact: 94134085 Email: muscatoman95@yahoo.com Indian female, MBA HR & Finance, having 1 year experience, seeking suitable placement. Currently in Oman. Contact: 96052366. Sr. Accountant ( CA- inter) Indian male 31 years having 9 years experience in finance & accounts looking for suitable placement. NOC available and valid Oman D/L. Contact: 94108678 Email: vijeshvasu@gmail.com SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with 13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in manufacturing, trading & contracting Cos, capable of handling all accounting, finance, banking, L/C, import, export & finalization seeks placement. NOC Available. Call+968-98932752, mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com Indain male Accountant, 8 years experience 4 years In dubai,4 yrs in Muscat. Additional knwoledge in JDE and Tally.9, NOC available ready to join immediately. Contact: 95364896 /92912347 Email: bsdv1978@gmail.com

ADMIN Senior HR , professional MBA , 12 yr GCC experience at managerial recruitment, administration , policy formulator working with a leading construction co (4000 plus employees) looking for a immediate change over , NOC available. Contact: 94017306 Email: saneesh9181@gmail.com 10 years Gulf & 4 years Oman experience in HR / Admin & logistics ﬂuent in Arabic / English with D/L looking for suitable position. Contact 95824598 29 male MCA qualiﬁed 4.6 years experienced skilled in system administration and basic networking, seeking job in IT Admin iteration now on visiting visa. Contact: +96892805363 Email: anukkuttan1986@gmail.com Male BBA graduate 5 years admin HR document controller purchaser account assistant (tally) experience NOC. Contact: 97015178 Indian female graduate over 6 years experience admin operations service looking for suitable job. Contact: 94231020 Indian male - 25 years - MBA (HR & marketing) with one year experience on visit visa looking preferably for suitable HR/ ADMIN / marketing jobs .contact : Mr. Harish Ravindranathan / mail ID : payyazhihari1990@gmail.com / 90189964 Indian female, Masters in HR, having 4 + years Oman experience in media management and HR, looking for openings in HR, Education, Admin, Corporate communications. Contact 98252030 Indian male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf exp in Administration/ HR & Public relationship. Fluent in Arabic/ English with D/L. Looking for suitable position. Contact - 99897280 Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+ experience in Administration/ HR, Customer Support, Office Coordinator with good Computer skill, Now on Visit Visa, looking for suitable position. Contact: 90196235 26 yrs male, MBA, 3+ years experience in Administration in MNC, seeks suitable placement. Contact 95041201 Email: noyel55@gmail.com

CATERING Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp looking job. Contact: 99531802

DRIVER Driver with new car looking for job. contact: 95873286 Heavy duty driver (Exp 3years) seeking suitable job. Contact: 91372623 Driver (light & heavy duty) valid gulf /Indian) looking job. Contact: 95175192

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED DRIVER Experienced Light Duty Driver, Fluent in English, Arabic Well knowledge of Oman Areas Seeking Suitable placement 97950869 2 years exp Light driver. Contact: 97132269 Light driver personal driving, office boy, driver visa required 10 yrs exp N.O.C ready. Contact: 96693290 Light duty driver looking for job. Contact: 98356230 Looking for driving job. Contact 98219182 Driver looking for job. Contact 91354803 Light driver, looking for job. Contact: 98372745/99090362 Light driver. Contact: 95084826 Looking for Job driving. Contact: 97418036 Driving with car, looking for job. Contact: 97095200

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN Indian designer from India with 7 yrs of experience having good knowledge of AutoCAD, 3D Max seeking suitable placement. Contact: 94016391 Email: dsinerjack84@gmail.com 25 years male BA. English , Qualiﬁed as mast in digital animation having 5 yrs ex in character animation specialized Auto Desk mago and motion building software knowledge, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 97917357 Professional architect 3ds max (interior, exterior) looking for private work. Contact: 96041201

EDUCATION American female Master’s TESOL 12 yrs teaching exp. EFL Curriculum Developer & Teacher Trainer. Professional Development Specialist & Educational Activity Coordinator. Available February 1st 2016. Email: dellacorte.esl@gmail.com Contact: 99630244 Indian female M.SC B.Ed, 3 years experience looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94420033 Email: binitathanki@gmail.com

WŚŽŶĞ ͗ нϵϭ ϵϳϳϯϴϮϴϲϲϯ͕ EŵĂŝů ͗ ũǀƉϮϵϭϯϲϳΛǇĂŚŽŽ͘ĐŽŵ

Well experienced team available to provide feasibility reports & business solutions, product development, risk management methods for startups, progressive, defunct operations. Creating of ERP modules. Contact - 93343251 (PaLO SUo¿toPan#JPaLO coP

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Indian male 24 yrs bachelor mechanical 2 yr experience looking for job. Contact: 95179021 /96974981 Email: atharhussain54@gmail.com

M.Tech Civil, certiﬁcate attested, Indian, 18.8 year experience seeks suitable position. Contact: 98327311 Email: sen.pangode@gmail.com

BE civil Engineer (4 years exp) Indian male looking for job (site Engineer, planning estimation, QS, job (primavera, Ms excel) available in Oman for interview. Contac: 97214512 /92822310 Email: sreeragsgk@gmail.com (expected CTC 350 Rial)

Civil Engineer 11 years experience in construction, having driving license & NOC. Contact: 94194399 Email: shiblyrock@gmail.com

ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŽƌŝĞŶƚĞĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ͘ ͘;DĞĐŚͿ͕ ϯϬн ǇĞĂƌƐ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ WƌŽũĞĐƚƐ͕ &ĂďƌŝĐĂƟ ŽŶ͕ Z Θ D ĂŶĚ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͘ ^ĞĞŬŝŶŐ ũŽď ĂƐ 'D͕ K͕ ŽƵŶƚƌǇ ,ĞĂĚ͘ EK Θ ŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞ ĂǀĂŝůĂďŝůŝƚǇ͘

16 years experienced civil Engineer B.Tech including 8 yr experience in Oman with D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact: 99802579 Telecommunication Engineer looking to obtain a job in the specified field, Sudanese nationality with a valid residence. Contact 95000024 Indian female civil engineer B.Tech having 3 years experience sound knowledge of software, REVIT STAD PRO structural detailing currently on family visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95345591 Civil Engineer (BE) having total 5 years experience in building construction looking for a suitable placement. D/L available Contact# 94450270 Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years in Oman experience Valid Driving License seeks suitable placement Phone 97619722 Email – golamrob@yahoo.com Project Engineer 6 years experience in Oman, fluent in Arabic, English & good Hindi also. NOC available. Contact - 97858589 Indian male 27yrs, mechanical engineer (energy engineering M.Tech & HVAC diploma) with 4 yrs experience on visit visa, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98791735 Email: anilengandiyur@gmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects. Contact – 90164912

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Sudanese female Electrical Engineer graduated with distinction excellent knowledge and interested in protection. Contact: 98133281 B.E Biomedical Engineer 5 years experience in the subﬁeld (hospital / company) looking for suitable placement. Contact 92084807 Email: bonnygeorge1005@gmail. com Electrical Engineer Indian male 29 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres) seeking suitable placement. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahmlktr@gamil.com Electrical Engineer, B-Tech, with 4 Yrs experience in India, 3 YEARS IN MRF and one year in KSEB. Available in Visit Visa looking for suitable Placement as an Engineer. Contact: 94741401 Email:sobinthomask05@gmail.com. B.E .Mechanical & Production, Indian male with (QA / QC mechanical) 6 months exp as sales engineer, seeking suitable placement on visit visa. Contact: 94818333 / 99789512/ Email: fred61l@gmail. com BSc Civil Engineer having 3 years experience with Construction Company seeking suitable placement. GSM-97409350. Male, Electrical Engineer, ages 53 yrs, working since 8 years in Oman. With a consultant, exp in drawing / MAS work inspections, post contract activities, with NOC & valid Oman D/L, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 968 96243401 Email: sathyugk@yahoo.com B.E civil Engineer, 07 years experience in Oman having D/L, N.O.C available looking for a suitable position. Contact 95961336/93523507 Email: eyousuf04@yahoo.com

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech 2 years experience as HVAC design engineer rev IT M.E.P AutoCAD. Contact: 91050913 Email: rahmanmechengg@yahoo.com Chemical Engineer, valid Oman driving license, Indian 2 years of exp in industrial production, seeking suitable placement Contact: 91247222 Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman with license. Contact: 98975518 Civil Engineer B.E , 06 years experience in Oman having D/L seeking for a suitable position . Contact 95961336 Email: eyousuf04@yahoo.com Indian male, 29 years electrical engineer, having 5+ years of experience in oil / gas and construction field (GCC) having valid GCC license too, looking for a preferable job. Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani@gmail.com Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad). Looking for a Suitable position. Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa. Contact: 92835952. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Structural Draughtsman having 10 years experience in engineering consultancies N.O.C available. Contact: 00968 97612846 Indian male diploma civil engineer 13 years of professional experience in projects and operations, seeking suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 96328643/96234670 Civil Site Supervisor for telecom tower projects across Oman. Send CV to fyjo@spec-link.com or call +968 9946 7227 7Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in the field of Building Const. Oil & Gas Seeking Job.94625598

B.E Electrical Engg with 5 yrs exp in Oman with D/L. Contact: 98425155 Email: rajeevkalaivanan@yahoo.com Hygiene Officer/QC, B.Tech Bio tech. HACCP LVL. 2 &3.Experienced in Food & water industry. 92940218 GIS Certiﬁed Pipeline Engineer with 3 years experience in diesel power plants and heavy industry. Contact: 93504812 B.E civil Engineer having 11 years experience with NOC looking for job. Contact: 95690780 Email: sadiq.asrar81@gmail.com Indian male 24, B.E. Civil Eng’g with 2 years experience as Structural Engineer looking for suitable job in Muscat. 97355352 Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years old) – B.Sc Engineering (Hon) Mining / Geotechnical Presently in Muscat, 1.5 years experience.91295802 / acmfaslan123@gmail.com Mechanic Tractor Diesel Engines & Hydraulic, 25 years Experience in Multinational Companies. Contact - 91685048

HOSPITALITY Dutch male qualiﬁed commercial pilot (Faa-ME-IR certiﬁed) is looking for job openings in middle east. rutjestom@outlook.com

IT Indian male 20 plus years experience intonation resource customer management IT business development transformation D / license NOC transfer seeks senior dost reputed company. Contact: 91719892 Email: mmjoman@gmail.com Female 26, B.E in computer science, having 4 years MNC experience as software developer, seeking suitable position in Muscat. Contact: 96784320 Email: preethasathya@yahoo.com Age 28 years experience 2years & 8 month in IT accounting technical skill, java, J.S.P tally Peachtree M.S excel, SQL ,Working java programmer India , accountant , Dubai ,Qualiﬁcation MCA, B.C.A mathematic visit visa. Contact: 95673451 Indian male MC.A 2 years experience in software knowledge of Java ASP Net, network in techno park Kerala. Contact: 99210940 Male 31 Years, IT 6 year’s online marketing experience in India seeks suitable placement. Contact-91175265

MEDICAL Experienced parametric cleared Indian female dentist seeks suitable placement in Muscat. Contact: 94673720 /92880267 An experienced Sudanese female GP with MOH license looking for job. Contact: 96436517 /97396088 Palestinian dentist looking for job in Muscat privet hospitals , polyclinics or dental centers – 15 yrs experience out Muscat at privet hospitals or polyclinics. Contact: 96951750 Male Nurse, Experienced, Pass Prometric (Oman) 93837973

MISCELLANEOUS Indian female , M.com gradate , 7 years of experience in Oman in accounts administration , secretarial and sales coordination with valid Omani driving license, looking for a suitable placement. Gsm 95134495

MISCELLANEOUS

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

SALES / MARKETING

Purchase Officer with 8 years exp in Oman having D/L & NOC looking for urgently placement. Contact 96174564 email: azhar_5012@yahoo.co.in

MBA (marketing) with 17 years experience in freight forwarding/ logistics industry in GCC & Oman. Presently working as branch manager in Muscat. Looking for a suitable position. Release and NOC available. Contact: 99856331

Indian male MBA marketing 2 years Oman experience with valid Oman driving license looking for a suitable position NOC available. #91202335 Email: mrishad90@yahoo.com

Graduate, computer literate, experienced in sales, credit control, accounts, omani d/l , seeks suitable placement. Gsm 9880-5474 24 years Indian female MSC Biotechnology 1 year exp.in clinical microbiology, worked in icrisat for project work as Trainee, looking for suitable job. Contact: 92619048 Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com

Indian male 25 yrs of exp in construction ﬁeld Oman. Good knowledge in same ﬁeld worked as foreman + 15 yrs of driving exp looking for job, with visa. Contact: 93718164

SALES / MARKETING

Indian female, 26, M.sc biotechnology now in family visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95210498/ 99850321/93093466

Indian male sales marketing with G.C.C license 7 years exp. Contact: 98097459 Email: shl_kami@yahoo.com

Omani national with bachelor in management looking for suitable placement please call: 91908052 or Email: saidoburndi257@yahoo.com

Indian male MBA 7 yrs ex in sales & marketing with Omani D/L N.O.C available. Contact: 93431039

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: construction(Very strong and qualiﬁed to bringing business for civil work Or any type of the construction work for many million per year with a good experience in pricing and collect payment and cash management of the company & marketing projects & investments& tenders & real estate. Contact: - 92385033 The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: tenders& real estate& construction & marketing projects& investments& transportation & Marine services& companies management& develop business. Contact :- 92385033 Hospitality/Hotel/ Restaurants Dynamic result oriented hospitality professional with 20 years of international exp. MBA in Hotel Management, specializing in Hotel/ Restaurant start ups, concepts & Franchise development with proven records. Seeking for Challenging positions in reputed groups as GM/ COO/CEO/Business Head. (NOC available) Contact: 96059470

Indian male 40 yrs MBA marketing having 18 years of experience sales ﬁled 11 years in Oman with a leading tyre trading company having Oman driving license seeking suitable placement. Contact: 94743828 Email: barretjohnr@gmail.com Indian male MBA holder one year experience looking for job sales & marketing & any office related with. Contact: 97138592 Email: mohammedathish24@gmail.com Indian male MBA with 15 years experience in sales / customer care, looking for suitable position currently Oman on visit visa. Contact 98144691/93891423 Email: satishvelage@gmail.com Indian Male 32, MBA (Marketing & Finance) with 10 years experience in Marketing of Banking Products & Insurance Industry. Seeking for a Job in Oman. Contact: 93576980, 97750460 Email: senthil.cbe83@gmail.com Indian male, MBA 25 yrs. 1 year experience in auditing and 10 month in sales. Currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement. Contact: 92054304 Indian male, 24, MB Marketing and HR, I year experience. On visit visa. Looking for suitable job. Contact 94014073

10 yrs exp in Oman in logistics/ purchase-have Oman D/L-looking for suitable placementcontact 96410767 email: harishkts@yahoo.com 12 years of experience in Oman; marketing strategies & operations, logistics, government tenders, public relations & dealing with international companies -4 years of experience in UK, engineering CNC & industrial areas, have dual nationality, fluent in English & Arabic speaking and writing , (I can travel abroad easily without visa, for finalizing business or any other purpose). Contact: 94123939 Indian male 25 age, MBA marketing (fresher) PGDM (HR) fluency in English, Arabic, Hindi looking for suitable job currently in Oman on visit visa. Contact: 97127799 Email: vijnvijioo@gmail.com Sales Engineer 5 years experience looking for a placement. Contact: 91411043 Sales Manager having 12 years experience M.B.A in sales & marketing having valid GCC driving license seeking suitable placement, NOC available. Contact: 98125226 Marketing Executive/Merchandiser, Omani License, BA 8 years Experience in Multinational Groups. Contact 97601343

SKILLED / UNSKILLED 26 yrs Indian Male - fluent in Eng/ Arabic, qualified network technician seeks job: 98675047 / 98138750 Indian male, having 15 yrs of exp in site supervising, telephone line, supervising with valid D/L, looking for job. Contact: 93931162 8 years exp body fitter and electric welder. Contact: 93015630 Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fitter gulf & Indian exp looking job. Contact: 95175192 Electrician, plumber (exp gulf / Indian) looking job. Contact 95175192

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 6, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SIT. WANTED MISCELLANEOUS Indian male 23yr BA TTM(Travel and Tourism Management) with Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Logistics and Shipping Management, exp in Logistics(CHA) seeking in suitable placement. Currently on visit visa (Oman) contact; 90291092 email:iyas.adhur@gmail.com Indian male auto cad draughtsman (civil) 8 years experience .seeking for job in Dubai & Qatar. Contact - 00968-99070584 (Mct):0091-9895061474 (India) email: remluvp@gmail.com Indian Female Accountant 5 Years of Experience in Accounting Tally, Office coordination, And Admin, Currently on Visit Visa Seeking Suitable Placement. Contact: 95684179 Indian male B.Eng. in IT, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/ Server support. Contact 92607532 Indian male, 11 years exp. in accounting, knowledge in tally also. Looking for a part time job. Contact. 98983122 Manager / Working Partner. Indian M.Com with 20 years Dubai experience in media advertising industry, client service, marketing, production, gifts trading, branding with D/L. Contact -93031168 Indian male BE Electrical & electronics and pg in power systems (transmission & distribution) on visit, Seeking placement. Contact – 94669679 Email prsabarish@gmail.Com Sales & Marketing executive MBA with 3 years of experience looking for suitable placement. Contact: 91345727 Indian male 42, 20 years experience building material sales man sales manager seeks suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 97457331 Indian homeopathic doctor, 34 years, 8 years experience in medical industry, seeking job as insurance medical officer / heath care. Contact: 92428547 Email: ushus3@gmail.com Indian 32 years completed M.A. English, having three years experience in teaching filed searching for the suitable job.# 99869535 Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com Accountant Indian male B.Com 15 years (8 years I Oman with valid Oman driving license) experience in accounts up to finalization NOC available. Contact: 94117616/ 91238272 Indian lady, B.com M.com (not completed) with tally and ms office skills, with 8 years experience in Oman in accounts up to finalization seeks suitable position. Contact: 93185841 Civil Engineer 2 years experience, major experience in Road work, Culverts and structure. #97427701 BE electronics & instrumentation engineer, with one year of experience. Looking for suitable positions. On visit visa. Contact-99339306, e-mail: kannanr101@gmail.com Indian male be electrical and pg in power systems (transmission & distribution) with one year experience on visit. Seeking placement contact – 94669679/ email prsabarish@gmail.com Looking for a part time accounting & admin job. Contact 99196621. Indian (Kerala) Male, 32yrs, looking for a job as Accounts Assistant/ Cashier/ Salesman (indoor), having 5 yrs experience in Oman. Currently on Visit Visa. Contact-94410485, Email: visanthvijay@gmail.com Indian male B.Eng. in IT, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/ Server support. Contact 92607532 Indian Male 33 yrs, BCA ,10 years experience(India & Oman) IT Support, System administrator/supervisor looking for suitable Job. #95448561. Indian female accountant 5 years of experience in accounting tally, office coordination,And admin, currently on visit visa. seeking suitable placement Contact: 95684179

SITUATION WANTED Indian male 23yr BA TTM (travel and tourism management) with advanced diploma in supply chain logistics and shipping management, exp in logistics (cha) seeking in suitable placement. currently on visit visa(oman) Contact;90291092 email: iyas.adhur@gmail.com Marketing or Business development-BSC in marketing 5 years of experience looking for suitable position. Contact (99522233) Indian male, 19 years oman exp. in purchase, material coordinator in building/pipe line 9yrs & factory production ﬁeld 10yrs.good computer skills & D/L & with NOC. looking for suitable placement. mr.victor2015@hotmail.com Contact: 99008101 Indian male B.Eng. in IT, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532 Indian Males 32 years, Dip. In Hardware & Networking with 10 years of hands-on experience. Currently on visit visa seeking immediate placement in IT Support or relevant jobs. Good knowledge of Hardware & Networking. Contact: 9416 9341 / haripulikal@gmail.com Indian male, 19 years experience in purchase, material coordinator in building construction & factory production ﬁeld, have good computer skills & driving license and NOC. Looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 99008101 Indian male accountant, 12 years experience, looking for a full time or part time job. Experience in tally also. Contact-98983122 Male Accountant Indian, B.com, 2 Year experience currently working in Oman. NOC available, doing accounts in Tally and Excel searching for suitable Job. Email: contactanand31@gmail.com / 91894487, 98789958

Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant, doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available. Contact 98803439 Indian male, 27 BSC nurse 4.5 years experience in India. Pro metric passed with 61% Data ﬂow processing, ACLS, BLS passed. Now on visit visa. Mob: 98926621, 94361049 e-mail: shemeermk@gmail.com

RENT A CAR

Electrical Engineer, B-Tech, with 4 Yrs experience in India, 3 YEARS IN MRF and one year in KSEB. Available on Visit Visa. Contact: 94741401 :Email: sobinthomask05@gmail.com. Sudanese male...telecom engineer 11 yrs. exp in IT support, Networking, Security systems, Server support, IT sales and marketing, management .Seeking suitable placement. Contact 91182027 31 years, Indian male PG in HR , with 5 yrs Professional experience in HR in Construction Oil & Gas Oman seeking for a suitable placement(NOC Available). Contact me on 93488914, emailKaarthickshankar@gmail.com FEMALE SYRIAN ARCHITECT ,new graduate have good experience in architect programs, autocad 3d max ,sketch up , Photoshop ,sketch up, searching for a job full time or part time, for Contact : 97482871 Purchase & Stores In charge – Having continues 13 years experience in a single ﬁrm, looking for a placement.# 99627427, 96154564 Indian male 23 years old graduate with one year experience in Sales & Marketing with valid Oman driving license seeking suitable opportunities.(NOC available) Contact: +968 98240510 Gmail: affanahamed0@gmail.com Marketing Coordinator, Indian, Advertising Agency experienced person with D/L seeks good opening. Contact 93031168

Electronics/Electrical/Instrumentation Design Engineer with 2+ years of experience, having a Bachelors Degree in Instrumentation Technology. Seeking for a job, currently on visit visa. Contact- 90142166 / Mail: aksafwan@gmail.com

Indian male, 29 years, B. Tech Electronics & Communication Eng. with 7 year’s experience seeking for a suitable placement, currently in UAE visit visa. Contact 00971 552513735 Email: rahul.rn198@gmail.com

Indian Mechanical Engineer (16 Yrs Exp), Knowledgeable in Monitoring of workshop setup, Workshop run, Business Development, ISO certiﬁcation, Quotation, Tender, Account veriﬁcation, Sohar Area, Mb. 94215208’

Sri Lankan male – 3.5 years experience as a site supervisor & Administration executive in Oman / 2 years experience as an HR executive with Oman driving license. (English/Arabic/Urdu)/ NOC available 97281617

Best Rates for Saloon. Tel: 99826300 / 97869042, rentacar@modernreem.com

TRANSPORTATION Muttrah to Bausher. Contact: 99022790/24712088 Transportation. Contact: 96538078 Transportation. Contact 99508282 Transportation. Contact: 95190627 Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba. Contact: 91103909

FOR LADIES Home service for ladies only facial, waxing, body massage, (if you not waxing menicure pedicure) only 20 Riyal, Contact 9243 0239

*Classiﬁed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

FOR HIRE WITH OPERATORS 1. Back Hoe Loaders (Shovels): 5 Nos 2. 10 Tons Vibratory Roller Compactor: 1 No. 3. 42 Mtrs. Concrete Pump Putzmeister: 1 No. 4. 45 Cbm Tippers: 2 Nos 5. 50 M height, 50 Boom tower cranes: 5 Nos.

Please contact – Mr. Ravi on 96529679 Email – ravi@alliedoman.com / narayan@alliedoman.com

WEBSITE

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

CLASSES

IELTS PREPARATION Target Band 8.0

Classes for Spoken English TOEFL / GRE / GMAT / SAT Excellent Guidance and Coaching Satisfaction Guaranteed EAGLES INSTITUTE 92325542 | 93657915 | 93657917 | Email: engominst@gmail.com

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English class for Malayalam Speakers

in Azaiba and Ruwi earn in two months tion guaranteed

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price. Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

IELTS & TOEFL Academic / General Target Band 8 TQT Institute.

Tel: 95244310

Ph # 24480800 / 99347202

Classes for bakery, cup cakes, icing decorations. Contact: 96202458 /96761960

DRIVING

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

^ Zs/ ^

Karate and self defense classes at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per month twice a week Monday and Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM CONTACT 98294551

tĞ WƌŽǀŝĚĞ ůĞĂŶĞƌƐ͕ Kĸ ĐĞ ďŽǇƐ͕ ůĞĂŶŝŶŐ ŽŶƚƌĂĐƚƐ͕ 'ĞŶĞƌĂů ĐůĞĂŶŝŶŐ ĞƚĐ͘ ů DƵĚĂŬŚŝƌ EĂƟ ŽŶĂů Ɛƚ͘ >> ŽŶƚĂĐƚ ͗ ϵϰϮϳϳϬϮϬ

MANPOWER

D EWKt Z dŝůĞ DĂƐŽŶƐ͕ DĂƐŽŶƐ͕ ůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝĂŶƐ͕ WůƵŵďĞƌƐ͕ &ĂůƐĞ ĞŝůŝŶŐ ͬ 'ǇƉƐƵŵ tŽƌŬƐ ĂŶĚ ĂƌƉĞŶƚĞƌƐ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ ŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞůǇ ŽŶ >ĂďŽƌ ƐƵƉƉůǇ ďĂƐŝƐ͘ /ŶƚĞƌĞƐƚĞĚ ƉĂƌƟ ĞƐ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ

'^D͗ ϵϲϳϳϱϬϮϯ ͬ ϵϲϳϳϱϬϮϰ

House shifting & transporting. Contact 92490422

We will register LLX trade license for foreign investors and do all actions. Contact: 92833566

Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage steambath, obesity, Spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street Azaiba. Contact: 99639695 / 98342990

Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

Split & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 96236476

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

GOOD NEWS

Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080

Learn driving with professional. Contact: 94022250

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

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807

SITUATION WANTSERVICES

Window & split unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517

A/C Maintenance & servicing, fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, painting & cleaning services, electrical & plumbing. Contact: 99447257 /97014234 / 24504281

Split & window A/c servicing & maintenance. Contact: 93769089 / 95323517

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

Water prooﬁng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

House shifting. Contact: 99657644/98518013

Cleaning & carpet shampooing, Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99884591 Pest control treatments. Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99344723

A/C maintenance, installation spilt A.C and maintenance window A/C and ducted and package the reunites. Contact: Asad Abbas 98667326 GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 Cleaning Sofa shampoo carpet shampoo house. Contact: 92179395 Debt collection services your money we collect value commercial services. Fax: 0096824783669 Contact: 009682479815 /00968- 24701422 /00968- 94665476 Email: salim@valuedbtcollection.com Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting,Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. Contact: 24810137, 99450130

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 6, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

TOURS

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours contact 98029602, 92808636

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

ABDULHAKIM AL BIMANI TRADING & CONTRACTOR Expert in Shipping cargo by sea & air to Zanzibar, Pemba, Dar es Salam in Tanzania, Burundi, The Philippines, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Reasonable price.

Contact: 97440625/95416662 Email: abdulhakimalbimani@hotmail.com

*Classiﬁed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability