Times of Oman - May 7, 2015 by Muscat Media Group

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When Shabib Al Kindi launched Tamrah in 2011, he didn’t just want to sell ordinary dates; he wanted to promote the ﬁnest Omani dates.

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THURSDAY, May 7, 2015 /18 Rajab 1436 AH

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HIS MAJESTY’S PORTRAIT ATOP KHASAB MOUNTAIN

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In a display of national pride and love for his leader, Omani artist Aziz Al Shihi has painted a giant oil portrait of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on a rock face above his hometown of Khasab. The portrait features His Majesty the Sultan wearing See also >A4 his blue and red ‘massar’, and the black and gold of a ‘bisht’ is visible on his shoulder. - Photo: Aziz Al Shihi

ARTICLE, PHOTOS

HM issues four Royal Decrees

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

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has issued four Royal Decrees as follows: Royal Decree No. 14/2015 appoints an undersecretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Article (1) appoints Eng. Ahmed bin Hassan bin Alawi Al Dheeb BaOmar as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Article (2) amends the organisational structure of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry stated in Royal Decree No. 102/2005 in line with the requirements of this Decree. >A6 HM receives greetings from Kuwait >A5 R O YA L D I R E C T I V E S

Absconding expatriates get a lifeline Fines for overstaying, absconding workers Job visa is valid for 24 months

Under the current three-month

The Immigration Department ﬁne does not increase beyond OMR500 after 25 months

Fine for overstaying per month (OMR)

Months

amnesty, overstayers

For renewal, the grace period is 30 days

19 20 21 23 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

48 49 50 51 52 53 54

Immigration Department

or absconders have a

20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

20 20 20

way to stay in Oman -

The monthly ﬁne continues

Ministry of Manpower

but at a price

19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19

19 19 19 19 19 19 19

OMR400

May 3 to July 31

Fine for absconding

Amnesty period

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com

Source: Times of Oman

MUSCAT: Expatriate workers who abscond or overstay are being offered a lifeline, which will enable them to remain legally in Oman under the three-month Immigration amnesty. “If an absconding and overstaying migrant wants to stay back and become a documented worker, he can do it during this three-month amnesty period. The worker has to pay the fine for overstaying, the absconding fine if an absconding case has been filed against him and can either stay back with his old sponsor or join a new sponsor as per the labour laws,” says a circular. “If the worker wants to join a new sponsor, he has to get clearance from the old sponsor and the new sponsor should be eligible to hire him as per the labour laws,” adds the circular.

According to an advisor from a legal firm, for those who are capable of paying the fine, this amnesty has come at the right time. The amnesty began on May 3 and will continue until July 31. The embassies of three main Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, estimate around 50,000 migrant workers who can make use of this amnesty and go back to their home countries without facing any legal action. “The fine slapped on an absconding migrant worker is OMR400. If an absconding case is filed the period of being an absconder will not matter. The fine will still be OMR400,” said the legal advisor from Khalid Al Wahaibi firm in Muscat. The visa validity in Oman for a migrant worker is only 24 months

70% WORK COMPLETE

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

Sheraton ﬂyover set to open in three months FAHAD AL GHADANI

fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Almost 70 per cent construction work of the Sheraton ﬂyover near the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is complete, said a reliable source at the Muscat Municipality. The Sheraton ﬂyover will open in three months, he said. “Some sections of the Wadi

and he is granted a 30-day grace period to renew the visa. However, an overstaying worker has to pay two different fines at two different offices in Oman. “At the Ministry of Manpower, an overstaying worker has to pay around OMR19 and at the Immigration department OMR20 for every month delay. The fine to be paid at the ministry will be calculated every month. However, the fine to be paid at an Immigration office will not be calculated after 25 months or once it reaches OMR500,” said the legal advisor. So, if an overstaying or absconding worker wishes to stay back and become a documented worker, he has to shell out thousands of rials depending on the period he has been an undocumented worker. >A6

Kabir-Darsait road project were opened earlier, including the Star Cinema and the Wadi Kabir ﬂyover, to ease the ﬂow of traffic,” said the source. The ongoing road construction work from Star Cinema to Wadi Kabir is also expected to be completed within three months. Opening of the Darsait-Wadi Kabir stretch will come as a major relief for motorists.

OMAN

Rains lash Oman, wadis overflow

Rains lashed different parts of Oman on Wednesday afternoon resulting in overﬂowing of wadis. >A3

OMAN

Oman Air wins two travel awards

Oman Air has won two awards at the World Travel Awards Middle East 2015. >A6

MARKET Musandam-Oman Sail break speed record

Contractors at oil and gas debate

The contribution of super local community contractors to the oil and gas sector was debated. >B1

MINISTRY OF OIL AND GAS

Scope for more ‘clarity’ in tender process: Official ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: There is room for more ‘transparency’ in the tendering process, says a senior ofﬁcial at the Ministry of Oil and Gas, who believes more clarity would enhance the performance of the sector. “We need to be very transparent,” Salim bin Nasser Al Auﬁ, undersecretary at the ministry, said during a roundtable meet-

ing at the Occidental office on Monday, to discuss the challenges facing local service companies in the oil and gas sector. Meeting The event, organised by the ministry, Oman Society for Petroleum Services (Opal) and the Oil and Gas Year, was attended by senior officials from Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), Oxy and BP as well as some other renowned companies. >A6

Affordable houses for citizens soon MUSCAT: In line with the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Supreme Council for Planning (SCP) has commissioned a study on the establishment of modern housing complexes at affordable prices for citizens, said Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Deputy Chairman of the SCP. These housing complexes will be built by real estate developers from the private sector, with investment funds or through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The objective of constructing these complexes is to provide interested citizens homes which are affordable and within their budgets. >A6

TH UR S DAY, MAY 7, 2 015

OMAN

JOINING HANDS: Pursuant to the agreement, and subject to all requisite regulatory approvals and the completion of all conditions by TeO and its shareholders, M1 TeliNet has agreed to acquire 15 per cent interest in TeO on a fully diluted basis. – AR Raj Kumar/Times of Oman

Telecom entrant signs pact with Singapore firm M1 and TeO announced that M1’s wholly owned subsidiary M1 TeliNet Pte Ltd has entered into an agreement to invest in TeO

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Integrated Telecommunications Oman (TeO), the latest entrant to the telecom industry in Oman, has signed an agreement with M1 Limited Singapore to provide enhanced customer services to users in the Sultanate. At the agreement signing ceremony held on Wednesday, M1 and TeO announced that M1’s wholly owned subsidiary M1 TeliNet Pte Ltd has entered into an agreement to invest in TeO, Oman’s ﬁrst private CLASS 1 licencee international gateway operator, a mobile

services reseller and international card services provider. Pursuant to the agreement, and subject to all requisite regulatory approvals and the completion of all conditions by TeO and its shareholders, M1 TeliNet has agreed to acquire 15 per cent interest in TeO on a fully diluted basis. Suleiman Mohammed Al Yahya’ae, chairman of the board of TeO, said that the partnership with M1, which is a major telecommunications service provider in Singapore with around 2 million customers, will create new dynamism in the Omani market and provide

innovative services and solutions to users in Oman. TeO currently operates with its consumer product brand ‘Allo’ and its endorsed brands ‘TeO Globe’ and ‘TeO Business’. Lot to offer Karen Kooi, chief executive officer of M1, said that the agreement will enhance customers’ experience in Oman as the Singaporean company has a lot to offer. Established in 1997, M1 has achieved many firsts, including being the first operator to offer nationwide 4G services, as well as ultra high-speed fixed broadband, fixed voice and other services on the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (NGNBN). Mohammed Zaman, vice chairman of TeO, said that the company has achieved 70 per cent Omanisation, adding that it is looking at different options and services to offer new and quality services to customers at competitive rates.

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Rain in parts of Oman, hail and dust in others regions witnessed hailstorms, visibility in other regions was affected due to a dust storm

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Rain lashed different parts of Oman since Wednesday afternoon resulting in overflowing of wadis in different regions. While some regions witnessed hailstorms, visibility in other regions was affected due to a dust storm. “In Ibra we witnessed heavy rain. The roads were slippery and the wadis were overflowing,” said Shameer PTK. The rain started around 1 p.m. followed by lightning and thunder,” he added. Prediction Oman’s meteorological department had predicted rain for 48 hours in different parts of Oman on Tuesday itself. “Wadis in Nizwa, Al Amerat, Al Hamra and Damha apart from Al Taeein and Al Asreen were overflowing. More rains are expected in the next 24 hours,” said Bader Ali Al Baddaei, an administrator of www.rthmc.net, a local Web-based forum that discusses weather trends in Oman. In its next 48-hour outlook, the skies over the Sultanate will be partly cloudy with chances of isolated rain. “There will be thundershowers over the Al Hajar Mountains and adjoining areas. It may extend to the Oman coast.

There are also chances of low level clouds or fog along most of the coastal areas and governorates of South Al Sharqiya, Al Wusta and the northern Dhofar in the early morning,” says the forecast. The forecast also adds that the Arabian sea will be moderate to rough with the maximum wave height of 2.5 metres. Along the rest of the coast the maximum wave height would be 1.25 metres. On Tuesday, while rain and thundershowers lashed Samail and Rustaq regions giving much-needed relief to residents from the searing heat, Nakhal witnessed a hailstorm.

HEAVY RAINS: Wadis in Nizwa, Al Amerat, Al Hamra and Damha apart from Al Taeein and Al Asreen were overﬂowing. More rains are expected in the next 24 hours. – Photo courtesy www.rthmc.com

RAS AL HADD

Coast Guard rescues 10 Indian sailors from damaged boat REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Coast Guard personnel rescued 10 Indian sailors on board a boat which was sinking in the waters of Ras Al Hadd on Monday afternoon. “On receiving an SOS message, the coast guard jumped into action and rescued the sailors from the sinking boat. The water had entered the boat and damaged the engine. “Sixteen coast guard personnel were involved in the rescue operations,” said the police. The rescue operation lasted for more than 18 hours. All the sailors are from the western Indian state of Gujarat. On way to Sharjah The boat, which was on its way to Djibouti from Sharjah with car accessories, was caught in the rough seas. “We started from Sharjah on May 1. On May 4, the sea was rough and by afternoon due to a leak, water began to seep into the

Sixteen coast guard personnel were involved in the rescue operations,” said the police. The rescue operation lasted for more than 18 hours. All the sailors are from the western Indian state of Gujarat

boat. We tried our best to drain the water from the boat, but it entered the engine and the boat stopped,” Salman, one of the sailors, told the Times of Oman. “Meanwhile, we contacted our agent and he sought help from the Oman Navy. They arrived by noon on May 4 and tried to tow the boat to Ras Al Hadd but failed. Later, more navy personnel reached in a big rescue vessel and tried to rescue us and salvage the boat. Final-

ly, on May 5, at around 6 a.m., we boarded the rescue vessel leaving the boat and the cargo,” added Salman and other sailors. Among the 10 sailors, one had lost his passport, according to M A K Shajahan, honorary consul of the Indian embassy in Sur. “We are trying our best to arrange an emergency certiﬁcate (EC) for him to ﬂy back to India from Oman,” said Shajahan. The boat is owned by an Indian.

CRIME

Five drug smugglers arrested Times News Service MUSCAT: Five Asian women attempting to smuggle psychotropic substances through the Muscat International Airport, were arrested by personnel of the Public Administration to Combat Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. The accused were arrested with 3,524 Tramadol capsules and they confessed to their crime during investigations. Hashish seized In another case, four nationals were arrested in Al Khaboura for smuggling drugs along with an international gang. The accused were arrested with four packets and two bags of hashish. The accused were referred to the Public prosecution for further legal action.

OMAN M AY 9

Iranian concert set to combine music, poetry Times News Service MUSCAT: Iran’s Hamnavazan e Hesar Ensemble will be hosted by the Royal Opera House Muscat for a unique concert called The Pass, which combines traditional Persian music and poetry, on Saturday, May 9. Iranian composer and tar player Ali Ghamsari’s Hamnavazan e Hesar Ensemble will collaborate with award-winning Iranian singer Mohammad Motamedi for this special concert. The program combines traditional Persian poetry by Fazel Nazari, Rumi, and Hushang Ebtehaj sung by Mota-

While some

DRUG HAUL: The accused, who were arrested with 3,524 Tramadol capsules, confessed to their crime during investigations. – Photo courtesy ROP

The Royal Oman Police regularly advises citizens and residents to co-operate with them to combat this scourge and to inform them about any information that will help in the detection of smugglers and drug dealers. They are advised to call the emergency telephone (9999) or report to the nearest police station.

Citizen arrested for theft The Investigations and Criminal Investigation Management personnel arrested a national accused of theft in the Seeb wilayat. The police informed that the accused broke into a store and stole cash. He was referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal action.

medi and set to music played on traditional Persian percussion and string instruments. “This concert will let listeners immerse themselves into the rich and beautiful Persian traditions. The combination of the melodious and enchanting rhythms and Motamedi’s expression, emotional voice is truly beautiful. This is a wonderful example of Iran’s deep cultural traditions and it should not be missed,” said Umberto Fanni, ROHM’s artistic director and acting director general. For more information about Royal Opera House Muscat and tickets please visit www.rohmuscat.org.om.

TH UR S DAY, MAY 7, 2 015

OMAN Omani artist paints His Majesty’s portrait on a giant rocky canvas It took two months of planning and a week of painting for ﬁve hours a day for Aziz Al Shihi to complete the portrait

SARAH MACDONALD

sarah@timesofoman.com

INSPIRATION: Aziz Al Shihi said he was inspired to use the ﬂat rock face instead of painting on a canvas because he has an interest in graffiti. – Photo courtesy Aziz Al Shihi

SAFETY

MUSCAT: In a giant display of national pride and love for his rule, Omani artist Aziz Al Shihi painted a portrait of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on a rock face above his hometown of Khasab. The giant oil portrait, which is five metres high and three metres across, features His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in profile, wearing his blue and red massar, and the black and gold of a bisht visible on his shoulder. The rooftops and date farms of Khasab, and more specifically Aziz’s village of Al Hajer, are visible in the distance

behind the portrait, as are the mountains on the other side of the town, creating a stunning and dramatic backdrop for the painting. ‘Musandam loves you’ “I hope that His Majesty sees this painting, and my message can reach him without having to type any phrase or even a word. This painting speaks for itself and says Musandam loves you, Your Majesty, and you stand high above the tops of the mountains,” Al Shihi, 28, told the Times of Oman. Al Shihi said he was inspired to use the flat rock face instead of painting on a canvas because he has an interest in graffiti. One of the artists he admires the most is Banksy, the elusive British graffiti artist who has painted art on walls and other public places all over the UK as well as other countries such as Palestine. “Recently I have been following global artist Banksy and I decided to start the field of graffiti, too. He is my hero in this area,” said Al Shihi. It took two months of planning and a week of painting for five hours a day for Al Shihi to complete the portrait. He had to use a ladder and large brushes to paint the huge likeness. Al Shihi said he hopes the por-

trait will last for at least 30 years because it’s in a relatively shady place where the sunlight won’t cause the paint to fade. Now that it’s finished, it is getting a lot of attention from people in his hometown and beyond, thanks to social media. “I saw the surprise and wonder in some people’s eyes, but the best comment on the painting was from an old man who told me, ‘For the first time I see the rock speak’,” said Al Shihi. Highly realistic The artist, who has been drawing since he was a child, became inspired to pursue art seriously after meeting Anwar Sonya, who is considered the “godfather” of Omani artist. “My view of art changed when I met this artist,” Al Shihi said of Sonya. He began drawing highly realistic drawings of forts, castles, horses and other Omani scenes, but soon experimented with a variety of other media and techniques until settling on graffiti and caricatures. He hopes this portrait will help give him a greater chance to find success as an artist, something he hopes all artists in Oman can find. “We deserve a chance. That’s all we want: just a chance,” he concluded.

MASTER ARTIST

Oman to take part in GCC food meeting

Iranian calligrapher shares message of peace with art

MUSCAT: Issues related to food safety will be discussed at the second meeting of the GCC Ministerial Committee for Food Safety, to be held in the Qatari capital, Doha. The Sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, will take part in the meeting on Thursday. The Sultanate’s delegation will be led by Hamad bin Sulaiman Al-Gharibi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources for Regional Municipalities Affairs. -ONA

SARAH MACDONALD

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sarah@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: At a time when much of the Islamic world is mired in conﬂict, a renowned Iranian artist hopes to use his art to share a more peaceful side of Islam. Mahdi Daryabari, who has achieved the rank of a “Master” of calligraphy from the Iranian Calligraphers Association, the highest artistic title in Iran, brought his work to Oman for an exhibition that opened at the Opera Galleria on Tuesday evening. The exhibition was opened by Iran’s ambassador to Oman, Ali Akbar Sibevieh. “Islamic art matches my soul. It’s very peaceful and I see that other people are touched by the peaceful messages and nature of my work,” Daryabari told Times of Oman. The artist considers his talent a gift from God, and said he feels called by God to focus on Islamic calligraphy and be a messenger spreading Islam in a

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

Mahdi Daryabari. –OK Mohammed Ali

peaceful way. “It’s very important to introduce Islam in a peaceful way, using art instead of violence,” he said, adding that these days Islam is too often associated with violence. His highly detailed work is inspired by verses form the Holy Quran and features black verses set against subdued, calming tones such as tan, gold, cream, and sky blue. The verses are decorated with miniature ﬂoral and geomet-

ric designs, reﬂecting the details common to Iranian art and design. Daryabashi, who was born in 1967 to a family of artists and musicians, said he was pleased to bring his work to Oman since this is a country with a strong interest in Islamic art. His exhibition coincides with two performances at the Royal Opera House Muscat by Iranian musical ensembles, Rastak on Thursday evening and Hamnavazan-e-Hesar Ensemble on Saturday evening. Speaking at the opening to the exhibition, Sibevieh said he was happy to have Daryabari and the musicians sharing the richness of Iranian culture with Oman. Daryabashi’s exhibition will be on display until May 8.

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K U WA I T

OMAN

VISIT

HM receives greetings

Haitham conveys HM’s greetings to Saudi Crown Prince

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jabir Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, in reply to His Majesty’s condolences cable on the death of Sheikh Shamlan Abdulaziz Al Hamoud Al Jarrah Al Sabah. In his cable, Sheikh Sabah expressed his utmost thanks for His Majesty. -ONA

RIYADH: As an Envoy of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, conveyed the congratulations of His Majesty to Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the occasion of him being appointed as a Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Political and Se-

curity Affairs Council in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and to Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the occasion of him being appointed as a Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Economic and Development Affairs Council in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. -ONA

CONVEYING CONGRATULATIONS: His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said as an Envoy of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in Riyadh on Wednesday. – ONA

TH UR S DAY, MAY 7, 2 015 It is particularly satisfying to receive these awards now. We are just a few months into our ambitious programme of ﬂeet and network expansion Abdulrahman Al Busaidy, chief operating officer of Oman Air

OMAN Oman Air wins two world travel awards in a row Oman Air emerged top in the ‘Middle East’s Leading Airline - Business Class’ and ‘Middle East’s Leading Airline - Economy Class’ categories

Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, has won two awards at the World Travel Awards Middle East 2015. Oman Air emerged on top in the ‘Middle East’s Leading Airline - Business Class’ and ‘Middle East’s Leading Airline - Economy Class’ categories at a glittering ceremony which held on May 5 at the Four Seasons Resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is for the second year in a row that Oman Air has taken the titles, which are voted for by travel and tourism professionals worldwide. Abdulrahman Al Busaidy, the chief operating officer of Oman

Oman Air officials at the world travel awards in Dubai.

Air, said, “It is particularly satisfying to receive these awards now. We are just a few months into our ambitious programme of fleet and network expansion. This will see us increase the size of our fleet from 30 aircraft at the start of the programme, to 50 by 2018, and to 70 by 2020. Each of the new aircraft features newly-designed cabins, spacious and comfortable new Business Class and Economy Class seats and the very latest inflight entertainment technology.” On receiving the awards, Mohammed Al Shikely, general manager, marketing of Oman Air, said, “I am honoured to accept both these awards, on behalf of everyone at Oman Air. I am delighted that people throughout the global travel industry have been so impressed by our Business Class and Economy Class services, and I would like to thank them for voting for Oman Air.” “Oman Air has added a number of exciting new destinations to

our network, increased frequencies on some of our established routes and improved connections at Muscat International Airport. As a result, many thousands more people will have the opportunity to experience Oman Air’s outstanding Business Class and Economy Class services,” he said. Graham E Cooke, president and founder of the World Travel Awards, added, “Many congratulations to Oman Air! These World Travel Award accolades recognise the commitment to excellence and continuing endeavours to improve products and services which Oman Air has demonstrated in the last twelve months.” Oman Air’s new long haul business class cabin offers 24 seats, each of which converts to a 77-inch/196cm long fully lieflat bed. The seats are fitted in a 2-2-2 configuration and, thanks to an ingenious cabin layout, provide direct aisle access for every passenger.

DECISION

< FROM

Royal Decree

Article (3) The Decree shall be published in the official gazette and takes effect from its date of issue. Royal Decree No. 15/2015 on conducting the Electronic Census of Population, Residences and Establishments 2020. Article (1) states that the Electronic Census of Population, Residences and Establishments 2020 shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions attached to this Decree. Article (2) The Decree shall be published in the official gazette and be enforced on the day following its date of publishing. Royal Decree No. 16/2015 applies public utility status to Diba Sport Club Building project. Article (1) declares the project of Diba Sport Club Building in the Wilayat of Diba, the Governorate of Musandam, as speciﬁed in the memo and comprehensive diagram attached to the Decree, as a public utility project. Article (2) states that the departments concerned shall expropriate, through direct implementation, the properties and land necessary for the aforementioned project, along with all the installations therein, in accordance with provisions of the Public Utility Expropriation Law promulgated by Royal Decree No. 64/78. Article (3) The Decree shall be published in the official gazette and takes effect from its date of issue. Royal Decree No. 17/2015 appoints a non-resident ambassador. Article (1) appoints Badr bin Mohammed bin Badr Al Mantheri, Sultanate’s Ambassador to the Yemeni Republic, as the Sultanate’s non-resident ambassador to the Republic of Ethiopia and the Republic of Eritrea. Article (2) The Decree shall be published in the ofﬁcial gazette and takes effect from its date of issue. -ONA

TENDERING PROCESS

A1 Course not tuned < FROM

to market needs

One of the questions asked was whether the current tendering process benefits local service companies, in response to which Al Aufi said that there are certain areas where there is still room for further transparency. According to him, the companies bidding for a certain contract should have the right to know who they are competing with and who the other players are. Also, those companies who do not win the contract should be informed why they were not chosen so that they can improve the problematic areas next time, said the official. Other questions A number of other questions were also asked during the session, which were answered by the undersecretary as well as Raoul Restucci (PDO), Hamoud Al Tobi (Al Shawamikh Oil Services), Hans Erlings (Galfar) and Hilal Al Busaidy (Gulf Energy), in addition to Ali Suleym Al Junaibi (Al Ghalbi International), Robert Swain (Occidental of Oman Inc. – Oxy Oman), Zeinoun Klink (Halliburton), Tatsuro Yamaguchi (Mitsui) and Fahmy Al Musharfi (Daleel Petroleum). With regard to Omanisation, the panellists were almost unanimous that Omanisation targets are yet to be achieved in top po-

RESIDENTIAL UNITS

A1 Suitable housing < FROM

locations in focus

Al Sunaidi added that the study was commissioned in 2014. In its ﬁrst meeting in March, 2015, the SCP reviewed the preliminary results of the study that included a number of legal and technical aspects aimed at establishing these complexes in the various governorates of the Sultanate. Growing demand He pointed out that the study focussed on how these complexes would contribute to meeting the growing demand for residential units, and provide an alternative to citizens seeking suitable housing. The study took note of similar projects and schemes in a number of countries around the world. The selection and reservation of appropriate locations in the various governorates of the Sultanate to establish this type of complexes is under way in coordination with the Ministry of Housing. Al Sunaidi indicated that the

ABSCONDING MIGRANT WORKERS

< FROM

A1 ‘Fine beyond reach’ “It is a welcome move from the ministry’s side. But we have doubts on its practicality. One reason is that a majority of the overstaying and absconding migrant workers will not be able to ﬁnd the money to pay the ﬁne, which will be exorbitant. The second reason is that as long as there is a clause that the worker has to get a clearance from his old sponsor, he will be facing a big obstacle,” said Shaji Sebastin, a Muscat-based Indian social worker. As part of the effort to streamline the labour market, the

sitions. They also noted that employment opportunities in the public sector have led to many trained workers leaving their jobs in the private sector and joining government bodies. In addition, Al Auﬁ said that one challenge facing Omanisation is the fact that the education system does not meet the market’s requirements and some fresh graduates do not accept to be re-trained, and demand top positions from the outset. The official from Mitsui said Omanisation may have succeeded in terms of ‘quantity’ but not ‘quality’.

ministry circular has also provided a chance for workers who wish to change their job status in the resident card during this threemonth-long amnesty period. Earlier, a job status change could be done only once in two years at the time of visa renewal. There are many migrant workers engaged in jobs which are not mentioned in the labour card. According to the labour law, it is a punishable offence. However, the job status change cannot be done on a post which is reserved for locals or Omanised.

OMRAN

Farming project set to help local community Times News Service

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

consulting ﬁrm implementing the study, in coordination with the SCP Secretariat General, held a series of meetings over 2014 with a number of relevant government agencies, as well as a range of real estate specialists. Earlier this year, the company started preparing the preliminary legal frameworks, which would allow real-estate developers to enter into long-term contracts with the government for the development of new areas and turn them into integrated housing complexes with infrastructure and services before throwing them open to Omanis buyers. He added that the project would be a quantum leap for the housing sector in the Sultanate, especially for the youth. It would save them time and effort, and enable them to deal with one developer while choosing the appropriate residence. It will also provide integrated residential complexes that have basic services with recreational and commercial facilities. -ONA

MUSCAT: It’s a project that creates a link between small-scale farming enterprises and major hospitality providers. ‘Farming for Hospitality’, a community initiative spearheaded by the Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran), was officially unveiled yesterday under the auspices of Dr Khalifa bin Hamad Al Saadi, governor of Dakhiliyah. The function was attended by officials from Omran and Alila Jabal Akhdar Resort, government officials and community members. CSR initiative The programme, conceived within the umbrella of Omran’s leading corporate responsibility initiative ‘Intajee’, aims to beneﬁt communities in the Jabal Al Akhdar region, and enables farmers to grow fresh produce for the local community and also for supply to nearby hotels. ‘Farming for Hospitality’, ﬁrst launched through a pilot programme in May 2014, equips local farmers with modern greenhouses to

grow fresh vegetables, produce that was previously sourced from other regions in Oman or even abroad. Fresh produce The fresh produce, in addition to sustaining the local community, is now also being sold to the nearby Alila Jabal Akhdar Resort. ‘Farming for Hospitality’ aims to build on the skills of local farmers, while transforming the capabilities of traditional farming practices in region. On this occasion, Sheikh Dr Khalifa Al Saadi, stated, “It is inspiring to witness the cooperation between large scale hospitality providers and local communities in the Jabal Al Akhdar region. It is my sincere hope that ‘Farming for Hospitality’ will serve as an example to motivate further collaboration and synergy both in the region and across the nation.” Commenting on the event, Wael Al Lawati, CEO, Omran Group, noted, “Viable tourism beneﬁts not only the economy, but also the local communities from which it derives its inspiration and resources.”

DOUBLES ITS PORTFOLIO

Starwood to unveil Aloft brand in Muscat Times News Service MUSCAT: Reaffirming its commitment to growth in the region, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has signed ﬁve new projects under its Aloft and Element brands in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Doha (Qatar) and Muscat, adding up to a total of seven signed deals to date. At the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) in Dubai, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announced it will double its portfolio in the Middle East, aggressively expanding its luxury, upper upscale and midmarket brands with plans to open 50 hotels by 2019.

In agreement with New Rotana Enterprises, a sister concern of Al Adrak LLC, the signing of Aloft Muscat will introduce the Aloft brand to Oman and help meet the demand for infrastructure development in the country. The hotel will offer 204 rooms and will be located in close proximity to the new Muscat International Airport and the upcoming Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre “Our growth in the region is a result of consistently delivering value to our owners through our distinct lifestyle brands, backed by our loyal guests and the strength of our global platform,” said Michael Wale, president for Starwood, Europe, Africa and Middle East.

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015 Forty Yemeni civilians were killed when a shell ﬁred by the Houthis struck a boat they were on trying to ﬂee the Al Tawahi neighbourhood to safer grounds Workers and witnesses

DISPUTE

Settlement over seized Maersk ship will be reached soon: Iran ANKARA: Iran said on Wednesday a legal settlement could be reached soon over its seizure of the Marshall-Islands ﬂagged Maersk Tigris container ship last month, according to the official IRNA news agency. The Maersk Tigris was diverted on April 28 by Iranian patrol boats, prompting the United States to send vessels to monitor the situation and to accompany US-ﬂagged vessels passing through the sea. Danish shipping giant Maersk has insisted on the release of the vessel and its 24 crew members. Iran says the Maersk Tigris would only be let go once a years-old debt case is settled.

OPTIMISTIC: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham in Tehran in this ﬁle picture taken on September 1, 2013. IRNA quoted Afkham as telling a news conference that the negotiations between the private complainant and the other party are going on and possibly the issue would be resolved in a day or two. – AFP Files

Negotiations “The negotiations between the private complainant and the other party are going on and possibly the issue will be resolved in a day or two,” IRNA quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham as telling a news conference. “The 24 members of the crew are free and they are beneﬁting from consular assistance,” she said. Reuters understands that crew are still under Iranian supervision. A spokesman for Rickmers Shipmanagement, which manages the ship, said it

was in contact with the crew. “They are still on the ship and they have always been onboard the vessel since the Iranians took custody of the ship,” the spokesman said. Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company, said it had sent a letter of undertaking related to the case earlier on Wednesday, but would not elaborate on what that undertaking was or when the issue could be resolved. Maersk chartered the ship, which according to ship opera-

120 killed in Yemen fighting

TO A STANDSTILL: People ride on the back of a truck taxi in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Wednesday. Acute fuel shortages have brought most of the public transportation means in Yemen to a standstill. – Reuters

Houthis enter Aden’s Al Tawahi district, while aid groups may stop work as fuel shortage cripples hospitals

ADEN/CAIRO: Over 120 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in heavy fighting across Yemen, rescue workers and Houthi sources said on Wednesday, as aid agencies warned fuel shortages could halt their urgent work. The heaviest clashes were concentrated in the southern port city of Aden, where at least 40 civilians trying to flee the city by boat died when shells fired by Houthi fighters struck their vessel, rescue workers and witnesses said. Earlier in the day, Houthi sources said 40 civilians were killed when warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition struck Yemeni provinces near the Saudi border overnight, following the death of three Saudis in the first deadly cross border attack since the Arab alliance began operations in March. Hungry The conflict has disrupted imports to Yemen, where about 20 million people or 80 per cent of the population are estimated to be going hungry, a statement by the United Nations and the Yemen International NGO Forum said. A shortage of fuel has crippled hos-

pitals and food supplies in recent weeks, and the UN’s World Food Programme has said its monthly fuel needs have leapt from 40,000 litres a month to 1 million litres. “Millions of lives are at risk, in particular children, and soon we will not be able to respond,” Edward Santiago, country director for Save the Children, said in the statement. The statement also dismissed an announcement by the Saudi-led Arab alliance about a possible truce in some areas to allow for humanitarian supplies, saying a permanent end to hostilities was needed. US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday Washington was concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen and pledged $68 million for relief work in the country. He told journalists in Djibouti that he would discuss a possible pause in fighting with Saudi officials later on Wednesday to try to get food, fuel and medicine to civilians. “We have urged all sides to comply with humanitarian law to take every precaution to keep civilians out of the line of fire,” he added. In the city of Aden, rescue workers and witnesses said about 40 civilians were killed when a shell fired by the Houthis struck a boat they were on trying to flee the Al Tawahi neighbourhood to safer grounds. Residents and local fighters said Tawahi had witnessed intense clashes with Houthi fighters based nearby, which had drawn Saudi-led airstrikes. They said at least 30 Houthi gunmen and 10 local fighters died in overnight fighting, including a local commander, Brigadier General Ali Nasser Hadi, who was reportedly killed by a Houthi sniper. — Reuters

tor Rickmers is owned by undisclosed private investors. Iranian officials have repeatedly said the vessel will not be released until the case is settled. But Maersk has argued that because the vessel is not owned by the company, it has nothing to do with any legal proceedings. A Rickmers spokesman said on Thursday: “We’ve noted the statements in the media from Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman. I can only conﬁrm that Maersk - as stated yesterday - are in dialogue with the court in Iran.” — Reuters

REGION

TH UR S DAY, MAY 7, 2 015 Their fate will depend on whether he is given time to complete shooting and dubbing work before he begins his sentence Komal Nahta, Film trade analyst

INDIA Salman gets five-year jail in hit-and-run case Judge D.W. Deshpande found the Bollywood superstar guilty of culpable homicide and other charges for driving his Land Cruiser into a group of homeless men sleeping rough in suburban Mumbai, rejecting his claim that his driver was to blame INTERIM BAIL: Bollywood actor Salman Khan leaves the court after getting an interim two-day bail by the High Court in the 2002 hit-and-run case in Mumbai on Wednesday. -PTI

MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was sentenced on Wednesday to ﬁve years in prison for killing a homeless man with his SUV in a 2002 hit-and-run after a night out drinking at an upmarket bar. Judge D.W. Deshpande found Khan guilty of culpable homicide and other charges for driving his Land Cruiser into a group of homeless men sleeping rough in suburban Mumbai, rejecting the actor’s claim his driver was to blame. “After going through the arguments put forth by both sides, I have come to the conclusion that ﬁve years is proper punishment,” Deshpande told the packed sessions court in Mumbai. The 49-year-old looked stunned and tired as the sentence was read out, sinking into his chair as his family gathered around, according to an AFP reporter in the court. Granted bail But the actor was later granted bail ahead of an appeal in India’s notoriously slow legal system. It was unclear how hard the conviction would hit the career of one of the Indian movie industry’s biggest box-office stars. The outcome of the case had

been keenly awaited both by his legion of fans and by Bollywood studios, who stand to lose millions of dollars if they have to cancel filming for movies for which he has been signed up. Support The sentence sparked a storm on social media, with Bollywood celebrities taking to Twitter in support of Khan, while at least one blamed the homeless for being there in the first place. “Roads are meant for cars and dogs not for people sleeping on them,” playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya tweeted. Khan, the star of blockbusters such as Dabangg (Fearless), fled the scene of the crash that left labourer Nurullah Mahbob Sharif dead and several others injured, according to prosecutors. His trial began in earnest last year after a series of court hearings and lengthy legal hold-ups. Several prosecution witnesses, including survivors of the crash, testified that Khan was driving the vehicle when it ploughed at speed into the men sleeping on the street near a bakery in September 2002.

When Khan finally took the stand in March, he said his driver was responsible for mounting the pavement in the suburb of Bandra West. The driver testified in court last month that he had been behind the wheel, and that the crash occurred after the front left tyre burst, making steering and braking difficult. But the judge found Khan guilty of all charges, including driving while under the influence of alcohol and without a licence. A constable attached to Khan’s security detail said in his statement to police that the actor lost control of the car while driving at about 90 kph (55 mph). One of the sleeping labourers injured in the accident said in his statement that “Salman was so drunk he fell”. Khan’s lawyers said the star had in fact been drinking water and had climbed out of the driver’s seat after the accident because the passenger side door had been damaged.Khan has starred in more than 100 films and television shows since his first hit Maine Pyar Kiya (I Fell in Love) in the 1980s. But the body-building actor

is no stranger to controversy and spent more than a week behind bars for killing an endangered Indian gazelle in 1998. Film trade analyst Komal Nahta said Khan was currently ﬁlming two movies worth up to two billion rupees ($31 million). “Their fate will depend on whether he is given time to complete shooting and dubbing work before he begins his sentence,” he said. Arjun Kapoor was among a stream of actors to take to Twitter, saying “it doesn’t matter what anyone or any court says he doesn’t deserve this at any level.” But the victim’s wife, Begum Shaikh, said she had been waiting a long time for justice, adding “we have gone through a lot of hardships.” “Everything is so expensive and we hardly have any income. My kids are always under stress,” she told the CNN-IBN channel. Khan becomes the second bigname Bollywood actor to be sentenced in the last two years. Sanjay Dutt, the star of a series of gangster movies, is behind bars over possession of weapons linked to several bombings in Mumbai in 1993. - AFP

1993 MUMBAI BLASTS ACCUSED

Opposition parties slam government for ﬂip-ﬂop on Dawood’s location NEW DELHI: Opposition parties led by the Congress on Wednesday charged the Indian government with tarnishing India’s image by saying that the location of Dawood Ibrahim was not known, even as the government dubbed him a “terrorist” and said he was in Pakistan. The issue was raised during Zero Hour by Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad who said the enquiry in 1993 Mumbai blasts had established that Dawood was the culprit and sought a statement from the home minister on the matter. Several other members including Ritabrata Banerjee, Tapan Kumar Sen, Sitaram Yechury (all CPI-M) and Pavan Kumar Verma (JD-U) associated themselves with the issue raised by Azad and sought a statement by the home minister on it. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Dawood was culprit of India and its people. “He is a terrorist and is in Pakistan,” he said. Naqvi said the home minister would come to the House and he would urge him to provide detailed information on the issue. Azad said the stand of successive governments over the last 20-22 years, whether that of Atal Behari Vajpayee or the Congress or any other party, has been that Dawood lives in Pakistan and operates from there. Dangerous person “Our intelligence agencies which work the world over, also know about his residence and location... Pakistan government has been asked to hand him over to India so that action could be taken. We expect the same for this government also... “In the other House (Lok Sabha), it was said government has no information about location of Dawood Ibrahim. We profusely regret this (statement). “This has damaged the image of India at national and international levels. I am not only talking about the image of BJP or NDA, but in my mind, this has maligned the image of India as never before,” said Azad. He said Dawood was a “dangerous person” and India has been asking Pakistan

HITTING OUT: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad speaks in the Rajya Sabha in New Delhi on Wednesday. - PTI

In a written statement in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the Centre had said the location of Dawood Ibrahim was not known to the government and once he is located, his extradition process will be initiated

to hand him over to India. “The Home Minister should come to the House and make a statement,” Azad said while demanding a clariﬁcation. He also said during the last general election campaign the UPA government was blamed for not being able to get Dawood back from Pakistan. In a written statement in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the Centre had said the location of Dawood Ibrahim was not known to the government and once he is located, his extradition process will be initiated. Later, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the underworld don lives in Pakistan and the Centre would continue to pursue the case very seriously. - PTI

BIHAR

Abducted doctor couple freed, return home PATNA/GAYA: Five days after being kidnapped, doctor couple Pankaj Gupta and Shubhra Gupta on Wednesday returned home in Gaya town after being freed

in Lucknow, state police chief P. K. Thakur said. The couple were freed after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had spoken to his Uttar Pradesh

counterpart following information that the kidnappers were in that state. The two had been abducted from Barachatti area of Gaya district on Friday. -PTI

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‘A government by one person, for a select few’ Congress president says there was no substantial economic achievement of Modi government as job creation has slowed down and eight core sectors of economy have registered negative growth

NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday mounted a strong attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his government had poisoned political discourse, was “anti-farmer” and “arrogant” and “a government of some people, by one person, for a select few”. Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting here, Sonia said the Modi government had very little to showcase after one year in office. “Behind the smokescreen of ‘development’, the government is providing ‘achche din’ (good days) only for crony capitalists. Under the pretext of ‘Make in India’, the government is planning to dilute the rights and interests of workers and labourers. Do they make nothing in India,” Sonia asked. Asking the government about the reality of its promised “achche din”, Sonia said the ruling dispensation deserved credit

FIERCEST ATTACK: Congress president Sonia Gandhi talks to the media at Parliament House in New Delhi on Wednesday. - PTI

for the “most anti-farmer legislative amendments to our land acquisition bill”. “They deserve credit for ignoring the severe plight of farmers throughout the country in a show of callous unconcern that has never been seen before,” she said. She said the government can be given credit for “transforming our nation into a land where every day we hear of places of worship of minorities being desecrated”. “We can give them credit for making Indians feel unsafe in India and for poisoning the political discourse of our great country,” she said. Sonia said there was no substantial economic achievement as job creation has slowed down, eight core sectors of economy have registered negative growth, investment in manufacturing was declining and exports have fallen. “Truly, the hypocricy and insensitivity of the government is breathtaking. The prime minister announces grandiose schemes to grab headlines while the ﬁnance minister (Arun Jaitley) denies ad-

equate funds to them and starves critical programmes that beneﬁt the poor and weaker sections.” “At the same time, he announces a generous bonanza for the corporate sector — tax cuts amounting to nearly Rs.2,50,000 crore over the next four years,” she said. Sonia said the government appears to favour a limited set of corporate interests to the exclusion of almost everyone else. “India’s future cannot be built on such unjust foundations. The challenge for us is very clear. We are faced with a government which assaults everything precious that India and Congress party stand for. We have to ﬁght back.” She said Modi and his government were still in ‘poll campaign mode’ as if the elections were not yet over. She also accused Modi of playing domestic politics on foreign soil and alleged that he attacked the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and former prime minister Manmohan Singh during his recent visit to France. -IANS

INDIA TA X R E F O R M S

Lok Sabha passes long-awaited GST bill NEW DELHI: India’s lower house of parliament (Lok Sabhha) on Wednesday passed a tax reform bill intended to transform the country into a “seamless” market, boosting economic growth and cutting the cost of doing business. But the goods and services tax (GST) bill must now be passed by the upper house (Rajya Sabha), where Prime Minister Narenda

Modi has been struggling to pass his reforms since storming to power a year ago on a pledge to revive the economy. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley urged parliament to support the long-awaited bill, saying it would transform India into a common market and end multiple taxes and levies on products across the country. “The GST would ensure a seam-

less and uniform indirect tax regime besides lowering inﬂation and promoting fresh growth,” Jaitley told parliament. The government is hoping to introduce the GST from April 1, 2016. But the reform still faces hurdles including approval by more than half of India’s 29 states and territories, some of which object to giving up their own right to levy taxes. - AFP

TH UR S DAY, MAY 7, 2 015

A 10

FIND-IT-ALL

PRAYER TIMINGS

W E AT H E R

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

12.08pm 3.33pm 6.42pm 7.59pm 4.08am

LISTINGS

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334 Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666 Muscat Pharmacy Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635 Atlas Pharmacy Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715 Muscat Region Al Hashar, Ruwi1 24 Hr Br. Tel. 24537080 Muscat, Al Sarooj. Tel: 24695536 Belqees, Al Khoudh (OIB) Tel. 24535398 Belqees, Ma’abelah. Tel: 24454624 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel. 23291635

MAINLY clear to partly cloudy skies over most of the Sultanate with chance of convective cloud development and thundershowers over Al-Hajar mountains and adjoining area during afternoon and evening associated with downdraft winds and hail may extend to the coastal areas of Oman Sea. Chance of early morning low level clouds or fog along most of the coastal areas and governorates of south Al-Sharqiya, Al-Wusta and north part governorates of Dohfar. EXPECTED WIND: Along the coastal areas of Oman Sea wind will be northeasterly light to moderate during day becoming variable light at night, while it will be southerly to southeasterly light to moderate occasionally fresh over rest of the Sultanate. SEA STATE: Moderate to rough along the Arabian Sea coastal area with maximum wave height of 2.5 metres, and slight along the rest of the coasts with a maximum wave height of 1.25 metres. HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog formation and thundershowers. THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Clear to partly cloudy skies over most of the Sultanate with chance isolated rain. Occasional thundershowers over Al-Hajar mountains and adjoining area may extend to the coastal areas of Oman Sea. Chance of early morning low level clouds or fog along most of the coastal areas and governorates of south Al-Sharqiya, Al-Wusta and northern part of Dohfar.

HOSPITALS 1st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274 Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052 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 Hamdan Hospital: 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128,

OMAN Max 37 Min 28

Max 39 Min 31

Ruwi Hotel: 24704244 Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200 Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772 Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666 The Chedi Muscat: 24524400 The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570

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 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

MUSEUMS Bait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp ﬁsh market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pm Natural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm Thursday: 9am to 1pm Museum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, SatWed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday - 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946 Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707 Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Oman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Bait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., Muscat museum@baitalzubairmuseum.com Open from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm. National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Sohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pm Muscat Gate Museum: At Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

ACCOMMODATION Al Bahjah Hotel: 24424400 Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171 Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400 Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949 Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385 Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311 Al Qurum Resort: 24605945 Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979 Beach Hotel: 24696601 Bowshar Hotel: 24491105 Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121 Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660 Crystal Suites: 24826100 Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300 Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234 Haffa House Hotel: 24707207 Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123 InterContinental Muscat: 24680000 Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900 Marina Hotel: 24711711 Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565 Mina Hotel: 24711828 Muttrah Hotel: 24798401 Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199 Oman Dive Centre: 24824240 Park Inn: 24507888 Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070 Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777 Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399 Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443

Max 36 Min 29 L O N G D I S TA N C E B U S T I M I N G S ( O M A N N AT I O N A L T R A N S P O R T C O M PA N Y S A O C ) * S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Max 39 Min 26

Max 41 Min 27

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Time Time 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 15:00 Sur 18:00 15:00 Jaalan 19:30

Max 41 Min 31

Max 41 Min 20

GERMANY: A ﬁgherﬁghter tries to cut a fallen tree on a car following

a heavy storm on Tuesday in Hamburg. - AFP

Max 32 Min 26 —www.met.gov.om

WORLD

Max 13 Min 8 Max 14 Min 5

Max 38 Min 19 Max 9 Min 3

Max 27 Min 20

Max 28 Min 15

Max 41 Min 25

Max 34 Min 26

Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh Athens Baghdad Barbados Beijing Berlin Boston Brussels Buenos Aires Cairo Chicago Colombo Copenhagen Dublin Frankfurt Harare Hong Kong Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg

Max

Min

39 34 41 33 34 37 32 37 31 23 16 24 14 15 33 27 31 12 12 18 24 25 16 14 20

27 26 25 25 26 25 16 19 26 11 8 11 6 10 14 19 26 7 5 6 16 15 7 8 4

Kuala Lumpur Lisbon London Madrid Manila Mexico City Miami Moscow New Delhi New York Oslo Panama Paris Perth Prague Rio de Janeiro Santiago Seoul Singapore Stockholm Sydney Taipei Tokyo Toronto Vienna

Max

Min

31 20 24 26 35 26 26 15 45 21 11 27 16 23 17 23 22 23 30 15 18 29 22 19 20

25 15 12 11 27 14 24 7 25 13 7 11 9 10 8 21 11 11 27 8 12 24 15 11 11

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 06:30 Sohar 06:30 Buraimi 08:00 Buraimi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Buraimi 16.00 Sohar 16.00 Buraimi

08:50 11:00 14:30 15:45 17:40 18.35 20:20

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw

20:50

To Yanqul (Route 54) 14:30 Nizwa 14:30 Yanqul

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily 05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily 05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 07:00 Sohar 07:00 Ruwi 13:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 17:00 Ruwi

08:55 11:40 20:20 14:55 17:40 19:20 22:15

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52) 07:00 Ruwi

10:25

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54) 06:00 Nizwa 06:00 Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54) 08:00 Nizwa 08:00 Al Araqi

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54) 15:40 Nizwa 15:40 Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

TO SUR (Route 55) 07:30 Sur 14:30 Sur

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

TO SUR (Route 55) 06:00 Ruwi 14:30 Ruwi

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62) 06:30 Fahud 06:30 Yibal

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62) 12:30 Fahud 12:30 Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100) 07:00 Salalah 20:00 10:00 Marmul 20:30 10:00 Salalah 23:30 19:00 Salalah 07:40

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100) 07:00 Ruwi 19:50 10:00 Marmul 13:15 10:00 Ruwi 22:30 19:00 Ruwi 07:30

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (Route 102) 15:00 Salalah 07:00

Daily

16:50

SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102) 15:00 Dubai 07:00 EVENTS

The Future Landscape And Public Realm Oman, organised by the Advanced Conferences & Meetings FZ-LLC will take place from 25th May to the 26th May 2015 in Muscat, Oman Muscat International Jewellery Exhibition, Oman International Exhibition Centre , Muscat, Oman , 26-30 May 2015 Global PR Trends Summit, Grand Hyatt Muscat, Muscat, Oman, 31 May-01 Jun 2015 Food & Hospitality Oman, Oman International Exhibition

Centre, Muscat, Oman, 07-09 Sep 2015 The Home Show - Oman is a 3 day event being held from 27th October to the 29th October 2015 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre in Muscat, Oman. Iran Solo Country Exhibition 2015 - (6 - 10 Jan ’15) International Travel and Hospitality show, 14-16 Dec 2015 Muscat, OIEC.

TO DUBAI (Route 201) 06:00 Sohar 06:00 Dubai 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Dubai 15:00 Sohar 15:00 Dubai

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily 07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily LISTINGS 07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201) 07:30 Sohar 07:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 15:30 Sohar 15:30 Ruwi

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LISTINGS

CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON (3D) (Action, Adventure) (PG12) Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, 02:15 pm /06:10 pm /08:50 pm /11:30 pm Hot Pursuit (Comedy) (12+) Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Sofía Vergara, Matthew Del 3:50, 7:45, 10:00 PM

KAJAKI (15+) Cast : Mark Stanley, David Elliot, 12:15 pm /09:40 pm BACKCOUNTRY (15+) Cast : Missy Peregrym, Eric Balfour 3:40 pm

ABSOLUTION (Act, Adventure) (15+) Cast : Steven Seagal, Byron Mann, 2:00 pm /02:20 pm /07:00 pm /11:30 pm

KAHLIL GIBRAN’S THE PROPHET (PG12) Cast : Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, John Krasinski 10:30 am /12:15 pm /02:00 pm

PIKU (Comedy, Drama)(PG) Cast : Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan 07:35 pm

WORDS & PICTURES (12+) Cast : Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche, Bruce Davison 05:25 pm

KAJAKI (Adventure, Drama) (15+) Cast: Mark Stanley, David Elliot 05:30 pm /09:25 pm /11:45 pm

HOT PURSUIT (12+) Cast : Reese Witherspoon, Sofía Vergara, Matthew Del 10:30 am /07:35 pm

WORDS & PICTURES (Com, Dr) (12+) Cast: Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche 05:30 pm KAHLIL GIBRAN’S THE PROPHET (Animation)(PG12) Cast : Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, John Krasinski 02:00 pm /03:45 pm

AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON (3DPG12 Cast : Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans 02:20 pm /07:00 pm /11:45 pm AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON (3D) (PG12) Cast : Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans 03:15 pm /08:30 pm

SCREEN 1 Piku (Drama / Comedy) – PG Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan 2.30, 5.30, 9.00 PM Gabbar - Hindi (Action/Drama ) – PG Cast: Akshay Kumar, Shruti K. Haasan, Kareena Kapoor 11.30 PM SCREEN 2 Gabbar - Hindi (Action/Drama ) – PG 3.30, 6.30 PM Avengers: Age of Ultron (3D)( Act)– PG12 Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans 9.00 PM Piku (Drama / Comedy) – PG Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone,

Irrfan Khan 11.45 PM SCREEN 3 Avengers: Age of Ultron (2D)( Act, Adventure, Fantasy)– PG12 3.30, 6.30, 11.45 PM Gabbar - Hindi (Action/Drama ) – PG Cast: Akshay Kumar, Shruti K. Haasan, Kareena Kapoor, 9.00 PM

Hot Pursuit - 2D (12+) Action |Comedy Cast : Reese Witherspoon, Sofía Vergara, Matthew Del 3:15 , 7:00 pm Absolution – 2D (15+)Act, Adv, Crime Cast: Steven Seagal, Byron Mann 5:00 , 7:00 ,11:45 pm Avengers: Age of Ultron – 3D (PG12) Action |Adventure |Sci-Fi Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans 2:15 ,8:45 ,11:30 pm Words and Pictures - 2D (12+) Comedy, Drama, Romance Cast: Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche, Bruce Davison 4:50, 7:20 pm Piku -2D (PG) Comedy, Drama Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan 9:00 , 11:20 pm It Follows - 2D (15+) Horror | Mystery Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist 3:15 , 11:45 pm Kajaki – 2D (15+) Adventure, Drama, Cast: Mark Stanley, David Elliot 5:15, 9:30 pm Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet - 2D (PG12) Animation Cast: Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, 2:30 , 4:10 pm Oru Vadakkan Selﬁe - 2D (M)(PG) Comedy Cast: Nivin Pauly, Aju Varghese, 06:30 pm

Gabbar - 2D (PG) Action |Crime Cast: Akshay Kumar, Shruti K. Haasan, Kareena Kapoor 09:15 pm

Avengers: Age of Ultron- 3D (PG12) 04:45/09:00 PM Kajaki - 2D (15+) 03:00/11:45 PM Hot Pursuit-2D (12+) Vergara, Matthew Del, 05:15/07:15 PM Backcountry 2D (15+) Cast: Missy Peregrym, Eric Balfour 05:00/09:15 PM Absolution 2D (15+) Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Esposito, 07:00/11:15 PM Gabbar is Back 2D (PG) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Shruti K. Haasan, Kareena Kapoor, 09:00 PM Kahlil Gibran’s the Prophet (2D) Cast: Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, 03:15 pm (PG12) Revenge for Jolly! 2D (15+) Cast: Brian Petsos, Kristen Wiig 03:30 pm Piku (2D) (PG) 07:00/11:00 pm

Avengers: Age of Ultron (3D)(Sci-Fi) Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans01:15, 06:45 PM (PG12) Khalil Gibran’s - The Prophet (Animation) (PG12) 03:45, 05:15 PM Piku (Comedy / Drama ) (PG)

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan. 09:15 PM Kajaki (Adventure / Drama ) (15+) Cast: Mark Stanley, David Elliot, Malachi Kirby. 08:00, 11:30 PM Absolution (Act / Adv / Crime) (15+) Cast: Steven seagal, Byron Mann, 04:30, 11:45 PM Hot Pursuit (Act / Comedy) Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Soﬁa Vergara, 2:45, 06:15, 10:00 PM

Avengers :AgeOf Ultron (3D)(PG12)(Act) Cast: Robert Dwney Jr,Chris Evan, 11:00AM/3:35/7:15/11:30PM Kajaki (2D)(15+)( Adve, Dr, Thriller ) Cast: Mark Stanley, David Elliot 10:30AM/12:45/11:45PM Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet (2D)(PG12) Cast: Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, 11:15AM/12:30PM Words and Pictures (2D) (12+) (Com ) Cast: Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche 4:30PM It Follows (2D)(15+) (Horror | Mystery) Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist 2:45/6:35PM Hot Pursuit (2D) (12+) (Act, Comedy) Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Sofía Vergara, 2:00/5:30/9:45PM Gabbar (2D)(PG) (Act/Crime/Dr) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Shruti K. Haasan, Kareena Kapoor, 11:15PM Oru Vadakkan Selﬁe (2D)(PG) (Comedy) Cast: Nivin Pauly, 8:30PM Absolution (2D)(15+)( Act, Adv, Crime ) Cast: Steven Seagal, Byron Mann 1:30/6:05/10:00PM Piku (2D)(PG)( Comedy, Drama) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan 3:15/7:45PM

ABSOLUTION (Action) Cast: Steven Steagal, Byron Mann, Josh Barnett Timings: 12.00, 6.00, 10.00 pm CP No: 1127 ( 15+ ) HOT PURSUIT ( Act / Com ) Cast: Soﬁs Vergara, Reese Witherspoon, Mathew Del Negro Timings: 11.45 am, 4.00, 8.00 pm CP No : 1131( 12+ ) KAJAKI (Adv/Thriller/War ) Cast:Mark Stanley, David Elliot, Malachi Kirby 1.15, 5.30, 11.55 pm CP No : 1130 ( 15+ ) BACKCOUNTRY ( Hor/ Thril) Cast: Missy Peregrym, Eric Balfour Timings : 2.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 1128 ( 15+) PIKU (Hindi) ( Comedy/Drama ) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Depika Padukone, Irrfan Khan 3.15, 7.30 & 9.45 pm CP No : 1129 ( PG )

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

STARS CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776

Oru Vadakkan Selﬁe (Mal) (Rom/ Com) Cast: Navin Pauly, Manjima, Aju 3:00, 6:30 pm at Cinema Main, 9:45 pm at Cinema 3 & 4 Piku (2D) (PG) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan, 3:45, 6:45pm at Cinema 3, 10:00 pm at Cinema Main Dochay (Telugu) (Com/Act) Cast: Naga Chaitanya & Kirti Sanon 3:45 & 6:45 pm at Cinema 4 O Kadhal Kanmani (Tamil/Rom) Cast:Dulqar Salman & Nitya Menon 6:30pm at Cinema 2 Next Change: Bhaskar the Rascal (Mal)

For More Information 24789032, 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015

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PAKISTAN

Australia announces $19m aid package Thousands of ethnic Hazara minority community have in recent years ﬂed the southwestern province of Balochistan bound for Australia, which in 2013 introduced a military-led operation to turn back boats carrying asylum-seekers before they reach the continent.

Visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made the announcement in Islamabad, where she is holding talks with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz on efforts to counter militancy, the future of Afghanistan and the reported rise of IS in the region

ISLAMABAD: Visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop Wednesday announced a $19 million aid package for Pakistan that includes help for border areas hit

BOOSTING TIES: Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, left, speaks with Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz, at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad on Wednesday. — AFP

by conﬂict and natural disasters. Julie made the pledge during a two-day visit to Islamabad, where she is holding talks with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz on efforts to counter militancy, the future of Afghanistan and the reported rise of IS in the region. The aid package includes $8 million to help restore infrastructure damaged by ﬂoods and con-

ﬂict in the restive northwest and southwest, and around $8 million to support a trade initiative in partnership with the World Bank. It has not yet been announced where the remaining assistance will be spent. She added both countries “have common interests in countering transnational crimes including drug- and human-smuggling”.

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Australian tourism Julie said she would also encourage Australian tourism to Pakistan, which has been battling a homegrown extremist insurgency for over a decade. “People-to-people links are important and of course we want to see Pakistan as a safe and secure environment so that you can engage international visitors,” she said. Regarding IS, which has seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, Julie said: “We believe that there are around 100 foreign terrorists from Australia currently in Iraq and Syria supporting this... barbaric and terrorist organisation.” Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said an April suicide attack that killed 34 people was committed by the group, but NATO officials later expressed doubts over the claims. — AFP

ELECTION TRIBUNAL’S DECISION

PML-N to contest Saad’s unseating over irregularities ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ruling party said Wednesday it would challenge an election tribunal that unseated the country’s railways minister over alleged irregularities in the 2013 general election. Saad Rafique won the National Assembly’s NA-125 seat in the eastern city of Lahore with a majority of nearly 40,000 as the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) swept to a landslide victory in May 2013. But the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) party, led by former cricket star Imran Khan, has claimed widespread fraud tainted the poll which made Nawaz Sharif prime minister for a third time. “Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz government has decided to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court,” planning minister Ahsan Iqbal told reporters. Rafique’s PTI rival Hamid Khan, who came second in NA-125, had filed a petition against the election result. The tribunal on Monday ruled in favour of Khan and ordered a fresh poll in his constituency The PTI has waged a national campaign calling for the investi-

Saad Rafique won the National Assembly’s NA-125 seat in Lahore with a majority of nearly 40,000 as the Pakistan Muslim League-N swept to a landslide victory in the May 2013 elections

gation into allegations of rigging and staged a 126-day sit-in protest in front of parliament last year. It says results were changed in at least four constituencies -- including Raﬁque’s -- through fraud. Judicial commission Pakistan last month formed a nationwide judicial commission under the apex court chief justice to investigate rigging in elections throughout the country. — AFP

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Founder: Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali Chairman and Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Anees bin Essa Al Zedjali Chief Executive Officer: Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali Editorial: 24726666, Fax: 24813153; E-mail: editor@timesofoman.com Advertising: 24726666, Fax: 24812624 Circulation: 24726600, Fax: 24818270; E-mail: circulation@timesofoman.com Printed and published by: Muscat Media Group P.O. Box 770, Ruwi, Postal Code: 112, Sultanate of Oman. Subscription: RO70 per year.

Where is the road map to ﬁght obesity epidemic?

o listen to the World Health Organisation, you would think that Ireland was going to sink into the sea by the year 2030, under the sheer weight of its growing population of over weighed people. Allowing for a degree of hyperbole, though, the rich-world epidemic of obesity is real, in the sense that it is upon people in Britain already, and far from a laughing matter. In Britain, it will add to the already inexorable demands on the NHS from a population living longer, or rather living longer in poorer health, kept going by astonishingly effective — and expensive — new treatments for the ills of modern life, including cholesterol-clogged arteries and type 2 diabetes. Fully one-third of British women are forecast to be obese in 2030, compared with about one-quarter now. At the same time, paradoxically, anorexia and bulimia are running at historically high levels. Food seems to have become more of a pain than a pleasure for Britons, life-threatening, not life-enhancing. Taxing sugar, a solution often suggested, is problematic, as it would suffer from all manner of practical obstacles. After all, your “ﬁve a day” fruit contains a good deal of natural sugars, and it is extremely difficult to construct even the most cranky diet to be entirely sugar free. In reality, a tax on sugar would be, as with any tax on food, a tax that would fall disproportionately on the poor, and would not necessarily change their eating habits. Where sugar has become an addiction, this is especially true. Given the vast expenditures on food preparation, marketing and delivery, it is strange that so little is spent on educating children about their diet, and, even after Jamie Oliver’s efforts, so few schools set an example of providing wholesome and tasty food. There is also a problem with many food campaigners, in that they refuse to accept that, to many people of all ages fast foods are far more delicious than some grated carrot. Realising why the fast-food industry is so successful at producing palatable food cheaply is half the battle. So, in such an intimate, personal sphere as what we eat and how we eat it, it will be difficult to reverse the fattening trend. Information about food, education about what it can do to us, voluntary action by food companies and retailers on food packaging, portions and positioning (such as the location of choccy bars next to tills to encourage an impulse buy) will all help. Taxation and bans will probably, in due course, be tried, but with perverse and unintended effects, especially on poorer families, who will not automatically replace packs of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets with a nice fresh raw corn-fed organic bird. Fat is a formidable foe. - The Independent

MURDEROUS POLICIES

Israeli army doctrine of shoot-to-kill anyone RON ZAIDEL

Towards tax reforms?

n a move meant to promote some measure of equality, the Tax Reforms Commission (TRC) has proposed that tax exemptions extended to high-ranking public officials —including the president, prime minister, all federal cabinet members, provincial governors, services chiefs and corps commanders — should be abolished. The commission, which was formed by the government with an aim to increase dwindling tax collection and suggest reforms to improve the tax culture, also suggested increasing the minimum threshold for income tax exemption from the current level of Rs400,000 to Rs500,000 per annum. The two proposals will now be taken up by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), for further consideration before they are included in the Finance Bill. For decades, Pakistan has been plagued by issues of tax evasion and tax exemptions, which have done much to harm the economy. Despite being aware of the different loopholes exploited by many, the FBR has been unable, and perhaps unwilling, to enforce laws, inviting scathing criticism from all quarters. With a budget deficit that tends to increase every year, efforts are only concentrated on increasing the rates for those sections of the economy that already pay tax. Despite promises of broadening the tax net and increasing collections, figures for the ongoing fiscal year present a sorry picture for the government, and this will continue to be the case. This is mainly due to the hypocritical nature with which tax laws are enforced in the country. The FBR has been a toothless body, unable to leave any mark on the culture of tax evasion and tax exemptions. The TRC has taken a bold stand in its attempt at including the many varieties of perks that high-ranked public officials enjoy within the tax net. It is also trying to introduce tax reforms in real estate holdings. While these efforts are appreciated and need to be considered, the proposals have been sent to the FBR — a body that does not need to be told what reforms are needed but has still been extremely lax about introducing them. Maybe, the FBR is where the restructuring needs to take place first before it can be expected to bring about positive change. The elite have always been able to get away with bending the rules. And they have been able to do so since they are the ones making them - The Express Tribune

Tourism growth will have big impact on employment

Tourism to play a pivotal role in Oman’s economy

This refers to the news story, 143,000 jobs to be created in tourism (May 6). Tourism can become the driver of employment in the Sultanate and also offer the country an alternative with respect to diversifying its economy. In fact, tourism is one of the top 10 employment-generating sectors in the world — directly generating nearly four per cent of the global employment. What’s more, this sector also has the potential to generate at least nine per cent additional employment indirectly through its downstream industries. In general, tourism generates one in 10 jobs. The growth and development of tourism will surely augur well for Oman. Anu Shaikh Wadi Kabir

This refers to the news story, 143,000 jobs to be created in tourism (May 6). There are several countries in the world where tourism plays a pivotal role in their economies. Let us take the examples of Thailand, Greece and Maldives etc. where tourism is one of the top contributors to the GDP. I am sure that the growth of tourism will help the Sultanate create jobs and play a crucial role in eradication of unemployment. Tourism, however, would need some more help, other than just ﬁnancial investments, to grow at a faster pace. The country would have to open up to welcome visitors from all over the world and ease its visa procedures as well. The country is already endowed with stunning beauty, honest and friendly people

IDF actions included destruction that had no correlation to the level of risk to the forces or to Israeli citizens. Such actions were designed to exact a heavy price and increase Israel’s deterrence against Gaza

he conflict in the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2014 was the most violent and destructive round of fighting experienced in Gaza in recent years. According to the UN, 2,205 Palestinians lost their lives, 18,000 homes throughout Gaza were damaged or destroyed and 108,000 Palestinians were left homeless. This unprecedented scale of death and destruction is not a matter of chance and should surprise no one — it is the result of a deliberate change in recent years in the way the Israeli army (IDF) conducts its wars. This change began in 2005, when Professor Asa Kasher and Major General (res.) Amos Yadlin published a paper called “Military Ethics of Fighting Terror: An Israeli Perspective.” This paper offers a radically changed perspective on the IDF’s obligation to avoid harming innocent lives. It defines a “hierarchy of lives” with four levels. The lives of Israeli citizens come first, followed by the lives of IDF soldiers. The lives of enemy civilians come next and enemy combatants come last. This hierarchy determines that the army’s duty is to do everything in its power to prevent harm to IDF soldiers, even if it causes probable harm to the lives of innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza. This doctrine shaped the IDF’s mode of action in Gaza and influenced the rules of engagement Israeli soldiers received last summer during Operation Protective Edge, as indicated in over 60 soldiers’ testimonies collected by Breaking the Silence. One testifier described the rules of engagement as follows: “The instructions are to shoot right away. Whoever you spot — be they armed or unarmed, no matter what. The instructions are very clear. Any person you run into, that you see with your eyes — shoot to kill. It’s an explicit instruction.” Instructions of this kind were given to soldiers of all ranks. A second doctrine that shaped the IDF’s approach during Protective Edge was the “Dahiya Doctrine”, adopted by the IDF since the Second Lebanon War in 2006. In an interview in 2008, the IDF’s current Chief of Staff, Gadi Eizenkot (then head of the army’s Northern Command), described the doctrine bluntly: “What happened in the Dahiya quarter in Beirut in 2006 will happen in every village from which they fire at Israel. We will apply a dispro-

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The problem with political jokes is they get elected HENRY CATE VII

portionate amount of force and cause massive damage and destruction. As far as we are concerned, these are military bases.” Major General (res.) Dr. Gabriel Siboni argued: “When the next confrontation breaks out, the IDF will need to act quickly, resolutely, and with unprecedented force against the threat and actions of the enemy, in order to harm and punish, on levels that will require long and expensive rehabilitative processes.” In line with this rationale, IDF actions included destruction that had no correlation to the level of risk to the forces or to Israeli citizens. Such actions were designed to exact a heavy price and increase Israel’s deterrence against Gaza. For example, one soldier testified about a heavy bombardment after the forces began withdrawing from Gaza, when a ceasefire was about to take hold: “After we left, I heard a boom. I looked back and I saw an air bombardment, and they told us, ‘Yeah, there’s going to be a cease-fire, so we want to have “the final word” before we leave.’” These doctrines shaped the IDF’s conduct during all stages of combat in Gaza. Principles like the “purity of arms” and the “value of human life,” which once stood at the basis of the IDF’s code of ethics, were abandoned. The extremely permissive rules of engagement last summer point to a fundamental change in the norms that guide IDF combat, which peaked during Operation Protective Edge. According to senior IDF officials, it will continue to shape the IDF’s approach in future conflicts. The IDF has declared the establishment of an investigative team charged with examining any deviations from IDF protocol during the operation. During my army service, I was exposed to the IDF’s investigative mechanisms. I am now a member of Breaking the Silence, an organisation that has been observing the IDF’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territories for nearly 11 years. I know that these mechanisms are not capable of investigating the wider policy that guides the IDF’s actions. At best, only some junior soldiers will be held responsible for isolated incidents. Therefore, we call for an extensive and thorough investigation of the events that took place in Gaza in the summer of 2014. This investigation must be conducted by an external and independent entity authorized to investigate the political and military leadership that developed and approved these policies — not just the soldiers who carried them out. - The Independent

and, of course, an excellent law and order. The fundamentals for the growth of tourism are already available in the country and it’s time now to maximise potential. Joseph Parkar Muscat

Oil and gas sector crucial for the country’s economy This refers to the news story, ‘We’ll go ahead with plans for privatisation’ (May 5). Privatization of oil and gas should be restricted to local investors and the control must remain ﬁrmly vested with the government. The oil and gas sector still remains the main source of income for the government and the country’s development is still heavily reliant on this sector. Farid Al Bahri Muscat

Salman Khan’s conviction proves the rule of law The conviction of Bollywood actor Salman Khan proved an important point for which we can now justiﬁably feel proud. It has been proved that in the eye of law even the high and mighty are at par with you and I. Five-year-jail for the actor is certainly not what, at least the relatives of those he ran over and killed in his ﬁt of drunken driving, were hoping for. They wanted at least 10 years of incarceration. Salman can feel happy that he got away with just token punishment. But more than that, what has been proved beyond all doubts is the fact that he had killed a few people in 2002. He had since been denying that he was behind the wheels and had been lying. Heba Mustafa Seeb

Letters, 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), by fax (24813153) or by e-mail (times@omantel.net.om)

T I M E S OF OMAN

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015

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PERSPEC IVE The world is in urgent need of race, class social and economic equality Of and neglect O

n May 8, 1945, when World War II in Europe officially ended, much of the world lay in ruins. But if the human capacity for destruction knows few limits, the ability to start over again is just as remarkable. Perhaps that is why mankind has so far managed to survive. No doubt, millions of people at the end of the war were too hungry and exhausted to do anything much beyond staying alive. But, at the same time, a wave of idealism swept across the wreckage, a collective sense of determination to build a more equal, peaceful, and safer world. That is why the war’s great hero, Winston Churchill, was voted out of office in the summer of 1945, even before Japan surrendered. Men and women had not risked their lives simply to return to the old days of class privilege and social deprivation. They wanted better housing, education, and free health care for all. Similar demands were heard all over Europe, where the anti-Nazi or antifascist resistance was often led by leftists, or indeed Communists, and pre-war conservatives were frequently tainted by collaboration with fascist regimes. There was talk of revolution in countries such as France, Italy, and Greece. This did not happen, because neither the Western Allies nor the Soviet Union supported it. Stalin was content to settle for an empire in Eastern Europe. A different kind of revolution was taking place in Europe’s former colonies in Asia, where native peoples had no desire to be ruled once more by Western powers, which had been so ignominiously defeated by Japan. Vietnamese, Indonesians, Filipinos, Burmese, Indians, and Malays wanted their freedom, too. These aspirations were often voiced in the United Nations, founded in 1945. The UN, like the dream of European unity, was also part of the 1945 consensus. For a short while, many prominent people — Albert Einstein, for one — believed that only a world government would be able to ensure global peace. Today, 70 years later, much of the 1945 consensus no longer survives. Few people can muster great enthusiasm for the UN. The European dream is in crisis. And the post-war social-democratic welfare state is being eroded more and more every day.

IAN BURUMA

A different kind of revolution was taking place in Europe’s former colonies in Asia, where native peoples had no desire to be ruled once more by Western powers, which had been so ignominiously defeated by Japan. Vietnamese, Indonesians, Filipinos, Burmese, Indians, and Malays wanted their freedom, too

The rot began during the 1980s, under Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Neoliberals attacked the expense of entitlement programmes and the vested interests of trade unions. Citizens, it was thought, had to become more self-reliant; government welfare programmes were making everyone soft and dependent. In Thatcher’s famous words, there was no such thing as “society,” only families and individuals who ought to be taking care of themselves. But the 1945 consensus was dealt a much greater blow precisely when we all rejoiced at the collapse of the Soviet Empire, the other great twentieth-century tyranny. In 1989, it looked as if the dark legacy of World War II, the enslavement of Eastern Europe, was finally over. And in many ways, it was. But much else collapsed with the Soviet model. Social democracy lost its raison d’être as an antidote to Communism. All forms of leftist ideology — indeed, everything that smacked of collective idealism — came to be viewed as misguided utopianism that could lead only to the Gulag. Neoliberalism filled the vacuum, creating vast wealth for some people, but at the expense of the ideal of equality that had emerged from World War II. The extraordinary reception of Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century shows how keenly the consequences of the collapse of the left have been felt. In recent years, other ideologies have also emerged to fill the human need for collective ideals. The rise of right-wing populism reflects revived yearnings for pure national communities that keep immigrants and minorities out. And, perversely, American neo-conservatives have transformed the internationalism of the old left by seeking to impose a democratic world order by US military force. The answer to these alarming developments is not nostalgia. We cannot simply return to the past. Too much has changed. But a new aspiration toward social and economic equality, and international solidarity, is badly needed. It cannot be the same as the 1945 consensus, but we would do well, on this anniversary, to remember why that consensus was forged in the first place. - Project Syndicate

The troubling ﬁgures about UK motherhood

t is easy to forget, looking at photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their new-born daughter, that giving birth is a messy and exhausting business and, in some cases, very dangerous. And not just in countries in the developing world. Save the Children’s annual report, State of the World’s Mother, reveals that women in this country, one of the most advanced and prosperous nations in the world, are twice as likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth as in some eastern European countries. The UK’s overall ranking for motherhood, taking childcare, child-rearing, education, pay and representation into account, is 24th globally. On maternal mortality, women in the UK have a one in 6,900 risk of dying compared to one in 19,800 in Poland and one in 45,200 in Belarus. It is little comfort to read that for women in the US, the ﬁgure is even worse than ours — maternal deaths are one in 1,800, the worst among developed nations. The report found that children born in the UK are more than twice as likely to die before the age of ﬁve compared to one born

JANE MERRICK

in Iceland or Luxembourg. As ever, the Scandinavian countries dominate the top of the global motherhood table, with the top three places going to Norway, Finland and Iceland. The troubling ﬁgures about UK motherhood are not just about comparing our country to others that are doing better, but exposing the deep inequality inside our own. If you’re a middleclass mother or a Middleton mother, the chances are your birth will go well — although even affluent parents can do little about the shortage of midwives and lack of beds in labour wards in NHS hospitals. Yet as Kathryn Bolles from Save the Children says, it is inequality in the UK that is causing this country’s maternal and childhood death rates to be so high. The Save the Children report points out that higher representation of women in national government is crucial to improving care of all women. I agree to an extent — this only works if women in Parliament are battling for the poorest mothers in society, not just striving to increase the number of female MPs. The newly formed Women’s

Equality Party, by the journalist Catherine Mayer and comedian Sandi Toksvig, sounds like a brilliant, no-brainer organisation, but only if its focus is on equality for all women. I too want to see equal representation in Parliament, more women round the Cabinet table and in the boardroom, more female political editors and, as I wrote here last week, a new baby princess to be treated equally to a new baby prince. I will still campaign in favour of a cause I have argued for in the past — the right of daughters of earls and dukes to be able to inherit castles and estates ahead of their younger brothers, which has been given renewed impetus by the birth of Princess Charlotte. But if we achieve all of this equality for women at the top of society, while poorer mothers are dying in childbirth at alarming rates in Britain, while a woman factory worker or shop assistant is paid less than a man for the same job, or while a child born into a lowincome family is disadvantaged at school, then none of it will matter. - The Independent

PAUL KRUGMAN

very time you’re tempted to say that America is moving forward on race — that prejudice is no longer as important as it used to be — along comes an atrocity to puncture your complacency. Almost everyone realises, I hope, that the Freddie Gray affair wasn’t an isolated incident, that it’s unique only to the extent that for once there seems to be a real possibility that justice may be done. And the riots in Baltimore, destructive as they are, have served at least one useful purpose: drawing attention to the grotesque inequalities that poison the lives of too many Americans. Yet I do worry that the centrality of race and racism to this particular story may convey the false impression that debilitating poverty and alienation from society are uniquely black experiences. In fact, much though by no means all of the horror one sees in Baltimore and many other places is really about class, about the devastating effects of extreme and rising inequality. Take, for example, issues of health and mortality. Many people have pointed out that there are a number of black neighbourhoods in Baltimore where life expectancy compares unfavourably with impoverished Third World nations. But what’s really striking on a national basis is the way class disparities in death rates have been soaring even among whites. Most notably, mortality among white women has increased sharply since the 1990s, with the rise surely concentrated among the poor and poorly educated; life expectancy among less educated whites has been falling at rates reminiscent of the collapse of life expectancy in post-Communist Russia. And yes, these excess deaths are the result of inequality and lack of opportunity, even in those cases where their direct cause lies in self-destructive behaviour. Overuse of prescription drugs, smoking, and obesity account for a lot of early deaths, but there’s a reason such behaviours are so widespread, and that reason has to do with an economy that leaves tens of millions behind. It has been disheartening to see some commentators still writing as if poverty were simply a matter of values, as if the poor just mysteriously make bad choices and all would be well if they adopted middleclass values. Maybe, just maybe, that was a sustainable argument four decades ago, but at this point it should be obvious that middleclass values only ﬂourish in an

Eurozone growth to rise

TODAY IN HISTORY

The European Commission says economic growth in the eurozone will be stronger than forecast this year thanks to cheaper oil, a weaker euro, and stimulus measures Forecast 2016

GDP GROWTH 2015 Ireland

3.6

3.5

Malta

3.6

3.2

Luxembourg

3.4

Slovakia

3.0

Spain

2.8

Lithuania

2.8

3.5 3.4 3.3

Latvia

2.3

3.2

Estonia

2.3

2.9

Slovenia

2.3

2.1

GULF HIGHER EDUCATION EXHIBITION INAUGURATED

2.0

MUSCAT: – Undersecretary for Higher Education Salim bin Mustahil Al Mashani opened the Gulf Higher Education Exhibition (GHEDEX) at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel yesterday. The ﬁrst of its kind exhibition, organised by Oman International Trade and Exhibition (OITE), has 80 pavilions devoted to the different aspects of higher education. The three-day event is being held under the patronage of the Ministry of Higher Education and in association with the British Council. ‘Developing minds Building nations’ is the theme of the exhibition that has attracted over 65 tertiary institutions from Asia, Europe, North America and the AGCC region. These institutions were recognised for their excellent higher education opportunities.

Germany

1.9

Netherlands

1.6

1.7

Portugal

1.6

1.8

Euro area

1.5

1.9

France

1.1

1.7

Belgium

1.1

1.5

Austria

0.8

Italy

0.6

Greece Finland Cyprus

0.5 0.3 -0.5

Source: European Commission

558

The dome of the church of St. Sophia in Constantinople collapses. Its immediate rebuilding is ordered by Justinian.

1429

Joan of Arc breaks the English siege of Orleans.

1525

The German peasants’ revolt is crushed by the ruling class and church.

1864

The Battle of Wilderness ends with heavy losses to both sides.

1937

The German Condor Legion arrives in Spain to assist Fransico Franco’s forces.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

2.6

1.5 1.4 2.9 1.0

HISTORYORB.COM

1.4 Graphic News /

Graphics

economy that offers middleclass jobs. The great sociologist William Julius Wilson argued long ago that widely-decried social changes among blacks, like the decline of traditional families, were actually caused by the disappearance of wellpaying jobs in inner cities. His argument contained an implicit prediction: if other racial groups were to face a similar loss of job opportunity, their behaviour would change in similar ways. And so it has proved. Lagging wages — actually declining in real terms for half of working men — and work instability have been followed by sharp declines in marriage, rising births out of wedlock, and more. As Isabel Sawhill of the Brookings Institution writes: “Blacks have faced, and will continue to face, unique challenges. But when we look for the reasons why less skilled blacks are failing to marry and join the middle class, it is largely for the same reasons that marriage and a middle-class lifestyle is eluding a growing number of whites as well.” So it is, as I said, disheartening still to see commentators suggesting that the poor are causing their own poverty, and could easily escape if only they acted like members of the upper middle class. And it’s also disheartening to see commentators still purveying another debunked myth, that we’ve spent vast sums fighting poverty to no avail (because of values, you see.) In reality, federal spending on means-tested programmes other than Medicaid has fluctuated between 1 and 2 per cent of GDP for decades, going up in recessions and down in recoveries. That’s not a lot of money — it’s far less than other advanced countries spend — and not all of it goes to families below the poverty line. Despite this, measures that correct well-known flaws in the statistics show that we have made some real progress against poverty. And we would make a lot more progress if we were even a fraction as generous toward the needy as we imagine ourselves to be. The point is that there is no excuse for fatalism as we contemplate the evils of poverty in America. Shrugging your shoulders as you attribute it all to values is an act of malign neglect. The poor don’t need lectures on morality, they need more resources — which we can afford to provide — and better economic opportunities, which we can also afford to provide through everything from training and subsidies to higher minimum wages. Baltimore, and America, don’t have to be as unjust as they are. - The New York Times News Service

A 14

TH UR S DAY, MAY 7, 2 015

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likely to underline the decline of traditional twoparty politics in Britain and rise of multi-lateral style

LONDON: Britain’s political leaders entered the ﬁnal hours of campaigning on Wednesday in the most unpredictable election in living memory which could yield no clear winner and weeks of haggling over the next government. A win for Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives would raise the risk of Britain exiting the European Union because he has promised a referen-

dum on leaving the EU by 2017. But some business leaders and investors have warned that the main opposition Labour party, led by Ed Miliband, could be bad for the economy, which is weighed down by a budget deﬁcit of nearly $140 billion. With neither expected to win outright and smaller parties on the rise, the election is also likely to underline the decline of traditional two-party politics in Britain and rise of a more multilateral European style. Multi-party government “This has been a remarkable election,” Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics said, predicting that it would lead to some form of multi-party government “probably less stable than the one that formed in 2010.” — AFP

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015

WORLD

In China, over 10,000 children under 15 years of age die each year as a result of injuries sustained in a road crash Bernhard Schwartlaender, WHO’s representative in China

Conflicts uproot 38m internally, says new report THE WORST FIGURES

The number of

A full 11 million people were displaced in 2014, with an average of 30,000 people ﬂeeing their homes every day

Some 16.7 million refugees in the world at the end of 2013, meaning the total number of displaced people is well above 50 million.

Most of the people ﬂeeing in 2014 were in just ﬁve countries: Iraq, South Sudan, Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria.

internally displaced people is today around twice that of refugees — a dramatic shift from a few decades ago

GENEVA: Conflicts and violence in places like Syria and Ukraine have displaced a record 38 million people inside their own countries, equivalent to the total populations of New York, London and Beijing, a watchdog group said on Wednesday. Nearly one third of them — a full 11 million people — were displaced last year alone, with an average of 30,000 people fleeing their homes every day, the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said in a report. “These are the worst figures for forced displacement in a generation, signalling our complete failure to protect innocent civilians,” said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council which is behind the IDMC. In their homeland Internally displaced people (IDPs) is a label given to people who remain in their homeland, as opposed to refugees, who flee across borders. According to the latest available UN statistics, there were some 16.7 million refugees in the world

HOMELESS: Displaced people from the nearby Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp queuing to receive aid from UNRWA in Yalda, south of Damascus in this April 17 photograph this year. – AFP/HO/UNRWA.ORG

at the end of 2013, meaning the total number of displaced people is well above 50 million. The number of internally displaced people is thus today around twice that of refugees — a dramatic shift from a few decades ago when the two categories stood on equal footing, Egeland said. Closed borders “One of the main reasons why the number of IDPs is growing so much are all the closed borders,” he told AFP, adding that the international community was “not willing or able to do as we promise: to protect the vulnerable and the innocent”. The trend is clear: 2014 marked the third year in a row with record numbers of IDPs, with last year’s ﬁgures dwarﬁng those seen at the peak of the Darfur crisis in 2004, the spiralling violence in Iraq in

the mid-2000s, or during the protests in 2011, IDMC said. “This report should be a tremendous wake-up call,” Egeland said. IDMC tracked internal displacement in 60 countries last year, but most of the people fleeing in 2014 were in just five countries: Iraq, South Sudan, Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. Egeland said that number had nearly doubled since the start of 2015, bringing the total number of IDPs in Ukraine to more than 1.2 million. The UN refugee agency, meanwhile, said that many of those displaced end up becoming refugees. “The longer a conflict lasts, the more insecure (displaced people) feel and when hopelessness sets in, many will cross borders and become refugees,” said Volker Turk, UNHCR’s assistance head of protection. — AFP

A15

CHINA

‘200,000 killed on China roads per year’ BEIJING: More than 200,000 people are killed on China’s notoriously dangerous roads every year, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday — at least four times official government statistics. Writing in the government-published China Daily newspaper, the WHO’s representative in the country Bernhard Schwartlaender said the estimated deaths were “entirely

preventable”. “In China, over 10,000 children under 15 years of age die each year as a result of injuries sustained in a road crash,” he added. “Many more are severely injured.” The WHO’s 2013 global status report on road safety estimated Chinese road deaths at 275,983 in 2010. The most recent ﬁgures available from the ministry of transport, cited by a vice-minis-

ter at a forum, said 60,000 people were killed on the roads in 2012 — less than a quarter of the estimate in the WHO document. China’s National Bureau of Statistics said in February that last year road traffic deaths ran at a rate of 2.22 people per 10,000 vehicles. Fatal road accidents are a serious problem in China, where traffic regulations are often ﬂouted. — AFP

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, M AY 7, 2015

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Muscat 6,352.57 + 0.91 + 0.01%

Dubai 4,114.73 + 45.46 + 1.12%

Abu Dhabi 4,566.00 - 23.19 - 0.51%

Saudi Arabia

9,781.69 + 30.66 + 0.31%

Kuwait 6,416.18 + 28.42 + 0.44%

Bahrain 1,390.89 + 3.05 + 0.22%

Qatar 12,334.06 + 126.42 + 1.04%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (OMR1)*

GOLD PRICES*

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

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.28 Pound ...........................................1.69 Indian Rs ..............................164.31 Pak Rs ....................................260.01 Bangla Taka.......................199.64

Indian Rs .................................. 164.90 Pakistan Rs ............................ 263.25 Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 345.50 Bangla Taka.............................201.70 Phil Peso .................................... 115.35

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......15.30

Oman Crude............. (Spot) ........ $67.66 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........$66.96 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$68.67 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ......... $66.71 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ........$69.02 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) .........$61.97

* Rates as of May 6 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

* Rates are as of May 6 Source: Bank Muscat

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) ....... 14.75 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............144.25 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............. 136.75 * Rates as of May 6 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

SHEETROCK BRAND

$37m gypsum manufacturing plant launched in Salalah Times News Service

– Supplied picture

Community contractors in spotlight at oil and gas debate Contribution of super local community contractors to the sector was debated – Supplied picture

at a roundtable meeting held to discuss the main challenges facing local service companies in the oil and gas industry

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: While some oil and gas experts believe that super local community contractors (SLCCs) are beneﬁtting the local community, others argue that the initiative has led to a degree of monopoly. The extent of the contribution of the SLCCs to the sector was debated at a roundtable meeting held to discuss the main challenges facing local service companies in the oil and gas industry, at the Occidental office on Monday. The event, organised by the Ministry of Oil and Gas, Oman

Society for Petroleum Services (Opal) and the Oil and Gas Year, was attended by Salim bin Nasser Al Auﬁ, undersecretary at the ministry, senior officials from Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), Occidental of Oman Inc. (Oxy Oman) and BP as well as some other renowned companies. The question about whether the formation of SLCCs has led to anti-competition practices and whether they are contributing to local community contractors (LCCs) drew a mixed response from the participants. The SLCCs are registered as closed Omani shareholding companies on the Muscat Securities Market and they are owned by thousands of individual investors who live in PDO’s concession area. The LCCs are companies owned by the tribal communities or individuals that live in PDO’s concession area. Raoul Restucci, managing director of PDO, said that that the initiative has contributed to both local shareholders and the local community and the competition is ‘clear’ and ‘well-established’. However, Zeinoun Klink, managing director at Halliburton Oman, argued that the con-

cept of SLCCs has created a kind of ‘monopoly’. It has brought with it a ‘sense of entitlement’, he said, adding that a change in mindset is required. He also noted that some complaints have been received that SLCCs are not fully engaging LCCs and are not giving them enough business. In addition, Hilal Al Busaidy from Gulf Energy said that SLCCs and local companies should complement each other rather than a local company being replaced by an SLCC. Al Aufi also clarified that the initiative is performance-based and the companies have a limited incubation period to demonstrate their capabilities. Senior officials in the oil and gas industry also debated to what extent the drop in global oil prices has affected the industry. The undersecretary said that if oil prices remain low for the next three years or so, a lot of companies will be struggling. PDO’s Restucci and Robert Swain, senior vice president and general manager of Oxy, said that they see lower oil prices as an opportunity to find new solutions to enhance their efficiency and overall performance.

SALALAH: USG Zawawi Drywall SFZ’s $37 million state-ofthe-art facility at Salalah Free Zone (SFZ) was inaugurated on Wednesday marking the formal start of commercial production of various range of the prestigious Sheetrock brand gypsum board products earmarked primarily for export across the Middle East and Indian subcontinent. USG Zawawi Drywall SFZ is a 50:50 partnership between US-based USG Corporation and Australia-based Boral, on the one hand, and Zawawi Minerals, a prominent investor in Oman’s rap-

idly developing mining sector, on the other. Innovative products USG and Boral are market leaders in the building materials industry providing a wide range innovative products and solutions for their customers. The inauguration was held under the auspices of Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan Al Busaidi, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar and was attended by dignitaries representing the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Transport and Commmunications, Salalah Free Zone, Port of Salalah, Bank Sohar, Dhofar

Power and representatives from the US Embassy. Speaking on the occasion, Ann Mason, Economic-Commercial Officer from the US Embassy said, “We are pleased to see the opening of this successful US-Omani venture. Building relations between the United States and Oman is a top priority of the US Embassy and this work is a shining example of the strategic coordination that beneﬁts both our countries.” “We applaud USG Boral and Zawawi Minerals for taking full advantage of the potential of Salalah Port and Free Zone and the US Oman Free Trade Agreement,” Ann Mason further added. > B2

TH UR S DAY, MAY 7, 2 015

MARKET Index falls marginally

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 6,355.32 .............. 6,349.39 ................... 6,352.57 ................... 6,351.66.................... 0.91 ................... 0.01 Financial Index .....................................7,728.22 ...............7,699.48 ....................7,703.39 ................... 7,728.22................-24.83 .................. -0.32 Industrial Index ................................... 8,350.85 ...............8,331.29 ................... 8,350.85 ...................8,340.97....................9.88 ................... 0.12 Services Index .......................................3,454.41 .............. 3,450.48 ................... 3,450.88 ...................3,452.42.................. -1.54 .................. -0.04 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 977.07 .................. 975.41 .......................977.02 .......................975.65.................... 1.37 ................... 0.14 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 11,864,428 ................. 2,720,149 .....................753 ................14,891,789,216 .................. 9 ......................14 ....................20 .........................43

Top gainer was Oman Cables, up by 1.46 per cent while Al Madina Investments down by

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

3.17 per cent was the top loser for the day. ISIN ..................................................SECURITY NAME ...............................................................................................VOLUME ..............TURNOVER...................TRADES ...........OPEN PRICE............. HIGH....................LOW...............CLOSE PR. ..........PREV. CLOSE..........DIFF (RO) .................DIFF %......................LAST PR...............LAST BID.....................LAST OFFER .................MARKET CAP ........PAR VALUE

MUSCAT: MSM30 Index ended on a ﬂat note at 6,352.57 points, up by 0.01 per cent. The MSM Shariah Index gained 0.14 per cent to close at 977.02 points. Global Financial Investment was the most active in terms of volume while Bank Muscat was the most active in terms of turnover. Wednesday’s top gainer was Oman Cables, up by 1.46 per cent while Al Madina Investments down by 3.17 per cent was the top loser for the day. A total number of 753 trades were executed during the day’s trading session generating turnover of OMR2.72 million with more than 11.86 million shares changing hands. Out of 43 traded securities, nine advanced, 14 declined and 20 remained unchanged. At the session close, Foreign Investors were net buyers for OMR289,000 fol-

lowed by GCC & Arab Investors for OMR196,000 while Omani Investors were net sellers for OMR485,000 worth of shares. Financial Index retreated 0.32 per cent and closed at 7,703.39 points. Al Madina Takaful, Bank Dhofar and Bank Muscat increased by 1.18 per cent, 0.70 per cent and 0.37 per cent respectively. Al Madina Investments, Gulf Investment Services, Oman & Emirates Holding, Bank Nizwa and Al Anwar Holding declined by 3.17 per cent, 2.86 per cent, 1.83 per cent, 1.30 per cent and 1.21 per cent respectively. Industrial Index closed the session at 8,350.85 points, up by 0.12 per cent. Oman Cables, Al Maha Ceramics, Al Anwar Ceramics and Oman Refreshments increased 1.46 per cent, 1.14 per cent, 0.96 per cent and 0.40 per cent respectively. — United Securities

REGULAR MARKET ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY........................................ 9,250 .............19,333........................6 ........... 2.090...........2.090 ...........2.090 .......... 2.090 .............2.060 ........... 0.030............. 1.456 ................2.090............. 2.090...................2.110 ..................187,473,000 ........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL.............................................. 29,000 ...............2,494........................5 ........... 0.086 ...........0.086 ...........0.086........... 0.086 .............0.085 ............0.001 ..............1.176.................0.086..............0.086...................0.088...................15,050,000 .........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ..................................................65,289 .............34,735..................... 84 ........... 0.526 ........... 0.536 ...........0.526........... 0.532 .............0.526 ........... 0.006..............1.141.................0.532..............0.530...................0.532...................27,930,000.........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 252,693 .........106,032......................11 ............0.416 ...........0.420 ...........0.416 ........... 0.420 ............. 0.416............ 0.004.............0.962 ................0.418 ..............0.414...................0.418..................124,409,746 ........0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ............................................................ 200,000........... 57,200........................4 ........... 0.286 ...........0.286 ...........0.286........... 0.286 .............0.284 ........... 0.002............. 0.704 ................0.286..............0.278...................0.286 .................441,792,364........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ..........................72,127 .......... 118,604......................18 ............1.640 ........... 1.645 ...........1.640............1.645 ............. 1.635.............0.010 ............. 0.612 ................1.645 ..............1.640...................1.645 ................1,233,750,000 ......0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES .............................................17,310 ...............5,936........................4 ........... 0.342 ...........0.350 ...........0.342........... 0.342 .............0.340 ........... 0.002............. 0.588 ................0.350..............0.342...................0.350................... 20,931,861 .........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 1,856,908 ......994,289...................224 ........... 0.532 ........... 0.538 ...........0.532........... 0.536 .............0.534 ........... 0.002............. 0.375 ................0.534..............0.534...................0.536................ 1,228,416,912 ......0.100 OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS .....................780 .................. 245........................1 ............0.314 ........... 0.314 ...........0.314 ........... 0.314 ............. 0.314............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.314 ............. 0.000...................0.310................... 10,541,435 .........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................... 21,475 ...............6,872........................1 ........... 0.320 ...........0.320 ...........0.320........... 0.320 .............0.320 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.320.............. 0.316...................0.320 .................429,027,280 .......0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 1,182,875 .......159,786......................31 ............0.135 ........... 0.136 ...........0.135 ............0.135 ............. 0.135............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.135 .............. 0.135...................0.137 ................. 270,042,227 .......0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 198,000 ............45,518......................14 ........... 0.228 ........... 0.231 ...........0.228........... 0.230 .............0.230 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.229..............0.229...................0.231.................. 46,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .............................................................. 1,205 ...................631........................2 ........... 0.520 ...........0.528 ...........0.520........... 0.520 .............0.520 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.528..............0.520...................0.528..................172,053,809........0.100 OM0000001822............UNITED POWER .............................................................3,244 ............... 5,190........................2 ............1.600 ........... 1.600 ...........1.600........... 1.600 .............1.600 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................1.600..............1.580...................1.650....................3,200,000..........1.000 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ..............43,273 ...............9,864........................6 ........... 0.228 ...........0.228 ...........0.227........... 0.228 .............0.228 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.228..............0.227...................0.228 ...................4,788,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ........................................... 10 .................... 20........................1 ........... 2.000...........2.000 ...........2.000 .......... 2.000 .............2.000 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.000 ............ 0.000...................2.030 ................ 190,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ..........................2,900 .................. 384........................2 ............0.135 ........... 0.135 ...........0.132 ............0.135 ............. 0.135............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.132 ..............0.128...................0.133....................4,050,000..........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ...................................................... 24,800 ...............3,075........................6 ............0.124 ........... 0.124 ...........0.124........... 0.124 .............0.124 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.124..............0.124...................0.125...................38,534,853 .........0.100 OM0000002614............ONIC. HOLDING ............................................................10,000 .............. 4,600........................3 ........... 0.460 ...........0.460 ...........0.460........... 0.460 .............0.460 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.460..............0.456...................0.460 .................. 79,774,695 .........0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 4,000,000 .... 508,000........................1 ............0.127 ........... 0.127 ...........0.127 ............0.114 ............. 0.114............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.127 ..............0.108................... 0.113 .................. 22,800,000 ........0.100 OM0000003141 ............ACWA POWER BARKA .....................................................770 ..................644........................1 ........... 0.836 ........... 0.836 ...........0.836........... 0.836 .............0.836 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.836..............0.836...................0.840 .................133,760,000........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ......................................... 1,000 .................. 366........................1 ........... 0.366 ...........0.366 ...........0.366........... 0.372 .............0.372 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.366..............0.360...................0.370..................104,939,137 ........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................... 36,110 ...............4,684......................12 ............0.128 ........... 0.130 ...........0.128........... 0.130 .............0.130............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.130 ..............0.129...................0.130................... 37,697,483 .........0.100 OM0000001889............SALALAH MILLS........................................................... 10,678 .............15,979........................9 ............1.490 ........... 1.500 ...........1.490............1.495 .............1.500 ...........-0.005 ........... -0.333 ...............1.500..............1.500...................0.000 ..................72,003,781 .........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ...................................................................... 10,010 ...............4,537........................4 ........... 0.456 ........... 0.456 ...........0.452........... 0.454 .............0.456 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.439 ...............0.452..............0.450...................0.456..................168,169,454 ........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO..........................................................................67,418 .............50,137........................9 ............0.748 ........... 0.748 ...........0.740........... 0.744 ............. 0.748............-0.004 ........... -0.535 ...............0.740..............0.740...................0.744................. 484,302,507 .......0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ........................................................67,500 ...........106,313........................4 ............1.575 ........... 1.575............1.575 ............1.575 ............. 1.585............-0.010 ............-0.631................1.575 .............. 1.555...................1.575 ..................315,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 127,623 .............17,267.....................22 ............0.135 ........... 0.136 ...........0.135 ............0.135 ............. 0.136............-0.001 ........... -0.735................0.136 .............. 0.136...................0.139...................12,150,000 .........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ............................................................. 13,974 ............... 5,512........................5 ........... 0.396 ...........0.396 ...........0.394........... 0.394 .............0.398 ...........-0.004 ........... -1.005 ...............0.394..............0.394...................0.404 ..................19,700,000 .........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 381,497............ 93,346..................... 58 ........... 0.249 ...........0.249 ...........0.242 .......... 0.245 .............0.248 ...........-0.003 ............-1.210................0.242............. 0.242...................0.244 ..................31,972,500 .........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 2,079,590..... 223,220..................... 97 ............0.109 ........... 0.109 ...........0.107 ........... 0.107 .............0.109 ...........-0.002 ............-1.835................0.108..............0.107...................0.108...................13,040,625 .........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 222,048........... 30,274......................19 ............0.137 ........... 0.138 ...........0.135 ............0.136 .............0.140 ...........-0.004 ........... -2.857 ...............0.135 .............. 0.135...................0.137 ....................8,002,678 ..........0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ..................................... 16,999 ............... 1,037........................5 ............0.061 ........... 0.061 ...........0.061 ........... 0.061 .............0.063 ...........-0.002 ............-3.175................0.061 ..............0.061...................0.063...................12,636,234 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 11,026,356......2,636,122 ..............672 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......33........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001426............OMAN REFRESHMENT ............................................10,000 ............ 25,100........................4 ........... 2.500...........2.520 ...........2.500 .......... 2.510 .............2.500 ............0.010 .............0.400 ................2.520............. 2.500...................0.000 .................125,500,000 .......0.100 OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ...................................................... 400 ..................200........................2 ........... 0.500 ...........0.500 ...........0.500........... 0.502 .............0.502 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.500..............0.500...................0.510...................79,065,000.........0.100 OM0000001608............OMAN PACKAGING ......................................................5,000 ...............1,200........................1 ........... 0.240...........0.240 ...........0.240 .......... 0.234 .............0.234 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.240 .............0.234...................0.257.................... 7,589,991 ..........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................... 67,983 ...............6,886......................19 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.102 ...........0.100............0.101 ............. 0.101............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.102..............0.100...................0.102.................... 7,596,008 ..........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK..................................................5,000 ..................405........................1 ............0.081 ........... 0.081 ...........0.081 ........... 0.083 .............0.083 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.081 ..............0.081...................0.083...................83,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ..............................25,646 ............... 2,811........................6 ............0.108 ........... 0.110............0.108............0.110 ............. 0.111 ............-0.001 ........... -0.901 ...............0.110 .............. 0.110................... 0.113 ...................11,000,000 .........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 494,652 ............37,580..................... 27 ........... 0.077 ........... 0.077 ...........0.075........... 0.076 .............0.077 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.299 ...............0.076..............0.075...................0.076..................114,000,000........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .......................................................58,648 ............... 3,149......................14 ........... 0.054 ...........0.054 ...........0.050........... 0.054 .............0.055 ...........-0.001 ............-1.818................0.054..............0.054...................0.055....................6,750,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 170,557...............6,677........................6 ........... 0.039 ...........0.040 ...........0.039........... 0.039 .............0.040 ...........-0.001 ........... -2.500 ...............0.039..............0.039...................0.040 ................... 3,315,000 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 837,886............84,008.....................80 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 9........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS MARKET ........................................................................................................................................................................................ OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 .................................................186 .....................19........................1 ............0.101 ........... 0.101............0.101 ........... 0.107 .............0.107............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.101 .............. 0.101...................0.106...................34,201,766 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: ..........................................................................................186 .....................19........................1 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. .........1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

SALALAH PLANT

B1 Project to aid economic growth < FROM

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

Rashad Al Musafir, Acting Chief Executive Officer, BankSohar said, “Bank Sohar has emerged as a leading bank in the Sultanate. It has become a front runner in arranging and financing landmark deals that generate foreign exchange for the country.” The Bank supports projects by private and globally respected entities that encourage economic growth and generate local employment. Commissioning of the Salalah plant, which has a capacity to produce eight million square metres of gypsum board annually, began in March 2015. The facility is equipped to manufacture a wide range of USG’s universally recognised Sheetrock gypsum boards, including products resistant to water, fire, sound, impact and mould. Significantly, gypsum as raw material for the project is sourced entirely from a major gypsum quarry located in the Thamrait area of Dhofar Governorate. The quarry is operated by Zawawi Gypsum, also jointly owned by USG-Boral and Zawawi Minerals. “USG Zawawi Drywall’s invest-

ment is in keeping with the Omani government’s economic policies advocating the sustainable commercialisation of natural resources to diversify the economy, create employment for Omanis as well as facilitate inﬂows of investment and know-how. The Salalah facility operates to the same stringent safety and environmental standards applied by USG at its facilities in the United States,” said Alawi Al Zawawi, Chairman of USG Zawawi Drywall SFZ. The exploitation of widely available natural gypsum deposits and subsequent value addition for eventual export represents a successful exercise in In-Country Value (ICV) generation, said Ramachandran, Director of USG Zawawi Drywall LLC SFZ. This project shall be adopting American environmental friendly manufacturing technology complying with all applicable national and international standards related to safety and environmental quality measures. The gypsum board products manufactured with innovative USG technology will be mar-

keted as “Made in the Sultanate of Oman” branding, thereby enhancing the Omani industrial brand image in the international markets, added Ramachandran. Awadh Al Shanfari, CEO of Salalah Free Zone explained that the project is a re-enforcement of the Free Zone’s commitment to maximise the Sultanate’s mineral wealth through national and foreign partnership. “In the past, we have been focusing on projects that can create new industries linked to the available raw materials in the Sultanate. As a result of our endeavours, we will be announcing more investments during this year,” he added. Salalah Free Zone is one of the channels through which the government is looking for economic diversiﬁcation through investment promotion. It is hoping to encourage the industry by ﬁnding ways to link sea, air and ground transportation routes with the regional and international networks that will contribute to the diversity of economic income and help achieve the goal of sustainable development in the Sultanate.

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015

MARKET March passenger trafﬁc of Middle East carriers rise

BANKING SERVICE

Chinese yuan transactions to rise in GCC Times News Service

el. We may, however, see a softening of demand in the second quarter. There are signs that regional trade activity in Asia-Paciﬁc may be slowing and Eurozone economic weakness continues to disappoint,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO. March international passenger traffic rose 7.0 per cent compared to the period a year ago. Capacity climbed 5.4 per cent and load factor increased 1.2 percentage points to 78.9 per cent. All regions recorded year-over increases in demand except for Africa.

Middle East economies are comparatively wellplaced to withstand the drop in oil prices and measures of non-oil-related business activity continue to show improvement: IATA

Tony Tyler. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture

“Middle East economies are comparatively well-placed to withstand the drop in oil prices and measures of non-oil-related business activity continue to show improvement,” it added.

Times News Service MUSCAT: Middle East carriers passenger traffic demand climbed 9.8 per cent in March but capacity growth of 11.9 per cent meant that load factor fell 1.5 percentage points to 77.1 per cent compared to March 2014, International Air Transport Association (IATA), said in its latest report.

Global passenger traffic Global passenger traffic results for March 2015 shows demand (revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rose 7.4 per cent compared to March 2014. This was an improvement on February, when year-over-year growth was 6.4 per cent, IATA report said. The acceleration in the year-on-

year comparison reﬂects the residual impact of the February Lunar New Year celebrations, which tend to boost leisure travel in the weeks before and after the holiday. In 2014, the holiday occurred at the end of January. However, underlying traffic trends conﬁrm demand remains robust. March capacity rose 5.6 per cent and load factor climbed 1.3 percentage points to 80 per cent. Domestic markets experienced stronger growth than international markets, but both performed well. “March traffic continues the trend of healthy demand for trav-

H O S P I TA L I T Y I N D U S T RY

Dubai puts hotel success to test by adding more rooms DUBAI: The Burj Al Arab. The Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The Palm Island’s Atlantis. All unmistakably Dubai, the Arabian Gulf emirate that turned itself into a luxury tourist destination. Now Dubai is building hotels at the fastest pace, putting pressure on occupancy and rates that are among the highest in the world. The 14,385 rooms under construction will increase supply by about a fifth, according to industry researcher STR Global, and thousands more are planned. “There is concern around Dubai that we won’t see the same high rates as before,” Philip Wooller, Middle East and Africa director at STR Global, said in an interview. “But there is a bigger picture here and Dubai’s room rates need to soften to keep people coming and to allow the market to evolve.” From the Roman columns of the soon-to-open Palazzo Versace to the Ottoman domes of Zabeel Saray, Dubai is adding to a collection of monuments that serve as tourist attractions in their own right. City authorities show no sign of impeding the rush toward growth, with plans to almost double rooms by 2020. Profitability is flagging even before the new rooms hit the market. Revenue per available room,

– Bloomberg ﬁle picture

or revpar, declined 8.1 per cent in the ﬁrst quarter from a year earlier. Occupancy dropped 2.2 percentage points to 85.7 percent, while the average daily room rate fell 6.1 per cent, according to STR Global. Demand is growing year on year, however supply is currently increasing at a faster pace, Wooller said. Big earners For now, owners and managers might ﬁnd it easy to shrug off a few points of declines. Revpar for the city stands at Dh839 ($228), the highest in the world. Hong Kong and Paris, which have more rooms overall and more mid- and low-priced hotels, come in second and third at $185 and $165 respectively. “Even if occupancy softens by 5 or 6 percentage points, that’s a very strong market and any other city in the world would give its

right arm for that,” Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director of Marriott International Inc. for the Middle East and Africa. “Dubai is still a highly desirable market to be in.” The rooms being built are part of a total pipeline of 25,949 under contract, second to New York, according to STR Global data. About 75,000 are already available. JLL, the Chicago-based real estate adviser, says 28,000 rooms will be added by the end of 2018. Rouble surprise A drop in Russian tourists last year served as a warning that events outside Dubai could quickly hurt demand. The city is stepping up efforts to woo tourists with marketing initiatives, additional ﬂights and easier visa policies after the ruble’s decline caused Russian visits to drop by about a quarter, Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said at a conference in Dubai. Hotels and restaurants contributed 5.5 per cent to Dubai’s economy in the ﬁrst half of 2014, Dubai Statistics Centre says on its website. The Dubai Department for Economic Development expects tourism to grow 4.1 per cent this year.

Asia-Pacific airlines Asia-Pacific airlines recorded an 11.1 per cent increase in demand compared to March 2014, strongest among the regions. The timing of the Lunar New Year in mid-February contributed to the robust performance as holidayrelated travel continued into early March. Capacity rose 7.1 per cent, boosting load factor 2.9 percentage points to 78.5 per cent. The underlying trend in air travel on Asia-Pacific carriers is likely to be weaker than performance suggests as regional trade activity appears to be slowing after strong gains in late 2014. European carriers’ interna-

tional traffic climbed 5.4 per cent in March compared to the period a year ago. Capacity rose 3.6 per cent and load factor climbed 1.4 percentage points to 80.8 per cent, highest among the regions. While the Eurozone is reporting very weak economic expansion, outside the Eurozone, nations like Turkey continue to record strong growth. North American airlines experienced just a 2.7 per cent traffic rise in March over a year ago, reﬂecting the maturity of these travel markets. The US economy continues to lead developed economies in performance. Capacity rose 2.1 per cent, edging up load factor 0.5 percentage points to 80.4 per cent. Latin American airlines’ traffic rose 4.3 per cent in March compared to March 2014. Regional trade volumes have been improving, but the Brazilian economy continues to tread water. Capacity rose 5.5 per cent and load factor slipped 0.9 percentage points to 77.4 per cent.

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MUSCAT: A forex expert from Crédit Agricole Private Banking commented at a media roundtable today that GCC countries are set to witness an increasing level of Chinese currency transactions, to support the growing cross-border trade and investment ﬂows between China, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the wider Middle East region. “As the GCC’s largest trading partner, China is seen more to play an important role in the region’s businesses, and particularly in regards to commodity related activities and joint infrastructure investment projects. China is also using the region, and particularly the UAE, as a strategic hub for conducting business with Africa and wider Middle East,” said Davis Hall, Global Head of Foreign Exchange and Precious Metals Advisory, Crédit Agricole Private Banking. In this background, it can be said that China is increasingly becoming a major stakeholder for region. To further facilitate crossborder synergies, the adoption of the Chinese Yuan by local businesses would further boost trade and investments between China and the GCC countries,” he added.

TH UR S DAY, MAY 7, 2 015

FEATURE

C O N O M IC

Ongoing problem with secular stagnation is that economies stay in stagnant waters

n a very recent exchange between former US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers on the plausibility of secular stagnation, one point of agreement was the need for a global perspective. But from that perspective, the hypothesis of secular stagnation in the period leading up to the 2008 global financial crisis is at odds with a central fact: global growth averaged more than four per cent– the highest rate on record. The same problem haunts Bernanke’s hypothesis that slow growth reflected a “global savings glut.” From a Keynesian perspective, an increase in savings cannot explain the surge in activity that the world witnessed in the early 2000s. Supporters of the secular-stagnation hypothesis, it seems, have identified the wrong problem. From a truly secular and global perspective, the difficulty lies in explaining the pre-crisis boom. More precisely, it lies in explaining the conjunction of three major global developments: a surge in growth (not stagnation), a decline in inflation, and a reduction in real (inflation-adjusted) interest rates. Any persuasive explanation of these three developments must de-emphasise a pure aggregate-demand framework and focus on the rise of emerging markets, especially China. Essentially, the world witnessed a large positive productivity shock emanating from the emerging markets, which accelerated world growth while reinforcing disinflationary pressures that had already been set in motion by the so-called Great Moderation in business-cycle volatility. This key development helps to reconcile two of the three major global developments: faster growth and lower inflation. The real puzzle, then, is to square rising global productivity growth with declining real interest rates. Bernanke correctly emphasized that long-term real interest rates are determined by real growth. So the positive productivity shock should have raised the return to capital and, hence, equilibrium real interest rates. Moreover, this tendency should have been accentuated by the fact that the productivity shock reflected a decline in the global capital-to-labour ratio implied by the integration of Chinese and Indian workers into the global economy. But this did not happen: instead, global real interest rates declined. Central to understanding this puzzle are two distinctive features of the emerging-market productivity shock: it was resource-intensive and mercantilist in origin and consequence. Both features increased global savings. For starters, because relatively poor but large countries — India and especially China — were the engines of global growth, and were resource-hungry, world oil prices soared. This redistributed global income toward countries with a higher propensity to save: the oil-exporting countries. Even more important were mercantilist policies. China and other emergingmarket countries pursued an economic strategy that defied the standard tenets of growth and development theory. Mercantilist growth was based on — and to some extent required — pushing capital out rather than attracting it. By limiting foreign inflows and keeping domestic interest rates low, China was able to maintain a relatively weaker currency, which served to sustain its export-led growth model. This led to massive current-account surpluses (more than 10 per cent of GDP at one point), which sent capital flowing to the rest of the world. Recognising the significance of this strategy exposes a common fallacy whereby the global savings glut is attributed to emerging-market countries’ desire to insure themselves against financial turmoil by acquiring dollar reserves. That may have been true in the immediate aftermath of the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, but it was quickly overtaken by the growth imperative. In other words, the self-insurance motive might explain China’s first trillion dollars of reserve holdings, but it has nothing to do with the subsequent three trillion. Further contributing to the savings glut was growth itself. As incomes rose, already-prudent Asians became even more prudent, and profitable companies became even more profitable. This endogenous response to rapid productivity growth was a key factor contributing to the savings glut. Old development verities that savings drive growth had to be re-assessed, because, to some extent, emerging-market growth drove savings. Here lies the explanation of the interest-rate puzzle. As savings (and hence the global supply of loanable funds) increased, real rates came under downward pressure. Low rates, in turn, provided the lubrication needed to finance the asset bubble in the US and elsewhere. According to Summers, high savings caused weak growth; under the alternative explanation offered here, it was primarily rapid growth — and its distinctive features — that drove high savings. Today, as world growth decelerates, secular stagnation seems plausible once again. But secular stagnation is an ailment of countries at the economic frontier. For the rest of the developing world, the real worry is not a shortfall of demand; it is the need to sustain high rates of productivity growth. — Project Syndicate

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ROUND-UP

Award-winning Ford Fusion now available with big offer Customer can choose any one option: Cash gift of OMR550 for 14 and 15MY Fusion or 3 years/60,000km and 5 years/100,000km on 15MY Fusion and iPad Mini (16 GB only)

MUSCAT: Ford Fusion is setting examples for all the right reasons. This vehicle has been created out of Ford’s desire to present customers with not just an automobile but an experience they will love. Moreover customers looking forward to owning the rewarding Ford Fusion now have a limited period opportunity to make the most of with exciting campaign offers until May 14, says a press release. As part of the offer, a customer can choose any one option. Cash gift of OMR550 for 14 and 15MY Fusion or 3 years/60,000km

(whichever is earlier) and 5 years/100,000Kms (whichever is earlier) on 15MY Fusion and iPad Mini (16 GB only), The Ford Fusion is available in three trim levels to begin with: S, SE and the exclusive SE SporTech. The Fusion comes standard with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder i-VCT engine and 8 standard airbags including driver and passenger knee airbags. Power is sent to the front wheels through a sixspeed automatic transmission. In Oman, Ford vehicles are brought to you by Arabian Car

A N N UA L D AY

Marketing Company. The Fusion S comes standard with 16-inch wheels, automatic headlights, keyless entry, cruise control, air-conditioning, a tiltand-telescopic steering wheel, a trip computer, 60/40-split-folding rear seats, the voice-activated (SYNC) audio and cell phone interface and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player, auxiliary audio jack and a USB Port/ iPod interface. The Fusion SE has 17-inch alloy wheels, exterior touch sensitive keypad entry, heated mirrors with

integrated turn signal indicator, a 10-way power driver seat (with power lumbar), rear air ducts, 6-speaker sound system and reverse perimeter sensing system. The SE SporTech adds 18” sport alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, moonroof, fog lamps, dual zone electronic climate control and Ford’s class exclusive MyFord Touch (which includes a 8” LCD screen in the centre stack and 2 driver conﬁgurable 4.2” LCD’s in the instrument cluster, 2 USB ports, SD card reader and a dedicated A/V input). The SE SporTech also features a charcoal black “eco-cloth” seating surface with unique red stitching to give it a more sporty appearance. Key contributors to how the Fusion feels are the ride and handling components that maximize vehicle dynamics. Fusion is even more fun to drive with specially tuned electric power-assisted steering (EPAS), a McPherson strut front suspension and an all-new premium-level multilink rear suspension. The Ford Fusion comes standard with antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, driver and passenger airbags, front knee airbags and side curtain airbags. Also standard is Ford’s MyKey, which can be used to set and limit certain parameters such as vehi-

cle speed and audio volume for teenage drivers. Engineers increased its body strength by 10 percent, using more high-strength steels such as boron and added dual ﬁrst-row knee airbags and adaptive front airbags that vent and tether to conform to a speciﬁc occupant’s size, position and seatbelt usage. Fusion interior tranquility reaches a new level with acoustic under body shields and weightsaving sound-absorption material; both minimis road and powertrain noise while boosting aerodynamic efficiency to help save fuel. The Fusion offers the latest iteration of Ford’s SYNC, the voice activated communications and entertainment system through a driver’s mobile phone and interaction with the car’s audio system. It also offers the MyFord Touch that allows drivers to interact with vehicle systems through voice control, a touch screen tap or a conventional button. Ford vehicles are known the world over for their exceptional safety, luxury and unsurpassed technological superiority. Ford ploughs in millions of dollars into R&D each year to ensure that every Ford offers maximum safety and motoring pleasure for its customers.

FINE DINING

Live music, bangle maker enthrall guests at Mumtaz Mahal MUSCAT: Besides its award winning menu and service, Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant has introduced two Indian art forms at the restaurant as part of entertainment for its valued patrons, says a press release Adding to its royal and traditional ambience is the recently introduced duo of Indian classical musicians who keep the diners entertained on Sitar (plucked string instrument) and Tabla (percussion instrument). Within a short span of time, these musicians have made a ﬁne impression with their melodious tunes that has the guests craving for more . Along with musicians, the restaurant has also roped in a talented bangle-maker from Rajasthan who skillfully showcases the art of Indian bangle-making, crafting bespoke bangles for the diners, particularly ladies who love to take back an exquisite bangle as a souvenir. “The idea of music with dinner has known to be a common practice of the noblemen and the custom has been carried forward,” commented Gautam Moudgill, General Manager, Mumtaz Mahal. The music and bangle-making has not only added to the restaurant’s charm, but has also elevated the diner’s experience, transforming a simple eating-out ritual to a pleasing dining experience.

M O N T H LY M A G A Z I N E

‘Wings Of Oman’ celebrates joy of His Majesty's return to Oman

Rajesh, RDI students deliver superb show MUSCAT: Rajesh Master Dance Institute (RDI) students rocked the floor of Qurum Amphitheatre with amazing perfection. RDI celebrated its 10th annual day ‘SPARK’ recently with a fusion of western and contemporary dance and music. The event was a unique combination of Rajesh Master’s genius choreography and hard work which brought out the best in each one of his students. The packed audience in the Amphitheatre was a witness to this grand event of talent showcased by more than 100 students, says a press release. Vimala Raman, the famous South Indian actress who acted in numerous films with almost all the leading heroes of south, was the chief guest. Being a dancer herself she was captivated by the performances of RDI students. “I felt like being a part of Shiamak Davar’s live show,” she said. The highlight of the evening was the performance by hundred and ten students of RDI along with the famous south Indian actress Sija Rose, world famous violinist Manoj George, singers Vidhu Prathap, Renjini Jose and the music director Ronnie Raphael. The event was powered by Oman Air. Not only Rajesh’s choreography but also his idea of the colorful costumes, the unique stage settings, the video wall animation, breathtaking visuals, the display of full size photograph of each participant appealed to the dance lovers of Muscat. Desert Technology Events was the supporter of the event. The first performance was the show stealer, a semi classical dance was perfect fusion of classical and contemporary dance. The tiny tots with their ‘Barbie’ kept the audience enthralled. The evening progressed with the stunning performances of different styles of dances showcasing

hip-hop, salsa, western, Bollywood medley, aerial act, modern jazz, deboing and cinematic folk by talents of various age groups. Rajesh’s appearance in the ﬁnal medley along with all his students was a visual treat for the audience. The performance of Sija Rose, the upcoming south Indian actress who is also a product of RDI, with the talents of RDI, added to the beauty of the show. Vidhu Prathap’s inspired voice lent an effective support to the show. The audience cheered the Music director Ronnie Raphael when Vidhu rendered the song ‘vennilave’ composed by Ronnie. “We never expected such mind blowing performances and huge crowd for the annual day of a dance school,” said the celebrity singer Vidhu Prathap, expressing his happiness after the event. With her Arabic and Hindi number, singer Renjini Jose added colour to the show. The duet sung by Vidhu and Renjini from the famous movie Yeh jawani hai diwani received great applause from the audience. Manoj George, the world famous violinist, took the show to totally different level with his performance, especially the medley composed in ‘kappy ragam’. “The response from the art lovers of Muscat was quite encouraging. Their positive feedback and support gave us inspiration for innovations in dance. We are very happy that we could provide such a big platform to our students. Everything went well with God’s grace,” said Rajesh and Renjini, the directors and choreographers of RDI. “We are thankful to Oman Air for their support in putting together this dance and music show. We also take this opportunity to express our gratitude tos Desert Technology Events. The sound system support by GT Stagtech was amazing ,” concluded Rajesh and Renjini.

MUSCAT: The newly-published May 2015 issue of Oman Air’s inﬂight magazine, Wings of Oman, celebrates the joyful return to his homeland of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, reportedly following a period of ill health, says a press release. “We are proud to have the opportunity to celebrate, within the latest issue of Wings of Oman, the return to Oman of His Majesty the Sultan. His Majesty is an inspirational leader, an example to us all and much-loved by his people. Furthermore, he embodies the Omani spirit of drawing on our nation’s faith, culture and history to create a dynamic and visionary future,” said Usama Al Haremi, senior manager Corporate Communications and Media. “His Majesty’s creation of the modern Oman has provided his people with previously undreamed of opportunities – for education, healthcare, economic development and much more. Oman Air owes its very existence to His Majesty’s vision and our Wings of Oman over story is a small token of our love, respect and appreciation,” he added. His Majesty arrived back in the Sultanate of Oman on March 23. His return was greeted by great cel-

ebration amongst the Omani people and the country’s expat community. Thousands of celebratory postings and comments about his homecoming were published on social media pages, all highlighting

the love and praise that the people of Oman have for their great leader. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said was born in Oman’s southern coastal town of Salalah, in Dhofar, in 1940. Following his education in

Oman and England, he entered the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and then served as an officer in the British Army. After studying local government systems and touring the world, His Majesty returned to Oman, where he acceded to the throne in 1970. He immediately began modernising the country, spearheading the grand development of Oman’s infrastructure and transforming it into the progressive economy and society that it is today. His Majesty boosted spending on health, education and welfare, and ensured that Oman’s rich cultural diversity and artistic heritage were preserved. He also established healthy relationships with neighbouring countries and the rest of the world. Today, as a thriving and prosperous nation, the international respect in which the Sultanate of Oman is held is exceeded only by the Omani people’s love for their Sultan. Wings of Oman’s cover story provides details of Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s background and provides insight into why he is held in such high esteem. Wings of Oman is available on all Oman Air’s aircraft, as well as in airport lounges and offices throughout the airline’s international network.

L AT E S T A D D I T I O N

CBFS launches M.Sc. in Finance degree MUSCAT: College of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS) has launched for the first time in Oman the Master of Science in Finance in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde. Dr Ahmed Mohsin Al Ghassani, Dean of the College, has welcomed the first batch of the programme with the presence of Dr Ronald Bradfield on behalf of the University of Strathclyde. Senior staff from CBFS also attended the event including the Assistant Deans, the Director of PG Studies and Research and academic and administrative staff, says a press release. This programme provides an opportunity to combine a full-time career with a world-class master programme in finance. The course will be taught on a part time basis over two and half years. The courses are tailored to the need and demand of professionals aspiring to high-powered careers in the financial sector in the area of corporate finance, security analysis, portfolio management, treasury management, management of financial institutions and markets, and financial decision-taking in the public sector.

This is the result of continuous effort of CBFS to achieve its vision and mission of offering internationally recognized programmes in order to cater the increasing demand of qualified workforce in Oman. Dr Ahmed Al Ghassani, the Dean of CBFS, gave a welcome speech in which he expressed pride in being the ﬁrst Institute of Higher Education in Oman to commence M.Sc. in Finance. He mentioned that CBFS has been offering the MBA for the past 14 years where 361 students have successfully graduated and another 130 are currently registered.

He added that this new programme offers a unique learning opportunity to pursue specialised master programme in Finance in the Sultanate of Oman from a triple accredited and top ranked international university. Dr Ronald Bradﬁeld also gave a welcome speech in which he said that this programme is offered through the Department of Accounting and Finance of Strathclyde Business School (SBS). The SBS has been offering M.Sc. programme in Finance for the last forty years and has the privilege of being the ﬁrst business school in the UK to offer this programme.

The SBS has long been regarded as a top UK business school and the Department of Accounting and Finance is currently ranked 2nd in the UK for Accounting and Finance by The Times Good University Guide 2014 and the Sunday Times Guide, and 4th in the UK in the Complete University Guide Subject League Table for 2014. Dr Anand S., Director of PG Studies and Research also joined the ceremony. He encouraged students to beneﬁt from this unique programme. He wished them all the best in their future endeavors and guided them on several study matters.

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ROUND-UP Huawei branded bus on Oman tour The bus is scheduled to make full day stops at various locations in all regions of Oman before returning to KOM 4 on June 11

MUSCAT: To stay in closer touch with customers across Oman and to increase brand awareness in the interior regions of the country, a Huawei branded bus was ﬂagged off by senior Huawei officials at Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM 4) complex early this week. The bus is scheduled to make full day stops at various locations in all regions

of Oman before returning to KOM 4 on June 11, says a press release. Officially inaugurated by Li Gang, Huawei Oman’s Account Director, and decorated in Huawei brand colours, the bus is boarding promoters and a supervisor, who will travel to different wilayats in Oman, where roadshows will be conducted in close proximity

H E A LT H & S A F E T Y

to the Oman Phone ABT outlets, Huawei Oman’s distributor. Existing and potential customers will get an opportunity to interact with the Huawei staff and give their feedback to them. The promoters will also disseminate information about the latest Huawei products and distribute leaﬂets in different locations.

“This roadshow is a branding exercise for us and is basically planned for the interior regions. Through this initiative, we want to create awareness of our brand and also take direct feedback from our loyal customers and the community in general. There will be several prizes and discount vouchers up for grabs at the roadshows, so

I encourage people to attend,” said Manoj Chandran, terminal sales manager at Huawei. The ﬁrst route of the bus will be towards Al Batinah region, starting from Barka, all the way till Shinas and the second route will include the Nizwa route, covering Sinaw, Adam, and third route will cover Sur, Jalan, Bu Ali, Bu Hassan, Al Kamil up to wilayat of Ibra and ﬁnally cover the Dhofar region up to Salalah. “Road shows will be held from 5pm to 10pm at all the places where attendees will have a chance to win instant gifts and will also receive discount coupons which will entitle them to a 5 per cent discount on all smartphone and tablets and a 20 per cent discount on accessories.” Chandran added A feedback questionnaire will be distributed among the attendees at the roadshows and data will be collected and stored. At the end of the road shows, a lucky draw will

be conducted to pick a winner each from the regions, who will win themselves a Huawei X1 tablet. “This is our special branding initiative, through which we aim to increase our market share to at least 15 per cent in the near future and improve our brand inﬂuence in the country. We want to serve our Omani audience in the best way possible,” stated Bill Yuzhaoyuan, country director at Huawei Oman. Although this project will end by the 11th of June, a college tour is also in the pipeline, where Huawei staff will go around colleges in Oman, interact with the students and also give them exclusive offers. This will be implemented after the successful completion of the ongoing project. Huawei’s latest smartphone, the P8 is due for the Middle East launch on May 25 in Dubai, the smartphone will be available in the Omani markets by the ﬁrst week of June.

SHARING EXPERTISE

Arab Open University’s workshop on effective research practices ends

Sohar Aluminium holds Oman’s ﬁrst symposium on heat stress management SOHAR: Sohar Aluminium (SA) recently concluded the Sultanate’s inaugural ‘International Symposium on Heat Stress Management’ in Sohar, under the auspices of Sheikh Muhanna bin Saif Al Lamki, governor of North Al Batinah. Organised by SA in association with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Manpower, Al Madina Takaful Gulf Insurance and Marsh Oman, the symposium gave more than 120 delegates an opportunity to discuss various heat stress prevention, mitigation, monitoring and management best practices, says a press release. “As a company that is fully committed to the health and safety of its employees, contractors, partners and the wider community, we decided to organise this ﬁrstof-its-kind symposium to raise awareness on Heat Stress and the many dangers associated with this very important topic,” commented Eng. Said bin Mohammed Al Masoudi, chief executive officer, Sohar Aluminium. “Through the conference we were also able to share Sohar Aluminium’s perspective and indepth expertise in championing heat stress prevention and management, including how we monitor employees’ hydration status and how we successfully introduced an innovative annual heat stress management campaign to highlight the dangers of heat stress and how best to prevent them during the summer months,” he added. “Underestimating the dangers associated with heat stress could pose serious occupational illnesses and injuries including heat strokes, heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat rashes,” added Dr Gummanar Manjunath, medical advisor at Sohar Aluminium. “The symposium successfully brought a number of experts under one roof to discuss how companies can safeguard their employees from a very preventable danger by raising awareness and taking action.” During the symposium, speakers shared information on heat stress prevention and management programs currently adopted across different industries, proposed a model for heat stress prevention, mitigation, monitoring and management for the GCC region, introduced the concept of

using Heat Stress Indices and exchanged technical information on heat stress management protocols applicable in the region generally and for Aluminium industries more specifically. Furthermore, delegates also discussed the Ministry of Manpower’s regulations on heat stress management and reviewed ways of raising awareness on clinical management of heat related illnesses. The full day event was attended by occupational health experts, members of the Gulf Aluminium Council Health Committee representing the medical teams from GCC Aluminium smelters, representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Manpower as well as the Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI). The keynote speaker was Dr Thomas Bernard, Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at University of South Florida and a world renowned expert in Heat Stress Management. Other speakers included Dr Rajeev Aravindakshan, Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine at Pushpagiri Medical College in India and former Professor at Oman Medical College in Sohar, Dr Gummanar Manjunath, Sohar Aluminium’s Medical Advisor, Dr Mohammed Al Yazidi, Director of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Ministry of Health and Dr Younis Al Shezawi, Medical Officer and Head of Environmental and Occupational Health at Directorate of Health Affairs in Sohar. The attendees benefitted immensely from the symposium and appreciated the opportunity to interact with the experts in the field of heat stress management. Through such events, SA aims to maintain its close ties with the surrounding communities and raise awareness by sharing its values on various environmental, health and safety issues. Sohar Aluminium was formed in September 2004 to undertake a landmark Greenfield aluminium smelter project in the Sultanate of Oman. Jointly owned by Oman Oil Company, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC - TAQA and Rio Tinto Alcan, Sohar Aluminium has won global acclaim for its superior, environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient technology.

MUSCAT: Second national workshop on effective research practices titled ‘Unleashing your Research Potential’ was hosted recently by the Arab Open University, says a press release. This annual workshop is conducted as part of the Arab Open University’s commitment to research and knowledge sharing. The workshop was conducted by experienced researchers with strong research proﬁles, and was attended by a large number of participants from 29 educational institutions across Oman. Dr Moosa bin Abdullah Al Kindi, branch director – Arab Open University, Oman branch, welcomed all the guests in his opening address. The inaugural session was followed by a presentation on ‘Publishing in high impact factor journals’ by Dr Otherine Johnson Neisler from Sultan Qaboos University. This was followed by an in-

teresting talk by Dr Rakesh Belwal from Sohar University about ‘Fake journals and online journals’. The workshop also provided an opportunity for participants in the form of a panel discussion to interact with representatives from The Research Council, Information Technology Authority, and Industrial Innovation Centre to get an understanding of the research funding opportunities available in Oman. The panel comprised many

esteemed members including Dr Moosa Al Kindi, Dr Ahmed Al Naamani (Modern College of Business and Science), Dr Obaid Al Saidi (The Research Council), Dr Bader Salim Al – Manthari (Information Technology Authority), Dr Lorna Cork (Industrial Innovation Centre), and Dr Huda Salim Al – Shuaily (Higher College of Technology). The panel discussion was followed by a presentation on the need of ‘Multi-disciplinary re-

search’ by Dr Nafaa Jabeur from the German University of Technology in Oman. The workshop concluded with a very informative session about ‘Research Ethics’ conducted by Dr Muna Al Kalbani and Dr Muhammad Al Haziazi from the Arab Open University. The workshop was highly interactive, with active participation from all the participants. Dr Moosa Al Kindi presented commemorative mementos to all the presenters and panel members.

LUXURY LIFESTYLE

Mercedes-Benz Oman partners with Almouj Golf MUSCAT: Zawawi Trading Company (ZTC), the authorised general distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Oman, has signed a partnership agreement with Almouj Golf at The Wave, Muscat, bringing together two of the Sultanate’s premiere luxury and lifestyle icons. In its fourth consecutive year, this renewed partnership will drive new experiences for golfers and Mercedes-Benz lovers alike, as they enjoy the world-class amenities and facilities of Almouj Golf, says a press release. “Golf is more than just a game; like Mercedes-Benz, it is all about passion, perfection and exclusivity,” commented Clive Hammond, CEO of Zawawi Trading Company-Automotive. “It is a sport that understands our lifestyle and speaks to our customers. The love of competition, challenge and peak performance are what make us such great fans and why we continue to be a part of its growing traction in Oman. Through this partnership, we will continue to connect with our customers, offering them a golﬁng experience like no other.” Simon Duffield, General Man-

ager of Almouj Golf said, “This agreement is in line with our strategy to continue combining the best of luxury and sport in one unique offering that delivers an elevated experience for our golfers and specifically our members. As part of our commitment to expanding the game of golf locally and raising the profile of golf in Oman internationally, MercedesBenz Oman is an ideal partner of choice and we are pleased with their continuous support to this successful journey.” In addition to a range of exclusive benefits, Mercedes-Benz Oman will co-host monthly members and guest golf events;

Mercedes-Benz members guest series and the Mercedes-Benz Matchplay Championships that will culminate with the ﬁnals in May 2015. With a rich heritage, a culture of technical innovation, and the relentless pursuit of the perfect drive, Mercedes-Benz and the game of golf have much in common. Indeed, Mercedes-Benz is proud of its long-standing involvement not just in the sport of golf but in the game’s legendary tournaments, including the Masters, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship. Each year these events produce incredible displays of power, pre-

cision and control – qualities close to the heart of Mercedes-Benz and are also reﬂected in the outstanding performance of MercedesBenz golf brand ambassadors such as Martin Kaymer, Louis Oosthuizen and Bernhard Langer. Mercedes-Benz also supports a multiplicity of amateur and professional tournaments at the national level, among them Dubai Desert Classic, the Alfred Dunhill Links, the Northern Trust Open and the Talisker Australian Masters. Impacting on the amateur game is The Mercedes Trophy, a tournament in its 22nd year, which attracts 60,000 amateur golfers from over 60 nations annually.

BABIL HYPERMARKET IN MABELAH INAUGURATED Sheikh Ali bin Nasar Al Mahrooqui, secretary general of Shura Council, inaugurated Babil Hypermarket in Mabelah which is the second hypermarket of Babil group. Khamees Al Mandhari, S. M. Basheer (MD) and other dignitaries attended the inauguration. At the opening ceremony, S. M. Basheer donated 10 wheelchairs for the needy people and monthly ration for 10 families for the whole year. Basheer also announced 15 per cent of salary hike for all Omani and expatriate staff in connection with the happy occasion of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s return to Oman. — Supplied photo

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ROUND-UP A’Saffa Foods names winners of Facebook Selfie competition

WOKSHOPS

The three selﬁes

HSBC Oman trains employees

with the most likes, creativity, uniqueness and originality won

MUSCAT: As part of its commitment to enhancing the skills and capabilities of its employees, HSBC Bank Oman recently organised a series of innovative two-day internal training workshops for more than 40 staff members entitled ‘Al Ro’ya Career Development Programme’. The programme was designed to fast-track career progression of highly talented Omanis through constant assessments, behavioural, and developmental reviews as well as career discussions with assigned managers. Facilitated by a chartered psychologist, the ‘Al Ro’ya Career Development Programme’ featured a range of exercises and trained HSBC Bank Oman staff in a variety of soft, managerial and technical skills. Participants learned self-motivational and interactive techniques in addition

to key leadership skills to prepare them for future managerial positions. Members of the bank’s senior leadership team were also on hand to deliver keynote speeches, provide industry insights, and share expertise. Andrew Long, CEO of HSBC Bank Oman, said, “At HSBC Bank Oman, we have a long and successful track-record of delivering training programmes that draw from our global presence and expertise. The Al Ro’ya Career Development Programme demonstrates the bank’s commitment to nurturing talented staff and providing them with the essential tools to grow within HSBC and progress in their careers. Our focus with this programme is to give high potential national employees the support they need to develop and maintain leadership and technical competencies, aug-

F O O D F I E S TA

ment core talents, and guide them along their chosen career paths.” “Developing our employees is essential to achieving HSBC Bank Oman’s growth ambitions. We adopt a systematic approach to developing and deploying talent to ensure we have a cadre of capable individuals to lead the Bank in the future,” Long added. HSBC Bank Oman provides a variety of training opportunities to talented employees. The bank delivers face-to-face classroom training as well as via the HSBC e-learning portal, a first of its kind in Oman. In addition, staff can benefit from a range of hands-on training initiatives and assistance in pursuing professional qualifications. Other resources are also in place to aid employees and improve their career progression prospects, says a press release.

exciting prizes

MUSCAT: Noora and Vineeth (first prize); Hind and Noor (second prize) were the winners of this year’s A’Saffa Foodie Selfie Contest that was run on the brand’s Facebook page recently. To participate in the contest all one had to do was click a selfie with any or several food dishes; fill in an entry form and upload the selfie photo with the description and hashtag #Asaffa Selfie. The three selfies with the most likes, creativity, uniqueness and originality won exciting prizes, says a press release. The first prize winners won a voucher worth OMR50 each while second prize winners won a voucher worth OMR25 each from

Love At First Bite and Volare. “Through the contest, A’Saffa Foods aimed to put a fun spin on the popular social behavior of taking food selﬁes and sharing them with friends. In doing so we wanted to reach out to the hundreds of fans we have on Facebook and reiterate to them the healthy, natural, fresh, halal and fun stance of A’Saffa Foods, whilst ensuring that a food selﬁe reaped more than ‘likes’ – giving participants a chance to win the amazing prizes from Love At First Bite and Volare. On behalf of A’Saffa Foods, our heartiest congratulations to the winners and a sincere thanks to everyone who participated and helped make the contest the magnanimous success

it has been,” said Siddhartha Lenka, Head of Marketing and Sales at A’Saffa Foods. A’Saffa’s protein packed, 100 per cent naturally fed (corn and soya) chicken (fresh from the farms daily) forms a perfect part of any balanced diet, and is a wonderful way to help ensure that everyone can enjoy the benefits of a better lifestyle that can lead to a healthier life. There are no hormone, steroids, artiﬁcial ﬂavors or preservatives and no injecting of water to increase weight of the bird. Hence every chicken produced is fresh, halal, natural, pure, hygienic, healthy and safe for human consumption, added the press release.

AWA R E N E S S C A M PA I G N

National Detergent Co. launches new ‘Clean Oman’ drive for school students

Pakistani cuisine, culture showcased at Food Festival Times News Service MUSCAT: A colourful cultural show and a variety of delectable Pakistani cuisine were the highlight of Pakistan Food Festival 2015 organised recently by Pakistan School Muscat on its grassy cricket ground and cemented basketball court simultaneously to raise funds for further development of the institution. Syed Ayaz Hussain, ambassador of Pakistan to Oman, inaugurated the event as the chief guest. The festival was witnessed by thousands of people from various communities residing in Oman, particularly the large Pakistani community. Senior officials and management of PSM BoD, Pakistan Social Club and Embassy of Pakistan were also present. In his address BoD chairman Adnan Shahzad acknowledged the overwhelming support rendered

by the community to fund the noble cause and thanked all those who contributed in cash or kind. Leading to the main attraction of the evening, the talented students of Pakistan School Muscat and Pakistan School Seeb impressed everyone with stunning performances. Apart from highlighting the cultural diversity of Pakistan, they entertained the audience with live singing that received instant applause. Another highlight of the festival was the colourful ceremony of the auctioned cake. Other than the scintillating performances, various stalls of different fun-driven games and the sumptuous cuisine attracted the crowd’s attention. The traditional Pakistani food like biryani, haleem, nehari, chicken tikka, dahi bara and chaat appeared to be the most popular items on the food court.

MUSCAT: National Detergent Company (NDC) has launched a yearlong campaign ‘Clean Oman’ for students of Omani schools in the Sultanate. As per the campaign, NDC officials will visit schools and brief students studying in fifth to eight grades about staying healthy at home and school. They will also talk about initiatives to make Oman cleaner, says a press release. In the first phase, Omani schools in Muscat governorate will be covered. Till date, around 20,000 students have been part of ‘Clean Oman’ campaign. A Facebook contest for students wherein they have to sketch their favourite Bahar products and post it on the NDC’s Facebook page has been launched. There will be a lucky draw to select the winners. After the briefing in each school, NDC officials will hand over samples of Bahar, its premier product, to the students. Speaking about the drive, NDC’s Head of Marketing, Anish Kumar said: “The purpose of this campaign is to educate students in the schools on the importance of healthy habits and steps to make Oman more clean. We feel that

by educating the students, we are investing in Oman’s future. The initiative is in line with NDC’s comprehensive corporate social responsibility strategy that focuses on three main elements — the environment, human capital and community. We are proud to initiate this concept this year and we want to take it across all the governorates of the Sultanate.” “Since Oman has a very young

population we thought it would be apt to impart cleanliness skills to children studying in ﬁfth to eight grades. The students and the schools have been very appreciative of our efforts. Our team is looking forward to spread the message to all the schools in the Muscat governorate in the next few months,” he added. As a responsible corporate citizen of Oman, NDC has been in-

volved in various social initiatives like using Omani transporters for its logistics activities and giving preference to use the services of Omani nationals at every possible step, says a press release. The company encourages local talent and motivates them to become self-employed by giving training and jobs directly or indirectly related to the detergent industry, adds a press release.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Oman UAE Exchange waives remittance charges to Nepal MUSCAT: Oman UAE Exchange, the largest exchange company in Oman, has waived charges for transactions through banks to Nepal for a period of one month. This would mean that the customers need not pay charges while transferring funds to Nepal and this would be applicable till May 27, says a press release. “The initiative started from last month. This move is to declare our solidarity with the Nepali community in Oman whose relatives are facing difficulties in their home

country. This was a unanimous decision taken by the company at the global level and is practised across 32 countries and in all 750 branches,” said Tonny George Alexander, CEO of Oman UAE Exchange. In addition to this, UAE Exchange has donated NPR 10 million, which was handed over to Dhananjay Jha, ambassador of Nepal to UAE. Oman UAE Exchange has direct arrangement with Everest Bank, Himalayan Bank and Bank of Kathmandu.

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Ooredoo holds exhibition of traditional Omani crafts Aim of the exhibition is to contribut to the advancement of the industry, as well as encouraging youth to maintain the tradition for generations to come

MUSCAT: Ooredoo recently held an exhibition showcasing the heritage of Omani handicrafts, with the aim of contributing to the advancement of the industry, as well as encouraging youth to maintain the tradition for generations to come. The exhibition was conducted in collaboration with the Public Authority for Craft Industries (PACI), who represents and sponsors craft-based initiatives and industries in the Sultanate, says a press release. Hosted at Ooredoo’s campus, the exhibition was opened under the patronage of Dr. Essam bin Ali Al Rawas, Vice President of PACI, accompanied by Kumail Al Moosawi, Chief People Officer at

Ooredoo. It follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ooredoo and PACI to provide training programmes; part of a series of MoUs signed between Ooredoo and a number of government entities over the past few months. “This exhibition demonstrates our commitment towards encouraging young local talent to develop their abilities, while maintaining the traditions of their heritage.

Our aim behind organising this exhibition was to promote craftsmanship in Oman and its potential,” stated Raed Dawood, Ooredoo’s Director of Government Relations and Corporate Affairs. “This exhibition symbolised the essence of our recent agreement with Ooredoo, which was centred on the empowerment of artisans and supporting traditional products within the Omani market. We would like to thank the com-

pany for its partnership with the authority to deliver a number of specialised lectures and workshops that will build the capacity of our budding local talent,” said Dr. Al Rawas. Ooredoo’s exhibition formed part of its ongoing series of events, centred on the development of Oman’s local talent and providing them with support, in addition to facilitating events that promote human growth.

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S TA F F D E V E L O P M E N T

BankDhofar conducts training programme for branch managers MUSCAT: BankDhofar recently launched a training programme for assistant branch managers (ABM). The programme comes in line with the bank’s vision to be the best bank in costumer experience, stressing on development of employees and enhancement of their skill-set in order to meet the bank’s standards, says a press release. “This programme is part of a bigger initiative of transforming our branches into a truly unique Hosam Qassim Al Jamali customer experience. 20 high calibre assistant branch managers from our branches across the operational strategy that revolves Sultanate joined this training pro- around following best internationgramme which is divided into in- al banking practices and providing class sessions as well as on the job best customer experience, as well assignments,” said Hosam Qassim as commitment to community deAl Jamali, Head of Learning & De- velopment and contribution to the growth of the national economy, velopment at BankDhofar. The comprehensive programme placed BankDhofar on top of the is divided into theoretical and list of best banks in the region. Aspiring to be the best bank in practical parts, including seminars and workshops at the bank’s train- the Sultanate and the wider Gulf ing centre, as well as practical on- area, BankDhofar is committed to provide customers with the best the-job assignments. “This programme is part of our banking experience through a dilong-term training strategy that verse range of unique products and aims at enhancing our staff per- services. Today BankDhofar is one formance on all levels as to enrich of the fastest growing banks in the BankDhofar customers’ experi- Sultanate, with a strong presence in corporate and retail banking, inence,” added Al Jamali. Staff training and development vestment and project ﬁnance. The bank has an extensive netis one of the key pillars in BankDhofar operational strategy. The work of branches across the Sulcombination of the thorough vi- tanate, in addition to ATM and sion of BankDhofar’s executive CDM facilities that are located in management, the comprehensive all parts of Oman.

RANGE OF BENEFITS

POPULAR CHOICE

Lulu Bank Muscat card evokes strong response

Global favourite Toyota Corolla comes with attractive benefits MUSCAT: To many enthusiasts in the automotive industry, the 11th generation of the world famous Toyota Corolla is no less than an icon. Officially crowned as the ‘Middle East Car of the Year 2014’, the Corolla has a legendary reputation for providing low operating costs, high comfort levels, unyielding reliability along with outstanding safety. All of this is topped up by the delightful resale value that a Corolla commands, even after years of use. Add to it the benefits galore available until May 13 and it’s a mouth watering deal no one would want to miss, says a press release. “Every customer who goes in for a Corolla will get registration and insurance for the 1st year done for them. Apart from this, 1000 litres of petrol can also be availed by them. However, they also have a choice — instead of availing the benefits they can opt to receive OMR350 as a Cash Gift,” said a company spokesperson. Full details can be had at any showroom where courteous Toyota sales staff will explain the benefits to customers. Terms and conditions apply on the benefits mentioned here as a part of the

‘Summer Surprises’ campaign. Indeed, it is a good time to own a global best-seller about which it is said that “the name ‘Corolla’ represents the peak of Toyota’s renowned quality engineering, design evolution and value-for-money focus. This is unmatched in its class. That said, customers are to be thanked for their faith in Toyota and for making it a best-seller in the region”. Brand evolution Making a strong design statement with its unique visual signature, the Corolla signiﬁes Toyota’s brand evolution. “The Corolla’s design theme combines clean lines and balanced proportions to give the new vehicle an immediate visual impact. The design lends itself to an even more spacious cabin that offers reﬁned comfort and class-leading legroom with abundant storage space. It tapers at the front and rear of the vehicle to help emphasise the wheel arches and wheels-to-the-corner stance,” added the spokesperson. The Corolla offers choices between compact, lightweight engines that deliver exhilarating performance and outstanding fuel

economy, says a press release. “Customers can choose a neverbefore, powerful 2.0 L Engine with maximum power of 143 HP (Net). The second option is a 1.6 L engine delivering 121 HP (Net),” explained the spokesperson Engineered to provide high active and passive safety standards, the Corolla also offers enhanced pedestrian impact protection. The adoption of numerous energy absorbing components offer signiﬁcantly improved pedestrian protection in the event of a frontal impact. The all-new Corolla also features other class-leading features such as LED projector headlamps with integrated-type daylight running lights, smart entry system + start/stop button, new audio system with USB+AUX, 3.5’’ TFT multi-information display, retractable outer mirrors with turn signals, audio + MID controls on steering wheel, cruise control and moonroof, amongst others. In Oman, Toyota outstanding product quality is supported by the nationwide parts and service network of Saud Bahwan Automotive. No wonder then that today, Toyota is one of the most trusted and wellknown brands.

MUSCAT: The unique ‘Lulu Bank Muscat credit card’ launched by Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, and Lulu Hypermarket, the largest retail chain in the GCC region with over 125 outlets, has evoked strong response with customers enjoying a range of benefits and exclusive advantages, , says a press release. Notably, the first retail cobranded card in Oman rewards customers on all transactions which add immense value to their shopping experience. The Lulu Bank Muscat cardholders earn points on all transactions. For every transaction done at Lulu outlets in Oman, cardholders receive 2 per cent of the total transaction amount in points and for all purchase transactions done elsewhere they earn 0.5 per cent in points. Here is a simple example, if OMR100 is spent in Lulu Oman, Lulu Bank Muscat credit cardholders earn OMR2 in points. If they spend OMR100 elsewhere, they earn 0.5 per cent equal to 500 baisa. Cash withdrawal transactions are not eligible for earning points. The benefits include exclusive check-out counters at all LuLu outlets in Oman. The dedicated express check-out counters

help cardholders avoid long queues. Customers will also enjoy discounts and special offers at Lulu Hypermarket, travel insurance, extended warranty and customer protection. The minimum monthly salary eligibility for the card is OMR250 and the annual fee is OMR10. Supplementary cardholders are also eligible to earn points on usage of cards. The points will be credited to the primary account. Redemption of points is available at any Lulu store in Oman. The Chip & PIN card enhances security and gives peace of mind for all transactions. The card is designed for everyday shopping. Transactions are authorised

using Personal Identiﬁcation Number (PIN) instead of signature. Lulu Bank Muscat credit card is issued under the MasterCard International brand. MasterCard global brand is accepted at millions of merchants worldwide and lulu bank muscat credit card can be used for secure Internet shopping. The card is loaded with a wide range of free travel insurance covers that includes travel accident insurance, lost baggage and money, cancellation, travel delay, delayed baggage, personal liability, legal expenses and loss of passport and access to free medical and legal referral services worldwide.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Bank Sohar holds specialised finance training course for staff MUSCAT: Bank Sohar recently conducted a specialised training course titled ‘Finance for Non-Finance’ for internal staff. Designed and delivered by KPMG, the twoday training programme was conducted at the bank’s Learning Centre in Al Qurum and focused on fundamentals of accounting, financial analysis, and cash management for value growth to senior non-finance executives. Such training is in line with the consistent efforts made by the bank to ensure that their staff is always effectively geared towards facing any market challenge, says a press release. Highlighting the importance of ongoing professional development and training, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, DGM of Human Resource and Corporate Support at Bank Sohar, noted: “In light of the competitive environment

that we work in, it is vital for all executive members in the Bank to retain a financial background and competence over and above their departmental environment. Acknowledging the fundamentals of finance will always serve as an added value and help staff to develop their skills for analysing financial reports, income statements and balance sheets; which will in turn significantly assist them in making the right financial decisions and forecasts within each of their respective departments.” Accounting and finance The programme was designed to provide basic knowledge of accounting and finance and help the participants in establishing a logical framework to gain an insight into financial statements analysis, budgeting, working cap-

ital management, capital investment and cost control. As a result, it equips the participants with the appropriate skills required in ﬁnance to deal with changing business environments and help them make better strategic and operational decisions. “Conducting this training course comes in line with the bank’s strategy of keeping up with the latest human resource development practices and also provides our staff with opportunities to develop their skills, and themselves as an individual, to progress within the organisation. This in turn helps us preserve a strong and productive workforce that can better serve the needs of our valued customers as well as help reinforce our position us as one of the leading banking institutions in the country,” added Munira Abdulnabi Macki.

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, M AY 7, 2015

SECTION

SPOR YOUR GAME

YUVRAJ SINGH SAYS NO TIME FOR CRITICS After rediscovering his form with a strokeﬁlled half century, Yuvraj Singh rued that his team Delhi Daredevils could not deliver the knock-out blow on the Mumbai Indians despite reducing the hosts to 40 for 4 and lost the crucial IPL cricket game. >C2

Pakistan on top as Younis, Azhar hammer unfortunate Bangladesh SCOREBOARD

Pakistan 1st innings: Mohammed Hafeez c Rahim b Shahid 8 Sami Aslam c Shahadat b Taijul 19 Azhar Ali not out 127 Younis Khan c Shuvagata b Shahid 148 Misbah-ul Haq not out 9 Extras (lb-6, w-1, nb-5) 12 Total (for three wickets, 90 overs) 323 Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Hafeez), 2-58 (Aslam), 3-308 (Younis). To bat: Asad Shaﬁq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan. Bowling: Shahadat 0.2-0-4-0, Soumya 11.4-1-32-0 (2nb), Shahid 21-6-43-2 (3nb, 1w), Taijul 30-2-102-1, Shuvagata 8-0-470, Shakib 14-0-68-0, Mominul 2-0-8-0, Mahmudullah 2-0-12-0, Imrul 1-0-1-0. Toss: Bangladesh Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG) and Paul Reiffel (AUS) TV umpire: Ranmore Martinesz (SRI) Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)

Younis made 148 and Azhar was unbeaten on 127, the pair having shared a third-wicket stand of 250 to rescue the tourists from 58-2 after Bangladesh captain Mushﬁqur Rahim won the toss and elected to ﬁeld in Dhaka

DHAKA: Younis Khan and Azhar Ali hit centuries as Pakistan capitalised on Bangladesh’s misfortune to post a commanding 323 for three on the opening day of the second and final Test on Wednesday. Younis made 148 and Azhar was unbeaten on 127, the pair having shared a third-wicket stand of 250 to rescue the tourists from 58-2 after Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss. Both batsmen were lucky to reach three figures after being reprieved by no-balls even as Bangladesh struggled to overcome the loss of strike bowler Shahadat Hossain in the day’s first over. Shahadat, who replaced the injured Rubel Hossain for the decisive Test, collapsed on his follow through after sending down the first ball and hobbled off the field after his second delivery. Shahadat returned after the morning drinks break, and even

TON MAKERS: Pakistan batsmen Younis Khan, right, and teammate Azhar Ali, left, run between the wickets during the ﬁrst day of the second cricket Test match against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. – AFP

though he did not bowl for the rest of the session, he took a catch in the deep to dismiss Sami Aslam. However, Shahadat broke down again while training during the lunch break and had to be lifted away on a stretcher. Chief selector Faruque Ahmed said the 28-yearold seamer had injured his right

knee and was unlikely to take any further part in the match. Left with a depleted attack, Bangladesh used nine bowlers to try to contain the run ﬂow, with Rahim and Tamim Iqbal the only ones who did not turn their arms over. Part-time seamer Soumya Sarkar would have dismissed

AT H L E T I C S

Younis on 78, caught in the covers from a mistimed drive, but TV replays showed the bowler had overstepped to concede a no-ball. Similarly, Azhar escaped on 18 when he was caught in the slips off Mohammad Shahid, only to see TV umpire Ranmore Martinesz conﬁrm a no-ball. Azhar’s dismissal

at the stage would have reduced Pakistan to 38-3 after Bangladesh had removed both openers cheaply. Mohammed Hafeez, who hit a double-century in the ﬁrst Test, was caught behind off Shahid for eight. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam had Sami Aslam caught by Shahadat on the mid-wicket boundary

for 19, but Younis and Azhar settled in to tame the depleted attack. Younis, the 37-year-old veteran of 98 Tests, hit 11 boundaries and three sixes in his 29th Test century. Azhar, who reached his eighth hundred by lofting Taijul for his 10th four. Younis was dismissed by the hard-working Shahid five overs before stumps when he slashed a short ball to gully, where Shuvagata Hom made no mistake. Captain Misbah-ul Haq was unbeaten on nine at stumps with Pakistan well-placed to build a huge total and put the hosts under pressure. Pakistan are looking for their first win at the end of a month-long tour in which they were routed 3-0 in the ODI series and also lost a T20 international for the first time against Bangladesh. Both sides made one change each from the first Test, with Bangladesh replacing Rubel with Shahadat and Pakistan dropping spinner Zulfiqar Babar to play an additional seamer in Imran Khan. - AFP

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE

OAA wants Omani athletes to learn from Asian youth championships A. SESHAGIRI RAO

raoas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An 18-member Oman athletic team left for Doha on Wednesday to take part in the inaugural Asian Youth Athletics Championships. The new continental youth championships, being organised by the Asian Athletics Association, takes place in the Qatari capital from May 8 to 11. The Sultanate’s delegation will be led by Oman Athletic Association (OAA) vice chairman Sheikh Ahmed Al Marhoon and includes 18 athletes as well as ﬁve coaches. The OAA is sending a strong contingent to Doha with an eye on the future rather than aiming for medals, according to Jihad Al Sheikh, general secretary of the Oman athletics body. Speaking to Times Sport on Wednesday, he said: “This is an all new championships organised by the AAA to develop and shape the future athletes. And being a youth event the best under-20 athletes from all over Asia will be in action. So it will be difficult to have expectations and make any predictions.” The OAA official said the association wants the young Omanis to learn from the experiencing of taking part in the inaugural event. “We are not putting any pressure of expectations on our athletes,” Jihad said. “We are sending 18 young athletes. All of them are under 20 years and most of them schoolchildren. “Because of their academic engagements we could not send them to external training camps. But it doesn’t mean they have not prepared well. “In fact, all of them have worked hard, attending both the school and our training sessions at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. “We want them to do their best. We want them to enjoy and learn from the experience of competing

Being a youth event the best under-20 athletes from all over Asia will be in action. So it will be difficult to have expectations and make any predictions Jihad Al Sheikh OAA general secretary

against the best talents from Asia.” Jihad also said the OAA is sending the athletes to the Asian event with an eye on the future. “As I said these are all under-20 athletes. Hopefully these 18 athletes will learn from Doha outing and the other upcoming championships.” Jihad, himself a former athlete who represented Oman at various international championships and multi-sport events, said: “Ideally these athletes will go on and represent Oman senior teams. We would like to see at least ﬁve from this bunch of young talents to competing at the senior level.” Four-day event The four-day championships will see more than 400 athletes and 170 officials, coaches and medical staff from 40 countries in action. Asian Athletics Association (AAA) chief General Dahlan Al Hamad had earlier said: “We are proud to host yet another signiﬁ-

cant sporting event in Qatar. We have done whatever it takes to ensure that the first Asian Youth Athletics Championships will be successful and will pave the way for the development of sport, especially for the young generation.” “Our strategic approach is to boost athletics and explore ways to encourage the youth in participating in sporting activities all across Asia. Our focus is on the long-term planning and the development of sport. “We have worked hard, hand in hand with our trusted partners at IAAF and the National Athletics Federations in order to deliver an exciting first edition of the Asian Youth Athletics Championships,” Al Hamad added. Interestingly, the OAA has also decided to honour the top eight athletes in each discipline. Besides the gold, silver and bronze medals, the winners of fourth to eighth places will be rewarded with certificates.

SPARKLING TON: Man of the match Chris Gayle celebrates his 46-ball century. – BCCI

Gayle blows away Punjab BANGALORE: Chris Gayle tormented the Kings XI Punjab bowlers with a whirlwind 117 from just 57 balls as Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a mammoth 226 for three in an IPL cricket match, here on Wednesday. Punjab paid a heavy price for dropping Gayle twice — on 27 and 53 — as the left-handed Caribbean went on to hit his ﬁfth IPL century in an incredible display of power-hitting. Before being caught and bowled by spinner Axar Patel, Gayle entertained the fans by hitting 12 sixes and seven fours as hapless Punjab players kept watching the shots soaring over their heads and vanishing in the stands. With skipper Virat Kohli (32), Gayle shared a 119-run stand in just 11.2 overs and later with AB de Villiers (47 not out) he raised a 71-run partnership in just 5.4 overs. Gayle completed his century by guiding a Mitchell Johnson full-toss to square leg for four. The carnage began in the second over when Australian paceman Johnson pitched it up and was punished by Gayle, who creamed off 20 runs in that over with two sixes and two fours.

SCOREBOARD

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE C. Gayle c & b Patel 117 V. Kohli b S. Sharma 32 AB de Villiers not out 47 D. Karthik b S. Sharma 8 S. Khan not out 11 Extras (lb-3, w-7, nb-1) 11 Total (3 wickets; 20 overs) 226 Fall of wickets: 1-119, 2-190, 3-199 Bowling: Sandeep Sharma 4-0-41-2; M. Johnson 4-0-43-0; Anureet Singh 4-0-25-0; G. Maxwell 2-0-23-0; A. Patel 4-0-50-1; Karanveer Singh 2-0-41-0 KINGS XI PUNJAB M. Vijay b Patel 2 M. Vohra c Wiese b Starc 2

The burly Caribbean was in full flow and next to bear the brunt of his fury was Sandeep Sharma, who conceded 23 runs in the next over. Sandeep though had created a chance to get Gayle out after being hit for a six in the first ball. Skipper George Bailey dropped a skier at long-off next ball, running back. Gayle was on 27 at that time. Bangalore crossed 50-run mark in just four overs even as Kohli was playing a second-fiddle from the other end. The Indian Test

W. Saha c Kohli b Aravind 13 G. Maxwell b Aravind 1 D. Miller b Aravind 7 G. Bailey b Aravind 2 A. Patel not out 40 M. Johnson b Starc 1 A. Singh b Starc 0 K. Singh b Starc 4 S. Sharma c & b Chahal 7 Extras (lb-5, w-4) 9 Total (all out; 13.4 overs) 88 Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-19, 3-20, 4-33, 5-34, 6-39, 7-49, 8-49, 9-65, 10-88 Bowling: Starc 4-0-15-4; Aravind 4-0-27-4; Patel 2-0-13-1; Chahal 2.4-0-24-1; Wiese 1-0-4-0 Man of the match: Chris Gayle

captain got into groove with two exquisite shots over extra cover. Despite being denied a six off Anureet Singh when the ball on his shot touched the cable of the spider cam, Gayle completed his half-century off just 22 balls. Gayle also completed 3000 runs in IPL. He is only fourth player do so. Axar Patel could have got wicket of Gayle in his ﬁrst ball but Manan Vohra, who replaced Virender Sehwag, dropped the Caribbean. — PTI

TH UR S DAY, MAY 7, 2 015

SPORTS

Stay ahead of the curve with WhatsNews

Royals aim to stay in top four, face Sunrisers Second in the points table, Rajasthan Royals have played a dominant brand of cricket in IPL 8 so far. Sunrisers Hyderabad have been quite the opposite and are a place from last in the points table

MUMBAI: After snapping their losing streak with a win over Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan Royals will now look to keep themselves on course for a play-off berth with another dominating show against an inconsistent Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL cricket game on Thursday. The Royals had blasted off to a great start by winning ﬁrst ﬁve matches, before losing their way a bit with three losses and two no results but the 14-run win over Delhi on Sunday arrested the slide. The Shane Watson-led squad would be keen to regain their focus after a short break and apply the knock-out punch on Sunrisers tomorrow as another win could virtually ensure their berth in the playoffs with two games left in hand. Sunrisers, on the other hand, have blown hot and cold right through the tournament and are currently placed at the secondlast rung of the points table but the David Warner-led side will have a chance to avenge their humiliating 6-wicket defeat to the Royals at Vishakapatnam on April 16.

GETTING BACK ON TRACK: Rajasthan Royals having lost their way are getting back on track. – PTI

Lack of consistency has been Sunrisers’ bane and they need to regroup and show the sort of form they displayed during their 22-run win over league leaders Chennai Super Kings last Saturday before slumping to a loss against defending champions Kolkata knight Riders two days ago. It’s seen that generally whenever their openers - captain Warner

and Shikhar Dhawan - fail to provide a good start, the rest of the Sunrisers’ batting line-up comes a cropper, which makes the innings launch a very important factor for the Hyderabad franchise. They have a good seam bowling attack led by the likes of Dale Steyn and Trent Boult and backed up by Indian seamers such as Bhuvaneshwar and Praveen Kumar, but lack sufficient

sting in the spin department even though they have added left-arm Bipul Sharma to complement legspinner Karn Sharma. Royals have a strong batting order led by opener and tournament’s highest scorer Ajinkya Rahane, besides captain Shane Watson and Steve Smith to nullify the Sun Risers’ attack and post a big score or chase one. Two young batsmen came to the fore in Royals’ last two games with Sanju Samson blasting a brilliant 76 albeit for a losing cause against MI at the Wankhede Stadium and then Karun Nair scoring a quickfire 61 against Delhi at the Brabourne. Their exploits show Royals have other batsmen also to fall back on, apart from the top three. Royals also possess enough firepower in their bowling attack with Tim Southee, Dhawal Kulkarni and Watson to trouble the shaky and top-heavy Sun Risers batting. Royals, thus, definitely hold a slight edge against the inconsistent Sunrisers for whom this is a make or break game as a defeat would virtually end their chances of making the top four. Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Naman Ojha, Kane Williamson, Dale Steyn, Moises Henriques, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Trent Boult, Parveez Rasool, Karn Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Reddy, Ricky Bhui, Chama Milind, Praveen Kumar, Hanuma Vihari, Prasanth Padmanabhan, Siddarth Kaul. Bipul Sharma. Rajasthan Royals: Shane Watson (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith, James Faulkner, Deepak Hooda, Sanju Samson, Karun Nair, Dhawal Kuikarni, Tim Southee, Stuart Binny, Chris Morris, Pravin Tambe, Abhishek Nayar, Pardeep Sahu, Rusty Theron, Dinesh Salunkhe, Vikramjit Malik, Rahul Tewatia, Rajat Bhatia, Sagar Trivedi, Dishant Yagnik and Ankit Sharma. - PTI

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INSPIRED BIG HITTER

PASSION FOR BIG SHOTS: Deepak Hooda of Rajasthan Royals. – BCCI

KP an inspiration for me: Hooda MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals batsman Deepak Hooda, who came into the limelight after his match-winning knock against Delhi Daredevils in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter, said exiled England batter Kevin Pietersen inspires him to play attacking cricket. “Kevin Pietersen is my inspiration when it comes to batting because he also is an attacking batsman and loves to play big shots. My role in the team is also to play big shots and score quickly whenever the situation arises like I have done in a few games this season. I also practise my big shots in the nets,” Hooda said. The 20-year-old walked in to bat at No.6 against Daredevils on April 12 and smashed 54 off 25 balls, which included three fours and four sixes. His knock helped Royals register a three-wicket win. “Before the start of the IPL, I was practising in the nets on

how to bat, both up and down the order and in different situations. So I was mentally prepared on how to bat in different positions and that is what helped me. The Rajasthan Royals management and coaches have also backed me fully and have encouraged me to play freely and express myself out in the middle which has further boosted my conﬁdence,” the right-hander said. Hooda, who plays his ﬁrstclass cricket for Baroda, credited team mentor Rahul Dravid for constant support and motivation. “You learn a lot from someone like Rahul Dravid. I have spoken to him on things like how to bat in certain situations, how to handle pressure situations and lot of other things related to my batting. I always love to go upto him and have a chat about batting. I also discuss a lot with Paddy Upton. They also come up to give me tips about batting,” Hooda said. - IANS YUVI SPEAKS

IPL PREVIEW

Yuvraj Singh says no time for critics

GOLF FOR FUN: Kolkata Knight Riders cricketer Brad Hogg reacts after playing a shot as Robin Uthappa and Jacques Kallis look on at Royal Calcutta Golf Course in Kolkata on Tuesday. – PTI

Hosts KKR aim to dominate against Delhi Daredevils KOLKATA: Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) would look to continue their dominance at their home ground when they take on an unpredictable Delhi Daredevils (DD) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter here at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. While the Knights are third on the league table with 11 points from 10 games, the visitors are two rungs below at sixth with just eight points from 10 matches. The Daredevils went down ﬁghting in the last clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday, as the latter scraped past the target of 168 runs with just three balls and ﬁve wickets to spare. KKR on the other hand delivered a stupendous performance with the leather, in their last match here against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Pacer Umesh Yadav was brilliant upfront followed by the efforts of spin twins Johan Botha and Brad Hogg who shackled the Sunrisers batsmen. Chasing 168 the visitors managed to notch

only 132/9 in their 20 overs. The odds favour the Gautam Gambhir-led KKR, who have beaten Delhi eight times in 14 games. Their first-leg encounter at the Ferozeshah Kotla was won by the defending champions by six wickets. Delhi would bank on their top order to perform, including both openers Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer. Their star batsman Yuvraj Singh’s 57-run innings against Mumbia Indians would boost his confidence as that augurs well for the side. However, belting away the Kolkata tweakers would be a difficult prospect for the middle-order batsmen of Delhi, particularly with Botha and Hogg being in such good form, ably supported by leg-spinner Piyush Chawla. The Daredevils have a decent bowling led by veteran left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan and South African leggie Imran Tahir but bowling to a strong batting outfit comprising quality domestic willowers would be a tough ask. While KKR would want to clinch the tie and go a step ahead in

sealing a place in the play-offs, for the Daredevils it’s about surviving and keeping their hopes alive. Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa (wicketkeeper), Piyush Chawla, Yusuf Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav Veer, Pratap Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sumit Narwal, Sheldon Jackson, Aditya Garhwal, KC Cariappa, Vaibhav Rawal, Manish Pandey ,Shakib Al Hasan, Morne Morkel, Pat Cummins, Ryan ten Doeschate, Andre Russell, Brad Hogg, Azhar Mahmood, Johan Botha. Delhi Daredevils: JP Duminy (captain), Quinton de Kock, Mayank Agarwal, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh, Saurabh Tiwary, Angelo Mathews, Kedar Jadhav, Imran Tahir, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Zaheer Khan, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Shami, C.M. Gautam, Gurinder Sandhu, Jayant Yadav, Albie Morkel, Srikar Bharat, Marcus Stoinis, Dominic Muthuswamy, Shreyas Iyer, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Karapak Jiyas, Travis Head. - IANS

MUMBAI: After rediscovering his form with a stroke-ﬁlled half century, Yuvraj Singh rued that his team Delhi Daredevils could not deliver the knock-out blow on the Mumbai Indians despite reducing the hosts to 40 for 4 and lost the crucial IPL cricket game. “We had them (reeling) at 40 for 4. We should have won the game from there, but we didn’t pick up wickets,” said Yuvraj at the post-match presser after MI won by ﬁve wickets with three balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium here. “I think after the rain came, the dew set in and the wicket got better. There was no spin. I think it worked to their advantage. No doubt they played well. But from 40 for 4, you should win games from there,” he added. Asked if he has silenced the critics with his 44-ball knock on Tuesday, Yuvraj said he does not have the time to read criticisms. “My job is to play cricket, critics’ job is to write. I don’t read what comes out. I don’t have that much time in my life. I try and stick to my job and you guys stick to your job,” he said. Yuvraj, who made 57 off 44 balls — only his second half century this season, complimented rival skipper Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu for the manner in which they guided MI from the rut and took them close to the winning target of 153. “I think Rohit and Rayudu played very well. The wicket was gripping a bit at the start but because dew came in, the ball was coming on nicely to the bat,” he said. “If there was no rain and we got a bit of turn, may be the result could have been different. But to be fair to MI, they played well under pressure from 40-4. Rohit and Rayudu took it to the end,” said Yuvraj. Yuvraj said he got some time to get his eye in after his side lost early wickets, but rued it all went to waste as the Daredevils lost their sixth game out of ten and have only a very slim chance of going into the play-offs. - PTI

T HURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015

SPORTS CRICKET

Zimbabwe confident in Pakistan security LAHORE: A Zimbabwe Cricket delegation expressed confidence on Wednesday in security measures taken by Pakistan before the African country’s tour, the first by any Test-playing team for six years. The mini-series of two Twenty20s and three One-day Internationals (ODIs) will be held in Lahore between May 22 and 31. No Test-playing team has toured Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009, leaving eight people dead and seven visiting players injured. Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Alistair Campbell, heading the security delegation, thanked Pakistan for “for all the security arrangements involved to make sure that we will be safe and cricket will be the ultimate winner at the end of the day”. The former batsman, who played 60 Tests and 188 One-day Internationals for Zimbabwe, said he had always felt safe in Pakistan when touring as a player. “I had played many times in Pakistan on five or six tours and had the opportunity of playing in the whole of the country and it was secure,” he said. “Hopefully, in the years to come we will come again and play in the rest of the country” he added. - AFP

MAKING HISTORY: Musandam-Oman Sail crew celebrate after breaking Round Ireland Speed Sailing Record. – Supplied photo

Musandam-Oman Sail break Round Ireland Speed Record MOD70 MusandamOman Sail trimaran completed the 700-

CRICKET

mile voyage in 40

Pair avoid jail time over Ryder assault

hours, 51 minutes and 57 seconds — beating the previous record set in 1993 by

WELLINGTON: Two New Zealand men who were involved in a bar fight that left former Black Cap Jesse Ryder in an induced coma were handed noncustodial sentences on Wednesday, reports said. Ryder was injured after an altercation outside a Christchurch pub in March 2013, spending six days in hospital before eventually resuming his cricket career seven months later. Craig O’Neill was fined NZ$3,000 ($2,250) and sentenced to 250 hours community work, while his nephew Dylan O’Neill was fined NZ$250, the New Zealand Herald reported. It said Craig O’Neill, 39, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to injure, with Dylan O’Neill, 22, admitting a charge of common assault. - AFP

American adventurer Steve Fossett by nearly four hours

MUSCAT: The Ministry of Tourism’s ﬂagship MOD70 Musandam-Oman Sail has made history for Oman by breaking the Round Ireland Speed Sailing Record and gaining another sailing world record for the country. The MOD70 trimaran completed the 700-mile voyage in 40 hours, 51 minutes and 57 seconds — beating the previous record set in 1993 by American adventurer Steve Fossett by nearly four hours. The six-man crew was skippered by Sidney Gavignet with Fa-

GREAT SAILING: Musandam-Oman Sail pictured during the Round Ireland Speed Sailing Record bid.

had Al Hasni, Yasser Al Rahbi and Sami Al Shukaili, key members of last year’s Round Britain and Ireland world record setting team, Spain’s Alex Pella and French multihull veteran Jean Baptiste Levaillant also on board. “It is every sailor’s dream to achieve something like this, and I am very proud to be part of setting a world record. It is a great thing for Oman,” said Helmsman Fahad

Al Hasni. “We had a slow wind at some point which cost us around five hours of boat speed but then the wind picked up and carried us towards the finish line. I’m really happy because there have been some very famous sailors who attempted this record in the past but we are the ones who now hold it.” Yasser Al Rahbi said: “It is something extraordinary. It is definitely a great addition to my personal

MEETING

OSA board lauds Omani swimmers achievements at GCC Beach Games

MUSCAT: The Oman Swimming Association (OSA) board members held their second meeting of the year under the chairmanship of association chief Taha Al Kisry on Wednesday. During the meeting, Taha Al

Kishry and the members lauded the efforts of Oman long distance swimmers who won laurelrs for the country at the second GCC Beach Games held in Qatat in April. Taking part in 5km and 10km races, the Omani swimmers won

SIDDIQ, MANDI FOR ITF LEVEL II COACHES COURSE IN TEHRAN Oman Tennis Association (OTA) treasurer and experienced official Siddiq Al Hashmi and Madni Al Bakry left for Tehran on Wedneday to be par of ITF Level II coaches course. According to a press release issued by OTA, the course which starts today runs till May 17. — Supplied photos

a four gold and two silver medals as Oman emerged the overall leaders at the Games. The meeting also discussed Oman’s plans for participation in the 25th GCC Aquatic Games to be hosted in Qatar from September 3 to 6.

The members also discussed Oman’s preparations for the seventh Asian Open Water Championships to be hosted in Bali frm September 16-21 and the Asian Swimming Championships in Thailand from October 1 to 7.

achievements, but more than that it is for our home country. The waves were very high and it was very windy but we kept pushing. The key was to maintain good boat speed and to rotate shifts and rest time to stay focused.” Sami Al Shukaili added: “I am very happy to have broken this record. This was a difficult challenge, maybe even more difficult than last year’s Round Britain and Ireland

record, but thanks to our focused team work, we managed to pull it off. This might be the biggest milestone of my sailing career so far.” Skipper Sidney Gavignet said: “To have achieved the record so early in our season is a great feeling. It had been a priority for the team and now it is done.” In 2013, Musandam-Oman Sail became the ﬁrst Omani boat to attempt to break the Round Ireland record, but dangerous conditions forced them to abandon the attempt. However, strong winds along Ireland’s East Coast provided ideal conditions to beat the record this time around and claim a second world record for Oman, adding to the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race set in November 2014. David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail, led the congratulations back in Muscat. “This is a great accomplishment for Oman Sail,” he said. “Attempting to break the Round Ireland record has been our goal for many years now and achieving the feat is a shining example of the hard work and dedication of our sailing squad.” “Racing against yourself to set a time is the hardest test of discipline. The team must remain focused and motivated at all times, and we have instilled these values since the start of the Oman Sail programme. With a 50 per cent Omani crew, this record shows that the present and the future of sailing in Oman is on the right course.”

TH UR S DAY, M AY 7, 2 015

SPORTS SAFETY SHAMBLES

Lombardi feat was mere footnote to tragic 1975 race LONDON: The 1975 Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona’s Montjuich circuit has gone down in Formula One history as a safety shambles after a deadly accident that might have been prevented. It also entered the record books, almost as a footnote, for a unique result that remains unrivalled 40 years on as Formula One returns to Spain for Sunday’s race at the modern Circuit de Catalunya.

Finishing sixth, two laps behind McLaren winner Jochen Mass in a race stopped at one third distance with only half points awarded, was Italian Maria Grazia ‘Lella’ Lombardi in her March car. Even if race reports focused more on her ability to keep out of harm’s way from the back of the ﬁeld, it was the best ever result by a woman driver and made her the only one to ﬁnish in the points —

in only her second race. No other driver has scored only half a point in their entire F1 career. Only eight cars finished the Spanish race, and there was little to celebrate. A photographer, fireman and three spectators died when the high rear wing on Rolf Stommelen’s Lola Hill broke, sending the car over barriers with flying debris hitting bystanders. The German driver survived with broken bones.

The potential for tragedy had been flagged up before the start, with some drivers threatening a boycott when they turned up at the circuit to find hastily-assembled temporary barriers unbolted or tied together with thin wire. The teams sent out their own mechanics to fix the problems as far as possible but even that was not enough for some drivers. Defending world champion Em-

erson Fittipaldi declared the situation unacceptable and refused to race. When told by then FIA president Jean-Marie Balestre that he would be banned from the following race in Monaco, the McLaren driver did one lap and retired. Fittipaldi went on to race in Monaco but Lombardi, a butcher’s daughter from a village near Turin, was absent after failing to qualify

Home hero Alonso back in the Spanish GP spotlight Alonso will be very much in the spotlight

I’m incredibly happy to be heading back to Europe, to my home country and racing in front of the loyal Spanish fans

on his return to the circuit where he crashed heavily in pre-season testing

BARCELONA: While Lewis Hamilton chases his fourth victory in ﬁve races in Barcelona this weekend, much of the immediate attention at the Spanish Grand Prix will be on a home hero with no hope of winning. Bookmakers were last week offering better odds, before the birth, on Britain’s latest royal baby being named Macbeth than on Fernando Alonso’s McLaren team winning at the Circuit de Catalunya. They are now a more reasonable 250-1 on the Spaniard, winner in Barcelona with Ferrari in 2013 and Renault in 2006, and teammate Jenson Button although just FOOTBALL

Real top Forbes’ most valuable teams list LONDON: European champions Real Madrid are the world’s most valuable soccer club for a third straight year, according to a Forbes poll released on Wednesday that showed the average value of the top 20 teams rose 11 percent over last year. The Spanish club’s value fell ﬁve percent to $3.26 billion but their $746 million in revenue, the highest of any sports team in the world, was enough to keep them top of the list, Forbes said in a statement. Barcelona ($3.16 billion), Manchester United ($3.10 billion), German champions Bayern Munich ($2.35 billion) and Manchester City ($1.35 billion) rounded out the top ﬁve. The 10 most valuable soccer teams (in billions): 1. Real Madrid $3.26; 2. Barcelona $3.16; 3. Manchester United $3.10; 4. Bayern Munich $2.35; 5. Manchester City $1.38; 6. Chelsea $1.37; 7. Arsenal $1.31; 8. Liverpool $982; 9. Juventus $837; 10. AC Milan $775. - Reuters

Fernando Alonso McLaren driver

getting into the points for the ﬁrst time this year will be a big step up for the ex-champions. Alonso, who will attend an Fia news conference on Thursday, will be very much in the spotlight however on his return to the circuit where he crashed heavily in preseason testing. That accident ruled him out of

the opening race in Australia and triggered all kinds of conspiracy theories about his condition and what had ‘really’ caused the crash. Neither McLaren nor Alonso made any mention of the incident in their pre-race preview, preferring to focus on improvements they expect to see in the ﬁrst race of the European season.

“I’m incredibly happy to be heading back to Europe, to my home country and racing in front of the loyal Spanish fans,” said Alonso. “We are seeing improvements race by race, and I want to ensure that we maintain this consistency throughout this weekend. “Although we won’t be ﬁghting for victory in Barcelona, I know

I can count on the support of the fans to bring even more motivation during the whole weekend, which will be very special.” After a three week gap, the fifth round of the season will be closely watched for signs of any shift in the pecking order with teams bringing upgrades to their cars now they have had time back at the factory. The battle at the front, however, is still likely to be between Mercedes, with double world champion Hamilton in commanding form, and resurgent Ferrari. The Briton, who posted on Instagram a photograph of himself ringside at last weekend’s Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquaio welterweight unification bout in Las Vegas, is up for another fight. “Having tasted success there (Barcelona) for the first time last year, I want to do it in even better style this time,” said 2014 winner Hamilton, who has a 27-point lead over teammate Nico Rosberg. Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff added: “Lewis is in the zone right now, probably driving as well as he has ever done, and Nico showed his teeth in Bahrain with some forceful overtaking and a strong, aggressive race. We’re expecting more of the same in Spain.” - Reuters

FOOTBALL

Sultan’s School win three titles in Dubai MUSCAT: The Sultan’s School won three separate football tournaments this year in Dubai, making it the ﬁrst time the school has had threee winners in as many age categories. The grueling two-day tournaments involved a league system which test the players over 30 minute matches (11-a-side) in hot weather conditions. The hat-trick of wins was achieved by the Under-16, Under-14 and Under-13 boy’s teams. The Middle East Unity Cup (MEUC), formerly known as The Dubai Unity Cup holds sporting competitions for schools and clubs in football, volleyball, basketball, swimming and track & ﬁeld. The football competition remains a prestigious annual event in Dubai and brings schools and clubs together to compete in 11-aside football matches for boys and eight-a-side matches for girls. This year, The Sultan’s School travelled with seven teams/age ranges and was sponsored by Khimji Ramdas, Mohsin Haider Darwish and Turner Townsend.

CHAMPIONS: The Sultan’s School under-16 team pose with their trophy. – Supplied photo

The sponsorship money provided by local companies gave the opportunity for the school’s ‘gifted and talented (G&T)’ programme to be enhanced. Key players in the G&T programme travelled free or subsidised, these players are those who display the highest performance qualities on a consistent basis. All players received team kit and tour T-shirts. The process of involving Muscat businesses with Omani schools’

football programmes is to bring the community closer together. The interaction between all parties is ultimately the key to success presently and in the future. With new facilities available for community use at The Sultan’s School, we expect school and community links to accumulate rapidly over the next year and beyond. “We thank the sponsors very much for their involvement and hope the community link can con-

tinue to thrive from year to year across the range of sports offered by The Sultan’s School. “We congratulate the winners this year and commend the mass participation that is seen each year via the school’s football and sports programmes. “The Sultan’s School PE department is proud of such successes and in promoting a healthy, active life style for grassroots Omani students.”

— along with the likes of Jacques Laffite and Graham Hill. Although she managed a seventh place in Germany that year — when only the top six earned points — and ﬁnished ahead of American Mario Andretti in 10th, the Italian left F1 in 1976. She died of cancer at the age of 48 in 1992. Montjuich never again hosted a grand prix and Mass never won another either. - Reuters FEMALE DRIVER

Williams tester Wolff is close yet still so far LONDON: Susie Wolff will be back at the wheel of a Williams Formula One car in Barcelona on Friday with little in the way of fanfare but a clear aim in mind. Last year, the 32-year-old Scot made plenty of headlines in a similar practice session at Silverstone when she became the first female driver in 22 years to take part in a Grand Prix weekend. This time, her presence at the Circuit de Catalunya comes 40 years after the only F1 race in which a woman has finished in the points — Italian Lella Lombardi’s sixth place at the shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix.. If Wolff has made it less of a novelty to see a woman on track along with the men in Formula One, at least on a Friday, her dream of becoming the first woman grand prix racer since 1976 remains tantalisingly out of reach. “I have performed in the car, I have shown I am capable, I’m in a very competitive team, I drive a car which is capable of podium positions,” she told Reuters in an interview before heading to Spain. “So I do feel very, very close but in the same respect very far away. Because when they announced (Adrian) Sutil as the reserve at Williams, that was a clear sign that ‘Yes, you’re close but you are also still very far away’.” Williams started the season without a reserve but with Wolff, whose husband Toto is head of Mercedes motorsport and a Williams shareholder, as development driver with young Briton Alex Lynn. When Finland’s Valtteri Bottas injured his back in qualifying and missed the Australian season-opener, the team appointed Sutil — a veteran of 128 races — and not Wolff who has only tested and taken part in two practice sessions so far. She will test in Austria in June and drive again in practice at the British Grand Prix in July, following a fixed programme and putting in the laps. It is important work, with Friday setup vital for Sunday’s race, but Wolff wants more and time and circumstances are against her. “We’ve made such big strides forward and that’s a lot down to the team giving me the chance. They took a risk, took a chance and it worked out,” she said. “So we are making strides forward but I still feel we’ve got a long way to go.” - Reuters

OPEN TOURNAMENT

Sohar Squash Championship from May 14 MUSCAT: The Sohar Squash Championship will be organised in Sohar from May 14 to 16. According to chief organiser Tahir Al Barwani, the Sohar championship is the third in a series of squash tournaments being planned to promote the sport in the Sultanate. “This is our third tournament and we will be hosting a squash event for the first time in Sohar,” he informed. “We are also planning to organise the fourth tournament in Salalah during the forthcoming Khareef season and it will be known as Khareef Squash Open.” Next tourney in Salalah The first two tournaments were held in Muscat. In the first event, which was open for Omanis, saw participa-

tion of 60 enthusiasts with Fahad Al Hinai taking top honours ahead of Mohammed Al Hadad. In the under-18 tournament, Ahmed Al Barwani took the title while Abdullah Alawaidi clinched the second place. The second event, Oman Squad Open, has attracted 70 players from different nationalities, including those form the UAE. Jamal Al Barwani won the top place and Tahir Al Barwani settled for runners-up spot. In the under-18 category, Abdullah Al Awaidi won the title ahead of India’s Leoan. Tahir Al Barwani, meanwhile, said the organisers as well as squash lovers in in the Sultanate are looking forward for the formation of an official body that will lead to the promotion of the sport in the country.

PROMOTING SQUASH: Tahir Al Barwani. – Supplied photo

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SPORTS

Oman Cricket awards contracts to 12 players in a historic move Oman Cricket Vice-Chairman His

As of now 12 players have been awarded the contracts. The number may increase once we finalise the team for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup Qualifier

Highness Sayyid Qais presented the contracts to the 12 selected cricketers, who are awarded in three different categories based on their seniority and performance

Duleep Mendis FIRST IN OMAN: The 12 contracted players pose for a group photo after receiving their contracts from

OC’s Chief Development Officer

Oman Cricket Vice-Chairman His Highness Sayyid Qais Al Said. – Supplied photo A. SESHAGIRI RAO

raoas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: In a historic move, Oman Cricket (OC) has launched central contracts system adopting the model followed by other cricket playing nations. As a ﬁrst step the Sultanate’s cricket governing body has awarded the contracts to 12 top players of the country. OC Vice-Chairman His Highness Sayyid Qais Al Said presented the contracts to the 12 selected cricketers during a ceremony

organised at the Oman Cricket headquarters. According to Oman Cricket Chief Development Officer Duleep Mendis, a beginning has been made and the numbers will be increased in the coming days. Speaking to Times Sport on Wednesday, the Sri Lankan great said: “The central contract system has been initiated. As of now 12 players have been awarded the contracts.” “The number may increase once we ﬁnalise the team for the ICC

Twenty20 World Cup Qualifier,” Duleep added referring to the tournament to be jointly hosted by Scotland and Ireland in July this year. Three categories While refusing to divulge the financial details of the contracts, the former Sri Lankan captain said: “It is not appropriate at this time to talk about the financial details. But what we can talk about now is the actual system of contracts.”

“We have three categories — A, B and C. The contracts are awarded based on the experience, seniority and performance of the players. Majority of those selected now are in A category,” Duleep, who is also coach of the Oman team, added. Asked about the selection of the team for the Scotland/Ireland tournament, he said: “We have recently returned from a training camp in Dubai and we will soon be ﬁnalising the team.”

“At Dubai Sports City, the boys have trained on English type wickets and that experience will help them when they take part in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup Qualiﬁer in Scotland and Ireland,” he said. Training camp Duleep, who has been stressing on the importance of consistency and physical ﬁtness since he arrived in Oman, has guided the team to the title triumph at the ACC Twenty20

Cup in the UAE early this year and that victory sealed their berth in the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier. Duleep also revealed plans to take the team to Scotland or Ireland for a training-cum-conditioning camp ahead of the Qualifier. “After finalising the team, we will also be finalising a plan for a training camp in one of the two host countries. That will help the boys acclimatise with the conditions,” he said.

CRICKET

SEEB, AL RAYYAN PLAY OUT A GOALLESS DRAW Hosts Seeb held formidable Al Rayyan of Qatar to a goalless draw in the first match of their double leg semifinal in the GCC Clubs Football Championship at the Seeb Sports Stadium on Wednesday. Seeb will now travel to Qatar for the second leg match which is scheduled for May 19. The winners will battle for the title with the winners of another semifinal between Al Shabab and Al Nasr, both from the UAE. The Emirati teams also shared the spoils in their first leg semifinal match which ended in a 1-1 draw. — JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

New Zealand coach Hesson calls for longer Test series LONDON: New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said he believed his side were worthy of longer series ahead of their two-Test campaign in England. “We’ve started to earn the right now to play longer series than two Tests,” Hesson told reporters at Lord’s on Wednesday following a team training session. “That’s something we are looking forward to and our administrators want to make it happen.” A two-match contest is the minimum required to constitute a series by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s governing body. But Australia seamer Ryan Harris voiced a widespread concern when he labelled two-Test series “pointless”. “I think some of it has been performance, I think we’ve been down the pecking order in terms of our ranking,” said Hesson, whose side are now ﬁfth in the standings to England’s fourth. But New Zealand have won four and drawn two of their six Test series since losing 2-0 in England in

2013. “For 18 months we’ve played good cricket, six series in a row Test wise,” said Hesson. New Zealand, historically, have not tended to be viewed as a big ‘draw card’ by other countries and so have rarely played Test series longer than three matches. But as on New Zealand’s last visit to the UK two years ago, Australia are also touring England this year. With administrators in England and Australia adamant the Ashes must be played over a ‘full’ ﬁve-Test campaign and English officials believing anything more than seven Tests in a home season is not a practical option, New Zealand face another two-Test series. “Often, England have two (incoming) tours and we get the early one. We tend to be a bit of an entree to the Ashes, it seems to be the way we’ve been used in the past,” said Hesson. Indeed the last time New Zealand played a four-Test series against England was when they won 2-1, with one draw, in England in 1999.

And the only ﬁve-match campaign involving the two nations came back in 1958 when an England team captained by Peter May won 4-0 with one draw. Now New Zealand will face an England side who were recently held to a 1-1 draw away to a West Indies team labelled “mediocre” by incoming England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves. But Hesson said whatever their opponent’s problems, winning a series in England would still be a landmark achievement “We’ve won four Test matches here (England) in our history, so to win a series would be huge.” New Zealand have revelled in the role of underdogs, but their run to the World Cup ﬁnal, which included an eight-wicket thrashing of England, has changed perceptions. New Zealand begin their tour against Somerset on Friday before playing another four-day warm-up match against Worcestershire ahead of Tests at Lord’s (starting on May 21) and Headingley (starting on May 29). - AFP

SEEKING DAMAGES

Boxing fans ﬁle lawsuit against Pacquiao for concealing injury LOS ANGELES: Two Nevada men ﬁled a class-action lawsuit against Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday, seeking millions in damages because they say he fraudulently concealed a shoulder injury before his defeat to Floyd Mayweather. It is just the latest fallout from Mayweather’s victory in Las Vegas on Saturday in a unanimous decision, with Pacquiao saying afterwards that the shoulder complaint hampered his performance in the welterweight world title show-

down. The plaintiffs argue that by failing to go public with the injury before the feverishly anticipated bout, the Philippine icon and his camp violated the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The suit ﬁled in a US District Court in Las Vegas names Pacquiao, his manager Michael Koncz, promotional company Top Rank and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum and president Todd duBoef. According to court documents available online, the lawsuit claims

that when plaintiffs Stephane Vanel and Kami Rahbaran — who bought tickets, forked out pay per view fees or bet on the ﬁght — the defendants “knew and had full knowledge and information that defendant Pacquiao had been seriously injured and was suffering from a torn rotator cuff.” “Defendants further know that such injury would severely affect his performance,” the lawsuit says. “None of the defendants informed or apprised the public or

even the Nevada Athletic Commission about the injury to defendant Pacquiao.” Lucrative bout The clash between Pacquiao and Mayweather at the MGM Grand Garden Arena was billed as the “Fight of the Century.” It’s certainly set to go down as the most lucrative bout in history, with possible revenue of $400 million. That could include as many as three million pay-per-view pur-

chases, at about $100 each. The bout went the full scheduled 12 rounds, Mayweather easily winning on the judges’ scorecards to take his perfect record to 48-0. After the fight, Pacquiao and Top Rank revealed the 36-year-old had been injured in training camp some three weeks earlier. They said he’d been cleared by doctors to fight, although they had expected him to be able to take an anti-inflammatory injection on fight night, but the Nevada State

Athletic Commission ultimately denied him. Pacquiao attorney Daniel Petrocelli told The Los Angeles Times that he expects the lawsuit to be dismissed. “It claims Pacquiao was injured (immediately) before the bout and that’s not true — he was injured (nearly a month) before the bout, was examined by doctors and cleared to ﬁght,” Petrocelli said. “And he was examined by the commission right before he fought.” - AFP

TH UR S DAY, M AY 7, 2 015

SPORTS

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Indian tennis star Mirza wants to inspire girls across subcontinent Mirza has long been the face of the

Me and my husband, we live in a kind of extraordinary situation because we both are professional athletes from different countries who still represent their own country after marriage and I don’t think that happens very often

women’s game in India and her highproﬁle cross-border wedding to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik ﬁve years ago placed her in a unique position

NEW DELHI: Outside Bollywood films, Sania Mirza might be the only Indian success welcomed as warmly in neighbouring Pakistan and the 28-year-old expects her doubles feats to inspire girls on both sides of the border to pick up a tennis racquet. Mirza has long been the face of the women’s game in India and her high-profile cross-border wedding to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik five years ago placed her in a unique position. Her rise to the top ranking in WTA doubles was hailed in both countries, though they remain suspicious of each after fighting three wars since independence in 1947. Malik’s international career has stalled since his last one-day match two years ago, but Mirza last month became the first Indian to climb to the top after winning the Family Circle Cup in Charles-

Sania Mirza Indian tennis star

ton, South Carolina, her third successive title partnered with Martina Hingis. “It feels good,” Mirza told Reuters in an interview. “Me and my husband, we live in a kind of extraordinary situation because we both are professional athletes from different countries who still represent their own country after marriage and I don’t

think that happens very often. “We both are very active, still playing and it’s great if it can inspire not just people in India and Pakistan but hopefully girls can pick up tennis racquets in the whole subcontinent, really think that sports can be a career option. “That does not come ﬁrst to the head of any girl or parent ... Whether

it’s India, Pakistan or anywhere in the subcontinent, I’d like to believe people hopefully will get a little inspired by this and hopefully things change.” Once a top 30 singles player with a potent forehand, Mirza was the ﬁrst Indian to win a WTA singles title in 2005, but after battling knee and wrist injuries, feels her switch to doubles has been vindicated.

“I ended my singles career solely for the reason that my body was not just able to take it anymore,” said Mirza, calling it a “surreal feeling” to top the doubles rankings. “I had three surgeries in seveneight years and in those years ... it was either playing doubles or not playing tennis at all. I love tennis too much to have given up on it so soon.”

Finally at peace, Mirza has set herself a couple of goals. “It would be great to try and get records on how long I stay there and deﬁnitely try and win a women’s doubles grand slam which has not happened. (I) have come close so many times even though (I) won mixed grand slams. Hopefully try and end the year at one, if not this year, next year.” - Reuters

MADRID OPEN

Nadal eases into third round as Serena, Sharapova clinch Madrid marathons

GOOD WIN: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning against Steve Johnson of US during their match at the Madrid Open.– Reuters

MADRID: Rafael Nadal lifted his clay-court record over Americans to a perfect 10-0 on Wednesday as he beat Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-3 to reached the Madrid Open third round. The third seed and defending champion improved to 12-3 on clay in 2015 thanks to his win in an hour and a quarter. The French Open champion, who has four Madrid titles and has played in six finals at his showcase home event, is aiming to extend his streak of winning at least one European clay title leading into Roland Garros to 11 straight years. Nadal captured a second straight Madrid title last year by beating Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the final. Up next for the nine-time French Open king will be Simone Bolelli, who overcame fellow Italian Luca Vanni 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Day 4. Earlier, top seed Serena Williams and defending champion Maria Sharapova survived marathon three-setters to reach the quarterfinals. Williams saved three match points and needed two and threequarter hours to take her undefeated record this season to 23-0, making the most of a late serving collapse from former number one Victoria Azarenka. “I could have won, she could have won. I ended up winning and I don’t know how,” said Williams after her 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (7-1) win. “I feel like it was intense.” “I don’t feel like there were a lot of long points, which was weird.” Williams next faces either Ana Ivanovic, the Serbian seventh seed, or Spanish 10th seed Carla

HARDFOUGHT WINS: Serena Williams, left, and Maria Sharapova were extended. –Reuters, AFP

Suarez Navarro. Third seed Sharapova went for two and a half hours before seeing off Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. Sharapova ended the dramatic third-round match with a secondserve ace confirmed from the chair after breaking for 6-5. Williams had found herself in trouble in the third set against Azarenka, who saved a match point in the 10th game to make it 5-5 and then broke for a 6-5 lead. But Azarenka fell victim to the serving yips, missing on three match points and sending over three double-faults in a row to lose serve and take the match into a deciding tiebreaker. Williams then raced to five match points, escaping on her first from Azarenka’s long forehand return. Against Sharapova, the 28thranked Garcia, clearly peeved to have missed her chance against the five-time Grand Slam winner, gave an abbreviated “drive-by” handshake as the players met for

a few quick seconds at the net, following protocol in name only. Sharapova is fighting to regain the number two WTA ranking that she lost last month with an early defeat in Stuttgart and needs to reach the final to have a chance of standing second again behind Williams. The scenario opened up at the weekend when second seed and 2014 runner-up Simona Halep lost in her opening match. Garcia reached the quarterfinals a year ago as a qualifier and beat number 13 Karolina Pliskova in the second round this week to earn her spot against Sharapova. Sharapova is also building for her French Open title defence after beating Halep for the title in Paris last June. The Russian started 2015 by winning 17 of her first 18 matches, but came to Madrid having lost three in a row. She has now won 57 of her last 62 matches on clay as she waits to play fifth seed Caroline Wozni-

acki in the quarters. Wozniacki advanced over Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-2. Sharapova produced a dozen aces to 10 for her opponent, breaking Garcia ﬁve times and losing her own serve on three occasions. Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, the fourth seed, advanced with ease over Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-4. Romanian Irina Begu beat Barbora Strycova 6-4, 6-4 to next take on Kvitova. In men’s second-round play, sixth seed Tomas Berdych beat weekend Estoril winner Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7/3), 7-5. Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4, 6-0 and Madrid’s Fernando Verdasco knocked out US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-3. John Isner, the 16th seed, ﬁred 23 aces to defeat Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (11/13), 6-1.— AFP

SECTION

SIGHT & SOUND

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM T H U R S DAY, M AY 7, 2 0 1 5

(TURBULENCE INCLUDED) U2, the Irish band that released its debut album in 1980, is about to test its place in the present

t was definitive arena rock, loud and clear, filling Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver with surging sound. The Edge blared a distorted, two-chord guitar riff, Larry Mullen Jr.’s tom-toms and cymbals landed hard on the backbeat, Adam Clayton’s bass throbbed down below and Bono unleashed “woo-oohs” in exultant falsetto. U2 had taken over the coliseum for a month of full-scale rehearsal to assemble its Innocence & Experience tour, which will start at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on May 14, and the band was charging through Elevation. The stage was an austere geometry of fluorescent tubes, and the song was triumphant. “Wow, that’s four years since we played that?,” Bono said as the last chord faded. “Not bad!” U2, the Irish band that released its debut album in 1980, is about to test its place in the present. Because Apple gave away millions of copies of Songs of Innocence (2014), its 13th studio album and its first since No Line on the Horizon (2009), the band has no way to gauge the album’s impact through conventional measures of sales. The album also faced a furious online backlash from nonfans who resented it showing up in their music libraries or iCloud as “purchased,” even though it was free. Until it performs the songs on tour, U2 won’t know for sure wheth-

er anyone paid close attention to their work. “The idea that there may be a whole swath of audience out there that don’t yet know they like the band is really turning us on,” Bono said. “It makes us want to go out and find them if they’re there.” He paused. “They may not be there,” he admitted. The Innocence & Experience tour scales down to arenas after U2’s gigantic “360º Degrees Tour” of 2009-2011, a tour that sold out stadiums worldwide with a huge, flashy edifice of a stage. The new tour uses high-resolution video and takes a radical new approach to arena sound. It’s technologically savvy and determined to be intimate, and the Apple backlash apparently didn’t affect it. The tour has sold 98 percent of the 1.2 million available tickets for its 68 concerts, including sellouts for its entire European stretch and, in New York, for the first six of eight shows at Madison Square Garden, starting on July 18. U2 hopes to stir more than loyalty and eagerness for oldies, however. Songs of Innocence has a dual and sometimes contradictory mandate. It aims for mass pop impact with songs full of individual, local details and memories. U2’s confidence was shaken by the response to No Line on the Horizon. Despite the international barnstorming of the “360º Degrees” tour, the album didn’t yield the hit single that U2 always has prized, songs such as Pride (In the

Just to puncture public consciousness at this time is really, really hard, so we were trying to think of ways that would get our album through to people The Edge Guitaris, Keyboardist, Vocalist for U2

Name of Love) (1984) and Where the Streets Have No Name (1987) that merge popularity with an implied sense of high-minded solidarity. So the band set out to discipline its songwriting, building from acoustic-guitar basics rather than the sonic experiments of No Line on the Horizon. It also chose younger-generation producers. Even so, the new album’s lyrics steer away from simple, teen-oriented rock, often looking back. The band remains nonplussed by what Bono now calls the “difficult birth” of Songs of Innocence. At the time, band members said, it seemed like a way to reach listeners as directly as possible. “Just to puncture public consciousness at this time is really, really hard,” the Edge said backstage, “so we were trying to think of ways that would get our album through to people. A month after the release, Apple announced that 26 million people had downloaded the entire album. However, what U2 and Apple considered a gift — Apple paid Universal Music to give away the album — was treated by a fast-reacting blogosphere as spam, an intrusion into personal devices and an overbearing exercise of power by a self-important rock band and a technology corporation. U2 issued a partial apology in a video interview on Facebook, in which Bono described the album release as “a drop of megalomania, a touch of generosity, a dash of self-promotion and deep fear that these songs that we’d poured our life into over the last few years mightn’t be heard.” -Jon Pareles/The New York Times News Service

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POP LEGENDS BLUR

T H E HAVEN’T MADE AN ALBUM TOGETHER FOR 16 YEARS. HAVE ANNOUNCED

C O M E B A C K THEIR BREAK-UP NO LESS THAN

TEN TIMES SINCE 1990

uckily, long-suffering fans of super-group Blur have learned not to take such announcements too seriously — and now their loyalty has been rewarded. Not only are the original members of Blur going back on the road, but their new album The Magic Whip — is being hailed as one of the best they have ever done. “We have been meeting regularly to work out and record songs,” says lead guitarist Graham Coxon. “We just did stuff when we felt like it and the time seemed right to make another album. Much of the stuff was recorded in Hong Kong last year and when we had another look at it we felt it was too good just to gather dust.” Graham was working on two solo albums plus a single with Paloma Faith. “But Blur is my ﬁrst love,” he says.” We’ve still got a lot of music in us.” Graham, Damon Albarn, Dave Rowntree, and Alex James last made an album together in 1999. After one of their regular break-ups, Damon enjoyed massive success with virtual band Gorillas, Graham and Dave went into record producing and writing and Alex moved to the country with his wife and children and became a

farmer. Damon says: “We all keep in touch and meet up for lunch from time to time and gradually the idea of getting together again took root. I think we all missed being in Blur.” They were stirring times — back in 1995 bookmakers took over $8 million worth of bets on whether Blur or their bitter rivals Oasis would be top of the singles charts. The row between Blur and Oasis — or more speciﬁcally between their lead singers Damon Albarn and Liam Gallagher — had started six months earlier when Gallagher branded Blur “middle-class toffs” and Albarn responded by labelling Oasis “Status Quo clones.” Damon offered a truce when Blur won the prestigious BRIT awards for best group by suggesting that Oasis share the trophy, but Gallagher scornfully snubbed what he called “a condescending gesture.” From then on, it was all-out war, with both record companies throwing their full weight behind the groups’ new records — Blur’s Country House and Oasis’s Roll With It. Blur’s victory created a sensation. They were hailed as kings of the pop world when Country House hit the top

spot, pushing Oasis to second place. But Oasis complained that it wasn’t a fair contest, claiming that faults in the barcodes on at least 100,000 of their discs meant they couldn’t be sold. It had taken Blur seven years to rise from obscurity to the top of the pop tree. A year after flunking drama school, Damon Albarn re-met school friend, Graham, who introduced him to bass guitarist Alex. Together they formed a band called Seymour. After playing a dozen or so rowdy shows around London, the band was rechristened Blur in 1990 It took two years of breadline struggle before their first hit single There’s No Other — made the charts and the band joined forces with legendary pop producer Stephen Street to pioneer “Britpop”, a brash, brassy punklike sound which made Damon into a new pop hero. Soon Blur were rivalling Oasis as the top Britpop supergroup — which brought Damon into conflict with Oasis hard man Liam Gallagher who scoffed that Blur were producing “chimney-sweep music!” “There were some nasty moments with Liam when we appeared in the same concerts and TV shows,” says

Alex. But Damon was always able to cool things down. He’s a very smooth operator.” Now together again, Blur are spending an increasing amount of time together making music. Damon says: “I’ve written a lot of stuff which is very different to anything we’ve done before.” While Blur was in limbo Damon combined singing with acting and made the crime thriller The Face in which he was hailed as a major new movie talent. “I started as an actor and I knew it was something I might one day go back to,” Damon says. “The path of pop star to actor is littered with people like David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Chesney Hawkes, who never really showed their true potential on the screen.” Now enjoying the heady feeling of being top of both his chosen professions, Damon intends to give most of his attention to Blur. “We never thought we’d be doing this nearly a quarter century down the line,” he says. “But if we enjoy it and the punters still like what we do why should call it a day?” -Judson Bennett/Tony James Features

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015

ETCETERA BRIEFS

Foxx releases new song

ACTOR-SINGER Jamie Foxx has released his new song Baby’s in love featuring rapper Kid Ink. The collaboration is the latest song to have surfaced online from the actor’s new album Hollywood: A Story of a Dozen Roses, which will be out on May 18, reported aceshowbiz. com. Foxx dropped the new track as a preview of his new album on Monday. The track is a feelgood funky dance ﬂoor anthem. Foxx sings lines like, “Forget about the plans that you got later. I kiss you like you can’t have too many,” before Kid Ink joins him.

Pattinson, Twigs to wed soon

Three suitors were not enough for

CAREY MULLIGAN Taking over the role last played on screen by Julie Christie half a century ago, Carey plays a more free-spirited, headstrong Bathsheba, who has three suitors vying for her hand in marriage

“I

loved being scandalous,” Carey Mulligan says and pop-singer husband Marcus Mumford, standing nearby, looked as though he didn’t mind a bit. That was because 29-year old Carey was talking about her latest movie hit — playing Bathsheba Everdene in the latest screen version of the Thomas Hardy classic Far From the Madding Crowd. Taking over the role last played on screen by Julie Christie half a century ago, Carey plays a more free-spirited headstrong Bathsheba, who has three suitors vying for her hand in marriage after she inherits a prosperous farm. “She’s a very liberated lady, and I loved that,” Carey says of the scenes in which she galloped through the woods on horseback (“It was knackering and I fell off several times!”) and dipping sheep while standing in a river. “First they used fake sheep for insurance purposes, but that looked so ridiculous that they started putting real sheep through and I loved being hands-on.” Carey agrees that it’s rare for an actress to be courted by three leading men in a movie. “So often it’s a male lead in ﬁlms and then you have the girlfriend and the wife and often they’re not brilliant roles. But this

ﬁlm turns that classic dynamic on its head. I loved every minute of it.” Carey is currently on Broadway in David Hare’s hit play Skylight and has had rave reviews — not bad for someone who was turned down by three drama schools and whose parents didn’t want her to be an actress. But Carey had other ideas. “The more people tried to stop me the more I realised just how much I wanted to act,” she says. And when in 2004 the unknown 18-year-old won the role of Kitty Bennett in the latest movie version of Pride and Prejudice and was hailed as the new Audrey Hepburn, even her parents had to admit they might have been wrong. Today, commanding $5 million a picture, Carey is being hailed as one of the brightest new star in movies and everything is going right for her. She was distraught when her relationship with her Money Never Sleeps co-star Shia La Boeuf ended. But then she met Marcus Mumford — and they have been blissfully happy for two years. It was Marcus who persuaded Carey to venture out from the budget $100 a night Best Western hotel in Hollywood where she had ﬂed after the break-up with Shia. “It was a great place to stay while I got my thoughts together,” Carey

Today, commanding $5 million a picture, Carey is being hailed as one of the brightest new star in movies

said. “I’m not sure what the fuss is about — I love it there.. They’ve got the best sweet potato fries in town!” A friend explained: “Carey is very low-key and feels much happier in a budget hotel than she would at a ﬁvestar place. She found the fuss about where she stayed really funny. She’s a lovely girl and she and Marcus just hit it off. He made Carey laugh again and she hadn’t done that for a while. Although she puts a brave face on things, she was devastated by the break-up with Shia. “Now she is loving being married to a great guy and although they both have very busy lives they seem to be able to arrange things so that they spend maximum time together.” Carey remembers that her parents were keen for her to go to university after leaving school but by then she had been seriously bitten by the acting bug. “I even worked in a pub for a while but I was desperate to act and persuaded my headmistress to introduce me to a friend who was Julian Fellowes the screenwriter. “He was writing the Pride and Prejudice screenplay at the time and introduced me to the casting agent who was apparently looking for an unknown to play Kitty.” Carey and Shia started dating after co-starring in Money Never Sleeps. Director Oliver Stone said: “You could see their chemistry

right away. It was pretty powerful. “They were completely professional on the set but there was no mistaking what was happening.” Later Carey left the UK and moved into Shia’s Hollywood apartment but, sadly things didn’t work out. A friend said: “Carey was homesick and had doubts about the future. She was lonely and moving from the UK was hard on her. “On top of that, they were both working so hard that they only had a couple of days a week to spend together. Eventually the romance just petered out.” So how did Carey cope with starring in the movie Never Let Me Go, which is an intense movie about love, jealousy and loss? “I was playing another person and nothing she did or suffered had anything to do with the real me,” Carey says. She says it’s the same in The Great Gatsby, in which she played Daisy Buchanan, with whom Gatsby has a doomed love affair. “I’ve never played anyone like Daisy before,” Carey says. “She’s light and ﬂuffy with no substance and she knows it. She’s cold with no feelings and that’s her tragedy.” “On the other hand, off-screen I’m a hopeless romantic and always say how I feel. Luckily in Marcus I’ve found a guy who feels exactly the same way!” -John Graham/Tony James Features

ACTOR Robert Pattinson and singer FKA Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Barnett, are reportedly planning to marry this summer in a low-key and relaxed celebration here. “Tahliah wants to get married sooner rather than later and have what she’s calling a ‘bangers and mash’ wedding. She’d like a low-key registry office ceremony, pub lunch and party with their friends. They’re talking about August,” a source told Grazia magazine. The 27-year-old singer, known for her eccentric fashion sense, also plans to shun a traditional white gown for her big day.

One Direction to appear in ‘The Late Late Show’

ONE DIRECTION will make their ﬁrst television appearance after the departure of singer Zyan Malik on The Late Late Show With James Corden on May 14. “We’re excited to be appearing on The Late Late Show With James Corden. James is one of our best mates and we’re so proud of the massive success his show has. “We are currently working on a few surprises with his team. It’s going to be a great night,” band member Liam Payne told people.com. Malik quit the band in March this year. -IANS

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hat wasn’t easy to believe, because obstacles of every kind threatened to doom the project, to be called Mad Max: Fury Road, from the day he began it, way back in 2001. Among them were the September 11 attacks, the American dollar’s fall in value against the Australian dollar, star Mel Gibson’s ageing and public meltdowns, and Twentieth Century Fox’s decision to pass on financing the film. By 2009, however, Miller thought that all systems were a go. He’d locked in Tom Hardy to take over as Max Rockatansky and Charlize Theron to play Imperator Furiosa, and production was primed to begin in Australia. Then Mother Nature reared her ugly head, as floods soaked the Outback and forced Miller to start all over again. Finally, in 2012, with Hardy and Theron miraculously still in tow, Miller — a doctor-turned-filmmaker who was closing in on his 70th birthday — trekked to Namibia to shoot his high-octane opus. The film will open, on May 15 (US). “I think, deep down, I always thought it was going to happen,” Miller said, speaking by telephone from the relative calm of his office in Sydney. “No matter what you did to it, it seemed to rise up somehow, in some way. It wouldn’t go away, and it sort of wouldn’t go away in my head. “It was an itch you had to scratch,” he said, starting to laugh. “It sounds a bit crazy, because nothing is predictable, but it just felt like it was going to happen one way or the other. I didn’t think it would take this long.” The plot of Fury Road boils down to an attempt to answer one question — How do you find meaning in a world that’s gone insane? “Unfortunately that hasn’t changed

in the 14 years since we started out,” Miller said. “These Mad Max films are basically allegorical, so, in a sense, they’re pretty timeless. Even though we go into the future, the world is one that has regressed into a very Dark Ages/medieval feeling, except that it’s got the technology that we recognise from today. “A man struggling with meaning in a world gone insane, that’s pretty universal,” he said. “I also like to describe Fury Road as a western on wheels. The westerns were around for a long time. They were a cinema staple for the best part of a century. So it’s pretty much in that style.” More specifically, Fury Road is a 120-minute chase flick with little dialogue. Max doesn’t even speak for the first 20 minutes. The impetus for the chase is Imperator Furiosa, a one-armed force of nature who drives a tricked-out rig that she uses to rescue five women enslaved by a warlord named Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). Immortan Joe sends his troops — the War Boys, among them Nux (Nicholas Hoult) — after her, and Max winds up embroiled in Furiosa’s fight. Miller pointed out that the chase was film’s bread and butter in its earliest days. The chase was fundamental to many of the first classic films, and it underlies much of moviemaking to the present day. “If you look at the chase films, there are the classics like Buster Keaton’s The General (1926), the Harold Lloyd movies, some of Chaplin’s movies, the Keystone Kops and even the westerns — before sound, before 1927, 1928, 1929 — essentially were all chase films,” the director said. “That’s where film language started, so in that sense the action movie is a kind of pure cinema, a more-distilled cinema.

I think, deep down, I always thought it was going to happen. No matter what you did to it, it seemed to rise up somehow, in some way. It wouldn’t go away, and it sort of wouldn’t go away in my head

“That’s something that really, really fascinated me,” he said. “I’m driven by curiosity, and that’s one of the things that got me interested in cinema in the first place.” Given that Fury Road contained so little dialogue, Miller required deeply expressive actors. He found them in Hardy, whom he cast before his performances in Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) catapulted him to stardom, in Oscar winner Theron and in Hoult, the young British actor best known for About a Boy (2002) and his role as Hank The Beast McCoy in the X-Men movies. “Not many actors come along in a generation who have that quality of the original Mad Max, which is essentially a silent character,” Miller said. “Though, behind that stillness and silence, there’s a lot going on in the character. I describe it as a kind of animal magnetism. “What I saw in Mel Gibson, back when he first played Mad Max at 21, is what I saw in Tom when he walked in the door to audition for Fury Road,” the filmmaker continued. “It’s that same kind of animal quality, but it’s underpinned by actors who are highly skilled. Mel and Tom were creatures of the theatre. “The War Boys, because it’s a toxic world, succumb to all sorts of diseases that are going to limit their lives,” Miller said. “So they’re limited in the extreme, and the only thing they know since birth is to be a warrior in the cause of the Immortan Joe. So he’s somebody you’ve got to be able to empathise with, and there’s something about Nick that’s very relatable. He’s a really crack actor, a very, very gifted actor. “And Charlize — There’s a quality about

Furiosa that’s absolutely fearless,” he said. “So it was a perfect fit. Whatever her fears — and no doubt Charlize has fears like the rest of us — she worked through them. As tough as she is, you never lose sight of the fact that she’s a human being. And she’s so certain of her womanness and so unmistakably a woman that there’s no problem for Charlize playing this character with a shaved head and one arm. She just got in there and played it true to the piece. There’s an authenticity to what she’s doing.” Miller went on to describe Fury Road as “an incredibly tough shoot” in which, apart from the remote location and the brutal desert heat, the major concern was that stunts dominated every moment of every day — and the stunts were done old-school — When you see a car wreck, real cars were crashed. When you see an actor on top of a vehicle fighting another actor or a stuntman, a real actor handled the fighting. “And, yes, when you see Max and Furiosa go all out in a brawl against each other, it was all Tom and Charlize going for it,” Miller said. “So, physically, it was enormously demanding. My biggest stress, all the way through the movie, was, ‘How are we going to get through this without injuring anybody and, quite frankly, without killing anybody?’ “That was the thing that was at the back of my mind every moment,” he said. “The way we dealt with that was that we really put an enormous amount of time and effort into the logistics. We had a fantastic stunt crew and we had fantastic riggings that they made, which made everyone safe. -Ian Spelling/The New York Times News Service

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ETCETERA CELEBRITY NEWS

Ashton gives his mother a nice Mother’s Day surprise ACTOR Ashton Kutcher gave his mother Diane a surprise in honour of Mother’s Day by remodelling his childhood house in Iowa with his ﬁance Mila Kunis, calling the project a lifelong dream. Kutcher remodelled the house with the help of a home-remodelling website to express his gratitude for his mother’s endless love. The actor also revealed that he and his stepfather Mark worked together to build the house when he was 13 years old. “I think everybody has a place in their life that they call home, the renovation that we’re going to be doing is on a place that I call home. It’s a house that I helped build with my stepfather. It’s on a gravel road in a little town called Homestead, Iowa,” Kutcher said in a video made by the home-remodelling website. Kutcher went on to explain that the project was important to him. “It’s my way of saying thank you to my mom. My mom has been the greatest inﬂuence in my life. My parents gave me everything,” he said.

Martin Freeman set to join ‘Captain America: Civil War’ THE MAKERS of the ﬁlm Captain America: Civil War, which is expected to feature a smack-down between Captain America and Iron Man, have announced that actor Martin Freeman will also be playing a role in the comic-book sequel. The ﬁlm will hit theatres on May 6, next year, and is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who also helmed Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The cast is expected to include Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Anthony Mackie as Falcon.

Selena Gomez looked really gorgeous: Justin Bieber

Diane Keaton has a story to tell Call her an actress, an author, a director, even an Oscar winner if you want to. But she insists all of us have our stories to tell

‘I

feel that I’m an ordinary woman, but life is extraordinary,” the 69-year-old actress said, speaking by telephone from a New York hotel. “All of us have our stories to tell. I have my stories, you have your stories. I don’t feel any difference between you and me, except for the performing thing. “Otherwise I just am,” she insisted. “There is nothing particularly great about me. I’m just like everybody else.” Keaton is on the telephone to talk about her new film, 5 Flights Up, opening in limited release on May 8 (US). Based on a novel by Jill Ciment, it casts Keaton and Morgan Freeman as Ruth and Alex, a long-married couple who live in a beautiful walk-up apartment whose only drawback is all those stairs. Fearing further problems as they age, and knowing that their neighbourhood, once run-down and neglected, is now chic and that local real-estate prices are soaring, they decide to put their beloved home up for sale. Are they really ready for a change, though, or are they jumping the gun and sacrificing their current happiness based on a “what if?” “I loved this story about a woman in an ordinary marriage, which is extraordinary to me, Diane, who has never been married,” said Keaton, who earlier in life had highprofile relationships with Woody Allen, Warren Beatty and Al Pacino. “The most wonderful part of Ruth’s life is the man she chose to marry. “Frankly, I enjoyed playing that part because it gave me the opportunity to feel that way,” she said. “What a wonderful marriage they have in this film. It’s sweet, it’s kind, it’s lasting. They’ve been married over 40 years. “Again, I’ve never been married, so just imagine what that was like for me to play.”

Did it stir up any regrets? “I did think, ‘Diane, you have missed out on a lot of these opportunities in life,’” she admitted. “I don’t know what my problem was, but I didn’t marry. There’s no hope for me now!” Keaton laughed. “Honestly, I think this film honours marriage,” she said more seriously, “and marriage needs a little boost these days. This film says that marriage is a wonderful thing.” Director Richard Loncraine said, in a separate interview, that Keaton and Freeman were well matched. “Neither likes rehearsals,” he explained. “They have a lifetime of experience to fall back on. Between takes they both like to sing, so they would sit and sing old Hollywood favourites. We’d run through a few songs on the sofa while they fixed the lighting.” Keaton had nothing but good things to say about working with Freeman. “To me Morgan Freeman is the man who tells the stories of our lives,” the actress said. “He is the decent man. He’s the man you look up to in The Shawshank Redemption (1994). He’s the man you go to in order to believe in the common goodness of human beings. “Plus he’s beautiful,” she added. “That gorgeous face!” As she has aged, Keaton’s films have come to be increasingly about aging and mortality. 5 Flights Up is no exception. “I approach ageing from the idea that life keeps evolving and changing,” Keaton said. “So does your relationship with being older. Aging is definitely something I try to take on with a modicum of grace. When is she at her least mature? “Oh, easy — that’s when I get on a plane,” Keaton said with a rueful chuckle. “I really hate to fly. It brings out the worst in me, although I tell myself to just let

To me Morgan Freeman is the man who tells the stories of our lives. He is the decent man. He’s the man you look up to in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994). He’s the man you go to in order to believe in the common goodness of human beings

go. I’m still white-knuckling it and being a big baby.” The oldest of four children, Diane Hall was born in Los Angeles, where her mother was an amateur photographer and her father was a civil engineer and real-estate broker. As a teen, she recalled, she was obsessed with her looks, to the point of opening and shutting her eyes 30 minutes a day, an exercise that she thought made them appear wider-set, and putting a bobby pin on the top of her nose to reduce its size. “It was so ridiculous,” Keaton said. “It wasn’t about acting, but simply trying to live up to a certain standard of beauty. It’s so sad that young women, and women in general, put so much pressure on themselves.”

After studying drama at Santa Ana College in California, she moved to New York to study acting at the Neighbourhood Playhouse. Her first major stage role was on Broadway in Hair (1968), and in 1969 she was cast in Woody Allen’s Broadway play Play It Again, Sam. She recreated that role for the 1972 film version, the first of eight films she’s made with Allen. The most successful was, of course, Annie Hall (1977), in which she played a character based on herself and earned an Oscar as Best Actress. Few actresses have appeared in as many classic films as Keaton, or done so in the course of so long a career. Her filmography includes The Godfather (1972), The Godfather: Part II (1974), Manhattan (1979), Reds (1981), Crimes of the Heart (1986), Baby Boom (1987), Father of the Bride (1991), The First Wives Club (1996), Marvin’s Room and Something’s Gotta Give (2003). She has earned four Oscar nominations in four different decades, for Annie Hall, Reds, Marvin’s Room and Something’s Gotta Give. Asked if she has a favourite of her films, though, she didn’t hesitate. “I do have a favourite,” she said, “and it will always be Annie Hall. Annie Hall gave me my life. That film gave me the opportunity to be in the movies I’m in today and to write my books. I’m eternally grateful.” The actress is the author of several books, including two memoirs: Then Again (Random House, 2011) and Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty (Random House, 2014). “I really enjoy writing,” she said. “My mother enjoyed writing too. I love how I can sit down and express myself on the page. I can think about my mother and father or the beautiful men and write it down. It’s really fun for me. -Cindy Pearlman/The New York Times News Service

SINGER Justin Bieber thinks Selena Gomez “looked gorgeous” at the Met Gala 2015 but the former couple only exchanged a few words at the event. The 21-year-old singer, who split from Gomez last October after more than four years of dating, randomly paid her a compliment while being mobbed by fans here after the event. “Selena looked gorgeous at the Met Ball” while posing for photographs, Bieber told tmz.com. The former couple appeared to be on good terms but didn’t spend much time together, as the Canadian singer was dancing and having a great time with his friends, including Kendall Jenner, Usher and Hailey Baldwin — who he was also linked to earlier this year. -IANS

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Reese Witherspoon’s banner to adapt ‘Second Life’ ACTORS Reese Witherspoon and producer Bruna Papandrea’s Pacific Standard banner is developing a film adaptation of S.J. Watson’s thriller novel Second Life. Second Life centres on a woman who creates an online persona to find the truth behind her sister’s violent murder — and starts to lose herself in the lies she creates, reported variety.com. Witherspoon and Papandrea teamed with Warner Bros to produce action-comedy Hot Pursuit, which stars Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara has already released. An adaptation of Watson’s mystery novel Before I Go to Sleep was released last year with Nicole Kidman, Mark Strong, Colin Firth and Anne-Marie Duff starring. Witherspoon and Papandrea formed Pacific Standard in 2012 in order to fill the vacuum for movies with female protagonists. They have produced Wild, Gone Girl and Hot Pursuit so far.

Amy marries artist Darren in a low key ceremony ACTRESS Amy Adams and artist Darren LeGallo exchanged vows in a ceremony with just a small number of guests in attendance. The duo married in California on Saturday, reported femaleﬁrst.co.uk. “Amy and Darren had always planned on getting married, but her career has been on such an amazing trajectory, it has been hard for her to take the time out. But now she has deliberately taken some time off work to be with her family and ﬁnally get married,” said a source. The couple have been together for 14 years and got engaged in 2008.

Kylie Jenner slammed for taking selfie while driving STAR Kylie Jenner was flooded with criticism after she posted an Instagram image showing her taking selfie while driving. The critics consider the 17-year-old’s action dangerous and “stupid.” The Keeping Up with The Kardashians star shared the photograph on Sunday. The image was taken while Jenner was driving her Mercedes SUV on a freeway here, reported aceshowbiz.com. The photograph showed Jenner steering the wheel with right hand while using her left hand to take the image. -IANS

CA N NES FILM FESTI VA L 2015 From A-listers to up-and-coming directors, here’s what to expect from the prestigious festival this year

he Brits: The British aren’t coming! Mike Leigh and Ken Loach were in competition in 2014, but UK ﬁlms are conspicuous by their absence from Cannes this year, the exception being a midnight screening of Asif Kapadia’s Amy Whitehouse documentary, Amy. On the bright side, there are British producers behind Todd Haynes’s Carol, a 1950s-set romance between Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, while Film4 has funded four contenders. But it’s a shame that new ﬁlms by Ben Wheatley, Stephen Frears, and Terence Davies weren’t ready in time to bathe in the Cannes spotlight — or else they weren’t good enough. The A-listers: Where to begin? Perhaps with Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, who will burn rubber in Mad Max: Fury Road whose world premiere, out-ofcompetition, will take place on the second day of the festival. Other starry combinations set to be smiling outside the Palais des Festivals include Vincent Cassel and Salma Hayek, getting

weird in Tale of Tales, a Gilliamesque fairy-tale horror from the director of Gomorrah; Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotil-lard, strutting their Shakespearean stuff in Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth; and Matthew McConaughey and Naomi Watts in Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Trees. The ones to watch: Yorgos Lanthimos’s very odd Dogtooth made him an art-house darling in 2009. But the Greek director’s international profile is set to soar courtesy of The Lobster, a sci-fi comedy starring Rachel Weisz, Colin Farrell, John C Reilly and Léa Seydoux. It’s set in a hotel in a dystopian future, where the residents must find a spouse within 45 days to avoid being turned into wild animals. Meanwhile a newbie writer-director to look out for is Sweden’s Magnus von Horn whose debut feature The Here After, about a young jail-bird’s return to society, screens in the more experimental Director’s Fortnight lineup and its pedigree is promising — its Polish cinematographer is Lukasz Zal, who was Oscarnominated this year for Ida.

Tips for victory: Italy’s Paolo Sorrentino nabbed the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film last year with his Fellini-esque masterpiece The Great Beauty, so his follow-up, Youth, starring Michael Caine as a retired conductor, must be a Palme d’Or frontrunner. Japan’s Hirozaku Koreeda, cinema’s most tender observer of family life, won the Jury Prize with Like Father, Like Son in 2013, so hopes are high for Our Little Sister, a drama about four sisters sharing their late grandmother’s house. And watch out for Denis Villeneuve’s mob thriller, Sicario, with Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro. One of the Jury members, Jake Gyllenhaal, starred in Villeneuve’s last two ﬁlms, Prisoners and Enemy, so it’s safe to say that he’s a fan. New this year: A new ruling — no selﬁes. The Festival’s director, Thierry Frémaux, believes that taking a photo of yourself is “ridiculous and grotesque”, and will discourage celebs from the practice. Interesting fact: Last year, Michel Hazanavicius’s The

Search and Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner were both two-and-ahalf hours long, but they were mere trifles compared to Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Palme d’Or-winner, Winter Sleep, which ran for 196 minutes. However, all of this year’s competition films are mercifully short . Where to party: A brief stagger from the Palais des Festivals, there are club nights in every beach bar and hotel: the roof of the Marriott houses Cannes’ quintessential Euro-trash popup club. Away from La Croisette, the Villa Oxygène is the place for pool parties, while the Hotel du Cap offers old-school glamour at its Vanity Fair dinner. All you need now is an invite. What to say: “The official lineup isn’t bad, but what do you think about this year’s Quinzaine des Réalisateurs? Or Director’s Fortnight, to translate.” What not to say: “Are Sly and Arnie due back? Last year’s Expendables 3 press conference was my highlight.” The Cannes film festival runs from 13 to 25 May, visit festival-cannes.com. - Nicholas Barber/The Independent

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M T H U R S DAY, M AY 7, 2 0 1 5

SECTION

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

RENT

VACANCY

CARGO

T H U R S D AY, M AY 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR RENT

Showroom for rent 200 m in Al Misfah, Bousher facing the main road. Contact 95202430

First ﬂoor one unit ﬂat 3 bed, 3 bathrooms, hall, sitting, dining at Ghubra South. Contact 98087644

New building, residential apartments and offices, in Al Khoud Souq. Contact 95202340

2 BHK (with split AC) residential ﬂat at Honda road. Contact 98087644 / 99795241

Deluxe 1, 2 BHK ﬂats in Darsait, AL Khuwair 1deal for office & residence.# 99369081 /99142314 2BHK with split AC in W. K behind Sana Fashion. contact 96708000 1& 2BHK for rent at Wadi Kabir, Hilal Al Sad and Al Khoud areas . Contact Office: 24834644 Mobile: 93994401/02/03 Flat for rent, 2 BK near Kuwaiti Mosque, Wadi Kabir. Contact 97007934 / 92629232 Flat for rent 2 BK near Oman House Muttrah. Contact 97007934 / 92629232 2 bedroom ﬂat for rent in Azaiba near Mitsubishi showroom, Rent 300/-. Contact : 92447365 Flat for rent 2 bedroom +1sitting room + 3 bathroom + 1 kitchen with store + store + (building is security + gym) 460 RO in Ruwi- Mumtaz area. Contact 95135445 New Building in Mutrah, 2 B/D Room Flat + Setting Room,3 Baths+ Kitchen with split unit Ac’s. Behind Khimiji’s main office/opposite to Oman House Call 99419712

One BHK ﬂat for rent in Ghobra with attach and common bathroom. For Indian family. # - 92322096

Ware House & office space. Contact 99024730

Two bedroom Flat Available at Darsait/Near Muscat Municipality/ Call 99107588

C.B.D 2BHK. Contact 99024730

1, 2 & 3 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181

House for rent 4 bedroom, one toilet, one kitchen, 1 living room at Muttrah, near Health Center way 1614. Contact 92665121

10 BHK villa in Al Khuwair 25. Contact 99792181

Independent rooms in Qurum /Al Hail. Contact 95529970

Ground ﬂoor ﬂat in Mabela South with 2 big room & living room, 3 toilets, kitchen, small store & hall. Contact 93295953

1BHK, 2 toilets at South Ghubra include E/W and AC split with fully furnished OMR 350/-.# 92811110

200 Sqr mtrs office space in CBD. Contact 99792181

Flats for rent near Indian School in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99777122

Labour Camp for rent in Wadikabir. Contact 99792181

1, 2, 3, BHK ﬂats. Contact: 97799175

2 BHK Flat in Rex Road. Contact 99792181 2 BHK ﬂat in Ruwi. Contact 99792181 1 BHK new bldg with A/C, curtains near Khimji Mart MBD. Contact: 99061408 / 99024039 2BHK Al Khuwair. Contact : 99024730

6B/R villa in Al Ghubra / 3B/R flat in Ruwi Mumtaz / 4B/R (2flats bldg) in Al Khoudh. Contact 99776071/ 99057348 1/3 BHK Flat Ghubrah, close to ISG Way 4041, building 4390. Contact 99319880 If require flats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send me messages through whatsapp or call 99376454

Villa for rent with 4 bedroom at Al Khodh, Rent 600/-RO.#92888115 2 Bed room Portion of a Villa for rent at Honda road, Rent 225/-RO. (For Indain family) Contact: 91218273 2 bedrooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Ruwi behind Boys school. Contact 92584715 / 24700120 1BHK flat near star cinema with split A/C 230/- O.R. Contact 99358589/ 97079146/95570288 Studio flat Wadi Kabeer 160/-O.R. Contact - 99358589 / 97079146/ 95570288 Bath attached room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569 Furnished flats for rent in Al Buraimi, daily, weekly, monthly. Contact 97819981 / 93593336 New furnished flat at Amerat 3BHK, 3Toilets RO230 pm. Contact 95113797 Shop for rent Misk house bldg Walja area near Honda road. Contact 99312674 / 96917934 Apartments for rent Ghubra : near Indian School Ghubra & Al Maha International Hotel (2BHK with 5 split A/C units).Contact 99273774 / 99202278 /94652485 1 Bedroom bachelors, sharing K & T in Al Khuwair R.O 100/-. Contact 95154331

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879 3 bedroom flat for rent in Al Hamria Contact: 99341112 Room main road, Al Khuwair R.O 110/-. Contact 97799175 2 B/R Apartment Luxury Fully Furnished @ Azaiba Near Zubair Showroom. 2 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33. 1 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33. 3 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 25. 5 B/R Villa - Fully Furnished at Madinat Al Ilam. Contact - Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC / 24783341- 24834888/ 99249069 / 92888376/ 93201688 Email: info@alshahiintl.com New 3 bedroom flats split AC, attached toilets available behind Kims Oman Hospital. Contact 95225662 2 BHK & studio flat at Darsait 1SM. Contact 99024730 Room with attached bathroom Al Khuwair 33 area. Contact 96059431 Villa in Al Khuwair and Seeb. Contact 95250300/ 99119699 / 92125648

3000 sq mtrs Industrial landß, in Barka Sanaiya, with electricity 400KW, shed, staff accommodation and office. Ready to start any kind of factory. Contact 99384255. 3 Office space available between 120-142 sqm, with data cable, pantry, cassette AC, parking, @ RO. 5/- per/sqm. At Jibroo Muttrah. 2 BHK flat at Azaiba, behind Al Meera Hypermarket. RO. 330/-.Contact: 93221054, 99229263, 95215289 Industrial land for rent in Wadi Kabir 7000 Sq mtrs. Contact 99354340 Labour camp for Rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99797422 1 Bedroom flat in Azaiba. Contact 99385835/99428143 For rent flats, shops, villas in Al Hail, Mawalih, Ruwi, Khuwair, special prices, fast service. Contact 98588240 / 24487033 Flats shops and store for rent in MBD area, Honda rood and Rex Road. Contact 92433127 / 97293708/ 95150632 Ghubra near Al Maha hotel & Indian school (2BHK with 5 split ac units). Contact 94652485/ 99273774 / 99202278

T H U R S DAY, M AY 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

AVAILABLE

BUYING / SELLING

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. www.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

Used household & office furniture and electronic items. Contact 99834373, 97102699

FOR SALE FOR SALE Fabrication machinery & tools in excellent condition for immediate sale. # 94652485 / 99273774 / 99202278. Furnished office for sale at Walja. Contact 99024272 / 95604205 558 Sq mtrs residential land in Barka (Al Jenainah) near Lulu and near to school. OMR 32 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Beauty parlour for sale. Serious buyers. Contact 99609265 Shop for sale Al Khoudh. Contact 92820541 Expat leaving, furniture for sale. Contact 99224702 For running beauty saloon for sale. Contact 97786792 / 96914627 Restaurant for sale well running with open area and good parking area. 3 new clearance also in Wadi Kabeer near Mars hyper market. Contact 99656863

FOR RENT Flat for rent 1 & 2 bedroom available behind Zaker Mall Al Khuwair. Contact - 99530405 For rent 3 industrial land. Contact 92702891/ 95490842 1BHK with A/C in Ghubra 250/R.O. Contact 97799175 New one B/R directly from owner Behind Bank Muscat Bausher. Contact 92158031 New 2B/R flats with split unit D/C & free Internet & office space available at Al Khuwair near Mustafa Sultan Philips showroom. # 99460330 2BHK at Azaiba, 2 bedrooms, 1 hall, dining, 3 bath rooms. Contact 99224748 / 99425665 Big flat in Al Khuwair 33, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sitting, dining, family lounge, kitchen, store with A/C, rent 550/- OMR. # 97278169 2BHK at Honda road, 2 bedrooms, 1 hall, 2 bath rooms. Contact 99224748 / 99332297 1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco. OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and boundary wall will be provided. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Residential land for sale 21000 sqm, best for housing complex at Al Harm – Barka, opp to Khimji logistic. Contact 99438397 2BHK Flats for families at Azaiba next to Al Meera Hyper Market. Contact : 96457757 Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat. Contact 99349526 Spacious 2 BHK flats in Ruwi MBD area only on 350/- OMR. Contact – 95122188 / 96441499

M.V. FOR SALE 40 FT Seaworthy used containers for sale located in Sur and Sohar in very good condition. Contact 99771466 Used Furniture of Ready made showroom for Sale.contact 24704370, 99798452 (Ashwin) Port cabin new & refurbished – porta cabin for sale & rent. Contact 96723468 / 97775501 / 97775502 60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in Misfah, can be changed to Industrial Land. OMR 27 Per Square Meter. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 All the fittings and equipment for sale from a closed restaurant. Contact : 99425461 1BHK Ruwi & Wadi Kabir. Contact 99024730 Shopping center for sale at Bousher by good price 400 m2 with all equipment. Reason for selling part-time. Contact 92916490 Shfandish & tables for sale. Contact 99368907 House hold shop / Empty shop for sale Al Hail Zam Zam line. Contact 97039497 Solid metal scrap & scaffoldings/ jacks for immediate sale. Contact 94652485 / 99273774 / 99202278. A Building in CBD opposite to the central bank of 3100 Sq mtr built up area of expected rent of 205 K per annum for 1 million 350 thousands. Contact 95330200 2,560 sq mtrs industrial land in Wadi Kabir. First line on way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to make petrol station or hotel. OMR 1 Million. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in Bousher: OMR 35 Thousand each. Monthly income OMR 270 Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 2 residential Lands together, one 610 and the other 600 sq mtrs, in Al Haram on way to Barka. OMR 49 Thousand both. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 3 floor commercial building in Muttrah behind Police. Generating income of OMR 18 Thousand annually. Neat and well maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR 207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka. OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

ACC. AVAILABLE

DRIVING

Sharing for non-cooking Executive bachelor in CBD area wi ﬁ free, advance deposit. Contact 95934642 Furnished room in Ruwi for non cooking Executive bachelor. Contact 94412557 Sharing accommodation available opp. to oman house at Muttrah, for executive bachelors. Contact 92506852 Room for rent with fully furnished available for non-cooking executive bachelor (preferably Indian/ Srilanka).near to GMC’ behind Bausher Baladiya. Price OMR: 175/- inclusive of Wiﬁ, Elect & water. Contact 97373888.

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact : 99542393 Transportation Contact 99159277

2010 Camry GCC 94000 KM, automatic, valid insurance price RO 3700. Contact 91322757

For sale 18 Ton Mitsubishi 2014. Contact 95292503 call between 5 pm -10 pm

Mercedes delivery van 2002. Contact 99755644

Pajero 2010, GCC, 230000 km white 6200/- R.O. Contact 92857111

Kia Rio, Maroon Colour, 7300 kms Done, Very good condition, Insurance valid till March 2016, Price OMR 3800/- Contact 95793970

Freezer Trucks Volvo Scania Mercedes Benz 10 & 12 & 18 Ton & 40 Ft good condition. Contact 99890151 / 99814635

Land Cruiser 2012. #99336093

Expat owned car for sale in Sohar. Nissan-Altima 3.5V-SL (Topend). 2013 Model, bought Jan 2014. Only 25000 km. As good as showroom condition. Contact +968 97752903.

Hyundai Elantra model 2015 km 37712, 1.6 cc, 10 months used, price 4650. Contact 99170202 Nissan Sunny 2007, 1.6, automatic, good condition km 1,48000. Contact 99781671 Mazda 3 model KMS 140,000 fully automatic single driven company maintained. Contact 92302159

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40 ton petrol tank each working at the moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35 Thousand each. Contact 97000155 or 92688692

Transportation. Contact: 98505294 Family room available for rent at Muttrah Souk. Contact 24712088 / 99022790

House shifting & transporting. Contact 92490422

Single room available at Hamriyah. Contact 92390266

Transportation. Contact 99508282

Mohd Jahangir has lost Indian Passport No. A 0298279. Finder please handover to ROP

Single room & AC attached bath at Mumtaz area. Contact 95212017 & 93103337

Transportation. Contact 94087276

Vengara Viswanathan has lost Indian Passport No. G 2990452. Finder please handover to ROP.

Building of 2ﬂoors in Al Hail, each 3Bedrooms, 3bathrooms, Sitting room, lounge, kitchen, store Contact 92817777 Sharing accommodation available Wadi Kabir attached room with sharing, kitchen. Contact 96575016 1B/R available for bachelors in REX ROAD, Ruwi. Contact 99889590 Sharing acc. Available in Muttrah behind Oman house. Contact 99354340 Sharing family accommodation in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99335057 Accommodation available for South Indian family, one bedroom with attached toilet, kitchen, hall in a villa, Al Ghubrah. Contact 99209160

Transport to ISWK. Contact 93172589 Pick & Drop any time. Contact 97014786

LOST Indian passport number F6650837, name - Jaikishin Mahadevmal Makhija. If found please contact 99335013 / 95194007 I, Imran Abbas Khan, (Pakistani National) have lost my passport bearing number TM4102983 at Salalah/Muscat Airport on 27 April 2015. Anyone who ﬁnds it, kindly contact me at +96899299790 or send it to Pakistan Embassy, at Building No. 1702, Way No. 2133, MSQ, P.O. Box. 1302, PC 112, Muscat Oman.

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

LOST

CHANGE OF NAME We Sanjeev Dayal (name of father as per the passport holder of Indian passport No H 6683364 and Aparna Vasundhara (name of the mother, holder of Indian passport No. G 5644364) having permanent address in Dayal House, H. No 619 Shastry Nagar Ramna Muzaffarpur Bihar, (complete postal address in India) and presently residing at the following address in Oman (Muscat), P.B. No. 572 P.C. No. 122, Sultanate of Oman, hereby solemnly affirm and declare to change the name of our child Miss Soumya (name as per present passport), holder of Indian passport No. K 0796262 date of issue 05/03/2012 issued at Muscat. The name of our child will be henceforth known as Soumya (Given name) Dayal (Sur Name) (new name) for all purposes. Any objection towards change of name of our minor child may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, PB No. 1727, PC 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman. We Sanjeev Dayal (name of father as per the passport holder of Indian passport No H 6683364 and Aparna Vasundhara (name of the mother, holder of Indian passport No. G 5644364) having permanent address in Dayal House, H. No 619 Shastry Nagar, Ramna Muzafarpur Bihar, (complete postal address in India) and presently residing at the following address in Oman (Muscat), P.B. No. 572 P.C. No. 122, Sultanate of Oman, hereby solemnly affirm and declare to change the name of our child Miss Sahil (name as per present passport), holder of Indian passport No. K 0796126 date of issue 05/03/2012 issued at Muscat. The name of our child will be henceforth known as Sahil (Given name) Dayal (Sur Name) (new name) for all purposes. Any objection towards change of name of our minor child may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, PB No. 1727, PC 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

T H U R S D AY, M AY 7, 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT Wanted urgently Full Time Cook for an Omani family Salary R.O.250/Kindly send your CV to alraid@alraidgroup.com

or contact 24567070 SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Pakistani male B.Com /PGD having 2 years experience in Accounting and Inventory ﬁeld seeking suitable job, on visit visa. Contact 94129550

ACCOUNTANT

ENGI./ELECT./TECH..

MEDICAL

Urgently required Accountant with valid Oman D/L. Send your CV to accounts@progroupoman.com

Available heavy equipment Mechanic Driver’s Operators Civil Engineers with Oman GCC license ready. Medical and hundred helpers. Contact: 98408488 / 97784397 Email: alkubratrading@gmail.com

Wanted female Gynecologist, female Staff Nurse -2 no, Dentist, Dental Technician with MOH license for Al Saadi specialized Medical Centre in Mussana. Contact 92025033

Road construction Demolition Company invites equipments for long term on rental basis. 10 Nos. Tipper 18 Cu. M, 5 Nos. 3 Axle tippers, 5 Nos. Excavators, Showel, Roller & Grader. Payment - 60 days. Contact 99454425

SALES / MARKETING

Cosmetic leading company is looking for: professionally qualiﬁed and experienced Accountant. Please email your CV at maryanaoman@hotmail.com Urgently required for a newly opened shopping center in Ghubra: 1) Omani Lady – as Cashier, 2) Part time Accountant. Send CV to info@dolphin-oman.com or fax to 24492718 Urgently required: Junior Accountant and Store keeper with 3 years experience in building construction and immediately join. Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com

ADMIN Young experienced English speaking telephone operator wanted. Contact 99466062

CATERING Shawarma /BBQ/Tandoor /helper wanted. Contact 95529970

DRIVER Urgently required for Omani Family: a private driver with minor knowledge of domestic maintenance. Contact 93387962. Looking for freelance driver with car in Mabela industrial area. Contact 24460287 / 96220165

DOMESTIC HELPER Housekeeper / nanny looking for full time job (ﬁlipina) Contact: 91758581 or 95784531 Wanted fulltime Housemaid or houseboy for Indian family in Azaiba. Contact 97448484

EDUCATION A school requires teachers for English, Science, Math, IT and Science Laboratory technician minimum requirements masters degree IELTS (band6). Contact send CV to: 96606121. Email: fred-cate2@yahoo.com

ENGI./ELECT./TECH.. Required Quantity Surveyor for Salalah, min 5 years experience. Email: hussainbaomar2@gmail.com Urgently required a SERVICE ENGINEER with B.Tech or Diploma for a heavy equipment trading ﬁrm. Applicants should have 3-5 years experience. Apply to jobtechoman@gmail.com Required Civil Foreman with electrical/plumbing 5 yrs experience with Oman driving license. Contact 94652485 / 99273774 / 99202278. We are looking for the post of diesel mechanic -2, thermo king mechanic -2, denting worker -1, Painter -1, Marketing & Sales -1 (with Oman light license), GCC experience 3 years clearance are available. Contact : 99890151 / 95160851/ 99814635 Email: hiralal.rajgor@yahoo.com

Required heavy Driver, Operators for Excavator, Grader, Dozer & Showel. Contact : 99454425

HOSPITALITY A reputed hotel has a requirement for front desk Receptionist (Omani). Apply to benoyjacob2@gmail.com Contact: 94146486 / 92883346

MANAGER Multinational Consultant Hiring, Senior: Architect/ Design Manager/ Project manager above 10 Years’ Experience, Senior: MEP & Site Engineers Above 5 years’ experience. Send CV: lvjob2015@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Wanted for immediate appointment HSE officers - degree in safety engineering, Electrical site engineers- degree in electrical engineering, linemen class C- transmission – basic qualiﬁcation. Gulf exp is preferred for all posts. Apply with bio data to – hr_oman1@yahoo.com immediately

MEDICAL Urgent! Omani healthcare company looking for a smart proactive marketing executive cum product specialist, with strong English communication skills and clinical microbiology/biotechnology background, for medical equipment division. Omani driving license is a must. Candidates with experience in laboratory diagnostics will be given preference. Mail your CV to: vacancymedeq@gmail.com Wanted doctor or any person to run a medical complex & pharmacy in Salalah. Contact : 95675488 / 99480068 Wanted Medical Lab Technician (male or female) for a reputed polyclinic. Contact 97101062 or send Email : arunjeni11@gmail.com Aesthetic and laser center in Oman seeking full time dermatologist with experience in cosmetology (Botox Fillers) good English as MOH license required. Package upon the experience and skills. For more information. Contact 00968 95233442 email: history@omantel.net.om Urgently required Staff Nurse, Pharmacist and endodontist Female Staff nurse, Pharmacist and endodntist with MOH License/Prometric exam passed with 60% and above. # 24780088, 97374459 Email : karamadental@gmail.com Immediate placement ( with or without MOH) A. Pharmacist 3 nos B. Asst.pharmacist - 2 nos Contact Tel.99338219 , 93240949

Sales Executive male / female experience 2 years of travel agency experience. Interested candidate shall send his / her CV to officer1_ajyad@yahoo.com Urgently required 26 yrs & above with 2 +years experience in sales, marketing, Business development / production controlling in FMCG. Contact : 98989620 Email: contact@sixarfoods.com Software company is recruiting minimum 3-5 years experienced Omanis for Sales Manager position. Interested candidates are requested to send their resume to omansupport@gmail.com A leading software company urgently requires marketing person with minimum 4-5 years experience in Oman market with good communication skills and driving license - Omani / expats with release. Fax 24564459 Email: mhca@mhabibgroup.com Reputed ﬁrm in Oman is looking out for experienced Sales Executives with driver’s license (knowledge in building materials will be added advantage) and an experienced Secretary. Please forward your CV along with recent photograph to: Email: sivakumar649@hotmail.com A company at Muscat looking for a senior salesman of building materials who has minimum 3 years experience & NOC as well. Contact no 93991932 A reputed media advertising & publishing company looking for female Sales Executives. Send CV to job08080@gmail.com or Contact 91408005 Software company looking for Telesales Executives – Female, with minimum 2 years of experience. Suitable candidates can send their resume to omanerpsales@gmail.com Required Salesman for a press and preferably if he has valid driving license. Kingdom of Creative Press. Contact 99520777 Email: alibda.d@gmail.com A leading Marble & Granite Trading company looking for Experienced Sr. Sales Executive with D/L. Send CV with details : jskanchan01@gmail.com immediately. Required Sales man - 1 Person Qualiﬁcation. Gulf Experienced - Minimum 5 Years with Oman Driving Licence Language - English Education:- Any Degree Further Contact :Mr. Abdul Hameed Nashabat - Mobile No: 97414307 and -92807399 amn@yaqeeneng.com

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Required Office Assistant 160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425

TOURS Counter staff male/female experience 2 years of travel agency experience. Interested candidate shall send his / her CV to officer1_ajyad@yahoo.com

Indian male M.Com, 5 years experience in finance /HR and Purchase department in Oman companies having valid D/L available to join immediately with NOC. Contact 98363897 Email: prince9496@hotmail.com Indian male, B.Com Graduate having 10 years exp 6 years in Oman looking for an Accountant job. Contact : 93830171 Email: nidbivtl@yahoo.com 27, male ACCA with 4 years of work experience in a reputed company looking for a suitable position in accounts / finance. Contact 98489141 MBA (international business) from London, 4 years of UK experience in banking operational, looking for suitable position. Contact 91710075 ACCA affiliate & B.Com hons with NOC, morc than 5 years of experience in accounting & finance looking for a suitable job car join immediately. Contact 97012146 Indian female B.Com PGDCA, Tally -9, 10 years exp in Accounts & HR at Oman. Contact 93726921 / 99058722 30 yrs Indian B.Com 7 yrs experience looking for job in accounts, Admin department. Contact 91935828 Indian Chartered Accountant post qualification experience 22 years working in Muscat since July 2011. Senior position seeks suitable change. NOC available. Contact 94201290 Email: chakjain37@yahoo.com M.Com, CA (Article ship), 15 years Gulf experience looking for suitable position in finance & account on visit visa, valid up to 10/07/2015. Contact: 97135855 / 94097305 Email: altabhossain2008@hotmail.com Tanzanian male, 25 yrs Accountant 3 month successful experience in Tanzania looking for suitable placement in any field. Contact : 96710154 Indian male management (banking & finance) worked with multinational bank skill in MS Office SQL etc. Contac 94693310 Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting . NOC available. Contact 96209331 India Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to finalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placment. contact 93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com Indian male, 32 years, M. Com. 7 out of 9 years experience in Oman in Accounts/finance. Having NOC and valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143, Email: anzarks@gmail.com Finance / Accounts Manager 12 years experience at senior position in leading companies 9 years in Oman CPA – USA& modern accounting certificate from AUC. Contact 99139926 Indian male with total 5 year experience (2 years experience in Accountant cum sales co ordinator in a FMCG Company in Oman) in accounts field and NOC available Looking for suitable job Contact 92130188 MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in finance/accounts/ auditing. Specialized in accounts payable dept, Oracle app user, proficient in Sap (fico) end user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma certified trainer on visit visa. Contact – 91967213 / 99064780 Part time Accountant with 15 years experience in accounts, finance tax, audit management. Contact 95857199

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian male MBA finance, 6 years experience finance & accounting, specially in Oil & Gas now on visit visa. Contact 94327063 Email: shabab3939@yahoo.com Indian female qualification BBA Finance exp 7 years in Media Advertising (Branch Manager) looking job in Media Accounts / HR /Admin. Contact 91342861 Email: indrabhushan23@gmail.com Education M.Com Finance experience 4 years, 7 months, 3 other course IELETS British Council, software ERP Oracle Tally ERP designation Chief Accountant. Contact +968 96744752 Email: rehmanmushtaq786@gmail.com Accountant 35 years India male 8 years experience in accounts up to finalization & Admin with Oman D/L. Contact 92838233 Email: salihkkc@gmail.com Indian male 26 Years, MBA Finance with 3 years experience in Accounting Field, on visit visa, looking for an opening - Contact 96435141 Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate 1 year exp in Accounts, currently on visit visa. Looking for suitable job. Contact 94341848 / Email – mohdhaji7272@gmail.com

ADMIN/HR Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR. joing immediatly. release available. Contact :93671437

AUTO CAD Indian male draft man, 3 D visualiser, 18 month experience in Oman driving license. Contact 96285891 / 98414107 Email: prasadvv4u@gmail.com

CATERING Young Bangladeshi male 26 knowing coffee shop work as waiter or sandwich maker or juice maker, presently in Bangladesh if any employer need. Contact with his brother 92278538

DRIVER Driver looking for job. Contact 94195818 Driver with car and electrician, 3 years experience looking for job. Contact 92041902 Light driver available, 4 years experience in Oman language English, Hindi & Arabic. Contact 96162027 Looking for job light duty driver well experience in Oman. # 96749970

ADMIN/HR Need job LTV exp driver Pakistani. Contact 94436276 India Female MBA 3 Year Experience in Admin MIS. Contact 98234427, jkjsmith01@gmail.com Omani national ﬂuent in English looking for suitable placement. Contact 91908052 Indian Female, 34 yrs, B.Com, Knowledge in MS Office & Tally, exp in accounting & admin seek suitable placement 99199710/96744965 Indian female Post Graduate with 5 years experience in HR & Admin looking for good opportunity. Contact 94692244 Omani experience in the legal, administrative, public relations, education. Contact 97243393 Email: mwm3003@gmail.com Female Expat, 10 yrs exp in Oman with valid driving License as a project co ordinator, tenders documentation, Admin & HR.NOC available, looking for suitable job. Tel no.93285538. Email:shabana1405@gmail.com Over 15 years of gulf experience in Admin /HR /Logistics, ﬂuent in Arabic & English with D/L looking for suitable position. Contact 95824598 B.A graduate with 8 years experience (2 years in Oman) in admin / business development and sustainably (green buildings) on visit visa. Contact 91626216 Indian female with 10 yrs of experience in HR/Banking/Operations seeks a suitable placement. Can be contacted on 98919015 or sherianne.coelho@gmail.com Female 26, 3 yrs exp in HR & Admin, with Oman D/L, looking for a suitable opening. Contact 98236033

Driver looking for job exp 15 years. Contact 95904566 Light driver, 4 years exp need job. Contact 94208089 Bangladeshi male looking for driving job. Contact 98066704 Pakistani male Light Duty Driver, past 4 years at Oman.Contact 96134311 White car with driver. Contact 96771598 Looking for job light duty driver and office boy experience 2 years. Contact 95789583 Driver looking for job. Contact 99748264 Indian male looking for driver job. Contact 93051674 Driver looking for job. contact 94435912 Light Vehicle Driver requires job in any transportation / private co. Contact 96015617 Driver looking for job. Contact 92137431 Light duty driver looking job experience 4years Oman. Contact 96088707

DESIGNER Interior Designer Syrian Nationality one year experience in design. Contact 95246737 Email: yassalnajjar@gmail.com Female architect bachelor, 4 yrs experience (internal & external design, project coordinate, office management) with valid Oman D/L NOC available. Contact 94348074

T H U R S DAY, M AY 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

EDUCATION Indian female (M.Com B.Ed) 3 years experience in teaching commerce subjects, seeks placement. Contact 94256332 Indian female MSc, MPHIL Chemistry currently on visit visa, 3 years teaching experience seeks immediate placement. Contact 96916534 Indian female Graduate 26 yrs having 3 years exp in teaching seeks a suitable position in the ﬁeld of biology. Contact 99341926 Indian female B.Ed M.SC Organic Chemistry 3 years experience looking for suitable job. Contact 91006851 Indian female 32 yrs, BSc, MCA , 3+ years teaching experience in India and 3 yrs exp in technical side in Muscat, Oman seeks suitable placement in teaching. Contact 96124929 B.Ed & BCA Indian female with 5 yrs exp in teaching primary section in Dubai currently looking for appropriate placement in teaching. Email: rani_sweet786@live.com contact: 97384206 Sudanese male BSC electronic Engineer 2 years experience in GSM, 10 years experience in oil industry (Drilling & Measurements). Contact 91198104 Email: husseintalat@hotmail.com Sudanese BSC industrial Engineer experience 4 yrs in QA /QC and 8 yrs in production. Contact 94041960 Email: mekkimedani@hotmail.com / mekkimedani78@gmail.com

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian- B.E.-MBA having 25 years Experience. Last 12 years in Oil & Gas Sector in Oman. Indian Male ,4 year experience as Safety Officer with NEBOSH currently on visit visa. Contact 9565910,email: yadavchandan287@gmail.com Marine Engineer, Filipino, 33 years old, seeking for suitable job in Oman with 8 years work experience. Contact Number-96627685 Indian male 22 Mechanical Diploma holder Engg with HVAC certiﬁed, having 1 year exp. seeking suitable position. Currently available on visit visa. Contact - 92835952 Omani Mechanical Engineer, has 3 years experience ,has HSE, H2S, Riggers/Banks men Permit, Drawing / cad, SCBA, Safety Leadership and Initial Fire Response Courses. good with computer and English language looking for suitable job. Contact 99224319-98454500 Indian male 24 years, Mechanical Engineer,pdms.1 yr experience in pipeline,16years in oman seeking immediate placement Contact 95775742 B.E (Mechanical), Indian male 8 years experience (HVAC – 4 years, operation / production / maintenance, 4 years) looking suitable position. Contact 96696190 Email: faisalmnz@gmail.com Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer skills and 2 years experience as associate research analyst (Media Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seeking growth oriented jobs. Contact 92044603 /918056169148 or angeline.babithac@gmail.com. 25 yrs (f) B.Tech (Civil) 2 yrs in Oman (QS & Tendering) Estimation. Contact 91228615 Education +2 Diploma Mechanical Engineering skills 2 C (Non destructive testing) experience 1 year 6 months company GB Engineering Pvt Ltd S.D Engineering pvt ltd. Position Production Engineer, Production Supervisor. Contact 99799237

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian- B.E.-MBA having 25 years Experience. Last 12 years in Oil & Gas Sector in Oman. Business Development /Sales. Looking opening in Oil Gas Trading/Drilling Service Companies as GM/ Country Manager/ Business Development Manager. Email : gmbdm2015oilandgas@gmail.com; Contact -94688594 Mechanical Design Engineer, 7 years of experience in Piping Design & Development, with good sound knowledge of AutoCAD, AUTOPLANT 3D,CATIA/V5,SOLIDWORKS,etc Looking for a suitable position. NOC available. Contact :+968-94549776, ashrafvpt@yahoo.co.in Expatriate male MBA marketing and engineering working in Oman having valid D/L available to join immediately with NOC and release. Contact 94553097 Indian male, 24 yrs B.Tech (MECH) on visit 1 year experience as PPC Engineer looking for suitable placement. Has, HVAC, AutoCAD and CATIA designing skills. Contact: 98925685 Indian male Senior Site Engineer (Diploma) having total 11 years experience in GCC, 7 years in Dubai and 4 years Oman. With valid Omani driving license, seeking for suitable position in building construction field, NOC available. Contact 97943703 / 93458841 Email: georgesaji77@gmail.com 3Years Experienced Indian Male Electronics & Telecommunication Engineer Seeks Suitable Job in Electronics Design and or Relevant Field in Muscat. Ph.99286081. Sudanese looking for job as Desktop Support Engineering good experience in UAE and Saudi Arabia. Contact: 94519363 PIPE fitter 3 years experience CS pipe DSS pipe, SS PIPE, P.D.O permit holder seeks suitable placement in only P.D.O areas seeking urgently. Contact 92533253 Civil Engineer (DCE) Indian male with 20 years experience, 10 years in Oman worked with reputed consultancy and contracting companies as RE, PE, PM and did projects for MOD and PDO with D/L Seeks suitable position. Contact 93251720 Indian male I.T.I diesel mechanic experience 4 yrs Qatar (11 yrs in India) seeking for suitable placement carpentry on visiting visa. Contact 91969224 Email: anilk6102@gmail.com Bachelor degree B.SC (Honours) Telecommunication Engineering CCNA , CISCO, Certified network associate experience installation operation maintenance, ATMS & Electronics, Surveillance Security systems Nationality Sudanese age 25. Contact: 92617282 Male Civil Engineer (B.Sc) having 10 years Gulf experience 2 years in Oman looking for suitable placement. Contact 99561877 Email: zahid_ruet@hotmail.com Electrical Engineer (B.Tech) looking for suitable vacancies, Now in Oman on visit visa. Contact 93293597. Email: subinjohn26@gmail.com Indian male 25 B.Tech ( IT) Engineer 3 years experience in networking (MCSE- CCNA) certified currently on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 91006851 Indian male 25 diploma Civil Engineer 6 years experience in India looking for suitable placement. Contact 96750429 Indian / male B. E / B. Tech Civil / Site Engineer 3 years D.L. NOC available. Contact 93883136 email:mohammedcivilengineer.mct @gmail.com

Electrical and Electronics Engineer (BE) 1+ year of experience now on visit visa seeking suitable opportunities Email: djnitheesh@gmail.com Contact 99254469

Iraqi Civil Engineer with more than 25 years experience in (Iraq ,U.A.E. and Oman) looking for a job, (N.O.C.) is available. Contact 94043735, amin.sarim007@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer: Indian male 29 years having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres) seeking suitable placement. Contact 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

Indian male Instrumentation Engineer having 2 years experience in process instruments, seeks suitable placement. Contact 95954385

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp. Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com

Omani 9 years as PRO & 8 years safely HSE Officer with PDO, D/L seek good job. Contact 96996938 Network / system Engineer B.E / ECE + CCNA & Ms certiﬁedwith 4+ yrs exp looking for a job. currently in Oman on visit visa. Contact : 92589502 Email : jeganscareer@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING

Indian female, 24 yrs, B.Tech Engineer excellent academic qualification 2 yrs experience at IBM India, SAP- ABAP, currently under dependent visa, looking for suitable placement. Contact 99450960 Email: sajyodine@gmail.com Indian male, B.E ( computer science engineer), MBA (finance), OCA certified, having 5 years of experience in oracle Dba/ oracle apps Dba, seeks a suitable position in the field of IT. Contact: 96212062 email: zubairkhan11@gmail.com B.Tech, instrumentation Engineer, Indian male with 4 yr experience in EPC and Sales / 2 yr Oman experience having valid Oman driving license. Contact 94145460 Email: jgeevarughese@gmail.com B.Tech biomedical Engineering having Omani driving license. Contact 91352248 Project (Electrical) Engineer with BE 10 years of experience (8 years in Oman).Driving license and NOC available. Looking for job. GSM- 92197288 Civil Engineer Female, 3 yrs experience in structural design, on visit visa seeking suitable placement. Contact 99195433 Indian Engineer B.Tech & diploma in instrumentation & control having one & half years experience seeking for suitable post. Contact 98873416 Email: afsalp_06@gmail.com Male civil Engineer 6yrs experience 4 yrs in Oman (B.B.S and steel shop drawing prepare, M.Q.C sit management, D, W, M report) with valid Oman D/L NOC available. Contact 99870370 Diploma in electronics & Telecom, Engineering with 5 years experience in Engineering & sales, marketing. Contact 95932219

HOSPITALITY Indian male 18 yrs hotel experience Dubai procurement logistics stores suitable position NOC available. Contact + 968 96573591 Email: namraj1973@rediffmail.com

IT Network Engineer,Female,CCNA,3 yrs exp specializing in DHCP,DNS,NTP also desktop level 3 assistance in different OS.94525630 / 93215372 Indian 25 yrs B.Sc computer science 2 yrs exp in computer hardware and networking and CCTV looking for job. Contact 93243372 Indian male 22 years BCA graduate, CISCO Certified Network Associate and COMPTIA A+ (Installing, configuring and troubleshooting). Fresher with good computer proficiency seeking for suitable opportunities. Ready to do other office routines and work anywhere in Oman. Valid Indian driving license. Currently on visit visa. Contact 99704508 / 91258708 Email: chiran280293@gmail.com IT System Support Engineer,28 Years, Indian male,7.8 years experience,3 years from Oman, NOC available, having driving license, ready to join immediately, Mob : 93551182, E-mail: aniljose4u@gmail.com Network system Engineer B.E / ECE + CCNA & Ms certified with 4+ yrs exp looking for a job. Currently in Oman on visit visa. Contact: 92589502 Email: careersjegan@gmail.com Indian male 22 yrs fresher BCA young and energetic, seeking good opportunites. email: jlaxmimenon@gmail.com Contact 00919567722270 IT Network and Security Engineer with a master degree, CISCO and Linux red hat certified seeking a suitable job in a good company. Contact 99818601

MISCELLANEOUS Indian male 26 yrs B.Com PGDM, IETS-6, 2 yrs exp. Contact : 91694170 Indian Graduate (32) computer literate seeks any official job presently on visit visa. 95697715 *Classiﬁed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Indian male BBA, 5 years worked as Operations Manager Omani D/L. Born, brought up in Muscat seeking suitable position. Contact : 93408014 Experience Restaurant Manager with valid driving license and NOC for immediate placement. Contact: 92953199 Indian male Graduate with Oman work experience for 10 years in construction trading, automotive Industries seeking mid management position in business development, sales & marketing. Contact 92133277 Email: bijuma73@yahoo.com NOC available. Living in Oman more than 20 Years, With Valid Drivers license and more than 3.5 Years Working Experience in Logistics/ Operations/ Supply chain/ QHSE. Contact : 98515670 Joinery & Interior Manager seeking opportunities Indian male 10 years industry experienced, excellent knowledge in technical line, production, materials and machinery. Good experience in business strategy, well experience in factory setting up. Contact 93974701 Email: gemct2015@gmail.com

MEDICAL GM/Head of Business with experience in developing and managing group of healthcare companies in Oman actively seeking fresh opportunities in healthcare related companies. Contact 93504997, Email: josephstergin@gmail.com Dentist more than 10 yrs of experience in Muscat with release looking for suitable post. Contact 91232778 BSc male Nurse with MOH license and NOC on visit visa. Contact 96414215 Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378 Well experienced MOH Licensed Indian GP Doctor looking for locum / permanent position in the Capital area. Contact 98140024 email:drgpoman@yahoo.com

SALES / MARKETING Stores In Charge / Purchase coordinator with 6 years oman experience seeking placement. Contact 95439645 or storeoman@gmail.com Release / NOC available. Indian male 24 years, MBA in Marketing looking for suitable placement currently in Muscat on visit visa. Contact: 93507063 Email: zamer_124@yahoo.com Indian 23 years B.Com Graduate, 2 years experience in sales knowledge of tally E.R.P & MS Office. Contact 93134643 Indian female Graduate, 3 yrs experience in MNC as process associate & CED seeking for suitable job. Contact: 94657273 Indian male 26 yrs BSC Maths with 5 yrs exp in sales / operations / banking looking for a suitable job currently on visit visa. Contact : 96673159 / 95602012 Graduate Indian male 25 with Good communication skill looking for suitable placemen in sales or marketing ﬁeld in a reputed organization. Contact 98558648 Email: risham54@gmail.com Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermediate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing in Oman. Looking for suitable job. Contact - 92146864 Indian male MBA 7 years experience in Hospitality industry, operation, sales & marketing looking for suitable vacancy. Contact 92115860 Email vibin.py@gmail.com Indian male 45+ yrs , 20 yrs exp as sales supervisor in India looking for indoor sales /stores /cashier or any suitable placement can speak Hindi , English, Malayalam, Tamil, kannada can join immediately on visit visa. Contact 93086105/33016546

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian male looking job in Sales & Marketing on visit visa having Qatar experience with driving license. Contact 96669152

Indian female MBA Finance currently on visit visa, seeks immediate placement. Phone - 968 - 98430089

Indian male 10 years experience in Welding Supervisor NDT Technician, MIG Welding specialist seeking suitable job. Contact 96771841

Indian Male 34 years Mechanical Engineer 3 years of Experience seeking suitable placement immediately Contact: 91991435, 93310821

Egyptian male 11 years in ﬁve stars international hotels management sales marketing D/L available residency visa. Contact 93577497 Email: elkomy82@hotmail.com

Female British Beauty Therapist looking for suitable situation. Contact 97175240

Indian male 28 years with 3 years experience in Oman suitable placement in sales, having Omani D/L on visit visa. Contact: 92784776 Indian male 31 years, MBA, 7yrs experience in sales & marketing with valid driving license seeking suitable placement. Contact 98719219. EMAIL: recruitme1984@gmail.com

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE Indian male more than 10 years Gulf experience in Office / Sales Coordinator, Admin (employees visa processes), Secretarial and purchase coordination with good computer skills. Having Driving license and NOC available. Looking for suitable placement. Contact 99709336

TOURS & TRAVELS Indian female, B.Sc in Travel & Tourism, 9 months exp in Oman as Travel Consultant .GDS-Sabre, Amadeus, Galileo, seeking suitable Job. GSM-95883404. 25 Indian female B.S.C. Fashion Technology. 5 years experience in textile industry as a merchandiser and good in fashion marketing. Currently available on visit visa, seeking for a suitable job. Contact 96990368. Email: simmy.missy@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian female B.Com graduate, 4years experience in accounts & administration department looking for suitable placement. #98928220 Indian male, 34 yrs, ca inter pass, with 14 yrs experience, is seeking suitable placement, currently on visit visa & ready to join immediately. Contact: 95585069 or 95630747 26 years Indian male with MBA & PGDFM, Total 3.8 years experience in Administration, seeking suitable placement in any gulf region. Holding Oman valid driving license. Contact :93359371 23 yrs old Pakistani bachelor in accounts and marketing 3.5 yrsexp 2 yrsexp in Oman, looking for a job. Contact- 99374062 Indian female 25 yrs MBA ﬁnance currently on visit visa seeks immediate placement. # +(968) 9843 0089 Indian male 27 years, MBA, having more than 5 yrs experience in sales and marketing, looking for suitable job. Contact no.99224057, +919824823734

Indian Male 34 years Mechanical Engineer 3 years of Experience seeking suitable placement immediately contact: 91991435, 93310821 Indian female BA graduate. My total experience is 4 and half year in Call Center looking for jobs in admin and HR. Contact : 96089143, Email: sharanjit_kaur2009@yahoo.com Civil supervisor-8 year’s experience in commercial and residential building, including portable cabin, natural and artificial play ground’s, and Oxy petroleum field, at sultanate of Oman. GSM :91249005. Mail :sandeep88joseph@gmail.com Indian Male 28yr age having 6year gulf+ Indian experience in HR field. Looking for suitable placement. Contact: 97914340, Email: rajkv3086@gmail.com Indian male 27, looking for suitable placement in Piping Design & Engineering. Having 7 years of experience in AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS (11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact : 97351786 / 96143708, E-mail : mohammednazeer07@gmail.com ACCA affiliate & Bsc (Oxford Brookes University), 2.5 years experience in oilfield & audit/finance in Big6 firm, seeking permanent placement. Release available. #95140445, a.saran891@gmail.com Indian male 21 Diploma in Mechanical Eng with HVAC certified having 6 yrsexp and seeking job in HVAC field as a supervisor. Currently on visit visa. Contact 92835952/ 92734863 Indian Female: MCA, 3 Years Exp. as Asst. Professor, Specialization in C # (sharp).net, Data Comm.& Networking, Knowledge about Web Development, ASP.Net, Oracle, SQL,VB.net. Seek Immediate Placement. Now on Visit Visa.9588 7051 ashwininakod@gmail.com Indian female, B.Com. Knowledge of MS Office &Tally, 4yrs experience in accounting & admin dept. looking for good placement in any field. Contact.98928220 Indian male, 28 years, 7 years experience in transporting & heavy equipment renting company. Having Omani driving license seeks suitable positions. Contact 94410485 Sudanese/Bsc IT/26/2 years experience/excellent Eng-Arb speaking/ Omani driving license/96387227/ henrykarrar@gmail.com Sudanese / 29 years old / Bsc English language and Translation / 3 years experience in Oman teaching & translation / have driving license. 94211377. hosam.karar.1@gmail.com

Indian male 21 IT Engineer Networking & Computer hardware course 01 yr experience currently on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 96036273, E mail faizanfarooqui23@gmail.com

Indian Male 27, Piping Design Engineer looking for suitable placement in Piping Design & Engineering. Also familiar with PDMS (11.6 Version),CAESAR ll, AutoCAD. Contact : 97351786 / 96143708, E-mail : mohammednazeer07@gmail.com

Sales/ Marketing Executive : 35 years old Indian male, MBA, having experiences in UAE and India in sales and marketing ﬁeld, presently on visit visa, looking for a suitable job in Salalah or in Oman. Contact 91233648

Mechanical Engineer B.E fresher (QA, QC , Piping & NDT + 1 month practical training in production & oil ﬁeld) seeking immediate placement currently on visit visa. Contact – 0096896107833, Email albinalbin.thomas@gmail.com

Indian male, 14 yrs Experience in Maintenance & Supervisor in hotel ﬁeld ( Electrical . Ac Mechanical & Plumber ) N O C available mob : 95 25 36 40 . email = hareeshma24@yahoo.com

Civil Autocad draughtsman looking for part time job. Mobile: 95218737

Part- Time Accountant, well versed with all accounting, Finalization, Budgeting available.# 98803439 ACCA affiliate,male,2.5 years experience in an audit ﬁrm in Finance & Audit, looking for suitable immediate placement. Release available. # 95140445, a.saran891@gmail.com Indian female MBA ﬁnance currently on visit visa seeks immediate placement.# (968) 9843 0089 Indian female, B.Com graduate, 2 years experience in admin department looking for a suitable placement. Contact 92531929

Indian Male 33 looking for Scaffolding Supervisor vacancy in Oil & Gas ﬁeld in Oman. Having 5 years experience in CCC Qatar and 3 years in Saudi” contact fysal.nellaya@gmail. com or 96155921 Well experienced hair dresser/ beautician required, visa available. Contact – 96524717 Sharing accommodation available for ladies opposite Al Nahda hospital. Contact - 96524717 Indian Male 58yrs, Oman experience 31yrs in Multifunctional Management, Administration, Business Development, Purchase & Operations, seeking suitable Manager/ Supervisory Position. Visa transfer/ NOC Available. GSM: 95036410

T H U R S D AY, M AY 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

WEBSITE

COMPUTER

CLASSES

NRI

BUSINESS

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

MANPOWER

10 and Half cent land for sale in Cochin Cheranellor. Contact : 99410160 5.1 cents land with a house at Tripunithura hill palace for immediate sale. Contact 0091 7736764525 Email: utham@yahoo.com 56 cents plot for sale at NH 47 Eramallour Ernakulam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cheethala road. Contact 0091 7736764525 Email: utham@yahoo.com

Local company based in Ghala requires business development Manager with good experience and driving license.Contact 99166930 / 93782735

Residential land for sale in Chennai Kundrathur and Poonamaalee, we construct house in your budget. Contact 98753366

MATRIMONIAL

Software development based on requirements such as: Web development & cloud computing, SAP implementation & services. Android App development networking. Contact 97423932

Kerala Ezhava girl (presently in Oman) 25 yrs, 167 cm B.Tech, Star Pururutathi, (Sudhajathakam) upper middle class, seeking suitable alliance from professionals. Contact: 93881787

Looking for a genuine investor for an IT company. Good prospects. # 99329216 Email: sales@aditsllc.com

Indian male 38 yrs working in Muscat, looking for life partner. Any Nationality. Divorced or widow. Contact:96059801

Required business Researcher. contact 99229700 Email: kjaaraimi@hotmail.com We have some companies for rent with the following activities: press publishing & advertising, information consultancy, organizing event management & conference, real estate, landscaping, maintenance etc Contact 93946622 / 91408005 Road Safety concrete barriers for sale all over Oman available in sizes 2 meters and 3 meters. #94546200 Business Consultant, feasibility study. Contact 99229700

Hindu Ezhava family, settled in Muscat looking for suitable groom working within Oman for their daughter 25 yrs (MBA) working with a reputed company in Muscat. Contact : 98689663 We are Muslim family seeking alliance for our son interested families. Contact 97664009

FOR LADIES Beauty package for vacation for ladies 10/-R.O, 15/-R.O, 20/-R.O. Contact : 99410160

CANADIAN MANPOWER CO. based in Oman Recruitment for legal jobs - Hotel staff ,Construction staff, Medical staff ,Gas & Oil Free consultancy, 2 years contract, work visa, free tickets, accommodation, social & medical ins. Contact us on 93392630 , pls send CV to margholdingoman@yahoo.com

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371554 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis IDEAL , CARE Ayurvedic Clinic 18 November street, Azaiba.#99639695 / 99117987 FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 96050000, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit: www.islamfact.com Taimour Ayurvedic Clinic, Ruwi offers genuine & effective treatment for back pain, paralysis, cervical and lumbar spondylitis, osteoarthritis, joint pains, sinusitis, migraine, allergic problems, varicose vein and all other health related problems. Kerala massage and rejuvenation package available. For details please Contact 92197920/ 24799689

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998

Split & window A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517

A/C maintenance split A/C servicing. RO. 10 only. Contact 94217681/ 99210141

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

Sewage remove tanker sewage tank cleaning & block remove all maintenance sewage tanks. Contact 97412505 / 98852238

House shifting. Contact 99708138

WINDOW & SPLIT unit A.C servicing & repairing. contact 99557080 SPLIT & WINDOW A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 96236476 SPLIT & WINDOW A.C servicing & maintenance.# 93769089 / 95323517 A/C maintenance & servicing. Fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing. Painting & cleaning services & electrical & plumbing. Contact 99447257/97014234/ 24504281 Electric, Plumbing, painting & all kinds of building maintenance. Contact 93896787 / 97924862

We do building maintenance all kind of works. Contact 99247663 P.R.O services. Contact 99368907 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance.#ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722 House shifting packing. Contact 99657644/ 98518013 Water prooďŹ ng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Learn driving with professional only automatic. Contact 94022250

Pest Control Treatments, Termites, Cockroaches, Bedbugs. Contact Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99344723 Carpet & sofa shampooing. Ocean Centre LLC. Contact 99884591 / 92682970 Painting- building maintenance & management - excavation. Contact : 99057348 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

T H U R S DAY, M AY 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

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

TOURS

RENT A CAR

T H U R S D AY, M AY 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

Indian, Arabic, Chinese dishes, BuďŹ&#x20AC;et Lunch (On Friday) Indoor & Outdoor, Catering, Party hall available Take Away & Home Delivery

Party booking & sugges ons 99320065, 99341643

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