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

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MONDAY, September 7, 2015 / 23 Dhul Qa’ada 1436 AH

CABLE

His Majesty sends greetings MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Dilma Rousseff of the Federal Republic of Brazil on the occasion of her country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes of good health and happiness to President Rousseff and the friendly Brazilian people further progress and prosperity. -ONA HM cables >A6

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Rescue teams still looking for three people REJIMON K/FAHAD AL GHADANI

reji@timesofoman.com fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Police rescue teams are still looking for three people who were lost in ﬂoods caused by heavy rainfall on Friday, a senior official told Times of Oman.

charitable organisations in Oman are doing their best to help them overcome the crisis

MUSCAT: Prominent Omanis and Syrian residents in the Sultanate are pleading for urgent donations to help thousands of people made homeless by the conflict as fierce fighting rages on between IS and government forces. The world was shocked last week by the pictures of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed up on a Turkish holiday beach after his family’s bid to escape violence at home ended in heartbreaking tragedy. Thou-

sands of Syrians are risking their lives to reach the West to escape the crisis and those who make it, end up living in squalid environment as refugees. “Nobody wants to leave the comfort of his own home and go abroad but the problem is that they are forced to do it because they don’t have homes any more. Houses are being bombed and some are forced to leave home because they fear persecution by the IS,” Mohammed Hakeem, a Syrian living in Oman, told Times of Oman. “It is heart wrenching to watch

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a beautiful boy sleeping but devoid of happiness. Families are torn apart looking for a safe haven to raise their children. This is not anymore an issue of immigrants but of human rights denied,” Malak Al Shaibani, the Director General of National Business Center, said. A ministry of foreign affairs official told Times of Oman that Syria was a priority for it, “as any country that needs urgent help”. He added: “We don’t publicise our support to brotherly countries but we have been doing it from the very beginning. Syria is our priority as any country that needs urgent help. We don’t abandon our friends in their moment of need.” Charity organisations in Oman say they have already started a donation drive in collaboration with international charities to help Syrians as well as the refugees and the process is still active and will continue. >A6

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

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Indians buying assets

NRIs living in Oman are buying property in India following the rupee dip. >A3

REGION

Houthi bases bombed

Saudi-led coalition jets bombed a Houthi military positions in Sanaa. >A7

MARKET

Bank credit surges

Oman’s commercial banks have achieved a 9.15% credit growth. >B1

All eyes on the iPhone

Multi-specialty hospital in Muscat to be opened soon REJIMON K

Rescue operations “We are still continuing our search and rescue operations to find one [person] who drowned in Ibri Wadi, one in Watayah and also for the person who was swept away in [the] Muttrah Corniche flood waters,” the senior police official told Times of Oman. The flash floods triggered by heavy rains on Friday have claimed four lives. >A6

Moved by the plight of Syrian refugees,

ISO 9001:2008 Certiﬁed Company

VPS GROUP UNIT

HOMELESS: Boys from Damascus hold onto the fence of a newly opened reception camp for migrants near the village of Roszke, in Hungary on Sunday. -Reuters

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F R I D AY R A I N

HELP THEM SALEH AL SHAIBANY

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F O R D U P I N G E X PAT S

Omani man arrested for ‘passport fraud’ Times News Service MUSCAT: An Omani national was arrested by the Directorate General of Inquiries and Investigations officers in Seeb, for allegedly deceiving expatriates by promising them to help get Omani passports. An official said, “The suspect told the expatriates that he would get them Omani passports in exchange of money. As part of the deal, he asked them to pay OMR25,000 in instalments.” “The suspect then asked the expatriate and his family to come to the passport building wearing the national dress to take the

delivery of passports. He showed them two passports and asked the head of the family to give the money. The two passports he was offering as part the deal belonged to someone else. The expatriate got suspicious and reported the case to police,” added the source. After investigations, Royal Oman Police (ROP) sleuths arrested the man. They found a wireless radio and three vehicles from his possession. On questioning, the suspect confessed to his crime. He also confessed to two other similar crimes he committed in the past. Those cases were registered with the Muttrah ROP.

MUSCAT: A multi-specialty 100-bed hospital worth OMR15 million, built by Lifeline Hospitals, a VPS Group unit, will be opened by the end of this year, the top official of the group said. “As part of our expansion plans, the new multi-specialty hospital will open by the end of this year in Al Khuwair, Muscat. It will cater to patients from all segments and will have all kinds of modern treatment facilities,” Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, managing director of the VPS group, told the Times of Oman in an exclusive interview. The new hospital to be opened in Al Khuwair will be the third Lifeline hospital in Oman. The group already operates one each in Salalah and Sohar. “Our market study reveals that Oman will be needing more healthcare facilities in the coming days. By bringing specialist treatment to Oman, we are conﬁdent that we will be able to ﬁll the demand gap,” Shamsheer added. “We are aware that, unfortunately, patients are forced to wait in hospitals for their turn to receive specialized treatment. Entry of new hospitals can ease the situation,” Shamsheer said. At present, the VPS group has 14 hospitals in the region with 7,500 employees and 650 medics, and are ready to open the new ones in Qatar, Kuwait and in West London in the coming years. >A4

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Srinivas K Naidu, principal, Indian School Muscat and M P Vinoba, Principal of Indian School Ibri were conferred the ‘CBSE Mentor Award to the Principals for the year 2014 ISM, Ibri principals honoured >A4

‘Lawyers shortage to be over by next year’ ting the advocacy offices to seek the assistance of expatriate lawyers until 2016, in light of the difficulties the nation’s law ﬁrms faced in hiring lawyers who are fully devoted to the profession and who are allowed to plead at the Appeals and Supreme Courts.

A senior advocate attributed the decrease in number of lawyers working at advocacy ﬁrms to the decision banning them from practising law unless they are full-time lawyers

Times News Service MUSCAT: The shortage of lawyers at the Appeals Court and the Supreme Court, is expected to be over by the end of next year, said Dr Hamad bin Hamdan Al Rabiai, Vice Chairman of the Oman Lawyers Association (OLA) and member of the lawyers admission committee affiliated to the Ministry of Justice. Talking to Al Shabiba, the sister publication of Times of Oman, he said there has been a signiﬁcant increase in the number of graduates of law schools. 1,000 lawyers Currently, there are 1,000 lawyers registered with the Ministry of Justice. Al Rabiai attributed the decrease in the number of lawyers working at advocacy ﬁrms and of-

The challenges in attracting Omani lawyers are that they prefer to work in the legal departments of the government and private establishments, instead of advocacy firms and offices. Dr Hamad bin Hamdan Al Rabiai

Vice Chairman of the Oman Lawyers Association

ﬁces to the decision banning them from practicing law unless they are full-time lawyers and not employed in public jobs. He noted that the association

members support the ruling, since it reassures the public that lawyers are not preoccupied with other matters. In 2012, the Ministry of Justice issued a decision permit-

Job preferences “The other challenges in attracting Omani lawyers are that they prefer to work in the legal departments of the government and private establishments, instead of advocacy ﬁrms and offices. The experience that Omani lawyers acquire at the advocacy offices will qualify them to run their own advocacy offices in the future,” he said. Regarding support the Oman Lawyers Association (OLA) provides Omani lawyers, Al Rabiai said that the OLA assists lawyers in their jobs and in improving the professional quality. This included external visits organised for them, he said, adding that this month a number of lawyers will visit France to participate in exchanges with French lawyers. Training sessions “We also organise training sessions for lawyers. The Oman Lawyers Association has accorded top priority and signiﬁcance to cementing the principles and traditions of the profession and the freedom of lawyers in performing their duties. The Oman Lawyers Association also participates in the draft laws and legislation referred to it by government departments, when concerned with their opinion,” he said.

ROP CEREMONY

GRADUATION CEREMONY: The graduation ceremony was held under the patronage of Maj. Gen Sulaiman bin Mohammed Al Harthy, Assistant Inspector General of Police and Customs.– ONA

ROP parade marks officers’ graduation NIZWA: Royal Oman Police (ROP) on Sunday conducted a parade to mark the graduation of the 65th batch of new police recruits at the parade ground in the Sultan Qaboos Academy for Police Sciences in Nizwa. The graduation ceremony was held under the patronage of Maj. Gen Sulaiman bin Mohammed Al Harthy, Assistant Inspector General of Police and Customs for Administrative and Financial Affairs, in the presence of a number of senior officers of the ROP and Teaching and Training Authority at the Academy. The graduation ceremony started with a military salute to the chief guest. Then, the com-

mander of the parade took permission from the chief guest to inspect the front column of graduates. After that, the graduates performed military march before the main dais in slow motion. The chief guest distributed the awards for excellence to the top graduates of the 65th batch of new police recruits. The graduates then sang the ROP anthem and proclaimed thrice ‘Long Live His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, the Supreme Commander.’ The Commander of the column then took permission from the chief guest for the column to dismiss, signalling the conclusion of the graduation protocols.– ONA

MEDICAL RECORD

Doctors perform landmark surgery

CARDIAC MILESTONE: This is the ﬁrst time a valve has been

planted inside a valve through a catheter surgically.

MUSCAT: A medical team at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) has successfully planted a valve inside the Aorta and Mitral valves through a catheter. In a ﬁrst of its kind surgery, a small opening, less than 5 cm, was made at the chest of a pregnant woman. The cardiac surgery team was led by Dr Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti, CEO of the Oman Medical Specialty Board and senior consultant cardio-thorathic surgery at SQUH. He was assisted by Dr Adel bin Hashim Al Kindi, Dr

Tariq Alam Eddin, Dr Hatim bin Ali Al Lawati, Dr Nasser bin Abdullah Al Kimani and Dr Surish Chingodi. During the three-hour long surgery, the team managed to plant two new valves. This the ﬁrst time a valve has been planted inside a valve through a catheter surgically. The Aorta and Mitral vales of the patient, who is now pregnant, was damaged eight years before the surgery. This achievement has added to the previous achievements made by SQUH.– ONA

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Declining rupee triggers NRIs’ property buying of returning home, since NRIs don’t receive citizenship in this region, so property investment becomes a natural choice. And, moreover, investing in local markets is not an easy option,” said property dealers who participated in the fair. According to dealers, properties in Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai and Delhi feature in the top four destinations list for NRIs in Oman. “This shows that they are looking for cities which will give them good returns,” they added.

India Home Fair organisers in Muscat say this is the right time for NRIs to buy property in India, as prices in the Indian property market have stabilised and the rupee is weak, which gives more power to the remittances

Times News Service MUSCAT: The decline in value of the Indian rupee over the last few months is luring NRIs living in Oman to purchase more than one property in India, according to participants of the India Home Fair, which was conducted by HDFC, India’s largest home loan bank, at Al Falaj Hotel in Muscat past weekend. The two-day fair displayed properties and real estate developments by more than 40 builders in different parts of India. “We had a very good response, as 1,200 people visited the fair and around 25 units were purchased on the ﬁrst day, despite the heavy rains in Muscat,” said Abhimanyu Kukreja, Oman Country Head of HDFC. Safest option He added that this is the right time for NRIs to buy property in India, as prices on the Indian property market have stabilised and the rupee is weak, which gives more power to the Omani Rial. “NRIs in Oman mostly prefer investing in property, as it is one of the saf-

RUPEES PER OMANI RIAL 25 173.1 173 172.7

August

September

1 2

BUY

6 173.1

172.9 172.3

171.9

172.6 172.4

172

SELL

171.9 171.4

171 Source: Central Bank of Oman

Graphics

est options and offers a good return, since the capital value of any property appreciates,” he added. The Indian rupee was recorded at Rs173.144 to OMR1 on Sunday morning. In fact, a depreciating rupee makes properties in India nearly 20 per cent cheaper for NRIs, compared to prices a few months ago. “Plus, there is always a feeling

World Bank forecast The World Bank has forecast remittances in the developing world would reach $440 billion in 2015, with India having topped the chart last year with an inﬂow of $70bn. Abhimanyu Kukreja also informed that for the beneﬁt of NRIs in Oman, they have the opportunity to meet with all major builders from various states in India. “When selecting builders, we had taken special care so that only those developers who have a reputed name in the market would be allowed to participate in this exhibition. “For its part, HDFC has many novel schemes aimed at prospective real estate buyers. All home loan schemes from the bank were explained at the exhibition venue,” he added. The major cities represented at the India Home fair included Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Pune, Punjab, Calcutta, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai, Coimbatore, Trivandrum, Cochin, Trichur, Calicut, Bangalore and Mysore.

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male artists are required as ‘Extras’ for Arena di Verona’s sumptuous opera production of ‘Turandot’ which will open the ROHM’s 2015-2016 season.

Teachers unveil their hidden artistic talents

C U LT U R A L C O N N E C T

ROHM seeks male extras for ‘Turandot’

Called ‘The Hidden Times News Service

Artists,’ the project was started by high school art teacher, Raymond Montoya. He realised that having the teachers’ art on display was a way for the students to understand that their teachers have diverse interests

SARAH MACDONALD sarah@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Each wall in the hallways of TAISM (The American International School of Muscat) is decorated with the students’ artwork, and now some talented teachers have been exhibited their work, too, thanks to a project aimed at promoting art and dialogue. Called ‘The Hidden Artists,’ the project was started by high school art teacher, Raymond Montoya. In conversations with other teachers he found that a number of them painted, drew, made sculptures and did other types of art in their free time so he began displaying their art, one teacher at a time, on the walls, too. “At first my primary goal was to present the faculty to the parent community and student community in a light they hadn’t experienced before,” he said. At first Montoya found it challenging to get the teachers to come forward and display their work for the public to see since they are not professional artists who are used to having their work exposed and open to scrutiny. First exhibition The first exhibition was by high school biology teacher Chris Charnitski, whose colourful paintings are inspired by microscopic amoeba shapes, cell structures and other features of the subject he teaches. “I finally talked (Chris Charnitski) into it…and it was amazing how his work was received by the students. They couldn’t believe

ART ATTACK: Raymond Montoya, ‘The Hidden Artists’ organiser. (Below) Chris Charnitski’s art work

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their science teacher was an artist as well,” Montoya said. He quickly realised that having the teachers’ art on display was a way for the students to understand that their teachers are people with diverse interests and skills that go beyond the classroom. He hoped they would also be inspired to take up hobbies and become lifelong learners who don’t just focus on their careers but have other passions. “It’s a perfect model for students in that they begin to see that

people can be more than their job. There are so many facets to the individual. They, too, should develop interests outside of their professional goals,” he said. The exhibitions continued with high school English teacher Stephen Ringo, who makes sculptures from found objects like wood and plastic. Then elementary school art teacher Jacob Kriefall displayed his collage art, and Montoya exhibited his own work, which is largely print making and some constructions. Cur-

rently grade one teacher Denise Serna has a collection of drawings on display. The work is professionally framed and carefully hung. The teachers are also required to write artists’ statements about their work, as they would in a gallery. The artists’ statements revealed the teachers’ artistic inspirations and involvement in art. For some art had been a passion since childhood, even if they had kept it hidden, Montoya said. “What I ﬁnd is that when they actually do it and they get the feedback, it opens up a whole new part of their lives and it encourages their work but it also encourages them to share their work,” he said. Montoya said the project is also a way for students and teachers to have conversations about art. The students can learn a lot about their both their teachers and the importance of art thanks to the exhibitions. ‘The Hidden Artists’ project has proven to be so popular that Montoya already has teachers schedule to unveil their talents until March, when he is considering having a themed group exhibition. “‘The Hidden Artists’ brings light to a wealth of art in Muscat that goes unseen and untapped,” he concluded.

MUSCAT: Want to play the role of a soldier, a peasant, a mandarin, an executioner, or a prince? The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) is looking to cast an additional nine men as ‘extras’ for Arena di Verona’s sumptuous opera production of ‘Turandot’, which will open the 20152016 season. Auditions for these roles will be held on September 15, at 6pm at the Royal Opera House Muscat. ROHM is looking for men, aged approximately 18–45 years, height between 1m72 – 1m90 and who should have an average build. The ROHM needs the selected artist to be available for all scheduled rehearsals (although this does not necessarily mean you will be required at all times) and performances (please note that you may also be required to come in slightly earlier for some rehearsals to get into costume). Rehearsal schedule September 16: 16.00 – 20.30 Studio Rehearsal, September 17: 16.00 – 20.30 Studio Rehearsal, September 18: Day Off, Saturday September 19: 16.00 – 20.30 Studio Rehearsal, September 20: 16.00–20.30 Studio Rehearsal, September 21: Day Off, September 22:18.00 – 21.30 Studio Stage Rehearsal, September 23: 14.00 – 17.00 + 18.30 – 21.30 Stage Rehearsal, September 24: 14.00 – 17.00 + 18.30 – 21.30 Stage Rehearsal, September 25: 14.00 – 17.00 + 18.30 – 21.30 Stage Rehearsals, September 26: 14.30 – 16.30 + 18.00 – 21.30 Stage Rehearsals, September 27:

DRAMA & DANCE: The ROHM

needs the selected artist to be available for all scheduled rehearsals.–File photo for illustration only

14.00 – 17.00 + 18.30 – 21.30 Stage Rehearsals, September 28:15.00 – 19.00 Stage Rehearsal, September 29: 15.00 – 19.00 Stage Rehearsal, September 30: Day Off, October 1: 19.00 Performance 1, October 2: Day Off, October 3: 19.00 Performance 2, October 4: 19.00 Performance 3. “If you would like to take part in this production please send us a full length photograph of yourself plus one headshot photograph to extras@rohmuscat.org. om with a covering e-mail telling us a little about yourself (including your name, age, height, clothing size and contact telephone number) and why you would like to be involved,” said an ROHM release. The selected applicants will be informed via e-mail shortly after the audition. Applicants will need to be based locally and be able to provide a copy of an ID card. The closing date for applying is September 14.

M E D I C A L FA C I L I T I E S

New hospital to A1 cover all sectors < FROM

“Our hospital will be having plans to cover patients from all sectors. We are planning to have health management organisation (HMO) schemes so that lowpaid workers will also get quality treatment at affordable cost,” Shamseer said while adding that there is still more room to improve the insurance-medical sector relations. “Majority of the issues will be

resolved as the mandatory insurance schemes are activated,” Shamseer added. In a move to improve the health sector, the government had set aside OMR1.6 billion for the health sector, amounting to 11.3 per cent of the total government expenditure. This is for setting up 11 hospitals and primary health centres across the country.

INDIAN SCHOOLS

ISM, Ibri principals honoured Times News Service MUSCAT: Srinivas K Naidu, principal, Indian School Muscat and M P Vinoba, principal, Indian School Ibri, were conferred the ‘CBSE Mentor Award to the Principals for the year 2014’ by the Indian government. The two educationists received the award from the Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani at a function held in Delhi. In all, 16 principals of CBSE schools from India and abroad were selected for the award this year. The mentor awards recognise principals who go an extra mile in their endeavour to promote excellence in schools. Thirty-four teachers from across India and abroad were conferred the CBSE award for their innovations in classroom teaching. The selection of the awardees is based on academic efﬁciency, desire for improvement, genuine interest, reputation in the community, love for children, perseverance and commitment towards the ﬁeld of education. Sixteen mentors were awarded for regular visits to clusters of schools for promoting quality. Srinivas K. Naidu was appointed as the Mentor Principal by CBSE during the academic year 2013-14. He is tasked with the mentoring of Indian School Al Seeb, Indian School Nizwa, Indian School Ibri, Indian School Sur and Indian School Jalan.

NATIONAL HONOUR: Srinivas K Naidu, principal, Indian School

Muscat and M P Vinoba, principal of Indian School Ibri were conferred the ‘CBSE Mentor Award to the Principals for the year 2014’– Supplied photo

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‘Crude oil price fall will not affect Oman infrastructure investment’ For an investor, Oman is a land of opportunity and the exhibition provides the platform on which SMEs and large corporations could heavily invest in the Sultanate’s projects

You see different ITC related projects continuously being built in Oman. Some big investors are not bothered about the crude oil prices; they are still going ahead with their projects

Salim Omar Al Hashmi

Sherwin Sevillena

Chairman, Al Nimr Expo

CEO of Al Nimr Expo Photos: TALIB AL WAHIBI/Times of Oman

TARIQ AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com

As Oman pushes ahead with its rapid development with the construction of major infrastructure projects, more development projects costing billions of dollars will be implemented during the next few years

MUSCAT: Investment in infrastructure in Oman will continue despite a dip in oil prices, increased participation in an upcoming trade event indicates, according to officials organising the Infra Oman’s 5th international trade event for infrastructure and industrial projects. Infra Oman will see around 200 companies participating, compared to the 70 last year, according to Salim Omar Al Hashmi, chairman, Al Nimr Expo. Crude oil prices have been hitting a new low to the detriment of the ongoing and future projects in the Sultanate. However, Infra Oman’s 5th international trade event for infrastructure and industrial projects

provides the platform on which projects are set to be implemented in the coming years. As the Sultanate is pushing ahead with its rapid development with the construction of major infrastructure projects in many parts of the Sultanate, more development projects costing billions of dollars will be implemented during the next few years. Big investors However low the crude oil prices are, it will not affect the upcoming projects as far as big investors are concerned. “The private sector is not affected. You see different ITC related projects which are continuously being built in Oman. Some big investors are not bothered about the crude oil prices; they are still going ahead with their projects,”

OYSTER LONG-LINES ECO-EXPERIMENT

said Sherwin Sevillena, CEO of Al Nimr Expo. “The government will take it slow based on next year’s oil price, but they will not stop,” he said. According to data of the Ministry of Oil and Gas, as of July 2015, the average yearly crude oil price stood at $59.94 while at the end of 2014, it was $103.23. Currently, the price of a barrel is approximately $45. Backing up the success of Infra Oman, Salim Omar Al Hashmi, Al Nimr Expo’s Chairman, said for an investor, Oman is a land of opportunity and the exhibition provides the platform on which SMEs and large corporations could heavily invest in the Sultanate’s projects. “Oman’s market is irresistible and the country is blessed. There would not be this many participants ,” said Al Hashmi.

“The companies keep coming back and every year, Infra Oman is growing, so companies will not participate if there is no outcome from the exhibition,” echoed Sevillena. It is estimated that over 200 local and international exhibitors will be present at the exhibition from countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and many more. The exhibition will focus on construction requirements, green and future buildings, heavy equipment and technologies, hotel and tourism projects, and industrial free zones among others. These will include infrastructure projects such as roads, airports, railways and ports. Infra Oman will also comprise companies related to waste

management, power and renewable energy as well as ﬁre safety and security. Opportunity Jenitha Martin, Managing Director of Exhibition in Al Nimr Expo, said, “The event is also meant to provide local and international companies the opportunity to introduce a range of their products, equipment, technologies, concepts and services to their target clients.” Al Nimr also announced that the 2016 exhibition will be held at the new exhibition centre where they will separate industries into respective categories. Infra Oman will hold the exhibition from 5 to 7 October, 2015 and Dr. Rasheed Al Huraibi, Chairman of the Tender Board, will preside over the inauguration.

TRADE TIES

Oysters find new home Embassy to host business as experiment a success meet for Indian companies Times News Service Times News Service MUSCAT: Almouj Marina at Almouj Muscat recently announced a set of successful results in its landmark Oyster Long-lines Ecoexperiment. The project, the first of its kind in the Middle East, has successfully introduced oyster long-lines to Almouj Marina and grown viable sized oysters in just six months. The success of the eco-experiment could have a huge impact on the world’s oyster industry, that has witnessed a rapid decline in the oyster population over the last decade. A long-line is a rope anchored at the bottom of the sea at both ends with the middle maintained at the surface of the water by buoys. The oysters are attached to “droppers” from the surface line, allowing good water movement and facilitating growth. Lines have also been used to grow scallops and seaweed. The lines utilised in the Almouj Marina venture are the longest ever used for such a project, being approximately 100 metres in length. Milestone moment Khalil Abu Jaber, Marina Manager of Almouj Marina, said, “The success of this venture is a milestone moment for Almouj Marina, as we continuously implement eco-friendly practices to ensure clean water. As the Sultanate’s premier marina, we constantly look for ways to support Oman’s marine environment and develop sustainable projects that will benefit local communities.” Spearheaded by Dr. Olivier Guelorget, Aquaculture Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Project Manager of the Oyster Long-lines Eco-experiment, no deaths were recorded among the Almouj Marina oysters, a stunning result when compared to the 25 per cent mortality rate in juvenile oysters adapting to environmental conditions. The breakthrough experiment has also had a positive impact on surrounding waters where

BIG YIELD: The project, the ﬁrst of its kind in the Middle East, has

successfully introduced oyster long-lines to Almouj Marina and grown viable sized oysters in just six months. – Supplied photo

researchers have recorded an increase in biodiversity. Additionally, the oysters’ function as natural filters and have left Almouj Marina free of chemical and microbiological contamination. Rigorously researched and thoroughly planned, the breakthrough venture could bring further benefits to Oman which include the continued diversification of the Sultanate’s fishing industry and the potential creation of a new source of revenue for local fishing communities. Dr. Olivier Guelorget commented, “As the population of oysters continues to decline globally, the importance of such a breakthrough cannot be overstated. The oysters introduced to Omani waters have developed rapidly, shown high quality shells, were successfully tested in several major hotels and restaurants in Muscat, and were preferred over imported oysters of France. The exceptional growth of the oysters and the increase in biodiversity is a testament to Oman’s potential as a sanctuary for molluscs and other wildlife. Our success could herald a new era for the global oyster industry by helping to rejuvenate its population.” Wayne Shepherd, General

Manager of Mourjan Marinas added: “We take preservation of the environment into serious consideration when we build and manage our marinas, and the success of this experiment is evidence of that. We are proud to be a part of these conservation activities which reflect Mourjan Marinas’ commitment to creating eco-friendly environments across all of our facilities.” Initially launched in May 2014, the first experimentations were carried out at the bottom of the marina. Since then, more than 10,000 spats have been introduced with the hope that the project will diversify the local economy and supplement the livelihoods of Omani fishermen. As the experiment moves forward, plans are already underway to have Almouj Marina’s oysters officially classified as the Omani Oyster and given protected status. The Sultanate was chosen to host the experiment, given the natural productivity and health of its coasts, which were perfectly tailored to growing shellfish and seaweed. As the landmark project enters a new phase, hopes are high that the successful growth of delectable oysters will be the first of many milestones to come.

MUSCAT: A business meet will be hosted by the Indian Embassy in Muscat to enable Indian companies participating in a trade event in the Sultanate to interact with their Omani counterparts. The event is expected to provide a platform for exchange of information and ideas about doing business in these sectors, including setting-up joint ventures. A composite Indian delegation comprising around seven healthcare institutes and hospitals and 15 companies from the food industry are participating under the banner of the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) at the Oman Medhealth & Wellness exhibition and Food & Hospitality Exhibition, respectively, at the Oman International Exhibition Centre, Muscat from September 7-9, 2015. Omani companies dealing in the aforementioned health and food sectors are also invited to interact with Indian companies at the

Oman International Exhibition Centre during the working hours from 7-9 September, 2015. The Trade Promotion Council of India, a registered non-proﬁt trade body recognised by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry of India has anchored the participation of 15-Indian companies from food processing and commodity industry as part of ‘India Pavilion’ at Food & Hospitality Oman Exhibition, to display their products, technology, and ingredients to explore business opportunities available in the Sultanate. The delegation includes companies like Bhagwati Lacto vegetarian exports Ltd; Daulat Rice & General Mill; Drrk Foods Pvt Ltd; Grm Overseas Ltd; K. Rice International; Keventer Agro Ltd; Lekh Raj Narinder Kumar; Le Nissi Impex Pvt Ltd; Mohan Mutha Polytech; Rajesh Industries; RP Basmati Rice Ltd; Snj Trade Link Pvt Ltd; Sona Cereal Products Ltd; Umachi Foods & Commodities Pvt Ltd and

Veer Overseas Ltd. among others. Further, seven Indian hospitals and health-care institutes are participating in the Oman Medhealth & Wellness exhibition to showcase their cost-effective and cuttingedge technology, products and equipment and medical prowess to enter the Omani market. The visiting healthcare institutes include Cethar hospital; Narayana Hridayalaya, Health Travellers Worldwide; Arc International fertility & Research Centre; Global Health City; Prashanth Super Specialty Hospital; and India Tourism Dubai etc. They deal in all types of medical equipment and can provide international level healthcare services and pharmaceuticals. Medical tourism sector in India has been witnessing immense progress through its innovative competencies and credibility. The food processing industry in India ranks ﬁfth in production, consumption, and export. There is a huge potential for bilateral collaboration in these sectors.

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

OMAN

Oman is doing a lot through the Oman Charitable Organisations. We work with international organisations like the Red Cross and UN bodies though we don’t publicly announce it Maryam Al Zedjali, chairperson of Dar Al Atta’a Charity

JOIN HANDS

< FROM

CABLES

RAIN

Oman helping Syrians A1 OMR150,000 loss through charitable trusts

“Oman is doing a lot through the Oman Charitable Organisations. We work with international organisations like the Red Cross and UN bodies though we don’t publicly announce it. Dar Al Atta’a has helped and we did a campaign for Gaza as well as helped Syrian refugees in the Zatari camp providing 1,000 caravans. We also set up a medical laboratory in Nablus in the Palestine,” Maryam Al Zedjali, chairperson of Dar Al Atta’a Charity, said. Popular Facebook group “What’s Happening Muscat, Oman(WHMO)?” is keen to help. An admin of the group said, “One of our Omani members is seeking approval for WHMO so that we can come together as a group and make a difference. We do have some amazing members who are keen to help. So until we have the correct approvals we can’t do anything officially.” Other prominent Omanis say the Sultanate is not oblivious

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to the calamity suffered by the Syrian people. “Continuous death, destruction and pain of the Syrian people are catastrophe for all of us. We cannot sit back without offering a hand and prayers. We hope for quick resolution to their differences,” Dr Ahmed Al Naamani, the Dean of Modern College of Business & Science, told Times of Oman. Syria Help Campaign People in the Sultanate Oman can help Syria through Oman Charitable Organisation’s “Syria Help Campaign”. Donations can be made through a bilingual online portal [www. donate.om] run by Information Technology Authority which is designed for transparency, convenience, simple and user-friendliness. This website/portal is supported by the Ministry of Social Development Affairs. “The Donations Portal guiding principles allow citizens as well

as the residents of the Sultanate to make direct donations using their bank credit cards to the respective bank accounts of the charitable organisations,” according to ITA press statement. As an alternative to visiting the Portal online, donors now have the option to donate via the mobile app, which is easily downloaded from the online portal or Android’s Play store. Last month, Syrian foreign minister Walid Al Moualem met with his Omani counterpart in Muscat, Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah for talks on ways to end the civil war in his country. In the meeting, the two agreed it was time to bring together “constructive efforts” to end the four-year crisis.

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Meanwhile, an official from one of the insurance companies said that annually, the loss incurred for four major insurance companies in Oman due to flash flood and rain would be around OMR150,000 “In our company we receive an insurance loss of around OMR30,000 annually for non-motor sector. For the last three years it’s the case,” Philip K Philip, CEO of Muscat Insurance Company and Muscat Life Assurance Company, told Times of Oman. According to the insurance company official, even though the number of motor sector loss claims could be high, the claim amount will be low. Meanwhile, even if the number is low in the nonmotor sector, the claim amount will be high. In 2007 Gonu, the loss suffered to the economy was around OMR1 billion. Out of that the insured loss was some OMR300 million. After that the loss occurred by the recurrent flash floods are around OMR30,000 annually. A single Muttrah Souq business had claimed a loss of OMR100,000

in the flash floods. Meanwhile, the official also added that recurring rain and flash floods are forcing international reinsurance companies to impose stricter regulations and increase the premiums in Oman. “When premiums are increased, then it will be passed on to the customers. It means that for clients to insure their properties will become costlier,” Philip added. Some of the reinsurance companies are also hinting at withdrawal from the market, the official said. According to a US study, climate change is bringing small risks that tropical cyclones will form in the Gulf for the first time, in a threat to cities such as Dubai or Doha which are unprepared for big storm surges, a US study said on Monday The researchers found a new model that may predict the frequency and intensity of rare super storms dubbed “grey swans”. However, Kerry Emanuel coauthor of the study said that study they focused on the Gulf itself; it is not immediately applicable to Oman.

HM receives thanks MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea in reply to His Majesty’s congratulatory cable on the occasion of her country’s 70th Independence Anniversary. In her cable, she expressed her appreciation for His Majesty’s support on promoting relations and joint cooperation between the people of two countries. She wished His Majesty good health and happiness, and the Sultanate further progress and prosperity. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from President Simonetta Sommaruga of the Swiss Confederation in reply to His Majesty’s congratulatory cable on the occasion of her country’s National Day. In her cable, she expressed her utmost thanks and best wishes for His Majesty and the Omani people. -ONA

Career guidance for students at exhibition of high quality standards and that graduates possess the knowledge and skills that will enable them to compete in the local, regional and international labour markets,” said Dr. Nasser Al Hinai, Director of the Foundation Programme of the OAAA. “Therefore, we are delighted to participate in EduTraC Oman and promote OAAA’s vision to be an internationally recognized authority for accreditation and promotion of quality in higher education in Oman.”

The second edition of EduTraC will give students an opportunity to learn about the available accredited universities as well as gain insight into the career path they want to opt for

CAREER INSIGHT: The exhibition will feature 160 leading higher

education institutions from 18 countries. – Taleb Al

Times News Service MUSCAT: Students and parents are being called upon to visit the forthcoming EduTraC exhibition from October 12 to 14, 2015, to be launched under the patronage of Minister of Civil Services Sheikh Khalid Al Marhoon. The second edition of EduTraC will give students an opportunity to learn about the available accredited universities as well as gain insight into the career path they are willing to go. Said Al Rahbi, Director of Qualiﬁcations Equivalence and Recognition at the Ministry of Higher Education, said, “Higher education plays an important role in the development of human resources.”

The exhibition will feature 160 leading higher education institutions from 18 countries, including the Sultanate of Oman, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA), Canada and Germany, which will offer an ideal platform for students seeking to pursue their studies in local and international universities. In addition, a career guidance centre will be available to advise students about their options and their potential employment once they have graduated. Dr. Nasser Al Ghanbousi, DGM at the National Career Guidance Centre (NCGC) at the Ministry of Education, said, “A National Career Guidance Centre specialist team will be available at the expo to advise students on higher edu-

Wahibi

cation options and their prospects for future employment.” The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) will organize a seminar to highlight the Oman Qualiﬁcation Framework Project at the exhibition centre, with officials recommending those visiting the exhibition to get an insight on the project. Quality education Furthermore, the OAAA strives to offer the highest quality of education in Oman in order to equip the students with the tools and knowledge needed to compete in both the local and international markets. “The OAAA’s primary objective is to ensure that academic programmes offered in Oman are

Arab countries When questioned about the lack of Arab countries participating in this year’s EduTraC Oman, Al Rahbi replied that “most students prefer to study abroad.” This year only three Arab countries are participating, namely, Oman, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, with a total of 19 higher education institutes and universities. 44 universities The UK alone, on the other hand, will feature 44 universities. Kate Clarke, Managing Director at Al Ahlam Higher Education Services, Oman’s leading UK higher education counselling agency, said, “A dedicated ‘Study in the UK’ pavilion will host representatives from 44 universities across the UK, offering educational advice to visitors.” “We want to make sure that students from Oman can access information about studying in the many accredited colleges and universities across the UK,” she added.

C O M P R E H E N S I V E I N F O R M AT I O N

Oman tourism portal in three languages Times News Service MUSCAT: Comprehensive tourism website of the Sultanate of Oman, www.omanvisitors.com, is now available in three international languages — Arabic, English and Italian, and is supported by a large number of social media channels. The portal features a design that meets the requirements of the visitor, since it is a uniﬁed portal through which one can discover various tourist sites in the Sultanate of Oman. It also gives access to dynamic and comprehensive information regarding attractions and recreational activities, tourism and cultural experiences, heritage and other events. The tourism portal platform is to launch its social networking tourist destination on the «Facebook» and «Twitter» and «YouTube» and «Instagram» channels, which will open the way for the visitors to send comments and views and share experiences at various tourist destinations in the Sultanate. The portal includes a search function for hotels that provide a

COMPREHENSIVE LIST: The aim of this innovative hospitality services’ design is to provide data regarding the facilities available. – Supplied photo

comprehensive list for special offers and available rooms to ensure that a visitor can avail of updated and immediate information before deciding to book his holiday. Innovative design The aim of this innovative hospitality services’ design is to provide data regarding the facilities available through the activation of electronic access to the reser-

vation services and functions of new hotels. Anyone visiting the portal will have access to tools and search ﬁlters, enabling one to choose the place and book his holiday. Booking.com is a strategic partner of the portal. Bader Mohd Al Azri, the supervisor of the portal, said, “The portal contains information regarding all the facilities, services and

tourist destinations in the Sultanate and is a guide for tourists from the moment he or she arrives and till the moment they depart. It also publishes a portal monthly newsletter that includes many tourism related news in addition to other bulletins issued continuously about hotel deals in Oman. There is also a full team to answer any queries or questions submitted by portal visitors.

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

REGION EXTREMIST REBELS

Traffic bans imposed in Tunis over bomb plot

BOMBARDMENT: Smoke billows from buildings after reported air-strikes by the Saudi-led coalition on arms warehouses at Al Dailami air base, controlled by Yemeni Houthi rebels and their allies, on September 6, 2015, north of the capital Sanaa. — AFP

Saudi-led allies bomb Houthi rebels in Sanaa The air strikes targeted troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, an ally of the Houthis, and a Houthi base in what was the Al Imam University, a religious school in northern Sanaa, residents said

SANAA: Saudi-led coalition jets bombed a Houthi military position and army bases in the Yemeni capital Sanaa through the night and into on Sunday morning in what appeared to be further retaliation for the killing of dozens of coalition soldiers two days ago. The air strikes targeted troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, an ally of the Houthis, and a Houthi base in what was the Al Imam University, a religious school in northern Sanaa, residents said. Residents said explosions could be heard all night and buildings had been levelled, but the bombing stopped around noon. A Reuters reporter said there were unconfirmed reports of two deaths. The Al Sabeen maternity and children’s hospital said it had also sustained damage, with patients trapped inside by the bombardment, and appealed to international organisations to help it evacuate patients. “The hospital had been badly damaged due to the bombardment of areas around it,” the Houthi-run state news agency quoted a hospital statement as saying. The Saudi-led coalition says it does not target civilian facilities. But on Saturday, at least 27 members of two families were killed in Sanaa by air strikes targeting Houthi positions in the city, according to hospital officials. It was the heaviest toll suffered by the Saudi-led alliance since it began its air war in March to try to restore Hadi to power after the Houthis began advancing on his main base, the southern port city of Aden. Hadi was installed in 2012 under a Gulf Arab-sponsored deal that saw Saleh, Yemen’s leader of three decades, step down after months of street protests. He fled Sanaa when the Houthis seized the city almost a year ago. UAE forces were important in helping Hadi’s forces drive the Houthis and their allies out of Aden, a big win for the Arab coalition. But security has yet to be restored in the port city, where unidentified vandals dug up several

HELPING HAND: Wounded Yemeni people on wheelchairs wait at the international airport in the southern embattled city of Aden before being evacuated to Sudan on September 5, 2015 during a joint operation of the Sudanese and Yemeni Red Crescent Societies to evacuate wounded people. — AFP

TUNIS: Tunisian authorities warned of possible car bombings in the capital Tunis and banned traffic in parts of the city after receiving intelligence reports about potential attacks, the state news agency TAP said on Sunday. The North African country is under a state of emergency after two deadly extremist militant gun attacks on tourist sites this year. Armed extremists also often carry out attacks on the armed forces in remote areas in Tunisia but have not previously attempted mass killings with car bombs. An Interior Ministry source told TAP that a potential assault involving car bombs and attackers with bomb belts had meant to target strategic points in the capital, without giving further details. “Orders have been given to intensify patrols and searches by the police and the army in certain parts of the capital and the suburban neighbourhoods,” TAP said, citing the Interior Ministry source. Authorities closed off access to the main Avenue Habib Bourguiba in the centre of the city and several other main streets, the agency reported. Four years after its uprising ousted autocrat Zine ElAbidine Ben Ali and inspired the “Arab Spring” protests, Tunisia has a new constitution, free elections and a coalition government with secular and extremist parties. But more than 3,000 Tunisians have left to ﬁght for Islamist militant groups in Syria, Iraq and neighbouring Libya. Some of those extremists have threatened to return home and carry out attacks on Tunisian soil. In March, extremist gunmen killed 21 tourists in an attack at the Bardo Museum in Tunis, and 38 foreigners were killed in an assault on a Sousse beach hotel in June. — Reuters

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Jordan receives more than 250 victims of Yemen war AMMAN: More than 250 people injured in Yemen’s conflict were flown in to Jordan on Sunday for hospital treatment, a medical official said, with emergency services at home overwhelmed with casualties. The 266 patients included many young civilians, women and children, said Fawzi Al Hammuri, chairman of Jordan’s Private Hospitals Association. It was the largest group of Yemeni wounded to arrive in Amman since August under an agreement struck between private Jordanian clinics and the Yemeni government. “Most of the wounded are young civilians,” he said, adding that they have been admitted to 10 private hospitals in Jordan. According to Hammuri, most of the wounded had bone injuries, while others had chest and stomach wounds caused by gunfire,

explosions, bombs or burns. They were ﬂown in from Yemen’s second city Aden on two Yemeni planes, said Hammuri, Yemeni exiled president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s government is picking up the hospital tabs, said Hammuri, who estimated the total cost at $5 million. In August, 180 Yemenis arrived in Jordan in two separate batches for medical treatment in the kingdom. More than 4,500 people have been killed in the conﬂict, including hundreds of children, according to the United Nations. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned in August that health services in impoverished Yemen were “nearing collapse”. Following a visit to Yemen in August, the top United Nations aid official, Stephen O’Brien, said the “scale of human suffering is almost incomprehensible”. — AFP

On Friday, the Houthis had attacked a weapons storage facility in Marib, where the Saudi-led allies had been massing troops and equipment in preparation for an assault on Sanaa. The attack killed 45 soldiers from the United Arab Emirates, five Bahrainis, 10 Saudis and four Yemenis

graves and smashed headstones at a cemetery that Britain, the city’s former colonial ruler, had maintained after it left some 50 years ago, a local official said. A local Yemeni official accused

the Houthis of hiring the vandals to destabilise the city and prevent order returning. The Houthis say Al Qaeda is operating in areas under Hadi’s control. — Reuters

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BOUGHT FROM US

Iraq deploys new F-16s into action against IS group BAGHDAD: Iraq has put F-16 warplanes acquired from the United States into action against the IS group for the ﬁrst time, the commander of the air force said on Sunday. “Fifteen air strikes were carried out in the past four days,” Staff Lieutenant General Anwar Hama Amin told AFP following a news conference in Baghdad. “Smart weapons” were used in the strikes, Amin said, without specifying the type. Defence Minister Khaled Al Obaidi told the news conference that the strikes had achieved “important results” and that the jets will have “an impact on the conduct of operations in the future.” Amin told the news conference that the F-16 strikes had taken place in Salaheddin and Kirkuk provinces, north of Baghdad. Source of tension The ﬁrst four Iraqi F-16s arrived from the United States in mid-July, out of a total of 36 Washington has agreed to sell to Baghdad. The purchase had been a source of tension, with Baghdad repeatedly complaining that they have not been delivered quickly enough.

Anwar Hama Amin

Insecurity in Iraq, where IS seized signiﬁcant territory in June 2014, had delayed the delivery of the jets, with the ﬁrst batch being sent to Arizona, where Iraqi pilots have been training. F-16 crash An Iraqi pilot was killed when his F-16 crashed during training in Arizona earlier this year. F-16 jets are much more sophisticated than other aircraft in Baghdad’s arsenal and will boost Iraq’s capacity for air strikes, which are currently carried out by ageing Sukhoi Su-25 jets, Cessna Caravan turboprop aircraft and various helicopters. — AFP

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

INDIA

Our Parliamentary Board will decide whether to project anyone as chief ministerial candidate or not Rajnath Singh, Home Minister

SINGING REALITY SHOW

JANAMASHTAMI CELEBRATIONS

‘Govindas’ form a pyramid to break the Dahi Handi on the occasion of Janmashtami in Surat on Sunday. Mumbai saw subdued Dahi-Handi celebrations on Sunday, in the backdrop of restrictions on height of pyramids and curbs on decibel levels. A 29-year-old person was killed while trying to tie the Dahi Handi at Bhiwandi in adjoining Thane district while 109 persons were injured in the celebrations in Mumbai, police said. - PTI

Ananya Nanda of Odisha wins Indian Idol Junior trophy MUMBAI: Odisha girl Ananya Nanda lifted the trophy of the second season of singing reality show “Indian Idol Junior” here on Sunday night. Ananya, 14, who defeated Nahid Afrin and Nithyashree Venkataramanan received the price money of total Rs1 million. A self-confessed fan of Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit Singh, the little singing star considers veteran music composer Anandji of the Kalyanji-Anandji duo as her lucky charm. The grand finale of the Sony show saw all the three permanent judges including Sonakshi Sinha, Vishal Dadlani and Salim Merchant boosting the morale of the top three contenders. The 28-year-old Tevar actress enthralled the audience with a dance routine on her popular numbers Saree Ke Fall Sa, Rani Tu Main Raja, Pon Pon, Tamanche Pe disco and Party All Night. Another major highlight of the finale night was a special visit by Sonakshi’s father actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha,who also interacted with the children. Stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma, who is gearing up for the release of his debut film Kis Kisko Pyar Karu promoted the film on Indian Idol Junior set. - PTI

Grand alliance in Bihar a sinking ship: Prasad Union Minister Ravi Shankar said the

The momentum is clearly swinging in the NDA’s favour and it does not matter whether our adversaries are 3 or 30 Ravi Shankar Prasad

grand alliance is a sinking ship as its captain Mulayam Singh Yadav has deserted it ahead of Bihar assembly polls

Communication and Information Technology minister

PATNA: Bihar’s JD(U)-RJDCongress alliance has turned into a sinking ship after Samajwadi Party’s exit, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Sunday. “The grand alliance is a sinking ship as its captain Mulayam Singh Yadav has deserted it ahead of Bihar Assembly polls,” he told reporters. Prasad trashed Janata Dal(United) state unit president Bashisth Narayan Singh’s alleged remark that the SP chief had walked out of the grand alliance under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party and said it was an “insult” to Mulayam Singh Yadav. He said Singh’s remark reﬂected the “desperation” in the alliance. Asked if Mulayam’s decision to exit the coalition was the outcome of reported meetings between top SP and BJP leaders recently, Prasad, Union Minister for

Communication and Information Technology, shot back, saying “in that case RJD supremo Lalu Prasad should then explain why he along with the SP chief had received Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his daughter’s wedding earlier this year. “What to make of the photo of Lalu and Mulayam receiving the Prime Minister at Lalu’s daughter’s wedding function earlier this year?” Prasad said, noting that such meetings between leaders had no bearing on political decisions. He claimed the RJD supremo was now trying to mollify his SP counterpart by giving a few more seats from JD(U) and Congress quotas. Prasad assailed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for criticising Modi’s Rs 1.25 lakh crore package

for Bihar and following that up with his own Rs 2.7 lakh crore vision document for development of the state over the next ﬁve years. The Minister wondered why Nitish had been demanding a special package for Bihar from the Centre when he had the capacity to raise funds for his own package. Prasad accused Kumar and Lalu of trying to prevent the Prime Minister from fast-tracking Bihar’s development to sustain their politics rooted in “dynasty, opportunism and patronage to corruption”. Lalu, he alleged, was speaking the language he used to speak in the 1990s to “create social strife and put different castes on a collision course”. The Union Minister claimed the wind of change blowing in Bihar was slowly transforming into a

storm in favour of the NDA. “The momentum is clearly swinging in the NDA’s favour and it does not matter whether our adversaries are three or 30,” he asserted. Meanwhile, the BJP Parliamentary Board will soon take a decision on whether to project someone as chief ministerial candidate in Bihar polls, senior party leader Rajnath Singh said on Sunday. “Our Parliamentary Board will decide whether to project anyone as chief ministerial candidate or not,” he said. Asked about the number of seats which the party will contest, the Home Minister said discussions among the alliance partners were on and a ﬁnal decision will be taken soon. The term of the 243-member Bihar Assembly comes to an end on November 29. The Election Commission is likely to announce the schedule of the high-voltage Bihar Assembly polls in the next few days. After ruling the state for ten years, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is seeking a third term this time in alliance with RJD and Congress after he walked out of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in June, 2013 snapping 17-year-old ties with BJP. BJP, which had almost swept the state in the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), is hoping to repeat its performance and slamming Kumar for aligning with Lalu Prasad, a convict in fodder scam case. - PTI

M I L I TA RY C O M M U N I C AT I O N S AT E L L I T E

GSAT-6 put in orbital slot successfully CHENNAI: The Indian space agency on Sunday said it had successfully positioned the country’s military communication satellite GSAT-6 in its orbital slot. According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), GSAT 6 has been successfully positioned in its orbital slot of 83 degrees East and co-located with INSAT 4A, GSAT 12, GAAT 10 and IRNSS1C on Sunday morning, after carrying out four drift arresting manoeuvres. The satellite was launched by India’s heavy rocket geosynchronous satellite launch vehicleMark II (GSLV) and put into geo transfer orbit (GTO) on August 27. One of the advanced features of GSAT-6 satellite is its antenna - the largest satellite antenna realised by ISRO and utilised for ﬁve spot beams over the Indian mainland, which exploit the frequency reuse scheme to increase frequency spectrum utilisation efficiency. The satellite provides communication through ﬁve spot beams in S-band and a national beam in C-band for strategic users. The satellite’s life expectancy is nine years. ISRO is planning to launch 2,200 kg INSAT-3DR meteorological satellite next July with its GSLV rocket. According to ISRO, with two back-to-back successful missions carrying indigenous cryogenic stage, the GSLV has matured into a reliable launch vehicle and has paved the way for its future operational missions, providing India self-sufficiency in launching higher capacity satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).The 2016

SPACE MISSION: ISRO’s com-

munication satellite GSAT-6 was launched from the spaceport of Sriharikota, recently. - PTI ﬁle photo

July launch would be followed by the GSAT-9 satellite launch in May 2017. The prestigious Chandrayaan-2 Mission is designated to be launched by GSLV in 201718 time frame. According to ISRO, the GSLV is well on its way towards international and commercial operations. Work is already in progress on the joint effort with NASA for the launch of NISAR satellite into a polar orbit by 2020-21. This mission will demonstrate the versatility of the GSLV for launch into various orbits. While technical criticalities of the complex GSLV system have been overcome, challenges are being taken up for improving the payload capability from the present 2,117 kg to the design target of 2500 kg, ISRO said. - IANS

S E PA R AT E I N C I D E N T S

19 killed in lightning strike as heavy rains lash Andhra Pradesh VIJAYAWADA/HYDERABAD: Nineteen people died after they were struck by lightning in separate incidents in ﬁve districts of Andhra Pradesh which was lashed by heavy rains on Sunday. The incidents occurred in Krishna, Guntur, East Godavari, Prakasam and Nellore districts. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced ex-gratia of Rs400,000 to each of the victim killed in lightning while interacting with district collectors through a tele-conference in Vijaywada. Six persons were killed in Prakasam district, ﬁve in Nellore district, four in Krishna district, two each in Guntur and East Godavari districts. In Prakasam district, six persons, including three women, were killed while four others were injured when they were struck by

lightning in separate incidents. Out of the six victims, two women died when the bolt struck them when they were working in a cotton ﬁeld while rest of the victims included two farmers from Channareddypalli and Muppalla villages, and a 27-year-old man from Chavatapalem, said District Revenue Officer Noor Basha Kashim. Another victim, a borewell operator, died in Vemulkota village, added Markapur sub-inspector of police A. Venkateswarlu. In Nellore district, ﬁve people died after they were struck by lightning, SP Gajarao Bhupal said. His deputy Tirumaleshwar Reddy said the deceased included a father-son duo who were struck by bolt in Venkatachalam mandal under Nellore rural sub-division. In Krishna district, four agricultural labourers, including a

woman, were killed when lightning struck them while they were working in open ﬁeld, said District Revenue Officer (DRO) Saibaba. Miraculous escape In Guntur, women cricketers of Andhra Pradesh and Tripura had a miraculous escape when lightning struck ACA stadium in afternoon where they were playing a match. The cricketers rushed out from the ground and took shelter in the ACA Academy building. A tree outside the building caught ﬁre after it was hit by bolt. In East Godavari district, Surayakantham of Dwarapudi village and Adapa Subbarao of Mandapeta were killed when lightning struck them while they were returning from their work in evening, said Circle Inspector of police,Ramachandrapuram, G. Pulla Rao. - PTI

FLOODED: People wade through a ﬂooded road following heavy rains in Hyderabad on Sunday. - PTI

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

INDIA

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Modi slams critics for trying to mislead armed forces on pension Army veterans to continue stir

Referring to the commission

as this is not any

There’s a new fashion that when the government takes a good decision it is questioned by those who do not want development

pay commission

Narendra Modi

proposed to be set up, Prime Minister Narendra Modi again said that the armed forces should not be misled on the issue

Prime Minister

FARIDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed people trying to “mislead” the armed forces over the government’s OROP decision and made a veiled attack on Congress saying the party has no right to raise questions since it did nothing in 40 years. A day after the government announced implementation of one rank-one pension (OROP) which will have a recurring expense of around Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 crore, Modi said it was a “difficult” decision which could have ramiﬁcations which are yet to be ascertained. He said some people are trying to “mislead” the armed forces, particularly on the issue of premature retirement and the setting up of a commission as proposed in the decision. “Jawans in the army have to retire after 15-17 years of service. A few people think they will not get OROP....they are misleading you by terming it as VRS (voluntary

retirement scheme).... But if anybody gets OROP jawans will be the first.... Those injured, those who had to compulsorily leave they will get OROP. And the Prime Minister who loves the army cannot even think of depriving such people of OROP benefits,” he said at a rally here. Benefits Noting that around 85 per cent of the army constituted of jawans, he said that those who have to compulsorily retire after 15-17 years will benefit the most from this decision. “There is no need to be misled.” Referring to the commission proposed to be set up, he again said that the armed forces should not be misled on the issue also as this is not any pay commission. “This commission is there to address any shortcomings, if any, to see if any small changes are needed,” he said, adding the commission is proposed to be set-up as the

issue is complex. “Even those who proposed Rs 500 crore for OROP could not understand the issue,” he said in an apparent reference to the previous government. In an apparent attack on Congress, he said, “Those who did nothing for 40-42 years, do they have any right to ask questions? They only misled you and committed sins. “They want to score political points....Oneupmanship will not help the nation,” he said. “There’s a new fashion that when the government takes a good decision it is questioned by those who do not want development,” he said. Modi recalled that the issue was pending for the last 42 years and so many governments came but none found a way out. “Only lip service was provided. It was difficult to implement. For me also it was not an easy decision but I have high respect for the armed forces. Whatever promise I

had made is being implemented.... the ramiﬁcations it will have are yet to be known,” he said. He noted that he had made the pledge while addressing a rally of ex-servicemen in Rewari in Haryana on September 13, 2013 as BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate. “The previous government proposed Rs 500 crore. We thought may be it could go up to Rs 600700 crore but while calculating new things came up. While I untangled every aspect of the issue we calculated that there would be an expense of around Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000 crore.” Attacking those criticising his government, Modi said he came to power on May 26, last year and was responsible only since then while some people were misleading. This decision is inspired by patriotism, he said, telling the armed forces that the government “is yours, is there to look into your grievances and will stand by you whenever required”. - PTI

NEW DELHI: Agitating ex-servicemen on Sunday called off their indefinite hunger strike after Modi’s announcement that One Rank-One Pension will cover all those who took premature retirement but decided to continue their protest till all their demands were met. Welcoming Modi’s clarification on extension of OROP to those who retired prematurely, a major sticking point in resolving the standoff between the government and defence veterans, leader of agitating ex-servicemen Major General (Retd) Satbir Singh said revision of pension after a gap of five years, as announced on Saturday, was unacceptable and stressed on an yearly review. Singh warned that exservicemen will be “forced” to resume their “hunger strike till death” if there was no satisfactory resolution of the pending issues by the government. The government’s decision to appoint a onemember judicial commission to examine various aspects of the OROP has also been rejected by the agitators as they demanded a five-member committee comprising three ex-servicemen, one serving member from the armed forces and a representative from the Ministry of Defence. Addressing a press conference at Jantar Mantar, Singh said the committee should function directly under the Defence Minister and submit

PROTEST: Members of United Front of Ex-servicemen continue their indeﬁnite hunger strike for implementation of OROP scheme, in Nagpur on Sunday. - PTI

its report within one month. Singh said it was agreed during the negotiations that the base year for calculation of pension would be 2013-14 and not calender year 2013. Pressing for March 31, 2014 as base date,Singh said if government sticks to the calender year, than December 31 should be the basis for fixing the benefits. “We have called off the hunger strike but protest will continue till all our major demands are met,” Singh said,adding a massive ‘Gaurav rally’ will be organised here on September 12 for “quick resolution” of the pending issues. “We are confident that in the next 15 days or a month the government will issue a letter about OROP implementation. If the government does not follow any point of view or if it goes against our satisfaction, then we will resume our hunger strike till death,” he said. - PTI

E X T R A O R D I NA RY TA L E N T

15-year-old prodigy from Tamil Nadu holds five world records CHENNAI: Fifteen-year-old prodigy K. Vilasini is a holder of five world records, including the highest IQ and IELTS (International English Language Testing System). Pursuing her first year B.Tech Degree in Computer Science at Kalasingalingam University in Srivilliputhur. Vilasini’s precocious talents were evident when she was just 11 years of age. She also interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on ideas to serve the country.

“When she was 11 years old we realised her talent and got her to take up all opportunities that came her way. One such was the world record in IELTS,” her mother S. Sethu Ragamaliga said. Vilasini had also been invited to take part in 11 International conferences as a keynote speaker, chief among which was the Google India Summit in New Delhi, she said. “She has the world record in highest IQ with IQ level at 225, is the youngest CCNA (Certiﬁed

Network Associate) World record holder, youngest Exin Cloud Computing world record Holder, youngest CCSA (Certiﬁcation in Control Self-Assessment) World Record holder,” she added. On Vilasini’s interaction with the PM as part of Teacher’s day celebrations, Ragamaliga said it was a pleasant surprise when the family got a call from the PMO last week that their daughter had been selected. “It was one of the proudest moments in our lives”, she said.

“After the formalities, she underwent so many rehearsals. As a mother I was so happy that my daughter, representing Tamil Nadu, was shortlisted to converse with Modi,” she added. The nationally televised interaction with students of various schools across the country saw Vilasini posing a question to the PM on ideas to serve the country. Modi replied in Hindi that one does not need to be a politician or be in civil services and one can just

FA K E I N D I A N C U R R E N C Y N O T E S

New numbering system in Rs1,000 note to check counterfeit currency NEW DELHI: A new numbering system and seven new security features will be incorporated in all currency notes, especially in high denomination Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes, in order to check the menace of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN). The Bhartiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt Limited (BRBNMPL) and Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) have initiated steps for introduction of the revised number pattern, official sources said. Initially, it will be made part of Rs1,000 and Rs500 currency notes and, by May next year, currencies of all other denominations will have this feature, they said. Besides, the government has approved seven new security features, details of which are not yet known, in the bank notes, the sources said. The Reserve Bank of India has also asked the banks to stamp fake notes detected over the counter as “Counterfeit note” and impound them immediately. Banks found not following the procedure will be penalised. They have also been instructed to issue a receipt for counterfeit notes to the tenderer of the FICN, they said. As per the estimates, fake Indian currency notes of face value of Rs 30 crore have been seized.

INITIATIVE: A customer hands a bundle of Indian rupee currency

notes to a teller at a ﬁnancial institution in Mumbai. The government has approved seven new security features, details of which are not yet known, in the bank notes to check counterfeit currency, the sources said. - Reuters ﬁle photo

National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been made the nodal agency for FICN cases as the government treats this menace as ‘economic terrorism’.Central security agencies are alarmed at the new routes being taken by the spy agency to unleash the economic terror. Fake currency seizures Meanwhile, Gujarat tops the list of ﬁve Indian states that are considered the “safest” for circulating counterfeit currency notes — according to the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).Of the 30,354,604 counterfeit notes seized across

the country, 87,47,820 were recovered from Gujarat in 2014. Chhattisgarh followed close on the heels with the seizure of 7,386,900 fake notes, while Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana saw recoveries of 5,437,600, 3,249,000 and 1,696,850 counterfeit notes. Police officers monitoring the circulation of fake notes suspect that the neighbouring countries are pushing such notes in India which have a greater resemblance to India’s high denomination Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes. The officers said that they have been noticing for the past few months that differences between

genuine and counterfeit notes were reducing and that around five such differences have actually disappeared. “The paper being used to make the fake notes is now more similar. The stiffness is almost the same. The security thread (in the right half ) on fake notes also resembles that on the genuine currency. “The watermark (the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi in light and shade) has also been nearly matched,” an officer, who did not want to be named, said. “The identification mark on the left of the note looks quite similar in counterfeit and genuine notes. The optical variable ink also looks similar,” he added. Of the 30,354,604 counterfeit notes seized across the country, those in the Rs1,000 denomination was the highest at 19,895,000. The recovery of notes in the Rs500, Rs100 and Rs50 denominations across India was 9,490,500; 938,800 and 25,000. However, the seizure of other fake Indian currency was was a mere 5,304 pieces. The NCRB data said that Chhattishgarh is the state from where highest 7,224,000 fake notes of Rs1,000 denomination were recovered. “All the border areas in India have been facing the problem with the circulation of fake notes trade and the drug trade,” said the officer. - Agencies

serve the country by conserving fuel, electricity and food. To a question whether Vilasini was unhappy since Modi had replied in Hindi, Ragamaliga said, “it is a problem of those who do not understand that language.” “As a mother I am very happy that my daughter interacted with the Prime Minister. Though it was a live telecast, I was not able to see how my daughter spoke as I was in an adjacent room. I later saw it on news channels,” she said. - PTI

K. Vilasini

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M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

PAKISTAN INSURGENCY

Pakistan urged to act against Taliban rebels

DEFENCE DAY FESTIVITIES

Women take a selﬁe while visiting an exhibition organised by the Pakistan Air Force in Peshawar, on Sunday. Pakistanis are celebrating the golden jubilee of Pakistan Defence Day in memory of the martyrs of the 1965 war against India. — Reuters

ISLAMABAD/KABUL: Afghanistan asked Pakistan to act against Afghan Taliban militants operating on its territory during weekend talks in Kabul, while Pakistan said the South Asian neighbours needed to build trust, officials said after the meetings. The Afghan Taliban, ousted from power by a US-led coalition in 2001, has been gaining territory in its insurgency against the government led by President Ashraf Ghani. Conduct attacks Afghanistan and Pakistan have long accused each other of sheltering Taliban ﬁghters and other extremist militants who conduct attacks inside their territory, charges both deny. “We reiterate our position and state facts, asking Pakistan to take action against terrorist groups inside its territory that declare war against our people,” a spokesman for the Afghan president’s office said in statement on Sunday. Pakistan said after the meetings that both countries should work together to restore trust, and that an agreement had been reached to end a blame game over a spate of attacks. — Reuters

Zardari condemns Altaf for ‘negative politics’

Altaf Hussain

The PPP cochairman was quoted as advising the MQM to join mainstream politics and work for the progress of Sindh and Pakistan

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Cochairman Asif Ali Zardari said on Saturday that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain’s ‘negative politics’ was detrimental to his own party’s interests. In a statement issued by Zardari’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar, the PPP co-chairman was quoted as advising the MQM to join the country’s mainstream politics and work for the progress and prosperity of Sindh and Pakistan. Unnecessary speeches Zardari also advised Altaf to desist from ‘unnecessary’ speeches and statements. The PPP leader told the MQM chief that making incendiary remarks and ‘accusations’ almost every day was in appropriate for a man in his po-

Asif Ali Zardari

sition. Zardari lamented that the MQM had reneged on its promises made to the PPP. “But the PPP has always kept its promises to the MQM.” He said his party had always put forward two conditions every time they had a dialogue with the MQM: “There will be no discussion on division of Sindh, and cooperation will be ensured to make Karachi a peaceful city.” The PPP co-chairman said his party’s stance had always been clear that they would not let anyone divide Sindh. He also said the PPP had always tried to work in harmony with all the federal and provincial governments. Meanwhile, the MQM’s Rabita Committee said in a statement that whether it was development in Karachi’s urban areas or offering employment, Zardari had never fulfilled any of his promises. They lashed out at the PPP cochairman in response to his earlier statement. “The MQM was in power with the PPP in Sindh for five years, Zardari never fulfilled any written agreements,” said the coordination committee statement. “Zardari has realised that Sindhis are leaving behind corrupt politicians of the PPP and are joining the MQM. Like the urban areas, people of rural Sindh have also rejected the PPP.” The MQM statement said that like Punjab, the PPP was seeing a dark future for the party in Sindh and was, therefore, playing the ‘Sindh’ card. — Express Tribune

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It took a dead child’s photo to open our eyes

Photo: O.K. Mohammed Ali

e lack moral imagination. It took a photograph of a dead child – in his smart red top, bright blue shorts and new lace-up shoes – to open our eyes to the reality of the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. The statistics had not done it. Nor had the news that 700 boat people had died in a single accident in the Mediterranean. Nor, even, had the reports that 71 migrants had suffocated in the back of a refrigerated lorry. But the image of one three-year-old lying lifeless on a beach has turned a political tide. Suddenly everyone agrees that “something must be done”. But there is little agreement on what that something might be. Different groups parade solutions to fit their different prejudices. How are we to pick a path through this moral maze? The public focus is on how many migrants are entering Europe, what should be done with them and where they should be resettled. But if this is the pressing issue it is only a small part of the problem. There are two bigger difficulties. The first is what can be done about the forces which are driving these people to flee their homes? Until recently the cameras of the British media have focused mainly on Calais, from where several thousand Eritrean, Sudanese and Nigerian migrants have been attempting to enter the UK illegally. But the biggest group of migrants flocking to Europe is, like the dead child Aylan al-Kurdi, from Syria. The second biggest is from Afghanistan. The harsh truth is that British policy in both Syria and Afghanistan, as in Iraq and Libya, played a part in creating the crisis and is now characterised by impotent paralysis. At this level the UK has been part of the problem and not part of the solution. The second issue concerns how to assist those fleeing war in ways which keep them near enough to their homes to be able to return when the fighting is over. The British Government has a far more honourable record on that: it is spending as much as the rest of the European Union put together to help the four million

Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan. Thanks to the Government honouring its pledge to allocate 7p of every £10 of national income on aid, Britain is leading the way in providing food, shelter, medicines and education in those camps. Even myopic opponents of aid such as the Daily Mail accept this is money well spent, and better than allowing large numbers of foreigners into the UK. But other governments are not doing their bit. The United Nations’ appeal for funds has reached only a third of what is needed. Food rations for Syrian refugees have been cut in half in Lebanon. Other governments must donate more. And yet the image of Aylan, face-down on a Turkish beach, has switched the focus from the four million in those camps to the comparatively smaller number of people already on the move. Suddenly, David Cameron was wrong-footed. Germany is anticipating taking 800,000 refugees by the end of 2015. Sweden took 81,000 last year. Even Iceland has announced it will take 10,000. It is clearly unfair for Britain to take none. Yet this is not just about numbers – it’s also about money. The inflow of migrants has laid bare the unfairness of the Dublin Regulations which insist refugees must claim asylum in the first EU country in which they land. Frontline countries (Italy, Greece, Bulgaria and Malta) are bearing disproportionate burdens. A better system to share costs must be found – for those countries, and to support the camps in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt for the millions of Syrians of whom there are no poignant photographs. All this points to the need for a more comprehensive EU-wide system. We should not be afraid of such numbers. The cold fact is that more than 500 million people live in the EU. The 350,000 migrants who have entered Europe so far this year represent less than a 10th of 1 per cent of the total population. Our continent has the means to absorb such a tiny percentage with relative ease. But first we need to exercise our moral imagination and develop a coherent, continentwide approach. - The Independent

READERS’ FORUM Experts on China economy behind the market crash This refers to the online story, Global markets awaiting China data (September 5). The world, it seems, has been caught on the wrong foot over China’s ﬁnancial crisis. The reason for this is that experts for many years had been crying wolf over an impending ‘bubble burst’ of the world’s second largest economy. In my opinion, everyone thought its economic run would continue for a long time to come. — Salman Ali, Ruwi

Mankind moving backwards in terms of use of intelligence

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

This refers to the online story, New numbering system in Rs 1,000 note to check counterfeiting (September 6). It is indeed very important to crack down on fake currency. However, I cannot understand why people produce such notes! Humans, in my opinion, have lost the difference between right and wrong due to technology. It is much easier to produce such items. The mankind, in my opinion, is moving backwards in terms of the use of intelligence. — Sundeep Lal, Muscat

‘Equals’ not worth seeing

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CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES AUGUST 2000 Ministry issues speciﬁcations of national ﬂag

MUSCAT: The Ministry of Information has given out the specifications and measurements of the national Flag. Accordingly, it has said that the flags to be used on private and public buildings (from the first floor and above) should be of 3.50m x 2m, while the length of the flagpole used should be 10m.

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M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 I have done this for so many years, but this year feels different somehow. We hope that nothing will happen Ang Kami Sherpa, Ice doctor

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HEADING TO SAFETY: Trekkers and climbers making their way up a trail leading to the village of Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp deep in the Kumbhu region of the Sagamartha National Forest in northeastern Nepal, a few days before a 7.8-magnitude quake struck on April 25 killing more than 8,800 people across the Himalayan nation and triggering a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest that killed 18 people including foreign climbers. - AFP

MILESTONE: A sign showing the way to Everest Base Camp high in the Khumbu Glacier, one day after an earthquake-triggered avalanche swept through parts of the base camp killing scores of people in this picture taken on April 26, 2015. - AFP ﬁle photo

Nepal’s ‘ice doctors’ are mountaineers who brave Mount Everest’s treacherous Khumbu icefall to prepare it for the climbing season

KATHMANDU: Ang Kami Sherpa is one of Nepal’s most experienced “ice doctors” — the mountaineers who brave Mount Everest’s treacherous Khumbu icefall to prepare it for the climbing season — but even he is more nervous than usual this time round. Sherpa is among a group of ice doctors who returned to the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) mountain in August — four months after a huge earthquake that triggered a deadly avalanche at its base camp. They are readying the route for the autumn season, when even

in a normal year only a handful of climbers attempt the summit, most opting for the more favourable conditions of spring. This year, Japan’s Nobokazu Kuriki is the only climber planning an attempt on the summit, although a six-person support team is expected to accompany him to Camp 2, about 6,400 metres high and usually around two days of trekking beyond base camp. At 63, Sherpa is more familiar with Everest than most, having kicked off his mountaineering career in 1975 when he assisted Ja-

pan’s Junko Tabei in her successful bid to become the ﬁrst woman to summit the peak. But this time, the veteran ice doctor says even he is worried after April’s quake, which killed nearly 9,000 people, 18 of them on the world’s highest peak. “Our job is more difficult this year, the mountain has changed (after the quake),” Sherpa said by phone from Everest base camp, where the ice doctors have already begun work. “There is always a risk up here but we are a little more scared this year.” Highly-skilled mountaineers like Sherpa are the ﬁrst men on the peak every season, using ropes and ladders to build a route across plunging crevasses and constantly shifting ice. This year the dangers are even higher than usual with Nepal still experiencing regular aftershocks, further increasing the risk of avalanches. The avalanche that hit on April

25 was the second in as many years after 16 Nepali guides lost their lives on the icefall in 2014, sparking a shutdown of the peak. Aftershocks and avalanches Many in the mountaineering community question the wisdom of asking the elite climbers to brave aftershocks and avalanches for the sake of a single summit hopeful. An ice doctor can earn $3,500 in a season, sometimes more in tips from foreign mountaineers, a large sum in a country where the average annual income is about $705. Mountaineering is a huge revenue earner for impoverished Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 metres. Everest alone attracts hundreds of climbers during the April to May spring season, when weather conditions are deemed ideal. Ang Dorjee Sherpa, president of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), which manag-

es the peak, said there was no option but to send the route-setters up once the government issues a permit for the mountain. “It is our job to set the route, regardless of the number of climbers,” he said. “Tourism as a whole has suffered a downfall, at least if there is an Everest summit this year, it will help send out a positive message.” Every day the ice doctor and his team set off from base camp before dawn, often working for over 12 hours at a stretch. Although Sherpa developed his skills on the job, in recent years, ice doctors have enrolled at the nearby Khumbu Climbing Centre, set up by US mountaineer Conrad Anker in memory of renowned alpinist Alex Lowe who died in 1999. “The ice doctors know the mountain the best, they are highly experienced,” said Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of Nepal’s mountaineering association. “They are the backbone of

mountaineering on Everest, all other climbs depend on the initial risk they take.” US veteran mountaineer and Everest expert Alan Arnette said days get shorter and colder as winter approaches, making summits less likely. “Spring Everest expeditions have a 66 per cent success (rate) compared to 29 per cent in the autumn,” Arnette said. Nevertheless, Japanese climber Kuriki said he was determined to climb in the autumn and hoped to summit in mid-September. Kuriki’s last attempt on Everest in autumn 2012 ended when he needed to be rescued from Camp 2, and he eventually lost nine of his ﬁngers to frostbite. As he ascends, the ice doctors will continue to monitor the route, watching the clock anxiously until he returns. “I have done this for so many years, but this year feels different somehow,” ice doctor Sherpa said. “We hope that nothing will happen.” - AFP

COLLAPSED GLACIER: A collapsed glacier and the site of an ava-

lanche seen in the Khumbu icefall from Everest Base Camp in this photograph taken on April 18, 2014. - AFP ﬁle photo

EVEREST BASE CAMP: A general view of Everest Base Camp in Nepal in this photograph taken on May 17, 2009.

- AFP ﬁle photo

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Cyprus rescuers save 114 Syrians after boat trouble they had arrested three people who had admitted to smuggling the refugees, of whom more than half were transferred to a reception camp outside Nicosia

Less hospitable Thirty-three per cent thought France was less hospitable to war refugees than Germany, which opened its door to several hundred thousands of migrants in the last months, while 44 per cent thought they are on the same line. The picture of three year-old Aylan Kurdi’s body washed up in the Aegean resort of Bodrum spawned sympathy and outrage at the perceived inaction of developed nations in helping refugees.

on Sunday

Three arrested Cyprus police said they had arrested three people who had admitted to smuggling the refugees, of whom more than half were transferred to a reception camp outside Nicosia on Sunday. The boat had departed from the Syrian port town of Tartus and stopped in Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, authorities said. Interior Minister Socrates Hasikos told reporters the refugees had been headed for Greece, with some hoping to travel on to other parts of Europe. The boat was mainly carrying

ESCAPE FROM WAR: Refugees ﬂeeing the war in Syria sit on a bus as they are driven to the Kokkinotrimithia refugee camp, West of Nico-

sia in Cyprus, yesterday, a few hours after they were rescued as their boat ran into trouble overnight off the Mediterranean island. — AFP

Syrian refugees, but also some Lebanese and Palestinians from Syria, Hasikos said.Cyprus, a member of the European Union, lies just 100 kilometres (60 miles) off the Syrian coast but has so far avoided a mass inﬂux of refugees from the country’s conﬂict, with most preferring to bypass the island to reach the European mainland. Late on Saturday night, the boat’s captain sent a distress signal as the vessel was listing because its engine stopped working, prompting the police and army to launch a rescue operation, authorities said.

All of those on board the stricken vessel were safely brought ashore to Larnaca by 7:00 am (0400 GMT) on Sunday, police said. Some of them received ﬁrst aid at the port, but “there were no serious injuries warranting a transfer to the hospital,” the interior minister said. Reception camp On Sunday afternoon, three buses carrying 87 of the refugees reached the reception camp at Kokkinotrimithia outside Nicosia, officials said. Outside the centre, men and women were seen walking in past

high barbed-wire fences, some carrying children and babies in their arms. Official news agency CNA said some others had asked for asylum and been taken to an asylum centre outside Larnaca. Police spokesman Andreas Angelides said the three people arrested were expected to appear in court on Monday. Police said the three suspects aged 47, 33 and 28 -- faced charges of people trafficking. Local newspaper Phileleftheros reported that the boat’s captain was among them. “From the existing information it appears that each refu-

EXODUS

Offered clothes Arriving on another train, two boys, perhaps seven or eight years old, pushed out their chests like football stars and beamed smiles as they traversed the throng of applauding people. In Munich’s railway station hall, large tables offered clothes and food to the new arrivals, staffed by some 90 helpers -- including several Arabic speakers -- working four-hour shifts.

gee paid more than 3,000 euros ($3,345) each” for the journey, Angelides said. Last September, some 345 Syrian and Palestinian refugees were rescued by a cruise liner in stormy waters off the island’s coast and housed for several months before their camp was closed. Two months later, about 220 Syrian refugees crammed onto a ﬁshing boat were rescued off the coast of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus after hitting rough seas. Europe has been facing an unprecedented inﬂux this summer of people seeking refuge, many of them from war-torn Syria. — Reuters

Anti-IS coalition France is now considering joining a coalition conducting air strikes on IS group in Syria, Le Monde said on its website on Saturday, quoting an unnamed “high level source”. Such a decision would likely be broadly endorsed politically, conservative candidate to presidency Alain Juppe said on Sunday. “I think there could be quite a large agreement on this,” he told reporters from Europe 1 radio, iTele TV and Le Monde daily when asked whether there would be a consensus if President Francois Hollande was to decide air strikes on Syria. In the Odoxa poll, 61 per cent said they would back France taking part in a coalition sending ground troops to Syria to ﬁght the IS group. — Reuters

F O R E I G N I N V E S T I G AT O R S

Emotional welcome for bemused migrants in Germany after ordeal MUNICH: Having braved dangerous journeys to escape war, tired refugees from Syria and other conﬂict zones were stunned to receive a hero’s welcome as they arrived in Germany over the weekend. In crowded train stations, hundreds of well-wishers cheered the often baffled newcomers, waving “welcome” signs as the migrants got out of packed trains in Munich, Frankfurt and other German cities. Crowds of people holding balloons and snapping smartphone pictures gave them water, food and children’s toys as the record inﬂux has sparked an unprecedented volunteer response. “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here,” chanted people at Frankfurt’s railway station overnight, as trains arrived with refugees who had travelled from Hungary through Austria. In the southern city of Munich, Germany’s main hub for arrivals, a 47-year-old local woman in the crowd on Sunday waved to a Syrian family arriving on the latest of dozens of special trains. When the family with three children neared the police barricade looking sceptical, the woman handed them a bag, with chocolates, toys and an envelope inside. “There’s a bit of money inside,” said the woman in English, before the Syrians, grateful smiles on their faces, were led on to be registered, the next step in their uncertain journey.

French favour Syria strikes, oppose soft refugee rules PARIS: A majority of French people are against softening rules to access refugee status, a poll showed on Sunday even as thousands poured to the streets to show their solidarity with migrants seeking asylum in Europe. Around 8,500 people marched in Paris on Saturday carrying banners such as “Refugees welcome”. Other demonstrations took place in several cities across the country. But a poll conducted by Odoxa for Le Parisien-Aujourd’hui en France daily showed 55 per cent of the 1,000 people surveyed were opposed to an easing of rules for migrants asking for refugee status, including Syrians ﬂeeing civil war.

Cyprus police said

NICOSIA: Rescuers in Cyprus on Sunday saved more than 100 refugees ﬂeeing the war in Syria after their boat ran into trouble overnight off the Mediterranean island, authorities said. The 114 people, including 54 women and children, had been aboard a small ﬁshing boat about 40 nautical miles from the southern Cypriot port of Larnaca at the time they struck trouble, said a source in the island’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.

CONFLICT

BRAVING THE ODDS: Migrants wave as they arrive at the main railway station in Munich, southern

Germany, on Sunday. — AFP

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“We have more than 1,000 volunteers who have signed up on lists and online and are ready to help,” said one of them, Colin Turner. From the train station of the Bavarian state capital, the refugees have been taken by bus or local train to temporary shelters, including a school, a tennis centre and two halls of the Munich congress centre, which has room to house about 1,000 people. Largest numbers Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, has taken in by far the EU’s largest numbers of refugees amid the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. The total number is expected

to reach 800,000 this year -- four times last year’s total -- at a cost of about 10 billion euros ($11 billion) to the state.This weekend alone, some 17,000 migrants were expected to have passed through Bavaria, federal police said. While Germany has seen a spate of xenophobic rallies and attacks against foreigners, especially in the former communist East, many people believe the country, given its dark wartime history and current wealth, has a special obligation to help refugees. In an ugly incident Saturday night, several dozens far-right protesters rallied outside Dortmund railway station against the newcomers. Five people were hurt, including three police, when they clashed with anti-fascist activists. However, the main focus was on the far larger crowds of wellwishers in many German cities. At Frankfurt railway station overnight, food, water and clothes

were piled high for the new arrivals, while hundreds of people thronged the platforms. An Egyptian man who gave his name as Mustafa and said he had been living in Frankfurt for 20 years, held up an Arabiclanguage cardboard sign saying “warm welcome”. They’re afraid Lara Sabbagh, a volunteer for an organisation called Kleeblatt based near Frankfurt, acted as a translator for some of the Syrian refugees. She told bystanders to stop taking photographs, saying: “They’re afraid. They say they’ve just ﬂed from their country and their ruler and don’t want to be photographed.” She added that many of the migrants didn’t “understand all the commotion here. They asked me, ‘What are all these people doing here? What do they want?’ They didn’t understand that people were here to welcome them.” — AFP

‘No evidence Mexico students were cremated in bonfire’ MEXICO CITY: Independent foreign investigators refuted Sunday the Mexican government’s conclusion that 43 students abducted last year were incinerated in a landfill, tearing apart the official probe into a case that caused international outrage. Urging the authorities to keep looking for the students snatched by corrupt police a year ago, experts from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said there was no evidence that they were cremated in a bonfire. After a six-month investigation, the panel released a nearly 500-page report that raises questions about the official account of a crime that sparked protests and the biggest crisis of President Enrique Pena Nieto’s administration. The document also calls for a probe into the actions of federal police and soldiers during the night of September 26-27, when municipal officers from the southern city of Iguala shot at buses that had been seized by the students. The young men were mostly freshmen from a teaching college known for its leftist activism and practice of commandeering buses to move around Guerrero state. The commission suggested that prosecutors open a new line of investigation into whether the students were attacked because they may have taken a bus criminals used to transport heroin. Definitive conclusion The medical and legal experts from Spain and Latin America said they “regret not being able to offer the families, the government, Mexican society and the world a definitive conclusion about what happened to the 43 missing students.” The attorney general’s office concluded late last year that Iguala police, with officers from neighboring Cocula, abducted 43 young men and handed them over to the Guerreros Unidos drug gang.

After a six-month investigation, the panel released a nearly 500-page report that raises questions about the official account of a crime that sparked protests

Citing confessions from gang members, then attorney general Jesus Murillo Karam said the students were killed and stacked in a funeral pyre that burned for 14 hours in Cocula’s landfill before their ashes were thrown in a nearby river. The charred remains of only one student were identified in a bag found in the water. But the commission hired a fire expert who concluded that it would have taken 60 hours, some 30 tonnes of woods, 13 tonnes of tires and 13 tonnes of diesel to cremate 43 bodies Small fires Jose Torero, a Peruvian-born professor at the University of Queensland in Australia, wrote that such a blaze would have consumed vegetation and trash around it, but only evidence of small fires were found. “There is no evidence indicating the presence of a fire of the size of a (funeral) pyre for the cremation of even one body,” Torero wrote. Human rights groups and parents of the victims have accused the authorities of rushing to declare the students dead. — AFP

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I take full responsibility for all actions that occur here at West Point to include the event on August 20, 2015 Lieutenant General Robert L Caslen, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York

Annual US pillow fight turns bloody The event, part of a tradition for ﬁrst-year students at the service academy in West Point, New York, is intended as a way to help them relax and build team spirit after a summer spent preparing for a gruelling programme

NEW YORK: An annual pillow ﬁght among freshman at the United States Military Academy turned violent and left 30 cadets injured, the school’s superintendent said on Saturday. The event, part of a tradition for ﬁrst-year students at the service academy in West Point, New York, is intended as a way to help them relax and build team spirit after a summer spent preparing for a gruelling programme, according to a statement released by Lieutenant General Robert L Caslen, Jr, superintendent at the academy.

“I take full responsibility for all actions that occur here at West Point to include the event on August 20, 2015,” Caslen said. “We remain committed to the development of leaders of character.” The brawl turned bloody after many of the cadets stuffed helmets and other hard objects into the pillow cases resulting in injuries that included concussions, a broken nose, a dislocated shoulder, broken bones and a cheekbone fracture, according to Caslen’s statement and a report in the New York Times.

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All the injured, including 24 with concussion, have returned to campus and that “appropriate action” will be taken when the investigation is ﬁnished, Caslen said. “While these spirit events do occur, we never condone any activity that results in intentional harm to a teammate,” Caslen said.

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Kasker, an academy spokesman, said there were no plans to cancel it. Upperclassmen supervising the freshmen had required the cadets to wear helmets, but many put the helmets in their pillow cases instead. The tradition dates back to at least 1897, as there was a 1901 congressional inquiry on hazing. The 2013 ﬁght was cancelled after a cadet put a lockbox in a pillow case during the 2012 event and hurt other cadets, the report said. -Reuters

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Thai junta-backed council rejects constitution draft The rejection in a National Reform Council vote means the drafting process will have to start again, potentially

KEY VOTE: Thai National Reform Council members vote on the

new draft constitution at Parliament in Bangkok on Sunday. -AFP

delaying 2017 polls

BANGKOK: A council appointed by Thailand’s junta on Sunday rejected a draft constitution, a move expected to delay a return to democracy following last year’s military coup. Critics had pilloried the document as divisive, anti-democratic and aimed at prolonging military rule. But its rejection in a vote by the National Reform Council (NRC) means the painstaking process of drafting a charter will have to start again, potentially pushing back the timetable for elections to 2017. Of the 240 NRC members who voted, 135 were against the document and 105 in favour. “Those in favour were less than half of NRC members, it means this NRC meeting has voted against” the charter, NRC chairman Tienchai Kiranan said in a televised count. The army seized power from an elected government in May last year, promising to calm the country after years of street protests and acrimony by political rivals. The junta has said a new charter — Thailand’s 20th since it abandoned absolute monarchy in 1932 — holds the key to bridging those

divides before democratic elections can be restored, provisionally in mid-late 2016. For years the kingdom has been split between pro-democracy supporters of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s populist parties and a conservative, royalist elite backed by the military and judiciary. Shinawatra-backed parties have won every election since 2001 but have been ousted by two coups and seen the removal of three prime ministers by the courts. Opponents of the charter see it as a blatant attempt to permanently entrench the military’s political power and say it would prevent genuine democracy from taking root. They point to Section 260 that allows the military to replace any elected government with an appointed 22-member “crisis” panel at any time in the ﬁve years after the charter is

enacted — if unrest or political deadlock, as the military sees it, requires such a move. The panel would be stacked with military top brass and other unelected officials, effectively guaranteeing the army’s grip on power. Ahead of Sunday’s vote the toppled Peau Thai party labelled the charter “dictatorial” saying it would destroy democracy and plunge the kingdom into even “deeper political polarisation”. But analysts say the vote to reject it is also politically helpful for the junta as it sets back the date for a return to civilian rule. The junta now has a month to appoint a new charter drafting committee. “They (committee) will then draft a new charter within 180 days and then it will go to a national referendum,” NRC member Paiboon Nititawan said. -AFP

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Oman’s bank credit surges ahead by 9% to OMR18b growth of 11.22 per cent over the same period last year.

Total deposits of Omani banks also rose by 6.48 per cent for the ﬁrst seven months of 2015 at OMR18.342 billion, from OMR17.226 billion for the same period last year, according to the CBO ROBUST GROWTH: The incremental credit growth of all banks in absolute terms was OMR1,500.8

million in a year, according to the Central Bank of Oman. — Times ﬁle picture A E JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman’s commercial banks have achieved a 9.15 per cent growth in total credit at OMR17.897 billion for the ﬁrst seven months of 2015 from OMR16.397 billion for the same period of last year, according to the Central Bank of Oman (CBO). The incremental credit growth of all banks in absolute terms was

OMR1,500.8 million in a year. It is more or less in line with the loan growth seen last year and was mostly driven by the corporate sector. Hamoud Sangour Al Zadjali, executive president of Central Bank of Oman earlier said that the credit growth for the whole year would be in double digits and would probably hover around 10 per cent. Total deposits of Om-

ani banks also rose by 6.48 per cent for the ﬁrst seven months of 2015 at OMR18.342 billion, from OMR17.226 billion for the same period last year, according to the Central Bank of Oman. Oman has seven conventional banks — Bank Muscat, National Bank of Oman, BankDhofar, HSBC Bank Oman, Bank Sohar, Oman Arab Bank and ahlibank.

Because of continued low oil prices, the banks will be more conservative in lending in the second half and focus more on the credit quality rather than quantity. Under such a scenario, the overall credit growth may show a marginal slow down. Total assets of commercial banks by end-July 2015 touched OMR28.094 billion, showing a

Interest rate Meanwhile, the short-term interest rates in the country are expected to harden in the coming months, with Oman government raising debt funds to cover deficit in view of falling oil prices. The liquidity within the financial system has been absorbed as the government has raised OMR500 million so far this year — OMR300 million in July and OMR200 million in February — by way of development bond issues. Also, the Sultanate’s government is in an advanced stage to float the country’s first sovereign sukuk or Islamic bond worth OMR200 million, which will take the total debt issue to OMR700 million. If the government of Oman continues borrowing, bank liquidity will be tightened and the lending rates will not remain at the same level. In the last couple of years, Omani banks had ample liquidity, resulting in a low interest regime. A couple of Omani banks have started offering personal loan for nationals below four per cent per cent. But banks would not be able to continue such a low rate, if money market situation is tightened.

SOLAR PROJECTS

Oman signs pact for developing renewable energy Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman’s Rural Areas Electricity Company (Raeco) on Sunday signed a consultancy services agreement with CESI Middle East for supervising the construction of the country’s renewable energy projects. The projects will be located in Dhofar and Al Wusta Governates, with feasibility studies on going for determining their ﬁnal location. CESI Middle East is a global leader in technical consulting and engineering. With a focus on working towards a more sustainable future, securing a less polluted environment the Sultanate of Oman has consistently sought to move past its dependence on fossil fuels to meet the energy needs of its current population. CESI will be providing Raeco with the expertise to implement renewable energy systems across the different projects, in-turn saving manpower, spare parts and most importantly, reducing the consumption of diesel fuel. With Oman having one of the highest levels of solar energy densities in the world, receiving up to 7,900 gigawatts from the Sun per day, Raeco chose an industry leader to utilise this signiﬁcant advantage and oversee the construction.

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Registration for Oman’s 2015 Entrepreneurship Award begins Times News Service MUSCAT: Organising committee of the Sultanate’s 2015 Entrepreneurship Award began registration on Sunday, which will continue till October 8. To make the registration easy and accessible, the committee said it will be done online through its official website www.theaward.om. Tariq Al Farsi, chief executive

officer of the Al Raffd Fund and head of the organising committee said: “the award comes in line with the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to enable the Omani youth to effectively contribute to the development of their national economy and diversiﬁcation of its resources.” “The foundation of the award reﬂects the government’s persistent commitment to creating a

supporting environment for entrepreneurship. At the same time, it represents a qualitative leap in the Sultanate’s efforts to build a strong national entrepreneurship foundation,” added Al Farsi. The award this year maintained the same three main categories: Entrepreneurship Award, Entrepreneurship Award for SMEs, and Entrepreneurship Supporters Award. However, it introduced

new subcategories making the overall number of awards 18. Some changes were made to the subcategories based on feedback of the ﬁrst edition. The new additions come to better ﬁt the nature of the activities of the private and public organisations. On the other hand, some other categories were split to help assessors evaluate the real performance of each initiative without

having to distract their focus on some unnecessary details. Badriya Al Hinai, project manager of the award, said the Entrepreneurship Award highlights the importance of supporting Omani entrepreneurs and giving them the priority to succeed and ﬂourish. “The award promotes the initiatives of the supporting organisations and their commitment to support the national efforts to de-

velop entrepreneurs,” she added. On the registration process, Al Hinai said: “In order to register for the award, applicants need to visit its official website (www. theaward.om) and ﬁll in the registration form. After verifying their data the applicants will receive an SMS with their user name and password which will enable them to proceed with the following steps of the registration.”

‘Projects funded by development bank not affected so far’ Khamis Hamood Al Sabahi, senior corporate credit manager at ODB, said that the bank has not raised interest rate even though the government decided to cut its aid to ODB’s

UNAFFECTED: Oman Development Bank’s senior corporate credit

manager said that the non-performing loans has seen a phenomenal drop through the years. – Times ﬁle picture

loans by half

our expenditure and others.” Al Sabahi has also added that the bank is looking to ﬁnance projects in other sectors, without disclosing any further.

MEHDI AL LAWATI

MUSCAT: Projects ﬁnanced by Oman Development Bank (ODP) have not been affected by the slump in oil prices, though it did force the government to shrink its expenditure. “Although the government decided to cut its aid to ODB’s loans by half, we have not raised the interest rate,” said Khamis Hamood Al Sabahi, senior corporate credit manager at ODB. Logistics According to Al Sabahi, nonperforming loans has seen a huge drop through the years. “In the past, the rate was around 60 per cent to 65 per cent, while today it is less than 9 per cent. Only 3 per cent of the loans paid after 2006 are nonperforming,” he added. Asked about bank’s plan to add logistics to its ﬁnancing list, he

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In the past, the rate was around 60% to 65%, while today it is less than 9%. Only 3% of the loans paid after 2006 are nonperforming Khamis Hamood Al Sabahi

Senior corporate credit manager, ODB

said: “We have sent our recommendations to concerned authorities and we are awaiting approval. Should they give us a green light, we will then have to study

Construction sector Commenting on complaints from entrepreneurs in construction sector of not getting any funding neither from ODB nor Al Rafd Fund, he said, “Construction sector is not a priority to us.” According to Al Sabahi, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make around 90 per cent of the approximately 4,500 projects the bank funds every year. Asked about commercial banks’ concerns over ﬁnancing SMEs’ projects, he said: “The risks are mainly associated with new projects and not those which need to expand.”

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National Gas inks distribution agreement

with UAE ﬁrm

Business conditions in Oman to improve within a year: Study

Times News Service MUSCAT: National Gas Company through its wholly-owned subsidiary in the UAE has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Gulf Petrochem, UAE, to distribute their full range of industrial lubricants in Oman and the UAE. The agreement was signed by senior officials of both companies at Gulf Petrochem’s corporate office in Hamriyah Free Zone in Sharjah, said a stock market filing. Gulf Petrochem is a Sharjah based ISO 9001: 2008 certified lube and grease manufacturer with business interests in the UAE, Oman, India and Western African region. The company also has substantial presence in terminalling and bunkering operations in the United Arab Emirates. National Gas aims to establish itself as a preferred supplier of full range of quality industrial lubricants in Oman and the UAE with able support of Gulf Petrochem. BRIEFS

Spanish trade delegation visiting Oman MUSCAT: Trade mission from Spain will arrive in the Sultanate of Oman on September 13, according to Economic and Trade Office of the Spanish embassy in Muscat. The mission is organised by the Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The chamber will bring a delegation of four companies representing the following products: Comprehensive management of turnkey projects, transportation, manufacturer of chemicals for construction, manufacturer of hospital furniture, treatment of urban wastewater, and puriﬁcation of industrial waste water to name a few. The visit seeks to continue to build on the close bilateral relationships that exist between the two countries. During the mission, the representatives will meet potential distributors and agents.

As many as 51% of respondents in Oman believe that business conditions are either good or very good, while 9% believe that business conditions are either bad or very bad

- Times News Service

believe that the country’s economy has improved in the last six months, while 10 per cent believe that it has receded. – Times ﬁle picture

Times News Service MUSCAT: Majority of employed respondents in Oman believe that business conditions will improve in a year’s time, according to a survey conducted by a leading job site. About 51 per cent of employed respondents in the Sultanate of Oman believe that business conditions are either good or very good, while 9 per cent believe that business conditions are either bad or very bad, said the survey conducted by Bayt.com – a leading job site, jointly with YouGov. Over a third of Oman respondents believe that the country’s economy has improved in the last six months, while 10 per cent believe that it has receded. As many as 40 per cent of respondents believe that the economy has remained the same. Addi-

Survey found that while 35% of Oman respondents say that their savings have declined in comparison to last year, the majority of residents have a positive outlook on the future of the country’s economy

tionally, 49 per cent of respondents expect the economy to improve in the next six months, while one in four expect it to remain the same, said the survey report. “When looking at the region in its entirety, the outlook is a positive one,” said Suhail Al Masri, vice- president of sales, Bayt.com. “When it comes to jobs, the outlook is positive as well. Now is a

good time for professionals to focus on job search strategies, and brand themselves online.” The survey found that while 35 per cent of Oman respondents say that their savings have declined in comparison to last year, the majority of residents have a positive outlook on the future of the country’s economy, as well as their own ﬁnancial future.

Property investment When it comes to investing in property, 30 per cent of Oman respondents are planning to invest in the next 12 months, while more than half have no plans to invest. Of those who are planning to buy property, 28 per cent will invest in an apartment, while 47 per cent plan to buy a villa/townhouse/ bungalow and 21 per cent will purchase commercial property. Majority (58 per cent) of respond-

ents who are planning to invest in property in Oman plan to buy new property in the next 12 months, while 19 per cent will invest in pre-owned property. Job perspective Presently, 43 per cent of the respondents surveyed believe that there are plenty of jobs available in Oman, with 22 per cent claiming availability across multiple industries and 21 per cent claiming availability across a limited number of industries. Besides, 37 per cent believe that there are few jobs available in Oman. In regards to future availability of jobs, 38 per cent of Oman respondents expect job availability to increase in the next six months. In Oman, 44 per cent of employed respondents feel that the number of employees in their companies over the past six months has increased, while 19 per cent believe the opposite to be true. Over the course of the next six months, 46 per cent of employed Oman respondents expect the number of employees in their organisation to increase. Data for the Bayt.com Consumer Conﬁdence Index survey was collected online from July 27 to August 2, with 8,882 respondents from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.

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BUSINESS TOUR

ACCOUNTING

Central bank chief to open Crowe Horwath workshop

Indian trade team visiting the Sultanate Times News Service

Times News Service

Omantel names chief financial officer MUSCAT: Martial Caratti has been appointed as chief financial officer (CFO) of Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel). He brings 30 years of experience, most of them spent as chief financial officer for international telecom groups. He was part of the €43 billion acquisition deal. Martial is a chartered accountant and holds bachelor degree in Finance and Accounting.

CONFIDENT: Over a third of Oman respondents in the survey

Also, 30 per cent of Oman respondents believe that their or their family’s current financial situation is better now than it was six months ago, and 40 per cent believe that it remained the same. About 17 per cent believe that their financial situation is worse. The future outlook is positive too: 53 per cent of respondents believe that their personal financial situation will improve in the next six months, while 24 per cent believe that it will remain the same. When it comes to cost of living, 64 per cent of respondents expect it to increase, while 21 per cent expect it to remain the same. Further, 35 per cent of Oman respondents say that their savings have decreased in comparison to last year. About one in four respondents (26 per cent) claim that their savings have increased, while 33 per cent claim that they have remained the same. As many as 44 per cent of those surveyed in Oman are planning to invest in a motor vehicle in the next 12 months. Of those, 42 per cent are planning to buy a new vehicle, while 39 per cent are planning to buy a used one.

Hamood Sangour Al Zadjali, executive president of Central Bank of Oman. – Supplied picture

MUSCAT: Hamood Sangour Al Zadjali, executive president of Central Bank of Oman, is schedule to inaugurate the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) workshop at Hormuz Grand hotel on Tuesday. The workshop is organised by Crowe Horwath, one of the top ten global accounting network operating in Oman. “The history and development of international standards for accounting and auditing relates back to the late 1960s, but never have they reached greater prominence than today as the world moves closer towards international convergence,” said Davis Kallukaran, managing partner of Horwath Mak Ghazali, the Oman member ﬁrm of Crowe Horwath International. “With more than 100 countries

requiring or accepting International Financial Reporting Standards, the likelihood of companies around the globe using the same accounting standards in their ﬁnancial reporting is becoming a reality,” added Kallukaran. Harmonising accounting IFRS began as an attempt to harmonise accounting across the European Union (EU), but the value of harmonisation quickly made the concept attractive around the world. They are sometimes still called by the original name of International Accounting Standards (IAS). New standards are being introduced, existing ones are being amended or deleted on an yearly basis to take care of the developments in the commercial world. Lately quite a few changes are made to the existing standards

in response to the complex ways and means in which financial reporting is used to convey distorted pictures of the financial performance of business entities. “This workshop is specially tuned to update the finance professionals in the banking and non-banking financial institutions. Lot of changes are happening in the financial reporting system,” said P. R. Pillai, director banking advisory services with Crowe Horwath Oman. New standards “In response to those challenges, new standards IFRS 14 related to rate regulated activities and IFRS 15 relating to revenue from contract with customers have been introduced. Amendments have also been made to IAS ,1,16,19, 27,28,34, 38, 41 and IFRS 5,7,10 and 11, added P. R Pillai.

MUSCAT: A composite Indian delegation comprising seven healthcare institutes, hospitals and 15 companies from food industry are participating under the banner of Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) at Oman Medhealth & Wellness exhibition and Food & Hospitality Exhibition respectively at Oman International Exhibition Centre from September 7 to 9. As part of ‘India Pavilion’, Indian participants will display products, technology, and ingredients to explore business opportunities available in the Sultanate. Seven Indian hospitals and healthcare institutes are participating in Oman Medhealth & Wellness exhibition to showcase their cost-effective and cutting-edge technology, products/ equipment and medical prowess with a view to enter to Omani market for doing business in Oman.

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OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index .........................................5,747.01 ...............5,738.70 ................... 5,746.30 ................... 5,749.38.................. -3.08 .................. -0.05 Financial Index .................................... 6,892.29 .............. 6,866.64 ....................6,877.15 ...................6,896.67................ -19.52 .................. -0.28 Industrial Index ....................................7,505.32 ...............7,473.33 ....................7,478.73 ................... 7,508.12................-29.39 .................. -0.39 Services Index ......................................3,224.32 ...............3,216.82 ...................3,224.29 ................... 3,216.55.....................7.74 ...................0.24 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................907.60 ..................907.00 ....................... 907.31 ...................... 907.80.................. -0.49 .................. -0.05 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 8,001,692.....................1,701,409 ..................... 516 ............... 14,507,639,809 .................. 5 ......................18 .................... 18 .........................41

Al Suwadi Power, up by 2.38 per cent, was the top gainer, while Construction Materials was

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

the top loser, down by 5.56 per cent ISIN ......................................SECURITY NAME ..................................................................VOLUME..... TURNOVER............TRADES ......OPEN PRICE......HIGH ............. LOW ........ CLOSE PR. ...PREV. CLOSE...DIFF (RO).........DIFF % .............LAST PR.....LAST BID .............LAST OFFER ........MARKET CAP.PAR VALUE

MUSCAT: Oman shares edged down on listless activity. The MSM 30 Index opened the week with low trading activity and closed on a ﬂat note at 5,746.30 points, down by 0.05 per cent. The MSM Sharia Index closed also closed down 0.05 per cent at 907.31 points. Bank Nizwa was the most active in terms of volume while Shell Oman led in terms of turnover. Al Suwadi Power, up by 2.38 per cent was the top gainer, while the top loser was Construction Materials, down by 5.56 per cent. As many as 516 trades were executed in the session generating a turnover of OMR1.7 million with more than 8 million shares changing hands. Out of 41 traded securities, 5 advanced, 18 declined and 18 remained unchanged. Omani investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR65,000 worth of shares followed by GCC and Arab investors at OMR37,000 while foreign investors sold shares amounting to OMR102,000. Financial Index retreated 0.28 per cent to close at 6,877.15 points. Oman United Insurance and Bank Muscat increased 1.21 per cent and 0.81 per cent respectively. United Finance, Al Anwar Holding, HSBC Bank, NBO and Oman & Emirates declined 2.29 per cent, 2.21 per cent, 1.71 per cent, 0.99 per cent and 0.94 per cent respectively. Industrial Index ended negatively at 7,478.73 points, down by 0.39 per cent. Construction Materials, Voltamp Energy, Galfar Engineering, Oman Cables and Al Anwar Ceramics declined 5.56 per cent, 2.83 per cent, 1.02 per cent, 0.77 per cent and 0.56 per cent respectively. Services Index advanced 0.24 per cent to end at 3,224.29 points. Al Suwadi Power and Omantel advanced 2.38 per cent and 0.30 per cent respectively. SMN Pow-

er, Phoenix Power and Renaissance Services declined 1.05 per cent, 0.67 per cent and 0.60 per cent respectively. Dubai stocks fall Dubai stocks declined with most Middle Eastern equities after the United States jobless rate dropped to a level the Federal Reserve considers to be full employment, bolstering the case for an interest-rate increase and depressing demand for riskier assets. Saudi equities rose. The DFM General Index retreated 0.8 per cent to close at 3,542.14, following six weeks of losses, the longest streak in almost four years. Emaar Properties, the real estate developer with the biggest weighting on the gauge, led the descent with a 1.9 per cent drop. Stocks in Saudi Arabia reversed losses after the desert kingdom’s central bank governor said the nation will stick with its currency peg. Equities across emerging markets fell last week after US Labour Department data showed unemployment in the world’s largest economy fell to 5.1 per cent, the lowest since April 2008. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index slumped 3.9 per cent in the ﬁve days through September 4, its 15th decline in the 19 weeks since April. Monetary policies in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council are additionally inﬂuenced by Fed data because most currencies in the region are pegged to the dollar. “A Fed rate hike is going to add to selling pressure and volatility globally, and Mideast markets always follow," Hisham Khairy, the Dubai-based head of institutional trade at Mena Corporation Financial Services, the emirate’s biggest brokerage, said by phone. Dubai’s trading volume was low.

REGULAR MARKET ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 172,136 .............37,010......................15 ............0.215 ........... 0.217 ...........0.215 ............0.215 .............0.210 ........... 0.005............. 2.381 ................0.217 .............. 0.215...................0.217..................153,597,363 ........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 100,000 ...........25,000........................4 ........... 0.250 ...........0.250 ...........0.250........... 0.250 .............0.247 ........... 0.003..............1.215.................0.250..............0.247...................0.252 ..................25,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT .............................................................. 38,167 .............19,077........................6 ........... 0.498 ...........0.500 ...........0.498........... 0.500 .............0.496 ........... 0.004.............0.806 ................0.500..............0.498...................0.500 ................1,145,911,299 ......0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ..........................22,683 .............37,269..................... 10 ............1.640 ........... 1.650 ...........1.640............1.645 .............1.640 ........... 0.005............. 0.305 ................1.650 .............. 1.650...................1.660................1,233,750,000 ......0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ............................................................... 2,097 .................. 654........................3 ............0.312 ........... 0.312 ...........0.312 ........... 0.322 .............0.322 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.312 .............. 0.316...................0.328 ..................16,100,000 .........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 152,500 ........... 25,955........................9 ............0.170 ........... 0.171............0.170 ........... 0.170 ............. 0.170............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.170 ..............0.170...................0.172.................. 34,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .................................................................... 350,975 ......... 162,150........................7 ........... 0.462 ...........0.462 ...........0.462........... 0.462 .............0.462 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.462..............0.462...................0.466..................255,422,079 .......0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK ............................................................................393 .....................75........................1 ............0.190 ........... 0.190 ...........0.190........... 0.190 .............0.190 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.190.............. 0.191...................0.200 .................270,756,867........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ...................................89,000 ..........182,450........................9 ........... 2.050 ...........2.050 ...........2.050........... 2.050 .............2.050 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.050............. 2.000...................2.050 .................194,750,000........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ....................... 26,000 ............... 2,615........................5 ............0.101 ........... 0.101............0.100............0.101 ............. 0.101............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.100..............0.095...................0.101 ....................3,030,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ............................................................ 275,000 ........... 66,275......................16 ............0.241 ........... 0.241 ...........0.241........... 0.241 .............0.241 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.241..............0.238...................0.241..................372,279,580........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 278,986 ........... 29,294......................15 ............0.105 ........... 0.105 ...........0.105 ........... 0.105 .............0.105............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.105 ..............0.104...................0.105.................... 6,178,538 ..........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER................................................................ 5,259 ................1,781........................6 ........... 0.334 ...........0.340 ...........0.334........... 0.338 .............0.338 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.340............. 0.340...................0.350...................74,701,380 .........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO.........................................................................13,000 ...............9,264........................3 ............0.712 ........... 0.716............0.712 ............0.712 ............. 0.712............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.712 .............. 0.712...................0.720................. 463,472,292 .......0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH................................................10,680 ............. 27,181........................4 ........... 2.545 ...........2.545 ...........2.545........... 2.545 .............2.545 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.545..............2.545...................2.595..................242,938,561........1.000 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL.................................................2,000 ...................172........................2 ........... 0.085 ...........0.087 ...........0.085........... 0.087 .............0.087 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.087..............0.086...................0.087...................15,225,000 .........0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................ 146,770.............31,423......................13 ............0.214 ........... 0.215 ...........0.214........... 0.214 .............0.214 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.215 .............. 0.215...................0.218..................144,425,910........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ...................................................77,361 .............39,459......................18 ........... 0.506 ........... 0.512 ...........0.504........... 0.510 ............. 0.512............-0.002 ........... -0.391................0.504..............0.504...................0.510...................26,775,000 .........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES .................................19,500 ...............6,864........................2 ........... 0.352 ...........0.352 ...........0.352........... 0.352 .............0.354 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.565 ...............0.352..............0.354...................0.370..................104,267,216 ........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 364,000............61,692......................12 ............0.170 ........... 0.170 ...........0.162 ............0.169 ............. 0.170............-0.001 ........... -0.588 ...............0.164 ..............0.164...................0.170................. 243,603,360 .......0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 486,310 ...........80,222..................... 30 ............0.165 ........... 0.167 ...........0.164............0.165 ............. 0.166............-0.001 ........... -0.602 ...............0.164 ..............0.164...................0.168................... 47,957,418 .........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY......................................93,000 .......... 179,224..................... 28 ............1.930 ........... 1.930 ...........1.920............1.925 .............1.940 ...........-0.015 ........... -0.773................1.930 ..............1.920...................1.930..................172,672,500........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ............ 98,000 .............10,532......................11 ............0.108 ........... 0.109 ...........0.106........... 0.107 .............0.108 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.926 ...............0.109..............0.108...................0.109....................9,630,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 422,585 ........... 44,371..................... 23 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.104........... 0.105 .............0.106 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.943 ...............0.104..............0.104...................0.105................... 12,796,875 .........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 120,637............ 36,060........................5 ........... 0.300...........0.300 ...........0.290 .......... 0.299 .............0.302 ...........-0.003 ........... -0.993 ...............0.299..............0.295...................0.299 ................ 400,872,365 .......0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 201,982 ............19,494..................... 29 ........... 0.097 ...........0.097 ...........0.096........... 0.097 .............0.098 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.020 ...............0.097..............0.096...................0.097...................28,128,122 .........0.100 OM0000004248 ...........SMN POWER HOLDING ........................................... 50,000 .............37,600........................1 ............0.752 ........... 0.752 ...........0.752 ........... 0.752 .............0.760 ...........-0.008 ............-1.053................0.752 ..............0.752...................0.760.................. 150,125,971 ........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 793,949 ............91,548........................8 ............0.115 ........... 0.118............ 0.115 ............0.115 ............. 0.117 ............-0.002 ............-1.709................0.118 .............. 0.118...................0.126..................230,035,971........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 728,268 ......... 129,053..................... 62 ............0.176 ........... 0.180 ...........0.176 ............0.177 ............. 0.181 ............-0.004 ........... -2.210 ...............0.177 .............. 0.176...................0.177 ...................26,563,275 .........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 277,791 .............35,557......................11 ............0.128 ........... 0.128 ...........0.128........... 0.128 ............. 0.131 ............-0.003 ........... -2.290 ...............0.128 ..............0.128...................0.134................... 39,777,912 .........0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ....................................................... 5,463 ...............2,251........................6 ............0.412 ........... 0.414 ...........0.412 ........... 0.412 .............0.424 ...........-0.012 ........... -2.830 ...............0.414 ..............0.414...................0.422 ..................24,926,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 5,424,492... 1,431,570...................374 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......31........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING ......................................67,491 ............ 23,077......................13 ........... 0.344 ...........0.344 ...........0.340 .......... 0.342 .............0.342 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.344............. 0.340...................0.350....................2,052,000..........1.000 OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ............................................... 120,700 ............59,310........................4 ........... 0.492 ...........0.492 ...........0.488........... 0.492 .............0.492 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.488..............0.488...................0.492...................77,490,000 .........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 1,788,360 .......108,811..................... 47 ........... 0.060 ...........0.062 ...........0.060........... 0.061 ............. 0.061............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.061 ..............0.061...................0.062 ..................91,500,000.........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK..................................................5,000 ..................340........................1 ........... 0.068 ...........0.068 ...........0.068........... 0.066 .............0.066 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.068..............0.067...................0.068...................66,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 400,070 ........... 59,330..................... 67 ............0.149 ........... 0.149 ...........0.148 ........... 0.148 .............0.149............-0.001 ............-0.671................0.148 ..............0.148...................0.149..................216,465,016 ........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .....................11,419 .................. 388........................3 ........... 0.034 ...........0.034 ...........0.034........... 0.034 .............0.036 ...........-0.002 ........... -5.556 ...............0.034..............0.034...................0.036....................2,890,000..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 2,393,040 ..... 251,256................... 135 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 6........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 .....................44,167 ...............4,187........................4 ........... 0.094 ........... 0.095 ...........0.094........... 0.095 .............0.094 ............0.001 ............. 1.064 ................0.095..............0.095...................0.098...................30,795,353 .........0.100 OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 ..........................................63,007 ...............6,301........................1 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100........... 0.100 .............0.100 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.100..............0.100...................0.110 .................... 7,150,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 ...........................................26,986 ...............2,645........................1 ........... 0.098 ...........0.098 ...........0.098........... 0.098 .............0.100 ...........-0.002 ........... -2.000 ...............0.098..............0.100...................0.110 ...................31,324,982 .........0.100 OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ....................... 50,000 ...............5,450........................1 ............0.109 ........... 0.109 ...........0.109........... 0.109 ............. 0.112............-0.003 ........... -2.679 ...............0.109..............0.106...................0.109...................32,999,653 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 184,160.............18,583........................7 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........4........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

– United Securities/Bloomberg News

ECONOMY

Global stock markets await China's trade, inflation data SHANGHAI: Global stock markets will be on edge in the coming week as China announces a slew of data investors will comb for clues about slowing growth in the world’s second-largest economy. The government is scheduled to release monthly trade and inflation figures, as well as industrial output, fixed-asset investment and retail sales in the coming days. An official Chinese manufacturing survey last week sent world markets into a tailspin, as investors gave vent to worries China’s economy is headed for a ‘hard landing’. Although analysts cautioned not to read too much into the monthly release of the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), Chinese growth is clearly slowing and more weak data could be an excuse to sell. “There is a risk (of overreaction) because investors’ confidence level is at a very fragile stage. Any data that’s not on the good side, investors will react more than they should,” Jackson Wong, associate director at Simsen International Financial Group in Hong Kong, said. China’s economy expanded 7 per cent in each of the first two quarters, slowing from 7.4 per cent growth last year, which was its weakest since 1990. But investors were alarmed by authorities’ surprise lowering of the yuan currency’s central rate against the United States dollar by nearly five percent in a single week last month. In a bid for more sustainable growth, Chinese policymakers are seeking a tectonic shift to domestic consumption and away from state-led investment. “Pessimism over China’s short-term

WEAK GROWTH: China's economy expanded 7 per cent in each of the ﬁrst two quarters, slowing from 7.4 per cent growth last year, which was its weakest since 1990. – Bloomberg News

outlook is overdone and a growth pick-up in the second half is already in the pipeline,” ratings agency Fitch said on Friday. “But expectations for the economy’s growth potential in the medium term are shifting lower as the scale of the restructuring challenge becomes clearer.” ANZ Banking Group forecasts China’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth will slump to an annual 6.4 per cent in the third quarter, before rebounding to 6.8 per cent in the October to December period — but still below the government’s full-year goal of around 7 per cent. “Further aggressive monetary easing and proactive ﬁscal policy, along with ﬁnancial liberalisation, are needed to maintain GDP growth” at the official target, it said in a research report. Market bottom China last month reduced interest rates and cut the amount of money banks must hold in reserve to try to bolster its economy and end the

country’s worst stock market rout in almost two decades. Japanese bank Nomura is forecasting ‘weak’ trade data for August with exports falling 7 per cent year-on-year and imports dropping 10 per cent. Consumer price inflation could tick up to 1.8 per cent for the month on higher pork prices, though the threat of deflation remains, it said. But many analysts expect China to avert a hard landing, even though economic growth will definitely slow this year. “China’s economy has certainly been weak this year and still faces further downward pressures, but we think fears of an economic hard landing due to stock market gyrations are exaggerated,” UBS economists Donna Kwok and Wang Tao said in a research report. “While it is difficult to confirm whether GDP growth was really close to 7 per cent as reported, it has certainly not grounded to a halt. Neither is it in the process of falling apart as widely proclaimed by some China bears.” - AFP

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E-

IMES TECH STUFF

‘Energy storage’ set for growth in coming years US Energy Storage Monitor report, which is part of a series of documents published quarterly by GTM Research and the Energy Storage Association, says that energy storage deployment rose six-fold in the second quarter over ﬁrstElon Musk, co-founder and chief executive officer of Tesla Motors. — Bloomberg News

It’s a big jump. But it’s not wholly unexpected. We’re talking about an industry that’s very new and recent. In that sense, we do expect some quarters to have much bigger jumps, as we are having this particular quarter. The introduction of technologies such as the Tesla battery help make these gains possible. Ravi Manghani Senior energy storage analyst, Greentech Media Research

reports that 40.7 megawatts of energy storage were deployed in the second quarter of this year. During the same period last year, fewer than 5 megawatts were deployed. The report breaks down energy storage across the country into three segments: residential, which includes private homes; nonresidential, which includes commercial and industrial deployments; and utility-scale, which can involve large- or small-scale projects that

store energy to the power grid. Utility-scale deployments made up the majority of the energy storage reported for this quarter, accounting for about 87 per cent of the market. According to the report, one of the major reasons for the increase is a new 31.5-megawatt energy storage project opened in Illinois by a company called Invenergy. Residential energy storage, on the other hand, only accounted for

BlackBerry agreed to buy Good Technology for $425 million, gaining new mobile device- management customers while removing one of its competitors in that business. Good Technology, based in Sunnyvale, California, builds applications to help employees work securely from their personal phones. It counts all of the G7 governments and the world’s 10 largest banks and law ﬁrms among its 6,200 customers, BlackBerry said in a statement on Friday.

TECH NEWS

Acer inspires consumers by showcasing versatile products Acer launched a number of exciting products at the next@acer event at IFA Berlin. Acer announced the availability of its anticipated Predator gaming product line, an industry-leading portfolio of gaming devices spanning desktops, notebooks, tablets and monitors featuring pioneering technologies such as the 6th generation Intel® Core™ processor. Additionally, Acer showcased its versatile two-in-one Aspire Switch series laptops, notebooks, convertibles and smartphones. “Today, you will witness how our cross-platform offering of Predator gaming products represents our relentless pursuit of design and technological excellence,” said Celeste Gibbens, Marketing Manager Middle East & Africa, Acer. “Our understanding, R&D talent and passion about the people who use our products ensures that we delve deeper so that we can deliver a best-inclass experience for all our customers. The Acer range today features a product that suits every aspect of our consumers’ lives.” Empowering Gamers to Conquer New Worlds with Pioneering Technologies Power packed, the Predator G6 and G3 desktops are unstoppable war machines that feature an intimidating armor-covered design on the chassis, while powered by 6th generation Intel® Core™ processors, up to 64GB DDR4 system memory, and NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX graphics. — Times News Service

Epson unveils latest range of professional photo printers

quarter levels.

ACK in May, Tesla turned heads when it announced plans for a new battery product that would allow homes and large-scale commercial operations to store energy from solar panels or serve as a backup power source during grid outages. A report released on Wednesday highlights the leaps and bounds this new industry — dubbed energy storage — is already making and predicts its continued growth in the coming year. The US Energy Storage Monitor report, which is part of a series of documents published quarterly by GTM Research and the Energy Storage Association, says that energy storage deployment rose six-fold in the second quarter over first-quarter levels. It’s a big jump, says Ravi Manghani, a senior energy storage analyst with Greentech Media Research — but it’s not wholly unexpected. “We’re talking about an industry that’s very new and recent,” he says. “In that sense, we do expect some quarters to have much bigger jumps, as we are having this particular quarter.” The introduction of technologies such as the Tesla battery help make these gains possible, he said. The finding highlights a growing national interest in batteries and in energy storage generally. No wonder: The ability to store energy and distribute it at a later time could help utility companies meet their customers’ electricity needs on demand, which reduces the possibility of putting too much — or too little — power on the grid on any given day. Developing better storage technologies is also increasingly important as renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar plants, expand across the country. One of the biggest problems with renewable sources is that they can only generate power intermittently. Solar panels, for example, don’t work at night, when the sun isn’t shining. Expanding these resources depends on finding ways to store energy as it’s generated so it can be used at a later time. The Energy Storage Monitor

BLACKBERRY TO BUY GOOD TECHNOLOGY

about one per cent of all the deployments — though it grew by 61 per cent from last quarter. The new Tesla battery is partly to thank for that, Manghani says. “The behindthe-meter nonresidential and residential deployments have largely come from Tesla’s systems,” he says. Even though Tesla just publicly announced its Powerwall battery in May, it’s been deploying energy storage systems for several years in a kind of pilot programme, according to Manghani. Many of these systems were deployed in California, which he says accounts for the largest residential and nonresidential energy storage markets in the United States. So far, there haven’t been any utility-scale deployments from Tesla power packs. In the latter part of this year and next year, Tesla may become a major player in these kinds of large-scale operations — but it won’t be the only one. Plenty of other companies are deploying similar batteries. The Invenergy project, for instance, uses an energy storage system developed by BYD America. However, Tesla’s $3,o00 battery “has given a price target for other competitors to go after, at the same time it has deﬁnitely gotten the conversation more mainstream,” Manghani says. The report predicts a total of 220 megawatts of energy storage will be deployed in 2015, making it the biggest year yet for energy storage. And by 2019, the authors predict that number will jump to 858 megawatts. Those expansions should boost all segments of the market, including the still relatively small residential market, Manghani says. Already in California, one of the biggest markets in the country for energy storage, there are talks of ﬁnding practical ways to distribute stored energy across the grid. These conversations “point toward the fact that industry is maturing,” Manghani says. “That it’s no longer talking in hypothetical terms, but looking at the actual ways in which these systems can be deployed and participate on the grid.” — Washington Post-Bloomberg News

Epson announced the latest in its range of professional photo printers, theSureColor SC-P800. Ideal for professional photographers and artists, the printer produces superior-quality, true-to-life photos with smooth gradations and tones. This A2 model also comes with an optional roll paper unit, meaning photographers and artists can now easily create fantastic prints on larger formats such as banners. This professional printer creates long-lasting, high-quality photos to sell, exhibit or include within portfolios. The SC-P800 can also be used to produce a range of other high-quality documents including synopses, presentations and renderings. The printer uses Ultrachrome HD ink, a new nine-colour ink-set, which was ﬁrst used in the SC-P600 A3+ photo printer. The inkset produces a large colour gamut and the deepest blacks on the market1, meaning users can print photos with a stunning range of accurate colours and dense blacks. Furthermore, the ink-set has improved light fastness, meaning prints will be more durable and will last even longer. The SC-P800 is the successor to the hugely-successful Stylus Pro38xx Series of photo printers. This new model is the ﬁrst and only A2 desktop printer on the market with a roll paper option. — Times News Service

Microsoft plans to revamp compus at headquarters Microsoft is considering a multibillion-dollar revamp of its headquarters campus in suburban Seattle, seeking to foster more collaboration among employees and attract young engineers, according to people with knowledge of the plans. The software giant has hired architecture ﬁrm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP as part of the effort at its Redmond, Washington, offices, said the people, who asked not to be named because the plans aren’t public. Skidmore Owings designed Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and is helping Microsoft with a makeover of its much smaller campus in Mountain View, California. Microsoft hasn’t yet decided whether to move forward with the Redmond overhaul, said one of the people familiar with the matter. “We continually work on Microsoft campus plans to anticipate future needs,” the company said in a statement. A representative at Skidmore Owings’s San Francisco office didn’t return calls and e-mails for comment. The potential updates would be aimed at shifting away from private offices toward the more open-plan work spaces that are favored by today’s technology companies, said the people. Microsoft has been in Redmond since shortly before going public in 1986, a time when suburban campuses were in vogue. It now occupies about 80 buildings on roughly 500 acres (202 hectares). — Bloomberg News

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ROUND-UP Taste freedom in Toyota Fortuner TRD Sportivo Interestingly, TRD means Toyota Racing Development. It is meant for Special Edition vehicles, with high-performance parts and accessories that are used by Toyota racing teams, worldwide

MUSCAT: “Find beauty in the freedom that lies outside of the everyday,” exhorts a Toyota Fortuner enthusiast. “Beyond the mundane, beyond the routine is where you know yourself to be truly alive. You live in a world full of constraints - break out and discover what you have not yet explored. You know no boundaries, which is why you drive your Fortuner. It is the conqueror of cities, the tamer of the wild off-road. Follow your heart, every terrain is yours to master. Reﬁned yet muscular, powerful yet agile, rugged yet comfortable, the Fortuner gives you ultimate freedom of versatility.” Indeed, the Fortuner arouses similar sentiments in many a heart. And these get a ﬁllip with the variety of up-to-the-minute

additions that adorn the Fortuner TRD Sportivo — a stylish front bumper, rear and roof spoiler, an imposing TRD Sportivo emblem and a muffler cutter are some of them. Livening up the entire package is a TRD side tape stripe. The Fortuner TRD Sportivo’s splendid form is further adorned with chrome radiator grille, HID headlamps and magniﬁcent 17” Alloy Wheels, says a press release. Interestingly, TRD means Toyota Racing Development. It is meant for Special Edition vehicles, with high-performance parts and accessories that are used by Toyota racing teams, worldwide. Engineered for the discerning driver, Fortuner TRD Sportivo’s comfortable cabin is equipped with an ergonomic interface – a horizontal-theme instrument panel set within strikingly beautiful black woodgrain panelling. Abundant storage space and rich appointments reinforce the highclass feel of the luxurious 4WD. Everything is within easy reach

- the steering wheel has controls for audio, MID and bluetooth, apart from cruise control. The bluetooth integrated CD/MP3 player audio system is equipped with a 6.1” display. The other high-end ﬂourishes include a dual auto air-conditioner, 6-way power driver seat, back view camera, headlamp cleaners, retractable outer mirrors with turn signals and a side-step. Generous cabin space can be quickly re-arranged to accommodate various combinations of people/luggage. Three rows of leather seats comfortably seat seven adults. The third and second row seats can be folded and stowed away – freeing up even more luggage space! A genuine 4-Wheel Drive, the Fortuner TRD Sportivo is equipped with an advanced large displacement engine and tough chassis for an uncompromising performance, whether on-road or off-road. At the heart of the vehicle is a V6 4.0-litre, 24-valve VVT-i engine

that delivers output of 235 HP and torque of 38.3 kg-m in SAE net. The 5-speed Automatic Transmission engine, incorporating advanced electronics technology, provides optimum shift control, making the Fortuner TRD easier to drive. Advanced safety features in the Fortuner TRD Sportivo include an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) that prevents wheels from locking and skidding, especially while braking in difficult conditions. Driver and front passenger airbags protect the front seat passengers in case of heavy impact. Additionally, the rear parking sensors, headlamp leveling, anti-theft engine immobiliser, crash safety body with crumple zones reassure and protect occupants. All specifications listed above are standard Toyota equipment. Safety kit (fire extinguisher, warning triangle, tyre pressure gauge & first aid kit) is a dealer installed non Toyota item provided on Toyota models as standard equipment. The vehicle specifications may change without prior notice. Pictures and colours may differ from actual specifications of the vehicles. For further details & to ascertain availability of stocks, please visit your nearest Toyota showroom. All model grade descriptions are grade names given by Saud Bahwan Automotive (SBA) and are meant for differentiation purposes only. In Oman, the nationwide parts and service network of SBA supports Toyota’s outstanding product quality. No wonder then that today, Toyota is one of the most trusted and well-known brands.

RECOGNITION

Infoline wins award for best government call centre project MUSCAT: Infoline, a leading Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) service providers in Oman, was recognised for its best government projects at an award ceremony held in Dubai recently. Vocalcom, a leading global provider of omnichannel cloudbased contact centre software and sales acceleration technology for enterprises, contact centers, BPOs, and collection agencies worldwide, hosted the event, says a press release. Vocalcom is a strategic technology partner of Infoline in Oman, and in partnership has successfully installed cloud based contact centres for various government departments directly serving the citizens of the country. Infoline by implementing cloud contact centre has enabled government departments to open new and innovative communication mediums for servicing citizens of Oman across 24x7 basis. Infoline is responsible for in-

stalling cloud contact center across ﬁnancial, retail, government and other sectors and providing IT support from its office in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. Key differentiator which makes Infoline stand apart is the availability of trained Vocalcom engineers in Muscat and committed business hours support as per contractual agreements with its clients. Once integrated with Vocalcom’s solutions, Infoline offer its clients multi channel cloud customer services management portal with a single consistent view that incorporates everything from phone, web chat, email, SMS and social networks. This will be in addition to its existing value added applications such as ERP, CRM and IT help desk solutions. Both companies have a mutual understanding of improving customers’ businesses and transforming the omnichannel customer experiences.

INDIAN TOURISM

Bahwan Travels supports Travel Trade seminar in Salalah MUSCAT: Bahwan Travel Services, one of the ﬂagship companies of the Suhail Bahwan Group and the largest travel consortium in the Sultanate of Oman, supported a seminar for the Travel Trade in Salalah recently. The seminar was attended in large numbers by the travel trade of Salalah, says a press release. The seminar, organised by India Tourism in association with Air India, showcased India as an exciting tourist destination for Omani nationals and other residents of Oman. I. R. V. Rao, assistant director, MEDIA INDUSTRY

Communication channel Launched by Sabco Media, which offers a unique cross-platform of communication channels and is one of Oman’s leading media houses, Mediate 2015/2016 is packed with a wealth of information, indepth analysis and interviews with key media sector inﬂuencers, says a press release. Survey This year’s edition features annual Media Consumption Survey, which has found that smartphones are the preferred medium for consuming media, while newspaper readership continues to decline in preference for “on the go” digital news. “I had to personally grapple with and accept that digital and social media platforms are much more powerful than I could have imagined,” said Eihab Abutaha, the CEO of Sabco Group – Com-

“We have appointed a dedicated holiday travel consultant to strengthen our team in Salalah.” Bahwan Tourism also showcased a range of holiday products for India ranging from beach holidays in Goa, Ayurveda resorts in the backwaters of Kerala, historical journeys in Delhi – Agra to adventure holidays in the Himalayas. In addition to Rao, B. P. Kulkarni, country manager Oman, Air India, Manpreet Singh, president, Indian Social Club and Masoud Al Balushi, divisional sales manager, Oman Air, Salalah also spoke on the occasion.

CULINARY SKILLS

Latest issue of ‘Mediate’ is out MUSCAT: Oman’s media landscape has undergone a massive disruption over the past year, with digital and social media establishing itself as the industry’s new frontier, the latest issue of Mediate 2015/2016 has found. The resulting upheaval of the digital and social wave is impacting not only media entities themselves, but also client choices and advertising spends and this has been welcomed by experts, who say this is the best thing that has happened to a fossilised industry in years.

India Tourism Dubai office, who spoke on the occasion, said that India was uniquely positioned on the tourism map of the world offering diversity in terms of scenic beauty, cultural, historical and gastronomical experiences. He also highlighted the E-visa service for Omanis and foreigners visiting India that can be obtained online in less than 15 minutes. Nadeem Ulde, head of Sales, Bahwan Travels, said: “Salalah is an important market for us with increasing number of people from Dhofar region visiting India and other countries.

munications. Oman, as well as our region, is very different today in terms of the media landscape, with consumers using mobility and convenience to consume their news and information, as well as engage on social media. “It is our smart devices and measuring how we use them that are key to playing the digital consumer game. “This makes our Media Consumption Survey even more important this year as we have measured how people in Oman consume media regardless of its platform – digital or otherwise.” Mediate covers all sectors of the media in Oman, including advertising agencies, multimedia ﬁrms, exhibition companies, market research, media buying/planning, photography, PR services, as well as print and production houses. Strategic objectives Available from a variety of bookstores across the capital including Family Bookshop, Al Batra Bookshop and Sultan Center/Qurum, Mediate is designed to help corporations and industry professionals to identify, evaluate and select preferred partners based on strategic objectives. Hybrid media directory “Mediate remains true to its promise in remaining a hybrid media directory that proﬁles businesses involved in Oman’s changing media landscape,” Abutaha added.

A’Saffa invites entries to ‘Online Recipe Contest’ MUSCAT: A’Saffa Foods, the Sultanate’s largest fully integrated poultry and allied food producer, invites cooking enthusiasts and amateur chefs to participate in the second edition of its unique ‘Online Recipe Contest’ on Facebook. Beginning yesterday (Sept 6), the contest is open to all residents aged 18 years or above, and comes to a close on October 3. Contestants will have to submit a recipe that includes at least one A’Saffa product in the ingredients. Recipes will be judged on originality, ease of preparation and appearance, says a press release. The contest will be held in two phases. In the ﬁrst phase, the con-

testants will have to upload an original recipe devised by them in word or PDF format along with three pictures of preparation on the A’Saffa Facebook page. In the second phase, the top 6 recipes will be chosen by the judges, and the originators of these recipes will then take part in an onground cooking event that will take place on October 16; wherein the theme will be given to the contestants on the spot. Three winners will then be chosen, and awarded certiﬁcates and ﬁnedining vouchers from Volare (1st prize: OMR75; 2nd prize: OMR50; 3rd prize: OMR25). “A’Saffa Foods brand mission

is to constantly innovate and offer our customers with something new and exciting. This recipe contest is a way to connect to as many people as we can. We have been working towards incredible milestones year on year, and with this year’s contest we hope to be achieving yet another feat,” said Sidhartha Lenka, head of Sales and Marketing, A’Saffa Foods. Each and every A’Saffa Foods social media initiative is a step towards further engaging and interacting with their consumers, and informing them about the goodness, purity, freshness, halal and 100 percent natural attribute of the brand. For more information

about the contest please visit the brand’s official facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/asaffafoodssaog. A’Saffa’s past initiatives and the Online Recipe Contest enables viewers to engage themselves with all the information on the brand on Facebook and is testament to A’Saffa’s dedicated following in the online space. Through their social media outreach programmes like the recently conducted initiative ‘Let Us Achieve Their Dreams 2’, updates, online contests, opinion polls to name a few, A’Saffa intends to reach out to as many people as possible in the Sultanate and beyond.

S AV I N G S S C H E M E

ahlibank picks MyHassad Daily winners MUSCAT: ahlibank announced the names of the MyHassad daily prize draw winners. Al Abdulla Yousuf Al Hadi from Al Khuwair branch, Khalid Said Mohammed Al Zeidi from Ibri branch, Ali Marhoon Salim Al Yaqoobi from Main branch, Salim Khalfan Hashil Al Habsi from Ibra branch and Abdullah Nasser Ali Al Araimi from Sur branch were the lucky winners of OMR1,000 each for the week, says apress release. MyHassad savings account continues to successfully satisfy the existing customers and attract new ones. MyHassad Saving Scheme was introduced in July 2008 as an extension of the bank’s tradition of product innovation. Opening

Customers need only to open their MyHassad account with OMR100 for their chance to win OMR1,000 in the next working day’s draw hence their chance to “open today and win tomorrow” continues MyHassad Saving account is simple and easy. Customers need only to open their MyHassad account with OMR100 for their chance to win OMR1,000 in the next working day’s draw hence their chance to “open today and win tomorrow” continues. Further enhancements in March 2009 al-

low customers to participate in the OMR10,000 monthly draw, by maintaining a minimum OMR250 during the month. Effective from June 2010 customers can also transfer their salaries to MyHassad saving account and will be eligible to enter in the daily, monthly draw as per the balance maintained.

This highlights the commitment of the bank to its long-term MyHassad account holders. As one of the leading banks in the Sultanate, ahlibank pledges to provide innovative, efficient and secure products and services to give their valued customers a convenient banking experience. Opening an account with ahlibank is the ﬁrst step towards smarter and convenient banking services. ahlibank accounts deliver an extensive and comprehensive range of beneﬁts, personal banking services and instant access through Online and SMS Banking. The bank’s EMV (Chip) debit card provides global access to funds both at ATMs and shopping outlets.

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BankDhofar and Haya Water ink agreement

As per the agreement, BankDhofar will set up a comprehensive and fully-integrated online payment system, including an onsite Full-Function-Machine, and will create a bill payment facility for Haya Water customers

MUSCAT: In line with its endeavours to provide the most preferred corporate banking solutions, best services and most innovative products, BankDhofar recently signed an agreement with Haya Water to provide an online integration payment solution for Haya Water customers via BankDhofar’s Cash

Deposit Machines (CDMs). The agreement was bilaterally signed recently by Abdul Hakeem Omar Al Ojaili, acting CEO of BankDhofar and Eng. Hussain Hassan Abdul Hussain, CEO of Haya Water at the Haya Water headquarters in Al Ansab, says a press release. Commenting on the agreement,

Abdul Hakeem Omar Al Ojaili, BankDhofar Acting CEO, said: “This strategic partnership with Haya Water aims to enhance the payment system and to ease the ﬁnancial transactions for the company’s customers. “It also demonstrates our continuous efforts to provide a full range of corporate banking services and unique products that are tailored to fulﬁl the needs and requirements of all our customers.” As per the agreement, BankDhofar will set up a comprehensive and fully-integrated online payment system, including an onsite Full-Function-Machine (FFM), and will create a bill payment facility for Haya Water customers. The project will enable the access system, used for auto load collection, to be integrated directly with BankDhofar for payments. The

system will be used to ease the payment process for tanker drivers and eliminate the manual steps that are being followed at present. BankDhofar is considered one of the best banks in the region, catering to customers’ needs and requirements, and setting the standard for best customer experience within the banking industry in the Sultanate through innovative products and creative solutions. The combination of BankDhofar’s executive management’s vision and comprehensive operational strategy following best international banking practices, provision of outstanding customer experience, in addition to their commitment to community development and contribution to the growth of the national economy, has placed BankDhofar at the top of the list of best banks in the region.

SUMMIT

Dossier Construction Awards set for Sept. 9 MUSCAT: All arrangements have been finalised for the Dossier Construction Awards & Summit 2015 which will be held at InterContinental Muscat on September 9. Billed as the construction event of the year, the Dossier Awards & Summit targets construction, infrastructure and real estate industries in Oman. Industry performers, best practices, technologies and project excellence will be felicitated at the event through an awards ceremony. It will also drive the exchange of knowledge within the industry through an intellectual forum in the form of a summit, says a press release. There has been a heavy rush to file nominations for Dossier Construction Awards this year following which the deadline for filing nominations had to be extended. The leading companies in the construction sector in Oman are participating in the event. The event will be marked by the presence of those who have demonstrated leadership and dedication to the innovation and progress of construction field and those who are in the construction and contracting sector in Oman cannot afford to miss it. The prestigious event is held under the auspices of Ministry of Transport and Communications and Public Authority for

Electricity and Water and endorsed by Muscat Municipality, Omran, Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority and Oman Rail. Doka is the platinum sponsor and Mercedes-Benz is the gold sponsor. The event is being organised in association with leading consultants Atkins, Renardet and KEO. Advantage Austria is the supporting organisation. Larsen and Toubro, Oman, SharqSohar Group, Athaiba Furniture Factory, Oman Cables Industry, BEC Group, Voltamp Energy, Carrier, NBO, Taylor Woodrow Oman, Hasan JumaBacker Trading & Contracting, URICH Switchgear, Marine Technology Company, BASF and Al Tamman Real Estate are the silver sponsors. Said Salem Al-Wahaibi Group of Companies is the strategic sponsor. Falcon Insurance Company, Al Hassan Group, Shamel International, Hyundai ElevatorsTechno elevators are the support partners. Times of Oman and Al Shabiba are the media partners and RMP is the printing partner. KPMG is the validating partner. The event is powered by NAMA Group. Target is the Lanyard partner. The event is instituted by Dossier-Construction magazine, Oman’s ﬁrst and only businessto-business (B2B) magazine on the construction sector, published by United Media Services.

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

55 Sohar Aluminium multi-functional technicians graduate SOHAR: Under the patronage of Hamed bin Khamis Al Amri, undersecretary at the Ministry of Manpower, Sohar Aluminium (SA) graduated two batches of multi-functional technicians during a special ceremony held at Crowne Plaza Sohar. The 55 employees successfully completed a six month in-depth development programme at the SA Training Centre which allowed them to be promoted from operators to multi-functional techni-

cians, says a press release. On the occasion, Eng. Said bin Mohammed Al Masoudi, CEO of SA, said: “Today marks a very important milestone for Sohar Aluminium as we witness 55 of our employees enhance their professional skills through hard work and dedication but above all, ambition to grow and progress in their careers. Congratulations to one and all.” “From the onset, Sohar Aluminium has been committed to

starting from basic levels to postgraduate degrees. The Centre has been fundamental in our efforts to employ welltrained Omanis, enabling us to surpass a 70 per cent Omanisation rate,” he added.

recruit, train and develop Omanis in order to operate, maintain, supervise and manage our facilities to the highest calibre. This was the

strategy that led to the development of a dedicated SA Training Centre on site that offers a wide range of courses for our employees

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Tour Following the ceremony, visitors were invited to go on a tour to the Sohar Aluminium smelter where they were given an overview of the company’s various operational

units. The tour was concluded at the Training Centre where they got to meet with the trainers and see the signiﬁcant training capability that the centre can offer. The visitors were also taken to the Aluminium Craft Centre, the ﬁrst Omani small enterprise (SME) to produce Aluminium handicrafts, initiated by Sohar Aluminium in cooperation with the Public Authority for Craft Industry (PACI), as part of the company’s CSR programme.

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Mitsubishi opens new Quick Service Centre The 9-bay facility in Mabelah Industrial Area is well equipped and operated by highly-trained technicians to conduct all minor service jobs on Mitsubishi vehicles

MUSCAT: General Automotive Company (GAC), the official distributors of Mitsubishi vehicles in Oman, formally opened a new quick service centre in Mabelah recently. The new service centre will be of great beneﬁt to Misubishi owners in the area, offering them a more convenient facility to service their vehicles closer to home, says a press release. Commenting on the launch of the new centre, Yasser Zerik, the

National Service Manager said, “We have a strong commitment towards our customers and our aim is to continually provide them with the highest standards of service at all times, no matter where in the country they are located. Previously customers from the area were required to bring their cars to our main service centre in Azaiba. With the launch of this facility, customers need only do so for major service and other complex jobs; all minor service re-

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quirements can be fulﬁlled at the Quick Service Centre.” The new facility is located on Al Salam Street in the Mabelah Industrial Area. The 9-bay facility is well equipped and operated by highly-trained technicians to conduct all minor service jobs on Mitsubishi vehicles. The service centre even boasts a wide range of readily available spare parts and a dedicated tyre centre to cater to any vehicle’s wheel alignment and tyre balanc-

ing requirements. The new Quick Service Centre will operate from 8am to 5:30pm from Saturday to Thursdays and will offer all quick service facilities by appointment. “With this new facility, equipped with complementing tools and facilities,we are in a good position to offer world class Mitsubishi service to our ever expanding customer base. It will allow us to provide better and faster services to our customers in Mabelah and help improve their overall ownership experience; no doubt seeing our after-sales service take a qualitative leap in the area and better complement the brand’s high manufacturing quality and market leading position,” added Yasser. GAC has always operated with a focus on establishing long-term partnerships with its customers. At each of its service centres, including the new facility in Mabelah, GAC’s objective is to provide world-class levels of services that ensure customer’s vehicles are kept operating at peak performance with the quickest possible turnaround time. In doing so GAC ensures that your Mitsubishi spends the minimal possible time being serviced and enjoys a long trouble-free life.

PROMOTION

Bank Muscat card campaign evokes good response MUSCAT: An exciting promotion bringing together over 60 leading restaurants, cafes, spas and retail outlets across Oman in rewarding Bank Muscat customers with an attractive value proposition of discounts has evoked good response. The 6-month campaign was launched by the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate on May 31 runs till December 31, says a press release. The exclusive experience for Bank Muscat customers at Oman’s popular restaurants, cafes, spas and retail outlets reflects the bank’s year-long activities lined up to reward customers in celebration of the Sultanate’s 45 years of Renaissance under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Bank Muscat customers can avail discount at the outlets by simply settling the bill with his/ her Bank Muscat debit card. The list of outlets offering the discounts can be viewed on the bank’s website www.bankmuscat.com/cards or any of the bank’s social media channels. This is the first time a promotional campaign of this magnitude is launched in Oman, at-

tracting the active participation of almost all popular restaurants, cafes, spas and retail outlets across the Sultanate. Unique opportunities Time and again, Bank Muscat takes the lead in launching novel campaigns and promotions that continuously enhance value as well as create unique opportunities that enrich life for customers. With the participation of almost all popular restaurants across the Sultanate, the debit card campaign offers an exclusive dining experience. Bank Muscat cards, which spell convenience and security, is the preferred mode of payment in Oman. The wide range of Bank Muscat cards provide a secure option to pay for a host of transactions. The campaign reiterates the bank’s commitment to promote tourism and the hospitality sector in Oman. Bank Muscat cards provide convenience and ﬂexibility for customers in their day-to-day transactions at shopping malls, restaurants or holiday abroad. Embedded with an electronic chip, the cards ensure maximum protection and peace of mind.

ACCOLADE

Galfar Engineering awarded ‘Contractor of the Year 2015’

MUSCAT: Galfar Engineering and Contracting has been awarded with ‘Contractor of the Year 2015’ by the Oil and Gas Year magazine published under the auspices of the Ministry of Oil and Gas of the Sultanate of Oman. This award expresses the appreciation and conﬁdence that the fraternity has expressed in Galfar’s commitment towards delivery of projects as well as its execution capabilities and its continued commitment to society by the way of Omanisation and generation of the much required In country Value (ICV) while maintaining HSE and quality standards, says a press release. Galfar has been actively engaged with the oil and gas industry to provide contracting services including EPC services and has executed many prestigious projects for many of the oil and gas production companies. These include the Petroleum Development of Oman, British Petroleum and Occidental of Oman, Daleel, amongst many others. Services include earthworks, well location construction, well hook ups and all related mechanical, electrical and instrumentation work. Various EPC contracts and construction contracts have been executed over recent. The company has a fabrication facility at Nizwa (U & R Certiﬁed), serving as central hub to the needs of fabrication of pressure vessels, piping spools, pipe supports, structures, launcher – receivers, tanks, manifolds, SS and DSS fabrication including coating and calibration services. Galfar’s efforts towards Omanisation have resulted in producing many excellent Omanis who have risen through the ranks and are now positioned well within its company. Through the past dec-

This award expresses the appreciation and confidence that the fraternity has expressed in Galfar’s commitment towards delivery of projects as well as its execution capabilities and its continued commitment to society by the way of Omanisation and generation of the much required In country Value (ICV) while maintaining HSE and quality standards ades, apart from recruitment of Omanis as skilled and unskilled, Galfar has made progress in attracting college and university graduates to contribute to the development and advancement of the company’s operation system across the company’s various sectors of operations such as oil and gas, road and bridges, civil and utilities as well as in many support functions. Today, Galfar prides itself in employing almost 4,000 nationals, the largest in the construction and private sector in the Sultanate in all facets of its operations. Galfar’s ICV initiative has thoughtfully integrated core areas in procurement and on redeﬁning

the overall framework towards developing local capabilities. Led by a select team of top management, the ICV initiative is effectively supported by the authorities especially the Ministry of Oil & Gas. Year to date its local procurement stands at 80 % and local subcontracts at 70 % of its total spending towards procurement and subcontract respectively. Following the principles set forth by the government Galfar’s In-Country Value Strategy is founded in increasing In-Country spending on goods and services and our ICV results are impressive with a major percentage of our purchase and sub-contracting having local involvement. Apart from goodwill and demonstrating social responsibility a strong ICV policy also lends Galfar a competitive edge with many clients, giving due weightage to ICV in various the evaluation stages of bids. Galfar has a long-standing commitment to the highest standards for the health and safety of our employees, and subcontractors as well as to the protection of the environment in the communities in which we live and work. Over the past stakeholders had been made aware of the moments of pride for us when we achieved the various milestones in terms of man-hours worked without lost time injury (LTI). Galfar crossed 43 million manhours without LTI in its oil and gas projects. We continue our efforts ceaselessly to protect the environment and the people and strive ahead towards a better tomorrow. Through delivery of projects to the satisfaction of all stake holders, they will continue to strive to make Galfar an obvious choice as the most preferred contractor in the Sultanate of Oman.

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ISNER WILL ‘ROLL THE DICE’ AGAINST FEDERER John Isner beat Roger Federer in the greatest win of his career three years ago. Now the hard-serving American will try to duplicate that effort to reach a US Open quarterﬁnal. >C5

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Watson retires from Test cricket FA C T B O X

Factbox on Australia all-rounder Shane Watson who quit test cricket with immediate effect on Sunday:

The 34-year-old announced the decision after sustaining a calf

“I have given my all to be the best I can be, physically, technically and mentally. To have played over 50 Tests and to have captained my country is more than I ever dreamed of

injury in Saturday’s one-day victory over England that ended his tour

LONDON: Australia all-rounder Shane Watson quit Test cricket with immediate effect on Sunday, accepting defeat in his battle against injuries that have ravaged his career. The 34-year-old announced the decision after sustaining a calf injury in Saturday’s one-day victory over England that ended his tour, Cricket Australia (CA) said on their website. “I announce my retirement from Test cricket today with a heavy heart,” Watson, who ﬁnished his 59-match Test career with 3,731 runs and a 35-plus average, said in a CA statement. “I have given my all to be the best I can be, physically, technically and mentally, and while I have not always achieved the personal goals that I set myself in Test cricket, to have played over 50 Tests and to have captained my country is more than I ever dreamed of.” Watson, who remains available for one-dayers and Twenty20 Internationals, played his last Test in the Ashes opener at Cardiff before being dropped from the Australian side who lost the series 3-2 last month.

Shane Watson

Australia all-rounder

Two other members of Australia’s losing Ashes party — Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers — have also announced their international retirements. “On this tour I have seen how the next generation of young Australian cricketers are ready to take the game forward,” Watson said. “I hope to continue to represent

my country in both shorter formats of the game, and I believe that I still have a signiﬁcant amount to contribute.” Since his 2005 Test debut against Pakistan, regular hamstring and back injuries have taken toll on Watson’s body and his stock has fallen considerably over

DISAPPOINTING

Skipper Smith unrepentant as row over Stokes rages on

TWO DIFFERENT VIEWS: Australia captain Steve Smith, left, and England skipper Eoin Morgan.

LONDON: Australia captain Steven Smith had no qualms about his part in the controversial dismissal of England’s Ben Stokes for obstructing the field in the second One-day International (ODI) at Lord’s on Saturday. World Cup-holders Australia won by 64 runs to go 2-0 up in the five-match series. But that was all overshadowed by the exit of Stokes during England’s unsuccessful run chase. In the 26th over, Stokes struck a straight drive which was stopped by bowler Mitchell Starc. Leftarm paceman Starc then hurled the ball back hard towards Stokes who, leaning back back and turning his head away, stopped it with a hand taken off the bat. Australia appealed, believing Stokes had prevented a possible direct hit run out on his own stumps, and on-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena of Sri Lanka and former England batsman Tim Robinson referred the issue to third umpire Joel Wilson. The relevant cricket Law or rule talks about “wilful obstruction” and does allow batsmen to protect themselves from injury West Indian official Wilson gave Stokes out for 10, sparking the unusual sound of a chorus of boos at the ‘home of cricket’. Smith could have withdrawn

the appeal. But he saw no reason why he should and said the closeat-hand view of wicketkeeper Matthew Wade strengthened him in his original decision. “Wadey had a good view of it from behind the stumps, and he said straightaway that he thought the ball was missing Stokesy and was going to go on and hit the stumps” said Smith. “The way I saw it, he was out of his ground, and he wilfully put his hand out — which is the rule ... and he got given out by the third umpire,” added the captain, who topscored with 70 when batting conditions were at their toughest in an Australia total of 309 for seven. “If you look at it ... the ball was going towards the stumps, and wasn’t even going to hit him. “So I think he’s put his hand out to stop the ball.” Dharmasena doubts The booing, of Starc especially, continued until the end of the match, which came when England captain Eoin Morgan was out for 85, the highest score in a total of 245. Smith added: “I thought that was quite disappointing. “The umpire deemed it to be out. So I think we’ve just got to move on from that, and continue playing the game of cricket.”

Morgan had his own eye-witness view of events as he was the non-striker when Stokes was given out to spark a collapse that saw four wickets lost for 46 runs. “The guy throws the ball in your direction from five yards, and all you can do is flinch,” he told Sky Sports after Stokes became only the second England batsman after Len Hutton to succumb to this rare form of dismissal. “He was given out...I think it was a natural reaction to protect himself as much as anything else. My interpretation of it was that his reaction wasn’t deliberate.” Morgan also revealed that Dharmasena’s initial instinct was to rule not out but that official felt that confirmation by the television umpire was required. “Kumar told me that they didn’t think it was out ... and the third umpire has disagreed. I feel the ball was thrown so fast you can only react in a way that defends yourself. “How you can interpret that is open. But certainly, I didn’t think it was deliberate.” Australia great Shane Warne was among those who felt Stokes has been unfortunate, amid fears that Saturday’s incident could set a dangerous precedent. “We didn’t like to see what happened at Lord’s...Feel for Stokes,” Warne tweeted. - AFP

the last couple of years. Once the golden boy of Australian cricket, Watson lost his place at the top of the batting order and his bowling, which earned him 75 Test wickets and was once considered essential to the team balance, has also lost some of its bite. “He has been an outstanding

* Born on June 17, 1981 at Ipswich, Queensland * Made his Test debut at Sydney in 2005 against Pakistan * Played his last Test in the Ashes opener against England at Cardiff in July, scoring a total of 49 runs and failing to take a wicket * Finished Test career with 3,731 runs from 59 matches with a 35-plus average * Battled recurring back, hamstring, calf and hip problems for large part of his career * Captained Australia in one Test, against India in Delhi in 2013 * Hit four Test centuries and his highest score of 176 came against England at The Oval in 2013 * Also took 75 wickets with his right-arm pace bowling, often giving his team crucial breakthroughs and lending balance to the squad * Has played 190 One-day Internationals, scoring 5757 runs with a 40-plus average and 90-plus strike rate * Has taken 168 ODI wickets, his best bowling ﬁgures being 4-36 against Pakistan at Brisbane in 2010 * Has scored 1,164 runs and taken 39 wickets in 49 Twenty20 Internationals. - Reuters

contributor to the team on and off the field and a great thinker on the game as well as a hugely talented cricketer,” coach Darren Lehmann said. “Behind the scenes he has done so much work with our younger players and that has been something that has impressed me.” Skipper Steve Smith said he was among those who benefitted from Watson’s experience. “It has been a pleasure to play alongside Shane and he has been a huge influence on my career and the team as a whole,” said Smith.

Conversion rate An Ashes winner in 2013-14 and a member of the Australia side that lifted this year’s World Cup, Watson’s career has been blighted by a variety of injuries. Shifted up and down the batting order, including a relatively successful period as an opening batsman, Watson’s career Test figures of 3,731 runs at an average of 35.19 and 75 wickets at 33.68 meant he could not be considered a great all-rounder of his times. When fit, the strapping Watson looked the picture of a modern professional athlete. But a failure to convert promising starts into hundreds — he got to fifty 28 times in his Test career yet scored just four centuries — and a recurring tendency to get out lbw, saw him become something of a figure of fun, even among Australia supporters, some of whom were often riled by his repeated inclusion in the side. “I haven’t achieved certainly all the things I dreamed of achieving in Test cricket — average 50 with the bat and in the 20s with the ball. That’s obviously the dream as an allrounder to achieve and obviously I didn’t get anywhere near that,” Watson later told reporters. “Of course I didn’t convert the 50s into 100s that I certainly would’ve (liked to), but it’s certainly not through lack of trying.” “I was doing everything I could. It just wasn’t meant to be in that regard,” Watson said. Watson also had his run-ins with Australian management, notably when, at the time when South African coach Mickey Arthur and captain Michael Clarke were at the helm, he was one of four players dropped from the squad during the 2013 tour of India for not doing their ‘homework’ after failing to provide a written report on how to improve the team’s performance. - Agencies

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

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Hamilton dominantes as Rosberg retires in Monza The Briton had to wait several more hours, however, for the result to be conﬁrmed after a stewards’ enquiry into low tyre pressures on his car

MONZA: Lewis Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix to take a 53-point lead in the Formula One championship on Sunday after Mercedes teammate and closest rival Nico Rosberg retired with his car in flames. The Briton had to wait several more hours, however, for the result to be confirmed after a stewards’ enquiry into low tyre pressures on his car. With some rivals calling for the reigning champion to be disqualified, the stewards ruled Mercedes had followed the specified procedures and decided to take no further action. Apart from that scare, Hamilton’s was an afternoon remarkably free of pressure in all other aspects. He enjoyed a commanding cruise to the top step of a podium, standing high above a throng of Ferrari fans who had hoped to acclaim one of their own as winner but had to make do with Sebastian Vettel finishing runner-up. It was Hamilton’s 40th career victory, one less than his boyhood hero Ayrton Senna, and seventh of the season. “This weekend’s been just fantastic, a perfect weekend for me,” said the Briton, who dominated practice, started from pole position, led from the first corner and set the fastest lap. “I don’t know if I have ever had a weekend like this. This circuit is such a special one for me...when you stand on top of that podium you feel an incredible pride, incredibly proud to be amongst the greats who have stood there. “The sea of fans is just unlike anything I’ve seen.”

NO PRESSURE: Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium after winning the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at the

Autodromo Nazionale circuit in Monza on Sunday. – AFP

F1 stewards call for guidance on tyre pressures MONZA: F1 stewards called for Pirelli and the sport’s governing body to provide clear guidance about tyre pressure measurements after Lewis Hamilton’s Italian Grand Prix win was called into question. Stewards summoned a Mercedes representative after

He had led from start to finish, with his points advantage in the championship gaining a sudden boost when team mate and closest rival Rosberg retired two laps from the end with flames flickering from the engine. Vettel finished a massive 25 seconds behind while Brazilian Fe-

Hamilton took the chequered ﬂag because both the team’s cars had started with tyre pressures below the minimum speciﬁcation. They ultimately decided to take no further action, with the champion’s win upheld. In the Briton’s case, his left rear tyre was 0.3 PSI (pounds

lipe Massa took third for Williams a mere 0.3 ahead of his Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas. A Hamilton disqualiﬁcation would have put both Williams drivers on the podium and that team’s head of engineering Pat Symonds felt that should have been the case.

per square inch) below the speciﬁed minimum while Nico Rosberg’s was 1.1 PSI too low. The stewards said in a statement: “Nevertheless, the stewards recommend that the tyre manufacturer and the FIA hold further meetings to provide clear guidance.” - Reuters

“There’s a list of penalties for sporting infringements, technical infringements are disqualiﬁcation,” he said. The win was Hamilton’s third in Monza and also made him the ﬁrst driver since compatriot Damon Hill in 1994 to take back-to-back wins at the historic Italian circuit,

whose future on the calendar remains in doubt. He had been unaware of the tyre pressure issue until after the finish, when stewards said the left rear tyre — measured before the start — had been 0.3 PSI below the minimum specified by Pirelli. Rosberg’s tyre had even less pressure but the German was past caring, his hopes literally going up in flames when the German pulled over with smoke and flames billowing out from the rear of his car while in third place. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, on the front row with Hamilton, struggled to get away with cars swerving around on either side. The Finn was last into the first corner but fought back to take fifth place. Force India’s Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg were sixth and seventh with Australian Daniel Ricciardo eighth for Red Bull. Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson was ninth for Sauber and Russian Daniil Kvyat 10th for Red Bull. - Reuters

BIGGEST LOSS

Nico Rosberg promises to keep fighting MONZA: Nico Rosberg vowed to keep on fighting after an engine failure at the Italian Grand Prix dealt a hammer blow to his Formula One title hopes on Sunday and left him 53 points adrift of Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. The deficit means the German will still be behind the double world champion in the standings even if he wins the next two races and Hamilton — who has triumphed in seven of 12 so far — draws a blank. With seven races remaining, the points gap also means Hamilton does not have to win another race this season to take a third championship. “It’s a fact that it’s taken a massive step in the wrong direction,” Rosberg told reporters after his car’s engine blew two laps from the finish at Monza while he had been in third place and challenging for second. Hamilton won the race. “It’s been the biggest loss that I’ve had in one day in the whole season, so that’s very bad. “But I keep going, giving up doesn’t exist for me, just keep fighting and now I’ll just try and win the next couple of races,” Rosberg added. The prospects of that happening do not look great, with Hamilton’s victory at Monza last year setting off a run of five wins in succession for the Briton. Very unlucky Rosberg, by contrast has previously won only one of the remaining races — Brazil last year. “The whole weekend just went wrong completely, very unlucky I think,” said Rosberg, who was slower than Hamilton in practice at Monza and then saw his weekend compromised by having to use an older engine after a problem emerged before qualifying. The engine he raced with had already been used in five previous race weekends, whereas Hamilton enjoyed the benefits of a new and upgraded power unit. “Just so many repercussions of this engine issue...it wasn’t even an engine issue, it was actually a chassis issue, that meant we had to change the engine, and then it was a difficult race as a result,” said Rosberg. - Reuters

U23 TOURNEY

Oman team placed in tough group at West Asia Football Championship

TOUGH DRAW: A ﬁle photo of Oman under-23 team. – Supplied photo

MUSCAT: Oman and arch-rivals the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are placed in the same group for the West Asia Football Championship, which scheduled to be played in Doha from September 30 to October 14. The draw of the under-23 championship was conducted at Radis-

son Blu Hotel in the Qatari capital on Sunday when the participating teams were divided into three different groups. Oman and the UAE are placed in Group C along with Syria. Meanwhile, Iran and Saudi Arabia clubbed in Group B which also comprises Bahrain. The hosts Qatar head the four-

team Group A and the group also consists of Jordan, Palestine and Yemen. Oman will play their ﬁrst match against the UAE on October 4 before completing their group engagements on October 7 against Syria. Meanwhile, Hamad Al Azzani-coached Oman Olympic (un-

der-23) squad are continuing the preparations for the championship with an international in Muscat. The camp concludes on Tuesday. The team will resume training after the Eid Al Adha holidays during which they are also scheduled to play a friendly match with visiting Palestine team.

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS Oman Air to be presenting sponsor of NBO Golf Classic Grand Final Oman Air has announced their commitment to the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final as a presenting sponsor and official carrier for the tournament

MUSCAT: Oman Air has announced that the airline will become the presenting sponsor for the forthcoming NBO Golf Classic Grand Final. This will be the third year that Oman Air has committed to the prestigious European Challenge Tour tournament as a presenting sponsor and official airline. After two hugely successful years, theNational Bank of Oman (NBO) Golf Classic, which was the penultimate event on the European Challenge Tour schedule, has been elevated to become the season-ending NBO Golf Classic Grand Final,which is open only to the top 45 players on the Road to Oman Rankings and is set to be played from November 4 to 7 at the stunning Almouj Golf at The Wave, Muscat.

DEAL SEALED: Oman Air CEO Paul Gregorowitsch, second right, and NBO CEO Ahmed Al Musalmi, third left, pose for a group photo along with Sultanate’s motorsport star Ahmad Al Harthy and other officials after the signing ceremony. – O.K. MOHAMMED ALI/Times of Oman

Oman Air has now announced their commitment to the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final as a presenting sponsor and official carrier for the tournament. The airline will be transporting the 45 qualiﬁers, their management, caddies and supporters from all over the world to Muscat. “We are honoured and privileged to be the Presenting Spon-

sor for this prestigious tournament,” said Oman Air CEO Paul Gregorowitsch. “The NBO Golf Classic Grand Final has certainly put the Sultanate on the world golf and tourism map and has created an opportunity for Oman business and tourism to beneﬁt from the exposure the event has brought. Our involvement in the Grand Final is consist-

R O TA X E U R O C H A L L E N G E

ent with our support of sport in the Sultanate as an Official Partner to the Oman Football Association. We will be continuing that support through various unique sporting activities in the public village during the NBO Grand Final.” Ahmed Al Musalmi, CEO of NBO, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Oman Air as Presenting Sponsor. They have

shown considerable support for the past three years to our commitment to the tournament which has created considerable advantages to international business, tourism and golf for Oman. “The overwhelming success of the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic in 2013 and 2014, helped create the introduction of the Road to Oman Rankings, which has add-

ed to the global promotion of the Sultanate as a must-visit business, tourism and golf destination. “The Road to Oman has taken in 25 tournaments in 19 different countries worldwide, mixing historic tournaments such as the Barclays Kenya Open and the Rolex Trophy with newer events in developing golﬁng nations such as Slovakia, Turkey and China. “Its global reach has provided a boost to Oman’s golf tourism, showcasing all the beneﬁts Oman has to offer.” “We have achieved all this while remaining committed to our Omani national golfers who will compete in the 36-hole NBO Omani Championship, which will be played in conjunction with the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final,” he said. The winner of the 2015 NBO Golf Classic Grand Final will receive $52,800 while the top 15 players on the Road to Oman Rankings following the conclusion of the Muscat event will be promoted to play on next season’s European Tour. The leading player on the rankings will receive not only the honour of being crowned European Challenge Tour No. 1, but a $32,500 share of a $65,000 Bonus Pool for the top three, plus an engraved Rolex watch. Besides Oman Air, the 2015 NBO Golf Classic Grand Final is supported by Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Tanuf Water, Wicked Tents and Al Turki.

EURO 2016

Czechs qualify, Turkey stun the Dutch RIGA: The Czech Republic qualified for Euro 2016 as one of the top two teams from qualifying Group A after holding off a late fightback to beat hosts Latvia 2-1 on Sunday. David Limbersky and Vladmir Darida scored the first-half goals to lift the Czechs to 19 points, out of the reach of third placed Turkey (12 points) and Netherlands (10) with two matches to play next month. Iceland, on 18 points, can secure their berth when they host bottom placed Kazakhstan, needing only draw. The Czechs finished nerv-

TOUGH OUTING: Abdullah Al Rawahi in action at Genk circuit in Belgium. – Supplied photo

Sanad achieves satisfying result as Oman gain from Genk races MUSCAT: Sanad Al Rawahi achieved a satisfying result as Oman karting racers concluded their participation in the fourth round of the Rotax Euro Challenge in Genk, Belgium on Sunday. According to information received here, the Omani racers did well despite being hit badly by technical problems in the practice and qualifyings rounds. The technical issues prevented Sanad Al Rawahi and his sibling Abdullah as well as Khalid Al Wahaibi performing to their optimum in their respective categories in the run up to the final day’s races. However, Sanad managed to finish in a creditable 12th place in the DD2 class. In the 16-lap final race, he clocked 14:53.359, around 13.476 second behind the eventual winner Roope Markkanen of Finland. Earlier in the pre-final race, San-

ad was placed in 24th place when timed 11:30.200 in the 12-lap race. Meanwhile, Abdullah Al Rawahi in the Seniors category and Khalid Al Wahaibi in the Juniors category had the opportunity to make it to the ﬁnal race through Second Chance Heat. However, both the racers failed to advance. In the Seniors, Abdullah com-

pleted seven of the 10 laps in a time of 6:53.216 to finish in the 13th place in the Second Chance Heat. In the Juniors, Khalid Al Wahaibi was stopped after the fifth of the seven-lap race after shortcutting track. Until then the young Omani showed good speed and clocked 5:42.962 in the five laps he had completed.

ously as they dealt with a late rally from Latvia, who pulled a goal back through Arturs Zjurzins with 17 minutes left and then gallantly tried without success to find an equaliser. In Konya, the Netherlands’ hopes of making the finals hung by a thread on Sunday after last year’s World Cup semifinalists were convincingly downed 3-0 by a wellorganised hosts Turkey. In front of 40,000 Turkish supporters creating a hostile atmosphere in the packed-out Konya arena, Turkey combined cohesion

with physicality as the Dutch fell short in every department. An early strike by Oguzhan Ozyakup of Besiktas was followed by a second from Barcelona’s Arda Turan and then a killer third from Burak Yilmaz. With the Czech Republic clinching qualification on Sunday and Iceland set to take the second automatic qualification spot going in Group A, Turkey and the Netherlands are in a straight fight for third and likely entry into the playoffs for the finals in France. - Agencies

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS S PA I N C OAC H

Del Bosque defends misﬁring Diego Costa

STRONG TEAM: Iran team warm up during a training session ahead of their World Cup qualiﬁcation match against India at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. – PTI

India raring for Iran test Iran are the strongest team in Asia, placed at 40th in the FIFA rankings, whle India are placed at the 155th spot. But despite the obvious gap in quality and pedigree of the two teams, midfielder Lyngdoh is confident that the Indians are ready for the fight

BENGALURU: With India poised to face formidable rivals Iran in their upcoming World Cup qualiﬁer, midﬁelder Eugeneson Lyngdoh is keen to test his mettle against the top ranked team in Asia. “It is natural. You want to test

READY FOR THE FIGHT: Indian captain Sunil Chhetri, right, leads his teammates during a practice session at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. – PTI

yourself against the very best. Tell me who doesn’t want to play Argentina,” Lyngdoh said before India’s practice session at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Sunday. “Moreover, this also gives us an opportunity to give our opponents a hard ﬁght,” he added. Iran are the strongest team in

Asia, placed at 40th in the FIFA rankings, whle India are placed at the 155th spot. But despite the obvious gap in quality and pedigree of the two teams, Lyngdoh is conﬁdent that the Indians are ready for the ﬁght. “In football anyone can win, anyone can lose. We have a plan and we

will follow that. We will give it our best shot and hope for a positive result,” the 28-year-old asserted. “Our coach (Stephen Constantine) has been motivating us to give it our best shot and that has installed in us a mentality. We are raring to go.” The two teams head into Tues-

day’s clash with contrasting results from their last international matches. While India had a goalless stalemate against Nepal in an international friendly, Iran registered a convincing 6-0 win over Guam. India saw their chances of travelling to the 2018 World Cup go haywire after losing their last qualification match 1-2 in Guam. But Lyngdoh insisted that everything is not yet lost. “We are still on track for our qualification if we get results our way. But we are focused on the game. Iran are a good side and we have to be on our level best if we have to get points out of them,” the Pune FC midfielder stated. The Indian team has been utilising several innovative techniques during training. These include the recently bought GPS systems which provide information about the physical condition and work rate of a player during matches and training sessions. “We have been working very hard recently and with the innovative GPS System implemented, we have been able to identify and hone our fitness level,” Lyngdoh remarked. “Against Iran, obviously we have to work hard. But, we are ready for that.” - IANS

OVIEDO: Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has given strong backing to Diego Costa even after the Chelsea forward drew another blank in Saturday’s Euro 2016 qualifying victory at home to Slovakia. Holders Spain leapfrogged the Eastern Europeans to the top of Group C thanks to a 2-0 success in Oviedo but Costa again failed to score and has netted just one goal in eight appearances since opting last year to play for La Roja instead of his native Brazil. The 26-year-old did win a penalty, converted by Andres Iniesta after Jordi Alba’s early header, but otherwise struggled to make any impact on Slovakia’s well-drilled defence before making way for Paco Alcacer 15 minutes from time. “Of course I would like him to score but he did some good work,” Del Bosque told a news conference. “Against a team playing so defensively the player who has the most difficult job is the one in his position,” he added. “He moved well, he kept the defenders busy. We have to be patient. A lot of the time when he gets the ball he has his back to goal.” With seven of 10 matches played, Spain and Slovakia each have 18 points, with the Spanish, who lost 2-1 in Zilina in October, top due to a better headto-head record. Ukraine, who won 3-1 at home to Belarus earlier on Saturday and are assured of at least a playoff berth, are third on 15 points, 11 ahead of Belarus and Luxembourg. The nine group winners and runners-up and best thirdplaced side qualify for the ﬁnals in France, while the eight remaining third-placed teams contest playoffs for the last four berths. - Reuters

MAJOR ROLE

Chelsea move bearing fruit for Pedro MADRID: Chelsea forward Pedro Rodriguez has admitted his move from Barcelona last month will enhance his chances of playing a major role at next year’s European Championships with Spain. The 28-year-old started as the European champions took a big step towards qualiﬁcation by ending Slovakia’s 100 percent record in Group C with a 2-0 win on Saturday. Pedro left Barca after a decade at the Camp Nou in which he won 20 trophies to get more playing time after falling behind the star front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. And he made an instant impact with the English champions as he scored and set up Diego Costa for another goal in Chelsea’s only win of the season so far on his debut at West Bromwich Albion. “I am happy with how my time has started at Chelsea,” he said on Sunday. “When you have more minutes you can play at a different rhythm with more conﬁdence and a different mentality. I am sure the move will be very good for me to play both at Chelsea and with the national team.” Victory over Slovakia moved Spain back to the top of the group thanks to their better head-tohead record and was widely regarded as the best showing by Vicente del Bosque’s men since their embarrassing exit at the group stages of last year’s World Cup. “The game yesterday was one

INSTANT IMPACT: Spain’s forward Pedro Rodriguez, right, vies with Slovakia’s midﬁelder Lukas

Tesak during the Euro 2016 qualifying match against Slovakia in Oviedo on Saturday. – AFP

of the best playing in our style,” added Pedro. “There was a lot of ﬁrst-touch football and we were always looking to attack against a Slovakia side that hadn’t lost a game. It is possibly our best game since the World Cup.” The one negative of the night for the hosts were the whistles

directed at Gerard Pique by the home fans in Oviedo. Barcelona defender Pique has been an outspoken supporter of the drive for Catalan independence. And Pedro defended his old teammate, who was part of the Spain sides that won the World Cup in 2010 and European Championships two years later.

“We don’t like it that a professional player who has always been committed with the team is whistled at home. “I hope this topic is resolved quickly, we are all with him. He has always defended this shirt and the colours as he should. He has great personality and he showed that on the ﬁeld.” - AFP

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

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Isner ready to ‘roll the dice’ against Federer Isner rates Federer with the best returners in the sport, especially with a new chip-and-charge tactic in his portfolio

HOPING TO DO IT AGAIN: John Isner wants a repeat of 2012 Davis Cup outing when he defeated Roger Federer. – AFP

NEW YORK: John Isner beat Roger Federer in the greatest win of his career three years ago. Now the hard-serving American will try to duplicate that effort to reach a US Open quarterfinal. Isner advanced after only 75 minutes on Saturday, leading 6-3, 6-4 when Czech opponent Jiri Vesely retired with a neck injury. That put Isner in the path of 17time Grand Slam winner Federer, who dispatched German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 after just 93 minutes. “I’m going to go out there and roll the dice,” said Isner, whose lone win in five tries over the 34-year-old Swiss legend came in a 2012 away Davis Cup tie. “That was the best win of my career and one of the best matches I’ve ever played, hands down. I played extremely well that day and I needed to to beat him. I’m going to need to do that again on Monday.” Big-serving Isner has played 93 service games in a row at the US Open without allowing a break, rallying from triple break point down in the sixth game of the second set versus Vesely to sustain the streak, aided by two of his 21 aces. “Definitely conserved a lot of energy. I’ll be able to leave it all out there on Monday, win or lose,” Isner said. “I have been on and off the court pretty quickly my first three

GETTING BETTER WITH THE AGE: Swiss legend Roger Federer. – AFP

matches. That bodes well for me. Same goes for him, but he’s generally in that position.” World No. 2 Federer, who has not won a Slam title since Wimbledon in 2012, has deﬁed time with runs to the Wimbledon ﬁnal this year and last. “As he gets older he seems to keep getting better,” Isner said. “It’s unbelievably impressive what he’s continuing to do. He is playing at a very high level right now. I have the utmost respect for him. At the same time, I feel like I can challenge him on Monday. “It’s what I work so hard for, to get an opportunity like this. I’m going to have fun with it. At the same time, I’m going to go out there and believe that I can win.” Isner rates Federer with the best

returners in the sport, especially with a new chip-and-charge tactic in his portfolio. “He has that chip return that no one else has. That’s the shot that gets him in points,” Isner said. “From that, his talent and skill and everything, everything takes over. He’s able to get a lot of balls back, and he uses his incredible skill and athleticism to win points after that.” Isner will face Federer in the same Arthur Ashe Stadium where they ﬁrst met in 2007 in a thirdround match. Isner took the ﬁrst set in a tie-beaker and Federer took most everything thereafter. “Absolutely no pressure on me that day, and I honestly probably didn’t believe I could beat him, either,” Isner said.

“I was happy to be on that court. I was fresh out of college and no one knew anything about me. He certainly didn’t. I won one set, which was incredible. Didn’t win much after that.” Isner will skip the US Davis Cup team tie to stay in the 2016 World Group in two weeks at Uzbekistan, needing to rest his knees and knowing he would not be 100 percent. It was tough to stay away after he dropped the deciding point to Andy Murray in a 3-2 loss at Britain in this year’s ﬁrst round and dropped a ﬁfth set 15-13 to James Ward in the same tie. “What makes it incredibly tough is that I feel personally responsible that our team is in this position,” Isner said. “I didn’t do my part in February.” - AFP

A L L A D M I R AT I O N

Players praise Serena’s mental toughness NEW YORK: Even with her powerful serve and formidable physical gifts, Serena Williams is getting the most praise from fellow US Open players for her mental toughness and confidence when facing adversity. World No. 1 Williams is trying to complete the first calendar Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988 by winning the US Open for a 22nd Slam singles crown to match Graf’s Open Era record, two shy of Australian Margaret Court’s alltime record. “She’s just a beast,” said American Donald Young, who won Saturday to reach the fourth round. “I think she turns it on whenever she wants to. It’s tough. It’s a lot of pressure. The way she’s handling it is like a true champion.” Williams struggled early in her past two matches, even dropping the first set against Bethanie Mattek-Sands before rallying to win the last eight games and advance to a fourth-round meeting with US 19th seed Madison Keys. “Serena is inspiration for everyone who is on the tour, for sure. She’s kind of big champion,” said Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova. “We know how big a fighter she is. We need to be fighters in the tennis world as well. People playing her, they really know that if they win a set it’s not the end. She always lifts her level higher.” Williams has been pushed to three sets 10 times in 24 Slam matches this year and won them

Azarenka ﬁghts to ‘pinish’ NEW YORK: Victoria Azarenka added a new word to the tennis lexicon Saturday after her US Open win against Angelique Kerber — ‘pinish.’ The two-time runner-up won a third-round thriller 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 on a sixth match point, having trailed 2-5 in the ﬁrst set. During changeovers in the Arthur Ashe Stadium contest,

all, eight of them after she dropped the ﬁrst set. “I have nothing but admiration for her,” Young said. “She’s just an awesome player. She can come back. She has done it so many times in her career. She has been there. Once you know what it feels like, you can repeat it.” No playing down the Slam Three-time defending champion Williams, who holds all four major titles, has tried to downplay the calendar Slam and pump up the “Serena Slam” four in a row already done. But the buzz of fans, sellout crowds for her matches and talk around Arthur Ashe Stadium says

the 20th-seeded Belarusian was spotted consulting a series of motivational, selfhelp tips. When asked to reveal one, she said, ‘pinish.’ “It was my coach’s idea — it’s a combination of ‘punish’ and ‘ﬁnish,’” said Azarenka, who is coached by Sascha Bajin, the former longtime hitting partner of Serena Williams. - AFP

more about how the tennis world regards what Williams is on the verge of achieving. “I guess in her mind she’s trying to play it down,” said Aussie Samantha Stosur, who beat Williams in the 2011 US Open final — Serena’s most recent loss on the New York hardcourts. “It’s amazing regardless, whether it stays the way it is or whether she gets the calendar Slam and makes it five in a row. Either way, everybody else has got to admire. I mean, if I was in that position, I’d probably try and play it down too and not think of it as such a huge deal and want it playing on my mind all the time.” Self belief and confidence is a

major part of Serena’s game, said Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard. “She just has that belief. She knows she’s so good,” Bouchard said. “She just fights and finds a way. Even the greatest player of all times loses sets or is down in a match. It just shows all of us we have to fight for every point no matter what. Even if you are the greatest of all time, people are not just going to give it to you.” Incredible achievement British qualifier Johanna Konta, a fourth-round surprise packet, would enjoy seeing Williams lift the trophy next weekend to finish the calendar Slam — and she’s a big Graf fan. “That would be freaking amazing,” Konta said. “I admire Steffi Graf because that’s who I grew up watching, but I admire Serena Williams, because, I mean, who doesn’t admire Serena Williams? “I’d love for her to achieve that. I don’t know really of anyone who wouldn’t. It’s an incredible achievement and one that I can only kind of watch and admire.” US 13th seed John Isner, into the last 16 with a Saturday win, said Williams has created her own great expectations. “Most important thing is staying positive out there and just believing. That’s what we’ve seen from Serena,” Isner said. “It’s pretty incredible. She has done it so much that we’ve come to expect it. That’s what makes her a great champion.” - AFP

A TRUE CHAMPION: Serena Williams

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I’m delighted to have equalled the record, now I’d like to break it, but more importantly I hope we can make it 10 wins out of 10 Wayne Rooney England captain

TIME TO EXPERIMENT It was the earliest England have ever qualiﬁed for any major tournament apart from when they hosted the World Cup in 1966 and the European championship in 1996

LONDON: England’s early qualification for next year’s Euro 2016 finals in France has given manager Roy Hodgson the rare luxury of being able to experiment with his selections well ahead of the tournament kicking off. England’s 6-0 win over San Marino on Saturday maintained their perfect record in Group E with seven wins out of seven and they became the first country to take their place alongside the French hosts in the expanded 24team finals. It was the earliest England have ever qualified for any major tournament apart from when they hosted the World Cup in 1966 and the European championship in 1996, and skipper Wayne Rooney now wants them to win every match in their qualifying group for the first time. With a home game to come against Switzerland on Tuesday followed by October’s double-header against Estonia at Wembley before signing off with a visit to Lithuania, England could well make it 10 wins out of 10 and preserve their long unbeaten run in both World Cup and Euro qualifiers which dates back 26 matches to a 1-0 loss to Ukraine in October 2009. Hodgson told the BBC: “I’m not sure early qualification gives us any particular advantage because we are going to take a lot of time to plan and improve anyway. “What it could do is give me the opportunity for experimentation because we did not get that ahead of the World Cup when we had to win our last two qualifiers to get to Brazil.” Although England failed to get out of the group stage in the World Cup last year, they are now unbeaten in their last 12 internationals. They were always likely to emerge unscathed from a Euro qualifying group against the likes of San Marino, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Switzerland, but younger players have impressed Hodgson during the course of the campaign. Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne, 24, looks like being England’s best right-back since Gary Neville while Jonjo Shelvey, 23, has played his way back into the squad after some fine

Is the number of international matches England are now unbeaten and they were always likely to emerge unscathed from a Euro qualifying group against the likes of San Marino, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Switzerland

performances for Swansea. Everton defender John Stones and his club mate Ross Barkley, also 21, who scored his ﬁrst goal for England against San Marino and now has 14 caps, look set for long international careers. Young forwards like Harry Kane, 22, of Tottenham Hotspur, and Raheem Sterling, 20, of Manchester City, also provide options for Hodgson in attack. Rooney, meanwhile, may not have made a blistering start to the season with Manchester United, but the skipper, who will be 30 next month, is still a key ﬁgure as far as Hodgson is concerned. Rooney equalled Bobby Charlton’s all-time England record of 49 goals against San Marino before Hodgson swapped him for Kane with nearly an hour played. Some have criticised Hodgson for taking him off when the record was there to be broken, but the manager explained: “The substitution was planned with a view to Tuesday night against Switzerland. “It would be nice if Wayne got his 50th goal against Switzerland, but one thing for certain is that he will get it. “It is not as if this was his last game and his only chance. “If this was his last game for England and he needed that one goal, then I wouldn’t have taken him off.” Rooney added: “I’m delighted to have equalled the record, now I’d like to break it, but more importantly I hope we can make it 10 wins out of 10.” - Reuters

RARE LUXURY: The early qualiﬁcation has given Roy Hodgson ‘the opportunity for experimentation’.

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LIFESTYLE

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

Gear WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

By Faisal Mohammed Naim

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are soon to be old news, as Apple is all set to launch the next gen of its iPhone series. But do they really pack a punch? With the market abuzz with all sorts of rumours, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already covered some on what could come up from Cupertino this time around. >>

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

LIFESTYLE

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED, SHUTTERSTOCK

>> The wait is ﬁnally over; they are here – the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. With the launch date just around the corner, sensations run high and the market is rife with all sorts of speculations. The dreamy Joes are dreaming of it to be the perfect smartphone ever, while the disillusioned quite-hard-to-beconvinced ones are taking it to be a mere incremental, nothing phenomenal upgrade. Phenomenal or not, excitement is deﬁnitely in the air – no other phone is able to incite such curiosity as the iPhone. Tech pundits have been speculating about the latest iPhone installments since long, and the leak business has been in full swing. The launch event is to be held on September 9, 2015, at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, a huge venue that can hold a reported 7,000 people. Apple sent out invitations to analysts and the press recently, and while the iPhone 6s isn’t mentioned by name, the event is almost certainly the launch event for Apple’s 2015/16 iPhones.

According to experts, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are expected to be incremental updates (just as the hard headed blokes thought), unlike the big changes we saw Apple implement last year. Still, there will be plenty of key updates to the phones and this should result in excellent sales once again. A more powerful chipset with faster LTE chip is expected to debut inside the new iPhones, alongside Apple’s Force Touch display technology, and 12MP camera with 4K video capture – also being labelled as the “biggest camera jump ever”, according to blogger John Gruber, who describes a “weird two-lens system where the back camera uses two lenses and it somehow takes it up into DSLR quality imagery.” Force Touch, the technology currently used inside the Apple Watch’s display, is said to be one of the iPhone 6s’ big USPS. And while it doesn’t sound all that impressive; it’s just another way to interact with the display of your phone, there are actually plenty of reasons to be excited about the advent of Force Touch in iPhone. For instance, with a Force Touch display, you’ll be able to do things like drop pins in Apple Maps and scroll through items faster, rather than swiping. Other things could involve quickly responding to a notification, or changing volumes on a track or video. Apple isn’t changing the display size, retaining the same 4.7in and 5.5in for both models. Sources close to Apple have also confirmed the new iPhones will look pretty much identical to the iPhone 6, according to 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman. A Youtube channel ‘Unbox Therapy’ has also analysed a leaked iPhone 6s’ back panel, specifically altered to make it more durable. This is allegedly in response to the Bendgate fiasco which occurred after the iPhone 6 launch; users found the metal chassis could bend and distort relatively easily. The video claims that there are key design differences from the iPhone 6 shell which suggest the new model will be tougher and more resilient. Stress points prone to weakening on the older device have allegedly been reinforced or modified.

According to experts, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are expected to be incremental updates, unlike the big changes we saw Apple implement last year

According to inside sources, Apple is pushing for the biggest order of iPhones ever for Q4 2015. Apple wants its suppliers to build 85-90 million iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus units before the close of Q4 2015; the biggest initial order Apple has ever placed with its suppliers. Another report cites predictions from tech analysts who claim the new iPhone 6s may be “too expensive” compared to previous models. Based on leaked information detailing the next iPhone’s ultra-tough aluminium alloy construction, analysts predict that the cost of production will be raised signiﬁcantly. Quite interestingly, the handset in the invitation, is simply referred to as “the new iPhone”, meaning it could be either the iPhone 6s or, as some reports have suggested, the iPhone 7. We have our ﬁngers crossed. faisal@timesofoman.com

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

LIFESTYLE

TECH SUPPORT

B Y

F A I S A L

M O H A M M E D

N A I M

ver since the portable speakers swarmed the markets, the battles among the audio brands have intensified even more (actually intensified to such a level that it is creating a whole lot of confusion for aficionados while deciding on which one to go for). Every other day, every other brand comes up with ‘in-some-way new’, trendy looking sound bar (so much so that you can’t even remember which is from whom). Today we bring for you a head on comparison of two of the best insound-bars. Choice is yours. Scan to see the comparison

Bose SoundLink Mini

Beats Pill 2.0

Build & Design

Connectivity

Battery Life

Sound Quality

The Beats Pill 2.0, is sleek, slightly hip, and it’s available in a bunch of fun colours. It looks like an oversized pill, only with a ﬂat foot on the bottom to keep it from rolling off the table. The Bose SoundLink Mini on the other hand, well, is a Bose product. The company isn’t exactly known for their bold design choices, opting for the more safe and reserved look in nearly every example. While Beats may have the advantage when it comes to looks, it doesn’t take the win in the build department. The Pill might be ﬂimsy, but it’s nowhere near as solid as the SoundLink Mini.

Both speakers offer Bluetooth connectivity with roughly a 30ft range. Both also offer a 3.5 mm aux-in jack for plugging your favourite non-Bluetooth devices in. Pairing is fairly easy with both, though Beats does get a point for allowing NFC pairing — something you can’t do with the SoundLink Mini. Looking at the controls, the race heats up. While the Bose Mini offers more buttons, even to the point of providing dedicated mute and Bluetooth buttons, it completely lacks playback controls. The Pill 2.0 on the other hand has fewer buttons, but it packs more functionality into its multifunction button which controls playback via a system of double and triple taps.

Both the Pill 2.0 and the SoundLink Mini claim up to 7 hours of playtime. The SoundLink Mini does a whole lot of things right, but it pulls a classic Bose when it comes to charging. The only charging method is via the included wall charger, meaning whenever you’re out of juice it’s time to look for an outlet and hope you packed the charger. The Pill, on the other hand, does the saner thing and allows USB charging, using the micro USB standard that at this point is so ubiquitous that the included USB cable is barely even necessary.

Both of these speakers are fairly small in size and therefore can’t hope to be compared to their larger siblings, but there’s a very clear difference between the two: the Bose Mini sure doesn’t sound small; it can get pretty loud, and impressively so, considering the size. The Pill 2.0, on the other hand, sounds quite on the contrary. Bass is nearly nonexistent, mids are alternately honking and woofy-sounding, and the highs are simultaneously harsh and lacking in detail. For the ﬁnal nail in the coffin, it doesn’t even get loud. Simply put, there is no contest here.

Mini: Pill:

Conclusion Bose chooses to do less with the SoundLink Mini, but is very good at the few things it does do. Beats, on the other hand, offers more options, but is generally problematic and not so good in quality, when it comes to dropouts, call quality, and even the sound quality. Lifestyle Verdict: Though Beats scores over Bose in more categories, still in this match, Bose is clearly the winner. faisal@timesofoman.com

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M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

PRAYER TIMINGS

@SHATTI

@AZAIBA

SHATTI The Transporter Refueled (PG12) (Action, Crime) Cast : Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 3:45, 7:45, 9:45, 11:45 pm Welcome Back (Comedy, Crime) (Hindi) Cast: Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia 2:15, 8:45 pm Purgatory (Horror, Mystery) (TBC) Cast: Emilio Rivera, Taylor Nichols 2:00, 11:45 pm Barbie Rock ‘N Royals (Animation)(PG) Voice Overs : Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni 2:00, 5:15 pm Hitman – Agent 47 (Action, Crime)(PG12) Cast : Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware 5:45, 9:30, 11:30 pm Southpaw (Action, Drama)(15+) Cast : Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams 3:35, 7:00 pm Phantom (Action, Drama)(HINDI) PG Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif 6:00 pm

12:30 & 9:30 PM Southpaw (Action) (12+) Cast : Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams

MUSCAT GRAND MALL The Transporter Refueled : 2D (Action, Crime, Thriller ) (PG12) Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 3:00, 5:00, 10:00 & 11:55PM Gold Class : 2:15, 9:15 & 11:15PM The Games Maker: 3D (Family) (PG) Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Cavanagh 10:45AM & 3:00PM Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals : 2D (Animation) (PG) Cast : Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni 10:00AM, 11:40AM & 1:15PM Gold Class : 12:30PM Hitman: Agent 47 : 2D (Action, Crime) (PG12) Cast : Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware 1:00, 7:00 & 11:45PM Gold Class : 4:15PM Welcome Back : 2D (Comedy, Crime, Drama) (TBC)

2:00, 5:15 pm Barbie Rock N Royals (Animation)(PG) Voice Overs: Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham,Dimple Kapadia 7:00PM Gold Class: 6:15PM Lila & Eve 2D (Drama, Thriller) (12+) Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Shea Whigham 5:15PM Southpaw 2D (Action, Drama, Sport ) (15+) Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams 12:30 & 9:30PM Phantom 2D (Action, Drama, Thriller) (PG) Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif 9:00PM

The Games Maker – 3D (PG) Adv, Family Cast - Joseph Fiennes, Tom Cavanagh 12:00, 3:00 PM Dynamite – 2D (PG) Action, Romance Cast - Vishnu Manchu, Pranitha Subhash 5:00 PM Purgatory – 2D (12+)Horror, Mystery Cast - Emilio Rivera, Taylor Nichols 12:45, 6:15 PM Savaale Samaali – 2D (PG) Action, Drama Cast - Ashok Selvan, Bindu Madhavi 7:45 PM Welcome Back – 2D (TBC) Comedy, Crime Cast - Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia 12:30, 2:00, 7:45, 10:30 PM

AZAIBA The Transporter Refueled - 2D Action Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 3:30, 7:15, 9:15, 11:15 PM (PG12) Hitman: Agent 47 – 2D (PG12) Action Cast: Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware 5:15, 10:05, 11:55 PM Phantom - 2D (PG) Action, Drama, Thriller Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif 5:00, 7:40, 9:15, PM Loham – 2D (TBC) Action Cast: Mohanlal, Andrea Jeremiah, Siddique 4:00 PM Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals – 2D Animation 12:00, 1:30, 2:15 PM (PG)

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

15:00 15:00 15:00

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

16:30 18:00 19:30

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 06:30 08:00 13:00 13:00 16.00 16.00

07:00 07:00 13:30 13:00 13:00 13:00 17:00

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

20:50

Daily

16:50 19:30

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Nizwa Al Araqi

Sur Sur

Daily Daily

Fahud Yibal

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

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

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

06:00 14:30

Ruwi Ruwi

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

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Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

19:50 13:15 22:30 07:30

06:00

Marmul

16:30

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07:00

Daily

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

07:00

Daily

10:50 13:40 16:15 19:10 18:45 21:35

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 07:30 07:30 13:00 13:00 15:30 15:30

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

11.45 13.30 14.00

Loham (Mal) ( Act ) Cast: Mohanlal, Andrea & Renji Panikkar 9:30 pm at Cinema Main; 3-45 pm Cinema-3; 6-30 pm Cinema-2 Thani Oruvan (Tamil) ( Act\Drama ) Cast: Jayam Ravi, Nayanthara & Arvind Swami 3-00 pm Cinema Main; 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema-3 Savaale Samaali (Tamil) (Rom/Act) Cast Ashok Selvan & Bindu Madhvi 6-45, 9-45 pm Cinema-4 Paayam Puli (Tamil) (Rom/Drama) Cast: Vishal & Kajal Agarwal 6-30 pm Cinema Main; 3-45 pm Cinema 4 ; 9-30 pm at Cinema -2 Dynamite (Telugu) (Act) Cast: Manchu Vishnu, pranitha & Achu 3-00 pm at Cinema 2 Next Change: Double Barrel (Mal) Yatchan (Tamil) Programmes are subject to change

JIYA ANAND TOPRANI September 7, 2014

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

50-80%

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

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Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

LISTINGS

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

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

Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

10:25

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TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

Ruwi

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

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

07:00

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

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

Minimum

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

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

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

33 29

STAR CINEMA

WITH LOVE

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54) 08:00 08:00

08:55 Daily 11:40 Daily 20:20 Daily via Ibri 14:55 Daily 17:40 Daily 19:20 Daily 22:15 Daily

BURAIMI The Transporter Refueled– 2D (Action) 4:45, 8:15, 10:00, 11:45PM (PG12) Hitman: Agent 47 – 2D (Action, Crime) (12+) Cast: Rupert Friend, Zachary Quinto 6:30, 9:45PM Barbie Rocks N Royals– 2D (Animation) 5:45PM Let Us Pray – 2D (Action / Thriller) (18+) Cast: Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson 4:30, 11:30PM Phantom – 2D (Action / Thriller) (PG) 6:10PM Paayum Puli – 2D (Action) (12+) Cast: Vishal Krishnan, Kajal Aggarwal 7:15PM Welcome Back – 2D (Action / Thriller) (TBC) Cast: John Abraham, Shruti Hassan

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

2:45, 4:45 PM Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals - 2D (PG) Cast : Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni 2:00, 3:40 PM Purgatory - 2D (12+) Horror, Mystery Cast: Emilio Rivera, Taylor Nichols 2:00, 10:20, 11:55 PM A Walk in the Woods - 2D (15+) Adventure Cast: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte 3:30, 5:30 PM

No Escape (Action/ Thriller ) Cast: Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson 2.00 & 6.00 pm CP No: 2278 ( 12+ ) Transporter Refueled (Action/Thriller/Crime) Cast: Ed skrein, Ray Stevenson, Gabriella Wright 4.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 2280 ( PG 12) Purgatory (Drama/ Horror) Cast: Oona Chaplin, Sergi Mendes, Ana Fernades 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 2283 ( 12+ ) Lila & Eve ( Drama / Thriller ) Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Shea Whigham, Viola Davis 4.00 & 8.00 pm CP No: 2284 ( 12+ ) Barbie Rock ‘N Royals: ( Animation) Voice Overs: Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni, Bethani Brown 2.00 & 6.00 pm CP No: 2277 ( PG )

SALALAH Hitman Agent 47 (2D) (PG12) (Action) 10:05AM, 12:15, 11:55PM The Transporter Refueled (2D) (Action) 10:45AM, 1:15, 7:15, 9:30, 11:45 PM (PG12) Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals (2D) (PG) (Animation) Voice Overs: Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni 10:15, 11:45AM, 4:00PM Welcome Back (2D) (TBC) (Comedy/Crime/) 4:00, 9:00, 11:15PM Cast: Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia No Escape (2D) (12+) (Action/Thriller) Cast: Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Owen Wilson 12:30, 3:00, 7:40 PM Purgatory (2D) (12+) (Horror/Mystery) Cast: Emilio Rivera, Taylor Nichols 2:30, 5:45PM Phantom (2D) (PG) (Hindi) (Action/Drama) 6:45PM Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Rajesh Tailang The Games Maker (3D) (PG) (Adventure) 10:15AM, 2:00PM Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Cavanagh, Megan Charpentier Dynamite (2D) (PG) (Telugu) (Action) Cast: Vishnu Manchu, Pranitha Subhash, J. D. Chakravarthy 5:00PM

WEATHER

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36) Quriyat Sur Jaalan

SOHAR Hitman: Agent 47 - 2D (PG12) Action, Crime, Cast: Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware 6:45, 10:00, 11:45 PM Phantom - 2D (H) (PG) Action, Drama Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif 7:35 PM Loham - 2D (M) (PG) Action Cast: Mohanlal, Andrea Jeremiah, Siddique 5:15, 7:30 The Transporter Refueled - 2D Action Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 2:30, 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 PM (PG12) Welcome Back - 2D (TBC) Comedy, Crime Cast: Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia 4:30, 8:30, 11:20 PM The Games Maker - 3D (PG) Adventure Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Cavanagh

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

SUR The Transporter Refueled (Action) (PG12) Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol 5:30, 10:00, 11:45 PM Hitman: Agent 47 (Action) (PG12) Cast: Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware 9:45 PM The Game Maker (3D) (Adventure) (PG) Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Cavanagh 5:00 PM Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals (PG) Cast: Kelly Sheridan, Chiara Zanni 4:00 PM Welcome Back (Hindi) (Comedy) (TBC) Cast: Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia 7:15, 11:30 PM Phantom (Hindi) (Action | Drama) (PG) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Rajesh Tailang 7:15 PM

3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM Welcome Back (Comedy) – TBC Cast: John Abraham, Shruti Hassan, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Paresh Rawal

Cast: Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson 6.45 PM Screen 3 Brothers (Drama/ Sports) – 12+ Cast: Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff 3.45, 6.45 PM The Transporter Refueled (Action) - PG12 Cast: Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson, Gabriella 9.45 PM

RUWI Screen 1 Welcome Back (Comedy) - TBC Cast: John Abraham, Shruti Hassan, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Paresh Rawal 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM Screen 2 Phantom (Action) – PG Cast: Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif 3.45, 9.45 PM The Transporter Refueled (Action) - PG12

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

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

3:30, 7:15, 9:15, 11:15 PM The Transporter Refueled - 2D (Action/Crime/Thriller) (PG12) Cast : Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol, Ray Stevenson

BAHJA CINEMA

8:45, 11:30PM

@RUWI

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68. www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman

Destination

12.10pm 3.38pm 6.25pm 7.36pm 4.34am

CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

@MGM

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

Afghanistan Algeria Bahrain Bangladesh Brazil Brunei China Cyprus Egypt France Germany India Indonesia Iran Iraq Italy Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya South Korea Kuwait

24698 791/4 24605 593 24 605 074/133 24 698 660 24640100 24 603533 24 696782 24 699815 24 600 982/411 24681 800 24835000 24684500 2469 1050 24 696 944/7 24603642 24693727 24 601 028 24692760/1/3 24 692418 24 697664 24 691490 24 699628

Lebanon Libya Malaysia Morocco Nepal Netherlands Pakistan Palestine Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Senegal Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Switzerland Syria Tanzania Thailand Tunisia Turkey UAE United Kingdom United States Yemen

24 693208 24603466 24698329/643 24696152/3 24696177 24603706 24603439 24601312 24605335 24 691 153/2/4 24602894 24601705 24694139 24697977 24647300 24691101 24697841/2 24697875 24603267 24697904 24601 174 24 602684/5 24603486 24697050/1/2 24400000 24609000 24643400 24600815

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi Salalah Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya Muscat, A Seeb Market Muscat, Al Khuwair Muscat, Al Hail South Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

23291635

HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre 24485052 Atlas Hospital Ruwi 24811743/ Ghubra 24504000 Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi 24563641 Azaiba 24499269 Sohar 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740 Ceregem National Raak 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217 Elixir Health Centre 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274 Hamdan Hospital 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128 MBD 24799077 Al Khuwair 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000 AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours) 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot 24704455 Air Arabia 24700828 Air France 24562153 Air India 24799801

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

Ä&#x2026; Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; Ä Ä&#x2026; Ĺ&#x2014; Ăź Ăş Ăť Ăż

C11

LIFESTYLE

k, so you have decided to go for a used car, instead of a new one (the reasons are plenty â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the used ones these days are as good as new, this might be your ďŹ rst car, and you want to get acquainted with the ďŹ ner intricacies of driving on a used one ďŹ rst before graduating to a new one, blah, blah, blah) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and you just cannot wait to lay your hands on the one you recently came across at one of the used car showrooms. Everything seems to be just perfect about that car, but wait a minute â&#x20AC;&#x201C; have you really checked everything? As much as you might like to dream about what you want in a car, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to think more practically about your needs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not just at present, but in the future, too. Here are a few simple things to remember and steps to take, that will assist you to choose the right car and you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be ripped-off too. Set Your Budget Work out how much you can afford to spend, and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to include registration, insurance, and regular maintenance and running costs. Both for insurance, and if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to get a loan, shop around to get the best rate. Do Your Research Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to have a thorough look at whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s out there before buying a used car. To get an idea of a modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current market price, spend some time searching used car ads online or in your local newspaper. Be wary if you ďŹ nd a used car with a price much lower than the market suggests. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re determined to take it further, have the car checked thoroughly. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Find the Right Car Browse cars by body type, make or price to ďŹ nd out which make and model might suit you. Read the expert reviews on the Internet about the car youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for, and check the latest car news to see if a new model is coming, which can substantially reduce the price of previous models when it arrives. Contact The Seller And when you do, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to ask lots of questions like: Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; )1Ĺ&#x2014;&)(!Ĺ&#x2014;" 0 Ĺ&#x2014;." 3Ĺ&#x2014;" Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014; ,Ä&#x17D; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; "3Ĺ&#x2014; , Ĺ&#x2014;." 3Ĺ&#x2014;- &&#(!Ĺ&#x2014;#.Ä&#x17D; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; -Ĺ&#x2014;#.Ĺ&#x2014; 0 ,Ĺ&#x2014; (Ĺ&#x2014; ' ! Ä&#x17D; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; " .Ĺ&#x2014; )( #.#)(Ĺ&#x2014;#-Ĺ&#x2014;#.Ĺ&#x2014;#(Ä&#x17D; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014; ) -Ĺ&#x2014;#.Ĺ&#x2014;" 0 Ĺ&#x2014; (3Ĺ&#x2014;Ä&#x2019; Ĺ&#x2014;" #.-Ä&#x201C;Ä&#x17D;

Are They Worth the Dough? By Faisal Mohammed Naim

Thorough Inspection Make sure you have a thorough look at the car yourself, and have an independent mechanic or automotive centre to check it out properly. It could save you big expenses by re-

TECH NOTE

DRIVE SLOWER LIVE LONGER

Google Gets a Makeover ALONG WITH GOOGLEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORPORATE overhaul that will see the company renamed Alphabet, the Internet behemoth is changing its logo. The new, much rounder, de-#!(Ĺ&#x2014; 1 -Ĺ&#x2014; (()/( Ĺ&#x2014; 3Ĺ&#x2014; ))!& Ĺ&#x2014; recently. It is the ďŹ fth revamp ) Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; &)!)Ĺ&#x2014; -#( Ĺ&#x2014; ))!& Ĺ&#x2014; 1 -Ĺ&#x2014; #(.,) / Ĺ&#x2014;#(Ĺ&#x2014;ĂťÄ&#x192;Ä&#x192;Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ( Ĺ&#x2014;)( Ĺ&#x2014;) Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014; most radical to date. Ä? ))!& Ĺ&#x2014;" -Ĺ&#x2014; " (! Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014;&).Ĺ&#x2014;)0 ,Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; * -.Ĺ&#x2014; ĂťÄ Ĺ&#x2014; 3 ,-Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x153;Ĺ&#x2014; ,)'Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; range of our products to the evolution of their look and feel. And today weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re changing things up once again,â&#x20AC;? the company said

on its blog. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once upon a time, ))!& Ĺ&#x2014; 1 -Ĺ&#x2014; )( Ĺ&#x2014; -.#( .#)(Ĺ&#x2014; ." .Ĺ&#x2014; you reached from one device: a -%.)*Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; " - Ĺ&#x2014; 3-Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; * )*& Ĺ&#x2014; #(. , .Ĺ&#x2014; 1#."Ĺ&#x2014; ))!& Ĺ&#x2014; *,) / .-Ĺ&#x2014; across many different platforms, apps and devices â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sometimes all in a single day. Ä? )/Ĺ&#x2014; 2* .Ĺ&#x2014; ))!& Ĺ&#x2014; .)Ĺ&#x2014; " &*Ĺ&#x2014; you whenever and wherever you need it, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on your mobile phone, TV, watch, the dashboard in your car, and yes, even Ĺ&#x2014; -%.)*Ä&#x152;Ĺ&#x2014; #.#)( &&3Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ))!& Ĺ&#x2014; is revamping its blue single let. ,Ĺ&#x2014;Ä? Ä&#x2018;Ĺ&#x2014;&)!)Ĺ&#x2014;#(.)Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014;'/&.# )&)/, Ĺ&#x2014; one.â&#x20AC;? -Agencies

vealing mechanical problems and previous damage. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; &1 3-Ĺ&#x2014; " %Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; ,Ĺ&#x2014; /,#(!Ĺ&#x2014; 3time, never in the dark or in rain that could conceal body marks, dents, rust and other defects. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; " %Ĺ&#x2014; /( ,Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; ,Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; )(( .Ĺ&#x2014; and the interior carpet for rust and signs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as welding marks â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which may show the car has been in a crash. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; ( ,Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014; )(( .Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014;&))%Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014;-#!(-Ĺ&#x2014;) Ĺ&#x2014; oil leaks on top of the engine, and /( ,( ."Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; - Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; #*-.# %Ĺ&#x2014; .)Ĺ&#x2014; check the amount of oil. If the level is low, the owner hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been looking after the car properly. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; ))%Ĺ&#x2014; ,)/( Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014;)#&Ĺ&#x2014;Ă°&& ,Ĺ&#x2014; *Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; white mayonnaise-like substance â&#x20AC;&#x201D; this is an indication of a damaged head gasket which can be very expensive to put right. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; % Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; &))%Ĺ&#x2014; .Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; .3, -Ĺ&#x2014; .)Ĺ&#x2014; ' % Ĺ&#x2014; sure theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in good condition with plenty of tread. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; .Ĺ&#x2014; )1(Ĺ&#x2014; #(Ĺ&#x2014; ,)(.Ĺ&#x2014; ) Ĺ&#x2014; "Ĺ&#x2014; ,)(.Ĺ&#x2014; wheel and look along the length of the car. Both front wheels should be directly in front of the rear ones â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not, it could mean the car has been in a crash and ended up with a slight&3Ĺ&#x2014; .1#-. Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x2019; , Ä&#x201C;Ĺ&#x2014; " --#â&#x20AC;&#x201D; check the gaps between the body panels are equal â&#x20AC;&#x201D; if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not, the car could have been reďŹ tted badly, or may have been involved in a crash. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; (-# Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014; ,Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014;' % Ĺ&#x2014;-/, Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014;- .belts work correctly, the steering wheel and dashboard are bolted on correctly, the front seats move properly and all switches work. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; . ,.Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; ,Ĺ&#x2014; 1#."Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; )& Ĺ&#x2014; (!#( Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; which will make is easier to reveal problems like poor starting or too much smoke. Test Drive the Car Ä&#x160; Before you set off, turn the steering wheel from one lock to the other to make sure there is no screeching, banging, or knocking.

Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; )Ĺ&#x2014; . -.Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; " ( , % Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; */&&Ĺ&#x2014; #.Ĺ&#x2014; )(Ĺ&#x2014; and then try to drive off very gently. It should hold the car back. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; #-. (Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014;-., (! Ĺ&#x2014;()#- -Ĺ&#x2014; ,)'Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014; engine, and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the seller distract you by talking or turning up the radio. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; ,#0 Ĺ&#x2014; )(Ĺ&#x2014; -Ĺ&#x2014; ' (3Ĺ&#x2014; #ĂŽ , (.Ĺ&#x2014; ,) Ĺ&#x2014; surfaces as possible. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; - Ĺ&#x2014; &&Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; ! ,-Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ( Ĺ&#x2014; " %Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; gear change is slick and smooth. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; % Ĺ&#x2014;-/, Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014; &/. "Ĺ&#x2014;* &Ĺ&#x2014;Ä&#x2019; #. -Ä&#x201C;Ĺ&#x2014; between the top and middle of the pedalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s travel. Negotiate and Renegotiate The price is the price, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often leeway for bargaining. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; % Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; &#-.Ĺ&#x2014; ) Ĺ&#x2014; (3Ĺ&#x2014; /&.-Ĺ&#x2014; 3)/Ĺ&#x2014; Ă°( Ĺ&#x2014; with the car, or any work that might need getting done with, and calculate how much this could add to the price. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; ,)'Ĺ&#x2014; ."#-Ĺ&#x2014; *)-#.#)(Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ( !).# . Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; price with the seller. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; -%Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014;- && ,Ĺ&#x2014;1" .Ĺ&#x2014;." #,Ĺ&#x2014; -.Ĺ&#x2014;*,# Ĺ&#x2014; is, make a lower offer and then say nothing. They can only turn you down, accept your offer, or name another price closer to yours. Seal the Deal Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; % Ĺ&#x2014;-/, Ĺ&#x2014; &&Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014;* * ,1),%Ĺ&#x2014;#-Ĺ&#x2014;#(Ĺ&#x2014; order, and that you have original versions (never photocopies) of everything: registration papers, service history and logbook. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014;3)/Ä&#x201C;, Ĺ&#x2014;' %#(!Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014;* 3' (.Ĺ&#x2014;),Ĺ&#x2014; 0 (Ĺ&#x2014; just a deposit, get a receipt and make sure the sellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full details are on it. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;Never give or send money to the seller without seeing the car, or without getting a receipt with all ." Ĺ&#x2014; . #&-Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; , / Ĺ&#x2014; #-Ĺ&#x2014; +/#. Ĺ&#x2014; )'mon these days and scamsters may ask you to send money by -. ,(Ĺ&#x2014; (#)(Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; )( 3!, 'Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014; )." ,Ĺ&#x2014; ,#-%3Ĺ&#x2014; ' .") -Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; )Ĺ&#x2014; ().Ĺ&#x2014; *,)ceed until you have seen the car and dealt with the seller in person. faisal@timesofoman.com

C12

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

LIFESTYLE

BY THE NUMBERS

The Internet of Everything

The Internet of Things (IoT), also called Internet of Everything or Network of Everything, is the network of physical objects or “things” embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and connectivity to enable objects to exchange data with the production, operator and/or other connected devices. Although devices are now connected more than ever, the full potential of it has still not been realised and may take a good amount of time before we see it actually realised.

Smart Bike Valour by Vanhawks gives directions, reroutes to avoid traffic, and tracks riding metrics.

Smart Home Security Canary is a complete security system packed into a single, device. It adapts to your home over time and sends intelligent notiﬁcations with HD video directly to your smartphone.

The ‘Internet of Things’ will generate

Of value over the next decade.

There will be approximately

Extreme Networks estimates that

Things globally by the end of 2020.

Smart Slow Cooker Enjoy remote access to all your slow cooker’s functions, no matter where you are. People will have Internet access.

Smart Garbage Cans BigBelly alerts when it needs to be emptied so smarter collection decisions can be made.

Internet-Connected Mirror We are looking to bring a product to market that can make your life easier, while doing something you already spend time doing each day, looking at a mirror.

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

SECTION

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

RENT

VACANCY

CARGO

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

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR RENT

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Basement in MBD. Contact: 99713489

Furnished room for rent at Al Khuwair R.O 225/- for family only. Contact: 99251975 Pent house for rent 1 sitting, 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, 1 kitchen RO 225/-, location Al Khuwair, near DHL Courier. Contact 95620900 / 92976722

Store with an area of 121m2 in Souq Ruwi Street, Al Hamriya (suitable for building materials store or home furniture and curtains workshop). Contact: 99434499

3Bedrooms Flat in Al Hail 92817777

2BHK ﬂat available near medical / Darsait. Contact 24705742

Room with A.C Al Khuwair R.O 120/. Contact: 97799175 1000 sq mtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse etc. Contact: 24700120 / 92584715 3BHK well maintained ﬂat (villa type) G. ﬂoor split A/C separate entrance, parking, and compound available in Al Khuwair behind Sagar Polyclinic Way no. 3922, Block 239, Villa No. 1839. Contact: 99253125 House for rent in Sidab 8 rooms, 6 toilets RO 550/-. Contact: 96606679 / 99856551 Flat for rent near Al Nahdha Hospital in Hamriya. Contact: 97380548 / 99680499 4 bedroom villa with 3 maid room, big compound & parking area. Ideal for kindergarten or expat tenants residency. Contact:24566217 / 24564686 Office & retail space available Alasfoor Plaza, Qurum. Contact: 24566217 / 24564686

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair 33, 8 bedrooms & 5 bathrooms with parking area near Taimur Mosque. Contact: 99366624 Flat and show room for rent Al Khuwair 33, Al Ghubrah, Darsait and Jibroo. Contact: 24485240 / 24485241 / 93651633 / 92109563 Room for rent. Contact Farahat 98020768, Hilal: 96541263 Flat for rent penthouse Al Amerat Al Mahaj. Contact: 92738298 1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco. OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has Electricity and boundary wall. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 1 & two bedroom ﬂats available for rent in wadi-kabir (opp: pencil bldg), ideal for company staff / families bulk corporate deal possible. Contact 97677170 Bath attached room for rent Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

AFFORDABLE QUALIFIED STAFF AVAILABLE: EŽ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ ƐĐƌƵƟŶŝǌĞ ƐƚĂī ĂŵŽŶŐ ƚŚŽƵƐĂŶĚƐ͍ EĞĞĚ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ƐƚĂī Ăƚ ĂŶ ĂƌƌĂŶŐĞŵĞŶƚ͍ tĞ ĂƌĞ Ă ŵĂŶƉŽǁĞƌ ĂŐĞŶĐǇ ǁŚŽ ŚĞĂĚͲŚƵŶƚ ƚŚĞ ƐƚĂī ĨƌŽŵ ĂŶǇ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ͊ tĞ ƐĐƌĞĞŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ ƐĞǀĞƌĂůůǇ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ ǇŽƵ ŐĞƚ ŽŶůǇ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ŝƐĐŽǀĞƌ ǁŚǇ ƚŽƉ ĞŵƉůŽǇĞƌƐ ƉƌĞĨĞƌ ƵƐ ĨŽƌ ƐƚĂĸŶŐ͊

Hurry and call this number now!

95967902

UNIVERSAL SCRAP BUYERS AT AMAZING PRICES Convert ANY type of Scrap into Money by selling us the scrap Great prices are guaranteed for our clients! Call this number now for urgent response -

96059470 *Kindly note that the scrap should be 50 tons onwards

CLASSY, CREATIVE AND AFFORDABLE INTERIOR DESIGN 'Ğƚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵŝǌĞĚ͕ &ŝƫŶŐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ŝŶƚĞƌŝŽƌ ĚĞƐŝŐŶƐ ŵĂĚĞ ĨƌŽŵ ƐĐƌĂƚĐŚ͘ Our professionals give YOU: ͻ ƵƚŽ ĂĚ >ĂǇŽƵƚ ͻ D W ƌĂǁŝŶŐƐ ͻ Ϯ ĂŶĚ ϯ ĚƌĂǁŝŶŐ ͻ /ŶŶŽǀĂƟǀĞ ŽŶĐĞƉƚ ĞƐŝŐŶ Hurry now and call this number

91494149 ĨŽƌ ĂŶ ĞǆĐůƵƐŝǀĞ ůŝŵŝƚĞĚͲƟŵĞ ŽīĞƌ ĚŝƐĐŽƵŶƚ͊͊͊

FOR RENT

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE Villa for rent: 6 bed rooms, 1 sitting room, 2 halls, 1 kitchen and 1 pantry. Al Mawaleh South phase 3 close to Al Sahwah roundabout, first line behind Amwag perfume factory. Contact - 99360366 Flats for rent near Indian School in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99777122 Shops for rent in Wadi Kabeer. Contact: 99888390 Luxury 4 BHK flat in Al Wattaya with split A/C and private parking. RO.475/- Contact – 93191111 Commercial 20 BHK twin open villa in Al Mawalah Mazoon street RO.2000/- Contact – 93191111 1BHK flat with split A/C in Wadi Adai RO.200/- Contact – 93191111 3 BHK flat with split A/C in Wadi Adai RO.200/- Contact – 93191111 Brand new 6 BHK villa in Al Aziba with split A/C and lift RO.1200/Contact – 93191111 Brand new showroom of 595 SQM in BowsherRO.5 each sqm. Contact – 93191111

SELL/BUY Looking for purchase of a residential building with minimum 25 unoccupied ﬂats in Ghala, Bousher, Azaiba, Ghubrah. #99261522 Used furniture & Electronic items, office & house. Contact: 99834373 /96642500

AVAILABLE Party & Wedding equipment rentals. Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chaﬁng Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. ww.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

FOR SALE Shop for sale in Al Khoudh. Contact: 92820541 Restaurant for sale in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99425461 Beauty salon in Ghubrah for sale Contact: 94689448 Sales tyre shop. Contact 97964518 Aluminium workshop at Wadi Kabir with all machineries and 3 skilled workers. Contact: 99536206 / 99605915 Used Fabrication machinery for sale : Fabrication machinery and tools in excellent condition for immediate sale. Contact 94652485/ 99273774/ 99202278

ACC. AVAILABLE Single room, bath Darsait R.O 140/-. Contact: 93289652

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished room available in Ruwi. Contact: 92435784

FOR EXPATS From owner plot of land near Zanzibar, airport price RO 15000. Contact 99348943

Independent rooms in Qurum / Al Hail. Contact 95529970 Fully furnished room with attached bath and sharing kitchen, living & dining with all other facilities in Ghala - RO-160/Contact 99763306 Single bedroom flat at Ruwi, Al Falaj area. Contact: 95698714 Separate room with A/c, Small Fridge and Bed, for non-cooking Asian bachelor, behind Shell filling station, Ghoubra round about. Contact: 94263390 Sharing accommodation in CBD area for non cooking Executive bachelors, wifi free, advance deposit. Contact 91852710

MATRIMONIAL A 28yrs Keralite Muslim good looking boy working in Oman from a decent family, looking for alliance from similar background. Contact: 99230928 Seeking alliance for our son from Muslim families. Interested families Contact: 99889590

LOST Mohammed Sulaiman has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. BB 0856062. Finder please handover to ROP

Used vehicle Mercedes Benz car E- 230, Model : 2009, KM run : 187,500 good running condition. Vehicle is available for inspection in NTS camp at Ghala. Interested parties may contact on 99259157. Sealed offer should be submitted on or before 13th September 2015 with security deposit.

NRI

Used cars saloon cars, SUV 4WD and Pickups for sale on as is where is basis. Vehicles are available for inspection in NTS camp at Ghala. Interested parties may contact on 99259157 / 93891398. Sealed offers with vehicle wise quote should be submitted on or before 13th September 2015 with security deposit.

NOTICE Jenah Al Naser Al Dhaabi for Trad ASSO company which is recorded under the commercial register number 1040887 in the treading & industry Al Batinah is going to change its legaly shape from ASSO company to Joint company And in accordance with Article 13 of the Commercial Companies Law No. 4/74 . And change name to Jenah Al Naser Al Dhaabi for construction joint company. This is to inform any body who concerns about that to 2 months from the date publishing this advertising

LOST Jitin Daswani has lost Indian Passport No. H 3444233. Finder please handover to ROP

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Fresher looking for a career opportunity B.Com good physique, quick learner English speaking. Contact: 93368464

Indian 24 years MBA ﬁnance 2 years experience seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98222753 Email - shemeejup@gmail.com

5 years experience Accountant looking for suitable position having driving license presently working in Muscat also having NOC. 96893893641

12 yrs of Oman experienced Chief Accountant looking for immediate placement. Contact 99513082 Email: devan801@gmail.com

Finance Manager 22 years Oman experience and NOC. Contact: 91302906 / 91335205

Accounts ﬁnance Indian male 35 yrs B.Com, M.B.A tally exp 9.7 yrs exp 1.5 yr Oman family visa N.O.C available. Contact : 93257426. Email: sibigeorgep@gmail.com

MBA Graduate 24 years Indian male, 1 year experience Accountant seeking suitable job. Contact: 94083260 Email: jithinnambiar777@gmail.com Accountant Indian male B.Com 2 years experience currently on visiting visa seeks suitable placement. Contact : 94649272, Email: sherin.am01@gmail.com Indian CA 10yrs of Oman experience in treasury, financial reporting, consolidation, ERP implementation in Trading, construction, Oil & Gas sectors. NOC available. Email: caramdas.s5@gmail.com GSM: 91310237 Male 29 yrs, 5+ experience, 4 yrs in HME (Office Assistant) 1 yr experience in accounts & marketing seeking for suitable position.# 96505486 Pakistani Qualification M.Com (finance) experience 2 years as Internal Auditor, 3 years as Finance Manager. Contact: 00968- 91490367 Part time Accountant, up to finalization, looking for job after 5pm (location prefer - MSQ to Al Hail). Contact: 95694737

ACCOUNTANT Wanted an experienced Accountant. Forward your CV to lawﬁrmfm@gmail.com Urgently required for leading Company : Accountant between 5 to 10 yrs experience, Accountant (Petrol Station) between 3 to 5 yrs experiences. Fax: 24478522, Email : gh1.careers@gmail.com

BEAUTY Required Beautician for a beauty salon in Muscat (visa available). Contact: 97605308

Chinese/ Arab/ continental cook & helper wanted. Contact 95529970

DRIVER

Need Heavy Drivers with valid GCC D/L.Contact.92252507 Email:- hamood@omankmtc.com

Required Marketing Manager for educational programs. Contact: 99674870

Heavy Duty Driver with license & NOC. Contact: 95959494 or E-mail: jobdsint@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

REQUIRED URGENTLY Heavy Driver & Light Driver, Omani National. Contact -99752720. Email : cvoman5@gmail.com, Fax : 24703313 Looking for an experienced house driver for an Omani family. Interested candidates may Contact: 96203333 Light vehicle driver. Contact: 99347515

A new Multi-Purpose hall at Sohar city is urgently looking for an Event Manager. Pls send your CV to oec.oman@gmail.com A Pest control supervisor required urgently /Call 92660005

MEDICAL Required Dentist, Endodontist, Orthodontist with MOH license. Contact 99010755 for dental Centre in Muscat Khuwair Email: akdmuscat@hotmail.com

EDUCATION Egyptian language school Muscat requires 2 English Teachers (bachelor degree in education) + 5 years experience with IELTS or Toifel) applications with supporting documents to be sent by mail to egymuscat@yahoo.com or fax 24697047 Post Graduate researcher required. Contact 99229700

ENGINEER Leading construction company requires two Civil Engineer with minimum 5 years site experience in gulf. require gulf license and NOC. Send your CV to degree.engineer2015@gmail.com A Mechanical Engineer with salesmanship experience of 5 years & above preferable with Oman drivers license and NOC. Please forward your CV to almaadhi.trd@gmail.com Require experienced Electricians for immediate appointment in Dubai. Applicants must be able to work independently. Contact: 99869002, Email: fwi2009@outlook.com

Required Nurse with MOH license for Dental Centre in Khuwair Muscat. Contact: 99010755 Email: akdmuscat@hotmail.com Immediately required lady Doctor (DGO) or GP with Gynecology experience & lab technician. #99310590 Email: tjmaluke@gmail.com Gynecologist . G.P and others needed for a reputed clinic in Al Khoudh , contact :+968 92584362 , mail CV to towershr70@gmail.com Medical CARE Centre, Multi Specialty Clinic, Seeb, requires General Practioner, Medical Lab Technician & Pharmacist. Send CV at Email : sarita_h23@yahoo.com or call 97884856

SALES / MARKETING Reputed buildings material company looking for outdoor Sales Executive having valid Omani driving license with more than 2 years local sales experience in Tiles / Sanitary ware. Fax your CV to 24798709 / email: united@omantel.net.om Sales man / interior designer wanted for prestigious interior design and office furniture Supply Company. Experience and drivers license needed. Excellent remuneration package. Email: tony@materials-plus.com Required Salesman in Salalah very good commission. Contact 92760281

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Accountant 35 years with 5 years experience in Oman urgently seeking suitable jobs accountant & Ass. Admin& HR valid D/L N.O.C. Contact: 968 99176112 /968 91818124 Email: aamirjaved24@hotmail.com

Art director / creative director/ 8 years experience with Omani license, NOC. Contact : 95136862 Email: aunmoeid@gmail.com`

ADMIN Filipino,29,Male, 5years experience: Admin/Payroll/Finance/ Document Control. Excellent Communication/MS Office skills. Contact: patrick110486@yahoo. com/95057206 Indian female 24 years BE Electronics now in Oman visiting visa searching job for any administrative sectors telecommunicating banking teaching. Contact: 95935867 / 99536948 Email: anjujose011@gmial.com Filipina, 10 yrs experience in Fashion Retail, Shipment, Logistics, Inventory, Warehouse Control and Store Management is seeking employment. Call +971565833126 or 97728418.

Part Time Accounting, Accounts Finalization, Audit Preparation, Internal Audit, Monthly Proﬁtability Reports, Onsite Tally Training, Contact : 96975454, Email :ibfc.gcc@gmail.com

Indian male MBA 33 yrs having 10 yrs exp seeking suitable placement in Administration / HR/ Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics etc. Holding valid D/L. Contact - 99054786

Part time Accounting qualiﬁed & experienced Accountant. Contact: 93858725

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

Accountant with more than 6 years experience in SAOG company looking for middle management position. Strong English/Arabic correspondence. Valid DL. NOC available. Contact 91116924

Indian Female MBA, 3 Year Experience in Admin MIS , Family Visa. Contact 98234427, jkjsmith01@gmail.com

Jordanian Accountant (ACPA) with more than 15 yrs experience in Oman (Accounts, Purchase & ﬁnance. Contact: 92881223 Email: kamal_sarhan@yahoo.com

DOMESTIC HELPER

ART DIRECTOR

Indian male MBA finance & pursuing CMA having 2.6 years experience in Auditing & accounts field looking for a job in Muscat. Contact 92640613, Email: shabeersha797@gmail.com 13 years exp (7.5 years Gulf exp) B.Com Graduate, looking for Accountant job, GSM No:-92957064 , NOC Available. MBA finance having 5+ years experience in accountant with UAE D/L & NOC available. Contact : 96970930 Email: tahirabbas85@hotmail.com B.Com, CA Inter (Indian) with 5 years experience (2 years GCC) in Accounts & Audit field. Contact: 95584531/ razikthumbe@gmail.com Accountant 4 yrs experience looking for job. Contact 96182302 Email: rishad.sainudheen@gmail.com Indian female B.Tech (EEE) MBA finance with 1and half years experience as Bank Officer in India seeking suitable placement. Contact: 91358676 / 98157895 Email: sujivu88@gmail.com Indian male B.Com Graduate 24 years looking for suitable placement. Contact: 97219505

14 years of gulf experience in HR / Admin & logistics ﬂuent in Arabic / English with D/L looking for suitable position. Contact: 95824598

DESIGNER MEP design and Drafting, all kind of shop drawing preparation and detailed section drawings. Contact : Mr Sandry Menon. Contact: (+968) 98471463 / 98471463

DRIVER Vehicle with driver 12 years in Oman seeking suitable job. Contact: 92762258 Pakistani Driver (light vehicle) age 50 yrs seeking job as driver. Can speak both Arabic and English. Contact: 95435008 Bangladeshi want job, 6 years work exp. in Dubai and Oman. Contact: 93822195 20 years experience. Contact : 94795033 Pakistani male light vehicle driver looking for job. Contact: 96474528 Driver with car. Contact : 91452930 Wanted driver. Contact 95112461 Driver job wanted. Contact: 99343782 Car with driver or without cat specially Companies. Contact 97943750 / 97408900

Driver available 24, HRS, car without car. Contact: 98522914 Looking job LTV D with car. Contact: 94436276 / 97433432 Driver looking for job, 20 years experience. Contact: 94795033 Light driving with 6 years experience in Oman. Contact: 94001751 Light vehicle Driver 5 years of experience, with Oman driving license looking for a job. Contact 97319805 / 92171166 Indian light duty driver. Contact 94269229 Light Driver. Contact 95779594, Ruwi H.T. V Driver, Pakistani experience, 6 yrs, seeks work in company only. Contact 93985087 Light duty driver, 8 yrs exp. Contact: 96736744 Sri Lankan driver. Contact: 97387112

DOMESTIC HELPER Indian Housemaid looking for full time job with accommodation, 7 yrs exp with European family. Prefer European family. Contact: 92567618 Indian male having 8 years experience in Oman, working as a warehouse in charge seeking suitable placement. N.O.C available. . Contact 96184236 House maid looking for job. Contact: 99879576

DRAFTSMAN Indian Civil Draftsman looking suitable placement 5 yrs experience (Gulf). Contact: 98064097

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Jordanian Mechanical Engineer, Expertise in Manufacturing, Design, Steel Work, AutoCad, SolidWork 3D, Nesting/Plasma Cutting, Sales, Speaking, Russian & English GSM#90198575/99201710 Mechanical Engineer 22 yrs Indian male currently on permanent visa and valid Omani driving license seeking for suitable job. Contact : 91652927 / 99680181 Email: fawariz.09@gmail.com Indian Mechanical Engineer 31 yrs 8+ yrs experience in sales & BUS. DEV. having Oman driving license & NOC. Contact 97116858 Email: menonamit1984@gmail.com Pakistani Civil diploma Engineering experience 3 years in Oman building construction, 2 years in Pakistan, having driving license. Contact 96512518 Email: qaiser.abbas006@gmail.com DAE (civil) having 4.5 years experience with driving license of Oman, Seeking for suitable place in construction ﬁeld NOC and release available contact 96968554, email- mehranahmad26@yahoo.com Indian male 27 years BE Mechanical, 2 years experience in Training AutoCAD Revit MEP PDMS Softwares. Contact: 94183625 Civil Engineering Diploma 7 years experience in building construing in Oman with NOC. Contact `99512416 /96488479 D.A.E (Civil) Engineer + safety ofﬁcer course (OSHA & IOSH) for U.K need the job. Contact: 97850996 Civil Engineer, 6 yrs experience having Oman D/L, looking for a suitable position. NOC available. Contact: 93523507 / 95961336 Email: eyousuf04@yahoo.com

M.Com female good knowledge in computer and tally 4 years experience in accounts and Administration seeks suitable placement on visit visa. Contact: 96992431 / 99450130

25 years male BBA (Hons) CFAC ACCA having 3 years experience as top management operations, Accounts seeking suitable placement. Contact : 92829595 Email: saqib4u1@hotmail.com

Male, Finance Executive / Sr. Accountant with Experience in Oman having Graduate degree in Commerce looking for suitable position. Contact: 98570383 Email: hadee.rasheed@gmail.com

Young, energetic 24 yrs, ACCA ﬁnalist, Advanced diploma in Accounting and business, seeking suitable placement in accounts, ﬁnance or audit. Contact: 92430152 Email: rau_dey@yahoo.com

Accountant 7Years Experience with D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084

Indian CA with 15 yrs exp. working as Head of Finance for US MNC. NOC Available - 94047434

L.T.D driver exp, 5 years know Hindi, English, Arabic, and Education B.A. Contact 98522914

A Sri Lankan lady chartered accountant with ﬁve years experience (including article ship), on family visa in Oman looking for a suitable job. Contact: 91259845 Email: amashermila@gmail.com

Pakistani driver, 5 years ex seeks placement. Contact: 97429442

Electronics technician 20 years experience India, Saudi Arabia. Contact 91969726

Pakistani diploma civil (Eng) 24 year 1.5 years experience in Pak) 2 years in (Oman). Contact: 97138320

Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp. Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com

Light duty driver 5 years exp in Oman. Contact: 92602182 Looking for driving job driving experience more than 3 years. Contact: 97459022

Male, Finance Executive / Sr. Accountant with Experience in Oman having Graduate degree in Commerce looking for suitable position. NOC available. Contact: 98570383 Email: hadee.rasheed@gmail.com

B.Tech Electrical & Electronics with 1 year experience seeking for suitable job. Contact: 91 9497883413 Email: rakesh1.mohan@gmail.com

Driving job. Contact: 99109458 Looking for job driver with car. Contact 96493236

SALES / MARKETING Sales Executive urgently required for a well-established business of building material (tiles, kitchens, bathrooms and interiors) with selective European brands. Candidate should have industry knowledge and proven local experience, a valid D/L & NOC. Send CV to alrawahy.haﬁdh@gmail.com

DRIVER

B.Sc Civil Engineer Bangladeshi male 6 yrs exp of building construction drafting structural design valid D/L seeking suitable position. Contact :91220753, Email: engr_jashim21@yahoo.com

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED Chartered CIPD HR, MBA having 5+ years of experience in Oman and 7 years in GCC looking for job opportunities. Call 97728418

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian male 24, Diploma in Civil Engineering 2 years experience as Site Engineer on visit visa. Contact 98023153 Civil Engineer (Diploma) with 7 + 5 years Oman experience in Interior QS AutoCAD & Construction with Oman D/L NOC available. Contact: 98085006 Shaiju K.S (30) M diploma in Mechanical Engineering (DME) work experience: 7 years, 9 months as a tool designer and in tool room (India) Hyderabad , on three months visit visa. Contact: 92945232 HSE Engineer, NEBOSH IGC and IOSH certiﬁed with 2 years industry and Oil & Gas experience looking for urgent placement. Contact 91476537. Indian diploma Civil Eng, 2 yrs exp. Infrastructures project (4G – Towers, substation) landscaping & Auto CAD. Contact: 94756183 Email: indianexpat1@gmail.com Over 22 years of comprehensive experience in overall construction execution& management qualiﬁcation. BE (Civil). Contact : +968 91816590 Building Construction Supervisor looking for small Omani co. to handle independently or suitable placement with Omani D/L. Contact: 93061107 Civil Engineering Diploma, Site coordinator now preset in Oman, seeking job in Oman. Contact : 92887561 Email: jubincivileng@gmail.com Mech. Engg Indian male having 1 year exp looking for suitable job. Contact : 92835957 Indian 22 years male, Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech has done internships, born and brought up in Oman with Omani driving license, seeking suitable jobs. Contact: 92791637 Email: ashwinsureshkotturethu@gmail.com Indian male, 23 years Electrical & Electronics Engineer having 1 year experience in Google company need suitable placement. Contact: 91118694, Email: sharath2909@gmail.com Indian mechanical Engineer 31 yrs, 8+ experience in sales & BD including GCC, having Oman driving license & NOC. Contact: 97116858 Email: menonamit1984@gmail.com C-SWIP 3.1 ASNT level 2 QC Mech. Engr 5+ yrs exp Indian male 26 seeks placement. Contact : 91823331 Email: kannasekhar46@gmail.com Indian male 27 yrs BE mechanical & W/diploma in automobiles 2 yrs teaching experience in designing (AutoCAD) seeking suitable position. Contact: 94183625 Indian male 29 yrs old B.E electronic & Communication Engg (5 yrs experience in Oman) with valid D/L. Contact : 96652145 MSC Electronics Female, 24 years, 1 year experience in MR Scan Testing on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 91111675 28 years male diploma in Civil Engineer 6 years experience in Oman valid Omani driving license seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98666735 /90289111 Email: engrjahedbd@yahoo.com Civil Engineer Pakistani 12 +2 years Oman experience D/L seeks placement. Contact: 94392616 Indian male BE Mechanical currently on 2 yrs free visa with NOC & local release. Looking for suitable job in Muscat. Contact – 90296975 / ali.syedausaf@gmail.com 25 years experience in Civil Engineering looking for job at consultancy from for suitable position. Contact : 97803710 Young BA looking for a job as Secretary / document controller, typewriting 40 W.PM shorthand also available. NOC from the present co. available. Contact: 93085851 Indian male, Supervisor Electrician Diploma 8 yrs in Oman. NOC available. Contact 95057068, jratheesh@yahoo.com Mechanical Engineer 23 having knowledge in HVAC looking for suitable vacancy. Contact: 95434381 Email: shuhaibuman313@gmail.com Indian male Mechanical Engineer having 2+ years experience in releniery piping + equipment seeking suitable position. Contact: 94768977

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Civil Engineer with 6 yrs experience in can satiny ﬁrms structural design and supervision also worked as materials engineer. Contact: 96086214

IT Engineer, 6 yrs exp in software projects & development (Java, PL/ SQL Unix) on visit visa. Contact: 99487493

Indian male Civil Engineer with Engineer with 2 years experience in Building project is available currently on visit visa. Contact: 92841583

Indian male, a Jetking certiﬁed hardware and networking professional seeking job, with hardware & networking, troubleshooting skills. Contact: 99637296 Email: abdulsalamkola@yahoo.com

Indain male, 23 yrs, B.E in Mechanical post Graduation Diploma in piping Engineering, seeking job in relevant field.Contact : 94786570 Email: asim.hajwani6@gmail.com Tunisian Civil Eng, Graduated flam the University of Tunisia past experience supervised several projected in the Island of djerha in the capital Tunis I have good experience with consulting engineer and contractor now in Muscat. Contact: 94745527 Email: khereddianeb@gmail.com Civil Engineer diploma holder having a 4 years experience seeking a suitable replacement. Contact: 98782698 Email: engr.rabiul007@gmail.com Instrumentation Engineer, nearly 4 yrs experience in oil & gas industry, seeks job in Oman. Contact 90198210, Email : terinsam@gmail.com Indian male 25MBA having 4years Gulf experience in Coordination with contracting company .NOC Available. Looking for(Store,Coordination,Admin Backoffice) Jobs Ph:95405885 Mechanical and manufacturing Engineer , age 26 yrs masters ( Singapore) having 2 years Oman work experience with valid Oman driving license on visit visa available immediately. Contact: 95498953 B.Tech Mechanical Engineer with 2 years experience in HV AC and plumbing - nikhilchandpm@gmail. com ; GSM: 97654489 MEP foreman looking for a suitable position. Contact: 99526958 Indian BE (MECH) aviation BE degree diploma in material quality management 17 years Navy aviation 13 years construction purchase stores professional on visit. Contact: 90205082 /98796982 Civil Engg, B.Tech fresher Indian male currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement. Contact 91702450 Email: tijoct2015@hotmail.com Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 Engineer with 3 yrs experience in Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical maintained field on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 99191535 Email: fareed029@gmail.com SUPERVISOR: Indian male site supervisor (AIR CONDITIONING) 25 years of experience with valid Oman Driving license, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 97498809, 93391910 Email: hilariankj@gmail.com Electrical Engineer, Indian male, 29 yrs having 5 yrs of experience in industrial automation & utility maintenance in India (MRF yres) seeks suitable placement. Contact 92789995, Email : akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Btech computer science graduate 2015 passout.. Android application marketing.. Having good communication skills and mindset to work in a team. Contact 91024385 Civil Engineer Indian male 10 yrs exp having Omani D/L looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94194399 (shiblyrock@gmail.com) Electrical and Electronics Engineer with one year experience and GCC licence holder seeking a job mail – shyjalpk@gmail.com Civil Engineer (diploma) 3.5 yrs exp, seeking for placement. Contact: 95200650

IT 28 M, Indian, have done master degree in computer application, 2 years exp in Oman, looking suitable placement. Contact: 93295112 Email: syedsadathali.mca@gmail.com

Indian male 34 yrs M.Tech Industrial biotechnology having teaching experience seeking for job. M. Ramkumar. Contact : 96674521, 0091-9940586051 Email: rmkumar28@gmail.com Network System Engineer switches, Routers, Servers, load balancers, CCTV 5 years of exp holds B.E (ECE) CCNA looking for good opportunity Indian visit visa. Contact 91911792 Email: arafakdnl@gamil.com Tunisian Master degree in Computer Science, with experience in creating websites in development looking for a job in the Sultanate of Oman currently in Muscat. Contact: 94745546 Email: safouane.gouja@gmail.com BE, ECE Mumbai university skills in C, C++, windows, linux, controller and processor RTOS, Electronics, Networking, 6 months experience in embedded software seeks placement. Contact : 917774864736 Email: sadatbtisekar@gmail.com SAP BW Analyst : Indian male, 26 yrs, B.Tech (CS & E) from ASET, New Delhi, worked as a Business Analyst in Software Industry. Contact 98008127 / 92878708, vaisakh.bhaskar@gmail.com IT Engineer, 6 yrs exp in software projects & development (OCJA) on visit visa. Contact: 99487493

MEDICAL Lecturer in nursing(MSc) specialized in OBG, 3 years experience, on visit visa, seeking teaching opportunities Contact:90125347 Lecturer in Nursing (MSc) specialized in OBG, 3 years experience, on visit visa, seeking teaching opportunities/ nursing educator. Contact: 90125347 Indian male, Audiologist and Speech language pathologist, 5 years experience looking for job. Contact: 98490687, 9597597067 mail- kesavan.sundar7@gmail.com Indian female BSc Nurse with 4 years experience with Oman prometric 64% looking for suitable placement in capital area. # 95847286 Dental Surgeon with 3 years experience (Indian male) on visit visa. Contact: 95154648 Indian male, MSc, MPhil, BEd Chemistry,2 Yrs Teaching experience and having experience in lab analyst, currently on visit visa, seeks suitable post. Contact 90208673 ENT surgeon board degree & prometric exam looking for a job in private hospitals & medical complexes. Contact: 91347226 OB/ Gynecologist board degree & prometric exam looking for a job in private hospitals & medical complexes. Contact: 91347226

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Indian BE, BA diploma quality material management 13 years experience procurement, stores, inventory warehousing manager construction industry on visit. Contact 90287850 22 years B.Com Graduate having experience in trading of car accessories and also with valid GCC driving license looking for a suitable job. Contact 98504698 Facility / Project Management 5 yrs of exp holds BE (ECE) MBA, Indian on visit visa looking for suitable openings. Contact : 98580569 Email: arafacareer@gmail.com Supervisor / Forman interior / electrical with Oman driving license. Contact: 98767559

Store Supervisor or Site Supervisor . Indian male 30 years age. Looking for suitable placement in any reputed company. Having 5 years of gulf experience with good communication skills. Willing to work in any GCC country. # 97756269 , Email: razzakbmt@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Supervisor fabrication. 30 years experienced in oil and gas industry with thorough knowledge of PDO procedures. contact 99365694, 92362946, 99208102 email: tapasroy21@yahoo. com

MISCELLANEOUS Management Professional accountable, responsible for proﬁtable management can handle the entire operations, HR/Recruitment, Business development & Sales & marketing & etc, Great organizational skills with over 23+yrs exp. in Bombay, Saudi Arabia, Dubai-UAE & Oman(11yrs) as General Manager - Publications, Printing,Media. open to any industry, can Join immediately w/NOC. Contact : +968 98864706/99574638 Mail : akdas_uae@yahoo.com

PROJECTS Indian male, with 8 yrs exp. in Oman (BA- Graduate) working as a project Sales Coordinator, with Oman D/L, looking for suitable job, ready to join immediately with NOC, open for Sales & Marketing also. Contact 95245057

SKILLED/ UNSKILLED Building construction supervisor looking for small Omani company to handle independently or suitable placement in good company with Oman D/L. Contact 93061107

SECRETARIAL / OFFICE Indian Male more than 15 years gulf experience in Office / Sales Coordinator, Admin, Secretarial and purchase with good computer skills. Having Driving license and NOC available, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95149624

SALES / MARKETING Indian male, having 14 yrs of exp. in Business Development/ Marketing with Omani D/L seeks business development / Marketing Manager post. Contact 968 93400177 Indian male B.Com, MBA having 2 years experience in Marketing and Advertising on visit visa looking for suitable openings. # 96559835 Email: rintomatam@gmail.com 10 yrs ﬁnancial products sales & marketing experienced 5 years in banking Indian male 32 yrs on visit visa looking for suitable position. Contact : 92882053 MBA 15 years experience in Sales & Marketing in telecom, FMCG, presently in India C/O Saif Kazi. Contact : 99625957 Email Id: a_kazi123@yahoo.co.in Indian male, experience Sales Executive with D/L seeks suitable placement. Contact: 97853426 MBA graduate having 6 years exp in Sales & Marketing, presently working in PEPSI, India seeks suitable placement in Oman. Cont : + 91 9895388937, Email : samir.pag@gmail.com Indian male 25 yrs BBM Graduate 3 yrs of experience Sales / Marketing in Oman looking in suitable placement. Contact : 93185316 Email: karsh794@gmail.com Indian 41 years, 2 years Dubai experience Sales of banking insurance products looking for suitable job. Contact: 96564721 Have the previous experience in building material sales ﬁeld and also experience as store keeper, with release paper & visa valid upto 19/09/15. Contact: 96451129 / 95563071 Indian male 32 years MBA (Marketing) with 7 years experience in Oman and having driving license seeks suitable placement. NOC available. Contact: 95902458 Sales and marketing - male 27 yrs, 2 years experience seeking suitable placement with Oman D/L. Contact: 95642740 Email: shaijichakkara@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Senior Sales Engineer 4 years experience in Oman with D/L, Sales electrical products PDO OXY supply liaison with MEP contractors and consultants NOC available. Contact: 0091 9895799737 Email: thomasjmuscat@gmail.com Contact : 99447853 Nine years UAE experienced Graduate Indian male with valid UAE/ GCC, D/L on visit seeks sales / admin position. Contact: 98826959 Business intelligence / Global Marketing management specialist with 9 years of experience developing brand value & managing overall projects to achieve business objectives seeking suitable position on family visit. Contact: 91902154 PGDM in Marketing & ﬁnance and specialization in SCM in Belgium University, 14 months experience in cooperative relations looking for suitable job. Contact: 92050773 Indian male, 2 yrs exp. in Sales with D/L seeks suitable placement. Contact 92055093 Indian male Graduate with 2 yrs exp in sales advertising, presently on visiting visa looking for suitable opening. Contact: 95462921

TOURS & TRAVELS Five years experience in Travel ﬁeld ,BCom., IATA & pursuing MBA, Presently working in the Travel Desk of (ITC managed) Five Star Hotel in India, looking for a suitable position in the Middleeast. pls contact 9470 5767 11 yrs experience in travel ﬁeld B.Com, IATA, MCSE working for Qatar Airways, Sales reservation ticketing driving license & NOC available. Contact 92954613

MISCELLANEOUS 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 Indian male having 14years of experience in HR, Purchase Dept, having Oman driving license looking for a suitable position at Salalah. Noc available. Mail: Madhuvtk@ gmail.com, Contact : 91182907 SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Indian male 55 years. 30 Years experience, presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant last 10 years. NOC available, seek suitable opportunity. GSM 99685800. Email:- sanatoman@gmail.com Indian Male, 29, 9 years exp in Sales in Oman (Buraimi) with valid D/L looking for suitable placements, NOC available .Ph: 9360 1947 Female, BE(hons) Systems Administration, 2 years teaching experience. Seeking suitable placement in Higher Education/Training industry. Email: sadia_fatima@hotmail.com Contact:96447091 Indian male B.Eng. in IT,CCNA, MCSA,MCSE, 2yrs + exp. in IT support, networking and server support valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532 Store Supervisor or Site Supervisor, Indian male 30 years, looking for suitable placement in any reputed company. Having 5 years of gulf experience with good communication skills. Willing to work in any GCC country. Contact: 00968 97756269, Email: razzakbmt@gmail.com Indian female, 25yrs Bsc nursing with MHA (Master of Hospital Administration) looking for a suitable placement. Currently on visit visa valid up to 25 November 2015. Contact: 9951 3267, email: alinaelshaddai@gmail.com

32 years Indian Male MSC, MBAHR having 7+yr Exp(HR and SAP operations) with Oman valid driving license, seeking suitable opening in Human Resource & Admin/backend jobs.Contact: 00968-99322978 Iranian male. ME Civil- structural Engineer, 8 Years Structural engineer experience, Looking for Structural Designer, supervisor or site engineer Position. Contact: 93696929 Email: mhsaz1359@gmail.com Land Surveyor experience 6 years in landscape , construction and roads for contact : 0096895244840, 0096899703488, e-mail: eng.amr_salama@yahoo.com Indian male 27, looking for suitable placement in Piping Design & Engineering.Having 7 years of experience in AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS (11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact : 97351786 / 96143708/ 97357143 ACCA Affiliate, Oxford Brookes Bsc, 2.5 years experience in audit, ﬁnance in Big 6 and oil industry, NOC release available. a.saran891@gmail. com, 95140445 B.com .5 yrs exp. of oman Looking for an Accounts job work, preferred to do from home. Well versed with TALLY Accounting software. Contact 95482970 Pakistan Male: 24 years, M.Com Finance having 2.5 year experience as a accountant & marketing executive looking for suitable placement. Contact: 97670816, e.mail: naeem.ahsan68@gmail.com Indian looking for a part time accounting or Internal Auditing job, contact 99196621. Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in IT Trainer, looking for a better position in Oman, already working in Prestigious Construction Company. Contact:- 95983711. Join.mtmali@gmail.com Civil Engineer Indian 20 years experience (1 year in Oman) in management and construction seeks suitable placement. Contact: 91718976 , email : mdnaveed71@gmail.com Male, 32 years M.A. English M.Sc Psychology and B.Ed in English having 4 years experience in teaching present company is ready to issue release letter. Contact : 99869535 Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in Computer Teacher, looking for a better position in Oman, already working in Prestigious Construction Company. Contact:- 95983711, join.mtmali@gmail.com Light duty driver, 23yrs. Can speak Arabic, Hindi, Bangla and understand English. Release available. Ph.92854775 / 93487450 ME Civil- structural Engineer, 8 Years Structural engineer experience, Looking for Structural Designer, supervisor or site engineer Position. Iranian male, Contact: 93696929 Email: mhsaz1359@gmail.com ACCOUNTANT, Male, 8 years experience, presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with Oman Driving license. NOC available, seeks suitable opportunity. GSM: 98184170 Civil Engineer Indian 20 years experience (1 year in Oman) in management and construction seeks suitable placement. Contact: 91718976 Male, 32 years M.A. English M.SC psychology and B.Ed in English having 4 years experiences in teaching present company is ready to issue release letter. Contact : 99869535 Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com Filipino (Male), 33 yrs/old, 9 yrs. experience in marine transportation (seaman/deck crew), & 3 yrs. in sales (electronic devices) currently on visit visa & looking for a suitable employment. GSM: 94750459 Indian male, 14 yrs Experience in Maintenance & Supervisor in hotel ﬁeld ( Electrical . Ac Mechanical & Plumber) N O C available Contact 95253640 email-hareeshma24@yahoo.com

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SIT.WANTED Senior Accountant Indian male Graduate CA Articleship completed 18 years of experience currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement contact.97498809,93391910 Email.hilariankj@gmail.com Electrical Maintenance Engineer, 29, Indian Male, having 7+ years exp. in reputed companies. Seeking suitable placement in Oman. Contact - 98440637. Mail ID : venkatbadri23@gmail.com Indian male 22 years, Looking for suitable placement in Hardware and Networking ﬁeld, 1 year exp. in india an have done training in al ameen computers. With good communication skill, Qualiﬁcation is Diploma in Electronics and Communication. Contact : - 95632209,95068075, Email- fairozhuded13@gmail.com Sudanese 29 male (Bsc computer science, diploma computer engineering), 6 yrs. experience , dba oracle pl-sql , ms sql-server ,ms visual studio vba, network, Omani Driver licence language English, Arabic. Email:chastity643@gmail. com, Mob:91415886

Accounts Head/Manager looking for job with Gulf Experience (NOC available). Contact : 94164650. email: msaleem.kr@gmail.com Sales Representative or Purchase officer. Indian male 31 years, looking for suitable placement in construction industries and oilﬁeld industries. Having 7 years of gulf experience in fasteners and building material. Having a valid driving license. Contact: 00968 92480985, Email: fayubeig@gmail.com Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in Accounts, IT & Administration, looking for a better position in Oman, already working in Prestigious Construction Company. # 95983711. Join.mtmali@gmail.com Male available for a part time accounting & admin job, Contact:99196621. Babar Ali Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in Accounts, IT & Administration, looking for a better position in Oman, No need of Visa, already working in of the Omani Construction Company. Contact:- 95983711.

Having 9+ years exp. in Admin & HR in reputed companies. Presently working in Muscat and seeking for suitable placement. Contact No.: 97693456. email : muralimahdav77@gmail.com

Indian male MBA ﬁnance and marketing. Having 2 year experienced in accounting, looking for suitable job opportunities. Available on visit can join immediately. Cont: 94676974 Email: anfalruk@gmail.com

Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in Accounts, IT & Administration, looking for a better position in Oman, already working in Prestigious Construction Company. Contact:95983711.Join.mtmali@gmail.com

SALES MANAGER (MECHANICAL ENGINEER)-Over 5 yrs in Oman, with experience in Industrial Products & Services with Noc & driving license looking for the challenging opportunities. Notice period Ends on 27th August -2015 . GSM - 95291830

Indian male 24 years,B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic) having 2 years working experience as an Electrical site Engineer, currently on visit visa. Seeking suitable placement. Contact no. 98045482, Email: mastanshaik1008@gmail.com Indian male 23 years, B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic) having 4 years working experience as an Electrical site Engineer, currently on visit visa. Seeking suitable placement. Contact no. 98045482 Email: mastanshaik1008@gmail.com 29 years femaile (MBA-Finance) with 4 + years experience (India & Oman) in administration & teaching seeking suitable placement in an established organization. Contact- 96371655. Male, 32, having 7 years experience in New Car sales and rental. Currently working for one of the most reputed Brand in India is seeking a suitable change. Contact +91 9045232273 Looking for managerial post (full time ) ,More than Ten years of experience in Team Development ,Training ,Planing, Administration, Sales & Marketing, Advertisement and Credit Control and Logistics. Contact 91076608 /+919048648108 NOC available Sales Representative or Purchase officer. Indian male 31 years, Looking for suitable placement in CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES and OILFIELD INDUSTRIES. Having 7 years of gulf experience in FASTENERS and BUILDING MATERIAL. Having a valid D/L. Contact: 00968 92480985, Email: fayubeig@gmail.com Indian Male, 28, B.Com, 6+ yrs exp in Accounts, 2 yrs in Oman with Valid Oman D/L, NOC available. Contact 9719 4864 BRANCH-HEAD, MBA-BBA, Indian Male having experience in UAE, India, Oman total 5 years (including MNC), looking for similar or same openings. NOC available. mobile: 92700670, email:catanalur131@gmail.com

ACCOUNTANT, Male, 8 years experience .Presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with Oman Driving license. NOC available seeks suitable opportunity. GSM: 98184170 Housemaid looking for job. Cont : 95587492 Indian Female Lawyer having 11 yrs experience presently working in Oman seeks placement in Legal/HR/ Admin etc. NOC available Contact-94436960 Email: famidakhan123@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer : Indian , male 23 years, 2 years experience, on visit visa . Seeking suitable placement. Contact : +968 91409712 , Email : nibin.nani@gmail.com INDIAN MALE 23 YEARS,B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic) having 4 years working experience as an Electrical site Engineer, currently on visit visa. Seeking suitable placement. Contact no. 98045482 21 years, B. Com, graduate male ‘fresher’ well versed in English, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam with Driving license looking for a suitable job. Contact: 96799287 Filipino (male), 37 yrs. old, having 8yrs. experience in Operation (Shipping & Logistics) currently on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 97121525 24 years, ACCA affiliate, 2.5 years of experience in audit, ﬁnance in Big6 and oil industry, looking for suitable placement, NOC release available. Contact 95140445, Email: a.saran891@gmail.com INDIAN MALE 24 YEARS, B. Tech (Electrical & Electronic).Having 2 years experience as Electrical Site Engineer in Constructions. Done IOSH & NEBOSH- IGC certiﬁcations. Seeking for suitable placement in constructions or in any related industries. Contact no: 98045482/ mastanshaik1008@gmail.com

Indian male, 29 yrs, B.Tech Electronics & Communication Eng. + diploma in SAP, 7 years professional experience, looking for a job in Oman / other GCC countries. Contact: 0091 973 928 5790, Email: rahul.rn198@gmail.com Indian Male, 28, B.Com, 6+ yrs exp in Accounts, 2 yrs in Oman with Valid Oman D/L, NOC available. Contact: 9719 4864 AutoCad Civil Draftsman – Having 3 years- experience, looking for a placement.(Full- time or Part time) 99627427 / 96154564. Indian male MBA finance and marketing having 2 year experienced in accounting. Having good knowledge in Tally ERP and advanced excel. Looking for suitable job opportunities. Available on visit visa can join immediately. Contact:94676974, Email : anfalruk@gmail.com Indian Male, 37 Years , B Tech Graduate Electrical. Having 12 Years Experience of DCRP Works / Jobs in Oman with Driving License, Looking for an suitable opening, NOC Available. Contact – 92122338, Email saiviharvasanth@gmail.com Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant ,doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available. Contact 98803439 Masters in Information Systems and IT with more than 12 years experience seeks suitable placement. Contact: 98502793, email:jobsrs6@gmail.com Indian male executive secretary having vast experience in admin, logistics & procurement well versed with computer seeks suitable placement. Contact : 99514286 Indian Female, 25 years, M.Sc Electronics + Multimedia, having one year teaching experience in Government college in India, seeks suitable placement. Contact GSM 99367448 Advertising/media executive with 15 years gulf experience with oman driving license. Seeks good opening. Contact 93031168 Available for a part time accounting job. Contact 99196621 Indian Male 28 years MSM, B. Com having 6years experience in Gulf and India as a HR and Admin looking for suitable placement. # 97914340. Email: rajkv30@gmail.com Indian male 23 years Graduate, working as a sales coordinator cum purchase & office coordination 2 YEARS in oman Having oman license & NOC looking for suitable job in Muscat. GSM:97475860 mail:yadhukrishnan08@gmail.com B.E Mechanical engineer,2 years job experience in Oman in pipeline field, having ASNT level ll in UT,RT,MT and PT, fluent in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi, with valid Omani driving license (light) searching for job. Contact +968 92745691 Indian female with MBA in finance on visit visa seeking immediate placement. Contact :968-93316493 Well qualified Indian Female Bsc, Computers diploma 9 years of experience as Executive Secretary seeks placement. Contact 95423692,91374217 ACCOUNTANT: Indian male senior Accountant, Graduate & CA Article ship completed. 18 Years of experience. Currently on visiting visa. seeks suitable placement. Contact: 97498809, 99769743, Email: hilariankj@gmail.com

SIT.WANTED Indian male 35 yrs, 10 yrs UAE experience in FMCG, looking for a suitable position in sales and marketing, valid GCC license on visit visa. Contact 93438747, 95723635. Having exp in the following, MS Windows Server 2003 & 2008, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 & EMail Client Administration,Linux Administration, Service Desk Administration, Network Management, Technical Support. Presently the candidate in India.Mob:97239854 Filipino (male), 37 yrs. old, having 8yrs. experience in Operation (Shipping&Logistics) currently on visit visa looking for suitable job. GSM: 97121525 Quantity Surveyor-MEP (Estimation/Project) ,Total 10 Years Experience (3 years in Oman). Having NOC & Oman D/L, Looking for suitable job, Contact - 97906551 Sales Representative or Purchase officer. Indian male 30 years , looking for suitable placement in construction industries and oilﬁeld industries. Having 5 years of Gulf experience in FASTENERS and building material. with good communication skills. #97756269, Email: razzakbmt@gmail.com

Software Developer, Indian female, B.Tech (AE & I), M.Tech (VLSI Design), asp.net, C#,.net, C++, Core Java, Android Java, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95906935, Email : amalpkku@gmail.com Electronics / Instrumentation Engineer, Indian female, M.Tech (VLSI Design), B.Tech (applied Electronics & Instrumentation), ASP.Net, C++.Net, C++, Android Java, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95906935, Email : amalpktu@gmail.com Indian male, B.com, MBA, having 5 years experience (3 years in U.A.E) is currently seeking suitable opportunities within ﬁnance/ accounts/admin dept. Contact:93953613, allen.mathew83@gmail.com

Two year experience in Oman, experience in sales, purchase and system admin, Having GCC license. Contact number 97475860, Yadhukrishnan08@gmail.com Indian Male, 32 yrs, MBA-HR, Trainer & Faculty worked on Omanisation & nationals development activities with 10 yrs of experience seeking suitable job. Contact : 93891401 saiprasad_18@yahoo.com Sudanese 29 male (Bsc computer science,diploma computer engineering), 6 yrs. experience dba oracle plsql , ms sql-server ,ms visual studio vba,network Omani Driver licence language English, Arabic Tel: 91415886

B.Com graduate, 11 years experience in Accounts, 9 years Oman experience , Oman valid driving license, looking for suitable post. Mob:92758404 NOC Available.

Piping Design Engineer, Indian male 27, looking for suitable placement in Piping Design & Engineering. Having 7 years of experience in AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS (11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact : 97351786 / 96143708/97357143

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, Indian male,29 years.8 years experience .Presently working in Oman as a Senior Accountant with oman Driving license. NOC available. Seek suitable opportunity. GSM: 97705854

Indian female, 24yrs, M.COM (Accounts) having 3 yrs experience in Accounts, HR, Administration, Customer Service. Good Computer Proﬁciency seeking Suitable Position. Visa Transfer/NOC Available. Contact: 99654913

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SIT.WANTED Indian male 27 years B.E & MS Mechanical Engineer working in Delhi for last 4 years inJcb India pvt. ltd., seeks placement in Oman. #93393768 Female MBA gold medalist, with computer proﬁciency, Oman driving license looking for job opportunity in event management companies in Muscat. Ph : 99012949

CLASSES

WEBSITE

Indian female B. Com MBA ﬁnance ,5 years experience in oman as an account seeking suitable placement. Contact 99044292 Indian male 23 years Graduate, working as a sales coordinator cum purchase & office coordination 2 yrs in oman Having oman license & NOC looking for suitable job in Muscat Email:yadhukrishnan08@gmail.com, GSM:97475860 Indian Male 22 Years , Graduation In Electronics Seeking Jobs In Supervisory , Sales & Sales Co-ordination Fields , Good Communication Skill # 96141317, E-mail: akhilek5@gmail.com DIPLOMA+B.E.(CIVIL ENGINEER), Indian, 4 years of experience, currently on visit visa; Seeking Right Position. GSM:91570703. ME. Civil Engineer, Structural Designer, 3 Years Structural Design, 6 Years Str. Engineer Experience, Looking For Structural Designer Position. Iranian Male. Contact: 93696929, Email: mhsaz1359@gmail.com Driver looking for job exp 2 yrs. Contact: 98522914 B-tech Electrical Engineer with more than 2 years of experience in erection and designing of HT and LT electrical systems. Seeking for suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 98269366. Email: sijincleetus@gmail.com

Spoken English IELTS & Computer classes. Contact: 92088325 / 24799938

DRIVING

Male Graphic designer cum animation, non linear editing VFX, seeking suitable position. Contact: 97792661 / 96229406 Indian lady 30 years Graduate having work experience in India and Oman looking for Admin or any other suitable job. Contact : 95676957 Indian Female Accountant, CA Final (Group I cleared), 5+ year’s experience in the field of Accounts, Audit and Financial ERPs. Currently available in Muscat and seeking suitable job opportunities.Ph:94704800 email id: vinithsavith@gmail.com B.E (IT) 1 year exp complete schooling in Muscat needs job in software / net working / java/ WEB design or marketing. #97136248 / 99313821 Data Entry operator cum Buyer, Indian male,26years.BA, Computer proficiency :Operating system (Windows 2000xp & Windows7) E plus and Tally ERP9, 4 yrs Experience in Oman seeks suitable placements. Mob: 95360255 Indian Female BSC nurse with 8+ years of experience including 3 years of GCC exp. Oman Prometric passed with 57 %. Currently in Oman. Contact : 98034384 Senior Accounts Professional, Indian Male, 36 years, M.Com, MBA (Fin) 9 years in Oman, with valid Oman DL and NOC available. Capable to handle accounts up to finalization. Contact 9602 3965. Indian Male 24 years, Looking for a Suitable Job in Telecom / Networking, 1 year sales experience. M. Sc. Communications Engineering & Valid Driving license. Ph: 91280121. Email: jackrprasad@yahoo.com Indian, presently on visit visa in Salalah looking for job B.com failed UAE experience in accounts, commercial Admin & warehouse. Contact: 92754071 /93346931 Email: sathyanathanuk@gmail.com Indian male, 39 yrs, MSC Computer Science 10 years experience IT support, FMS Engineer, bank experience looking for suitable job. Contact: 94276449 MBA (Marketing /HR) with 45 years exp in business development and marketing, having valid Oman driving license seeks suitable placement currently available on family visa. Contact 97618033 Email: vjgeorge12@gmail.com

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

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SIT.WANTED Civil site coordinator, Diploma, Male 25, now present in Oman, Seeking job in Oman. # 92887561, jubincivileng@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED House shifting & transporting. Contact 92490422 MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. #24793614/ 99314807

Indian male 63 years have 30 years Muscat experience all office work sales business development insurance administration accounts with Oman driving license. # 99249412

Building maintenance: Tiling, painting etc. Contact: 99325827

Indian female LLB (Advocate) 2 years experience looking for suitable post legal advisor company secretary etc. # 93343190 / 94476387 Email: shafu1019@gmail.com

One stop shop business services : Public Relation (PRO) formation new companies, LLC companies, Investor visa, business setup, prepare businesses & companies accounts, legal services, representing you and your company. Contact: Saleh : 96723485

Indian female, B.Sc, PGDCA, currently on family joining visa, 2 years working experience in oman as customer care / sales co-ordinator, immediate joining seeks suitable placements. Contact no. (968) 95573205 / 95949230 / 95800792

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

Indian male 22 years ACCA affiliate , BSc, Graduate in applied accounting 2 months working experience seeking suitable placement in Finance / Accounts / audit immediately. Contact: 97378607 / 92558734 B-tech Electrical Engineer with more than 2 years of experience in erection and designing of HT and LT electrical systems. Seeking for suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 98269366. Email: sijincleetus@gmail.com

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

Required SUB Contractors for new projects. Contact: 99755534 / 96600581 Required investors for different projects. Contact: 99674870

A/C Technician, all refrigerator items, installation. # 92279370 Air condition maintenance split and window A/C split a/c ducted and package type units. Contact: 98667326

Split & widow unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080

Split & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance. #96236476

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

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

All maintenance & repairs. Contact Rizwan: 99429071, RMPM Trading. GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 General cleaning in buildings villas all types interior, exterior, polishing dry cleaning carpets, rugs, marble etc. Contact 94134784 / 98598280

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact 99508282 Shifting transporting truck. Contact : 99008442 Transport available in Ghala, Ruwi , Ghubra, Al Khuwair & Azaiba. Contact: 91495819 Transportation. Contact 99664703

Water prooﬁng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

Transportation. Contact 99508282

House shifting & packing. Contact: 99657644 /98518013

Transportation available. Contact: 99867456

M O N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

TOURS

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

SITUATION WANTCARGO

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

RENT A CAR

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

RENT A CAR

FOR HIRE Volvo 12 Ton Truck for monthly rent. Contact: 98713900