Times of Oman - July 12, 2016

TUESDAY July 12, 2016 7 Shawwal 1437 AH

6 085010 120010

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN MORNING MINUTE

To Senior State Officials, 1978

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ We will accept no excuse from anyone who is remiss in carrying out the duties he is required to perform in the service of this country and its citizens, and he will be punished for his failings in whatever manner we see fit.

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 118 | 40 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription ub bsc sscr cript cri ipt ption ion OM ion OMR63 MR63 R 3 | ISO SO O 9001:2008 90 9 001 01: 0 1:200 :200 0 8 Certifi Cert errt rtifi ified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

SIGNED IN DOHA

HM issues two Royal Decrees MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said yesterday issued two Royal Decrees.

Royal Decree No. 35/2016 ratifies the Cooperation Agreement in the Field of Security signed in Doha on April 26, 2016 by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of the State of Qatar.

Article (1) states that the aforementioned agreement shall be ratified in accordance with the version attached to this decree.

Article (2) says that this decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced on its date of issue.

Royal Decree No. 36/2016 ratifies the agreement signed in Muscat on May 25, 2016 by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of the Federal Republic of Brazil on mutual waiver of visas for holders of Diplomatic, Special and Official Service passports.

Article (1) states that the aforementioned agreement shall be ratified in accordance with the version attached to this decree.

Article (2) says that this decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced on its date of issue. -ONA

FAMILIES PUT THEMSELVES AT RISK WITH NO ALARMS Call for installation of smoke detectors in every Oman home

Most suitable places to install alarms are sleeping rooms, kitchen doors etc

For enhanced safety, residents must keep fire extinguishers

10

With the rise in temperatures during summers, the chances of fire breaking out

CABLE

is the number of fire incidents PACDA has been handling on an average every day since 2011

also escalate, say Oman fire safety experts

HM sends greetings

Staff Reporters

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Manuel Pinto da Costa of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe on the occasion of his country’s Independence Anniversary.

In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere congratulations and best wishes to President da Costa and the people of his country. -ONA

MUSCAT: Fire safety experts and rescuers have called for smoke detectors to be made mandatory in all Oman homes after a 7-monthold baby was rescued from an apartment without fire safety kit.

Fire fighters and paramedics raced to the family home on Sunday night and rescued the young child and its parents.

The incident has sparked calls for a scheme to install smoke detectors inside every residential home. That call has been backed

by doctors, fire safety experts and insurance firms. Even the firefighters - who attend an average 10 call-outs every day - say they should be fitted inside homes, especially as the summer temperatures continue to climb and fire danger escalates.

The baby was rescued from a house in North Al Hail, Wilayat Seeb, in Muscat. There was no update available on current condition but the injured baby was given medical treatment for smoke inhalation.

According to tweets by the Pub-

lic Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance, (PACDA) the house was on fire with some occupants trapped inside.

“The firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze and a 7-month-old in medium condition was given first aid as a result of inhaling smoke,” the rescue service stated in a tweet.

PACDA has been handling ten fire incidents on an average every

TRA

REALITY APP

Playing Pokemon Go while driving is dangerous: Expert

New mobile numbers starting with 7 soon Times News Service MUSCAT: New eight-digit mobile numbers starting with the number 7 instead of 9 will be launched on July 17, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Oman announced on Monday.

The numbers will be available to subscribers through telecom operators, except for special numbers, which will be electronically auctioned in a transparent manner.

“The allocation of these numbers will take place later through licensees once the auction hosting scheme is prepared,” the Telecommunications Regulatory

Authority said in a statement issued on Monday. Hamdan Moosa Al Harasi, acting vice president, corporate strategy at Omantel, confirmed TRA’s plan, saying this would be the second major change in the numbering plan after the full overhaul that occurred in 2004-2005 when mobile numbers were changed from seven to eight digits and fixed numbers from six to eight digits.

Thanking TRA for this initiative, which will ensure operators’ ability to meet the rapid growth in mobile subscribers, Al Harasi said this change will not have an impact on the existing numbers, nor the services offered to customers. >A5

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com

Cameron paves way for Theresa May

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TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Driver caught talking on mobile phone

1

A video circulating on social media shows a Mwasalat bus driver using his mobile phone while driving. >A3

REGION

MARKET

US to sends more soldiers to Iraq

Oman’s share index slides marginally

2

3

The United States is stepping up its military campaign against IS by sending hundreds more troops to assist Iraqi forces. >A7

day since 2011. Car fires have also increased in the past month as temperatures rise. The service has issued an infographic warning motorists about the dangers of driving unserviced vehicles in extreme temperatures.

James Raft, a licenced fire protection engineer from Aman Fire Protection Consultancy, said that installing smoke detectors should be mandatory in all homes

in Oman due to unexpected fire outbreaks.

“The standard places to install smoke detectors are in sleeping areas, the hall and outside the kitchen door. If the alarm goes off, it alerts the occupants to evacuate the house immediately and could allow them to go back inside to extinguish the fire if it is a small one,” said Raft.

He added that smoke detectors are inexpensive and work 100 per cent of the time.

A spokesman for PACDA said: “We highly recommend that each house has a smoke detector installed as a precaution to be safer in case a fire breaks out.”

Several experts – including PACDA – have, however, also cautioned that the tradition of burning incense or frankincense indoors could mean smoke detectors are constantly triggered.

In that case, fire extinguishers should be fitted. >A5

Oman’s benchmark MSM30 bourse fell 0.6 per cent month-onmonth in June after falling 2.2 per cent MoM in May. >B1

MUSCAT: A safety expert has called upon Omani drivers not to play Pokemon Go while driving.

Based around Nintendo’s popular video game franchise, the augmented reality app allows users to catch imaginary creatures in real-life surroundings using their phone’s camera.

Although the game has not been officially launched through Oman’s Apple Store, Pokemon fans are downloading the game from stores in different regions.

Meanwhile, traffic safety expert Wahid Al Kharusi said that using such games on the roads can lead to accidents.

However, while he advised that the location-based game should not be banned, awareness about using the game responsibly must be raised by the authorities.

“If people are educated about how to use the game, and taught about its dangers, they will react to that and play it in a responsible manner,” Al Kharusi added.

While traffic safety experts around the globe criticise the game, it does, on the other hand, encourage users to go outside and explore their surroundings. Popular landmarks, such as The Child Museum in Al Qurum, some roundabouts in Ruwi and other public locations, are being used as Pokemon centres for app players to buy virtual items for their beloved Pokemons. >A6

SALALAH

Two Emiratis die in Salalah road crash Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Two Emirati teenagers were killed and a third was injured in a car accident in Oman at dawn on Monday, reported The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi.

Abdulrahman Al Junaibi, 19, and Nayel Al Shamsi, 18, were returning home after spending the Eid holiday in Oman, according to a family friend.

Hamad Al Ameri, 17, was in-

jured in the accident, on Salalah Road near Al Ghabah, in central Oman, and is currently in hospital.

Funeral scheduled A funeral was scheduled for Al Junaibi and Al Shamsi in Al Ain at the Mutawa mosque after Asr prayers on Monday. They will be laid to rest at the Al Mutawa cemetery shortly after.

Details of the accident that took their lives weren’t immediately available.

IMAGINARY CREATURES: Pokemon Go at Shatti Al Qurum in

Muscat.

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TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016 We were able to secure some excellent deals at a regional level by promoting Oman Air’s cargo incentive programme, which will improve our overall cargo load factors going forward.

Mohammed Al Musafir, senior vice president, Commercial Cargo, Oman Air

OMAN SHANGHAI

Another success for Oman Air at China cargo show Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Air’s participation in Air Cargo China 2016 has been hailed as an important opportunity and a great success for the airline.

Held recently in Shanghai, the Air Cargo China 2016 event brought together airlines, freight forwarders, GSSAs and other logistics businesses to seek new opportunities, establish new partnerships and renew existing relationships.

Oman Air’s delegation to this major industry event was headed by promotions of Air Freight and Logistics by Mohammed Al Musafir, senior vice president, Commercial Cargo.

His team used Oman Air’s impressive dedicated stand as a venue in which to meet with a range of invited customers and industry partners. They also met with a large number of contacts throughout the exhibition.

Al Musafir commented: “Air Cargo China 2016 has been a great success for Oman Air. As our airline continues to expand and prepares to launch a new service from Muscat to Guangzhou, we have been able to use this event to strengthen existing partnerships and to enter into new relationships, which will benefit the company and our customers.”

“We were able to secure some excellent deals at a regional level by promoting Oman Air’s cargo incentive programme, which will improve our overall cargo load factors going forward. And, vitally, Air Cargo China 2016 provided a great platform to promote within the local market our upcoming direct flights to Guangzhou (CAN) and to get essential ground work done before the start of operations.”

“I would like to thank my colleagues for their invaluable commitment throughout the event. I

Air Cargo China 2016 event brought together airlines, freight forwarders other logistics businesses to seek new opportunities, establish new partnerships and renew existing relationships

Litter and be ready to pay fine, campers told People found littering campsites in Dhofar will be fined and the car number plate of motorists seen throwing garbage will be reported to the Royal Oman Police, the authorities have warned KHAREEF SEASON: From June 21 till August 31, tourists from different parts of the world flock to Salalah to enjoy its greenery and foggy beaches. –File photo

am also grateful to our existing and future industry partners, and to Air Cargo China 2016 organisers, for ensuring that Oman Air’s presence in Shanghai delivered such positive results.”

Oman Air’s cargo business has undergone a series of significant developments over recent months.

The airline has launched of a joint venture with Cargolux, which provides Cargolux with access to the belly capacity of Oman Air’s passenger fleet. Oman Air has also entered into a partnership with SATS, which will provide cargo handling services at the Muscat International Airport. In addition, Swissport has been appointed to provide full cargo handling services at London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Munich and Frankfurt airports.

Al Musafir added, “Such developments not only generate increased cargo traffic and important revenue streams for Oman Air, but also demonstrate to the global market the outstanding, modern cargo infrastructure that Oman offers.”

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: With the advent of the camping season, the Dhofar Municipality has urged visitors coming to Salalah to keep the environment clean.

“People, who are found littering campsites in Dhofar, will be fined,” Abdullah Sabah, director of the Camps Supervising Committee of the Dhofar Municipality said.

He added that if the committee officials spot a motorist throwing garbage, they will report the car’s number plate to the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

From June 21 till August 31, tourists from different parts of the world flock to the southern city to enjoy its greenery and foggy beaches.

However, many campers have been seen carelessly littering the city’s major tourist attractions.

According to Sabah, tourists are not allowed to camp outside designated campsites.

“It is a violation of the law to bring your own tent and camp

without permission,” he noted, adding that this could lead to a fine and the confiscation of the tent.

Camping rules According to the law, campers are not allowed to disturb neighbouring camps by making loud noises, putting on bright lights or with their bad behaviour.

Bachelors are also not allowed to camp in family campsites, Sabah explained.

He said wastebaskets have been installed at every tourist attraction

and committee officials provide bags to campers for their trash.

The municipality had announced the beginning of the camping season on Monday.

It is worth mentioning that more Asian nationals visit Salalah than Omanis, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

Citing data provided by the NCSI, around 58,867 tourists had visited the southern city until Saturday, July 9.

Breaking down the figure,

23,636 visitors were of Asian nationality, compared with 20,909 Omanis.

Emirati citizens topped the number of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) tourists at 5,628, compared with 2,179 Saudis.

Around 482 Qataris, 512 Kuwaitis, 566 Bahrainis and 4,041 other Arabs visited Salalah during the same period.

About 349 people from a diverse group of nations have also travelled to Salalah since June 20 according to available data.

TOURISM

Lifeguards to ensure a safer holiday for Salalah tourists HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: To ensure a safer holiday for Salalah tourists during the Khareef season, the Ministry of Tourism allocated lifeguards at Dhofar’s beaches.

The ministry signed a contract with a safety and rescue services company to secure Al Dahareez and Al Mughsayl beaches during the Khareef season.

The company, in cooperation with the ministry will raise awareness about dangers swimming at beaches during the monsoon season.

A ministry official told the Times of Oman that rescuers will be equipped with communication devices, ropes, life jackets and lamps. The company has also allocated four temporarily watchtowers at the coastline with a telescope at each tower.

Last year, two Emiratis, who had been holidaying with cousins and friends in Mirbat drowned in the strong waves of the beach during the monsoon season.

KEEPING WATCH: The Ministry of Tourism signed a contract with a safety and rescue services company to secure Al Dahareez and Al Mughsayl beaches during the Khareef season. – Supplied

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

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SMUGGLING BIDS FOILED Customs officials in the Sultanate foiled 203 attempts to smuggle illegal goods to the Sultanate, Royal Oman Police said on Monday. -Supplied photo

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Halal tourism gaining traction Halal tourism is not only about Halal food, as is the larger belief of some people, but is also about the overall experience, which is compliant with the Islamic Sharia culture

M WA S A L AT

Bus driver caught on camera using mobile while driving Staff Reporter MUSCAT: A video circulating on social media has caught the attention of the Omani public which shows a Mwasalat bus driver using his mobile phone while transporting passengers as well as failing to wear a seat belt.

Mwasalat released a statement confirming that the driver is indeed an employee of the national transport company.

“The company takes responsibility for the action shown on the video that is considered an ‘individual act’ which does not represent the rest of the driver’s colleagues and does not follow the company’s policy and operational procedures,” read the statement.

“The company implements all traffic safety precautions as well as enrolls the drivers in a thorough training regimen,” the statement added.

Mwasalat also said that it will

SAFETY FIRST: Mwasalat also said that it will proceed with implementing the maximum punishment according to company regulations. – Supplied picture

proceed with implementing the maximum punishment according to company regulations in which the driver violated and imposed danger upon the passengers.

“The company calls on all to cooperate and notify Mwasalat on any issue that affects safety

and performance through the different channels on social media,” read the statement.

“The company reiterates that it does not tolerate this kind of action and will keep ensuring the safety of the passengers,” they concluded.

DEEBA HASAN

deeba@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Halal tourism is the new buzz word in the travel market around the world and an industry, which is gaining popularity among travellers from Oman, according to experts.

“Yes, it is getting popular and according to analysts the Islamic tourism market is projected to become worth $181 billion by 2018,” Sunil Prabhakar, chief executive officer, Travel Point Oman, said.

Potential “Acknowledging the potential of the Muslim population, and an increasing demand for ‘Halal’ alternatives in various retail sectors, many countries, including nonMuslim ones, are already jumping on the opportunity and opening up their markets for Muslim tourists,” Prabhakar explained.

Halal tourism is not only about Halal food, as is the larger belief of some people, but is also about the overall experience, which is compliant with the Islamic Sharia culture.

“It is not just being applied to food, but includes anything, which

IN DEMAND: Halal food provided during the tour must come from Crescent-rated restaurants with a rating of ‘AA’ or above.

is Sharia compliant. It is a form of tourism for Muslims, who prefer to utilise services, facilities and activities compliant with Islamic principles,” Prabhakar added.

Travel Point has established a “Certificate of Accreditation” with the help of CrescentRating, the world’s leading authority on Halal travel. This certificate is recognised as an Accredited Travel Company in Oman by CrescentRating.

According to Prabhakar, the sector is tailored around the travel needs of Muslim tourists, who seek a family friendly environment and destination. The fundamentals include a Halal hotel, Halal food premises, Islamic finance, Islamic travel packages, Medicare tourism, and a Halal spa.

Out of these, Halal food normally is the biggest criteria, “Halal food provided during the tour must come from Crescent-rated restaurants with a rating of ‘AA’ or above, and the same applies to the list of restaurants provided in the package. Prayer facilities are also expected in all rated packages and include a stop in the itinerary for combined Zuhr and Asr prayers,” he added.

Travel Point has been operating in the Halal travel market since March 2015, and has witnessed an increase in demand for Halal Tourism Services from Oman

year after year. “We can confirm that the demand is increasing year after year and we have not witnessed any downturn in this leisure segment due to the economic downturn.”

Some of the most popular destinations for Halal tourists are Spain, Vienna, Munich, Bangkok, London, Delhi, Gold Coast, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Brunei.

Packages Travel Point offers more than 250 Halal holiday packages, such as Madrid and the Gems of Islamic Spain, the Bosnian Nature Tour, Adventurous Indonesia Tour and several others. They also have a database of Halal Hotels.

A sharia-compliant hotel means no alcohol, Halal food, no pork, no discos, and facilities for prayers and healthy family-oriented entertainment. This trend is catching up fast, not only in the Gulf region, but even European markets are exploring the possibility of opening such hotels in a bid to grab a share in the Arab tourist market.

Muslim Mehmood, general manager at Al Hashar Travels said Halal tourism is the need of the hour and has increased in the last few years.

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TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

OMAN

15,000

is the number of turtles expected at Ras Al Hadd for nesting

‘Sad for losing final, proud about successfully hosting Euro Cup’ The French side had dominated the match, but squandered a number of chances in front of their devastated home support, who arrived at the Stade de France hoping to celebrate a third Euro Cup crown KEEN INTEREST: People watch the Euro 2016 final soccer match between Portugal and France, on Sunday at a hotel in Muscat. Portugal won 1-0. -Shabin E/TIMES OF OMAN

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI DEEBA HASAN

hassan@timesofoman.com deeba@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Despite France’s defeat at the hands of Portugal in the final of the Euro Cup Championship, French expats in Oman seemed happy with their team and the country for hosting the tournament.

“I am sad because all the French people were hoping and believing that France would win the match and this time with the Euro Cup being organised in France, it would have been a great thing,” Roland Dubertrand, the French Ambassador to Oman, said.

“However,” he explained, “at the same time I think we are quite proud and satisfied of the endeavours of the French team because they improved a lot during these past years and we were quite happy to see the French team being so good, and so we are not so sad.”

FIRST QUARTER

ODB approves loans worth OMR13.6m

“I saw a part of the match as I am not a specialist in football, but I was really pleased to see our team playing so well,” he added.

“We are happy that the Euro Cup was well organised and it was a big challenge and it was done well and we are quite happy and satisfied about the organisation of the tournament and a little sad because of the last defeat because that is life and sport,” the French Ambassador noted.

Played well Loic Courbet, another French resident of Oman was of the view that both the countries played well, but the French team had a slightly better game and possession rate, “By the end of the additional time you could feel that the French players were exhausted, so well done Portugal.” Nicolas Patay, another French expatriate in Muscat said losing was a huge disappointment for his country.

“The French people expected a

lot from this sporting event, but hopes gradually disappeared as the game progressed,” he stated.

“The players were really tired and despite of their technical domination, they lost,” Patay added.

Portugal became on Sunday night an unlikely hero as Eder’s thunderous finish deep into extra time secured their first European Championship title after they overcame the early loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to snatch a 1-0 victory over hosts France on Sunday.

The substitute picked the perfect time to score the first competitive goal for his country, marauding forward before letting the ball fly with a bullet shot from 25 metres during the 109th minute.

It was a magic moment for the 28-year-old, who plays for the French club Lille and after a largely unglamorous career so far, and a cruel blow for France and their coach Didier Deschamps.

The French side had dominated the match, but squandered a num-

ber of chances in front of their devastated home support, who arrived at the Stade de France hoping to celebrate a third Euro Cup crown.

The trophy was lifted triumphantly by Portugal’s captain Ronaldo, who broke down in tears at the final whistle after his own game had come to a frustrating end after 24 minutes when he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with a knee injury.

The script had been written for him to produce a performance to match his status as one of the game’s greats, but he had to settle for a back-stage role after Dimitri Payet’s challenge left him in a heap on the floor.

So much of the build-up had focused on Ronaldo and his hopes of crowning a glittering career with the only achievement missing from his CV, a piece of international silverware.

That was achieved, but, with Eder stealing the limelight and his own role reduced to that of a

cajoling cheerleader, it was probably not how Ronaldo would have envisaged his evening panning out.

Yet having been part of the Portuguese side that were stunned in the final by Greece in 2004, he celebrated wildly with his team mates as ticker tape rained down from the rafters.

“This is one of the happiest moments of my career,” he said. “I’ve always said I wanted to win a trophy with the national team and make history. And I did it. Thank God, things went well for us.”

Coach Fernando Santos, whose side had won only one match inside 90 minutes out of seven at the tournament, hailed a perfectly executed tactical display.

“We were as simple as doves and as wise as serpents,” he said.

“Wherever we’ve gone there have always been Portuguese fans.

This lifted our souls. It’s hard to describe the players’ emotions— it’s incredible,” Santos concluded.

(With inputs from Reuters)

We are happy that the Euro Cup was well organised and it was a big challenge and it was done well and we are quite happy and satisfied about the organisation of the tournament and a little sad because of the last defeat because that is life and sport Roland Dubertrand French Ambassador to Oman

ENVIRONMENT

Turtle nesting in full swing on Oman beaches

MUSCAT: Oman Development Bank (ODB) approved 1,394 development loans during the first quarter of 2016 worth OMR13,609,708 in various high value-added service productive sectors of the national economy.

The loans are part of the efforts made by the Bank to promote private sector investments in productive activities and services in the country, as well as the provision of development finance for their investments.

The industry sector comes first in terms of development loan volume with 606 loans for industrial investment that constitute 43 per cent of the total number of loans granted by the bank. The loans worth OMR7,591,991 comprising 56 per cent of the value of loans provided by the bank.

The fisheries sector came second with 390 loans, constituting 28 percent of the total loans, worth OMR1,656,789 comprising 12 per cent of the value of the development loans provided by the Bank.

The agriculture and livestock sector obtained 282 loans from ODB, with 20 per cent of the volume of loans, worth OMR1,584,893 constituting 12 per cent of the value of provided loans.

Times News Service

Education, health services The number of loans provided to the education and health services were 31 loans, constituting 2 per cent of the number of loans, worth OMR775,169. The loans provided to the tourism sector and professional services were 85 comprising 6 per cent of the number of loans that worth OMR2,866,000.

In contribution to the delivery of all ODB products to all parts of the Sultanate, which results in the stability of citizens in their wilayats and the exercise of their traditional activities, the bank provided 1,186 small loans worth OMR4,459,964.

The number of small loans amounted to 79 loans, accounted for 6 per cent of the total number of loans with a total amount of OMR2,217,645 constituting 16 percent of the value of loans. -ONA

MUSCAT: Nesting season for turtles is in full swing on the sandy beaches of Oman.

Oman is home to five species of turtles: the Green Turtle, Loggerhead Turtle, Olive Ridley Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle and the Leatherback Turtle, four of which lay their eggs on the Sultanate’s soft white sand beaches.

Of these, the green turtle has one of the biggest nesting sites in the Ras Al Hadd sanctuary—one of the largest nesting sites in the Indian Ocean. The Masirah Island on the other side is an important nesting site for the Loggerhead turtle.

“The nesting season begins in May and continues till August and we are expecting more than 15,000 turtles at Ras Al Hadd, which is an internationally renowned nesting site sanctuary for the turtles,” said Vijay Handa, cluster general man-

NEXT GENERATION: Oman is home to five species of turtles: the Green Turtle, Loggerhead Turtle, Olive Ridley Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle and the Leatherback Turtle, four of which lay their eggs on the Sultanate’s soft white sand beaches. – Supplied photo

ager, Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve Centre, which is part of the Ras Al Hadd Sanctuary.

Speaking about turtle season at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Rebecca Platt, director of Communications, pointed out that so far the 2016 turtle season has been very positive, with the resort welcoming over 4,000 turtle hatchlings to date from 80 nests, which reflects an increase in the number of successful hatchings from 2015.

“As our environment is so im-

portant to the resort, we undertake a number of conservation activities to protect the turtles from beach clean ups to the work of our dedicated turtle ranger Mohammed Al Hasani. We also feel that education is key to the survival of the turtles and recently launched our Eco Centre, where guests and visitors can learn more about the environment in which we live and how everyone can contribute to the protection of the turtles,” she noted.

During the nesting season, adult female loggerheads, some weighing as much as 150 kilograms, leave the sea at night and lumber onto the beach. Then, mustering their courage, the turtles use their rear flippers to dig a shallow pit in the sand—a protective cavity where the eggs will incubate.

June, July and August are the best season to see these turtles on the beaches of Oman.

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

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OMAN

HARD WORK

CASABLANCA

Artist creates HM’s portrait with tiny paper pieces would sell his collage.

Asked what his next iconic figure will be, the interior designer said that he would make a collage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates.

He told the Times of Oman that he was spending an average of three hours a day to complete the artwork.

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An Indian interior designer has created an image of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said using thousands of tiny pieces of paper.

Eight months and 250 magazines took D.Ajayakumar to collage a masterpiece of Oman’s leader.

“I started crafting this piece when I was in my hometown in India last year and I just finished it in the beginning of 2016,” he said.

He said that he wanted to gift this piece to His Majesty the Sultan. In May 2008, the Keralite met King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the late king of Saudi Arabia, and presented his collage portrait to him.

D.Ajayakumar has been working in Saudi Arabia since 2007, before moving to the Sultanate few months ago.

“I made this piece of art as a to-

A5

RESPECT FOR HM: The Indian artist made this piece due to wise leadership of His Majesty the Sultan and great friendship with India and its people. – Hasan Shaban Al Lawati

ken of thanks and appreciation to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for his wise leadership and great friendship with India and its people,” he said. He explained

that he has only two months left in Oman as his contract will expire soon.

“I hope I would be able to deliver this one-of-its-kind art to

Sultan Qaboos in time, before leaving back to Kerala,” D.Ajayakumar said.

However, if his wish is not granted, D. Ajayakumar said he

Colour “The most challenging task was to find the exact colour to add to the collage. Sometimes it takes hours to find the right shade,” he said, adding that he used more than 250 magazines collected in Saudi Arabia.

The collage is seen as the first detailed magazine paper collage of His Majesty the Sultan.

“Even my signature on the collage is made of small pieces of paper,” the artist concluded.

Sultanate to take part in Casa Festival MUSCAT: The Sultanate will take part in the first version of Casablanca (Casa) Art Festival at Hyatt Regency Hotel in Casablanca from July 14 to July 15, 2016 under the theme “Our Heritage: Our Wealth”.

The festival hosts elite businessmen, media men and tourism, art and cinema figures from Morocco, Oman, Egypt, Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon and Algeria.

The annual event aims at making Casablanca an international centre for culture, art and investment. It also aims at enhancing art, tourism and scientific status of Casablanca at international levels. Arab and non-Arab businessmen will explore means of encouraging investment in Morocco. -ONA

Movie to create awareness on endangered humpback whales The special short film is part of Environment Society of Oman’s effort to conserve the Sultanate’s population of Arabian Sea Humpback Whales

Staff Reporter

MAJESTIC CREATURE: Environment Society of Oman has been researching humpback whales for over

10 years. – Supplied photo

TRA

< FROM

A1 10 million new numbers “We will communicate the introduction of the new range very soon. We are already working closely with TRA to ensure the availability of the new range,” he added.

This will make available 10 million new numbers for mobile phones to accommodate the expected volume of demand in the coming period.

In Oman, there are 6,661,166 mobile subscribers, with a penetration level of 155 per cent.

The country’s population is around 4 million.

Prepaid mobile subscribers by the end of April this year stood

at 6,063,434, up from 6,045,312 in March last year, while postpaid mobile connections stood at 597,732 by the end of April, up slightly from 597,558 subscribers at the end of March last year.

TRA said the introduction of the number seven is in response to the growing demand for telecommunications numbers due to the exhaustion of number nine blocks.

“In this context, TRA would like to state that the level block numbers starting with the number seven provide an additional option for mobile phone users rather than an alternative

to the currently used level nine,” it stated.

The authority is committed to managing all the telecommunications numbers in Oman to ensure implementation of the National Numbering Plan to meet the growing demand for both fixed and mobile phone numbers, with regards to population growth and the rise in ICT use in business and commercial entities in Oman.

TRA operated closely with licensed operators to launch this level by preparing the technical aspects and the international coordination of the level seven number block with the licensees.

FIRE SAFETY

A1 More fire drills needed < FROM

A PACDA spokesman added: “It is an individual preference, although it only has one negative aspect – almost every house uses bukhoor (frankincense) as it is part of our culture and tradition, so the smoke detector will constantly go off.”

Dr Sandeep D’souza, medical director of Al Hayat International Hospital, said that more fire drills should be conducted in buildings to avoid any fire incidents.

“People should also make homes childproof to avoid any types of accidents,” he said.

D’souza also said smaller children should not be left alone at home under any circumstances.

“Many apartments have got smoke detection alarms installed in the kitchen but most people remain clueless when the actual fire breaks out,” he said.

R Kumar, another doctor at the private hospital, said that many people have the tendency of not

listening to fire alarms. “Residents, especially those in high rise buildings, should not ignore fire alarms as the danger becomes more significant when emergencies occur on higher floors,” he said.

“We would encourage installing fire extinguishers in homes rather than smoke detectors because in homes there is cooking and the use of frankincense so smoke detectors are not practical always,” Philip K Philip, group chief executive officer of the Muscat Insurance Company and Muscat Life Assurance Company, told Times of Oman.

“For insurance the premium is decided after considering all precautionary measures taken to fight and detect fire,” Philip added.

Smoke detectors are mandatory in commercial areas, industrial areas, business establishments, apartments and hotels, but not in homes and barely any in

the Sultanate have them.

According to statistics from PACDA, 876 houses went on fire in 2015, up from 755 in 2014, where the most common cause of fires in homes is faulty electrical wiring.

Raising awareness about preventative measures should be a key area to focus on in terms of fire safety as well as conducting regular fire drills to keep occupants prepared.

Vehicle fires also increase in frequency during the summer months, PACDA has warned According to the rescue service, there were 652 vehicle fires registered in 2015 so far during the summer period compared to 645 in 2014.

PACDA said that the main causes of vehicle fires are due to neglect of vehicles, continuous driving, leaking of oil and fuel, attaching additional equipment and smoking inside the vehicle.

MUSCAT: Environment Society of Oman (ESO) launched a new video on Arabian Sea Humpback Whales, a dying out species, to raise awareness of the threats facing by the critically endangered animals.

The special short film is part of ESO’s effort to conserve the Sultanate’s population of Arabian

Sea Humpback Whales. “ESO decided to launch this video as a mechanism to raise awareness on the uniqueness of this population, and to advocate for its conservation among various industries including shipping and port developments,” Suaad Al Harthi, Programme Director of ESO told the Times of Oman.

Speaking about how the video helps in protecting this species, she said, “through awareness raising of the fact that such magnificent species do exist in Oman and the need for their protection and the need for creating standard practices that contribute to the conservation efforts.”

ESO has been researching humpback whales for over 10 years, according to her.

“The research includes boat based surveys, satellite tagging and acoustic monitoring understand the population, distribution, abundance and behaviour of this population,” she said.

The video was filmed and directed by filmmaker Miguel Willis and produced by Justine Kwaan.

“Filming of this video took roughly two months and the most challenging part of it was filming the whales,” she asserted.

The high quality production also highlights ESO’s efforts to protect the whales and the many measures launched by public sector companies to minimise the dangers facing this species.

The film also features the harmonious sounds and images of the Sultanate’s majestic sea creatures.

She asks the people of Oman to protect the endangered animals of the Sultanate.

“It’s important to understand that these species are dependent on sound; so minimising noise pollution is important. There are also habitats that are critical to these animals. It is important to identify such areas and stop development activities in such places.

“There are also threats posed by shipping and fishing activities that could cause entanglement and ship strikes so it’s important to raise awareness and develop guidelines to minimise these risks,” Al Harthi said.

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TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

OMAN PAC A

H I G H E R E D UC AT I O N

Registration begins from July 13 MUSCAT: Higher Education Admission Center (HEAC) has said that registration, admission and desired change work will start on July 13 and continue up to July 24.

Making the announcement, Dr. Hamad bin Khalfan Al Nu’mani, Director General of HEAC also said that the result of the first sorting will be ready on August 2016.

He added that the seats at the higher education institutions, scholarships and grants compared to students of the age group 16-25 years is 95.7 per cent.

The major developments of the academic year 2016/2017 is introducing a programme for the nationalisation of teaching jobs.

The programme is dedicated for students studying in schools in the Governorate of Al Wusta and certain schools in other governorates.

“The programme, which grants Bachelor of Science and Math degree in four majors namely math, biology, chemistry and physics, is introduced at the College of Applied Sciences in A’Rustaq,” he further said.

He also pointed out that new programmes in internal scholarships were introduced in Nizwa University, the International College for Engineering and Management and Oman Tourism College.

The developments of the academic year 2016/2017 will be available at the Center’s website wwe.heac.gov.om. The amendments include admission terms, the titles of the programmes, other information, the cancelled study programmes, which are printed in the student manuals and the new study programmes at the internal scholarships. -ONA

DHOFAR REGISTERS 166% RISE IN NUMBER OF TOURISTS An increase of 166 per cent was recorded in the number of visitors to Salalah between June 21 and July 10. The Khareef Salalah Visitor Enumeration Project, undertaken by the National Centre for Statistics and Information shows that 65,422 tourists visited the Governorate of Dhofar. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and the Royal Oman Police. Statistics also show that the UAE topped the GCC visitors’ list with 6,312 tourists registering an increase of 221.4 per cent. The number of Asian visitors during the period reached 24,254. The results also show that 76 per cent of visitors came through land and 24 per cent via air. The Khareef Salalah Visitor Enumeration Project 2016 will be conducted until September 21. The project aims to build an integrated database to identify tourist volume during the Khareef “Monsoon Season”. -ONA

Initial approval given to public aviation firms for Sohar and Duqm airports Times News Service MUSCAT: Mohammed bin Nasser Al Za’abi, Chief Executive Officer of the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) expects the two public aviation companies - Salalah Air and Al Sharqiya Aviation to reactivate their operations at Sohar and Duqm airports.

In his Twitter account, Al Za’abi said the initial approval for the required licences has been given by the Public Authority for Civil Aviation to the two companies.

The licences are given to the private aviation companies, air buses, air ambulances and other companies transporting less than 19 passengers.

Tourists The public aviation would facilitate the movement of businessmen and tourists within the Sultanate which would contribute to reactivating the air traffic at the airports of Sohar and Duqm.

The head of Salalah Air would be at Salalah Airport while the head office of Al Sharqiya Aviation would be at Muscat International Airport.

It is worth mentioning that the initial approval is given in accordance with the rules of economic regulation issued by the Public Authority for Civil Aviation.

1 1 C AT E G O R I E S

72 embrace Islam during Ramadan Those who converted to Islam included 21 Filipino women and one Filipino man, 11 Ugandan women, 10 Sri Lankan women and 29 people from other nationalities

TARIQ AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Seventy two people in Oman converted to Islam in June this year, the Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs said.

Non-Muslims living in Oman embraced Islam during the Holy month of Ramadan after several events organised by the ministry took place during the month, where non-Muslims were given the chance to learn about the religion and clarify their doubts about certain aspects of the religion.

Speaking to the Times of Oman, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al Khalili, head of the Department of Islamic Knowledge and Cultural Exchange, said some of the converts were surprised about the amount of respect and tolerance shown to one another that is typically displayed in Oman.

“Some of them came to Oman with a previous knowledge of what Islam was like. Of course most of them think it is harsh and tough (like on media) but they were amazed by the amount of love and respect we have for one another,” explained Al Khalili.

“Some of them tried to understand the religion better before deciding to convert to Islam or they would come to us and declare

that they wanted to convert,” he added.

He said that those who convert must be convinced that they are doing it for the Almighty and not just because they are under pressure. They must also understand that once they embrace Islam they cannot go back.

Those who converted included 21 Filipino women and one Filipino man, 11 Ugandan women, 10 Sri Lankan women and 29 people from other nationalities.

“After they convert, we will give them books to learn more about the religion to make them better Muslims and for them to understand the religion,” said Al Khalili.

Al Khalili also said they must verbally accept to be circumcised, which is mandatory (for the males), if they aren’t and get the procedure done before saying the Shahada, which is also a verbal acceptance of Islam, and them become a Muslim.

“The ministry has an agreement with the Ministry of Health to have the surgery free of charge as the person is converting to Islam,” said Al Khalili.

“The converts will receive a certificate and documents to prove they are Muslim, which the ministry processes during their conversion,” he added.

HM award for excellence registration on MUSCAT: Information Technology Authority (ITA) continues the registration of government, private entities and SMEs to compete in the 5th edition of the HM Sultan Qaboos Award for Excellence in e-Government.

The registration closes on August 21, 2016.

This year, the award includes 11 categories among government, private and SMEs sectors.

Government sector entities can compete in 8 categories, including Best e-Service including (G2E, G2B), Best e-Services via mobile, including (G2E, G2B), Best whole of government project, Best service supporting business performance, Best e-participation for decision making initiative, and Best e-transformation achievement.

The private sector’s organisations can compete in two categories, including Best Public eService and Best Public Mobile eService.

Private sector ICT Small and Medium Enterprises are invited to participate in one category: Best SME eService.

The judging of the projects will be held from August 21 to 31, while the jury panel will evaluate projects beginning in October and the award ceremony will be held in December. -ONA

RISK

A1 The advice is < FROM

to stay away

Mark Pudwell, another safety expert, said,after reviewing the game’s trailer, that it is “a ridiculous, pointless and dangerous application.”

“I am sure the designer factored in safety concerns, particularly as this application is aimed at a younger and less safety aware target audience, however, my advice is simple,” he added, asking youngsters to stay away from it.

“The risk to young people is very high and their focus will be entirely upon achieving the application’s goals and not on their immediate environment,” The game, which was released this week, has exploded across Australia, the United States and New Zealand.

When a user downloads the game, it displays a warning message that reads “Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings”.

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

A7

REGION US to send more troops to Iraq ahead of Mosul assault US Defence Secretary Ash Carter made the announcement during a visit to Baghdad where he met US commanders as well as Iraqi

PLEDGING ADDITIONAL FORCES: Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al Abadi, right, with US Pentagon chief Ashton Carter in Baghdad on Monday. – AFP/Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office

prime minister and defence minister

BAGHDAD: The United States is stepping up its military campaign against IS militant group by sending hundreds more troops to assist Iraqi forces in an expected push on Mosul, the militants’ largest stronghold, later this year.

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter made the announcement on Monday during a visit to Baghdad where he met US commanders as well as Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi and Defence Minister Khaled Al Obeidi.

Most of the 560 troop reinforcements will work out of Qayara air base, which Iraqi forces recaptured from IS and plan to use as a staging ground for an offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second biggest city.

Government forces said on Saturday they had recovered the air

base, about 60km (40 miles) from the northern city, with air support from the US-led military coalition.

“With these additional US forces I’m describing today, we’ll bring unique capability to the campaign and provide critical support to the Iraqi forces at a key moment in the fight,” Carter told a gathering of US troops in Baghdad.

The latest force increase came less than three months after Washington announced it would dispatch about 200 more soldiers to accompany Iraqi troops advancing towards Mosul.

Carter told reporters ahead of Monday’s trip that the United States would now help turn Qayara into a logistics hub. The airfield is “one of the hubs from which... Iraqi security forces, accompanied and advised by us as needed, will complete the southernmost envelopment of Mosul,” he said.

The recapture of Mosul, IS’ de facto Iraqi capital from which its

leader declared a modern-day caliphate in 2014, would be a major boost for Abadi and US plans to weaken IS, which has staged attacks in the West and inspired others. Two years since IS seized wide swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria in a lightning offensive, the tide has begun to turn as an array of forces lined up against the militants have made inroads into their once sprawling territory.

Ad hoc attacks IS has increasingly resorted to ad hoc attacks including a bombing in the Iraqi capital last week that left nearly 300 people dead - the most lethal bombing of its kind since the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.

US and Iraqi officials have touted such bombings as proof that battlefield setbacks are weakening IS, but critics say a global uptick in suicide attacks attributed to the group suggests the opposite.

“In fact, it demonstrates (IS’s)

AT TA C K V I C T I M S

Makhmour in March when it was shelled by IS. US forces had already visited Qayara to check on its condition and advisers can offer specialised engineering support in Mosul, where IS has blown up bridges across the Tigris, US officials said.

Iraqi forces were already improving the base’s perimeter in case of a counterattack from the nearby town of Qayara which IS still holds, another US official in Baghdad said.

Abadi has pledged to retake Mosul by the end of the year. — Reuters

Rebels launch attack in Aleppo BEIRUT: Rebels launched an attack against government positions in the historic centre of Aleppo on Monday in response to an offensive that cut a road leading into the opposition-held sector of the city, monitors and insurgents said.

The attacks, which involved the shelling of government-held neighbourhoods and intense street fighting, came just days after the advance by the government side towards the Castello Road.

Rebels were relying on the road for supplies and access, and its severing effectively put opposition-held areas under siege, where at least 250,000 people live.

The city, Syria’s largest before the war, has been a main battleground in the country’s five-year civil war, and has seen an escalation of fighting after peace talks and a fragile ceasefire broke down earlier this year.

Its capture would be a strategic prize for the Damascus government, which controls the major population centres in western Syria, apart from rebel-held areas of Aleppo, and the city of Idlib. Rebels also control pockets of territory elsewhere in western Syria.

Early on Monday more than 300 shells fired by rebels hit western, government-held neighbourhoods in Aleppo killing five people and wounding dozens more, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

State television said eight people had been killed and that the bombardments had brought down buildings.

The assault was “a response to the (government) attempts to advance,” Zakaria Malahifji of the Aleppo-based Fastaqim group told Reuters. — Reuters

D E TA I N E D

Group of Israelis, Americans sue Facebook Inc. for $1b OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: A group of Israelis and Americans bereaved in Palestinian attacks said on Monday they would seek $1 billion in damages from Facebook Inc. for alleged complicity, as part of a suit filed in the United States against the social media giant.

The plaintiffs, relatives of four Israeli-US dual nationals and one visiting US citizen who died in attacks in Tel Aviv, occupied Jerusalem or the occupied West Bank between 2014 and 2016, accused Facebook of helping Hamas fighters operate.

Asked to comment on the lawsuit, Facebook’s Israeli PR firm said the company “does not respond on any issue currently subject to legal procedure”.

The private legal initiative follows censure from Israel’s security minister over what he deemed the firm’s reluctance to help track potential Palestinian fighters and curb incitement to violence. In

strength and long-term survival skills,” terrorism expert Hassan Hassan wrote in a recent article.

“The threat is not going away.”

A senior US defence official said Qayara air base would be “an important location for our advisers, for our fire support, working closely with the Iraqis and being closer to the fight”.

Carter compared its strategic importance to that of a base near Makhmour, a hub for Iraqi forces on the opposite side of the Tigris river that is also used by US troops. A US Marine was killed in

SYRIA

response, Facebook defended its regulations against online abuse.

Hamas formally claimed responsibility for one of the attacks cited in the lawsuit. The plaintiffs’ Israeli lawyer, Nitsana DarshanLeitner, said they had expert assessments linking Hamas to the other attacks.

Material support The lawsuit, filed with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, argued the platform “knowingly provided material support and resources to Hamas... facilitat(ing) this terrorist group’s ability to communicate, recruit members, plan and carry out attacks, and strike fear in its enemies”.

Hamas is designated a terrorist organisation by the United States.

The lawsuit was brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1992 which prohibits American businesses from providing any material support, including services,

to designated terrorist groups and their leaders.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, called the lawsuit an Israeli attempt to blackmail Facebook and accused Israel of trying to turn the social network into a spy tool against Palestinians.

He said some Israeli politicians and soldiers had “expressed pride at the killing of Palestinians” on Facebook and other social media.

“The real test for the owners of Facebook is to reject this (Israeli) pressure,” Abu Zuhri said.

Darshan-Leitner, of the Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center, filed a class action suit in October for an injunction against Facebook to stop carrying alleged Palestinian incitement. She said proceedings were still under way in that case.

The $1 billion in damages sought in the new suit was a sum consistent with awards in comparable US cases, Darshan-Leitner told Reuters. — Reuters

Iran indicts three dual-nationals, Lebanese ANKARA: Iran’s judiciary has indicted three detained Iranian dual-nationals and a Lebanese citizen also held in the country, the judiciary’s official news website Mizan said on Monday.

Several Iranian dual nationals from the United Sates, Britain, Canada and France have been detained in the past few months and are being kept behind bars on various charges. “After the issuance

of indictments, the cases against (British-Iranian) Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, (American-Iranian) Siamak Namazi, (Canadian-Iranian) Homa Hoodfar and (US-Lebanese) Nizar Zekka... have been referred to court for processing,” the website quoted Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi as saying.

He did not provide details about the charges brought against the four. Dolatabadi also did not say

whether the court was a Revolutionary Court, which handles security-related cases.

A judiciary source told Reuters their cases had been referred to the court “within the past two weeks”.

“But it does not mean that they will stand trial soon. Iran’s judiciary is reviewing their cases very carefully,” said the official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. — Reuters

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TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

INDIA India, Kenya to deepen ties in defence and healthcare Two countries signed seven agreements including a MoU on defence cooperation.

Other agreements include development of various small and medium enterprises and upgrading a textile factory

NAIROBI: India and Kenya on Monday agreed to boost cooperation in the defence and healthcare sectors as Prime Minister Naren- AFRICA TOUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at the State House in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday. – PTI dra Modi described the east African country as a ‘valued friend’. to the Kenyatta National Hos“While we are conscious of our pital. “Kenya is a valued friend development challenges, Kenyan and trusted partner of India,” President Uhuru Kenyatta and I Modi said. also share concerns of security and stability,” Modi said in a joint Agriculture press statement with Kenyatta folHe said the historical people-torative to extremist lowing delegation-level talks here.

Addressing the students at NAIROBI: Amid the expandpeople ties between the two counthe University of Nairobi here, ideologies.” His comments Following the talks, India and ing footprint of IS across tries have provided a strong basis assume significance in view Modi pitched for a world free Kenya signed seven agreements, the world, Prime Minister for a wide-ranging partnership of the expanding footprint including a memorandum of unfrom terror and hate, saying Narendra Modi on Monday which extended “from agriculof IS terror group, which is safety and security of people derstanding (MoU) on defence cowarned that ‘preachers of hate ture and health to developmental particularly attracting the operation. The prime minister said and societies is essential for and violence’ are threatenassistance, from trade and comyouth through a campaign of realising the benefits of the that as India and Kenya are coning the fabric of the society merce to investment, from closer radicalisation. economic progress. nected by the Indian Ocean, both and asked the youth to build a contact between our people to The prime minister, while have strong maritime traditions.

“Preachers of hate and counter narrative to extremist capacity building, from regular speaking about developmental violence are threatening the Among the agreements signed ideologies. political consultations to defence strides, said, “A steady march fabric of our society,” he said. on Monday, two pertained to lines He also emphasised that and security cooperation”. towards our economic goals is of credit from India to Kenya — Underlining the need to those giving shelter to The prime minister said India one on development of various counter radicalisation, he said, indeed a priority. But, we also terrorists and using them as was ready to share its developcannot ignore the safety of our small and medium enterprises “Youth can play an important political instruments must ment experiences and expertise, people.” - PTI and the other on upgrading a texrole in building a counter narbe condemned. and concessional credit and catile factory. pacities to assist in Kenya’s devel“As such, our closer cooperaopment objectives. tion in the field of maritime secuIndia would also help set up rity occupies an important place in our overall defence and security mon challenge to the people of Kenya has been a frequent target pharmaceuticals, can join hands a pharmaceutical company in both countries, to the region and of terrorism, especially of the Al with your priorities to shape an af- Kenya to manufacture life-saving engagement,” he said.

Shabab terror outfit from across fordable and efficient health care drugs, he said. - IANS “The MoU on defence coop- to the whole world. system in Kenya,” he said, adding the border in Somalia. eration signed just now would Modi also flagged health care as that this would make Kenya a restrengthen our institutional co- Cyber security operation between our defence “We have agreed to deepen our another key area of cooperation gional medical hub.

HAVE YOUR SAY He also said that India would establishments.” Modi said that security partnership including between the two countries. “I unSend us your comments at he and Kenyatta recognised that in the fields of cyber security, derstand that health care is Presi- soon hand over a Bhabhatron, facebook.com/timesofoman terrorism and the rapid spread of combating drugs and narcotics, dent Uhuru’s key priority,” he said. a state-of-the-art made in Inblog.timesofoman.com “India’s strength, especially in dia cancer therapy machine, radical ideologies posed a com- and human trafficking,” he said. haveyoursay@timesofoman.com

Preachers of hate threatening society: Modi

I N T E R NAT I O NA L A I R P O R T S

Passengers can now buy duty-free goods worth Rs25,000 NEW DELHI: Flyers coming in from abroad can buy goods upto Rs25,000 from duty-free shops at the international airports across the country, a five-time jump from the current limit.

The move follows complaints from the travellers that the limit was low and needed to be revised.

They had cited instructions issued late last year by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that permitted export from and import into India of Indian currency up to an amount not exceeding Rs25,000.

“Passengers can now purchase goods at duty-free shops in Indian rupees up Rs25,000 as against the earlier ceiling of Rs5,000,” a senior customs official said citing a recent order by Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in this regard.

He said that the duty-free shops operators have also been suggested to display the rate of exchange published by the commercial banks for conversion of foreign currency or the rate of exchange notified by the CBEC on a fortnightly basis for import and export of goods.

The senior customs officials incharge of the airports have been asked to ensure that information relating to the use of Indian currency should be displayed at all the duty-free shops. - PTI MUMBAI-LONDON

Air India flight diverted to Baku NEW DELHI: A Mumbai-bound Air India flight from London was diverted to Baku in Azerbaijan due to ‘operational reasons’ and a flight has been sent from India to bring back the stranded passengers.

The Dreamliner aircraft was carrying around 200 passengers and their needs have been taken care of, an Air India official said.

The incident happened on Sunday night.

Another flight has been sent to Baku for ferrying the passengers stranded at Baku airport, the official added. - PTI

COLUMN

Warning on stunted children should worry government NEW DELHI: “The reason I am pushing so hard on stunting is because we have spent a lot of time looking at possible paths of economic development in developing countries. It is my suggestion to the government of India to work with us on stunting. This is the bottom line: if you walk into the future economy with 40 per cent of your workforce having been stunted as children, you are simply not going to be able to compete”, said World Bank president Jim Yong Kim on his visit to New Delhi in June 2016.

Jim’s warning was timely: India will indeed find it difficult to compete with other countries in the future if it cannot help its current generation of children grow as they should and develop into productive adults.

As many as 39 per cent of Indian children five or younger are stunted - short for their age - higher than the global average of 24 per cent, according to the Global Nutrition Report 2015, threatening millions from the next generation with lower literacy, diminished cognitive skills, health risks and a greater likelihood of being poor.

In South Asia, only Nepal (41 per cent) and Pakistan (45 per cent) have a larger proportion of stunted children than India.

Sri Lanka has the sub-continent’s lowest percentage of stunted children: 15 per cent. Bangladesh and Bhutan have lower rates of stunting than India, which has been overtaken by its eastern neighbour. In 1997, when 46 per cent of India’s children were stunted, the corresponding rate in Bangladesh was higher at 59.7 per cent.

India also has the highest

As many as 39% of Indian children five or younger are stunted - short for their age higher than the global average of 24%, says Global Nutrition Report 2015, threatening millions from the next generation with lower literacy and diminished cognitive skills

stunting rate among BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations, followed

by South Africa with 24 per cent.

Stunting has long-term effects on individuals and societies, including diminished cognitive and physical development, reduced productive capacity and poor health and an increased risk of degenerative diseases like diabetes, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

As many as 61.8 million Indian children aged five or less are stunted, according to the Rapid Survey on Children 2013. That, as we said, is 39 per cent of all children in that age group.

This is an improvement from 48 per cent of children stunted,

according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2005-06.

The number of children aged five or less was 158.8 million in 2011, down by 3.1 per cent from 163.8 million in 2001.

If current global trends persist, 127 million children under five will be stunted in 2025. This is higher than the target of 100 million fixed under the Sustainable Development Goals, according to an WHO estimate.

Lack of funding The main reason the target may not be met is the lack of funding, globally and locally.

Recent longitudinal studies (where the progress of children is tracked over many years) of children from Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines and South Africa associate stunting with a reduction in years at school.

Adults who were stunted at age two completed nearly one year less school than non-stunted individuals, according to a study conducted by University of Atlanta in 2010.

Similarly, a study of Guatemalan adults found that those stunted as children had less schooling, lower test performances, lower household per capita expenditure and a greater likelihood of being poor. For women, stunting in early life was associated with a lower age at first birth and more pregnancies and children, according to a 2008 World Bank study.

A one per cent loss in adult height due to childhood stunting is associated with a 1.4 per cent loss in economic productivity, according to World Bank estimates.

Stunted children earn 20 per cent less as adults compared to nonstunted individuals. – IANS

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INDIA

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Court extends Sahara Group chief’s parole

POPULATION ON THE RISE Nurses holding newly-born children at a maternity ward on World Population Day at a government hospital in the northeastern state of Tripura, on Monday.

India’s population touched 1.33 billion on Monday, showing an annual rise of 1.18 per cent. According to latest estimates of United States Census Bureau, world population is estimated to be 7.02 billion. — PTI

NEW DELHI: In a relief to Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy, the Supreme Court on Monday extended his parole till August 3 but however asked him to deposit Rs3 billion.

Asking Roy to deposit Rs3 billion by August 3 failing which he, along with two others, would be back in Tihar Jail, the bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice Anil R. Dave and Justice A. K. Sikri also directed the release of Ravi Shankar Dubey who is still in jail.

Roy was granted parole on May 6 this year to attend the last rites of his mother who passed away on day before on May 5. Along with him his son-in-law Ashok Roy Choudhary too was granted parole on May 6. It was extended on May 11 for two months on the condition that he would deposit Rs2 billion.

The Sahara chief along with two other directors — Dubey and Roy Choudhary — was sent to jail on March 4, 2014, for his failure to comply with 2012 order directing him to return investors’ Rs176 billion with 15 per cent interest.

The amount of Rs176 billion was raised by group’s two companies. - IANS

Fresh violence in Kashmir; toll rises to 32 on third day Amarnath yatra resumes

At least 31 civilians and a police driver

JAMMU: Amid tight security, Amarnath yatra resumed on Monday evening from Jammu after remaining suspended for two days due to violent protests in Indianadministered Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

“Amarnath yatra has resumed this evening from here. A batch of 3500 pilgrims left from Bagwatinagar base camp for Baltal and Pahalgam,” Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said.

The yatra was suspended on July 9 in the wake of violence in the Valley following

have been killed in clashes between the security forces and angry young demonstrators

SRINAGAR: Amid recurring clashes in curfew-bound Indianadministered Kashmir, three injured protesters died in hospitals here on Monday, taking the death toll to 32 in three days of bloodshed following the killing of a top rebel.

And for the first time, police opened fire hitting two civilians in embattled Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s hometown Bijbehara in southern parts, which has accounted for all the deaths bar one since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed by security forces on Friday.

At least 31 civilians and a police driver have been killed in clashes between the security forces and angry young demonstrators across the Indian-administered region since Saturday, various informed sources said. But police

put the death toll at 23.

There were no fresh deaths on Monday. But the sources said nine more casualties were added to the toll after at least three people succumbed to injuries and five who had died earlier were counted on Friday. Clashes, however, raged on in many parts of the valley as young men armed with rocks defied prohibitory orders to hurl stones at

police and paramilitary pickets.

Bijbehara, Mehbooba Mufti’s hometown, some 40km from here towards the south of the valley, was the latest to be consumed by the clashes, police sources said.

Sources in Srinagar’s S.M.H.S. Hospital said two civilians with bullet injuries were admitted on Monday afternoon and both were from Bijbehara. “One of them was

GST BILL

Government reaches out to Congress for passage of bill NEW DELHI: Ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament beginning next week, the government has reached out to the Congress for passage of the long-pending GST (Goods and Services Tax) bill in Rajya Sabha where it does not have a majority.

The new Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar has already held telephonic talks with leader of the opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad and deputy leader of Congress in the House Anand Sharma and formal talks are likely to take place shortly.

When contacted, Sharma made a strong pitch for evolving a ‘genuine’ common market through the key tax reform, insisting that the GST should be both ‘meaningful and substantive’. The government, he said, needs to ‘ring fence’ the GST rate so as not to burden the common man.

The GST, which is being touted as the most significant reform in indirect tax since independence, is being held up in Rajya Sabha

Government plans to push the Constitution Amendment bill in Rajya Sabha for rollout of GST in the monsoon session beginning July 18. The bill was approved by Lok Sabha

because of stiff opposition by the Congress, which among other things is demanding a Constitutional cap on the GST rate.

Dismissing suggestions that the Congress was against the bill, he said the party is the author of the bill and its only concern is that it should be ‘meaningful and

substantive’. Sharma said the Congress also wants clarification from the government on taxability of various goods like petroleum, alcohol, tobacco and electricity. Besides, government needs to clarify whether the GST would subsume various cesses including the Swachh Bharat cess.

The government plans to push the Constitution Amendment bill in Rajya Sabha for rollout of GST in the monsoon session beginning July 18.

The bill was approved by Lok Sabha earlier.

“There has to be firm ring fencing of the GST cap. It is for the government to give proposals to address the issue,” Sharma said, adding “ball is in their court”.

He further said the Congress leadership would take a “considered view”, once it hears from the government. “We have never said we will not talk. Once we know government’s stand, we will see where meeting point is there and Congress leadership will take a considered view”. - PTI

hit in the stomach and other in his left thigh,” a doctor said requesting anonymity.

Police sources said a mob set ablaze a police picket in Lassipora in Pulwama district in south areas.

Sopore, Handwara, Bandipora and Baramulla in northern parts also witnessed stone throwing incidents. Another police camp was set on fire in the north’s Sopore town.

the killing of the top Hizbul Mujahideen commander.

Earlier in the day, pilgrims had urged the state and federal governments to not stop the yatra and arrange ‘tight security’ for them. “We urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to resume the Amarnath yatra and not get threatened by violent protests of the militant sympathisers,” Deepak Kumar, a devotee from Uttar Pradesh said.

Amid sloganeering of ‘bum bum bolay and har har mahadev’, the pilgrims had said they were ready to leave for the cave. - PTI

Normal life across the valley was paralysed for the third day amid strict curfew and a separatist-called shutdown.

Public transport went off the roads. Private cars plied at some places in areas where there were no restrictions. Shops and other businesses remained shut. Government offices and banks were also closed. - IANS

US CRITICISM

Government should clarify on growth data: Yashwant NEW DELHI: BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Monday joined sceptics saying the 7.6 per cent growth rate for 2015-16 may have been ‘inflated’ due to ‘discrepancies’ which if removed would bring it down ‘drastically’.

He said the discrepancy figure of a whopping Rs1.40 trillion in 201516 that went into the calculations for the GDP may have inflated the growth rate. The figure stood at only Rs300 billion a year ago, he noted.

“If the discrepancies are removed, then the growth rate falls down drastically,” said Sinha, who takes frequent potshots at the government. The former finance minister demanded that the government issue a clarification following the US State Department’s observation that the growth may be overstated.

He also noted there has been domestic criticism of the growth figures as well. “The government should clarify the situation not because I care for what the United States has said but because there has been domestic criticism of it from certain quarters too,” the senior BJP leader, who has often faulted the Modi government over its economic and foreign policies, said.

Even if domestic criticism is ignored, the government should now come out with a clarification after India’s ‘best friend’ — the US — has also sounded unconvinced, he said in an apparent jibe at the Modi government. - PTI

A 10

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

PAKISTAN Women punch above their weight in the parliament

GILANI’S SON THANKFUL

Raheel Shari

‘Raheel the only person Taliban fear in Pakistan’

According to Free

ISLAMABAD: Ali Haider Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, said on Monday that General Raheel Sharif is the only person in Pakistan who is feared by the Taliban.

“Just met COAS General Raheel Sharif. I told him he is the only person in Pakistan Taliban fear. Brave soldier,” he tweeted.

Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani together with his son Ali Haider Gilani met with Army chief General Raheel Sharif to laud the efforts of the Army which led to his recovery.

Ali Haider Gilani was rescued during a counter-terror raid by US and Afghan forces in eastern Afghanistan on May 10 this year.

He was kidnapped by militants in the outskirts of Multan on May 9, 2013, just two days before a bitterly contested national election in which he was campaigning.

NATO confirmed Gilani was rescued in the Giyan district of Paktika province by US Special Operations Forces and Afghan commandos. Following his abduction, Gilani was first taken to the industrial town of Faisalabad after which he was moved to North Waziristan.

Not long after his release, Gilani opened up about his three years spent in Al Qaeda and Taliban captivity. He also opened up about the dramatic turn of events that led to his release.

It was a drone strike in January that led Al Qaeda to hand Gilani over to the Taliban. But soon after, the Pakistan Army pushed into the area and the Taliban militants fled across the border to Afghanistan, taking Gilani with them.

Ali Haider Gilani rebuts story quoting him in favour of obscurantist rule. — Express Tribune

contributed to

and Fair Election Network, throughout the current term women MPs have parliamentary business through questions and calling attention notices, as well as motions on issues of public importance and private member’s legislation IMPORTANT ROLE: Women have contributed to more than 44 per cent of the agenda, almost three times more than the proportion of their representation in the two houses. — File photo

ISLAMABAD: Women legislators, 89 in number, constitute 18.38 per cent of the total member in the Senate and the National Assembly.

Yet these MPs have contributed to more than 44 per cent of the agenda, almost three times more than the proportion of their representation in the two houses.

This is revealed in a report by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen), which analysed orders of the day of the National Assembly between June 1, 2015 to February 26, 2016 and the Senate between March 12, 2015 and March 11, 2016.

According to Fafen, throughout the current term women MPs have contributed to parliamentary business through questions and calling attention notices, as well as motions on issues of public importance and private member’s legislation.

The women legislators individually or in collaboration with their

Women legislators individually or in collaboration with their male counterparts sponsored 33 of a total of 54 private member bills that appeared on order of the day of the two houses during the reporting period

male counterparts sponsored 33 of a total of 54 private member bills that appeared on the order of the day of the two houses during the reporting period.

Of these women-sponsored bills, 25 were referred to the relevant standing committees after their introduction in the two houses while six were dropped due to the absence of the movers.

In the lower house, as many as 11 private members’ bills moved by the women MPs were allowed

to be introduced and referred to the relevant standing committees.

Another 11 bills jointly moved by female and male members were also referred to the standing committees.

There were five bills, moved by women lawmakers, which were dropped due to the absence of the relevant MP on the day of their introduction. The lower house also rejected two bills sponsored by a woman legislator.

The proposed bills addressed a

CONTROVERSY

broad array of the issues of public interest. Five of the bills sought to amend the Constitution.

They included the one seeking to enhance the minimum age for child labour from 14 to 16 years and other proposing social security to be recognised as a fundamental right.

In the Senate, as many as three private members’ bills moved by the women senators were allowed to be introduced and referred to the relevant standing committees.

Working women One of these bills was related to the protection of the rights of working women and another sought to criminalise the practice of barring women from voting.

However, one bill was dropped due to absence of the lawmaker on the day of its introduction.

The Senate also passed two private members’ bills during the reporting period – one related to

the employment rights of domestic workers introduced in 2013 and the other related to compulsory vaccination and protection of health workers in Islamabad introduced in 2015.

The upper house also passed eight bills for speedy justice in January 2016.

However, none of the bills have been approved by the National Assembly.

The Pakistan Health Research Council Bill, 2015, was the only government bill – introduced by a female legislator of the PMLN, Saira Afzal Tarar – that was passed by the lower house.

Meanwhile, Awami National Party lawmaker Sitara Ayaz sponsored the highest number of resolutions (7) in the Senate, of which three were adopted by the house.

Ayaz was also the most punctual member among women senators, attending 92 days out of 103 sittings. — Express Tribune

D H A B E J I P U M P I N G S TAT I O N

Citizens suffer as MQM’s senior leader Amir Khan suspended from Rabita Committee water board and power company remain at odds

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) suspended on Monday senior leader Amir Khan from the party’s policy-making body, the Rabita Committee.

According to sources, Amir, who is currently in Dubai, was suspended due to reservations of party supremo Altaf Hussain.

No official statement was issued by the party.

On June 14, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted permission to the MQM leader Amir Khan to travel abroad.

Amir’s attorney had argued that two of the applicant’s sons were studying in Dubai and since he was financing their education and living expenditures; needed to make the visit.

March 11 raid The MQM leader is accused of harbouring criminals and instigating terrorism.

He was implicated in the case after being arrested, along with some convicted and absconding suspects, during the pre-dawn March 11 raid at the party’s headquarters, Nine Zero.

On Saturday, the MQM protested alleged extrajudicial killing of another party worker, Riazul Haq whom they said Rangers picked up from his residence in Landhi on May 19 last year, but he was never produced in any court of law.

Criminal elements The law enforcement agencies including the paramilitary force have been involved in a campaign since 2013 to purge the city of criminal elements. The drive has invited criticism from MQM who accuse Rangers of directing their raids only towards them and forcefully disappearing their workers. — Express Tribune

FALLING OUT: According to sources, Amir, who is currently in Dubai, was suspended due to reservations of party supremo Altaf Hussain. - File photo

Altaf accused of killing potential successors KARACHI: Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) leader Syed Mustafa Kamal once again came out all guns blazing against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) supremo Altaf Hussain on Monday, accusing him for having his potential successors killed in fear of losing his own grip on the group.

“Even a local shopkeeper creates capacity of leadership for his son so that he may replace his father but I ask MQM activists why did Altaf not groom anyone for leadership?” Kamal said while addressing the media outside his party’s office in Karachi.

“Instead he [Altaf ] killed all those who had leadership quali-

ties, and publicly humiliated the remaining ones.”

“I ask you who will lead the party after Altaf? No one will, because he does not want to see MQM once he is gone.

Shun cases He only wants to use the party to shun cases against him,” Kamal added. — Express Tribune

KARACHI: The rift between the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and K-Electric (KE) deepened on Sunday after the 72-inch-wide water pipeline at the Dhabeji pumping station allegedly developed cracks due to a power outage.

This resulted in a shortfall of at least 650 million gallons of water to the city. The power utility, however, has denied any power failure at the city’s main pumping station.

“The pipeline developed cracks after a power failure at KWSB’s main pumping station, Dhabeji, which led to the water flowing back,” said KWSB spokesperson Rizwan Hyder.

The power breakdown occurred at around 6:40am at Gharo, Pipri and Dhabeji pumping stations, he explained, saying this is why water supply to the entire city was halted.

“Since the water pressure was too high, the pipeline at the Dhabeji pump couldn’t sustain the back flow and developed cracks,” he said, adding that it would take at least 24 hours to repair the pipeline.

Water shortage Meanwhile, KWSB managing director Misbahuddin Farid said the entire city would face water shortage in the next few days due to KE. He also blamed the private power utility for cracks in the Dhabeji pipeline.

Responding to KWSB’s allegations, KE’s marketing and communication chief, Fakhar Ahmed, denied any power failure at the pumping stations.

“Before the summer, we had already changed our transformers at the Dhabeji pumping station,” he informed, adding that KWSB is blaming KE for its own faults.

According to him, the KWSB installed their machinery around 20 years ago [which results in frequent internal faults].

Farid said he was present at the Dhabeji pumping station since Sunday morning when the electricity was cut off for five hours.

“I have taken up the matter with the chief minister and the local government minister,” he said, adding that he would not let KE off the hook so easily, as the KWSB faced a huge loss due to the power breakdown.

According to the KWSB’s press statement, due to the frequent power cuts by KE, the KWSB’s motors have gone out-of-order and the water board bore a huge monetary loss.

Several parts of the city also witnessed a major power breakdown on Sunday morning. According to Ahmed, the breakdown occurred as KE’s main 132-KV transmission line tripped due to which four grid stations were affected.

He informed that areas in District South, including Defence, Clifton and Queen’s Road, were affected. “Within two hours the electricity was restored,” he claimed.

However, residents from other areas complained of power failure as well.

A resident of Nazimabad, Samin Salman, said that the electricity at her house went at around 7am and came back late in the evening. — Express Tribune

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ASIA

T E R R O R AT TA C K

International conferences moved out of Bangladesh

INNOVATIVE Rice saplings of different colours and varieties are planted to form a 3D image of Mi Yue, a character from the TV series ‘The Legend of Mi Yue’, at a rice field in Shenyang, China. — Reuters

DHAKA: An Asia-Pacific money laundering group has moved its meeting out of Bangladesh citing security concerns, officials said on Monday, 10 days after militants stormed a cafe in an upscale part of the capital and killed 20 people, mostly foreigners.

Some 350 foreign delegates had been expected in Dhaka to attend the July 24-28 annual meeting of The Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering that seeks to pool efforts to fight illegal money transfers and terrorist financing.

The group said in a statement on its website that the meeting will now be held in September in the United States. The exact location will be decided later.

It gave no reason. But a senior official at Bangladesh’s central bank said the July 1-2 attack in which seven Japanese, nine Italians, an American and an Indian were among the victims, had led to the change of venue.

Several countries, including the United States, have issued warnings about travelling to Bangladesh or asked citizens to take extra care following the assault claimed by IS. Another conference on telecommunications scheduled for September 29 in Dhaka, has also been moved. - Reuters

North Korea to retaliate if THAAD system deployed ever to target any other country or threaten them,” Park said at a meeting with her senior advisers, according to the Blue House.

Military said on Monday it will make a ‘physical response’ to moves by the US and South Korea to deploy the advanced missile defence system on the Korean peninsula

SEOUL: North Korea’s military said on Monday it will make a “physical response” to moves by the United States and South Korea to deploy the advanced THAAD missile defence system on the Korean peninsula.

The United States and South Korea said on Friday that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system will be used to counter North Korea’s growing nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.

The announcement was the latest move by the allies against the North, which conducted its fourth nuclear test this year and launched a long-range rocket, resulting in tough new UN sanctions.

“There will be physical response measures from us as soon as the location and time that the invasionary tool for US world su-

PROTEST: South Korean activists hold a banner during a rally against the plan on deployment of the US-built THAAD near the US embassy in Seoul on Monday. – AFP

premacy, THAAD, will be brought into South Korea are confirmed,” the North’s military said in a statement. “It is the unwavering will of our army to deal a ruthless retaliatory strike and turn (the South) into a sea of fire and a pile of ashes the moment we have an order to carry it out,” the statement carried by the official KCNA news agency said.

The North frequently threatens to attack the South and U.S. interests in Asia and the Pacific. South

Korea’s Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun warned the North not to take “rash and foolish action”. Otherwise, he said, it would face “decisive and strong punishment from our military.”

China’s protest The move to deploy the THAAD system, which drew a swift and sharp protest from China, came a day after the US Treasury Department blacklisted leader North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for

human rights abuses. North Korea called the blacklisting “a declaration of war” and vowed a tough response.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said on Monday the THAAD system was not intended to target any third country but was purely aimed at countering the threat from the North, in an apparent message to Beijing.

“I’m certain the international community knows full well that we have no intention whatso-

‘Conspiracy’ Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday that THAAD exceeded the security needs of the Korean peninsula, and suggested there was a “conspiracy behind this move.” South Korean Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho downplayed the possibility that China, Seoul’s biggest trading partner, would retaliate economically over the THAAD decision. “(China) is expected to separate politics and economics,” he told lawmakers on Monday in response to a question during a parliamentary session. A South Korean Defence Ministry official said selection of a site for THAAD could come “within weeks,” and the allies were working to have it operational by the end of 2017.

It will be used by US Forces Korea “to protect alliance military forces,” the South and the United States said on Friday. The United States maintains 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 195053 Korean war.

The system will be focused solely on North Korean nuclear and missile threats and would not be directed towards any other nation, the two countries said last week. - Reuters

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FINANCIAL SCANDAL

Sri Lankan ex-president’s eldest son arrested COLOMBO: Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s eldest son was on Monday arrested over alleged financial irregularities in connection with a $650 million real-estate project in Colombo involving an Indian firm.

Namal Rajapaksa, 30, was arrested after he recorded his statement with Financial Crimes Division (FCID) in connection with the deal with India’s Krrish Group, police said. The Krrish Group had in 2013 signed an agreement to start a $650 million real-estate venture in Colombo’s central business district of Fort.

There have been allegations of kickbacks paid to members of the former Rajapaksa regime for granting a prime property in downtown Colombo.

The FCID investigation was over an alleged commission of Rs450 million paid to individuals in connection with the deal.

Namal, the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Hambantota district parliamentarian, was arrested on charges of using money given by the Krrish Group to sponsor a rugby match, for personal use, reports said.

The project was halted after the Urban Development Authority imposed a fine on Krrish Group for failure to meet contractual obligations. The group has denied the charge and said they have paid all dues to the government.

The FCID has been investigating the deal and Namal’s arrest was the culmination of its investigation. Namal’s younger brother, Yoshitha, was previously arrested

by FCID and was on bail. - PTI

CHANGING CHARTER

Revising Japan’s constitution not easy despite poll win: Abe TOKYO/SHANGHAI: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seeking to allay concern he would divert attention from fixing a fragile economy to revising a pacifist constitution after a big election win, said on Monday changing the charter would not be easy.

Abe’s coalition and allies won two-thirds of the seats in parliament’s upper house in a Sunday election. That victory, with the ruling bloc’s two-thirds majority in the lower house, opens the door to revising the constitution for the first time since its adoption after Japan’s defeat in World War II. But a push to ease the charter’s constraints on the military operating overseas is bound to be opposed by China, where memories of Japan’s past militarism arouse anger. China’s official agency

warned that the victory for Abe’s party posed a danger to regional stability and a Foreign Ministry spokesman said it raised concern.

Abe said revising the constitution was his Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) cherished goal, but forging agreement on changes in the diverse pro-revision camp would not be easy. Revisions require a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament and a majority of votes in a public referendum.

“To realise revision of the constitution is my duty as LDP president,” Abe told a news conference.

“But it is not that easy, so I hope debate will deepen steadily.” China’s Xinhua news agency said the prospect was alarming.

“With Japan’s pacifist constitution at serious stake and Abe’s power expanding, it is alarming both for

ficial Chinese thinking. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said it was totally understandable that countries in Asia like China were concerned about Japan’s ‘political direction’.

“We have said again and again we hope Japan earnestly learns the lessons of history and pays attention to the concerns of its Asian neighbours and the international community,” Lu told a daily news briefing.

Shinzo Abe. – Reuters

Japan’s Asian neighbours, as well as for Japan itself,” Xinhua said.

“Japan’s militarisation will serve to benefit neither side.” While Xinhua commentaries are not government statements, they often reflect of-

Agreement China hopes to see a Japan that is committed to peaceful development and speaks and acts cautiously on military and security matters, he added.

Experts agreed that building agreement in Japan on amending the constitution for the first time

would be tough. “It’s the first time to have two-thirds in both houses of parliament, but you can’t find any issue on which the two-thirds can agree,” said Gerry Curtis, professor emeritus at New York’s Columbia University.

Some in financial markets worry focus on the constitution will distract attention from the economy, but Abe promised to craft a large stimulus package. “He must boost support to advance revision. So for constitutional change as well, he will probably come up with a largescale economic package,” said Daiji Aoki, senior economist at UBS Securities Japan.

Doubts about Abe’s policies persist even though his ruling bloc won big in terms of seats. Many voters felt they had no other option, given memories of the main

opposition Democratic Party’s rocky 2009-2012 rule.

Article 9 Surveys show many voters are wary of changing the constitution’s war-renouncing Article 9, which advocates see as the source of Japan’s post-war peace and democracy. Conservatives see it as a symbol of humiliating defeat.

If taken literally, Article 9 bans the maintenance of armed forces.

Successive governments have interpreted it to allow a military for self-defence, a concept Abe last year stretched to allow Japan’s military to aid friendly nations under attack.

But convincing the Komeito party, the dovish junior partner in Abe’s coalition, to agree would be challenging. - Reuters

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READERS’ FORUM Avoid taking loans for luxury items This refers to the report, ‘Debtors in jail as campaigning group mothballed’ (July 11).I sincerely apppreciate ‘Fak Kurbah’ for taking up this noble mission of getting the debtors out jail. Indeed it is a great humanatarian gesture . Somehow it is quite disgusting to read that this year they have fallen short of funds. However, to be honest we all should avoid taking loans unless it cannot be avoided. In the best of my knowledge Islam encourages a cash society and to be very frank, we should not indulge into loan taking activities unless it is for very essential purposes like housing, medical treatment or Scan this QR code education. Omanis are fortunate that medito send letters to the cal treatment and school education is free Readers’ Forum, for the locals in this country. It is my sincere containing not more than 200 words with advice to all youngsters, irrespective of their full name, address nationalities, to avoid taking loan to meet and telephone their desire of high end luxury items, number, may be sent specially cars. — Mohammad Osama by e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com).

Rawat, Ruwi

MIHIR SHARMA

Although Indian PM NarendraModi himself recognises the size of the task, he’s dismissed the possibility that “experts” can tell him what needs to be done. Instead, he’s turned increasingly to career bureaucrats for advice, even to formulate out-of-the-box reform proposals. The cost of this bias should be obvious

Airport drive to ease woes of both new and frequent users This refers to report, ‘Drive to ease delays at Oman‘s airport’ (July 11) It is a very informative article . It will be useful not only for new users but also for frequent users. — Keerthana.M. S, Al Khuwair

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Kamal Siddiqi

I

n 1982, Maulana Abdul Sattar Edhi was invited to be part of the reception at Karachi for Indonesian president Suharto. Waiting in his grey suit and chappals, protocol officers informed him that he would have to leave because he did not follow the dress code. In his autobiography ‘A mirror to the blind’, Edhi recalls that he refused to leave as he represented the common people. Glancing at the lines of affluent people on both sides, he asked “how can I be worthy when these are examples of respect?”

There are many such anecdotes. In 1986, he was awarded the prestigious Magasaysay Award. Staying in the lap of luxury, on beds “that we had never slept in before,” according to his wife a lifetime companion, Bilquis, the Edhis washed their clothes overnight in the bathtub and hung them over the towel rails. When informed of the complimentary laundry service available, Bilquis replied “we originated from a washerman’s village called Dhobi Barrah in Bantva. We are experts at the laundry business and love washing clothes.”

A simple lifestyle and emphasis on saving money, only to spend it on those who were more deserving reminds one of the life of another great man of the sub-continent, M K Gandhi. Both Gujratis by origin, these two men separated by almost half a century went about their mission without losing sight of the bigger picture.

The bigger picture was a welfare state in Pakistan based on Huquq-ul-Ibad. He once said, “I find little difference and many similarities between all religions, socialist thought and capitalist welfare systems.

The principles all emphasise humanitarianism. The concept of Huquq-ul-Ibad has not failed.” In his parting speech in 1984 to Pakistan’s Majlis-e-Shura, Edhi told the assembled gathering, which included General Zia, “If you talk of an Islamic system, let me guide you to the West which has adopted it. As Islam instructs discretion in charity, only collective welfare can provide cover as well as maintain public respect.”

Talking about General Zia’s rule at a time when most remained silent, Edhi said: “A rule based on victimisation, selfpreservation and greed is visionless. It is

also destructive. The country needs help.

Help to recover from its past and now its present. The people have been neglected long enough. One day, they shall rise like mad men and pull down these walls that keep their future captive. Mark my words and heed them before you find yourselves the prey instead of the predator.”

Edhi had little time for politicians as well. He saw them as self-serving and corrupt. He was disappointed with Bhutto, in whom he had earlier seen a reformer. But a bigger game was at play against Edhi in the mid-90s. He panicked and suddenly decided to leave for London. Like many others before and after him, he was being readied for a political leadership role to challenge an elected government.

For a man who had fought from within the system for so many years, his departure suggested the gravity of the threat if he did not comply and his belief not to be part of such conspiracies. Only after assurances were given that Edhi decided to return to his Pakistan – making it clear that he had no political ambitions. Possibly this is what kept him out of trouble for the next two decades.

In the UK, Edhi spent time on a friend’s farm. It was here that he compiled a 200page hand written document in Gujrati on the conspiracy that plagued Pakistan. It was to be made public in the event of his unnatural death. Fortunately Edhi died a natural death. Unfortunately, we will be unable to see that document now.

Today, millions are mourning the death of someone who can be described as the greatest person the country ever produced but few are ready to follow the simple lifestyle of principles that this man adopted.

That is the irony.

In death too, he saw opportunity. On the Karachi-Hyderabad highway, stands the Edhi Village. Here, next to the main boundary wall, Edhi selected the last resting place for himself and for Bilquis.

When she asked to be buried somewhere quiet, Edhi replied that it would be an opportunity to collect money. A collection box would be placed where people who travel the highway would be forced to give money out of fear of accidents. Even in death, Edhi would continue to help the poor. - Express Tribune

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES JULY 2001 Fire safety college to launch new diploma course MUSCAT: The Fire Safety Engineering College has announced its new fees structure and the launch of a new diploma course on well engineering awarded by University of Central Lancashire, the UK. Addressing a press conference on Seeb Novotel premises yesterday, Dr Robin Willis, the dean of the college, said the new academic year, which starts in September, will witness the launch of the diploma in well engineering the first in its kind in Oman and the Gulf. The diploma is validated by University of Central Lancashire, UK, and approved by the Ministry of Higher Education.

PICTOGRAPH PREVALENCE OF UNDERWEIGHT CHILDREN UNDER-FIVE YEARS OF AGE 1995

23%

2014

9.7% TODAY IN HISTORY INVITATION TO WRITERS We invite our readers to write articles on topics related to Oman. The articles should not exceed 800 words.

Send us your article along with your picture to akhtar@timesofoman.com

1794: British Admiral Lord Nelson loses his right eye at the siege of Calvi, in Corsica..

1941: Moscow is bombed by the German Luftwaffe for the first time.

1974: G. Gordon Liddy, John Ehrlichman and two others are convicted of conspiracy and perjury in connection with the Watergate scandal.

Source National Centre for Statistics & Information

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

A13

GLOBAL EYE

MOROCCO: A general view taken on Sunday shows the longest cable-stayed bridge in Africa named the “Mohammed VI Bridge” which stretches over the Bouregreg valley connecting the cities of Rabat and Sale in Morocco. The bridge is 950 metres long with two 200 metre high towers. —AFP

CANADA: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley flips pancakes during the annual Premier’s Calgary Stampede breakfast in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on Monday. — Reuters

GREECE: This undated handout picture released on Monday by the Greek Culture Ministry shows a diver next to wrecks dating from antiquity until the nineteenth century. Among the most interesting wrecks discovered this year, are three of the archaic period, Hellenistic and Roman amphorae containing the latest from the Black Sea while a fourth wreck the 3rd to 4th century comes from the Roman colonies in North Africa. — AFP/GREEK CULTURE MINISTRY/STR

UKRAINE: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lays flowers at the monument to the Heavenly Hundred, in memory of the activists who died during the Maidan protests, in Kiev, Ukraine on Monday. — AFP

AFGHANISTAN: An Afghan man harvests wheat on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday. — Reuters

NEW ZEALAND: This undated handout photo released on Monday by the Otago University and NZ Whale and Dolphin Trust shows a critically endangered Maui’s dolphin swimming off the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has called on New Zealand to take urgent action to save the world’s rarest dolphin from extinction, voicing “grave concern” about its future. — AFP/PROFESSOR STEVE DAWSON/OTAGO UNIVERSITY AND NZ WHALE AND DOLPHIN TRUST

A 14

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

GLOBAL EYE

CANADA: Montres Michel Herbelin (class 40) competing in the

Transat Quebec Saint-Malo race on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec City, Canada, on Sunday. — AFP

AUSTRALIA: A fisherman stands on the edge of the surf after casting his line at sunset on Sydney’s Bronte Beach, Australia, on

Monday. — Reuters

ARGENTINA: Picture taken during the 10th edition of the Twins Festival, in Famailla, Tucuman, in northern Argentina, on Sunday. — AFP

AUSTRIA: A man stands during sunrise on Kreuzjoch mountain in the Zillertal Alps in Schwendau, Austria, on Monday. — Reuters

AUSTRALIA: This undated handout photo released by James Cook University on Monday shows a vast area of dead mangroves in the Gulf of Carpentaria, in Australia’s remote north. Thousands of hectares of mangroves in Australia’s remote north have died, scientists said, with climate change the likely cause. Some 7,000 hectares, or nine percent of the mangroves in the Gulf of Carpentaria, perished in just one month according to researchers from Australia’s James Cook University. — AFP/JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY

GERMANY: Three baby seals swim in a pool of the seal breeding station in Friedrichskoog, Germany, on Monday. —AFP/dpa/Axel Heimken

CANADA: K.C. Jones of Decatur, Texas wrestles a steer in the steer wrestling event during the Calgary Stampede rodeo in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on Sunday. — Reuters

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

A15

WORLD May to become UK prime minister Interior minister Theresa May, 59, will succeed David Cameron, who announced he was stepping down after Britons unexpectedly voted last month to quit the EU

LONDON: Interior minister Theresa May will become Britain’s prime minister on Wednesday, with the task of steering its withdrawal from the European Union, after rival Andrea Leadsom abruptly terminated her shortlived and disastrous leadership campaign.

May, 59, will succeed David Cameron, who announced he was stepping down after Britons unexpectedly voted last month to quit the EU. Britain’s planned withdrawal has weakened the 28-nation bloc, created huge uncertainty over trade and investment, and shaken financial markets.

May and Leadsom had been due to contest a ballot of grassroots Conservative party members, with the result to be declared by September 9.

But Leadsom unexpectedly quit on Monday after a campaign dogged by ill-judged comments about her rival’s lack of children and questions about whether she had exaggerated her CV. “I am honoured and humbled to have been chosen by the Conservative Party to become its leader,” said May, who favoured remaining in the EU but has made clear there is no going back on the result of the June 23 referendum.

“Brexit means Brexit, and we’re going to make a success of it.”

SECOND FEMALE PRIME MINISTER: Britain’s Home Secretary Theresa May speaks to reporters after being confirmed as the next leader of the Conservative Party and Britain’s next prime minister in central London, Britain on Monday. – Reuters

Earlier, Cameron told reporters in front of his 10 Downing Street residence that he expected to chair his last cabinet meeting on Tuesday and take questions in parliament on Wednesday before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth. “So we will have a new prime minister in that building behind me by Wednesday evening,” he said.

May will become Britain’s second female prime minister after

Margaret Thatcher. Her victory means that the complex process of extricating Britain from the EU will be led by someone from the losing side of the acrimonious referendum campaign. She has said Britain needs time to work out its negotiating strategy and should not initiate formal divorce proceedings before the end of the year.

In a speech earlier on Monday in the central city of Birmingham, May said there could be no second

referendum and no attempt to rejoin the EU by the back door. “As prime minister, I will make sure that we leave the European Union,” she said.

Leadsom, 53, is a junior energy minister who has never served in cabinet and was barely known to the British public until she emerged as a prominent voice in the successful Leave campaign.

She had been strongly criticised over a newspaper interview

in which she appeared to suggest that being a mother meant she had more of a stake in the country’s future than May, who has no children.

Some Conservatives said they were disgusted by the remarks, for which Leadsom later apologised, while others said they showed naivety and a lack of judgment.

Leadsom told reporters she was pulling out of the race to avoid nine weeks of campaign uncertainty at

a time when strong leadership was needed. She acknowledged that May had secured much greater backing in a vote of Conservative members of parliament last week.

“I have ... concluded that the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well supported prime minister,” she said.

“I am therefore withdrawing from the leadership election and I wish Theresa May the very greatest success.” Graham Brady, head of the Conservative party committee in charge of the leadership contest, confirmed that May had been elected with immediate effect.

The pound, which has hit 31year lows since the referendum on concern about potential damage to the British economy, bounced slightly on the news that the Conservative leadership question would be resolved much sooner than expected.

It was trading around $1.2970, up 0.1 per cent on the day but still down around 13 per cent since the day of the vote. The FTSE 250 index of mid-sized companies rose 3.27 per cent.

“Welcome news we have 1 candidate with overwhelming support to be next PM. Theresa May has strength, integrity & determination to do the job,” finance minister George Osborne tweeted.

The 52-to-48 per cent vote to quit the EU after 43 years of membership was a stunning rebuke to Britain’s political leaders and especially Cameron, who had argued that breaking away would bring economic disaster.

Britons ignored his warnings, swayed by the arguments of the Leave campaign that ‘Brexit’ would enable them to regain ‘independence’ from Brussels and clamp down on high immigration, something hard to achieve under EU rules allowing people to live and work anywhere in the bloc.

May’s leadership hopes had appeared at risk of being damaged by her failure, in six years as interior minister, to bring immigration down, and the fact she found herself on the losing side of the referendum campaign. — Reuters

DISPUTED SEA

SOLAR IMPULSE2 LEAVES SPAIN FOR CAIRO Solar Impulse2, a solar powered plane piloted by Swiss aviator Andre Boschberg, flies over the Gemasolar Thermosolar Plant in Seville, Spain after taking off towards Cairo, Egypt, from the San Pablo airport, on Monday. — Handout via Reuters

No South China Sea talk at ASEM summit: Beijing BEIJING: The South China Sea is not on the agenda and should not be discussed at a major summit between Asian and European leaders in Mongolia at the end of the week, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Monday.

The Asia-Europe Meeting, or ASEM, will be the first important multilateral diplomatic gathering after the July 12 ruling by an arbitration court hearing a dispute between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea. Tensions and rhetoric have been rising ahead of the ruling in the Dutch city of The Hague, a case which China has refused to recognise or participate in. Beijing says the court has no jurisdiction and China cannot be forced to accept dispute resolution.

China has repeatedly blamed the United States for stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, where its

territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou signalled discussion of the South China Sea would not be welcomed at the event, which happens once every two years, as it’s designed to discuss issues between Asia and Europe. “The ASEM leaders summit is not a suitable place to discuss the South China Sea. There are no plans to discuss it there on the agenda for the meeting. And it should not be put on the agenda,” Kong told a news briefing.

However, Beijing-based diplomats involved with preparations for ASEM say it is inevitable the South China Sea dispute will be raised at the summit, which is expected to be attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. — Reuters

L A S T R E S P E C T PA I D

Srebrenica buries victims of massacre, Serbs avoid ceremony SREBRENICA (BOSNIA): Thousands of Muslim Bosniaks paid respect to 127 victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre buried in individual graves on Monday in a ceremony avoided by Serbs after survivors said they were not welcome because they denied genocide had occurred.

Nationalist Bosnian Serb forces led by General Ratko Mladic executed 8,000 Bosniak men and boys after overrunning Srebrenica near the end of Bosnia’s war 21 years ago and dumped their bodies in pits - Europe’s worst atrocity since World War II. Serb forces subsequently dug up the bodies and scattered them in a systematic effort to conceal the crime. UN war crimes investigators later excavated the mass graves, but over 1,000 bodies are still missing.

Most Serbs, both in Bosnia and Serbia whose 1990s leadership armed and funded Bosnian Serb forces, strongly deny that the massacre was genocide as judged by the UN war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia.

Dispute They dispute the death toll and the official account of what happened, reflecting conflicting narratives about how and why Yugoslavia broke up in bloodshed. That divide continues to hinder reconciliation and stifle Bosnia’s progress toward integration with Western Europe. The Balkan country today is split into autonomous Serb and Bosniak-Croat entities. For Muslim Bosniaks, Srebrenica has become a symbol of collective suffering and July burials of victims an annual ritual. July 11, the start

of the five-day massacre, was made a national day of mourning by Bosnia’s weak post-war central government comprised of Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats.

Some Serb officials attended previous burial ceremonies but this year was the first time none came after families said that those who deny genocide happened in Srebrenica were not welcome.

“How can anyone say this was not a genocide?” said Nura Suljic, 57, pointing at endless rows of white marble tombstones in the flower-shaped Potocari memorial cemetery near Srebrenica, where more than 6,300 victims are now interred.

Suljic buried her brother after his bones were found in three different mass graves.

Bakir Izetbegovic, the Bosniak chairman of Bosnia’s three-person

inter-ethnic presidency and son of its late wartime president, urged Serbs to face up to historical facts.

“Acceptance and recognition of the truth is the first step towards genuine trust,” he said.

Last year’s 20th anniversary was marred when an angry crowd at the ceremony chased away Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who had enlisted ally Russia to veto a UN resolution that would have condemned the denial of Srebrenica as genocide.

Survivors did not want a possible repeat of any such incidents that would distract attention away from the victims.

Serbian and Bosnian Serb officials bristled at the condition for attendance. “That was not genocide and Serbs will never accept that word,” Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik said.

PAIN AND GRIEF: Women react before a joint burial of victims in Potocari near Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. – Reuters

Thousands of grieving families stood by green-draped coffins in sweltering mid-summer heat, some kneeling, crying and hugging the caskets before they were lowered into freshly-dug graves.

“All I have been left with are these three cold stones I can hug instead of my two sons and husband, and a grief I will carry in my heart until I die,” said 67-year-old Nezira Memic. — Reuters

A 16

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

WORLD

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US police forces mull new tactics after Dallas killings After last week’s killing of five officers in Dallas, nearly half of America’s 30 biggest cities have issued directives to pair up police officers on calls to boost safety

CHICAGO: Police departments across the United States are searching for new tactics for a more difficult era of racial tension, increasingly lethal mass shootings and global terrorism.

After last week’s killing of five officers in Dallas, the deadliest assault on US law enforcement since the September 11, 2001, attacks, nearly half of America’s 30 biggest cities have issued directives to pair up police officers on calls to boost safety, according to a Reuters survey of police departments. And one, Indianapolis, said it would consider the use of robots to deliberately deliver lethal force, an unprecedented tactic until Thursday when the Dallas police department used a military-grade robot to deliver and detonate explosives where the shooter was holed up.

While a wave of anti-police protests since the 2014 killing of an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, Missouri, has revived memories of 1960s protests over civil rights and the Vietnam War, Thursday’s shooting marked something different: a willingness to take up arms against police.

Ambushes against police on VAT I C A N

US citizen promoted as pope’s spokesman ROME: The Vatican named former Fox News reporter Greg Burke as its new spokesman on Monday, the first time a US citizen has been entrusted with leading the pope’s communications team.

Burke, who is a member of the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei, was hired by the Vatican an adviser four years ago at a time when the Roman Catholic Church was mired in leaks scandals and stuck in a public relations quagmire. On Monday, the Vatican announced that Burke would become the pope’s official spokesman, with Father Federico Lombardi stepping down from the role which he had held for 10 years.

Spanish radio reporter Paoloma Garcia Ovejero will become the deputy spokesperson -- the first time a woman has had such a senior role in the Vatican communications department.

Burke, 56, a native of St Louis, Missouri, was Fox’s Rome-based roving correspondent for Europe and the Middle East before joining the Vatican. Prior to that he worked for Time magazine in the Italian capital for a decade. He worked as a stringer for Reuters in Rome early in his career and has also written several books, one about an Italian soccer team. — Reuters

TRIBUTE: Flowers and candles adorn a memorial outside the Dallas Police Headquarters. – AFP

Thursday and Friday in Tennessee, Georgia and Missouri added to a sense of being under siege and vulnerable at a time when many departments already were grappling with heightened community suspicion over the use of deadly force. Responding to the Dallas shooting, Denver’s police union wants officers to wear riot gear for local protests and to be armed with AR-15 assault rifles while patrolling Denver International Airport, the union said in a letter to the mayor published in The Denver Post.

The most immediate change is the pairing up of officers. Thirteen of the country’s 30 biggest city

police department said they are pairing up officers - a change that could strain already thinly staffed police ranks in some regions.

(The 13 are New York City, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Seattle, Memphis, Boston and Portland.)

In Albuquerque, New Mexico one of several cities dealing with an officer shortage - pairing officers could mean “possibly longer response times for lower priority calls,” said its police spokesman, Simon Drobik. And for cities with tight municipal budgets, some question whether this expensive

strategy can last beyond the short term. Doubling up officers “is a resource-intense approach and it will be a significant challenge for some police departments to sustain that strategy for very long,” said Thomas Manger, president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), which represents police chiefs from the country’s largest cities.

He predicted over the longer term that police will increase surveillance and expand their security presence at major events across the country. “This will cause complaints about violating people’s constitutional rights to free assembly, but it is the only way to guarantee safety,” he said.

The attack in Dallas came during a demonstration Thursday over the shooting by police of two black men. Alton Sterling, 37, was shot by police in Baton Rouge on Tuesday and Philando Castile, 32, was killed on Wednesday night in a St. Paul, Minnesota suburb.

The Dallas shooting also left seven officers injured.

“We need to figure out a way to ensure that police officers don’t get targeted, because right now they do have targets on their backs,” said Andrea Edmiston, director of governmental affairs for the National Association of Police Organizations, which represents about 241,000 US police officers.

Few of the police forces approached by Reuters said they could discuss specific changes in tactics beyond pairing officers on the beat. Los Angeles and Denver, for instance, declined for safety reasons to discuss tactics.

Indianapolis police spokesman Kendale Adams said his department would consider using a robot to deliver a bomb. “Our team will consider all options in (a) deadly force encounter,” he said in an email. If every police department had New York City’s resources, the challenges would be much less. New York police spokesman Stephen Davis said some 1,500 of the city’s 36,000 police officers have received coordinated heavy weapons training.

Davis said there are officers around the clock who can respond to an active shooter situation in an estimated three to five minutes.

“As most active shooter situations last under 10 minutes, that speed is crucial,” he said. “But we are well aware of the luxury that we have with so many resources available to us.”

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a law enforcement policy group, said that as 90 per cent of America’s 18,000 police forces have under 50 officers, many simply cannot afford the kind of staff needed to respond as quickly as needed to mass shootings. Wexler said the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 had been a milestone for police in realizing that major public events could become targets. — Reuters

OFFENSIVE

Philippine troops kill 40 Abu Sayyaf militants MANILA: Filipino troops have killed about 40 Abu Sayyaf rebels in offensives on southern islands over the past week, the military said on Monday, as a new government intensifies operations to wipe out one of Asia’s most formidable kidnap gangs.

Battles on Basilan and Sulu islands since Wednesday killed one soldier and also wounded some two-dozen members of the Al Qaeda-linked group, which gained in notoriety over the past few months with its beheading of two Canadian hostages.

“A heavy firefight was still ongoing involving armoured vehicles, artillery fire and close-air support,” Filemon Tan, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, told journalists, citing intelligence reports received late on Sunday.

Abu Sayyaf, whose name translates as “Bearer of the Sword”, has dogged successive Philippine governments, entrenching its network with vast sums of ransom money in what has become one of Asia’s most lucrative kidnap rackets.

The rebels are holding at least 14 hostages - one Dutch, one Norwegian, five Filipinos and seven Indonesians.

Three Indonesians were abducted from a tugboat on Sunday, although it was not immediately clear if Abu Sayyaf rebels were responsible.

Security experts say the rebels are motivated less by hardline ideology and more by the tens of millions of dollars from kidnappings.

They use the money to finance the purchase of automatic weapons, grenade launchers, fast boats and high-tech navigational equipment.

The government of President Rodrigo Duterte, who took office on June 30, is under renewed pressure to tackle Abu Sayyaf following the decapitation of the two Canadians and the kidnapping of Indonesian sailors. — Reuters

FIGHT AGAINST IS

Sirte battle risks widening Libya political splits SIRTE (LIBYA): When Western officials cajoled Libya’s warring factions to support a unity government this year, they said it was a chance for the rival armed brigades to unite against the common enemy, IS militant group.

Libyan forces may be close to winning the battle for the militant group’s stronghold in Sirte, but divisions may deepen if one of the most powerful brigades, led by commanders from Misrata, takes control of the prize city.

For Western powers, keen to stabilise the North African country in chaos since its 2011 revolution, the fragile Tripoli government of Prime Minister Fayaz Seraj is the only way to bring together factions that were at war just two years ago.

How the battle for Sirte ends — Misrata commanders cannot say how long city will hold out — may determine the fate of Seraj, Libya’s alliances and its future oil exports.

The Misrata’s brigades, at the front of the fight against IS in Sirte, are backing Seraj but, after losses in battle there, are in no mood for compromise with rivals and are growing frustrated with Tripoli. “We get nothing from the unity government. This is supposed to be a fight for Libya, but it’s been 70 per cent led by Misrata,” said Misrata fighter Mohamed Yousef, on the Zafran frontline in Sirte. “If nothing changes, Seraj’s time will come. Maybe he will do

well, but if nothing changes?”

With no national army, brigades of former rebel fighters, who battled to oust Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 before turning against one another, are powerbrokers who form a patchwork of quasi-fiefdoms across the OPEC country.

Brigade loyalties are often to city, region and tribe over nation.

Smaller brigades may ally with

Misrata because their interests are threatened by IS. But to the east, General Khalifa Haftar’s rival forces, long antagonistic to Misrata, have little interest in cooperation.

Two months after they began a campaign to liberate Sirte, Misrata commanders say they are close to finishing a fight that may give them an advantage over Haf-

tar, who along with other eastern hardliners has rejected Seraj’s government.

“We are monitoring Sirte,” said Colonel Ahmad Messmari, spokesman for Haftar forces. “Regarding operations there, we don’t have any connection with them.”

Caught in between Misrata and Haftar’s forces and with his own base close to Sirte is Ibrahim Jathran, the former rebel whose Petroleum Facilities Guards brigades control key oil ports Ras Lanuf and Es Sider, vital for restarting oil exports. He has allied with Seraj’s government for now, and clashed with Haftar. He says he is working to reopen the ports.

But his relations with Misrata are tense. His troops battled Misrata in 2014 over the oil ports.

Brigades from Misrata, the western town of Zintan and other regions already claim competing legitimacy because of their role ousting Gaddafi. They have in the past used military force against political rivals in the absence of strong government.

Mattia Toaldo, Libya expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the fall of Sirte to Misrata may now embolden them: Haftar to push while Misrata is recovering from Sirte, and for Misrata to resist pressure to compromise. “The victorious end of Misrata’s offensive on Sirte could be the harbinger of more infighting between different factions,” he

said. “Ultimately, the current relative absence of violence in Libya is very fragile in many areas and could crumble under these multiple pressures.”

Misrata forces are surrounding the remains of IS militants holding out in the centre of Sirte in what commanders hope are the final stages of a battle to liberate the city.

Commanders say after taking control of residential areas near the centre, as few as 300 militants may be left in a small area that includes the Ouagadougou conference hall complex, a city hospital and a university. Fighting eased during the Eid Al Fitr festivities that marked the end of holy month of Ramadan last week but has started to pick up with shelling of the centre. “They might have someone important still inside, they are acting like a mad dog in a corner, trying to get out,” said Abnulsana, a brigade representative at a Sirte command centre.

The loss of Sirte would take away IS’ main base in Libya, one it promoted as beachhead in North Africa. Earlier this year, US officials estimated 6,000 fighters were in IS in Libya.

Some commanders and fighters are likely to have escaped to the south along smuggling routes using ties between IS and Nigeriabased Boko Haram, Misrata intelligence chief Brigadier Mohamed Gnaidy said. — Reuters

CHANGE DEMANDED

Irish prime minister rejects call from lawmaker to step down

FACING LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE: Ireland’s Prime Minister Enda Kenny in Brussels in this file picture. – Reuters File

DUBLIN: Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny resisted a call on Monday from a lawmaker of his Fine Gael party to step down over the next two months, rejecting the first open challenge to make on a promise to allow a change of leadership.

Kenny returned to office in May as head of a minority government that is due to run until the end of 2018. He has said he will not lead his centre-right party into the next election but not specified when he will stand down. Pressure for

Kenny to announce a timeline has risen since an opinion poll last week showed his party had fallen nine percentage points behind its main rival, Fianna Fail.

“The best opportunity for the country for stable government is a change of leadership. Particularly in the context of Brexit, we need to have a stronger Fine Gael,” party legislator Brendan Griffin told national broadcaster RTE on Monday. He added that the only opportunity for “an orderly transition”

was the summer parliamentary recess starting this month and running into September. In a speech broadcast by RTE, Kenny said he had “no intention of being diverted from... that responsibility that I’ve undertaken and which I have received a mandate to fulfil.” After suffering heavy losses in elections in February, Fine Gael returned to power with the backing of a group of independent lawmakers and facilitated by Fianna Fail.

Griffin said he was considering

filing a motion of no confidence in Kenny at Fine Gael’s weekly party meeting on Wednesday, but senior ministers came out in support of the prime minister. “This is not the time for a leadership challenge. In the light of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, which is a big body blow, we need the experience of the Taoiseach (prime minister) and his relationships in Europe,” Education Minister Richard Bruton, who led a challenge against Kenny in 2010, told RTE. — Reuters

B

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM TU ES DAY, JULY 12, 2016

MARKE

OMAN CRUDE PRICES FALL Oman Crude (September delivery) declined by 48 cents to $42.60 per barrel, said Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME). The average price of Oman Crude (July delivery) stabilised at $44.33 per barrel, $4.93 higher than June delivery. – ONA

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Muscat 5,820.34 + 4.08 + 0.07%

Dubai 3,392.90 + 7.61 + 0.22%

Abu Dhabi 4,540.27 - 27.73 - 0.61%

Saudi Arabia

6,570.34 + 14.47 + 0.22%

Kuwait 5,365.47 - 15.39 - 0.29%

Bahrain 1,156.45 + 3.96 + 0.34%

Qatar 10,105.52 + 141.26 + 1.42%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (OMR1)*

GOLD PRICES*

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

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.37 Pound ...........................................1.98 Indian Rs ............................. 173.85 Pak Rs ....................................267.45 Bangla Taka......................200.88

Indian Rs ...................................174.30 Pakistan Rs .............................272.00 Sri Lanka Rs .................................. N/A Bangla Taka........................... 203.50 Phil Peso ................................... 122.00

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......14.35

Oman Crude............. (Spot) .........$46.13 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) .........$46.13 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$48.43 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........ $46.73 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) .........$46.81 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........ $45.47

* Rates are as of Jul 11 Source: Bank Muscat

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......13.85 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............134.50 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............. 127.50 * Rates as of Jul 11

* Rates as of Jul 11 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

NEW APPOINTMENT

Oman Arab Bank names Rashad Al Musafir as deputy CEO Times News Service

Rashad bin Ali Al Musafir.

— Supplied picture

G C C - S TAT D ATA

Aggregate inflation in the Gulf fell in May 2016 MUSCAT: The aggregate Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) inflation slightly decreased from 2.1 per cent in April 2016 to 1.9 per cent in May 2016.

The statistics released by the GCC Statistical Centre (GCCStat) pointed out that transport group contributed the most 0.7 per cent of the 1.9 per cent inflation, followed by clothing and shoes 0.3 per cent, food and beverages, education and furnishing groups contributed 0.2 per cent each, tobacco, health and miscellaneous groups 0.1 per cent each.

In terms of groups, the highest group-level inflation in the GCC was in the tobacco group at 14.6 per cent while prices in the group of restaurants and hotels declined in May 2016 on average 0.7 per cent. Saudi Arabia contributed 1.4 per cent of the overall inflation, UAE 0.15 per cent, Kuwait 0.11 per cent, Bahrain 0.10 per cent, Qatar 0.08 per cent, and Oman 0.06 per cent. The national GCC annual inflation rates in May 2016 ranged between 1.1 per cent in the Sultanate of Oman and 4.1 per cent in Saudi Arabia, based on national statistical offices. — ONA CRUDE SUPPLIES

Oil prices to remain stable DUBAI: Oil markets will remain stable this year even as Iran plans to keep boosting crude exports to regain the market share it lost due to sanctions, according to a senior official at state-run National Iranian Oil Co. Iran exports about 2 million barrels of its daily output of 3.8 million, said Mohsen Ghamsari, NIOC’s director of international affairs. The country has regained about 80 per cent of the market share it held before the US and European Union tightened sanctions on its oil industry in 2012, he said. Sanctions were eased in January, and Iran plans to double crude exports.

“Our exports peak is above 4 million barrels a day, and we have plans for that and are waiting for the right conditions,” Ghamsari said in an interview in Tehran, without elaborating on the timing for such an increase. “The market will stay on its present balance, and a return to prices below $30 a barrel is not very probable, at least in the current year.”

“Our policy is not to stockpile oil in floating offshore storage,” Ghamsari said. — Bloomberg News

MUSCAT: Oman Arab Bank (OAB) announced the appointment of banking and finance expert Rashad bin Ali Al Musafir as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, effective from August 14, 2016.

An experienced banker and seasoned professional, Al Mussafir will work closely with the bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Amin Al Husseini and his leadership team, to realize the Bank’s strategic ambitions.

On the occasion, Rashad bin Mohammad Al Zubair, Chairman of the Board, Oman Arab Bank, commented, “Oman Arab Bank has always been committed to hiring and developing talented Omani

professionals across all functions and departments especially senior leadership roles. We are pleased to welcome Rashad Al Musafir on board to our growing team and we are confident that his management experience will prove invaluable in further strengthening the Bank and enhancing customer service.”

Established track record Amin Rasheed Al Husseini added, “I am delighted to welcome Rashad Al Musafir to Oman Arab Bank and look forward to working hand-in-hand with him to ensure we continue to provide innovative banking solutions to our valued customers. His established track record and in-depth experience will prove invaluable in further

strengthening the Bank’s franchise and improving shareholder value in addition to his ability to manage risks in challenging conditions while delivering growth with the guidance and support of its shareholders; Ominvest and the Arab Bank Group.”

Rashad bin Ali Al Musafir, said, “I am excited to join Oman Arab Bank and be part of a great institution that has a long standing history in providing customers in the Sultanate with a unique and farreaching banking proposition. I am looking forward to working together with the executive management team to continue taking the Bank from strength to strength.

With 20 years of industry experience and knowledge in running

and managing high-profile profitable operations, Rashad joins OAB from Bank Sohar where he worked for almost 10 years in various leadership positions the most recent once being Acting Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Acting Head of Compliance.

Prior to that, Rashad worked with Al Madina Gulf Insurance, Oman International Bank and the Central Bank of Oman. A Cleared Certified Public Accountant (CPA); he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Finance from Boston University and completed the reputable Harvard Business School General Management Program.

OAB was established in 1984 following the acquisition of Arab

Bank’s branches in the Sultanate. For over 30 years, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) has been an active contributor to the Sultanate’s ongoing growth and development by offering customers and organisations of all sizes innovative solutions complemented by local and international expertise.

Today, OAB provides a comprehensive suite of products and services in Retail banking, Corporate and Project Finance, Investment Banking, Trade Finance and most recently, Islamic Banking. The Bank has provided financing for setting up major projects in Oman that have a wider economic impact including power generation, water desalination, aviation and infrastructure to name but a few.

Oman’s share index slides marginally by 0.6% in June At the end of the month, the market reacted negatively to Brexit; and a sharp fall was witnessed in the market.

However, it gradually recovered and the market registered gains of 6.9 per cent year-to-date, the report said.

Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman’s benchmark MSM30 bourse fell 0.6 per cent month-on-month (MoM) in June after falling 2.2 per cent MoM in May, according to Global Research’s GCC Market Performance Markets July 2016 report.

The market started on a positive note, taking cues from its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) peers. However, after the first week, the market started falling gradually due to a lack of any positive catalyst.

At the end of the month, the market reacted negatively to Brexit; and a sharp fall was wit-

in British citizens changing the course of the world’s fifth largest economy by voting to leave the European Union (EU). This shocked investors worldwide and its impact was recorded across global markets and currencies.

nessed in the market. However, it gradually recovered and the market registered gains of 6.9 per cent year-to-date, the report said.

Oman’s government sold a $500 million six-year sukuk (government bond) in a private placement. The sukuk’s profit rate was 3.5 per cent, and the ijara-structured instrument will be repaid in three equal instalments after the third year.

Meanwhile, Oman raised a $2.5 billion two-part bond and a $1 billion loan from banks in January, 2016, the report pointed out.

Sectoral performance In June, the Industrial sector (2 per cent MoM) was the sole gainer.

Banking and Investment slipped (-2 per cent MoM) and the Services and Insurance sector also (-0.6 per cent MoM) ended in the red.

The Industrial sector rose on the gains in National Gas Co. (10.5 per cent MoM), followed by Raysut Cement Co. (8.3 per cent MoM), Al Jazeera Steel Products Co. (0.5 per cent MoM), and Al Maha Ceramics Co. (12.1 per cent MoM).

Services and Insurance ended in the red owing to the losses of Galfar Engineering and Contracting Co. (4.8 per cent MoM), Oman Telecommunications Co. (1.6 per cent MoM), and Phoenix Power Co. (3.2 per cent MoM).

Banking and Investment declined owing to the losses of the Sohar Bank (-2.3 per cent MoM), Bank Muscat (-3.6 per cent MoM), Global Financial Inv. Co. (-7.1 per cent MoM), and HSBC Bank Oman (-4.9 per cent MoM).

In June, trading on the MSM30 declined, with the overall volume traded falling 3.2 per cent MoM to

– Times file picture

294 million shares.

The turnover declined 27.5 per cent MoM to $0.2 billion.

In June, market capitalisation for the MSM30-listed companies was down 0.9 per cent MoM to $16 billion, with that of the top 10 listed companies falling 0.5 per cent MoM. GCC markets GCC markets ended on a mixed note in June on weak global cues and Brexit, which hurt market sentiments worldwide amidst a flattish oil price scenario. The KSE (-0.7 per cent MoM) was the top loser for the month and DFM also fell (-0.1 per cent MoM).

The ADX (Abu Dhabi Index) was the top gainer for the month (5.8 per cent MoM), followed by the QE (Qatar Index) (3.6 per cent MoM), the TASI (Saudi Arabia’s Index) (0.8 per cent MoM), and the Bahrain stock market

(0.6 per cent MoM).

Market capitalisation The combined market capitalisation of GCC bourses rose 2 per cent MoM to $836 billion in June from $819 billion in May. The Saudi bourse contributed the most ($401 billion or 47.9 per cent) to the overall market capitalisation, followed by the Qatari index ($122 billion or 14.6 per cent), and the Abu Dhabi and Dubai markets ($199 billion or 23.8 per cent). The Kuwaiti, Omani, and Bahraini exchanges contributed $114 billion (13.7 per cent).

Trading declines Trading activity slowed down in June, with the volume traded declining 17 per cent MoM to 12.6 billion shares and value traded falling 25.1 per cent MoM to $26.3 billion. The much-awaited referendum on June 23, 2016, resulted

Fed to take dovish stance Global experts expect Brexit and consequent events to push the US Federal Reserve to adopt a much more dovish stance, which would result in a delay in rate hikes.

Given the currency peg of GCC countries, such an event would be positive for these countries; as lower oil prices have resulted in slower growth for Gulf Cooperation Council countries, a lower interest rate would be conducive in such a scenario.

However, from the point of view of local banks, a delay/slower rise in interest rates would be considered a negative as this is expected to be the main catalyst for their earnings growth trajectory.

Given that GCC exports to the United Kingdom and the EU comprise mainly of oil and energy related products, any slowdown in these economies due to Brexit may pressure oil prices.

The UK remains among the top five buyers in Dubai’s property market. While asset managers and investors in the GCC region may witness their existing investments in the UK get devalued and/ or yields eroded due to a weaker pound, softer prices and a cheaper currency offer an opportunity for investors. Additionally, the weaker currency is expected to adversely impact tourism as well given that British and European nationals are one of the top tourists in Dubai.

CURRENT MARKET OUTLOOK

Boeing forecasts new airplanes valued at $5.9 trillion Times News Service MUSCAT: Boeing projects a demand for 39,620 new airplanes over the next 20 years, an increase of 4.1 per cent over last year’s forecast. Boeing released its annual Current Market Outlook (CMO) on the first day of the Farnborough International Airshow, estimating the total value of those new airplanes at $5.9 trillion.

Long-term growth “Despite recent events that have impacted the financial markets, the aviation sector will continue to see long-term growth with the commercial fleet doubling in size,” said Randy Tinseth, vice president of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We ex-

pect to see passenger traffic grow 4.8 per cent a year over the next two decades.”

The single-aisle market will be especially strong, with low-cost carriers and emerging markets driving growth. 28,140 new airplanes will be needed in this segment, an increase of more than 5 per cent over last year.

“There’s no question the heart of the single-aisle market is around the new Boeing MAX 8 and MAX 200, as well as the current 737-800. Airplanes that size already account for 76 per cent of the current single-aisle global backlog, and our products have the clear advantage in that space.”

On the widebody side, 9,100 airplanes are in the forecast, with a large wave of potential replace-

ment demand in the 2021-2028 time frame. Boeing projects a continued shift from very large airplanes to small and medium widebodies such as the 787, 777 and 777X. Cargo traffic to grow With cargo traffic forecasted to grow at 4.2 per cent per year, Boeing projects the need for 930 new freighters and 1,440 converted freighters.

The Asia market, including China, will continue to lead the way in total airplane deliveries over the next two decades.

Boeing’s Current Market Outlook is the longest running jet forecast and regarded as the most comprehensive analysis of the aviation industry.

Airbus close to $7.5 billion deal LONDON: Airbus Group is in discussions with Go Airlines India regarding the purchase of about 70 A320neo planes worth around $7.5 billion at list prices, according to people familiar with the situation.

An announcement could come as early as this week at the Farnborough Air Show in England, though talks may extend further into the year, said the people, who asked

not to be identified because the negotiations are ongoing.

GoAir is one of only three carriers that have begun operating the revamped Neo version of Airbus’s single-aisle jet.

The Indian carrier is expanding its fleet in the world’s fastest-growing major aviation market where at least seven other budget airlines operate. Air travel in India grew more than 20 per cent in 2015. — Bloomberg News

B2

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

MARKET MSM index ends higher

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 5,828.38 ...............5,816.26 ...................5,820.34 ................... 5,816.26....................4.08 ................... 0.07 Financial Index .....................................7,349.37 ...............7,306.62 ....................7,337.96 ................... 7,306.62..................31.34 ................... 0.43 Industrial Index ....................................7,490.08 ............... 7,471.21 ....................7,484.11 ....................7,471.21................. 12.90 ................... 0.17 Services Index ...................................... 3,254.86 ...............3,250.15 ................... 3,250.48 ................... 3,253.74.................. -3.26 .................. -0.10 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................896.40 ..................894.79 .......................895.61 .......................895.13....................0.48 ................... 0.05 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 10,573,741 .................. 2,276,358 .....................661 ................17,073,979,681 ................ 14 ........................6 ....................20 .........................40

Top gainer was Oman United Insurance, up 5.51 per cent, while the top loser was Al

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR MONDAY, JULY 11

Jazeera Steel, with a loss of 2.61 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

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

OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 390,876 ......... 104,710......................41 ........... 0.258 ...........0.278 ...........0.258........... 0.268 .............0.254 ............0.014 ............. 5.512 ................0.275..............0.272...................0.278...................26,800,000 ........0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT .......................................5,300 .................. 334........................1 ........... 0.063 ...........0.063 ...........0.063........... 0.063 ............. 0.061............ 0.002............. 3.279 ................0.063..............0.061...................0.062 .................. 13,050,537 .........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 610,209 ........... 88,486......................61 ............0.143 ........... 0.147 ...........0.143 ............0.145 ............. 0.141............ 0.004............. 2.837 ................0.146 .............. 0.145...................0.147...................13,050,000 .........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ........................................................... 418,331 .......... 250,112..................... 69 ........... 0.582 ...........0.604 ...........0.582........... 0.598 .............0.582 ............0.016 ............. 2.749 ................0.600..............0.604...................0.608 ..................32,890,000.........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ................ 8,470 ............... 2,174........................4 ........... 0.257 ...........0.257 ...........0.255........... 0.257 .............0.252 ........... 0.005............. 1.984 ................0.255..............0.255...................0.258.................... 5,397,000 ..........0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ..................................................... 10,376 ...............4,562........................3 ........... 0.432 ...........0.440 ...........0.432........... 0.440 .............0.432 ........... 0.008............. 1.852 ................0.440..............0.434...................0.468...................26,620,000.........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 1,019,162 .......140,860..................... 35 ............0.138 ........... 0.140 ...........0.137 ............0.138 ............. 0.136............ 0.002..............1.471.................0.137 .............. 0.137...................0.138................... 16,818,750 .........0.100

MUSCAT: In a retail dominated trading session, the MSM30 Index inched up 0.07 per cent to close at 5,820.34 points.

The MSM Sharia Index gained 0.05 per cent to finish at 895.61 points. Al Izz Bank was the most active in terms of volume while National Gas was the most active in terms of turnover.

Monday’s top gainer was Oman United Insurance, up 5.51 per cent, while the top loser was Al Jazeera Steel, with a loss of 2.61 per cent.

A total number of 661 trades were executed on Monday, generating turnover of OMR2.3 million with 10.5 million shares changing hands. Out of 40 traded securities, 14 advanced, 6 declined and 20 remained unchanged.

At the session close, foreign investors were net buyers for OMR95,000 followed by GCC & Arab Investors for OMR20,000 while Omani investors switched to net sellers for OMR115,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index had strong gain of 0.43 per cent to end at 7,337.96 points. Oman United Insurance, Al Madina Investments, Al Sharqia Investments, Al Izz Bank and Oman & Emirates Holding gained 5.51 per cent, 3.28 per cent, 2.84 per cent, 1.67 per cent and 1.47 per cent respectively. Al Madina Takaful, Bank Nizwa and Bank Muscat declined 1.33 per cent, 1.27 per cent and 0.53 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index advanced 0.17 per cent to finish at 7,484.11 points. Gulf International Chemicals, Voltamp Energy, Galfar En-

gineering, Raysut Cement and Al Maha Ceramics gained 1.98 per cent, 1.85 per cent, 0.92 per cent, 0.75 per cent and 0.43 per cent respectively. Al Jazeera Steel, down 2.61 per cent, was the only sector loser. Services Index ended negatively at 3,250.48 points, down 0.10 per cent. National Gas, Omantel and Al Jazeera Services increased 2.75 per cent, 0.61 per cent and 0.47 per cent respectively. Renaissance Services and Al Maha Petroleum declined 2.32 per cent and 0.33 per cent respectively.

OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 379,290 ........... 68,690..................... 10 ............0.179 ........... 0.185 ...........0.178 ............0.181 ............. 0.179............ 0.002..............1.117 .................0.178 ..............0.170...................0.178 ..................257,931,542 ........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 740,558 ............81,128..................... 32 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.108............0.110 .............0.109 ............0.001 ............. 0.917 ................0.108..............0.108...................0.109................... 31,897,870 .........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ....................................................... 50,000 ............ 67,000........................3 ............1.340 ........... 1.340 ...........1.340........... 1.340 .............1.330.............0.010 ............. 0.752 ................1.340..............1.340...................1.380................. 268,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 127,879 ..........212,009..................... 25 ............1.650 ........... 1.665 ...........1.650 ........... 1.660 ............. 1.650.............0.010 ............. 0.606 ................1.660 .............. 1.655...................1.660................1,245,000,000......0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES .......................................... 219,819 ............ 46,667......................18 ............0.211 ...........0.220 ...........0.210........... 0.212 ............. 0.211.............0.001 ............. 0.474 ................0.220 .............0.218...................0.220 ..................12,975,306 .........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 195,000 ...........92,040......................15 ........... 0.472 ........... 0.472 ...........0.472........... 0.472 .............0.470 ........... 0.002............. 0.426 ................0.472..............0.458...................0.470...................24,780,000.........0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ...........................3,200 .................. 768........................2 ........... 0.240...........0.240 ...........0.240 .......... 0.240 .............0.240 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.240 .............0.230...................0.240 ..................22,809,600.........0.100 OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ..................1,150 .................. 283........................3 ........... 0.246 ...........0.246 ...........0.246........... 0.246 .............0.246 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.246..............0.230...................0.246 ................... 8,258,577 ..........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 171,564 .............41,175........................3 ........... 0.240...........0.240 ...........0.240 .......... 0.240 .............0.240 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.240 .............0.230...................0.245 .................353,947,506........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 213,900 ...........20,962........................5 ........... 0.098 ...........0.098 ...........0.098........... 0.098 .............0.098 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.098..............0.097...................0.098..................196,030,653 ........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 200,000........... 39,400........................6 ............0.197 ........... 0.197 ...........0.197 ............0.197 ............. 0.197............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.197 .............. 0.193...................0.197...................39,400,000.........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 728,547 ......... 128,120..................... 59 ............0.177 ........... 0.177 ...........0.175 ............0.176 ............. 0.176............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.175 .............. 0.174...................0.176 ...................30,800,432.........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 160,000 ...........40,320........................8 ........... 0.252 ...........0.252 ...........0.252........... 0.252 .............0.252 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.252..............0.250...................0.252 ..................74,645,848.........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ..........................2,000 ...................176........................1 ........... 0.088 ...........0.088 ...........0.088........... 0.080 .............0.080 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.088..............0.080...................0.085....................2,400,000..........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 656,046 ............ 77,413......................21 ............0.118 ........... 0.118............0.118 ............0.118 ............. 0.118............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.118 ...............0.115................... 0.118 ....................6,943,500 ..........0.100

Emerging markets The MSCI Emerging Markets Index rose 1.7 per cent to 842.5 at 12:51pm in London, its third day of advances. The gauge has climbed 6 per cent this year and trades at 11.9 times its projected 12-month earnings.

The MSCI World Index is up 0.4 per cent in 2016 and is valued at a multiple of 15.9.

Markets in the Gulf states reopened after the Eid holiday with a gauge of shares in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries gaining 0.4 per cent, near twomonth high. Markets in the Czech Republic, South Africa and Egypt rose at least 0.5 per cent. Russia’s Micex Index gained 0.7 per cent in Moscow, with Alrosa jumping the most in three weeks after the government raised $816 million from the sale of a stake in the world’s largest diamond miner.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index jumped 2 per cent after sliding 2 per cent last week.

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 535,172.............93,791..................... 10 ............0.175 ........... 0.180 ...........0.175 ............0.175 ............. 0.175............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.180.............. 0.176...................0.180..................280,787,385 ........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER...................................................................... 10 ....................... 3........................1 ........... 0.300...........0.300 ...........0.300 .......... 0.300 .............0.300 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.300 .............0.284...................0.300 ..................66,303,000.........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 282,775 ..........210,185..................... 34 ............0.744 ........... 0.744 ...........0.740........... 0.744 .............0.744............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.740..............0.736...................0.744................. 484,302,507 .......0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER.................................................... 3,009 .................. 605........................2 ............0.201 ........... 0.201 ...........0.198 ........... 0.205 .............0.205 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.198 ..............0.198...................0.201..................138,351,923 ........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ................................................... 38,202 ............... 7,754........................3 ........... 0.203 ...........0.203 ...........0.202 .......... 0.203 .............0.203 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.202 ............ 0.200...................0.202 .................145,024,487........0.100 OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. ...... 20,000 ............29,900........................4 ............1.495 ........... 1.495 ...........1.495 ............1.495 .............1.500 ...........-0.005 ........... -0.333 ...............1.495 .............. 1.485...................1.495 ..................103,155,000 ........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 245,292 ........... 92,925..................... 50 ........... 0.380 ...........0.380 ...........0.378........... 0.378 .............0.380 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.526 ...............0.380..............0.378...................0.380 .................943,582,598 .......0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL...............................................72,925 ...............5,406........................6 ............0.075 ........... 0.075 ...........0.074........... 0.074 .............0.075 ...........-0.001 ............-1.333................0.074..............0.074...................0.075...................12,950,000.........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 188,990 ............ 55,781......................15 ........... 0.300...........0.300 ...........0.292........... 0.295 .............0.302 ...........-0.007 ........... -2.318 ...............0.296..............0.293...................0.296 .................. 85,742,051 .........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 395,725............ 88,700..................... 45 ........... 0.230 ...........0.230 ...........0.222 .......... 0.224 .............0.230 ...........-0.006 ........... -2.609 ...............0.224............. 0.222...................0.224 .................. 27,977,143 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 8,093,777 ..2,092,440...................595 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......32........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 1,466,076 ........ 88,993......................13 ........... 0.060 ........... 0.061 ...........0.060........... 0.061 .............0.060 ............0.001 ............. 1.667 ................0.060..............0.059...................0.060 ..................61,000,000.........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ....................12,500 .................. 399........................2 ........... 0.032 ...........0.032 ...........0.031 ........... 0.032 .............0.032 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.031 .............. 0.031...................0.032 ...................2,720,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ....................................................... 14,031 .................. 877........................3 ........... 0.063 ...........0.063 ...........0.062........... 0.062 .............0.062 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.062..............0.062...................0.063.................... 7,750,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002267 ...........GULF MUSHROOM PRODUCTS ................................ 300 ...................101........................1 ........... 0.336 ...........0.336 ...........0.336........... 0.336 .............0.336 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.336..............0.334...................0.336................... 11,553,199 .........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING......................................2,400 ...................191........................2 ........... 0.080 ...........0.080 ...........0.078........... 0.080 .............0.080 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.078..............0.078...................0.080 ................... 6,016,640 ..........0.100 OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ................................5,000 .................. 610........................1 ............0.122 ........... 0.122 ...........0.122........... 0.122 .............0.122 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.122.............. 0.118...................0.122...................12,200,000.........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 191,223............ 30,965......................17 ............0.161 ........... 0.162 ...........0.160........... 0.162 .............0.162............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.161 ..............0.160................... 0.161 ..................236,941,437........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 788,434 ............61,783..................... 27 ........... 0.079 ........... 0.079 ...........0.078........... 0.078 .............0.079 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.266 ...............0.078..............0.077...................0.078..................117,000,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 2,479,964.......183,918..................... 66 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 8........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

— United Securities/Bloomberg News

MOBILE GAMING

UNDERWRITING FEES

Pokemon Go gets early success Qatar’s triple bond-fee payment sets new era for Gulf borrowers

TOKYO: Nintendo hasn’t fully embraced the world of mobile gaming, but the early success of Pokemon Go is giving gamers and investors a taste of the rewards the Japanese gaming company may reap if it decides to go all in.

The maker of Super Mario and Zelda games has added more than $7 billion in market value since last week’s debut of a new smartphone app for its fantasy monster

character franchise. The game, which lets users track down virtual Pokemons in their vicinity, has topped the free-to-download app charts for Apple in US and Australia since its debut, according to market researcher App Annie.

In a sign of the game’s broad appeal, people are going to great lengths to play Pokemon Go, which encourages users to wander their surroundings to find “pocket

monsters” to train and battle with each other. Reports have surfaced of players driving for hours to seek hard-to-reach Pokemons, or a pair of gamers in New Zealand renting a kayak to nab one in the middle of Wellington’s bay.

US highway authorities told gamers not to drive while playing with the warning “Eyes up, Poké Balls down, people,” on its official Twitter feed. — Bloomberg News

LONDON: Qatar more than tripled the underwriting fees it paid to raise $9 billion in May as the end of the oil boom prompts Middle East exporters to turn to foreign bankers who can drum up cash from every corner of the world. The move may set a precedent for neighbouring countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) like Saudi Arabia, turning to bond markets for the first time after the crude crash left it with a gaping budget deficit. Qatar, host to the 2022 soccer World Cup, boosted the size of its syndicate by two-thirds to sell the region’s largest-ever bond as it spends on infrastructure.

When Doha won the bid to host the games 5-1/2 years ago, oil was heading toward a peak.

“Now we are in a different era,” said Mohammed Elmi, an emerging-market money manager at Federated Investors UK in London, who purchased Qatar’s bonds. “There is much more of a need to go out and do a jumbo

deal, and this comes at a cost.”

Qatar, the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, paid underwriting fees of 21 basis points, or $19 million, to the 10 banks it hired for its deal, compared with six basis points divvied up between six underwriters in 2011, according to research by New-York based Freeman Consulting Services using regulatory filings. The addition of SMBC Nikko Securities and Mizuho Financial Group to Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Group enabled Qatar to place almost 30 per cent of one tranche in Asia, up from just 5 per cent in 2011. Gulf nations, which during the oil boom had little need for outside help, are now revamping how they finance themselves to cope with the reality of $50 crude.

Their budget shortfalls will swell to $900 billion by 2021, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates.

Saudi Arabia lured HSBC Holdings banker Fahad Al Saif to

start a debt-management office for the sale of at least $10 billion of bonds sometime this year. The kingdom is said to have hired three foreign banks as global coordinators: HSBC, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase. Even though bond deals are costing Gulf governments more, it doesn’t mean the bankers at the other end are walking away with bigger checks.

That’s because the fees are being spread out among a larger number of managers.

The median rate paid by emerging-market governments fell to 11 basis points in 2016 from 13 in the previous three years, according to Freeman. High-grade companies in the US, by contrast, typically pay five times more.

The world’s biggest banks are willing to share the spoils with a wider group of competitors because they’re holding out for potentially more lucrative mandates advising on planned privatisations and initial public offerings. — Bloomberg News

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

B3

MARKET S&P REPORT

Saudi Arabia’s ageing population to boost public debt: S&P Times News Service

RISING POPULATION: In line with United Nations figures, S&P forecast that the Saudi Arabian population will expand rapidly from 32 million to 46 million between 2015 and 2050. — Bloomberg file picture

ECONOMY

China’s growth predicted to cool to fresh seven-year low BEIJING: China’s economic growth likely cooled to a fresh seven-year low of 6.6 per cent in the second quarter as the industrial sector loses steam and a boost from financial services fades, according to a Reuters poll of 61 economists.

Analysts expect the world’s second-largest economy to lose further momentum in the second half of the year, prompting the government and central bank to roll out more support measures even as they worry about fallout from Britain’s secession from the European Union.

That could in turn signal fresh weakness for the yuan, which recently slid to 5-1/2 year lows, adding to a wall of worry for international investors.

The expected April-June growth rate compares with 6.7 per cent in Jan-March and would be the weakest since the first quarter of 2009, when it fell to 6.2 per cent during the global financial crisis.

China’s economy grew 6.9 per cent in 2015, its slowest rate in more than two decades.

Policymakers have relied on record credit expansion and an infrastructure spending spree to stabilise growth, though concerns are growing that over reliance on debt and government spending threatens a “vicious cycle” of slower growth and delayed economic reforms. Some analysts believe a huge bank restructuring may be inevitable.

An “authoritative source” in the official People’s Daily warned in May of the dangers of another massive credit-led stimulus like that during the global crisis, and economic data missed expectations in May as credit expansion started to slow.

Data in recent months have shown the government is bearing an increasing amount of the load as it struggles to put the economy on firmer footing and private investment dwindles.

Fixed-asset investment slipped below 10 per cent for the first time since 2000 in January-May as a boost from record credit growth was already fading.

Investment by private firms slowed to a record low for the year through May, with growth cooling to 3.9 per cent from double-digits last year. Private investment so far this year has been the slowest since China began publishing the data in 2012.

Economists in the poll estimated GDP grew 1.6 per cent quarteron-quarter, up from 1.1 per cent in the first quarter, though only 13 analysts gave sequential forecasts.

— Reuters

MUSCAT: Saudi Arabia’s growing elderly population could exert pressure on public finances and ramp up government debt over the next three decades in the absence of government reforms to contain the cost of age-related spending, said S&P Global Ratings in a report published on Monday (Global Aging 2016: Saudi Arabia’s Ageing Population Could Drag On Public Debt).

In line with United Nations figures, S&P forecast that the Saudi Arabian population will expand rapidly from 32 million to 46 million between 2015 and 2050.

Over the same period, the percentage of elderly people will rise

to 15 per cent of the total inhabitants from 3 per cent today.

As a result, age-related government expenditure on pensions and health care would rise to 14 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2050 from 6 per cent today, as per S&P’s analysis.

“This could also lead to a rapid increase in Saudi Arabia’s net debt ratio to 340 per cent of GDP by 2050 if the government were to take no further policy action,” said S&P Global Ratings Analyst Trevor Cullinan.

“The sovereign credit ratings on Saudi Arabia would decline to speculative-grade in such a nopolicy-change scenario, which is not our base case,” he added.

“Owing to growth in the young population, subscribers to Saudi

Arabia’s generous pension system have been outstripping growth in the number of beneficiaries, contributing to the overall financial health of the system,” said Cullinan. “However, over time, we believe Saudi Arabian governments will likely consider demographic reforms to the system to ensure its sustainability,” he further added.

S&P Global Ratings’ analysis of Saudi Arabia is part of a global study conducted to analyse the cost of ageing.

The study explores various scenarios—including a no-policychange scenario—and the implications that it currently believe these different scenarios could have on sovereign ratings over the next several decades.

Qatar Airways reports 8.6% rise in 2016 operating profit The company reported a net profit of QR1.6 billion, resulting in a net profit margin of 4.5 per cent. Net profit for fiscal 2015 was 1.1 per cent, at QR374 million

Times News Service MUSCAT: Qatar Airways Group announced a QR3 billion operating profit for fiscal year 2016— which is nearly three times greater than the fiscal 2015 profit of QR1.1 billion, resulting in an 8.6 per cent jump in operating profit margin, an improvement of nearly six percentage points from the prior year, from QR35.6 billion in revenues. The company reported a net profit of QR1.6 billion, resulting in a net profit margin of 4.5 per cent. Net profit for fiscal 2015 was 1.1 per cent, at QR374 million.

Qatar Airways Group’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways continues to lead the industry in all aspects of the business, from our strong financial performance to our award-winning on board

Our fiscal 2016 year was the best yet for the Qatar Airways Group, and our results reflect the discipline and dedication of more than 39,369 men and women, who proudly represent our airline and its associated brands Akbar Al Baker Qatar Airways Group’s CEO – Bloomberg file picture

product. Our fiscal 2016 year was the best yet for the Qatar Airways Group, and our results reflect the discipline and dedication of more than 39,369 men and women, who proudly represent our airline and its associated brands.”

Reduced expenses For the year ending March 31, 2016, Qatar Airways Group reduced its expenses by 1.5 per cent and increased its cash and bank balance from QR5.5 billion to QR12 billion, despite the significant growth in operations and an

adverse movement in foreign currency exchange.

Over the course of fiscal 2016, Qatar Airways added 13 new destinations and expanded its overall network to more than 150 destinations on six continents.

The airline was also the global launch customer for the Airbus A350XWB, the most technologically advanced aircraft in the world, and was the first commercial airline to fly it to the United States. Three continents are now served with the A350: North America, Europe and Asia. The

airline celebrated the delivery of its 25th Boeing Dreamliner, and now operates a fleet of 29 Boeing 787s. Celebrating another milestone in the fleet, the airline celebrated the delivery of its 50th Boeing 777, the backbone of its international network.

Qatar Executive, the private jet division of the Qatar Airways Group, became the launch customer for the Gulfstream G650ER, the world’s largest and fastest aircraft of its size. Qatar Executive now has two G650ER aircraft of the total order for 30 Gulfstream family aircraft.

Qatar Airways’ home and hub: the Hamad International Airport (HIA), proved more than capable of handling capacity traffic, serving a record number of travellers for the calendar year 2015, its first full year of operations, with more than 30 million people served, while simultaneously being named the Middle East’s Best Airport for the second year in a row, and for being the first Middle Eastern airport to be named among Skytrax’s World’s Top 10 Best Airports.

HIA, managed by Qatar Airways Group, introduced a new mobile app to help travellers navigate through the shopping, dining and other experiential opportunities that await them at the airport, and continue to advance the use of technology to create a “smart airport” that puts more control into the hands of the traveller.

Qatar Airways Cargo had a record-setting year too, growing to become the third-largest cargo operator in the world as of October 2015, and continuing to expand

both its fleet and product line-up.

Over the course of fiscal 2016, Qatar Airways Cargo increased its dedicated freighter destinations to 54, adding Dallas, Budapest, Prague, Ho Chi Minh City, and New York to the network. In addition, with the airline’s commercial growth, QR Cargo increased available tonnage worldwide by double digits this year and will continue to grow both organically, as the fleet is scheduled to grow to 22 aircraft by 2017; and through the airline’s growth in commercial service.

Qatar Airways also launched flights to a number of high profile destinations during fiscal 2016, including daily flights to Los Angeles in the United States and Sydney in Australia, further strengthening its overall route network relevancy for travellers globally. Its connectivity to the United Kingdom also increased to 73 weekly flights with the addition of Birmingham, its fourth United Kingdom destination.

The destinations Qatar Airways added during the 2016 fiscal year are; Abha, Amsterdam, Birmingham, Boston, Durban, Faisalabad, Los Angeles, Multan, Nagpur, Ras Al Khaimah, Sialkot, Sydney, and Zanzibar. Closer to home, the Doha-Dubai Shuttle was introduced, a first-of-its-kind flying experience between the two cities, with a customised service responsive to the specific needs of this heavily trafficked corridor.

Qatar Airways plans to launch 17 new destinations in the 20162017 fiscal year, with services to Adelaide, Atlanta, Marrakech and Yerevan having begun already.

LONG-TERM PROJECTIONS

Brexit expected to bite profit for years at US banks NEW YORK: When US banks post second-quarter results in days, it’ll boil down to this: Bonus cuts are coming for just about everyone this year, says Wall Street recruiter Richard Lipstein. “If you are break-even, it’s an achievement.” That’s the picture taking shape as analysts trim estimates for the quarter and overhaul longterm projections for banks’ main businesses after the UK’s vote to leave the European Union.

Starting this week, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs Group probably will say they saw a quick bump in trading after the June 23 referendum, but that deals are stalling and years of pain lie ahead.

Combined net income at the

six biggest US banks is estimated to fall 18 per cent in the second quarter from a year earlier, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Fred Cannon, global research director at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, said many analysts are just starting to rework projections for future periods to account for Brexit’s fallout, such as the prolonging of low interest rates.

“We went from lower for longer into what seems like lower forever,” he said.

That will erode interest from lending. Market turmoil and economic drags linked to Brexit will hurt investment banking revenue as companies reconsider acquisitions and selling new securities.

And that’s after trading units suf-

fered their worst first quarter since 2009.

Partially recover For the full year, analysts predict combined earnings at the six US banks — which also include Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley — will drop 14 per cent. It may only partially recover in 2017, the estimates show. The projections for both years tumbled after markets swung earlier this year, and then slipped further after the UK vote as analysts began updating research.

“Up until June 24, everybody thought the second quarter was building a nice recovery, and now you have to question that,” said Chris Kotowski, a bank analyst

at Oppenheimer, referencing the day ballots were tallied. “I’m more cautious than I was.”

He cut full-year estimates for the six banks’ earnings per share by an average of 8 percentage points after the UK vote. Stock offerings will “slow significantly,” corporate acquisitions will “grind to a halt,” and fixed-income trading will cool again, he said. Any Federal Reserve interest rate increases are off the table indefinitely, thwarting the long-awaited improvement in interest income.

Altogether, that probably will result in another bite out of yearend bonuses, Kotowski said.

Three weeks before the referendum, executives across Wall Street were busy trumpeting a re-

surgence in revenue from trading.

At JPMorgan, it was expectations for a “mid-teens” percentage increase in the second quarter. Bank of America said it was on track to rise “mid-single digits.” Citigroup also signaled improvement from a year earlier. Jamie Dimon, chief executive officer of JPMorgan, the biggest trader of fixed-income securities, said on the day UK voting results were announced that currency-trading volumes had just reached a record.

While some analysts suggest banks probably focused on handling the surge in client orders without risking their own money, others are cautioning against putting too much weight on the early optimism. — Bloomberg News

B4

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

FEATURE

BANK CHARGES SET FREE There’s a compelling reason for Asia to lead this shakeup. The region is home to 55 per cent of the 2 billion people worldwide who don’t have bank accounts.

More than one-third of them are in India, China and Indonesia.

STORYANDY MUKHERJEE

A

sian banking is on the cusp of a WhatsApp moment.

Remember paying an arm and a leg for text messages? Now all the telcos in the world combined can’t match WhatsApp’s 30 billion pings a day.

Financial transactions will go the same way, and Asia may lead the trend, rather than following it a decade later.

For the WhatsApp analogy, a hat tip to Nandan Nilekani, a successful Indian technology entrepreneur who later helped New Delhi set up online biometric IDs for 1 billion people. Nilekani is perhaps best known for giving the New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman the idea that the world was flat. On banking, Nilekani is really on to something.

Banks in the Asia-Pacific region, responsible for 46 per cent of the global industry’s $1 trillion in profit last year, should brace themselves for a storm, says McKinsey.

About $400 billion of their revenue will be at risk by 2025, the consulting firm estimates. A small part of that may be from the direct loss of market share to fintech start-ups.

Most of it, however, will be a consequence of the price erosion that will result from banks trying to protect their turf. Tremors will be felt everywhere from consumer finance and payments to SME lending and wealth management.

There’s a compelling reason for Asia to lead this shakeup. The region is home to 55 per cent of the 2 billion people worldwide who don’t have bank accounts. More than one-third of them are in India, China and Indonesia. Governments have a strong incentive to let their underbanked populations use newly acquired smartphones to bypass branches, plastic cards and even desktop internet banking.

There’s a lot of growth at stake.

Take small and medium-sized enterprises. In China in 2009, they accounted for 40 per cent of bank loans. That number now is 47 per cent, exceeding loans to large businesses. Yet demand continues to exceed supply.

Given that 37 million small businesses buy and sell goods on Alibaba’s websites, its offshoot Ant Financial, China’s most valuable fintech firm, is arguably in a better position to satisfy SMEs’ hunger for credit than any bank.

And nothing stops Jack Ma from replicating that model in India, where Ant’s Alipay has a stake in the country’s top mobile-payments firm, Paytm. A survey by McKinsey found 43 per cent of SMEs in India borrowing from informal sources, partly because they had exhausted both collateral and working-capital lines.

Credit Suisse estimates that India’s retail loan assets, including SME credit, will grow to $3 trillion by 2026, five times the size of the market now. Now that any app in the country can push and pull money in and out of any bank account using a unified payment interface, lenders have lost their power to authorise transactions.

Expect this to become the blueprint for the region. Cornered in consumer lending, banks may beat a retreat to large corporate customers. The better borrowers in that group, though, have the global bond market to tap. So in the end, Asia’s lenders may be left with the worst of both the worlds.

Wireless subscribers felt avenged when their overcharging telco providers were clobbered by startups. Given just how popular banks are, savers and borrowers are unlikely to shed a tear when the lenders’ WhatsApp moment arrives. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

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B5

ROUND-UP

BankDhofar, LCS provide customised financial accounting services for SMEs This partnership between Bank Dhofar and Lighthouse Consulting Services (LCS) aims to enrich the entrepreneurial environment in Oman and boost the overall quality of the SME sector

MUSCAT: Adding to the vast array of customised services for SME customers, BankDhofar has joined hands with the top business consulting firm Lighthouse Consulting Services (LCS) to provide

outsourced accounting solutions to all SMEs registered with BankDhofar for an affordable nominal cost, says a press release.

Moawiya Al Rawas, Unit head - Liabilities and Product Development, said: “This partnership aims to enrich the entrepreneurial environment in Oman and boost the overall quality of the SME sector.

We are committed to contribute to the success and growth of small and medium-sized businesses across the Sultanate, and through our collaboration with Lighthouse

Consulting Services we aspire to provide key solutions that serve the needs of BankDhofar’s SME customers nationwide.”

“By outsourcing their financial accounting process, entrepreneurs will be able to focus on their core business, thus have more room to concentrate on tracking their business growth and make prudent decisions to move forward.

On the other hand, the availability of high quality financial information will also help SMEs obtain better financial support from

BankDhofar as it will enhance the risk rating for those customers,” noted Al Rawas. Ajay Bhati, CEO of Lighthouse Oman, also highlighted the initiative and elaborated on the services to be provided to BankDhofar’s SME customers.

“By signing up for this service, small and medium enterprises will be able to obtain end-to-end financial accounting to support their business.

These services will include budgeting, accounting, financial and management reporting, profit

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY

Uniboats will organise a monthly customised programme around corporate culture, team work, and shared values, for the employees of the Zubair group of companies.

Uniboats will provide nine team building programmes arranged into one every month. The duration of each programme will be half a day. The programme is specially designed to reflect and promote the core values of The Zubair Corporation: passion, trust, innovation, collaboration, care and respect.

Waleed Al Ya’rubi, head of HR at The Zubair Corporation, said, “At our organisation, we continue to strive to keep teams intact as we progress towards a ‘culture change’. It is our endeavour to bring and bind our people together, as we rise to a higher level of professional culture.”He added, “In view of this, the Corporate HR is pleased to announce a joint collab-

orative effort to support SMEs like Uniboats in rolling out the ‘culture change initiative’. The objective of this collaborative effort is to encourage SMEs to learn and adapt the shared values of The Zubair Corporation and living the same.”

Ali Shaker, Senior Adviser at Zubair SEC, said, “Adel Al Abri has been an active member for the past few years who has shown great ambition and perseverance for innovation. He has been enthusiastic about expanding his scope of work. He came up with the idea of extending corporate team building services that are based around water sports activities. Working closely with him we helped put his ideas into action and facilitated this contract with The Zubair Corporation’s HR Department. We provided him a platform to launch this new line of services. With this he can look forward to expanding

and providing further such services, reaching wider markets and client base.”

Expressing his gratitude Adel Al Abri said, “I am really excited at the opportunity to be contracted by a large company such as The Zubair Corporation. I thank them for instilling and showing confidence in SMEs. Zubair SEC’s efforts to unlock the growth potential of SMEs in Oman have been helping its members like me gain a competitive edge. Start-ups and small enterprises in Oman need supreme faith instilled in them by larger companies to allow them to prove their competence and potential. I am confident that my team will deliver the best.”

Through its programmes Zubair SEC has been helping budding entrepreneurs reach great heights by equipping them to persevere in the face of challenges.

I N N O VAT I V E PA C K A G E

Mercedes-Benz Oman introduces new customised service packages MUSCAT: Putting the customer firmly in control of their vehicle’s servicing and maintenance, Mercedes-Benz Oman has launched its new customised service packages.

Developed for Mercedes-Benz vehicles of all ages and mileage, and designed to cater to individual requirements, the new service packages allow Mercedes-Benz drivers to purchase clearly defined maintenance services over a chosen duration and mileage at a fixed cost, says a press release.

With all work carried out by highly-skilled Mercedes-Benz technicians and only MercedesBenz Genuine Parts used, vehicles are kept in optimum condition, occupants are kept safe, and resale value is enhanced.

“These innovative service packages make ownership of our luxury vehicles as stress-free as the Mercedes-Benz driving experience itself. Their cost certainty provides the peace of mind of knowing that all expenses are fixed for the term of the plan. And of course, the high standards of the Mercedes-Benz technicians ensure continued smooth operation, on-going premium performance and outstand-

ing levels of passenger comfort at all times,” said Clive Hammond, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Oman.

He added: “The Mercedes-Benz philosophy of ‘The Best or Nothing’ applies not just to our vehicles but to every aspect of our operations and these new service packages are a perfect example of that ethos in action.”

The Mercedes-Benz service packages have two basic frameworks, Mercedes-Benz Service Select and Mercedes-Benz Select Plus, both offering clearly defined services with transparent locked

Ajay Bhati CEO of Lighthouse Oman

H E A LT H C A R E

Zubair SEC facilitates contract between Uniboats, Zubair Corp MUSCAT: In line with its strategy to facilitate business development opportunities for its members and build business synergies between large companies and small enterprises, Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) enabled an agreement between its member Uniboats and The Zubair Corporation’s Human Resources department.

Uniboats is a small enterprise, established by Adel Al Abri, member of Zubair SEC, who is also a winner of the Centre’s Direct Support Programme for year 2015.

The company, which runs operations from The Wave Marina specialises in water sports activities and corporate events.

Zubair SEC, a social responsibility initiative of The Zubair Corporation has facilitated similar business development opportunities for its members in the past. It strongly believes that the support of large organisations to SMEs, mainly through business development and contract opportunities, is of the greatest importance to the development and success of the SME sector. So far, Zubair SEC has facilitated more than eight contracts and agreements between its members and companies within and outside the Zubair group.

As part of this recent contract, The Zubair Corporation HR department in association with

and loss statements and balance sheet preparation.”

BankDhofar has made concrete steps towards contributing to the development and growth of the SME sector.

“SMEs are always looking to maximise their return through investing both time and money in their business.

Our wide range of products such as internet banking services and business debit cards that are designed to give SME more time to such activity,” said Al Rawas.

These services will include budgeting, accounting, financial and management reporting, profit and loss statements and balance sheet preparation

in costs. Owners who choose Mercedes-Benz Service Select can purchase the maintenance services their vehicle needs over a chosen duration and mileage.

The agreed single payment covers the cost of parts, labour, and operational fluids during the scheduled operations.

For greater reassurance and ease of mind, the Mercedes-Benz Select Plus package also covers some wear and tear items, including brake pads and brake discs, windshield wiper blades and V-belt.

These innovative service packages make ownership of our luxury vehicles as stress-free as the Mercedes-Benz driving experience itself. Their cost certainty provides the peace of mind of knowing that all expenses are fixed for the term of the plan

Clive Hammond CEO of Mercedes-Benz Oman

Burjeel Medical Centre physiotherapist highlights negative effects of bad posture MUSCAT: Poor posture is the new first-world problem that’s causing more mental and physical health complications than most people realise.

Siriyaporn, the physiotherapist at Burjeel Medical Centre, explains about the negative effects of bad posture on one’s body and mood. Siriyaporn completed her bachelor’s in physiotherapy from the Thammasat University in 2005, Thailand. She completed her postgraduate certification in manipulation physiotherapy in 2009 from the Mahidol University, Thailand. Siriyaporn started her career in 2005 at the Phuket Hospital, Thailand as a physiotherapist. In 2011, she moved to the Bangkok Hospital. She has also successfully handled her own physiotherapy practice in Thailand, says a press release.

Siriyaporn has extensive experience in her field. She specialises in treatment of musculoskeletal problem, sport injury, office syndrome as well as post-operative rehabilitation. The five problems that affect one’s body due to bad posture are: 1. Depression and stress In a study conducted by San Francisco State University, students were asked to walk down a hallways in a slouched position or by skipping. Those who slouched while they were walking experienced increased feelings of depression and decreased energy levels. When the body is slouched and constricted, it prevents it from working optimally which results in a poor mood.

When the body remains in a seated position for an extended period of time, all of your internal processes slow down. As a result, your energy levels decrease. You may start feeling irritable, tired or aggravated. Slouching also causes your body to compress and constrict. When in this position, your heart and lungs are forced to work harder to pump blood and circulate oxygen. This causes undue stress on your internal organs and your muscles.

2. Digestive issues Sitting does more than just constrict your heart and lungs, it also constricts your intestines. This can make digestion uncomfortable and cause a host of issues. If you are experiencing digestive distress, you may want to take a closer look at your posture and how much time you are spending sitting each day. Slouching has even been attributed to digestive issues such as acid reflux and hernias.

Poor posture may do more than just weaken your digestive system; it may also cause you to develop that unsightly belly pouch that women dread. This paunch affects both heavy and thin

women and can be attributed to slouching and poor sitting habits.

By sitting up straight, you will not only improve your digestion, but lose a few inches in your waist too.

3. Poor breathing Oppo medical elastic posture aid the lungs function optimally when the diaphragm and rib cage can properly expand. Poor posture restricts blood and oxygen flow, which makes it difficult to breathe and speak.

Proper posture becomes even more important when engaging in physical exercise simply because the body requires a higher oxygen intake to meet the physical demands of the activity.

4. Back, shoulder, neck pain Back, shoulder and neck pain are the most common effects of poor posture, and the most noticeable.

Sitting in a slouched position at your desk for an extended period of time puts a great deal of stress on your upper body, especially if your body is not properly supported. In time, poor posture can also cause a misalignment in the spine and lead to even more pain.

In addition, it also causes joint stress. Joints are protected by connective tissues that create a supportive cushion. If the spine is misaligned, weight or stress needs to be redistributed to compensate for your slouching.

From neck and back pain to blood flow and respiration, posture can have a major impact on how we live and how we feel every day.

5. Tension headaches Tension headaches are another common side effect of poor posture. Office workers tend to experience more headaches simply because they are putting so much tension and strain on their bodies by sitting all day.

The tension in your neck, shoulders and spine eventually work their way up to your head and cause a tension headache.

More often than not, these headaches are attributed to a poorly set up workstation.

Improve your posture Invest in an ergonomic chair, keyboard and mouse. If you have to spend the day working in a chair, you want to make sure that it’s providing you with the support you need. Get up and stretch every half hour or every hour, if possible. Focus on exercises that strengthen your core. A strong core will make it much easier for your body to remain in an upright position. Yoga encourages good posture. A large portion of the poses require you to keep your shoulders and chest broad, which opens the lungs and allows you to breathe easily.

B6

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

ROUND-UP Bank Muscat offers perfect holiday bonanza for Premier banking clients This is Bank Muscat’s commitment to

Coinciding with the summer holiday season, Bank Muscat Premier banking clients will enjoy an array of the most exclusive benefits and rewards offered by the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate

provide Premier clients the best opportunities to enjoy the travel season

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat Premier banking has made efforts to provide the best deals during the travel season. Offering the perfect holiday bonanza, Bank Muscat Premier banking clients can now enjoy some great deals from a wide range of holiday destinations and fine hotels around the world. This is Bank Muscat’s commitment to provide Premier clients the best opportunities to enjoy the travel season, says a press release.

Abdulnasir Al Raisi, DGM – Premier Banking, said: “Coinciding with the summer holiday season, Bank Muscat Premier banking clients will enjoy an array of the most exclusive benefits and rewards offered by the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate.”

For example, a concierge team will provide exclusive bespoke recommendations for flights, hotels, cars and every type of fine dining, by matching premium customer profiles of Infinite and asalah Signature cardholders.

The complimentary service will make it easy for clients to meet all their travel needs, from book-

Abdulnasir Al Raisi DGM – Premier Banking

ing first-rate hotel reservations to arranging car rentals and special events.The 80074191 toll free number for calling the Visa Premium Concierge from within Oman is now available to all Infinite and Signature customers.

Exclusive benefits There are many exclusive benefits for Private Banking clients, during the holiday travel season. These include the Platinum debit card offering a higher daily cash withdrawal limit of up to OMR1,500.

Exclusive Private Banking Visa Infinite credit card 1% cash back rewards on all transactions made through the card.

The card also facilitates exclusive Harrods Black Card membership and Hilton Honors Gold Membership, and an unlimited ac-

cess to 500+ airport lounges globally, multi-trip travel insurance and 24 hours concierge service.

Private Banking clients can enjoy a fine dining experience with the Visa fine dining programme which includes more than 70 premium hotels in the UAE, and the Hotel Luxury Collection Programme for 900+ hotels worldwide. asalah Priority Banking provides a differentiated and specialised banking experience characterised by in-depth profiling of clients’ preferences. Enriching the holiday experience, asalah Platinum debit card offers higher daily ATM withdrawal limit of OMR1,000, instant airport lounge access at 75 locations worldwide, discounts at high-end retail outlets and complimentary chauffer airport pick-up and drop-off.

asalah Visa Signature credit card is Oman’s first such card offering airport lounge access to more than 500 lounges worldwide, global concierge service, 24/7 personal assistance for reservations, travel plans, theatre tickets, gifts to enhance the travel experience. The card also entitles clients to 1% per cent cash back on all local and international transactions, plus free multi-trip travel insurance for cardholder and direct family members.

Adding value, asalah Priority banking clients can enjoy the Visa fine dining programme in the UAE offering 15 – 25 per cent discount and reward points. They are also entitled to the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection programme covering 900+ hotels worldwide, while also offering guaranteed best available rate, automatic room upgrade

PROMOTION

upon check-in, free continental breakfast, 3pm late check out, VIP guest status, and complimentary food and beverage vouchers. asalah clients can also enjoy free annual access to asalah Entertainer App. The app contains more than 1,200 ‘Buy 1 Get 1 Free’ offers in Oman and at international destinations and hotels.

In the exclusive world of privilege banking, al Jawhar Platinum debit card offers higher daily ATM withdrawal limit up to OMR800, plus exclusive discounts and offers.

Adding value, al Jawhar Platinum credit card facilitates access to airport lounges in Muscat and Salalah. The card offers credit limit up to OMR50,000, 1 per cent cash back on purchases and free travel insurance. al Jawhar clients are also entitled to more than 170 discount offers on al Jawhar cards covering retail outlets and restaurants in Oman.

Exciting promotion To enhance the Premier banking experience, Bank Muscat has launched an exciting promotion in association with Agoda.com, the leading international online hotel service provider.

The campaign entitles Bank Muscat Premier banking Visa cardholders to enjoy discounts ranging up to 7 per cent while making hotel reservations on Agoda. com, which offers the largest hotel deals worldwide, lowest online rates, unmatched availability and access to exclusive real-time promotions. The discount will be applied automatically at the time of hotel booking. The ‘travel more and pay less’ with Bank Muscat card promotion targeted at re-

warding existing and new customers runs till March 31, 2017.

Aimed at enhancing benefits, the exclusive promotion is available for Bank Muscat Visa debit and credit cardholders on www.agoda. com/bankmuscat Customers can also access the Agoda promotion link through www.bankmuscat. com/cards All Bank Muscat Premier banking Visa debit and credit cardholders are eligible to participate in the promotion.

Another offer In another great holiday offer, Bank Muscat Premier banking customers can avail an exclusive 25 per cent discount at Wild Wadi in Dubai through Premier banking card transactions.

The 25 per cent discount is on admission fees when paying with Premier banking debit and credit cards (Platinum, Signature and Infinite). Terms and conditions apply and the offer period is valid till September 30, 2016.

The offer is valid on the total general admission ticket bill and for maximum of six guests per card. The discount can be used for the Thursday Ladies’ Nights at Wild Wadi and all general terms and conditions for Ladies’ Night will apply. The offer is not valid during public holidays, Eid Al Fitr or Eid Al Adha holidays.

As the nation’s leading bank, the Premier banking strategy reflects the ongoing commitment to expand innovative services to its Premier Banking clients.

The bank has adopted smart strategies to stay ahead in business whilst ensuring it provides a distinctive and exclusive customer experience, every time.

OVERWHELMING RESPONSE

Unbeatable summer deals on Primewell tyres More than 40,000 MUSCAT: Partnering with world-class tyre brands, EINT Automotive, a part of the WJ Towell Group, has become an industry leader in the tyre segment.

With a keen focus on customer service, EINT Automotive has always been known to offer the best deals on tyres while simultaneously backing it up with their excellent after sales service.

Its latest offer on its popular tyre brand, Primewell, perceived as a highly beneficial deal for its customers is receiving an overwhelming response from the market.

On cash purchase of 2 Primewell tyres, EINT Automotive will be giving 2 more tyres from Primewell at no added cost.

The offer is valid for the 2015 DOT tyres and till stocks are available.

Whether for passenger cars or heavy truck tyres, this offer gives customers an impetus to change to an absolutely new set of wheels for their vehicle.

This exclusive offer is valid on all cash purchases till August 19, says a press release.

“As dealers of this world-acclaimed brand, we are proud of the success, popularity and preference Primewell has achieved in the market,” said Raj Nair, Business Unit head, EINT Automotive. “Its extensive range of tyres deliver safety, versatility, and topquality performance at affordable rates. EINT Automotive further supplements the attributes of these quality tyres with unbeatable offers, therefore making a strong impact in the market,” he added.

Further easing the burden of buying new tyres, EINT Automotive has partnered with Bank Muscat to facilitate an Easy Payment Plan which offers customers a 0% interest for 12 months.

view MEDC’s newly designed website

As dealers of this world-acclaimed brand, we are proud of the success, popularity and preference Primewell has achieved in the market. Its extensive range of tyres deliver safety, versatility, and top-quality performance at affordable rates. EINT Automotive further supplements the attributes of these quality tyres with unbeatable offers, therefore making a strong impact in the market Raj Nair Business Unit head, EINT Automotive All Bank Muscat credit card holders can thus also make the most of the Easy Payment Plan for visa card payments of OMR150 and above and not have to worry

about interests.

Primewell tyres, due to its extensive demand, are available at all First Stop and Tyre care plus outlets. Awarded with the ISO/TS

16949 standard, a technical specification for automotive quality management systems, Primewell boasts of quality management system requirements that are a prerequisite for those trading in the automotive industry.

Keeping an eye on society and the environment at large, Primewell’s ISO 14001 endorsements addresses ‘Environmental Management’.

Primewell, as an international brand, undertakes all such initiatives to minimise harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities and to achieve continuous improvement of its environmental performance.

Primewell, in addition, holds a C-TPAT certification, which is a joint government-business programme led by US Customs and Border Protection to build cooperative relationships that strengthen overall supply chain and border.

With a wide range of passenger car tyres, light truck tyres, SUV/ crossover tyres, winter tyres, Primewell is set to meet all of its customers’ demands.

MUSCAT: The website of Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC), member of Nama Group, www.medcoman.com has been visited by more than 40,000 visitors from inside and outside the Sultanate since the beginning of this year.

It is worth to mention that the website has been redesigned recently in order to provide updated information about the company’s activities and offer more services, such as new requests for service connection and payment of electricity bills. It has been redesigned to make the process of browsing easy and simple for the visitor especially with regard to the use of the facilities in terms of requirements, conditions and procedures of each service.

Majda Al Wahaibi Communication Specialist at MEDC said, “In pursuit of the company to develop its services on the Internet and to keep up with the digital transformation witnessed by the world, the company has redesigned its website recently after a research study to find out the concerns of its subscribers, and based on their opinions and ideas, the website has been restructured to include most of the services offered by the company.”

She added that the website can be viewed in both Arabic and English and it provides many services that the company provides to its subscribers in the Muscat governorate such as service connection and e-bill service (green invoice). e-bill is an electronic version of the paper bill sent to subscribers

as monthly billing through text messages and e-mail without having to wait for the paper bill that takes a period of time to reach the subscriber by the meter reader.

The website also has a special link to people with special needs and electronic manuals like code of practice for payment and energy conservation as well as it provides information about the outages going on in the company network. Furthermore, the new website offers facilities for paying the bills and information about prepaid meter service prepaid (Sabiq).

Majda added that the website also offers related services of suppliers and contractors who deal with the company for registration and tenders updates. She concluded saying that the website will remain updated constantly to keep up with emerging solutions and applications in order to enable them in developing their services.

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ARTIST

ROUND-UP

A I R L I N E PA R T N E R

Anjali’s painting exhibition set to open tomorrow MUSCAT: Anjali Pawar, who is in love with Oman since she came here about 25 years ago, is all set to conduct a painting exhibition at City Seasons Hotel, Al Khuwair, opening tomorrow at 7pm.

The exhibition will continue till August 1, says a press release.

The painting expo will be all about Oman, its people and the beautiful scenery it has. Anjali is well versed with Omani surroundings, its people and its culture and she feels that this is her way of showing gratitude towards the warm hearted people of Oman.

The continuous efforts of all those long years have fructified and her dreams came true when she had her first solo exhibition in June 2011 at the Indian Embassy.

Back in India too she has held many of them and has been well appreciated by the people and the art world. She has a unique style

The exhibition will be all about Oman, its people and the beautiful scenery it has

of showing human form and its expressions. Born in the south Indian town of Belgaum in Karnataka, she started painting since her early years.

She acquired the necessary art knowledge from the famous J. J. School of Art, Mumbai.

She has participated in many art competitions and group exhibitions winning many awards and accolades.

Turkish Airlines celebrates Euro finals MUSCAT: Turkish Airlines is the first airline partner in the 55-year history of the European Football Championship, and launched a number of initiatives to excite fans throughout this summer’s tournament. The carrier’s #EuropesBest campaign highlighted the best football fans from across the continent for UEFA Euro 2016.

It included television commercials, unique plane liveries, ticket giveaways and a dedicated microsite. Live matches were available to watch on Turkish Airlines planes and fans and tourists were able to enjoy striking branding across some of Paris’s most famous landmarks, including the Champs Elysees, says a press release.

Turkish Airlines ignited passion in Europe’s football fans by taking David Guetta’s UEFA Euro 2016anthem to the 24 competing nations. Turkish Airlines were also driving excitement by welcoming players on to the pitch.

Cabin crew brought their world class customer service to the football field by featuring two

hostesses at all 51 matches of the competition. M. İlker Aycı, Turkish Airlines’ chairman of the board and the executive committee commented: “Turkish Airlines congratulates UEFA and the French authorities on conducting such a successful event.

This year’s European Football

Kia’s checkup campaign helps beat summer heat The popular annual campaign from Kia Service is available across Oman until July 31

MUSCAT: “It is that time of the year when the demand on your car’s cooling and AC systems are the greatest. Hence, it is best to have Kia experts take a look at the air-conditioning system of your car and offer you free advice; ensuring that even when the summer heat is gruelling, you are breathing cool and easy,” advised a Kia spokesperson talking about the Kia free summer checkup campaign.

The popular annual campaign from Kia Service is available across Oman until July 31.

“Our experts will ensure you not only have an efficiently running AC in your car but that you also get additional benefits,” the spokesperson added.

Indeed, Kia Service is providing many benefits to owners of all Kia vehicles sold before 2014 such as free 12 point summer checkup with a diagnostic report, free AC gas top-up (if no leakage is observed), special rates for engine flushing, AC blower motor servicing and vehicle polishing, Kia benefits service package - buy 40,000/2-years’ service package (eight services) and get one 5,000km service free; 30 per cent discount of repair labour charges and raffle coupons on every OMR50 spent with instant scratch & win gifts (condi-

tions apply), says a press release.

This campaign is yet another offering from the customer-oriented Kia Service and Parts.

Internationally recognised and award-winning Kia Service continues to serve customers all across Oman, creating a rewarding ownership experience with the very best of equipment and experts. ‘Family-like care’ is the provision of prompt, personalised service-with-a-smile to Kia customers. “Ensuring that each customer is treated as a member of the happy Kia family in Oman

has worked wonders in elevating satisfaction levels,” said the spokesperson, “We have been there for them like a family member to serve, make their Kia run like new…”

RIA’s unflagging efforts in enhancing customer satisfaction levels were crowned further by Kia Motors with the top ranking in the region in 2015 Kia After Sales Customer Satisfaction (KACS) Survey. The award is a strong endorsement of Kia’s commitments towards customer satisfaction in Oman and in the region. No wonder then that Kia Oman ranked amongst the Top Distributors in the world.

Reliable International Automotive (RIA), the distributor for Kia in Oman provides a rewarding ownership experience for customers. Excellent product attributes and unmatched facilities easily ensure their absolute satisfaction, every mile of the way.

No wonder then that Reliable International Automotive has been ranked amongst the top Kia distributors worldwide and has been honoured with prestigious accolades including the ‘Good Partnership award, ‘Family Like Care’ Service award’, and ‘Kia ‘Distributor of Distinction’ award.

C O R P O R AT E S O C I A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

Subway distributes meals during holy month MUSCAT: Subway restaurants chain completed its Iftar meals distribution campaign during the holy month of Ramadan.

Subway took the initiative to distribute meals to fasting people near the traffic lights, just before the time of Iftar, when everyone breaks his/her fast.

Commitment The whole event was taken in the interest and corroboration of Subway commitment for continuing to launch initiatives in the framework of social responsibility, and educating young people, says a press release.

This campaign came as a confirmation of the brand’s efforts to support civil society and as part of a commitment to the initiatives of corporate social responsibility.

B7

Subway restaurant chain looked to achieve a number of the general objectives of this campaign, in addition to upholding the principle of social solidarity.

The project also aims to spread the culture of a sense of comfort and reassurance through a tender, inviting young people to leadership judiciously, and not rush especially that they have the Iftar meal now with them.

Principle of solidarity Moreover, such charitable projects will deepen the concept of social responsibility among individuals, public institutions, and private institutions to help the poor and needy people in the community and achieve the principles of solidarity and compassion on the territory of Oman.

Championship has brought together fans from all over the world in celebration of the football spirit and we are glad to have been a part of this journey.”

As the carrier that flies to more international destinations than any other, Turkish Airlines takes a keen interest in global sport.

Turkish Airlines has extensive sponsorship of many sporting and cultural events, including European Professional Club Rugby, The Turkish Airlines Basketball Euroleague, the Turkish Airlines Open golf tournament and the world’s leading equestrian event, CHIO Aachen.

B8

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

ROUND-UP

Bank Nizwa shines at ME Call Centre Awards For a second consecutive year, the bank won award, while its Senior Manager of Digital Channels, Ikhlas Al Lawati, was named ‘Call Centre Manager of the Year’ at the 2016 Insights Middle East Call Centre Awards

bank’s successful 3-year journey in providing customers with progressive Sharia-compliant banking solutions around the clock, says a press release.

Dr Ashraf Al Nabhani, general manager - Corporate Support at Bank Nizwa said, “These awards recognise our collective and individual achievements in creating and nurturing an energetic working environment for employees,

BURAIMI BRANCH

Oman UAE Exchange moves to new location

‘Best Employee Retention and Motivation’

MUSCAT: Bank Nizwa received two prestigious accolades at the 2016 Insights Middle East Call Centre Awards.

For a second consecutive year, the bank won ‘Best Employee Retention and Motivation’ award, while its Senior Manager of Digital Channels, Ikhlas Al Lawati, was named ‘Call Centre Manager of the Year’.

The awards highlight the call centre’s contributions to the

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enabling them to develop and perform at the highest levels. Customer service is at the centre of what we do every minute of the day or night, therefore, it is paramount for us to continuously deliver a world-class experience that meets the diverse requirements of our growing customer base.”

An employer of choice, Bank Nizwa attracts trains and retains Omani talents looking to build

promising careers in the banking industry. Today, the bank has over 300 employees in 11 branches across the Sultanate, with an Omanisation rate of 88 per cent.

Its award winning call centre’s team has undergone extensive training to ensure every call is a rewarding, productive and efficient experience reporting an impressive 97 per cent of issues resolved immediately.

MUSCAT: Oman UAE Exchange, one of the leading remittance and foreign exchange brands in the Sultanate of Oman, announced the relocation of one of its branches.

Officially inaugurated, the new Buraimi branch premises is strategically located at Sara Al Jadeed, opposite Al Buraimi Hotel. The move is part of the brand’s expansion strategy and will provide customers easy access to their financial needs, says a press release.

Customers can walk-in and choose from a repertoire of services like instant bank transfers, instant money transfers/overseas cash pay-outs and foreign currency exchange. With five

counters in the branch, they will receive prompt and personalised service with minimal time and least hassles.

Speaking on the occasion, Boban MP, CEO, Oman UAE Exchange said, “The branch relocation is in line with our ongoing branch expansion drive and reaffirms our commitment to provide greater convenience, customised services and value additions to the customers.”

Although, the location has changed, the service hasn’t. The branch, with its experienced staff and enhanced technology, will operate from 8:30am to 12:30pm and 4:30pm to 8:30pm all days of the week.

CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE

OTE introduces 10,000km service interval MUSCAT: OTE Group, the exclusive distributor of Hyundai Motors in the Sultanate, has recently announced the service interval at every 10,000 kilometres.

Hyundai is one of the most popular auto brands in Oman and starting with this Ramadan season, all Hyundai cars sold in the Sultanate come with a periodic service interval of every 10,000 kilometres or every six months depending on which comes first.

Existing Hyundai car owners can also avail the 10,000 kilometres service interval by contacting their nearest OTE-Hyundai Service centre, says a press release.

“Customer delight is our constant endeavour and the increase in service interval is yet another important milestone in that path.

I am sure this will bring Hyundai a step closer towards becoming the most beloved brand in Oman,” commented Anil Dua, managing director, OTE Group.

Advantages of cost effective-

cently as Hyundai Motors awarded OTE as its ‘Top Aftersales Distributor’ in the Middle East and Africa region.

Customer delight is our constant endeavour and the increase in service interval is yet another important milestone in that path. I am sure this will bring Hyundai a step closer towards becoming the most beloved brand in Oman Anil Dua Managing director, OTE Group

ness, care and convenience are the key benefits that can be enjoyed by Hyundai customers.

With reduced frequency of visits

to the service centre, customers can now enjoy even more quality time with their favourite Hyundai cars.

During the 10,000 kilometres

service visit, robust computerbased checks will be done, thus assuring a pleasant drive between service intervals.

Overall service costs during the

CREDIT CARD USAGE PROMOTION

ownership period of the vehicle will be lower, when compared with the earlier.

OTE Group’s customer-centric endeavours were recognised re-

Strong presence Hyundai has a strong presence in the passenger vehicles category in Oman with its wide range of Sedans and SUVs, each with several trim variants. Hyundai sedan range in Oman includes Accent, Elantra, Sonata and Azera, apart from the trendy Veloster & Veloster Turbo. Grand i10, i20, i30, i40 form the cutting edge ‘i’ series range designed to meet global customer needs. Hyundai SUV range– Creta, Tucson, Santa Fe and Grand Santa Fe are definitely the pick of the lot.

OTE Group represents Hyundai Motors in the Sultanate of Oman.

With a nationwide network of showrooms and service centres, OTE Group ensures that Hyundai customers are never far from getting high quality service.

TRAINING

Bank Sohar conducts first three draws Workshop to enhance of ‘Get Rewarded on your Spends’ promo website development skills in WordPress Software from July 24

MUSCAT: One month into its ongoing ‘Get Rewarded on your Spends’ credit card usage promotion, Bank Sohar has now conducted the first of three draws, announcing the names of the first 30 winners of the promotion.

The promotion which was launched on May 15 and will be ending on August 15, will see 90 lucky winners in total receive cash back of up to OMR300 on their spends each. The first draw event of the promotion was conducted at the bank’s head office in MBD in the presence of the bank’s executive management. The names of the winners have been posted through advertisements issued by the bank and on its social media pages, says a press release.

Commenting on the promotion, Khamis Masoud Al Rahbi, senior AGM and acting head of Retail Banking, said, “We have developed our Excel Credit Cards with the aim of being amongst the most valued and rewarding credit cards in the market. This promotion was yet another way to achieve that goal; offering our customers rewards in the form of cash back for making purchases using their

credit cards. Furthermore, we have ensured to keep the promotion unrestricted allowing customers to not only participate in the promotion but also avail of other ongoing promotions and benefits currently running on eligible excel cards, including both the Internet Easy Instalment Plan (IEPP) offer and the bank’s ‘Mukaaf’aat Al Mumayaz’ Cards Loyalty programme.”

As part of the ongoing promotion titled ‘Get Rewarded on your Spends’, Bank Sohar has introduced a rewarding way to shop using any of its Excel Classic, Gold, Platinum, Internet or Infinite Credit Cards. For every minimum purchase of OMR20, either through Point of Sale (POS) or over the internet, customers are automatically entered into a monthly draw. Each draw will see 30 customers win cash back on their winning purchase amounting to a maximum of up to OMR300 each.

Furthermore, customers who spend more than OMR1,000 on a single transaction at any time during the offer period will also have their annual credit card renewal fee waived.

Congratulating the winners,

Khamis Al Rahbi added, “On behalf of the bank I would like to congratulate each of the 30 winners of our first draw. With two more sets of draws yet to be conducted over the following two months I would like to wish all of our Excel Credit Card customers the best of luck.”

As an added benefit to all Bank Sohar Excel Credit Card Holders, purchases made are also eligible for the Bank’s Internet Easy Instalment Plan (IEPP) offer. As part of the offer, customers can enjoy the ease of payment and the convenience of converting purchases into three, six or 12 months instalments at 0% interest.

In addition, Bank Sohar Cards Loyalty Programme - ‘Mukaaf’aat Al Mumayaz’ can also be availed through this offer with two of the bank’s premier credit cards; Excel Platinum Credit Card and Excel Diamond Infinite Credit Card.

This programme allows card holders to accumulate one point for every OMR1 spent using their credit cards. These points can then be redeemed as cash at the rate of OMR1 for every 100 points accumulated. Alongside the ‘Get Rewarded on your Spends’ pro-

We have developed our Excel Credit Cards with the aim of being amongst the most valued and rewarding credit cards in the market. This promotion was yet another way to achieve that goal; offering our customers rewards in the form of cash back for making purchases using their credit cards Khamis Masoud Al Rahbi Senior AGM and acting head of Retail Banking

motion, Bank Sohar Excel Credit Cards also provide an array of other benefits to customers including Travel Insurance, Purchase Protection, Zero Lost Card Liability, Free Priority Pass and online shopping security via Verified by Visa, and much more. Bank Sohar credit cards are also accepted worldwide for making payments and can also be used for cash withdrawals at more than 800,000 ATMs globally.

MUSCAT: A four-day hands-on workshop and training on website software WordPress, one of the most powerful softwares in web designing, will be held

by Oman Advertising Agency (OmanAd) Seminar and Conference Division in Muscat from July 24 to 27.

The course will be conducted

by Lalit Singh, senior corporate trainer and India’s only Android ATC Certified application engineer with plenty of experience.

Singh has conducted similar training workshops worldwide.

This will be an excellent opportunity for the government, public and private organisations to train and update the employees with the latest practices in WordPress along with individuals and students who wish to enhance their career development, says a press release.

WordPress is an online, website creation tool written in PHP. It’s probably the easiest and most powerful blogging and website content management system (CMS) in existence today.

It has grown to be the largest self-hosted blogging tool in the world, used on millions of sites and seen by tens of millions of people every day.

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LOSING TO RONALDO AGAIN HURTS, SAYS GRIEZMANN

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HEROES WELCOME: Portugal’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo, centre, and other team’s members celebrate their victory with Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, centre right, at Belem Palace after their Euro 2016 final football win over France on Sunday. The Portuguese football team led by Cristiano Ronaldo returned home to a heroes’ welcome after their triumph over France in the Euro 2016 final. – AFP

Proud Portugal prove a point Coach Fernando Santos has been trying to reduce their dependency on Ronaldo and his team’s ability to live without their alltime leading scorer and captain faced its ultimate test when he went off injured after 25 minutes of Sunday’s final

PARIS: Portugal proved they can flourish without their talismanic forward Cristiano Ronaldo, at least on the pitch, in beating France to win Euro 2016.

Coach Fernando Santos has been trying to reduce their dependency on Ronaldo and his team’s ability to live without their alltime leading scorer and captain faced its ultimate test when he went off injured after 25 minutes of Sunday’s final.

They passed with flying colours.

Relieved of any obligation to pass to Ronaldo every time he was free or allow him to take free kicks, Portugal’s players appeared less inhibited without him on the pitch.

Raphael Guerreiro, barred from taking free kicks when Ronaldo is playing, showed his abilities when he curled a sublime effort against the crossbar in extratime, shortly before Eder scored Portugal’s winner.

The left back had also scored from a free kick in the pre-tournament friendly against Norway, a game which Ronaldo missed.

Ronaldo, who has said he will continue to play for Portugal until at least the 2018 World Cup, has a remarkable record for his country, scoring in seven major tour-

naments in a row -- the last three World Cups and last four European championships.

He almost single-handedly took Portugal to the last World Cup with a hat-trick in a playoff match against Sweden and Santos has repeatedly praised his team spirit and motivational qualities. Yet, his presence sometimes seems to overwhelm his younger team mates. He has taken more than 40 free kicks at major tournaments without converting and television pictures often show him remonstrating angrily when the ball does not reach him.

Words of encouragement However, Ronaldo spent much of Sunday’s match alongside Santos in the technical area giving the sort of encouragement to his team mates which is often lacking when he is playing. “His presence in the changing room was really important thanks to the way in which he supported me and he said it was our day ... he believed as much as I did that it was our day,” Santos said after the match.

Right back Cedric Soares said “unbelievable” motivational words from Ronaldo at half time had helped spur Portugal to victory.

“It was a very tough moment,” said Cedric of Ronaldo’s injury.

“Everybody was a little bit in shock, but at half time, Cristiano had fantastic words with us.

“He gave us a lot of confidence and said ‘listen people, I am sure we will win this Euro, so stay together and fight for it.’ He was fantastic, his attitude was unbelievable.”

When Santos was appointed in September 2014, Portugal had suffered a dismal World Cup and lost their opening Euro 2016 qualifier at home to Albania.

Their team had barely changed since Euro 2012 and younger players were finding the door firmly shut as predecessor Paulo Bento pledged loyalty to the old guard.

Santos immediately began renewing the team, fielding more than 50 players in two years and Ronaldo himself was quick to appreciate the influence of his remarkably down-to-earth coach.

“Fernando Santos was the most important person at the European championship,” he said. “He said that he would return to Lisbon on July 11 and be welcomed with a party. A lot of people made fun of his words and that left a strong impression on me.”

Young players such as Joao Mario (23), Danilo (24), William Carvalho (24), Andre Gomes (22) and Renato Sanches (18) all became key figures in Portugal’s campaign although Santos said he only found his ideal formation during the tournament.

“You really only got the right teamwork by playing competitive matches,” he said.

After lots of frustrating near misses in the past, which included losing Euro 2004 to Greece on home soil, the future of Portuguese football seems brighter than ever.

“Portugal have had fantastic players and teams, but have not

always ays been lucky. A penalty madee the different different in 2012 and 2004 4 was unlucky as well,” said Santos.

“All All these coaches and players contributed to this. All those who have worked in developing players ers have been fantastic. I believee Portugal have players with talent and quality as we have shown in youth th tournaments and will show in Brazil (at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics). mpics). “This is the result of the quality ity of the Portuguese coach and player. er. We have to believe in their talent, nt, hunger and determination. I am certain that, with our humility, Portugal ugal can face these future challenges.” es.” - Reuters

FOOTBALL

Oman prepare for AFC U-16 tourney with friendlies against Japan Times News Service MUSCAT: The Japan Under-16 football team is scheduled to play two friendly games against the Oman Under-16 national team, according to information received from the Oman Football Association on Monday.

The friendlies are part of the training camp scheduled for Japan and also the ongoing Oman Under-16 camp under the guidance of coach Yaquob Al Sabaahi.

Oman is preparing for the AFC Under-16 Championship to be held in India from September 13 to October 2. Tha Japanese outfit will play two matches against Oman, on July 13 and July 17 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. The kick-off time for both games will be 7.15pm.

It turned out to be something of a dramatic passage to India for Oman, who went from Group B winners at the end of the last September’s qualifiers to scraping in as the fifth and final of the best runners-up following Nepal’s disqualification from the competition a month later for fielding an ineligible player.

Oman, under-16 champions in

In the AFC U-16 Championship hosted

by India, Oman has been grouped with South Korea, Malaysia and Iraq and will open campaign with a match against Malaysia on September 16 GEARING UP: Oman national Under-16 team will play Japan Under-16 on July 13 and 17 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.

1996 and 2000, had finished top of the table after victories over Group B hosts Kyrgyzstan (2-0) and Nepal (3-1) either side of a 2-0 loss to Jordan.

But with Nepal forfeiting their matches 3-0, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, and Jordan all finished level on six points, with the Sultanate’s goal difference inferior to the group

hosts but slightly better than third-placed Jordan as the Omanis advanced alongside table-topping Kyrgyzstan.

In the Asian U-16, Oman has been grouped with South Korea, Malaysia and Iraq and will open campaign with a match against Malaysia on September 16.

Oman plays South Korea on

September 19 and Iraq on September 22. The Japan U-16 team, who also takes part in the Asian tournament will arrive on Tuesday. Japan is grouped with Australia, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan.

U-22 camp Meanwhile, the Oman Olympic team (Under-22) under coach

Hamad Al Azzani is all set to have a camp in Muscat from Wednesday to July 20. Hamad has selected a list of 26 players for the camp and the players who will attend the camp are as follows: Ibrahim Mukhaini, Thuwaini Al Mukhaini, Abdulhadi Al Hajiry, Aiman Haitham, Abdullah Al Mashaikhi, Ahmed Al Araimi, Salah Al Yahy-

aei, Zahir Al Aghbari, Al Muntasir Al Riyami, Ihad Al Balushi, Salim Al Siyabi, Ahmed Al Khamisi, Haitham Al Muqaini, Mohammed Al Yahmadi, Amar Al Shiyadi, Mohsin Al Ghassani, Dakheel Yahmadi, Ammar Al Rusheidi, Asa’ad Al Awaadi, Talal Al Awaadi, Omaran Heedi, Ali Al Hinai, Faisal Al Busaidi, Yousuf Al Ghaafri, Bakheet Fadil, Hussain Ali. OPL meeting The Oman Professional League officials are set to have a meeting on Tuesday night at the Oman Football Association headquarters.

The meeting will be chaired by Saleh Al Farsi, head of the Competitions Committee of the OPL. The meeting will also be attended by other members of the committee.

The agenda for discussion pans the schedule of the coming season, the guidelines for the organization and running of the tournament as well as changing the criteria for identification of foreign nationals in order to accommodate players from GCC Countries to play as locals.

The OPL will likely schedule the start of the coming 2016-17 season on September 17.

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TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

SPORTS EURO 2016

C O M M E N TA RY

‘Ugly duckling becomes beautiful’

MATCH WINNER: Portugal’s lone scorer Eder. – Reuters

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PARIS: Football threw up another unlikely hero on Sunday when journeyman professional Eder scored the goal that won Euro 2016 for Portugal.

Coach Fernando Santos said the “ugly duckling has become beautiful” after Eder, jeered by Portugal fans during a game in March, fired in a long-range goal 11 minutes from the end of extra-time to give Portugal an unexpected 1-0 win.

Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the Portuguese team for the last decade but, after the three-times world player of the year limped off injured, it was the 28-year-old Eder, born in Guinea-Bissau, who stole the headlines. Eder played 13 games for English Premier League

Swansea City without scoring a goal last season before being loaned to French club Lille.

“I felt that Fernando Santos knows about my qualities ever since the day the squad was named,” Eder told reporters. “He put his confidence in me and today, I paid him back. I’m very happy.”

His presence in the 23-man squad was in doubt until the very last minute and his goal on Sunday was only his fourth in 29 international appearances.

Eder is one of five members of the Portuguese squad who were born outside Europe along with Danilo (Guinea Bissau), Pepe (Brazil), Nani (Cape Verde) and William Carvalho (Angola).

Full name Ederzito Antonio Macedo Lopes, he has never played for any of the big three clubs in his homeland. After starting his career with third tier side Tourizense, he moved on to Academica Coimbra for four seasons before spending three seasons with slightly less unfashionable Braga.

He made his international debut against Azerbaijan in 2014 but since then has only been a fringe player. Eder was brought on the 79th minute after Santos decided he needed a more physical presence in attack. “I understood that Eder was the player who had to come on to hold up the ball in attack and create problems for France in the air,” Santos said. - Reuters

DIFFERENT MOODS

Ronaldo goes from agony to ecstasy PARIS: He has won it all at club level and has three world player of the year awards but on Sunday Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated as never before -- with tears of joy streaming down his face after his Portugal beat France 1-0 to win the European Championship.

Two hours earlier, there had been very different tears after he had been taken out of the game on a stretcher, just 25 minutes into the final at the Stade de France, his night over and his team left to fight on without their talisman.

Portugal’s triumph, thanks to a long-range goal in the second period of extra time by substitute striker Eder, was their first major trophy and will ease the memory of their painful loss to Greece in the Euro 2004 final — on home turf in Lisbon. A 19-year-old Ronaldo had played on the wing in that defeat and he must have wondered if he would ever get a chance to make amends.

“I am very happy. I have been looking for this for a long time, since 2004. I asked God for another chance at this because we deserved it,” he told reporters.

“Today I was unfortunate, I was injured but I always believed that these players, together with the strategy, would be strong enough to beat France,” the Real madrid forward added. “This is one of the happiest moments in

my career, I always said I’d like to win something with Portugal. For me this is an amazing unique moment for all Portuguese.”

Ronaldo’s career has been a glittering combination of individual brilliance, multiple success at club level and constant comparisons with the other great player of his generation, Barcelona’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi.

Messi has famously never won a major trophy with his country and just a few weeks ago announced he was quitting his national team after their latest disappointment -- a Copa America defeat. Now to add to three Premier League titles and a Champions League win from his time with Manchester United, a Spanish league crown and two Champions League triumphs with Real Madrid, Ronaldo has a major trophy with Portugal.

He was right to credit his team mates and coach Fernando Santos’s because while he may have been the man who got them to the final with his goal and assist in the last-four win over Wales, it was the squad who delivered his medal.

Ronaldo had been on the field before extra time encouraging his team mates and goalscorer Eder said had made an impact. “Cristiano told me I would be scoring the winning goal. He and all my team mates,” he said. — Reuters PAT F R O M C OAC H

Ronaldo’s motivational powers hailed PARIS: Emotional Portugal coach Fernando Santos praised Cristiano Ronaldo’s motivational powers and said criticism of Pepe was unjustified after his team won the European Championship on Sunday.

Santos began his news conference by reading a speech he had delivered to the squad. “We were as simple as doves and as wise as serpents,” he finished by saying.

“Our captain made a fantastic effort during this competition, he was criticised many times but he showed a fantastic team spirit,” Santos told reporters “Twice, he tried everything that was humanly possible to get back into the game but it wasn’t possible,” he added. “His presence in the changing-room was really important thanks to the way in which he supported me.”

Santos added that the tackle on Ronaldo was “strange” and complained that the referee did not even give a foul. — Reuters

Portugal’s championship title is not undeserved

N

aturally the French, as hosts of the Euro 2016, had the better chances in the final match.

But that Portugal ended up winning the championship title was not undeserved, if you overlook the fact that they profited from the new tournament modus that enabled them to advance despite being only third in their group. After all, in the Final 16 round they defeated one of my favourites, Croatia, 1-0 with a goal in overtime, just as they have now done against the French. They did so because in the course of the match they found their form, and physically they made the better impression.

It can be argued about why this final match was all about one player — Cristiano Ronaldo — even though he was no longer on the pitch after the 25th minute, injured by what was certainly a rude, but not a dirty foul by Dimitri Payet, the kind of foul that can happen in a final. Until the very end, the cameras constantly were on Ronaldo, how he was sitting on the bench, how he was crying in pain. And after his teammates had won the match, he was permitted - this is okay because he’s the captain - to be the first to raise the trophy. Ronaldo had been the difference against Hungary and against Wales. His header against the Welsh will move many national team trainers to vote for him as world footballer of the year. But his teammates also were joyous, because they could show, for once, that they can get along without their star.

Strictly speaking, not a single one of the 24 teams was convincing in this tournament. This was not a tournament for football gourmets, one that saw many weary players. Certainly this was also due to the strains resulting from a long season with so many different competitions.

The Spaniards, who got off to a very good start, were already gone after the Round of 16. I would be hard-pressed to put together a team from this tournament. At the 1990 World Cup there were many Germans, in 1986 a number of Argentinians. In 2002, a few Brazilians. But this time, there would not be many French or Portuguese players in the team. The Portuguese won only one match in the regulation 90 minutes, the 2-0 semi-final against Wales.

It speaks for Portugal’s morale the way they improved during the course of the tournament, something people normally say about the Germans. Even though the Germans lost 2-0 to France in the semi-final and even though they left behind the best impression with their football playing qualities.

If Bastian Schweinsteiger had not confused football with handball in the match against France - the way that Jerome Boateng also did in the quarterfinal against Italy - then Germany might have gone through as the only team that was not scored against.

But in both cases, their handling of the ball in the zone led to penalties that

Strictly speaking, not a single one of the 24 teams was convincing.

This was not a tournament for football gourmets, one that saw many weary players. Certainly this was also due to the strains resulting from a long season

were converted. Schweinsteiger deprived his team of the reward they deserved. If you absolutely want to take the field despite not having had much playing time, then you might be one step too slow, or do something that you normally don’t do.

And so Antoine Griezmann, with his score making it 2-0 for France, shot the only goal against Germany that was not a penalty.

Paul Pogba, the Frenchman playing for Juventus Turin and who was expected to be the star of the tournament, is now going to Manchester United, where the new trainer Jose Mourinho is beckoning.

The transfer fee is said to be 130 million euros - the money is there in England, thanks to the revenues from the TV broacasters. Already last winter the price of just your average player doubled there. Pogba may only be just 23 years old, but he is no Lionel Messi, no Ronaldo, and he barely made any impression in this tournament.

There were actually only two stars. One was Griezmann, not only because of his six goals for France but also because he was dangerous in the final.

With his precision passes, Griezmann was, to me, the outstanding player of the tournament. And behind him, Gareth Bale, the Welshman playing for Real Madrid. These were the two faces of the Euro 2016.

But I was also surprised by the 28-year-old Eder, who came in after 78 minutes to replace the 18-year-old Renato Sanches and whose concealed low shot became the match-winner for Portugal. Eder is strong with the header and strong in dribbling, and fast. I would gladly like to have him in my team, even though he has been sold by Swansea City to Lille and who - before this goal - was worth only five million euros.

And so the Euro 2016 did, after all, reach a conciliatory conclusion. - dpa

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

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SPORTS Losing to Ronaldo again in a final ‘hurts’ top goal scorer Griezmann Griezmann named player of Euro 2016

The France forward missed a penalty for Atletico Madrid in the Champions

PARIS: France forward Antoine Griezmann was named player of the tournament on Monday after leading the Euro 2016 hosts to Sunday’s final where they lost to Portugal. The 25-year-old was the tournament’s top scorer with six goals — more than any player at one European Championship since Michel Platini hit nine in France’s 1984-winning campaign.

League final in May and his team went on to lose on penalties to city rivals Real with Ronaldo sealing the shootout win TOP SCORER: France’s forward Antoine Griezmann reacts after Portugal scored a goal during the Euro 2016 final. – AFP

PARIS: Losing a final to Cristiano Ronaldo has become an unfortunate habit for Antoine Griezmann and he is not happy about it.

The France forward missed a penalty for Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final in May and his team went on to lose on penalties to city rivals Real with Ronaldo sealing the shootout win.

“I’ve just lost my second final FOOTBALL

in just over a month and it sucks,” Griezmann told reporters after Les Bleus lost 1-0 in extra-time to Ronaldo’s Portugal in the European Championship final on Sunday.

Griezmann’s usual boyish looks were on display as ever but not the smile that normally goes with them when he collected his trophy for the top scorer in the tourna-

ment. The speedy 25-year-old netted six goals in the finals— more than any player at one European Championship since Michel Platini hit nine in France’s 1984-winning campaign on home soil.

“We came close, really close,” said Griezmann, who has reached a totally new dimension this season, prompting Atletico coach

Diego Simeone to say his disciplined and hard-working forward was among the top three players in the world. “Portugal did not create many chances but they were smart,” he added. “It’s frustrating.

I’m proud of our group and of what we have achieved but this was simply not our night.”

France coach Didier Des-

champs, who helped Griezmann shine at the tournament by moving him closer to Olivier Giroud up front, offered sympathy.

“Antoine is a great player and we owe him a lot,” Deschamps said.

“Maybe he was not clinical or fresh enough tonight but I can’t reproach him and there will be better days for him, I’m sure”. - Reuters

INDIA IN WEST INDIES

ENGLAND SERIES

Wenger does not rule out England job

Skipper Kohli has created a positive environment in the side, says Mishra

LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is open to managing England but will not break his current contract with the Premier League club.

The Frenchman, who has one year remaining on his current deal with Arsenal, was linked to replace Roy Hodgson after England’s Round of 16 exit against Iceland at the Euro 2016. A three-man panel of the Football Association staff began the job of finding Hodgson’s successor.

“Could I manage England?

Why not? I would never rule that out, but I am happy and focused in club football,” Wenger told British media.

“I have one more year to go with Arsenal and I have been with them for a long time. I have always respected all my contracts and will continue to do that. What will I do after that?

Honestly, I don’t know.” - Reuters

ST KITTS: Hailing Test skipper Virat Kohli’s positive mindset, legspinner Amit Mishra on Monday said the Delhi batsman has infused a new and positive environment into the Indian cricket team. “(Virat) Kohli is a positive person and he has created a similar positive environment within the team. He always supports me.

There are no boundaries. Whenever I want to share something with him, I am free to express my opinion,” Mishra, who is presently away in West Indies told bcci.tv.

“He tells me, “You’re a wicket taking bowler and that is what you must do. You stay positive and stick to your strengths. Do not think about anything else”.

Mishra believes the past experience of having played here and the guidance of new head coach and legendary leggie Anil Kumble will help him in the upcoming matches.

“Yes, the experience is going to

CONFIDENT: IAmit Mishra delivers the ball during the second day of a two-day tour match between India and WICB President’s XI squad. The match ended in a draw. – AFP

help. I have played only one Test, but played more One-day cricket in the Caribbean. Anil (Kumble) is with us (as head coach) and his experience is going to matter a lot.

He has played here and he keeps telling us about the conditions. We will utilise his experience and form a strategy together,” Mishra stated.

Asked what suggestions he takes from Kumble, the 33-year-

OEC BEAT SIALKOT XI TO CLINCH NMC INDEPENDENCE CUP OEC beat Sialkot XI by six wickets to clinch NMC Independence Cup 2016 organised by the Oman Indo-Pak Friends at the Azaiba Cultural Sports ground. In the final of the National Metal Cans sponsored tournament, Sialkot made 50 for 7 in 8 overs batting first and chasing OEC scored 55 for 4 in 6.3 overs to win the title. Ifrat, who scored unbeaten 28, was the man of the final and also the best batsman of the tournament. Shani was declared the best bowler and Adnan Dani the man of the tournament. — Supplied photo

Team of the tournament: Goalkeeper: Rui Patricio (Portugal), Defenders: Joshua Kimmich (Germany), Jerome Boateng (Germany), Pepe (Portugal), Raphael Guerreiro (Portugal), Midfielders: Toni Kroos (Germany), Joe Allen (Wales); Antoine Griezmann (France), Aaron Ramsey (Wales), Dmitri Payet (France), Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal). - Reuters

old said:”There are many things that he tells me like my bowling technique, landing and finishing.

Looking at the wicket, he tells me what are the areas where I can bowl and the kind of fields that I can set on a slow wicket.”

Mishra also talked about his training regime and how he practises deliveries aiming at a single stump. “I bowl about two hours

daily in the nets and also bowl with one stump for another half hour so that I do not lose my accuracy. It requires a lot of effort and I never shy away from working hard. I make sure that when I am not able to land my variation in the right spots, my leg spin, which is my most important weapon works perfectly,” he stated.

“There are times when as a bowler you do not get the desired rhythm and in those times your leg spin (stock ball) must land perfectly. I bowl a lot in the nets and that is the reason why I have been able to be more accurate.”

The Delhi-born added he would not hesitate to try seam up deliveries, an art which he has successfully developed during IPL. “Definitely. If there is a need to try that out, I will not hesitate,” he added.

India begin their campaign on July 21 at Antigua’s Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. - IANS

Bangladesh rule out neutral venue DHAKA: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has ruled out a neutral venue for their home series against England should the visiting team cancel their tour of the south Asian country after the July 1 attack at an upmarket Dhaka restaurant that left 20 dead. England’s limited overs captain Eoin Morgan has called it a “big concern” and felt a neutral venue to host the three-one day internationals and two tests would be a “feasible” idea.

“We always believe this (neutral) is never a solution,” BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury told the local media. “Cricket cannot stop in a country. The cricket operations of both BCB and ECB are in continuous communication regarding the England tour of Bangladesh in October. - Reuters

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TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

SPORTS The ‘big’ WBO Asia title is no big deal for Vijender Eyeing a seventh knockout in what is meant to be a 10-round contest, Vijender said his approach to the contest is no different from the one he had for his previous bouts

BATTLE READY: Indian boxing star Vijender Singh said the WBO Asia title contest against Kerry Hope is just another stepping stone.

NEW DELHI: It is the the biggest fight of his emergent professional career, but Indian boxing star Vijender Singh said the WBO Asia title contest against Kerry Hope is no huge deal for him and he is taking it as just another stepping stone in the circuit.

The 30-year-old dasher, who is unbeaten in the professional arena, has won all his bouts via konckouts. Eyeing a seventh knockout in what is meant to be a 10-round contest, Vijender said his approach to the contest is no different from the one he had for his previous bouts.

“I won all my six bouts, the seventh is coming up one year into the circuit. So I am a pro now, I am feeling like a pro now,” Vijender told PTI ahead of the Saturday night showdown, which will feature seven undercard bouts apart from the main event.

“Saturday’s fight is not a be all or end all fight for me. It’s being built up like a big, big fight but for me it’s

like any other fight. Get inside the ring, win it, come back and focus on the next. I have a lot to do, this fight is like one more step in my career. I don’t think it’s a big deal for me. For me ok, it’s a job, get done with it,” he said.

Vijender is up against Hope, who brings with him an experience bank of 30 bouts, of which he has won 23, two of them knockouts.

The Welsh-born Hope, who emigrated to Australia, was also a WBC middleweight champion and has moved a division to super middleweight to take on Vijender.

Asked about his thoughts on Hope, India’s first Olympic and World Championships medallist said he prefers to focus on himself.

“We are just doing our training. I am not bothered about what he might be doing. I am just focussed on myself,” the strapping six-footer said. “I don’t think anybody needs to talk big, because ultimately the punch does the talking. If an opponent says something

AT H L E T I C S

nasty and even if I talk back with something more nasty, that hardly makes a difference to the result inside the ring.

So I prefer to talk in the ring because only there everyone would know who is best or better,” he explained. The title bout, a win in which would give him a crack at the top-15 of WBO rankings, comes exactly a year after he turned pro and Vijender said the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

“This bout has come at the right time although it’s been just one year since I turned pro because I am not a 20-year-old greenhorn. I am an experienced guy and I train a lot,” he said.

‘Triumph of underdog’ Quite happy to be tagged the underdog, Indian boxing star Vijender Singh’s Welsh-born Australian opponent for this Saturday’s WBO Asia title bout, Kerry Hope, said he is inspired by the giant-slaying Welsh football team which stunned one and all by reaching the Euro Championships semifinals recently.

Hope, a former WBC middleweight champion, has moved up a division to super middleweight for the clash against Vijender, who is undefeated since turning pro last year and has claimed all his wins via knockouts.

“I will chop him down,” was the 34-year-old’s prompt reply when asked whether he has figured out

how to hand Vijender his maiden professional defeat.

If the title itself on the line was not inspiration enough, Hope said he has also drawn from the fabulous run that Gareth Bale and Co. Enjoyed at the just-concluded Euro where they stunned the more fancied Belgium to make the semifinals beating all expectations.

“I have been following them but because of the time difference in Australia, I didn’t get a chance to watch all the games. But they have done well, We lost to eventual champions, Portugal. I feel inspired by them, I have a chance to do what what they did in the Euros, triumph of the underdog,” Hope told PTI in an interaction.

“I love the underdog tag, there is no pressure on me. The expectations are from Vijender, so he is the one who has to live up to the pressure,” he said.

Hope said he expects the crowd to be hostile to him on Saturday but he would look to make that work in his favour.

“I don’t think anybody would be cheering for me but it’s OK, nobody can help him in the ring. It’s just me and him there,” he laughed.

“I got a chance to see some of his videos and he is a talented guy no doubt, he has done well as an amateur and has had a good stint so far in the UK. But I have fought all over the world. Australia, UK, US, everywhere. So that sets me apart,” he signed off. - PTI

AL HAIL SUMMER PROGRAMME

Felix misses as Bowie surprises in 200m race T10 Summer Cup EUGENE: Olympic champion Allyson Felix stunningly failed to make the U.S. team for Rio in her favourite event, the 200 metres, as her dreams for a rare sprint Olympic double ended at the American trials on Sunday.

A late lean by the world 400 metres champion was not enough for Felix as she missed qualifying for Rio by one-hundredth of a second by finishing fourth in 22.54 seconds. World champion Tori Bowie gained the victory in the 200 in 22.25 seconds with collegian Deajah Stevens (22.30) and a lunging Jenna Prandini (22.53) outduelling Felix.

Only the top three finishers in each event at the cut-throat trials qualify for the Olympics.

“I gave it all I had but it just wasn’t there today,” said Felix, who two months ago could not even walk because of a sprained ankle. But it was the lack of conditioning, not the ankle, that slowed

BAD DAY: Allyson Felix, fourth place, reacts after the women’s 200m final during the 2016 US Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field. – AFP

her on Sunday, she said. “The speed just wasn’t there,” said Felix, who had not run a 200 metres this year until the trials, where she won the 400 metres earlier in the 10-day competition.

Bowie watched the 2012 Olympics from home on television.

Now she is going to Rio. “It’s like a dream come true, coming to the

Olympic trails and leaving being the champion,” she said.

The concluding day of the American trials also produced the fastest 400 metres hurdles in the world this year, a run of 52.88 seconds by Dalilah Muhammad, and an upset in the men’s race as the 35-year-old Kerron Clement won in 48.50 seconds to make his third Olympic team.

The third place finisher in the women’s race, 16-year-old Sydney McLaughlin, became the youngest athlete to ever qualify for the Olympics in the 400 metres hurdles. Her time of 54.15 seconds was a world junior record. “I can’t believe this is happening right now,” McLaughlin said. “My mind was on finishing the race and eating a cheeseburger. Just hearing the word Olympics was a dream in the back of my mind.”

Johnny Dutch was not as fortunate. The year’s fastest men’s 400 metres hurdler faded to fifth

in the closing metres to miss the U.S. team. Collegian Byron Robinson claimed second (48.79) behind Clement and Olympic silver medallist Michael Tinsley took the third spot (48.82) Olympic champion Jenn Suhr won her 10th national pole vault with a clearance of 4.80 metres with Sandi Morris the runnerup at 4.75 metres. World indoor champion Matthew Centrowitz and Jenny Simpson won the 1,500 metres finals, Centrowitz running 3:34.09 and Simpson taking the women’s race in 4:04.74.

Hard-luck Brenda Martinez, who failed to make the U.S. team in the 800 metres after a late race entanglement, finished third in 4:06.16 to qualify for the Games.

Olympic silver medallist Erik Kynard won the high jump at 2.29 metres, Molly Huddle was first in the women’s 5,000 metres (15:05.01) and Barbara Nwaba topped the heptathlon with 6,494 points. - Reuters

cricket on July 22 MUSCAT: Al Hail Cricket Club is all set to organise Al Hail Summer Cup T10 Cricket Tournament at their School of Cricket ground in Mabellah on July 22, according to Moula Baksh Al Balushi.

The matches will be played on a knockout basis with participation of 16 teams.

The tournament is open to all the teams in low divisions only.

Premium Division players are not allowed to participate.

The organisers have decided to give some interesting prizes besides the trophy and cash prize for the winners. There will be prizes for the best bowler and best disciplined team apart from regular prizes.

Registration will be on firstcome-first basis with limitation of 16 teams.

The tournament draw is sched-

Al Hail’s Moula BakHsh Al Balushi

uled to take place in Al Hail School of Cricket ground at 7.30pm on July 19 in the presence of all the team captains and managers.

More information can be had from Rafeed Ahmed Al Balushi on 00968 95998056 and 00968 99623536.

RAMADAN TOURNAMENT

Al Kharoosi wins Mitsubishi supported Pinz bowling crown MUSCAT: Continuing its support to sports, and in order to promote a healthy and social lifestyle during the holy month, General Automotive Company (GAC), the official distributors of Mitsubishi Vehicles in Oman, recently sponsored the Ramadan Pinz Bowling Tournament.

The tournament took place over the course of the holy month at the new bowling hall located in Avenues Mall. Attending the finals event on behalf of GAC was Yahya Ahmed Al Harthy, Key account Manager at GAC. The finals was a tough fight between the top four players of the tournament. However, in the end it was Hassan Al Kharoosi who won the first place, Abid Al Belushi placed second, Rashid Al Samti third and Ghalib Al Busaidi fourth.

The first three places were

handed trophies and each of the four players received cash prizes.

The tournament saw the participation of Omani and expatriate players, which contributed towards an intense tournament with each player showcasing great enthusiasm and excitement to win the title.

Commenting on the importance of sponsoring sports events, Yahya Ahmed Al Harthy said, “At GAC we have always focused our efforts towards promoting sports in the country. We also place great emphasis on youth development, having sponsored several sport events and youth teams across the country in the past.”

The tournament was held in one of the newest and best bowling halls in Oman, a 12-lane bowling hall equipped with state of art technology. The hall is also

equipped to play billiards and console games. The Pinz Centre is also planning to open another 18-lane bowling hall in line with global standards, and aimed at being the largest in Oman, in Al-Hail.

Husam Al-Wahebi, Marketing Manager at Abab Trading, the owner company of Pinz bowling, said, “I would like to congratulate each of the four winners of the tournament, and best of luck for all who participated in any of their future tournaments. I would also like to thank GAC for their generous sponsorship of the tournament.”

“Our sponsorship of Ramadan Pinz Bowling Tournament, stems from our belief of the importance of promoting sports in the community. On behalf of GAC, I would like to thank Pinz Centre for organizing such successful tournament.

C

LIFESTYLE

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TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

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TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

C6

PRAYER TIMINGS

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

@ MGM

Cast: Ali Alghurair, Khalil Alromaithi, Abdulla Waleed 7:00PM

@ BURAIMI

@ PANORAMA MALL

SHATTI Now You See Me 2 (2D) (Action | Comedy | Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo 1:30 PM Sultan (Hindi) (2D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma 3:45, 8:30, 11:45 PM Independence Day: Resurgence (3D) (Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman 2:15, 7:00, 9:15, 11:45 PM Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-Out of the Shadows (3D) (Action | Adventure | Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry 4:45, 7:00, 9:15 PM Finding Dory (3D) (Comedy) (PG) Cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks 2:30, 4:30, 6:30 PM MUSCAT GRAND MALL Independence Day: Resurgence - (4D) (Action| Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) GOLD CLASS Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum 11:15AM, 1:30, 7:00 & 11:30PM Independence Day: Resurgence - (3D) (Action| Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Bill Pullman 10:00AM, 9:30 & 11:45PM Sultan - (2D) (PG12) (Hindi) GOLD CLASS Cast: Salman Khan, Marko Zaror 3:45PM Sultan - (2D) (PG12) (Hindi | Action) Cast: Salman Khan, Marko Zaror 6:15 & 8:45PM Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - (3D) (Action ) (PG12) GOLD CLASS Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry 9:15PM

Sultan (Hindi) (2D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma, Marko Zaror, 2:00, 4:30, 5:05, 7:45, 8:15, 11:00, 11:30 PM

Finding Dory - (3D) (Animation) (PG) Voice Overs: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks 10:00AM, 12:00, 2:00 & 6:45PM

Independence Day: Resurgence - (4D) (Action| Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) MX4D Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, , Bill Pullman 2:15, 4:30, 6:45, 9:00 & 11:15PM

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (3D) PG 12 (Action | Adventure) Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry 3.00, 7.00 & 9.30 PM

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - (3D) (Action | Adventure | Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry 2:15 & 4:00PM Finding Dory - (3D) (Animation) (PG) Voice Overs: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks 10:00AM, 12:00, 2:00 & 6:45PM The Purge: Election Year - (2D) (Action) Cast: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell 12:15, 4:30 & 11:55PM (12+)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - (3D) (Action | Adventure | Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry 2:45, 6:00, 9:45 & 11:50PM Finding Dory - (3D) (Animation) (PG) Cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks 1:45, 3:45, 5:45 & 7:45PM Me Before You - (2D) (Drama) (15+) Cast: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer 5:00PM

PANORAMA MALL Independence Day: Resurgence - (3D) (Action| Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) VIP LOUNGE Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum 9:15 & 11:30PM Independence Day: Resurgence - (4D) 2:15, 4:30, 6:45, 9:00 & 11:15PM (PG12) MX4D Independence Day: Resurgence - (3D) (Action| Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) 7:15, 9:30 & 11:45pm Sultan - (2D) (PG12) (Hindi) VIP LOUNGE Cast: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma 2:45 & 6:00PM Sultan - (2D) (PG12) (Hindi | Action) Cast: Salman Khan, Marko Zaror 2:45, 8:15 & 11:30PM

AZAIBA Happy Wedding (Mal) (2D) (Romance) (PG) Cast: Wilson Joseph, Soubin Shahir, 6:45, 9:15, 11:00 PM Sultan (Hindi) (2D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma 2:00, 4:30, 5:05, 7:45, 8:15, 11:00, 11:30 PM Independence Day: Resurgence (3D) (Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum 2:00, 4:30, 11:45 PM Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-Out of the Shadows (3D) (Action | Adventure ) (PG12) Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry 2:15, 7:00, 9:00 PM Finding Dory (3D) (Animation) (PG) 3:00, 5:00 PM

RUWI Screen 1 Sultan (2D) (Action, Drama, Sport) –PG12 Cast : Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma 3.30, 6.45, 10.00 PM Screen 2 Independence Day: Resurgence (2D) (Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi) –PG12 Cast : Maika Monroe, Liam Hemsworth 3.45, 6.45, 9.45 PM Screen 3 Housefull 3 (2D) (Comedy / Drama) –PG12 Cast : Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh 3.45, 6.45, 9.45 PM

SOHAR Independence Day: Resurgence – 3D (Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Bill Pullman 3:45, 7:15, 9:30, 11:45PM Finding Dory – 3D (Animation) (PG) Voice Overs: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks 3:00PM Finding Dory – 2D (Animation) (PG) 5:00PM Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – 3D (Action/) (PG12) Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry 5:00, 9:30, 11:45PM The Purge: Election Year -2D (Action) (12+) Cast: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Mykelti 3:00, 11:45PM Now You See Me: the Second Act – 2D Cast: Jesse Esinberg, Lissy Caplan, Daniel 5:30PM (Action) (PG12) Sultan -2D (Hindi/ Action) (PG12) Cast: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma 2:15, 6:15, 8:00, 11:15PM Happy Wedding -2D (Romantic/Drama) (PG) Cast: Wilson Joseph, Soubin Shahir, Sharafudheen 9:15PM Swaief Tafash -2D (Arabic) (PG)

SUR Independence Day 3D ( Action) ( PG12 ) Cast : Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum 3:15, 7:30, 11:45 PM Sultan (Hindi) ( Action ) ( PG12 ) Cast : Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma 3:30, 8:30, 11:30 PM Finding Dory 3D ( Animation ) (PG) 6:30 PM Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Out of the Shadows 3D ( Action ) ( PG12 ) Cast : Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry 5:30, 9:45 PM

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

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

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

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

37 31

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

0

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

50-25% Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/ her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to extra@timesofoman.com

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

LISTINGS

ROYAL OMAN POLICE TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 07:30 14:30

Sur Sur

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

Daily Daily

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

Fahud Yibal

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

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

Daily Daily

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

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

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

07:00

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

10:45 19:00

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

Ruwi Ruwi

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100) Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

06:00 14:30

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

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

Sultan (Hindi) ( Act\Sports) Cast: Salman Khan & Anushka Shama 3-30 PM Cinema -2; 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema Main Happy Wedding (Mal) (Comedy) Cast: Willson Joseph, Soubin Shahir & Sharafudheen 3-30 Pm Cinema Main; 6-30 & 9-30 pm Cinema -2 School Bus (Mal) (Thriller) Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Jayasurya 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 PM Cinema -3 Kammati Paddam (Mal) (Act) Cast: Dulquer Salman & Anjali Aneesh 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -3 Next Change: Kabali (Tamil) Programmes are subject to change

Minimum

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

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

0

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 20:50

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

STAR CINEMA

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

16:30 18:00 19:30

The Asian Connection (Action) Cast: Steven Seagal, Michael Jai White 1.00 p.m.

CP No : 1764 (15+) The Purge: Election Year (Action/Horror/Sc:Fi:) Cast: Frank Grillo, Elizebeth Mitchel 4.00, 8.00 & 11.55 pm CP No : 1810 (12+) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (Action/Adventure) Cast: Megan Fox, Will Amet, Tyler Perry 12.00, 2.00, 6.00 & 10.00 pm CP No : 1811 (PG12 ) Sultan (Hindi Film) (Action/Drama/Sport) Cast: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma 3.00, 6.00 & 9.00pm CP No : 1812 (PG12) 30 Years Ago (Arabic Film) (Action/Thriller) Cast: Ahmed El Sakki, Mona Zaki, Sherif Mounir 11.55 pm CP No : 1813 (PG12)

WITH LOVE

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

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

SALALAH Independence Day: Resurgence (3D) (PG12) (Action| Adventure | Sci-Fi) Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum 10:15, 2:30, 6:00, 8:35PM Finding Dory (3D) (PG) (Animation) Voice Overs: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks 10:30, 12:30, 4:45PM Sultan (2D) (PG12) (Action) Cast: Salman Khan, Marko Zaror 2:45, 8:45, 11:15PM Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (3D) (PG12) (Action | Adventure) Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry 12:30, 9:00, 11:30PM Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2D) (PG12) (Action | Adventure) 4:10PM The Purge: Election Year (2D) (12+) (Action ) Cast: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Mykelti 12:05, 2:05, 11:55PM Abu Shanab (2D) (PG12)( Arabic ) (Action ) Cast: Yazmin Abdel Aziz, Dhaffer L Abidine 6:45PM Happy Wedding (2D) (PG) (Mal) (Romantic) Cast: Wilson Joseph, Soubin Shahir 6:15PM

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

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

BAHJA CINEMA

BURAIMI Independence Day: Resurgence (3D) PG12 (Action| Adventure | Sci-Fi) Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum 2.45, 9.00 & 11:30 PM The Purge: Election Year 12+ (Action) Cast: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell 2.00, 5.00 & 11.55 PM Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (3D) PG 12 (Action | Adventure) Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry 3.00, 7.00 & 9.30 PM Sultan PG12 (Hindi) (Action) Cast: Salman Khan, Marko Zaror, Anushka Sharma 4.00, 8.55 & 11.15 PM Finding Dory (3D) PG (Animation | Comedy) Voice Overs: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks 5.00 & 7.00 PM Happy Wedding PG (Malayalam) Cast: Wilson Joseph, Soubin Shahir 7.00 PM

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

Destination

12.18pm 3.37pm 7.02pm 8.23pm 4.02am

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

@ AZAIBA

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

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

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

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

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

PHARMACIES (ROUND THE CLOCK) Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334 Apollo Medical Centre,

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

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

23291635

HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre 24485052 Atlas Hospital Ruwi 24811743/ Ghubra 24504000 Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi 24563641 Azaiba 24499269 Sohar 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya 24787766, 24787780

Capital Polyclinic 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740 Ceregem National Raak 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217 Elixir Health Centre 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274 Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128 MBD 24799077 Al Khuwair 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666 Al Hayat International Hospital, Al Ghubra 22004000, 94267068/97049520 Al Hayat Clinic, Al Hail 22009455

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

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

C7

LIFESTYLE FOOD NOTE

The Right Way to Store Food in Your Refrigerator

Culinary Talent at Six Senses Zighy Bay Executive chef, Stephen Jones, also known as Chef Stevie, brings with him the simplicity of flavours and textures that are required to make a great dish.

C

elebrated for his exploratory palate – perhaps thanks in part to his Australian nationality and British heritage – the adventurous yet simplistic chef will be overseeing four separate food and beverage outlets at the dramatic Musandam getaway.

Chef Stevie is known for his passion and talent, two qualities that have made him a success in highend world-class hotels. He commenced his executive chef journey at the Aman Resorts group in 2000 where he acquired exotic tastes from Mahakua Hacienda de San Antonio, Mexico and Amankila, Bali, before moving to The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, and The Oberoi Lombok, Indonesia to share his inspirational and eclectic cooking with their team.

His global orientation has landed him in Hotel Le Gray Beirut under Campbell Gray Hotels where he shaped and delivered four stylish restaurants while guiding the team to be at the forefront of the dining industry in cosmopolitan Lebanon.

He later moved to Montenegro to launch two historical sites of the 15th-century iconic island and stately Villa Milocerat Aman Sveti Stefan. He has also worked with the award-winning private retreat of Pangkor Laut Resort in Malaysia, as well as Per Aquum Huvafen Fushi, Maldives. With such vast multicultural exposure and mentorship, it is not surprising that Chef Stevie is an award winner of the Gallivanter’s Guide Awards for Best Hotel

Cuisine Worldwide. Chef Stevie has a simplistic approach to cooking where he believes that “less is more” to create a flavourful and artistic dish. He comments: “Sustainably sourced, natural, delicious with awareness on intelligent nutrition, my approach to food is multicultural and layered with influences from travelling the world. Once the classic fundamentals are harnessed via understanding, simplicity of flavour, texture and the quality of produce, great dishes can be made simply and presented in a contemporary manner.”

Chef Stevie’s seasoned background in celebrated niche, private and urban hotels amplifies the commitment of Six Senses Zighy Bay to present an-out-of-the-ordinary experience for those seeking tantalising and transactional meals in

which every detail counts for building precious memories at the beautiful resort. Chef Steven’s Seared Tuna and Eggplant Salad recipe is a reflection of his minimalistic yet flavourful approach to cooking.

Seared Tuna and Eggplant Salad Ingredients • 2 medium-size black eggplants, diced to 3cm • 150ml of olive oil • 2 lemons, zest removed and segmented • 50g of flat leaf parsley, picked and washed • 6 baby capers, drained • 20 black Liguerian olives, stone removed • 350g of yellow-fin tuna loin sliced into 4 x 80 gram pieces Dressing

• 30ml of organic apple cider vinegar • 150ml of rapeseed or virgin olive oil • A pinch of pure sea salt and ground black pepper to season Preparation • Dice the eggplant 3x3cm with skin, remove seeds.

• Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and gently sauté the eggplant until lightly golden, season with sea salt and drain on absorbent paper.

• Using a sharp knife, slice a little off the top and bottom of the lemon to ensure a stable cutting surface.

• Start at the top and slice downwards following the curve of the fruit, cut away all the skin and pith.

• Slip the knife between the segments and pry away leaving a perfect segment, repeat with all other segments.

• Pick the leaves from the parsley stalks, wash, drain, and roughly chop.

• Combine baby capers and olives in a bowl and gently mix.

• For the dressing, combine vinegar, oil, pinch of sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, and whisk to combine.

• Add this to the salad ingredients and gently toss, season with salt and ground black pepper and arrange in a pile on a serving plate.

• Heat a non-stick frying pan with olive oil and quickly sear the tuna for 2-3 minutes on all sides, remove and place on a chopping board.

• Using a sharp knife slice into even pieces and arrange on top of the salad.

— lifestyle@timesofoman.com

If you have left home for the first time and set up in your very own home, you might be a little confused about how to store food correctly in your fridge and many of you might not even know that proper storage can actually help to reduce the risks of getting food poisoning. It is wise to try and learn about food storage practices as a bad case of food poisoning can be extremely bad for your health and could even possibly cause death.

Fridge Storage There are a number of foods that need to be stored in a fridge in order to stop bacteria growing on them. These items will usually state that they should be ‘kept refrigerated’ and will have a use by date. Any foods that have been removed from their original packaging should be kept in bags that are sealed tight.

You should also keep your fridge at or below 5C, never store food in their open cans, and should never put food in the fridge until it has cooled down. Keeping your fridge clean is also very important for the practice of good hygiene.

Storing Meat Most of you will know that you should store meat in the fridge if you are not planning on cooking and eating it straight away.

All meat and poultry should be stored either in clean sealed container or sealed bags that are air tight. They should also be stored on the bottom shelf of the fridge so that they will not drip onto another type of food. Never use meat that has gone past its use by date and always keep any uncooked meat away from cooked meat as it could cause cross contamination.

When and What to Freeze When it comes to your freezer, there are also certain rules about what you should or should not be putting in there. If you are going to freeze anything, make sure you freeze it before its use by date. When you store meat in the freezer you should make sure that it is wrapped tightly in a bag. Finally, whenever you take anything out of the freezer, you should always make sure it is completely defrosted before you cook it. — Courtesy of Artipot

C8

TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

LIFESTYLE ONE NGREDIENT INGREDIENT

FIVE WAYS

YOGHURT Cooking with yoghurt has always been very easy as it goes well with almost everything.

Jazz up some simple yet delicious recipes with yoghurt.

MUFFINS

SALAD

EGGS

CHICKEN

CHEESE DIP

Preheat an oven to 200°C. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Combine 11/2 cup all purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.

Stir in 1/2 cup yoghurt, 1/2 cup milk, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and chopped mixed fruits and stir well. Fill in muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 1520 minutes. Serve warm.

Take 2 cups of shredded boiled chicken, 1/2 cup diced celery, 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper, 1/2 cup diced cucumber, 2 tablespoons sliced green onions, 1/2 cup plain yoghurt, 1/4 cup Italian dressing, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Combine chicken, celery, bell pepper, cucumber and green onion. Separately blend yoghurt, Italian dressing, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and add to the chicken mixture. Mix well and refrigerate. Serve with chopped pecans on top.

In a bowl, stir 6 eggs, 1/2 cup yoghurt and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and add the egg mixture. In a flat pan take 1 tablespoon of oil and pour the egg mixture. As the eggs begin to thicken turn them over gently with the help of a spatula. Do not stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes and serve.

Combine 1/2 cup yoghurt, 1 chipotle chilli, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk. Pour in a zip lock bag.

Take 1kg boneless chicken breast pieces cut in cubes and seal the bag.

Toss to coat. Marinate for two hours.

Prepare the grill and thread the chicken pieces on a metal skewers . Spray cooking oil and grill for 10-15 minutes or until done.

Take 250g of cream cheese, 250g yoghurt, 1/4 cup coconut, 1 teaspoon grated orange rind, 1 tablespoon honey and some sliced fresh fruit. Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until fluffy.

Gradually beat in the yoghurt. Stir in coconut, orange rind, and honey.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with a variety of sliced fresh fruits.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

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W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M T U E S DAY, J U LY 1 2 , 2 0 1 6

SECTION

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

RENT

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VACANCY

D4

CARGO

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

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T U E S D AY, J U LY 1 2 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

*Tourist visa arranged

1 BHK Flats are available near Lulu Darsait (Opp. to Min. of Defense) Contact: 93202733 / 94771769 2 BHK flat at Wadi Kabir behind Pioneer Hotel apartment.

Contact: 99857332 /99261522 3000 Sqr mtrs compound land in Misfah. Contact 99792181 New 2B/R behind bank Muscat, Bausher directly from owner.

Contact: 92158031

1000,00 M2 Industrial plot compound wall & two room at Misfah I/A. Contact: 99342733

Ruwi office space for rent, Saravana Bhava Building.

Contact: 95729549

1700 sqr mtrs open Land + small store + garage for Rent in Ruwi.

Contact 99792181

Flat for rent in Al Mawaleh South 3, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, hall, kitchen & store with air condition.

Contact 98575157

Commercial/Residential land (24000 sqm) at Izz for lease.

Contact 92334696

Flats in Muttrah. Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Labor Camp available with all facilities near Sohar Port.

Contact: 98050654 / 99015826

1BHK near medical Darsait R.O 175/-.

Contact: 95076261 2 bedrooms flats R.O 370/- & one bedroom flat R.O 325/- in South Ghubra, behind Asalah Bhawan building. Contact: 96202490

3 Rooms, 2 Toilets Flat for Rent.

18 November Street. Near Mars Hypermarket and The Chedi.

Ghobrah -Good for Commercial or Residential use. OMR 295/- month.

Call 94477222 Flats for rent, location: Darsait AENT. Contact: 99885957 / 24488075 Luxury fully furnished 2 bedroom flat at Al Khuwair, for short or long term lease contract. Contact Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC. Contact 99436312 /92888376 / 94617563, tel: 24833848

One & two bedroom apartments available for rent close to the Avenues mall, opposite Panorama Mall at South Ghubra. Contact: 99833747 / 24562526 6 Bedroom villas available for rent at Al Hail North close to the wave, common swimming pool & GYM available. Contact: 24562526 / 99833747 Two flats in Al Wadi Al Kabeer near to the Al Kuwaiti Mosque.

Contact: 99425958 Apartment for rent in Darsait: 3 bedrooms plus two bathrooms.

Contact : 99459342

Villa available –Built up 300m2, 3 bedrooms, sitting, family lounge, kitchen, 3 toilets, near 100 meters from Indian School SoharContact: 26843530, 95856630

Land 2500m2 with p/cabins at Yitti. Contact 99221683

3 bedroom well maintained flat (villa type only 2 flats in one bldg) in Al Khuwair, behind Al Aktham restaurant villa no 1839, Way no 3922 block 239. Contact: 99462980

Flat with 2 room + kitchen +hall, 3 toilets in al Quram Breeiq Al Shatti RO 650.Contact 99738881 / 99314314

2 Bedroom, 1 sitting room, 1 toilet, 1 kitchen at Darsait.

Contact: 99022487 10 studio apartments & 12 fully furnished executive apartments ready for occupation - location at Falaj Al Qabail Contact 22092638 /94532131; Email: nitsohar@gmail.com

Studio flat for rent at Al Hail.

Contact 92817777

1,2,3 BHK flats & villas.

Contact: 91760884

1 &2 BHK Ghubra 250/- , 275/& 300/-.Contact: 92144045 / 91750884

Flats for rent in Mumtaz, 2 bedrooms , hall Way no 3352 building no. 3447 & 3668.

Contact: 90991079

110 SQM shop for rent next to Honda Signal light.

Contact: 99061408 / 99024039

Two bedrooms flat behind German Embassy near to Al Nahda Hospital. Contact: 99209354

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

Wadi Kabeer Industrial 80 sm show rooms for rent 400/- R.O. Contact: 99879939

Flat for rent 2 BHK 2 split A/C, 2 toilets, Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Masjid. Contact 97007934 / 92629232

Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35). Contact 94051789 / 97201688

2BHK Big Size Flat Behind Bank Muscat, Wadi Kabir. Near ISWK. 97826454, 24815012.

Offices & Showrooms in Al Khood.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

1BHK at Hamriya near Muscat Pharmacy & 2 BHK at Mawaleh near Mosque Sadiq Al Amin.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

I BHK Flat -3 Nos at Hamriya – R.O. 175/-3 Bed Room/ 3 Bath room/ Very big sitting area/ kitchen - Villa 1st floor with A/C at Al Khuwair Near Rayyan Residence.

R.O 360/-For families. Contact: 94934353 - 9 am to 7 Pm. Email – forrentksd@gmail.com Offices and flats in Ghala.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688 1 BHK fully furnish flat in Hamriya for short terms.

Contact – 99792181 5 BHK Villa in Al Khuwair, for Staff Accommodation.

Contact 99792181 1 Room for sharing accommodation in Al Khuwair.

Contact - 99792181 3 & 5 BHK villa staff accommodation in Al Khuwair.

Contact - 99792181 1 BHK flat in Al Khuwair for 2 months. Contact – 99792181

3BHK Al Khuwair R.O. 350/-.

Contact: 91760884 / 92144045

Flats, shops & store for rent in MBD area Ruwi, Mumtaz area.

Contact: 97293708 / 92433127

2BHK Darsait R.O 315/-.

Contact: 91760884 / 92144045

Flats in Darsait.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

1BHK Mumtaz R.O 225/-.

Contact: 92144045 / 91760884

Ghubra & Al Khuwair, 1 bed room, hall. Contact: 90991079

Flats in Qurum. Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Flats in Ghobrah. Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact 94051789-97201688 Flat for rent in South AlGhubrah 3 rooms, hall and 3 toilets, kitchen rent 450/-. Contact: 99335580 Flats in Al khuwair.

Contact 94051789-97201688 Flat for rent in Al Khoud, 2 rooms & hall. Contact: 91763665 2BHK split A/C 200/- Monthly & 1BHK spilt A/C 150/- monthly new building good location Barka Market. contact 99342661 Flat in Al Khuwair opp grand mall 4 room 3 toilet + hall kitchen in 3 floor 400. Contact 99420346 2 bed rooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715/ 24700120

Flats in Wadi Kabir. Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Flat for Rent 2 bed room Near ISM muscat Indian Scoole Darsate Tel : 00 968 95158570

2BHK split A/C for rent Muttrah near Oman House.

Contact: 97007934 / 92629232 1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100, 2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O 200/in AL Khuwair. Contact 95154331 Spacious 3 BHK apartment + store room with split A/C Al Seeb, Mabelah South near Goat market, near Expressway R.O 320 negotiable.

Contact: 96920789 / 98309890

FOR SALE Dental chairs for sale sparingly used dental units for sale.

Contact Mr. Ansari 92616343.

Kumar 99570284 A medical clinic located in Al Amerat is for sale. Interested parties can contact 92704439.

Coffee shop with tandoor & six visa, clearance in prime location in Ghubra for sale R.O 7000/-.

Contact urgently 99803363 / 94959572 HD Scaffoldings, Shuttering Jacks, Wooden Planks, Shuttering wood assorted, Tower hoist (lift), Concrete Mixer, Bending Machine, Steel Fabrication Machinery (Searing/Cutting, lathe & Welding) including tools for immediate sale: Contact 99273774/ 99202278 Luxury Apartments in Boucher (35) / Ghala / Qurum. Contact 95056808 / 97201688 1No brand new containerized package type STP 100 m3/ day with blower equipments (suitable for camps). Serious Buyers may.

Contact: 99445367 Single colorful Bed and Sofa for Sale at Al Khuwair. #92881849 / What`s up No 97290565 Steel Scrap materials for immediate sale. Contact: 99273774/ 99202278 Space for printing press available at wadikabir with or without machinery. Contact 99328430 Urgent sale of steel scrap only serious buyers kindly contact +968 96725423 for viewing the items.

Warehouse at Wadikabir total area 3500 sqm - covered warehouse (500sqm), office, accommodation (1000sqm), open area (2000sqm) please contact: 99273774 - 99202278

Restaurant for sale heart of Ruwi.

Contact 93687466

Furnished office (61M2) for sale / rent Al Khuwair near Zawawi Mosque. Contact: 95611569

Shop for sale near Oman House, Muttrah. Contact 99024362.

2 & 3 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair & Ghubra. Contact 99792181 4 BHK Villa in Bowsher Heights.

Contact 99792181

Almost new beach/ garden lounge chairs /bar stools/ counter.

Photos can be sent 95865457

FOR HIRE JCB 426 TOOL CARRIER with Operator available.

Contact 92334696

T U E S DAY, J U LY 1 2 , 2 0 1 6

D3

DAILY GUIDE

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatments & massage – Ayurvedic Clinic Al Khuwair.

Contact 97263637 / 93309131

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 SHUTTERING PLYWOOD SIZE : 4’ X 8’ X 18MM GSM: 92835445,93205253,93205423

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS

Furnished apartment for rent, two rooms, majlis, hall, kitchen.

Near Carrefour al-mawalah.

Contact 99336776

MATRIMONIAL

Furnished room with bath room available in Ruwi (close to Qaboos Masjid) looking for Keralites Executive bachelor Rent: R.O 100/-.

Contact: 92683045

Parent of Thrissur based Hindu Ezhava girl aged 20, Slim,Atham star, Studying for B. Pharm seeking alliance from well employed Graduates, preferably in Engineering Contact :96425102

Fully furnished two bed flat for 4 - 6 months rent available, location KFC building, Wadi Kabir, Ruwi.

Contact: 98763645 / 93894257

Indian male Roman Catholic 40yrs divorcee working in Muscat.

Seeks suitable alliance from widow/ divorcee/ single.

Contact 96059801.

Furnished rooms with kitchen at Ruwi. # 91214897 / 98049288.

Fully furnished room available for executive bachelors opp. Star Cinema. Contact 92886715 Room, bath room for executives in Wadi kabir. Contact 99336206 Room with attached bathroom for a family in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 97167857 Room with attached bathroom and sharing kitchen available for Executive bachelor or small family at wadikabir. Contact 93049849 Furnished room attached bath for Indian bachelor, Al-Falaj Ruwi & lady Wadi Kabir near Mars hypermarket. Contact: 96202458/96761960 1 BHK appartment for rent in Al Khoud Shabiya near mazoon mosque for rent (next to alkhoud medical center and squ) MOB: 93913224 Sharing Accommodation available for working ladies opposite Al Nadhah Hospital. Preferably Indians.

Room with seperate toilet and sharing kitchen.RO.90. #96524717 Furnish bedroom with attach bathroom for executive bachelor.

Contact: 97704794 Room available for Executive bachelor at Al Hail.# 96234708 Room available in Mumtaz area 1 room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room, common bathroom. Interested please contact 92680041 Mr. Altaf Sharing accommodation near ISD. Contact: 99657340

ACC. WANTED

INVESTOR PARTNER REQUIRED For a successfully Catering Restaurant Investor cum Partner is required.

Investor with fixed returns also welcome.

Malankara Catholic Male Nurse (28) from Thiruvalla working in Nizwa Private Co. Alliance invites parents/nurses working in Oman.

Contact 968 98267338, 0091 9287215726

DRIVING

Please contact – 95213273

Email: muscatcoffeeshop@gmail.com

ONE STOP SHOP BUSINESS SERVICES Public Relation Service (PRO) Document Clearance, Business setup, Formation new Companies, LLC Companies, Investor Visa, Legal Services.

Contact Saleh:

96723485 WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

WANTED Urgently required looking to immediately buy used Grit blasting & airless spray equipment 1 No each.

Contact: 968 24810930 / 93203772 / 93203773 / 93203778 IELTS Coaching (academic) required nearby wadi Kabir area.

Please call on mobile or msg on Whats up.

Mobile # 92927880/99012165

BUYING Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299 Buying cars for cash. #90202090

Accommodation Wanted for an Executive Bachelor, Single Flat / Sharing Room @ Wadi Kabir.

Pls call: 93883674 / 98103169

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

Contact: 99639695 / 97397320 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact:24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

ACC. AVAILABLE

One single room available for executive bachelor at CBO area fully furnished and WIFI available.

Contact 92779732

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. available. (Ruwi) Contact 92430239 Transportation.Contact: 94510847 Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909 Transportation available Al Khuwair, Ghobrah, Azaiba, Al Hail & Al Khoud. Drop & pick.

Contact 95250161 Transportation. Contact: 96538078 Transportation. Contact 99508282 Transportation. Contact 92015894 Transportation. Contact 94510847 Transportation required from Qurum to WadiKabir at afternoon only 1 PM. Contact - 99012165

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

MV SALE 2015 Toyota Yaris sedan for sale immaculate condition like new asking price OMR 4000.

97323199 Toyota Corolla 2006, 1.3, full automatic Expat driven.

Contact: 99045803 Mazda 2; 2013 ; 4 Door Hatchback ; Grey color ; Low Mileage : 4350 Kms; Single Expat Driven; Excellent Condition; Price: 3000 OMR(Negotiable).

Contact 99857123 TOYOTA Camry for sale, 2010, 1,00,000 kms, full option, silver colour, warranty up to Sept 2016, full showroom service, Indian expat leaving the country.

Mob 97462122 TOYOTA CAMRY : Good condition,Colour White, Make 2004, Automatic Transmission, Done 236000 Kms. Contact: 93667236 Nissan Qashqai 2013 Kms 30,000 VGC comprehensive Insurance UAE / Oman.

Contact: 96995430

NOTICE I Mr. Saud Ghori (holder of Indian passport No. L 0075816) son of Mohamad Yakoob having permanent residence in 2 A Silver Oak, 60B Chimbai Lane, Bandra West, Mumbai, 400050 (complete postal address in India) and presently residing in Ruwi, Muscat Oman P.O Box 1386 (complete postal address in Oman) intend to marry Ms Abidah P Jameel (holder of British passport bearing No. 307289673) d/o Mohammed Jameel at Embassy of India, Muscat. I swear that I am marrying her at my own free will and not under any duress and intimidation. Any objection towards this marriage may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P.Box No. 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman within 30 (thirty) days of publication of this news paper advertisement.

LOST Maharoof Palli Parambath has lost Indian Passport No. H 2291863.

Finder please handover to ROP

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T U E S D AY, J U LY 1 2 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

VACANCIES

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Urgently required Receptionist (Omani National): Having Secondary Certificate with Minimum 2 years experience, good command over English & Arabic.

Should be capable of handling all type of correspondence & routine office works independently, and good skill in MS-Office is must.

Interested candidates may send in their CVs to

Fax # 24600217 or email on: zeeshan@starslightllc.com

IND female 12 years exp in Banking, insurance customer service secretarial skills analysis communication, client handling, coordination, Team handling, qualification, M.Com looking suitable position current visit visa.

Contact: 95166496

Indian (Male) having 17+years Experience in Trading & Healthcare seeking senior Position in Accounts (11 years GCC Experience)currently on Resident Visa (NOC Available) and has a valid Omani Driving Licence. Contact: 91335026; skumartp@gmail.com

Chief / Senior Accountant, having 12 years Oman experience looking for a job NOC / Release with D/L available.

Contact: 97385562

Indian male age 26, Accountant one year experience in accounts looking for suitable job. Contact Email: Anishkhan991867@gmail.

Com Mobile: +968 9565 9415

Indian female 24 yrs, MBA finance B.Com Computer currently on family visa looking for suitable placements. Contact: 93839846 Email: abmiesummy92@gmail.com

Qualified and experienced MBA post graduate with proven work exposure in Middle East & India, having more than 5.5 years of rich experience in accounts , project coordination and administration in (3.5 years UAE experience) oil and gas projects is currently looking for suitable job. Contact 93953613, Email-allen.mathew83@gmail.com

Part Time Accounting, Audit Preparation, Internal Audit, Monthly Reports, Accounting set up for new companies, GSM : 96975454, email: ibfc.gcc@gmail.com Indian/MBA/male Chief Accountant 18Yrs Experience, MIS, C.Flow, Budgeting, ERP, Cost accounting &Liasing with auditors. NOC available.

Contact: 92254691/97826674 email: khader2305@gmail.com

ADVOCATE Wanted Indian female law Graduated to join advocacy office.

Contact: 92303603 Email: lawyeroffice4all@gmail.com

WANTED Female Gynaecologist, Female GP- Two Female Staff Nurse (From India or Pilipino)and One Female Dental Assist and Female Lab Technician.

Indian male B.Com, MBA 4 years in Larsen & Toubro total 26 years Gulf experience English, Arabic speaking with driving license, NOC available. Contact: 95588565

With MOH Licence and Data Flow for Al Saadi Specilised Medical Centre, Musanna.

Contact # 92025033, Email : dr.srininvas76@gmail.com

Indian male 3.5 years experience in handling key accounts looking for similar sales job, valid Oman diving license and NOC available.

Contact: 94974767

ACCOUNTS An Omani Audit firm is seeking audit partner to join the firm, the candidate should be completed any certificate course CIA,CPA, CA, ACC, and 4 years’ experience, interested candidates to submit their CVs to : auditbureau2016@gmail.com

Supervisor required for Construction Company having Omani driving license, fresher’s can apply.

Contact: 92888337

BEAUTICIAN

MEDICAL

Beauty salon needs lady for henna. Contact: 93336061

CATERING Shawarma / grill / Salad / Asian Cook. Contact: 95529970

DOMESTIC HELPER House maid for Omani family.

Contact: 99773100

DRIVER Wanted a experience Driver for Capital and Interior work.

Gsm : 942-888-63 Required Omani Driver for a restaurant. Contact 95929911

ENGI./TECHNICIAN Wanted service Technicians for diesel generators and diesel air compressors for a fast growing rental company persons having thorough knowledge with Perkins / Cummins engines, ELGI compressors with Oman driving preferred. Contact: 95442846/95041935 Testing / Protection Engineer with minimum 05 years of experience and should have Oman DCRP license, Interested candidates send resume to krishivan@gmail.com

EDUCATION/TRAINING Urgently required experienced and trained kindergarten Teacher for a well reputed bilingual school in Mabela area Muscat interested and suitable candidates must reply to Email: anitasuresh11@yahoo.com Required English, computer and science female Teachers up to grad 4. Contact - 95054916, aa77345@gmail.com. contact time after 5PM

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

Care Medical Centre Al Seeb requires Gynecologist and General Practitioner. Mail CV to: sarita_h23@yahoo.com A private clinic in Oman requires a Pharmacist (Indian preferably).

Salary negotiable interested candidates kindly mail their resumes / CV with contact details to medicalclinic2014@gmail.com or call 00968 90990851 General Practitioner with MBBS degree, Prometric passes & dataflow completed, wants to join any hospital or polyclinic in and around Muscat, Sohar or Salalah.

Contact dr.saiful.bd@gmail.com, 960775 9159 Wanted Staff Nurses (Female) with or without MOH license for a polyclinic near Sohar. Excellent salary & accommodation.

Contact – 99006915/ Email - alhinaee.clinic@yahoo. com A medical centre is looking to hire immediately a talented Nurse to join our successful team, required 3 years of experience, Oman prometric, data flow. Send your CV to- issalibi@gmail.com or Whatsapp - 91254820 Required GP Doctors, Gynecology, X ray Tech staff nurses.

Contact: 99681325 Email: altaqwamedicalcentre@gmail. com GP doctor needed for reputed clinic. Preferably with MOH license or with Dataflow & Paramatics pass Contact: 95388934 Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact 95081010 Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com Wanted Staff Nurse for a dermatology clinic in Muscat .

Must have MOH license and NOC. Attractive salary offered. Email: clinicvacancy2015@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS IT IT Engineer, min 4 years experience in Biometric Attendance System and CCTV camera, preferably with D/L. Apply to hr@unitedsystemsit.com or call 99423442.

Advertising company required Graphic designer knowledge of designing, Photoshop, illustrator, coral draw & Salesman with D/L. Send CV to suroordigital@gmail.com Contact No: 94771366/95338210

Required Shop Sales man + Hardware Technician for IT Company with minimum 2 years experience.

Contact: 98825806 / 98825806, Email: info@rns-group.com

Looking for Female Journalistic or advertising & media background. Contact 99342237/ 9394 6622/ Email: ali.matani2@gmail.com

Indian female M.Com DCA having 10+ years experience in accountant & administration in Oman, with Oman driving license seeking suitable job. Contact: 91609799 Accountant Pakistani female with more than 2 years experience up to finalization tally & accounts receivables & payables having Oman D/L. Contact: +968 95287396 mail: mariamnaaz92@hotmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

SALES / MARKETING

Required candidates for following posts: Accountant, Storekeeper, Foreman Building Maintenance, Van-salesman (water), Helpers.

Candidates with Omani driving license preferred.

Contact 99273774/99202278

Wanted Sales Man for an elevator company 3 yrs exp English language must has NOC required send resume to pioneersoverall. operationl@gmail.com #94496661

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Tailor shop requires Master Cutter & hand embroidery. Contact – 99359700 Immediate requirement cast aluminum, Stainless steel, window glass, MS, Factory Site Engineer, Supervisor, Cast Aluminum fabricator, SS fabricator, (Cast Aluminum), Site Worker, Stainless Steel Tig Welder buffing & polisher, Site Supervisor, Cast Aluminum molders. Send CVs to tdnewgates@gmail.com or Wahtsapp 99197060 / 98046537 Required Indian Mason – 5 nos., eligibility (minimum 5 yrs experience in road construction field).

Contact: 99882127 Email: georgymv@yahoo.com

SALES / MARKETING Urgently required a ‘Purchase Manager’ to handle all the procurements for a reputed Readymix concrete Company, having its branches all over Oman. The candidate should possess required experience, product knowledge and excellent communication skills. Interested candidates may send their CV to sndakshin@gmail. com / Contact: 99256757 Required marketing / PR manager for a modern restaurant group in Oman , proficient in illustrator & Photoshop charismatic , proactive , creative & flexible excellent writing / Editing skills degree in relevant area fluent in English.

Send CV to marketingpr2016@gmail.com Required smart, young, dynamic Sales & Marketing Executive having 2-3 years sales experience for a reputed manufacturing company in Oman, having its Head Office in Ruwi. Experience in building materials is an added advantage. Omani Driving License and NOC is a must.

Attractive remuneration package.

Apply with photograph to E-mail: salesjobds@gmail.com

SITUATION SIT. WANTED ADMIN Indian female 33 years with 9.5 years experience (1yr in Oman) as Executive Secretary, Administration, Sales Coordinator, and HR coordinator seeks suitable placement. Contact 97985059 sarithajbinu@gmail.com Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+ experience in Administration/ HR, Customer Support, Office Coordinator with good Computer skill, Now on Visit Visa,looking for suitable position. Contact: 90196235 With 15 years of gulf experience in HR- Admin logistics looking for suitable position fluent in Arabic & Eng NOC available. Contact: 95824598 Indian male, 20 years experience in Oman as personal assistant / Executive Office Manager / Executive Secretary / Administration/ business development asst with Omani driving license & valid visa. local release available – 99168054 Indian female with nearly 10 years of experience in Administration and HR , in an oil industry company , seeking for a suitable placement .

NOC available. Contact: 99242841 Pakistani male MA (Economics) with 13yrs Experience in Administration, Procurement, HR & Accounts for suitable placement call@92639838 Education M.B.A (HR) experience 1 year & 11 months exp. in HR, 24 yrs. Contact: 98746259 Indian male with 11 years experience in Data Entry, Admin / HR currently on Visit visa from 9 to 23 July seeking suitable job. # 95669937 7 yrs Exp Office Admin / HR/ IT Admin, MCA, BCA, MBA NOC Available, With Driving License PH: 97086686 Filipino HRD especialist / material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817

Srilankan female, 26 yrs, B.Sc, Mgt Degree, 4 yrs experience as Accounts & Admin Executive, looking for a suitable placement in Accounts, Finance or Administration fields. Contact 92544237 / 99640850 Accountant B.Com Indian male 10 yrs experience in Oman with D/L & NOC, local change is available specialized in Tally ERP9 & focus up to finalization. Contact: 99622639 Chief Accountant well experienced with reputed group available. Contact : 98803439.

Indian female 28 yrs B.Com 4 yrs experience in MNC’s currently in Muscat seeking suitable placement in Finance / Admin.

Contact :94743790 7 Years experience as Financial Analyst, MBA in finance. Responsibilities- research contributor, financial statement analysis, generating MIS & efficiency report, managing TAT, business & clients.

On visit visa in Muscat.

Contact- 90191628 / 96175780 Part time accounting workers up to finalization, on monthly basis & yearly finalization works.

Contact : 96247295 28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement.

Contact : 90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com Accountant 8Years Experience with D/L and NOC. Contact: 97712084 Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman.

Ready to join immediately.

Contact 98263394 Indian Keralite, B.Com, male 25 yrs, 1.5 yrs exp.,looking for suitable job in Muscat currently on visiting visa. Contact: 90931930 Email: shijin.p450@gmail.com Sudanese Accountant, Alexandria University Graduate bachelor of commerce Diploma of Marketing professional photographer worked in PR and social media for 2 years looking for a job in public relations media, social media or marketing.

Contact: 96976240 ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in finance.

Contact: 99284193

Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa. Immediately available.

Contact 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com Indian male 31 chartered Accountant having 2 years Oman experience looking for suitable placement in finance and audit field NOC available.

Contact: 96357827 Email: ubaiskeeran@gmail.com Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement. contact 94879615,Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com Indian, Kerala Male B.COM & B.PE, Currently on Visit Visa. Looking for a suitable job in Accounts, Store Keeper, Sales etc. Ready to join as early as possible. Contact: 96988923 email:- sajith3969@gmail.com Indian male age 24, B.Com. Accountant having 2 year experience and currently in Muscat. Looking for suitable placement in finance or Audit.

Contact: 90766307 Email: shhaazz.007@gmail.com Indian Male 22 , Graduate , Specialized in Tally ERP 9.0, SAP B 1& Professional in Indian & Foreign Accounting (CPIFA) with 1 year work experience , on visit visa in Muscat , Contact no:91782545

ARCHITECT Junior Architect (female), from NIT looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 99329289 Architect and 3D visualize three years experience 1.5 in Oman fluent in Arabic and English have Omani driving license looking for job with consultancy office or interior design firm.

Contact: 94673937 Architect Engineer seeking for suitable job, 8 years experience.

GSM : 96075000, Email : haytham_201046@yahoo.com

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN Architectural Draftsmen diploma in construction technology with 6 years experience in drafting and detailing as per British standard in Oman with valid Omani license looking for suitable opportunity Noc available. Call 94375897.

Revit, Autocad D/man, expected salary 200 OMR PH :92279784 Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman. Please Contact: 96489798, (+974) 66653780.

DIETICIAN Indian female dietician with 3 years experience in India seeking a suitable placement preferable in Muscat. Contact: 99104209

DOMESTIC HELPER Looking for job as an Office boy / light driving. Contact: 94640906

DRIVER Light Driver / Supervisor Fluent in English & Arabic, Well knowledge of Muscat Areas Looking for suitable placement.

Contact Tariq: 97950869

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED An MBA (Marketing and Finance)

Indian Male MBA (UK),

An MBA (Marketing and Finance)

Contact -

After BCom (Office management and secretarial practice) Graduation with SAP ERP and Accounts (SAP Certified), diploma in International Financial Reporting Standards (IAAP-UK), peach tree accounting and considerable experience seeks suitable placement.

9 years experience in Dubai/London/ Mumbai in Management Consulting, Sales & Marketing, Business Development for Real Estate/Banking seeks similar placement with D/L.

With SAP erp and accounts (SAP Certified), diploma in lnternational Financial Reporting Standards (IAAP-UK), peach tree accounting and considerable experience seeks suitable placement

97281023 / 90631567

Gsm:+958 98103250

Contact: 95168205

Gsm: +968 98103247

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

IT

Administrator, 30 yrs experience as Office Manager Project Executive Secretary, document Controller, Commercial Officer with driving license on release.

DRIVER Looking for driving job.

Contact: 94706179 Search job as light driver, experience 3 years language Hindi, English, Arabic. Contact: 97941771 Looking for driving job light 2 years exp. Contact: 91625977 Looking for job light vehicle driver. Contact : 94554216 Light Duty Driver looking for driving job. Contact: 00968 97671459 L/D having 5 years exp in Oman seeks job. Contact: 94608755 Looking for driving job.

Contact: 91122145 / 95992137 Light Driver/Supervisor Fluent in English/Arabic- well knowledge of Oman Roads. Tariq: 97950869 Light duty driver, 1 yr experience seeks placement.

Contact: 94284645 Pakistani male, 30 age, driver (light vehicle) company or residential experience 4 years experience in Oman. Contact: 96147520 / 96907013 Bangladeshi looking for job, Muscat experience 4 years.

Contact 96356280 Driver light veh, store keeper, sales man, shop keeper, supervisor 8 years exp knows English, Arabic, Hindi. Contact: 91615715 Looking for driver job.

Contact: 99035942 /97383016 Light driver job exp 4 years, know Hindi, English, Arabic, Education B.A. Contact: 98522914

EDUCATION/TRAINING Mathematics Lecturer , Indian Female, M Sc Mathematics from a Prestigious University, B.Ed qualified, distinction holder with 7 yrs teaching experience in colleges.

Contact: 91360147.

Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement. Contact: 99739415 / 92091528

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. AutoCAD Draughtsman with 7 years experience in Oman in Civil & MEP with D/L & NOC. Contact: 97059394 Email: anilsunny1986@gmail.com Indian male Civil Engineer 1.6 yrs exp, having Omani D/L, looking for suitable position. NOC available.

Contact – 92157694 / mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Diploma Civil Engineer 12 years work experience & 2 years in Oman, currently on visit visa certificate attested seeks suitable placement Contact: 00968-92360709 Email: alwinthomas1981@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) Indian male with 1 year experience on visit visa looking for job, qualification in QA - QC, HVAC & Piping Engineering.

Contact: 90510800 Email: muhammedjaseem07@gmail.com

PROJECT ENGINEER - CIVIL - 13 years experience in construction at Oman seeking suitable position NOC available - Contact 94427535 (sbmkandan7@gmail.com) Diploma in Mechanical Engg, 10 years exp in steel fabrication site work with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 94696192 Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp seeks suitable position ina reputed company. NOC available.

Contact 96789711 B.E Mechanical Engineer, age 24 with almost 1 year experience as Production Shift Engineer, has achieved training on HVAC Engineering design and has good hands on software like AutoCAD and HAP.Currently in Oman on a visit visa, looking for a suitable placement.Contact: 95065955 email: mjs.jazeb@gmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine. Available NOC release. Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com Engineer, with Oman Driving license seeks job. Contact: 98007513 Indian male, B.Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering having 2 years of Sales experience looking for suitable position currently in Oman on visit visa.

Contact: 97932879 Email: kuchipudisunilkumar@gmail.com Electrical & Electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit.

PH: 93837973 Iraqi Civil Engineer with 30 years experience looking for a job, N.O.C available. Contact: 96561306 Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com Indian male 24 Engineering Graduate in Mechanical, being a fresher searching for a suitable placement to grow up my career.

Contact: 97277067 Email: roshan_job_09@yahoo.com Power Systems Engineer experience in digsilent, Cymcap & Etap, Graduation with distinction.

Contact: 98133281 Indian, 30 yrs, male B.E (Electrical Eng) Project Engr & Design Engr total experience 6 years Gulf experience 1 year, 2 months, NOC Available. Contact: 97225924 Email: nsasi55@gmail.com Electrical Engineer with 8 years Experience Looking for a suitable job. (Driving License and NOC available). Ph#91293519, Email: nomee987@gmail.com BE mechanical Engineer having 6+ years experience in structural and piping job looking suitable position. Contact: 96115463 Email: jijoraju085@yahoo.com Mechanical Engineer (Sudanese) 3 years experience : Fire fighting, HSE, Design, Production.

Contact: 93642704 Email: mohamedfdl87@gmail.com Fresh Engineering graduate MTech in mechanical Automation and automobile Engineering now in Oman on visit seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95853514 / 98280794

Electrical Engineer Indian with 4 years experience presently in Oman family visit visa.

Contact: +968 – 90921140 Email: zsebinz@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer: Indian male 30 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation & utility maintenance in Indian, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer, 27 years experience in mechanical work, expert in hydraulic and pneumatic system, expert in plastic industry, juice industry, and all type of mechanical machine.

Contact: 99663174 & Email: shakil2004pk14@yahoo.com

Indian male BE Mechanical with 11 years experience in Automotive Engineering and Industrial Maintenance in Oman with valid driving license seeks suitable job.

On release in Oman-92880593

Available fresh Mechanical Engineer with Oman driving license. Contact: 97792809 / 99417584 Fresh Engineering graduate B.Tech mechanical engineering now in Oman on visit seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95853514/98280172

Civil Engineer B.Tech with 6+ years in supervision designing planning and QC expert in Mech, civil software. Contact: 90719263 Project co-odinater & AutoCAD draftsman Indian male, 8 yrs exp in Oman in civil, interior, precasting with D/L & NOC. Contact: 92188496, Email: vimalg.kannur@gamil.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in designing, assembling, commissioning execution etc having valid GCC license too looking for a suitable.

Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact 92157694. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com An Iraqi civil with more than 30 years experience in (Iraq and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C) available. Contact: 96561306 Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact:97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com Quantity surveyor (B.E Civil) 5+ years experience in buildings and mosque N.O.C available ready to join immediately. Contact: +97826597 / +919171430681 Email: sai.praba.777@gmail.com For preparing Civil / MEP Auto CAD drawings.

Contact -93480346.

Email: cadjobsoman@gmail.com Electrical Engineer B.Tech, Indian available in Oman, 2+ years Oman exp (MEP) Light D/L. Contact - 93832935 Indian male, Structural Engineer looking for job in structural design field. Having 6 years of experience in design field. Residing in Muscat. Contact: 91176187 Email: syam036@gmail.com Civil Engineer, young Indian having almost 2 years experience looking for a challenging position seeks suitable position in Oman/ GCC. Please contact 92718490, Email ID: uvais.pk82@gmail.com Indian male 24 ,B.E ( E.C.E ) graduate with 3 years of experience in the fields of BMS and Low current systems and has good knowledge about Electronic Security Systems, currently working in Oman, NOC Available. Contact:-94737033/ mohdmuhafez45@gmail.com Indian male B-tech 8 years experience as senior electrical project engineer / QC engineer on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact 94094543 Email: anwar425@gmail.com Pakistani male Diploma Civil Engineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling & mega projects, valid license Oman. Contact: 98921022 Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 Ph : 92279784 Senior Land Surveyor 23 yrs Oman, UAE & Egypt GPS, T.S Construction roads infrastructure oil feed electric works OHL, UGC grid , primary substation processing data. #95326927 / 92928981 Email: sdsda802@gmail.com Civil Engineer (Indian male) 5 years experience in Oman with valid Omani driving license & NOC looking for suitable opportunity.

Contact: 93101283

Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912 Young Indian, Engineering in Bio-technology, Bio-chemical and Chemical, looking for a challenging placement in Oman.

Contact 97607000. Email: sivasankarjayakumar@gmail.com B.E Mechanical Engineer, 6 years experience in piping and structure job, looking for suitable position.

Contact: 96115463 Email: jijoraju085@yahoo.com Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) Indian male with 2 year experience, AREA OF INTEREST Work on Oil Rigs, Work as an QA/QC inspector, Ultrasonic testing, Radiographic testing. Contact: +91 9567526566 Email: adujohnson10@gmail.com Agriculture Engineer 2 8rs, with 5 yrsexp in the field of agriculture, landscaping & irrigation. Since 2 yrs working in different projects.

Having valid UAE driving license.

Currently in Oman (Salalah) on visit visa. Contact – 94120190 / Muhammad.irfan3786@yahoo.com

HOSPITALITY Young, female, diploma in aviation, hospitality, travel management, with family visit visa, seeks suitable placement in airlines / hospitality / company. Gsm 9259-2487 Indian male 31yrs old with hotel management degree, 03 yrs experience in F&B services at 5 star hotel Dubai, 05 yrs in American 06 star cruiseliner has butler.

Has Oman driving license.

Contact No 99859150.

IT Indian Male, B.Tech IT, 4 years Oman Experience in IT & NETWORKING, holding Oman D/L, seeks suitable placement. NOC available. Contact: 92462578 Bachelor Business Management holder, Electrical I.T.I holder 7+ years experience in F.M.C.G line, 7 years experience in sharp valid driving license. Contact: 98545572 / 98271036 Indian male 3 years experience in IT as Linux Administrator & 1 year experience in Amazon EC2 Cloud at WIPRO technologies Bangalore seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 92889678 Email: amalpathikal@gmail.com Indian female, bachelors in IT with CGPA of 8.3%, pursuing CCNA & doing Masters in IT, good knowledge in networking & Web designing. Contact: 94909075 BSC Software Engineer 2 years experience in ASPN. NET, C#, SQI server, mysql , crystal report, visual studio , capable of Jave, Php, HTML and roid looking for suitable vacancy. Contact 90696220/ 92729744 Indian male ERP Consultant 15 yrs exp, 11 yrs in gulf looking for IT management jobs, local release, Oman D/L. Contact: 94618761 Indian female, MCA currently on family visit visa skills in ASP , NET , DBMS, AutoCAD civil seeks suitable placement NT, Interested in teaching. Contact: 90417133 Email: renjitharose04@gmail.com

Sr. Electrical Engineer with17+ yrs of exceptional exp in spear heading strategic planning and project management initiatives & executing various high rise residential & commercial building as well as roads and highway project with proficiency in installation, seeking a challenging position in a dynamic organization. Contact 96570891

Indian male 22 years B.A. Animation & Graphic Adobe suites and Maya, seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 90930015 Email: rahu.pamachandran50@gmail.com

B.Tech Instrumentation & control (Engineer) (course completed) on family visit experience as control room operator / plant operator looking for suitable position.

Contact: 98686090 / 98423284 Email: shehinsha.k.b@gmail.com

Female, 31, B.Tech- ECE/CCNA/ GSM, 5 yrs Oman experience in IT support (AD, exchange, TMG, UNIS Server admin, In-house apps support, project placement, Transfer NOC available. Contact: 95742398

Diploma in Civil Engineer looking for job. Contact : 93148323

Indian female M.Sc Computer Science seeking suitable placement in Muscat area.

Contact 98660672

IT Support Engineer, Exp 3 years in Oman 2 years in India.

Contact: 94672759

Indian Male, MCA Graduate, 15 yrs exp in ERP, CSM Certified, seeking suitable role.NOC Available. Contact : GSM : 90189284 Email: meetlibran@gmail.com Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement. Contact: 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com 3 years experience in IT Software field, seeking suitable jobs.

Contact: 96350234, Email : greeshmavkannan@gmail.com

MEDICAL Indian male Nurse with 6.5 years experience prometric completed with 66% looking for a suitable job presently available in Oman on visit visa.

Contact: 98275068 / 93519957 Email: mammenv24@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Chief Accountant/Finance Manager – Indian male, CA Finalist, having 20 years’ experience in Finance, Accounts, Audit, Finalization of Accounts, preparation of Project Reports etc., looking for immediate placement.

12 yrs. in Oman in Construction and Consultancy co., have Omani D/L, knows Tally. Contact 94041048, email: jobmuscat49@gmail.com Male - 44, MBA /CIM (UK) qualified business Manager in FMCG with 3 years’ experience across Oman and 10 years in GCC looking for a suitable position. Contact -99160550 Indian male - 8 yrs exp as HSE office/supervisor -on visit visa- seeks suitable opening in Sohar - Contact 94532131 / 98317698; Email: jaseerhse@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Indian female, MBA Marketing with 4 years experience with 4 years experience with Oman experience, NOC and D/L looking for suitable opening with visa.

Contact: 92460623 Indian male 26, BBA Graduate 3.5 years experience in Sales having valid Omani driving license seeks opportunity in sales and marketing, NOC available.

Contact: 94743988 Email: rijaskhan09@gmail.com Indian male 24 yrs, B.Com 3 years exp in Marketing (Advertising firm) having valid Omani D/L looking for suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 98983247 Indian Male, 26 M.Com with 4 yrs of Experience in Accounting & Administration in a Financial Company in India, seeks suitable job, Currently in India.

Contact India:-+918907212253 Akhil:-93626288, Email: Sumeshpsmkr1989@gmail.com Indian male 26 years of experience of sales & marketing in surgical and laboratory equipments.

Looking for good replacement.

Contact – 92015894 / 95774854 35 years male, Lebanese holding British passport, 10 years of experience in procurement, Omani Government tenders, setup marketing plans & strategies, importing, Organizing events, management, have car, NOC available. #94123939 Email: 002015r@gmail.com Indian male 1 yr exp in sales automotive (TBL) looking for best opportunity , NOC available.

Contact: 97793879 Email: shyampkn@gmail.com Indian male Graduate with 18 years of Marketing experience presently in Oman on family visit visa, looking for best opportunity.

Contact: 96168687 Email: dhibupaul@gmail.com Indian male graduate, 10 years experience Oman seeks job in Sales & Marketing.

Contact: 92133277

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian Male, MBA marketing 5 yrs exp. in sales & 4 yrs in FMCG sector, looking for best opportunity.

NOC available. Contact: 96001877

Indian Female, 25 Years - MSc Biotechnology, 1yr exp. in Clinical Microbiology & 6 months working exp. in international crop reserch institute of semi arid crops (ICRISAT) Looking for suitable job.

Contact 92619048, Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com

Indian female 29 years Post Graduate with computer Knowledge 2 years of Oman experience in coordinator & 5 years of experience in customer service, client relation officer with excellent communication skill seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95337665

Nebosh, IOSH Occupational Management safety on family visit looking for suitable position Contact: 98686090 / 98423284 Email: shehinsha.k.b@gmail.com

Indian male 37 years MBA graduate in marketing with 9yrs of experience in UAE in field of brand promotions & marketing with UAE D/L on a visit seeking suitable position. Conatct 95792820

27, Indian female B.com graduate with 4 years experience in procurement and purchases on family visa looking for immediate and suitable placement. Contact: 95828986 Indian male, 28, post graduate, 6+ yrs exp in Oman in sales (back office) & credit control with valid Oman D/L looking for suitable lacements. NOC available.

Contact: 92066 523 Sudanese male bachelor geology and mining with 3 years experience in MUD logging and training in soil investigation.

Contact: 92956848 BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants).

Contact: 92475206 Email: zahaibzafar007@gmail.com Indian male 28yrs Bcom 3yrs exp. in warehouse operations (including pharmaceutical). Well knowledge in WMS & ERP, looking for suitable job. Ph. 95576686, E: sijofranz@gmail.com (UAE visa holder, currently in Oman)

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Sales/office coordinator, Indian male 27 yrs bsc.5yrs experience.

Contact 90649152 Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment. Call: 95244761 Looking for part time job Secretarial / Data Entry / Documentation available every day after 5:00 pm Friday / Saturday full day area preferred Ruwi/ CBD/ MBD / Al Khuwair. Contact: 90414827

MISCELLANEOUS Construction Machinery repairs Engineer, 5 years, driving license, Contact - 94001961 Indian male, M.Com , 7 years oman experience in the field of accounts and valid oman driving license & NOC . Good knowledge in SAP,Tally, oracle , MS office and Excel seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92859733 Indian male 33 yrs, MBA-HR, worked on Recruitments, Training, OD, PMS, Site-HR, Omanisation and development plans of nationals ,10.yrs exp. seeking a job.NOC avl.

Contact 94179499 saiprasad_18@yahoo.com Indian Female 10 years exp as cook in Oman, South Indian & Gujarati special .looking for job, Contact 95795971 Fire & Safety Technician, 22 Years old, Indian expatriate seeking for a suitable placement. 2 years of experience. Ready for immediate joining. Please Contact : +968-97682273, Email: maniavbah555@gmail.com MECHANICAL/PRODUCTION ENGINEER, 3 years’ experience in production industry, B tech in Mech engg, Proficiency in AutoCAD, Primavera certified, Contact arn9895@gmail.com, Mob 00919895233155 Indian female 23 ORACLE ERP Technical consultant 2+exp skills: oaf, forms reports and bipublisher.

Contact - 91156571 email: ramyaoracleapps02@gmail.com

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T U E S D AY, J U LY 1 2 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED MISCELLANEOUS MECHANICAL ENGINEER, Indian Male, 26 years, 3 Years’ experience in Projects of Tanks, Boilers and Steel structures Aware of int.

Standards, B.Tech in Mech engg.

Contact-rahulkunnath23@gmail. com, Mob-00917350860889 Indian female MCA, seeking placement in IT, Admin.

Contact: 94133849 Fresh Mechanical Engineer B.Tech with Omani driving license on visit, seeking suitable placement. Contact:: 99417584 / 97792809 Indian male, 24 yrs Civil Engineering Graduate, on visit visa looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 92724814 Indian male, 25 years old, (exp.)

Civil Engineer diploma, looking suitable position. Contact: 00919746443745 / 92861980 Indian, Keralite, female, M.Com, Montessori trained now on family visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 93101269 Email: sreeja.l.u@gmail.com Electrical Foreman, 25 years experience, Indian male currently in Oman looking for suitable position.

Gsm – 96718013 Email: manikandan1196@gmail.com Indian Male B-Com graduate 2 year experience in various Fields Valid Oman Driving License.

Looking for any suitable post.

Please contact: 94409500 Indian Male, B.Com + Dip. Logistics 2year experience looking for a job in Accounts/Logistics Field. Presently on Visit Visa Contact 93884951 Email:mehreenraiz@gmail.com Indian male 25 years- BE- Computer Engineer with CISA and CCNA, having 3 years work experience in Oman, valid Omani driving license, seeking for suitable placement in IT companies or Audit companies for IT Audit job, NOC can be obtained.

Contact:99253011 4years and 7months experienced Female seeking job related to Office Job, Data Entry and Desktop Administration. Completed diploma in Computer Science.

Contact: 94653264 Master in Aeronautical engineering (PhD) having 4 years experience. Seeking job in universities, colleges, schools and industries.

Contact 98259462 binoaero87@gmail.com Indian Male 30 year GCC driving license and past experience as project coordinator looking for a suitable position. Project coordination, Sales executive, marketing executive or any other suitable post.

Contact -97070427 Master in Aeronautical Engineering (PhD) having 4 years experience. Seeking job in universities, colleges, schools and industries.

Contact 98259462 binoaero87@gmail.com Qualified banking & Accounts management profesional seeking suitable job opportunities. Currently working in India with ICIC Bank.

Email: sheemoljohn@rediffmail.com Contact# 919755550181 Mechanical Engineer 3 years of experience in HVAC mechanical engineer one year experience in Auto Cad B.E (mechanical engineering) revit mep, auto cad, stcw, huet.mobile: +97430384909 email: kijomonc@gmail.com

Indian Male 24 years, HSE , 3 years Experienced as WELDING SUPERVISOR, PIPE FITTER, NONDESTRUCTIVE TEST, ASNT-NDT level II, per SNT-TC-LA (Radiographic Testing (RT)Penetrate testing (PT) Magnetic Particle Testing(MT)Ultrasonic Testing (UT)RTFI, looking for a suitable job. Contact 99334770 Indian Male, 22, Experienced, Looking for job in sales (no DL).

Contact: 90801420; Email: anwaar223969@gmail.com Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant, doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available.

Contact: 98803439 Indian male 21, Graduate in commerce (B.com ) having 2 years of experience in cash counter (National trading & spare parts)looking for a suitable placement on a visit visa. Contact 95919647, 94245753/ uzairzain786@gmail.com Indian Male, 23, BBA Graduate, fresher, no D/L, looking for a suitable job. Contact: 94032041; Email: azzamsiddique1@gmail.com Project Engineer, Mechanical Indian Male, 26 years 3 Years experience in Projects of Tanks, Boilers and Steel structures Aware of int.

Standards B.Tech in Mech engg Contact-rahulkunnath23@gmail. com Mob-00917350860889 25, Indian female (BCA- Computer Application). 1yr experience as teacher and graphic designer.

Knowledge in Photoshop, illustrator, in design. Looking for suitable job in office administration, teaching and graphic designing.

Contact - 98426509 Filipino Cabin steward / Linen vallet is looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: +968 91065438 or email: blonglive@gmail.com Indian male Administrative officer Four years experience in same field. Well known MS office tools, Specialization in handling back office operations, inter office correspondence, confidential mails, Quotations, Monthly billing.

Searching for suitable job in Oman.

Contact: +91 9750572088/ E-mail id: vijaypmk99@gmail.com Indian Driver, with Oman driving license having 10 years experience in Oman, looking for suitable positions. Contact-91519047 Indian male network cabling technician (19-years gulf experience) seeking for suitable placement.

Contact: 0091-8089909265 (India) email: mohithavp@gmail.com HSE Engineer, Indian male 5 years experience in Oil & Gas. Working in Shclumberger, NEBOSH, IOSH, & NDT Certified, M Tech in HSE. Contact-krish.569@gmail.com +91 9867016808 Indian male MBA, 24 yrs having experience in Sales & marketing seeks suitable placement.

Contact GSM: 93833563 email: arundulala@gmail.com.

Indian male, 24 yrs, B. Com Graduate more than 1 year experienced in accounts planning to come for a family visit in oman seeking for a suitable placement.

Contact 99334770/ 99743709 Indian male 33 years, B.Com, having 6 years experience in Oman.

Tally & ERP looking for suitable placement.

Mobile no :98492921

Mechanical Engineer, Indian, (B.E.) on visit visa, seeking suitable post. Contact no: 99534733 email: rajesh92prince@gmail.com Economics Specialist: Female , MA & M.Phil/PhD_ in ECONOMICS .

10 years experience Banking/Lecturer/Customer Service/Trainer currently Looking for job Call: 97457248 Female Architect on visiting visa, two years’ experience, graduated from School of Planning and Architecture (under MHRD). Proficient in AutoCAD, Google Sketchup and creative visualization. Email saatvika.frozenmusic@gmail.com.

Contact 00968-94057427.

Economist: Female, MA & M. Phil/ PhD_ in ECONOMICS. 10 years experience Banking/Lecturer/ Customer Service/Trainer, currently looking for job contact: 97457248 Indian Architectural Engineer with 2.5 yrs experience in architectural consultancy firms, currently on visit visa, looking for suitable placement Contact no: +96894955793 hassanfaizalthariq@gmail.com.

Indian male 25, Graduate in commerce (B.com) having 2 years of experience in purchase (supply chain management) looking for a suitable placement presently on a visit visa. Contact: 93979084 / 97351786 / E-mail: mohammednsr126@gmail.com Indian Female 23 Years, Post Graduated in Sanskrit (language), Seeking for Suitable Jobs, (Teaching or Clerical), Knowledge in MS Office, Good Communication Skill Contact 96141317, 94614317, Email: sou93madam@gmail.com Indian male electrician (EEE), 2 years good working experience searching for suitable job.

Gmail id ; antonyajin15@gmail. com, Contact; 918148336160 / 918300136160 Indian male Electrician(EEE) 2 years good working experience searching for suitable job. mail ; antonyajin15@gmail.com, Contact; 918148336160 / 918300136160 Indian male 33 yrs, MBA - HR, worked on Recruitments,Training,Site-HR, Omanisation and development plans of nationals ,10 yrs exp.

Seeking a job.NOC avl.

Contact 94179499 saiprasad_18@yahoo.com Indian Male, 23, BBA Graduate, Fresher, on visit visa looking for job in sales/marketing.

Contact - 94032041; Email azzamsiddique1@gmail.com Indian male 25, Graduate in commerce (B.com) having 4 years of experience in Office Administration (admin) looking for a suitable placement presently on a visit visa. Contact: 93979084 / 97351786 E-mail: mohammednsr126@gmail.com Indian male, 30.System administrator/desktop support professional.5 years of GCC exp.

Visa status: visit (Dubai) mob: 00971565598176/ aneeshngr@gmail.com Indian male, 26 years 3 Years’ experience in Projects of Tanks, Boilers and Steel structures Aware of int. Standards, B tech in Mech Engg. Contactrahulkunnath23@gmail.com Mob-00917350860889

SITUATION WANTED MISCELLANEOUS Indian male 25, Graduate in commerce (B.com) having 4 years of experience in same field looking for a suitable placement presently on a visit visa. Contact : 93979084 / 97351786, E-mail : mohammednsr126@gmail.com Indian male 25, Graduate in commerce (B.com) having 2 years of experience in same field looking for a suitable placement presently on a visit visa.Contact 93979084 / 97351786, mail: mohammednsr126@gmail.com Indian male Electrician(EEE ).

Two years good working experience searching for suitable job.

Gmail id ; antonyajin15@gmail. com, Name; Antony Ajin.

G : 918148336160 / 918300136160 Female Architect on visiting visa, two years’ experience, graduated from School of Planning and Architecture (under MHRD). Proficient in AutoCAD, Google Sketchup and creative visualization. Email saatvika.frozenmusic@gmail.com.

Contact 00968-94057427.

Sudanese male, 5 years experience in supply chain (warehouse management, logistics and procurement) Contact : 90644186 Indian female , M.B.A, 8 Yrs of Experience in Oil and Gas industry, Trading & contracting companies. working as an Unit Manager for MNC, HR Coordinator and Office admin for local companies. seeking suitable placement immediately. Contact 99179709.

Indian male, 44 Years, Plumbing Supervisor, holding Omani Driving license, having 14 Years of experience in Oman and 8 years in India.

Looking for suitable placement.

Contact - 95154414 Email- pthariff@yahoo.com B.E (Mechanical) 12 years industrial sales, 1 year Muscat experience, presently in India , immediately ready to join. Contact :917338899372 , email id : ganesh2008sep@gmail.com

Filipino Male, 28 years Old. Looking for job, Have experience in Rent a Car/ Cargo & Logistics / Real Estate/ Customer Care Executive / Sale Executive & Marketing/ Shop In- Charge. Hard working w/ good computer and communication skill.

GSM: 97761075 Chief Accountant, well experienced available.#95598477 Indian male 27 yrs, MBA finance with 4 years experience currently in Muscat on visit visa seeking suitable placement in finance / admin.

Contact: 90921724 Indian male 43 yrs accountant presently on tourist visa looking for suitable placement in a company 18yrs experience in managing finance in Indian and abroad. Contact 90190648 Indian female having D/L with 12 years experience in corporate / retail sales & B/D. Looking for a suitable job in training / IT / Education companies. Contact: 91751077 Email: alamelusara@hotmail.com Indian male Accountant 2.5 years exp in Oman with valid D/L NOC available. Contact: 98870112 Sales & Marketing executive MBA with 3 years exp , 6 months exp in Oman with NOC , looking for suitable placement. Contact: 91345727 Sales & Marketing Executive Indian national with valid Omani D/L with good command of languages, 18 yrs exp in Middle East. Looking for suitable placement.

Contact - 98103829 Indian male 1.5 yrs exp a sales & merchandising in Oman looking for best opportunity NOC available.

Contact: 93039342 Indian male 5+ years of experience as a sales & marketing executive with valid Oman D/L. #95434902 Indian female MCA having 3 yrs experience in teaching looking for any suitable job in reputed organic station on visit skilled in programming language VB, JAVA ,C,C,TT & also WEB development.

Contact 90595322

Indian male 4 years experience in IT as programmer / Web support / CCNA / Network on visit visa seeking placement. #93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer 2 years experience as HVAC design & drafting, CAD, MEP Engg.

Contact: 90150913 Civil Engineer with 6+ years in Supervision designing & Q.C expert in much civil softwares, NOC available. Contact: 90719263 Automobile Mechanic ITI 3 years experience marine mechanical fitter 2 yrs experience.#93674847 Indian male 24 years dynamic & professional B.Tech (Mech. Engg) with 1 year experience working on BPCL project in India seeks opening for suitable post, currently in Oman. #: 93672286 / 97772272 Mechanical Engineer experience maintenance of pumping stations production line machinery turbine for power plant good communications skills, planning follow up Engineer projects HSE awareness trained multiple design software looking for job. # 949064473 / 96654019 Accountant male Indian, 2 years experience, doing accounts in tally & excel seeks suitable job.

EMAIL – regin1690@gmail.com, Contact +91 7373387282 Indian male (B.E) Quality Controller and Supervising. 3 year good working experience. Better knowledge in quality control technique.

Searching for suitable job. Mail: muthujagadeeshjkm@gmail.com, Contact: GSM : +91 9786418033 / 968 91894487 Regin Accountant male Indian, 2 years experience doing accounts in tally and excel searching for suitable job. No : +91 7373387282 EMAIL – regin1690@gmail.com, Indian male, 25 yrs, more than 5 years experience in Dubai, Looking for a suitable placement for jobs related to sales, marketing, coordination and support. #95140445, syedfaraz97681@gmail.com

T U E S DAY, J U LY 1 2 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

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

TOURS

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED Indian Male, Post graduate with 10yrs experience in Gulf & 4.6yrs in Oil & Gas experience with SAP and ERP exposure. Finalization, MIS, Auditing, Budgeting, AP &AR, Tax, etc., with Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact: 91743376 Pakistani Male, Land Surveyor with work experience in Dubai Seeks suitable job in Oman.

Contact 94347288 Indian Male, 23, BBA graduate, fresher, looking for a job in sales (indoor). No driving license.

Contact: 94032041 Mail: azzamsiddique1@gmail.com Skilled multilingual individual with 33years of excellent experience in management and banking at a nationalized bank; seeking better job opportunities with challenging responsibilities.

E-mail: leena3857@yahoo.com, call : 97848075 Indian Male, 24, B.Com Graduate with 1 year experience in Oman looking for a job in accounting.

Contact – 96619348 Indian male electrician(EEE ).

Two years good working experience searching for suitable job.

Gmail ; antonyajin15@gmail.com.

Antony Ajin.G, Contact: 91 8148336160 / 91 8300136160 Sri Lankan female, 27 years, qualified English Language professional with 6 years of lecturing, managerial, marketing experience, seeking suitable position in education industry. Contact (+968) 93017330, (+968) 98445287/ wijayawardane.bhagya@gmail.com Indian male 24 ,B.E ( E.C.E ) graduate with 3 years of experience in the fields of BMS ,Low current systems and has good knowledge of HV and LV, currently working in Oman, NOC Available. Contact : 94737033, mail : mohdmuhafez45@gmail.com Indian male, M.Com, 7 years Oman experience in the field of accounts and valid oman driving license & NOC. Good knowledge in SAP, Tally, Oracle, MS office and Excel seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92859733 Indian Male, Post graduate with 10yrs experience in gulf & 4.6yrs in Oil & Gas experience with SAP and ERP exposure. Finalisation, MIS, Auditing, Budgeting, AP &AR, Tax, etc., with Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact: 91743376

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours contact 98029602, 92808636 We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED Indian female B.Com, 1 year experience in Oman, experience in wings account package and knowledge of tally. Looking for Accounting job. Presently in Family visa. Contact: 93491124 & 92054531 Indian female, B.Tech Computer Science, 5 years experience in teaching in India currently on visit visa seeking for a suitable position in teaching, IT or administration.

E mail: rincy87@gmail.com Indian Male, 23, BBA graduate with approx. 2 years experience in India and UAE is looking for job in sales / marketing.

Contact 94032041; Mail: azzamsiddique1@gmail.com Senior accountant ,NOC available, more than 5 years exp., born & bought up in Oman, Accounting upto finalization, computer skills tally9, Sage ERP accpac 500(6.0A), Vcams , Audit ,valid Oman D/L, languages known English ,Arabic, Hindi. can join immediately. Tel: 96339599, mailahmedmohdkhan@gmail.com Male Indian, 8 years of experience doing desktop engineer, software implementation, system admin, searching for suitable job. Email: thiruvazhimarban.ciet@gmail. com, mobile: +919171447997 / +919894357260 Sr. Accountant, WITH Oman D/L & 8.5 yrs exp, 7.5 yrs Oman & 1 yr India in manufacturing, trading & contracting Cos, independently handling all accounting, finance, banking, L/C, import, export & finalization seeks placement, srjob12@gmail.com B.E. (Mechanical) 12years industrial sales one year Muscat experience, Presently in India, Immediately ready to join. Contact :917338899372 , email id : ganesh2008sep@gmail.com IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support/Retail sales.

Contact 91496939

RENT A CAR

Looking for a part time accounting job, additional experience in admin & store - purchase. #99196621 ACCA affiliate, B.Sc Degree holder, 3 years experience in audit and finance at Big 6, Male, Looking for suitable placement. NOC release available. Contact:95140445, a.saran891@gmail.com Indian Male 47 years MBA-Operations Management with total 25 Yrs exp inclusive of 9 yrs in Oil & Gas sector in Oman, having valid Omani D/L & NOC available , seeks challenging position in SCM/ Logistics/ Procurement in any Sector. GSM-94236414.

Mail id – jayamurli@gmail.com Indian male with 5 year Oman Sales Experience with valid Oman D/L, looking for suitable position.

Mobile:97221624, Email:saileshpkhanna@gmail.com Male, Indian, 25, 5 years experience in Dubai; looking for permanent placement in Oman for jobs related to sales, coordination and marketing. Contact: +971563664701 syed97681@gmail.com Male, 23, with experience in UAE & India, looking for job in sales / marketing. Contact: 94032041

Welcome to Salalah book your rent a car. www.salalahrentals.com. or call 93970005, 92889579

Indian Male, 23, BBA graduate, fresher on visit visa, looking for a job in sales. Contact: 94032041 Mail: azzamsiddique1@gmail.com

Gulf link rent car get the best rate daily weekly monthly & long term.

Contact: Tel: 24348106 G.S.M: 98265073 /96023931 Email: gulflink403@gmail.com

Procurement/Tender & Contract Procurement /logistics & freight Specialist /Oil Field / petrochemical/ Engineer /MBA /SAP certify / 15yrs Rich Experience/ Import &export Specialist / Oil Field experience/ coordinator / World Wide supplier network /Noc available Looking for challenging Position #97813849, Email Id:vved76@gmail.com Male, 23, with experience in UAE & India, looking for job in sales / marketing. Contact: 94032041 Indian male 30 yrs, holding valid driving license, having 5 years of experience in sales, looking for suitable position.

Contact # 90552942/94355626

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP specification for monthly rent & small car with driver.

CONTACT 99839898

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED Electrical & Electronics diploma Engineer Indian male 23 years, 2 years experience in Electrical field/good experience in Electronics MCU projects currently in visit visa please do not hesitate to Contact; 93047707 Email: adilm89@gmail.com

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T U E S D AY, J U LY 1 2 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED COMPUTER/WEB./ EDUCATION/CLASSES

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

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

Tel: 95244310

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

WE SERVE OMAN

Pest control & Building cleaning all kinds of pest control building. Cleaning tiles / Marble polishing monthly/ Yearly contracts available.

Contact: 98814733 /98814740 Al Husn Cleaning L.L.C GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. #24793614/ 99314807 A/C Maintenance & Servicing, Fridge, Washing machine & Dish washer repairing, Painting & Cleaning services, Electrical & plumbing.

Contact 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281 Marble crystallization & grinding, Ocean center LLC Contact: 99344723 Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 /94285064

Modern stylish interior design in oman with attractive prices and guarantees best quality job for renovations room, home, garden kitchen, landscaping, decoration, offices, shops, restaurants and many variety services call 98584853.

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Office boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020 All Maintenance and services electric, CCTV Camera, Plumbing A/C service and gas installation, painting tiles. Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

Pest control treatments, Ocean center LLC Contact 99344723

Cleaning services sofa shampoo, carpet shampoo, new house, old house. Contact: 92179395

Marble crystallization & grinding, cleaning & carpet shampooing.

Ocean center LLC. Contact 99344723

CAD drawings Archi/ MEP CAD – comply BIM. Contact: 91233975

House shifting. Contact 99708138

Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

For any 3d signboard, acrylic works with painting please contact us on 90786240 or follow us in instagram: silver_concepts Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722 Pest control Gulfa international.

Contact: 92326955 House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644/98518013

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting,Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. Contact: 24810137, 99450130

MANPOWER Manpower available: cleaning male/female staff, loading unloading and helpers staff available on contract basis. Contact- 94636086

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

MANPOWER