Times of Oman - December 13, 2016

TUESDAY

December 13, 2016 13 Rabi Al Awal 1438 AH

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

On the occasion of the Conference on Oman’s Economy - Vision 2020, 1995

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ The Government has given particular attention, as you know, during recent years, to development in all fields. It has managed through the various and fruitful achievements to lay solid foundations for the comprehensive Renaissance.

It has also prepared Oman to occupy its position among nations and to have its rightful place in the international community.

MORNING MINUTE

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 242 | 36 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

HIS MAJESTY HOSTS DINNER ON ARMED FORCES DAY

On the occasion of the Armed Forces Day, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces hosted a dinner, yesterday, at Hisn Al Shomoukh in the Wilayat of Manah. It was attended by a number of ministers, undersecretaries, commanders of SAF corps and ROP and senior military and civil officers. The dinner ceremony was aimed at honouring the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) formations and units for the role they play in defending the country and safeguarding its security, stability, safety, and achievements. — Mohammed Mustafa/ONA See also >A4

ROP: DRIVING TEST IS FAIR FOR EXPATS Ruling out any bias against expats in giving driving licences, the ROP official said the onus is on aspirants to pass the test DEEBA HASAN

deeba@timesofoman.comcom MUSCAT: ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again’ is an old adage that some in Oman need to come to terms with as they make attempts to obtain a driving licence.

Some expats have spent thousands of rials and taken the test more than 25 times, only to be told to try again, but the testing process remains fair, a Royal Oman Police spokesman told the Times of Oman, saying the

right to drive can be granted only to those passing the test.

“There is no discriminatory law which prohibits or delays grant of licences,” said a DG of Traffic official under the Royal Oman Police.

“It depends on the drivers.

This is not about the procedure. There is nothing like that, and these are just rumours. We don’t discriminate in any service we provide.

“Everybody is equal and whether you receive your licence depends on how you

drive,” the official stated.

His comments were backed by a number of driving instructors while some expats shared stories of their repeated attempts to lose the L plates.

Zahidul Islam, a Bangladeshi national, received his driver’s licence after 25th attempt, all made in a span of two years. He spent OMR1,500.

“Each time they failed me for some small mistakes I made, and on my seventh attempt, I was almost cleared until the evaluator said my final parking was not correct because it touched the white line.

“I didn’t want to give up, which is why I tried so many times. I work as a salesman and that required me to drive.

During the time when I didn’t have my licence, I commuted by taxis, and it was not easy on my pocket.” >A6

PERMANENT RESIDENCY

India woos investors from Oman REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: India is wooing investors from Oman offering permanent residency status valid for 10 years and extendable for another 10 years.

“Investors from Oman will be granted permanent residency status if he or she invests OMR600,000 within 18 months or OMR1.44 million in 36 months, and create 20 jobs for Indians every year,” Indra Mani Pandey, the Indian ambassador to Oman, said.

No restrictions “Apart from free entry and no restrictions on the duration of stay, foreign investors are allowed to purchase one residential property in India for residential purposes.

The spouses and dependents of investors will be allowed to work or study in India,” the Indian ambassador added. The ambassador made the announcement during a seminar organised in Oman to attract investment for India. >A6

Omani heritage, people impress American couple

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TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Muscat-Chennai flights affected

1

A number of flights from Oman to Chennai have been cancelled after a very severe cyclone made its landfall in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.>A6

PAKISTAN

MARKET

New ISI boss appointed

9% growth in banks’ personal loans

2

Oman’s conventional banks have achieved a year-on-year growth of 9 per cent in aggregate personal loans or consumer loan portfolios. >B1

Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar has been appointed chief of Pakistan’s spy agency ISI with new army chief effecting the first big reshuffle. >A9

3

PROTECTION TO WORKERS

Oil price surge to create jobs, end pink slips: Union leader REJIMON K CHIEF REPORTER

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: “We see a ray of hope not only for the workers in the oil and gas sector but also for those who are working in other sectors.

If prices better more, firing can come to an end, existing projects can continue, new projects will come and moreover, workers can get real jobs.”

This optimistic note has been struck by Saud Salmi, the chairman of the oil and gas trade unions, reacting to the recent increase in the price of oil.

His comments were echoed

by an oil company boss who told Times of Oman that $55 per barrel will help them to protect workers and carry on projects.

Oman oil was traded at $54.80 at Dubai Mercantile Exchange on Monday. Following the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting

Countries (OPEC) deal with nonOPEC countries on Saturday in Vienna to cut the production, the oil price is showing recovery globally.

From January 1 for six months, non-OPEC countries have decided to cut oil production altogether by 558,000 barrel per day. >A6

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

THE BRIEFING REGION

Saudi woman detained for removing abaya Saudi police detained a young woman for violating modesty rules after she removed her abaya, the loose-fitting, full-length robes women are required to wear, on a main street in the capital Riyadh, local media reported on Monday. The country enforces a strict dress code for women in public, bans them from driving and prohibits the mixing of sexes. >A7

INDIA

India, Indonesia agree to boost defence, security ties

OMAN

Ice in heights as chilly winds sweep parts of Oman It might not be snowing but ice has come to the high places of Oman as temperatures in Jebel Shams dropped to 4 degrees Celcius on Monday. The cold wave in parts of Oman, which saw the mercury plunge, is likely to continue as north westerly winds chill Oman’s peaks, according to a spokesperson of Meteorology Department. “The northwesterly winds coming from the deserts of Iran and from Mediterranean Sea are cold and dry. This is pushing down the temperatures in Oman,” the spokesperson said. On Monday, the Meteorology Department recorded 4 degree Celsius in Jebel Shams at night and 13 degrees during the day. >A4

A brief summary of the top inside stories of different sections of the Times of Oman.

OMAN

New poultry farm a step towards food security Oman plans to produce 60,000 tonnes of white meat by 2020 to ensure its food security and boost employment generation by constructing a new poultry farm, in accordance with the Tanfeedh directives for economic diversification. >A5

OMAN

Omani heritage woos American couple For latest updates and live coverage log in to www.timesofoman.com

From celebrating weddings and Eid with the locals to speaking Arabic, this American couple has set an example in integrating into Omani culture. >A6

WORLD

Lagarde on trial over French payout to tycoon

Crude prices surge to highest since mid-2015 Oil prices surged to their highest since mid 2015 and US Treasury yields hit a more than two-year peak on Monday after the world’s top crude producers agreed to cut output. Coming at the start of a week when the US is expected to raise interest rates for the only the second time since the global financial crisis. >B1

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde went on trial in Paris on Monday over her role in a 400 million euro payout of French taxpayer money to businessman Bernard Tapie in 2008. Lagarde was France’s finance minister in the government of Nicolas Sarkozy when she approved an out-of-court settlement with Tapie to end a longrunning dispute. >A10

SPORTS

Anwar Makki retains OGC table tennis crown

Anwar Makki of Bahrain defended his title in style with a comeback win over Ziyad Azizi of Jordan in the final of the 2nd Oman Gas Company (OGC) Table Tennis Open Tournament organised by the Oman Table Tennis Committee. Taking the third spot was Hassan Abdul Rahim of Bahrain followed by Hamad Bu Haji in the fourth place. >C3

SPORTS

WORLD

BUSINESS

Donald Trump on Monday criticised Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet programme as too expensive, the latest attack by the US President-elect on large defence contractors. The aerospace giant’s shares dropped 4 per cent after Trump’s tweet, while shares of several other defence contractors also weakened.>A12

Gulf states are expected to generate revenues in excess of $25 billion per annum from the proposed value added tax (VAT) at the rate of 5 per cent, according to an estimate by Ernst & Young (EY). The adoption of value added tax by the six member GCC bloc represents a major shift in tax policy that will impact all segments of the economy. >B1

Trump targets F-35 fighter jet costs India and Indonesia on Monday agreed to strengthen defence and security ties with a major focus on maritime space and deepen cooperation for effectively combating terror, its financing, money laundering and arms smuggling.

In talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the two countries with impressive growth rates also decided to boost bilateral trade and investment’. >A8

BUSINESS

GCC sees VAT revenues of $25b per annum

Muscat and Assarain record contrasting wins In Premier Division T20 matches, Muscat eased to a 10-wicket win over Sinha CT while Assarain beat Passage to India by six runs. >C4

LIFESTYLE

Build Your Own Gingerbread House It is the season of being merry and while Christmas celebrations might be synonymous with cakes, making gingerbread houses stocked with a range of Christmas goodies like plum cakes and cookies, beckon all.

While we all have read about Gingerbread Houses in the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel, the first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece and later the Europeans developed their own version. >A14

PAKISTAN

Pakistan grounds French-built ATR planes after fatal crash The Pakistan’s national carrier PIA on Monday grounded all 10 Frenchbuilt ATR turboprop planes in its fleet, days after one of its flights carrying 47 people crashed en route to Islamabad, killing everyone on board. >A9

Indian School Muscat to get new principal Srinivas K. Naidu, the outgoing principal who was appointed during academic year 2013-14 has resigned from the post EVENTFUL STINT: Srinivas K. Naidu. –Supplied photo

Times News Service MUSCAT: Efforts are on to look for a suitable replacement after Indian School Muscat Principal Srinivas K. Naidu resigned from his post due to personal reasons, officials at the Indian School Board said.

Confirming this, Wilson V. George, Chairman, Board of Directors of Indian Schools in Oman, said the recruitment process for Naidu’s successor is in its final stages. “We will appoint a new principal very soon,” he said.

Srinivas K. Naidu was appointed as the ISM principal by the

CBSE during the academic year 2013-14 after AchuthanMadhav resigned as principal.

Naidu has a post-graduate degree in physics and 25 years of expertise as a physics teacher, administrator and academician. “He was an excellent leader and a class academician,” his colleagues said.

After his appointment, he was assigned with the task of mentoring the Indian School Al Seeb, Indian School Nizwa, Indian School Ibri, Indian School Sur and Indian School Jalan.

He used to frequently visit each of these five schools along with a team of observers that included a vice principal and an assistant vice principal.

In 2015, Naidu was honoured with the “Best Mentor Principal Award” by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The honour was conferred upon him at a function held in New Delhi, India.

Smriti Irani, the then India’s Union Minister for Human Resource Development, felicitated him for his contribution to the field of education.

The award consisted of a merit certificate, a shawl and a cash prize.The ISM started its journey in 1975 with 135 children.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

OMAN

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CRIME

Seven arrested for house, shop break-in, car theft charges STAFF REPORTER

MUSCAT: Seven Omani nationals were arrested on charges of theft in Salalah, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) reported on Monday.

Police said the suspects were arrested for allegedly robbing houses, cars and shops in Al Saada area.

A reliable source in the ROP said the accused set on fire six vehicles

that they had stolen to rob houses and shops.

The seven suspects have been sent to the public prosecution where legal procedures will be completed.

Last Thursday, three masked men had robbed a bank in the Al Rumais area of Barka. According to a report published by the Oman Public Prosecution, robbery

topped the list of crimes committed in the Sultanate in 2015.

The public prosecution handled 41,072 cases in 2015, compared to 45,306 in 2014, reflecting a 9.3 per cent decrease.

A total of 3,620 reports received by the public prosecution were about felonies, a 22.5 per cent decrease compared to 2014 when 4,205 such instances were re-

corded. Cases of misdemeanour, recorded at 37,332 in 2015, also decreased by 8 per cent, compared to 40,564 in 2014.

Misdemeanours made up for 91 per cent of the total cases handled in 2015.

According to the report, robbery was the most frequently committed crime in Oman, heading the top 10 list of crimes.

Robbery accounted for 6,780 of the total crimes committed, followed by 4,685 cases of “bounced cheques.”

Drugs related crimes came third in the list with 3,062 cases.

Violations of consumer protection law were the fourth most committed crime, accounting for 2,839 cases, followed by 2,372 instances of “insult to dignity” crimes re-

corded with the public prosecution. Labour law violations were the sixth-most committed crime with 2,293 cases. Traffic accident cases numbered 1,900.

A total of 1,513 cases of inflicting minor harm were recorded while “entering the country illegally” and municipal violations made it to the top ten list, with 1,363 and 1,129 crimes, respectively.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

OMAN HISN AL SHOMOUKH

HM the Sultan hosts dinner on Armed Forces Day

-Photos Mohammed Mustafa and Salim Al Hashli

Ice in mountains amid cold wave in parts of Oman TEMPERATURES FALLING o

C

0

The cold wave in parts of Oman, which

Minimum Jebel Shams

16 9

24 10

Ibri

continue as north westerly winds chill Oman’s peaks

Times News Service MUSCAT: It might not be snowing but ice has come to the high places of Oman as temperatures in Jebel Shams dropped to 4 degrees Celsius on Monday.

The cold wave in parts of Oman, which saw the mercury plunge, is likely to continue as north westerly winds chill Oman’s peaks, according to a spokesperson of Meteorology Department.

“The northwesterly winds coming from the deserts of Iran and from Mediterranean Sea are cold and dry. This is pushing down the temperatures in Oman,” the spokesperson said. On Monday, the Meteorology Department recorded 4 degree Celsius in Jebel Shams at night and 13 degrees during the day.

Jebel Shams, part of the Al Hajar Mountain range and situated at an altitude of 3,004 metres above the sea level, has recorded as low as -8 degrees Celsius temperature in the recent past.

“There are no signs of snow anywhere in Jebel Shams although temperatures are sliding,” said Said Khamis Al Khatri, manager of Jebel Shams Resort.

Colder locations at night

30

13 8

Haima

plunge, is likely to

20 Maximum

5

Saiq (Jebel Akhdar)

saw the mercury

Expected temperatures on December 13

10

22

Marmul

11

Nizwa

11

25 26

12

Yanqul

24

Rustaq

13

Thumrait

13

24 25

Buraimi

14

24

Samail

14

24

Bahla

14

Ibra

14

25 27

15

Adam

27

Suwaiq

16

Sohar

16

26

Duqm

16

26

Sur

Visitors With mercury touching 17 degrees Celsius in the capital, many citizens and residents visited Jebel Shams on Monday as it was a holiday. “We visited the highest peak on Monday and it was awesome,” Satish, an Indian expat who visited the mountains, said.

Arab Tourism meeting to focus ways to boost growth of sector Times News Service MUSCAT: Aiming to attract more tourists, the Ministry of Tourism is set to host the 19th Ministerial Meeting for Arab Tourism in Oman from today.

The two-day event will see participation of several tourism ministers, undersecretaries, and important dignitaries from the region, as well as representatives from the World Tourism Organisation who will come together to discuss a number of important topics and developments in the field of tourism.

Ahmed bin Nasser Al Mahrizi, the Minister of Tourism, said in a statement: “This event will focus on strengthening relations between the Arab countries and giving a boost to the tourism sector.

Such efforts will go a long way in bringing more tourists to the Arab countries, not just from all over the world but from even countries in the region.”

Such efforts will go a long way in bringing more tourists to the Arab countries, said Ahmed bin Nasser Al Mahrizi, the Minister of Tourism. – Supplied photo

“We will also look into the challenges faced by the tourism sector in its efforts to become a sustainable sector. Tourism is one of the key pillars of our economy. A booming tourism sector can con-

tribute significantly to the GDP and create job opportunities, as outlined in the 2040 Tourism Strategy,” he added.

Nasser Al Mahrizi pointed out that this event would reinforce the Sultanate’s capability in organising and hosting such big events, and other similar events and exhibitions – an indication that the Ministry of Tourism supports the introduction of progressive legislation and policies to attract foreign investment.

Representatives from the League of Arab States, the World Tourism Organisation, the Arab Tourism Organisation and Arab Centre for Media Tourism will be attending the event. A number of dignitaries from Arab countries and media organisations will also be attending.

The discussions will include the development of an Arab Tourism Strategy as well as formulation of quality standards for tour operators and media vendors.

27

17

REPORT

School student assaulted

26

Khasab

19

Seeb

19

Amerat

20

Masirah

20

Salalah

20

Source: General Weather Forecast, Directorate General of Meteorology

The drop in temperatures at the highest peak in the Gulf has started drawing tourists. “We are now having tourists from the UAE and Europe, besides tourists from Oman,” hoteliers said.

MINISTRY OF TOURISM

25 26 25 28 29 Graphics

In its outlook for the next 24 hours, the Meteorological Department predicted mainly clear skies over most of the Sultanate, with chances of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches along most of the coastal areas extending to the interior with isolated rains.

The sea, it said, would be moderate to rough along the coastal area of Musandam and Oman Sea with maximum wave height of 2.3 metres and slight to moderate along the Arabian Sea with maximum wave height of 1.5 metres.

Times News Service MUSCAT: A student was assaulted yesterday in a school in Muscat governorate, state broadcaster Oman TV has reported.

One of the students from the school, located in Quriyat, assaulted another with a sharp object.

According to Oman TV, the assault took place following an argument between the students.

According to a Oman Public Prosecution report, the number of juvenile accused has gone up by 10.9 per cent in 2015, totalling 1,192.

The report also stated that the number of juvenile offences for felony cases went up in 2015 to 43, compared to 28 the year before that.

OMAN-CHINA TIES

Oman Air opens new terminal in Guangzhou GUANGZHOU: Oman Air organised a ceremony at Four Seasons Hotel in Guangzhou on the sidelines of the official launch of the new terminal in the Chinese city.

In his speech on the occsion, Yahya bin Said Al Jabri, chairman of Special Economic Zone Authority-Duqm mentioned the deep-rooted Oman-China ties.

Chinese navigator Zhing’s sea voyage to Salalah 600 years ago was a testimony to the historic, trade and cultural ties between the peoples of the two countries, he said.

He also said that the celebration held under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Haitham

bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture on 35th anniversary of the arrival of vessel Sohar at the Canton Port in China reflected the strong bilateral ties.

The ceremony was attended by Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al Saadi, Oman’s ambassador to China and officials from the two sides.

Meanwhile, Oman Air CEO Paul Gregorowitsch, told a press conference at Four Seasons Hotel yesterday, that the company’s remarkable investments supported the expansion plans and growth, mainly in terms of the terminals and the company’s fleet and development of employees by investing some OMR20million to this effect. —ONA

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

Tweet all about it

New poultry farm a step towards food security GAUTAM VISWANATHAN,

gautam@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman plans to produce 60,000 tonnes of white meat by 2020 to ensure its food security and boost employment generation by constructing a new poultry farm, in accordance with the Tanfeedh directives for economic diversification.

“This is a project to generate white chicken meat, and may be set up either in Barka or in Salalah,” said Mustafa Al Riyami, Coordination and Follow-up Specialist for the Public Authority for Stores and Food Reserves.

“I am not sure about the location, because the issue is being decided at the moment, but this farm will produce about 60,000 tonnes of meat,” he added. “By 2020, we will attain about 73 per cent self-sufficiency, and by 2040, we will achieve 80 per cent selfsufficiency in white meat.”

The farm will be managed by the state-owned Oman Food Investment Holding Company, set up in 2014 to promote Oman’s food security through partnerships between government organisations and private investors.

“Oman currently produces less than 10 per cent of poultry requirement and imports the rest from the Middle East. Obviously, we can boost production within the country,” said Arvind Venkataraman, the Project Manager for Al Arfan Farms.

“This is a very viable option.

The biggest issue with poultry is that farms shouldn’t be constructed next to urban areas,” he added.

“But in Oman, we have more than 70 per cent of land that is not close to urban areas. That makes production very feasible and poultry is the largest consumed food item in the country.”

Oman’s current consumption of meat from poultry is around 121,000 metric tonnes, according to figures released by the United

OMAN

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BY 2020

A5

Muscat-Chennai flights hit after cyclone landfall Oman Air yesterday cancelled its flight to Chennai from Muscat

SELF-SUFFICIENCY: The farm will be managed by Oman Food

Investment Holding Company, set up in 2014 to promote Oman’s food security. – Supplied photo

States Department of Agriculture, and is set to increase by another 10,000 tonnes by next year.

Poultry and dairy “This is definitely a step in the right direction, because poultry and dairy are the top food security indicators in Oman,” added Venkataraman.

“After vegetables and fruits, the highest protein content comes from these items, and historically, any nation that has been able to produce its own poultry and dairy is more socially mature.

“Jobs running into a few hundreds can be easily created, right from the daily farming-level to the upper-level management,” he explained. “I think you are also looking at a whole new industry of healthcare and animal sciences. Universities like the Sultan Qaboos University have been churning out students who haven’t really had that sort of opportunity in the country. Now you will have lesser burden on the banks and the ministries to fund projects because you will have people who can do this job in this country itself.

“The general health condition of society is better, the quality of life is better and, therefore, you would get more productive people per capita in society,” Ven-

kataraman said. “For Oman, this farm would also mean reduced expenditure burden. We are borrowing a lot right now, and that index will come down. We will not have to subsidise so many things, and with reduced financial liabilities, the opportunities to invest in more businesses will also come to Oman.”

According to Dr. Omar Al Jabri, the Assistant Dean for Training and Community Service at the College of Marine and Agricultural Sciences at the Sultan Qaboos University, Oman is very well placed to set up this farm.

Food security “We have the potential to do this because we are not different from other Middle Eastern countries when it comes to climate. It is also about food security, which is really important. With imports being high, the public will favour domestic markets first,” he said.

“Once we achieve self-sufficiency, we can start exporting to other markets, and there is a very high potential for that,” added Al Jabri. “When you go abroad, you see products on the shelves especially meant for domestic use.

We do not see that being applied here. More local produce will also mean a greater variety of products for those living in Oman.”

and Air India’s local officials were waiting for updates from its New Delhi office

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: A number of flights from Oman to Chennai have been cancelled after a very severe cyclone made its landfall in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu (TN).

Oman Air yesterday cancelled its flight to Chennai from Muscat and Air India in Muscat was waiting for updates from its New Delhi office.

Vardah, the severe cyclone, made its landfall with heavy rainfall accompanied by wind speed of 120kmph.

Oman Air tweeted on its official twitter handle that it had cancelled its flight to Chennai.

“Flight WY253 MCT-MAA, December 12, was cancelled due to bad weather. We apologise for the inconvenience caused,” the tweet read.

An official from Air India office in Muscat said that they were waiting for updates.

“We fly late night at around 23 hours daily to Chennai from Muscat. We are waiting for an update from New Delhi office,” the offi-

LANDFALL: Two people have been killed and thousands evacuated

from coastal areas in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. -AFP

cial added. In a tweet, the airline tweeted that Chennai airport is closed down till 17:30 hrs. “#AIUpdate : #Chennai Airport closed down till 1730 hrs due to bad weather conditions. Will resume operations post 1730 hrs. #Cyclone Vardah,” the airline tweeted.

Jet Airways said in a tweet that due to adverse weather they have cancelled their arrivals and departures.

“Due to adverse weather (#Vardah) at #Chennai, all our arrivals & departures to & from Chennai for December 12 stand cancelled,” the airline tweeted.

Many from Muscat depend on Jet Airways connection flights from Chennai.

Meanwhile, media reported that at least two people have been killed and thousands evacuated from coastal areas in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Schools and businesses were shut and airport services sus-

pended. Teams from the army and National Disaster Relief Force, along with two naval ships, are on standby.

India’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that a “storm surge” will be about one metre (three feet) high.

The NDMA has warned fishermen not to venture to sea for the next 36 hours, and urged residents to stay in safe places.

According to officials, more than 23,000 people in Tamil Nadu have been moved to relief centres, with plans for tens of thousands more to be evacuated.

The storm comes about a year after Chennai experienced devastating floods which killed 70 people.

In December 2011, more than 30 people died and many homes were damaged after a cyclone struck near the town of Pondicherry.

And in May 2010 at least 23 people died as a powerful cyclone caused widespread havoc across Andhra Pradesh.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

OMAN Omani heritage, people impress American couple Alex, along with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, arrived in the Sultanate in 2015

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: From celebrating weddings and Eid with the locals to speaking Arabic, this American couple has set an example in integrating into Omani culture.

Alex and Kim, 28, have made many Omani friends during their year in Oman, their “second home”, and they attribute that to their ability to talk and write Arabic without having ‘any mushkila’.

“How can one make friends and live a normal life in a foreign country without learning the language?” Kim asked.

She said that Oman is an “open and friendly place where it is easy to meet people.”

Alex, along with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, arrived in the Sultanate in 2015.

Awed by the local heritage and the people’s hospitality, the couple decided to stay in the country for “a long time.”

“I came to help to contribute to

SECOND HOME: Awed by the heritage and the hospitality, the US

couple decided to stay in the country for “a long time.”

the insurance industry here, which is fairly new to the Middle East,” Alex said, explaining that Oman is a “good place to start learning Arabic.”

Culture Asked about her view about people who live in Oman for years without learning the language, Kim asked, “I wonder if they are interacting with Omanis? People can enjoy life a lot more and learn more about the culture when they know the language.”

Last April, the couple met an Omani friend at a park in Muscat.

“I just said ‘salam alaykum’ and had a nice chat with the man, as our daughters were playing by the swings. His reaction was over-

whelming. He took us in his vehicle to tour throughout Muscat,” Alex recalled.

“We could have moved here and never learned Arabic, but we want to feel like home and be able to talk to our neighbours,” she added.

Kim said she is planning to send her daughter to an Omani kindergarten next year so she can learn the Omani dialect.

Coming from the US state of Iowa, the young parents are part of a group of 37 students from 14 nationalities who joined the Arabia Experience Institute in Al Mabela to learn Arabic.

The multi-cultural classrooms are made up of students from the United States, Canada, Germany, Brazil, China and Nigeria.

INDIAN EMBASSY

< FROM

A1 Processing of visa “To promote visits by Omani businessmen to India, the Indian embassy has also streamlined business visa processes and issues multiple entry visas with a minimum six month validity. For high-level management of Omani companies, the embassy is also issuing visas valid for one to five years,” the ambassador added.

With recent improvements in ease of doing business, India has been receiving a record amount of foreign direct investment $44 billion during April 2015-March 2016, and $29 during April-September 2016.

During the seminar, ambassador drew attention to the decline in bilateral trade between India and Oman from $5.7 billion during the year ending March 2014 to $3.8b during the year ending Mach 2016, and invited business communities of India and Oman to expand their mutual trade and investments.

He underlined that India, as always, is keen to work with the government and business community of Oman to achieve the goal of diversification.

How can one make friends and live a normal life in a foreign country without learning the language?”

Kim, US expatriate

ABU DHABI SUMMIT

Women parliamentarians exchange ideas, experiences Times News Service MUSCAT: Delegates from the State Council joined the nearly 50 women speakers, all global parliamentarians, at the two-day summit titled, ‘Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament,’ at the Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi.

The summit is being held under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), and the President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.

The first-of-its-kind in the history of global parliamentary work to be held in Middle East region, this Summit aims to provide women in decision-making positions of parliament a regular forum and an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences, which are of interest to their national and international agendas.

The event is hosted by the Federal National Council of the United Arab Emirates and the Inter Parliamentary Union. The summit, which involves two days of forward-looking panels and debates in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, is themed: ‘United for Shaping the Future.’

The delegation comprises four women members, led by Dr Suad bint Mohammed Al Lawati, State

EMPOWERMENT: Four women members, led by Dr Suad bint

Mohammed Al Lawati, State Council Vice-Chairperson, are taking part in the meeting.

Council Vice-Chairperson. It includes members Naashiah Al Kharousi and Rahma Al Mashrafi from the State Council and Naama Jamil Al Busaidi, member of the Majlis Al Shura.

Sheikha Fatima said, “Being convened under the overall theme ‘United for Shaping the Future,’ the summit holds a significant value for the UAE, which represents a unique model of unity.

She added, “We should unite and close ranks to use the huge opportunities made available by human, cultural and technological achievements in all spheres, and develop solutions to remove obstacles blocking development in several countries.”

Speakers will include Sheikh

Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary general; Federica Mogherini, vice president of the European Commission; and Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar. Others taking part in discussions include FNC speaker Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, American bestselling author and physicist Dr Michio Kaku, and the chairwoman of the Russian parliament, Valentina Matviyenko.

In her speech, Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi, speaker of the Federal National Council of the UAE, highlighted the progress made in the UAE and around the world and honoured the patrons, partners and participants of the Summit.

GETTING LICENCE

< FROM

A1 ‘Drive well, learn the rules’ “In the beginning, I took eight to 10 classes between the tests but later, when the number of tests increased, I took four to five classes between them. Anyway, I am happy now and have been driving for the last two years. It’s been good.”

Khalid, a driving instructor operating in Muscat, said he hasn’t noticed any discrimination and was aware of expats, both males and females, who received their licences swiftly.

“A lot of expats get their licences in the first attempts. Only yesterday, I had an expat female student of mine who got hers in the first try. So it’s not like if you are an expat, there is discrimination.

If you drive well, learn the rules and follow them right, you will get your licence.”

Mohamed Nasser, an instructor who has been teaching driving for the last 17 years, said the number of attempts one makes depends on his or her ability as a driver. “Are you a good driver or a bad driver? Sometimes people drive well but in their early tests, they are nervous when the evaluator comes and sits with them. It is not about being an Omani or an expat. It’s the same for everyone.

“I had a student sometime back who passed his test in 21 attempts. I was his sixth instructor.

It’s just that if people try to not feel the pressure, it will be easier for them.” Ahmed, another instruc-

tor, said the maximum tests he had seen people undergoing were about 13 or 14. “Sometimes,those wanting a licence don’t listen to the instructions properly. At times, they are too nervous. A few of my students have told me that they get tired waiting for their turn, so sometimes that affects their driving. However, be it an Omani or an expat, I have seen people succeeding in first attempts while some take a while.”

Zia, an Indian expat, has clocked up nine failed attempts.

“I am a pretty good driver until it comes to being tested. When the assessor comes and sits next to me, I become very nervous. I didn’t feel any bias, and I think they want to make sure that we as drivers can drive confidently before getting the licence.”

Abdullah Al Balushi, another instructor who has been training people to drive for the last 20 years, said he has seen people making 26 attempts but not with him.

“I have seen some people struggling to obtain licences and have heard that a few people received theirs in 24 or 25 attempts but they were not training with me. I have noticed that usually the evaluators are easy on people after they have appeared in 10 or 15 attempts.”

Shailsuman Singh, an Indian expat female who passed her driving test in her 11th attempt after

WORKERS

S T R AT E G I C AG R E E M E N T S

< FROM

A1 Ray of hope Oman has agreed to cut production by 45,000 barrels per day.

Mohammed Khalid, country manager of Descon Engineering, an oil firm, said that the current trend gives hope and if the oil prices reaches $54 per barrel, then workers can be protected.

“Analysts and we see that if oil price touched $54 or $55, then workers can be protected. Then we can avoid firing.

We hope that it will reach that value soon,” the country manager added.

Mohammed Farji, another trade unionist, said that low price conditions has taught us a lesson and we should not fail to learn it.

“The low oil prices taught us a good lesson that we should not simply depend on oil prices to run the country. We should diversify. Now, we have started it.

It’s a little late. But happy to say that it’s happening,” the trade unionist said while adding that oil price recovering is a big relief for them.

“Many workers were sent back after training even though they were offered jobs. Hope so

spending more than OMR1,000, said she was frustrated because the driving instructors don’t communicate properly.

“There is no transparency, no clarity. I almost failed my drums and slope test the first time because of lack of any clear instructions. I didn’t know what to do.

There is no bias on the basis of being an Omani or not, but I would prefer clearer communication between the instructor, the learner and the evaluator. Sometimes, they just speak in Arabic and you are clueless about what they are saying. The instructors need to be trained properly about giving instructions and dealing with their clients well,” she said.

Khalfan, a driving instructor who trains in Qurum, said: “It takes about two days to get an appointment for a road test and there is always competition for the first few slots. So it usually takes people two to three hours, and sometimes less, for one’s turn. In Qurum alone, 200 people undergo tests every day.

“Among the reasons people fail in these tests is jumping in front of other cars in the next lane, without indicating, bad car control and lack of training. The police are normally strict in the first attempt, but there is no discrimination on account of being an expat. You will get your licence if you can drive well.”

such situations will come to an end,” the trade unionist added.

A barrel of Omani crude was sold for an average of $36.40 in January to July, down by almost 40 percent from last year’s seven-month average of $59.90.

As a consequence, Oman’s oil revenues slumped by 47.7 per cent to OMR1.489 billion, from OMR2.847 billion leading to job loss in big numbers in sector.

Dr Anchan CK, an investment advisor in Oman, said that the market is benefiting from the Opec, non-Opec deal.

“The market is showing positive signs. It is benefiting from the deal between OPEC and non-OPEC countries. In winter prices go up due to consumption rise, so, we can expect prices bettering in the coming days too. Now, it may range between $50 and $60 in the 2017,” the advisor added.

In the aftermath of a severe fall in global oil revenue, Oman’s government posted a budget deficit of OMR4.32 billion ($11.4 billion) in the first eight months of 2016, according to latest official figures.

Omani, Saudi officials discuss investments RIYADH: As part of the “ Invest in Oman Campaign”, a delegation from the Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development, visited, yesterday, the Commerce and Industry Chamber of Riyadh.

The delegation reviewed with the Saudi side the investment opportunities available in the Sultanate and aimed to reach partnerships and strategic agreements between the establishments and companies in both the countries.

During the visit, the two sides held a meeting chaired from the Omani side by His Highness Sayyid Faisal bin Turki Al Said, Director General for Investment at the Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development. From the Saudi side, the meeting was chaired by Mansour bin Abdullah Al Shatri, vice chairman of the Board of Commerce and Industry Chamber of Riyadh.

They also discussed ways for facilitating cooperation between the investors and acquainting the Saudi side with the investment opportunities in Oman. —ONA

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

A7

REGION IN DETENTION

British-Algerian journalist dies after hunger strike in Algiers ALGIERS: A British-Algerian journalist had died six months after staging a hunger strike in Algiers over his detention for publishing articles seen as offensive to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, prison authorities and his lawyer said.

Rights groups called for an investigation into Mohamed Tamalt’s death - Reporters Without Borders said the news was a “hammer blow to all those who defend freedom of information in Algeria”.

Blogger The 42-year-old blogger and freelance reporter succumbed to a lung infection in hospital in Algiers on Sunday, the prison service said in a statement.

“I can confirm the death of the journalist Mohamed Tamalt in Bab El Oued hospital after a hunger strike of more than three months and a three-month coma,” lawyer Amine Sidhoum said on Facebook. Tamalt, who was based in London, was arrested in Algeria in June for posts he had shared on Facebook that were seen as critical of Algerian authorities.

Placed in pre-trial detention for “offending the president” and “defaming a public authority”, he was later given a two-year sentence for offence against a public official, according to Human Rights Watch.

“It is urgent that lawyers are allowed access to the journalist’s medical dossier,” Yasmine Kacha, North Africa director of Reporters Without Borders, said.

Apology “A public apology should be presented to the journalist’s family and an investigation immediately opened,” she said in a statement.”

Algeria’s prison service said the hospital had been treating Tamalt for his lung infection, and he had been receiving daily treatment since beginning his hunger strike in late June. — Reuters

Syrian army in ‘final stages’ of assault on rebels in Aleppo The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don’t have much time. They either have to surrender or die, said a Syrian Lieutenant General

ALEPPO (SYRIA)/BEIRUT: The Syrian army and its allies are in the “final stages” of recapturing Aleppo after a sudden advance that has pushed rebels to the brink of collapse in a shrinking enclave, a Syrian general said on Monday.

A Reuters journalist in the government-held zone said the bombardment of rebel areas of the city had continued non-stop overnight. “The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don’t have much time. They either have to surrender or die,” Lieutenant General Zaid Al Saleh, head of the government’s Aleppo security committee, told reporters in the recaptured Sheikh Saeed district of the city.

Rebels withdrew from all districts on the east side of the Aleppo river after losing Sheikh Saeed in the south of their pocket in overnight fighting, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

It meant their rapidly diminishing enclave had halved in only a few hours and Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman described the battle for Aleppo as having reached its end.

“The situation is extremely difficult today,” said Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group

VIGILANT: Syrian pro-government forces patrol Aleppo’s Sheikh Saeed district, on Monday, after

troops retook the area from rebel fighters. – AFP

fighting in Aleppo. The rebels’ sudden retreat represented a “big collapse in terrorist morale”, a Syrian military source said.

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, backed by Russia, is now close to taking back full control of Aleppo, which was Syria’s most populous city before the war and would be his greatest prize so far after nearly six years of conflict.

The Russian Defence Ministry said that since the start of the Aleppo battle, more than 2,200 rebels had surrendered and 100,000 civilians had left areas of the city that were controlled by militants.

“People run from one shelling to another to escape death and just to save their souls... It’s doomsday in Aleppo, yes doomsday in Aleppo,” said Abu Amer Iqab, a former government employee in the Sukkari district in the heart of the rebel enclave. State television footage from Saliheen, one of the districts that had just fallen to the

army, showed mounds of rubble and half-collapsed buildings, with bodies still lying on the ground and a few bewildered civilians carrying children or suitcases.

While Aleppo’s fall would deal a stunning blow to rebels trying to remove Assad from power, he would still be far from restoring control across Syria. Swathes of the country remain in rebel hands, and on Sunday IS retook Palmyra.

Tens of thousands of civilians remain in rebel-held areas, hemmed in by ever-changing front lines, pounded by air strikes and shelling, and without basic supplies, according to the Observatory, a British-based monitoring group. In the Sheikh Saeed district on Monday, an elderly couple stood lamenting their fate.

“May every son return to his mother. I have suffered that loss.

May other women not endure the same,” said the woman, her arms raised to the sky. “I have lost my

three children. Two died in battle and the third is kidnapped,” she added, as an army officer attempted to calm her.

Rebel groups in Aleppo received a US-Russian proposal on Sunday for a withdrawal of fighters and civilians from the city’s opposition areas, but Moscow said no agreement had been reached yet in talks in Geneva to end the crisis peacefully. The rebel official blamed Russia for the lack of progress in talks, saying it had no incentive to compromise while its ally Assad was gaining ground. “The Russians are being evasive. They are looking at the military situation.

Now they are advancing,” he said.

The Syrian army is backed by Russian war planes and militias supported by Iran.

A correspondent for Syria’s official SANA news agency said the army had taken control of Sheikh Saeed, and more than 3,500 people had left at dawn.

A Syrian official told Reuters: “We managed to take full control of the Sheikh Saeed district. This area is very important because it facilitates access to Al Amariya and allows us to secure a greater part of the Aleppo-Ramousah road.” The road is the main entry point to the city from the south.

The loss of Palmyra, an ancient desert city whose recapture from IS in March was heralded by Damascus and Moscow as vindicating Russia’s entry into the war, is an embarrassing setback to Assad.

The Observatory reported that the militant group carried out eight executions of Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen in Palmyra on Monday while warplanes bombarded their positions around the city. Another four people, including two children, were shot dead while the militants cleared the city, it said.

The Observatory said at least 34 people had died in air raids on an IS-held village north of Palmyra, and that local officials said poison gas had been used. IS accused Russia of the attack. Both Russia and Syria’s military deny using chemical weapons. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that 728 rebels had laid down their weapons over the previous 24 hours and relocated to western Aleppo. It said 13,346 civilians left rebel-controlled districts of Aleppo over the same period.

The Observatory said that four weeks into the army offensive at least 415 civilians, including 47 children, had been killed in rebelheld parts of the city.

Hundreds had been injured by Russian and Syrian air strikes and shelling by government forces and its allies on the besieged eastern part of the city. The Observatory said 364 rebel fighters had been killed in the eastern sector. It said rebel shelling of government-held west Aleppo had killed 130 civilians, including 40 children. Dozens had been injured. — Reuters

V I O L AT I O N

EGYPT

‘Suicide bomber behind church attack’ Saudi woman held for removing abaya

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi said on Monday a suicide bomber carried out the attack that killed 24 people at Cairo’s Coptic cathedral, the deadliest on the Christian minority in years.

Speaking at a state funeral for the victims, Sisi said four people had been detained, including a woman, and security forces were seeking two more people believed to be involved.

Sisi, who said the bomber was a man wearing a suicide vest, said: “The attack brought us great pain but we will never be torn apart.

We will only be much stronger.

We will hold steadfast and, God willing, we will succeed.”

At least 24 people were killed and 49 wounded when a bomb exploded in a chapel adjoining St. Mark’s Cathedral, Cairo’s largest church and seat of the Coptic papacy, where security is normally tight. Security sources said the blast was caused by a bomb containing at least 12 kg (26 pounds) of TNT detonated on a side of the church normally used by women.

Sisi did not name the organisation the attackers were believed to belong to. No group has claimed responsibility, but exiled Muslim Brotherhood officials and local militant groups have joined the international community in condemnation. Only IS supporters celebrated on social media.

Sisi is fighting battles on several fronts. His economic reforms have angered the poor, a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood has seen thousands jailed and an insurgency rages in Northern Sinai, led by IS’s Egyptian branch.

The group has also claimed attacks in Cairo and urged its supporters to launch attacks around the world as it goes on the defensive in its Iraqi and Syrian strongholds.

Picture The Interior Ministry released a picture of the bomber it identified as Mahmoud Shafik Mohamed Mostafa, 22, from the town of Fayyoum, whose nom de guerre was Abu Dajjana Al Kanani. It also released an image of what it said was the dead bomber’s battered

DUBAI: Saudi police detained a young woman for violating modesty rules after she removed her abaya, the loose-fitting, fulllength robes women are required to wear, on a main street in the capital Riyadh, local media reported on Monday.

The country enforces a strict dress code for women in public, bans them from driving and prohibits the mixing of sexes.

The Arabic-language Al Sharq newspaper reported that the woman was detained after a complaint was filed by the religious police.

“Police officers have detained a girl who had removed her abaya on Al Tahliya street, implementing a challenge she announced on social

ANGRY PROTEST: Egyptians shout slogans in front of riot police outside a church in Cairo, Egypt, on

Monday. – Reuters

head. Egypt held a state funeral for the victims on Monday, with coffins draped in the national flag carried in a procession led by Sisi and Coptic Pope Tawadros II. Earlier, mourners had packed Cairo’s Virgin Mary and St Athanasius Church where Pope Tawadros prayed over the wooden coffins. On the walls, hung banners bearing the names of the dead, many of them women.

Speaking at the end of the service, Tawadros sought to heal any sectarian friction caused by the attack, saying it “is not just a disaster for the church but a disaster for the whole nation.” He also condemned attacks against the security forces.

“Those who commit acts such as this do not belong to Egypt at all, even if they are on its land,” he said.

At the chapel where the bombing took place, survivors described searching for the body parts of loved ones. The chapel’s

floor was covered in debris from shattered windows, its wooden pews blasted apart, its pillars blackened. Here and there lay abandoned shoes and patches of blood. Dazed church officials wondered around in black robes.

Though Christians traditionally support the government, the church attack provoked anger among survivors and the families of the dead, who said police had failed to protect them.

Survivors Five survivors at Dar Al Shefa hospital said police did not conduct the usual checks as the cathedral was particularly busy for Sunday’s mass.

“There were large numbers so people entered without being searched,” said Mina Francis, who was at the mass with his mother, who was killed.

Crowds outside the cathedral on Sunday demanded revenge.

Scuffles broke out as protesters

accused police of security failures. Some chanted “the people demand the fall of the regime”, the rallying cry of the 2011 revolt that ended Hosni Mubarak’s 30year rule. “There were police cars stationed in front of the church gates... they were too busy eating breakfast and drinking tea and soda. They weren’t doing their job,” said Hani Gaballah, 43, a retired military officer.

Sisi dismissed accusations of a security failure. He called for tighter anti-terrorism laws to help crush militants, in a country where Egyptians already face restrictive protest laws. “We will not let this go even after we have arrested them,” Sisi said.

The last major attack on a church took place as people left a New Year’s service in Alexandria weeks before the start of the 2011 uprising. At least 21 people were killed. The circumstances remain a mystery and no one was punished. — Reuters

media several days ago,” the newspaper quoted Colonel Fawaz Al Maiman, a Riyadh police spokesman, as saying.

The sabq.org news website said the unnamed woman had posted on Twitter that she would go out in public without her abaya.

Both sabq.org and another news website, alweeam.com.sa, carried a picture of the woman wearing a black jacket over an ankle-length orange and pink dress. Sabq.org concealed the exposed parts of her body. The post had drawn an angry reaction from some Saudis. “She has been arrested and we demand utmost punishment, for the state has rules that she did not respect,” one Twitter user said. — Reuters

A8

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016 In a major assault on black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8 announced demonetisation of Rs500 and 1,000 notes and asked holders to deposit such notes in banks

INDIA

India, Indonesia agree to boost defence, security ties and societies have nurtured strong bonds of commerce and culture throughout our history,” he said.

The prime minister said both sides agreed that early implementation of India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in Services and Investment, and finalisation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership would be important steps to further boost trade ties.

“To sustain the momentum of our partnership, President Widodo and I have directed for an early meeting of the existing ministerial-level mechanisms to carry forward the bilateral cooperation agenda,” he said.

In talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the two countries with impressive growth rates also decided to boost bilateral trade and investment

JOINT PRESS MEET: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Indonesian President Joko Widodo looks on as Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi walk to exchange agreement files during a joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Monday. - PTI

NEW DELHI: India and Indonesia on Monday agreed to strengthen defence and security ties with a major focus on maritime space and deepen cooperation for effectively combating terror, its financing, money laundering and arms smuggling.

In talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the two countries with impressive growth rates also decided to boost bilateral trade and investment, particularly in areas like oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, IT and skill development.

A joint statement issued after the talks said the two leaders condemned terrorism in all its forms

and manifestations in the strongest terms, emphasising “zero tolerance” for acts of terror.

Referring to the South China Sea disputes, where Indonesia is also a party, the two leaders called for resolving the issue through peaceful means and in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law including the UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea).

Emphasising on the need to improve connectivity and encourage people-to-people contact, the two leaders also welcomed Garuda Indonesia’s decision to commence direct flights from Jakarta to Mumbai. On combating terrorism, the joint statement said Modi

and Widodo called upon all countries to implement the UNSC Resolution 1267 and other relevant resolutions designating terrorist entities, in an apparent reference to China blocking India’s move to get Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.

Cross-border terrorism The two leaders also asked all countries to work towards eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing channels, besides stopping crossborder terrorism, seen as a message to Pakistan.

Modi and Widodo also underlined the need for all nations to

deal with transnational terrorism emanating from their territory by effective criminal justice response while agreeing to extend bilateral cooperation to combating terror, organised crime, drugs and human trafficking, money laundering and arms smuggling.

In his media statement, Modi said the talks focused on the full range of bilateral cooperation and both sides agreed to prioritise defence and security cooperation, besides enhancing efforts to ensure safety and security of the sea lanes.

“As the world’s most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia stands for democracy, diversity, pluralism, and social harmony. These are also our values. Our nations

Economic partnership The Indonesian President, on his first visit here, said there were detailed talks on ways to strengthen economic partnership, adding Indonesia wants to diversify exports to India.

Indonesia has emerged to become the second largest trading partner of India in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade has increased from $6.9 billion in 2007-08 to $9.03 billion in 2014-15. In 201516, the trade volume fell to $9 billion due to global economic situation, fall in commodity prices and less overall imports by Indonesia.

“It is the largest economy in South East Asia. And, India is one of the fastest growing large economies in the world. As two large democracies and major emerging economies, we have shared economic and strategic interests,” Modi said. - PTI

BITING COLD

13 killed in road accidents due to fog in northern India NEW DELHI: At least 13 people were killed in road mishaps in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with dense fog affecting visibility in north India even as cold wave conditions in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir intensified further due to a fresh spell of snowfall.

Early morning fog in Delhi led to the cancellation of 16 trains and 90 were running late. However, normal flight operations were reported at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The city recorded a minimum of 11 degrees Celsius and a high of 27.1 degrees Celsius. Wintry chill tightened grip over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and a thick cover of fog persisted over the region. Eight persons were killed in separate mishaps amid foggy conditions in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, Kakori and Malihabad areas, police said.

Poor visibility The MET department said shallow to moderate fog was witnessed at most places in the state in the past 24 hours. Hamirpur district was the coldest with the minimum temperature settling at 8.2 degrees Celsius. Five persons, including two women, were killed when their car rammed into a stationary truck on National Highway 2 due to poor visibility in Bihar’s Aurangabad district.

Dense fog hit normal life at several places in Haryana and Punjab though the minimum temperature was recorded above the normal limit at most places. - PTI

TA X D O D G E R S

Government to notify scheme for taxing black money holders this week NEW DELHI: Government is likely to notify this week the scheme giving tax dodgers another chance to come clean by paying 50 per cent of tax on junked currency deposited in banks post demonetisation.

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) provides for 50 per cent taxes and surcharge on declarations of unaccounted cash deposited in banks. Declarants also have to park a quarter of the total sum in a non-interest

bearing deposit for four years.

The Department of Revenue will by the end of the week notify PMGKY 2016, which was a part of ‘The Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016’ and was approved by the Lok Sabha on November 29.

“The notification will provide details as to how declarations are to be made (format) and the manner of paying taxes, whether in instalments or in full. It will also

provide an end date to the PMGKY scheme,” an official said.

‘The Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016’ was introduced in the Lok Sabha as a Money Bill which necessarily does not require assent of the Upper House of Parliament.

Constitution provides that that the Rajya Sabha is required to return a Money Bill passed by Lok Sabha within a period of 14 days from the date of its receipt. The

period of 14 days is computed from the date of receipt of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, which is November 30 in this case.

“The 14 day period comes to an end on December 14. After that it will be presented to the President for his assent and thereafter, will be notified this week,” the official added.

The notification is also likely to specify that the disclosures in PMGKY scheme will ensure that

no questions will be asked about the source of fund and there would be immunity from Wealth Tax, civil laws and other taxation laws.

But there is no immunity from Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), Prevention of Money Laundering Act ^PMLA), Narcotics and foreign Black Money Act. In a major assault on black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8 announced demonetisation of 500 and 1,000

rupee notes and asked holders to deposit such notes in banks. Since then. people have been queueing up before the banks to deposit junked currencies.

Since November 10, Rs11.85 lakh crore in form of old Rs500 and 1,000 notes have returned into the banking system.

It was estimated that the now defunct notes constituted 86 per cent, or Rs14.5 lakh crore, in circulation. - PTI

STORM

Cyclone Vardah batters south India coast, claims four lives C H E N N A I /A M A R AVAT I : Very severe cyclonic storm ‘Vardah’, the most intense to have hit the Tamil Nadu capital in two decades, claimed four lives, flattened homes, snapped power, communication lines and threw into disarray rail, road and air traffic as it crossed the coast here, pounding Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram with heavy rain and squall.

Thousands of people were evacuated as roaring wind clocking speed of 100km an hour uprooted trees, tore off hoardings and toppled cars.

Two fishermen were reported missing off the Andhra Pradesh coast in Kakinada and the Coast Guard has deployed ship for search and rescue operations.

Though no major loss of life or property has been reported from Andhra Pradesh so far, heavy rains lashed Chittoor and SPS Nellore district, affecting normal life. Public transport came to a standstill in Chennai with buses and suburban trains suspended and airport shut. Rail, road and air traffic, official sources said, were likely to be restored by Tuesday.

Most commercial establishments downed shutters in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts.

“After 1994, this is the first very severe cyclonic storm to hit Chennai coast. The storm has completely crossed the coast as expected (this evening),” a senior Met official here said.

Civic workers used hand-held battery-operated wood cutters to remove hundreds of uprooted trees lying on the roads.

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and SDRF were deployed for rescue efforts as army was put

RUNNING FOR SAFETY: A man runs for safety as an uprooted tree blocks the road during heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Vardah in Chennai on Monday. - PTI

on standby. A Home Ministry spokesperson said in Delhi that four people were killed in the storm in Tamil Nadu, while six teams of NDRF and four of SDRF were engaged in rescue efforts.

About 8,000 people from lowlying areas in north Chennai, Pazhaverkadu in Tiruvallur district and villages off Mamallapuram, in Kanchipuram district were safely evacuated to 95 relief shelters, officials said.

In Andhra Pradesh, over 9,400 people living along the Bay of Bengal were evacuated to relief camps amid heavy rain. Also, separate teams of personnel drawn from the health, sanitary and electricity departments were deployed for relief operations in low-lying areas of the three storm-hit Tamil Nadu districts.

The Met department said the intensity of wind and rainfall would recede after ‘Vardah’ made landfall near Chennai between 2:30pm and 4:30pm.

Coastal regions of northern Tamil Nadu — Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram — continue to be on high alert even as people in low-lying areas were accommodated in relief centres.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to take stock of the situation in the two states and promised all help.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Nadu apprised the Home Minister of the damage caused by the cyclone and steps taken for the rescue and relief.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam was constantly monitoring the situation as state ministers were visiting relief centres to oversee relief distribution.

The Southern Railway said the cyclone had caused severe impact to its infrastructure and prompted cancellation, diversion and suspension of rail services. -PTI

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PAKISTAN

Pakistan appoints new ISI chief in army reshuffle while also ringing in several other changes. Lt Gen Akhtar, who was at the centre of a controversy following a Dawn newspaper report which said that the Nawaz Sharif government had told the army to either act against terrorists or the country would face international isolation, has been shunted to President National Defence University (NDU).

Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar has been appointed chief of Pakistan’s InterServices Intelligence in major shake-up by new army chief Gen

NEW RESPONSIBILITY: Pakistan’s military announced on Monday

Qamar Javed Bajwa

a major reshuffle in its senior posts, including appointing a new chief for the country’s top spy agency. A statement said Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar will replace Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar as the Inter-Services Intelligence chief. - AP/PTI

ISLAMABAD: Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar, an intelligence veteran, has been appointed chief of Pakistan’s powerful spy agency ISI with new army chief

Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa effecting the first big reshuffle to tighten his hold on the military that plays a key role in the country’s affairs.

As part of a major shake-up

of the military top brass, Bajwa abruptly removed DirectorGeneral of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar and named Mukhtar in his place

I L L - FAT E D

PIA grounds French-built ATR planes after fatal crash ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national carrier PIA on Monday grounded all 10 French-built ATR turboprop planes in its fleet, days after one of its flights carrying 47 people crashed en route to Islamabad, killing everyone on board.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-661 smashed into a hillside in the country’s north while travelling from the city of Chitral to Islamabad last Wednesday.

The airline has said one of the planes’ two turboprop engines had failed. Another PIA ATR flight faced “technical issues” on Sunday just before it was set to take off from the central city of Multan on a flight to southern Karachi and was called back to its parking bay. Though the airline denied media reports that one of the engines had caught fire. The fleet would now undergo thorough testing after the two incidents, the airline said.

“In view of Civil Aviation Authority’s decision of holding shakedown tests of PIA’s entire ATR fleet, it has been decided to keep all 10 ATR aircraft grounded till they are cleared after thorough examination,” PIA spokesman Danyal Gilani said.

The ATR 42-500 is a twin turboprop regional aircraft that carries 48 passengers in standard

TURBOPROP PLANES: Pakistan’s national carrier PIA on Monday grounded all 10 French-built ATR turboprop planes in its fleet, days after one of its flights carrying 47 people crashed en route to Islamabad, killing everyone on board. - AFP file photo

configuration. ATR aircraft are capable of operations on both paved and unpaved strips.

The engines are built by US manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

The company has so far declined to comment while Pakistani authorities investigate the causes of the crash.

So far PIA has not released any report on the cause of PK-661 flight’s. Earlier, it had said the real cause of the accident would only be determined once the data from the black box had been analysed. The plane had descended

PROTECTION MONEY

Taliban demands for cash stir fears of comeback in Swat MINGORA: When Pakistani shopkeeper Abdur Rahim’s phone rang in mid-October, he was shocked to hear the voice of a senior militant commander demanding protection money from him and his fellow traders in the Swat Valley.

The menacing call was taken seriously in a northern pocket of the country where Pakistani Taliban insurgents took partial control in 2007, before being ousted two years later in a major military operation hailed as a telling blow against violence.

Locals fear that recent threats of extortion and a spate of targeted killings earlier this year mark an attempt by the Taliban to regain a foothold in the picturesque, mountainous area they once ruled with an iron fist.

Western powers, including the United States which has thousands of troops fighting other militant groups across the nearby border in Afghanistan, want to see extremist networks along the frontier crushed.

During the October 19 conversation, Mullah Akhtar, a commander close to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah, ordered Rahim to collect money from 15,000 members of the Swat Traders’ Federation, of which he is president. But in a tense exchange,

Rahim refused to cooperate, and told Akhtar militants were not welcome in Swat. According to Rahim, Akhtar boiled over with rage: “I will blow you up, so that even the doctors won’t be able to find the pieces.” Since the call, Rahim’s life has changed.

Speaking to Reuters in Mingora, he stood flanked by two armed policemen, while plainclothed officers keep a watchful eye in the background. Representatives of the militant movement could not be reached for comment on their tactics in Swat Valley; some residents believe demands for money and a rise in attacks in the first half of the year are signs of desperation. Attacks have been a part of life there since 2010, including the attempted assassination of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012, but in recent months the murders have stopped after a series of arrests by police.

The Taliban have also struggled to build ideological support after their bloody two-year rule on the valley’s 2 million residents.

The group remains active elsewhere, however, particularly in southern Balochistan province, where a faction of the Taliban and IS have claimed responsibility for a series of bomb and gun attacks that have killed more than 180 people. - Reuters

in an unsymmetrical manner after which it lost altitude in the few moments before it crashed in Saddha Batolni village near Havelian, killing all 47 people on board, including pop singer-turned-Islamic preacher Junaid Jamshed, his wife and Deputy Commissioner Chitral Osama Warraich.

According to flight manifest, 31 men, nine women, two infants and five crew members were on board the ATR-42 aircraft, which lost contact with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at Islamabad’s Benazir International Airport. - PTI

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Nomination The nomination of the new ISI chief was delayed for a short time as initially army announced that the incumbent head was removed and appointed as president of NDU. However, later in the night, the new ISI boss was also named, ending speculation.

Akhtar possesses a vast experience in the field of intelligence and has headed the counter-terrorism wing of the spy agency in Islamabad. He was commissioned

in the Armoured Corps regiment in 1983.

A graduate of the Command and Staff College, Quetta, National Defence University, Islamabad, and War Course USA, Mukhtar has also commanded a Mechanised Division.

There was speculation sometime back that Prime Minister Sharif wanted to appoint Mukhtar as ISI chief but then army chief Raheel Sharif resisted the move.

Technically, ISI should be answerable to the Prime Minister who should also appoint its chief but over the years the army chief has earned the prerogative of nominating the head of Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency.

It is believed that the new ISI chief enjoys the confidence of both the civilian and military leadership and it would go a long way in healing differences between them, observers said. -PTI

ASIA

QAU ranked among top 100 universities ISLAMABAD: The Quaid-eAzam University (QAU) in Islamabad has been ranked among the top 100 universities in Asia according to the Global Education rankings for 2017.

However, the varsity had fallen 43 spots in rankings of the top 500 global varsities two years ago.

The ranking, by the US News and World Report, lists the varsity at 95 among Asian universities.

QAU thus is the only university from Pakistan which has been included in the list of top Asian Universities in the ranking.

In global rankings, however, the varsity ranks at 539 with a global score of 49.1.

This was down from 496 globally that US News and World Report had placed it on the 2015 rankings.

The regional rankings have been swept by East Asian countries especially with Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Singaporean universities making up the top 10 Asian universities. - Express Tribune

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

WORLD EXPECTED TO SEEK TOP JOB

CLEANING CAMPAIGN IN SANAA

Yemeni youth sweep the street as they take part in a cleaning campaign in the capital Sanaa, on Monday.

— AFP

Hong Kong financial secretary resigns HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary John Tsang resigned on Monday, the city’s government said, and is widely expected to announce his intention to run for the city’s top job in March.

There has been months of speculation that 65-year-old Tsang, who tops popularity polls, would step down and enter the race to become the financial hub’s chief executive. Hong Kong’s unpopular incumbent chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, announced last Friday that he would not stand for a second five-year term.

The city government said Leung had already submitted Tsang’s resignation to China’s central government and the secretary for financial services and the treasury, Chan Ka-keung, would be acting financial secretary. Cable News reported earlier on Monday that Tsang may not make an announcement on standing for the top job immediately. Tsang was not immediately available for comment.

Tsang, known as “Uncle Pringles” for a moustache similar to one worn by a character on a po-

PHILIPPINES

Leni wants to be opposition’s voice against Duterte MANILA: Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo said on Monday she was determined to lead a campaign against President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs and did not believe his assurances there was no plot to oust her.

Police say that just over 2,000 people have been killed in antidrug operations since Duterte took office in July, and a further 3,060 killings are “under investigation”. Critics say many of the deaths have been extra-judicial killings.

“There are so many of us against the policies of the president. I hope I will be able to portray the role of unifying all the discordant voices,” Robredo told Reuters in an interview at her office in Manila’s Quezon City.

Robredo was elected vice president in May in a separate contest and was not Duterte’s running mate. She resigned as housing secretary on December 5, citing a plot to remove her from the vice presidency after she was barred from attending regular cabinet meetings. Robredo, a one-term congresswoman before she was elected to the number two post, warned that Duterte’s war on drugs was having a “chilling effect” on the public and his open backing for police officers allegedly involved in the drug trade made the situation “scary”.

“Where do these poor victims go to? We are giving them a very limited area where they can air their complaints. There is a feeling of helplessness and there is a growing sense of belief that the

John Tsang

tato crisp brand’s packaging, is a US-educated fencing and martial arts enthusiast who has been the former British colony’s finance minister since July 2007.

Have to be vetted Candidates running for chief executive have to be vetted by a 1,200-strong Election Committee, which was selected on Sunday.

The same committee will decide who will lead the city of 7.2 million people in late March. Tens of thousands of protesters clogged city streets for weeks in 2014 to demand a one-man-one-vote election for chief executive but they failed to win any concessions from Beijing. — Reuters

Lagarde on trial over French payout to tycoon International Monetary Fund chief Christine risks up to

Leni Robredo

a year in jail and a fine of 15,000 euros

government is behind all these,” she said.

Duterte denies the police are conducting extrajudicial killings.

He has repeatedly told the police to “kill” suspected drug dealers if they resist arrest or if they feel their lives are in danger.

“The rule of law is no longer an assurance that our rights will be protected,” Robredo said.

Duterte has dismissed Robredo’s claims and assured her last week that she would finish her six-year term.

“You know all the signals are discordant at this point because we do not know whom to believe.

Even the statements of the president are confusing,” Robredo said. The 52-year-old social activist and human rights lawyer won by a narrow margin over former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of the late dictator overthrown in a 1986 revolt.

He has filed a complaint that her election was rigged.

Robredo has been especially critical of last month’s burial of Marcos’ father at a “heroes’ cemetery”, saying it was an insult to the memory of those who suffered under the martial law Marcos imposed in 1972. — Reuters

($15,895) if convicted

PARIS: International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde went on trial in Paris on Monday over her role in a 400 million euro ($424 million) payout of French taxpayer money to businessman Bernard Tapie in 2008.

Lagarde, 60, was France’s finance minister in the government of then-president Nicolas Sarkozy when she approved an out-ofcourt settlement with Tapie to end a long-running dispute between the magnate and the French state.

Accused of negligence leading to misuse of public funds, she who denies any wrongdoing.

She risks up to a year in jail and a fine of 15,000 euros ($15,895) if convicted.

Raise questions Were it to happen, a maximum sentence could raise questions about the widely respected policymaker’s ability to continue as head of the Washington-based IMF, where her predecessor France’s Dominique Strauss Kahn, quit in 2011 over a sex assault scandal.

NEGLIGENCE: Gendarmes, left and right, gesture as IMF chief Christine Lagarde, centre, and her lawyer Patrick Maisonneuve, rear left, wait in a courtroom of the Paris courthouse on Monday prior to the start of Lagarde’s trial before the Court of Justice of the Republic. — AFP

On the eve of Monday’s trial opening, Lagarde told France 2 public television she was confident and she denied favouring Tapie or having acted on Sarkozy’s orders.

“Negligence is a non-intentional offence. I think we are all a bit negligent sometimes in our life.

I have done my job as well as I could, within the limits of what I knew,” she said.

Investigators have said that Lagarde’s behaviour in the case when beyond simple carelessness.

Her trial is only the fifth to be held before the Cour de Justice de la Republique, a special tribunal created in 1993 to try cabinet ministers.

A panel of 15, including 12 lawmakers from both the lower and upper houses of parliament, will hear the case, which is scheduled to run until December 20.

They are expected to focus on correspondence between Lagarde and her staff as well as the government body that manages state corporate holdings, which advised

against private arbitration.

The case dates back to a time when Tapie sued the state for compensation after selling his stake in sports company Adidas to then state-owned Credit Lyonnais in 1993.

He accused the bank of defrauding him after it resold its stake for a much higher price.

With case stuck in the courts, the two sides agreed to private settlement and Tapie was awarded in 2008 a 403 million euro payout, including interest. — Reuters

‘ONE CHINA’ POLICY

Taiwan frets at being pawn in Trump re-set of US-China ties TAIPEI: US President-elect Donald Trump’s declaration that the United States could link its policy on Taiwan to trade negotiations with China prompted concerns on the island that it may become a pawn in wider superpower discussions.

“Trump’s comments regularly mention Taiwan. What advantage is this giving Taiwan? This is something we must consider,” Johnny Chiang, an opposition Nationalist lawmaker, told reporters.

“Otherwise, among the superpowers, when we are betrayed, we won’t even realise it.”

Trump told “Fox News Sunday” he fully understood the “one China” policy, “but I don’t know why we have to be bound by a ‘one China’ policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.”

On Saturday, Chinese military aircraft flew over waterways near Taiwan as part of long-range exercises, Taiwan said. The exercises came a week after Trump took a congratulatory phone call from

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. It was the first such contact between a US president-elect or president and a Taiwan leader since president Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan in 1979.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own - known as Beijing’s “one China” policy - and has never renounced the use of force to take back what it deems a wayward province. China lodged a diplomatic protest over the call and blamed Taiwan for what it called a “petty” move.

Never recognised Tsai has never recognised Beijing’s “one China” policy. A month after she took power in May, Beijing cut official communication channels with Taipei. Her ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) traditionally advocates independence for Taiwan.

“It looks like in Donald Trump’s mind (Taiwan) is a useful tool to pick the most sensitive nerve of China,” said Alexander Huang,

chairman of the Council on Strategic and Wargaming Studies in Taiwan and a former Taiwanese government policymaker.

Huang said it was too early to tell what Trump was angling at, but the real message could be about “a fair deal or a quid pro quo” between the US and China.

Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang declined to comment about Trump’s Sunday comments.

But Huang told Reuters: “When Taiwan is seen as a contributor in regional politics or regional security then you won’t be ignored nor used as a pawn for others.”

Taiwan defence minister Feng Shih-kuan told lawmakers in parliament on Monday the timing of China’s air drill seemed “a bit coincidental but if they do it again in December, then it indicates they are testing where they need to improve their capabilities.”

“This is ‘attacking with words and scaring with weapons’,” he said, adding that he expected the frequency of military drills by China to increase. — Reuters

CONTROVERSY: A magazine featuring US President-elect Donald Trump is seen at a bookstore in Beijing on December 12, 2016. The headline reads “How will businessman Trump change the world”. - AFP

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

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E M B ATT L E D C OU R T

Nairobi likely to reconsider ICC membership, says Kenyatta NAIROBI: Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Monday the country will have to think seriously about its membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC), signalling another African country may quit the embattled court.

Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have both faced charges at the ICC over their alleged roles in the deadly inter-ethnic violence after Kenya’s 2007 elections in which about 1,200 people died.

Both cases collapsed due to insufficient evidence.

His announcement put new pressure on the world’s first permanent war crimes court, which has had to fight off allegations of pursuing a neo-colonial agenda in Africa. South Africa, Burundi and Gambia have officially notified the United Nations of their intent to pull out of the Rome Statute, the 1998 treaty establishing The Hague-based court. Those withdrawals will take effect in 2017.

In a televised speech to mark the establishment of Kenya as a republic in 1964, Kenyatta said the ICC had become a “tool of global power politics” and not an institution to dispense international justice.

“We have sought the changes that will align the ICC to respect national sovereignty.

Those changes have not been forthcoming. We will therefore need to give serious thought to our membership,” he said.

Kenya’s parliament has already passed two resolutions since 2010 calling for the country to withdrawal from the court.

Kenyatta, who is standing for re-election in elections scheduled for August next year, cautioned against foreign interference, citing unnamed foreign actors whom he said were already bringing money into the country to influence the vote. “There’s already money coming into Kenya from abroad... its true intention is to influence our electoral choices,” he said. — Reuters

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Iraqi federal police ‘set’ to join assault on east Mosul The police units, have been moved near an area where an army tank division last week made the deepest incursion into Mosul

BAGHDAD: Several thousand Iraqi federal police are ready to join the assault against IS in east Mosul, a spokesman said on Monday, reinforcing troops who have faced weeks of fierce counter-attacks from the militants.

The extra forces are being deployed as the gruelling US-backed campaign to crush IS in its Iraqi stronghold enters its ninth week.

Elite army troops have retaken a quarter of the city, but their advance has been slow and punishing. The federal police units, around 4,000 strong, have been moved to southeast of the city, near an area where an army tank division last week made the deepest incursion into Mosul so far, briefly seizing a hospital used as a base by the militants.

The troops were forced to pull back from the Salam hospital, less than a mile (about 1 km) from the Tigris river which runs through the centre of Mosul, when they were attacked by suicide car bombs, mortar volleys and machine gun fire.

A spokesman for Iraq’s federal police commander, LieutenantGeneral Raed Shakir Jawdat, said the three brigades from the police Fifth Division were ready to move in, although he suggested they might not go into action im-

READY TO MOVE IN: Members of the Iraqi army gesture during clashes with IS militants at the south of Mosul, Iraq, on Monday. – Reuters

mediately. They are currently near Qaraqosh, about 15km (10 miles) from the southeast edge of the city and are “fully prepared now to start the attack to control the eastern side of Mosul,” the spokesman said.

However he said they were waiting for advances elsewhere on the eastern front, where elite Counter Terrorism Services (CTS) have made steady street-by-street progress, unlike last week’s dramatic push by the armoured division towards the hospital.

“We are waiting for orders from the supreme commanders to start the offensive to defeat Daesh (IS) and clear the eastern part (of Mosul),” he said.

The CTS forces said on Sunday

they had captured another district of east Mosul, the Al Nour neighbourhood.

Accounts from Mosul are difficult to confirm since authorities have increasingly restricted international media access to the battlefronts and areas retaken from IS in and around the city.

The police and CTS troops are part of a 100,000-strong Iraqi alliance which launched the campaign to retake Mosul on October 17. It includes soldiers, security forces, Kurdish peshmerga fighters and Popular Mobilisation forces, and is backed by a US-led international coalition.

Iraqi commanders say progress has been slowed by the fierce defence waged by the mili-

tants, who they say have used a network of tunnels under the eastern half of the city and exploited more than 1 million civilians as human shields.

The fight in crowded residential areas has also restricted the use of heavy weapons and air strikes from the US-led coalition, the military says.

For weeks, commanders have also talked about opening a new front in southwest Mosul to stretch IS defences. But the despatch of the units to the southeast may delay that plan.

The forces in Qaraqosh had been due to join other police units who have reached within 3 or 4 km (2 or 3 miles) of the airport on Mosul’s southwestern edge, and

were expected to open the new front inside the city on the west bank of the Tigris.

Nearly two months into the campaign, the United Nations says 91,000 people have been registered as displaced from Mosul and nearby towns and villages. That figure excludes thousands more forced as human shields back into Mosul by retreating militants.

Most people though have stayed put, and 1 million are likely to be still living in remaining ISheld areas of the city. With the militants largely sealed off, civilians are enduring increasingly siege-like conditions, with shortages of fuel, food and water as winter sets in. — Reuters

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

WORLD A L - W E FA Q H E A D

SINGAPORE CHRISTMAS ATTRACTION

People tour a Christmas attraction featuring a display of more than 800,000 light bulbs in Universal Studios Singapore on Monday. — Reuters

Sheikh Ali Salman

Bahrain court upholds 9-year prison term for opposition chief Salman DUBAI: A Bahraini court has upheld a nine-year prison term imposed on the country’s opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, local media reported on Monday.

Salman, who leads the now closed Al-Wefaq Islamic Society, was granted a retrial in October.

He has been in custody since his conviction last June.

An administrative court ordered Wefaq itself closed in June and Sheikh Isa Qassim was convicted of money-laundering and stripped of his citizenship. The Bahraini newspaper Al Wasat said the appeals court, in a new ruling after the court of cassation ordered a retrial, reported the verdict in Salman’s appeal. — Reuters LOCKHEED MARTIN

Trump targets costs of F-35 fighter jet WASHINGTON: Donald Trump on Monday criticised Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet programme as too expensive, the latest attack by the US President-elect on large defence contractors.

The aerospace giant’s shares dropped 4 per cent after Trump’s tweet, while shares of several other defence contractors also weakened.

“The F-35 program and cost is out of control,” Trump said on Twitter.

“Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th.”

Last week, he also used Twitter to target Boeing Co for its “out of control” costs on a new fleet of Air Force One planes, urging the federal government to “Cancel order!”

Affordability Lockheed Martin’s F-35 programme leader, Jeff Babione, responded by saying the company understands concerns about affordability and has invested millions of dollars to reduce the jet’s price. Babione said Lockheed’s goal was to reduce the price of the F-35 by 70 per cent from its original estimates.

“We project it to be about 85

million dollars in the 2019 or 2020 time frame,” he told reporters in Israel.

A week before Trump won the November 8 presidential election, the US Defence Department and Lockheed Martin concluded negotiations on their ninth contract for 90 F-35 fighter jets after 14 months of negotiations, the Pentagon said.

Lockheed won the contract, valued at up to $7.18 billion, in late November and has received an interim payment.

Trump campaigned on a promise to cut waste in federal government.

Lockheed and its key partners, Northrop Grumman Corp , Pratt & Whitney and BAE Systems, are developing and building three variants of the F-35s for the US military and 10 allies including Britain, Australia, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Israel, Japan and South Korea.

After Trump’s Monday morning tweet, shares of Northrop Grumman were down 4.5 while shares of BAE Systems were 2.4 per cent lower in London. Shares of General Dynamics, Raytheon, and United Technologies were all lower Monday, as were shares of Boeing. — Reuters

Guterres sworn in as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister,, 67, was unanimously appointed by the General Assembly as the successor to Ban Ki-moon NEWSMAKER: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, left,

UNITED NATIONS: Antonio Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister, was on Monday sworn in as the ninth UN Secretary-General, succeeding Ban Kimoon as the chief of the 71-year old world body.

President of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson administered the Oath of Office to Guterres at a special plenary meeting of the 193-member General Assembly here.

Guterres, 67, was unanimously appointed by the General Assem-

and Secretary-General-designate Antonio Guterres stand together after the swearing-in ceremony at UN headquarters in New York, US, on Monday. - Reuters

bly as the successor to Ban, after the 15-nation Security Council had in October decided by acclamation to send his name to the Assembly for final approval. The former UN refugee chief takes over from Ban on January 1.

Ban’s second five-year term as the world’s top diplomat ends on December 31. During the special plenary meeting, speakers paid

tribute to Ban. The former Portuguese prime minister and UN High Commissioner for Refugees had remained the front-runner in the election to choose Ban’s successor amid growing calls by civil society and several UN member-states to elect a woman as the secretary-general.

Following his election, Guterres had vowed to work as a “convener”

and “bridge-builder” to help find solutions to the world’s pressing challenges. He had underscored that human dignity, gender equality and fighting the alliance of violent extremists and expressions of xenophobia will be among his priorities as the world’s top diplomat.

“I am fully aware of the challenges the UN faces and the limitations surrounding the Secretary-General,” Guterres had said in his first address to the General Assembly following his appointment as the 9th Secretary General of the UN. He had said the dramatic problems of today’s complex world can only inspire a “humble approach one in which the Secretary-General alone neither has all the answers, nor seeks to impose his views; one in which the Secretary-General makes his good offices available, working as a convener, a mediator, a bridge-builder and an honest broker to help find solutions that benefit everyone involved.” — PTI

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WA R M I N G T I E S

Europe gently presses change in Cuba with political deal BRUSSELS: The European Union and Cuba signed a political accord on Monday that the EU hopes will position its companies for Cuba’s transition to a more open economy and allow it to press for political freedoms on the island.

In the biggest diplomatic breakthrough since the EU lifted sanctions on the communistruled island in 2008, the socalled political dialogue and cooperation agreement is the first accord between Cuba and the 28-nation bloc.

Framework Although modest in scope, it follows more two decades of EU diplomacy to set out a framework for stronger ties and comes two weeks after the death of Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro, whose imprisonment of dissidents long hampered better relations.

“We are starting to write a new chapter together,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said at signing ceremony with

AGREEMENT: Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, left to right, attend a signing ceremony of a EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement in Brussels, Belgium on Monday.

— Reuters

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla in Brussels, along with EU foreign ministers and ambassadors. Offering condolences for Castro’s death, Mogherini said the European Un-

ion was moving closer to Cuba as it underwent “profound change”.

EU officials say the deal gives European diplomats and officials the right to raise human rights issues directly with Cuba and to gently press for reforms.

She said the bloc also repealed its “common position” policy on Cuba dating from 1996 that set human rights and democracy as conditions on improved economic relations and which Cuba saw as interference in its internal affairs.

Rodriguez said the agreement would develop commercial, cultural, financial and scientific links across the Atlantic, saying the accord the proof both sides could “rise above our differences” and return to “mutual respect”.

Normalisation of relations has been tortuous partly because of resistance from the EU’s eastern members due to their own communist past, while Havana’s arrest of dissidents in 2003 led the bloc to impose diplomatic sanctions, limiting contacts. — Reuters

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

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Trump is the least appropriate figure to cast himself in Churchill’s mold. Insofar as he has a coherent position on anything, he is hostile to most of the things that Churchill stood for. His “America first” posture, is exactly the kind of attitude against which Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt struggled during WWII

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READERS’ FORUM ROHM has a vision to influence people The report Big role for children in ROHM production (December 11) is indeed promising. As Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) is a landmark of Oman’s traditions, the initiative to produce a unique in-house project focusing on the country’s journey towards reality of life would be very exciting. Surely, sharing such a theme would help the new generation to refresh their understanding of life then and today. The practices of ROHM show that it has a vision to influence people interested in delivering programmes that are beneficial Scan this QR code to society. —Ramachandran Nair, Ruwi to send letters to the Readers’ Forum, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com).

Only a small display of vehicles This report to the report, Positive response to Oman International Motor Show (December 10). There was a small display of vehicles thus did not enjoy it. Also there were barely any custom vehicles. — Bento Noronha, via Facebook

MAC MARGOLIS

How much the hardening of attitudes will sway the Maduro government is debatable. Protests, pressure by the opposition-led legislature, censure by the OAS, appeals by Pope Francis -- so far nothing has deterred the president from his economic collision course or trashing what’s left of Venezuelan democracy

Motor show amazing at new centre This refers to the report, Positive response to Oman International Motor Show (December 10). It was amazing and beautiful with new exhibition centre. The location is much easier then old one.

—Faiz Albalushi, via Facebook

NEW INDIA ASSURANCE

“Insure with New India and be secure”

Tel: 24838800 | Fax: 24838899 | Email: niamct@omantel.net.om | Website: www.newindiaoman.com Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.

EDGAR ALLAN POE

W

e live in a rapidly evolving, hyper-connected world, where goods, capital, and people are more mobile than ever before.

But, where countries have shown a willingness to cooperate on exchanging goods and capital, the international community has shown little appetite for improving how it governs human mobility.

After the large-scale persecution and displacement of people during World War II, world leaders took the bold step of crafting the 1951 Refugee Convention. In doing so, they relinquished a measure of national sovereignty – by accepting the principle of non-refoulement – in order to promote global solidarity with refugees.

On the other hand, country leaders saw migration as something temporary that could be managed ad hoc, through unilateral or bilateral agreements primarily designed to fill specific labour-market needs in developed economies. In hindsight, it is now clear that this approach was inadequate for dealing with the upsurge in human mobility that came with global and regional economic integration.

When writing about guest workers in Switzerland, Swiss playwright Max Frisch once observed that, “We asked for workers. We got people instead.” He meant that migrants are not goods that can be exported or imported, and they should not be exploited, as if they were. Migrants are human beings with rights, and they are motivated by a complex combination of personal desires, fears, and familial obligations. Many migrants are searching for jobs because they have missed out on globalisation’s unequally distributed gains, and they see no future for themselves if they remain where they are. Countless others have been displaced by conflicts or natural disasters.

Today, ungoverned migration is threatening geopolitical stability, burdening border controls, and creating chaos around the world. The current mechanisms for managing migration have clearly failed to meet existing needs. The world needs a new, comprehensive global governance framework to address all issues relating to human mobility. Achieving such an outcome is Bangladesh’s primary objective as Chair of the 2016 Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), which culminated with the Ninth Annual Forum Meet-

ing in Dhaka from December 10 to 12.

In 2015, as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, world leaders pledged to cooperate on migration issues and “facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration.” The SDGs acknowledge migrants’ positive contribution to inclusive growth and sustainable development, and it is time that our leaders follow through on their promises.

Sadly, governments worldwide have become preoccupied with deterring migration and restricting people’s movements, rather than creating safe, dignified channels for human mobility. Unsurprisingly, this obsession with control has had little impact on irregular migration flows, because it runs counter to the pull of market forces and the push of personal aspirations.

Populist politicians have taken advantage of the current situation by politicising migration and scapegoating migrants for socioeconomic problems, such as unemployment, welfare-system strains, and deteriorating social cohesion. But there is still room for hope. When world leaders gathered at the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants on September 19, they reaffirmed the human rights of migrants and committed to strengthening global governance on this issue. At the centre of the summit’s unanimously adopted New York Declaration is a commitment to develop two global compacts: To share responsibility for taking in refugees, and to ensure orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration.

The government of Bangladesh proposed the second compact in April 2016. That compact, which will be adopted at an inter-governmental conference in 2018, offers a historic opportunity to improve the way governments and other stakeholders cooperate on migration.

Md. Shahidul Haque is the Foreign Secretary, Bangladesh and Chair, GFMD 2016. GFMD is the Global Forum for Migration and Development, in which the United Nations is a participant the benefit of all. Project Syndicate

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES DECEMBER 2001 Industry and Specifications Committee to meet MUSCAT: The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI)’s Industry and Specifications Committee has been discussing ways of improving the industrial sector’s performance at its latest regular meeting. The meeting, chaired by Hussein bin Salman Ghulam Al Lawatiya, OCCI board member and chairman of the committee discussed ways of promoting local products, the ban on imports of products that do not conform to Oman specifications and the problem of returned cheques.

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PICTOGRAPH

NUMBERS OF POST PAID MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS 2016 September

October

609,234

610,227

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

1941: British forces launch an offensive in Libya.

1945: France and Britain agree to quit Syria and Lebanon.

1972: Astronaut Gene Cernan climbs into his lunar lander on the moon and prepares to lift off. He is the last man to set foot on the moon.

1973: Britain cuts the work week to 3 days to save energy.

0 Source National Centre for Statistics & Information

A 14

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

LIFESTYLE DINING

Photography Shabin E

Build Your Gingerbread House Story Swati Dasgupta

I

t is the season of being merry and while Christmas celebrations might be synonym with cakes, making gingerbread houses stocked with a range of Christmas goodies like plum cakes and cookies, beckon all.

While we all have read about Gingerbread Houses in the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel where they land up in a house made of gingerbread covered in frosting and candy, the ďŹ rst known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC and it was only in the late Middle Ages that the Europeans developed their own version which had cookies in different shapes. Though they are said to have traditionally no connection with Christmas celebration, but they have always been an important part of this occasion from hundreds of years.

Most gingerbread houses are festively decorated and are stuffed with goodies.

Keeping up with the tradition, hotels and restaurants in Muscat too have rekindled the love for

these festivities and have set up gingerbread making and decorating classes in town.

But while you master the art of making a perfect gingerbread house, why not use your imagination to make one at home. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;swati@timesofoman.com

and sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the cinnamon, baking soda ( Ĺ&#x2014; - &.Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; .#,Ĺ&#x2014; #(Ĺ&#x2014; Ăł)/,Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ĂťĹ&#x2014; /*Ĺ&#x2014; .Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; time, until dough can be formed into a ball. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; /,(Ĺ&#x2014; )/!"Ĺ&#x2014;)(.)Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014;&#!".&3Ĺ&#x2014;Ăł)/, Ĺ&#x2014; surface; knead until even in colour and smooth (not crumINGREDIENTS &3Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014; ,3ĢÄ&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; #(!Ĺ&#x2014; '), Ĺ&#x2014; Ăł)/,Ĺ&#x2014; # Ĺ&#x2014; For Dough needed. Form into a log. Cut into Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂźĹ&#x2014; /*-Ĺ&#x2014;-/! , ďŹ ve equal pieces; wrap in plastic Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂźĹ&#x2014; /*-Ĺ&#x2014;-"),. (#(! wrap. Cut patterns out of paper Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂźĹ&#x2014; /*-Ĺ&#x2014; ,%Ĺ&#x2014;')& -- or cardboard. Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂźĹ&#x2014;. & -*))(-Ĺ&#x2014;!,)/( Ĺ&#x2014; #(( ')( Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; #( Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; %#(!Ĺ&#x2014; -" .Ĺ&#x2014; 1#."Ĺ&#x2014; )#&Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂźĹ&#x2014;. -*))(-Ĺ&#x2014; %#(!Ĺ&#x2014;-) ( Ĺ&#x2014; &#!".&3Ĺ&#x2014; !, - Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; )#&Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; 3Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂťĹ&#x2014;. -*))(Ĺ&#x2014;- &. a damp towel on counter; place Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;Ä&#x192;Ĺ&#x2014;.)Ĺ&#x2014;ÝúĹ&#x2014; /*-Ĺ&#x2014; &&Ä&#x161;*/,*)- Ĺ&#x2014;Ăł)/, prepared pan on towel (to prevent slipping). Unwrap one porIcing and Assembly tion of dough. Using a very lightly Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;Ä&#x201A;Ĺ&#x2014; /*-Ĺ&#x2014; )( .#)( ,-Ä&#x201C;Ĺ&#x2014;-/! , Ăł)/, Ĺ&#x2014;,)&&#(!Ĺ&#x2014;*#(Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014;,)&&Ĺ&#x2014;)/.Ĺ&#x2014; )/!"Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;Ä&#x20AC;Ĺ&#x2014;. & -*))(-Ĺ&#x2014;' ,#(!/ Ĺ&#x2014;*)1 , directly on baking sheet to a Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;Ă˝Ä&#x17E;ĂžĹ&#x2014;.)Ĺ&#x2014;ĂťĹ&#x2014; /*Ĺ&#x2014;1 ,'Ĺ&#x2014;1 . , ÝÿÄ&#x161;#( "Ĺ&#x2014; 2Ĺ&#x2014; ÝúÄ&#x161;ĂťÄ&#x17E;Ăź#( "Ĺ&#x2014; , . (!& Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; ), .#(!Ĺ&#x2014; ! )/.Ĺ&#x2014; ĂťÄ&#x17E;Ăž#( "Ĺ&#x2014; ."# %Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; )-#.#)(Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; *# Ĺ&#x2014;$ ,* .. ,(-Ĺ&#x2014; .Ĺ&#x2014;& -.Ĺ&#x2014;ĂťÄ&#x17E;ĂźĹ&#x2014;#( "Ĺ&#x2014; * ,.Ĺ&#x2014;)(Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;Candies and cookies for decorating dough as shown. Cut around patterns with a sharp knife or pizza cutter; remove patterns. Remove dough scraps; cover and save to PREPARATION re-roll if needed.

For the Dough Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; (Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; & ,! Ĺ&#x2014; - / * (Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ))%Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; % Ĺ&#x2014; .Ĺ&#x2014; ĂťÄ&#x192;úĽ Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014; ÝúÄ&#x161;ÝÞĹ&#x2014; '#(utes or until cookie springs back sugar, shortening and molasses when lightly touched. Remove on low, until shortening is melted

WHERE TO MAKE YOUR GINGERBREAD HOUSE IN MUSCAT SHERATON OMAN Ruwi When:Ĺ&#x2014; ' ,Ĺ&#x2014;ĂťÄ Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂźÄ&#x161;Ä&#x20AC;*' Price:Ĺ&#x2014; ĂťÄ Ĺ&#x2014;* ,Ĺ&#x2014;* ,-)( Call:Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ Ä&#x192;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x201A;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂźĂźĂ˝Ä Ĺ&#x2014;Ä Ä Ä Ä Visit: sheratonoman.com THE CRAFTY KITCHEN &Ĺ&#x2014; )),Ĺ&#x2014; & 4 Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; When:Ĺ&#x2014; ' ,Ĺ&#x2014;ÝýÄ&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂžÄ&#x161;Ä *'Ĺ&#x2014; ' ,Ĺ&#x2014;ßýÄ&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014;Ä&#x192; 'Ä&#x161;Ýß*' Price:Ĺ&#x2014; ĂźÄ&#x20AC;Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014;.1) Call:Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ Ä&#x192;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x201A;Ĺ&#x2014;ßÞÄ&#x20AC;Ä&#x192;Ĺ&#x2014;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x20AC;ĂşĹ&#x2014; Visit: thecraftykitchen.com AL MAHA LOUNGE &Ĺ&#x2014; /-. (Ĺ&#x2014; & , A RitzCarlton Hotel When:Ĺ&#x2014; ' ,Ĺ&#x2014;ĂťÄ&#x20AC;Ä&#x161;ĂťÄ Ĺ&#x2014; ( Ĺ&#x2014;ßýÄ&#x161;ßÞÄ&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂžÄ&#x161;Ăż*'Ĺ&#x2014; Price:Ĺ&#x2014; ÝúĹ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014;!#(! , , Ĺ&#x2014;' (Ĺ&#x2014; ( Ĺ&#x2014; ÝÿĹ&#x2014; for the gingerbread house Call:Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ Ä&#x192;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x201A;Ĺ&#x2014;Ä&#x192;Ä&#x201A;ßÞĹ&#x2014;ßýýý Visit: ritzcarlton.com

# #(!Ĺ&#x2014;" , (-Ä&#x2021;Ĺ&#x2014;, ')0 Ĺ&#x2014;$ ,-Ä&#x201E; from oven; immediately replace patterns on dough. Cut around Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; )Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014;-# -Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014;-+/ 4 Ĺ&#x2014;# #(!Ĺ&#x2014;)(Ĺ&#x2014; lower edge of one side piece and ." Ĺ&#x2014; ! -Ĺ&#x2014; .)Ĺ&#x2014; .,#'Ĺ&#x2014; )ĂŽĹ&#x2014; 2 --Ĺ&#x2014; side edge of the front piece. Align ))%# Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; ))&Ĺ&#x2014;Ă˝Ä&#x161;ĂžĹ&#x2014;'#(/. -Ĺ&#x2014;),Ĺ&#x2014;/(.#&Ĺ&#x2014; pieces at a right angle, making cookies begin to ďŹ rm up. Caresure they are as tight as possible. fully remove to a wire rack; cool.

Repeat with the other side.

Repeat with remaining dough Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; )Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; %Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; -+/ 4 Ĺ&#x2014; # #(!Ĺ&#x2014; and patterns. on the bottom and side edges of the back piece; position with the For Icing and Assembly other assembled pieces. For addÄ&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; (Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; & ,! Ĺ&#x2014; )1&Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; .Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; -/! ,Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ed stability, squeeze icing along ' ,#(!/ Ĺ&#x2014; *)1 ,Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ( Ĺ&#x2014; Ă˝Ä&#x17E;ĂžĹ&#x2014; /*Ĺ&#x2014; the inside edge of all pieces and water on low until blended. Beat corners. )(Ĺ&#x2014;"#!"Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014;Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x161;ÝúĹ&#x2014;'#(/. -Ĺ&#x2014;),Ĺ&#x2014;/(.#&Ĺ&#x2014; stiff peaks form, adding addition- Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; )Ĺ&#x2014; -- ' & Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; ,)) Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; 1),%#(!Ĺ&#x2014; with one side at a time, squeeze &Ĺ&#x2014; 1 . ,Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ĂťĹ&#x2014; . & -*))(Ĺ&#x2014; .Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; .#' Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; icing on the upper edge of the # Ĺ&#x2014; ( Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; & Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; '*Ĺ&#x2014; * * ,Ĺ&#x2014; slant of the front and back pieces towel over bowl and cover tightly on one side. Also squeeze icing on until ready to use. ." Ĺ&#x2014; $)#(#(!Ĺ&#x2014;-# Ĺ&#x2014;*# Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; , /&Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; )Ĺ&#x2014; -- ' & Ĺ&#x2014; , ' Ĺ&#x2014;) Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014;")/- Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; ly place roof piece on the slants test your cookie pieces to make -)Ĺ&#x2014; ." .Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; ,)) Ä&#x201C;-Ĺ&#x2014; * %Ĺ&#x2014; #-Ĺ&#x2014; 0 (Ĺ&#x2014; sure they ďŹ t together snugly. If with the points of the front and necessary, ďŹ le carefully with a back. (There will be an overhang serrated knife or an emery board ) Ĺ&#x2014; ĂťÄ&#x17E;ĂźĹ&#x2014; #( "Ä&#x201E;ĢĹ&#x2014; * .Ĺ&#x2014; 1#."Ĺ&#x2014; )." ,Ĺ&#x2014; to make ďŹ t. Fill decorating bag side of the roof. two-thirds full with icing. Beginning with the front of the house, Ä&#x160;Ĺ&#x2014;Ĺ&#x2014; )Ĺ&#x2014; ), . Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014; "#'( 3Ĺ&#x2014; if desired (see photo for as-+/ 4 Ĺ&#x2014; Ĺ&#x2014;Ă˝Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x161;#( "Ĺ&#x2014;1# Ĺ&#x2014;-.,#*Ĺ&#x2014;) Ĺ&#x2014; - ' &3ĢÄ&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; ), . Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; ")/- Ĺ&#x2014; icing onto the bottom edge of the with remaining icing, candies ,)(.Ĺ&#x2014;*# Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; )-#.#)(Ĺ&#x2014;)(Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014; ))%and cookies of your choice. # Ĺ&#x2014; - Ä&#x2026;Ĺ&#x2014;Ă˝Ĺ&#x2014;#( "Ĺ&#x2014; ,)'Ĺ&#x2014;." Ĺ&#x2014; ,)(.Ĺ&#x2014; ! Ĺ&#x2014; # & Ä&#x2020;Ĺ&#x2014;ĂťĹ&#x2014;!#(! , , Ĺ&#x2014;")/- Ä&#x201E; ) Ĺ&#x2014; ." Ĺ&#x2014; - Ä&#x201E;Ĺ&#x2014; ,)*Ĺ&#x2014; #.Ĺ&#x2014; /*,#!".Ĺ&#x2014; 1#."Ĺ&#x2014; -*# Ĺ&#x2014;$ ,-Ĺ&#x2014; ),Ĺ&#x2014;ĂźÄ&#x161;Ă˝Ĺ&#x2014;'#(/. -Ĺ&#x2014;),Ĺ&#x2014;/(.#&Ĺ&#x2014; Recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

WEATHER

T

H

TEMPERATURE

PRAYER TIMINGS

HUMIDITY

26 -14 74-39% 0

I

S

0

W

E

E

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

K

12.06pm 3.07pm 5.27pm 6.43pm 5.20am

E

N

A1 5

LIFESTYLE D

E

A

T

A

T

…

CA PR I COU RT

Where Capri Court Must Eat Crema Di Patate e Porri Con Cacao e Tartufo What Is It It is a creamy soup that you’ll fall in love with as soon as it touches your tongue. Made out of leek and potato, the soup is best garnished with cocoa powder on the sides surrounding the bowl. But make sure you mix the cocoa powder with the soup while having it as it magically changes the taste of it in a way that you will most certainly like. Who would’ve thought you could have soup with cocoa powder eh?

Price OMR13.5 Also Try Beef tenderloin served with truffle sauce and the ravioli stuffed with cheese fondue and liquid yolk. While I loved how perfectly the beef was cooked, the ravioli was one of those melt-in-the-mouth dishes that could be effortlessly eaten.

What’s Special?

The ambience is what makes the whole dining experience beautiful.

With a live orchestra playing seamlessly in the background and feeling the cool breeze from the ocean brush your skin, the outdoor seating arrangement will definitely add more taste and life to your evening supper.

—shruthi@timesofoman.com Location Shangri-la Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa Website shangri-la.com/muscat/barraljissahresort Call: +968 2477 6565 Pictures Supplied BRIEFS

Choosing yoghurt

MENCHIE’S INDIA: Frozen yoghurt is an excellent, non-fat replacement for ice cream, and it aids in digestion, according to Abhay Sharma, COOfficer of Menchie’s India, a frozen yoghurt chain. Frozen yoghurt can in some cases also help relieve the body from the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. Fatfree, digestion friendly, diabetic-safe, and nutritious, yoghurt is a great alternative treat.

Many replacing fried snacks with kale chips and quinoa HEALTHY HABITS: Kale chips are prepared through a unique process of dehydration, not baking or frying, and Quinoa puffs are roasted to keep the nutrient value and raw goodness of the ingredients intact. With people becoming more health conscious, there is a growing trend of healthy snacks replacing regular fried snacks. —IANS

A16

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

LIFESTYLE ONE INGREDIENT NGREDIENT

FIVE WAYS

PASSION

FRUIT PASSION FRUIT PUNCH In a pitcher combine equal amounts of canned passion fruit juice, guava or peach nectar and unsweetened pineapple juice. Stir in enough maraschino cherry syrup or grenadine to tint to desired shade of pink. Pour the punch over ice cubes in tall glasses. Garnish each glass of punch with a maraschino cherry and a halved orange slice slipped on a glass stirrer; also tuck in a pineapple spear and a sprig of fresh mint.

PASSION FRUIT PAVLOVA Grease a cookie sheet and dust with a little confectioners’ sugar and a little cornstarch. Beat 4 egg whites until very stiff, then slowly add 1 cup fine sugar, beating until mixture is even stiffer. Fold in 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Pile high on cookie sheet to 7-8 inches across. Bake in a slow oven for 1 1/2 hours or until firm. Do not allow to brown on top. When it is cool, spread with 1 packet of whipping cream and sliced passion fruit, bananas or strawberries.

PASSION FRUIT PIE Beat 4 egg yolks until light. Add 3 tablespoons sugar gradually beating each time. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 can frozen passion fruit juice or guava juice, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Boil in double boiler until custard forms for about 12 to 15 minutes. Add 1 packet gelatin soaked in 1/4 cup hot water to soften it, and let it cool. Beat 4 egg whites, add 1/2 cup sugar and fold into the custard mixture, pour into a baked 9 1/2 inch pie crust. Top with whipped cream. Chill.

PASSION FRUIT SAUCE WITH FIG FRITTERS Sift 11/4 cups flour into a bowl and whisk in 2 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon oil, 3/4 cup apple cider and a pinch of salt. Let it sit for approximately 15 minutes. Whisk 2 egg whites and 2 tablespoons sugar to a snow. Fold into the above batter. Peel 8 figs and dip in the batter. Deep fry in oil until golden brown, evenly all around.

For passion fruit sauce take 1 cup sugar, a little lemon rind and heat it and let the sugar dissolve and cool. Now add 1/2 cup apple cider, and 1 1/2 packets passion fruit puree and mix all these together. Arrange on plates with passion fruit sauce and dust with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with fresh mint.

PASSION FRUIT TROPICAL PLATTER Take 450g watermelon, sliced, seeded and cut into wedges, 1 papaya, 2 mangoes, 2 tangerines, 2 bananas, peeled and sliced and keep aside. Now for the syrup take the pulp of 6 passion fruits, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 cup water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil vigorously for 1 minute. Off heat, strain the liquid into a pitcher, pushing pulp with the back of a wooden spoon to extract all the juice. Let cool. Place 1 small pineapple, halved, pared and cut in 2 inch slices with top reserved in the centre of a large round glass serving dish. Arrange the cut fruits attractively in circles around it. Pour over the passion fruit syrup and serve immediately.

—lifestyle@timesofoman.com

B

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

INDIAN STOCKS RETREAT

Indian stocks fell, with the benchmark gauge snapping a twoday gain, as a surge in oil prices raised concern that inflation will accelerate. S&P BSE Sensex slid 0.9 per cent at the close, the biggest loss in a week, ahead of the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting starting on Tuesday. — Bloomberg News

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‘VAT revenues in GCC expected at $25 billion per annum’ Times News Service

David Stevens, VAT Implementation Leader, EY. - Supplied picture

C L E A N E N E R G Y G E N E R AT I O N

Bill Gates and other rich individuals, back $1 billion energy fund SAN FRANCISCO: Bill Gates and more than a dozen of the world’s wealthiest individuals revealed a new $1 billion investment fund late on Sunday to foster major advances in clean energy production. Dubbed Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the 20-year fund is backed by a mix of technology luminaries and heavyweights from the energy industry. The goal is to pump money into risky, long-term energy technology that could dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a statement. The investments will likely go into areas such as electricity generation and storage, agriculture and transportation.

Investors include Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com, Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, Jack Ma, the executive chairman of Alibaba Group Holding, John Arnold, a billionaire natural gas trader, and Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, the founder of Kingdom Holding.

Last year, a number of these investors joined Gates in announcing the Breakthrough Energy Coalition — a group of wealthy investors who pledged to aim a large portion of their fortunes toward energy technology. The arrival of the fund marks a more concrete step by this group toward their stated goals.

Emissions-free energy “I am honoured to work along with these investors to build on the powerful foundation of public investment in basic research,” Gates said in a statement. “Our goal is to build companies that will help deliver the next generation of reliable, affordable, and emissions-free energy to the world.”

Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, spent much of the last year stumping for advances in energy production. He maintains that things like solar plants, nuclear power and electric cars will do little to solve global warming in the relatively near-term. The only way to halt global warming is to find an energy source that produces no greenhouse gases, Gates has said.

He has personally backed a number of radical energy startups and has encouraged other wealthy individuals to follow suit. Clean energy was a hot niche of venture capital investing several years ago, but many of those investments didn’t pan out and some VC firms pulled back.

“The dearth of venture funding for clean energy technologies threatens to create a valley of death for the industry, with emerging ideas unable to find the necessary capital to reach commercialization,” Arnold said in a statement. “As an investor led effort, Breakthrough Energy Ventures is designed as a source of patient capital to spur innovation to meet the growing demand for low-cost, clean energy solutions.”

— Bloomerg News

MUSCAT: Gulf states are expected to generate revenues in excess of $25 billion per annum from the proposed value added tax (VAT) at the rate of 5 per cent, according to an estimate by Ernst & Young (EY).

The adoption of value added tax by the six member GCC bloc represents a major shift in tax policy that will impact all segments of the economy and lead to a fundamental change in the way businesses operate across around the region.

This will allow them to amend the tax policy and other fees and charges and increase infrastructure investments.

“The expected VAT laws are not ‘business as usual’ and may require several months for companies to successfully integrate a

VAT functionality into their systems. It is a unique and transformative time for the region and we are keen to ensure that clients have access to the tools to derive VAT best practices tailored to their needs,” said Sherif El-Kilany, Mena Tax Leader, EY. “Furthermore, we are delighted to welcome David as our new VAT Implementation Leader.

David brings with him a wealth of international experience and knowledge of VAT implementation in complex environments,” All GCC countries are working towards VAT implementation by January 1, 2018 to avoid transaction and sales issues that could arise from intra-GCC trade. Businesses that are not ready by the VAT go-live date may suffer fiscal consequences from the inability to pass on the underlying VAT to the end customer. All GCC countries

are expected to have implemented VAT by the end of 2018.

EY has appointed David Stevens as VAT Implementation Leader to help clients with the adoption of VAT. David’s extensive global experience in VAT combined with his substantial experience in both the private and public sectors will help businesses ensure that their business operations and systems are fully prepared ahead of the January 1, 2018 as a target date to go-live.

“While the introduction of a tax may seem daunting to consumers and businesses alike, the overall impact for consumers is less than the usual annual inflation rate. As businesses prepare to implement VAT across numerous sectors, theywill need to invest in analysing, redesigning, developing and implementing updated systems,

processes, contracts and business arrangements to match the requirements of the new tax system.

I am very excited to be working with EY, as a leading tax practice in the region, during this time of economic progress,” noted David Stevens, VAT Implementation Leader, EY. “The priority for companies at the moment should be to secure the right accounting and IT talents that have previous VAT experience. As this is a new scheme, there is a limited pool of expertise that all GCC businesses are recruiting from. Additionally, the GCC ministries are building their tax administration systems almost from scratch and will require expansive teams to first develop the processes, and then monitor compliance after 1 January 2018,” said David.

Personal loans of Omani banks grow at 9 per cent The recent cut in bonuses and perks amid an economic slowdown has meant a rise in consumer loans as customers borrow to make up the shortfall in bigticket purchases

A E JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman’s conventional banks have achieved a robust year-on-year growth of 9 per cent in aggregate personal loans or consumer loan portfolios, which stood at OMR7,805.11 million by the end of September 2016.

The growth in personal loan was attributed to the tendency of more and more customers taking loan to generate additional funds

COST OF FUND: The average local currency lending rate by the end

of September 2016 stood at 5.030 per cent, against 4.762 per cent in December-end 2015. — Times file picture

to meet their high-value purchases at a time when organisations are resorting to a cut in bonuses and other perks due to a slowdown in economic activity.

Interest rate “Low income levels could be one of the contributing factors for a better demand for consumer loan. The public and private sectors have already taken away several perks and bonuses. But people find it difficult to cut their

expenditure in the short run,” said an economist, who does not want to be named. Also, bank customers believe that the interest rates are likely to increase next year, which also partially aided a growth in demand for personal loans.

The average local currency lending rate by the end of September 2016 stood at 5.030 per cent, against 4.762 per cent in December-end 2015. The repo rate with CBO also edged up to 1.025 per cent from 1 per cent dur-

ing the period. HamoudSangour Al Zadjali, executive president of the Central Bank of Oman, last month said that there is no move to increase interest rate ceiling of personal loan of commercial banks in Oman, despite a general increase in interest rates in the financial system. The maximum interest rate a commercial bank can charge from a customer for personal loan is fixed at 6 per cent by the apex bank. In fact, majority of Omani banks are offering personal loans at the ceiling rate, or at less than 6 per cent.

In Oman, several small time businessmen also take consumer loan to fund their businesses since it is faster to get such loans, against business purpose loans.

The total personal loan portfolio of Oman’s conventional banks constitutes 39.8 per cent of total bank credit of OMR19,587.81 million by the end of September, 2016, according to the latest quarterly report released by the CBO. The CBO report said that on an incremental basis, the flow of credit to consumers resulted in an additional disbursement of OMR641.04 million in the last 12-month period ending September 2016.

Consumer loans are generally taken for meeting high-value pur-

chases, including cars. However, bank customers are not taking loan for buying cars now, which is evident from a slowdown in car sales since the beginning of the year.

Positive correlation Also, there is a positive correlation between growth in job creation and demand for personal loan in the Sultanate. With a freeze in government sector for employment and dull business scene in the private sector, the growth in new jobs decelerated this year.

By the end of December 2015, the aggregate personal loan portfolio of Oman’s conventional banks was OMR7,333.80 million, or 40 per cent of total credit.

In fact, personal loans are the key revenue drivers for the Sultanate’s financial institutions, due to their high interest margins.

CBO stipulates an upper ceiling of 35 per cent of a bank’s total credit portfolio as personal loans, and another 15 per cent as mortgage financing. The apex bank also lowered the debt burden ratio a number of years ago, defined as the portion of salary that is applied for loan repayments of borrowers to 50 per cent and 60 per cent for personal and housing loans, respectively.

CRUDE SUPPLIES

Oil prices surge to highest level since mid-2015 LONDON: Oil prices surged to their highest since mid 2015 and US Treasury yields hit a more than two-year peak on Monday after the world’s top crude producers agreed to cut output.

Coming at the start of a week when the United States is expected to raise interest rates for the only the second time since the global financial crisis, the weekend agreement between Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and key nonOpec states set the markets alive.

Brent oil futures soared more than 5 per cent to top $57 a barrel for the first time since July 2015 and US crude leapt above $54 a barrel to send global inflation gauges spiking as well There was particular surprise as Saudi Arabia, the world’s number one producer, said it may cut its output even more than it had first suggested at an Opec meeting just over a week ago.

“The original Opec deal pointed to a fairly lumpy 3 per cent cut (in production), so this suggests there is a bit more upside for oil prices,” said Neil Williams, chief economist at fund manager Hermes.

Oil shares On the rise in bond yields, which tend to set global borrowing costs, he added: “The Fed hike is mostly baked in so when we do get it, it will be more about the statement.”

European oil companies

KEY FACTS

STRONG DEMAND: The non-Opec reduction is equal to the anticipated demand growth next year in

China and India, according to data from the International Energy Agency. — Bloomberg file picture

jumped more than 2 per cent on the oil surge and helped the panregional STOXX50 index add 0.2 per cent, having just had its best week in exactly five years.

Bond markets in contrast were under heavy pressure. Euro zone government bond yields opened sharply higher with German Bunds up 5 basis points at 0.40 per cent as US yields topped 2.5 per cent for the first time since October 2014.

“We have seen Opec and nonOpec producers agreeing, which

is boosting reflation expectations around the world,” said Chris Weston, an institutional dealer with IG Markets.

In another sign of the reflation trade, breakeven rates — the gap between yields of five-year US debt and a matching tenor in inflation-protected securities — were at two-month highs.

Focus was also on the currency markets as the dollar rose to its highest since February against the Japanese yen, before what is almost certain to be the first rate

hike of the year from the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday.

Japan’s yen also tends to suffer when oil prices rise, since the country is a major importer.

The Norwegian crown, Canadian dollar and Russia rouble were the big gainers from the oil deal.

The rouble rose almost 2 per cent against both the dollar and euro.

Overnight in Asia, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dropped 0.5 per cent after posting its biggest weekly rise in nearly three

US Fed rate increase looms

Oil soars 5 per cent as producers to cut output

Bonds sell off, US yield tops 2.5 per cent as curve steepens.

Dollar rises against yen, rouble gains on oil spike.

China shares’ loss biggest in six months, gold at 10-month low.

months last week.

China stocks suffered their biggest fall in six months as blue chips were knocked by fresh regulatory curbs to rein in insurers’ aggressive stock investments and rising bond yields prompted profit-taking in equities. The blue-chip CSI300 index fell 2.4 per cent, to 3,409.18 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 2.5 per cent to 3,152.97 points.

China’s insurance regulator, which recently warned it would curb “barbaric” acquisitions by insurers, said late on Friday it had suspended the insurance arm of China’s Evergrande Group from conducting stock market investment. — Reuters

B2

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

MARKET Fox-Sky $14 billion mega deal talks now hinge on ‘structure’

EXECUTIVE MOVE

Deloitte names new partner in Sultanate Times News Service

A key decision for Fox is whether to make an outright offer, or pursue a so-called scheme of arrangement, a structure that would involve UK courts James Murdoch, Fox chief executive officer and chairman of Sky.

but make it easier to

— Bloomberg file picture

mop up smaller Sky shareholders who refused to sell.

LONDON: Executives of 21st Century Fox and Sky are working with their advisers to nail down final terms of an 11.2 billionpound ($14.1 billion) deal that would consolidate Rupert Murdoch’s television empire across two continents.

Fox’s co-chairmen, the 85-yearold media baron and his son Lachlan, have been intimately involved in discussions to purchase the 61 per cent of UK pay-TV service Sky that Fox doesn’t already own, according to people familiar with the situation. Rupert’s other son James Murdoch, who leads New York-based Fox as chief executive officer and is chairman of

Sky, is also a key Fox negotiator.

While the preliminary agreement announced on Friday has the backing of Sky’s independent directors, some elements of the transaction remain under discussion. A key decision for Fox is whether to make an outright offer, or pursue a so-called scheme of arrangement, a structure that would involve UK courts but make it easier to mop up smaller Sky shareholders who refused to sell, said the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private.

Friday’s announcement was also silent on whether Sky’s CEO, Jeremy Darroch, will stay on once the company becomes part of Fox. People familiar with the matter said the question was undecided but that Fox isn’t in a rush to shake up Sky management.

Representatives of Sky and Fox declined to comment.

Sky shares slipped 1.3 per cent to 987 pence at 8:07am London time on Monday, after advancing 27 per cent on Friday. The price remains below the 1,075-pence offer, indicating investors see some risk a deal won’t be completed.

While merger rules allow Fox until January 6 to make a final offer, the company is working to sew up a deal by late this week, the people said.

More Fox executives were heading to London over the weekend and principals from both companies will be there over the next few days as they work to seal a final agreement, the people said.

They said Fox is unlikely to raise its offer and that no major shareholders have objected to the price, 36 percent above Sky’s close the day before the announcement.

James Murdoch is not involved in Sky’s evaluation of the offer, according to the people. Deputy

G L O B A L B U S I N E S S L E A D E R AWA R D

chairman Martin Gilbert and senior independent director Andrew Sukawaty are leading the satellite broadcaster’s negotiating team, they said.

The original price offered by Fox was at a premium of about 30 per cent to Sky’s market value, another person familiar with the situation said. The Sky team rejected it as too low, the person said.

Fox later last week came back with its current offer — a 36 per cent premium to Sky’s closing share price on Thursday — which the Sky negotiators considered fair, this person said. The Sky team took into account greater competition from the likes of BT Group on sports rights and emerging competition such as Netflix, according to the person.

Multiples of 13 times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation are “attractive given some of Sky’s ongoing challenges,” Stephane Beyazian, an analyst with Raymond James in London, said in a note.

Mollifying big Sky shareholders and its independent directors by no means guarantees the deal an easy ride. At an October shareholder meeting, a significant minority protested James Murdoch’s return this year as chairman, citing board independence and the possibility of a new Fox bid for Sky. The last one was derailed in 2011 by a hacking scandal that preceded James Murdoch’s departure as Sky chairman in 2012.

One of those dissenting shareholders, Royal London Asset Management Chief Investment Officer Piers Hillier, reiterated Monday that James Murdoch’s

position as Sky chairman remains a conflict.

“It would have been preferable to have an independent chairman,” Hillier said in an e-mailed statement. “The creation of an independent committee of the board, excluding James Murdoch, to consider the bid addresses some of the conflicts of interest, however it doesn’t go far enough.”

Using a court-monitored scheme of arrangement would lower the bar for shareholder approval, though it’s generally more expensive and must be finalised more quickly. With the court’s backing, the proposal would require support from only 75 per cent of shareholders other than Fox, making it easier to squeeze out Sky investors who dissent or don’t vote. With a straight offer, Fox would need 90 per cent shareholder approval to acquire all the Sky shares.

Prime Minister Theresa May has been eager to promote investment in the UK in the wake of the Brexit vote, leading some analysts to predict the deal will gain approval. However, the proposal has awakened Murdoch antagonists and resurfaced residue from the hacking scandal, which could become obstacles.

Critics lined up quickly to call on May to scrutinise the new agreement carefully. Memories of the phone-hacking scandal, which shook Murdoch’s empire and exposed the seamier side of British journalism, remain fresh. Any move to concentrate media ownership could raise concerns about “plurality” — diversity in the provision of news and entertainment.

- Bloomberg News

MUSCAT: Deloitte admitted Ahmed Al Qassabi as partner in Deloitte Middle East, during the company’s annual regional partners meeting in November in Dubai.

Ahmed has deep assurance, financial advisory and regulatory experience and has been instrumental in Deloitte’s Omanisation programme, which aims to develop the skills and careers of Omani youth so they can take leadership positions in the firm thus supporting the country’s Vision 2020 economic plan.

Recruitment, training Ahmed also leads ‘Mustaqbaly’ the firm’s Omani recruitment, training and development programme, now in its second year.

Prior to joining Deloitte, Ahmed spent several years at the Oman’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA), where latterly he held the position of director general, Issues and Disclosures. In his role at Deloitte, Ahmed handles key clients in audit and financial advisory in Oman, and leads corporate governance initiatives.

Anis Sadek, Deloitte Oman Managing Partner said, “It is our pleasure to have Ahmed join the partnership team of Deloitte in the Middle East. We are committed to providing the best in class professional services in the Oman market and Ahmed is pivotal in helping us shape new generations of Omanis to realise their potential.”

Ahmed is a graduate in accounting from Sultan Qaboos University and is a Fellow of the UK’s Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA).

ECONOMY

NRI businessman wins award Turkey’s economy shrinks unexpectedly in third quarter Times News Service

MUSCAT: In recognition of his successful growth as a business leader across various sectors around the region, Adeeb Ahamed, managing director, Asia Express Exchange and MD, Twenty14 Holdings was honoured with the Global Business Leader Award.

Other winners in this category includes M A Yusuff Ali, MD, Lulu Group International, B R Shetty, chairman, NMC Healthcare, Thumbay Moideen, President, Thumbay Group, Mickey Jagtiani, chairman, Landmark Group and Joy Alukkas, chairman, Joy Alukkas, among others.

The business leaders were awarded at the inaugural Gulf Indian Excellence Awards on Sunday. The gala event recognised leading successful Indian business leaders in the region who have made a mark in their sectors and have shown exceptional ability in their areas of excellence.

Adeeb Ahamed is a multifaceted

– Supplied picture

professional with interests in financial services, hospitality and retailing. Twenty14 Holdings, a hospitality investment firm managed by Adeeb owns properties around the world including the Great Scotland Yard in London, Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay in Dubai and the Sheraton Oman Hotel in Muscat, among others.

“I am absolutely delighted and deeply honoured to be acknowledged with this award. This recognition will allow me to further strengthen our commitment towards setting up new benchmarks

in the sectors we are involved in.

This award also encourages me to further inspire those around me and make a lasting, positive impact on their lives and community,” said Adeeb Ahamed.

Other awards including Transformational Biz Leader, Strategic Innovators of the Year, Creative Entrepreneurs of the Year and Business Innovators were also given away during the event. The event also featured panel discussions, conversations with the award winners and active participation of the audience.

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s economy unexpectedly shrank in the third quarter, led by a slump in consumption, in the most significant sign yet that July’s failed coup and the political turmoil it provoked are weighing on confidence.

It is the first time in seven years that Turkey has announced a contraction. The lira weakened.

Gross domestic product shrank an annual 1.8 per cent in the three months starting in July, Turkey’s statistics bureau reported on Monday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey called for an annual expansion of 0.3 per cent.

Consumer and business confidence have fallen since the July 15 coup attempt, which ushered in a period of falling investments and political instability as the government went after perceived enemies. The crackdown has cost tens of thousands of people their jobs and drawn criticism from Western governments, even as the takeover bid gave President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more ammunition in his quest to formally widen his authorities.

Government spending Consumer spending dropped 3.2 per cent in the third quarter from a year earlier, adding to evidence that the July 15 takeover attempt damaged business activity. Government outlays on wages, goods and services rose 23.8 per cent, limiting the impact from a decline in investments, which fell 0.6 per cent from the same period in 2015.

The statistics bureau said last week that it changed the way it

SLIGHT DROP: Consumer spending dropped 3.2 per cent in the third quarter from a year earlier, adding to evidence that the July 15 takeover attempt damaged business activity. — Bloomberg News

calculates GDP to make it consistent with accounting changes in the rest of the world and better measure the pace of economic activity. As a result, the base year it uses to calculate GDP was changed from 1998 to 2009. The new method amplified the annual contraction in the economy in the third quarter and makes it more difficult to compare with past performance, according to Bora Tamer Yilmaz, an Istanbul-based economist at Ziraat Bank.

“Under the new method, growth in previous quarters is now estimated to be higher than previously thought, which might make it possible to achieve the government’s growth target of 3.2 percent this year,” Yilmaz said.

Growth in the first and second

quarters of this year was revised to 4.5 per cent, from 4.7 per cent and 3.1 per cent, respectively.

GDP expansion in 2015 was revised to 6.1 per cent from 4 per cent. Turkstat says it now makes an “independent” annual GDP expansion estimate, unlike in the past, when it used to take an average of four quarter changes in the economy.

The lira fell after the report and was trading 1.7 per cent lower at 3.5378 per dollar at 10:50am in Istanbul. — Bloomberg News

HAVE YOUR SAY

Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com haveyoursay@timesofoman.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

B3

MARKET NAT I O NA L S T O C K E X C H A N G E

India’s largest bourse plans to offer shares to public

SHARE SALE: National Stock Exchange’s $1.5 billion IPO will be the country’s largest in more than six years. — Bloomberg file picture

SINGAPORE: India’s largest stock exchange is getting ready for a listing it has fought long and hard to avoid: its own.

While some long-time investors may be relieved to have an opportunity to exit, newer shareholders should be glad if the bourse uses the scrutiny of being a publicly held company to shed its outsize sense of exceptionalism. A descent into ordinariness would be quite welcome.

National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India’s $1.5 billion IPO will be the country’s largest in more than six years. The share sale won’t raise any new money, but it will give investors — including Goldman Sachs Group and Singapore’s Temasek Holdings — a chance to

realise profits they’ve been forced to sit on for as long as a decade.

Investors pressured When investors pressured NSE for an out, it demurred by saying that listing on the rival Bombay Stock Exchange could compromise its competitive edge. But when the BSE filed its own draft prospectus — suggesting the older bourse found it perfectly okay to list on NSE — the business-confidentiality excuse lost all credibility. That was the second blow to NSE’s notion of superiority.

The first came from the Bombay High Court last year. NSE had filed a defamation suit against Moneylife India, a personal-finance website, for publishing allegations

Fed fund futures show probability of rate hike Fed fund futures show a 97 per cent probability that the Fed will lift rates by a quarter of a per centage point and all 120 economists in a Reuters poll expect a Janet Yellen, chair of the US Federal Reserve. — Bloomberg file picture

rate hike in the wake of a string of solid US economic reports.

WASHINGTON: The US Federal Reserve inaugurates the Trump era this week with a near-certain interest rate increase and new economic forecasts providing a first glimpse into whether the US election has reshaped the central bank’s growth and inflation outlook. Fed fund futures show a 97 per cent probability that the Fed will lift rates by a quarter of a per centage point at the end of its twoday policy meeting on Wednesday, according to the CME Group.

All 120 economists in a Reuters poll expect a rate hike in the wake of a string of solid US economic reports.

More telling will be whether the stock market rally and jump in bond yields triggered by Trump’s November 8 victory will push the Fed to an inflection point of its own and a higher projected pace of rate rises for 2017 and beyond.

The Republican businessman is inheriting a good economy, one that grew by 3.2 per cent in the third quarter, the fastest pace in

two years. There are, however, concerns that his plan to reduce taxes, cut regulation and increase infrastructure spending could not just boost the economy but also fuel higher inflation.

Since first published in 2012, the Fed’s quarterly “dot plot” of projected interest rates has generally moved in one direction — down — and any post-election change will show whether policymakers expect Trump’s policies to shake things up.

As of September, Fed officials’ median projection was for two rate increases next year and a long run “neutral” level of 2.6 per cent.

A rate increase this week would be the first since last December and only the second since the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

“Their path is going to move up faster and a little sooner,” said Steve Rick, chief economist for CUNA Mutual Group. He said the economy was running at its potential, and that was the Fed’s cue to “exit stage right” and steadily move rates to normal.

Fed officials have long hoped that other government policies would take the place of monetary engineering, which some believe may have lost its effectiveness in

lifting economic growth.

Boost productivity They have warned in recent weeks that any new government spending should specifically be designed to boost productivity in an economy that is already near full employment and facing a high public debt burden.

The Fed’s new forecasts will indicate if policymakers feel that the monetary-to-fiscal handover is on the horizon, or need more time for the Trump administration’s plans to become more detailed and move through Congress.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen is scheduled to hold a press conference at 2:30pm on Wednesday to elaborate on the economic outlook and policy statement.

She will have a broad set of issues to cover since her last press conference in September — from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting itself, to the likelihood she will be replaced in early 2018 and the risks she foresees from the Trump agenda.

Trump repeatedly attacked Yellen during the election campaign, accusing her of holding down rates to help his Democratic rival. Since the election, he has

expressed his disapproval of corporate America, criticizing Boeing, and took credit for a deal to keep hundreds of jobs at an Indiana plant from being moved to Mexico.

The president-elect also will be under scrutiny after this week’s Fed meeting for clues about how he plans to handle his relationship with the central bank.

“There is a real risk that he could be openly critical of the decision to raise rates next week,” Paul Ashworth, an economist with Capital Economics, said in a note last week.

That could upset markets and raise serious issues about whether Trump intends to leave the Fed alone or try to influence its decisions. Top US elected officials, in particular the president, typically avoid criticising the Fed’s shortterm rate decisions, emphasising instead the need for monetary policy to be set independently.

“If he remains silent after the announcement to raise interest rates next Wednesday, then we can begin to assume that it will be business as usual for the Fed,” Ashworth wrote.

Trump’s plan to cut taxes and regulation and funnel fresh billions into capital projects must pass Congress, and it may be well after that before any new programmes meaningfully effect economic forecasts.

But policymakers also watch the markets closely. It may be hard for the Fed to stick with its ultra-slow pace of rate hikes if a major tax overhaul and fiscal spending plan are unleashed.

TD Securities analysts said that fiscal policy at this point in the economic recovery could prompt “an inflationary demand shock” that adds nearly a percentage point to economic growth, but spurs the Fed to raise rates much quicker than expected — by nearly an extra percentage point per year.

— Reuters

the exchange’s algorithmic trading system gave an unfair advantage to some brokers. The judge, however, chided the exchange for its “self-congratulatory assertions” of innocence, and fined it heavily.

Later, a panel set up by the market regulator to look into whistleblower complaints found NSE’s price dissemination engine to be indeed “prone to manipulation or market abuse.”

The chain reaction that ensued is good news for investors. NSE was a huge success as a government-sponsored alternative to the gambling den that BSE was back in the early 1990s. But while the older exchange is today nowhere as successful as NSE, it’s no longer a cooperative of the crooked.

There’s no reason the regulator should allow NSE to go on believing it’s some kind of an appendage of the Indian state that deserves to be treated differently, and indeed deferentially.

That notion is changing, though.

The board is looking to replace CEO Chitra Ramkrishna, who unexpectedly resigned earlier this month. While the executive search may delay the IPO, it’s important to find somebody competent yet relatively unconnected from the exchange’s history of success, which has become its own enemy.

As a publicly traded company, NSE is going to need better governance. That will be impossible to achieve until it loses its swagger.

— Bloomberg News

S A N C TA C A P I TA L R E P O R T

Distressed deals on the rise in the region DUBAI: Distressed debt opportunities are increasing across the Middle East and Africa region as companies struggle with slumping currencies and tighter government spending, according to Sancta Capital Group.

“We’re still in the very early stages of this new distressed debt cycle,” Chief Investment Officer Gus Chehayeb said in an interview in Dubai, where the company has a research office. “There’s a lot more pain to come. We have not yet seen the bottom. If this was a basketball game, we’re just finishing the first quarter.”

Oil’s more than 50 per cent plunge since June 2014 has forced Saudi Arabia and its neighbours, among the world’s biggest crude producers, to rein-in spending to keep budget deficits in check. In Turkey, political turmoil following a failed military coup in July is pressuring banks and tourism companies, while lenders in Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and Angola are straining because of slower growth, weaker currencies and rising levels of unpaid loans.

“The pace and severity of fiscal consolidation that has beset our region over the last two years has started what we believe is a secular change in corporate risk and expected returns,” said Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Alanani, who co-founded Houston-based Sancta Capital with Chehayeb in April 2014. “The Middle East and Africa offers one of the most mispriced investment environments in the world.”

Saudi firms The value of Saudi Arabian companies is “starting to make sense” after two years of low oil prices and “vicious austerity,” Alanani said in the same interview. Sancta Capital is focusing on listed equities that can benefit from a potential recovery in credit conditions and is working with local companies looking for different ways of funding working capital needs.

Distressed securities are the

– Bloomberg file picture

bank debt, trade claims or corporate bonds of companies or government entities that are experiencing financial or operational difficulty, default, or are bankrupt.

In the United Arab Emirates, which was at the heart of the Gulf region’s 2008 downturn, Sancta Capital is seeing a “good flow of bank debt” as lenders look for ways to deal with stress on their loan books, especially with the planned introduction of new financial reporting standards, said Chehayeb.

During the 2008 slump, several government entities such as Dubai World were forced to restructure debt after property prices and asset values tumbled in the Gulf business hub and credit markets froze. In the current cycle, local banks and companies are feeling the brunt of the shock, rather than government firms, said Alanani.

Market-beating returns “On one hand, local banks are having to finance the ballooning budget deficits of local governments, while on the other, their asset quality is coming under pressure as the business models and cost structures of local companies are being shaken by the wave of austerity that has gripped the region,” he said. “For local corporates, it’s proving near impossible to compete for funding with the government, which is exacerbating their troubles.” — Bloomberg News

B4

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

FEATURE

BRAZIL’S stand-in president Michel Temer has not had it easy. In the six months he has been in office — following the suspension and then impeachment of his predecessor Dilma Rousseff for budget crimes — Temer has lost his sixth minister to scandal, stood by while key allies led a shameless assault on Brazil’s anti-corruption efforts, and seen a wan economic recovery turn into a near-rout. So when the Brazilian Senate approved a key piece of the government’s austerity plan this week, the relief in Brasilia was almost palpable.

But hold the fizzy for now.

As revolutionary as the Temer government’s proposed public spending cap could be, it is far from the only measure Brazil needs to prevent a fiscal debacle. Among the many dysfunctions dogging Latin America’s biggest democracy — prolonged recession, a loss-making pension system, systemic corruption — one of the most insidious has gotten scant attention to now: explosive state and local debt.

Consider Rio de Janeiro, which in June declared a state of financial calamity, the political equivalent to bankruptcy.

The crisis, announced just as

the state capital was readying to host the Summer Olympics, forced Temer’s hand, bagging Rio an $850 million emergency loan — but to little avail. State employees are clamouring for back pay, pensions and study stipends are overdue, and public hospitals are short of supplies and physicians. A celebrated public safety chief recently stepped down amid serious budget constraints and spiking crime. Even as angry police and firefighters stormed the state legislature last month, Governor Luis Fernando Pezao warned that depleted state coffers can only cover just seven months of next year’s payroll. The state has announced plans to spend some 85 per cent of its expected 2016 oil royalties to pay off debts.

Rio is not alone in penury; most of Brazil’s state governments are in trouble, with some of the largest running debts of over twice annual revenues. That’s a violation of Brazil’s fiscal responsibility law, the same offense that led to the impeachment of Rousseff on August 31. What is more worrisome, local governments cannot declare bankruptcy, which means that failing states are ultimately

the federal treasury’s headache.

Last month, under intense pressure from the hinterlands, Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles offered bereft states a share of the $26 billion the federal government expects to collect from wealthy Brazilians in a one-off foreign asset tax amnesty. Meirelles conditioned the bailout on belt tightening, including deep salary cuts. The deal lasted all of a week, as several governors advised they had no intentions to slash budgets.

How much the federal fix will help is another question. The roots of the financial collapse owe to a years-long festival of overspending, lavish lending, and generous tax breaks that began in Brazil’s boom years but carried on long after the economy started to tank in 2014.

From 2010 to 2014, spending by state and local governments outpaced revenues by around 50 per cent a year. The recession spoiled the party in 2015, but even then public revenues fell three times faster than

spending. States are now in hock to federal banks to the tune of $35 billion.

What’s worse, many states have no idea just how much tax revenue they have sacrificed to fiscal incentives for favoured companies, as Rio’s Pezao recently admitted. (from 2008 to 2013, according to state auditors.) “This is what happens when you have fixed expenditures with non-permanent source of revenues,” said Alberto Ramos, an emergingmarkets analyst with Goldman Sachs. “This was a chronicle of a death foretold.”

What’s harder to fathom is how the country’s nominally robust institutional firewalls failed to prevent the disaster.

Monica de Bolle of the Peterson Institute for International Economics traces the problem to a combination of magical economic thinking and willful politics that reached its peak as Rousseff stumped for re-election. “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel here. Brazil actually has safeguards against

fiscal irresponsibility,” de Bolle told me. “But they fell down on the job. I think it came to a point where everyone ramped up spending and shut their eyes.”

This is not just Brazil’s worry. True, most of the bigger Latin American economies have less debt and a better handle on their state finances than Brazil, according to Humberto Panti of Fitch Ratings. Last year, Mexico passed a fiscal reform which tightened federal oversight of subnational debt. In Argentina, provincial governments may not raise debt abroad without the imprimatur of the federal treasury.

But the safeguards are only as good as the gatekeepers. In June, Moody’s Investors Service warned that Mexico’s local governments were quietly bingeing on debt, now riding a 20-year high at $28 billion.

Moody’s downgraded all but one of the country’s 31 states in April.

Argentina, too, has been in a borrowing frenzy since market-friendly Mauricio Macri took office in December and settled the country’s quarrel with foreign creditors. While most of the new debt is federal,

provincial governments following Macri’s lead are piling up dollar-denominated bonds, a potentially troubling sign in a land where overextended local governments have often triggered national crisis.

“A lot of Latin America’s spending takes place through subnational budgets,” Goldman Sachs’s Ramos told me. “With slow growth, spending at the subnational levels makes the fiscal burden higher, which can add to national debt burden. It’s a significant threat.”

With the region’s economy sluggish and uncertainty growing over the policies of the coming U.S. administration, Latin America’s financial crunch is about to get worse.

“Emerging market bonds have been the asset to dump,” Bloomberg’s Christopher Langner recently reported.

Brazilians, understandably, are outraged over their political elite’s displays of callous behavior even as the economy stagnates. Many cheered and danced in the streets when former Rio governor Sergio Cabral was arrested on November 17 for allegedly spending taxpayers’ money on personal luxuries.

— MAC MARGOLIS/Bloomberg News

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ROUND-UP

All-new Quattroporte undergoes restyling for new product experience

After three and a half years of unprecedented success in the international markets, the Quattroporte undergoes a substantial restyling that accentuates its elegance and its signature Maserati personality

MUSCAT: The flagship Maserati model has been relaunched for 2017 with an exterior restyling, further refinement for the interior and additional hi-tech features.

Furthermore, a new trim strategy has been launched with the introduction of the GranLusso and GranSport trims.

After three and a half years of unprecedented success in the international markets, the Quattroporte undergoes a substantial restyling that accentuates its elegance and its signature Maserati personality. The restyled Quattroporte, representing the quintessence of Italian sport sedans, will be available from the 4th quarter of 2016 and is destined to continue a success story that commenced in 2013. Since the initial launch, the iconic Maserati flagship was de-

livered to over 24,000 customers in 72 countries around the world, says a press release.

The restyled Quattroporte’s exterior can be recognised by the new bumper design with matte black profile at the front and the matte black extractor at the rear. Even the new front grille, a centrepiece of the Maserati identity, evolves into a new shape. It is inspired by the Alfieri and already featured on Levante. It is more pointed and imposing, and introduces new vertical chrome elements in contrast to the deepness of the shark nose effect. Other distinguishing details of the new Quattroporte are the matte black side skirts and the exterior mirrors, slightly restyled as well to incorporate some new technical features.

The improvements in the interi-

or were developed to enhance the purity of the design by underlining only the functional parts, through clean integration of the new interface elements with the infotainment area and tunnel console. The redesigned central dashboard now accommodates a capacitive high resolution 8.4” screen with multi touch function.

This area is now characterised by a continuous technical element that integrates screen, a new climate control and a new drawer in a single seamless design typical of the Quattroporte. The central, lower console has also been redesigned and now features a rotary knob for volume and functions control, a new lid and phone box.

The new infotainment system is compatible with both the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring functions.

All Quattroporte are now equipped with an Air Quality Sensor, a feature that substantially improves the comfort for the occupants on-board. The system combines an intelligent sensor and a signal analysis system that calculates the external pollution levels and prevents polluted air and toxic gases from entering the cabin.

A new package of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems is available as an option in the new Quattroporte. It includes adaptive

cruise control with stop & go, lane departure warning, forward collision warning with advanced brake assist and automated emergency braking as well as a new surround view camera.

GranLusso and GranSport: Two new design worlds Since its beginnings, Maserati represents the perfect blend of luxury combined with a sporting character thanks to its race-bred engineering.

With the restyling of the flagship, the Quattroporte, Maserati launches a new trim strategy in order to offer its highly demanding clientele the additional choice of two unique trim lines that emphasise the two key pillars of the brand’s DNA: GranLusso and GranSport The highly distinctive GranSport trim is available as an upgrade for the Quattroporte S and the Quattroporte S Q4. The GranLusso trim is available for all variants of the Quattroporte. Both trims will be priced at the same level across all variants.

The top of the range version, the Quattroporte GTS, that features the twin-turbo V8, will be available with either the GranLusso or GranSport trim as part of the standard equipment. Each trim level was conceived to meet the needs of clients that seek a differentiated and unique product in the luxury

sedan segment. GranLusso and GranSport are immediately recognisable thanks to the differentiated exterior and interior design.

GranLusso trim The GranLusso trim reinterprets the concept of luxury in a racebred luxury sedan by enhancing the exterior finishing and improving in-cabin comfort for driver and passengers. It offers a higher level of luxury using exclusive materials and special features in the finest tradition of Italian craftsmanship.

The GranLusso can be recognised by the new front lower fascia design with an elegant floating bridge element and a delicate spoiler, detailed by the chrome bumper finish and the body colour bumper profiles. The profile in corporates side skirts, while on the rear the aspect is even cleaner, characterised by a sculptured retroreflector and a body coloured spoiler. The exterior look is completed by 20” Mercurio rims and black painted brake calipers.

GranSport trim The GranSport trim underscores the sportive character of Quattroporte, while enhancing aggressive appearance of the car. The new exterior design cues and interior contents reflect the legendary racing heritage of the Maserati brand.

On the front of the Quattroporte GranSport, revised centre and side air intakes improve the cooling function while showcasing an aggressive front area. The lower fascia is linked to the grille with aerodynamic inspirited splits. The back is characterised by a prominent composition between a centre fuselage and two side pockets that focus the attention on the exhausts. An aggressive black piano spoiler completes the rear view.

The Quattroporte GranSport is fitted with 21” Titano rims and features gloss black finish on the bumpers, red brake calipers and blue inserts in the front Trident and side Saetta logo as, well as blue Tridents on the hubcaps. As an option, the front grille of the GranSport can be ordered in blackgloss finish at no additional cost.

Stability programme Maserati drivers have long known the benefits of the Maserati Stability Program (MSP) and the system has evolved and improved in the Quattroporte. Developed in the most extreme test circumstances, the MSP uses a wide array of sensors to detect any need to intervene on the driver’s behalf. MSP adds a layer of security on top of the Quattroporte’s inherent chassis stability that helps drivers enjoy anxiety-free handling under all driving conditions.

R A I S I N G AWA R E N E S S

Thousands walk in blue to support Beat Diabetes walkathon MUSCAT: Over 10,000 Oman residents came together to raise awareness about diabetes during the 7th annual walkathon organised by the Landmark Group, the region’s largest retail and hospitality conglomerate.

The walkathon was held under the patronage of Ministry of Health & Oman Diabetes Association.

Eminent and an ardent campaigner for diabetes awareness, Dr Mohammad bin Saif Al Hosni, undersecretary at the Ministry of Health, Health Affairs joined the walkathon this year, says a press release.

Clive Freeman, COO Landmark Group, Oman along with the dignitaries from Ministry of Health and Oman Diabetes Association led the 3km walk sporting blue ‘Beat Diabetes’ T-shirts.

Freeman said: “The aim of the Beat Diabetes initiative, is to remind people of the magnitude of the threat posed by diabetes. We also want to highlight the simplicity with which the condition can be managed by taking three simple steps – taking the blood glucose test, eating healthy and getting active. Through the walk we encourage the community to take proactive steps about their own health as this is very essential for the longterm welfare of the family, community and nation. We are grateful for the support we have received from the community. Their presence and participation have made this year’s Beat Diabetes Walkathon a grand success in Oman.”

Participants gathered at the venue in the early hours of the day.

Families gathered in excitement.

Large groups representing organisations cheered loudly in support of the walkathon and posed for group photos, while children linedup to have their faces painted.

To reinforce the core message of early detection, free blood glucose testing booths were set up at the venue. Al Raffa Hospital, Johnson & Johnson-Lifescan, Oasis Water and Fit Body who have been extending their generous support for Beat Diabetes walkathon initiative every year.

Since its launch in the UAE in 2009, the Beat Diabetes initiative has grown in reach and participation. It currently has a presence across seven countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and India.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

ROUND-UP Nissan’s special offer ends on December 15 Extending buyers a surplus of appealing value propositions, which include attractive cash back offer, free registration, free periodic maintenance service of 10,000km, extended mileage warranty, the promotion offers the best of the deals for its customers

MUSCAT: For the benefit of customers who aspire to own a Nissan vehicle, Nissan Oman from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA), had launched the ‘Get the Nissan Excitement’ offer.

The offer which started on October 16 will be valid till December 15 on all models purchased for personal use only.

Extending buyers a surplus of appealing value propositions, which include attractive cash back offer, free registration, free periodic maintenance service of 10,000km, extended mileage warranty, the promotion offers the best of the deals for its customers. These offers vary across all models.

Talking about the promotion, a senior official of SBA said, “Excitement is at the heart of everything we do at Nissan, which is why we came up with this offer. The ‘Get the Nissan Excitement’ campaign wants to reward customers who are enthusiasts of the Nissan brand. This offer makes the process of owning a Nissan vehicle easy and attractive. Brand Nissan is trusted by auto enthusiasts and we feel our customers deserve the best for heir loyalty.”

The ‘Get the Nissan Excitement’ has been conceptualised to make

the dream of owning a Nissan vehicle more economical.

Assured cash back Under the special offer,customers can avail assured cash back ranging from OMR750 to OMR2,000 varying model-wise except Civilian.

Extended warranty All customers purchasing Nissan vehicles during this scheme period will be eligible for free six year unlimited mileage warranty except 370Z, Patrol PU 4.8L, Urvan Panel Van Standard Roof, Urvan 15 Seater Micro Bus Standard Roof AT, and Civilian during the above said period.

Service package Customers purchasing any Nissan model/ variant under the scheme will get Free Periodic Vehicle Service Package for 1 Years/10,000km (whichever is earlier) during the scheme period.

This offer includes only the new service intervals of 10,000km and

excludes any wear and tear parts.

Free registration Nissan customers get free registration on all new vehicle purchase except Patrol PU 4.8L, Urvan Panel Van Standard Roof, Urvan 15 Seater Micro Bus Standard Roof AT. Loyalty scheme Loyal customers stand to enjoy additional benefits on purchase of a second Nissan vehicle in the family.

Any person, who has two or more Nissan cars in his name or in the name of immediate family (husband, wife, unmarried children) and the new vehicles have been purchased from Suhail Bahwan Automobiles Oman, will be eligible for an exclusive Nissan Privilege Programme. The members of exclusive Nissan Privilege Programme will be issued with a Nissan Privilege Card. These customers will be entitled to special benefits at Nissan showrooms, Nissan workshops, parts counters/ outlets, trade in car, in house finance and rent a car.

M ATT E R O F P R I D E

Premature Dutch girl born at Kims Oman celebrates 1st birthday MUSCAT: Receiving friendly mails from the people who have once undergone successful treatment at the hospital is always a matter of pride. It’s even more special when the email is sent to share the joy of the first birthday of a little girl who was born premature at Kims Oman Hospital a year ago on November 14.

Little Mea was born premature to a Dutch couple Nathalie and Steven after 31 weeks of pregnancy. The Gynaecology and Obstetrics Department at the Kims Oman Hospital (KOH) has taken care of the delivery with its highly qualified medical practitioners and support staff. The first five weeks of the baby were extremely important and KOH has paid expert attention to ensure that her health stayed perfect all though the period.

In the email, Natalie and Steven wrote: “Mea has developed wonderfully since then and has not shown any negative impact of her early birth, thanks to the care provided.”

Dr Hussam Akoum, chief operating officer, Kims Oman Hospital, “We all feel elated on receiving the email by the couple from the Netherlands. It fills our minds with pride and confidence to look forward to the future to manage all such medical emer-

In the email, Natalie and Steven wrote: “Mea has developed wonderfully since then and has not shown any negative impact of her early birth, thanks to the care provided” gencies and complex situations.

We are sure that the world-class amenities and ambience at KOH support all such procedures and treatments.”

PA R T I C I PAT I O N

BAIC showcases its models at Oman Motor Show 2016 MUSCAT: Gulf Great Sands, the exclusive importer of BAIC in Oman participated in the Oman International Motor Show.

This edition of the Motor Show was held from December 7-10 at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre. The Oman Motor Show is one of the biggest events in Sultanate’s calendar and happens once in every two years, says a press release.

“The Oman Motor Show is an excellent platform to showcase this new brand and demonstrate the design, quality and user friendliness of models launched. At display are the A115 compact sedan, X65 crossover and stylish pickup Grand Tiger TUV. We are quite hopeful that visitors have appreciated BAIC models which are quite easy and affordable to own,” commented a GGS spokesperson.

BAIC acquired SAAB (SvenskaAeroplanAktiebolaget) which is a North European brand from Sweden. At the end of 2009, BAIC Motor took over the SAAB’s core assets, including its 9-5/9-3 vehicle platform, Turbo engine trans-

er. The standard dual airbag, ABS, cage-type body structure & doors made from integrated stamping technology contribute to its superior safety. A115 is equipped with 1.5L - 113hp Engine, 4-speed AT. Micro USB, glove box with cooler, power windows and mirror, keyless entry, 6/4 split rear seats make every day drive comfortable for all passengers. Alloy wheel, rear LED lights, Hawkeye headlamps, a wide central mesh, flying wing-shaped front bumper give the dynamic and signature look of a luxury segment sedan. It has artistically crafted and robust grille and backwardsextending fog lamps. Additionally, 22 storage compartments meet all of your storage requirements. mission, R&D, manufacturing and supplier systems. The SAAB unique Front wheel drive and steering technology was also inherited by BAIC. X65 As the first crossover based on SAAB technologies, X65 combines space of a MPV and comfort of a sedan. BAIC X65 ensures excel-

lent performance with 2.0L 174 HpTurbo Engine, new generation AISIN 6 speed automatic transmission with smart paddle shift.

X65 Comfort has smart equipment like machine cut alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof, leather seats, power driver seat, rear view camera, smart key and push button start all of which provide customer with enjoyable driving experience.

X65 inherits the European Safety Standards due to which it meets the 5 star CNCAP rating and is equipped with safety features like 6 Airbags, Bluetooth, TPMS, ABS, EBD and Parking sensors.

A115 A115 is a compact and stylish compact sedan from BAIC which exemplifies dynamism and subtle pow-

F O R S TA F F

Grand Tiger TUV Grand Tiger TUV is perfectly embodies the combination of style, space and safety like a lifestyle pickup and is available in both 2WD and 4WD options. It’s 2.4 litre engine with 5 speed manual transmission provides a refined performance, overall length of 5310 mm and width of 1812mm make it the

most spacious pickup in its class.

Grand Tiger TUV has a sporty dashboard, integrated console, Auto air- conditioner, self –luminous instruments makes the interiors comfortable for a long journey. Lifestyle pickup image is further reinforced with 16’’alloy wheels, side steps, chrome outside mirrors, over fenders.

Grand Tiger TUV has many standard safety features which are available only in high end pickups such as ABS, EBD, dual airbags, parking sensors and steel roll cage.

The tread of the tyres is best in class given extra grip and comfort on road. The cargo bed protector is standard in TUV pickups which gives longevity.

Gulf Great Sands is setting up a state-of-art service centre in Ghala, Muscat spread over more than 2,000 square metres to provide aftersales services to BAIC customers. BAIC offers 5 years or 100,000km manufacturer warranty on all passenger vehicles and 3 years/100,000km manufacturer warranty on commercial vehicles in Oman.

PROMOTION

Galfar holds environmental awareness campaign Offer on Lincoln MKS MUSCAT: Galfar Engineering & Contracting conducted an environmental awareness campaign for its employees at all sites for a week.

With the theme ‘My Environment, My Responsibility’, the campaign focused on creating awareness amongst employees on simple tasks to be undertaken in their day-to-day activities that will have a positive impact on the environment.

As part of the campaign, project teams conducted beach cleanup activities at Al Seeb and Azaiba. Huge quantities of wastes were collected in the form of discarded bottles, cans, plastic carry bags as well as other litter, says a press release.

A spokesperson for Galfar said,

“The environmental awareness campaign and beach cleanup activity are part of efforts in accordance with our strategic objectives and to effectively contribute to the environmental protection initiatives of Oman. Through our regular corporate social initiatives, we aim to foster community engagement and promote good practices among all segments of society.”

“Galfar is committed to educating and spreading environmental awareness in day-to-day work practices. We firmly believe that environmental protection is not only to benefit us, but also the next generation in the coming years,” he added.

MUSCAT: The Lincoln MKS is renowned for its luxury. Right from its attractive looks to its list of advanced features and technologies, the MKS has remained one of Lincoln’s most successful luxury models.

Boasting an available 305HP, V6, dramatic styling and a spacious, leather-lined cabin loaded with the latest high-tech features, the MKS appears to check all the boxes for a large luxury sedan.

The Lincoln MKS feels like the big, solid car it is when driven down the freeway. The steering is responsive and well weighted and provides a welcome sense of control. In terms of engines, the

base 3.7-litre V6 is sufficient for moving the big and heavy MKS. Customers looking to own the MKS can now look forward to impressive cash gift of OMR5,000 and 0% interest on EMI (Conditions apply).

In Oman, Lincoln vehicles are brought to you by Arabian Car Marketing Co.

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ROUND-UP

New 2017 Toyota Corolla launched At the venue of futuristic Toyota Pavilion at Oman Motor Show 2016, scores of eager Toyota enthusiasts were present along with friends and family; a clear indication of the mass excitement that the all-new 2017 Corolla generates

MUSCAT: ‘All Eyes on Style’ … as the satin cloth began slipping away to reveal the distinctively restyled all new 2017 Toyota Corolla…when it came into view, there were gasps of admiration.

“The new Corolla is really far more stylish than before,” exclaimed an enthusiast, “This is what I had hoped would happen and in fact Toyota has listened to the Voice of the Customer and made the 2017 model even more appealing and rewarding.”

The Corolla launch event was attended by chief guest His Highness Sayyid Tariq bin Shabib Al Said along with Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al Busaidi, chairman, Sabco Group and Eng. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Dheeb, undersecretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in the presence of Saud Mohamed Bahwan, says a press release.

At the venue of the futuristic Toyota Pavilion at Oman Motor Show 2016, scores of eager Toyota enthusiasts were present along with friends and family; a clear indication of the mass excitement that the new Corolla generates.

Emphasising the significance of the launch of the new 2017 Toyota Corolla, a prominent online automotive site stated, “Toyota has a big influence on the industry. Now, the Corolla is no different – with over 40 million sales, this go-getter is just getting started. People have been speculating about the new edition for quite some time now, and there used to be this mystery fog around it – nobody really knew when it was going to come out, or even what it could look like!”

Making a strong design statement with its unique visual signa-

ture, the Corolla Multi Drive 7S signifies Toyota’s brand evolution.

The Corolla’s design theme combines clean lines and balanced proportions to give it an immediate visual impact. It tapers at the front and rear of the vehicle to help emphasise the wheel arches and wheels-to-the-corner stance.

Indeed the 2017 Corolla attracts all the right attention. There are many distinctive upshots of the 2017 restyle.

According to the Saud Bahwan Automotive spokesperson, “The new 2017 Corolla has been restyled

to turn heads, arrest attention.

These include a refreshingly redesigned grille that set off its stylish profile. The new front bumper, the redesigned headlamps, daytime running lights & fog lamps further accentuates the effect. A truly well-heeled look is imparted by the new alloy wheels as it passes by. Finally, like perfume wafting in the air, the new rear combination lamps & rear spoiler leave a lasting impression. The 2017 Corolla is now available with two new exciting colours – Beige Metallic and Phantom Brown Metallic.”

Stepping in, one is greeted by the aesthetically refreshed interior of the new Corolla. It boasts of a refreshed and pleasingly contoured Dashboard, even the A/C vents have been redesigned to enhance the new Corolla experience. The new Corolla is up-to-date on the inside with the new design Display Audio System, Steering Wheel with controls and automatic Air Conditioner. In other words, Toyota Corolla 2017 is ready to come out and play. No wonder then that industry experts are giving rave reviews on the new Corolla.

The feature-rich Corolla is an exceptional value, but that is not all. The world famous Toyota Corolla is no less than an icon. Not only does it have a legendary reputation, it offers a truly impressive resale value, even after years of

use. It was no surprise for anyone that when the Multi Drive 7S transmission equipped Toyota Corolla was introduced in Oman, it quickly climbed to the top of the list of favourites.

Customers love the fact that the Corolla has Multi Drive 7S Transmission that allows them to ‘Drive Smooth and Save Smart.’ It does so by delivering a very smooth, yet powerful driving performance; topping it up with gratifying fuel efficiency. The Multi Drive 7S continuously variable transmission meticulously controls the speed and shifting pattern to realise excellent power train performance while ensuring a powerful and linear acceleration. It also has a 7-Speed Sequential Shiftmatic Mode with Manual Gear Shiftinglike characteristics that give the driver complete control when required. Under the bonnet lies, a 2.0 litre engine mated with the Multi Drive 7S transmission. Apart from this, the Corolla is also available with a 1.6 litre engine that offers excellent fuel efficiency.

It is indeed fortunate for many customers that the ‘Toyota neverbefore’ offer is currently running.

At this moment, the Corolla, even the 2017 YM, is available with an attractive cash gift. Customers are advised to make the most of this wonderful opportunity to own one of the best-loved cars across the world.

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

EXCITING SHOW

Oman Motor Show welcomes 31,541 visitors MUSCAT: Oman’s 18th International Motor Show welcomed a total of 31,541 visitors to its new venue at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre from December 7 to 10.

As promised, pioneer and leading organiser Omanexpo has once again brought a much-bigger and more exciting show, with reputable top car brands unfailingly displaying and unveiling their top-ofthe-line models - from saloon cars to SUVs and four-wheel drives to luxury, sports and hybrid cars, says a press release.

Equally grabbing the spotlight were the elegant display of classic cars and the lineup of Harley Davidson motorbikes. The auto

The 2017 Corolla comes with an array of safety, comfort and convenience specifications that add to customers’ delight - including ABS with EBD and brake assist, cruise control, vehicle stability control system and the tyre pressure monitoring system. Engineered to provide high active and passive safety standards, the Corolla also offers enhanced pedestrian impact protection. The adoption of numerous energy absorbing components offer significantly improved pedestrian protection in the event of a frontal impact.

For occupant protection, impact-absorbing structures have been adopted for the interior part of the pillar areas to ensure cabin safety. To help reduce the impact of a collision on occupants, the 2017 Corolla Multi Drive 7S is equipped with SRS Airbags for the driver and front passenger.

In addition to the above, the Corolla also features other class-leading features such as LED projector headlamps with integrated-type daylight running lights, smart entry system with push button start, new sport drive mode, auto headlamp levelling, chrome garnished retractable outer mirrors with turn signals and moonroof, amongst others.

In Oman, Toyota’s outstanding product quality is supported by the nationwide parts and service network of Saud Bahwan Automotive.

parts and accessories pavilion also did not fail to impress the visitors.

Another highlight was the Land Rover adventure zone, which provided visitors the opportunity to do test drives.

In addition, there were the traditional road safety demonstrations, a children’s zone that offered educational and interactive activities, the adventure exhibits by Oman Riders Club, Muscat Bikers, Oman

Riders Club, and Shabek Adventure Oman, and the grand raffle draw.

“Because of the show’s popularity, new companies participate in each edition. This year, we had BMW, Land Rover, Honda and Hyundai

and China car maker BAIC, which recently entered the Oman market.

This is apart from regular exhibitors such as Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Jeep, Dodge, and others,” Nader Abbas, Omanexpo general manager remarks.”

“A first in this year’s edition is the glitzy Oman Auto Excellence Awards on December 10, which culminated the successful exhibition. It will now become a permanent concurrent activity of the show,” he added.

The 18th Oman International Motor Show was opened on Wednesday by His Highness Sayyid Tariq bin Shabib Al Said along with celebrity guest Oman circuit racer Ahmad Al Harthy.

ahlibank picks MyHassad daily winners of OMR1,000 MUSCAT: ahlibank announced the names of the MyHassad daily prize draw winners.

Sami Abdullah Sulaiman Al Balushi from Sohar branch, Sulaiman Hamood Aamir Al Mahrezi from Sur branch, Said Fahad Said Al Rasbi from Seeb branch and Nasser Issa Saleh Ali Al Flaiti from Barka branch, were the lucky winners of OMR1,000 each for the week.

MyHassad savings account continues to successfully satisfy the existing customers and attract new ones.

B8

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

ROUND-UP

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Winners felicitated at Shell Road Safety Awards The awards were organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, ROP, Shell Development Oman and Sultan Qaboos University for the purpose of raising awareness on the importance of road safety

MUSCAT: The annual celebration of Shell Road Safety Awards (SRSA) was held at the Traffic Safety Institute, Al Seeb for the felicitation of this year’s winners.

The celebration was held under the auspices of Sheikh Abdulmalik bin Abdullah Al Khalili, Minister of Justice.

Dr Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shaibani, Minister of Education, Chris Breeze, country chairman Shell; and a number of other dignitaries, undersecretaries, advisers, director generals and supervisors from the Ministry of Education and ROP; as well as senior officials and staff from Shell Development Oman, and other invitees from different public and private organisations were also present.

The awards were organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, ROP, Shell Development Oman and Sultan Qaboos University for the purpose of raising awareness on the importance of road safety, says a press release.

The ceremony began with the guest of honour taking a tour at the exhibition arena which dis-

played the participants’ projects and paintings. After the tour, a film highlighting the Shell Road Safety Awards that explained the awards, its history, motive, fields and updates in the past decade was screened. Following this, the winners were conferred with their respective awards for their projects, research and films that reflected their keen understanding on the topics that were presented to them. The awards focused on different aspects - for example - being at a high speed while driving, using mobile phones while driving, the importance of using a child safety seat, road safety for students, and using seat belts in the back seats while driving, all of which were carefully studied and researched by the participants who also gave their suggestions and solutions to tackle the same.

Subsequent to this, the guest of honour handed over the awards to the winning schools, teachers and

students in five categories: school projects (3 winners), student’s research (5 winners), multimedia (5 winners), stories (5 winners) and paintings for kindergarten to Grade 4 students (12 winners – 6 male and 6 female). For this year, the total number of participants from the different Omani governorates was 161; varying between projects, research, multimedia, paintings and stories.

Post the awards ceremony, Amna Al Balushi, deputy secretary of the Oman National Committee for Education, Culture and Science for the schools affiliated with Unesco, youth programmes and Unesco clubs at the Ministry of Education, and head of the award’s main committee stated: “The SRSA has celebrated 10 years of success and excellence.

These 10 years are testimony to their effectiveness amongst workers in the educational field as well as students, as the awards helped

raise traffic awareness in not just schools, but in society as a whole.

Throughout the years, it was clear that the competition has significantly helped improve wrong traffic behaviour. This success is the outcome of the joint effort and fruitful cooperation between the ROP, Ministry of Education, Sultan Qaboos University and Shell Development Oman; all of whom have continuously endeavoured to encourage students and workers in the education sector to participate with the aim of enriching their traffic safety behaviour.”

“The Shell Road Safety Awards were instituted due to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s vision of bringing down the number of accidents and road fatalities in the Sultanate, as it is important for us to put our hands together to achieve traffic safety,” said Major Khamis Al Battashi, in-charge of the Road Safety Institute and Representative of the ROP in the award’s main committee.

“Besides school students, the competition is also conducted for those working in the education sector, as it aims at creating a generation that is well aware of road safety and the importance of following traffic rules. The competition witnesses major enthusiasm in all categories each year, and has helped incubate many projects which are great sources of awareness,” he added.

Muna Al Shukaili, GM - External Relations for Shell Development Oman said: “It is a pleasure for Shell Oman to continue the journey of organising this event for 10 years in a row, and we are grateful for renewing our collaboration with the ROP, Ministry of Education and Sultan Qaboos University in this country-wide competition.

Road safety is considered one of the main aims of our social investment program, as it is of growing importance and needs our support towards raising awareness among students. I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate our winners and look forward to receiving an even more promising participation in the future.”

H E AT S T R E S S M A NAG E M E N T C A M PA I G N

Sohar Aluminium receives regional acclaim for innovative health and safety efforts MUSCAT: Sohar Aluminium (SA) was recently recognised for its innovative annual Heat Stress Management Campaign by the Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC), the aluminium industry’s coordinating body and leading professional organisation.

The award was received on behalf of Sohar Aluminium by Engineer Said Mohamed Al Masoudi, SA’s chief executive officer, at a ceremony held during the Arabal Aluminium (ARABAL) Conference and Exhibition, the premium trade event for the Middle East’s Aluminium Industry.

Arabal, which was held in Dubai, UAE, this year, has been set to be take place in Oman in 2017, says a press release.

Commenting on this accolade, Al Masoudi said: “We are honoured to receive one of the aluminium industry’s most prestigious awards. It is indeed a privilege to

receive this acknowledgment for Sohar Aluminium’s efforts in heat stress management and awareness. The campaign is part of the company’s continuous efforts

to build a culture of high safety standards among its employees and contractors, while sharing its values and initiatives with the community.”

He added: “I would like to thank all employees of Sohar Aluminium who enthusiastically unroll the campaign every year keeping our colleagues and friends and neighbours in the community safe from heat and its hazards.”

Al Masoudi took part in the Industry Keynote Panel along with the other participating CEOs. Chris Murray, Sohar Aluminium’s chief operating officer, gave a presentation and participated in panel discussions which focused on the intersection between operations and technology.

R O A D S A F E T Y AWA R E N E S S

Bank Sohar visits Sohar International School MUSCAT: As part of its ongoing road safety awareness campaign for schools, launched in partnership with the Oman Road Safety Association (ORSA), Bank Sohar recently visited two campuses of the Sohar International School at Wilayat of Sohar. This is the sixth in a series of visits by the bank and ORSA, aimed at spreading awareness on road safety to children.

Both events took place recently, at each of the campuses’ respective all-purpose hall. The first event took place at the Sohar International School - Al Uwainat Campus in the presence of 350 students ranging from Grades I to V together with school faculty. The second event, that took place later the same day, was held at the main campus of the Sohar International Schoolat Al Tareef. It witnessed the attendance of over 600 students ranging from Grades 6 to 12 together with their teachers and school faculty. Representing Bank Sohar at the event were members

of the Bank’s Marketing Team, accompanied by a team from ORSA, headed by Eng. Ali Ahmed Al Barwani, CEO,ORSA. Commenting on the campaign, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, GM of HR and Corporate Support at Bank Sohar said, “It is important to help shape children’s understanding and their attitudes towards road safety right from a young age. Effective road safety education will also help them grow into respon-

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sible road users in the future as well as help them contribute towards everyone else’s safety over the long run. It was around this ideology that this particular campaign was designed; to reach out to children and teach them core aspects of road safety and the importance of adhering to them. It was also aimed at reaching out to the children’s family and friends by actively encouraging them to share what they have learnt with

everyone they know.”

Both events were conducted in a similar manner, starting with an introduction by Maha Hussain Al Lawati, Manager Events & Promotions at Bank Sohar. A presentation was then given to the attendees by Eng. Ali Ahmed Al Barwani, CEO, ORSA on the core aspects of maintaining road safety in and around school premises; with special focus being given on encouraging the children to advise their parents and school bus drivers against texting driving.

This is in line with the message of the road safety jingle titled ‘RakizWaSooq’ launched by the Bank earlier in the year. As with the previous visit, ORSA CEO, Eng. Ali Ahmed Al Barwani selected ten children from the attendees, from each of the two campuses, to be the school’s road safety representatives and ambassadors for the next five years;sharing the responsibility of helping spread awareness on road safety to students.

ACCOLADE

Ford GT claims Gold Clio award MUSCAT: Ford GT is a supercar from Ford produced in limited numbers. This machine is outstanding is every aspect, right from design to performance, making it a much sought after product. The Ford GT is real piece of modern art, design and performance. The 2016 LeMans winner is not only a beautifully sculptured machine, but a showcase of innovation that celebrates performance, efficiency, lightweight and aerodynamics.

Recently, the Ford GT became the first automobile ever to win a Gold Clio in the prestigious international Clio Awards competition.

The GT won the Gold Clio for product design in the newly added Vehicle category, making the Ford supercar the debut winner of the honour.

The Clio Awards is an esteemed competition that recognises creative excellence. Now in its 57th year, the competition recognises the work, agencies and talent that push boundaries and establish new precedent.

The awards are based on votes

from top creative professionals and marketers in advertising, marketing and celebrated design brand sectors around the world.

The Clio judging process is known for its diplomatic approach to recognising creative excellence on a global scale. Fewer than 20 percent of submissions within a media type survive the first two rounds, from which juries re-evaluate the work to determine gold, silver and bronze statues.

The pinnacle of the Ford Performance line-up, the all-new Ford GT is an ultra-high-performance supercar that serves as a technology showcase for EcoBoost performance, aerodynamics and lightweight carbon fibre construction. The Ford GT delivers one of the best power-toweight ratios of any production car with a carbon fibre body featuring active aerodynamics and a powerful, fuel-efficient twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engine.

In Oman, Ford vehicles are brought to you by Arabian Car Marketing Co.

QUALITY PRODUCTS

A’Saffa Foods offers 100% natural, fresh and tasty choice MUSCAT: A’Saffa Foods, Oman’s largest fully integrated poultry project leaves no stone unturned in its commitment to delivering superior quality products that are 100% natural, fresh and tasty.

Focusing on the corporate philosophy - “Core values of Healthy Food, Health and Happiness”, A’Saffa’s success is based on its “100% promise” and its three pillars - “100% halal, 100% natural and 100% tasty”. Each and every A’Saffa product is produced, packaged and transported to a wholesaler or retailer keeping health, freshness and safety in mind.

Having built its competence and expertise in fully integrated poultry and food production, food processing and innovative food recipes, the brand is thus known for delivering fresh, flavourful, halal, and healthy choices for its consumers in Oman and beyond, says a press release.

Sidhartha Lenka, head of Sales and Marketing at A’Saffa Foods averred, “A key factor that a consumer must take into consideration while buying chicken - is that imported chicken, takes more than a month to reach the GCC, and cannot be considered fresh. A completely home-grown Omani brand on the other hand A’Saffa chicken comes fresh daily from the farms to reach your nearest shopping outlet, hence ensuring that our end-consumers obtain the freshest and tastiest product possible.”

100% halal Through A’Saffa’s ‘real halal’ methods, a bird’s slaughtering is done by hand from the top of the neck ensuring each drop of blood and toxin flows out of the bird and is hygienic for consumption. Most companies use mechanical devices to slaughter poultry which is contrary to the strict guidelines that should be carried out to ensure that birds are slaughtered in accordance with proper Islamic Sharia. 3 to 4 out of every 100 chicken die before slaughter when electrical shocks are given to the birds (stunning), and this goes unnoticed in mechanical slaughtering which means ‘halal’ is not guaranteed. A’Saffa ensures that all of their birds are slaughtered by hand using a knife, and processed in a way that is hygienic and ensures that the birds are of the highest quality and fit for human consumption.

It is also noteworthy that A’Saffa Foods specially employ trained Muslim staff to slaughter chickens by hand at their farm ensuring that the staff member

pronounces ‘Bis miallah Allah ho Akhbar’ whilst facing ‘Makkah’ during the slaughtering of each individual bird in accordance with Sharia principles. Customers in Oman and across the GCC can thus be rest assured that they can buy every A’Saffa chicken and chicken product with the confidence that they have been raised and slaughtered by hand using actual halal techniques in accordance with Islamic Sharia.

100% natural Known for producing Oman’s freshest chicken and allied products, A’Saffa Foods also has a highly trained on-site medical team at their farms that monitors the health of the chickens daily to ensure that they are kept free from disease, have the right balance of feed and water; thus ensuring that the final product that is delivered to the consumer is healthy, natural and pure.

Located in Thumrait (Oman), the A’Saffa Foods plant produces high-quality fresh and frozen poultry products. One of the reasons for the remote desert location of the plant in the Dhofar governorate is to ensure that the most stringent ‘biosecurity’ measures are in place at the facility. Placing the farms far away from human habitation, migratory bird routes and other developments enables the company to minimise any potential risk of contamination or disease that could impact the farms that are located across a 40 square kilometre site.

The infrastructure at A’Saffa Foods plant includes parent farms, feed mill, environmentally controlled sheds (EC Shed), hatchery, modern (fully automated, untouched by hand) processing plant, R&D centre, disease diagnostics and feed analytical labs.

100% tasty As a company that adheres to religious, healthy and ethical practices - A’Saffa prohibits the use of chicken waste by-products and recycled animal waste substitutes for feeding its birds. Meticulous attention to detail, high biosecurity standards and stringent quality control checks at their plant ensure that the chicken that reaches end-consumers are fresh, natural, healthy, tasty and safe.

That’s not all, customers who buy A’Saffa products – frozen or fresh – can also be assured that during the production process, no hormones, no steroids, no preservatives, no colours and no flavours of any kind are added to the products.

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PAKISTAN CONFIDENT YASIR WILL BE FIT TO FACE AUSTRALIA >C2

SPOR YOUR GAME

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BAHRAIN’S ANWAR MAKKI KKI RETAINS OGC CROWN Anwar Makki of Bahrain defended hiss title in style with a comeback win overr he Ziyad Azizi of Jordan in the final of the 2nd Oman Gas Company (OGC) Tablee Tennis Open Tournament. >C3

Ashwin leads India to series win The touring side, who resumed the final day on 182 for six, were only able to add 13 more runs to their total as Ashwin took all four remaining wickets in a little more than half an hour and the hosts won by an innings and 36 runs

CHIEF WRECKER: Ravichandran Ashwin carries stump and ball as he leaves ground after their win over England. – PTI

MUMBAI: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up six wickets in England’s second innings as India cruised to victory in the fourth Test at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday to wrap up the five-match series with a game to spare.

The touring side, who resumed the final day on 182 for six, were only able to add 13 more runs to their total as Ashwin took all four remaining wickets in a little more than half an hour and the hosts won by an innings and 36 runs.

The five-wicket haul was the 24th for the world’s top-ranked Test bowler and his seventh 10-wicket haul, after the 30-yearold also took six wickets in England’s first innings, inspired India to an unassailable 3-0 lead.

Trailing by 49 runs entering the final day, England’s hopes of making India bat again rested on a pair of wicketkeeper-batsmen -- Jonny Bairstow, who was unbeaten on 50 overnight, and Jos Buttler.

Bairstow, however, misread

JUBILANT BUNCH: India captain Virat Kohli, left, celebrates with teammates during a victory lap after winning the fourth Test cricket match against England at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. – AFP

SCOREBOARD

England 1st innings: 400 (K. Jennings 112, J. Buttler 76, M. Ali 50; R. Ashwin 6-112, R. Jadeja 4-109) India 1st innings: 631 (V. Kohli 235, M. Vijay 136, J. Yadav 104; A. Rashid 4-192) England 2nd innings: A. Cook lbw b Jadeja 18 K. Jennings lbw b B. Kumar 0 J. Root lbw b Yadav 77 M. Ali c Vijay b Jadeja 0 J. Bairstow lbw b R. Ashwin 51 B. Stokes c Vijay b R. Ashwin 18 J. Ball c P. Patel b R. Ashwin 2 J. Buttler not out 6

Ashwin’s ‘carrom’ ball, a fingerspinner delivered with the knuckle, to be struck in front of the wicket after adding just a run to his overnight score and was unable to overturn the leg before decision

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

C. Woakes b R. Ashwin 0 A. Rashid c Rahul b R. Ashwin 2 J. Anderson c U. Yadav b R. Ashwin 2 Extras (b-15, lb-2, nb-2) 19 Total (all out, 55.3 overs) 195 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-43, 3-49, 4-141, 5-180, 6-182, 7-185, 8-189, 9-193,10-195 Bowling: B. Kumar 4-1-11-1, U. Yadav 3-010-0, R. Jadeja 22-3-63-2 (nb-1), R. Ashwin 20.3-3-55-6, J. Yadav 6-0-39-1 (nb-1) Umpires: B. Oxenford & P. Reiffel TV umpire: Marais Erasmus Match referee: Jeff Crowe Result: India won by an innings and 36 runs

on review. Ashwin then claimed a wicket in each of his next three overs to bring about a quick end to proceedings as England’s lower order capitulated meekly.

There were some angry words

exchanged between James Anderson and the India players when the England number 11 walked in to bat with the umpires forced to intervene to prevent the incident from escalating further.

On what has been a generally dismal tour for England, they also picked up an unwelcome statistic of becoming just the third side in Test history to compile 400 in the first innings and still lose by an innings.

Ashwin, who has won the man of the series awards in each of India’s last four Test series, took his tally to 27 wickets from the four matches against England.

India captain Virat Kohli, who hit 235 in India’s first innings for his third double century of the year, leads the run-scoring list with 640 at an average of 128.

The fifth and final Test will be played in Chennai from Friday. - Reuters

TEST SERIES

Arsenal get Bayern again, Barca meet PSG Beating England ZURICH: Arsenal will have another chance to beat Bayern Munich in a Champions League knockout tie after the sides were paired yet again in the round of 16 following Monday’s draw.

The teams met at the same stage in 2005, 2013 and 2014 with the German champions winning on all three occasions - 3-2 on aggregate in 2005, on away goals after a 3-3 draw in 2013 and 3-1 in 2014.

Paris St Germain will also try to break a jinx when they face Spanish champions Barcelona, who knocked them out in the quarterfinals in 2013 and 2014.

Holders Real Madrid, who like Bayern finished as runners-up in their group and will therefore play the first leg at home, were given a tricky clash with Serie A side Napoli.

The draw also produced a potential grudge match as it pitted Bayer Leverkusen against Atletico Madrid, whose respective coaches Roger Schmidt and Diego Simeone were involved in an ugly touchline spat when the sides met two seasons ago.

On that occasion, Atletico went through on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw.

Arsenal may feel this could be their best chance to beat Bayern, whose domestic and European form has not been as dominant as

not as easy as it looked, says Kohli

MY PICK: Netherlands’ former striker Ruud Gullit shows the name of Arsenal during the draw for the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League football tournament. – AFP

in recent seasons. “We are through to the knockout stage for the 14th consecutive season, which is testament to Arsene Wenger and the teams throughout that time,” club secretary David Miles said.

“The fans will think we have got the rough end of the draw again - at

some stage the tide has got to turn and we will beat them.”

Serie A champions Juventus were drawn against Porto in a repeat of the 1984 European Cup Winners’ Cup final which the Italian side won 2-1.

Sevilla and English champions

Leicester City will meet for the first time as will Manchester City and AS Monaco.

Benfica and Borussia Dortmund will renew their rivalry after a 52year wait, the sides having previously met in the 1963-64 European Cup. - Reuters

E U R O PA L E AG U E

Pogba to face brother as Man United meet St Etienne ZURICH: Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba could face his brother Florentin after the Jose Mourinho’s side were drawn against St Etienne in the Europa League round of 32, a tie which will also stir memories of the dark days of hooliganism in the 1970s.

The sides met in the old European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977-78 but the first leg in St Etienne was marred by violence involving United supporters.

The English side were kicked

out of the competition by UEFA but were reinstated on appeal and ordered to play their home leg outside Manchester, choosing to stage the game in Plymouth in southwest England.

They won the match 2-0 to go through 3-1 on aggregate.

A defender Florentin Pogba, a Guinean international, is a defender for St Etienne although he has only been picked intermittently this season.

His brother Paul, who plays for France, joined United from Juventus in the close season for a world record fee.

Borussia Moenchengladbach and Fiorentina, two of the most familiar names in European club football, will meet for the first time ever.

AS Roma, the only other Serie A team left in the competition after Inter Milan and Sassuolo failed to get past the group stage, are involved in another high-profile

match against Spain’s Villarreal.

Israel’s Hapoel Beer Sheva, who beat Inter during the group stage, were rewarded with a tie against Besiktas, one of eight teams parachuting in from the Champions League.

Two of the other top ties pitted AZ Alkmaar against Olympique Lyonnais and PAOK against Schalke, a repeat of their Champions League playoff tie in 2013-14 which the Bundesliga side edged 4-3 on aggregate. - Reuters

MUMBAI: India’s unassailable 3-0 lead over England has not been achieved as comfortably as it might appear against quality opposition, captain Virat Kohli said on Monday.

India thrashed England by an innings and 36 runs just over half an hour into the final day at the Wankhede Stadium to clinch the series with a match to spare.

England were the last team to win a test series in India, 2-1 four years ago, and they made a strong start in the drawn test in Rajkot this time round.

“I don’t think it’s been easy. We have been put under pressure many times. I think I would give my team a lot of credit for bouncing back from those tough situations,” Kohli told reporters.

“We haven’t got anything on the platter. We have had to work hard for it and it’s been a result of constant pressure that we have forced the opposition to make mistakes.”

Trailing 2-0 in the series, England posted 400 in their first innings in Mumbai and had the hosts, ranked number one in the world, in trouble by reducing them to 307 for six.

But man of the match Kohli hit 235 to rescue his team and led them to a massive first-innings total of 631.

“With the bat as well we have shown really good character to come back into the game, showing enough patience, more than the opposition,” the 28-year-old said, adding it was the best out of his five series wins as captain.

“No series win is easy, especially not this one, we know England is a quality test side and we knew that they will try to bounce back.

“Even in this game after being 2-0 down, they put 400 runs in the first innings. This is not a team that will throw in the towel.

We were tested but we came out

I don’t think it’s been easy. We have been put under pressure many times Virat Kohli

India captain

on top.” It was the fifth consecutive series win for India following triumphs in Sri Lanka and West India and home victories over South Africa and New Zealand.

Kohli was pleased with the unselfishness of his team mates.

“A lot of the times, you have an hour in the test match where you can take the game away and you are still not willing to go for it because you are close to your milestone or things like that,” he said.

“These are the things that we have gotten out of our system completely.” - Reuters

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

SPORTS ISC TENNIS

Ayyan, Kaavya win titles

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Arthur plays down return to Australia The South African is now busy plotting

U-14 BOYS: Ayaan Malhotra,

U-14 GIRLS: J. Kaavya and Stuti

right, and Sanskar Dubey.

Mathur.

the downfall of his former charges

MUSCAT: Ayaan Malhotra captured the boys under-14 singles title and J. Kaavya won the girls under-14 crown at the Falcon Insurance Company-sponsored Annual Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club.

In a well-contested boys under-14 final, Ayaan, the No. 1 seed defeated second seed Sanskar Dubey 6-4, 6-3 and avenged his defeat to Sanskar in last year’s under-12 final.

J. Kaavya captured a double crown. Having already won the

girls under-12 title, Kaavya played a splendid allround game to capture the girls under-14 singles title.

In the final, Kaavya made it two in a row over Stuti Mathur whom she defeated with a 6-4, 6-2 verdict. Stuti matched Kaavya stroke for stroke and the match was evenly poised until 4-all. Kaavya struggled to hold for a 5-4 lead broke Stuti to win the first set. Kaavya got the early break in the second set and played confident groundstrokes to establish a 5-2 lead and broke again to win her second title.

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in a three-Test series beginning in Brisbane on Thursday

MELBOURNE: Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur remains ill at ease with the spotlight shining on his return to Australia and cannot wait for the focus to shift to cricket, the 48-year-old said on Monday.

Arthur’s 19-month tenure as Australia coach came to an acrimonious end weeks before the 2013 Ashes series, following a collapse in team discipline and prompting a high-profile severance claim against his former employers Cricket Australia.

The South African is now busy plotting the downfall of his former charges in a three-test series beginning in Brisbane on Thursday.

“This series isn’t about me against Australia,” Arthur told reporters. “It’s about two very good cricket teams going head-to-head

Pakistan confident Yasir will be fit to face Australia SYDNEY: Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur is confident leg spinner Yasir Shah will be fit to face Australia in this week’s day-night opening test of a three-match series at the Gabba in Brisbane. Yasir, who was left out of Pakistan’s final test of the recent series in New Zealand, missed last week’s pink-ball tour match against a Cricket Australia XI in Cairns because of a back injury sustained in training.

“I saw him at the team hotel before I came and he seemed fine,” South African Arthur told reporters in Brisbane.

“Which is good because you don’t want to deprive the

and I hope that can be the focus for the remainder of the tour for that is what it is.”

Asked if he wanted to prove that Cricket Australia made a mistake by sacking him, Arthur said: “Of course there’s a part of me that feels that. I’d not be honest if I say otherwise. “I always maintain that I loved the first year and a bit of it, it was outstanding and I felt we made some significant progress.”

Australia paceman Mitchell Starc has already sent down a bouncer in Arthur’s direction, saying the cur-

Australian public the chance to see an unbelievable legspinner go about his business.

“And obviously he is integral to our plans as well.”

Pakistan have never beaten Australia in a test series Down Under and the ability to dismiss their hosts twice in a match will be key to their hopes of doing so in the upcoming contests, which also includes tests in Melbourne and Sydney. Yasir, who has taken 116 wickets in 20 tests at average of 27.89, is their topranked bowler in the ICC test rankings and took 12 wickets at an average of a shade over 17 when Pakistan swept Aus-

rent team were a lot “closer” under coach Darren Lehmann.

“It’s actually great to hear,” Arthur said. “I’m not beating around the bush when I say the team wasn’t very close during those times, but that was because of different characters. It was a largely insecure time for the players as well because there was a lot of changes that was coming about...”

Arthur is naturally in a position to offer Pakistan inside information but the onus would be on the players, he said, to exploit them.

tralia in his debut series in the UAE in 2014.

Arthur, a former coach of Australia, also said he would be looking for a better batting performance from the tourists after their middle and lower collapsed against the Black Caps in Hamilton last month and they lost the series 2-0.

“It’s no secret we need to get some runs,” Arthur said. “Adapting outside our conditions is difficult. It is like Australia playing on the subcontinent but we are working hard on that.”

The opening Test, the first day-nighter at the Gabba, starts on Thursday. - Reuters

“We’ll be providing a whole lot of information... but the information is useless unless you put it into practice,” he said.

Judging by Nathan Lyon’s reaction, Australia were unconcerned by what Arthur may claim to know about the current crop.

“It’s a totally different group, to be honest,” the off-spinner said.

“Only a couple of us played under Mickey Arthur. We are a new group. I’m not really concerned what Mickey Arthur is doing, to be honest.” - Reuters

CRICKET

Al Khoud Chargers lift Badr Al Samaa Cup MUSCAT: Al Khoud Chargers lifted the champion’s trophy of Badr Al Samaa Cricket League (BCL) 2016 one day cricket tournament defeating Sohar Rhinos.

The limited overs tourney between nine branches of largest private healthcare provider Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals was hosted by the Al Khoud branch.

The matches scheduled on round-robin league was held at Al Hail Cricket Ground, Mabella Muscat recently. The participating teams were Falaj Blasters, Sohar

Rhinos, Barka Warriors, Al Khoud Chargers, Al Khuwair Kings XI, Sur Strikers, Nizwa 6ers and Ruwi Royals representing different branches of Badr Al Samaa Group.

Al Khoud Chargers rocketed into the final after a blazing victory over the defending champion Ruwi Royals in the semifinal while Sohar Rhinos qualified for the final defeating Sur Strikers.

The man of the series was Abdul Jaleel and man of the match in the final was Dr Ashiq Iqbal.

The event was managed by Jacob

Oomman, Branch Manager, Badr Al Samaa Hospital, Al Khoud and coordinated by Dr Rajan and other support staff.

P.A. Mohammed, Managing Director, Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals together with Dr. Justine Augustine, Group General Manager, Ahamed Hadi, General Manager, Fayeda Travel & Tourism, KO Devassy, Chief Marketing Officer, Alwin George, Group Finance Manager were present on occasion and presented the trophies to the winners and runners-up.

Al Khoud Chargers captain receiving the Cup.

CLUB WORLD CUP

Jet-lagged Real ready for challenge TOKYO: Real Madrid are battling the effects of jet-lag but are fully focused on their Club World Cup semifinal against Mexican team Club America, coach Zinedine Zidane said on Monday. CONCACAF Champions League holders America stand in the way of Real reaching Sunday’s final against Atletico Nacional or Kashima Antlers after they beat South Korean side Jeonbuk Motors.

“The most important game is our next game, the only thing in my head at the moment is Thursday’s game,” Zidane told reporters. “I watched three games, against the Koreans, a cup game and a derby match.

I didn’t know anything about them before and now we have to really look at them.”

Real beat Deportivo La Coruna 3-2 on Saturday thanks to a stoppage-time winner by captain Sergio Ramos. - Reuters

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

SPORTS FOOTBALL

Talib summons 12 as Oman beach football team begins training MUSCAT: Oman national beach football team coach Talib Hilal has named 12 players, who will be taking part in the training camp in preparations for the Asian Qualifiers for the Beach Soccer Worlds.

Oman is among the 14 teams taking part in the qualifiers. The

other teams in fray are Japan, Iran, Lebanon, UAE, Bahrain, Uzbekistan, China, Iraq, Thailand, Qatar, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Malaysia .

The top three teams will qualify for the Worlds from the Asian qualifiers.

The players called for the camp are Haitham Harib, Amjad Al Hamdani, Yahya Al Araimi, Jalal Al Sinani, Abdullah Al Souti, Munzer Al Araimi, Khalid Al Araimi, Hani Al Dhabit, Nouh Al Zedjali, Sharif Shambaih and Abdullah Al Balushi.

Makki retains OGC table tennis crown The final between Anwar and Ziad proved to be thriller which ended in favour of the former 3-2

MUSCAT: Anwar Makki of Bahrain defended his title in style with a comeback win over Ziyad Azizi of Jordan in the final of the 2nd Oman Gas Company (OGC) Table Tennis Open Tournament organised by the Oman Table Tennis Committee (OTTC) at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.

Taking the third spot was Hassan Abdul Rahim of Bahrain followed by Hamad Bu Haji in the fourth place. Anwar Makki with the title became richer by $3000, while Ziyad Aziz pocketed $2000.

Third-placed Hassan walked away with $1000 and Hamad Bu Haji received a prizemoney of $500.

Egyptian Ahmed Helmy, Marzouq Rashidi of Kuwait, Fadi Kiwan

CHAMPIONS: Bahrain’s Anwar Makki receives the trophy from OGC General Manager Mahmoud bin

Mohammed Al Amri as Oman Table Tennis Committee chief Abdullah Ba Makalef looks on.

of Lebanon and Jordan’s Zaid Yousef received cash prizes worth $200 respectively for taking the spots from fifth to eighth respectively.

Thirteen countries — Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Philippines, India, Nigeria, Italy, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt — in the event.

VETERAN CRICKET COACH M.K. IQBAL FELICITATED M.K. Iqbal, veteran chief coach of Chennai’s AVM Cricket Academy, was felicitated by Friends Cricket Club (FCC) for having completed 40 years in cricket coaching. Age is not a barrier for this former Madras Ranji Trophy player and he says “I am what I am because of cricket. So, I am happy giving whatever I know to the game which made me.” Iqbal, who was born in 1935, was a key member of the Parry & Co team for decades. Known for his sound technique and unflappable temperament as batsman, he was selected to the Madras Ranji team and what resulted was 21 centuries between 1954 and 1957. Presently in Muscat he spent time with the FCC officials Nowfal Raymarakkar, Vijesh CV, Sujith Kumar and Ritwik Kadankot. — Supplied photo

The final between Anwar and Ziad proved to be thriller which ended in favour of the former 3-2.

However, defending champion Anwar found the going tough losing the first two games to Ziad at 11-8, 13-11. But Anwar bounced back in style winning the next three at 11-9, 11-7 and 11-3.

The prize giving ceremony was presided over by Mahmoud bin Mohammed Al Amri, General Manager of Oman Gas Company, and Abdullah Ba Makalef, head of the Oman Table Tennis Committee. Also present was Fahad Abdullah Al Raisi, director at Ministry of Sports Affairs.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016

SPORTS

OMAN CRICKET LEAGUE

C O M M E N TA RY

SPARKLING TRIO: Assarain stars, from left, Ahmad Raza, Shahan Akram and Naseem Khushi. – Supplied photos

DAZZLING DUO: Carillion Alawi’s Issam Al Balushi and Davinder

Kumar.

Close win for Assarain as Muscat notch easy victory

All-sweet Kohli shuts Anderson up with a post-victory pat

In Premier Division T20 matches, Muscat eased to a 10-wicket win over Sinha

D DIVISION: MARH players fater beating Mott MacDonald.

A

CT while Assarain defeated Passage to India by six runs

MUSCAT: Muscat CT eased to a 10-wicket victory over Sinha CT in an Oman Cricket-organised Premier Division T20 match. Batting first, Sinha were bowled out for 69 in 14.5 overs. Badal Singh and Ashish Odedera claimed three wickets each for Muscat CT. In reply, Muscat CT raced to 71 in just 6.1 overs without losing any wickets. Aaqib Sulheri top scored with an unbeaten 60.

Brief scores: Sinha 69 in 14.5 overs (Badal Singh 3/10) lost to Muscat CT 71 for no loss in 6.1 overs (Aaqib Sulheri 60 n.o).

Points: Sinha CT – 0, Muscat CT – 5.

PTI beaten In another Premier Division T20 match, Assrain overcame Passage to India (PTI) for a six-run victory. Batting first, Assarain put on 166 for seven in 20 overs. Shahan Akram top scored with 54. Mohammed Bilal claimed three wickets for PTI. In reply, PTI scored 160 for nine in 20 overs. Mohammed Saeed top scored with 54. Ahmad Raza claimed three wickets for Assarain.

Brief scores: Assarain 166 for 7 in 20 overs (Shahan Akram 54; Mohammed Bilal 3/33) bt Passage to India 160 for 9 in 20 overs (Muhammed Saeed 54, Ahmad Raza 3/25). Points: Assarain – 4, PTI – 0.

Easy for EY In a C Division match, Ernst & Young (EY) registered a 62-run victory over Attic Outdoors. Batting first, EY scored 217 for four in 20 overs. Mohammed Nayaz and Hassan Hussain scored 56 and 80 respectively. In reply, Attic Outdoors were restricted to 155 for nine in 20 overs. Mohammed Nayaz and Rana Zeeshan claimed three wickets for EY. Brief scores: EY 217 for 4 in 20 overs (Mohammed Nayaz 56, Hassan Hussain 80) bt Attic Outdoors 155 for 9 in 20 overs (Mohammed Nayaz 3/15). Points: Attic Outdoors – 0, E&Y – 3.

Carillion Alawi win In a D Division match, Carillion Alawi defeated Arabian Sea Bridge by five wickets. Batting first, Arabian Sea Bridge scored 165 for eight in 20 overs. Praveen Das top scored with 41. Issam Al Balushi claimed three wickets for Carillion. In reply, Carillion scored 166 for five in 17.3 overs. Davinder Kumar top scored with 68 runs.

Brief scores: Arabian Sea Bridge 165 for 8 in 20 overs (Praveen Das 41; Issam Al Balushi 3/24) lost to Carillion Alawi 166 for 5 in 17.3 overs (Davinder Kumar 68). Points: Arabian Sea Bridge – 0, Carillion Alawi – 2.

MARH down Mott In another D Division match,

E DIVISION: Jubilant Ibrahim Al Kishri players

EY STARS: Mohammed Nayaz, top, and Hassan Hussain.

122 for three in 13.3 overs. Aneet Sampat top scored with 43.

H DIVISION: Douglas OHI celebrate win over RAHRC.

G DIVISION: NBO players celebrate beating Bank Muscat.

MARH defeated Mott MacDonald by six wickets. Batting first, Mott MacDonald were all out for 112 in 13.3 overs. Praveen Pattath claimed six wickets for MARH. In reply, MARH scored 114 for four in 11.2 overs with Khalid Moosa top scoring with 46.

Brief scores: Mott MacDonald 112 in 13.3 overs (Praveen Pattath 6/29) lost to MARH 114 for 4 in 11.2 overs (Khalid Moosa 46). Points: Mott Macdonald – 0, MARH – 3.

Inspired Ibrahim Al Kishri In an E Division match, Ibrahim Al Kishri defeated Al Fairuz by eight wickets. Batting first, Al Fairuz were bowled out for 92 in 16.2 overs. Asad Shah claimed three wickets for Ibrahim Kishri.

In reply, Ibrahim Kishri put on 96 for two in 6.3 overs. Asad Shah top scored with 54 runs.

Brief scores: Al Fairuz 92 in 16.2 overs (Asad Shah 3/13) lost to Ibrahim Kishri 96 for 2 in 6.3 overs (Asad Shah 54). Points: Al Fairuz – 0, Ibrahim Kishri – 3.

Trust Oilfield shine In an F Division match, Trust Oilfield coasted to a five-wicket victory over Muscat Cricket Coaching Centre (MCCC). Batting first, MCCC scored 100 for nine in 20 overs. Khurram Rashid claimed two wickets for Trust Oilfield. In reply, Trust Oilfield put on 102 for five in 13.1 overs.

Brief scores: MCCC 100 for 9 in 20 overs (Khurram Rashid 2/15) lost to Trust Oilfield 102 for 5 in 13.1 overs (Shahid Mehmood 38).

Points: Trust Oilfield – 3, MCCC – 0.

NBO beat Bank Muscat In a G Division match, National Bank of Oman (NBO) defeated Bank Muscat by five wickets. Batting first, Bank Muscat scored 146 for nine in 20 overs. Zaheer Abbas claimed three wickets for NBO. In reply, NBO scored 149 for five in 18.5 overs. Aditya top scored with 45. Zaheer Abbas was the pick of the NBO bowlers with two wickets.

Brief scores: Bank Muscat 146 for 9 in 20 overs (Zaheer Abbas 3/25) lost to NBO 149 for 5 in 18.5 overs (Siddharth Oza 34).

Points: NBO – 2, Bank Muscat – 0.

Douglas too good In a H Division match, Douglas OHI defeated RAHRC by seven wickets. Batting first, RAHRC were all out for 123 in 18.3 overs.

Vinod Nair and Ramsheela claimed four wickets each for Douglas OHI. In reply, Douglas OHI scored 126 for three in 12.2 overs. Santosh Kumar top scored with an unbeaten 55.

Brief scores: RAHRC 123 in 18.3 overs (Vinod Nair 4/16, Ramsheela 4/11) lost to Douglas OHI 126 for 3 in 12.2 overs (Santosh Kumar 55 n.o). Points: Douglas OHI – 3, RAHRC – 0.

Al Ansari beat NBO In another H Division match, Al Ansari defeated NBO Munz by seven wickets. Batting first, NBO Munz were all out for 118 in 19.2 overs. Wajid Akram top scored with 54. Nerajul Abbas and Adnan Nalwalla claimed four wickets each for Al Ansari. In reply, Al Ansari scored

Brief scores: NBO Munz 118 for 10 in 19.2 overs (Wajid Akram 54; Nerajul Abbas 4/19, Adnan Nalwalla 4/19) lost to Al Ansari 122 for 3 in 13.3 overs (Aneet Sampat 43).

Points: Al Ansari – 3 (BP) ; NBO Munz – 0.

Mehul down OCT Al Nahdha In an I Division match, Mehul Enterprises recorded a 72-run win over OCT Al Nahdha. Mehul Enterprises scored 190 for four in 20 overs. Shameel Mohammed and Donald Taylor scored 82 not out and 66 respectively. In reply, OCT Al Nahdha were bowled out for 118 in 19.2 overs.

Brief scores: Mehul Enterprises 190 for 4 in 20 overs (Shameel Mohamed 82 n.o., Donald Taylor 66) bt OCT Al Nahdha 118 in 19.2 overs (Faisal Al Balsuhi 59; Imran Khan 3/25). Points: OCT Al Nahdha – 0, Mehul Enterprises – 2.

Tough win for HFP In another I Division match, Hussain Fahdhil Partners (HFP) defeated OCT Al Hail B by 19 runs. Batting first, HFP scored 194 for eight in 20 overs. Stalin Johnson top scored with 66. Ibrahim Muradjan claimed three wickets for OCT Hail B. In reply, OCT Al Hail B scored 175 for seven in 20 overs.

Brief scores: HFP 194 for 8 in 20 overs (Stalin Johnson 66; Ibrahim Muradjan 3/24) bt OCT Al Hail B 175 for 7 in 20 overs (Rajesh Pote 3/34).

Points: HFP – 3, OCT Al Hail B – 0.

MM defeat CCC In a J Division match, Muscat Masters scored a three-wicket win over Classic Cricket Club (CCC).

Batting first, Classic Cricket Club scored 178 for eight in 19 overs.

Ashraf Mohammed top scored with 46. Gaurav H. claimed three wickets for Muscat Masters. In reply, Muscat Masters scored 181 for seven in 18.2 overs with Piyush Kholi top scoring with an unbeaten 49.

Brief scores: Classic Cricket Club 178 for 8 in 19 overs (Ashraf Mohammed 46; Gaurav H. 3/32) lost to Muscat Masters 181 for 7 in 18.2 overs (Piyush Kohli 49 n.o).

Points: Classic Cricket Club – 0, Muscat Masters – 2.

fter James Anderson chipped Ravichandran Ashwin to mid-on where Umesh Yadav gladly took the catch to beat England by an innings and 36 runs, Virat Kohli was seen patting the back of Anderson who had what looked like unpleasant exchanges with the Indian spinner a little while ago. We got to know later that Kohli was trying to tell Anderson that “these things happen” and that they should “move on”. While it looked pretty decent on the part of the Indian skipper to step in and whisper some words of wisdom into the ear of the vanquished, imagine the impact of the seemingly innocent act on Anderson who, a few hours ago, was trying to tell the world that he was not impressed by the double hundred or the 640 runs scored by the Indian skipper. Embarrassing.

Kohli’s failure in the 2014 away series has no bearing on what’s happening in 2016, in a series taking place in India. Neither England captain Alastair Cook nor Anderson was expecting the Indians to welcome them with setting up English conditions in India. They were betting on pitches that offered vicious turn from day one and were actually surprised to find out that the pitches at the first four venues were nothing like the infamous dustbowls they were scared of.

Now that the Indian pitches have reflected the natural Indian conditions, now that there have been no effort put in by Kohli to set England up on dustbowls, and now that England’s batsmen have lacked the art of defence and patience to build partnerships, it was unnecessary for Anderson to comment on Kohli’s lack of skills in the past, which was a poor excuse for their below-par performance and their collective failure to tackle the Indian bowlers, both spin and fast.

Anderson should live in the present, realize he is playing on the subcontinent and come to terms with the fact that his team was beaten fair and square in three back-to-back Tests.

He should admit that they have failed to get the Indian batsmen out after putting 400 or more runs on the board batting first in two

of the four Tests, instead of making references that looked out of context.

It’s a fact that Kohli had failed miserably against England in the 2014 away series. He may make amend for his shortcomings in the next away series or he might fail again. That’s quite another matter but, on current form, even Cook, despite his veiled support to Anderson’s comment that Kohli was hiding his technical flaws with the help of pitches that took the nicks out of the equation, might put his money on the Indian if a series were to be played in England immediately after the Chennai Test got over.

After doing a round of victory lap to share the sweetest moment with the crowd, Kohli said Anderson looked a bit guilty when he walked out to bat at a time summed up by Mike Atherton as “England on the brink, nine down”. With more than an hour still to go for lunch and then, in the event of he and Jos Buttler surviving for so long, two more full sessions to draw the game, Anderson may have had nothing going in his favour to pull himself up, especially in the wake of his Sunday boast that they wouldn’t be trying for a draw but a win.

England have lost the series. There’s nothing Anderson could do about it, no matter what excuse he would come up with to explain away the defeat.

His personal performance, as well as that of others, especially the bowlers, was disappointing. Instead of raking up the past, Anderson should look to the future. To Chennai, precisely.

And try to do something that might help them escape roasting by the media when they fly back home for the Christmas break.

The writer is a freelance contributor based in India.

All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman

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HP 2130 3in1 Printer RO 10.900 only All Cartridges also available on UNBEATABLE prices All HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Samsung Cartridges also available.

Ruwi: 24 792 792 Sohar: 2684 2420

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

FOR RENT

*Tourist visa arranged

AN EXISTING FARM FOR RENT in the Wilayat of Barka, with an area of 45 acres, out of which large area is planted with fodder and 7 acres are planted with vegetables. It has also 14 greenhouses as well as 3 artesian wells and a plowing tractor ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ĐƵƫ ŶŐ ĂŶĚ ďƵŶĚůŝŶŐ ƚŽŽůƐ ĂŶĚ plowing equipments with their accessories. dŚĞ ĨĂƌŵ ŚĂƐ Ă ŐŽŽĚ Į ŶĂŶĐŝĂů ŝŶĐŽŵĞ͘

Contact: 99340378

FOR RENT - OPEN PLOT AVAILABLE 3500 SQM INDUSTRIAL/ COMMERCIAL PLOT WITH COMPOUND WALL SUITABLE FOR OPEN WAREHOUSING, HEAVY MACHINERY/ VEHICLE LOADING/ UNLOADING. PARKING FACILITY ALSO AVAILABLE ON BOTH SIDES

CONTACT : 99273774 - 99202278

OFFICE PROPERTY FOR SALE/RENT DAYS AWAY FROM DELIVERY - PREMIUM OFFICE SPACE AT PRIME LOCATION AT BAUSHER ON 2ND FLOOR BUILD UP AREA – 163 SQ. MTRS. SALE PRICE RO.1,050/- PER SQ. MTR -RENT PER MONTH RO.10/- PER SQ. MTR. OPTIONS WITH OR WITHOUT FURNITURE.

PREMIUM VILLA FOR SALE SANTINI A3 TYPE 2 STOREY VILLA WITH 4 BEDROOMS PLUS MAID ROOM AT AL MOUJ PHASE 4.

GREAT LOCATION WITH CUL DE SAC FOR PARKING. PURCHASE OPEN TO NON-OMANIS AS WELL.

Building consists of 3 floors with 12 flats in Sohar, Falaj Al aohe.

Contact: 95411354

CONTACT NO. 91257475

2 BHK with split / AC in Muttrah, Dar Al Maha. Contact: 96708000

Two apartments for rent in the first Ansab consisting of 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a living room, kitchen, 2 Balcony and the second consisting of 5 rooms and 5 bathrooms, a living room, kitchen and balcony with Split Air Conditioners. Contact 99319620 / 97771121

Store for rent in W.K. Contact: 96708000 Flats & shops for rent at Ruwi Honda road Mumtaz area.

Contact: 97293708 / 92433127 Room Al Khuwair R.O 110/-.

Contact: 92144045 / 97799175 A well recognized steel workshop in Sohar is looking for long lease contract for its existing welders.

Interested party can select welder skills as per their needs.

If interested call GSM : 95852097 / 94805758 2BR flat in old fish market Ruwi.

Contact: 92705331 One / Two, B/R flats in new building near Dolphin near dolphin complex, Bausher directly from owner.

Contact: 92158031 2BHK flat in Wadi Kabir near the Indian Primary School with split A/Cs. Contact: 99367627

Flat for rent in Al Ghobra, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1 family sitting room, 1 kitchen. RO 400/Contact - 95919059 New 3 story 4 bedroom villa in Al Hail near to radio station. The spacious master bedroom has a sea view. It has a maids room.

All bedrooms have bathrooms and one extra bathroom between dining and sitting room. It has split A/c’s.

6 months advance payment required. Price is OMR 750 monthly.

Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955. No Brokers Please.

1 BHK Flat for rent in Darsait.

Contact: 99357586 / 97500021

Medical clinic for rent in Samail 1000/- Rial per month with all equipment in laboratory & X- Ray without medical staff. Contact: 99319104

1,2 BHK Wadi Kabir. Contact: 92144045 / 97799175

1,2 BHK Darsait. Contact: 92144045 / 97799175

2 BHK Azaiba R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045 / 97799175

Room for rent in Qurum attached bathroom. Contact: 97128083

Brand new shoe room at heart of Azaiba city for rent.

Contact : 98294753

1,2,3 BHK flats & villas.

Contact: 92144045 / 97799175

Villa complex for lease renovated deluxe villa complex with separate three flats, location Al Ghobra North (near tourist hotels) is available for lease. Contact: Ali: 99411607, Luoy : 92466266

Office for rent in Shatti Al Qurum in Al Masa mall.

Contact: 91153933

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

1 BHK near Medical Darsait Muttrah house R.O 180/-.

Contact: 95070201

Villa for rent four spacious bath attached bed room, private swimming pool, gymnasium (common) with electrical equipment and free maintenance secured compound at Madinat Al Illam. #98027975 One room furnished Al Khuwair near Technology College. Contact: 99389989 Call after 5 o’clock pm.

One BSK two bath room with split unit AC at Honda road.

Contact: 91118706 / 99342733 2BHK near Oman house behind Khimji H.O. Contact : 95865686 Villa complex for lease renovated deluxe villa complex with separate three flats , location AL Ghobra north ( near tourist hotels) is available for lease. Contact: Ali : 99411607 , Luoy : 92466266 House in Darsait, 3 rooms, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen with A/C. Contact: 95522405 2 BHK near Oman house behind Khimiji, H.O. Contact: 95865686

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DAILY GUIDE

FOR SALE

4BHK Flat with split A/c including 3 toilets, in Qurum commercial area near Mercedes-Benz showroom.

- New Brand Building in Bowsher for sale - Twin villa in Azaiba & Ghubra for sale - Commercial/ Residential khuwair for sale.

Land in Al

Contact Hood: 91155779

JEWELLERY SHOP For Sale: Running jewellery shop with furniture & settings in Ruwi High Street.

Contact on 9945 9440 (Raza)

Contact: 99214738, 92715778

FOR RENT New apartment flat for rent, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms & kitchen, behind Indian School, short way to Lulu Darsait & Muttrah traditional Soqu. Contact or Whatsapp: 91013331 Villa for rent in South Mabellah, 3 bedrooms, sitting room, family Lounge, kitchen, three Toilets Contact 92212212 between 10 AM to 5 PM Spacious shop available for perfumes cosmetics, near Oman house. Contact: 92150455 Two bed room flat available near Honda Show room.

Contact: 99022675 Garage for rent in Wadi Kabir 250 Sqm built area equipped with one hydraulic lift and vehicle pit.

Serious tenants may #97224477 New flats for rent at Darsait near to ministry of sports, Mumtaz area the flats includes 1 living room , 2 bedrooms, kitchen, 3 toilets, every room with split A/C & high quality finishing. Rent per flat is RO 320/-.

Interested candidates please Contact: 00968 – 92225523 New flats for rent at Al Ghubra near to Atlas Hospital, opposite to Panorama mall. Interested candidates Contact: 00968 – 97093283 1Bedroom sharing K& T, family / ladies in Al Khuwair R.O 90.

Contact 95154331 6 Bedroom villas available for rent at North Al Hail, near Wave, complex with swimming pool and Gym. Contact: 99833747 2 BR apartments available for rent, close to Muscat Grand Mall, next to Diwan’s Office, South Ghubra. Contact: 2456256 / 99833747 Flat for rent, 1 BHK in Bowshar.

Contact: 91153933

Room for rent behind Oman house # 99025809 1 room with living room 250/- & 2 rooms with living room 300/-, Bowshar near Modern College, with split AC & ample car park.

Contact: 90999945 / 92222045 New villa for rent in Azaiba 18 November Street. 6 Bedrooms, 2 kitchens & 7 toilets. To view the villa contact - 95919059 3 bedroom ground floor house for rent in South Al Hail behind Al Hail Hypermarket. #95047657 Room in Azaiba. # 99555843

FOR SALE

Contact 93990154

Keralite coffee shop good running condition at Al Hail.

Contact: 95856654

FOR SALE

Used vehicles – 3 Ton Double cabin Trucks- 12 Nos. #99417302.

Shop for sale at Al Khoudh.

Contact: 92820541 Twin Villa for sale in Azaiba near Sultan Centre. Each side has three floors, five bedroom plus maid room. Each room has it’s own bathroom and one extra toilet between dining and sitting room. The villas are now about 5 years old and very clean and well maintained. It has split A/C’s. OMR 215,000 each villa. Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955.

No Brokers Please.

400 square meters residential land in Al Ghubra south near Millenium Hypermarket. OMR 134 thousand. Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955.

No Brokers Please.

New building in Bowshar for sale.

Contact: 91155779 Villa in MQ for sale. #91155779

Flat in Wadi Al Kabir, 3 rooms with AC. Contact: 99333639 Room for rent in Bowshar.

Contact: 91153933 Fully furnished room for executive bachelor in CBD area, WiFi internet free, advance deposit.

Contact: 90631572 Villa for Rent behind mazoon mousqe 7 bedroom, living room, dining room . Contact 95150809 for 750 R.O nogotiable

FOR SALE 1. Porta Cabin 2. Book Loader (New Holland) 3. Water Tanker (Hino 2000 Gallon) 4. Roller (JCB 3 Ton) 5. Roller (JCB & Wacker, 1 Ton) ϲ͘ ^ĐĂī ŽůĚŝŶŐƐ 7. HDPE Duct Pipes (300 mm to 1800mm) 8. Tower Hoist

603 sq mtrs residential land in Al Hail North Block 45 NE near Radio station. OMR 96 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 - or 97509955. No Brokers Please Ducab – FRLS cables of various sizes for sale. # 98048952, 99815190 Farm in Barka for sale.

Contact: 91155779 Ice cream Shop, Prime location, Ruwi for sale. Contact: 92150455

Used & refurbished porta cabins, toilets unit available for sales.

Contact: 99215560 Email: omegaunitedoman@gmail.com Shop for sale heart of Ruwi near happy center. Contact 96728595 / 99335013 Shop for sale at Honda road and Rex Road. Contact: 96093266 / 91398730 Villa for sale in Al Amerat 8/1 upscale finishes. Contact: 91153933 Containers for sale Total 40 feet & quantity 70 Nos for more details, please Contact: +968 95068854 BUILDING MATERIAL SHOP FOR SALEWell-furnished running building material-electrical shop (4 shutter / 200sqm) in Al- Khoudh- 6, for immediate sale- shop with stock or stock only.

Serious buyers may please Contact: 94320909 Industrial land in Rusail.4000 sqm. contact 99323957 / 95490842.

Land for sale in the village of Bimmah on the coastal road Qurayat/ Sur with a space of 604 square meters for an attractive price.

Contact 92905222 Beauty parlour for sale in Ruwi.

Contact: 92430239

BUYING Buying cars for cash. # 90202090

AVAILABLE ACC. AVAILABLE Sharing accommodation in W/K. Contact: 94986587 Furnished single room with toilet at Al Khuwair, Kabab factory Ronald. Contact: 99568122 Furnished 2 B/R flat available for family / EX bachelors near ISD Darsait. Contact: 93517541 Furnished sharing flat at Honda Read. contact 96093266 / 91398730 Furnished room sep / entrance Wadi Kabir Executives.

Contact: 99336206 Room for rent available at Al Khuwair. Contact: 91512037 Furnished room in ruwi and azaiba for rent for executive bachelors. Gsm 99058344 Sharing accommodation available at honda road Ruwi.

Contact 99040590 Sharing accommodation available with W/E at Al Khuwair 33.

For a small family or non-cooking bachelors. Contact - 92834145 Furnished room for non cooking bachelor near Softy Ice cream, Ruwi. contact 91107383 / 93120054

ACC.WANTED Wanted a single room for Senior Executive Bachelor in Ruwi area.

Contact: 93708595

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299 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

MV SALE 2009 last, BMW X5, Expat owned grey colour Jenaibi Service history 97,000 K.M immaculate condition with brand new tyres R.O 8,650/-.

Contact: 93597597 Camry, No. 2, 2012 model, 66000 kms, Gray. Contact: 92781260 Prado 2014. Contact 99336093 FJ Cruiser 2009 GCC, yellow, 210000 KM, RO 6300/Contact: 92857111 Mercedes C155, 2008, white, 130000 KM, 10100/- R.O. Contact: 92857111 Honda Accord 2008 model, 4 cylinder, number 1 full options with navigation/ camera, full insurance. No accident history, 1640000 km, well maintained.

OMR 3300/-. Contact –95919059 Dihatsu Terrios Trend 4WD, 2012 Registration, dealer service registration up to August 2017.

Contact No: 92812144

SITUATION WANTGOOD NEWS ENJOY YOUR VACATION!!! ŶũŽLJ LJŽƵƌ ǀĂĐĂƟ ŽŶ ƉĞĂĐĞĨƵůůLJ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ǁŽƌƌLJŝŶŐ ĂďŽƵƚ LJŽƵƌ ĐĂƌ͘ ,ĞƌĞ ŝƐ Ă ƐŽůƵƟ ŽŶ ĨŽƌ ƐĂĨĞ parking and cleaning your car when you are ĂǁĂLJ ŽŶ ǀĂĐĂƟ ŽŶ͘ &Žƌ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚƌĂǀĞůůŝŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ĚŝƐƚĂŶƚ ůŽĐĂƟ ŽŶ͕ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ũƵƐƚ ĚƌŽƉ Žī LJŽƵƌ ŬĞLJƐ to the car care team and peacefully check into ƚŚĞ ĂŝƌƉŽƌƚ͘ zŽƵƌ ǀĞŚŝĐůĞ ǁŝůů ďĞ ǁĂŝƟ ŶŐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ airport on your return.

Contact: 96964767 Ayurvedic treatments & massage – Ayurvedic Clinic Al Khuwair.

Contact 97263637 / 93309131 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic clinic, 18th November Street Al Ghubra (North).

Contact 99639695 / 97397320

NRI One B/R spacious flat, Quepem Goa, full furnished all facilities.

Contact: 97094797

WANTED Urgently required looking to immediately buy used Grit blasting & airless spray equipment 1 No each. Contact 968 24810930 / 93203772 / 93203773 /93203778

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SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER & FINANCE MANAGER

Sales Staff with perfumes experience, required for a perfume company. Preferable Arabs & Indians speaking Arabic.

Age below 35, joining immediately with NOC or visit visa.

Looking for dynamic and talented individuals to join our team in Oman ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐŝƟ ŽŶ ŽĨ

ϭ͘ ŚŝĞĨ &ŝŶĂŶĐŝĂů Kĸ ĐĞƌ 2. Finance Manager with at least 5 years experience in the ƌĞůĞǀĂŶƚ Į ĞůĚ ĨŽƌ Ă ŐƌŽƵƉ ŽĨ ĐŽŵƉĂŶŝĞƐ associated with Petroleum, WůĞĂƐĞ ĂƉƉůLJ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ĐŽŶĮ ĚĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ

Email CV to:

send your C.V kbd@f-m.fm issa767a@gmail.com

oman@alharamainperfumes.com

Reputed mineral water company required the following HEAVY/LIGHT DUTY DRIVERS VAN SALESMAN with Omani driving license

SALES SUPERVISOR/SALES KͳKZ /E dKZ with Omani driving license , >W Z^ ͳ Experience 3 to5 years

Contact - 90372638 ACCOUNTS Accountant 2-3 years experience.

Candidate should be Indian, English speakers. NOC is a must.

Email: mohammad.jwabreh@ bearingcitysc.com. Fax: 24509312

CATERING Excellent male cook w/ experience 200 Riyals salary + accommodation & food. Must be in Oman have own visa. Contact: Whatsapp: 95887572 Urgently required Sous Chef commis Chef for a new restaurant.

Contact: 91919255

DOMESTIC HELPER Full time Filipino lady Nurse or a lady helper to take care of a male patient visa, labour clearance available. Contact: 96103792

ENGINEER SURVEYOR /DRAFTSMAN ITI Surveyor with 2 years experience in Oman in OHL transmission lines with valid D/L and knowledge in drafting preferred Contact:93339586 Email: hromancv@gmail.com Required Urgently Engineer with Driving License & Foreman for construction company in Suwaiq, Al Batinah Contact: 96322202 / 93677795, mail your cv’s to: unionnationalhouse@gmail.com Required Pipeline, Architect / planning engineer, Civil Engineer & Commercial Secretary (UK, USA, Germany), Mechanical Engineer, MEP Engineer, Indian Secretary.

Email : joboman2017@gmail.com

Urgently required Arabic Instructor for spoken Arabic classes for private group of 10 People. Contact: 91919255

Urgently required male pharmacist, Male lab technician, Female OT nurse, Female hair implantation nurse. Contact: 95634573 Email: hr@gshoman.com, Urgently required GP doctor with NOC for well known running clinic ready to work in Bidbid.

Contact 96746460 Urgently required licensed Pharmacist temporary or permanent for a reputed polyclinic. Contact 96721709 or send CV to : manageribnalhaitham@yahoo. com Wanted female & Male Nurse with or without license (good salary, food & accommodation with other benefits. Contact 92989109, Email: medicoport@gmail.com A MOH license Staff Nurse needed to work in a clinic in Medha 400 Rial salary with accommodation. Contact: 94220240 Arabic speaking doctor preferably with MOH License, internal medicine specialty would be a plus.

E-mail gccmedicalrecruitment@ gmail.com Require Orthodontist in Bahla.

Contact: 99237436 Required Optometrist for a leading Optical group in Oman.

Email : albasilopticals@gmail.com Contact 93822557

Urgent required : Store labors.

Candidate should be Indian, English speakers. NOC is a must.

Email: mohammad.jwabreh @bearingcitysc.com, Fax: 24509312

Construction company looking for foreman with Gulf experience.

Contact : 95758004 Required Salesman, Tailor and Barber. Contact: 91114884 Required experienced UPVC/ Aluminium fabricators for a reputed well established Company.

(NOC holders have priority).

Contact 93029860 / 92853008, Email : ibnaldhahira@gmail.com Required Experienced Auto Electrician and Automobile Mechanic for a reputed service station.

Contact : 91232638 hashim@ramainvestment.com

SECRETARIAL / OFFICE Required female Graduate having knowledge in Tally & MS Office with good skills in English. Candidate may send CV to knsibi@electrotechoman.com Contact: 97984134 Wanted Office clerk having two years experience.

Contact: 92891888

SITUATION VACANT

MEDICAL Muscat wants GP, staff Nurse holding MOH license & Receptionist (Omani) Contact 97698004 email: medicare@fusionlogicoman.com

SALES / MARKETING A leading trading Group is looking for outdoor Sales Executive with driving license & release / NOC. Fax: 24701683 or Email CV to alhajoil@omantel.net.om A digital & offset printing press ready to cooperate with sales freelancers.

Contact: Whatsapp: 94756618

SITUATION WANTED

FOR CIVIL & MEP DIVISION 1) Project Engineer (D/L) 2) Structural Engineer (D/L) 3) Planning Engineer (D/L) 4) HSE Inspector (D/L) ϱͿ ƌĂŌ ƐŵĂŶ

6) Inventory controller 7) Accounts Assistant ϴͿ Kĸ ĐĞ ĂƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ ϵͿ ZĞĐĞƉƟ ŽŶŝƐƚ (Male/Female)

ϱ LJĞĂƌƐ ' ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŐŽŽĚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟ ŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ

Send Your CV to surcivilmep@surunited.com SALES / MARKETING Sales merchandiser for food Stuff Company with valid Omani driving license. Please send the C.V to osamanimer1999@gmail.com Required Sales Executive – 3nos. for rental car, with Omani license.

Contact: 90955777 Sales man & designer for Offset printing press. Contact: whatsapp 94756618 Required sales and marketing executive for a 4-star hotel in muscat.candidate with excellent communication skills and having 3+ years experience need apply. driving license will be an advantage. email: hoteljobsmuscat@gmail.com

English/Arabic speaking Marketing Major with experience in sales. Please e-mail gccmedicalrecruitment@gmail. com Required well experienced dynamic candidate in Real Estate Evaluation Field beside Building Management Techniques.

Contact 91246444, Email: rescooman@gmail.com

TOURS Required female for travel agency preferable with license, Omani.

Contact 90955777

SITUATION WANTED Indian male Mechanical Engineer, 1 year Omani Experience + 2 Years of local experience, NOC available, looking for suitable position.

Contact No: +96896089598 Email: fasinizami@gmail.com Sri Lankan Male Mechanical Engineer, 1+ year of Omani experience, NOC available, Omani driving license, looking for suitable position. Contact No: +96893903463 Email: zaf1096@gmail.com B.com graduate from India with 6 months of experience in billing and sales in one of the largest retail chain company in India is looking for a suitable position. Currently in visit visa 99610602 or hashim.hashi@yahoo.in Indian female B.E (I.T) : Good experience in documentation and CRM. Having good communication skills, seeking for job from reputed organization. Previous experience in Oman and India.

Contact - 97301058, 97136975.

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 HSE Engineer, 4 yrs of experience in construction, Bachelor of Engineering (EEE), Nebosh, IOSH, DHSE, First Aid. Contact +97474018995, Email:midhunmich@gmail.mom

MANAGER Urgently required Cold store experienced Manager & Staff.

Email : almahadint@gmail.com, almahadint@yahoo.com

Mail: cv4gcc@gmail.com Fax: 24614202

MEDICAL

An IT Company urgently requires an Executive Secretary to MD with 4 year’s experience.

Candidates with NOC can apply.

Email CV to: hr@cityvago.com

Candidates with the following should apply: Previous experience in a similar, working for a security company Proven experience of designing and estimating large integrated CCTV, Access Control, and Perimeter detection systems.

Detailed technical knowledge of database and operating security systems associated with CCTV, access Control, with Oman license.

Send CV by mail info@sahabit.com

/ŶƚĞƌĞƐƚĞĚ ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ŵĂLJ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ͗

Email your CVs: ndevoman@gmail.com

SKILLED LABOUR

Required Regional Coordinator we are looking for a business development cum Projects Coordinator for an engineering and project management organization.

Qualification – B.E (Civil) / MEP experience 10+ years work experience in Oman is essential. Send your CV to hr@syconepmc.com

HR Manager.

KŶůLJ ĨŽƌ KŵĂŶŝ EĂƟ ŽŶĂůƐ͘ Min. 5 Years’ Experience Required. ĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ǁŝƚŚ 'ƌĂĚƵĂƟ ŽŶ preferred.

Project Manager required to develop a high end resort with good knowledge of local hospitality market and proven experience in developing similar projects from early stages, including pre opening

IT

MISCELLANEOUS

A Prominent Trading & ŽŶƚƌĂĐƟ ŶŐ ŽŵƉĂŶLJ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞƐ

PROJECT MANAGER

MISCELLANEOUS EDUCATION

HR MANAGER

Indian male, 24 years, B.com, MBA(Finance) with overall 3 years experience in accounts/ finance field. Interested in sales field also. On Visit Visa. Contact:90115058/ safwanmeadows@gmail.com Indian male, B.com graduate well versed in English, Hindi, Malayalam holding a valid Oman driving license looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 96799287

Indian/ male (26)/ MBA/2 years experience in procurement, coordination and distribution management, with valid oman license available for immediate joining.

Contact: 92536194 email: suhailbs@gmail.com Senior Sales Executive, experience in trading industries with thorough knowledge of Oman market and wide customer contacts.

Driving license and NOC available.

Seeks senior position.

Contact: 98487311 Mechanical Engineer/HVAC / Indian: 1year experienced mechanical engineer with piping engineering & quality control certification, on visit visa. Contact: 90957740, email: nishadphoenix@gmail.com Indian male, 23 yrs, looking for suitable job my qualification is diploma in electronics an i am having 3 years of experience in the hardware and networking field an i am having gulf driving license.

Contact me on : - +96897017866.

Masters(M.Sc) in Applied Psychology, Specialisation in Counseling, Indian Female 24 Years of good calibre in teaching and counseling with reasonable practical experience in some reputable schools and colleges, looking for an appropriate opportunity in related field.

Contact : 0096899133896; afsh.shariff@gmail.com.

Electronics And Communication Engineer: 23 Indian BE-ECE graduate 2016, looking suitable placement networking, hardware and electronics field, on family visa Contact:95148894,99726963,Email: sadathali0003@gmail.com Indian/male(26)/CA finalist and b.com/3 years experience in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa, available for immediate joining.

Contact: 98078321, EMAIL: shahir. usman.su@gmail.com

ACCOUNTS Indian female 22 years, B.Com, 1 year experience in India as Accountant / Clerk, looking for suitable opening. Now on visiting visa.

Contact: 97754830

Experienced Indian female 23 B.Com with computer application on visit looking for suitable position. Contact: 94964860 / 92436404

Male Accountant, MBA (finance) 5 yrs experience including UAE & India up to finalization available immediately (on visit) Contact: 91704866 Email: anees0989@gmail.com

MBA Finance Indian 25 Male 2 years experience seeking opportunities in Finance sector. Immediately available.contact:92498840 sachu_0318@yahoo.com

10+ Years Experience in Accounts & Finance upto Finalisation, NOC & License available. Contact – 96239126 Indian (m) B.Com MBA well experienced in accounts & finance speaks English & Arabic, having driving license & NOC. Contact: 95588565 Experienced business development and investment consultant with 10 years experience in the financial management field. Holds a masters degree in finance and management from the UK. Contact : 90157073 Indian male MBA (finance) Accounts, Customer service, 2 yearsExperience.(Dubai Airport) Iran Airlines. GCC driving licensevalid till 2025. On Visit Visa (Till 20 Dec 2016).Looking for suitable job. Contact – 71093532. Emailmirzahassanbaig89@gmail.com Indian Accountant having 13 years experience in accounts in Oman & 6 years in India, Oman driving license excellent knowledge in Tally & MS Office, Seeking suitable placement Contact: 79039690 Email: thomas.mahesh@gmail.com Accountant male qualified /quick books package CA part qualified AAT, 6 years experience in Sri Lanka & 2 years experience in Maldives. Contact: 98187164 / 99107591 email: uwmprabhath@gmail.com Indian male 26 years Graduated having over all 5 years experience in Accounts ware house fields sales & marketing, NOC available.

Contact 95307619 / 92237173 General Accountant 4.5 years atman UAE, Accountant 8 months Ajman UAE, Accountant cum PRO 2 years Sharjah UAE & Accountant cum Purchaser 2 years Sharjah, UAE. Contact: 00968 - 95268360 Part time qualified experienced Accountant available.

Contact: 91126314 Part time Accountant up to finalization auditing.

Contact: 93598736 Part time Accountant, 7 yrs Gulf experience available 8.00 AM to 1.00 PM FRI &SAT. Contact: 97895741 Accountant male holder of diploma Chartered Accountancy and student of CA institute inter CA, with 3 years experience in finance, available at Muscat ready to join immediately. Contact: 79049355 / 99220572 Email: ahamedfiham777@gmail.com Accounts part time services available to handle all accounts up to finalization on monthly basis, finalization works.

Contact: 96247295

Indian male MBA finance 31 years working as Admin Manager in Muscat since 2012, total 8 years experience in administration and accounts valid Omani driving license. NOC is available. Contact : 94030054 Indian male 30 yrs, B.Com 4 years experience in GCC, Sales / Accounts looking for suitable vacancy, currently on visit. Contact: 99727595 Email: samie61@gmail.com Indian male, B.Com, MBA in Finance, 4 yrs in Larsen & Tourbo, 26 yrs in Oman, English/ Arabic speaking with driving license.

NOC available. Contact 95588565 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 BBA Finance, Tally & Excel, 1 year experience.

Contact: 00968 98829488 Email: ashiqashraf6789@gmail.com ACCA Finance Manager having 9 years experience, Oracle certified is looking for a change, NOC available. Contact: 91147885 Chief accountant Senior 16 yrs exp can handle accounts up to finalization, MIS, C. flow budgeting, ERP costing & leasing with auditing, NOC available, seeking job.

Contact: 94885686 Email: zahid123368@gmail.com Indian male 26 yrs on visit visa B.SC Mathematics 4 years experience as an Accountant seeks suitable job. Contact: 98615171 / 95374978 Email: worksite.tinson@gmail.com Accountant & Admin 18 years exp (7 yrs in UAE) good knowledge of accounting software’s & English.

Contact: 92170065 Indian male, Accountant, 22 yrs, BBM, Diploma in E-Office & Office & E-finance, experience 1 yr under CA as Accounts Assistant looking for suitable placement.

Contact 95268346, Email : ms6678379@gmail.com Indian male Accountant available with NOC & D/L having 10 yrs experience including India, Oman & Saudi ready to join immediately.

Contact: 91729720 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 Accountant B.Com/ M.Com, Indian male 10 years exp seeks suitable job NOC available valid ROP driving license. Contact: 97375608 Email: vincentdsouza1979@gmail. com

T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 6

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED B.COM GRADUATE With 30 years Oman experience ŝŶ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ Į ĞůĚƐ ůŝŬĞ ĐĐŽƵŶƚƐ͕ ĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟ ŽŶ͕ KƉĞƌĂƟ ŽŶ͕ Credit control etc. worked in reputed companies as Manager with Oman driving license and knowledge of basic Arabic language.

Contact - 98185350

Sr. Accountant with SAP/ERP.

Looking for driving job.

Contact: 99775728

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

Driver with car have good experience in Oman. Contact: 94039796

Indian male 34yrs looking for Accounts Asst job, Oman with valid driving license Cont. 92092486, email:sagarjohn28@gmail.com Indian (m) MBA ( f) more than 6 years of experience in accounts, proficiently in various A/C software SAP ( F1/CO) seeking for suitable placement.

Contact: 95920740 Email Id : abdulhameed1527@gmail.com ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in finance.

Contact 99284193 MBA Finance having 6 years experience (4 years) in Oman as an Accountant, local release. NOC available can join immediately.

Contact: 96742474 Indian, Kerala, CMA-USA, ICWA, Mcom10+Years Experience Budgeting Planning MIS Accounts&finance.Cont.94064931shijupnarayanan@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. #96976240 Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman.

Ready to join immediately.

Contact 98263394 Accountant 8 Years Experience with D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084 Indian female 28 yrs B.Com 4 yrs experience in MNC’s currently in Muscat seeking suitable placement in Finance / Admin.

Contact :94743790 Certified Public Accountant (Filipino, Male, 27-yrs-old) with four years experience, seeking suitable placement in accounting/audit, currently on visit. Contact 94959606, email: czesar.42@gmail.com 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 Indian female, 26 years,brought up in oman,M.COM(FINANCE) CA Foundation(CPT),CA , INTER (DOING) presently on family visa seeking for immediate and suitable placement. Contact -97174201/99663957 Email-anishasasi@gmail.com 8 yrs exp. in Admin & Accounts (3 yrs in Oman), MBA, exp. in Tally ERP 9, Indian (F) seeks placement.

Contact 97243806 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 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 B.com Indian male 12 yrs exp seeks suitable job.NOC available . Contact : 91212471 Email: rennyj6@gmail.com Omani female Accountant, 32 years, having 10 years exp in admin/accounts seeks suitable placement. Contact: 93295953

ACCOUNTS Indian male age 26, Accountant one year experience in accounts looking for suitable job. Contact Email: anishkhan991867@gmail. com Mobile: +968 9565 9415 Looking for Assistant Accountant, experience in Ayurgreen Hospital.

Email: samkumar871@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 (M), 31 yrs, M Com 9 yrs experience in Oman, looking for Manager or Executive position in Fin & Accounts, NOC Available.

Contact 968 96166178/ +919768537435: mohammednajeem@yahoo.com Finance Manager, 17 + years Gulf exp. in Accounts, MIS, budgets, strategic planning, cost control, cash flow management, seeks job.

Contact 99489784, E mail :- vijay.564@hotmail.com

ADMIN Indian male, B.C.A Graduate, having 4+ years experience in system administration & technical support available on visit visa & ready to join immediately.

Contact: 92813630 Administrator B.Com with D/L on release, 30 years India & Gulf experience in office. project documentation & logistics.

Contact: 92324789 / 97281023 IND 10 yrs experience in outdoor Admin & HR activities, valid GCC driving license looking suitable vacancy. Contact: 71233079 Indian female BSC IT, having 3 years experience in Oman in Admin / HR seeking for suitable job. Contact: 92308229 Email: maluvyayan40@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 Indian male M.SW (HR) 2 years exp in India, 27 years age.

Contact: 93353912 Filipino HRD especialist / material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman.

Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817 8 years experience in administration and guest relations department in Oman With valid omani driving licence. Seeking suitable jobs. Ph: 98145825 email: getcb@rediffmail.com

ADMIN Omani, male, 26 yrs experience looking for job in reputed Companies as PR, having experience at airport / Emigration, Ministries/ Manpower with Oman D/L. Contact 95445779 Female Indian 28, BTech, MBA-HR with 4+ yrs exp (2yrs Oman exp as HR assistant) looking for suitable positions. Contact: 90227455 Egyptian woman resident, considerable experience in the Administration and Secretarial Executive for company.

Contact : 97221126

ARCH./ INTERIOR DEC. Diploma in Architect seeking suitable job 30 years experience ability to run office consultancy concept to complete including tendering. Contact: 71236682 Email: sfah3108@gmail.com Indian male, 23 yrs, Architect, 1 year experience, looking for suitable placement. Contact: 98192299 Architect 3 years experience in consultant office proficient in 3D Max – Photoshop, AutoCAD. Contact: 98245746 Architect Engineer seeking for suitable job, 8 years experience.

GSM : 96075000, Email : haytham_201046@yahoo.com

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN Free lance Autocad works experienced (arch, struct, MEP, shop drw) rate a0/a1 sheet ( 10-17 OMR) ph : 97103168 Free lance / part time autocad works / make boq 2d /3d arch , structural, shop drawings interior drawings. Contact 97103168 mkgroupoman@gmail.com 9 years experienced Interior designer seeking for suitable placement, Oman driving license holder. Contact: 98678225 3D Draughtsman having 5years highway draughting plus 5years architectural and structural draughting looking for suitable job. #93243262.

Interior designer seeking job in Muscat with 6 years of related experience as an interior designer with a strong background in work place interiors. Contact: 91291502 Email: ahmad.jassem025@gmail.com 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.

CATERING Pakistani, Male, MBA, 11 yrs exposure in Admin & HR and Business Development for HEALTHCARE, construction and banking industries, 4 yrs as Asst Manager, in Oman, Available to join, Cont:95761982, umerok@hotmail.com Indian male 24 years BBA currently on visit visa looking for suitable job in Accounts, Administration customer logistic operations etc ready to join as early as possible. Contact: 96987802 Young Omani male have experience 12 years as P.R.O, CLERK Helper Supervisor Admin Supervisor, H.R Manager have vocational M.B.A diploma in H.S.E, IT and P.D.O license, looking for H.R position or P.R.O part time or full time.

Contact: 95933288 Post Graduate Indian female 30 experiences in office Admin & tech support looking for suitable opening. Contact: 97148570 Email: maryjose86@gmail.com

Restaurant / Banquet Manager Indian male having 3 yrs Diploma in Hotel management & Catering technology, above 16 yrs work experience sin F& B service, Managerial position in reputed Star hotels at Gulf countries & India.

Contact: 91164043 Email: mohanpriya1975@yahoo.com Bangladeshi male commis Chef looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 95494310

Looking for light driver job experience 8 years Eng, Urdu & Arabic.

Contact: 95658675 Looking for driving job.

Contact: 98219182 Looking for driving job.

Contact: 98994832 / 94537614 Light driver with 5 yrs exp need job. Contact: 92024487 Light duty driver with valid Oman license available.

Contact: 92686876 L-driver with valid Oman D/L, looking for suitable job.

Contact: 95489480 Looking for job light driving.

Contact: 93779819 Driver with license looking for suitable job. Contact: 93502627 Have 6 years experience in Oman as driving license private light.

Contact: 96550836 / 92854178 Driver available for job.

Contact: 96381406 Driver looking for job with visa.

Contact: 95154610 Search job for light driver, 5 yrs, language Hindi, Arabic & English.

Contact: 97941771 Driver with Car. Contact: 99716938 / 96048707 Female family driver.

Contact: 98044188 Pakistani, 10 years experience in Saudi, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, license 3 years in Oman. Contact: 94350734 / 97665807 Looking for job exp having driving license. Contact: 97363138 Driver looking for job.

Contact: 95892363 Looking for light driver job.

Contac: 93782166 / 94356465 Looking for light driver job.

Contact: 95604741 Looking for job light driver 17 years exp Oman.

Contact: 95541940 Light Driver with 7 years experience looking for job.

Contact: 92617293 Driver job wanted.

Contact: 96393082 Looking for driving job. Contact: 94802988 / 94435912 Light driver. Contact: 97020205 Looking for driver job. Contact: 99578649 Want light driver job, 4 years experience. Contact: 91740910 Looking for job light duty driver 5 years exp. Contact: 92602182 Light duty driver 5 yrs Dubai, 1 yr Oman experience seeks placement knowing English, Arabic & Hindi.

Contact: 90271794

DOMESTIC HELP Indian Cook 25 yrs, 6 yrs experience 1 yr in Oman, NOC available, ready to join immediately.

Contact: 93136713

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. DRIVER Bangladeshi male light driver exp 16 years looking for job. Contact: 99165961 Looking for driving job.

Contact: 95396905 Experienced driver available with 4WD willing to work fulltime / part-time, familiar with all tourist destinations in Oman.

Contact: 24814231 / 91941545

with over 20 years in Oman.

Can manage ERP systems, Hardware, Network, Wi-Fi and Biometric Devices.

NOC available.

Contact # 96654216

Please contact: 931 42923 DRIVER

ACCOUNTS

Experienced IT Professional

11yrs experience in Accounts & Finance in Gulf.

5years in reputed Oil & Gas company; &ŝŶĂůŝnjĂƟ ŽŶ Θ ŽŶƐŽůŝĚĂƟ ŽŶ &^͕ D/^͕ Audit, Budget, AP & AR, Tax, etc., /ŶĚŝĂŶ DĂůĞ͕ WŽƐƚͲŐƌĂĚƵĂƟ ŽŶ͕ Oman D/L and NOC available.

Site Engineer Indian male, 7 years of experience in building construction commercial and residential seeking suitable placement, NOC available. Contact: 94817010 Email: mohamoodmct@gmail.com HSE Supervisor Indian male 2 yrs experience relevant field with MSC ENV science industrial safety NEBOSH, IOSH first aid IT MS work excel PPT looking for suitable opportunity. Contact: 97047859

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Mechanical Engineer (B.E) with 5+ years experience in Gulf and India (oil & gas projects).

Contact: 91987143 Email: jebilk212@gmail.com Indian Male 22, BE Civil Engineer with few site and internship experiences looking for a suitable position in your firm. Got knowledge in (Primavera, Autocad, Staad pro).

Currently In visit visa. 98327644 or shakib842@gmail.com Indian male 26 years Mechanical Engineer with 2 yrs exp in Oman.

Looking for suitable placement.

Contact - 91328079 Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine. Available NOC release. #92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.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 in Mechanical Engg, 10 years exp in steel fabrication site work with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 94696192 Need for job industrial Electrical technician with Oman driving license, earlier experience in the oil field. Contact: 91285302 / 96348016 MSc. Oil and Gas Engineer, 5 years experience in OMAN as Mechanical/Piping Engineer holding certificate in Piping and Primavera. In Oman on Visit, Contact: 92156892, arakkalskaran@gmail.com Indian male 24 years B.Tech Electronics Telecommunications Engineering 1.5 years experienced Supervisory Engineer with appreciable ELV expertise seeking suitable position. Contact: 92519146 Email: afsalafoos95@gmail.com Sudanese Civil Engineer 2 years experience. Contact: 94028027 Civil Engineer (Indian male) 12 years of experience in construction field having Omani D/L and NOC looking for suitable job. Contact: 94194399 Email: saashibly@gmail.com Electronics & Communication Engineer, 23-year-old Indian on family visa, BE-ECE graduate looking for suitable placement in networking, hardware and electronics field.

Contact no: 95148894, 99726963.

Email: sadathali0003@gmail.com BOQ available, site visiting inspection. Contact: 93850875 / 95031239 Electrical Engineer with DCRP Electrician license & Oman driving license, 10 years experience in Oman, seeks suitable placement. NOC / Release available. Contact: 97316979, Email: rajaneeshktr@gmail.com Diploma in Civil Engineer having 8 years experience Quantity Surveyor Civil in Oman looking for a job around 21 years experience in civil works. Contact: 97829710

Civil Engineer with 8 years experience performs multi- task job to structural work , building construction , infrastructure , planning , site development & architectural finishing works, NOC available valid Oman D/L. Contact:97474593 Email: a.baraka.om@gmail.com Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrs exp seeks suitable position in a 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 B. Tech Mechanical HVAC site Engineer 4 years experience, currently on visit. Contact 92837696 / mdabdulather@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 Mechanical Engineer, 3 years experience, 1 year in Oman, with driving license & NOC. Contact: 94887665 Email: mechatron_mt@yahoo.com BE MECH Engr, Indian male, 23 yrs having 2 yrs experience in Mechanical Engg on visit visa seeks suitable position. Contact: 98827544 Email: sibi.a.b.varghese@gmail.com B.Tech Mechanical Engineer, Indian 25 years male, seeking for suitable job. Contact: +968 90417679 / +968 92193763, Email : sintocj88@gmail.com Structure Engineer/civil BSC, worked in mega projects with 2 years experience, soft ware skills (Cad, staad, Revit, Robot, Sap, Hilti), Fluent Arabic, English. Contact :99814536 HSE Engineer having 10+ years experience in both Construction and Oil & Gas (PDO). Looking for suitable position, NOC & valid driving license available. Contact: 97717468 SriLankan Quantity Surveyor Male, 25 Years. Over 5 year Exp. (3 Yrs. in Oman), NOC available, looking for Suitable position.

Contact: 98436414, Email:Hassaan.mt@live.com Diploma Electrical Engineer 15 yrs experience in electrical, commercial & industrial field 3.5 yrs Gulf experience presently on visit visa.

Contact: 97937868 Graduate female with 7 years experience in retail, looking for a suitable position. Contact : 96234434 Indian male 29 yrs, 6 years exp at East Africa now on visit visa seeking for store in charge or related job. Contact: 99695002 Email: arafathw880i@gmail.com

Indian female, 22 yrs, BE (Electronics & Communication) searching for suitable placement.

Contact 96008324

Construction Machinery repairs Engineer, 5 years, driving license, Contact - 94001961

Indian male B.E Automobile Engineering experience in Administration customer care, Supervisor job mechanical job, on visit visa. Contact: 96033372 / 96304190, Email: arunsaravanan2931@gmail.com

Indian male B.Tech in Automobile Engineer with 2 years experience in service adviser, currently in Oman on visit visa, looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 97195645 Email: akram_75@gmail.com

Automobile Engineering Fire & Safety Engineering, 2 years Oman experience, 2 years India experience driving license.

Contact: 92848439

Master of Engineering (Civil), 5 years experience.

Contact: 96658456

Electrical Engineer Indian male 30 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Experienced auto mobile Engineer seeking job. Contact: 91487747 Indian Mechanical Engineer with one year experience in oil & gas refinery as piping QC Engineer seeks suitable placements.

Contact: 95900813 Email: jinu8888@gmail.com

Chemical Engineer 2 years experience in petrochemical & polyethylene industry looking for valuable offer, NOC available.

Contact: 91359260 Email: jibinjoseph484@gmail.com Electrical Engineer (B.Tech) male 12 years experience in MEP looking for job NOC available.

Contact: 94743659 B.T.S microwave link installation & commissioning Engineer B.Sc (Hons), B.Tech Electronics & Communication Engineer ( 2.7 years exp) currently on visit visa.

Contact: 96756964 Email: qayamzaidi8@gmail.com

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T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 3 , 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 ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

IT

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

Mechanical Engineer 3 years of experience in oil & gas and heavy equipments, fluent in English language with valid driving license.

Contact: 91366140

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

B.S.c Civil Engineer with 7 years experience in managing & supervising of construction & oil & gas fields (NOC) Available. Contact: 96086214 Email: engmohamedosaman@outlook.com

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

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 29 years male Civil Engineer (B.Tech) roads / highways and buildings 08 years experience in Oman only having valid GCC driving license Oman available to join immediately with NOC. Contact: 95994968 Email: engr.aamir04@gmail.com Indian male 25 years Civil Engineer (B.Tech) 04 years experience in bridges / structures and buildings working in a reputable company in Oman since 1.6 years available to join with NOC. Contact: 95495797 Email: sarfarazahmad30@gmail.com Civil Engineer (Indian male) 5 years experience in Oman with valid Omani driving license & NOC looking for suitable opportunity.

Contact: 93101283

EDUCATION/TRAINING Indian female 24. Masters in Computer science engineering, seeking job in colleges, schools and institutes. Having in good skill in teaching and advanced technologies. Contact : 93356858 Email id : annielino11@gmail.com Female Arabic Teacher well experienced looking for a suitable job for non native speakers.

Contact: 96094116 Indian Female, Phd in Chemistry having 3.5 yrs of Experience in India. Staying here on Family Visa & seeking for a suitable placement.

Contact – 99675828, Email anupam.tiwari67@gmail.com Indian Female (Dual MBA Marketing & Operations, BTech Civil on Family Visa looking for suitable Openings. Contact 93287567 Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement. Contact 99739415 / 92091528

IT Engineer male, 28 yrs, over 7 yrs experience with NOC, D/L available seeking placement in IT / Network / Telecom field.

Contact 93563297 Email: monuzv24@gmail.com Indian male on visit visa, Network Administrator with 5 years experience in IT field seeking suitable placement immediately.

Contact: 93926541 / 92703007 Email: 16.prasanth@gmail.com Indian male Keralite Post Graduate Diploma and Graduate CCNA & MCSA certified have 5 years experience in software & hardware technical support.

Contact : 93988511 Contact: vimalkanthkv@gmail.com Technician Network Electrical CCTV, Indian male 27 yrs, 6 yrs of experience in Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. #93098436 B. Tech IT Graduate 5 years experience in web dev, networking have valid Oman license looking for suitable placement. contact 9882577 Email: ajaybin.joy@gmail.com Indian Male Diploma, 4 Year Experience in IT Hardware and Networking, System Admin (2 Years in Oman), Seeking for suitable job.

Contact: 91010146, e-mail: pranav.tp587@gmail.com Indian male seeking suitable vacancies, having 8 years experience in computer hardware maintenance and 2 years in CCTV, Presently on visit visa. Contact: 99641209, Email: adersh.kr@gmail.com

LOGISTICS Procurement, Warehouse & Logistics, Pakistani Male, Graduate, Over 10 years experience, Looking for Suitable Placement, Currently on Visit Visa. Contact: 91257663

HOSPITALITY

MISCELLANEOUS

Electrical Engineer, 24 yrs, Indian Male, Fresher, Training Undertaken in Electrical Draughtsman, Fire Alarm, Fire Fighting and Industrial Automation. #94989767, Email: Junaiz987@gmail.com

Indian male having Diploma in Hotel Management with 16 years of experience in F x B Service at India, K.S.A & Oman, having valid Oman D/L, seeking for available placement. #92100141 / 92221956

Omani male, 21 years graduate, (bachelor in management studies) seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97904200

32 years male senior land surveyor roads/ building / pipelines, PDO , 11 years experience in Oman / Dubai.

Working in reputable company and available to join immediately with NOC. Contact: 97640625 Email: qasiryasir@gmail.com

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 99859150.

Electrical & Electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit. #93837973 Indian male, B.E Mechanical with 2 years experience as Maintenance Engineer in Cochin Refinery and 1 year experience in Chevrolet seeking job. Ph number: 97964862, Email:jossyabraham20@gmail.com Mechanical/ Piping Engineer (B.Tech.) on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 94703350 Email: nadeembcoolboy@gmail.com Indian male 25 B.Tech Electrical, 3 years experience in industrial automation & supervision.

Contact: 97207570 / 90481773 Pakistani male Diploma Civil Engineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling & mega projects, valid license Oman. Contact: 98921022 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, B.E Mechanical with 2 years experience as Maintenance Engineer in Cochin Refinery and 1 year experience in Chevrolet seeking job. Contact : 97964862, Email:jossyabraham20@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer, Indian, Male, 30yrs. Experienced in Steam turbines and Thermal Power house seek employment.

Contact - +91 8130553668 or mohamedshah7@gmail.com Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 Ph : 92279784 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, 24 yrs , Diploma in Hotel management, 2 years experience front office management in 4 star hotel Dubai, currently on visit visa. Contact: 97937504 Email: febinpalathingal01@gmail.com

IT Indian Male, MCA Graduate, 15 yrs exp in ERP, CSM Certified, seeking suitable role.NOC Available.

Contact : GSM : 90189284 Email: meetlibran@gmail.com Indian female M.Sc Computer Science seeking suitable placement in Muscat area. Contact 98660672 Indian male, 26 yrs, 4 yrs work experience in M.N.C , IBM , ITIL foundation certified looking for suitable jobs in Training / learning / Development / HR/ MIS. Contact: 92306613 Email: michael.rinku@gmail.com CFA level 1 cleared (pursuing level 2) MBA operations research, female, 5 yrs experience as Analyst, have a valid Oman driving license, looking for related openings.Contact 95818892 27, Indian male: Software Developer having 5years+ experience in oracle forms & reports 10 g, BI publisher. Contact:91156571 IT Support Engineer, Exp 3 years in Oman 2 years in India.

Contact 94672759 Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement. Contact 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@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 Female, master in mass communication, B.Ed, experience in media channel and teaching PH : 99362024

21, Indian female B.com graduate on family visa looking for immediate and suitable placement. Holds valid Omani Driver’s license. Contact: 97208869 Indian male, 28, post graduate, 6+ yrs exp in Oman in sales (back office) & credit control with valid Oman D/L looking for suitable placements. NOC available.

Contact: 92066 523 B.Com,IICL Certified Container Inspector(No.150850),Visit Visa, Six months experience, need placement. Contact: 90880935, 99023279, Email solexyesudas@gmail.com Sudanese male bachelor geology and mining with 3 years experience in MUD logging and training in soil investigation.

Contact 92956848

MEDICAL Homeopathy Doctor Indian female with MOH license looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 94541830 Email: homeo64319@gmail.com Staff Nurse female Indian 26 yrs, 5 yrs experience in haemodialysis, has BLS and ACLS, MOH viva and prometric cleared staying here on visit visa, looking for suitable job.

Contact: 92518629 Indian male Nurse with 7 years seeking for a suitable job in Muscat.

Data flow, prometric completed.

Contact: 93519957 / 98275068 Email: mammenv24@gmail.com Indian male 27, B.Tech Graduate, having 3 years Oman experience in installation and maintenance of security products, having Omani driving license and NOC. Contact 96485624 Indian female, B.SC Staff Nurse Prometric exam passed (63%) having 5+ years experience, seeking better opportunity. # 94082308 Email: dhanya4sarath@gmail.com Female Staff Nurse, with 6 yrs experience MOH license and NOC available date flow completed looking for a suitable job in Muscat.

Contact: 97440718 Filipino male Medical / Sales representative with 3 yrs experience is looking for suitable job in Oman.

Contact: 92610394

MANAGER / SUPERVISOR

Veterinary Doctor: Indian Female looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 96906534 /99014885, Email: monishmajeed@gmail.com Dr.Ayman Abduljalil Ali, E.N.T Specialist (Otolaryngologist), Yemeni-male, looking for job.

Mobile: 00201096542706, Email: aymanjalilorl@gmail.com

9 years experience in Lube sales with Oman D/L looking for suitable placement in sales / driver. NOC available. Contact: 99263912 Indian male masters in Petroleum Engineering with 1 yr Oman exp in sales & marketing holding D/L, currently on visit visa looking for oil / gas industry field related or sales related job. Contact : 93789123 Indian male, Keralite Post Graduate Diploma and Graduate have 6 years experience in Sales and Marketing have experience in Ecommerce, IT, Security and FMCG Sales & Marketing. Contact: 93988511 Omani national, fluent in English looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 97173753

Marketing Executive with 10 years experience in Gulf on visit visa. Contact: 90116693

Manager receivables 12 years Oman experience.#99466318 Email:binulukechacko@gmail.com CEO, CEO Assistant, Managing Director, Senior Level Manager, A senior level business developments executive with 18 Yrs of experiences in USA, Africa, GCC, with MBA from Texas A&M ,USA).

Contact 92010247 Indian male (40 yrs), looking for warehousing /logistics supervisor position, having 12 yrs Oman Exp with D/L, currently with a leading distribution company in Oman, NOC available - PH: 94337320 ; Email: truefails@rediffmail.com Front Office Manager with over 20 years of experience in the Middle East & preopening expertise with hospitality giants like Burj Al Arab Address Hotels & Millennium looking for similar opportunities.

Contact: 96383636

Joinery / Woodworking Production Supervisor, Indian, with knowledge in estimation, 18 years experience (5 years in Oman).

Contact: 92975314, praveen777prabhakar@gmail.com.

Indian male, Nurse with more 7 years experience MOH license, P.D.O license, dataflow, NOC available looking for job in Oman.

Contact: 93604827 Email: subinraj37@gmail.com

Egyptian male experienced Sales Executive with 12 years sales experience in Egypt, KSA and Oman with leading FMCG companies. Holds Omani driving license.

Contact : 96202040, Email: ahmedghoniem618@gmail.com

General Manager Indian National With 20 yr Experience In managing Civil Construction Business Seek Opening in reputed Civil Company.

Contact-97464650.

9 year experienced industrial painter and sand blaster with Oman driving licence.

NOC available. Seeks suitable placement. Contact ZakeerHussain 96681934.

Pakistani male MBBS, 1 year exp.

Contact: 0092345 4557131, Email: drluqman101@gmail.com

Experience Sales / Business development professional, with 5 years Oman experience, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 90133601 Email: gbkoshy@gmail.com

BBA Bachelor of business administration exp in custom clearance procedure, also done international logistics management & Nimb National Institute business management (US) certification all documentation work related logistics. contact – 91949050 / akram.chaush001@gmail.com

BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants).

Contact: 92475206 Email: zahaibzafar007@gmail.com

Indian male Nurse, with well experience in profession and working in Oman. Seeking for a suitable placement. (Preferring opportunity in as Rig Medic). Has BLS and ACLS. Contact : 97236545

Purchase Manager / Officer Indian male having 16 years GCC experience in construction (Civil& MEP) looking for suitable placement, having Oman driving license (NOC available). contact 99109533

Indian male MBA with 8 years of exp as Assistant Manager in investment banking sector. Looking for suitable position, currently on visit visa. Contact – 98685704, WhatsApp – 919000676512 Email – suhelpashaa@gmail.com

Manager customer service with over 20 years exposure in the Middle East with leading companies like Burj AL Arab the address & millennium, having excellence in operational management & training seeking suitable opportunity.

Contact : 96383636

MEDICAL

SALES / MARKETING

Joinery / Woodworking Purchase Manager, Indian, with 12+ years experience in UAE, Qatar & Oman.

Experience in Trading & Manufacturing divisions, having valid Omani D/L. Knowledge in Materials Management, Finance, Office Administration and Operations.

Contact: 98040421, vinodthattayil@gmail.com.

SKILLED LABOUR Male 42 electricians & plumber, looking for job NOC available.

Contact: 98081227 Watch repair and service looking for job, 24 yrs experience.

Contact: 99530405

SALES / MARKETING Client Relations and Sales Professional with 8 years in the Business Process Outsourcing industry, looking for suitable opportunity in Muscat. Contact +96879050752

INDIAN male, BBA with 4 years experience in SALES & MARKETING, holding omani driving license. seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95607037 Email: raaz0jannat@gmail.com.

Sales man looking for a suitable placement with 2 years experience, NOC available. Contact: 71293044 B.Com, Sales building material, accounts, marketing, 10 years experience in India. #92870992 Email: aboosheikh@yahoo.com Freight forwarding Graduate with 8 years experience in freight forwarding (Govt. of India) seek suitable placement. Contact: Shaji 99102497 / 98637889 Indian male MBA (Marketing) with Oman D/L 10 years of experience in sales & marketing in Oman, seeks job, NOC available.

Contact: 91939227 Have 10 years experience in Oman as foreman pump operator Scada Operator have valid Oman driving license, Arabic & English fluent.

Contact: 95641025 / 92854178 Graduate Indian male 26 yrs, 3 yrs experience logistics & management seeking suitable opportunity in reputed organization. #98847095 MCA Graduate with 1.6 years experience Indian female looking for any suitable job currently on visit visa. Contact 97993250 / 91447261 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 Multinational FMGC experienced, qualified Sri Lankan lady seeking employment in Muscat. Strategy, Marketing, Brands, Sales, Communication. Oman exp & D/L available. 98250829 Looking for sales cum driver job.

Contact: 94235254 Sales & Marketing Indian (M) having 8 years experience of commercial light vehicles, cranes, forklifts & construction equipments in Qatar, Oman & India holds driving license. Contact: +968 93992275 Email: azmath700@gmail.com Indian male 26 yrs, B.Com, 5 years sales experience in Oman seeking suitable job. Contact: 92507253 / 99414642

Indian male 26 years of experience of sales & marketing in surgical and laboratory equipments.

Looking for good replacement.

Contact – 92015894 /95774854 Indian male age 24, B.Com. having 2 year experience and currently in visit visa. Looking for suitable placement in Sales, Marketing & finance. Contact: 90766307 Email: shhaazz.007@gmail.com Indian male MBA and Diploma in management from Australia. On visit visa, looking for a suitable job in sales & marketing. #71189884 Indian male with 6 years experience in sales in oman. NOC available, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95364128 Key Accounts Manager of sales.. with an experience of 13 yrs, across the country. Bsc, MBA seeks suitable placement. Contact- 92100116 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 Indian male around 7.5yrs technical product sales, new agency development experience in Oman B.E mechanical PGP.MKT , IB , Oman D/L urgent placement (m). # 91536968 Resident in Oman 18 years, 10 years experience in setup marketing plans and strategies, sales, import & logistics, procurement, Omani government tenders, organizing projects & events, import fireworks for festivals, NOC available, have car. Contact 94123939.

Email: 002015r@gmail.com MBA (UK), raised in Oman & with 2 yrs work experience holding valid Oman driving license, seeks job in sales / business development. Contact: 99513132 Indian male, looking for sales & marketing job, Oman license holder. Contact: 95642740 Email: shaijichakkara@gmail.com India PG diploma in Business Administration, 24 year experiences (22 years in Oman) in diverse field handling office independently administration, Sales and Marketing, highly motivated, hard working skillful and willing to work in challenging environments seeks suitable placement. Having valid Omani driving license. Contact 99120500 Omani female 6 years experience in management, fluent in English & French searching for new opportunity. Contact: 90998255 Egyptian male experienced sales executive with 12 years sales experience in Egypt, KSA and Oman with leading FMCG companies.

Holds Omani driving license.

Tel: 96202040, Email: ahmedghoniem618@gmail.com Experienced business development and investment consultant with 10 years experience in the financial management field. Holds a masters degree in finance and management from the UK. Tel: 90157073 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 25, MBA (marketing, finance) seeking for a suitable job having 1 year experience, currently on visit visa. Contact: 95469149 Email: surajar.inbox@gmail.com Marketing Manager 29 years professional experience in GCC / Oman in marketing in building materials / High tech products.

Contact: 92284066 / 98559317 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. +918907212253 Akhil:-93626288, Email: Sumeshpsmkr1989@gmail.com Oil & gas experienced Indian lady with 6 years in sales & marketing to PDO and having valid Omani driving license. contact 96143430 / 99875919 Indian Male, MBA marketing 5 yrs exp. in sales & 4 yrs in FMCG sector, looking for best opportunity.

NOC available. Conatct 96001877 Sales Engineer, Indian male, 28 yrs, 3 years experience looking for suitable placement. # 93938727

T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 3, 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

SITUATION WANTED SIT.WANTED SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Indian male 1 yr exp in sales automotive (TBL) looking for best opportunity , NOC available.

Contact# 97793879 Email: shyampkn@gmail.com Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment.

Contact: 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

Secretarial & Office: Indian(F), MBA in Finance, 2 years experience as Associate in Branch Operations (Record Keeping, Desk job)on family visa. Ph: 93186865 ; email: ddthoppil@gmail.com India PG diploma in Business Administration, 24 year experiences (22 years in Oman) in diverse field handling office administration independently, Sales and Marketing, highly motivated, hard working skillful and willing to work in hallenging environments seeks suitable placement. Having valid Omani driving license. Contact 99120500

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP specification for monthly rent & small car with driver.

Contact 99839898

DRIVING

Specialist for road test drum and slope. Contact 94022250 Muscat Driving School.

Contact 94085688

*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, D E C E M B E R 1 3, 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 TOURS

SITUATION WANTED COMPUTER/WEB./ EDU./CLASSES

We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898

Enjoy Camping in Wahiba desert & all over Oman & tour.

Contact: 92226866

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

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

in Azaiba and Ruwi earn in two months

tion guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

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

MANPOWER

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact: 97128083

Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

I Sayyed Abzal Hussain (name exactly as in present passport) son of Sayyed Hussain presently residing at the following address in Muscat P.B No. 278 P.C No. 100, Sultanate of Oman and having permanent address in India 17-10-652 /18 Melinamogaru, Kaprigudda, Attavara, Mangalore Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka - 575001 (as per present passport), holder of Indian passport No. G 1213636 date of issue 29/12/06 place of issue Bangalore hereby solemnly affirm and declare that Sharmin Sayyed Abzal (name of my wife appearing as my passport) & the name of my wife Sharmin Abzal appearing as per her Indian Passport No. K 7154337 are the same individuals and not two individuals. Any objection towards name change of my wife may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P. Box No. 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644 / 98518013

SITUATION WANTMATRIMONIAL

A/C maintenance & Servicing, Fridge / Washing Machine / dish washer repairing, 2) Painting and cleaning service, Electrical & Plumbing. Contact 94147874 / 24504281, Email : globalaccessunited@gmail.com

Alliance invited for a Hindu Ezhava girl 26 years, fair, slim, B.Tech, MBA (Star Makayerium), currently working with a MNC at Kerala now in Muscat on vacation, reputed family of Thrissur dt currently settled in Muscat, from parents of well educated & employed Ezhava boys preferably from Thrissur, Ekn, Palakkad.

Contact: 99329606

Transportation. Contact: 99099714

Pest control & Building cleaning all kinds of pest control ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ͘ ůĞĂŶŝŶŐ Ɵ ůĞƐ ͬ Marble polishing monthly/ Yearly contracts available.

Contact: 98814733 /98814740 Al Husn Cleaning L.L.C

From Ruwi to Ghala. Contact: 99562527 Transportation. Contact 94510847 Transportation. Contact:94087276 Al Khuwair, Qurum, Ghubra & Azaiba. #: 95937789 / 94501264 Transportation. Contact 94297820 Transportation. Contact 92015894 Transportation available, pick & drop. Ruwi, Al Khuwair, Azaiba & Al Hail. Contact - 94297820

SITUATION WANTSERVICES

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Kĸ ĐĞ ďŽLJƐ͕ ůĞĂŶŝŶŐ ŽŶƚƌĂĐƚƐ͕ General cleaning etc. ů DƵĚĂŬŚŝƌ EĂƟ ŽŶĂů Ɛƚ͘ >> Contact : 94277020

WE SERVE OMAN

House shifting with carpenter and transport. Contact: 96737158

General cleaning new villas cleaning Barka , Mabela, Hail area.

Contact: 99557080 / 95323517

Split unit & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance Barka, Mabela, Ruwi area. Contact: 96236476

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

Window unit & split unit A.C servicing & repairing Barka, Mabela , Ruwi area. Contact: 99557080

We undertake new construction & maintenance & gypsum works.

Contact 92711506, ammarayyub@gmail.com

Installation & maintenance for Modular Kitchen, UPVC Doors & Windows, Furniture, Electrical & Air-conditions Contact @ 92383882/91443786

NOTICE

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir AlRizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130