Times of Oman - February 15, 2016

MONDAY February 15, 2016 6 Jumada Al Ula 1437 AH

6 085010 120010

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

Before The Opening of The Annual Session of The Council of Oman, 2004

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ We always take sides with rightness, justice, and joint efforts with other peace-loving nations to settle international conflicts through dialogue and negotiations so that security and stability may prevail and all nations on earth will be able to reap the benefits thereof.

Founded 1975 . Volume 40 No. 303 | 40 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

CABLE

HM sends greetings to Serbia MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Tomislav Nikolic of the Republic of Serbia on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes to President Nikolic and his country’s people. -ONA

AC bus stations, separate lane plan for Mwasalat on Ruwi-Wadi Adai road, 223,732 passengers used Ruwi-Wadi Kabir route and 319,050 used RuwiMabela route between November 22, 2015 and end of January, 2016.

Regarding the new routes in 2016, he said Mwasalat is introducing two new routes in the first quarter of 2016.

“These new routes will be Ruwi-Muttrah and Ruwi-Al Amerat,” Eng Salim Al Nuaimi said.

In the second quarter of 2016, Mwasalat will launch a route connecting Burj Al Sahwa (Al Khoud) to Sultan Qaboos University where the bus service will have a a frequency of 20 minutes.

With overwhelming response from the commuters to the Mwasalat bus service, the

CIRCULAR

transport ministry

CBO cautions exchange houses over Omani rial, dirham rates

plans to introduce these buses on two additional routes POPULAR SERVICE: Apart from air-conditioned bus stations, a dedicated special lane is being planned for Mwasalat buses.

hassan@timesofoman.com

dous success of Mwasalat buses which have been a hit from day one.

MUSCAT: Oman’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) has plans to construct air-conditioned bus stations and create a dedicated lane for Mwasalat buses.

The move follows the tremen-

Special lane “The special lane will be launched in coordination with the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and can be used during the time of emergency,” according to Eng Salim bin Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Under-

HASAN ALI SHABAN AL LAWATI

MUSCAT: All foreign exchange companies operating in the Sultanate have been cautioned by the Central Bank of Oman against adding any additional burden on the public with relation to exchanging Omani rials against UAE dirham at rates that are remarkably different from the old rates.

The CBO sent a circular to all foreign exchange companies operating in the Sultanate indicating that it has come to its notice that some foreign exchange companies provide remarkably varying exchange rate for the Omani rial against the UAE Dirham compared to the previous rates. >A6

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

11 COUNTRIES, 18 TEAMS, 144 RIDERS Poland

Netherlands

CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE

ROOMPOT ORANJE PELOTON

TEAM LOTTO NL - JUMBO

France

AG2R LA MONDIALE

Russia

FORTUNEO VITAL CONCEPT

TEAM KATUSHA

Germany

BORA ARGON 18

Italy

TEAM GIANT ALPECIN

TOUR START

TEAM STÖLTING

STAGE 1

0km 68m

1

Muscat Express Road

Rustaq Distance from the start

The Wave 1 1

Al Taww

Tuesday February 16 Nakhal

ETIXX QUICK STEP

TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN BALOISE

Kazakhstan

WANTY GROUPE GOBERT

US

ASTANA PRO TEAM

2

2

1

Bousher Al Amerat Samkat climb

MUTTRAH 2 CORNICHE

17m 130.5km

2 Al Bustan Climb of Al Hamriyah

Al Awabi

UNITED TEAM HEALTHCARE DIMENSION PRO CYCLING TEAM DATA

TOUR FINISH Muttrah Corniche

1

Fanja

South Africa

BMC RACING TEAM

Ministry of Tourism

Seeb Souq

2

145.5km

Belgium

DRAPAC PROFESSIONAL CYCLING

1 Al Muladdah

1 OMAN EXHIBITION CENTRE (11:00am) Stage start

Australia

LAMPRE MERIDA

17m

123km Muttrah Corniche

17m

115.5km Muttrah Corniche

17m

108.5km Muttrah Corniche

Al Sifah

2 154m Fanja 43km

Altitude Al Farfarah 52.5km

Birkat Al Mouz

276m

At higher values, the streamline chart is thicker

Saal 76km

Izki

Al Rebkhah

Sayma

58m

Toll Gate

Mahram

Jabal Akhdar 2

212m

secretary for Transport Affairs, Ministry of Transport and Communications.

More than 600,000 passengers used the Mwasalat service in the first 70 days, averaging around 9,000 passengers every day along routes connecting Ruwi to other places. Giving the break-up, he said there were 71,308 passengers

95.5km Climb of Al Jissah 92km Al Jissah

OMAN

Fund for the needy

1

An amount of OMR12,500 was raised at Dar Al Atta’a fourth annual treasure hunt, held at Shangri-La’s Barr al Jissah resort and spa. >A2

Specialised training centre He also said the ministry will also open a specialised training centre to train Mwasalat drivers.

“We also continue employing Omanis and have signed contracts with professional trainers to supervise and educate the bus drivers,” officials said.

Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, said Mwasalat has been highly appreciated by the people of Oman. “This is one of the reasons we are expanding our

services,” he said on the sidelines of the annual meeting which takes place at the beginning of every year to review the accomplishments of the previous year and the plans for the new year.

Transportation projects Al Nuaimi said that 24 land transportation projects were completed in 2015 at a cost of OMR482 million, covering 541 km of road stretch, in addition to bridges and road maintenance while five projects were partially completed in 2015 at a cost of OMR247 million and covered 153 km of road length.

The total cost of finished work in 2015 stood at OMR729 million covering 694 km of road length.

While 49 road projects are under execution at a cost of OMR2.1 billion,and covers a road stretch of 1,650km in addition to roundabouts, flyovers and tunnels.

Meanwhile, seven projects are under execution for the construction of cuts across roads at a cost of OMR7.5 million with a road length of 96 km while the yearly maintenance cost for asphalt roads and off roads is estimated to reach OMR9.5 million in 2016.

MUSSANAH PROVINCE

Efforts on to trace Omani siblings

10 km 156m

78.5km Climb of Al Hamriyah

2016 TOUR OF OMAN

170m

The seventh edition of the Tour of Oman will be from February 16 (Tuesday) to February 21 (Sunday)

Ghala 97.5km

Climb of 122.5km Al Kamriyah

Al Jissah 136km Climb of Al Jissah 140km 2 AL BUSTAN

82m

156m

58m 145m

145.5km 45m

1 OMANTEL HEAD OFFICE (11:35am)

STAGE 2

0km 47m

STAGE 6

Why the Tour of Oman is so important?

“The Tour of Oman has helped in creating a good impression of Oman worldwide while showcasing the beauty of the country. Every year the race is watched over 300 million TV viewers across the globe ” — Salim bin Mubarak Al Hassani, Chairman of the Sports Activities Comittee, on the 1 2015 edition launching event.

130.5km

80m

35km Muscat Express Road

25m

8km Seeb Souq

Sunday February 21

355m

Wednesday February 17

106km Bousher Al Amerat climb

355m

91km Bousher Al Amerat climb

355m

76.5km Bousher Al Amerat climb

355m

Al Hajir 57.5km

196m

Samkat 64km

187m

OMAN

Fashion designer 134m

40km Climb of Wadi Kabir

154m 35m Al Salil 81km

MINISTRY 2 OF TOURISM

17m 119.5km

162km

Bousher - Al Amerat 33km climb

THE WAVE 1 (12:15pm)

25m 0km

33km Climb of Al Jissah 29km Al Jissah

253m 21m

21.5km Yiti

STAGE 5 119.5km Saturday February 20 Quriyat interchange 113.5km

MORNING MINUTE

Toll Gate 117km

72m

117m

18m 0km

YITI (AL SIFAH) 1 (12:30pm)

1,435m 177km

JABAL AKHDAR 2

550m

163.5km Birkat Al Mouz

538m

151.5km Izki

2

Ahmed Al Balushi’s eyes shine as he speaks about his fashion start-up called ‘Kash5aful’. Fashion is something which this youth has been associated with. >A6

The steepest and longest slope

2 QURIYAT

162km 250m

1 AL SAWADI BEACH 0km 15m (11:10am)

644m

125.5km Sayma

655m

105.5km Mahram

STAGE 3 176.5km Thursday February 18

Al Muladdah 21km

STAGE T 4

23m

BP, Oman Oil in pact

177km

Tour of Oman starts tomorrow Long and fast descent

325m 5

Friday February 19

459 9m 459m

263 3m 263m

121.5k 5 m 121.5km

69.5km 5

85.5km

Rustaq

Al Awabi

Nakhal

127m 7

149k km 149km

20m

56m

176.5km

0km

Al Taww a

2

NASEEM P PARK

Source: Tour of Oman 2016, Amaury Sport Organisation |

MARKET

1 “Cycling: Tour of Oman to be flagged off in Barka” (Article published in February 16, 2015 at Times of Oman)

1

C4 599m m

82.5km Al Rebkhah 82

6 426m

0 200m

k 18km Fanja

k 52km

At Tuwyyah

KNOWLEDGE OASIS A MUSCAT (11:00am)

Graphics

3

BP and Oman Oil Co. agreed to expand an exploration and production sharing pact of the Khazzan natural gas field. >B1

RESCUE ON: Two Omani brothers went missing at sea last Thursday evening in the Abu Abali area of Mussanah province.

Times News Service MUSCAT: Thirty-five divers from the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulances (PACDA) and six other volunteers from the Sohar Diving Club have joined efforts to find two Omani brothers who have been missing at sea since last

Thursday evening, officials said.

Two Omani brothers went missing at sea in the Abu Abali area of Mussanah province while on a fishing mission.

Their boat, in which the duo had set off for a fishing trip, was found on the coast in the adjoining Barka province, with no trace of the two brothers. >A6

86 PER CENT WORK FINISHED

New airport construction to be completed by 2016: Futaisi the meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council transport ministers this year,” he said, adding that the ministry has finished designing most of the tracks and is putting final touches to the ThumraitSalalah track.

Times News Service MUSCAT: Construction of the new Muscat International Airport will be completed in 2016, according to Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications (MoTC).

However, the official launch date cannot be announced, as it takes between four to six months to start operating flights after the construction is finished.

“This is to ensure the top safety standards,” the minister said, speaking at the sidelines of the annual general meeting of the Ministry of Transport.

He added that construction of the new Muscat International Airport was 86 per cent complete in 2015, though the original plan called for it being 90 per cent complete.

“This is because of many things, including delays by the contractor,” he said.

Mohammed bin Nasser bin Ali

NEARING COMPLETION: The official launch date of new Muscat Airport cannot be announced, as it takes between four to six months to start operating flights after the construction work is finished.

Al Zaabi, CEO of the Public Authority for Civil Aviation noted that 1,400 planes fly over the Sultanate’s skies every day. “This is an increase of 19 per cent compared to 2014,” he said.

Also, in an update about Oman Railway, Al Futaisi said that the Ministry of Transport and Communications, in coordination with Oman Railway Company, has worked very hard and invited ten-

ders to begin work on the project “But we couldn’t start the project, as neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are not ready yet. We are going to discuss railway issues during

Oman Rail Centre Dr Al Futaisi also pointed out that the ministry has started building the Oman Rail Centre of Excellence to train and develop expertise.

Reviewing last year’s achievements, he praised the opening of Salalah airport in November 2015, which has the capacity to handle 2 million passengers per year, which can be expanded to 6 million passengers per year.

It was also noted that the annual meeting was held with media and social media reporters.

The meeting, which is scheduled at the beginning of every year, is done to review the work accomplished during the past

year and those planned for the upcoming year.

Moreover, Eng Salim bin Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary for Transport Affairs in the Ministry of Transport and Communications revealed that a new timing system will be implemented at Sohar port which aims at creating a system for the movement of trucks to ease traffic on the Al Batinah highway Commenting on the economic situation that Oman is facing, the minister reiterated that the situation is not easy and the ministry has no plans to expand or introduce major projects.

“This situation is an opportunity to focus on current projects and study transportation and communications laws in Oman,” he added.

He said that the new Sohar airport is on its way to becoming an international airport, as it has already received its first private international flight. >A6

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

OMAN

The association successfully managed to maintain 75 houses in 2015, with Allah Almighty’s blessings and support, and this event will offer even more financial support to provide furniture for a number of these houses.

Mariam Al Zadjali, Dar Al Atta’a chairperson

A R A B I A N T R AV E L M A R K E T

Oman to showcase $35b, 25-year tourism vision Times News Service

SCENIC SALALAH: Spending contributed to the Salalah Festival’s success as visitors spent a total of OMR50.4 million during the season, compared to about OMR42 million in 2014. – File photo

Salalah Festival got half a million tourists last year A total of 514,777 people visited Dhofar for the Salalah Festival 2015 celebrations, compared to around 431,000 in 2014, a 19.4 percent increase, according to NCSI data

TARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Salalah Festival that concluded in October last year proved to be the biggest festival hosted by Oman in terms of visitors and money spent.

According to the results of this festival’s 2015 edition published recently by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), a total of 514,777 people visited Dhofar for the celebrations, compared to around

431,000 in 2014, an increase of 19.4 per cent. Of the visitors, 73.4 per cent were Omanis, while those from other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries accounted for 15.8 per cent.

A breakdown of visitors showed that 378,068 were Omanis; 81,299 were from other GCC countries; 41,127 Asians; 10,433 were from rest of the Arab countries; 2,253 were Europeans while the remaining 1,597 people were from a diverse group of nations.

According to the NCSI, there

were 5,000 visitors per day.

A total of 83.9 per cent of visitors arrived in Salalah through the land borders, compared to 71.1 per cent in 2014. A total of 72,000 vehicles crossed the border into Dhofar.

However, according to the NCSI, between 1 May to October 31, a total of 89 registered traffic accidents took place along the Nizwa-Salalah main highway, 79 per cent of them during the festival.

According to the NCSI and the data obtained from the Royal Oman Police, 221 people were injured and 44 died.

Spending contributed to the festival’s success as the visitors spent a total of OMR50.4 million (OMR50,421,425) during the season, compared to about OMR42 million in 2014. According to the NCSI, Kuwaitis spent the most and their expenditure averaged at OMR285 per person while Asians spent an average of OMR63 per person.

MUSCAT: Oman plans to invest OMR35 billion over a period of two and a half decades to further boost its tourism sector, according to an Arabian Travel Market official.

“Oman’s Tourism Strategy for 2015 through 2040 has an investment of $35 billion, and the country is working hard to increase its global appeal with exciting initiatives, such as the launch of an evisa system by Royal Oman Police in February last year,” said Nadege Noblet-Segers, Exhibition Manager, Arabian Travel Market.

“It has also been a destination on several travel hotlists, and was ranked on the 20th spot on the New York Times list of the 52 places to visit in 2015, as well as gaining kudos from popular travel site Skift, which last year named Oman as the number one tourism destination in the region, saying it ‘packs a lot [into] a small package’,” she added.

Oman is also seventh out of 100 locations most favoured by Muslim tourists, according to the Global Muslim Travel Index.

Additionally, recent figures from the Oman Airports Management Company for both Muscat and Salalah airports recorded an 18 per cent rise in passengers traveling through the capital’s gateway in 2015, surpassing the 10 million passenger mark for the first time in its operational history, while Salalah Airport also saw a rise in traffic of 22 per cent, to reach more than one million passengers.

Accessibility is a key focus, with Oman Air launching a new route to Dhaka,along with enhanced capacity to Frankfurt, Colombo, Tehran and Dammam.

“These figures are indicative of the growing appeal of Oman to a diverse international audience, and the country is expanding its tourism offering to cater to all segments, including mid-market, which is something that we are focusing on this year as our spotlight

RISING NUMBERS: Oman’s inbound tourism rose by an average of 7.4 per cent per year from 2005-14, while 1.4 million international tourist arrivals have been targeted by 2019. – Supplied photo

theme,” noted Noblet-Segers.

“This is responding not only to the needs of the more budgetconscious traveller, but also for those whom quality and experience-led travel doesn’t necessarily have to mean a five-star price tag,” she added.

Meanwhile, Oman’s inbound tourism numbers rose by an average of 7.4 per cent per year from 2005-14, while 1.4 million international tourism arrivals have been targeted by 2019, up from 1.1 million in 2015. The Reed Travel Exhibitions team was in Muscat to meet with key industry players from across the country and discuss exhibitor opportunities for this year’s annual travel industry exhibition, as well as look at where the country stands, with its $3.3 billion in tourism-related projects.

Exhibitors from the Sultanate attending ATM 2016, which takes place at Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from April 25-28, include the Oman Ministry of Tourism, which has forecasted hotel room capacity to expand at an annual rate of 5.3 per cent over the next three to four years, and contribute 10 per cent of GDP by 2020.

According to the Reed Travel

Exhibitions commissioned Q3 2015 YouGov Travel Oracle insight report, one-third (36 per cent) of surveyed leisure travellers from the region now choose budget hotels when travelling for pleasure, with Asian expats the most likely to opt for low cost accommodations (52 per cent) and 35 per cent of all respondents stating that reasonable costs are one of the most important elements when considering a leisure destination.

Overall, 41 per cent of travellers interviewed had a per person trip budget of $1,000 or less, thus putting costs high on their priority lists. The YouGov report also looked at business travel, with 15 per cent of total respondents reporting a decrease in corporate travel budgets over the last 12 months, which is highlighting an opportunity for mid-level brands to target the newly budget-conscious corporate traveller.

The visibility of special deals and promotions when selecting a hotel for business travel was also raised in the research, with 18 percent of those surveyed naming special offers as the top decision influencer, followed by the influence of the company travel organiser (15 per cent).

CHARITY

Dar Al Atta’a treasure hunt helps raise money for needy families

GIVE ME MORE: Participants in the treasure hunt were enthusiastic about taking part in the activities and said that they would look forward to more events. – Supplied photo

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: An amount of OMR12,500 was raised at Dar Al Atta’a fourth annual treasure hunt, held at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah resort and spa over the weekend.

The money will be used to purchase new furniture and electronic items for 10 houses that are currently under construction as part of the ‘My home, my shelter’ programme, and will be handed over to underprivileged families once completed.

Fourteen teams, representing 11 companies, took part in this year’s event. Groups of five employees from each company were challenged in a series of brain teasers and physical activities that eventually lead to the treasure in a competitive, yet entertaining, journey that took participants to Qantab, Yiti and Wadi Mayh.

The activities were designed to boost team building and communication among team members, most of whom came together from different departments within their companies.

The challenge also helped participants improve team ethics outside their work places.

Towards the end of the treasure

hunt, a cake decoration assignment was given to participants, which tested their creative and artistic skills.

Shell Oman Marketing Company came in first to win the piratethemed treasure hunt 2016, while team Al Khonji won the cake decorating contest.

Also, prizes for the best dressed and most enthusiastic team went to Daleel Petroleum and Gulf Energy Services, respectively.

Vivianna, captain of the Shell Oman Marketing team, said her group was excited about winning and, at the same time, supporting a noble cause, noting, “All the tasks were a lot of fun and the last one was really interesting. This is my second time taking part and I am super excited that we have finally won.”

Participating teams from both the public and private sectors included Al Khonji Group, Shell Oman Marketing Company, Enhance company, Al Daleel petroleum, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), Omantel, Shangri-la’ Barr al Jissah Resort and Spa, Aster Hospital, Oman Be’ah, Saraya Bandar Jissah and Gulf Energy.

Mariam Al Zadjali, chairperson of Dar al Atta’a added, “The association successfully managed to

maintain 75 houses in 2015, with Allah Almighty’s blessings and support, and this event will offer even more financial support to provide furniture for a number of these houses. We extend our gratitude to the participating companies for their cooperation and support for our charitable work.”

Call for more events Participants in the treasure hunt were enthusiastic about taking part in the activities and said that they would look forward to more events. Carla from Al Khonji Group, who is originally from Portugal, said, “I am here with my team and I enjoyed every bit of the treasure hunt. It was fun because we now know different people working in our company. Otherwise, I only knew the girls from the gym where I work. But now we also met people from the office. I hope this will be organized more often, because it really helps us unwind.”

Khaled Jarrar from PriceWaterhouseCoopers added, “This is our third year taking part. What I really liked best was the camaraderie and all the fun. It was a beautiful day and all went for a good cause. We would love to come back next year with two teams.”

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

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FIGHTING CYBER CRIME

ALAWI MEETS MAURITANIA MINISTER Yousuf bin Alawi Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs received Isselkou Ould Ahmed Izid Bih, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mauritania in his office on Sunday.

The two sides reviewed relations between the two countries and means of enhancing them in various areas. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues and matters of common concern. -ONA

C A P I TA L M A R K E T AU T H O R I T Y

Amended Unified Motor Insurance Policy issued Times News Service MUSCAT: Amendments to the Unified Motor Insurance Policy were approved by the Capital Market Authority yesterday as part of the continued review of the capital market and insurance sector legislation.

Sheikh Abdullah Salim Al Salmi, Executive President of CMA, speaking about the new version of the Unified Motor Insurance Policy, said the new amendments were effected after seven years of the issuance of the policy in 2008 as a standard form of insurance contract with minimum limits in the contract.

He pointed out that the new version of the policy focuses on transparency between the transacting parties to limit the disputes on its various interpretations as well as upgrading the levels of ad-

ditional insurance benefits provided by insurers for more protection for policyholders and for more transparency and additional benefits as per the requirements of various participants.

He added that the unified motor insurance policy affects the greatest segment of policyholders as motor insurance represents about 44 per cent policy holders in the Omani market, as per insurance indicators last year.

It is noteworthy that the insurance sector in the Sultanate has witnessed legislative and regulatory development, in line with the best international practices.

It also achieved considerable growth at 14.8 per cent on an average over the past years with insurance premiums at about OMR0.5 billion as per the unaudited financial statements of the past year.

Digital forensic lab launch MUSCAT: Oman’s first laboratory to deal with digital forensic evidence of the cyber crime will be launched today.

The lab will be launched by Information Technology Authority (ITA) at its headquarters in Knowledge Oasis -Muscat (KOM) in cooperation with the law enforcement institutions in the Sultanate under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin

Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture. The establishment of this national laboratory, called Digital Evidence Laboratory is aimed at dealing with the digital forensic evidence of cyber crime in order to serve the relevant law enforcement institutions and other institutions in the Sultanate to ensure bringing perpetrators such crimes to justice by providing electronic evidence. -ONA

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

OMAN

550

is the number of days Atul Warrier will take to complete his 40-country expedition on his Indiamade 2002 Royal Enfield Thunderbird bike

Indian rider who sold his house to bike around the world is in Oman In June last year, Warrier quit his lucrative job at a leading media firm in Bangalore and sold all his properties to set off from Kanyakumari and has so far covered 18,000 kilometres across Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Bali, Australia and has finally arrived in Muscat

NISHAD PADIYARATH

nishad@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: One man, one machine and the endless road. No, this is not a movie plot, but a real life story of a man, who sold his house to go biking around the world.

Atul Warrier is currently in Oman and is on the second leg of a gigantic trans-continental expedition. In June last year, Warrier quit his lucrative job at a leading media firm in Bangalore and sold all his properties to set off from Kanyakumari and has so far covered 18,000km across Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Bali, Australia and finally arrived in Muscat.

“A lot of people have tried to travel everywhere. But I was largely inspired by Gunther Holtorf’s incredible journey that lasted for 23 years during which he travelled to 172 sovereign countries, 17 dependent territories, six special territories, and five de-facto states,” Warrier said in a freewheeling conversation with the Times of Oman.

“Travel has really always inspired me. I like to travel. I like to meet people. I’m curious to see different countries,” he added.

Dull life After years of living a dull life in the corporate world, Warrier took a break to set his mind right. “I made my first solo journey exploring the whole of South India for an entire month. That totally changed my perspective towards life.

The interactions and experiences that I had with unknown people were truly an eye opener.

I genuinely felt alive as the more I explored, the more I came into contact with the essential parts of myself,” Warrier said.

This is when Warrier realised that he wanted to live this dream

rather than just chase it. “The biggest fight was to convince myself.

I finally decided to take a career break and answer the call of self reflection, freedom and connecting with people around the world,” he said.

Preparing for the journey that is expected to cover 40 countries in 550 days was not easy for Warrier. He had to first sell his house to save the money for the trip and to do that he had to first convince his family.

“It was tough to convince them but I was determined to go for it and they couldn’t stop me,” he said. The next big challenge was to choose the vehicle for my travel.

He modified his bike—a 2002 Royal Enfield Thunderbird.

“I call it the Black Pearl. So far it has been my best companion,” Warrier said.

In addition to getting valid visas for all the destinations, Warrier also needed a Carnet de Passages en Douane or CPD, a passport of sorts for the vehicle. And after 18 months of preparations, Warrier the ‘Warrior’ began his dream ride of a lifetime.

For Warrier, the trip so far has been an “amazing” experience.

“This trip has changed my perspective about life. In the last few months I have come across strangers, some of whom are great human beings,” he said.

“In Laos, near the Kong Lor cave, it was the villagers, who helped me and my bike across a river during a massive storm. In Bangkok, I even survived an accident while riding from Cambodia. “People came running to help me and they even repaired my bike without taking a penny from me. Not a word they spoke to me and I was on the road quickly. I do not know who they are but that’s when you realise how blessed you are,” he said.

WANDERER: Atul Warrier is currently in Oman and is on the second leg of a journey that is expected to cover 40 countries in 550 days. – Supplied photo

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Challenging experience Riding on a bike, according to Warrier has been a “challenging” experience. “It’s not that easy as one might think. Riding a bike might be easy, but travelling this long is not,” said Warrier, who lives on fruits and juice. “I make sure that I don’t end up eating in a plum restaurant or a five-star hotel. That’s how I save money for this long journey,” he said.

Warrier, who has been in Oman for the last two weeks, has already fallen in love with the beauty of the Sultanate. “The people of Oman are as beautiful as the country,” he said. “I have already explored some places here and riding my bike in this country has been an amazing experience,” he said.

Recalling his journey so far, Warrier had this to add: “The more you travel, the more you realise how little you’ve seen. And the more you’ve seen and experienced, the more you want to continue seeing and continuing experiencing.”

C U LT U R E

SALIM-SULAIMAN SHOW

Indian Idol winner to perform in Muscat Donizetti’s L’Elisir Times News Service MUSCAT: Vipul Mehta, who shot to fame by winning “Indian Idol 6” is joining the sensational musician brother-duo, SalimSulaiman, who will make their Oman debut at the City Amphitheatre, Qurum on February 19.

Mehta has also made his playback debut with the Bollywood film, “Wedding Pulaav,” which released on October 16. He was selected as the winner of the reality TV show “Indian Idol 6” in 2012.

After that, he has never looked back.

Following his win, he released his debut album, “Hello Namaste Sat Sri Akal” and later his debut single “Rowaan Mein,” which was well received. He has also performed live at Coke Studio.

Mehta learned classical singing since he was eight years old and in 2008, he became a finalist at the Amul STAR Voice of India programme’s second season, but could not make it to the final three.

In 2012, he applied to Indian Idol 6 and won the sixth season with co-finalist Devendra Pal Singh, 17, becoming a runner-up and Amit Kumar standing third. His debut single “Rowaan Mein” was written and composed by Asad Chohan and produced by Ali Mustafa.

He will now join Salim-Sulaiman, who have composed music for more than 100 Bollywood films and television shows, along with popular Bollywood singer, Sweta Pandit.

Akshay Chowdhary, Director of Light and Shadow Enterprises said, “We are extremely happy to bring the dynamic duo that has been scoring music for Hindi films for a long time now. They are

MULTI-FACETED TALENT: Vipul Mehta who was selected winner of the reality TV show “Indian Idol 6” in 2012 made his playback debut with the Bollywood film, “Wedding Pulaav,” released on October 16. – Supplied photo

among India’s top music composers, having scored for more than 100 films including “Chak De India”, “Band Baaja Baaraat”, “Kurbaan”, “Heroine”, “Fashion”, “Aaja Nachle” and “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi”, “Fashion”, “Iqbal “among others.”

The Salim-Sulaiman concert will have an ensemble of 25 musicians performing on stage. “Some

top singers from Bollywood, including top female singer Shweta Pandit will be accompanying them,” Chowdhary said.

Steeped in a family tradition of music as the sons of composer and veteran of the film industry Sadruddin Merchant, Salim mastered the piano at the Trinity College of Music in London, while Sulaiman

took up tabla training with legends, such as Taufiq Qureshi and Ustad Zakir Hussain.

They have also composed several records, incorporating cinematic, folk, electronic and Sufi influences in their music. “They have really redefined the music scene in India,” Chowdhary said.

The programme is brought to Oman by Oman’s event management agency Light and Shadow Enterprises.

The presenter of the concert is Minara, a product of Areej Vegetable Oils and Derivatives (AVOD) S.A.O.G. Mitsubishi is driving the event.

Other sponsoring partners are R&B, Mobicell and Huawie. Tanuf Water and Effect will be the official refreshment for the event, Tim Hortons, Jet Airways, Foodlands Restaurant, AXA Insurance, Talentz Centre and the Times of Oman are the supporting partners of the event.

“Over the years, we have made an effort to redefine entertainment in Oman. Concerts, such as Temptations Reloaded with Shahrukh Khan and Katrina, Akon’s Live Concert and Salman Khan’s event, which we have organised in the past, have proved our organisation skills, set up abilities, production calibre and eye to detail. Continuing with the tradition, we want this to be the biggest concert of the year,” said Chowdhary.

Currently, tickets for the concert are on sale at R&B (Ruwi and MGM), Foodlands Restaurant (Al Khuwair) and the Mitsubishi Showroom (Azaiba). “Tickets are priced at OMR40, 20 and 10 so rush to the outlets before they sell out,” Chowdhary added.

d’Amore at ROHM Times News Service MUSCAT: Filled with light-hearted charm and humour, “The Elixir of Love” delights audiences with effervescent Italian melodies and brilliant bel canto arias featuring plenty of vocal fireworks.

“L’Elisir d’Amore”, which premiered in Milan in 1832, is Gaetano Donizetti’s most popular comic opera and one of the last in the golden era of Italian opera buffo (comic opera). It is also one of the most frequently performed operas in the Donizetti repertoire.

The strength of this well-loved opera lies in combining a touching love story and hilarious comedy with beautiful music, including the world famous aria, “Una furtiva lagrima (A furtive tear)”.

Nemorino, a poor peasant, is besotted with Adina, a beautiful and wealthy landowner who rejects his earnest declarations of love. Fortunately, a certain Dr Dulcamara is on hand with a love potion to help Nemorino win Adina’s heart.

Adina appears to be immune to the effects of Dulcamara’s potion on Nemorino and agrees to marry a self-important Sergeant. Nevertheless, over time, Adina, realizes she cares for Nemorino and, shedding the famous furtive tear, admits her love.

Meanwhile and unknown to the two lovers, Nemorina has unexpectedly inherited a fortune. The ending could not be happier. Everyone rejoices - and Dulcamara most of all, since the power of his love potion is proven.

This charming production is

MASTER-PIECE: “L’Elisir d’Amore”, which premiered in Milan in 1832, is Gaetano Donizetti’s most popular comic opera. – Supplied photo

presented at the Royal Opera House Muscat by the iconic Teatro La Fenice of Venice, one of the most famous companies in the history of Italian theatre and renowned throughout Europe. True to its name of La Fenice, meaning The Phoenix, the Theatre has risen from the ashes after fires in 1774, 1836 and 1996. The Teatro Fenice Orchestra is conducted by the Donizetti expert and internationally acclaimed interpreter of bel canto, Fabrizio Maria Carminati. The lead singers, both reigning stars of the classic Italian repertoire - especially of the four great bel canto era composers - Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi - are Soprano, Rocio Ignacio, as Adina; and Tenor, Francesco Demuro, as Nemorino.

“L’Elisir d’Amore” will be performed at the Royal Opera House Muscat at 7.00 pm on three nights, the 17th, 19th and 20th of February, 2016 to meet the demand for this totally delightful comic opera.

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GRAPHOLOGY

He can read what you did not write

A5

OMAN

‘Services in government sector need to improve’

MOBIN MATHEW BLESSON

mobinmathew@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Your handwriting can reveal your past and present, and handwriting analysts can help you carve out a better future, says a graphologist currently visiting Oman.

Arvind D Bhutt is an expert in handwriting and signature analysis. He evaluates handwriting and tells people about the problems they have and suggests some changes in the way they write to achieve better outcomes in the future.

He is in Oman to make a presentation on graphology and subsequently offer consultancy to those desirous of knowing more about handwriting skills.

Bhutt was in Oman as an employee of the Assarain Enterprises in the 80s.

According to him, graphology is a science that is about 450 years old. The first book on graphology was written in Spain in 1552.

“Through graphology, personality characteristics can be analysed through the size of the letters, the pressure applied, the speed of writing, spacing, slant and many other elements,” Bhutt told the Times of Oman.

Bhatt said our conscious mind determines what we write whereas our subconscious mind controls how we write.

He said that graphology is a research-based knowledge and there is no miracle involved in it.

According to Bhutt, handwriting could be called “Mind writing” or “Brain writing,” since there is a lot of involvement of mind than just the hand in the way one writes.

“Brain generates impulses and passes the same to our hand.

These impulses get imprinted on the paper through the pen held in the fingers,” he said.

“How can we say a person who writes with the help of his legs is his handwriting?” he asked.

He also stated that when a person communicates by way of speaking, only 15-20 per cent of brain cells are active. Whereas when a person writes, nearly 8590 per cent of the brains cells are activated. Hence, it is easier to understand a person thoroughly through his or her handwriting than his speech.

He also said that graphology helps an individual to improve in many ways.

“Graphology helps to achieve more success in job, business,

Public sector in the Sultanate, as in other countries around the world, is facing a number of challenges

ERIK PRINS

erik@timesofoman.com

Through graphology, personality characteristics can be analysed through the size of the letters, the pressure applied, the speed of writing, spacing, slant and many other elements Arvind D Bhutt Handwriting analyst

study and career; it also helps in child development, to select perfect life partner, life partner etc,” Bhutt said.

He also mentioned that graphology has some limitations. For example, it cannot identify the gender, age, dexterity, nationality, caste, creed, religion etc.

Bhatt’s passion for graphology began when he saw an article in a newspaper in India, and decided to delve deep into the subject. He underwent training with a teacher for eight years, and applied the knowledge on his own by changing his signature at the age of 55.

Bhutt, 65, is settled in Mumbai, the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra, and is currently a consultant in graphology.

He will be here in Oman until March 15.

PA S S I O N F O R W O R K S U RV E Y

Doing meaningful job, feel workers Times News Service MUSCAT: An overwhelming majority of respondents from the Oman and the larger Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region feel that the work they do adds purpose to their life (91.5 per cent) according to a survey.

Another 75 per cent of MENA respondents said they are “extremely passionate” about their work and for 86.5 per cent of MENA respondents said their work has helped them discover who they really are.

More than half of those polled (57.9 per cent) were generally happy with the work culture and environment at their organization, 64 per cent of whom said they are “extremely happy” and 36 per cent of which said they are “moderately happy.”

Conversely, one in 10 poll respondents in the MENA region admitted that they were “not happy at all” with their current work environment. An impressive 87.1 per cent of MENA professionals felt a sense of connection with their co-workers, and approximately half agreed with this sentiment (50.2 per cent), while 36.9 per cent strongly agreed. In fact, very few respondents disagreed (3.5 per cent) or strongly disagreed (1.2 per cent).

More than half of MENA respondents felt their workplaces recognised or celebrated special personal occasions, such as birthdays and marriages (51.3 per cent). According to 36.1 per cent, their companies “always” recog-

nised such occasions.

However, 33.4 per cent of MENA companies “almost never” recognised special occasions.

These are the findings of the “Passion for Work in the Middle East” survey, recently conducted

by Bayt.com a leading career site in the Middle East.

“As a business that has been successfully connecting professionals and companies together for the past 16 years, the results of this poll are indeed very inspiring for us,” said Suhail Masri, vice president, Employer Solutions, Bayt.com.

“On any given day, we have thousands of vacancies on our job site that people can apply to for free, across the entire careerlevel and industry spectrum.

Meanwhile, employers searching for qualified people are able to find their ideal candidates quickly and easily with Bayt.com’s industry leading CV Search tool, which recruiters can try for free at http:// www.bayt.com/en/search-cv/.

Over the last decade and a half, we have redefined the vanguard when it comes to the evolution of recruitment portals in the realm of essential full-fledged social engagement platforms.”

Data for the poll was collected online from January 12 to 30, 2016, with 6,106 respondents from countries in the MENA region, including the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Iraq, and Yemen, among others.

MUSCAT: Government sector services need to meet the challenges that the Sultanate faces today, speakers at a conference on competence building in the government sector said.

The conference, organised by the Ministry of Civil Service in association with Competence HR, was opened on Sunday and will continue for three days. Organisations from the public and private sector, as well as international experts on competence building are participating in the conference.

The event was aimed at understanding ways to improve the level of services in the public sector, using expertise from abroad as well as experience from the public and private sectors.

This is needed as the public sector in the Sultanate, as in other countries around the world, is facing a number of challenges, Sayyid Salim bin Musallam Al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Administrative Development Affairs at the Ministry of Civil Service, told the Times of Oman.

“It is a big challenge. First, we

BRAINSTORMING: The conference, organised by the Ministry of Civil Service in association with Competence HR, was opened on Sunday and will last for three days. – Jun Estrada

are seeing the fast development of technologies and uncertainty in the world. Secondly, people have been demanding improvement in government services. How can one be more accurate in government work? This is a central question in this conference,” he said.

Adapting to a fast developing technology is another key concern, Al Busaidi said.

Commenting on the role of the private sector, Al Busaidi said at the conference, organised and sponsored by the private sector, exchanging views between the public and private sectors on challenges and solutions should be the focus of this conference.

“Bringing all these people together for the first time and bringing in expertise from outside the country is a great chance. I think this will create a more focused environment where participants will be fully able to solve problems,” he said. “But it is also important that people themselves want to bring change. Such change cannot sim-

ply be imposed upon.”

Mohammed Jassim, expert on excellence in the government sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), however, said that to make a success of this programme, leadership’s support is needed.

“It is the backbone of the success of this programme,” he said.

When asked about whether upcoming changes in the government sector will lead to less employment for young Omanis, Al Busaidi said it is already a reality that the government sector cannot absorb many more new employees.

“It is for the government to decide whether or not to make the government slimmer. That is out of my hands. What we know is that the government is working hard to improve the speed of its services for the people, that everything is being done online, that procedures are simplified and that one can appeal if there is a problem,” he said.

Al Busaidi said he hopes that at the end of the conference, the

leaders of the ministries will know more about the challenges they are facing and how can the services, delivered to employees and citizens, be improved.

“If you want to bring investors to your country, create more jobs for nationals and grow your economy, you have to deliver good services.

That’s a must,” he said.

As for creating more local jobs, Oman is already “advanced” when compared to other states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to Jassem.

“Omanis have good basic factors. They have good knowledge, but they need a strategy in order to achieve excellence,” he said.

Jassem stressed the importance of training. He said that Omanis need more training, especially regarding leadership roles, international understanding and applying new technologies.

“I think that this leadership programme is a good beginning to create focused and well-trained people,” he said.

A6

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016 I am really excited and looking forward to this fashion show. I want to make this a success and have been planning it meticulously Ahmed Al Balushi, fashion designer

OMAN

Designer works his way into imagination of Oman youth

DGMAN

Low pressure may bring rain this week Times News Service

On his 19th birthday, he decided to start

I was very fond of dressing up and so thought why not try designing T-shirts for myself. I did that and wore the designs to my college where a lot of students complimented me

his own T-shirt line, and turned this wish into reality with the launch of ‘Kash5aful’ which means ‘fabulous’ in Arabic

DEEBA HASAN

Ahmed Al Balushi

deeba@timesofoman.com

Fashion designer

MUSCAT: Ahmed Al Balushi’s eyes shine as he speaks about his not-so-old fashion start-up called ‘Kash5aful’. Although he ventured into the T-shirt designing only two years ago, fashion is something which this 21-year-old has always been associated with.

Growing up in Abu Dhabi gave him many opportunities to witness fashion events, both on TV and sometimes live. Ahmed loved watching fashion shows and being part of elegant ceremonies where people dressed in flashy outfits.

Besides, he also learnt to pick his own clothes from an early age.

Despite his deep love for fashion, Ahmed’s passion was never actually visible to people until one day he decided to design T-shirts for himself.

“I was very fond of dressing up and so thought why not try designing T-shirts for myself. I did that and wore the designs to my college one day, where a lot of students complimented me. After that, I started taking pre-orders from friends and family who wanted me to design T-shirts for them, and I started this business with only OMR10 in my pocket.”

This was a turning point in Ahmed’s life and he decided to never look back. On his 19th birthday, he decided to start his own T-shirt line, and turned this wish into reality with hard work and determination. Ahmed started ‘Kash5aful’ (which means ‘fabulous’ in Arabic) soon after.

Unique designs His unique designs with Arabic phrases and patterns quickly caught the imagination of young Omani girls and boys, and Ahmed was able to put up his first fashion show at the Caledonian College of Engineering (CCE), where he is currently pursuing a Bachelors deV I O L AT I O N

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Overweight

A1 trucks

Of the trucks monitored, 12,410 were found to be overweight, out of 18,260 trucks weighed in 2015, accounting for an average of 68 per cent of all trucks violating the law, according to Mohammed Al Nuaimi.

Most violations were reported in Al Rusail – Nizwa road, followed by Al Batinah road.

Asked how the war in Yemen and the pirate infested sea near Oman’s coastline might impact the development of Salalah airport, Said bin Hamdoon bin Saif Al Harthy, Undersecretary of Ports and Maritime Affairs, said the conflict in Yemen has had no impact on work at Salalah port.

gree in Civil Engineering.

Not just in Oman, Ahmed’s designs have spread far and wide to most of the Arab countries and to Europe. Ahmed has a strong vision of hitting the global market and plans to do so soon.

“I am in collaboration with a Swiss entrepreneur called Helen, who chose my T-shirts to be displayed at her boutique in Switzerland. It is a matter of honour for me because Helen likes displaying designs from different parts of the world at her boutique and it’s the first time ever that she chose someone from the GCC.” An important milestone in Ahmed’s life is approaching very soon, as he is organising his second

fashion show at the Shangri-La’s Barr al Jissah resort and spa on March 31 this year. “I am really excited and looking forward to this fashion show. I want to make this a success and have been planning it meticulously.”

Although his mother passed away two years ago, Ahmed says she is always with him in whatever he does. “It’s unfortunate that my mother passed away two years ago and did not live to see this day, but I know that she is looking down at me with a big smile.”

Ahmed’s father is proud of his achievements.

According to Ahmed, friends and well-wishers have advised him to expand into other fashion wear and accessories if he wants to make it global.

“Money doesn’t really count for me; it is the happiness when I see someone wearing my designs at an important event that really makes me feel that I am on the pathway to success.”

At the moment he is focusing on making his fashion show a success.

Ahmed is also designing accessories apart from T-shirts. “I am designing more clothes now -- capes, cardigans, hats, scarves -- and plan to open my own store after I graduate from college.”

Ahmed’s biggest dream is to see his designs being worn at the red carpet at the Grammy’s or the Oscars. “I have big dreams and I like to feel that I am on my way to pursue them. A lot of people tell me that I am very successful but I like to think that I am on my way to the success that I have always wanted; not yet, but close.”

MUSANDAM

MUSCAT: A low pressure system is likely to hit Oman this week and may bring rain from Tuesday to Thursday, the Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (DGMAN) said on Sunday.

In its 24-hour outlook, the DGMAN predicted clear to partly cloudy skies over most of the Sultanate with chance of clouds developing over Al Hajar mountains on Monday afternoon. “(There is a) chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog occurring over the governorates of Al Buraimi, South Al Sharqiyah and the coastal areas of Sea of Oman,” it said. Safety experts called upon the motorists to be cautious on slippery roads and in areas where there is low-visibility.

TIWI

< FROM

Life guards

A1 deployed

“The report came a few days ago but deep sea searches are out of our jurisdiction. The coast guards and the Royal Navy operate in those areas,” said a PACDA official. “We have been assigned to do sweeps near the coast at predetermined points,” the official added.

Earlier this week, PACDA had deployed a large number of life guards in Tiwi as many tourists visit this beach on weekends.

CBO

Omanis arrested on drug charges Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Two Omani nationals were arrested by the Directorate General of Narcotics Control in Musandam for attempting to take the delivery of a drugs consignment. .

A senior official from the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said that the Directorate General of Narcotics Control arrested the two suspects as they were extricating the drugs hidden on the beach.

Officers reported finding 10 kilograms of hashish and 19,800 psychotropic pills, including a large amount of heroin and crystal methamphetamine.

National arrested A senior official at the North Al Batinah Police said that investigating officers arrested an Omani man for entering a woman’s home and attempting to assault her. Details of the case indicate that the Sohar ROP received a call from the victim about an unidentified person armed with a knife enter-

ing her house. The suspect tried to sexually assault her, but the victim was able to resist and disarm the man, which resulted in the suspect fleeing the scene.

Following an investigation, the suspect was identified and arrested.

102 deported Between February 7 and February 13, in cooperation with military and security authorities, the ROP detained 40 migrants residing in various governorates for entering the country illegally.

Meanwhile, the ROP also deported 102 Asian migrants from after following appropriate legal procedures and working with the migrants’ embassies.

Arrested for immoral act Buraimi ROP have arrested an Asian man and woman for operating a brothel in Buraimi Governorate. The man was reportedly running the brothel, while the woman was participating in prostitution.

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‘No extra

A1 burden

on public’ Hamoud bin Sangour Al Zedjali, Executive President of the CBO said in the circular that due to the pegging of the Omani rial to the US dollar in a bid to maintain the bilateral commercial and other relations with other countries, no unnecessary additional burden should be imposed on the public.

The executive president of the Central Bank of Oman affirmed that all foreign exchange companies operating in the Sultanate should comply with such instructions.

‘As there are no restrictions over the exchange rates, these establishments are required to take necessary measures to ensure integrity and fairness of their transactions and not to provide an opportunity for unnecessary speculations.-ONA

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

A7

REGION Turkish army continues shelling party rejected Turkish demands for withdrawal, while the Syrian government said Turkish shelling of northern Syria amounted to direct support for insurgent groups.

Other fronts were also active on Sunday. Kurdish-backed forces were fighting with insurgent groups near Tel Rifaat in the northern Aleppo countryside, while further south, government forces renewed their shelling of rebel positions to the northwest of Aleppo city.

The Observatory also reported air strikes by jets believed to be Russian in areas east of Damascus, north of Homs, and in the southern province of Deraa.

Turkish artillery shelled Kurdish militia in the area north of Aleppo near the Turkish border for a second day as Russia vows to keep bombing rebels fighting President Bashar Al Assad

BEIRUT/MUNICH: The Turkish army shelled Kurdish militia in northern Syria for a second day on Sunday, while Russia made clear it would continue bombing Syrian rebel targets, raising doubts that a planned ceasefire would bring much relief.

Major powers agreed on Friday to a limited cessation of hostilities in Syria but the deal does not take effect until the end of this week and was not signed by any warring parties - the Damascus government and numerous rebel factions fighting it.

REDUCED TO RUBBLE: Civil defence members work at a site after air strikes by pro-Syrian government forces in the rebel held Douma neighbourhood of Damascus, Syria, on Sunday. – Reuters

Russian bombing raids directed at rebel groups are meanwhile helping the Syrian army to achieve what could be its biggest victory of the war in the battle for Aleppo, the country’s largest city and commercial hub before the conflict.

The situation has been complicated by the involvement of Kurdish-backed combatants in the area north of Aleppo near the Turkish

border, which has drawn a swift military response from artillery in Turkey.

The Kurdish YPG militia, helped by Russian air raids, seized an ex-military air base at Menagh last week, angering Turkey, which sees the YPG as an extension of the PKK, a Kurdish group that waged a bloody insurgent campaign on Turkish soil over most of

OVERTURNING SENTENCE

FIGHTING

Egyptian court reverses policeman’s jail sentence for killing female activist CAIRO: Egypt’s highest court reversed on Sunday a 15-year jail sentence handed down by a lower court to a policeman for killing an activist in the street, judicial sources said, overturning a rare sentence against members of security forces.

First Lieutenant Yaseen Hatem was charged last March with action that “led to the death” of Shaimaa Sabbagh, a lesser charge than murder but still a rare action against a member of the security forces. He will now face a retrial. Sabbagh was shot in January 2015 at a march marking the fourth anniversary of the protests that ousted veteran ruler Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The public prosecutor said in March she had been killed by an officer who fired birdshot to try to disperse the protest.

President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, accused by critics of muzzling opponents, had responded to the fury over Sabbagh’s killing by referring to her as “my daughter” and “the daughter of Egypt” and promised to bring her killers to justice.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Egypt’s forensics authority on Saturday handed over to the prosecutor general’s office its final autopsy report on the Italian student who was tortured and found dead in Cairo last week.

Giulio Regeni, 28, had been researching independent trade unions in Egypt and had written articles critical of Sisi’s government - prompting speculation that he was killed at the hands of Egypt’s security forces.

Egypt’s interior and foreign ministers both dismissed the notion of security forces being behind Regeni’s murder.

The prosecutor general’s office said it would not publicly disclose the contents of the report as the investigation was ongoing. Reuters was not able to obtain a copy D E AT H A N N I V E R S A RY

Hariri in rare visit to Beirut BEIRUT: Former Lebanese prime minister Saad Al Hariri made a rare visit to Lebanon on Sunday, arriving in Beirut on the 11th anniversary of the assassination of his father, Rafik Al Hariri, an airport official said.

It is only his third visit to the country since he left in 2011 after his government was toppled by the March 8 coalition that includes Hezbollah group. — Reuters

the past three decades.

Turkey began shelling while demanding that the YPG militia withdraw from areas it has captured from Syrian rebels in the northern Aleppo region in recent days, including the Menagh air base. The bombardment killed two YPG fighters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Syrian Kurdish PYD

SHOT AT: This photo taken on January 24, 2015 shows Egyptian Shaima Al Sabbagh being carried away after she was injured during clashes with police during a rare leftwing protest in central Cairo, the eve of the anniversary of the 2011 protests against Hosni Mubarak. – AFP Files

to verify the contents. However, a senior source at the forensics authority told Reuters Regeni, a graduate student at Britain’s Cambridge University, had seven broken ribs, signs of electrocution, traumatic injuries all over his body, and a brain haemorrhage.

His body also bore signs of cuts from a sharp instrument suspected to be a razor, abrasions, and bruises. He was likely assaulted using a stick as well as being punched and kicked, the source added.

A second autopsy in Italy “confronted us with something inhuman, something animal”, Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told Sky News 24 television last week. Egypt’s initial autopsy report showed Regeni had been hit on the back of the head with a sharp instrument.

Regeni was given a funeral in his hometown on Friday and Italy’s prime minister once again insisted that those responsible be caught and punished. — Reuters

UAE soldier killed in Yemen DUBAI: A United Arab Emirates soldier was killed and another was wounded while fighting in Yemen as part of a Saudi-led military coalition, state news agency WAM reported on Sunday, citing the army general command.

The coalition is fighting to stop the Houthis from taking complete control of Yemen after they seized the capital Sanaa and advanced south towards the port city of Aden. WAM did not give any more details. Around 6,000 people have been killed in the conflict, almost half of them civilians. — Reuters

Humanitarian aid Efforts to deliver humantitarian aid were being threatened by the latest escalation of violence. “We must ask again, why wait a week for this urgently needed cessation of hostilities?” says Dalia Al Awqati, Mercy Corps Director of Programs for North Syria.

“Each delay places innocent civilians at greater risk and impedes our efforts to support the half a million people who depend on us for food and other essential supplies.”

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama had agreed to intensify cooperation to implement the agreement on Syria struck in Munich.

After a phone call between Putin and Obama, the Kremlin said both gave a “positive valuation” to the Munich meeting. But the Kremlin statement made clear Russia would continue bombing raids against IS and “other terroristic organisations”, an indication that it would also be targeting groups in western Syria where militants such as Al Qaeda are fighting President Bashar Al Assad in close proximity to rebels deemed moderate by the West.

Reaction from politicians in the West to the Munich deal was less positive. A senior ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Russia had gained the upper hand in Syria and the surrounding region through armed force. Norbert Roettgen, head of the foreign affairs committee in the German parliament, was sceptical about how Russia would behave in the days and weeks ahead, despite agreeing to a cessation of hostilities.

“Russia is determined to create facts on the ground, and when they have accomplished this, then they will invite the West to fight a common enemy, this is ISIS,” Roettgen said, referring to IS. Speaking at the same security conference in Munich, US Senator John McCain said he did not view the deal as a breakthrough.

“Let’s be clear about what this agreement does. It allows Russia’s assault on Aleppo to continue for another week,” he said. — Reuters

A8

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

INDIA

When you over-communicate and you under-deliver, the biggest risk is that you begin to lose trust Chandramouli Nilakantan, CEO, Blue Lotus Communications

Indian economy not affected by global economic crisis: PM Narendra Modi said

One thing can free us from our problems, from poverty, from lack of education and that is development

people across the world are saying that the steps taken by the government (have led to) India becoming the fastest

Narendra Modi

growing economy

SPELLING OUT: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses at a function

among the larger

to celebrate Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati’s birth anniversary at New Delhi’s Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium on Sunday. - PTI

Prime minister

economies

NEW DELHI: India is the only economy which has not been affected by the global economic crisis which has hit the world, primarily due to the policies being implemented by the government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

“Everyone is saying this... the World Bank, the IMF. The world is going through an economic crisis, but it is India alone that is progressing at a rapid pace. This is a unique situation when the whole world is slipping and India is growing,” Modi said at a function organised to mark the 140th birth anniversary of social reformer Dayanand Saraswati.

“People across the world are

Shah Rukh’ s car stoned by VHP workers

Yojana and told people that they can open zero balance accounts, it was my desire that poorest of the poorer should have an account in the bank.

Prime Minister

of the world

G UJA R AT

saying that the steps taken by the government (have led to) India becoming the fastest growing economy among the larger economies of the world,” he said.

“One thing can free us from our problems, from poverty, from lack of education and that is development,” Modi said, while referring to his government’s socio-economic programmes like Mudra and Skill Development.

Focus “Over two crore people have benefitted through MUDRA Yojana and over Rs one lakh crore has been disbursed to them. Financial support has been given to people and we have faith in them,” the prime minister said.

Noting that 60 per cent of India’s population was below 35 years of age, he said India was the “youngest nation in the world.

“The government’s focus is on how to convert the power of the youth which can used for development of the nation. Therefore, we not only launched a skill development programme for the youth but also created a new ministry, with its own budget and a set of officers to take the programme forward,” Modi said.

By 2030, when the population of many countries will grow old and when they require work force, India can power these nations with skilled and technically qualified manpower, he said.

“Apart from having certificates in their hands, our youth must be skilled,” he said and exhorted the youth to “pick up any one idea and work on it...let India’s strength at the world stage increase through that idea you pick.”

Observing that many people have said that 21st century would

be India’s century, the prime minister said this century is the “era of knowledge” and India has always led the world in knowledge.

Pledge He called upon the youth to take a pledge to enhance India’s prestige in the world fora through their skills and knowledge.

“There is the public sector and the private sector. We want to introduce another sector — the personal sector. We want the people to be self-sufficient and self-employed to be become job creators and not job seekers,” Modi said.

Maintaining that his government had introduced schemes to make the youth and the people self-sufficient, he spoke of the Jan Dhan Yojana and said over Rs 30,000 crore were deposited in the accounts through this scheme.

“When we launched Jan Dhan

Zero balance account Sixty per cent people were without bank accounts. We decided on the zero balance account, but people volunteered and put Rs5 to Rs10 in these accounts and now Rs 30,000 crore has been deposited in the accounts through the Jan Dhan scheme,” he said, adding “this shows the richness of our poor people.” Through such schemes, the poor can come out of the clutches of the rural moneylenders, he said. Speaking about the formation of Arya Samaj in 1875 by Dayanand Saraswati, Modi said it had its roots in India’s First War of Independence. “1857 saw the first War of Independence. After centuries of slavery, there was a new zeal and that too not a small one. It did not restrict to 2,000 to 5,000 freedom fighters, but the entire country stood up.”

“However, the desired results were not achieved. When you see that background, you will then realise why Arya Samaj was established then,” Modi said.

On the Clean Ganga initiative, Modi said several governments in the past had tried to clean the river, but were not successful.

However, “if people make up their mind, the mission can be easily achieved.” “Many governments came and went while carrying out cleaning of Ganga, but could not complete the task of cleaning Ganga. If we decide not to allow degradation of Ganga then no power in the world can do it,” he said. - PTI

PROTEST: VHP activists holding poster of actor Shah Rukh Khan and protest against shooting site of his new film ‘Raees’ at Bhuj in Kutch district in Gujarat, recently. - PTI file photo

AHMEDABAD: Shouting slogans against Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, VHP members threw stones at a parking lot of a luxury hotel here on Sunday damaging his car in continuing protests against the shooting of his upcoming film Raees in Gujarat over his earlier remarks on “intolerance”.

The film’s crew members are staying in the hotel but the 50-year-old actor was not there at the time of the incident as he arrived here only this afternoon.

After an FIR for rioting and damaging property was filed in this regard in the evening, at least seven persons, claimed to be associated with the right-wing organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), were detained, police said.

The shooting is taking place in Bhuj.

Meanwhile, a video showing unidentified persons throwing stones inside the hotel also surfaced on social media platforms.

In the video, they can be seen shouting slogans against Shahrukh and fleeing on bikes after throwing stones.

Gujarat unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad claimed responsibility for the incident. - PTI

FOREIGN INVESTMENT DRIVE

Modi urged to make reality match ‘Make in India’ hype MUMBAI: Thousands of people and mascots of lions swarmed the weekend opening of a “Make in India” drive to attract foreign direct investment, pitched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “the biggest brand that India has ever created”.

The week-long event, the boldest since Modi launched the initiative to emulate China’s export miracle back in 2014, seeks to “spark a renewed sense of pride in India’s manufacturing”, its marketing blurb says.

But even as the ‘Make in India’ hype scales new heights, some bosses question Modi’s delivery

on promises to make it easier to do business, while marketing experts caution against creating unrealistic expectations.

“When you over-communicate and you under-deliver, the biggest risk is that you begin to lose trust,” said Chandramouli Nilakantan, CEO of Blue Lotus Communications, a branding and public relations consultancy.

On buzz alone the effort got off to a great start, with the prime ministers of Sweden and Finland attending Saturday’s gala opening hosted by Modi. On Sunday, delegates thronged the 10 pavilions erected for the event in Mumbai,

India’s financial capital.

Around 2,500 foreign companies and 8,000 domestic companies were expected to attend, organisers said. Yet on the ground, the experience of businesses is more prosaic: Twenty months after Modi swept to power with a promise of growth and jobs for India’s 1.3 billion people, executives say more needs to be done, including improving infrastructure.

More pressingly, key legislation such as a goods and services tax and land acquisition bill are stuck in parliament, just as global competitors such as Vietnam step up their own reform efforts.

“Make in India is a great initiative and has created a lot of positive sentiments,” Vikas Agarwal, general manager of mobile phone maker OnePlus in India, said.

“Now the government needs to follow up with policies. That includes providing custom duty and export incentives, tax rationalisation and removal of ambiguous land acquisition policies.”

Scored major wins Make In India has scored major wins, including a pledge by Taiwan’s Foxconn to invest $5 billion in a new electronics manufacturing facility.

That has helped foreign direct investment to nearly double to $59 billion last year, the seventh most in the world, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Yet in critical aspects, India remains far behind its goals. The proportion of manufacturing to gross domestic product has been stuck at around 17 per cent for five years, below the government’s goal to ramp it up to 25 per cent, according to the Boston Consulting Group.

India has only created 4 million manufacturing jobs since 2010, according to Boston Consulting.

At the current rate, India may only create 8 million jobs by 2022, well below the government’s goal of 100 million.

Professor Ravi Aron, a USbased expert in manufacturing, said India was ill-suited for a Chinese-style export boom, because it lacked the infrastructure and the skills for its exports to compete internationally.

“It should not be called ‘Make in India’ but ‘Make In Spite of India’,” said Aron, of Johns Hopkins University, advising the Indian government to scale back its ambitions and focus on its growing domestic market. - Reuters

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INDIA

Rajnath claims Afzal event at JNU had Hafiz support volved in anti-India sloganeering at the event on February 9.

DCP South Delhi, Prem Nath, has also written a letter to the top brass favouring transfer of the case to Delhi Police’s Special Cell.

While the students have called for a strike from Monday till Kanhaiya is released, the teachers’ association said it is yet to take a call on the issue.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s comments about Hafiz Saeed’s links with the event where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised sparked a political row with opposition parties asking him to provide evidence

NEW DELHI: Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh unleashed a political storm on Sunday with a claim that an event at JNU to protest the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru had received “support” from LeT founder Hafiz Saeed amid an escalating showdown over the crisis at the varsity.

Opposition parties demanded that the Home Minister provide proof to back up his claim on the event at the JNU campus.

In a shot in the arm for the students demanding the release of its students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was slapped with sedition charge, teachers associations of 40 central universities extended support to the protest by the students and teachers of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU).

JNU’s teachers’ association also openly came out against the administration for mishandling the matter and particularly slammed it for allowing police action before

SOLIDARITY: Jawaharlal Nehru University teachers and students form a human chain inside the campus in protest against arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, in New Delhi on Sunday. - PTI

completion of a probe by the university’s proctorial committee in connection with the event.

The teachers are backing the students.

Amid the protests and mounting outrage over police action in JNU, Rajnath said, “The incident(Afzal event) at JNU has received support from Hafiz Saeed. This is a truth that the nation needs to understand.”

“What has happened is very unfortunate,” Singh told reporters in Allahabad referring to an event at JNU campus to commemorate the third death anniversary of Afzal Guru.

Singh’s comments about Hafiz’s links with the event where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised sparked a political row with opposition parties asking him to provide evidence.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said it is a “very

serious charge” to level against the students and that the evidence must be shared with all.

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Home Minister has to come out and share the evidence he has with the country to back up his “serious allegation”.

CPI leader D. Raja also demanded that the evidence be made public.

Comments Rajnath’s comments came two days after a series of tweets, purportedly by Saeed, had appeared under a hashtag asking Pakistanis to support the agitation in JNU. Police are investigating as to whether the twitter handle actually belonged to the LeT founder.

Throwing its weight behind the students and teachers of JNU, President of Federation of Central University Teachers Association Nandita Narain said teachers’ associations of 40 central uni-

versities including of Hyderabad University have extended support to agitation by JNU students and teaching community.

Seven of eight JNU students who were debarred from academic activities earlier this week in connection with the Afzal Guru event have been asked to appear before a high level committe of the varsity probing the matter.

Meanwhile, a video has gone viral on the social media, purportedly showing ABVP members shouting pro-Pakistan slogans.

However Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP), the students wing of BJP, rubbished the allegations, saying it is a morphed video.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Home Minister has made a serious charge and he should produce evidence.

Police has formed a team to trace 13 students allegedly in-

C U LT U R A L P R O G R A M M E

Huge fire at ‘Make in India’ event in Mumbai MUMBAI: A massive fire broke out on stage during a cultural programme on Sunday night at the ongoing ‘Make In India Week’ event at Girgaum Chowpatty here.

Several political and film personalities including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan were present at the venue.

They were quickly evacuated to a safe area.

The blaze started during the ‘Maharashtra Rajni’ event when a lavani (dance) performance was underway, the BMC Disaster Control said.

Sixteen fire engines and six water tankers were rushed to the spot and are trying to put out flames. The cause of the fire was being ascertained and further details are awaited.

The Brihanmumbai Munici-

pal Corporation (BMC) said the fire could have been caused by an electric short-circuit.

Fadnavis termed the incident sad and said a comprehensive probe will be ordered and those responsible for it would face action.

He confirmed that there were no injuries or casualties and all artistes and guests were evacuated safely. - Agencies

S U NA N D A P U S H K A R ’ S D E AT H

Tharoor questioned, can be summoned again, says Bassi NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has once again been questioned in connection with his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s death and the special investigation team probing the high-profile case may summon him again, Delhi Police Commissioner B. S. Bassi said on Sunday.

“I must say that I am sure that we are on the right track and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is doing a great job,” Bassi said, adding that a number of reasons were responsible for the “slow” progress in the case.

Tharoor, who is Lok Sabha member from Thiruvanathapuram, was questioned for nearly five hours by the SIT at the AntiAuto Theft Squad office inside the premises of south Delhi’s Vasant Vihar police station on Saturday, a source said. He was subjected to three rounds of questioning around one year ago. On Tharoor’s questioning, Bassi said, “Whatever clarifications were required to be obtained from Shashi Tharoor, those perhaps have been obtained.”

“If SIT thinks further clarification is required, it may summon Tharoor again,” he said, adding that the police is trying to take the case to a logical conclusion as early as possible.

The latest round of questioning was in light of the findings of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Medical

IN TROUBLE: Shashi Tharoor leaves his residence for Vasant Vihar police campus in South Delhi for being questioned in Sunanda Pushkar’s mysterious death. - PTI file photo

Board’s opinion on the FBI report on Sunanda’s viscera and other crucial evidence, which were sent to their laboratory in US, a police source said. He said the questions revolved around the source of drugs Alprax, which was found in Sunanda’s stomach, and lodicaine, which is believed to have contributed to a poisoning leading to her death.

Meanwhile, the SIT has written a letter to the AIIMS medical board, seeking clarification on a few specific points in their findings. The board is expected to respond by Friday, the source added. Sunanda was found dead at a five-star hotel room in south Delhi on January 17, 2014, and

around a year after that, a case of murder was registered with the police calling it a case of “unnatural death”.

In February 2015, the police sent her viscera samples and other evidence gathered from the hotel room to an FBI laboratory in US, which sent its report to Delhi Police in November last year.

However, the report failed to clear the mystery surrounding Sunanda’s death and it was forwarded to an AIIMS medical board for their opinion.

The board was headed by Dr Sudhir Gupta, the chief of forensic science department of the institute, who claimed that the FBI report “endorsed” the report of Sunanda’s autopsy which was conducted at AIIMS. Around three weeks ago, the police had once again questioned Tharoor’s domestic help Narayan Singh and driver Bajrangi in light of the AIIMS medical board’s findings.

Singh and Bajrangi, along with Tharoor’s family friend Sanjay Dewan and three others, were questioned multiple times and later all six were subjected to a polygraph test last year.

Police also questioned around a dozen chemists from Lodhi Road area in the last week of January while trying to ascertain the source of drugs which are believed to have caused the death of 51-year-old Sunanda. - PTI

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IN FLAMES: A fire broke out on stage during a cultural event at the Make In India week in Mumbai on Sunday. -PTI

Sedition case Kanhaiya was arrested on Friday in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which antiIndia slogans were alleged to have been raised.

A shocked mother of Kanhaiya, who hails from Begusarai in eastIndian state Bihar, said “Please do not call my son a terrorist. We are constantly watching TV after we got to know that Kanhaiya has been arrested. I hope police does not beat him too much.

“He has never disrespected his parents, forget the country. Please do not call my son a terrorist. He cannot be one.”

Meena Devi, an Anganwadi worker who earns Rs 3,500 per month, said she and her eldest son Manikant are the sole bread-winners for the family as her 65-yearold husband has been bedridden for seven years due to paralysis.

JNU vice chancellor Jagdish Kumar appealed to the students and teachers to let the law take its course and maintain a conducive environment in the university.

The JNU row on Saturday turned into an ideological battle between the BJP and its Left opponents, with Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi lending them support. The arrrest of Kanhaiya, a leader of CPI-affiliated student outfit, set the two sides on the warpath, with the government declaring that the varsity cannot be allowed to be a “hub of antinational” activities. -PTI

JHARKHAND

10 killed as heavy vehicle ploughs into procession GIRIDIH (Jharkhand): Ten people were killed on Sunday and 15 others injured when a heavy vehicle went out of control and ran into an idol immersion procession in the district, a senior district administration official said.

The mishap occurred on on Giridih-Bagodar Grand Trunk road when the driver of a trailortruck lost control and ran into the group of going to immerse the idol of deity Saraswati, Giridih Deputy Commissioner Uma Shankar Singh said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar has rushed the spot, he added. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das expressed grief over the incident and asked the local MLA and district administration to support the relief work. Das announced an ex-gratia of Rs100,000 for each of the family that lost a member in the accident, an official said. - PTI SECURITY FORCES FIRING

2 killed, 10 hurt in J&K clashes SRINAGAR: Two youths, including a girl, were killed on Sunday in firing allegedly by security forces on a crowd that was holding a protest over an encounter in Pulwama district of Indian-administeredKashmir in which an unidentified militant was gunned down.

Three persons were also injured in the firing, police said.

The two youths killed were identified as Danish and Shahista, a police official said, adding that a crowd of protesters started pelting stones at security forces at Lillhar in the Kakapora area near the encounter site.

Earlier, one militant was killed in the encounter in Pulwama. - PTI

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

PAKISTAN ABDUCTION

Afghanistan summons Pakistani ambassador

HEART TO HEART A couple takes a selfie as they stand next to a heart-shaped paper flower decoration at flower market on Valentine’s Day in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday. — Reuters

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan government has summoned Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul to express concerns over the kidnapping of former governor of Herat province in Islamabad, Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Unidentified men on Friday “kidnapped” Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi, who was out shopping with his 12-year-old grandson at the Rana market, Afghan embassy in the federal capital said in a police report.

“Afghanistan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai called Pakistan ambassador Syed Abrar Hussain to the Foreign Ministry and shared his deep concerns at the kidnapping of Sayed Fazalullah Wahidi, former governor of Heart in Islamabad,” an Afghan Foreign Ministry statement read.

Recovery of Wahidi “The government of Afghanistan expects Pakistan to fulfil its responsibility and use all resources to take immediate steps for the recovery of Wahidi and investigate as to which group was involved in his abduction,” the statement quoted Hekmat Karzai as saying. — Express Tribune

Navy increases surveillance of strategic Gwadar port Apart from security measures, the navy also shed light on its ‘people-centric approach’ to rehabilitate people living along the coastline. These projects include running schools, hospitals and vocational training centres in major towns across the 960-km coastal belt. Moreover, the navy conducted mock exercises of boarding and unloading helicopters on one of their frigates for journalists.

Navy officials revealed that a special Marine Battalion was deployed will safeguard sea links used for communication and provide protection to trade ships

VIGILANT: Pakistan Navy has allocated a special Marine Battalion at the post for surveillance. — File photo

ISLAMABAD: With the development of the deep sea port at Gwadar in Balochistan, the Pakistan Navy is anticipating fresh security challenges. It has thus allocated a special Marine Battalion at the port for surveillance. These marines will safeguard sea links used for communication and provide protection to trade ships routing in and out of the port in the near future.

In a recent visit to the coastal belts of Gwadar and Karachi by journalists, navy officials revealed that the new division was deployed in anticipation of trade activities through Gwadar. Trade is expected to spring up under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. The battalion is an addition to the existing troops securing the coastlines of Karachi Harbour and Sir Creek areas.

Officials briefed about the op-

erational capabilities of the force, and the scope and scale of their operations. “Most of the Indian Ocean including Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) was declared a high-risk area of piracy,” said a navy official, adding that they then enhanced security. As a result, after the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia revised limits of the piracy HighRisk Area last year, it excluded Pakistan’s EEZ.

Vital sea routes Given its proximity with vital international sea routes, Gwadar is likely to become a major port of the country. Located near the international sea routes leading to the Arabian Gulf from where 17,500 oil tankers and 7,300 cargo ships pass every year, the navy will require major improvements in the next four to five years once the port becomes fully operational.

Once trade under CPEC magnifies and Central Asian countries also join in, it would need more equipment and platforms. For this, the navy is in the process of shifting some of its operations and naval assets from Karachi to the newly-built naval base in the strategic town of Ormara located mid-way between Karachi and Gwadar.

Moreover, owing to the hostil-

ity between India and Pakistan, Pakistan Navy has plans on maintaining a 1:5 power balance with its arch rival. According to the officials, India plans on acquiring 50 warships, three aircraft carriers and 22 submarines, of which five will be nuclear submarines, in the next 10 to 15 years.

Blue water navy Besides that India also envisions converting its naval force into blue water navy – a marine force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans – with intercontinental outreach. This in return would pose serious challenges for Pakistan Navy owing to their resource constraints. However, officials said that they want to maintain minimum deterrence and limited overseas outreach against these plans.

To keep up with the challenges, special service groups and Pakistan Marines have been trained to conduct special operations on land, sea and air.

On land, the navy has two warships, Type-21 and F-22P frigates. It also has Patron Craft Squadron, small but lethal missile boats equipped to safeguard sea frontiers and deliver an offensive punch which strikes deep into enemy territory. — Express Tribune

WA R N I N G

Rebels plan to send ‘parcel bombs’ to politicians KARACHI: Intelligence agencies on Sunday warned of possible terror attacks on key government officials and politicians by banned militant outfits in Karachi.

“It has been learnt through interrogation from terrorists of banned organisations (Al Qaeda/ Lashkar-e-Jhangvi) that they have made a plan to attack important government officials and politicians by preparing local-made bombs,” a letter issued by security agencies read.

Intelligence-based reports suggest that terrorists could make use of sweet boxes of any popular brand to hide their bombs and send them to their respective targets. ”Two such boxes have been recovered from the possession of those under custody,” the letter added.

“Local-made bombs will be sent in packing of Dilpasand Sweets tin boxes (or any other popular brand) for their assassination.”

The development comes just two days after the military announced the arrest of several high profile terrorists in Karachi who were collaborating to free the mastermind of American journalist Daniel Pearl’s murderer, among other notorious terrorists from Hyderabad jail. — Express Tribune

FEBRUARY 2-9 STRIKE

‘PIA workers behind crippling 8-day strike will be sacked’ ISLAMABAD: The government is set to start sacking from Monday the Pakistan International Airlines employees who spearheaded a crippling, eightday strike at the national carrier, which reportedly caused a loss of over Rs5 billion to the national exchequer.

The PIA management has already served show-cause notices on 167 ‘unruly’ employees, including some top leaders of the Joint Action Committee of PIA Employees (JACPIAE) who led the February 2-9 strike.

The process has apparently already begun with service contracts of 11 ad-hoc employees cancelled through their recruiting agency two days ago.

The permanent employees, however, have been given 72 hours to explain their position to the management, which will start taking punitive action from Monday, insiders told The Express Tribune.

The government has directed

The Pakistan International Airlines management has already served showcause notices on 167 ‘unruly’ employees

the PIA management to terminate the services of those employees who furnish unsatisfactory replies. The deadline to respond expired on Sunday evening.

PIA claims the strike resulted in cancellation of 850 international and domestic flights, causing the national flag carrier losses of more than Rs5 billion besides damaging the airline’s reputation.

These losses are in addition

to the expenditures the PIA had to bear for accommodating the waiting passengers in hotels during the chaos and payments to other airlines to fly its passengers.

“We have clear directives from the highest level not to succumb to any political pressure and get rid of the troublemakers,” a top official of the PIA management told reporters on Saturday.

“If they go to courts for stay orders, we have a strategy in place to deal with that as well,” he said without elaborating. “Some [employees] have already submitted their replies. We will examine their cases. There will be cries of victimisation but mafias will not be spared.”

Insiders said the management would also take up the cases of alleged corruption and mafia-style dealings within the airline.

Action is also expected against the ringleaders not letting the management introduce the automated integration management system. — Express Tribune

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Afghan civilian casualties hit record high in 2015: UN At least 3,545 noncombatants died and another 7,457 were injured by fighting last year in a 4 per cent increase over 2014, the United Nations said in its annual report on civilian casualties

KABUL: Civilian casualties of the war in Afghanistan rose to record levels for the seventh year in row in 2015, as violence spread across the country in the wake of the withdrawal of most international troops, the United Nations reported on Sunday.

At least 3,545 noncombatants died and another 7,457 were injured by fighting last year in a 4-per cent increase over 2014, the international organisation said in its annual report on civilian casualties. “The harm done to civilians is totally unacceptable,” Nicholas Haysom, the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, said in a statement.

Increasingly desperate fighting between Western-backed government forces and insurgent groups meant more noncombatants are being caught in the crossfire, investigators wrote, pointing to two developments in particular which pushed casualties up.

Heavy fighting in the northern city of Kunduz, which briefly fell to the Taliban in late September, and a wave of suicide bombs

ANNUAL REPORT: A file picture taken on August 22, 2015 shows Afghan residents reacting as they search for relatives at the site of a car bomb in Kabul. The UN in 2015 recorded its highest number of civilians killed or wounded in Afghanistan, according to a new report on Sunday, with children paying a particularly heavy toll as struggling Afghan forces faced a militant surge. - AFP

which killed and wounded hundreds of people in the capital Kabul last year were the main factors behind the rise.

“In most parts of Afghanistan in 2015, civilian casualties decreased,” Danielle Bell, director of the UN human rights programme in Afghanistan, told a news conference in Kabul.

Ground engagements were the leading cause of civilian casualties at 37 per cent, followed by roadside bombs at 21 per cent and suicide attacks at 17 per cent.

Women and children were

especially hard hit, as casualties among women spiked 37 per cent while deaths and injuries increased 14 per cent among children. Casualties attributed to pro-government security forces jumped 28 per cent compared to 2014.

A 9-per cent rise in civilian casualties caused by international military forces was attributed largely to a US air strike in October on a Doctors Without Borders hospital that killed 42 staff, patients, family members and injured another 43.

NEW ZEALAND

NO MAJOR DAMAGE: Dust and debris rise above houses after a cliff collapsed due to an earthquake on the Whitewash Head area, located above Scarborough Beach in the suburb of Sumner, Christchurch, New Zealand, on Sunday. A strong 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Christchurch in New Zealand on Sunday, causing cliffs to collapse into the sea but no major damage to the city, which was devastated by a 2011 quake which killed nearly 200 people. - Reuters

Cliffs collapse as 5.7 magnitude earthquake hits Christchurch WELLINGTON: A strong 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Christchurch in New Zealand on Sunday, causing cliffs to collapse into the sea but no major damage to the city, which was devastated by a 2011 quake which killed nearly 200 people.

The epicentre of Sunday’s quake on New Zealand’s south island was 15km east of Christchurch and at a shallow depth of 15km, said the country’s seismological body Geonet.

Geonet said there were more than 40 aftershocks. The quake came eight days before the anni-

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versary of the deadly 2011 quake that caused upwards of NZ$40 billion ($26.52 billion) of damage, causing much of the city to require a rebuild.

Police said there were no reports of major damage or serious injuries, but people were evacuated from several buildings and there were reports of some liquefaction. The Christchurch

City Council said cliffs collapsed in several places along the surrounding coast, spreading large clouds of billowing dust across the sea and hills.

“Obviously with a 5.7 magnitude earthquake so close to the eastern coast of Christchurch its certainly been a big shock for the city, a set back in terms of people’s confidence and feeling of security,” said Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel.

“Our city is stronger than it was five years ago. There are going to be a lot of people out there feeling very vulnerable.” - Reuters

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Overall 103 civilians were killed and 67 wounded by foreign forces last year, the report found.

As in past years, insurgent groups like the Taliban were blamed for the majority of civilian deaths and injuries, at 62 per cent.

Investigators accused insurgents of increasingly using tactics that “deliberately or indiscriminately” caused harm to civilians.

“The report references commitments made by all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, however, the figures documented in 2015 reflect a disconnect be-

tween commitments made and the harsh reality on the ground,” Bell said.

“The expectation of continued fighting in the coming months combined with the current levels of civilian casualties, demonstrate the critical need for immediate steps to be taken by all parties to the conflict to prevent harm to civilians,” she said.

Since the United Nations began systematically recording civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2009, it has documented nearly 59,000 deaths and injuries. - Reuters

KAESONG SALARIES

‘North Korea used wages for weapons programme’ SEOUL: South Korea said 70 per cent of the US dollars paid as wages and fees for the suspended Kaesong industrial project, run jointly with the North, had been diverted for Pyongyang’s weapons programme and luxury goods for leader Kim Jong Un. It is the first formal acknowledgement by the South that the 55,000 North Korean workers at the Kaesong complex saw little of the $160 they were paid on average a month.

South Korea on Wednesday suspended the project as punishment for the North’s long-range rocket launch on February 7 saying it would no longer allow the funds paid to Kaesong to be used in the North’s missile and nuclear programmes.

The North conducted its fourth nuclear test last month.

The North called the South’s move to suspend operations “a declaration of war” and kicked out all South Korean workers on Thursday and froze the assets of the South Korean firms.

“The wages for the North’s workers and other fees were paid in cash in US dollars to the North’s authorities and not to the workers,” South Korea’s Unification Ministry said on Sunday.

“This is believed to be channelled in the same way as other foreign currency it earned.”

The cash is then kept and managed by the ruling Workers’ Party’s Office 39 and other agencies, the ministry said.

Confirmed movement The ministry said it had confirmed the movement of the money through various sources but did not specify them. Office 39 is widely believed to exist to finance the luxurious lifestyle of the North’s leader. The office is also believed to be part of the North’s agencies that fund the country’s missile and nuclear programme. - Reuters

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‘There’s a shared assessment that the European security architecture is falling apart in many ways.

There is a growing sense that this US administration is focused on establishing a legacy on what has already been achieved rather than trying to achieve anything more. Yet the problems can get much worse’

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READERS’ FORUM Strange to see West’s inaction on North Korea’s Kim This refers to the story North Korea took 70% of Kaesong wages for weapons programme (February 14). The North Korea regime of Kim Jong-un does not seem to follow any form of ethics. Kim is a sadist who is bent on making life unbearable for his nation. It is strange to witness the United Nations Security Council dither and watch helplessly as the cruel actions unfolds. It seems the West lacks the will to put to task Kim’s crimes against humanity.

It is likely these powers do not want to rile Russia and China in their own backyard.

— Rahima Nasir, Ruwi Scan this QR code to send letters to the Readers’ Forum, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com).

European countries not willing to take in migrants due to fiscal woes This refers to the story French PM rejects permanent quota system for refugees(February 14). In my opinion, most of the European countries are not willing to take in migrant due to economic conditions. Within the European Union many countries have high unemployment rates and giving allowances along with taking care of the helpless refugees is beyond these countries capacity. German Chancellor Angel Merkel seems to ignore these ground realities as she is bent on welcoming the newcomers. However, it seems European nationalist have had enough and are looking for ways pressure Brussels to change course. — Maurice Davids, Seeb

JOSHUA KURLANTZICK

Upcoming US-ASEAN summit will include leaders who were previously considered too repressive to be received by US president on American soil. It seems that security and economic considerations have now usurped democracy as leading determinants of US foreign policy.

For the people this may ultimately create more risks than benefits

W

asil Ahmad, an Afghan boy, just 10 years of age, was killed by the Taliban last week. Wasil’s uncle Samad was the commander of a 70-strong militia group, part of the so-called Afghan Local Police, which is the Afghan government’s frontline militia group backed by the US government. When Samad was injured in a Taliban attack, Wasil had taken over the command from his uncle and successfully led his militia against the Taliban for 44 days. This was termed a miracle and Wasil was hailed a hero by the Afghan government. Events were held at the police headquarters to honour his bravery, and medals and money were distributed.

There were a few sane voices, like Mohammad Karim Khadimzai’s, the provincial council chief of Oruzgan who pleaded that “instead of encouraging him to military activities that will ruin his future, let him go to school. He is too young to hand him a gun.”

Wasil was subsequently shot in the head by the Taliban when he left his home to buy vegetables. His murder brings to attention the continuing nefarious practice of states sourcing civilians, including children, as proxy soldiers. It is clear that the US and its allies have learnt little from past mistakes in the region.

Across the border, Pakistan appears to be treading down the same path, encouraging the arming of civilians, training them in the use of lethal weapons and making them its foot soldiers. After the attacks on Army Public School (APS) and Bacha Khan University (BKU), the government has encouraged the training of teachers and students in the use of firearms and facilitated the provision of gun licences. It appears that the government’s ingenious strategy for fighting terrorist attacks on schools is to turn the very teachers and students it should be protecting into its frontline foot soldiers.

The manner in which the state eulogises children murdered by terrorists, be it Aitzaz Hasan or the APS and BKU students, and then encourages the handling of ammunition by civilians, what dangerous message is it conveying to society? Mohammad Ali Jinnah, addressing the Constituent Assembly

in 1947, said, “You will no doubt agree with me that the first duty of the government is to maintain law and order so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the state.”

How, I ask, can the state abdicate its primary responsibility and still assume legitimacy?

Syed Hamid Hussain may have bravely confronted the militants to protect his students at BKU, but the role he performed was not his to play. This was the duty of the state, our security forces and law-enforcement agencies, which are under oath to protect us. We condemn children being used as soldiers and suicide bombers by the Taliban, yet we now appear to be thrusting guns into the hands of our own teachers and students and justify this as a necessary ‘security measure’. At a time when the US is witnessing raging debates over stricter gun control laws, our government is easing accessibility to guns and ammunition. Instead of de-weaponising society, it is being infused with more of what ails us.

If there is one lesson we ought to have learnt from our previous misadventures in the realm of proxy wars is that guns are best suited in the hands of soldiers. Those soldiers who are bound by a code and oath to serve and protect their country and its people and are answerable for their actions; and not in the hands of civilians who may appear a convenient and pliant ‘resource’ but, over time, morph into an elusive yet formidable force that cannot be held accountable and soon enough take on an identity of their own, turning guns on our children.

Based on the testimonies extracted from alleged corroborators of the BKU attack, it is clear that what caused the terrorists to abandon their plans to attack other locations and choose BKU instead was the inaccessibility of those other target locations due to the increased presence of law-enforcement agencies and heightened security measures around them. Before policymakers move any further in encouraging the use of guns by civilians, they should be reminded of their aspiration to see books in the hands of our enemy’s children. How then, can they justify handing over guns to our teachers and students? - Express Tribune

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Oman-Iran educational cooperation discussed MUSCAT: An official session of talks between Omani and Iranian sides was held at the Ministry of Higher Education yesterday. The Omani side was headed by Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, minister of higher education, and the Iranian side was headed by Dr Mustafa Muain, minister of higher education, research and technology. The Iranian minister said in statements after the session, that the two sides discussed all issues of cooperation between the two ministries.

The minister said he took note of efforts to promote the standards of education when he visited the university and educational institutes here.

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1925: The London Zoo announces it will install lights to cheer up fogged-in animals.

1946: Canadian mounted police arrest 22 as Soviet spies.

1950: Joseph Stalin and Mao Tse-tung sign a mutual defense treaty in Moscow.

1974: U.S. gas stations threaten to close.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

A13

WORLD Stakes raised in US election race after death of top judge urday that he would nominate someone to fill the now-empty seat, setting up a battle with the Republican-controlled Senate, which must approve any nominee.

The next justice would tilt the balance of the nation’s Supreme Court, which now consists of four conservatives and four liberals.

It is set to decide a controversial case, as well as cases on voting rights, affirmative action and immigration COMPLICATION: US President Ronald Reagan speaks with Supreme Court Justice nominee Antonin Scalia, right, in the White House Oval Office in the US capital Washington in a July 7, 1986 file photo courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Library. — Reuters/Bill Fitz-Patrick/White House/Courtesy Ronald Reagan Library/Handout via Reuters

WASHINGTON: Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates hardened their positions on Sunday on blocking a move

by President Barack Obama to replace the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, a lifetime appointment that would help decide some of the most divisive issues facing Americans.

The next justice would tilt the balance of the nation’s highest court, which now consists of four conservatives and four liberals.

The vacancy left by the death of Scalia, 79, quickly became an issue in the 2016 presidential race.

“We ought to make the 2016 election a referendum on the Supreme Court,” US Senator and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

The nine-justice court is set

We ought to make the 2016 election a referendum on the Supreme Court Ted Cruz US Senator and Republican presidential candidate

to decide a controversial case, as well as cases on voting rights, affirmative action and immigration.

Cruz said the vacancy makes November’s election even more critical, warning that a justice

chosen by Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders would mean the Second Amendment right to bear arms would be “written out” of the Constitution and among others.

FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS Turkish members of the “One Billion Rising” movement, dance during a demonstration to denounce violence and injustices against women, on Valentine’s Day in Ankara, on Sunday. — AFP

FRANCE

Sarkozy urges party unity, struggles in re-election bid PARIS: Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, struggling to put his re-election bid back on track, urged his conservative party on Sunday to rally behind a programme of curbing immigration, building more jails and cutting taxes. Sarkozy wants his platform, which also includes overhauling labour rules and restoring checks at French borders, to set the party line for the 2017 presidential elections.

But his main rivals for November primaries that will choose The Republicans’ (LR) candidate for the presidential elections have all said they would not be bound by it. They snubbed his keynote speech at the end of a two-day policy meeting of top party officials, one of them saying he couldn’t be there “because it’s Valentine’s Day.” Sarkozy said he would put the policy plan to a vote of all

officials, Sarkozy, who is also the party leader, has fallen behind his main rival Alain Juppe in opinion polls.

Nicolas Sarkozy

party members in April.”It would be unacceptable for us to be divided at a time when the (far-right) National Front is so strong,” he said.”There will be no going back.”.

While he received a standing ovation from hundreds of party

Well behind Juppe Some 48 per cent of right-wing voters think Juppe would be LR’s best candidate in 2017, versus only 20 per cent for Sarkozy, a BVA poll published on Saturday showed, confirming a string of similar polls in the past weeks.

And while for long Sarkozy remained more popular with LR sympathisers, he has fallen behind there too, with 43 percent favouring Juppe while 30 percent prefer Sarkozy, the poll showed.

Sarkozy, who had retired from politics after he lost in his first reelection bid to the Socialist party’s Francois Hollande in 2012, made a comeback in September 2104 and was elected as head of the party. — Reuters

He lumped Donald Trump in with the Democrats, saying that the Republican front-runner’s views were indistinguishable from theirs.

Democrat Obama said on Sat-

Obama successor Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said hours after Scalia’s death was announced that the high court vacancy should not be filled until Obama’s successor takes office next January so that voters can have a say in the selection.

His Democratic counterpart, Harry Reid, said failure by the Senate to act would be a “shameful abdication” of the chamber’s constitutional responsibilities.

While Reid said it would be unprecedented to have a vacancy on the highest court for a year, Republicans said no appointment should be made in the so-called lame-duck year of a presidency.

“The president can decide whatever he wants, but I’m just telling you the Senate is not moving forward on it until we have a new president, and I agree with that,” Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican presidential candidate, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Echoed ideology Asked what litmus test he would apply to any nominee, Rubio’s criteria echoed Scalia’s “originalist” ideology that looks at the US Constitution through the lens of its framers’ 18th century intentions.

“Does the person that we are nominating have a consistent and proven record of interpreting the Constitution as initially meant?

What do those words mean to that society at the time in which those words were written in the Constitution? That’s what I want out of a judge, out of a justice,” Rubio said.

Trump, appearing on NBC, was more direct when asked what he would want in a nominee: “Someone just like Justice Scalia.” — Reuters

R E C O R D S S H ATT E R E D

Northeast US shivers in bone-chilling temperatures BOSTON: Residents of much of the northeastern United States woke up on Sunday to bone-chilling cold conditions that shattered Valentine’s Day records in Boston, Hartford and Providence.

Officials warned residents to stay indoors in the face of the -9 degree Fahrenheittemperatures, which felt as cold as -40 degrees Fahrenheit with the wind chill.

Arctic outbreak “It’s fair to say that this is a historic Arctic outbreak for the modern era,” the National Weather Service said in a morning forecast update.

Forecasters warned that frostbite could set in on exposed skin within minutes, and urged residents to check on elderly neighbours.

While the system brought intense cold to the region, little snow has fallen so far this winter, placing less stress on roads and rails than last winter’s record-setting 9 feet of snowfall in Boston.

The cold put a damper on some couples Valentine’s Day celebration plans, with walks and other outdoor activities curtailed.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, Kristen Carlson, 25 and her boyfriend Ross Crory, also 25, were adapting their plans.

“We’re going to brunch,” Carlson said.”We’re going rock climbing later.

“Tonight we’re staying in and cooking dinner.”

Polar Bear Plunge Others embraced the extremes, with more than 2,000 taking part in the Sea Isle, New Jersey, annual “Polar Bear Plunge”, dipping into the icy Atlantic to raise funds for the city’s revitalisation.

Police throughout the region sought homeless people to urge them to spend the night in shelters, some of which were rolling out cots, mats and even chairs to give people a place to seek shelter from the cold. — Reuters

A 14

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

WORLD

From the outset, Britain positioned itself somewhat at a tangent to the European system. The current efforts by David Cameron’s government run along the same lines Valery Giscard d’Estaing, Former French president

Britain-EU reform talks will run right to wire: Hammond a package of reforms that he can take to the British people in a referendum on whether to remain in the EU. “Our European partners understand that we have to have a robust deal in each of those areas if the British people are to vote to remain inside the European Union,” Hammond told the Andrew Marr show.

The campaign to remain in the bloc stepped up a gear on Sunday, when the boss of airline easyJet said Britain’s membership of the EU was the reason that the cost of flights had plummeted, while the range of destinations had soared.

British and EU negotiators have already broadly agreed much of a reform package, but tricky political issues, notably on migration, are still outstanding TOUGH NEGOTIATIONS: Britain’s Foreign Secretary Philip Ham-

LONDON: Britain’s push to win backing from its European partners for its wish list of EU reforms will go “right to the wire” at a summit this week, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Sunday.

“There isn’t a deal yet, there is a working draft, there are lots of moving parts and we have got a negotiation that will run through this week, and I have no doubt will run right to the wire,” he told BBC television on Sunday.

mond is pauses as he speaks on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show in this photograph received via the BBC in London, Britain on Sunday. — Reuters/Jeff Overs/BBC/Handout via Reuters

He said progress was needed to nail down key demands in the areas of competitiveness, the relationship between countries in the bloc that use the euro and those that do not, national sovereignty and access to welfare benefits.

British and EU negotiators have

already broadly agreed much of a reform package, but tricky political issues, notably on migration, are still outstanding.

Prime Minister David Cameron is hoping to return from a summit of European leaders on Thursday and Friday in Brussels with

Worth the trouble Meanwhile, former French president Valery Giscard d’Estaing father of the European Monetary System that was the forerunner of the euro single currency - said that despite its long-standing semi-detached approach to Europe, keeping Britain in was well worth the trouble.

“I strongly hope they stay,” the former French president, who turned 90 on February 2, told Reuters in an interview in Paris.

Giscard took office a year after Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973 and,

despite building close relations with then West Germany, he has always been an Anglophile.

“Britain has an ancient and very brilliant history, the good citizenship of its population, an old and deeply authentic democratic tradition and expertise in international trade,” the veteran centreright statesman said.

Europe was perfectly able to accommodate a member state that wanted to be in the big single market but did not wish to join the euro or be drawn into closer political union with continental powers, Giscard said.

Giscard, who has met every British leader from Edward Heath - the only one he described as a “true European” - to David Cameron, said geography dictated the nature of Britain’s ties with continental Europe.

“From the outset, Britain positioned itself somewhat at a tangent to the European system,” he said. ”The current efforts by David Cameron’s government run along the same lines.”

Most of the issues that Cameron was trying to address in a renegotiation of membership terms were “false problems” that could easily be settled, he said. — Reuters

P O L L P R E PA R AT I O N S

Haiti gets interim president PORT-AU-PRINCE: Lawmakers selected an opposition senator who served as interior minister under former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide as Haiti’s interim president on Sunday, in a move aimed at filling a power vacuum threatening stability in the Caribbean nation.

Senate chief Jocelerme Privert is due to be sworn in later on Sunday as the provisional president.

His main task will be to quickly organise fresh elections.

Haiti cancelled a runoff presidential election in January amid often violent protests over alleged fraud in the first round and after the opposition candidate boycotted the vote.

No elected successor Former president Michel Martelly finished his term a week ago with no elected successor.

“I solemnly declare the citizen Jocelerme Privert as provisional president of the Republic of Haiti,” chamber of deputies president Cholzer Chancer said after the vote.

Under an agreement struck before Martelly left office, the interim government will have a 120 day term but should organise elections

by April 24, and hand power over to the winner in May. — Reuters

FESTIVITIES Performers wear a traditional costume to perform the “Flying Lion Dance” at an event to celebrate Chinese New Year in Trafalgar Square, London, Britain on Sunday. The celebrations on Sunday marked the Chinese New Year of the Monkey, which fell on February 8, 2016. — Reuters

EXTREMIST INSURGENCIES

‘Shebaab rebels have trained Boko Haram fighters’ MUNICH: Fighters for the Nigerian extremist militant group Boko Haram have been trained in Somalia on Africa’s eastern coast before returning to West Africa, Somalia’s president told a security conference in Germany on Sunday.

Somalia, plagued by political in-fighting, corruption and attacks by Al Shebaab insurgents, has recently made limited progress towards creating a functioning political system, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said.

Horn of Africa “Without a stable Somalia, the whole region of the Horn of Africa will remain unstable and by and large, the African continent.

There are proofs and evidence that (for) some time Boko Haram has been trained in Somalia and they went back to Nigeria,” he said.

“The terrorists are so linked together, they are associated and so organised, (that) we the world we need to be so organised,” he said.

It was not clear from Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud comments whether he believed Al Shebaab was still training Boko Haram fighters

It was not clear from his comments whether he believed Al Shebaab was still training Boko Haram fighters, who have pledged allegiance to IS extremist militants in Syria and Iraq.

Somalia’s Al Shebaab claimed responsibility for a blast this month that punched a hole in the fuselage of a plane. — Reuters

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016 The evidence is absolutely clear, and Albanians should be very pleased with the fact that your country is moving in the right direction. You’re on the right track John Kerry, US Secretary of State

A15

WORLD

UK rock band members die in crash The band, which came from Warrington, in northern England, was in line-up at the ‘Where’s the Music’ festival in south DEADLY ACCIDENT: Divers search for the victims of a deadly car crash in the canal under the E4 highway bridge in Sodertalje, Sweden, on Saturday.– Reuters/TT News Agency

ANTI-GRAFT MEASURES

ENCOURAGEMENT: US Secretary of State John Kerry. – AFP

You’re on the right track: Kerry tells Albanians TIRANA (ALBANIA): US Secretary of State John Kerry stopped off in Albania on Sunday to encourage its leaders to complete anti-corruption measures that could improve its chances of joining the European Union.

His visit, planned at little more than four hours notice, was shown live on television and crowds lined his route through the capital.

Kerry met Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama as well as opposition leaders. The Balkan country is a close NATO ally, but has struggled to halt the intertwining of political and criminal power a generation after the end of Communism.

The parliament in Tirana is weighing reforms, backed by the West, that include a new anti-corruption unit modelled after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“The evidence is absolutely clear, and Albanians should be very pleased with the fact that your country is moving in the right direction. You’re on the right track,” Kerry said at an appearance with Rama after their meeting.

“I know that it’s tough to take on those who have become happy with a process of avoiding their shared responsibility,” Kerry said, referring to corrupt individuals.

The secretary of state’s aides said he would push Albania’s leaders to quickly complete the legislative reform package.

Rama noted this year’s 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Washington and told reporters: “Our joint goal, bearing in mind the direct implications the reform has for joining the European Union, is to vote the package of constitutional changes in parliament in March... I’m fully confident that we shall succeed.”

In December, Albania’s parliament voted to kick anyone with a criminal record out of politics and the state administration.

Albania has received sustained US economic assistance, including $20 million thus far to reform its judiciary and law enforcement. Tirana, in return, has frequently helped Washington with its foreign policy goals.

Albania has given 15,000 tonnes of excess, Soviet-era ammunition to Kurdish fighters and Iraqi Security Forces battling IS, a senior State Department official said.

It has also contributed a small number of troops to Afghanistan, where Rama said they would remain “as long as it is deemed necessary.”

Kerry and Rama also planned to discuss efforts to deter people from leaving the Balkans to join IS in Iraq and Syria. US officials said Albania has cracked down on the flow, reporting 140 citizens who left to fight in the Middle East in 2013-2014, compared with none in recent months. — Reuters

of Stockholm

LONDON/STOCKHOLM: Britain’s Foreign Office said five men, which Swedish media reported were the four members and manager of the rock band Viola Beach, were killed when their car crashed in Sweden early on Saturday morning.

Police confirmed the men found dead in a canal in Sodertalje near Stockholm were aged between 20 and 35 and were from Britain. Their car plunged 26 metres from the motorway into the canal when a bridge was open. “For some reason, this car went through the barriers and actually went under the bridge and into the Sodertalje canal,” a police spokesman said. “The investigation so far shows no problem with the barrier. It was

down and the lights were on. Other cars had stopped by the barrier.”

The band, which came from Warrington, in northern England, was in the Friday night line-up at the ‘Where’s the Music’ festival in Norrkoping, south of Stockholm.

“We can confirm that five British nationals died in a car accident in Sweden,” a Foreign Office spokesman said. “We are in contact with local authorities and are supporting the families at this very difficult time.” Viola Beach recently recorded a session for broadcaster BBC and was due to play at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, next month, according to their Facebook page. — Reuters

A 16

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

WORLD

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Central Africans vote for peace in crucial elections New president, government face enormous challenge of restoring peace and reuniting the nation

BANGUI: Central Africans cast their ballots on Sunday in an election meant to restore democratic rule, determined to turn the page on years of bloodshed that has killed thousands and split the impoverished nation along religious and ethnic lines.

One of the world’s most chronically unstable countries, Central African Republic was pitched into the worst crisis in its history in early 2013 when mainly Seleka fighters toppled President Francois Bozize.

Abuses Militias responded to Seleka abuses by attacking the minority community. One in five Central Africans has fled, either internally or abroad, to escape the violence. Two ex-prime ministers, Faustin-Archange Touadera and Anicet-Georges Dologuele, were contesting a presidential run-off that will determine who will be charged with the enormous challenge of restoring peace and reu-

BALLOT: An election official holds ballots at a polling station in Bangui, on Sunday, as people go to the polls to take part in the country’s delayed legislative and presidential elections. – AFP

niting the nation. Touadera has portrayed himself as an anti-corruption stalwart, while Dologuele pledges to revive the economy and draw in investors hesitant until now to exploit significant gold, diamond and uranium deposits.

Authorities were also trying to re-run a first round of legislative polls which were cancelled over irregularities.

In Bangui’s PK5 neighbourhood, the capital’s principal Muslim enclave following a campaign of ethnic cleansing, some voters arrived before dawn to queue at the main polling centre.

Alima Zeinabou Shaibou, 32, who like most others in the southwest has been forced to leave her

home, crossed the road from the mosque where she now lives with her five children to be among the first voters. “I want there to be a change. I want people to live together as before,” she said.

The voting centre in PK5 witnessed violent attacks by local militia during a December constitutional referendum. And though the situation has remained largely calm during the election period, Sunday’s vote was held under heavy security.

Armed soldiers from MINUSCA, the country’s 11,000-strong UN mission, guarded polling stations while attack helicopters circled in the skies over Bangui. Armoured vehicles from a

900-soldier French military contingent patrolled the streets.

Polls generally opened on time at 6am (0500 GMT) in Bangui, a marked improvement on a December 30 first round of voting, when ballot materials arrived late or not at all in many areas.

Polls were due to close at 4pm on Sunday.

“I have noticed less turnout today than for the first round. But I’m very pleased that the second round is better organised,” said former Senegalese prime minister Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye, heading the African Union’s elections observer mission.

The first round turnout of nearly 80 per cent was largely viewed

as a popular rejection of the violence, which has left the northeast under the control of rebels while militias roam the southwest.

Both Dologuele, a banker, and trained mathematics professor Touadera have made the restoration of peace and security the centrepiece of their campaigns.

“We hope that the people will vote massively for my candidacy, because it is a candidacy of unity,” Touadera told reporters after voting. “We think they have heard the message.”

“I wish a happy Valentine’s Day to everyone,” Dologuele told journalists. “I would like Central Africans to consider (voting today) an act of love for their country.”

Expectations were running high in a nation where nearly every household has been affected by a crisis which has in some cases pitted long-standing neighbours against one another.

While the polls should reinstate democracy after three years of unpopular interim administrations, analysts warn the election of a new government is only the first step in a long process.

Whoever wins the presidency will face the daunting tasks of extending state authority outside the capital, rebuilding the army, jumpstarting a moribund economy and re-establishing a semblance of security across a nation awash with guns.

“It’s cheaper to buy a grenade in Bangui than it is to buy a can of Coke. That’s how bad it is here,” said Lewis Mudge, Africa researcher for Human Rights Watch. — Reuters

BURUNDI

Grenade attack kills child in Bujumbura NAIROBI: A grenade attack on a military base in Burundi’s capital killed a child and wounded his father and one other person, an official and witnesses said on Sunday, as violence linked to the president’s disputed re-election persists.

More than 400 people have been killed since April last year when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would run for a third term. That sparked weeks of street protests led by the opposition which said his bid was unconstitutional.

Witnesses and an official said the attack late on Saturday had targeted the base in the Ngagara neighbourhood in Bujumbura.

“The attackers were in a car and threw two grenades at a military station which injured two people including a child and his father, both coming from a hair salon,” a Ngagara administrator on Sunday.

“The child died after but his father is undergoing treatment,” he said.

A witness who gave his name only as Paul, 33, said a soldier was also wounded, but the administrator could not confirm it.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible, but activists and authorities have in the past reported a number of apparently targeted killings.

On Friday, unidentified gunmen shot dead two people in an apparent targeted killing the Gisozi commune in Mwaro province some 60km (37 miles) from Bujumbura. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, nearly quarter of a million people have fled the violence in Burundi, which emerged from an ethnically charged civil war ten years ago. — Reuters

HEARTBREAKING

Refugees drowned at sea buried unidentified in Lesbos LESBOS (GREECE): She drowned trying to reach Europe, but her headless body was never identified. Her tombstone will bear no name.

Like others buried beside her in an olive grove on the Greek island of Lesbos, the marble plaque on her unmarked grave will proclaim the victim “Unknown”. Her epitaph an identification number, the date she washed ashore, and her presumed age: one.

Sixty-four earthen graves have been dug in this land plot for refugees and migrants who drowned crossing the Aegean Sea trying to reach Europe. Just 27 of those are named. The others state plainly: “Unknown Man, Aged 35, No 221, 19/11/2015;” “Unknown Boy, Aged

7, No 40, 19/11/2015;” “Unknown Boy, Aged 12, No 171, 19/11/2015.”

More than half a million people fleeing Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries plagued by war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa have arrived on Lesbos since last year hoping to continue to northern Europe.

In 2015, the deadliest year for migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean, more than 3,700 people are known to have drowned or gone missing, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says. The actual number is believed to be higher.

Hundreds have drowned in Greece since arrivals surged last summer. So many, in fact, that the section of one Lesbos cemetery

designated for refugees and migrants has long run out of space.

Locals conclude that entire families have drowned in the same shipwreck, leaving no survivors to identify the victims. They recall bodies found severely decomposed after days at sea, or dismembered from crashing against the rocks of the island’s long coastline.

Traces of arrivals “It doesn’t feel right, seeing a child of unknown identity, an unknown child, a child of ‘roughly this age’,” said Alekos Karagiorgis, a caretaker who has transported hundreds of corpses from beaches across the island to the morgue since summer. “It doesn’t matter if it’s your job. It breaks your heart.”

Remote beaches on the island still bear the traces of arrivals: flimsy, discarded life jackets are strewn across the rocks as well as the odd shoe, a jacket, milk formula and nappies.

Though fewer than 10 nautical miles separate the Aegean island of Lesbos from Turkey, hundreds have drowned trying to make it across on overcrowded rubber or wooden boats.

No space In October, following a nighttime shipwreck from which more than 200 were rescued but dozens died, the St. Panteleimon cemetery ran out of space to bury the dead and the island’s morgue had to bring in a container to keep the bodies.

That prompted local authorities to set aside a plot of land in one village for burials. There Mustafa Dawa, a boyish-looking 30-yearold from Egypt in Greece since his 20s, has taken on the unofficial role of washing, shrouding and burying the dead.“I did 57 funerals in seven days. In one day I did 11,” he said, recalling spending a few minutes crouched in the grave of the headless child, weighed down by emotion.

Dawa says it’s the least he can do. “I can’t stop the war there, I can’t make them cross (to Europe) legally. All I can do is bury them.”

Since the October shipwreck, Theodoros Nousias, a coroner, has photographed and taken DNA samples of more than 200

victims who drowned off Lesbos and the island of Samos, keeping an archive in case relatives seek them out.

One body washed ashore this week, but it’s anyone’s guess when or where the person died, he said. Whenever the wind blows, those who drowned in Turkey are washed ashore on Lesbos.

While some victims have been identified through photographs, others are simply unidentifiable, he said, except through DNA. Only one of hundreds has been traced this way so far, Nousias said.

Like Nousias, Karagiorgis, the caretaker, and others on Lesbos faced daily with the reality of death, hope for the day the victims will be identified. — Reuters GREECE

Three Iraqi Kurds held with guns, ammunition ATHENS: Greek police arrested three Iraqi Kurds in two separate operations, on suspicion they were trying to move a large number of guns and ammunition into Turkey, a police official said on Sunday.

The men, aged 22, 28 and 39 and all British passport holders, were found to have tens of thousands of small-calibre cartridges and more than 20 pistols and rifles in a car and a trailer close to the border with Turkey on Saturday evening.

Suspect The 39-year-old suspect was found to have 200,000 cartridges and four pistols on him when he was apprehended close to the Turkish border crossing.

The other two had 18 rifles and 27,000 cartridges when they were detained at a town close to the Turkish border after days of surveillance.

“We don’t have any evidence to connect them with IS... we have informed Europol and Interpol”, the police official said.

The weapons were not combat rifles but could have been used for training, the official said.

They wold be taken before a local magistrate later on suspicion of illegal possession of weapons and smuggling. — Reuters

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Oman expands BP’s scope for key gas project BP and Oman Oil Company on Sunday signed an agreement with the government of Oman to include a massive second phase development at Block 61 Khazzan tight gas field

Times News Service MUSCAT: BP and state-owned Oman Oil Co. agreed to expand an exploration and production sharing agreement of the Khazzan natural gas field to include a second development phase, at an estimated cost of $16 billion for the entire project.

The two companies on Sunday signed a heads of agreement with the government of Oman to amend the Oman Block 61 exploration and production sharing agreement (EPSA), extending the licence area of the block and enabling a further development of the major Khazzan tight gas field. BP is the operator of Block 61, with a 60 per cent interest, while Oman Oil holds the remaining 40 per cent, according to a press release.

Under the amended EPSA, the extension will add over 1000 square kilometres to the south and west of the original 2,700 square kilometres of Block 61.

The extension will also allow a second phase of development, accessing additional resources in the area that has been identified by drilling activity within the original block. Development of this new resource is subject to final approval of the government of Oman and of BP, and is expected in 2017. The Khazzan reservoirs in Block 61 represent one of the

CRUCIAL DEAL: The agreement was signed in Muscat by Dr Mohammed Al Rumhy, minister of oil and gas of the Sultanate, along with Bob Dudley, BP Group chief executive, and John Malcolm, executive managing director of Oman Oil E&P. - Supplied picture

Middle East’s largest unconventional tight gas accumulations, with the potential to become a major new source for gas supplies over many decades for Oman.

Further, production from Khazzan will make a significant contribution to ensuring continuing stable and long-term domestic supplies of gas for Oman.

Combined plateau production from Phases 1 and 2 is expected to total approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day (bcf/d), equivalent to some40 per cent of Oman’s current total domestic gas production.

The agreement was signed on Sunday in Muscat by Dr Mohammed Al Rumhy, minister of oil and gas of Oman, along with Bob Dudley, BP Group chief executive, and John Malcolm, executive managing director of Oman Oil E&P. “I am delighted to see BP taking additional acreage that will result in realising more gas reserves and more production of gas that our country needs to support our energy planning and requirements,” said Dr Al Rumhy.

“Khazzan is a major resource, with the potential to produce gas for Oman for decades. This expansion of its development will build on the success we are already seeing in our work in the first phase, working closely with our Omani partners and apply-

ing BP’s leading technology and extensive tight gas experience. It clearly demonstrates our commitment to continue to invest in a superior project that will deliver long-term value to both BP and Oman,” added Dudley.

The Phase 1 project, sanctioned in December 2013, remains on schedule to deliver the first gas in late 2017. Subject to completion of the agreements and final sanctions, the new Khazzan Phase 2 project will come on stream in 2020.

The two phases are expected to produce 1.5 bcf/d through development of 10.5 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas resources.

This will involve construction of a three-train central processing facility, with associated gathering and export systems, and drilling some 325 wells over a 15 year period. Of note, improved reservoir performance, drilling efficiencies and other improvements have reduced the well count by some 100 wells from the original Phase 1 plan.

Block 61 contains significant volumes of unconventional gas, distributed across several reservoirs. Owing to the tight nature of the rocks in the Khazzan reservoirs, the wells need to be hydraulically stimulated to assure the flow of gas at targeted rates.

— With inputs from Bloomberg News

YOUR BIGGEST ROAD HAZARD IS IN YOUR HAND A TIMES OF OMAN HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

B2

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

MARKET Galfar chalks out plan to revamp operations The company

Firm suffers OMR27m loss

has decided to implement a rigorous transformation programme in the next one to one-and-

Times News Service

a-half years in an

MUSCAT: Galfar Engineering and Contracting Company said the group has incurred a loss of OMR26.63 million for 2015, against a net profit of OMR197,000 for the previous year. The loss was mainly due to a provision for receivables to the extent of OMR30.18 million (mainly for Muscat Expressway and Central Corridor project). The total revenue of the group stood lower at OMR345.23 million for 2015, against OMR372.51 million for the previous year.

Total expenses of the group were lower at OMR344.69

attempt to drive the company to achieve sustainable profit

Times News Service MUSCAT: Galfar Engineering and Contracting Company has decided to implement a rigorous transformation programme in the next one to one-and-a-half years to revamp its operations, in an attempt to drive the company to achieve sustainable profit.

The whole scheme will be implemented with the help of an international consultancy agency — Roland Berger. Roland Berger will help the company achieve a sustainable improvement in financial performance and operational efficiency.

Building on its strong market position as Oman’s largest construction company with more

than 20,000 employees and its reputation for delivering highquality construction projects across various sectors, Galfar has a confirmed order book of around OMR640 million by the end of 2015. “Accordingly, Galfar’s revenues for 2016 are expected to

million last year, against OMR371.59 million for the previous year. However, provision for receivables stood at OMR30.18 million for 2015.

The provision for impairment of receivables is made in line with International Financial Reporting Standards requirements and company’s accounting policies.

Out of the total provision amount, the major portion is a provision for Muscat Expessway project and Central Corridor project.

Galfar shares dipped 8.7 per cent to close at 63 baisas amid 64,200 shares changing hands on the local bourse.

be at par or above 2015 levels despite an increasingly challenging market environment,” noted the statement. The company’s board is also in the process of appointing a financial advisor.

“In the short-term, a special emphasis is on unlocking liquidity

which includes addressing receivables. A new organisational structure has already been defined and an international recruitment firm is being hired to strengthen the management team and improve overall effectiveness,” the Galfar statement noted.

Transformation plan Galfar’s board of directors is fully committed to the rigorous implementation of the transformation programme over the next 12-18 months. First tangible results are already expected in the second quarter of 2016.

Roland Berger has been provided a long-term mandate to achieve a sustainable improvement of Galfar’s financial performance and operational efficiency. For this purpose, a holistic transformation roadmap with detailed operational improvement levers has already been developed, and is now being cascaded into the organisation.

“Key building blocks of this programme include organisational transformation and enhanced talent management, enhanced liquidity management and assets optimisation, overhead cost reductions, productivity improvement and lean on-site execution, supply chain management optimisation, and information technology transformation.”

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HSBC STUDY

Retirement out of reach for 2 in 5 workers: Survey Times News Service MUSCAT: Sixty-five per cent of pre-retirees aged 45 and above would like to retire within the next five years if circumstances allowed, but 38 per cent of these say they are unable to do so, according to HSBC’s report ‘The future of retirement healthy new beginnings’.

Financial pressures are so great that 18 per cent of pre-retirees worldwide predict that they will never be able to retire fully. This is almost twice the proportion that said the same in 2015, when 10 per cent of pre-retirees expected never to be able to afford to fully retire.

In the survey of more than 18,000 people in 17 countries worldwide, HSBC found that the desire to retire among 45+ preretirees is strongest in Argentina (78 per cent), France (77 per cent), China (75 per cent) and in the UK (75 per cent). Of those aged 45+ who would like to stop working and are unable to do so, 81 per cent say this is because they would struggle financially.

HSBC’s report also reveals that 55 per cent of working age people over 45 who would like to retire in the next five years want to do so to have the freedom to travel or pursue other interests, and 44 per cent say they would like to spend more time with family.

Nearly one in three (29 per cent) said they would like to retire because they are tired of the everyday routine of work and almost a quarter (23 per cent) sid it is because their work is having a nega-

tive impact on their mental and/or physical health.

Working age people over the age of 45 who have a retired partner are most likely to want to retire in the next five years (81 per cent), with 39 per cent saying they would like to do so to join their partner in retirement.

Not saved enough Of those 45+ pre-retirees who would like to retire but are unable, 64 per cent say this is due to not having saved enough, 32 per cent say it is because they have dependants who rely on their income and 24 per cent cannot retire due to having a lot of debt.

Abdulqader Al Sumali, head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management in HSBC Bank Oman said: “We hope that the findings and recommendations of this report will inspire the Omani nationals working in the private and public sectors to take proactive steps towards saving for their retirement and diversifying their income.

Unforeseen medical expenses, tending to the financial needs of dependents and being able to pursue personal aspirations are some of the critical reasons why people need to plan for retirement early.”

SINGAPORE

Slowdown of global economy overshadows aviation show SINGAPORE: Aerospace leaders gathering for this week’s Singapore Airshow face conflicting pressures as they juggle growing concerns over jetliner demand while keeping record production plans on track.

Worries about the effects of a faltering global economy and tensions in the South China Sea overshadow the two-yearly event in Singapore, which is both a major commercial travel hub and home to Southeast Asia’s most potent and best-trained air force.

For now, airline traffic continues to grow rapidly, spurred by continued growth in Asian household incomes, while airline profits also benefit from low oil prices. But as aerospace industry shares fall in step with tumbling global markets, analysts increasingly question the durability of an aerospace expansion cycle now in an unprecedented eighth year.

After a lacklustre show in Dubai in November, the industry’s expo bandwagon rolls into the crucial Southeast Asian region without

the carnival atmosphere of previous years.

“All the thoughts that this is no longer a cyclical industry have disappeared. We are due for a down-cycle,” said aerospace consultant Jerrold Lundquist, managing director of The Lundquist Group. “(But) I don’t think there will be any impact in the next 18-24 months. It is when you get beyond 24 months that you might see some softening.”

Southeast Asia airlines Southeast Asia is one of the industry’s major drivers and has placed record orders in recent years, leading to speculation of overcapacity. Some carriers, including Philippine Airlines, are

expected to acquire new aircraft this week.

But rather than counting up new orders, analysts say investors’ main concern this week will be to check for signs of waning travel or jetliner demand and whether an overloaded supply chain is in danger of breaking as manufacturers work to turn a record backlog of orders into a smooth flow of deliveries.

“We will be keeping a close eye on traffic this year to see if we can detect emerging signs of weakness,” said Rob Morris, head of consultancy at UK-based Flightglobal Ascend.

Doubts over economic conditions have not stopped Airbus and Boeing pursuing a battle of wits over new designs.

Airbus, anxious to close the gap between its new 369-seat A3501000 and the 406-seat Boeing 777X, is seeking an influential champion such as Singapore Airlines for a potential bigger version of its A350 series, industry sources said. - Reuters

BUSINESS FORUM

India hints at key banking reforms MUMBAI: Hinting at major banking sector reforms in the offing, India’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said the country is not at a stage where the government can completely exit its holding in the 27 public sector banks.

“There are a series of banking reforms which I am likely to announce...in the days to come, you may find something on that,” said Jaitley, who will present the federal budget on February 29.

Speaking at the CNN Asia Business Forum 2016 during the Make in India Week here, Jaitley said, “I don’t think India has reached a state where the state can pull out of banking altogether.”

He further said that in order to professionalise the operations of these state-run banks, which control over 70 per cent of the industry, the government has already committed to bring down its holding to up to 51 per cent.

Public-sector banks are required because they perform a major role in financial inclusion

through their geographical reach, Jaitley said. The government had last year announced the ‘Indradhanush’ programme to revamp the state-run banks. It has already put in place steps to professionalise their management.

The government is committed to zero interference, and keeping an arms-length from these banks and letting the institutions run professionally, Jaitley said, adding “we have erred in the past on this”.

The comments from the finance minister come days after the state-run lenders posted poor set of earnings for the December quarter. Bank of Baroda and IDBI Bank posted the highest losses in Indian banking history, while others like Indian Overseas Bank and Dena Bank were also in the red.

Those who managed to be in the black witnessed a huge spurt in bad assets and provisioning, attributed largely to an asset quality review undertaken by India’s central bank. Jaitley said the work done by this government is “more than incremental”. - PTI

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

B3

MARKET Omantel revenue grows 7%; 60% dividend recommended

FULL YEAR

Renaissance incurs loss of OMR30 million Times News Service

AT A GLANCE Revenue grew to

Revenue grows to OMR514m

OMR514.5 million for

Net profit at OMR50m

the year ended 2015,

Net profit fell due to voluntary end of service scheme

against OMR481.2

Ebitda grows by 4.5% to OMR254m

million for the

Total dividend at 115 per cent

previous year

VEoS programme covers 266 employees Total cost of VoES estimated at OMR12.578m

Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) said its group revenue grew by 6.9 per cent to OMR514.5 million for the year ended 2015, against OMR481.2 million for the previous year. However, the group’s net profit fell to OMR50.3 million for 2015, from OMR122.4 million for the previous year.

The profit has been impacted due to impairment of investment in one of the subsidiaries and Voluntary End of Service (VEoS) programme.

If these exceptional items are excluded, the group net profit would have been OMR118.2 million.

Group operational performance has been impressive as earnings before interest, tax and depreciation (Ebitda) has been increased to OMR254 millionfrom OMR243.2 million, an increase of 4.5 per cent.

Domestic performance Revenues recorded a growth of 7.3 per cent and now reached OMR503.7 million compared to OMR469.2 million for the corresponding period of year 2014.

Ebitda is OMR256.8 million, an increase of 4.2 per cent and net profit excluding the impact of WTL impairment and VEoS is

Talal bin Said Al Mamari, Omantel chief executive officer

OMR127 million. EBITDA and net profit margin are 51 per cent and 25.2 per cent, respectively.

Dividend Omantel board has recommended a final dividend of 60 baisas per share, which will be subject to the approval of annual general meeting. This is in addition to the interim dividend of 55 baisas per share paid in August 2015. This is bringing the total dividend of 115 baisas per share for the financial year 2015, which is same as 2014 dividend. Based on average share price of OMR1.480 in January 2016, the dividend yield works out to be 7.8 per cent.

Revenue The revenue growth was mainly driven by parent company revenues, which has recorded a growth of 7.3 per cent and now reached OMR503.7 million compared to OMR469.2 million for 2014.Parent company contributes 98 per cent of the group revenues.

The fixed and mobile business retail revenues grown by 8.3 per cent and 6.9 per cent, respectively.

The growth is mainly driven

Domestic subscriber base at 3.384m

by broadband revenues, which witnessed an overall increase of around 24 per cent. All major segments – consumer, corporate and wholesale revenues - have recorded a growth over last year. International call revenue during JulyDecember 2015 recorded a growth of 20 per cent compared to the first half of 2015 mainly due to introduction of segmented bundle offers.

Expenditure Group operating expenses increased by 10.4 per cent to OMR387.3 million compared to OMR350.8 million for 2014. Cost of sales increased by 11.3 per cent mainly on account of mobile and other customer devices impacting marginally the gross margin.

Gross margin for 2015 was 80.8 per cent compared to 81.5 per cent for the previous year. Most of the increase in administration costs are of non-recurrent nature, which includes payment to TRA and consultancy costs on new corporate strategy and spend optimisation initiatives. Depreciation growth of OMR12 million was due to increased investment in network expansion and moderni-

sation of both mobile and fixed networks to meet the growing demand of broadband services.

Net profit The group’s net profit was impacted due to impairment of investment in WTL and VEoS programme.

Notwithstanding the above, Omantel’s overall financial results shows a steadily increasing revenue base from its domestic operations and the wholesale business. Excluding the impact of impairment and VEoS programme, net profits for the operations remained robust at a net margin of 23 per cent, Ebitda margin of 49.4 per cent and a free cash flow of OMR84 million, an increase of 10 per cent over the previous year.

Voluntary end of service As part of the cost optimisation strategy, the group has initiated the implementation of the fourth phase of the Voluntary End of Service (VEoS) programme covering 266 employees of its parent company. The total cost of the programme is estimated at OMR12.578 million, which has

been provided in 2015 accounts in line with International Financial Reporting Standards.

The programme implementation will be spread over seven quarters starting from the first quarter of 2016.The programme is expected to have an annual saving on employee cost amounting to OMR6.4 million, when it is fully implemented.

Subscriber base The total domestic subscriber base as of December 2015 (including mobile and fixed businesses) has reached 3.384 million (excluding mobile resellers) compared to 3.341 million of the corresponding period of the previous year, recording a growth rate of 1.3 per cent over the last year. Broadband segment both mobile and fixed broadband services have been the key driver for the growth.

Fixed and mobile broadband subscribers grew by 33 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

Commenting on the results, Omantel chief executive officer, Talal bin Said Al Mamari said: “Despite this challenging situation in domestic market, Omantel continue to show commendable performance, which clearly visible in parent company performance mainly driven by strong growth in mobile and fixed broadband services. We expect that this trend will continue to drive our growth in the coming few years.

However, the net profit has been impacted by exceptional items as stated above. Our evaluation of our investment in WTL has indicated that given the financial situation of WTL, coupled with market challenges, it is not likely that turnaround can materialise without significant capital injection. Having taken all possible measures, it has been decided to provide full exposure in 2015 accounts as prudent measures.”

MUSCAT: Renaissance Services on Sunday said the company incurred a loss of OMR30.03 million for the year ended 2015, against a net profit of OMR25.43 million posted in the previous year.

The company’s revenue fell by 3.4 per cent to OMR236.05 million in 2015, from OMR244.41 million for the previous year, according to initial unaudited results posted on Muscat Securities Market website. Total operating cost was OMR154.17 million in 2015, against OMR154.85 million in the previous year.

The company said its one off charges were high at OMR35.70 million in 2015, against OMR3.94 million for the previous year.

Oil price impact The steep decline in oil prices has impacted the company’s operational performance, especially its offshore service vessel (OSV) business (Topaz). While Topaz has performed well in its home markets of Caspian and Mena, the impact is in its new emerging market, West Africa. Renaissance (contract services) has performed better than last year, despite accounting for initial start-up costs in its new UAE Market.

Net loss from discontinued operations was OMR6.11 million, against a net profit of OMR1.34 million in the previous year.

Loss from discontinued operations in 2015 includes provisions of OMR2.9 million on account of closure of Renaissance (contract services) operations in Africa; and loss of OMR3.2 million on marine engineering business including the loss of OMR2.1 million on the divestment of this business (2014: operating loss of OMR0.6 million). Profit from discontinued operations in 2014 includes gain of OMR1.8 million on divestment of media and communications business.

F I NA N C I N G FA C I L I T Y

Bank Nizwa, Hydrocarbon Finder sign $50m finance deal Times News Service MUSCAT: Bank Nizwa has signed an agreement to provide a structured financing facility of $50 million to Hydrocarbon Finder (HCF), an independent oil and gas exploration and production company promoted by the Services and Trade Group.

The bank’s Sharia-compliant package is tailored to meet the requirements of HCF, which has been granted concession rights by the Government of Oman for oil and gas exploration, development and production within an onshore geographical area in Oman termed as Block 7, said a bank release.

“Our financing products have backed the growth of the Sultanate’s real estate and mining industries, and today, as a proven

and trusted establishment, we are excited to add the oil & gas sector to our roaster of corporate clients.

Our partnership with Hydrocarbon Finder E is a translation of Bank Nizwa’s commitment to diversify its portfolio and play a key role in spurring private sector growth, and contributing to Oman’s economic prosperity,” said Dr. Jamil El Jaroudi, chief executive officer of Bank Nizwa.

Hydrocarbon Finder is part of the Services & Trade, a leading Oman based business conglomerate that has significant business interests in diverse sectors such as interior fit-out and contracting, information technology, healthcare, mining, fast moving consumer goods, trading, and real estate across Oman and with established operating companies in Gulf Co-

CURRENCY MARKET

Rupee drop needed to control inflation: Rajan MUMBAI: India’s central bank governor Raghuram Rajan said that a certain amount of depreciation in the rupee is necessary as he works toward bringing down inflation. “Until we bring inflation down, that is our objective to bring it down to lower levels, there will be a certain amount of depreciation which is necessary to ensure we don’t become uncompetitive,” Rajan said in a speech in the southern state of Kerala on Saturday.

“But our intent is not to depreciate the rupee in a steady way or anything of that sort. Our focus is on bringing down inflation so that people will not have to ask why the rupee is weakening,” he added.

Consumer prices rose 5.69 per cent in January from a year earlier after a 5.61 per cent increase in December, the Statistics Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Rajan is watching Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s budget as well as inflation to determine whether to add to four cuts last year. Profligate government spending would imperil Rajan’s

5 per cent inflation target for March 2017 as the rupee tumbles toward a record low amid the global market selloff.

“If you look at the real effective exchange rate, it is flat,” Rajan said. “In other words we haven’t really depreciated in real terms against the global currencies.”

Micro reforms After spending the first half of his three-year term stabilising the rupee and pushing down inflation, the former finance professor with a doctoral thesis in banking is now focusing on micro reforms to ensure rate cuts are shared quickly with customers and financial services reach India’s poor.

To achieve his goals, he’s working with the government to rid balance sheets of bad debt by March 2017. Rising stressed assets and inadequate risk buffers at India’s state-run banks have been hindering Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attempts to revive lending growth in the $2 trillion economy. - Bloomberg News

was also attended by Waqas Al Adawi, vice-chairman of S & T Group, and Rohit Walia, executive chairman of Alpen Capital, along with senior members from their respective teams.

SIGNING SESSION: The facilities agreement was signed by Dr Jamil El Jaroudi, CEO of Bank Nizwa and Brigadier General (Retd) Sulaiman Al Adawi, group chairman of the S&T Group. - Supplied picture

operation Council (GCC) region, United Kingdom, Italy, India and Sri Lanka. The facilities agreement was signed by Dr Jamil El Jaroudi, chief executive officer of Bank Nizwa and Brigadier General

(Retd) Sulaiman Al Adawi, group chairman of the S&T Group, in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Rawahi, deputy chairman of Bank Nizwa on February 10 in Muscat. The signing ceremony

Growth potential At the signing, S&T group chairman, Brigadier General (Retd) Suleiman Mohammed Yahya Al Adawi remarked: “Hydrocarbon Finder represents the S&T Group’s entry into upstream oil & gas. This deal is a very important business vertical for us and one which holds strong growth potential for the future. We are delighted with the support and commitment shown by Bank Nizwa towards our new venture and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the bank. We also

thank Alpen Capital for partnering with us and advising us on this important concession financing arrangement.”

Rohit Walia, executive chairman of Alpen Capital, Oman, the Financial Advisor to the S&T Group for this transaction, said: “We are glad to support Hydrocarbon Finder Ein this new and important business initiative. It is very gratifying to see that our Oman team has been able to contribute towards development initiatives in the country and work with local businesses to support their needs.”

Since inception, Bank Nizwa has been at the forefront of Islamic banking and finance in the Sultanate, providing innovative corporate and retail Sharia-compliant banking and finance propositions.

B4

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

MARKET OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ........................................5,377.47 ............... 5,357.65 ................... 5,365.29 ................... 5,357.65.................... 7.64 ................... 0.14 Financial Index .................................... 6,684.25 .............. 6,628.36 ................... 6,656.09 ...................6,628.36.................. 27.73 ...................0.42 Industrial Index ....................................6,650.77 .............. 6,620.45 ...................6,620.90 ................... 6,650.77................-29.87 .................. -0.45 Services Index .......................................2,987.89 ...............2,981.12 ....................2,981.41 ...................2,984.10.................. -2.69 .................. -0.09 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................832.63 ..................829.44 ...................... 832.00 ...................... 829.38....................2.62 ...................0.32 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 12,919,977..................2,480,822 .....................696 ...............16,238,485,032 .................11 ........................7 ....................26 .........................44

MSM index ends higher

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14 ISIN ......................................SECURITY NAME ..................................................................VOLUME..... TURNOVER............TRADES ......OPEN PRICE......HIGH ............. LOW ........ CLOSE PR. ...PREV. CLOSE...DIFF (RO).........DIFF % .............LAST PR.....LAST BID .............LAST OFFER ........MARKET CAP.PAR VALUE

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

OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 1,097,076 ...... 113,600..................... 72 ............0.102 ........... 0.105 ...........0.102........... 0.104 .............0.100 ........... 0.004.............4.000 ................0.104..............0.104...................0.105....................9,360,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001509............DHOFAR INT.DEV.AND INV. HOLD.................... 144,020 ........... 55,209..................... 27 ........... 0.380 ...........0.390 ...........0.380........... 0.384 .............0.370 ............0.014 ............. 3.784 ................0.386..............0.370...................0.386...................94,617,600 .........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 2,132,400......375,256....................116 ............0.176 ........... 0.179 ...........0.172 ............0.176 ............. 0.173............ 0.003............. 1.734 ................0.172 .............. 0.172...................0.173 ...................26,413,200 .........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 259,000 ............31,669......................11 ............0.122 ........... 0.124 ...........0.121 ........... 0.122 .............0.120 ........... 0.002............. 1.667 ................0.124..............0.123...................0.124................... 37,913,323 .........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 250,000 ............68,421........................7 ........... 0.275 ...........0.280 ...........0.270........... 0.274 .............0.270 ........... 0.004..............1.481.................0.270..............0.267...................0.270 .................367,354,609........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ...........................16,000 ............... 1,477........................5 ........... 0.093 ...........0.093 ...........0.092........... 0.092 ............. 0.091.............0.001 ............. 1.099 ................0.092..............0.090...................0.092 ................... 5,413,576 ..........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 746,779..........332,379..................... 84 ........... 0.444 ...........0.446 ...........0.442........... 0.446 .............0.442 ........... 0.004.............0.905 ................0.446..............0.446...................0.450................ 1,022,152,878 ......0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 468,717..........309,388......................18 ............0.656 ...........0.664 ...........0.656........... 0.660 .............0.656 ........... 0.004............. 0.610 ................0.664..............0.656...................0.664..................429,623,192........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 483,974 ........... 96,879..................... 35 ........... 0.200........... 0.201 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 .............0.200 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.200 .............0.199...................0.201.................. 20,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ............................................................. 300 .................. 296........................1 ........... 0.988 ...........0.988 ...........0.988........... 0.992 .............0.992 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.988..............0.972...................0.988..................198,400,000 .......0.100

Top gainer was Al Sharqia Investment, up by 4

OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN ........................................................... 800 .....................78........................3 ........... 0.098 ...........0.098 ...........0.098........... 0.098 .............0.098 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.098..............0.094...................0.098..................196,030,653 ........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 295,095 ........... 56,507..................... 28 ............0.192 ........... 0.192 ...........0.191 ............0.191 ............. 0.191 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.192 .............. 0.191...................0.192...................38,200,000 ........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ...................................................................... 50,793 ............ 22,991......................13 ........... 0.452 ...........0.454 ...........0.452........... 0.452 .............0.452 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.454..............0.458...................0.470..................249,893,462 .......0.100

per cent, while Galfar Engineering was the top loser, with a loss of 8.70 per cent

OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY........................................ 2,476 ............... 3,739........................4 ............1.510 ........... 1.510............1.510 ............1.510 ............. 1.510............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.510 ..............1.500................... 1.510 ..................135,447,000 ........0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT ..............................................................2,000 ..................860........................1 ........... 0.430 ...........0.430 ...........0.430........... 0.430 .............0.430 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.430..............0.390...................0.430 .................142,275,265........0.100 OM0000001889............SALALAH MILLS............................................................. 5,596 ............... 8,114........................5 ............1.450 ........... 1.450 ...........1.450 ............1.450 ............. 1.450............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.450 ..............1.400...................1.480...................69,836,443 .........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ............................2,800 ..................406........................3 ............0.145 ........... 0.145 ...........0.145 ............0.145 ............. 0.145............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.145 ..............0.140...................0.145................... 18,110,204 .........0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ............................................ 17,068 ...............4,625........................2 ............0.271 ........... 0.271 ...........0.271 ............0.271 ............. 0.271............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.271 .............. 0.271...................0.280 ..................16,586,358 .........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ........................................... 53 .................. 104........................1 ............1.965 ........... 1.965 ...........1.965 ............1.965 ............. 1.965............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.965 ..............1.900...................1.965 ..................186,675,000........0.100 OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. ......... 1,990 ...............3,423........................1 ............1.720 ........... 1.720 ...........1.720 ............1.720 ............. 1.720............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.720 .............. 1.720...................0.000 .................118,680,000........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ..........................31,380 .............47,070......................16 ............1.500 ........... 1.500 ...........1.500........... 1.500 .............1.500 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................1.500..............1.490...................1.500................1,125,000,000 ......0.100

MUSCAT: Shares on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM) edged up on local support at lower levels.

MSM30 Index remained stable with lower than average turnover to close at 5,365.29 points, up 0.14 per cent. The MSM Sharia Index also advanced 0.32 per cent to close at 832 points.

Renaissance Services was the most active in terms of volume and turnover. Top gainer was Al Sharqia Investment, up by 4 per cent, while Galfar Engineering was the top loser, with loss of 8.70 per cent.

As many as 696 trades were executed on Sunday, generating a turnover of OMR2.48 million with 12.9 million shares changing hands. Out of 44 traded securities, 11 advanced, 7 declined and 26 remained unchanged. At the close of the session, GCC and Arab investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR288,000 worth of shares followed by foreign investors at OMR53,000, while Omani investors, who were net sellers, sold

shares amounting to OMR341,000.

Financial Index gained 0.42 per cent to close at 6,656.09 points. Al Sharqia Investments, DIDIC, Al Anwar Holding, United Finance and NBO increased 4 per cent, 3.78 per cent, 1.73 per cent, 1.67 per cent and 1.48 per cent respectively.

Takaful Oman, Bank Sohar and Al Madina Investments declined 2.78 per cent, 1.89 per cent and 1.59 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index closed negatively at 6,620.90 points, down 0.45 per cent. Oman Flour Mills and Oman Textiles advanced 3.92 per cent and 2.63 per cent respectively. Galfar Engineering and Gulf International Chemicals declined by 8.70 per cent and 0.69 per cent respectively.

Services Index had marginal loss of 0.09 per cent to close at 2,981.41 points. Ooredoo, up 0.61 per cent was the sole gainer. Port Services and Renaissance Services declined 5.30 per cent and 2.11 per cent respectively. – United Securities

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ....................3,500 .................. 386........................2 ............0.111 ............0.111 ............0.110 ............0.110 ............. 0.110............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.110 ..............0.105...................0.110 .................. 22,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ....................................................... 3,625 ............... 1,566........................5 ........... 0.434 ........... 0.436 ...........0.430........... 0.430 .............0.430 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.430..............0.430...................0.450...................26,015,000 .........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH................................................76,258 .......... 186,832........................2 ........... 2.450 ...........2.450 ...........2.450........... 2.450 .............2.450 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.450..............2.450...................2.500 .................233,870,128........1.000 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL................................................. 1,244 .....................87........................1 ........... 0.070 ...........0.070 ...........0.070............0.071 ............. 0.071............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.070..............0.070...................0.072...................12,425,000.........0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER..........................................................50 .....................10........................1 ........... 0.200...........0.200 ...........0.200 .......... 0.205 .............0.205 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.200 .............0.194...................0.208 .................138,351,923 ........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ........................................................790 ..................324........................3 ............0.410 ........... 0.410 ...........0.410............0.416 ............. 0.416............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.410 ..............0.410...................0.416...................21,840,000.........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ..............63,750 .............18,389......................13 ........... 0.290...........0.290 ...........0.287........... 0.288 .............0.290 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.690 ...............0.289..............0.288...................0.289 ...................6,048,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT .....................................29,700 ................1,831........................5 ........... 0.062 ...........0.062 ...........0.061 ........... 0.062 .............0.063 ...........-0.001 ............-1.587................0.061 ..............0.060...................0.062 ..................12,843,386 .........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 417,821 .............65,281..................... 28 ............0.159 ........... 0.159 ...........0.155 ............0.156 ............. 0.159............-0.003 ............-1.887................0.155 .............. 0.155...................0.158................. 224,864,640 .......0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 3,196,230 ......444,621.....................20 ............0.145 ........... 0.145 ...........0.138 ............0.139 .............0.142 ...........-0.003 ............-2.113................0.139 .............. 0.136...................0.139...................40,400,492.........0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION .........................61,000 ............... 7,625........................5 ............0.125 ........... 0.125 ...........0.125 ............0.125 .............0.132............-0.007 ........... -5.303 ...............0.125 .............. 0.125...................0.130...................11,880,000 .........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. ................... 64,200 ...............4,045........................7 ........... 0.063 ...........0.063 ...........0.063........... 0.063 .............0.069 ...........-0.006 ........... -8.696 ...............0.063............. 0.000...................0.063...................18,268,780 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 9,926,485 .. 2,263,489...................545 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......33........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ...................................................6,000 ...............2,544........................2 ........... 0.424 ...........0.424 ...........0.424........... 0.424 .............0.408 ............0.016 ............. 3.922 ................0.424..............0.426...................0.440 ..................66,780,000.........0.100 OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING .................................... 23,000 ...............8,964........................9 ........... 0.392 ...........0.392 ...........0.386........... 0.390 .............0.380 ............0.010 ............. 2.632 ................0.386..............0.384...................0.386....................2,340,000..........1.000 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 501,600 ........... 36,347..................... 25 ........... 0.073 ........... 0.073 ...........0.071 ........... 0.072 ............. 0.071.............0.001 ............. 1.408 ................0.073..............0.072...................0.073................. 108,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ....................89,000 ............... 2,581........................3 ........... 0.029 ...........0.029 ...........0.029........... 0.029 .............0.029 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.029..............0.028...................0.030 ...................2,465,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ..................................................... 1,428,075 .........82,412..................... 56 ........... 0.059 ...........0.059 ...........0.056........... 0.058 .............0.058 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.056..............0.056...................0.057....................7,250,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 627,000 ...........40,068......................13 ........... 0.064 ...........0.064 ...........0.063........... 0.064 .............0.064 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.064..............0.063...................0.064 ................. 64,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 290,037 ........... 41,407.....................22 ............0.135 ........... 0.143 ...........0.135 ........... 0.143 ............. 0.143............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.143 ..............0.143...................0.144..................209,152,009........0.100 OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ..............................27,500 ...............2,882........................6 ............0.105 ........... 0.105 ...........0.104........... 0.105 .............0.108 ...........-0.003 ........... -2.778 ...............0.104..............0.102...................0.104...................10,500,000.........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 2,992,212...... 217,205................... 136 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 8........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS AND SUKUK MARKET ......................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ..............................425 .....................47........................5 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.110 ............0.115 ............. 0.115 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.110 .............. 0.110...................0.220 .................. 34,816,148 .........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 .................................................425 .....................43........................5 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100........... 0.103 .............0.103............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.100..............0.100...................0.110 ...................32,923,196 .........0.100 OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 .......................... 430 .....................39........................5 ........... 0.090 ...........0.090 ...........0.090........... 0.095 .............0.095 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.090..............0.090...................0.100...................30,795,353 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: ...................................................................................... 1,280 .................. 128......................15 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 3........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

EU MEMBERSHIP

Markets awake to Britain’s EU exit risk amid reform talks in Brussels LONDON: Progress in UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s talks with European Union leaders suggests a deal on the UK government’s reform demands is possible at this month’s summit in Brussels on February 18 and 19, increasing the chance of a referendum on Britain’s membership in the union before the end of June.

While the pound is weaker, trading at a six-year low last month, and the cost of protection via sovereign credit default swaps (CDS) is at the highest level since October 2013, uncertainties surrounding an in-out referendum and the risk of the UK leaving the EU aren’t fully priced in, analysts say.

The pound has dropped nine per cent from its November peak on a trade-weighted basis. Moves in sterling and gilts over the past few months suggest investors have begun to take ‘Brexit’ risks more seriously, analysts David Tinsley and John Wraith at UBS group said.

There’s a high chance of ongoing pound weakness in the runup to the vote, UBS analysts said.

Analysts at Citigroup including Hans Lorenzen wrote ‘Brexit’ risk is nowhere near being fully priced yet. The pound could drop around 15 per cent to 20 per cent if the UK were to leave, Goldman Sachs analysts including George Cole said while Nomura analysts including

UNCERTAINTIES: Uncertainties surrounding an in-out referendum and the risk of the UK leaving the European Union are not fully priced in, said analysts. – File picture

Jordan Rochester wrote that a 10 per cent to 15 per cent drop on a TWI basis is possible, given the country’s current-account deficit and if foreign direct investment and portfolio inflows were deferred alongside falling investment.

Credit protection UK sovereign CDS has jumped 18 basis points since October lows, while United States CDS has risen five basis points and German CDS has risen eight basis points over the same period. In cash credit, pound-denominated high-yield senior financial debt trades five basis points wider year-to-date

while their euro-denominated peers are 0.5 basis points tighter, according to data.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts including Maciej Pisarek and Richard Thomas recommended that investors increase exposure to globally exposed UK credits which offer relative safety and have changed their recommendation on RBS and Barclays senior CDS to buying protection from selling.

Morgan Stanley analysts Greg Case and Jackie Ineke recommended reducing UK overweight in credit and selling RBS additional Tier 1 securities.

Stocks The FTSE 100 has fallen nine per cent year-to-date, while the FTSE 250, which is more exposed to the domestic economy, has underperformed and is down 11 per cent. Citigroup’s equity strategists said ‘Brexit’ risks can be hedged through, among other ways, an overweight stance on energy against an underweight on financial sector, or overweight FTSE 100 versus underweight FTSE 250.

Jefferies analysts warned of ‘dividend famine’ as the equity market appears to be “sandwiched” between poor outlook for international growth and sliding commodity prices on the one hand, and worries over the in-out referendum on the other.

Cumberland Advisers’ chief global economist Bill Witherell warned against using the period before the vote as a trading opportunity because of the potential cost of being wrong about the result and other headwinds. It wants to see an improvement in the outlook for the global economy and for the UK resources sector before adding to the current small UK positions in its portfolios.

While short sterling shows the odds of a rate cut by the Bank of England (BoE) have surged, reflecting a view that the BoE may need to cut rates. - Bloomberg News

B

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M M ON DAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

SECTION

E-

SLOW DOWN ENJOY THE RIDE

IMES TECH STUFF

Why five tech firms are ‘undisruptable’ By just about every measure worth collecting, these five American consumer technology companies — Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google (Alphabet, if you prefer) and Microsoft — are getting larger, more entrenched in their own sectors, more powerful in new sectors and better insulated against surprising competition from upstarts.

W

Nokia’s fourth-quarter earnings topped analysts’ estimates as carriers in regions such as China spent on network equipment and the company kept costs in check. Adjusted earnings per share rose to 15 cents from nine cents a year earlier, Nokia said in a statement.

Analysts predicted 12 cents, the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Sales rose 2.8 per cent to 3.61 billion euros, compared with the average estimates of 3.68 billion euros. — Bloomberg News

T E C H U P D AT E S

AT&T plans to build more faster wireless networks AT&T is joining the mobile speed race with Verizon Communications, outlining plans for faster wireless technology to meet the increasing demand for sports, movies and even smartphone access to home appliances. AT&T has chosen Ericsson and Intel as its first two development partners for 5G ultra-fast wireless-network technology that will pick up where today’s 4G, or fourth- generation, left off, according to a statement on Friday. While the mobile industry hasn’t yet established technology standards for 5G and the introduction isn’t expected until 2020, the two biggest US carriers have announced road maps to stimulate development. Popular wireless services, such as live sports and streamed videos from Netflix, are taxing the capacity of the current networks and driving the carriers’ investment in faster technology. “I know Verizon says they will be first, but we are right there with them,” John Donovan, AT&T’s chief strategy officer and group president for technology and operations, said. The new technology promises to provide users with faster connection speeds while lowering the carriers’ cost-per-byte to provide service. — Bloomberg News

Twitter woes deepen as lack of user growth hits sales

JUSTIN FOX

e live in an age of rapid technological change and disruption.

Launching revolutionary startups is cheaper and easier than ever. No established company is safe. Except for, you know, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google (Alphabet, if you prefer).

Oh, and maybe Microsoft.

The notion that the biggest tech companies have an unsurmountable advantage is in fashion. “The period where tech start-ups can readily disrupt larger tech companies is ending,” Jessica Lessin wrote last week at The Information.

Twitter co-founder and Medium Chief Executive Officer Ev Williams chimed in, arguing that while “it’s easier to start a company than ever before, it’s harder to compete.” And last month, New York Times tech columnist Farhad Manjoo anointed the companies I listed above “the Frightful Five”: By just about every measure worth collecting, these five American consumer technology companies are getting larger, more entrenched in their own sectors, more powerful in new sectors and better insulated against surprising competition from upstarts.

I’m not a Quentin Tarantino fan like Manjoo, and I don’t know that “frightful” is the best word. So I vote for calling them the Undisruptables.

They’re not quite untouchable: Apple has lost about $250 billion in stock market value over the past year as the great sales boom that followed the 2014 launch of the iPhone 6 petered out. But that seems to be mainly because investors are worried that only so many people can buy only so many $750 phones, not that they think Apple is about to be supplanted by an upstart competitor.

And Apple, after briefly being passed by Alphabet last week, is back to being the most valuable company on the planet. Alphabet is second, Microsoft is third and the other two Undisruptables are also in the global market-value top 10.

Clearly, there’s something special about these five companies. But what exactly is it? And can it last?

I don’t have a definite answer to either question, but I can see four possible explanations for the Undisruptables’ success:

NOKIA EARNINGS TOP ANALYSTS’ ESTIMATES

* It’s nice to be big. The advantages of corporate bigness have long been understood — size gives a company resources, bargaining power with suppliers, influence with politicians, relationships with millions of customers. In recent years, though, as financial markets have become more willing to provide resources to promising startups and cloud services have made it cheaper to get a company up and running, the focus has shifted to the advantages of smallness — you can be more nimble, you aren’t stuck with legacy businesses to defend, etc. Lessin argues that today’s tech giants have learned to combine bigness with startup-like nimbleness, giving them a formidable advantage. * These companies are uniquely suited to succeed. Companies compete, a trio of Boston Consulting Groupers wrote in an influential 1992Harvard Business Review article, on the basis not of their products but their capabilities — the business processes that enable them to deliver value to customers. This notion of capabilities has always felt a little fuzzy to me, but it is still popular with the consultants, and it may capture something important about the Undisruptables. Here’s Medium’s Williams: A certain class of tech companies used to be about technology, mostly. Then they were about technology + design. Now they need to be about tech + design + marketing/distribution. Exclusive deals, sales teams, lawyers, lobbyists, and other competitive advantages are getting built on top of technology as the rewards increase.

The Undisruptables have evolved sets of business capabilities that are both hard for startups to match yet different in key ways from the capabilities that made earlier generations of corporations successful.

They are capabilities optimised for the digital era. Or something — like I said, this feels a little fuzzy. But it does seem to be working for them. * These companies are natural monopolies. Information- technology businesses often benefit from increasing returns — as they make more of something, the cost per-piece-goes down, to effectively zero in the case of software.

They also often “lock in” consumers, who once they’ve chosen a particular technology (Microsoft’s Windows operating system, Ap-

ple’s mobile devices) can find it a big hassle to switch. And many of them take advantage of “network effects,” in which the more people use a product, the more valuable that product becomes to its users (Facebook being an obvious example). All these characteristics lend themselves to the creation of winner-take-all markets, and the Undisruptables have been the biggest winners. Or as Manjoo puts it, “They own many of the world’s most valuable ‘platforms’ — the basic building blocks on which every other business, even wouldbe competitors, depend.” * This actually is not an age of rapid technological change and disruption. While the rhetoric of change and disruption is everywhere, actual economic evidence of it has been lacking of late. The rate of new-business creation is down in the US, as are other signs of business dynamism such as turnover in the Fortune 500 list and CEO tenure. One possibility, as economist Robert Gordon has argued, is that we’re in for a future of stagnating living standards and decelerating technological change. Another is that this is a lull — more than a decade long at this point — that will eventually be superseded by a new wave of change. In either case, the Undisruptables have landed at the top of the heap at a time when no

one is really upending the heap.

Put these four together, and I think you can get a pretty good sense of what’s going on right now — if not necessarily what’s going to happen next. But there’s a historical parallel worth considering. In the late 1960s, investors anointed a group of big, growing US corporations the Nifty Fifty. The idea was that these companies had such impregnable competitive advantages that you could just buy their stock, at pretty much any price and forget about it. Which sounds a little bit like the Undisruptables, no?

In one sense that’s a warning sign, as the Nifties got hammered in the 1970s bear market. But while a few Nifty Fifty members — Digital Equipment, Polaroid, Schlitz Brewing — foundered, many are still big, successful corporations. Two of them (General Electric and Johnson & Johnson) are in the global market-cap top 10. The world of big business just doesn’t change that fast, apparently. And when it does, it is often not by wiping out existing companies but by adding new giants that make products or provide services that no one knew they needed before. The Undisruptables surely won’t rule the business world forever. But they won’t necessarily go away, either. — Bloomberg News

Twitter added no new users in the fourth quarter, confirming the fears of advertisers and investors alike: the socialmedia site is in real trouble.

The company has faced sharp criticism over slowing growth in its audience since a 2013 initial public offering. Even as Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey rolled out efforts to make its product more mainstream, by some measures Twitter’s user base shrank from the third quarter. Twitter tried to divert Wall Street analysts’ attention by listing reasons to believe in its future, including a stronger focus on live events and video, several coming tweaks to the product that it says will benefit advertisers, and a vow to aggressively hire good board members and engineers. Still, a disappointing firstquarter revenue forecast indicates the lack of user growth is also hurting its ability to draw in more ad dollars, threatening its core business.

“This is the critical period for Twitter, and they need to show more than just optimism,” said Rob Sanderson, an analyst at MKM Partners.

“It’s very vulnerable right now, and especially if we are heading into a recessionary environment, those ad dollars are going to become more difficult to get — for everybody.” Twitter shares fell 4.5 per cent to $14.31 at the close in New York, their lowest price ever. They are down 38 per cent this year, compared with a 13 per cent decline in the Russell 1000 Technology Index. Monthly active users were 320 million in the last three months of the year — the same number the company reported in the third quarter — while analysts on average had estimated 324 million. — Bloomberg News

Qualcomm to spend more for mergers and acquisitions Qualcomm, the largest maker of chips for mobile phones, said it’s ready to spend more money to buy other companies and technologies that will strengthen its position in smartphones and speed its entry into new markets. “We maintain our balance sheet so that we can take advantage of the environment in the industry today,” Chief Executive Officer Steve Mollenkopf said in a presentation to investors at the company’s San Diego headquarters on Thursday. “It’s consolidating and we think there are opportunities to participate in certain markets that are rationalising.”

Qualcomm largely sat on the sidelines in 2015 as other chipmakers acquired each other, making it the biggest year ever for industry consolidation. The mobile chipmaker ended its latest quarter with about $30 billion in cash and equivalents, and has focused on buying back stock and other measures to placate shareholders as its earnings growth stalled. Mollenkopf is trying to reverse sales declines that have reduced Qualcomm’s annual revenue by more than 10 per cent. He’s facing more competition in the slowing smartphone market, while governments and some customers are challenging how the company charges royalties on technology used in all modern high-speed data-capable phones. Mollenkopf is responding to the challenges by pushing Qualcomm’s technology into new industries such as servers, cars and medical devices to ramp up sales and get more of a return on spending on research and development. — Bloomberg News

B6

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

ROUND-UP Great pre-owned cars available at Best Cars Apart from getting a quality used car at the best prices, one can also get instant cash for one’s used car

MUSCAT: The ‘Best to Buy From ... Best To Sell To’ is a statement often heard from those who have dealt with Oman’s best pre-owned cars hypermarket — Best Cars.

Apart from getting a quality used car at the best prices, one can also get instant cash for one’s used car. Best Cars buys only select

models for cash - Lexus, Toyota, Kia, Ford and Daihatsu. (Not older than 5 years), says a press release.

Foreclosure of loans is also possible on a case-to-case basis. The procedures are hassle-free, the setup is professional and the team of experts after a thorough evalua-

tion offer an instant cash price. In short, selling a car at Best Cars offers complete peace of mind.

Apart from the massive Muscat showroom, for customers in interior locations, Best Cars has 13 branch operations in Oman which include Seeb, Al Mawelah, Sohar,

E X PA N S I O N

Badr Al Samaa, Al Khoud marks World Cancer Day MUSCAT: Badr Al Samaa Hospital, Al Khoud organised a flash mob dance recently to mark ‘World Cancer Day 2016’.

The flash mob dance was organised in Qurum Park, Mars Hypermarket Barka and Badr Al Samaa Hospital, Al Khoud to spread awareness about cancer.

They put up different posters and placards that promoted the cancer awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and treatment, says a press release.

Oman is facing almost two-fold increase in cancer incidence in the period 2008-2020. Globocan predicts an increase in the incidence of cancer from 949 cases in 2010 to 2451 cases by 2020 and 3792 cases by 2030.

Badr Al Samaa healthcare group regularly organises free screening camps and health awareness talk shows across the Sultanate as part of their commitment and corporate social responsibility.

EXHIBITION

Radisson Blu Hotel opens in Sohar MUSCAT: Radisson Blu, the iconic hotel brand driven by innovation and design, announced the opening of Radisson Blu Hotel, Sohar. This is Rezidor’s fifth hotel in operation in Oman, says a press release.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Sohar is the only beach front address in the Northern Province of Oman.

At 12km from the industrial port and 5km from the business district, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Sohar offers 179 rooms and suites in the heart of the Batinah capital.

For business travellers and event planners, the hotel features meeting facilities for up to 80 delegates as well as a sizeable ballroom that comfortably accommodates 700 guests. This hall can be readily converted into an exhibition hall with a dedicated wide entrance providing direct access from the hotel car park.

“Radisson Blu Hotel, Sohar is the perfect addition to our portfolio of great destinations for international guests, especially business travellers. With a stunning location surrounded by

Nizwa, Ibra, Barka, Salalah, Ibri, Sur, Sumail, Suwaiq, Bidiya, B.B. Ali and Sinaw.

Customers can also visit the Best Cars website – www.bestcarsoman.com for photos and prices of their stock of vehicles which is updated every day.

It is an interactive website and visitors can even post their requirement in the unlikely event that they do not find what they are looking for.

Best Cars is a part of the Saud Bahwan Group – one of the most trusted names in the automobile business in Oman. Best Cars purchase section is located at the basement of the Toyota Showroom at Wattayah.

Best Cars buys well-maintained vehicles of SBG group preferably with service history as well as raffle cars and SUVs for cash.

FLASH MOB DANCE

pristine beaches, gorgeous views over the city and sea, proximity to the port, extraordinary bars and restaurants, wellness centre, and so much more – we have something to delight every guest in Sohar. We are looking forward to welcoming our loyal corporate clients, meetings and events customers, and Radisson Blu global fans to this exciting city on the Gulf of Oman,” said Francois Galoisy, general manager of Radisson Blu Hotel Sohar.

The hotel’s three restaurants provide a choice of food and beverage choices and include the Al Zafaran Restaurant, an all-day

dining which creatively combine international fare with local flavour, as well as the hotel’s signature restaurant, Amaranthai which serves refined Thai and Chinese cuisine in a relaxed and authentic setting. For a casual drink, guests can unwind at Al Khaimah roof top bar with a shisha terrace to enjoy the sweet sounds of classic Arabic music around the trendy Aqua Bar. “Sohar enjoys a unique strategic business location, halfway between the Omani and the UAE capital – and we are proud to showcase our Radisson Blu hospitality here. Sohar is also an ideal stopover for leisure travellers, en-route between Muscat, Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” said Mark Willis, area vice president of the Middle East & Turkey for The Rezidor Hotel Group. “Sohar is the new economic power of Oman, encompassing an industrial port, a free zone, an industrial estate and a domestic airport with a freight train terminal in the pipeline, all of which helps position the destination and our hotel brand.”

The BIG Show set for March 28 MUSCAT: The 13th edition of The BIG Show Oman (Builders International Gathering), the recognised and well-established building, construction and interior design event in Oman, will take place against a backdrop of investments in the country’s infrastructure, construction and tourism sector as the government surges ahead with large-scale projects focusing on infrastructure and hospitality.

From March 28 to 31, the Oman International Exhibition Centre will be the centre of 1,000 new and innovative products and services from the ceramic and marble, doors and windows, kitchen and bathroom, interior design, HVAC, water technologies, green energy, pools and spa, construction tools and equipment, steel, concrete and cement, and wood and woodworking machinery segments, says a press release.

Fehmi Ouaja, exhibition manager, The BIG Show, said that despite current economic challenges, the exhibition has maintained 15 per cent growth in terms of exhibitor

participation and sold exhibition space. They are expecting close to 400 exhibitors this year.

The show welcomes the presence of the Kuwait pavilion, the first time in Oman for any exhibition, and which will feature 18 companies. Apart from the Kuwait pavilion, visitors will also see the various products featured in Germany, Turkey, Iran, China and

India pavilions. Also participating for the first time is the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), which will bring in 25 companies from India.

The BIG Show Oman is organised by Omanexpo, the leading exhibition and conference organiser in Oman.

Last year’s edition registered a record number of 15,000 visitors.

M E M O R A N D U M O F U N D E R S TA N D I N G

Zubair SEC facilitates deal between Muaawana and Inma MUSCAT: Facilitated by Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC), its member Muaawana and Zubair Corporation’s real estate company Inma have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to engage in co-operation in the field of facility maintenance services.

Inma is an Oman-based real estate development, investment and asset management company with international aspirations. Muaawana is a small enterprise established

by Ali Said Abdullah Al Rashdi, member of Zubair SEC, who has also been recently announced one of the winners of Zubair SEC’s Direct Support Programme for 2016, says a press release.

The MoU signing was facilitated

by Zubair SEC, the social responsibility initiative of The Zubair Corporation, as part of its policy to support entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses and explore possible business development opportunities for them. The MoU was signed between Ali Said Abdullah Al Rashdi, owner of Muaawana, and Jose Lora, chief operating officer for Zubair Real Estate (Inma), attended by executives from The Zubair Corporation.

Muaawana specialises in providing high quality maintenance services for different facilities including residential and commercial buildings. Working with a proactive approach, Muaawana is known for its prompt response.

The company uses its fleet of vehicles to reach clients’ premises upon request.

As per the signed agreement,

Muaawana will provide maintenance services to residential buildings of Inma in Muscat.

Among the projects that Muaawana will deliver services to is the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa’s staff accommodation located at Wadi Al Kabir where approximately 1,500 staff reside.

Muaawana will provide maintenance services in areas such as

civil, plumbing, electrical and minor carpentry works in the two blocks consisting of six floors and also at the facility building. They will be working under the supervision of Inma, which is the contract holder for this agreement. The scope of the agreement will be increased throughout the next year, it was revealed.

“It is an important day for Inma

as we ‘Give it Forward’ by signing with Muaawana. SMEs grow and flourish by acquiring contracts that have the potential to elevate their future. Our strategy is to accelerate the growth and development of Oman’s private sector by building successful collaborations between Inma and local SMEs,” Lora said.

Expressing his appreciation, Ali Shaker, Business Adviser, Zubair SEC, said, “We are grateful to Inma for showing confidence in a Zubair SEC member. We laud their commitment to entrepreneurship and support for smart business ideas like Muaawana. At Zubair SEC we believe that entrepreneurship is the backbone of every thriving economy. Through our programmes we have been helping budding entrepreneurs reach great heights by equipping them to persevere in the face of daunting challenges. We inspire our members by creating conducive atmosphere for them to operate and excel. We are happy to have facilitated this signing of agreement between Inma and Muaawana.”

Thanking Inma and Zubair SEC, Ali Said Abdullah Al Rashdi, owner of Muaawana said, “The signing

of this MoU is very important for Muaawana. Showing this kind of support and confidence is vital for startups. We would like to assure Inma that client satisfaction will remain our top priority. Through this partnership, Muaawana hopes to make a mark in the facility maintenance service sector. We thank Zubair SEC’s efforts to unlock the growth potential of SMEs in Oman and training us to gain a competitive advantage.”

Zubair SEC has facilitated similar business development opportunities for its members in the past. It strongly believes that the support of large organisations to SMEs, mainly through business development and contract opportunities, is of utmost importance to the development and success of the SME sector.

Previously known as Zubair Real Estate & Hospitality, Inma is now an independent group within The Zubair Corporation.

The multicultural leadership team at Inma has many years of international experience in the development of corporate real estate strategies, real estate consultancy, management and investment and asset management.

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM M ON DAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

SECTION

RECRUI JOB POSTINGS

CAREER COACH

The Dos and Don’ts in career change EVERYBODY needs a little help, so here are the keys to successfully changing careers. Follow these career-change rules and guidelines and you should achieve success in contemplating changing careers — as well as in your career change itself.

• Do have a well-developed plan for making your career change.

And don’t rush into a career change until you have thought it out and developed a strategy.

• Don’t worry if you feel a bit insecure or unsure about making a career change; these feelings are normal. Do expect to put in a great deal of time and effort in making the switch from one career to another, but don’t allow yourself to get discouraged at the pace or your progress - changing careers takes time.

• Don’t rush into a new career field because you are dissatisfied or disillusioned with your current job, boss, company, or career field.

• Do take the time to examine the activities that you like and dislike, with more focus on your likes. And do focus on new careers that centre around your likes and passions.

• Do leverage some of your current skills and experiences to your new career by taking advantage of your transferable skills.

• Don’t limit yourself to similar careers or jobs when making a career change; look for careers that take advantage of both your skills and your interests.

• Do consider the possibility that you will need to get additional training or education to gain the skills you need to be competitive

in your new career field, but don’t jump headfirst into an educational programme... start slowly.

• Do take advantage of all your networking potential, including using your current network of contacts, conducting informational interviews with key employers in your new career field, and joining professional organisations in your new career field.

• Don’t forget to take advantage of the career and alumni offices from your previous educational experiences as well as your current school (if you are going back for additional education or training).

• Do gain experience in your new career field, ideally while you are still working in your current job. Volunteer or find a part-time job in your new career field—thus

building experience, confidence, and contacts in your new field.

• Don’t go it alone; do find a mentor. Changing careers is challenging, and you really need to have someone who can help motivate you and keep you focused on your goal when you get discouraged.

• Do brush up on all aspects of job-hunting, especially if you haven’t had a need to use those skills recently. And do take advantage of all career change resources.

• Do take advantage of all the career change advice available in these career change books. Above all else, be flexible. You’re basically starting your career anew, which means you may have to make concessions about job titles, salary, relocation, etc.

— Randall S. Hansen/www.quintcareers.com

Well done is better than well said.

— Benjamin Franklin

B8

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

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Bank Muscat leads the way with deeply impactful CSR initiatives Bank Muscat CSR programmes in 2015 were focused on key areas, including youth, sports, health and education

MUSCAT: The corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability strategy pursued by Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, continued to deliver long-term benefits to the community and the environment in 2015.

The bank maintained its leadership position in CSR with impactful initiatives that stood out for its core values. Bank Muscat CSR programmes in 2015 were focused on key areas, including youth, sports, health and education. Along with ongoing projects, the bank also launched new initiatives, says a press release.

Endowed with a global outlook, Bank Muscat remains Omani at heart, truly a classic case of service without boundaries. Bank Muscat is the first bank to establish a fullfledged CSR department in Oman.

Considered among core values, the CSR policy stems from the bank’s commitment to social responsibility encompassing all-round development vis-à-vis society and economy.

In keeping with the thrust on SME development in Oman, the bank explored new opportunities in partnership with the Information Technology Authority’s SAS Programme, showcasing start-ups by youth in the field of Information Communication Technology.

Since its inception, the CSR Department has taken major strides in nurturing a socially responsible culture in the bank, bringing bene-

fits to different segments of society and touching the lives of hundreds of people. In line with the corporate ethos, the bank employees were engaged in creating opportunities to help the community through activities such as blood donation and charity food festival.

The following programmes sustained the CSR momentum as the bank worked in close co-operation with government establishments, social and voluntary associations to promote sustainable development benefiting society and the environment.

Jesr Al Mustaqbal: ‘Jesr al Mustaqbal’ (Bridge to Future) programme is a commitment by the bank to provide Omani youth with opportunities to build a strong foundation for a better future. The bank, as part of its commitment to partnership in supporting Omani youth, signed an agreement with the Ministry of Higher Education to provide eight scholarships to Omani students pursuing undergraduate programmes in Oman.

Bank Muscat launched ‘Jesr al Mustaqbal’ in 2012 in execution of the directive of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to provide relevant educational and training opportunities for Omani youth to develop employable skills. The comprehensive CSR initiative is targeted at young Omanis — both male and female from social welfare families who have not been able to complete their education for various reasons.

Tadhamun: During the year, the bank carried out the Tadhamun programme to distribute basic electronic home appliances to social welfare families across the Sultanate. The CSR initiative launched by the bank in association with the Ministry of Social Development has to date benefited over 300 families.

The initiative is a fine example of the public-private partnership launched by the bank to foster a relationship with different segments of society. The bank distributed essential electronic home appliances, including airconditioners, refrigerators, deep freezers and cooking ranges for beneficiary families. The bank employees were involved in the distribution of home appliances, visiting beneficiary families in several locations in Oman.

The Tadhamun programme underscores the bank’s commitment to complement the government’s efforts in social responsibility and thereby strengthen the hands of underprivileged segments in society. The bank seizes every available opportunity to channel resources for creating sustainable, positive changes in communities by investing in their welfare to equip them for a better life.

Green Sports: The Green Sports initiative launched by the bank in 2012 gained momentum with a total of 49 teams across the Sultanate benefiting from it till date, of whom 19 teams have completed

LAUNCH EVENT

the greening of football fields.

In 2015, the bank widened the scope of Green Sports initiative beyond the greening of football fields.

Football teams seeking Green Sports support can now choose from four options i.e to either green their football fields with natural or synthetic turf, or avail support to affix flood lights or water desalination equipment to facilitate greening of fields in areas facing problems of water salinity. The move is aimed at providing wider representation to teams to build a sustainable sports infrastructure in all parts of the Sultanate.

The football fields developed as part of the Green Sports initiative also serve as a meeting place for children and youth to be engaged in gainful activities. The fields are used to host various activities such as Ramadan nights, group weddings and other celebrations. Such community activities are helping children and youth develop strong positive character traits.

The consistent progress of the Green Sports initiative confirms the bank’s commitment to the programme aimed at providing ample opportunities for young Omanis to develop their sporting talents in an ideal environment.

SME Academy and TV: Over the years, the bank has launched a series of initiatives as part of a comprehensive plan to support SME development in Oman.

Marking the 45th year of Oman’s Renaissance anniversary, the bank

widened the scope of al Wathbah Academy training programme to benefit 30 aspiring entrepreneurs from Batinah and Dhofar regions as new centres were opened in Sohar and Salalah to offer eightmonth SME training programme leading to accredited international certification. The CSR initiative is aimed at equipping entrepreneurs with self-employment skills boosting the country’s progress and development.

During the year, the bank launched al Wathbah SME TV, the first educational video channel in the banking sector in Oman with the sole objective of helping SMEs gain 24/7 access to vital information that help drive their business further. The dedicated online channel for SME customers mainly include videos featuring experts sharing critical information on subjects that help SMEs gain indepth understanding about business operations integral to succeed.

SAS exhibition: The bank, in association with the Information Technology Authority’s SAS Programme, hosted an exhibition featuring SME start-ups in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT).

The ‘Omani Start-ups & Technology’ exhibition was aimed at supporting Omani youth and promoting entrepreneurial initiatives, complementing government efforts in strengthening the role of SMEs, particularly the knowledge-based sector, in the economic

development of Oman.

In light of the Sultanate moving towards a digital society, the exhibition assumed importance for the participants drawn from the SAS Programme which aims to set up a national technology business entrepreneurship for the Sultanate in coordination and collaboration with government and non-government stakeholders to encourage entrepreneurship and the development of IT and IT related small and medium businesses.

The enterprising youth participating in the exhibition showcased SME start-ups in the field of ICT, including gaming, animation, graphic design, online payment platform using telecom prepaid cards, 3D design, social media and mobile development.

In recognition of outstanding voluntary programmes in support of society and citizens, Bank Muscat was honoured during the presentation of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Award for Voluntary Work.

As the leading bank in the Sultanate, Bank Muscat recognises that sustainable development is the key to achieving long-term benefits spanning environmental, economic, social and cultural dimensions.

The bank strongly believes in the need for bringing about a positive change in the lives of different segments of society and focuses on all types of projects that fall within the framework of social responsibility and their importance and overall benefit to society, individuals and the environment.

PROMOTION

Geely GC7 comes with cash gift offer

Natural Stone Company launches facility in Sumail Industrial Estate MUSCAT: The launch event of Natural Stone Company (NSC), a member of Al Ansari Group, the new factory in Sumail Industrial Estate, was held in Hormuz Grand Hotel, Muscat recently.

Indra Mani Pandey, Indian ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Kindi, wali of Sumail, attended the function as guest of honour and declared ‘factory officially inaugurated’, says a press release.

Natural Stone Company’s new state-of-the-art facility which is sprawling over 25,000m2 complex is equipped with all the modern and robotic computerised precision controlled machines in addition to the wide array of bridge cutters, block cutters and 6 Axis CNC wire cutting machines.

Natural Stone Company, a front runner in the Sultanate of Oman’s stone processing industry over 15 years and with a team of highly qualified engineers, craftsmen and artisans having sound project

management experience in the industry, stands tall today as one of the most reputable stone supply and installation companies with several prestigious projects to its credit.

MUSCAT: Towell Auto Centre (TAC), a leading automobile distributor in the country, has announced a guaranteed cash gift offer of OMR651 on the Geely GC7 model and the car is now available at an unbelievable price of OMR2,999. This offer is valid till April 3, says a press release.

The GC7 has a 1.8L DVVT engine, 6 speed DSI automatic transmission, rear parking sensors, a power sunroof, and many other features which separate it from the competition. An impressive car that places a strong emphasis on style and safety, the Geely GC7 is a class apart.

The GC7 is manufactured in compliance with the GTSM safety management system, and has a C-NCAP 5-star safety rating.

It includes airbags for the driver and passengers, and pedestrian protection concepts to achieve zero harm.

Its plush and environmentally friendly interiors feature leather seats, power windows and side mirrors, keyless entry, and ample storage space.

With its 1.8 DVVT engine, the GC7 is a powerhouse sheathed in comfort. It includes five and six-speed manuals as well as

a six-speed automatic. With a maximum power of 139 ps and production of 170Nm of torque at 3000RPM, the GC7 is wellknown to consumers worldwide for its high performance.

The exterior of the car is modelled around a Beijing Opera mask; a broad face with highly distinguishable features. The side profile is concise and elegant, with lines that flow throughout the vehicle and emphasise the 16inch wheels, making the GC7 an elegant and sleek vehicle.

A senior spokesperson of TAC comments: “This month, we have brought back our amazing cashin with Geely offer. Under this promotion, we are giving a guaranteed cash gift of OMR651 with

the Geely GC7, bringing the starting price of this extraordinary car down to OMR2,999. The GC7 is one of Geely’s landmark models, and is a bastion of safety, style, and comfort.

“In a very short span of time, Geely has established itself as a reliable brand that offers value, quality, safety, and performance.

We are excited to see our customers take full advantage of this exciting cash-in offer and drive out of our showrooms with one of the most trusted car brands in the market.”

By bringing the Geely range to the Sultanate, TAC has reinforced its commitment to provide highquality products and services to its customers in Oman.

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Starcare invests in professional development for pharmacists MUSCAT: As one of the leading healthcare providers in Oman, Starcare hospital believes that continuous learning is the key to success.

In keeping with this philosophy, the hospital started Continuing Professional Development (CPD) initiative for the pharmacists in Muscat. This is a first-ofits-kind initiative conducted in the private sector for pharmacists in Oman, says a press release.

“Starcare is making this investment in quality education and professional development for phar-

macists because we believe that well-trained pharmacists can help us advance pharmacy practice and improve quality for all patients in all health care settings,” said Dr Askar Kukkadi, senior consultant,

Starcare Hospital.

The session was taken by pharmacists Osama Babiker Rahmtalla, from the Ministry of Health and Jeejo N. Ummachan from Starcare Hospital, who delivered presentations on ‘Medication Safety Taskforce’ and ‘Medication Adherence and Compliance - The Pharmacist’s Role’, respectively.

Starcare hospital is an internationally accredited JCI Hospital in Muscat, who has achieved the seal of quality from JCI, USA, an apex body in international healthcare quality.

C

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SPOR

S

YOUR GAME

The off-spinner

Ton-up De Villiers helps Proteas clinch ODI series

wickets in his first seven deliveries and finished with four wicket for eight

format, as Sri Lanka folded for 82, their lowest total in T20 Internationals

VISAKHAPATNAM: India gave themselves a boost before next month’s World Twenty20 at home as Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed four wickets in their series-clinching nine-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final Twenty20 international on Sunday.

The off-spinner claimed three wickets in his first seven deliveries and finished with four wicket for eight runs, best by an Indian bowler in this format, as Sri Lanka folded for 82, their lowest total in Twenty20 Internationals.

Chasing the small target, India romped home with 6.1 overs to spare to seal the series 2-1 at Visakhapatnam’s ACA-VDCA Sta-

ODI SERIES

SUPERB TON: South Africa’s AB de Villiers celebrates scoring a century in the final ODI against England. – Reuters

claimed three

Indian bowler in this

THE REAL ACTION HERO >C5

Wily Ashwin spins India to series win

runs, best by an

INSIDE LIFESTYLE

SERIES TRIUMPH: India Cricket team celebrates winning the T20 three-match series against Sri

Lanka at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA N. Dickwella st Dhoni b Ashwin 1 T. Dilshan lbw b Ashwin 1 D. Chandimal c Pandya b Ashwin 8 A. Gunaratne c Raina b Ashwin 4 M. Siriwardana b Nehra 4 D. Shanaka b Ravindra Jadeja 19 S. Prasanna run out 9 T. Perera c R. Jadeja b Raina 12 S. Senanayake c Dhoni b Raina 8 D. Chameera (not out) 9 D. Fernando b Bumrah 1 Extras (lb-2, w-3, nb-1) 6 Total (all out, 18 overs) 82 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-3, 3-12, 4-20, 5-21, 6-48, 7-54, 8-72, 9-73.

Bowling: R. Ashwin 4-1-8-4; A. Nehra 2-0-

dium. Opener Shikhar Dhawan top scored for the hosts with an unbeaten run-a-ball 46 but it was Ashwin’s guile that laid the foundation for India’s comprehensive victory. Put into bat, Sri Lanka got off to a nightmarish start with Ashwin opening the attack for India.

– PTI

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INDIA R. Sharma lbw Chameera 13 S. Dhawan (not out) 46 A. Rahane (not out) 22 Extras (lb-3) 3 Total (1 wkt, 13.5 overs) 84 Fall of wicket: 1-29.

Bowling: S. Senanayake 4-0-22-0; D. Fernando 2-0-7-0; D. Chameera 2-0-14-1; S. Prasanna 1-0-3-0; M. Siriwardana 1-0-9-0; A. Gunaratne 2.5-0-22-0; T. Dilshan 1-0-4-0.

Umpires: V.A. Kulkarni and C.K. Nandan TV umpire: A.K. Chaudhary Match referee: J. Crowe

The spinner drew Niroshan Dickwella forward with his third delivery to get him stumped before trapping Tillakaratne Dilshan legbefore wicket with the sixth.

The wily spinner struck another blow with the first ball of his second over when rival captain

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

Dinesh Chandimal holed out in the deep. Sri Lanka’s first 21 runs cost them their top half and only Dasun Shanaka (19) and Thisara Perera (12) managed double digit scores in their abject batting capitulation against the Indian spinners who claimed seven of the 10 wickets.

To make it worse for them, the tourists were also handed out a couple of poor decisions with Asela Gunaratne and Sachithra Senanayake given caught out even though replays did not suggest any contact between bat and ball on either occasion.

Defending the paltry score, Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Rohit Sharma for 13 but Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane (22 not out) steered India to victory to ensure they remain the top ranked team in this format. — Reuters

CAPE TOWN: South Africa captain AB de Villiers smashed an unbeaten 101 in his 200th One-day International to lead the hosts to a five-wicket victory over England and a 3-2 series win on Sunday. England spluttered to 236 all out in 45 overs after being sent in to bat at Newlands despite a second ODI century by Alex Hales. South Africa slumped

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to 22-3 in reply but a magnificent fourth-wicket stand of 125 between De Villiers and Hashim Amla (59) steadied the ship and the captain finish it off. - Reuters

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND J. Roy lbw b Tahir 8 A. Hales c Rossouw b Rabada 112 J. Root lbw b Tahir 27 E. Morgan c de Kock b Wiese 2 B. Stokes b Rabada 29 J. Buttler b Rabada 0 M. Ali c Behardien b Abbott 12 C. Woakes c Abbott b Wiese 0 A. Rashid c Rabada b Wiese 9 S. Broad c de Villiers b Tahir 13 R. Topley not out 1 Extras (b-4, lb-8, w-11) 23 Total (all out, 45 overs) 236 Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-76, 3-85, 4-155, 5-156, 6-181, 7-183, 8-192, 9-223, 10-236 Bowling: K. Abbott 9-0-28-1 (w-1); K. Rabada 9-1-34-3 (w-3); I. Tahir 10-0-53-3 (w-1); C. Morris 8-0-59-0 (w-4); D. Wiese 9-0-50-3 (w-2)

SOUTH AFRICA Q. de Kock c Buttler b Topley 4 H. Amla st Buttler b Ali 59 F. du Plessis b Topley 0 R. Rossouw c Hales b Topley 4 A. de Villiers not out 101 F. Behardien c Stokes b Rashid 13 D. Wiese not out 41 Extras (nb-1, w-14) 15 Total (for 5 wickets, 44 overs) 237 Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-14, 3-22, 4-147, 5-166 Did not bat: C. Morris, K. Rabada, K. Abbott, I. Tahir Bowling: S. Broad 9-1-34-0 (w-1), R. Topley 7-1-41-3 (w-4), C. Woakes 5-0-32-0 (w-1), B. Stokes 5-0-34-0 (nb-1, w-2), A. Rashid 10-0-59-1 (w-6), M. Ali 8-1-37-1 Umpires: Johan Cloete and Chris Gaffaney TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena Match referee: Javagal Srinath

C2

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

SPORTS

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ARTICLE, PHOTOS

West Indies made

Australia tighten grip on first Test

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

heavy weather of the chase in a slowmoving but thrilling match to overhaul the score in 49.3 overs

MIRPUR: The Indian under-19 cricket team’s quest for an unprecedented fourth World Cup title ended in disaster on Sunday as the West Indies out-witted the Rahul Dravid -coached side by five wickets in a tense summit clash to clinch the coveted trophy for the first time since its inception.

Put in to bat by the Caribbeans on a green-top amid overcast conditions, the script went completely awry for the Indians, who were dismissed for 145 in 45.1 overs with

TEST SERIES

OVER THE MOON: West Indies cricketers pose with the trophy after winning U-19 World Cup final. – AFP

Sarfaraz Khan’s 89-ball 51 being the only noteworthy contribution.

In reply, the West Indies made heavy weather of the chase in a slow-moving but thrilling match to overhaul the score in 49.3 overs.

The heroes for West Indies were Man of the Match Keacy Carty (52

not out off 125 ball) and Keemo Paul (40 not out off 68 balls) both of whom kept their cool in the high-pressure game to take the side home. Chasing the modest target, the Caribbeans were not off to the best of starts as both their openers -- Gifron Pope (3) and Te-

vin Imlach (15) — were dismissed with just 28 runs on the board.

Skipper Shimron Hetmyer (23) and Carty then put together a 39run third-wicket stand to steady the rocking boat. However, leftarm spinner Mayank Dagar gave India the much-needed break-

through when he got Hetmyer caught at long on by Armaan Jaffer.

Next man in was Shamar Springer (3), the West Indies’ most successful batsman of the tournament with 282 runs prior to today.

But the right-hander could not make an impact today and struggled for nine deliveries before an attempted slog sweep had him caught by Jaffer, off Dagar again.

While wickets were tumbling around him, Carty kept his cool to plough on even though the scoring rate was painfully slow. Proceedings livened up when Carty was joined by Paul. The 17-year-old Paul pushed hard for his singles and it was his six off Dagar which broke the shackles for West Indies after a lengthy stretch of dot balls.

Brief scores: India 145 (Sarfaraz 51, Batham 21, John 3-38, Joseph 3-39) lost to West Indies 146 for 5 (Carty 52 not out, Paul 40 not out, Dagar 3-25). — PTI

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WELLINGTON: Brendon McCullum’s dismissal in the final over of the day put Australia firmly in control of the first test in Wellington on Sunday as New Zealand were reduced to 178-4, still 201 runs behind the tourists’ mammoth first innings of 562. Trapped lbw by Mitchell Marsh for 10, the captain’s wicket all but ended New Zealand’s hopes of saving the test at the end of the third day’s play.

Debutant Henry Nicholls was on 31 and will be joined by Corey Anderson when play resumes.

McCullum scored 302 and batted for almost 13 hours to save his team against India on the same ground two years ago, but was unable to mount any sort of a rescue against the Australians. The 34-year-old appeared anxious and was almost caught behind the wicket twice before all-rounder Marsh removed him with three balls left before stumps. Adam Voges earlier scored his second test double-century to drive Australia to a 379-run first innings lead.

The late-blooming Voges, who was 35 when he made his debut in the Caribbean last June, has scored 1,267 runs in a bountiful Test career to date, boasting an average of 97.46. “I’m giving myself every chance to get in each time I bat and when I do get in I’m hungry to score big runs,” Voges told reporters. “It has been a great day to get to 200 and to get us into a great position is a very satisfying feeling.”

New Zealand’s second innings had begun promisingly enough with Tom Latham and Martin Guptill putting on 81 for the first wicket. Guptill’s fall for 45, however, appeared a wasted chance as he had looked well set before slogging off-spinner Nathan Lyon to Marsh at extra cover.

Brief scores: New Zealand 1st innings 183 (J. Hazlewood 4-42); Australia 1st innings: 562 (U. Khawaja 140, S. Smith 71, A. Voges 239, T. Southee 2-87, T. Boult 2-101, D. Bracewell 2-127, C. Anderson 2-79, Craig 2-153); New Zealand 2nd innings: 178 for 4 ((T. Latham 63, M. Guptill 45). - Reuters

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

C3

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AL HABSI TRIUMPHS AT UAE ROTAX MAX CHALLENGE Young Omani talent Mohammed Al Habsi reigned supreme in Micro Max Class in the Round 9 of UAE Rotax Max Challenge on Saturday. While Al Habsi powered to victory in the Micro Max Class, fellow Omani racers Sanad Al Rawahi and Khalid Al Wahaibi did well in their respective categories.

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MUSCAT: Nine crews bidding for the 2016 EFG Sailing Arabia — The Tour (SATT) crown were officially presented at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai on Sunday and given extra incentive to push for victory when racing starts on Monday with the unveiling of the new specially commissioned trophy.

After a few days of training in one-design Farr 30 boats, the crews representing Oman, Kuwait, Germany, Britain, Monaco, the Netherlands and Switzerland attended a press conference where each skipper was presented, as they prepare for a battle that is expected to be tougher and more competitive than ever.

The standards are higher this year, skippers commented, after specialist skills were signed up across all the teams to boost point scoring opportunities in both offshore and in port racing.

Based on past form, EFG Bank Monaco are the clear favourites having won in 2014 and last year though according to French skipper Sidney Gavignet, his newly-assembled crew will have to work hard to maintain their ‘win’ record.

“I think this might be the best EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour yet because the standard is higher and there are some very good teams this year who are bound to give us a run for our money,” said Gavignet.

OMAN CRICKET

ISWK record victory over ISM A MUSCAT: Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir (ISWK) recorded a 37-run win over Indian School Muscat A (ISM A) team in an Oman Cricket-organised Under-13 match at the Municipality Ground I on Saturday.

Batting first, ISWK scored 178 for four in 20 overs. Jeel Tanna top scored with 80. In reply, ISM A scored 141 for five in 20 overs. Azam Ali top scored with 65. Aman Preet and Jeel Tanna claimed a wicket each for ISWK. Brief scores: ISWK 178 for 4 in 20 overs (Jeel Tanna 80) bt ISM A 141 for 5 in 20 overs (Azam Ali 65; Aman Preet 1/28, Jeel Tanna 1/28). Points: ISWK – 2, ISM A - 0.

Passage to India win In a Muscat Pharmacy and

WELL DONE: ISWK boys pose for a group photo. – Supplied photo

Stores-sponsored Premier Division match, the Passage to India defeated OCT Muscat A by nine wickets.

Batting first, OCT Muscat A were bowled out for 109 in 32.2 overs. Mohammed Bilal and Usman Haider claimed three wickets for Passage to India. In reply,

PTI scored 113 for one in 13.4 overs to claim the bonus point.

Benjamin top scored with an unbeaten 68.

Brief scores: OCT Muscat A 109 in 32.2 overs (Mohammed Bilal 3/13) lost to Passage to India 113 for 1 in 13.4 overs (Benjamin 68 n.o). Points: Passage to India – 3, OCT Muscat A – 0.

Vivek, Siddhant in U-12 final MUSCAT: Top seed Vivek Kolluru will take on J. Siddhant in the final of the boys under-12 singles at the ISC/Muscat Pharmacy Open Junior Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club Muscat.

The final will be played on Thursday evening.

Southpaw Vivek earned his berth in the final with an emphatic 6-0, 6-0 victory over M. Surya in

the semifinal. J. Siddhant qualified for the final after downing giantkiller Vatsal Manikandan 6-3, 6-4 in the second semifinal.

Aisha Al Suleimani entered the final of the junior girls singles after cruising to a convincing 8-0 victory over Tanal Al Riyami in the final. The second semifinal will be played between J. Kaavya and Charvi Attri.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

C4

SPORTS 11 COUNTRIES, 18 TEAMS, 144 RIDERS Poland

Netherlands

CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE

ROOMPOT ORANJE PELOTON

TEAM LOTTO NL - JUMBO

France

AG2R LA MONDIALE

Russia

FORTUNEO VITAL CONCEPT

TEAM KATUSHA

Germany

BORA ARGON 18

TEAM GIANT ALPECIN

TOUR START 1 OMAN EXHIBITION CENTRE (11:00am) Stage start

TEAM STÖLTING

1

Al Muladdah

0km 68m

Italy

STAGE 1

LAMPRE MERIDA

1

145.5km

Al Taww

Muscat Express Road

Tuesday February 16 Rustaq

Distance from the start

Nakhal

Belgium

DRAPAC PROFESSIONAL CYCLING

ETIXX QUICK STEP

TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN BALOISE

Kazakhstan

WANTY GROUPE GOBERT

US

ASTANA PRO TEAM

BMC RACING TEAM

1

The Wave 1

2

2

Climb of Al Hamriyah Bousher Al Amerat Samkat climb

Fanja

Al Awabi

UNITED TEAM HEALTHCARE DIMENSION PRO CYCLING TEAM DATA

MUTTRAH 2 CORNICHE

17m 130.5km

Muttrah Corniche 2 Al Bustan

1

South Africa

TOUR FINISH

Ministry of Tourism

Seeb Souq

2

Australia

1

17m

123km Muttrah Corniche

17m

115.5km Muttrah Corniche

17m

108.5km Muttrah Corniche

154m

95.5km Climb of Al Jissah

Al Sifah

2

Fanja 43km

Altitude Al Farfarah 52.5km

Birkat Al Mouz

276m

At higher values, the streamline chart is thicker Saal 76km

Mahram

Jabal Akhdar 2

212m

Izki

Al Rebkhah

Sayma

58m

Toll Gate

92km Al Jissah

10 km 156m

78.5km Climb of Al Hamriyah

2016 TOUR OF OMAN

170m

The seventh edition of the Tour of Oman will be from February 16 (Tuesday) to February 21 (Sunday)

Ghala 97.5km

Climb of 122.5km Al Kamriyah

Al Jissah 136km Climb of Al Jissah 140km 2 AL BUSTAN

82m

156m

58m 145m

145.5km 45m

1 OMANTEL HEAD OFFICE (11:35am)

0km 47m

STAGE 2

STAGE 6

Why the Tour of Oman is so important?

“The Tour of Oman has helped in creating a good impression of Oman worldwide while showcasing the beauty of the country. Every year the race is watched over 300 million TV viewers across the globe ” — Salim bin Mubarak Al Hassani, Chairman of the Sports Activities Comittee, on the 1 2015 edition launching event.

130.5km

80m

35km Muscat Express Road

25m

8km Seeb Souq

Sunday February 21

17m 119.5km

Wednesday February 17

106km Bousher Al Amerat climb

355m

91km Bousher Al Amerat climb

355m

76.5km Bousher Al Amerat climb

355m

Al Hajir 57.5km

196m

Samkat 64km

187m

134m

40km Climb of Wadi Kabir 33km Climb of Al Jissah

154m 35m Al Salil 81km

MINISTRY 2 OF TOURISM

355m

162km

Bousher - Al Amerat 33km climb

THE WAVE 1 (12:15pm)

25m 0km

253m 21m

29km Al Jissah 21.5km Yiti

STAGE 5 119.5km Saturday February 20 Quriyat interchange 113.5km

Toll Gate 117km

72m

117m

18m 0km

YITI (AL SIFAH) 1 (12:30pm)

1,435m 177km

JABAL AKHDAR 2

550m

163.5km Birkat Al Mouz

538m

151.5km Izki

The steepest and longest slope

2 QURIYAT

162km 250m

1 AL SAWADI BEACH 0km 15m (11:10am)

644m

125.5km Sayma

655m

105.5km Mahram

STAGE 3 176.5km Thursday February 18

Al Muladdah 21km

STAGE 4

23m

177km

Long and fast descent

Friday February 19

599m 325m

69.5km Rustaq

459m 263m

85.5km

121.5km Nakhal

149km

20m

56m

176.5km

0km

Al Taww

Al Awabi

1 “Cycling: Tour of Oman to be flagged off in Barka” (Article published in February 16, 2015 at Times of Oman)

200m

18km Fanja

2 NASEEM PARK

Source: Tour of Oman 2016, Amaury Sport Organisation |

82.5km Al Rebkhah

426m 127m

1

52km At Tuwyyah

KNOWLEDGE OASIS MUSCAT (11:00am) Graphics

C

LIFESTYLE

SECTION

MONDAY, FEBRUA RY 15, 2016

Gear WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

A

s the action gets bigger and better, the devices to capture it get better too, but grow smaller. And there is a reason for this inverse size relationship: it’s the nano-technology — expanding functionality while shrinking the size (remember the big square floppy that could hardly store 2 songs, with 8MB storage? No compare it to the 32GB pen-drive, storing thousands of songs and videos, but still the size of your index finger nail).

In the past few years, the world of cameras has got really minimalistic, and one brand in particular lent an entirely new dimension to action photo and videography — the GoPro. With its Hero action camera series, GoPro revolutionised capturing the action with its extreme durability; smaller than possible size (well at that time it was really something unusual), and yet super-awesome results. The way it traps the adventure real up and close; it does not show your eyes a glimpse of the action, it rather becomes your eyes, transcending you in the midst of it all.

And though many have now followed the trail: the likes of Garmin, Sony, HTC, and Xiaomi; GoPro still leads the pack by leaps

and bounds. Now in its fourth gen with the Hero4 Silver, Black, and Session range, it was with the Session, that GoPro once again redefined the benchmark for action photography.

Launched in mid-2015, the Session is 50% smaller and 40% lighter compared to other versions of the GoPro cameras; smaller than the smallest. And the most convenient camera ever, features rugged and waterproof design, easy one-button control, high battery efficiency, and 1080p60 video and 8MP photos.

The mini cube shape allows for more flexible mounting; it’s fast to start/stop recording; and its new mic design delivers better windnoise reduction. The camera can be rotated within the frame to the correct orientation and this, coupled with the auto orientation feature, ensures that your footage is always the right way up, which can be a major time-saver when it comes to editing.

A quick press of the shutter button powers on the camera and begins shooting video. Press and hold the button and it starts capturing time-lapse sequences. A second press of the shutter button stops recording. The GoPro app is required to access other shooting modes, and to adjust settings.

THE REAL ACTION HER

GOPRO SHEDS ITS HOUSING FOR THE HERO4 SESSION, AN EXCELLENT ACTION CAMERA THAT’S EVEN SMALLER THAN THE OTHER SMALL GOPROS. CAPTURE ALL THE ACTION, AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON. STORY FAISAL MOHAMMED NAIM

On the back of the camera is a small button for displays settings and status information on the small LCD next to the shutter button. The back button also activates the Wi-Fi function and tags footage, depending on the camera’s status.

As with all GoPros, the Session employs microSD card for storage, and is operated through mobile device connecting via Wi-Fi. There’s a good choice of quality settings, including 1440p at 30fps (frames per second), 1080p at 60fps and 720p at 100fps. There are plenty more frame rate options, as well as a choice of NTSC or PAL formats.

All video is recorded in H.264 codec in the .mp4 file format, making it fully compatible with most popular editing applications, along with the GoPro Studio. The ProTune settings also facilitate controlling the sensitivity and sharpness. And while the results might not be as eye-catching as of the HERO4 Black’s 4K output, they are still amazing.

The visual quality of the footage is excellent, with bright punchy colours and sharp detail. The lens gives the standard fisheye perspective, and looking at the footage there are no signs of detail loss or chromatic aberration.

Colours are reproduced well, with a bright, clean look; although there is a slight blue cast in some lighting situations, but not often.

Exposure is well controlled too especially in good light conditions.

The Session copes well when moving from shade to bright, adjusting the exposure quickly and smoothly.

The quality of the live view stream via the app is also good, with the Session having a range of 10 metres and a negligible operational delay of less than a second.

When it comes to battery life it manages to deliver an impressive one and a half hour of 1080p video shoot at 60fps with Wi-Fi turned off. The Session’s 10-metre waterproof rating means it’s easily able to cope with a quick dip in the surf, or chasing a turtle in blue waters for that matter.

However a major glitch is the battery pack is that it is non-removable, which makes the availability of charging options a must at all times (sounds funny; the prospect of having power sockets in the jungle). The Session comes in two versions, Standard and Surf, the only difference between the two being the selection of mounts included in the box; not to forget the unending after-market accessories. Tame all the fun. — faisal@timesofoman.com

TECH SPECS GOPRO HERO4 SESSION Video Format H.264 Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1440 Camcorder Sensor Resolution 8 pixels, ISO (Max) 1600 Water Resistance Up to 30ft Battery 1 x Li-ion Rechargeable battery 1030 mAh (included) Memory Card Slot MicroSD Weight 77g Additional Features Low Lux / Night Mode, HiLight Tag tecnology, Mirror Upside Down, Time-Lapse recording, audio recording, camera orientation detection, multi-picture burst, selectable field of view, sharpness control, dual mic with wind noise reduction.

Included Accessories Ball joint mounting buckle, curved adhesive mount, flat adhesive mount, low-profile frame, micro-USB cable, quick release buckle, standard.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

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TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

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

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

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

The Finest Hour (3D) (PG12) (Action) Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster 2:55, 9:00PM Navy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans (2D) (15+) (Action| Horror) Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff, Rick Fox 1:05, 5:10PM The Choice (2D) (15+) (Drama | Romance) Cast: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer 11:35AM, 6:45PM The Pack (2D)(12+) (Horror|Thriller) Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell 12:00, 5:00, 11:55PM Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (2D) (18+) Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston 11:00, 2:00, 4:00, 7:00, 11:35PM Pavada (2D) (PG) (Mal) (Action/Comedy) Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran , Anoop Menon 9:05PM Fitoor (2D) (12+) (Hindi|Romantic) Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor , Katrina Kaif , Tabu 2:15, 8:55, 11:15PM Bangalore Naatkal (2D) (PG) (Tamil) (Comedy / Drama) Cast: Arya, Sri Divya, Bobby 6:10PM

Nizwa Yanqul

20:50

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

25 17 Minimum

0

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

70-40%

Daily Daily

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily

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

Fahud Yibal

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

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

Daily Daily

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

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

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

LISTINGS

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

Daily

07:00

Daily

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

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

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

11.45 13.30 14.00

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

07:00

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

10:45 19:00

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

Ruwi Ruwi

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100) Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

06:00 14:30

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

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

RUHAN RAJESH February 15, 2009

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) Sur Sur

Pavaada (Mal) (Drama/Comedy) Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran & Miya George 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30PM Cinema Main Bangalore Naatkal (Tamil) (Com) Cast: Arya , Sri Divya & Rana Doggadathi 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30PM Cinema -2 Adi Kappyare Koottamani (Mal) (Com) Cast: Dhyn Sreenivasan & Namitha Pramod 6:45PM Cinema -2 2 Countries (Mal) (Com) Cast: Dileep & Mamta Mohandas 3:45,6:45 & 9:45PM Cinema -3 Jil Jung Juk (Tamil) (Com) Cast: Siddharth & Sanath Reddy 3:45,6:45 & 9:45 PM Cinema -4 Airlift ( Hindi) ( Act) Cast: Akshay Kumar & Nimrat Kaur 6.45PM Cinema 4 Next Change: Miruthan ( Tamil), Monsoon Mangoes ( Mal), Neerja ( Hindi) Programmes are subject to change

SOHAN MANGESH SHANBHAG February 15, 2010

ROYAL OMAN POLICE 07:30 14:30

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

0

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

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

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

STAR CINEMA

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

The Pack (Horror / Thriller) (12+) Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell 2.00, 6.00, 10.00, & 11.55 PM CP No: 321 Navy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans (Action / Horror) (15+) Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff, Rick Fox 2.00, 10.00 & 11.55 PM. CP No: 322 How to Be Single: (Comedy / Romance) (18+) Cast: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann 4.00, 6.00 & 8.00 PM CP No: 323 The Choice: (Drama / Romance) (15+) Cast: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer 4.00 & 8.00 PM CP No: 324

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

16:30 18:00 19:30

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

WITH LOVE

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

BAHJA CINEMA

SALALAH

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

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) Destination

12.26pm 3.41pm 6.07pm 7.18pm 5.24am

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

CINEMA SCHEDULE

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

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

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

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

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

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

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

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

23291635

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

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

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

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

C7

LIFESTYLE T E C H TA L K

App shakes up earthquake science by turning users into sensors

AUTOMATIC WORRIES Automatic transmission does not mean it can take care of itself.

It only takes care of the shifting for you, and in fact requires proper attention for optimal functioning. Any ignored problem could burn a serious hole in your pocket.

I

f you thought going to automatic transmission from manual, has freed you from all the worries regarding transmission, then not only you are grossly wrong, you may already be brewing serious trouble for yourself by being negligent towards the shifting mechanism condition of the car.

Yes, it is true that automatic transmission does away with your shifting worries while on the move, but you still need to worry for the health of your car’s transmission. Automatic transmission in fact demands more attention, as it is a much more complex unit than manual.

Adding to the woes is the fact that automatic transmission problems are generally expensive: much more than manual. So don’t even think of ignoring them.. The more you do, the lighter will be your wallet afterwards.

It is important to keep up a regular maintenance schedule for your car. Many times major expensive repairs can be avoided if the vehicle is properly maintained. This is especially true if you notice something unusual.

The car should be taken in immediately for service.

Brushing up on your knowledge of transmissions (at least the basics) pays highly as it can save you from costly inspections, and

also making you aware enough to avoid being over-repaired, over charged or simply ripped off.

Here are five signs of transmission problems you should not ignore: 1. Transmission Slipping If you’re experiencing automatic transmission slipping, it can feel like you’re driving in a certain gear and then it changes for no apparent reason. The noise from the engine may change in pitch or start to sound like whining.

Your car may also seem like it is struggling; is suddenly underpowered; or isn’t accelerating like it should.

2. Rough Shifts Your car may feel like refusing to shift gears the way it normally does, or the shifts don’t feel very smooth. Sometimes you can hear a noticeable “clunk” or “thud” when the car shifts gears. You may also notice the car has difficulty getting up to speed.

3. Delayed Engagement If this symptom occurs, you’ll notice a delay before the car actually engages into drive and starts moving forward. When you shift out of “P” mode, into “D,” there may be a long pause where the engine revs as you give it gas, but the car does

not move forward as it should.

4. Fluid Leak Transmissions are generally sealed units that should never leak fluid. If you notice leak spots on your driveway or garage floor, lay down cardboard under your car in the front and middle to determine if there are any active leaks.

If your transmission is leaking, the fluid is bright red, but may also be a dark red or brown - visit your auto service shop immediately.

Before refilling any transmission fluid; factory specifications should be checked and followed.

Using a wrong grade or overfilling could further aggravate the problem instead of solving it.

5. Transmission Warning Light A warning light alone, like the “check engine” light, typically does not mean you have a transmission problem, but if any of the above symptoms are occurring in conjunction with an illuminated warning, have it diagnosed by a professional.

A warning light typically means the computer is generating an error code that can be checked with a shop’s diagnostic equipment.

For transmissions specifically, “P0700” is a code that can indicate a general transmission problem.

More next time. Be safe.

—faisal@timesofoman.com

New York: Smartphones could become the makeshift quake detectors of the future, thanks to a new app launched recently designed to track tremors and potentially save the lives of its users.

MyShake, available on Android, links users to become an all-in-one earthquake warning system; it records quake-type rumblings, ties a critical number of users to a location, and could eventually provide a countdown to the start of shaking.

Its inventors say the app, released by the University of California, Berkeley, could give early warning of a quake to populations without their own seismological instruments.

“MyShake cannot replace traditional seismic networks like those run by the U.S. Geological Survey,” said Richard Allen, leader of the app project and director of the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory. “But we think MyShake can make earthquake early warning faster and more accurate in areas that have a traditional seismic net-

work, and can provide life-saving early warning in countries that have no seismic network.”

Earthquake-prone countries in the developing world with poor ground-based seismic network or early warning systems include Nepal, Peru, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Iran, he said. The algorithm behind MyShake, developed by a handful of Silicon Valley programmers, relies on the same technology smartphone gamers depend on to sense the phone’s orientation, known as the accelerometer, in or-

der to measure movement caused by quakes. What smartphones lack in sensitivity — they can only record earthquakes above magnitude 5 within 10 kilometres — they make up for in ubiquity.

Currently, 300 smartphones equipped with MyShake within a 110-km square area are enough to estimate a quake’s location, magnitude and origin time. There were some 3.4 billion smartphone subscriptions worldwide in 2015, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report. - Reuters

C8

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

LIFESTYLE

MAKING A ROBOT WITH A HEART

T

he rapid pace of artificial intelligence (AI) has raised fears about whether robots could act unethically or choose to harm humans.

Called ‘Quixote’, the technology developed by the researchers from the School of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology, teaches “value alignment” to robots by training them to read stories, learn acceptable sequences of events and understand successful ways to behave in human societies.

The stories teach children how to behave in socially acceptable ways with examples of proper and improper behaviour in fables, novels and other literature. “We believe story comprehension in robots can eliminate psychotic-appearing behaviour and reinforce choices that will not harm humans and still achieve the intended purpose,” said researcher Mark Riedl, associate professor and director of the entertainment intelligence lab.

Quixote is a technique for aligning an AI’s goals with human values by

In a bid to alleviate the fear of robots harming humans or behaving unethically in social settings, a team of researchers has develop a device that will train robots to read inspirational stories and make them understand ways to behave in human societies.

placing rewards on socially appropriate behaviour.

It builds upon Riedl’s prior research — the Scheherazade system — which demonstrated how AI can gather a correct sequence of actions by crowdsourcing story plots from the internet.

Scheherazade learns what is a normal or “correct” plot graph. It then passes that data structure along to Quixote, which converts it into a “reward signal” that reinforces certain behaviours and punishes other behaviours during trial-and-error learning.

In essence, Quixote learns that it will be rewarded whenever it acts like the protagonist in a story instead of randomly or like the antagonist.

“The technique is best for robots that have a limited purpose but need to interact with humans to achieve it. It is a primitive first step toward general moral reasoning in AI,” said Riedl who developed the technique with Brent Harrison. “Giving robots the ability to read and understand our stories may be the most expedient means in the absence of a human user manual,” the authors noted. -IANS

D

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

SECTION

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

RENT

D2

VACANCY

D4

CARGO

D7

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

D2

M O N D AY, F E B R UA RY 1 5 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

*Tourist visa arranged

Luxury flat for rent in Bareeq Al Shatti building Spacious 2 BHK with sea view, split A/Cs, fixed wardrobes, kitchen appliance.

Near Opera Gallery.

Rent RO.900/- negotiable.

Contact - 94084335 / 96920789

Flat for rent in CBD area - Ruwi Two rooms and a large hall •Office spaces for rent in Al Hail on the main road On the same building of Al Khamis Shoes at Al Hail

FLATS FOR RENT

INDUSTRIAL LAND FOR RENT (BARKA)

1 BHK and 2BHK Flats with Split ACs Opp. to MOD Near Lulu Darsait

1100 SQ MTR free industrial land for all purpose is available with compound and furnished office in Barka Contact:

CONTACT :

93202733 One / two B/R , RES / Comm flat near Bank Muscat Bausher directly from owner. Contact: 92158031 1 BHK near medical Darsait Muttrah House. R.O 180/-. #95076261 Brand new Twin deluxe villas, excellent location in Madinat Qaboos 4 bedrooms, housemaid room, 2 kitchens, 2sitting rooms, study room, full A/C, remote control car parks. 1,600 RO each villa Contact 00968 92503825 Shop (rent 250/ 400) commercial / Residential building 1& 2 bed flat (flat rent 350+ 250) available in Wadi Kabir (Near Lulu) one bed flat 200/- Wadi Al Kabir (near Toyota.

Contact: 92325212 /99451168

24707088, 98283896

FULLY RENOVATED 5 BHK VILLA For Rent in Azaiba, behind Al Sawa Towers. WITH Majlis, Living room, Dining, Kitchen, Laundry, Store.

CONTACT: 93332444, 95166141 Spacious 160 sq meter office with pantry and toilet built in eagle eye view of Al Khuwair on 7th floor Jasmine Building near Radisson Blu. 1,100 RO per month.

Contact 00968 92503825 Villa for rent 4 room, hall, 3 toilet (upstairs) R.O 350/- at Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99382008 2 BHK flat near Indian School Wadi Kabir behind Sana for rent.

Contact: 92120539

Modern and spacious 4 bedroom twin villa for rent in Azaiba north behind Nov 18st with detached maids room. Contact 99317349 Flat in Wadi Al Kabir 2 bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 family hall, kitchen & 3 bathrooms. Contact: 99277787

2 Bed room flat for rent in AL Azaiba, well maintained, split A/Cs 300/- PM. Contact : 92447365

2 BHK in MSQ opposite Al Fair with split AC. Contact: 96708000

House in Amerat near to Makah hypermarket with 3 room+ 5 toilet+ hall+ living room+ kitchen. Contact 98885055/ 92744168

2 BHK in Bareeq Al Shatti with split AC. Contact: 96708000 Room at Mabela. Contact: 92300572

Flat for rent south Al Mabela.

Contact: 95331177/95230355

2 Bedrooms, kitchen, toilet, car park R.O 200/- & 1 bedroom, kitchen, toilet R.O 140 in Al Khuwair. Contact: 95154331

Villa 2bedroom, 1 sitting room, small hall, Kitchen & 2 bathroom behind Sultan center south Mawalah 300/- O.R. Contact: 92757673 /99388138

1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100, 2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O 200/- in AL Khuwair.

Contact: 95154331

2bed rooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715/ 24700120

WAREHOUSE AVAILABLE

FOR RENT IN BALADIA SANAYAH AMIRAT

•2 bed room flats in Qurum 29 for rent next to ABA New building -split AC - Good location

(Floor area 600sqmtrs and mezzanine of 500sqmtrs) 1100sqmts fully cover warehouse & staff accommodations

Contact No: 96177505

99417229/92621039

Please contact: G.S.M

1000sqmtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse workshop etc.

Contact 24700120 /92584715

Modern office space for rent at MBD area near Atlas hospital.

Contact: 98825805/98825806 Email: info@rns-group.com

Warehouse at Wadikabir - total area 3500 sqm - covered warehouse (500sqm), office, accommodation (1000sqm), open area (2000sqm) please contact: 99273774 - 99202278

Restaurant for rent or sale in Al Ghobrah with its equipments and permitions for workers. For details contact: 95094062

Flats for rent at Mawaleh near Omantel main office opposite Lulu bandar comprises 3 rooms, 2 toilets and one kitchen OMR 250/Per month. Contact: 93131497 or 99203435 Villa is composed of 5 bedrooms and sitting toilets and 5 living room, kitchen and Seeb (North Al Hail). Contact: 91130875 For Rent near ONTC Bus stop Ruwi.

Contact: 99475052/99502708 Shop for rent near Al Nahdha Hospital. Contact: 97380548 / 99680499 1/2/3 bedrooms flats at Al Hail including utilities bills 92817777

1B/R apartment executive fully furnished at AL Khuwair 33 & 5 B/R villa unfurnished at Madinat Al Ilam & 5 B/R villa furnished at Madinat Al Ilam. Contact: Atlas Real Estate & rent a car LLC 24834 888/99249069/92888376/94617 563 Email: info@alshahiintl.com Flats for rent in Ruwi Mumtaz area 2 bedroom. Contact: 91409667/24291500 Flat for rent in Al Hail south 2 bedroom. Contact: 91409667/24291500 Luxury villa of 5 BHK in Al Khuwair 33 RO.650/- Contact – 91776665 Commercial office at prime location in Azaiba for rent. 171sq. mtr. Contact: - 91398925

M O N DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 5, 2 0 1 6

D3

DAILY GUIDE

GOOD CONDITION PORATCABIN OFFICE

FOR SALE A ready to use Portacabin Office, measuring apprx. 450 square meters, with accessories like doors / windows intact and facilities like, space for 12 offices, wash room, pantry, prayer room, with excellent condition, suitable to be utilised as Site Office is ready for sale.

Interested parties may please visit and check and forward Offers to Head Finance SRM&C in a sealed Envelope.

For inspection and checking please contact

Mohd Aqueel – 99338619 / Archie 99256757 BUILDING MATERIAL SHOP FOR SALE Running shop with paint machine for sale in kadra

FOR RENT For rent 1 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33, 5 B/R Villa – Unfurnished @ Madinat Al Ilam 5 B/R Villa – } Furnished @ Madinat Al Ilam Please Contact: Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC 24834888/ 99249069 / 92888376/94617563 / Email: info@alshahiintl.com 2 BHK apartment in Al Wadi Al Kabir.

Contact 93252324, 99364041.

2 BHK Flats for rent, Muttrah near Oman house S/ AC. Contact: 97007934 / 92629232 Two bedroom flat in Al Ghubra near Oman Oil of 18 November street. OMR 330 Monthly.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955.

New flats for rent at Darsait near to ministry of sports, Mumtaz area the flats include 1 living room, 2 Bedroom, kitchen, 3 toilets every room with split A/C & high Quality finishing, rent per flat is R.O 340/-.

Interested candidates please Contact: 00968- 92225523 One bedroom flat with big balcony in al Ghubra near Oman Oil of 18 November street. OMR 280 Monthly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955 1 & 2 BHK Ruwi C.B.D. Contact: 99024730 2 clean & spacious flats with A/C, first flat is behind City center Al Seeb consist of 2 bedroom and living room second flat is in Al Khoud 3 consist of 1 bedroom and living room. Contact: 93366421 1& 2 BHK flats for rent at Hamriya Wadi Adai, Al Khoud, Mabela & shop at Al Khoud & land line Contact: 24834644 GSM 93994401/02/03 3 lines 3 BHK flat near Darsait ID medical.

RO 420/- Contact – 99358589 / 97079146 / 95570288

Commercial flats of 3 & 2 BHK in Al Ghobra North 18 Nov street RO.650/- & 450/- # 91776665

-

SCRAP COMPANY

Offices & Showrooms in Muttrah.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Luxury and brand new semi furnished 2 BHK flat in Remalbowsher. RO.550/- Contact – 91776665

FOR SALE

24707088, 98283896

Flats in Darsait.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Used supermarket shelvings.

Contact; 97752395

Flats in WadiKabir.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Restaurant for Sale - A running Pakistani restaurant ideally located at Saham for sale - for details call 99417418

Duplex villa in Qurum 29.

Contact - 94051789-97201688 Mini Furnished Apartment in Qurum. #94051789-97201688 Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud. #94051789-97201688 Villa for rent in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 96571151 1BHK flat near Star Cinema 220/Contact 99358589 /95570288 Flats two bed room for rent in Al Khuwair. Contact: 96571151

A well Established Indian restaurant with all necessary equipments well qualified staff furnished party hall (capacity 150) is up for immediate sale at MBD area.

Contact: 92978956 Space for printing press available at wadikabir with or without machinery. Contact 99328430 Sale of shop with interiors and basement go down in Wadi Kabir near to Lulu Market, on the Juma Masjid road. Contact: 99344106 Special Dental Center for sale.

2 Dentist room, dental lab, full brand instruments with external public pharmacy in Muscat.

Contact no. 99019144

ACC. AVAILABLE In Al Khuwair 2 rooms, toilet, available for Indian family or working woman. Rent R.O 150/- per month only. Please Contact: 97884967 Single room at Walja, opposite MBD area SPAR available for executive bachelors inclusive of electricity and water for OMR 110/-.

Contact: 98958586

Restaurant items for sale.

Contact: 96772479 /98428507 Heidelberg Offset 52x 74cm – 20 1/2 x 29 1/8 single Color – SORM printing machine in good condition. Contact: 99369880

Offices in Qurum opposite City Center.# 94051789-97201688

(BARKA) An excellent Grade 1 Scrap Company, fully certified is available with compound and furnished office, in Barka Industrial Area.

Contact:

Cradle lift for external Building painting, almost new height up to 100 Mts six mtr cradle. Contact : 99235701 / 90648313

Spacious 1 BHK flat in Al Wattaya with all split A/C’s and parking.

RO.300/-Contact – 91776665

Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35) # - 94051789-97201688

Offers in sealed envelopes to be handed over to Head Finance SRM&C asap.

FOR SALE OR RENT

Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Villa of 3 BHK and sitting area in Al Ghobra North. RO.525/Contact – 91776665

A UK manufactured Pemat Mixer, Econoncrete, Alkon Control systems, 3CBM Per Batch, 90CBM Installed / 50CBM Per Hour Production Capacity, in a Good & currently running condition, Concrete Batching Plant ready for Sale, as is where is basis.

Interested parties can visit our yard for physical check up at our yard in Azaiba, with prior appointment with Mr Mateen 92892209 / Mr Sreejith - 99478263

Prime location with good daily sales 260 Square meters Warehouse facility Staff accommodation Interested parties may call 9322 3382 or mail to cs@mpesllc.com

600 M2 showroom or office in Bousher in front of Dolphin complex. RO.3.5 per m2. #91776665

Brand new 4 BHK villa in Al Fai compound Al Khoud. RO.475/Contact – 91776665

RUNNING CONDITION CONCRETE BATCHING PLANT READY FOR SALE

Flats 3 bedroom available at Ghobrah near Indian School.

Contact: 99236718

HD Scaffoldings, Shuttering Jacks, Wooden Planks, Shuttering wood assorted, Tower hoist (lift), Concrete Mixer, Bending Machine, Steel Fabrication Machinery (Searing/Cutting, lathe & Welding) including tools for immediate sale: Contact 99273774/ 99202278 Steel Scrap materials for immediate sale: Contact 99273774/ 99202278 Fire rated portacabins and steel caravans. ContacT: 94058574

FOR RENT 2 BHK Flat for Rent (with split AC) available for commercial or residential purpose in Al Khuwair Near Badr Al Saama Polyclinic. Contact 9129 8773 / 9450 4213

Room with kitchen, bath available in Ruwi for a couple or single working lady. Contact: 91450718 / 91429608

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished room for an Indian in Al-Khuwair33 - 95234062

Near Hamriya Roundabout for executive bachelors (no kitchen, furniture and A/c available) including water & electricity OMR 130.

Contact 98145825, 98949724.

WANTED IELTS Coaching (academic) required nearby wadi Kabir area.

Please call on mobile or msg on Whats up.

Mobile no: 92927880/99012165

BUYING Accommodation available at Al Hail Keralite family only.

Contact: 96234708 Room with attached bathroom and sharing kitchen available for Executive bachelor or small family at wadikabir 9304 9849 Fully furnished room with attached bath for Executive bachelor, behind Al Meera hypermarket, Azaiba 150/-R.O. Contact: 99455735 Single room attached bath, kitchen in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99336206 Room available in Mumtaz area 1 room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room, common bathroom. Interested please Contact: 92680041 Mr. Altaf

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299 Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

NRI Flats for sale Kerala Trichur fully furnished 3BHK flat 1575 sq ft ready to occupy. Contact: 99073124 Ready to occupy flat, 3BHK 1600 sq ft 1No & 3 BHK 1200 sq ft 1No. at heart of Trichur N.H road frontage.

Contact: 99073124

D4

M O N D AY, F E B R UA RY 1 5, 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT URGENTLY REQUIRED

Mobile Technician Contact: 91577519/99737812 Wanted female GP, female Gynecologist, female Staff Nurse, female X- Ray Technician With MOH license for Al Saadi Specialized Medical Centre in Musanna.

REQUIRE Primavera Project Planner

for outside Muscat Project. Civil Engineer with min 10yrs planning experience in Infra/ Building projects Please send CV to capsspac@gmail.com

REQUIRED PROJECT MANAGER For an Infra/ Bldg project in Duqm/Oman Graduate Engineer with 20+ years experience preferably in Oman/ GCC with valid D/L and transferable visa, computer literate.

Send CV to Email :

omanproject2011@gmail.com

FMCG is looking for a

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ADMIN

- Bachelor ‘s degree on the same field - 5 Years experience in the (FMCG) field.

- Minimum Age 30 to 40 years - Speaks English and Arabic - Driving license Ready to directly of work Send your CV to Email : receptionist@mescooman.com

Indian male, 28, Post Graduate, 6 years exp. in Oman in Sales and Credit Control , with valid Oman D/L looking for suitable placements.

NOC available. Ph: 9206 6523

A Female Postgraduate with over 5 years of working experience in HR/ Business Development/Banking/Admin/Coordinative/Secretarial duties seeks a suitable placement.

Contact 99357522/92800281

TOURS/TRAVELS

Part Time Accounting, Accounts Finalization as per IFRS, Audit Preparation, Project Report, Training for Accountants, Internal Audit, Accounting System for New Companies, Contact: 96975454, email:ibfc.gcc@gmail.com

SALES SUPERVISOR

Contact -91262604 Email: chillapalli76@gmail.com

Required Yacht Captain for a marine tour company in Muscat, English speaking and valid boat driving license. Contact: 92014572

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Experienced CEO required LOOKING FOR

SALES EXECUTIVES & SALES ENGINEERS WITH AT LEAST TWO YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENTS, CRUCHERS, QUARRY & MINING INDUSTRY.

Email: applyinggchr@gmail.com

ADMIN Required urgently a Legal Consultant/ Lawyer for reputed law firm in Sohar, Muscat. Candidates should have 5-7 years experience as a Legal Consultant/ Lawyer with good knowledge of Computer & should be fluent in English both written & spoken.

Email C V to shejaanil66@gmail. com or Contact 99153620 between 8am to 1pm & 2pm to 5.30 pm on Sunday to Thursday

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Required experienced Accountant for group of restaurant.

Visa available. Contact: 99190190 Audit Assistants.

Email: aoabmuscat@gmail.com QHSSE ADVISOR - International Oilfield Services Company requires a NEBOSH qualified QHSSE Advisor (Omani National) to ensure continual improvement in our Muscat base. Main duties to include Journey Management, supporting implementation of policies and procedures, mentoring staff, training coordination, reporting, audit & inspection and risk assessment. Submit CV to me-job@interwell.com

BEAUTY Urgently required a Gulf experienced professional hair dresser cum beautician (lady) for a reputed beauty salon, immediate appointment. Contact: 99816262 / 98557585 Fax: 24796211 Email: skin.hair.makeup@gmail. com

CATERING Wanted experienced continental cook for reputed family in Qurum.

Contact: 99466062 Required Cook, Omani food & continental experienced. Visa available. Contact: 99190190

DRIVER Wanted experienced English speaking Indian driver for reputed family in Qurum. Contact: 99466062 Urgently required heavy duty driver for trailer. Contact: Krishnan 99310859 or 24449345 An Indian light driver.

Contact: 24705605, Ruwi

DOMESTIC HELP Required Cleaners & office boys.

Contact 24707833

Omani Based Group of companies Running a midsized successful holding organization With multi discipline of fields is looking for an active CEO with minimum of ten years Experience who has a global Business outlook, he should have strong leadership, and be able to give clear direction and guidance to the management team.

Kindly send your emails :issa@nibras.om, kevin@nibras.om

DOMESTIC HELP

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Urgently required House Maid Cum Cook for an Indian Business Family.

Call for Interview 99471085

Urgently required a building maintenance / cleaning person worked in gulf if Oman has already completed 2 years stay in India.

Contact: 99231676

Keralite house maid required for 3 hrs evening part time job at Ghubra.

Contact:92448315

EDUCATION Required Female Teacher to teach Physics and Maths for grade 11 girl, studying at Al Ibdaa PS. Tel 99227839)

ENGINEER Décor Company looking for an Engineer or Technician decorated with experience. Contact: 95342240 & send CV to Email: venice.decoration@gmail.com Senior Factory Control Room Operator Required for a Manufacturing Company in Oman. Candidate should possess a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering with minimum 5 years of experience.

Candidates who have experience in Oman are preferred. Kindly forward relevant resumes to info.companyoman@yahoo.com

MEDICAL Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact: 95081010 Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact: 95081010 Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com Vacancy dermatologist doctors & internal medicine for inquiry or send CV. Contact: 24571094/ Fax: 24571097 Email: zmczahara@yahoo.com

MISCELLANEOUS Local man power required for one year for construction.

Contact: 99340205 Email: omaniantrad@gmail.com One of the leading Business Groups in Oman is looking for Secretary- male / Secretary – Female / Accountant / Driver with valid Omani license & Laborer (loading & unloading). Interested candidates may apply to muscat.supply@gmail.com Required candidates for following posts: Accountant, Storekeeper, Foreman Building Maintenance, Van-salesman (water), Helpers.

Candidates with Omani driving license preferred.

Contact 99273774/99202278

Required experience carpenter & Gypsum worker for interior fit-out.

Contact: 98825805/98825806 Email: info@rns-group.com Need master cutter, tailor for tailor shop. Contact: 99825211

SALES / MARKETING Experienced Graduates/MBAs with pleasing personality, excellent communication skills and own car for sales & marketing with leading media enterprise. jobs@interacoman.com A Leading trading group is looking for Sales executives / Outdoor sales Co-coordinator having experience in construction equipment / Building materials with driving license & Release / NOC. Email CV to alhajoil@omantel.net.om or fax: 24701683 Urgently Required Steel Fabricated Products Salesman with an experience in steel fabrication, MUST have Oman driving license, and immediately join. Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com Building material company looking for a Marketer with experience. Contact: 95342240 & send CV to Email: venice.decoration@gmail.com Urgently required Marketing Executive with driving license for sales of furniture. Contact: 97164554 / 99452755 Email: aliasgar.tarwadi@yahoo. com Wanted experienced Sales Person for show room related to safety products (PPE) having knowledge of computer, driving license is an added advantage.

Contact: 99344106/99893938 Required building material outdoor sales man with Omani driving license 3 years experience in outdoor.

Contact: 24817708 Required marketing Executives females in Muscat with Oman driving license. Email: excellentchoice1ccs@gmail.com Required male / female Marketing person for man power Supply Company with minimum 3 years experience with valid GCC / Oman driving license.

Contact: 97158893 / 94148972.

Kindly send CV at Email: rastllcmuscat@gmail.com

Indian male, 26 with MBA (Finance / Marketing) having 2 years experience in (Accounts / Finance) on visit visa looking for suitable position immediately joining available.

Contact: 92989197 Email: abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com CA with 16 years experience in finance / audit, seeking suitable senior position and available for immediate joining. Contact: 96320588 Part time up to finalization.

Contact: 91126314 Indian Accountant with experience in financial/cost accounting, Administration, HR and Material Management in construction (more than 30 years) seek suitable placement. Contact 98598099 Indian male accountant with 7 years experience in Oman seeking for suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 95578150 Whatsapp BBM graduate with 3 years experience looking for job in finance / Admin / retail currently on visit visa. Contact: 98993590 Email: mohammedasitucm@gmail.com Indian male, B.Com with 6 years experience as an Accountant, looking for suitable placement.

Mob: 93903458 , Email : Akkandyrijesh@gmail.com 2 years experience in Oman for accountants seeks suitable placement. Contact: 99615920 Indian male bachelor degree finance 3.5 years experience in Oman handling cargo operation and accounts Oman driving license holder seeking job in logistics account. Contac: 95137665 Email: shajeer002@gmail.com Accounting Services for small/ medium Businesses. Accounting from Data Entry to preparation of P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash flow and complete reports for auditing contact: 99679247 Indian male Accountant having B.Com, M.Com with 7 years experience up to finalization looking job, on tourist visa ready to join immediately. Contact: 91651695 Email: danishpa2005@gmail.com Indian female 25 yrs, MBA HR & Marketing, with one and half years experience as accountant and 6 months experience in teaching, now on a visit visa, seeking suitable position.

Contact: 99624044, mail: np.neethu1@gmail.com.

Indian female Accountant 8 yrs exp in Oman. Contact: 93726921 Indian male, MBA in finance with more than 6 years of experience, proficiency in accounting software like tally, focus SAP (FICO) etc seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98665219 Email Id: abdulhameed1527@gmail.com Indian male 12 yrs exp in accounts location Sohar .

NOC available. Contact :91212471, Email: rennyj6@gmail.com Bangladeshi male having MBA (finance) & M.com (accounting) with 2 yrs exp. looking for suitable placement have valid D/L & NOC. Contact :968 92491009, Email: rasubiswas4@gmail.com Young 24, ACCA affiliate, Advanced diploma in Accounting and Business, seeking suitable placement in Accounts, Finance or audit With valid driving license.

Contact - 92430152, Email - rau_dey@yahoo.com

MBA Finance Indian lady 23 yrs currently on visit visa family resident Oman seeking opportunity for career enhancement in suitable firms ready to join immediately.

Contact: 99872664 /92651331

Indian male good experienced in Accounts, ERP Tally 9 & Admin in India & Oman, presently on visit visa, looking for suitable placement.

Contact 94834687 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 35 years, BBM, diploma in accounts management & banking, 5 years experience in Oman as sales executive & accountant, with valid Oman D/L, seeking suitable placement in Muscat. Contact: 98163037/ 92683606 Email: abhi.abrahan09@gmail.com Chartered Accountant - Indian, 9 yrs + Exp (7 yr in Oman & UAE) in Finance, Accounts & Auditing, seeking suitable position in Muscat/ Dubai ASAP, Can Join Immediately, NOC Available, Contact : 98707434 /casmart007@gmail.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 Indian Male Accountant 10yrs Exp. in OMAN Retail & Furniture Co. (Release Available) GSM.92564955 SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with 13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in manufacturing, trading & contracting Cos, capable of handling all accounting, finance, banking, L/C, import, export & finalization seeks placement. NOC Available.

Call+968-98932752, mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com 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 SENIOR ACCOUNTANT-M. Com Finance-Indian with 7 years experience in Finance & Accounts up to finalization. Currently employed in Oman. Having D/L & NOC. Mob: 94122464, Email: cammk13@gmail.com

ADMIN Indian female 27 yrs Masters in computer, 2 yrs exp in admin.

Looking for full-time or part-time jobs Contact: 99417993 Looking for H.R Admin Assistant post or any related position, currently on visit visa, available for immediate placement Qualification MBA H.R. Contact: 94665450 Email: paulwesleywilliaams@yahoo.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 MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf exp in Administration/ HR & Public relationship. Fluent in Arabic/ English with D/L. Looking for suitable position. Contact - 99897280 Indian female, Masters in HR, having 4 + years Oman experience in media management and HR, looking for openings in HR, Education, Admin, Corporate communications. Contact 98252030 young Omani male have experience 12 years as P.R.O , Clerk helper supervisor Admin supervisor , H.R Manager have diploma in H.S.E, IT and P.D.O license looking for H.R position or P.R.O license . Looking for H.R position or P.R.O part time or full time. Contact: 95933288

26/Pakistani Male/MBA-HR having 2 years of experience in HR with MN Insurance Company and banking industry is currently in OMAN on VISIT VISA & looking for a suitable job in HR, ADMIN or FINANCE. Email ahmadraja010@gmail.com GSM 91716268/93228785 Indian female Graduate over 6 years experience in Admin operations support with excellent communication skills looking for suitable job. Contact: 94231020 Indian male MBA 33yrs having 10 yrs of exp seeking full time suitable placement in Administration/ HR/ Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics. Holding valid D/L. Contact 99054786 MBA with 18 years of experience in Procurement, 2 years in Sohar, Oman driving license with vehicle, looking for suitable position.M:94047501, ahmed16071974@gmail.com

ARCHITECTURE Indian female diploma in architecture having 5 years of working experience in Oman (Engg Consultancy having valid Oman driving license. Contact: 96683293

CATERING Indian Kerala male 39 well exp commis chef /cook / supervising in hotel / catering seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98137476 Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp looking job. Contact: 99531802

DRIVER Looking for job driver K.S.A 7 years & Oman 5 years education H.S.C. Contact: 93940319 Looking for truck visa.

Contact: 94087276 Looking for driving job.

Contact: 98255214 3 years driver experience in Muscat Oman, language known: English, Hindi Arabic & Bengali.

Contact: 97462781 Indian heavy duty driver having 15 years experience in Oman NOC available. Contact: 91395329 /94730087 Driver with car 2015 model, speak British English.

Contact: 94039796 Embassy experienced driver with 17 years experience seeks suitable placement. Contact: 92191698 Driver with release Oman 4 years, K.S.A 12 years exp.

Contact: 93885404 Pakistani light driver looking for job with 5 years experience.

Contact: 92617293 Looking job for driving with car.

Contact: 90436094 Looking for job car driver.

Contact: 98388947 Light driver looking for job experience 8 years.

Contact: 94297563 Light driver. Contact: 99141481 Light driver looking for job.

Contact : 95494310 Light driver need job knows Arabic & Hindi.

Contact: 95145988 Looking job L.T.V with car, without car. Contact: 94436276 Driver, 5 years experience in Oman looking for job.

Contact : +968 99139890 Job for driving. Contact: 98982410

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN Interior Designer 4 years experience design and supervision skills (3D Max, AutoCAD Photoshop.

Contact: 95246737 Email: yassalnajjar@gmail.com

M O N DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 5, 2 0 1 6

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

DOMESTIC HELP Housemaid (overseas) Indian family looking for job.

Contact 99531802

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) with QA / QC piping Engineering (ASNT) level 2 (UT, RT, MPT, LRT) with experience QC Inspector in a expansion project of a refinery. Currently on visiting working for suitable job.

Contact: 00968 97697944 Email: arskpo7@gmail.com Project Engineer (Civil) Indian Male 11 years in Building Construction.

Visa release & D/L available.

Contact: 93836362/94605415, mathan.civil04@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) with 2 and half years experience Indian male 24 years in visit visa. Contact: 96620482 / + 919605423272 Email: bijumonps@gmail.com Civil Engineer 6 years experience, 4 years in Oman, driving license available. Contact number 92553263 Telecom Engineer, Indian, M.Tech (Communication System) 2 years exp O& M of Ericsson BSC, RNC equipments seeking suitable job, presently on visit visa.

Contact: 968 93615443 Email: shabnaspk@gmail.com Diploma Engineer looking for job (Civil) 7 years experience in Oman.

Contact: 92076339 Process Engineer Chemical Engineer, MBA certified in supply chain (MGT) 6 years experiences in operation. Contact: +968 94690325 Email: phahad.hashim@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer (Indian Male, 24 Years) with three years experience, looking for suitable job.

Currently on visit visa, ready to join immediately. Contat 92175441, Email: ihabeeb24@gmail.com Civil Engineer B.E 12 years experience with valid Oman driving license NOC available.

Contact: 93843448 Civil Engineer B.E (Indian) having total experience 14 years in building construction NOC available.

Contact 92971284 Email: mkamran1508@gmail.com Civil Engineer (B-Tech) 2 year Indian experience contact 90493674 emailinayathhussainshaik@gmail.com Civil Engineer (B. Tech) Indian male with 3 years experience skilled in the area quantity surveyor, primavera, MS Excel, AutoCAD. Contact: 00968 94853061, E mail: arunmohan.13990@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer (4 years exp) (3 years HVAC 10 months Piping Engineer) job visa Indian Muslim (27). Contact: 90486758 Email: afsalhyder@gmail.com Indian Civil Eng., (BE) 16 years exp in Oman const. having driving license & NOC. Contact : 99446335 Email: sonymathew76@yahoo.com Technical Analysis Trainer with automated trading system (NSE) looking for a job. Contact: 91285811 Diploma in Civil Engineering having an experience 16 years (8 years in Oman) looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 95900744 / 98028329 Email: skalam744@gmail.com B.E .Mechanical Engineer Indian over 4 yrs of exp in HVAC design auto cad drafting on visit visa.

Contact 90305596, Email: shaikrizwan330@gmail.com Mechanical Eng. Diploma 31 years experience (22 Oman) Steel fabrication, steel furniture, Powder coating, Production and Planning.

Machine shop, looking for Managerial position in Sohar.

Contact 99314899 Seeking for Job: Male Bachelor of Science In Industrial Technology Graduate Job Exp.6yrs water safety rescue/lifeguard/scuba diving Contact: 96094260 / 96023570 Electrical Engineer B.Tech with 4 yrs experience in India available on visit visa looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94741401 / 97239852 Email: sobinthomask05@gmail.com Indian male 26 yrs have 6 yrs exp in technical assistant in tyre production, visit visa at Ruwi.

Contact: 92600859

Finance / Project/ Program Manager Professional Qualifications : MBA, PMP, Six Sigma Country Exposure Canada & Middle East, Industry Any Nationality Canadian, In Person Interview on Sundays

Contact No: 97203531, +923352855176

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

IT

Indian male Electrical Engineer with MBA (Mktg) having 4 and half years experience in technical commercial and marketing fields with valid GCC D/L, NOC available seeking placement. Contact: + 968 96547828 Email: deva0234@gmail.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in designing, assembling, commissioning execution etc having valid GCC license too looking for a suitable. Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com

Indian male, MCA, 15 years experience in Oracle, developer, Orion Sage ERP, 5 years in Oman working as IT In charge, with NOC release and transferable visa.

Contact: 95398567, Email: anasa4@gmail.com

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp seeks suitable position ina reputed company. NOC available.

Contact – 96789711

Electrical Testing Engineer (B.Tech) having 7 yrs Gulf experience expertise in testing precommissioning commissioning of electrical systems, currently on visit visa seeks suitable job in Muscat.

Contact: 90188231

Diploma holder in computer hardware and networking with more than 9 years experience and with driving license seeking suitable placement. Contact: 95249087

HSE Engineer B.Tech (safety & fire) M. Sc 8 years experience Indian 31 years presently occupied on notice period available with clean NOC, holds Oman driving license & owns car. Contact: 94616721 Email: aibelg19@gmail.com B.Sc Civil Engineer, 27 yrs Oman experience as Project Manager, Structure Engineer looking for suitable placement. NOC / LOCAL transfer available. Contact: 99349578 Email: farooqatm@hotmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912 Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact: 92835952. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Civil diploma Engineer cum quantity survey male 6 years experience in Oman valid Oman D/L. Contact: 93747759 Email: jaleelvanimalkp@gmail.com B.Tech Mechanical Engineer Experienced from Indian & Singapore, experience in QA/QC is looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 98919114 7 Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in the field of Building Const. Oil & Gas Seeking Job.94625598 Indian female (22) BE Computer Science & pursuing MBA in symbiosis, looking for a job in HR & IT with 2 years experience in IT field.

Contact: 92649477 / 96043223 Chemical Engineer Sudanese male 29 yrs. Master degree in chemical engineering , Experience 1 yrs and 2 months OSHA Course ,HACCP Course , look for suitable job in Oman. Contact 96533430 Indian male, Age 22, B.Tech, Mechanical Engineer, seeking for job on any position presently on family visa. Contact 94597785 Iraqi Architect with 10 years of experience in Engineering designs and Construction Supervising professional in 3Ds Max, AutoCAD Photoshop. Contact: 96011716 Electrical Engineer with 18 years exp in UAE. Contact: 98148034 Email: shassalih66@gmail.com Electrical Engineer Indian male 30 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres) holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com MEP Engineer 5 years exp in Gulf driving license NOC. Contact 97838220 Indian female civil engineer B.Tech having 3 years experience sound knowledge of software, REVIT STAD PRO structural detailing currently on family visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95345591 Mechanical Engineer with 3 Yrs experience in international Oil & Gas company looking for job Contacts: Tel: 90164236 Email: mustafaoshi-62@hotmail.com Indian Electrical Engineer Btech, female 24 seeking job, presently in oman having 2 year experience in design and estimation of Ht &Lt projects. Contact 968 97436557, Mail id : sibinanoop1@gmail.com Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman with license. Contact: 98975518

Mechanical Engineer male 26 yrs, with 4 yrs of experience in manufacturing oil & gas retail, brand promoting, marketing, logistics having valid Omani D/L seeking for a suitable placement. Contact: 97098676 Email: ja237le@gmail.com Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact:97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com Procurement Engineer (27 years single male with Oman Driving License) having 7 years experience (UAE 2, Oman 3) with expertise in MEP, Water, Electromechanical, Instrumentation seeking suitable placements. Contact 95852033, mail: hemal1988@gmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine. Available NOC release. Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com Diploma in Mechanical Eng piping system in AutoCAD work, 21+ years experience with Driving license. Contact: 95267113 Email: rkakkaryil@gmail.com Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years old) – B.Sc Engineering (Hon) Mining / Geotechnical Presently in Muscat, 1.5 years experience.

Contact 91295802 / acmfaslan123@gmail.com Road and Construction Engineer with 5 years exp in Oman.

Contact: 97667113 Indian Male 23 years B.Tech Civil having 2 years experience in quantity survey and site management looking for suitable placement. Contact:- 95042656 Civil Engineer (BE) having total 5 years experience in building construction looking for a suitable placement. D/L available Contact# 94450270 Mechanical Engineer M.Tech 2 years experience HVAC design & site Engg revit MEP Auto CAD. Contact: 90150913 Email: mahmanmechengg@yahoo.im Indian female, 31 yrs, 7 yrs experienced as AutoCAD civil draftsman (2 yrs experience in Oman) currently in Oman seeks suitable.

Contact 96789441 Email: simi5304@gmail.com Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years in Oman experience Valid Driving License seeks suitable placement Phone 97619722 Email – golamrob@yahoo.com Sudanese Telecom Engineer, 5 years experience, 3 years in Oman PMP certificate.

Contact: 93391008 Email: momen.awadallam@gmail.com

EDUCATION Indian Lecturer Lady, MTECH with 5+ years teaching experience in Electrical engineering - RUWI95073922 / chithrarakeshkumar@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY Hospitality/Hotel/ Restaurants Dynamic result oriented hospitality professional with 20 years of international exp. MBA in Hotel Management, specializing in Hotel/Restaurant start ups, concepts & Franchise development with proven records. Seeking for Challenging positions in reputed groups as GM/COO/CEO/Business Head. (NOC available) Contact: 96059470

BCA Indian male one years experience system Admin IT support MCITP CCNA looking for suitable job currently on visit visa.

Contact: 94821943 Email: basithmck@gmail.com AutoCAD draftsman experience 2 years.

Contact: 93738335 /95809393 Email: mammoosing@gmail.com Indian male 27 yrs master in computer applications currently in Muscat with Oman driving license seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 93191800 Email: vijilraj60@gmail.com Indian Male, IT System Engineer having 4 yrs of experience in system administration.CCNA,MCSE, Linux. Looking for suitable job.

Contact :91272867 Indian Female, MSC, 2.5 Yrs experience in Infosys Ltd as senior systems engineer. Currently on family visa. Area of expertiseJava, Ecommerce, IBM-Sterling, SQL, C/C++, Oracle, Java script.

Looking for suitable job opportunities. Contact: 93092729 Indian female 28 years, MCA, B.com, 3 years experience in the field of computer hardware, ERP software and windows networking where planning, implementing and troubleshooting with multiple platform of OS Microsoft XP /7/8 on visit visa. Contact: 95089170 Email: anjuretnakar@gmail.com Indian male 25 years BSC (C.S) with basic hardware and software knowledge seeks suitable placement now on visit visa.

Contact: 92319677 Email: ismabsc@gmail.com Indian male having B. Tech C.C.NA M.C.SA 3years Saudi experience in IT System Administrator, 2 years experience in Networking (routing & switching) & server administrator presently on visit visa looking suitable placement.

Contact: 92339064 Email : anshadsainullabdeen@gmail.com Indian female, B.Tech graduate, with one and half years experience as ‘web developer’ interested in web development and has experience working in HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript and Photoshop.

Contact : 9592 7075, e-mail id: mariarosejacob90@gmail.com

LOGISTICS Indian Male, 36 years, over 16 years’ Stores, Logistics and Import Export experience with US based MNC, seeks suitable placement.

Mob: 9822 6568

MANAGER MBA (marketing) with 17 years experience in freight forwarding/ logistics industry in GCC & Oman.

Presently working as branch manager in Muscat. Looking for a suitable position. Release and NOC available. Contact: 99856331 Indian male, with experience in operations management, information security, purchase & stores mgmt, hold UAE driving license, on visit visa, seeks suitable job.

Contact 91904541 Email: naushers@yahoo.com The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: tenders& real estate& construction & marketing projects& investments & transportation & Marine services& companies management& develop business. Contact: :92385033

MANAGER

SALES / MARKETING

Office Manager / personal Assistant with extensive experience in overall admin, commercial activities, purchase, accounts with driving license seeks suitable change.

Local release available. #99168054

MBA Indian male 4 years experience sales & marketing seeking suitable opportunities. Contact: 96931719

A lady entrepreneur with BF Tech 1st Class (Fashion Technology) since 2006 in Kerala like to make change for better. Specialized in designing, Production Management, Fashion Art, Grading, Surface ornamentation, Garment Construction. Email: prettyjinu08@gmail. com Mobile: +919539397097.

Egyptian male finance manager 7 years experience release available. Contact: 95539923 Showroom & Office &Purchase manager with legal background and operation management-6 years experience inside Oman -An ongoing relationship with a number of customers & supplier in Oman-with valid Omani driving license. Contact: 97792871 – email : m.hossam1986@gmail.com The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: construction(Very strong and qualified to bringing business for civil work Or any type of the construction work for many million per year with a good experience in pricing and collect payment and cash management of the company & marketing projects & investments& tenders & real estate. Contact 92385033

MEDICAL Indian male Nurse Prometric 70% with MOH license. Smart & fluent in English. Ready for immediate joining. Contact – 92194649 Male GP Doctor with NOC 6 yrs experience in Oman for perm/locum job. Contact : 97746074 Indian Bsc Female Nurse with 6.5 years exp, 4 years in KSA. Passed Oman Pro Metric with 69%, completed data flow. Presently in Muscat in visit visa looking for a suitable placement.

Contact 94744900, 94742834, jincyalphonese@gmail.com An experienced Sudanese female Dentist with MOH license looking for job. Contact 96436517 /97396088

MISCELLANEOUS Office boy, exp, knows English/ Hindi, can work on current visa 94263603 Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Major in Animal Science, Male, 5yrs experience in poultry farm, seeking for job.

Contact 96093752.

A Filipina lady having experience in call center, airline booking and reservations, secretarial and real estate is now looking for a job in any fields. Contact: 93839304 Indian female on visit MBA (International Business- Marketing & Logistics), BE (Computers & Science Engg.) Trained in SAP-BI/ BW with 1 year experience seeking for job Contact: 90228586 Email:fathimasha16@gmail.com Graduate, computer literate, experienced in sales, credit control, accounts, Omani D/L , seeks suitable placement.

Gsm 98805474

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fitter gulf & Indian exp looking job.

Contact: 95175192

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment.

Call: 95244761 Indian female B.C.A having exp in Office Assistance cum Secretary looking for job. Contact: 97384206 Email: rani_sweet786@live.com

SALES / MARKETING B.Com male 2 yrs experience in sales Computer knowledge, seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98371144 email: nabilnazar22@gmail.com

Male 26 BBA studied in Oman 3 yrs exp in MNC and now on visit.

Contact: 98180071 Email: nikhildasin@gmail.com Sri Lankan lady experienced in key accounts, Market Demand planning & Communications, Brand/Sales in multinationals seeks placement in Muscat.

98250829 Marketing exceutive BBA, MCOM, Tally, exp in accouting (can continue in current visa) ph : 98269281 Indian sales marketing professional highly experienced in business development in ME India and Africa seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97897611 MBA gradate (Indian male 25 yrs) having two years experience in sales and marketing looking for suitable position.

Contact: 92129799 Email: nabu096@gmail.com Indian male 4 years sales experience & Business development look forward for suitable position.

NOC & Oman D/L available.

Contact: 97198976 Email: qubaisakhan@gmail.com Indian male, Graduate, experienced Sales person (FMCG) with valid UAE driving license, on visit seeks suitable position.

Contact 92419491 / 94881950, Email : pranilpp76@gmail.com Indian male 26, with more than 3 years experience in Counter Sales & Marketing with valid N.O.C Cont: 94704522, 97826454 & Emailmd.noman.mansoori@gmail.com Male 38 yrs Graduate 07 years experience indoor / outdoor electronic field with D/License & NOC available (as per new rule).

Contact: 92453375 MBA graduate having 6 years exp in Sales & Marketing, 4 years with PEPSI, India, having international driving license permit seeks suitable placement.

Contact : 95308167, Email : samir.pag@gmail.com Indian male plumbing sanitary ware & building materials experience in outdoor sales (9 years) with valid D/L UAE. Contact: 98723456 Indian male, MBA Marketing having 2.5 years Sales experience immediately looking for a suitable position. Contact: 91415145, Email: shariqs88@gmail.com

TECHNICIAN /MECH. Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license call Ph:+968 99450811 Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian female, holds LLB & Masters in business administration(MBA),2 yrs oman experience as HR & Admin, seeks suitable placement in jobs @ SOHAR. Contact: 96541959 IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/ networking/server support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532.

BS in Civil Engineering Experience: 3 Year (Road Projects) Omani license: 9 Years. Contact: 97427701 Email: hassanrvc1989@gmail.com Indian Male, 26 years, with 7 years of experience in Sales Field in shipping company in Dubai, looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety Marine equipment and well versed with MS Office. Contact: 90182494 Accountant. Having 6 years experience in accounts in reputed companies. Presently working in Muscat (NOC Available) GSM. 00968-97010584, Email usman7678@yahoo.com Iraqi civil Engineer with more than 30 years experience in (Iraq, U.A.E. and Oman) looking for a job, (N.O.C.) is available.

Contact No. 95626218 Email- amin.sarim007@gmail.com

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M O N D AY, F E B R UA RY 1 5 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED MISCELLANEOUS Bangladeshi male, University MA, Working as Sales coordinator cum Store In-charge in Muscat; searching better job. Phone: 91997605 email: mohamednazrulislam2@ gmail.com

MBA (F), B.COM. Indian female having knowledge of accounts with Tally looking for full or part time job. presently on family visit visa. Contact :- 96259171. Email:bhumicapandya@gmail.com

Indian Male ,MBA Finance & Marketing 28 yrs,6+ Exp, with oman D/L & NOC, Hospital Pharma ,Herbal ,FMCG, F&B Marketing ,construction A/c & sales , 93379044

Indian Male, 27 Years, MBA Finance pursuing, BCA, 6 years working in Airline Cargo Operations, Airline Passenger Ticket Auditing domain, looking for a suitable placement, currently on visit. email: jeevamal89@gmail. com, Phone:- 91713489

Diploma in civil engineering having an experience 26years (22years in Oman) experience in Estimator / quantity surveyor looking for a suitable placement.

Willing to join immediately contact: 96328687.

Indian female, B.Tech graduate, with one and half years experience as ‘web developer’ interested in web development and has experience working in HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript and Photoshop.

Contact 9592 7075, e-mail id: mariarosejacob90@gmail.com Indian male 26, on vist visa, 2+ yrs of experience with UAE D/L, IATA-FIATA,BBA looking for any suitable job. Contact 91324567 Bangladeshi Male, University MA, Working as Sales coordinator cum Store In-charge in Muscat; searching better job. Phone: 91997605 email: mohamednazrulislam2@ gmail.com 33 year old Filipina with experience in Teleperformance, Manila call centre ,now working as Waitress in Qatar seeking suitable post.

Contact 99022484 9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil & Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughtsman (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING LICENSE) seeking job. #90139903 Bangladeshi Male, University M.Com, Working as an administrator in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:94864966, email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com Bangladeshi Male, University MA, Working as Sales coordinator cum Store keeper in Muscat; searching better job. Phone:91997605. E mail: mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com 9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil & Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughtsman (holding Oman driving license) seeking job. #90139903 Assistant Manager – Planning (B.Tech EEE): Indian Male, over 10 years( 7+ Yrs in Oman & UAE) of experience in Project Planning & Scheduling, Liaison & Coordination, Budgeting and Client Interaction. Seeking a suitable Job in Muscat. Contact – 00971503529608, Email Id: saravananbe44@gmail.com Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/networking/server, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/ Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532 Indian Male, 26 years, With 7 years of experience in Sales Field in shipping company in “Dubai” , looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety Marine equipment and well versed with MS Office. Contact: 90182494, manojmallya999@gmail.com Indian female 25 yrs, MBA HR & Marketing, with one and half years experience as accountant and 6 months experience in teaching, now on a visit visa, seeking suitable position. Contact: 99624044, mail: np.neethu1@gmail.com.

Assistant Manager – Planning (B.Tech EEE): Indian Male, over 10 years( 7+ Yrs in Oman & UAE) of experience in Project Planning & Scheduling, Liaison & Coordination, Budgeting and Client Interaction. Seeking a suitable Job in Muscat. Contact – 00971503529608, Email Id: saravananbe44@gmail.com B.Com 5yrs experience good command on tally, Excel sheet on family visa. Contact: 98002428 Email: lubnakanwal36@gmail.com Diploma in civil engineering having an experience 26years (22years in Oman) experience in Estimator / quantity surveyor looking for a suitable placement.

Willing to join immediately Contact : 96328687.

Indian B.Tech 37 years Project Engineer , 12 + years experience in construction, maintenance of STP, Pumping stations, sewer lines, drinking water distribution and service reservoirs & pipe lines. Contact: 99364007 / +91-887422635 Email: mdzubair01@gmail.com Indian Mech Engineer, 9+ years of Saudi experience in HVAC, MEP oil & gas and hospital projects with valid Saudi driving license can join immediately. Contact: 99364007 / +966-505899608 Email: shuebmech@gmail.com Bangladeshi Male, University MA, Working as Store keeper in Muscat; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email: mohamednazrulislam2@gmail. com Electrical Engineer with 11 years experience in Electrical Design (LV&HV) Villas , apartments , seek part time jobs.

Contact -91403412 Pakistani Male having 6 years Experience Valid Omani Driving license working as a Transport Manager looking for a suitable position. salary is negotiable. mail: mohdnaveed043@gmail. com, Mob: +96893363316 / 94202746 Indian male 25 yrs, MBA (Finance, Marketing), Overall 2 yrs exp in Accounts/Finance field, On Visit Visa. Immediately available.

Contact - 92989197/94786544. abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com Bangladeshi Male, University MA, Working as Store keeper in Muscat; searching better job.

Phone: 91997605, email: mohamednazrulislam2@ gmail.com 22, Indian BBA graduate, 1 year experience, presently on visit visa, looking for suitable placement.

Contact 91881053 Electronics service Technician , 4 Years experience as Electronics service engineer. Knowledge in all type of Electronics items. Looking for suitable placement.

GSM- 99105043

Highly experienced mechanical/ steel structural fabrication engineer looking for suitable placement. NOC available. Contact: 99860714, hussain20173@gmail.com.

Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant ,doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439 Bangladeshi Male, University M.Com.Working as an Administrator cum Accountant in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:94864966, email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com Indian male M. Com 10 years of experience looking for Part time Job can do finalization #97433387 or thodaforme@gmail.com IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/ networking/server support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532.

Light Driver looking for job.

Contact:99594946 Sudanese Mechanical Engineer 26 years old (male) with 4 years experience as Mechanical engineer , Sales engineer and Call center agent seeking suitable placement.

Contact: +968.90644235 Bangladeshi Male, University M.Com Working as an Administrator cum Accountant in man; searching better job. Phone:94864966, email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com MBA - (F), M.Com, B.COM. Indian female having knowledge of accounts with Tally looking for part time or full time job. Presently on family visa. Contact :- 91892264.

Email:- yv.dixit@yahoo.com Bangladeshi Male, University MA, Working as Sales administrator in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email: mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com Indian Female, BE Electronics and Communication, having oman experience looking for full time or part time job. Ready to join immediately, currently on family visa.

Contact : 92115948 / 99327912 Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/networking/server, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/ Network/Server support.# 92607532 Searching a land surveyor job fully know latest instrument of Survey GPS and Total station two year OMAN experience.NOC Available. Contact +96894144052, Email- wasifnaz 313@yahoo.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 B.TEC ( IT) . 24 years, 2 Years of experience in technical support, software development, networking, troubleshooting and managing. seek suitable placement.

Contact GSM- 98184170 Light Duty Driver Professional, Indian male having 5 years of experience with valid Oman driving licence.NOC Available. #91652481 Indian male experienced material segregation with D/L seeks suitable placement. Contact: 92715032 Email: santhoshgeorge99@gmail. com

Purchase Executive Professional, Indian male having 6 Years of Experience in Oman Having Valid Driving Licence working as a Purchase officer, Looking for a suitable Position, NOC/LR Available.

Contact: 95132564/96456071, E-mail: naji1988@gmail.com Indian male 26 years (MBA Finance) seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 92715032 Email: ajisd@yahoo.com D.M.E, Indian, 12 yrs experience in Oman, in Project Estimation, Execution, Quality & marketing working as Estimation Engineer in acid & water tanker, semi trailor company, with havin driving license & will get NOC, seeks suitable job in Oman. Contact 98968495.

Senior Accountant Indian male 35 Years with 13 Years of Experience (7 years in Oman) in Accounts & Finance having valid Omani Driving License. Looking for job in GCC Countries. # 96001918 Indian male 25yr B. Com 4 years experience in trading and contracting field in India looking for suitable accountant vacancies.

Please contact 96155921 or fysal.nellaya@gmail.com Indian male looking job part time driver. Contact: 93884951 Indian male BE, (ECE) 18 months experience in Telecom Sector as installation and Commissioning Engineer, troubleshooting the bts, 3G and LTE equipments currently on visit. Contact: 95183497 Email: v.karthi984@gmail.com 27,male,ACCA finalist, have professional experience up to finalization of accounts, statutory and internal audit, expertise in using tally, focus and oracle software, have 3.5 years experience in accounts till finalization ,seeking for permanent replacement in senior position, GSM-91324962, email-abdullah.nooralam@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED EDUCATION/COMPUTER/WEBSITE

Chief Accountant , 7 years experienced (out of 25 years experience in accounts) worked in reputed group companies. Currently procuring MBA finance and having Omani Driving License seeks suitable openings from reputed companies.

Contact : 95598477 / 98803439 Indian male 25 yrs, MBA in marketing on visit looking for a job in Sales and Marketing.

Contact 91270215 Email: nibuvarughese13@gmail.com Indian male, 23 years PG diploma in Petroleum Engineering and B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering holding UAE driving license seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95880127 / 95084905 Email: vijith2573459@gmial.com Female 5 years experienced Oman as Senior Accountant. SKILLS : ERP9, MS OFFICE, SAGE, ACCPAC. GSM # 95483804 / 9986 8330.

MAIL :sararowshan344@gmail.com Indian male 25 yrs, MBA (Finance, Marketing), Overall 2 yrs exp in Accounts/Finance field, On Visit Visa. Immediately available.

Contact – 92989197 / 94786544. mail: abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com.

Bangladeshi male, University MA, working as administrator in Oman; searching better job. #91997605 mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com Indian male having 6 Years of Experience in Oman Having Valid Driving License working as a Purchase officer, looking for a suitable Position, NOC Available.

Contact: 95132564 / 96456071, E-mail:naji1988@gmail.com Indian Male, pursuing ACCA with knowledge in C++, Java looking for accounting job. Contact 94743462.

Email: zabinbashu@gmail.com

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

HR Manual, Employee Handbook, Recruitment, Training, HR Consultancy. Are you looking for freelancer HR professional? Please contact on 97914669

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

AVAILABLE Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting.

Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. ww.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

MATRIMONIAL M. Tech Girl Hyderabad SMP invite alliance for their daughter D.O.B 20.05.1989 Fair 5-2 groom required graduate Engineer and branch or pharmacist well settled in gulf family status.

Contact: 94678861

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman 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

M O N DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 5, 2 0 1 6

D7

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

TOURS

TOURS

SITUATION WANTTOURS ED

RENT A CAR

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours contact 98029602, 92808636 We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898

DRIVING

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steambath, obesity, spondylitis. Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Azaiba.

Contact: 99639695 / 97397320

MANPOWER

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

Experienced 10 Shuttering carpenters, 10 Steel Fixers and 10 mason to ready to joined with our organization with release & NOC. Salary will be fair, food and accommodation is available.

Contact 90234289 / 91496549 / 24494900

MV SALE

Partner wanted 10 to 30% share handover for running Construction Company. Contact: 97491117

Hyundai Tucson model 2011 No.2 and CC 2.4 light green colour prices 3800/- R.O . Contact: 99376544 Chevrolet Ebica 2006 manual good condition register 4.8.2016 550/-R.O. Contact: 92802299

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).Contact: 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP specification for monthly rent & small car with driver. # 99839898

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments & massage, Ayurvedic clinic at AL Khuwair. Contact: 24478618 / 97263637 / 93309131

TRANSPORTATION Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

MV SALE 2007 Nissan Tiida in good condition for sale. Contact 98241569 Honda Civic 2009 (Expatriate Driven) Mfg: Year: 2009 • Kilometers: 62,000k Contact – 92881849 / 97290565

Hyundai Santafe 2010 model, 2.7 litres, Black Colour, Expat driven, well maintained, 86000 kms.

Contact - 93304439.

Transportation. Contact 92015894

2008 2ltr VW Passat, good condition, 115k km, 99659946, RO 2800

Transportation in Muscat.

Contact: 96004045

TRANSPORTATION

From Mabela to Mawaleh for school student. Contact: 92757673 Transportation. Contact: 96248040 Transportation. Contact :98505294 Transportation.Contact: 99099714

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M O N D AY, F E B R UA RY 1 5, 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 SERVICES

Marble tiles grinding & polishing, Mosaic tiles grinding & polishing, carpet shampooing, sofa shampooing, pest control treatment & general cleaning of villa & building.

Express Building Cleaning Services.

Contact 98480070 / 94134784

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Office boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020 LEGAL SERVICE An Indian lawyer Provides all legal services in company matters.

Labour issues, contracts, agreements, LLC formation, legal help for starting new business in Oman, Civil, criminal cases,.service issues.

Ibrahim Al Massalhi.legal consultancy Sarafudheen, LLB, MBA, Legal Advisor Muscat. GSM: 97351649

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

FURNITURE SHIFTING Maintenance, Dismantling, Packing, Shifting & Fixing furniture with expert technicians.

Pest Control Treatments Ocean Center L.L.C. Contact: 99344723

Contact: 99041337

Cleaning & Carpet Shampooing Ocean Center L.L.C. Contact: 99344723

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

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

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

Building maintenance.

Contact: 96173326

A/C maintenance & servicing, fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, painting & cleaning services, electrical & plumbing.

Contact 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281

Marble, Grinding, Crystallization.

Ocean Center L.L.C. Contact: 99344723

Cleaning services sofa, carpet, shampoo old house or new house.

Contact: 92179395

Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 / 94285064 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance.

Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722

Split A/C servicing R.O 10 only. Contact: 94217681 / 99210141 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting,Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. Contact: 24810137, 99450130

House shifting. Contact: 99708138 Cad drafting architecture MEP design MEP BIM – REVIT. Contact: 91233975 Muscat Driving School.

Contact: 97026581 House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644 / 98518013