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FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN
Address to SQU students
‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ Ideas cannot be suppressed. Our religion stands for ideas and the intellect, not the suppression of thought. Never. Our religion is tolerant, ethical and receptive to ideas. Every verse of the Glorious Quran calls for thinking, cogitation, etc. It does not call for narrowmindedness, mental inertia and blindly going with the flow.
THURSDAY, October 15, 2015 / 1 Muharram 1437 AH
M O L D O VA
HM receives thanks cable MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from President Nicolae Timofti of the Republic of Moldova in reply to His Majesty’s congratulatory cable on the occasion of his country’s Independence anniversary. In his cable, President Timofti expressed his utmost appreciation of His Majesty the Sultan. He expressed his confidence that the friendship and cooperation between the Sultanate and the Republic of Moldova will witness a continuous progress to serve the joint interests of the people. -ONA
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How about a holiday without the horror?
TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES
OMAN
ITA spearheading digital Oman plan
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Taking cue from His Majesty the Sultan’s great vision of transforming Oman into a knowledge-based economy, ITA is spearheading digital Oman strategy. >A2
OMAN
Teach business in schools: Al Khonji
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Entrepreneurship needs to be taught in schools, says Qais Al Khonji, who has been named among 50 most powerful Arab businessmen. >A3
MARKET
Oman’s bank credit grows by 10 per cent
ARABIAN SEA LOW: As predicted, rain has begun to fall in Ibri, Jebel Shams, Rustaq, Buraimi, and other areas on Wednesday afternoon. -Supplied photos
With rain arriving, police and rescue teams are all prepared to save people who ignore
Rain, thundershowers and hailstorm expected
advice and risk their lives in flooded areas Staff Reporter
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Oman’s commercial banks have achieved a robust 10.6% growth in total credit at OMR18.01b for first eight months of 2015. >B1
REJIMON K /TARIQ AL HAREMI
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MUSCAT: As Oman experienced heavy rainfall in many areas, rescue personnel are gearing up to handle what they fear might be a series of possible accidents during the upcoming long holiday weekend. A depression had formed over the Arabian Sea last week, which was said to be nearing Oman’s coast after causing rain on the Indian coast. As predicted, rain began to fall in Ibri, Jebel Shams, Rustaq, Buraimi, and other areas on Wednesday afternoon leading to wadis (valleys) overflowing and flooding of roads. “It’s raining heavily in Ibri. Wadis are overflowing and roads
W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N .C O M
PHOTO GALLERY
are flooded,” Ridhwan Bader Al Battashi, a weather enthusiast, told the Times of Oman (TOO). According to a senior meteorologist with Accuweather.com, the depression is located 600km from the Masirah Island. “The low centre is hard to pinpoint exactly, but it seems to be about 600km southeast of the Masirah Island,” Jason Nicholls, a senior meteorologist, told TOO. Meanwhile, a top official from the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulances (PACDA), told TOO that people should be careful during adverse weather
MUSCAT: Rain, thundershowers, hailstorm and strong wind are expected in Al Sharqiyah, Al Hajar, and Al Wusta region, according to Oman meteorology department’s 48-hour forecast on Wednesday.
conditions. “We can’t prevent people from enjoying themselves, but they must be careful. According to weather reports, heavy rains are being predicted in North and South Al Sharqiyah so people are advised to stay away from these areas, as well as keep themselves updated with the weather report about other affected areas,” the official said. PACDA has asked people to call on the telephone numbers 9999 or
“The horizontal visibility will be poor during fog formation and rain and the sea condition will be slight to moderate along most of the Sultanate of Oman’s coasts with maximum wave height ranging between 1.25 to 2.0m,” the latest forecast said.
24343666 in case of any emergencies during the rain. Life is precious “Life is precious so people have to think about their family, friends and loved ones. Even religion teaches us not to put ourselves and others in dangerous situations,” the official added. During last month’s rains, despite repeated warnings issued to the public to remain cautious
PROCESSING OF DOCUMENTS
M O H A M M E D A L A L AW I
Pakistani girl awaits Indian visa for treatment of illness Times News Service MUSCAT: Five-year-old Basma Mohammad Faisal, who is suffering from multiple disorders, is set to fly to India for further treatment. Her father, Mohammad Faisal Raza, said he had applied for an Indian visa. “We will fly to India as soon as we get the visa,” he told the Times of Oman on Wednesday. A senior official attached to the Indian Embassy said they are going through all the documents submitted by Raza. “We will issue the visa once that is over,” the official stated. Basma is suffering from a condition under which she cannot take food as she is unable to digest it. Even if she eats a little, she vomits it out as the tube to the liver and pancreas is partially blocked. “She is not keeping well at all and is currently admitted at the Royal Hospital,” Raza said. Raza, a Pakistani national, plans to take his daughter to India for a liver transplant as soon as possible
during rains and flash floods, police rescue teams had to attend to 31 drowning cases, including 19 in Muscat alone, and 12 in the northern parts of Oman. Heavy rains had claimed six lives. “Our message to citizens and residents is not to risk their lives and of rescuers. We advise people to follow the safety guidelines, which are constantly posted on Twitter and on popular sites in Oman, as well as follow other safety guidelines that people post on social media and on TV as well. Always stay cautious,” the police official added. Meanwhile, Mark Pudwell, training manager at Competence HR, said it was vital for everyone to listen to the warnings and advice handed out in the press and over other media. “It is extremely sad when people ignore the advice of professionals, as their advice is given to protect people from unnecessary injury or untimely death, whether it’s advice about driving safety, imminent adverse weather conditions or general safety advice,” Pudwell said. “Failing to listen is not only irresponsible, but could cost you your life and potentially that of the would be rescuer,” he said. >A2
as this facility is not available in Oman, or back home in Pakistan. “I had lost my elder daughter to the same disease about 11 years back. I don’t want to lose her (Basma) too and plan to get her operated at the Global Hospital, Chennai,” he said. A spokesperson for the Global Hospital in India also confirmed that they have sent a visa invitation letter to Raza. “We’ll try to help them in every possible way
when they are in Chennai,” the spokesperson said. Raza’s elder daughter, Asfa Mohammed Faisal had died on December 6, 2004 and was also suffering from liver cirrhosis. “Then also the doctors had suggested liver transplant, but we could not afford her treatment and she died,” Raza, who has been working in Sultanate of Oman since November 1991, said. A medical report submitted by the Royal Hospital has determined that Basma has a cirrhotic liver and needs a liver transplant, along with the reconstruction of her biliary structure. A biliary stricture is an abnormal narrowing of the common bile duct, the tube that moves bile from the liver to the small intestine. Bile helps in digestion. To conduct this operation, hospitals have quoted between $45,000 and $50,000. “Until now, I have managed to save around OMR13,500, which is required for the operation,” Raza said.
Search for Omani in Italy waters Staff Reporter
All for music
B5
MUSCAT: Oman Sail has moved its search operation for missing Omani sailor, Mohammed Al Alawi, to Italian waters, it said in a statement. Al Alawi, who was on board the MOD70, had gone missing last Wednesday, just south of Pula in Croatia, while the trimaran was en route from France to Trieste in Italy. “Sadly today, weather conditions in the area deteriorated with high winds, rain and low visibility preventing the light aircraft from taking off and the search for our missing crew member from continuing. The Italian coastguard has put its stations along the Adriatic on alert and we plan to continue searching the coastline tomorrow, weather permitting,” the statement added. On Monday, the Croatian coastguard had ended its search operation.