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WEDNESDAY, January 21, 2015 / 30 Rabi Al Awal 1436 AH timesofoman.com

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Missing boat tracked; three crew rescued, one is dead

Council discusses Al Nahdha ﬂooding

The Council of Ministers reviewed the situation arising out of the latest depression which affected several parts of Oman, including the Al Nahdha Hospital. The Council discussed reasons behind water-logging in the hospital premises. It studied the possibility of transferring the hospital to a safer location with the consent of competent authorities who will prepare plan for the shifting of hospital. >A5

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: A fishing boat that went missing in Salalah waters was tracked and three of the crew members were rescued by the coast guard and navy personnel, said a statement by the police. One of the crew was found dead on the boat. The three, who were not in very good condition, and the body of the dead crew member, were flown to land on a Royal Air Force aircraft. The boat was found nine miles south of Al Halaniyat Island by the rescue team after it sailed into Sharbtat waters and was reported missing. Rescue operation “A search and rescue operation was conducted after we received a complaint from the boat owner. The rescue team tracked the boat and found that one of the crew members was dead and others were not in very good condition,” added the statement. The crew was initially provided treatment at a health centre in Al Halaniyat Island and later flown to Salalah hospital. According to officials, the crew is from an Asian country. U-TURN

ROP dilutes fine regulations after complaints Times News Service MUSCAT: New regulations forcing expatriates to settle unpaid traffic fines before travelling out of the country for business or vacation have been rowed back after a U-turn by the Royal Oman Police following complaints. Earlier, an official at ROP had confirmed to Times of Oman that its new policy meant that expatriates leaving Oman on business or vacation, or for good, had to settle their unpaid traffic fines, otherwise they might be prevented from boarding their flights or crossing the borders. Now the policy has been watered down so that it only affects those leaving the country permanently. Speaking to Times of Oman yesterday, ROP said, “The original plan was to ask expats to settle unpaid traffic fines even if they were leaving the country for couple of days. >A6

COMMENTARY

85m

UK keen to support Sultanate’s growth

Alderman Alan Yarrow, Lord Mayor of London is arriving in Oman today accompanied by a high-level business delegation. In an exclusive piece for Times of Oman, Lord Mayor says that he is delighted to visit Oman acting as an Ambassador for the UK-based ﬁnancial and professional services industry. He says that there are a huge number of opportunities for the two countries to work together, across many industries. >A12

Omani rials cost of the rain SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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Rains caused

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massive loss of property in Oman with Al Nahdha Hospital also bearing the brunt CLEAN-UP OPERATION: The mopping up operation to clear the debris from roads is on. Photo-Talib Al Wahaibi

SALEH AL SHAIBANY

saleh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Damage from the storm, which hit Oman on Monday, could cost more than OMR85 million, a government official said on Tuesday. Many parts of the country were lashed by rain with wind speed reaching up to 80km per hour. The Meteorological department said that 35mm of rain was

recorded during the downpour. “The reconstruction cost could go well above 85 million rials. The damages include roads, bridges, government buildings, private homes, schools and hospitals,” a civil defence department official, told Times of Oman. Oman television showed damaged desalination plants, electricity and water pipes across the country. But the most distinctive

damage was at the Al Nahdha Hospital forcing police helicopters to evacuate patients to other medical centres in the capital. Clippings from television showed homes and shopping areas submerged under rain water. Hundreds of cars were also swept away. Snow and hailstorms were reported in some parts of the Sultanate while many wadis were choked with silts causing prob-

lems to the drainage system. An official from the Capital Market Authority (CMA) said that insurance companies would have to pay up to 10 million rials for car damages. “Hundreds of cars have been damaged and my estimate is just a conservative one,” the CMA official said. Speaking to Al Shabiba, the sister publication of Times of Oman, Nasser Al Busaidi, a board director member at Oman United Insurance company, said that damage to the fully insured private vehicles would be covered if they have been parked at the right spots. “Insurance companies will not bear the cost if a vehicle has been damaged while crossing a wadi,” Al Busaidi said, clarifying that third party insured vehicles will not be compensated by the insurance company. >A5

MARKET

Oman’s deﬁcit could go up to OMR4.3b

Oman’s budget deﬁcit could be around OMR4.3 billion and OMR6.8 billion this year, if the average oil price hovers around $60 per barrel and $40 per barrel, respectively, according to an economic outlook report for GCC countries released by a leading bank. This is against a deﬁcit projection of OMR2.5 billion at an estimated expenditure of OMR14.1 billion and revenue of OMR11.6b. >B3

RAIN WOES

ROP, onlookers help evacuate students from bus on ﬂooded Wadi Kabir street Staff Reporter

African diva shines on a rainy day

MUSCAT: Eight primary class students from an Indian school had to be rescued by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) personnel and onlookers through the windows of their bus stranded on a waterlogged road in Wadi Kabir, at around 5:30pm on Monday evening. The rescued children were sent to safer locations in two ROP vehicles. “We were on the other side of the road and saw the bus with the children inside stranded on the ﬂooded road. Had they opened the bus door, the waters would have entered the bus. Some onlookers rushed to the bus and pulled out the children through the windows. Meanwhile, somebody called the police and they also joined in the rescue operations,” said sources. “Some of the children were crying in fear, but timely action by the ROP and onlookers saved their lives,” added the sources. The children were later taken home by their parents who had

TIMELY ACTION: The rescued children were sent to safer locations in two ROP vehicles.

rushed to the spot. Wadi Kabir area was badly hit in the rains. The roads were ﬂooded and vehicles were submerged. Meanwhile, sources added that more frightened children were stuck on ﬂooded roads in Darsait and also rescued later by parents and the police. However, the school authorities said, “We are not aware of Wadi Kabir incident, but we know of the incident in Darsait.”

Due to traffic jams and ﬂoods, many children of the afternoon shift classes reached home late at night. Panic-stricken parents braved the heavy rain and stood on the roads waiting for their children’s return. “Even after several precautionary calls were given to motorists to stay at home and not to go out unless there was an emergency, we received a large number of

distress calls from stranded motorists as people had not heeded the advice,” tweeted the Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA). Patients were airlifted, families had to be rescued from flooded flats and passengers had to be pulled out from their vehicles stuck on flooded roads and overflowing wadis as heavy rains lashed Muscat by Monday evening.

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

Digital passports for Nepal expats All Nepalese have to apply for converting their old passports into digital ones as soon as possible, as the embassy will also require two to three months to make them

Times News Service MUSCAT: Five thousand Nepalese expatriates living in the Sultanate have been asked to apply for digital passports by May, according to a senior official of Nepal Embassy in Muscat. The embassy in Muscat has issued more than 4,000 to 5,000 machine readable passports (MRPs), but there are around 13,000 to 14,000 Nepalese expatriates living in the country. “If they do not apply by May, it would be difficult for them to visit any country,” said Bharat Kumar Regmi, chargé d’affaires of the Nepalese Embassy in Muscat. Then there are chances some may not be able to renew their visas as per the Oman rule of six-

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month validity of passports. “So we appeal to all Nepalese to apply for converting their old passports into digital ones as soon as possible, as the embassy will also require around two to three months to make a digital passport,” he said. The Embassy is also planning to visit places like Salalah, Sur and Sohar where a large number of Nepalese work, in this regard. “We are also taking the help of social networking sites and the Nepalese community to reach out to everyone,” he said.

By November 24, 2015, all handwritten passports need to be converted to machine-readable passports as per the deadline set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which is phasing out all non-MRPs. According to Regmi, the Nepalese embassy is willing to help companies with Nepalese employees and will provide MRP forms at their own workstations. The Nepalese Embassy will collect forms for MRPs from Sundays to Thursdays from 8.30am to 3.30pm at the embassy premises. The validity of distributed MRPs will be 10 years. Nepali association The Nepali association is also working hard on this. “We have already visited some companies and have collected forms from the Nepalese workers. Those who are going home for a vacation are urged to make their MRPs in Nepal,” said D B Chettri, president of the Muscat chapter of Non Resident Nepali Association (NRNA). An original Nepalese citizenship certiﬁcate and its copy, an original current passport and its copy, an Oman ID and its copy and a fee of OMR31 are required to get a new MRP.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Injaz Oman launches ‘Sharikati’ Times News Service MUSCAT: Injaz Oman launched the ‘Sharikati 2015’ season at Nama Group’s headquarters on Tuesday, with an impressive participation of students, colleges and volunteers. Shabib Al Maamari, executive director of Injaz Oman, said, “It has been a great start to the new season with this unprecedented response from the sponsors, students, colleges and the public to be a part of the programme. “The programme is playing a key role in developing the culture of entrepreneurship. With the support received from the private sector, we can support our youth in developing their entrepreneurship skills to further its in-country value contribution.” This year’s Sharikati programme will have the participation of over 700 students from 65 teams across 18 different colleges in all regions of the Sultanate. Participating universities and colleges include seven technical colleges, six applied science colleges, Sultan Qaboos University, Caledonian College of Engineering, Mazoon University College, College of Banking and Financial Studies and University of Nizwa.

Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN. Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

The colourful Thai pavilion, which represents their government institutions, including the Ministry of Culture, comprises several sections, all worth exploring

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celebration of the warmth and vitality of Thai culture is going on at the Muscat Festival, with skilled artisans dazzling visitors with some of the most delicate pieces of art. Take a left as you enter the International Exhibition for Arts, Heritage and Creativity of the Muscat Festival in Al Amerat Park and land up at the pavilion of a country famous for its cultural attractions, which include colourful handicraft products. The first section that catches the eye is the art of Khon mask making, which has been passed down from generation to generation in Thailand. Khon is a genre of dance drama from Thailand and each part of the Khon costume has its own significance. The mask is the single most important piece. “The major distinguishing characteristic of Khon masks is their bald or crowned head,” reads an informative board in the Thai pavilion. It explains that before the late Ayutthaya period (1350 A.D. - 1767 A.D.), masks were not worn by Khon performers and the character’s faces were painted on the dancer. “Mask-making evolved from the need to have a more permanent way of identifying the individual characters,” it says. However, the art of Khon mask making, which is a time-consuming practice requiring high skills, is not financially rewarding and has joined the growing list of endangered crafts. Perhaps this is why the Thai Embassy has opted to promote this form of art at the Muscat Festival along with a number of other traditional handicrafts. “We are happy to be participating in this festival, and we are grateful for the assistance and invitation by the Muscat Municipality,” Dr. Pornchai Danvivathana, Thailand’s ambassador to Oman, told Times of Oman. A group of dancers will also visit Muscat at the beginning of February, he said, adding that these events show the growing co-operation between the two countries in the fields of art and culture. “There is a section for Thai food at the food court of the exhibition as well,” added the ambassador, inviting visitors to get a taste of Thai culinary delights. He also noted that an Omani-Thai cultural show will be held on January 29 at the Ministry of Education to mark the 35th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. The Thai pavilion, which represents their various government institutions including the Ministry of

Culture, comprises various sections, all worth exploring. You can learn more about the art of gold gilding and decorating mirrors by looking at the hands of a lady placing delicate decorative pieces on different objects. The lacquer work, which in Thai is called ‘Lai Rod Nam’, is also on display at the exhibition. The lacquer design can be applied on wooden panels or round objects such as boxes, vases etc. The art takes its name from the fact that the work is washed in water after the coating and painting work is over. Different types of green tea, dried ﬂower, and silk cocoon product are also up for sale along with gorgeous handmade oil-paper umbrellas and oriental fans, which all form part of the rich Thai culture and traditions. A board displaying the tourist attractions of Thailand such as scuba diving may also make you decide to book a ticket to Thailand and explore more of the country of ancient traditions and scenic diversity.

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Expect sandstorms today THE DAY AFTER: Rescue volunteers and municipal staff worked overtime to clear up the rubble from homes and highways worse hit by the storm.–Talib Al Wahaibi/TIMES OF OMAN

In its latest forecast for Wednesday, Oman meteorological department has predicted sandstorms

REJIMON K reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: After the heavy rains that lashed different parts of Oman on Monday and Tuesday, the country could now be hit by sandstorms, predicted the Oman meteorological department in its latest forecast for Wednesday. “Fahud, Qarn Alam, Yaaloni and Masirah in addition to Marmul, Adam, Salalah and Haima will witness dust and sandstorms,” said the meteorological department. “Mhout, Salalah Port, Halaniyat, Zamaim and Duqm Airport along with, Bidiya, Jabal Noos, Sadah, Mhadha and Dhalkut could expect similar conditions, and so will Taqah, Mirbat, Al Mazyunh, and Al Ashkarah,” said the forecast. “Skies will be partly cloudy

over the northern governorates with chances of isolated light rain along the coastal areas and clear skies over rest of the Sultanate with a dip in temperatures,” added the forecast. Meanwhile, Jabal Shams received snowflakes on Tuesday morning as temperatures dropped below zero degrees Celsius. According to the meteorological department, the temperature in Jabal Shams was –3°Celsius. “The temperature might be below zero. It is freezing here and in the morning we saw snowflakes,” said residents. Bader Ali Al Baddaei, an administrator of www.rthmc.net, a local web-based forum that discusses weather trends in Oman, predicted that temperature may drop again in Jabal Shams. In its forecast, the meteorological department has predicted a temperature of –4°Celsius in Jabal Shams on Wednesday. Meanwhile, there was rain in Buraimi leading to an overflow of wadis again on Tuesday morning. The rains on Monday evening had thrown life out of gear in Muscat. Patients were airlifted, families had to be rescued from flooded flats and passengers had to be pulled out from vehicles stuck on waterlogged roads and overflowing wadis.

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MUSCAT: Council of Ministers on Tuesday discussed the issue of Al Nahdha Hospital being ﬂooded by rain waters. In a statement, the Council said the possibility of transferring the hospital to a safer location is under review and a detailed plan would be prepared to shift some units gradually. The Council also stressed on the importance of establishment of Medical City. Earlier, some members of Majlis Al Shura urged the authorities to follow up on the recommendations made in 2012 about shifting Al Nahdha Hospital to a new location, or constructing a redesigned building. In 2011, Al Nahdha Hospital had faced a similar situation as it did during the rains on Monday. Officials, including

the then Muscat Municipality chairman, were grilled by Majlis Al Shura in 2011 after the ﬂooding. Majlis Al Shura plans “The Majlis Al Shura came up with recommendations to resolve the issue, but it was not implemented,” Mohammed Al Busaidi, a Majlis Al Shura member, told the Times of Oman. “We might question officials in the coming days to ﬁnd out the reasons behind the earlier recommendation not being implemented and to address other damage caused by rain,” added the member. On Monday evening, 51 patients were transferred to other hospitals including the Royal Hospital, Khoula Hospital and Armed Forces hospital while 44 were discharged. A group of officials from the Ministry of Health, Majlis Al

Shura and other authorities visited the Al Nahdha Hospital after the rains. Apart from the shifting of patients, the hospital officials revealed that there was no damage in the medical equipment and drugs. “The clinics will be opened on Sunday, but the surgery department will remain closed for a few more days. That will be opened only after tests are conducted to ensure they are germ free,” said the Majlis Al Shura member who visited the hospital on Monday. As the ﬂood waters entered the hospital in the evening, patients had to be evacuated by Royal Oman Police choppers. “There was power outage in the hospital by evening. As more water entered the hospital, the decision to evacuate was taken and patients were airlifted at around 7pm,” sources had said then.

BRIEFS

State Council hosts Tender Board chairman

MUSCAT: State Council on Tuesday hosted Dr Rasheed bin Al Saﬁ AlHuraibi, Chairman of the Tender Board. The Chairman of the Tender Board made a presentation on the activities and achievements of the Tender Board. He also reviewed the scope of work of the Tender Board and its Secretariat General, some articles of the Tender Law, the general framework and the main steps and procedures for tenders. The State Council will host its sixth sitting next Wednesday and will discuss the proposals submitted by the Education Committee on ‘ Revising the Stages and Pathways of Education in the Sultanate’.

London’s Lord Mayor arrives in Oman today

MUSCAT: Alderman Alan Yarrow, Lord Mayor of the City of London, will pay an official visit to the Sultanate from Wednesday. He will be accompanied by a wide ranging business delegation from the UK, which includes senior representatives from investment banks, asset managers, insurers and law ﬁrms. Jonathan Wilks, UK’s ambassador to Oman, said that Lord Yarrow will meet with a number of officials of the public and private sectors to discuss means of enhancing the cooperation relations between the Sultanate and the UK, as well as the joint investment opportunities between the two countries. -ONA

W E AT H E R F U RY

Rescue efforts in full swing

Regarding the damaged houses, Al Busaidi explained that even though most of the houses in Oman are not covered by insurance, only those who have the insurance the company will bear costs. He added that Al Hamriya, Ruwi and Mutrah areas are usually the most affected areas in rain therefore the insurance company might avoid insuring any properties in these areas in future. Rescue volunteers said that they worked all night to evacuate residents from their homes and wadis in areas worse hit by the storm.“We use cranes and hoists to pull people from their homes or from their cars in the wadi areas. These people were trapped and were not sure how long the rain would last,” Yahya Al Hajj, a resident of Al Amerat said. Many streets were clogged up as rainwater dragged mud and

Council of Ministers discusses shifting of Al Nahda Hospital FAHAD AL GHADANI fahadnews@timesofoman.com

gravels from the mountains that blocked roads and caused traffic jam yesterday morning forcing people to arrive late for work. “I reached my office two hours late because of the queue. Some old cars just could not make through the water and just switched off to cause more trafﬁc,” Ahmed Al Badi, a Bank Muscat employee said. Home owners whose houses were ﬂooded with water were left to count the cost of the damages. “The roof leaked and water came through the doors and windows. All my furniture got destroyed. Part of the compound wall collapsed. I am not sure how much it will cost to repair everything and replaced my personal belongings,” Khalil Al Lawati, a resident at Baushar, told the Times of Oman. Inputs from Mohammed Fahmi

Post rains, traders count their losses REJIMON K reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Shop owners in Hamriyah have incurred losses of thousands of rials as ﬂoodwaters entered their shops following heavy rains which lashed Muscat on Monday. “Losses will be close to OMR10,000. We are updating the stock, but this happens every time it rains. Even though we take precautions, the loss is unavoidable,” said Subash, owner of a shop selling sports and safety gear. Like Subash almost all the shops on the side of the trench where work is going on have suffered huge losses. “Last time we suffered a loss of OMR50,000. This time we have suffered a small loss as we were prepared for the rains and shifted out our goods. However, we are not sure whether we will get compensation from the insurers as the same thing has been repeated,”

entered our flats. The rubble in the trench where work is going on gets stuck at the exit and the water overflows. “This time we saw a car that had got stuck at the exit forcing water to overflow over the sides,” said James, a resident.

HARD TIMES: Some shopkeepers were prepared for the rains but

most of them have been badly hit in Hamriyah.– TIMES OF OMAN

said Ganesh, the owner of a stationery shop. Almost all the shop owners and their workers were seen cleaning their shops and trying to collect

unspoiled items in the morning. Residents staying on ground ﬂoor in Hamriyah were also busy cleaning their inundated ﬂats. “The last time also, water had

Residents shift Some residents have shifted to other buildings as it could take weeks to get their ﬂats cleaned. Meanwhile, Mohammed Al Busaidi, a Majlis Al Shura member, said that government should form a committee to study the risks of the Hamriyah deluge. “I hope that the government forms a committee to study the issues faced by residents and shop owners during the rains and subsequent ﬂoods. A proper study should be conducted to study the losses. These people are not guilty and the government should step in to support them,” said Al Busaidi.

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

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African women are the backbone of my continent Angélique Kidjo, African diva

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African diva shines on a rainy day in Muscat

AMBITIOUS PROPOSALS

Though it was dark and stormy outside, Kidjo radiated

EXPANSION STRATEGY: The global conference of Oman Air em-

brightness and

ployees. – Supplied picture

energy with her

Oman Air aims ‘to become the best’

warm vocals and sizzling dance moves SARAH MACDONALD

PEACE ACTIVIST: Angélique Kidjo captivates audience with her powerful voice. - Photo: Khalid Al Busaidi

MUSCAT: Africa’s “premier diva” Angélique Kidjo was the sunshine after a rainy day when she performed at the Royal Opera House Muscat on Monday evening. Though it was dark and stormy outside, on stage Kidjo radiated brightness and energy with her warm vocals and sizzling dance moves. Kidjo, a 54-year-old star from Benin, and her musicians (guitarist Dominic James, percussionist Magatte Sow, bass player Benjamin Zwerin and drummer Edgardo “Yayo” Serka Mimica), entertained for an hour and 45 minutes without an intermission, and left their fans beaming. Kidjo said she has loved being on stage since she was just six years old and fell in love with the microphone, and this showed in her performance. Whether it is with her powerful voice or her

kicks and shimmies, she captivates the audience. An activist and supporter of women’s rights and girls’ education, Kidjo uses the stage not just for entertaining but to share important messages about Africa and the need for world peace, which she believes one day will happen when people learn to accept their differences. Kulumbu is a song about a dove of peace, while Awalole is a catchy upbeat song that was inspired by the African girls whom she supports with her Batonga Foundation which provides them with high school and university education. “It’s proven today that the best investment ever is girls’ education,” Kidjo commented. She sang a number of songs from her latest album, Eve, which was dedicated to the women of

sarah@timesofoman.com

Africa, whom Kidjo describes as “elegant, beautiful, strong and resilient.” She is critical of the international media portrayal of African women as victims and little else, which she said ignores what they truly are. “African women are the backbone of my continent,” she said. Her song Eva is dedicated to women, and before singing it at the ROHM Kidjo said she had heard about Omani Women’s Day and wanted to celebrate women here, too. South African singer Miriam Makeba, better known as Mama Africa, was one of Kidjo’s inspirations when she was young, so in honour of one of the ﬁrst African superstars Kidjo also sang a covers, including Pata Pata and Malaika. The latter, which was sung with a gentle acoustic guitar ROP

< FROM

A1 Traffic ﬁne “However, due to the complaints and suggestions raised by expatriates and experts with the immigration department, the ROP had to rethink our decision. “Expatriates raised their concerns about the amount of time they would have to spend at the airport if the original rule was activated. Therefore, ROP has decided to apply the rule only on those leaving the Sultanate forever.”

accompaniment, sounded like a prayer for peace. Kidjo thrilled the audience when she came down off the stage and danced and sang her way through the aisles, shaking hands with her fans and even dancing with a few of them. Then back on stage she broke the house’s protocol when she invited people to join her on stage, and within seconds she had a spontaneous dance crew around her. It was truly heartwarming to see them enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity, to dance with such a superstar. Sadly the weather may have kept some ticket-holders away from the concert, which is really unfortunate, because Kidjo’s concert was unforgettable and really did feel like sunshine after a rainy day.

Times News Service MUSCAT: A global conference of Oman Air staff has given ambitious proposals for growth and prosperity a warm welcome. The proposals were set out by Chief Executive Officer Paul Gregorowitsch, and provided a centrepiece for the event, whose theme was ‘to become the best’. They included the continuation of Oman Air’s ambitious expansion strategy, together with the launch of a stringent efficiency programme, entitled ‘Shape and Size’. This will see the airline make cost savings of OMR100 million over the next three years, resulting in Oman Air achieving proﬁtability by the end of 2017. The conference was held at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation, in Muscat, on January 15. It saw staff from around the world converge on the Omani capital to hear presentations from a range of

dignitaries and senior managers. The event was opened by Darwish bin Ismael Al Balushi, minister responsible for financial affairs and chairman of the board of directors of Oman Air. He provided a brief overview of Oman Air’s history, before turning his attention to the immediate future, saying, “The 10-year strategy of Oman Air has been prepared, and has been thoroughly evaluated and assessed. It focuses mainly on fleet and network expansion, and on boosting revenues so as to reach breakeven and hence attain profitability. At the same time, we will continue to provide the very best, highly distinguished services and ensure that our valued customers remain our top priority.” Following the chairman’s remarks, Gregorowitsch gave the keynote presentation. In it, he stated the need to achieve profitability through a combination of strategic growth and increased efficiency.

SOLAR IMPULSE

Muscat is first stop in maiden flight of solar-powered plane Times News Service ABU DHABI: Muscat will be the first stop in the maiden journey of a solar-powered plane to fly around the globe without using any fuel. The plane is able to fly by day and at night will land in 12 locations across the world and travel 35,000 kilometres in the first attempt to fly around the globe. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, the Swiss co-founders and pilots of Solar Impulse, along with their partners, revealed the detailed global flight route of Solar Impulse 2 (Si2). For pilots Piccard and Borschberg, the drive behind their mission is to demonstrate how clean technologies and a pioneering spirit can change the world. The route Si2 will take-off from Abu Dhabi in late February or early March and return by late July or early August 2015. The route includes stops in Muscat, Ahmedabad and Varanasi in India, Mandalay in Myanmar, and Chongqing and Nanjing in China. After crossing the Pacific Ocean via Hawaii, Si2 will fly across continental US stopping

at three locations – Phoenix and New York City at John F Kennedy Airport. A location in the Midwest will be decided depending on weather conditions. After crossing the Atlantic, the final legs include stopover in Southern Europe or North Africa before arriving back in Abu Dhabi. Solar Impulse unveiled the flight path in Abu Dhabi along with their partner representatives. These included main partners Solvay, Omega, Schindler and ABB. They were also joined by official partners Altran, Bayer, Google, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions and Swisscom alongside Solar Impulse’s host partner Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company. Around-the-world The first round-the-world solar adventure will span approximately 25 flight days, spread over 5 months and cover approximately 35,000 kilometres at speeds between 50 and 100 kilometres per hour. “Masdar and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi are proud to host the departure, and hopefully safe arrival, of Solar Impulse and its pilots, as they dare to fly round the world using only the power of

the sun,” said Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE minister of state and chairman of Masdar. “Solar Impulse is a demonstration to prove the impossible can be possible, and that innovation knows no boundaries. As a leader delivering sophisticated renewable energy projects around the world, Masdar is a natural partner for such an innovative endeavour, which underscores the viability of solar technology.” Ahead of the five-month adventure, the Si2 team and pilots will spread their message in Abu Dhabi, engaging with industry representatives, youth and aspiring engineering students. “With our attempt to complete the first solar powered round-theworld flight, we want to demonstrate that clean technology and renewable energy can achieve the impossible. We want youth, leaders, organisations and policymakers to understand that what Solar Impulse can achieve in the air, everyone can accomplish here on the ground in their everyday lives. Renewable energy can become an integral part of our lives, and together, we can help save our planet’s natural resources,” declared Bertrand Piccard, initiator and chairman of Solar Impulse.

INDIAN LOVE STORY

Kerala ﬂick to be shot in Oman REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An Indian love story starring Nivin Pauly and Nikki Galrani will be shot in the coming months in Oman, makers of the movie said. “Initial level talks have been held. Script is ready. Recce has been also done,” John Jacob Mundakathil, the producer of the movie, told the Times of Oman. Scripted by Kalavoor Ravikumar and directed by Shanavas Vadanappally, the movie from the south Indian state of Kerala will also feature many supporting actors. “The movie will unfurl a heart touching love story. The story revolves around four young bold ladies and one man. The movie will have many emotional moments to move the audience. We will portray a pleasant picture of the Gulf. People always try to show a

Kalavoor Ravikumar.

Shanavas.

moody picture of sadness and sorrow. But this movie will be a total entertainer,” Kalavooor Ravikumar said. Produced under the banner of Mundakathil Movies, the movie will be shot by ace cinematographer, Alagappan. “I am bowled over by the beauty of Oman. I will try my best to capture it at its best,” Alagappan said. Shanavas, who has been assistant director to many leading

directors, said that the movie will be according to the taste of new generation movie lovers. “I have gained a lot from my mentors while working with them. Moreover, I am also well aware of what the youngsters need. So, the movie will be an entertaining one for the youngsters,” Shanavas added. This is the second Keralite movie to be shot in Oman. Vellivelichcathil was the ﬁrst one.

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

REGION

What the popular committees did was stop the smuggling of weapons. They have not taken control of the presidential palace, they are protecting it from theft Ali Al Quhoom, Ansarullah politburo member

UN deplores fighting in Yemen as Houthis ‘seize’ president’s palace Witnesses said the heavily armed gunmen were also clashing with troops outside the residence of Hadi, who was reportedly inside receiving visitors at the time of the attack

SANAA: Houthi militiamen seized the presidential palace in Yemen’s capital on Tuesday in what a minister said was a bid to overthrow President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi and his US-backed government. Witnesses said the heavily armed gunmen were also clashing with troops outside the residence of Hadi, who was reportedly inside receiving visitors at the time of the attack. “The Yemeni president is

tions outside the residence late on Monday and were in control of all three of its entrances, government spokesman Rajih Badi told AFP. After a lull overnight, ﬁghting re-erupted on Tuesday near Hadi’s residence in western Sanaa when the Houthis attempted to set up a new checkpoint close by and were confronted by troops, the witnesses said. They reported heavy clashes inside the complex in southern Sanaa, one of the few public buildings to remain outside the control of the Houthis since they overran the capital.

under attack by militiamen who want to overthrow the regime,” Information Minister Nadia Sakkaf said on Twitter. The fresh unrest came after the Houthi militiamen, who have tightened their grip on Sanaa since overrunning it unopposed in September, surrounded the prime minister’s residence at the end of a bloody day on Monday. Prior to the attack on the presidency, the government had sought to hold “urgent” talks Tuesday to produce a roadmap to end violence. Security Council meeting Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday condemned the latest clashes between Houthi militants and the presidential guard in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, calling for an end to all hostilities and the immediate restoration of order, Reuters reported . “The Secretary-General is gravely concerned about the deteriorating situation in Yemen,” the UN press office said in a statement. “He deplores the heavy ﬁghting between Ansarallah (Houthi) armed groups and Yemeni presidential guards throughout Sanaa.” Separately, the Security Council held a special meeting on the situation in Yemen. UN special envoy

REDUCED TO RUBBLE: Yemenis stand amid the debris outside a damaged building near the presidential palace in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Tuesday, following ﬁerce clashes between members of the Houthi movement and the presidential guard the previous day. -AFP

to Yemen Jamal Benomar told the 15-nation body via video link that the Houthis had persuaded other military units not to ﬁght them, a diplomat present at the closeddoor session told Reuters. Pitched battles had erupted on Monday near the presidential palace and in other parts of Sanaa,

EGYPT

Sisi acknowledges rights abuses, defends police CAIRO: President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi acknowledged on Tuesday that police committed rights abuses after the overthrow of his predecessor, but said they were expected given the “exceptional” security threats faced by Egypt. A crackdown overseen by Sisi against supporters of his predecessor Mohamed Morsi has left hundreds dead since the then army chief toppled the extremist in July 2013. Thousands of Morsi backers have also been imprisoned, and dozens sentenced to death after speedy trials which the United Nations says is “unprecedented in recent history”. Several youth activists who spearheaded the 2011 revolt against former autocratic president Hosni Mubarak are also serving jail terms for protesting illegally. “Nobody is against human rights... but today Egypt is in an exceptional condition... is it possible that there will be no viola-

Nobody is against human rights... but today Egypt is in an exceptional condition... is it possible that there will be no violations, said Sisi

tions?” asked Sisi. “There will be violations. But do we approve them? No,” he said in an address to police officers and ministers ahead of the annual police day on January 25. On police day in 2011, millions launched protests against

Mubarak, expressing their anger against the then reviled police force. Since Morsi’s ouster, the police have been back on the streets in full force amid accusations that Sisi’s regime is even more authoritarian than that of Mubarak, who quit after an 18day uprising. Sisi has repeatedly said that ensuring stability in politically tumultuous Egypt is a top priority rather than promoting democratic freedoms. “I am more concerned for human rights than any one else,” said Sisi, after awarding families of police officers killed in security operations. “But come see millions of families... the modest Egyptians who live in regions that need to be improved. What about their rights?” Sisi defended an ongoing security operation on the unrest roiled Sinai Peninsula, where he said 208 militants have been killed by the security forces in more than a year. -AFP

before a ceaseﬁre was agreed between ministers and a Houthi representative. At least nine people were killed, including ﬁghters from both sides, and 67 wounded, as the militia seized an army base overlooking the complex and took control of state media. Yemen has been wracked by unrest for months, rais-

ing fears of a collapse of Hadi’s government, a crucial ally in Washington’s fight against Al Qaeda. Prime Minister Khalid Bahah escaped to his residence, where he has lived since taking office in October, after his convoy came under fire from Houthi fighters. Houthi gunmen took up posi-

Rising tensions Tensions have been running high in Sanaa since the Houthis on Saturday abducted Hadi’s chief of staff, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, in an apparent move to extract changes to a draft constitution that he is overseeing. Mubarak is in charge of a “national dialogue” set up after veteran strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced from power in February 2012. Saleh has been accused of backing the Houthis and a source in the presidential guard said some Yemeni troops still loyal to him had supported the militia in Monday’s ﬁghting. -AFP

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

INDIA

So far there is nothing...but let us ﬁrst complete the process. You know conclusion can’t be reached midway B. S. Bassi, Delhi Police Chief

WELCOME NEWS

Tiger population jumps 30% in three years to 2,226: Census NEW DELHI: India, home to most of the world’s wild tigers, on Tuesday reported a 30 per cent jump in the animal’s numbers in a rare piece of good news for conservationists. A census found 2,226 tigers in India last year compared with 1,706 in 2010, officials in New Delhi announced, with most of the beasts individually identiﬁed around the country. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar hailed the rise as a “huge success” as India battles to save the endangered big cats from poachers and smugglers as well as destruction of their natural habitat. Huge success “While the tiger population is falling in the world, it is rising in India. We have increased by 30 per cent from the last count. That is a huge success story,” Javadekar said at the release of the census. The minister cited improved management of India’s more than 40 tiger reserves, which are spread from the northeastern state of As-

sam and western Rajasthan to central Maharashtra. He said the government was working to reduce deadly encounters between tigers and people, as farmers and others encroach on forest land and the cats leave reserves to search for water and food. Some 9,700 hidden cameras were used in known tiger habitats to take photos of the animals for the count. Officials said some 70 per cent of the tigers were snapped and individually identiﬁed using computer software. Conservationist Belinda Wright said the methodology used was “scientiﬁcally robust” with officials, NGOs and others involved in surveying the animals over a 300,000-square kilometre (115,800-square mile) area. Accurate “The information (in the census) is as accurate as you can get. So it’s very good news for the tigers,” Wright, from the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said in Delhi.

While the tiger population is falling in the world, it is rising in India. We have increased by 30 per cent from the last count. That is a huge success story Prakash Javadekar Environment minister

“The loss of wildlife corridors for tigers is a big concern at the moment as the land is increasingly used for development,” she added. “Hopefully this will send a signal

to the new government (of Prime Minister Narendra Modi) to protect these corridors” as tigers are known to move from one reserve to another.

India world’s second most ‘trusted nation’ SURVEY Trust in institutions

Interestingly, trust in politicians in India has grown to 82 per cent in 2015 from 53 per cent a year ago.

in India has improved sharply in 2015 with

In terms of NGOs in India, trust was almost ﬂat at 74 per cent from 75 per cent.

the country moving up three notches to

India appears to have scored well on trust in media with 76 per cent in 2015 vis-a-vis 71 per cent in 2014

the second place among 27 countries

DAVOS: Moving up the ranks, India has emerged as the second most trusted country in the world in terms of faith reposed on its institutions even as globally trust levels have fallen, says a survey. As the world’s rich and powerful gather in the Swiss resort of Davos, a study by public relations ﬁrm Edelman has found that general level of trust in institutions among college-educated people around the globe are at levels not seen since 2009 in many of the markets it surveyed. Trust in institutions in India has improved sharply in 2015 with the country moving up three notches to the second place among 27 nations. While the number of “truster” countries are at an all-time low of six in 2015 including UAE, India, China and Netherlands, the number of “distruster” countries has grown signiﬁcantly to 13 including Japan, Russia, Hong Kong, South Africa and Italy. Brazil, Malaysia, France and the US are among the 8 “neutral”

nations as per the trust index, the survey said. Standing tall India, which last year saw BJPled NDA government storming to power at the Centre, stands tall. According to the report, an “alarming evaporation of trust” has happened across all institutions, reaching the lows of the Great Recession in 2009. Trust in government, business, media and NGOs in the general population is below 50 per cent in two-thirds of countries, including the US, UK and Germany, it said. From ﬁfth most trusted in 2014, India has now become the secondmost trusted in 2015 with a score of 79 per cent in the barometer. The study has put India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image on the ﬁrst page. The list is topped by UAE with 84 per cent trust. Indonesia (78 per cent), China (75 per cent), Singa-

pore (65 per cent) and Netherlands (64 per cent) are the others that have recorded highest levels of trust. Globally, the overall trust index was down a percentage point from the previous year at 55 per cent. Trust levels in major developed economies, such as the United States, Germany and France, hovered around 50 per cent. The barometer shows waning trust in non-governmental organisations, media and business. Trust in government recovered somewhat but politicians remain the most distrusted group assessed at 48 per cent. Trust in politicians Interestingly, trust in politicians in India has grown to 82 per cent in 2015 from 53 per cent a year ago. Government was the only institution to gain trust in 2015, driven by improvements in 16 countries, including India. In terms of NGOs in India, trust

was almost ﬂat at 74 per cent from 75 per cent. Also, while trust in media has fallen in more than half of the countries, India appears to have scored well on that front too with 76 per cent in 2015 vis-a-vis 71 per cent in 2014.”Despite its overall rise, the fact remains that government is still the least trusted institution globally,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Edelman. However, following a pattern seen in previous years,companies headquartered in BRIC countries remain among the most distrusted of businesses. Brazil, China, Russia, India and Mexico all recorded trust levels well below 50 per cent (38 per cent, 36 per cent,35 per cent, 34 per cent, and 31 per cent, respectively), a stark contrast to countries such as Sweden, Canada, Germany and Switzerland that registered as high as 76 per cent, Edelman said. - PTI

More than half of the world’s rapidly dwindling wild tiger population lives in India, but the country’s conservation programme has been working to halt their decline.

Numbers have been rising since they hit 1,411 in 2006, but the current population still remains a long way off 2002 when some 3,700 tigers were estimated to be alive in the country. There were thought to be around 40,000 tigers in India at the time of independence from Britain in 1947. Battle against poachers Authorities across Asia are waging a major battle against poachers, who often sell tiger body parts to the lucrative traditional Chinese medicine market, as well as other man-made problems such as habitat loss. Thousands of tribal people were allegedly evicted from a tiger reserve in India’s central Madhya Pradesh state last year in an attempt to better protect the animals. An indigenous rights group has claimed the 3,000-odd people were neither resettled nor adequately compensated for the loss of their ancestral lands. - AFP

M Y S T E R I OU S D E AT H

Tharoor ‘cooperative’ during questioning in Sunanda probe NEW DELHI: A day after Shashi Tharoor was questioned by Delhi Police in connection of his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s mysterious death, Delhi Police Chief B S Bassi indicated that he could be examined again. Bassi also said that the former union minister was “cooperative” during the questioning while maintaining that their objective was to reach to the bottom of the truth for which they will look into everything “relevant” to the case, including the IPL angle. Police sources said other than various matters that could be related to the incident, 58-yearold Tharoor was also questioned about the IPL controversy. They said that the police may call the Congress MP for questioning again in the next couple of days even as Bassi noted that some more people will be called as the process of investigation is on. Referring to Monday’s questioning which started at around 8pm and continued till midnight, the Police Commissioner said, “We have spoken to him about the background. We have spoken to him about what happened on that day and certain things which have been said otherwise in the media. They raise certain questions and we sought information on these issues as well.” Asked about the further course of action of the Special Investigation Team in the case, he said that the SIT will analyse what Tharoor had told them and then take further action. On whether the SIT was looking into the IPL angle, he said, “Whatever has been said about

Shashi Tharoor

IPL will be relevant and will definitely be asked about.” Asked if Tharoor will be questioned again, Bassi said, “We will now analyse and then we will take a call.” When reporters inquired whether the Congress MP was being looked at as a witness by the police, he said that it was an open-ended questioning. He, however, stopped just short of conceding that there are no suspects in the case so far. “We are examining issues with an open mind. We are trying to ascertain what happened and if something, whether somebody is criminally liable and who that person is. So it is an open ended questioning, Bassi said. Asked if that meant there are no suspects so far, he said, “So far there is nothing...but let us first complete the process. You know conclusion can’t be reached midway.” Monday was the first time Tharoor was questioned on death of 52-year-old Sunanda by the police. She was found dead at a luxury hotel on January 17, last year. - PTI

ELECTION COMMISSION

Country now has 830m voters NEW DELHI: India now has 830 million voters, nearly twenty million more than those who had participated in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Chief Election Commissioner H. S. Brahma said here on Tuesday that India now “has nearly 830 million voters as on January 5.” “The total number of voters is more than the population of Europe,” he said. He said that in the next five years, the number of voters is likely to touch the 850 million mark “easily”. In January last year, Election Commission had said over 810 million people were expected to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha elections, which include at least 40 million first-time voters in the youth category. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the number of electors eligible to cast their vote had gone up by around 100 million from those who were eligible to vote in the 2009 general elections. Addressing a gathering here to launch a voters’ festival ahead of National Voters Day on January 25, Brahma pointed out that in the first Lok Sabha polls held in 1951,

BRIEFING: Chief Election

Commissioner H. S. Brahma addresses the gathering at the inauguration of ‘Matdata Mahotsava’ at Dilli Haat in New Delhi, on Tuesday.- PTI

India had 173.2 million voters. January 25 is observed as National Voters Day to mark the establishment of Election Commission in 1950. Guidelines on enrolment According to Election Commission guidelines on enrolment of voters, for an election to be held in a particular year, only an individ-

ual who has attained the age of 18 years as on January 1 of that year is eligible to be enrolled in the voters’ list. Brahma said the February 7 Delhi assembly polls are important as they are the ﬁrst elections to be held in 2015. “Since Delhi assembly polls are the only electoral exercise taking place, the eyes of the entire world are focused on it. “Delhi is the capital of India. Ruling Delhi has a separate meaning...it is a big challenge (for EC),” the CEC said. He said it is the duty of the voters to elect good candidates who produce a better vision. Brahma hoped that by mid day on February 10 people will come to know the results of the Delhi assembly polls. Jaco Cilliers, Country Director of UNDP, which is collaborating with EC on voter awareness programmes, said as the voter turnout in Europe and US is dropping, India has set a good example by an impressive voter turnout. He recalled that 66.4 per cent voters had exercised their franchise in the 2014 general elections. -PTI

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

INDIA

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Dissension hits BJP over Delhi CM face EC issues notice to Kejriwal for bribe speech

Reacting to party workers’ protest at Delhi BJP office, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said it seems that some of the party workers have been misguided and that’s why they

FURIOUS: Supporters of a ticket aspirant stage a protest at the Delhi BJP office openly slamming the senior leaders for denying them tickets in New Delhi on Tuesday. - PTI

resorted to protest

NEW DELHI: BJP was on Tuesday grappling with internal strife with its chief ministerial nominee Kiran Bedi facing a restive crowd in her Krishna Nagar constituency while angry supporters of Delhi unit chief Satish Upadhyay held a protest at party office accusing the leadership of sidelining him by not giving a ticket. Bedi was not accorded any welcome in her first roadshow at Krishna Nagar constituency in East Delhi which was represented by senior leader Harsh Vardhan for five consecutive terms. The BJP workers kept shouting slogans in support of him, showing their displeasure to party’s decision to field the former cop from the seat before they were pursuaded by both Vardhan and MP Maheish Girri. Protests by supporters of ticket aspirants took place in many areas including Rohini, Dwarka and Okhla. BJP ticket aspirant from Okhla seat resigned from the party. High drama was witnessed at the Delhi BJP office as Upadhyay’s supporters shouted slogans and

staged a sit-in protest for “not allowing” their leader to contest. A scuffle had also broken out at the office and the police was called to restore order as Upadhyay’s efforts to pacify them did not succeed. They demanded that Upadhyay be ﬁelded from Mehrauli constituency, considered a stronghold of BJP. Upadhyay, who had earlier indicated his willingness to ﬁght the polls, said he voluntarily opted out to focus on campaigning in the entire city. “I want to contest on all the 70 seats. I want to focus on entire Delhi and that is why I am not contesting. BJP workers want the party to win and this is their feeling. ‘Momentary issues’ “These are momentary issues. We want the party to win under Kiran Bedi’s leadership. We have to oust Kejriwal. I am a worker of the party and it is my responsibility to make BJP victorious,” Upadhyay told his supporters. He said he has decided himself not to contest the elections. “It is my own decision. The Parliamentary Board asked me and I conveyed them my decision.”

Supporters of another ticket aspirant Sikha Rai, who is Vice President of Delhi BJP, also staged a protest at the Delhi BJP office openly slamming the senior leaders for denying tickets to her.”For the last ﬁve months, we had been garnering people’s support for Upadhyayji, but at the last moment he was denied ticket. The party should have ﬁelded him from Mehrauli. We will continue our protest until he is given the ticket,” said Umesh Kumar, a supporter of Upadhyay. Dheer Singh Bidhuri, a ticket aspirant from Okhla seat, resigned after he was denied a ticket by the party. Besides, supporters of party leader Abhay Dubey also staged protest at party’s office and raised slogans in his support, demanding a ticket for him from Laxmi Nagar. In Rohini also, some BJP workers staged protest and raised slogans against senior party leadership. Reacting to party workers’ protest at Delhi BJP office,Union Minister Harshan Vardhan said it seems that some of the party workers have been misguided that’s why they resorted to protest. - PTI

COAL SCAM

Manmohan Singh ‘examined’ by CBI in the coal block case NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is said to have been examined by CBI in the coal block allocation case relating to Hindalco but neither he nor the agency was willing to conﬁrm it. According to informed sources, a team of CBI officials “examined” the former prime minister at his residence two days ago ahead of the ﬁling of status report before a special CBI court by January 27.

Manmohan Singh

Court order Singh’s examination was in connection with a coal scam case relating to allocation of Talabira II block to Hindalco when he was also holding the portfolio of Coal

and in pursuance of the court’s December 16 order. When contacted, CBI spokesperson Kanchan Prasad refused to conﬁrm or deny the develop-

ment while an aide of the former prime minister denied it. The sources said Singh was examined about the developments which took place in the Ministry of Coal as well as the PMO after industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla had written two letters dated May 7, 2005 and June 17, 2005 to the then prime minister requesting for allocation of Talabira-II coal block to Hindalco. CBI had received a wrap on its knuckles as Special Judge Bharat Parashar had refused to accept the closure report in the case observing that it would be “appropriate” that the then Coal Minister (Singh) be “ﬁrst examined” regarding various aspects of the matter. - PTI

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday issued a showcause notice, the second in last three days, to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal for “prima facie” violation of the poll code by allegedly making a speech where he asked voters to take bribes from BJP and Congress but only vote for his party. The EC notice said the statement, made during a public rally on January 18 in west Delhi, amounts to “abetting and promoting electoral offence of bribery” under relevant sections of the Representation of People Act read with provisions of the Inidan Penal Code. The public speech made by Kejriwal that invited the EC’s ire was: “It’s election time. When people both from BJP and Congress come offering money, don’t refuse, accept... some have looted money from 2G, some have looted money from coal scam...Take money from both the parties but vote for AAP. We will fool them this time.They have been deceiving us for the last 65 years. Now it’s our turn,” he had said. -PTI

B A L A N C I N G S E X R AT I O

‘Change mind-set to strongly ﬁght female foeticide’ PANIPAT: Stressing that the society as a whole needs to change the mindset towards the girl child to end the problem of female foeticide, Union minister Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday said the practice was more prevalent among the middle, upper-middle and rich sections of the society. Though there was a healthy sex ratio in the North Eastern Region and tribal areas, Maneka noted with concern that in some parts of the country it has been observed that the incidences of female foeticide were more prevalent among the middle, upper middle and rich sections of the society. The sex ratio is healthy in the country’s eastern parts but as one moves to the “more developed western parts”, the problem raises its head, she said after inaugurating a workshop on “Best Practices for Women and Child Development”, as part of “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” programme to be launched from here by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22. The Union Minister for Women and Child Development said the evil practice of female foeticide needs to be fought strongly and the society has a larger role to play in this. “We need to change the mind-

set. Today is just the beginning. We must see a visible difference in the next two years...,” Maneka said at the two-day national workshop. The Centre’s ambitious ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme would be implemented in 100 districts with low female sex ratio, out of which 12 are in Haryana. Maneka said the central government will seek periodic reports from the districts and will reward those who register improvement. A reward of Rs10 million will be given for the innovative village which attains a balanced sex ratio and District Commissioner or ambassadors of the campaign will be suitably rewarded by the government. She said the Prime Minister was concerned about the imbalance in the sex ratio, which according to the last Census ﬁgures was 918 females per 1000 males. There were many districts in Haryana where the ratio was dismal, with worst being Sonepat, Jhajjar and Rewari. “The Prime Minister was keen that this campaign should be launched from Haryana,” she said, adding it would be extensively carried out to bring in positive psychological change in the mindset of the people regarding girl child. - PTI

CONCERNED: Union Minister of Women and Child Development

Maneka Gandhi releasing the scroll ‘Beti Hai to Kal Hai’ at the two-day National Thematic Workshop on ‘Best Practices for Women and Child Development’, in Panipat on Tuesday. - PTI

A10

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 The purpose of the project is to ensure that law is applied equally to all citizens… this is only possible through the use of technology Salman Suﬁ, Punjab official

PAKISTAN

WAT C H D O G

PETROL SHORTAGE

Motorists queue up at a petrol station in Karachi on Tuesday. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed extreme displeasure over Pakistan’s severe petrol shortage, forcing the petroleum minister to apologise for a crisis that has brought parts of the nation to a standstill. — AFP

IAEA official in country to review nuclear sites safeguards ISLAMABAD: A top official of the global nuclear watchdog has visited Pakistan to review the nuclear safeguard measures in the country. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Deputy Director General (Safeguards) Tero Varjoranta held talks with Pakistani officials over the implementation of the safeguard agreement, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Monday night. “The DDG appreciated Pakistan-IAEA cooperation and conveyed the agency’s satisfaction at implementation of safeguard measures by Pakistan,” it said. Independently verifies It said the IAEA’s safeguards system is a set of technical measures by which the IAEA secretariat independently verifies the genuineness of the declarations made by the member countries about their nuclear material and activities. The statement said Pakistan has been operating nuclear power plants under the IAEA safeguards for over 40 years. Pakistan plans to increase nuclear power generation and setting up new nuclear power plants. — PTI

EXTREMIST INSURGENCY

Insurgency leads to boom in coffin sales PESHAWAR: Northwest Pakistan has been gripped by a raging extremist insurgency for more than a decade, but a grim economic lifeline has emerged from the tragedy for some enterprising locals — a boom in coffin sales. Coffins are not part of traditional Islamic death rites in Pakistan, where corpses are normally bound in a funeral shroud and laid upon a rope-cord bed at the time of burial. But when it comes to the mutilated victims of gun, suicide bomb and IED attacks, whose bodies are often in pieces, there is often little choice but to gather the remains in a box. Jehanzeb Khan, a 60-year-old former hardware store owner in the city of Peshawar, was a pioneer of the industry. “I used to sell two to three cofﬁns in the early days of the business,” Khan, who began making in coffins in the 1980s, told AFP at his workshop. Back then, his clients were mostly Afghan refugees from the Soviet invasion who needed cofﬁns to take bodies back on long road journeys home. US invasion But business began to pick up after a homegrown extremist insurgency centred in the northwest began to take root in 2004 following the US invasion of Afghanistan, with militants seeking shelter in Pakistan’s restive tribal areas. The Pakistani government

says more than 50,000 people have since been killed in gun, bomb and suicide attacks, and Peshawar’s coffin-sellers are struggling to keep up with demand. “People see coffins being used for dead bodies in hospitals after blasts, but now they’re buying them even for those who die peacefully at home,” said Khan. Khan, who now has competition from around 40 other vendors in this city of 4.5 million, sells around 15 coffins a day. Reserve stock He aims to keep a reserve stock of 80 in case of major attacks, like last month’s Taliban massacre at a military-run school in Peshawar which killed 150 people, mostly children. Khan’s shop handled 60 orders after the attack. Other vendors like 23-year-old Shehryar Khan cater more to the army and paramilitary forces, for whom the trend has also caught on. “We make special coffins for the military. They demand good material, better wood and handles on the coffin,” said Khan, explaining that while an ordinary model costs $30, his deluxe units cost around $100. “Twice or three times a year we have to manufacture a very special coffin when a senior military officer dies. We use expensive cedar wood, good quality foam and velvet cloth for this piece, and sell it for around 35,000 rupees ($350),” he added. — AFP

Reports on US warning media’s ‘exaggeration’ The Indian media has a tendency to invent and exaggerate things, said Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani

NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani on Tuesday denied reports of a warning issued to Pakistan by the United States ahead of President Barack Obama’s India visit. “The Indian media has a tendency to invent and exaggerate things,” Jilani said, according to IBN Live. An Indian news agency earlier reported Pakistan had been warned of the ‘consequences’ of any terrorist attack during Obama’s trip to India. The media reports further said the US had asked Pakistan to ensure there are no border violations either during the visit. Defending the government’s stand the diplomat said, “As a matter of fact US Secretary of State John Kerry, who visited Islamabad

ASSAULT: In this photograph taken on November 27, 2008, ﬂames and smoke billow from the roof of

the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, during an attack by suspected militants. — AFP ﬁle photo

last week, had deeply appreciated the steps taken by Pakistan against terrorism and extremism.” The reports also stated that hours after receiving the warning Pakistan assured the US that no such attack would take place. Earlier, Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh renewed his country’s oft-repeated accusation that Pakistan is supporting a ‘proxy war’ in Jammu and Kashmir. — Express Tribune

POLIO DROPS

These actions are meant to purge our country of all such elements. These actions are also in pursuance of our policy not to allow anyone to use our territory against other countries, said Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani PILOT PROJECT

E-surveillance of traffic violators

VACCINATION CAMPAIGN: A Pakistani health worker administers polio drops to a child during a polio vaccination campaign in Karachi

on Tuesday. Pakistan is one of only three countries where polio remains endemic. Attempts to stamp it out have been badly hit by opposition from militants and attacks on immunisation teams that have claimed 68 lives since December 2012. — AFP

LAHORE: The Punjab Chief Minister’s Special Monitoring Unit (SMU) on Monday launched a pilot project in collaboration with Traffic Police. The project using an electronic surveillance based policing system aims at checking violation of traffic rules and monitoring wardens’ performance. Selected traffic wardens on several city roads were provided highpower cameras to take pictures of registration numbers of vehicles violating traffic rules. Using the data, Traffic Police retrieved details about the vehicle owners from the Excise and Taxation Department. SMU officials said nearly 100 motorists were sent notices, warning them against the violation, at their residences along with the pictures.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Tayyab Hafeez Cheema said the notices were mailed to the motorists. The offenders included drivers of cars, motorcycles and public transport, he said. Being watched Cheema said the offenders had not been fined. “We want to give them the message that they are being watched.” “The purpose of the project is to ensure that law is applied equally to all citizens… this is only possible through the use of technology,” senior member Salman Sufi said. Sufi said hotspots would be set up in the city allowing motorists to pay fines on the spot. A warden will deposit the fine tickets and the cast at his sector headquarters the same day. — Express Tribune

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5 We have to look at all the divisions, the tensions that have been going on for years ... the neglect of the suburbs, the ghettos, the social misery. A geographical, social and ethnic apartheid has established itself in our country Manuel Valls, France Prime Minister

‘Paris attacks highlight social divide in France’ These last few days have underscored a lot of evil that is gnawing at our country and challenges we must be equal to, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said

PARIS: Deadly shootings by homegrown extremists have cast a light on France’s “geographical, social and ethnic apartheid”, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Tuesday in one of the starkest indictments of French society by a government ﬁgure. The January 7-9 attacks on satirical weekly ‘Charlie Hebdo’ and a Jewish supermarket in Paris have plunged France into a soulsearching debate to assess how the three gunmen were radicalised and how to prevent a repeat of violence that claimed 17 victims. Social misery “These last few days have underscored a lot of evil that is gnawing at our country and challenges we must be equal to,” Valls said at a New Year’s address to the media. “We have to look at all the divisions, the tensions that have been going on for years ... the neglect of the suburbs, the ghettos, the social misery,” he said. “A geographical, social and ethnic apartheid has established itself in our country.” Run-down neighbourhoods ring many French cities, often

VIGILANT: French soldiers patrol in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral, in Paris, on Tuesday, as part of

the highest level of “Vigipirate” security plan after extremist attacks. — Reuters

Run-down neighbourhoods ring many French cities, often populated by poor whites, blacks and people of North African descent who feel marginalised from mainstream society. Yet it is rare for a French leader to paint a picture of inequality in such strong terms

populated by poor whites, blacks and people of North African descent who feel marginalised from mainstream society. Yet it is rare for a French leader, even from the ruling Socialists, to paint a picture of inequality in such strong terms. The three killers were of Algerian and African descent, prompt-

ing some in the National Front to push their calls for less immigration - an argument the government has rejected. Riots erupted across many of France’s powder-keg suburbs in 2005 and have shaken depressed districts at regular intervals in the past decade. The unrest is often blamed on

HONOUR CONTRACT

Iran-Russia in talks over S-300 missile system MOSCOW: Russia might deliver a long-overdue S-300 air defence missile system to Iran, honouring a contract that was cancelled in 2010 following strong pressure from the West, Iranian and Russian media said on Tuesday. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is visiting Tehran and signed an agreement with Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan to boost cooperation, Iran’s Fars semi-ofﬁcial news agency said. Fars said the two countries would resolve problems with the delivery of the advanced missile system, while Russia’s RIA state news conﬁrmed the issue was once again under discussion. “A step was taken in the direction of cooperation on the economy and arms technology, at least for such defensive systems such as the S-300 and S-400. Probably we will deliver them,” RIA quoted Colonel General Leonid Ivashov as saying. Ivashov is the former head of the defence minister’s department of international cooperation. No further details were immediately available. Dmitry Medvedev, then the Russian president, cancelled a contract to supply Tehran with the advanced missile system in 2010 in the wake of UN sanctions imposed on Iran over its disputed

BOOSTING TIES: Iran’s Defence Minister Hossein Dehqan, centre,

and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu, left, are seen during the signing of an agreement, in Tehran, on Tuesday. — AFP/IRANIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY

nuclear programme. The United States and Israel heavily lobbied Russia to block the missile sale, saying it could be used to shield Iran’s nuclear facilities from possible future air strikes. Iran in turn has taken Russia to arbitration to ﬁnalise the sale. Ivashov said that Russia’s ties with Iran had strengthened recently due to Western sanctions that they are both now facing and added that the two countries were looking to expand their coopera-

tion in other areas. The S-300 advanced missiles have a 125-mile (200-km) range and Russia has stoked tensions with the West by trying to sell the system to other Middle Eastern countries, including Syria. Russia’s ties with the West are at Cold War lows over the conﬂict in Ukraine where Kiev says Moscow has sent troops and arms to support pro-Russian rebels in the country’s east. Russia denies the allegations. — Reuters

ABE DEFIANT

IS threat to kill Japanese hostages BEIRUT: The IS group threatened in a video Tuesday to kill two Japanese hostages within 72 hours unless it receives a $200 million ransom, but Tokyo vowed it would not bow to “terrorism”. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in Occupied Jerusalem on the latest leg of a Middle East tour, demanded the extremists immediately free the two hostages unharmed. He ﬂew home several hours

earlier than planned to take charge of the crisis after meeting with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who condemned the threat against the abductees as “despicable”. IS has murdered ﬁve Western hostages since August last year, but it is the ﬁrst time that it has threatened Japanese captives. In footage posted on extremist websites, a black-clad militant brandishing a knife addresses

the camera in English, standing between hostages Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa. “You now have 72 hours to pressure your government into making a wise decision by paying the $200 million to save the lives of your citizens,” he says. The militant says that the ransom demand is to compensate for non-military aid that Abe pledged to support countries affected by IS violence. — AFP

a combination of unemployment rates in such zones as high as 40 percent, racial discrimination and perceived hostile policing. The government is due to unveil proposals this week looking at issues from security to education and urban policy. Desperation, isolation While politicians from all governing parties have vowed to tackle the problems over the last 30 years, the failure of such efforts has left a growing sense of desperation and isolation that has fuelled radicalisation. “Reforming means ﬁghting relentlessly against the inequalities,” Valls said. “We have to battle each day this terrible feeling that there are second class citizens or some people that are more import than others.” — Reuters

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WORLD DISASTER

‘Crashed AirAsia jet climbed faster than normal, then stalled’ JAKARTA: An AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea last month with 162 people on board climbed faster than normal and then stalled, the Indonesian transport minister said Tuesday. Flight QZ8501 went down on December 28 in stormy weather, during what was supposed to be a short trip from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. Indonesia’s meteorological agency has said bad weather may have caused the crash, and investigators are analysing the data from the jet’s black boxes before releasing a preliminary report. Just moments before the plane disappeared off the radar, the pilot had asked to climb to avoid the storm. He was not immediately granted permission due to heavy air traffic. “In the final minutes, the plane climbed at a speed which was beyond normal,” Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan told reporters, citing radar data. “The plane suddenly went up at a speed above the normal limit that it was able to climb to. Then it stalled.” Earlier at a parliamentary hearing, he said radar data showed the Airbus A320-200 appeared at one point to be climbing at a rate of 6,000 feet (1,800 metres) a minute before the crash. There were several other planes in the area at the time. “I think it is rare even for a fighter jet to be able to climb 6,000 feet per minute,” he said. “For a commercial flight, climbing around 1,000 to 2,000 (feet) is maybe already considered extraordinary, because it is not meant to climb that fast.” However, defence aviation experts said the minister’s statement was incorrect, adding that a fighter jet flying at an altitude of 10,000 metres is capable of climbing 10,000 feet per minute. The minister’s comments came

I think it is rare even for a fighter jet to be able to climb 6,000 feet per minute. For a commercial flight, climbing around 1,000 to 2,000 (feet) is maybe already considered extraordinary, because it is not meant to climb that fast Ignasius Jona Indonesia Transport Minister after Indonesian investigators said they were focusing on the possibility of human error or problems with the plane having caused the crash, following an initial analysis of the cockpit voice recorder. No explosion “We didn’t hear any other person, no explosion,” investigator Nurcahyo Utomo told reporters, explaining why terrorism had been ruled out. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Committee were now looking at the “possibility of plane damage and human factors”, he said, without giving further details. As well as the cockpit voice recorder, the committee is also examining a wealth of information in the ﬂight data recorder, which monitors every major part of the plane. A preliminary report will be released on January 28. — AFP

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T IME S O F O MAN

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

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Paris attacks lay bare the longtime Muslim exclusion

he terrorist attacks in Paris prompted millions to take to the streets to show national solidarity and to pay tribute to the 17 people murdered. The attacks have also inspired a lot of soulsearching, as the French struggle to understand how three men, born and raised in France, could have trained the murderous intent of Al Qaeda and Isis on their own countrymen. And the attacks have revealed a larger, existential threat to France: that its social compact may be torn apart by sectarian polarisation. The profiles of the three attackers — Amedy Coulibaly and the brothers Chérif and Saïd Kouachi — are an indictment of the decades-long failure of France to address long-festering alienation and exclusion among too many Muslim immigrants and their French-born children. Unemployment is as high as 40 per cent among youths in France’s disadvantaged neighbourhoods. All three attackers grew up in poverty. Chérif Kouachi and Coulibaly spent time in prison. All ultimately found deadly purpose in terrorism. Prison was the crucible of their radicalisation. There are five million to six million Muslims in France, less than 10 per cent of the total population, but 60 per cent of France’s prison inmates are of “Muslim culture or religion,” according to a report presented to France’s National Assembly. It was in prison that Kouachi and Coulibaly met the Qaeda recruiter Djamel Beghal. To stem recruiting by extremists in prisons, the government of President François Hollande has announced it will seek to isolate identified proselytisers from other prisoners. There is also the problem of France’s secularism. A ban on head scarves in public schools and on full-face veils feels many Muslims like an unfair constraint on their religious freedom. Some also find it hard to accept that blasphemy is not a crime in France, and that Charlie Hebdo and other publications have a right to satirise religious leaders. Some students in French schools with large immigrant and Muslim populations refused to participate in the national minute of silence following the Charlie Hebdo attack because they objected to what they had heard about the magazine’s depictions of their faith. French Muslims, who are as scared of terrorists as everybody else, also have to fear anti-Islam prejudice and attacks. There were 60 recorded threats and attacks against Muslims during the six days following the attack on Charlie Hebdo. There is a real danger the right-wing National Front will seek political advantage by fuelling anti-Muslim hysteria. At a visit to the Institut du Monde Arabe, President Hollande assured France’s Muslims that hate crimes would be punished and that the government would protect Muslims, as it would all French citizens. For the lesson to work, the Hollande government must find ways to make those values a reality for the many French youths who feel marginalised from French society. - The New York Times News Service

DEEPER LINKS

Britain keen to support the Sultanate’s growth

LORD MAYOR ALAN YARROW

PTI’s policy shift

erhaps, if Imran Khan had thought the way he is now thinking immediately after his party, the PTI assumed power in the province, life for the millions of people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) would have been much better than is the case today. But good decisions are welcome whenever they come, and Imran Khan’s announcement after his party’s Dharna Convention in Islamabad on January 18 that he will not be resuming his street protest campaign in order to allow the government to focus on tackling the challenging problem of terrorism will be welcomed by most. The PTI chief also said soon after that his party would now be concentrating on building a “new K-P”, beginning with a cleanliness drive and moving onto improving educational institutions, hospitals and other facilities in the province. It is possible that Imran Khan got a hint of what was needed and what the people wanted during his recent visit to Peshawar. But certainly, bringing real change in the province the PTI governs would set an example of what can be achieved through governance, set an important example to all and win support for the PTI well beyond K-P. There is then much to be gained from the strategy, and of course, it is also true that our country for the present is desperately in need of stability and calm. A new round of street protests would not at this time beneﬁt it. Imran Khan has adopted what seems to be the right approach. But he has made it clear that the matter of the alleged rigging in the 2013 elections has not been forgotten. We must hope the government will not forget it either. This should not be taken as an opportunity to abandon the matter as that is also of importance. The judicial commission agreed on must be set up as swiftly as possible. There has been too long a delay already. The poll rigging issue is an important one — just as is the task of getting the affairs of K-P in order, and proving to all that it is indeed possible, through good will and competence, to offer the people what they need most of all. We now wait for what we hope will be real change in K-P. – The Express Tribune

We can make the best use of rainfall in the Sultanate Rain, rain go away… should this be the slogan in Muscat? No. It hardly rains here in Oman. It rains almost two to ﬁve days in a year. So, rain here is a boon and hardly a bane. However, we often see rain turning into a bane which could be easily turned into a boon. Rain gardens can be created in Muscat and in other small towns in Oman where you have lots of low lying areas. Plants and trees can be grown in the low lying areas where rain water can be absorbed or conserved. These rain gardens can help reduce pollution. The city of Portland, Oregon has the same kind of rain gardens which help the residents of the cities in many ways. We can collect the rainwater in barrels which can be used for watering our gardens and can

also be used in several other ways. Also, rain water harvesting can be taught to the citizens. Therefore, rains can very well create joy for us and normal life should continue. These rains should in no way be causing chaos and panic. Radha Sivakumar Muttrah

Rescue operations by the ROP prompt and efficient I salute the Royal Oman Police (ROP) for their excellent and astounding rescue operations that they launched soon after torrential rain lashed Muscat. There were police cars all across and ambulances were available every few minutes. ROP arrived instantly to airlift the patients in Al Nahdha and also rescued people trapped in some buildings in Hamriyah. I am

That British companies are keen to invest in Oman is clear: UK exports to Oman totalled around £600 million in 2013, and the UK is Oman’s largest foreign investor. There are a huge number of opportunities for our two countries to work together, across many industries

n my role as Lord Mayor, it is my privilege to spend almost one third of my year overseas building closer ties with the countries that UK companies do business with. I am therefore delighted to visit Oman this week, acting as an Ambassador for the UK based financial and professional services industry. Oman is a vital regional partner for the UK and we are extremely keen to support its growth. We are looking beyond our traditional relationship with countries in the EU, cultivating networks with dynamic, fast growing countries in the Gulf and elsewhere, and Oman is an absolutely crucial part of that effort. That British companies are keen to invest in Oman is clear: UK exports to Oman totalled around £600 million in 2013, and the UK is Oman’s largest foreign investor. There are a huge number of opportunities for our two countries to work together, across many industries. For example, the UK is the leading expert in infrastructure development – from capability studies and financing to delivery. Many of the world’s leading experts in infrastructure finance are based in London, and partnerships between Oman and the UK can help bring forward ambitious infrastructure development. The oil and gas industry is another area with a record of success – and huge potential for growth. Underpinning all of these opportunities is the financial and associated services industry; expanding banking, insurance and legal services provision throughout society helps encourage growth in the wider economy as businesses gain access to capital and know how to help them grow. A strong, sustainable and energetic financial service sector is crucial to creating value across the economy – supporting loans for SMEs, driving entrepreneurship and expanding technologies. As Oman develops into a strong regional financial centre on its way to becoming an international financial centre, developing its partnership with London — the world’s most international financial centre and Europe’s leading centre for Islamic finance, will be crucial. I hope I can do my part to help develop the relationships necessary to allow this to happen as I meet ministers and leading industry figures to exchange views.

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When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less PAUL BROWN

Discussions between British and Omani business leaders will form a central part of my visit, aiming to increase bilateral trade in goods and services and advise our two governments of instances where policy or government-led changes could support this objective, and improve our relationships. I will also meet with the CEOs of Arrive Alizz Islamic Bank and Arrive Bank Nizwa to discuss Islamic Finance — one of the most dynamic and exciting opportunities in the financial services world today. London is unique as a financial centre in its broad ranging expertise across many areas of financial services, including a growing range of Sharia-compliant financial products. London is the European centre for Islamic Finance with $19 billion of reported assets, and has been providing Islamic financial services for over thirty years, but the sector is now experiencing rapid growth. Last year we cemented our position by becoming the first country outside the Islamic world to issue sovereign Sukuk: we received exceptionally strong demand which related in orders totalling around £2.3 billion. More than 20 banks operating in the UK offer Islamic financial products, along with 25 law firms that supply legal services relating to Islamic finance for the global and domestic markets. Greater co-operation between Omani and British firms can help us all engage with this expanding market and capitalise on the economic opportunities that financial innovations such as Sharia-compliant products can offer. These are exciting times for Oman and the UK. I am thrilled to be here and I hope that my visit might be used to kick-start a new wave of co-operation and opportunity for both our countries. The UK is a great place to do business, with a diverse range of business opportunities and a thriving cultural centre in its favour – and Oman is an increasingly important location for British companies looking to expand in the Middle East. I hope this visit provides a catalyst for deeper links between our nations, and enables our business communities to work more closely together to reach our economic potential. The author is the Lord Mayor of London.

sure the crisis that Muscat faced due to rain could not have been handled so smoothly without the crisis management of the ROP. Kavita Shaikh Muscat

Need to be better prepared for torrential downpour This refers to the news story, Rescue services fume as rain warnings ignored (January 20). As the torrential downpour on Monday showed, Muscat needs better preparations. The authorities must consider to relocate Al Nahdha Hospital from its present location in Hamriyah to a safer place or do something to prevent it from getting deluged every time it rains in Muscat. Arjun Nath New York

Emergency measures need to be improved to face rain This refers to the news story, Rescue services fume as rain warnings ignored (January 20). Every time heavy rain lashes Muscat we end up being into a very familiar situation year after year. It is high time that serious action is taken to develop emergency measures including storm water plans based upon clear strategy, instead of reacting to situations and forgetting about completing the work when the danger passes away. We in Muscat cannot afford to sit helpless and paralysed every time inclement weather or storm or downpour like the one we experienced on Monday lash the city. After all, normal life cannot be allowed to be thrown out of gear because of rainfall. Thabit Zahran Al Abdulssalaam Muscat

Letters, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi), by fax (24813153) or by e-mail (times@omantel.net.om)

T I MES O F OM AN

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

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PERSPEC IVE Inequality is threatening to tear British democracy apart I

n the Eighties I wrote articles on ghastly yuppies, effervescing with expensive concoctions and inflated egos. One of them poured his bubbly over my clothes when I tried to interview him. How they all laughed. In the Nineties I met incredibly young dotcom millionaires, bright but vacuous. That was also the time when, encouraged by Margaret Thatcher, the middle classes suddenly wanted to be shareholders. Those were early signs of a major cultural and economic shift. But not even the great prophetess of the free market could have predicted that Britain would become the very centre of global greed and vicious inequality, a modern Herod’s Temple, where profiteers gather and lucre is worshipped. Christ drove out the money makers from the old temple in Jerusalem. Here, they are welcomed, given free rein and warm hugs by HMRC and our governments. Now the London Eye has been taken over by Coca-Cola, which has to be the final insult. These indulgences are, we are told, essential, because without profit makers economies would collapse. Their extreme wealth leads to better living standards for all. That, it turns out, is a myth or illusion or downright lie. Bankers, investors, the upper classes and big businesses rake it in while the rest of humanity is damned. Last December the BBC brought us three programmes on Tatler, the rag read by those who spend £10,000 on a pair of cufflinks. This week the broadcaster gave us The Super-Rich and Us, written and presented by the astute Jacques Peretti, who previously made The Men Who Made us Fat and The Men Who Made us Spend. The documentary exposed the wolves and their pampered families, their sense of entitlement, selfpity and disdain. Countess Bathurst, a landowner who organises polo matches, felt severely misunderstood by the hoi polloi: “They don’t know what it means to be people like us. We do work incredibly hard.” Then there was Tony Fernandes, who owns the QPR football team and Air Asia. No, with £650m pounds, he was not as rich as some. I know what he means. A millionairess schoolmate of mine who has a beautiful house in south London weeps because she can’t afford to buy a house in Holland Park. A distant relative who owns 75 posh properties is furious because he can’t buy his son a job in the media: “What good is this money if I can’t get him his dreams? We people suffer too you know.” He offered me £50,000 to see if I could pull strings. And then accused me of hating the rich.

YASMIN ALIBHAI BROWN

Half the world’s wealth – $110trn (£72.5trn) – belongs to the top 1 per cent, while 85 of the richest men and women own as much as the poorest 50 per cent of the world’s population. In the next decade, those who have too much will get even more

True, I do hate the rich who think they are the chosen ones, who think they can live by their own rules, pay no taxes, who feel no obligation to those who have so much less. Back in Uganda, several of my uncles, now dead, were millionaire businessmen. But their employees were paid a pittance and their own families were torn apart by feuds. That was in the Sixties. Today employers have the same mean spirits. Workers are denied a living wage because the shareholders and directors must have more – their next big car, yacht or mansion. We now have companies – Vault Couture is one such – which manage the possessions of men and women who buy too much and then feel lost in their forests of plenty. Here, take the sick bag... Half the world’s wealth – $110trn (£72.5trn) – belongs to the top 1 per cent, while 85 of the richest men and women own as much as the poorest 50 per cent of the world’s population. In the next decade, those who have too much will get even more, according to Oxfam. John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, and Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, are both men of the establishment and of the wealthy Church of England. They warn that economic growth pursued maniacally has increased inequality, an “evil” which must now be tackled. The warning appears in a new collection of essays, “On Rock or Sand”, published this week. Prime Minister David Cameron disagreed with their assessment and then “urged” employers to pay their workers more than the bare minimum wage. Don’t tell me governments are powerless. Japan and the Scandinavian nations have maintained relative equality through these hard years and since rabid free marketers took over the globe. Japan was once a feudal society and still retains deference, but its leaders understand how fairness makes for a better society for all. Some powerful voices in the most cutthroat economies are now speaking up. Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator, for example, told Rana Foroohar, a Times magazine columnist: “I’d lay [wage stagnation] right at the feet of trickledown economics... We’ve tried that experiment for 35 years and it hasn’t worked.” Democracy will collapse and aspiration will die unless we turn back from this disastrous ideology. Our leaders, preparing to meet at the World Economic Forum in Davos, won’t do that. But when the masses have nothing left to lose, they may rise and light a bonﬁre of vanities. - The Independent

Fight for equality in Britain continuing

ttacked, thrown in jail, threatened — assassinated at the age of just 39 — Dr Martin Luther King Jr. was a man whose courage taught the world the meaning of the “ﬁerce urgency of now”. His belief was that change is always possible, but never inevitable. Martin Luther King Jr. Day marks the anniversary of his birth and provides us with a chance to celebrate his legacy. We still have a lot more to do to realise it fully, but what it has already achieved is enormous. His legacy has brought about change, not just in America, but all over the world. My dad came to Britain in the 1960s. Greeted in London by those infamous hostel signs — “No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs” — he and other people of colour were subjected to rampant prejudice every single day. Prejudice obviously still persists, but thankfully we don’t live in the same country now. That’s because of the achievements of the millions who fought for change, having been inspired by Dr King’s words. His eventual triumphs, most of which he did not live to see, will continue to in-

CHUKA UMUNNA

spire generations to come. That is why, for me, he is a hero. Who can imagine what the world would be like today if he hadn’t triumphed? The reason I left my career in the law was not only to represent and put something back in to my local area, but also the opportunity to bring about positive change in a world which is too insecure for too many people. The belief that where there is a will progress is possible is what Dr King teaches us. After all, just think of the obstacles his generation faced — determined and violent repression from authority — but they were determined to and did prevail. Of course, it was quite different from the US, but growing up in Lambeth in the 80s I was in our community when we suffered some of the worst abuses of power by authority. But I was also there in the late 90s when the tide began to turn in London. Inspired by what Dr King taught us, progress was achieved on a broad range of issues. One that will always stick with me is the ﬁrst official acknowledgement of institutional racism within

the Police, which was made in the 1999 Macpherson report that Labour commissioned, into the death of Stephen Lawrence. Of course, there is still a long way to go on policing. Relations with the police are far from perfect, but we are in a better place now, especially in Lambeth. And I’m conﬁdent that we’ll be able to make progress on issues like stop and search, and the interaction between mental health services and the criminal justice system. As we get closer and closer to the election, Labour will be seeking the votes of all people in our country — of every colour, creed and background. We will build a country and an economy which works for everyone, not just a few at the top. We believe we have an excellent offer for the future, and we will ask for support on that basis. But we also have another ask: that you use your voice and vote — something Dr King fought for. Ultimately Dr King showed us that power is rarely given, you have to take it. Voting is the ultimate way of doing that. - The Independent

BJP, AAP locked in a pitched battle is determined to emerge a distant third after the poll. A death wish seems to have gripped the party despite former chief minister Shiela Dixit’s whistle-stop tours through the constituencies. Her statement to the effect that Congress will consider backing AAP to form a government in case of a hung assembly says it all. To be fair, Congress has done a smart thing so it doesn’t slip under the radar screen of our vibrant media. It has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Kejriwal’s unethical exhortation to the people to accept bribes from Congress and BJP but vote for his party. Congress hopes to be in the news with this complaint as resourceful campaigning is pretty thin on the ground. Be that as it may, the apparent justification of bribe for vote is, no doubt, beyond the pale. The reason that the money originally belonged to the common people is flimsy at best. It is based on the saying that ‘end justifies the means’, something which was never countenanced by Mahatma Gandhi. Kejriwal must have forgotten the hue and cry he made when BJP leader Nitin Gadkari made the same type of exhortation to the people during the last Lok Sabha polls. Politicians behave as though they are at liberty to change colour whenever it suits them. As for personal attacks, no party is without blemish. It was BJP’s Narendra Modi who, in a speech, asked Kejriwal to toddle off to the jungle and become a Naxalite. If this is not demeaning, what is? Likewise, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said in a statement that Kiren Bedi could not become the Delhi police commissioner and now she dreams of becoming the Delhi chief minister. This is also off beam. In any case, what is wrong in nurturing rightful ambitions? Nevertheless, Bedi has to answer allegations that both she and Kejriwal have used anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare to further their ambitions. She has tried to contact Hazare several times after she joined BJP but to no avail. It is pretty clear that Hazare doesn’t approve of her decision. If she were that keen, she should have contacted him before joining the saffron party. BJP hopes Kiren Bedi’s entry into the electoral field will go a long way towards garnering the votes of women. Safety of women in the capital is an issue that bulks large in every woman voter’s list of demands.

OOMMEN KURUVILLA

nsurprisingly, the BJP strategists have been working overtime to unleash a psychological war against its rivals in Delhi. The induction of a clutch of former India Against Corruption leaders, including the nation’s ﬁrst woman IPS officer Kiren Bedi, into the saffron camp is part of this strategy. This is also to mask the dull performance of the union government on the economic front. Though the party managers are largely sanguine over voters’ short memory about Narendra Modi’s promises they don’t want to take a risk by centre-staging the prime minister. They think the entry of Kiren Bedi, Shazia Ilmi, Vimal Kumar Binny and Congress leader and former union minister KrishnaTirath into the party would create a lot of buzz and fuss, effectively masking Modi’s apparent failures. BJP hopes they would steal the thunder of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal who can still pack a punch on the campaign arena. True, he had let his voters down, not least the middle class and the indigent by packing it all in after just 49 days in power. Kejriwal has admitted as such and vows not to commit the same mistake if his party is given another stab at power. Certainly, he has every right to ask pardon of his misjudgement and to sensitise the people about corruption in both Congress and BJP, not least in the latter as it is in power now. He has gone to town exposing the alleged dubious tieup between BJP’s Delhi unit president Satheesh Upadhyaya and Reliance. This bears out the general perception that the saffron party forms one side of the coin as far as corruption is concerned, the other side being Congress. Perhaps, which is why, Upadhyaya was not considered for the saffron party’s chief ministerial post. The party has now got a right mascot in Kiren Bedi, who has been carrying a chip on her shoulder for long for having been “overlooked” for the post of Delhi police commissioner. Congress, meanwhile, seems lethargic and resigned to its fate, beﬁtting to a party in free fall. By the looks of things, the Grand Old Party

The writer is a freelance contributor based in India. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reﬂect those of Times of Oman.

Richest 1% to own more than rest of the world Share of global wealth (Percentage) 2016: Richest 1% projected to exceed 50% of global wealth 54 50 Bottom 46 99%

Billionaires with accumulated wealth of poorest 50% 2014: Richest 80 people possess collective wealth 350 388 of $1.9 trillion increase of $600bn since 2010 250 150

177

42 Top 1% 2010

2016

2020

2010

2011

159

2012

2013

2014

TODAY IN HISTORY 1785

Chippewa, Delaware, Ottawa and Wyandot Indians sign the treaty of Fort McIntosh, ceding present-day Ohio to the United States.

1793

The French King Louis XVI is guillotined for treason.

1910

Japan rejects the American proposal to neutralize ownership of the Manchurian Railway.

Number of years it would take for super-rich to spend their wealth Years to spend all money, at $1 million per day

Earnings per day at ordinary rate of 1.95% Interest

Carlos Slim Helu & family (Mexico) Wealth $80bn

220 $ 40.3m 218 $ 4.2m

Bill Gates (US) Wealth $79bn 172 $ 3.3m

Amancio Ortega (Spain) Wealth $63bn

169 $ 3.3m

Warren Buffett (US) Wealth $62bn Liliane Bettencourt & family (France) Wealth $37bn

1919

1933 102 $ 2.0m

Selected billionaires

The German Krupp plant begins producing guns under the US armistice terms. TThe League of Nations rejects Japanese terms for settlement with China.

HISTORYNET.COM Source: Oxfam

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OPINION POLL FROM OUR ARCHIVES EXHIBITION OF OMANI PRODUCTS

MUSCAT: A ﬁve-day mobile exhibition of Omani products will begin on January 26 in the wilayat of Suwaiq, the third and ﬁnal station of the campaign launched to promote local products all over the Sultanate. An official source at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry told Oman News Agency that more than 50 Omani companies representing different sectors would participate in the exhibition. The exhibition would also include a number of sports and cultural activities.

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EGYPT: Palestinian travellers pass their suitcases across the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Tuesday after its reopening. Egypt reopened the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main window to the

outside world, for three days for the third time since it was shut in late October after a deadly suicide bombing, security officials said. — AFP

TUNISIA: Tunisian protestors shout slogans in front of the military

tribunal in Tunis on Tuesday during a trial of Tunisian blogger and journalist Yassine Ayari. Ayari, who lives between France and Tunisia, is accused of ‘defaming a number of officers and staff of the Ministry of Defence’ and ‘accusing officials of ﬁnancial and administrative offenses without presenting evidence’. — AFP

AZERBAIJAN: A woman cries at the Alley of Martyrs, a cemetery and memorial dedicated to those killed by Soviet troops during the 1990 Black January crackdown, in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on Tuesday. Azerbaijan marks the 25th anniversary of the Black January crackdown of the Azerbaijani independence movement in Baku by the Soviet Army in 1990. — AFP

SYRIA: Fighters of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) pick

plants for food in the southern Ras Al Ain countryside, Syria, on Monday. — Reuters

MEXICO: A demonstrator throws stones at the police during a

protest demanding justice and clariﬁcation for the disappearance of 43 students from Ayotzinapa, Mexico, on Tuesday. Mexico’s government slammed as ‘baseless’ military wrongdoing alleged by the parents of 43 college students missing and feared dead, rejecting the possibility of an investigation. Authorities say that the 43 young men who were studying at a teacher’s college were abducted by Iguala police officers on September 26 and delivered to the Guerreros Unidos drug gang, whose henchmen confessed to killing them. — AFP

UNITED STATES: T-shirts with the image of Martin Luther King and with the words ‘I can’t breathe’ are pictured for sale during a Martin

Luther King Day rally in the Harlem section of New York on Tuesday. Tributes to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. were held around the United States on Monday. Observers of Martin Luther King Jr. Day have this year linked the federal holiday to a rallying cry in recent months during demonstrations over police brutality: ‘Black lives matter’. — Reuters

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

A1 5

WORLD Sri Lanka vows more autonomy to Tamils the president will be transferred to parliament, in line with new President Maithripala Sirisena’s election pledge. The current parliament is due to be dissolved by April, clearing the way for a fresh election.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, said his government would revive a 1987 constitutional amendment that promised a de facto federal arrangement for the island’s Tamildominated northern and eastern regions

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s new government pledged on Tuesday to devolve power to the country’s Tamil minority, in a step towards national reconciliation six years after a controversial military offensive crushed a separatist rebellion. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his first address to parliament since taking office, said lawmakers needed to bring a political conclusion to the conflict between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels that ended in 2009. Critics say the previous regime failed to deal with the ethnic divisions that led to conflict on the island, whose Sinhalese majority has traditionally dominated positions of power. Implement Wickremesinghe said his government would revive a 1987 constitutional amendment that promised a de facto federal arrangement for the island’s Tamil-dominated northern and eastern regions. “We will implement the 13th

ARMS CACHE: Sri Lankan policemen inspect a cache of arms found at a conference venue, where the former government had allowed a private company to maintain an office, in Colombo on Tuesday. - AFP

amendment within a unitary state,” said Wickremesinghe. Successive governments failed to implement the controversial 13th amendment due to pressure from the Sinhalese population, who saw it as a sell-out to the minority community. The country’s main Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance, has distanced itself from demands for a separate homeland and said it accepts power-sharing. Sri Lanka’s former president, Mahinda Rajapakse, was a hardline Sinhala nationalist who came to power in 2005 promising an “honourable peace” with Tamil rebels, but ended up ﬁghting against them. Rajapakse ordered a no-

holds-barred military offensive that ended the 37-year-old separatist war, but his forces were subsequently accused of killing up to 40,000 Tamil civilians — a charge he has denied. Wickremesinghe told parliament during its ﬁrst session since the January 8 presidential election that he hoped to push through several pieces of legislation to make key institutions independent. He said the government would establish independent commissions to run the police, the public service, the judiciary and the elections department. A right to information act will also be passed and many of the executive powers currently held by

Weapons seized Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police on Tuesday seized weapons from a conference centre visited by the the pope during his visit to the island after receiving a tip-off that the former president’s family allowed arms to be stored there. Police said the family of Mahinda Rajapakse had allowed a private security ﬁrm to keep the weapons at the high-security complex in central Colombo where the pope met leaders of other faiths last week. They received complaints that the weapons, which were imported by the government, had been used to intimidate political rivals in the run-up to elections earlier this month in which Rajapakse lost power. “They were supposed to have 3,473 weapons, but today we found only 151,” police spokesman Ajith Rohana said in a statement on the discovery at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall complex. “We are investigating to whom these weapons had been issued, on what basis and for what purpose.” Police said the weapons belonged to a private security ﬁrm incorporated by Gotabhaya Rajapakse, who served as defence secretary when his brother was president. Since Rajapakse’s downfall, police have discovered warehouses full of illegally imported merchandise intended to be given to voters as gifts — a practice that is strictly forbidden. The latest discovery came days after police in the island’s southern port city of Galle found a ship carrying over 3,000 automatic weapons including machine guns. -AFP

M I L E S T O N E I N N E O NATA L C A R E

Terminally ill baby saves life of two in unique operation LONDON: Doctors, including those of Indian-origin, have carried out the first successful organ donation from a newborn baby in the UK after her kidneys and liver were used to save the lives of two patients. In a procedure described as a milestone in neonatal care, the baby’s kidneys were transplanted into a patient with renal failure and liver cells (hepatocytes) were transfused into a further recipient. “This turned out to be a positive thing for the family. They could see something positive out of a negative experience. We hope that neonatal units across the UK will actively start thinking about this noble cause,” said Dr Gaurav Atreja, of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust at the Hammersmith Hospital in London. The donor was a girl born at term after an emergency cesarean section in the hospital. She weighed just over 3kg, but was very sick, and it became clear that her brain had been starved of oxygen for a period during the pregnancy. Treatment made no difference, and repeated examinations showed that she was unable to make any spontaneous movement, did not respond to any stimuli, and had fixed and dilated pupils. The parents and clinicians involved in her care discussed the possibility of organ donation, when it became clear that she would not survive. Benefit of sick patients Supported by the organ donation team, the nursing staff, and the hospital’s psychologist, the parents gave their consent for their daughter’s kidneys and liver cells to be used for the benefit of other sick patients. Six days after she was born, and with death confirmed, these tissues were retrieved with the help of an experienced surgeon from the National Organ Retrieval Service.

It was technically quite difficult to recover small organs from such a small baby but we managed to do it Gaurav Atreja Doctor

“It was technically quite difficult to recover small organs from such a small baby but we managed to do it,” Atreja and neonatal specialist Sunil Godambe wrote in the Foetal and Neonatal Edition of Archives of Disease in Childhood. They point out that a signiﬁcant proportion of newborns who die in neonatal units could be potential organ donors, and could therefore save the lives of other sick patients, but current guidelines make it very difficult for donors to be identiﬁed. In a letter to the British Medical Journal, the doctors wrote that the transplant, which took place mid last year at Hammersmith Hospital in London, demonstrates that neonatal organ donation could help to meet the UK’s national shortage of organ transplant donors. New guidelines from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health are expected shortly, and these should help to standardise an approach to organ donation among newborns, the authors said. - PTI

A16

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House descended Dalit caste and the Madhesi ethnic minority. Other parties say such a move would be divisive and a threat to national unity.

into chaos, police arrested 50 protesters who set ﬁre to vehicles to enforce a strike

KATHMANDU: Fighting broke out in Nepal’s parliament Tuesday, with Maoist lawmakers throwing chairs and injuring four security officers as tensions ran high before a deadline to approve a post-war constitution. Hours after parliament descended into chaos, police arrested 50 protesters who set ﬁre to buses and taxis to try to enforce a nationwide strike called by the Maoists in protest at moves to ﬁnalise the charter. The opposition Maoist party is trying to prevent the ruling coalition from pushing proposals through parliament without agree-

MELEE: Protesters and Nepalese riot police officers clash during a general strike in Kathmandu on Tuesday. The general strike was called by various opposition parties, including the Uniﬁed Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), to demand that the draft of the new constitution is done on time through consensus. The new assembly was elected to write a constitution after the abolition of the 240-yearold feudal monarchy that the Maoists fought against. - Reuters

ment before Thursday’s deadline. The Maoists say discussions should continue until ﬁnal agreement is reached -- even if that means missing the deadline to approve and publish the constitution. Tuesday’s strike shut down factories, shops, schools and public transport in the Himalayan nation, which has endured prolonged political limbo since 2006

when the Maoists ended their decade-long insurgency. The usually gridlocked streets of Kathmandu remained clear during morning rush hour as many people heeded the Maoist call to stay home in the capital, where authorities had deployed 6,000 police. Despite extensive discussions, lawmakers have failed to agree on

a charter and are widely expected to miss Thursday’s cut-off, further deepening disillusionment with the political process in the young republic. Disagreements persist on crucial issues, with the opposition calling for new provinces to be created along lines that could favour historically marginalised communities such as the “untouchable”

Deadline With just two days left to draft the charter, the Constituent Assembly met late into the night. But Speaker Subash Nembang was forced to halt the debate after Maoist and Madhesi lawmakers scuffled with ruling party politicians. A lawmaker with the ruling Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) party, Rajan Bhattarai, said two fellow MPs had been struck by flying microphones and blamed the Maoists for the violence. The speaker had to adjourn a second meeting on Tuesday afternoon, as opposition lawmakers screamed slogans and paralysed proceedings. Graduate student Shiva Shrestha told AFP the constitution was “beginning to feel like a fairy tale”, reflecting the frustration felt by many Nepalis. “Who behaves like a bunch of wild animals while trying to complete a constitution?” he said. -AFP

VIOLENCE

Roadside bomb kills eight in Afghanistan GHAZNI: At least eight civilians including women and children were killed when their van struck a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials said. The incident occurred in the Jaghuri district of Ghazni province, Deputy Provincial Governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi told AFP. It comes weeks after the NATO combat mission which began in 2001 was downgraded to support and training duties to help the Afghan army and police. “Eight civilians, including one woman and a child, were killed in this morning roadside blast. One child and one woman were wounded,” he said, adding that the injured child and woman were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Asadullah Saﬁ, the deputy police chief of the province said that four of those killed belonged to one family. No one has claimed responsiblity for the attack but roadside bombs have been the Taliban’s weapon of choice in their war against foreign and Afghan security forces, now in its fourteenth year. The bombs also increasingly kill and wound civilians. According to a UN report released in December, civilian casualties hit a record high in 2014, with 3,188 civilians killed and 6,429 injured by the end of November, a 19 percent jump over 2013. -AFP

R O H I N G YA I S S U E

Myanmar policies behind Rakhine ‘oppression’: US envoy YANGON: A senior US diplomat on Tuesday criticised Myanmar’s policies which impose severe restrictions on the Muslim Rohingya community in Rakhine, saying they “oppress” people in the strifetorn state. Violence between Buddhists and the Muslim minority community tore through the western state in 2012, leaving over 200 people

dead and sparking outbreaks of religious violence across the country that have overshadowed its democratic transition. Assistant Secretary of State Anne Richard, a senior envoy on refugees, said after a visit to Rakhine that it had a “very repressive” atmosphere, with both communities suffering from the fallout of the violence three years ago.

She highlighted a rare example of communities trading with each other at one market in the state, which otherwise remained almost completely segregated along religious lines. “That’s really what we would like to see happen, but it is structurally impossible for that to happen now, given the policies that are being carried out there that really oppress

people,” she told reporters. Some 140,000 people, mainly Muslims, are trapped in miserable displacement camps around the state capital Sittwe after losing their homes in the 2012 unrest. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya living in isolated northern Rakhine are also subject to a web of restrictions governing where they can travel, what work they

can do and how they can educate their children. The Rohingya are seen by the Myanmar government and many local people as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh, and the vast majority are denied citizenship. Richard said both Buddhist and Muslim communities were being “pulled down” by the situation,

adding it was “lose-lose” for everyone in the impoverished state. Hostility and mutual fear have permeated every level of society, she said, but added that it was up to the national government in the capital Naypyidaw to solve the crisis. “In order to fix this it is not going to be fixed locally, it has to be fixed with Naypyidaw involvement,” she said. -AFP

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Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.22 Pound ............................................ 1.71 Indian Rs ..............................161.33 Pak Rs .................................... 257.73 Bangla Taka.......................199.48

Indian Rs ..................................160.00 Pakistan Rs ............................ 260.20 Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 343.05 Bangla Taka............................ 201.45 Phil Peso .................................... 115.55

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......16.30

Oman Crude............. (Spot) ........$46.24 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........$44.24 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$48.69 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........$48.52 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) .........$49.18 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) .........$47.59

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ECONOMY

IMF paints gloomy picture of Mena, global growth WASHINGTON: International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday sharply cut its 2015-2016 economic growth forecast for Middle East, North Africa (Mena), Pakistan, and Afghanistan region. It said in its update to the World Economic Outlook report that the region’s growth will drop to 3.3 per cent in 2015 and 3.9 per cent in 2016. Also, the IMF made its steepest cut to the global growth forecast of only six months ago, saying lower oil prices did not offset pervasive weaknesses around the globe. Poorer prospects in China, Russia, the euro area and Japan will hold world GDP growth to just 3.5 per cent this year and 3.7 per cent

in 2016, the IMF said. The forecasts were lower than the 3.8 per cent and four per cent growth for 2015 and 2016 respectively given in the previous World Economic Outlook in October. The cut underscored the steady deterioration of the economic picture for many countries, due to sluggish investment, slowing trade and falling commodity prices. United States a bright spot While the United States will remain the one bright spot among major economies, Europe will continue to struggle with disinﬂation, the IMF said. Meanwhile, China’s growth —

which Beijing said on Tuesday had slowed to 7.4 per cent in 2014, its weakest for 24 years — will decelerate further, hit by poor export growth and a real estate slump, the organisation said. The IMF forecast that the United States, the world’s largest economy, will expand by 3.6 per cent this year, up a half-percentage point from the previous outlook. But the economy of China, the global number two, is expected to grow 6.8 per cent this year, the IMF said — 0.3 per cent slower than previously expected — and 6.3 per cent in 2016. The last time Chinese growth fell below seven percent was in the crunch of 1990,

Brunei firms eyeing Oman for expansion

today is BND20 to 30 million and help them make BND100 million in ﬁve or 10 years.”

Dato Ali Apong said Brunei is looking to Oman as a platform to help its companies expand beyond Southeast Asia Dato Ali Apong. – Ismail Al Farsi

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Brunei is looking to Oman as a platform to help its companies expand their international business in various sectors beyond Southeast Asia, said a senior official from Brunei. “Oman is a very important platform for companies in Brunei to reach to other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries and also Africa,” Dato Ali Apong, deputy minister at the office of Brunei’s prime minister, told ‘Times of Oman’ in an interview. Apong, who is also the chairman of the Brunei Economic Development Board, was speaking on the sidelines of an Oman-Brunei business networking session held in Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) yesterday. The event was organised by the Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development (Ithraa) in partnership with the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE). It was attended by His Highness Sayyid Faisal bin Turki Al Said, Ithraa’s director general of

marketing and media; Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, chief executive officer of PEIE, representatives of 10 companies from Brunei and other officials. Officials from Ithraa, PEIE, Oman Oil Company, Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority briefed the business delegation on the potential areas for investment in various industries. Apong said that Brunei’s market is small so the government is helping local companies expand their activities beyond Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and delve deeper into other growing markets such as Oman. Transformation programme

According to the official, the visit falls under an initiative called ‘Enterprise100 Transformation Programme’, through which the government of Brunei helps local companies achieve a target of 100 million Brunei dollar (BND) in annual revenue. “The purpose of this programme is to groom some companies whose (annual revenue)

Joint fund Apong also explained that the Sultanate and Brunei have set up an Oman-Brunei investment fund, which undertakes investments in the Sultanate or Brunei or third countries. He noted that the companies represented in the delegation are specialised in various fields, including supply of industrial water and waste treatment, marine logistics services for oil and gas companies, oil and gas consultancy support, health, safety, environment training, aviation and nanotechnology, meat processing, fish hatchery services, shrimp farming and food and beverages. In his speech at the business networking session, the official noted that Brunei is seeking to diversify its economy by attracting investments and strengthening its local businesses, in line with the objectives of Brunei Vision 2035 that aims to make Brunei one of the top 10 nations in the world in terms of per capital income. Halal food industry Sayyid Faisal also delivered a speech at the event, in which he said that in a visit to Brunei last year, Ithraa saw the outstanding potential and expertise that exists within this emerging market, including the country’s halal food industry and the Brunei BioInnovation Corridor. “Just as the Brunei government is investing in its nation and people, we too are committing further funds to transport, logistics, tourism, manufacturing, health, ICT, agriculture and fisheries and education,” he added.

when it slowed to 3.8 per cent. “Lower growth in China will have an adverse effect on its trade partners, in particular on the rest of Asia,” Oliver Blanchard, the IMF’s chief economist, said at a brieﬁng in Beijing, as the organisation also downgraded growth prospects for other Asian countries. For the eurozone and Japan, it said, “stagnation and low inﬂation are still concerns” requiring sustained monetary easing and other measures to keep interest rates from rising. In the eurozone, where the region’s central bank is expected to decide to boost stimulus this week, low oil prices and the depreciated

euro are a help to growth. But it will also struggle with low investment levels and poorer demand for the region’s exports from emerging economies. The region is expected to expand 1.2 per cent in 2015, and 1.4 per cent next year. Japan’s stimulus Japan’s stimulus has not worked as well as expected, and the IMF expects it to expand just 0.6 per cent this year, picking up to a stillsluggish 0.8 per cent in 2016. “At this stage potential mediumterm growth in Japan is very very low,” Blanchard said. “So far both private domestic and foreign demand have disappointed.”

Russia, already pressed by sanctions over its support for secessionists in Ukraine, is particularly hurt by lower oil prices. The IMF now says the Russian economy will contract 3.0 per cent this year and 1.0 per cent in 2016. In October the IMF was still predicting slight growth for the country. The world’s crisis lender warned that continued volatility in markets, partially a product of the US beginning to tighten monetary policy, pushing the dollar higher, will challenge governments and central banks around the world for some time to come. And the halving of crude prices is a net positive for the world, it said. - Agencies

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

MARKET HSBC slashes GDP outlook for 13 crude oil exporters ‘No threat’ to oil industry even if prices fall to $25: Iran

Economic growth in across central, eastern Europe and the Middle East grouping will – Bloomberg ﬁle picture

slow to 1.8 per cent, compared with an estimate of 2.6 per cent in October

LONDON: The plunge in oil prices prompted HSBC Holdings to cut this year’s economic outlook for 13 crude exporters across central, eastern Europe and the Middle East as public spending drops. Economic growth in the grouping will slow to 1.8 per cent, compared with an estimate of 2.6 per cent in October, the Londonbased bank said in a report on Monday. Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) may shrink 3.5 per

cent, compared with an October forecast of a one percent-contraction, the bank said. “With the lower oil price, we are looking for an across the board squeeze,” Simon Williams, chief CEEMEA economist, said in a phone interview from London. “Oil-funded public spending will slow, public and private investment will moderate, and consumption will ease as conﬁdence falls. Governments as borrowers rather than creditors will also put pressure on liquidity.” Oil exporters in the region, especially in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have used oil wealth over the past decade to transform their cities, building ﬁnance centres, airports and

ports that turned the Arabian desert into a banking and travel hub. Crude slumped almost 50 per cent last year as the US pumped oil at the fastest rate in more than three decades while the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) resisted calls to cut supply.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, may post a budget deﬁcit at 11 per cent of gross domestic product this year. In October, HSBC projected that the kingdom would post a surplus. The Saudi economy may grow 2.8 per cent this year, HSBC said, the slowest pace since 2009. Economic growth in the UAE will slow to 3.1 per cent this year from an estimated level of 4.9 per cent in 2014. - Bloomberg News

TEHRAN: Opec has no immediate plan to cut its output target for crude, and Iran is strong enough to withstand a deeper slump in prices even if the country must sell at $25 a barrel, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said. “If the oil prices drop to $25 a barrel, there will yet again be no threat posed to Iran’s oil industry,” Zanganeh told reporters on January 19 at a conference in Tehran, according to the state-run Fars news agency. Brent crude traded below $49 in London on January 19. Oil has fallen more than 30 per cent since the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) decided on November 27 to keep its ceiling unchanged at 30 million barrels a day. Iran isn’t seeking for Opec to hold an emer-

gency meeting, Zanganeh said. The group is scheduled to meet next on June 5. Iran together with Venezuela has called for Opec, which supplies about 40 per cent of the world’s oil, to work together to support a recovery in crude. The US shale boom has contributed to a global glut, and Qatar and the UAE estimate the oversupply at about two million barrels a day. Iran is hobbled by international sanctions over its nuclear programme and struggling for market share. Brent crude has slid 15 per cent this month and was 39 cents lower at $48.54 a barrel at 7:24am London time on Tuesday. Oil fell almost 50 per cent last year, the most since the 2008 ﬁnancial crisis. - Bloomberg News

CRUDE SUPPLIES

US not to intervene in oil market amid price fall ABU DHABI: The US will not intervene in the oil market amid falling crude prices, according to Amos Hochstein, the US State Department’s energy envoy. The US will let “the market” decide what happens, Hochstein said in an interview at a conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday. Hochstein is special envoy and coordinator for international affairs at the State Department’s Bureau of Energy Resources. “When people ask the question ‘what will the US do?,’ it’s really the market that’s going to have to decide what happens,” Hochstein said. “This is about a global market that is addressing the supplydemand curve.” Asked what the US could do about falling prices and instability in oil markets, he said: “We do have mechanisms to work with our partners around the world if something extreme happens, but that’s not where I think we are and I think the markets so far can adjust themselves.” Oil prices have dropped 53 per cent in the past year as growing production from the US, Russia and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) overwhelmed demand. - Bloomberg News

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

MARKET Oman’s budget deficit could go up to OMR4.3b

HIGH QUALITY

WHAT THE REPORT SAYS… If average oil price hovers around

Oman should utilise this opportunity to develop the bond and sukuk markets within the region

LEADING HUB: Aluminium production in the Gulf is of the highest quality and the plants are modern. Aluminium producers also give a lot of emphasis on environment protection. – Supplied photo

$60 and $40, respectively, budget deﬁcit could be around OMR4.3b and OMR6.8b this year,

If the average oil price stands at $80, Oman will have a deﬁcit to GDP ratio of 6%, while it is 14% if the oil price goes down to $60 At $60, some GCC states such as Bahrain, Oman and Saudi will be forced to rationalise their expenditures

Times News Service

says ahlibank report

A. E. JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman’s budget deficit could be around OMR4.3 billion and OMR6.8 billion this year, if the average oil price hovers around $60 per barrel and $40 per barrel, respectively, according to an economic outlook report for GCC countries released by a leading bank. This is against a deficit projection of OMR2.5 billion at an estimated expenditure of OMR14.1 billion and revenue of OMR11.6 billion in the state budget. Economic prospects for 2015 are fine, assuming that the governments to continue the expansionary budget. However, the deficit will be much lower at OMR1.8 billion if the average oil price hovers around $80 per barrel and the country could end with a OMR700-million surplus, if the average price reaches $100 a barrel, ahlibank’s asset management division said in a detailed report. MERGER & ACQUISITIONS

Middle East M&A deals surge in 2014 Times News Service MUSCAT: Middle Eastern mergers and acquisitions (M&A) touched $50.3 billion in 2014, an increase of 23 per cent compared to 2013 of announced transactions in the region, the highest annual total since 2010, according to Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. The annual investment banking analysis for the Middle East region released yesterday pointed out that outbound M&A drove 2014 activity, a rise of 74 per cent from 2013 to reach $26 billion, the highest annual total since 2009. Qatar’s overseas acquisitions accounted for 65 per cent of Middle Eastern outbound M&A activity, while acquisitions by UAE and Saudi Arabian companies accounted for 15 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively. Domestic and inter-Middle Eastern M&A declined 12 per cent year-on-year to $14 billion during 2014. Inbound M&A also declined, falling 30 per cent to $4.2 billion, the report said The largest deal with Middle Eastern involvement in 2014 was the $9.1 billion offer for Songbird Estates.

Aluminium production in Gulf region increases 31%

The report suggested that Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states should prepare themselves for a period in which budget deficits will occur, assuming current levels of spending is maintained. And Oman should utilise this opportunity to develop the bond and sukuk markets within the region. The ahlibank report noted that the avenues for meeting deficit could include surplus brought from previous year, issuance of sovereign bonds and sukuk, drawing from reserves, bilateral loans and grants, proceeds from privatisation, rationalisation of subsidies and introduction of new and rise in existing taxes and fees. Spending in GCC According to the report, if the average oil price stands at $80 per barrel, the Sultanate of Oman will have a deficit to gross domestic product ratio of 6 per cent, while it is 14 per cent if the oil price goes down to $60 a barrel. In order for GCC states to continue existing levels of spending (without resorting to debt financing), the desired level of oil price

is $80 per barrel. Also, at $60 per barrel, some of GCC states such as Bahrain, Oman and Saudi will be forced to rationalise their expenditures. Public debt issuance ahlibank report also noted that public debt issuance might increase across GCC. “But we do not expect this to be the only source of deﬁcit ﬁnancing.” The report said that oil prices have declined by 58.9 per cent over the last 206 days. There has been an increasing global supply, mainly from shale producers and re-emerging Opec producers such as Libya and Iraq. Global demand for crude is estimated at 93.3 million barrels per day, which indicates a supply glut of 1.2-1.8 million barrels per day, according to US Energy Information Administration estimate.

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MUSCAT: Five aluminium companies in the Gulf region have collectively produced 4.93 million tonnes of primary aluminium in 2014 compared to 3.75 million tonnes in 2013, an increase of 31 per cent. Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) aluminium production constitutes 10 per cent of the total world production, according to a press release. The aluminium producers in the Gulf region are Sohar Aluminium, EGA, Alba, Ma’aden and Qatalum.

Saudi Arabian start-up “The main increase has come from Ma’aden Aluminium, a Saudi Arabia start-up, which was successfully ramped up during the year, and EMAL Phase 2 project completion before the target date,” said Mahamood Daylami, secretary general of Gulf Aluminium Council, a trade association of aluminium producers in the Gulf region. He also added that the production for 2015 is expected to be more than 5 million tonnes. Gulf Cooperation Council re-

mains to be one of the leading hubs for the aluminium business where 40 per cent of its production is utilised by the downstream aluminium industry in the Gulf for regional and international markets, while the balance of the primary aluminium production is exported to different regions of the world. Gulf Cooperation Council aluminium production is of the highest quality and the plants are modern and environmental protection regarded to be the most advanced in the world.

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

MARKET Index falls The top gainer of the day was Al Batinah Development, up by 9.43 per cent while Al Hassan Engineering, down by 3.67

M U S C AT B OU R S E

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ........................................6,657.92 .............. 6,645.07 ...................6,652.22 ...................6,655.27.................. -3.05 .................. -0.05 Financial Index .....................................8,130.25 .............. 8,068.63 ...................8,089.02 ................... 8,130.25................-41.23 .................. -0.51 Industrial Index ................................... 8,595.49 ...............8,561.63 ...................8,562.80 ...................8,595.49................-32.69 ................... -0.3 Services Index ....................................... 3,618.13 ...............3,610.59 ....................3,614.81 ................... 3,610.59....................4.22 ................... 0.12 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................991.94 ..................989.85 .......................991.82 ...................... 989.98.................... 1.84 ................... 0.19 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 14,266,100 ................. 4,947,426 ................. 1,350 ...............14,936,548,894 .................11 .....................20 .................... 17 .........................48

per cent, was the top loser of the day

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 20 MUSCAT: Muscat bourse’s MSM30 Index retreated marginally to close at 6,652.22 points, down by 0.05 per cent. MSM Sharia index increased by 0.19 per cent to close at 991.82 points. Al Anwar Holding was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. The top gainer of the day was Al Batinah Development, up by 9.43 per cent while Al Hassan Engineering, down by 3.67 per cent, was the top loser of the day. A total number of 1,350 trades were executed during the day’s trading session generating turnover of OMR4.9 million with more

than 14.2 million shares changing hands. Out of 48 traded stocks, 11 advanced, 20 declined and 17 remained unchanged. Financial Index declined by 0.51 per cent to close at 8,089.02 points. Al Batinah Development, Oman United Insurance, HSBC Bank Oman and National Bank of Oman increased by 9.43 per cent, 1.97 per cent, 0.69 per cent and 0.56 per cent respectively. Industrial Index closed at 8,562.80 points, down by 0.38 per cent. National Aluminium Products and Al Jazeera Steel rose by 1.19 per cent and 0.61 per cent, respectively. — United Securities

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 ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES .......................................... 549,430 ..........173,019..................... 55 ............0.310 ...........0.320 ...........0.308........... 0.314 .............0.312............ 0.002............. 0.641 ................0.320..............0.322...................0.334 .................. 19,218,142 .........0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT ............................................................10,944 ................5,713........................2 ........... 0.522 ...........0.522 ...........0.522........... 0.522 .............0.520 ........... 0.002............. 0.385 ................0.522..............0.520...................0.522 ................. 172,715,555 ........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ...............................................................2,000 ...............1,080........................2 ........... 0.540 ...........0.540 ...........0.540........... 0.570 .............0.570 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.540............. 0.000...................0.558...................25,970,006.........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ........................................................65,853 ...........111,950........................9 ............1.700 ........... 1.700 ...........1.700 ............1.700 ............. 1.700............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.700 .............. 1.700...................1.740 ................. 340,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY.........................................7,436 .............14,870........................7 ........... 2.000...........2.000 ...........1.995 ........... 2.000 .............2.000 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.000 .............1.970...................2.000 .................179,400,000........0.100 OM0000001822............UNITED POWER .................................................................401 ..................602........................1 ............1.500 ........... 1.500 ...........1.500............1.495 ............. 1.495............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.500.............. 1.475...................0.000 ...................2,990,000..........1.000 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 325,838 ........... 23,566..................... 30 ........... 0.072 ........... 0.073 ...........0.071 ........... 0.072 .............0.072 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.071 ..............0.070...................0.072...................14,914,900 .........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ............................... 200 .....................64........................1 ........... 0.322 ...........0.322 ...........0.322........... 0.328 .............0.328 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.322..............0.322...................0.326 ..................40,966,531 .........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 201,009 .........349,897..................... 49 ............1.745 ........... 1.750............1.720 ............1.740 ............. 1.745 ............-0.005 ........... -0.287 ...............1.750 .............. 1.750................... 1.755 ................1,305,000,000......0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .................................................................... 352,000 ..........147,582......................15 ........... 0.422 ...........0.422 ...........0.416 ........... 0.420 .............0.422 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.474 ...............0.416 ..............0.412...................0.416..................141,432,060........0.100 OM0000003281............TAAGEER FINANCE ...................................................24,999 ............... 3,735........................3 ............0.150 ........... 0.150 ...........0.147 ........... 0.149 ............. 0.151 ............-0.002 ............-1.325................0.147 .............. 0.147...................0.150................... 37,784,910 .........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 134,170............ 64,376..................... 30 ........... 0.470 ...........0.480 ...........0.470........... 0.480 .............0.488 ...........-0.008 ............-1.639................0.480..............0.472...................0.480 .................135,405,338 ........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES .................................77,000 ............ 36,672........................9 ............0.478 ........... 0.478 ...........0.476........... 0.476 .............0.484 ...........-0.008 ............-1.653................0.476..............0.476...................0.478..................117,498,094 ........0.100 OM0000002614............ONIC. HOLDING ............................................................14,000 ...............4,954........................6 ........... 0.358 ........... 0.358 ...........0.350........... 0.354 .............0.360 ...........-0.006 ............-1.667................0.350..............0.350...................0.358................... 61,391,831 .........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 2,980,159 ...1,640,932...................357 ............0.558 ........... 0.558 ...........0.548........... 0.550 .............0.560 ...........-0.010 ............-1.786................0.550..............0.550...................0.560 ...............1,200,478,503 ......0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 458,841 ..........143,911..................... 22 ............0.318 ........... 0.318 ...........0.312 ........... 0.314 .............0.320 ...........-0.006 ............-1.875................0.312 ..............0.310...................0.312..................382,711,835 ........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 300,433 ............69,162........................9 ........... 0.235 ........... 0.235 ...........0.230........... 0.230 .............0.235 ...........-0.005 ........... -2.128 ...............0.230..............0.228...................0.230 .................297,962,103........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 136,935............ 22,740..................... 10 ............0.170 ........... 0.170 ...........0.166 ............0.166 ............. 0.170............-0.004 ........... -2.353 ...............0.166 ..............0.166...................0.169....................3,486,000 ..........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 175,758 .......... 116,000.....................24 ........... 0.660 ...........0.660 ...........0.660........... 0.660 .............0.676 ...........-0.016 ........... -2.367 ...............0.660..............0.652...................0.660 .................429,623,192........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 299,564 ............69,873......................17 ........... 0.235 ........... 0.235 ...........0.230........... 0.233 .............0.240 ...........-0.007 ........... -2.917................0.234..............0.230...................0.234 ................ 266,552,000 .......0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 162,080 ............45,728..................... 29 ........... 0.280...........0.287 ...........0.279........... 0.282 .............0.291............-0.009 ........... -3.093 ...............0.285..............0.282...................0.285.................. 28,200,000 ........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 737,700..........162,940..................... 77 ........... 0.222...........0.224 ...........0.218........... 0.221 .............0.229 ...........-0.008 ........... -3.493 ...............0.223..............0.223...................0.224 ................. 44,200,000 ........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 865,282 ......... 126,564......................81 ............0.147 ........... 0.148 ...........0.144........... 0.146 ............. 0.152............-0.006 ........... -3.947 ...............0.147 .............. 0.147...................0.148.....................8,591,110 ..........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 2,182,265 ...... 437,740....................181 ............0.201 ...........0.203 ...........0.197 ........... 0.201 .............0.210 ...........-0.009 ........... -4.286 ...............0.203............. 0.202...................0.204 ..................26,230,500.........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 1,039,636 ...... 134,253..................... 72 ............0.127 ........... 0.132 ...........0.126........... 0.129 ............. 0.136............-0.007 ............-5.147................0.131 ..............0.130................... 0.131 ................... 15,721,875 .........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 1,229,100 ...... 217,283..................... 78 ............0.180 ........... 0.182 ...........0.174 ............0.177 ............. 0.187............-0.010 ........... -5.348 ...............0.176 .............. 0.176...................0.177 ...................46,660,521 .........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 672,339 ........... 92,338..................... 75 ............0.140 ........... 0.140 ...........0.135 ............0.137 .............0.146............-0.009 ........... -6.164 ...............0.139 .............. 0.139...................0.140...................11,853,240 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 13,005,372.....4,217,542 ............1,251 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......27........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ...................... 282,840............49,214..................... 10 ............0.174 ........... 0.174 ...........0.174 ............0.174 ............. 0.159.............0.015 ............. 9.434 ................0.174 .............. 0.174...................0.000 ...................5,220,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 240,857 ........... 43,007..................... 28 ............0.177 ........... 0.180 ...........0.177 ............0.179 ............. 0.177............ 0.002............. 1.130 ................0.180..............0.180...................0.185.................. 127,878,735 ........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ...................... 3,605 ...................137........................2 ........... 0.038 ...........0.038 ...........0.038........... 0.038 .............0.038 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.038..............0.037...................0.038....................3,230,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001806............MUSCAT NATIONAL HOLDING ..................................367 .................. 683........................1 ............1.860 ........... 1.860 ...........1.860........... 1.860 .............1.860............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.860 ..............1.860...................0.000 ...................9,300,000 ..........1.000 OM0000001855 ............MAJAN GLASS ................................................................. 1,000 ..................244........................1 ........... 0.244...........0.244 ...........0.244 .......... 0.244 .............0.244 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.244 .............0.230...................0.248 ..................10,253,685 .........0.100 OM0000002036 ...........MUSCAT THREAD MILLS .......................................... 3,794 ...................615........................6 ............0.162 ........... 0.162 ...........0.162........... 0.162 .............0.162............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.162 ..............0.162...................0.000 ................... 2,177,586 ..........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA .................................................................... 5,656 .................. 458........................1 ............0.081 ........... 0.081 ...........0.081 ........... 0.081 ............. 0.081............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.081 ..............0.081...................0.082 .................121,500,000........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK................................................ 14,733 ............... 1,355........................3 ........... 0.092 ...........0.092 ...........0.092........... 0.092 .............0.092 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.092..............0.091...................0.092 ................. 92,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000004669 ...........SHARQIYAH DESALINATION ......................................100 ...................315........................1 ............3.150 ........... 3.150 ...........3.150 ............3.150 ............. 3.150............ 0.000.............0.000 ................3.150 ..............3.100...................3.250...................30,807,680 .........1.000 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER..................................................70,604 ............ 12,430........................7 ............0.176 ........... 0.177 ...........0.176 ............0.176 ............. 0.176............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.176 .............. 0.177...................0.178 .................. 118,780,188 ........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 108,034 ........... 63,479..................... 56 ........... 0.590 ...........0.590 ...........0.586........... 0.588 .............0.594 ...........-0.006 ............-1.010................0.588..............0.588...................0.590 ..................29,400,000.........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL............................................. 189,318 ............. 17,474......................19 ........... 0.094 ...........0.094 ...........0.092........... 0.092 .............0.093 ...........-0.001 ............-1.075................0.092..............0.091...................0.093...................16,100,000 .........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .......................................................35,600 ...............2,429........................5 ........... 0.069 ...........0.069 ...........0.068........... 0.068 .............0.069 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.449 ...............0.068..............0.067...................0.069....................8,500,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................. 155,409.............16,336......................14 ............0.108 ........... 0.108 ...........0.105 ........... 0.105 .............0.109 ...........-0.004 ........... -3.670 ...............0.105 ..............0.105...................0.107.................... 7,896,840 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 1,111,917........ 208,176................... 154 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......14........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS MARKET ........................................................................................................................................................................................ OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 ..........................................29,023 ............... 2,951........................3 ............0.102 ........... 0.102 ...........0.101 ........... 0.102 ............. 0.101.............0.001 .............0.990 ................0.101 .............. 0.101...................0.102....................7,293,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ...........................1,378 ...................145........................1 ............0.105 ........... 0.105 ...........0.105 ........... 0.107 .............0.107............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.105 ..............0.105...................0.110 ...................32,394,155 .........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 ........................................... 10,437 ............... 1,106........................2 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106........... 0.106 .............0.108 ...........-0.002 ........... -1.852................0.106..............0.107...................0.108...................33,882,124 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: ....................................................................................40,838 .............. 4,202........................6 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 3........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

INDIAN MARKETS

Sensex soars to record high MUMBAI: India’s benchmark stock-index rallied to an all-time high, led by metal producers and banks, after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the nation will be world’s fastestgrowing major economy in the year through March 2017. The S&P BSE Sensex jumped 1.9 per cent to 28,784.67 at the close. The IMF estimates India’s

growth accelerating to 6.5 per cent in the ﬁscal year through March 2017. Rupee appreciates The Indian rupee ended higher by two paise to 61.69 against the American currency on selling of dollars by banks and exporters on persistent foreign capital inﬂows in view of strong equity market.

The rupee resumed lower at 61.82 per dollar as against Monday’s closing level of 61.71 per dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market and dropped further to 61.91 per dollar on initial dollar demand from banks and importers following higher dollar overseas. The rupee has gained by 49 paise or 0.79 per cent in the four days. — Agencies

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

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Omani-German Friendship Society holds first meeting The meeting pointed out a number of issues, most significant of which was how to promote investment between the two countries in the economic field, and benefit from the existing cooperation between the two countries in the cultural and scientific fields

MUSCAT: The Board of Directors of the Omani-German Friendship Society (OGFS) held its ﬁrst meeting for this year, headed by His Highness Sayyid Tariq bin Shabib Al Said, Honorary Chairman of the society with the presence of Rashad bin Mohammed Al Zubair, Chairman of the Board of Directors and members of the Society, says a press release. The meeting commenced with discussions on the current turbulences witnessed in the economic arena. Opinions varied on the extent of the impact on the Sultanate’s economic development. Rashad bin Mohammed Al

Zubair, Chairman of the Board of Directors stressed the importance of this ﬁrst meeting, which lays out the society’s progress direction and member’s aspirations, goals and visions in order to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the Sultanate and Federal Republic of Germany and mutual cooperation between the two countries. The accomplishments of these objectives require the joint efforts of all members for which this Society was established. The meeting pointed out a number of issues, most signiﬁcant of which was how to promote investment between the two countries

in the economic field, and benefit from the existing cooperation between the two countries in the cultural and scientific fields. The meeting also highlighted areas of interest which can be further developed by the German experience in various fields and economic sectors, considering the rich German economic history on the international level. Furthermore, the meeting also discussed the society rules of procedure, the need for internal regulations and financial system, membership producers and the formation of an executive office for the Society to accelerate follow-up of activities and related matters.

T R A I N I N G S TA F F

The society also discussed, in its ﬁrst meeting, aspects of cooperation between the two countries and methods of creating investment opportunities for Omani companies and their German counterparts. Transfer of expertise between companies and opening investment partnerships to participate and cooperate for the organisation of events of interest to the Sultanate and the Federal Republic of Germany in the future. OGFS seeks, through its activities and events during the coming period, to establish a sound foundation through attracting a group of outstanding members and open

membership for establishments, individuals and Omani students studying in Germany to join the society in order to involve the educational fields, particularly in the field of training and education to benefit from the opinions and ideas of sponsored students studying in Germany for the development of future roles of the Society. The Omani-German Friendship Society was officially formed by the directions of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said (may Allah grant him long and healthy life) to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the Sultanate and the Federal Republic of Germany and the consolidation of cooperation between the two countries in various fields, in terms of the significant role played by Germany in the various scientific, literary, economic and cultural fields on the Arabic, European and global levels. OGFS is also founded to support the establishment of relations between Omani and German institutions in the economic field and work towards developing the cultural, social, scientific, art, sports and media and strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

MUSICAL SHOW

‘Confluence’ concert on January 23 MUSCAT: The Goa Wing of Indian Social Club will be hosting a musical concert, the ‘Confluence’, on January 23 at the Indian Embassy. As the event’s title suggests, it is a coming together of artistes from the state of Goa to create a harmony, a combined melody that is typical of the region, says a press release. ‘Confluence’ is going to present the mellifluous voice of Pt. Shounak Abhisheki with the vibrant strains of the ‘sitar’ played by Pt. Ravi Chary. Able support is provided on the ‘harmonium’ by Raya Korgaonkar and Mayank Bedekar on the ‘tabla’. The Goa Wing is proud to present Pt. Shounak Abhisheki, the talented son and disciple of Maestro Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki. He hails from Mangueshi in Goa, which is steeped in tradition of devotional music. He is a vocalist who combines Agra and Jaipur styles of Hindustani classical music. The concert will be held at the Indian Embassy Auditorium. Further details about the concert can be had from Revati Sanzagiri (92406121), Antony Lourenco (99232150) and Edwin Viegas (99381451).

S E C O N D D R AW W I N N E R

NBO staff graduate from Core Banking Programme MUSCAT: National Bank of Oman, a leading ﬁnancial institution in Oman, celebrated the graduation of 16 of its staff members from its Core Banking Programme. This programme is organised by Academy of Excellence, the bank’s in-house training arm. All the graduates were presented their certiﬁcates and the toppers were presented their trophies at a ceremony attended by Ahmed Al Musalmi, CEO, Nasser Al Hajri, CHRO and Head of Corporate Affairs and other members of the senior management team, says a press release. The 10-week programme, which covers all operational aspects of banking, is part of the bank’s commitment to continually develop and train its staff to maintain service excellence. The programme comprises practical as well as theoretical training, and instructs entry-level staff in subjects including counting and handling currency, processing vouchers and posting transactions. It also aims to instil employees with an understanding

of the bank’s core values and aims. “National Bank of Oman is committed to developing its staff and providing them opportunities to grow and progress. The bank has consistently invested in highquality training programmes at all levels. The focus on learning and development and in grooming young talent is in line with the bank’s strategic objective of ‘being the best workplace for our employee,” said Ahmed Al Musalmi. The bespoke programme was conceptualised and delivered by in-house faculty and internal subject-matter experts and is aimed

RENT-A-CAR

at equipping new starters with a sound understanding of all areas of banking. The programme combined a comprehensive offering of technical skills and soft-skills covering all aspects of banking. The programme also incorporated a hands-on module in the ‘model branch’ whereby the participants were subjected to simulated situations akin to the real-life branch. “I now have a well-rounded view of banking from all aspects. I am all ready and conﬁdent to serve customers and take my bank to greater heights,” said one of the participants.

Al Madina picks promotion winner MUSCAT: It was time for celebration again at Muscat Grand Mall as Al Madina Insurance Co. conducted the second draw of the ‘Insure & Win’ promotion on Motor Insurance. Sami Musalam Faiz Al Shukeili was the lucky winner picked out amongst hundreds of motor insurance policy holders. Ajay Srivastava GM – Commercial from Al Madina Takaful, handed over the keys to the lucky winner, says a press release. The promotion has attracted signiﬁcant interest from customers across car segments, and the second draw that was held on January 14 included all newly acquired policies and renewals on comprehensive motor insurance that were done before December 31, 2014. “Our congratulations to the winner of the brand new Mini Cooper. The continued response and success of the ‘Insure & Win’ reinforces the unique nature of the prize scheme that rewards customers with a chance to win a premium car, while allowing them to take advantage of an insurance product that is carefully tailored to their requirements,”

Sami Musalam Faiz Al Shukeili was the lucky winner picked out amongst hundreds of motor insurance policy holders

said Usama Al Barwani, Deputy CEO, Al Madina Takaful. The promotion that started during Ramadan last year, is as year-long promotion where four cars will be given away, one every quarter. Customers who sign up for a new comprehensive Motor Insurance Policy or renew their

existing comprehensive insurance policy stand a chance to win one of the two remaining new Mini Cooper cars, over the next six months in a promotion draw that will be held once a quarter. The promotion is open for all existing and new customers of Al Madina Takaful.

MAGICAL NIGHT OF SOULFUL MUSIC

Musical evening to launch ‘Dil Se Dil Tak’ on January 30

More Hyundai Accent cars added to Al Maskry ﬂeet MUSCAT: Al Maskry rent-a-car has added more Hyundai Accent cars to its existing ﬂeet. This is a testimony that more and more customers prefer Hyundai cars as they are not only trendy, but also loaded with a host of comfort and luxury features. A key handover ceremony was held recently to mark the delievery of the new cars and Sheikh Amur Sulaiman Said Al Maskry, Managing Director of Al Maskry Rent-a-Car, received the keys of the new Hyundai cars from the representatives of OTE Group, the exclusive dealer of Hyundai range of vehicles in Oman, says a press release. “Hyundai vehicles provide great value and experience to customers through ways that are unique, which go beyond what customers expect. Customers taking Hyundai cars throughly enjoy their drive and driving experience. We have also noticed that there are lot of customers who come back asking for Hyundai cars again,” said Sheikh Amur Al Maskry.

The Accent offers modern design, surprising interior space and an abundance of comfort and safety features while maintaining the delivery of advanced technology, fuel efficiency and performance. The distinguishing sculptured character line running through the side proﬁle of Accent and coupé-like sweeping roof line gives it a sportier look. The rear of Accent is modern and uncluttered with the wide rear bumper emphasising volume and stability. Accent’s eyecatching sculptured lines are highlighted by Hyundai’s signature hexagonal front grille. The swept-back headlights incorporating a two-piece black bezel design and bonnet character lines provide for a unique look. Accent redeﬁnes expectations in the subcompact category by offering Hyundai’s distinctive and upscale ‘Fluidic Sculpture’ design, best-in-class standard fuel economy, exceptional roominess and a full complement of standard safety features.

MUSCAT: Indian Social Club Muscat will be hosting a musical evenning to launch the musical album Dil Se Dil Tak on January 30 at Indian Embassy Muscat. J. S. Mukul, Ambassador of India will unveil the album during the ceremony which is expected to be attended by a houseful gathering of music lovers residing in Oman, says a press release. A unique feature of this musical album Dil Se Dil Tak, known in short as DSDT, is that all the poets and singer featuring in this album are associated with Oman. There are eight songs and Ghazals in the album which have been written by ﬁve poets — M. Tufail Ahmad, Bimal Saigal, Mustafa Durwesh,

Dr. Tulika Ganpati Mishra and Dr. Jagmohan Sangha — and sung by Vineet Pandit. Vineet rose to fame during his tenure as top grade Ghazal singer with All India Radio Gwalior and has opened his heart while composing the album DSDT. The event promises a magical night of soulful and exotic music to Muscat as Vineet will be singing live on stage. His mesmerising voice and masterful singing is set to offer an unforgettable experience to the audience. Vineet will be supported by other local artists Radhika Kelkar and Snehal Jani along with a band of musicians. He will be singing live from the Album DSDT as well as other popular songs and Ghazals.

“I am pleased to see such a quality album being produced by a set of people residing in Oman. And to compliment the beauty of the this evening, the launch is being augmented with some live music from the album as well as some other all-time hit songs and Ghazals. Ghazal and ‘Geet’ (song) form the backbone of the world of music and I am sure the audience will feel blessed to be part of this musical evening,” said Babu Rajendran, General Secretary of ISC, Muscat. Tufail Ahmad, a Muscat based poet who has been instrumental in bringing this musical album to reality, said: “This is a unique product wherein Oman based talents have joined hands together to

launch a musical album. The purpose of this CD is to promote the local talent. It was a dream to bring a musical album of the poets residing in Oman and sung by an Oman based singer. The dream has come true with a lot of hard work by the team members especially the singer who spent the whole of his summer vacation composing and recording. We are extremely happy to offer an international quality product from local talents." Vineet, who also resides in Muscat said: “It was a real challenge to put up such an album in a very short span of time. All the tracks have been composed on live music which has enhanced the quality of this album.”

M ATT R E S S S H O W R O O M

King Koil opens new showroom in Muscat MUSCAT: Dubai Furniture Manufacturing Company (DFMC), a market leader in premium mattress segment in Middle East, has announced the opening of the new King Koil mattress showroom in the bustling area of Qurum, in the heart of Muscat city. This showroom will provide one-stop-shop solution to bedding requirements of customers because it will showcase a variety of products from King Koil including mattresses, bed bases, side tables, headboards and bedding accessories, says a press release.

King Koil’s popular 3D Gel Collection range of mattresses is available at the new store. The mattress uses the revolutionary 3D gel technology which is only available with King Koil in Oman. By using this technology customers will have superior mattress with cool conformance and three-directional support to provide soothing comfort for a good night’s sleep. Other popular products include the Star Collection, Spine Support Collection, 5 zone Latex mattress and the numero uno ‘Electra’ adjustable bed.

“We are very pleased to announce the opening of the King Koil showroom in Qurum, in the heart of Muscat city, which is a preferred shopping destination for Muscat residents. "Oman is a very important market for us. The country’s economy is growing, with new projects coming up in all spheres particularly in the hospitality and tourism sector. We saw a good potential for our business thus our focus, attention and investment in this market. Though initially the contribution may be small, we expect this mar-

ket to grow and contribute signiﬁcantly to our overall business,” said Sundar Rajan, CEO of Dubai Furniture Manufacturing Company. “The retail market also appears to be promising with more and more people opting for better lifestyle and luxury products. "With this rising demand, plans are in the pipeline to open more showrooms in other cities of Oman,” he added. Customers who will visit the new showroom in Muscat will receive 30 per cent discount on their purchases for a limited period.

W EDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 201 5

ROUND-UP OAB-IMG hosts client discussion The event was held at the Crowne Plaza and attended by many professionals of the Non-Resident Indian community based in Muscat

MUSCAT: In line with its continuous efforts to inform and update its clients about the latest trends in Global Financial Markets, Oman Arab Bank (OAB)’s Investment Management Group (IMG) along

with Kotak Securities held a client event to discuss the ‘Outlook for International and Indian Markets’. The event was held at the Crowne Plaza and attended by many professionals of the NonResident Indian community based in Muscat, says a press release. The bank had invited Peter Duke, director, Fidelity Worldwide and R Vijayendiran of Sundaram Asset Management Co, Singapore,

PROUD MOMENT

to present their outlook on the markets. This was followed by a Q&A session with the audience. The client event addressing a key client requirement comes at an ideal time when the ﬁnancial markets are experiencing very high volatility. OAB regularly holds, conferences and seminars for its clients to discuss the latest issues and trends concerning the ﬁnancial markets.

NEW CONCEPT

The Bollywood launches live web radio at Qurum outlet MUSCAT: Live and recorded music are common features of the restaurant dining experience today. But have you ever heard of an eatery that treats diners to music customised especially for them? This unconventional ‘twist in the story’ is brought to you, aptly enough, by The Bollywood restaurant, which has launched its own radio channel through Radiowalla.in at its outlet in Al Qurum. The service, which comes from Radiowalla.in, allows the restaurant to select music tailor-made for different occasions. From foot-tapping ﬁlm numbers to festival songs, world music and much more, the customised radio channel will set the mood for a fun-ﬁlled time, 24X7, for The Bollywood’s guests and their loved ones, says a press release. For 15 years, The Bollywood, a part of Khimji International, has been Muscat’s best-known destination for authentic vegetar-

ian Indian street foods, chaats, sweets and dishes. The new radio concept improves on the current practice followed by restaurants, by introducing diners to a new world of customised music and content. Therefore, the restaurant has struck a deal with Radiowalla.in, a provider of niche customised radio channels, to provide this service to its guests. Patrons of The Bollywood can now enjoy content across the spectrum – from Hindi and regional music to classical

and modern songs, which will be lined-up to suite any occasion or festivities held at The Bollywood. “Music is an important part of the Indian movie industry, which is extremely versatile and encompasses many genres. Therefore, instead of having a generic music playlist, the management decided to go for theme-based and customised audio content. The specially customised radio channel for The Bollywood, provides us greater ﬂexibility and options when it comes to content, and Radiowalla has a great list of channels suitable for audiences of all ages and types,” said Yogesh Shah, general manager, Khimji Restaurant Division. “Though the concept is new, I am sure our customers will welcome it, just like they have appreciated our efforts over the years to serve them better and to give them more reasons to visit The Bollywood,” he added.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

KR director chosen as expert on ﬁne watchmaking ahlibank starts complaint MUSCAT: Nailesh Khimji has been chosen as an expert by Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (foundation for ﬁne watchmaking). The director and shareholder of the Khimji Ramdas Group was elected to the foundation’s cultural committee for distribution which features a panel of meticulously selected experts from around the world, says a press release. “I feel honoured and proud to be chosen by the prestigious Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie as one of the experts for the Middle East. The KR Group, as most people know, is the exclusive distributor for high-end watch brands

and timepieces such as Rolex and others for which we have a very niche and growing clientele. Being part of a foundation for highend watches will enable us to earn further knowledge of the luxury goods sector and put it into action to provide our customers a worldclass experience here in Oman,” said Nailesh. Established in Geneva in 2005, Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) works to promote ﬁne watchmaking across the globe. Central to its activities is preserving the integrity, legitimacy and expertise of high calibre watchmaking.

RECRUIT

management system

MUSCAT: As part of ahlibank’s overall customer experience strategy, the bank has introduced a state-of-the-art complaint management system to improve response times to customer complaints and the efficiency in resolving issues, says a press release. “We are pleased to launch this new state-of-the-art complaint management system, which supports our commitment to provide the best banking products and the highest standards of service to our valued clients. Needless to say, customers are the core of our

business success. At ahlibank, we pledge to provide innovative, efﬁcient, and secure products and services to give our customers a convenient banking experience. Therefore, we are constantly looking for new ways to enhance our relationships with our customers,” said Lloyd Maddock, CEO. “We have introduced this new complaints management system; which will improve our efficiency and effectiveness,” stated Abdul Aziz Aal Abdul Salam, head of quality assurance & customer services at ahlibank.

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

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RECRUI JOB POSTINGS

CAREER COACH

Telltale signs of a difficult co-worker HAVE you ever worked with someone you considered to be difficult? Chances are good that one or two people spring to mind. Regardless of the occupation or workplace, there were consistent characteristics that define those co-workers who are difficult. First, they can be found at every level in organisations — from the administrative staff up through the agency head or chief executive. So while there are certainly horrible bosses, these aren’t the only types of work relationships that create problems. Second, other people in the workplace find the co-worker to be difficult; in other words, there is consensus that the person’s behaviour is problematic. Finally, difficult co-workers behave in ways that have a detrimental direct or indirect impact on other people’s job performance. That is, they create problems that cause others to have to work harder or longer, they reduce work quality through distractions or lowered motivation, or they create the need for inefficient workarounds because people refuse to

work with them or try to get needed information elsewhere. In over half the cases we studied, these performance problems were noticeable to internal or external customers and in once case, it caused a consulting ﬁrm to lose a client and payment for services. We found that, while each difﬁcult co-worker was unique, there were consistent patterns in the types of behaviour that made them difficult. In every case, they violated other people’s expectations about appropriate workplace behaviour in one or more of six areas: Aggressive or disrespectful behaviour: Many difficult coworkers used intimidation, sarcasm or personal attacks, which creates stress and hostility in the work environment. Others were disrespectful or inconsiderate, which are milder but also make the workplace unpleasant. Poor communication style: Some forms of difficulty stemmed from problems with effective communication. These difficult co-workers may choose the wrong medium to communicate (for

example, criticising others via email), talk too much, too loudly or too bluntly. And sometimes, the difficulty comes from being poor listeners. Too much or too little control: Another set of problems arose from trying to exercise too much or too little control over decision making, information or resources. Too much control via micromanaging, constant monitoring or inﬂexibility led to work backlogs and frustration. On the ﬂip side, it was also problematic when co-workers were disorganised and exercised inadequate oversight of tasks, decisions or information. Emotional displays: Coworkers also created problems when they were unable to manage their emotions. This showed in frequent public outbursts, creating lots of drama in the workplace, and excessive negativity, which made it difficult to be productive or enthusiastic. Unethical or excessively self-interested: Some co-workers were difficult because they looked out only for themselves,

QUOTES You can’t teach employees to smile. They have to smile before you hire them. — Arte Nathan Never hire someone who knows less than you do about what he’s hired to do. — Malcolm Forbes

without regard for others or the organisation. Occasionally, they crossed ethical lines by lying or blaming others. One interviewee described a situation in which a difficult co-worker damaged a company truck and then blamed it on a maintenance worker who didn’t speak English well and was actually a passenger. Fortunately for the maintenance worker, a videotape proved he was innocent. Sub-par work quality: Finally, some co-workers caused problems because they were unable or unwilling to perform to expectations. They may be overwhelmed with simple tasks, make excuses for why they can’t meet deadlines, or make frequent preventable mistakes. Regardless, this increased the workload for others. One surprising ﬁnding was that, while some difficult coworkers were disciplined or ﬁred, many were not. Moreover, managers often seemed to pass the buck and expect employees to handle problems on their own. — Cynthia Kay Stevens/The Washington Post

Great vision without great people is irrelevant. — Jim Collins

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

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Bank Sohar gives away more than OMR500,000 to lucky customers The yearend Al Mumayaz draws were held under the patronage of Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Shehi, Minister of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources MUSCAT: Announcing the conclusion of the 2014 Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme, Bank Sohar hosted the annual yearend draws recently at the Grand Hyatt Hotel under the auspices of Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Shehi, Minister of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, says a press release. The highly-anticipated event, which was attended by a large number of the bank’s VIP customers, witnessed three lucky customers from three different branches winning prizes worth over half a million rials. Rashid Sulaiman

Al Shibli from the Bank’s Sohar Branch won the grand prize of OMR500,000; while A. Sheshadri from the MBD branch won the exclusive draw worth OMR50,000 and one very lucky minor account holder, Said Khalid Al Khatri from Bahla branch, won OMR5,000, the highest prize value offered in the market for children. The guest of honour Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Shehi conducted the Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme Grand Draw. Also in attendance at the event were the bank’s VIP customers together with representatives from the bank including, Ghazi Nasser Salim Al Alawi – Member of Bank Sohar’s Board of Directors, Rashad Ali Al Musaﬁr – Acting CEO, R Narasimhan – DGM of Retail Banking, and Munira Abdulnabi Macki – DGM of Human Resource and Corporate Support, as well as other senior management members of the bank, branch managers and staff. “We realise at Bank Sohar that the secret to business success is directly related to the levels of service and satisfaction provided to our customers. The bank has endeavoured to constantly create opportunities to communicate and personally interact with its valuable customers. The events conducted for the Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme provides the bank with just such an opportunity - to meet with our customers and bet-

ter understand their needs,” said Rashad Ali Al Musafir, Acting CEO of Bank Sohar. “With this event, we conclude yet another exceptional and prosperous year for the Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme and continue on our journey to reach greater heights in the future,” he added. The evening’s proceedings, which were covered live by Al Wisal FM radio and included upto-the-minute live feeds to the bank’s social media pages, began with light entertainment as the guests arrived. A specialised photo-booth at the entrance allowed guests take selfies and have them posted directly to Bank Sohar’s Instagram page. Those guests that did so were provided with coupons to participate in a special draw planned later in the evening. Following the arrival of the guest of honour, Rashad Ali Al Musafir and R Narasimhan addressed the gath-

SPORTING CHAMPIONS

for the bank, with guests praising the team for organising such an intricately planned and well executed event. Its social media followers also commended the bank for its up-to-the-minute live feeds throughout the evening. This event brought the Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme for 2014 to a grand close and heralds the announcement of the new scheme which is expected to be announced soon. However, as announced by the bank earlier, the hourly draws for the 2014 Saving Scheme will continue till the end of January. “I would like to thank our guests as well as followers on social media pages for joining us on this grand occasion and for their positive feedback. Moreover, I would like to thank our valuable customers for not only making this year’s Savings Scheme such a great success, but also for their sustained support and trust which, together with the support of our shareholders and the efforts of the Bank Sohar team, has ensured our bank’s progress on all fronts over the past seven years. In fact, our outstanding performance was acknowledged throughout the year with the many prestigious awards we received. In total we received 21 local, regional and international awards, with our acknowledgements varying from ﬁnancial excellence and growth to unique products and CSR awards,” concluded Rashad Ali Al Musaﬁr.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

P&G win KR Cricket Championship MUSCAT: The Khijmi Ramdas Annual Cricket Championship 2015 turned out to be a day of thrilling sports, fun and food to the 3,000-strong crowd that attended the event held recently in Barka. KR employees, their friends and families gathered together to watch over 75 teams, representing various divisions of the KR Group, battle it out in a game of sweat, sportsmanship and teamwork for one moment of glory. The day’s victory belonged to team `A’, KR Procter & Gamble, says a press release. “KR’s passion for sports is inextricably intertwined with employee development and echo the company’s core philosophy of putting employees ﬁrst. Our deep-rooted commitment towards our employees and their welfare has been paramount to KR’s 146 years of lineage. Our focus driven by the passion to compete brings to the fore our values of trust, care and commitment towards

ering and initiated the proceeding of the event. “The speeches were followed by a stunning duet by two talented violinists after which the special draw for the guests was conducted, where five winners were presented with special gifts from the bank‘s branch managers. Bringing the first half of the event to a close was a documentary video showcasing the journey of the 2014 Al Mumayaz Saving Scheme together with its highlights and various weekly and monthly draws. The second half began with the main highlight of the evening – the three main draws of the 2014 Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme. The first of the draws was for Minor Accounts, conducted by one of the guests at the event, and saw Said Khalid Al Khatri from the Bahla Branch win OMR5,000. The second draw, also conducted by a guest, was the Exclusive

Draw that saw A. Sheshadri from the MBD branch win OMR50,000. The final and most significant of the draws was the Grand Prize Draw conducted by Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Shehi, which saw Rashid Sulaiman Al Shibli from the bank’s Sohar Branch win the grand prize of OMR500,000. Following the draws, the Minister was presented with a token of appreciation by Rashad Ali Al Musafir on behalf of the bank, followed by a group photograph alongside the bank’s executive management. The night came to a close with the continuation of the live musical performance and a buffet dinner. “Starting from your child’s education to buying your dream home, saving is the means by which you can achieve your aspirations. As an incentive to save, our 2014 prize scheme was designed to reach the maximum number of beneficiaries and carry a message of using savings in a more purposeful way. “So far, the total number of beneficiaries of 2014 prize scheme has been almost 1000 and over 2,000 hourly prize winners since its introduction in 2013. On behalf of the Bank, I would like to express a hearty congratulation to all our winners and look forward to many more in 2015,” stated R Narasimhan, while sharing his thoughts on this annual tradition. The event was a stellar success

the people of Oman and our partners,” said Kanak Khimji, Director, Khimji Ramdas. “Events such as football and cricket day give all of us a chance to unwind and relax; at the same time it builds team spirit and the ability to take on challenges through sports. On behalf of the KR Group, I congratulate and commend the whole KR event logistics team for

their stupendous contributions year on year; it is their help that makes such events a success each year,” he added. A member of the P&G Division hailed her teammates ‘the sporting champions of the match’ and applauded the company’s initiatives in bringing employees “together for an event that helped recharge their batteries and promote team spirit.”

Bahwan Healthcare Centre donates glucometers to ODA MUSCAT: In continuing with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives through the new year 2015, Bahwan Healthcare Centre, one of the ﬂagship companies of Suhail Bahwan Group Holding (SBGH), donated 600 units of glucometers to Oman Diabetes Association (ODA). In a simple ceremony held at the National Diabetes and Endocrine Center (NDEC), Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member of Suhail Bahwan Group, handed over the glucometers to Sayyida Dr Noor Al Busaidi, President of Oman Diabetes Association, in the presence of some of the association board members and the Royal Hospital doctors and other dignitaries. ODA will distribute these glucometers to deserving patients, says a press release. “Being in healthcare business

we, at Suhail Bahwan Group, strongly believe in CSR that would eventually beneﬁt the patient community at large. Oman Diabetes Association is doing a commendable service in spreading awareness to combat diabetes in Oman and we are happy to be supporting this and other initiatives

by ODA,” said Amal Bahwan said. “Diabetes is a growing concern in Oman and the Middle East and ODA has been very active in educating the society of its serious complications and eradicating diabetes with the support of various corporate houses and organisations. We are thankful to Suhail Bahwan Group for this gesture, which will go a long way in our mission,” stated Sayyida Dr Noor Al Busaidi. Later, Dr Noor Al Busaidi took Amal Bahwan on a guided tour of the NDEC facilities. The glucometer is a very beneﬁcial device for diabetics as it allows them to monitor their glucose level regularly without the need to visit doctors and labs. It also helps to detect hypoglycemia. The small gesture of donating glucometer is one among many CSR activities by SBGH.

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 015

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SPOR YOUR GAME

BELL TONGS AFTER FINN ROUTS INDIA

England thrashed India by nine wickets with more than 22 overs to spare on Tuesday to record their ﬁrst win in the tri-series tournament in Australia and boost their conﬁdence ahead of next month’s World Cup. >C3

Djokovic, Serena show no mercy

QUICK START: Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return to Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia during their men’s singles ﬁrst round match. – Reuters

Defending men’s champion Stan Wawrinka, Japanese ﬁfth seed Kei Nishikori and women’s fourth seed Petra Kvitova also stayed on course at Melbourne Park

MELBOURNE: World number ones Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams showed no mercy in powering through to the Australian Open second round Tuesday as unseeded dark horse Victoria Azarenka won her grudge match. Defending men’s champion Stan Wawrinka, Japanese ﬁfth seed Kei Nishikori and women’s fourth seed Petra Kvitova also stayed

on course. Eighteen-time Grand Slam winner Williams opened her Melbourne Park account with a decisive 6-0, 6-4 display against Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck, laying down the marker to her challengers. A sixth Australian Open title would take her to clear second on the Grand Slam Open Era winners list behind Steffi Graf’s 22, having

joined Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on 18 with her win at the US Open last year. “If I could get to 19 in Australia that would be beyond amazing, so we’ll see. I have a lot of work to do but I’m just going to enjoy myself,” said the American. Serbian top seed Djokovic, gunning for a fifth Australian title, also found his groove early against Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene to post a commanding 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win. “For a first round performance it was pretty good, obviously I still need to work on a few things, I’m still developing my game,” said Djokovic, who lost to Wawrinka in the quarterfinals last year. The Swiss fourth seed went on to stun Rafael Nadal and win his maiden Grand Slam, and he is keen to repeat the heroics again this year. He got his title defence off to to a solid start with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

mauling of Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan, encountering few problems. “It was great to be back on Rod Laver Arena again, it brings back so many memories from last year,” he said. “It was such an amazing two weeks last year so it was great to come back here and I am pleased with my game in general and I’m excited to start again.” Roger Federer, Nadal and Maria Sharapova all played Monday and easily progressed. Nishikori, who lost to Marin Cilic in last year’s US Open ﬁnal and is touted as a future major champion, showed his mettle to beat Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 6-2. The Spaniard is a former world number nine and the Japanese star said it was a good workout. “Obviously, it was a really tough, tough ﬁrst match. He could be seeded player, and I know he was

STRONG OPENING: Serena Williams makes conﬁdent start. – AFP

injured, but still it was a tough match,” he said. Enticing rematch Azarenka is a two-time Australian Open champion but came into the tournament ranked just 44 after an injury-marred 2014 and a battle with depression. But she showed why she is regarded as the most dangerous unseeded player as she downed American Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 to set up an enticing second round encounter with eighth seed Caroline Wozniacki. Azarenka and Stephens have history, with the Belarussian former world number one controversially defeating her in the 2013 semi-ﬁnal with the help of a lengthy medical timeout, which angered the fans. She needed no such tactics on Tuesday, leaving little doubt that she wants a third Grand Slam ti-

tle in Melbourne after triumphing in 2012 and 2013. “You’ve got to win seven matches to win a title and this was a great first round for me to really test my game,” the 25-year-old said. Denmark’s Wozniacki, another former world number one and a close friend of Azarenka’s, had a tougher assignment against American teenager Taylor Townsend, who made her work hard for a 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 win. Kvitova, the two-time Wimbledon champion, ground out a straight sets win over Dutch qualifier Richel Hogenkamp, but admitted nerves affected her performance. Other seeds progressing included Dominika Cibulkova, who lost in last year’s final to the now-retired Li Na, Venus Williams and men’s eighth seed Milos Raonic. - Reuters

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 20 1 5

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‘Motormouth’ Warner slammed NEW DELHI: India’s media on Tuesday lashed out at David Warner over his repeated verbal clashes with Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s touring team, demanding the aggressive Australian opener be reined in. “Brakes on motormouth Warner” and “Talkative Warner crosses the line” read two headlines in Indian newspapers after Warner was ﬁned 50 percent of his match fee for demanding Rohit Sharma “speak English” during Sunday’s one-dayer in Melbourne. “Warner has a knack of getting into trouble. Despite warnings in the past he does not seem to learn,” the Times of India wrote, referring to his constant run-ins with the Indians during the preceding Test series. The Hindustan Times said In-

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dian team managers had decided to ignore Warner rather than react to the sledging. “The Indian team management, despite all the verbal volleys that flew from the Aussie camp, confirmed that the team had decided to not react and concentrate in getting back to winning ways,” the paper wrote. The Australian fielders had taken offence when the Indians went for a single off an overthrow which they wrongly believed was in breach of cricket etiquette. The reporter for the Wisden India website covering the series said Warner’s behaviour was unwarranted and would one day “come back to bite him very badly where it hurts”. “Warner is also the perfect example of a man fighting for all the

wrong causes, however strong his conviction might be that he is doing the right thing,” the website wrote. “He does not suffer from white line fever so much as deﬁne it. One day, it will come back to bite him very badly where it hurts. “Australia have made ‘playing hard but fair’ one of the most laughable cliches in the cricket world. By their estimation, everything they do is ‘hard but fair’, but everything the opposition does is unfair.” Warner admitted he should not have confronted Sharma but said the pair had been engaging in “friendly banter” during the match, which Australia won with six balls to spare despite a century by Sharma, and he didn’t feel the need to apologise. — AFP

Why this Indian suicide and how Dhoni could stop it

amously viewed as one of the best finishers in ODI games and flatteringly described as half the Indian team in the upcoming World Cup, MS Dhoni looked anything but that at the MCG in the first game and at the Gabba in the second. The credit for turning the lion into a lamb goes not to the guys on the other side of the battlefield, but to his own mistrusted, misfiring lieutenants. Explaining why he was more caution than aggression when the platform looked ideal to launch the helicopter sort of magic to fast-forward the scorecard at the MCG, Dhoni said he had been restrained by the absence of guys he could trust to come in and carry on with the battle in case he failed in his pursuit of quick runs. For quite some time, or as long as “the last four to five years”, Dhoni has been walking out into the middle with little scope for playing his style of cricket, and now with his chosen one out of action with a shoulder injury, he looks a pale, boring shadow of his real self. We haven’t heard anything encouraging on Ravindra Jadeja and his recovery progress, and with his replacement Akshar Patel getting out to ducks there’s not much for Dhoni to keep the smile on. Dhoni’s problems may have been made worse by the Indian selectors if there’s truth in the reports that they chose to ignore some of his suggestions. Murali Vijay and Mohit Sharma are the two guys Dhoni wanted in. Vijay proved his credentials in the Test series in England and Australia, and his performances in the IPL were not bad to stamp him as a misfit for the shorter form of the game. He may not hurt the

Dhoni’s problems may have been made worse by the Indian selectors if there’s truth in the reports that they chose to ignore some of his suggestions. Murali Vijay and Mohit Sharma are the two guys Dhoni wanted in

ball the way Shikhar Dhawan could, but how often we get to watch Dhawan do that? The Indian team chose to shield him from James Anderson, and Ajinkya Rahane did well to block the ﬁrst six balls to give the out-of-form opener a bit of time to sort out his nerves but, in the end, nothing seemed to help Dhawan. Luck favours the deserving now — that’s the only way we could look at the unplayable ﬁrst ball he got from Jimmy. AB de Villiers said after his record-breaking performance the other day that he would stride into the pitch with a

clear plan to tackle the bowlers. How does he do that? He would sit near the TV when the innings is on and try to get a hint of what is happening out there so when it’s his turn he has a good idea of what the bowlers are trying to do and how to take the fight to their camp. Does anyone in the Indian camp do that? They seem to walk out there with their mind blank and deal with the ball on a whim. You could get away with your whims just seldom. Leaving the ball outside off stump is a nice way to get to a start in Test matches but if you overdo it in ODIs your teammates will have an Everest to climb. Which was what happened at the Gabba yesterday. Ambati Rayudu and Rahana left far too many balls, and soon they found themselves in the urgent need to put some runs on the scoreboard, which forced them to sort of committing suicide. The openers need time to play themselves in, but the art of playing ODIs in the first few overs lies in getting singles in the first few overs to put pressure on the bowlers. How Dhoni, or his bosses, could get the Indian openers to do that so players coming in at No 3 or 4 would have a nice platform to build on and accelerate, and the guys at No. 5 and 6 could finish it off in style — all of which will leave something fabulous on the board for the bowlers to do their business — is the first step towards some sort of positivity for the Indian team. The writer is a freelance contributor based in India. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS Bell tongs after Finn routs India

NEW ZEALAND VERSUS SRI LANKA

MATCH-WINNER: New Zealand’s Kane Williamson plays a shot during the fourth One-day Interna-

tional against Sri Lanka in Nelson at Saxton Oval. – AFP

Ton-up Williamson puts Kiwis ahead in ODI series FIVE-STAR: England’s Steven Finn waves to the crowd after he took ﬁve wickets – AP/PTI

CELEBRATION: England’s Ian Bell, left, and James Taylor, right, celebrate England’s win. – AP/PTI

SCOREBOARD

Fast bowler Steven Finn claimed his ﬁrst ﬁve-wicket haul in a one-day international as England destroyed India’s batting lineup at the Gabba

BRISBANE: England thrashed India by nine wickets with more than 22 overs to spare on Tuesday to record their first win in the tri-series tournament in Australia and boost their confidence ahead of next month’s World Cup. Fast bowler Steven Finn claimed his first five-wicket haul in a one-day international as England destroyed India’s batting lineup at the Gabba in Brisbane. Finn took 5-33 from eight overs while Jimmy Anderson picked up four wickets as the pair skittled the reigning world champions for 153 in less than 40 overs. Ian Bell and James Taylor both posted unbeaten half-centuries as England cruised to victory in 27.3 overs, earning a bonus point for their lopsided win. Bell finished 88 not out off 91 balls, inching closer to 5,000 ODI career runs, while the pint-sized Taylor remained unconquered on 54 from 63 deliveries, chalking up his third fifty in eight ODI appearances. The pair shared an NEW LEADER

Smith to lead in next match SYDNEY: Steven Smith will captain Australia in Friday’s one-day international against England, with opener David Warner and paceman Mitchell Johnson missing the game, Cricket Australia said Tuesday. Smith was called in to skipper the team after captain George Bailey was slapped with a onematch suspension over the team’s slow over-rate during their fourwicket win against India in the tri-series match on Sunday. Cricket Australia said Smith, fresh from leading Australia in the Test series against India as regular skipper Michael Clarke recovers from a hamstring injury, will be the nation’s 22nd ODI captain. — AFP

INDIA A. Rahane c Taylor b Finn 33 S. Dhawan c Buttler b Anderson 1 A. Rayudu c Buttler b Finn 23 V. Kohli c Buttler b Finn 4 S. Raina st Buttler b Ali 1 MS. Dhoni c Buttler b Finn 34 S. Binny c Morgan b Anderson 44 A. Patel b Finn 0 B. Kumar b Anderson 5 M. Shami c Ali b Anderson 1 U. Yadav not out 0 Extras (lb-3, w-3, nb-1) 7 Total (all out, 39.3 overs) 153 Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Dhawan), 2-57 (Rahane), 3-64 (Kohli), 4-65 (Raina), 5-67 (Rayudu), 6-137 (Dhoni), 7-137 (Patel), 8-143 (Kumar), 9-153 (Binny), 10-153 (Shami) Bowling: Anderson 8.3-2-18-4, Woakes

unbroken partnership of 131 after England lost opener Moeen Ali for eight, the only hiccup in the romp. “Outstanding. We really put a team performance, which I was delighted with,” England captain Eion Morgan told reporters. “And there were individual performances. Steve Finn got that bounce and made most of it. Jimmy (Anderson) set the tone with an early breakthrough.” The towering Finn, who stands 2.01 metres (6ft-7in) tall, tore through India’s fragile middle order with his pace and extra bounce, with three of his wickets coming through catches to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. Finn got the prized wickets of Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and was on a hat-trick after he clean bowled Axar Patel for a golden duck. Anderson gave England the

7-0-35-0, Broad 7-0-33-0, Finn 8-0-33-5, Ali 9-0-31-1 ENGLAND I. Bell not out 88 M. Ali c Kohli b Binny 8 J. Taylor not out 56 Extras (w-3, nb-1) 4 Total (1 wicket, 27.3 overs) 156 Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Ali) Bowling: Binny 7-0-34-1, Kumar 2-0-18-0, Yadav 6-0-42-0, Shami 4-0-23-0, Patel 7.3-032-0, Raina 1-0-7-0 Result: England won by nine wickets Toss: India Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Mick Martell (AUS) TV umpire: Simon Fry (AUS) Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

perfect start when he removed Shikhar Dhawan for one in the third over and returned to mop up the tail and ﬁnish with 4-18. With India’s world record holder Rohit Sharma skipping the match because of a minor hamstring complaint, the tourists needed someone else to make a big contribution but no-one did. All-rounder Stuart Binny, who came in for Ravichandran Ashwin, top scored with 44, while Dhoni made a patient 34 and opener Ajinkya Rahane 33. “We have to use whatever time is left before the World Cup in a useful manner. Staying four and a half months away from home is difficult, but we have to switch on and switch off,” Dhoni said. “We need to switch on and assess what needs to be done in the nets, or wait in the hotel if the need be.” - Reuters

NELSON: Kane Williamson made a welcome return to the New Zealand side with an elegant century to set up a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth One-day International on Tuesday. Backed by lusty hitting from Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi, New Zealand overtook Sri Lanka’s 276 with 11 balls to spare and move 2-1 ahead in the seven-match series. In a tense finish New Zealand needed 47 off 36 balls when the 24-year-old Williamson was removed for 103, his fifth ODI century. Anderson was run out for 47 with New Zealand needing 32 runs with 26 balls left. Up stepped Luke Ronchi to blast a rapid 32 including three sixes and Daniel Vettori hit a four as New Zealand finished with a flourish. After losing the early wickets of Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor cheaply, an unflustered Williamson led the rescue mission, first in partnership with Grant Elliott and then with Anderson. He brought up his century with a steady accumulation of singles, only reaching the boundary seven times with six fours and a six. But having attained the milestone he was bowled by Thisara CRICKET

Junaid to miss New Zealand ODIs KARACHI: Pakistan paceman Junaid Khan has failed to recover from an injury and has been replaced by allrounder Bilawal Bhatti in the squad that will play two ODIs and two warm-ups in New Zealand before World Cup. PCB said Junaid has been advised rest for at least two weeks to make a complete recovery. - Reuters

SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA D. Karunaratne lbw b Southee 5 T. Dilshan c Guptill b Williamson 44 K. Sangakkara c Guptill b Milne 76 M. Jayawardene c Ronchi b Anderson 94 A. Mathews c Ronchi b Milne 0 L. Thirimanne b McClenaghan 19 T. Perera c McCullum b Southee 5 J. Mendis c Vettori b Southee 12 N. Kulasekara run out 4 S. Senanayake not out 1 R. Herath c Williamson b McClenaghan 0 Extras (lb -2, w -14) 16 Total (for 10 wickets, 49.3 overs) 276 Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Karunaratne), 2-113 (Dilshan), 3-180 (Sangakkara), 4-180 (Mathews), 5-245 (Thirimanne), 6-253 (Jayawardene), 7-268 (Perera), 8-270 (Mendis), 9-273 (Kulasekara), 10-276 (Herath) Bowling: Southee 10-1-59-3 (4w), Milne 7-0-28-2 (1w), McClenaghan 9.3-0-58-2 (4w), Anderson 3-0-19-1, Elliott 3-0-19-0 (1w), Vettori 10-0-41-0, Williamson 7-0-50-1

Perera and Anderson vacated the ﬁeld soon after. McCullum, on whom New Zealand rely heavily to get off to a good start, failed to oblige. Sri Lanka’s innings was the product of ﬁnely constructed performances by their two elder

NEW ZEALAND M. Guptill c Sangakkara b Mathews 20 B. McCullum c Perera b Kulasekara 11 K. Williamson b Perera 103 R. Taylor c Sangakkara b Herath 8 G. Elliott c Thirimanne b Mendis 44 G. Anderson run out (Dilshan) 47 L. Ronchi not out 32 D. Vettori not out 7 Extras (lb-1, wd-7) 8 Total (for 6 wickets, 48.1 overs) 280 Fall of wickets: 1-24 (McCullum), 2-41 (Guptill), 3-63 (Taylor), 4-151 (Elliott), 5-230 (Williamson), 6-245 (Anderson) Bowling: Kulasekara 9-0-51-1 (3w), Mathews 4-1-16-1 (1w), Herath 9-1-39-1 (2w), Perera 8-0-58-1, Senanayake 9.10-57-0, Mendis 7-0-40-1 (1w), Dilshan 2-0-18-0 Toss: Sri Lanka Series: New Zealand lead 2-1 Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG), Derek Walker (NZL) TV umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG) Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)

statesmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Between them the 37-yearolds contributed all but 106 of Sri Lanka’s 276 with Jayawardene scoring 94 off 82 deliveries and Sangakkara making 76 off 83. - AFP

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 20 1 5

SPORTS

Mahmoud on target as Iraq beat Palestine to enter quarterfinals The 2007 champions were not at their best but goals by Mahmoud and a late second from Ahmed Yaseen sent them through from Group D as runners-up

CANBERRA: Talismanic striker Younis Mahmoud was on target but also missed a penalty as Iraq overcame a stubborn Palestine 2-0 on Tuesday to set up an Asian Cup quarter-ﬁnal with old rivals Iran. The 2007 champions were not at their best but goals by Mahmoud and a late second from Ahmed Yaseen sent them through from Group D as runners-up behind holders Japan, who made it three wins out of three by beating Jordan 2-0 in Melbourne. Mahmoud’s 48th minute header was only Iraq’s second goal in the tournament and their disjointed attack, which struggled to penetrate the tournament’s leakiest backline, will need to improve against a mean Iranian defence which has yet to concede. Mahmoud has long been the focal ﬁgure of the Iraqi frontline, the last link to the 2007 Asian Cup winning side, but his powers are

AERIAL TUSSLE: Iraq’s Younus Mahmoud vies with Palestine’s Abdallatif Albahdari during their match in Canberra on Tuesday. – AFP

clearly on the wane. His winning goal was a case of third time lucky. Having failed to hit the target in two previous subdued displays against Japan and Jordan he netted with his third chance in as many second half minutes to break the Palestinian resistance. The 31-year-old skipper hooked a right foot shot wide in the 47th minute before Abdallatif Al-Bahdari’s outstretched leg blocked his next effort moments later but he

ﬁnally found a way through from the resulting corner. Substitute Ali Adnan whipped the ball in from the right and Mahmoud rose highest to connect with a near post header to break the deadlock. Palestine, thumped 4-0 by a wasteful Japan and then 5-1 by Jordan, should have pulled level just three minutes later when a careless pass by Salam Shakir allowed Ashraf Al-Fawaghra clear

on goal but the Palestinian forward saw his shot blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Jalal Hassan. Mahmoud had the chance to settle the contest just on the hour mark when Iraq were awarded a soft penalty. Ahmed Mahajna was adjudged to have shoved Justin Meram in the back but Mahmoud could only hit a low, soft penalty which the towering stand-in Palestine goalkeeper Tawﬁq Abuhammad

parried away to his left. The chances continued to come for the Iraqis in a second period of high intensity after a drab ﬁrst half with the pace and driving runs of Ahmed Yaseen causing problems for the debutants. The attacking midﬁelder was inevitably the man to make the game safe when his low 88th minute strike from the edge of the penalty area sailed past a wrong-footed Abuhammad. - Reuters

SERIOUS DECISION

Mahmoud yanked from penalty duty CANBERRA: Iraq boss Radhi Shenaishil wasted no time in pulling talisman Younis Mahmoud off Asian Cup penalty duty after the captain’s spot-kick woes continued on Tuesday. Mahmoud, 31, is knocking on the door of Hussain Saeed’s Iraqi record of 61 international goals, but Shenaishil had no hesitation in dumping him as his penalty-taker. “The coaching staff have the players practising penalties every day,” said the coach, on loan for the Asian Cup from Qatar Sports Club. “Today I had selected Younis to take the penalty because he just needs a couple more goals to become Iraq’s top scorer,” he added. “But to be honest with you, in the matches coming up it’s a serious decision and we will not let him take the penalties any more.” Mahmoud entered Iraqi folklore when he scored the winning goal in the ﬁnal against Saudi Arabia eight years ago but he has been without a club side for a year. - AFP QUARTERFINAL LINE-UP

January 22 South Korea vs Uzbekistan at 11:30 am in Melbourne Australia vs China at 2:30 pm in Brisbane January 23 Iran vs Iraq at 10:30 am in Canberra Japan vs UAE at 1:30 pm in Sydney (All Oman times)

MARCHING ON

Dominant Japan cruise past Jordan MELBOURNE: Reigning champions Japan strolled confidently into the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup on Tuesday with a 2-0 victory over an outclassed Jordan in their final Group D match. Despite winning their first two games, Japan still needed a point at the Rectangular Stadium to win the group and set up a quarterfinal against United Arab Emirates in Sydney on Friday. Striker Keisuke Honda gave them the halftime lead with his third goal in three games at the tournament and Shinji Kagawa added the second eight minutes from time. Jordan needed an upset victory to have any realistic chance of progressing but were starved of possession before the break and ran out of steam after a strong start to the second half. Japan’s neat interplay in the final third was almost irresistible and the four-time champions, who fielded the same starting side for the third straight match, will go into the knockout stages with plenty of confidence.

who hit the woodwork three times in Japan’s last match against Iraq. Jordan coach Ray Wilkins made changes at halftime and it was one of the substitutes, winger Munther Abu Amarah, who got their ﬁrst shot on goal in the 57th minute.

THIRD GOAL: Japan’s Keisuke Honda celebrates with teammate

Shinji Okazaki after scoring a goal against Jordan during their Asian Cup Group D match at the Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne on Tuesday. – Reuters

The opening goal came in the 24th minute when Takashi Inui’s neat pass set the lively Shinji Okazaki free in the box and when Jordan goalkeeper Amer Shaﬁ par-

ried the striker’s shot, Honda was on hand to tap the ball into the net from the angle. It was a ﬁrst goal from open play after two penalties for Honda,

Acres of space Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima dealt with the threat at his near post and within a minute Honda had the ball in the back of the net only to be called back by a marginal offside call. Shaﬁ continued to impress in the Jordan goal but he was unable to prevent Japan going 2-0 up in the 82nd minute. Yuki Muto, who had just come on as a substitute for Okazaki, was set free into acres of space down the left wing and had plenty of time to pick out Kagawa, who side-footed the ball into the net from six metres out. Honda still had time to renew his acquaintance with the woodwork when he lashed a shot across Shaﬁ only for the ball to come off the far post in stoppage time. - Reuters

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

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ISM girls defeat ISWK by ﬁve wickets to clinch under-19 inter-school crown

CHAMPIONS: Indian School Muscat girls pose for a group photo after their title triumph. – Supplied photos

MUSCAT: Indian School Muscat (ISM) defeated Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir (ISWK) by five wickets to clinch top honours in Al Turki Enterprises-sponsored Girls Under-19 Inter-school Twenty20 League tournament at the Ministry Ground No.1 in Al Amerat. Electing to field first, ISM did

well to restrict ISWK to 124 for seven wickets in 20 overs. Opening the batting, Jayadhanyha Gunasekar chipped in with a top score of 33 runs. Extras made up of 39 wides and two no-balls helped swell the score. Sneha Bhat returned with ﬁgures of two for 16 in four overs.

ISM thanks to an opening partnership of 55 runs between Sujana Sundar (25) and Shruthi Rajagopal (20) reached their target scoring 125 for the loss of ﬁve wickets with ﬁve deliveries to spare. The total included 30 wides and six no-balls. Jayadhanyha Gunasekar picked up two wickets.

RUNNERS-UP: Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir players along with the Oman Cricket officials.

Viswanatha Iyer, Controller of Finance at Al Turki Enterprises, presided over the ﬁnal and handed over the trophies. Speaking on the occasion, Oman Cricket’s Women’s Cricket Coordinator Vaishali Jesrani thanked the governing body for organising the tournament and Al Turki En-

terprises for sponsoring the event from its inception. While thanking the school authorities as well as parents for showing interest in the game, she urged the girls to continue with their training with a request to parents to support and encourage their children to take part in future tournaments.

Brief scores: ISWK 124 for 7 in 20 overs (Jayadhanyha Gunasekar 33; Sneha Bhat 2/16) lost to ISM 125 for 5 in 19.1 overs (Sujana Sundar 25, Shruthi Rajagopal 20; Jayadhanyha Gunasekar 2/15). Individual honours: Best batswoman: Akshadha Gunasekar (ISWK), Best bowler: Shruthi Rajagopal (ISM), Consolation prize: Jayadhanyha Gunasekar (ISWK).

Basit blasts ton as PSM down ISM B Opting to bat ﬁrst, PSM scored at over 10 runs over to put up a huge total of 210 runs for the loss of three wickets at the end of their quota of 20 overs. In reply, ISM B managed to score 122 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs

MUSCAT: Opening the batting Mohammed Basit remained unbeaten on 105 to help Pakistan School Muscat (PSM) register an easy 88-run win against Indian School Muscat B (ISM B) in a Junior League Twenty20 Under-13 match played at the Municipality Ground No.1 in Al Amerat. NEW EVENT

IPL-styled Cue Masters League announced KOLKATA: Cue sports in India are set to follow in the footsteps of franchise-based tournaments, like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Indian Super League (ISL), after the Cue Masters League (CML) was announced here on Tuesday. Newly-elected International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) President P.V.K. Mohan said that CML would be a franchise-based league with six teams from different parts of India, for which the work was already begun. “It will be called the Cue Masters League and will have all three formats of the sport — billiards, snooker and pool,” he said. “A player has to play all three formats to win the title. It will be a franchise based league and will feature six teams from all over India.” - IANS

Opting to bat ﬁrst, PSM scored at over 10 runs over to put up a huge total of 210 runs for the loss of three wickets at the end of their quota of 20 overs thanks to a 136run opening partnership between Basit and Nouman Safdar (54). In reply, ISM B managed to score 122 runs for the loss of eight

wickets in 20 overs. Mohsin Ali (23) and Bharat S. (23) were associated in a 45-run partnership for the ﬁrst wicket in four overs. Habib-ur Rehman and skipper Adeel Abbas picked up two wickets each. Brief scores: PSM 210 for 3 in 20 overs (M. Basit 105 n.o., Nouman Safdar 54) bt ISM B 122 for 8 in 20 overs (Mohsin Ali 23, Bharat S. 23; Habib-ur Rehman 2/15, Adeel Abbas 2/38). Points: PSM - 2 (10 games, 11 pts), ISM B - Nil (6 games, 5 pts).

Haseeb bowls PSM to win Mohammed Haseeb with tantalizing bowling figures of five wickets for six runs in 2.4 overs helped Pakistan School Muscat (PSM) recorded a thumping seven-wicket win against Al Hail School of Cricket (AHSC) in an Al Turki Enterprises-sponsored 25 oversa-side Junior League Under-16. Choosing to bat first, a nine-

member AHSC team were bundled out for a paltry 49 runs in 15.4 overs. Opening batsman Muhannad Said Al Balushi top scored with 16 runs. Saud Asghar lent Haseeb valuable support returning with ﬁgures of two wickets for one run in one over. In reply, PSM reached their in nine overs losing just wicket. Nisar Tajamal scored an unbeaten 16. Brief scores: AHSC 49 all out in 15.4 overs (Muhannad Said Al Balushi 16; Mohammed Haseeb 5/6, Saud Asghar 2/1) lost to PSM 51 for 1 in 9 overs (Nisar Tajamal 16 n.o). Points: PSM - 2 (9 games, 13 pts), AHSC - Nil (7 games, 3 pts).

Prathamesh lifts ISM A Opening the batting skipper Prathamesh S. scored a brilliant 83 to help steer Indian School Muscat A (ISM A) to a 34-run win against Bangladesh School Muscat (BDSM) in a Junior League T20 Under-13

match. Electing to bat ﬁrst, ISM A notched up 164 runs for four wickets in 20 overs. Ankith Dwarakinath remained unbeaten on 23. BDSM in their turn were bowled out for 130 in 17.5 overs with skipper Jahedul Islam scored 41. Shaurya Rajat was the pick of the bowlers returning with ﬁgures of three for 11 in 2.5 overs while Githin and Vrishab picked up two wickets each. Brief scores: ISM A 164 for 4 in 20 overs (Prathamesh S. 83, Ankith Dwarakinath 23 n.o.) bt BDSM 130 in 17.5 overs (Jahedul Islam 41; Shaurya Rajat 3/11, Githin 2/19, Vrishab 2/20). Points: ISM A - 2 (5 games, 8 pts), BDSM - Nil (8 games, 9 pts).

Wasim, Parithosh shine Paritosh Bhatt smashed 108 off just 65 balls and skipper Wasim Ali blasted an unbeaten 107 in 65 balls as the duo put on 185 runs for the ﬁrst wicket to set up a massive

89-run win for Indian School Muscat (ISM) against Indian School Darsait (ISD) in an Al Turki Enterprises-sponsored 25 overs-a-side Junior League Under-16 match. Electing to bat ﬁrst, ISM piled up a colossal 249 for two in 25 overs. Varun Anand remained undefeated on 22. Samuel Samju claimed two wickets in ﬁve overs. In reply, ISD were rolled over for 160 in 22.2 overs after the openers Prathyaksh 47 (29b, 6x4) and Moin Qureshi 40 (26b, 5x4) put together 97 runs in eight overs. Wasim Ali claimed three wickets while Shehzadullah H. and Paritosh Bhatt bagged two each. Brief scores: ISM 249 for 2 in 25 overs (Paritosh Bhatt 108, Wasim Ali 107 n.o., Varun Anand 22 n.o.; Samuel Samju 2/42) bt ISD 160 in 22.2 overs (Prathyaksh 47, Min Qureshi 40; Wasim Ali 3/32, Shehzadullah H. 2/20, Paritosh Bhatt 2/23). Points: ISM – 2 (8 games, 14 pts), ISD – Nil (9 games, 6 pts).

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 20 1 5

SPORTS

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ICC vows crackdown on ‘sledging’ at WC

DESERVING WIN

Global cricket governing body would come down hard on players who ‘sledged’ or verbally abused their ON THE RIGHT PATH: A ﬁle photo of Oman hockey team.

Oman edge Ukraine to enter quarters of FIH Hockey World League Round 2 MUSCAT: Oman overcame a spirited challenge from Ukraine for a narrow victory and a place in the quarterfinals of the FIH Hockey World League Round 2 event in Singapore on Tuesday. According to information received here, Oman defeated Ukraine 2-1 in a crucial Pool A match, with all three goals coming in the first 20 minutes. Oman capped their initial dominance with a fine field goal scored by Muhanna Al Hassani in the 10th minute. Just two minutes later, Imad Al Hasani doubled the lead with another stunning field goal. Ukraine managed to reduce the margin in the 19th minute thanks to an expertly taken penalty corner by Artem Ozerskyi. However, Oman managed to hang on to their lead till the end to seal a place in the last eight.

German Oliver Kurtz-coached Omanis completed their group engagements with six points from three outings behind Malaysia who topped the pool with nine points. In the quarterfinals to be played on Thursday, Oman will take on arch-rivals Bangladesh. In other last eight matches, Malaysia meet Mexico, Japan take on Ukraine while Poland play Singapore. The semifinals are scheduled to be played January 24 while the third-place play-off and the final will take place on January 25. The top three teams from Singapore will qualify for the World League semifinals, which will be organised as two separate rounds in Argentina (June 3 to 14) and Belgium (June 20 to July 5). The eight-team final will be held in India from November 28 and December 6.

opponents at the upcoming World Cup

LONDON: International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive David Richardson said on Tuesday the global governing body would come down hard on players who ‘sledged’ or verbally abused their opponents at the upcoming World Cup. During the course of an extensive interview on the ICC website, former South Africa wicketkeeper Richardson also said officials were determined to continue their campaign against illegal bowling actions and added he was confident the World Cup would not be blighted by match or spot-fixing. Several high-profile incidents in recent months have led former Australia captain Ian Chappell to say he fears it can only be a matter of time before things get so heated that a physical clash ensues. Meanwhile, New Zealand great Martin Crowe has called for the introduction of a yellow and red card system common to many other sports in a bid to punish poor onfield behaviour in cricket, which has traditionally prided itself on being a “gentlemen’s game”. India’s ongoing tour of Australia has been marred by numerous verbal spats, with Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland taking the unusual step of

LOOKING FOR TROUBLE: Australia’s David Warner, third left, argues with India’s Rohit Sharma during their tri-series match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on Sunday. – Reuters

publicly telling David Warner to “stop looking for trouble” after the opener’s latest flare-up saw him demand India’s Rohit Sharma “speak English” during a One-day International (ODI) in Melbourne on Sunday. Richardson said he was confident the existing system, whereby match referees oversee disciplinary punishments at major international fixtures, could cope with “disrespectful behaviour”. However, he insisted the ICC had been stressing to on-field umpires the need to stop such conduct at its source, with the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand now less than a month away. Players going too far “Over the last six months, or even going back further to the last Ashes series, there have been too many examples of player behaviour go-

ing too far and overstepping the boundaries of acceptability,” Richardson told icc-cricket.com. “The amount of sledging and disrespect shown by players to each other was bad. “Since then, we have done a lot of work with our umpires and match referees to ensure they are much more pro-active in terms of policing behaviour on the field and — when players do overstep the mark — taking appropriate action.” He added: “Over the last three or four months, you have seen 12 ICC code of conduct charges laid against people for exactly that — disrespectful behaviour on the field. “For the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, it will be no different — and at all pre-event briefings with the teams, the match referees will be making sure that message is delivered loud and clear.” The past year has also seen a sig-

nificant increase in the number of bowlers banned for suspect actions, with Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal the most high-profile case. “The game realised we had a significant problem — and there were just too many bowlers, from all teams, bowling with suspected actions,” said Richardson. “I think we have made very good progress in identifying those bowlers, sending them off to be tested and, where necessary, suspending them until they can remedy their actions,” he added. As for the scourge of fixing, a bullish Richardson said: “On the corruption side, it’s safe to say we’re the best prepared we’ve ever been. “It will be very difficult for anybody outside of the game to come and even attempt to try and corrupt players, umpires or anybody involved in the World Cup, to try and fix a match.” - AFP FOOTBALL

Oman hold Bahrain to reach U-23 semifinals MUSCAT: Oman played out a goalless draw against Bahrain to book a place in the semifinals of the ongoing GCC Under-23 Football Championship in Bahrain on Tuesday. According to information recieved, both Oman and Bahrain tried to play for full points but failed to find the target. However, the draw was enough for Hamad Al Azzanicoached Omanis top Group B with four points thanks to their 3-2 victory over Saudi Arabia in their opening match. Saudi Arabia, who also defeated Bahrain earlier in the tournament, also reached the last four stage as group runnersup with three points. Oman’s semifinal opponents will be known after the conclusion of matches in Group A, which comprises the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Kuwait. The Sultanate’s squad are looking for their second championship title to add to their maiden trophy won under Hamad Al Azzani back in 2011. If they manage to go all the way, the Omanis will match the Saudi Arabians’ record of winning the title twice.

SECTION

LIFE & STYLE

ONCE IGNORED AREAS OF DELHI ARE

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM W EDN ES DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

GETTING A FACELIFT, THANKS TO A NEW STREET ART FESTIVAL

has seen he success of last year’s inaugural St.Art in decorating Delhi’s urban villages and public buildings Delhi second the and ﬁnished, just has edition Mumbai ﬁrst The strength. to strength the festival go from month. a for part taking artists Indian event begins on 20 January, with nearly 20 international and

India’s capital enfolds many different stories within its 25 million-strong sprawl, and Hauz Khas Village is one of these. It is at once a residential area and a centre for artists, designers and upscale boutiques — a network of narrow lanes and low-rise buildings, haphazardly extended as the owners woke up to their sudden increase in value. urhood to occupy what were then In the late Nineties, young artists flocked to this southern neighbo its popularity has soared, reflectToday, bars. and nts restaura of cheap studios, making use of a smattering e, which stocks India’s most boutiqu Ogaan ies; patisser French Gallery; Art Delhi rks: landma ed by its new locals from Thursday young cool off drop to up line cars of chic designers; and hipster tearooms. Queues to be. Hauz Khas place ing happen to Sunday night. A once-ignored part of the city, this is now Delhi’s most the vast pool cted constru who Delhi, of ruler Khalji second the means “royal tank” and it was Alauddin, after a spell senses the to balm ds, here in the 13th century. The tank lies at the centre of rambling parklan colondomed, rust-red while surface its on d reflecte is y greener in the capital’s traffic. The surrounding enclosing more tombs and park, a is them Beyond islands. like ds grasslan the from e protrud naded tombs somewhere quiet to sit. skittish deer. Couples stroll between the upturned stones, looking for

I step inside the tomb of 14th century Islamic Emperor Firoz Shah, its ceiling adorned with spidery patterns, interwoven teardrops, circles, and a star — 14th-century street art, perhaps. Hauz Khas has long been a centre of creativity and learning. I climb the steps to the lakeside ruins of Madrasa-e-Firoz Shahi — a great Islamic school built by Shah — and stand in front of architecture that could form a background for a Moghul miniature painting, looking across to the higgledy piggeldy apartments of the village.

got creative Ruchika Sachdeva, a local fashion designer, explains: “I think it was actually the street art that were there, people back here, because it had started to pull in a very different crowd. While the street artists starting coming stopped had who people of lot a saw I paintings, beautiful and they started to do these very to return.”

Re-entering the village, I walk through a tunnel painted a deep, fleshy pink, to the Hauz Khas Social, a bar and self-styled “hub for creatives”, with views through plate-glass windows of the greenery, where young Delhi-ites have meetings over their laptops and sip Long Island Iced Teas from test tubes. Nearby is the Kunzum Travel Café, where you can lounge on floor cushions reading travel books and pay what you like for coffee. I start to look for the bohemian Rose Hotel (therosenewdelhi.com), with views over the forest. It takes a while to find it, and I walk through the backstreets of a basti (slum), passing children dressed in flamebright colours and a tailor working his old Singer machine outside his house.

The houses are painted in blues and pinks, but there is something different here. Above several strings of washing, a cartoonish, turbaned man casts a sidelong glance at a fantastical machine, which proffers him a heart. This is Heart Exchange, painted last year by Brazilian and Indian artists Secordeiro Art and Yantr. Turning a corner, I see delicate blue, white and pale brown faces, which gaze out from above a scrubbylooking garage, the work of Italian artist Alina Vergnano. Later, Alina tells me that this was an impromptu work: local people asked her to paint here after seeing her towering commissioned painting, which marks the entrance to the village.

I have heard that there’s even more street art in the larger urban village of Shahpur Jat, so I bump there in an auto-rickshaw. It’s nearby, but feels undiscovered in comparison to Hauz Khas. It’s full of boutiques selling handmade jootis (shoes) and glittering dresses that whisper of parties yet to be attended.

over the a’s Pop Art Bollywood image looms colourfully It is also full of street art treasures. Ranjit Dahiy playing cat ous enorm an of ing paint a quizzically, and neighbourhood, the female ﬁgure’s eyebrow raised Delhi listings site that here ings paint many so are There ark. with a ball of wool has become a local landm the Little Black Book now offers tours.

festival orSt.Art may have turned Hauz Khas and Shahpur Jat into outdoor galleries, but this time the so pleased was nt governme The people. more to art bring to looking bigger, even are ganisers’ ambitions wall of the on prisoner female a by written poem a with last year’s works — a 968 metres-long mural and ters Headquar Police Delhi’s on Gandhi of portrait h metres-hig 45 a and prison), largest Tihar Jail (Asia’s — that it has given the festival its blessing.

as well This year, St.Art will spread out beyond the villages to decorate more public buildings in Delhi, overall the change to want we time, “This district. shopping exclusive most as Khan Market, the capital’s Independent landscape of the city,” says Hanif Kureshi. He appears to have made a good start. -Abigail Blasi/The

W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 20 1 5

EXTRA

he cityscape of Shanghai is an unusual one. Not futuristic per se, it’s also not realistic. It feels like scrolling through a virtual world — a life-sized Sim City. Cement ravines cut through high-rises, a jumble of zoning, and the juxtapositions are extreme: the luxurious but hyper-modern PuLi Hotel, for instance, flanks a 13th-century Buddhist place of worship, the Jing’an temple. The temple, its, gold-tipped roof resembling gilded fungi sprouting from the midst of Shanghai’s concrete jungle, is overshadowed by a giant billboard. It advertises Western luxury, mostly. The image implies China worshipping at an altar of European brands — the reverse of the 18th-century inclination to export and assimilate oriental modes. Today, the implication is that leading designers bundle up crates of their most costly clothing and ship them over to China, to be revered and voraciously consumed by the locals. The reality is somewhat different. It is Europe which comes to China to pay homage. Dior, Prada and Chanel have all staged shows here — in 2012, Louis Vuitton’s then-creative director, Marc Jacobs, staged an extravagant facsimile of his winter Paris show beside the Bund river in Shanghai. When I asked the milliner Stephen Jones (who created the hats, and attended said spectacle) if this was for Chinese press, he shook his head, declaring the audience was filled with Chinese clients. That’s because Vuitton — like everyone else — is studiously courting the hyper-rich top earners of an economy which, in 2014, became the world’s largest. The International Monetary Fund estimates China’s financial clout at the tune of $17.5 trillion — 16.5 per cent of the global economy. The next closest, the USA, comes in at 16.3 per cent. An economy of that size — with a population set to reach $2.12 billion in 2015 — is a boon for global luxury. China is not only the world’s largest GDP; its citizens now allegedly spend the most on designer goods. So, why am I in Shanghai? Appropriately enough, it’s to meet Stefano Pilati, head of design at Ermenegildo Zegna. Zegna is the largest menswear brand in the world, with annual revenue reaching within a whisker of $1.5 billion in 2013, the first year of Pilati’s tenure. Founded on Italian suit manufacture, they also create clothes for other labels, manufacturing suiting for brands including Saint Laurent, Gucci and Tom Ford. They have an annual output of over

2.3 million metres of fabric, 1.6 million pieces of sportswear and 1.7 million textile accessories. Stefano Pilati is known for — he worked for Prada in the Nineties, an era it helped define, moving to Yves Saint Laurent and working under Tom Ford following the label’s purchase by then-Gucci Group in 1999. When Ford left in 2004, Pilati took the reins. His womenswear collections caused a sensation — the first two, poorly received by critics, were runaway commercial successes. Women clamoured for his puffy velvet skirts, his strict blouses. We have Pilati to blame for Gok Wan’s favourite banger-booster, the cinched-and-winched four-inch contour belt. Pilati’s team created the ‘Tribute’, that needle-heeled platform shoe so successful the house still produces it three years after Stefano left the building. So do many others — Pilati’s work, specifically accessories (Tribute shoes, the ‘Muse’ and ‘Downtown’ handbags) were endlessly ripped-off. Think of the menswear, however, and it’s less easily defined. “Saint Laurent was all about womenswear,” states Pilati. “Somehow I invented the menswear, in terms of business. It had never existed.” Well, it had. Monsieur Saint Laurent himself designed menswear, launching in 1968. He wore the stuff, and dressed his friends like Rudolf Nureyev in extreme looks, such as thigh-high boots and safari jumpsuits. Through the Eighties and Nineties, the label’s menswear was farmed out to licensees, who knocked out ill-fitting suiting and sportswear. But what Pilati means is that it didn’t have a contemporary identity — neither Tom Ford, nor his predecessor Hedi Slimane (who, incidentally, returned to helm both mens- and womenswear in 2012) established a unique identity for the label. Pilati didn’t either, honestly. What he established was an identity for himself as a designer. The notion? “I’m a man, so I design what I can’t find.” Pilati evidently has specific tastes — because his menswear, at Yves Saint Laurent, and latterly at Zegna, is delicately twisted; reflected in his own dress. China isn’t a new market for the label: Zegna opened a store in Beijing in 1991, their inaugural outpost in mainland China — the first European menswear brand to do so. As with virtually all luxury brands, particularly in menswear, Zegna now crow that China is their primary market. They operate over 70 points of sale in the country, out of 555 worldwide. — Alexander Fury/The Independent

W E D N E S DAY, JAN UARY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

ENTERTAINMENT CINEMA SCHEDULE

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Snow Queen 2: Magic Of Ice Mirror (3D) (Animation | Adventure) (PG) Voice Overs: Anna Shurochkina, Ivan Okhlobystin, Anna Khilkevich 3:00, 5:00 pm Taken 3 (Crime | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker 4:30, 6:30, 9:45 & 11:45pm I (Tamil) (Action | Fantasy ) (12+) Cast: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chiyaanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vikram, Amy Jackson 8:30 pm Tevar (Action | Romance) (PG12) Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Manoj Bajpayee 3:30, 8:00 pm 13 Sins (Horror | Thriller) (18+) Cast: Mark Webber, Devon Graye 3:15, 6:15 pm I (Hindi) (Action | Fantasy) (12+) Cast: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chiyaanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vikram, Amy Jackson 6:30 & 10:45pm American Sniper (Act | Bio ) (15+) Cast: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller 11:45 pm

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ACES ON BRIDGE

A junior for many years to comee

SUDOKU

HOW TO PLAY Fill the empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column and area. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Seven Galaxies

AADARSH U M

January 21, 2013

MARMADUKE

CROSSWORD

B I G NAT E

42 43 44 48 49 50 51 52 53

Stoic founder Refuse abruptly Entourages Ocean sighting Black-and-white cookie Exec Pit or stone Tattered Luau fare

DOWN 1 Cut of meat 2 Sailor 3 Vane dir. 4 Utilise a tub 5 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yeah!â&#x20AC;? singer 6 Time of difficulty 7 Traipse about 8 Some sweaters (hyph.) 9 Roof part 10 Whirl 11 Legend 16 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; spumante 19 Overcharge 20 Skein of yarn 21 Toward shelter 22 Slothful 23 Beat the ďŹ eld

25 26 27 28 30 31 34

Daisy â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Yokum Chatty pet Puffin cousins The â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the limit! Recipe direction Insurance grp. Waited in concealment 35 Soldering tool 37 Rhythm

38 39 40 41 42 44 45 46 47

Pungent veggie Ginza purchases Bud holder Model â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Macpherson None Decompose Refâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cousin It may be fragile Delhi honoriďŹ c

Answer to previous puzzle

ACROSS 1 Rural addr. 4 Cask stopper 8 Part of a threepiece suit 12 Fleming or Woosnam 13 On a cruise 14 California vineyard valley 15 Got some air 17 Like supervillains 18 Storage building 19 Part of a script 20 Horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lead 23 Food steamer 24 Jai â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 25 Swamp gases 29 Pince- â&#x20AC;&#x201D; spectacles 30 Meat cut 32 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it up (have some laughs) 33 Tangy pie variety 35 Like newspaper printersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ďŹ ngers 36 Tabloid topic 37 Tract of low, wet ground 39 In plain view

VILINA S. BHOJAWALA

MOHD TAAIB IMRAN

MANTHAN MITESH NIMKAR

TANISHQA TOJO

January 21, 2005

January 21, 2004

Previous puzzle Solution

AT the end of last week, I described a couple of deals featuring junior players, for which the age limit is 26 at the moment. In November, I watched a game including Sam Hanser of Saint Louis, who is only 13 years old. In this deal, Hanser handled the ending nicely, overcoming the bad trump break. Given the adverse vulnerability and the unimpressive long suit, opening two spades was sensible. West led a low diamond. Hanser ruffed Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10 and led his club six. Although second hand low is right most of the time, here South was marked with some club length, given his diamond void. So West should have won with her ace, but she ducked. After winning with dummyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s king, declarer (not best) played another club. East should have discarded a heart, but she threw a diamond. West won with her ace and gave her partner a club ruff. East now pushed through a trump, Southâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nine losing to Westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s king. South ruffed Westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diamond exit and led a low trump, getting the bad news. But declarer ruffed the next diamond and played a heart to dummyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s queen, bringing everyone down to four cards. Dummy had the ace-seven of hearts and two high clubs. East held the ace-jack of spades and two diamonds. South retained the queen-eight of spades and kingďŹ ve of hearts. Declarer led a winning club. If East had ruffed low, South would have overruffed and played winners. When East discarded on dummyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last two clubs, at trick 12 declarer led a heart through Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ace-jack of spades toward his queen-eight. South lost only four spades and one club. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; By Phillip Alder

WITH LOVE

BORN LOSER

JOSEPH PAUL January 21

January 22, 2011

January 23, 2004

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to extra@timesofoman.com

KIDSPOT

H E A LT H C A P S U L E

C10

W EDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 201 5

FIND-IT-ALL Y O U R B I R T H D AY

BORN today, you have been endowed with the kind of foresight that enables you to be one step ahead at almost all times, whether it be in your professional affairs or your personal life. Indeed, both are likely to be quite full, and your success in both areas will be remarkable, as each will be closely linked to the other in ways that others cannot fully understand. You will do a thing only if you believe in it wholeheartedly, deep down, in your very soul. Nothing trivial is worth doing as far as you are concerned; if you commit yourself to something, it is, by deﬁnition, of great import — or can be, eventually. You’re likely to inspire others to do great things that will, of course, never overshadow or eclipse your own accomplishments. Indeed, you have what it takes to be one of the greats, quite possibly to go down in history as one who drives the course of events and helps shape the world in a most memorable fashion. Also born on this date are: Jerry Trainor, actor; Emma Bunton, singer; Geena Davis, actress; Mac Davis, actor and singer; Hakeem Olajuwon, basketball player; Jack Nicklaus, golfer; Stonewall Jackson, Confederate military leader; Benny Hill, comedian; Billy Ocean, singer; Placido Domingo, operatic tenor; Wolfman Jack, disc jockey; Robby Benson, actor; Telly Savalas, actor; Brandon Crawford, baseball player; Christian Dior, fashion designer; Charles V, King of France; Ethan Allen, military leader.

W E AT H E R

WORLD

Max 20 Min 18 Max 2 Min -5

Max 19 Min 9

Max 24 Min 15 Max -5 Min -11

Max 20 Min 18

Max -7 Min -12

Max 20 Min 12

Max 25 Min 16

Max 20 Min 9

Max 23 Min 17

Max 24 Min 13

[JAN. 20-FEB. 18] Max 26 Min 18

Max 22 Min 11

Max 29 Min 23 Max 25 Min 22

—www.met.gov.om

Min

GULF Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh

21 20 21 17 18 18

17 10 14 10 14 3

WORLD Athens Baghdad Beijing Berlin Boston Cairo Colombo Frankfurt Hong Kong Istanbul Johannesburg Kuala Lumpur Lisbon Paris Perth Singapore Tokyo Toronto

18 17 4 1 1 25 31 3 20 12 24 31 10 2 36 30 11 -4

9 3 -8 -1 -6 5 20 0 12 7 14 22 6 0 22 24 2 -11

L O N G D I S TA N C E B U S T I M I N G S ( O M A N N AT I O N A L T R A N S P O R T C O M PA N Y S A O C ) * S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E

[Feb. 19-March 20] Someone you know well is likely to S throw you for a loop as he or she does the very thing you least expected.

ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19] You’ll enjoy a little more freedom than usual, but do you want to use it fruitfully or fritter away the time in a meaningless way?

TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20] The difference between something important and something trivial is not always related to the amount of energy you apply to the task.

GEMINI [MAY 21-JUNE 20] You’re able to make sense out of something that has left others shaking their heads for quite some time. Timing is in your favor.

CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22] You’re eager to get back into the swing of things, but environmental inﬂuences may be working against you for a time.

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Time Time 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 15:00 Sur 18:00 15:00 Jaalan 19:30 TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 06:30 Sohar 06:30 Buraimi 08:00 Buraimi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Buraimi 16.00 Sohar 16.00 Buraimi TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw

[JULY 23-AUG. 22] You’ll feel a gravitational pull that has you doubting that which was unquestionable only yesterday. A certain attraction is strong!

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22] You may feel that the time is right for you to put all your eggs into one proverbial basket, but there are still a few very real dangers.

LIBRA L [[SEPT. [S S 23-OCT. 22] If you don’t give another the chance to catch up with you, you’re likely to leave him or her in your dust — which is good for neither of you!

SCORPIO S [[OCT. 23-NOV. 21] You may be expecting someone to play by the same rules as you, but he or she has something else in mind.

SAGITTARIUS S [[NOV. 22-DEC. 21] As you gaze at the stars, remember that you’re looking into the past. Perhaps it’s time to turn your eyes more toward the future.

CAPRICORN [DEC. 22-JAN 19] You may feel as though someone is hurting you unintentionally, but you have no real scars to show for it. Are you imagining things?

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily 05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily 05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

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

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

20:50

Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 07:00 Sohar 07:00 Ruwi 13:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 17:00 Ruwi TO SINAW (Route 52) 07:00 Ruwi

To Yanqul (Route 54) 14:30 Nizwa 14:30 Yanqul

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54) 08:00 Nizwa 08:00 Al Araqi

10:20 12:30

TO SUR (Route 55) 07:30 Sur 14:30 Sur TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62) 06:30 Fahud 06:30 Yibal

08:55 11:40 20:20 14:55 17:40 19:20 22:15

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

10:25

Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54) 06:00 Nizwa 06:00 Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54) 15:40 Nizwa 15:40 Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

TO SUR (Route 55) 06:00 Ruwi 14:30 Ruwi

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62) 12:30 Fahud 12:30 Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100) 07:00 Salalah 20:00 10:00 Marmul 20:30 10:00 Salalah 23:30 19:00 Salalah 07:40

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100) 07:00 Ruwi 19:50 10:00 Marmul 13:15 10:00 Ruwi 22:30 19:00 Ruwi 07:30

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (Route 102) 15:00 Salalah 07:00

Daily

16:50

SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102) 15:00 Dubai 07:00

LEO

Sunset Sunrise (Tomorrow) High tide Low tide

8:33am 3:20pm

5.45pm 6.51am 10:06pm 3:56am

SEA STATE: Moderate to rough along most of the Sultanate coasts with maximum wave height ranges between 2.0 to 3.0 metres. HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during dust rising. THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Moderate to rough sea along most of Oman coasts with maximum wave height ranges between 2.0 to 3.0 metres. Decrease in temperature over most of the Sultanate during night. Max

OMAN

PISCES

12.23pm 3.29pm 5.50pm 7.04pm 5.32am

AIRLINES

lear to partly cloudy skies over the northern governorates of the Sultanate with chances of isolated rain and clear skies over rest of the Sultanate. Chances of dust rising over open areas and deserts. EXPECTED WIND: Wind will be northerly to northwesterly moderate to fresh along the coasts while it will be northwesterly light to moderate occasionally fresh over most of the Sultanate.

AQUARIUS You’ll receive timely assistance from one who doesn’t even know you need help — and you may not quite know it, either!

PRAYER TIMINGS

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

TO DUBAI (Route 201) 06:00 Sohar 06:00 Dubai 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Dubai 15:00 Sohar 15:00 Dubai

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily 07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily 07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201) 07:30 Sohar 07:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 15:30 Sohar 15:30 Ruwi

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily 16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily 16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

LISTINGS

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715 Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya. Tel: 24787766 Muscat, A Seeb Market. Tel: 24421691 Muscat, Al Khuwair. Tel: 24485740 Muscat, Al Hail South. Tel: 24537080 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel: 23291635 HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052 Atlas Hospital: Ruwi: 24811743/ Ghubra: 24504000 Al Musaﬁr Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital: 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic: 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740 Ceregem National Raak: 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217 Elixir Health Centre: 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre: 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274 Hamdan Hospital: 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128, MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000 ROYAL OMAN POLICE Emergencies and inquiries: 9999 General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603 Directorate General of Customs: 24521109 Traffic violations inquiries: 24510228 Public Relations Admin: 24560099 ACCOMMODATION Al Bahjah Hotel: 24424400 Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171 Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400 Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949 Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385 Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311 Al Qurum Resort: 24605945 Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979 Beach Hotel: 24696601 Bowshar Hotel: 24491105 Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121 Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660 Crystal Suites: 24826100 Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300 Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234 Haffa House Hotel: 24707207 Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123 InterContinental Muscat: 24680000 Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900 Marina Hotel: 24711711 Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565 Mina Hotel: 24711828 Muttrah Hotel: 24798401

Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199 Oman Dive Centre: 24824240 Park Inn: 24507888 Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070 Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777 Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399 Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443 Ruwi Hotel: 24704244 Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200 Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772 Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666 The Chedi Muscat: 24524400 The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570 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, Turkish Airlines: 24703033 MUSEUMS Bait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp ﬁsh market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pm Natural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm; Thursday: 9am to 1pm Museum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, Sat-Wed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946 Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707 Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Oman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thurs: 9am to 1pm Bait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., Muscat museum@baitalzubairmuseum.com Open from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm. National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Sohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pm Muscat Gate Museum: at Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

ETA

FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

ETA

WY682 WY406 WY676 WY648 WY816 WY824 4H583 WY916 PK229 TK776 QR1132 EK866 GF560 EY384 FZ041 WY638 WY902 WY686 WY658 WY668 WY644 WY692 WY674 WY602 WY202 WY432 WY102 NL768 WY342 FZ043 G9114 WY236 WY918 WY226 WY242 EK862 WY346 WY252 IX443 QR1128 EY382 IX549 9W530 WY604 WY822 WY3922 G9841 FZ037 WY268 IX337 WY314 PA450 WY904 WY3302 WY606 WY326 WY918 WY918 WY906 WY274 WY656 WY632 FZ045 WY216 WY204 WY292 WY610 WY246 WY3304 WY284 WY232 QR1126 WY664 EK864 GF564 G9116 WY254 WY144 FZ047 WY614 WY914 AI977 KL441 WY624 AI973 6.00E+81 WY414 9W534 FZ049 AI907 QR1134 WY272 GF566 BA073 EY388 WY908 AI985 WY662 WY124 LX242 9W540 LH618 WY654 WY612 WY116 WY928 WY636 W696 WY717 WY910

RIYADH CAIRO JEDDAH KUWAIT BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR DACCA-CHITTAGONG SALALAH LAHORE ISTANBUL-BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI ABU DHABI SALALAH RIYADH BAHRAIN DOHA KUWAIT DAMMAM JEDDAH DUBAI BOMBAY TEHRAN LONDON HEATHROW LAHORE LAHORE DUBAI SHARJAH HYDERABAD KHASAB COCHIN DELHI DUBAI ISLAM ABBAD MADRAS COCHIN DOHA ABU DHABI TRIVANDRUM TRIVANDRUM DUBAI KUALA LUMPUR DUQUM OMAN RAS AL KHAIMA DUBAI LUCKNOW CALICUT CHITTAGONG LAHORE SALALAH MUKHAIZNA DUBAI KARACHI KHASAB KHASAB SALALAH JAIPUR BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI TRIVANDRUM BOMBAY CALICUT DUBAI DELHI MUKHAIZNA BANGALORE HYDERABAD DOHA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH MADRAS MALPENSA DUBAI DUBAI SALALAH BANGALORE-HYDERABAD AMSTERDAM-DOHA DUBAI DELHI BOMBAY AMMAN COCHIN DUBAI MADRAS DOHA JAIPUR BAHRAIN LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI ABU DHABI SALALAH AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY DOHA MUNICH ZURICH-DUBAI BOMBAY FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI BAHRAIN DUBAI FRANKFURT SALALAH ABU DHABI DAMMAM ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM SALALAH

0005 0005 0005 0010 0015 0055 0130 0150 0215 0300 0345 0355 0405 0405 0415 0520 0630 0700 0700 0710 0715 0725 0730 0805 0815 0815 0820 0830 0835 0850 0915 0920 0930 0930 0935 0940 0940 0940 1010 1010 1015 1020 1035 1110 1115 1115 1120 1200 1210 1210 1210 1215 1215 1330 1330 1355 1440 1440 1445 1515 1530 1535 1555 1705 1710 1720 1730 1730 1730 1740 1740 1745 1745 1800 1810 1915 1920 1930 1945 2030 2035 2105 2120 2125 2125 2130 2135 2140 2145 2200 2210 2235 2240 2240 2250 2305 2310 2315 2320 2320 2325 2330 2330 2335 2345 2345 2350 2350 2355 2355

WY682 WY676 WY406 WY648 WY816 BG021 WY916 PK225 TK774 QR1132 ET624 EK866 GF560 EY384 FZ041 MS930 WY324 4H584 WY638 WY658 WY668 WY674 WY602 WY902 WY202 WY102 NL768 WY342 FZ043 WY274 G9114 WY242 WY236 WY918 WY226 WY212 WY252 EK862 QR1128 IX443 EY382 9W530 WY282 WY604 WY372 FZ037 WY384 WY332 IX337 WY904 WY826 WY818 BG023 WY3302 WY606 PK291 IX817 WY906 WY812 WY656 SV530 FZ045 WY204 WY292 WY822 WY434 WY3922 WY246 WY3304 WY610 WY232 WY664 QR1126 WY268 EK864 GF564 WY646 G9116 WY254 TG507 FZ047 WY914 WY614 KL441 WY624 AI973 WY312 6.00E+81 WY414 9W534 FZ049 AI907 QR1134 UL205 BA073 GF566 EY388 SG061 WY908 AI985 WY662 LX242 9W540 WY654 LH618 WY612 WY654 WY928 WY696 WY636 WY910 WY717

RIYADH JEDDAH CAIRO KUWAIT BANGKOK DACCA-CHITTAGONG SALALAH KARACHI ISTANBUL DOHA ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI CAIRO KARACHI DOHA ABU DHABI BAHRAIN DOHA JEDDAH DUBAI BOMBAY BOMBAY LONDON HEATHROW LAHORE LAHORE DUBAI JAIPUR SHARJAH DELHI HYDERABAD KHASAB COCHIN TRIVANDRUM MADRAS DUBAI DOHA COCHIN ABU DHABI TRIVANDRUM BANGALORE DUBAI COLOMBO DUBAI MALE KATHMANDU CALICUT SALALAH KUALA LUMPUR BANGKOK CHITTAGONG MUKHAIZNA DUBAI LAHORE-ISLAM ABBAD MANGALORE-ABU DHABI SALALAH BANGKOK BAHRAIN JEDDAH DUBAI BOMBAY CALICUT KUALA LUMPUR TEHRAN DUQUM OMAN DELHI MUKHAIZNA DUBAI HYDERABAD DOHA DOHA LUCKNOW DUBAI BAHRAIN KUWAIT SHARJAH MADRAS BANGKOK-KARACHI DUBAI SALALAH DUBAI AMSTERDAM-DOHA DUBAI DELHI CHITTAGONG BOMBAY AMMAN COCHIN DUBAI MADRAS DOHA COLOMBO LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI AHMEDABAD SALALAH AHMEDABAD-BOMBAY DOHA ZURICH-DUBAI BOMBAY BAHRAIN FRANKFURT-ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN SALALAH DAMMAM ABU DHABI SALALAH ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM

0005 0005 0005 0010 0015 0100 0150 0210 0215 0345 0350 0355 0405 0405 0415 0430 0550 0640 0650 0700 0710 0730 0805 0815 0815 0820 0830 0835 0850 0855 0915 0920 0920 0930 0930 0940 0940 0940 1010 1010 1015 1035 1100 1110 1140 1200 1205 1210 1210 1215 1230 1235 1245 1330 1330 1430 1440 1445 1525 1530 1550 1555 1710 1720 1720 1720 1730 1730 1730 1730 1740 1745 1745 1750 1800 1810 1900 1915 1920 1935 1945 1950 2030 2120 2125 2125 2125 2130 2135 2140 2145 2200 2210 2225 2240 2240 2250 2300 2305 2310 2315 2320 2325 2330 2330 2335 2335 2345 2350 2350 2355 2355

FLT NO

DEPARTURES TO

ETD

FLT NO

DEPARTURES TO

ETD

AI986 LX243 9W539 BA072 LH619 WY685 WY251 WY201 WY225 WY235 WY601 WY345 WY341 WY431 WY241 WY151 WY643 WY313 WY637 WY657 WY115 WY667 WY123 WY143 4H584 WY691 PK230 TK777 WY267 EK867 FZ042 QR1133 EY385 WY617 WY3921 GF561 WY903 WY603 WY273 WY215 WY325 WY291 NL769 FZ044 WY283 WY245 WY231 WY3301 G9115 WY815 WY203 WY905 WY605 WY253 WY717 EK863 EY383 WY655 IX554 IX442 QR1129 9W533 G9842 WY631 IX350 FZ038 PA451 WY101 WY663 WY413 WY3303 WY927 WY609 WY405 WY331 WY913 WY675 FZ046 WY613 WY623 QR1127 WY681 WY907 GF565 WY661 WY647 WY653 WY695 EK865 WY909 G9117 WY611 WY635 FZ048 WY825 WY915 AI978 FZ050 KL442 9W529 6.00E+82 AI908 AI974 QR1135 GF567 WY901 EY381 WY673

BOMBAY DUBAI-ZURICH BOMBAY ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT RIYADH MADRAS BOMBAY COCHIN HYDERABAD DUBAI ISLAM ABBAD LAHORE TEHRAN DELHI ZURICH KUWAIT CHITTAGONG ABU DHABI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT DOHA MUNICH-PARIS MALPENSA DACCA DAMMAM LAHORE BAHRAIN-ISTANBUL LUCKNOW DUBAI DUBAI DOHA ABU DHABI KHASAB DUQUM OMAN BAHRAIN SALALAH DUBAI JAIPUR TRIVANDRUM KARACHI CALICUT LAHORE DUBAI BANGALORE DELHI HYDERABAD MUKHAIZNA SHARJAH BANGKOK BOMBAY SALALAH DUBAI MADRAS ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM DUBAI ABU DHABI BAHRAIN TRIVANDRUM COCHIN DOHA COCHIN RAS AL KHAIMA ABU DHABI CALICUT DUBAI LAHORE LONDON HEATHROW DOHA AMMAN MUKHAIZNA SALALAH DUBAI CAIRO KATHMANDU SALALAH JEDDAH DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI DOHA RIYADH SALALAH BAHRAIN DOHA KUWAIT BAHRAIN DAMMAM DUBAI SALALAH SHARJAH DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI KUALA LUMPUR SALALAH HYDERABAD-BANGALORE DUBAI DOHA-AMSTERDAM TRIVANDRUM BOMBAY MADRAS DELHI DOHA BAHRAIN SALALAH ABU DHABI JEDDAH

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BOMBAY DUBAI-ZURICH BOMBAY ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW ABU DHABI-FRANKFURT KARACHI TRIVANDRUM MADRAS BOMBAY BANGKOK COCHIN HYDERABAD DUBAI JAIPUR KUALA LUMPUR LAHORE DELHI BANGALORE BAHRAIN ABU DHABI COLOMBO DOHA MALE CHITTAGONG-DACCA ISTANBUL KARACHI ADDIS ABABA DUBAI DUBAI DOHA ABU DHABI CAIRO KHASAB SOHAR DACCA BAHRAIN SALALAH DUBAI CALICUT LAHORE DUBAI LUCKNOW HYDERABAD DELHI MUKHAIZNA SHARJAH BANGKOK SALALAH DUBAI BOMBAY CHITTAGONG MADRAS ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM DUBAI TEHRAN ABU DHABI BAHRAIN COCHIN DOHA COCHIN KATHMANDU CALICUT DUBAI LONDON HEATHROW AMMAN DOHA KUWAIT FRANKFURT DUQUM OMAN MUKHAIZNA SALALAH CHITTAGONG DUBAI MUNICH CAIRO MANGALORE ISLAM ABBAD JEDDAH MEDINA-JEDDAH DUBAI DUBAI SALALAH DUBAI RIYADH DOHA SALALAH BAHRAIN KUWAIT DOHA BAHRAIN DAMMAM DUBAI SALALAH SHARJAH DUBAI ABU DHABI KARACHI-BANGKOK DUBAI KUALA LUMPUR SALALAH DUBAI DOHA-AMSTERDAM BANGKOK TRIVANDRUM BOMBAY MADRAS DELHI DOHA BAHRAIN COLOMBO JEDDAH SALALAH ABU DHABI

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EXTRA

Bring back so-called dead words in the UK Academics have recommended that students investigate their “glorious variety” - and have offered a Top 10 favourite “lost words” to be resurrected in 2015

nly two weeks after Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, announced that he’d discovered books (which, he told his thunderstruck acolytes, “allow you to fully explore a topic — in a deeper way than most media today” — you don’t say), and a new campaign started in the US for “slow reading”, in which adherents visit a café together, silence their mobile phones and read together quietly for a whole hour, now academics at Wayne State University in Michigan have discovered that lots of “Dead Words” exist. Words that deﬁne

things still relevant to modern life, sound pretty good but have fallen out of usage. They have recommended that students investigate their “glorious variety” – and have offered a Top 10 of favourite “lost words” to be resurrected in 2015: caterwaul, concinnity, knavery, mélange, rapscallion, opsimath, obambulate, philistine, ﬂapdoodle and subtopia. One’s ﬁrst response is to say, whaddya mean “dead”? When did “mélange” die out? (It turns up all the time in Masterchef, though perhaps not the US version, being jerst a leedle too Frornch. And “philistine”? Don’t we still throw that at

DRIVE SLOWER LIVE LONGER

anyone who fails to share our taste in arthouse movies or Monteverdi? I cannot see a keyring, crammed with keys, hanging from the belt of some bloke’s jeans without sighing for the loss of the most beautiful word in the dictionary — “chatelaine”, meaning the big circle of keys attached to a woman’s belt (and symbolising that she runs the house). One’s second response is to say, well if you like them apples, how about these? The dictionary is full of characterful words that just need some regular airing to bring them back into popular discourse. One cannot contemplate the

forthcoming election debates without thinking of “bloviate”, a word coined by Warren G Harding, the US president, to mean “to speak for as long as the occasion warrants while saying precisely nothing”. Any appearance by Russell Brand these days prompts one to accuse him of “sesquipedalian” talk — verbiage that’s many-syllabled and comes from Horace’s sesquipedalis, meaning a word “one-anda-half feet long”. Brand was more fun when he was merely full of “rodomontade”, meaning boastful talk — it derives from the braggart Rodomonte, a character in the Orlando epics. It’s been a while

since anyone suggested that errant public ﬁgures have disgraced their family ancestors and descendants. So it would be nice to see the return of “escutcheon”, meaning a family shield with armorial bearings, and the phrase “a blot on the escutcheon” meaning a stain of the family’s reputation. It’s one of those Victorian words that just sound good, like “tatterdemalion”, meaning a ragamuffin, and “dundreary”, meaning long sideburns without a beard, as worn by Bradley Wiggins, and “rubicund” meaning red in the face or complexion but, more generally, well-disposed in a Dickensian way. -John Walsh/The Independent

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W EDN ESDAY, JANUARY 21, 20 1 5

EXTRA NEW BRANDS TO KNOW THIS SEASON

B O L LY W O O D

Priyanka excited about public chat with fans ACTRESS Priyanka Chopra is upbeat about engaging in a public chat with her fans via Viber, a mobile communications app offering free messaging and high deﬁnition quality calls. Viber on Tuesday announced the launch of Priyanka’s public chat, which allows users to discover, share and follow live discussions from a wide variety of celebrities, personalities and brands across many genres including music, sports, fashion, entertainment and more. Anyone on Viber can follow as many of these chats as they like on their mobile device. Conversations are multimedia, and include text, photos, audio, video, stickers, web links and more. Users can invite friends to follow the Public Chats that interest them, and can share content. Priyanka started her chat by saying: “Happy New Year, I think this is a great way to start the new year to connect with all of you, I am excited to be here and look forward to some fun and meaningful interactions. The National Award winning artiste’s group has garnered great response, said Anubhav Nayyar, country head, Viber India.

Varun Dhawan ﬂoored by ‘Badlapur’ response

The start of a fresh fashion season brings with it a host of emerging names and exciting relaunches to brighten the months to come No Ka ’Oi The increasing crossover between sports performance gear and ready-to-wear has its downsides — the coining of words such as “athleisure” for instance — but abominations aside, it also means that great brands such as No Ka’Oi are on the rise. Named after the Hawaiian for “excellence”, No Ka’Oi is an Italian label with the functional importance of yoga apparel at its heart, but with an added stylish spin. Modern and graphic, the brand aims to cater for those who ﬁnd yoga’s effects on physical and mental well-being appealing but don’t want to settle for boring or basic apparel for their practice. Looking good can certainly help with feeling good, so the spring/summer collection’s clean lines, interesting textures and bold colour palette will ensure it is put to plenty of use outside yoga studios and gyms. Faustine Steinmetz Forget everything you think you know about designer denim. Parisian-born, Central Saint Martins graduate Faustine Steinmetz has reinvented the material by turning an industrialised process on its head to create something truly precious. Her beautiful pieces are made entirely by hand in the UK: denim is hand-

woven on huge looms, then hand-dyed and ﬁnished. A host of impressive international stockists coupled with Newgen sponsorship should ensure Steinmetz goes on to achieve great things. Molly Goddard Molly Goddard may have left her MA course at Central Saint Martins a year early, but she’s evidently no slacker. The west London native presented her debut collection during London Fashion Week in September, with an off-schedule teenage-party themed event in a Mayfair church hall where 20 of her best friends modelled partywear-inspired dresses to a karaoke soundtrack. Goddard’s ﬁrst London stockist is Dover Street Market, which has also commissioned her to create an instore installation — a ringing endorsement, if ever there was one. Raey Matchesfashion.com has long boasted a great edit of designer collections, but in-house label Freda has lost its spark along the way. So Rachael “Raey” Proud, formerly of Christopher Kane, was brought in to update the brand.

Proud has come up trumps, with mix and match collections of elevated essentials in luxurious materials for men and women. Cecilie Copenahgen Necessity may not be the mother of all fashionable inventions, but when Cecilie Jorgensen found herself in a fix one night, she created a tunic from some worn scarves. Compliments flowed and the Danish design school student began to make tops for her friends. Jorgensen has gradually expanded her offering of easy-to-wear separates. Picked up by Browns this season, the first delivery sold out within a day. Nicopanda Nicola Formichetti, super-stylist and Lady Gaga collaborator turned artistic director of Diesel, is renowned for his playful, eclectic and ambitious approach to fashion. Now, the line he launched in 2011 as cartooncovered merchandise has been transformed into a unisex fashion brand. A clever mix of avant-garde and accessible, there are ruffles and frills a-plenty in this kitsch collection. -Rebecca Gonsalves/The Independent

ACTOR Varun Dhawan is excited by the response that his dark, intense revenge drama Badlapur has garnered. The actor feels the appreciation will act as an impetus for the small budget movie. Just two songs from the film have been released — Jee karda and Jeena jeena — but both of them have taken the audience by storm with their intensity and depth. The film’s teaser also adds to the dose of intensity with Varun taking over the big screen in a whole new look accompanied by anger and a spirit of vengeance. “#badlapur teaser is at 3m and #jeekarda over 1m views and #JeenaJeena getting the love. Can’t believe this small film is getting big love TY,” he tweeted. Badlapur, which also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi and Divya Dutta, is set to release on February 20.

Lara Dutta celebrates daughter’s third birthday TIME IS ﬂying, but Lara Dutta is having fun! The actress and former beauty queen’s daughter turned three Tuesday. “And so my little girl turns 3!!:-) . Big day planned for her! Time ﬂies when your having fun,” Lara, who is married to tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, tweeted. “One of the most challenging ‘mom’ moments — picking out a birthday cake with your almost 3 yr old!!! One that THINKS she knows her mind,” she had tweeted earlier. -IANS

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M W E D N E S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

SECTION

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

RENT

VACANCY

CARGO

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

W E D N E S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR RENT

OFFICES FOR RENT - Premium offices to let a very good location on the main road very close to Zakher Mall, Al Khawiar. Business Center has offices with sizes of 50m2, 110m2, 180m2, 207m2, 230m2, 437m2. - Showroom also available at Business Center, Area 500m2 with central A/c. - Offices with Central Air-conditions, Security System with CCTV cameras, and Security presence in the building.

Contact: 97377355 / 95530121, Email id: aaleem@ggcoman.com

New warehouse for rent at Ghala ind. area. 578 & 1200 sqms near. hotel al-madinah holiday, Ghala. Container can enter, immediate access to roads & highways.Contact : 92078090

3BHK, (3 bathroom and big hall) opp. Apollo Hospital, Hamariya R/A (OMR 300/-) Contact 91181761 2 BR flat for rent in Wadi Kabir next to Al Maha Petrol Pump. Rent RO 300 pm. contact 99440826 Fully furnished rooms for rent for family. Contact 99251975, Al Khuwair For store, workshop in Wadi Kabir Industrial Area 5/5 m. Contact 99374977 2 bedrooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality. Contact 24700120, 92584715 2 shops, store accommodation, Barka Sanayya opposite Al Khalili. Contact 92423401 1&2 BHK flat & Shop for rent at MBD, Hamriya, Hallat sad, Al Khoudh area. Contact: 24834644, 93994401, 02, 03 150 Sqm Store, Darsait, RO 300/-. Contact 95076261 1 BHK near Medical, Darsait, RO 175/-. Contact 98748925 2 bedroom fully furnished luxurious flat for rent at Ghala for long term or short term basis. Contact 97762321 Studio, Al Athaibah, ground floor, 1 BHK, hall, 2 bathrooms, family only. RO 250/-. Contact 92479515 Flat, Al Ghubrah near Indian School, 2 BHK , RO 325, family only, 3 bathroom, living room. Contact 92479515

Showroom space available in Qurum. Road Facing prime location. commercially viable and affordable. Contact- 98839950

For rent at Al Khuwair, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sitting, dining, kitchen split A/C near Rawasco, 1st ﬂoor. Rent 480 PDC. Contact 99879939

Twin villa at Al-Kuwair 33. Six rooms with bathrooms. 670 OMR, contact: 99414767. Families only.

For rent at Ruwi, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting, dining, kitchen with A/C near Al Falaj Hotel, Ruwi, Way 2116 building 577, rent RO 275, PDC. Contact 99879939

Office space with cassette type A/C’s with free internet at al Khuwair near KM Hypermarket. Contact 99460330

For rent at Al Khuwair, 1 room with bathroom (Independent), near Rawasco with split A/C, 2nd ﬂoor, rent RO 125 PDC. Contact 99879939

Office space for rent in Ruwi, OMR 500. Contact 91120552 Flat for rent in Al Khuwair 33. Contact 99003626

2 BHK Commercial, Al Khuwair, RO 375/-. Contact 92144045

Villa Al Athaibah near Oman post, 3 BHK hall, living room, maids room, split A/c, family only, RO 600/-. Contact 92479515

2 BHK with split A/C in Wadi Kabir, Sana Building furnished. Contact 96635026 6 shops in Mabela Industrial Area. Each Front Shop OMR 400 and Side Shop OMR 300Monthly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

One bedroom flat, Muttrah, Corniche. Contact 99414644 1 BHK with A/C, Al Ghubrah, RO 275/-. Contact 92144045 Family villa & flats at Al Ansab and Awabi. Contact 98458542 2 BHK flats Muttrah near Oman House. Contact 97007934 / 92629232 1 BHK at Ghobrah - Near Indian School. Contact: 99014885 Al Qurum heights Sea view. Contact 99249069 / 92888376/ 93201688

3 ﬂats in Mabellah for rent. Contact 99445177 500 Sq Mtrs industrial land, leveled, ready to use with boundary wall, in Misfah industrial Area, block 2 near Baladiyah Camp, RO 600/-, monthly. Contact 94030814 1000 Sq Mtrs, Industrial Land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse workshop etc. Contact 24700120, 92584715

Flat in Darsait. Contact 99326879 Flat for rent in Al Hail, North near The Wave, Muscat. Contact 99353433, 99271017 New bldg 3 BR ﬂats located at Darsait, Muscat close to Kims Pvt Hospital. Contact 92020004 / 99800838 Office space & store, CBD 20059. Contact 99024730

Fully furnished one bedroom penthouse Wadi Kabir behind Sana Hassan, weekly RO.140/- Monthly RO 350/- Contact – 99349990 1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khan co. OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and boundary wall will be provided. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Family room available for rent at Muttrah Souq. Contact 24712088 / 99022790

Flat, shops, basement, Ruwi-MBD Area, Honda Road. Contact 96942749, 92433127 2 BHK, Al Khuwair. Contact 99024730 Spacious well maintained 2 BHK at Rex Road from 1st February. Contact 92227165 2 BHK, CBD. Contact 99024730 2 BHK, Darsait near Kims Hospital. Contact 99024730 1 & 2 BHK & villa 3 BR-Darsait near ISM & ISD. Contact 99024730 1 BHK, 2 BHK, Ghala, new bldg. Contact 99024730 1 BHK, Wadi Kabir. Contact 99024730 Flat for Rent in Ruwi, Bareeq Shatti, Mawalah. Contact 92521080, 98899916 Flat for rent Ghubrah South, ground floor flat, 3 bedrooms, majlis, family hall, RO 425/-. Contact 94669711 6 bedroom villas at Al Ansab (nr Express highway). Contact 99199365 Villas & flats & stores. Contact 99776071 / 99057348 2 BHK Pent House with split A/C in all rooms, very spacious balcony with sea & city view RO 350, 2 BHK RO 340, Bldg #1619, Way #1322 adjacent to Indian Nursery Darsait. Contact 99476728 / 99831047 Villa, ground floor in Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569, 97004265

W E D N E S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

2 BHK with window A/C in Al Khoudh rent RO 250/-. Contact 97661432

I room with attached toilet in Al Hail for bachelor, rent RO 100 to RO 130/-. Contact 97661432 Industrial empty plots 1000 – 15000 sqm are available in Misfah / Jiffnain rent for long lease, RO 1.200 per sq mt. Contact 96789522 1 BHK bedroom flat in Wadi Kabir neat Kuwaiti Mosque RO 200/-. Contact 95094028 Abu Adnan Tower - flat for rent available at Al Mabelah, 2 B/R, 1 hall, 2 toilets, 1 kitchen. Contact 95566475 / 99654252 1 / 3 BHK Flat Ghobrah, close to ISG Way 4041, building 4390. Contact 99319880 2 BHK flat for rent RO.350/- at Al Khuwair near Sultan Taimur Mosque. Contact – 98893294 1 BHK residential flat at Honda road. 2 BHK residential flat opposite to Al Nahdha hospital. Contact93219590 Flat for rent 2 bedrooms one hall in South Al Hail. RO 270. #93221474 1 BHK flat Qurum RO.270/- with split A/C. Contact – 99358589 / 95570288 /97079146 2 BHK flat at Al Khuwair RO.370/with split A/C. Contact – 99358589 / 95570288 /97079146 If require flats for rent in Wadi Kabir please send messages through Whatsapp or call – 99376454 Luxury 2 bed room villa at BausherAL Ansab Phase 3.Call. 99324456 2 BHK at Al Azaiba, Building No.5145 Way 4470. Contact 99224748, 99425665 2 BR, 2 toilets, kitchen at Al Mawaleh. #99444786, 99747560

Constructed warehouse 3000 sq mt with boundary wall & gate in Misfah ready for lease or rent for long term. Rent RO 3.500 per sq. mt. Contact 96789522 We have 1 BHK, 2 BHK, 3 BHK flats, 4, 5 bedrooms villa, open space offices & shops available in Ghala, Ghobrah, Qurum, Mabela, Ruwi, Darsait, Mumtaz, Wadi Kabir. All brand new buildings & very affordable prices. Contact 93782735 / 99208033 For rent apartments: An apartment in old Muscat at Oman Arab Bank’s building. 3 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms, dining room, living room and a kitchen. Air conditioned apartments. 2 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms, living room, dining room area and kitchen in an excellent location in Al Khuwair opposite the court of first instance. For further information call 97072976 Apartments in Al Khuwair new area each apartment contains (2 bedrooms + living room) for RO 365. # 93181111 3 bedroom furnished Executive Apartment @Al Khuwair 25, 2 BR fully furnished Executive Apartment @Azaiba near Zubair Showroom, 2 BR fully furnished executive Apartment @Al Khuwair 33 near Zakher Mall. Please contact : Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC, 99249069 / 92888376 / 93201688, email : info@alshahiintl.com Industrial Land in Misfah. Contact 93009999 1 BHK with attached toilet & bathroom behind Bank Muscat at Wadi Kabir. Contact 99373290, 24815012 Flats and shops. Contact 93009999 For rent (flats), 2 bedrooms + hall +kitchen, location: South Al Mawaleh. Contact 99870020 1 / 3 BHK Flat Ghobrah, close to ISG Way 4041, building 4390. Contact 99319880

New fully equipped 2 chair dental clinic in Seeb area for immediate sale. MOH approved. # 94514045

BUYING/SELLING

Restaurant for leasing/sale in Al Hail. Contact 94148970, 94148972, 97820877

We are looking for construction company at any level to buy. Contact: 97413496 Looking for purchase of Used Portable Compressor (350 CFM, 7 Bar Pressure) powered with Diesel run Generator. Kindly Contact 99014686 or operation@khancogroup.com Looking for commercial lands for sale in Al Ghobrah North (urgent serious buyers, commercial lands in al Ghobrah North (corners prime location). Contact 91155779

FOR RENT Show room on the main road Saham center total area 450 m sq. Contact: 99366558 / 99334226 Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat. Contact 99349526 Flats ground floor, 3 Rooms & AC, kitchen, hall, in Al Mabaila South. Contact 99377290 2 B/ R Fully Furnished Executive Apartment @ Al Khuwair 33 Near Zaker Mall. 3 Bedroom Furnished executive apartment @ Al Khuwair 25 5 B/R Luxury Fully Furnished villas at Azaiba with servants, 3 Bedroom Unfurnished Villa @ Mawalah South Area 6 with Servant Quarter, 5 Bedroom Unfurnished Villa @ An Apartment that resembles a penthouse has 2 rooms with 2 toilets, living room & an elegant balcony. Fully furnished, suited for families. Final price RO.300/- Mabela 8 near German University. Contact 99888400 New Villa for Rent Two floors newly built villa in Maabillah, 8 Full-fledged Residential Area 6 Rooms, 8 Toilets, excellent finishing spacious Kitchen, Big Dining Rooms in Both Floors, Easy Access to Muscat and Sohar using Maabillah Bridge. Contact 92828303

A/C spares shop for sale in Seeb. Contact 92693304 / 91445876 Villa for sale in new Al Khoudh. Contact 99778773

FOR SALE For sale Professional sound system contact 99353978

Running Medical Centre with full equipments is available for sale. Those interested can contact 98994208.

Well running fast food and coffee shop for sale or rent in Al Khuwair. Contact 97646492

Clinic for sale. Contact 99824232, email : modern.medicalclinic@gmail. com

Sale of used commercial kitchen equipment in Ghala. Contact 99024519

Dental clinic for sale in Sohar. Contact immediately 99705760,92625962

600 sq mtrs residential land in Misfah Phase 2. OMR 25 Thousand. Tel : 99333479 or 95215360

Flats for Sale in Bowshar: OMR 35 Thousand 1 bedroom. OMR 45 Thousand 2 bedroom. Monthly income 1 bedroom OMR 270 and 2 bedroom OMR 350. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Sinaw Gift House & Shopping Center for sale at Sinaw in good condition, with very good business opportunities. Contact 99738014, 95652642 Good running boutique and ladies tailoring shop in MBD Area for immediate sale. Contact 95123679, 99885298 Toshiba Laptop I 3, 3 GB ram, 500 GB hard disk with traffic card, in very good condition. Contact 94412557 Aluminum scaffolding, folding type with tire and accessories, electric hot plate 5 burner with grill full stainless steel body, CT runner, thread mill sparingly used one year old. Contact 99359698 If you have any empty land, plot, building, villa to sell. Contact with all information : info@goldenllc.com Beauty Salon, Wadi Kabir, Al Hassan Co. Contact 95241147, 96700192 Darsait Business Office furniture, Isuzu 4 ton brand new. Contact 91391363

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka. OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 A newly opened Barber Shop for sale at upcoming industrial zone in Misfah. Expat leaving Oman. Genuine buyers call 93833107 (Sale Price Negotiable) Running Workshop for Tiles / Marble & Granite cutting & skirting in Wadi Kabir for immediate sale. Contact 99105492 Household items on sale. Contact 93833107 Port cabins – New & refurnished Porta cabin for sale and rent. Contact 96723468 Sale!, all household items, like fridge, freezer, cooking range, washing machine, window/split A/Cs, LCD TV, Laptop, tab and many more for attractive prices. Location : near Toyota service Center, Honda Road. Contact - 97048983, 95293643

3 floor commercial building in Muttrah behind Police. Generating income of OMR 18 Thousand annually. Neat and well maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR 207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

AVAILABLE Established Restaurant for rent with sponsorship.Contact 97628242 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. www.tunesoman. com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished single room with separate bathroom near al meera hypermarket, azaiba. Gsm 94288863 Sharing room with A/c and attached toilet available for non cooking bachelors for male/ Female. opp. of Al nada hospital service road, Street name- Hellat Al Saad, bldg.no. 1670. Contact no. 96913801 Furnished room with AC for expat, Al Khuwair. Contact 99689315 / 97004265 Fully furnished big room with sharing toilet, kitchen immediately available for Executive bachelor in N.Gubrah. Contact-95450250 Room available in Ruwi near Badr Al Samaa for Executive bachelor or couple, RO 125/- including W/E. Contact 92196783 Contd on Pg 6

W E D N E S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian female, 25 yrs, bachelors of businesses management, having experience of 5 years as a fund/ ﬁnancial administration, on visit visa,looking for suitable placement. Contact 94662416 Apurwaverma@gmail.com Indian Male 25 years B.Com having 3 years of exp of Oman in Accounts/Administration.Well versed with computer knowledge looking for suitable position. Immidiately available. Contact:93207867 email: tambeazhar@gmail.com Chartered Accountant, 10+ yrs experience, B.Com, CA, CIA. Immediate availability. Audit, Finance. Contact 94641805 Accounts Manager, 8 yrs experience in trade, construction and real estate looking for suitable placement. Contact 94669596

EDUCATION Required English teacher for KG 1 / KG II. Contact 97163777, 99429352

ENGINEERS

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Required experienced Accountant Tally, excellent English & driving license. Contact – omanlaw.om@gmail.com / 24497762 / 92192510 Male Accouuntant required in Ghala. Candidates present in Oman only. # 99454425, Email: qamest@omantel.net.om Indian male having 14 years of experience in Various dept. (stockbroking Dealing, Back Office Accounts, Dmat, Settlement, Risk management, Maintaining Books of accounts ETC). Having Good Computer Knowledge seeking suitable placement Email Id: vora_bharat@yahoo.com, +91 9820240094

ADMIN Construction Company requires female executive assistant, with good computer and communication skills, advanced English, ﬂuent Arabic. Please send your CV harun.koyyar@adaliholding.com

CATERING Urgently required Indian / Chinese cooks, Waiters, Waitresses for a reputed restaurant in Ruwi Area. Contact 99704304 / 93427614 / 93462113

DRIVER A reputed Catering Company in Muscat urgently requires Omani heavy truck (Freezer) drivers – 4 yrs experience with PDO license will mostly be preferred. Interested candidates send CV to : email : info@ rcsoman.com or fax : 24478123, GSM : 99869949 / 95892831 Wanted driver. Contact 95112461

DESIGNER Urgently required Interior Designer qualiﬁed with minimum 5 yrs experience, capable to execute internal / external decorations to work for a leading construction company. Email : alfayafy@outlook.com or fax : 24479675 Required part time web designer with experience in CMS background. Send your CV & sample work to hrmedia123@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELPER European woman looking for someone to look after baby. Contact 99797290 European Family looking for maid and or cook. Email: cv.lo.oman@gmail.com

Omani Trainers & OJT’s for Mechanical / Electrical / Instrumentation & Business with suitable qualiﬁcation and min 5 yrs experience in Oil & Gas. Very attractive salary offered. Suitable candidates send your CV to trainingjobsoman@gmail.com

MANAGER Brand new restaurant requires: Restaurant Managers – Degree / Diploma in Hotel Management with minimum 5/6 yrs Gulf experience. Omani / Yamani cook minimum 5 yrs experience. Interested candidates send CV to : Email : info@rcsoman.com or fax : 24478123, GSM : 95892831

MECHANICAL Urgently required AC Mechanic. Contact 97075347 / 99747684

LAWYER

SALES / MARKETING

Required urgently a Legal consultant /Lawyer for reputed law ﬁrm for SOHAR office. Candidates should have 5-7 yrs exp. as a Legal Consultant/ Lawyer with good knowledge of Computer & should be ﬂuent in English. Contact 99153620 Email C V to shejaanil66@gmail.com or between 8am to 5.30 pm.

Urgently required a dynamic Marketing Executive for a furniture company. Should posses a valid Omani Driving License. Contact 97164554 / aliasgar@ultimate-furniture.com

MEDICAL Required laboratory technician & 4 nurse Filipina (female) for health center in Sohar. Contact: 92369417, Email: shaﬁi_17@hotmail.com Wanted Pharmacist (B.Pharm), Staff Nurses (female), Dental Technician (Acrylic, Ceramic & veneer experience), with or without MOH license for a polyclinic near Sohar. Excellent Salary package. Contact 99006915, dxbclinic@yahoo.com Wanted female physiotherapist with MOH License. Send CV at Email : info@sagarpolyclinic.com Required experienced Pharmacist with MOH License for a New Pharmacy in Muscat. Contact 95146957, email : medicare@fusionlogicoman.com Urgently required a GP Doctor with MOH license for a leading Medical Clinic. # 92008272 / 96602188, email : dearnaif@hotmail.com Urgently required an experienced Pharmacist with MOH License for a reputed Pharmacy in Muscat. Please send CV to newcareesr2015@gmail.com Reqd 1 Lady Doctor (Internist) with 3 yrs experience in Oman. One female Nurse with atleast 3 yrs experience in Oman. For newly established clinic in Ruwi. Send your detailed CV to mohamedsfarah@ hotmail.com, Tel : 91283188 Wanted MBBS Doctor, Staff Nurse and Lab Technician for a Clinic in Capital Area. Please contact 93431024, send CV to drasyanaseem@gmail.com Dentist required to work urgently in dreams clinic at Al Khoud and must be resident in Sultanate of Oman. Please send your CV to the following email – towershr70@gmail.com / balushi70@gmail.com / info@towersinternationalgroups.com Mobile – 99882340 / 24545914 General practitioner Doctor is required to work urgently in Dreams Clinic at Al Khoudh and must be resident in the Sultanate of Oman. Please send your CV to the following email: towershr70@gmail.com, balushi70@gmail.com & info@towersinternationalgroups. com, Mobile 99882340, Tel: 24545914 Required Physiotherapist. Contact: 91453024

Urgently required Sales Personnel (full time / part time) - 5 to 10 yrs experience in Building Materials, knowledge of Arabic is an advantage, should have car. Email : alnajjardevelopmentco@gmail.com Reputed Building Materials Company looking for Outdoor Sales Executive having valid Omani D/L with more than 2 yrs Local Sales Experience in Tiles/Sanitaryware. Please fax your CV to 24798709 / email : united@omantel.net.om A reputed Electrical Material Company is looking for dynamic & hardworking salesman with minimum 2 yrs experience in same ﬁeld of GCC with valid GCC Driving License for its Mussanah office for Al-Batina Region. Send CV to al.senair@gmail.com, contact : 98534685, 26868984 Looking for outdoor salesman for heavy equipments. Contact- 93292015, 99656542 Salesman for Printing Press materials like Printing Press Plates, inks, rollers etc. Must have worked in a printing press and know the products well. Job is in Dubai with visa and good salary. Apply to sales@ies-oman.com UPVC Doors and Windows Company urgently require Sales and Marketing Person, experience 3-5 yrs in same industry with Oman Driving License. Contact 99475701, email : siju.greentech@gmail.com

Indian male, B.Com with 2 yrs Oman exp & 4.5 yrs Accounts exp looking for suitable placement in Accounts with NOC letter. Email : parasunadkat12@gmail.com Part time Accounts & Finalization job. Contact 96536955 Pakistani Male MBA having 4 years experience in Accounting looking for job.NOC Available. Contact# 95610772 Accountant, B.Com, MBA, Indian male, having 4 yrs GCC exp in similar field, valid Omani D/L & NOC available. shinuyesodharan@gmail. com, contact : 91719385 Indian male, 24 yrs MBA, having 2 yrs of experience in financial accounting finalization, knowledge of Tally, ERP, focus, wings, PEACHTREE, MS Excel, Payroll, currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement available immediately. Contact 91058205, email : aslammohammed10@gmail.com Indian male, 29 yrs, Accounts / Administrator, 1.8 yrs exp in Gulf seeking employment for suitable position. NOC available. Contact 93581182 Pakistani male, 25 yrs, MBA Finance, 1.6 yrs exp in Accounts seeking placement in Accounts, Administration or Business Management. Contact 92651927 / 94250149 Male, 4 yrs of experience as Financial Analyst looking for suitable position. Contact 94140728 Female Accountant with 4 years experience in Oman seeking suitable placement. Contact 98721909 B.Com Graduate, 3 yrs experience in Accounts, Indian male, looking for accounts or suitable job. Contact- afsarsabith@yahoo.com, 93975526 Part time Accountant with 15 yrs exp in Accounting, Auditing, Taxation Management. Contact 95857199 Finance Manager, CPA, with more than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC. Fully knowledgeable in Finance, General & Management Accounting . NOC available. Contact 96209331 Accounts part time works upto finalization & finalization works. Contact 96247295

Leading Construction company requires young purchase assistant with Oman driving license. Email : nikunj@uniqueom.com.

Pakistani Male, 26 yrs, MS-Supply Chain & Project Management, BSFinance & Business Administration, +2 yrs experience in Trading Firm responsible for Supply Chain & Accounts. Skills including strong operation managerial Communication & interpersonal, ﬂuent in English, SAP and EPM. Contact 94663827, email : musadiqfayyaz@gmail.com

Required an experienced person who has ideas to start a new business in electrical ﬁeld or supply with minimum cost. Contact 99426421

Accountant / Auditor, Srilankan male 27, having 3+ yrs experience looking for suitable placement. Contact 93556320

Highly reputed Perfume Company requires Omani Sales girl promoters. Contact 95663682, 92956876

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Required driver with car, looking for a person with experience in making gift boxes and special packing. Send CV to am.taj41@gmail.com

SIT.WANTED Well experienced MOH Licensed Indian female staff nurse looking for placement under contract with Schools, Medical Centres, other Institutions. Contact 98140024.

Indian male, 32 years, M. Com. 7 out of 9 years experience in Oman in Accounts/ﬁnance. Having NOC and valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143, Email: anzarks@gmail.com Indian Male, MBA 2 yrs experience in Accounts, Admin & HR on visit visa. Contact 92045306 India Accountant: Male, M com, 7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to ﬁnalization, having knowledge of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placement. Contact:93950138 Email: lijinrajan123@gmail.com

ADMIN/HR Indian male MBA 32 yrs having 10 yrs of exp seeking suitable placement in Admin/ HR/ Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics etc. Holding valid Oman D/L . Contact - 99054786 Post Graduate Indian male, MBA (Hospital Administration) having 4 Years experience in hospital administration looking for suitable placement. Currently on visit. Contact: 96701543, 92945632 HR & Admin Assistant, 26 yrs Indian male having 6+Yrs of experience looking for suitable position. Contact 93264616 Indian female with excellent communication skills, conﬁdent, dedicated to work and enthusiastic. Knowledge about ms office. Has 6 years of experience in customer service, telecommunication, HR.Looking for immediate placement. Contact # 97348819

ARCHI./ DRAUGHTSMAN 28 yrs Indian male, M.Arch, 3.5 yrs exp in Green Building Architecture seeking placement. Contact 91540113, Email: abdulmomin.h@gmail.com 30Male, 3D Designer, 5 yrs exp, software command in autocad, 3dmax, , illustrator & Photoshop seeks immediate placement GSM 93481811

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Indian male on Visit Visa. Expert in ELV systems, Instrumentation, PID controllers, Embedded systems, Electronics CAD. 20years experience. Contact 98915066 Indian Civil Engineer, M.Tech in Construction Management, Primavera Expert looking for suitable placement. Contact 92550987 Indian female, Electrical Engineer (family visa) M-Tech in Power System having 1 yr experience seeking suitable placement. Contact 94306164 Mechanical Engineer,(BE in Mechanical) with Certiﬁed quality controller - NDT level 2 qualiﬁed as per ASNT - SNT-TC-I A, having experience as quality control engineer in India, presently on visit visa, seeks suitable placement . Cont : suhylehameed@gmail.com / 95405033 Indian male, (MCA, B.Sc Maths) locally available with 4 yrs experience in Software Engineering (IOS Development) also experienced IT & Maths Teacher. Contact 93396053, 93927437, email: vishnursk@gmail.com Indian male, 28 yrs, Electrical Engineer, 5 yrs Gulf Oman experience in HV and LV Installation work seeking placement. NOC available. Contact 91391587

CATERING

Diploma Civil Engineer, Indian male, 29, 4 yrs experience in building construction ﬁeld, 2 yrs experience with consulting company in Oman driving license and release available from current company. Contact 93282447, cv.shihabedappal@gmail.com

Bangladeshi male, Arabic cook, 10 yrs experience UAE, 2 yrs Oman. Contact 94360784

Diploma in Civil Engineer, 6 yrs experience in Oman with D/L. Contact 94052815

AutoCAD jobs, Preparing Working/ Shop Drawings & Civil Quantity Surveying jobs. Contact : 92758095

DESIGNER Indian female, 25yrs BscFASHION DESIGNING, 3yers experience in designing ﬁeld and teaching. looking for a sutable placement. Contact: 98785310. Email: vinaya.m.nair@gmail.com Interior Designer, Indian male, have 5 yrs experience with Oman License looking for a suitable job. Email : sijithpattath@gmail.com, 93779308

DRIVER Light Driver having own visa looking for job as driver Contact 92303692 Light driver looking for job. Contact 94077119 Driver with car. Contact 91452930 Indian Driver need job with car. Contact 91254539 Light vehicle driver looking for job, experience 2 yrs. Contact 94195818 LV Driver- 2 yrs Exp-know English- Contact 95292064 Light vehicle driver looking for job. Contact 95141473 Pakistani male, having one year exp as light vehicle driver looking for job. Contact 96342684 Bangladeshi Driver seeking job, 3 yrs exp. Contact 99063175 Light Driver looking for job. Contact 92787245 Driver seeking job. Contact 99805236 6 Years experience light duty driver. Contact – 96736744 Light driver looking for job. Contact 92791678

EDUCATION Indian Female, M.Tech (A.E), B.Tech (ECE) with 1.5 yrs experience in teaching (Asst Professor) in Engineering College, seeking suitable teaching / non teaching jobs in Muscat. Contact 91532690 Email: rin2mary@gmail.com, English Teacher (M.A, B.Ed) Indian female with 2yrs of experience looking for suitable position 91507099. Indian female MSc costume design & fashion having 3 yrs exp in teaching seeking suitable job. Contact: 97614456 / 95918968

Mechanical Engineer, Indian male, 6 yrs experience, 3 yrs in GCC, seeking suitable opening in Oil & Gas Sector, have valid GCC D/L. email : msfebco@gmail.com, Contact 91228398 Indian male, 27 yrs B.A. Economics, Diploma in Fire & Safety Engineering, NEBOSH, IOSH Certification, 4 yrs exp as Safety Officer in India, on visit visa. Contact 97209656 Building Construction Sr. Site Supervisor looking for better opportunity since March 2010 in Oman with Omani D/L. Contact 93061107 Diploma in Civil Engineer, 20 yrs in Oman with D/L. Contact 94677220 39, Indian Male, Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, 6 yrs experience steel fabrication, maintenance of heavy equipments in Oman, 10 yrs in India, having Omani Driving License, NOC available. Contact 96728805, email : jansanjosep@yahoo.co.in Pakistani male, 41 yrs Electrical Foreman, 9 yrs exp in Gulf seeking employment for suitable position. NOC release. Contact 99562454, 92896190 HSE Officer, 8 yrs experience NEBOSH OSHA having NOC, seeking good opportunity. Contact 98640063 Indian Female, 24, UK Graduate - MSc Digital Communication Network Engineering with B.Tech Electronics and Communication with Omani Driving License, seeks suitable placement. Contact No. : 95408113 Sudanese Mechanical Engineer, 3 yrs experience in HVAC fire fighting, NOC and driving license available. Contact 91135140 Indian male Mechanical Engineer (M.Tech), Manufacturing Engineering, having 2 yrs Exp with Oman D/L - seeking suitable placement . NOC available. Contact: 98681278; Email : alexyvellara@gmail.com Diploma in Civil Engineer, 15 yrs Oman experience (total 28 yrs) looking for senior position with valid D/L, NOC available. Contact 99013465 Civil Engineer, Diploma, Sudanese, 5 yrs experience in Oman, have driving license. Contact 96618918 Electrical Engineer, Sudanese male, 8 yrs experience in Construction, operation, maintenance, electrical plants, responsible for electrical installation coordination. Contact 94549609

W E D N E S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED INFORMATION TECH

TOUR / TRAVELS

MISCELLANEOUS

Seeking job, BTech Instrumentation, 12 years experience Design, FEED, Detailed engineering, Oil & Gas, Instrumentation systems, Oman Driving license. Email :- wilfridsjacob@gmail.com Mobile:- 00968 99048130

M.Tech-IT professional, Indian Male specialist in Networking, Conﬁguring maintaining and managing servers, Exp in conﬁguring cisco products, Knowledge in SQL database. Contact:+968 98536430, +968 98743886

IATA Certiﬁed experienced Indian Lady looking for job. Currently on visit. Contact 94613747, 91339846

Indian Male, 31 years of Rich Oman experience in Multifunctional Management, Administration, Business Development, Purchase & Operations, seeking suitable Manager/Supervisory Position.Visa transfer/NOC Available. Contact : 95036410

B.E Mechanical Engineer, Indian Male, 29, 5 years experience in steel fabrication ﬁeld (piping and structural) as site engineer. Looking for suitable placement. Contact 96115463. Jijoraju085@yahoo.com.

Indian Male 23 yrs – IT / Prepost Sales Consultant / Business Analyst / Web Designing. 2 yrs. exp. Languages-HTML5, WebRTC, Java, CSS, C++, .Net, SQL, Oracle, ERP-Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Looking for suitable job. Contact: 98802504, email:shrihari26@gmail.com

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Civil Diploma Engineer, Indian male, 5 yrs experience in Oman with valid Omani D/L. Contact 98518370 Telecom Engineer with Bachelor Degree, CCNA female, 1 yr experience in Sales & Marketing seeking suitable job. Contact 97269189 B.E (Civil) Engineer looking for a suitable placement, driving license available. Contact 91253392 Civil Engineer (Diploma) looking for an urgent placement. Contact 95200650

B.Tech IT Professional, Indian Male with 3 yrs of Exp. In System Admin, IT Support, Networking, Installing Active Directory, DHCP, DNS,RAS, conﬁguring maintaining and managing servers, conﬁguring cisco routers, Exp in handling SQL database, With Valid Driving Licence. Contact - 968 98863507 IT Prof, MCA having 6+ yrs exp, seeks suitable position. Contact 94543668

Diploma of Associate Civil Engineering, Diploma of AutoCad, having 3.5 yrs experience, 2 yrs experience of Oman in Building Construction, valid transferrable ID Card. Contact 94378581

IT Professional, Indian male, B.Sc Graduate with 4+ yrs Gulf (UAE) good exp in System Administration, IT Support, Server Desktop, laptop, smartboard, datashow biometric, CCTV, currently on visit visa. Contact 98936548, Email: vaseemj@yahoo.com

Indian B.Tech Mechanical Engineer, 26 yrs, 4 yrs experience in HVAC/MEP. Contact 94669629, rajeevhpd15@yahoo.com

IT Network Engineer with Bachelor Degree, CCNA, RHCSA, RHCE seeking suitable job in good Company. Contact 99818601

26, female, B.Tech in Electronics & biomedical engineering with 1 And Half yrs experience in medical field is seeking suitable job openings. Email : aswathiravirak@gmail.com, ph : 94652908 Telecommunication Engineer with 5 yrs experience in the Gulf. Contact 95219822 Electrical Project Engineer, 4 yrs experience OHL, Substations, Oil & Gas field, AutoCAD. D/L available. Contact 95120225 Civil Engineer with 12 years Experience Looking For Job. Contact 98162295 Industrial Electrician with Oman Driving license. Contact 96348016 Indian male, 26 yrs B-Tech (ECE) with MBA in Marketing / HR looking for a suitable placement. Currently on visit visa valid up to 30 January 2015. Contact 93754428, email : shijosirius709@gmail.com DAE (Civil) having 3.5 years Experience 2 years from Oman with driving licences, seeking for suitable position in Construction field NOC and release available . Contact 96968554 Email: mehranahmad26@yahoo.com M. Tech Electrical Eng. Female, now in visit visa. Contact +968-94654481. B. Tech Civil Eng. 3 yrs exp in Oman with driving license. Contact 93733627. Mail id : joinvisam@gmail.com, neethusprakash@gmail.com Indian Male, IT Support Engineer, 2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experience. Contact 97311847 Jordanian Engineer Electrical 7 yrs exp. Consulting, site & shop drawing works. Ready to join immediately. Worked in UAE & Saudi Arabia. Contact - 00971555594733 Civil Engineer B Tech, Site Engineer Experienced, Drafting on Visit Visa Ph : 91642050 Looking Part time Job in HVAC93198128 Quantity Surveyor (Civil Building) looking for Part time job Contact no:-94391712 E-mail addressinayathhussain@yahoo.com Experienced female Electrical Engineer.Contact 93800906

INFORMATION TECH BCA Gratuate, Indian male with 1yr of exp in System Admin, IT Support, Network Admin and 1yr exp as sales Executive.CCNA,MCSE .looking for suitable job. # 95938303 email- hafsalhs@gmail.com IT Professional, 7 yrs exp in System Administration, IT Support, Networking etc. currently on visit visa. Contact 94064579, email : preejes01@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR MBA Graduate 10+ exp FMCG food serv. Sales channel/ Branch Manager. Contact - 99185205 Indian male Graduate with 20+ years of Administration, Operations & Management experience in IT, Oil & Gas & Hospitality Industry. 12 years in Oman with vast contacts, very strong management, operational, communication and interpersonal skills, can handle any size of business and projects whether it’s in initial stage or established. Can join immediately. Local release available on request. Contact: 9906 4589 Indian male, having 18 yrs experience in “Automatic door opening and closing system.” From Riyadh as Manager and Department Head. Contact +97466912692

MISCELLANEOUS

SALES / MARKETING

MEDICAL Female dentist with MOH license and with Noc looking for suitable placement in Muscat region Contact no. 99147426 Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378 Wanted Female Staff Nurse with MOH Licence/Prometric passed candidates (immediate placement)for a Medical Clinic in Muscat area Contact :+ 968 98185250 e mail:ﬁzashaﬁr@gmail.com Female Pharmacist with MOH license seeking suitable job Contact 93215380 Indian male, B.Sc nurse with critical care specialization, 16 yrs experience including GCC Oman Prometric passed, seeking for good posting. Contact 91124083, 96132494 Indian female Nurse, 4 yrs experience Prometric passed, seeking for good posting. Contact 92917448, 97362119 Male Nurse -prometric exam passed and valid till feb21-5year experience. Allwyn Davidallwyndavid123@gmail.com # 94686268, 92800101 Indian female, 26, Pharmacist with MOH license, 3.5 yrs of experience in India, seeking suitable placement. Contact 94474924, Email: suryacprasad88@gmail.com Indian male Pharmacist (B.Pharma) 5 1/2 years experience in Oman seeking suitable placement in Muscat. NOC from the present employer available. Contact +968 98525100 Indian Female, Dentist fresher looking for suitable placement. Contact 98857686, email : drsumbulahmad@gmail.com Home nurse. Contact 99156191

Experienced Warehouse Supervisor with 12+ yrs of Saudi Arabia experience in warehouse and stores procedures on visit visa. Contact 92983288, email: hasinabegum2000@gmail.com Techno - Commercial Manager, well experienced in Oman. Vast knowledge in Operations, Business development, Logistic / Purchase, General administration. Looking for suitable opening. NOC Possible, Contact - 96599704 Project Manager more than 20 yrs experience, 15 yrs in Sultanate of Oman in construction ﬁeld. Contact 93385789 Qualiﬁed Manager: (12+ yrs. Oman Exp.) Vast knowledge in A/c & Admin, Costing, Banking, Credit Control, Insurance, International Purchase/Logistics & Finance, With D/L looking for suitable position. Gsm: 93826090 Email: jskanchan01@gmail.com Indian female with nine years of experience in 5 Star hotels as Assistant Food & Beverage Manager looking for a suitable placement in a reputed Star hotel. Contact 91219787 General Manager / working partner 20 years in Dubai adverting agency experience. Contact 93031168

MECHANICAL/TECH. Indian male, 27 yrs, B.Tech Mechanical, 1 yr pipeline experience seeking job in any mechanical ﬁeld, NOC available, available in Oman till 31st Jan. Contact 95982207, rahman.taus@gmail.com Indian Electronics & Communication with transmission project, embedded designing, telecommunication experience (3 yrs) having visit visa looking for suitable placement in Oman. Contact Mohammed Arshad Khan – 93398772, email : eng.mohdarshadkhan@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

Sales & Marketing Indian male MBA (marketing & sales) business development experience at all levels of management. Currently on visit visa. Contact – 91272819 Graduate, Indian, having 6 yrs experience in Sales with D/L, NOC available. Contact 93410723 Indian male, 32 yrs, total 8+ yrs experience with 4+ yrs experience of Sales and Marketing in Oman, seeking job. NOC available. #95731981 MBA with 6 yrs experience in Sales & Marketing with Omani Driving License seeks suitable placement. Contact 94685706 Croatan Woman, 12 yrs experience in Sales. Contact 99797290 18 yrs Oman experience in Building Materials seeking suitable placement, NOC available. # 93105775 Indian male having 6 yrs experience of working in Oman with Advertising, Interiors, Events, Purchase & Accounts valid Oman D/L looking for suitable job. Contact 98851980 Indian male, B.Com, 20 yrs experience in Sales & Marketing having UAE light D/L looking for suitable post. Contact +91 9946699062, email : sajim40@gmail.com Indian male, 26, MBA Marketing, 1 yr GCC experience Oman, license. Contact +91 9946308583, haris.hameedali@gmail.com Indian MBA-Marketing & Systems Manager having 6 yrs experience in Solar System & Inverters seeking suitable placements. Contact 97892269 / 99046313 Pakistani male, 34, College 2 yrs, 2 yrs experience as Sales Representative, 3 yrs experience as Clerk / Office Assistant, 3 yrs experience as Salesman in Oman, Computer Skills : Excel, BUSY, ERP, languages known – English, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu. Contact 96763346 Pakistani Graduate have a two years experience in sales/marketing in Muscat. Have a valid driving license. Fluent in English and Arabic. Need a suitable position. Contact 95919265

MBA Finance, 7 yrs exp in Financial & Banking Sector seeks suitable position with Driving License. Contact 98371903

Indian male, 30 yrs, 8 yrs + experience in Sales & Marketing, looking for suitable placement. #95601197

Skipper, ﬁshing vessels, 33 yrs experience as Captain in Indian and International waters, oceanography and ﬁshery related research activities and management. Contact 95775380 / 99616823

Indian Male having 7 yrs in experience in Oman Sales & Marketing Ofﬁce Automation Printer, Copier, MFP, IT products & Stationery. Looking for Suitable Placement NOC Available Contact :97384748

Quality Assurance Officer, ISO Quality System Internal Auditor, BSc Graduate, female 27, with 4 years experience seeks suitable placement. Contact nipuni.d.silva@gmail.com

Oracle certiﬁed BE (CS) Indian male with skills in OCA (DBA, SQL10g, looking for suitable placement. Contact 98436022/99848874 Email: rineel2005@yahoo.com

Microbiologist & Quality Assurance Executive, BSc Graduate, female, 27 with 4 yrs experience in food industry looking for a suitable placement. Email : nipuni.d.silva@gmail.com

Young Energetic Male, with Oman work experience in the ﬁeld of Sales/ Marketing and Administration. Currently on a visit visa seeking suitable position. Contact 97832289. wakakhan.1@gmail.com

Logistics Officer, Experience in Store keeping. Contact : 99505934

15 years experience in Business Development , marketing, purchase – UAE & Oman-staff coordination, documentation, civil & technical maintenance, -valid GCC license-looking for working partnership or management post. Contact:91568362 / Email vpj555pem@gmail.com

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE Indian female, well experienced in secretarial, administration, customer care & supervisory jobs. 5 years experience in Muscat. Immediately available for joining. Contact: 92139298

Indian male, MBA 9+ yrs Oman exp in Sales & Marketing in FMCG (F & B) sector on a Supervisor / managerial role with D/L & Local NOC available. Contact 97912789

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Civil foreman maintenance D/L, 12 yrs in Oman, 2 yrs in Kuwait. Contact 96405865, 99534138, India - +91 7589248550, +91 9464255409, email: sukhwinder9@yahoo.com

SALES / MARKETING Indian Male, MBA in Marketing and Finance, 10 years’ Sales & Business Development Experience with valid D/L of Oman & UAE looking for a suitable placement. NOC Available. Contact: 93969961 e-mail abhilash.pvrk@gmail.com

Young female, having experience of working in Oman with expertise in the ﬁeld of Event Management, Advertising, Marketing and Hotel Management. Currently on a visit visa. Seeking for a suitable Job. Contact 96153578 Indian male, 25yrs, MBA in HR/ Marketing.6yrs exp with MNC and pharma. Presently in family visit visa looking for suitable placements. Contact no-94657379/ 96645182 Indian Male, 7 yrs experience in building materials trading having Oman D/L, immediate release available. Contact 98676713

Omani Man looking for a job with experience in HR/ Admin/ accounting. # 99767666 Indian female, 25 yrs, B.Com with computer Application, 1 yr experience as Accountant, looking for suitable job. Contact 98847165 Graduate, Indian, having 6 yrs experience in Sales with D/L, NOC available. Contact 93410723 3 Years experienced Administrative Executive seeking for Virtual Admin Opportunities. Can work for 6 hours/day from a virtual location for 100 RO/month. Call: 95811820 30 year Indian male MSW- HR ,with 5 yrs Professional experience in HR in Construction Oil & Gas Oman seeking suitable placement. Contact me in 93488914 Diploma Holder, Now working as logistic coordinator/ salesman with one year experience, seeking for Suitable Jobs in Oman, NOC available, Trying for License. Contact 94440370 Indian male, 4 Years experienced in Architectural & Structural Draughtsman, looking for a suitable Post GSM:96023726, Email :jayan.mathew009@gmail.com Accountant ,Indian male,24 years. Presently working in Oman as Accountant.2 years experience in Accounts with oman Driving license. NOC available..Seek suitable opportunity. GSM: 93409315 Indian male 25 B.Tech (IT) Engineer 2.5 years experience in hardware networking. Currently on visit visa, looking for suitable job. Contact - 94359564 Indian male, B.com with tally, having 11 years experience in accounting, looking for a part time job. contact.96423671 Post Graduate Indian male, MBA (Hospital Administration) having 4 yrs. experience in hospital administration looking for suitable placement. Currently on visit. Contact: 96701543, 92945632 PROCUREMENT OFFICER-Indian 33yrs, 7yrs Exp. in Oman in (ROAD,CIV,MEP & Others) Contg & Trdg Co. Visa will Exp in Feb-15. M: 94064650, Email:nagauae@gmail.com Indian Male, 31 years of Rich Oman experience in Multifunctional Management, Administration, Business Development, Purchase & Operations seeking suitable Manager/Supervisory Position. Visa transfer/NOC Available. GSM: 95036410 Seeking for immediate placement as a manager- projects, sales, marketing, product, business development job for BE- MBA, 12 years Oman experience with D/L. Contact-96040977, kvmssn@gmail.com Indian Female, B.com, 2year Indian Exp. in Accounts, strong in Tally ERP 9,MS Office, looking for suitable position. Part time/Full time. Contact-95939129, 99104579, mail:sreekulaparambil@gmail.com AutoCAD draughtsman (Architect ural+Structural+Plumbing & HVAC) having more than 12 years Oman experience seeking work as a FREELANCER. Contact - 91620107 26 years male, MBA Finance & Marketing, 1 year experience in marketing. Looking for sales job. Contact: 95437921 31 years, male with Gulf Experienced Microsoft Certiﬁed Solution Associate, Have GCC driving license, looking for a suitable job as Network/System Administrator. Phone: +968 93927126, 99853614, Email: khalil837@hotmail.com

Indian female, Accountant. having +5 years experience in Oman till Nov 2014. seeking suitable placement. NOC available. currently in family visa. Contact :98447045, email:anilavandika@gmail.com IT supports 6 yrs experience, male, Filipino Desktop Support, Backup administrator, Wireless Networking, server admin. #- +96896126502 Indian male, 26 yrs - MBA Graduate with 3 yrs of Experience in Banking ( Standard Chartered Bank Scope International - Operations) &Coffee Vending Machine (Fresh & Honest Cafe ltd - Operations) on Visit Visa seeking placement. Contact 91267867 Indian male 23 yrs, 4 yrs experienced in Architectural Draughtsman looking for a suitable Post GSM:96023726, Email jayan.mathew009@gmail.com INDIAN, B.E Mechanical Engineer, 2 years job experience in Oman in pipeline field, fluent in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi, with valid Omani driving license (light) searching for job. Contact 99871470 Male 28, seven & half an year experience. Worked as maintenance division co-ordinator, purchaser’s assistant, and office administration works. Valid driving license. Contact 94454847 28 year Indian male with 7yrs of experience in Accounts & Finance up to finalisation in Construction Oil & Gas and also in Manufacturing industries with Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact 97104364 . email:moorthy_cbe@hotmail.com. Indian male, 25yrs, MBA in marketing from Delhi with 1 year experience in operation department, currently on visit visa seeking suitable placements. Ph 97334359 email: mshahinp1@gmail.com Civil Engineer, B.E in civil , Approx. two year experience in Oman, Pakistani age 29 years. Contact : 94389853 Email : faheemdeeer1986@gmail.com Male 28, seven & half an year experience. Worked as maintenance division co-ordinator, purchaser’s assistant, and office administration works. Valid driving license. 94454847 Indian, female, Pharmacist available with NOC and MOH License, preferably in Muscat. Contact 9439 1355. Senior Accounts Professional, Indian Male, 35 years, M.Com, MBA (Fin) 8 years in Oman, with valid Oman DL and NOC available. Capable to handle accounts up to finalization. Contact 9602 3965. Looking out for the post of Travel coordinator/Senior travel Consultant, 14 years (10 years in GCC Countries) of experience in the travel industry looking for a suitable placement. Contact : 96328687. An Indian driver with car looking for part time job. Contact 91103909 Indian, Female, Pharmacist available with NOC and MOH License, preferably in Muscat. Contact 9439 1355. Civil draughtsman part time work for job. Contact : 96023726 Indian, 24 years, B.Tech with Diploma in Sound Engineering & Sound Recording seeking suitable placement. Currently on Visit Visa. Contact: 95615436. Email: siddharthsadasiv@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer with 10+ years experience currently on visit visa looking for a Operation Manager/Branch Manager position in reputed organizations. #95757845

Indian Female-Tech Electrical, from third best college, Government Engineering College Trissur. Fluent in English. Excellent presentation skill.Engineering, IT, teaching or account sector job wanted. Contact -97724630 / email: vyshnaparthan@gmail.com

Indian Female, B. Com, 2year Indian Exp. in Accounts, strong in Tally ERP 9,MS Office, looking for suitable position. Part time/Full time. Contact no: 95939129, 99104579, Email-sreekulaparambil@gmail.com

Indian male, 31 years of Rich Oman experience in Multifunctional Management, Admistration, Business Development, Purchase & Operations seeking suitable Manager/ Supervisory Position. Visa transfer/ NOC Available. Contact 95036410

W E D N E S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

EVERY FRIDAY 2.00PM ON INDIA’S KAIRALI PEOPLE TV

● Worldwide ● Air Ticket ● Car Rental ● Holiday Packages ● Hotel Reservations ● Travel Insurance

Call: +96824790400, +96898569830 Email: info@omanorienttravels.com

NRI

Land for sale, 36 cents in Kakkanad near Athani. 5 lacs/cent and 6 acre land near Veliyam, Kottarakkara. 30 lacs/acre. Serious buyers only call – 99886386 / +919645888877 Villa for sale 2200 sq ft in 8 cent. Kottayam. Contact: 92652534

MATRIMONIAL Keralite girl, 26 (160), BSC Nurse at South America seeks suitable alliance. Contact 94413100, 98335340

SITUATION WANTED Phd – Management, specialization in management, e-marketing and online consumer behavior, 6 years of academic and research experience. Indian lady GSM 97240687 & 93463439 Indian Male having 14 years of experience in HR, Purchase Dept having Oman Driving License looking for a suitable position NOC available. Email –madhuvtk@gmail.com. Contact: 99252635, 99239498 28 years Indian male with 7yrs of experience in Accounts & Finance up to ﬁnalisation in Construction Oil & Gas and also in Manufacturing industries with Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact me on 97104364 .email: moorthy_cbe@hotmail.com Indian female MA. B.Ed. with One year three months Teaching experience. Subject: English, seeking for a Better placement. Now working in Oman. Contact 93961142, 92184408 Email:anoopkesavan78@gmail.com. MBA with 1 yr experience, Indian looking for job, salary 40000 INR. Contact 96271935 Admin Executive, 31, Indian Male, having 8+ years exp. in reputed companies, seeking suitable placement in any gulf region. Contact: +968 99276601 & 97693456. muralimahdav77@gmail.com Looking out for the post of Travel coordinator/Senior travel Consultant, 14 years (10 years in GCC Countries) of experience in the travel industry looking for a suitable placement. Contact:96328687

Indian male, 26 yrs - MBA Graduate with 3 yrs of Experience in Banking (Standard Chartered Bank Scope International - Operations) & Coffee Vending Machine (Fresh & Honest Cafe ltd - , Operations) on Visit Visa seeks placement. # 91267867, Email: jai.ks1988@gmail.com Tunisian women looking for job, khnows english, frensh, Italian and arabic. Contact: 91171838 28 year Indian male with 7yrs(5yrs in Oman) of experience in Accounts & Finance up to ﬁnalisation in Construction Oil & Gas and also in Manufacturing industries with Oman D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact me on 97104364 email: Moorthy_cbe@hotmail.com

Indian Male, B.COM, ICWA, CMA Australia, 24 years experience in ﬁnance, costing, accounts, internal audit. Valid Oman driving license. NOC available. Can join immediately. Contact 97917136 Manager Maintenance/Engineering/Purchase, 31 yrs. exp. in mechanical, electrical, electronics, parts fabrication, purchase deptt, oman exp. 5yrs, have NOC, looking for job. Contact - pkv2k3@yahoo. com, 99331289 Indian Male, 31 years of Rich Oman experience in Multifunctional Management, Administration, Business Development, Purchase & Operations seeking suitable Manager/ Supervisory Position. Visa transfer/ NOC Available.GSM: 95036410

Filipino Accountant with 13 years working experience in the ﬁeld of accounting looking for a suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 94547323

Indian male, 28 yrs in Civil Engineer (Diploma), 3 yrs experience in Gulf seeking suitable chances. Contact 92063150

Female dentist with MOH license and release looking for a suitable placement in Muscat, presently residing in Muscat. Contact: 99147426

Indian female dentist with 4 year experience. Call Nazia 96488737

Indian Female. B-Tech Electrical, from third best college, Government Engineering College Thrissur. Fluent in English. Excellent presentation skill. Engineering, IT, teaching or account sector job wanted. GSM-97724630, email: vyshnaparthan@gmail.com Structural Engineer with 14 years experience in structural design and supervision ﬁelds with full knowledge of structure design programs, Omani D/L, seeking a reputed engineering consultancy office vacancy Tel. 96248598.

Post Graduate Engineer with 5+ years experience in Project Planning & Management currently on visit visa looking for a Project Co-ordinator/Planning Engineer position in reputed organizations. Please contact (968) 96105079 MECHANICAL ENGINEER (B Tech), Indian Mail, with NDT Level 2(ASNT), Autocad, Solidworks, 2 year above experience (as Mechanical Site Engineer and Design Engineer), Seeking suitable placement(on visit visa). Contact: 91591548, 00919447300022, Email: vishnu300022@gmail.com

Indian Female, IATA, BSc looking for suitable placement.#95514305. Email-jitureshmi@gmail.com Indian Female, Graduate having good experience looking for suitable job. NOC available. #91774397 22 Indian Female, BCA (MCA), 4 Years’ Experience in Teaching, Training & Management of Ofﬁce and Computer Applications, looking for suitable vacancy in the ﬁeld of Teaching/IT/Office Management Contact – 94540768, Email – paipreethi01@gmail.com 3 Years experienced Administrative Executive seeking for Virtual Admin Opportunities. Can work for 6 hours/day from a virtual location for 100 RO/month. Call: 95811820 Indian Male Graduate 20 yrs in Oman, Accountant / Business Property Management seeking suitable position in Accounts / Administration working knowledge with TALLY. Valid Omani Driving License. Contact 99817183

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished sharing one room with bath at Darsait near ISM. Contact 95257213 1 room balcony toilet for Indian lady / small family near Khimji Institute (NIIT) near Ruwi Church. Contact # 99746379 Independent room, kitchen and bathroom available near Ruwi roundabout. Contact 99016562 4 bedrooms house and one bedroom attached bathroom sharing kitchen in Wadi Kabir. Contact 96639246

28 years male, MBA in Marketing, 5 years experience in Marketing and Brand Promotion. On visit, looking for job. Contact: 96104833 Indian male 2 years experience in Light & Heavy motor vehicle Mechanic. Diesel & Petrol. Seek suitable placement Contact 99421537

Single room attached bathroom, kitchen, split A/C, Al Ghubrah near Mars Hypermarket, OR 180/-. Contact 95094028

Indian female, 34 yrs, B.A, B.Ed (S.S), DCA, Doing M.A by distance, having 6 yrs experience in School (5 yrs in Indian School, Oman). Contact 98728700, 92458872

Single room available for exec bachelor, Muttrah opp Oman House. Contact 93340125

Indian Female 23 years M.Com Graduate on visit visa having four month experience as an Accountant in a company at Muscat. Looking for a suitable job. Immediately available for joining. Contact: 95846642, Email:shreedhanya916@gmail.com

ACC. AVAILABLE Room with separate toilet and WiFi, Wadi Kabir near pencil building. Contact 93416854 2 Bedroom ﬂat for offices with furniture near Al Manaf Hotel, Ghala. Contact 99525743, 99439705 Excellent 3 bedrooms , 2 sitting rooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen & store with A/C. 92817777

GOOD NEWS

Proposals are invited from parents of professionally qualiﬁed Nair Boys for 24 year old Upper Middle Class Nair girl hail from Trivandrum, (171 cm, Star-Bharani) employed in a reputed Company in Oman. Contact: 0968-9950 2593 /99798041. (KM ID.2844689)

Spacious semi-furnished room with separate entrance, attached washroom for non-cooking Indian Bachelor near ISG. Contact 95146361, 92657598

B.Tech. (Civil), 2 years experience in designing, and training corporate professionals in Dubai in software, presently working in India, seeks suitable job opening. madhunambiarm@hotmail.com

For Astrological consultation, Jathakam. Contact 99860435 / 97102599

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments & massage, Ayurvedic clinic at Al Khuwair. Contact 24478618 / 97263637 /93309131 FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 96050000, 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 / 95371554 / 92504980 , www.siddhayur.com Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis, ideal care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Azaiba.Contact 99639695 / 99117987

MANPOWER

Independent rooms in Qurum/ Al Hail. Contact 95529970 Bath attached room with separate sharing kitchen for rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99378661 2 rooms with 2 bathrooms and sharing kitchen for couple or executive bachelors at hamriya r/abt. ( on the main road side, opp. Apollo hospital ) RO 150. Contact 98232567 Furnished single room with attached bathroom near Mars Hypermarket, Al Ghubrah. Contact 97312111, RO 150/- per month Single room at Walja, opposite MBD area available for executive bachelors or single working woman for OMR 100 including Electricity and Water. Contact 93079877 Independent room furnished Executive at Wadi Kabir. Contact 99336206 Rooms for rent in Al Hail, front of the Wave. Contact 95192927

ACC.WANTED Single room or studio ﬂat required in Ruwi area. Contact : 95405033

W E D N E S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE TOURS

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

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

DRIVING

RENT A CAR TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact 93405941 We can give best price for transportation to shift the material from DUBAI to OMAN and local OMAN areas. (Less 25 ton wait Dubai To OMAN Only 170/OMR). GSM 91006589,97754600 ASIF ALI Transportation. Contact 95190627

M.V. FOR SALE

Labor Pick & drop. Contact 92218001 Transportation. Contact 92306582 Transportation. Contact 98178135 Transportation available. Contact 95570429 Pick & drop anytime in al Khuwair. Contact 99764307

FOR HIRE

TRUCK FOR HIRE Isuzu 10 ton cargo body truck (2012 FVR) with UAE experienced driver available for long term / short term rent.

Contact: 95346950 PDO approval truck for hire. Contact 99350915 50 seater bus with PDO speciďŹ cation for rent or lease. # 99839898

Renault Safrane 2011, Excellent condition OMR3400. Contact 94015245 Pajero 3.8 v6 full option, 2008 model expat driven single owner, excellent condition, accident free, 217k. Contact - 92590781 Lexus GS300, 2006. Contact 93218349 Tucson V-6, 2007, automatic RO 2500/-. Contact 99384640

FOR HIRE Running truck wash for rent in Ouhi Sunia Sohar. Serious people can. Contact on 97864747

Toyota Yaris 1.5, 2010 single owner 84,000 kms, fully automatic, 100%. Service history with dealer. Contact 93876159 30 seater Toyota Bus, 2014, white color for sale. Contact 98888999 / 96341946 Chevrolet van model 2000 for sale, RO 1400/-. Contact 96789522 L/R Discovery, 2003, KM 1,60,000. Contact 99238877 Prado 2012. Contact 99336093

Transportation. Contact 91379976 Pick & Drop any time. Contact 97014786 Transportation. Contact 99664703 Transportation available 99159277 Transportation. Contact 96538078 Transportation Available Contact 97180655

W E D N E S DAY, JA N UA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SITUATION WANTSERVICES

WEBSITE

CLASSES

Al Manar Vocational pleased to announce at vocational short and long term courses in tailoring, cooking and internal design. Contact us now : 24698070 or 91144335

BUSINESS

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

COMPUTER

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998

GULF INTERNATIONAL LLC all kind of pest control. Contact 92326955

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. # 24793614/ 99314807

Painting Interlock plumbing maintenance. Contact 92142319

Cleaning services, carpet & sofa shampooing, marble restoration (grinding) and polishing, pest control, fogging service. Contact 99448057, 95401996 Cheapest Prices, all types window, curtains and blind. Contact 99539521 Computer service/ AMC/ Networking. Contact 93552434 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722 Door to Door Computers repair specialist laptop software Website cartridges. Contact 99199376 A.M Trading Pest control. Contact 99067923

First Grade Building Construction Company registered in Tender Board, MOD, and all Ministries with 120 manpower have current projects of RO 2 million seeking for investor partner to be the Managing Director. Send CV to constructionjop@gmail.com

BUSINESS We assist in new business set up local sponsorship, real estate services, assist in company formation services. Contact - 93166088

Carpet & sofa cleaning, house cleaning. Contact 99542979 / 98855815 For All Your Maintenance Solutions, A/c Servicing & Fixing, Painting, Cleaning, Electric. Contact 99002390 Carpet & sofa cleaning, house cleaning. Contact 99542979 / 98855815 For All Your Maintenance Solutions, A/c Servicing & Fixing, Painting, Cleaning, Electric. # 99002390 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Civil Maintenance, Painting Electric, Plumbing, Decor, Tile Fixing, Lecithin Copra Board flat stifling , Carpet Cleaning and A/C Servicing. Contact 97897831 (Indian keralite) Waterproofing, light weight Screed, Antitermite and MS Fabrication. Contact 92888337

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

Electrical Plumbing Painting Contract and Maintenance. Contact 98456535

Maintenance – 1) A/C Maintenance, 2)fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, 3)painting & cleaning services, 4)electrical & plumbing carpentry work. Contact 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir AlRizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

A/C service, repair and maintenance works. Contact 95356877, 93937368. Al Sahib Modern Projects Split & window unit A/C servicing & repairing. Contact 99557080 Window & split unit A/C servicing & maintenance. Contact 96236476

House shifting. Contact 99557080, 96236476

BUSINESS My client needs to buy Residential land or villa in Al Ghubra Bahar Factory area. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

PRO services. Contact 99368907 Fast & Right Way - For all PR related works – permanent Visa stamping, family visiting visa holders, clients contacts – with NOC letter with signed & sealed photocopy documents . Contact 91568362 Catering services We do industrial catering service, Canteen/ mess, 3 times packed meals, and all types of catering events. Contact 92188777/99249899 For HT cable jointing and termination works 33KV/11KV. Contact 99056438 / Email: npgoman@gmail.com

Wanted dentist or investor to buy a well-running dental clinic in Sohar immediately. Contact 92625962, 95904234

LOST Mohammad Jiauddin has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. AD1479783. Finder please handover to ROP.

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