Times of Oman - December 22 , 2015

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6 085010 120010 FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

Before The Third Session of The Council of Oman, 2003

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ We have attached major priority to our domestic policy since the beginning of the Blessed Renaissance so that our human resources can be developed is such a way as will enable them to serve the community and work for the good of the nation.

TUESDAY, December 22, 2015 / 10 Rabi Al Awal 1437 AH timesofoman.com

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No plans to ask 50-plus expat staff to pack bags

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‘Huge potential for privatisation’ Staff Reporter

Unlike Kuwait’s move, Oman has no plans to retire expatriates working in the government sector at the age of 50

REJIMON K HASSAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

reji@timesofoman.com hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Expatriates aged 50 years or more and working in Oman’s government sector can breathe as officials confirmed the Sultanate would not take any decision similar to a recent decision taken by Kuwait.

Quoting the Kuwaiti Civil Services Commission (CSC) sources, the local media in Kuwait City had reported that the government body has received instructions to terminate the jobs of all expatriate government employees, of all nationalities, aged 50 years and above, TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

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Surprise checks on restaurants continue

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Authorities continued to crack down on restaurants and eateries selling substandard food and found to be violating trade norms, in the Bausher neighbourhood of the capital, officials said on Monday. >A2

N I N E - H OU R B ATT L E

More than OMR1m loss in Makkah Hypermarket fire FIRE CASES 2005-2014

2012

2011

2009

MARKET

Oil prices hit 11-year low on supply glut

2008

2007 2005

2006

1,877 1,776

2,176

2,540

2010

2,946 3,107

2

Brent crude oil prices hit their lowest in more than 11 years on Monday, driven down by a relentless rise in global supply that looks set to outpace demand again next year. Oil production is running close to record highs. >B1

Seeb Club lift HM’s Cup for Youth

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Seeb Club lifted His Majesty’s Cup for Youth for the ninth time on Monday when the Ministry of Sports Affairs rewarded the Sultanate’s top 10 clubs for their overall achievements in sports field and youth activities. >C5

3,632

2013

3,768

2014

4,000

3,335 3,000

2,000

1,000

0 Source: National Centre for Statistics & Information

REJIMON K

SPORTS

5,000

4,431

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: More than OMR1 million is the estimated loss from a fire, which burnt down a hypermarket warehouse opposite the Indian School in Muladha, a top official from the retail chain said.

“Our initial estimate shows that the loss may be above OMR1 million. It may take some time to get the exact figure,” the official from the Makkah Hypermarket said.

“More than 20 fire engines,

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dozens of water tankers were deployed and at least 80 fire fighters from nearby units had to battle for nearly nine hours to douse the blaze, which had engulfed the warehouse,” the official told the Times of Oman.

“As the fire went beyond control, the fire fighters had to use bulldozers to raze the building to contain it,” the official added.

The fire, which started at around 2pm, was doused by 11pm on Sunday. On Monday morning, two fire engines visited the site to make checks. >A6

effective March 1, 2016. However, a senior official with Royal Oman Police (ROP) said they have not received any such notice from the Omani government or the Manpower Ministry.

According to latest government data, there are 1,682,752 expatriates working in Oman.

Meanwhile, a Majlis Al Shura member said he personally feels that the retirement age should be fixed for both nationals and expatriates in the government and private sectors.

“If we need new and innovative ideas and more productivity, infuse fresh blood. There are many studies globally stating that at the age of 60, a worker will become less productive. So, we should fix the retirement age of workers and the government should plan strategically to face the situation where aged people are relieved from their responsibilities,” Tawfiq Al Lawati, a Shura member, said.

“By saying that expatriates crossing 60 should be sent back doesn’t mean that it’s a move to ban them. We can bring in young expatriates in their place,” the Shura member added.

The Majlis Al Shura member also said no exceptions should be considered while fixing the retirement age. >A6

MUSCAT: There is ‘big’ potential for privatisation of many companies that are still owned by the government, said the Executive President of the Capital Market Authority (CMA).

“The government is taking this into consideration, and we hope to see government companies being privatised in the coming months,” Sheikh Abdullah bin Salim Al Salmi told reporters after KPMG’s seminar on corporate governance held at the Crowne Plaza on Monday.

Oman’s budget deficit for the first eight months of 2015 rose to

Passion for music and vintage cars

OMR2.68 billion, as a plunging crude oil export revenue started affecting the fiscal balance, according to the data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The government has been considering privatisation as an option to raise additional revenues and boost the private sector at the same time.

Three companies On Thursday, Finance Minister Darwish Al Balushi told Reuters that Oman will privatise three state-owned companies next year. He declined to give further details. >A6

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We need more supervisions and restrictions so that they everybody follows the law Salim Al Ghamri, member of the Muscat Municipal Council

Surprise checks go on at eateries and restaurants

ALAWI RECEIVES QATARI OFFICIAL Yousef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, yesterday received Hamad bin Ahmed Al Mohannadi, secretary-general of the Council of Ministers of Qatar and his accompanying delegation. The two sides reviewed the fraternal relations between the two countries and exchanged viewpoints on a range of issues of common interest. The meeting was attended by Mohammed bin Yousef Al Zarafi, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Administrative and Financial Affairs, and officials in the ministry. — ONA

Muscat Municipality food inspectors checked 92 restaurants and eateries in Bausher neighbourhood and issued violation

STRICT ACTION: Municipality destroyed 44kgs of meals, 71kg of raw foodstuff and six cans of expired products. — Supplied picture N C S I D ATA

letters to 31 of them, a top municipality official said

Times News Service MUSCAT: Authorities continued to crack down on restaurants and eateries selling sub-standard food and found to be violating trade norms, in the Bausher neighbourhood of the capital, officials said on Monday.

Officials said that Muscat Municipality’s food inspectors had taken action against eateries located inside commercial complexes and shopping malls, as part of a four-day drive.

“The team checked 92 restaurants and coffee shops. Thirtyone violation letters were issued,” a top municipality official told the Times of Oman (TOO).

The official added that the Municipality had destroyed 44 kilograms (kilos) of meals, 71 kilos of raw foodstuff and six cans of expired products.

“Legal procedures will be initi-

ated (against them),” the official warned.

Salim Al Ghamri, a member of the Muscat Municipal Council, said the growing number of restaurants in Muscat was a cause for concern. “We need more supervision and restrictions so that they everybody follows the law,” he told TOO on Tuesday.

He also admitted that things are getting out of control with the rising number of restaurants.

A day earlier, Shura members and food safety experts had expressed concerns over the sale of expired food in Bausher, where authorities had found nearly half of the restaurants violating food safety standards.

“Municipality authorities should intensify the inspections because consumers cannot check what is happening inside the kitchens of such restaurants,” Bausher Shura member Mohammed Al Busaidi told TOO. With the Sultanate desperately trying to woo more tourists to the country, food standards, many argue, have to be best.

According to the Robert MacLean, principal of the National

Hospitality Institute (NHI), food safety has become a very important issue in Oman, particularly due to the rising number of foreign tourists arriving in the country.

“We at the NHI are at the forefront of food safety training, management, auditing and inspection in Oman. Despite the many challenges which are still evident, there has been a marked increase in the general standard of food safety in higher class properties, i.e. 4 or 5-star hotels and premium restaurant outlets,” MacLean stated. “In addition to the pressure from tourists, the local pressure to raise standards is also increasing. More people travel outside the country now than before and can see the higher standards being followed in different parts of the world.”

Meanwhile, during its efforts, the Muscat Municipality’s officials have found around 53 restaurants violating food safety standards.

Two restaurants were shut down after authorities found rodents and flies, officials revealed, adding that such surprise checks would continue.

Fixed telephone lines user base in Oman rises 13.7% MUSCAT: Sultanate’s total number of fixed telephone lines, including post- and pre-paid, public, WLL, and ISDN channels, registered a growth of 13.7 per cent during the first 10 months of 2015.

Fixed telephone subscriber base stood at 426,558 by the end of October, as against 420,491 registered by the end of last December, according to the figures issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

Meanwhile, there has been a 6.6 per cent rise in the number of mobile subscribers (post- and prepaid) during the period, with figures rising to more than 6,604,440 as against 6,561,696 by end of September 2015. Among fixed lines, fixed prepaid (card fixed) telephones witnessed the highest growth at almost 60 per cent.

Prepaid mobile connections grew by 6.4 per cent to 6,025,475

TELEPHONE FIXED LINES August

400,000

413,942

September October

420,491

426,558

300,000 Postpaid 200,000

100,000 Prepaid 0 Source: NCSI

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Graphics

NCSI statistics said. Interestingly, during the period, the number of Internet subscribers surged by 24.4 per cent to 224,111 primarily due to a 25 per cent growth in fixed broadband subscribers whose numbers

reached 221,283 by the end of October 2015. NCSI figures show a growth of 7.6 per cent in the number of Active Mobile Broadband Subscribers pushed such subscriptions to over 3,112,104. — ONA

T UESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

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Singer keeps passion for music, cars alive singing too. Since then I haven’t stopped,” he said.

He is the first Omani to have launched a one-man band and so far Al Balushi has successfully staged more than 5000 entertaining shows.

He has also sung in a couple of Bollywood movies, including the flop “18.11—A Code of Secrecy,” whose music was composed by Kashmir-born Music Director Jaan Nissar Lone.

Nadeem Al Balushi, who caught people’s attention when he launched his first music album, ‘Beyond Boundaries’ in Muscat last year, is a banker by profession, and a hobbyist of classic cars

BABA UMAR

babaumar@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: He sings in six different languages, is a banker by profession, and a hobbyist of classic cars. Meet Nadeem Al Balushi, 39, one of the most popular and versatile Omani singers.

“I may be anything, but to me music is everything,” he told Times of Oman. “If I leave singing what would be I?” he said, answering quickly, “Just another ordinary person working in the bank and earning money.”

Versatile singer The singer caught people’s attention when he launched his first music album, “Beyond Boundaries” at Oman’s Qurum amphitheatre last year.

The album had 10 songs sung in Arabic, English, Punjabi, Hindi, Balauchi and Swahili.

“I never learnt these languages.

But I always loved music and songs of all kinds. That’s how I picked up these languages,” he said.

Al Balushi added that he finds it difficult to speak in languages other than his mother tongue, “but I can sing songs in these languages.”

K N O W L E D G E OA S I S M U S C AT

Secretary General of Qatar’s Council of Ministers visits ITA Times News Service MUSCAT: On his visit to the Sultanate, Hamad Ahmed al Mohannadi, secretary-general of Qatar’s Council of Ministers, paid a visit to the Information Technology Authority’s (ITA) premises at Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM).

Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, chief executive officer of ITA, welcomed the guest and the accompanying delegation.

A presentation on role of ITA in implementing the Oman Digital Society and eGovernment Strategy (e.oman) was also presented.

The delegation then visited the Oman National CERT to find out more about the centre’s role and responsibilities in enhancing information security levels and the efforts made to raise regional and international cooperation between the Sultanate and other countries in the field of informa-

Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi welcomed the guest and the delegation

tion security and cyber security emergency response.

The delegation also toured the Sas Centre for Entrepreneurship and Sas for Virtual Reality; during which some of the incubated projects showcased their work.

Throughout the visit, a number of topics related to the development of the IT sector and cooperation between the Sultanate, represented by ITA and the State of Qatar, were exchanged.

Nadeem Al Balushi. — Supplied picture

Some of the support though comes from his Indian mother, who often talks in Hindi or Urdu with his Omani father.

“I started listening to music when I was 10 years old. At the same time, I was also playing the keyboard. At age 15, I started

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Passion for old cars The Omani singer is again going to Mumbai to record his next album and sing in couple of movies.

Apart from singing, Al Balushi is fond of classic cars.

“Another hobby that makes me a different person,” he laughed.

He is the owner of two classic cars and has just ordered the Knight Industries Two-Thousand, better known as KITT from the adventure TV series “Knight Rider.”

“There is another on the way from Hollywood,” he said. “A Dodge Charger 1970 from Vin Diesel’s Fast & Furious movie series,” Al Balushi added.

He further said that he loved keeping and riding classic cars, which he may sell in the future “but that stage isn’t now.”

CRIME FILE

Asian national arrested for indecent assault Times News Service MUSCAT: An Asian national was arrested by the Directorate General of Inquiries and Investigations from Saham Royal Oman Police (ROP) for indecent assault and harm.

Details of the case were revealed by the ROP, which had received a report about a man entering the victim’s home and indecently assaulting and abusing her and then fleeing the scene of the crime.

Search and investigation teams immediately scrambled to the scene and after collecting the necessary information and leads, they were able to find and arrest the suspect the next day.

The suspect has confessed to his crime.

Arrested for selling diesel Some expatriate workers were arrested by the Directorate General of Investigations and Inquiries for storing, transferring and selling diesel illegally from their residence in Saham.

After inquiries and investigations, the ROP arrested five persons for the illegal act.

Legal procedures have been initiated against them and they have been referred to the public prosecution.

Seven held in drug cases Customs officers, in cooperation with the Directorate of Narcotics Control at the Muscat International Airport, were able to foil three drug smuggling attempts recently. Three Asian nationals were arrested for trying to smuggle marijuana and psychotropic pills through the airport.

In related news, the Directorate of Narcotics Control also arrested two citizens in Seeb for their attempt to smuggle a large amount of morphine, which was in their possession.

Narcotics Control Meanwhile in Dhofar, the Directorate of Narcotics Control arrested two Asian nationals in Salalah for possession of narcotics with peddling intent. Two pieces of hashish was found in their possession.

All the narcotics have been seized and the suspects have been referred to the public prosecution.

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“Organic Gardening: Time to Grow” will be a 90-minute crash course covering the basics of how to grow organic edibles in your garden, patio, balcony or window-box.

Nadiya Al Saady, OAPGRC’s executive director.

Festive spirit adds to Oman’s beauty Sultanate’s top resorts and hotels, all decked up to welcome guests for Christmas and New Year celebrations, are offering an array of culinary delights and organising special parties

MOBIN MATHEW BLESSON

mobinmathew@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Christmas is just few days away but the festive spirit and the aroma of partying is already in the Sultanate’s pleasant air.

Many expats have left the country or are flying home to celebrate the occasion with their families, but those who will celebrate in Oman, mesmerising moments and magnificent food await them.

The churches across the country are all set for the main prayers on Friday [December 25] even as the Sultanate’s top hotels and restaurants are all ready to provide their guests some mesmerising moments with entertainments and splendid feasts.

Hotels — decked to welcome guests for the Christmas and New Year celebrations — are offering an array of culinary delights and organising special parties.

Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel, are hosting a series of celebrations for families.

Seasonal treats “Guests can enjoy a selection of seasonal treats including holiday sweets and cookies with tea or coffee from the ‘Festive Sweets Trolley’ that will be available in the atrium till December 31,” Melanie Dorange, Director of Public Relations, Al Bustan Palace, a RitzCarlton Hotel told Times of Oman.

The Al Bustan official said they’re offering unique dining experiences at China Mood, Beach Pavilion and Al Khiran Terrace.

Besides the finest food, a spectacular show will be presented from the Tea Sommelier to delight guests of all ages whilst they dine in the magical beachfront ambience.

Beach Pavilion will offer a fivecourse tasting menu accompanied by a live vocal performance in the elegant beachfront setting of the renowned restaurant.

Al Khiran Terrace will serve a

lavish Christmas Eve Buffet boasting over 15 live cooking stations overlooking the pool and gardens.

“The youngest guests can enjoy a variety of activities to remain entertained throughout the evening and build up the excitement ahead of the arrival of Santa Claus,” Melanie said.

Magic and mystique “Visitors can also bring in the New Year in style with a night of magic and mystique on the shores of the sea of Oman through a Masquerade Gala on December 31 at 8pm,” Melanie added.

To start the New Year in a magical way, guests can join the countdown to 2016 on the beachfront, where they can light their very own lantern and send it flying into the sky with the beautiful backdrop of the Hajjar Mountains.

Grand Hyatt Muscat is also all set to welcome the guest with different packages.

“Our festive offers are an opportunity for families to get together and spend time with loved ones and celebrate living grand for the holiday season,” Nichole Bassit, Marketing Communications Manager at the Grand Hyatt Muscat, told Times of Oman.

La carte menu On the Christmas Eve the Tuscany restaurant will transform into the ideal place for an intimate evening, offering an exclusive a la carte menu perfectly created by Italian Chef Mauro Ferrari.

Mokha Café will set the mood with a buffet of festive delights and live cooking stations, she said.

At Safari Rooftop Grill House,

festive goers can enjoy all-inclusive package of food and beverages including slow roast US Butterball Turkey with options.

Club Safari offers regular door charge entry for OMR 5 featuring a live DJ on the tables until the early morning, the official said.

Tuscany is welcoming guests to a Black Tie dinner with a fivecourse set menu. Club Safari and Millennium Resort Mussanah are also offering several packages to on the festive season.

“As one of the prominent family hotel destinations in Oman, we are committed to offering the best packages for children and parents.

DEBUT EXHIBITION

Franchise expo to be held in 2016

With world class facilities that cater to every age segment, we promise our guests a memorable festive experience,” said Kay Paensanit, PR & Marketing Executive of Millennium Resort.

According to Kay, special offer for this Christmas is that guests (two persons) can enjoy a night stay in the deluxe room for inclusive of choice of either Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas Day brunch and breakfast for OMR134.

InterContinental Muscat brings a host of events, according to Baidha Al Sikaiti, Public Relations & Communications Manager.

Christmas Eve begins with

Trader Vic’s exquisite four-course dinner, where chefs prepare the finest dishes from choice of glazed oysters Rockefeller or caramelized beef-noodle salad to the traditional Trader Vic’s roasted Turkey.

Trader Vic’s a la carte menu and special kids menu are also available. “For outdoor lovers, Tomato invites you to sit back and relax under the stars while they whisk you away with festive three-course Mediterranean dinner in the midst of the picturesque ambience of the poolside or join the Musandam Café and Terrace Restaurant for a lavish Christmas Eve buffet with a variety of international cuisine

Franchise businesses It will provide local and international franchise businesses an ideal platform to introduce and establish their brands and unique business concept to hundreds of potentials franchisees in Oman and the region.

The event is endorsed by the Public Authority for SMEs Development (Riyada) and Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) and supported by the Oman/American Business Council and UK Trade and Investment.

The OFEC 2016 will be held at the Oman International Exhibition Centre between May 9 to 11, 2016. It will be composed of exhibits of franchise businesses, products and services of support industries, including local made products. — ONA

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S QU I N I T I AT I V E

Science Cafe 2015 session to focus on organic gardening Ahmed Al Raisi, assistant director (Plant Operation), College of Agriculture and Marine Sciences, SQU and Dr Abdullah Al Ghafri, director of the Aflaj Research Unit, Biological Sciences and Chemistry-Biology Section, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nizwaon, the upcoming Science Café event will demonstrate some of the main ideas that underpin organic gardening, including getting the soil ready and choosing seed.

Times News Service MUSCAT: The first-ever Oman Franchise Expo and Conference (OFEC 2016) is all set to present exciting business opportunities for Oman small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and aspiring entrepreneurs.

With the aim to support various initiatives in developing entrepreneurship amongst the nationals, Al Nimr Expo and the Middle East and North Africa Franchise Association (MENAFA) is joining hands in organising the OFEC 2016.

and flavours,” Al Sikaiti said.

According to Al Sikaiti guests can spend the Christmas Day at the Musandam Café and Terrace Restaurant for an afternoon of family, fun and festivities.

“Visitors can enjoy the variety and the quality of spectacular buffets and sumptuous brunches in the indoor dining space or the wide-open outdoor terrace with loads of fun and celebration throughout the day,” Baidha added.

InterContinental Muscat also offers Christmas & New Year room packages to the guests.

Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa offers range of culinary delights and special parties to welcome guests in this Festive season.

“With a buffet feast in Al Tanoor restaurant to a fine dining five-course menu in Bait al Bahr, our valued guests are guaranteed a remarkable dining journey,” said Rebecca Platt, Director of Communications in Shangri-La. She also said that Al Tanoor and Samba restaurants will be offering a variety of festive choices for families and children, while the resort’s four specialty restaurants will be offering tasty menus to tempt everyone’s palate. Highlight of the evening will be a grand party taking place at the Turtle Beach for guests to experience a countdown party like no other hosted

by Shangri-La’s live band and resident DJ, the resort officials said.

MUSCAT: Growing organic fruits and vegetables in the back garden will be the topic for discussion at the final Science Café of 2015, scheduled to be held at 7:30pm, on December 30, at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) Farm.

Organised by the Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Centre (OAPGRC), the staff from the University farm will be showing attendees how to grow their own fresh produce organically, no matter what the skill level or how much space is available.

“Organic Gardening: Time to Grow” will be a 90-minute crash course covering the basics of how to grow organic edibles in your garden, patio, balcony or windowbox. We’ll be focusing on what’s easy to grow, how to choose what to plant and how to keep crops alive and thriving,” remarked Dr. Nadiya Al Saady, OAPGRC’s executive director.

Gardening organically More and more people are interested in gardening organically.

They recognise how important this approach is for the environment and that it produces safe and tasty food. However, many are unsure about how to go about it. “We’ve had some excellent Science Cafés this year. The initiative is now supported by Oman

Dr. Nadiya Al Saady.

— Supplied picture

LNG, attendance has shot up and the scientists we’ve had present have been marvellous. And we’re particularly excited about our partnership with the Sultan Qaboos University Farm,” said Al Saady, adding: “Encouraging organic gardening is an important step towards building a more sustainable food system in Oman.”

Led Dr Abdulrahim Al Ismaili, assistant professor, Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering, SQU, Abdulbaqi

More nutritious “Food grown at home is overall fresher, more nutritious and tastes better than store-bought food and you can’t beat the price,” pointed out OAPGRC’s Executive Director.

Organic urban gardens are also key to saving energy, protecting water quality and top soil, promoting biodiversity, beautifying densely populated urban areas and reducing food kilometres, saving on the damaging greenhouse gas emissions associated with today’s modern food chains.

All of this helps improve Oman’s environment.

“The 30 December Science Café has been designed specifically to encourage people to think more about diet, health, wellness and the environment. We hope to teach those attending how to grow their own fresh, organic, healthy food,” concluded Al Saady.

T UESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

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SAYYID KHALID RECEIVES CYPRUS, TUNISIA ENVOYS Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal bin Saud Al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court, received in his office on Monday Farhad Khlif, Ambassador of Tunisia and Andreas Panayiotou, Ambassador of Cyprus to the Sultanate. During the meetings, cordial conversations were exchanged. — ONA

P O L I T I C A L C O N S U LTAT I O N S

M I N I S T R Y O F H E A LT H

Oman, Iran hold talks TEHRAN: Oman and Iran held the fourth round of political consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Iranian capital, Tehran on Monday.

The Omani side was led by Dr. Ali bin Ahmed Al Isa’ee, Head of the GCC Department, Acting Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Diplomatic Affairs, while it was headed from the Iranian side by Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs.

The two sides reviewed the bi-

lateral relations between the two countries and means of enhancing them to serve the joint interests of the two countries.

The two sides also exchanged viewpoints on several regional and international issues, as well as the efforts exerted to solve them by peaceful methods.

The session was attended from the Omani side by the Sultanate’s ambassador to Iran, Head of the Levant Department, Head of the Office of the Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs and officials from both sides. -ONA

Seminar on TB treatment MUSCAT: A seminar on tuberculosis (TB) treatment at primary health centres will be organised by the Ministry of Health at the Health Sciences Institute in Al Wattiyah on Tuesday.

The ministry will be represented by Non-Communicable Diseases Administration. On the first day, the TB National Record and Follow up Booklet will be launched. Sixty doctors, nurses and paramedics will take part in the seminar. -ONA

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TUE S DAY, D E CEMBER 2 2 , 2 015 The average retirement age now is 65 years for males and 63.5 years for females in 34 countries Tonia Gray, general manager of Competence HR

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SMOOTH TRANSITION

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A1 No human casualties, but loss in million ther sub-standard electrical wiring or poorly maintained wiring systems.

“The relevant authorities are responsible for inspecting the electrical wiring systems during installation to ensure that they conform to the required national standards. Part of the inspection process involves the verification of the electrical contractors’ certification of qualification and is essential for ensuring the competency of those involved in the installation process,” Pudwell said.

As the workers had locked the warehouse and had gone for lunch, there were no casualties.

Stocks meant for distribution at 13 outlets of the hypermarket were stored in the warehouse.

Police help “The fire outbreak was noticed by nearby residents. My men rushed to the site. They tried to break into the warehouse, but they failed.

They rang the police and sought help from the nearby water filling unit. Water tankers came first and later on one fire engine. However, as the situation worsened, more fire engines were called,” the official added.

According to the official, some of the gutted items may not qualify for an insurance claim as they were stocked in excess due to technical issues.

“As it is the year-end and outlets are carrying out an audit of stocks, for their convenience, we were not sending some items to the outlets.

Unfortunately, those items, which may not be covered by the insur-

TOWERING BLAZE: Stocks meant for distribution at 13 outlets of the hypermarket were stored in the warehouse. – PACDA

ance, were also gutted. The loss is too much,” the official said, adding that the reason behind the fire has not been ascertained yet.

Meanwhile, Mark Pudwell,

business development and training manager at Competence HR, said one of the main causes of the fires, in both the domestic and industrial premises, were ei-

Overloaded circuit “In older properties, which have been constructed prior to the implementation of building standards, the wiring systems are often not designed to withstand the requirements of modern living or work place demands and as such, are often completely overloaded to the point where the system fails and fires occur with devastating results. It is also the case that building maintenance contractors use sub-standard or damaged

electrical extension leads to carry out their work, which can result in electrical failure and fires,” he added.

A risk engineer at a Muscatbased insurance firm said that generally, the main reason for fire accidents was a short circuit.

Loose wiring “Temporary or loose electrical wiring at the work site/workshop, the overloading of electrical outlets/fixture by connecting too many switches with no surge protector, keeping combustible materials/stocks near the electrical fixtures, improper ventilation in the LT and HT electrical panel room and poor electrical wiring standards without a circuit breaker and surging current protection,” the risk engineer said.

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Indian prodigy gears up for his Muscat concert Born into a family of Hindustani classical singers, Siddhant had an early exposure to singing from his grandparents Siddhant Bhosale

Times News Service MUSCAT: Siddhant Bhosale, the son of renowned Indian singer Sudesh Bhosale, is looking forward to performing at the much-awaited “Amitabh aur Main” concert scheduled for December 26 at Muscat’s City Amphitheatre.

The concert, which has been staged successfully in India, is being organised by Oman’s leading event management company Light and Shadow Enterprises.

Minara will be the presenter of the event.

Speaking about his experience of performing for these concerts, along with his father Sudesh Bhosale, Siddhant said, “These series of concerts are very exciting and a new experience for me. I have received an amazing

response from the audience. It’s a delight to share the stage with my father.”

Sharing information on how he got started in the music industry, Siddhant said, “My grandmother and great grandmother were both renowned Hindustani classical singers. Being born into a musical family, I had an early exposure to singing. I received my first formal Hindustani classical singing lesson from my grandmother, Suman Bhosle.

As the years went by, I started learning the guitar, drums and piano. Having the chance to perform live with my father since an early age, gave me a lot of experience of performing before a live audience.” Asked about who else, apart from his father, have

been musical influences for him and how they have influenced his music, Siddhant said, “I just love music and exploring new music. I gain inspiration from any kind of music, no matter what the genre is. In my college days, I was heavily influenced by John Mayer, an American singer and songwriter, in terms of his guitar playing and song writing skills.

From the Indian film industry, just like my father, I look up to Kishore Kumar as the most versatile singer.”

Siddhant has so far worked with Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Shameer Tandon in the Hindi playback field and in the Marathi industry, with Anil Mohile, Adarsh Shinde, Utkarsha Shinde.

“I would love to work with the pioneers of modern Bollywood music, such as, Pritam, A.R. Rahman, Salim Sulaiman and Vishal Shekhar,” Siddhant said.

He further hopes to sing for as many actors as possible. “I would rather sing for as many singers as possible. I have a very versatile and young tone, which moulds well and would suit a lot of actors of the new generation,” he said.

Female singer Arpita Thakkar will also join the Sudesh Bhonsale and Siddhant.

“It is a much awaited show that fans cannot afford to miss and the tickets are selling out really fast with a fantastic response,” said Akshay Chowdhary, director of Light and Shadow Enterprises.

< FROM

Retirement

A1 age of expats “If we start considering exceptions, then the list will become endless,” the Shura member added.

Another Majlis Al Shura member had earlier suggested fixing the retirement age for nationals in order to provide job opportunities to the youngsters.

The present labour law is silent on the retirement age. However, while discussing the termination clauses, the law said the contract shall not be terminated on the part of the employer unless the worker reaches the age of 60 at least.

Meanwhile, Gita Krishnan, group finance and administration manager at the Mohd. Al Harthy Group of Companies, said that “Old is Gold,” but definitely all that glitters is not gold.

“Yes, definitely older people have to give way to the younger generation, but in a phased manner. Youngsters have to be groomed under the expertise, exposure and the experiences of the older employees. Then the transition would be smooth and productive,” Krishnan, who is 53 years old, said.

However, Tonia Gray, general manager of Competence HR, said age should not be a factor while determining when anyone should stop working.

“The primary reasons for considering a ‘mature’ person stopping work would be if they are suffering from ill health preventing them from undertaking their responsibilities or if they are unable to keep up with the times, for example, changes in technology.

The mature generation has a lot to offer to an employer, primarily due to their extensive experience and knowledge, which cannot be replaced by employing a fresher,” Gray said.

“The average retirement age now is 65 years for males and 63.5 years for females in 34 countries,” she added.

Meanwhile, another HR official in Muscat said retirees are likely to have up-to-date skill sets and the work experience employers require, yet labour rules in GCC countries restrict their ability to work past retirement and they were forced to end their services.

“In many other industrialized markets, aged 60 and above retirees are also allowed to work part-time without forfeiting their benefits, and under certain conditions. There is certainly a disadvantage that organizations will lose the talent. However, there is also a necessity that employees will be relieved from their services by the age of 60 and welcome new talent in the organization, which will benefit from more focused and skilled resources. But I feel the ban at age of 50 is perhaps not a right move as it shows a demotivation factor by law itself,” the HR official added.

The Kuwaiti government took such a decision following a trend where the number of expat government employees aged 50 years and above were found to be much more than the 20,000 Kuwaiti citizens qualified with university, medium and lesser degrees, who had been unable to find employment and were placed on employment waiting lists.

S H A R I N G W E A LT H

A1 State-owned firms’ privatisation < FROM

Earlier this year, Al Balushi had said the planned privatisation programme involving a number of state-owned firms was under consideration and would be implemented during the next three years, after getting the necessary approvals.

Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas, had also said earlier that the government sees privatisation as a way to share wealth with the public and therefore it will move ahead with its plans in due course. The government looks at it as more of a strategy to share the generated wealth with as many people as possible and the companies can implement their plans in this regard when they achieve sustained profitability, he said at the time.

Unified GCC Legislation Providing updates on a proposal to introduce a unified legislation for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) securities markets, the executive president of CMA said, “The work is in progress. We are progressing in that regard and are trying to bring the practices

Sheikh Abdullah bin Salim Al Salmi, Executive President of the Capital Market Authority. -Jun Estrada

together and integrate as much as we can of our capital markets.”

Asked if he is in favour of a single stock market for the GCC, Al Salmi said, “It is premature to talk about it.”

He also said that work is progressing on the plan to establish a stock market platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“We are dealing with the Taiwanese, and the feasibility study has already been done. We are reviewing the feasibility study. It is in the progress… and we hope to see something materialise soon,”

Al Salmi said. The official also commented on the new amendments made in the auto insurance policy, saying that the final version will be issued after the process is complete.

A seminar was recently organised for employees of the underwriting, compensation and claims departments at the insurance and insurance brokerage companies, as well as compliance officers of insurance companies’ boards, to familiarise them with the articles of the amended insurance policy.

T UESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

A7

REGION Yemeni forces advance to capital Forces loyal to Yemen’s President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi took control of two mountains in the Nihm district in Sanaa province, said a tribal source

BEFORE OFFENSIVE

DESTRUCTION: Members of the Iraqi security forces point at destruction in the rural Husayba Al Sharkiya area, east of Anbar province’s capital Ramadi, as they undertake military operations to attack IS group on Sunday. – AFP

IS preventing civilians from leaving Ramadi BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON: IS militants are preventing civilians from leaving Ramadi ahead of an attack planned by the Iraqi army to retake the western city that the militants captured in May, an Iraqi Defence Ministry spokesman said on Monday.

“There are families that managed to escape the gangs of IS,” the spokesman, Naseer Nuri, told Reuters, using a local derogatory name for the group.

“There is intelligence information from inside the city that they are preventing families from leaving; they plan to use them as human shields,” he added, without indicating the number of those who had managed to flee.

Iraqi military planes on Sunday dropped leaflets on Ramadi, asking residents to leave within 72 hours and indicating safe routes for their exit.

Iraqi intelligence estimates the number of IS fighters that are entrenched in the centre of Ramadi, capital of Anbar province, at between 250 and 300.

Meanwhile, Iraq on Monday welcomed an announcement by Turkey that it would pull its troops back from a base in northern Iraq, and said it hoped the withdrawal would be completed. The deployment of around 150 troops to the camp this month prompted Iraq to accuse Turkey of violating its sovereignty and lodge a formal complaint at the UN Security Council.

Turkey withdrew some troops to another base inside Iraq’s Kurdistan region last week and said it would continue to pull out of Nineveh province, where the camp is located. It did not say how many troops would be moved or where to. “The council of ministers discussed the crisis with Turkey and reiterated its welcome of Turkey’s announcement that it will withdraw from Iraqi territory,” the Iraqi government said in a statement.

Turkey had said it was deploying the troops to train an Iraqi militia to fight IS militants.

The United States and its allies conducted 15 strikes against IS in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement on Monday.

In Iraq, a dozen strikes near four cities hit several IS tactical units, vehicles, weapons caches, fighting positions and other targets, the Combined Joint Task Force said. Six strikes hit near Mosul, the IS stronghold in northern Iraq, and four near Ramadi, where the Iraqi military on Sunday asked civilians to leave the city before a planned offensive. The remaining two strikes in Iraq were near Bayji, the military said. — Reuters

DUBAI: Forces loyal to Yemen’s government fought their way into the province surrounding the capital on Monday, tribal sources said, the closest they have advanced toward Sanaa since the Houthi movement seized it in September last year.

The advance comes despite a conditional agreement to extend a seven-day truce in Yemen, following a week of UN-sponsored peace talks in Switzerland in which the parties reached a broad framework for ending the nine-month-old war that has killed nearly 6,000 people. “(President Abdrabbo Mansour) Hadi’s forces took control of two mountains in the Nihm district in Sanaa province,” one tribal source

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said. The area is about 60km (37 miles) north-east of the capital.

A military alliance of mostly Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia began bombing Yemen’s Houthi movement in March to try to restore Hadi’s government and roll back gains made by the Houthis.

Yemeni forces loyal to Hadi, backed by alliance air strikes, have made a number of gains against the Houthis in recent weeks. But

the Houthis, a tribal militia remain in control of much of the northern part of the country. On Friday, Hadi loyalists captured the city of Al Hazm, the provincial capital of northwestern Al Jawf province.

Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire that began with the start of the peace talks on December 15.

UN Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed had voiced deep concern at “numerous reports of violations of the cessation of hostilities” and set up a mechanism to strengthen compliance, a UN statement said. The peace talks are scheduled to resume on January 14. — Reuters

HARDSHIP CONTINUES: Women walk to a water well to collect water in Amlah of Yemen’s northwestern province of Saada on Sunday. The advance of the forces loyal to Yemen’s government comes despite a conditional agreement to extend a seven-day ceasefire in Yemen. – Reuters

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TUE S DAY, D E CEMBER 2 2 , 2 015

INDIA

The nation wants this Bill passed. In the next two days, parties should rise above politics and pass this Bill. I appeal to the Congress party for it Derek O’Brien, Trinamool Congress leader

DECEMBER 16 GANG-RAPE CASE

SC rejection spurs demand for quick passage of Juvenile bill NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court’s rejection of plea against release of juvenile offender in December 16 gang rape case on Monday spurred demands inside and outside Parliament for passage of a bill — that seeks to lower the age defining juvenile from 18 to 16 years —on Tuesday itself.

Government said the amendments to Juvenile Justice Act that will allow children between 16-18 years to be tried as adults in heinous crime cases will come up before Rajya Sabha today, as protests against release of the juvenile convict continued at Jantar Mantar.

The Juvenile Justice Amendment Act has already been passed in the Lok Sabha.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said “the government is ready and very keen to pass this Juvenile Bill”, as a demand for expeditious passage was made in the Rajya Sabha.

Parliament’s Winter session concludes on Wednesday.

Derek O’Brien (TMC) said he has given a notice under rule 267 seeking suspension of business in the Rajya Sabha and taking up the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2014.

He said the House had only three days to go before end of the Winter Session and government’s listed agenda includes commercial courts, arbitration and real estate bill. The government has not even listed the juvenile bill for discussion and passing today, he said during Zero Hour.

“It is incumbent upon the House to listen to what is going on outside,” he said, asking the House to rise above politics. “It is not a perfect bill but let us list it and pass the bill,” O’Brien said.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the bill was listed on Decem-

ber 8, 10 and 11. “We have listed it for tomorrow,” he said, adding if all agree the bill can be taken up for discussion on Monday itself.

Plea to rise above politics Outside Parliament, Prasad targeted Congress, saying “the Bill has been thrice listed in the past for consideration and passage in Rajya Sabha; however, the House has not been able to run”. Derek O’Brien said the various parties should rise above politics and allow the passage of the Bill.

“The nation wants this Bill passed. In the next two days, parties should rise above politics and pass this Bill. I appeal to the Congress party for it,” he said.

Union Minister Uma Bharti said she will appeal to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to allow passage of the Bill in the interest of the girls in the country.

“There is an obvious anger in

the country against the release of the juvenile accused in the Nirbhaya case. The Bill was listed three times, but the Congress is not allowing the session to work and justice is not being delivered to Nirbhaya,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav blamed “politics” for the delay in the passage of the Bill.

The victim’s mother Asha Devi while stating that her fight against the system would continue demanded that the new Juvenile law be passed by Rajy Sabha on Tuesday itself, a stand which was also echoed by Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women(DCW) Swati Maliwal.

CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat explained that even if the amendments to the Act were passed, the new provisions would not apply retrospectively to the juvenile convict in the gang rape case. - PTI

PROTESTS AGAINST JUVENILE’S RELEASE: Students display placards against the release of the juvenile convict in Nirbhaya case, in New Delhi on Monday. - PTI

‘Economy stagnant with a complete lack of direction’ Where are the jobs and private

They cannot go on blaming the previous government. Every government has legacy issues. Then you should have asked for a moratorium on government for two years

investment promised by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asked former finance minister P. Chidambaram

NEW DELHI: Former finance minister P. Chidambaram on Monday tore into government’s management of economy saying there is “complete lack of direction” with no command over situation and the economy is “stagnant”.

Nineteen months into government, he also asked the BJP-led government where are the jobs and private investment promised by the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The government seems to be stalled. The mid-year (economic) analysis (tabled in Parliament last week) is a confession that the government has not been able to push growth.

Tempering expectations “They have begun the exercise of tempering expectations down to about 7.2-7.3 per cent, a far cry from what they said at the beginning of financial year that they will achieve a growth rate of 8-8.5 per cent,” he said in an interview.

Also, the government has started talking about not being able to achieve the fiscal deficit target of 3.5 per cent of GDP for 2016-17.

P. Chidambaram Former finance minister

“All these points to a lack of command over the situation and lack of capacity to deal with the problem,” he said adding “This is complete lack of direction.” In its Mid-Year Economic Analysis, the government on Friday lowered its economic growth forecast for 2015-16 to 7-7.5 per cent from 8.1-8.5 per cent.

It said the target of bringing it down to 3.5 per cent in the next will face pressure from higher outgo on central staff wages due to implementation of the 7th Pay Commission and Defence pensions.

Asked where was the government lacking, he said, “I don’t think they have a command over the situation. Where are the jobs they promised, where is the private investment that they said will happen once they come to office?”

U S VA R S I T I E S U N D E R S C A N N E R

19 students stopped from boarding US-bound flight HYDERABAD: Air India barred 19 students from boarding its flight to the US on the grounds that the two universities in which they had secured admission are under “scrutiny” of US authorities.

The national carrier asked its staff to not allow the 19 students to board its flight to San Francisco at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here on Sunday night.

The students have taken admission at two San Franciscobased varsities that are currently under US government scanner, an Air India official said.

“In the past, we have witnessed that students who secured admission in those institutions have been deported to India as soon as they land there. To avoid embarrassment to them and save their money, we prevented them from boarding the flight,” the official said on Monday.

The government-run airline is refunding the entire ticket cost to these students, the official added.

In a statement, Air India said they had on December 19 received

a communication from the US Customs and Border Protection Agency that the two universities were under scrutiny and students who arrived in San Francisco were not allowed to enter the US and deported back to India.

“So far, 14 students who travelled on Air India flights to San Francisco have been deported.

Students travel on a one-way ticket to the US and, in the event of deportation, incur huge expenditure to buy a ticket back to India on first available service. Further, seats are often not available on any airlines to travel back,” the statement said.

Considering the situation, students booked for travel to take admission to these universities are not being accepted on Air India flights, it further said. Meanwhile, one of the universities in question said on its website that “absolutely false” reports are being disseminated by certain media outlets and other groups that the institute has been blacklisted by the US government. - PTI

Stating that the Indian economy is “stagnant”, Chidambaram said when United Progressive Alliance (UPA) left office, the country recorded 6.9 per cent growth in 2013-14.

“First quarter of 2014-15 growth was 7.3 per cent or so. Now one and a half year later, we seem to be stuck in the same groove of 7.3 per cent. So it is fair to say that the economy is stagnant for the last 18 months. There is no uptick, no upturn at all,” he said.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) was coming in but no more than what came earlier, he said.

“In the last 10 years FDI has been range bound — $35-45 billion a year. This year also we are getting the same amount of FDI, about $45 billion.There is nothing unusual about the figure.”

Asked about his expectations from the next year’s budget, Chidambaram said from the indications in the mid-year review, “the next budget will be a challenging budget. Do they have the capacity to face up to the challenge? We would have to wait and see.”

Apprehending further cuts in social expenditure, he said the government has already slashed spending.

With nominal GDP growth less than interest rate, it will have to further cut expenditure in the next three months if they want to meet the fiscal deficit target of 3.9 per cent for current 2015-16 fiscal.

The slump in oil prices to six year low has been a double bonanza for the government — the oil import bill was lower and so also the subsidises. On the other

side, excise and customs duties have been raised to mop up large amounts of revenue.

“Therefore it is a double bonanza,” he said.

On the government blaming legacy issues for the slow pick up in the economy, he said, “How long can they blame the previous government which demitted office 19 months ago.

How long can they blame?

“They cannot go on blaming the previous government. Every government has legacy issues.

Then you should have asked for a moratorium on government for two years.”

Asked about the government claims of 40 per cent jump in FDI this fiscal, he said, “A data point to data point does not indicate a trend. A deliberate mistake which everybody makes. You take one data point and say another data point, that does not indicate a trend. A student of economics or statistics will tell you that. Over a period of 10 years FDI has been range bound $35-45 billion. This year also it is within the same range only.”

To a question of Congress being blamed for obstructing the nation’s progress, he asked, “Which is the legislative measure that the Congress has stalled? The last two sessions they boasted that Parliament had worked to over 100 per cent of capacity. How could that have happened of opposition had not cooperated.”

The only measure relating to the economy which is stalled is the Good and Services Tax (GST) bill, he said.

“But who stalled the GST bill.

The GST bill was stalled by BJP for several years for no reason what so ever. Yes we admit that we are stalling the GST bill now, but we are stalling it after putting down our objections in writing.” - PTI

SECOND SUCH INCIDENT

Afghan forces foil attack on Indian mission in Jalalabad KABUL/NEW DELHI: Afghan security forces have arrested a would-be suicide bomber and thwarted his plan to attack the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan’s Jalalabad city, second such incident within a week.

Citing Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS), officials on Monday said the forces arrested the suicide bomber who was planing to attack the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province.

The bomber, identified as Nasir, is a resident of Tagab district of north-eastern Kapisa province, Attaullah Ludin, a spokesman for the provincial governor, was quoted as saying by the Tolonews.

He said Nasir had recently joined the Taliban and confessed to his plot during investigations.

There was no comment from the Taliban on the incident.

Last week, security personnel arrested two IS terrorists who had planned to attack vehicles of the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad city.

Ata-ur-Rahman alias Hanzala and Abdullah alias Qari Ismail were arrested with a 30-KG bomb before reaching to their target, Khaama Press reported, citing a statement released by NDS on December 14. In a footage sent to media together with the statement

by NDS, one of the suspects identifying himself as Ata-ur-Rahman says they were told to plant the landmine on the side of the road to target vehicles of the Indian Consulate. Indian Consulate is located close to the area from where the suspects were rounded up.

When asked to comment on these arrests, External Affairs Ministry Vikas Swarup in New Delhi said that it once again shows the security situation in Afghanistan and the need to be ever-vigilant against such attempts. -PTI

EXCESS ARSENIC

Over 36 million rural inhabitants at risk due to drinking water quality problems NEW DELHI: Over 36 million people living in more than 63,000 rural habitations are exposed to health hazards due to drinking water quality problems like excess arsenic, fluoride, iron, salinity or nitrate.

Of this, 1,318 rural habitations are arsenic-affected, Minister of State for Drinking Water Ram Kripal Yadav told the Upper House in a written reply.

“As reported by the state governments under the Online Integrated Management System (IMIS) of the Ministry as on December 15, there are 63,378 rural habitations affected by water quality problems like excess arsenic, fluoride, iron,salinity or nitrate in one or more rural drinking water sources.

“The total population at risk as on December 15 is 3.6 crore,” Yadav said. The Union Minister also said there are 1,318 arsenic- affected rural habitations in the country which are yet to be provided with safe drinking water. The permissible limit of arsenic in drinking water is 0.05 milligram per litre.

SCARCITY: Villagers gather around a well to fill their pots with water in Natwargadh village, some 110km from Ahmedabad. Minister of State for Drinking Water Ram Kripal Yadav said the government has prepared a ‘strategic plan’ to cover 90 per cent of the rural population through piped water supply schemes by 2022. - AFP file photo

“Due to prolonged consumption of excess arsenic in drinking water, dermal changes are characterized including in children by increased pigmentation and hardening of the skin that is combination of melanosis and keratosis.

“The most common sequence is the gradual development of sportted or raindrop pigmentation followed by gradual emergence of a

hyper-keratotic chagnes.

If not detected and prevented in the early stages, these manifestations may lead to cancer,” he said in the reply. Yadav said the ministry has advised all states to commission piped water supply schemes preferably from safe surface water sources as a long-term sustainable solution.

“Since such projects take certain

time, the ministry has suggested the states to install community water purification plants especially in arsenic and fluoride-affected habitations so as to provide 8-10 litres per capita per day of safe water for drinking and cooking purposes, quickly,” he said.

Replying to another question, the minister said there are “no habitations in the country without drinking water facilities” as per the IMIS. He said some of the rural population living in 63,000 houses are “not getting clean drinking water” as one or more of drinking water sources at these habitations are “contaminated by chemicals” like arsenic, fluoride, iron, nitrate and salinity. Yadav informed that the government has released Rs2,758.45 crore to states in the current fiscal for providing safe drinking water to rural areas.

The minister said the government has prepared a “strategic plan” to cover 90 per cent of the rural population through piped water supply schemes by 2022. - PTI

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‘Harness solar energy to fight climate change’ Modi highlighted the significant initiative of Mission Innovation launched jointly by the US, France and India, with the help of the

ELECTRIC BUS LAUNCHED: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches an electric bus to ferry lawmakers to Lok Sabha, at Parliament House in New Delhi on Monday. - PTI

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, for development of green technologies

NEW DELHI: Terming the negative impact of environment pollution as a challenge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said there is a need to harness solar energy.

“Discussions of environment have been taking for long, but for the last few years, its negative impact has been felt on normal human lives...There is a challenge before the mankind to find a solution to this problem,” Modi said.

He was speaking at an event where he flagged off an electric

bus, gifted by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, to ferry MPs at Parliament.

He was clear that the countries are going to work to harness solar energy. Referring to the recent CoP-21 summit in Paris, Modi highlighted two significant initiatives — Mission Innovation launched jointly by the US, France and India, with the help of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, on development of green technologies and the creation of the International Solar Alliance of countries with abundant sunlight.

The headquarters of this alliance will be in Delhi, the prime minister said.

“There are 122 nations which get the benefit of sunrays for more than 300 days in a year. With India’s initiative, an organisation of

D E L H I A N D D I S T R I C T C R I C K E T A S S O C I AT I O N R O W

Jaitley files civil and criminal cases against AAP leaders

DEFAMATION CASE: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley surrounded by security and party workers as he arrives at Patiala House Courts to file a defamation case against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and other Aam Aadmi Party leaders, for their DDCA corruption allegations against him, in New Delhi on Monday. - PTI

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday filed both civil and criminal defamation cases against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders for allegedly defaming him and sought Rs100 million in damages and their prosecution for offences that entails a punishment of upto two years in jail.

A week after a CBI raid on the Chief Minister’s secretariat against his principal secretary that triggered allegations by AAP against Jaitley in the affairs of the Delhi’s cricket body Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), the minister took the legal recourse saying the AAP leaders’ “malicious and defamatory” campaign was causing irreversible damage to him.

The others who have been named in both the petitions are Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Deepak Bajpai.

The Patiala House Courts in the heart of the city saw the rare spectacle of a union minister walking amidst a jostling crowd of BJP supporters, who shouted slogans against Kejriwal, to enter the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal to file the criminal complaint.

Jaitley came to the court a little after lunch at 2.05pm and the proceedings lasted 35 minutes.

The complaint was filed under various sections of the IPC including 499 (defamation), 500 (punishment), 501 and 502 (printing and sale of defamatory matter). Senior advocate Sid-

dharth Luthra, who appeared for Jaitley, himself an eminent lawyer, pleaded for immediately recording the minister’s statement but the court just took cognisance of the complaint and posted the case for January 5 when Jaitley will record his testimony.

Earlier in the day, Jaitley filed a civil suit in the Delhi High Court against Kejriwal and five others AAP leaders for issuing allegedly false and defamatory statements against him and his family members. In the criminal defamation complaint, Jaitley said Kejriwal and other AAP leaders with common intention have from December 15 “undertaken a false, malicious and defamatory campaign against Jaitley and his family members for political mileage causing irreversible damage to him.”

It was done to deflect issues from an unrelated search during investigation by CBI of a bureaucrat in the secretariat of the Delhi Government based on a complaint by a third party, he said.

Meanwhile, a defiant Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday asserted that the Aam Aadmi Party will not be scared by civil and criminal defamation suits against him and five other AAP leaders by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and asked him to prove his innocence before the inquiry commission.

Kejriwal suggested that Jaitley should instead cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry formed by the Delhi government to probe the alleged irregularities in the DDCAA. - PTI

such nations has been formed,” Modi said. Resolutions in Paris by world leaders include work on innovation to get fossil fuel-free energy, Modi added.

“US, France and India have taken initiatives for innovation. The Bill Gates Foundation has also been associated with it. A positive result will come by,” he hoped.

Congratulating Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on his contribution to environment and technology leading to the refurbished bus with no pollution, the PM suggested that the technology can be used in public transport as well.

Such buses would “not only significantly contribute in minimising pollution, but would encourage younger generation to come into research and making of batteries”. - PTI

INDIA

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A 10

TUE S DAY, D E CEMBER 2 2 , 2 015

PAKISTAN D E A D LY A C C I D E N T

Actress Ayesha Omar talks about near-death experience KARACHI: Actress Ayesha Omar, who suffered a terrible road accident last week, has finally shared her experience of the horrific incident which left her hospitalised.

The actress of Bulbulay fame took to Facebook Sunday night to disclose details and thanked friends and family for their “love, prayers and wishes” during her time of need.

Through her status she assured her fans that she was out of danger and was home after spending three nights at the hospital.

She revealed that her right arm is immobile due to the injuries sustained, and she has broken her right collar bone and fractured her right shoulder.

Agonising pain “Thankfully, I didn’t lose consciousness at the time of the accident despite being in agonising pain and my first thought was of gratitude. I was shocked and grateful to be alive and wanted to be out of the car ASAP but refused to let anyone touch me because I knew I had broken something in my shoulder and didn’t want to be mishandled,” she wrote.

And then she delved right into the incident: “We hit an overtaking truck on the highway just before Hyderabad and faced two

Azfar was in complete control of the situation and the actress was grateful to him for taking care of her during the car ride to Karachi.

“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have made it back safely and god knows how I would’ve been handled,” she added.

Ayesha Omar

collisions — the other by another truck from the back. It’s a miracle that Azfar and I came out alive because the car was completely destroyed. I was immobile and Azfar and a group of passersby picked me up and put me into a police mobile that took us to a rundown govt clinic in Jamshoro,” she shared.

Panic and trauma soon welcomed sympathy as Ayesha remembered innocent lives caught in similar traumatic experiences.

“My next few thoughts were a mixture of extreme terror of being kidnapped or mugged by dacoits on the highway, taking advantage of our vulnerable situation. And of thousands of little kids strewn on the ground after various explosions in the world, with no one to help them and provide any medical help.”

Having suffered minor injuries,

Take pictures She went on to share the horrifying moment when “random men” wanted to take pictures with her.

Luckily, she was met with some kind people who “kept covering my face while I was lying on the stretcher in the hospital in Jamshoro.”

In between all the commotion, Ayesha was aware of her surroundings and kept asking for her belongings — bag and phone.

Unfortunately, she had to bear the pain until she reached Karachi.

“Had no access to a proper doctor or painkillers until we reached Khi. Those six hours were the toughest few hours of my life and Azfar Rehman protected and cared for me like I was his own child.”

“The accident happened at 6:30 pm in the evening and we were received by my closest ones at South city hospital at 2 am.

“From there on it was just x-rays and painkillers,” she shared of her encounter. — Express Tribune

CONFLICT ZONE: Afghan National Army soldiers walk in Helmand on Monday. Clashes intensified as the Taliban pressed an offensive to capture a key district in Helmand, a day after an official warned that the entire southern province was on the brink of collapse. - AFP

Raheel’s bid to restart Afghan peace dialogue The aim is to end more than 14 years of war with the Taliban, who held power in Afghanistan until 2001 but were overthrown in a USbacked campaign for harbouring

LUCKY TO BE ALIVE: In this photograph taken on November 9, 2015, a wounded Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier gestures after receiving treatment at Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan Military Hospital in Kabul. - AFP

the Al Qaeda leaders behind the

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ISLAMABAD/KABUL: Pakistan-brokered peace talks between Afghanistan and Taliban insurgents could restart in early January after weeks of pressure from partners including the United States and China, officials in Islamabad and Kabul said.

The head of Pakistan’s army, General Raheel Sharif, is expected in Afghanistan this week in the latest in a series of high-level contacts between Islamabad and Kabul to restart the peace process which was broken off in July.

The aim is to end more than 14 years of war with the Taliban, who held power in Afghanistan until 2001 but were overthrown in a US-backed campaign for harbouring the Al Qaeda leaders behind the September 11 attacks.

Since then they have waged a potent insurgency against the Kabul government, stepping up their attacks since the pullout of most foreign troops in 2014.

A senior Pakistani official told Reuters the resumption of talks should take “not longer than two weeks ... I would say the first week of January we will see the process restart again.” He said the current plan was for the meetings to be held in Pakistan.

The aim was to bring Afghan and Pakistani leaders together with special representatives from China and the United States as well as Taliban representatives.

“The understanding is that all stakeholders should be there, everyone with a stake in this,” said the official, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media on the issue.

According to a Taliban official in the movement’s office in Qatar, Pakistan had also asked deputy Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of a Talibanaffiliated network blamed for a spate of recent suicide attacks in Kabul, to join the talks. But after repeated failed efforts, prospects for any immediate breakthrough appear distant, with a high risk the process may “crash soon after takeoff ”, in the words of one senior Afghan official who has been closely involved. “The Taliban are suffering from leadership chaos and the movement is fractured and it is not clear who is going to talk and which side is going to continue to fight,” said the official, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

An earlier round of talks in the

Pakistani hill resort of Murree came to a halt in July, when confirmation came that the Taliban’s elusive leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had in fact been dead for more than two years.

His successor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, has faced strong opposition from rival insurgent factions and the Taliban were recently forced to deny widespread reports he had been badly wounded or even killed in a shootout during an internal dispute.

Growing challenge IS extremists has also been posing a growing challenge, fuelling fears that Taliban leaders will be reluctant to be drawn into talks for fear of losing credibility among rank-and-file militants who have been buoyed by a string of battlefield successes. If the Taliban were to stop fighting, they might be tempted to switch allegiance to IS. After insurgent fighters managed to seize the northern city of Kunduz in late September and hold it for several days against US-backed government troops, the motivation for joining peace talks is also not clear.

High-profile insurgent attacks in the southern city of Kandahar and on a Spanish embassy guest house in Kabul, as well as Taliban gains in its heartland province of Helmand, have scotched hopes of a letup in violence over the winter. - Reuters

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READERS’ FORUM Food business handlers need to be trained This refers to the story, Raise the bar on food safety at restaurants (December 21), which was very timely. Oman is one of the biggest importers of food from the Indian subcontinent and Asia, catering to the needs of expatriate communities living here and who bring richness and diversity, in addition to different ethics in handling of food they serve. Although Oman has very strict guidelines for food safety, it is imperative that different communities in food business be given education in food storage, handling and processing. It should not only be localised to restaurants, Scan this QR code but should be extended to food and fruit or to send letters to the vegetable imports in grocery stores, many Readers’ Forum, of which are sold beyond their expiry date, containing not more than 200 words with posing enormous health risk. full name, address — Dr Nitin Saksena, Sydney. Australia.

ALBERT R. HUNT

A few weeks ago, United States Speaker Paul Ryan set out what he called a bold mandate for House Republicans: “a complete alternative to the left’s agenda.”

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and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi).

Caribbean nations need to play cricket as separate countries This refers to the story, West Indies spinner Bishoo in frame for Melbourne start, (December 21). The never ending pathetic display of cricketing skills shows why the former giants need to be stripped of their Test status. They should now be playing as separate countries with only Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados and Antigua having the coveted status.

— Sabeena Arthur, Qurum.

NEW INDIA ASSURANCE

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FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

Libya after lies and spin L

ast week, the impossible finally occurred after three years of frustrating negotiations, blood, and failures: A Libyan government was formed by foreigners, by the United Nations on December 17, 2015 in Morocco.

Sounds like a major success yes? Maybe.

Timely? Absolutely.

The real story of how the Libyan National Unity Government (NUG) emerged needs to be told to pundits, armchair generals, and perhaps, to Libyans of different stripes themselves in order to grasp what comes next in my humble opinion.

Clearly, a confluence of events helped the United Nations stitch together the NUG led

by Faiez Seraj. Let’s review how the convergence of three events resulted in a possible ‘workable’ nexus.

At the Rome Conference of December 13, 2015, according to a good source, US Secretary of State John Kerry threw a “diplomatic tantrum”, demanding that a NUG come together now. Kerry, fresh from his talks with new best pal Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the Syrian peace plan, the US Secretary of State is using his “rogue status” to make quick US diplomatic decisions I believe without consulting Washington or his own State Department.

Kerry, like his predecessor before him, Hillary Clinton, holds the “Libya file” close to his respective heart (as Clinton held the Libya 2011 file for example) and has apparently a “pass” by the Obama Administration to do whatever is needed, and fast. After all, the behaviour of the two DOS secretaries is symptomatic of Washington’s current environment of foreign policy “lack of centre” decision-making on the cuff.

Obama’s lawyer mind, along with the bloated and utterly useless National Security Council, can’t make a decision to find their way out of a paper bag. Obama subcontracts important decisions to his appointees. Enter the swashbuckling, charming, not overly well endowed cerebrally, Irish- American, Kerry, who has secured Lavrov’s liking and backing. Amazing how this new American-Russian realpolitik works! So much for Ukraine and sanctions.

Another piece of the puzzle comes in the form of the very real threat from the IS extremists. As the American and Russian-led coalitions bomb IS and their heathen, reports began to circulate that Libya’s ‘Daesh-stan’ was expanding.

A symbolic anticipated act being that the new UNESCO world heritage site at the ancient Ro-

man city of Sabratha was in immediate danger destruction by IS. Given the popular sentiment across much of the world to smash IS now and ask questions later about containment and destruction of their evil, vile, anti-social ideology, Kerry and Lavrov, along with their counterparts from the UN Security Council, to include several Arab states, said enough is enough with IS in Libya and want to bring the hammer down hard on the toxic extremists. These extremists include the hodgepodge coterie of not only IS but also the Muslim Brotherhood members and the Ansar Al Sharia.

But first, a Libyan government needs to invite foreign intervention.

Enter the NUG which is undoubtably ready to grant the necessary permission.

A third piece to the UN interconnection is about money. Lots and lots of money. The signing ceremony on 17th was spun beautifully and brilliantly by the United Nations. It is true that 80 HOR (Tobruk’s House of Representatives) and 25 GNC (Tripoli’s General National Congress) people were in attendance but few signed anything because they have no part in the new NUG. Instead, the plan was signed by 39 of the 40 Libya Dialogue people, all of whom have promised jobs and salaries courtesy of the UN. Surprise! And all of whom sense they are about to become what amounts to the legislative arm of a new government - a government gifted $100 billion in foreign assets. So the new deal is signed but only by the people who negotiated it. Now, the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) and the Libyan National Oil Company (NOC) are about to function openly with this new UN installed government. In fact, CBL is about to start issuing loans.

To boot, France’s Total and Italy’s ENI are part of the financial equation that will make NOC viable again. Money, and oil, it seems, is about to be used to again “buy off ” those militias, factions, and tribes, that are alienated and ostracised by the international mandate.

Everyone has their hands out shouting “Show me the money”! What comes next may be called the “Frankenstein’s monster” option.

Just as in Mary Shelly’s novel, Dr. Frankenstein attempts to create life from death. But in the end, there are lessons learned including the risks of tampering with nature’s unique order, the dangers of ambition turning into obsession, and the necessity for human connection of any and every kind.

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES DECEMBER 2000 Agreement for road project signed MUSCAT: An RO3.69 million agreement was signed at the Ministry of Communications yesterday for the construction of Hima-Duqm road in the Wusta region. Salim bin Abdullah Al Ghazali, minister of communications, signed the agreement on behalf of the Sultanate’s government, while the director general of Al Shanfari Trading and Contracting Company signed it for the implementing company. According to the agreement, the company will construct a 158km road between Hima and Duqm, in addition to the Irish bridges and other drainage systems.

TODAY IN HISTORY INVITATION TO WRITERS We invite our readers to write articles on topics related to Oman. The articles should not exceed 800 words. Send us your article along with your picture to akhtar@timesofoman.com

1929: Soviet troops leave Manchuria after a truce is reached with the Chinese over the Eastern Railway dispute.

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PICTOGRAPH BUILDING PERMITS IN THE SULTANATE Muscat

11,025

North Batinah

6,285

Al Dakhliyah

4,967

South Batinah

4,940

Al Dhahirah

3,196

North Sharqiyah

2,774

South Sharqiyah

2,741

Dhofar

1,494

Al Buraimi

902

Musandam

574

Al Wusta

255

1966: The United States announces the allocation of 900,000 tons of grain to fight the famine in India.

Total

1997: Hussein Farrah Aidid relinquishes his disputed title of President of Somalia.

39,153

Source: National Centre for Statistics and Information

T UESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

14

ASIA

factories, 13 low-rise buildings and three dormitories were among the buildings flattened. Xinhua said 14 people had been rescued and more than 900 people had been evacuated

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smashed into multistorey buildings at the Hengtaiyu industrial park in Guangming New District, toppling them within seconds in collisions that sent rivers of earth skyward

SHENZHEN (China): At least 85 people were missing after a giant mound of mud and construction waste spewed out of an overfull dump site in a southern China boomtown and buried 33 buildings in the country’s latest industrial disaster.

The site should have been closed down in February, but according to local workers, mud and waste had continued to be dumped there, a news portal run by the city government in Shenzhen said.

Probe ordered Premier Li Keqiang ordered an official investigation into Sunday’s landslide in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong.

The mudslide smashed into multi-storey buildings at the Hengtaiyu industrial park in the city’s northwestern Guangming

SEARCHING FOR SURVIVORS: Rescue workers look for survivors after a landslide hit an industrial park in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province on Monday. - AFP

New District, toppling them within seconds in collisions that sent rivers of earth skyward.

Villager Peng Jinxin said the mud came like “huge waves”, as residents ran out of the way.

“At one point the running mud was only ten metres away from me,” Peng told the official Xinhua news agency.

The frequency of industrial accidents in China has raised questions about safety standards following three decades of breakneck growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

Just four months ago, more than 160 people were killed in huge chemical blasts in the northern port city of Tianjin. State television showed scenes of devastation in Shenzhen, with crumpled buildings sticking up from heaps of brown mud which stretched out across the industrial park.

Warned Over a year ago, a governmentrun newspaper warned Shenzhen would run out of space to dump the waste left behind from a building frenzy. Besides new buildings,

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a network of subway lines is being built in Shenzhen, and mounds of earth are being excavated and dumped at waste sites.

“Shenzhen has 12 waste sites and they can only hold out until next year,” the official Shenzhen Evening Post, published by the city government, said in October, 2014. Once a quiet fishing village, Shenzhen was chosen by Beijing three decades ago to help pioneer landmark economic reforms, and it has boomed ever since.

The mudslide at the business park had covered an area of more

than 380,000 square metres (94 acres) and was 10 metres (11 yards) deep in parts, Shenzhen Vice Mayor Liu Qingsheng told reporters, according to Xinhua.

Almost 3,000 rescuers were at the scene, Xinhua said, with sniffer dogs and drones.

Rescuers were focusing on several areas where sensors had detected signs of life, it added.

The Ministry of Land Resources said the accumulation of a large amount of waste meant that mud was stacked too steep, “causing instability and collapse, resulting in the collapse of buildings”. Local media said no foreign companies were believed to have been affected.

A nearby section of China’s major West-East natural gas pipeline exploded, state television added, though it was not clear if this had any impact on the landslide.

Xinhua said the pipeline was owned by PetroChina, China’s top oil and gas producer, that the 400-metre-long ruptured pipe “has been emptied” and a temporary pipe will be built.

PetroChina wrote on its microblog the pipeline blast had hit at least one industrial user, a Hong Kong power plant operated by Castle Peak Power Co Ltd, a company majority owned by a subsidiary of CLP Holdings, that has now switched to coal for power generation. Fourteen factories, 13 lowrise buildings and three dormitories were among the buildings flattened. Xinhua said 14 people had been rescued and more than 900 people had been evacuated by Sunday evening. - Reuters

P L A N N I N G AT TA C K S

Syria funds suggest IS link of militants held in Indonesia JAKARTA: Some of the Indonesian men arrested at the weekend after tip-offs that they were planning a string of militant attacks had received funding from Syria, hardening evidence of their links to IS, police said on Monday.

Officials said the raids in five cities across the island of Java, during which nine people were detained and bomb-making equipment was seized, may have foiled plans to target New Year celebrations.

Police said they remained on high alert, underlining concern about a resurgence of militant attacks by Indonesians who have returned from Syria.

“They received transfers of funds...they have a connection with Syria,” national police spokesman Anton Charliyan told a news conference.

“What we gather so far is they are linked to the IS group,” he said.

“They got the money from a senior IS figure who works as a coordinator to link IS to Indonesia.”

Police suspect that four of those arrested belonged to the Al Qaedaaffiliated Jamaah Islamiah group.

Media reports on Sunday said some of the men had planned to launch attacks in Java and neighbouring Sumatra island on minority communities. Police have been largely successful in destroying domestic militant cells since then, but they now worry that the influence of IS could pitch the country back into violence.

Charliyan said the militants appeared to be planning attacks on certain public locations, government and police officials and “those considered enemies of IS”, but gave no details. Authorities plan to deploy about 150,000 security personnel to safeguard churches and other places around the country during Christmas and New Year celebrations. - Reuters

M O D E R N I S AT I O N P L A N

Philippines vows stronger military to back South China Sea claim CLARK FIELD/BEIJING: Philippine President Benigno Aquino vowed on Monday to leave behind a stronger and a more capable armed forces to face maritime challenges in the South China Sea when he leaves office next year.

Aquino, ineligible to run for reelection under the constitution, promised to spend about 83.90 billion pesos ($1.77 billion) in a fiveyear period until 2017 to strengthen the military as China asserts its claims to most of the waters.

Spending plan The spending plan was only approved this year, meaning the bulk of that money will be spent in coming months.

“We’re planning to acquire new frigates, strategic sealift vessels, long-range patrol and close air support aircraft and other equipment,” Aquino said at the 80th anniversary of the armed forces.

He did not mention the South

China Sea dispute specifically, but the equipment has been earmarked by the military to defend Philippine territorial rights.

“I have personally witnessed how the military grew stronger and more effective in preserving peace and stability, the key in building confidence in the Philippines.”

The strategic sealift vessel, being built in an Indonesian shipyard, will be delivered early next year and the Israeli-made radar will be completed by 2017, the same time all the fighters from South Korea are delivered.

He said the United States and Japan were helping develop capacity and capability as “some countries” in Asia have been increasing defence spending amid rising tension in the South China Sea. China has overlapping claims with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne

trade passes every year. The Philippines has challenged Beijing before the arbitration court in The Hague, a case Beijing has not recognised.

Aquino said his government has already spent 56.79 billion pesos since 2010, acquiring a squadron of light fighters from South Korea and combat helicopters from Italy.

Washington has transferred two former coast guard cutters and transport planes to the Philippines.

The military has an ambitious 15-year modernisation plan to spend about 998 billion pesos, acquiring frigates, submarines, advanced missile system, and radars to put the country at par with its Southeast Asian neighbours.

Meanwhile, China on Monday rejected a UN tribunal’s arbitration on the disputed South China Sea saying it had no jurisdiction over the case even as Beijing asserted it would not accept any

RANA PLAZA

Court accepts charge sheet in Bangladesh building collapse DHAKA: A court in Bangladesh agreed on Monday to put on trial several defendants on murder charges over the collapse of the Rana Plaza which killed 1,135 workers, many of them making garments for Western retailers, a court official said.

Forty-one defendants in total face charges over the April 2013 disaster at the complex, which housed five garment factories supplying global brands.

Plaza owner Sohel Rana is the principal accused.

The collapse of Rana Plaza, built on swampy ground outside the capital Dhaka, ranks amongst the world’s worst industrial accidents, and sparked an outcry for greater safety in the world’s second-largest exporter of readymade garments.

Rana himself is in jail, while 16 of his co-accused are on bail and the remaining 24 have absconded.

The court issued arrest warrants against them on Monday.

Shortly after the collapse a former chief engineer of the

DISASTER: In this photograph taken on April 25, 2013, Bangladeshi volunteers and rescue workers are pictured at the scene after the Rana Plaza complex collapsed in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka. - AFP

state-run Capital Development Authority said that Rana had not received proper consent for the building, and that an additional three storeys had also been added illegally. Duty free access offered

by Western countries and low wages helped turn Bangladesh’s garment exports into a $25 billion a year industry.

Sixty percent of the clothes go to Europe, with 23 percent heading to the United States and 5 percent to Canada.

Roy Ramesh Chandra, president of United Federation of Garments Workers said that the trial process has taken a long time.

“Still, it is a step forward and we demand justice,” he said. - Reuters

third-party settlement of territorial disputes. “China’s territorial sovereignty should be decided by all the Chinese people, and no other people or organisation has the right to handle it,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei told media here.

He was replying to a question on the recent release of a court hearing record by an international tribunal in the Hague lodged by the Philippines as China brushed aside the UN tribunal arbitrating the case saying that it will not accept its verdict in the matter.

Hong said China’s position on the South China Sea stands on a solid international legal base and will remain unchanged.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at the hearing, the Philippines which filed the petition ignored facts, international law and justice, and attempted to deny China’s sovereignty over the South China Sea islands. - Agencies

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: Philippine President Benigno Aquino, centre, inspects troops during the Armed Forces of the Philippines 80th anniversary celebration at Haribon Hangar, Air Force City, Clark Air Base, Pampanga, south of Manila on Monday. - AFP

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‘Can’t retrieve information from warplane’s black box’ Russia’s Defence Ministry publicly opened the recorder last week, hoping its contents would confirm Moscow’s assertions that the bomber did not stray into Turkish air space and was maliciously downed RISING TENSIONS: The Russian Navy landing ship Saratov sets sail in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Black Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday. — Reuters

MOSCOW: Investigators in Moscow said on Monday they were unable to retrieve information from the damaged black box of a Russian warplane shot down by Turkey last month, data the Kremlin hoped would support its version of what happened.

Russia’s Defence Ministry publicly opened the recorder last week, hoping its contents would confirm Moscow’s assertions that the bomber did not stray into Turkish air space and was maliciously downed.

“Retrieving the information

and a read out of flight data...has proven to be impossible because of internal damage,” said Sergei Bainetov, the Russian Air Force’s deputy head of flight safety.

Bainetov said 13 of the flight recorder’s 16 microchips had been destroyed and that those remain-

ing were damaged.

The damage was so severe, he said, because of the sheer force with which the plane had hit the ground after being struck by an air-to-air missile, severing a cord that connected the black box and the jet’s avionics.

The defence ministry would now turn to specialised scientific institutions in the hope that they could get something from the damaged chips, he said, saying it was an uncertain process that was likely to take “a lot of time.”

The downing of the Russian SU24 fighter-bomber by Turkish jets on November 24 was the most serious confrontation between Moscow and a NATO member state in the last 50 years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Turkey of “stabbing Russia in the back” and ordered a raft of retaliatory economic sanctions against Ankara.

Turkey says the warplane, part of Russia’s Syria-based strike force, strayed into its airspace and ignored repeated warnings to leave. Russia says the plane did not leave Syria and posed no threat to Turkey.

Meanwhile, Russia reinforced its air base in Armenia with attack and transport helicopters, Interfax news agency cited the Russian military as saying on Monday.

A total of six Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters have been sent to the base near the capital city of Yerevan, Interfax reported. Russia deployed seven helicopters to Armenia earlier in December. — Reuters

SEEKING A SAFE HAVEN Migrants and refugees understood to be from Afghanistan camp at the place de la Republique in Paris on Monday. — AFP

I M PA S S E

NO REAL WINNER: People chat about politics, a day after the most fragmented national election in Spain’s history, in downtown Ronda, southern Spain, on Monday. — Reuters

Spain’s two main leftist parties reject new mandate for Rajoy after upset MADRID: Spain’s two biggest left-wing parties ruled out supporting a government led by the ruling People’s Party (PP) on Monday, complicating Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s efforts to build a coalition to stay in power after a tight general election.

Parties began staking out positions for what are expected to be weeks of complex talks on forming a government after Rajoy’s centre-right PP won most votes in Sunday’s election but fell well short of the 176 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.

Two newcomers - leftist antiausterity Podemos (“We can”) and the liberal Ciudadanos (“Citizens”) - entered the mainstream for the first time, ending domination by the PP and Socialists stretching back to soon after dictator Francisco Franco’s death in 1975.

The two parties won scores of seats in parliament, tapping widespread anger over a recently-ended economic slump and high-level corruption in the European Union’s fifth-largest economy.

The close vote, which put the Socialists in second place ahead of Podemos and Ciudadanos, makes it extremely difficult for any party to win majority support, raising the possibility of a deadlock that could force new elections in the new year.

Markets were spooked by the political uncertainty and nervous investors moved out of Spanish assets, sending the country’s shares lower and benchmark bond yields higher.

As leader of the largest party, Rajoy gets first chance to try to reach an agreement with other parties that would allow him to govern.

But the Socialists and Podem-

The close vote, which put the Socialists in second place ahead of Podemos and Ciudadanos, makes it extremely difficult for any party to win majority support, raising the possibility of a deadlock that could force new elections next year

os quickly said that they would reject a new government led by the 60-year-old Rajoy.

“Podemos would not permit a PP government, either actively or passively,” Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias told reporters, meaning that his party will neither vote for PP rule nor abstain in a parliamentary vote on a new government.

Senior Socialist official Cesar Luena said his party would vote ‘no’ to a government headed

by Rajoy and the PP. The two left-wing parties won 159 seats between them in the 350-seat parliament, and with Catalan nationalists likely to join them in opposing the PP, it appears to make it virtually impossible for the PP, which won 123 seats, to construct a majority. — Reuters

T UESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

A15

WORLD

Astronauts spacewalk to fix station’s stuck rail car

Uganda arrest supporters of opposition candidate KAMPALA: Ugandan police on Monday arrested 20 supporters and security guards at the headquarters of an opposition candidate vying to end the nearly 30-year rule of President Yoweri Museveni in elections next February, police and a campaign spokeswoman said.

The arrests underscored growing fears by rights groups and analysts that violence could break out in the East African country as 71-year-old Museveni faces his toughest challenge yet to extend his grip on power.

Amama Mbabazi, a former Museveni ally who previously served as prime minister, fell out with the president last year and has emerged as one of two formidable rivals, alongside long-time opposition figure, Kizza Besigye.

Most analysts, though, expect Museveni, who has previously been accused of using state resources and security personnel to promote his candidacy, to win the race.

A spokeswoman for the Mbabazi campaign, Josephine Mayanja-Nkangi, said that police had raided the campaign offices early on Monday and arrested security personnel and supporters.

The car serves as a mobile base for a Canadian-built robotic crane to move rails outside the station, a $100 billion research laboratory that files about 400 km above Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL: Two US astronauts floated outside the International Space Station on Monday in a hastily planned spacewalk to move a stuck rail car before a Russian cargo ship reaches the outpost on Wednesday, NASA said.

Station commander Scott Kelly and newly arrived flight engineer Timothy Kopra were due to spend about 3.5 hours on an abbreviated spacewalk to latch the stalled car into a parking spot along the station’s exterior truss.

The car serves as a mobile base for a Canadian-built robotic crane to move rails outside the station, a $100 billion research laboratory that files about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.

The rail car jammed about 4 inches (10 cm) short of its intended latching point last Wednesday, blocked by a crew equipment cart that was left with its brake on.

Kelly and Kopra fixed the stuck rail car in 15 minutes, leaving them time to tackle work to prepare the station for new modules, said mission commentator Rob Navias from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

PRESIDENTIAL POLLS

REPAIRS: This NASA TV image grab obtained Monday shows a live broadcast of Scott Kelly during the spacewalk outside the International Space Station. — AFP /NASA TV

Russia, one of 15 nations that own and operate the station, plans to launch a new research laboratory, while the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration is preparing to install docking ports for new commercial space taxis that are slated to begin flying in 2017.

NASA usually spends months planning spacewalks, but the one

that began shortly before 8 a.m.

EST (1300 GMT) was just arranged over the weekend.

Kopra arrived at the station six days ago with Britain’s first professional astronaut, Timothy Peake, and Russia’s Yuri Malenchenko.

Kopra and Kelly released the brake handle during the spacewalk, freeing up the mobile transporter, Navias said. — Reuters

Outrageous behaviour Mbabazi was quoted by local television as saying that police had arrested “any male” they saw.”We condemn this outrageous behaviour by the state, this abuse of the state apparatus to promote the political agenda of a candidate contesting for elective office,” he said.

Police spokesman Fred Enanga, said those who were arrested were suspected of taking part in a clash earlier this month between supporters of Mbabazi and Museveni in a southwestern village in where both campaigns were attempting to hold a rally.

“The ones we arrested have cases to answer,” he said. — Reuters

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Beauty crown comes, goes same day Steve Harvey, the host of the Miss Universe pageant, announced the wrong winner broadcast live on a television network

LAS VEGAS: The host of the Miss Universe pageant mistakenly announced the wrong winner on Sunday, who then had to give up the crown and hand it over to a 26-year-old actress and model from the Philippines.

It was the first edition of the annual beauty show since it was thrust into controversy when then co-owner and US presidential candidate, Donald Trump, made disparaging remarks about immigrants.

Host Steve Harvey incorrectly announced that Miss Colombia had won the 64th edition of the contest, broadcast live on the Fox television network.

The eventual winner, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, a Filipino-German actress and model born in Stuttgart and raised in Cagayan de Oro, was initially runner-up. But them Harvey announced to the audience that he had made a gaffe.

Ariadna Gutierrez Arévalo, 21, of Sincelejo, Colombia, had already been crowned by Miss Universe of 2014, Paulina Vega of Barranquilla, Colombia, who was forced to remove the crown and give it to Miss Philippines.

Olivia Jordan, 27, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, finished third. “I’d like to apologise wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines for my huge mistake,” Harvey said on Twitter. “I feel terrible.”

Wurtzbach appeared to take the blunder in her stride.

“It’s a very non-traditional crowning moment,” she said backstage afterward in a video clip of a conversation with Miss USA posted by the Miss Universe pageant on its Twitter feed.

“It is very 2015.”

Earlier, when asked why she wanted to be Miss Universe, Wurtzbach said: “I will use my voice to influence the youth and I would raise awareness to certain causes like HIV awareness, that is timely and relevant to my country.”

It was the first Miss Universe title for a contestant from the Philippines in more than 40 years.

Notable moments Among the notable moments of the pageant, Flora Coquerel of France, who was at the Paris stadium the night of the November attacks by militants, reached the final five and Ariana Miyamoto of Japan, whose father is African-American, reached the last 10.

Miyamoto’s height of 1.73 m (5.7 ft) and bronze skin are unusual in Japan and her selection to represent Japan created an online firestorm in her native country.

For the first time, viewers had a

WINNER TAKES IT ALL: Contestants comfort Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez, top right, after she was incorrectly crowned Miss Universe at the Miss Universe pageant on Sunday, in Las Vegas. – AP/PTI

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chance to vote on the winner, rating contestants in the swimwear, evening gown and interview competitions. Until recently, the pageant was co-owned by Comcast Corp’s NBCUniversal and Trump, who is leading national polls in the 2016 Republican presidential nomination race.

Earlier, Trump’s remarks about Mexicans in announcing his presidential candidacy in June drew sharp criticism, and the Spanish-language network Univision pulled out of a deal to televise the pageant.

Trump, who has sued Univision for $500 million, bought out NBC’s stake in the Miss Universe Organization, which produces both Sunday’s pageant and the Miss USA contest. He sold the company in September.

The panel of judges included former National Football League great Emmitt Smith, celebrity blog mogul Perez Hilton and 2012 Miss Universe winner Olivia Culpo.

Hilton said the two most important things about the pageant were the vastly larger audience and Trump was no longer owner. — Reuters

One killed as woman drives car onto Las Vegas Strip sidewalk LAS VEGAS: One person was killed and dozens injured on Sunday night when a woman deliberately drove her car onto a crowded sidewalk on the Las Vegas Strip, police said, near the hotel where the Miss Universe beauty pageant was being held.

The woman, who had a 3-year-old in the car with her, was taken into custody and was expected to be charged on Monday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officials told reporters.

Mayhem Justin Cochrane, a tourist who was having dinner on the Strip, told CNN the sedan with a cracked windshield barreled past him at about 30 miles per hour (48 km per hour).

The driver swerved to avoid a truck, then accelerated back onto the sidewalk, he said. “It was mayhem, and it was very intentional,” he said. “People were flying. This child I saw, literally, hit, and the sound, I’ll

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THE ACCIDENT SITE: Police and mediapersons stand at the Las Vegas Strip after a car ran into a group of pedestrians. – AFP

never forget.”

Police said the driver, who is in her 20s, had mounted the curb as many as three times before fleeing the scene. CNN

reported that she was being tested for use of drug and drinks.

Las Vegas Deputy Police Chief Brett Zimmerman gave no indications as to a motive

but ruled out the possibility of terrorism. Las Vegas authorities gave injury tallies ranging from 26 to 36 people, and said six who were in critical condition had been stabilized. The young child accompanying the driver was not hurt.

University Medical Center treated 15 patients, with three listed as critical, two discharged and the rest in serious condition, a spokeswoman said in an email. An 11-year-old was among the injured, along with visitors from Montreal, Canada, she said.

A Reuters witness said emergency and police vehicles swarmed the area. Some passersby were using smartphones to snap photos of the scene while others seemed more focused on the glitzy sights of the famed Strip. — Reuters

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Muscat 5,404.25 + 49.28 + 0.926%

Dubai 3,101.19 + 75.14 + 2.48%

Abu Dhabi 4,191.25 + 35.54 + 0.86%

Kuwait 5,613.66 + 41.73 + 0.75%

Saudi Arabia

6,947.87 + 16.79 + 0.24%

Bahrain 1,189.78 - 4.81 - 0.40%

Qatar 9,846.83 - 66.09 - 0.67%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (OMR1)*

GOLD PRICES*

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

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.36 Pound ............................................1.73 Indian Rs .............................. 171.76 Pak Rs .....................................267.31 Bangla Taka......................200.36

Indian Rs ....................................172.10 Pakistan Rs ............................. 271.00 Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 370.00 Bangla Taka...........................204.00 Phil Peso ................................... 122.30

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) ....... 13.75

Oman Crude............. (Spot) .........$31.52 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) .........$31.87 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$33.39 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........ $30.57 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ........$36.25 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$34.25

* Rates are as of Dec. 21 Source: Bank Muscat

* Rates as of Dec. 21 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Oman’s total bank credit grows 10% to OMR18.3b banks are also actively participating in syndicated loan facilities for project funding.

Incremental growth for the last one year was OMR1,731.8m, which is nearly in line with the 2014 loan growth and was mostly driven by both the corporate and retails segments

A. E. JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman’s commercial banks have achieved a robust 10.44 per cent growth in total credit to OMR18.32 billion for the last one year ending October 2015, from OMR16.59 billion reported in the same period last year, according to the latest monthly statistics released by the Central Bank of Oman.

The incremental growth for the last one year was OMR1,731.8 million, which is more or less in line with the loan growth seen in 2014 and was mostly driven by both the corporate and retails segments.

Corporate sector The demand for credit from the corporate sector is mostly for funding projects, which are either state-owned entities, such as the Oman Oil Refineries and Petro-

KPMG SEMINAR

New code of corporate governance will bring efficiency: CMA chief BUSINESS REPORTER

MUSCAT: Oman’s new code of corporate governance will help companies run their activities more efficiently and will also give a boost to corporate social responsibility (CSR), said a senior official.

The new code issued by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) is effective from July 2016, except for the new independence rules for directors which are applicable upon election, according to Sheikh Abdullah bin Salim Al Salmi, the executive president of CMA. He made the comments at KPMG’s seminar on corporate governance, held at Crowne Plaza on Monday to provide insights into the new code of corporate governance. A number of updates have been provided in the new code, he told the seminar, which brought together a number of professionals from across the business community and government sectors.

Applicability Asked if the new code would encourage more companies to go public, Al Salmi told reporters, “At the end of the day, the code of corporate governance is meant to help the companies to be more efficient and run more professionally.”

“If that is happening, definitely, it will reflect on the performance and outcome of the company. So, I think having companies that are run professionally and effectively will encourage other companies to follow suit,” he added.

“With regard to the code, we are not making it exclusively for public listed companies. It is applicable for all companies, all kind of companies, and this is what makes the difference between a company that is run in accordance with the code and another company which is run otherwise,” the official noted.

Sustainability centre Commenting on the Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability, he said that the board has already been appointed and the centre’s responsibilities include helping the companies comply with the code and providing training and consultancy.

The executive president of CMA also said that one of the objectives of the centre is to pro-

mote corporate governance along with CSR. According to KPMG experts, corporate governance remains one of the cornerstones of sustainable business development and is a key factor in investment decisions. They say that corporate governance compliance is critically important and sound corporate governance practices benefit all stakeholders, while also providing the transparency that investors demand.

Responsibility Paul Callaghan, partner at KPMG, emphasised the importance and responsibility of listed companies and their boards.

“The new code of corporate governance prescribes that all board members should be nonexecutives. Some of the key highlights of the new code are: performance of the board to be measured by a third party; chairperson of audit committee cannot chair any other board committee; and formal code of conduct for directors to be developed. The new code also raises some questions for boards to consider including: what should the required code of conduct for directors include? What criteria will the third party use to assess board performance?”

Roadmap The KPMG seminar discussed the challenges that the listed companies will face in implementing the new code.

“The key next step is for board’s to assess the impacts of the new code and develop a roadmap to implement the necessary changes. Interestingly, I am also pleased to note the new code introduces requirements for corporate social responsibility planning and annual reporting, which is in line with global best practice. The revised guidance strengthens the overall corporate governance framework and promotes the value of strong boards and board committees,” Callaghan noted.

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leum Industries Company (Orpic) or semi-government-related entities. Orpic had last week signed major deals for funding its $6.4 billion Liwa Plastics Industries Complex with international, regional and local banks.

Major real-estate projects, including hotels and resorts, are also driving demand for credit. The pipeline for credit is still strong, which will continue for another two more quarters since local

Deposit growth Total deposits at Omani banks rose moderately by 5.92 per cent to OMR18.16 billion for the 12-month period ending October 2015, from OMR17.15 billion a year ago. Deposit growth in Oman and other Gulf countries reflected a slowdown, mainly due to the fact that government and government-related entities have been withdrawing their deposits from banking institutions in view of low oil incomes, which has started affecting liquidity.

The recent sukuk issue and development bond issues of the government have also absorbed sizable liquidity from banking system.

The dearth in liquidity has started affecting interest rates across the board, which include both deposit

and lending rates.

Oman has seven conventional banks — Bank Muscat, the National Bank of Oman, BankDhofar, HSBC Bank Oman, Bank Sohar, Oman Arab Bank and Ahli Bank.

Total assets of commercial banks by October-end had touched OMR28.29 billion, indicating a marked growth of 15.68 per cent from the same period last year.

Islamic finance Islamic banks and window operations also showed a robust 64 per cent growth in total financing to OMR1,559.5 million by Octoberend, from a mereOMR950.9 million during the same period last year. The deposits of Islamic banks and window operations also surged ahead to OMR1,368.2 million by the end of October, from OMR477.3 million during the same period last year, noted the monthly bulletin.

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......13.30 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............128.50 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............. 121.50 * Rates as of Dec. 21 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

ENERGY MARKET

Oil prices hit 11-year low on supply glut LONDON: Brent crude oil prices hit their lowest in more than 11 years on Monday, driven down by a relentless rise in global supply that looks set to outpace demand again next year.

Oil production is running close to record highs and, with more barrels poised to enter the market from nations such as Iran, the United States and Libya, the price of crude is set for its largest monthly percentage decline in seven years. Brent futures fell by as much as 2 per cent to a low of $36.05 a barrel on Monday, their weakest since July 2004, and were down 49 cents at $36.39.

While consumers have enjoyed lower fuel prices, the world’s richest oil exporters have been forced to revalue their currencies, sell off assets and even issue debt for the first time in years as they struggle to repair their finances.

The price of oil has halved over the past year. >B4

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MARKET Toshiba forecasts record $4.5b loss The Japanese firm will cut more jobs and restructure businesses that include chips, TVs, computers and home appliances following an accounting scam

TOKYO: Toshiba forecast a record ¥550 billion ($4.5 billion) loss and will cut more jobs and restructure businesses that include chips, televisions, personal computers (PCs) and home appliances following a long-running accounting scandal.

The projected net loss for this fiscal year includes ¥260 billion in taxes because of a reversal of deferred income- tax assets, it said in a statement on Monday.

The forecast doesn’t include possible impairment of goodwill and fixed assets at the company’s nuclear power systems business because Toshiba is still checking that, it said.

Toshiba is trying to recover

alliances with third parties. Job cuts at these segments amount to about 30 per cent of the lifestyle division’s workforce.

from an accounting scandal that padded profits for almost seven years by halting development and sales of TVs outside Japan, cutting costs at its PC and home appliances businesses and considering

Shares slump “Considering how bad things have gotten, this level of restructuring is the least they can do,” said Mitsushige Akino, Tokyo-based executive officer at Ichiyoshi Asset Management, which doesn’t hold Toshiba shares. “They need to do more, but it’s not as simple as cutting people and closing unprofitable businesses. The questions is what will the results be two years after the restructuring.”

Shares of the industrial conglom-

erate fell as much as 9.8 per cent, the most since May 11, to close at ¥254.8 in Tokyo trading before the announcement. The company has lost about $9 billion, half of its market value, over the past eight months. The shares plunged after initially announcing the accounting probe in April.

The company will end consignment of design and manufacturing to outside vendors for its PC business, while concentrating on business-to-business sales and focusing the consumer portion of the segment to the Japan and United States markets. Product platforms will be reduced to less than onethird of the current number, the

company said.

Toshiba’s Indonesia TV plant will be sold to China’s Skyworth for an estimated ¥3 billion, the Tokyo-based company said.

Plans also include accounting training, corporate governance reviews, management seminars and an evaluation system for the president and chief executive officer, according to the statement on Monday. - Bloomberg News

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AIRBUS JET

Delivery of A320neo will be delayed NEW DELHI: Airbus’ latest A320neo model suffered a fresh blow after number one Indian airline IndiGo said it had been told its first jet would be late, two weeks after Qatar Airways put back deliveries citing engine issues. The planemaker blamed ‘industrial reasons’ for the delay in Indigo handovers, the carrier’s owner, InterGlobe Aviation, said in a filing on Monday.

Airbus is “in discussions with our first customers on their delivery milestones,” spokesman Justin Dubon said, declining to comment on individual clients.

The setback comes after Qatar Air, due to be the first user of the revamped narrow-body, balked at taking receipt because of problems with the cooling of the jet’s Pratt & Whitney turbines that may mean aircraft have to be held on the ground for longer. Deutsche Lufthansa subsequently stepped in to take the initial delivery, with Indigo scheduled to be next in line.

“IndiGo does not have clear visibility of its future A320neo delivery schedule, and the potential for additional delays exists,” the Gurgaonbased discount carrier said.

Airbus informed it of the delay last Thursday, with the first plane due to have been handed over on December 30.

Capacity options Shares of India’s biggest airline fell as much a 5.2 per cent and traded down 4.7 per cent at Rs1,085.90 in Mumbai. Shares of Toulouse, France-based Airbus fell 1 per cent in Paris and were later priced 0.7 per cent lower at €62.85. IndiGo said it’s looking at options to cover the shortfall in capacity. President Aditya Ghosh did not reveal whether the airline will seek compensation from Airbus. The manufacturer said that its new plane has been certified by both the European and US agencies.

- Bloomberg News AUTOMOTIVE

Hyundai to miss its sales target SEOUL: Hyundai Motor is poised to sell fewer vehicles than it projected for the first time since the global financial crisis, after an economic slowdown sapped demand in China and emerging-market earnings slumped due to unfavorable exchange rates.

South Korea’s largest automaker will have to sell at least 50 per cent more than its monthly average this year in December to reach its full-year target of 5.05 million vehicles.

Such a feat is unlikely.

2016 sales forecast They also predict that Hyundai’s 2016 sales will be lower than the target set for this year given the absence of new bestselling models and continued weakness in Russia and Brazil.

Hyundai has benefited in recent years from the surge in demand for automobiles in China, which became the largest market for the carmaker in 2009.

The increasing reliance turned into a drag after economic growth moderated this year and a summer stock-market rout dented consumer confidence. - Bloomberg News

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MARKET O I L P R I C E FA L L

Saudi plans to divest stake in state firms RIYADH: Saudi Arabian officials are considering plans to sell shares in state-owned entities and companies, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions, as the kingdom seeks to bolster revenue to counter the plunge in oil prices.

The government may sell stakes in ports, railways, utilities and airports, the two people said. Stateowned hospitals may also be privatised as part of deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to reduce the kingdom’s reliance on oil revenue, one person said. Saudi officials weren’t immediately available for comment.

Additional revenue The world’s biggest oil exporter is trying to tap additional sources of revenue after crude prices declined about 35 per cent this year. The kingdom, which relies on oil for at least 80 per cent of its revenue, is on course to post a budget deficit equal to 20 per cent of economic output this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Rather than draw down further on its foreign-currency reserves, Saudi Arabia is expected to cut spending when it unveils its budget this month. The government this year issued bonds for the first time since 2007, and has raised fees for international air travel passengers. - Bloomberg News

Shell Oman’s new fleet card offers wide range of features Easy to access and simple to use, the system comes with enhanced control, greater security and extra savings

Times News Service MUSCAT: A new fleet card management system with a range of features was introduced by Shell Oman Marketing Company. The official launch took place in the presence of Adil bin Ismail Al Raisi, managing director, and other members of the senior management team.

A leader in technology and innovation, Shell Oman has made significant investment in this platform to give fleet customers a differentiated experience.

Easy to access and simple to use, the system comes with enhanced control, greater security and extra savings. Moreover, for the first

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION: For the first time in Oman, the new platform also allows for a corporate Advance Payment account, giving customers the freedom to prepay for use of fuel. - JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

time in Oman, the new platform also allows for a corporate Advance Payment account, giving customers the freedom to prepay for use of fuel.

Some of the new features of the card management system include customised PIN-enabled cards and online authorisation of transactions. Customers can now download invoices and a variety of card reports online and accessible 24/7 through Shell Cards

Online – an online web portal.

Radio frequency Shell Oman also announced their latest technology - Shell Vehicle Recognition System (VRS), a fully automated revolution in fleet management. This new fuelling product uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to communicate fuelling type and limits at the retail station with no manual intervention. Fleet cus-

tomer’s vehicles with the RFID ring installed are automatically recognised and the right type and quantity of fuel is dispensed – without a card!

Speaking at the launch, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Kindy, commercial fleet and fuels manager of Shell Oman Marketing Company said, “We endeavour to provide our customers with value propositions that meet their business requirements by applying

the latest technology to simplify day-to-day tasks. This new card management system is aimed at providing enhanced fleet services with more control, along with increased security.”

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E X PA N S I O N

BUSINESS

Oman Arab Bank opens new branch in Port of Sohar area Times News Service

BOOSTING BUSINESS: A series of seminars will equip aspiring entrepreneurs and potential franchisee with the right knowledge before venturing into franchise business. – Supplied picture

Conference to create awareness on ‘franchise concept’ in Oman Times News Service MUSCAT: The maiden Oman Franchise Expo & Conference (OFEC) is all set to present business opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and aspiring entrepreneurs in Oman.

With the aim to support various initiatives in developing entrepreneurship amongst the nationals, Al Nimr Expo and the Middle East and North Africa Franchise Association (MENAFA), is joining hands in organising the Oman Franchise Expo and Conference 2016, which will provide local and international franchise businesses an ideal platform to introduce and establish their brands and unique business concept to hundreds of potentials franchisees in Oman and the region.

The event is endorsed by the Public Authority for SME Development (Riyada) and the Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry and supported by the OmanAmerican Business Council and UK Trade and Investment.

The event will take place from May 9 to 11 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre which will comprise exhibits of franchise businesses, product and services of support industries, in-

UNIQUE CONCEPT Franchise experts will share up-to-date industry information, best practices and success stories with the aim of inspiring and helping local home-grown brands and companies to be at par globally

cluding local made products.

Another key component of the OFEC 2016 is the Oman Franchise Conference where franchise experts will share up-todate industry information, best practices and success stories with the aim of inspiring and helping local home-grown brands and companies to be at par globally.

Support to SMEs A series of seminars will also be held on the sidelines which will equip aspiring entrepreneurs and potential franchisee with the right knowledge before venturing into franchise business.

“OFEC 2016 will offer a great

opportunity for Entrepreneurs and SMEs to expand their horizon in the franchising industry. This event aims for the continuation of cooperation in the field of franchise development programmes and ongoing support for SME’s in Oman & Middle East region.

At MENAFA, we look forward to make this event and future events satisfactory for all the parties involved,” said Omar Al Haza’a, vice chairman-director of Business Development of MENAFA. Salim Al Hashmi, chairman of Al Nimr Expo, said at the press briefing that this inaugural show intend to host a local home grown and international brands featuring concepts in food, retail and service industries from the United States, Australia, Italy, United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, the UAE and Saudi Arabia looking to enter the local market.

Sherwin Sevillena, chief executive officer of Al Nimr Expo also said that the three-day Oman franchise expo and conference is expected to gather hundreds of visitors to explore the widerange of business opportunities in food, retail and service sectors by participating brands that desire to penetrate the Sultanate of Oman market.

MUSCAT: A new branch was opened by Oman Arab Bank in the Port of Sohar, expanding its network to 65 branches and offices.

The opening of the new branch is in line with the bank’s plans to expand its network and serve customers throughout the Sultanate.

Oman Arab Bank is the first bank to open a branch at Port of Sohar and it is the financier of this project and many other construction and infrastructure projects in the Sultanate.

The bank aims to provide financial business facilities transfers and various banking services for its clients by establishing presence in the port.

The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zadjali, member of Shura Council representing wilayat Sohar, and was attended by a number of the wilayat’s senior officials as well as key officials of the bank.

On behalf of the bank, Ahmed Amer Al Kharousi, head of branches, delivered a speech in which he said, “We renew our commitment towards our customers to remain dedicated to delivering outstanding customer service and to provide world-class retail and corporate banking services as well as

OPENING: The opening ceremony was held under the auspices

of Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zadjali, member of Shura Council representing the Wilayat of Sohar. – Supplied picture

innovative banking and financial solutions and facilities.”

Al Batinah branches Oman Arab Bank has now 13 branches in Al Batinah Governorate, namely the branches of Sohar, Nakhal, Barka, Tharmad, Saham, Rustaq, Falaj Al Qabael, Al Khabourah, Al

Waqeebah, Al Suwaiq, Shinas, Al Musana and Port of Sohar.

The bank has over 120 ATMs and CDMs across the Sultanate and provides a complete range of products and services in retail banking, corporate and project finance, investment banking and trade finance.

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MARKET MSM index ends higher

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 5,404.25 .............. 5,354.24 ...................5,404.25 ...................5,354.97................. 49.28 ...................0.92 Financial Index .....................................6,491.88 .............. 6,432.63 ................... 6,483.18 ...................6,434.00..................49.18 ................... 0.76 Industrial Index ....................................6,817.24 ................6,767.17 ....................6,817.05 ................... 6,749.58..................67.47 ................... 1.00 Services Index .......................................3,063.75 .............. 3,053.30 ....................3,063.75 ...................3,060.26....................3.49 ................... 0.11 MSM SHARIAH INDEX...................... 862.04 ..................854.23 ...................... 862.04 ...................... 852.42....................9.62 ................... 1.13 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 31,389,389 ............... 47,879,950 .....................850 ............... 15,775,214,293 ................20 ........................4 .................... 14 .........................38

United Finance, up by 3.64%, was the top gainer, while Construction Material

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 21

Industries, down by 2.94%, lost the most 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

MUSCAT: Share prices on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM) recovered for the first time after several days of fall. The MSM30 Index closed higher at 5,404.25 points, up by 0.92 per cent. The MSM Sharia Index rose 1.13 per cent to end at 862.04 points.

Oman Cables was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. United Finance, up by 3.64 per cent, was the top gainer while Construction Material Industries was the top loser, down by 2.94 per cent.

As many as 840 trades were executed on Monday, generating a turnover of OMR31.3 million with 47.8 million shares changing hands. Out of 38 traded securities, 20 advanced, four declined and 14 remained unchanged. Foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of OMR43.18 million followed by GCC and Arab investors at OMR96,000. Omani investors, who were net sellers, sold shares amounting to OMR43.28 million.

Financial Index rose by 0.76 per cent to close at 6,483.00 points. United Finance, BankDhofar, Al Anwar Holding and Al Izz Bank increased by 3.64 per cent, 3.32 per cent, 2.48 per cent and 1.52 per cent, respectively.

National Finance and Ahli Bank declined by 1.46 per cent and 1.04 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index ended at 6,817.05 points, up by one per cent. Oman Cement, Oman Cables, Raysut Cement and Al Anwar Ceramic increased by 3.14 per cent, 2.87 per cent, 2.48 per cent and 1.99 per cent, respectively. Construction Material was the only loser in the sector and was down by 2.94 per cent to close at OMR0.033.

Services Index closed at 3,063.75 points, up by 0.11%. Oredoo Oman, OIFC and Omantel increased by 2.29 per cent, 1.86 per cent and 0.32 per cent, respectively. Sembcorp Salalah was the only loser and was down by 2.04

per cent to close at OMR2.400.

Emerging stocks rally Chinese shares led a rally in emerging markets on speculation the government will accelerate plans to make state-owned companies more efficient.

Azerbaijan scrapped its currency peg to the United States dollar, sending the manat plunging the most on record.

The Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.8 per cent and stocks in Hong Kong extended their biggest weekly advance in two months after a report in Economic Information Daily highlighted plans by China’s power industry to bring in more investors next year and allow mixed ownership.

Banks steered gains in Turkish shares as equities in emerging Europe increased. The won ended a two- day drop after Moody’s Investors Service upgraded South Korea’s credit rating. The Azeri manat slid 33 per cent.

Speculation that China will speed up privatisation efforts to combat the worst economic slowdown in a quarter of a century has supported the nation’s stocks in recent months. For investors, the steps may help shift the focus away from the US Federal Reserve as it gradually raises borrowing costs while developing economies such as China and India ease monetary policy.

“There will be more reforms driven by the Chinese government and generally, these reforms are long-term positive,” said Thomas Yong, the Kuala Lumpur-based chief executive officer at Fortress Capital Asset Management., which oversees about $278 million.

“The US Feddeal Reserve will likely be a theme for investors to watch out for with progressive hikes through 2016.”

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index increased 0.3 per cent to 792.19. - United Securities/Bloomberg News

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

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 592,240 ............67,495..................... 28 ............0.110 ........... 0.115............0.110 ............0.114 ............. 0.110............ 0.004............. 3.636 ................0.115 ...............0.115................... 0.116 ...................35,427,203 .........0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ............................................................ 160,000 ........... 34,869......................13 ............0.211 ...........0.220 ...........0.211 ........... 0.218 ............. 0.211............ 0.007............. 3.318 ................0.218 ..............0.210...................0.218..................336,750,823........0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 879,015......... 404,347........................7 ........... 0.460 ...........0.460 ...........0.460........... 0.460 .............0.446 ............0.014 ............. 3.139 ................0.460..............0.460...................0.494 .................152,201,447........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY.................................... 14,734,61044,161,480.......................6 ............1.790 ...........3.000 ...........1.790 ............1.790 ............. 1.740............ 0.050............. 2.874 ................1.790 .............. 1.700................... 1.785 ..................160,563,000........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 3,712,468 ...... 614,401................... 114 ............0.163 ........... 0.167 ...........0.163 ............0.165 ............. 0.161 ............ 0.004.............2.484 ................0.167 ..............0.166...................0.167...................24,762,375 .........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ...........................................................8,196 ...............8,483........................3 ............1.035 ........... 1.035 ...........1.035 ............1.035 ............. 1.010.............0.025 ............. 2.475 ................1.035 .............. 1.035...................0.000 ................ 207,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO.........................................................................65,687 .............47,010......................19 ............0.716 ........... 0.720 ...........0.712 ............0.716 .............0.700 ............0.016 .............2.286 ................0.720..............0.708...................0.720..................466,076,069 .......0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ................................ 20,200 ...............6,221........................6 ........... 0.302 ........... 0.310 ...........0.302........... 0.308 .............0.302 ........... 0.006............. 1.987 ................0.310 ............. 0.300...................0.310................... 91,233,814 .........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 485,000 ............79,766..................... 45 ............0.165 ........... 0.165 ...........0.163 ........... 0.164 ............. 0.161 ............ 0.003............. 1.863 ................0.165 ..............0.164...................0.165 ...................32,800,000 ........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 2,554,120....1,197,496...................303 ........... 0.462 ...........0.480 ...........0.462........... 0.468 .............0.462 ........... 0.006............. 1.299 ................0.468..............0.468...................0.470................1,072,572,975 ......0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................58,900 ...............4,915........................3 ........... 0.084 ...........0.085 ...........0.083........... 0.083 .............0.082 ............0.001 ............. 1.220 ................0.085..............0.084...................0.086....................2,490,000..........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING.............70,280 ...............6,480........................6 ........... 0.093 ...........0.093 ...........0.091 ........... 0.092 ............. 0.091.............0.001 ............. 1.099 ................0.093..............0.093...................0.095................... 11,212,500 .........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 180,911 .............17,229..................... 23 ........... 0.094 ...........0.097 ...........0.094........... 0.095 .............0.094 ............0.001 ............. 1.064 ................0.096..............0.096...................0.097....................8,550,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE .................................40,238 ...............8,852........................4 ........... 0.220...........0.220 ...........0.220 .......... 0.220 .............0.218............ 0.002............. 0.917 ................0.220 ............ 0.220...................0.229 ................. 22,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 3,117,221 .......348,872..................... 32 ............0.110 ........... 0.113............0.110 ............0.112 ............. 0.111 .............0.001 ............. 0.901 ................0.112 .............. 0.110................... 0.112 .................. 22,400,000 ........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 223,488 .........347,962..................... 46 ............1.545 ........... 1.570 ...........1.545 ............1.555 ............. 1.550............ 0.005............. 0.323 ................1.570 ..............1.560...................1.570................1,166,250,000 ......0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 392,922 ............41,035......................21 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.104........... 0.104 .............0.104 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.104..............0.103...................0.105................. 208,032,530 .......0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ......................................................................15,000 ...............6,330........................1 ........... 0.422 ...........0.422 ...........0.422........... 0.422 .............0.422 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.422..............0.426...................0.432..................233,307,613 ........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ..........................54,766 ............... 8,211........................5 ............0.152 ........... 0.152 ...........0.148 ........... 0.150 .............0.150............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.148 .............. 0.147...................0.148...................18,734,694 .........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ..........................116,516 .............10,836........................3 ........... 0.093 ...........0.093 ...........0.093........... 0.093 .............0.093 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.093..............0.093...................0.094 ................... 5,472,419 ..........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES .......................................91,250 .............15,056........................6 ............0.165 ........... 0.165 ...........0.165 ............0.165 ............. 0.165............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.165 ..............0.162...................0.167................... 47,957,418 .........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR.................................................................. 10,669 ............... 1,675........................3 ............0.157 ........... 0.157 ...........0.157 ............0.157 ............. 0.157............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.157 .............. 0.157...................0.159................. 226,306,080 .......0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ...........................................................331 ...................136........................2 ............0.412 ........... 0.412 ...........0.412 ........... 0.412 .............0.412............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.412 ..............0.414...................0.424 ..................24,926,000 ........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL.................................................9,400 .................. 733........................2 ........... 0.078 ........... 0.078 ...........0.078........... 0.078 .............0.078 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.078..............0.078...................0.080 ..................13,650,000 .........0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER.................................................. 86,891 .............16,596........................3 ............0.191 ........... 0.191............0.191 ............0.191 ............. 0.191 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.191 .............. 0.191...................0.195 ..................128,903,499........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ....................................................10,600 ...............2,025........................1 ............0.191 ........... 0.191............0.191 ............0.191 ............. 0.191 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.191 .............. 0.191...................0.194.................. 136,451,611 ........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 129,000 ............51,600......................13 ........... 0.400...........0.400 ...........0.400 .......... 0.400 .............0.400 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.400..............0.394...................0.400 ..................21,000,000.........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 560,453 ......... 106,685.....................20 ............0.191 ........... 0.192 ...........0.190........... 0.190 .............0.192............-0.002 ........... -1.042 ...............0.191 .............. 0.191...................0.192..................270,756,867........0.100 OM0000002648 ...........NATIONAL FINANCE ................................................ 20,000 ...............2,700........................1 ............0.135 ........... 0.135 ...........0.135 ............0.135 ............. 0.137............-0.002 ........... -1.460 ...............0.135 .............. 0.133...................0.140...................35,535,849 .........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH..................................................3,500 ...............8,400........................2 ........... 2.400...........2.400 ...........2.400 .......... 2.400 .............2.450 ...........-0.050 ........... -2.041 ...............2.400 .............2.405...................2.590 .................229,097,268........1.000 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 28,403,87247,627,897 ................. 741 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......30........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ...................................................... 40,900 ...............2,170........................7 ........... 0.053 ...........0.054 ...........0.052........... 0.053 .............0.052 ............0.001 ............. 1.923 ................0.052..............0.052...................0.054 ...................6,625,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 163,595.............10,972........................6 ........... 0.067 ...........0.068 ...........0.067........... 0.067 .............0.066 ............0.001 ..............1.515.................0.068..............0.067...................0.068...................67,000,000.........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING....................................77,000 ...............5,470......................11 ............0.071 ...........0.072 ...........0.070............0.071 .............0.070 ............0.001 ............. 1.429 ................0.070.............. 0.071...................0.072.................... 5,339,768 ..........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 1,922,080...... 140,318..................... 47 ........... 0.074 ........... 0.074 ...........0.073........... 0.073 .............0.072 ............0.001 ............. 1.389 ................0.073..............0.073...................0.074..................109,500,000 .......0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 610,121 .............87,247.....................20 ............0.143 ........... 0.143 ...........0.143 ........... 0.143 ............. 0.143............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.143 ..............0.143...................0.144..................209,152,009........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 170,000 .............. 5,610......................14 ........... 0.033 ...........0.033 ...........0.033........... 0.033 .............0.034 ...........-0.001 ........... -2.941 ...............0.033..............0.033...................0.034 ...................2,805,000 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 2,983,696.......251,787...................105 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 6........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ...........................1,097 .................. 194........................2 ........... 0.200...........0.200 ...........0.113 ............0.113 ............. 0.113 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.113 ...............0.113...................0.200 ..................34,210,650 .........0.100 OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 ................................................724 .....................72........................2 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100........... 0.100 .............0.100 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.100..............0.100...................0.110 .................... 7,150,000 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .......................................................................................1,821 .................. 266........................4 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........2........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

OIL MARKET

BANKING

Russia pumps 10m Qatar’s Al Thani-owned private bank plans to acquire European institutions B1 barrels of oil a day < FROM

GENEVA: KBL European Private Bankers, the Luxembourg-based wealth manager ultimately owned

by Qatar’s Al Thani family, expects to make two acquisitions in Europe in addition to its purchase of UBS’s private bank in Belgium.

“My assumption today is that we will announce two transactions within a reasonable timeframe,” Yves Stein, chief executive officer of KBL European Private Bankers, said in a telephone interview on Friday. “We are rather confident that we will soon be back to the press with an announcement in this respect.”

Stein declined to provide details of potential acquisition targets.

Founded in 1949, KBL is a collection of affiliated private banking businesses owned by Precision Capital, the Luxembourg holding company representing the interests of the Al Thani ruling family of Qatar.

The network includes Puilaetco Dewaay in Belgium, Theo-

The network includes Puilaetco Dewaay in Belgium, Theodoor Gilissen in the Netherlands, Brown Shipley in the UK and Merck Finck in Germany, as well as KBL units in France, Monaco and Spain

door Gilissen in the Netherlands, Brown Shipley in the UK and Merck Finck in Germany, as well as KBL units in France, Monaco and Spain.

Together they oversaw almost €100 billion ($108 billion) for private and institutional clients at the end of June, according to the company’s half-year report.

Stein, who joined KBL in 2013 from Geneva-based asset and wealth manager Union Bancaire Privee, said he’s seeking further deals in countries including

France, Germany and the U.K. after acquiring Hampton Dean financial planners in the UK, and UBS’s private bank in Belgium.

Top-five player KBL is seeking deals to become a top-five player in markets where it operates, with the ‘sweet spots’ in wealth management being individuals with from 1 million to 5 million euros and families with at least €25 million, Stein said.

KBL was one of the private banking businesses sold in the af-

termath of the 2008 financial crisis as bailed-out European lenders divested assets and refocused their strategies. Precision Capital acquired it from Belgium’s KBC Groep in 2012 and also purchased Dexia’s BIL private bank in 2011.

Geneva-based KBL (Switzerland) was fined $18.8 million last month as part of a US nonprosecution program for Swiss banks that facilitated tax evasion for Americans. KBL was found to have kept accounts for US taxpayers in the names of entities in Panama, the British Virgin Islands and Liechtenstein and helped Americans conceal identities through insurance policy accounts.

KBL and BIL’s Swiss units completed a merger last month, and Stein isn’t looking for acquisitions in Switzerland. The merger came about because KBL didn’t have a sustainable ‘critical mass’ to operate independently and wasn’t related to the US tax issue, Stein said. - Bloomberg News

Even wealthy Gulf Arab states have been hit. Last week Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain raised interest rates as they scrambled to protect their currencies.

“With Opec not in any mood to cut production ... it does mean you are not going to get any rebalancing any time soon,” Energy Aspects chief oil analyst Amrita Sen said.

“Having said that, long term of course, the lower prices are today, the rebalancing will become even stronger and steeper, because of the capex (oil groups’ capital expenditure) cutbacks ... but you’re not going to see that until end-2016.”

Reflecting the determination among the biggest producers to woo buyers at any cost, Russia now pumps oil at a post-Soviet high of more than 10 million barrels per day (bpd), while Opec output is close to record levels above 31.5 million bpd.

Oil market liquidity usually evaporates ahead of the holiday period, meaning that intra-day price moves can become exaggerated.

On average, in the last 15 years, December is the month with least trading volume, which tends to be just 85 per cent of that in May, the month which sees most volume change hands.

Brent crude prices have dropped by nearly 19 per cent this month, their steepest fall since the collapse of failed US bank Lehman Brothers in October 2008.

US crude futures were down 26 cents at $34.47 a barrel, their lowest since 2009.

“Really, I wouldn’t like to be in the shoes of an oil exporter getting into 2016. It’s not exactly looking as if there is light at the end of the tunnel any time soon,” Saxo Bank senior manager Ole Hansen said.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs believes it could take a drop to as little as $20 a barrel for supply to adjust to demand.

Brent oil, the international benchmark, plunged to the lowest since July 2004 on Monday, trading as low as $36.05 a barrel in London. – Reuters

T UESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

B5

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ROUND-UP Lulu Group opens its first outlet in Cairo Love us on Facebook

RD THE MAESTRO

The new store is specially designed to offer the residents with a world class shopping experience like never before, at fair prices with friendly service

CAIRO: UAE based Lulu Group has set its foot in Egypt by opening its first hypermarket in Cairo, capital of Egypt.

The 119th hypermarket of the group was inaugurated by Khalid Hanafy, Egyptian Minister for Trade, in the presence of Galal El Saeed, Governor of Cairo, Mohamed Abdul Sayed, adviser to the Prime Minister, Khalifa Thunaiji, deputy UAE ambassador to Egypt and other high ranking government and civil officials, says a press release.

Yusuff Ali M. A., chairman of Lulu Group, Saifee T. Rupawala, CEO, Ashraf Ali M. A., executive director, Mohamed Althaf, director of Lulu Egypt and other top company officials, were also present on the occasion.

Apart from this, a large number of people were also found anxiously waiting outside the store to get inside latest shopping ad-

dition in the capital city. Egypt, a country that links North Africa with the Middle East, is considered as a strong economy with high market potentials under the able leadership of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

The new store is located in Twin Plaza Opposite Police Academy on the Zakir Hussein road extension in the 1st settlement of New Cairo.

Spread over an area of 170,000 square feet, the new store is specially designed to offer the residents with a world class shopping experience like never before at fair prices and friendly service. The hypermarket will provide the widest range of quality and value-formoney products all under one roof.

Egypt has been attracting lot of investments especially from GCC countries in various sectors including infrastructure, energy and retail following the investment conference held at Sharm Al Sheikh in March where President Abdel Fattah El Sisi opened the doors for GCC investment in his country. Egypt is viewed as a market for the UAE companies with around 600 companies now operating there. In a hope to stabilise

the country, the UAE has provided Egypt with an unprecedented economic support whether on grant based investments or bringing private sector to the Egyptian market.

Commenting on Lulu Group’s Egypt plans, Yusuff Ali said: “We consider Egypt as a very important market for us and our experience of more than four decades of success and accomplishment in the retail industry is sure to help us become the most popular retailer in the region. Egyptians are already well aware of Lulu and we hope to bring world class shopping closer to them in various important location of this great country.

As per the plan, we intend to invest EGP 3 billion (US$ 300 million) in setting up 10 new hypermarkets in next two years across Egypt.

“The hypermarket will also offer a window of opportunity to local community. We will encourage the Egyptian agricultural sector by procuring and promoting local agricultural produce and also export them to our stores across the GCC and Far East. Currently we are exporting EGP 50 million and this will go upto EGP 150 million next year, Yusuff Ali added. Main

exporting products include fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, cheese and pickles. Lulu also plans to set up own food processing plants to further boost the exports.

“We believe that having a strong national workforce is vital to our long-term success as it helps in creating sustainable community living. Currently, there are more than 800 Egyptians employed at our new hypermarket in Cairo and we intent to employ 10,000 more Egyptians in next two years.

We already have more than 3,000 working in our operations in GCC countries and continuously train them in our various operations,” said Yusuff Ali. The new hypermarket provides the widest range of quality and value-for-money products all under one roof. It has separate sections for fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy products, ready-to-eat products and a live bakery. The outlet also offers a huge area dedicated to electronics, IT products, home appliances, sports, furnishing and furniture, kitchenware, toys, stationery and health and beauty products.

The new hypermarket also offers a wide choice of world-class fashion brands and products for men, women and children. A special area is also dedicated for promoting local products and handicrafts of Egypt.

The systematically arranged sections promise customers an easy and hassle-free shopping experience. Extra-wide aisles, extensively laid out counters and ample parking space are some of the distinguishing features of the new store.

F I A W O R L D R A L LY C H A M P I O N S H I P

Hyundai unveils new generation i20 WRC MUSCAT: Hyundai Motorsport kicked off the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) by unveiling its brand new car, the new generation i20 WRC, in front of more than 150 assembled media and guests at the team’s factory in Alzenau, Germany.

The formal reveal of the new generation i20 WRC marks the opening of an exciting new chapter in the short history of Hyundai Motorsport, building on two successful seasons in the competitive WRC environment. In that time, the team has undertaken a steep learning curve to establish itself as a genuine competitor against tough opposition, says a press release.

Commenting on the new i20, Jin (James) Kim Vice president and head of operations for Hyundai Motor Company in Africa and the Middle East said: “Our ongoing involvement with the WRC is a real brand shaper for us. The championship is something which really appeals to our target youth audience therefore we will continue to invest in this sector of our business, and this special edition i20 is testament to this.”

Following its foundation-laying year in 2013, the team quickly developed a brand new WRC car from scratch for its first season of competition in 2014. The car proved to be both quick and reliable, securing a maiden win in Germany in August 2014. From there, the team enjoyed a more consistent second season, scoring four podium finishes and fighting for second place in the Manufacturers’ Championship right up to the season finale.

In early 2015, the team com-

S P O R T S D AY

Indian School Muladha organises athletic meet MULADHA: The Annual Athletic Meet 2015-16 of Indian School Muladha, the most awaited event in the school calendar, was held on the lush green grounds of the school recently.

S. A. S. Naqvi, former coach of the Indian hockey team, was the chief guest. The glittering opening ceremony commenced with the arrival of the chief guest accompanied by Niyas Noorudheen, the general manager of Future Consultants, says a press release.

The school choir sang the National Anthems of India and Oman. Dr Kazi Arshad Jafar, president of the School Management committee, welcomed

the gathering. A bouquet was presented by Nalini Regunath, the senior-most teacher in the school, to the chief guest who declared the meet open, amidst thunderous applause.

To celebrate the occasion, pigeons were set free by the guest into the sky. The most solemn part of the ceremony was the torch relay by the school’s noteworthy sportspersons and the synchronised march past by the students in four houses - Muscat, Nizwa, Sialalah and Sur. Jamil Parwez, the sports captain administered the oath to the athletes. The school choir sang a song of inspiration.

mitted to a year-long test and development program for a WRC specification of the road-going new generation i20, with its competitive debut set for Monte-Carlo 2016. The new generation i20 has already accumulated 8,000km of testing prior the launch, and has proven to be quicker than its predecessor, with the team’s drivers also praising improved drivability.

The new car is the result of the Hyundai Motorsport’s evolution since 2013 and although the team is still young, it is far more estab-

lished in the WRC community.

This growth is also reflected in the team’s bolder ambitions for the 2016 season, namely to fight at the front in every stage and to mount a heightened championship assault.

Hyundai Motorsport will field three cars in every round of the 2016 Championship, with DaniSordo, Hayden Paddon and Thierry Neuville all confirmed for a full season of WRC. From Monte-Carlo in January to a new-look season finale in Australia, while also taking in a brand new event in China, the trio of drivers will share the #3, #4 and #20 cars during the season. The precise car-driver composition will differ from event to event, offering the team full flexibility in its Championship strategy. The team will begin its third season with two new generation i20 WRCs and one previous model at Rallye Monte-Carlo before increasing to three identical cars from Rally Sweden.

All three drivers were present at the launch, which revealed a revised livery for the five-door new generation i20 WRC, as it was shown off in public for the first time.

Musical night held in Muscat to pay tribute to Burman MUSCAT: Muscat audience experienced many a nostalgic moments in the recently held musical night as a tribute to musical maestro late R. D. Burman.

Orbit Events Management presented yet another mega musical show titled Yeh Shaam Pancham Ke Naam at the Le Grand Hall of Al Falaj Hotel recently. It was an evening reminiscing the musical melodies of the most popular music director of Bollywood R. D. Burman, also known as Pancham Da. Gloria Gangte, deputy ambassador of India to Oman officiated the event as chief guest, says a press release.

Renown playback singer of Bollywood Raman Mahadevan along with sought after musicians Narendra Salaskar (guitar) and Sachin Sawant (percussion) had come from Mumbai. Students of music teacher Ramesh Narayanan in Muscat Sumana Shashidar, Deepak Varvani, Devika Sreekumar, Sakshi Bhagavath, and Hari Menon also rendered popular songs of Pancham Da alongside Raman.

Local members of orchestra – Jayan and Anil on keyboard, Baiju on bass guitar, Praderp on flute, David on drums and Girish on tabla made the evening musically complete. Ramesh Narayanan along with his brothers Rajesh and Retish also mesmerised the audience with the evergreen song Yadon Ki Barat.

“Every song was extremely well performed. All the singers and musicians were highly talented and experienced. Together, they brought R. D. Burman’s music to life and made the evening memorable for us,” said one of overjoyed member of audience.

“To perform numbers like Mehboobaa Mehbooba of Sholay is no mean deal. Be it the duet Jaanejan Dhoondtha Fir Raha or the fast paced song of Rocky, Aa Dekhen Zara, Raman and other singers made them soulful,” said another.

“For a musical evening of this nature to be successful, it is not only important to select the best performers, but it is also equally essential to select the right songs. Pancham Da’s every musical composition is better than the other. He has thousands of award winning songs to his credit. Therefore, it is a challenge to identify those numbers

Orbit Events Management presented yet another mega musical show titled 'Yeh Shaam Pancham Ke Naam' at the Le Grand Hall of Al Falaj Hotel

to which our Muscat audience would relate well. After the song selection is over, the next challenge is to sequence them in such a way that the musical evening reaches its crescendo and leaves the audience asking for more.

This is where the experience and knowledge of music teacher Ramesh Narayanan worked the magic,” says Ramesh, CEO of Orbit Events.

The mood of the event was set from the very first song Yeh Shaam Mastani from Kati Patang and gradually moved to faster paced songs and medleys. The second half again started with a melodious song of Praveen Sultana from Kudrat Hume Thumse Pyaar Kitna. The evening had a befitting grand finale song rendered by all the singers on stage Kuch Na Kaho from the film 1942 A Love Story.

Raman Mahadevan’s interactive style of presentation and extremely jovial and energetic stage presence made the program joyful. Raman presented 2 medleys (mix of songs in continuation without break). Each had some of the choicest of Pancham’s music and many a members of audience danced to these tunes in a state of ecstasy. Master of Ceremonies was Ramesh of Orbit Events, whose multi-lingual presentation was also noteworthy.

The event was supported by a host of sponsors Design Engineering Group; CEMEC Engg; Nabil Biscuits; National Environmental Services; Badr Al Samaa; Mars International; Al Fajar Al Alamia Co; Teejan Equipment; Khimji Ramdas; Country Club; Mustafa Sultan Enterprises and a few more who wish to remain anonymous. Official airlines were Oman Air and media partners Times of Oman.

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ROUND-UP Omantel felicitates SME award winners Winners of Omantel Business Excellence SME Awards will get a number of benefits that will help them expand and provide better services to their customers

MUSCAT: Under the auspices of Hamoud bin Sanjour Al Zadjali, executive president of the Central Bank of Oman, Omantel honoured the winners of the fourth version of Omantel Business Excellence SME Awards. The ceremony was attended by a number of undersecretaries, senior officials and owners of SMEs. The Best Performing small enterprise went to Royal Development & Investment’, Hoehler & Partner won the ‘Best Performing

Company - Medium Enterprise’, Sawa Bazaar won the ‘Best New Entrant’, Insight Information Technology won ‘Turnaround Success Story of the Year’, Younous Al Majarafi Trading won the ‘Community Contribution’ and RFCC Cement Tiles won ‘Best Business Idea for the Year, says a press release During the event, Talal bin Said Al Maamari, CEO of Omantel expressed satisfaction over the turn out by SMEs owners for the different categories of the awards.

He pointed out that the awards, which has been introduced four years ago, were well received by SMEs. “We are proud to support this important sector and help it to grow, increase production and

maximise contribution towards the sustainable growth of the Omani GDP. “We are very happy to recognise the dedication and persistence of a number of entrepreneurs who strived to serve the higher interests of the nation and contribute to the growth of our country.”

Commenting on Omantel support to SMEs, Talal Al Mamari saidm “Apart from launching A’amali package that caters to the needs of this important segment of our customers, Omantel offers lots of business opportunities to SMEs and has dedicated a certain percentage of its procurement activities for SMEs.” On the other hand, Todd Dick, vice president for the Business

Unit at Omantel said that Omantel Business Excellence SME Awards attracted a large number of applications from entrepreneurs who had tough competition with each other to win such prestigious awards. The participants have been keen on showing their best before the judging panel. They also tried to showcase their innovations or high quality services that bring value to the Omani society.

He added that SMEs sector is a very important sector. The efforts done to enhance the performance of this sector will yield fruits in the near future.

Omantel thus has been a leader in meeting the needs of this sector either by providing them with high quality communication services or creating the healthy milieu for innovation and creativity.

Winners of Omantel Business Excellence SME Awards will get a number of benefits that will help them expand and provide better services to their customers. The benefits include free subscription for one year to one of the SME services, 2 million free bulk promotional SMSs, two smart phones, OMR5,000 in cash and a marketing campaign through different media means.

YEAR-END PROMOTION

Nissan now offers benefits on Sentra MUSCAT: After gaining rave reviews from auto enthusiasts, the Sentra now comes in a new 1.6 SV CVT P26 from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles which is set to create another milestone.

The new Sentra boasts of top of the range options that focuses on class-above design standards inside and out.

Loaded with full options, the Sentra 1.6 SV is an edge over competitors in its segment making it an enticing option for patrons, says a press release.

The presence of the Nissan Sentra vehicles on the road is aptly supported by Nissan Oman’s world-class service facilities and trained manpower. The Nissan Sentra offers drivers the spaciousness and comfort of cars usually found in the larger segment, as well as technology usually associated with much more

expensive cars.

Apart from Nissan Sentra 1.6 and 1.8L engine options, the Sentra 1.6 SV has an engine capacity of 113hp, Dimensions (LxWxH) – 4615 x 1760 x 1495mm and Xtronic CVT Transmission.

Auto enthusiasts can now avail exciting benefits on the Nissan Sentra 1.6L and 1.8L that includes cash gift of OMR500, free service for two years or 20,000km (periodic maintenance only), free registration, six years unlimited mileage warranty and easy and convenient financing options.

Flexible EMI’s can also be tailor made for any individual requirement from in-house Auto Finance team.

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles offers wide range of after sales service with modern technology and state-of-the-art facilities in strategic locations.

OTE GROUP

Isuzu technicians emerge winners in global after-sales contest MUSCAT: A team of Isuzu technicians from OTE Group did the Sultanate proud by winning third place in the Isuzu World Technical Competition held in Tokyo recently.

This global honour further reaffirms the service capabilities of the Isuzu Oman team that helps uphold the brand’s claim ‘Trucks for Life’, says a press release.

The Isuzu team from OTE Group, comprising Silvestre Jr. Guitering Pamittan and Manoj Nair, under the guidance of coach Vinay Kandulna, competed in a category that witnessed stiff competition among teams from 23 countries. The OTE team has been steadily moving up the ladder over

the years. The team was placed in fifth position in 2013. In 2014 it moved up to fourth and this year further moved up to claim its place within the coveted global three.

Now in its 10th year, the competition, fondly referred to as the ‘I-1 Grand Prix’, sees Isuzu technicians from around the world going headto-head in a series of challenges.

‘LIFE SKILLS’ COURSE

mobile manufacturers. The group continuously focuses on regular training and evaluation of its service advisors and technicians to provide superior service and utmost care to its customers.

As a leading Japanese automobile manufacturer, Isuzu is present in over 100 countries and enjoys overwhelming No.1 position in many markets across the globe.

In Oman too, Isuzu is the brand leader and is immensely popular because of its unmatched reliability, versatility and quality of its after-sales service.

OTE group is the exclusive distributor for Isuzu range of vehicles in the Sultanate of Oman.

AT H L E T I C M E E T

Oman Shipping supports Outward Bound Oman MUSCAT: Four groups of students, totalling 68 young people, recently completed a four-day experience-based, outdoor, life-skills programme sponsored by Oman Shipping Company with Outward Bound Oman.

The course aims to bridge the gap between the world of education and work by providing students with the necessary skill sets to enter the workforce fully prepared for a rewarding professional career, says a press release.

In 2014 Oman Shipping Company entered into a three-year partnership with Outward Bound Oman aiming to help enrol 216 students into the programme that will help unlock their potential.

The recent group of students all experienced the unique terrain of Jebel Akhdar and came from a variety of girls and boys schools in the Batinah and Dakhiliyah regions as well as from Caledonian College in Muscat.

They were assigned a variety of tasks, exercises and responsibilities that enhanced their problem

The 2015 competition was split into two emissions categories.

Category A was fought out between countries with EURO IV and above emissions levels, and

Category B for those countries with emission levels below EURO IV. The Isuzu team from OTE Group, participated in Category B, which witnessed participation of teams from 23 countries.

With written and technical tests, the Isuzu World Technical Competition assesses not only the vehicle inspection, vehicle repairs and engine procedures but also knowledge of structure and operations, adjustment and diagnosis of engine and chassis.

OTE Group has been regularly winning accolades and awards over the years for its service excellence at various regional and global platforms from leading auto-

solving abilities, developed their communication capabilities and improved their planning and organisational talents; all key life skills sought out by employers throughout Oman.

Conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and their National Careers Guidance Centre, the ‘Life Skills’ course also encouraged these students to consider the rewards of volunteerism and how each individual can help bring about

change in their own capacity.

“We are pleased to contribute to the development of Omani youth in new and innovative methodology, where the students will learn key life skills from Omani diversified environment. In addition, OSC will continue its support to OBO as leading youth development organisation in the Sultanate as part of its social investment programmes,” said Wasam Al Najjar, general manager, Corporate Affairs at Oman Shipping.

Junior sports day held at Al Injaz MUSCAT: Al Injaz Private School, Al Ansab, held its Junior Annual Sports Day for the Kindergarten and Grades 1 – IV recently on the Al Ansab premises of the school.

Dr Munir bin Ahmed bin Salim Al Balushi and Saeed bin Nasser Al Nomani, who are well wishers of good quality education for children, attended the occasion as chief guests. They praised the enthusiasm and sportive spirit of the students and the efforts of the school to enthuse sports and academics, says a press release.

The students of Kindergarten and Grade 1 presented a colourful rhythmic drill. The students of Grade II - IV presented and elastic exercise drill, a pyramid formation and an acrobatic display which included jumping through the ring of fire.

The competitive and team spirit of the students were highly appreciated by all present. The Section of Special Needs of the school also enthusiastically participated in the races. At the end of the races, the winners were awarded medals, prizes and certificates by the chief guests.

The school encourages students to participate in sports to

maintain the healthy balance of an active mind and body for maximum development of the student.

Al Injaz, Ansab, follows the

IGCSE and Bilingual curriculum and has classes from Kindergarten to Grade XII. Admissions are open for 2015-16.

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ROUND-UP

Cash gift offer adds to Toyota Avalon’s appeal Customers purchasing a Toyota Avalon until January 21, 2016 can get back OMR1,100 as cash gift

MUSCAT: Toyota Avalon is a world-class sedan with an elegant and refined design. One of the most upscale cars in the class, the Toyota Avalon has the reviewers raving, says a press release.

Now, the buzz is around the benefits that accompany every Avalon.

“Those who purchase a Toyota Avalon between now and January 21, 2016 can get back a OMR1,100 cash gift,” says the spokesperson.

“This is applicable on 2015/2016 YM models of 2015 production for all purchases except those made by government organisations and ministries. Please visit nearest Toyota showroom for full details,” he adds.

The offer makes the Avalon even more tempting to own. Indeed, there is a lot to love in the refined masterpiece by Toyota; about whom it is quoted that, “The Avalon is one of Toyota’s best offerings, with truly attractive styling, a high-quality interior, plenty of room and an immensely enjoyable driving experience.”

Avalon’s exterior lighting complements the design lines. The industry-first Quadrabeam headlight cluster utilises a sleek and compact double-eye PES headlight design with two square glass condenser lenses that have been adopted for the low beams and offer outstanding lighting performance. A stronger, more expressive front-fascia design with larger

grille opening creates an aggressive appearance. The Avalon’s interior elaborates on the exterior’s elegant, refined theme to create a premium interior experience that combines high technology and craftsmanship with an artistic level of sculpted surfaces. This panel is covered in supple, handstitched premium soft-touch material with the seam adding some creative flair as it goes across the dash panel.

The driver is engaged by an Optitron-type combination meter, which produces a sharp, high quality display and 3.5-inch Thin-film Transistor (TFT) colour multiinformation display. Furthermore, the Avalon’s interior surfaces are finished in premium materials such as soft-touch materials for the dash panel, unique smoke chrome trim surrounding the centre panel, and high-quality glossy panel trim around the shifter. All of this attention to detail to touch surfaces and subtle enhancements to texture and visual appeal are aimed at elevating the overall interior experience for driver and passengers.

The Avalon’s seats are available as 10-way power adjustable for the driver’s seat, and 8-way adjustment for the front passenger seat.

The driver’s seat incorporates a seat-cushion length extender; a four-way lumbar support is built into the driver’s seat and a twoway lumbar support for the pas-

senger. An electric seat heater and seat ventilation system have been adopted to help enhance driver and passenger seat comfort.

The Avalon utiliees a 3.5-litre, six-cylinder V6 engine that features Dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) to help offer superior power and efficiency by optimising the intake and exhaust valve timings to increase engine performance across the entire range.

The Avalon features an automatic transmission that has been optimised for improved fuel economy and performance. Steeringwheel-mounted paddle shifters help activate fast and responsive shifts while keeping both hands on the wheel. The Avalon offers three drive modes: Eco, Normal & Sport.

The Avalon offers a long list of convenient, user-friendly technologies as one would expect with the Toyota’s flagship sedan. The Avalon features a standard display audio system with 6.1-inch TFT touchscreen that offers audio system operation, Bluetooth compatibility, customisable vehicle settings, available rear camera display and operation of iPod and USB devices.

Toyota Avalon is equipped standard with a smart key system that locks and unlocks the front doors and enables opening of the doors when the key is within a short distance of the door handle. The key’s transmitter also al-

BRAND AMBASSADOR

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT: Chef Issa Al Lamki, first celebrity chef of Oman, will be promoting the products of A’Saffa Foods through all forms of communications and consumer engagement activities in Oman and also in the GCC and Mena region. - A. R. Rajkumar/ TIMES OF OMAN

Celebrity chef Issa Al Lamki to endorse A’Saffa products MUSCAT: A’Saffa Foods, the Sultanate’s largest fully integrated poultry and value added processed food producer, with the business philosophy of ‘Core values of Healthy Food, Health and Happiness’, announced Oman’s celebrity Chef Issa Al Lamki as the brand ambassador of A’Saffa Foods.

Through this synergistic agreement, Chef Issa Al Lamki will be promoting the products of A’Saffa Foods through all forms of communications and consumer engagement activities in Oman and also in the GCC and Mena region, says a press release.

Known as the Sultanate’s first celebrity chef — Al Lamki has built up more than two decades of experience working in the kitchens of prominent hotels like the Crowne Plaza and the Al Bustan Palace in Oman, as well as the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He is a firm believer in the importance of healthy foods, and supports A’Saffa’s mission to bring consumers 100 per cent naturally-fed, hygienicallyraised, farm-fresh, halal, healthy chicken and nutritious allied products that taste great and provide energy for wherever life’s adventures may lead.

“Proper nutrition is one of the most important elements to good health and in turn happiness, and I know from years of professional cooking that the healthy choice is not always easy to find, or the one you have time to make,” said Al Lamki. “A’Saffa Chicken are bred and cared for at A’Saffa’s state-ofthe-art production facility under strict biosecurity measures to eliminate the risk of contamination and disease, hence ensuring that the chickens and other value added processed products are nutritious and healthy.

“That’s why I’m thrilled to be working with A’Saffa Foods, to educate people on the benefits of healthy eating and provide them with 100 per cent naturally-fed, farm-fresh, halal, healthy chicken and other meal options that have compelling flavours, without skipping on nutrition.”

“From his prolific career, it was clear that Chef Issa Al Lamki shares the same drive to reach new goals as we do. But it was his genuine joy for cooking and understanding of the importance of health and nutrition, that made this relationship such a perfect fit,” said Dr Nasser Zahir Nasser Al Maawali, CEO of A’Saffa Foods.

“We are pleased to welcome him

to the A’Saffa family and look forward to working together to inspire a movement for better health, taste and happier lives in the Sultanate.”

“Our expertise and competence in fully integrated poultry production and farm management systems, food production, processed food technology, and chefinspired food recipes helps us to deliver new, flavourful choices that consumers can enjoy anytime,” said Sidhartha Lenka, head of Marketing and Sales, A’Saffa Foods. “As a market leader, we endeavour to provide consumers with food products that are wholesome and processed hygienically from pure, tasty, premium, natural, healthy and halal ingredients and aromatic spices.

In doing so, we are pleased to have Oman’s finest Chef Issa Al Lamki as brand ambassador, as we believe that he as a trusted industry name and his association with the brand offers further guarantee of the purity and authenticity of every product that comes out of the A’Saffa Foods brand umbrella.”

A’Saffa’s value-added processed food products are produced at a fully automated state-of-the-art production plant in Muscat.

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lows the engine to be started with the push of a button. The Avalon is equipped with a rear window power shade that blocks direct sun rays for the rear passengers, the shade adopts an auto-down function when shifting into reverse. A lighter weight power sunroof design has been adopted to help reduce vehicle weight.

Avalon has a total of ten SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) airbags providing enhanced safety. It also features Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA).

All specifications listed above are standard Toyota equipment. Safety kit (fire extinguisher, warning triangle, tyre pressure gauge & first aid kit) is a dealer installed non Toyota item provided on Toyota models as standard equipment. The vehicle specifications may change without prior notice. Pictures and colours may differ from actual specifications of the vehicles. For further details and& to ascertain availability of stocks, please visit your nearest Toyota showroom.

In Oman, Toyota’s outstanding product quality is supported by the nationwide parts and service network of Saud Bahwan Automotive.

No wonder then that today, Toyota is one of the most trusted and wellknown brands.

P O S T PA I D P L A N S

Ooredoo’s new Shahry plan offers value deals MUSCAT: Delivering unmatched value, Ooredoo has launched its range of new Shahry postpaid plans to include four exciting bundles for customers.

The new plans offer more data, more voice and more SMS, with greater savings than ever before; all in a single convenient plan, says a press release.

Feras Al Shaikh, Ooredoo director of Sales, said, “Our Shahry plans have been a success since we launched them in early 2014. However, customer needs change, so we’ve enhanced our plans to make sure we deliver the service that meets these changing needs. Data, for example, has grown exponentially over the past year, so the data allowances in each plan reflect this. These new plans deliver more value than ever before in our postpaid portfolio and the higher the plan, the greater the value.”

Each of the Shahry plans is defined by the data allowance that customers need to power their online use. Customers opt into Shahry plans and then choose between one of four data bundles, each of which comes with voice and SMS. The first two bundles are for light to medium mobile broadband use.

Shahry 500MB Customers get 200 national minutes to any network and 200 SMS, as well as the 500MB data allowance, all for just OMR10.

Shahry 2GB The second option is the 2GB data bundle, which comes with 600 national minutes to any network and 600 SMS for only OMR20.

Shahry 5GB For customers who need a bigger mobile broadband allowance, the 5GB per bundle has 1,500 national minutes to any network and 1,500 SMS for OMR35.

Shahry 10GB For those constantly on the go and who need to stay connected for longer, there’s the 10GB data bundle, with a generous 3,000

Customer needs change, so we’ve enhanced our plans to make sure we deliver the service that meets these changing needs.

These new plans deliver more value than ever before in our postpaid portfolio and the higher the plan, the greater the value Feras Al Shaikh Ooredoo director of Sales

national minutes to any network and 3,000 SMS for just OMR60.

New and existing customers will be able to enjoy the new enhanced Shahry plans which started yesterday.

Customers on the existing Shahry plans can migrate to the new plans smoothly and enjoy all the new benefits on offer.

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ROUND-UP

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Meethaq Sharia Board reviews growth strategy The board reviewed new products and services to be introduced in 2016, especially electronic banking services, aimed at adding further value and convenience to Meethaq customers

MUSCAT: The Meethaq Sharia Supervisory Board led by Sheikh Dr Ali Qaradaghi, chairman, held the fourth meeting of 2015 to review the fourth quarter performance and growth strategy for 2016 of Meethaq, the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman from Bank Muscat.

The meeting was attended by board members Sheikh Essam

Muhammad Ishaq, Sheikh Majid Al Kindi, Abdulqader Thomas and Dr Saeed Al Muharrami, says a press release.

The board reviewed new products and services to be introduced in 2016, especially electronic banking services aimed at further adding value and convenience to Meethaq customers. The meeting also reviewed finance for corporate projects as well as audit report for the fourth quarter of 2015.

Sulaiman Al Harthy, group general manager, Meethaq Islamic Banking, said: “The Meethaq Sharia Supervisory Board discussed many important topics to consolidate the leading position of Meethaq Islamic Banking in terms of financing receivables, branch network, products and services, IT infrastructure and human resources. Meethaq is proud to have

on board some of the brightest minds on Islamic finance to chart the way forward. The Sharia Board has made valuable contributions in establishing Meethaq as the leading Islamic banking service provider in Oman.”

As the leading Islamic financial services provider in the Sultanate, Meethaq has many achievements relating to financing major projects in various fields, thereby contributing to the growth and development of the Sultanate’s economy. The notable finance facilities offered by Meethaq in 2015 include the refinancing facility of OMR78 million signed with Oman Shipping Company for its three very large crude carriers (VLCCs).

Presently, Meethaq has 13 branches across the Sultanate and plans to expand the network as well as launch new products and

services to complement the unique Islamic banking experience. The bank has invested in staff, systems and controls to ensure the service is delivered in a professional, segregated and fully Sharia compliant manner. Meethaq offers a full suite of Islamic banking products and services, including savings account, current account, home finance, auto finance, credit card and mobile banking.

Redefining exclusive and relationship based Islamic banking experience, Meethaq launched Hafawa Priority Banking service for high saving Meethaq customers in 2015. Presently, the Hafawa network includes eight centres in Meethaq branches in Qurm, Al Khoud, Seeb, Saham, Ibra, Nizwa, Buraimi and Salalah. Meethaq plans to further expand the Hafawa network.

Meethaq has adopted the best practices in Islamic banking and finance worldwide to combine a robust model which protects customers and complements the Islamic banking industry. Every Meethaq product goes through the process of Sharia compliance certification by the Sharia Supervisory Board and is created in line with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Oman.

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MCDONALD’S TREAT FOR LITTLE FLOWERS NURSERY CHILDREN Children at Little Flowers Nursery were all smiles as McDonald’s Hamburglar character paid a special visit at the nursery in celebration of their annual fun day activity. McDonald’s took part in the event spreading happiness among children of all ages. Children had a day full of fun with Hamburglar’s delightful presence, give-away items along with their favourite Happy Meals. — Supplied photograph

ANNUAL REGIONAL CONFERENCE

Dhofar Automotive receives appreciation at customer care meeting MUSCAT: As official dealers of the four celebrated all-American automotive brands namely Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram, the famed Alfa Romeo as well as the esteemed Fiat and Fiat Professional, Dhofar Automotive has always had a keen focus on customer care.

To honour their dedication to customer service, the Middle East Regional Office of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) recently held its Annual Regional Customer Care Conference in Oman and highlighted Dhofar Automotive’s new facility in Mabelah. Identifying it as a centre adhering and living up to industry best practices in the region, Dhofar Automotive also received due appreciation

for being able to demonstrate the impact it has achieved in terms of customer satisfaction based on Net Promoter Scores (NPS), says a press release.

The Net Promoter Score serves as a management tool that can be used to gauge the loyalty of a firm’s customer relationships and is an excellent measure of the loyalty that exists between a provider and a consumer. Dhofar Automotive fared high on this scale further validating the company’s records and claim on customercentric strategies.

The conference, which was preceded by Tarik Al Bahnini, head of Customer Care Operations at FCA’s Middle East Regional Office,

reviewed current Customer Care and Customer Relationship Management practices and processes.

As an ongoing objective to consistently meet and exceed the demanding scores and requirements laid down by FCA globally, Tarik also

E X PA N S I O N

introduced a number of new directions and development plans that were specifically designed to further enhance regional standards.

“Our team here at Dhofar Automotive places customers as our first priority and ensures that we

deliver the highest levels of customer care,” said Hawra Al Lawati, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Manager at Dhofar Automotive. “It is this same policy that has helped us to win the hearts of our customers and it is due to the unending support, faith and loyalty that our customers have bestowed upon us that we have reached so far.”

In an ongoing endeavour to implement new ideas and initiatives to achieve customer care objectives, Dhofar Automobiles believes in giving it a more personal touch.

The latest campaign involves a plan of regular customer communication days, where senior officials from Customer Relation-

PA N E L D I S C U S S I O N S

E N H A N C E D F E AT U R E S

Malabar Gold opens new outlet at Sharjah Airport DUBAI: Malabar Gold & Diamonds, the leading jewellery retailer launched its 143rd outlet globally and third outlet in Sharjah.

Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority inaugurated the showroom recently in the presence of Sheikh Faisal Saoud Al Qassimi, director, Sharjah Airport Authority, Dr P. A. Ibrahim Haji, co chairman - Malabar Group; Shamlal Ahamed M. P., managing director- International Operations of Malabar Gold & Diamonds; Abdul Salam K. P., group executive director - Malabar Gold & Diamonds, and Abdul Basheer, Zonal Head – Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Sharjah. Members of Sharjah Airporty Authority, DUFRY Sharjah and well-wishers also attended the inauguration, says a press release.

This elegant showroom conveniently located at Sharjah Airport, Transit Area, Opposite the Duty Free will be the 1st showroom of its kind inside an airport. It opens up a new business arena targeting global travellers and transit

Huawei G8 smartphone launched in Middle East

BankDhofar supports Entrepreneur Event

passengers. This outlet will be the first of its kind operating 24/7 and throughout 365 days.

“Such an outlet offers customers an opportunity to buy their favorite jewellery while transiting or leaving for their home country.

Truly a last minute opportunity to buy a gift for a loved one or for selfgifting,” said Shamlal Ahamed.

Like all other Malabar Gold & Diamonds outlets, this showroom displays a significant collection of traditional as well as contemporary jewellery in gold, certified diamonds, platinum and precious stone jewellery from across the world that can hold you spell-bound with their aweinspiring beauty.

ship departments personally meet 20 random customers from both the service centre locations in Azaibah and Mabelah in order to get first-hand customer feedback on their experience with Dhofar Automotive. Treating customer feedback as an invaluable input to understand customer needs and wants, Dhofar Automotive uses this information to address customer issues and continuously improve their service levels across the company.

Dhofar Automotive focus on customers helps it to maintain an excellent track record and also a competitive edge amongst other global players in a dynamic industry that is always evolving.

MUSCAT: BankDhofar, reinforcing its role as a key player and a major contributor in driving the development and growth of the SME sector in the Sultanate, recently supported the Entrepreneur Event that was organised by the Ministry of Defence and the SME Development Fund.

The event was inaugurated by Mohammed bin Nasser Al Rasbi, secretary general of the Ministry of Defence, at Lulu Al Bandar.

Faisal Hamed Al Wahaibi, BankDhofar’s Chief Retail Banking Officer, represented BankDhofar at the event in which BankDhofar and Maisarah Islamic Banking Services participated as main sponsors, says a press release.

Commenting on the event, Hussain Ali Al Lawati, assistant general manager and head of Business Banking at BankDhofar, said, “Our support to this initiative comes within our strategic plan to support Omani entrepreneurs and to contribute to the growth and development of the SME sector in the Sultanate. We are one of the first banks to introduce SME related solutions, products and services, and we have been working for years to promote good business ideas and to provide financial solutions and strategic guidance to entrepreneurs.”

Three-day event The three-day event provided a platform to introduce business opportunities in the SME market as well as various challenges faced by start-ups. It brought

together speakers and participants from various government departments, private sector organisations and prominent SME business owners. The event also encompassed variety of activities and sessions, including special addresses by guest speakers, start-ups exhibition and panel discussions. It highlighted the development of SMEs in Oman, the training programmes offered by the SME Development Fund, challenges faced by SMEs and the role of government departments in facilitating the development of the sector.

BankDhofar and Maisarah Islamic Banking Services continue to implement several strategic initiatives to cater to all businesses from large corporates to SMEs, providing a full array of banking products, quick turnaround time, improved cash management and competitive service charges.

Customised solutions have been introduced to revitalise SMEs allowing them to avail various creative solutions that are all geared towards helping their growth.

This placed BankDhofar and Maisarah on top of the list of best banks in the region. In 2015 alone, BankDhofar received a number of prestigious awards from leading international organisations, including ‘SME Bank of the Year – Oman’ at the ABF Retail Banking Awards 2015 and ‘Best SME Bank Oman 2015’ by Global Banking & Finance Review.

DUBAI: Huawei Consumer Business Group launched its latest device and newest member to the 8 family — the G8 smartphone in the Middle East, recently. The device is ideal for young consumers looking for a smartphone that features enhanced technological capabilities at an affordable price, says a press release.

The G8’s hero feature is its groundbreaking camera that boasts a 13-megapixel sapphire lens made to capture moments with friends and family with exceptional clarity.

The smartphone is equipped with smart functions, fingerprint technology and long lasting battery life making it user friendly and easy to use for a variety of functions on a day-today basis. ‘’When designing the G8, we were focused on creating a smartphone that really spoke to a younger audience to ensure that their wants and needs were not only meet but also, exceeded. The Huawei G8 offers advanced performance capabilities for seamless daily use with a particular focus on elements of the device that a younger audience wants. For example, the G8 features a longer lasting battery, enhanced fingerprint security and stronger connectivity keeping our consumers connected for longer periods of time,’’ said Sandeep Saihgal, vice president Huawei Consumer Business Group Middle East.

The classy, all-metal integrated body of the Huawei G8 brings beauty and more balance to the user’s lives and is available in three different colours, silver, gold and grey.

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Eight-year ban for Blatter, Platini The decision means

Banned FIFA leader and UEFA chief vow to fight it out

that Blatter’s 17 years at the helm of world

While Sepp Blatter said ‘I will fight for me and I will fight for FIFA’, Michel Platini called FIFA Ethics Committee’s decision a ‘pure masquerade’

soccer will end in disgrace, and spells the end of Platini’s hopes of replacing the 79-year-old Swiss in a presidential election in February

ZURICH: FIFA President Sepp Blatter and European soccer boss Michel Platini were both banned from soccer for eight years on Monday for ethics violations, leaving the global game leaderless as it fights a swirl of corruption cases.

The pair, who were also fined, had been suspended in October while an investigation was carried out into a two million Swiss franc ($2.02 million) payment that soccer’s global governing body made to Platini in 2011, with Blatter’s approval.

The decision means that Blatter’s 17 years at the helm of world soccer will end in disgrace, and spells the end of Platini’s hopes of replacing the 79-year-old Swiss in a presidential election in February.

FIFA’s Ethics Committee said it had not found evidence that the payment, made at a time when Blatter was seeking re-election, constituted a bribe, but that it had nevertheless lacked transparency and presented a conflict of interest.

This meant the men were

spared potential life bans. Both have denied any wrongdoing and are almost certain to challenge the decision in FIFA’s Appeals Committee and, if necessary, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“The evidence available to the adjudicatory chamber in the present case was not sufficient to establish, to the extent required, that Mr Blatter sought the execution or omission of an official act from Mr Platini,” said a statement, referring to the ‘bribery and corrup-

tion’ section of the code.

But the committee’s adjudicatory chamber did find that the payment had been “without a legal basis” and a breach of regulations governing gifts and other benefits.

Abuse of positions It said Blatter “found himself in a situation of conflict of interest, despite which he continued to perform his related duties, failing to disclose said situation and the existence of personal interests linked to his prospective activities”.

“By failing to place FIFA’s interests first and abstain from doing anything which could be contrary to FIFA’s interests, Mr Blatter violated his fiduciary duty to FIFA,” it added.

The chamber concluded that Blatter’s actions ultimately demonstrated “an abusive execution of his position as President of FIFA”.

It also said Platini’s argument that there had been an oral agreement for the payment had not been convincing, and that he, too, had abused his position as a FIFA vice-

ZURICH: Banned FIFA president Sepp Blatter will appeal against his eight-year ban by the world soccer body’s ethics committee imposed on Monday, he told reporters. “I will fight for me and I will fight for FIFA,” Blatter said, adding he would take his objections to FIFA’s appeals body, go before the Lausanne-based sports arbitration panel, or take legal action under Swiss law if needed.

Meanwhile, UEFA chief Michel Platini also vowed on Monday to go to court to fight a decision by the independent Ethics Committee of the world football body FIFA to ban him for eight years, calling it a “pure masquerade”.

Platini and Sepp Blatter, the former FIFA president who is also appealing, were both banned and fined for ethics violations in connection with a two million Swiss franc pay-

president and Executive Committee member. “Mr Platini failed to act with complete credibility and integrity, showing unawareness of the importance of his duties and concomitant obligations and responsibilities,” it said.

Blatter was fined 50,000 Swiss francs and Platini 80,000.

The ethics inquiry began in the wake of the Swiss attorney general’s decision to open criminal proceedings against Blatter over the payment to Platini. The office is also investigating FIFA’s award

ment that FIFA made to Platini in 2011, at a time when Blatter was seeking re-election.

Until he was suspended in October, Platini was the favourite to succeed Blatter as FIFA president in an election next February. “The decision is no surprise to me: the procedure initiated against me by FIFA’s ethics committee is a pure masquerade,” the Frenchman said.

“It has been rigged to tarnish my name by bodies I know well and who for me are bereft of all credibility or legitimacy.”

Platini said his conscience was clear and that he would challenge the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport and ultimately seek damages in civil proceedings. “I will fight this to the end,” he said. In a separate statement, FIFA said it “acknowledges the decisions of the Ethics Committee and has no further comment”. - Reuters

of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals to Russia and Qatar.

In the United States, prosecutors have indicted 27 current or former soccer officials, including eight former FIFA executive committee members and the current heads of both the North and South American federations, over allegations that they ran bribery schemes connected to the sale of television rights for soccer competitions. Twelve people and two sports marketing companies have been convicted. - Reuters

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TUE S DAY, D E CEMBER 2 2 , 2 015

SPORTS

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Bishoo in frame for Melbourne start The Guyanan Devendra Bishoo, a wickettaker in a West Indies squad that appears to have very few of them, made his Test debut in 2011 in a maiden campaign that earned him the ICC’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year award

Bishoo took six for 80 against the Australians in the Caribbean earlier this year and again showed his class in the drawn tour match against a Victoria XI at the weekend, even if his two wickets came at a cost of 60 runs

MELBOURNE: West Indies are considering a recall for leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo as they look to fight their way back into the series in the second Test against Australia later this week.

The tourists’ bowlers were flogged to all parts of the Bellerive Oval during the innings and 212 run defeat in Hobart which opened the three-match series.

Left-arm orthodox spinner Jomel Warrican, playing only his second Test, took three wickets in Australia’s only innings but they

came at the cost of 158 runs as the home batsmen ran rampant.

Bishoo took six for 80 against the Australians in the Caribbean earlier this year and again showed his class in the drawn tour match

against a Victoria XI at the weekend, even if his two wickets came at a cost of 60 runs.

“He bowled better,” West Indies coach Phil Simmons told reporters in Geelong.

“There was a lot more drive in his deliveries and everything like that. We’ll see what happens over the next three days and we’ll see what the MCG wicket is like, then we can make a decision about the

combination we’re going with.”

The Guyanan, a wicket-taker in a West Indies squad that appears to have very few of them, made his Test debut in 2011 in a maiden campaign that earned him

the ICC’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year award. After his breakthrough year, however, he lost his mojo in two series on the unforgiving tracks of India and Bangladesh and the second Test against England earlier this year was his first in three years.

Another heavy workload against the English in Grenada — 51 overs in the tourists’ first innings — took its toll on more than his enthusiasm, leaving him with virtually no skin on his spinning fingers.

He was fit again when the Australians visited in June and his six victims in Roseau included Brad Haddin, who was dismissed by a wonder ball that pitched on leg, turned sharply and crashed into the top of the wicketkeeper’s off stump.

Comparisons were made with the Shane Warne “Ball of the Century” to dismiss Mike Gatting in 1993 and the delivery illustrated that Bishoo can get as much turn from the ball as any world class spinner.

The drop-in wicket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is unlikely to offer too much for the spinners but even if the 30-yearold does not get the nod for the Boxing Day match, he could get the call for the third Test in Sydney.

The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), which hosts the final Test from January3, traditionally offers some turn and Australia have included two spinners in their squad for that match. - Reuters CRICKET

Khawaja seals Test spot with T20 ton MELBOURNE: Usman Khawaja proved his fitness with an unbeaten century in the domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League to secure his place in the Australia team for the second Test against West Indies. Australia coach Darren Lehmann had said the top order batsman’s place in the team for the Melbourne Test, which starts on Saturday, was assured if he could prove he had recovered from a left hamstring strain.

Despite having missed Sydney Thunder’s first outing of the season because of the injury, Khawaja scored a match-winning 109 off 70 balls and looked sharp in the field in a convincing runout at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.

“I’m really happy with the way it felt to be honest,” Khawaja said in a televised interview after the one-run victory over the Melbourne Stars.

“The Test was when I went back out on the field and how it felt backing up and it felt really good. The longer I was out there the more I started trusting my body. I was a little bit anxious at the start but the further along I got through the more happy I felt. I’m really happy with the start, I’ll keep trying to tick all the boxes and keep trying to work on my body. Fingers crossed, I’ll be right for the rest of the summer.”

Khawaja was handed his third chance to establish himself in Test cricket after a raft of retirements over the last 12 months. Taking the tricky berth at number three in the batting order, the stylish lefthander grasped his opportunity with both hands with 174 against New Zealand in Brisbane and an innings of 121 in the second Test in Perth. The hamstring injury forced him to sit out the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide as well win in Hobart against West Indies. - Reuters

T UESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

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SPORTS TEST CRICKET

Batting collapse cost us the match: Mathews HAMILTON: There was no great surprise in Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews’ analysis of his side’s five-wicket loss to New Zealand before lunch on the fourth day of the second Test in Hamilton on Monday.

Any side that loses 10 wickets for 62 runs is odds on to go on and lose the match and Mathews thought his team’s second innings batting was a “mockery”.

“We just had to bat well and dig deep, but we made a real mockery out of our second innings batting and we just couldn’t give enough runs for the bowlers to get them out,” Mathews told reporters at Seddon Park.

“It is actually very disappointing the way the game unfolded towards the end.

“We had our chance, especially after getting them all out for 240-odd in the first innings. We had a healthy lead.”

The visitors were well placed at 71 without loss before lunch on the third day, a lead of 126 with 10 second inning wickets still in hand.

New Zealand’s bowlers then sparked a remarkable collapse with three wickets for six runs before lunch and then took the last seven for another 56 after the break with a short-pitched plan to dismiss the visitors for 133.

“After the first couple of wickets they used the tactic of bumping us,” Mathews said.

“We thought the best way to handle it was to try and be positive and to score some runs off it, not recklessly. They tried to negotiate it but they couldn’t really.”

New Zealand were set a victory target of 189 runs, which the hosts achieved about an hour into the fourth day with Kane Williamson scoring 108 not out, his fifth century of the year and 13th overall. Williamson’s approach to his innings effectively sealed the match, Mathews said.

“Both teams struggled to face the short ball. Both teams were applying that same tactic and the batters from the both teams just couldn’t handle it, apart from Kane Williamson.”

Despite the 2-0 series loss — New Zealand won the first test in Dunedin by 122 runs — Mathews felt there was still plenty of positives to take out of the tour, particularly the development of younger players like Dushmantha Chameera.

“Chameera was absolutely brilliant,” Mathews said. “He is just finding his way in Test cricket. He’s played just a few games and he was able to shake the New Zealanders. — Reuters

Williamson ton steers Kiwis to convincing win over Sri Lanka SCOREBOARD

The victory gave Brendon McCullum’s side a 2-0 series sweep over the tourists after they won the first Test in Dunedin by 122 runs

HAMILTON: Kane Williamson scored his fifth century in eight Tests in 2015 to guide New Zealand to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka before lunch on the fourth day of the second Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Monday.

The victory gave Brendon McCullum’s side a 2-0 series sweep over the tourists after they won the first Test in Dunedin by 122 runs.

“It was definitely hard fought and I thought the improvement of the Sri Lankan side was pretty evident throughout the Test series,” McCullum said in a TV interview.

“Credit to Angelo and Sri Lanka for putting us under immense pressure (in Hamilton) and thankfully we were able to withstand it through an innings of sheer quality.”

Williamson finished 108 not out, taking his run tally in 2015 to 1,172 — the most by a New Zealander in a calendar year — at an average of 90.15.

The hosts reached their victory target of 189 with five wickets down, wicketkeeper BJ Watling finishing unbeaten on 13 alongside Williamson and scoring the winning run with a sweep for a single off Milinda Siriwardana.

Sri Lanka fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera took four for 68 to go with his first innings haul of five for 47. New Zealand held a slight advantage when they resumed on Monday on 142 for five but both sides had the chance to win the match with Williamson always the player most likely to determine the outcome.

The 25-year-old, whose right knee was heavily strapped during his innings on Sunday, resumed on 78 not out with Watling yet to score having faced the final two balls on day three.

Williamson, however, dominated the strike to dash Sri Lanka’s hopes of victory and brought up his 13th Test century when he pulled Chameera behind square for his fifth boundary of the day to move to 102. The shot moved him to 1,166 runs, surpassing the 1,164

ALL SMILES: New Zealand players celebrate with the trophy after winning the series on day four of the second Test match against Sri Lanka at Seddon Park in Hamilton. – AFP

New Zealand’s ‘world class’ bowlers still improving: McCullum HAMILTON: While impressed

by Kane Williamson’s matchwinning century, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum praised his bowlers on Monday for their tenacity and ability to change plans to suit the conditions, which helped them seal a series win over Sri Lanka.

Williamson’s 108 not out guided the hosts to a five-wicket victory before lunch on the fourth day of the second Test Tn Hamilton on Monday, earning him the man-of-the match award.

The win also ensured New Zealand swept the two-Test series against Angelo Mathews’ side, following a 122-run first Test victory on the benign pitch at University Oval in Dunedin.

Neither side were truly comfortable in the second match at Seddon Park, with the pitch providing more pace and steep bounce than expected without producing much swing or seam movement.

“It was bizarre,” McCullum said in a televised interview.

“Plans changed during the Test match. The short-pitched bowling became a real weapon on a

his captain McCullum scored in 2014, as well as reducing the target to 20.

Neither side truly got to grips with the wicket throughout the match as short-pitched bowling produced steepling bounce that

SATISFIED CAPTAIN: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, left, speaks to Tim Southee during their Test match against Sri Lanka at Seddon Park in Hamilton. – AFP

wicket that had plenty of pace and bounce on it.

“At times you see some of the shots that don’t look that good, but then you think of the

resulted in numerous mistimed pull or hook shots to fielders in the outfield.

The hosts capitalised on a spectacular collapse by Sri Lanka on Sunday, when they took all 10 wickets for 62 runs either side of

T O P B AT S M A N

‘King’ Kane keeps it simple in record year HAMILTON: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum called him ‘The King’ but Kane Williamson swatted aside the praise after his record-breaking century capped a five-wicket victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka on Monday.

Williamson, who was dismissed for one in the first innings at Seddon Park, provided a matchwinning 108 not out in the second as the hosts chased down 189 for victory.

“It was an innings of sheer quality from ‘The King’ and the rest of us were able to sit back and watch someone at the top of his game,” McCullum said in a televised interview. “I thought it was an outstanding innings.”

The century, Williamson’s fifth of 2015, was not only a record for New Zealand batsmen in a calendar year but also took the 25-yearold past McCullum’s record tally of 1,164 Test runs in 2014.

It moved him top of the International Cricket Council’s world player rankings, the first New Zealand batsman to reach top spot.

McCullum and Williamson are the only New Zealanders to score more than 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year, though Williamson, who will end 2015 with 1,172 runs at 90.15, said he did not really focus on milestones.

“It’s always nice to get a score,” Williamson told reporters after he was named Man of the Match.

“But ... it means more, I suppose, when you spend some time in the middle and make a larger contri-

The century, Kane Williamson’s fifth of 2015, was not only a record for New Zealand batsmen in a calendar year but also took the 25-year-old past McCullum’s record tally of 1,164 Test runs in 2014. It moved him top of the ICC’s world player rankings, the first New Zealand batsman to reach top spot

bution to a team performance “The wicket wasn’t easy to bat on. It was extremely important we formulated partnerships along the way. It was nice to do that today and get the team across the line.”

Williamson made a Test century on debut against India as a 20-year-old in 2010 and was

Sri Lanka 1st innings: 292 New Zealand 1st innings: 237 Sri Lanka 2nd innings: 133 New Zealand 2nd innings T. Latham c Pradeep b Chameera 4 M. Guptill c Karunaratne b Chameera 1 K. Williamson (not out) 108 R. Taylor c sub b Chameera 35 B. McCullum c Mathews b Chameera 18 M. Santner c Chandimal b Lakmal 4 B. Watling (not out) 13 Extras (lb-1, nb-5) 6 Total (5 wkts, 54.3 overs) 189 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-11, 3-78, 4-130, 5-142.

Bowling: D. Chameera 17-1-68-4 (nb-2); S. Lakmal 12-4-20-1; R. Herath 11-0-48-0; N. Pradeep 12-1-43-0 (nb-3); A. Mathews 1-0- 4-0; M. Siriwardana 1.3-0-5-0.

Umpire: Nigel Llong, Paul Reiffel.

TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough.

Match referee: David Boon.

hailed as having the potential to become New Zealand’s best batsman, even if it took him another 11 Tests before he passed 100 again.

Until that 102 not out against South Africa, which saved the match at Wellington’s Basin Reserve in 2012, he had passed 50 just four more times.

The righthander’s tenacity, on full display when he took a nasty blow to the groin from a Dale Steyn delivery that cracked his protective box, indicated his growing maturity.

Since the start of 2014, Williamson has become the backbone of the New Zealand batting lineup and last year flirted with the 1,000 run milestone only to fall just short with 929.

Unlike McCullum, who topped 1,000 runs courtesy of a triple century, two double centuries and an innings of 195 in 2014, Williamson has been the model of consistency in 2015.

He started with 242 not out against Sri Lanka in January and added four more centuries. He also scored four half centuries.

His only failures were at Headingley in Leeds with scores of 0 and six, and last month in Adelaide where he made 22 and nine.

“You always can improve and I think that’s the beauty of international cricket, particularly test cricket, is playing all around the world against different opposition and you constantly have to adapt your game,” he added.

“The most pleasing thing is, I guess each game you set out, you want to contribute as best you can to the team performance and that’s all I want to do, really.

“I just try and keep things as simple as possible. Looking at each game as it comes and trying to prepare as best as I can for it but definitely trying to keep things simple.” - Reuters

constant pressure that has built up by both teams ... and it brings those sorts of mistakes.

“It takes a very special player to overcome those and we

lunch to set up their modest victory target. “I thought we had a chance,” Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said.

“We had them under pressure in the first couple of days but they came back strong (and) in the sec-

saw that in Kane.”

New Zealand’s bowlers, who struggled in the first Test against Australia in Brisbane last month before finding form in the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide, kept plugging away on a flat Dunedin pitch before eventually getting their reward.

Sri Lanka did not make it easy for them, lasting 117 overs in scoring 294 in their first innings and then 95 overs in the second to make 282.

“The guys have got better as the season has gone on,” McCullum said of his bowlers.

“In Australia we were a little bit short of a gallop in terms of where we wanted to be and where we operate.

“But what we are seeing is a team that is continually improving and a bowling group that is world class.

“We know we have the ability to take 20 wickets when we’re on song, it’s just a matter of making sure we’re working together in partnerships and trying to build as much pressure as we can, because we know we have the ability to bowl those wicket-taking balls.” - Reuters

ond innings we made a mockery out of our batting.

“We have the talent and the skill is there, it’s just a matter of time.

“The more they play the more they learn and the more faith we have in them.” - Reuters

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TUE S DAY, D ECEMBER 2 2 , 2 015

SPORTS Cook, Root smash tons as Hales boosts Test hopes

FOOTBALL

Cook reminded the hosts of his ability with a knock of 126, bringing up his ton with a six over midwicket, while Root

late in the day

Etihad Al Khoud triumph at OFA Community Cup

PIETERMARITZBURG: Alastair Cook and Joe Root scored centuries and Alex Hales a timely knock of 56 as England piled on the runs against South Africa A in their last warm-up game before the first Test.

Cook reminded the hosts of his ability with a solid knock of 126, bringing up his century with a six over mid-wicket, while Root scored 117 as England amassed 414 for six before declaring late in the day. Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali claimed a wicket each as South Africa A reached 35 for two in their second innings, 243 behind the tourists, after the second day of the three-day match.

The contribution from Cook’s opening partner Hales will have

MUSCAT: Etihad Al Khoud emerged the champions at the OFA Fives Community Football Tournament organised by the Oman Football Association (OFA) on Saturday.

According to information provided by the OFA, the focus in the one-day event was more on ‘a community day around football’, which was that around 700 people joining in for the fun.

According to the OFA statement, the tournament which started at 7.30 am and ended at 5.00 pm witnessed a total of 128 games.

“All the participants in the tournament were given free bottles of Tanuf while there was also food and refreshments stalls available to all during the course of the event. OFA sponsors Effect

scored 117 as England amassed 414 for six before declaring

SOLID KNOCKS: England’s Alastair Cook, left, and Alex Hales run between wickets during their tour match against the South Africa A side in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on Monday. – Reuters

gone a long way to assuaging concerns about handing him a Test debut on Saturday, when England and South Africa begin their fourmatch series in Durban.

Hales had been pencilled in to open with Cook after showing form in limited overs internationals but after scoring just 16 runs in two innings in England’s opening warm-up game in Potchefstroom last week, he needed a good knock to back up the confidence shown in

FOOTBALL

him by coach Trevor Bayliss.

Cook and Hales compiled a confidence-boosting opening partnership of 112 before Hales was bowled by an in-swinger from Dane Paterson at the City Oval.

Nick Compton, who is expected to make his Test return at number three for England, scored 29 before being trapped leg before wicket.

Cook went when he lobbed spinner Keshav Maharaj to mid-on but England did not let up on the

home bowlers as Root raced to 50 off 60 balls and brought up his century off 116 balls. He was out when he top edged a pull to backward square and was caught off Maharaj’s bowling. Root and Ben Stokes, who scored a brisk 66, put on 104 runs for the fifth wicket.

The final day’s play will provide an opportunity for the bowlers to stake a last claim for test selection with Steven Finn and Mark Footitt looking to impress. - Reuters

also joined in with more fun during the knockout rounds as they turned up and distributed cans of Effect to refresh all those tired from the group stages,” the statement added.

The OFA is looking to organise more of such community football events.

“The OFA even took a survey of approximately 300 people to understand how they could better engage with the community.

The results of the survey were positive as most people said they would like to further participate in OFA Community Engagement activities such as the OFA Fives.”

In the final match of the tournament, Etihad Al Khoud got the better of Al Suqoor to clinch the title. Al Jaliyat finished third.

OMAN CRICKET

ISL good for show MCCC record 127-run win over PSM but zero benefit for Indian football: Zico PANAJI: The much touted Indian Super League (ISL) is good as a spectacle, but it does not benefit Indian football in any way, FC Goa chief coach and Brazilian legend Zico said on Monday.

Zico, who was speaking to reporters a day after his team lost a close-fought ISL final against Chennaiyin FC on Sunday, also said that over-reliance on foreigners, as well as eight months of non-ISL activity were key reasons why the tourney, billed as football’s biggest tournament in India, would do nothing to benefit football in the country.

“With all due respect to ISL, I don’t see any benefit it (ISL) can bring to Indian football. I cannot see any benefit. For show it is good, but for Indian football it is zero.

Just see the results of the Indian national team,” Zico said, when asked about the kind of impact ISL would have on Indian football.

Zico also said that over-dependency on foreign players at every

position made it very difficult for local talent to find a break and that India should follow the football development models followed

by Japan, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, if it needs to develop as a force in world football. The Brazilian also said that once the ISL tournament winds up in three months, there was no infrastructure in place to support footballers.

“Once you stop this tournament, the infrastructure is not the same. Players spend eight months without playing,” Zico said.

Zico also blamed the final loss on the Japanese referee and Chennaiyin coach Marco Materazzi who allowed his team to “maim and cripple” the Goa players.

“I have no idea why these three Japanese guys, they have all the strength and power to referee these three important games. I know by the palm of my hand, the thinking of the Japanese referees,” Zico said. - IANS

MUSCAT: Muscat Cricket Coaching Centre (MCCC) humbled Pakistan School Muscat (PSM) in a massive 127-run victory in a Khimji Ramdas-sponsored U-19 Division cricket match played at the Municipality Ground I during the morning session on Saturday.

Winning the toss and batting first, MCCC posted 294 for seven in 35 overs. Komail and Noman claimed two wickets each for PSM. In reply, PSM were bowled out for 167 in 22 overs. Ahsan Sajjad top scored with 70. Indunil and Devanshu claimed three and four wickets respectively.

Brief scores: MCCC 294 for 7 in 35 overs (Sohail 41; Komail 2/31) bt PSM 167 in 22 overs (Ahsan Sajjad 70; Indunil Udara 4/24, Devanshu 4/8). Points: MCCC - 3, PSM - 0.

ISAS ease past BOC In an Al Turki Enterprises-sponsored U-16 Division match, Indian School Al Seeb (ISAS) eased to a ten-wicket win over Bosher Olympic Centre (BOC) at the Municipality Ground II during the afternoon session on Saturday.

Batting first, BOC were bundled

MASSIVE WIN: MCCC players celebrate after their win over PSM. – Supplied photo

out for 47 in 14.2 overs. Mohammed Irbaz and Mohammed Juber claimed five and three wickets respectively for ISAS. In reply, ISAS raced 51 without loss in just 3.5 overs with Kaif and Usman scoring 24 and 25 unbeaten runs respectively.

Brief scores: BOC 47 in 14.2 overs (Mohammed Irbaz 5/7) lost to ISAS 51 for no loss in 3.5 overs

(Kaif 24 b.o, Usman 25 n.o). Points: ISAS – 3, BOC - 0.

PSM beat ISD In another Al Turki Enterprisessponsored U-16 Division match, Pakistan School Muscat (PSM) defeated Indian School Darsait (ISD) at the Municipality Ground during the morning session on Saturday.

Batting first, ISD scored 197 for

six in 25 overs. Moin and Harikeshav scored 47 and 45 respectively.

Ehsan claimed two scalps for PSM. In reply, PSM scored 200 for five in 23 overs with Ubaid Ullah smashing a brilliant unbeaten 101.

Brief scores: ISD 197 for 6 in 25 overs (Moin 47, Harikeshav 45; Ehsan 2/27) lost to PSM 200 for 5 in 23 overs (Ubaid Ullah 101 n.o).

Points: PSM – 2, ISD - 0.

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SPORTS

TOP 10: Ministry of Sports Affairs rewarded Oman’s top 10 clubs for their overall achievements in the field of sports and youth activities in the year 2014 during the His Majesty’s Cup for Youth awarding ceremony organised at the Minisry of Education auditorium on Monday. – TALIB AL WAHAIBI/Times of Oman

Seeb lift His Majesty’s Cup for Youth sports and youth activities based on internal and external reviews.

The involvement of clubs in administrative and financial aspects is also taken into consideration.”

Rashad Al Hinai, however, expressed disappointment with the number of clubs that have participated in the competition for 2014 awards.

“Twenty-three clubs took part in the competition for the 2014 awards whereas there were 33 clubs entered the fray a year earlier,” he said. “We hope for a wider participation of clubs future.”

The annual awards ceremony honours Oman’s top 10 clubs for their overall achievements in the field of sports and youth activities and Seeb were handed the coveted His Majesty’s Cup for Youth for the ninth time

MUSCAT: Seeb Club lifted His Majesty’s Cup for Youth for the ninth time on Monday when the Ministry of Sports Affairs rewarded the Sultanate’s top 10 clubs for their overall achievements in the field of sports and youth activities in the year 2014.

The ceremony was organised at the Ministry of Education auditorium under the auspices of Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhi, the Minister of Oil and Gas and in the presence of Minister of Sports Af-

fairs Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed Al Mardhouf Al Saadi. The ceremony was also attended by Rashad Al Hinai, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Sports Affairs, and the representatives of various sports clubs from across the Sultanate.

Rashad Al Hinai in his welcome

address, said: “This is the time for celebrations as we announce the results and winners of the annual competition for His Majesty’s Cup for Youth. This time around this awarding ceremony is coinciding with the 45th National Day celebrations.”

He further said: “This is one trophy that reflects the continued interest of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos in sports and youth activities, and one that instils a sense of commitment and perseverance in young people and motivate clubs to achieve their objectives.”

Speaking specifically about objective and format of the competition, he said: “His Majesty Cup for Youth is characterised by the diversity and multiplicity of evaluation criteria. The winning clubs are selected based on their achievements in the fields of

Trophies and cash prizes Seeb Club were presented with the prestigious trophy for their outstanding achievements in various sports and youth activities during 2014. Besides the trophy, the club were also presented with a cheque of OMR 30,000.

The second place, which carries a silver trophy and cash prize of OMR 28,000, went to Saham Club, while Nizwa settled for the bronze trophy and OMR 26,000.

Three-time His Majesty’s Cup winners Al Nasr, retained their fourth place finish like in the 2013 edition and took home OMR 24,000. Dhofar, meanwhile, took fifth place and OMR 22,000.

Al Ittifaq (OMR 20,000), Sohar (OMR 18,000), Suwaiq (OMR 16,000), Ibri (OMR 14,000) and Ahli-Sidab (OMR 12,000) finished in sixth to tenth places respectively.

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FORMULA ONE

Renault complete take over of Lotus team LONDON: Renault have completed their takeover of the Lotus Formula One team and paid debts to creditors including the British tax authorities, the London High Court heard on Monday.

“We have a completion of the share purchase,” a lawyer for the French car company told the judge, Mr Justice Birss, at a hearing that formally dismissed an insolvency petition that would have put the team into administration.

“We have the keys, so to speak,” he added.

The share purchase agreement (SPA) that made Renault the controlling shareholder had been due for completion on Dec. 16 but the court heard that the acquisition was finalised only late last Friday.

Jeremy Bamford, counsel for the revenue and customs (HMRC), confirmed payment had been received and cleared on Monday. Other petitioning creditors said they had also been paid in full.

Lawyers for Proton, the Malaysian car company that owns the Lotus sportscar brand, did not attend the hearing with the court informed that the petitioner had either been paid or reached an arrangement.

“The insolvency procedure has worked in the way intended,” Birss said in summing up, with the company saved and debts paid in full.

The case had been adjourned repeatedly to allow Renault time to decide their Formula One future and complete the takeover of a team that employs some 480 people at their factory in central England.

Renault, an engine supplier to former world champions Red Bull this season, are returning to Formula One as a full constructor by buying back the team they previously owned.

The team was sold by Renault to Luxembourg-based Genii Capital, who renamed it Lotus, after a Singapore Grand Prix race-fixing scandal that rocked the sport in 2009. As Benetton and then Renault, the team had won world titles with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso.

This season Genii injected only enough cash into Lotus to keep the team on the grid, while leaving a string of creditors waiting to be paid.

Bailiffs impounded the cars after the Belgian Grand Prix in August and the team were denied access to the paddock hospitality in Japan due to unpaid bills. - Reuters

BRAVE SAILORS: Oman Sail’s young sailors who made the Sultanate’s national flag formation off Kalbuh Park pose for group photos along with Oman Sail officials. – Supplied photos

Oman Sail successfully hosts National Day Sailing Festival As part of the celebration, 90 of Oman Sail’s young sailors between the ages of eight and 12 took to the water in their Optimist dinghies to form the Omani flag

MUSCAT: More than 8,000 people flocked to Kalbuh Park this weekend to take part in Oman’s first ever National Day Sailing Festival, organised by Oman Sail. The event was dedicated to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and to celebrate Oman’s long-held affinity with the sea and sailing.

As part of the celebration, 90 of Oman Sail’s young sailors between the ages of eight and 12 took to the water in their Optimist dinghies to form the Omani flag. The young sailors, all trainees from Oman Sail’s Marina Bandar Al Rowdha Sailing School, were grouped in green, red and white clusters to create the Sultanate’s national flag and then under the patronage of Murad Ali Al Hoti, Shura Representative of Muttrah, were presented with awards at a special ceremony. The flag formation was accompanied by a musical show staged by Oman Scouts and Guides.

Speaking at the event, Oman

MARVELLOUS EFFORT: Oman Sail’s young sailors form the Sultanate’s national flag during the National Day Sailing Festival. – Supplied photo

Sail’s CEO David Graham said: “Sailing and the sea is as much a part of Oman as the mountains and the sand and was the driving force behind the Sultanate’s growth as a major trading nation and helped to develop a generation of explorers.

Oman Sail has been tasked with reigniting Oman’s maritime heritage and our teams are certainly doing that.

“The community is at the heart

of everything we do, and the National Day Sailing Festival offers the chance for everyone here to get closer to the sea and explore Oman’s nautical roots with us.”

“None of this could have been possible without His Majesty’s continuous support of Oman Sail and wise leadership of the Sultanate of Oman. We wish him continued good health and we hope that Oman Sail’s teams will continue

to fly the Omani flag with pride around the world.”

With an emphasis on family fun, the sailing festival at Kalbuh Park attracted people of all ages, demonstrating the strong and steady growth of interest in sailing that has occurred since Oman Sail was first established in 2008 to make sailing more accessible in Oman.

Visitors to the festival were treated to giveaways and a range of

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

Impressive Sterling will make history, says Man City’s Silva LONDON: Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has been among the most impressive players this season and the 21-year-old “will make history”, midfielder and teammate David Silva has said.

Sterling, who joined the Sky Blues from Liverpool during the off-season, has scored eight goals in 23 appearances so far, including smashing in his first hat-trick in the 5-1 dismantling of Bournemouth in October.

“He (Sterling) is going to make history. He’s technically very gifted and he’s got a lot more to come,” Silva told British media ahead of Monday’s Premier League clash against Arsenal.

“He has only just turned 21, so he is going to improve and get more experience, and read the games a lot better.

“He has a lot more time to prove how good he is — and he is pretty good already. It’s not just his ability either. He has a great personality that is going to help him a lot.”

City bolstered their squad over the summer by bringing in big money signings, including Sterling and Belgian Kevin De Bruyne, after a disappointing title defense last season when they finished eight points behind champions Chelsea at second.

“It was very pleasing to see the club bring in players of the quality of Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling,” Silva added.

“They are young players, fresh

activities such as marine-themed games, a bouncy castle, a food village, henna painting and a special performance by Red Bull.

On the water, there were opportunities to try sailing on a Hobie 16 with Oman Sail instructors while a corner of the site was set aside for SEAOMAN to give the public a taste of their cruising and yachting tours, diving and powerboating courses.

GREAT PERSONALITY: Raheem Sterling

players and they bring that on to the pitch, too.”

City sit third in the table but head into Monday night’s topof-the-table clash with secondplaced Arsenal having failed to

win in their last four away games.

Victory at the Emirates Stadium would ensure they leapfrog Arsenal to second place behind Leicester City, heading into the festive period. - Reuters

United not as ‘glum’ as during Moyes’ tenure: Jones LONDON: The mood in the Manchester United dressing room under manager Louis van Gaal is not as bad as it was during the “glum” days of David Moyes’ tenure, defender Phil Jones has said after Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League loss to Norwich City.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the lowest moment. I think it became pretty glum, if you like, under David Moyes and it was unfortunate.

We weren’t playing well at the time,” Jones told British media.

“There’s no point saying we’ve played some good football this season because ultimately we’ve lost three games in a row — but we have in patches. We need to stick together, there’s nothing else you can do.”

The England international became the latest United player to speak about the atmosphere at the club, after goalkeeper David de Gea dismissed reports of dressing room unrest.

“The manager is doing all he can and is doing a terrific job.

It’s not even questionable in the dressing room,” Jones said.

“The players in there aren’t hiding behind anyone. We know full well we have to take responsibility. There’s no other way.

The manager picks the team and the team has got to go out and do its best.” - Reuters

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LIFESTYLE

T U ES DAY, D EC EM B ER 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

Dining WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

It’s the season to satisfy your sweet tooth. While cake is a common dessert for this festive season, why not try out something different this year? From the very classic peppermint barks to bauble cupcakes and snowmen cookies, it’s all about indulgence this week.

For a Sweet Christmas S T O RY PA L L AV I N I G A M PHOTOGRAPHY SHABIN E.

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LIFESTYLE SNOWMEN COOKIES Ingredients For the cookie dough • 300g plain flour • 1tsp ground pepper • 1 tsp mixed spice • 1tsp baking powder • Pinch of salt • 100g brown sugar • 4 tbsp honey • 2 eggs • 100g chilled butter For the royal icing to decorate the snowmen • 400g icing sugar • Whites of 5 eggs •1/2 tsp of cream of tartar Preparation • In a bowl, put all the cookie dough ingredients together, knead the dough.

Then roll out the dough and with the help of cookie cutter cut the snowmen out of it.

• Place the snowmen in a baking tray, lined with parchment, and bake at preheated oven at 170 degrees for 20 minutes. After they are done let them cool down completely.

• To make the royal icing (icing to decorate cookies), in a mixing bowl add icing sugar, and cream of tartar, mix them properly, then add whites of 5 eggs, keep whisking till it’s a snowy white icing, fill it in a piping bag and ice it on top of snowman cookie. To make the hat, eyes and button, mix black colour to the royal icing.

PEPPERMINT BARKS Ingredients • 250g semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces • 250g white chocolate, broken into pieces • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract • Crushed red and green candies Preparation • Lightly grease the pan and line with a baking paper, keep aside.

• Melt the chocolate and add 1/4 tsp peppermint extract, mix, and spread on baking paper. Pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes.

• Melt the white chocolate, add the other 1/4 tsp peppermint extract, and mix. Now, take out the hardened chocolate from freezer and spread the melted white chocolate on top.

• Crush the candies and sprinkle on top, pop it into the freezer for another 10 minutes.

• Cut the wedges, wrap in a cellophane, tie with a bow and it’s a perfect gift for Christmas.

CHRISTMAS BAUBLE CUPCAKES

Pallavi Nigam

Preparation • Cream the butter and sugar, add eggs, allspice, ground ginger, cinnamon powder, self raising flour. Mix everything together, then add milk along with golden syrup.

• Bake at 170 degrees for 22 minutes.

Let them completely cool down.

• To decorate, knead your fondant till flexible, now add pink colour to it and again knead till it’s completely pink.

• Then place a stencil, roll it, brush it with gold dust, blow off the extra dust, remove the stencil, cut the rounds of it.

• Apply, butter cream frosting on top of cupcakes, and place the roundels on top, your beautiful cupcake is ready.

Pallavi Nigam completed her culinary education at ICIF in Italy and worked as a chef for Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. She is now based in Muscat where she writes recipes and takes cooking classes.

Contact her: pallavi_nigam@hotmail.com twitter @pallavizza pallavizza.com

GREEN BEANS Green beans, also

SELECT A SUBSTITUTE

Photography: Shabin E

Ingredients For the cupcakes • 270g soft butter • 250g caster sugar • 4 large eggs • 1/2tsp Allspice • 1&1/2tsp ground ginger • 1&1/2 tsp cinnamon powder • 240g self raising flour • 3tbsp milk • 1tbsp Golden syrup or honey For the decoration • White fondant • Pink colour • Flower stencil • Gold dust • 2 tbsp butter cream frosting • Round cookie cutter

SUBSTITUTE STITUTE Use thin n asparagus stalks Equivalents lents

called string beans

an of 16 oz can green beans eans =

are eaten steamed or

2 cups asparagus

boiled. The cooked beans can be served warm as a vegetable or chilled and used in salads. Green beans are available fresh, frozen, or canned. swati@timesofoman.com swati@timesofoman.c

T UESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

LIFESTYLE

alongside live Moroccan entertainment.

Cost: OMR 50*

Christmas Eve December 24 Enjoy a lavish buffet dinner at Musandam Café and Terrace Restaurant with a variety of international cuisine and flavours with special beverage packages.

Timing: 7pm Cost: OMR 26++ adults; OMR 13++ children under 12 years; children under 6 years are complimentary Enjoy exquisite four-course dinner at Trader Vic’s, where chefs prepare the finest dishes from choice of glazed oysters Rockefeller or caramelised beef-noodle salad to the traditional Trader Vic’s roasted turkey.

Timing: 7pm Cost: OMR 28++ For outdoor lovers, Tomato invites you to have with the festive three-course Mediterranean dinner in the midst of the picturesque ambience of the pool side.

Timing: 7pm Cost: OMR 19++ Christmas Day December 25 Spend the day at the Musandam Café and Terrace Restaurant and enjoy the variety and the quality of spectacular buffets and sumptuous brunches in the inviting indoor dining space or the wide-open outdoor terrace with loads of fun and celebration throughout the day.

Timing: 12.30pm-4pm Cost: OMR 30++ adults; OMR 15++ for children under 12 years; children under 6 years are complimentary Contact: +968 2468 0000 E-mail: icmuscat@ihg.com

Christmas Eve Dinner December 24 Sultanah Indulge in a festive six course menu in an elegant setting with live entertainment and jazz band.

Cost: OMR 50* Shahrazad Celebrate Christmas Eve the Moroccan way with a delicious six-course menu served

Capri Court Enjoy traditional Italian dishes and discover a taste of Italy with our festive five-course menu.

Cost: OMR 35*

course feast and enjoy entertainment from Moroccan musicians.

Cost: OMR 35* *Prices subject to service charge and taxes.

Contact: +968 2477 6565 e-mail: fbreservation.slmu @shangri-la.com

Contact: 968 2476 4205 or e-mail: reservations.albustan@ritzcarlton.com

Bait al Bahr Sample seasonal seafood with a sumptuous five-course menu overlooking the tranquil waters of the Sea of Oman.

Cost: OMR 35* Al Tanoor Share a Christmas buffet with your closest friends and family this Christmas Eve. Cost: OMR 25* Samba Enjoy a family friendly Christmas buffet with a variety of festive choices for children and parents alike.

Cost: OMR 22* For an additional OMR 10* enjoy unlimited beverages, soft drinks and juices in Al Tanoor or Samba restaurants Christmas Day December 25 Lunch Al Tanoor See the spectacular winter wonderland dessert buffet while enjoying a traditional Christmas Day buffet lunch or dinner at Al Tanoor restaurant.

Cost: OMR 25* Dinner Samba For a traditional family Christmas enjoy a festive buffet on this special day.

Cost: OMR 18* Bait al Bahr Enjoy Christmas dinner with a fourcourse menu of the finest, fresh seafood then make your way to the rooftop B.A.B. lounge for special Christmas drinks.

Cost: OMR 25* Capri Court Christmas dinner with the best of Italian cuisine in an innovative four-course menu created by specialty chefs.

Cost: OMR 25* Sultanah Dine in Sultanah restaurant and sample an exquisite barbecue buffet with unlimited drinks and selected beverages while listening to live entertainment.

Cost: OMR 59* Shahrazad Savour the flavours of Morocco in a five-

complimentary dining for children under 6 years of age.

OMR 49 + taxes with selected beverages OMR 59 + taxes with selected beverages and soft drinks OMR 16 + taxes for children above 6 to 12 Complimentary for children under 6.

Christmas Eve December 24 For those looking for a combination of the finest Asian flavours to tantalise their tastebuds, a five-course tasting menu will be served at China Mood. A spectacular show will be presented from the Tea Sommelier to delight guests of all ages whilst they dine in the magical beachfront ambience.

Timing: 7pm to 11pm Cost: OMR 45 + taxes Children can dine a la carte from our Ritz Kids menu Festive favourites will be on offer as part of a five-course tasting menu at Beach Pavilion. Accompanied by a live vocal performance, visitors can look forward to an unforgettable dining experience under the stars, in the elegant beachfront setting of the restaurant.

Timing: 7pm to 11pm Cost: OMR 45 + taxes Children can dine a la carte from our Ritz Kids menu A sumptuous Christmas Eve Buffet boasting over 15 live cooking stations will be served at Al Khiran Terrace overlooking the pool and gardens. The youngest guests can enjoy a variety of activities to remain entertained throughout the evening and build up the excitement ahead of the arrival of Santa Claus.

Timing: 7pm to 11pm Cost: OMR 25+ taxes for buffet OMR 39+ taxes with beverages OMR 12+ taxes for children Christmas Day December 25 The celebrations continue through to Christmas Day at Al Khiran Terrace where a day brunch will also encompass spectacular live cooking stations in addition to a vast array of food displays including seafood, international and Arabic flair, cold cuts, grill and carving stations, individual appetizers and more.

Timing: 12.30pm to 4pm Cost: OMR 35++ brunch buffet with

Christmas Eve December 24 Buffet dinner at Mydan with free flow of water, soft drinks, and canned juice.

There would also be an array of beverages.

Half price for children below 12 years old.

Free meal for children below six years old.

Timing: 6.30pm-10.30pm Cost: OMR 30 net per person Christmas Day Brunch December 25 Christmas buffet brunch in Mydan. A welcome glass of beverage. Free flow of water, soft drinks and canned juice. Half price for children below 12 years old. Free meal for children below six years old Timing: 12 noon-3.30pm Cost: OMR 30 net per person Christmas Day Roast Christmas roast mini brunch at the pool side. A glass of beverage, free flow of water, soft drinks, and canned juice. Half price for children below 12 years old. Free meal for children below six years old Timing: 12 noon – 3.30pm Cost: OMR 20 net per person Contact: +968 2687 1555 E-mail: reservations.mrmo@ millenniumhotels.com

December 25 Christmas buffet dinner at pool side with music.

Timing: 7-10.30pm Cost: OMR 19 per adult; children under 5 years are complimentary, from 5 to 10 OMR 8.

Contact: +968 9350 4905 E-mail: event.alsawadi@gmail.com

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FIND-IT-ALL @PANORAMA MALL

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SOHAR Macbeth - 2D (12+)Drama | War Cast: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jack Madigan 5:30, 11:55 PM The Good Dinosaur - 3D (U) Animation | Adventure | Comedy Voice Overs : Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla 6:30 PM The Good Dinosaur - 2D (U) Animation | Adventure | Comedy Voice Overs : Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla 2:45 PM Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 2D (PG12) Action | Adventure | Fantasy Cast : Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher 5:45, 9:20 PM Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 3D (PG12) Action | Adventure | Fantasy Cast : Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher 3:00, 8:40, 11:30 PM Dilwale - 2D (PG12) Action | Comedy | Cast : Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon 3:30, 8:30, 6:45, 11:15 PM Bajirao Mastani - 2D (TBC) Drama | History | Romance Cast : Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh 2:30, 7:45, 10:45 PM When Marnie Was There - 2D (PG) Animation | Drama | Family Voice Overs : Sara Takatsuki, Kasumi Arimura, Nanako Matsushima 4:45 PM

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3D) (Action | Adventure | Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher 6:00, 9:30, 11:45, 11:55 PM Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2D) (Action | Adventure | Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher 3:15 PM Dilwale (Action | Crime) (PG12) Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon, Varun Dhawan 3:00, 9:00, 11:30 PM Bajirao Mastani (Drama | History) (TBC) Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh 8:45 PM The Good Dinosaur (3D) (Animation) (U) Voice Overs: Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla 4:00 PM

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (MX4D) (Action | Adventure | Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Issac 2:30, 5:45, 9:00, 11:30 pm

Bajirao Mastani – 2D (PG12) Drama, History, Romance Cast – Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra 11:15AM, 2:15, 5:15, 8:15, 11:15PM

MUSCAT GRAND MALL Star Wars: The Force Awakens -3D (Action | Adventure | Fantasy ) PG12 Cast : Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford 11:00AM, 12:45, 4:30, 6:15, 9:00 & 11:45PM Gold Class: 3:00, 8:45 & 11:15PM Dilwale (Action | Romantic | Comedy) PG12 Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon, Varun Dhawan, 1:30, 3:15, 8:45 & 11:30PM Gold Class: 5:45PM The Good Dinosaur-3D (Animation) U Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand 10:45AM & 7:00PM

Adventure)(3D)(PG12) Cast : Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac 4:45, 9:15 pm Star Wars: The Force Awakens - (Action) (VIP LOUNGE)(PG12) Cast : Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac 2:45, 5:15, 11:00 pm Star Wars (Action, Adventure)(MX4D)(PG12) Cast : Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac 2:30, 5:45, 9:00, 11:30 pm Dilwale (Action, Romance)(2D)(PG12) Cast : Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon 2:15, 5:15, 8:15, 11:15, 11:45 pm Dilwale (Action)(2D)(PG12)-VIP LOUNGE Cast : Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon 7:45 pm BAJIRAO MASTANI (Drama)(2D)(PG12) Cast : Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone 2:45, 5:45, 8:45, 11:45 pm The Good Dinosaur (Animation)(3D)(U) Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla 2:30, 7:15 pm

Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhavan, Kriti Sanon 11:45 AM, 2:00, 2:30, 5:00, 5:30, 8:00, 8:30, 11:00, 11:30PM Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 3D (PG12) (Action | Adventure | Fantasy) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan 2:00, 4:25, 6:50, 9:15, 11:45PM Bajirao Mastani – 2D (PG12) (Drama, History, Romance) Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra 11:15 AM, 2:15, 5:15, 8:15, 11:15PM

PANORAMA MALL Star Wars: The Force Awakens - (Action,

AZAIBA Dilwale – 2D (PG12) (Action, Romantic)

Dilwale (Action/Romance) – PG12 Cast : Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM

Screen 3 Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Family/Drama) PG Cast : Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh 3.45 PM Bajirao Mastani (Romance/Drama) – PG12 6.45, 9.45 PM Cast : Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh SUR Star Wars : The Force Awakens (Action | Adventure | Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 5:45, 8:10 PM Diwale (Action | Romance ) (PG12) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon 3:00, 8:45, 11:35 PM Bajirao Mastani (Action | Romance | History) ( PG12) Cast : Ranbir Singh, Dipika Padkone, Priyanka 5:50, 10:35 PM The Good Dinosaur 3D ( Animation) ( U ) 3:50 PM

RUWI Screen 1 Dilwale (Action/Romance) – PG12 Cast : Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM Screen 2 Bajirao Mastani (Romance/Drama) – PG12 Cast : Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh 3.45, 6.45, 9.45 PM

BURAIMI Star Wars: The Force Awakens– 2D (Action, Adventure, Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Daisy Ridley, Oscar Issac, Harrison Ford 3:15, 6:00, 9:15, 11:30PM Close Range – 2D (Action, Crime) (12+) Cast: Scott Adkins, Nick Chinlund, Caitlin Keats 7:45, 11:30PM The Good Dinosaur – 3D (Animation, Adventure, Comedy) (U)

Voice Overs: Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla 5:45PM Dilwale – 2D (Action, Romantic, Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon 3:00, 6:00, 8:50, 11:45PM Bajirao Mastani– 2D (Drama, History) (PG12) Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh 3:15, 8:30PM

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

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45-75% BASHAAR MUBARAK December 22, 2005 Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

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TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

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10:30 11:15

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100) 07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

Dilwale (Hindi) (Act\Com) Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol & Varun Dhawan 3-30 & 9-30 pm at Cinema Main; 6-30 pm at Cinema-2 Bajirao Mastani (Hindi Rom\Act/Drama) Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone 6-30 pm Cinema Main; 3-30 & 9-30 pm at Cinema-2 Amar Akbar Anthony (Mal) (Act/Drama) Cast : Prithviraj & Jaya Surya 6-45 pm Cinema -3 Salt Mango Tree (Mal \ Com) Cast Biju Menon, Sohasani & Mani Ratnam 6-45 & 9-45 pm at Cinema -4 Bengal Tiger (Telugu) ( Act) Cast: Ravi Teja, & Tamannaah 3-45 Cinema -4 Pathemari (Mal/ Drama) Cast : Mammootty & Jewel Mary 3-45 & 9-45 pm at Cinema- 3 NEXT CHANGE: Tanga Magan (Tamil); Pasanga (Tamil); Soukhayam (Telugu); Rangi Taranga (Kannada) Programmes are subject to change

Minimum

ROYAL OMAN POLICE 07:30 14:30

Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om

NAMRA ALI December 22, 2014

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54) 08:00 08:00

08:55 Daily 11:40 Daily 20:20 Daily via Ibri 14:55 Daily 17:40 Daily 19:20 Daily 22:15 Daily

STAR CINEMA

0

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 20:50

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54) 14:30 14:30

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

Dilwale (Action / Comedy) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon 1.00, 4.00, 7.00 & 10.00 PM CP No: 3047 (PG12) Close Range (Action / Crime) Cast: Scott Adkins, Nick Chinlund, Caitlin Keats 6.15 & 10.15 PM CP No: 3041 (12+) Hyena Road (Drama / War) Cast: Rossif Sutherland, Paul Gross 4.00 & 8.00 PM CP No: 3043 (15+) Howl (Horror) Cast: Ed Speleers, Holly Weston, Shauna Macdonald 2.00 PM CP No: 3042 (18+)

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

16:30 18:00 19:30

Film information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

WITH LOVE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36) Quriyat Sur Jaalan

BAHJA CINEMA

SALALAH In the Heart of the Sea (3D) (PG12) (Action | Adventure | Biography) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan 4:00PM Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3D) (PG12) (Action|Adventure|Fantasy) Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac 10:15 AM, 12:45, 6:15, 9:20, 11:55 PM Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2D) (PG) (Action|Adventure|Fantasy) Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac 3:00PM Dilwale (2D) (PG12) (Action | Romantic | Comedy) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon, Varun Dhawan 12:00, 3:25, 6:25, 8:45, 11:45PM Bajirao Mastani (2D) (PG12) (Drama/ History) Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh 5:30, 8:30, 11:30PM The Good Dinosaur (3D) (U) (Animation| Adventure |Comedy) Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla 10:00AM, 2:00PM When Marnie Was There (2D) (PG) (Animation | Drama | Family) Voice Overs: Sara Takatsuki, Kasumi Arimura, Nanako Matsushima 12:00PM

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) Destination

12.10pm 3.10pm 5.30pm 6.46pm 5.24am

CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

CINEMA SCHEDULE

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

Afghanistan Algeria Bahrain Bangladesh Brazil Brunei China Cyprus Egypt France Germany India Indonesia Iran Iraq Italy Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya South Korea Kuwait

24698 791/4 24605 593 24 605 074/133 24 698 660 24640100 24 603533 24 696782 24 699815 24 600 982/411 24681 800 24835000 24684500 2469 1050 24 696 944/7 24603642 24693727 24 601 028 24692760/1/3 24 692418 24 697664 24 691490 24 699628

Lebanon Libya Malaysia Morocco Nepal Netherlands Pakistan Palestine Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Senegal Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Switzerland Syria Tanzania Thailand Tunisia Turkey UAE United Kingdom United States Yemen

24 693208 24603466 24698329/643 24696152/3 24696177 24603706 24603439 24601312 24605335 24 691 153/2/4 24602894 24601705 24694139 24697977 24647300 24691101 24697841/2 24697875 24603267 24697904 24601 174 24 602684/5 24603486 24697050/1/2 24400000 24609000 24643400 24600815

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi Salalah Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya Muscat, A Seeb Market Muscat, Al Khuwair Muscat, Al Hail South Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

23291635

HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre 24485052 Atlas Hospital Ruwi 24811743/ Ghubra 24504000 Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi 24563641 Azaiba 24499269 Sohar 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740 Ceregem National Raak 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217 Elixir Health Centre 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274 Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128 MBD 24799077 Al Khuwair 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000 AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours) 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot 24704455 Air Arabia 24700828 Air France 24562153 Air India 24799801

Air New Zealand 24700732 Biman Bangladesh Airlines 24701128 British Airways 24568777 Cathay Pacific 24789818 Egypt Air 24794113 Emirates Air 24404400 Ethiopian Airlines 24660313 Gulf Air 80072424 Indian 24791914 Iran Air 24787423 Japan Airlines 24704455 Jazeera Airways 23294848 Jet Airways 24787248 Kenya Airways 24660300 KML Royal Dutch Airlines 24566737 Kuwait Airways 24701262 LOT Polish Airlines 24796387 Lufthansa 24796692 Malaysian Airlines 24560796 Middle East Airlines 24796680 Oman Air 24531111 Pakistan International Airlines 24792471 Qatar Airways 24771900 Qantas 24559941 Royal Jordanian 24796693 Saudi Arabian Airlines 24789485 Singapore Airlines 24791233 Shaheen Air 24816565 SriLankan Airlines 24784545 Swiss International Airlines 24796692 Thai Airways 24705934

T UESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

LIFESTYLE

E NT ON DIE E GR N I

S AY W E IV

F

Lettuce

Shred it and add to your sandwiches, salads, and wraps â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the love for lettuce is here to stay. So if you thought itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just for salads then check out these great ways to add it in your menu.

Oyster sauce

Ideal vessel

Pizza passion

Drinks

Wrap it up

Separate the lettuce

They make great ves-

Throw some fresh, crisp

Take kale, spinach, let-

Combine meat, lettuce,

leaves, and blanch them

sels for eating marinated

iceberg lettuce or any

tuce, and apple green

avocado, and tomatoes

for about 30 seconds,

grilled shrimp or chick-

other variety of lettuce

juice, and blend. This

wrapped up in some

then pour the oyster

en drizzled with sauce of

on top of your pizza for a

green juice is known for

eggs. Serve with sour

sauce mixture over it,

your choice.

great crunch.

its refreshing quality.

cream.

and serve immediately.

C11

C1 2

TUE S DAY, D E CEMBER 2 2 , 2 015

LIFESTYLE OW KN UR O Y ICE SP

What’s It? Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice and it got its name from the Arabic word zafaran which means ‘yellow’.

It is bright orange-red coloured threads which has a strong perfume, with an aroma of honey. It has a pungent bitterhoney like taste.

Cooking with It Saffron is found in different cuisines mostly Mediterranean and Asian. While it is mostly used to colour rice like pilaf it is also used while making risotto and many other Italian rice dishes. It combines well with fish and seafood, and used in Spanish paella. In England, it is used to make Cornish saffron.

Saffron The delicate stigma of the crocus flower, harvesting saffron is quite the task, which is why the resulting spice is the most expensive in the world. But there is no substitute for the vibrant yellow hue and heavenly aroma it lends to dishes. swati@timesofoman.com

Select and Store Look for bright colour ones in the stores while buying. Like all other spices store in a cool dry place, out of the light.

History Saffron is cultivated in India, Turkey, China, and Iran. In French it is called safrané which means ‘coloured using saffron’. It was valued for its colouring properties and the Romans brought it to England.

BY SWATI DASGUPTA

COOKING IDEAS

Handy snack tips for this festive season

KEEP YOUR snacks small in size and also simple by adding a little salt to taste and mild pepper for the festive season, says an expert.

Chef Tushar from McCain Foods Kitchen has shared convenient snacking tips for this festive season.

•Keep your snacks bite-sized: Keep your snacks small in size so that they can be easily picked up from the plates with hand or tooth-picks.

•Use minimum spices: Strong spices such as chillies and peppers can rob your taste buds of the refined tang of the bubbly you are having.

Keep your snacks simple with just a little salt to taste and mild pepper seasoning.

•Oil them right: Go for an oil with

a high smoke point. Canola, sunflower, and rice bran oils are considered good as they can be heated to high temperatures without burning.

•Fry in parts: To ensure that your snacks are evenly cooked and crispy, fry them in parts. The fewer amounts of snacks you fry in one go, the more evenly they will turn out.

•Signature dishes: Let there be no more than two signature dishes.

Do not confuse your guests. Let two unique dishes outshine.

•Prepare close to serving time: Snacks should be prepared as close to serving time as possible to ensure the desired freshness and crispiness, otherwise they might get soggy. -IANS

Five reasons soup is the new sandwich IN THE ERA of insulated lunch bags, it’s time for lunch-packers to think outside the sandwich and opt for improved and wholesome lunch options like soup. Here are five “souper” reasons why: * Soggy bread relief: Juicy tomatoes and dollops of mayonnaise make the sandwich, but drippy ingredients and layers of deli meats are a recipe for soggy bread. The fix? Fill a thermos with a wholesome, organic soup and pack a side of crunchy toppings. Cheddar Bunnies make great kid-friendly croutons. * Convenience: Everyone loves a classic ‘wich, but not all good things come between two layers of bread. Save time spreading mustard and think soup. Thanks to recyclable carton packaging technology, soup is as easy as pour and heat. Yes, soup is science. * Warmth: When it’s freezing outside,

biting into cold cuts and iceberg lettuce isn’t helping the situation.

Enter a pipin’ hot thermos of soup.

Take that, winter. * Extra veggies: Some say soup was invented by a magician to trick kids into eating vegetables.

One thing is certain, you can’t trick kids into eating the unwanted ... especially in between two slices of bread. The good news?

Organic tomato soup has 1/2 cup of blended vegetables per serving. Now that’s magic. * Organic: Bread only needs four ingredients - water, flour, yeast, and salt - but not according to many conventional bread brands with long lists of hard-to-pronounce additives. Organic soups are made without artificial flavours, synthetic colours, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup.

Go on, put your spoon where your mouth is. Get ahead of bread.

— Courtesy of Brandpoint

D

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

SECTION

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

RENT

FOR RENT AL KHUWAIR INDEPENDENT VILLA 5 BED ROOM attached bath rooms, split a/c, car parking.

Contact :

990 49 722

D2

VACANCY

D4

CARGO

D8

D2

T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

*Tourist visa arranged

FOR RENT 2BHK, 3 washroom Flat with Split Air Conditioners Near Lulu Darsait Wadi Kabir, one bedroom flat.

Contact: 99313274 2 BHK flat with air conditions at Ruwi MBD area, near Al Adil supermarket.

Contact: 932111557/24814853 Semi furnished spacious room with attached washroom separate entrance near Indian school Al Ghobrah for non cooking Executive Indian bachelor.

Contact: 95146361/92657598 For rent 1bed room flat, near Indian school (ISD) at Darsait.

Contact: 94776771/ 99669216 Two floor beautiful villa for rent at AL Khoud – VIP neighborhood, close to all amenities , ground floor consist of sitting rooms , two toilets , hall & kitchen, first floor , three bedrooms , balcony & hall with two toilets, shaded garage for two cars , monthly rental OMR 600/-. Contact: 95348567 2 Bed rooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality. Contact: 92584715/ 24700120 Store for rent in Mabela, road no. 10, total area 700 sq.mt, built up area 200 sq.mt with covered shed, open area 500 sq.mt. With boundary wall. Contact -98273761 /96677134.

2bedroom centrally Ari conditioned flat in CBD, central bank Area. Contact: 24714625 /99053493 3 Bed with split A/C near Hojar roundabout R.O 275/-. Contact: 99326048/ 95250986 One & Two bedroom apartments available for rent near grand mall, opposite panorama mall, next to Diwans office, at south Ghobrah.

Contact: 99833747 02 BHK commercial / residential (with split AC) flats at Honda Road.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

CONTACT :

Profs / jack. Contact 93219378

93202733

V. Nice flat in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 95755953 /95555162

One / two B/R RES / comm. flat near Oman Medical College directly from owner. Contact: 92158031

At Al Athaiba ground floor with split AC, 2beds, 2bathrooms, kitchen & sitting room Behind AL Zubair rent 350/-PDC. Contact: 99879939 1000 Sq mtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse workshop etc.

Contact 24700120 /92584715 Villa for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 95562646 2 BHK near Oman house behind Khimji H.O. Contact – 95865686 3 BHK flat near Darsait ID medical.

RO 420/- Contact – 99358589 / 97079146 / 95570288 2 BHK flat for rent near (ISM) Indian School Muscat.

Contact: 99489594 Flat for rent, 2 room, 2 bathroom with AC 250/-. Contact: 94447825 New villa at south Mawalah 5 bedroom, family hall, Majlis, 5 twl for RO.650/- Contact - 99332367 Villas available for rent at Al Hail close to the wave (Al Mouj) compound swimming pool & gym.

Contact: 99833747 House for rent in Al Amerat .

Contact: 92532371 / 92294259 2 BHK with split / AC in MSQ opposite Al Fair. Contact: 96708000 1BHK flat near Star Cinema 220/Contact 99358589 /95570288 Flat for Rent 1/2 BHK Flat at Muttrah, near Oman flour mills, 10 min. from Corniche.Equipped with split unit ACs, internet points, free-to-air dish connection, CCTV monitored, basement parking. Rent RO.250/350 per month. Contact: 99229263; 93221054; 95215289

1,2 BHK Ghubra R.O 300/-, 325/- & 350/-. Contact: 97799175 Flat villa type for rent - in al khuwair 33/, 4 Bed Rooms .4 bath Rooms, 1 Family Hall, 1 Dining Room, 1 Living Room, 1 Kitchen, Store.

Contact 99315515 At Al Athaiba (2nd floor) 2 bed, sitting room , 1 bathroom , kitchen , split AC rent 310/- PDC. Contact: 99879939 2bed rooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality. Contact: 92584715 / 24700120 At Wadi Kabir Industrial two floor showrooms, 80 sm each, rent 450/- R.O (PDC). Contact: 99879939 Flats shops & store for rent in Ruwi Honda road Mumtaz.

Contact: 97293708 / 92433127 1BHK R.O 225 close to Indian Nursery, Darsait, 2BHK close to ISWKG Wadi Kabir bldg 1690 R.O 300/-. Contact : 99476728 1000sqmtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse workshop etc. Contact 24700120 /92584715 1& 2 BHK flats for rent at Hamriya Mabela and Al Khoud shop at Al Khoud. Contact: 24834644 / GSM : 93994401 /02/03/3lines 2 bedroom luxury fully furnished flat for rent at Ghala short or long term basis. Contact: 99886386 / 99881653 02 BHK residential flat opposite to Al Nadha hospital. Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

Flats for rent at Al Mablah block eight. Contact: 99445177 Single BHK flat available in Honda road Ruwi. Contact - 24833972/ 24833974/99367448 2BHK Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti mosque. Contact: 97007934 / 92629232 Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud.

Contact - 94051789-97201688 600 SQT commercial flat for rent opposite Oman flourmill Darsait more details. Contact: 91214849/ 99364735 Flats for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99376454

FLATS FOR RENT In a Luxury Building in Al Seeb Market Near Police station Call: 99888007 - 99473500

Used super market shelving’s Gondolas. Contact: 97752395 Exercise cycle for sale.

Contact – 92847957 Marble factory for sale, location Misfah. Contact – 98586828 Cradle lift for external building painting hundred mtr height almost new. Contact 99235701 /97747705

NEW Flats & Showrooms for Rent 1/2/3 BHK Flats & Showrooms at Muttrah, near Oman flour mills, 10 min. from corniche. equipped with split/ cassette unit ACs, internet points, freeto-air dish connection, CCTV monitored, basement parking. Rent RO.250/350/450 (Negotiable) per month.

Contact : 99229263; 93221054; 95215289

Beauty Salon for urgent sale in Azaiba prime location behind Al Fardan building. With sponsor and 1 staff and 1 ready visa clearance. Call: 95318629 / 95169411 Shop for sale in CBD area prime location call 97449011

1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-.

Contact: 92144045 /97799175

Villas in Al Khoud. Contact 95056808-97201688

1BHK M.B.D R.O 280/- & 250/-.

Contact: 92144045/97799175

Luxury Apartments in Boucher (35). Contact - 9505680897201688

2BHK available near Hamriya round about main road rent R.O 170/- PM. Contact: 99513510 Flats in Darsait. Contact 94051789-97201688 Flats in Wadi Kabir. Contact 94051789-97201688 Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35) Contact - 9405178997201688

1000 sqm industrial land with compound wall & two rooms at Misfah.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

Flats in Muttrah. Contact 94051789-97201688

7 Bedrooms villa in Ghobrah North.

Contact - 96420432

Offices in Ghala. Contact 94051789-97201688

2 BHK Flats for rent Muttrah near Oman house. Contact: 97007934 / 92629232

Offices in Qurum opposite City Center. Contact - 9405178997201688

One flats for rent 2 bedroom all with bath al Ghobrah north near Indian school (hot burger restaurant) Tel. 9976610

Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Open showroom AL Ghobrah 18 November 175SQM & office space Al Qurum next to Al Araimi Complex.

Contact: 94300909

FOR SALE

Offices & Showrooms in Muttrah.

Contact - 94051789-97201688 Mini Furnished Apartment in Qurum. Contact - 94051789-97201688

1.2.3 BHK & villa. Contact: 97799175

Duplex villa in QURUM 29.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

1BHK Darsait R.O 225/-.

Contact: 92144045 /97799175

Villa, 2 flats at Al Khuwair (17/2) Contact: 99444786

Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35) Contact -9505680897201688 Running restaurant with seven clearance for sale Awabi Muscat.

Contact: 95497007 Barber shop for sale in Ghubra.

Contact 92955874 Al Qurum, 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sitting, kitchen, split ACs price 65,000 R.O. Contact 9987 9939 3Ton Forklift, Special made for Oman market, Japanese Isuze C240 Engine, Cascade side shifter, High amount exhaust, 3m lifting height, Solid tyres, One year warranty. Contact: 98883445 Shop for sale at Ghala Sanaya main junction (prime location) shop for sale Contact Kamil 92696479 60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in Misfah, can be changed to Industrial Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 400 sq mtrs Commercial/Residential land in Maabela Phase 5 Block 2. OMR 155 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

D3

DAILY GUIDE

HOME THEATER & KARAOKE BRING HOME - LIVE MUSIC & CINEMA GENERAL ELECTRONICS SERVICES LLC CONTACT: 99627299 / 93327841

INLAYS/ MOTIFS/ DESIGNS WORKS We have fully computerized state of the art water jet machines for marble/ granite/ porcelain/ ceramic tile. Inlays/ Motifs/ Designs at very reasonable rates.

To register your enquiries for above work contact:

Mr. Ravi 96529679 or Mr. Osama Hasan 99376020 Email: ravi@alliedoman.com or osamahasan7@gmail.com

FOR SALE Used cars – saloon cars, SUV 4WD & Pickups for sale on as is where is basis.

Mercedes Benz car E-230 model 2009, Km run: 187,500 good running condition.

Used porta cabins (5 Nos) and steel scrap for sale.

These are available for inspection in NTS camp Ghala.

Interested parties may contact on – 99259157 / 93891398.

Sealed offers with vehicle- wise quote should be submitted on or before 27th December 2015 with security deposit.

Dozer Kom 355A -3 Dozer Kom 155A- 3 Grader Champion 780 Excavator PC 400 with breaker Man green water tanker 5000 IG All are in good condition

USED EXCAVATORS

Indian Granite 600x300x20 - 15000 sq mts Indian Granite Slabs 20000 Sq mts Our factory yard at Ghala Industrial area.

• KOMATSU PC 450 • HITACHI 350 • KOBELCO 250

MV SALE Izuzu 3.5 ton model 2013-3nos.

Contact: 99719124

FOR SALE

Izuzu 5 ton model 2009 – 1nos.

Contact: 99719124

5 plots of fertile agriculture lands in Misfah East totaling 4,532 sq mtrs having date trees and using falaj water for irrigation. OMR 158 Thousand for all 5 plots. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 2,688 sq mtrs commercial land in MBD North. OMR 1.39 Million.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Window AC 30 Nos (general make all good conditions), refrigerator, freezer & mess equipments for sale. Contact: 98064113/ 99315878 Quotation fax on: 24448101 /24448103 Grade one, non residential civil construction company, seven months old, with all approvals, in Sohar, for immediate sale.

Contact: 98236616

MITSHUBISHI L200 – PICKUP MITSHUBISHI 3T CANTER MITSHUBISHI Lancer 1.3 L MITSHUBISHI ROSA MINIBUS MITSHUBISHI Pajero

-

12 No 8No 7 No 1 No 1No

FOR SALE

Please Contact: 99855374 / 98517544

ACC. WANTED

DRIVING

Single room required with reasonable rent. Contact - 95405033 Single room required for an Executive with reasonable rent.

Contact 95405033

ACC. AVAILABLE

99310448/99612010/95208455

Mangalorean restaurant at Wadi Kabir & shop at Ruwi for sale.

Contact: 98428507 / 93655003

PDO/Non PDO LOCATION – Near MOD GATE NO- 12, Muscat

Contact person -Mr. Arun Kurian - +96899225341, Mr. Jino Kosy- +96899428582

STOCK CLEARANCE SALE

Contact 99337723 / 95118906

FOR SALE

VEHICLES FOR SALE

NRI royal castles

vakathanam, kottayam Luxurious villas in a Gated community with all the modern facili es at Vakathanam By-Pass (MC road-NH 220) Web: www.royalcastles.in email: info@royalcastles.in +968 92855909, +91 9961 11 9988

Plot for sale Shadnagar Municipality, Mahboob Nagar District, walk able distance to existing colonies, national highway and basic amenities at reasonable price. Contact – 0091 8686631669 A House of 2150 sq.Ft in Padmanabanagar Bangalore facing south east on a corner plot of 2315 Sq.Ft for sale , serious buyer. Contact: 00919845195766, 968 99770173 Plot, propeties for sale in prime location in pune 95272138,(+918390982975)

Expat used Ford Escape 2012, 102000 kms insurance Oman / UAE Mulkiya 10-2016. OMR 4850/. Contact - 93264005 Toyota Yaris model 2011 M/T, km 165000. Price RO.2150/-.

Contact: 95286741 Toyota Corolla Oct 2012 Regd MY. Excellent condition, km done.

33,000/- Contact - 97717152 Hummer H2 model 2006, 178000 km, Full options Number 1 Army edition.OMR 7200. Contact -99466773

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished sharing accommodation in ruwi near O.K. Center for non-cooking indian bachelor. #98805474 1 Bedroom with bathroom for female in Al Hail including electricity & water. Contact - 92817777 Furnished single rooms available for bachelors at Ruwi.

Contact: 98650994 Single room available in Mumtaz area Ruwi. Contact: 91978472 Spacious semi furnished room with separate bathroom for executive bachelor Opp. O.C Center Ruwi.

Contact: 92273779 Furnished room, attached bath in Mumtaz area. Contact - 99743709

BMW 318/ 2003 for sale.

Contact 96364990

For rent independent room with attach B/room & kitchen near BP Petrol pump & Seeb Indian School, Mabela for RO.100 /- without Elect & Water. Contact 91516775

Ford focus, automatic, 2010 model, silver colour, expat driven, 58000 kms, dealer serviced, registration till sep 2016, price ro 2750.

Contact- 93207590

Big room available near Hamriya R/A for Muslim couple / small family / Executive bachelor rent 150/- per month including W+ E. Contact : 99495131

Chaverlet Epica 2004 model RO -700, for sale. Contact 92194205

Room for rent with furniture.

Al Bustan villeage. .

Contact 93687466 A Bedroom along with separate bathroom available for rent for an Executive Bachelor in Al Khuwair (near Zawawi Mosque). #92138451 Room for rent available in a flat for Executive bachelor at Azaiba, behind Al Meera Hypermarket with attached bath with cot & A/c, rent inclusive of water & electricity. Contact 96404166 / 97433992 Single room bathroom in Darsait R.O 140/-. Contact: 93289652 Single room for expat Indian bachelors near Al Aktham restaurant Al khuwair for RO 120. Water and electricity included. Contact 98803261 Furnished room in new building for working Muslim lady/ Muslim couple only. Location AINT, Darsait. Contact - 99008069 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting room, Kitchen & store including utilities bills at Al hail.# 92817777 1 Bedroom with attached Bath, fully furnished, separate entrance at Mabela for ladies only.

Contact: 99634841

Learn driving with professional.

Contact: 94022250

MATRIMONIAL Rose Mary age 25 yrs Born Oman, B.com 2 years ACCA, MBA. Contact: 92841175 T.C.R. EKM .DT. Only Kerala RC boy 31 yrs paramedical working in Oman hailing from Tellichery Dioces.

Contact: 92866673 Keralite, Thiruvananthapuram based “Young and Handsome Boy”, Hindu – Viswakarma (Carpenters), Birth Star – Pooyam, MCA, 29 years(05/11/1985, 01.30 AM), 176 cm height, Wheatish colour, Moderate family, Working as ‘Commercial Assistant’ in a reputed automotive company. seeking alliance of girls from the suitable family. Contact: Rejeesh - 92801583, 94238934, Shanmughan +919895891202, +914712619230 23 Years Malayalee Christian girl born & educated in Bangalore, seeking suitable alliances from well settled Keralite Malayalee Christian boys. Contact - 99494371

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T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT Urgently Required for Frozen Division

ALUMINUM SUPERVISOR

Van Salesman - (2) Sales Supervisor - (1) Driver - (2)

Having ability to manage workshop -

Candidates with relevant GCC experience can mail their resume at omanjobsdcg@gmail.com

ACCOUNTANT5 year experience, up to finalization of accounting

Contact emailrgeorge@omantd.com & atalibus@omantd.com

SITUATION VACANT Leading MEP contracting company looking for following gulf experienced hands 1. Asst. Operations’ Manager – preferably B Tech (Elect) with min 5 years in building service with good communication& administrative skills.

2. A.C Engineer – B Tech (Elect / Mechanical) with min 2 years in building service.

Kindly include the details of projects handled by you, in your CV.

Send your CV to hr.green.mct@gmail.com Engineering Company based in Oman (Muscat) is looking urgently to hire the following position:

Position: Accountant (Omani Only) (Bachelor or Diploma ) Experience: 2 to 3 years Fax NO. 24596440

REQUIRE QUALIFIED & EXPERIENCED

MARKETING EXECUTIVES For sales of Gift items & watches, with valid driving license .

MALE CANDIDATES ONLY.

Email:therecuiter@hotmail.com

Contact - 91544446

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

EDUCATION

Wanted Indian Accountant with experience in OmanContact 91339401 We are looking for Chief Financial Officer, Male 40- 45 years old, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with 5 - 15 yrs. of experience.

Contact: +968 24702133 Email: admin-dept@daud.om

BEAUTY Urgently require a Female Beautician for a saloon in Sur, must have exceptionally good skills in threading ,waxing ,haircuts & facial treatments .Hair styling & bridal make ups would be added advantage .(Visa available)For more details please contact on 95214535

CATERING Cook waiters, must know Indian & Arabic food to cook.

Contact: .97158376 Email: westernsanitary@Yahoo.com Need cook Arab food sandwich suitable salary, with visa.

Contact: 98292846

DRIVER Wanted experienced driver for rent a car and tourism. Email: almoosarentacar@gmail.com Required Indian driver to work in a house. Salary RO 150/Contact – 96255558

DOMESTIC HELPER Urgently required for full time a Gujarati House maid for small family (2 members), aged around 40-50, Visa Available. Contact 99370306, after 08:00 pm only or Whats app.

Looking for full-time housemaid - please call 99385119

ENGINEER Experienced Petrol Mechanic, denter required. Contact: 98045373 Wanted Chemical Engineer with 5-10 years experience in STP Operations and Maintenance.

Kindly send your resumes to advance@omantel.net.om or Fax us at +968-24792175.

Wanted Market Research Expert with experience in Feasibility Studies. Kindly send your resumes to advance@omantel.net.om or Fax us at +968-24792175.

Civil Site Supervisor for telecom tower projects across Oman. Send CV to fyjo@spec-link.com or call +968 9946 7227

Teacher maths and science, computer required for Omani private school. Contact: 95141554/958225772

MISCELLANEOUS A fast food restaurant in Muscat required experience Motor Cycle Drivers with license # 96447979.

Forward CV: fastfoodoman2014@gmail.com Urgent Staff requirement for Omar Al Khayyam Group of restaurant (restaurant manager, restaurant cashier, waiters, Indian / Chinese / Tandoor cooks.

Contact: +96893798969 or email: ok.office2013@gmail.com Required building material sales man, CCTV Technician, Maintenance supervisor & Mason.

Contact - 99383044 Sales Ladies wanted for Ladies Boutique. Age: 20-35 yrs. Al Khoudh.

Send CV to sameer916@hotmail.com or call 91159905 Travel agent in Muscat require experience Counter Staff (male/ female) Sales & Marketing (male/ female) interested send CV on jobavailable2016@hotmail.com Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com or call Ph:+968 99450811 Urgently required for a reputed company in Oman (Tyre, Battery & Lubricant division) Sr. Executives/Executive-5 nos (Sohar, Nizwa & Muscat), Techno Commercial Professional-5nos, Driver (Omani)-1no. Required minimum 3-5 yrs experience in the same field with market exposure holding valid Omani driving license or GCC. Kindly fwd your CV’s to ashwin@taasintl.org Contact: (+968)93891700

MEDICAL Need one Nurse for private clinic scientific clinic Salalah.

Contact: 99082092 Wanted Medical Lab Technician (male or female) for a reputed poly clinic. Kindly contact – 97101062 or send email to –arunjeni11@gmail.com Reams Clinic - Muscat-Al Khoudh urgently required Medical Laboratory Technician salary + Accommodation, Minimum 3 years Experience in Sultanate of Oman GP Nurse salary +Accommodation minimum 5 years Experience in Sultanate of Oman.

Contact - towershr70@gmail.com Wanted GP Doctor with MOH license, job location in Muscat with good salary and benefits. Drop your cv at 0careerhr1972@gmail.com.

SITUATION WANTED

A Reputed Medical Complex Requires experienced professional 1. Medical Lab Technician 2. Staff Nurse 3. Accountant – Male Kindly Email your cv @: amutccllc@yahoo.com

STAFF NURSE An Eye Lesser Centre/Muscat seeking for a staff Nurse with good experience in ophthalmic surgeries and having (MOHL) Oman Ministry of Health License.

Indian Male 32, MBA (Marketing & Finance) with 10 years experience in Marketing of Banking Products & Insurance Industry. Seeking for a job in Oman. Contact: 93576980, 97750460 Email: senthil.cbe83@gmail.com

Please send CV to mr-aaa@hotmail.com

Chief Accountant / finance officer , Indian male , M.com 15 yrs experience , Qatar , Saudi good at account finalization statement analysis , budgeting , variable analysis, well versed in tally & accounting packages. Currently in Doha, seeking suitable position in Muscat. Contact: 0097455075643 Email: gijomthomas@gmail.com

INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING FIRM WISHES TO RECRUIT HIGHLY QUALIFIED ENGINEERS FOR OUR PROJECTS IN SULTANATE OF OMAN.

Electrical Engineers (B.Sc Degree in Electrical) Site Supervision, Testing & Commissioning, Protection & Control Experience:10 – 20 years The field of these Projects are: HV/MV/LV Electrical Neworks including Grid Stations, Distribution Networks, OHTL, U/G Power Cables.

CVs mentioning Oman tel. No. to be submitted to:

omanengineco@yahoo.com MANAGER

SALES / MARKETING

Urgently Required: Project Manager with an experience 15 years in building construction, MUST have NOC and immediately join. Project Coordinator with an experience 10 years in building construction, MUST have NOC and immediately join.

Apply, fax 00968–24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com

Kitchen cabinet manufacturing company is looking sales person, most have Oman D/L and must know any kitchen designed software and two years experience.

Contact: 93326636

SKILLED A construction company in Muscat urgently requires sub contractors for: plastering, tiling, and painting.

Interest parties contact: 99344279 Email: biju@alzarraq.com Looking for experienced construction laborers as a subcontractor for a villa construction in Mawaleh.Contact: 96203333

SALES / MARKETING Reputed building materials company looking for outdoor Sales executive having valid Omani driving license with more than 2 years local sales experience in tiles / sanitary ware. Please fax CV to 24798709 Email: united@omantel.net.om

Wanted building Materials sales exp sales executive male /female with D/L for an LLC Company.

Email: megtcbellanzaa@gmail.com

Chartered Accountant 15 yrs- UAE exp, seeking suitable job in Oman.

Contact – 0091 9446230586 / shamshad.pareed@gmail.com

Looking for Salesman (outdoor) experience in building material, consulting, Contraction Company.

Should have Driving license, must have good spoken English, should have working knowledge of computers. Please send your CV to alshayac@omantel.net.om

Chief / Senior Accountant having 12 years of Oman experience in reputed firms. Looking for suitable placement. Contact – 99513082

Urgently required Graphic Designer & marketing executive please forward your CV arshedkm@gmail.com Insurance agency company require Sales Executive with experience Oman driving license.

Clearance available. Send CV to: ahiginsurance@gmail.com

Indian male auto cad draughtsman (civil) 8 years experience .seeking for job in Dubai & Qatar.

Contact - 00968-99070584 (Mct):0091-9895061474 (India) email: remluvp@gmail.com Indian Female Accountant 5 Years of Experience in Accounting Tally, Office coordination, And Admin, Currently on Visit Visa Seeking Suitable Placement. #95684179

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE 15 years GCC experienced in finance treasury management CPA, CMA, ACCA, MBA qualified chartered accountant available for immediate joining. Contact: 94872345 Email: mfta27@gmail.com

Indian male , B.Com, 21 yrs, accountant with 1 and half years experience looking for suitable job for more discussion.

Contact: 96512733 Email: azazahemad968@gmail.com

Indian male B.com, 47 years old, 25 years, GCC experience in Finance, HR & Admin with valid Omani driving license looking for a suitable placement (NOC available) Contact: 93238378

Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa.

Immediately available.

Contact – 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com

Indian male good experienced in accountant ERP Tally 9 and admin in Indian &Oman currently on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 94834687

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with 13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in manufacturing, trading & contracting Cos, capable of handling all accounting, finance, banking, L/C, import, export & finalization seeks placement. NOC Available. Call+968-98932752, mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com

Indian male 22 BBM graduate with tally certified 5 month experience as accounts officer 2 looking for suitable job immediately now on visit visa. Contact: 98949120 Email: mohammednazal93@gmail.com Male 24 MBA fresher in marketing and finance seeking immediate placement. Contact: 96112920 Indian male B.com accountant job 6 years experience in Oman looking suitable placement. # 95741442 navaskamaru944@gmail.com Accountant senior looking suitable job please call 91422074 Chief Accountant looking for full / part time job. Contact: 95598477/98803439

Indian CA, 8 yrs + Exp (6 yr in Oman & UAE) in Finance, Accounts & Auditing, seeking suitable position in Muscat/Dubai, Can Join Immediately, NOC Available, Contact #: 98707434 / casmart007@gmail.com ACCA, 8 years comprehensive experience of audit, Engineering/ Manufacturing & Trading-FMCG is looking for a change.NOC available Contact: 91147885

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian male having 14years of experience in HR, Purchase Dept and Sales having Oman driving license looking for a suitable position at Salalah. Noc available. Mail.

Madhuvtk@ gmail.com

Indian Male, Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant, CISA from USA, 25 Years of experience, 10 Years in Dubai, Seeking Job in Accounts, Finance, Audit, Banking, Project IT etc. Contact Pawan Gupta on 00971504273221, 0096896123649. E mail address is pawan.praind@gmail.com and website is www.pawanpraind.com

Wanted Marketing personnel for tours and rent a car. Email: almoosarentacar@gmail.com Fax: 24796040

SITUATION WANTED

Indian male, MBA, finance, having MNC 2 year experience in accounts and audit, skilled in sap, seeking suitable position.

Contact : 96930855

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ADMIN

REQUIRED

Accountant looking part time job.

Contact: 99867456 Email: ashkar7673@gmail.com 28/ male MBA – finance /B.com – accountant with 4 years of Dubai / India experience looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 90187483 Email: shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com Young 24, ACCA affiliate, advanced diploma in Accounting and business, seeking suitable placement in accounts, finance or audit with valid driving license.

Contact: 92430152 Email: rau_dey@yahoo.com

Indian male 25 yrs MBA finance/ marketing. Over all 2 yrs of exp in accounts/ finance field. Currently on visit visa in Oman, immediately available. Contact – 92989197 / 94786544 Email: abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com Finance Controller 15 yrs exp in Oman. Contracting, consultancy, trading oil & gas, tourism, IT etc.

Project financing feasibility ERP cost control. Contact – 98571309 Experienced male accountant available 3 yrs & 9 months exp in Oman as accountant NOC available ready to join. Contact - 95368181 ACCOUNTS AND ADMIN MANAGER Degree in Accounts with minimum 8 years of experience in accounts/finance and administrative work. Good analytical and managerial skill to control and operate the department independently. Contactvacancyforoman@gmail.com ACCA /B.com (3.7 years experience) looking for accounts / audit job. Contact: 97769145 Email: mnaem02@gmail.com Indian male 11 yrs exp in accountant (4 yrs in Oman with D/L & NOC) seeking suitable placement in Sohar area .Contact: 91212471 / 94049967 Email: rennyj6@gmail.com Indian lady, bachelor degree in Preparatory Programme (BPP) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), completed training course in MS Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook from KTI looking for full time / part time job opportunity in Oman. Contact 92437568, 96795853, Email: linda_navs@yahoo.com

Egyptian woman resident has considerable experience in the administration and secretarial executive for companies. Contact: 97221126 Indian female, MBA HR & Finance, having 1 year experience, seeking suitable placement. Currently in Oman. Contact: 96052366.

Indian male 12 yrs exp in Oman as administrator/ HR/ operation manager with D/L & NOC. Contact – 96055815 / shaiks111@gmail.com Now in visiting visa looking for job, fluency in Arabic writing, typing, reading & speaking, looking in Admin, document controller secretary translator & HR Assistance. do needful. Contact: 968- 97240204 Email: dmethaju@gmail.com 10 years experience in secretarial / Admin job. Contact: 94868626 Indian male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf exp in Administration/ HR & Public relationship. Fluent in Arabic/ English with D/L. Looking for suitable position. Contact - 99897280 HR & Admin Executive (MBA) Indian male 26 years, with more than 4 years experiences in HR / Admin (16 months in Oman) looking for suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact: 968-98757304 / 968 -98314238 Email: muroollah789@gmail.com Indian female, Masters in HR, having 4 + years Oman experience in media management and HR, looking for openings in HR, Education, Admin, Corporate communications. Contact 98252030 Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+ experience in Administration/ HR, Customer Support, Office Coordinator with good Computer skill, Now on Visit Visa, looking for suitable position. Contact: 90196235

CATERING Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp looking job. Contact: 99531802

DRIVER Experienced Light Duty Driver, Fluent in English, Arabic Well knowledge of Oman Areas Seeking Suitable placement 97950869 Exp driver (Keralite).

Contact: 93412587 Indian light driver having 2 years experience in Oman Know language Hindi, English , Arabic need job. Contact: 97366822 Driver with car. Contact: 91452930 B.Com Qualification experience Saudi 5 years Saudi light driving license. Contact: +919994321140 Email: thamimkgg@gmail.com Driver with Car looking for Job. Contact 95560701.

Bangladeshi male 48 yrs, light driver 14 yrs of exp, need job & visa. Contact - 98236656 Driver looking for a job with visa NOC available. Contact: 91039598 Indian light driver.

Contact: 92279370 Driver with experience of 10 years in Oman seeks suitable placement. Contact: 92191698 Light driver. Contact: 96313100 Driver with car available.

Contact: 93015630

Part time Accountant services, yearly finalization works, monthly report, profit& loss report, consulting and audit works. Contact: 96247295

10 yrs exp in GCC driver.

Contact: 93722881

Accountant Indian female, 26 yrs, B.Com 2 yrs experience in accounting, purchase vouchers, bank reconciliation. Contact: 95690207 Email: pereira.rita08@gmail.com

Driver with new car looking for job.contact: 95873286

ARCHITECT Architect looking for freelance work in (design plans and 3dmax).

Contact: 96041201

ADMIN Young dynamic professional with 4yrs of Oman Experience in HR & Admin looking for suitable placement.(NOC Available)Contact 91507099

Looking for Job driving.

Contact: 97418036

Driver (light & heavy duty) valid gulf /Indian) looking job.

Contact: 95175192

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN Multimedia and graphic designer Filipino male 25 , looking for job in Muscat 3 years experience in 6 graphic and 3D design on visit visa immediately available. Contact: 95844940 Email: chrisrimas@gmail.com Interior designer 4+ exp, turnkey projects & freelancing for flats, office & corporate. Contact – 93140552/ ajayjangir.id22@gmail.com

T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN 25 years male BA. English , Qualified as mast in digital animation having 5 yrs ex in character animation specialized Auto Desk mago and motion building software knowledge, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 97917357

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Property Facility Operations Manager 25 years experience, holding GCC driving license (Oman, UAE, Bahrain) With NOC. Looking for suitable openings.

Contact - 91283701 Email -

Well experienced team available to provide feasibility reports & business solutions, product development, risk management methods for startups, progressive, defunct operations.

Creating of ERP modules.

Contact - 93343251 Email: profitoman@gmail.com

A result oriented professional B.E.(Mech), 30+ years experience in Oil & Gas Projects, Fabrication, R & M and Services. Seeking job as GM, CEO, Country Head.

NOC & immediate availability.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Result oriented hospitality professional with 20 years management experience in Oman and other gulf countries looking for a suitable vacancy in hotels, restaurants and catering companies.

Contact: 968 97204636

Phone : +91 9773828663, Email : jvp291367@yahoo.com

IT

thonoorramesh@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer ( B.E) passed out in 2014 first class , who has done certificate course in AutoCAD 2D , seeks employment in core mechanical field.

Contact: 93850221/97400106 M.Tech (Civil Engg) graduate , Indian male , 19 years experience in construction field , 8 years gulf experience , 4 yrs in Dubai and 4 yrs in Oman , handled luxurious hotels and waterfront properties is looking for project manager job.

Contact: 91158903 Email: luminousmercury@gmail.com NOC is available Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in designing, assembling, commissioning execution etc having valid GCC license too looking for a suitable. Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com Indian 43 yrs B.E civil experience 16 yrs gulf exp 4 yrs Saudi Arabia Qatar Oman skill project coordination supervisory quality control planning & procurement monitoring the work activities NOC available seeking suitable area. Contact: 92910646 Email: murugan641972@gmail.com Indian male mechanical Engineer with 6 yrs experience in MEP field seeking a job have GCC license.

Contact: 98086267 Email: khaleel1586@gmail.com Dynamic Indian chemical engineer (NITW) with 1years experience in business development & valid Oman D/L. Seeks suitable opportunity.

Contact: +96896141612 Email: anjana.uanda@outlook.com Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, 36 years, Male, Indian, having 16 years of experience in machine maintenance & machine breakdown, worked with reputed companies in India, currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact - 99011507 E-mail: rsdengroman@gmail.com Indian Male, 28 Yrs, M.Tech having 5+ years experience (3 Year Industry+2 years Lecturer), Now on visit visa, looking for suitable position, please contact: 99249131 Indian male, 25years, B-Tech Graduate with two years experience in Oman as Civil Engineer in a reputed construction company. Looking for suitable jobs. Resident card will expired on 06-01-2016.NOC available.

Seeking immediate placements.

Contact: 96179737/97076972, email:robinsj.sj@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer with 2 yrs exp in the field of manufacturing, on visit visa, looking for suitable job. Contact – 91417949 / dannyrangde@gmail.com B.Sc Civil Engineer. Work Experience 11 years 11 Months.

Last 7 years have been working in Oman in the field of Civil Construction. Present Position: Resident Engineer of a Consulting Company. Looking for the post of Project Manager/Coordinator/Resident Engineer. Have driving license. Visa could be transferable.Contract:93592334, e-mail:tipucee34@gmail.com B.Tech Civil Indian female(2 years of teaching exp;on family visa) looking for engineering job.

96289945; E-mail: athirasree1@gmail.com Diploma in Civil Engineer having 9 years experience in Oman with valid Oman driving license, release available, searching placement.

Contact: 97232020

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912 Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact: 92835952. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com B.E Civil Engineer having 10 years experience (04 years in Oman) looking for a suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 98065360 Email: shafeeqahmedr@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer M.Tech 2 years experience HVAC design & site Engg revit MEP Auto CAD. Contact: 90150913 Email: mahmanmechengg@yahoo.im Civil Engineer having total 5 years experience in building construction, looking for suitable placement. D/L available.

Contact – 94450270 Indian 27 years, Procurement Engineer with 7 years of experience including 3 years in Oman looking for a suitable. NOC & driving license available.

Contact: 95852033.

Building construction site supervisor with Omani D/L since Mar .2010 in Oman looking placement in good company.

Contact: 93061107 Civil Draughtsman having 10 years experience in engineering consultancies N.O.C available.

Contact: 00968- 96712846 Indian Male, 35 years old, ITI – Mechanical Maintenance Technician (Total 14 years) 7years Oman experience. Ready for NOC , VISA transfer, ready to join immediately, Mob .96254637 Email.abilashbt@gmail.com Indian Male, 36 years old, ITI – STEEL FABRICATION Supervisor (13 years) 11 Oman experience.(6 years in Plant maintenance) Ready for NOC , VISA transfer, ready to join immediately, Mob + 92257422 Email: jacktcr@gmail.com Indian male, 26 yrs, 4yrs experienced as Telecom engineer in ooredoo FTTX project in Qatar with valid GCC driving license, currently in Oman, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 90194856 Email: azeezvallikkad@gmail.com Diploma in Electrical Engineering with 6 years’ experience in Electrical Automation , Programming, Project, Power, Energy and Supervision in Civil Work.

Currently in Oman and looking for suitable position, Please contact 94873560/92406652 B.Tech (IT) Indian Male 2 years Oman experience in I.T & Networking, holding Oman Driving License, presently on employment visa, seeks for a suitable placement.

Ready to join immediately. NOC available. Contact: 92462578 Indian female, 31 yrs, 7 yrs experienced as AutoCAD civil draftsman (2 yrs experience in Oman) currently in Oman seeks suitable.

Contact 96789441 Email: simi5304@gmail.com

B.SC civil Engineer having 10 years experience s, 7 years in Oman in building construction with Oman valid D/L, looking for suitable placement. Contact: 93493547

Indian male 23 years BE degree in electronics & telecommunication, diploma in industrial control & automation, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 95726383 Email: christosvaidyans@gmail.com

Civil Engineer, Indian, 10 years GCC experience with Oman D/L. Contact: +919961800496

Electrical Engineer with 18 years exp in UAE. Contact: 98148034 Email: shassalih66@gmail.com

Electrical engineer Indian male 30 years , having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in Indian ( MRF Tyres) seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

Robotics/Embedded Systems Engineer, Masters in Electronics Engineering, experience in software field & robotics, seeks suitable opportunities.

Email: mariaannajoseph@gmail.com Mob: 91306841

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp seeks suitable position ina reputed company. NOC available.

Contact – 96789711 Electrical Engineer Indian male having 5 yrs of exp in designing, execution & planning in electrical field. Having valid GGC driving license. Looking for a suitable job. Contact – 98052942 / azamjeelani@gmail.com Female Engineer material /controller 3 years experience in road companies, with D/L. Contact: 98001764 Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1Year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 97416564, Email: jovinmathias@gmail.com Indian, looking for work building maintenance electrical & plumbing. Contact: 99365092 An Indian male HSE professional 9yrs experience out of 6yrs in Oman 3 yrs in India. Graduate, safety diploma, IOSH & NEBOSH . Working as Sr. HSE officer in a reputed MNC in MCT. NOC available, seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 90187224 7 Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in the field of Building Const. Oil & Gas Seeking Job.94625598 29 yrs Indian male B.E (ECE) with more than 5 yrs experience in Oman with valid D/L. # 96652145 Electronics & Communication Engineer : Master degree in VLSI & Embedded systems , looking for electronics/telecom/embedded jobs or teaching in colleges or schools or institutions . Currently on family visa. #97092459 or 91342287 remyaramaswamy1991@gmail.com Electrical Project Engineer 5 years experience in primacy substation cables and OHL valid driving license. NOC available.

Contact: 91204243 Sudanese Civil Engineer with 5 years experienced AutoCAD primavera & GIS Arabic & English language looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 91340584 Indian male diploma Civil Engineer having total 6 years experience in building continuation looking for suitable job. Contact- 94257287 Indian Male 23 years B.Tech Civil having 2 years experience in quantity survey and site management looking for suitable placement. Contact:- 95042656 Diploma in Mechanical Eng piping system in AutoCAD work, 21+ years experience with Driving license. Contact: 95267113 Email: rkakkaryil@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer M.Tech 2 years experience as HVAC design engineer rev IT M.E.P AutoCAD. Contact: 91050913 Email: rahmanmechengg@yahoo.com Road and Construction Engineer with 5 years exp in Oman.

Contact: 97646908 Mechanical Engineer with 3 Yrs experience in international Oil & Gas company looking for job Contacts: Tel: 90164236 Email: mustafaoshi-62@hotmail.com Civil Engineer (BE) having total 5 years experience in building construction looking for a suitable placement. D/L available Contact# 94450270 Indian female civil engineer B.Tech having 3 years experience sound knowledge of software, REVIT STAD PRO structural detailing currently on family visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95345591 Civil maintenance painting, tile works decor works, plumbing, electric, shop furnishing carpentary works and all other maintenance. Contact 97897831, 92112094 (Indian, Keralite) Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years in Oman experience Valid Driving License seeks suitable placement Phone 97619722 Email – golamrob@yahoo.com

Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman with license. Contact: 98975518 Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years old) – B.Sc Engineering (Hon) Mining / Geotechnical Presently in Muscat, 1.5 years experience. Contact 91295802 / acmfaslan123@gmail.com

EDUCATION Sri Lankan female 26 years of age, seeking suitable position in a reputed firm .Holds BSC in computer applications. 3 years of experience.

Has experience in the teaching field too. Contact: 92006612 Indian female M.SC B.ED qualified TEFL two years experience in gulf seeking suitable job in teaching.

Contact: 91706466 Computer Teacher M.SC Indian male 10 years teaching exp in Maldives as O level computer teacher presently located at Berha on family visa.

Contact: 94867456 / 95262691

An Indian male 27yrs, B. Tech in (Computer Science) 6 years of exp in technical support, troubleshooting and managing seeks suitable placement. Contact:- 97483775, email:- mir.jak89@gmail.com Hardware & net working, 2 years exp. Contact: 96244031

MISCELLANEOUS Indian Female, 24 Years - MSc Biotechnology. Worked in International Crops Research Institute For The Semi Arid Tropics for project work as trainee. Looking for suitable job. Mobile: 92619048, Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com Sudanese male with a college degree looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 94235133 Seeking suitable job for QA/QC Inspector multi discipline, having 8 yrs exp with CSWIP 3.1 AWSCWI BGAS Grade II B.E Mech. NOC available. Contact – 97312558 / avittathoorak@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY Indian male 42 B.A Degree & diploma in hotel management with 16 yrs experience in India Abroad having V/L Oman D/L looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 91575956 Email: lijasaju@yahoo.com Hospitality/Hotel/ Restaurants Dynamic result oriented hospitality professional with 20 years of international exp. MBA in Hotel Management, specializing in Hotel/Restaurant start ups, concepts & Franchise development with proven records. Seeking for Challenging positions in reputed groups as GM/COO/CEO/Business Head. (NOC available) Contact: 96059470 Dutch male qualified commercial pilot (Faa-ME-IR certified) is looking for job openings in middle east. rutjestom@outlook.com

IT 7 years Gulf experienced Automatic door system technician. All type of automatic door, gate barrier, Access control, CCTV, working in Oman (NOC available).

Contact 96707646 Email: pramod.raj.p@gmail.com IT support 9 years experience servers network, hard / software maintenance Web design CMS. Contact: 97603094 NEBOSH, IOSH Indian male HSE officer experience 8 yrs, 6 yrs GCC. Contact: 93235457 Email: srecjithsurcndran3@gmail.com IT Hardware Engineer with 3 years of experience of computer hardware , windows and ms office looking for a suitable position on visit visa.

Contact: 99062987 Email: aakibnaqash403517@gmail.com Indian male IT, CCNA, RHCE, MCITP, 3 years experience have GCC driving license seeking suitable position on visit visa (until 27th Dec). Contact: 93311963 Email: sajal035@gmail.com Network Professional, CCNP with 6 years experience and Bachelors degree on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 96760618, varghese.manthara@gmail.com Female 26 years B.Tech computer science with 4 yrs exp in India Tableu Qlik view hive and software testing. Looking for suitable placement. Contact – 97139075 anand20789@gmail.com B.Tech (IT) Indian Male 2 years Oman experience in I.T & Networking, holding Oman Driving License, presently on employment visa, seeks for a suitable placement.

Ready to join immediately. NOC available. Contact: 92462578 Age 28 years experience 2years & 8 month in IT accounting technical skill, java, J.S.P tally Peachtree M.S excel, SQL ,Working java programmer India , accountant , Dubai ,Qualification MCA, B.C.A mathematic visit visa. Contact: 95673451

Indian male 42 years 13 years experience with Oman driving license in MEP contracting looking job store keeper / purchaser.

Contact 95197065 Indian 28 yrs, 5 years experience in purchase looking for a suitable NOC available, driving license available. Contact: 96772166 Indian male having more than 10 yrs exp in sea fright & air freight, having GCC D/L looking for suitable placement. Contact – 91714980/ medileep@gmail.com Indian female on visit MBA (International Business- Marketing & Logistics), BE (Computers & Science Engg.) Trained in SAP-BI/ BW with 1 year experience seeking for job Contact: 90228586 Email:fathimasha16@gmail.com Graduate, computer literate, experienced in sales, credit control, accounts, Omani D/L , seeks suitable placement. Gsm 9880-5474

MEDICAL Prometric passed male nurse with ACLS & BLS closured, looking for suitable placemen.

Contact: 93831951 Indian young male B.Tech Graduate with strong academic history six month experience in biomedical seeks suitable placement in instrumentation field preferred presently under visiting visa.

Contact: 91053004 Indian female M.Sc. Biotechnology, 1st rank holder, NET qualified, SRF -doing PhD in Biochemistry Amala cancer research Centre (Calicut University) on family visa seeking suitable placement.

Gsm-90153917

Result oriented hospitality professional with 20 years management experience in Oman looking for a suitable vacancy hotels, restaurants & catering companies.

Contact 97204636 Restaurant Manager having 13 years experience in fast food restaurant in Oman & UAE, seeking for suitable placement, holding NOC letter & Oman driving license.

Contact: 99874953 MBA (marketing) with 17 years experience in freight forwarding/ logistics industry in GCC & Oman.

Presently working as branch manager in Muscat. Looking for a suitable position. Release and NOC available. Contact: 99856331 MBA In Operations Management Indian male : MBA in Lean Operations And Systems with 3 years of experience seeks suitable placement in Oman.

Contact : 0096894369897 The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: construction(Very strong and qualified to bringing business for civil work Or any type of the construction work for many million per year with a good experience in pricing and collect payment and cash management of the company & marketing projects & investments& tenders & real estate. Contact: - 92385033 Building maintenance foreman looking for suitable position with driving license. Contact: 99526958 20 yrs experienced MEP Manager seeks suitable placement (NOC available). Contact: 97892269 Manager Post of Family Visa, MBA 14 years Experience in Multinational Groups in Sales & Marketing. M.Z. 96220975 Indian male, with experience in operations management, information security, purchase & stores mgmt, hold UAE driving license, on visit visa, seeks suitable job.

Contact 91904541 Email: naushers@yahoo.com The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: tenders& real estate& construction & marketing projects& investments& transportation & Marine services& companies management& develop business.

Contact :- 92385033

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Looking for job as Mason, steel fixer, electrician. Contact: 93015630 Masonry / finishing foreman 20 years experience NOC available.

Contact: 98435309/ India + 91 9446958838 Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fitter gulf & Indian exp looking job.

Contact: 95175192

MOH Licensed Indian Female Dentist, presently available in Oman seeking a suitable placement anywhere in Muscat.

Contact: 91410733 / 99310630.

Electrician, plumber (exp gulf / Indian) looking job. Contact 95175192

Experienced Indian female Dentist with MOH licence looking for job. Contact 98437191

Capable confident hard working Indian male B.Com MBA looking suitable jobs. Contact – 93279943

Indian BDS doctor looking for a suitable position prometric passed. Contact: 90377433

Indian, 38 years with 15 years in sales & marketing filed with GCC valid license. Contact: 94744746

MSc Bioinformatics BSc Biotechnology, 3 to 4 years experience in outsourcing related to U.S based Pharma Company regarding cheminformatics and drug designing work related to human kinases. Contact – 93871822 / anshulv45@gmail.com

28 years old Indian male looking for job in Oman six years of marketing experience in India currently staying on visiting visa qualification, BSC degree.

Contact: 94855667/92255983

An experienced Sudanese female Dentist with MOH license looking for job. Contact: 96436517 /97396088

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Indian male 8 yrs exp in Oman working as housekeeping supervisor in star hotel, seeking for a job NOC available. Contact – 91753210

SALES / MARKETING

Omani employee looking for a job as Sales with experience in this field .Contact: 91161736 Indian male 29 yrs, BHM, 3 yrs exp in Oman in sales with D/L & NOC. Contact: 92594055 Indian young male BBA graduate with good academics seeks suitable placement in marketing sales finance mainly prefers white collared jobs driving license issued in Muscat.

Contact: 97853013

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T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SIT. WANTED SALES / MARKETING Indian male, MBA , 25 Yrs, 1 years experience in auditing and 10 month in sales. Currently on visit visa seeking suitable placemen.

Contac: 92054304 Indian male 23 years with 4 years experience in Purchase and Sales, graduate in EC, currently on visiting visa, seeking suitable job in Oman. Contact: 96761020. Email: adikmuthumuttam@gmail.com Male B.com 8 month experience in sales seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98371144 Indian male graduate with 7 yrs exp in sales & marketing immediate join NOC available.

Contact : 96746107 Indian Male 32, MBA (Marketing & Finance) with 10 years experience in Marketing of Banking Products & Insurance Industry.

Seeking for a Job in Oman.

Contact: 93576980, 97750460 Email: senthil.cbe83@gmail.com Sales & Marketing Executive MBA with 3 years experience in sales looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 91345727.

Age 26 Indian male B.Com completed 3 years outdoor sales experience, one year Gulf experience good marketing knowledge, having Oman driving license. NOC available seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98792682 Indian male with Oman driving license and 27 years’ Oman experience in FMCG sales /newspaper distribution across the Sultanate seeks job. No objection certificate/release letter is available from the present employer. Contact: 98962949 Graduate, computer literate, experienced in sales, credit control, accounts, Omani D/L , seeks suitable placement. Gsm 9880-5474 12 years of experience in Oman; marketing strategies & operations, logistics, government tenders, public relations & dealing with international companies -4 years of experience in UK, engineering CNC & industrial areas, have dual nationality, fluent in English & Arabic speaking and writing , (I can travel abroad easily without visa, for finalizing business or any other purpose). Contact: 94123939 Indian male, MBA Finance & Marketing 28 yrs,6+ Exp, with Driving license, Hospital Phrma Herbal Marketing, construction A/c & sales , F&B industry, Contact : 93379044 Indian male, MBA Marketing having 2.5 years Sales experience immediately looking for a suitable position. Contact: 91415145, Email: shariqs88@gmail.com Indian male 46 years, Sales Manager experience in modular kitchens & furnitures. Contact 94522616 Indian male, 24, MBA Marketing and HR, I year experience. On visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact 94014073

SITUATION WANTED Indian Male, 26 years, with 7 years of experience in Sales Field in Shipping company in Dubai looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety Marine equipment and well versed with MS Office. Contact: 90182494 manojmallya999@gmail.com

29 year Indian male B-Tech Engineering, with 6 yrs of Professional experience in Manufacturing Oil & Gas Industries seeking for a suitable placement (NOC Available).Kindly contact me on 94628362, emailmahinathdevani@yahoo.co.in

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. In IT/ networking/server support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532

MBA (F), B.COM. Indian female having knowledge of accounts with Tally looking for job. presently on family visit visa.

Contact :- 94704661. Email:bhumicapandya@gmail.com

Looking for Network Engineer Job, NOC Available Can join immediately. Qualification: BE Telecommunication, CCNA, CCNP Voice.

Driving License: Oman, Current Company: Global Solutions, Client: Diwan Experience: 3.5 Years.

Contact – 97312044 / waleedkhan26@gmail.com

Indian-male 34yrs,m.Com with 14 yrs exp.( 8 Yrs in oman) working as procurement officer in contg & trdg co llc.( Worked for road,civil,electro-mechanical,corr osion,scaffolding,insulation & Others Projects in Oman ) and having Oman LT D/L, Looking for suitable placement- M:94064650, Email: nagauae@gmail.com

Mechanic Diesel Engines & Hydraulic, 25 years Experience in Multinational Companies.

Contact - 91685048

TECHNICIAN /MECH.

HR & Admin Executive ( MBA) Indian male 26 year old, with more than 4 years of experiences in HR& Admin (16 month in Oman) looking for suitable placement, NOC available.

Contact: +968-98757304 Email: nuroollah789@gmail.com

Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license call Ph:+968 99450811 Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com

Indian Male, 28, MBA Finance & Mcom. more than 5yrs exp. in A/c & Finance (Including 2 yrs in Oman), NOC available, Seek Suitable Placement, Contact: 93939421, email: baleeq.ams@gmail.com

Marketing Executive/Merchandiser, Omani License, BA 8 years Experience in Multinational Groups. Contact 97601343

TOURS & TRAVELS Indian female BSC IATA, 14 years exp in travel & tourism in Oman looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 96433490 Email: indu623@yahoo.co.in

MISCELLANEOUS Indian male auto cad draughtsman (civil) 8 years experience .Seeking for part time job.Mobile no: 0096899070584 / Email: remluvp@gmail.com Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3 year Diploma in electrical engineer 5 year experience in different activities. Contact - 94549609 Indian Accounts professioanl with 2 years of experience currently on visit visa looking for suitable job openings Contact: Gsm: 92395449 jaleelcabdul@gmail.com

Indian youth BA warehouse manager/sales in Oman 1 year provide NOC, OMAN Driving license holder seeks jobs.94 525213 lojikts@gmail.com.

Indian Expat female, BSc Physics and Tally ERP 9, educated with valid Oman Driving license seeks suitable position. Please contact: 0096894864575 Civil Engineer 5 Years EXP 2 years in Oman as a QS Seeking for part time job as QS. Contact - 91507508

Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant ,doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439

B Sc. Computer Application + M B A from UK With 3 years of Experience, Mumbai, India Available on Visit Visa (27Years)looking for a suitable Placement.

Contact: 94030166/ 96739581 Email ID: asokpanicker1001@gmail.com

Post graduate master of social work having 5 years experience at present visit visa seeking suitable opportunity. Contact 99876307

Part time accountant available, well experienced in accounting up to finalization. Knowledge in tally also. contact. 92643875

Planning Engineer: B.E(Electrical and Electronics Engineering): Indian Male 33 yrs with 10 years of experience in UAE & Muscat. Skilled in the areas of project coordination, planning & procurements.

Contact: 00971503529608 Email Id: saravananbe44@gmail.com

31 year Indian male PG in HR with 5 yrs Professional experience in HR in Construction Oil & Gas Oman seeking for a suitable placement(NOC Available).Kindly contact me on 93488914, emailKaarthickshankar@gmail.com

MBA - (F), M.Com,B.COM. Indian female having knowledge of accounts with Tally looking for part time or full time job. presently on family visa.

Contact :- 91892264. Email: yashicapandya@gmail.com

Indian Male, 26 years, With 7 years of experience in Sales Field in shipping company in “Dubai” looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety Marine equipment and well versed with MS Office.

Contact 90182494, Manojmallya999@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED Indian male, totally 8+ years experience in IT Assistant, 5 Years in Oman, Looking for a suitable position in Oman, Holding Oman Driving license & also NOC is available. Contact: 98248024, email- bala.abins@gmail.com Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3 yrs exp. in IT / networking/ server support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532 ACCA (Associate Certified Chartered Accountant) with 2 years experience. Looking for opportunities in Finance, Accounts. Presently Available in Oman for Personal interviews Contact: 96124257, 93692578.

Email at naeemnoe5@gmail.com Indian male, QA/QC Instrument Inspector, 8 years exp in GCC, on visit visa. # 92430370 Email: rajeshgcc.kumar@gmail.com, Indian female, MBA HR & Finance, having 1 year experience, seeking suitable placement. Currently in Oman. Contact: 96052366.

Indian male 23yr BA TTM(Travel and Tourism Management) with Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Logisitics and Shipping Management, Experienced in Logisitics (Customs Clearance) seeking in suitable placement, currently on visit visa(Oman) Contact; 90291092 email:iyas.adhur@gmail.com Male 27, BCA, Diploma in Networking, CCNA certified engineer, 4 years experience in IT support & networking seeks job.

Contact-90193811 Indian female, 27, food technologist (MSc Food Technology), 2years experience in research and development - instant foods, seasonings. Contact -93987174 email :mayacnair@outlook.com Driver Cum Salesman Professional, Indian male having 7 Years of Experience in Oman Having Valid Driving License working as a Office Driver, Looking for a suitable Position, NOC available.

Contact: 99680429 Email:anzarkutty1975@gmail.com

8 yrs exp 2d, 3d draughtsman (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING LICENSE) seeking job.

Contact 93790601 Project Manager in Mechanical Engg. (M.sc.) with 8 years experience in Building Construction, oil & gas seeking job- # 94625598 (nima.azimzadeh@gmail.com) Indian male 23yr BA TTM(Travel and Tourism Management) with Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Logistics and Shipping Management, Experienced in Logistics(Customs Clearance) seeking in suitable placement.

Currently on visit visa (Oman) Contact; 90291092 email: iyas.adhur@gmail.com 31 year Indian male PG in HR ,with 5 yrs Professional experience in HR in Construction Oil & Gas Oman seeking for a suitable placement(NOC Available).Kindly contact me on 93488914, emailKaarthickshankar@gmail.com MBA(HR & Marketing) & B.Com, Indian male 28 yrs,2 yrs exp. in Qatar, having oman driving license, currently on family visa (NOC available).looking for hr, admin, assistant accountant, marketing & sales job in salalah.

Contact:98138376, email: subinabraham87@gmail.com Software Engineer , Oracle EBS R-12 Technical Consultant 9 Years Experience. HRMS/ Payroll, Education, Hotel, Textile, Shipping Container Terminal.

Email: sziahussain@hotmail.com.

Contact 97912264 Indian male 25 yrs, MBA (Finance, Marketing), Overall 2 yrs exp in Accounts/Finance field, On Visit Visa. Immediately available.

Contact - 92989197/94786544. abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com Indian male, 11 years exp. in accounting, knowledge in tally also.

Looking for a part time job.

Contact. 98983122 Indian male 24yrs, B. tech in (Computer Science) 4 years of exp in technical support, sales and networking, seeks suitable placement.

Contact:- 95955696, email:- mir.jak89@gmail.com

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3 yrs exp. in IT/ networking/ server support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532 Indian male, 28 yrs, E & I Engineering diploma (3 years), 7 years exp.(India, Oman, KSA) in electrical and instrumentation with driving license, looking suitable job #91051803 Iraqi pharmacist with 15 years experience as Senior med rep. regulatory affairs and Marketing & sales Manager seeking job in pharmaceutical co. Contact 96720441 Indian male B.Eng. in IT, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532 Indian female, Science Graduate, 3 year’s experience in Teaching English & Science seeking suitable placement. Also interested in Teaching Spoken English for student at any level.

Contact : 96431456 / 95704814l Indian male 23 yr BA TTM (Travel and Tourism Management) with Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Logisitics and Shipping Management, exp in Logisitics (Customs Clearance) seeking in suitable placement, currently on visit visa(Oman) contact;90291092 email:iyas.adhur@gmail.com Btech graduate, 26yr male, 4 years experience as system and network engineer. Looking for suitable placement.

Mob : 93125669, Email : amritrajsasidharan@gmail.com.

Indian Male 23 years B.Tech Civil having 2 years experience in quantity survey and site management looking for suitable placement contact:- 95042656 Indian male, 26 years, With 7 years of experience in Sales field in shipping company in “Dubai” , looking for suitable placement. Experienced working in safety Marine equipment and well versed with MS Office. Contact: 90182494, manojmallya999@gmail.com

T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

D7

DAILY GUIDE TOURS

TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION 7 Ton/ 10 Ton- Trailer Local transport- MCT- UAE

Contact 96609857 Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours contact 98029602, 92808636

CLASSES

Amir Ali Transportation. Contact: 99664703 Transportation taxi mini bus.

Contact: 93091106 Transportation. Contact 99508282 Transportation & tours.

Contact: 99324045

IELTS PREPARATION Target Band 8.0

Classes for Spoken English TOEFL / GRE / GMAT / SAT Excellent Guidance and Coaching Satisfaction Guaranteed EAGLES INSTITUTE

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

92325542 | 93657915 | 93657917 | Email: engominst@gmail.com

Pick & drop anytime in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99764307 Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909 Transportation. Contact: 99099714 Transportation available Ruwi Seeb. Contact 99867456 Transportation. Contact: 98505294

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English class for Malayalam Speakers

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310 Karate and self defense classes at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per month twice a week Monday and Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM. CONTACT 98294551

IELTS & TOEFL Academic / General Target Band 8 TQT Institute.

Ph # 24480800 / 99347202

WEBSITE

COMPUTER

We will register LLC. trade license for foreign investors and do all actions. Contact: 92833566

GOOD NEWS AL RAZI AYURVEDIC CLINIC Near Khimji Mart, MBD Area, Ruwi Our Ayurvedic Treatment includes Abhyangam, Kizhi Massage, Shirodhara, Vasti, Udwarthnam 50% Discount on full body massage.

Contact 24814222 or 97112510 for appointment Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com Balloons beautiful design & Archie’s works for party, birthday & New Year functions all events.

Contact 95194801/96594592

Enetstorage offer!! Cloud based software & mobile responsive websites locally developed, hosting, hardware & cctv/networking solutions. Contact 94369696 or admin@enetstorage.com Repair desktop laptop, printer, scanner, networking &all software inst. Contact 99876547

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage steambath, obesity, Spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street Azaiba.

Contact: 99639695 / 98342990

*Classified Advertisement space booking

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

SERVICES Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting,Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. Contact: 24810137, 99450130 Debt collection services your money we collect value commercial services. Fax: 0096824783669 Contact: 009682479815 /00968- 24701422 /00968- 94665476 Email: salim@valuedbtcollection.com House shifting. Contact: 99657644/98518013

Marble grinding resurfacing & ceiling crystallization / polishing general cleaning of villas & flats.

Terrazzo floor scrubbing, ceiling, polishing & buffing.

Contact: 98598280 /94134784

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

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

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

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Office boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807 Pest Control Treatments.

Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99344723 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422 Split & window A/c servicing & maintenance. Contact : 93769089 / 95323517 Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

D8

T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

FOR LADIES Home service for ladies only facial, waxing, body massage, (if you not waxing menicure pedicure) only 20 Riyal, Contact 9243 0239

FOR HIRE Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

RENT A CAR

Car with driver available for rent.

Contact: 93015630

LOST Kanubhai Bhikhabhai Gohel has lost India Passport No. G 2167903.

Finder please handover to ROP

CHANGE OF NAME

Rental car. Contact: 92516090

AVAILABLE

Silver car, car rental at good rate. Contact: 96166155/93530540

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

AVAILABLE Available office space in Prime location on 18th November Street, Azaiba Kindly. Contact: 99288664

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting.

Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. ww.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

I DAWN CHERIAN KANJICAL (holder of Indian Passport No.L3320508) son of CHERIAN KANJICAL NINAN having permanent residence in KANJICAL,ANGADICAL SOUTH P.O,CHENGANNUR, ALLEPPEY, KERALA, PIN-689122(compete postal address in India) and presently residing in CITY MEDICAL CENTRE, POST BOX NO-275,POSTAL CODE-411, SUR, SULTANATE OF OMAN(complete postal address in Oman intend to change my name from CHERIAN DAWN KANJICAL(old name) to DAWN CHERIAN (Given name) KANJICAL(Surname)(new name) for all practical purpose. Any objection towards my name change may please be communicated to Embassy in India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P. Box No.1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.