Times of Oman - November 23, 2015 by Muscat Media Group

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FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

on the occasion of the 23rd National Day

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ The building of the Omani nation, the shaping of their character through education and culture, with training and with qualiﬁcations, is in the forefront of our noble cause, for which we shall always strive.

MONDAY, November 23, 2015 / 11 Safar 1437 AH

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CABLE

HM sends greetings to Lebanon MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to Tammam Salam, Lebanese Prime Minister, on the occasion of the Lebanese Republic’s Independence Anniversary. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere congratulations and best wishes of good health and wellbeing to him and the Lebanese people to further achieve their aspirations of progress and welfare. -ONA HM receives more National Day greetings >A6

Tourists hold travel plans to Europe

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As Oman and UAE

Arabian Sea low to bring rains in northern Oman MUSCAT: Heavy rains are expected to hit northern parts of Oman on Tuesday and are likely to continue until the end of the week, the General Directorate of Meteorology said on Sunday. Due to a deep depression, Oman is likely to receive moderate to heavy rains in Musandam and North Al Batinah while other governorates will also receive some rain showers, except for

Dhofar and Al Wusta governorates, according to the General Directorate of Meteorology. Forecasters also noted that temperatures will drop, an indication that winter is just round the corner. Northwesterly winds will start blowing (speed between 15 and 25 knots) starting from Tuesday along the Omani coasts, leading to change in the condition of seas from moderate to rough until Saturday.

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holidays coincide, more policemen will be deployed at the checkposts to meet the rush of travellers Oman-UAE border checkpost.

REJIMON K HASSAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

reji@timesofoman.com hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Extra policemen will be deployed at the Oman-UAE border checkposts to coordinate the incoming and outgoing traffic during the upcoming holidays, a senior police official has said. “As usual, during holidays and rush hours, we arrange more

shifts and extra policemen,” the senior police official said. Oman’s National Day holidays fall on December 2 and 3. Similarly, UAE National Day holidays also fall on December 2 and 3, which will eventually increase the number of incoming and outgoing travellers at the border checkposts. Last year also, during rush time, extra policemen were deployed to ease the traffic at borders.

There are two borders to be crossed to enter the UAE from Oman — Al Wajajah border in Oman and the Hatta border. Meanwhile, Muscat-based travel agents say the confusion over e-visa requirement for Oman residents planning to visit UAE still prevails and it may delay the procedures at the borders. “While some are able to receive it, others are facing many hiccups in possessing a visa to the UAE. Even a few minutes ago, we received enquiries from a group claiming that they have not yet got the visa even after a long wait. Still people are confused and the online visa system is affecting them,” Hameed Moideen, manager at Oman Wings Travel and Tours, said. Hameed added that the e-visa system is likely to create more confusion and delays at the borders. From October 1, expats in Oman, regardless of their professional status, have to apply for an e-visa to enter the UAE through road, air and sea ports. >A6

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

An Omani who never fails to keep a tab on weather pulse REJIMON K

THE HOME OF GOOD NEWS

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: In today’s #OmanPride campaign, we are featuring a 33-year-old Omani weather enthusiast who never fails to keep a tab on Oman’s weather updates and disseminates information to the public instantly. Passionate “I am not a graduate in climatology. However, my passion to keep a tab on weather changes in Oman has helped me in doing the job professionally,” Badar Ali Nasser Al Baddaei, the weather enthusiast who maintains an exclusive blog for weather updates, told the Times of Oman.

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Extra force to ease holiday A4 rush at border

FORECAST

Times News Service

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#OMANPRIDE Badar Ali Nasser Al Baddaei.

Badar, who even skips sleep during rainy season in Oman, said he has around 4,000 members in his Whatsapp group and 5,000 members on the Facebook page. >A6

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MARKET

Times quiz winners

New bus service

Oman budget deficit

The Times of Oman announced the winners of the National Day Online Quiz contest on Sunday. >A2

Passengers using the new bus services have described the ride as a ‘pleasant experience’. >A5

Oman’s budget deﬁcit in ﬁrst nine months of 2015 shot up to OMR2.93b, due to fall in oil prices. >B1

MONDAY, NOV EMBER 23, 2 015 Linking the driving licence and ID number to the Civil Affairs will provide detailed information, including medical history, banking details and traffic history, for registered citizens ROP, Official

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Times Online National Day quiz winners announced Times News Service MUSCAT: Times of Oman announced the winners of the National Day Online Quiz contest on Sunday. Eight winners won attractive prizes that included branded pens and watches. According to a spokesperson for the Times of Oman, the three-day online contest attracted 2,500 entries from readers. “The response was overwhelming and we had close at 2,500 entries. It attracted a lot of traffic online,” he said. A total of 15 questions were asked on each of the three days on the Times of Oman’s website and participants had to take a screenshot of the marks they scored and send it to nationaldayquiz@gmail.com.

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The idea to organise such an innovative contest was to spread knowledge about Oman among the Times of Oman’s readers. “As part of the 45th National Day, we wanted to know how well informed our readers are about Oman. “The Times of Oman will be coming out with more such contests soon and all our readers need to do is to keep an eye on our website and social media platforms,” he added. Eight winners of the contest were: Shaima Fathima, Haroon Rasheed, Tariq Al Hadi,

Sandhya Vora, Ansar Salam, Reshma Menon, Rahana Zaman and Ravi Chandran M. Sandhya, one of the winners, said: “I have no words to express my happiness. I took part in the quiz on all the three days and answered all the 45 questions correctly. When I received the call from the Times of Oman, I was really happy.” Another winner, Haroon Rasheed, who works as a sales executive with Reema Building Materials, said: “I took part on all the three days. Some questions were tricky but I could answer all of them. The questions were more about knowing Oman by heart. I must thank the Times of Oman for organising such an innovative contest.” The sponsors of this quiz were Indomie and Mistal.

WINNERS: Eight winners of Times of Oman National Day Online Quiz contest won attractive prizes that included branded pens and watches. – Jun Estrada

White base photo must for driving licence now licences,” said the advisory. According to an ROP official, the decision was prompted by technical reasons and will be applicable in case of licences for light vehicles, heavy vehicles and equipment and also for motorcycles.

The white background is more text-friendly as it displays text clearly, said an ROP official

HASAN ALI SHABAN

hassan@timesofoman.com NEW RULE: Citizens and residents are required to provide pho-

MUSCAT: Citizens and residents in Oman are now required to provide personal photos with white background, instead of blue, when renewing, issuing or replacing driving licence, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) announced. “Within the framework of ongoing upgrading of driving

tographs of self with white background instead of a blue background. – Jun Estrada

licences and linking personal photos to the civil status system, citizens and residents are required to provide photographs of self with white background

instead of a blue background when visiting the Directorates of Traffic at the Police Commands in the governorates in order to renew, issue or replace driving

Linking with civil system “The white background is more text-friendly as it displays text clearly,” said the official. Commenting on linking the licence data to the Civil Affairs systems, the ROP official said that the upcoming system would create a database for each individual so that the individual’s information can be stored in one ﬁle under the user’s identiﬁcation number. “Linking the driving licence and ID number to the Civil Affairs will provide detailed information, including medical history, banking details and traffic history, for registered citizens,” the official said.

M ONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015

MONDAY, NOV EMBER 23, 2 015

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18%

of the deaths among women in the Sultanate is accounted for by breast cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) – Cancer Country Proﬁle 2014 for Oman

Paris terror attacks impact bookings for Europe travel

ROP foils drug smuggling bid at airport Times News Service MUSCAT: Attempts to smuggle drugs have been foiled by the Department of Customs at the Muscat International Airport, a source at the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has said. The suspects tried to smuggle Clobazam, Prazolam and Bromazepam tablets. The source also said that customs officers, during baggage inspection, found drugs concealed by Asian nationals. The accused have been and referred to the Directorate of Narcotics Control.

Many planning to travel to Europe are cancelling or postponing their trips

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Bookings to Europe from Oman are down following the France terror attacks which claimed 130 lives last week, travel agents in Oman said. “Omanis and others who had plans to travel to the European countries are cancelling or postponing their trips,” a travel agent in Muscat said. “Delays occurring due to tightened security measures are discouraging them. Tourists love to have a hassle free travel. Why should they have to stand in long queues and delayed proceedings while on a leisure trip?” the travel agent added. Following the Paris carnage, France is on high alert and Belgium has locked down its capital city as authorities are looking for ‘several suspects’ following Paris terror attacks. The travel agent also added that European groups’ bookings for travel to Oman are also being cancelled. “I had bookings from groups in Europe. Those have been can-

CRIME

21 arrested for possession, peddling and use of drugs In the light of the ROP’s efforts at preventing the spread of drugs and narcotics, the Directorate for Narcotics Control in North Al Batinah ROP arrested 21 people for being in possession, peddling and using narcotics in the governorate. SECURITY CLAMPDOWN: A soldier stands in front of the departures board as he patrols Brussels Central Station on Sunday. The Belgian capital was locked down for a second day on Sunday with police and troops on the streets as the authorities hunted for several suspects linked to the Paris attacks. -AFP PHOTO

celled. Global media has been connecting terror links in a wrong fashion and this might be frightening European tourists even though Oman is ranked among the countries which have had no impact of terrorism,” the travel agent added. According to the ministry of tourism’s officials, Europe is important for tourism, accounting for almost 19 per cent of tourists to Oman annually. This year, till July, Oman had received about 234,000 tourists

from Europe. Of the total, visitors from UK topped the list with 79,365. From France itself, Oman has welcomed 27,973 tourists from January till July this year, according to official statistics. Another travel agent in Muscat also conﬁrmed that Europeans are now wary of travelling to any Arab country. “Irrespective of how much we try to convince them that Oman is the safest country, Europeans look wary about travel plans to any of the Arab countries. It will SQU

Oman on World Heritage List Campaign MUSCAT: A three-day campaign “Oman on the World Heritage List” began at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) yesterday. Organised by History and Archaeology Group of Student Affairs Deanship at SQU, the campaign included an multicornered exhibition, each focussing on one Omani site listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, to ensure its survival amid modern changes taking place in the Sultanate. The sites are Pat, Frankincense, Bahla Fort and Oryx Sanctuary. It is worth mentioning that the Oryx Sanctuary has been removed from the World Heritage List. -ONA

take time to overcome this,” another travel agent said. Ministry officials were not available to comment on this. Recently, 24 companies from the travel and tourism sector in Oman took part in the World Travel Market (WTM) in London to attract more tourists from Europe. Meanwhile, hotels in Muscat were not ready to comment. Without conﬁrming whether there have been cancellations, an official from a hotel said that they do not comment on global devel-

opments. Following the Paris attack, European media reported that more than £1.4bn were wiped off shares in European travel and hotel companies last Monday, as investors focused on concerns that attacks will hit tourism and consumer conﬁdence across the continent. On Monday, airlines were among the big sufferers, with Air France and British Airways owner IAG down 5 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively. French hotel group Accor lost 5 per cent.

71 arrested, 62 deported for illegal entry Over the course of the last week, the ROP, in cooperation with military and security personnel, arrested 71 individuals of different nationalities in different wilayats of the Sultanate for having entered the country illegally, a source at the ROP said. Also, over the last week, 62 people were deported after completing necessary procedures with their respective embassies.

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FIGHT AGAINST CANCER

Women called upon to use mobile mammogram unit TARIQ AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Women are being encouraged to use the opportunity of undergoing free cancer screening as the Oman Cancer Association (OCA) is taking its mobile mammogram unit (MMU) around the country. The exercise will last until June 2016. The MMU, whose journey began on November 1 in South Sharqiyah, will pass through North Sharqiyah, Dhofar, Dakhiliya and North and South Batinah governorates. It will give local and expatriate women a chance to get screening for free. Screening via MMUs in Muscat is usually undertaken between June and October in all health centres in the capital. “We try to encourage (women) by informing them that it is free and that early detection would save their lives,” said Yuthar Al Rawahi, OCA founder and chairperson. According to the OCA’s statistics, 14,413 women were screened between 2009 and 6 April, 2015, of whom 1,146 were referred to the Royal Hospital for further investigations. Fifty-ﬁve of the women came back to the association after these were conﬁrmed as positive cases of cancer. “We refer such patients to the Royal Hospital after our radi-

After South Sharqiyah, the MMU will go to North Sharqiyah, Dhofar, Dakhiliya and North and South Batinah governorates

ologist views the mammography results and decides they need further investigation,” said Al Rawahi. “Unfortunately, not all the women who go through the MMU screening bring the results back to the association,” she added. So far, since January they have received four positive diagnoses from the capital, she added. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) – Cancer Country Proﬁle 2014 for Oman, breast cancer accounts for 18 percent of deaths among women. Lymphoma and multiple myeloma follow with 10.4 per cent, Leukaemia 10 per cent, Colorectal 8.3 per cent, stomach cancer 5.8 per cent and the remaining 47.8 per cent to other causes.

Around 8.2 million die each year from cancer worldwide, a ﬁgure that accounts for 13 percent of deaths globally, according to the WHO. A 70 percent increase in new cases is expected over the next two decades. Currently, more than 100 types of cancer exist, each requiring unique diagnosis and treatment. When asked how MMU helped citizens and residents, Al Rawahi said, “It had a great impact on all citizens because when we take the MMU to the interior, we don’t just do the screening alone, we contact the women’s associations and undertake a lot of awareness programmes in collaboration with the women’s association groups as well as at health centres.” “We hope that those who had their MMU last year will come for their follow up screening this year and also that more new women will come for the MMU this year,” she added. The OCA is organising a women’s support group meeting to discuss different techniques and strategies to survive cancer. Dr. Vlatka Duric, an Australian clinical psychologist, will be available at this meeting for consultation, under the theme, ‘How can I help myself cope with cancer?’ The meeting will be held on 24 November at the OCA headquarters from 10am to 12pm.

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Passengers hail new Muscat bus services connecting Ruwi and Mebela started operating with new modern low-ﬂoor buses on a successful note on Sunday

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

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PUBLIC TRANSPORT: The other bus routes, which were already in operation, are Ruwi-Wadi Kabir and Ruwi-Wadi Adai. – OK Mohammed Ali

conditioned and equipped with camera, informative screen and ﬁre extinguishers. There are also ‘stop’ buttons and instruction signs on the bus, making it clear that smoking, eating and drinking was prohibited inside the vehicle. Fast ride Maryam, who had been keeping track of the time, said the bus left the Ruwi station soon with a few passengers at around 11.50pm and reached the airport at around 12.30pm. “I thought there would be heavy traffic at noon but the ride was so fast and smooth. It was one of my most pleasant travelling experiences in Muscat. I did not have to haggle with a taxi driver and felt so safe and secure,” she noted. A number of bus stops are being introduced along the new route and some of them have already been set up, and are easy to notice. Ahmed was happy with the fact

A major milestone for Modern College Times News Service

New avenues BTEC Level 3 diploma programmes open many new and exciting opportunities for students. The Sultanate’s Ministry of Education recognises BTEC Level 3 certification as a valid qualification to seek admission to higher education institutions in Oman. Ibtisam Al Busaidi, Programme Leader of BTEC Level 3 Business at Modern College, said: “BTEC Level 3 Nationals Programme is suitable for students who finished their 12th Grade (High School Diploma/O Level/ IGCSE or GCSE) but do not meet university entry-level requirements. BTEC level 3 qualifications are recognised internationally, and were originally launched in the UK by Pearson Edexcel.” Authorised centre Modern College of Business & Science is an authorised centre for BTEC, approved by both the Ministry of Manpower and Pearson. Holders of BTEC Level 3 diplomas can register for Bachelor Programmes in Oman and in many other countries. BTEC opens the door for higher education to people who are otherwise considered ineligible. Commenting on the BTEC programme, Ahmed Rajab Ally,

that the driver was driving carefully and was stopping only at the designated bus stops, ignoring the calls by some passengers who wanted to get off when the bus stopped at a red light. “The bus stops have been wisely chosen and there are many of them along the way, which makes commuting very convenient,” he said, adding that one of the greatest advantages of the bus transport was the attractive fares. Tourists Muna said she had seen even tourists using the new buses, adding that the new system will give a boost to the tourism sector. One of the issues that thought needed improvement was the paper signs put up on the bus stand, displaying maps and details of the routes. “I saw them at one of the stops. I do not know whether the paper signs have been used in other places or not, but I think another way should be used to display ANNUAL BOOK

B T E C L E V E L 3 F I R S T B AT C H

MUSCAT: The ﬁrst batch of 15 students pursuing BTEC Level 3 programme at Modern College of Business & Science has successfully completed the course. The batch was an international mix comprising Omani students as well as others from countries including Zanzibar, Tanzania and Pakistan. A great majority of these students will pursue higher studies at Modern College and will join Bachelor degree programmes in the college. The Modern College offers BTEC Level 3 programmes in Business, and ICT (Information and Communications Technology), and will shortly be launching a new specialisation in Aviation Operations.

H E A LT H M I N I S T E R ’ S C O N F E R E N C E

Oman’s health sector’s successes highlighted Times News Service MUSCAT: Improvement in the health indicators in the past four decades were highlighted by the Ministry of Health (MoH), at the ﬁfth session of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers. Dr Mohammed Saif Al Hosani, MoH Undersecretary of Health Affairs, led the Sultanate’s delegation at the conference which was held on November 17-19, at Istanbul in Turkey. The conference addressed different themes, including tackling cancer, preparedness and response in health emergencies, technology addiction and non-gov-

A new route

MUSCAT: Passengers using the newly introduced bus services in Muscat have described the ride as a “pleasant experience”, and this would encourage everyone to use the public transport. A new route connecting Ruwi and Mebela started operating with new modern low-ﬂoor buses on a successful note on Sunday, and, according to many passengers, the Oman National Transport Company (Mwasalat) has fulﬁlled its promise. “When I arrived at the Ruwi station, Omani drivers dressed in national dress welcomed me, asked me for my destination and directed me to the right bus. Information about the routes is displayed on the top-front screen of the buses, which is very helpful,” said Amena, a passenger. “I told the driver that I wanted to get off in Mabela and he handed me a Zone-3 ticket for free, which I have heard, is part of the promotional campaign of Mwasalat during the initial period,” she said. Amena was impressed by the respectful behaviour of the drivers as well as the fact that the new buses are disabled-friendly, air-

Modern College of Business & Science is an authorised centre for BTEC, approved by the Ministry of Manpower and Pearson. – Supplied photo

a recent BTEC business graduate at MCBS, said: “I studied in Tanzania where the education system encourages memorising all the content before entering the examination room. After joining BTEC at Modern College, I came to realise that memorising is not the means to gaining knowledge. BTEC is a challenging programme; it opens up your mind to creative thinking. BTEC changed my way of learning and I gained much in terms of professional knowledge and skills.” BTEC level 3 programmes are delivered over a period of 12 months, and provide focused, work-related skills across a range of vocational sectors, which prepare students to compete in the job market. The qualiﬁcation also offers career development opportunities for employees. Visits to companies, training modules in entrepreneurship, guest speakers from industries, and classes in computer labs, all provide for an enhanced learning experience. Team work In order to graduate, students need to pass each course, based on practical assignments rather than exams.

Information Ministry Publishes Oman 2015 annual book MUSCAT: Information Ministry has published its annual book — Oman 2015. The book highlights the major achievements during the Omani Blessed Renaissance under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in governorates and wilayats of the Sultanate, on the occasion of the Sultanate’s celebrations of 45th Glorious National Day. The annual book includes 11 themes namely “Stations in the Leader’s March,” “Omani Continuous Contribution in Human Civilisation,” “Establishments of the Modern State,” “Supremacy of Law and Facilitating Litigation,” “Council of Oman,” “Friendship, Dialogue and Credibility Enhance Development and Peace,” “The Citizen: Core of Security,” “The Man: Focus of Development,” “Heritage, Culture and Arts: Windows of Oman Civilized Face,” “Economic Development,” and “Modern Utilities and Pure Environment”. HM’s speeches It also includes excerpts of His Majesty the Sultan’s speeches. The book also highlights the march of development and nation-building towards further developing establishments of the modern state to meet requirements of continuous socio-economic progress and respond to aspirations and ambitions of the Omani citizen in the second decade of the 21st century. While the book highlights the projects and achievements in the Sultanate, it is a reference for media men, academics, researchers, students and those following up the Sultanate’s progress and prosperity. The annual book is published in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Persian and Urdu languages. -ONA

this information permanently because these will be washed away by rain,” she explained. Infrastructure Geetha, another passenger, said she believed that more pedestrian bridges or underground pedestrian crossings should have been built along the way to make the bus services more efficient. “There are some places where even if the bus stops, it will not be useful because there is no bridge or underground crossing to cross to the other side of the road,” she said. “However, all in all, the experience gave me a ‘sense of dignity’ and the system will hopefully improve gradually,” she said, encouraging everyone to use the new buses to help reduce the traffic, road accidents and pollution. The other bus routes, which were already in operation, are Ruwi-Wadi Kabir and Ruwi-Wadi Adai.

ernment organisations’ (NGOs’) involvement in the improvement of health services in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states. Dr Mohammed Saif shed light on Oman’s achievements in health, pointing to the improvement in the health indicators in the past four decades, and examining and reporting of cancer cases in National Cancer Registry. He also spoke on accomplishments in the ﬁeld of Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Response as the MoH established a new department, specialising in Emergency and Disasters Management. -ONA

MONDAY, NOV EMBER 23, 2 015 The National Day is the most important celebration in Oman as it is linked with the country’s modern renaissance, led by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Boleta Senkienė, Honorary Consul of Oman

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G L O R I O U S N AT I O N A L D AY

GROWING TIES

Oman’s consulate in Lithuania celebrates 45th National Day

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received more cables of congratulations on the 45th Glorious National Day from leaders of friendly countries and senior international ﬁgures. The leaders have expressed their sincere congratulations along with their best wishes of good health, happiness and a long life to His Majesty the Sultan and the Omani people further progress, growth and prosperity under His Majesty’s wise leadership. His Majesty received congratulatory cables from President Beji Caid Essebsi of the Tunisian Republic, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, President Dr. Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan, Dr. Michel Kafando,

Times News Service MUSCAT: More than 50 guests were invited to a reception in Vilnius by the Honorary Consulate of the Sultanate of Oman in Lithuania, to mark the National Day of Oman. The guests, welcomed with Omani frankincense and coffee, included politicians, governmental officials, business people, and representatives of cultural and educational institutions. “The National Day is the most important celebration in Oman as it is linked with the country’s modern renaissance, led by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said,” said Boleta Senkienė, the Honorary Consul of Oman. Over the past 45 years, the nation has transformed beyond recognition, becoming a vibrant member of the international community in all aspects, from political and economic to cultural and educational, she added. Modern Oman offers advanced infrastructure and high standards, both to investors and local residents. The nation invests hundreds of thousands of US dollars every year to build new roads and develop its tourist infrastructure, from top-class hotels to shopping malls and exhibition centres. Promoting SMEs On the other hand, Oman has been pursuing a strategy of promoting small-and medium-size enterprises and private sector businesses to increase the role of non-oil industries. By expanding and modernising its seaports, the country aims at becoming a major international

His Majesty the Sultan receives greetings interim President of Burkina Faso, Dr. Dragan Covic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, President Toomas Ilves of Estonia, President Sergio Mattarella of Italy, President Dr. Aníbal Cavaco Silva of the Portuguese Republic, President Nicos Anastasiades of Cyprus, President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania, President Prokopis Pavlopoulos of Greece, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander, First Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain, Algirdas Butkevicius, Prime Minister of Lithuania and Iyad Ameen Madani, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. -ONA

ATT O R N E Y G E N E R A L

SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES: Oman sees Lithuania as a potential springboard to Europe, Nordic and Baltic countries, in particular. – Supplied picture

and regional transport hub and a state of the art centre for logistics. In addition, Oman has joined a multi- billion regional railway mega-project, linking markets via rail networks between the Gulf nations. “As an oil-rich country, Oman serves a model of wise and rational allocation of the money it receives from oil and gas exports,” Senkienė pointed out. On the international level, Oman strives to expand political, economic and cultural relations with the world. Oman was the ﬁrst Arab nation to establish its representation in the Baltic States by

opening its Honorary Consulate in Lithuania at the end of 2013. Oman sees Lithuania as a potential springboard to Europe, Nordic and Baltic countries, in particular. Trade ties Business and trade ties between Lithuania and Oman have been growing steadily ever since. These include deals to import Lithuanian food and industrial products, participation in trade fairs and exchange of governmental and business delegations. Remarkably, the number of Lithuanian tourists visiting Oman grew three-fold this

year, compared to 2014. Oman expects to beneﬁt from Lithuania’s expertise in the development of its vibrant information technology sector and the successful introduction of various e-government solutions. In addition to that, bilateral cooperation could include projects in ﬁelds such as medical training, tourism, education and agriculture, renewable and clean energy. The two friendly countries continue to explore possible investment opportunities, especially in the area of technology-based industries.

Probe ordered into use of firearms MUSCAT: Attorney General, Hussain bin Ali Al Hilali, issued a judicial circular on Sunday for quick investigation into the firearms shooting for purposes other than calling for help. As per the decision, the accused person will remain in custody and will be referred to the court. The circular also stated that, “it has been noticed that some people shoot firearms for purposes other than calling for help either during social or religious occasions. We

Loyalty march organised at Seeb The march was held to commemorate the 45th National Day of the Sultanate

Times News Service MUSCAT: A ‘Pledge of Allegiance March’ was organised by private sector employees at Seeb Corniche Street on Sunday. The march was organised to commemorate the 45th National Day of the Sultanate. With participation by leading companies and corporations in the Sultanate, the loyalty march started at the Al Alab Club at around 3pm and continued towards Wadi Al Bahais Lagoon. National songs and dances

PATRIOTIC FERVOUR: People take out a ‘Pledge of Allegiance March’ for His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. – Ismail Al Farsi

were held to mark the celebrations, which also displayed national ﬂags and symbols. People were holding placards praising His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. They also carried Omani ﬂags in their hands. People on horseback joined scores of people who participated in the march. Meanwhile, several wilayats also held marches of loyalty and

gratitude for His Majesty the Sultan to mark the Sultanate’s celebrations of the 45th Glorious National Day. Reports of festivities have come in from the wilayats of the Sultanate. Thousands of people, who participated in the nationwide marches, expressed their happiness on the 45th Glorious National Day.

BORDER RUSH

A1 Confusion over < FROM

e-visa persists

Earlier, depending on their profession, many people were able to procure visas-upon-arrival. However, everyone, barring passport holders of certain countries, will now have to apply for an evisa to travel to the UAE. “Majority of the e-visa applications to the UAE are facing delays. Quick travel plans are not working. Many are affected and the confusion still prevails,” Rajeev Nair, managing director at Oman Orient Travel and Tours, told the Times of Oman. New regulation Since the new regulation came into force, a majority of airlines have begun denying travel to residents to the UAE if they do not hold the e-visa, but flydubai, the Dubai-based low budget carrier, flying out of Muscat, has been allowing passengers to fly. However, Moideen said that flydubai has also stopped providing visa-on-arrival facility. “The GCC residents will not receive visa-on-arrival. They

have to apply online,” said an alert issued on November 18 by the airline. Meanwhile, travel agents said they are receiving enquires and bookings from Emirates. Enquires from Emiratis “Enquiries from Emiratis planning to visit Oman during the ﬁrst week of are good. We are getting decent business,” Malinda Ranasinghe, an official from Mezoon Travels, said. Recently, expatriate travellers from Dubai planning to enter Oman through Hatta and Al Wajah border were redirected to the Fujairah border by the Emirati police. However, Oman police said it was due to some temporary arrangements made by the Emirati police. According to statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the number of tourists coming to Oman had reached roughly 1.9 million by the end of September 2015.

are required to limit this crime, which will be penalised as per the provision of Article No. 25 of the Weapons and Ammunitions Law, as it endangers public safety”. As per information released by the Prosecutor General, this circular was made after the Public Prosecution received many notiﬁcations about shooting ﬁrearms on some occasions. These incidents are attributed to lack of compliance to the law by some individuals. -ONA DRAFT BUDGET

Shura to host ministers MUSCAT: Majlis Al Shura will host Darwsih bin Ismail Al Balushi, Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs, Deputy Chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council, Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Planning and Sultan bin Salim Al Habsi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning, to discuss the 2016 draft budget of the state and the draft of the 9th ﬁve-year plan (20162020). Majlis held second sitting of its ﬁrst annual session under its Chairman Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali. -ONA W E AT H E R N E W S

A1 Updates to people < FROM

“It all started after the 2007 cyclone in Oman. We found that nobody was receiving any updates regarding rains and ﬂoods. Our aim was to keep the people alert through our messages and posts. By sharing pictures and videos of overﬂowing wadis, we were successful in alerting people,” Badar, who works in the private sector and is also a business administration student in a college in Muscat, added. Badar’s blog is rthmc.net/ blog and FB page is RthathWeather. “Mainly, we follow government met departments’ updates. We don’t spread rumours. Even if it is regional weather developments, we depend on official updates. The common people do not follow these updates. So, we do it for them,” Badar added. Recently, when cyclone Chapala wreaked havoc in Yemen, pictures taken by Badar’s friends in the network were shared by Reuters. “It was surprising. It was a proud moment for us,” Badar, who always does a lot of online reading to keep himself updated on weather, said. “Many regional English dailies also take our pictures and videos. They give us due credit. Now, our group has more than 5,000 members. We dream that one day, Oman TV will also call us to discuss weather updates on their platform,” Badar added.

M ONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015

REGION

The length of the prison term was not speciﬁed. “Serving a jail term is in Jason Rezaian’s sentence but I cannot give details Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Iran Judiciary spokesman

Egyptians vote in second phase of polls The elections have been hailed by President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi as a milestone on the army’s roadmap to democracy

CAIRO: Egyptians voted on Sunday in the second phase of elections that are meant to restore parliament after a more than three-year gap but which critics say have been undermined by widespread repression. The elections have been hailed by President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi as a milestone on the army’s roadmap to democracy but voter turnout has been low, with only a quarter of the electorate casting ballots in the ﬁrst phase on October 18-19. Sisi supporters won a landslide in the ﬁrst leg and are expected to repeat their performance on Sunday and Monday when voting takes place in the capital Cairo and 12 other provinces. Sisi cast his ballot at a girls’ school in Cairo soon after voting opened at 9am (0700 GMT). State television once again showed footage of largely empty polling stations. The government announced it was giving public sector workers half a day off on Monday to encourage them to cast their ballots. Many who abstained said they felt the polls offered little genuine choice in the absence of the main opposition Muslim Brotherhood and other critics and that parliament would change little in lives dominated by the struggle to earn

CASTING BALLOT: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi casts his vote at a polling station during the second round of parliamentary elections at Heliopolis, in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday.. – Reuters/The Egyptian Presidency/Handout

a living. “There is no reason to vote, these elections don’t mean anything. All these candidates are running so they can get MP perks,” said Hassan, a 21-year-old student who declined to give his full name. Egypt’s top cleric Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayeb, head of Al Azhar, the centre of learning in the country, likened boycotting to disobeying one’s parents. “I urge everyone, especially the youth, to participate and cast their ballots,” Tayeb told journalists outside the polling station where he cast his vote. “We tell boycotters to stop this immediately; Egypt is like your mother, boycotting is like disobeying your parents.” Egypt’s last parliament was elected in 2011-12, in the ﬁrst election after the popular uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak’s 30year rule. Voting then was marked

by long queues and youthful excitement. The Muslim Brotherhood, long the country’s main opposition movement, won about half the seats. A court dissolved that parliament in mid-2012. A year later, Sisi, then military chief, removed President Mohamed Morsi of the Brotherhood from power after mass protests against his rule. Egypt’s oldest organisation was banned, declared a terrorist organisation and thousands of its members were jailed. When it ousted Sisi, the army won the backing of other political groups by promising prompt parliamentary elections. Instead, Sisi went on to win a presidential vote in 2014. Parliament polls will ﬁnally be completed this month. The new parliament will contain 568 elected members -- 448 elected on an individual basis and 120 through winner-takes-all

lists. Sisi may appoint up to a further 28 lawmakers. On Sunday and Monday, candidates will be vying for 222 individual seats and 60 list seats. “For the Love of Egypt”, a loyalist electoral alliance led by former intelligence officer Sameh Seif Elyazal, won all 60 list-based seats contested in the first round, which covered Egypt’s second city of Alexandria, the province of Giza, which includes parts of Cairo west of the Nile, and 12 other provinces. In the absence of the Brotherhood, critics say the ballot offers many names but little genuine choice. A list of socialist and liberal parties which would have presented the main opposition choice eventually withdrew, leaving the field dominated by Sisi supporters, Mubarak-era figures, provincial notables and businessmen. — Reuters

SENTENCED

Iran sentences ‘Post’ reporter to prison term DUBAI: An Iranian court has sentenced Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian to a prison term, the state news agency said on Sunday quoting the judiciary spokesman. The length of the prison term was not speciﬁed. “Serving a jail term is in Jason Rezaian’s sentence but I cannot give details,” judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei told a weekly news conference in Tehran, according to IRNA. Not clear In Washington, US State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters he was aware of the IRNA report but could not independently conﬁrm it. It was not immediately clear why Iran AT TA C K S

Israelis kill 3 Palestinians OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Three Palestinians carrying out knife attacks on Israelis were killed in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Israeli police and the military said, as an eight-week-old wave of violence showed no signs of dying down. Incidents In the latest incident, police said a Palestinian stabbed and seriously wounded an Israeli woman at a junction near a occupied West Bank settlement bloc. A military spokesman said the assailant was shot and killed. Earlier, a Palestinian teenager was killed while she was trying to stab two Israeli women at a junction popular with Jewish settlers, police said. She was run down by a Jewish settler and shot by security forces. In another incident, a Palestinian tried to ram a taxi into Israelis at a occupied West Bank junction near Jericho and then got out with a knife in his hand to stab them, before an armed Israeli at the scene shot him dead, police said. — Reuters

has not given details of the ruling against the 39-year-old Rezaian, who Iranian prosecutors accused of espionage. No additional information The foreign editor of the Washington Post, Douglas Jehl, said in a statement that the newspaper was aware of the reports but that they had no additional information. “His trial and sentence are a sham, and he should be released immediately,” Jehl said in the statement. On October 11, Ejei said Rezaian, the paper’s Tehran bureau chief who has both US and Iranian citizenship, had been convicted, without elaborating. He said then that Rezaian had 20 days to appeal against the verdict.

The Washington Post said last month that the verdict, issued soon after Iran raised hopes of a thaw in its relations with the West by striking a nuclear deal with world powers including Washington, was “vague and puzzling”. Inﬂuential parliament speaker Ali Larijani hinted in September at the possibility that Rezaian could be freed in exchange for Iranian prisoners in the United States, but officials then played down the possibility of such a swap. Other prisoners Two other US citizens - Christian pastor Saeed Adedini and Amir Hekmati, a former US Marine Corps sergeant - also are jailed in Iran. Robert Levinson, a private

American investigator, disappeared there in 2007. Among the charges, Rezaian was accused of “collaborating with hostile governments” and disseminating “propaganda against the establishment”, according to a statement from Rezaian’s attorney, the Washington Post reported in April. In the indictment, Iranian authorities said Rezaian had written to US President Barack Obama and called it an example of contacting a “hostile government”, the Post said. Rezaian was arrested in July 2014. His brother said on October 13 that Rezaian had heard of his conviction on Iranian state TV and was depressed and angry about being deprived of information about his case. — Reuters

MONDAY, NOV EMBER 23, 2 015

INDIA

Fifty of the 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh have been declared drought-hit and the money could have been distributed among the affected farmers Vijay Bahadur Pathak, BJP spokesperson

Delink religion from terrorism; need for new strategies: Modi India set to grow faster than 7.5% in coming years: PM

Talking about terrorism, Prime

We have to delink religion from terror. The only distinction is between those who believe in humanity and who does not.... We also have to work within the society, specially the youth

Minister Narendra Modi said it is the ‘biggest threat to the world today. It knows no boundaries. It uses the name of religion to draw people to its cause but kills people of all faiths’ SPELLING OUT: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing people after unveiling the Swami Vivekananda statue at Ramakrishna Mission, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday. - PTI

KUALA LUMPUR: Warning that terrorism is the “biggest threat” to the world, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said it should be delinked from religion as he pitched for new global antiterror strategies while ensuring that no country gives sanctuary to it, a veiled reference to Pakistan. He underlined the need for ensuring that Internet does not become a “recruiting ground” for terrorism, amid the growing trend of IS luring youth from across the globe, and spoke about the world coming together to use “military force” and “international legal systems” to ﬁght the menace. Recent attacks He referred to the recent attacks in Paris, Ankara, Mali and on the Russian plane and said terrorism is not a “peripheral problem” for the Asian region but its shadow stretches across the world, both in recruitment and choice of targets. Modi, who addressed the East Asian Summit and spoke to the

Indian diaspora on the second day of his three-day visit to Malaysia, stressed the need for working “within our societies and with our youth” to counter terrorism. He said India draws strength from its diversity and that his government is working to create an environment where enterprise ﬂourishes and everybody gets basic needs like roof, sanitation, water, health care and education. In his 45-minute speech at the Malaysia International Exhibition and Convention Centre here, the prime minister said terrorism is the “biggest threat to the world today. It knows no boundaries. It uses the name of religion to draw people to its cause but kills people of all faiths.” The prime minister went on to add: “We have to delink religion from terror. The only distinction is between those who believe in humanity and who does not.... We also have to work within the

society, specially the youth.” Pitching for a united global ﬁght against terrorism, he said it should be ensured that “no country promotes terrorism, there is no sanctuary, there is funds and there is no arms.” Intelligence cooperation Pushing for enhanced intelligence cooperation among countries, Modi said it has to be ensured that “Internet does not become a recruiting ground” for terrorism. “I have said it earlier, I will say it again. The world must come together to combat the biggest challenge of our times....We can strengthen intelligence cooperation, we can use military force, we can make international legal systems for making cooperation stronger,” he said. On the upcoming Paris climate conference which he will be attending along with several world leaders on November 30,

KUALA LUMPUR: Projecting India as a bright spot amid global slowdown, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country is “running at” 7.5 per cent and will grow “even faster” in the coming years. “India is today the fastest growing major economy in the world...We are running at 7.5 per cent per year, but will grow even faster in the coming years,” he said while addressing the Indian diaspora on the second day of his three-day visit to Malaysia. “Every major global institution has placed its bets on India growing strongly,” Modi said. He said India is witnessing growth even when rest of the world, including parts of Asian region, are experiencing a slowdown. Indian economy witnessed a growth of 7.3 per cent in the last ﬁscal. During the ﬁrst quarter of 2015-16, the growth was 7 per cent.

Narendra Modi Prime Minister

Modi said “we must also stand together to send a clear message that we will not retreat in the face of terror” besides coming together to “craft a balanced and concrete outcome” on climate change. He reaffirmed India’s active participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) led security dialogue and cooperation forums and said the East Asia Summit must continue to support the evolution of an inclusive, balanced, transparent and open regional architecture for security and cooperation. “We must deepen our collective commitment to strengthen and abide by international rules and norms,” he said. At the address to the Indian diaspora, which mostly constituted of Malay Indians, Modi began with Tamil word ‘Vanakkam’ (welcome) and followed it with a few sentences in Tamil, drawing applause. - PTI

Eliminating corruption Talking about the 18 months of his government, Modi said, there is also a change in the way government is working. “We are making government transparent and accountable. We are eliminating corruption at all levels. We are making governance driven by policies and systems, not by discretion of individuals,” he said. “There is change in the cities. There is momentum

in the villages. And, there is conﬁdence in our citizens, especially our youth. And, there is change in the way government is working,” he added. On the cooperative federalism, Modi said, “we are changing the way government and citizens interact with each other. And, Central and State Governments work with each other. States compete with each other now. That is healthy.” At the same time, he noted that the world is inter-dependent and “our national progress will depend on the strength and success of our international partnerships... What happens in a far off country can affect the livelihood of workers in another place.” Modi said the decision that may be taken in a conference room in the UN or World Trade Organisation (WTO) can affect the life of a farmer in a village in India and the lifestyle in one part of the world affects climate and agriculture in another part of the world. “We need each other’s markets and resources...We don’t have to look far to ﬁnd friends and partners. Southeast Asia is our neighbour on land and sea. This is one of the most dynamic and peaceful regions of the world. This is a region of culture, talent, enterprise and hard work,” he said. He said India has excellent relations with all Southeast Asian countries. - PTI

D I S P L AY O F W E A LT H

Mulayam’s birthday bash draws ﬂak from Opposition

MASSIVE BIRTHDAY BASH: Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav celebrates his 76th

birthday in Saifai on Saturday. - PTI

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s massive birthday bash has drawn ﬂak from the opposition which on Sunday questioned the “ostentatious” display of wealth and “garish” expenditure running into crores of rupees when the state was grappling with drought situation. However, the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh dismissed the criticism saying while people were displaying their “love” for Mulayam, opposition was indulging in petty politics over the issue. Renowned composer-singer A R. Rahman on Saturday night performed on the second day of the three-day bash to celebrate the 76th birthday of Mulayam. The indoor athletic stadium, where the main function will be held, has been decked out in the SP colours of green and red. Hundreds of welcome gates and huge hoardings have come up on all the roads leading to Mulayam’s native place Saifai, around 200 km from state capital Lucknow. Cakes weighing 76 kg were also cut in various districts by partymen to celebrate birthday of the leader. Asked about the event, Con-

gress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said while his party respects the senior leader and wishes him long life for service to the nation, “it is their responsibility to act by example, to set the example to the whole nation and to the people of the country”. “That example cannot be of ostentatious display of wealth, of garish expenditure running into hundreds of crores which may obviously be better utilised for the welfare of the poor people of that state reeling under the series of misfortunes. “So I think we can only request and ensure this is not repeated in the future,” he said. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the money spent on the celebrations could have been used for the drought-affected districts. “Fifty of the 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh have been declared drought-hit and the money could have been distributed among the affected farmers,” BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said on Saturday. But the Samajwadi Party was unfazed by the criticism and also denied allegations of misuse of government exchequer. “While the entire state is praying for long life of ‘Netaji’ (Mu-

layam), the opposition is involved in negative publicity. There is no misuse of government machinery or exchequer for AR Rahman concert and other programmes in Saifai,” party spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury said. “The event was organised by ‘Sri Ranvir Singh Smriti Samaroh Samiti’ for environment conversation. Lakhs of people converged at the event, where their love for netaji was visible. Opposition should shun petty politics on the matter,” Chowdhury said. “Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday accused the Congress of “humiliating” its senior leaders. Addressing a gathering here at Janeshwar Mishra park on his birthday, Yadav while pointing towards former chief minister of north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakahand ND Tiwari said, “Had he been in SP, he would have been a big name among socialist leaders”. “Due to circumstances, he joined Congress. There should be“kripa” (blessings) to remain in this party. He was removed as he did not enjoy the ‘kripa’”, Yadav said adding that the party (Congress) “humiliates” its leaders. - PTI

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INDIA

TWO-TIERED ELECTIONS

Amid voter complaints, Gujarat local polls see 47% turnout AHMEDABAD: Amid widespread complaints of deletion of names from voters’ lists, polling took place on Sunday for the ﬁrst phase of the two-tiered elections to local self-government bodies in Gujarat, with around 47 per cent of the electorate turning out to cast their ballot. Voting began on a lazy note at 8 am at around 13,000 polling stations in the state. Secured by police and paramilitary personnel, the turnout limped to just over 15 per cent by afternoon, leaving political parties worried about their prospects. Polling, however, picked up during the last three hours to hover around an average 47 per cent — 4 per cent higher than the 43.8 per cent in the 2010 municipal elections. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state controls six of the eight municipal corporations — Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar — that went to the polls. The terms of Gandhinagar and Junagadh are yet to end.

of the Sardar Patel Group which along with Hardik Patel’s Patel Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) is leading the pro-quota agitation, said: “In Patel-dominated pockets like Ghatlodia, Bapunagar, Lambha and many others in Ahmedabad, names of Patel voters are missing or deleted from the list.

Rajkot city topped with a maximum of 50 per cent turnout, followed by Bhavnagar with 49 and Jamnagar with 47 — all three cities fall in the Saurashtra region that has a sizeable population of the Patel community which is on a warpath with the Anandiben Patel government over their demand for reservation. The state’s commercial capital Ahmedabad and cultural hub Vadodara too saw around 47 per cent voter turnout each. Surat, that cuts and polishes nearly 80 per cent of the diamonds exported from the country, scored the lowest turnout of 44 per cent.

EXERCISING FRANCHISE: BJP president Amit Shah shows his inked ﬁnger after casting vote in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation election at Naranpura, Ahmedabad on Sunday. - PTI

No untoward incident Though no untoward incident or poll-related violence was reported from anywhere, the state election commission (SEC) received a large number of complaints of deletion of names from voters’ lists from all the cities. Official sources said every city must have received an average of three major complaints about absence of and deletion of voters’

names from electoral lists. The number of missing voters ranged anywhere from 500 to a staggering 2,000 from booths at a number of wards. Allegations poured in from opposition parties and independent candidates that this was more rampant in areas with dominance of the Patel community. Congress and Patel agitation

leaders said the BJP was scared that the community, which has always remained with the party through the decades, was deserting it this time after the pro-reservation agitation. They alleged from media outlets and public platforms that there was “conspiracy” to prevent a large number of Patels from voting. Varun Patel, a spokesperson

Conspiracy “This is a conspiracy to deprive the Patidar community of a chance to vote,” he said. The BJP countered by saying that the opposition had become panicky. Polling largely went off peacefully, except an incident where it was suspended for nearly 20 minutes at a polling station in Vadodara after technical glitches in an electronic voting machine. In another incident, a middleaged man fainted ahead of polling at a booth in Ahmedabad. Over 9.5 million people were eligible to vote in the ﬁrst phase for 572 seats in 143 municipal wards. There were 1,856 candidates in the fray, while for the ﬁrst time in Gujarat, as many as 50 per cent of

Congress hits out at Modi for remarks on corruption Senior Congress leader Abhishek

It is regrettable that a person of the stature of Prime Minister can bring in such pettiness in every comment, even on foreign soil. It seems to have become DNA of the NDA. It seems to have become the inbuilt thinking process of the NDA

Manu Singhvi said that such comments not only insult the office of the Prime Minister but also

Abhishek Manu Singhvi

the grandeur

Senior Congress spokesperson

of the country

NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Sunday latched on to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks in Malaysia on the issue of corruption to rake up the Lalit Modi controversy over which it is seeking resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Addressing the Indian diaspora on the second day of his three-day visit to Malaysia, Modi said, “We

are eliminating corruption at all levels and making governance driven by policy and systems not discretion of individuals.” In response, Congress tweeted, “He didn’t utter a word when Smt Swaraj & Smt Raje helped a fugitive.#ModiInMalaysia talks about Corruption! Ironic!” The party also used a quote of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to take a jibe at the Prime Minister for his assertion that since his government entered office 18 months

ago, no region has seen greater engagement from India than Asia Paciﬁc and Indian Ocean Region. “The person who always talks about his virtues, is in reality, has less of them,” the party said in Hindi quoting Nehru. Senior Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that such comments not only insult the office of the Prime Minister but also the grandeur of the country and asserted that India, with all its fault and shortcomings, has

evolved from 1947 to 2015 and every person has contributed to that. Regrettable “Whenever he (Modi) speaks, he underlines the assumption that India was born and grew up from adolescence to youth to old age and achieved everything in 18 months. Neither any good thing existed prior to May 2014 nor are Indian achievements prior to May 2004 relevant to talk about. “It is regrettable that a person of

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

CBI quizzes Rahul Mukherjea, his father Peter in Sheena murder case Peter for around 11 hours and his interrogation started again in morning, the sources said without elaborating.

MUMBAI: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday questioned Rahul Mukkerjea, who has handed over several documents allegedly used by Sheena Bora to “blackmail” her mother Indrani Mukherjea. Rahul is considered an “important link” in the sensational Sheena Bora murder case by the agency which also continued the grilling of his father Peter Mukherjea, an accused in the case who was arrested on November 19. Rahul has handed over the documents belonging to Sheena, which, according to a source, she used for “blackmailing” Indrani, who is accused of murdering her. Blackmailing According to investigators, Sheena, who was engaged to Rahul, was blackmailing Indrani that if she did not give her a 3 BHK ﬂat in the city, she would expose her by telling people that she was Indrani’s daughter and not sister, as the latter had claimed. Rahul visited the CBI office, situated opposite to Secretariat in South Mumbai, on Saturday morning and handed over breakfast to Peter, a former media baron, who has been arrested on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. Rahul stayed at the office for about an hour and returned again in afternoon, according to CBI officials.

ACCUSED: Indrani Mukherjea after being produced by the CBI at the Esplanade court in Mumbai on Friday in connection with Sheena Bora murder case. - PTI

“Yes, I am being questioned and there isn’t any confrontation between me and my father. I don’t want to compromise on the investigation and I will make a statement at right time,” Rahul told media persons before entering the CBI office at around 1:50pm. He left the office at around 5:30 pm without talking to waiting media. Rahul is Peter’s son from ﬁrst

wife and stepson of the prime accused in the case Indrani. An official said that CBI questioned Rahul on various claims made by Peter in his defence. As per CBI, Peter was in know of Sheena’s murder and had been in continuous touch with Indrani over phone from UK before, during and after the crime. CBI had on Saturday grilled

Summoned According to them, the CBI, which will seek further remand of Peter as his custody is expiring on Monday, has also summoned those persons who used to handle his accounts with relevant documents comprising his income tax details. Rahul, who was trying to trace Sheena after her sudden disappearance on April 24, 2012, started recording telephonic conversation he had with Peter and Indrani over Sheena’s whereabouts as he found their replies evasive and inconsistent. He had given these audio clips to the police before the probe was transferred to CBI. As per the chargesheet ﬁled by CBI in court, Indrani was against Rahul’s relationship with Sheena as she feared that Sheena will become inheritor of entire property of her and Peter, which is suspected to be the prime motive behind the murder. Apart from Peter and Indrani, other accused in the case are the latter’s former husband Sanjeev Khanna and former driver Shyamvar Rai who have been remanded to judicial custody till December 3. - PTI

the stature of Prime Minister can bring in such pettiness in every comment, even on foreign soil. It seems to have become DNA of the NDA. It seems to have become the inbuilt thinking process of the NDA,” he told reporters. “We will only pray with folded hands to the Prime Minister that you not only insult the office of the Prime Minister by saying such things, you also insult the grandeur of India. India with all its fault and with all its shortcomings has evolved from 1947 to 2015 and each one of has contributed. We all are proud of it,” Singhvi said. Congress also utilised a column of former ﬁnance minister P. Chidambaram to “demolish” government’s claims on economy. “Economy is not where @narendramodi claims it is. Former FinMin @PChidambaram_IN demolishes Govt’s claims,” it said on the microblogging site. “The RBI statistics show Rs vs dollar was 54.41 in 2012-13. This year’s average is Rs 64.54,” it said. The AICC had made it clear last week that it had not given up on its demand for the resignation of Swaraj and Raje in the Lalit Modi controversy and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan in the Vyapam scam. - PTI

the seats were reserved for women candidates. The second phase of balloting would be held on November 29 to elect 327 municipalities, tehsil panchayats and district panchayats, covering a motley mix of urban and rural voters. Counting would take place on December 2. BJP patriarch L.K. Advani cast his vote at a polling station in Ahmedabad city’s Khanpur area around 9am. Chief Minister Anandiben Patel voted in the newly-developed Shilaj area of the city, while BJP’s national president Amit Shah also cast his ballot. Anandiben Patel exuded conﬁdence about the BJP’s victory, and Advani supported her contention. Asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s performance as the prime minister could have an impact on the local body polls, after the BJP’s debacle in the Bihar assembly elections, Advani said: “It is too much to expect from a new government in a short duration, particularly when its direction is correct.” Advani predicted a good result for the BJP in Gujarat. - IANS LAND DEAL PROBE

BJP describes Vadra’s claim as ‘farcical’ NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday described Robert Vadra’s assertion that he was being subjected to a political witch-hunt as “farcical” and said the party did not believe in politics of revenge, alleging that he used his connection with the Gandhi family to do business. “He is complaining too much. He had used family connections, political authorities wielded by Gandhis as his political weapon. For him to complain now as he is being used as a political tool is farcical,” BJP spokesperson G. V. L. Narsimha Rao said. Alleging that Vadra’s only fame to business was the business he conducted through the politics and being the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rao said that Vadra was also trying to gain sympathy by twisting the facts in the case. Vadra, whose land deals are being probed in BJP-ruled Haryana and Rajasthan, on Sunday contended that he was being subjected to a “political witch-hunt” and used as a “political tool”. Alleging that there was a “sustained political attack” on him, 46-year-old Vadra claimed that BJP was using attacks on him as a “political tool whenever they need to divert public attention”. - PTI

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MONDAY, NOV EMBER 23, 2 015

PAKISTAN POOR PERFORMANCE

Interior ministry miffed at foreign missions’ working ISLAMABAD: The interior ministry has prepared a report on the poor performance of Pakistan’s foreign missions in protecting the dignity and rights of Pakistani citizens abroad. The report will soon be sent to the prime minister. This was announced on Saturday by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, without naming any specific missions abroad. An official, however, told The Express Tribune that most of these Pakistani missions were based in the European Union. The development follows the recent suspension of deportation agreements with all European countries, except Britain, over accusations of mistreatment of Pakistani migrants. Nisar alleged the readmission agreement for deportees was apparently tilted against Pakistan. In a news conference on Friday and subsequently in a statement issued on Saturday, the security czar said he would take up all these concerns during an upcoming meeting with a visiting EU delegation headed by EU immigration commissioner. A new standard operating procedure is being developed for the acceptance of deportees from European countries. The interior minister stated he would raise his voice and take all possible steps whenever fundamental rights of Pakistanis were violated. Deportees Regretting the arrival of another batch of deportees from Greece through a normal flight, he said a reference would be sent to penalise the Middle Eastern airline, which brought the migrants back. Nisar said all airlines flying back deportees without the interior ministry’s approval would be fined in the future. He also directed the Federal Investigation Agency to strictly monitor airports across the country and keep an eye on passengers coming from Greece.

Special excise duty to help increase revenue The Federal Board of Revenue proposals include an increase in regulatory duties on so-called luxury goods and a hike

UNDER FIRE: The Pakistani embassy in Paris. –Express Tribune

Of the 19 ‘politically appointed’ ambassadors of Pakistan in different countries, more than half (10) are former military officers, official records reveal. In a reply submitted in the National Assembly, the Foreign Ofﬁce has disclosed that the government has appointed three retired foreign services officers as envoys and six party supporters or bureaucrats as ambassadors to the countries of their choice. All these appointments are contract-based. The answer was submitted in response to a question raised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Shireen Mazari. She had asked the FO about the total number of non-foreign services personnel serving as Pakistani envoys and the total number of ‘political appointees’, and retired civil and military bureaucrats. An FO official, however, defended the government’s move. “Although political appointments on ambassadorial positions are common in many countries, they [envoys] are usually big donors or supporters of the ruling parties,” he claimed. “In the US, ﬁnanciers of presidential campaigns often get appointments to less important but scenic countries.” In Pakistan, however, political appointees are usually ex-military officers, he admitted. — Express Tribune

in excise duties

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has proposed a special excise duty on imports and increasing withholding tax rates on contractors to raise an additional Rs40 billion needed to meet a key condition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme. Other proposals include an increase in regulatory duties on so-called luxury goods and a hike in excise duties on cigarettes, finance ministry sources revealed to The Express Tribune on Saturday. The finance ministry has received the recommendations and many of them will be implemented from December, they added. The FBR has firmed up two sets of recommendations – one can be implemented through executive powers, while the other requires legislation. Regulatory orders Regulatory duties can be increased by issuing Statutory Regulatory Orders (SROs), sources said. But measures like reintroducing a special duty on imports and raising withholding tax rates on contractors can only be implemented through legislation, they added. With a little over a week left

RECOMMENDATIONS: Special excise duty on imports, and hike in withholding tax on contractors are under consideration. – File

before the November 30 deadline set by the IMF for a mini-budget, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will start deliberating upon these options next week. So far, he has preferred to follow an easy path and issue SROs. Under another IMF condition, the government has withdrawn FBR’s powers to issue SROs except in cases of natural disasters and meeting commitments made to international ﬁnancial institutions. Dar has already stated that increasing regulatory and federal excise duties are among his preferred options. Increasing excise duty on cigarettes would fetch additional revenue of at least Rs5 billion. Changes in regulatory and excise duties, and imposing the special excise duty will also automatically increase collection of sales tax, as it is calculated by including all duties and levies. This would fuel inﬂation as well.

Sources said imposing 0.5% special excise duty on imports would be a step backward. The Pakistan Peoples Party government had abolished it in 2012 to relieve businesses and middle class consumers. To secure the release of the last tranche of the $6.2 billion IMF loan, the government has already issued a policy directive requiring all government suppliers to be on the current list of active taxpayers to conduct business with government departments. The purpose of the IMF condition was to bring the contractors in the tax net. The need for a mini-budget arose due to FBR’s failure to achieve its July-September tax collection target of Rs640 billion. The price for this failure will be now paid by consumers. Last month, the Washingtonbased chief of the IMF mission in Pakistan Harald Finger said there was a shortfall of about Rs40 bil-

lion in tax revenues which the government would bridge by taking additional revenue measures. In case Pakistan fails to introduce new measures, the IMF Board meeting will not be called to approve of the next $502 of the Extended Fund Facility programme, ﬁnance ministry officials said. There was also a proposal to increase WHT rate from 7% to 8% on payments made to contractors by companies and from 7.5% to 8.5% on payments made by individuals and association of persons to the contractors. If the contractors are not income tax ﬁlers, the rates are proposed to be increased from 10% to 11%, said sources. “All this speculative and serious discussion [on new tax measures] has yet to take place. It will begin in the next few days,” said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue Haroon Akhtar Khan. — Express Tribune

A D D R E S S T O PA R T Y W O R K E R S

‘I’ll spend taxpayers’ money on poor instead of making roads’

PLEDGE: Imran vowed to build ﬁnest hospitals and educational facilities across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. – Files

KHYBER-PAKHTUNKHWA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has said his party “will spend taxpayers’ money on the country’s poor people instead of ‘wasting’ it on building roads” when it comes to power. “I will not have to campaign for elections after the current government’s tenure ends,” Imran told a huge gathering of party workers and supporters in Swabi district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Sunday. The PTI chief announced the merger of Swabi-based Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan’s (AJIP) with the PTI, and congratulated the former’s leadership for their decision. While accepting his party’s negligence in timely redressal of health issues of the people of Khy-

ber-Pakhtunkhwa, Imran vowed to build ﬁnest hospitals and education facilities across the province. “Although it has been delayed but you will soon see a change,” he said. The PTI chairman said his party will also launch a cricket academy for children in K-P besides creating a number of sports facilities in the province. “Wasim Akram has already agreed, and we will soon start a cricket academy for our children who will emerge as the best cricketers.” The K-P government will announce special relief packages for orphans and widows, and create rehabilitation centres for street children in various provincial cities, added the PTI chief. Imran Khan sees his vindication in a calmer Pakistan The cricketer-turned politician

was of the view that all parties had ganged up against PTI, but claimed he will solely ﬁght against all and defeat them. Promise Imran said his government fulﬁlled its promise by commercialising all government guest houses in K-P, which saved considerable resources. “We have not privatised but commercialised the guest houses and soon will commercialise the K-P Chief Minister’s House,” he elaborated. Meanwhile in Karachi, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Chief Executive S M Muneer has said that the government should consider reducing taxes on paper and raw material. He said this while inaugurating the Printpak Exhibition here at the

Expo Center Karachi. “It is shocking that around 49% duty and taxes have been imposed on raw material, which is one of the highest in the world. This is hurting our industry and it will be addressed on priority basis. We will work towards supporting the value added industry,” Pakistan Association of Printing and Graphic Arts Industry (PAPGAI) quoted Muneer in a press release on Saturday. PAPGAI Chairman Muhammad Ismail Memon said the association has been organising the show for the last 25 years with the purpose to gather all stakeholders and industry players under one roof. “Pakistan has a huge untapped potential as our per capita usage of paper is around 8 kg while in India it is around 12 kg,” he added. — Express Tribune

M ONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015

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ASIA Bangladesh executes 2 opposition leaders Opposition

ALLEGED RECLAMATION: This aerial photograph taken from a military aircraft shows alleged on-going reclamation by China on Mischief Reef in the Spratly group of islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, on May 11, 2015. – AFP Files

China to continue building facilities on disputed islands KUALA LUMPUR: China said on Sunday it will continue to build military and civilian facilities on its artiﬁcial islands in the disputed South China Sea and the United States was testing it by sending warships through the area. “Building and maintaining necessary military facilities, this is what is required for China’s national defence and for the protection of those islands and reefs,” Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur. China planned to “expand and upgrade” the civilian facilities on the islands “to better serve commercial ships, ﬁshermen, to help distressed vessels and provide more public services”, Liu said, adding that China rejects the notion that it is militarising the South China Sea. He said China has mostly built civilian facilities. Most forceful explanations Liu’s comments at the annual East Asia Summit, this year hosted by Kuala Lumpur, were some of the most forceful explanations that China has given regarding its position on the South China Sea. Washington was testing Beijing with its insistence on “freedom of navigation” patrols in the strategic

waterway, Liu said. China, which claims almost the entire energy-rich South China Sea, has been transforming reefs into artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago and building airfields and other facilities on some of them. That has prompted concerns in Washington and across the region that Beijing is trying to militarise its claims in the South China Sea. Earlier this month, US B-52 bombers flew near some of the islands, signalling Washington’s determination to challenge Beijing’s claim. At the end of October, the USS Lassen, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed around one of them. “This time, in a very high profile manner, the US sent military vessels within 12 nautical miles of China’s islands and reefs,” Liu said. “This has gone beyond the scope of freedom of navigation. It is a political provocation and the purpose is to test China’s response.” Obama on Saturday called on countries to stop building artificial islands and militarising their claims and said the United States would continue to assert its freedom of navigation rights in the sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have territorial claims in the South China Sea. — Reuters

leaders Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury were hanged shortly after the president rejected their appeals

DHAKA: Bangladesh executed two opposition leaders on Sunday for war crimes committed during the 1971 war, a senior police official said, in a move likely to draw an angry reaction from supporters. Opposition leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, a former legislator from former premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), were hanged shortly after President Abdul Hamid rejected their appeals late on Saturday for clemency. “Both of them were hanged simultaneously on two separate platforms,” the police official said. Mujahid, 67, of the Jamaate-Islami party, and Chowdhury, 66, were hanged at Dhaka Central Jail. The Supreme Court had previously rejected their appeals against a death sentence imposed by a special tribunal for genocide and torture of civilians during the conﬂict. Tight security The Border Guard Bangladesh paramilitary force has been deployed across the country to tighten security. Bangladesh has seen a rise in violence in recent months, with two foreigners and four sec-

LANDSLIDE

DISASTER SITE: Rescue teams search for the bodies of miners killed in a landslide in a jade mining area in Hpakhant, in Myanmar’s Kachin state on Sunday. – AFP

Nearly 100 bodies pulled from Myanmar jade mine YANGON: Nearly 100 bodies have been pulled from a landslide near a jade mine in Myanmar’s northern Kachin State and an estimated 100 people are still missing, a rescue official said on Sunday. The landslide happened in the early hours of Saturday in Hpakant, an area that produces some of the world’s highest-quality jade, but the mines and dump sites for debris are rife with hazards and landslides are not uncommon, though rarely this deadly. Workers, many of them migrants from other parts of the country, toil long hours for little pay. The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said that many of the miners were sleeping in huts when the landslide occurred. An official with the Hpakant Township Fire Brigade told Reuters by telephone that 99 bodies had been recovered by late Sunday afternoon and that this

number was likely to rise. “We are sure the death toll will go up since many are still missing,” he said. The official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said that the accident occurred near a mining site controlled by Triple One Jade Mining at around 3am on Saturday. Cause unlceared It was unclear as to what triggered the landslide in the remote and mountainous region that is almost entirely off limits to foreigners. A lawmaker also conﬁrmed the ﬁgure. Zaw Htay, a senior official from the President’s Office, said that rescue efforts were being carried out by local authorities. “Responsible officials from Kachin State government are taking care of rescue and relief works,” he said. Myanmar’s jade industry is ex-

tremely opaque and much of the jade that is mined in Hpakant is believed to be smuggled to neighbouring China where the stone is highly valued. According to researchers from environmental advocacy group Global Witness, which published a comprehensive report on the sector earlier this year, the value of jade production in Myanmar is estimated to have been as much as $31 billion in 2014. Many of the jade mines are connected to government officials, members of armed ethnic groups and cronies with close ties to the former military government, the group found. Safety measures at the mines and surrounding dumping sites are minimal. “These crony-owned mining companies piled this giant mine dump near the village without any consideration for the safety of the village that has existed all along,” the ﬁre official said. — Reuters

STANDING GUARD: Bangladeshi police officers stand guard early Sunday in Dhaka’s Central Jail, where Bangladeshi Nationalist Party leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid were executed. – AFP

ular writers and a publisher killed this year. Mujahid was found guilty on ﬁve charges including torture and the murders of intellectuals and minority community members while he commanded Al Badr, an auxiliary force during the war. Chowdhury, former legislator from former premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was convicted in October 2013 on charges of genocide, religious persecution, abduction and torture during the war. “While we are saddened that we have lost our father by way of a motivated and predetermined trial and where the country is gagged from speaking out, we ﬁnd hope in the fact that the international community recognises the injustice and that fairness and truth

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shall be restored in Bangladesh,” Humam Quader Chowdhury, a son of Chowdhury, told Reuters. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened an inquiry into crimes committed during the war in 2010, paving the way for prosecutions by a war crimes tribunal that hardliners have denounced as part of a politically motivated campaign aimed at weakening Jamaat-e-Islami’s leadership. Two Jamaat leaders have been executed, one in December 2013 and another in April. They declined to seek clemency from the

president. BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon said: “Salauddin has fallen victim to persecution because of his political identity, and he has been denied justice”. Osman Farruk, a senior leader of the BNP, said that until there was political dialogue, the violence would continue. Badiul Alam Majumder, secretary of rights group Citizens for Good Governance, agreed. “Otherwise the ongoing killings and attacks will not be stopped,” he told Reuters. Moqbul Ahmed, acting Amir of Jamaat, said in a statement that Mujahid was a victim of government conspiracy. He called a daylong general strike on Monday across the country. The government denies accusations of interference in the judiciary. — Reuters

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Are we really winning the war against terror?

Location: Al Sifah beach/ Photo: Arvind Bhandare

READERS’ FORUM US President Barack Obama’s ‘doctrine of change’ is the real reason behind the exodus of migrants This refers to US President Barack Obama’s visit to a refugee camp in Malaysia. This visit highlights the western leader’s hypocrisy. It is Washington that is chieﬂy responsible for the refugee crises in the world. Obama’s doctrine of change — for which he grabbed the Nobel Peace Prize — has fuelled the upheaval in the MENA region throughout his tenure. It seems unlikely the American policy of blackmail will change for the better after the exit of Obama. Also, the US pivot on Asia is a euphemism whereby it Scan this QR code can ensue instability and create‚ unintendto send letters to the ed, conﬂicts. — Sandy Parker, Ghala Readers’ Forum, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi).

India should be rather lobbying for the dissolution of the UNSC This refers to the summit between the Asean and India. It is high time New Delhi revisit its new policy of global meddling. The country of Mahatma Gandhi, a peace icon, has embarked on seeking a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seat, which will force us to act in the interests of the Western imperial powers. A better approach would be to lobby for the dissolution of the non-functional Security Council. This forum’s function should be handled by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and resolutions be passed by two thirds majority. — Manoj Saxena, Ruwi

LEONID BERSHIDSKY

According to a recent Gallup survey, 37 per cent of US workers work from home from time to time, up from 9 per cent in 1995 — but they only do so two days per month on average. They have the technical capability not to come in to work, but they still do. bit.ly/leisuredeﬁcit

he ghastly attacks in Paris have brought to the fore fears about the presence of the IS in Pakistan. The Foreign Office has ruled this out, with Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry stating that the country was winning the war on terror. The firm rejection of IS presence is wrong, and numerous reports can be cited as evidence that the group has a nascent presence in the country. More important, however, is the claim that Pakistan is winning this war. What defines ‘victory’ in a war against multiple non-state armed groups? If victory is being measured by the effect of kinetic counterterror and counter-insurgency operations across Pakistan, then, surely, the country is winning. The number of terror attacks has fallen dramatically since the military went on the attack in North Waziristan. Karachi’s descent into the abyss has also been stemmed with both the Rangers and local police stepping up to the plate. We have not seen a high-profile attack on military installations for some time. All of this is evidence that terror cells have been disrupted across the country. This aggressive posture has thrown the enemy off-balance. Command and control centres have been eliminated in the tribal areas, militant leadership is on the run, and the grip of fear across Pakistan has receded. A surge focused on increased kinetic operations can reduce violence. Without a suitable non-kinetic strategy, however, this reduction in violence is not sustainable, for it does not destroy the ecosystem of terror within society. We have seen evidence of this in both Afghanistan and Iraq, where violent groups hit back with a vengeance once military forces pull back. In Pakistan, terrorists might be on the run, but the environment that enabled them to carry out deadly attacks continues to exist. This environment breeds on financing networks, extremist preachers radicalising the youth, and an overall lack of capacity of local law-enforcement agencies. Victory, therefore, must be measured by the impact of both kinetic and non-kinetic operations on terror networks, as well as their impact on the ecosystem of terror in the country. Such a strategy demands a more long-term outlook. Inter-provincial cooperation, civil-military engagement and a consensus on strategic re-

forms is needed to achieve a permanent victory in this war. Three broad areas that require immediate discussion and consensus are curriculum and seminary reforms, measures to eliminate the shadow economy and enhancing inter-agency cooperation across the country. While a large majority of seminaries provide religious education, a handful of seminaries continue to radicalise the youth. Instituting reforms and reaching a consensus with the religious lobby on the way forward has to be a priority. The past has shown how difficult madrassa reform can be, but this does not mean that the government gives up and turns a blind eye to this problem. In fact, the government must take advantage of public opinion and mount pressure on the religious lobby to accept much-needed reforms. The shadow economy is where terrorists raise the money and resources to carry out their attacks. Some estimates place Pakistan’s shadow economy at 100 per cent of its GDP. This enables terrorists to raise large sums of money, while constraining the ability of the government to raise revenue, some of which could be used to increase funding for cash-strapped local law enforcement. While the enemy is free to raise large sums for advanced weapons, Pakistan’s local police forces have to fight with outdated weaponry due to resource constraints. This compounds civil-military relations in the country, as policymakers lean on the military to combat terrorists that outgun local law enforcement. Greater inter-agency and inter-provincial coordination is a first step. Enabling law enforcement and intelligence agencies to collaborate with each other will aid in the development of a broader understanding of terror networks across Pakistan. Such coordination is necessary to ensure that intelligence gathered from raids in one part of the country leads to quick action against terror networks in other regions. Besides claiming that “the back of the terrorists has been broken”, the government has been unable to showcase strong performance on these non-kinetic strategies. To sustain this momentum, however, Pakistan must switch gears and focus on the medium- and long-term solutions. Without these, a golden opportunity, brought about by the sacrifices of the military and law-enforcement officers, will be missed. - Express Tribune

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES NOVEMBER 2000 OCCI holds seminar on computer programmes MUSCAT: A seminar on computer programmes was held at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) under the chairmanship of Mohammed bin Ali Al Kiyumi. Mohammed Abdul Rahman Hijazi, from the Muscat Institute for Administration and Science, gave a lecture in which he outlined the various uses of computer and its importance in performing deals and customer service efficiently. It also included typing, publication and diagrams and the modern methods to avoid any technical failure in various computers.

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1953: North Korea signs 10-year aid pact with Peking. 1980: In Europe’s biggest earthquake since 1915, 3,000 people are killed in Italy. 2005: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf elected president of Liberia; she is the ﬁrst woman to lead an African nation.

TOTAL

6,176 5,628 6,157 5,961 5,850 5,738 5,786 6,094 6,064 6,238 6,020 6,468

72,180

Source National Centre for Statistics & Information

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We’re in a situation where the services are overrun. They expect something to happen, but don’t know where Nathalie Goulet, French Senate’s investigation committee

‘Red flags’ missed before attacks On any one of these occasions, French police, intelligence and security services had an opportunity to detain at least some of the men who launched the attacks

PARIS: There were multiple chances to stop the men who attacked Paris. In January, Turkish authorities detained one of the suicide bombers at Turkey’s border and deported him to Belgium. Brahim Abdeslam, Turkish authorities told Belgian police at the time, had been “radicalised” and was suspected of wanting to join IS in Syria, a Turkish security source told Reuters. Yet during questioning in Belgium, Abdeslam denied any involvement with militants and was set free. So was his brother Salah a decision that Belgian authorities say was based on scant evidence that either man had terrorist intentions. On November 13, Abdeslam blew himself up at Le Comptoir Voltaire bar in Paris, killing himself and wounding one other. Salah is also a suspect in the attacks, claimed by the IS, and is now on the run. In France, an “S” (State Security) file for people suspected of being a threat to national security had been issued on Ismail Omar Mostefai, who would detonate his explosive vest inside Paris’ Bataclan concert hall. Mostefai, a Frenchman of Algerian descent, was placed on the list in 2010, French police sources say. Turkish police also considered him a terror suspect with links to IS. Ankara wrote to Paris about him in December 2014 and in June this year, a senior Turkish government official said. The warning went unheeded. Paris answered last week, after the attacks. A fourth attacker missed at least four weekly check-ins with French police in 2013, before authorities issued an arrest warrant for him. By that time he had left the country. On any one of these occasions, police, intelligence and security services had an opportunity to detain at least some of the men who launched the attacks. That they did not, helps explain how a group of militants was able to organise even as they moved freely among countries within the open borders of Europe’s passportfree Schengen area and beyond. Taken one by one, each misstep has its own explanation, security services say. They attribute the lapses in communication, inability to keep track of suspected militants and failure to act on intelligence, to a lack of resources in some countries and a surge in the number of would-be militants. But a close examination by Reuters of a series of missed red flags and miscommunications culminating in France’s biggest atrocity since World War II puts on stark display the mounting difficulties faced by anti-terrorism units across Europe and their future ability to keep the continent safe. “We’re in a situation where the services are overrun. They expect something to happen, but don’t know where,” said Nathalie Goulet, who heads up the French Senate’s investigation committee into militant networks. Weak link Many point to Belgium as a weak link in European security. “They simply don’t have the same means as Britain’s MI5 or the DGSI (French intelligence agency),” said Louis Caprioli, a former head of the DST, France’s former antiterrorism unit. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel defended his country’s security services and praised them for doing “a difficult and tough job.” French President Francois Hollande also praised his country’s security services, who hunted down and shot dead the man they identified as the ringleader, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, five days after the attacks. Europol, the European Union’s police agency, says it has been feeding information to the Belgian and French authorities

ON GUARD: A French soldier stands guards in front of a bakery in the 20th district of Paris on Sunday, following a coordinated wave of attacks on Parisian nightspots claimed by IS group militants that killed 130 people. – AFP

If Abaaoud (ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud) was able to go from Syria to Europe, that means there are failings in the entire European system Laurent Fabius French Foreign Minister STRICT VIGIL: French President Francois Hollande has praised his country’s security services. – AFP

but acknowledges that some member states are better at sharing information than others. The focus of investigators over the past few years has been men and women who have grown up in Europe, have European passports and who travel to Syria to train and fight. As the number of those fighters has increased, authorities have struggled to keep up. The French Interior Ministry estimated about 500 French nationals had travelled to Syria and almost 300 had returned. French authorities reckon up to 1,400 people need 24-hour surveillance. Yet France has only about the same number of officers to carry out the task, a tenth of those needed. Some 350 people from Belgium have gone to Syria to fight - the highest per capita number in Europe. A Belgian government source said Belgium has a list of 400 people who are in Syria, have returned or are believed to be about to go there. There are another 400-500 people who authorities believe have radicalised. The number of people in the Belgian security services carrying out surveillance is believed to be considerably fewer than this. The numbers partially explain why many of the attackers in Paris were well-known faces still at large. The attacks killed 130 people at various locations, including the Bataclan concert hall where 89 concert-goers were gunned down or blown up. Others were killed outside the Stade de France sports stadium and in bars and restaurants around central Paris. Seven assailants died during the attacks. Abaaoud was killed in a police raid north of Paris on Wednesday along with one other suicide attacker and a woman believed to be his cousin. Dozens of people have also been detained, some with weapons and explosives, in raids since then.

Abaaoud himself had been wellknown to authorities for several years. After a raid in January in the Belgian town of Verviers, police suspected the 28-year-old of plotting to kidnap a police officer and kill him. In February, Abaaoud said in an interview with a IS magazine that he had returned to Syria after the raid in Verviers. By this time, he knew he was being sought. If it is true that he returned to Syria from Verviers, Abaaoud made his way back into Europe at some point after January. French authorities did not know this until they were tipped off by Morocco after the attacks. “If Abaaoud was able to go from Syria to Europe, that means there are failings in the entire European system,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said. Bataclan suicide bomber Mostefai, the Bataclan suicide bomber, also travelled back and forth. Although he had eight convictions as a petty criminal, he had never been in prison, a place French authorities can watch for signs of radicalisation. Police say they suspected him of being in Syria between late 2013 and early 2014, before returning to France unnoticed. In December of last year, Turkey contacted France about Mostefai. They raised an alarm again in June 2015 by letter. There was no response from French authorities, according to a senior Turkish government official and a security source. “It seemed there was a connection between this person and IS and we reported it,” the Turkish security source said. “We followed all international procedures. But they (the French) didn’t display the same level of sensitivity.” French officials declined to comment on this, but say that coordination with Turkey over po-

tential French hardliners has improved markedly in the past year. Dangerous Determining how dangerous a person is, and whether they might carry out an attack, is a key challenge for security services, experts say. “The other difficulty is that if you have nothing concrete for several years, you can’t keep either a sophisticated technical alert system or human resources on a person who makes himself forgotten for three or four years,” said Arnaud Danjean, a former intelligence ofﬁcer and now a member of the European Parliament. Bilal Hadﬁ, who blew himself up outside the Stade de France, was another of the suicide attackers under surveillance. After visiting Syria in February, the 20-year-old French national, who was living in Belgium, returned to Europe by an unknown route and evaded police even though the Belgian Justice Ministry said microphones had been placed at the house where he was thought to be staying. Then there’s the case of Sami Amimour. French authorities had launched an official investigation into Amimour’s possible terrorism-related activity in October 2012. Prosecutors suspected him of planning to join militants in Yemen. Amimour was a bus driver who had been radicalised in a mosque near his hometown of Drancy, north of Paris. Because of the investigation, police had ordered Amimour to check in with them every week. As reported by Reuters on November 20, he missed four weekly checks in 2013. But it was only after nearly a month that the authorities put out an international arrest warrant. By then Amimour was already in Syria. His tracks were picked up a year later, in December 2014, when his father gave an interview

to French daily Le Monde describing how he had travelled to Syria but failed to convince his son to return. Police are still looking for Salah Abdeslam, who is known to have survived the attacks. Until six weeks before the attacks, Salah and his brother Brahim - one of the suicide bombers - were running a bar called Les Beguines on a quiet street in Molenbeek, a low-rent area of Brussels which has been linked with several attacks. After the attacks, Salah Abdeslam went to ground. Authorities say he was stopped on his way back to Belgium after the Paris attacks, but police waved him on. It is not clear what role he played on the night of the attacks and why he managed to survive. Two men who were arrested later, Mohamed Amri, 27, and 21-year-old Hamza Attou, said they brought Abdeslam back to Brussels after receiving a call from him saying his car had broken down. Police checks meant they were pulled over three times, including a last check around 9am near Cambrai just short of the Belgian border. Missteps did not just happen in France and Belgium. The Syrian passport found near one of the suicide bombers at the Stade de France had been used by a man registering himself as a refugee on the Greek island of Leros on October 3. That man travelled through Macedonia and claimed asylum in Serbia, counter-intelligence and security sources said. The French prosecutor has conﬁrmed that ﬁngerprints taken on arrival in Greece showed that man travelled with a second man, who also blew himself up near the Stade de France. The pair may have reached Paris relatively easily because, at the height of the migration crisis in Europe this year, asylum seekers were rushed across some national borders without checks.

Passport It is unclear whether the passport issued under the name of Ahmad Al Mohammad, a 25-year-old from the Syrian city of Idlib, was genuine or was stolen from a refugee. Whatever the truth, it has helped fuel right-wing criticism in Europe of the number of migrants allowed in this year. By the time the two men were making their way up through the Balkans to western Europe, France had received more evidence an attack was imminent. French former anti-terrorism judge Marc Trevidic says a French hardliner he questioned on his return from Syria in August said IS had asked him to carry out an attack on a concert venue. “The guy admitted that he was asked to hit a rock concert. We didn’t know if it would be Bataclan or another, he didn’t know the exact location that would be designated. But yes, that’s what they asked him to do,” Trevidic told Reuters. Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al Jaafari has also said that his country’s intelligence services shared information indicating that France, as well as the United States and Iran, was being targeted for attack. He has not given details. Germany’s top prosecutor is also investigating allegations that an Algerian man detained at a refugee centre in the western town of Arnsberg told Syrian refugees an attack was imminent in the French capital. Europe is scrambling to respond to the attacks. France declared a nationwide state of emergency which will now last three months. Police now have the power to conduct searches without obtaining judicial warrants and can hold anyone suspected of posing a threat to security under house arrest for 12 hours a day. Internet sites deemed to incite or advocate “acts of terrorism” can be blocked and public demonstrations banned. Belgium has also announced a security crackdown, saying it will spend an extra 400 million euros ($430 million) on security and take measures such as stopping the sale of mobile phone cards to anonymous buyers. Police will be allowed to conduct night searches of homes and it is now easier to ban, convict or expel hate preachers. Whether such measures will be enough is uncertain. Brussels is on high alert this weekend because of what authorities there called the “serious and imminent” threat of attack. In a video last week, IS warned it would strike again. “When a large operation is prepared, they are told to keep a low proﬁle in the months before. As they are no longer on police radars, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Roland Jacquard, president of the Parisbased International Terrorism Observatory. — Reuters

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Belgium widens hunt for militants Belgium has been at the heart of investigations into the Paris attacks on November 13

BRUSSELS: Belgium widened its search on Sunday for armed extremists whose presence has put Brussels on maximum alert, with officials saying more than one militant was at large in the city. The alert has closed the capital’s metro system, although a senior minister said it was likely to reopen on Monday. Belgium has been at the heart of investigations into the Paris attacks on November 13 that left 130 people dead after links emerged to Brussels, and the poor district of Molenbeek in particular. Two of the Paris suicide bombers, Brahim Abdeslam and Bilal Hadﬁ, had been living in Belgium. Fugitive suspected militant Salah Abdeslam, Brahim’s 26 year-old brother, slipped back home to Brussels from Paris shortly after the attacks. Asked whether Brussels’ maximum threat level since Saturday related to Salah Ab-

ON HIGH ALERT: Belgian soldiers stand at the Grand Place in Brussels on Sunday. – AFP

deslam alone, Interior Minister Jan Jambon told broadcaster VRT “unfortunately not”. “It is a threat that goes beyond just that one person,” he said. “We’re looking at more things,

that’s why we’ve put in place such a concentration of resources.” Bernard Clerfayt, the mayor of the Brussels district of Schaerbeek, was quoted by broadcaster RTBF as saying there were “two

terrorists” in the Brussels area ready to carry out violence. Mohamed Abdeslam, the brother of Brahim and Salah, urged Salah in an interview on RTBF television to give himself up, add-

ing that he believed Salah was still alive because he had had a last-minute change of heart while in Paris. Belgium’s crisis centre, a state body that advises the government

on security, said on Sunday the alert status for Brussels remained at its highest level of four, meaning a “serious and imminent” threat of an attack. Intelligence, police and judicial officials would review the alert status during the course of the day. The national security council, including top ministers, was expected to convene on Sunday afternoon to determine what measures to take or retain. Justice Minister Koen Geens told VRT the metro system was likely to resume on Monday. “We will guard the metro stations... We are not going to paralyse Brussels economically, nor the country. We are not led by panic and fear, but we have needed time to reorganise everything,” Geens said. Prime Minister Charles Michel has advised the public to be alert rather than panic-stricken, but also said Brussels risked Parisstyle coordinated attacks. Belgium has urged the public to avoid crowds in the capital, and also closed museums, cinemas and shopping centres. Clubs and venues have cancelled events. Brussels Chief Rabbi Albert Gigi told Israel’s Army Radio on Sunday that the city’s synagogues were shut over the weekend for the ﬁrst time since World War II. Soldiers are on guard in parts of Brussels, a city of 1.2 million people and home to institutions of the European Union and the headquarters of NATO. — Reuters

SPLUTTERING ECONOMY

BEST CHANCE: Mauricio Macri, presidential candidate of Cambiemos (Let’s Change), arrives at a polling station before casting his vote in Argentina’s presidential election in Buenos Aires, Argentina. – Reuters

Macri sees chance to win in Argentina presidential run-off BUENOS AIRES: Argentines voted on Sunday in a run-off election that hands the center-right opposition, led by Mauricio Macri, its best chance in more than a decade to wrest the presidency from the populist Peronists. A win by Macri would set Argentina’s spluttering economy on a more free-market course that he promises would rebuild investor confidence. Outgoing President Cristina Fernandez, who was preceded in office by her late husband Nestor Kirchner, is as revered by the poor for her generous welfare programmes as she is reviled by business for the strict controls the couple put on the economy during their 12 years in power. Barred from seeking a third straight term, she will leave office next month with Argentina deeply divided between those who back her protectionist policies and defence of workers’ rights and those who back the opposition’s open-market policies. In a sign of Argentines’ weariness with a stagnant economy and high inflation, Fernandez’s candidate, Daniel Scioli, lost his front-runner status after the October 25 first-round vote when Macri unexpectedly came in right on his heels. Macri, the two-term mayor of Buenos Aires and scion of a wealthy family, developed a comfortable lead in opinion polls ahead of Argentina’s first ever run-off. But with one in 10 voters undecided, Scioli cannot be counted out. “I’ll probably end up voting Macri,” said Francisco Laura, an elderly priest, as polling stations opened. “This government’s management of the economy has been a disaster.” Fiscal deficit Whoever is sworn in on December 10 will inherit a yawning fiscal deficit that Fernandez has financed by printing pesos, contributing to double digit inflation. Foreign reserves are at a nineyear low and the county has been

shut out of the global bond market due to a festering sovereign default. Macri wants to open Latin America’s No. 3 economy to more investment by lifting currency and trade controls, but will also have to put accounts in order after eight years of free-spending populism under Fernandez. Scioli, seen as more of a moderate than Fernandez, says he would be flexible in adjusting macro-economic policy while standing by the poor. Macri has accused Scioli, the governor of Buenos Aires province, of fear-mongering in ads claiming that he would scrap welfare programs. Scioli says it is Macri’s planned spending cuts that create anxiety. Each accuses the other of lying. Scarred by the economic collapse in 2001 that tossed millions into poverty, many Argentines fear any dramatic shift in policy could make things worse. “I’m not crazy about Scioli, but I’m going to vote for him because Macri’s policies would let too many foreign goods into the country, and that would be bad for local industry,” said Cristina Castillo, a 53-year-old Buenos Aires psychologist. “Reading between the lines, it’s clear Macri wants a drastic fiscal adjustment,” she added. A new fiscal policy is exactly what investors want, along with the lifting of currency controls and a solution to a marathon legal battle with bondholders over unpaid debt stemming from Argentina’s record default in 2002. The local Merval stock index has shot up 25 per cent since Macri’s muscular performance in the first round, as investors factored in the possibility he will win the run-off and free up markets by dismantling currency and trade controls. Fernandez, who often cites her late husband as her guiding light appealed to voters to ensure that public funding of education, healthcare and programs for poor mothers remains. — Reuters

M ONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015 In the military, we are used to the long term but people... want fast results. In Syria and Iraq, we are in the heart of that paradox. Everybody knows that in the end this conﬂict will be resolved through diplomatic and political channels Pierre de Villiers, France’s army chief

A R M Y C H I E F S TAT E M E N T

France sees no short term victory against IS PARIS: France’s army chief of staff said on Sunday he sees no short term military victory in the fight against IS as Paris intensifies its strikes on targets in Syria following the deadly attacks in the French capital. President Francois Hollande has called for a grand coalition, including the United States and Russia, to eradicate IS in Syria, and is due to meet with Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin next week. IS claimed responsibility for the worst violence in France since World War II, in which 130 people were killed in bombings and shootings. The group said the assaults were in retaliation for Paris’ involvement in US-backed air strikes in Iraq and Syria. “There will be no military victory against IS in the short term,” Pierre de Villiers, chief of staff of armed forces, told French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche in an interview published on Sunday. “In the military, we are used to the long term but people... want fast results. In Syria and Iraq, we are in the heart of that paradox. Everybody knows that in the end this conflict will be resolved through diplomatic and political channels.” Hollande will travel to Washington to speak with Obama on Tuesday and then head to Moscow to meet with Putin to discuss how their countries’ militaries might work together. De Villiers said he had spoken to his Russian counterpart by phone to discuss their countries’ ships with regard to Syria but added that France had not “at this stage any coordination of strikes or identification of targets in consultation with the Russians, even if we have the same enemy IS.” Since the November 13 Paris bombings and shootings, French war planes have launched their biggest raids in Syria to date, including hitting IS’s stronghold in Raqqa. — Reuters

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Ban Ki-moon urges Russia, US to cooperate on terror The UN chief said he counted on their support to wipe out a common enemy and the United Nations was gathering ideas from members towards a joint counterterror strategy

KUALA LUMPUR: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Russia and the United States on Sunday to cooperate in rooting out terrorism and said he would unveil a comprehensive plan to ﬁght extremism and violence early next year. United States President Barack Obama and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev separately called on all countries to coordinate and thwart IS after its recent devastating attack on a Russian plane and on multiple targets in Paris. Ban said he counted on their support to wipe out a common enemy and the United Nations was gathering ideas from members towards a joint counterterror strategy. ‘Defeat extremists’ “All these terrorists and ideology extremists should be defeated in the name of humanity,” he said during a meeting in Malaysia with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the annual East Asia Summit. “We need to unite. We need to show global solidarity to

APPEAL: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, right, meets with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, at the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday. – Reuters

rected its focus on tackling IS and he hoped Moscow would agree to a leadership transition in Syria that meant its President Bashar Al Assad stepping down.

address... the common enemy of ISIL, some other extremists and terrorist groups,” he said. US President Barack Obama at the same summit said IS was “a bunch of killers with good social media” who would be thwarted by the United States and its allies. “Destroying (IS) is not only a

realistic goal, we’re going to get it done,” he told a news conference. “We will take back land they are currently in, take out their ﬁnancing, hunt down leadership, dismantle their networks, supply lines and we will destroy them.” US President Obama said it “would be helpful” if Russia di-

The question “The question at this point is whether (Russia) can make the strategic adjustment that allows them to be effective partners with us and the other 65 countries,” Obama said. “Russia has not ofﬁcially committed to a transition of Assad moving out... I think we’ll ﬁnd out in the next few weeks whether we can bring about that change in perspective.” Medvedev said countries with

large Muslim populations, including Russia, should unite to ﬁght against IS and told a meeting of Asian leaders that should be done through institutions like the United Nations. “Terrorists have blown up a Russian airplane over the Sinai Penninsula. They’ve conducted a massacre at the heart of Europe,” he said. “These acts are atrocious. The whole world has shuddered.” He later told Ban: “We have to work together to ﬁght IS as a terrorist factor.” “We also have to harmonise, to coordinate efforts - both political and military - that are undertaken by those countries that have suffered from terrorism.” — Reuters

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ASEAN nations set up ‘Community’ The objective is to create freer movement of trade and capital in an area of 625 million people with a combined economic output of $2.6 trillion

KUALA LUMPUR: Southeast Asian nations on Sunday established a formal community that attempts to create freer movement of trade and capital in an area of 625 million people with a combined economic output of $2.6 trillion. The Community declaration was signed by leaders of the 10member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kuala Lumpur, this year’s host of the group’s annual summit. The ASEAN Community includes a political, security and socio-cultural dimension in a region with governments ranging from communist in Vietnam and quasimilitary in Myanmar to the king-

dom of Brunei and the boisterous democracy of the Philippines. But it is the economic community that offers the most concrete opportunities for integration in a region whose combined gross domestic product (GDP) would make it the world’s seventh-largest economy. “In practice, we have virtually eliminated tariff barriers between us,” said Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, the summit host. “Now we have to assure freer movements and removal of barriers that hinder growth and investment.” The countries aim to harmonise economic strategies, recognise each other’s professional qualiﬁcations, and consult more closely

on macroeconomic and ﬁnancial policies. They have also agreed to enhance the connectivity of their transportation infrastructure and communications, better facilitate electronic transactions, integrate industries to promote regional sourcing, and enhance private-sector involvement in the economy. Eight groups of professionals will be able to work more easily throughout the region: engineers, architects, nurses, doctors, dentists, accountants, surveyors and tourism professionals. Following the signing ceremony, ASEAN leaders met with eight others from Asia and the Paciﬁc for the annual East Asia summit:

the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. Najib opened the weekend series of meetings on Saturday, calling on world leaders to confront extremism. The night before, militants killed 19 people in an attack on a hotel in Mali on Friday before Malian commandos stormed the building and rescued 170 people, many of them foreigners. “The perpetrators of these cowardly and barbaric acts do not represent any race, religion or creed, nor should we allow them to claim to do so,” Najib said in his speech at the ASEAN summit. “They are terrorists and should be confronted as

such, with the full force of the law.” He said predominantly Islamic countries such as Malaysia have a duty to expose as lies the “ideology propagated by these extremists that is the cause of this sadistic violence.” Obama said on Saturday the Mali hotel attacks only stiffened the resolve of the United States and its allies, which would be relentless in ﬁghting those targeting its citizens and would allow militants no safe haven. “We will continue to root out terrorist networks,” Obama told a meeting of business executives. “We will not allow these killers to have a safe haven.” — Reuters ELECTRICITY

SABOTAGED: A damaged pylon in Kherson region, Ukraine, in this still image taken from footage shot on Sunday. – Reuters/ATR

Crimea goes without power after pylons ‘blown up’ MOSCOW/KIEV: Crimea was left without electricity supplies from Ukraine on Sunday after pylons carrying power lines to the Russia-annexed peninsula were blown up overnight. It was not immediately clear who had damaged the pylons, but a Russian senator described the move as an “act of terrorism” and implied that Ukrainian nationalists were to blame. Crimea receives the bulk of its electricity from the Ukrainian mainland and its seizure by Russia last year prompted fury in Kiev and the West, which then imposed economic sanctions on Russian companies and individuals. Russia’s Energy Ministry said emergency electricity supplies had been turned on for critical needs in Crimea and that mobile gas turbine generators were being used, adding that around 1.6 million people out of a population of roughly 2 million remained without power as of 1000GMT. Without power Ukraine’s Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn said in a statement that four power lines had been damaged and that two districts of Ukraine’s Kherson region were also left without power. Ilya Kiva, a senior officer in the Ukrainian police who was at the scene, said on his Facebook page that the pylons had been “blown up”, as did the Kherson region administration. The head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, declared Monday a non-working day because of the emergency situation in the republic. The attack, if by Ukrainian nationalists opposed to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, is likely to further increase tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Unidentiﬁed people attacked power lines leading to Crimea on Friday, after which a group called the Civil Blockade of Crimea prevented Ukrainian energy officials from conducting repairs. The group, in which Crimean Tatar activists play a prominent role, denied it was responsible for either the attacks on Friday or Saturday night when contacted by Reuters on Sunday. In September, Tatar activists opposed to Russia’s annexation of their indigenous homeland set up road blocks on roads leading from Ukraine to Crimea as part of an economic blockade aimed at dramatising the plight of Tatars in Crimea. On Saturday, the pylons damaged on Friday were the scene of violent clashes between paramilitary police and Tatars as well as members of the nationalist group Right Sector, Russian media reported. — Reuters

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM M ON DAY, N OVEM BER 23, 2015

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Oman’s budget deﬁcit touches OMR2.93b A E JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com

Net oil revenue of Oman government dipped by 45.5% to OMR4,257.1m for the ﬁrst nine months of this month

MUSCAT: Oman’s budget deficit for the first nine months of 2015 shot up to OMR2.93 billion, mainly due to a dip in oil revenue that affected the country’s fiscal balance, according to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). This is against a nominal OMR136.1 million surplus for the same first three quarters of last year.

Net oil revenue of Oman government plunged by 45.5 per cent to OMR4,257.1 million for the first nine months, amid a 44.4 per cent fall in Oman Crude price to $58.6 per barrel from $105.45 a barrel for the first ten months of 2014 in the international market. “The government will cover the deficit by way of borrowing (like Islamic bonds or sukuk) and this has already been started. More borrowings are expected in the coming months. The surplus

fund, which was accumulated over the years, will also be used to cover deﬁcit,” said Anil Kumar N, senior vice-president – Asset Management- the Financial Corporation (FinCorp). The Sultanate produced 297.01 million barrels (or an average of 977,000 barrels per day) of crude oil in the ﬁrst ten months ending October 2015, against 287.83 million barrels for the same period last year. Anil Kumar said that since oil prices are not expected

to rebound in the short run, it will be difficult for the government to retain revenue. Total government revenue fell by 35.9 per cent to OMR6,711.6 million from OMR10,463.4 million during the nine-month period under review. As far as expenditures are concerned, total expenditure in the ﬁrst nine-month period fell by 5.7 per cent to OMR8,795.9 million from OMR9,327.3 million. Oman’s 2015 budget plan envis-

ages a government expenditure of OMR14.1 billion and a deficit of OMR2.5 billion. “The government has to reexamine its existing tariff and fee structures (for reducing deficit),” Loai B, Bataineh, general manager and head of investment banking group at the Oman Arab Bank, earlier said. Anil Kumar said the government might go for tax increase and cut energy subsidies and non-essential expenditures to reduce deficit.

MONDAY, NOV EMBER 23, 2 015

MARKET Oman LNG signs deals with small businesses Two key contracts, spanning three years, will create employment opportunities for Omani nationals,

VITAL CONTRACTS: The agreements will give exposure to the

a strategy aligned

contractors to work and adapt to international industry standards in the areas of health, safety and environment. — Supplied picture

with the company’s efforts to invest and support the local community

Times News Service MUSCAT: As part of its continuous efforts to promote small and medium enterprises (SME) in the Sultanate, Oman LNG has signed two pivotal contracts to provide key services to Oman LNG’s business. The contracts were signed during the recent Business Opportunities Forum. The multi-million rial contracts will see Nous Trading & Contracting Establishment providing cleaning services and Al Berwaz Trading providing landscaping services to Oman LNG offices, Hay Al Sharooq (HAS) residential complex and rented properties in

Sur. The two contracts, spanning three years, will create employment opportunities for local nationals, a strategy aligned with the company’s efforts to invest in and support the local community. In addition, the agreements will give exposure to the contractors to work and adapt to international industry standards in the areas of health, safety and environment (HSE). The Business Opportunities Forum, organised by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, offers a great opportunity for Oman LNGto interact with SMEs, understand their challenges and establish potential opportunities to support them –a commitment toward developing local SMEsthe company feels strongly about. The SMEs play a pivotal role in developing and expanding Oman’seconomy and the exhibition provided a platform to share information on the challenges

and opportunities to support SMEs better. Through its contracts, procurement and logistics, Oman LNG has extended its portfolio to establish a robust business environment for SMEs operating in Sur to ensure a number of contracts are dedicated to the SMEs. In addition, Oman LNG regularly participates in events and exhibitionsaimed at supporting business opportunities for SMEs and considerssuch events as a way to build a dialogueand engagement with SMEs to address challenges and establish approachesin order to support them. Generating in-country value (ICV) is one of the major ways that Oman LNG contributes in towards the growth and development of the economy. By doing business with local Omani companies, Oman LNG is supporting the capability of these enterprises to, in turn, develop citizens, broaden the scope of their busi-

nesses and build their capacities to add greater value. Due to the nature of the LNG business, the scope of some contracts is complex and multi-disciplined, thus resulting in a loss in competitiveness due to the absence of local and Omani tender participants. To mitigate these potential negative effects, while attempting to obtain best value for Oman LNG, initiatives have been put in place to ‘unbundle’ elements of contracts to ensure opportunities are created for local participation in speciﬁc ﬁelds of work. In combination with manpower sourcing from the local community and additional training initiatives,Oman LNG continues to invest in developing skills in local communities. Besides these, Oman LNG partners with the government, oil and gas companies, suppliers, vendors and contractors as well as local communities to enhance in-country value. For instance, Oman LNG is a member of the Oil and Gas ICV Committee, chaired by the Undersecretary of Oil and Gas. “Oman LNG has and will strive to be one of the leading contributors to the success of SME development in the Sultanate, through innovation, providing opportunities and consistently monitoring our suppliers and service providers to ensure that everyone gives the SMEs top priority,” said Khalid Al Massan, chief executive officer of Oman LNG Development Foundation, after inking the contracts. C U R R E N C Y WA R

India supports China’s policy on currency NEW DELHI: India’s central bank governor voiced support for the yuan’s IMF ambitions, combining a call for multilateral institutions to grant greater recognition to emerging markets with a dismissal of claims that China sparked a currency war in August, according to the media reports. It’s unfair to pin the blame on the August 11 yuan devaluation because currencies were already declining due to the “unconventional monetary policies” of some nations, said Raghuram Rajan, RBI chief, was cited as saying in an interview. - PTI

N C S I D ATA

Oman’s crude oil exports rise 5.7% Times News Service MUSCAT: Exports of crude oil by the Sultanate grew by 5.7 per cent to 257.91 million barrels in the ﬁrst ten months of 2015, against 244.10 million barrels for the same period of last year. China, which imported 203.15 million barrels of Oman Crude in the ﬁrst ten months of 2015, retained the position as the Sultanate’s top crude oil importer. Taiwan ranked second Taiwan stood in the second position with its imports of 21.51 million barrels, which was followed by Singapore, Thailand and Japan,

according to statistics released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information. 297.01 million barrels The Sultanate produced 297.01 million barrels of crude oil in the ﬁrsts ten months ending October 2015, against 287.83 million barrels for the same period of last year. This is equivalent to 977,000 barrels per day this year, against 946,800 a day for the same period of 2014. However, average price of Oman Crude in the international market plunged by 44.4 per cent to $58.6 per barrel, from OMR$105.45 a barrel for the same period last year.

OIL SUPPLIES

Iran seeks to increase crude output within Opec’s existing ceiling DUBAI: Opec should make room for increased Iranian crude production within its ceiling of 30 million barrels a day, the nation’s oil minister said, adding the group will probably leave that limit unchanged when it meets next month. Iran has asked Opec to accommodate its return to previous production levels when international sanctions are lifted, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told reporters in Tehran. Iran plans to add one million barrels a day within ﬁve to six months of the curbs being removed and that increase should be within Opec’s production ceiling, Amir Hossein Zamaninia, deputy minister for commerce & international affairs, said in Tehran on Saturday. Brent crude tumbled more than 60 per cent since the middle of last year as Opec followed Saudi Arabia’s strategy of defending its share of the global market against competitors such as US shale producers. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which accounts for about 40 per cent of global supply, has been pumping above its target level for 17 months. It is scheduled to meet on December 4 to discuss the ceiling. Managed return “I don’t expect to receive any new agreement” at the Opec meeting, Zanganeh said. “Opec is producing more than its approved ceiling and I asked them to reduce production and to respect the ceiling, but it doesn’t mean we won’t produce more because it is our right to return to the market.”

Iran was Opec’s second-largest producer before sanctions over its nuclear programme were tightened in 2012. The nation, which reached an agreement with world powers in July over the trade restrictions, is currently the group’s ﬁfth-largest supplier, pumping 2.7 million barrels a day last month, according to Bloomberg data. “I sent a letter to Opec to consider our return to the market and to manage it,” Zanganeh said. “We don’t need to receive any permission from any organization for our return to the previous level of production. It is a sovereign right.” Market balance Most Opec members see $70 a barrel as a fair price for oil, Zanganeh said. Brent crude last traded at that level in December, days after Opec gathered in Vienna and opted to resist calls from members including Venezuela to cut output. Brent settled near $45 a barrel in London on November 20. Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran on November 23 to work together on oil prices, he said on state television last week. Russia, which isn’t a member of Opec, is facing competition in Europe after Saudi Arabia reduced pricing for buyers in northwest Europe and started selling in established Russian markets such as Poland. Russia was lobbied last year by Venezuela as it sought to coordinate action with non-Opec producers to halt the collapse in oil prices. — Bloomberg News

M ONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015

MARKET C O R P O R AT E S E C T O R

Dhofar University to convert into closely-held ﬁrm

‘Bank Nizwa looks to achieve break-even by the year-end’

Times News Service MUSCAT: Dhofar University on Sunday said it is planning to convert the company into a closed stock company. The board of directors has decided to convene an extra ordinary general meeting on November 28 to seek approval from shareholders for converting the status of the company and repurchasing shares not exceeding 10 per cent of the paid up capital. The company will be converted into a closed stock ﬁrm, after completing repurchase of shares. APICORP ENERGY FORUM

The bank will raise its proﬁt on a monthly basis after reaching the breakeven point. Bank Nizwa has made big achievements since it opened its door to the public

Subsidy reform key to tackling revenue crunch Times News Service MUSCAT: Subsidy reform and further diversification are the most critical elements in overcoming the current squeeze on government revenues resulting from a sustained period of lower oil prices, industry experts said. Over 350 delegates attended the Apicorp Energy Forum, with speeches and contributions from three regional energy ministers, including Eng. Ali bin Ibrahim Al Naimi, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Dr Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza Minister of Energy for the Kingdom of Bahrain and Eng. Tarek El Molla Egypt’s Energy Minister. Asked during a live polling session how oil exporting countries can best deal with lower revenues, 45 per cent of the delegates stated diversification, followed by 34 per cent who favoured subsidy reform. Only 16 per cent thought spending cuts is the preferred option. A slim majority of delegates, 53 per cent, voiced confidence that Opec’s policy of maintaining production levels, in order to maintain market share, would work. 22 per cent stated it would not work. Nearly 91 per cent expressed a view that the Brent oil price will remain below $70 for the coming 12 months.

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Bank Nizwa will hopefully achieve the break-even by the end of the year, said Dr Jamil El Jaroudi, chief executive officer of the ﬁrst Islamic bank in Oman. Bank Nizwa has been seeking to reduce the losses and increase the revenue and if the positive trend continues and if nothing unexpected occurs and there is

MAKING A POINT: Dr Jamil El Jaroudi, chief executive officer, Bank Nizwa. — Picture by Talib Al Wahaibi/Times of Oman

no technical delay, the break-even point will be reached this year, El Jaroudi said on Sunday. He made the comments at a panel session held at the Capital Market Authority (CMA), where the bank’s officials discussed the current position of the bank, its performance and the latest ﬁnancial results. The CEO expressed hope that the bank will increase the proﬁt on a monthly basis after reaching

$300M BOND ISSUE

NBO’s bond sale attracts strong investor interest Times News Service MUSCAT: National Bank of Oman (NBO) on Sunday said it received a strong expression of interest from international investors and has successfully concluded the $300 million bond issuance. Led by chief executive ofﬁcer Ahmed Al Musalmi, the NBO held meetings with over 50 prominent investors in Hong Kong, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and London, producing an order book that was oversubscribed 1.8 times. “The NBO’s clear strategy and

strong balance sheet has earned the trust and respect of the global investment community. This issuancewill build on the highly successful 2014 bond and will ensure the bank has the necessary capital to support our customers and the ongoing diversiﬁcation of Oman’s economy,” said Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi, chairman of the NBO. Benchmark US dollar perpetual Tier 1 Regulation S bond will help to optimise NBO’s capital structure and further strengthen its capital position relative to regional peers. The order-book comprises a healthy mix of lead-

R E A L E S TAT E P R O J E C T

National Gas signs agreement with Qatar-based firm Times News Service MUSCAT: National Gas Company (NGC) has signed an unincorporated joint venture agreement with Qatar-based Petroserv Limited to set up Lusail City gas farm project in Doha on November 19, 2015. Lusail City is being developed by Lusail Real Estate Development Company (LREDC). The joint venture agreement signed between the two companies is subject to final approval by Lusail and the same is expected to be received in due course, according to a stock market filing. Lusail city will cover a total area of 38 square kilometres, spanning across four exclusive manmade islands. It is a mixed multi-purpose residential area, including residential units, office buildings of various sizes and 22 hotels.

the break-even point. El Jaroudi said that the bank has made great achievements since it opened its door to the public in early 2013. The bank offers a wide range ofsharia-compliant products and solutions to individuals, small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), corporations and government institutions. According to the official, the bank’s good performance is reﬂected in its ﬁnancial results as

Petroserv has been awarded by Lusail Real Estate to develop Gas Farm project for Lusail City Development. Petroserv is one of the leading contracting companies established in 1978. Its areas of business interest include infrastructure, oil and gas and building construction. Petroserv is also an ISO 9001, 14001 & OHSA 18001 Certiﬁed Company. The NGC’s scope will be design and supply of SNG system and allied equipment for this project. The contract value will be OMR832,859. The project is expected to be commissioned by December 2016.

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

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

ing Omani and global investors, which will help to further diversify the bank’s investor base “The National Bank of Oman’s successful issuance of tier one capital instrument represents another important milestone in the bank’s ambitious five-year growth strategy to be the Sultanate’s bank of choice. The strength of the order book against the backdrop of challenging market conditions reflects the bank’s positive standing in the global debt markets,” added Ahmed Al Musalmi, CEO of the NBO. The NBO enjoys a strong reputation in the global financial markets.

Bank’s good performance is reflected in its financial results as well as the fact that it has opened 11 branches in almost three years and has 325 staff as of today

well as the fact that it has opened eleven branches in almost three years, has 325 staff as of today with an Omanisation rate of 88.5 per cent. He said that Bank Nizwa, which has won several awards in recognition of its performance, aims to be the bank of choice for the people in Oman. During the session, it was also mentioned that Bank Nizwa is going in the ‘correct direction’ and

will strive to increase its share of the market. Raising awareness The officials also said that the bank has been implementing initiatives to raise public awareness about Islamic banking to encourage more customers to use sharia-compliant products and services. Issues related to liquidity and liquidity management tools were described as some of the challenges but El Jaroudi noted that the issuance of Oman’s ﬁrst sovereign sukuk would help with the short-term liquidity and would positively affect the Islamic banking sector. He also explained that as the bank’s activities grow, its ability to deal with challenges increases. In addition, the chief executive officer said that the bank would be glad to see the companies that it helps with restructuring and advisory services go to the Muscat Securities Market (MSM). Speaking to Times of Oman after the event, El Jaroudi said that technically, the bank has to expand its branches in Oman but noted that the details of the bank’s plans will be decided later in the new budget.

MONDAY, NOV EMBER 23, 2 015

MARKET MSM index ends lower

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index .......................................5,804.34 ............... 5,781.27 ....................5,781.90 ....................5,795.81................ -13.91 .................. -0.24 Financial Index .....................................7,048.57 ...............6,989.79 ................... 6,989.79 ................... 7,050.38................-60.59 .................. -0.86 Industrial Index ....................................7,153.24 ............... 7,142.76 ....................7,152.23 ....................7,143.35....................8.88 ................... 0.12 Services Index .......................................3,235.16 ...............3,225.17 ...................3,232.36 ................... 3,227.05.................... 5.31 ................... 0.16 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................906.87 .................. 905.75 ...................... 905.99 ...................... 905.96....................0.03 ...................0.00 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 7,742,282 .....................1,836,758 .....................435 ...............14,834,598,707 .................. 9 ......................11 .................... 15 .........................35

The top gainer of the day was Al Anwar Ceramics, up by 1.88 per cent, while top loser

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22

was Oman & Emirates, down by 4.04 per cent 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: Shares on the Muscat Securities Market edged down once again on lack of buying support. The MSM30 Index opened the week negatively and closed at 5,781.90 points, down by 0.24 per cent. The Sharia Index remained unchanged at 905.99 points. Bank Nizwa was the most active in terms of volume while Ooredoo led in terms of turnover. The top gainer remained Al Anwar Ceramics, up by 1.88 per cent, while the top loser was Oman & Emirates Holding, down by 4.04 per cent. As many as 435 trades were executed on Sunday, generating turnover of OMR1.83 million with 7.74 million shares changing hands. Out of 35 traded securities, nine advanced, 11 declined and 15 remained unchanged. GCC and Arab Investors were net buyers for OMR189,000 while foreign investors were net sellers for OMR185,000 followed by Omani investors for OMR4,000 worth of shares. Financial Index continued its downtrend to ﬁnish at 6,989.79 points, down by 0.86 per cent. Global Financial Investment, Bank Muscat and National Bank of Oman gained by 0.97 per cent, 0.39 per cent and 0.34 per cent, respectively. Oman & Emirates Holding, Ominvest, Al Anwar Holding, Al Izz Bank and Bank Nizwa declined by 4.04 per cent, 3.75 per cent, 2.26 per cent, 1.37 per cent and 1.25 per cent, respectively. Industrial Index closed at 7,152.23 points, up by 0.12 per cent. Al Anwar Ceramics and Oman Fisheries advanced by 1.88 per cent and 1.82 per cent, respectively. Services Index gained by 0.16 per cent to close at 3,232.36 points. Al Batinah Power, Sembcorp Salalah and OIFC gained by 0.96 per cent, 0.74 per cent and 0.57 per cent, respectively. Dhofar University, Phoenix Power

and National Gas declined by 0.68 per cent, 0.66 per cent and 0.63 per cent, respectively.

REGULAR MARKET ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ................................ 50,000 ............ 16,300........................2 ........... 0.326 ...........0.326 ...........0.326........... 0.326 .............0.320 ........... 0.006............. 1.875 ................0.326..............0.308...................0.318...................96,565,660 .........0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 100,000 ........... 10,400........................8 ............0.104 ........... 0.104 ...........0.104........... 0.104 .............0.103.............0.001 ............. 0.971 ................0.104..............0.103...................0.104...................20,800,000 ........0.100

Saudi stocks surge ahead Saudi Arabian stocks rose to the highest level in four weeks, tracking gains across the US and Europe last week, after the country’s oil minister said Opec and other crude producers are working to stabilise the market. The Kingdom’s Tadawul All Share Index climbed 2.1 per cent to 7,179.17, leading advances across most Middle Eastern markets. Dubai’s DFM General Index increased a second day to the highest in more than a week after the United Arab Emirates said it would invest more than $80 billion to diversify its economy away from oil. Brent crude, a benchmark for half the world’s oil, last week posted its ﬁrst weekly advance since October. Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al Naimi said last week the kingdom was working with producers to stabilise the market, and Matar Al Neyadi, the UAE’s undersecretary of energy, said prices will improve next year. Economies across the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE, rely on energy income to fund most government spending, which drives economic growth. "Saudi and UAE officials speaking in support of OPEC strategy is giving comfort to the market," said Ramzi Sidani, a fund manager at Shuaa Capital PSC, which is overweight on consumer and retail names in Saudi Arabia. "We’re seeing a big recovery in the US and Saudi Arabia is following the tracks." Last week a key currency indicator in Saudi Arabia signaled increasing bets that the country may reconsider the value of the riyal after thirty years pegged to the dollar. - United Securities/Agencies

OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................ 914,671 ..........192,066.....................22 ........... 0.209........... 0.210 ...........0.209 .......... 0.210 .............0.208 ........... 0.002.............0.962 ................0.210............. 0.209...................0.210..................141,726,360 ........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH............................................... 22,990 ............62,446........................8 ............2.730 ........... 2.740 ...........2.700............2.715 .............2.695 ........... 0.020............. 0.742 ................2.700..............2.705...................2.720..................259,166,284........1.000 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 125,000 ........... 22,100........................6 ............0.178 ........... 0.178 ...........0.176 ............0.177 ............. 0.176.............0.001 ............. 0.568 ................0.176 .............. 0.172...................0.175 ...................35,400,000.........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 199,000 .........102,957......................16 ............0.518 ........... 0.518 ...........0.516 ............0.518 ............. 0.516............ 0.002............. 0.388 ................0.516 .............. 0.514...................0.516 .................1,187,164,105.......0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN .................................. 50,000 .............14,945........................2 ........... 0.298 ...........0.300 ...........0.298........... 0.299 .............0.298 ............0.001 ............. 0.336 ................0.300 .............0.293...................0.300 ................ 400,872,365 .......0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ...........................5,000 .................. 610........................1 ............0.122 ........... 0.122 ...........0.122........... 0.122 .............0.122 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.122..............0.122...................0.130...................11,594,880 .........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ...................................................... 100,000 ......... 110,000........................6 ............1.100 ........... 1.100 ...........1.100 ............1.100 ............. 1.100............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.100 ..............1.000................... 1.150 ................. 220,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001822............UNITED POWER ................................................................ 500 ............... 1,325........................1 ........... 2.650 ...........2.650 ...........2.650........... 2.770 .............2.770 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.650............. 2.500...................2.650....................2,216,000 ..........1.000 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT .................................... 26,000 ............... 1,592........................3 ........... 0.062 ...........0.062 ...........0.061 ........... 0.061 ............. 0.061............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.061 ..............0.061...................0.062 ..................12,636,234 .........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 105,000 ............ 16,165........................9 ............0.154 ........... 0.154 ...........0.153 ........... 0.154 .............0.154............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.154 ..............0.140...................0.153 ...................19,234,286 .........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING .....................................5,000 ............ 10,000........................1 ........... 2.000...........2.000 ...........2.000 .......... 2.010 .............2.010 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................2.000 ............ 2.000...................2.100..................190,950,000 .......0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ..............................475 .................... 44........................1 ........... 0.092 ...........0.092 ...........0.092........... 0.095 .............0.095 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.092..............0.092...................0.098....................2,850,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING .............93,225 .............10,255......................13 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.110 ............0.110 ............. 0.110............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.110 ..............0.108...................0.110 ....................9,900,000 ..........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 118,588 ........... 191,911.....................22 ............1.615 ........... 1.620 ........... 1.615 ........... 1.620 .............1.620............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.620 ..............1.620...................1.625 ................1,215,000,000 ......0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 592,749 ............97,303..................... 26 ............0.162 ........... 0.165 ...........0.162 ........... 0.164 .............0.164............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.165 ..............0.164...................0.165 ................... 47,666,767 .........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 230,000........... 18,840........................8 ........... 0.082 ...........0.082 ...........0.081 ........... 0.082 .............0.082 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.081 ..............0.081...................0.083................... 23,778,412 .........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 315,866..........243,249......................11 ............0.772 ........... 0.772 ...........0.764........... 0.772 .............0.772............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.764 ..............0.760...................0.764................. 502,528,946 .......0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 528,000 ......... 110,880......................11 ............0.210 ........... 0.210 ...........0.210........... 0.210 .............0.210 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.210............. 0.208...................0.210..................150,025,331 ........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ............................................................... 5,100 ................1,612........................1 ............0.316 ........... 0.316 ...........0.316 ............0.316 ............. 0.318............-0.002 ........... -0.629 ...............0.316 .............. 0.316...................0.326 ..................15,800,000.........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 100,000 ............19,400........................1 ............0.194 ........... 0.194 ...........0.194........... 0.194 ............. 0.196............-0.002 ........... -1.020 ...............0.194..............0.190...................0.196..................276,457,012 ........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL............................................. 141,541 ............. 11,676........................9 ........... 0.083 ...........0.083 ...........0.082........... 0.082 .............0.083 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.205 ...............0.082..............0.082...................0.083...................14,350,000.........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 884,435 ......... 153,070..................... 54 ............0.175 ........... 0.175............0.172 ............0.173 ............. 0.177............-0.004 ........... -2.260 ...............0.173 .............. 0.172...................0.173 ...................25,962,975.........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .................................................................... 375,500 ..........173,595......................12 ........... 0.472 ........... 0.472 ...........0.460........... 0.462 .............0.480 ...........-0.018 ........... -3.750................0.460..............0.456...................0.460 .................255,422,079 .......0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 102,200 .............. 9,736........................4 ........... 0.098 ...........0.098 ...........0.095........... 0.095 .............0.099 ...........-0.004 ...........-4.040 ...............0.095..............0.093...................0.095................... 11,578,125 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 5,190,840.........1,602,476 .............258 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......26........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .........................................................6,000 .................. 336........................1 ........... 0.056 ...........0.056 ...........0.056........... 0.056 .............0.055 ............0.001 ..............1.818.................0.056..............0.055...................0.056....................7,000,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ................... 50,000 ............... 1,700........................1 ........... 0.034 ...........0.034 ...........0.034........... 0.034 .............0.034 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.034..............0.033...................0.035....................2,890,000..........0.100 OM0000001855 ............MAJAN GLASS .....................................................................138 .....................27........................1 ............0.198 ........... 0.198 ...........0.198 ........... 0.220 .............0.220 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.198 ..............0.198...................0.216.................... 9,245,126 ..........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 427,871 .............64,181................... 114 ............0.150 ........... 0.150 ...........0.150 ........... 0.150 ............. 0.151 ............-0.001 ........... -0.662 ...............0.150 ..............0.150................... 0.151 ..................219,390,219 ........0.100 OM0000003075 ...........DHOFAR UNIVERSITY.................................................... 600 .................. 872........................3 ............1.460 ........... 1.460 ...........1.450 ............1.455 ............. 1.465............-0.010 ........... -0.683 ...............1.450 ..............1.320...................1.450...................20,370,000.........1.000 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 1,596,246 ...... 126,103..................... 33 ........... 0.079 ........... 0.079 ...........0.079........... 0.079 .............0.080 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.250 ...............0.079..............0.079...................0.080 .................118,500,000........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 277,384 ............20,031......................19 ........... 0.074 ........... 0.074 ...........0.072........... 0.072 .............0.073 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.370................0.072.............. 0.071...................0.072...................72,000,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 2,358,239.......213,251................... 172 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 7........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS AND SUKUK MARKET ...................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 .....................13,000 ...............1,209........................1 ........... 0.093 ...........0.093 ...........0.093........... 0.093 .............0.092 ............0.001 ............. 1.087 ................0.093..............0.093...................0.095...................30,147,030 .........0.100 OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ...................... 180,203 ............19,822........................4 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.110 ............0.110 ............. 0.111 ............-0.001 ........... -0.901 ...............0.110 .............. 0.110................... 0.115 ...................33,302,402.........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 193,203 ............21,031........................5 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........2........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

FEDERAL RESERVE

R E TA I L S H O P P I N G

Despite misgivings, Britain’s biggest 'Interest rate hike in discount shopping day set for record December depends LONDON: Spending in Britain on the “Black Friday” discount shopping day looks set to break last year’s record despite warnings that retailers would be wise to shun an event imported from the United States. Misgivings about the broader impact on crucial pre-Christmas trading are illustrated by the decision of supermarket group Asda, itself owned by America’s WalMart, not to join the frenzy this year. Asda argues that shoppers don’t want big fluctuations in prices. Other retailers are prepared to take the risk and sign up for an event that sparked brawls in stores last year as shoppers wrestled over bargains. Retail researcher Conlumino is forecasting Black Friday will generate UK sales, both in stores and online, of 1.6 billion pounds ($2.4 billion), up 20 percent on 2014, as more retailers join the fray and existing players whip up more business. Online spending is forecast to soar 32 per cent year-on-year to 1.1 billion pounds, according to Experian-IMRG. Black Friday, the day after the US Thanksgiving holiday, was so named because spending would surge and retailers would traditionally begin to turn a profit for the year, moving from the red into the black. It falls on November 27 this year. The day has developed into an important part of the British shopping calendar over the past five years as retailers competed with online bargains offered by Amazon. It really took off last year when more familiar names such as Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer embraced it in a big way, while rivals Tesco and Asda also gave it an even larger push. “The issue for retailers is in how

on strong US data'

LONG WAIT: Customers pay for their goods at self-serve check-out desks inside an Asda supermarket in Wembley, London, UK. - Bloomberg ﬁle picture

they can beneﬁt from this demand, while not losing margin, or damaging their reputations,” said Conlumino’s Maureen Hinton. Though it delivered a sales boost in 2014, the cost was lower demand in the weeks before and after and an expectation of continued pre-Christmas discounts, which damaged proﬁtability. Some retailers failed to cope with demand, which saw websites crashing and delivery operations overloaded, as well as those unseemly scuffles in shops. This year police chiefs have warned retailers to have sufficient security staff on duty. British retailers have traditionally tried to hold off on sales until Boxing Day, December 26, when products not wanted for Christmas were offered at reduced prices. After last Christmas the bosses of retailers, including John Lewis,

Britain’s biggest department store, and Argos owner Home Retail questioned the wisdom of concentrating so much business on Black Friday and suggested diluting the event. However, John Lewis boss Andy Street conceded last week that this call had fallen on deaf ears. “It will be bigger again this year,” he said. Retailers such as electricals group Dixons Carphone, maintain that Black Friday must remain a fixture as long as shoppers want it. Dixons Carphone has shown it has a winning formula. By planning meticulously and buying products specifically manufactured for Black Friday deals it can deliver a sales boost and protect profit margins. But the concern is that the distortion to trade seen last year is being repeated. Last month Home Retail

warned on profit, blaming uncertainty ahead of Black Friday and the British Retail Consortium blamed weak October numbers on shoppers holding out for bargains. This year Home Retail’s Argos is offering discounted “red”, “white” and “blue” deals on the Fridays preceding Black Friday in an attempt to smooth out demand. M&S, Britain’s biggest clothing retailer, was the highest profile casualty last year, with its huge distribution centre in central England thrown into chaos. Unable to cope with demand, automated picking and packing failures delayed the delivery of goods ordered online. Disappointed customers lambasted the firm on social media and a subsequent loss of sales was a major factor in the firm missing forecasts. M&S says it has tested its systems and won’t get caught out again. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: If strong data on the US economy persists there may be a strong case for a Federal Reserve interest rate increase in December, San Francisco Fed President John Williams said. The US central bank’s policysetting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will convene in Washington on December 15-16 to discuss the possible policy move. Most economists in a Bloomberg survey and traders of federal funds futures expect lift-off from near- zero, where the rate has been since 2008, at that meeting. “Assuming that we continue to get good data on the economy, continue to get signs that we’re moving closer to achieving our goals” and are gaining conﬁdence that inﬂation will move back toward the Fed’s two per cent target, there’s “a strong case that can be made in December to raise rates,” Williams said, speaking with reporters at the University of California at Berkeley on Saturday. Dual mandate Williams comments come at a time when the Fed is trying to assess whether it has drawn close enough to accomplishing its dual mandate of maximum employment and price stability to raise interest rates. “What I have said, and I still hold to this, is it was a close call,” Williams said of the bank’s decision to hold rates steady in October — a meeting when a rate increase was thought by many Fed watchers to be in play. Since then, “the data, I think, have been overall encouraging, especially on the labour market. The data show

Since then, the data, I think, have been overall encouraging, especially on the labour market. The data show that the hiccup we saw in a couple of labour reports has reversed John Williams San Francisco Fed President

that the hiccup we saw in a couple of labor reports has reversed,” he further said. Williams said he didn’t want to signal a “mechanical” pace of rate increases once lift-off occurs. The US added 271,000 jobs in October, the most so far this year, and unemployment fell to five per cent, the lowest since 2008, Labour Department data showed. Williams also said that he sees signs of core inflation “having stabilised,” and that it may even be starting to firm up. Williams is an FOMC voting member in 2015. — Bloomberg News

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Inside Samsung’s new in-house Creative Lab South Korean company needs a new hit, so it’s taking a page from Silicon Valley by giving about 350 engineers the opportunity to work on their own house incubator called Creative Lab

1,100 ideas Choi is now chief executive officer of Innomdle Lab and working to bring TipTalk to market this year. His project survived a competition between 1,100 ideas and is one of the ﬁrst to be spun off into its own company. Employees who launch a startup can return to their Samsung jobs if their business fails within ﬁve years.

Apple and Amazon.com are facing a German antitrust probe into a delivery contract for audio books sold on the iTunes platform. Germany’s Federal Cartel Office opened a review because of the strong position Apple and Amazon’s Audible unit have on the market for digital audio books, the regulator’s president, Andreas Mundt, said recently in an e-mailed statement. — Bloomberg News

T E C H U P D AT E S

Microsoft revamps security plan as part of $1b investment In his ﬁrst moves on cybersecurity in nearly two years as Chief Executive Officer, Satya Nadella is building a dedicated site and assembling a new group of experts to help Microsoft respond faster to threats across its various products. “This is so that, like any intelligence operation, we don’t have silos,” Chief Executive Officer said at a conference in Washington. “We’ll have people who’ll be able to in realtime connect the dots across what’s happening across all of these services.” Cybersecurity and preventing hacking and stolen data has become a key challenge in the software industry after a number of high-proﬁle attacks in recent months, including on Sony, Anthem and JPMorgan Chase. Just in 2015, the top eight breaches have led to 160 million data records being compromised, Nadella said. Microsoft, whose software and operating systems run the vast majority of personal computers, has been working to bulk up cybersecurity features as it seeks to boost sales in cloud and productivity products. — Bloomberg News

Google targets to bring app technology into its browsers

ventures at an in-

AMSUNG Electronics employees who came up with creative products outside core businesses in the past would often see their ideas buried in bureaucracy and inertia. The response this year when an engineer developed a wristband to avoid eavesdropping was very different: Samsung helped him start his own company. The move gave Choi Hyun Chul space and resources to develop TipTalk, which transmits conversations through a ﬁngertip pressed against your ear. The gadget may only create a ripple in the wearables industry, yet its development signals a seismic shift in Samsung’s notoriously one-dimensional culture. Samsung’s years-long dominance of the smartphone industry is wavering as the devices become interchangeable, with different manufacturers using the same components and same Google software. The South Korean company needs a new hit, so it’s taking a page from Silicon Valley by giving about 350 engineers the opportunity to work on their own ventures at an in-house incubator called Creative Lab. “South Korean business conglomerates must be feeling that they have reached the limit, so they need some fresh inputs to foster better results,” said Choi Yang Hee, South Korea’s science minister. “Through C-Lab, Samsung’s tapping new growth drivers for itself.” For Samsung, that means letting those workers take at least a year off from their day jobs to pursue about 100 projects. They include TipTalk; a shoe insert that monitors posture and stride; a Bluetooth-enabled device to help you learn the violin; and a sensor for predicting the onset of a stroke.

APPLE, AMAZON FACE GERMAN PROBE

INNOVATION FIRST: Choi Hyun Chul, chief executive officer of Innomdle Lab, poses for a photograph with a prototype of the TipTalk device in Seoul, South Korea, on October 23, 2015. - Bloomberg News

Choi Hyun Chul developed TipTalk, which transmits conversations through a fingertip pressed against your ear. The gadget may only create a ripple in the wearables industry, yet its development signals a seismic shift in Samsung’s notoriously one-dimensional culture.

While US companies including Google, with “20 per cent time,” and Intel, with eight-week sabbaticals, are known for giving workers freedom from their day jobs, such respites are virtually unheard of in South Korea. Most executives at Samsung are lifers — joining the Suwon-based company straight out of college and spending their entire careers there before retiring. “Before, all I could do was develop a technology best optimised for products Samsung made,” Choi, 32, said. “The biggest difference about C-Lab is that you can make a product based on your own idea, and it could even hit the market within a year.” That fostered a deep-rooted hierarchy, with Chairman Lee Kun Hee at the apex, focused on making heavy investments in existing technologies and then using upgrades and quantity to swamp competitors. By allowing side projects, Samsung is trying to be known for more than churning out tweaked phones, TVs and semiconductors. iPhones, Android “It’s true that instead of looking far into the future, every division is more engrossed in moneymaking,” said Jai Il Lee, head of Samsung’s Creativity & Innovation Centre, which oversees C-Lab. “We hope

this project will prompt hidden geniuses to stop hiding and show themselves.” It doesn’t have a choice. Samsung is reeling from two years of declining sales of Galaxy smartphones due to tougher competition from iPhones and a flood of cheaper Chinese devices running Android. Shares are down 3.2 per cent this year, heading for their third straight annual decline. The phone and chip units contribute two-thirds of sales and 90 per cent of earnings. C-Lab, based in Samsung’s headquarters office park, is part of a $13 billion budget for research and development. Plans are moving forward to open another space near Samsung’s Seoul complex and at Seoul National University, the nation’s most prestigious. Samsung will find it more challenging in coming years to maintain its share of more than 20 per cent of global smartphone shipments, and the profits that go with them, Standard & Poor’s said in a November 16 e-mail. That’s prompting some outside-the-box thinking at C-Lab. Violins, sneakers “The culture in a hardware company is about engineering precision, which requires discipline and rigid processes,” Cyrus Mewawalla, man-

aging director at London-based CM Research, said in an e-mail. “The kind of stuff Samsung now needs is more creative in nature, which requires more freedom.” One start-up named Jamit created sensors that, when placed on the bridge of a violin, transmit performance data to a mobile app that points out when incorrect notes are played. Jeon Dae Young, 40, developed the system because his daughter’s lessons were too expensive. His venture may be spun off by next month. “In other divisions at Samsung, all decisions are made by top managers,” said Jeon, who’s worked at the company for 11 years. “At C-Lab, it feels like you are running your own company.” Two other ventures, WalkON and IoFIT, also moved to the startup phase. WalkON is a mobile app that rewards users with vouchers from participating companies when they reach a target number of steps. IoFIT is a “smart shoe” insert developed by engineers after one suffered with a backache caused by poor posture. It was spun off in September as Salted Venture with seven employees. “I felt a bigger responsibility after thinking, ‘This is my own company and my own work,”’ co-founder Kim Tae Hyun, 31, said. — JUNGAH LEE/Bloomberg News

Mobile applications brought the power of the Internet into smartphones, turning them into gateways for services and information. Now, as apps become more central to people’s digital lives, Google is looking to bring some of that technology back to the Web. Google will start including data from popular apps into browser-based search results, helping users ﬁnd information even if they haven’t downloaded the software onto their devices, the Web company said on Wednesday. And Google is taking the idea one step further, by letting people run apps right inside their Internet browsers. Some apps don’t have a corresponding website, making it harder for Google to scour them for information to include in its search engine. To ﬁx this, Google has spent the past two years creating tools for developers that make it easier for its search engine to peer into apps. The efforts are aimed at making it easier for Google to put relevant ads in front of people — whether they’re on smartphones or laptops. That’s critical in a world where seven of every eight minutes on mobile phones in the US are spent interacting with apps and media, according to Comscore. Initially, Google is integrating nine apps: Hotel Tonight, Weather, Chimani, Gormey, My Horoscope, Visual Anatomy Free, Useful Knots, Daily Horoscope and the New York Subway. Eventually, other apps will join the list depending on demand, said Scott Huffman, Google’s vice president for voice search and app indexing. — Bloomberg News

Facebook, Google quizzed by European Union lawmakers Google and Facebook were among US companies facing questions recently from European Union lawmakers about their tax-reducing techniques, a month after regional antitrust regulators raised the stakes by ordering Starbucks and a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles unit to repay millions of euros in back taxes. The queries about the “Dutch Sandwich” and the “Double Irish” — tax arrangements that allow companies to declare income in lower-tax areas — came as the European Commission weighs its next decisions on ﬁscal pacts Amazon.com arranged with Luxembourg and Apple with Ireland. Eleven companies, including Amazon, faced questioning from the parliament’s special tax committee in Brussels. “We make use of tax incentives and tax structures that are well known, widely accessible and are employed by virtually all multinational companies,” Google’s Nicklas Lundblad, senior director, public policy and government relations, told the parliamentary committee. Elected officials have scrutinized the tax strategies of Google, Apple, Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft and others, which have used the “Double Irish” and “Dutch Sandwich” to move foreign profits through Ireland and the Netherlands to Bermuda to avoid US income taxes. Such structures have “no impact on the amount of tax we pay across various European Union countries,” Lundblad said. “The entire Bermuda structure doesn’t erase any tax liability, it defers only US tax.” Facebook, which has its European base in Ireland, also has operations in the Netherlands in the form of a commercial office, and a legal entity in Luxembourg, said Delphine Reyre, the company’s director of public policy, southern Europe. — Bloomberg News

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It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. — Confucius

JOB POSTINGS

12 valuable tips to find a new job U

nless you are one of the lucky few who works in a high-demand career, finding a new job can be a challenging and frustrating experience. You can make the job-search a bit easier on yourself if you use proactive strategies for finding a new job — and the tips included in this piece are applicable to all job-seekers, from those just starting out to experienced folks who need a quick refresher. Here’s our list of the best tips for finding a new job. 1. Start with self-assessment. Before starting your job-search, take time to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and the type of work you like accomplishing. The better you know yourself, the more likely you’ll find a new job that provides you with greater satisfaction. 2. Conduct critical research. Information is the true secret of a successful job-search. Gathering information on types of jobs, job openings, and prospective employers (and those employer’s hiring managers) not only provides critical information for tracking down real job leads, but helps you in tailoring your resume and preparing for the job interview. 3. Write, edit, and revise your resume — and not just one resume. Your resume is still the most critical tool of a job-search, one that can easily derail an otherwise smart job-search. Start with creating/ revising a resume that focuses on your key accomplishments, skills, experience, and education/training. Once you have a top-notch resume, the key is tailoring it to each job, each employer — using keywords and phrases specific to the opportunity you seek. 4. Create your online career brand. The job market is slowly evolving from a paradigm of jobseekers and employers using job boards to find each other to one in which employers find jobseekers online — whether through LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or the job-seeker’s personal Website. Building your brand simply means showcasing your expertise and passion online where employers searching the Web could find it — and removing any unsavory — digital dirt — you can find. 5. Get organised. Before you start applying for jobs, going to job fairs, or interviewing with employers, take a moment to develop a system that works for you in organising your job-search. A simple spreadsheet works best for many — and some online sites can even help keep your jobsearch organized. Network of contacts 6. Build, cultivate, and utilise your network of contacts. For the vast majority of job-seekers, a large and strong network of contacts — of people who know you and want to help you uncover

job leads — results in more job opportunities. Networking — in person and online — is essential to your job-search success. Continually seek out new people to add to your network. 7. Consider conducting informational interviews. A great tool for both researching and networking is the informational interview, which as its name implies, is an interview with someone in your career field who can offer you insights and advice. This tool is especially useful for new college grads and careerchangers, but can work for any job-seeker who wants to learn more while expanding his/her network of contacts. 8. Attempt to complete several job-related goals daily. It’s a bit of a cliche now, but in all cliches there is truth — and that truth is that it takes a great deal of time and effort to find a new job. In a long job-search, it’s easy to get discouraged and distracted, but by focusing on achieving daily goals you can motivate yourself while also building a foundation for success. 9. Don’t do it alone. Job-hunting is also a lonely enterprise, and if you’re unemployed and living alone, the search can seem frustrating and endless. Instead, try to keep in touch with people in your circle who are also jobhunting — or consider joining a job club. Besides the camaraderie, sharing job-hunting ideas and strategies with others can help you focus and improve your job-hunting methods. 10. Develop anecdotes and stories that showcase your skills. People remember stories over bullet points, so your goal should be developing a set of anecdotes you can use in networking and interviewing situations that clearly demonstrate your skills, accomplishments, and passion for your work. Using stories may also help you feel more comfortable talking about yourself. 11. Prepare for all job interviews. Before you get called for your first interview, develop responses for common interview questions, and then practice them — ideally using the mockinterviewing technique with a friend, network contact, or career counselor. The more prepared you are for the interview, the more comfortable you’ll be — and the more likely you’ll succeed. 12. Excel in the job interview. Research the employer and interviewers, know your route for getting to the interview, dress appropriately, arrive about 10 minutes early (to compose yourself, observe your settings, complete any paperwork), greet everyone warmly (from receptionist to hiring manager), use positive body language (firm handshake, strong eye contact etc. — Randall S. Hansen/ www.quitcareers.com

M ONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015

RECRUIT

QUOTES Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. — Albert Schweitzer Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. — David Frost Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. — Napoleon Hill Formal education will make you a living; selfeducation will make you a fortune. — Jim Rohn Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. — Winston Churchill I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed —Michael Jordan If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself —Henry Ford

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Bank Muscat wins Deutsche Bank award FI teams in the region, has established more than 500 correspondent banking relationships across the world. Deutsche Bank is among Bank Muscat’s leading correspondent banks for euro payments. Deutsche Bank representatives commended the operational teams involved in processing euro payments at Bank Muscat for the error-free rate maintained consistently throughout the high volume of remittances processed during 2014. A multi-award winning organisation, Bank Muscat’s STP performance has been consistently lauded by the international ﬁnancial and banking community for several years.

The Award recognised Bank Muscat’s exceptional quality of SWIFT messages on euro payment, maintaining an outstanding error-free rate for remittances

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, won a prestigious award from Deutsche Bank in recognition of operational excellence in the field of euro payments processing, says a press release. Bank Muscat was among a select group of regional institutions to receive the annual excellence award for straight-through-processing (STP) presented by Deutsche Bank for outstanding performance in euro denominated fund transfer and commercial payments.

The award recognised Bank Muscat’s exceptional quality of SWIFT messages on euro payment, maintaining an outstanding error-free rate for remittances. The award was based on evaluation of the quality and accuracy of SWIFT payment messages routed through Deutsche Bank. The award cited the bank’s commitment to high standards of quality in meeting the stringent criteria for fund transfer. The bank’s exceptional quality in the delivery of commercial payments and trans-

fers, facilitated by a state-of-theart in-house payment architecture which helps to consistently maintain high SWIFT standards for automated processing throughout the payment chain resulting in ex-

tremely high STP rates, was also highlighted in the citation. The bank’s central operations electronic payments department, Treasury back office and Global Trade Services department are

handling fund transfer operations while the technical and security issues are handled by the Systems & Procedures Department. The Financial Institutions Group, acknowledged as one of the leading

JOY AND PRIDE

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SINGING CONTEST

SBG celebrates National Day in great style Times News Service MUSCAT: Suhail Bahwan Group (SBG) employees celebrated the glorious occasion of the Sultanate’s 45th National Day, with great joy and pride. Sheikh Suhail Salim Bahwan, the founding father and the chairman of the Group along with Amal Suhail Bahwan, the group’s managing director and board member and Omani employees, gathered at the foyer of the group’s headquarters Al Rawaq in Qurum and greeted His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, wishing him long and healthy life and peace and prosperity to Oman and its people. Sheikh Suhail Bahwan also cut a symbolic cake carrying the logo of the 45th National Day, to celebrate the grand occasion. The grand foyer area of Al Rawaq building was brightly decorated with mega-size national ﬂags and balloons of red, white and green colours rendering a festive atmosphere, with all employees wearing the national colour scarves. Later, Amal Suhail Bahwan visited the divisions and companies under the group located at Al Rawaq and wished all other employees celebrating the country’s National Day.

Vishnu claims ‘Popular Choice MUSCAT: Although the winners of Muscat Icon Minara Singing Little Gems 2015, a multilingual multinational singing competition held a couple of weeks ago, were decided by respective judges in all three categories on the same day, Vishnu was declared the winner of Popular Choice Award, says a press release from Talent Hunters Oman, the organisers of the event. Talent hunters Oman involve the audience by giving them a chance to vote for their favorite singer through SMS. A total of 1500 votes were cast by the audience. Vishnu got 340 SMS votes, beating his nearest rival Kristine who got 320 votes. QUALITY MANAGEMENT

C O R P O R AT E S U P P O R T

Brentwood Cottons gets ISO certiﬁcation

Omantel signs deal to support Injaz Oman MUSCAT: Omantel has signed an agreement to renew its longterm partnership with Injaz Oman, under which it will support the non-proﬁt group’s activities throughout the 2015-2016 season, as well as its upcoming participation in Injaz Al Arab’s Young Entrepreneurs Competition to be held in Muscat on November 25, says a press release. The regional competition will see Omantel reaffirm its commitment to the development of local youth, as it helps to determine the ‘Best Student Company’ as an official judge and platinum sponsor of the event. “Our four years of partnership with Omantel have provided great support to our delivery of practical, hands-on programmes for thousands of youngsters in local communities. When we ﬁrst launched our Sharikati Programme in 2012, we were tutoring 17 teams at one university; last month saw the close of our 2014 season, during which we inspired the competitive participation of over 70 teams from 21 colleges and universities,” said Shabib Al Maamari, executive director at Injaz Oman.

“Omantel has been an integral part of our success, and throughout the upcoming season we are aiming to inspire continued growth in our youth engagement initiatives, and raise the number of young people that we are reaching,” he added. Hamdan Al Harrasi, general manager of Corporate Affairs Unit at Omantel, commented: “Our partnership with Injaz Oman is important and a key contribution to the national drive for the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), with the youth of tomorrow at the helm. By connecting with young people in an educational capacity we are able to promote In-Country Value by nurturing and directing the youth’s entrepreneurial spirit. This is critical to the development of the Sultanate’s economy, with SMEs forming the base of the country’s economic revenues.” Injaz Oman’s contribution to generating In-Country Value in 2014 was primarily supported by its sponsor Nama Group, the umbrella company for the Sultanate of Oman’s 12 electricity subsidiaries.

MUSCAT: Brentwood Cottons, Oman’s emerging uniform apparel manufacturer and distributor, received ISO certiﬁcation for quality management system in production and distribution of apparels, says a press release. Brentwood Cottons, by Gulf Jewel Traders, started and developed in Oman to cater to the uniform requirements in a better professional way. Within a short timespan, Brentwood Cottons positioned itself in a prominent place among the market leaders in uniform industry. The ISO certiﬁcation issued by TNV, India is accredited by Dubai Accreditation Department (DAC) under the Dubai Government. “DAC approval clearly shows our quality management in line with Middle East standards,” said Mohammed Azeem, CEO, Brentwood Cottons. “With the efforts of a multinational trained team put together, we strive to improve and maintain our quality at every single stage,” he said. Being a member of the Textiles Institute, UK, the international chartered body for textiles, clothing and footwear, we regularly update with global trends in work wear designs,” he added. “We are committed to promoting local productivity and employment,” said Khalid Musallam Al Kiyumi, director, Brentwood Cottons. Th company got oversees sourcing points in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the UK,, which supports the quick execution of the customer requirements. Brentwood Cottons is already in discussion with corporate groups in neighboring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), exploring the apparel export industry of the Sultanate of Oman.

MUSICAL SHOW

Tribute to R. D. Burman on Nov. 28

MUSCAT: R. D. Burman, or Pancham Da, and his eternal music have had the magical effect on his listeners. His contribution to the world of music is unparalleled. Yeh Shaam Pancham Ke Naam, an evening of musical extravaganza as a tribute to this great maestro will be presented by Orbit Events Management on November 28 at Le Grand Hall, Al Falaj Hotel, says a press release. Raman Mahadevan, one of the highly sought after playback singers from Bollywood known for Kholo Kholo in Taare Zameen Par and his songs in Happy New Year and in the latest ﬁlm The Perfect Girl and many more will present popular R. D. Burman numbers. Raman has also sung in several other regional languages like

Marathi, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. His non-ﬁlm albums like Someone Somewhere, Bollywood Unwind, In Raahon Mein have made to the top of the charts. Locally based singers of repute Ramesh Narayan, Deepak, Hari Menon, Devika, Sumanna and Sakshi will also be performing. Bollywood musicians from Mumbai along with talented members of orchestra from Muscat will come together on stage to make the evening memorable. R. D. Burman has been credited with revolutionising the Bollywood music. He incorporated a wide range of inﬂuences from several genres in his scores. He made electronic rock popular in these popular love stories. He often mixed disco and rock ele-

ments with Bengali folk music. He also used jazz elements, which had been introduced to him by the studio pianist Kersi Lord. On multiple occasions, RD Burman experimented with recording the same song with different singers. For Kudrat (1981), he recorded the light version of the song Hume tumse pyar kitna in the voice of Kishore Kumar, while the classical version was recorded in the voice of Parveen Sultana. In Pyar Ka Mausam (1969), he recorded the song Tum bin jaun kahan in the voices of Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Raﬁ separately. Irrespective of the language, Pancham Da’s all the 331 released movie scores have left an indelible mark on every music lover.

H E A LT H I S W E L AT H

‘Beat Diabetes’ walkathon on December 4 MUSCAT: Landmark Group, the region’s leading retail and hospitality conglomerate, under the patronage of the Ministry of Health and Oman Diabetes Association, announced plans to host the sixth annual ‘Beat Diabetes’ walkathon on December 4. The 2km walk will be held in Qurum Natural Park, Qurum at 8am. Open to all ages, this walkathon is part of the on-going

corporate social responsibility (CSR) health initiative that was launched in 2010 here in Oman to spread awareness on diabetes. Registration starts for the walkathon absolutely free of cost and now open across all Centrepoint, Home Centre, Max & Emax stores in Oman. People can also register for the walk through the Beat Diabetes website www. beatdiabetes.me. As

part of its annual outreach program a series of free blood glucose test camps was conducted in different corporates, Landmark stores followed by Ministry of health and Oman Diabetes association. The 2015 ‘Beat Diabetes’ campaign walkathon in Oman is also supported by Horizon ﬁtness, Al Raffa Hospital, Lifescan – Johnson & Johnson and Oasis Water, Fit Body, Shell and Times of Oman .

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India thrash Pakistan to lift Junior Asia Cup Harmanpreet scored his hat-trick inside 30 minutes to ease the issue for India. Armaan Qureshi and Manpreet Jr were the other goalscorers for India

KUANTAN: Harmanpreet Singh successfully converted four penalty corners as India overpowered traditional rivals Pakistan 6-2 in the ﬁnal of the 8th Junior Men’s Asia Cup hockey tournament at the Wisma Belia Hockey Stadium here in Kuantan, Malaysia on Sunday. Harmanpreet scored his hattrick inside 30 minutes to ease the issue for India. Armaan Qureshi (44th minute) and Manpreet Jr (50th) were the other goal-scorers for India. India started the match on a positive note, pressing hard since the opening minute of the ﬁrst half and were soon awarded with a penalty corner in the 10th minute. Harmanpreet converted the penalty corner to take his tally to 12 goals in the tournament and give India an early advantage of 1-0. India were again awarded with back-to-back penalty corners in the 13th and 14th minute — the second one being fruitful for Harmanpreet.

CHAMPIONS: Members of the victorious Indian team celebrate after winning the Junior Men’s Asia Cup hockey tournament at the Wisma Belia Hockey Stadium in Kuantan, Malaysia on Sunday. — PTI

Pakistan fought back in the 28th minute with a successful penalty corner from Yaqoob Muhammad. However, India again got back on the attack and earned another penalty corner that completed hat-trick for Harmanpreet two minutes later as India went into the lemon break with a 3-1 lead. The second half saw the Indian domination continue with Qureshi scoring in the 44th minute. Manpreet Jr made it 5-1 in the 50th minute. Three minutes later, senior Indian international Harmanpreet once again executed a perfect penalty corner conversion that made it a stunning 6-1 lead.

Harmanpreet took his tournament goal tally to 15 goals — highest in the eight-nation meet. Dilber Muhammad got the second goal for Pakistan in the 68th minute as the match ended 6-2 in India’s favour. India chief coach Harendra Singh said his team was “hungry” for the title after finish runners-up to Britain in the 5th Sultan of Johor Cup last month. “It was an exciting final and the boys displayed immaculate passion and calmness on the field. We ended up as runners-up in the 5th Sultan of Johor Cup which made it an even bigger win as we were

hungry for the podium position,” Harendra said in a release. “The support was immense and we felt we were playing in our own backyard. We only have to look forward from here and keep giving such excellent performances.” Oman finish last Earlier in the day, South Korea edged Japan 2-1 to settle for the third place. Hosts Malaysia pumped in eight unanswered goals against Bangladesh to satisfy with the fifth place finish. Meanwhile, Oman finished right at the bottom in the eight-team tournament when they lost 2-7 to China.

CRICKET

Rohan inspires UAE to win over Oman ABU DHABI: United Arab Emirates (UAE) comprehensively beat Oman by seven wickets in a one-off Twenty20 International at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Rohan Mustafa was the star for UAE with an all-round display, first helping restrict Oman to 133 for 8 with figures of three for nine runs, before hammering a 31-ball 41 in a 50-run stand with Shaiman Anwar, who scored a fine 54. Put in, Oman started off well enough, but a middle-order collapse hurt it badly. Zeeshan Maqsood was on the attack, and he added a quick 25 with Aaqib Sulehri for the opening wicket. The stand was broken within four overs when Mustafa had Sulehri (16) stumped. Maqsood was then joined by Khawar Ali and the duo added 39 in nearly seven overs. The stand was broken when Khawar (14) was trapped in front by Ahmed Raza, but Maqsood found further support in Adnan Ilyas. The run-rate increased rapidly as the two added 33 runs in just 25 balls, and at the time, Oman looked well set to launch an assault in the death overs and post a decent total. However, in the 15th over Maqsood holed out off Manjula Guruge, having scored 44 in just 34 balls, and Oman was reduced to 97 for three. Soon, wickets came in a jiffy. Ilyas followed Maqsood to the pavilion after a 20-ball 22, and all of Zeeshan Siddiqui (5), Mehran Khan (7), Sultan Ahmed (0), and Ajay Lalcheta (1) were nipped out in quick succession. Only Amir Ali showed defiance, hitting an unbeaten 10-ball

SCOREBOARD

OMAN Z. Maqsood c A. Ali b Guruge 44 A. Sulehri st S. Patil b R. Mustafa 16 K. Ali lbw b A. Raza 14 A. Ilyas c R. Mustafa b Guruge 22 Z. Siddiqui c S. Patil b Q. Ahmed 5 M. Khan b R. Mustafa 7 A. Ali (not out) 13 S. Ahmed c Z. Maqsood b R. Mustafa 0 A. Lalcheta run out (Q. Ahmed) 1 R. Ranpura (not out) 0 Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-9) 11 Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 133 Did not bat: Bilal Khan Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-64, 3-97, 4-105, 5-108, 6-116, 7-116, 8-131. Bowling: A.M. Guruge 4-0-22-2; Qadeer Ahmed 4-0-38-1; Rohan Mustafa 4-2-9-3; Ahmed Raza 4-0-21-1; Zaheer Maqsood 3-0-30-0; Mohammed Shahzad 1-0-11-0. UAE A. Gul b A. Lalcheta 24 R. Mustafa c B. Khan b Z. Maqsood 41 S. Anwar c B. Khan b Ranpura 54 M. Shahzad (not out) 11 A. Ali (not out) 2 Extras (w-2) 2 Total (3 wickets; 18.2 overs) 134 Did not bat: Ahmed Raza, Zaheer Maqsood, Abdul Shakoor, AM Guruge, Qadeer Ahmed, SP Patil. Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-84, 3-131. Bowling: Bilal Khan 3.2-0-21-0; R. Ranpura 2-0-15-1; A. Lalcheta 4-0-17-1; Mehran Khan 4-0-28-0; Khawar Ali 3-029-0; Zeeshan Maqsood 2-0-24-1.

13 that helped Oman to a fighting total. However, it proved insufficient against the UAE batsmen, who were in hitting mode. Amjad Gul and Mustafa wasted no time settling in, taking on the Oman bowlers to hammer 34 runs in a little over five overs. That paved the way for UAE’s win. - ICC

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2 015

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Ramos seeks ‘forgiveness’ after Real’s Clasico rout Pressure mounts on Benitez after ﬁasco

Suarez’s brace and goals from Neymar and Andres Iniesta downed Real 0-4, as Real’s home fans jeered and booed their own side on Saturday in a match billed as the world’s biggest game in club football

MADRID: Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos asked for “forgiveness” from fans after eternal rivals Barcelona handed them a humiliating 0-4 rout in the La Liga Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium here. Suarez’s brace and goals from Neymar and Andres Iniesta downed Real 0-4, as Real’s home fans jeered and booed their own side on Saturday in a match billed as the world’s biggest game in club football. This victory also helped the Catalan giants pull six points clear at the top of La Liga. They have 30 points as against 24 acquired by Real from 12 round of matches. “There’s not much to say. Today we have to ask the Real Madrid fans for forgiveness for our poor performance.We didn’t play to the standards of this crest. These are things that can happen. Hopefully we can put this behind us,” Ramos told realmadrid.com. “With this pain comes an opportunity to exact revenge in a few months time and play the kind of game we wanted to play today.” The Real Madrid defense, marshalled by the captain himself failed to contain a Barcelona side that was without Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, as Brazilian Neymar and Uruguayan Suarez linked up brilliantly with play-

BAD DAY IN OFFICE: Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos tackles Barcelona’s Luis Suarez. – Reuters

maker Iniesta and Croatian international Ivan Rakitic. Not only them, the Barceloan defenders — Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Dani Alves didn’t give much opportunities for Real’s famed attacking trio of Gaeth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. “If football was like maths, then it would always work out as planned. There are things that can go badly, we misplaced a lot of passes and they knew how to capitalise on that,” Ramos admitted. “They scored against us very early on and on top of that we weren’t able to convert our chanc-

es into goals. There were a lot of circumstances that led to the result and as a team we weren’t up to the standard,” the Spanish international added. However, the 29-year-old backed head coach Rafa Benitez, whose position is under pressure not less than four months into the job. He had replaced Carlo Ancelotti. “Obviously we are standing ﬁrmly by the manager. In order be successful you have to remain united, and that’s even more the case when things don’t go well. We have faith in our manager and in our teammates,” he said.

“We have to be united, dust ourselves off and be aware that there are six months remaining for us to ﬁght for all three titles. It’s too soon to be talking about failure.” Ramos said, however that they will continue to ﬁght for the La Liga title. “Obviously there’s still a long way to go in La Liga. We’ve let La Liga titles slip away with ten-point leads and we’ve won others after trailing by a lot of points,” the 2010 World Cup winner said. “It’s too early to draw conclusions but today was a big opportunity to stake our claim by drawing with Barcelona and going top.” - IANS

MADRID: It was always going to be a tough task for Rafa Benitez to replace his popular, Champions League winning predecessor Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid and Saturday’s woeful 4-0 home defeat to Barcelona has turned the pressure up a notch. Facing widespread criticism for a game plan that seemed to fail calamitously, the Madrid press have not held back in blaming Benitez for a second straight defeat that left them six points adrift of their arch rivals at the top of La Liga. ‘Benitez sentenced’ ran the headline in Marca on Sunday, with the newspaper claiming it is only a matter of time before the coach is axed. His future is in the hands of club president Florentino Perez, who has seen numerous managers come and go and whose own role is under the spotlight. Chants of “Florentino resign” rang out from all corners of the Bernabeu at the end of each half in Saturday’s trouncing. It was Perez who had pulled the trigger on Ancelotti at the end of last season, 12 months after the affable Italian had claimed an historic 10th European title for the club. Benitez arrived at Madrid with the unwanted tag of preferring a more pragmatic and defensive game than his predecessor. - Reuters

SPECIAL MOMENT

History repeats itself as Bernabeu faithful hail Spain’s hero Iniesta MADRID: Almost exactly 10 years after it ﬁrst occurred the previously unthinkable happened again on Saturday — Real Madrid fans got to their feet to applaud a Barcelona player during the ‘Clasico’ even though their team were losing. Instead of the usual vitriol Barca players have had hurled at them at the Bernabeu stadium, when captain Andres Iniesta was substituted near the end of their 4-0 La Liga victory many of the Real faithful stood and clapped him off. Iniesta had offered up a masterclass of creative midﬁeld play, capped with a stunning strike into the top corner to make it 3-0 shortly after halftime. Ronaldinho was given a similar reception in a La Liga game at Real’s giant arena on Nov. 19, 2005, when the Brazilian forward netted two superb goals in Barca’s 3-0 success and the home fans stood to applaud. Spain’s hero It may have helped that Iniesta is a hero in Spain for the goal that won the 2010 World Cup but it nonetheless underlined the brilliance of the 31-yearold’s performance that Real fans again cast aside their hatred for their rivals for a moment. Andres Iniesta made his ‘Clasico’ debut a year before Ronaldinho’s double and has featured in 32 Real-Barca games, the most of any active player from either side. He has won 14, drawn eight and lost 10 and Saturday’s goal was his third against the Madrid side. “He is part of our world heritage,” Barca coach Luis Enrique told a news conference. “We have the good fortune to have a unique player, who has eyes in the back of his head, at the service of the team,” added the former Spain midfielder. - Reuters

G R E AT D E F E N C E

Bravo provides solid base for Barca MADRID: Barcelona were ruthless in attack and resilient defensively to sweep aside Real Madrid on Saturday with keeper Claudio Bravo once again showing his composure, repelling everything that was thrown at him. While not a high-proﬁle signing, the Chilean has quietly become an integral part of Luis Enrique’s side providing authority and reliability in goal. Luis Suarez scored twice with Neymar and Andres Iniesta getting the other goals in a 4-0 win for Barca while Real were unable to cause many problems for the visitors’ backline. Bravo, who has now not conceded in his last three league games, did though make several telling saves when called on, including two one-on-ones with Cristiano Ronaldo. “We have dynamite in attack but along with that we have players that build play and we are very solid at the back,” Bravo told reporters. “When you face a team like Madrid then you know that they are

CAPTION KICKER: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has a shot saved by Barcelona’s goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. – Reuters

going to attack you in your own half but we remained calm defensively and did our work well. They had some shots and I was able to make the saves.”

The win helped Barca open up a signiﬁcant six-point lead over Real at the top of La Liga with 12 games played. “We always go out to play our

own game and keep possession. This doesn’t change depending on the rival. It was an incredible game and we are looking very solid at the moment,” said Bravo. “Part of the idea of keeping hold of possession is that you also frustrate the opposition and this obviously reduces their chances of scoring as well. This is how we play and it worked out perfectly.” Victor Valdes was Barca’s keeper during a golden period for the club when they won three Champions Leagues and six La Liga titles between 2004 and 2013. Bravo, however, was quick to prove himself after the loss of such an iconic ﬁgure in 2014 and played assuredly as they won the treble in his ﬁrst campaign. He suffered a calf injury in September which coincided with a lapse in form by Barca with the less experienced Marc-Andre ter Stegen taking his place. His return, however, prompted a resurgence and the Catalan side are now showing the ominous form that brought them success last season. - Reuters

M ONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015

SPORTS Anne-Marie Rindom retains lead at Laser Radial Women’s Worlds Number tworanked Rindom

It was a tough day because it was very up and down. The first race was bad. I had a good start but from then on it was really bad and I made a lot of mistakes. Thankfully I made up for it in the second race.

(25), representing Horsens Sejlklub in Jutland, Denmark, had a mixed day with a poor result in the ﬁrst race of the day, which she was able to discard, but was back on form for the

Anne-Marie Rindom

second race, which

Denmark

she won. Naturally she came ashore with a smile on her face

MUSCAT: In a second glorious day of racing in Al Musannah, Anne-Marie Rindom of Denmark retained the overall lead in the Qualifying Series at the Laser Radial Women’s World Championship. Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands, the reigning world champion, also retains her second overall despite a relatively poor day on the race course. The wind played true to form with a light breeze in the morning forcing a short postponement but ﬁnished off with winds up in the mid teens that provided exciting racing for the 100-strong ﬂeet. Number two-ranked Rindom (25), representing Horsens Sejlklub in Jutland, Denmark, had a mixed day with a poor result in

GREAT GOING: Anne-Marie Rindom of Denmark in action during the second day of 2015 Laser Women’s Radial World Championships in Al Musannah. – Supplied photo

the ﬁrst race of the day, which she was able to discard, but was back on form for the second race, which she won. Naturally she came ashore with a smile on her face. “It was a tough day because it was very up and down. The ﬁrst race was bad. I had a good start but from then on it was really bad and I made a lot of mistakes. Thankfully

I made up for it in the second race,” she said. Second-placed Bouwmeester was not quite so happy about her day but is pleased to have kept her top result. As she stepped ashore after a tough ﬁnal race, Bouwmeester said: “It was an okay day but I have to say, I am not too pleased with myself. I always try to do my

best but today I failed myself a bit. Hopefully I will have a better day tomorrow.” The transition from light to heavier winds resulted in some extremely shifty conditions, which made for even more tactical racing. One notable performance came from Lithuania’s Viktorija Andrulyte. The 23-year-old, lightweight

HOCKEY

India go down to Australia in second Test RAIPUR: India conceded a couple of late goals to go down 1-2 to Australia in the second hockey Test at the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Hockey Stadium here on Sunday. India enjoyed the lead for most of the match after Devender Walmiki scored in the 23rd minute. But Australia struck back-toback goals in the last quarter through Jacob Whetton (47th) and Aran Zalewski (48th) to claim a well deserved victory. The visitors have now taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series. The ﬁrst match had ended in a 2-2 draw on November 19. The Indian defenders and midﬁelders gave a good account of themselves and matched the Australians blow for blow for much of

the game. But the hosts seemed to run out of steam in the attacking third and were unable to come up with that decisive ﬁnal pass. The Indian strikers were also guilty of wasting the few scoring chances that came their way. Both teams started strongly and India alsmost took an early lead but S.V. Sunil missed the mark despite having the Australian goalkeeper at his mercy. Australia gradually started to get into their groove as the opening quarter wore on and started to put the Indian defence under constant pressure. The Indians responded with the occassional counterattack, but were thwarted by the visitors’ defence. India took the lead against the run of play in the second quarter

when a counter-attack saw Amir Khan make a run down the left before picking out Walmiki inside the penalty circle. The latter made no mistake, sounding the boards with a one-touch finish. The hosts will thank their goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh who pulled off a couple of superb saves to ensure that India went into the halftime break 1-0 up. In the third quarter, the Australian made a number of penetrations into the Indian penalty area and came close to scoring on a couple of occasssions. But they were kept at bay thanks to some desperate defending. The Indians ran into trouble at the start of the fourth and final quarter as the visitors struck twice in two minutes. The constant pressure on the Indian defence finally

took its toll as Whetton produced a superb effort from the edge of the penalty circle which took a defelction before finding the top corner of the far post. Australia put their noses in front seconds later when a speedy attack down the right flank was finished off by Zalewski. Rupinder Pal Singh will have to take his share of the blame as the ball took a deflection off his stick which wrong-footed Sreejesh. The frustration of the Indian players came to the fore when Manpreet Singh was shown a yellow card and handed a five minute penalty for a rough tackle. Dragflicker V.R. Raghunath was also lucky to evade punishment after a physical confrontation with an Australian player. - IANS

sailor from Kaunas — the secondlargest city in Lithuania — recently qualiﬁed her country for the Olympics. She sailed exceptionally well in the ﬁrst race of the day and won Blue Group by an impressive one minute and six seconds over Finland’s Tuula Tenkanen, who is currently lying third overall in the rankings.

Andrulyte commented: “Today was all about taking the shifts and I think that, combined with my lightweight, was the key to my win. I had a bit of a poor start but I took the shifts and got to the mark in the top three. I was then able to extend on that and have a good lead at the ﬁnish.” China’s Lijia Xu, reigning Olympic champion who has returned to sailing after a two-year break, had another reasonable day including a third place in her group in race two. This leaves her in fourth place in the rankings. Xu said the wind trend on the race course today was very typical: “When the wind picks up it veers and shifts to the right. It is tough, but I am trying to sail as fast as I can and also to learn from others and to learn from mistakes.” Fellow Chinese sailor Min Gu sailed well scoring a ﬁrst place in the opening race of the day in the same group, which keeps her well up the rankings even with a 21st to count.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2 015

SPORTS

B DIVISION: Bahihi after their win over OCT Muscat B. – Supplied photos

G DIVISION: Aptus Infotech who defeated RAY International.

H DIVISION: NBO celebrate their win over Al Ansari.

Attic Outdoors overcome Carillion Alawi Batting ﬁrst, Attic managed to score 137 for 7 in 20 overs. In reply, Carillion were bowled out for 129 in 18.1 overs

MUSCAT: Attic Outdoors outlasted Carillion Alawi for an eightrun victory in a thrilling D Division cricket match played at the Municipality Ground IV. Batting ﬁrst, Attic managed to score 137 for the loss seven wickets in 20 overs. Mohammed Shakeel and Mohammed Shahid contributed 41 and 36 runs respectively. Gurmeet and Arun Kumar claimed two wickets each for Carillion. In reply, Carillion were bowled out for 129 in 18.1 overs. Touseef Hassan claimed four wickets for Attic Outdoors. Brief scores: Attic Outdoors 137 for 7 in 20 overs (Mohammed Shakeel 41, Mohammed Shahid 36; Gurmeet 2/11) bt Carillion Alawi 129 in 18.1 overs (Touseef Hassan 4/20). Points: Attic Outdoors - 2; Carillion - 0.

GME down Majees A In an E Division match, Global Money Exchange (GME) defeated Majees A by 12 runs at the Municipality Ground II. Batting ﬁrst, GME scored 142 all out in 20 overs with Rahul Rajeev top scoring with 49. Adnan and Qais took three wickets each for Majees A. In reply, Majees A were restricted to 130 for six in 20 overs with Aamir Farooq top scoring with 48. Amal and Dilip claimed two wickets each for GME.

ATTIC STARS: Vikas Sharma, Tauseef-ul Hassan and Mohd Shakeel.

GOOD SHOW: Top performers of Global Money Exchange.

Oman Cricket finalises team for GCC Women’s T20 tourney MUSCAT: Oman Cricket has named a 14-member team for the forthcoming GCC Women’s Twenty20 cricket championship to be organised in Qatari capital of Doha from November 28 to December 5.

Besides hosts Qatar and Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have also conﬁrmed participation in the second edition of the championship. The inaugural championship was successfully hosted by

Brief scores: GME 142 in 20 overs (Rahul Rajeev 49; Oais Kaushar 3/12, Adnan 3/26) bt Majees A 130 for 6 in 20 overs (Aamir Farooq 48; Amal 2/22, Dilip 2/23). Points: GME – 2, Majees A - 0.

Brief scores: MCCC 144 for 9 in 20 overs (Vivek Iyer 50; Shibin 3/30) lost to Oasis Water 145 for 2 in 16.2 overs (Nazar 40, Rohan 38 n.o). Points: Oasis Water – 2, MCCC - 0.

Oasis Water win In an F Division match, Oasis Water eased to an eight-wicket victory over Muscat Cricket Coaching Centre (MCCC) at the Municipality Ground IV. Batting ﬁrst, MCCC put on 144 for nine of 20 overs with Vivek Iyer and Aslam Parvez scoring 50 and 35 respectively. Shibin claimed three wickets for Oasis. In reply, Oasis Water managed to haul the target in 16.2 overs, scoring 145 for the loss of two wickets. Nazar and Rohan top scored with 40 and 38 not out respectively.

Bahihi beat OCT Muscat B In an F Division match, Bahihi defeated OCT Muscat B by 82 runs at the Municipality Ground III. Batting ﬁrst, Bahihi scored an imposing 213 for seven in 20 overs with Shareer Najeeb and Deepak Bhandari scoring with 42 and 41 respectively. In reply, OCT Muscat B managed score just 131 for six in 20 thus. Essa Mohmmed was top scorer with 44. Suraj Rao claimed two wickets for Bahihi. Brief scores: Bahihi 213 for 7 in 20 overs (Shareer Najeeb 42, Deepak

Oman Cricket in 2014. The 14-member squad: Sujana Sunder, Hina Javed, Hira Javed, Thara Fathima, Saya Channa, Anupama Suresh Kumar Pillai, Akshadha Gunashekar, Jayadhanya Gu-

Bhandari 41) bt OCT Muscat B 131 for 6 in 20 overs (Essa Mohammed 44; Suraj Rao 2/23). Points: Bahihi - 3, OCT Muscat B - 0.

Aptus Infotech beat RAY In a G Division match, Aptus Infotech recorded an eight-wicket over Rukun Al Yaqeen (RAY) International at the OAC Ground III. Batting ﬁrst, RAY scored 161 for seven in 20 overs. Supriya Mukherjee top scored with 50. Vijesh claimed three wickets for Aptus. In reply, Aptus scored 162 for two in 17.5 overs. Anoop top scored with 59. Biji was unbeaten on 34. Brief scores: RAY International 161 for 7 in 20 overs (Supriya 50; Vijeesh 3/22) lost to Aptus Infotech 162 for 2 in 17.5 overs (Anoop 59, Biji 34 n.o). Points: Aptus Infotech – 2, Ray International - 0.

nashekar, Bhanvana Basavaraju, Sumathi Shenoy, Vaishali Jesrani, Sunayna Devaiah, Kruti Toprani and Jeena Jones. Coach: Nilesh Parmar. Manager: Sajith Kumar. Physio: Anitha Varadharajan.

Easy for NBO In a H Division match, National Bank of Oman (NBO) defeated Al Ansari by eight wickets at the OAC Ground III. Batting ﬁrst, Al Ansari were bundled out for 94 in 16.4 overs. Sajid Tanwar top scored with 35 runs. Zafar Iqbal claimed ﬁve wickets. In reply, NBO scored 95 for two in 12.5 overs to claim the bonus point win. Siddharth Oza top scored with an unbeaten 48. Brief scores: Al Ansari 94 in 16.4 overs (Sajid Tanwar 35; Zafar Iqbal 5/8) lost to NBO 95 for 2 in 12.5 overs (Siddharth Oza 48 n.o). Points: NBO – 3, Al Ansari - 0.

HFP down Ideal International In a J Division match, Hussain Fadhil Partners (HFP) defeated Ideal

ONEIC HEROES: Atif Jalali and Nadeem Qureshi. – Supplied photos

International by six wickets at the SQU ground. Batting ﬁrst, Ideal International scored 136 for eight in 20 overs. Namekazi Shedab top scored with 25 runs. Prashobh Mohan claimed four wickets for HFP. In reply, HFP scored 139 for four in 16.1 overs to claim the bonus point with Sreeraj remaining unbeaten on 88 Sagar claimed two wickets for for Ideal International. Brief scores: Ideal International 136 for 8 in 20 overs (Namekazi Shedab 25; Prashobh Mohan 3/28) lost to Hussain Fadhil Partners 139 for 4 in 16.1 overs (Sreeraj 88 n.o.; Sagar 2/15). Points: Hussain Fadhil Partners – 3, Ideal International - 0.

Big win for ONEIC In a J Division match, ONEIC defeated Bank Dhofar by 72 runs at the SQU ground. Batting ﬁrst, ONEIC scored 213 for six in 20 overs. Nadeem Qureshi and Atif Jalali scored 82 and 54 respectively. Sarfaraz claimed three wickets for Bank Dhofar. In reply, Bank Dhofar managed only 141 for nine in 20 overs, enabling ONEIC to seal the bonus point. Prajesh top scored with an unbeaten 42. Zubair claimed four wickets for ONEIC. Brief scores: ONEIC 213 for 6 in 20 overs (Nadeem Qureshi 82, Atif Jalali 54; Sarfaraz 3/16) bt Bank Dhofar 141 for 9 in 20 overs (Prajesh 42 n.o.; Zubair 4/21). Points: ONEIC – 3, Bank Dhofar - 0.

ISC TENNIS

Subash, Amaan in U-17 final MUSCAT: Top seed Subash Pillai will take on third seed Amaan Kazi in the pennant clash for the boys under-17 competition on the concluding day of the Falcon Insurance Company-sponsored Annual Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club (ISC) Muscat. Subash and Amaan have been in sublime form and the clash for top honours will definitely bring out the best out of them. Subash has reached the final after a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory over Hassan Haider, who had earned his place in the semifinal after upsetting the fourth seed in the quarters. Amaan on the other side has a big victory to his credit having shocked second seed Yash Tanna in an epic 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 victory in the semifinal. Amaan showed sound temperament when he clawed back from 3-5 down in the first set. Yash was serving for the set when Amaan rattled up a couple of brilliant winners and broke Yash to stay in the set. Amaan held for five-all. Yash went on the offensive and got into the lead but Amaan leveled

FINALISTS: Subash Pillai, left, and Amaan Kazi. – Supplied photos

to force the tie-breaker. Amaan was at his best as he raced to 4-0. Yash hung in and leveled at 6-6. Amaan earned set point and made no further mistake to win the thrilling ﬁrst set. Yash broke Amaan in the second set but looked bother by a niggle in his playing arm. Amaan broke back and controlled the tempo as he reeled

off the next five games to win the second set and seal a passage into the final. The men’s doubles final will also be played this evening. Matches start at 6.30 p.m. Tennis enthusiasts are invited to attend the grand finals. Prizes for the lucky spectators, lucky players and other surprises are in store for the spectators.

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Al Rawahi and Al Habsi brothers shine in Dubai

O LY M P I C PA N E L S M E E T I N G

Two OOC officials to attend Regional Forum in Tashkent MUSCAT: A two-member team of Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) will be attending a regional forum of National Olympic Committees of South, West and Central Asia to be held in Tashkent. The forum is scheduled to be held in Uzbekistan’s capital city from November 23 to 26. Organised by International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the forum will focus on preparations by NOCs taking part in the

Sanad Al Rawahi

Abdullah Al Rawahi

Birel ART’s Omani driver Sanad Al Rawahi, who suffered a DNF on the ﬁrst day, bounced back with a display worthy of the number six DD2 driver in the world — an accolade he achieved at the recent Rotax MAX Grand Finals in Portugal last weekend

MUSCAT: Omani drivers Sanad and Abdullah Al Rawahi as well as Shihab and Mohammed Al Habsi excelled in the fourth round of the UAE Rotax Max Challenge organised at the Dubai Kartdrome on Saturday. According to news posted on www.dubaiautodrome.com website, the second day of a double header weekend produced another enthralling episode of action and drama which has come to characterise the country’s premier karting championship. Birel ART’s Omani driver Sanad Al Rawahi, who suffered a DNF on the ﬁrst day, bounced back with a display worthy of the number six DD2 driver in the world — an accolade he achieved at the recent Rotax MAX Grand Finals in Portugal last weekend. Friday’s pace setter Emanuel Pagani battled early on with Abdullah Al Rawahi and Oliver George in the Final, but had to settle for second place sandwiched between the Omani brothers — Sanad winning by a second

and Abdullah in third — as they crossed the finish line. George was fourth overall and with it did enough to claim maximum points in the race-withina-race DD2 Masters class, with Kevin Day fifth overall and Jonathan Mowatt sixth — the pair second and third respectively in the DD2 Masters. Al Rawahi said afterwards: “First day was very tough, on the last lap I had a mechanical issue while in second place. To win after that was really good. I want to thank Birel ART for their support and providing me with the equipment to do the job.” In the Max class Pasqual Pook was unstoppable all weekend, winning the Heat race, Pre-final and Final comfortably as he did on Friday. In the Final he was slow off the line, but by mid-race was in command and simply drove away into the distance, winning by 3.3 seconds and setting the fastest lap in the process. Behind him a three-way battle ensued between Fraser Rose, Ja-

Mohammed Al Habsi

kob Robinson and Giulio Peroni — the latter leading early on. Rose did enough to pull away to claim second, while Robinson edged Peroni to finish third. Lee Broadbank was fifth, with Round 2 winner Ahmed Al Khamisi rounded out the top six. Pook said of his two days: “A perfect weekend where things fell into place, with everything going according to plan. “Big thanks to my mechanic and the team who made sure I had a good kart all weekend. Now this puts me in a good place to intensify my Rotax Max championship campaign.” In the Junior Max class Taymour Kermanshahchi was also a triple winner on day two, repeating the feat he accomplished 24 hours earlier. This time he won by 5.7 seconds and set himself as the man to beat for the title this season. Tehmur Chohan powered to second place ahead of Enzo Fontanella claiming the third step of the podium, Marcus Lee Marker in fourth, Alain Bauwmans fifth and sixth place going to Khalid Al Wahaibi. The battle at the sharp end of proceedings in the Final between Perdana Putra Minang, Eliot Jones and Logan Hannah came to nil as the trio were disqualified for continuing to race ‘under yellow flag’ conditions. Race winner Kermanshahchi said of his weekend: “It was a good couple of days. Won everything in the Junior Max class and very happy with that. After messing up at the Grand Finals in Portugal, I found inspiration for this weekend. It is good to come home to Dubai and do well.”

ISL

Atletico de Kolkata thrash FC Goa to secure top spot KOLKATA: Riding on a stupendous performance, defending champions Atletico de Kolkata climbed to the top of points table as they hammered FC Goa 4-0 in the Indian Super League (ISL) football match at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Sunday. Sameehg Doutie scored a brace of goals in the 20th and 78th minute while skipper Borja Fernaindez and Iain Hume scored in the 22nd and 68th minute to help the home side gather full three points and snatch the top spot from the visitors in style. With the win, Atletico have gathered 20 points from 12 games, having won six, drawn two and lost four. The visitors dropped one place to the second spot with 18 points from 11 games, having won ﬁve, drawn three and lost three. For the important tie, Goa made two changes — Narayan Das and Nicolau Colaco came in for Romeo Fernandes and Mandar Rao Dessai. While Arata Izumi and Valmiro

Lopes Rocha made way for Mohammed Raﬁque and Ofentse Nato in the Kolkata side. Goa kick-started the proceedings but it was the home side who took the initiative to go on a positive play right from the start. The side got a couple of chances to go ahead right at the start but it was the Goa defence that held on. But the home crowd didn’t have to wait long to cheer for their team as Doutie scored the opener in the 20th minute. From a throw-in, Jaime Gaivilan guided it to Doutie and the South African cashed in on the golden chance to shoot straight into the far corner. Just two minutes later, more trouble mounted for legendary Zico-coached Goa, as skipper Borja used his experience to good effect to beat goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani at the near post to make it 2-0 for the home side. Two goals in quick succession came as a shocker for the visitors as they eventually failed to string passes together or put pressure

on the Atletico defence like they did in the previous matches against their opponents. Coming into the second half, Goa showed a bit of positive game looking to ﬁnd the gap from either side but a strong Kolkata defence restricted them. In the 67th minute, Doutie made the most of his pace yet again and made his way inside the Goa box. But, the South African was brought down by Nicolau Colaco and the referee awarded a penalty. Canadian Hume took the spot kick and made no mistake to help his team go up 3-0. In total control of the game, Kolkata inched towards victory. But there was more drama left in the game. In the 78th minute, the hosts piled on Goa’s misery and added a fourth goal. Table-toppers Kolkata next host FC Pune City on November 27 while Goa clash with NorthEast United FC at home on November 25. - IANS

Shihab Al Habsi

Omani driver Shihab Al Habsi, racing in Scuderia Tony Kart colours, dominated proceedings in the Mini Max class, with a clean sweep of wins on the day including top spot on the podium in the final which he won by less than second from Jamie Day. Sem Knopjes was third, 0.357 of a second ahead of Liam Crystal in fourth with Connor Donovan and Lachlan Robinson fifth and sixth respectively. One of the highlights of the day was the battle between Mohamed Al Habsi and Alex Connor in the Micro Max class. The pair swapping positions in just about every corner, in the end Al Habsi nabbed top spot by a mere 0.078 of a second from Connor. Ali Al Shamsi was promoted to third after Georgie Zouein received a penalty for ‘advantage by contact’ which demoted him to fourth, with Fahad Al Khaled in fifth and Gaia Eichenberger sixth. Kartdrome’s David Bright summed up the two days of action, “We were pleased to host two days of intense UAE Rotax MAX Challenge racing at our venue. Things ran smoothly thanks to the efforts of Kartdrome team working with the officials from Al Ain Raceway Kart Club.” “Our organisations share the same goal to develop kart racing in the UAE, and these two rounds at the Kartdrome were a good advertisement for the sport.” The next round of the 20152016 UAE Rotax Max Challenge takes place in Al Ain on December 4, with Kartdrome set for another double header on the weekend of February 12-13, 2016.

Olympic Games and will review the latest developments and updates within the International Olympic Committee. The Sultanate will be represented by OOC’s Ahmed bin Darwish Al Balushi, Oman’s Chef de Mission to Rio 2016, and Fatimah bint Hamadan Al Harithi, head of OOC’s Coordination Department. During the meeting, the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Rio 2016 will make a presentation on the Games.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2 015

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Barcelona signed Ter Stegen to be their future number one and at 23-years-of-age he is still very young in goalkeeping terms

N recent transfer windows, Liverpool have been linked with many goalkeepers including Barcelona’s Marc-André Ter Stegen. Much of the speculation was prompted by the inconsistent performances and dodgy distribution skills of current firstchoice stopper Simon Mignolet. However, despite the criticism, former Reds boss Brendan Rodgers stuck by the Belgian. Klopp keen on replacement keeper With Jurgen Klopp now at the Anfield helm, Mignolet’s future is once again being discussed. Reports in the Spanish media have suggested that Klopp has already decided to replace 27-yearold, with the German keeper his preferred target. The former Borussia Dortmund Coach has been concerned by Liverpool’s approach to defending set pieces and wants a keeper that he and his defenders can trust in and around the six-yard box. Frustrated by lack of opportunities Barcelona signed Ter Stegen to be their future number one and at 23-years-of-age he is still very young in goalkeeping terms. But with limited first team chances behind Claudio Bravo, the former Borussia Monchengladbach keeper is growing restless. In the current set-up, Ter Stegen is used for Champions League and cup games while Claudio Bravo is preferred in the league. Both keepers have indicated that they are uncomfortable with this situation. In an attempt to force his way into the coach’s plans for the current season, the young German gave up part of his summer holiday and returned to training 11 days early. Despite his efforts, Claudio Bravo was once again handed the starting role in the league. Ter Stegen’s frustration was enhanced further when Bravo walked straight back into the starting XI after a threeweek spell out with injury. Sizeable investment required The sticking point for Liverpool could be the release clause. Early reports from Sport newspaper in Spain have reported a release clause of €80m but other sources have suggested that the release clause is actually closer to €60m, meaning Liverpool would have to stump up around £40m for his services. At that price, Barcelona would make a profit of more than €45m. Klopp will have to persuade the club owners that an investment of that size represents good value over the long term. The German connection Klopp knows the keeper well from his time in Germany and could be the right man to convince him to make the switch. The chance to work with the enigmatic Coach and the offer of first-team football could be enough to lure the youngster to England. The question remains whether Liverpool’s hierarchy are prepared to break the bank in order for Klopp to get his man. — Neil Morris / o-posts.com

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M O N DAY, N OV EM B ER 23, 2 0 1 5

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EXPLORATION REDEFINED

Story Faisal Mohammed Naim Photography Shabin E

With more style and more substance, the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe has been seriously ugraded from its previous generations. We took the Tahoe Z71 Off-road Edition on a day trip to Wadi Arbaeen to see what this beautiful, rolling hulk could do.

MONDAY, NOV EMBER 23, 2 015

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TECH SPECS Chevrolet Tahoe 2015 ENGINE 5300cc, EcoTec V8, DI, VVT with AFM POWER 355bhp net, 518Nm torque @ 4100rpm) PERFORMANCE 0 to 100kph – Under 9 seconds Top Speed – 220kph GROSS WEIGHT 3221kg FUEL CAPACITY 98 ltrs Authorised Dealer in Muscat OTE Group, Wattayah +968 2230 7253, +968 2230 7260 Toll Free No: 800 77007

often wonder why people in Muscat use the big SUVs to just saunter about the city roads. Especially the American Biggies – they roam around with authority only around malls and parks, but nowhere near the rough terrains. I have seen them enough struggling in busy parking lots, but rarely negotiating any bumpy trail in the vast undeﬁned horizons. Of course no crazy off-road stuff a la Hummer or Jeep Wrangler is to be expected (none of that explicit mud-plugging, dune bashing, or rock crawling), still they are more than capable to wade through gravelled wadis or conquer the rugged steep terrains. Recently getting the chance to test drive the revamped 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 off-road edition, we set out to the scenic Wadi Arbaeen, to ascertain my claims and check whether the Chevy’s off road package really delivered the goods. Highway or byway, the Tahoe is absolutely calm and utterly disciplined, making an easy task of chewing up all those endless miles. So comfortable an interior with pin drop silence that you will be clearly heard every time you mumble, “ahh the plushness,” out of joy. The only other thing audible except your breaths is the sweet hum of the throaty V8 engine. Redesigned for 2015, the Tahoe carries numerous improvements inside and out. The interior shows vast improvements over the previous generation, and delivers more of the look and quality. The centre console and switchgear are much more attractive and thoughtfully integrated, freeing up an abundance of storage space. The mostly analog instrument gauge cluster is

neatly laid out and features the Z71 logo (on the Z71 edition), complemented by a background pattern that resembles carbon fibre. The 8-inch touch-screen with built in Wi-Fi hotspot, is motorised, revealing a hidden compartment and USB port, which closes securely when the vehicle is powered off. New climate controls are easier to see and use, and there is no shortage of power outlets either. The exterior also sports a more sophisticated design with bolder lines and style elements, like new headlights that help break up the blockier styling of the previous generation. Another major improvement on the Z71, is the new front fascia. Eliminating the aero-minded lower air dam, the lower fascia length is reduced by at least six inches, making it less likely that the SUV will get hung up on rocks, branches or muddy ruts. The Z71 also sports five spoke 18-inch wheels providing better traction in sandy and muddy conditions, front skid plate, and an electronic locking differential. The tyres and the better approach angle allowed the Tahoe Z71 to navigate through moderate obstacles of the gravelled and uneven track in the wadi with much ease, which included a couple of water crossings to go with some muddy and rocky hill sections – nothing extra-tough, but a good mix of conditions that casual offroaders would love to encounter. The Z71-specific suspension feels well planted, trading some cushiness for better motion control. The ride may feel a little on the stiff side with an empty cabin, but the all-terrain tyres remain surprisingly quiet and composed. Though the sheer bulkiness might go against the prospects of serious off-roading, the same proves to be advantageous in many situations during casual off-roading. The SUV didn’t seem to lose grip – courtesy its weight; even as we waded through the very beautiful shallow water creek, running across the wadi; transparent and bedded with rocks. The most telling section of the Tahoe Z71’s capabilities was a rock hill at the end of the wadi, which had some serious ruts (forcing some pickup drivers to back down and take a different line). The Z71 motored up the steep hill with absolutely no hesitation – without even putting to test the standard front skid plate. The Z71 equally impresses on the highway. Even after climbing over rocks and driving effortlessly through small creeks, the Tahoe Z71 provided a smooth and ultraquiet ride, once the matters were back on the tarmac. The Tahoe’s standard 5.3-litre EcoTec3 V8 L83 provides plenty of power with 355hp and 518Nm of torque on tap, while plush interiors provide a refined atmosphere, helping the Z71 drive just as good as it looks. The gas pedal feels a bit lazy though on the Tahoe, feeling artificially heavy and conservative, right from initial tip-in through

early rpms. Although it is done with the intention of improving fuel efficiency, but I wonder how the response would feel with a fully loaded cabin and a trailer in tow. The Tahoe comes equipped with a good number of active safety features, and you get their taste, the moment you are back on the busy Muscat roads. Move into or cut through a tight lane, and sensors start beeping, with relevant information highlighting on the instrument panel display. The ‘Forward Collison Alert’ uses a forward-facing camera behind the rear view mirror to detect a possible head-on impact, warning the driver visually while also sending pulses through the seat cushion. The same camera can also detect if you’re drifting out of your lane without signalling, and alerts the driver (Lane Departure Warning). The alert keeps on dinging every other second at the traffic signals, as some driver or the other tries pushing into you, even though you are guilty of nothing. The humongous SUV is sized for wide-open spaces, and might feel a bit unwieldy within city limits, especially at tight places like the busy mall parkings or coffee shops. However, the rise-assist features combined with the new variable-assist electric power steering, which is light, easy and stable at any speed, help temper its size and mass. Out on the highway the shortrange radar sensors in the rearquarter panels prove to be very useful. The sensors warn you if a

Redesigned for 2015, the Tahoe carries numerous improvements inside and out. Showing vast improvements over the previous generation, the new Tahoe puts a bold step forward, delivering more on every quarter

vehicle is in your blind spot (Side Blind Spot Alert) or if someone is approaching quickly while you’re initiating a lane change (Lane Change Alert). Twice we thanked the car for being blessed with this feature. The sensor even detects approaching cross traffic when you’re backing out from a parking stall (Rear Cross-Traffic Alert). On the passive safety part, the Tahoe has comprehensive airbag protection, with side and curtain airbags for all rows. A new inboard side airbag protects against collisions between the driver and front passenger in addition to the traditional frontal airbags. Other standard features on the Z71 package include front tow hooks, rectangular chrome side steps and a handful of “Z71” badges. After a day well spent with the Tahoe Z71, all I must say is, if you need the best of both worlds – cruising and off-roading; this is your best bet. —faisal@timesofoman.com

M ONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015

LIFESTYLE

SPOTIFY CURRENTLY RULES THE ROOST WHEN IT COMES TO STREAMING MUSIC, WITH A REPORTED PAID USER BASE SURPASSING AN ASTOUNDING 20 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS, AND A WHOPPING 55 MILLION ADDITIONAL LISTENERS OF ITS FREE, AD-BASED SERVICE. MILES AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION, THE SWEDISH-BORN SERVICE CURRENTLY ENJOYS MONOPOLY WITH LITERALLY MILLIONS OF SONGS ON OFFER. HOWEVER, THE LATEST TO JOIN THE ONLINE MUSIC BANDWAGON APPLE, POSES A POTENT CHALLENGE TO SPOTIFY, WITH ITS STRONG USER BASE AND INFINITE TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES. APPLE MUSIC, AS THE SERVICE IS KNOWN IS AN OUTCOME OF ITUNES AND DR DRE-JIMMY LEVINE’S BEATS MUSIC, AND WITHIN MONTHS OF ITS LAUNCH, HAS AMASSED 11 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS, OFFERING COOL FEATURES AS CUSTOMISED PLAYLISTS, AND 24 HOUR LIVE RADIO, ALONG WITH MILLIONS OF SONGS TO CHOOSE FROM. WHETHER OR NOT APPLE CAN UPEND THE CHAMP IN THE LONG RUN REMAINS TO BE SEEN. HERE WE BRING YOU A HEAD ON COMPARISON OF BOTH

F A I S A L

M O H A M M E D

N A I M

SELECT YOUR MUSIC

APPLE MUSIC

Music Library

Radio

Music Discovery

User Interface

Sharing

Both services have plenty of music on offer and, though Spotify leads the front at the moment with a staggering 30 million songs, coupled with addition of 20,000 new songs every day. However, Apple Music, not very far behind, claims to have even more content by roping in emerging artists as it picks up. Spotify brings all the latest record releases, exclusive Spotify live sessions, and various new singles right to its New Releases tab each Tuesday, allowing users to access the latest stuff. However, it lacks some famous artists in its lists, like the Beatles and Taylor Swift, which by the way are available on Apple Music, which pulls its music from iTunes. However, with Apple Music, not all content is streamable, some is only available or downloading. Both allow uploading personal music collection to their catalogues as well. With Spotify, you can add music ﬁles from your computer, and add them to playlists to listen alongside streaming tracks. With Apple Music, all of the music you put into iTunes, is added automatically.

Both Spotify and Apple Music have radio features, but they work in very different ways. Apple Music has a live, 24/7 global radio station, streaming from London, New York and Los Angeles called Beats 1. Apple’s hired DJs to run the stations, which promise to not only play great music, but also discuss what’s hot in music and music culture and offer exclusive interviews. Also available are Apple Music Radio stations, which offer genre-based music, allowing to skip songs to ﬁne-tune the station. Spotify does not have live radio. Instead, it offers to create stations based on one’s favourite artists, genres, songs, playlists or albums, and the service will ﬁnd songs to match. These radio stations are essentially on-demand, endless playlists that can be played anytime.

Apple Music uses the Beats Music recommendation engine to learn user preferences and continually find new suggestions. The “For You” tab keeps filling up with constantly evolving recommendations, based on the user’s favourite artists and genres. Apple boasts that it doesn’t just use an algorithm to create these recommendations; it also uses real humans to curate playlists and pick out music. The Apple Music recommendations however lack imagination and feed you what you already like, instead of offering you something fresh, like Spotify does with its Discovery feature. Although less prominent, it tailors recommendations based on one’s listening history, finding new music from artists one is mostly unfamiliar with – much more in tune with lesser known, underground and indie artists. Spotify definitely serves the purpose better.

Both Spotify and Apple Music have simple easy-to-use interfaces, but quite differing in usage pattern. The only common feature is the three-dot button to the far right of the head-title, which launches a menu with different options. The Apple Music app looks classy, but the same can’t be said about its navigation. While listening to music, you can’t create a new playlist on the ﬂy and accessing an artist’s page or album isn’t easy. Each task requires going to another section of the app to do so. The disjointed navigation results in a fragmented experience that’s quite unattractive. Spotify, beneﬁtting from its experience in the streaming music scene, is simple, easy to use, and full of features that make for an enriching musiclistening experience. You can conveniently make a new playlist from the Add to Playlist option, investigate an artist’s page or view an entire album’s track listing by simply tapping on the three-dot button to the right of the title – though not as elegant as Apple Music, but then what good is beauty without brains.

Spotify allows posting an artist, album, playlist or individual track to one’s personal Spotify, Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr feeds, or sharing individually via Facebook, e-mail, text message, WhatsApp or Google Hangouts. Spotify also allows following friends, providing a feed to lurk what they’re listening to. In contrast, Apple Music’s options are few. Sharing an artist, album, playlist, or track, is only possible via text, e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, or AirDrop. It also lacks a social component that connects friends and other music listeners. Apple Music is ﬁne to send songs occasionally, but not as easy or convenient as Spotify for constant music exchange. Spotify not only allows sending music, there is also a chat window, which allows discussions and reaction exchange over the shared content. Apple Music doesn’t even have a feature to allow sending music directly to another Apple Music user.

Spotify: Apple Music:

Conclusion Though both look like very similar services, they still have their differences. If you’re a music nerd with an insatiable thirst for fresh sounds, the latest releases, and new artists, Spotify is lightyears ahead of Apple Music. If you’re not that into discovering new music and like to stick to what you know, Apple Music does a great job at keeping you in your musical comfort zone. TOO Verdict Deﬁnitely Spotify – discovering new is the motto. Else what’s the need? You already have enough on your ﬂash drive.

Spotify: —faisal@timesofoman.com Apple Music:

Spotify: Apple Music:

Photos: Supplied

S T O R Y

SPOTIFY

MONDAY, NOV EMBER 23, 2 015

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PRAYER TIMINGS

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

@SHATTI

@RUWI

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 4:30, 7:30, 9:00, 11:30 PM Tiger House (Action ) (12+) Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Gougray Scott 7:00, 10:00 PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Family) (PG) Cast: Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor 4:30 PM Amar Akbar Anthony( Malayalam) (12+) Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaram, Jayasurya 11:30 PM

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI Spectre (Action | Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz 2:30, 9:15, 11:55 PM The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 (3D) (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 3:15, 6:00, 8:45, 11:30 PM The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 (2D) (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 4:15, 6:45 PM Secret in their Eyes (Mystery | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman 2:15, 9:30, 11.45 PM A Perfect Day (Drama) (PG) Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins 5:15 PM Eyal Harifa (Comedy) PG12 7:30 PM

Hunger Games : Mockingjay part 2 (Action, Adventure) (PG12) Cast : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth Timings : 2:00, 5:15, 8:30, 11:45 pm VIP Lounge: 3:00, 8:15, 11:00 pm

Secret in their Eyes (Mystery | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman Timing: 2:15, 9:30, 11.45 PM

4:00 & 9:00PM Gold Class : 5:45PM

SOHAR Spectre - 2D (PG12) Action |Thriller Cast : Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes 3:00, 6:15 PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - 2D (PG) Family Cast : Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor 2:30, 8:15, 10:30 PM The Hunger Game : Mocking Jay Part 2 - 3D (PG12) Adventure, Sci-Fi Cast : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 3:15, 6:00, 8:45, 11:30 PM The Hunger Game : Mocking Jay Part 2 - 2D (PG12) Adventure, Sci-Fi Cast : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 7:50 PM Secret in Their Eyes - 2D (12+) Mystery Cast : Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman 2:30, 5:45, 11:45 PM Tiger House - 2D (12+) Action |Drama Cast : Kaya Scodelario, Dougray Scott 4:40, 11:30 PM A Perfect Day - 2D (PG) Drama Cast : Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins 5:45 PM Amar Akbar Anthony - 2D (M) (12+) Thriller Cast : Prithviraj Sukumaran, Namitha 9:00 PM

Amar Akbar Anthony- Malayalam (PG12) Cast : Prithiviraj, Jaya Surya Timing: 3.45, 6.45 PM

2:30, 11:45 pm A Perfect Day (Drama)(2D)(PG) Cast : Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins, Olga Kurylenko 4:45 pm EYAL HARIFA (Arabic, Comedy)(2D)(PG12) 6:45 pm

PANORAMA MALL Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2 (PG12) Cast : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 2:00, 5:15, 8:30, 11:45 pm (Action) Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2 – (Action) (PG12) VIP LOUNGE 3:00, 8:15, 11:00 pm Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2 (Action, Adventure)(4D)(PG12) Cast : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 2:00, 5:15, 8:30, 11:45 pm Spectre (Action, Adventure) (PG12) 8:45 /11:30 pm Spectre (Action, Adventure)(PG12) VIP LOUNGE: 5:30 pm Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Hindi, Family)(PG) 5:15, 8:30 pm Secret In Their Eyes (Mystery, Thriller) (2D)(12+) Cast : Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts

MUSCAT GRAND MALL The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 : 3D (Adventure/Sci-Fi) PG12 Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 1:00, 3:45, 8:45, 11:30 PM Gold Class : 3:00, 8:30, 11:15 PM Hatched: Chicks Gone Wild : 2D (Animation/Fantasy) (PG) 12:15PM Secret in their Eyes : 2D (Thriller) (12+) Cast : Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts 1:45, 6:30 & 11:45PM A Perfect Day : 2D (Drama) (PG) Cast : Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins 6:45PM Spectre : 2D (Action/Thriller) PG12 Cast : Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz

Amar Akbar Anthony - 2D (12+) Comedy Cast – Prithviraj Sukumaran, Namitha 5:45, 7:15 PM RUWI Screen 1 Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Family) – PG Cast : Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor 3.30, 6.45, 10.00 PM Screen 2 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 – 2D (Action/Sci Fic) – PG12 Cast : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 3.45, 6.45, 9.45 PM Screen 3 Amar Akbar Anthony- Malayalam – PG12 Cast : Prithiviraj, Jaya Surya 3.45, 6.45 PM Spectre (Action) – PG12 Cast : Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes 9.45 PM

AZAIBA Spectra – 2D (PG12) Action, Thriller Cast – Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes 4:00, 11:30 PM Vedalam – 2D (PG) Action, Masala Cast – Ajith Kumar, Shruti Hasan 3:00, 8:30 PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo – 2D (PG) Family Cast – Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor 2:00, 5:05, 8:15, 10:00, 11:30 PM Hatched: Chicks Gone Wild – 2D (PG) Animation, Fantasy 2:30 PM The Hunger Game : Mocking Jay Part 2 – 3D (PG12) Adventure, Sci-Fi Cast – Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 2:15, 4:45, 6:45, 9:15, 11:45 PM

BURAIMI The Hunger Game: Mocking Jay– 3D (Adventure, Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 4:45, 6:15, 9:00, 11:30PM Tiger House – 2D (Action, Crime) (12+) Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Dougray Scott, Ed Skrein 7:30, 11:15PM Secret in Their Eyes – 2D (Mystery,

SUR The Hunger Game - Mockingjay 2 3D (Action | Adventure | Sci Fi ) (PG12)

Thriller) (12+) Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts 4:15, 9:30, 11:45PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo– 2D (Family) (PG) Cast: Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh 4:00, 8:45PM Amar Akbar Anthony– 2D (Comedy, Thriller) (12+) Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Namitha, Jayasurya, Indrajith 7:00PM

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 06:30 08:00 13:00 13:00 16.00 16.00

07:00 07:00 13:30 13:00 13:00 13:00 17:00

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

28 20

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62) 06:30 06:30

Fahud Yibal

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

20:00 20:30 23:30 07:40

Daily Daily

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

19:50 13:15 22:30 07:30

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

07:00

Daily

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 07:30 07:30 13:00 13:00 15:30 15:30

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

NAVYA PABARI November 23, 2014

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

65-85% Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

LISTINGS

11.45 13.30 14.00

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

Emergencies and inquiries: 9999 General Directorate of Passport and Residence 24569603 Directorate General of Customs 24521109 Traffic violations inquiries 24510228 Public Relations Admin 24560099 EMBASSIES IN OMAN

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

07:00

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 06:00 06:00 13:00 13:00 15:00 15:00

10:45 19:00

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

Ruwi Ruwi

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100) Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

06:00 14:30

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100) 07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

Programmes are subject to change

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) Sur Sur

Amar Akbar Anthony (Mal) (Act/Drama) Cast: Prithviraj, Jaya Surya, Indrajith & Namitha 3-00, 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema Main Vedalam (Tamil) Act Cast: Ajith, Shruthi Hassan & Lakshmi Menon 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema – 2 Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Hindi ) (Act) Cast : Salman Khan,Sonam Kapoo 6-45 & 9-45 Pm Cinema- 4 Akhil (Telugu) (Rom/Act) Cast : Akhil Akkineni & Sayesha Saigal 3-45 Pm At Cinema - 4 Thoonga Vanam (Tamil) Thriller Cast : Kamal Hassan & Trisha 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 pm At Cinema-3 Next Change: Anarkali (Mal)

ROYAL OMAN POLICE 07:30 14:30

Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om

Minimum

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54) 08:00 08:00

08:55 Daily 11:40 Daily 20:20 Daily via Ibri 14:55 Daily 17:40 Daily 19:20 Daily 22:15 Daily

STAR CINEMA

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 20:50

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54) 14:30 14:30

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (Adventure / Sci-Fi) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 2.00, 4.30, 7.00, 9.30 & 11.55 pm CP No: 3015 (PG12) Tiger House (Action / Crime / Drama) Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Dougray Scott, Ed Skrein 12.30, 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 3016 (12+) Spectre (Action / Adventure / Thriller) Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes 2.30 p.m. CP No: 2965 (PG12) Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Hindi / Drama) Cast: Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Anupam Kher 7.00 pm CP No: 2996 (PG) A Perfect Day (Drama) Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins, Olga Kurylenko 12.30 & 5.00 pm CP No : 3017 (PG)

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 The Hunger Game : Mocking Jay Part 2 (3D) (PG12) (Adventure, Sci-Fi) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson 10:45AM, 6:30, 9:00, 11:35PM The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2 (2D) (PG12) (Adventure/Sc-Fi) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson 3:30PM Spectre (2D) (PG12) (Action /Thriller) Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes 12:30, 3:10PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2D) (PG) (Family) Cast: Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor 11:00AM, 8:00, 11:15PM A Perfect Day (2D) (PG) (Drama) Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins 1:35, 6:00PM Secret in Their Eyes (2D) (12+) (Thriller) Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman 10:30AM, 2:15, 11:55PM Eyal Harifa (2D) (PG12) (Arabic)(Comedy) 7:15PM Amar Akbar Anthony (2D) (12+) (Mal) Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Namitha 9:15PM ( Comedy/ Thriller) Vedalam (2D) (PG) (Tamil) (Action | Masala) Cast: Ajith Kumar, Shruti Hasan, Laxmi Menon 4:25PM

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) Destination

11.58pm 3.04pm 5.25pm 6.39pm 5.07am

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

@PANORAMA MALL

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

M ONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015

C11

LIFESTYLE DO IT YOURSELF When it comes to your car you always don’t need a mechanic to solve your woes. Some issues can be resolved by you, saving you enough time and dough. It pays to be informed a little bit more about your vehicle. Story Faisal Mohammed Naim

f you have a vehicle, don’t just own it, but own up to it. Knowing basic mechanisms and operations of your vehicle helps you a lot in the long run (most of which are described nicely in the owner’s manual). Relying too much on your pet mechanic, won’t reap you much beneﬁt. Here are few troubles that could trouble you anytime, anywhere, and how you could shoot them up.

Spark plugs initiate combustion in the engine. If the spark plugs are gunked-up or misﬁring, the engine won’t run or start properly. This is where the deep sockets come into play (even better, if they’re magnetic). Pop off the covers, unscrew the old plugs and replace with new. Unless the engine is extremely far back in the bay to the point where you can’t access the plugs without a lot more work, this is something you can very easily do.

Dead Battery Indication: Car won’t start If there’s any corrosion, clean it off with a metal brush. Unbolt the negative terminal ﬁrst, then the positive. There might also be a ground wire that you’ll need to take off. Replace the battery with a new one. It’s that simple. Though make sure the battery is actually the problem and not the starter or alternator. You can conﬁrm this by using a tester or charger, or have it checked by any battery specialist if you don’t have one.

Worn Out Belt Indication: Frequent sharp squeaking sound, cracks in the belts A bad belt is pretty easy to spot. You’ll see the wear starting to fray and crack. Before you start ripping off your current belt, make sure you have the belt diagram. You’re going to want to know the path the belt takes, while installing the new one. Use a ratchet to loosen the tension arm, freeing the belt. With the pulleys exposed, make sure there is no excess rubber, grime or oil that would hasten belt disintegration. Use the diagram to reroute the new belt, lock up the tension arm, and you’re ready to go.

Faulty Spark Plugs Indication: Hard starts or rough idles

Dead Alternator Indication: Your car won’t turn over, and the gadgets inside don’t even light up People see something electrical and assume it to be complicated. Not so true however. Changing the alternator is pretty simple. Remove the electrical connections (there should be power wires and a harness connector), unbolt the brackets, and free the belt. That’s it. Put the new one back in the way it came out, reconnect the wires. Done. Lights Out Indication: The blinkers blink faster, or the lights don’t light up at all Figure out, which type of bulb you need (check owner’s manual). Once you have the bulbs, you can usually pop lights out of the back of the housing, and unplug the old bulb (with the ignition turned off ). Slide the new one in, and you’re good to go.

If there’s any corrosion, clean it off with a metal brush. Unbolt the negative terminal first, then the positive. There might also be a ground wire that you’ll need to take off. Replace the battery with a new one. It’s that simple

Leaky Radiator Indication: You can’t see your antifreeze, when you take off the cap It is better to replace a leaky radiator instead of looking to have it repaired; you’d only be delaying

T E C H TA L K

New App Helps Seniors Play, Live Better RESEARCHERS including one of Indian-origin have developed a new app that allows older people residing in independent living communities play various brain games and also helps them connect with health care providers for better living. It helps the elderly connect with care providers by sending concerns and questions as text or voice recordings. Called eSeniorCare, the app also allows health workers to proactively reach out to at-risk seniors when they need help, while still allowing them to maintain their independence. “It is about personalised health care,” said Nitesh Chawla, director of University of Notre Dame’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Network Science and Applications (iCeNSA) in Indiana. “It is about the individual. It is about how we can bring data and technology together to help empower ageing population to live healthy, independent, social, and productive lives. It is about making a difference,” Chawla said in an official statement. Unlike many available apps for seniors that merely track data, this

app, creates a personalised socioecological construct around the senior, the researchers said. A physical health component of the app allows seniors to track a variety of health goals. They can set goals, such as eating less fast food or drinking less caffeine, and maintain a record of various activities in support of such goals and send the records to resident health administrators for guidance, reﬂection, and personal motivation. The app also features medication scheduling and management, medication history, medication reminders, and medication adherence. Medication reminders have textual, audio and video components. Because the app is interactive, caretakers can see when medications are not being taken correctly or renewed on time and can quickly intervene to remedy the problem. A variety of crossword and Sudoku puzzles, and other games provide them opportunity for mental stimulation. The app is being pilot tested at senior independent living facilities in the South Bend area of Indiana and is not yet available to the general public. -IANS

the inevitable. Jack up the car and remove all coolant by removing the drain bolt at the bottom of the radiator. Alongside, remove the overflow tank, unplug cooling fans, remove the top radiator hose, and take off the top brackets that hold the radiator in place. If the car is automatic, you’ll also need to remove the transmission cooling line. From there, slide the new radiator in and swap all the tubes and rubber pieces. Finally, fill the car with either premixed fluid or a 50-50 mixture of antifreeze and water. Easier done than said, I guarantee. Worn Bad Brake Pads or Rotors Indication: Screeching sounds while braking Once you’ve got the car jacked up and the tyre removed, you’re ready to take off the caliper and remove the actual pads. Remove the slide pins, which hold the caliper in place, and separate the caliper, and hold it up (don’t keep it hanging by the brake line). Remove the pads now. Using the c-clamp, carefully compress the piston evenly back down into the caliper. Check if the worn

pads did any damage to the rotors, by running your finger across the rotor. If you feel deep grooves or uneven and warped surfaces, you need to replace the rotor(s), as well. Slide the new pads back across the rotors, re-insert the brake caliper over the pads and tighten up the pins. Finally, check the brake fluid. Oil Change This one is not a trouble. It is an obligation, to be honoured religiously, every 5,000km or whatever the specified period There are few things you need to know before changing your oil: oil grade and exact oil filter type, location of the oil pan bolt and oil filter, and how much oil your engine holds (check owner’s manual). That done, follow three basic steps: loosen the bolt and drain the old oil, replace the oil filter, and refill the engine with new oil after tightening the bolt back up. Make sure you put a little bit of oil in the filter and lubricate the rubber ring with oil. It might sound like a lot, but take your time, follow the service manual, and you’ll be fine. More next time. Drive safe. — faisal@timesofoman.com

C1 2

MONDAY, NOV EMBER 23, 2 015

LIFESTYLE THE WINDOW SHIELD Window Without Film

Occupants feel the sun’s heat, squint through the distracting glare, are exposed to dangerous UV rays that can cause multiple health problems

The sun’s rays also take their toll on your car’s interior causing drying, cracking, and fading

With Window Film

UV PROTECTIONS

Window ﬁlm blocks up to 99% of UV rays, offers infrared heat rejection of upto 92%, providing more comfort and blocking that annoying sun glare

Window ﬁlm effectively reduces fading of upholstery, retaining your car’s immaculate ﬁnish for longer periods

LESS

INTERIOR SUN DAMAGE

Less private, less stylish: Without window ﬁlm, you don’t have as much privacy, and your car doesn’t have a customised look

PRIVACY

In case of an accident, standard side windows may shatter, potentially causing injuries from ﬂying glass

More style, increased privacy: Window ﬁlm imparts a distinctly stylish look, and offers occupants a more private driving experience

Added protection: In case of an accident, window ﬁlm can help hold shattered glass together, reducing injuries from ﬂying glass

When Choosing Window Film

Window ﬁlms with darker tints typically offer maximum heat and glare rejection, and more privacy for occupants of the car.

Follow the local laws. In Oman it is by law required to maintain a minimum visibility of 70%, which means only a maximum of 30% window ﬁlm tint is allowed.

Source: Madico Window Films

Window ﬁlms with lighter tints often combine solid heat rejection performance and reduced fading, while offering a more subtle tint, accenting the look of a car.

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M M O N DAY, N O V E M B E R 2 3, 2 0 1 5

SECTION

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

RENT

VACANCY

CARGO

M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 3 , 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 SPACIOUS – 2 BHK, 3 bathrooms Flat with Split AC at Muttrah Prime Location

Flat for rent in CBD area - Ruwi Two rooms and a large hall •Office spaces for rent in Al Hail on the main road On the same building of Al Khamis Shoes at Al Hail •2 bed room ﬂats in Qurum 29 for rent next to ABA New building -split AC - Good location

Contact No: 96177505

Indian school Darsait (ISD), 2BHK Spacious ﬂats, ground ﬂoor air conditioners provided , OMR 350/including full maintenance . Ideal for south Indian families. Contact: 99076557 Urgent apartment for rent: First Floor, Purpose built one bedroom, bath, Kitchen with balcony and a drawing & dinning. 2 Minutes walk from Indian School Muscat. Contact - 99346265

Flat available for rent 2 bedrooms hall, 2 toilets, 1 kitchen & balcony with proper sun light & ventilator location or Mabela north very close to Indian school AL Seeb rent R.O 230/-. Contact: 99432496 Luxurious 2 BHK ﬂat with 3 toilets , store , equipped kitchen & split A.C s at Mumtaz area with free GYM & party, hall rent 410 R.O. Contact: 92622506

Contact : 93202733 NEW 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 (Negotiable) per month.

Contact : 99229263; 93221054; 95215289

Beautiful villa directly on beach in best location in Shatti Qurum 1800 OMR. Contact: 95887572

2 BHK in Al Meera MKT building in Al Khuwair available. Rent RO420. Contact 94047434

Spacious 2 BHK ﬂat on Penthouse behind Sultan Center, Azaiba – RO.425/- p.m. Contact: 99849325/99824803

Sohar: 3BHK AND 4BHK FLATS, R.O 200 and R.O 215 respectively. (New Building with CCTV camera with Split A/C). Contact 99881426 / 92123699

One / two, B/R RES / Comm. directly from own ER near medical college Bausher. Contact: 92158031

Furnished office, accommodation available Walja. Contact: 96246625

Studio ﬂat for rent at Wadi Kabir behind Muscat bakery, building No. 337, Way No. 150. Contact: 99373290/24815012

2.3 BHK Ghobrah R.O 350/- / 400/-. Contact: 92144045

Furnished rooms attached bath for Indian bachelor Al Falaj area - Ruwi & for lady in Wadi Kabir near Mars Hypermarket 96202458/96761960

1BHK Darsait I.S.D school R.O 225/Contact: 92144045

1BHK ﬂat near Star Cinema 220/-. Contact 99358589 /95570288

1.2.3 BHK ﬂats 8 villas. Contact: 97799175

1.2 BHK M.B.D. Contact: 92144045

1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-. Contact: 92144045

5B/R villa in Mumtaz area and 4 B/R villas in Mawalah next to the wave for rent. Contact: 97296105 House in Al Khoud commercial district, 4rooms, Majlis, 2 kitchens, 3 bathrooms. Contact: 98044421 Flats in Qurum, Al Wallaj, 3 rooms, Majlis, dining room, kitchen, 3 bathrooms. Contact: 98044421 Shops in AL Amerat industrial area near shell station. Contact: 98044421 1BHK new bldg with A/C curtains near Khimji mart MBD. Contact: 99061408 /99024039

Air conditioned two bedroom flats centrally located at AL Khuwair are available for rent. Contact: 93888666/24493666 /99228454 Flats for rent near Indian school in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99777122 Shops for rent behind the building good for offices +stores space 11 x 4 Meters behind Sultan Center Al Amerat R.O 250/- PER Month. Contact: 92877449 Deluxe , spacious & air conditioned two bedroom flats with good quality finishes , wardrobes & secured basement parking are available for rent in Azaiba north , close to 18th November street. Contact: 93888666 /24493666/99228454

New Building in Muttrah, 2 B/D Room Flat + Setting Room, 3 Baths+ Kitchen with split unit Ac’s. Behind Khimjis main office/opposite to Oman House Call 99419712 Villa at Al.Khuwair having six bedrooms, six bathrooms, sitting, dinning, hall, kitchen Etc. Contact - 24833972/ 24833974/ 99367448 Deluxe beach front villa at AL Hail North with 5 bedrooms and staff quarter having excellent ﬁnishes is available for immediate occupation. Contact: 93888666/ 244493666/99228454 2BHK near Oman house behind Khimji, H.O. Contact: 95865686

M O N DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 3, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

HOME THEATER & KARAOKE BRING HOME - LIVE MUSIC & CINEMA GENERAL ELECTRONICS SERVICES LLC CONTACT: 99627299 / 93327841

FOR HIRE WITH OPERATORS

1. Back Hoe Loaders (Shovels): 5 Nos 2. 10 Tons Vibratory Roller Compactor: 1 No. 3. 42 Mtrs. Concrete Pump Putzmeister: 1 No. 4. 45 Cbm Tippers: 2 Nos 5. 50 M height, 50 Boom tower cranes: 5 Nos.

SERVICES REQUIRED IN OMAN We are looking for a suitable sub-contractor

Please contact – Mr. Ravi on 96529679 Email – ravi@alliedoman.com / narayan@alliedoman.com

to carry out installation and supervision of GRP Sectional Water tanks. Interested parties may contact by e-mail :

recruitments007@gmail.com or call 99104461

Flats and Houses for rent in Wadi Kabir and Sidab best price. Contact: 95555162/95755953 Flat for rent in Amerat two bedroom, one hall. Contact: 91141097

New warehouse for rent at Ghala Ind. Area. 800 & 2500 approx sqms near Hotel Al-Madinah Holiday Ghala. Container can enter. Immediate access to roads & highways. Contact : 94583320 Three bedroom fully furnished apartment in UAE Cornish area. Contact: 99326318 1BHK flat Darsait near MCT Municipality 220/-. Contact: 99342661 One room with kitchen & bathroom at W/ Kabir R.O 100/. Contact: 99384640 Single BHK flat available in Honda road Ruwi. Contact 24833972/24833974/99367448 New villa at Mawalah south 5 bed room, family hall, Majlis, bath. Contact: 99332367 1 BHK Nr Oman house and Khimji H.O Muttrah. Contact: 99233116 Villa for rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 95562646 2 & 3 BHK Al Khuwair. Contact: 99024730 3 Bedroom flat at Al Khuwair. Contact: 99447257/97014234 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 2BHK Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti mosque. Contact: 97007934/ 92629232 For rent in Al Khuwair 33/1, 2 Bed Rooms 1 Family Hall, 1 Bathroom, 1 Kitchen & Full split unit. Contact no 99315515 2 BHK Flats for rent Muttrah near Oman house. Contact: 97007934/92629232 6 shops in South Mawalah Contact: 96420432 Studio in souk Al Khoud behind of Al Ahali bank with 2 BR toilet+ kitchen in 2 floor 160RO. Contact 99738881

2 Bedroom centrally air conditioned flat in CBD, Central bank area. Contact: 24714625/ 94460790 2 Bedrooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality. Contact: 92584715 /24700120 1000 SQ mtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for ware house workshop etc. Contact: 24700120 /92584715 Spacious separate room with A/c and Bed, for non-cooking Asian bachelor, behind Shell filling station, Ghobrah round about. Contact: 94263390 2 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33 1 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33 1 B/R Flat - Fully Furnished @ Salalah Near New Lulu. 2 B/R Flat - Fully Furnished American standard @ Salalah. 5 B/R Villa - Fully Furnished @ Madinat Al Ilam 5 B/R Villa - Unfurnished @ Madinat Al Ilam 5 B/R Villa - Unfurnished @ Al Mawalah North Brand New Please Contact: Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC. 24834888, 99249069 / 92888376 92888374 Email: info@alshahiintl.com For Rent Flats in Darsait 94051789-97201688 For Rent Flats in Ghala Heights 94051789-97201688 For Rent Flats in Wadi Kabir 94051789-97201688 For Rent Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35) 94051789-97201688 For Rent flats in MuttrahContact – 94051789-97201688 Offices for Rent GalaContact –94051789-97201688 For Rent Duplex villa in Qurum 29- 94051789-97201688 For Rent Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud- 94051789-97201688 For Rent offices in Qurum opposite city center- 9405178997201688 2 BHK flat available for rent in Darsait. Contact: 99357586

New pent house 219 meters, 3 bedrooms Each own toilet , servant room with toilet laundry area , kitchen with store elevator available AL Khuwair 39 rent R.O 575/family only. Contact: 99207840 For Rent Mini Furnished Apartment in Qurum- 9405178997201688 For Rent Flats in Mawalah south-94051789-97201688

WAREHOUSE IN MABELA

3BHK Qurum P.D.O light 350/-. Contact: 99342661 Flats and shops for rent in Ruwi Honda road Mumtaz area. Contact: 97293708 /92433127 New flats for rent Darsait Al Sahel. Contact: 99311525 / 92533356 Villa with 5 rooms, two sitting rooms, 5 toilets and kitchen at Al Hail North. Contact: 91130875 Flat for rent at Wadi Al Kabir next Al Hassan.co, 2 bedroom, 3 WS, 1 sitting room. Contact: 99210008 600 SQT commercial flat for rent opposite Oman flourmill Darsait more details. Contact: 91214849/ 99364735 Villa in Arjan complex near Seeb stadium 4BHK, 1 living room, 1 majles, 1 extra room in ground floor. Contact 93219597

RESTAURANT/ CAFÉ

2013 Model Mitsubishi Diesel tanker in good condition is to be sold on the maximum offer. Mileage :- 28,000 km

An established and functioning restaurant/ café available for sale in prime location at Qurum. Well –furnished and equipped for instant launch.

Contact -Mr. Mohan 93214717/93214707

Please contact:

Running furniture showroom for urgent sale.

400 sq mtrs Commercial/Residential land in Mabela Phase 5 Block 2. OMR 155 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

FOR SALE

95126949

Industrial Area Brand new with raised floor, dock leveler, office space. With 10 meters height. Contact - 92525766 Email-

Ladies beauty parlor sale at Muttrah.

Contact - 91135930

properties@alsirajholdings.com

For Rent brand new villas in Al Ansab- 94051789-97201688 For Rent Offices & Showrooms in Muttrah -94051789-97201688

FOR SALE

FOR SALE Ladies saloon with 2 staff for sale in Mawalah. Contact 94197589 Printing Press for sale at Musanah. Contact – 99645150 Shop for sale Ghala Sanaiya main Junction (prime location) shop for sale. Contact: 92696479 Sale house & office furniture & electronic items. Contact : 99834373/ 96642500/22010080 Used Hiab truck 15 ton and forklift 3and 5 ton. Contact: 99326318 For Sale Luxury Apartments in Bousher (35) - 95056808-97201688 Beauty parlor for sale Muttrah. Contact: 93142676

FOR RENT Coffee shop for rent Jifnain. Contact: 93340597

Running barber shop for sale in Ruwi with all equipments. Contact: 99343735 For Sale: Equipped carpentry workshop with 10 working employees at Sohar. Contact: 95728453 For sale Fully Furnished apartments in Bousher (35) - 9505680897201688 For sale villas in Al Khoud 95056808-97201688 60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in Misfah can be changed to Industrial Land. OMR 29 per Square Meter. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Beauty parlour at Mabela for sale. Contact: 96131261 A running restaurant for sale near Oman oil petrol Pump Al Uqdah (Barka). Contact: 99059013 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

For sale 8 Apartments (Total area 850 SQM approximate) in “Bait Al Noor” occupying two full ﬂoors (7th and 8th ﬂoors). The building is opposite to GMC car showroom facing the main road (Sultan Qaboos Road). Excellent location for best visibility of signboard for any corporate. Contact 94194071 for details. 2,688 sq mtrs commercial land in MBD North. OMR 1.39 Million. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

ACC. AVAILABLE 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting room, Kitchen & store including utilities bills at Al hail. #92817777 Furnished single rooms available for executive bachelors at Ruwi. Contact: 98049288 Bed space / sharing accommodation available for executive bachelor near to Mars hypermarket Wadi Kabir. Contact: 93137816 1 Bedroom with bathroom available for rent. Only Indian female. Contact - 92394614 Single room bathroom in Darsait R.O 140/-. Contact: 93289652

CONTD ON PG 7

M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 3, 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 Wanted female Gynecologist, female Staff Nurse – 2 no., Dental Asst, female Lab Tech from India or Filipino with MOH license & data flow for Al Saadi Specialized Medical Centre in Mussana.

Contact 92025033, dr.srinivas76@gmail.com

WANTED Civil Engineer (Building Construction) 2 Nos Qualification: BE in Civil Engineering Electro Mechanical Engineer (Building Services)1 No. Qualification: BE in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Send detailed resume to sskpvr@gmail.com

ENGLISH TEACHERS WANTED IMMEDIATELY

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

INSURANCE MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Looking for dynamic and talented individuals to join our team in Oman for the position of Chief Financial Officer.

Well established Insurance Broking firm looking for Omani Nationals/Expats Insurance Sales Executive having not less than 3-4 years’ experience in Oman and good Insurance exposure in Oman Market. Interested candidates, please send your cv to : stp3294@gmail.com

92325542 | 93657915 | 91321880 engominst@gmail.com

Looking for Executive Sales and Sales Engineers with experience in earthmoving equipments, cruchers, quarry & mining industry. Email:

applyinggchr@gmail.com

URGENTLY REQUIRED 1. 2. 3.

Electrical Engineer

Kevin.Dodd@OasisMaritimeServices.com

CIVIL ENGINEER Diploma (8-10 years experience) Preferably in GCC & having Omani driving license and knowledge in estimation. Please send your CV’s to ame@muscatoverseas.com

(B.tech with relevant experience in MEP works (Gulf experience preferred) Accounts Manager - (CA with minimum 5-10 years gulf experience)

A reputable law firm in Oman is seeking an

Account/ Administrative Assistant required: - Accounting experience required - Administrative experience required - Computer literate - Willing to learn

Please send your cv to

hr@alalawico.com

Purchase Manager

(Degree with minimum 5-10 years gulf experience in construction field. D/L preferred)

with at least 5 years experience in the relevant field for a group of companies associated with Petroleum, please apply, with confidence and send your C.V issa@nibrasholding.com

Receptionist (Omani National) (Knowledge in MS oﬃce and good communication skill in English)

HR Manager

(5-10 years gulf experience in entire HR functions and policies) Driver (Omani National) - Driver required for 3 ton pickup (Full time)

Send detailed resume to surcivilmep@surunited.com GSM:99845439

VACANCIES FOR

HEAVY DUTY TRUCK DRIVERS An excellent grade international company is looking for Heavy Duty Truck Drivers with valid Omani Driving Licence and NOC. Please send your CV with copy of valid Omani Driving Licence and a copy of NOC.

Fax number 24480417 Email: mzouaibi@yuksel.net ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

MEDICAL

A reputable law firm in Oman is seeking an

Account/ Administrative Assistant required:

Leading IT firm in Oman has the following Vacancies: Sales/Marketing Executives Debt Collector

- Accounting experience required - Administrative experience required - Computer literate - Willing to learn

Please send your cv to

hr@alalawico.com

with Omani Driving License.

BEAUTY Branded salon in Muscat requires a beautician with skills of: Manicure, Pedicure, Nails techniques, Massage, Facial and waxing. Contact- 98500222

DRIVER Urgently required one experienced house Driver to work in capital area. Contact: 93888666/ 24493666/ 99228454 We require Omani driver with valid visa, Cont: 92680323/91425640. Wanted driver. Contact 91025698

Wanted GP Doctor with MOH license, job location in muscat with good salary and beniﬁts. Drop ur cv at careerhr1972@gmail.Com. Urgently required Philipina Nurse with MOH license at prometric parsed. Contact: 99724013 Bangladeshi M.B.B.S doctor male parametric (toy) passed looking for suitable post. Contact: 97985325 Canary clinic MBBS Indian female doctor with 3 years experience MOH license if she has. Good offer salary. Contact 94395199 Email: canarymoh@gmail.com Wanted, Gynecologist, G.P, Pharmacist and Lab Technician for a polyclinic in North Bathina. Contact: 95081010 Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com

preference for Omani Candidates

Receptionist Send CV to

mctjobs@gmail.com

VACANCY 1. Service Administrator: A qualified Electro/Automobile/Electric Diploma holder with minimum 2 years’ experience on deskjobs such as preparing quotation, supplier correspondence, warranty claims etc. Age between 25 – 30.

Small Omani family in Muscat requires an educated House maid. Contact – 98500222 Required experienced part / full time house keeper for company CEO. Contact: 98458542 Need excellent cook & housekeeper. Contact Whatsapp: 95887572

ENGINEER/TECH/MECH Wanted Civil Engineer, with minimum 4 years experience in Oman supervising building construction. Noc and D/L Must. Send CV to vpdath43@omantel.net.om

Required a Pharmacist for newly opened pharmacy near Sohar. The candidate should be B. Pharm Graduate with Oman MOH license or with prometric exam passed and currently in Oman. Contact - 91305460

experience in accounting with banking knowledge. Age between 25-30. Attractive Salary and terms Offered

Candidates with NOC or on visit visa can apply, please drop your CV at

SECT. /OFFICE

SALES / MARKETING

We are looking for Experienced Omani Receptionists and Omani PRO (Public Relation Officer) for our organization Ayaan Healthcare centre. Contact – 93676708 Email: z.ali@ayaanhealthcare.com

Wanted a experienced out door sales man for a screen printing ﬁrm with valid Oman driving license and graphics designer with Arabic & English knowledge, P.B Box: 2635 PC: 112 Email: aburazantrad@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Media Company needs sales male /female not required experience, only to have good knowledge on Muscat area, having driving license. Having some knowledge on designs) send CV to: magicﬁngerprint1@gmail.com

Required van Sales man cum delivery executive with 1-2 yrs exp & valid GCC driving license. Please post your resume to: omanvacancy2@gmail.com

SKILLED Well experienced aluminum fabricator. Contact 24505708 /92248407

SITUATION WANTED

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

MEDICAL Wanted Staff Nurses (female) with or without license for a poly clinic near Sohar. Excellent salary and accommodation. Contact – 99006915/ Email – alhinaee.clinic@yahoo.com A reputed Wellness Center is looking for MOH licensed or Prometric Passed Physiotherapist, Nurse and Occupational therapy. Please send your CV to : hr2015.oman@gmail.com

Indian female, MBA HR & Finance, having 1 year experience, seeking suitable placement. Currently in Oman. Contact: 96052366.

Medical CARE Centre, Al Seeb, requires General Practitioners and Pharmacist, Please Mail CVsarita_h23@yahoo.com or call 97884856.

Indian male highly resulted oriented and self driven CA Inter qualiﬁed accountant with over more than 14 years of experience in auditing, ﬁnance and accounts seeks placement. Contact: 93405047

Required a Female Staff Nurse with MOH license for a high class dermatology center in Barka (Muscat). Interested candidates places send your CV to mdcjobs2015@gmail.com

Finance controller 15 years experience in Oman contracting, consultancy, trading oil & gas tourism IT etc project ﬁnancing feasibility ERP cost control. Contact: 98571309

MISCELLANEOUS 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 Wanted immediately for Salalah, Accountant with 2/3 years experience Sales man with experience in rent a car, HR Officer apply with bio to hr_oman1@yahoo.com

ADMIN

B.SC Hons (ﬁnance & accounts) having 2 years experience in accounts, male looking for suitable job on visit visa. Contact: 91420128 CMA & CIA professional Finance Manager with 10 years middle eastern experience, inclusive of Managerial experience with leading F&B companies. For further information, kindly Contact: + 971566561199 Email: babar_shabir@hotmail.com

Indian female M.Tech electronics IELTS 6.5 experience in VLSI project training seeks placement in education / training / Admin ﬁeld in family visa now. Contact: 90195131 Email: chinj.89@gmail.com Indian male MBA graduate (HR) with 19 years of gulf experience (6 years in Oman) seeking suitable job can join immediately with NOC. Contact: 99103763 /99519841

2. Accountant: A qualified B.Com/M.Com/C.A. Inter accountant with minimum 4 years’

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE DOMESTIC HELP

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Web Designer

careerhr1972@gmail.com 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

SITUATION WANTED

with at least 3 years’ experience

Indian male, 23 years, MBA ﬁnance MNC 2 years experience in accounts, currently in Oman seeking for suitable position. Contact: Yahya Manager 96930855 Indian female 28yrs, B.com, 7yrs call center/accounts/admin/ marketing experience, currently on visit, seek suitable placement. Contact Rashmi 96746698. ACCA member / B.com (3.7 years experience) looking accounts / audit job. Contact: 97769145 Email: mnaem02@gmail.com Male Indian with 7 years experience in accounting & 6 years experience in sales and marketing very good knowledge of tally currently in Muscat on a visit visa. Contact: 96148427 Email: jijokurianp@gamil.com

28/male/MBA- finance/B.Com -Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com Experienced Female Senior Accountant looking for suitable alternative. Contact: 99849325 Sr. accountant M.com (finance) 2 yrs in Oman seeking suitable placement NOC Available with immediate joining. Contact: 92404608 Email: jin_75@rediffmuil.com Accountant job wanted 8 years experience 5 years in Indian 3 years in Oman knowledge of tally ERP- 9 NOC available. Contact: 91162503 25 years experience in account, sales cum marketing , administration in poultry industry seeking suitable placement immediately. Contact: +91970475855/ +968 96500893 Email: sanaullahsheikh@rediltmail.com Chief Accountant 25 years experienced, for the last 7 years working as Chief Accountant seeks immediate placement. Contact: 95598477/98803439 Male Indian 27, working as finance analyst having three years Oman experience with Driving license looking for suitable position. Mob:98097009, rameesnm@gmail.com

Certified Public Accountant, Filipino Male 26 years old, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with 5 yrs. of experience now on visit visa. Looking for suitable opening. Contact: +968 91409308 Email: kennethalcedo07@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 Experience part time Accountant in management, accounts, finance audit tax. Contact: 95857199 Indian female 5+ yrs Oman exp in Accounts tally looking for suitable placement in W.K to Qurum area. Contact: 95580416 Part time accountant services from senior accountant M.com 15 years Oman exp. Contact: 97441960 Part time Accountant services available to handle all accounts related work up to finalization on monthly basis. Contact: 96247295 Male 24 yrs MBA in marketing fiancé seeking immediate placement. Contact: 96112920 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 Accountant, Indian Male, 15 Years experience (8 years in Oman with Driving License & NOC) seeks suitable placement, Contact 94117616, 91238272 Email: praveen78oman@gmail.com Accountant Indian female having 5 years exp in finalization, audit and administration in GCC presently in Muscat seeking suitable position. Contact 97323574 Email: sreeja@236@gmail.com

ADMIN Qualiﬁcation B.com accounting BE mechanical engineer course completed experience 17 years HR administration, parches store, quality assurance. Contact: 93820512 Email: kuruvilajohn2012@gmail.com 26 yrs male, MBA, 3+ years experience in Administration in MNC, seeks suitable placement. Contact 95041201 Email: noyel55@gmail.com

5 years of experience in software and 1yr in administrator looking for any software of any office suitable jobs or any work from home jobs. Contact: 91711326 Email: shetty.sapna22@gmail.com Female Indian 9+ yrs experience in administration customer support office coordination with good computer skill now on visit visa looking for suitable openings. Contact: 99285440 10 years Gulf & 4 years Oman experience in HR / Admin & logistics ﬂuent in Arabic / English with D/L looking for suitable position. Contact 95824598 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 male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf exp in Administration/ HR & Public relationship. Fluent in Arabic/ English with D/L. Looking for suitable position. Contact - 99897280 Indian Female, 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

ARCHITECT Architect (B. Arch) 5 years experience seeking job. Contact 96146645 Email: anjuovil@gmail.com Architect with bachelor degree 4 years experience in architectural design (interior & exterior) professional in (3D Max- Archicad - AutoCAD - Photoshop). Contact 96041201 Email: amer.yousfan@gmail.com

CATERING Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp looking job. Contact: 99531802

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN AutoCAD d/ man 7 years exp in GRC gypsum marble. Contact: 96967862 Creative Designer with 8+ years experience in web, graphic, video editing, outsourcing looking for a suitable placement in a reputed company. Contact 97276004 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

M O N DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 3, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN Professional architect 3ds max (interior, exterior) looking for private work. Contact: 96041201

DRIVER Light driver, looking for job. Contact: 98372745/99090362 Bangladeshi male light vehicle driver with 2 yrs exp looking for job. Contact: 93761597 Light driver. Contact: 95084826 Experienced Light Duty Driver, Fluent in English, Arabic Well knowledge of Oman Areas Seeking Suitable placement 97950869 Looking for Job driving. Contact: 97418036 Driving with car, looking for job. Contact: 97095200 Driver with new car looking for job. contact: 95873286 Heavy duty driver (Exp 3years) seeking suitable job. Contact 91372623 Pakistan male light vehicle driver 8 yrs GCC exp looking for job. Contact: 96393805 Light duty driver looking for job. Contact: 98356230 Driver with car looking for job. Contact: 96692774 Driver (light & heavy duty) valid gulf /Indian) looking job. Contact: 95175192 Bangladesh driver looking for job. Contact: 98503237

EDUCATION Indian Female B.Ed. and B.C.A. and IELTS certiﬁed with 5yr U.A.E. exp. and 6 months Oman exp. in teaching primary and secondary students looking for a teacher’s job. Email: rani_sweet786@live.com. Mob. 97384206.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Medical Lab Technologist 5 years experience willing to work in Oman. Contact: 97007930 Road and construction Engineer with 5 years exp in Oman. Contact: 97646908 Mechanical Engineer M.tech 2 years experience HVAC design Engineer Revet MEP, AutoCAD. Contact: 90150913 Email: rahmanmechengg@yahoo.com Indian female M.Tech (electrical power system) having gulf experience in family visa seeking suitable placements in Oman. Contact: 91001194 /94306164 Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects. Contact – 90164912 Indian 25yrs Mechanical Engineer HVAC with 2 years Oman with Oman driving license. Contact: 99104427 Electrical Engineer Indian Male 2.5Years Experience Looking for suitable Job. Contact: 91845173 Email:er.joshidhaval@gmail.com Indian male 25 years, 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 Construction machinery repairs Engineer, 4 years experience with driving license. Contact 94001961 B.E civil Engineer having 5 years experience in Oman with construction companies need suitable placement. Contact: 98180524 Mechanical Engineer, 24 yrs Indian male, 2yrs experience (L+T Port) as maintenance Engineer sear citing for a suitable job on visit visa. Contact: +968 92685011 Email: srinathvijayanavs@gmail.com Indian Male 34yrs diploma (EEE) available with 13 yrs experience in electrical power plant on LV & HV, and can work with electrical drawings currently on visit visa. Contact: 93502487 Email: asitpasha1978@gmail.com

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Indian male B.Tech electrical 2 years experience seeking opportunities. Contact: 93570984 Civil Engineer (4 years ) having total 5 years experience in building construction ( 2 years , 8 months in Oman) looking for suitable placement D/L available. Contact: 94450270 Civil Site Engineer building and roads 04 years experience. Contact 92613467 Email: wajisyed777@hotmail.com

Indian Male, 24 Mechanical engineer having good knowledge in HVAC looking for suitable placement. Contact: 95434381 Email: shuhaibusman313@gmail.com B.sc Civil Engineer 8 years experience including 6 years in Oman having D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98475572 Email: kkholifa@yahoo.com Indian Male 22 yrs B.Tech mechanical engineer seeks suitable placement as sales / procurement/ project engineer. Contact: 96618390

Electrical Engineer (diploma + BSC) available on visit visa in the ﬁeld of MEP WITH 10 years experience in GCC Dubai. Contact: 93372389 Email: rajarathe@gmail.com

Indian male 24, B.E. Civil Eng’g with 2 years experience as Structural Engineer looking for suitable job in Muscat. 97355352

Indian Male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com

Indian lady master bachelor degree computer science & engineering 2 yrs experience project trainee seeking suitable job. Contact: 94528019 Email: indhu10101291@gmail.com

Structural Draughtsman having 10 years experience in engineer consultancies N.O.C available. Contact: 00968 97612846

B.E (EEE) 4 years experience as an MEP site Engineer. Contact: 96649586 Email: sattarali863@yahoo.in

Indian male 27yrs, mechanical engineer (energy engineering M.Tech & HVAC diploma) with 4 yrs experience on visit visa, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98791735 Email: anilengandiyur@gmail.com Indian male , 26 years , electrical engineer with 3 years of experience seeking employment in a reputed firm. Contact: 92953046 Email: divinmathew007@gmail.com Indian male , 29 yrs electrical design engineer , having 5 years of gulf experience in oil & gas / construction field specialization in load calculations cable sizing & selection, earthing , transformer selection etc having GCC valid license , looking for an suitable job. Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani@gmail.com B.E Biomedical Engineer 5 years experience in the subfield (hospital / company) looking for suitable placement. Contact 92084807 Email: bonnygeorge1005@gmail.com M.Tech Civil, certificate attested, Indian, 18.8 year experience seeks suitable position. Contact: 98327311 Email: sen.pangode@gmail.com 25 Years experienced MEP professional is available to associate with nationals to set up & run mep consultancy or contracting business with full p/l responsibility, full investment expected by the national. contact – 97754141 Civil Engineer B.E , 06 years experience in Oman having D/L seeking for a suitable position . Contact 95961336 Email: eyousuf04@yahoo.com Civil Engineer 11 years experience in construction, having driving license & NOC. Contact: 94194399 Email: shiblyrock@gmail.com Engineer Mechanical (BR) Indian male, with NDT Level 2 (ASNT), works, 2 years above experience (as mechanical QC Engineer and SME Engineer) seeking suitable placement (on visit visa). Contact: 90249803 / 00919446048596 Email: naveenbasheer@gmail.com Civil Engineer diploma holder 1 years experience site supervision level 2, 2D, 3D Revit languages English, Malayalam and Hindi Tamil looking challenging career. Contact: 98058242 Email: manu6222@gmail.com Indian Male, 23 years PG dip in petroleum engineering & B.Tech in mechanical engineering, holding UAE driving license seeks suitable placement immediately. Contact: 95880127 / 95084905 Email: vijith2573459@gmail.com B.Sc in Civil Engineer 12 yrs exp in Dubai and South Africa on construction and infrastructure having Dubai license currently on visit looking suitable position. Contact: 91206763 Email: delwar.civil.97@gmail.com SENIOR SALES ENGINEER (B.E. Mechanical, MBA-Mktg) - 6yrs experience in Industrial Products and Services with NOC and GCC Driving License looking for the challenging opportunities. Join immediately. GSM: 94596639 E-mail:dhvlnayak@yahoo.co.in B.Tech Safety Engineer, 10 years exp, NOC available, seeking suitable placement, Mob: 97061817, Email: jayanamuu1977@gmail.com

BRT 4 years job experience physiotherapist looking for. Contact: 96649586 / +919704178267 Email : sarwarbpt85@gmail.com Indian male B.Tech electrical 2 years experience seeks placement. Contact: 93570984 Email: arunprasad7883@gmail.com Young Indian Male electrical engineer having 1.4 yrs of experience in India, currently on visiting visa. Looking for placement. Mob.93924395, Email: thomaspallathu19@gmail.com’ Electrical Engineer 13 years experience HV/ LV in Oman 5 years, Oman valid D/L to NOC. Contact: + 0091- 9946570903 Email: shibualukka@gmail.com Ref: no-Oman 97095094

HOSPITALITY Egyptian male B.S degree tourism & hotels (10 years experience) 2 in Oman in hotels management have Oman driving license looking for suitable job. Contact: 91695779 Email: bola.fahmi@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED

Indian male/31yrs with hotel management degree, 03 yrs experience in F&B services at 5 star hotel Dubai & 05 yrs in American 6 star cruise liner as Butler. Has Oman driving license. Contact no 91135371

MEDICAL

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

SALES / MARKETING

Arabic male general practitioner with MOH license looking for a suitable placement in Muscat. Contact: 95618680

Purchase Officer with 8 years experience in Oman having Oman D/L and NOC, looking for urgently placement. Contact: 96174564

Indian male MBA, 8 years experience in hospitality industry sales & marketing looking for suitable job now in visit visa. Contact: 92115860

Dutch male qualiﬁed commercial pilot (Faa-ME-IR certiﬁed) is looking for job openings in middle east. rutjestom@outlook.com

An experienced Indian male GP with MOH license and NOC, looking for good placements in the capital areas only. Pl contact 96386388

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

Indian male, 26 years, B. Pharm graduate having 3 years experience in marketing / sales looking for a suitable job. Contact: 00968- 94145992 Email: syedanasmustafa1989@gmail.com

IT Indian male B.Tech IT 3 years experience windows / Ulinux / network administration on visit visa. Contact: 93311963 Email: sajal035@gmail.com Indian male age 28 yrs, 2years experience and 8 month, as in IT and accounting, technical skill java, JSP tally my SQL Peachtree working in Nexegen Technology Indian as java working in Dubai as an accountant. Contact: 95673451 Net work Engineer with experience degree in computer science, CCNA, MCSA. Contact: 92346191 IT Indian male B.Tech computers, networking 1 years experience in Database support on visit. Contact: 96376061 Email: diaz1992@outlook.com Male 26 years , BSc IT with years 4 years experience , currently on visit visa looking for any IT support job. Knowledge of hardware & net working, environment, programming languages, Linux environment. Contact: + 968 95369856 /968 24781651 Email: mark.tony.alphonso@hotmail.com

MEDICAL

Bangladeshi M.B.B.S doctor male parametric (toy) passed looking for suitable post. Contact: 97985325 Indian Dentist having 7 years experience prometric cleared seeking suitable placement. Contact: 95706223

MISCELLANEOUS B.E Civil (ﬁrst class) site / project Engineer with 3 years of experience in residential building projects Ms. Office AutoCAD on visit visa valid till Dec 2nd (week), looking for a suitable job. Contact: 96692175 Email Id: nazarrizvi1@gmail.com Indian female, 26, M.sc biotechnology now in family visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95210498/ 99850321/93093466 24 years Indian female MSC Biotechnology 1 year exp.in clinical microbiology, worked in ICRISAT for project work as Trainee, looking for suitable job. Contact: 92619048 Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com Omani national with bachelor in management looking for suitable placement please call: 91908052 or Email: saidoburndi257@yahoo.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

Male staff Nurse, 4 years of hospital experience in Oman with MOH license and driving license. Contact: 99502456/ 99831657

Indian male with 9 years experience in business development looking for suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 92573230

Indian female dentist prometric cleared seeking suitable openings in Muscat. Contact: 95585807/92880267

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

Indian Female Dentist with 7 year experience in MOH seeks suitable placement preferably in Muscat region. Contact : 94003843

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 Manager MBA (Finance) 13+ yrs experience in Oman with knowledge of ﬁnance admin purchase logistics costing looking for suitable position with D/L. Contact : 93826090 Email: jskanchan01@gmail.com

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Manager Finance, M.Com/MBA -thorough knowledge & more than 20 years of experience with start-up skills. Group consolidation and audit. : Bank dealing for corporate credit/ funding.: Ability to handle Group of companies on professional way. Contact: 00968-91279373, applyforjob991@gmail.com 20 yrs experienced MEP Manager seeks suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 97892269

SALES / MARKETING 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 Marketing Executive/Merchandiser, Omani License, BA 8 years Experience in Multinational Groups. Contact 97601343

Indian male, MBA with 8 yrs experience in sales and marketing with Omani D/L , NOC available. Contact: 96746107 Sales Engineer 5 years experience looking for a placement. Contact: 91411043 Young, 24 years, MBA graduate (HR & Mktg) with experience, working in Salalah, NOC available, seeks suitable placement in muscat. Gsm 9205-1929 Indian male 26, 4 years experience in sales and marketing D/L , seeking suitable placement. Contact: 95137733 Email: robbs.me@gmail.com Purchase experienced 8 years in Construction Company Indian male 45 yrs, release & D/L available. Contact: 90268183 / 96987234 Indian male MBA marketing 2 years Oman experience with valid Oman driving license looking for a suitable position NOC available. #91202335 Email: mrishad90@yahoo.com Sales Manager having 12 years experience M.B.A in sales & marketing having valid GCC driving license seeking suitable placement, NOC available. Contact: 98125226 Indian male, 25 yrs, 1 year experience in auditing and 10 month in sales. Currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement. #97142538

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Mason, SH / carpenter, steel ﬁtter gulf & Indian exp looking job. Contact: 95175192 Electrician, plumber (exp gulf / Indian) looking job. Contact 95175192

M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 3 , 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 MISCELLANEOUS Indian male accountant, 12 years experience, looking for a full time or part time job. Experience in tally also. Contact-98983122 Looking for a part time accounting & admin job. Contact 99196621. Indian (Kerala) Male, 32yrs, looking for a job as Accounts Assistant/ Cashier/ Salesman (indoor), having 5 yrs experience in Oman. Currently on Visit Visa. Contact-94410485, Email: visanthvijay@gmail.com Indian Male 33 yrs, BCA ,10 years experience(India & Oman) IT Support, System administrator/ supervisor looking for suitable Job. #95448561. Indian female accountant 5 years of experience in accounting tally, office coordination, And admin, currently on visit visa. seeking suitable placement Contact: 95684179 Indian male 23yr BA TTM (travel and tourism management) with advanced diploma in supply chain logistics and shipping management, exp in logistics (cha) seeking in suitable placement. currently on visit visa(oman) Contact;90291092 email: iyas.adhur@gmail.com Indian male, 19 years oman exp. in purchase, material coordinator in building/pipe line 9yrs & factory production field 10yrs. good computer skills & D/L & with NOC. looking for suitable placement. mr.victor2015@hotmail.com contact: 99008101 Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant, doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available. Contact 98803439 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 Males 32 years, Dip. In Hardware & Networking with 10 years of hands-on experience. Currently on visit visa seeking immediate placement in IT Support or relevant jobs. Good knowledge of Hardware & Networking. Contact: 9416 9341 / haripulikal@gmail.com Indian male, 19 years experience in purchase, material coordinator in building construction & factory production field, have good computer skills & driving license and NOC. Looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 99008101 Male Accountant Indian, B.com, 2 Year experience currently working in Oman. NOC available, doing accounts in Tally and Excel searching for suitable Job. Email: contactanand31@gmail.com / 91894487, 98789958 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 Mechanical Engineer (16 Yrs Exp), Knowledgeable in Monitoring of workshop setup, Workshop run, Business Development, ISO certification, Quotation, Tender, Account verification, Sohar Area, Mb. 94215208’ Marketing or Business development-BSC in marketing 5 years of experience looking for suitable position. Contact (99522233)

Indian male, 27 BSC nurse 4.5 years experience in India. Pro metric passed with 61% Data ﬂow processing, ACLS, BLS passed. Now on visit visa. Mob: 98926621, 94361049 e-mail: shemeermk@gmail.com Electrical Engineer, B-Tech, with 4 Yrs experience in India, 3 YEARS IN MRF and one year in KSEB. Available on Visit Visa. Contact: 94741401 :Email: sobinthomask05@gmail.com. Sudanese male...telecom engineer 11 yrs. exp in IT support, Networking, Security systems, Server support, IT sales and marketing, management .Seeking suitable placement. Contact 91182027 31 years, Indian male PG in HR , with 5 yrs Professional experience in HR in Construction Oil & Gas Oman seeking for a suitable placement(NOC Available). Contact me on 93488914, emailKaarthickshankar@gmail.com FEMALE SYRIAN ARCHITECT ,new graduate have good experience in architect programs, autocad 3d max ,sketch up , Photoshop ,sketch up, searching for a job full time or part time, for Contact : 97482871 Electronics/Electrical/Instrumentation Design Engineer with 2+ years of experience, having a Bachelors Degree in Instrumentation Technology. Seeking for a job, currently on visit visa. Contact- 90142166 / Mail: aksafwan@gmail.com Sales & Marketing/ Business Development Executive: - B.Tech. (Electrical & Electronics) MBA in marketing having 9 years of experience seeking a suitable position. Contact (97043494) Purchase & Stores In charge – Having continues 13 years experience in a single ﬁrm, looking for a placement. # 99627427, 96154564 Indian male be electrical and pg in power systems (transmission & distribution) with one year experience on visit. Seeking placement contact – 94669679/ email prsabarish@gmail.com Indian male 23 years old graduate with one year experience in Sales & Marketing with valid Oman driving license seeking suitable opportunities.(NOC available) Contact: +968 98240510 Gmail: affanahamed0@gmail.com Indian male, 29 years, B. Tech Electronics & Communication Eng. with 7 year’s experience seeking for a suitable placement, currently in UAE visit visa. Contact 00971 552513735 Email: rahul.rn198@gmail.com Sri Lankan male – 3.5 years experience as a site supervisor & Administration executive in Oman / 2 years experience as an HR executive with Oman driving license. (English/Arabic/Urdu)/ NOC available 97281617

Marketing Coordinator, Indian, Advertising Agency experienced person with D/L seeks good opening. Contact 93031168 Male 25 years, B.E. Mechanical with CSWIP 3.1 and ASNT level 2, 3 yrs. of experience in QC in oil and gas industry. Currently working in Oman, NOC available. Contact 91262792. vignesh1503@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 Indian male 23yr BA TTM(Travel and Tourism Management) with Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Logisitics and Shipping Management, exp in Logisitics (CHA) seeking in suitable placement, currently on visit visa(Oman) Contact;90291092 email:iyas.adhur@gmail.com Indian Electrical Engineer B. Tech, female 24 seeking job. presently in oman having 2 year experience in design and estimation of Ht &Lt projects. Contact 96897436557, Mail id : sibinanoop1@gmail.com B.Tech (Electrical & Electronic) with MBA in marketing having 9 years of experience seeking a suitable position as Sales & Marketing/Business Development executive. Contact-(97043494) Indian female dentist prometric cleared seeking suitable openings in Muscat.# 95585807, 92880267 Indian Male more than 10 years gulf experience in Office / Sales Coordinator, Admin, Secretarial and purchase with good computer skills. Having Driving license and NOC available. Looking for suitable placement. Contact: 95149624 Indian male, B.E. mechanical, 16 yrs experience, for Quotation, Tender, Accounts, Business development, Sohar Area, Part Time. Mb. 94215208 Digital marketing / ad words/ analytics / SEO expert, exp 5 yrs (male) certiﬁed) , (visit visa). Contact: 93594114 (visit visa). Email: abeyre@gmail.com Hotel exp 4 years F+ B (service) visit visa expires 13/11/2015, B.A Hotel Management. Contact: 91987013 / 96971643 Email: shinekls34@gmail.com Civil Engineer B.Tech with Iosh, Nebosh certiﬁcation having valid Omani driving license looking for suitable job. Contact: 93631625 Mechanical Engineer (UK), 28 years, male having 3.5 years experience, looking for suitable placement with valid Oman driving license NOC available. Immediate availability Contact: +968 97612297 Email: ymirza11@caledonian.ac.uk

Sri Lankan male BSc (Physics) – 5 years experience as a site supervisor & Administration executive with Oman driving license. (English/Arabic/Urdu)/ NOC available 93214717

BE Mechanical Engineer, 23 years, Indian male on visit available for immediate placement please contact: 96145820 or arunsankar.10.92@gmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT: Indian male, Graduate & CA Article ship completed. 18 Years of experience. Currently on visiting visa. seeks suitable placement. Contact: 97498809, 98569025, Email: hilariankj@gmail.com

Sales/marketing, Indian male 35, years, having13 years experience, in that 6 years experience of KSA seeks for suitable placement, on visit visa contact: 95954786, Email:syedhameeduddin16@ gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED 9 years experience in construction Purchase seeking suitable placement immediately, NOC available. Contact: 97332401 Sudanese / civil engineering Diploma / 5 years experience / deal with most popular computer programs / good in English / fluent in Arabic. Contact: 96995670 Accountant , Indian (Kerala) male, more than 09 years experience in Qatar (02 years) and New Delhi experience upto finalization of Accounts & expertise in using Tally ERP-9, MS Office (Word & Excel). Currently on visit visa, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 97864890 / 97268429 Email: vinodthomas80@gmail.com Young 24 yrs, ACCA affiliate , advanced diploma in Accounting business, seeking suitable placement in accounts finance or audit with valid driving license. Contact 92430152 Email: rau_day@yahoo.com MALE ACCOUNTANT, age 25 years, ACCA UK finalist with 4 years experience in accounting & audit in Pakistan, now in Muscat on visit visa seeking suitable placement. Contact 90197029, muzammalhafiz16@gmail.com

Indian male 23yr BA TTM(Travel and Tourism Management) with Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Logisitics and Shipping Management, exp in Logisitics (CHA) seeking in suitable placement, currently on visit visa(Oman) contact;90291092 email:iyas.adhur@gmail.com Senior Accountant ,NOC avaliable,5yr.exp.in oman, Accounting upto ﬁnalisation, computer skills tally9, Sage ERP accpac 500(6.0A), Vcams , Audit ,valid oman driving licence, languages known english , arabic, hindi. can join immediately. Tel: (+968) 96339599, E-mail(ahmedmohdkhan@gmail.com) Indian male 26 years, 4 years experience as system and network engineer. B. Tech graduate. Looking for suitable opening. Contact:93125669, Email:amritrajgt18@gmail.com

Kerala Electrical Technician, foreman cum Storekeeper (Electrical). Contact: 93563744 Indian male, 1 Year Experience in Logisitics (CHA) field. Qualification BA Travel and Tourism Management with Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Logisitics and Shipping Management. Currently On Visit Visa Oman, seeks suitable placement. Contact :90291092 B.E. Electronics Engineer, Indian male 22 years, seeking suitable job, currently on visit visa. Contact 99226928, E mail : sanath301@gmail.com BSC (Hons) Civil Engineer with Oman work experience and valid driving license looking for immediate placement in consultancy or construction firm currently on visit visa. Contact: 91181680

Part time accountant, senior accountant, doing all type of accounting works, up to ﬁnalization. contact.95254864

Indian male having 11 yrs experience 4 yrs in Oman in purchase, stores & logistics, having valid Omani D/L and N.O.C in Hand, looking for suitable position any where in Oman. Contact : 92369700

Indian Diploma Engineer, NEBOSH Qualiﬁed with valid oman D/L, Seeks placement in HSE. Contact: 97066980

Indian male, 22 yrs, BBA, Travel & tourism brought up in Muscat, seeks suitable placement in Sales & Marketing. # 93519369

M O N DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 3, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE IELTS PREPARATION Target Band 8.0

Classes for Spoken English TOEFL / GRE / GMAT / SAT Excellent Guidance and Coaching Satisfaction Guaranteed EAGLES INSTITUTE 92325542 | 93657915 | 93657917 | Email: engominst@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

RENT A CAR

Best Rates for Saloon. Tel: 99826300 / 97869042, rentacar@modernreem.com

ACC. AVAILABLE 1 Bedroom with attached Bath, fully furnished, separate entrance at Mabela for ladies only. Contact : 99634841 1BHK fully furnished spacious for rent CBD, ideal for family or two bachelors easy access to Main road near Sheraton hotel with all electronics & furniture. Contact: 96444400 /5pm -10pm Single room for expat Indian bachelors near Al Aktham restaurant Al khuwair for RO 120. Water and electricity included. Contact : 98803261 Big room available near Hamriya R/A for Muslim couple / small family / Executive bachelor rent 150/- per month including W+ E. Contact : 99495131

ACC. WANTED Sharing Accommodation Required for Non cooking Executive Lady in Darsait /Ruwi/ Wadikabir. Contact: 99360615

AVAILABLE Party & Wedding equipment rentals. Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chaﬁng Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. ww.tunesoman. com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

MANPOWER

MANPOWER Tile Masons, Masons, Electricians, Plumbers, False Ceiling / Gypsum Works and Carpenters required immediately on Labor supply basis.

NRI

COMPUTER

Plot with three BHK in Calicut city, Kerala for details. Contact: 99735584

IELTS & TOEFL Academic / General Target Band 8 TQT Institute.

2BHK 1100SQMT ﬂat with 300 SQMT Terrace allotted parking with luxury amenities for sale in Dona Paula Panjim Goa Indian price 95 lakes. Contact: 0091-9823674576 / 00968- 97488872 Spacious 2BHK ﬂat for sale in Hebbal Bangalore. Contact: 96263157

CLASSES

Ph # 24480800 / 99347202

WEBSITE

MV SALE

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English class for Malayalam Speakers

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

BMW 318/ 2003 for sale. Contact 96364990

Tel: 95244310

Ford focus, automatic, 2010 model, silver colour, expat driven, 58000 kms, dealer serviced, registration till sep 2016, price ro 2750. Contact- 93207590

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

Nissan Altima 2.55, 2012 excellent condition agency maintained. Contact: 97717152

DRIVING

Tucson automatic 2009 model black color very good conduction registration up to 2016 price R.O 2950/-. Contact: 98196845

MATRIMONIAL Keralite R.C. Boy, 30yrs, 161cm, MBA (Finance) Working in Oman seeking suitable alliance. Contact: 92290247 / 97302978

Learn driving with professional. Contact: 94022250

Nambiar boy, 29 years Kerala, MBA (marketing), working in Oman, seeks suitable alliance. Contact: 99322891 Seeking alliance for our son from Muslim families. Interested families Contact: 99889590

GOOD NEWS

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

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage steambath, obesity, Spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street Azaiba. Contact: 99639695 / 98342990 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

Housemaid, cooks waiter , helper driver ( light & heavy ) mason carpenter steel ﬁtter, skilled & unskilled categories , immigration service from India & Philippine. Contact: Al Aidi Manpower 24484232/99531802 Email: oman.manpower@yahoo. 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

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation. Contact 99508282

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

House shifting & transporting. Contact 92490422

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

Transportation. Contact: 95190627 Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba. Contact: 91103909

Balloons for all occasions birthday, celebration, grand opening, wedding, party, national day all type of balloons, designs work please Contact: 95194801 /96594592

Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080

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

Transportation. Contact: 96538078

GOOD NEWS

A/C maintenance, installation spilt A.C and maintenance window A/C and ducted and package the reunites. Contact: Asad Abbas 98667326

Water prooﬁng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

Interested parties please contact

GSM: 96775023 / 96775024

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Oﬃce boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc. Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020

Sub contractor available for shuttering & steel works, hill cutting & ﬁlling works. Contact: 93299940 Ware house space for rent at Ghala and Barka up to 20000/Sqm. Contact 99509460 / 93731363

A/C Maintenance & servicing, fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, painting & cleaning services, electrical & plumbing. Contact: 99447257 /97014234 / 24504281

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED An investor requested in a printing press in Muscat. # 99498949

Split & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 96236476

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807 Window & split unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517 Split & window A/c servicing & maintenance. Contact: 93769089 / 95323517 Cleaning & carpet shampooing, Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99884591 Pest control treatments. Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99344723 House shifting. Contact: 99657644/98518013 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 3, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

TOURS

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

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

ABDULHAKIM AL BIMANI TRADING & CONTRACTOR Expert in Shipping cargo by sea & air to Zanzibar, Pemba, Dar es Salam in Tanzania, Burundi, The Philippines, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Reasonable price.

Contact: 97440625/95416662 Email: abdulhakimalbimani@hotmail.com

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