Times of Oman - April 26, 2016

TUESDAY April 26, 2016 18 Rajab 1437 AH

6 085010 120010

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

MORNING MINUTE

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 55

Our people have achieved successful results in all fields of life, under hard and abnormal circumstances. It was by the help of Almighty God and His belief in the People that such achievements were possible.

| 40 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Ediito Ed Edit itto tor-i orrr-i -in -i n--C n-C -C Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

CABLE

DECISION

HM sends greetings to Tanzania MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Dr. John Magfalla of the United Republic of Tanzania on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes of good health and happiness to President Magfalla and the Tanzanian people further progress and prosperity.-ONA ABANDONED GIRL

Public may get a chance to foster girl: Ministry FAHAD AL GHADANI

fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: In case no relative of the abandoned girl turns up, the public will be given a chance to foster her, a Ministry of Social Development official has said.

“The abandoned girl is being kept now at the ‘Al Wifaq’ Care Centre in the Wilayat of Al Seeb after all legal procedures are over,” said Riyadh Al Siyabi of the Ministry’s media department.

He said in such cases, the ministry is keen to provide enough time for relatives to show up and prove their relations with the abandoned children. >A5 TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

‘Need to do more on healthcare front’

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With diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases increasing, not enough is being done by authorities. >A2

On the occasion of the 4th National Day, 1974

Only exception are expats from countries with visaon-arrival arrangement

UAE E-VISA ‘A MUST’ BY ROAD OR AIR Captain in General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai confirms the rule for expats in GCC

RAHUL DAS

rahuldas@timesofoman.com Dubai: It’s official, as of this Friday, more than 1.5 million expatriate residents of Oman will need an e-visa to cross the border into the UAE whether by land or air.

Speaking exclusively to Times of Oman, Captain Khalil Ibrahim, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, said that effective April 29, 2016 all GCC residents/permit holders will need to pre-apply for an online visa prior to their travel to UAE. This will be applicable at all airports in the emirates plus border entry points from Oman, he said

He also warned that people will be turned away from the border or from the airport if they don’t have an e-visa. “This we have clearly communicated to all the immigration officials at the borders and at the airports,” he said.

He explained that the goal of the new system is to cut down queues at the borders and airports. The only exception to the rule are nationalities of around 46 countries who have a treaty with UAE, such as the United Kingdom or European Union countries. Citizens of these countries have a choice between visa-on-arrival or applying for a visa online.

“If they want they can apply for the e-visa or they can take it from the entry points at the border or at the airports,” said Captain Ibrahim.

Out of the 4.1 million visitors already from January to March this year, Dubai welcomed 322,000 visitors from Oman, a jump of 32 per cent on the year before, according to data issued by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism).

Captain Ibrahim’s statement was echoed by senior airline officials operating in UAE who serve Oman. >A5

OMAN

GCC growth to slow down: IMF

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IMF has forecast slowing down of growth in Gulf Cooperation Council due to low oil prices. >A4

REGION

Saudi unveils plan to end oil dependence

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Saudi Arabia unveiled plans to end dependence on oil and transform itself into a global power. >A9

Isra’a Wal Miraj holiday on May 5 in Oman MUSCAT: Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal bin Saud Al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court, Chairman of the Civil Service Council yesterday issued a decision declaring Thursday, Rajab 27, 1437 AH corresponding to May 5 as an official holiday for employees at ministries, public authorities and other departments of the State’s Administrative Apparatus on the occasion of the blessed anniversary of Al Isra’a Wal Miraj. The decision reads as follows: “On the occasion of the blessed anniversary of Al Isra’a Wal Miraj, it has been decided that Thursday Rajab 27, 1437 AH corresponding to May 5, 2016 will be an official holiday for employees at ministries, public authorities and other departments of the State’s Administrative Apparatus.

“We seize this blessed occasion to extend our greetings to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, praying to Allah the Almighty to protect His Majesty, grant him good health, happiness and a long life and for the return of this and similar occasions on His Majesty for many years to come, the Omani people and our dear country further progress and welfare under His Majesty’s wise leadership and wellbeing for Muslims all over the world”. >A6 MURDER CASE

Indian nurse’s spouse still in police custody REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Linson Thomas, the husband of Chikku Robert who was found dead in her apartment in Salalah, is still under police detention, the Indian consular agent in Salalah said.

“As per the latest information available to us on Monday until 3pm, he is still under detention,” Manpreet Singh, the Indian consular agent, said.

“Robert’s body may be flown to India on Tuesday. However, we are not sure whether it will happen or not as some paper work has to be completed from the hospital side where she was working,” he said.

“Embassy has completed whatever has to be done to repatriate the body. Now, the hospital has to take it up,” the consular agent added. Devassy KO, group marketing manager at Badr Al Samaa hospitals, where both Robert and Thomas were working, said Thomas is under police detention as part of the investigation. “We have provided legal assistance,” the hospital official said. >A6

“CLUSTER” APPROACH

Oman to add 3,000 hotel rooms by 2020 RAHUL DAS

rahuldas@timesofoman.com DUBAI: More than 3,000 hotel rooms will be added in the Sultanate by 2020, taking the number close to 20,000, the Director General of Tourism Promotion, Salim Al Mamari said on the opening day of the Arabian Travel Market, in Dubai on Monday.

Speaking to the Times of Oman, Salim Al Mamari also announced plans to double the number of international visitors the Sultanate attracts over the next two decades as part of its new national 2040 tourism strategy.

“By 2040, the country wants to attract over 5 million international visitors to Oman, which doesn’t include domestic and one-day tourists. And if we count them, then the figure may touch 10 million. In

5m international visitors would be attracted to the Sultanate as part of its new national 2040 tourism strategy

this way we will change the face of tourism,” he said. In 2015, Oman reported 2.4 million tourists.

The Ministry has also revealed that its growth strategy for the tourism sector is going to be based upon an innovative “cluster” approach that will create a series of unique tourism experiences in different areas of Oman, reflecting lo-

cal culture and heritage.

Clusters will therefore be based around the unique coastal experience of Musandam; the Hajar Mountains; the Frankincense trail in Salalah; the culture in Muscat; the deserts and will have a mix of accommodation and experiences that will enable the clusters to become mini destinations

in their own right. The development of these new clusters will also help in Oman’s strategic approach to attracting visitors from one of the world’s fastest growing tourism segments – adventure tourism.

Oman’s Ministry of Tourism officials said they will be working closely with private sector partners to ensure that the right infrastructure for accommodation; restaurants; transportation and other key elements are in place to boost the attraction of each cluster and create more local employment.

Under the new strategy, the tourism sector is predicted to employ around 500,000 people by 2020, with an estimated 75 per cent of those being Omani nationals and it is also predicted to help make Oman a role model for responsible tourism in the future. >A5

Mustangers excel in Qatar drag race event

A5

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TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

OMAN

There is a huge increase in non-infectious diseases in Oman, like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases. We have not seen a direct intervention by the Ministry of Health to prevent these diseases Hilal Al Sarmi, member of the Health Committee of the Majlis Al Shura

SYMPOSIUM

Experts to discuss efficient utilisation of resources Times News Service MUSCAT: A two-day national level symposium on “Efficient Utilisation of Resources and its Economic Impacts” will be hosted

by College of Applied Sciences (CAS)-Sohar on April 26 and 27.

The EUREI’16 symposium will provide a platform for experts from various fields of engineering to discuss different aspects of the efficient utilisation of resources and its economic impact among various stakeholders of the national economy by analysing the current scenario for further development of the country.

Many participants from across the country will attend the sympo-

sium to present their views.

The dramatic fall in crude oil prices since mid-2014 is having a significant impact on the world and national economy, especially for those reliant on oil inputs. This will enhance a further loss of investment, unemployment and cut public spending.

The impact of the crisis is not limited to those directly employed in the oil industry, but also increases the pressure to diversify the national economy to become less dependent on oil.

Many countries are developing a dedicated resource efficiency policy outlined as a response to the anticipated utilisation of resources. The resource efficiency

concept has to be implemented at a national level with a focus on raising the efficiency of use of material resources.

The impact of the decreasing crude oil price on the environment, economic development must be decoupled from the amount of resources we consume. The efficient utilisation of the resource programme focuses on reducing the adverse environmental and economic impact of producing, processing and using goods and services and also meeting human needs and enlightening well-being.

The symposium aims to attract participants with different backgrounds and experience, to pro-

mote cross-pollination between the different fields of Engineering and Science, Information Technology and Business Management, and hence render and converse pioneering theories, frameworks, methodologies, tools and applications.

The two-day symposium will see keynote speakers delivering their expert talk, paving the way for rigorous discussion. Many scientific papers will be presented during the various parallel sessions, which will cover themes, such as technology harnessing, case studies on resource management, the social and economic aspect of the present scenario, which can leads towards sustainability.

NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM: College of Applied Sciences (CAS)-Sohar will host the national level symposium on “Efficient Utilisation of Resources and its Economic Impacts”. -Supplied photo

Need to do more on healthcare front: Al Sarmi Although there are programmes in place to raise awareness about non-infectious diseases in Oman and how to prevent them, they are weak and not sustained, said Hilal Al Sarmi, member of the Health Committee of the Majlis Al Shura

ERIK PRINS

erik@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: With diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases increasing in Oman, not enough is being done by authorities to tackle this problem, Hilal Al Sarmi, member of the Health Committee of the Majlis Al Shura told the Times of Oman.

“There is a huge increase in non-infectious diseases in Oman, like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases. We have not seen a direct intervention by the Ministry of Health to prevent these diseases,” he said.

When asked about what the Ministry of Health is planning to prevent diabetes, Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saidi told the Times of Oman on the sidelines of the opening of the Renal Dialysis Centre on Sunday, that education is the only way to prevent such diseases.

“Education and a healthy lifestyle are the only way [to prevent diabetes]. Adherence of the patient to a treatment and a healthy lifestyle, physical activities, a proper diet, and stopping smoking and other bad habits, will, if not stop the disease, slow its pro-

PROBLEM: Another problem is that in Oman there are no ways to discover non-infectious diseases before they actually surface. – File photo

gression and hopefully slow or prevent the complication arising from these diseases,” he said.

Al Sarmi said more is needed.

“We have heard this talk so often, but we don’t see anything realised,” he said. He said that although there are programmes in place to raise awareness, they are weak and not sustained. He said that more co-operation should be sought with the relevant parties to organise awareness campaigns in public places such as malls.

“They say there are programmes, but we don’t see them. If there are

strong programmes in place, then why do we see an increase in the number of cases?” he asked.

The Majlis Al Shura will host the Minister of Health on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss his statement on the Ministry’s plans to improve health facilities, their current status, the training of Omani staff, health expenditure and other matters.

Al Sarmi, who has read the statement, said that it has stated that the number of cases of noninfectious diseases has increased.

“This number ought to only increase slightly, be steady or even decrease. This means that the ministry’s actions are insufficient,” he said.

Al Saidi recently told the Times of Oman that the number of kidney patients in Oman is increasing “rapidly”, with 12 to 15 new patients every month needing kidney dialysis.

Al Sarmi said that the ministry should widen its awareness campaigns. “I believe in an increase of the number of awareness programmes through various means, through TV, WhatsApp, Twitter, several websites,” he said.

In addition, authorities should reach out to the public in parks, mosques, schools and even in the privacy of people’s homes. “Visiting homes to raise awareness is not forbidden. The most important way of getting rid of these diseases is awareness, since these are lifestyle diseases,” he said.

According to Al Sarmi, another problem is that in Oman there are no ways to discover non-infectious diseases before they actually surface.

Al Sarmi said that his committee will also ask the minister about the increase in the number of smokers in Oman. “We do not see any real action on this issue,” he said.

CRIME

Two arrested by police on fraud charges Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Two African nationals were arrested by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) for allegedly committing a series of fraudulent crimes and practising sorcery.

A senior ROP official said the officers raided a rented house in Seeb after learning that the accused had offered to heal an Omani citizen.

Both suspects have been referred to the Public Prosecution.

According to Article 288 of the Oman Penal Code, “Anyone, who obtains from others unlawful benefit, for himself or for another person by using fraudulent means, shall be sentenced to imprisonment from three months to two years and a fine of between OMR10 and OMR300.

The sentence shall be doubled if the fraud is committed against a person less than eighteen years or against an adult deprived of his perfect mental faculties.”

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

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Our aim is to give better education, says headmaster A’soud Global School will open in September, says Headmaster Andrew Hurst

S H I P C L A S S I F I C AT I O N A N D S U P E RV I S I O N

Job boost for maritime graduates as ministry signs pact with firms HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Graduates from the International Maritime College Oman will have more job opportunities now as the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) gas signed agreements with six international ship classification and supervision companies to start businesses in the Sultanate.

“All kinds of ships will now be able to choose the company which will inspect their ship,” said Said bin Hamdoon bin Saif Al Harthi, Undersecretary of Ports and MariSHOPPING

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: A’soud Global School (AGS) is not here to compete with the other International Schools in Oman, the founding headmaster of the school has said.

“We would like to start as the other International schools, but with a better standard of education,” Andrew Hurst, founding headmaster of AGS Muscat, said on the sidelines of the announcement of the opening of AGS in September.

“Curriculum wise, we would be similar and we would like to be equal to the very high standard and reputation of many schools in Oman,” he asserted.

“We would like to work together with other International schools, such as BSM, ABA, etc. and help each other,” he added.

According to him, most of the schools in Oman have good quality of education.

“We are looking to offer a different type of education, based on the independent school model, which is so renowned in the U.K.,” Hurst said, explaining the education model.

“The British independent school model of Pre-Prep (3 to 7 years old); Prep (7 to 13 years old) and Senior (13 to 18 years old) is

NEW SCHOOL: The school follows the National Curriculum for

England adapted to include Arabic, Islamic and Social studies through the Ministry of Education. – Shabin E

something that appeals to parents because it is clear how the school’s curriculum will adapt to different stages of a pupil’s development,” he clarified.

Great interest Speaking about the admission for the current year, the headmaster said, “A large number of parents are showing an interest and we are getting a good number for registration.”

According to him, half of the admissions are students from other schools, who are looking for something different.

“We are hoping to start our operations with over 200 students,” he stated. Speaking about the teachers and staff, Hurst said, “We have nearly 32 staff and among 25 of them are teaching faculty; and all the class teachers have a Bachelor’s of Education or Bachelor of Arts with PGCE.” “Our teachers are all qualified to British standards and also understand the international con-

text of the school; all of them have the experience of British Schools in both the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East,” the headmaster asserted.

“We want the same high expectations of a British independent school, but we also want to celebrate Omani culture, Arabic language and Islamic faith in order to educate and prepare our young people for an international life,” he added.

Speaking about the Omani workforce in the school, he said, “20 to 30 per cent of the staff are Omani nationals and we want to develop them and make them familiar with the curriculum.”

“We follow the National Curriculum for England adapted to include further academic rigour, along with Arabic, Islamic and Social studies through the Ministry of Education,” Hurst said.

He added that they are providing a wide variety of extracurricular opportunities and learning outside of the classroom.

A3

Opera Galleria to have musical presentations Times News Service MUSCAT: Weekend shopping at Opera Galleria will include musical presentations, both Arabic and Western that will add melody to the air and rhythm to the shoppers’ steps.

This is one more way in which the mall is adding charming touches that make every visit an unforgettable event. The performances will be held once every Friday — 7 to 8:30pm—and twice on Saturdays—11:30am to 12:30pm and 7 to 8pm.

The added experiential value will go a long way in enhancing the shopping and fine dining that is the forte of the mall and the favourite of its visitors.

One of the objectives of the musical programmes—besides its primary function of entertaining visitors—will be to educate the public about the beauty of different instruments and demonstrate how experts make the most of their tonal qualities.

time Affairs. These firms have been selected as they are the best players in their field and are planning to open offices in Muscat, he added.

Al Harthi, who signed the first set of agreements, was talking to the Times of Oman on the sidelines of the signing ceremony, which was held at the MoTC headquarters in Al Khuwair on Monday.

The first set was signed by American, Norwegian and Indian firms to inspect big ships which come under international treaties.

The second set was signed by Korean, German and Japanese companies to check on smaller

ships which do not come under such treaties.

The mandate of these companies comes as an implementation of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) resolution 739.

The mandate includes conducting technical inspections on ships carrying the Omani flag, issuing certificates on maritime safety and environment.

The Undersecretary of Ports and Maritime Affairs also revealed that new equipment are being installed in Sohar Port which will make it capable to receive the biggest cargo ships in the world.

A4

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

OMAN

This agreement is a breakthrough in elevating and improving Oman’s Government Network (OGN), in line with the e-oman’s strategy to adapt to the rapid change in technology. Ensuring maximum speed, enhanced security solutions, as well as cost effective integrated services will ultimately improve the government e-services provided to citizens Dr Salim bin Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO at Information Technology Authority

PSC chairman vows to ensure better services

WORKSHOP

Oman Air training reaffirms its commitment to passenger safety

Close to 250,000 Times News Service

Pakistanis reside

A lot of Pakistanis are holding high profile positions in Oman. Many are heading even multi-national companies. I want those bright and brilliant Pakistanis to join the Pakistan Social Club and help us serve the community better

in Oman but the Pakistan Social Club membership has been abysmally low. Enrolling more members will be the

Mian Mohammed Munir

top priority of the

MUSCAT: Oman Air conducted an on-site security training exercise at Muscat International Airport recently to familiarise security personnel with aircraft interiors, reminders of the importance of instant emergency response, leadership, and the allocation of individual roles.

The results of the searches were then analysed during a post-exercise briefing, before a summary of the course content was provided

to delegates. Feedback from delegates was extremely positive and Oman Air’s Security Department declared itself confident that the training will make a valuable contribution to safeguarding passengers and aircraft.

While the measures detailed during the training are already in place in stations throughout Oman Air’s network, the airline is committed to ensuring that policies and procedures relating to safety remain current and are regularly updated.

Chairman of the Pakistan Social Club

newly-elected team

SHAHZAD RAZA

shahzad@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Pakistan Social Club (PSC) Oman has decided to raise the bar and perform even better by focusing on operational excellence, large scale community involvement and wide-ranging services to the community.

Close to 250,000 Pakistanis reside in Oman but the PSC membership has been abysmally low.

Enrolling more members will be the top priority of the newlyelected team.

“I want our membership to reach 10,000 in the next two years. We are going to reach out to the community with a new vigour and resolve to raise the PSC’s profile. A lot of Pakistanis are holding high profile positions in Oman.

Many are heading even multinational companies. I want those bright and brilliant Pakistanis to join the PSC and help us serve the community better,” Mian Mohammed Munir, Chairman of the Pakistan Social Club, who was recently re-elected for another term of two years, said in an interview to the Times of Oman.

The PSC has already introduced an electronic card for its members with computerised data encryption. The digital card also carries a bar code to prevent duplication. The card will also help streamline attendance issues on occasions like Annual General Meeting (AGM).

“To attract the community’s attention, we are trying that the new membership card should come with a number of incentives. Once we are able to negotiate successfully with our partners, each PSC member will be entitled to a bouquet of benefits for a nominal annual membership fee of OMR10,” he added.

When asked to explain the kind of incentives which would be on offer, the PSC Chairman cited a number of attractions like discounts on food, health and travel. all of which are being planned.

“We have requested the PIA to offer 5 kg extra baggage to PSC cardholders.

The airline is waiting for approval from its head office in Karachi. We are also negotiating with leading Pakistani restaurants to offer discounts to our members.

Talks are on with leading hos-

pitals for discount. The Lifeline Medical Centre has already agreed to offer medical consultation for just OMR1. Our members could consult their specialists by paying a highly discounted fee of OMR2,” Munir explained.

He said the club had also requested the Pakistan Embassy to set up a special counter for the PSC cardholders or address their issues on a priority basis.

“We have been assured of a positive response soon,” he added.

Talking about efforts to increase community involvement, the PSC chairman said the club has directed the welfare committees all over Oman to increase their efforts to boost PSC membership in order to enhance its reach across the country.

Shining example “This could be my last term as PSC chairman. I want to raise the performance bar to set a shining example for the future PSC teams.

That is precisely why we have given strict instructions to the heads of all the wings to perform to the best of their ability or leave the job for someone else.

We are going to monitor their performance and review it every

three months. We expect them to organise a lot of quality events, and get as many members as possible,” announced the PSC chairman. Pakistan Social Club Oman has seven wings functioning under its banner, which include a highly active Literary Wing, Youth Wing, Cultural Wing, Sports Wing, Media Wing, Ladies Wing and Professionals’ Wing.

Formation of a Doctors’ Wing is also under consideration. Having moved to a new premises recently, the PSC wants to organise a chain of events in its community hall all through the year.

“This hall can accommodate up to 100 people and small events can be held here easily, which, to some extent, will solve the problem of looking for a venue,” he added.

The new PSC Board of Directors for the term 2016-2018 comprises: Mian Mohammed Munir (chairman), A H Raja (vice chairman), Mohammed Zaeem Akhter (general secretary), Amjad Farooq (finance secretary) and directors Chaudhry Mohammed Abbas, Haji Mohammed Shaukat, Syed Aftab Gilani, Mohammed Ali Fazal, Mohammed Aslam Nawab, Imran Iqbal and Chaudhry Mohammed Iqbal.

I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E E V E N T

Modern College, Oman Tourism College to stage career fair from next Monday Times News Service MUSCAT: Leading higher education institutions and corporations in Muscat will be participating in the Intercollegiate Career Fair from May 2-3, 2016 at the Oman Tourism College campus in Seeb.

The career fair is being jointly sponsored by Modern College of Business and Science and Oman Tourism College, with participa-

tion from Muscat College, Arab Open University-Oman, and Waljat College of Applied Sciences.

“This is the second intercollegiate career fair to be held in Muscat, and it has the potential to grow into a mega career event, with wide industry and academic participation. The fair will provide much needed exposure for Omani students to the Sultante’s private sector and available career

opportunities, as well as selection criteria. On the other hand, the fair will provide the perfect platform for the corporate world to interact with young graduates and match their capabilites with various job requirements,” said Dr Shoba Zachariah, Assistant Dean at Oman Tourism College, during a press briefing held at Oman Tourism College on Sunday.

Speaking at the briefing, Prof.

Ahmed bin Mohammed AlNaamany, the Dean of Modern College, said, “The career fair will open up a world of career opportunities for graduates. Last year, when Modern College was brainstorming over the idea of holding the first intercollegiate career fair, we wanted it to be as inclusive and broad-based as possible, so that both students and industry receive maximum benefits.”

EXERCISE: Feedback from delegates was extremely positive and

Oman Air’s Security Department declared itself confident that the training will make a valuable contribution to safeguarding passengers and aircraft. -Supplied photo

TECHNOLOGY

Ooredoo in tie-up with ITA for high speed network Times News Service MUSCAT: Ooredoo has signed an agreement with the Information Technology Authority (ITA) to build and operate the Omani government’s next generation High Speed Network (NGN).

Greg Young, CEO of Ooredoo, commented, “Being chosen from a field of experienced and expert telecom companies to build the backbone for Oman’s e-government strategy is an honour and a testament to the drive and ambition of Ooredoo, as we establish ourselves as the Government of Oman’s telecommunications partner of choice. The investment in this next generation High Speed Network is a clear demonstration of the country’s innovative and forward looking ICT strategy, which supports current needs while preparing for the demands of the future. By

Greg Young

facilitating a more efficient interaction between the local communities, businesses and the government, Ooredoo is looking forward to empowering people and transforming how Oman does business through technology.” Ooredoo has invested over OMR124 million in network modernisation and currently covers 99 per cent of the Sultanate’s population.

FISCAL WOES

Growth in GCC will slow down to 1.8 per cent, says IMF REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Multiple policy adjustments and structural changes are required for greater diversification away from oil, economists say as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast slowing down of growth in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries due to low oil prices.

In its updated Regional Economic Outlook on Monday, the IMF has said that the GCC economy will slow down to 1.8 per cent this year. The IMF update adds that oil exporting countries in the Middle East lost a staggering $390 billion in revenue due to lower oil prices last year, and should brace for even deeper losses of around $500 billion this year. The growth forecast is lower than the projection in October, when the fund forecast the region would grow 2.8 per cent. The region’s economy grew 3.3 per cent last year.

Measures According to economists in the GCC, FDI liberalisation, allowing 100 per cent foreign ownership, open skies policy for airports, and developing local currency debt markets for deficit financing, development and infrastructure finance are some of the measures which can be adopted by the

coutnires in the region to cushion the effect.

Dr Nasser Saidi, a well-known economist in the region, said that as oil price continues to stay around the $40-mark, the Oman government might also want to consider moving towards a currency basket peg alongside fiscal reforms and removal of subsidies.

“This could be complemented by establishing a programme to subsidise on-the-job training for skill development and apprenticeship for young Omanis,” he added.

Faisal Hasan, the head at investment research in Kamco, a Kuwait-based investment company, said that oil price has taken a toll on GCC economies and Oman, in particular, is affected owing to its dependence on oil revenues.

“We believe Oman should focus primarily on the non-oil sector both in the short and longer term.

Tax measure is one of the ways of increasing government revenues.

Oman has already in place a differential tax system (which it is doing away with) and it plans to implement a fixed tax rate of 15% on non-oil corporates in addition to a much higher tax rate on oil and gas companies. Higher tax rates should stem government revenues,” Faisal added.

Faisal says that IMF’s projections on Oman, remains conservative, especially the average oil price

per barrel over the next five years.

Meanwhile, Dr Anchan CK, a Muscat-based investment advisor, said that there is heavy competition amongst the GCC nations to lure the investors.

“Each country is trying to promote better, in other words, things are challenging. Countries are adopting simplified licensing procedures for foreign investors, including owner ship of land and tax benefits. “The current focus is to move away from oil base economy to other alternate economy,” the investment advisor said.

“It is one thing to call for improvement in government delivery, a breakdown of barriers in the private sector, and improved accountability. It is another thing to deliver on these promises. The need of the hour is to be more ambitious, focusing efforts on increasing labor productivity, building a stronger business environment, and managing finances sustainability, including fiscal consolidation and working to eliminate the budget deficit in the next few years,” he added.

Masood Ahmed, the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department director, said on Monday that oil prices are likely to remain low for many years to come, and as a result, countries in the Middle East, which depend on oil for their economies, are going to go through

a number of years of difficult adjustments to balance their budgets to the new lower oil prices.

“The countries in the Middle East have to design a new growth model to drive their economy which doesn’t depend on oil prices,” the official added.

The report adds that the outlook for lower oil prices implies weak oil revenues for years to come, dramatically reducing the capacity of governments to spend.

MENAP OUTLOOK Low oil prices and deepening conflicts continue to weigh on economic activity in the MENAP region (Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan). The growth prospects for most oil exporters have been revised down markedly since last October.

Oil exporters’ growth is still projected to rise from 2 per cent in 2015 to 3 per cent this year; however, this is mainly due to increased oil production in Iraq and post-sanctions Iran.

In the GCC, economic activity is projected to slow further.

2014

Real GDP Growth (%) Iran

Decline “Export receipts in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAP) oil exporters declined by $390 billion in 2015 (17 percent of GDP). Despite a partial offset from reduced imports owing to subdued prices of non-oil commodities, the combined current account of the GCC and Algeria has reversed from a comfortable surplus to a projected deficit of about 8 percent of GDP in 2016,” the report adds.

The report also adds that the deficit of other MENAP oil exporters is projected to be 4 percent of GDP this year.

According to IMF, stepped-up structural reforms in business, labor and financial markets, and trade are critical for boosting economic prospects, improving living standards, and creating muchneeded jobs.

2015

2016

2017

5 4.3 3.8

4.0

4.2 3.7

GCC MENAP oil importers

3.3

3.5

3.5 3.1

2.9

2.9

MENAP oil exporters 2.7

2.3 1.9

0

0

Brent Crude Oil

1.8

140

(US Dollars a barrel) The average price of oil was $50.79 in 2015; the assumed price based on futures markets is $34.75 in 2016 and $40.99 in 2017.

40.99

50.79 0

34.75

Source: MENAP Regional Economic Outlook (April 2016), International Monetary Fund

Graphics

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

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A L S I FA H

Developer Muriya opens community centre in village ERIK PRINS

OMAN Mustangers excel in Qatar drag race event

erik@timesofoman.com

Oman Mustangers’

MUSCAT: In an attempt to meet the needs of the nearby village of Al Sifah, the developer of the Al Sifah Resort, located in a remote area some 50 kilometres from Muscat, opened the Al Sifah Community Centre yesterday.

The community of Al Sifah has welcomed the initiative and is looking forward to more cooperation between the resort and the village.

The Al Sifah Community Centre, operated in collaboration with the Omani Women’s Association, includes a kindergarten and classrooms and will offer classes in IT, English, cooking, as well as social activities catering to the youth.

Developer Muriya said the centre is a way to give something back to the local community, boosting employability, entrepreneurial drive and income generation.

Ahmed Dabbous, chief executive officer (CEO) of Muriya, said the centre evolves according to local needs. “This is like an incubator for any good idea for the community. We’re not dictating what they should and shouldn’t do, it’s the community that comes with the ideas,” he stated.

Olivia Amr, senior commercial director at Muriya, said the centre will promote local skills. “We support local talent and work on the skills of the community, including women,” she stated.

She said the women and children of Al Sifah will get free English classes, while the resort community can learn Arabic from them. “We find that this relationship is beautiful. They already started under a tree and it happened organically,” she said.

Amr added that their partner Omani Women’s Association (OWA) has been present in the village for a long time. “They understand the needs of the community.

drifter, Said Badwawi battled against strong competition throughout all four rounds of rubber and smoke to come up WELCOME MOVE: The community of Al Sifah has welcomed the initiative and is looking forward to more cooperation. – Supplied photo

just shy of third place

tarih@timesofoman.com We need to support those needs and make it happen,” she stated.

Under the supervision of OWA in Muscat, the Al Sifah Community Centre employs three full-time and three part-time employees in the Al Sifah village, of whom five are women.

Noof Al Muaini, head of OWA in Muscat, said the centre will enable women to engage with other communities by developing handicraft skills. She said every handicraft course will be open for 15 to 20 persons, including boys.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hameed Al Ghabshi, deputy wali of Muscat, praised the role of Muriya in this initiative, saying that it will offer women a chance to sell their handicrafts in the resort. “Economically, it will benefit the community,” he said. Although the number of locals employed in the resort is already “good,” Al Ghabshi said more are expected. “We expect the company to increase the number of those working in the resort,” he said.

According to the PR agency of Muriya, 26 locals from the area are employed at the Al Sifah Resort, working in the hospitality, security, construction, IT and HR.

MUSCAT: Doing the country proud, Oman Mustangers’ drifter, Said Badwawi, clinched the fourth position overall at the Qatar Drifting Championship in Doha earlier this week.

The drifter battled against strong competition throughout all four rounds of rubber and smoke to come up just shy of the third place but has proven that Oman has what it takes to compete in the international arena of motorsports.

Briefly speaking to Badwawi, he said, “I’m happy with my performance in the championship, especially considering there were tough competitors. They had better tuned vehicles and more experience in this field. I appreciate the support I gained from Sheikh Fahad Al Amri.”

Speaking on behalf of Badwawi, Nooh Al Zadjali, an administrative member of Oman Mustangers said, “It was a tough competition since you have champions and professionals in drifting from all over the globe. Some of the cars were modified more than ours, but sometimes luck also plays a part.”

The Oman Mustangers have

A1 April 29 date for e-visa < FROM

Confirmed Oman’s national carrier Oman Air has also confirmed that GCC expatriates flying to United Arab Emirates (UAE) will have to possess an e-visa before boarding the aircraft from April 29.

“The implementation date for the electronic visa required by all UAE airports is April 29. This will be applicable to all airlines and Oman Air will be enforcing the same,” said Saleem Amanulla, Vice President Airport Operations, Oman Air.

DOING OMAN PROUD : The Oman Mustangers have competed in Um Al Quwain in United Arab Emirates and achieved third place over all after being crowned champions in Al Ain’s free drifting competition. – Supplied photo

TARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMI

UA E T R AV E L

“We are left with no choice other than to follow it,” said Sudhir Sreedharan, senior vice president for Commercial (GCC, Subcontinent and Africa), flydubai said.

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The implementation date for the electronic visa required by all UAE airports is April 29. This will be applicable to all airlines and Oman Air will be enforcing the same, said Saleem Amanulla, Vice President Airport Operations, Oman Air

Immigration officials said that they experienced some technical glitches when it was introduced last year. “However things should be working well this time,” officials said, adding that under the

ABANDONED GIRL

rules, regardless of the profession, expatriates have to apply online for an e-visa. Earlier, expatriates holding a certain professional status were eligible to get visa-on-arrival in the UAE. TOURISM

A1 Criteria specified A1 Clearly defined for fostering child road map < FROM

< FROM

“If no one shows up, then the centre will open a fostering option for the public, based on the procedures and requirements that are usually considered in an adoption process,” said Al Siyabi.

Al Siyabi added that there are criteria to be followed in order to foster a child, and those who are interested must contact the Child Affairs Department at the Ministry of Social Development and should meet these requirements.

The girl was found abandoned last week in a public park in Al Buraimi and was transferred to one of the child care centres in Muscat, which falls under the Ministry of Social Development.

The news went viral on social media as the reactions varied between many who offered to foster the child; others showed sympathy with her and some others offered a cash award for any person who could find the abandoned girl’s parents.

The unidentified girl is around two years old, said the Royal

Salim Al Mamari also said: “The announcement of the 2040 tourism strategy for Oman provides us with a clearly defined and structured road map for future growth and expansion ensuring that tourism becomes one of the most important economic pillars for the country’s future.”

“The Sultanate has a truly unique offer for tourists within its regional geography, and provides an amazing diversity of visitor experiences. We are well positioned to benefit from growing international tourism trends, such as adventure tourism and creating truly memorable experiences for our visitors from a cultural, environmental, natural and family perspective.”

“Omani hospitality is legendary and our new cluster concept will build on that and also help create tens of thousands of new jobs for Omani nationals in particular and therefore boost the overall economic prosperity of the country,” he added. To apply for eVisa, applicants have to log on to https://www.gdrfa.ae/

The girl was found abandoned last week in a public park in Al Buraimi and was transferred to one of the child care centres in Muscat, which falls under the Ministry of Social Development Oman Police (ROP), while appealing to relatives or members of the public, who have any information about the abandoned child, to immediately contact the Al Buraimi police station, or call at the emergency number 9999.

The police has referred the matter to the Ministry of Social Development after completing the required procedures.

competed in Um Al Quwain in United Arab Emirates and achieved third place over all after being crowned champions in Al Ain’s free drifting competition.

“We try to participate in every competition,” said Al Zadjali.

When asked about what it takes for someone to become a drifting champion, Al Zadjali said, “The driver must be brave and should be able to control the vehicle. He must possess immense concentration and fluid control of his vehicle while drifting.” He also advises young drifting aspirers to always be safe and avoid drifting since there are areas where one can perform the drifts under supervision from professionals. Oman Mustanger’s next competition will be held in Al Ain on May 6, 2016, which will be a free drifting contest.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016 We have contributors from Tibet, Palestine, Kashmir, Syria, Iraq and even Venezuela and Fiji Ibrahim Gailani, Pakistani artist

OMAN

Oman children’s art set to be a part of UN peace initiative In sending a pictorial message across the globe, Oman wants to communicate its support for world peace and the renunciation of wars and conflicts

BABA UMAR

babaumar@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman will dispatch scores of paintings drawn by more than 100 expat children to the United Nations as part of its “Call for Peace” initiative, organisers of the art project said on Monday.

Noted Omani songwriter and intellectual Saleh Al Fahadi is leading the team of artists, who are supervising the painting workshop and mentoring the child artists in a bid to create the

CALL FOR PEACE: Young expat artists, aged 8 to 15, from five different schools have joined the project, representing some 80 countries. – Supplied photo

world record for the largest number of paintings by “children of the world” calling for peace.

“We will use art to promote peace,” Al Fahadi told a media gathering in the capital. Al Fahadi, the main architect of the art project, said the mission has been underway for the past three months, noting “We have representation from all six continents.”

Young expat artists, aged 8 to 15, from five different schools have joined the project, representing some 80 countries.

“The work of the children, who

have expressed through their paintings their hopes and dreams for global peace, will be spread across the world,” stated Sue Tappin, one of the organisers.

Tappin, an expert on the quality and excellence framework, remarked, “We hope to create a (world) record for the largest number of paintings drawn in support of world peace and the end of conflicts.

Contributors “We have contributors from Tibet, Palestine, Kashmir, Syria, NURSE MURDER

< FROM

Body in

A1 apartment She was supposed to be on duty by 10pm on Wednesday, but as she did not turn up for work, Thomas, who is also working in the same hospital, went to the apartment to look for her, where he found her dead body.

Robert and Thomas had married in October and she was five months pregnant.

Iraq and even Venezuela and Fiji,” noted Pakistani artist Ibrahim Gailani, who is mentoring the students, told Times of Oman on the sidelines of the event.

Gailani is the founder of Gailani Art Retreat, a creative escape that claims to use art and music for self-discovery in the Sultanate.

Organisers said the paintings will first be exhibited in Oman on May 9. Then, the foreign ministry, under Foreign Minister Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, will dispatch the artwork to UNICEF and UNESCO.

The paintings will travel across the entire world with the help of the UN agencies, they stated.

Organisers pointed out that Oman is recognised for its international peace efforts, and in sending a pictorial message across the globe, they want to communicate Oman’s support for world peace and the renunciation of wars and conflicts. Gailani said the idea behind the project was to portray the emotions of children who have come from conflict zones and have been living in peaceful Oman for some time.

“One Syrian girl, who is only 8, has painted an eye, inside which she has placed tears and a Syrian flag. I was surprised to see the emotional pictorial messages that have been drawn on the canvas,” he noted, adding, “These children of conflict zones have strong ideas about peace.”

Annual event Saleh Al Fahadi, who also heads the Values Centre, remarked, “If we get sponsors, we will try to make this an annual event in future.” During the gathering, the organisers also launched the project website callofpeace.com and sought further support for their efforts.

M AY 5

< FROM

A1 Ministry order to pay staff on off day Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri, Minister of Manpower issued a ministerial decision announcing Thursday, Rajab 27, 1437 AH corresponding to May 5 as an official holiday for employees at the private sector’s companies and establishments.

The decision allowed employers and employees to agree on compensating this holiday if necessity arises, as well as compensatingemployeeswhoseweeklyholiday coincides with the mentioned occasion.

Private sector All employees in the private sector extended their heartfelt greetings and best wishes to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on this blessed occasion, praying to Allah the Almighty to protect His Majesty, grant him good health, happiness and a long life, and for the return of this and similar occasions on His Majesty and the Omani people with blessings.

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Bangladesh embassy holds prayer meet for His Majesty Times News Service MUSCAT: Bangladesh’s embassy in Muscat organised a special prayer and Doa-mahafil for His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on his happy return to the Sultanate after a successful medical check-up in Germany.

All the officials of the Embassy and prominent members of the Bangladeshi community attended the prayer meet. The programme started at 6pm, with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Qari Abdur Rahim.

On behalf of the government and the people of Bangladesh, especially the Bangladeshi Community living in Oman, Ambassador Sekander Ali conveyed the deepest gratitude to Almighty Allah and heartfelt congratulations to His Majesty on his happy return to the Sultanate after the successful medical check-up in Germany.

He praised His Majesty’s wise and visionary leadership, which has transformed the Sultanate of Oman into a modern and prosperous country.

SPECIAL PRAYER: A special prayer and Doa-mahafil was held for His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on his return to the Sultanate after a successful medical check-up in Germany. -Supplied photo

The ambassador also mentioned that His Majesty the Sultan is the embodiment of national unity and a symbol of peace and prosperity and security in the region. He reiterated that Bangladeshis living and working in the Sultanate of Oman are grateful to His Majesty for his kindness towards them.

Finally, a special prayer, doa and munajat were offered to the Almighty seeking continued good

health, happiness and the long life of His Majesty and peace, progress and prosperity of the Sultanate and the brotherly people of the Sultanate and Bangladesh.

Everybody heartily wished that Allah the Almighty bestow upon His Majesty a bounty of blessings to lead his beloved nation in the future days to come.

Noted Bangladeshi Alem Hafiz and Qari Abdur Rahum conducted the Doa Mahfil.

WORKSHOPS

Arabesque International continues with its musical journey in schools Times News Service MUSCAT: Arabesque International is continuing with its musical and educational journey in schools in Muscat, as several workshops will be offered to students in the weeks before their concert. The Muscat Chamber Music Series has involved the nation’s younger students since its creation. Before each concert, artistes offer workshops and interact with students, who are enthusiastic to learn.

This innovative approach re- TRAINING: Before each concert, artistes offer workshops and flects the organisation’s purpose interact with students, who are enthusiastic to learn. of highlighting the importance of musical education in the lives of children, as well as raising aware- that music can be therapeutic and partnership in Oman. Arabesque ness about the values that good research supports that it can be ef- International’s mission is to promusic carries. This year, the work- fective in assisting in the develop- mote, organize and produce all genres of performing arts in the shops will be unique,as young mu- ment of children’s functioning.

The workshops will be held at Middle East and North Africa, sicians share their knowledge with other youngsters. Amira, 10 years the following schools in Muscat: such as classical music, chamber old, and Mariam, 7 years old, will PDO School, Alshmoukh School, music, folkloric music, choirs, be joining the Horus Piano Duo in Indian School Muscat, Bangladesh professional performing troupes, School and Our Planet School. For dance, opera and ballet. visits to five schools.

Since its establishment in JanuBesides the musical educational more details about hours and locaactivities in schools, there will also tion, contact Arabesque Interna- ary 2012, Arabesque International has brought numerous presentabe a workshop at the Association tional at info@arabesqueint.com Arabesque International was tions to prestigious locations in of Early Intervention for Children founded in 2012 by the Egyptian Oman, including the Royal Opera with Disabilities in Azaiba.

The Muscat Chamber Music German pianist Ahmed Abou- House Muscat, Muscat FestiSeries will be performing its first zahra, General Manager of East val and Al Bustan Palace Hotel. workshop and is proud to bring West Art Promotion. In July 2014, Events have been held in Egypt at music to other young students His Highness Sayyed Mohamed the Cairo Opera House and Alexwith special needs. It is known bin Salim Al Said took over the andria Opera House.

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

52.1%

A7

OMAN

was the rise registered in the government vehicles

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

SAYYID ASA’AD RECEIVES KOREAN ENVOY On behalf of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, His Highness Sayyid Asa’ad bin Tariq Al Said received yesterday Kim Dae Sik, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Sultanate to bid him farewell at the end of his tour of duty. The ambassador thanked His Majesty the Sultan for the support extended to him during his tenure in Oman from His Majesty the Sultan, the government and the Omani people, which had enabled him to carry out his duty. He wished His Majesty the Sultan good health, happiness and long life, and the Sultanate further progress and prosperity under the wise leadership of His Majesty.

Sayyid Asa’ad thanked the ambassador for the efforts he exerted in serving the good relations between the Sultanate and Korea, wishing him permanent success, and the Korean people further progress and prosperity. -ONA

NCSI completes training of 570 professionals Times News Service MUSCAT: As many as 573 professionals participated in skill development programmes in statistics and information technology during the last seven months.

The programme was organised by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), Oman’s premier statistical agency. The Centre issued certificates to 518 participants.

The training project was launched in September last year, and is part of the efforts to build statistical capabilities across different sectors in the Sultanate, with the objective of strengthening the nation’s knowledge economy, and thus contributing to the overall economic development of the nation.

Registration of new vehicles falls 4.9% The greatest decline was recorded in the bikes segment, which saw a 30 per cent fall with just 61 new registrations

MUSCAT: The number of new vehicles (including motorbikes) registered in March 2016 decreased 4.9 per cent at 8,519, compared with figures for the same month last year.

The greatest decline was recorded in the bikes segment, which saw a 30 per cent fall with just 61 new registrations, according to the latest report on vehicle registrations published by the National Centre for Statistics & Information (NCSI). Over the threemonth period ended on March, a total of 25,943 new vehicle registrations have been recorded.

Taxi vehicle registrations in March came down by 15.4 per cent to 52, while private vehicles declined by 8.4 per cent to 5,550.

The largest number of new regis-

FEWER TAKERS: Taxi vehicle registrations in March came down by 15.4 per cent to 52, while private vehicles declined by 8.4 per cent to 5,550. – Supplied photo

trations were done in the private vehicles category.

Registration of government vehicles went up by a significant 52.1 per cent to 210, while the rise was 5.6 per cent for diplomatic vehicles, with five registrations.

There had been a 16.7 per cent drop in the registration of new

B I L AT E R A L C O O P E R AT I O N

driving school vehicles, which numbered 15, while rental vehicle registrations decreased 3.3 per cent to 403.

Registration of new commercial vehicles on the other hand posted a modest increase of 1.6 per cent to 1,951 in March compared with same month of 2015.

D H O FA R

Meeting held on status of Abalone fisheries

HISTORIC TIES: Darwish bin Isma’eel Al Balushi, Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs met yesterday with a delegation of the Omani- Russian Business Counci. – ONA

Oman, Russia plan to raise investment MUSCAT: Darwish bin Isma’eel Al Balushi, Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs met yesterday with a delegation of the Omani- Russian Business Council.

The Omani and Russian sides discussed several topics of joint concern.

The meeting focused on raising level of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the economic and investment fields, besides promoting the trade exchange in a way that suits

the deep historic relations between the two counties.

The meeting was attended

by Abdulsalam bin Mohammed Al Murshidi, CEO of the State General Reserve Fund (SGRF) and Saud bin Nasser Al Shikaili, Secretary General of Taxation.

The Russian delegation comprised Ivan Menshikov, Chairman of the Russian-Oman Business Council, General Director of “Rosneftegaz” and a number of Russian officials. -ONA

SALALAH: The Advisory Committee for the management and development of Abalone fisheries held its first meeting for 2016 at the Directorate General of Fisheries in the Governorate of Dhofar under the chair of Dr. Hamad bin Said Al Oufi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for Fisheries and Head of the Committee.

The Committee reviewed the recommendations of the minutes of the previous meeting, status of abalone fishery and recommendations of the annual survey program for the abalone fishery. The Committee also determined the status of the dive season in 2016 and the development of updating proposals of abalone regulations.

A presentation was shown

by Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Mazro’ee, Director General of Fisheries Development. The Undersecretary of Fisheries will pay a field visit on Tuesday along with officials at the Directorate General of Fisheries in the Governorate of Dhofar to the Wilayat of Shleem and Al Halaniyat Islands to meet with seafarers committee, officials of the Fisheries Development Department of the Wilayat, as well as visiting fish projects and the proposed port project at the wilayat. -ONA

Temporary registrations stood at 266, marking a fall of 10 per cent over March last year. -ONA

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First phase The first phase of the training project will end in May 2016, and discussions are underway about the nature and format of the next phase, expected to be launched in the second half of 2016.The training sessions are held at the Centre’s headquarters in Ghala.

The Centre designed the first phase of the training project with a view to expand the skills of as many as 740 statisticians over the project period, as well as 488 officials working with various stakeholders, and 252 from NCSI. Those completing the training included statisticians and nonstatisticians from various government agencies and departments.

The training workshops focused on a diverse range of topics in the field of statistics, including Management and Administration in Official Statistics, report writing, sampling theory, data analysis and presentation, quality management, statistics for non-statisticians, data dissemination, MS Excel, data collection and fieldwork, survey methodology, and metadata. Both Arabic and English were used during instruction, with a few training sessions planned to be bilingual, as well.

Benefited Officials from the Shura Council, Council of Ministers, Supreme Council of Planning, Council of Scientific Research and Council of Court Affairs, various Ministries, the Capital Market Authority, Central Bank of Oman, Diwan of the Royal Court, General Authority for Manpower Record, Information Technology Authority (ITA), Muscat Municipality, Muscat Securities Marketand various Public Authorities benefited from the training workshops.

NCSI has put in place a clearly defined set of training rules, as well as assessment parameters for measuring learning outcomes under the Centre’s training policy, and the same is shared with all stakeholders. Every workshop is evaluated for its quality and effectiveness through a questionnaire distributed at the end of the programme, allowing participants to honestly register their feedback and suggestions.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

REGION

Egypt’s tourism industry, a cornerstone of the economy and critical source of hard currency, has been struggling to rebound after the political and economic upheaval.

FIRST QUARTER OF 2016

Egypt’s tourism revenue down 66% DUBAI: Egypt netted just $500 million in tourism revenue in the first quarter of 2016, down from $1.5 billion a year earlier, a tourism ministry adviser told Reuters, highlighting the country’s struggle to kickstart a key dollar-earning industry.

Egypt’s tourism industry, a cornerstone of the economy and critical source of hard currency, has been struggling to rebound after the political and economic upheaval triggered by the 2011 protests that ended Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule.

Tourism revenue has also taken a heavy hit since a Russian plane crashed in the Sinai last October, killing all 224 people on board in what President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi called an act of terrorism. IS said it planted a bomb on board.

More than 14.7 million tourists visited Egypt in 2010, dropping to 9.8 million in 2011.

In the first quarter of 2016 just 1.2 million tourists travelled to Egypt, down from 2.2 million a year earlier, said economic adviser to the ministry of tourism Adla Ragab.

Egypt aims to attract 12 million tourists by the end of 2017 through a plan that includes increasing the presence of national carrier EgyptAir abroad, tourism minister Yehia Rashed said in a recent interview with Reuters.

“Many European airlines have halted flights to Sharm El Sheikh. It’s too early to say what the long-term impact of the Russian plane crash will be,” said an analyst at hotel industry consultants STR. The torture of Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni, whose body was dumped on the side of a road in February, has also damaged Egypt’s image abroad.

Egyptian intelligence and police sources told Reuters the police had custody of Regeni at some point before he died, but Egyptian officials have strongly denied any involvement in Regeni’s death, saying he was never in their custody. The Regeni case has brought allegations of widespread police brutality in Egypt under sharper focus. — Reuters ESPIONAGE CHARGES

Iran sentences French-Iranian to six-year jail

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW.

DON’T LITTER A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY LIKE

Plastic takes 1,000 years or more to break down

DUBAI: A French-Iranian citizen who left Iran in 2009 after facing espionage charges has been sentenced to six years in jail following her return to the country to visit her critically ill mother, an opposition website reported.

Former French embassy employee Nazak Afshar, 58, was arrested last month on arrival at Tehran airport, website Kaleme said late on Sunday.

She was freed on bail from Evin prison after sentencing, it said. The Iranian judiciary has not commented on her case or made the charges against her public. Afshar, who had dual citizenship, was arrested and tried in 2009 on charges of spying and acting against Iran’s national security. No verdict was issued and she was freed following the intervention of the French government, leaving the country the same year.

Several other dual-nationality citizens or expatriates have been arrested on returning to visit Iran, and a spokesman for the Iranian judiciary said on Sunday that four had recently been sentenced for their connections to foreign countries.

“Five people who were arrested recently for their connections outside the country were put on trial...and four of them have received their sentences,” Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.

Iran does not recognise dual nationality. Iranian media reported last week that the presenter of a pro-opposition television channel was arrested as he travelled to Iran in “the disguise of visiting relatives”. — Reuters

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REGION

Saudi Arabia unveils ambitious plans to end dependence on oil Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Plan ‘Vision 2030’ which aims to make Saudi Arabia global investment power; less than five per cent of Aramco be listed on the stock market

RIYADH: The young prince overseeing Saudi Arabia’s economy unveiled ambitious plans on Monday aimed at ending the kingdom’s “addiction” to oil and transforming it into a global investment power.

Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the world’s top oil exporter would raise the capital of its public investment fund to 7 trillion riyals ($2 trillion) from 600 billion riyals ($160 billion) and would sell up to five per cent of shares in state oil giant Aramco. The plans also included changes that would alter the social structure of the kingdom by pushing for women to have a bigger economic role and by offering improved status to resident expatriates. “We will not allow our country ever to be at the mercy of commodity price volatility or external markets,” Prince Mohammed said at his first news conference with international journalists, who were invited to a Riyadh palace for the event.

“We have developed a case of oil addiction in Saudi Arabia,” he had earlier told Al Arabiya television

VISION FOR FUTURE: Saudi Defence Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks during a press conference in Riyadh, on Monday. Prince Mohammed announced his economic plan reform known as ‘Vision 2030’. – AFP

news channel. His “Vision 2030” envisaged raising non-oil revenue to 600 billion riyals ($160 billion) by 2020 and 1 trillion riyals ($267 billion) by 2030 from 163.5 billion riyals ($43.6 billion) last year. But the plan gave few details on how this would be implemented.

The 31-year-old prince gave assured answers to questions on the plan, and appeared to pitch his comments to appeal across the Saudi social spectrum, and in particular to young people, who face unemployment and an economic downturn despite their country’s oil wealth.

Even before oil prices started

NAT I O N AT WA R

to plunge in 2014, economists had regarded Riyadh’s fiscal policy and economic structure as being unsustainable, but reduced income from energy sales has made reform more urgent.

At the centre of the plan is the restructuring of its Public Investment Fund (PIF), which Prince Mohammed said would become a hub for Saudi investment abroad, partly by raising money through selling shares in Aramco.

The partial privatisation of Aramco was also central to the plans, and Prince Mohammed said it would be transformed into an energy company that he expected to

be valued at $2 trillion to $3 trillion, and that less than 5 per cent of it would be listed on the stock market. So big is the state oil company because of its rights to the kingdom’s crude reserves, that selling even 1 per cent of its value would create the biggest initial public offering (IPO) on earth, he said.

He said other Aramco subsidiary companies would also be listed along with other publicly held companies, and added that one major benefit of privatisation was that it would increase transparency and help limit corruption.

“People used to be unhappy that files and data of Aramco are unde-

clared, unclear and not transparent. Today they will be transparent. If Aramco gets IPO-ed that means it has to announce its statements of accounts,” he said.

Since the prince was appointed to oversee Saudi long-term planning through the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, Riyadh’s focus on reform has grown far more urgent and far more acute. In his rare press conference, he presented himself as a modernising leader who seeks to shake Saudi Arabia out of its economic slumber and its reputation for opacity and rigid bureaucracy, showing an interest in topics in-

cluding education, the public role of women, and football.

The government ran a deficit of 367 billion riyals ($98 billion) or 15 per cent of gross domestic product in 2015, officials said, and this year’s budget plan aimed to cut that to 326 billion riyals ($87 billion). His economic team has already announced efforts to curb wasteful government spending, to diversify revenue streams by introducing sales tax and privatising state assets, and to make reforms in the education sector.

Such was the speculation among Saudis over the details of the plan that hashtags associated with it were the top two trending on Twitter on Monday in the country with the highest rate of social media use in the Middle East.

But ambitious targets, such as raising the private sector share in the economy to 60 per cent from 40 per cent, reducing unemployment to 7.6 per cent from 11 per cent and growing non-oil income to 1 trillion riyals ($267 billion) from 163 billion riyals ($44 billion) were not explained further.

The plan also envisaged increasing women’s participation in the workforce, something that has already grown quickly over the past five years, to 30 per cent from 22 per cent.

A green card system would also be launched within five years to enable expatriate Arabs and Muslims to live and work long-term in the country, Prince Mohammed said, in a major shift for the kingdom. But the focus was on economic restructuring to help reduce oil dependence. “I think by 2020, if oil stops we can survive,” Prince Mohammed said. “We need it, we need it, but I think in 2020 we can live without oil.”

Appealing to Saudi youth, he ended his news conference by promising them a new Saudi Arabia. “The vision is not a dream, it’s a reality that will come true,” he said. — Reuters

OBAMA APPROVES DEPLOYMENT

More US special forces in Syria to help militia

DESTROYED: Damage is seen at a site hit by air strikes on the Al Qaeda-held port of Shahr city in Yemen on Sunday. – AFP

Yemeni forces seize main oil terminal from Al Qaeda rebels ADEN: Yemeni government forces and their Emirati allies took back control of the country’s largest oil export terminal from Al Qaeda on Monday, security officials said, a day after routing the militants from their nearby stronghold.

The lightning advance is a major shift in strategy for the Saudi-led coalition forces, which for over a year have focused their firepower on the Houthis who had seized the capital Sanaa and driven the government into exile.

The civil war has killed more than 6,200 people, displaced more than 2.5 million people and caused a humanitarian catastrophe in the country. A fragile ceasefire between coalition forces and the Houthis has been in operation since April 10.

In 48 hours, the coalition deprived the militants of a lucrative mini-state they had built up over the course of a year, based around the southwestern port city of Mukalla. About 80 per cent of Yemen’s modest oil reserves were exported in peacetime from the Ash Shihr terminal, 68 km (42 miles) eastwards along the coast from Mukalla, which has been shut since the war began and Al Qaeda seized the area.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) - seeking official recognition as a quasi-state as well as trying to get rich - tried

last year to export the 2 million barrels of oil stored there with the approval of Yemen’s government, which refused. A statement by the coalition said on Monday that its offensive had killed 800 Al Qaeda fighters and several leaders, though Mukalla residents said the number appeared unlikely and the group withdrew largely without a fight. “It’s highly exaggerated. There was only very little combat,” resident Mubarak Al Hameli said by telephone.

A Yemeni military source put Sunday’s death toll at 18 and said 30 Al Qaeda fighters had been killed. Residents said local clerics and tribesmen had tried to persuade the Al Qaeda fighters to leave quietly and that they had withdrawn westward to the neighbouring province of Shabwa. Local Yemeni officials said on Sunday that some 2,000 Yemeni and Emirati troops advanced into Mukalla, taking control of its maritime port and airport and setting up checkpoints throughout the southern city.

AQAP was taking about $2 million a day in tax from the port.

The coalition offensive is now seeking to advance westwards on AQAP-held towns along a 600-km (370-mile) stretch of Arabian Sea coastline between Mukalla and the government’s base in Aden, where militants appeared to be mounting fiercer resistance. — Reuters

HANOVER (GERMANY): President Barack Obama announced on Monday the biggest expansion of US ground troops in Syria since the civil war there began, saying he would dispatch 250 special forces soldiers to help local militia to build on successes against IS militant group.

The new deployment increases US forces in Syria six-fold to about 300. While the total US ground force is still small by comparison to other American deployments, defence experts said it could help shift the momentum in Syria by giving more Syrian fighters on the ground access to US close air support. Obama said the move followed victories that clawed back territory from IS. “Given the success, I’ve approved the deployment of up to

250 additional US personnel in Syria, including special forces, to keep up this momentum,” Obama said in a speech in the German city of Hanover, the last stop on a foreign tour that has taken him to Saudi Arabia and Britain.

“They’re not going to be leading the fight on the ground, but they will be essential in providing the training and assisting local forces as they continue to drive ISIL (IS) back,” he added.

The US military has led an air campaign against IS since 2014 in both Iraq and Syria, but the campaign’s effectiveness in Syria has been limited by a lack of allies on the ground in a country where a complex, multi-sided civil war has raged for five years.

Russia launched its own air campaign in Syria last year, which

has been more effective because it is closely coordinated with the government of President Bashar Al Assad. Washington’s main allies on the ground have been a Kurdish force known as the YPG, who wrested control of much of the Turkish-Syrian border from IS. However, the alliance has been constrained because US ally Turkey is deeply hostile to the YPG. “Presumably these are going to assist our Kurdish YPG friends to widen and deepen their offensive against IS in northeastern Syria,” Tim Ripley, defence analyst and writer for IHS Janes Defence Weekly magazine, said of the extra special forces.

The Syria Democratic Forces, a US-backed coalition set up in October to unite the Kurdish YPG and some Arab allies, welcomed

Obama’s announcement but still wanted more help.

“Any support they offer is positive but we hope there will be greater support,” SDF spokesman Talal Silo said. “So far we have been supplied only with ammunition, and we were hoping to be supplied with military hardware.”

The HNC umbrella opposition, which represents groups opposed to Assad but not the Kurds, also welcomed US forces helping rid Syria of the IS “scourge”, but said Washington should do more to fight against Assad.

“Syria will not be free of terrorism until we see the end of the Assad regime’s reign of terror. We need help in freeing our country from Assad as well as from Daesh (IS),” spokesman Salem Al Meslet said in a statement. — Reuters

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TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

INDIA 78.05 % turnout in fourth phase of West Bengal polls SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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With two more

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phases to go before the six-phase Assembly election in West Bengal ends, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee claimed that her party had reached the majority mark

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: The 49 assembly constituencies in West Bengal which went to polls on Monday in fourth phase of assembly elections recorded 78.05 per cent voter turnout with the Election Commission of India saying it was a “smooth” affair.

Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission incharge of West Bengal Sandeep Saxena told a press conference here that the figure of 78.05 per cent was based on text messages sent by poll officers to the Commission at 5 pm “and the percentage is likely to go up when the final figures arrive”.

EXERCISING FRANCHISE: BJP leader and party candidate Locket Chatterjee and other voters show voter identity cards at a polling booth in North 24 Parganas on Monday. - PTI

Responding to questions on violence, he said by and large the elections passed of “smoothly” barring “sporadic” incidents of violence. He said in all the cases reported, FIRs have been lodged and “raids were still on” to nab the culprits.

Riverine patrols A total of 18 people have so far been held, Saxena said. Referring to poll percentage, he said in the 2011 assembly polls, the turnout in these constituencies

was 83.81 per cent and 81.49 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Since the polling in this phase involved some islands, 72 riverine patrols were pressed into service and even poll observers witnessed how these work.

With two more phases to go before the six-phase Assembly election in West Bengal ends, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that her party had reached the majority mark, while CPI-M state secretary Sur-

jya Kanta Mishra made a claim that the CPI(M)-Congress alliance would win 200 seats.

“Today the fourth phase of polls was held. If I understand politics, after this phase of polls we have already attained the majority mark needed to form the new government. You can check it when the results are announced,” Mamata told an election meeting here.

The TMC chief claimed that her government in the last five years had undertaken various development projects and turned

Bengal into the favourite industrial destination.

Expressing confidence about the success of the (Congress-Left) alliance in the election, Mishra claimed, “After the first three phases of polling we said we will surely win in over 100 seats but after today’s polls we aim for 200... seats. And the alliance of the people is heading towards that.”

Echoing her party supremo, TMC leader Mukul Roy also claimed that Trinamool has reached majority figure after Monday’s polling.

West Bengal State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury on the other hand claimed that the Trinamool Congress would cease to exist after the results were announced on May 19. Chowdhury said people had been able to resist the terror tactics of the TMC. “The TMC has engaged its entire machinery to stop people from exercising their democratic rights. In many places TMC have captured booths. But people have resisted those terror tactics in most of the places and have voted,” Chowdhury said.

Elections were held in 216 seats till Monday. Polling for the remaining 78 seats in two more phases is scheduled to take place on April 30 and May 5. -PTI

BIHAR

‘Crime has declined by 27% after prohibition’ PATNA: Bihar government on Monday said rate of heinous crimes has decreased by 27 per cent in the month of April since the imposition of total prohibition in the east Indian state.

A high-level meeting held by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with senior officials of Patna division comprising six districts of Patna, Nalanda, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Buxar and Bhabua, highlighted that the rate of heinous crime from April 1 to April 23 this year was 2,328 as compared to 3,178 during the corresponding period in 2015.

The fact regarding lowering of crime rate was stated by Commissioner Patna division Anand Kishore during the meeting held

by Nitish Kumar to take stock of situation in the wake of promulgation of total ban on liquor in the state on April 5 last, an official statement said.

Road accidents The Commissioner informed the meeting that cases of death in road accidents have also come down during this period after declaration of the state as total dry.

Besides, tension during communal procession and other kind of march have also witnessed a slide due to prohibition, it said.

Kumar, who took a decision to declare Bihar a complete dry state from April 1, has been leaving no stones unturned to plug the loopholes in implementation of the decision. - PTI

JNU ROW

University rusticates three students, Kanhaiya is fined

PAYING TRIBUTE: JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar paying tribute to BR Ambedkar at Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai on Saturday. - PTI

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and rusticated three others for varying durations over their alleged role in the controversial February 9 event for which they were charged with sedition, an action which had sparked outrage and triggered protests.

Based on the findings of a highlevel enquiry committee (HLEC), Umar Khalid has been rusticated for one semester and another leader Anirban Bhattacharya till July 15.

Umar has also been slapped a fine of Rs 20,000. Anirban has also been barred from JNU campus for a period of five years from July 23.

Kashmiri student, Mujeeb Gattoo, has been rusticated for two semesters.

A penalty of Rs 10,000 has been imposed on JNU students union (JNUSU) joint secretary Saurabh Sharma, the only ABVP member in the union. JNU students union president Kanhaiya, Umar and Anirban were arrested on charges of sedition in February in connection with the controversial event and are out on bail. Their arrests had triggered widespread protests at JNU and many other universities, following which the Opposition had accused the government of attempting to stifle dissent.

While Umar and Anirban were blamed for “triggering communal violence” and “disrupting” communal harmony on the campus, Mujeeb was found guilty of participating in sloganeering.

Kanhaiya was pronounced guilty of indiscipline and misconduct. Those who have been

imposed fine of Rs20,000 each include former JNUSU president Ashutosh Kumar, former general secretary Chintu Kumari, current General Secretary Rama Naga, Aishwarya Adhikari, former Vice President Anant Prakash Narayan and Gargi for “violating” disciplinary norms.

The campus has been made out of bounds for two former students — Banojyotsana Lahiri and Draupadi — while hostel facilities of Ashutosh Kumar have been withdrawn for a year and Komal Mohite till July 21. In his reaction, Kanhaiya said the punitive action announced by the authorities was “simply unacceptable” and that the students rejected it. The students will hold an “all party” meeting on Sunday night to finalise future course of action.

“We completely reject this far-

cical enquiry report, as it is based on sheer vendetta and a biased enquiry. These are all innocent students, coming from extremely humble and underprivileged backgrounds,” JNUSU Vice President Shehla Rashid Shora said.

The JNU had constituted a five-member high-level enquiry committee to investigate the controversial event at the campus on February 9 and the panel had found some students guilty of violating disciplinary norms and disrupting communal harmony. on the campus.

Anirban’s punishment is the harshest as he has been debarred from the university for five years.

When asked about punishment to Anirban, the official said, “During the period of rustication, the student ceases to exist on rolls of the university but has an option

of joining back and re-enrolling in the same course after period of rustication is over.

“However, following debarment from the university for a period the student cannot enroll in any course or join any academic activities on campus,” the official said.

He said while Umar and Gattoo will have the option of resuming their courses once the period of rustication is over, Anirban has been given a window of a week (July 16-23) to complete his thesis.

“If he is unable to do so, he will not be able to seek an extension or re-enroll as he has been debarred from university for five years on completion of that week. If his PhD is not completed during this period he will not be able to do it from JNU for five years however he can enroll at some other university,” he said. - PTI

CONCERN

Over 100 activists write to PM over drought situation NEW DELHI: Over 100 activists, economists and sociologists asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to respond to the drought in several states and urged him to implement traditional relief measures as well as the National Food Security Act and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in letter and spirit.

In their letter to Prime Minister they underscored the need for implementing existing measures such as the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) in an effective and expanded manner.

“The response of central and state administrations to looming drought is sadly listless, lacking in both urgency and compassion.

The scale of MGNREGA works is way below what is required and wages often remain unpaid for months. Even more gravely, the central and state governments are doing far too little to implement the National Food Security Act, three years after it came into force.

“Had the Act been in place, more than 80 per cent of rural households in the poorer states would be able to secure about half of their monthly cereal requirements almost free of cost. In a drought situation food security entitlements should be made universal,” said the letter signed by

WATER SCARCITY: Villagers carrying water collected from a a water tanker in drought-hit Shahpur, Maharashtra on Monday. - PTI

leading activists such as Aruna Roy, Harsh Mander, Jayati Ghosh, Satish Deshpande, Medha Patkar, Uma Chakravarty, Paul Diwakar, Bela Bhatia, Bezwada Wilson.

Economists Prabhat Patnaik, Vijay Shankar Vyas, Amit Bhaduri, Praveen Jha and Ajit Ranade said, “The highest priority of the central government in a drought situation should be to ensure the creation of millions of additional man-days of work in all affected villages.”

“Instead, the government has not even allocated enough funds this year to sustain the level of employment generated last year, Rs233 crore man-days according to official data. At current levels of expenditure per person-day, this would cost well over Rs50,000 crore,” they said.

Members in Lok Sabha also ex-

pressed concern over the unprecedented situation due to drought, scarcity of water and the heat wave in large parts of the country. Raising the issue in the Zero Hour, Congress member Mullappally Ramachandran said the devastating drought conditions have affected more than a quarter of the 1.25 billion population. He wanted the situation be declared as a “national disaster” and immediate assistance be provided to the people.

“People by and large are in deep distress and they are panicky about the prevailing situation”, he said, adding that experts and scientific community opine that the heat wave conditions will persist for quite some time more.

“Reports say that we are experiencing the world’s fifth deadliest heat wave,” he said. - PTI

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House panel favours Mallya’s expulsion from Rajya Sabha NEW DELHI: Independent MP and business tycoon Vijay Mallya is all set to face expulsion from Rajya Sabha, with a Parliamentary panel examining the matter related to his alleged loan default of over Rs94 billion, on Monday unanimously favouring such action.

At the same time, the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha headed by veteran Congress leader Karan Singh, decided to give Mallya one week time to explain his conduct, which the members said is a “procedural formality”.

In a step closer to initiating his deportation, the government had on Sunday revoked the passport of Mallya, who is believed to be in the UK after leaving India on March 2.

“We have examined the entire issue related to Mallya’s case. The documents that we had sought from banks have also come. There was a unanimous view in the panel that he should be expelled from the House membership.

‘Procedural formality’ “But still we have decided to give him a week time to tell us whatever he has to say. The next meeting of the committee has been fixed on May 3, when we will take a final decision,” Singh told reporters after the meeting.

Asked whether the committee is unanimous in the view that Mallya should be expelled, Singh said, “the committee is unanimous but we

have to follow the procedures.”

Janata Dal (United) President Sharad Yadav, who is also a panel member said,”Mallya should be expelled from the Rajya Sabha and he will be expelled.

His membership is almost gone now. This is the firm view of the committee. It is final that his membership will go. He has been given the time to complete the procedure”. CPI-M General Sitaram Yechury said that the opinion in the committee was that Mallya has no right to remain a member of Rajya Sabha. The committee had sought details of the liabilities on Mallya’s airline Kingfisher from 13 banks, which furnished their replies according to which the total

liability on Mallya’s company is Rs 94.31 billion.

The committee decided to crack the whip on the ground that Mallya never declared these liabilities in the last ten years, which a member is supposed to do annually.

Enforcement Directorate had last week written to 17 banks and a clutch of probe agencies with an aim to prepare a water tight case against Mallya who is being probed for money laundering charges in the IDBI bank alleged loan fraud case.

Chairman of the Upper House Hamid Ansari had referred the matter to the panel last month.

The panel had taken cognizance of the matter on March 14. - PTI

BRIEFING: Congress veteran Karan Singh, head of the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha along with members Sharad Yadav, SC Mishra and Sitaram Yechury addressing the media after a meeting on Mallya issue, at Parliament House in New Delhi on Monday. — PTI

Ruckus in Parliament over Uttarakhand, Arunachal The issue of President’s rule in Uttarakhand, Arunachal generated heat in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the opening day of the session with Congress members in both Houses storming the Well

NEW DELHI: Angry over imposition of President’s rule in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh, Congress on Monday created ruckus in Parliament, accusing the Modi dispensation of toppling democratically-elected governments of opposition parties, a charge rejected by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The issue generated heat in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the opening day of the session with Congress members in both Houses storming the Well and party chief Sonia Gandhi joining them in raising slogans.

In the Lok Sabha, Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge and his party colleagues staged a dharna in the Well as their notice for

SPELLING OUT: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of states Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Rajiv Pratap Rudy addresses the media on the first day the new session of Parliament in New Delhi on Monday. - PTI

adjournment motion on the issue was rejected by the Chair.

“It is a murder of democracy,” Kharge said as the Lower House assembled for the day, telling Speaker Sumitra Mahajan that he has given a notice for an adjournment motion on the issue.

Members of Janata DalUnited(JD-U) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were also in the Well along with Congress.

Protest AAP leader Bhagwant Mann was repeatedly seen pleading with the Chair to allow Kharge to have his say. Amid a noisy protest by the treasury benches, Kharge said the Union government is purchasing MLAs, pressurising MLAs to install BJP government “by kill-

ing Constitution.” The Speaker reminded Kharge that the matter is before the Supreme Court and hence he should not say anything further.

Kharge said he is referring to the action of the central government and not the ruling of Uttarakhand High Court which had revoked the President’s rule.

The Supreme Court later stayed the High Court’s order till April 27. He said the BJP-government at the Centre celebrates the Constitution Day and birthday of key architect of the document B. R. Ambedkar, while it has “destabilised” democratically-elected governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

“There appears to be a great hurry by the NDA to grab power

in every state... don’t forget there is Constitution... you could have waited for the March 28 floor test but you imposed President’s rule on March 27,” he said.

Sub-judice He said the House had recently discussed the Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case which is also sub-judice. BJD’s B. Mahtab said his party has also given notice on the issue.

“The matter is in the court. We will wait for the verdict. We are confident that the court will deliver justice. But we are against arbitrary use of Article 356,” he said.

The home minister said the “crisis” in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh has not been created by National Democratic

Alliance (NDA) or BJP. “It is an internal crisis of their party,” he said and welcomed Speaker’s decision that the issue cannot be raised in the present format as it is under consideration of the apex court.

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue accusing the central government of “deliberately provoking” the opposition and “inducing” disruption so that the House does not run.

Azad said for the last one year, it has been seen that efforts are being made by the ruling party to create a situation that the House does not function.

The senior Congress leader said he had never seen that a government “does things during the session or just days before the session so that Parliament does not function”. He said during winter session, the duly-elected Arunachal Pradesh government was “brought down” and the Centre did not stop till it installed its own government there.

Azad said President’s rule has been imposed in the past also, but never in such a “crude” way. When he said he wanted to congratulate the judges of the Uttarakhand High Court for “having the guts to fight the Government of India”, Deputy Chairman P. J. Kurien said there should be “no commentary” on the judicial issues.

As Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi objected to the raising of the Uttarakhand issue saying the matter was sub-judice, Azad said the Centre “which disrespects the court, cannot be trusted”. “Discussion will take place,” he asserted, as several Congress members carrying placards stood in the aisle. -PTI

LACK OF EVIDENCE

All accused in Malegaon blasts case discharged MUMBAI: Ten years after a series of bombs exploded in Malegaon killing 37 people, a special court on Monday dropped charges against eight Muslim youths due to lack of evidence against them.

The accused, including two doctors, were discharged by V. V, Patil, designated judge trying cases under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

The serial bomb blasts outside a cemetery near Hamidia Mosque at Malegaon, near Nashik, on September 8, 2006, also left over 100 persons injured.

Bombs were planted on bicycles parked near the cemetery and they went off after Friday prayers at the mosque on the occasion of Shab-eBaraat. Hailing the verdict, Farok Makhdoom, a doctor and an accused who argued personally in the court, said, “I was never scared of conviction because I am innocent.

There was lot of evidence to prove that I was not involved in the case.”

Nine accused, suspected to have links with SIMI, were initially arrested in the case and chargesheeted by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS). One of them died while the case was pending.

Later, CBI, which took over investigations, also confirmed the charges against them.

Subsequently, in 2011, NIA was asked to probe the case and the agency arrested another set of people belonging to the majority community, who continue to be accused in the case.

However, the case took a turn when Swami Assemanand, an accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid bombing case, allegedly revealed to the probe agency about the role of a Hindu right wing outfit in the 2006 Malagaon blasts case. - PTI

ANNOUNCEMENT

India cancels visa to exiled Uighur leader, draws opposition rebuke NEW DELHI: India on Monday said it had withdrawn a visa to an exiled Uighur leader whom China has long branded a terrorist, provoking criticism from the opposition that it had buckled to pressure from Beijing.

China blames unrest that has killed hundreds of people in its far western province of Xinjiang on militants looking to establish an independent state for the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority.

Dolkun Isa, executive chairman of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress, planned to attend a conference this month in India’s northern hill town of Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan spiritual

leader, the Dalai Lama.

Isa’s World Uyghur Congress is a leading ethnic Uighur group that advocates democracy and human rights. Exiles and rights groups say the Xinjiang unrest is more a reaction to repressive government policies than organised by any cohesive militant group.

New Delhi granted Isa a tourist visa in a sign that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was ready to break from the past, when it had discouraged a visit by the top exiled Uighur leader, Rebiya Kadeer, in 2009.

But on Monday, an interior ministry spokesman said Isa’s electronic visa had been with-

The announcement came after domestic media quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying Dolkun Isa was wanted by China and Interpol had put out a ‘red-corner’ notice for his arrest

drawn, without giving a reason for the decision.

“A visa was given to him. That has been cancelled,” the spokesman said. The foreign ministry directed queries to the interior min-

istry. The announcement came after domestic media quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying Isa was wanted by China and Interpol had put out a “red-corner” notice for his arrest.

Isa said he was disappointed by the decision to block his travel to a conference aimed at exchanging ideas among different ethnic and religious communities.

Unwarranted controversy “I recognize and understand the difficult position that the Indian government found itself, and regret that my trip has generated such unwarranted controversy,” he said in a statement on the group’s website.

Modi’s administration has sought a more assertive posture in its relations with neighbours , Pakistan and China, as it seeks to expand commercial ties.

India reacted angrily this month to China’s decision to put a hold on its request to add the head of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad to the United Nations’ Al Qaeda-IS blacklist.

Some political supporters of Modi’s government saw the initial grant of the visa as a response to Beijing’s decision to side with Pakistan over the militant leader operating from the neighbouring country. The flip-flop provoked opposition criticism. “Modi’s latest foreign policy disaster on China can be termed a Himalayan blunder,” said Sanjay Jha, a spokesman of the main opposition Congress party. - Reuters

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Need to open up malaria research I

n recent years, tremendous progress has been made in the battle against malaria. According to the World Health Organisation, the number of deaths from the disease has fallen by a staggering 60 per cent since 2000 – the result of improved access to diagnostic testing and treatment.

To be sure, there is still considerable work to be done, but the downward trend in new infections and deaths underscores the power of collaboration among governments (in malaria endemic and nonendemic countries alike), between commercial and non-profit organisations, and between academic science and medicine. Without such partnerships, advances in fighting this deadly disease would not have been possible. Alongside coordinated action on the ground, increasing openness and collaboration among scientists researching and developing a new generation of medicines and vaccines is paving the way for further progress.

There is a growing recognition within the scientific community that no single organisation or group has the know-how or resources to tackle malaria alone. As with many other diseases afflicting the developing world, the science is hugely complex, and the commercial opportunity is limited.

Reversing the tide on malaria requires us to pool resources and combine the diverse experience and expertise of scientists from different backgrounds and specialties.

Fortunately, scientists are already taking note, and the result is the emergence and spread of a disruptive new approach to research and development. Called “open innovation,” it turns the traditional R&D model on its head and removes barriers to collaboration. Based on the recognition that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts, open innovation is a collegial way of working, in which sharing is everything.

This openness is well illustrated by unprecedented levels of data sharing. In 2010, GSK, the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, released into the public domain the details of more than 20,000 compounds that are active against the malaria parasite – 13,500 of which came from GSK’s proprietary compound library. This was a landmark move, one intended to galvanise the international research community.

Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), a nonprofit organization, took things a step further.

Through the “open access malaria box,” MMV provides physical access to a diverse selection of 400 commercially available compounds. Access is free for scientists around the world, as long as they agree to make the results of their research public. To date, the malaria box has been shared with more than 250 research groups in 30 countries around the world, and has led to the initiation of several new drug- discovery programmes across a range of neglected diseases.

In addition to facilitating the sharing of tools and insights, open research creates frameworks for scientists from different institutions and backgrounds to work together (both physically and remotely), draw on each other’s strengths, and exchange know-how.

One example of this type of collaboration is the world’s first “open lab” for research into diseases of the developing world, established in 2010 at GSK’s research site in Tres Cantos, Spain. The lab operates with the support and advice of a broad range of actors, including GSK, the Wellcome Trust, the European Union, and MMV, as well as various other product-development partnerships and academic centers. It enables researchers from leading institutions worldwide to work alongside industry scientists in a dynamic and collaborative environment, with the aim of transforming early research ideas into drug-discovery programs.

With 60 projects completed since its establishment, this initiative has gained wide recognition as an incubator for new ideas and a valuable model for R&D into treatments for other major health challenges. Other intensely collaborative R&D initiatives are also bearing fruit. Three potential new treatments for malaria being developed by GSK (two in partnership with MMV) are progressing to clinical trials. Another potential new drug being developed through a collaboration between GSK and MMV, for vivax malaria, is further along in the development process, having entered the final stages of clinical trials. If successful, it will be the first treatment for relapsing malaria approved in more than 60 years. - Project Syndicate

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES APRIL 2001 Public awareness and environment committee meets MUSCAT: Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Qatabi, president of the Majlis Al Shura, yesterday presided over the first meeting of the public awareness and environment committee. Present at the meeting was Saleh bin Salim Al Ja’afari, committee chairman. Qatabi said the committee was formed in follow-up to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s designation of the year 2001 as the Year of Environment. He called upon the committee members to coordinate with government authorities concerned and to exchange views with these authorities to guarantee success of the committee in its mission. The committee reviewed its prerogatives in accordance with the decision which has formed it.

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PICTOGRAPH

TAXES LESS SUBSIDIES ON PRODUCTS Total end of September (Million rials) 0

47.8%

TODAY IN HISTORY INVITATION TO WRITERS We invite our readers to write articles on topics related to Oman. The articles should not exceed 800 words.

Send us your article along with your picture to akhtar@timesofoman.com

1514: Copernicus makes his first observations of Saturn.

1929: The first non-stop flight from England to India is completed.

1941: The first organ is played at a baseball stadium in Chicago.

1986: The world’s worst nuclear disaster occurs at the Chernobyl power plant in the Soviet Union.

2014

-875.7

2015

-457.1

Source National Centre for Statistics & Information

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

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PAKISTAN INSURGENCY

Cross-border attacks repulsed in Mohmand

POLITICAL RIVALRY: Pakistani policemen escort suspects allegedly involved in the killing Sikh politician Sardar Soran Singh as they leave after a press conference in Peshawar on Monday. - AFP

6 arrested over Sikh minister’s murder Among those detained by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf member who police said killed Soran Singh over party ticket for local elections

PESHAWAR: Police in northwestern Pakistan on Monday arrested six people accused of gunning down a Sikh political figure, attributing the killing to rivalry rather than a Taliban attack, as the militants had claimed.

Gunmen shot and killed Soran Singh, a prominent leader of Pakistan’s tiny Sikh religious minority and a lawmaker from cricket legend Imran Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf party, outside his home in

the town of Buner on Friday.

“We arrested six people, including a member of the Sikh community, Buldev Singh,” Azad Khan, a senior police official, told reporters in Peshawar, capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “During initial investigations, Buldev Singh and other people acknowledged their involvement in the murder of Soran Singh.” The killing followed a dispute over the distribution of party tickets in local elections, Khan said.

Hired assassins Soran Singh was a senior member of Khan’s party and an adviser to the provincial chief minister on minority affairs.

“Soran Singh reportedly refused a party ticket to Buldev Singh, which enraged him and he hired assassins to kill Soran Singh,” the police official added.

Reuters was not able to immediately reach Buldev Singh’s family for comment. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility soon after the shooting, saying they would continue attacks.

Police official Khan rejected that claim as false. “This is totally wrong,” he said.

“The Taliban aren’t behind this murder.” — Reuters

CONTROVERSY

Former army chief Beg sees ‘foreign conspiracy’ behind Panama Papers leak ISLAMABAD: Former army chief General Mirza Aslam Beg has expressed skepticism over the origins of Panama leaks, saying he is suspicious of an ‘evil foreign design’ behind the revelations.

“It is surprising not a single American or Israeli citizen is included in the Panama Papers,” he said. “We have yet to discover who hired the team of investigative journalists who worked for years preparing these papers.”

He added, “The Papers are a fact but some foreign forces are trying to exploit it for their evil plots in Pakistan.”

Corruption In an article released to the media on Monday, Beg said continuity of democratic system in the country was imperative for national security, and would help steer the country out of the prevailing affairs.

“Action against terrorists should also continue as the military made great strides in containing the menace,” he said, adding the operations were yet to achieve their logical end.

The former COAS asked the government to take meaningful steps against corruption, and proposed the name of Lt-Gen Shahid Aziz, a former chief of the National Accountability Bureau

Mirza Aslam Beg

(NAB), to head the inquiry commission to investigate the Panama Papers leak.

He said the commission should be formed by the Parliament, and initiate proceedings against all those involved in financial wrongdoing.

The former COAS believes India, with US collaboration, is playing a ‘dirty’ role in destabilising Pakistan to upset the prospect of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Beg also alleged the US used Pakistan Army, judiciary, religious leaders and politicians to topple the elected government in 1977.

Beg likened Imran Khan, chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, to the former air marshal, saying “Imran is today’s Asghar Khan.”

He said, Imran, like Asghar Khan, was also promised premiership of the country by foreign conspirators. — Express Tribune

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: A security official was killed and at least three others injured in multiple attacks, including a roadside blast, in an area of Mohmand Agency bordering Afghanistan between late Saturday night and Sunday morning, senior security officials said.

According to the officials, suspected militants from across the border in Afghanistan fired mortars at a security check post in Mohmand Agency’s Bayzai sub-division late Saturday night. Two Pakistani security officials were wounded in the barrage, they said, adding that one of the wounded officials was a major.

The check post came under attack once again Sunday morning, this time with heavy weapons, the officials said.

“Both attacks were successfully repulsed. The militants faced heavy casualties,” one security official said.

Later, an improvised explosive device (IED) blew up near a Frontier Corps bomb-disposal unit which was patrolling the Soran area of Bayzai, security officials said. — Express Tribune

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Homeless Nepal quake survivors fear climate shocks DAAMGADE (Nepal): When a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal a year ago, 25-year-old Yama Tamang lost his farm, where he used to grow maize.

To support his wife and their three children, he now makes bamboo baskets in the Daamgade temporary camp in Dhading district, 90 km (56 miles) from the capital, Kathmandu. The baskets are used on construction sites for carrying materials like stones and cement. Daamgade, one of seven camps set up in Dhading, shelters 131 families, most of whom also make baskets for a living.

Helping families recover after last year’s devastating earthquakes has proved harder than expected, for reasons ranging from funding delays to a fuel blockade. As they struggle to rebuild their homes, many find themselves trapped in camps or forced to migrate to cities — or out of the country — to find ways to support their families.

Manamati Tamang, who shares a common local surname, lives with her three children at the

camp. Their tents were blown away by a wind storm in the last week of March. “Feeding the family, paying for the children’s education and other daily expenses has been a struggle,” said Manamati.

“If we lived in a house, we at least wouldn’t have to worry as much about protecting ourselves from the climate.” Manamati’s house in nearby Ree village, where she used to live, was destroyed during the earthquake, forcing her family to leave the land where they grew crops including maize, millet and paddy.

More than 600 earthquake victims living at Daamgade face constantly changing weather conditions, including at times heavy rain and hail. The hilly land where the camp is situated is frequently flooded, which residents fear may cause landslides.

The Nepalese government’s promise in May 2015 to distribute Rs200,000 ($1,880) to each family affected by the earthquake filled people with hope, said Daaud Tamang, manager of the Daamgade

camp. But most of that money has yet to materialise.

“The recent changes of government and of management of the country’s National Reconstruction Authority are partly to blame for the delay in compensation,” said Bishwa Prakash Subedi, chief district officer for Dhading.

An unofficial blockade on Nepal’s southern border, sparked by ethnic protests at Nepal’s first post-monarchy constitution adopted in September, also hurt the availability of fuel, medicine and other vital supplies for months, hampering reconstruction, Subedi added.

Reconstruction plan According to Govinda Pokharel, former head of the National Reconstruction Authority, the government should appoint more staff to speed up the rebuilding process.

“There is a reconstruction plan - it just needs to be executed,” he said. Pressure for residents to vacate Daamgade is mounting, as the land where it is located is privately

owned. Families were initially only expected to stay in the camp for a few months, until rehabilitation got underway.

But with the process showing no signs of being completed soon, the land’s owners are pushing camp residents to find alternative shelter. Many are taking their families to neighbouring cities, in the hope of finding a job as a builder or a porter. Some are staying with relatives, while others return to their villages to build new homes — though without the right building guidelines, these are unlikely to be earthquake-resistant, Subedi said.

Since October 2015, the International Organization for Migration has put workers in touch with local groups providing month-long jobs for earthquake survivors. The jobs include house demolition work, which pays Rs500-700 a day.

“The rainy season is coming in June, so we have to plan beyond the next few weeks,” he said.

“We simply don’t know what we may face tomorrow, and we don’t want to die.” - Reuters

DEVASTATION: A man walks past the collapsed monastery at the Swoyambhunath Stupa, a UNESCO world heritage site a year after the 2015 earthquakes in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Monday. - Reuters

Ghani blasts Taliban, says little time left for peace Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said the enemies of Afghanistan are IS, Al Qaeda, the murderous Haqqani network and some of the Taliban who enjoy shedding the blood of countrymen TALKING TOUGH: Afghan president Ashraf Ghani speaks during a joint meeting of the National Assembly at the Parliament compound in Kabul on Monday. - AFP

KABUL: President Ashraf Ghani said Afghanistan faced a terrorist enemy led by Taliban in Pakistan in a sombre speech to parliament on Monday that nonetheless left the door open to resuming peace talks with parts of the Taliban.

Addressing a joint session of the two houses of parliament following a Taliban bomb blast that killed at least 64 people and wounded hundreds in Kabul on

Tuesday, Ghani branded the insurgents criminals fighting the legitimate government.

But he stopped short of declaring a state of national emergency, pledging war against radical groups like IS, or the Haqqani network while suggesting there was still some hope of compromise with at least some Taliban.

“The enemies of Afghanistan are IS, Al Qaeda, the murderous Haqqani network and some of the Taliban who enjoy shedding the blood of countrymen,” he said.

He added that the doors of negotiation would remain open for those Taliban ready to stop bloodshed but added: “This opportunity will not be there forever.”

He said Taliban leaders sheltering in the western Pakistani cities of Peshawar and Quetta were “slaves and enemies of Afghanistan who shed the blood of their countrymen” and he called on the government in Islamabad to wipe them out.

He did not say whose slaves he thought the Taliban were, but his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, frequently accused Pakistan of harbouring the Taliban and supporting other militant groups such Haqqani network.

Pakistan denies harbouring and aiding the Taliban but Ghani urged its government to “fulfil promises and carry out military operations against those whose bases are in Pakistan”. The response from the Taliban, who have already rejected peace talks while Western forces remain in Afghanistan, was scornful.

“The nation is not blind, people understand who the slave is and who works for the interest of others,” spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a tweet.

After a year that saw 11,000 civilian casualties and some 5,500 members of the security forces killed fighting the Taliban, the distinction may make little concrete difference to the fighting on the ground. But two weeks after

the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive and then followed up with the biggest single attack seen in Kabul since 2011, there had been wide speculation among politicians in Kabul that Ghani could declare the stalled peace process formally dead.

The Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan with an iron fist from 1996 to 2001, are seeking to topple the Western-backed government in Kabul and reimpose its rule.

Ghani’s speech came at a time of growing apprehension in Kabul at the prospect of more intense fighting over the summer months.

Over recent days, Afghan security forces have fought back Taliban attacks on Kunduz, the northern city that briefly fell to the insurgents last year.

Large parts of the southern province of Helmand are now in insurgent hands and there has been heavy fighting in several other provinces from Herat in the west to Kunar in the east.

Ghani said security forces, fighting alone since the end of NATO’s main combat mission in 2014, were in a stronger position than last year and said a permanent minister of defence and head of the main intelligence agency would be appointed soon. - Reuters

B R AV E RY AWA R D

China places disabled rights lawyer under house arrest BEIJING: Chinese authorities have placed a disabled rights lawyer under house arrest and prevented a group of foreign diplomats from visiting her, she said on Monday, ratcheting up pressure weeks after the US State Department gave her a bravery award.

Ni Yulan, known for defending people evicted from their homes to make way for development, had been held under house arrest for 12 days, she said.

Authorities prevented Ni from travelling late last month to receive the State Department’s International Women of Courage Award, which the department says is given to female advocates of human rights, justice and gender equality. Beijing police could not be reached for comment.

China’s Foreign Ministry has said exit-entry authorities acted in accordance with Chinese law in the case.

Five foreign diplomats, including those from the European Union, Germany, Canada, France and Switzerland, had sought to see Ni at her home and deliver food over the weekend, but were prevented from entering, she said.

Diplomats with knowledge of the situation confirmed the group was turned away. - Reuters

CYBER-HEIST

Bangladesh bank hackers compromised SWIFT software BOSTON: The attackers who stole $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank probably hacked into software from the SWIFT financial platform that is at the heart of the global financial system, said security researchers at British defence contractor BAE Systems.

SWIFT, a cooperative owned by 3,000 financial institutions, confirmed to Reuters that it was aware of malware targeting its client software. Its spokeswoman Natasha Deteran said SWIFT would release on Monday a software update to thwart the malware, along with a special warning for financial institutions to scrutinise their security procedures.

The new developments now coming to light in the unprecedented cyber-heist suggest that an essential lynchpin of the global financial system could be more vulnerable than previously understood to hacking attacks, due to the vulnerabilities that enabled attackers to modify SWIFT’s client software.

Software update Deteran said on Sunday that it was issuing the software update “to assist customers in enhancing their security and to spot inconsistencies in their local database records.”

She said “the malware has no impact on SWIFT’s network or core messaging services.” The software update and warning from Brussels-based SWIFT, or the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication,

come after researchers at BAE, which has a large cyber-security business, told Reuters they believe they discovered malware that the Bangladesh Bank attackers used to manipulate SWIFT client software known as Alliance Access.

BAE said it plans to go public on Monday with a blog post about its findings concerning the malware, which the thieves used to cover their tracks and delay discovery of the heist. The cyber criminals tried to make fraudulent transfers totalling $951 million from the Bangladesh central bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in February.

Most of the payments were blocked, but $81 million was routed to accounts in the Philippines and diverted to casinos there. Most of those funds remain missing. Investigators probing the heist had previously said the still-unidentified hackers had broken into Bangladesh Bank computers and taken control of credentials that were used to log into the SWIFT system.

But the BAE research shows that the SWIFT software on the bank computers was probably compromised in order to erase records of illicit transfers.

The SWIFT messaging platform is used by 11,000 banks and other institutions around the world, though only some use the Alliance Access software, Deteran said.

SWIFT may release additional updates as it learns more about the attack in Bangladesh and other potential threats, Deteran said.

MALWARE: Swift code bank logo is displayed on an iPhone 6s on top of Euro banknotes in this picture illustration made in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, January 26, 2016. - Reuters/Dado Ruvic/file

It is also reiterating a warning to banks that they should review internal security. “Whilst we keep all our interface products under continual review and recommend that other vendors do the same, the key defence against such attack scenarios is that users implement appropriate security measures in their local environments to safeguard their systems,” Deteran said.

Adrian Nish, BAE’s head of threat intelligence, said he had never seen such an elaborate scheme from criminal hackers. “I can’t think of a case where we have seen a criminal go to the level of effort to customize it for the envi-

ronment they were operating in,” he said. “I guess it was the realization that the potential payoff made that effort worthwhile.” A Bangladesh Bank spokesman declined comment on BAE’s findings.

A senior official with the Bangladesh Police’s Criminal Investigation Department said that investigators had not found the specific malware described by BAE, but that forensics experts had not finished their probe. Bangladesh police investigators said last week that the bank’s computer security measures were seriously deficient, lacking even basic precautions like firewalls and relying

on used, $10 switches in its local networks.

Still, police investigators said in an interview that both the bank and SWIFT should take the blame for the problems.

“It was their responsibility to point it out but we haven’t found any evidence that they advised before the heist,” said Mohammad Shah Alam, head of the Forensic Training Institute of the Bangladesh police’s criminal investigation department, referring to SWIFT. The BAE alert to be published on Monday includes some technical indicators that the firm said it hopes banks could use to thwart similar attacks. Those indicators include the IP address of a server in Egypt the attackers used to monitor use of the SWIFT system

by Bangladesh Bank staff.

The malware, named evtdiag. exe, was designed to hide the hacker’s tracks by changing information on a SWIFT database at Bangladesh Bank that tracks information about transfer requests, according to BAE. BAE said that evtdiag.exe was likely part of a broader attack toolkit that was installed after the attackers obtained administrator credentials. It is still not clear exactly how the hackers ordered the money transfers. Nish said that BAE found evtdiag.exe on a malware repository and had not directly analysed the infected servers.

Such repositories collect millions of new samples a day from

researchers, businesses, government agencies and members of the public who upload files to see if they are recognized as malicious and help thwart future attacks.

Nish said he was highly confident the malware was used in the attack because it was compiled close to the date of the heist, contained detailed information about the bank’s operations and was uploaded from Bangladesh.

While that malware was specifically written to attack Bangladesh Bank, “the general tools, techniques and procedures used in the attack may allow the gang to strike again,” according to a draft of the warning that BAE shared with Reuters.

The malware was designed to make a slight change to code of the Access Alliance software installed at Bangladesh Bank, giving attackers the ability to modify a database that logged the bank’s activity over the SWIFT network, Nish said.

Once it had established a foothold, the malware could delete records of outgoing transfer requests altogether from the database and also intercept incoming messages confirming transfers ordered by the hackers, Nish said.

It was able to then manipulate account balances on logs to prevent the heist from being discovered until after the funds had been laundered.

It also manipulated a printer that produced hard copies of transfer requests so that the bank would not identify the attack through those printouts, he said. - Reuters

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

WORLD

A US KC-135 refuelling plane flew with the two F-22 Raptor fighters from Britain to Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu air base on the Black Sea.

Obama urges Europe to stay united for good of the world US president appeals to Europeans to look past crises, urges allies to increase defence spending to address security threats

HANOVER (GERMANY): US President Barack Obama on Monday said the United States needed a strong, united Europe to maintain international order, and he urged European allies to increase defence spending to address IS and other security threats.

Wrapping up a trip to Germany that has focused on boosting trade ties, Obama pleaded with Europeans to look past the multiple crises facing their nations and maintain the unity that had brought peace to their continent.

His comments came after an earlier trip to London, where the American president urged Britain to stay in the 28-nation European Union, boosting efforts by Prime Minister David Cameron to avoid a so-called “Brexit” that opponents warn could trigger damaging political and economic consequences. “I’ve come here today to the heart of Europe to say that the United States and the entire world needs a strong and prosperous and democratic and united Europe,” Obama said during a visit to a trade fair in the northern Germany city of Hanover, drawing applause from his audience.

Obama said worries over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and slow economic growth, particularly in southern Europe, had led

BOOSTING RELATIONS: Left to right, clockwise: British Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi meet for informal talks at the Herrenhausen Palace in Hanover, central Germany on Monday. – AFP

to questions about integration on the continent and sparked destructive politics that stoked fears about immigrants and people with different religions.

An influx of migrants fleeing the civil war in Syria has heightened tensions within the bloc and put pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the preeminent leader in Europe, whose initial open door policy hurt her domestic political standing.

Obama’s rare two-day trip to the trade fair was seen as a sign of support for a leader with whom he has forged close ties ahead of German elections next year. It also

allowed him to put his support for Merkel and Cameron in the wider context of Europe’s role in the world.

“This is a defining moment, and what happens on this continent has consequences for people around the globe,” Obama said on Monday. “If a unified, peaceful, liberal, pluralistic, free-market Europe begins to doubt itself, begins to question the progress that’s been made over the last several decades, then we can’t expect the progress that is just now taking hold in many places around the world will continue.”

Obama has spoken out against

A15

similar trends in the United States. He makes no secret of his disdain for Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, who has proposed building a wall on the US border with Mexico and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the United States.

Obama needs support from European allies to handle foreign policy challenges in Russia and the Middle East, and he used his platform in Hanover to announce deployment of an additional 250 US forces to Syria.

But the president said Europe generally could do more to prepare for its own defence and to

fight IS. He repeated his call that NATO members step up their contributions and warned of a tendency to get complacent about defence needs.

“We need to stay nimble and make sure our forces are inter-operable and invest in new capabilities like cyber defence and missile defence,” Obama said.

“That’s why every NATO member should be contributing its full share, 2 per cent of GDP, towards our common security - something that doesn’t always happen and, I’ll be honest, sometimes Europe has been complacent about its own defence.” — Reuters

ROMANIA

US deploys F-22 fighters to reassure NATO allies MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIR BASE (ROMANIA): Two highly advanced US fighters flew to the Black Sea on Monday for the first time since Washington beefed up military support for NATO’s eastern European allies who say they face aggression from Russia.

President Barack Obama promised in 2014 to bolster the defences of NATO’s eastern members, unnerved by Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and the Kremlin’s backing for pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

A US KC-135 refuelling plane flew with the two F-22 Raptor fighters from Britain to Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu air base on the Black Sea. “We’re here today to demonstrate our capability to take the F-22 anywhere needed in NATO or across Europe,” said Squadron commander Daniel Lehoski.

“We want to... actually fly the aircraft and train with our NATO allies,” he told a travelling Reuters reporter.

The F-22s are almost impossible to detect on radar and so advanced that the US Congress has banned Lockheed Martin from selling them abroad. The US has deployed 12 of them at a British base in eastern England.

“The increased size of the 2016 deployment... allows US Forces to assert their presence more widely across the eastern frontier,” said US Air Force spokeswoman Major Sheryll Klinkel. “We want to be able to operate out of multiple locations. We want to be able to keep our adversary guessing on where we’re going to go next.”

The West is seeking to strengthen the defences of its eastern flank and reassure eastern European NATO members - such as Poland, the Baltic states and Czech republic which spent decades under Soviet dominance - without provoking the Kremlin by stationing large forces permanently. — Reuters

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Military parades, dawn services mark ANZAC Day worldwide LONDON: With dawn services and military parades, tens of thousands of people gathered in different countries on Monday to commemorate the ANZAC landings on the shores of Gallipoli during World War I. ANZAC Day, on April 25, marks the first major battle involving troops from Australia and New Zealand in Gallipoli, Turkey in 1915. While the campaign against the Ottoman Turks was ultimately unsuccessful, the day has since become a major annual holiday in Australia and New Zealand and one of remembrance for both countries’ troops who have served and died in war. Marking 101 years since the arrival of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps on

a narrow Gallipoli beach, soldiers from both countries marched to the beat of drums at a dawn service at ANZAC Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula. Australian Minister for Veterans Affairs Dan Tehan and New Zealand Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee paid their respects by laying wreaths. Thousands of people attended dawn services in Wellington and Auckland while in Sydney Australian military personnel past and present marched by flag-waving crowds.

In London, Britain’s Prince Harry laid a wreath on behalf of Queen Elizabeth at the Cenotaph war memorial after attending a commemorative dawn service. In Thailand, where ANZAC Day is observed to also remember those who served

and died during the Japanese occupation in the early 1940s, Australian and New Zealand nationals gathered at a memorial service in the western Kanchanaburi Province. Earlier in the day, former Australian prisoners of war had returned to the Hellfire Pass memorial for a dawn service to remember those forced to worked in harsh conditions to build the ThaiBurma railway track during World War II. The Hellfire Pass holds part of the infamous railway track.

In France, a dawn service was held at Viller-Bretonneux to mark those who lost their lives on the Western Front during World War One. The Gallipoli battle was one of the bloodiest of the war, claiming more than 130,000 lives. — Reuters

COMMEMORATION PARADE: Members of the Welsh Guards’ Regimental Band play their instruments as they march during a service to commemorate ANZAC Day at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in central London on Monday. – AFP

Jordan’s queen meets refugees on Greek island Queen Rania visited a camp on the Greek island of Lesbos to highlight the plight of refugees and migrants

LESBOS (GREECE): Queen Rania of Jordan met refugees at a camp on the Greek island of Lesbos on Monday in a visit to highlight the plight of people she said had “seen unspeakable horror and experienced unthinkable tragedy”.

Scores of refugees and migrants clapped and cheered as she walked through the Kara Tepe camp, taking photographs and giving her notes.

They are among more than a million people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa who have streamed into Europe since last year in the continent’s biggest migration crisis since World War II. Jordan has accepted more than 630,000 Syrian refugees registered with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Most of them

LISTENING TO SUFFERINGS: Queen Rania of Jordan, centre, meets with Syrian refugees during her visit at the Kara Tepe refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, on Monday. –Reuters

are living in poverty outside the refugee camps, according to human rights groups.

Magnitude of crisis “It is impossible to really understand the magnitude of the crisis until you come face to face with it,” Rania told journalists after speaking with refugee women in the camp. “These people have gone from suffering to suffering and the one thing I keep hearing time and again is that if they had a choice they would be back in their homes; that this was a last resort.”

More than 4,000 refugees and migrants are living on Lesbos, most of them behind the barbed wire fence of a disused military camp.

About 850 people, mostly fami-

lies, live in Kara Tepe, a municipality-managed site from which 12 refugees were flown out by Pope Francis last week after he visited the island.

Rania had been invited by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an aid agency which has installed showers, toilets, laundry facilities and lights at the site.

To stem the flow of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe from Turkey on rubber motor boats, the EU and Turkey signed an accord in March under which those who arrive in Greece from March 20 and do not qualify for asylum will be sent back. “This is a crisis about human beings, not about borders and barriers. It is about human dignity, not about deals,” Rania said. — Reuters

B OMAN OIL PRICE DECLINES Oman Crude (June delivery) on Monday fell by 29 cents to $41.12 per barrel, according to Dubai Mercantile Exchange. The average price of Oman Crude (May delivery) stabilised at $36.34 per barrel - a rise of $6.11 a barrel. - ONA

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MARKET C O M M E N TA RY

Fighting fraud – the effective way of prevention and detection

ALAN HARTE*

H

enry Black Campbell published the first edition of Black’s law dictionary in 1891. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners cites Black’s Law dictionary on its website when defining fraud: ‘A knowing misrepresentation of the truth or concealment of a material fact to induce another to act to his or her detriment.’

The world has evolved and changed dramatically since 1891. Keeping pace with a changing world has meant that the prevention and detection of fraud is an interactive process that needs to outpace a changing world. Only then can fraud prevention and detection be

truly effective.

What is the risk or likelihood of a fraud occurring in your organisation? The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) tells us that a typical organisation loses 5 per cent of annual revenue to fraud. You might think, in response: “Not us. There’d be no way to hide it.” or, “Not us. Our employees are long-serving, honest and hardworking.” Such optimism results in underestimating the probability of fraud occurring in your company. Fraud risk is increased for such a company and unfortunately nobody in the company realises it!

Fraud Triangle It is not possible to prevent and detect fraud without understanding the circumstances which act as enablers for fraud to occur. Some of you may be familiar with ‘The Fraud Triangle,’ which identifies these enablers — incentive, opportunity and rationalisation. More recently, the three sided fraud triangle has been updated to the four-sided Diamond which adds a fourth enabler capability.

Let’s elaborate on the enablers.

Incentive refers to having a want or need to commit fraud. The fraudster may be motivated to steal money because of large debts. Opportunity to commit fraud occurs because of a weakness in the organisation that the fraudster can exploit. Some of us will be familiar with the film Catch Me If You Can, based on a true story, where a con artist successfully exploits weak controls and masquerades as a pilot, doctor and a lawyer. Rationalisation is where the fraudster is convinced that the fraudulent act is justified. For example, the fraudster perceives stealing the money to pass it on to a worthwhile charity as not being a fraud. It is, of course, fraud.

Capability is the fourth enabler of the Diamond. Capability means having the power by virtue of position or authority to commit a fraud. Many large highly publicised frauds that have occurred in recent years would arguably not have happened if the fraudsters did not have capability. Examples in recent years include the Bernie Madoff $65 billion Ponzi scheme and the case of financial statement fraud at Enron.

REGIONAL MARKETS

Mena markets see unexpected movements after Doha meeting Times News Service MUSCAT: Markets in the Middle East and North African (Mena) region witnessed an unexpected calm, exhibiting little volatility despite the unsuccessful Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) meeting in Doha last week, according to Al Masah Capital report.

“Market observers were expecting a roller coaster after the collapse of the Doha talks where Opec members failed to agree on

a freeze in production to mitigate falling oil prices, but instead saw an opposite reaction,” the weekly report published by the UAEbased alternative asset management advisory firm, said.

“The fact that oil climbed back over $40 after a brief selloff also surprised investors as most were getting ready for a strong selloff in equities,” the report highlighted.

The unexpected market reaction to what can be considered negative news and a subdued reaction by buyers contributed to

a mild week in movement. The weekly average gain of 1.5 per cent was mostly led by a 4 per cent gain in Egypt followed by Abu Dhabi with 2.2 per cent and Qatar with 1.5 per cent.

April now sits pretty with one more week of trading left and in a seemingly strong position to add to the February and March gains and further solidify this mini rally in the first half of the year, it said.

Buyers are more emboldened and willing to stand up to selling pressure.

Preventing fraud starts with the culture of the organisation.

All large organisations should conduct a fraud risk assessment.

Bank Muscat, where I work, has a zero tolerance approach in relation to fraud. An organisation can position itself to prevent the occurrence of fraud. Having a code of ethics for employees, running background checks on new employees and training employees in relation to fraud prevention are some of the ways to reduce the risk of fraud. Bank Muscat has addressed all of these and they are embedded across the organisation.

Private information By acting smartly in how we conduct our personal and business activities we can also positively impact fraud prevention. Examples include being suspicious of others who request your private information by way of unsolicited communications, frequently changing your passwords, avoiding obvious passwords such as name and date of birth and completing due diligence when entering into contracts with third parties.

There are various ways to

detect fraud. Some are common sense, some require technology and others require the right mindset. Effective detective controls require a mix of all three. Some examples of detective controls involve identifying unusual employee behaviour, being aware of scams, monitoring your accounts for unusual transactions and verifying unusual emails or text messages from unknown sources requesting personal information.

Unusual activities Technology can also play a leading role in supporting efforts to detect fraud. Systems can produce reports that show unusual activities and trends in addition to transactions that are outside the risk appetite or policy of the organisation. For example, employees processing transactions outside their delegated authority, ordering of goods or services from unapproved vendors, salary payments made to employees that no longer work in the organisation or extended creditor days granted to certain customers. The list is not exhaustive.

The Certified Fraud Examiner ‘CFE’ credential is a badge of

professionalism in the prevention and detection of fraud. It is awarded by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the world’s largest antifraud organisation. The Oman Chapter of ACFE was established in 2015 and currently Tom Totton, general manager - Internal Audit in Bank Muscat, serves as president. The CFE’s are best placed to implement processes to prevent and uncover fraud, in turn protecting against and reducing fraud risk.

Bank Muscat proactively encourages and supports employees to achieve this qualification.

Fraud will take various shapes and forms as it evolves over time but it will always be a constant.

We all have a responsibility to fight fraud in our personal and business lives. Taking preventative and detective measures is a must in that fight.

The ACFE Oman chapter is organising a seminar on ‘Prevention and Detection of Frauds’ on April 27 at Bank Muscat head office from 6 pm to 8 pm. *The columnist is a director of Association of Certified Fraud Examiners – Oman Chapter

Omanoil, Salalah Port sign accord A long-term land lease agreement has been signed to develop a new marine bunkering and product trading terminal in Oman

Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Oil Marketing Company (omanoil) recently signed a long-term land lease agreement with Salalah Port Services to develop a new marine bunkering and product trading terminal in the Sultanate’s southernmost governorate.

The medium-size terminal will help expand omanoil’s bunker and trading capabilities, provid-

ing ships calling at the Port of Salalah with fueling services by end of 2016.

New trading opportunities “This agreement is a major step forward, one that reflects our ambition of expanding our presence throughout Oman and enhances our ability to serve the shipping industry. Through our partnership with Salalah Port Services, we will be able to establish a footprint inside the port and efficiently serve our bunker customers. This terminal will also open the door for us to explore new trading opportunities,” said Omar Ahmed Qatan,

chief executive officer of omanoil.

“Upon completion, this new facility will further strengthening the governorate of Dhofar’s position as a key logistics hub and center of maritime trade, promising even greater economic and social benefits,” he added.

This terminal project by the company forms part of its business diversification drive and will further contribute to the national economic agenda. Since its inception, omanoil has worked with key players to further develop the Sultanate’s infrastructure, national workforce, and make major contributions to the economy.

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

B3

MARKET ENERGY MARKET

Crude retreats from 5-month high on global oversupply LONDON: Oil retreated from the highest close in five months amid signs a global glut will be prolonged as Middle East producers boost supplies.

Futures fell more than 1.5 per cent in New York and London.

Saudi Arabian Oil Company will complete an expansion of its Shaybah oilfield by the end of May, allowing the world’s largest exporter to maintain total capacity at 12 million barrels a day, according to two people with knowledge of the plan.

Iran has increased output by 1 million barrels a day since sanctions were lifted in January, Shana reported, citing Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh.

Surplus Oil has rebounded after falling to the lowest in more than 12 years amid signs a global surplus will ease as Untied States production declines. The International Energy Agency reiterated on Thursday it expects output outside of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) to decline by about 700,000 barrels a day this year, which would be the biggest drop in a quarter century.

“We’re still in oversupply,” Wayne Gordon, executive director for commodities at UBS AG Wealth Management, said in a Bloomberg television interview.

“We don’t think that the production cuts that we’re seeing in the US and non-Opec nations are large enough yet to structurally support the oil price higher. For the next couple of months, we’re going to downside again.” - Bloomberg Neqs

Bank credit in Oman grows to OMR20.54b, a rise of 12% The credit growth was aided largely by demand for finance from corporate sector, including government-owned entities for funding large projects, and partly by the retail customers

ROBUST GROWTH: Central Bank of Oman statistics show that total deposits of Omani banks, including Sharia-compliant institutions, rose moderately by 6.32 per cent (or OMR1,154.9 million) to OMR19.42 billion by February 2016. – Times file picture

A. E. JAMES

manufacturing firms.

Of the total credit, OMR18.69 billion was constituted by conventional banks, while the share of Islamic banks and window operations contributed the remaining OMR1,851.9 million.

Total deposits of Omani banks, including Sharia-compliant institutions, rose moderately by 6.32 per cent (or OMR1,154.9 million) to OMR19.42 billion by February 2016, according to the latest statistics released by the Central Bank of Oman.

In fact, the recent issue of development bonds and the first sovereign sukuk issue by the government have taken away excess liquidity from the financial system, affecting deposit growth to a

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman’s conventional and Islamic financial institutions have achieved a robust 12.45 per cent (or OMR2,274.3 million) growth in credit at OMR20.54 billion for the 12-month period ending February this year.

The credit growth was aided largely by demand for finance from corporate sector, including government-owned entities for funding large projects, and partly by the retail customers.

The growth in overall credit was more or less in line with the pace of growth witnessed last year, although the plunge in oil revenue had impacted the performance of

E N E R G Y S U P P LY

Saudi Aramco to expand oil field to retain capacity RIYADH: Saudi Arabian Oil Company will complete the expansion of its Shaybah oilfield by the end of May, allowing the biggest crude exporter in the world to maintain its total production capacity, according to two people with knowledge of the plan.

Shaybah’s output capacity will rise to 1 million barrels a day from 750,000 barrels, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. The field, in the Empty Quarter desert near the border with the United Arab Emirates, produces extra light grade crude with an API gravity of 42 degrees, they said.

Brent crude futures falls Shaybah’s expansion will help Saudi Aramco, as the state producer is known, keep the company’s capacity at 12 million barrels a day, they said. Brent crude futures fell 0.5 per cent on Monday amid signs a global glut will per-

sist as Middle Eastern producers boost supplies.

Saudi Arabia is maintaining investments in oil production as the kingdom pursues a strategy of defending market share amid a global glut. Saudi Aramco will keep investing in its crude production capacity, chief executive officer Amin Nasser said last month. The company also plans to complete the expansion of the Khurais oil field to 1.5 million barrels a day in 2018, he said.

Record production Saudi Arabia set a crude production record of 10.564 million barrels a day in June, exceeding a previous high in 1980, according to data the kingdom submitted to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec). The country increased output after it led the group to refocus in November 2014 and fight for sales instead of supporting prices by cutting production.

Saudi Arabia could raise crude output by more than a million barrels a day immediately if there was demand for it, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview earlier this month. Aramco could produce 11.5 million barrels a day immediately and go to 12.5 million in six to nine months “if we wanted to,” said the prince, who is also chairman of Aramco’s Supreme Council.

The country pumped 10.2 million barrels a day last month, according to data. If the kingdom chose to increase investment in its oil industry, total production capacity could be increased to 20 million barrels a day but not beyond that level, the prince said. The International Monetary Fund said on Monday that Saudi Arabia’s oil production will increase to an average of 10.34 million barrels a day next year from 10.22 million barrels a day in 2016. – Bloomberg News

OMR18.7b Was the share of conventional banks in credit, while the share of Islamic banks and window operations contributed the remaining OMR1.85b

certain extent.

Of the total deposits, OMR17.83 billion was from conventional banks, while the remaining OMR1,586.2 mllion was constituted by Islamic institutions.

Oman has seven conventional

banks — Bank Muscat, National Bank of Oman, BankDhofar, HSBC Bank Oman, Bank Sohar, Oman Arab Bank and ahlibank – and two fully-fledged Islamic banks – Bank Nizwa and alizz Islamic bank.

Islamic finance A robust growth in Islamic finance (which surged ahead by 63.44 per cent to OMR1,851.9 million) during the 12-month period shows that Sharia-compliant banks are able to establish themselves in the market and able to overcome their teething problems. Further, two Islamic banks and window operations of conventional banks have launched innovative products to attract Omani customers, besides

opening several branches in different parts of the country.

There have been considerable increases in the number of branches and assets held by these entities. Islamic banks are opening up new segments and players and, thus, adding to the competitive environment, not only in terms of efficiencies and innovations, but by also providing consumers the benefit of choosing between both conventional and Islamic banking products.

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B4

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

MARKET P R I VAT E D O C U M E N T M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M

SME DEVELOPMENT FUND

New system for archiving records adopted SME fund supports the government contributes to with 25 per cent or more. We are proud of the achievements made through the efforts of officials from various government bodies. This support has contributed to the completion of the system in several bodies.”

Times News Service MUSCAT: Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) on Monday approved its adoption of ‘Private Document Management System’, schedules of documents’ extended retention and classification system.

The approval comes under the National Records and Archives Law promulgated by Royal Decree 60/2007. Article 18 of the law states that a department is responsible for its documents till they are not needed, and that each party shall coordinate with the National Records and Archives Authority to prepare and implement a system for its records.

The event took place in the presence of Dr. Hamad bin Mohammed Al Dhoyani, Chairman of the National Records and Ar-

CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM: The Private Document Management System at PEIE has been approved in cooperation with National Records and Archives Authority. - Supplied picture

chives Authority (NRAA) who hailed the efforts of the officials at PEIE for their constant follow up that resulted in building the system. He stressed that NRAA will follow up with PEIE on the

application process of this system in the coming period.

“At the current stage, NRAA is working on preparing ‘Private Document Management System’ for the companies which

Regulatory frameworks On his part, Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, chief executive officer of Public Establishment for Industrial Estates said, “NRAA has performed great efforts in coordination with the officials at PEIE to complete this project. Prior to the approval of the system, PEIE has undertaken all legal and regulatory frameworks related to the system. The system shall use advanced techniques that ease the access to the documents promptly and ensure their preservation.”

small businesses Times News Service MUSCAT: In its first year of full operation, SME Development Fund (SMEF) has promoted their products well and so far 74 deals fall under its nurturing plan.

Subsidised interest refund is made to customers at the end of every 12th month of their tenor.

The net interest paid by eligible small and medium enterprises is a very attractive four per cent per annum, on a reducing balance basis. Eligible SMEs are offered finance at subsidised interest rate.

At a special function, Saad Mubarak Al Mahri, chairman and Tojomon Joseph, chief executive officer, Al Saaj Al Abiyad Trading & Contracting Company (ASAAT-

CO) received the first installment of the interest refund from SMEF. Saad Mubarak Al Mahri said that his company had, with SMEFs accounting support, been able to review the internal accounting procedures and provide necessary advice to streamline the accounting and operating processes.

He appreciated this service being made available to SMEs by the Fund and encouraged other SMEs to avail the service.

Raphael V. Parambi, chief executive officer, SMEF indicated that the key element of the support being provided by SMEF, to eligible SMEs was by way of its nurturing service, comprising accounting support, free software, monitoring and mentoring.

SAUDI VISION 2030

Saudi to unveil economic blueprint to cut reliance on oil DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s plan for the post-hydrocarbon era will have to overcome habits developed over decades of relying on crude sales to fuel economic growth, create jobs and build infrastructure.

Almost eight decades after oil was first found in the country, officials on Monday are to unveil Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Saudi Vision 2030,” a blueprint seeking to reduce the reliance on revenue from crude exports. Saudi Arabia's ruler approved the package of developmental, economic, social and other programmes. Prince Mohammed, known as MbS among diplomats and Saudi watchers, disclosed details of the plan in interviews with Bloomberg in Riyadh.

“Shifting from an oil-based economy to something different is very difficult,” said Gregory Gause, a professor at Texas A&M University. “The Saudis have been talking about it for decades, but have made little progress. So MbS has his work cut out for him.”

Economic shakeup Prince Mohammed is leading the biggest economic shakeup since the founding of Saudi Arabia in 1932, with measures that represent a radical shift for a country built on petrodollars. His drive may face resentment from a population accustomed to government largess and power circles stunned by the rapid rise of the 30 year-old prince, political analysts say.

King Salman said pursuing a “comprehensive development” has been a central goal, according to state-run television. He urged Saudis to help implement the plan.

Subsidy restructuring Part of the programme envisages selling less than five per cent of Saudi Aramco and the creation of the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund.

Authorities are also considering more steps to restructure subsidies, a value-added tax (VAT) as well as a levy on energy and sugary drinks and luxury items. The National Transformation Programme, which will be launched within 45 days of Monday’s announcement, will

focus on ways to boost economic growth, create jobs, attract investors and hold government offices more accountable.

Other oil-dependent countries that succeeded in reforming their economies started before crude revenue sank, according to an International Monetary Fund study in 2014, suggesting that Arab producers may have missed the best opportunity to move beyond oil when prices were high.

The drop in crude prices has prompted Gulf Arab monarchies to dip into reserves they had accumulated since 2000. Saudi Arabia’s net foreign assets fell by $115 billion last year to plug a budget deficit that reached about 15 per cent of economic output. The gov-

ernment also turned to the domestic bond market and is planning its first international dollar bond sale.

Regional efforts Other Gulf Arab countries are also taking steps to reduce spending. The United Arab Emirates scrapped subsidies for transport fuels. The Kuwaiti parliament approved a government plan to increase the price of water and electricity for expatriates and businesses, but voted against including the homes of Kuwaiti citizens. A second and final round of voting is scheduled on April 26.

After decades of talk of diversification, more than 70 per cent of Saudi government revenue came from oil in 2015 and the state

still employs two-thirds of Saudi workers. Foreigners account for nearly 80 per cent of the privatesector payroll.

“The issue really is how to get the Saudi private sector to hire locals, how to make the numbers on that right, since so much of the Saudi private sector has had business models based on lower-wage foreign labour,” said Gause.

In response to the country’s weakened fiscal position, Prince Mohammed’s plan is to raise nonoil revenue by $100 billion by 2020. The government announced cuts in utility and gasoline subsidies in December. Including future reductions, authorities expect the restructuring to generate $30 billion a year by 2020. - Bloomberg News

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 5,926.55 ...............5,894.31 ................... 5,926.14 ................... 5,891.89................. 34.25 ................... 0.58 Financial Index ..................................... 7,678.18 ...............7,592.70 ....................7,677.97 ................... 7,592.70................. 85.27 ................... 1.12 Industrial Index .....................................7,179.12 ................7,147.74 .................... 7,179.12 ....................7,131.57..................47.55 ................... 0.67 Services Index ...................................... 3,252.53 ...............3,237.55 ................... 3,243.91 ....................3,247.17.................. -3.26 .................. -0.10 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 877.50 ..................874.25 .......................877.43 ...................... 876.50....................0.93 ................... 0.11 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 51,748,921 ...................9,708,667 ................. 2,452 ...............17,000,082,074 ................24 ......................11 .................... 15 .........................50

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR MONDAY, APRIL 25 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 Securities Market. – Times file picture

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

MSM index ends higher

OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 2,207,369...... 259,819......................31 ............0.112 ........... 0.118............0.112 ............0.118 .............0.108 ............0.010 ............. 9.259 ................0.118 .............. 0.118...................0.000 ................ 236,036,909 .......0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 4,015,088 ...... 532,143................... 196 ............0.130 ........... 0.137 ...........0.130............0.133 .............0.128............ 0.005............. 3.906 ................0.135 .............. 0.135...................0.136...................11,970,000 .........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 14,850,623 1,755,654...................468 ............0.120 ........... 0.121............0.114 ............0.118 ............. 0.114............ 0.004............. 3.509 ................0.119 .............. 0.118................... 0.119 ................... 34,217,715 .........0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ....................... 873,550 .........226,358..................... 56 ........... 0.256 ...........0.265 ...........0.256........... 0.259 ............. 0.251............ 0.008............. 3.187 ................0.260..............0.258...................0.260 ..................24,615,360 .........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY..................................... 25,000 .............43,750........................2 ............1.750 ........... 1.750............1.750 ............1.750 ............. 1.705.............0.045............. 2.639 ................1.750 .............. 1.700................... 1.745 ..................156,975,000........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 675,738.......... 188,532.....................44 ........... 0.278 ...........0.282 ...........0.278........... 0.279 .............0.273 ........... 0.006............. 2.198 ................0.282..............0.281...................0.283 ..................27,900,000.........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ...................... 867,522 ............80,701..................... 62 ............0.091 ...........0.096 ...........0.090........... 0.093 ............. 0.091............ 0.002............. 2.198 ................0.095..............0.094...................0.095....................2,790,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 1,891,441.......366,632....................119 ............0.195 ........... 0.197 ...........0.190........... 0.194 ............. 0.191 ............ 0.003..............1.571.................0.196 ..............0.196...................0.197.................. 24,230,204 ........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .................................................................... 2,110,613 .... 1,110,934..................... 37 ............0.516 ........... 0.536 ...........0.516 ........... 0.526 ............. 0.518............ 0.008............. 1.544 ................0.536..............0.538...................0.548................. 334,426,007 .......0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 3,333,693 ......759,002...................184 ........... 0.227 ...........0.232 ...........0.225........... 0.228 .............0.225 ........... 0.003............. 1.333 ................0.232..............0.232...................0.233................... 34,217,100 .........0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 410,000 .........203,360........................8 ........... 0.496 ...........0.496 ...........0.496........... 0.496 .............0.490 ........... 0.006............. 1.224 ................0.496..............0.490...................0.496..................164,112,864 ........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK ........................................................................9,000 ............... 1,639........................8 ............0.182 ........... 0.183 ...........0.182........... 0.182 .............0.180 ........... 0.002..............1.111 .................0.183 ..............0.182...................0.183..................259,356,578........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ..................................... 6,250 ............. 11,875........................2 ........... 1.900 ........... 1.900 ...........1.900........... 1.900 .............1.880............ 0.020............. 1.064 ................1.900..............1.900...................2.020 .................180,500,000 .......0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 3,215,199 ...1,332,146...................459 ............0.416 ........... 0.418 ...........0.412 ........... 0.414 .............0.410............ 0.004............. 0.976 ................0.414 ..............0.410...................0.414................ 1,033,447,607 ......0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ...................................................... 106,750..........122,226......................14 ............1.140 ........... 1.145............1.140 ............1.145 ............. 1.135 .............0.010 ............. 0.881 ................1.145 .............. 1.150...................1.200................. 229,000,000 .......0.100

Top gainer was HSBC Bank, with a gain of 9.26 per cent .while Bank Nizwa, which

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 433,638 .........329,565..................... 48 ............0.760 ........... 0.760 ...........0.760........... 0.760 ............. 0.756............ 0.004............. 0.529 ................0.760.............. 0.756...................0.760.................. 494,717,615 ........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 467,631 .......... 123,846..................... 25 ........... 0.264 ...........0.266 ...........0.264 .......... 0.265 .............0.264 ............0.001 ............. 0.379 ................0.265..............0.264...................0.265..................390,817,038 ........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ............................................................. 89,619 .............31,947......................19 ........... 0.368 ...........0.368 ...........0.350........... 0.356 .............0.356 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.354..............0.354...................0.358...................19,580,000 .........0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 275,855 ............ 17,955......................14 ........... 0.068 ...........0.068 ...........0.065........... 0.065 .............0.065 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.065..............0.065...................0.067...................13,464,840 .........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 162,760............ 42,541..................... 33 ........... 0.265 ...........0.265 ...........0.260 .......... 0.261 .............0.261............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.260..............0.259...................0.260 ................... 5,481,000 ..........0.100

declined by 3.80 per cent, was the top loser

OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES .......................................... 407,700 ..........100,791..................... 26 ........... 0.247 ...........0.249 ...........0.245........... 0.247 .............0.247 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.245............. 0.242...................0.245 ...................15,117,455..........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE .............................................................729 .................. 100........................1 ............0.137 ........... 0.137 ...........0.137 ............0.136 ............. 0.136............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.137 .............. 0.137...................0.145...................44,377,234.........0.100 OM0000002648 ...........NATIONAL FINANCE .................................................44,108 ................6,131........................3 ............0.139 ........... 0.139 ...........0.139 ............0.139 ............. 0.139............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.139 .............. 0.135...................0.139...................37,686,426 .........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 190,299 .........303,578..................... 25 ............1.595 ........... 1.600 ...........1.595 ............1.595 ............. 1.595............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.595 .............. 1.595...................1.600................1,196,250,000 ......0.100

MUSCAT: Amid high trading volumes, the MSM30 Index remained buoyant to close at 5,926.14 points, up 0.58 per cent.

The MSM Sharia Index ended at 877.43 points, up 0.11 per cent.

Galfar Engineering was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. The top gainer was HSBC Bank, with gain of 9.26 per cent while Bank Nizwa, which declined 3.80 per cent, was the top loser.

As many as 2,452 trades were executed on Monday, generating turnover of OMR9.7 million with 51.7 million shares changing hands. Out of 50 traded securities, 24 advanced, 11 declined and 15 remained unchanged.

GCC and Arab investors were net buyers for OMR577,000 followed by Omani Investors for OMR343,000 while Foreign Investors remained net sellers for OMR920,000.

Financial Index continued its uptrend to close at 7,677.97 points, up 1.12 per cent. HSBC Bank, Muscat Finance, Al Sharqia Investments, Al Batinah Development and Oman United Insurance increased 9.26 per

cent, 4.24 per cent, 3.91 per cent, 2.20 per cent and 2.20 per cent respectively. Bank Nizwa, Oman & Emirates, Al Izz Bank, Gulf Investment Services and Bank Sohar declined 3.80 per cent, 2.21 per cent, 1.64 per cent, 1.49 per cent and 0.55 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index advanced 0.67 per cent to end at 7,179.12 points. Galfar Engineering, Oman Textiles, Oman Flour Mills, Oman Cables and Al Hassan Engineering gained 3.51 per cent, 3.13 per cent, 2.91 per cent, 2.64 per cent and 2.04 per cent respectively. National Aluminium, Oman Fisheries and Al Anwar Ceramics declined 3.60 per cent, 1.41 per cent and 1.10 per cent respectively.

Services Index ended negatively at 3,243.91 points, down 0.10 per cent. Port Services, Shell Oman Marketing and Ooredoo increased 3.19 per cent, 1.06 per cent and 0.53 per cent respectively. OIFC, Renaissance Services and Sembcorp Salalah declined 3.08 per cent, 1.21 per cent and 0.39 per cent respectively.

— United Securities

OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ....................................................... 3,963 ............... 1,669........................7 ........... 0.420 ...........0.422 ...........0.420........... 0.420 .............0.420 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.422..............0.422...................0.430 ..................25,410,000 .........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER.................................................................1,740 .................. 564........................3 ........... 0.324 ...........0.324 ...........0.324........... 0.352 .............0.352 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.324.............. 0.318...................0.326 .................. 77,795,520 .........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL............................................. 397,959............ 29,564..................... 25 ........... 0.076 ........... 0.077 ...........0.074........... 0.074 .............0.074 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.074..............0.074...................0.075...................12,950,000.........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 103,615 ............42,482......................18 ............0.410 ........... 0.410 ...........0.410........... 0.410 .............0.410............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.410 ..............0.404...................0.410...................21,525,000 .........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH................................................75,000 ............. 19,105........................7 ........... 0.253 ...........0.256 ...........0.252........... 0.255 .............0.256 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.391................0.256..............0.252...................0.256..................243,415,847........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 2,329,396......423,842..................... 45 ............0.183 ........... 0.184 ...........0.181 ........... 0.182 ............. 0.183............-0.001 ........... -0.546 ...............0.181 ..............0.180................... 0.181 ..................288,576,288 .......0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 533,450 .........144,057......................12 ........... 0.270 ...........0.272 ...........0.270........... 0.270 .............0.273 ...........-0.003 ........... -1.099................0.270..............0.261...................0.270 ..................79,977,694 .........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 176,182 .............43,179......................16 ........... 0.245 ...........0.248 ...........0.245........... 0.245 .............0.248 ...........-0.003 ............-1.210................0.245..............0.245...................0.247 ..................71,209,500 .........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 529,730 ............69,814..................... 25 ............0.130 ........... 0.134 ...........0.130........... 0.132 .............0.134............-0.002 ............-1.493................0.132 ...............0.131...................0.133.....................7,767,305 ..........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 890,450 ......... 118,289..................... 33 ............0.134 ........... 0.135 ...........0.130............0.133 ............. 0.136............-0.003 ........... -2.206 ...............0.132 ..............0.128...................0.132...................16,209,375 .........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 318,200 ........... 70,005........................9 ........... 0.220...........0.225 ...........0.220 .......... 0.220 .............0.227 ...........-0.007 ........... -3.084 ...............0.225..............0.221...................0.225 ................. 44,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ............. 235,950 ............56,912......................14 ........... 0.240...........0.250 ...........0.240 .......... 0.241 .............0.250 ...........-0.009 ........... -3.600 ...............0.250............. 0.240...................0.250 ................... 8,090,719 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 42,265,810.......8,970,708 ........ 2,098 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......36........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000001590............MUSCAT FINANCE.................................................... 250,450 ........... 30,909......................14 ............0.119 ........... 0.124 ...........0.118 ............0.123 ............. 0.118............ 0.005............. 4.237 ................0.124..............0.124...................0.126...................32,806,016 .........0.100 OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING .......................................2,870 .................. 947........................2 ........... 0.330 ...........0.330 ...........0.330........... 0.330 .............0.320 ............0.010 ............. 3.125 ................0.330..............0.320...................0.330 ...................1,980,000 ..........1.000 OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ................................................... 9,500 ...............5,369........................5 ........... 0.560 ........... 0.570 ...........0.560........... 0.566 .............0.550 ............0.016 .............2.909 ................0.570..............0.570...................0.580 ..................89,145,000 .........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................. 948,558 ........... 95,090..................... 69 ............0.103 ........... 0.103 ...........0.098........... 0.100 .............0.098 ........... 0.002............. 2.041 ................0.100..............0.100...................0.101 ....................7,520,800 ..........0.100 OM0000001723 ............OMAN ORIX LEASING ............................................. 326,152 ........... 38,492........................7 ............0.119 ........... 0.119............0.118 ............0.118 ............. 0.117 .............0.001 ............. 0.855 ................0.118 ...............0.117................... 0.118 ...................29,622,649.........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 1,474,910 ........ 54,609..................... 52 ........... 0.038 ...........0.038 ...........0.036........... 0.037 .............0.037 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.036..............0.036...................0.037.................... 3,145,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001806............MUSCAT NATIONAL HOLDING ..................................380 .................. 707........................1 ............1.860 ........... 1.860 ...........1.860........... 1.860 .............1.860............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.860 ............. 0.000...................1.860....................9,300,000 ..........1.000 OM0000002333 ...........SALALAH PORT SERVICES .......................................3,240 ...............2,028........................3 ........... 0.628 ...........0.628 ...........0.624........... 0.648 .............0.648 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.628............. 0.000...................0.628..................116,534,635 ........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 832,815 ......... 124,975..................... 36 ............0.150 ........... 0.151............0.150 ........... 0.150 .............0.150............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.150 ..............0.150................... 0.151 ..................219,390,219 ........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ..................................................... 642,732 ...........44,682..................... 43 ............0.071 ........... 0.071 ...........0.069........... 0.070 ............. 0.071............-0.001 ........... -1.408 ...............0.069..............0.069...................0.070....................8,750,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 3,038,186 .......181,393..................... 58 ............0.061 ........... 0.061 ...........0.059........... 0.060 ............. 0.061............-0.001 ............-1.639................0.059..............0.058...................0.059...................60,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 1,541,509 ....... 117,638..................... 57 ........... 0.078 ........... 0.078 ...........0.076........... 0.076 .............0.079 ...........-0.003 ............-3.797................0.076..............0.075...................0.076..................114,000,000........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 9,071,302 ......696,839...................347 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......12........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 ................... 143,936 ............13,530........................3 ........... 0.094 ...........0.094 ...........0.094........... 0.094 .............0.093 ............0.001 ............. 1.075 ................0.094..............0.093...................0.094 .................. 30,471,192 .........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 ......................................... 267,873............. 27,591........................4 ............0.103 ........... 0.103 ...........0.103........... 0.103 .............0.102 ............0.001 .............0.980 ................0.103 ..............0.103...................0.106...................32,923,196 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 411,809............. 41,121........................7 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........2........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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ROUND-UP

Jaguar Land Rover, MHD mark Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday Oman said: “Today we are celebrating Her Majesty’s long reign and the great, historic relations between Great Britain and the Sultanate of Oman. But we are also turning to the future, confident that our two countries will remain committed to each other in a relationship of growing importance. We wish long life to Their Majesties Sultan Qaboos bin Said and Queen Elizabeth. What better setting to do it, than in Port Sultan Qaboos alongside the Cunard liner The Queen Elizabeth at an exciting time for the future vision of tourism in Oman with the country’s planned development of the port as the Sultanate’s showcase tourism and leisure venue.”

The UK’s leading manufacturer of premium luxury vehicles, Jaguar Land Rover, prides itself not only on first-class quality, innovation and technology, but also on being the only automotive manufacturer to hold all 3 Royal Warrants.

Dating back to 1951, Jaguar and Land Rover were each granted their first royal warrants shortly before The Queen’s accession. The 1953 Land Rover Series One Royal

world famous Cunard liner The Queen Elizabeth in Muscat.

The event was organised recently at Port Sultan Qaboos to coincide with the arrival of the world famous Cunard liner The Queen Elizabeth in Muscat

MUSCAT: Jaguar Land Rover and Mohsin Haider Darwish, the automotive brand’s official retailer partner in the Sultanate of Oman, partnered in the celebrations of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday organised by the British Embassy.

The event was organised at the Port Sultan Qaboos on April 19 to coincide with the arrival of the

Exclusive event An exclusive event was organised in an air conditioned tent on berth 1/2 of the port with the liner serving as a majestic back drop. More than 200 guests comprising VIPs, government officials, representatives of the British and Omani business communities and Omani graduates of British educational establishments were present at the event, says a press release.

The event was themed as one of the British street parties which historically served to commemorate momentous events, such as VE Day at the end of World War II or the Queen’s Jubilees. Millions took part in street parties in 1977 for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. The tradition continued for years with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April 2011 and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June 2012.

Speaking on the occasion Jon Wilks, British ambassador to

ISLAMIC BANKING SERVICES

Review was the first bespoke Royal Land Rover.

Ten cars of this series were used for many public appearances during the six-month, 44,000 mile tour of the Commonwealth which The Queen undertook soon after her Coronation.

The Range Rover, Range Rover Sport SVR and the Discovery Sport along with the Jaguar XF, XE and the F-TYPE were displayed prominently at the celebrations organised at the Port Sultan Qaboos.

Commenting on the event’s turnout, David Aziz, CEO- Automotive Products, MHD, said: “The Jaguar Land Rover brands have a very strong relationship with the people of Oman and have continued to enjoy strong performance here over the years. We are dedicated on further developing this relationship and maintaining our success with the launch of new models including the all-new Jaguar F-Pace SUV in the month of June 2016.”

The birthday celebrations event culminated with the sailing of the Cunard liner The Queen Elizabeth for its next port of call.

MUSICAL PROGRAMME

'Rajanigandha' to mesmerise Muscat audience on May 14

Maisarah opens new branch in Al Khuwair MUSCAT: As part of its strategic expansion of its branch network across the Sultanate, Maisarah Islamic Banking Services recently celebrated the official opening of its 7th branch in Al Khuwair.

The event was held at the newly opened branch under the auspices of Majeed bin Mohammed Al Rawas, Media adviser at the Ministry of Information. The ceremony was also attended by Abdul Hakeem Omar Al Ojaili, acting CEO of BankDhofar, Faisal Hamad Al Wahaibi, chief retail banking officer, Ismail Jama Bait Isihaq, financial controller at Maisarah Islamic

Banking Services, as well as members of BankDhofar and Maisarah’s executive management, staff, guests and senior government officials, says a press release.

In a statement during the event, Jamsheed Hamza, Maisarah’s head of Retail, said: “The branch has started serving our customers and today we are celebrating the official commencement of its operations.

As part of our strategic expansion plan, we aim to provide Shariacompliant products and services to cater to more customers in different parts of Oman. We aspire to fulfil the market demand for Islamic

finance solutions and Sharia-compliant products and services.”

“The new branch is conveniently located in Al Khuwair commercial area and it is easily accessible for customers from different parts of Muscat. The dedicated and trained members of staff work constantly to meet customers’ individual banking needs and requirements for Islamic finance products and services,” added Jamsheed.

Maisarah offers a wide range of Shariah-compliant financial solutions, products and services that cater to the needs of its retail and corporate customers.

MUSCAT: ‘Rajanigandha’, a musical programme is set to amaze the music lovers of Oman in the presence of legendary Indian playback singers P. Susheela and Mano.

Known for showcasing brilliant talent and entertaining performances with the celebrities, 'Rajanigandha' celebrates its 10th episode of its musical evening with the old and new entrants on May 14 at the Le Grande Hall of Al Falaj Hotel, Muscat, says a press release.

The organisers will be honouring P. Susheela, fondly called as ‘Sushhelamma’ who has continued to dazzle the music lovers with her mellifluous voice for the last 50 years. She is the proud recipient of National Awards for Best Playback Singer five times and numerous State Awards and her name is in the Guinness Book of World Records and the Asia Book of Records.

She has sung more than 40,000 songs in various Indian languages namely Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Oriya, Sanskrit, Tulu and Bangla.

Mano, a versatile playback singer, voice over artist, actor, producer, television anchor and music composer will be performing with the popular local talents.

He is the recipient of several awards such as Nandi Awards from the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Kalaimamani Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu. He has recorded more than 30,000 songs in various languages such as Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Oriya including Bol-

T O P 2 0 AWA R D S

'Rajanigandha' celebrates 10th episode of its musical evening with the old and new entrants on May 14 at the Le Grande Hall of Al Falaj Hotel lywood movies. He has performed over 3,000 live concerts across the continents. Notably, he has recorded 2,000 songs with the legendary maestro Ilayaraja.

The organisers promise to entertain the audience with old melodies, contemporary and semi classical multilingual versions. The event will be a feat to the wide spectrum of audience with the celebrities singing along with the local participants such as Neha Sasikumar, Akhilesh Radhakrishnan, Devika Sreekumar, Malavika Menon, Priyadarshini Ashok, Aishwarya Ajith, Karthika Muraleedharan, Saakshi Bhaga-

vath, Anjana Ajith, Shraddha Venkat, Mahadev Sudhin, Sreerag Menon and Revathy Ramesh who have already proved their mettle in various stage shows including previous episodes of 'Rajanigandha'.

This is a nonprofit event brought to you by Muscat Unique Diamond Entertainment to provide quality entertainment for the wide Indian Diaspora and to encourage the younger talents and showcase their ability to share and sing along with the celebrities. The media partner for this event is Times of Oman and official carrier is Oman Air. Entries to this event are restricted by invitation only.

FINANCIAL AID

OER Business Summit set for May 11 MUSCAT: Oman’s corporate leaders and influential policy makers will explore the potential of government’s diversification drive for strengthening the business environment in the country and creating vital opportunities for Omani businessmen, entrepreneurs and SMEs, at OER Business Summit 2016 & Top 20 Awards, to be held on May 11 at Grand Hyatt Muscat.

Nima Abu-Wardeh, the presenter of the BBC World News weekly financial programme Middle East Business Report, will moderate the panel discussions.

Over 250 movers and shakers from Oman’s corporate sector are expected to attend the event, says a press release.

The recent sharp decline in the oil price has undoubtedly altered the economic outlook for the GCC economies as a whole and Oman in particular. Low oil prices since the summer of 2014 are hurting corporates, states and countries alike, even more so in view of what may yet be a prolonged period of low oil prices. Oil-based economies including Oman have begun diversifying their revenue

streams to other sectors, moving the economy away from oil for several years.

What is the potential of government’s diversification drive for strengthening the business environment and in creating vital opportunities for Omani businessmen and entrepreneurs?

Will the challenges posed by a low oil price environment impact the government’s diversification drive? And will the government have the tenacity and sustenance to pursue infrastructure development with significantly low earnings in the long run? Want to get insights into the new economic imperative and where the economy is headed in 2016 and beyond, as well as on how the government is positioned to sustain its infrastructure and social spending?

Paper presentations Organised by Oman Economic Review (OER), one of the Sultanate’s premium business magazines, and held under the theme ‘The Diversification Imperative’, the summit includes various pa-

per presentations by experts and incisive panel discussions on the imperative of diversification for the Sultanate’s economy. The summit which will look into the opportunities for Omani businessmen, entrepreneurs and SMEs brought up by the government’s renewed commitment to economic diversification will cover a wide range of topics such as: ICV in a $30 per barrel environment, promoting small and medium enterprises: opportunities and challenges, harnessing the potential of industries, ports, freezones and tourism etc.

“OER Business Summit 2016 will bring Oman’s businesses face-to-face with the global, regional and national macroeconomic trends, and will offer deeper insights on the diversification imperative from the upper echelons of Omani policy making and captains of the industry. The drop in oil price is an opportunity to focus on diversification, and the summit will explore the way forward for various businesses and the Omani economy in general,” said Alpana Roy, executive vice

president, United Media Services, the publisher of OER. ahli bank is the strategic partner of OER Business Summit 2016 & Top 20 Awards. BMW and Shell Oman Marketing Company are the associate partners of the event.

Oman Cables, Oman Data Park and Oman LNG are the support sponsors, while Takaful Oman is the Islamic insurance partner.

Taageer Finance and Al Jarwani Group are the support partners.

Al Madina Logistics is the logistic partner. Times of Oman and Al Shabiba are media partners and Mazoon Printing is the print partner, while Bloomberg Business Week-Middle East is the knowledge partner of the event.

The OER Top 20 awards celebrate the excellence in Oman’s corporate world. Modelled on the Fortune 500, the OER Top 20 is Oman Economic Review's annual ranking of the Sultanate’s Top 20 listed companies. Starting in 2003, the Top 20 has evolved into an authoritative barometer of Oman Inc’s performance and underscores the strength and resilience of Oman’s economy.

Shifa Al Jazeera provides financial support to Kerala temple tragedy victims INDIA: The compensation proclaimed by Dr K. T. Rabebullah, chairman, Shifa Al Jazeera Group, was distributed to the Puttingal temple tragedy victims and family members at a function held in Kerala, India.

The programme held at Government LPS Auditorium Kottapuram, Kerala, was attended by K. P. Kurup, chairman, Kollam Corporation, K. P. Muhammed Kutty, chairman, Advisory Committee (Shifa Al Jazeera), Shaji Aripra, group director, Ashraf Vengatt, CEO (Riyadh), Muhammed Shakir, CEO (Oman), locals and the

grieving family members, says a press release.

Prominent members from political parties, representatives of social welfare organisations, Shahjahan (Trivandrum), Asees Karinjapady, Iqbal Vengoor and Muhammed (Kollam) also attended the function. The message from Rabebullah was read at the function by Satish, vice chairman, Corporate Communications. He has also offered job opportunities for capable family members of the tragedy apart from a aid of Rs50,000 (approx.

OMR288.52) per family.

B6

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

ROUND-UP ‘Summer Surprises’ on Toyota till April 30 Indeed, for anybody looking to purchase a new Toyota, the exciting benefits being offered make a compelling consideration

MUSCAT: Time is running out and customers should hurry and make the most of the Toyota benefits.

“This is the best time ever to go for the Toyota you have always wanted and enjoy many benefits that come along with Toyota’s delightful offer,” says a Toyota enthusiast to his friend, “Wait no more

and make the most of it because the campaign will end soon.”

According to the spokesperson, “We are offering our customers benefits that include cash gifts up to OMR1,100 or a service package for up to 3 years/30,000km or insurance for one whole year!”

The Summer Surprises offer

is available on select models and model grades and up to April 30.

Applicable for all purchases except those made by government organisations and ministries. All benefits

are model specific and may vary accordingly, says a press release.

Another enthusiast readily agrees, “I have told my friends and family members that they should make the most of Toyota’s Summer Surprises campaign and enjoy the benefits available during its entire duration..!”

Indeed, for anybody looking at purchasing a new Toyota, the exciting benefits being offered make a compelling consideration.

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

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

LEADING NEW HOTEL

Twenty14 Holdings-owned Dubai property receives coveted award DUBAI: Twenty14 Holdings, the hospitality investment arm of Lulu Group International, announced that its first property in Dubai, the Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay, has been awarded the ‘Leading New Hotel’ award at the inaugural Leaders in Hospitality Awards 2016, held at The St. Regis Dubai recently.

Despite only being open since November, Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay, the cosmopolitan hotel with a German touch is already making a huge impact on the UAE’s hospitality landscape.

Priding itself on impeccable efficiency and service, Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay was voted head and shoulders above the competition, leading in its category on concept, service, facilities, F&B and diversity in offering.

Commenting on the achievement, Adeeb Ahamed, managing director of Twenty14 Holdings and the owner of the property, said: “We are extremely proud and honoured to have Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay, Dubai recognised as the Leading New Hotel at the inaugural Leaders in Hospitality Awards 2016. This is a true pat on the back for the dedication and passion that the entire team has put forth in making the hotel a standout property in such a short span of time.”

Puneet Chhatwal, CEO of

Steigenberger Hotels AG: “We have always strived from our inception to stand out from the crowd through our unique concepts, inspiring campaigns and exquisite standards of hospitality. We will continue to uphold our position as the destination of choice for our guests and this award inspires us to keep improving our services and ensuring that we offer an experience that is second to none.”

He also added: “Many thanks to our exceptional team – especially to Siegfried Nierhaus, vice president Steigenberger Middle East, and general manager Eirik Bergvoll.

The Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay, Dubai is Twenty14 Holdings’ first property in the UAE. The five-star hotel, overlooking the upcoming Dubai Canal, is located in the heart of the city at Business Bay and is just a stone’s throw away from the iconic Burj Khalifa - the world’s tallest building, the Dubai Mall and Downtown Dubai. The 365-room property, including 28 suites designed for business and city leisure travellers, provides unparalleled views of the Dubai skyline and offers first-class amenities and exceptional service. The hotel also offers great dining options including Bayside Restaurant & Terrace, Swim & Tonic Pool Bar and Das Café Lobby Café, along with the Steigenberger Spa and state-ofthe-art health and fitness centre.

PRE-OWNED VEHICLES

Best choice vehicles available at Best Cars MUSCAT: With austerity measures being the norm of the day, globally as well as locally, buying a pre-owned car from Best Cars makes so much sense.

This is where Best Cars opens new doors. “Step into our showroom and you will see that we house one of the biggest selections of pre-owned vehicles in Oman at our conveniently located main facility in Wattayah,” said a spokesperson.

“A vast choice is offered to customers from some of the most prominent automobile brands Lexus, Toyota, Ford, Kia, Daihatsu, to name a few. Come over and take a look. You might agree that the best deal is here,” he added.

At Best Cars, there is a customer friendly atmosphere. Once the customer selects a vehicle, Best Cars goes a step ahead and offers attractive finance and instalment options, thereby making the ownership process hassle-free and memorable, says a press release.

“I like the fact that at any given point of time all over Oman, Best Cars offers a choice of vehicles from all brands,” a loyal patron is known to have said, “Models are prominently displayed with price and features, ready for test-drive and sale.”

In addition to the main showroom in Muscat, Best Cars also has 13 branches all over Oman.

Best Cars is also present on the web through the award-winning website ‘www.bestcarsoman.com’ The website ‘www.bestcarsoman.com’ lists complete details of the vehicle, including the location. The customer has the option to see the images of the vehicle also. If the vehicle of choice is not available; one can post the requirement in the “Register your

I like the fact that at any given point of time all over Oman, Best Cars offers a choice of vehicles from all brands. Models are prominently displayed with price and features A Best Cars customer requirement” section.

During the daily update of the website, if a vehicle matches the customer’s requirements, the webmaster sends an e-mail alert to the customer informing him of the availability of his choice.

If one’s requirement is to sell a vehicle, the website has an option where one can register the details of the vehicle.

“All our cars are fully checked by our trained team of professional technicians, giving customers the confidence that they are making a good investment.

With these added benefits, it’s no wonder that more people are turning to Best Cars,” added the spokesperson.

In short, buying a car at Best Cars offers complete peace of mind.

COMPETITIVE PRICE

Geely Emgrand GT boasts of high production quality and design MUSCAT: The 2016 China Car of the Year, the Geely Emgrand GT is a true genius.

Designed by the former Volvo design boss Peter Horbury, after Geely Auto’s parent company bought Volvo in 2010, the Emgrand GT is a shining example of a China-made car that boasts of high production quality and design, a competitive price and worldwide popularity, says a press release.

It is no accident that this car, known as the Geely GC9 in its home market, was named the 2016 China Car of the Year, after beating major international rivals in a tough competition. This was not only the first time that a Chinese car won the award, it was also the first time one had even entered.

A senior spokesperson of Towell Auto Centre (TAC), the sole distributors of Geely range of vehicles in Oman, commented: “The Emgrand GT #SuperSedan is the ground breaking model of Geely

that offers an excellent package of quality, comfort, design, safety, performance along with a reasonable price. It has excellent and high quality equipment levels – an area that Chinese cars usually excel in.

Available in Oman with 2.4L engine, the Emgrand GT meets Geely Total Safety Management System requirements and puts safety at the forefront with regards to both passive and active safety systems.

This gives the driver and the passengers complete peace of mind at all times.”

Launched in Oman in January 2016, the Emgrand GT #SuperSedan is a four-door ‘fastback’ sedan with an aggressive profile, an overall length of 4,956mm and wheelbase of 2,850mm, giving an elegant and solid stance. It features an artistic innovation that borrows heavily from classical Chinese aesthetic needs and international styling philosophy. The distinctive side shoulder line arches over

the front wheel and then sweeps cleanly around the vehicle’s length, combining a sense of speed with character and elegance. The wide shoulder surface gives a strong and confident feel. The headlights and grille form a unified graphic, with the arched curve of the grille inspired by the distinctive profile of historic Chinese stone bridges.

The graceful and modern interior design of the Emgrand GT reflects a mix of technology and quality. The steering wheel, door armrests and front control display have a lightweight and elegant appearance. From the design concept to the manufacturing, all Geely models have been developed in accordance with European standards and by using global technological resources.

By bringing the Geely range to the Sultanate, TAC has reinforced its commitment to provide highquality products and services to its customers in Oman.

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‘Destination Germany’ tourism festival opens with record visitors Building, Al Qurum.

The first day of the week-long festival saw a huge turnout of visitors throughout the day; the festival runs until April 28 from 9am to 6pm daily.

Franz Josef Dicken, deputy head of Mission, German Embassy in Oman and Amal Suhail Bahwan, managing director and board member, Suhail Bahwan Group, together cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the festival in the presence of Sulaiman Al Harthy, deputy chief executive officer, Meethaq Islamic banking, prominent businessmen, VIPs and members of the press, says a press release.

After a tour of the festival, Dicken said, “Germany and Oman have a very long and friendly relationship and we have seen close to 20% increase in the number of health and tourism visas issued to visitors from Oman to Germany in 2015 compared to 2014 and in 2016, we are already seeing a 24 per cent increase over 2015 num-

Visitors to the festival can meet the tourism experts from Germany to learn more about the many attractions the region has to offer

MUSCAT: Destination Germany, a week-long German tourism festival brought to Oman by Bahwan Tourism, in partnership with Southwest Germany Tourist Board, German National Tourist Office (GNTO) and Qatar Airways, opened on April 23 at Bahwan Tourism office, Al Rawaq

bers. This clearly indicates that Germany is increasingly becoming a popular destination among Omanis and residents.”

He further added, “We are glad that Southwest Germany Tourist Board and German National Tourist Office have joined hands with Bahwan Tourism to showcase the

‘PRIZE FOR PROPHET’S POETS’

beauty of our country for potential visitors, especially the Southwest region aptly referred to as the Sunny Side of Germany due to its many attractions.”

Amal said, “While Germany does enjoy a special place among residents and citizens of Oman with increasing number of tourists

visiting Germany every year, it has not yet been explored to its full potential. Through ‘Destination Germany’ festival Bahwan Tourism is aiming to highlight the many attractions of this beautiful country.

I am very pleased to see the keen interest of Southwest Germany Tourist Board, German National Tourist Office (GNTO) and Qatar Airways to bring exciting holiday package options to the residents of Oman, especially to those who are planning their summer vacation.”

Joe Rajadurai, country manager - Qatar Airway’s said, “We are very pleased to partner with Bahwan Tourism, the number one travel agent in Oman for this festival.

This event gives people of Oman a chance to visit Germany through Qatar Airways’ three gateways Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt, and also connect to over 5,600 cities in Germany with our German Rail partner Deutsche Bahn.

“Travellers planning for summer vacations should take advan-

tage of this offer and make the best of their summer vacation.”

Visitors to the festival can meet the tourism experts from Germany to learn more about the many attractions the region has to offer like the Mercedes Benz museum, romantic town of Heidelberg, the famous international resort city of Baden-Baden, the Black Forest highlands and Lake Constance.

For thrill seekers, Europa Park which has been rated the world’s best theme parks twice in a row is must-see!

There are many exciting prizes to be won at the event like free tickets to Frankfurt on Qatar Airways and many complimentary hotel stay vouchers at Stuttgart, Black Forest Highlands and Europa Park. Arrangements have been made to keep the young ones busy through fun activities at the event while the parents meet the Bahwan Tourism consultants to plan their next dream holiday to Germany.

N E X T G E N E R AT I O N H I G H S P E E D N E T W O R K

Meethaq honours Omani poet on Ooredoo signs pact with ITA winning Katara poetry contest MUSCAT: Meethaq, the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman from Bank Muscat, in line with its commitment to support and honour national achievements, felicitated Omani poet Jamal Al Mulla on winning the prestigious ‘Katara Prize for Prophet’s Poets’ on the best poem in praise of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Over 800 poets from the GCC, Arab and Islamic countries participated in the first-of-its-kind competition organised by Katara, the cultural village foundation in Qatar. In the final round, 30 poets vied for the top honours.

The honouring ceremony at Bank Muscat head office was attended by Sulaiman Al Harthy, deputy chief executive officer – Islamic Banking, and senior bank officials, says a press release.

Congratulating the unique achievement, Sulaiman Al Harthy said: “Oman is proud of Jamal Al Mulla’s achievement, which reflects the high literary competence and religious values portrayed through the winning poem in honour of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

“The Meethaq gesture comes as part of Bank Muscat social responsibility initiatives, reiterating the commitment to encourage and promote excellence in all fields

MUSCAT: Ooredoo signed an agreement with the Information Technology Authority (ITA) to build and operate the Omani government’s Next Generation High Speed Network (NGN).

Leveraging on Oman Broadband Company‘s fibre network, the new world-class NGN gigabit speed and high capacity bandwidth will deliver better public services by integrating and connecting over 60 ministries under one fast, reliable and secure platform, allowing for greater efficiency and datasharing, says a press release.

Launched in 2003 with the vision of transforming Oman into a knowledge-based economy by 2020, the Sultanate’s e-govern-

contributing to the country’s progress and development.”

Jamal Al Mulla thanked Meethaq for the encouraging gesture and said: “I am deeply honoured to win this recognition for Oman. The Sultanate under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has recorded spectacular progress and development in all fields during the past 46 years. In the field of Islamic values, Oman preserves distinct ArabIslamic heritage, which is deeply

H E A LT H C A R E

Kims to host expert general surgery consultant today and tomorrow MUSCAT: Kims Oman Hospital is hosting Dr Stephen Angamuthu, visiting consultant general surgeon, to be part of Kims Oman Hospital’s medical team, today and tomorrow, and will be available to provide his services at Kims Oman Hospital on a monthly basis.

Coming from Royal Bahrain Hospital, Dr Stephan is an expert general surgery consultant, who has more than 10 years of professional experience in general surgery, and has conducted skilfully and safely more than 1,500 laparoscopic and advanced laparoscopic colectomies surgeries. Moreover, Dr Stephan has special interest in performing bariatric surgeries.

“Obesity always leads to

a number of other chronic health conditions, which are called co-morbidities. Some examples are cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, type II diabetes, pulmonary dysfunction, osteoarthritis, gall bladder disease, cancer (breast and colon), and many others,” said Dr Stephen.

Commenting on Dr Stephen’s visit, Dr Hussam Akoum, chief operating officer of KOH, said: “Kims Oman Hospital has invited Dr. Stephen Angamuthu for his distinguished expertise in various general surgery specialties. This invitation comes as part of the hospital’s commitment in providing our patients with the best practitioners.”

revered and honoured.”

The ‘Katara Prize for Prophet’s Poets’ was aimed at highlighting the vital role of poetry in Arab heritage and tradition, encouraging youth to acquire profound Islamic values, preserve Arab-Islamic heritage and pass on these values from generation to generation.

The jury composed of academics and specialists in Arabic language who referred the short-listed entries to a higher committee to choose the winners.

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

ment strategy has since increased digital literacy, facilitated more services and built the local capacities. Over the years, Ooredoo has been working closely with the government, sharing its knowledge and expertise to advance the Sultanate’s ICT development strategy, a decade-long relationship that brought to light this latest five year partnership.

Dr Salim bin Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA, commented: “This agreement is a breakthrough in elevating and improving Oman’s Government Network, in line with the e.oman strategy’s aim to adapt to the rapid change in technology. Ensuring maximum speeds, enhanced security solu-

tions, as well as cost effective integrated services will ultimately improve the government e-services provided to citizens.”

Greg Young, CEO of Ooredoo, said, “Being chosen from a field of experienced and expert telecoms companies to build the backbone for Oman’s e-government strategy is an honour and a testament to the drive and ambition of Ooredoo, as we establishes ourselves as the Government of Oman’s telecommunications partner of choice.

The investment in this NGN is a clear demonstration of the country’s innovative and forward looking ICT strategy, which supports current needs while preparing for the demands of the future.”

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ROUND-UP

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Toyota Chairman honours Saud Bahwan Auto with prestigious ‘Excellence Awards’

During the awards presentation ceremony, T. Uchiyamada, Chairman, Toyota Motor Corporation paid glowing tributes to Mohammed Saud Bahwan while presenting the ‘Gold Marketing Award’

MUSCAT: T. Uchiyamada, Chairman, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), at a special event honoured Mohammed Saud Bahwan, Chairman, Saud Bahwan Group (SBA), with three prestigious awards for the fourth consecutive year in recognition of the excellence of SBA operations.

The Toyota Chairman, who was

in Oman on a brief visit, expressed his admiration for Oman.

“The Sultanate is really a very beautiful country. What strikes me most is the dramatic and varied landscape of the country and the warmth and hospitality of the people of Oman,” he said.

“The vision and leadership of Oman’s great leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has led to rapid growth and international recognition of Oman. What is truly remarkable is that significant economic growth has been achieved while retaining the historic charm and cultural heritage of the country,” he added.

During the awards presentation ceremony, Uchiyamada paid glowing tributes to Mohammed

Saud Bahwan while presenting the ‘Gold Marketing Award’.

“Thanks to the strong and dynamic leadership of the Chairman, Toyota has achieved remarkable sales performance yet again and retained its dominant position. I congratulate SBA for the excellent achievement under very challenging conditions,” he said.

Complimenting SBA on its customer-centric focus and excellent performance in after-sales support, Uchiyamada remarked: “I take great pleasure in awarding you the ‘Outstanding Customer Service Award’ for your significant achievements in Parts and Service activities to further enhance customer satisfaction.”

Further commending SBA for

the outstanding performance over the years and retaining its position as one of the best distributors, he remarked: “I am delighted to now present you with the most prestigious ‘Overall Diamond Marketing Award’. Congratulations! You are one of the select few Toyota distributors in the world to have achieved this distinction.”

Accepting the awards, Mohammed Saud Bahwan said: “I take this opportunity to acknowledge the close cooperation and excellent support extended to us by TMC, without which these achievements would not have been possible, for which I convey my sincere thanks. These prestigious awards mean a lot to us at Saud Bahwan Automotive. I humbly dedicate

them to our staff and all our customers, whose loyalty has made Toyota the most admired brand in the country.”

World class facilities Earlier in the day, Uchiyamada toured the various facilities of the group. He showered praise on the ultra-modern Toyota and Lexus showrooms and service centres in Muscat, which are one of the biggest in the world.

The Toyota Chairman appreciated that SBA has tailored its vehicle servicing systems and capabilities according to Toyota’s ‘3S Spirit’ (Seikaku, Shinsetsu, Shinrai:: Precision, Kindness, and Reliability).

Today, SBA has the world’s largest Toyota service facility in Muscat

and a network of service centres spread all across Oman.

A sophisticated Mega Body Shop in Muscat undertakes body repairs/crash repairs employing Toyota assembly line repair systems. SBA also has a state-ofthe-art central Parts Distribution Centre sprawling over 60,000 sq. metres which has consistently been ranked amongst the best in the world.

At the conclusion of his visit Uchiyamada remarked: “I am truly impressed … your facilities are not only world class but also amongst the biggest and the best!”

Uchiyamada’s visit to Oman is a true reflection of the importance Toyota Motor Corporation attaches to this country.

R E M I T TA N C E S E RV I C E T O S R I L A N K A

Bank Muscat partners with CBC

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, and Commercial Bank of Ceylon (CBC) have joined hands to launch mobile banking remittance service to Sri Lanka.

Abdullah Tamman Al Mashani, deputy general manager – Institutional Sales & Products Development, signed the agreement on behalf of Bank Muscat and Palitha Perera, assistant general manager – Operations, signed on behalf of CBC, in the presence of J. H. Liyanage, Minister from the Embassy of Sri Lanka, Pradeep Banduwansa, chief manager, EBanking CBC, management team members from Bank Muscat, and prominent Sri Lankan community members, says a press release.

With the new facility benefiting 12,000-strong Sri Lankan community in the Sultanate, Bank Muscat customers can make mobile banking remittances to Sri Lanka by direct credit to beneficiary account with CBC or credit to beneficiary account with third party banks in Sri Lanka.

Al Mashani said: “Bank Muscat is delighted to join hands with CBC, facilitating value added services to customers, especially the Sri Lankan community in Oman.

Bank Muscat is focused on ensuring market leading and state-ofthe-art products and services for customers. The new remittance service to Sri Lanka reiterates the bank’s commitment to expanding world class banking services.

The customer-centric strategy of the bank will continue to enhance value added services.”

Liyanage said: “We congratulate the two leading banking in-

stitutions on the tie-up which is a boon for the Sri Lankan community in Oman. The technologydriven secure remittance facility ensures convenience.”

Perera said: “Commercial Bank is proud to tie up with Bank Muscat for the remittance service.

The synergy between the two leading banks will significantly benefit the Sri Lankan community in the Sultanate.”

In line with the ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and focus on innovation to provide a distinct banking experience, the upgraded feature-rich mobile banking application by Bank Muscat facilitates unique services to do more banking from anywhere, anytime.

Winner of the coveted His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Award for the Best Public eService, Bank Muscat’s mBanking is Oman’s preferred mobile banking service with more than 350,000 registered customers.

In keeping with the bank’s focus to provide world class banking products and services, especially electronic services which spell convenience to customers, the mBanking service complements the government’s efforts in creating a digital society. Bank Muscat enjoys an edge in hi-tech products and services and the mBanking services in particular fulfil the banking requirements of a young, tech-savvy generation.

The ‘anytime, anywhere’ mBanking has made banking truly mobile for the largest banking family in Oman who can bank 24/7 ‘anytime, anywhere’.

Notably, the mBanking application works on most of the mobile

phones and is customised for iPhones, Blackberry and Android phones with simple icons and menus. The mBanking application is available in both English and Arabic.

Robust security features have been built into the ‘trusted’ mBanking application. Data exchange from this application is encrypted based on best industry standards and dual factor authentication.

Driven by the latest technological features and offering a wide range of options, mBanking presents a unique facility from Bank Muscat that lets customers bank at convenience from ‘anywhere, anytime’. For people constantly on the move, mBanking service is a boon. The remittance service will be soon available on Internet banking, with promotional offers from time to time.

Established in 1969, Commercial Bank is the largest private bank in Sri Lanka and the only Sri Lankan bank to be ranked among the top 1,000 banks of the world for five successive years. CBC is the first private bank in Sri Lanka to achieve Rs10 billion profit and surpass Rs500 billion assets.

Commercial Bank’s superior financial stability and strength is emphasised by the fact that it has the largest market capitalisation among all listed banks and financial institutions in Sri Lanka and the highest assets base among all private banks. The bank operates the country’s single largest ATM network and has a strategically located island-wide network of branches. CBC operates 18 outlets in Bangladesh and is the third biggest foreign bank in the country.

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Al Harthy’s ORT in top four Pro-Am finish at Blancpain Endurance Cup In the battle for a richly deserved

Personally, that was one of my strongest performances — I enjoyed every minute!

top three class finish for the bulk of the contest, the No.44 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3

Ahmad Al Harthy ORT racer

ultimately ended the first race of the season a nonetheless competitive fourth in Pro-Am and 13th position overall

MUSCAT: Ahmad Al Harthy produced one of the very best performances of his racing career in round one of the Blancpain Endurance Cup at Monza on Sunday — an exceptional drive during the first third of the three-hour race putting the Oman Racing Team (ORT) in contention for the Pro-Am podium.

In the battle for a richly deserved top three class finish for the bulk of the contest, the No.44 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 ultimately ended the first race of the season a nonetheless competitive fourth in Pro-Am and 13th

SUPERB SHOW: Ahmad Al Harthy, the Aston Martin Middle East and North Africa ambassador, raced impressively against a variety of ‘Pro Cup’ cars at Monza. – Supplied photo

position overall to mark a strong start to the 2016 campaign.

Ahmad, partnered by Jonny Adam and Devon Modell at Oman Racing Team powered by Motorbase this season, was very pleased with the strength of the performance throughout Sunday afternoon’s race at the Italian venue and personally delighted with the excellent overtaking he delivered.

In particular, the Oman Ministry of Sports Affairs, Oman Air, National Bank of Oman (NBO), Barr Al Jissah and Omantel-supported driver highlighted the consistency and reliability which enabled the trio to mount a podium bid and says such a strong start to the season is precisely what they wanted.

“Personally, that was one of my strongest performances — I enjoyed every minute!” the 34-yearold Omani said. “It was great to pass so many cars during my stint and Devon and Jonny both did a

great job too. The podium was so close for us, but the Ferraris were just too fast this weekend. We’d have taken fourth place though at the start of the weekend.

“The BOP (Balance of Performance) for all of the cars is much better this season, though, and means we can actually overtake which wasn’t the case in 2015. I have to say a massive thank you to the team for giving us a great car, and to all of the sponsors for giving us such incredible support.”

Beginning round one of the season from sixth in Pro-Am, 13th position overall, after a strong final run in qualifying from Adam earlier in the day, Ahmad took the opening stint and from the rolling start he positioned himself well into the notorious first chicane and avoided any problems.

Into the outright top 10 and fifth in Pro-Am as the race entered lap two, the Aston Martin Middle

East and North Africa ambassador raced impressively against a variety of ‘Pro Cup’ cars and swiftly climbed the order further – taking ninth overall and third in class on lap five with a superb pass.

Ahmad closed up to, and swarmed all over the back of, the No. 1 Team WRT Audi and after the duo each gained a place due to a car pitting the Omani made his move on the outside line into the first chicane on lap 12 to brilliantly grab seventh overall. Although edged back a couple of laps later at the Parabolica as the cars ran in a tight bunch, Ahmad took seventh again on lap 16.

Next in his sights was second place in Pro-Am, sixth overall, and after catching the target car he moved ahead into lap 30. Holding second in class and sixth in the outright classification, Ahmad’s stint came to an end at the conclusion of lap 31 where he pitted to

hand the Aston over to Modell.

At the completion of the first round of pit-stops, Modell held third in Pro-Am and a top 15 placing overall and during the second hour he retained the class podium position. Staying out slightly longer than some rivals, Modell briefly moved up into the Pro-Am lead and sixth overall before serving the final stop to hand the car over to Adam.

The Scotsman took to the track with around 57 minutes remaining on the clock and progressed from fourth in class and 16th overall to end the race 13th overall and fourth in Pro-Am. Adam did climb back into the class podium placings shortly into his stint, and spent the majority of his run bottled up behind two dueling Audis, but into the final half hour he was edged back to fourth in Pro-Am. Next on the Blancpain Endurance Cup calendar is a visit to Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit in the

UK on May 14 and 15 for round two of the 2016 season.

Blancpain Endurance Cup Rd1 Monza Result: 1. Garage 59 – McLaren 650 S GT3 (Come Ledogar/Rob Bell/ Shane Van Gisbergen); 2. HTP Motorsport – Mercedes AMG GT3 (Dominik Baumann/Jazeman Jafaar/Maximilian Buhk); 3. Bentley Team M-Sport – Bentley Continental GT3 (Andy Soucek/Wolfgang Reip/Maxime Soulet); 13. Oman Racing Team – Aston Martin Vantage GT3 (Ahmad Al Harthy/Jonny Adam/ Devon Modell).

Blancpain Endurance Cup Rd1 Monza – Pro-Am Cup Result: 1. Kessel Racing – Ferrari 488 GT3 (Michael Broniszewski/Alessandro Bonacini/Andrea Rizzoli); 2. AF Corse – Ferrari 488 GT3 (Giancarlo Fisichella/Lorenzo Bontempelli/Ishikawa Motoaki); 3. Black Pearl Racing – Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 (Steve Parrow/Alexander Mattschull/Daniel Keilwitz); 4. Oman Racing Team – Aston Martin Vantage GT3 (Ahmad Al Harthy/ Jonny Adam/Devon Modell).

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TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

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MI back to winning ways Chasing a stiff target of 190, Kings XI Punjab were restricted to 164 for seven in the stipulated 20 overs

MAN OF THE MATCH: Mumbai Indians’ Parthiv Patel was at his aggressive best in Monday’s match against Kings XI Punjab. – AFP

MOHALI: Parthiv Patel shone with a breezy 58-ball 81 and powered Mumbai Indians to a 25run win over Kings XI Punjab whose campaign turned from bad to worse in the Indian Premier League cricket tournament, here on Monday.

Chasing a stiff target of 190, Kings XI Punjab were restricted to 164 for seven in the stipulated 20 overs. This was Mumbai Indians’ third win in seven outings, while the Punjab franchise suffered its fifth defeat in six appearances.

Invited to bat, Mumbai Indians rode on Patel’s knock, his best in IPL, and Ambati Rayudu’s 65 off 37 balls to record their highest score against Kings XI Punjab in the cash-rich league.

Jos Buttler blazed his way to 24 off 13 balls with the help of three fours and a six as the visitors posted a competitive 189 for six.

For Kings XI Punjab, Glenn Maxwell finally found form as he topscored with 56 off 39 balls, hitting five boundaries and a six. Shaun Marsh made 45 off 34 balls with the help of three fours and a six.

Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of MI bowlers, returning impressive figures of 3/26. Batting second, the hosts lost openers Murali Vijay (19) and Manan Vohra (7) cheaply with just 32 runs on the board in five overs. Marsh and Maxwell then got together and rebuilt the innings by playing sensibly.

While they ran the singles and twos, on and off, the Australian duo found the fence to keep the scoreboard moving with the run rate hovering around 7.5-8 an over.

In the halfway stage of the innings, Kings XI Punjab were 75 for the loss of two wickets, still needing 115 runs from 10 overs.

The home side reached the 100

in the 13th over and, after Maxwell hit his fifth boundary, Marsh broke the shackles with a six over longon off Harbhajan Singh.

In the next over, Maxwell sent the ball soaring over in the same direction for similar result, the bowler being Tim Southee. However, Punjab were dealt a blow at a crucial juncture as Marsh fell in the same over to bring to an end a partnership of 89 runs for the third wicket.

Soon after, Maxwell cruised to his half century in 33 balls. But Maxwell too got out after a while and the asking rate just kept heading north, even as KXIP skipper David Miller remained not out on 30 off 17 balls.

Patel smashed 10 fours and two sixes, while Rayudu hit four boundaries and as many maximums. The total could have been more had it not been for Mohit Sharma’s brilliant last over in which he conceded just four runs. Mohit was the most

successful bowler for KXIP with figures of 3/38, two of them coming in that final over.

Earlier, Mumbai Indians were dealt a body blow in the first over itself with nothing on the board, when medium pacer Sandeep Sharma had skipper Rohit Sharma caught behind by Nikhil Naik with his second delivery.

Patel and Rayudu ensured there was no further setback for the next 15 overs, as they put on 137 runs runs for the second wicket till Rayudu was dismissed by Axar Patel.

Rayudu was lucky to get a life when Axar dropped an absolute sitter at deep midwicket off the bowing of Pardeep Sahu. Rayudu was batting on 33 then.

During the rebuilding phase, the two batsmen mixed caution with aggression and helped their team to safety before opening up to play freely.

Even as Rayudu smashed Glenn Maxwell over long-on for a maximum to up the ante, Patel followed suit and flicked Sahu over longon for a six in the 11th over at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium.

Rayudu then hit Axar for a straight six and a four through the cover region. Rayudu got to his half century in 31 balls, while Patel reached the landmark a little later after facing 41 balls.

Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 189 for 6 (Parthiv 81, Rayudu 65, Mohit 3-38) beat Kings XI Punjab 164 for 7 (Maxwell 56, Bumrah 3-26) by 25 runs. - PTI

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IPL PREVIEW

SRH start favourites against Supergiants HYDERABAD: On a roll after three consecutive wins, a resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad will start as overwhelming favourites against struggling Rising Pune Supergiants in an Indian Premier League match, here on Tuesday.

After losing two games in a row, Sunrisers turned their fortunes around by posting comprehensive wins against Mumbai Indians (by 7 wickets), Gujarat Lions (by 10 wickets) and Kings XI Punjab (by 5 wickets).

The Hyderabad outfit is occupying the fourth spot in the eightteam standings with six points from five games. On the contrary, Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Supergiants are languishing at the seventh spot with just two points from five encounters.

Despite injuries to its key players, including Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra and Kane Williamson, the Hyderabad side has been on a high with the team clicking collectively in the last three games.

SRH captain and swashbuckling Australian batsman David Warner has been in great form and is presently the highest run scorer with 294 runs from five games which includes four half centuries. Warner is just behind Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli who is leading the chart with 367 runs from

five games. But for SRH the big relief would be the return to form opener Shikhar Dhawan after a poor show in the first three matches of the season. Dhawan regained his touch with unbeaten 53 against Gujarat Lions and 45 against Kings XI Punjab.

Other SRH batsmen, including Moises Henriques, Eoin Morgan and wicket-keeper Naman Ojha, have also been making useful contributions for the side in crucial situations.

Despite the absence of the seasoned Nehra, SRH bowlers have made an impact to make it difficult for their rivals.

And come Tuesday, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be eager to break the sequence of reverses and get the Supergiants’ campaign back on track.

Having moved to Pune this year from the banned Chennai Super Kings, where he enjoyed great success, Dhoni will be keen to replicate that in his new jersey with a bit of help from his teammates.

For a team comprising Steve Smith, Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane, Thissara Perera besides Dhoni, such results are surprising. Among the team’s overseas players Du Plessis has been among runs while Smith is to yet fire in the tournament even though he got starts. — PTI

EXTREME SAILING SERIES

Oman Air aim to extend winning streak MUSCAT: High scores in Muscat boosted confidence on board series leader Oman Air, but Qingdao’s conditions are famously tricky and Act 2 of the 2016 Extreme Sailing Series is likely to be a tough contest where consistency will be the buzz word.

The Chinese Olympic venue is regarded as one of the most challenging on the circuit so although Morgan Larson’s emphatic win in Oman, where they won more than 50 percent of all the races, has boosted their confidence in the new GC32 class, they know they have their work cut out to maintain a winning streak.

Conditions in Fushan Bay will make for some ‘dramatic’ racing, says Larson, with the breeze notoriously unpredictable, both in strength and direction and fog a constant trial. Achieving consistency as quickly as possible will be more important than ever.

“Qingdao will throw some major challenges at us so we need to aim for consistency. These multihulls can be hard to direct and the course will be tight so in the shifty winds, ANOTHER ACT: Oman Air crew’s confidence is boosted an excelit could be dramatic,” Larson said. lent show in Act 1 of the series in Muscat. – Supplied photo “We made a strong start in Muscat but we can’t rest on our laurels and with everyone still learning GC32s and in what winds we get years reflecting the randomness the boats so fast, we will definitely the most from them – if someone of the conditions but in the new see some big improvements so can get foiling in the marginal wind GC32s, the secret to success most hopefully we will stay ahead of the conditions, they will get far ahead. I likely lies in making good starts curve. The win in Muscat gives us saw a long term forecast that looked in every race, according to Oman Air bowman Nasser Al Mashari the confidence to believe we can windy which would be great.”

Oman Sail boats have had a who teams up once more with achieve that.

“We are still learning about the mixed record in Qingdao over the Pete Greenhalgh, Ed Smyth and

James Wierzbowski. “We worked hard on our starts in Muscat and it paid off,” said Al Mashari. “If you can start well, it makes life easier over the rest of the course so even though this is a very different race course in Qingdao, we are hoping for a good performance on our starts and first leg and as ever will be aiming to win.”

In Muscat, Oman Air finished on the podium in 16 of the 19 races completed and claimed 10 outright wins which gave them a lead by 33 points over Red Bull Sailing Team in second place and earned them maximum points on the overall leaderboard.

“We were very happy with our performance in Muscat, especially after the run up where we were struggling with our boat speed and trimming,” explained Greenhalgh.

“Hopefully we can resume where we left off -- we will be pushing hard but between Muscat and Qingdao, everyone will have studied the videos so we are expecting the other teams to have made big improvements.

“In Qingdao the wind can be full on with big shifts so it could be tricky. We can see 50 degree shifts with 20 knots of wind on one side of the course and none on the other but it’s the same for everyone and the best man always wins!”

Racing in Fushan Bay starts on April 29 with a day of open water racing before the teams take to the Stadium on April 30.

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

C3

SPORTS SEASON’S BEST

Leicester’s Mahrez named English PFA player of the year

TRAINING SESSION: Manchester City players warm-up during a team training session in Manchester. – AFP

Man City need leap of faith against Real

LONDON: Leicester City forward Riyad Mahrez was named English soccer’s player of the year by the Professional Footballers’ Association on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Algerian international, the first Leicester player and first African to win the award, has scored 17 goals and made 11 assists in 34 league games to help Leicester move to the brink of their first English top-flight title.

Mahrez finished ahead of fellow Leicester players Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante, Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil and West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet.

The Algerian praised the contribution of his team mates and manager Claudio Ranieri after being voted the best player in England by his fellow professionals.

“All the credit is for them, seriously,” Mahrez, who joined Leices-

ter from French second-tier side Le Havre in January 2014, said.

“And for my manager and the staff. Without them I wouldn’t receive this award and I wouldn’t score. It’s the team spirit, and I want to dedicate it to them.

“It’s extra special because if the players vote for me it’s because they’ve seen I’ve been great this year so I’m happy.

“Without my team mates I wouldn’t get this award.”

Mahrez also spoke of his pride at being the first African player to receive the award won last year by Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard.

“It’s an honour to be the first African — not the best but the first,” Mahrez added.

Spurs midfielder Dele Alli, 20, was named PFA Young Player of the Year, with his team still chasing the leaders in a bid to win their first league title since 1961. - Reuters

City’s Toure ruled out of semifinal

The Abu Dhabibacked English club have already broken new ground this season, moving past the last 16 stage that proved their limit for the past two seasons having failed even

MOBBED AT AIRPORT: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo arrives at

Manchester. – Reuters

Champions League 2015-2016 SEMIFINAL, 1ST LEG – APR 26/27

to survive the group stage prior to that

LONDON: Until this season Manchester City’s progression in the Champions League could be measured in baby steps but on Tuesday they can make a huge leap forward when they host Real Madrid in their first European semifinal for 45 years.

The Abu Dhabi-backed English club have already broken new ground this season, moving past the last 16 stage that proved their limit for the past two seasons having failed even to survive the group stage prior to that.

In seeing off Paris St Germain, who have similar financial muscle, in the quarter-finals they delivered a powerful statement of intent to reach their first semi-final since a European Cup Winners’ Cup defeat by Chelsea in 1971.

They also kept alive the intriguing possibility of a Milan final against Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, whose manager Pep Guardiola will take over the Manchester City hot seat from former Real Madrid manager Manuel Pellegrini next season.

First, however, City’s defence must find a way of keeping Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema quiet at their Etihad Stadium so as to arrive at their opponents’ Santiago Bernabeu fortress with something tangible to hang on to.

Ronaldo has scored 47 times this season, including 16 in just 10 Champions League appearances, but Pellegrini says he knows how to stop the Portuguese goal machine.

“I knew all about him from (my team) playing (against) Manchester United when I was at Villarreal,” Pellegrini said. “We played them four times in the Champions League and each time it was

W D L

MAN CITY v REAL MADRID Etihad Stadium Head-to-head Won 0 Drawn 1 Won 1 Form 18 / 11 Goals for / against 26 / 5 COMPETITION STATISTICS (per match) 4.90 7.80 Shots on target 6.70 8.30 Shots wide 415 578 Passes 4.90 5.60 Crosses 48% 55% Possession ATLETICO v BAYERN Vicente Calderon Head-to-head Won 0 Drawn 1 Won 1 Form 14 / 5 Goals for / against 28 / 9 COMPETITION STATISTICS (per match) 6.30 8.60 Shots on target 5.80 7.40 Shots wide 428 685 Passes 5.70 6.50 Crosses 48% 67% Possession

Sergio Aguero Man City Forward has yet to beat Real in 13 meetings since 2006, at both Atletico Madrid and Manchester City CLOSING DOWN: City will look to counter Real’s potent strike threat with high workrate to reduce space for Los Galácticos to create chances Distance covered (km) Fernandinho Man City

HOME COMFORTS: City appearing in first Champions League semifinal, Real in final four for 27th time

102.4

Ronaldo

Real

92.6

Kroos

Real

92.1

Casemiro

Real

Otamendi

Man City

L7

W34

D13

88.3 81.9

Source: UEFA, Gracenote

0-0, so defensively we must have been doing something right.”

Unstoppable Real While City’s recent form has been on the rise, if a little late to stop the Premier League’s fairytale title hunters Leicester City, Real have been almost unstoppable of late as they try and chase down Barcelona in La Liga.

Since the beginning of March Zinedine Zidane’s side have won nine La Liga games in a row and even when they suffered a hiccup in a 2-0 defeat by Wolfsburg in the Champions League quarter-final they respond-

Graphic News /

City: Home record in Europe

LONDON: Manchester City will be without their midfield powerhouse Yaya Toure in Tuesday’s Champions League semifinal, first leg at home to Real Madrid after he failed to recover from a leg injury sustained at the weekend.

The Ivorian suffered a muscle injury in the 4-0 win over Stoke City on Saturday and will not feature against the 10-time European champions at the Etihad Stadium. Manager Manuel Pellegrini said former Barcelona player Toure could also be struggling to make next week’s second leg.

“Yaya is going to be out, I think. He hasn’t recovered from the muscle injury,” Pellegrini told a news conference on Monday.

“Tomorrow the two players not on the squad list are (Samir) Nasri, who is not registered, and Yaya who is injured.” City, playing their first European semifinal for 45 years, face the daunting task of containing a Real side who have won their last nine games in Spain’s La Liga.

However, despite the threat posed by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, Pellegrini said he will send his players out to attack. — Reuters

Graphics

ed with a 3-0 home victory.

The Wolfsburg loss gives City cause for optimism, though, and with their Argentina striker Sergio Aguero and Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne finishing the season with a flourish, Real’s defence will be given a testing examination.

Aguero, who recently reached the 100-goal milestone in the Premier League, never finished on the winning side against Real while he was at Atletico Madrid and he will be itching to put the record straight against the 10-times European champions.

Wales forward Bale has, however, warned City that Real, who are appearing in their 27th European Cup semifinal, will seek to inflict some damage before finishing the job next week.

“I think that the most important thing is to score away from home, said Bale, who scored twice as Real came back to beat Rayo Vallecano 3-2 in La Liga at the weekend.

“At the Santiago Bernabeu we are very strong and, obviously, we’ll have a lot of chances. As long as we don’t lose there, we’ll be very confident at the Bernabeu.” - Reuters

FOOTBALL

Champions League is the Real deal: Bale LONDON: The Champions League is part of Real Madrid’s folklore and it is the nature of the Spanish side to always set their sights on Europe’s most prestigious club tournament, having won it more times than any other team, winger Gareth Bale has said.

The 10-time winners take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal on Tuesday and Bale felt the tournament was just that “extra bit spe-

cial” to the Merengues.

“The Champions League means everything to the club. It’s the main priority every year... It’s just in the club’s nature, they want to win the European Cup every year.

It’s instilled in you and you go for it every year,” Bale told the Times newspaper.

“It’s special to the club. Even when you play on European nights the atmosphere’s that bit better, everyone in the stands is kicking every ball for you. It’s al-

ways more intense for Champions League games, because it means so much for the club.

‘Extra bit special’ “All the players know how much it means. That’s not to say the league titles don’t mean as much but it’s just that extra bit special.”

With sections of the media claiming Bale suffers a fractious relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, the Wales international was quick to dismiss such notions,

saying the Portuguese three-time Ballon d’Or winner’s will to win was often misinterpreted.

“The press make a lot of things that maybe we don’t but we get on fine. We’ve never had a problem,” Bale said of his prolific team mate.

“I’ve never had an argument with him. He’s a very, very passionate person on the pitch... everyone knows that. People sometimes seem to take that the wrong way. We haven’t had a problem.” - Reuters

YEAR’S BEST: This file photo taken shows Leicester City’s Algerian midfielder Riyad Mahrez celebrating after scoring his third goal during the Premier League match against Swansea City. – AFP

C4

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

SPORTS Juventus want to assert themselves in Europe After wrapping a fifth successive Serie A title, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is determined to strengthen the squad still further in the close season

ANOTHER TITLE: Juventus’ players celebrate at the end of their Serie A match against Fiorentina at Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence on Sunday. – Reuters

MILAN: Juventus have no intention of selling their top players and are determined to assert themselves as a major force in Europe next season after wrapping a fifth successive Serie A title.

Despite their domestic dominance, Juve’s European form has been patchy over the last few seasons with one group stage elimination and two defeats to Bayern Munich — in the quarterfinals and this season in the round of sixteen.

Even when they reached the final last season, they were seen as upstarts rather than equals of teams such as Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, who has been in charge for the last two seasons, wants that to change and is determined to strengthen the squad still further in the close season.

“The club will focus on improving the squad, as it did last summer, bringing in young players with great technique. Next year we

must focus on winning the Champions League. It’s somewhat narrow-minded just to focus just on Serie A,” he said.

“It was hard to digest this year.

We got knocked out this year on the final cross of the game against Bayern Munich but we need to do better next year.”

Precocious talents Serie A is no longer regarded as one of Europe’s top leagues and its clubs often have trouble holding onto their players in the face of the greater financial power of their English and Spanish counterparts.

However, Juventus have already stated that they intend to keep Paulo Dybala and Paul Pogba, their two most precocious talents.

Pogba, 23, has come on in leaps and bounds this season after being given more responsibility after the departure of veteran playmaker Andrea Pirlo to ply his

trade in North America. A player who combines finesse and physical power, Pogba could fetch more than 100 million euros if sold, Juventus estimates.

Allegri, however, said jokingly last week that he would rather keep the Frenchman than have the money to spend in the transfer market.

Dybala, one year younger, has also shone in his first season following his move from Palermo, scoring 16 goals.

“Over the course of our history, Juventus have very rarely let our best players go. Paul, as well as Dybla, is part of the core of this team and we do not intend to put them on the market,” said chief executive Giuseppe Marotta.

“We want to go out and get great players while keeping our most valuable pieces. We will only sell players who have told us they want to leave, but that is not the case with Pogba or Dybla or any of the others.”

Juventus won Serie A without

kicking a ball on Monday after Napoli, the only team that could have caught them, were sunk 1-0 by a late Radja Nainggolan goal at AS Roma.

In many ways, this year’s title has been the most unexpected of the last five.

Juventus got off to a miserable start after losing Pirlo as well as top scorer Carlos Tevez to his native Argentina and tireless midfielder Arturo Vidal to Bayern Munich, and were 11 points off the pace by the end of October.

But after taking 73 points out of their last 75, they clinched another title with five games to spare.

“To win this season would be really crazy and unbelievable,” said goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon after the 2-1 victrory at Fiorentina on Sunday.

“We’ve shown the technical and moral strength of the group, the determination not to give in and our ability to astonish.” - Reuters

FOOTBALL

United’s Mata admits footballers overpaid, live in sheltered world LONDON: Manchester United’s Spanish international midfielder Juan Mata has admitted in an interview that he and other professional footballers earn “obscene” amounts of money and “live in a bubble”.

Mata, who signed for Manchester United from Chelsea for a reported 37 million pounds ($53.41 million) in 2014, is believed to earn around 150,000 pounds per week.

“Football is very well remunerated at this level. It’s like we live in a bubble. Compared to the rest of society, we earn a ridiculous amount. It’s unfathomable,” Mata said in an interview on Spanish television programme “Salvados”, broadcast on Sunday.

“With respect to the world of football, I earn a normal wage.

But compared to 99.9 percent of Spain and the rest of the world, I earn a silly amount.”

The Spaniard also said he sympathised with critics of the modern game, who claim football has become too commercialised, and criticised the attitude of some young players who become arrogant after turning professional.

“I can understand what they’re talking about. The business side of football makes it seem as though the owners are now more important than the fans,” the 27-year-old added. “Every player thinks he’s Diego Maradona when he joins a big club. That happens to all of us but then you notice it in the younger players.

“You see kids who think they’re rock stars; wearing extravagant clothes and driving flash cars... sometimes you have to take them aside and have a word.”

Mata added: “I don’t enjoy the business side of football. I love the game. I love training and competing.” - Reuters

MAJOR BLOW

South Africa bans rugby, cricket from bidding for major tourneys JOHANNESBURG: South Africa on Monday banned its national cricket and rugby federations from hosting or bidding for international tournaments for at least a year due to their failure to increase representation of black players.

Sports minister Fikile Mbalula said the athletics and netball federations were also barred from bidding to stage global events after a report showed that four

out of the five biggest sports have failed to create enough opportunities for black players.

The minister’s decision was a major blow to the South African Rugby Union’s intention to bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The bidding process starts next month. The soccer federation was the only one of the five to meet its transformation targets, he said. - Reuters

C

SECTION

LIFESTYLE

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

Dining WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

VANILLA SHORTBREAD COOKIES A delicious and simple vanilla shortbread cookies recipe made with only four ingredients. They crumble delicately while melting in your mouth with each bite, and they have just the right hint of sweetness. Simple and elegant, and a perfect companion to your tea.

Ingredients 14 tbsp (7 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 1 tsp vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract 2 cups plus 3 tbsp all-purpose flour Preparation • In a bowl mix butter and sugar until light and creamy. Mix in the vanilla. Mix in the flour and beat until smooth.

• Put the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and pat into a rectangle ½ to ¾ inch thick.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

• Roll dough out between two sheets of parchment paper to about ¼ inch thick. Using a 2-inch round fluted cookie cutter cut out 30 cookies and transfer to parchment paper lined sheet pan. Trimmings can be pressed together and rerolled once for additional cookies. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow the dough to chill before baking.

• Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Using a small offset spatula, transfer the chilled cookies to the sheet pans, leaving, at least, 1-inch of space between each cookie. Sprinkle the cookies with sugar.

• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, switching the position and rotating the sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and light golden brown.

Remove the sheets from the oven and cool for 2 to 5 minutes on the sheet pan to firm the cookies up a bit. Transfer cookies directly to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight HEALTHY BAKED BROCCOLI TOTS Broccoli and cheddar together in little tater-tots are perfect for snacking.

Ingredients 2 cups or 12 ounces uncooked or frozen broccoli 1 large egg ¼ cup diced onion ⅓ cup cheddar cheese ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs ⅓ cup breadcrumbs 2 tbsp parsley ( or cilantro) ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Preparation • Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease a baking sheet with a thin layer of oil or line with parchment paper and set aside.

• Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute then remove and shock with cold tap water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.

• Chop broccoli finely and mix thoroughly with the egg, onions, cheddar, breadcrumbs, and seasoning.

• Scoop about 1.5 tbsp of mix using an ice-cream scoop or your hands and gently press between your hands into a firm ball then shape into a tater-tot shape. It helps to wash your hands after every few tots to keep them from sticking onto your hands. Next, place on your prepared baking sheet.

• Bake until golden brown and crispy for around 20 minutes, turning half way. Remove from the oven and enjoy with your favourite dip.

Let Them Eat Cookies, Muffins, and Sambousek

CHOCOLATE QUINOA MUFFINS

When it comes to afternoon tea party or high tea, there aren’t any fixed menus. While

Ingredients 2 cups cooked quinoa 4 eggs ½ cup milk 1tsp vanilla extract ½ cup butter (or any cooking oil) 1 cup sugar/brown or castor sugar (honey for a healthier version) 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 cup cocoa powder 1 ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt

sandwiches and cakes are always in the list, why not get a little innovative this time?

Indulge your guests with these quick mouth-watering treats.

Recipes Oneza Tabish

These chocolate quinoa muffins could easily pass off as chocolate cake. Gluten free and hard to believe that they are completely flourless with the main ingredient as cooked quinoa. Give your chocolate muffin a healthy twist and surprise your guests.

Preparation • Preheat you oven to 175C. • In a large bowl or stand mixer, put in all the ingredients and mix well till well combined.

• Pour into muffin tins just over 1/2 full. Mist your muffin tin with oil or line with silicone liners or foil liners to prevent sticking.

• Bake for 15 minutes, until you press them and they spring back. The toothpick test doesn’t work well on these as a bit of the crumb will stick to the toothpick as they are rich and moist.

• Sprinkle some chocolate chip for that glossy look.

SPINACH AND CHEESE SAMBOUSEK Spinach and cheese sambousek is a famous Lebanese dish that features a plain flour shell with succulent spinach and cheese mixture. Feta cheese gives this dish a great texture.

Ingredients For the dough 1 cup all purpose flour Salt to taste 2 tbsp oil For the stuffing 2 tsp oil ½ cup chopped onions 1tsp finely chopped garlic 1 cup blanched and chopped spinach ½ tsp baharat powder Salt to taste ½ cup crumbled feta cheese 2 tbsp roasted and chopped walnuts Preparation • Combine all the ingredients for the dough in a bowl, mix well and knead into semi-stiff dough using enough water.

• Heat oil in a broad nonstick pan, add the onions and garlic, and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.

• Add the spinach, baharat powder and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes.

• Transfer the mixture in a deep bowl, add the feta cheese and walnuts, mix well. Divide the mixture into 15 equal portions.

Keep aside.

• Now roll a portion of the dough into a 100 mm (4”) diameter circle using a little plain flour for rolling.

• Place a portion of spinach and cheese mixture in the centre.

Fold it over to make a semicircle. Seal the ends completely using a little water.

• Twist the edges.

• Repeat for the remaining dough circles and stuffing to make 14 more sambousek.

• Heat oil in a deep non-stick wok and deep-fry a few sambousek at a time on a slow flame till they turn golden brown from all the sides. Drain on an absorbent paper. Serve hot.

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

C6

PRAYER TIMINGS

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

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CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI The Huntsman: Winter’s War – (3D) (Action | Drama) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain 3:15, 5:00, 9:15 & 11:30PM Precious Cargo – (2D) (Action) (12+) Cast: Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani 3:00, 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30PM Demolition (2D) (Comedy | Drama) (12+) Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts 4:45, 6:45PM Cabin Fever (2D) (Horror) (18+) Cast: Gage Golightly, Matthew Daddario 11:45PM Fan (Hindi| Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Joelle Koissi 8:45PM The Jungle Book - (3D) Drama| Family) (PG) Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 3:00, 5:30 & 7:15PM MUSCAT GRAND MALL The Huntsman: Winter’s War – 3D (PG12) Action| Adventure | Drama Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain 12:30, 7:30, 11:30 PM Gold Class – 5:00 PM Precious Cargo – 2D (12+) Action Cast: Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani 5:45, 9:45, 11:45 PM Gold Class – 3:15, 9:15, 11:15 PM The Jungle Book – 3D (PG) Adventure | Drama| Family Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:45 PM Gold Class – 7:15 PM Fan – 2D (PG12) Hindi| Thriller Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Joelle Koissi 2:45, 8:45 PM

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Precious Cargo – (2D) (Action) (12+) VIP LOUNGE Cast: Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani, 3:00, 4:45 & 11:30PM

PANORAMA MALL The Huntsman: Winter’s War – (3D) (Action | Drama) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain 3:45, 6:00 & 11:30PM Precious Cargo – (2D) (Action) (12+) VIP LOUNGE Cast: Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani, 3:00, 4:45 & 11:30PM Precious Cargo – (2D) (Action) (12+) 2:30, 9:30 & 11:15PM The Ones Below – (2D) (Thriller) (15+) Cast: Clémence Poésy, David Morrissey 4:15 & 11:45PM Fan - (Hindi| Thriller) - VIP LOUNGE (PG12) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Joelle Koissi 8:30PM Fan (Hindi| Thriller) (PG12) 6:00, 8:15 & 11:15PM The Jungle Book – (3D) (Adventure | Drama| Family) (PG) - VIP LOUNGE Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 6:30PM The Jungle Book (MX4D) (Adventure) (PG) 3:30, 5:30, 7:30 & 9:30PM

The Huntsman: Winter’s War – 3D (PG12) Action| Adventure | Drama Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain 12:30, 7:30, 11:30 PM Gold Class – 5:00 PM

The Jungle Book - (3D) Adventure | Drama| Family) (PG) 3:15, 5:15 & 7:15PM Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (3D) (Action, Adventure) (PG12) Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 9:00PM

Cast: Vijay, Samantha Ruth Prabhu 6:00 PM Sarrainodu (Telugu) (2D) (Action) (TBC) Cast: Allu Arjun / Rakul Preet Singh 8:30 PM RUWI Screen 1 The Jungle Book (2D) (Adventure /Drama/ Family) –PG Cast : Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Bill Murray 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM

AZAIBA The Huntsman: Winter’s War (3D) (Action |Adventure | Drama) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain 3:15, 11:45 PM The Jungle Book (3D) (Adventure|Family) (PG) Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 3:15, 5:15, 7:15, 9:00, 11:30 PM Fan (2D) (Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Joelle Koissi 2:30, 5:30, 8.30, 11:15 PM Laal Rang (2D) (Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Randeep Hooda, Piaa Bajpai 3:30, 11:30 PM Kali (Mal) (2D) (Romance | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Dulquer Salmaan and Sai Pallavi 6:15, 9:15 PM Theri (Tamil) (2D) (Comedy | Action) (12+)

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BURAIMI Fan PG12 (Hindi, Thriller) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Joelle Koissi 8:30 PM The Jungle Book (3D) PG Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 5:30, 7:30PM Cabin Fever (18+) (Horror) Cast: Gage Golightly, Matthew Daddario, Samuel Davis 11:45PM The Huntsman: Winter’s War PG12 (Action) Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain 5:00, 9:30, 11:30PM Precious Cargo (12+) (Action) Cast : Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani 6:30, 11:30 PM The Ones Below (15 +) (Thriller) Cast: Clémence Poésy, David Morrissey 4:45, 9:45PM Kali (12+) (Malayalam) Romantic | Thriller Cast: Dulquer Salmaan and Sai Pallavi 7:30PM SALALAH The Jungle Book (3D) (PG) (Adventure ) Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30PM The Huntsman: Winter’s War (3D) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron 2:00, 6:00, 11:30PM Fan (2D) (PG12) (Thriller) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Joelle Koissi 8:15, 11:15PM Demolition (2D) (12+) (Comedy Drama) Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts 5:00PM Precious Cargo (2D) (12+) (Action) Cast: Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani, John Brotherton 1:30, 3:15, 10:00, 11:55PM The Ones Below (2D) (15+) (Thriller) Cast: Clémence Poésy, David Morrissey, Stephen Campbell Moore 4:15PM Sarrainodu (2D) (12+) (Telugu) (Action / Masala) Cast: Allu Arjun / Rakul Preet Singh 7:00PM Kali (2D) (12+) (Mal) (Romantic | Thriller) Cast: Dulquer Salmaan and Sai Pallavi 8:30PM

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

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) Destination

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

16:30 18:00 19:30

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

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

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

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

20:50

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

35 26

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

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

Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om Sarrainodo (Telugu) (Action & Drama) Cast: Allu Arjun & Rakul Preet Singh 3-30 Pm Cinema Main; 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema-3 Kali (Mal) (Comedy & Drama) Cast: Dulquar Salmaan & Sai Pallavi 6-30 & 9-30 pm Cinema Main; 3-45 Cinema-3 Vetrivel (Tamil) (Action\Comedy) Cast: M. Sasi Kumar& Miya George 6:45PM Cinema -4 Theri (Tamil) (Action) Cast: Vijay & Samantha 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 pm Cinema-2 Fan ( Hindi) ( Action\Thriller) Cast: Shahrukh Khan 3-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -4 Next Change: Manithan (Tamil) Programmes are subject to change

Minimum

0

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

50-15%

MEENAKSHI RAMESH April 26, 2004 Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

LISTINGS

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

Fan (Hindi) (Drama / Thriller) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Waluscha De Souza 2.00, 6.30, & 9.15 PM CP No: 1100 (PG12)

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) Sur Sur

Demolition (Comedy / Drama) Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper 2.00 & 6.00 PM CP No: 1107 (12+)

JOCELYNE SHIBU MATHEW April 26, 2011

ROYAL OMAN POLICE 07:30 14:30

Cabin Fever (Horror) Cast: Gage Golightly, Matthew Daddario, Samuel Davis 4.30 & 11.55 PM CP No: 1106 (18+)

0

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

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

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

The Huntsman: Winter’s War (Action) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron 4.00, 8.00, 10.00, & 11.55 PM CP No: 1105 (PG12)

STAR CINEMA

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

Film information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

Quriyat Sur Jaalan

BAHJA CINEMA

WITH LOVE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36)

17:30

12.10pm 3.36pm 6.38pm 7.52pm 4.17am

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

@ SHATTI

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 International Hospital, Al Ghubra 22004000, 94267068/97049520 Al Hayat Clinic, Al Hail 22009455

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

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

C7

LIFESTYLE IN THE NEWS

Toko’s Tapanese menu is wooing people in Dubai

In every country, you have places you go for dining and places you go for a drink. In Japan you can have the best of both worlds: Izakaya – a cool casual destination where you can eat and drink and be merry with colleagues and friends.

Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Well then, you will be pleased to know that the Japanese version of tapas is making its way to Toko Dubai this April and it comes with a catchy label: Tapanese. Toko’s Tapanese menu will be serving up everything from the freshest seafood including spicy crispy rice salmon and tuna tacos to everything meaty including tender beef aburi nigiri or succulent fried chicken wings and ending off with mini doughnuts with vanilla sauce or dulce de leche ice cream with chocolate cookies. Izakaya food is engineered to be especially delicious with a mug of hops to make the experience that much more memorable.— lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Savour ‘food by mood’ at HolyBelly in Delhi

Coffee Beans Buying Guide Good quality beans are the first and most important step to achieving a great quality drink.

But with so many varieties on offer, it might be a daunting experience to make your selection.

F

or centuries, coffee has been one of the most beloved drinks worldwide. Whether in a coffee shop, a restaurant or at home, people around the world drink it and enjoy it. Coffee has many varieties and tastes.

One drink of coffee does not always resemble another.

Coffee beans make a huge difference when it comes to the taste of coffee. Good quality beans are the first and most important step to achieving a great quality drink.

But with so many varieties on offer, it might be a daunting experience to make your selection.

That’s why while choosing coffee beans you should have at least a basic knowledge about the subject and make sure your supplier is a professional and only offers good quality ingredients.

The main types of coffee beans come from Coffea Arabica and Coffea Robusta. Coffea Arabica is considered a higher quality ingredient,

but Robusta may also produce a decent drink. Other species like Coffea Liberica and Coffea Stenophylla are less commercially successful.

Another important factor to consider when buying beans is their geographic origin. Coffea Arabica growing in India may produce a totally different flavour than the ones raised in Central America.

Even within those regions you may find “sub-regions” that will produce various flavours. So consult your supplier as to the source of the ingredients and their respective flavours.

The roasting process is also a very important influencer on the ingredients’ quality. While you can find good commercial coffee beans, artisanal coffee roasters produce the best quality ones. Blends potentially produce better flavours.

Once you have established the source and types of coffee beans that you want to buy make sure you follow these steps, which will help you ensure you buy good quality ingredients:

While choosing coffee beans you should have at least a basic knowledge about the subject and make sure your supplier is a professional and only offers good quality ingredients.

1. Predetermine what kind of flavour you enjoy: mild or full-bodied, floral-tasting, nutty or winy, and so on, and select the products accordingly 2. Buy freshly roasted beans, for the best quality drink 3. Smell them. Good quality beans look and smell appetising 4. Taste before you make your purchase. You can tell which ingredients taste well even in their “raw” shape 5. Check whether they are broken or splintered. “Damaged” ingredients will also damage the quality of the drink they make Paying attention to the advice offered in this article will help you make a better, more educated purchase when you start your journey towards the best coffee for you. However, there is nothing better than experimenting. After you try a few types of beans, from various sources and roasters, you will eventually land on the one best suited for you.

— Joan Key/Article City

The advent of European fine dining in the capital has enabled foodies relish exotic cuisines without having to visit five-star hotels, but now, HolyBelly, a unique “food boutique”, aims to cater to customers’ needs by providing bespoke menus, as per their “mood”. Started around a year ago by chefs Janeya Khanna and Rishi Bharadwaj in Shahpur Jat, Delhi, HolyBelly isn’t your average diner or eatery. It provides gourmet catering services for events and does chef’s table events.

Reviving authentic Telugu dishes in Hyderabad Here is a restaurant with a mission to bring back authentic Telugu dishes becoming extinct, to connect people to their roots and relive the magic of their ancestral homes. After extensive research, Karampodi is serving about 200 authentic dishes from the rich Telugu cuisine to reignite the taste buds.

Drawn from traditional Telugu kitchens, these recipes are catering to the common, yet varied, tastes of people who come from different regions of the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The speciality dishes from Telangana, Andhra and Rayalaseema have all been documented by the restaurant after an elaborate exercise, including help from experts and inputs from grandmothers. Located in Filmnagar, the hub of the Telugu film industry, in the upmarket Jubilee Hills, the restaurant embarked on the unique initiative after realising that many dishes are becoming extinct due to changing lifestyles. The name of the restaurant itself evokes curiosity as karampodi is an inseparable part of Telugu culture — a powder made of red chillis along with other ingredients.

People mix garlic, tamarind, pulses, bitter gourd or other items to make the powder, usually taken with plain rice.

Made in different combinations to suit one’s taste, it is a must on the menu in Telugu homes. — IANS

C8

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016

LIFESTYLE

ONE ENT DI INGRE

AYS FIVE W

From savoury dishes like chicken curry to delicious desserts like cakes, juices, and chilled soups for summers, there are many ways to use cherries in our food.

Chicken Curry with Cherries Take 2 cups of dried cherries and pour boiling water over them. Take 500g of boneless chicken thigh and brown them in 1tbsp oil. Keep it aside.

Drain the blanched dried cherries and reserve the water. In the reserved water add 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves, and boil for a while. Add 1 diced onion with a pinch of salt and stir. Add 1tbsp oil, 1tbsp ginger, 1tbsp garlic, and 1tbsp tomato paste, and cook for while.

Add 1tsp cumin, 1tsp coriander, and 1tsp garam masala powder. Cook for a while and then add 2 cups boiling chicken stock, the blanched cherries, and continue to cook for about 5 to 6 minutes. Once the curry gets a thicker consistency add the chicken thigh pieces. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked throughly, about 20 minutes. Add 1tsp lemon juice before serving. Serve with rice.

Cherry Cake

Cherry Juice Cherry Fruit Snacks Take 1 cup of cherry juice, 3tbsp gelatin, 11/2 cup raw honey, and a pinch of seasalt. Sprinkle gelatin over the 1/2 cup cherry juice and keep it aside. Heat the remaining 1/2 cup over medium heat for a minute and add honey and salt. Mix well and pour over the gelatin mixture. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Pour into moulds and freeze it for 3-4 hours until they are set.

Rinse a handful of cherries and remove the seed. Blanch 4 plums in hot water for 2 minutes and remove its skin. Cut the plums into halves and remove stones. Blend the blanched cherries and plum in a blender until you get a smooth puree. Strain the puree through sieve. Add ice cubes in tall glasses and fill them up with the cherry juice. You can also blend watermelon with cherries and plum for sweetness.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Sift together 11/2 cup flour, 11/2 tsp baking powder, and 1tsp salt. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup shortening and 2/3 cup sugar and beat for a while till its fluffy.

Beat 1 egg and add 1tsp vanilla essence.

Add the flour mixture and 1/2 cup milk.

Add 1 cup cherries and 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Pour the batter in a greased pan.

Bake for approximately 50 minutes.

Once cool cut into slices and serve.

Cherry Soup Take 1 can (250g) of pitted cherries, 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 cup cold water, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 cup sour cream. Drain the canned cherries. Combine cornstarch and cold water in a bowl. Boil it for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add sugar and lemon juice. Stir and remove from heat and chill. Add the sour cream and the drained cherries. Keep it in the refrigerator for an hour and serve it chill. This soup is ideal for the hot summer months.

D

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M T U E S DAY, A P R I L 2 6, 2 0 1 6

SECTION

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

RENT

D2

VACANCY

D4

CARGO

D7

D2

T U E S D AY, A P R I L 2 6 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

FOR RENT

DĂĚŝŶĂƚ ^ƵůƚĂŶ YĂƐ ͗^ŚŽǁƌŽŽŵͬKĸĐĞ Ăƚ 'ƌŽƵŶĚ &ůŽŽƌ͕ ϯϰϬ ^Ƌ Mtr. Facing main Road HAR Complex MSQ : 2,3-BHK Flats and 2 & 3 BHK villas with

ͬ ͕ĐĂƌ ƉĂƌŬŝŶŐ͕ ^ǁŝŵŵŝŶŐ WŽŽů ;'ĂƚĞĚ ŽŵƉůĞdžͿ Qurum : 6 BHK villa with garden, split Acs, shaded car parks, servant rooms DĂďĞůůĂ ͗ Ϯ ,< &ůĂƚƐ ǁŝƚŚ ;ďƌĂŶĚ ŶĞǁ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐͿ Darsait : 1 & 2-BHK Flats with AC & Shop Ruwi : 2-BHK & 3-BHK Flats and shops Al Amerat : 2 & 3-BHK Flat , 3 & 4-BHK Villa with A/C

For viewing please call 99466729, 99316410, 92841690, 91313271, 24694088 or email us on :hartc@omantel.net.om

*Tourist visa arranged

Two modern fully furnished & equipped offices available for rent at Jasmine Complex Al Khuwair: 1) 152 M2 with reception, 1 GM Office, 2 meeting rooms, 26 working stations, pantry, network connection.

2) 132 M2 with reception, 7 offices, 6 working stations, 1 conference room, network connection.

Contact - 99469698

7 rooms villa attach bath at Azaiba 18th November Road.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

3 BHK, 3 toilets near Indian School main Wadi Kabir & 2 BHK, 2 toilet near Honda road Junction.

Contact: 99737562 Office 55 SQ. Mtrs & 2 B /R new bldg in Bausher behind bank Muscat from owner. Contact: 92158031 Super deluxe 5 bedroom villa at North Ghubrah. Contact: 99369081 3 Rooms, 2 Toilets Flat for Rent.

18 November Street. Near Mars Hypermarket and The Chedi.

Ghobrah -Good for Commercial or Residential use. OMR 295/- month.

Call 94477222 Running beauty parlor for rent in Al Khuwair. Contact: 98689280

Flat in Wadi Al Kabir 2 bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 family hall, kitchen & 3 bathrooms. Contact: 99277787 Large Twin villa 6+6 rooms +2 halls +2 kitchens, Large independent compound, good for companies, staff accommodations /sharing families/executive bachelors.

Contact 98048207 2BHK Ghubra South with A/C, 300 R.O . Contact: 99342661 1BHK Darsait 200/- R.O. Contact: 94233661 2BHK Barka with A/C 160/-R.O. Contact: 99342661

Room or apartment for rent in Qurum. Contact: 99664703

New building 1BHK, 3 BHK flats with AC at Wadi Al Kabir behind Muscat Bakery. Contact: 99338133 / 92103604

Executive bachelor at Rex Road near Kamat Hotel telugu, kannada or Tamil. Contact: 99151508

2 Bedroom flat near Kuwait Masjid, Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 98498823 / 97608564

A small villa for rent at Azaiba, near Al Meera hypermarket. 2 bedrooms, 2 toilets, kitchen, sitting room and dining room. this will include curtains and air conditioners. please call 99766920 2 bedroom Flat, semi furnished with spacious living areas comprising of 2 BR with attached bathrooms, a living room, separate bathroom and kitchen. The flat has Gym facility and secured under ground parking.

Perfectly situated in Mumtaz Area nearby Temple and Church, rent RO 400/-. Contact 97487916 Deluxe 1 & 2 bedroom flats, ideal for office / residence at Qurum near PDO. Contact: 97721313 / 95070421 Luxury fully furnished 2 bedroom flat at Al Khuwair for short or long term lease contract. Contact Atlas Real Estate & Rent a Car LLC. Contact Atlas Real Estate & Rent a Car LLC. Contact 94617563 / 92888376, tel : 24833848 / 24834888

1 BHK at Walja. Contact: 95915154

2BHK at Mawaleh near Sadiq Al Amin Mosque.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

1000 SQM industrial land in Misfah area with 3 rooms, 5 bathrooms, kitchen near Azaiba United 2 sides road facing large parking space. Ideal for workshop, staff camp, store. Contact: 99454425

Room for rent big room, toilet, washing place including water & electricity Bowsher OMR 200/-.

Contact: 91153933

1BHK new building with A/C curtains near Khimji Mart MBD. Contact: 99061408 / 99024039 1BHK Ruwi & Qurum.

Contact : 99024730 Villa for rent 8 big room, 7 toilets, big hall, Kitchen & store Al Khoud.

Contact: 91153933 Villa for rent, 4 rooms, big hall, 6 toilets, big living room, kitchen & store Bousher 750/-OMR. Contact: 91153933 Villa for rent room, toilet, hall, kitchen, store with furniture water & electricity included Bowsher OMR 300/-. Contact: 91153933

Villa for rent, big hall, 4 room, 5 toilets, kitchen, store living room in Ghubra OMR 650/-.

Contact: 91153933 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 Available for Rent one Room with Bathroom and Kitchen in Al Khuwair (near Sagar Polyclinic), suitable for Executive Bachelors or Couples. Contact 99225008 Flat for rent in Ruwi, Mumtaz area 2 bedrooms. Contact: 24291500 / 91409667

FOR RENT

Commercial Space Commercial Space For Rent in Al Khuwair. Ideal for Coffee Shop / Restaurant / Office Space / Showroom 27sqm / 68sqm / 128sqm

Contact: 96775026

1, 2. 3.BHK flat in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181 7 B/R en-suite villa for rent/lease with ac, 1100 OMR per month, location: al khuwair opp. safeer plaza hotel. Contact : 93389107 4 BHK villa in Azaiba.

Contact 99792181 200 & 300 sqr mtrs office space in MBD (Ruwi). Contact 99792181 2 BHK Office space in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181 Flat for rent in South Mabela.

Contact: 95331177 / 95230355 Office space small in Azaiba.

Contact: 99428143 Brand new double bed room flats with two and three toilets, split ac, elevators available at Al Khoudh next to Al koudh health center.

Contact 99022675 1 BHK in Azaiba. Contact: 99385835 / 99428143 Flats in Wadi Kabir. Contact 94051789 / 97201688

T U E S DAY, A P R I L 2 6, 2 0 1 6

D3

DAILY GUIDE

FOR SALE Big showroom for sale and floor more than 200 SQM area in Ruwi main road. Contact: 93591485 or Whatsapp. Contact: 93333951

FOR RENT

20 x40 containers. Contact: 99354909

FOR RENT IN RUWI 1 BHK – SPILT A/C, BUILT IN WARDROBE &CENTRALIZED GAS. SPACIOUS 2 BHK.

Contact : 990 49 722 FOR RENT IN AZAIBA 4 Bedrooms excellent villa with car parking Directly from the owner

Contact - 97094797

Quality Warehouses for rent at Mizfa 550 sqm to 3400 sqm.

Contact 99332291 / 96046951 Flats in Darsait. Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Flats in Muttrah. Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Offices in Ghala. Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Shops / flats available in Honda Road, Ruwi & Mabellah Industrial area. Contact 24833972/ 24833974/ 99367448 Flat for Rent 2 bed room Near ISM muscat Indian Scoole Dar sate Tel : 00 968 95158570

Villa for rent in Al Mawaleh behind Al Tawfeer Super market nr Al Mawaleh facilities - 7 spacious bedrooms, 7 toilets, 1 big hall, 1 family hall, 1 kitchen & parking, rent 800/-negotiable.

Contact: 92885889 / 95031133

Offices & Showrooms in Mutrah.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Office for rent in Mabela.

Contact: 99355330

Duplex villa in QURUM 29.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

1000 sqmtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse workshop etc.

Contact 24700120 / 92584715

Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

1000 sqm Industrial space with office and accommodation, near Grand Mosque, Ghala.

Contact: 99364938 2 bed rooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715/ 24700120

Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Flat in Al Khuwair opp grand mall 4 room 3 toilet + hall kitchen in 3 floor 400. Contact 99420346 Flats, shops and store for rent in Ruwi, MBD & Mumtaz. Contact: 97293708 / 92433127 New building Wattayah main road, showroom & office space.

Contact 94300909

1BHK at Hamriya near Muscat Pharmacy & 2 BHK at Mawaleh near Mosque Sadiq Al Amin.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

2BHK flat shops / ware house space available for rent behind new ROP building at Honda road.

Contact 91165807

Flats in Qurum. Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Furnished office (61M2) for sale / rent Al Khuwair near Zawawi Mosque. Contact: 95611569

New flat at Al Wadi Al Kabir.

Contact: 96130797 / 92130703 Ware houses in Hay Aseem Barka, 11000 m2 near round about new Beach road at Al Khoud location open store with office.

Contact 92959129 Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35) Contact 94051789 / 97201688

2BHK Wadi Kabir R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045 Flat for rent in South AlGhubrah 3 rooms, hall and 3 toilets, kitchen rent 450/-. Contact: 99335580 2BHK split A/C 200/- Monthly & 1BHK spilt A/C 150/- monthly new building good location Barka Market. contact 99342661

2BHK Big Size Flat Behind Bank Muscat, Wadi Kabir. Near ISWK. 97826454, 24815012.

New Rent house in Mabela.

Contact: 99880841/96053220 02 BHK residential flat opposite to Al Nahdha hospital.

Contact: 99342733 /99795241 1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100, 2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O 200/in AL Khuwair. Contact 95154331 Flat for rent 2 BHK 2 split A/C, 2 toilets, Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Masjid. Contact 97007934 / 92629232 Warehouse at Wadikabir - total area 3500 sqm - covered warehouse (500sqm), office, accommodation (1000sqm), open area (2000sqm) please contact: 99273774 - 99202278 Four bedroom two floors luxurious and spacious residential villa in Al Hail North, near to the sea and Oman oil. Each room has its own bathroom. It has splits A/C’s and shaded car park. OMR 750 monthly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955 For rent and investment Land industrial shops in Rusayl.

Contact: 99323957 / 95490842 Two bedrooms flat in Al Ghobrah near Oman Oil of 18 November Street.

OMR 330 Monthly. Contact 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955.

FOR SALE 1100.00 m2 com. & Res. plot at heart of Ruwi. Contact: 93666944 Excavator Volvo 240 & Hydraulic Hammers. Contact: 99209427 Fork lift Caterpillar (tool carrier cat it 28 f) oxy / PDO certified with excellent condition for sale.

Contact details: gsm: 99332937, land ph: 24446535 Shop for sale in Mabela Sanayya-3 suitable for any business.

Contact : 96653000 2012 S350L AMG Mercedes special order 62500 KM asking 21800 Tel: 99423189 Expat leaving by 28th april,16, TV Philips 25 ‘’ with dist TV receiver, TV Trolley for RO.35 3 in one JVC CD, VCD, radio & audio player RO 25, dining showcase RO 15, 2 Godrej steel cupboards 25. Contact 96764105 A well running pharmacy for sale at prime location. contact 99627621, 93240949

Dental chair, mobile dental X ray, instruments, 5 year old, sale for 1000 Rials only in Al Buraimi.

Contact: 92737149 Single colorful Bed and Sofa for Sale at Al Khuwair. Contact 92881849 /What`s up No 97290565 Villas in Al Khoud.

Contact 95056808 / 97201688 Luxury Apartments in Boucher (35). Contact 95056808 / 97201688 Furniture and other treatment items for Ayurvedic clinic.

Contact 97986525 Steel Scrap materials for immediate sale. # 99273774/ 99202278

ACC. AVAILABLE

Almost new beach/ garden lounge chairs /bar stools/ counter. Photos can be sent 95865457

1 BHK flat for rent in Darsait Rent - R.O.250/-. Contact no.

99357586,99785068

Space for printing press available at wadikabir with or without machinery. Contact 99328430

Room for rent at Al Khuwair for bachelor 115 RO with A/C bed, Elect + water. Contact: 95190627

Urgent sale of steel scrap only serious buyers kindly contact +968 96725423 for viewing the items.

Studio type furnished room with small kitchen, bathroom and big balcony behind KIMS hospital Cont 95405033

HD Scaffoldings, Shuttering Jacks, Wooden Planks, Shuttering wood assorted, Tower hoist (lift), Concrete Mixer, Bending Machine, Steel Fabrication Machinery (Searing/Cutting, lathe & Welding) including tools for immediate sale: Contact 99273774/ 99202278 Shop for sale near Oman House, Muttrah. Contact 99024362.

400 sq mtrs Commercial/Residential land in Mabela Phase 5 Block 2. OMR 165 Thousand.

Contact 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955

ACC. AVAILABLE Room with attached bathroom for working ladies in a flat in M.B.D. Contact: 99694307 Villa for rent in South Mabellah, 3 bedrooms, sitting room, family Lounge, kitchen, three Toilets Contact 92212212 between 10 AM to 5 PM. Furnished room with A/bathroom in Al-khuwair33 for Indian Executive. Contact 95234062 A/C room rent 60 R.O Muttrah, opp. Khimji Mart.

Contact: 97477670 Furnished room / Bath for Executives Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99336206

Rooms available with Kitchen facility at Ruwi. Contact: 91214897 Sharing bachelors accommodation available in Rex Road, Ruwi.

Contact 94442157 Furnish bedroom with attach bathroom for executive bachelor.

Contact: 97704794 Furnished apartment for rent, two rooms, majlis, hall, kitchen.

Near Carrefour al-mawalah.

Contact 99336776 Separate entrance furnished bedroom with attached bath and kitchen for Executive bachelor in a villa opp.

Star Cinema. Contact: 99314807 Sharing Accommodation available for working ladies opposite Al Nadhah Hospital. Preferably Indians. Room with seperate toilet and sharing kitchen.RO.90.

Contact 96524717 ROOM for RENT for Filipino, spacious, new building in Al Khuwair near City Seasons. Water, Wifi, Electric Included. Call 97728418.

Room for rent with furniture.

Al Bustan village.

Contact 93687466 Room available in Mumtaz area 1 room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room, common bathroom. Interested pleasecontact 92680041 Mr. Altaf

Sharing accommodation near ISD. Contact: 99657340 Room available for Executive bachelor at Al Hail.

Contact 96234708 Furnished room attached bath for Indian bachelor, Al-Falaj Ruwi & lady Wadi Kabir near Mars hypermarket. CONTACT 96202458/96761960 Room with attached bathroom for a family in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 97167857 Room with attached bathroom and sharing kitchen available for Executive bachelor or small family at wadikabir Contact 93049849

ACC WANTED Wanted one room.

Contact 98026234 Looking for a villa in Amerat area.

Contact : 95405033

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

BUYING Buying cars for cash.

Contact 90202090 Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

D4

T U E S D AY, A P R I L 2 6, 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

SITUATION VACANT A reputed Hypermarket in Oman is looking for the following personal for immediate appointment:

1. Floor Supervisor 2. Purchase assistant 3. Sales staff 4. Cashier (Omanis only) Send CV to: recruitment16@post.com

LOOKING FOR SALESMEN - Required urgently young & dynamic - Junior Sales Persons with a valid - Oman Driving license for a reputed printing and graphics company.

Contact: 96260078 / 96532284 Email: info.alsaj@gmail.com

URGENTLY REQUIRED A leading Fire & Safety Company in Oman urgently requires 3 to 5 years experienced candidates for the following preferably with Oman/ GCC D/L, Fire Fighting Technician Fire Alarm Technician CCTV. Access control & Security alarm technician Sales Engineer Send resume to:

jobvacancyat2016@gmail.com

URGENTLY REQUIRED LIGHT HOUSE DRIVER

Aged between 25 to 35 years with a good command of English

Please Contact # 99261098

EUROPEAN RESTAURANTS REQUIRE

WAITRESS Aged between 21 to 32 y.o.

Candidates should be friendly, energetic, with a good command of English.

Please Contact # 99261098

Urgently required subcontractor in construction for big projects.

Contact : 99416162

Urgent required Outdoor sales 3-5 years of experience in spare part, Store Keeper 2 years experience, Accountant 2-3 years experience.

Tel: 24504726 Fax: 24504723 Email: Muscat.supply@gmail.com

CATERING Wanted Male/female Indian cook with experience in Omani & Indian food for Omani Family. Visa available. Contact : Antony 99889459

Engine cylinder head technician required immediately for guide changing, seat changing, seat cutting & valve lapping. call or whatsapp immediately 968-98898273 Required Hydraulic Mechanic.

Contact 95251213

SALES / MARKETING English Teacher required for a private school in Barka. Degree + B.Ed + IELTS. Send CV: alburj@alhakkim.com /93211417 A well known private school is in need of Laboratory Assistant, English, Maths, Science & Kindergarten teachers.

Contact: 96910649 Email: staffing.oman@gmail.com Parameters required in the following disciplines mathematics science neighborhoods physics.

Send CV at the following Email: aleithar@hotmail.com

MEDICAL

Urgently requires Hiab Driver & JCB Operator with valid Omani / GCC driving license, Mason having 5 years experience.

Contact: 24594868/ Fax: 24593880 Mobile 93210740 Email: info@sajgloballlc.com

Urgently required Gynecologist& and General Practitioner with MOH license for polyclinic in Saham.

Contact: 91311990

DOMESTIC HELP Wanted female Muslim cook for family at Qurum, visa available.

93387962

ENGINEER/MECHANIC. Required Indian Engineer road Construction 5/10 years experience Eligibility BE or Diploma Civil AutoCAD Estimation with Oman (D/L) & Indian Heavy Duty drivers.

Contact: 99882127 Email: georgymv@yahoo.com Required an Electrical Engineer for contracting company, with experience working as a Design Engineer preferably within a consultancy. The candidate should have knowledge of all aspects of Electrical Services Engineering in buildings, to take care of several projects at various stages.

Send CV on mctjob2016@gmail.com A leading company in the field of construction Contracting excellent grade required buildings Engineer with min 6 years experience in Oman. Should have valid Omani driving license.

Candidate should send C.V to eng08vacancies@gmail.com

Required candidates for following posts: Accountant, Storekeeper, Foreman Building Maintenance, Van-salesman (water), Helpers.

Candidates with Omani driving license preferred. Contact 99273774/99202278

EDUCATION

DRIVER

Urgently required a Driver.

Contact: 99291154

auditbureau2016@gmail.com

Urgently required to work in the capital only Customer care Officer Expatriate (female) at least 3 years experience in the field, Staff Nurse having MOH license and NOC, Pharmacist with MOH license. Send CV’s at admin@umsalama.com or Contact: Mr. Zubair at No 24818957 Urgently required Nurses for Al Hayat International Hospital : Omani Female Nursing Assistants, Female Nurses (Filipino preferred) with or without MOH license.

Contact: 00968 94267068 / 97049520, Email: pradeep.ratnagiri@ alhayathospital.com Urgently placement for female Staff Nurse & Pharmacist clinic at Samail. Send CV : Email: saemomar@gmail.com, Contact 95498105 Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately for a clinic in Suwaiq. # 95081010 Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com

We are looking for photographer with experience of handling Photoshop and a ticket booking person with knowledge of travel and tourism. Interested candidate can forward their CV to consultancyvisa82@gmail.com Urgently required Marketing Executive for a business agency at Barka. Graduate with D/L and minimum 2 years experience will be preferred, fresher can also apply.

Contact: 98908634 or Send CV to suntaka2015@gmail.com Omani Public Relations Manager / Marketing manager required for an office in Azaiba. Full time job. Omani citizens with Healthcare qualification or marketing experience only need to apply with English cv and photo to :arabhealth@alhakkim.com Required marketing / PR manager for a modern restaurant group in Oman , proficient in illustrator & Photoshop charismatic , proactive , creative & flexible excellent writing / Editing skills degree in relevant area fluent in English. Send CV to marketingpr2016@gmail.com Sales man for printing press with driving license. Contact: 92177095 / 93850727 Email: manager@dsdoman.com Salesman required for electrical equipments with driving license & 5/7 years working experience.

Fax your C.V 24833043 (Jinan Enterprises) Looking for Salesman with experience in vegetable and fruits sales, good conduct, fluent in English. Should have driving license.

Email CV on: info@eigllcoman. com Contact - 96339339 Salesman for a printing press.

Contact: 99498949

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Wanted Staff Nurse for a dermatology clinic in Muscat .

Must have MOH license and NOC. Attractive salary offered. Email: clinicvacancy2015@gmail.com GP doctor needed for reputed clinic. Preferably with MOH license or with Dataflow & Paramatics pass Contact: 95388934

Required Indian Mason – 5 nos., eligibility (minimum 5 yrs experience in road construction field).

Contact: 99882127 Email: georgymv@yahoo.com Thrust Boring contractor is required. Contact immediately99438397

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian male 7 years experience as Accountant in Oman having Oman driving license looking for job, currently in Oman. NOC available. Contact: 92859733 Email: parthasarathy67@gmail.com Sudanese Accountant, Alexandria University Graduate bachelor of commerce Diploma of Marketing professional photographer worked in PR and social media for 2 years looking for a job in public relations media, social media or marketing.

Contact: 96976240 Senior Accountant Master (Fin) ACCA (PART) 14 years of experience in accounts & payroll working or focus, familiar with tally having NOC & D/L, available on immediate basis.

Contact: 98579882 Email: khalidbinfarid@yahoo.com

Send your resume to : jobs4oman2016@yahoo.com

Engineering consultancy office (new) looking for Architect with experience in Oman (portfolio needed) hadi@hadi.om - 99441122

Required Accountant with minimum 4 years experience.

Email: telljobs@gmail.com

Interested candidates may mail their CV’s to:

Civil Engineer

MISCELLANEOUS

One of a Leading Excellent grade group of Companies is looking for a “Junior Accountant” ( Omani Nationals only ) for their Duqum office.

Interested candidates may send their CV by email to mkh.almajali@gmail.com

AN AUDITOR With 6years of experience.

The candidates should be a commerce graduate experienced in auditing.

A reputed, long standing, multi division trading & contracting Company in Oman looking for a young, dynamic, competent Civil Graduate Engineer with relevant Oman experience to start a Civil Construction Company.

Candidates who meet the present Oman Government visa condition can apply.

ENGINEER/MECHANIC.

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

REQUIRED

SITUATION VACANT

ARCHITECT

Required Architect Minimum 3 years experience for a reputed Engineering Consultancy in Muscat. Preference for Arabic speakers.

Contact: 92838840 OR email- abdul2390@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Thrust Boring Supervisor is required. Contact immediately99438397 Electrician for Heavy Machines : experienced with mobile cranes and Wheel Loader (shovel) with a background in troubleshooting and reading a diagram .

Contact : 98856565 . email : hr@wadibaad.com Crane Hydraulic Mechanic : experienced with Mobile Cranes and should have knowledge with troubleshooting and hydraulic system diagnosis . Contact : 98856565 . email : hr@wadibaad.com

SITUATION WANTSIT.WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian male, 25 yrs, Accountant, 2.5 yrs in Finance & Accounts, MBA Finance & HR, exposure in SAP, Tally, ERP 9 on visit visa.

Contact 96715420 / 91265020, Email : jijosrgo@gmail.com, simonjosephjc@gmail.com

Pakistani male MBA finance 8 years experience in Accounting & Finance GCC , D/L on visit visa.

Contact: 95035011 Email: mibm_af@yahoo.com Indian male, M. Com with 3 yr Oman Exp in Accounts with valid NOC & D/L on Visit Visa.

GSM : 94744575 A Graduate of Alexandria in Accounting has freelance interior designing, experience in different design programs & recorded projects achievements, willing to join suitable job for his qualification and talents.

Contact: +201003966769 Oman: 99602608 C/o Osman. Email: shadyhenaawy@gmail.com A Graduate of Alexandria Mechanical Power Engineering and certified International Procurement Manager CIPM basics of supply chain management BSCM - APICS seeking suitable job for his Qualifications. Contact: 20 01222399139 Oman 99602608 C/O Osman Email: samer_henawy@hotmail.com Senior Accountant Indian male with 6 years experience up to finalization in Tally with good MIS reporting knowledge having Oman D/L, NOC. Contact: 94035577 Email: azu090@gmail.com Junior Accountant Pakistani female with more than 2 years experience in tally with good knowledge in Accounts receivable having Oman D/L. Contact: 95287396 Email: mariamnaaz92@hotmail. com Accountant Indian male with 7 years experience up to finalization tally & accounts receivable SAP R/3, good knowledge of payroll having Oman D/L, NOC. Contact: 93733996 Email: thmsb182@gmail.com ICSI & B.Com qualified Corporate Secretary (female) with 2 years experience handling compliance of 200 companies in Indian seeks placement in compliance field or company incorporation & allied fields. Contact: 94863182 Email: meghnasunil6@gmail.com

Accountant Indian male B.Com with 8 years experience in Oman knowledge in tally ERP, SAP AX MIS upto finalization, NOC available. Contact: 96989872 Email: radhakrishnank2007@rediffmail. com Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa.

Immediately available.

Contact 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com 28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement.Contact 90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com Senior / Chief Accountant, having 12 years Oman experience in reputed firms seeks suitable job.

Immediate available.

Contact: 99513082 Part time Accountant up to finalization audit & assignments.

Contact: 91126314 Part-time Accounting up to finalization, Auditing, Taxation and Project Finance assistance Contact: 91044655 Qualified and experienced MBA post graduate with proven work exposure in Middle East & India, having more than 5.5 years of rich experience in accounts , project coordination and administration in (3.5 years UAE experience) oil and gas projects is currently looking for suitable job. #93953613 , Email allen.mathew83@gmail.com Indian male 24 yrs B.Com, TallyERP 9 with one year exp seeking for suitable placement.

Contact 93502127 Jordanian Senior Accountant 15 yrs experience in Oman finance & accounts. Contact : 92881223 Accountant 8 Years experience with D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084 Accountant 8Years Experience with D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084 Indian male, 24 yrs, Graduated with specialization in Accounting 2 years experienced C.A.CPT completed. #94628086 / 97315091 A young CA (ACA & ACCA qualified) with 4 years experience in one of top audit firms in UK & KSA seeks suitable placement in Oman.

Contact: Kamran: hkamran112@ gmail.com. +44 7480 1196 74. +968 93595050.

Sudanese female Accountant excellent knowledge, MS Office, can work under pressure.

Contact: 97200130 Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman.

Ready to join immediately.

Contact 98263394 Indian male , 29 B.com ICWA (pursuing) 7 years experience in accountant / audit with valid Omani D/L seeking for suitable placement, NOC available. Contact: 94706954 Email: ajurn33@gmail.com B.Com 3 years business process outsourcing. Contact: 94657273 Male Accountant M.Com (finance & accounts) having 3 years experience in accounts looking for available job on visit visa.

Contact: 94648575 CMA & CIA qualified finance professional with 13 years of me experience in FMCG industries as well as various other industries available for immediate permanent job openings. Contact: 94543660

ACCA finalist with 2 years of experience in a Construction Company as an Accountant in United Kingdom here on visit visa for 3 weeks from 12 April - 3 May. Contact: 99171627 Part time accountant, up to finalization, looking for job after 5 pm (location prefer - MSQ to Al Hail). Contact: 95694737 Filipino Male, 24 Years Old.. looking for job, have experience in Cargo & Logistics/ Rent a Car/ Real Estate/ Finance & Accounts/ customer service and as Travel Agent. Hard working and with good computer and communication skills having Omani driving license. GSM: 95370052 Indian female MBA in finance currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement in Accounts.

Contact: 92896110 Email: anoopodiyan@gmail.com ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in finance.

Contact: 99284193 Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement. contact 94879615,Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com MBA finance from Pakistan with 4 years experience in Accounts & finance department currently in Muscat on family visit visa, 27 yrs.

Contact: 90590037 Email: numanaslamcfo@gmail.com, nouman_aslam2006@yahoo.com

ADMIN With 15 years of Gulf experience in HR / Admin / logistics looking for suitable position. Fluent in Arabic / English with D/L. Contact: 95824598 A Young dynamic post Graduate with 10 years experience of Office Administration cum transport in charge in Oman to manage large fleet of PDO / Non PDO vehicles in addition having experience of managing the labor camp and staff with their mess valid Omani D/L. Contact: +968 - 92700274 Email: naqvi8084@gmail.com Indian looking for customer service, purchase front office Admin 5 years experience in UAE. Contact: 91744032 Indian female 26 years MBA (BBA, BIRLA Institute, Oman) seeking for full / part time job in Secretary / Admin / Customer Support / Office Assistant / HR. Contact: 93241466 / 92767450 Email: sujasunny2003@hotmail.com Indian male, 26 yrs experience (1.5 yr in Oman) in HR/Admin/ Office / Sales seeking suitable placement, local release available.

Contact 93112346 or sibyambadan70@gmail.com Indian / female, 26 yrs, MBA with 3 yrs experience in HR / Admin marketing customer relations currently in Muscat on visit visa.

Contact: 97205038 Email: chandpriya89@gmail.com Indian Male 19 years (8 Years in Oman) well experienced in HR / Admin in Oil & Gas, Construction fields with Oman D/L seeks suitable position. Release / NOC available call: 92854993.

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 Young Omani male have experience 12 years as P.R.O, CLERK Helper Supervisor Admin Supervisor, H.R Manager have diploma in H.S.E, IT and P.D.O license, looking for H.R position or P.R.O part time or full time. Contact: 95933288 Teacher female 27 yrs, MCA 5 yrs experience in teaching in India currently on visit visa seeking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 96709509 Email: viyannifd@gmail.com Filipino HRD especialist / material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817

DRIVER Driver want job. Contact: 93822195

T U E S DAY, A P R I L 2 6, 2 0 1 6

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED Mechanical Engineer & Project Manager Sudanese 29 yrs, more than 3 yrs experience in Mining Company, Profession:Production & manufacturing, safety, fire fighting designing, Engineering Management, sales – Muscat, Oman.

Contact 968 93642704, Email : mohamedfdl87@gmail.com

Sales & Marketing specialist with 16 yrs experience in Oman in MNC retails telecom lubes construction related industry handled various projects, holding valid Oman driving license, release available.

Contact 96960991

DRIVER 3 years experience D/L looking for job. Contact: 94531957 Light driver wanted for suitable placement. Contact: 95656941 Looking for a job light duty driver.

Contact: 95141473 Light duty & heavy duty driver, GCC valid D/L looking for job (overseas). Contact 95175192, Email : oman.manpower@yahoo.com Looking for jobs light vehicle license, 5 years experience with Toyota Corolla car.

Contact: 96345442 / 96789570 Indian light driver having 2 years experience in Oman knowing language English, Hindi & Arabic need job. Contact: 97366822 Driver want job with 4 yrs exp.

Contact: 99752611 Driver looking for job.

Contact: 94357030 Looking for driving job.

Contact: 97855341 Looking for light driving job 2 yrs exp. Contact: 91625977 Looking for driving job experience 3 years Pakistani.

Contact: 93804176 8 years experience in driving heavy D/L (PDO) H2S. Contact: 92091528 Pakistani male seeks job, have Oman driving license, 6 years experience in driving. Contact: 96915494 Light Duty Driver looking for job.

Contact: 96250185 Light Duty Driver looking for job.

Contact: 96780325 Light driver looking for job.

Contact: 96798075 Temporary light driver.

Contact: 99053510 Light Duty Driver, 3 years 6 months experience. Contact: 95768440 Experience driver looking for job.

Contact: 95113612 Driver 3/6 years experience, I have 2 years experience out door sales man in led light, Pakistani, Oman experience 6 years.

Contact: 94565993 / 92627855 Family driver available.

Contact 92943094

DOMESTIC HELP Housemaid/ baby sitter looking for job (overseas). Contact 95175192

Office cleaning boy available on contract basis. Contact: 94262954

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN Young Indian female, BSc Interior Designer, with 2 years experience seeking for suitable placement.

Contact: 91102695 / 92191721 Architect Interior designers 3d Visualizer, 8 yrs exp, Indian male, have Omani D/L available.

NOC & local release.

Contact: 92710047 Architectural Draftsmen diploma in construction technology with 6 years experience in drafting and detailing as per British standard in Oman with valid Omani license looking for suitable opportunity Noc available. Call 94375897.

Free lance /part time autocad works (ARCH/ MEP) 2D/3D PH: 97103168 Piping designer with 14 years experience working with PDO, OXY for 10 years NOC available.

Contact: 92582356 Revit, Autocad D/man, expected salary 200 OMR PH :92279784 Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman. Please Contact: 96489798, (+974) 66653780.

INDIAN MALE, MARKETING & HR SPECIALIST,

Oman experienced Lawyer

25 yrs, Master degree with 2 yrs of experience both HR & Marketing, now on visiting visa.

Indian male, BA, Arabic, LLB, MBA Knows English, Arabic with over 9 yrs in legal field, now working as a legal advisor in Muscat, seeks suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact 96972939 / 96096723 Email : lijubn@gmail.com, jerrin007@gmail.com

Contact 97351649, advocatesharaf@gmail.com

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp seeks suitable position ina reputed company. NOC available.

Contact 96789711 Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine. Available NOC release.

Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in designing, assembling, commissioning execution etc having valid GCC license too looking for a suitable.

Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com HSE Engineer (B.E Mech+Diploma Safety+NEBOSH+OSHA) over 10yrs. Exp, (Visa Release Letter (NOC) available), seeking suitable placement, Mob:97061817, Email:jayanammu1977@gmail.com B.E Mechanical Engineer, Indian male 34 years, having 10+ years experience in MEP building construction field (HVAC, Firefighting and Plumbing) with Omani D/L. NOC available.

96978380;prajithks@gmail.com Indian male 22, Chemical Engineer residing in Oman looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 92379181 Electrical Engg : M 32, having 8 yrs experience in MEP/ EPC projects with MEDC, OETC & PAEW, C.E.P holder with D/L, seeking for better opportunity.

Contact: 93949885 Email: vamshhikodela@gmail.com Associate Engineer Electronics with 3 years of experience in Satellite & CCTV searching for placement. Contact: 99832706 Sudanese Mechanical Engineer +13 years experience in heavy equipments maintenance experience in Oil field. Contact 96583270 Proposed position Safety Officer experience 04 yrs and 6 months qualification NEBOSH IOSH MS, OSHA, fire safety certificate, Master in Social Science.

Contact: 93644060 Email: saffar49@gmail.com B.Tech & Diploma in Mechanical having 3 years exp. in India looking for suitable job. Contact : 90542737 Electrical B.E.C Engineer Pakistani male 24 years looking for a job. Contact: 94049812 / 92958112 Civil Engineer having 7 years, 8 months experience with driving license immediately joining having NOC. Contact : 99294954 Purchaser (construction) with 4 years experience & driving license.

NOC available looking for similar job. Contact: 98956725 Civil Engineer 8 years experience.

Contact: 90183630 Indian male, Structural Engineer looking for job in structural design field. Having 6 years of experience in design field. Residing in Muscat.

Contact: 91176187 syam036@gmail.com Civil Engineer 7 months experience in road domain, have driving license, looking for job, prefer building domain. Contact: 91429971 B.Tech Mechanical Engineer 3 years experience in maintenance and commissioning of compressors, refrigeration system and other industrial Equipments in an engineering services company on visit visa looking for suitable placement. Contact: 91106765 Email: tamooraslam123@gmail.com Electrical Engineer having 16 years experience in switchgear / transformer / over head lines & trading for sales / procurement & project execution with valid Omani D/L. Contact: +968 95994727 Email: qurm340@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact 92835952. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Indian male 26 B.Tech Civil Engineer 3 year’s 8 months Experience at building construction. In Oman 2 year’s experience N.O.C available seeking suitable placement Contact : 97396269 Email : usmanshaik42@gmail.com Civil Engineer, 6 yrs experience with Omani driving license, local release available.

Contact : 91693008 Diploma of Associate Engineering in Civil technology 14 years experience in project of construction works like buildings, roads, oil & gas field on visit visa expiry date 11/06/2016 looking for good job in Oman. Contact: 00968 92161978 Email: qazijahangeer@gmail.com

An Iraqi civil with more than 30 years experience in (Iraq and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C) available. Contact: 96561306 Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact:97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

Indian male B-tech 8 years experience as senior electrical project engineer / QC engineer on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact 94094543 Email: anwar425@gmail.com

Male having visa, 3 years in Oman with valid D/L seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95453393

Electrical Engineer having 5 years experience in the field of managing supervising testing & commissioning of electrical distribution, transmission & substation projects.

Contact 92322906 / 90377916 Email: mshameerbm@gmail.com

Electrical & Electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit.

PH: 93837973

Female Electrical Engineer, excellent knowledge, Graduated with distinction, can work under pressure. Contact: 98133281 Indian female M.Tech in VLSI Design B.Tech in electronics with valid IELTS score 6.5 now in family visa experience in teaching & and admin. Contact: 90195131 Email: chinj.89@gmail.com

Male QC inspector Mechanical, NDT 20 years experience valid Oman D/L , release available.

Contact: 91001104

EDUCATION/TRAINING Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement.

Contact : 99739415 / 92091528 Indian male (28) B.Com education 7 years exp in that 3.5 years oil & gas co. in Libya. Good knowledge MS Excel, currently on visit visa. Contact: 95231393 Email: ramachandra1187@gmail.com Indian Lecturer M.Phil, M.Com, MBA DMM , 3+ years of exp in college & 2+ years exp in corporate seeks a suitable position. Contact: 90369540 Email: abilashraji@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech 2 yrs, experience HAVC firefighting CAD. Contact: 90150913 Email: mahmanmechengg@yahoo.in

Indian male, 28 yrs, B.Sc Hospitality Science with 5 yrs experience in Hospitality & banking sectors in Oman & India seeks suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact 91383167

Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 Ph : 92279784

IT

Mechanical Engineer (B Tech) Indian male with 1 year experience on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact : 90510800, Email : muhammedjaseem07@gmail.com Sr. Electrical Engineer with17+ yrs of exceptional exp in spear heading strategic planning and project management initiatives & executing various high rise residential & commercial building as well as roads and highway project with proficiency in installation, seeking a challenging position in a dynamic organization.

Contact 96570891 Civil Engineer (B.Tech) Indian male 24 yrs having 1+ year experience in Industrial construction with good communication skills and software knowledge, looking for suitable position available on visit visa.

Contact 968 - 99779538 / 98694939 Email: arunsathyan92@gmail.com Engineer with 4 years experience in Oman in telecom operations looking for a suitable opportunity have valid driving license interested in marketing also. Contact: 98513495 Pakistani male Diploma Civil Engineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling & mega projects, valid license Oman.

Contact:98921022

MISCELLANEOUS Indian Female, 24 Years - MSc Biotechnology. Worked in International Crops Research Institute For The Semi Arid Tropics for project work as trainee. Looking for suitable job. Mobile: 92619048, Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com

An Electrical engineer with 4+ yrs of experience in Electrical network (MT, LT) with professional computer skills seeking for work.

Contact: 99841736 / 93955381/ +149922698343 Email: e.kmmh@hotmail.com

Indian female 23 years Mechanical Engineer with 1.5 years experience looking for suitable jobs.

Also interested in sale & and marketing. Contact : 94743992 E mail : selveena054@gmail.com

9 years of Software Test Consulting and business analysis experience in various CBS (Core Banking Solutions) and other Banking related solution implementations with deep understanding of Islamic Banking. Completed CDIF CIMA Diploma in Islamic Finance and ADIF - Advanced Diploma in Islamic Finance conducted by CIMA, UK. NOC available. Contact: manivannanbalaji@gmail.com GSM: 9393 8086

Electrical Engineer Indian male 30 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation & utility maintenance in Indian (MRF Tyres) holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

Civil Eng exp 15 years NOC available looking job change Gulf experience over 12 years in Oman, 8 years experience handled MOH – project, MOS projects, MOS – projects. Contact: 98036290, cmsarasu@gmail.com

Indian male 23 years, young dynamic looking for draughtsman in civil. Contact: 94553406 Email: choudharyibrahim93@gmail.com

Contact 95986767 IT

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Indian male BE (ECE) having 1 year experience in Engineering and 8 years experience in medical transcription seeking suitable placement currently on visit visa. Contact: 90658764 Email: princekjohn555@yahoo.com

Qualified Certified Management Accountant (CMA-USA) and cost and management accountant (ACMAIndia) with over 25 years experience in Sultanate of Oman in finance, banking and administration is seeking a suitable placement. NOC available.

Software testing professional 6 yrs exp , Engg Graduate.

Contact: 91739424, Email: jinsijobs@gmail.com INDIAN FEMALE, 23 years, BSCCS Diploma in IAD graphics, well knowledge in computer applications 6 months experience presently in Sohar seeking suitable placement. Contact: 96670907.

Email: ammuch.4@gmail.com Indian Electronic Technician 5 years exp CCTV, Telephone, video door phone, NOC available.

Contact: 99803912 Indian female M.Sc Computer Science seeking suitable placement in Muscat area. Contact: 98660672 Indian female MCA & BSc Physics Graduate, holder of valid driving license, seeking suitable placement in IT or Administration. #99466062 B.Tech (IT) experience in Networking server & desktop management in corporate environment looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 92954613 IT Support Engineer, Exp 3 years in Oman 2 years in India.

Contact 94672759 Female 24 yrs, 3 years in IT programmer now in Oman looking for suitable job. Contact: 96350234

Indian male 27 years BBA, Administration marketing & sales accounts, MS Office can work under pressure now on visit visa looking for suitable position.

Contact: 90739819 Indian female master degree one year experience seeking suitable placement in any field. #97792820 Email: pnjli.1991@gmail.com Indian male, 28, post graduate, 6+ yrs exp in Oman in sales (back office) & credit control with valid Oman D/L looking for suitable placements. NOC available.

Contact: 920 66 523 BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants).

Contact: 92475206 Email: zahaibzafar007@gmail.com

MEDICAL Indian male BE (ECE) having nine years experience in medical transcription / health care & documentation seeking suitable placement as Medical Transcriptionist Insurance Coordinator or Medical Secretary, currently on visit visa.

Contact: 90658764 Email: princekjohn555@yahoo.com Indian female (MSC – Microbiologist) seeking suitable job.

Contact 96791162 / 90618567 Indian Bsc Female Nurse with 6.5 years exp, 4 years in KSA. Passed Oman Pro Metric with 69%, completed data flow. Presently in Muscat in visit visa looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 94744900, 94742834, jincyalphonese@gmail.com

MANAGER Freight Forwarding Manager Indian male Oman, UAE experience 11 years Air/ SEA / Land imports / export break bulk air cargo charter flights worldwide agent network, UAE, driving license & visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 91937030 Procurement and Projects Manager having 10 years UAE experience, MBA Graduate with 6 sigma & CPPM seeking suitable position.

Contact: 90772927 Purchase/Planning & Logistics Manager, MBA (Finance), 14yrs.

Oman Exp. with D/L, NOC available, looking for suitable position.

Contact: 93826090, Email: jskanchan01@gmail.com Egyptian male 36 years Warehouse Manager, 7 years in Sultanate of Oman, 1 year in UAE, and 3 years in Egypt.

Contact: +968 97200468 Email: ayman_mano1979@yahoo.com

PROJECTS HSE OFFICER, having 9 years experience in construction.

GSM 97035591 Email - ajeeshvr.ajeesh@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Indian male (25) MBA / MMS (Marketing) on visit visa valid UAE driving license exp 2 yrs sales / marketing. Contact: 98089262 Indian male, 29 years BSc, Graduate, with Omani driving license and 7 years of sales experience in home appliances, IT products, mobile and traffic safety equipments currently working on employment visa, NOC available seeking for suitable placement immediately.

Contact 97890607 Email: ashrafambar@gmail.com 10 yrs experience in Oman in logistics / purchase have Oman D/L looking for suitable placement.

Contact 96410767. email :harishkts@yahoo.com Procurement / Estimation male 15 years experience in Oman working with reputed company seeks suitable placements. N.O.C available.

Contact: 93508898 Email: reghunair01@gmail.com Indian Male, 30yrs, 7 year experience in marketing, (3 years Exp. in Oman & Saudi) seeking suitable placement in Sales & Marketing.

DL & NOC available, Contact: 93329021, gokulmohank85@gmail.com D/L, NOC available looking for salesman job, 1 year experience.

Contact: 91210380 10 years ICT Business development & project management exp in Oman looking for suitable senior position. Contact: 98987654 Senior Sales Executive, 10Yrs Exp, India seeking immediate job.

Contact #+968 98444359, +91 9880637906.

E: ahmed.shabbirsyed@gmail.com Indian female, BSc, B.Ed, MBA, Marketing having 3 years experience, seeks suitable placement in marketing field. Contact: 95041134 Email: divya.vini@gmail.com 35 years male, Lebanese holding British passport, 10 years of experience in procurement, Omani Government tenders, setup marketing plans & strategies, importing, Organizing events, management, have car, NOC available.

Contact 94123939 Email: 002015r@gmail.com Graduate Diploma, 5+ years in logistics operation and marketing / event management with driving license. Contact: 92107006 Email: nasir_k4@yahoo.com Indian male 31, BBA Muscat born, fluent in English above average Arabic, experience in Sales, Marketing , customer service sectors ranging from FMCG to real estate, with NOC, seeks suitable placement. Contact: +968 93870938 24 years experience Sr. Management professional as Profit centre head. Industry electrical trade looking for a suitable position in Oman / UAE. Contact: 91195418 Email: ab_9616@rediffmail.com Indian male B.com 10 years experience in Oman stores & warehouse, immediate job with NOC. Contact: 95192733, email: sammathew2004@yahoo.co.in 26 yrs Indian male MBA Marketing Sales / Marketing Executive, 3 yrs experience now available in Muscat on visit visa seeking placement for immediate joining.

Contact: 95978874 Email: ansariafsar550@gmail.com Indian male 37 years MBA graduate in marketing with 9yrs of experience in UAE in field of brand promotions & marketing with UAE D/L on a visit seeking suitable position. Conatct 95792820

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Looking for part time job Secretarial / Data Entry / Documentation available every day after 5:00 pm Friday / Saturday full day area preferred Ruwi/ CBD/ MBD / Al Khuwair. Contact: 90414827 Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment.

Call: 95244761

SKILLED LABOUR Shovel, JCB, Grader, Excavator, Operator GCC valid D/L looking for job(overseas), looking for job.

Contact 95175192

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DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support/Retail sales.

Contact 91496939.

Indian male, Fire & Safety Engineer having 1 year experience on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 95208305 Email: nirmalk558@gmail.com A/C & Fridge Technician 25 years experience in Oman India seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95680380 Indian female, 27 yrs, B.E (Telecom) with 3 yrs exp in IBM (India) as Senior Security Delivery Analyst. Now on family visa seeking for suitable position.

Contact: 95600437 Tea boy looking for job Name: Man Bahadar Contact No. 97859837

Safety Officer 3 years of experience in safety certifications: BE (Electrical and Electronics Engineering),NEBOSH, IOSH, DHSE, first aid. Contact +97474018995, email:midhunmich@gmail.com skype:midhunmike

ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN Indian/male/24Yrs,Bsc.Electronics & Comm,1.7 Years experience as Service Engineer in India. On visit Visa, Looking For a suitable placement. Contact : 92794176 E-mail:prathyushkp9@gmail.com

Bachelor in Hotel Management Having 13 years experience in Catering Industry in all aspects of Operations with D/L looking out for a suitable placement. #90654826 Email: mailingsaikiran@gmail.com

Indian male Executive Secretary having vast experience in admin, logistics & procurement well versed with computer seeks suitable placement. #99514286

Indian Female on a visit visa having master degree seeking suitable placement in any field, 1 ,5 year experience in HR .

Contact+968 91467576.

Indian male network cabling technician (19-years Gulf experience) seeking for suitable placement.

Contact 0091-8089909265 (India), Email: mohithavp@gmail.com

Indian male, M. Com with 3 yr Oman Exp in Accounts with valid NOC & D/L on Visit Visa, available to join immediately .

GSM :94744575

Indian female, MBA, Diploma in Aviation & Hospitality mgt (IATA), having 4 yrs of exp, on family visa seeks job in Oman.

Contact-9910 4529, 95679557, e-mail-jkramya91@gmail.com

Electrical & Electronics diploma engineer Indian male 22 years, 2 years experience currently in visit visa. Contact 93047707 adilm89@gmail.com

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil & Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughtsman (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING LICENSE) seeking job.

Contact: 93790601

Indian Female, 29 Yrs Age, M.Sc Microbiology, looking for Job any reputed organization / Hospitals, seeks suitable position.

Contact : 95218424 / 9610 6604.

On Family Residence Visa.

LAND SURVEYOR: Male, more than 12 years’ experience in land/pipe line surveying in Oman and UAE. Looking for suitable placement.

NOC available. Contact 91215843

Indian male 34 years MBA finance & marketing 7 years experience in India accounts & Administration, currently in Muscat on family visa.

Contact: 98104991 Email: sureshkr01@gmail.com Indian Female, M.Sc Computer Science, Seeking suitable placement in Muscat Area.

Contact : 98660672 Indian B-Com Graduate 1 year Experience in market survey, Valid Driving License, looking for any suitable post. Contact: 92567020 / 96930392, shwayanad@gmail. com Indian male, M. Com, 11 years experience in the field of accountancy and Stores. Good knowledge in SAP, Tally, oracle, MS office and Excel seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92859733 Senior Accountant, NOC available, more than 5 years exp., born & bought up in Oman, Accounting upto finalization, computer skills tally9, Sage ERP ACCPAC 500(6.0A), Vcams, Audit ,valid Oman driving license, languages known English, Arabic, Hindi. Can join immediately.

Tel: (+968) 96339599, E-mail(ahmedmohdkhan@gmail.com) Indian male, M.Com, 7 years Oman experience in the field of accounts and valid oman driving license & NOC . Good knowledge in SAP, Tally, oracle, MS office and Excel seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92859733 Indian male 42, BE-Civil 13 years experience in Road construction. looking for suitable placement. having valid Oman driving license.

Contact: 95225214, Email: Sudheerrokkala73@gmail.com HSE Engineer, Indian male, 4 Plus years experience in Oil & Gas, Working in Shclumberger, NEBOSH,IOSH, & NDT Certified, M Tech in HSE. CONTACT-krish.569@gmail.com Mobile- +91 9867016808 Indian female 27 yrs, Diploma in Aviation & Hospitality management, seeking suitable placement.

Curnetly in Oman, NOC Available.

Contact 94880684 Indian Male 28 years, Mechanical Engineer (Diploma) with 2 years’ experience, Automobile ITI NCVT, CSWI-BGAS Painting QC Grade-2, NDT Level-2, ISO Lead Auditor QA (IRCA), Piping QC & Isometric Drawings, WPS & WPQR, available on Visit Visa, looking for a suitable job. Contact: 90653733, libinthomaslt@gmail.com The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Exp. 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 flow & marketing projects & investments & tenders & real estate.

Contact :- 92385033

ELECTRONICS ENGINEER Indian/ male/24Yrs,Bsc.Electronics & Communications,ITI,1.7 Years experience as Service Technician in India, on visit Visa, looking For a Suitable Placement.

Contact :92794176 , E-mail: prathyushkp9@gmail.com Marketing Communications Coordinator Indian, 25 years GCC experience in Media, Advertising & Marketing ATL + BTL branding. Contact: 93031168 Email: arn14256@gmail.com Indian male physiotherapist with 3 years of experience, with (moh license and NOC available. seeking suitable placement.

Contact 99767528, 91317863 Indian, 32 years, passed M.A. English M.Sc Psychology, DHM & B.Ed in English with 4 years experience seeking for part time or full time job. Contact: 99869535 Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com 27 years old Indian male looking hospitality jobs in Hotel. Experience in customer service, front desk, housekeeping supervisor, captain, cashier,guest relation manager.

Contact. +968-90351742Email. samubaid6@gmail.com 27 yearsold Indianmale looking Jobs in documents Collection executive.Experience in collection executive. Contact. +968-90358068 Email wasimsaif04@gmail.com Indian male, 26 years old BA Graduate having 1 year experience in accounts finance field. Looking for suitable Job On visit visa immediately available. #9565 9415 Anishkhan991867@gmail. Com ELECTRONICS ENGINEER Indian/ male/24Yrs,Bsc.Electronics & Communications,ITI,1.7 Years experience as Service Technician in India. On visit Visa, Looking For a Suitable Placement. #:92794176, E-mail:prathyushkp9@gmail.com Pakistani male 23 years old experience in travel agency - ticketing looking for a suitable job, NOC available. Contact: 93253759 Indian with 3 years for experience in sales and marketing fluency in English, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam looking for suitable job.

Also hold valid Driving License, currently in oman Mob : 93451439 HSE Engineer, Indian male, 4 Plus years exp. in Oil & Gas, Working in Shclumberger, NEBOSH, IOSH, & NDT Certified, M Tech in HSE. #krish.569@gmail.com, Mobile- +91 9867016808 Indian Male, 40 Years, B. Com, having 10 years experience in Oman, Tally &ERP- looking for suitable placement ( Local release and Oman driving license available. Tel- 92469789 Indian Male 42 year’s, MBA, Sr. Material controller having 12 years experience in Oman with reputed companies. Having Oman driving License, Seeks suitable replacement immediately. Available NOC. Cont. 00968-92944026, Email – charanjeet35@yahoo.co.in

Indian male Kerala, B.com & B.PE. Currently on visit visa, looking for a suitable job in Accounts, Store keeper etc. Ready to join as early as possible. Contact:-93301023, email:- sajith3969@gmail.com Female Dentist with MOH license and NOC, 7 years experience 2 yrs out of them in Oman looking for a job. Contact 97401243 Electrical diploma Engineer Indian male 22 years, 2 years experience in control panel contact 93047707 adilm89@gmail.com IT System Administrator 6 yrs experience, male, Filipino Desktop, Laptop and printer Support, Backup administrator, Router and switch Network, Server Administrator. +968 94134295 Female dentist with MOH license and NOC ready to join 7 years experience 2 of them in Oman.

Contact 97401243 Having 10 years exp. in Admin & HR in reputed companies. Presently working in Muscat and seeking for suitable placement.

Contact No.: 97693456. email : muralimahdav77@gmail.com Indian Male 42 year’s, MBA, Sr. Material controller having 12 years experience in Oman with reputed companies. Having Oman driving License, Seeks suitable replacement immediately. Available NOC. Cont. 00968-92944026, Email – charanjeet35@yahoo.co.in NOC available, Indian Male - MBA (HR) and B.E (E.I.E) with total 9 years of experience in HR & Admin and Business Development (3 yrs of Gulf exp.) can join immediately - 91240251 / kvaradhan@hotmail.com M. Sc Computer Science – 2 year Experience – in India, looking suitable Placement. Email:-elvisgt6@ gmail.com, Mob:-+91 9497482305 (INDIA), Oman:-98291626.

Indian, 30 years, B. Com with 2 years Oman experience in Tally ERP-9 available in Muscat seeking suitable positions. # on 95186652 ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN Indian/male/24Yrs,Bsc.Electronics & Comm, 1.7 Years experience as Service Engineer in India, On visit Visa, looking for a suitable placement. Contact : 92794176, E-mail:prathyushkp9@gmail.com B-tech Civil with honours, Civil Engineer (structures) Experience more than six years. #91431483. Email mohsinyousuf86@rediffmail.com HSE Engineer,Indian male, 4 Plus years experience in Oil & Gas .Working in Shclumberger NEBOSH, IOSH, & NDT Certified, M Tech in HSE. CONTACT-krish.569@gmail.com contact +91 9867016808 PART TIME ACCOUNTANT available, well experienced in accounting up to finalization. knowledge in tally also. contact. 92643875 Chief Accountant 25 years experienced looking for part/full time accountant job.

Contact: 95598477 / 98803439 Indian Pediatric consultant, md with 20 years experience and wife gynecologist md with 15 years plus experience seeking opportunities with reputed hospitals in Muscat. deemaild@gmail.com 14 years experienced light driver with valid Oman license looking for suitable job. Contact 99442481 Indian male: 24 years, diploma in computer science and B.E(CSE) having experience in hardware and networking seeking for the suitable job. Contact: 91170912, Email- sales2@witoman.com

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED

MANPOWER

Indian male 6 years exp in different field, with valid Oman driving license. Languages known Hindi, English, looking for any job(Driver for executives). Contact 98696795

Crane trailer, hiab. Contact: 99354909 Quality concept trading LLC Crane rental daily monthly cranes available for rent at attractive prizes Contact: 92870992

Sudanese male, 5 years experience in warehouse management and logistics services#90644186 Draughtsman, 15 years’ experience, Indian male currently in Oman looking for suitable position.

Gsm – 95358115, 96977289, Email : pillairp41@gmail.com HSE Engineer,Indian male, 4 Plus years Experience in Oil & Gas .Working in Shclumberger.

NEBOSH,IOSH, & NDT Certified, M Tech in HSE, contact krish.569@gmail.com Mobile- +91 9867016808 Indian male Network cabling technician ( 19-years gulf experience) seeking for suitable placement.

Contact : 0091-8089909265 (India), Email: mohithavp@gmail.com Experienced B.Com graduate + IATA Diploma holder looking for Accounts/Admin/Travels related job. Mob. 91142997. NOC available .

Indian male B.A degree & diploma in hotel management with 16 years experience as restaurant & catering manager in Oman & Saudi with V/L Oman D/L seeks suitable placement.

Contact : 92100141

Indian male auto cad draughtsman (civil) 8 years experience, seeking for part time job. mobile no: 0096899070584. email: remluvp@gmail.com

MBA Graduate (Indian male 26 years) having 2 years experience in Qatar as admin assistant looking for suitable placement.

Contact 93041141 Email: mahinmehboob@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (roads and structures) Education B. Tech Civil Engineering with honours experience more than six years.

Contact no 91431483 ,Email mohsinyousuf86@rediffmail.com

Indian female, MBA with 9 yrs of experience in finance & procurement currently on family visa looking for suitable position in finance & supply chain.

Contact 95622568

FOR HIRE

MV SALE NRI

INDIAN RAILWAYS Ticket Reservation Hotel & Bus Tickets

Star Travel 92820665 / 24711734 910 SQ FT, 1 B/R fully furnished flat at Quepem – Goa. Contact: 97094797

WANTED IELTS Coaching (academic) required nearby wadi Kabir area. Please call on mobile or msg on Whats up. Mobile no: 92927880/99012165

FOR LADIES Offer!! Treading Gold Facial & Pedicure just for 10 RO, Al Doom Parlour Ruwi: # 99619409

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

Geely 1.3 model 2012 manual gear used 72000.

Contact: 96778006 Expatriate driver 4 WD Jeep liberty 2007 model in excellent condition 165000 K.M , 2,500 R.O. Contact: 97008026 Prado 2007, Mazda 2000, lancer 93, 3 ton truck double cabin. Contact: 99454425 Skip loader Hino 1999 model.

Contact: 99441640 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2012, expat owned, company maintained, 125000 KMS, warranty up to 2018, expected price E 8500.

Contact: 99330509 Honda CRV, 2015, white, expat lady driven, 9000 kms, No.2 expected price 10500. Contact: 99330509 Nissan Pathfinder 2012 model.

Contact: 99467005 / 92552328 Forklift caterpillar 5 ton, 2006 model. Contact: 99467005 / 92552328 Nissan sunny, year 2000, km 190k, expat lady driven in good condition, RO 700 negotiable.

Suzuki alto, year 2008, km 127k, expat driven in good condition RO 600 negotiable.

Call or whatsapp immediately 968-98898273

T U E S DAY, A P R I L 2 6, 2 0 1 6

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

TOURS Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours contact 98029602, 92808636 We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898

TOURS

Moon Travel L.L.C

Saudi Arabian Government approved agent

Umrah Package by Road & Air Bus Departures- Apr 19, May 03, 17 & 31.2016 Ramadan Schedule - Jun 06, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26 & 30.2016 Contact: Tariq Al Balushi - 99218069 Ahmed Maseehuddin - 99353611, Oĸce: 24790746/24706217

SITUATION WANTED BUSINESS Investment Required Minimum OMR 500,000 to transfer 5 Excavators big + 5 Tippers 2015 Astra, working on good profitable Excavation projects. Assured income 36 %.

98867530 / 99120532 engrfaheem@hotmail.com

Required partner investor to build an apartment in Al Mobelah.

Contact: 99355330

RENT A CAR

Investment opportunity for lucrative building and decorative product. Contact: 99421513 Email: borderlineomn@gmail.com

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP specification for monthly rent & small car with driver.

Contact: 99839898

GOOD NEWS MATRIMONIAL Ayuruedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steambath, obesity, Spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Azaiba.

Contact: 99639695 / 97397320 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).Contact:24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

Tamil Hindu Brahmin Iyer/boy, parents invite proposal for their only son 25 yrs / 6.1 ht / B.Tech (NIT), MBA (IIM), EX- ISM student, employed MNC Bangalore star Uttira Thdhi seeks suitable alliance fom Iyer/Iyebger families.

Parents in Oman Contact: 98288925 / 92264915 Keralite Muslim parents invite proposals for their daughter 22 yrs with MSC Psychology + MBA HR, residing with parents in Oman. Good alliance sought form boys from well to do settled family preferably working in Oman / GCC. Interested Contact: 00968-94443037

27 years RC Girl working as a staff nurse in MOH Sur seeks suitable alliance from Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode.

Contact: 92115860 Malankara Catholic Male Nurse (28) from Thiruvalla working in Nizwa Private Co. Alliance invites parents/nurses working in Oman.

Contact 968 98267338, 0091 9287215726 Indian male Roman Catholic 40yrs divorcee working in Muscat.

Seeks suitable alliance from widow/ divorcee/ single.

Contact 96059801.

RENT A CAR Best Rates for Saloon Contact: 97869042 / 95730550 sales@modernreem.com

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T U E S D AY, A P R I L 2 6, 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTSERVICES CATERING SERVICES We do industrial catering service, Canteen / mess, 3 times packed meals and all types of catering events.

SITUATION WANTED EDUCATION/CLASSES/COMP./WEB.

Contact: 92188777 / 99249899

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

Pest control & Building cleaning all kinds of pest control building. Cleaning tiles / Marble polishing monthly/ Yearly contracts available.

Contact: 98814733 /98814740 Al Husn Cleaning L.L.C

PALEST CONTROL TABA SERVICE LLC 100% Professional Aīordable Rate !!!

Ants, Rodent, & cleaning On monthly, Harmless & Odourless

CALL - 91464586 Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English class for Malayalam Speakers

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

SERVICES

DRIVING

We Provide Cleaners, Office boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020 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. # 98294551

Split & window A/c installation & maintenance specialist package & ducted units. Contact 98667326

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. contact 24793614/ 99314807 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Pest control treatments, Ocean center LLC Contact 99344723 House shifting.

Contact 99708138

TRANSPORTATION Transportation available on rent 10 ton Hiap Trailers. Contact 94207475 / 95649231/ 97982842 Transportation. Contact: 95190627 Transportation. Contact 92015894 Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

TRANSPORTATION Transportation required from Qurum to WadiKabir at afternoon only 1 PM. Contact - 99012165 Transportation. Contact 99508282

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 A/C Maintenance & Servicing, Fridge, Washing machine & Dish washer repairing, Painting & Cleaning services, Electrical & plumbing.

Contact 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281 we do building maintenance all kind of works. Contact 99247663

Split & window A/c servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517 House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422 Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 /94285064 Marble crystallization & grinding, Ocean center LLC Contact: 99344723

Marble crystallization & grinding, cleaning & carpet shampooing.

Ocean center LLC. Contact 99344723

All MEP & Civil shop drawings.

Contact : 93070771 Email : designjob2014@gmail.com

Muscat Driving School established for over 15 years drive safe with MDS. Meet our professional friendly Instructor. Contact: 99773651 / 95840670 Sohar 26844412 Ruwi / Darsait 24781123 MGM 24399951 AL Khudh 24536348

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