Times of Oman - May 26, 2016

THURSDAY May 26, 2016 19 Sha’aban 1437 AH

6 085010 120010 FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

On the occasion of the 7th National Day, 1977

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ If we are to play our full part in the world in the cause of peace and freedom, we must never relax our efforts to build the strength of our country and to fit our coming generations for the tasks that lie ahead.

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 81

GEORGIA, AUSTRIA

HM sends greetings MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Giorgi Margvelashvili of Georgia on 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 Margvelashvili and the people of his country further progress.

His Majesty the Sultan has sent a cable of congratulations to President Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen of Austria on being elected as a new president of the Republic.

In his cable, His Majesty has expressed his sincere congratulations along with best wishes of success to President Bellen to achieve the aspirations of progress and prosperity for the people of Austria. His Majesty wished the ties between the two countries further progress to serve the interests of the Omani and Austrian people. -ONA

| 40 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

D E L E G AT E D BY H I S M A J E S T Y

Grand Mufti opens Supreme Court premises MUSCAT: Delegated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalili, Sultanate’s Grand Mufti opened the Supreme Court premises on Wednesday.

His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed Al Khalili affirmed that justice is an urgent and essential need and that the judicial institution should be characterised by fairness, justice, integrity and high morals because it is accountable before Allah and the public.

Within this context, His Majesty the Sultan sought to integrate justice and fairness among people by giving the judicial institution its due status.

Sheikh Dr. Is’haq bin Ahmed Al Busaidi, Chairman of the Supreme Court, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council affirmed that this prominent landmark exemplifies His Majesty the Sultan’s interest in all components of culture in Oman.

It is also an evidence of cultural, modernity and justice of the Omani society. Moreover, it also reflects the unique and splendid Omani architecture, as well as its

high status of justice.

Sheikh Abdul Malik bin Abdullah Al Khalili, Minister of Justice said in a statement to ONA that the unique architectural design of the Supreme Court premises reflects the grandeur status of judiciary in the thought of His Majesty the Sultan, who accorded judiciary with major attention and care. The opening ceremony included a visual presentation on the Omani judiciary and poems.

At the end, the chief guest and attendees toured sections of the premises. -ONA

TOP INSTITUTION: The unique architectural design of the Supreme Court premises reflects the great status of judiciary in the thought of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. – ONA

MINISTRY OF TOURISM

MORNING MINUTE

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

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‘LEARN FROM MY GIRL’S DEATH’

Landfill tax must to cut waste dumping

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Oman must introduce a landfill tax to prevent households and industries from freely, or illegally, disposing of waste, according to waste management specialists. A waste tax measure could reduce the burden on government caused by waste management. >A2

MARKET

‘Siemens has helped Oman save gas’

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Siemens Technology has helped Oman save 31 per cent of gas in power generation, a senior company official said. Siemens is one of the largest engineering companies in Europe and aims to develop a strong foothold in the Sultanate. >B1

Grieving father of girl swept out to sea marks anniversary of the tragedy with a warning

SPORTS

Oman beat Tanzania, top table at ICC WCL

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Cricketers from the Sultanate of Oman eased to a nine-wicket victory over Tanzania to go to the top of the table in the ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League Division 5 Competition in Jersey on Wednesday. >C1

FAHAD GHADANI TARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMI

fahadnews@timesofoman.com tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: A year ago he watched helplessly as his little girl was swept away by the sea to her death, now as school holiday season arrives in Oman and children think of days out at the beach, her grieving father has heartfelt warning for parents.

It has been 12 months since the tragic drowning of three-yearold Marwa who was swept away while playing in the sea in Shinas.

Public schools have ended their academic year with private schools following them soon. As the temperature rises, families could take advantage of the summer break to cool off at one of Oman’s beaches.

Marwa’s father Ahmed Abdullah Al Balushi said that parents

GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE OF MUTTRAH

A joint CBSE Gulf topper unveils his plan

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A glimpse of Muttrah’s future, with artist impressions showing how different parts of the multi-million rial redevelopment of the port will look like, was seen for the first time on Wednesday. The aim of the project is to enhance the services provided by redeveloping residential areas. >A3

should intensely supervise their children while on the beach and not let them out of their sight because “it takes moments for big things to happen.”

“They should be under intense supervision; especially (monitor) the weather because nobody knows what the situation is like inside the sea,” said Al Balushi, father of young Marwa.

“You could say that it is fine (on land), but inside the sea it’s different,” he added. He also advised parents to take precautions and always keep safety equipment in case of an emergency.

“Safety equipment is necessary if someone takes his family and children (to the beach). Also parents should always be in the water with them,” said Al Balushi. >A6

New mobile app to book taxis in Oman Times News Service MUSCAT: Taxis in Oman can soon be booked using a new mobile app, the Ministry of Tourism announced on Wednesday.

These taxis will be available for commuters through a mobile app service and website, along with call centre services.

“Through this solution, taxis will be at your doorstep anywhere and at any time with just the touch of a button. Along with the convenience of booking a taxi, the system provides a safe and secure environment for tourists, allowing locals and expats to use taxis for travelling within the country,” the Ministry said.

“This solution will not only benefit passengers, but will also make it easier for local Omani drivers to do their jobs using innovative yet simple mobile technologies. The solution provides the drivers with enhanced exposure to commuter needs, thereby increasing their earnings, as well as increase their credibility and professionalism to gain the passengers’ trust,” it said.

The launch date or the number of taxis has not been announced yet. The ministry also said drivers can also reap rewards of optimised fuel consumption as a result of the best routes suggested by the technology in the mobile handsets fitted in their taxis.

“They will also be trained in every aspect to provide the best services seamlessly. The introduction of these services will also generate jobs for locals,” it said.

“As a mission to provide the above benefits and much more to the masses, the Ministry of Tourism has done immense research and invested its efforts to partner with leading solutions provider, Ingenuity Technologies LLC.

EASY PROCEDURE TO BOOK A TAXI Passenger

Call operator

Book online

Server

Mobile cab driver

Source: Muscat Taxi Service

Graphics

With the tag line of ‘Simplifying Business,’ Ingenuity Technologies LLC specialises in providing information security solutions with a focus on Security, Safety and Identity Solutions.

“Since its inception in 2003, the company has successfully provided its services to many reputed public and private organisations locally and internationally,” it added.

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

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It’s worked in the United Kingdom.

It could work here, as well.

Mike Beedham, Business Development Director, Tradebe, United Kingdom

Landfill tax call to put a lid on waste dumping A waste tax measure could reduce the burden on government caused by waste management, and encourage waste recycling

BABA UMAR

babaumar@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman must introduce a landfill tax throughout the Sultanate to prevent households and industries from freely, or illegally, disposing of waste, according to waste management specialists.

A waste tax measure could reduce the burden on government caused by waste management, and encourage waste recycling in residential homes in Oman.

“It’s worked in the United Kingdom. It could work here, as well,” Mike Beedham, Business Development Director of Tradebe, one of the largest waste management treatment companies in the UK, told Times of Oman in an exclusive interview.

“However, it needs to be regulated. They (authorities) need to make sure that people are not landfilling or they are not just dumping or fly tipping,” he said.

Beedham was recently in Oman to speak at the Waste and Environmental Services Conference

held at Oman International Exhibition Center. In the Unied Kingdom, people or businesses pay tax on top of normal landfill fees if they bury waste in landfill sites.

However, the public can receive tax credits if the waste from landfill is sent to be recycled, incinerated or re-used.

“It makes people start to think that they should recycle waste or shouldn’t go for disposal,” Beedham added.

Model Steve Halls, Chairman of Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment - Oman, told Times of Oman that the same model exists in Australia and could easily be adapted in Oman.

“If you, as a private individual, want to take waste to a landfill, you get charged an amount of money, which is the same in Australia. So the incentive to you is to reduce the waste you produce,” he said.

“There is no way that they adjust the amount they charge you based upon how much waste you produce. It’s a fixed fee. It’s a collection fee. In Australia, it’s around 200-300 Australian Dol-

lar per year, depending on where you live. It’s based on the location of houses. It’s a significant amount,” Halls said.

Oman has nearly 317 dumpsites and four landfills. The Sultanate produced about 1.85 million tonnes of municipal waste in 2015, and is projected to reach 2.04 tonnes by 2040. Further, authorities continue discussing proposals that recycling must be performed at the household level, before waste is disposed of.

On Monday, Oman’s Be’ah agency - responsible for solid waste management - said it plans to use solid waste as fuel in ocean water desalination plants.

“If you look at the current exchange rates, it could be around OMR50-70 per year per household. That’s not an insubstantial cost, because waste disposal here is proportionately higher and the cost of collecting waste is also proportionately higher than in Australia,” Halls said.

Further, authorities must look at the size of households and locations if they want to introduce landfill taxes it in the Sultanate, added Halls.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

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R I YA D A I N I T I AT I V E

Small, medium enterprises get productivity tech tips Times News Service

Muttrah future look unveiled Muscat Municipality presented the initial, public design for the Muttrah redevelopment project

Times News Service MUSCAT: A glimpse of Muttrah’s future, with artist impressions showing how different parts of the multi-million rial redevelopment of the port will look like, was seen for the first time on Wednesday.

During a gathering in Muttrah Hall, which drew participation from locals, Muscat Municipality presented the initial, public design for the Muttrah redevelopment project in the presence of Saud Al Busaidi, the state minister and governor of Muscat and Sayyid Ahmed Al Busaidi, Wali of Muttrah and the Chairman of the

FACELIFT: The aim of the project is to enhance the services provided by redeveloping residential areas and its surrounding walkways. – Supplied photo

Municipal Council of Muttrah, as well as members of the Shura Council and the State Council.

The principal aim of the project is to enhance the services provided by redeveloping residential areas and its surrounding walkways.

Expanding the current service roads is on list, as well as adding necessary facilities, such as a sewage treatment network and a rain drainage system.

Other services, such as providing enough parking space and cre-

ating new entry and exit points to the city in order to reduce congestion, including providing ambulance and civil defence services when the necessity arises.

The project also aims to preserve Oman’s historic and cultural identity and protect the Muttrah Souq’s historical significance.

Old buildings will be kept intact and will be preserved to prevent it from collapsing.

A study is being conducted to possibly transform some old homes and buildings for commercial use, such as hotels, handicraft exhibition halls, and Omani restaurants and cafés.

The project will encourage internal tourism, as well as external, and since converting the Sultan Qaboos Port into a tourism hub from cruise liners, the Sultanate has welcomed over 4,000 tourists from every ship that has docked.

Al Tayyib Al Harthi, head of the Technical Studies Department at the Muscat Municipality and Project Head, said, “The plan to redevelop Muttrah is focused on providing the locals with a healthier environment to live in which will in turn make Muttrah more attractive for visitors, as well as preserve the Omani heritage and culture.”

MUSCAT: A workshop on how Omani small and medium-sized enterprises, (SMEs) can become acquainted with the latest technological innovations, and what role technology can play in equipping them with the tools to increase their productivity, was organised

by The Public Authority for SMEs Development (Riyada) and Microsoft Oman.

Experts from Microsoft and its regional partners delivered presentations on topics, such as ‘Leverage the Power of the Cloud’, BOOSTING TIES

Oman, Brazil in visa pact MUSCAT: Oman and Brazil have signed a mutual visa exemption agreement for holders of the diplomatic, special, official and service passports.

The bilateral agreement was signed yesterday at the Foreign Ministry by Mohammed bin Yousef Al Zarafi, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Administrative and Financial Affairs, and Mitzi Gurgel Valente da Costa, Ambassador of Brazil to the Sultanate on behalf of their respective countries.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mohammed bin Awad Al Hassan, Head of the Minister’s Office Department received yesterday Fernando Jose Marroni de Abreu, Undersecretary General Responsible for Africa and the Middle East at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brazil, currently visiting the Sultanate.

The two sides discussed means of promoting the bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields and issues of common concern. -ONA

‘Productivity Toolkit for SMEs’ and ‘Employability for SMEs’.

Representatives of the attending SMEs also had a chance to present their business portfolios to Microsoft and other major participating companies, in a bid to explore partnership opportunities.

Encouraging attendance “We are thrilled to see so many SMEs and entrepreneurs attending the workshop and showing interest in exploring new technologies to boost their businesses and taking the SME sector in Oman to the next level,” noted Khalifa bin

Said Al Abri, Riyada’s Chief Executive Officer.

He reiterated Riyada’s commitment to supporting Omani SMEs and entrepreneurs, a sector that is playing a crucial role in the Sultanate’s national economy.

“We at Microsoft have a longstanding commitment to SMEs, through our support to the Oman National Plan and GCC policies aimed to empower and position SMEs as engines of future economic growth, by leveraging innovative cloud offerings,” said Sherif Tawfik, Country General Manager for Microsoft Oman and Bahrain.

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 People should leave their homes properly locked if they are leaving the country for a long time to spend the summer vacation. Windows and all doors should be properly closed with good quality locks and tree branches extending to the house should be trimmed Brigadier Rashid bin Salim AlBadi, Director general of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations at ROP

OMAN 4 G LT E A D VA N C E D P R O T E C H N O L O G Y

Omantel achieves 1Gbps download speed in trial Times News Service MUSCAT: Omantel has announced the successful trial of 4G LTE advanced pro technology that has reached peak download speeds of up to 1Gbps.

The success paves the way for the Sultanate’s pioneer provider of total communications solutions, to offer high speeds to the customers, in the future.

The trial was achieved through Omantel spectrums, the company said in a statement.

Commenting on this important step taken by Omantel, Chief Operating Officer Engineer Samy Ahmed Al Ghassany noted, “The trial gave impressive results where we were able to achieve peak download speeds of (1Gbps) using the 4G LTE advanced pro technology, which is considered a significant milestone in our roadmap utilising our spectrum assets to test the network and prepare for the technological evolution to 5G. Internet of Things tech Engineer Al Ghassany added; “As technology innovators and pioneers, we believe that through mobility and connectivity services, our society can be transformed.

“This breakthrough brings us one step closer to the realisation of Omantel’s vision for Oman, to become a truly networked society,

IMPRESSIVE FEAT: Engineer Samy Ahmed Al Ghassany

where lives are enriched through connectivity.”

The development is yet another milestone for Omantel and takes the company one step closer to implementing comprehensive Internet of Things technology in the Sultanate.

First provider It is worth mentioning that Omantel became the first provider in the Sultanate to introduce 4G LTE networks in 2012. In 2015 Omantel’s total network investments reached over 120 million Rials, which led to introducing 4.5G technology in April 2015 that enables speeds of up to 200mbps, as well as expanding the 4G LTE network to reach over 86 percent of the population in Oman.

Earlier this year it was revealed that Oman, powered by Omantel, has the 13th fastest 4G LTE in the world in a recent report from

Open Signal, a leading source of insight into the coverage and performance of Mobile Operators worldwide.

LTE technology Pro aligns with ‘Omantel 3.0’ strategy for digital smart homes and business services. The innovative growth strategy aims to position Omantel as the digital partner of choice, in the consumer arena and for the public and private sectors, enabling the digital society to flourish and grow across all sectors in Oman.

Investing in the future of the nation, Omantel connects even the most remote communities of the Sultanate to each other and the rest of the world.

Omantel is the Sultanate’s first integrated telecommunications services provider, enabling the digital society to flourish, allowing new ways of doing business and delivering a world of information, news and entertainment. Today, Omantel boldly innovates to deliver the highest levels of customer satisfaction, the broadest and most reliable nationwide network while investing for Oman’s future development.

For more information on Omantel, please visit the official website on www.omantel.om or contact the call centre on +968 2424 1234. You can also follow Omantel on Facebook at www.facebook. com/omantel.om, or join the conversation on Twitter @Omantel.

All work no play not the way for Oman top scorer

ALL ROUNDER: If you pay attention in class and practice at home, then you are ready, said Vishaal Udandarao, second right, whose mark sheet bears a striking resemblance to his cricketing hero, Sachin Tendulkar’s scorecard during a good test match series. — Photo by OK Mohammad Ali

Vishaal Udandarao is hooked on music and regularly plays his keyboard, as well as cricket and computer games

CRIME PREVENTION

ROP asks Oman residents to keep homes safe while vacationing Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Residents and nationals travelling outside Oman to spend their summer vacation should adopt safety measures before leaving the country to prevent thefts and loss of property, a senior official from the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said.

“People should leave their homes properly locked if they are leaving the country for a long time to spend the summer vacation.

Windows and all doors should be properly closed with good quality locks and tree branches extending

to the house should be trimmed,” Brigadier Rashid bin Salim AlBadi, director general of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations at ROP, said.

Trusted neighbours “People should also not leave valuable items, especially jewellery, at home,” the official said, adding that trusted neighbours should be informed about long absences and alert systems installed where possible.

According to the official, crime data revealed that a majority of thefts took place during absence

of residents during the summer as they travel outside Oman.

“Negligence of residents and shopkeepers are the main reason behind the theft,” the official added.

He also said that some youngsters tend to get involved in vandalism during the summer as they see residents absent from the locality.

According to the Oman Penal Code, “All who intentionally damage public utilities will be jailed for three months to three years and will be slapped a fine ranging from OMR10 to OMR500.”

RAHUL DAS

rahuldas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Vishaal Udandarao hasn’t attended any tuition classes, but that did not stop him from becoming CBSE Oman’s topper for Class XII with a grade of 98 per cent.

The 16-year-old is hooked on music and regularly plays his keyboard, as well as cricket and computer games.

He spends at least two hours in the virtual world, every day. “I think if you pay attention in class and practice at home, then you are ready,” said Udandarao, whose mark sheet bears a striking resemblance to his cricketing hero, Sachin Tendulkar’s scorecard during a good test match series.

A century in Chemistry and Computer Science, 98 in Mathematics, 97 in Physics and the lowest score of 95, in English. “I believe private tuitions are a waste of time, especially when I had such wonderful guidance from my school,” Udandarao, who is a student of Indian School Wadi Kabir, said.

“I followed what was taught in school and my parents always guided me,” Udandarao said, add-

ing that he never skipped playing with his brother Vikranth even during the exams. “It is my source of relaxation and I prefer playing with him,” said the boy who hails from Visakhapatnam in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

His mother, Usha Rani and father, Sreenivas became proud parents on Wednesday, with their hours of hard work monitoring their son’s progress paying off.

“We are happy with this success.

We were hoping that he would top his school but the news that he emerged as Oman topper came as a bolt from the blue. It was God’s grace, his sincere and consistent efforts, submissive behaviour, immense support and encouragement from his teachers and school management, mentorship by friends and last but not least the best wishes and blessings from all the near and dear ones made this possible,” his mother Usha said.

“I was in India when my grandmother broke the news, but it was much later that I realised that I am Oman’s topper,” Udandarao said.

Regarding his future plans, he said he wants to study at IIT Kharagpur in West Bengal and then become a computer engineer. “Besides my parents, this feat would not have been possible without the guidance and constant inspiration from my friends, teachers, principal and

school management,” he said. DN Rao, the principal of ISWK, said Udandarao’s performance will be a joyful and unforgettable moment for the entire ISWK community.

“Happiness has no boundaries, and everywhere there is celebration of academic success. Year 2016 has so far been a very fruitful year for ISWK—winning the TOO Quiz, winners of the Science India Forum, the Golden award for the best school website at the Oman Tech awards etc.

Smart work “It’s all a result of teamwork, coupled with hard work and smart work. Our students becoming toppers in both the science and commerce streams in CBSE schools in the Sultanate of Oman gives immense pleasure to all of us and we are proud of them,” Principal Rao added.

“Vishal is a joint topper across all Gulf CBSE schools in the Class XII science stream with Kuwait and Dubai scoring 98 per cent (490/500). He scored 2400/2400 in the SAT examination. Keziah Elizabeth Johnson is a topper for the Class XII commerce stream in the Sultanate of Oman and bagged the fourth position across all Gulf CBSE Schools with 96 per cent (480/500). The 2015-2016 batch of the Indian School Wadi Kabir also created history, with two alltime top ranks in the school and they made it eventful and colourful with their astounding success in the CBSE Grade 12 Examination of 2016 as a befitting tribute to their alma mater.”

The president of ISWK, Harshendu Shah, and members of the school management committee also appreciated the efforts of all the teachers, students and parents.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

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CRIME

Man gets five years in jail for abusing his housemaid Staff Reporter MUSCAT: An Asian national has been sentenced to five years in jail by the Court of Appeals in Salalah on charges of abusing a maid.

The accused will be deported after serving the jail term, the court ruled. The Salalah police had arrested the accused in a raid.

The Asian maid had reported to the police that the accused had physically assaulted her.

Smuggling in Barka In Barka, three Asians were arrested on charges of smuggling psychotropic tablets and heroine.

possession of 165 psychotropic tablets. The defendants have been referred to public prosecution for further legal action.

Three arrested in Sohar A national and two Asians were arrested in Sohar on charges of drugs possession and trafficking.

In a different case, two Asians were arrested on charges of drugs possession and trafficking.

The accused were arrested for

Labour law violation Three Asians were arrested for labour law violations in Nizwa, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said. “They are carpenters but were transporting poultry items in a vehicle,” the ROP said in a statement.

School buses to be tracked with satellite system The system will allow the ministry, directorates, schools and parents to monitor the buses

Times News Service BURAIMI: School buses will soon be fitted with a satellite tracking system for the 20162017 academic year.

During a meeting in Al Buraimi between the Ministry of Education officials and an outreach team, headed by Ahmed Al Munthri, the deputy director general

for Administrative Affairs in the ministry, enhancing the safety of school buses in the Sultanate was discussed, along with achievements and future plans.

Starting soon It was mentioned that a satellite tracking system will be implemented for school buses starting from the 2016-2017 academic year for first to fourth grade students.

The committee responsible for monitoring the buses will be able to directly track bus routes and pinpoint their locations.

It will also display the bus driver’s behaviour, such as over speeding, not wearing a seatbelt or reckless driving.

The tracking device will also display the bus’s route, as well as the location of the drop point; and an SMS will be sent to the responsible authorities in case the

drivers are found in violation of driving ethics or divert from the proposed route.

The system will allow the ministry, directorates, schools and parents to monitor the buses, as well as issue a daily report. An SMS will also notify parents if the bus has entered the residential area to drop off the students.

Identification system In addition to all the safety additions in the school buses, an identification system will also be installed, involving fingerprint scanners and a smart card reader, which when used by the students, will send a message to parents notifying them that the children have embarked or disembarked from the bus. The system will also calculate the number of students as they get on and off the bus and issue a warning if the numbers are not consistent.

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 Ministry of Health expresses its gratitude and appreciation to PDO, a company that is pioneering social partnership through its execution of various social investment projects Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Mashaikhi, director general of Health Services in Dhofar.

OMAN

Customer base of Ooredoo rises Ooredoo holds a mobile subscriber market share of 41 per cent in Sultanate

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Mobile communications operator Ooredoo’s active customer base rose to 2.8 million in the first quarter of 2016, reflecting an increase of 3.2 per cent year-over-year.

According to an official, Ooredoo holds a mobile subscriber market share of 41 per cent in the Sultanate.

“We have invested over OMR124 million in our network since the latter half of 2012,” the official confirmed.

“Our network covers approximately 99 per cent of the population of Oman,” the official added.

Speaking about the Ramadan

offers, the official said, “Every year, Ooredoo has new deals and promotions that will be announced at the beginning of the holy month.”

Ooredoo also paid tribute to its customers for showing complete satisfaction in their services.

“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do,” an Ooredoo official said.

“We are committed to enhancing their daily life by making communication easier, more versatile and always a rewarding experience,” the press note added. According to Ooredoo, their core values are caring, connecting, challenging.

Ooredoo also said the combination of extensive global expertise, talented and caring people, who understand Omani culture and the various people living in the Sultanate helps them provide both user-friendly technology and the highest levels of customer satisfaction.

Ooredoo, which means ‘I want,’ aims to deliver exactly what its customers need in terms of products and services.

“To do this we listen to our

customers and do our best to learn from what they tell us, whether that is face-to-face in our stores, through our contact centre, social media, website support systems, SMS feedback requests, online help centres, technology blogs, or via our app,” the official said.

“We are always looking for new ways to advance our dialogue with them so that we don’t miss any opportunity to connect and get their opinions and feedback,” the official added.

As per the official, Ooredoo has always challenged itself to do better and constantly looks for new products and services to fulfil the customers’ need and also to go beyond them.

Every three months, Ooredoo conducts interviews with over 1,000 customers to get feedback on network, promotions, services and pricing.

“We used the information we gathered to assess our performance on the Net Promoter Score (NPS); in the last quarter of 2015 we reached a score of 46; the highest in Oman in the telecom sector,” the official affirmed.

REMINDER

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Follow safety

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The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) had repeatedly reminded people to follow the safety guidelines near beaches and touristic destinations.

It often warns the public not to venture into the sea if conditions are dangerous.

A top official from PACDA said that children should not be left alone by water, be it a beach or a swimming pool.

Cautious “Parents or guardians should always be with them. Moreover, people should go to beaches and swimming pool only with somebody who knows swimming and they should be cautious,” the PACDA official added.

Al Balushi also advised parents to take up swimming lessons in order to act quickly for their children’s sake.

At the time, Al Balushi did not know how to swim and when asked whether he learned, he said, “I learned a little, but there aren’t institutions to teach swimming here.”

Last year, PACDA and swimming experts advised people to stay away from beaches, wadis and swimming pools if they do not know how to swim and stay alert of the changing tides and weather.

NEW SERVICE

Oman Air’s flights to Mashhad from June 1 Staff Reporter MUSCAT: A new service between Muscat and the Iranian city of Mashhad will begin on June 1, 2016, Oman Air said in a statement.

This is Oman Air’s second destination in Iran, following the launch of flights to Tehran in 2012. The carrier will operate daily flights to Mashhad aboard Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Flights will depart Muscat International Airport at 14.00hrs

and arrive at Mashhad International Airport at 17.15hrs.

Return flights will depart Mashhad International Airport at 21.45hrs and arrive in Muscat at 23.50hrs.

“Oman Air is delighted to be launching a new service between Muscat and Mashhad from June 1. The launch is in response to significant customer demand, and we anticipate a high level of early bookings. The service will strengthen the well-established bilateral trade links between

Oman and Iran and provide further opportunities for the two nations,” Oman Air’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Gregorowitsch said. Return Economy Class seats

from Muscat to Mashhad are currently available at a promotional rate of OMR110 per person, while return Business Class seats are available from OMR300 per person. All prices quoted include taxes and charges.

Oman Air’s Deputy CEO and Executive VP Commercial Abdul Rahman Al Busaidy noted that Oman Air’s new service to Mashhad will offer travellers from throughout its international network the opportunity to discover a new destination.

FOUR-MONTH PERIOD

COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS

PDO signs community Passenger traffic grows service agreements at Muscat, Times News Service MUSCAT: Village meeting halls, vital hospital equipment and a livestock market are all part of a series of community investments planned by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO).

PDO has signed three agreements with the Walis of Haima and Muqshin and the Health Ministry, committing for three projects at a ceremony in Marmul, southern Oman, it was reported in an official statement on Wednesday.

The major oil company has agreed to supply new medical equipment and appliances for a new hospital in Shaleem, build a livestock market in Haima and a public majlis in the Muqshin area.

PDO South Director Suleiman Al Tobi said the company is proud and privileged to support the communities “in which we operate and this latest social investment package highlights our ongoing commitment to provide important public amenities.”

He said, “Each tranche of this latest funding will meet a particular need of the people and contribute to improving the quality of their lives.”

The statement said PDO has already worked with the Health

Ministry for expanding and upgrading the Shaleem Health Centre into a 14-bed hospital to provide in-patient and emergency services and will now extend that support with funding for medical apparatus, such as beds, ventilators and resuscitation kits, wheelchairs and emergency trolleys.

“The Ministry of Health expresses its gratitude and appreciation to PDO, a company that is pioneering social partnership through its execution of various social investment projects,” said Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Mashaikhi, director general of Health Services in Dhofar.

The livestock market will also include a slaughterhouse. It’s the first in Haima and is expected to boost the local economy.

PDO has already funded two similar livestock markets in the wilayats of Shaleem and Al Jazir, the statement said.

The Wali of Haima, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Shihab Al Balushi, said PDO is at the forefront of companies involved in community development, both in the Al Wusta Governorate, as well as other areas.

PDO has also funded a number of village meeting places used for weddings, funerals or general meetings.

Salalah airports MUSCAT: Muscat International Airport recorded a 19.5 per cent year-on-year rise in the number of passengers (international and domestic) during the first four months of the current year, with the passenger count exceeding 4.194 million as against 3.23 million last year, according to the latest bulletin released by the National Centre for Statistics & Information.

The number of flights (international and domestic), on the other hand, grew by 10.8 per cent to touch 32,938, compared with 29,732 during the same period, last year.

International passengers increased 20.4 per cent to over 3.56 million passengers from last year’s 2.96 million, while domestic passenger volume shot up by 9.6 per cent to 297,321 passengers compared with 271,280 in 2015.

International arrivals rose 21.3 per cent to nearly 1.82 million, while the number of international passenger departures went up by 20.5 per cent to over 1.74 million during the fourmonth period. -ONA

J U LY 1 , 2 0 1 6

More flydubai flights to Salalah Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Additional flydubai flights to Salalah will begin from July 1, 2016, the UAE-based airline has announced.

“During the popular Khareef season, from July 23 to September 28, the airline will add another daily flight between Salalah and Dubai, bringing the total to Oman to 63 flights per week,” the statement added.

The airline now schedules 54 flights per week to Oman. The air-

line operates seven daily flights to Muscat and five weekly flights to Salalah, reflecting the increasing demand to travel between Oman and the UAE. “We are pleased to have this opportunity to meet our customers from the Omani market. Supported by the strong social and economic ties between our two brotherly nations, we began operations to Muscat in 2010, and we continued to grow our operations with the addition of Salalah in 2013. As one of our most

highly-served markets with 54 flights a week, we remain committed to offering flexible options to our passengers to and from Oman,”Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai’s Chief Executive Officer, said.

By offering more options, the airline now operates seven flights each day to the Omani capital.

Salalah, which was previously underserved, is now becoming an increasingly attractive destination for tourists from the UAE and other GCC countries.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

OMAN SALALAH PORT ADDS A NEW MAIN SHIPPING LINE Salalah Port in the Governorate of Dhofar added a new main shipping line with the launch of New Falcon Services of Mediterranean Shipping Company to directly link Asia and Middle East. The first ship of this service anchored at Salalah Port yesterday. Ningbo vessel, which sailed from Colombo Port in Sri Lanka, was loaded with 7,849 TEU. The new service launched

by MSC in March 2015 includes a fleet of 8 vessels; each of 8,000 TEU capacity. It will connect directly China, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and India on one hand and the Sultanate and the GCC countries on the other. David Gledhill, CEO of Salalah Port said that the new service ensures faster shipping service between the Sultanate and the Far East and meets the growing needs of the market in Salalah. It will also open new opportunities to serve vast interior regions. -ONA

Draft Omani Penal Law gets approval The State Council and Majlis Al Shura will hold a joint session today under Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri

MUSCAT: State Council approved the draft Omani Penal Law on Wednesday, which was referred to it by the Council of Ministers.

In response to the Royal Orders of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the State Council and Maj-

lis Al Shura will hold a joint session today (Thursday) under the chairmanship of Dr. Yayha bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, Chairman of the State Council to consider and approve the articles on which there are disagreements between Majlis Al Shura and the State Council with relation to the proposed amendments on the draft income tax law, the draft foreign investment law and the draft insurance companies law.

The State Council’s 10th session of the 1st annual sitting of the 6th term was held under the chair of Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, Chairman of State Council.

The Council also approved the reports of Majlis Al Shura and the State Council’s Legal Committee on the same after introducing the required amendments based on the outcomes of the detailed discussions and inputs by members.

During the session, honour-

able members of the State Council reviewed some reports on members’ foreign participation.

It also reviewed some incoming letters and the report of the Secretariat General on the activities of the Council during the period between the 7th and 8th sessions.

Meanwile, the Legislative and Legal Committee of the Majlis held a meeting in the presence of Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of Majlis Al Shura and Khalid bin Ahmed Al Sa’eedi, Deputy Head of the Committee.

The Committee discussed draft amendments to the Marine Fishing Law and Protection of Aquatic Resources Law issued by the Royal Decree No. 53/81, which has 31 articles distributed onto six parts.

The Marine Fishing Law and Protection of Aquatic Resources Law covers all activities related to marine fishing and water wealth in the Sultanate. -ONA

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

REGION E G Y P TA I R P L A N E C R A S H

French, Italian firms to help search for black boxes CAIRO: Egypt is taking on two companies, one French and one Italian, to help search for the black boxes of the EgyptAir plane that crashed in the Mediterranean, the airline’s chairman said on Wednesday.

EgyptAir flight 804 crashed on May 19 with 66 people on board including 30 Egyptians and 15 from France, and nearly a week later investigators have no clear picture of the plane’s final moments. EgyptAir chairman Safwat Musallam did not name the companies involved, but he told a news conference they were able to search at a depth of 3,000 metres. The plane and its black box recorders, which could explain what

brought down the Paris-to-Cairo flight as it entered Egyptian air space, have not been located.

The black boxes are believed to be lying in up to 3,000 metres of water, on the edge of the range for hearing the signals, emitted once a second. Maritime search experts say this means acoustic hydrophones must be towed in the water at depths of up to 2,000 metres in order to have the best chance of picking up the signals, which should last for 30 days. Sources within the Egyptian investigation committee said on Wednesday that the jet had not shown any sign of technical problems before taking off from Paris. — Reuters

Call for ‘restraint’ in assault on Falluja Iraq’s top cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani’s urged government forces to spare civilians trapped in the city

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s top cleric urged government forces battling to retake Falluja from IS militants to spare civilians trapped in the city on Baghdad’s western approaches.

Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani’s appeal reflected concerns that a large civilian death toll in the battle for the city could aggravate sectarian tensions in Iraq.

Sistani added his voice to many calls for restraint in the battle launched on Monday to retake Falluja, the first Iraqi city to fall under the control of the ultrahardline IS, in January 2014.

“Sayyid Sistani reaffirms his recommendations that the ethics of war be respected,” his representative, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Al Karbalai, said in a statement.

“Don’t be extreme ... don’t be treacherous. Don’t kill an old man, nor a boy, nor a woman. Don’t cut a tree unless you have to,” he said.

Aid agencies have become alarmed about civilian suffering in a city that has been under siege for six months, and the United

BATTLING INSURGENTS: Iraqi pro-government fighters hold position in Al Shahabi village, east of Falluja as part of a major assault to retake the city from IS group. – AFP

Nations has urged combatants to protect inhabitants trying to escape the fighting.

On Wednesday morning Iraqi troops concentrated artillery fire on Falluja’s northern and northeastern neighbourhoods, according to a resident contacted via the Internet. A Falluja hospital source said that six civilians were killed and 11 wounded on Wednesday morning, raising the overall death toll since Monday’s launch of the government offensive to 35 - 21 civilians and 14 militants.

“Fierce fighting is now raging around the city,” Save the Children said in a statement on Wednesday, calling for safe civilian exit routes to be established as quickly as

possible. Falluja’s population is around 100,000, according to US and Iraqi government estimates.

The offensive is part of a government campaign to roll back IS’s seizure of wide tracts of northern and western Iraq. Baghdad’s forces retook Ramadi, the Anbar provincial capital near Falluja, in December but have not yet tackled a bigger challenge - IS-held Mosul, Iraq’s largest northern city.

An Iraqi military spokesman said troops were trying to tighten the encirclement of Falluja by advancing on the western front, near the village of Khalidiya.

Sistani wields enormous influence over Iraq’s majority community. It was at his call that militias

regrouped in 2014 in a coalition known as Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation), to stem IS’s stunning advance through the north and west.

Hashid Shaabi will take part in encircling Falluja but will not enter the city unless the Iraqi army fails in doing so, said Hadi Al Amiri, the leader of the Badr Organisation, the largest component of the coalition.

“Our decision is to encircle the city from the outside and let the security forces operate; if the security forces are unable to cleanse the city, we will then go in,’’ he said, according to video recording on the state-run TV channel. — Reuters

WIDENING MAJORITY

Netanyahu signs coalition deal, names Lieberman defence minister OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his choice for defence minister, ultranationalist Avigdor Lieberman, signed a coalition agreement on Wednesday and issued assurances that the most right wing government in Israel’s history would act responsibly.

Once Lieberman is sworn in, Netanyahu will have a government of 66 legislators, widening his current one-seat majority in the 120-member parliament, a goal the Israeli leader has said he has sought since winning a fourth term last year.

Lieberman’s return to office he was previously foreign minister - has raised questions at home and abroad given his past criticism of Israel’s Arab minority, US-sponsored peace talks with Palestinians and regional powers Egypt and Turkey.

At the signing ceremony, in which Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party formally agreed to join Netanyahu’s Likud, both men switched from Hebrew to English to deliver a message to the international community. “My government remains committed to pursuing peace with the Palestinians, pursuing peace with all our neighbours,” said Netanyahu. My policy has not changed.

We will continue to pursue every avenue for peace, while ensuring the safety and security of our citizens.”

He said a broader and more stable government would make it easier to “seize new opportunities” in the region, a reference to potential peace moves with Arab states. Palestinian officials said that with Lieberman, who lives in a settlement in the occupied West Bank, back in the cabinet as defence minister prospects for reviving statehood negotiations that collapsed in 2014 had grown dimmer. But also speaking in English, Lieberman, who once famously threatened to bomb Egypt’s Aswan dam and has called for the assassination of Hamas leaders in Gaza, promised a “responsible and reasonable” policy. “At the end of the day my intention (is) to provide security and of course all of us we have a

ULTRANATIONALIST: Avigdor

Lieberman. – Reuters file

commitment, strong commitment, to the peace, to the final status agreement (with the Palestinians),” said the Soviet-born party leader.

Nabil Abu Rdainah, the spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said: “What’s important is deeds not words...

“Israel should learn the true lesson from making peace because there can be no peace and no stability in the region unless the Palestinian cause is resolved.”

Netanyahu began negotiations with Lieberman last week after coalition talks failed with the centre-left Zionist Union, the main opposition. The courting of Lieberman came as a surprise as he and Netanyahu have been sharply dismissive of one another. Several former Israeli defence ministers have criticised Lieberman’s appointment to the sensitive post, citing the politician’s relative lack of military experience. Yisrael Beitenu has six legislators, but one of them, Orly Levi-Abekasis, has said she is leaving the party and would vote independently in parliament, citing what she called its failure to pursue economic and social reforms. Levi-Abekasis’s spokesman said on Wednesday she was still formally a member of Yisrael Beitenu as procedural issues had yet to be finalised.

Yisrael Beitenu will become the sixth party in Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition. The deal prompted Moshe Yaalon, a Likud member and former general, to quit as defence minister in protest on Friday. — Reuters

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INDIA

CONFIDENT

SP main rival in Uttar Pradesh polls: Shah

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NEW DELHI: BJP President Amit Shah on Wednesday named Samajwadi Party as its main rival in the next year’s assembly election in Uttar Pradesh even as he exuded confidence that his party will form the government in the key state.

Shah also rejected the contention that the party was on a sticky wicket in Gujarat following the violent Patidar quota agitation, claiming that it will win a two thirds majority in the state, where polls are due next year end.

He dismissed reports that the BJP brass was mulling over removing Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and said the party had not discussed the issue. In an interaction with journalists, he

INTERACTION: BJP President Amit Shah during an interaction with the media to highlight the achievements of NDA government in last two years, in New Delhi on Wednesday. - PTI

said it had not been decided yet whether to name a chief ministerial candidate for UP, a tactic it successfully deployed in Assam, saying all states are different.

“It is certain that BJP will get a majority in UP,” he said, adding the party had a strong base in the state where it won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. His strong ex-

Vijayan sworn in as Kerala CM A CPI-M Politburo member, Pinarayi Vijayan is the 12th chief minister of Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI(M) strongman Pinarayi Vijayan was on Wednesday sworn in as chief minister of the south Indian state of Kerala heading a 19-member ministry of the partyled Left Democratic Front(LDF) that had 13 new faces including two women.

Seventy-two-year-old Vijayan, who pipped his bitter party rival V. S. Achuthanandan to the

top post in Kerala politics, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Justice (Retd) P. Sathasivam at the Central Stadium here.

Hailing from a poor toddy tapper’s family, Vijayan, a first time chief minister, took the oath in Malayalam. A CPI-M Politburo member, he is the 12th chief minister of Kerala.

Out of the 19-member cabinet, 12 including the chief minister are from CPI(M), 4 from Communist Party of India, one each from Nationalist Congress Party, Janata Dal(S) and Congress(S).

The outgoing Congress-led UDF had 21 ministers. There are 13 new faces, including two women, in the cabinet.

Five ministers had held positions in previous LDF ministries.

The CPI(M)-LDF had unseated the Congress-led United Democrtaic Front by securing 91 seats in the 140-member House in the

May 16 assembly polls. A huge pandal to accommodate at least 30,000 persons was put up at the stadium, adjacent to the state Secretariat.

CCTVs erected at various places enabled the large crowd, who had gathered to view the ceremony streamed live.

The slight drizzle failed to dampen the spirits of the party workers who had arrived in buses and other vehicles from various parts of the state, especially the northern districts of Kasaragod, Kannur and Kozhikode, to witness the swearing-in ceremony, which began at 4pm.

This is the first time that a swearing in ceremony is observing green protocol to ensure zero waste event. The capital city was a sea of red, with CPI(M) party flags and red buntings flying high in various corners.

Party workers were dressed in red shirts and red caps. - PTI

pectation from UP was not linked to the party’s win in Assam, Shah said, adding the key Hindi heartland state was “easy” even before the polls in the northeastern state.

Asked about the party’s election agenda for UP, Shah said development would be the top priority as the entire state was in a “mess” from “top to bottom” under Samajwadi Party’s “misrule”. Shah said he considered SP as the BJP’s main adversary because of its larger support base than Mayawati’s BSP. The saffron outfit has been trying to wean away Dalit votes from Mayawati-led BSP. To a query whether he was under pressure to deliver UP to the party, he said “There is always pressure for me”. - PTI

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

INDIA India woos Chinese investors with promise of facilitation President Pranab Mukherjee said India would like more of China’s overseas direct investment which has now crossed $100 billion mark WARM GREETINGS: President Pranab Mukherjee shakes hands with the Party Secretary of Guangdong Hu Chunhua at a meeting in Guangzhou, China on Wednesday. - PTI

GUANGZHOU: India on Wednesday promised a conducive environment for Chinese investors and urged them to participate in ‘Make in India’ and other flagship programmes of the government to boost bilateral trade.

“We will facilitate your efforts to make your investments in India profitable. We must take advantage of the opportunities that abound in the growth of both our economies,” said President Pranab Mukherjee addressing a meeting of the India-China Busi-

ness Forum here on the second day of his four-day visit to China.

The forum, attended by industrialists and businessmen of both sides, was told by the President that India would like to see greater market for Indian products in China in a bid to balance bilateral trade which is now in China’s favour. This, he said, would particularly be needed in sectors where the two countries have natural complementarities as in drugs and

pharmaceuticals and IT and ITrelated services and agro products.

“It is a matter of satisfaction that there is emerging focus on two-way investment flows,” Mukherjee said. The president noted that the bilateral trade between India and China has grown steadily since the turn of this century from $2.91 billion in 2000 to $71 billion last year.

Guangdong province boasts of a US dollar one trillion economy

with high manufacturing and other industries along with being a powerful export house of China.

It has sister province relationship with Gujarat and Maharashtra. A pilot smart city cooperation project has been announced between Shenzhen and the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City in Gujarat last year.

Referring to the links of 2nd century before the Christian era between Guangdong and Kanchipuram through a direct sea route, Mukherjee said this is an exciting time for India and China to reinforce the old linkages and join hands for new.

Noting that India has recorded a growth rate of 7.6 per cent each year for over a decade now, he said India believes that it cannot grow in isolation.

“In an increasingly interconnected world, India would like to benefit from technology advances and best practices of different countries.

“The comprehensive reforms introduced in key areas of our economy have enhanced the ease of doing business in India. Our foreign investment regime has been liberalised through simplified procedures. And removal of restrictions on foreign invest-

ments,” he said. The president said these reforms have renewed the interest of global investors in India.

In 2014, there was a 32 per cent growth in investments and in 2015, India emerged as one of the biggest global investment destinations, he said.

Mukherjee said India would like more of China’s overseas direct investment which has now crossed $100 billion mark.

He said the Indian government was setting up industrial corridors, national investment and manufacturing zones and dedicated freight corridors to stimulate investment in this sector.

Its ‘100 Smart Cities” initiative will transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, he said.

“India welcomes your participation in these programmes. Chinese companies with inherent strengths in infrastructure and manufacturing can look towards India as an important destination in their ‘Going Global’ strategy.

“On their part, Indian companies can partner with Chinese enterprises in the new domain of ‘Internet of Things’ which underlines the ‘Made in China 2025’ strategy,” he said. - PTI

POLICE INFORMER

TORCHED: Maoists set a motor jeep and other vehicles on fire after they shot dead a districtlevel leader of LJP and his brother in Gaya Dumaria on Wednesday. - PTI

Maoists kill LJP leader, brother in Bihar PATNA: A Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader and his brother were shot dead on Wednesday by Maoists during campaigning for panchayat polls in Bihar’s Gaya district, police said.

LJP leader Sudesh Paswan and his brother Sunil Paswan were killed in broad daylight near Tola Dubat in Gaya, about 100 km from here, a district police official said.

Maoists also torched two cars and a motorcycle used in the campaigning in support of the slain LJP leader’s wife, who is in the fray for the village head’s post. According to police officials, Maoists left behind pamphlets claiming the LJP leader was punished for being a police informer. - IANS

N D A C E L E B R AT I O N S

Row erupts over Congress attack on Amitabh for anniversary event NEW DELHI: A row erupted on Wednesday over Amitabh Bachchan’s participation in the second anniversary celebrations of NDA government here on May 28 with Congress targeting him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the light of the mega star’s name figuring in the Panama Papers expose.

After Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala raised questions of propriety in Bachchan “hosting” the event and asked what signal would it send to the probe agencies, the actor was quoted as having said it would be actor R. Madhavan, and not him, who would host the event and that he is scheduled to anchor only a segment on ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’.

The 73-year-old star also said that he does not think they (Congress) are aware that he was not hosting the event.

Panama papers expose BJP came out in strong defence of Bachchan for his association with the event despite a probe against him after his name appeared in Panama papers expose.

A host of BJP leaders, including union ministers said the probe against Bachchan has nothing to do with the event linked with a social issue of protecting the girl child and attacked Congress for its “mental disability” in fuelling a row. “Would it be fair?....

What message it would send to investigating agencies going into siphoning of funds abroad illegally? What signal are you sending?” when they see the prime minister sharing the dais with Bachchan, Surjewala told reporters.

Raising several questions over the issue, he wondered whether the mega star “hosting” the event which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others would not dilute the fight against black money.

He recalled that the prime minister has time and again vowed to bring back black money stashed abroad and punish those guilty.

BJP leader and Law Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda said the probe into Bachchan’s name cropping up in Panama Papers will have no effect if he attends the event.

“See, practically, participation of Amitabh Bachchan and the investigation with regards to Panama Papers, certainly, it will not have any connectivity. Investigation will be done by an independent agency, they will take care of things.”

Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said the megastar is only

Amitabh Bachchan

hosting a programme and he is not yet proven guilty by any court.

“You may have questions, but has he been labelled guilty for that. His name has come. Let the court of law take action. If somebody is hosting a programme for celebrating our two years and he is not a criminal, he is a respected person of society. If his name has come, let the court of law take action,” he said.

The actor’s son Abhishek Bachchan also hit back, saying his father is only part of a function where he is talking about educating the girl child.

“It is not a political event. He is part of a function where he is talking about educating the girl child. That’s not a political event,” Abhishek told reporters.

The Panama Papers — based on an investigation by over 100 news organisations around the world — is a global list revealing offshore links of over 500 Indians, including Amitabh.

Denied links Amitabh has denied links with any of the offshore companies.

BJP Secretary Shrikant Sharma said the row created by Congress “only reflects its mental disability” as its own leaders are embroiled in alleged corruption and are out on bail.

Party MP and Actor Paresh Rawal said the Congress is “issue-less” and is thus creating an issue and dubbed it a “bogus issue” like the row created over the return of awards by writers and litterateurs in the wake of Dadri lynching incident.

Actor Rishi Kapoor, who had recently targeted the Congress over naming of national assets after the Nehru-Gandhi family during its rule said he does not seen any reason for that party to attack Bachchan. “I think a man of his stature would definitely benefit the occasion. It’s a very noble thing that he is doing,” he said, adding the mega star should go ahead with his event. - PTI

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PAKISTAN

PA NA M A PA P E R L E A K S

‘Under current law FBR cannot take action over leaks’ ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Nisar Muhammad Khan said on Wednesday the body cannot take any legal actions against the Pakistanis named in Panama Papers leaks under existing laws.

“We have limitations of laws … and will ask [the government] for revamping [of laws] in this budget,” he told inquisitive members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held in Islamabad.

His statement comes in the wake of political storm that was triggered in the country after opposition parties protested over inaction of concerned authorities.

Under pressure The government has been under tremendous pressure since the Panama Papers revealed the names of around 220 Pakistanis, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s immediate family members, keeping offshore accounts in international tax havens.

Although Khan has pointed

BEATING THE HEAT A woman helps her son to eat milky ice bar on a hot summer day, while waiting for a train at railway station in Karachi, Pakistan, on Wednesday. — Reuters

finger at stumbling blocks for the FBR, he did not specify which particular law or provision had stopped them from taking action on its own.

PTI leader It was Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shafqat Mehmood who invited attention of the FBR chairman over the leaks and first reaction of the latter was to point out in return that “Panama Papers is not on the agenda [of PAC meeting]”. But Mehmood seemed resolute enough to get some answers from the chairman and for that matter he put a hypothetical situation before him and asked: “Do you wait for orders or take action on your own when you [FBR] learn about a case of tax evasion through media reports or any other source?”“We take action on our own,” replied the chairman.

He added that FBR had not taken any action but “I can assure you that we are doing our homework”. — Express Tribune

US drone strike on Pakistani soil to damage ties: Raheel

MQM DISSIDENT GROUP

Mustafa Kamal

The army chief’s

17 members of Musharraf’s party join PSP

reaction came during a meeting with the Ambassador of US David Hale at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, a statement issued by Inter Services Public relations said GAME CHANGER: Saturday’s bombing raid, the first known American assault on a top Afghan Taliban leader on Pakistani soil, marked a major blow to the militant movement, which saw a new resurgence under Mansour. – File photo

RAWALPINDI: Army chief General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday warned the recent US drone strike targeting late Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was detrimental to bilateral relations between the two countries.

The army chief’s reaction came during a meeting with the Ambassador of US David Hale at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, a statement issued

by Inter Services Public relations (ISPR) said.

The statement said the situation arising after the US drone strike in Balochistan on May 22 came under discussion.

Sovereignty violations While expressing serious concerns over the drone strike, COAS said such acts of sovereignty violations are detrimental to relations between both countries and are counter-productive for ongoing peace process for regional stability.

“Pakistan’s efforts, successes and sacrifices in fight against terrorism have been unparalleled,” General Raheel added.

President Barack Obama on Monday confirmed Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US air strike, hailing his death as an “important milestone” in efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan.

Saturday’s bombing raid, the first known American assault on a top Afghan Taliban leader on Pakistani soil, marked a major blow to the militant movement, which saw a new resurgence under Mansour.

Soon after Obama’s statement, Pakistan summoned the US ambassador to express concern over the drone strike inside its territory, which reportedly killed Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor.

Ambassador David Hale was

called in by the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi wherein the latter pointed out that the drone strike was a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty, according to a Foreign Office statement.

Breach of UN charter The attack is also a breach of the United Nation’s Charter that guarantees the inviolability of the territorial integrity of its member states, he added.

Fatemi emphasised such actions could adversely impact the ongoing efforts by the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) for facilitating peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban.

Meanwhile Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has directed the National Database Regulatory Authority (Nadra) to prepare a roadmap within 48

hours for re-verification of Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) across the country, Express News reported.

The development comes following questions were raised over a Pakistani passport and CNIC found at the site where Muhammad Wali, suspected to be the Afghan Taliban supremo, was reportedly killed.

“A message has gone to the world that Pakistan’s CNIC can be used by anyone. This is against our strategic, security and national interest,” said Nisar while chairing a meeting at NADRA Headquarters in Islamabad on Wednesday.

He said it would be ensured that foreigners do not use Pakistani identity cards and it will be identified if foreigners are using them.

“In this regard, intelligence agencies will provide required help to Nadra.”

On May 24, the interior min-

Pakistan’s efforts, successes and sacrifices in fight against terrorism have been unparalleled Raheel Sharif Army chief

ister had said, “For the last 40 years now, more than 300,000migrants have reached Pakistan.

About 30,000 people cross the border on daily basis and there is no monitoring system for that,” adding, “It’s like a needle out of a haystack to keep a check on every single person.”

However, he said, “We are trying to improve the system.”

— Express Tribune

KARACHI: About 17 members of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), including spokesperson Asia Ishaq, have joined Mustafa Kamal’s political bandwagon.

The former Karachi mayor and leader of the fledgling Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) made the announcement during a news conference on Wednesday in Karachi.

Referring to the country’s current education standards, Kamal said, “Karachi used to be Pakistan’s most literate city, but now it’s graph has dropped to 43.”

The citizens will have to speak up and stand up for their rights if they want education standards to be improve,” he added.

Twenty days after launching his new political movement on Marach 3, the dissident leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) unveiled the name of his party the ‘Pak Sarzameen Party’.

Since the formation of PSP, leaders of several parties pledged allegiance with Kamal, including deposed MQM leader Anees Ahmed Advocate, two exMQM leaders Waseem Aftab and Iftikhar Alam and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Syed Hafeezuddin. — Express Tribune

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Since Greece agreed to an 86 billion EU-sponsored bailout last July, the IMF has been screaming about the nation’s debt being unsustainable.

It has refused to participate in the bailout unless Europe agreed to reduce the debt, creating political problems for European governments that championed the bailout, especially Germany’s

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What’s keeping Everest climbers stuck up there isn’t bad weather, a natural disaster or even equipment failures. The problem is depressingly familiar: Too many people are trying to climb the world’s tallest mountain and are contributing to deadly traffic congestion in the process.

Overcrowding on Everest poses a particular threat to Nepal now

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READERS’ FORUM Sykes-Picot Treaty harmful for people left homeless This refers to the opinion article Sykes-Picot Treaty is dead after 100 years (May 25). It’s a harmful agreement and quite sad about the life of a section of the people whose struggles to have a homeland have crossed a century. It is unfortunate that the creation of a Jewish state has apparently resulted in fading out the hopes of a self-reliant Palestinian homeland. The Sykes-Picot agreement has categorically ignored the plight of people left homeless for no fault of their own. The continuing struggles to liberate the land have already claimed the lives of a large number of Scan this QR code people, yet the negotiations still continue to send letters to the and the key issues remain unattended. It is Readers’ Forum, the right of the Palestinian community to containing not more than 200 words with settle down within their own piece of land full name, address to remain forever. Whatever deals might and telephone have struck in those days have forgotten number, may be sent about the life that exists in this part of the by e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com). world. It is quite disappointing that their priorities remain unresolved for decades.

It’s not simply overlooking the struggles of a section of the people. Responsible people and organisations have been failing to reach a consensus over the years of negotiations.

— Ramachandran Nair, Ruwi

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Tel: 24838800 | Fax: 24838899 | Email: niamct@omantel.net.om | Website: www.newindiaoman.com I thought being an adult meant knowing what you believe, but that has not been my experience.

JOHN GREEN

Closing Middle East education deficit

MEGAN MCARDLE

The question is not just whether Trump wants to be a dictator, but what the other branches of government will do if he tries to actually become one. I don’t just mean Congress and the courts; I mean ‘will the bureaucrats of the civil service follow his orders, and will the people with guns agree to go out and arrest his enemies?’

A

bout 60 miles north of Cairo’s Tahrir Square – the epicenter of the Egyptian uprising in 2011 – there is a secondary school students call “the prison.” A deformed box of concrete packed with dilapidated classrooms, the school is pockmarked with age and neglect. One teacher in the sleepy Nile Delta village morbidly quips that it doubles as a morgue.

“We never saw a revolution here,” he said a few months ago, withholding his name for fear of losing his job. “A lot of the hope we had is now dead... it was killed.”

The plight of Egypt’s public schools is a critical indicator of how Egypt’s revolution has failed its people. Outside observers saw the popular rebellion against Hosni Mubarak’s regime as a struggle for democracy over dictatorship; the generals who once again rule Egypt portray it as a fight for secularism that was hijacked by extremism. In fact, it was a revolt for human dignity, for a better life for ordinary citizens.

Without education, that hope is stillborn, not only in Egypt but across the Middle East. According to the United Nations, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa are depriving more than 13 million children of an education. But it’s not just in war-torn Syria and Yemen where youth are systematically neglected; shortcomings abound in relatively stable countries such as Egypt and Jordan.

Inadequate education goes hand in hand with the region’s unemployment crisis.

According to the International Labor Organsation, the Middle East had the world’s highest youth unemployment rates in 2014, with 46 per cent of women and 24 per cent of men out of work.

This toxic combination of poor education and high youth unemployment leaves millions of young people lingering in a purgatory that American University professor Diane Singerman calls “waithood.”

The term describes the prolonged adolescence that young people must endure until they can afford marriage, the region’s institutional and cultural gateway to societal recognition.

Unfortunately, governments and international institutions regard education and unemployment as development issues, not political or security issues. The US gives Egypt $1.3 billion in annual military aid, but just $250 million for civilian projects and programs.

Supporters of military assistance argue that weapons systems are needed to fight affiliates of Al Qaeda and the so-called IS in the Sinai and to maintain American influence with Egypt’s generals. Yet, unless Egyptian youth have hope and opportunity, security assistance is only a Band-Aid. Long-term security depends on a government’s willingness to provide adequate public goods and services.

Suppose the United States and the International Monetary Fund conditioned military and financial assistance to Egypt on straightforward measures of educational progress.

At the aggregate level, Egypt could improve its performance in global rankings. In the World Economic Forum’s latest report on global competitiveness, Egypt was ranked 139th out of 140 countries for quality of primary education.

Other changes, such as reducing the need for and the cost of private tutoring, would make a material difference in the lives of ordinary Egyptians. In Manshiyat Naser, one of Cairo’s poorest neighborhoods, young people like 18-year-old Ashraf Khalil have been studying for Thanaweya Amma, the infamous national secondary school examination. Their results will mean the difference between a coveted university spot and a life of second-class citizenry in a country with almost no social mobility.

“Things are actually worse since the revolution,” Khalil said while hopping on a minibus to a nearby wealthy residential compound where he gardens.

He’s trying to make enough money to hire a private tutor for the exam. Indeed, private tutoring has become the de facto Egyptian education system.

Some teachers have admitted off the record that they teach the bare minimum in class, so that they can profit from the same students in private lessons.

According to some estimates, Egyptian families spend more than $1 billion on private tutoring to compensate for poor education – a cost that often amounts to almost a quarter of household income.

The US and European governments, which have a vital interest in the stability and prosperity of countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, could also marshal and support consortia of private investors. - Project Syndicate

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES MAY 2001 Municipality plans to build lake in Quriyat MUSCAT: Muscat Municipality has appointed a specialist company to construct an artificial lake in the wilayat of Quriyat, according to Municipality President Abdullah Abbas bin Ahmed. The lake will be situated in the centre of the wilayat covering an area of 75,000 square metres. The project will be carried out in two stages, and will have an island in its centre, two pedestrian bridges, in addition to many trees, plants, etc., Abbas said. The municipality has designed the lake and it will be supervising the works of this highly entertainment and tourism-oriented project, Abbas added.

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1831: The Russians defeat the Poles at the Battle of Ostroleka.

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1835: A resolution is passed in the US Congress stating that Congress has no authority over state slavery laws.

0

1896: The last czar of Russia, Nicholas II, is crowned.

1961: A US Air Force bomber flies across the Atlantic in a record of just over three hours.

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

ASIA

An interior ministry spokesman said 10 people had been killed and four wounded in Wednesday’s attack, while the Taliban said 22 people had been killed or wounded.

Afghan Taliban appoint new leader; Kabul urges peace The United States, Pakistan and China have also been trying to get the militants to the negotiating table to end a conflict that has killed thousands of civilians and security personnel and left Afghanistan seriously unstable

Haibatullah Akhunzada, a religious scholar who was named in a United Nations report last year as the Taliban’s former chief justice, will lead the movement

KABUL/PESHAWAR: The Afghan Taliban named one of former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour’s deputies to succeed him on Wednesday, after confirming Mansour’s death in a US drone strike at the weekend.

Haibatullah Akhunzada, a religious scholar who was named in a United Nations report last year as the Taliban’s former chief justice, will lead the movement, it said in a statement. Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of a feared network blamed for many deadly bomb attacks in Kabul in recent years, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, will serve as deputies.

Ended confusion The announcement, following a meeting of the Taliban’s main shura, or leadership council, ended days of confusion during which the Taliban declined to confirm the death of Mansour in a drone strike in Pakistan on Saturday.

“All the shura members have pledged allegiance to Sheikh Haibatullah in a safe place in Afghanistan,” the statement said.

“All people are required to obey

MANSOUR’S SUCCESSOR: This undated handout photograph released by the Afghan Taliban on Wednesday shows, according to the Afghan Taliban, the new Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada posing for a photograph at an undisclosed location. - AFP/ Afghan Taliban/ STR

10 killed in suicide attack near Afghan capital KABUL: A suicide bomber killed at least 10 people and wounded four on Wednesday in an attack on a bus carrying staff from an appeal court west of the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said, and the Taliban claimed responsibility.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack on staff from the judicial system was in response to the

the new Amir-ul-Mumineen (commander of the faithful).”

Akhunzada, believed to be around 60 years of age and a member of the powerful Noorzai tribe,

Afghan government’s decision earlier this month to execute six Taliban prisoners on death row. Other attacks would follow, he said.

Tougher policy “We will continue on this path,” he said in a statement.

The decision by President Ashraf Ghani to execute the prisoners on death row was

was a close aide to Omar and is from Kandahar, in the south of Afghanistan and the heartland of the Taliban. An official Taliban account on Twitter posted a pho-

INTERVIEW

IS ‘falsely claiming’ attacks in Bangladesh, says Alam DHAKA: IS is trying to ride a wave of religious radicalisation by falsely claiming a spate of killings in Bangladesh, a government minister said, adding there was enough evidence implicating domestic militant groups.

Analysts say that as IS loses territory in Iraq and Syria and its finances get drained, it may be trying to build affiliates in countries such as Libya, Egypt and Bangladesh for extremists to launch attacks locally and cheaply.

But Shahriar Alam, Bangladesh’s state minister for foreign affairs, said in an interview that no local or foreign agency had found any presence of IS in the country. “Those claims (of kill-

ings) are definitely false,” Alam said on Tuesday.”But what we’ve agreed with our partnering countries is that we’ll not argue over it - that sends a wrong message.”

His comments came just days after a EU delegation said there was an unprecedented threat to human rights and freedom of expression in Bangladesh and urged Dhaka to tackle the challenge to protect its international reputation. Since February last year, the nation of 160 million has seen the killing of at least 26 people, including five secular bloggers, a publisher and two right campaigners. Al Qaeda has claimed some of the attacks, while IS has claimed 17 killings since first tak-

ing responsibility for murders in Bangladesh in September last year, according to US-based monitoring service SITE. Alam said it was an attempt to “ride the wave” without being involved at all. “We know from Syria that there is no such common ground for IS and Al Qaeda, they can’t be on the same platform,” he said.

“But the funny thing is that in some instances both have claimed responsibility here.” The government has said that two groups, Ansarullah Bangla Team and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, were behind the attacks as part of their campaign to establish a sharia-based state. - Reuters

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taken as part of a tougher policy towards the Taliban following a suicide attack by the insurgent movement which killed at least 64 people in Kabul.

An interior ministry spokesman said 10 people had been killed and four wounded in Wednesday’s attack, while the Taliban said 22 people had been killed or wounded. - Reuters

tograph of Akhunzada, informally known as Mullah Haibatullah, with a white turban and a long, greying beard. The post listed his full title as Amir-ul-Mumineen

Shiekh ul Quran Haibatullah Akhunzada. The hardline Taliban movement banned human images for breaching their strict interpretation of Islam during their fiveyear rule over Afghanistan, which ended when they were ousted by a US-led military campaign.

Senior members of the insurgent group had been keenly aware of the need to appoint a candidate who could bring disparate factions together and repair the splits that emerged last year when Mansour was appointed.

However, there was no immediate indication of whether the appointment would lead to a shift in the stance of the Taliban, which under Mansour ruled out participating in peace talks with the government in Kabul.

A spokesman for Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah called on the new Taliban leader to join talks, or face dire consequences. “We invite Mula #Haibatullah to peace. Political settlement is the only option for #Taliban or new leadership will face the fate of #Mansoor,” spokesman Javid Faisal said in a tweet.

The United States, Pakistan and China have also been trying to get the militants to the negotiating table to end a conflict that has killed thousands of civilians and security personnel and left Afghanistan seriously unstable.

Made big gains The Taliban have made big gains since NATO forces ended their main combat operations in Afghanistan in 2014, and now control more of the country than at any time since they were ousted

by US-led forces in 2001.

Mansour, a former deputy to Omar named as leader after the Taliban announced that Omar had died more than two years earlier, faced widespread suspicions that he had deceived the movement by covering up his predecessor’s death. - Reuters

J U LY 2 P O L L S

Australia’s immigration policy threatens to hijack election agenda SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s election agenda focusing on jobs and growth is at risk of being hijacked by the country’s harsh immigration policy and controversial network of offshore detention camps for asylum seekers.

Canberra has vowed to stop refugees sailing from Indonesia and Sri Lanka and landing on its shores, instead intercepting boats at sea and holding those on board in camps in far-flung Papua New Guinea and Nauru.

Now Turnbull, who ousted conservative Tony Abbott in a party coup last year promising a more progressive agenda, is facing calls of xenophobia for refusing to condemn his immigration minister’s claims that refugees will steal Australian jobs and strain the social safety network. Australia goes to the polls on July 2.

Peter Young, former director of Australia’s detention centre network, said this week that police had accessed his phone records, in part over his criticism of the country’s detention policies. Young accused the government of attempting to cover up deaths in custody, as well as intimidating medical staff and aid workers from revealing the conditions in the camps.

The immigration and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Earlier this month Australia said it had agreed to compensate a charity for wrongly accusing it of inciting refugees to self-harm in protest at conditions on Nauru in 2014.

“The thing that the government doesn’t want people to know is that putting people in these situations and exposing people to these health conditions is causing them to die. If that is to be part of their plan then they should be transparent, they should make people aware of them,” Young said. - Reuters

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MERKEL SPEAKS

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‘More time needed on EU-Turkey visa pact’

A thunder cell bringing heavy rain and hail hangs over a field near Neuhardenberg, northeastern Germany, on Tuesday. — AFP

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she was not worried about the fate of a migrant pact between the European Union and Turkey, but said more time was needed to overcome differences with Ankara over visa-free travel for Turks.

The EU is trying to keep a deal on track which would allow Turks visa-free travel to the bloc in return for Turkey continuing to stop illegal migrants reaching Europe from its shores.

Anti-terrorism laws So far Turkey has declined to fulfil all the EU’s conditions which include changing its anti-terrorism laws. Rights groups say Ankara uses them to stifle dissent but Turkey says it needs them to fight threats from IS and Kurdish militants.

“I am not concerned, we just need more time,” Merkel said after a cabinet meeting outside Berlin.

She has championed the deal, saying it will help to stem the flow migrants to Europe after more than one million arrived in Germany last year. Critics accuse Merkel of softening her stance on EU candidate Turkey’s human rights record to save the deal. Merkel reiterated that Ankara had to fulfill all 72 conditions stipulated by the EU to win visa free travel and said it would hold further talks with the European Commission. — Reuters BACKFIRED

British youth unimpressed with pro-EU camp’s video LONDON: A campaign video urging young Britons to “make sure you’re #VOTIN” to stay in the European Union in a June 23 referendum backfired on Wednesday, with some young people denouncing it as patronising.

Produced by the official “In” campaign, the new video aims to motivate young people to turn out on referendum day. Surveys show they are more likely to be in favour of remaining in the EU but less likely to vote than people in other age groups.

To a soundtrack of thumping dance music, the video shows images of young people engaging in a range of activities from texting and withdrawing cash to clubbing, spraying graffiti and parachuting.

Over these fast-moving images, a series of verbs appear one after the other in capital letters: WORKIN, LEARNIN, EARNIN, SHOPPIN, RAVIN, CHATTIN, ROAMIN, MAKIN, MEETIN, SHARIN, GOIN, LIVIN. Each time, the letters IN appear with a slight delay.

A message then flashes up: “Life’s better in the EU, but it’s at risk. 23rd June, make sure you’re #VOTIN”. The video plays on the word “IN”, but the decision to drop the letter G from the end of all the verbs was also widely seen as an attempt to mimic the way some young people talk.

On Twitter, some users used the hashtag #cringin to share their views. — Reuters

Ukrainian pilot, Russian soldiers freed in swap deal Nadiya Savchenko returns to hero’s welcome in Kiev as two Russian Russian special forces soldiers arrived in Moscow

MOSCOW/KIEV: Ukrainian military pilot Nadiya Savchenko arrived home to scenes of jubilation on Wednesday after her release by Russia in a prisoner swap and she promptly offered to fight again for Kiev in its conflict with pro-Russian separatists.

Savchenko’s handover, in return for two Russian prisoners had been demanded by the West and was cast as a humanitarian gesture by Russian President Vladimir Putin a few weeks before the European Union decides whether to extend sanctions against Russia imposed over its support of the rebels.

Savchenko, 35, barefoot - it was unclear why - and wearing a T-shirt depicting the Ukrainian coat of arms, emerged from the terminal at Kiev’s Boryspil airport

RELEASED: Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko shakes hands with servicemen from the Aydar battalion in Kiev on Wednesday. – AFP

to cries of “hero” from a crowd of supporters, among them her sister and mother.

“Huge thanks for fighting for me. I thank everyone who wished me well. Thanks to you I survived.

To those who wished me ill, I survived despite you!” she shouted.

“I can’t revive the dead, but I am always ready to lay down my life on the battlefield for Ukraine.

And I will do everything possible for every person in captivity to be freed.”

She was captured in 2014 while fighting with Ukrainian forces against pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine. She was handed over to Russia and found guilty of complicity in the deaths

of two Russian journalists who were killed by artillery fire while reporting on the conflict.

As Savchenko touched down in Kiev, Russian television showed footage of Putin meeting relatives of the two Russian journalists to explain his decision to pardon her.

Hope “I want to... express the hope that such decisions, which are dictated first of all by humanitarian considerations, will lead to a reduction in the confrontation in the conflict zone and will help avoid such losses, which are terrible and which nobody needs,” Putin said.

State television also showed the two Russians handed over

by Kiev, Alexander Alexandrov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev, descending the steps of an aircraft after it touched down at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.

The pair - who told Reuters in an interview last year that they were Russian special forces soldiers captured while on a secret mission in eastern Ukraine - were embraced on the tarmac by their wives. As part of the exchange deal, which could help ease tensions between Russia and the West, they received official pardons from Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Savchenko, a military pilot, had volunteered to fight with a ground unit against the separatists in eastern Ukraine.

At her trial in southern Russia, Savchenko was accused of acting as an artillery spotter, calling down the fire that killed the journalists. She denied this.

A Russian court sentenced her in March to 22 years in jail.

She is widely seen in Ukraine as a symbol of resistance against Russia, a perception bolstered by her defiant behaviour in court during her trial.

At one point, she interrupted the judge reading out his verdict by standing on a bench and singing the Ukrainian anthem at the top of her voice.

Russia has never explicitly acknowledged that it sent active duty Russian soldiers into eastern Ukraine, so it was not clear how

Alexandrov and Yerofeyev would be treated on their return home.

While in Kiev, they had accused Moscow of disowning them.

Alexandrov’s mother, Zinaida, told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday: “I’m glad, I’m very happy. I hope that everything will be okay for him, I really want to see him.”

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement that he hoped Savchenko’s release “will help build trust between Ukraine and Russia”.

Russia’s relations with its neighbour and fellow ex-Soviet republic Ukraine have been toxic since an uprising in 2014 forced out the Moscow-backed Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovich and installed a pro-Western administration.

Russia then annexed Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula. Moscow said it was protecting the local Russianspeaking population from persecution by the new authorities in Kiev. Western governments called it an illegal land-grab and imposed sanctions on Moscow.

Soon after, pro-Moscow separatists began an armed separatist rebellion in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, an area with a large Russian-speaking community. Fighting between the rebels and Ukraine’s forces killed thousands of people.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since last year, but a permanent settlement to the conflict remains elusive. — Reuters

WAT C H D O G ’ S R E P O R T

‘Hillary Clinton did not comply with federal email policy’

DEFIANT: Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton speaking at the IBEW Local 11 union hall during a campaign event in Commerce, California on Monday. – AFP

NEW YORK: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while US secretary of state broke government rules and was not approved by State Department security officials, according to an internal government watchdog’s report released on Wednesday.

Clinton’s use of the private email server in her home in Chappaqua, New York, for government purposes has prompted several investigations, including an ongoing probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The email controversy has hung over her campaign for months. The report by the department’s inspector general cited “longstanding, systemic weaknesses” with State Department records that predated Clinton’s tenure, and found problems with the email re-

cord-keeping of some of her predecessors. But it also singled out Clinton, the front-runner in the race to become the Democratic presidential nominee, for her decision to use a private email server for government business, apparently without seeking authorisation.

“OIG found no evidence that the Secretary requested or obtained guidance or approval to conduct official business via a personal email account on her private server,” the report said, using an abbreviation for the office of inspector general.

The report said she should have discussed the arrangement with the department’s security officials.

Officials told the inspector general’s office that they “did not - and would not - approve her exclusive reliance on a personal email account to conduct Department business”. The

reason, those officials said, is because it breached department rules and presented “security risks”.

There was no immediate comment from Clinton or her predecessors as secretary of state.

Officials in the inspector general’s office interviewed John Kerry, the current secretary of state, and predecessors Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright for the report, which was released to the media by lawmakers on Wednesday. Kerry asked the inspector general to investigate after Clinton’s email arrangement came to light last year. Clinton, who served as the nation’s top diplomat from 2009 to 2013, and her deputies, including Cheryl Mills, Jake Sullivan and Huma Abedin, declined to be interviewed for the inspector general’s investigation,

the report said. Republicans have used Clinton’s email practice to suggest she was trying to hide government records from scrutiny under public-access laws.

“It was a systemic, plotted-out plan to avoid the security that we should maintain for those kind of records,” US Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a supporter of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, told Fox News on Wednesday.

Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman, said that the report’s key recommendations have already been acted upon.

“As this report underscores, agencies across the Federal Government are working to adapt decades-old recordkeeping practices to the email-dominated modern era,” he said in statement. — Reuters

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French labour stand-off escalates Police broke up a fuel depot blockade with water cannons while the CGT union called

hurt the economy

A majority of French fear the tournament, which will already be operating under high security after last year’s militant attacks on Paris, will be disrupted by protests, and worry the impact on the country’s image abroad, a poll showed.

Nearly two thirds would blame the government for it, the survey

by Odoxa pollsters showed.

PARIS: The stand-off between France’s government and a hardline union over labour reforms stiffened on Wednesday as the country mobilised strategic oil stocks for the first time in six years and employers warned the protests were starting to hurt the economy.

Police broke up a fuel depot blockade with water cannons while the CGT union called a strike at a nuclear plant, in an escalation which a majority of French fear could disrupt the Euro 2016 football championship.

Ministers insisted that Socialist President Francois Hollande’s

Embarrassing As well as embarrassing an already deeply unpopular government, the labour reform dispute has put a spotlight on the battle for influence between France’s two largest unions, the CGT and the CFDT, whose refusal to join strike calls could blunt the impact of the industrial action. Street protests over the law have been going on for weeks but with dwindling turnout.

As they failed to convince the government to budge further, the CGT moved on to sectoral strikes such as those targeting refineries.

Total, which operates about a fifth of France’s stations, said 348 out of its 2,200 petrol stations were out of stock.

a strike at a nuclear plant as employers warned the protests were starting to

LABOUR REFORM DISPUTE: CGT labour union employees of French state-owned railway company SNCF gather near a barricade to block the entrance of the depot of the SFDM company near the oil refinery of Donges, France, on Wednesday, in protest over proposed new labour laws. – Reuters

government would stand firm and ensure fuel supplies, with strategic reserves large enough to last more than three months.

Waning power “The CGT does not rule this country,” Prime Minister Manuel Valls told lawmakers.” We won’t withdraw the (reforms).”

CGT chief Philippe Martinez,

however, said his union, one of the biggest in France but whose power is waning and is banking a lot on this wave of protests, would press on with its strikes. “We will carry on,” Martinez told France Inter radio. At stake is a labour market reform to make it easier for firms to hire and fire. The government says it is crucial to fight rampant unemployment stuck at above 10 per

cent of the workforce. The CGT says it would dismantle protective labour regulation.

Other unions back the latest version of the reforms, which have been watered down by the government. Both the CGT and the government are digging their heels in with an eye of the month-long Euro soccer championship due to start on June 10.

But a train strike on Wednesday was having less impact than a previous one last week, with the SNCF rail operator saying 3 out of 4 fast trains and 6 out of 10 regular inter-city train were running. Only 10.6 per cent of workers heeded the strike call, it said.

France’s main employers group nevertheless said they were worried and warned that the protests were starting to have an impact on the economy and could push fragile business to bankruptcy.

CGT workers voted for a 24hour strike starting at 1900 GMT on Wednesday at the Nogent-surSeine nuclear plant southeast of Paris and workers at other nuclear plants will meet today to decide on possible further strikes, Laurent Langlard, a spokesman for the CGT’s energy federation said.

The strike is unlikely to lead to blackouts even if it spreads to several of France’s 19 plants because an extensive network of power interconnections with neighbouring countries allows grid operator RTE to import any shortfall in nuclear power production. — Reuters SWEDEN

HOLED UP: Wikileaks founder

Julian Assange. – Reuters File

Court upholds Assange arrest warrant STOCKHOLM: A Swedish lower court upheld on Wednesday the arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, saying the stay at Ecuador’s London embassy did not equal detention.

Assange, 44, is wanted by Swedish authorities for questioning over allegations, which he denies, that he committed rape in 2010. A computer hacker who enraged US authorities by publishing hundreds of thousands of secret US diplomatic cables, he has been holed up in the embassy since June 2012 to avoid the rape investigation in Sweden. He says he fears further extradition to the United States, where there has been a criminal investigation into the activities of Wikileaks.

“The district court finds that there is still probable cause for the suspicion against JA (Julian Assange) for rape, less serious incident, and that there is still a risk that he will depart or in some other way evade prosecution or penalty,” the court said in a statement.

Last year, Sweden’s Supreme Court rejected a previous appeal by Assange to revoke a detention order. Following a statement by a UN panel that his stay in the embassy amounts to arbitrary detention, Assange’s lawyers again in February asked the Stockholm District Court to overturn the warrant for his arrest. “Unlike the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention the district court does not consider JA’s stay at the Embassy of Ecuador in London a form of detention,” the court said.

One of Assange’s Swedish lawyers, Thomas Olsson, said the decision will in all likelihood be appealed.

“As far as I understand it, the court has not addressed the main issue in the case, whether the delay in the investigation is due to the inaction of the prosecutor, which we mean is a reason to overturn this (the arrest warrant),” Olsson told Reuters.

In 2010, Wikileaks released more than 90,000 secret documents on the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan. — Reuters

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OMAN CRUDE RISES

MARKE

Oman Crude (July delivery) rose by $1.21 to $45.99 per barrel on Wednesday, said Dubai Mercantile Exchange. The average price of Oman Crude (June delivery) was $39.40 per barrel, $3.06 a barrel higher than May delivery. - ONA

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Muscat 5,930.51 - 6.91 - 0.12%

Dubai 3,308.77 + 61.17 + 1.88%

Abu Dhabi 4,288.61 + 66.45 + 1.57%

Saudi Arabia

6,513.08 + 38.02 + 0.59%

Kuwait 5,368.25 + 45.63 + 0.86%

Bahrain 1,099.63 - 1.03 - 0.09%

Qatar 9,664.85 - 16.69 - 0.17%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (OMR1)*

GOLD PRICES*

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

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.30 Pound ............................................1.76 Indian Rs ............................. 175.44 Pakistan Rs ........................267.38 Bangla Taka.......................201.57

Indian Rs ...................................174.85 Pakistan Rs .............................272.00 Sri Lanka Rs .................................. N/A Bangla Taka........................... 203.50 Phil Peso .................................... 121.25

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) ....... 15.70

Oman Crude............. (Spot) ........ $45.73 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........ $45.73 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$48.53 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........$44.98 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ........$49.24

* Rates are as of May 25 Source: Bank Muscat

West Texas Int ....... (Spot) .........$49.13

* Rates as of May 25 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) ........15.10 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............ 151.00 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............. 141.75 * Rates as of May 25 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

‘Siemens has helped Oman save 31% of gas in power generation’ Siemens has been working a lot on the new MoUs inked between Petroleum Development Oman and the Public Authority for Electricity and Water, and between PDO and the Nama Group to improve the security and reliability of the Sultanate’s electricity network

Markus Strohmeier.

— Supplied picture

BABA UMAR

babaumar@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Siemens Technology has helped Oman save 31 per cent of gas in power generation, a senior company official said.

“The latest three power plants in Oman utilise Siemens gas turbines. Because of the new technology that we brought in terms of high efficiency, I think saving 31 per cent of gas is really something we contributed to,” Markus Strohmeier, chief executive officer (CEO) of Siemens LLC in Oman told the Times of Oman in an exclusive interview.

The Germany-headquartered Siemens is one of the largest engineering companies in Europe and aims to develop a strong foothold in the Sultanate.

Strohmeier added that Siemens has been working a lot on the new MoUs inked between Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW), and between PDO and the Nama Group to improve the security and reliability of the Sultanate’s electricity network.

“We have been working on this with all the players to see the benefits of such interconnections.

Because of the country’s power generation (using oil and gas) being connected through a national 400kV transmission, only we use the highest efficiency power plants and PDO can keep the low efficiency units in back up. This will generate huge gas savings.

What we bring to Oman is innovation in terms of saving gas, oil, labour, power and that is basically contributing to cost saving and making Oman more competitive,” he added.

The Siemens CEO revealed that the company also plans to promote small power generators (2megawatt (MW) to 50 MW-capacity).

H AYA H - 1 E X P L O R AT I O N W E L L

Oman’s Block 36 exploration well disappoints Norwegian company Times News Service MUSCAT: Norwegian oil and gas operator, DNO ASA, said that the Hayah-1 exploration well in Oman’s onshore Block 36 failed to encounter hydrocarbons other than minor gas shows and will be plugged and abandoned.

“The well, drilled in the Rub alKhali basin in the southwestern part of the country, reached a total depth of 3,010 metres and penetrated the three target reservoirs,

of which two had good reservoir quality,” said a company release.

Further evaluation DNO will incorporate the Hayah-1 well information into further evaluation of the block.

DNO operates Block 36 with a 75 per cent operated interest, Allied Petroleum Exploration Inc. (APEX) holds the remaining 25 per cent.

DNO ASA is a Norwegian oil and gas operator focused on the

Middle East and North Africa.

Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the company holds stakes in onshore and offshore licenses at various stages of exploration, development and production in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia and Somaliland.

Apart from Block 36, DNO has interest in Block 8, an offshore block in Musandam in the Sultanate of Oman.

OIL MARKET

World better forget about $100 per barrel for crude: Norway OSLO: The oil market is rebalancing, but don’t count on ever seeing prices at $100 a barrel again: that’s the message from Norway’s petroleum and energy minister.

Brent crude has surged more than 70 per cent from a 12-year low earlier this year as a global glut shows signs of easing, bringing relief to oil companies and producing countries like Norway, which have been pummelled by the worst market downturn in a generation. While it’s “quite obvious” that the supply and demand will return to equilibrium, it doesn’t mean Norway is planning — or even hoping — for prices to go back to what they were, Tord Lien said in a Bloomberg TV interview at the ministry’s offices in Oslo.

“It’s better to plan for $60 and let the people who want to hope for $100, hope for $100,” he said.

“We saw oil prices hitting $140 a barrel, and that does not contribute to economic growth. So therefore I’m not hoping for it.”

The collapse in crude prices has put Norway, western Europe’s biggest oil and gas producer, at a crossroads, with investments in its offshore industry falling the most since 2000 and the govern-

Tord Lien, Norway’s petroleum and energy minister.

— Bloomberg News

ment for the first time dipping into its $850 billion sovereign wealth fund to plug budget holes.

Even as 40,000 jobs disappeared in two years, the Nordic country resisted deploying drastic measures, like tax breaks for the oil industry introduced in the UK. The Norwegian petroleumtax system, which includes a top tax of 78 per cent but offers generous deductions for exploration and development spending, is “the best” there is and remains attractive because of its very stability, Lien said.

Virgin territory Norway has instead kept offering new acreage to explorers, such as new licenses in a virgin area of the Arctic Barents Sea along the maritime border with Russia as recently as last week. It was the first time Norway opened entirely new blocks to the industry in more than 20 years. After crude production dropped by half since a 2000 peak and as exploration results hit an almost 10-year low last year, the Nordic country is betting on the Barents Sea to help it maintain output in the coming decades.

Both Norwegian authorities and the companies involved “have a strong belief in the possibility of finding significant resources in the Barents Sea,” Lien said on Tuesday. Norway’s petroleum minister, himself a native of the country’s high north, hit back at environmental organisations’ criticism that it was unwise to open new swaths of the Arctic to exploration because offshore oil and gas in this region, usually more expensive to extract than in other areas, will have to remain in ground if the world is to succeed in limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius.

— Bloomberg News

“There are so many villages that run on diesel power. The Rural Areas Electricity Company (Raeco) in Oman is still running diesel power plants in some areas, which come with some disadvantage.

Low efficiency, high affordability and high maintenance, and lots of fuel to store and transport. We are offering them new gas turbines.

Gas turbines that can also burn diesel. They run on dual fuel. It has less hassle and higher efficiency than the current generation,” Strohmeier said.

Asked if the company is bidding for new projects, he said; “A lot is going on. It’s an exciting time here.

We have products that are simply offering more efficient higher quality and less cost. We are quite happy with the progress in Oman.”

He further said Siemens LLC was founded in Oman ten years ago and “every year is better than the year before. For us, Oman is a better place to be in. And we are excited.”

Strohmeier rejected the estimated growth figures in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, which some assess could hover at around only 3.5 per cent till 2018.

“I don’t like these figures. This

GDP measurement has been created probably 100 years ago. The GDP percentage doesn’t measure…for example, does it include software development? Does it include contributions of a knowledge-based society, if someone is sitting at home and has developed an app. The GDP percentage doesn’t measure this,” the Siemens official stated.

“They only measure, if you have a real company and you pay taxes, you arrive at these percentages.

But if you have an app and you sell it through someone else in a different country, it never hits the GDP of the country where you sit, so all of this GDP measurement is ancient. There is a hidden economy taking enormous sizes.

What we have been measuring for hundreds of years hasn’t changed.

There is another economy as well,” he explained.

The Siemens official also stated that Oman has great potential for investments in power because of the increase in the population and size of the country.

“Population growth is key driver here. In Europe, population growth is stagnant. Of course we have a smaller influx, but the birth rate is low. We are stagnant. But in

Oman we have enormous growth… everyone needs a new home, needs their own electrification,” he stated, adding “The over 8 per cent growth in power consumption will continue into the next decade here. You can’t see this in the European Union or America.

The power sector is growing in Oman and the way it’s served will change in future. Different technologies are coming in.” “For us it’s an interesting market. We are hoping for new projects in innovative technologies, and we want to bring efficiency in the oil and gas sector… there are so many innovative products we can bring to Oman,” CEO Strohmeier said.

Digitalisation Terming ‘digitalisation’ a next game changer in Oman, the Siemens official said lots of costcutting could be done if technology is adopted.

“In digitalisation, we are collecting all data and we evaluate,” he said. “For example, in a hospital, all of our devices have sensors which can constantly report to remote monitor centres. We take data, evaluate it, then we could compare and know when it breaks down or when is the lifetime approaching.”

B2

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

MARKET MSM index ends lower

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 5,938.95 ...............5,930.51 ....................5,930.51 ................... 5,937.42...................-6.91 .................. -0.12 Financial Index .....................................7,622.87 ................7,597.18 .................... 7,597.18 ....................7,615.54................ -18.36 .................. -0.24 Industrial Index ......................................,341.09 ............... 7,316.95 ....................7,316.95 ................... 7,335.28................ -18.33 .................. -0.25 Services Index ...................................... 3,293.45 ...............3,287.73 ....................3,287.73 ...................3,293.45.................. -5.72 .................. -0.17 MSM SHARIAH INDEX...................... 890.04 ..................888.43 ...................... 888.43 ......................890.04...................-1.61 .................. -0.18 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 7,378,706 .....................2,177,862 .....................497 ................17,140,836,035 .................. 7 ......................16 .................... 17 .........................40

Bank Sohar was the most active in terms of volume, while maximum turnover was in

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 25

Oman Telecommunications Co.’s counter.

ISIN ......................................SECURITY NAME ..................................................................VOLUME..... TURNOVER............TRADES ......OPEN PRICE......HIGH ............. LOW ........ CLOSE PR. ...PREV. CLOSE...DIFF (RO).........DIFF % .............LAST PR.....LAST BID .............LAST OFFER ........MARKET CAP.PAR VALUE

MUSCAT: Shares on the Muscat Securities Market edged down amid listless trading on Wednesday. The MSM30 Index fell by 0.12 per cent amid lower trading activity to close at 5,930.51points. The MSM Sharia Index fell by 0.18 per cent to close at 888.43 points.

Bank Sohar was most active in terms of volume while Oman Telecommunications Company was the most active in terms of turnover. The top gainer was United Finance, up by 3.38 per cent, while Voltamp Energy was the top loser, down by 3.23 per cent.

As many as 497 trades were executed on Wednesday, generating turnover of OMR2.17 million with 7.3 million shares changing hands. Out of 40 traded securities, seven advanced, 16 declined and 17 remained unchanged.

Omani investors were net buyers for OMR578,000 while GCC and Arab investors were net sellers for OMR295,000 followed by foreign investors for OMR282,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index closed at 7597.18 points, down by 0.24 per cent. United Finance, National Bank of Oman and Al Anwar Holding increased by 1.18 per cent and 0.44 per cent, respectively.

Oman United Insurance, Bank Nizwa, HSBC Bank Oman and Al Sharqiya Investment declined by 3.04 per cent, 1.28 per cent, 0.93 per cent and 0.71 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index was down by 0.25 per cent to close at 7,316.95 points. Construction Material Industries, Salalah Mills, Packaging Co. Ltd and Raysut Cement increased by 3.13 per cent, 1.02 per cent, 0.77 per cent and 0.39 per cent, respectively.

Voltamp Energy, National Mineral Water, Al Anwar Ceramics, Al Jazeera Steel Product and Galfar Engineering declined by

3.23 per cent, 1.64 per cent, 1.48 per cent, 0.93 per cent and 0.91 per cent, respectively.

Services Index closed at 3,287.73 points, down by 0.17 per cent. National Gas, Renaissance Services, Phoenix Power, Oman Telecommunications Company and OIFC declined by 0.76 per cent, 0.67 per cent, 0.65 per cent, 0.61 per cent and 0.49 per cent, respectively.

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

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ....................................................... 61,056 ...............9,342......................12 ............0.153 ........... 0.153 ...........0.153 ............0.153 .............0.148............ 0.005............. 3.378 ................0.153 .............. 0.153...................0.154...................49,924,388.........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN .................................. 82,000 ............. 21,110........................7 ............0.251 ...........0.260 ...........0.251 ........... 0.257 .............0.254 ........... 0.003..............1.181.................0.252..............0.252...................0.258..................379,018,788 ........0.100 OM0000001889............SALALAH MILLS.............................................................6,000 .............. 8,940........................1 ............1.490 ........... 1.490 ...........1.490........... 1.490 ............. 1.475.............0.015 ..............1.017.................1.490 ............. 0.000...................1.490................... 71,762,965 .........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 279,306 ........... 63,866..................... 29 ........... 0.227 ...........0.230 ...........0.227........... 0.229 .............0.228 ............0.001 ............. 0.439 ................0.228..............0.228...................0.229 .................. 34,367,175 .........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ....................................................... 20,000 ............ 25,500........................1 ............1.275 ........... 1.275 ...........1.275 ............1.275 .............1.270............ 0.005.............0.394 ................1.275 .............. 1.275...................1.280................. 255,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001095............DHOFAR INSURANCE ..................................................2,000 .................. 412........................1 ........... 0.206...........0.206 ...........0.206 .......... 0.206 .............0.206 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.206............. 0.000...................0.226 ..................41,200,000.........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY......................................35,836 .............65,401........................6 ............1.825 ........... 1.825 ...........1.825 ............1.825 ............. 1.825............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.825 ..............1.800...................1.825..................163,702,500........0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT .................................... 30,000 ...............1,940........................2 ........... 0.065 ...........0.065 ...........0.064........... 0.065 .............0.065 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.064..............0.063...................0.065...................13,464,840 .........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 246,357 ............61,895......................21 ........... 0.252 ...........0.258 ...........0.250............0.251 ............. 0.251............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.258.............. 0.251...................0.255.................... 5,271,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 720,588 .........289,980...................105 ........... 0.404...........0.404 ...........0.402........... 0.402 .............0.402 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.402............. 0.400...................0.404 ...............1,003,492,604 ......0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ........................... 11,550 ...............1,444........................ 1 ............0.125 ........... 0.125 ...........0.125 ............0.125 ............. 0.125............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.125 .............. 0.125...................0.129.................... 7,355,402 ..........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 1,106,270 ...... 196,846..................... 26 ............0.178 ........... 0.178 ...........0.177 ............0.178 ............. 0.178............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.177 .............. 0.177...................0.178 ..................285,600,883 .......0.100

Emerging stocks rise Emerging-market stocks rallied, led by exporters and energy companies, as oil prices gained and strong US housing data boosted confidence in the world’s biggest economy. South Korea’s won paced advances among developing-nation currencies.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index rose 1.7 per cent to 800.97 at 9:16 a.m. in London, poised for the steepest increase since March 30.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Samsung Electronics Co. were among the biggest contributors to gains in the gauge.

Chinese shares listed in Hong Kong jumped the most in Asia after oil’s climb drove a rally in energy shares. Russia’s ruble appreciated for a second day versus the dollar and the won strengthened the most in a month as a measure of currencies halted a two-day loss.

Developing-nation stocks joined a global rally, paring the regional measure’s biggest monthly slump since January after comments from Federal Reserve policy makers drove up odds for higher United States interest rates in the next two months.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen speaks later this week. Oil extended gains to near $50 a barrel as weekly US industry data showed crude stockpiles declined, easing a glut. - United Securities/Bloomberg News

OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER................................................................ 2,160 .................. 657........................2 ........... 0.304...........0.304 ...........0.304 ...........0.318 ............. 0.318............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.304............. 0.304...................0.310...................70,281,180 .........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO...............................................................................796 ...................591........................2 ............0.740 ........... 0.744 ...........0.740............0.748 ............. 0.748............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.744 ..............0.744...................0.748................. 486,906,284 .......0.100 OM0000004669 ...........SHARQIYAH DESALINATION .................................. 2,125 ...............9,988........................1 ........... 4.700 ...........4.700 ...........4.700........... 4.700 .............4.700 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................4.700..............4.700...................4.950 .................. 45,967,015 .........1.000 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH.............................................. 104,280 ........... 26,070..................... 10 ........... 0.250 ...........0.250 ...........0.250........... 0.250 .............0.250 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.250..............0.248...................0.250 ................ 238,642,988 .......0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL.................................................5,000 .................. 370........................1 ........... 0.074 ........... 0.074 ...........0.074........... 0.074 .............0.074 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.074..............0.074...................0.075...................12,950,000.........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .....................................................17,758 ...............3,836........................4 ............0.216 ........... 0.216 ...........0.216 ........... 0.216 .............0.216............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.216 ..............0.216...................0.220 ................. 154,311,769 ........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 139,139 .............28,157........................8 ........... 0.203 ...........0.203 ...........0.202 .......... 0.202 .............0.203 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.493 ...............0.202 ............ 0.202...................0.203 ................. 40,400,000 ........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 375,180.......... 607,467.....................44 ............1.630 ........... 1.630 ...........1.610 ........... 1.620 ............. 1.630............-0.010 ............-0.613................1.610 .............. 1.610................... 1.615 ................1,215,000,000 ......0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 498,000..........147,212..................... 27 ........... 0.295 ...........0.299 ...........0.294 .......... 0.296 .............0.298 ...........-0.002 ............-0.671................0.295..............0.294...................0.295...................86,032,702.........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 159,300 ...........22,330..................... 10 ............0.141 ........... 0.142 ...........0.140........... 0.140 ............. 0.141............-0.001 ........... -0.709 ...............0.140.............. 0.139...................0.140...................12,600,000.........0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ..................12,468 ............... 1,746........................2 ............0.140 ........... 0.140 ...........0.140........... 0.140 ............. 0.141............-0.001 ........... -0.709 ...............0.140..............0.134...................0.142...................28,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ........................................................... 102,514............ 53,307......................13 ........... 0.520 ...........0.520 ...........0.520........... 0.520 .............0.524 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.763................0.520..............0.520...................0.522 ..................28,600,000 ........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 498,351 ........... 54,453..................... 34 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.109........... 0.109 ............. 0.110............-0.001 ........... -0.909 ...............0.109..............0.109...................0.110 ................... 31,607,889 .........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 653,000 ............69,874........................4 ............0.108 ........... 0.108 ...........0.107 ........... 0.107 .............0.108 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.926 ...............0.107 ..............0.107...................0.109..................214,033,469........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 470,724 ............99,766..................... 39 ............0.212 ........... 0.213 ...........0.211 ........... 0.212 .............0.214 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.935 ...............0.212.............. 0.211...................0.212...................26,478,368.........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 202,106 ........... 53,823........................7 ........... 0.269 ...........0.269 ...........0.265........... 0.266 .............0.270 ...........-0.004 ............-1.481................0.265..............0.262...................0.268 ..................78,792,839 .........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 116,800.............29,788......................13 ........... 0.260...........0.260 ...........0.255........... 0.255 .............0.263 ...........-0.008 ........... -3.042 ...............0.255..............0.252...................0.255...................25,500,000.........0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ..................................................... 13,552 ...............5,692........................4 ........... 0.420 ...........0.420 ...........0.420........... 0.420 .............0.434 ...........-0.014 ........... -3.226 ...............0.420..............0.420...................0.432...................25,410,000 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 5,974,216 ...1,961,800...................437 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......30........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ...................... 7,000 ...................231........................1 ........... 0.033 ...........0.033 ...........0.033........... 0.033 .............0.032 ............0.001 ............. 3.125 ................0.033..............0.032...................0.033....................2,805,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001046............PACKAGING CO. LTD ..................................................33,670 ..............17,712........................2 ........... 0.522 ........... 0.532 ...........0.522........... 0.526 .............0.522 ........... 0.004............. 0.766 ................0.532..............0.522...................0.000 ................... 1,578,000 ..........1.000 OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ............................................... 105,000 ........... 61,280........................3 ........... 0.584 ...........0.584 ...........0.576........... 0.584 .............0.584 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.576..............0.566...................0.584...................91,980,000.........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ..................................................... 106,800 .............. 6,515........................6 ............0.061 ........... 0.061 ...........0.061 ........... 0.061 ............. 0.061............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.061 ..............0.060...................0.061.................... 7,625,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001590............MUSCAT FINANCE.................................................... 226,974 ............28,125........................9 ............0.124 ........... 0.124 ...........0.123 ........... 0.124 .............0.124 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.123 ..............0.122...................0.123...................33,072,732 .........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.................................................. 3,660 .................. 212........................1 ........... 0.058 ...........0.058 ...........0.058........... 0.058 .............0.058 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.058..............0.057...................0.058...................58,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 403,608 ........... 62,225..................... 25 ............0.154 ........... 0.155 ...........0.154 ........... 0.154 ............. 0.155............-0.001 ........... -0.645 ...............0.154 ..............0.154...................0.155 ................. 225,240,625 .......0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 460,682 ........... 35,470........................9 ........... 0.077 ........... 0.077 ...........0.076........... 0.077 .............0.078 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.282 ...............0.076..............0.076...................0.077..................115,500,000........0.100 OM0000001285 ............NATIONAL MINERAL WATER ...............................35,430 ...............2,126........................3 ........... 0.060 ...........0.060 ...........0.060........... 0.060 ............. 0.061............-0.001 ............-1.639................0.060..............0.060...................0.064 ................... 1,620,182 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 1,382,824 ...... 213,896..................... 59 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 9........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000004628 ...........BANK SOHAR BONDS 4.5 ..........................................21,666 ...............2,167........................1 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100........... 0.100 ............. 0.101............-0.001 ........... -0.990 ...............0.100..............0.100...................0.110 .................... 4,766,667 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: ....................................................................................21,666 ...............2,167........................1 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. .........1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ECONOMY

PAT E N T S U I T S

Huawei sues Samsung in US and China Singapore’s growth rises in first quarter

WASHINGTON: Huawei Technologies filed patent suits against Samsung Electronics in the US and China after the two were not able to reach a licensing deal over the use of technology fundamental to how mobile networks operate.

In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco, Huawei claims Samsung infringes as many as 11 patents related to the industry standard for fourthgeneration mobile devices. It’s seeking cash compensation. In the public portion of the complaint, Huawei doesn’t seek any order to block sales of Samsung products in the US. The public version of the complaint is heavily redacted to mask confidential information. The patents cover communications networks and software to operate LTE networks established through international standard-setting organisations, Huawei said in the complaint. Huawei, one of the world’s largest makers of networking gear, said it’s offered to charge Samsung a fair and reasonable rate but Samsung refuses to pay.

“We have a good history of li-

– Bloomberg file picture

censing and cross-licensing of our peers,” said William Plummer, a Huawei spokesman. “We hope that Samsung will do the right thing.”

Research costs Huawei said it spends 15 per cent of its revenue on research and is one of the biggest contributors to the industry standards for telecommunications so devices can talk to one another.

“We will thoroughly review the complaint and take appropriate action to defend Samsung’s business interests,” Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung said in an e-mailed statement.

The case, as well as a suit filed in Shenzhen People’s Court in China where Huawei is based, threatens to become engulfed in a broader debate over how to value patents that are related to standardized

technology such as mobile communications.

Companies that get together to develop industry standards pledge to license any patents on “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory” terms. Tech companies are split on how to define what exactly that means, and the issue has led to lawsuits and policy arguments around the world.

Plummer said that Huawei has “fulfilled all of our obligations” to make a fair offer to Samsung. He declined to comment further on any negotiations.

Samsung’s own standard-essential patents were asserted against Apple in their smartphone fight.

The administration of President Barack Obama vetoed an import ban Samsung had won against Apple because of concerns a trade agency hadn’t addressed questions about such patents.

Ericsson, which vies with Huawei for title of top global networking company, also claimed Samsung refused to pay fair and reasonable rates. The furms later settled, an outcome Plummer said Huawei is seeking. — Bloomberg News

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s economy performed better in the first quarter than the government had earlier estimated, led by a surge in manufacturing that may not be repeated as exports remain under pressure.

Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded an annualised 0.2 per cent from the previous three months, the Ministry of Trade and Industry in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday. That compares with the department’s April estimate of zero per cent and the median forecast of 0.6 per cent in a Bloomberg News survey of 12 economists.

Vulnerable in Asia Singapore is among the most vulnerable in Asia to swings in global demand. With the world economic outlook weakening this year, the boost to Singapore’s manufacturing last quarter, fuelled mainly by pharmaceuticals, may prove to be short-lived.

“There’s not too much to get ex-

cited about here,” said Song Seng Wun, an economist at CIMB Private Banking in Singapore. “It’s better than initially expected, but the economy is still plodding around until we see a more meaningful pick-up in global demand.”

The government is projecting a decline in non-oil domestic exports of 3 per cent to 5 per cent this year, according to a separate report released by International Enterprise Singapore on Wednesday. That compares with a February projection of zero to 2 per cent expansion.

Loh Khum Yean, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said the global economic outlook had worsened since February. He cited a possible drop in demand from China and faster-than-expected interest-rate increases in the US as key risks for Singapore.

“Against this backdrop, the Singapore economy is expected to grow at a modest pace in 2016,” he told reporters. — Bloomberg News

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

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ASAAS sets up a new company for projects The newly-formed subsidiary will be responsible for the management and execution of ASAAS’ real estate projects starting with the recently announced OMR15 million-Hilton Garden Inn Muscat

Eng. Khalid Al Yahmadi.

— Supplied picture

Times News Service MUSCAT: A new company for construction management called ‘Kayan’ was formed by the Muscat National Development and Investment Company (ASAAS).

The newly-formed subsidiary will be responsible for the management and execution of ASAAS’ real estate development projects starting with the recently announced OMR15 million-Hilton Garden Inn Muscat

in Al Khuwair, according to a company release.

“Oman’s real estate industry has witnessed significant growth over the past five years, a trend that is expected to continue as a result of the government’s focus on diversifying sources of income and developing the tourism and transportation industries in addition to the anticipated global economic recovery,” said Eng. Khalid Al Yahmadi, chief executive officer of ASAAS.

KING ABDULLAH FINANCIAL DISTRICT

“Against this promising backdrop, our aimat ASAAS is to build a very strong asset base over the next ten years through direct investments that will support the development of real estate projects. The formation of Kayan is therefore critical for us as it will ensure our ability to deliver on our promise, producing projects of the highest quality, with optimal cost efficiency, and most importantly on-time. Kayan will also provide the added benefit and

flexibility of liaising directly with the various construction companies working on ASAAS projects.”

As the construction management subsidiary to one of Oman’s leading investment and development companies, Kayan will play an integral role in setting the benchmark for quality project management and execution. Over the next three years, it will dedicate its resources for ASAAS projects before expanding its portfolio both locally and regionally.

In line with ASAAS’ value creation business model, Kayan is envisioned to play a leading role in building local capacities and capabilities, generating business and employment opportunities for Omanis within the construction industry.

ASAAS aims to increase the economic contributions of the non-oil and gas sectors by identifying new opportunities and intelligent solutions that meet public needs and enrich the quality of life of people in Oman.

FIRST SALE OF ISLAMIC BONDS

Saudi Aramco to appoint JPMorgan, HSBC for bond sale DUBAI: Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil exporter, is working with JPMorgan Chase, HSBC Holdings and Riyad Bank on the company’s first sale of Islamic bonds, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The three banks will help the Saudi oil company set up a riyaldenominated sukuk programme, with the first sale potentially taking place this year, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. The size of the first sale hasn’t yet been determined and other banks could be appointed before it takes place, the people said. Aramco is also considering setting up a dollar-bond programme, the people said.

Saudi Aramco is at the center of a plan to wean the country’s economy off its dependency on oil revenues. The government outlined plans to sell a less than five per cent stake in Aramco to the public and transfer ownership of the rest of the company to the Public

Investment Fund, transforming it into a $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund. Once completed, the move will mean that Saudi Arabia derives most of its revenue from investments, rather than oil sales, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Bloomberg in April.

The company started holding talks with banks about selling Islamic bonds earlier this year, people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg in February. HSBC, JPMorgan, Riyad Bank and Saudi Aramco declined to comment. The closest Saudi Aramco has come in the past to selling debt is a 3.75 billion-riyal ($1 billion) sukuk issued

by Saudi Aramco Total Refining & Petrochemical Co., a joint venture with France’s Total known as Satorp. In 2013, another Saudi Aramco joint venture, Sadara Chemical Co. with Dow Chemical Co., raised 7.5 billion riyals through a sukuk to finance a chemicals complex.

— Bloomberg News

LONG-TERM FUND

Saudi wealth fund to Etihad Aviation group and partners bid for Riyadh’s hub raise $500m for acquiring aircraft RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is likely to make an offer next month to buy Riyadh’s unfinished financial hub as the government attempts to rehabilitate a project plagued by delays and cost overruns.

The fund may pay about SR30 billion ($7.9 billion) — the amount already spent on the King Abdullah Financial District by the Saudi Public Pension Agency — plus the cost of undeveloped plots, a person with knowledge of the matter said, asking not to be identified as discussions are private. The plan includes a new company to oversee the project’s completion and management.

The financial hub, which is about 70 per cent built and due for completion in 2017, has suffered a series of setbacks. Its main contractor, the Saudi Bin Ladin Group, has stopped working on the project, while little space has been taken up in the 73

buildings being constructed.

The wealth fund is a key pillar of the biggest economic shakeup championed by Prince Mohammed to prepare the kingdom for the post-oil era. Under the plan, the government wants to make the PIF the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, with more than $2 trillion of assets including ownership of state-oil company Saudi Aramco. That would make it big enough to buy Apple, Google parent Alphabet, Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway.

The government is aiming to salvage the financial district by offering incentives to banks and companies to take space there.

It plans to transform the district into a “special zone that has competitive regulations and procedures, with visa exemptions” and directly connect it to the King Khaled International Airport, according to Prince Mohammed’s Saudi Vision 2030. — Bloomberg News

Times News Service MUSCAT: Etihad Airways, Etihad Airport Services, airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Alitalia have successfully raised a further $500 million in a second platform financing transaction, following the success of last year’s award-winning bond which raised $700 million.

A roadshow was announced recently to a positive response from the international financial community, followed by the official launch of the transaction a week later on May 23, 2016, according to a press release.

“With this second successful transaction, the international financial markets have continued to show their belief in the Etihad Airways Partners story,” said James Hogan, president and chief executive officer of Etihad Aviation Group.

– Bloomberg file picture

“This transaction shows the strength of that grouping, as well as the strength of the individual members. This second tranche of combined fund-raising is part of our long-term capital strategy.”

The funds raised by the transaction will be again used largely for capital expenditure and investment in fleet, as well as for refinancing, depending on each

individual airline’s needs.

During a series of roadshow meetings in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and global investor calls with the London, Asian and European markets, the shared vision and strategies of the airlines were laid out to financial institutions.

These highlighted the growing network coordination and revenue development initiatives, cou-

pled with joint procurement and business synergy projects, across the airlines.

The funds have been raised through a special purpose vehicle, EA Partners II B.V. ADS Securities.

Anoa Capital, Goldman Sachs International and Integrated Capital are acting as placement agents and joint bookrunners. Etihad Airways was assigned a long-term issuer default rating of ‘A’ with a stable outlook, by Fitch Ratings.

Etihad Airways Partners’ (EAP) initial platform finance transaction has been recognised in recent months with key awards, namely as Innovative Deal of the Year by Airfinance Journal; as Emerging Europe Middle East and Africa Bond of the Year by the market intelligence organisation International Financing Review (IFR); and as Debt Financing Deal of the Year Middle East by Global Transport Finance.

AL-SHAHEEN FIELD

TECHNOLOGY FIRM

Meet local sourcing rules to Chevron and Shell among main open stores, India tells Apple bidders to operate Qatar oil field NEW DELHI: India’s finance minister has ratified a decision that Apple must meet local sourcing rules to open its own stores, according to people familiar with the matter, dealing what may be a fatal blow to the iPhone maker’s effort to open retail outlets in the country.

Minister Arun Jaitley decided to support the decision by India’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) that Apple will have to procure 30 per cent of components locally if it wants to sell through its own retail stores, said the people, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. The company makes most of its products in China and doesn’t currently meet that criteria.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook went to India last week for the first time as he seeks to capitalise on the market’s prospects and revive his company’s growth. India has become the

– Bloomberg file picture

world’s fastest-growing smartphone market, with a billion devices forecast to be sold over the next five years. Apple has little market share in the country now, as consumers opt for less expensive devices from rivals such as Samsung Electronics and Micromax Informatics.

India requires that companies make products in the country as part of its industrial policy,

aimed at reaping the economic benefits that come from manufacturing facilities and jobs. It doesn’t want technology companies to sell products and take advantage of its vast consumer base without making their own capital investments.

The Finance Minister’s decision could still be overturned, but that may require intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India can provide waivers to the manufacturing rules for cutting-edge technology companies.

But the FIPB decided it can’t certify Apple for that exception, people familiar with the matter said.

Apple currently sells its iPhones and iPads through franchisees as well as the retail units of India’s biggest conglomerates.

Finance Ministry spokesman D.S. Malik couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Apple India didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

— Bloomberg News

DOHA: Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, ConocoPhillips and Maersk Oil Qatar submitted bids to operate Qatar’s biggest offshore oil field, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

Qatar Petroleum received proposals from the five oil compa-

nies to enter a production sharing agreement to operate the Al-Shaheen field, which currently produces 300,000 barrels a day, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.

State-run Qatar Petroleum will

choose an operator this year, they said. Officials at Chevron, Total, Conoco and Qatar Petroleum didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Shell declined to comment, while Maersk referred a request to Qatar Petroleum. — Bloomberg News

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

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THE BATTLE FOR REVENUE Record labels battle YouTube with complicated emotions The record labels say Google should pay more, and they want more control over music that is responsible for what Bernstein Research estimated is one-quarter of all YouTube videos watched .

T

he music industry's biggest powers are in open war with YouTube. If they lose, the record labels can in part blame their own greed and mistakes that wiped out nearly all potential allies in the battle with Google.

More than half of Internet users in the US listen to music on YouTube — by far the most popular access point — but YouTube is responsible for only four per cent of revenue to the industry, according to a music industry trade group.

The biggest record labels say Google should pay more, and they want more control over music that is responsible for what Bernstein Research estimated is one-quarter of all YouTube videos watched .

Google pays the record labels a share of the advertising revenue it makes on a YouTube page when someone listens to a song.

The company has said those payments amounted to $3 billion over the years to a music industry that badly needs the cash. Google also trumpets its unique ability to expose new and old music to YouTube's 1 billion monthly users.

But unlike most other digital music services, YouTube doesn't pay a fee to the record labels for each song played. The labels estimate that streaming-music services such as Spotify pay them five to seven times more money each time a song is played.

Although Google and the music labels have made this a debate over fairness and high-minded principle, it's really a fight about money and power between two rich adversaries. That doesn't change the stakes on the labels' side: The music companies believe this is a life-or-death battle — Napster War II. They worry that YouTube's size, cost advan-

tage and huge library of free material will eventually strangle all other digital music options. And that would mean the slow sales growth of late won't turn into the full industry recovery on which many investors are betting.

Unfortunately, the record labels are guilty of giving themselves little chance to win. And their sudden concern for the health of the streaming companies is a bit disingenuous given their track record.

After the panic sparked by Napster 15 years ago, the record labels squeezed to death nearly every upstart that wanted to become a Tower Records for the digital age.

In contracts to license their music to Rhapsody, Musicbank, eMusic and other emerging Web music services, the record labels negotiated the rights to 60 to 70 cents of each dollar in music sales.

It was a reasonable split in the days of physical music retailers, but it left little room for young Web music services to invest in new technology and still turn a profit. And for the most part, they didn't. Out of the 175 digital music startups launched since 1997, all but nine sold at or near a loss or died, according to data compiled by David Pakman, a technology investor who was a longtime digital music executive.

Spotify has said it pays about 70 per cent of its revenue to the music labels, too, and reportedly the company doesn't turn a profit.

With the field of digital music options down to a handful, the record labels have little leverage over who is left standing — the powerful tech companies including Google, Apple and Amazon that can subsidize music as a way to make their core businesses more attractive.

After the panic sparked by Napster 15 years ago, the record labels squeezed to death nearly every upstart that wanted to become a Tower Records for the digital age. In contracts to license their music to Rhapsody, Musicbank, eMusic and other emerging Web music services, the record labels negotiated the rights to 60 to 70 cents of each dollar in music sales.

It's no coincidence that there has recently been a flurry of news articles and opinion pieces about how YouTube is crushing the music business; the major labels are set to renegotiate their contract with Google.

The labels now want YouTube to pay them per song, as do other music services. And they want to control which of their songs are available widely on YouTube and which ones are restricted to people who pay for YouTube's subscription video service.

Most of all, the record labels are trying to shift music listening away from YouTube, Pandora and other free, ad-supported outlets akin to radio and toward paid subscription options such as those offered by Apple Music and Spotify .

Behind the labels' anti-Google publicity blitz lurks an uncomfortable truth: Music labels are schizophrenic about YouTube.

Their A&R departments responsible for discovering and promoting musicians have long loved YouTube as the ultimate shop window and marketing tool.

Meanwhile, the music labels' money guys see YouTube as something that needs to tamed and turned into more profits.

The music industry now makes a majority of its revenue from digital sources, but industry sales are a fraction of what they were in the peak year of CD sales in 1999.

It's understandable, then, that the labels are trying to use YouTube negotiations to lock more music behind pay walls in the hope for more revenue. But they also must recognise their own mixed feelings about YouTube and deal with their complicity in making Google into one of the few remaining music outlets.

— Bloomberg News

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ROUND-UP

Seminar on minimal access surgery held Sakra World Hospital in association with Medicare Oman organised the scientific seminar

MUSCAT: Sakra World Hospital, Bangalore, India’s leading tertiary care hospital, in association with Medicare Oman, organised a scientific seminar on recent developments in minimal access cardiac surgery and neuro-spine surgery yesterday at Hotel Muscat Holiday.

The programme began with a brief on Sakra World Hospital by Hari Boolchandani, head – International Marketing, Sakra World Hospital, says a press release.

The scientific sessions began with a talk on ‘Minimal Access Heart Surgery’ by Dr Adil Sadiq, chief of CTVS at Sakra followed by a talk on ‘Minimally Access Brian and Spine Surgery’ by Dr Swaroop Gopal, chief of NeuroSpine Surgery at Sakra.

Dr Adil said, “Sakra World Hospital has one of the most technologically advanced departments

for treatment of heart diseases in India. We do around 25 to 30 minimal access heart surgeries every month. The advantage we provide is that while most of the cardiac surgeons apply the minimal access technique only for single or double vessel disease, we have the capability of treating even triple vessel disease by this technique. The benefit to the patient is immense in terms of shorter hospital stay, faster recovery and last but not the least, cosmetic benefits. We make two or three very small incisions to do the surgery and the small scars also heal in no time. It’s not only a minimally invasive surgery, but also a minimal risk surgery.”

Dr Swaroop demonstrated some

very complex neuro and spine cases done at Sakra World Hospital by the minimal access technique. He said, “The brain and spine are the most complex systems in our body virtually controlling it. Therefore the lesser we invade these parts, the better. With minimal access technique, we are able to reach out to the required site without disturbing the surrounding areas of the body and thus, lowering the risk of complications.

“Today, most of the brain and spine surgeries can be done with this technique including some implant surgeries as well. Because of this, not only the stay in the hospital and blood loss is minimised, the patient recovers much faster and

the rehabilitation time after surgery decreases drastically.”

Hari added, “We get cardiac and neuro-spine patients from all over the world including South Asia, Middle East, Africa and even Australia and America. The reason these patients choose us is that we offer a unique combination of world class technology and some of the most experienced surgeons and doctors at a fraction of the cost of US, Europe, Singapore and Thailand. In addition, to facilitate the patients of Oman seeking healthcare options in India, we have a dedicated department of international patient services at the hospital.”

Talking about advantages of Sakra World Hospital over other medical destinations like Thailand and Singapore where Omani people travel, Lovekesh Phasu, head of Operations at Sakra World Hospital, added, “While Sakra World Hospital is comparable to the best of the hospitals in the world both in terms of infrastructure and technology and medical expertise and experience, the cost of treatment is on an average, half or one fourth of what it costs in similar facilities in Singapore or Thailand.

Additionally, we are only two three hours away from Muscat and culturally and as a society, are much closer to Oman than any other countries. An Omani in Bangalore will feel right at home.”

PROPERTY EXPO

Gruhapravesh all set to welcome property buyers MUSCAT: Have you been contemplating on making an investment in India? Perhaps this is the right time to consider investing in real estate. The market shows immense potential for growth with investors and home buyers keen to tap on this brimming economic activity.

Global property show & Gruhapravesh - India’s biggest property show by IndiaProperty.com is coming to Muscat tomorrow and the day after at Hotel Al Falaj, says a press release.

The flagship property show

by Al Nimr Exhibition and IndiaProperty.com will showcase around 200 new projects by 45 top builders from India. India Property Online Pvt Ltd, is one of India’s leading portal in the online real estate space. Founded on the core promise of ‘We get you Home’, it constantly strives to simplify and add value to the property buying experience by providing an end-to-end purchase experience for the buyer.

Gruhapravesh which is the property expo conducted by IndiaProperty.com is the most trusted and longest running realty expo in India and abroad. It brings together the best selection of builders and projects under one roof and helps you make

the right property buying decision while being far away from the country. For NRIs who are looking to invest in India, Gruhapravesh becomes the crucial link to the best of the realty industry in India. With a lot of positivity surrounding 2016, it might be the right year to make your dream of buying a home in India a reality.

According to Ganesh Vasudevan, CEO IndiaProperty.com, “There are two big developments that are set to reshape the real estate sector in India. One is the Smart Cities Mission and the other is the Real Estate Regulation and Development Act. The Smart Cities Mission will bring in better infrastructure and change the real estate landscape of some of India’s important cities. By doing so it will give the real estate industry a big boost. The Real Estate Regulation and Development Act is another game changer for the industry. It will go a long way in helping the sector to regain customer confidence.

Through the act, accountability and transparency will be given a new lease of life.”

Don’t miss this excellent opportunity to look for the right property, with attractive deals and offers tailor-made exclusively for the expo.

ISLAMIC FINANCE

LU C K Y D R AW

Lulu picks 1st Dream Drive winners MUSCAT: Lulu announced the first set of lucky draw winners of its ongoing Lulu – Land Rover Dream Drive Campaign 2016.

The draw results were announced by the officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Lulu management at Lulu Hypermarket Sohar. The next draw will be held on June 5.

The draw saw Shabinas Anchillath drive home the first of the six brand new Land Rover Discovery Sport SUVs. Thirty other winners also took home amazing gifts products from Ikon. Saeed Kareem Abdul Hassan was lucky to win the Ikon cooking range, Vayil Khamis Al Khandubi won the Ikon automatic washing machine, Hoor Saed Al Mamri bagged the Ikon Air Cooler, Nandakumar won the Ikon smartphone and Hamdan Said Al Alawi took home the Ikon halogen air fryer, says a press release.

Expressing joy over the victory, the grand prize winner said, “Like every year, I just filled up the raffle coupon, giving yet another try for the car I always dreamt of owning.

But today I can’t express the feeling to be the first lucky winner of this mega promotion. I thank Lulu for this dream-come-true mo-

B5

ment and I take this opportunity to appreciate them on introducing such an initiative to truly reward customers like us.”

Speaking on the promotion, Shabeer K. A., regional director of Lulu Oman said, “I would like to congratulate the first set of lucky winners of our Dream Drive promotion. As an organisation that prides itself on its customer service, we feel delighted to be able to make a difference to people’s lives.

We are glad that through this promotion we get to be a part of the joy of our valuable customers every year. We have been completely focused on providing the best customer service and have been duly rewarded by the faith and trust

customers have reposed in us. This has enabled us to keep up our performance at all times. We remain committed in our efforts and will continue to improve our services to delight our customers in future.”

With 16 outlets spread across Oman, Lulu Group has always turned out to be a one-stop shop for the multi-ethnic community of the region. With an international assortment of products, Lulu aims to cater to the tastes and preferences of every customer. Understanding customers’ needs and providing them with a wide range of innovative and quality products at fair prices have always remained the secret behind the success of the group throughout the world.

alizz takes part in Al Shura Islamic Banking seminar MUSCAT: Addressing the retention of qualified staff as well as the shortage of candidates in the Islamic finance sector was the focal topic during the recent Majlis Al Shura Islamic Banking seminar.

Moosa Al Jadidi, deputy general manager and head of retail banking, alizz Islamic bank headlined the session as a representative of the Islamic Banking institution. Eight of the top officials from the various Omani Islamic banks and Islamic banking windows and key Majlis Al Shura members were also present, says a press release.

Al Jadidi touched on the multiple growth opportunities and challenges that the Islamic banking sector continues to face. “The higher costs related to attracting bank deposits coupled with the inability to transfer personal loans from conventional banks to Islamic ones highlighted by customers’ increasing demands for more facilities and support for liquidity and short-term products all pose difficulties to this sector.”

Al Jadidi’s statements were

supported by hard data with a focus on performance KPI’s implemented by alizz Islamic bank. “alizz Islamic bank’s finance portfolio exceeded OMR200 million totalling OMR201.9 million by the end of 2015, up 185 per cent compared to the same period in 2014.

On the other hand, customer deposits increased from OMR15.3 million in 2014 to OMR161.4 million in 2015,” added Al Jadidi.

This exceptional growth led to a 210 per cent increase in net operating revenue, reported at OMR5.99 million in 2015 compared to OMR1.93 million in 2014. alizz reported the highest growth in operating revenue in 2015 compared to other companies listed on MSM.

The gross assets of Islamic banks totalled OMR2.4 billion by end of February 2016 from the gross banking sector’s assets while the gross finance account totalled OMR1.85 accounting for 8.86% of the stock market shares.

The gross deposits tallied at OMR1.59 billion, according to the Central Bank of Oman’s monthly statistical bulletin.

The figures and data Al Jadidi presented about commercial banks indicated that the gross assets of these banks stand at OMR28 billion, up 9.1 per cent ending February 2016.

The volume of credit granted by banks reached OMR18.7 billion by the end of February while the value of gross deposits reported to be OMR17.8 billion by the end of February.

“We have succeeded in increasing public awareness about the concept of Islamic banking over the past three years, thanks to the efforts exerted by the Central Bank of Oman as well as other Islamic banks and windows,” concluded Al Jadidi.

PROMOTION

FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP

Oman’s martial artists gear up for OFC2 MUSCAT: Local and international martial artists gear up as the second annual Oman Fighting Championship - OFC2 - The Next Generation approaches.

Final preparations are in full swing as fighters, coaches and supporters ensure they are ready for the most highly anticipated event of the Oman martial arts calendar, set to take place on Saturday May 28 at Jungle Restaurant at Al Bahja Hall Qurum. Doors will open at 6pm. Proceedings will kick off with the official fighter’s weigh-in at Go Sport Muscat Grand Mall from 3pm to 5pm tomorrow. The weigh-in is a free event and is open to the public, says a press release.

The event, adjudicated by World Kick Boxing Federation judges and referees, will showcase the best talent in Oman and will serve to bolster the growing popularity of martial arts in the Sultanate.

Established in 2014 by The Agency Design and Promo Works, Oman Fighting Championship (OFC) is an independent sporting league comprising local clubs that aims to provide a platform for Oman-based martial artists to promote and demonstrate their hard-earned skills. OFC2 follows the success of last year’s inaugural event that drew maximum capacity crowds and resulted in the crowning of Omani Hamood Al Tuhami as the OFC Middleweight Champion.

Commenting on the upcoming event, Baqar Haider OFC president noted, “We are delighted to host another OFC event. Since our debut last year all the participating clubs have seen a surge in their student numbers, in addition to a great increase of clubs opening across the country. Martial arts has proved to be hugely popular and we hope to continue to grow the sport with the same momentum with the upcoming and future events. We have seen such amazing support from the participating clubs, it is great to see the martial arts community pulling together to get behind this event.

I have no doubt it will be another night to remember.”

Jessica Hern, OFC Events director said the OFC team are all volunteers and show great dedication to balance their day jobs with event preparations. “We have a great team of volunteers who have

donated their time and effort to ensure the event runs smoothly on the night.”

Reza Mostofi, vice-president of the OFC and director at The Agency Design & Promo works noted, “OFC is truly a great celebration of combat sports in the country and we are extremely excited about the upcoming event that we anticipate to be even better than the debut event OFC1 Rise of the Champions last year. All fighters have been training hard in preparation for this year’s intense head-to-head competition. The stakes are now raised with two championship titles on the line.”

“Sporting fans will have the chance to see the best martial arts talent Oman has to offer in this huge event that will undoubtedly bring nonstop action and entertainment. I would like to say a special thank you to our spon-

sors; Dodge from Dhofar Automotive, Go Sport, Venom, City Cinema, Eat Smart, CCC, The Sultan Centre, Pasha Projects, Al Qabas Printing, Superman Energy Drink, Spaloon and Innovation Group.

We hope that the event will help to bring OFC into the mainstream and in the future we will see OFC fight nights as permanent fixtures in the sporting calendar of the Sultanate,” added Reza Mostofi.

According to competitor Ayman Khaldy from Rolling Gym, it has taken daily training to get in shape for his much anticipated first K1 kickboxing fight. “I’m nervous and excited about my first kickboxing fight at OFC2. For the past five months I’ve been undertaking intense training and have dropped nearly 20 kilograms to reach fighting weight. My background is in Taekwondo, having represented Oman internationally. It has been challenging adapting my style and developing different skills specific to kickboxing. It’s been tough but I feel I’m now ready to show Oman what I can do in the ring.”

According to Fayyad Samarah, OFC director and fight card manager, competing is not only about physical preparation, but equally about mental readiness. “I don’t think there is any activity that can put pressure on an athlete both mentally and physically more than combat sports."

4th TSC winner drives home Chevrolet Cruze MUSCAT: Out of its commitment to provide customers with topnotch promotional campaigns, The Sultan Centre (TSC) awarded the 4th winner of its ‘Win 7 Cars in 7 Weeks’ campaign which was launched on the occasion of TSC’s 19th anniversary celebration.

This week’s lucky winner was Majid Homoud Al Shehemi who drove away in his new Chevrolet Cruze, says a press release.

TSC’s customers who spend OMR10 have a chance to participate in the car draw promotion

with an opportunity to win a new Chevrolet Cruise each week for seven weeks; the more customers shop the more chances they have to enter the weekly draw.

“There are still three more lucky winners. It’s an extreme pleasure to commemorate TSC’s 19th anniversary with our customers and share with them the joy of the occasion and award them for their continuous support and loyalty,” stated Mahmoud El Sheikh, marketing manager at TSC.

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

ROUND-UP Lexus RC F executes powerful performance The RC F has an all-new 5.0-litre 32-valve engine that provides maximum power at higher engine revolutions than previously possible

MUSCAT: Raw power, distinctive looks and advanced features that clearly separate it from the rest, Lexus’ RC F is more than just a powerful coupe. It is a whole new dimension for Lexus.

The RC F has an all-new 5.0-litre 32-valve engine that provides maximum power at higher engine revolutions than previously possible. The engine is Lexus’ most powerful engine, with 12 per cent more power than the IS F engine on which it is based, says a press release.

The RC F is the world’s first front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car to make use of a Torque Vectoring Differential for guaranteed levels of extraordinary handling and

performance. Power is transferred through a newly calibrated eightspeed transmission.

It has wider wheels and tyres, an active rear wing, air scoops, cooling ducts and carbon fibre components all of which integrate to deliver the best from Lexus in terms of ‘functional beauty’.

The new RC F has a Lexus-first new mode with its Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) system. VDIM with sport mode is exclusive to F models and the newly added Expert mode in VDIM off mode operates to prevent the vehicle going into a spin. Expert extends the control parameters to deliver a high performance level suited to the RC F. Before being adopted on RC F, the new VDIM technology was refined through repeated testing on race cars.

The RC F’s striking, cockpit-like interior enhances the overall driving dynamics with its unique components which include the meters,

steering wheel, seats, ornamentation and pedals. The steering wheel is unique to RC F to provide firm grip and operation.

A carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) package, on hood, roof and rear spoiler which are available as options achieves about 10kg weight reduction and adds to the aggressive stance of RC F. In the interior of the car, the RC F’s allnew combination meters provide a wide range of easy-to-read information for the four drive modes.

The primary instrument gauge has been developed from LFA with extra enhancements which can be viewed at a glance, an essential requirement of track-day activity.

The combination meters include a large centrally mounted tachometer that alters according to drive mode, digital and analogue speedometer, differential torque vectoring monitor, G-Force meter, oil and water temperature gauges, mileage information and a stopwatch.

Shifa Al Jazeera chairman honours Omani singer Muhammed Rafi MUSCAT: Mohammed Rafi, the Omani singer and a regular presence among the Indian community gatherings was honoured by Shifa Al Jazeera group cementing its social outlook and encouraging talents in all walks of life.

Dr K. T. Rabeeullah, chairman of Shifa Al Jazeera Group handed over a memento and a cash award to Mohammed Rafi at a function held at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Muscat.

At a function recently held to commemorate the golden jubilee of the evergreen Malayalam mov-

ie Chemmeen, Rafi ignited the crowd with his melodious voice and effortless singing of the famous Malayalam song – Manasa Mayne Varu.

“The efforts of Mohammed Rafi to master the language and do justice to the golden melody of yesteryears was highly commendable,” remarked Rabeeullah while awarding the singer.

Siddique Valiakath, Shifa Al Jazeera Group CEO and executive director and others attended the occasion.

I N F O R M AT I V E S E S S I O N

LIMITED EDITION

Chopard introduces two limited-series watches MUSCAT: The Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, the 10th edition of the most prestigious event on the ‘classic racing’ circuit, brought together drivers and devotees of historical cars for a competition driven by exceptional racing cars, recently.

Since 2002, Chopard has been serving as sponsor and official timekeeper, a natural alliance for a house whose vocation for highprecision timekeeping is synonymous with a passion for fine mechanical engineering. Chopard united with the Grand Prix Historique de Monaco by a passion for fine mechanics, precision and rigorous discipline. For each edition of the Grand Prix since 2002, Chopard has created dedicated timepieces.

The Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2016 Race Edition watches, issued in limited editions of 500 in stainless steel and titanium and 100 in 18K rose gold, are authentic driver’s instruments created for gentlemen drivers. Available on a Nato or a leather strap, these chronographs are imbued with the technical spirit of classic racing and are designed to support drivers during this exceptional competition.

To view the various Chopard collections in Oman, visit Khimji’s Watches showroom, says a press release.

Fitted with pushers shaped like engine pistons and a grey bezel with a tachymetric scale that is ideal for calculating average speeds during the race, the 44.5 mm-diameter case features a back engraved with the Automobile Club de Monaco logo and is secured by screws reminiscent of automobile bolts.

Water-resistant to 100 metres, it is powered by a high-precision horological ‘engine’, chronometercertified by the Swiss Official Chro-

The RC F debuts a Lexus-first elliptical cross-section thick-grip steering wheel for greater control during performance driving.

The RC F coupe has an improved 8-speed Sports Direct Shift (SPDS) transmission, to suit the higher engine speeds of RC F’s new engine and deliver a more linear response to accelerator pedal action and hence a more dynamic feeling to driving the new sports coupe. It’s driver-selectable modes – Normal, Sport S, Sport S+, mode, has full torque-converter lock-up from second to eighth gears for ‘clutchless’ manual shifting.

The RC F benefits from the same comprehensive array of safety features that is characteristic of today’s Lexus range, and comes equipped with dual-stage driver’s airbag, dual-stage and dual-chamber front passenger airbag, driver’s and front passenger’s knee airbags, front-seat side airbags and fulllength side curtain-shield airbags.

The side-curtain airbag size has been enlarged for increased sidecollision compatibility. Additional safety features include remote anti-theft alarm system, front and rear parking sensors, child seat anchors, engine immobiliser, stability and traction control.

In Oman every Lexus vehicle comes with special benefits and privileges such as 6 years unlimited extended mileage protection and 24 hours on-road assistance from AAA.

RECOGNITION

nometer Testing Institute (COSC).

This self-winding chronograph movement, endowed with a 46hour power reserve, offers hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph and date functions.

The optimally legible silvertoned snailed dial is enlivened by light effects created by the grey and silver-toned chronograph counters, while the minute circle is punctuated by applied hourmarkers featuring the collection’s characteristic arrow shape. The bright orange central sweepseconds hand on the titanium/ stainless steel version, or the blue one adorning the 18-carat rose gold model, ticks off the precious seconds of the race during which speed is matched by performance

and risk-taking around the sharp bends of the Monaco circuit.

Two interchangeable straps set the perfect finishing touch to the sporting nature of these new timepieces: the Barenia calfskin strap with orange or blue stitching, for the vintage elegance typical of gentlemen drivers; or the grey Nato strap bearing orange or blue racing stripes for a relaxed sporty style.

That is how Chopard sees racing: Performance combining mechanical excellence and impeccable ergonomics, along with the elegance inseparably bound up with the world of drivers.

Khimji’s Watches is one of Muscat’s leading franchisees for luxury watches, jewellery, accessories and writing instruments.

Aspect Software and Infoline organise workshops for Omantel and Oman Air

MUSCAT: Aspect, a leading and award-winning provider of fullyintegrated consumer engagement, workforce optimisation, and back-office solutions, along with Infoline, jointly organised workshops for Omantel and Oman Air. The purpose of these one-onone workshops was to introduce emerging technologies which will support Omantel achieve its ‘3.0 Customer Strategy’ and Oman Air achieve its ‘Be-The-Best’ vision.

“Your customers don’t want to talk to you” was the startling statement made by Sanjay Gupta, managing director - India & Middle East and Head Cloud Business - APAC & Middle East, Aspect at beginning of sessions. Sanjay presented the shifts in consumer preferences witnessed by airline and telecom industries globally, as well as across Middle East. He highlighted rise of ‘Let-Me-Do-It’ economy where customers prefer to be enabled to resolve their problems, rather than contacting a customer care department through any mode like call, SMS, Chat, email, social.

Both workshops had customised live demos presented by Eric Moneyang, Solutions Architect, Aspect. The demos showcased real life engagements with Omantel and Oman Air customers. The demos showcased how Aspect technologies, delivered by Infoline, can simplify whole customer engagement for Oman Air and Omantel.

Sanjay Gupta said, “Advance-

ments in technology, adoption of smart mobile devices and new interaction channels have further created a first-class, Omni-Channel environment suitable for rich, personalised self-service interactions. The new self-service improves customer experience and increases engagement, while lowering costs. This is a win-win for customers, brands and the relationship they have. Aspect is excited to bring these offerings to Sultanate of Oman through our strategic partner Infoline.”

On the workshop, Jad Humeidan, senior manager E-commerce, Oman Air stated, “Airline is an industry impacted by diverse nationalities and culture. But there is a common trend in the way customers expect us to engage with them. Aspect and Infoline not just introduced some of these key trends, but also demonstrated how technologies can help us meet their ever rising expectations.”

Nabil Ahmed Al Rawas, GM, Customer Care Corporate, Omantel said, “Information shared by Aspect showed how technologies

are helpful. Omantel continually strives to analyse and improve customer experience. One of the main strengths of Omantel is the culture of continuous improvement which is embedded within the organisation to deliver on the promise of outstanding levels of customer satisfaction. We believe every time we deliver on our commitments, be they small or large, we are building long term trust with our customers, who are the greatest asset of Omantel. Our participation in this workshop is an extension of our commitment to better serve our customers by gaining valuable insight into technologies that serve this purpose.”

Manoj Mahanta, senior vicepresident, Infoline added, “Oman is witnessing rise in importance of customer experience as the single most important strategy driving success and growth for organisations, irrespective of their area of business. Our engagement with Aspect is to ensure we provide enterprises in Oman best-in-breed technologies that will help them engage consumers better and in a seamless manner across channels.” Speaking about their partnership with Aspect, he said, “We strongly believe that Aspect with their four decades of experience in helping leading organisations deliver exceptional customer service is the ideal partner to help our valued clients redesign their customer experiences which will in turn help drive their growth, profitability and market share.”

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ROUND-UP

Nissan X-Trail comes with Ramadan benefits

FOOTBALL LOVERS

Customers of Nissan X-Trail will have a choice of benefits including attractive cash gift, free periodic maintenance service package, fuel card, free registration and extended mileage warranty MUSCAT: Customers of Nissan X-Trail can enjoy a variety of benefits this Ramadan as part of Nissan Oman’s ongoing ‘Season of Rewards’ offer. Nissan Oman is offering a host of deals for the patrons of Nissan X-Trail, a vehicle that promises a rewarding driving experience.

Giving buyers of Nissan X-Trail a wide range of special offers, Nissan Oman, from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA), has worked out offers that customers are sure to find irresistible, says a press release.

Customers of Nissan X-Trail will have a choice of benefits including

attractive cash gift, free periodic maintenance service package, fuel card, free registration and extended mileage warranty. Additionally, they also get a chance to participate in a grand raffle. Moreover, there are extra benefits on purchase of second vehicle in family as well as a part of loyalty scheme.

Under the ‘Season of Rewards’ offer, customers can avail an assured cash gift of OMR500 on buying Nissan X-Trail.

Customers buying Nissan XTrail will get a scratch and win card which will entitle them to two assured gifts comprising of

free periodic maintenance service upto lifetime of the car (minimum assured 1 year/ 10,000 km PMS; offer includes new service intervals of (10,000km) and free fuel up to OMR1,000 (minimum assured of OMR50).

Nissan X-Trail buyers can enjoy extra benefits such as free registration, 6 years unlimited mileage extended warranty and loyalty card benefits among others.

Loyal customers stand to enjoy additional benefits on purchase of a second Nissan vehicle in the family. To avail additional benefits under the scheme, the second car can be purchased either in the name of existing Nissan owner or his/her immediate family members (wife/husband/son/daugh-

ter/brother/sister).

Customers can avail a special EMI rate of OMR138 on Nissan X-Trail.

SBA has designed some easy and convenient financing options to ease the convenience of owning a Nissan X-Trail. Flexible EMIs can also be tailor-made for any individual requirement from in-house auto finance team.

Special interest rate of 2.99% is offered on all Nissan X-trail variants during the above said campaign period.

Nissan patrons have a chance to win two X-Trails 2.5S 7STR CVT 16 MY in the ‘grand SMS and win raffle draw’ that will be held on June 20 and July 18 at Qurum showroom. Anybody can SMS to 90466 to enter the contest.

Live screening of UEFA finals at City Cinema MUSCAT: City Cinema announced that it is screening live the UEFA championship finals from San Sira Stadium, Milan and aims to deliver a life size experience for all sports enthusiasts.

A nail-biting match that will be played between two highly competent Spanish teams, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on Saturday at 10.45pm, will be a treat to watch, for the football lovers in Muscat. This match will be live screened exclusively at City Cinema Shatti, says a press release.

The UEFA championship final features legends such as Cris-

tiano Ronaldo playing for Real Madrid and Fernando Torres playing for Atletico Madrid.

City Cinema is partnering with ‘Pena Madrista Oman’ along with Bank of Beirut to host the league final on Screen 1 and Screen 2 at CC Shatti that will be open to the public.

Put on the jersey for your favourite team and be there at City Cinema Shatti and cheer them to your heart’s content. Log on to City Cinema’s website www. citycinemaoman.net or visit City Cinema Shatti box office to grab the tickets.

R E WA R D I N G C U S T O M E R S

Bank Sohar launches Credit Card Usage campaign MUSCAT: Adding value to its Excel Credit Card line-up and rewarding customers for making purchases using their credit cards, Bank Sohar has announced the launch of a new promotion for all its Credit Card holders, with 90 lucky winners set to receive cash back of up to OMR300 each on their purchase with a minimum spend of OMR20, over a period of 3 months, starting from May 15 till August 15.

With the newly launched promotion titled ‘Credit Card Usage Campaign 2016’, Bank Sohar has introduced a rewarding way to shop

using any of its Excel Classic, Gold, Platinum, Internet or Infinite Credit Cards, says a press release.

For every minimum purchase of OMR20, either through Point of Sale or over the Internet, customers are automatically entered into a monthly draw. Each draw will see 30 customers win cash back on their winning purchase amounting to a maximum of up to OMR300 each. With three draws in total, the promotion will see 90 winners once the promotion comes to a close on August 15. Furthermore, customers who spend more than OMR1,000

PHOTOGRAPHY SUMMIT

‘Takween’ concludes its activities at MEC MUSCAT: The Photography Club at Middle East College (MEC) organised ‘Takween’, the 6th Photography Summit 2016, from Monday to yesterday, in coordination with the Oman Photographic Society of the Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science.

It aimed to bring together photographers from within the Sultanate and other Gulf countries and provide them with an opportunity to enhance their photographic skills through various workshops organised during the summit, says a press release.

50 of the 304 photographs contributed by professional photographers from universities and colleges in the local and Gulf region, were displayed in an exhibition during the three-day sum-

mit. The winning photographs were chosen by EFIAP/ Habib Al Zadjali, AFIAP/ Hamad Al Ghanboosi and the photographer Ismail Al Farsi, who are all wellknown personalities locally and internationally.

Vikas Rao, the mentor of photography club at MEC, said: “This summit provides a great platform for our students and all the photographers, to showcase their talent in the field of photography. We have a team of talented photographers here at MEC who are really enthusiastic and have proven their skill on national and international level and we are proud of them. The MEC Photography Club organises regular workshops and seminars in order to enhance the skills of all students interested in photography.”

on a single transaction at any time during the offer period will also have their annual credit card renewal fee waived.

Highlighting on the Credit Card promotion, Sasi Kumar, group

general manager – Business at Bank Sohar commented, “We are always on the lookout for ways in which to provide more value and a more rewarding banking experience for our customers. Our Credit

Card Usage Campaign 2016 is one such offer that not only provides our credit card customers with an opportunity to receive cash back on their purchases, but also provides them with an opportunity to waive their annual credit card fees. Better yet, while each customer can win only one prize per draw, they can enter each draw separately, provided they meet the entry criteria in the month prior to the draw date. This means that a customer can actually win more than once during the three-month promotional period.”

As an added benefit to all Bank Sohar Excel Credit Card Holders, purchases made are also eligible for the bank’s Internet Easy Instalment Plan offer. As part of the offer, customers can enjoy the ease of payment and the convenience of converting purchases into three, six or 12 months instalments at 0% interest. In addition, Bank Sohar cards loyalty programme - ‘Mukaaf’aat Al Mumayaz’ can also be availed through this offer with two of the bank’s premier credit cards; Excel Platinum Credit Card and Excel Diamond Infinite Credit Card.

B8

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

ROUND-UP

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Aster Al Raffah opens new polyclinic in Ruwi

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Enhance Oman launches Probake

This polyclinic aims to provide comprehensive obstetrics and gynaecology care, paediatric care, orthopaedics, internal medicine, ENT and dental management for patients

MUSCAT: Aster DM Healthcare, the leading healthcare conglomerate in the Middle East and India, has opened Aster Al Raffah Polyclinic in Ruwi, in line with the group’s expansion strategies in the Sultanate of Oman.

With the best of facilities and the finest team of healthcare professionals, Al Raffah is bringing its brand of ‘We will treat you well’, providing comprehensive care to ensure one of the best healthcare services closer to you. The opening of the Aster Al Raffah polyclinic, Ruwi brings one step closer to its dream of expanding to other areas and ensuring everyone has access to its facilities, says a press release.

This polyclinic aims to provide comprehensive obstetrics and gynaecology care, paediatric care, orthopaedics, internal medicine,

ENT and dental management for patients. The clinic is easily accessible with ample parking near Karama Hypermarket.

Upon enquiring of the reason to start a clinic in Ruwi and about the price, Seeniya Biju, chief operating officer and country head, Aster Al Raffah Hospitals & Clinics - Oman, responded, “This clinic is for our clients who have been constantly requesting for a branch here in Ruwi while the services and standards are the same across all units. The prices in Ruwi have been kept in a way that it can cater to all groups of people. Emphasis is being given to a mother and child clinic in order to meet the growing needs of women.” She added, “Our team of doctors, nursing and paramedical staff are geared to provide medical services beyond excellence.”

Dr Sarfraz Ahmed, senior manager (Clinical Governance & Projects – Oman) said, “We are very excited to serve the community in Ruwi. From the beginning, we have designed the clinic with the patients and their loved ones in mind. Al Raffah’s aim is to change how people view health, by not just offering the best in treatment, but inculcating the concept of wellness in their lives.”

In response to a query on wouldn’t the competition be huge considering the number of hospitals and clinics in Ruwi, the team responded that they share a very cordial relation with all of them and would therefore support each other rather than compete. Fakhruddin, senior manager - Finance and Ajimsha P. A., Unit head also addressed the press conference.

MUSCAT: Enhance Oman announced the launch of Probake, its latest addition to the food service solutions range, the first of its kind to be available in the region. The ease of preparation and the top notch quality maintained in the production of the ‘Probake’ range makes it unrivalled in the current GCC market.

Manufactured by advanced baking concept, the first frozen bread and pastry manufacturer distinctive to the GCC, Probake has rapidly become a highly favoured product for most of the region’s chefs. It offers a dependable and cost efficient solution while maintaining the exemplary levels of product quality, says a press release.

The range includes a wide variety of par-baked breads, preproofed Viennese pastries, thaw and serve cakes and desserts, dry cakes, ice creams as well as a delightful array of new and appetising line of brioches and Danish pastries, macaroons and celebration cakes.

Made from fine ingredients, ‘Probake’ delectable offerings

are airy, light and flavourful for multifaceted variations that can be created. ‘Probake’s versatility adds utmost ease to chefs for sumptuous preparation of side servings, desserts, main entrees and a lot more without compromising on the quality.

Ahmad Abbas, general manager of Retail Solutions – Enhance Oman, said, “We are delighted to launch this product in the Omani market. There is a huge need for ready-made fresh bakery products in Oman and these products will assist our customers to cope with the increasing competition and other economic challenges. Probake offers an excellent solution for all catering industries regardless of the size of the business.”

AWA R E N E S S S E S S I O N

Zubair SEC hosts introductory session by Bank Muscat ‘najahi’ MUSCAT: Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) recently hosted an introductory and awareness session for its members conducted by najahi programme of Bank Muscat, which provides financial services and support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The session was organised in alignment with the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bank Muscat and Zubair SEC to collaboratively promote and support SMEs in the Sultanate. As per the agreement, Bank Muscat and Zubair SEC will extend support to owners of small businesses and work towards raising awareness on financing and entrepreneurship development and growth, says a press release.

The session introduced Bank Muscat’s najahi programme to the attendees, explaining how it can help micro and small businesses apply to and obtain financial facilitation and services offered by the bank.

preneurs to plan successful business ventures by providing necessary training and guidance. We look forward for further collaboration with Bank Muscat.”

Owners of micro and small size enterprises were advised on how to best pitch with banks for credit facilities and how to be more banking friendly. Speakers shared the bank’s perception as to how SMEs can better win banks’ by-in for their projects by introducing positive tweaks to their approach and proposals, which could help them get better financial facilities. The

session between the members and Bank Muscat representatives was very interactive and engaging.

Stressing on the importance of organising such sessions, Ali Shaker, Business Adviser at Zubair SEC said, “It is imperative for our members to hear directly from banks on the various financial products and services available. Zubair SEC members will benefit from guidance

on how to apply for financial services and what are the requirements.

When they are better equipped with understanding of financial matters, the process of attaining services will become easier.”

He added, “This session comes as first activity after Zubair SEC and Bank Muscat signed an MoU to support SMEs in Oman. Both parties have been enabling entre-

Favourable environment Speaking about the session, Sadiq Mohammed Baqer Al Lawati, head of Retail Enterprises at Bank Muscat, said: “Bank Muscat najahi is happy to join hands with Zubair SEC to create a favourable environment for micro and small businesses in Oman. The specially designed najahi products and services catering to micro and small businesses reflect the bank’s commitment to support entrepreneurs, especially youth, who constitute the future of Oman. The bank reckons that entrepreneurial ventures help boost the local economy, contribute to the GDP and create self-employment opportunities.

In step with responsible banking, the focus of Bank Muscat is clear –

create a sustainable financial platform for the nation and people and thereby contribute to the country’s progress and development.”

While Bank Muscat caters to all SME segments, including micro, small and medium size businesses, small and medium entities are serviced through Al Wathbah suite of focused products and services.

Zubair SEC has been putting effort to guide small businesses in the right financing direction by preparing them to mitigate financing risks and work towards increasing potential for business growth.

It is also that through several MoUs with financial institutions in the Sultanate, and by engaging various specialised volunteering advisors and experts in finance and financial management, that Zubair SEC has been able to collaborate with and engage multiple stakeholders towards extending further support and guidance to small enterprises.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

WCAS begins new engineering programme MUSCAT: Waljat College of Applied Sciences (WCAS) is starting a new engineering programme in chemical engineering keeping in view the increasing demand for this field in Oman.

Chemical engineering is an applied science course which includes application of chemistry, physics, and/ or life science along with mathematics and economics to develop processes which can transform the raw material to more useful chemicals / products.

Chemical engineers work in manufacturing pharmaceuticals, design, operation and construction of plants and machinery for petrochemicals, pulp and paper, speciality chemicals, microelectronics, electronic and advanced materials, polymers, biotechnology (enzymes, vaccines, bio-chemicals, bio-fuels), and environmental health and safety industries, among others. Chemical engineers also develop solutions to environmental problems.

Oman has big petrochemical and refinery industry and other food processing and pharmaceutical industries which enhance the scope of chemical engineers in Oman. Chemical engineers work as process engineer, safety engineer, product engineer, designs engineer, quality control engineer and consultants also.

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HOCKEY

OHA board members win vote of confidence A. SESHAGIRI RAO

raoas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman Hockey Association OHA) chairman Sheikh Mahfoodh Ali Juma Al Juma and his fellow board members won vote of confidence from the majority of the clubs during an extraordinary General Assembly organised on Wednesday.

The Sultanate’s hockey body was thrown into turmoil after a spate of resignations following heated exchanges at the previous General Assembly on March 29.

The members then had a disagreement on the issues like financial and technical reports leading to resignation of vice-chairman Sheikh Saif Al Rahbi first and then that of General Secretary Mohammed Redha Taqi Al Lawati, which in turn led to OHA calling for Wednesday’s General Assembly.

But what was expected to be a slam bang affair turned out to be a FOOTBALL

Ronaldo wants Real to renew his contract

MAJORITY SUPPORT: Oman Hockey Association chairman Sheikh Mahfoodh Ali Juma Al Juma, third left, speaks during the General Assembly on Wednesday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

brief meeting with the clubs overwhelmingly voting in favour of the board members to continue in office.

According to OHA Treasurer Zuhair Al Ajmi, the meeting lasted just a few minutes and the representatives of the clubs voted in favour of the association board members without going into any other issues.

Speaking to Times Sport immediately after the General Assembly, Zuhair Al Ajmi said: “The meeting

started on time and it didn’t last long as they voted in favour of the association, showing trust in the board members.”

Of the 24 clubs affiliated with the OHA, 19 attended the meeting. While 15 voted in favour of the board, four voted against.

“We would like to thank the clubs for showing trust in us. Obviously we are all happy because the majority of the clubs have decided to support us. That means they are

happy with the way we are running the association,” Zuhail said.

“They have given us the support to continue with our good work.

Now we will continue to work hard and continue with our good work for the betterment of hockey,” he said.

The term of the current board is scheduled to end in over four months time.

“We will have the next General Assembly either in October or November, when we will also have

association board elections. Then the clubs will have another chance to vote in favour of the candidates whom they think will be good for Oman hockey.”

Asked why the members failed to take up the key issues of financial and technical reports during Wednesday’s meeting, Zuhail said ‘the discussion on such issues was not on the agenda of the meeting, which was called only to have the trust vote’.

Oman too good for Tanzania SCOREBOARD

In a low scoring MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo has urged Real Madrid to renew his contract and said he wanted to see out his career in the Spanish capital.

Ronaldo’s immediate future at Real has been in doubt all season, with speculation growing throughout the year that he was plotting a move to Paris SaintGermain but the prolific Portuguese has now made it clear he wants to stay at the club.

“Real Madrid would be making a smart decision if they offered me a new contract,” Ronaldo said on Wednesday.

“I want to stay here, there have been good moments and bad moments. Four years ago I wasn’t happy here but now I am and I can’t think of a better club to be at than Real Madrid, there’s no team like it. The other clubs can forget it.”

Ronaldo overtook Raul Gonzalez as Real’s all-time top scorer earlier this season and on Saturday will be hoping to inspire the team to their 11th European Cup success when they take on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final in Milan. - Reuters

match, Tanzania were bowled out for 94 in 32.5 overs and then in reply Oman proved too good for the African side as they raced to victory in just 17.3 overs

MUSCAT: Oman eased to a ninewicket victory over Tanzania to go to the top of the table in the ongoing ICC World Cricket League Division 5 Competition in Jersey on Wednesday. In a low scoring match, Tanzania batting first were bowled out for 94 in 32.5 overs and then in reply Oman proved too good for the African side as they cantered to victory in just 17.3 overs scoring 96 runs for the loss of one wicket.

The victory, their fourth in succession, took Duleep Mendis-

STAR PERFORMERS: Oman’s Aamir Kaleem, second right, and Zeeshan Maqsood, second left, pose for a photo along with assistant coach Mazher Saleem Khan, left, and manager Syed Jamil Zaidi.

coached Omanis to the top of the six-team table with eight points.

With their nearest rivals Guernsey and hosts Jersey on six points each and with one round of matches to be played on Friday, Oman are virtually assured of a place in the final and with that promotion to Division 5.

After a day’s rest, the competition resumes on Friday, unbeaten Oman face Guernsey while Jersey lock horns with Nigeria.

On Wednesday, Oman captain Ajay Lalcheta, for the first time in the tournament, won the toss and rightly asked the Tanzanians bat first. In fact, the left-arm

TENNIS

Fatma tastes singles success at Incheon ITF tournament

A file photo of Fatma Al Nabhani.

MUSCAT: Overcoming the disappointment of losing in the first round of the doubles competition, Omani sensation Fatma Al Nabhani tasted singles success at the $25,000 Incheon ITF Pro Circuit Tournament in South Korea on Wednesday.

In her first round match of the singles, Fatma recorded a 6-3, 6-4 straight sets victory over Thailan’d Bunyawi Thamchaiwat. Fatma will now clash with British girl Freya Christie for a place in the quarterfinals.

In her first round match, eighth seeded Freya Christie eased to a similar 6-3, 6-4 victory over Aus-

Zuhair also refused to comment on the resignation of Sheikh Saif Al Rahbi and Mohammed Redha Taqi Al Lawati while also refusing to speak on the possible replacements.

However, it is believed that Said Al Darmaki, a member of the current board who has a long association with hockey in the Sultanate, is likely to take over the acting general secretary.

Meanwhile, it is also learnt that OHA board has ended their association with technical advisor Mohie Saad Al Zaghlool.

Mohie Al Zaghlool, while confirming the news, told Times Sport ‘things have changed in the last couple of years and there has been no proper co-operation and co-ordination in the association.’

Though Mohie refused to reveal his next plan of action, according to sources the long-serving technical advisor is said to be considering ‘some sort of action’ against the board.

tralia’s Olivia Tjandramulia.

On Tuesday, Fatma Al Nabhani and Japanese partner Mari Osaka failed to get past the first round of the doubles competition as they were beatedn 6-4, 6-2 by Kamonwan Buayam of Thailand and PeiChi Lee of Chinese Taipei.

In recent times, Fatma also took part in the $25,000 Goyang ITF Pro Circuit tournament in South Korea where her singles challenge ended in the quarterfinals while in the doubles the Omani girl and her Thai partner Patcharin Cheapchandej failed to get past the first round.

Last month, the Omani, whose

highest career ranking of 362 came way back in 2010, took part in a highly rated $100,000 Anning ITF Pro Circuit tournament in China where she bowed out in the first round of both singles and doubles competition.

Fatma, Oman’s lone flag bearer at the international tennis circuit, had a great year in 2015 when she won five $10,000 tournament titles, including two back-to-back crowns in south Indian city of Hyderabad. In 2013, she won backto-back $10,000 Sharm El Sheikh titles in Egypt and similar level tournaments in Fujairah in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

spinner himself bowled the first over, a maiden at that. But it was pace bowler Rajesh Ranpura who struck removing opener Jitin Singh for a duck before Tanzania opened the score.

In his second over, fourth of the innings, Ranpura dismissed Arshan Jasani before the batsmen troubled the scorers.

Later, Omani talent Sufyan Mehmood struck off the very first ball he bowled, shattering the stumps of Kassim Nassaoro (9).

Opener Abhik Patwa (28) and Shaheed Dhanani (32) tried to steady the ship. But once spinner Aamir Kaleem removed the duo,

Tanzanians simply crumbled.

Kaleem finished with the figures of five for 23 while Lalcheta and Ranpura bagged two each.

In reply, there was no stopping Zeeshan Maqsood with the centurion from Oman’s previous match against Vanuatu scoring an unbeaten 62 runs. Fellow opener Khawar Ali contribued 15 while Vaibhav Wategaonkar remained unbeaten on 19 to give Zeeshan company till the end.

In other matches played on Wednesday, Jersey defeated Guernsey by seven wickets and Vanuatu won by a massive 110-run margin against Nigeria.

TANZANIA AR Patwa c A. Lalcheta b Aamir Kaleem 28 Jitin Singh c S. Khadye b R. Ranpura 0 A. Jasani b R. Ranpura 0 K. Nassoro b Sufyan Mehmood 9 S. Dhanani c Lalcheta b Aamir Kaleem 32 A. Kamania c S. Khadye b Aamir Kaleem 0 RK Kiseto c M. Ansari b Aamir Kaleem 12 KZ Rehmtullah lbw A. Lalcheta 0 A. Dagar c Jatinder Singh b A. Lalcheta 4 A. Mpeka c N. Riaz b Aamir Kaleem 0 N. Mapunda not out 1 Extras (b-1, w-7) 8 Total (all out; 32.5 overs) 94 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-2, 3-34, 4-47, 5-47, 6-76, 7-77, 8-93, 9-93.

Bowling: A. Lalcheta 7-1-17-2 (w-1); R. Ranpura 6-1-18-2 (w-2); M. Ansari 4-1-180 (w-1); Sufyan Mehmood 3-0-5-1 (w-1); Aamir Kaleem 8.5-1-23-5 (w-1); Zeeshan Maqsood 4-0-12-0.

OMAN Zeeshan Maqsood not out 62 Khawar Ali st Mapunda b Nassoro 15 Vaibhav Wategaonkar not out 19 Extras 0 Total (1 wkt; 17.3 overs) 96 Did not bat: N. Riaz, Jatinder Singh, Aamir Kaleem, A. Lalcheta, Sufyan Mehmood, R. Ranpura, S. Khadye, M. Ansari Fall of wicket: 1-43.

Bowling: KZ Rehmtullah 2-0-15-0; K. Nassoro 7-1-30-1; A. Dagar 4.3-0-27; A. Mpeka 3-0-12-0; RK Kiseto 1-0-12-0.

C2

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

SPORTS

Sunrisers oust KKR to seal Qualifier 2 berth After putting on 162 for eight, Sunrisers came up with a fine bowling performance to restrict KKR to 140 for eight

NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad produced a clinical performance to seal their place in the Qualifier 2 as they crushed the hopes of two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with a comfortable 22 runs win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Eliminator on Wednesday night.

After putting on 162 for eight, riding on Yuvraj Singh’s 30-ball 44, Sunrisers came up with a fine bowling performance and accurate catching to restrict KKR to 140 for eight to progress to the Qualifier 2 stage for the first time since making their debut in 2013.

Sunrsiers will now take on the losers of the Qualifier 1, Gujarat Lions on Friday for their maiden entry into the summit clash of the tournament. Chasing the target, KKR did not have the best of starts as they lost Robin Uthappa (11) early, caught by Moises Henriques

CLINICAL SHOW: Sunrisers Hyderabad players celebrate after their victory over Kolkata Knight Riders during an eliminator match of the IPL at Ferozshah Kotla in New Delhi on Wednesday. – PTI

at short extra cover off left-arm pacer Barinder Sran (1/29) in the second over.

In-form KKR captain Gautam Gambhir (28) and Colin Munro (16) then stitched a 38-run partnership before Yuvraj brilliance on the field led to the dismissal of the latter. Yuvraj caught Munro short of the crease with a direct hit from the point with just one stump to aim at as KKR slumped to 53 for two after seven overs.

To make matters worse, Gambhir returned to the pavilion an over later while going for a big shot only to miscue it to substitute fielder V Shankar at long-on off Ben Cutting. Manish Pandey (36) and Suryakumar Yadav (23) then put

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on 46-runs for the fifth wicket to keep KKR in the hunt.

With KKR needing 53 off the last five overs, the ever-climbing asking rate took a toll on Yadav as he departed in search of a big shot, caught by a running Shikhar Dhawan at midwicket boundary off Henriques (2/17). But KKR’s hopes were finally dashed when their top-scorer Pandey holed out at the long-on boundary off Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/19).

Earlier, young spinner Kuldeep Yadav scalped three wickets as Kolkata Knight Riders produced a fine bowling performance to restrict Hyderabad to a manageable total.

Left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep returned with figures of three for 35

to deny Sunrisers a huge total and was ably supported by Morne Morkel (2/31) and Jason Holder (2/33).

Sunrisers were dealt a big blow when Shikhar Dhawan departed in the last ball of the second over.

Warner and Moises Henriques then stitched a fine 59-run stand for the second wicket that came off 46 balls to stabilize Sunrisers innings before Kuldeep scalped two wickets in consecutive balls to derail the Hyderabad outfit.

Brief scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 162 for 8 in 20 overs (Yuvraj Singh 44, Moises Henriques 31; K. Yadav 3/35, M. Morkel 2/31) bt Kolkata Knight Riders 140 for 8 in 20 overs.(Manish Pandey 36, Gautam Gambhir 28; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/19, Moises Henriques 2/17). - PTI

CRICKET

Indian selectors must keep an eye on Kuldeep: Gavaskar NEW DELHI: Former captain Sunil Gavaskar has been impressed by Kuldeep Yadav’s performance in the ongoing IPL and gave a “honest advice” to the Indian selectors to keep an eye on the young left-arm spinner.

Playing in place of the more experienced Piyush Chawla, Yadav turned out to be Kolkata Knight Riders’ surprise weapon as they sealed an IPL play-off berth with a 22-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday.

“He has been quite impressive and my honest advice to the Indian selectors will be to keep an eye on this young man. And the fact that he is a different kind of a bowler, you have got to be a little patient with him, but he is the kind of a bowler who can win you matches in the future. We should keep an eye on him,” Gavaskar said about the 22-year-old Yadav, who was born in Kanpur.

Yadav (2 for 28) dismissed a well-set Shikhar Dhawan (51) to trigger Sunrisers’ collapse and help KKR restrict them to just 149 for eight.

After a decent outing in the Champions League, Yadav was included in India’s ODI squad for the series against the West Indies in October 2014, and he made his first-class and List A debuts shortly after.

Gavaskar said one should not read too much into Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat

Kohli walking upto the fourth umpire during his team’s IPL Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Lions in Bengaluru last night.

Chasing 159, RCB were reeling at 68 for six when Stuart Binny was wrongly given out in the 10th over, much to the chagrin of Kohli, who was up on his feet in the dug out.

Asked if Kohli had overreacted, Gavaskar responded in negative.

“I don’t think so. I think he just went to the umpire to enquire what was happening. I don’t think he was going to argue. You have got to understand sometimes captains and coaches want to know what is the rationale behind a particular decision. He just wanted a clarification.”

“I don’t think it was a confrontation. It was a skipper who is so involved and committed to the team winning the trophy, they have not won the trophy. We should not read too much into it,” the batting legend said.

After AB de Villiers propelled RCB to an improbable win from the verge of defeat, Kohli declared that the South African was the best in the world. Asked if he agreed with the current Indian batting maestro, Gavaskar was on the same page.

On a lighter note, Gavaskar said: “Are you mad, if I say something Virat will come and confront me. Virat says AB is number one, so he is number one.” - PTI

CRICKET

Al Hail School of Cricket appoints Aslam as head coach

BIG PLANS: Head coach Mohammed Aslam pictured at the Al Hail School of Cricket. – Supplied photo

MUSCAT: Al Hail School of Cricket has appointed former player and experienced coach Mohammed Aslam as the head coach of the academy. Mohammed Aslam has been involved with Oman cricket from 1998 and represented the country in various international events.

Moula Bakhsh Al Balushi of Al Hail Club said: “We are extremely pleased to engage the services of Mohammed Aslam over the last three years. Now we have appointed him as the head coach of our Al Hail School of Cricket.”

“Aslam has brought a number of new ideas and has helped implement our vision for the academy. He is a very enthusiastic and hands-on-coach, whose wealth of coaching experience is proving very beneficial for our cricket academy. We have big plans for our academy which we are confident can be implemented successfully with his help.”

Mohammed Aslam, who played in Oman Cricket A Division League from 1998 to 2004, played for the national team in the Gulf Cup and

also played World Cup Qualifying Tournament at Ireland in 2005.

He also went on to represent Oman in the 2006 ACC Trophy in Malaysia.

A Level 2 coach and a Coach Educator, Aslam coached age group teams before serving Oman team as head coach between 2005 and 2012. He also worked as assistant coach of the team in 2012.

While thanking present Oman Cricket General Secretary Madhu Jesrani and former board member late Madhu Sampat for his asso-

ciation with the Sultanate cricket, he said: “I would like to thank Moula Baksh for giving me an opportunity to coach the Al Hail School of Cricket. I am enjoying my work as the academy and Moula working with a vision to develop local cricketers and encourage young talents.”

Describing the academy as the best in Oman and the Middle East, he said: “I have some big plans for the future. We would like to use modern technology and modern training methods to groom local talents.”

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

C3

SPORTS Murray survives another scare, Wawrinka eases into third round While defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka, fifth seed Kei Nishikori, Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza, eased into the third round on Wednesday, second seed Murray took the long road again

PARIS: Andy Murray survived a second close shave at the French Open on Wednesday, but his path towards what he hopes will be a maiden title in Paris is becoming so circuitous he may soon find himself hacking through trees in the nearby Bois de Boulogne.

While defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka, fifth seed Kei Nishikori, Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza, eased into the third round on Wednesday, second seed Murray took the long road again.

The Scot spent Monday and Tuesday figuring a way past unorthodox 37-year-old Czech Radek Stepanek, extricating himself from two sets down to scrape through in five.

This time it was little known 22-year-old French wildcard Mathias Borgue, playing only his

EASY OUTING: Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka hits a return against Japan’s Taro Daniel during their men’s second round match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland Garros in Paris on Wednesday. – AP/PTI

second grand slam match, who led the former U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion astray.

Initially overwhelmed, Borgue recovered from a 6-2, 2-0 deficit to take control in astonishing fashion, reeling off eight games in a row and forging into a two-sets-to-one lead.

When he pummelled a back-

FRENCH OPEN

hand winner down the line to take the third set Murray was stunned and the partisan Court Philippe Chatrier crowd were in full cry.

Murray was rocking, but saved three break points at the start of the fourth set and gradually seized back control to prevail 6-2, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in three hours 34 minutes.

“I led 6-2, 2-0 then he started playing unbelievably and I was finding it hard to win points, let alone games,” Murray, a threetime semifinalist here, said on court after sportingly joining in the applause for Borgue, France’s 16th best player.

“You can’t play too many match-

es like this if you want to go far in this tournament. I hope to win the next one a little bit faster.”

Murray’s opponent in the third round, Ivo Karlovic, was involved in the day’s other compelling drama. The big-serving Croatian, also 37, beat Australian wildcard Jordan Thompson 6-7 (2), 6-3, 7-6 (3),

6-7 (4), 12-10 in the longest match of the tournament so far to become the oldest man to reach the third round of a slam since Jimmy Connors in 1991.

“It’s the only time when being old is okay,” 27th seed Karlovic, who has boomed down 72 aces in two rounds, said of his milestone victory. Quite what he and Murray will cook up on Friday is anyone’s guess, but expect the unexpected.

Like Murray, third seed Wawrinka suffered a first-round fright in a five-setter against Lukas Rosol. He was still not at his best on Wednesday against Japan’s Taro Daniel, but having saved two set points in the opening tiebreak he won 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-4.

“If you look at the first two matches, for sure I’m not playing my best tennis, but I know I have my best tennis in me,” the 31-yearold, who faces Frenchman Jeremy Chardy next, said.

Nishikori’s progress has been impressive so far and he was too good for Russian Andrey Kuznetsov, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. After a flurry of falling seeds in the women’s first round, the top names flourished as the sun finally appeared in Paris.

Romania’s Halep, runner-up to Maria Sharapova in 2014, took a while to tame Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas to win 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Fourth seed Muguruza, bidding to become the first Spanish woman to win the title since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1998, thrashed France’s Myrtille Georges 6-2, 6-0.

Czech Lucie Safarova beat Swiss Viktorija Golubic 6-2, 6-2 and 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova showed she is still a force by beating Britain’s Heather Watson. - Reuters

FORMULA ONE

Tearing hurry could land F1 drivers in trouble

Karlovic oldest man to reach Grand Slam third round in 25 years PARIS: Ivo Karlovic became the oldest man to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for 25 years when the 37-year-old came through a marathon fivesetter against Australian Jordan Thompson at the French Open on Wednesday.

Karlovic, seeded 27, banged down 41 aces in a 6-7 (2), 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (4), 12-10 victory against the 22-year-old wildcard.

“It’s the only time when being old is okay,” Karlovic, a firstround casualty in seven of his previous 10 appearances at Roland Garros, told reporters after a four hour and 32 minute epic.

The Croatian needed all his experience in the deciding set as he held serve six times to stay in contention. At 10-10 he sliced a winner to finally break Thompson’s serve. With victory in sight, he cracked down three consecutive aces to reach 40-0. He failed to convert his first two match

points but clinched victory with a volley, roaring his delight.

“It’s unbelievable because this year I was struggling with the injury, with the knee. So I was out for two months almost,” said Karlovic, the tallest player on the Tour at 6 ft 11 ins.

Jimmy Connors reached the third round at the French and U.S. Opens in 1991, aged 38, and went on to reach the semi-finals that year at Flushing Meadows.

Surpassing Connors looks a tall order. Karlovic will need his serve in working order when he plays second seed Andy Murray in the third round.

Murray also needed five sets to subdue French wildcard Mathias Bourgue on Wednesday, but he thinks his match against Karlovic will be a less demanding affair.

“The average rally length will only be a few shots, maybe three, four shots max. So that’s a positive there,” Murray said. - Retuers

MONACO: McLaren’s Fernando Alonso was delicate in his phrasing, but left little to the imagination, when discussing where Formula One drivers might have to put their helmet visor tear-offs at Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix.

“We have different solutions,” the Spaniard told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the governing FIA’s plans to enforce a longignored rule that bans drivers from throwing tear-offs onto the track.

“We’ll try a couple and tomorrow we will find a place...some of these places I cannot tell you now because it’s plus 18 (adult certification).”

The International Automobile Federation has ordered the crackdown to prevent accidents and retirements caused by the thin

FIA has ordered the crackdown to prevent accidents and retirements caused by the thin transparent strips

transparent strips getting caught in brake ducts.

Drivers may have 10 or more layered on their visors which they tear off one by one as their vision becomes impaired by grease or grime. At a tight and twisty harbourside circuit like Monaco, with the track hemmed in by metal barriers, being in too much of a tearing hurry can have serious implications in more ways than one.

Alonso, a double world champion, has had two such incidents including one in Spain last year where his own tear-off caught in the McLaren’s brake duct and ended his race. The other was caused by someone else’s refuse.

“It’s a strange rule. We’ve never had this kind of rule, but it’s not a problem to keep the tear-off inside the cockpit. It’s okay,” he said.

Team mate Jenson Button, the

2009 champion, said there were lots of ideas and he expected drivers to “stick them in the cockpit in different places” even if that would not be easy. Even when you know you have to stick them in the car, you tear them off and your hand is in the air, it’s flying around and you are trying to pull it back into the cockpit to stick it somewhere.”

“It’s tricky, and with the first race being Monaco where you have to put it inside the car and not let go of it is tricky for everyone.”

What penalty drivers might face if they break the rule had yet to be decided, Alonso said.

“We are still asking the FIA what will be the penalty, and there is still some debate about that,” he added. - Reuters

C4

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

SPORTS Musandam-Oman Sail in starting blocks for opening race of season For the MusandamOman Sail crew the 2016 Myth of Malham off the south coast of England marks the transition from training to performance

MUSCAT: Oman Sail’s crew on flagship MOD70 trimaran Musandam-Oman Sail return to the race track on Saturday with their first big race of the season, the 2016 Myth of Malham off the south coast of England.

This English classic, run by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, is a weekend race starting at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes with the top mark set at the Eddystone Lighthouse, some 12 miles south-west of Plymouth and the

A file photo of Musandam-Oman Sail.

finish back in the Solent.

At 256 nautical miles, it may be a relatively short course but it will test the team, since the Solent and Channel are amongst the busiest shipping channels in the world and a hub of recreational boating and

I S C TA B L E T E N N I S

skipper Sidney Gavignet, Damian Foxall and navigator Jean Luc Nelias, the race marks the transition from training to performance.

“All our preparations here this week have been about working efficiently round the clock, morning

was named after the yacht of the same name, a 37’6’’ sloop built in 1947 that went on to win the Fastnet race that year, and again two years later.

The Myth of Malham race starts on the morning of Saturday May 28 when the fleet will head west out of the Solent en route to the Eddystone Lighthouse before an exhilarating downwind ride back to the Solent under spinnaker.

“We can’t wait to get racing again and are looking forward to getting some speed up on Musandam-Oman Sail,” said Fahad Al Hasni, who is likely to be given helming duties.

“This is the first race of the season and we are keen to make an early impression. She’s a fast boat and because we have a few records under our belt, we know we can get the best out of her but we also know we will have to be at the top of our game to win.”

MOD70 Musandam-Oman Sail programme: Myth of Malham: Starts Cowes, Isle of Wight – May 28.

Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race: Starts Wicklow, Ireland – June 18.

Quebec-St Malo: Starts Quebec, Canada – July 10.

GREEN SPORTS

Surabhi, Alina advance MUSCAT: Surabhi Salian and Alina Desai advanced to the final of the girls under-13 singles event at the annual table tennis tournament organised by the Indian Social Club (ISC) and sponsored by Muscat Insurance Services and Oman United Insurance Company.

Surabhi and Alina had qualified for the semi final after topping their respective groups in the round robin league. In the first semifinal Surabhi downed Ananya Krishnan 11-8, 11-6, 11-8. In the second semifinal, Alina Desai had to work hard for victory as she rallied from two games down to overcome the brilliant display put up by Dimple Malaviya with final scores of 6-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-6.

Dimple however is on course for a top berth in the under-10 singles.

In the round-robin league, Dimple

sailing in Britain with thousands of boats taking to the waters on a nice sunny day.

For the Musandam-Oman Sail crew which features Omani professionals Fahad Al Hasni, Sami Al Shukaili and Yassir Al Rahbi, plus

and evening, on the dock as well,” said Sidney Gavignet.

“We want everyone to perform.

On our delivery runs, we have spent a lot of time teaching and experimenting but during the race, there will be no time for any of that. It will be time to perform and that requires a completely different state of mind. It will be good preparation for the Round Ireland race next month.”

Musandam-Oman Sail, an ultrafast trimaran, will be one of around 40 boats competing in the Myth of Malham but there is only one other contender in the fleet that Gavignet’s team want to beat and that is Team Concise, a rival British-owned MOD70 that recently set a new record in the Round Barbados Race.

“They have done a lot of racing in the Caribbean this year so it will be a very good contest but we have a good crew, and with some intensive training under our belt, we will be trying our best for a win,” added Gavignet.

Known as the mini-Fastnet, since it follows the same course through the Solent down to the 49-metre high Eddystone Lighthouse — which is mentioned in Herman Melville’s epic novel Moby-Dick — the Myth of Malham

defeated Mohamed Adnan 11-1, 112, 11-2 while Rishabh Sheth scored his second straight win with a comfortable 111-2, 11-3, 11-8 victory over Kevin Thiyagaseelan.

Akshara Pateria scored her first win in the under-10 with a fine 11-9, 2-11, 11-8, 11-8 verdict over Kevin Thiyagaseelan. Rishabh Sheth defeated Mohamad Adnan 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 and went to the top of the table with his third consecutive win. He defeated Dimple Malaviya 11-9, 12-10, 5-11, 11-9.

In the boys under-13 singles, Allan Thiyaseelan coasted to a 11-8, 11-4, 11-7 win over Chandan Srinivas, Sanskar Dubey breezed past N. Rubesh Kumar 11-2, 11-0, 11-0, R. Anirudh rallied to defeat Param Sheth 6-11, 11-4, 11-7, 12-10 and Vedant Bahirat fought back to beat Aditya Sairam 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9.

Bank Muscat to celebrate greening of Al Arabi’s football field in Manah MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, in step with its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and partnership to promote Oman as a sporting nation, is all set to celebrate the inauguration of the 23rd football field developed as part of the Green Sports initiative for Al Arabi Sports Team in the wilayat of Manah on Thursday.

Sayyyid Khalid Al Busaidi, Chairman of Oman Football Association, will be the guest of honour at the ceremony to be attended by dignitaries and senior bank officials. The Green Sports launched by Bank Muscat in 2012 has benefited a total of 63 sports teams till date. Marking the successful fifth year, the bank recently announced 15 new beneficiaries for 2016.

In 2015, the bank widened the scope of Green Sports, offering four options for sports teams to

green football fields with natural or synthetic turf, or avail support for floodlights or water desalination equipment to facilitate greening of fields in areas facing prob-

lems of water salinity. The move was aimed at providing wider representation to teams to build a sustainable sports infrastructure in all parts of the Sultanate.

The consistent progress of the Green Sports initiative confirms the bank’s commitment to the programme aimed at providing ample opportunities for young Omanis to develop their sporting talents in an ideal environment.

The programme is expected to go a long way in developing the sporting skills and talents of Omani youth, thereby promoting the game of football in Oman.

Committed to its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision for the nation and the people, especially youth, Bank Muscat is proud to have led the way in contributing to sustainable development in Oman with various initiatives.

As the nation’s leading financial institution, Bank Muscat aims to provide the momentum for youth to excel in all arenas and thereby contribute to the development and progress of Oman.

OMAN VETERANS TO PARTICIPATE IN KUWAIT TOURNAMENT Oman Veterans Hockey team will participate in a 6-A-Side Hockey Tournament in Kuwait on Friday. Besides hosts Kuwait, teams from Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia are also expected to participate in the tournament. Oman team comprises, Mohmamed Shambeh Al Raisi (delegation head), Mustafa Ghulam Ali Al Lawati (manager), Yousuf Darwish Nasser Al Siyabi (captain), Husain Said Al Lawati, Salah Nasser Ahmed Al Saadi, Ali Hussain Ali Al Lawati, Abbas Abdullah Al Ajmi, Haitham Al Balushi, Aiman Shaban Juma Al Kathiri, Haider Fida Hussain Abdullah, Mahmood Hamood Mahmood Al Balushi, Jasim Mohammed Ahmed Al Balushi, Adil Mohammed Dawood Al Balushi, Khalid Abdul Rahman Yahya Al Raisi, Mahmood Juma Sangoor Al Hosni, Zuhair Al Ajmi, Hassan Yaqoob Ali, Tahir Ahmed Khalfan Al Maashari, Mohammed Redha Al Lawati, Younis Darwish Nasser Al Siyabi, Asim Dawood, Surur Mubarak Surur Al Noufali and Darwish Hamdan Othman Al Bulushi.

LIFESTYLE

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

Culture WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

TAMAE HIROKAWA S t o r y : T. A . A m e e r u d h e e n

T

amae Hirokawa believes fashion designing is a continuous learning process. So the high profile Japanese designer will never miss an opportunity to observe fashion trends and imbibe ideas from around the world.

She was in Muscat recently, and her joy knew no bounds when she got an opportunity to learn about unique Omani wardrobe. “I am impressed by the designs and patterns of Omani clothes. Men’s dishdashas, and women’s abayas are very attractive, and they inspire me to create new designs,” Hirokawa, who conducted three workshops at the invitation of Japanese Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, said.

A proponent of digital technology for creating new designs, Hirokawa has carved a niche for

herself internationally with her unique ‘Second Skin’ concept. “It is a seamless knitting style that allows me to design clothes, inner structure, and patterns simultaneously through digital programming,” she explained.

According to her, clothes in Japan have begun to evolve from an era of flat-made Kimono to western style during the 20th century.

“The basic western structural technology begins from making fabric, draping on torso, cutting patterns and sewing. It comprised of a series of separate tasks. Later, the handmade haute couture gave way to mass production of designer clothes thanks to the economic development in 20th century,” she said.

Hirokawa considers digital technology as an essential tool in fashion designing. “Digital technology gives forms to the ideas of designers, and it can sometimes seem like a magi-

cal tool. However, technology requires both tools and people.”

It was in 2006 that Hirokawa established her own studio, Soma Design, along with the designing project, Somart, in Japan.

Soma Design soon captured the imagination of fashionistas in Japan, thanks to the introduction of unique products. “We have made our presence felt in the fashion industry during the last 10 years.

Apart from creating clothes, we work with leading technology companies like Yamaha.”

One may wonder what a fashion designing company will do with technology majors like Yamaha.

“Yamaha produces the best wheelchairs. We have added value to their product by providing unique designs. When Yamaha’s technological brilliance combines with our amazing designs, the products become truly remarkable.”

Now, Somart is in the process of refining the Skin Series. “Humans wear their skin as a cloth of life. The Skin Series attempts to broaden the possibilities of clothes by arranging patterns 360 Degree over the body in a seamless manufacturing process. Body expressions, enhanced by the structuring of light together with artisan-crafted decorations and embroidery, have made this dream possible,” she said.

As the fashion industry grows at a faster pace, Hirokawa believes that designers should understand the culture and character of their country to create unique products.

“If you want to be a fashion designer, you should be aware of the culture, history and background of the country to create exceptional clothes,” she exhorts fashion designers from the Sultanate.

—ameerudheen@timesofoman.com

Photography: Supplied

C

SECTION

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

C6

PRAYER TIMINGS

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

3.30, 9.00 PM Warcraft (2D) (Action / Adventure) –PG12 Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 6.30 PM Sarbjit (2D) (Drama ) –PG12 Cast : Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Randeep Hooda 11.45 PM

@ MGM

@PANORAMA MALL

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI Warcraft - (3D) (Action | Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 3:45, 6:30, 9:00 & 11:30PM The Nice Guys - (2D) (Action | Crime) (15+) Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling 3:00, 7:15, 9:30 & 11:45PM Pele: A Birth Legend - (2D) (Biography | Drama | Sport) (PG) Cast: Vincent D’Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro 3:15 & 7:15PM Money Monster - (2D) (Crime | Drama) (12+) Cast: George Clooney, Julia Roberts 5:15 & 11:55PM X-Men: Apocalypse(3D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 9:15PM The Angry Birds Movie - (3D) (Animation (U) Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess 5:15PM MUSCAT GRAND MALL Warcraft – 3D (PG12) Action| Adventure Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 12:30, 9:15, 11:45 PM Gold Class : 3:45, 6:30, 9:00, 11:30 PM Money Monster – 2D (12+) Crime | Drama Cast: George Clooney, Julia Roberts 4:45, 11:30 PM Pele: A Birth Legend – 2D (PG) Biography Cast: Vincent D’Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro, Diego Boneta 6:40 PM X-Men: Apocalypse – 3D (PG12) Action | Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 2:15, 8:45 PM Jungle Book – 3D (PG) Adventure | Drama Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 5:00 PM The Angry Birds Movie – 3D (U) Animation Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess 12:15, 2:45, 7:15 PM

Warcraft - (3D) (Action| Adventure | Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 3:45, 6:30, 9:00 & 11:30PM

PANORAMA MALL Warcraft - (3D) (Action| Adventure | Fantasy) (PG12) VIP LOUNGE Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 3:45, 6:45 & 11:30PM Warcraft - (4D) (Action| Adventure | Fantasy) (PG12) MX4D Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 3:30, 6:30, 9:00 & 11:30PM Warcraft - (3D) (Action | Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 9:00 & 11:30PM The Nice Guys - (2D) (Action | Comedy | Crime) (15+) VIP LOUNGE Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling 9:15PM The Nice Guys - (2D) (Action | Crime) (15+) Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling 3:00, 7:15, 9:30 & 11:45PM Pele: A Birth Legend - (2D) (Biography) (PG) Cast: Vincent D’Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro 5:15PM X-Men: Apocalypse (3D) (Actiony) (PG12) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 3:30, 9:00 & 11:45PM The Angry Birds Movie - (3D) (Animation | Action |Comedy) (U) Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess

The Nice Guys - (2D) (Action | Comedy | Crime) (15+) Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice 3:00, 7:15, 9:30 & 11:45PM

Pele: A Birth Legend – 2D (PG) Biography | Drama | Sport Cast: Vincent D’Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro, Diego Boneta 6:40 PM

3:00 & 7:00PM Captain America: Civil War - (PG) (Action | Adventure| Sci-Fi) (3D) Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr 6:15PM The Jungle Book - (3D) Drama| Family) (PG) Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 5:00PM

Azhar (Hindi) (2D) (Sports | Drama) (PG) Cast: Nargis Fakhri, Emraan Hashmi 10:30 PM Brahmot Savam (Telugu) (2D) (PG) Cast: Mahesh Babu, Kajal Aggarwal 6:30 PM RUWI Screen 1 Warcraft (2D) (Action / Adventure) –PG12 Cast : Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton 2.30, 8.30, 11.30 PM Sarbjit (2D) (Drama ) –PG12 Cast : Aishwarya Rai and Randeep Hooda 5.30 PM Screen 2 Sarbjit(2D) (Drama ) –PG12 Cast : Aishwarya Rai and Randeep Hooda 3.30, 9.15 PM Baaghi (2D) (Action) –PG Cast :Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor, Sudheer Babu 6.30, 11.45 PM Screen 3 X-Men: Apocalypse (2D) (Action / Adventure/ Sci Fic) –PG12 Cast : Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn, Jennifer Lawrence

AZAIBA X-Men: Apocalypse (3D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 3:15, 6:00, 11:45 PM Warcraft (3D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 3:45, 6:30, 9:15, 11:30 PM The Angry Bird Movie (3D) (Animation | Action | Comedy) (U) Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess 3:45 PM The Jungle Book (3D) (Family) (PG) Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley 8:15 PM King Liar (Mal) (2D) (Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Dileep, Madonna Sebastian, Lal 8:45 PM Sarabjit (Hindi) (2D) (Drama) (PG12) Cast: Aishwarya Rai Bacchan, Shiwani Saini 3:30, 5:45, 8:45, 11:15 PM

SUR X-Men : Apocalypse 3D (Crime | Drama) ( PG12 ) Cast : James Mc Avoy, Michael Fassbender 9:00 PM Warcraft 3D ( Action | Fantasy ) ( PG12 ) Cast : Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 3:45, 7:15, 11:45 PM The Nice Guys (15+) Cast : Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling 3:30, 9:30, 11:35 PM The Angry Birds Movie - (3D) ( Animation | Action | Comedy ) ( U ) Cast : Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess 5:30 PM Marudu ( Tamil | Action ) (PG12) Cast : Vishal, Sri Divya, Radha Ravi 6:30 PM SOHAR X-Men: Apocalypse PG12 (3D) (Action) Cast: James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence 8:45, 11:45PM The Angry Birds Movie U (3D)( Animation) Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess 3:15PM King Liar PG12 (Malayalam) (Comedy) Cast: Dileep, Madonna Sebastian, Lal 9:00PM Brahmot Savam PG (Telugu/Comedy) Cast: Kajal Aggarwal, Mahesh Babu 6:15PM Money Monster 12+ (Crime | Drama) Cast: George Clooney, Julia Roberts 3:00, 11:55PM The Shamer’s Daughter PG12(Adventure) Cast: Allan Hyde, Jakob Oftebro, Roland Møller 5:00PM Warcraft PG12 (Action| Adventure | Fantasy) Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 3:30, 6:30, 9:30, 11:30PM The Nice Guys 15+ (Action | Comedy) Cast : Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling 3:45, 7:15, 9:30, 11:45PM Pele: A Birth Legend PG (Biography) Cast : Vincent D’Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro, 5:15PM

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

38 30

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

07:30 14:30

Sur Sur

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

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

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

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

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

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

15:00

Salalah

Daily

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

11.45 13.30 14.00

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

ADVIK May 26, 2011

0

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

80-50%

E. DHARSAN May 27, 2013 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 extra@ timesofoman.com

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

Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

10:45 19:00

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

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

Ruwi Ruwi

King Liar (Mal) (Comedy) Cast: Dileep, Siddique and Madonna Sebastian 6-30 & 10-00 pm Cinema Main; 3-30 pm Cinema-2; From Friday: 3-45pm Cinema-3; 6-30PM Cinema-2; 10-00pm Cinema Main Brahmotsavam (Telugu) (Drama) Cast: Mahesh Babu, Samantha and Kajal Agarwal 3-00 pm Cinema Main; 6-30 &9-30 pm Cinema-2 From Friday: 3-00 Pm Cinema Main; 6-45 pm Cinema -4 Marudhu (Tamil) (Act) Cast: Vishal and Sri Divya 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -4 From Friday : 3-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -4 Jacobinte Swargarajyam ( Mal) (Comedy) Cast: Nivin Pauly Renji Panicker & Lakshmi 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -3 From Friday: 6-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema-3 Idhu Namma Aalu (Tamil) (Drama) (From Friday) Cast: Silambarasan and Nayantara 3-30 & 9-30 pm Cinema -2; 6-30 pm Cinema Main Next Change: Iraivi ( Tamil) Aa..Aaa (Telugu) Programmes are subject to change

Daily Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

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

06:00 14:30

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

LISTINGS

17:55 20:20

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

STAR CINEMA

Minimum

ROYAL OMAN POLICE TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

Warcraft (Action / Adventure / Fantasy) Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 2.00, 4.30, 7.00, 9.30 & 11.55 p.m.

CP No : 1129 (PG12) The Shamer’s Daughter (Adventure) Cast: Allan Hyde, Jakob Oftebro, Roland Moller 6.00 & 11.55 p.m.

CP No : 1130 (PG12) Wild for the Night (Crime / Thriller) Cast: Tommy Flanagan, Michael Roark, Bianca A. Santos 2.00, 8.00 & 10.00 p.m.

CP No :1131 (15+) The Trust (Crime / Thriller) Cast: Nicolas Cage, Elijah Wood, Sky Ferreira 4.00 p.m.

CP No : 1119 (15+)

S. MONISH KUMAR May 26, 2015

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

SALALAH X-Men: Apocalypse (3D) (PG12) (Action) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 8:45PM X-Men: Apocalypse (2D) (PG12) (Action) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 1:30PM Warcraft (3D)(PG12) (3D) (PG12) (Action) Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster 12:30, 4:15, 6:30, 9:00, 11:30PM The Nice Guys (2D) (15+) (Action | Comedy) Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling 2:00, 9:30, 11:55PM The Angry Birds Movie (3D) (U) (Animation) Cast: Peter Dinklage, Tituss Burgess 4:45PM Money Monster (2D)(12+) (Crime | Drama) Cast: George Clooney, Julia Roberts 2:45, 11:45PM Pele: A Birth Legend (2D)(PG) (Biography | Drama | Sport) Cast: Vincent D’Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro 6:45PM Wild for the Night (2D)(15+) (Crime| Music| Thriller) Cast: Tommy Flanagan, Michael Roark, Bianca A. Santos 4:30PM Maruthu (2D) (PG12) (Tamil) (Action | Romance) Cast: Vishal Krishna Reddy, Sri Divya, Radha Ravi 6:15PM

Film information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

0

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

BURAIMI Maruthu PG12 (Tamil) (Action / Romance) Cast: Vishal Krishna, Sri Divya, Radha Ravi 6:45 PM X-Men: Apocalypse PG12 (3D) (Action) Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender 3:30 & 8:45 PM Warcraft PG 12 (3D) (Action| Adventure) Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster.

3:45, 6:30, 9:15 & 11:30 PM Wild for the Night 15+ (Crime| Musi) Cast: Tommy Flanagan, Michael Roark 5:30 & 11:30 PM The Nice Guys 15+ (Action | Comedy) Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling 3:30, 7:20, 9:30, 11:45 PM

BAHJA CINEMA

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

Quriyat Sur Jaalan

Idhu Namma Aalu (Tamil | Romantic) Cast : T.R. Silambarasan, Nayanthara 6.45PM (Starting from Friday)

WITH LOVE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36)

17:30

12.09pm 3.29pm 6.52pm 8.12pm 3.56am

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

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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

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

C7

LIFESTYLE

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WEEKEND UPDATE

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LISTEN Over and Over Again

by Nathan Sykes

BUY Camping tent Scan to watch the video

The Roles We Play SO TO SPEAK SALEH AL SHAIBANY

W

e play many roles, but few of us ever realise the importance of being a father, a wife or even a friend.

We confuse duty and responsibility with fatherhood and friendship.

We often say, “It’s my duty to look after my children” or “It’s my responsibility to work” without really understanding what we say.

Sometimes you need to put things in their proper perspective to get a true picture. It happened to me years ago when I had to send my son to the UK for his further education and I felt we needed to spend some time together before that.

That we did and as we walked home after a few hours of fun and games, he said something that he had never said before.

Well, let me put that properly. It was not what he said but how he

Online

said it that made the difference.

“Dad,” he said, “Thank you for the good time.”

Perhaps it was the timing or even the guilt in me, but I couldn’t trust myself to respond because I would have choked on my reply.

There it hit me like a blow and where it really mattered. Tears stung my eyes and I had to walk with my face down — not in shame — but because of a sudden realisation that my son was growing up and he realised how precious a couple of hours of being with his father meant.

It shook me badly, because up to that point, I hadn’t realised that spending time with my son meant so much to him. It went deep to the roots of my soul. It was that realisation that I needed to wake me up.

Until then I had taken the role of a parent for granted fooling myself

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that just being there was enough.

I think the question that went through my head was “why should he thank me for something that was part of my duty as a father?”

I didn’t realise that I was using the cover of responsibility and duty when all my son wanted was for me to spend time with him doing something he enjoyed. He didn’t just need my mere physical presence but the whole package that goes with it.

He needed to know that I cared enough to take some time off for him whenever I could.

He didn’t thank me for where we went but for the fact that I had demonstrated that I could find it in me to give him my undivided attention, which I had not done before.

It was a pity that it had to happen in a situation when he had to

go away for some time. Maybe I thought it was my way of being apologetic for sending him away for a year.

Whatever it was, now it’s not important. What is important is that I am glad it happened. I now have a clear picture of the role of a father and maybe other roles that I assume every day of my life.

As the clock ticks by and the day wears itself into night and the night re-energises itself to conjure up another day, we find that we can never take anything for granted. You are what you were before you went to bed.

It holds true whether you are a parent, a son, or a daughter. You wake up in the morning and you still find the people around you needing you for one reason or another. As you reach out for them, you make a difference.

For them and yourself.

C8

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016

LIFESTYLE

Ritu Kumar’s Collection

in Muscat M

runal’s Boutique is bringing Ritu Kumar’s collection in an exclusive exhibition in Muscat to be held on May 28 and 29. In line with Mrunal Khimji’s vision to bring world class handwork, designs and talent from Indian and Western heritage to Oman, Ritu Kumar is yet another example of this.

Ritu Kumar is a well-known designer-wear brand in India today. Since 1969 the brand has developed a unique style of its own, reflecting the ancient traditions

of Indian craftsmanship in a contemporary vocabulary. Ritu Kumar’s understanding of ancient designs and the innovative use of traditional crafts has created a new classicism.

Today the company is known for its distinctive use of colours, quality of fabrics, and intricate embroideries. Since the company was built on patronage of crafts people, it has made a significant impact in creating employment in underdeveloped areas.

Over the years it has patronised several organisations work-

ing in these areas and helped in developing skills and taking them to the market.

The full collection will be available in Oman during the exhibition including sarees, salwar kameez, tunics with both formal and casual wear.

The exhibition will be held at Mrunal’s Boutique in Qurum from 10.30am to 7pm.

For more information call + 968 2456 7599 or email mrunalsboutique@mosaic.om —lifestyle@timesofoman.com

IN THE NEWS

Criticism Bothers Abhishek Too Much Actor Abhishek Bachchan has a strong fan following, but sometimes he gets criticised on the public platform for his work. The son of megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he gets

BE IT HIS ACTING skills or his flop films, Abhishek, at times, gets slammed on social networking sites. Does it bother him?

“It does bother me. We are human beings. It hurts terribly. The sad thing is that you can get 100 compliments but that one criticism will ruin your day. As actors, when there is such a huge volume of love coming your way, we hold on to that one negative thought.

“We want to entertain everyone, we want everybody to enjoy our work,” Abhishek, who has starred in flop movies like Dum Maaro Dum and Players, said.

He even gets upset if one per cent of the audience says they don't like the movie.

“Actors would be lying if they say criticism doesn’t bother them. I have never looked upon criticism as negativity. I take it as an advice,” he added.

The Bol Bachchan star considers his father his biggest critic.

He said: “He (Amitabh) shares his thoughts honestly with me and has always pointed out that I could have done it differently.”

Abhishek will soon be seen in Sajid-Farhad's Housefull 3, which also stars Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh.

Was there any insecurity while working with Akshay and Riteish?

He said: “I don’t believe in actors being insecure. If you are confident about your job, you don’t have to be insecure. Riteish and Akshay... we are good friends. I’ve known them for a long time on and off screen.

“There was absolutely no insecurity.”

Abhishek, who has been exploring comedy in Bollywood, says he wants to stay away from adult comedies.

He said: “The basic concept of Housefull is that there is a house which is full and there is chaos that’s how I categorise Housefull.

I believe comedy never comes naturally to anyone. Comedy depends on the material.

“It is very difficult to do. Besides, I personally don’t think I can do adult comedy. I don’t think I have the ability to pull it off.”

Housefull is a successful franchise and Abhishek says he was nervous before shooting for the film.

He said: “The initial reaction was ‘Yes, let’s do it’. The script is great, star cast was so much fun so, it was a yes. But before the shooting started, that was when I realised that it is a big franchise and I need to pay attention.

“That’s when the pressure started building.”—IANS

SUPPLIED PHOTOS

bothered by criticism.

D

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M T H U R S DAY, M AY 2 6, 2 0 1 6

SECTION

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

RENT

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VACANCY

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CARGO

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

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T H U R S D AY, M AY 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

*Tourist visa arranged

COLD STORE ROOMS

FOR RENT

Available at a prime location on azaiba service road (previously occupied by A’Saffa Foods) near Al Turky and Mazda showroom

Contact: 95215289, 99229263, 93221054

FURNISHED OFFICES FOR RENT Available at a prime location on Azaiba Service Road (Previously Occupied by A’Saffa Foods) near Al Turky and Mazda showroom.

Contact: 95215289, 99229263, 93221054

FOR RENT Villa for rent in Al Hail South one at first floor and other at Ground floor.

Contact: 99546777 Available for lease Open Commercial Land of 21370 sqm near AL Nahda Resort, Shaksuk, Barka.

Contact : 99337160 Office for rent in Al Ansab near bank Muscat. Contact: 99466173 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 2 BHK available Mumtaz area Ruwi & Ghubra near Al Maha Hotel.

Contact: 99269751 1 & 2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181 3 BHK Flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99792181 60 + 100 + 180 + 600 Sqr Mtrs Office Space for Rent in Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181 Flat for rent in Darsait 1BHK. Contact: 99357586 / 97500025 / 97500021 Shop for rent in Ghubra prime location. Contact: 94281797 1000 sqmtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse workshop etc.

Contact 24700120 / 92584715 Al Khuwair 17, villa 3 B. Rooms, 3 toilets, kitchen, hall owner.

Contact: 99385553 Ware house open type in Saham, shared basis at OMR 150.00 P.M. Contact +968 99450811 & 9921 3487, EMAIL: Shiju@spec-link.com

Three storied villa for rent At Fahud Street, Qurum 16 Total four bedrooms Having spacious halls Drawing & dining rooms Majlis Two kitchen, store room With split A/C units in all rooms Servant rooms & pantry Care taker room with toilet.

Contact – 24785555/ 93394444 Villa No.1259 Fahud Street, Qurum 16

2 Bedroom Flat for rent located in Prime location of Ruwi.

Contact: 92197959 / 92502497 2 Bedroom Townhouse with Swimming pool, free Wi-Fi for Rent near British School in Madinat Sultan Qaboos. Contact: 92197959 / 92502497 Office for rent located in Prime location of Azaiba Main Highway.

Contact: 92197959 / 92502497

OFFICES & OUTLETS IN PRIME LOCATIONS: MAIN ROAD – MIDDLE OF THE MARKET AT: WALJA – HAMRIYA – SEEB - BARKA

CALL: 99332242 / 99106193 khamisco@alkhamis.com.om Just 2 OMR / Sqm, Showroom / store for rent Ground floor & basement, area - 1100 Sqm, location Seh Al Ahmer, 20 km to Rusayl.

Contact: 97714433 / 93437982

Flats for rent at Just RO 160/- 2 Bed room, hall, kitchen , 2 toilets, location Seh Al Ahmer, 20 KM to Rusayl, including AC & roof Garden.

Contact: 97714433 / 93437982

2 Bedrooms Flat for rent located in Prime location of Al Khuwair. Contact: 92197959 / 92502497.

Spacious 1BHK flat in Darsait & fully furnished 2 BHK flat in Shatti Al Qurum. Contact: 99369081

Villa for rent in South Mabellah, 3 bedrooms, sitting room, family Lounge, kitchen, three Toilets Contact 92212212 between 10 AM to 5 PM.

Villa for rent in Al Ghubrah, 5 rooms, hall. Contact: 91763665

Office 55SQ.Mtrs & 2B/R at Bausher directly from owner.

Contact: 92158031

1BHK Mumtaz R.O 225/-. #92144045 House in North Al Hail with 3 rooms, living room, hall, 4 toilets 300 RO. Contact 99738881 / 99439568 2 bed rooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality. Contact: 92584715 / 24700120 Plot at Barka next to Germany College & next to Aramex Company, next to Bahwan Warehouse, next to Omasco warehouse 37,074 SQM2 required 0.250 Baiza per SQM. Contact: 99888390 Shop for rent at Wadi Kabir Industrial area. Contact: 99888390 Flat for rent in Al Khoud, 2 rooms & hall. Contact: 917633665

Double bedroom flats available in Honda road, Ruwi and Mabellah.

Contact: 24833972/ 24833974 Mobile 99367448

1BHK Flats for rent, behind Sheraton hotel in Ruwi, rent R.O 250/per month. Contact: 96051941 Al Khuwair 17 a new room, toilet, kitchen, deluxe owner.

Contact: 99385553 2 BHK at Azaiba behind Bahwan half KM. Contact: 99224748 / 99332297

3 Bedroom well maintained flat (villa Type only 2 flats in villa) in Al Khuwair, behind Al Akhtam Restaurant villa No 1841, Way No 3922--- block no 239.

Contact: 99462980

For rent New flats at Darsait Al Sahail. Contact: 99777351

Flat for rent in Al Qurum, 3 rooms & hall.

Contact: 91763660

4 bedroom villa at Madinat Illam Office / 1 BHK Ruwi. #95915154

Flat for rent in Wadi Al Kabeer including 3 rooms with ACs. Contact: 99333639 Staff Complex villa (Al Khuwair 17) 10 rooms, 10 toilets, 7 kitchens.

Owner Contact: 99385553

House in Darsait 3 rooms, kitchen, 1 bathroom with A/C. Contact: 95522405

1BHK Ghubra R.O 275/-.

Contact: 92144045 3BHK Al Khuwair R.O 375/-.

Contact: 92144045 1BHK Mumtaz R.O 225/-.

Contact: 92144045

1BHK flat in Ruwi for family.

Contact- 92947251 1 BHK and 2BHK Flats available near Lulu Darsait (Main road, Opp. to Min. of Defense). Contact : 93202733 1BHK Darsait R.O 225/-.

Contact: 92144045 Room Al Khuwair R.O 110/-.

Contact: 97799175

Flat for rent : flat available at Hamriya & Wadi Kabir. Contact: 97380548 / 99680499 Flat for rent Al Hail North to the Wave Muscat ground floor with furniture the price RO 250/-.

Contact: 99353433 Flats in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688

New flats Wadi Al Kabir.

Contact: 92130703

Flat for rent 2 bedrooms in Ruwi Mumtaz area. Contact: 91409667 / 24291500

1 bedroom family / bachelors in Al Khuwair R.O 100/-.

Contact: 95154331

Ware house in Ghala for rent (400/ 800/ 1200/ 3300 SQM).

Contact: 91155779

Villa for rent in Al Khoud, 6 rooms, hall. Contact: 91763665

Hotel for investment.

Contact: 91155779

5 BHK Villa in Al Khuwair, for Staff Accommodation. Contact 99792181

2/3 BHK in Al Khuwair for rent.

Contact: 91155779

2 & 3 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair & Ghubra. Contact 99792181

Flats, shops & store for rent in MBD area Ruwi, Mumtaz area.

Contact: 97293708 / 92433127

Flat in Al Bustan in Muscat, 3 rooms, 3 bathrooms, family hall, kitchen, store, laundry with spilt unit air condition 350/- O.R. Contact : 98919037 3000 Sqr mtrs compound land in Misfah. Contact 99792181 Flat in Al Bustan in Muscat, 4 rooms, 3 bathrooms, family hall, kitchen with spilt unit air conditioner 400/- O.R. Contact: 96228232 / 92776303 1 B/R Fully Furnished Luxury Apartment @ Al Khuwair 33.

2 B/R Fully Furnished Luxury Apartment @ Al Khuwair 33. 4 B/R Unfurnished Apartment with attached Split A/C @ Azaiba. Contact: Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC : 99249069 / 94617563/ 99436312, Email: info@alshahiintl.com

Offices and Flats in Ghala.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35). Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Villa in Al Khoud consists of 6 bedrooms, 1 sitting & living room.

Contact: 91153933 1BHK at Hamriya near Muscat Pharmacy & 2 BHK at Mawaleh near Mosque Sadiq Al Amin.

Contact: 99224748 / 99332297 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

T H U R S DAY, M AY 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

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DAILY GUIDE

FOR SALE

FOR RENT 2BHK split A/C 200/- Monthly & 1BHK spilt A/C 150/- monthly new building good location Barka Market. contact 99342661 4 BHK Villa in Bowsher Heights.

Contact 99792181 1700 sqr mtrs open Land + small store + garage for Rent in Ruwi.

Contact 99792181 Shop for rent good location main road behind wholesale hyper market Amerat space 11 MT long, 4 MT Width. Contact: 92877449 Two bedrooms flat in Al Ghobrah near Oman Oil of 18 November Street. OMR 330 Monthly.

Contact 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955.

Flats in Darsait. Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Brand new villas in Al Ansab. Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Fully furnished offices in Ghala main Street. Contact: 94300909 Offices & Showrooms in Al Khood.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688 Flats In Qurum.

Contact 94051789 / 97201688 2BHK Big Size Flat Behind Bank Muscat, Wadi Kabir. Near ISWK. 97826454, 24815012.

2BHK split A/C for rent Muttrah near Oman House.

Contact: 97007934 / 92629232 1BHK Studio flat near Star Cinema RO 180/-. Contact: 99358589 / 97079146 / 95570288 Flat for Rent 2 bed room Near ISM muscat Indian Scoole Dar sate Tel : 00 968 95158570

FOR SALE

Flats in Ghobrah. Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Running Coffee Shop at Hamariya/Ruwi for sale with CR & Visa.

Contact : 92824153 / 99881187

Flats in Muttrah. Contact 94051789 / 97201688

Ladies fashion boutique for sale in Al Khuwair. Contact: 24702870

Warehouse at Wadikabir - total area 3500 sqm - covered warehouse (500sqm), office, accommodation (1000sqm), open area (2000sqm) please contact: 99273774 - 99202278

Commercial land in first line in Barka for sale. Contact: 91155779

Flat for rent 2 BHK 2 split A/C, 2 toilets, Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Masjid. Contact: 97007934 / 92629232 Furnished office (61M2) for sale / rent Al Khuwair near Zawawi Mosque. Contact: 95611569 1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100, 2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O 200/in AL Khuwair. Contact: 95154331 Flat in Al Khuwair opp grand mall 4 room 3 toilet + hall kitchen in 3 floor 400. Contact 99420346 Flat for rent in South AlGhubrah 3 rooms, hall and 3 toilets, kitchen rent 450/-. Contact: 99335580 Flat for rent in Al Khuwair 33.

Contact: 92277419 2 BHK flat at Ruwi Mumtaz area RO 320/-. Contact: 99358589 / 97079146 / 95570288 02 BHK residential flat opposite to Al Nahdha hospital.

Contact: 99342733 /99795241 Villa in Bousher consists of 5 rooms, 1 hall & living room.

Contact: 91153933 Villa in Al Ghubra consists of 5 bedrooms, 1 hall and living room.

Contact: 91153933 Room with 9 bathrooms in Bousher for rent. Contact: 91153933 Apartment in Al Khoudh consists of 2 room & hall.

Contact: 91153933 2 bed rooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715/ 24700120

Commercial /R land in Ghala (Industrial area) for sale.

Contact: 91155779

Room available for family / bachelor opposite to o.K. Center, Ruwi.

Gsm 942-888-63

Villa in Al Qurum / Azaiba/ Mawaleh for sale. Contact: 91155779

Room with attached bathroom for a family in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 97167857

Steel Scrap materials for immediate sale. Contact 99273774/ 99202278 Space for printing press available at wadikabir with or without machinery. Contact 99328430 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

Almost new beach/ garden lounge chairs /bar stools/ counter.

Photos can be sent 95865457

2 Shops for sale at prime location in Ghobra. Contact: 96381294 Bozlur Apartment for sale location Bowshar apartment 105m has one sitting room, kitchen, balcony, two rooms with cupboards & curtains & 3 toilets. Contact: 99822260 / 94400777 6 Villas of six bedrooms each under construction in one compound in Bausher near Muscat Private hospital. Prices range from 165 thousand to 179 thousand for each villa. Each villa has three floors and 369 sq mtrs build up area. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955 Building in Al Khuwair at prime location for sale. Contact: 91155779 Commercial /R land in Al Khuwair for sale. Contact: 91155779 Luxury Apartments in Boucher (35). Contact 95056808 / 97201688 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

Sharing accommodation near ISD. Contact: 99657340 1 BHK for rent, Ideal for small family or two bachelors, easy access to main road with AC near Sheraton hotel, CBD. Contact: 96444400 Room available for Executive bachelor at Al Hail.

Contact 96234708

ACC. AVAILABLE Sharing accommodation for Executive bachelor / family near Badr Sama Ruwi.

Contact: 99008436 Two bedrooms, flat available, just behind ISM. Contact: 99467374 Furnished single room available for Executive bachelor or small family in Walja near Honda road Ruwi. Contact: 99016546 Semi furnished big room with separate entrance attached bathroom near Indian School Al Ghubra for non cooking Indian Executive bachelor. Contact: 95146361 / 92657598 Big single room with AC, separate toilet, kitchen at Al Hail highway side preferred South Indians rent RO 90/-. Contact: 98593040 Semi furnished room for single bachelor at Muttrah R.O 85/-, WIFI & E/W. Contact: 92828615 Independent room in Qurum/Hail Contact: 95529970 Full Furnished room with attached bathroom near Star Cinema for ex. Bachelor/lady. Contact 92886715 / 99782133 Room furnished attached for Executives in Mumtaz area.

Contact: 99334770 Spacious semi furnished room with separate bathroom for executive bachelor Opp. O.C. Centre Ruwi Call : 90611670

Sunni Muslim (Urdu) girl B.E, MBA, 25 years HT 5.1” fair invites alliance from Tamil Nadu Bangluru / Mysore. Contact: 99502581

Room with attached bathroom for working ladies in a flat in M.B.D. Contact: 99764307

Room with attached bathroom and sharing kitchen available for Executive bachelor or small family at wadikabir Contact 93049849

Villa for sale in Mabela 6 rooms, living room & hall.

Contact: 91763665

MATRIMONIAL

Small old house for rent in Ghobra. Contact: 97165972

Ware house in W/K for Sale.

Contact: 91155779

Farm in Barka for sale.

Contact: 91155779

Dental clinic for immediate sale doctor going abroad. Contact: 92882209 / 96373097

Furnished apartment for rent, two rooms, majlis, hall, kitchen.

Near Carrefour al-mawalah.

Contact 99336776

Furnish bedroom with attach bathroom for executive bachelor.

Contact: 97704794

Single colorful Bed and Sofa for Sale at Al Khuwair. Contact 92881849 / What`s up No 97290565

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

1 BHK appartment for rent in Al Khoud Shabiya near mazoon mosque for rent (next to alkhoud medical center and squ) MOB: 93913224

Double Shutter 80 sq mtrs corner textile shop in Seeb Souq for sale.

Contact 99326339

Urgent sale of steel scrap only serious buyers kindly contact +968 96725423 for viewing the items.

Dental chairs for sale sparingly used dental units for sale.

Contact Mr. Ansari 92616343.

Kumar 99570284

ACC. AVAILABLE

Sharing Accommodation available for working ladies opposite Al Nadhah Hospital. Preferably Indians. Room with seperate toilet and sharing kitchen.RO.90.

Contact 96524717 Furnished room attached bath for Indian bachelor, Al-Falaj Ruwi & lady Wadi Kabir near Mars hypermarket. CONTACT 96202458/96761960 Room available in Mumtaz area 1 room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room, common bathroom. Interested pleasecontact 92680041 Mr. Altaf

MV SALE Mitsubishi Pajero model 2006, full option, 6 cylinders, 3800 CC in a very good condition . Contact: 99376567 Prado 2007, manual 4-cylinder.

Contact: 99454425 Car for sale Mitsubishi Lancer, 2008 model, 1.3 CC. Contact: 92815138

BUYING Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299 Used office house furniture & electronic items.

Contact: 99834373 / 96642500 Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

Indian male Roman Catholic 40yrs divorcee working in Muscat.

Seeks suitable alliance from widow/ divorcee/ single.

Contact 96059801.

Sunni Muslim family seeks proposal for their 24 year old daughter from well settled Urdu speaking Indian family. Pls call on 93521249 / 99374371

INVESTOR PARTNER REQUIRED For a successfully Catering Restaurant Investor cum Partner is required.

Investor with fixed returns also welcome.

Please contact – 95213273

Email: muscatcoffeeshop@gmail.com

ONE STOP SHOP BUSINESS SERVICES Public Relation Service (PRO) Document Clearance, Business setup, Formation new Companies, LLC Companies, Investor Visa, Legal Services.

Contact Saleh:

Parent of Thrissur based Hindu Ezhava girl aged 20, Slim,Atham star, Studying for B. Pharm seeking alliance from well employed Graduates, preferably in Engineering Contact :96425102 Malankara Catholic Male Nurse (28) from Thiruvalla working in Nizwa Private Co. Alliance invites parents/nurses working in Oman.

Contact 968 98267338, 0091 9287215726

LOST Ahyan Zaki Shinoj has lost Indian Passport No. L 6951587. Finder please handover to ROP MD Moosa Hossain Ahamed has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. Y 1592020. Finder please handover to ROP.

CHANGE OF NAME

96723485 WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman Required partner investor to build an apartment in Al Mobelah.

Contact: 99355330 Want to market a product.

Contact: 92162623 IT Consultancy division available interested person to handle the above division can Contact: 92162623 Coffee shop for sale 7 visa available at Al Khuwair. Contact: 98826793

WANTED IELTS Coaching (academic) required nearby wadi Kabir area.

Please call on mobile or msg on Whats up. Mobile no: 92927880/ 99012165

I Mr. Saud Ghori (holder of Indian passport No. L 0075816) son of Mohamad Yakoob having permanent residence in 2 A Silver Oak, 60B Chimbai Lane, Bandra West, Mumbai, 400050 (complete postal address in India) and presently residing in Ruwi, Muscat Oman P.O Box 1386 (complete postal address in Oman) intend to marry Ms Abidah P Jameel (holder or British passport bearing No. 307289673) d/o Mohammed Jameel at Embassy of India, Muscat. I swear that I am marrying her at my own free will and not under any duress and intimidation. Any objection towards this marriage may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P.Box No. 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman within 30 (thirty) days of publication of this news paper advertisement. *Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

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T H U R S D AY, M AY 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 WANTED

SALES EXECUTIVES

Urgently required

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

A leading Travel Agency in Oman requires the following staff for immediate employment.

(Dubai, Saudi, Qatar & Oman)

an Accountant

Accounts Assistant

Sales Executive

Reservation Assistant With valid Omani driving license and 2-4 years experience in IATA Accredited Travel Agency.

A Prominent Building Materials Trading Company requires Sales Executives for various GCC locations.

Graduates with minimum 3 year experience in Sales may sent their resume to

With minimum 3-5 years Oman / GCC experience for a reputed Trading & Contracting Co. located in Azaiba.

Candidate must have Oman D/L & NOC.

Part Time Accounting, Audit Preparation, Internal Audit, Monthly Reports, Accounting set up for new companies, Project Report for Bank Loan purposes. GSM : 96975454, email: ibfc.gcc@gmail.com

Send your CV: info@styletrading.net Fax: 244 95 411

Indian male good experience in accounts, Admin & ERP, Tally 9 NOC available looking for suitable job.

Contact: 94834687

Send CV at Email : hojobs2016@gmail.com

cv4gcc@gmail.com

HOTEL MANAGER A new modern 3 star hotel located in a prime location at Bawshar – Muscat is looking for a Hotel Manager. The Candidate should be a holder of degree or an equivalent qualification in Hotel Management and should have at least 5 years’ experience at the Hotel industry with 2 years at least as Hotel manager.

Interested Candidates can e-mail CV’s to Qaisbahwan@yahoo.com

BEAUTICIAN Require experienced Beautician for parlor, visa available.

Contact: 92285241 Require Employee for Saloon in Al Amerat, should have experience.

Contact: 90600688

DOMESTIC HELPER Required Office Boy. Contact : 91120552 House maid for small Omani family.

Contact: 92158031 Required house maid part time in Azaiba for Keralite family.

Contact : 96758982 A full time living Housemaid required for an Indian family in Ghobrah. Contact: 97335255

DRIVER Driver required for a leading Courier company. Send CV to info@atsglobex.com Contact: 00968-97461515 Salary: Negotiable.

Required Omani Driver for a restaurant. Contact 95929911 Wanted a experience Driver for Capital and Interior work.

Gsm : 942-888-63

Wanted driver. Contact: 97165972

DESIGNER Urgently required Designer minimum 5 years experience with different design concept and any related jobs Contact: 93218176 / Email: joboman88@gmail.com

EDUCATION/TRAINING Teachers required Math, Science & English with B.Sc, B.Ed & B.A, B. Ed for Omani Private School in North Al Hail. Contact: 95141554 / 95825772

ENGINEER/MECHANIC. Wanted Marine Engineer for yacht in Muscat.

Contact: Whatsapp 95887572 Email: alibadawy@gmail.com Indian Civil Diploma / ITI /Experienced person with DL for a small construction and maintenance company in Muscat to work as partner. Investment not required.

Contact 99039756.

Civil Engineer, Masons, Helpers, Shuttering, Carpenters, Steel fixers with 5 yrs experience in Oman.

Contact: 97491117

IT Required Shop Sales man + Hardware Technician for IT Company with minimum 2 years experience.

Contact: 98825806 / 98825806, Email: info@rns-group.com

MEDICAL Require a qualified Nurse to take care of an elderly female.

Contact: 99425200

Urgently required Pharmacist & MOH licensed female Dentist for a reputed polyclinic. Send CV : manageribnalhaitham@yahoo.com or call 96721709.

Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact: 95081010 Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com 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

MISCELLANEOUS Wanted Steward / Deckhand for Yacht in Muscat, Housekeeping & Guest service duties. Contact: Whatsapp 95887572 Email: alibadawy@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

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Female Executive Secretary for MD Indian / Philippine Minimum 5years experience in HR and other administration work. Immediate appointment & attractive package.

Send your CV with passport size photo to E-mail: dsjob913@gmail.com

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Urgently required Offset Printer (5 years experience in the same and well versed in any related jobs. Contact: 93218176 / Email: joboman88@gmail.com Required Indian Mason – 5 nos., eligibility (minimum 5 yrs experience in road construction field).

Contact: 99882127 Email: georgymv@yahoo.com

SALES / MARKETING 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

Indian Accountant with 15 yrs experience / driving license 8 yrs in Oman local release available.

Contact: 93477447 Email: s4svpai@gmail.com

B.Com Graduate 10 years experience in Oman accounts & auditing.

NOC available. Contact: 95716128 mail: jaigomesh.ganesh@gmail.com

Wanted G.P Doctor, Pharmacist, Lab Technician and Staff Nurse for a running medical clinic near Sohar area. Contact 95272672

Required Office Assistant with driving license present in Oman, Electrical B.Tech with 5 years of Oman experience & D/L electrical with ITI Industrial & MEDC license.

Contact: 99454425

Indian male 32 Chartered Accountant having 2 years Oman experience looking for suitable placement in finance & Audit fields.

Contact: 96357827 Email: ubaiskeeran@gmail.com

Indian CA, male 34yrs and 14+ Yrs exp. in A/Cs, finance, auditing, consultancy and knows SAPB1,Tally ERP etc. , Oman D/L .Currently in Oman. NOC available.

Please contact: 94704800, Email: omanjobca@gmail.com.

MEDICAL

Care Medical Centre Al Seeb requires Gynecologist and General Practitioner.

Mail CV to:sarita_h23@yahoo.com

Senior Accountant 5 years experience NOC available up to finalization valid D/L. Contact: 96339599 Email: ahmedmohdkhan@gmail.com

Accountant available with NOC, plus 10 years experience up to finalization of Accounting, Inventory Control on Tally ERP9, ready to join immediately. Contact: 97667273 Email: babujashid@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Wanted experienced outdoor Salesman with computer knowledge in designing with valued Oman driving license or any other GCC valid license holders for a screen printing & Advertising firm.

Contact: 00968 94548749 Email: arscreens04@gmail.com Urgently required Printing & Stationary Salesman (minimum 3 years experience in field.

Contact: 93218176 / Email: joboman88@gmail.com Require Freshers & experienced Receptionists, insurance underwriters & marketing executives with fluency in English (Omani & expatriates) apply to insure@dotintl.com Sales person with 10 years experience in logistics sales. Attractive salary and incentive scheme.

Required for the fastest growing logistics company in Oman.

Will be required to recruit and develop a sales team.

Email: telljobs@gmail.com Required fresh Graduate in Sales / marketing with valid D/L. Send CV on Email : citycom213@gmail.com

Required smart, young, dynamic Sales & Marketing Executive having 2-3 years sales experience for a reputed manufacturing company in Oman, Experience in building materials is an added advantage. Omani Driving License and NOC is a must. Attractive remuneration package.

Apply with photograph to E-mail: salesjobds@gmail.com Required smart, young, dynamic Sales & Marketing Executive having 2-3 years sales experience for a reputed manufacturing company in Oman, having its Head Office in Ruwi. Experience in building materials is an added advantage. Omani Driving License and NOC is a must.

Attractive remuneration package.

Apply with photograph to E-mail: salesjobds@gmail.com Required female person to work at the retail shop/Marketing.

Please send your CV on e mail: Zeyanaalharmaly@yahoo.com Experienced Sales and Marketing Executive required for Indian restaurant, valid driving license preferred. Email CV to deepak@jashnoman.com

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Fresher 24, ACCA Affiliate, Advanced diploma in Accounting and Business seeking suitable placement in Accounts, Finance or Audit with Oman driving license.

Contact - 92430152 Email - raju.rd619@gmail.com Accounts part time services, available to handle all accounts up to finalization on monthly basis.

Finalization and audit works.

Contact: 96247295 Young Indian male ACCA finalist with B.Sc (Hons) in applied Accounting with 3 years experience & holding valid Omani driving license seeks immediate placement, NOC available.

Contact: 92851056 Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman.

Ready to join immediately.

Contact 98263394 ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in finance.

Contact: 99284193 28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement.

Contact 90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

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 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 Accountant 8Years Experience with D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084 Indian, Kerala Male B.COM & B.PE, Currently on Visit Visa.

Looking for a suitable job in Accounts, Store Keeper, Sales etc.

Ready to join as early as possible.

Contact: 96988923 email:- sajith3969@gmail.com Senior Accountant Indian male 10 years experience (8 yrs in Oman) with D/L & NOC, Accounts upto finalization.

Contact: 99582979 / 97373853 Accountant Assistant BBA, exp, Tally have 2 yr valid VISA PH : 98269281

Chief Accountant well experienced with reputed group available for immediate joining.

Contact : 98803439 / 97413784.

MBA female looking for job in accounting or in marketing or Administration department having 1 year experience have knowledge of Tally ERP9, MS Word.

Contact: 95910427 Email: ritashivprasad111@gmail.com Indian female with B.Com & CA Inter having overall 12 years experience in accounting / finance field, now on visit visa. # 90651102 Part Time Accountant, up to finalization of accounts, looking for job after 5 PM (location prefer MSQ to Al Hail). Contact: 90935099 American Certified Manager (6 sigma, CPPM) with MBA, PMP trained having 10 years, UAE cross functional experience in procurement, projects management, supply chain, facilities & Administration with UAE D/L seeking suitable placement. Contact: 90772927 Email: callshebin@gmail.com MBA & BBA (Hons) finance & having three years experience in accounts & seeking suitable job on visit visa, immediately joining. All documents are attested and verified from Oman.

Contact: 00968 94044125 Indian male 43 yrs, M.Com – Finance with 5 yrs experience in Accounts in India, presently in visiting visa looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 93671785 Email: jeyan903@gmail.com Senior Accounts Executive, B.Com, 05 years experience in India, seeking urgent job in Oman.

Contact 919900077458, +968-98444359, Email:syedtou23@gmail.com.

Indian (Male) having 17+years Experience in Trading & Healthcare seeking senior Position in Accounts (11 years GCC Experience ) currently on Resident Visa (NOC Available ) and has a valid Omani Driving Licence. Contact: 91335026; skumartp@gmail.com Indian male 26 years MBA experience in Accountant & Administration in a MNC company currently on visit visa ready to join.

Contact: +968 92194987 email: achal1989@hotmail.com Indian male age 26, Accountant one year experience in accounts looking for suitable job. Contact Email: Anishkhan991867@gmail.Com Mobile: +968 9565 9415 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. Contact 93953613, Email-allen.mathew83@gmail.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

ADMIN With 15 years of Gulf experience in HR / Admin / logistics looking for suitable position. Fluent in Arabic / English with D/L. Contact: 95824598 Tamil Nadu female BE, (ECE) MBA (HR) 25 years, 6 months experience business consult (HR) currently under family visa looking for suitable position. Contact: 99502581 Indian female 27 yrs MBA HR with 3.6 yrs exp in HR / Marketing / Customer relation currently in Muscat on visit visa.

Contact: 97205038 Email: chandpriya89@gmail.com 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 Indian female BE (EC) with 2 years HR /IT/ Admin experience looking suitable placement now in visit visa.

Contact: 93263169 Receptionist (BSC Hotel Management) Indian male 26 years experience in Taj, Ramada, Crowne Plaza looking for position, now in Oman (Salalah) on visit visa.

Contact: 99780896 Indian, 20 years experience in Oman as Personal Assistant / Office Manager / Executive Secretary / Senior Administrator / Business Development Asst. seeks job change. Release available.

Contact 99168054.

Dynamic Indian male with 5 years Oman & Indian experience in Administration, purchase, marketing with valid Oman driving license seeks placement, also a certified SAP SD. Contact: 93846053 Filipino HRD especialist / material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817

Sudanese accountant holding BSC, CIB 8 Post Graduate Diploma in financial management with Banking experience in projects finance. Contact: 99061339

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

ARCHITECT

CATERING

ARCHITECT, Indian Female with 4 years experience in Oman, well versed in related softwares, seeks suitable placement. Contact email: samarch0409@gmail.com GSM 96207476 Indian female diploma architect 6 years exp in Oman Engineering consultancy, valid Oman driving license. #96683293 / 97750870

Indian female 25 years MSc food, nutrition and dietetics looking for suitable job as dietitian or food quality Controller or Nutritionalist. Contact: 98924131 / 96737147 Email: swathysatheesh7@gmail.com Filipino Cabin steward / Linen vallet is looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: +968 91065438 or email: blonglive@gmail.com

ADMIN DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN Indian female MBA (HR) 4 yrs exp in HR & Admin in India & Oman looking suitable placement.

Contact: 95619537

Revit, Autocad D/man, expected salary 200 OMR PH :92279784

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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

Indian male MBA Finance & Marketing 25 yrs having 1.9 years of experience Finance & Marketing Contact: 95206140/ 96992013

Indian male, Diploma Engineer with BBA & 16 yrs experience in Oman, worked with MNC in retail (Telecom/ Lubricant sales) and with construction industry handling various products & subcontract projects.

Holding valid Oman D/L, NOC available.

97728418

bonnythomas007@gmail.com

Email:

Contact 96960991, Email : sunap1968@gmail.com

Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman. Please Contact: 96489798, (+974) 66653780.

DRIVER License light heavy duty, PDO license experience 8 years mechanical experience vehicle.

Contact: 92091528 Driver looking for job, 3 years experience. Contact: 97468646 Light driver / Salesman fluent in English, Arabic well knowledge of Muscat Areas. Contact: 97950869 Bangladeshi driver looking for job.

Contact: 97418036 Bangladeshi want job with own car. Contact : 93822195 Experience driver looking for job.

Contact: 95113612 Looking for a full time driver with valid Omani license.

Contact: 95454033 Light driver available.

Contact: 95501608 Light driver available.

Contact: 91362475 Looking for weekly light driving job, experience 5 years.

Contact: 92640278 Light driver. Contact: 99775728 Looking for driving job experience 5 years, Pakistani.

Contact: 96046242 / 93804176 Light vehicle driver. Contact: 95891087 Light driver with 6 years experience looking for job.

Contact: 92617293 Light duty driver 2 yrs exp.

Contact: 96393805 Driver with car. Contact: 93346085

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Civil Engineer, B.Tech, 6 yrs experience with Omani driving license, local release available.

Contact: 91693008 B.E Mechanical Engineer, age 24 with almost 1 year experience as Production Shift Engineer, has achieved training on HVAC Engineering design and has good hands on software like AutoCAD and HAP.Currently in Oman on a visit visa, looking for a suitable placement.Contact: 95065955 email: mjs.jazeb@gmail.com Project Manager Electrical with 6 years experience with EHV & MV substation projects. NOC available.

Contact 91398559 Indian female on family visa having M. Ttech degree in Biotech seeking suitable placement in any field. Contact: 91287047 Computer Hardware Technician, experienced Indian Male on visit visa seeking for suitable placement as hardware technician and Store Incharge. Contact: 95711667 Civil Engineer, young Indian having almost 2 years experience looking for a challenging position seeks suitable position in Oman/ GCC. Please contact 92718490, Email ID: uvais.pk82@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 Diploma Civil 5 years experience in Oman with D/L & NOC. Contact: 93772030 Indian worked as Electrical & Instrumentation Maintenance Engineer with Global Gypsum Board Co. LLC, Salalah (3 yrs) having valid Oman driving license, looking for a new job urgently.

Contact 93363104 Electrical Engineer with 8 Years Experience, looking for Job, having driving License and NOC. Ph#91293519 Email:nomee987@gmail.com Diploma in Civil Engineer 3 years experience (Surveyor) 1 year experience building work looking for job. Contact: 94857668 Email: mudassarsh93@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech & M.Sc, 3 yrs experience in Oman having Driving License.

Contact: 91162085 Mechanical Engineer with 2 years experience in Quality Control / Mechanical Engineer has achieved certification in NDT level 2, currently in Oman looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 95632276, Email: jassin.sudhakaran@gmail.com Electrical Engineer with 16 years experience in switchgear / transformer / over head lines & trading, looking for sales / procurement & project planning & Execution with NOC & D/L. Contact: 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 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 23 years Electronics and Communication Engineer B.Tech & Technical Diploma looking for suitable position. Contact: 94804100, sulthank@live.com Mechanical Engineer 28 years, 3 yrs experience, 1 year in Oman with NOC looking for suitable placement. Contact 94887665 Email: mechatron_mt@yahoo.com B.E Mechanical Engineer, age 33 with 6+ years experience in GCC in MEP building construction field (execution and design of HVAC,firefighting,plumbing), with D/L, NOC available 96978380;prajithks@gmail.com Civil & MEP Sub contractor we are doing all types of civil electrical & plumbing works. Contact: 98040451 /94109760 Auto CAD Drawings & program chart we are doing all types of civil, electrical, plumbing shop drawings & program chart for approval. Contact: 98040451/ 94109760 Civil Engineer B.Tech 2 years experience on visit seeks immediate placement. Contact: 98233199 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

Pakistani male Diploma Civil Engineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling & mega projects, valid license Oman.Contact:98921022

Construction Machinery repairs Engineer, 5 years, driving license, Contact - 94001961

Civil Engineer (Indian male) 5 years experience in Oman with valid Omani driving license & NOC looking for suitable opportunity.

Contact: 93101283

B.Sc Civil Engineer, MBA experience 5 years (15 months in Oman) English & Arabic, driving license looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 94162443

Diploma in Civil Engineer (11 years Gulf experience +7 years India experience) Building structure & finishing work NOC available. Contact: 90458201 Email: siva6467@yahoo.com

Indian male BE Mechanical with 11 years experience in Automotive engineering and Industrial maintenance in Oman. With valid driving license seeks suitable job.

On release in Oman. 92880593

Electrical Engineer Indian male 30 years having 5 years of experience in industrial automation & utility maintenance in India, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 92789995 mail: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

Indian 24 yrs exp SR civil Engg with NOC, searching suitable job, in any project Supervision.

Contact: 96602718 mishteyaqh@yahoo.co.in

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) Indian male with 1 year experience looking for job, qualification in QA- QC, HVAC & piping engineering. Contact: 90510800 Email: muhammedjaseem07@gmail.com Diploma Civil Engineer (8 years Exp.) with driving license.

Contact 92429006, francisprem123@gmail.com

B.Tech Mechanical Engineer having 8 years exp having Oman driving license seeking suitable placement. Contact: 97841963

Worked as Electrical & Instrumentation Maintenance Engineer with Global Gypsum Board Co. LLC, Salalah (3 years) having valid Oman driving license looking for a new job urgently. Contact: 93363104

Civil Engineer fresh Graduate with Omani driving license looking job in any company. Contact: 91745797 / 99190898 Email: alio_abdo@hotmail.com

Indian male, Instrumentation Engineer with M.Tech in Chemical process control seeking for suitable job position, presently in Oman for visit. Contact: 98352288

Sudanese Civil Engineer 6 years experience in Oman. # 95212902 Electrical & Electronics Engineer 1 year experience currently on visit visa, available immediately.

Contact: 90654844 / 90491353 Email: feyizmohamed@gmail.com Electrical & Electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit.

PH: 93837973 Telecommunication Engineer resident in the Sultanate, Sudanese Nationality. Contact : 95000024 Automobile Mechanic ITI 3 years experience marine mechanical fitter 2 yrs experience.

Contact: 93674847 Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 Ph : 92279784

An experienced Chartered Accountant With over 25 years in varied industries, presently working with a reputed group in Muscat, looking out for a suitable change.

Contact - 96491030

Electronics and Communication

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN 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.

Sr. Sales & Marketing Specialist

MANAGER, CIPD HR With 13 years experience in GCC and Oman. Competent in Sales, Marketing, Business operation and administration.

Interested employer please call

SALES / MARKETING

ENGINEER Young Indian, Engineering in Bio-technology, Bio-chemical and Chemical, looking for a challenging placement in Oman.

Contact 97607000. Email: sivasankarjayakumar@gmail.com 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 Indian 14 yrs exp SR MEP – Elect Engg with NOC, searching suitable job, in field PMC, Fire consultants , Testing & com, project supervision.

Contact: 92437865 Email: maimran.mtech@live.com 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

EDUCATION/TRAINING Indian female Mathematics Lecturer. M Sc Mathematics from a Prestigious University. B.Ed qualified, distinction holder.

7 Yrs experience with last 5 years as Assistant Professor Mathematics in Engineering College.

Contact: 91360147.

Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement. Contact : 99739415 / 92091528

IT

With 2 years exp in Telecom sector, currently on visit visa, looking for suitable placement.

Contact : 93919943 agneljerin@yahoo.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian Female, 25 Years - MSc Biotechnology, 1yr exp. in Microbiology, Looking for suitable job.

Mobile: 92619048, Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com Cricket : 23 years, fast bowler (LAF) Played OCC premier league, U-19, Faisalabad region, Patron trophy seeks suitable placement. Qualification : Intermediate experience in Stores. NOC in hand.

Contact: M: 91241615 Pak : 03416102803 Indian male 28 years with D/L with NOC seeks suitable placement. Contact: 93083279 Procurement Coordinator Indian male 30 yrs B.Com (Computers) 4 years experience in Saudi Arabia Construction Company looking for any suitable position on visit visa till 18 June 2016.

Contact: 0968 98590811 Email: ibrahimhashmi220@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 lacements. NOC available. # 92066 523

MEDICAL

Filipino I.T. with 5 years experience looking for suitable job in Oman.

Contact: +968 91183514 or email delarama_ryan_t@yahoo.c om

D- Pharm Pharmacist 17 years experience Ayurvedic Panchakarma Masseur’s 3 years experience.

Contact: 93672452

IT Solution Architect,Indian female post graduate with 12 years of IT experience. Looking for position of IT Solution Architect/Consultant/Project Manager, Valid driving license. Contact 96563962

Indian female Dentist specialized Endodontist looking for suitable placement, prometric completed.

Contact: 96410448

Indian male 3 years experience in IT as Linux Administrator& 1 year experience in Amazon EC2 Cloud at Wipro Technologies Bangalore seeking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 92889678 Email: amalpathikal@gmail.com Indian Male, MCA Graduate, 15 yrs exp in ERP, CSM Certified, seeking suitable role.NOC Available.

Contact : GSM : 90189284 Email: meetlibran@gmail.com Indian male B.Tech Electronics communication, MCSA, Java on visit visa seeking placement in IT / Network / Server Support / Retail sales. Contact: 91736346 Email: sajilsadanandan@gmail.com Software Developer having two years of experience in PHP Web development & Microsoft CRM & adx Portal experience looking for a developer position in reputed Software house or IT Dept bilal.

Contact: 95596711 / 92762313 IT Support Engineer, Exp 3 years in Oman 2 years in India.

Contact: 94672759 System IT Engineer with Linux & UNIX System Administration skills transferable visa.

Contact: 99109332 Omani 26(m) seeks placement 6 yrs experience IT specialist.

Contact: 99025044 Indian female M.Sc Computer Science seeking suitable placement in Muscat area.

Contact: 98660672 Indian female M.Sc Biotechnology, 3 years experience seeking for suitable position, part / full flexible for research, teaching business development IT hospitals.

Contact: 94710931 Email: skystars.hm@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants).

Contact: 92475206 Email: zahaibzafar007@gmail.com

MANAGER Purchase Head Indian 20 years experience in MNC Civil, MEP, FIRE, Oil& Gas, PDO Omani driving license NOC available.

Contact: 93737496 Young Dynamic MBA Post-Grad with 2 yrs exp as Procurement officer at Muscat & 3 yrs exp & Marketing-Interior construction in India with NOC and Driving License. No# 98238260

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment.

Call: 95244761 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

SKILLED LABOR STP operator 20 yrs experience.

Contact: 93550661 Email: feroz1391@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Indian Male, 26 M.Com with 4 yrs of Experience in Accounting & Administration in a Financial Company in India, seeks suitable job, Currently in India.

Contact: India:-+918907212253 Akhil:-93626288, Email: Sumeshpsmkr1989@gmail.com Indian male Graduate with 18 years of Marketing experience presently in Oman on family visit visa, looking for best opportunity.

Contact: 96168687 Email: dhibupaul@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

Digital Marketer: MCA, 2.6 yrs. Exp: SEM/SMM/PPC/SEO/SMO looking for suitable positions. Contact, Email: abeyve@gmail.com.

Contact 93594114 Indian male, 5 years building material sales experience in Oman Seeking for placement.

Contact 90655903 Pakistani male MBA 6 years experience, electrical & building material in Oman seeking for placement.

Contact : 968 96789513 Indian male 24 years B.com 2 years of experience in Sales & Office Admin knowledge of Tally ERP 9 & MS Office. Contact: 98613373 / 97359814, Email: syedismailnoor@gmail.com Indian Male, MBA marketing 5 yrs exp. in sales & 4 yrs in FMCG sector, looking for best opportunity.

NOC available. Contact: 96001877 Marketing, BBA, Dip in Logistics Mgmt, on 2 yrs free visa.

Contact : 98269281 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

MISCELLANEOUS Indian male with 5 year Oman Sales Experience with valid Oman D/L, looking for suitable position. Mobile:97221624, Email:saileshpkhanna@gmail.com Indian male 33 years, B.Com, having 6 years experience in Oman.

Tally & ERP looking for suitable placement. Mobile no :98492921 B.E. (Mechanical) 12years industrial sales one year Muscat experience, Presently in India, Immediately ready to join.

Contact :917338899372 , email id : ganesh2008sep@gmail.com Male, Indian, 25, 5 years experience in Dubai; looking for permanent placement in Oman for jobs related to sales, coordination and marketing. Contact: +971563664701 syed97681@gmail.com Male, 23, with experience in UAE & India, looking for job in sales / marketing. Contact: 94032041 Sr. Accountant, WITH Oman D/L & 8.5 yrs exp, 7.5 yrs Oman & 1 yr India in manufacturing, trading & contracting Cos, independently handling all accounting, finance, banking, L/C, import, export & finalization seeks placement, srjob12@gmail.com Procurement/Tender & Contract Procurement /logistics & freight Specialist /Oil Field / petrochemical/Engineer /MBA /SAP certify / 15yrs Rich Experience/ Import &export Specialist / Oil Field experience/ coordinator / World Wide supplier network /Noc available Looking for challenging Position Contact: 97813849, Email Id:vved76@gmail.com Male, 23, with experience in UAE & India, looking for job in sales / marketing. Contact: 94032041 Indian Male Accountant. Completed MBA with 1 year experience, good working knowledge in Tally & Excel. Searching for suitable job. Email : jovin8910@gmail. com, Contact : 919715874548 , 918015907437 Indian male electrician(EEE ).

Two years good working experience searching for suitable job.

Gmail antonyajin15@gmail. com, : Contact; 918148336160 / 918300136160 Electrical & Electronics diploma Engineer Indian male 23 years, 2 years experience in Electrical field/good experience in Electronics MCU projects currently in visit visa please do not hesitate to Contact; 93047707 Email: adilm89@gmail.com

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T H U R S D AY, M AY 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 WANTED MISCELLANEOUS Indian male 30 yrs, holding valid driving license, having 5 years of experience in sales, looking for suitable position.

Contact # 90552942/94355626 Indian male Diploma in Electronics, having 3 years of experience in the hardware and networking field, also worked in construction company Mabela for 6 months as supervisor, trying to get driving license. Contact: - +96897017866.

Mechanical Engineer, Indian, Male,5 years experience in GCC & India, looking for permanent placement in Oman. NOC Release Available. Contact: 00968-95140445; noorullahanas@gmail.com Indian female (27 yrs) MBA(IT), BCA,CCNA.2year experience in IT operations in Oman. Graduated from Oman with good analytical, communicating & programming skills, presented in international conference, seeking suitable positions.contact:93672143.e-mail id:fathima.shoukath@gmail.com

Indian Female seeking a job in Back Office and Accountancy, 8+ years proven experience as a dynamic candidate with excellent Excel & Communication skills.

Quick learner and Team player.

Currently on Family Visa.

Contact 94093154, 91746890, Email: joyjohn_hhh@yahoo.com

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 D/L, languages known English ,Arabic, Hindi. can join immediately. Tel: 96339599, mail-ahmedmohdkhan@gmail.com

Sri Lankan Male, 31 years. 6 years experience as an Accounts Executive, (Languages can speak Urdu/ Arabic, English written & spoken) .

Contacts: 99782930/ lalindra1st@yahoo.com

Petrochemicals Specialist, Chemical, MBA 18 YEARS EXPERIENC IN OIL FIELDS COM, RAW MATERIAL , polymer, SPACIALISED IN Procurement /COMMECIAL/ PURCHASE / LOGISTICS / SCM/Planning & sound knowledge of technical requirement for any manufacture plant Forecasting, Distribution, Vendors Development, LC opening/ establishment coordination with NOC available.

Contact:97813849

HSE Engineer, Indian male, 5.5 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 Sri Lankan Male, 31 years. 6 years experience as an Accounts Executive, (Languages can speak Urdu/ Arabic, English written & spoken).

Contact 99782930/ lalindra1st@yahoo.com

Part- Time Accountant, well experienced senior accountant ,capable of doing all type of accounting works up to finalization, Budgeting, Bank financing requirements, taxation work etc available. # : 98803439

Indian male with 10+ years of working experience (security solutions, event management) on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact – 97945269, hkkrishna@gmail.com

BS in Electrical engineering, experience : 6 years in electrical installation and maintenance Contact : 99817032, Email : engmmg24@yahoo.com

Indian male Network Cabling Technician (19-years gulf experience) seeking for suitable placement. mobile no: 0091-8089909265 (India), email: mohithavp@gmail.com

Business Management Graduate with 12 years of experience in Oman, Worked with catering, medical, IT groups seeks suitable placement in Finance/purchase/ insurance sector, NOC Available.

Email, saima.gangawali@gmail. com, Mob 94258301

Indian Male, 24 yrs, looking for any type of job, qualification is Diploma in Electronics with 3 years of experience in the hardware an networking field an also worked in construction company Mabelah for 6 months as supervisor, having valid D/L. Contact : - +96897017866.

33 year old Filipina with experience in Tele performance, Manila call centre, now working as Waitress in Qatar seeking suitable post.

Local contact 99022484 Highly experienced mechanical/ steel structural fabrication engineer looking for suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact 99860714, hussain20173@gmail.com.

Indian Male 28 years, Mechanical Engineer (Diploma) with 2 years’ exp., Automobile ITI NCVT, CSWIP-BGAS Painting QC Grade-2, NDT Level-2, ISO Lead Auditor QA (IRCA), Piping QC & Isometric Drawings, WPS & WPQR, available on Visit Visa, seeks suitable job.

Contact: 90653733, libinthomaslt@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SITUATION WANTED EDUCATION/CLASSES/COMP./WEB.

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Office boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020

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

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steambath, obesity, Spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Azaiba.

Contact: 99639695 / 97397320

Split unit & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance.

Contact: 96236476

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

Split & window A/c servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

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

Split unit & widow unit A.C servicing & maintenance.

Contact: 95323517 / 93769089

A/C Maintenance & Servicing, Fridge, Washing machine & Dish washer repairing, Painting & Cleaning services, Electrical & plumbing.

Contact 99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281

House shifting. Contact 99708138

Regular container transportation from Sohar sport to anywhere in Muscat area OMR 100 per container. Contact: 93731363 Marble crystallization & grinding, Ocean center LLC Contact: 99344723 A/C servicing maintenance.

Contact: 92279370 Pest control treatments, Ocean center LLC Contact 99344723

CAD drawings Archi/ MEP CAD – comply BIM. Contact: 91233975 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting,Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. Contact: 24810137, 99450130 Marble crystallization & grinding, cleaning & carpet shampooing.

Ocean center LLC. Contact 99344723 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807 Cleaning services, Sofa, carpet, shampoo old house or new house.

Contact: 92179395 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/ 24788722 Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 /94285064 House Shifting Packing.

Contact: 99657644 / 98518013

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

FOR LADIES Home service available, (Threading, facial, waxing, Head massage) R0. 20. # 99619409 (watsup)

SITUATION WANTCLASSES Karate and self defense classes at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per month twice a week Monday and Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM. Contact: 98294551

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

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

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DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

TOURS

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

DRIVING TRANSPORTATION

RENT A CAR

Transport. Contact: 96538078 Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909 Transportation. Contact:94510847 Transportation. Contact 9508282

MANPOWER

Transportation. Contact 92015894 Transportation required from Qurum to WadiKabir at afternoon only 1 PM. Contact - 99012165

NRI 910 sq ft furnished flat at Qupem Goa. Contact: 97094797

SIT.WANTED 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, 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

Two properties at Bangalore for sale (1) 3 BHK Senior living apartment with full fledged facilities & services in Ozone Urbana Serene project for the cost price of Irene project. Handover by August 2016.

(2) 4 B/R villa (BUA 3600sq.ft, 4 floors, 3 Livings, 5 bathrooms, maid’s room & car park) for sale at JP Nagar. Contact Mrs. Mangala Ph: 97903127, Email: ravichandran.mangala@gmail.com Plot for sale in Mundur & Palakkal Trichur District.

Contact: 00968 92376297

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP specification for monthly rent & small car with driver. Contact 99839898

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

RENT A CAR Best Rates for Saloon Contact: 97869042 / 95730550 sales@modernreem.com

D8

T H U R S D AY, M AY 2 6, 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED DINING DELIGHTS

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