Times of Oman - November 26, 2015 by Muscat Media Group

44 234

6 085010 120010 FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

On the occasion of the 27th National Day

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ The road before us is long and difficult. No one can travel it except those who work hard and patiently, those who can face up to the challenges with a strong spirit of determination and right thinking.

THURSDAY, November 26, 2015 / 14 Safar 1437 AH

timesofoman.com

wtimesofoman.com

facebook.com/timesofoman

twitter.com/timesofoman

blog.timesofoman.com

C L A R I F I C AT I O N

CABLE

Police deny reports of hunger strike by Samail jail inmates TARIQ AL HAREMI/ REJIMON K

tariqh@timesofoman.com reji@timesofoman.com

BLOOD DONORS: The hospital needs 12,000 units of blood every year, but donations so far have been only 8,000 units. – A R Rajkumar

Blood shortage hits surgeries at top hospital SQUH has requested voluntary donors to augment supply as recent accidents have caused blood shortage and hit regular transfusions

shortage became acute due to a number of car accidents on Monday,” an official said. The hospital needs 12,000 units every year, but donations so far have been only 8,000 units. “So far, the hospital has been able to manage the situation by calling in blood donors, and requesting additional supplies from other blood banks. This situation has been communicated to the doctors and surgeons in the hospital, and the priority for treatment is being decided accordingly,” Dr. Arwa Al Riyami, senior consultant hematopathologist and chairperson of the Blood Donation Committee at SQUH, said.

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: One of Oman’s biggest hospitals is facing blood shortage, which has resulted in the postponement of appointments and surgeries. The situation has also forced authorities to urge the public to come forward and visit the blood bank to donate blood. “The Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) is facing a shortage of 4,000 blood units (bags) per year. But this week the

Group O donors “Group O donors are particularly preferred in emergency situations,” the doctor added. Ali Al Marhoobi, chief biochemical scientist at SQUH, said that such shortages would affect patients needing regular blood transfusions as they will be receiving less bags of blood resulting in rescheduling of their next appointments, creating chaos in the appointment system. Although Oman suffers from

4 5 T H N AT I O N A L D AY

lack of donors throughout the year, Al Riyami said the summer and holiday seasons are the driest ones as many people travel outside the country. “During the month of Ramadan, the shortage increases as the people who fast, avoid donating blood,” said Al Riyami, adding that the SQUH blood bank expands its working hours to 24 hours during Ramadan. She also pointed out that the SQUH blood bank meets its own demand primarily with its own in-house collections and by holding blood donation campaigns. A proportion of the blood is also supplied from the central blood bank in Bausher. Al Riyami said there is cooperation among all blood banks in Oman to meet the shortage, but the demand for blood is increasing, with the expansion of hospital services. “We need to increase voluntarily donations to serve the society,” Al Riyami noted. Meanwhile, SQUH’s Blood Donation Committee organised a blood donation drive at the Sultan Qaboos University Student Services on Wednesday from 10am to 4pm. >A6 TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

Elders share stories of OMAN Counselling centre Oman’s renaissance helps SQU students

Student Counselling Centre at Sultan Qaboos University seeks to promote the mental health of all the students of the university, their quality of life and aims to create a learning environment for their growth. Staff at the Student Counselling Centre help students. >A4

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: “They are family, their happiness is our goal,” is the name of a group, which highlights the issues of the elderly. This group has launched a programme to mark the 45th National Day of Oman by giving the elderly a platform to share their stories of the Sultanate’s renaissance. During the event, the elderly spoke to a younger audience about how life was before 1970 and described the challenges they had to endure before His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said acceded to the throne. Drawing 59 elderly people from Al Azaiba, Barka, Quriyat and Samail, the event was held at Al Seeb and included activities, such as poetry, traditional games and competitions. Raising awareness With the objective of raising awareness among youth about taking care of the elderly, the group had also organised a workshop in March at the Caledonian College of Engineering (CCE). Afrah, a member of the group, pointed out that the group was created as an informative initiative, which aims at developing the skills of the participants, on how to deal and communicate with older people, in addition to sharing and learning from their experiences and the different

REGION

Russia sends latest missiles to Syria

2 problems they face while aging. “We provide the Omani society with a rare opportunity to know more about and how to communicate with the elderly and appreciate their role in society,” she added. During the Khareef season in Dhofar, the team launched a programme entitled, “Khareef with Company of an Elderly”. “During our stay in Salalah, we implemented a set of programmes to inform school students about the needs of the elderly by visiting schools, establishing workshops for teachers and students in addition to distributing booklets to tourists at major tourist attractions in Salalah,” said Afrah. >A6

Russia sent an advanced missile system to Syria on Wednesday to protect its jets operating there and pledged its air force would keep flying missions near Turkish air space, sounding a defiant note after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet. >A8

SPORTS

Oman seal T20I series with thrilling win

Bilal Khan’s four-wicket haul and Aamir Kaleem’s unbeaten 42 stood out in Oman’s four-run win over Hong Kong in the second Twenty20 International in Abu Dhabi. The win gave Oman the threematch series after it had won the ﬁrst game by six wickets.>C1

MUSCAT: Reports of a mass hunger strike in Samail jail have been denied by senior police ofﬁcials in Oman. Local Arabic media and a Dubai-based English daily had reported that 1,800 Omani inmates had started a hunger strike in the jail on Sunday as their names were not included in the recent Royal Pardon given by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Contradicting the report, a senior police official told Times of Oman: “No such mass hunger strike is going on in Samail jail as reported by media. The reports

Saying goodbye to Antje Manser

ISO 9001:2008 Certiﬁed Company

are baseless. Only 10 inmates refused to take food to protest against omission of their names from the pardon list. As they were not meeting the amnesty criteria, their names were not included in the Royal Pardon list.” On November 17, His Majesty the Sultan had issued a Royal pardon to a number of prisoners convicted in different cases. They included 160 prisoners of whom 67 were expatriates of different nationalities. His Majesty’s pardon coincided with the 45th National Day as well as in consideration of their families. Such decrees are often issued on occasions like the National Day, Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha every year.

His Majesty sends condolences MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of condolences to Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasmi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, on the death of Sheikh Hamad bin Majid Al Qasmi. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere condolences and sympathy, praying to Allah the Almighty to rest the deceased’s soul in peace and grant Sheikh Dr. Al Qasmi and his family patience. -ONA More cables >A4

T U N I S I A , E G Y P T, L I B YA

Oman condemns terror attacks MUSCAT: Oman condemned on Wednesday the series of terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya yesterday. These heinous attacks, targeted a bus carrying personnel of Tunisian presidential security, a hotel in Areesh in North Sinai, and a suicide attack at a security checkpoint in Libya resulting in the death of a number of innocents and injuries to others. A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry said the Sultanate reaffirms its full solidarity with the governments in combating terrorism and eradicating its sources and roots. The Sultanate expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished speedy recovery to the injured people.-ONA

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015 The art scene in Oman needs greater exposure to different genres of art, and that is slowly changing Ibrahim Gailani, Exhibition curator, Red Bull Curates

OMAN PRESIDENT MACRI

HM sends greetings to Argentina MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Mauricio Macri of the Republic of Argentina on being elected as a President of the Republic. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes of success to President Macri in leading the friendly people of Argentina towards progress and prosperity and further progress to the relations between the two countries. -ONA

SQU facility helps students cope with on campus stress Parents should also realise that their children have grown up and are entering the university and a new stage of their life that requires parents’

CABLE

support as well as

HM receives thanks cable from Mexico

some autonomy

MOBIN MATHEW BLESSON

mobinmathew@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from President Enrique Pena Nieto of the United Mexican States in reply to His Majesty’s congratulatory cable on the occasion of his country’s Independence Anniversary. In his cable, President Nieto expressed his utmost thanks and appreciation for His Majesty’s congratulations. He affirmed to continue enhancing ties of cooperation binding the two countries to serve the joint interests of the two friendly peoples. -ONA

MUSCAT: As part of its effort to promote mental health among the students, the Student Counselling Centre (SCC) at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) is holding group counselling sessions. The centre’s primary goal is to facilitate a student’s academic and non-academic life, said Marwa Nasser Ahmed Al Rajhi, research assistant at SCC. Pointing out that parents and family play a very vital role in the life of children’s, she called upon parents to “help their children to positively adjust to their universi-

PROMOTING WELL BEING: Staff at Student Counselling Centre of Sultan Qaboos University help students address whatever it is that may be of concern to them and is affecting their wellbeing. – Supplied photo

ty life by encouraging them, helping them solve their problems and by always listening to them.” “Parents should also realise that their children have grown up and are entering the university and a new stage of their life that requires parents’ support, as well as allowing some freedom to the students,” she added. She also advised parents to contact the counselling centre if they feel that their son or daughter is facing a problem in the university

R E D B U L L C U R AT E S

and should also encourage them to meet the counsellor. Staff at SCC help students address whatever may be of concern to the students and is affecting their well-being. “The centre’s counselling services help the students adjust to their university life. When students enter SQU, they face many difficulties with the new environment that is very different from their school’s environment. “This may cause some academ-

ic, social and psychological problems for them,” Al Rajhi told the Times of Oman. “The specialised counsellors at SCC assess them to deal with their issues through different kinds of services, which could be individual or involving group counselling, as well as some other supportive services, such as developmental counselling, outreach counselling, training workshops, and discussion seminars,” she added. The centre also organises a range of programmes to promote mental health, emotional resilience and wellness throughout the campus community. The counsellors interact with students during orientation, conduct sensitisation programmes and theme-focused short-term group sessions, along with consultations with faculty and staff in every academic department of the university. According to Al Rajhi, SCC’s counselling is a regular process that continues throughout the semester, following a set of schedule that usually reaches all students either via e-mails, posters, or the centre’s publications. Group counselling sessions for the current semester commenced at the beginning of October and will continue until the end of November. The counselling programme targets groups of students; each group not exceeding 12 individuals, who meet regularly for 9 sessions and each session lasts for 50 minutes. One of the

NOVEMBER 26 TO 28

specialised counsellors at the SCC conducts these sessions. During the current semester, seven sessions have been conducted on the following topics: “Strategies for improving life skills in the university environment,” “Skills of the effective time management,” “Self-development,” “Management of emotions,” “Trust yourself and achieve what you want,” “Strategies to Success,” and “Skills of effective study.” All these topics contribute to the enhancement of students’ academic, social and psychological life. Highly relevant Al Rajhi said the outreach-counselling programme offered by the Student Counselling Centre during this semester, handled a highly relevant topic related to university students. “Students at this age are approaching a new phase of life, the married life, in which new responsibilities will be placed on their shoulders. Therefore, making students aware and qualifying them for their future life is one of the goals of the counselling centre,” Al Rajhi said. “The outreach-counselling programme that covered the theme of “marriage,” continued from November 5 to 21. The programme also targeted female students only and the lectures took place at oncampus accommodations for female students at the university,” she added. INJAZ AL ARAB

‘Canvas Cooler Project’ of Red Weekend fashion Bull showcased in Sultanate show at City Centre Muscat

Students honoured for acumen

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Pieces from 10 of the most exciting artists in the Sultanate were brought together by the ﬁrst ever ‘Red Bull Curates’ exhibition here to showcase their creativity, imagination and ingenuity under one roof at the Stal Gallery. Curated by local talents Hassan Meer and Ibrahim Gailani, the ‘Canvas Cooler Project’ unveiled a new display that showcases Red Bull coolers reworked into pieces of art by emerging artists: Raya Al Maskary, Saﬁya Al Bahlani, Mala Yagnesh, Farah Asqul, Tahira Fida, Liubov Nikitina, Rawan Al Mahrouqi, Sarah Al Balushi, Yasser Al Danki and Taher Al Battashi. On show were three-dimensional pieces that wrapped Red Bull coolers in traditional Omani art, including modern interpretations of two distinct themes for the event, spiritual art and street art that uses every inch and each side of the square canvas. Speaking after the event, Hassan Al Meer, owner of the Stal gallery, said, “The event’s atmosphere was different and vibrant; the artists interacted with a concept, which was fresh and cool especially for the young artist, who I feel can push the art scene’s boundaries.” Exhibition curator Ibrahim Gailani, said, “The audience was very keen on seeing the interpretation that different artists have on the two concepts. When I got involved in the project, the intention was to have the artists follow

Times News Service

EXPRESSION OF TALENT:

Curated by local talents Hassan Meer and Ibrahim Gailani, the ‘Canvas Cooler Project’ unveiled a new display that showcases Red Bull coolers reworked into pieces of art by emerging artists. – Supplied photo

the philosophy we developed for the show and make sure the piece makes a statement and is in line with the interpretation so that it is a cohesive collection.” “The art scene in Oman needs greater exposure to different genres of art, and that is slowly changing. We need art that makes you paint, makes you ask questions, and here is a piece of art that makes you push the boundary and on a medium you would not use, and done for the sake of art and display of art, and this is where the

best work comes out.” The exhibition is a global initiative created to transform cubed coolers into living pieces of art. The exhibition was held in partnership with Hi FM, Hala FM, See Muscat, the Stal Gallery and Gailani Art.

MUSCAT: City Centre Muscat has announced the launch of the ‘Muscat Fashion Weekend—a three-day fashion and beauty event that will take place from November 26 to 28. The event will feature a number of runway shows ﬁlled with the latest trends, most soughtafter looks and must-have pieces, all available at the mall. City Centre Muscat is the ﬁrst and largest lifestyle shopping destination in Oman, which is owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim and the event is continuation of the celebrations of the mall’s expansion and the 20th anniversary. The Fall/Winter fashion show will highlight the latest brands housed in the newly-opened retail extension of the mall. The exciting line-up includes a diverse collection from participating stores featuring their latest ready-to-wear collections, which include: Max, Splash, Cotton On, Forever 21, Koton, Mango, Nayomi, Origem, Promod, New Look, Desigual, Hanayan, Marks and Spencer, BabyShop, Okaldi, Tape a l’oeil and many more. Throughout the event, visitors will be treated to special gifts from the fashion retailers, as well as an enticing menu of food and beverages from the mall’s

The event will also introduce the retail stores in the newly developed area. – Supplied photo

dining outlets. “With a ﬂurry of activity surrounding City Centre Muscat’s expansion and the 20th anniversary of the City Centre brand, the dedicated fashion shows are an ideal platform for introducing the retail stores that reside in the newly developed area to Oman’s fashionable and beauty-centric shoppers. “As the leading fashion and retail destination in the Sultanate, we are proud to introduce a number of new fashion retailers to Oman for the ﬁrst time, and create great moments for everyone, every day with an exciting schedule of memorable events,” said Husam Al Mandhari, senior mall manager for City Centre Muscat. City Centre Muscat continues to position it status as the foremost destination for style and fashion in the Sultanate.

MUSCAT: Young Entrepreneurs Competition (YEC) concluded its 9th regional event with a prestigious awards ceremony at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa in Muscat on Wednseday under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Faisal bin Turki Al Said and in the presence of Khalid Mohammad Al Zubair, Chairman of INJAZ Oman, and INJAZ Al Arab’s Board of Directors. Students were recognised for their success in delivering viable and dynamic business concepts. YEC 2015 saw 14 teams go head-to-head on the grounds of business acumen, with a view to claim one of the nine prestigious accolades on offer in this once in a lifetime opportunity. “Today is a lovely moment where we celebrate INJAZ Al Arab’s ambitious entrepreneurs, who have proven that they are looking towards the future with relentless passion and determination,” said Sheikh Khalid Al Zubair, Chairman of Injaz Oman. “We are still living in the high spirits of 45th Glorious National Day, which acknowledges the nation’s broad spectrum of achievements, of which youth development is an important part. Hosting this event, acknowledging and praising the accomplishment of young people here in Oman, forms a vibrant continuation of our ongoing festivities”. -ONA CRIME

ORYX LOGISTICS CELEBRATES NATIONAL DAY

: With the Sultanate celebrating its 45th National Day, Oryx Logistics, part of the Muscat Overseas Group, celebrated the glorious occasion. Through the celebration on this joyous occasion, Oryx Logistics conveyed its heartiest congratulations and wished His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said good health, happiness and a long life. -Supplied photo

Three persons arrested for selling drugs Times News Service MUSCAT: Three Omanis were arrested by the Directorate of Narcotics Control for possession and selling of drugs in Sohar and Shinas. A source from North Al Batinah ROP revealed that narcotics control officers arrested two nationals in Sohar for possession of one kilogram of hashish, while the third suspect was arrested in Shinas for peddling. In another case, 23 persons including a GCC national and an Asian were arrested in different areas of the Sultanate for drug use.

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015 The achievements of Oman since the Renaissance are a direct translation of His Majesty’s view for the future of the nation OAMC, management

OMAN Million signature drive for Guinness record bid

KING SALMAN MEETS AL MA’AWALI The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) received Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of Majlis Al Shura who conveyed greetings of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said along with best wishes of continuous health to King Salman. On his turn, the KSA King asked the Chairman of Majlis Al Shura to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes of wellbeing and a long life to His Majesty the Sultan. -ONA

‘My Feelings for Oman and the Sultan’ initiative, which gives citizens and residents the chance to record their personal recollections of Oman and His Majesty on special greeting

HUMAN RIGHTS

cards designed with the colours of the Omani ﬂag

NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS: The ﬁrst celebration was held at Oman Airport Management Company headquarters at Muscat International Airport under Sheikh Saba’ bin Hamdan Al Sadi, secretary general for the Supreme Committee to Celebrate the National Day and in presence of senior OAMC management and staff. – Supplied photo

Times News Service MUSCAT: To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Blessed Renaissance, the Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC) marked the national day starting November 18, with a series of events that will continue till the end of the month, in Muscat, Salalah, Sohar and the Duqm Airports. To demonstrate gratitude for the wise leadership of Oman led by His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who led country on the path to peace and prosperity, the ﬁrst celebration was held at the OAMC headquarters in the Muscat International Airport under Sheikh Saba’ bin Hamdan Al Sadi, secretary general for the Supreme Committee to Celebrate the National Day and in the presence of senior OAMC management and staff. Personal recollections The event also launched the “My Feelings for Oman and the Sultan” initiative, which gives citizens and residents the chance to record their personal recollections of Oman and His Majesty on special greeting cards designed with the colours of the Omani

ﬂag. The initiative, supervised by the Ministry of Education, aims to collect one million completed cards to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. OAMC’s management said, “Under the wise leadership of His Majesty, the Sultan, Oman continues the development march, which started 45 years ago, through which His Majesty founded the basis of a modern state in every ﬁeld, which made Oman a symbol of justice, security, peace and prosperity in the region. “The achievements of Oman since the Renaissance are a direct translation of His Majesty’s view for the future of the nation. We are very happy to share the joy and participate in this great event.” Salalah celebrations At the Salalah Airport, another big celebration was organised and was attended by the airport staff, who expressed their joy and happiness for the many achievements of the country. The new OMR365 million Salalah Airport opened recently, coinciding with 45th National Day celebrations, and is

a prime example of the progress made in Oman. The new airport has the capacity to receive 2 million travellers a year during its ﬁrst phase, with capacity growing in subsequent development phases as the airport plays an increasingly important role in enhancing the national economy and enriching tourism in the region. Additionally, celebrating the 45th National Day, OAMC welcomed guests to the Sultanate by presenting traditional Omani halwa and coffee, distributed free parking vouchers and gifts for children and also hosted traditional Omani folklore bands in the airports. OAMC also supported the production of a national song “Ayat Wala,” which includes the meaning of love for Oman and highlighted the achievements of the Sultanate since the blessed renaissance. The company also organized an internal competition for the best office decoration on the occasion of the 45th National Day. The management added, “On behalf of the OAMC staff, we

would like to extend felicitations and greetings for His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos bin Said for the 45th National Day, praying to the Almighty to preserve him and bestow him with health and longevity, and we congratulate the Omani people on in this great occasion.” Many achievements They also stated, “We at OAMC, are happy to participate with the people in celebrating this occasion, our congratulations to His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, praying to Allah to repeat it for him for many years to come. OAMC is one of the many achievements of the Blessed Renaissance and we have to celebrate this occasion with the people, supplicating to Allah to grant Oman more progress and prosperity under the wise leadership of His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos bin Said.” The company will also organize another celebration with its strategic partners to be held on November 30 at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation’s (PACA’s) headquarters, which will include poem recitals and special presentations.

#OMANPRIDE

< FROM

Care for

State Council chief meets Qatari official MUSCAT: Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, Chairman of the State Council received in his office on Wednesday Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, Secretary General of the National Human Rights Committee in the State of Qatar and her accompanying delegation, currently visiting the Sultanate. Dr Al Mantheri pointed out that the visit of the Qatari delegation to the Sultanate reﬂects the deeprooted bonds, bilateral and historic relations. He added that this visit contributes to enhancing cooperation between the two brotherly countries. He valued the role being played by the GCC civil community organisations and associations in protecting and enhancing human

rights and disseminating the culture of the Gulf human rights at all international, regional and national levels. The Secretary General of the Qatari NHRC expressed her delight to visit the Sultanate. She highlighted the distinguished role being played by the Omani National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in cementing the relations between countries and enhancing further future cooperation at all levels. She stressed the importance of activating permanent cooperation and coordination among the Gulf national human rights committees and opening broader avenues of cooperation to serve interests of the GCC people. -ONA

S H O R TA G E

< FROM

A1 elders

She added that she and her team had paid visits to hospitals to tell patients and employees about the common diseases that can affect the elderly and how to prevent and treat them.“People’s sympathy with agedcare initiatives is the true test of society’s caring, and we believe that our Omani youth are coping well with the growing elderly population. However, they need to be educated on how to take care of them properly and in the right manner,” said Afrah.

Fakhria Al Amri, deputy chairperson of the blood donation committee stated that many people showed up after the social media campaign. Any citizen or expatriate can donate blood if they fulﬁl the donation criteria. The donor must be in good general health, has to eat a supper before giving blood and bring along an ID card or labour

Donate blood for needy card for expats while attending the blood bank. “Volunteers will need to ﬁll a form and give information about their age (must be above 18 years of age) and weight (above 50 kg),” officials said. “The Sultanate follows international regulations to determine eligibility for blood donation and ﬁnal determination is made by the medical team at the

blood drive or blood donation centre,” Al Riyami added. “We need to drive more people to join our campaigns,” Al Marhoobi stressed while pointing out that each individual can donate up to four times a year. “The SQUH blood bank is open from 7:30 am to 9:00 pm from Saturday to Thursday for receiving any donations,” the SQUH said.

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

REGION

The key challenges are our overdependence on oil and the way we prepare and spend our budgets Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia

FA L L I N G O I L P R I C E

Saudi Arabia considering energy and water subsidy cuts RIYADH: Saudi Arabia may reduce energy and water subsidies for wealthy citizens among other reforms to diversify its economy away from oil amid a sustained fall in prices, its Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was quoted as saying on Wednesday. His interview with the New York Times also appeared to suggest he could foresee oil prices

dropping far below their current level of around $45 a barrel. The newspaper paraphrased the prince’s reform plans, adding: “So even if oil falls to $30 a barrel, Riyadh will have enough revenues to keep building the country without exhausting its savings,” but without making clear if that ﬁgure was its own or had been mentioned by Mohammed bin Salman.

The world’s top oil exporter has previously said it was studying increases in domestic energy prices, the introduction of VAT and the installation of nuclear and solar power. Low oil prices and expected deﬁcits in coming years have spurred a new focus on reforms in the kingdom with the aims of diversifying the economy away from a dependence on crude revenue.

“The key challenges are our overdependence on oil and the way we prepare and spend our budgets,” he said in the interview. Benchmark Brent oil futures eased on Wednesday to trade around $45 per barrel as the dollar strengthened and investor focus shifted back to a deep global supply glut. The glut arose on the back of the US shale oil revolution as well

as a Saudi decision last year to persuade OPEC to keep the taps open to ﬁght for market share with rival producers. Besides reducing subsidies, the reforms might include imposing a value added tax (VAT) and taxes on unhealthy goods like cigarettes and sugary drinks, he was quoted as saying. The newspaper reported that he also said he would privatise and tax mines and

undeveloped land, and intended to reduce domestic oil consumption by installing nuclear and solar electricity capacity. Mohammed bin Salman, who is also defence minister, heads a supercommittee on the kingdom’s economy and development as well as a National Performance Centre that oversees efficiency in all government ministries. — Reuters

Moscow sends latest missile system to Syria Russia considers economic retaliation after Turkey shot down a Russian ﬁghter plane near Syrian border

ISTANBUL/NIZHNY TAGIL (RUSSIA): Russia sent an advanced missile system to Syria on Wednesday to protect its jets operating there and pledged its air force would keep flying missions near Turkish air space, sounding a defiant note after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet. The downing of the jet on Tuesday was one of the most serious publicly acknowledged clashes between a NATO member and Russia for half a century, and further complicated international efforts to battle IS militants in Syria. Russian officials expressed fury over Turkey’s actions, and spoke of retaliatory measures that were likely to include curbing travel by Russian tourists to Turkish resorts and some restrictions on trade. Calibrated response But the Russian response was also carefully calibrated. There was no sign Russia wanted a military escalation, or to jeopardise its main objective in the region: to rally international support for its view on how the conflict in Syria should be resolved. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke by phone

STRICT VIGIL: A police officer patrols outside the Turkish embassy in Moscow on Wednesday, after an anti-Turkey picket. – AFP

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

VIDEO W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N .C O M

with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday. Turkey’s foreign ministry said they would meet soon but Russia’s Interfax news agency said Lavrov had not agreed to meet. “We have no intention of ﬁghting a war with Turkey,” Lavrov said. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also said Ankara had no intention of escalating tensions with Russia. Speaking on a trip to the Ural mountains city of Nizhny Tagil, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the despatch of an advanced weapons system to Russia’s Khmeimim air base in Syria’s Latakia province. “I hope that this, along with other measures that we are taking, will be enough to ensure (the safety) of our ﬂights,” Putin told reporters. The despatch of the weapons,

which officials later said would be the S-400 missile system, is likely to be viewed as a stark warning to Turkey not to try to shoot down any more Russian planes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was forced to fly missions close to the Turkish border because that was where the militants tended to be located. “(Russia’s) operations will continue without doubt,” he said. Russian forces launched a heavy bombardment against insurgent-held areas in Syria’s Latakia province on Wednesday, near where the warplane was shot down, rebels and a monitoring group said. The Russian Su-24 jet downed on Tuesday was hit by missile fire from Turkish aircraft as it flew a mission over Syria near the Turkish border, where the Russian air force has been bombing rebel targets. Turkey said the plane had encroached on Turkish air space and was warned repeatedly to change course, but Russian officials said the plane was at no time over Turkey. — Reuters

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

A 10

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

INDIA

The target for skill development in India is huge and requires a partnered effort by the centre, states, industry, PSUs, and trainers. The association with the World Bank is of strategic importance to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision to make India the skill capital of the world Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

PM reaches out to opposition for cooperation on GST bill the students across the campuses in the country. Targeting Modi’s style of functioning, Rahul said there were very few people with decision making powers at the Centre and “one man decides evey single decision.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the all party meeting that Goods and Services Tax (GST) legislation is in the interest of nation and the ﬁnance minister will speak to parties concerned to address their doubts on it, Naidu said

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: Appealing to the Opposition for cooperation on the eve of the winter session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday made a strong pitch for early passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying it will be in the interest of the nation. Modi, who made a brief appearance at the all-party meeting hosted by Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, assured the Opposition leaders that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will talk to them to address their concerns, if any, on the key reform measure. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the all party meeting that GST legislation is in the interest of nation and the Finance Minister will speak to parties concerned to address their doubts on it,” Naidu said after the meeting. Modi also said Parliament should run meaningfully with the

CHALKING OUT STRATEGY: Prime Minister Narendra Modi presides over meeting of alliance party leaders during an NDA meeting on the eve of the winter session, in New Delhi on Wednesday. - PTI

cooperation of all so as to fulﬁl the expectations of the people. Signiﬁcantly, the JD(U) also backed the GST with party president Sharad Yadav announcing support of his party to the measure after the all-party meeting. Regretted CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, however, said that the Centre should hold talks with states on the issue of GST in view of the fact that they will lose all legislative power on tax matters once GST comes into force. He regretted that such talks have not been held despite repeated pleas for the same by the Left parties. The Prime Minister also said that Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, who has held talks with leaders of various parties, may talk to them further on the issue of India’s stand on the resolution on the climate change issue and any one can given suggestions for two more days.

Amid indications of a tough session ahead, senior ministers had on Tuesday huddled to chalk out the strategy and work out ﬂoor coordination plans while parties like Congress, Janata Dal(United) and CPI-M made their intent clear, deciding to give notices for debate on the issue of intolerance and attacking government on the key reform measure of GST. NDA ministers had discussed legislative proposals to be brought before consideration of both the Houses of Parliament which include three Bills relating to replacement of Ordinances, GST Bill, Real Estate Regulation Bill etc. The ministers also discussed recent incidents like Dadri killing, rationalist M. M. Kalburgi’s killing and some other ones based on which a campaign alleging rising intolerance is on. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said Congress “strongly” believed in GST, but government should reach out to the Opposition on certain issues,

including the cap on rate. The Congress vice president outlined the party’s stand on the contentious Goods and Service Tax(GST) Bill even as he made an all-round attack on the Modi government calling it “much worse” than “suit-boot-ki-sarkar.” The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is keen to push key reforms legislations like the stalled GST bill in the Winter session. Fielding questions on a wide range of issues during an interaction with students of a women’s college here, Rahul also spoke on the “rising intolerance”, saying it “disturbs” him as an Indian, highlighting that “live and let live” was the country’s biggest strength. Rahul’s criticism Targeting Narendra Modi, Rahul said he believes the country could be run from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and that he alone could transform the country. The interaction was the ﬁrst in the series of Rahul’s outreach to

Dialogue “...one man can’t have all the answers...,” he said, adding dialogue was very important. Asked about GST, which is hanging ﬁre for the last several years, Rahul said, “we strongly believe in GST.” He said GST and other bills were “very important” but the government’s approach has to be one of reaching out to the Opposition. Speaking to reporters later, Rahul said the Congress would raise in Parliament the issues of “rising intolerance”, which was “very disturbing”, GST and also Prime Minister’s “silence” on various issues. Questioned why the GST bill was being stalled, he said it was Congress which brought it forward and “...we are for GST...we support GST...” But, he noted, the BJP had opposed it and blocked it for three years with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, then in the Opposition, even justifying blocking Parliament as a strategy. Rahul said there were three differences between BJP and Congress on GST. They related to cap on tax to be charged, dispute resolution and one per cent tax on inter-state sales (doing away with it). He said government had to accept the fact that Congress “sits in Parliament”, “Congress has a view” and “Congress has 20 per cent hope” (referring to the people’s mandate). Attacking the Modi government for not having “conversation” with the Opposition, he said the prime minister had not even once picked up phone and spoken to any Congress leader, which former prime minister Manmohan Singh used to do. - PTI

PROJECT

Government clears project to train 5m people with WB support NEW DELHI: The government has approved a project entailing World Bank assistance worth $1 billion to provide skill training to over 5 million people. Skill Training for Employability Leveraging Public Private Partnership (STEPPP) project was cleared by the Department of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)said in a release on Wednesday. “The project will see a World Bank assistance of $1 billion and is expected to provide skill training to over 5 million people in addition to strengthening the skill training infrastructure in underserved geographies and sectors”, the release said. Partnership Welcoming the partnership with the World Bank, Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy highlighted the importance for an integrated approach towards Skill India. “The target for skill development in India is huge and requires a partnered effort by the centre, states, industry, PSUs, and trainers. The association with the World Bank is of strategic importance to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision to make India the skill capital of the world”, said Rudy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM) on July 15 this year. The skill training project aims to implement the mandate of the NSDM through its core sub-missions, among other objectives. The STEPPP project will be implemented in mission mode through World Bank support and is aligned with the overall objectives of the NSDM. - PTI

GUN FIGHT

Three Jaish militants, civilian killed in attack on army camp SRINAGAR: Three heavilyarmed militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit on Wednesday struck at an Army camp in Tangdhar in Indian-administeredKashmir, near the Line of Control, triggering a fierce gunfight in which all the attackers and a civilian were killed and a soldier was injured. The militants targeted the camp of 3/1 Gorkha Rifles from the rear at around 6.15am, firing indiscriminately in which a civilian was killed and a soldier was injured. The troops reacted swiftly, preventing the attackers from penetrating any deep into the camp even though a few vehicles caught

ﬁre after the initial assault by the militants. The deceased civilian was working as a generator operator inside the camp. The militants tried to sneak into the Army camp but they were effectively intercepted by the Army’s Quick Reaction Teams which hemmed the terrorists in a cordon, thus preventing their escape, the defence spokesman said. “In an alert and swift response to a terrorist strike, the Army today killed three terrorists in Tangdhar, thus foiling an attempted suicide attack,” he said here. An army official said the troops surrounded the militants by 7.30am and by 10.30am all the three were

killed. Senior Superintendent of Police (Kupwara) Ijaz Ahmad said the three militants had entered the camp. Three AK rifles, ammunition, Under Barrel Grenade Launchers and a number of grenades were recovered from them. The defence spokesman said operation is in progress to fully sanitise the area. Officials said the militants were heavily armed as they used small fire arms and UBGLs to carry out the attack. Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. In a telephonic call to a local news agency, a person claiming to be Jaish spokesman said three of its cadres carried out the attack. - PTI

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Stay ahead of the curve with WhatsNews

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY INSTALL WHATSNEWS

Aamir Khan: Not leaving but stand by what I’ve said The superstar, who drew ﬂak from BJP and a section of ﬁlm fraternity for expressing his ‘alarm’ over the rise in intolerance, said

PROTEST: Hindu Sena activists carry the effigy of Aamir Khan during protest against him following his remarks over growing intolerance in the country in Noida on Wednesday. - PTI

he is ‘proud to be an Indian’

MUMBAI: Under ﬁerce criticism from BJP and its allies over his remarks on intolerance, Bollywood star Aamir Khan on Wednesday asserted that he stood by what he had stated and that neither he nor his wife Kiran Rao have any intention to leave the country. Aamir, who drew ﬂak from BJP DIRECTIVE

Hand-written passport invalid NEW DELHI: Hand-written passports of Indian citizens are no longer valid from Wednesday as per government’s directive. The government had asked those having hand-written passports to get machine-readable ones having bar codes by November 24. The hand-written passports were issued prior to 2001. - PTI

and a section of ﬁlm fraternity for expressing his “alarm and despondency” over the rise in recent incidents of intolerance, came out with a statement, saying he is “proud to be an Indian”. Hitting out at Aamir, Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said the “extreme reaction” given by the actor has not only “dented” the image of the country but also his own. Joining his party colleagues who have been critical of Aamir’s

comments, Javadekar said the reason why his party did not agree with the actor’s statement is because the country has a “legacy of tolerance”. Another Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said tolerance is in India’s DNA and the actor need not leave the country, advising him to not come under the inﬂuence of “fabricated political propaganda”. “Tolerance is in India’s DNA. There is no space for intolerance in the country. People don’t need to get inﬂuenced by fabricated political propaganda,” he tweeted. Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, “Some are propagating wrong things some are coming under wrong propaganda. There is more tolerance in India. People of India are tolerant.” The government had called Aamir’s comments alarmist, with ministers alleging a conspiracy to tarnish India’s image. The actor had kicked up a political storm with his remarks at a function in Delhi on Monday about his wife expressing fear for their child in the current atmosphere. - PTI

INDIA

A11

A12

TIMES O F O MAN

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

#TRENDING ONLINE HOT PICKS MOST READ

MOST SHARED

TIMESOFOMAN.COM

FACEBOOK.COM/TIMESOFOMAN

TOTAL VIEWS

TOTAL PAGE LIKES

35,796,483

262,006

1 What Omanis must know

1 e-visa reprieve for expats

before travelling to Kerala, India

ﬂying to the UAE bit.ly/e-visareprieveuae

bit.ly/omanitouristskerala

2 McDonald’s Oman introduces

new ‘Create Your Taste’ menu bit.ly/maccreateyourtaste

3 Oman tourism: 30,000

European tourists expected to visit Salalah in 2016

Founder: Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali Chairman / Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Anees bin Essa Al Zedjali Chief Executive Officer: Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali EDITORIAL Telephone: 24726666 Fax: 24813153 E-mail: editor@timesofoman.com ADVERTISING Telephone: 24726666 Fax: 24812624 E-mail: advertising@timesofoman.com CIRCULATION Telephone: 24726666 Fax: 24818270 E-mail: circulation@timesofoman.com

bit.ly/europeantouristssalalah

2 Oman weather: Rainfall in

4 Oman Air hires 21 Omani

parts of Sultanate

pilots for training programme

bit.ly/rainfallsultanate

bit.ly/omanpilotstraining

3 Oman police deny media

5 Oman crime: Man arrested

reports on jail hunger strike

for stealing cables

bit.ly/omanjailstrike

bit.ly/manheldstealingcables

Printed and published by: Muscat Media Group Post Box: 770 Postal Code: 112

4 Netherlands-Taiwan

consortium wins $2.8b Liwa Plastics project contract bit.ly/liwaplasticsbid

TIMESOFOMAN.COM/OPINION

5 Royal Oman Police announces

driving licence change bit.ly/ropdrivinglicence

STEPHEN S. ROACH MOST POPULAR VIDEO

TIMESOFOMAN.COM/VIDEOS Imtiaz Gul Heavy rains will hit Muscat on Tuesday and will continue until the end of the week. Structural change and rebalancing are formidable undertakings for any economy. China has been focused on these objectives for ﬁve years – seeking to transform a powerful yet unbalanced growth model based largely on exports and investment. bit.ly/chinamacrodisconnect

TWEET WE LIKE @vanillawallah Hong Kong the 10th best T20 side lose to Oman by 4 runs. #HKvsOMA

INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY

MICHAEL SPENCE

INSTAGRAM.COM/TIMESOFOMAN

The global economy is settling into a slow-growth rut, steered there by policymakers’ inability or unwillingness to address major impediments at a global level. Indeed, even the current anemic pace of growth is probably unsustainable. bit.ly/softglobaleconomy

SHARE THIS!

Location: Sohar/ Photo: Pradeep Govind

READERS’ FORUM Environment protection a social responsibilty This refer to the story, ‘Girl students clear debris from beach to mark National Day’, Times (November 25). I appreciate and congratulate the school students who took the initiative to clean the debris from the beaches. It gives a message that cleaning public places like beaches and parks are also part of celebrations. This not only inculcates the culture of environment protection among students but also makes them responsible citizens. When students are involved in such activities, it motivates others to come forward and voluntarily engage in such noble pursuits. Moreover, this Scan this QR code will help spread environment awareness to send letters to the among the public.— P.A. Jacob, Ruwi Readers’ Forum, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi).

India to suffer badly if climate deal proposal is not signed This refers to the news story‚ ‘India opposes deal to phase out fossil fuels by 2100 at climate summit’, Times (November 25). It seems the current leadership of India is not sympathetic to climate issues. Global warming and climate change are a pressing issue for the entire world. It will be sad if India doesn’t comply with the proposal of ending use of fossil fuel by the turn of the century. If New Delhi considers its global responsibility, it should act in order to save the planet. However, if this deal is not followed through and India is faced with losses by natural disasters, it should not seek help from the outside world. — Inderjeet Singh, Ghubrah

NEW INDIA ASSURANCE

“Insure with New India and be secure”

Tel: 24838800 | Fax: 24838899 | Email: niamct@omantel.net.om | Website: www.newindiaoman.com Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.

ARNOLD H. GLASOW

Fuss over concerns on good governance

MAC MARGOLIS

Macri vowed that he’d press neighbours and allies to question Venezuela’s claim to be a democracy. “It’s clear that what’s happening in Venezuela has nothing to do with the democratic commitments that we have pledged to keep in Argentina,” he said. bit.ly/macriargentina

he Pakistani media has been awash with heated debates over the ‘unconstitutionality’ of the concerns on good governance that General Raheel Sharif conveyed during the November 10 Corps Commanders’ conference. Opposition members of parliament pounced upon the army chief’s advice in order to settle scores with the government. The discourse in the media clearly stemmed from the civilian government’s displeasure over the advice coming from a “constitutionally subordinate institution”. But was this really something unusual given Pakistan for decades has been guided by the military establishment and an erratic, self-serving civilian ruling elite? Certainly not. So, why all the fuss? Let us first see how the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific defines good governance. It describes it as “decision-making by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented)”. It also identifies eight major characteristics that constitute good governance: a system that is participatory, consensus-oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive, and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimised, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. Can the federal and provincial governments claim they are following all or some of these ingredients of good governance? The answer is largely in the negative on many counts. Despite Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s rosy projections, Pakistan is ranked a lowly 138 out of 189 countries on the World Bank’s Doing Business 2016 ranking. Has the government elevated or jolted the confidence of multinationals already operating in a fragile situation? We understand that the FBR is acting like a ‘robber baron’ to extract funds for its IMF-dictated resource mobilisation campaign. In a high-handed, unbecoming manner, individuals and businesses are being asked to cough up funds to meet IMF demands. This state of affairs will certainly not encourage foreign investments, nor will other countries remove travel advisories for those of their citizens intending to visit Pakistan. The recent Midterm Report Card for Members of National Assembly (MNA), launched by Alif

Ailaan, states that only three out of a total of 272 elected MNAs managed an overall ‘A’ grade in the scorecard for progress in terms of school facilities, student retention, gender parity and the student-teacher ratio in public schools of their constituencies. So much for the democrats’ love and commitment to education! Has the Model Town case of 2014 or the Kasur child abuse case been resolved to the satisfaction of the aggrieved? What steps have been taken so far to review and amend the dated Criminal Procedure Code or the 1861 Police Act — both being at the root of low conviction rates, heavy pendency and unreasonably protracted trials often to the disadvantage of the poor and the victims? Has the Punjab government followed principles of transparency, fairness and the rule of law when approving funds for the Orange Line project or for the security of the Sharif family in Jati Umra? Removal of reluctant government officials and replacing them with yes men certainly doesn’t bespeak good governance. Hospitals, even in provincial and federal capitals, are extremely short on critical, life-saving vaccines and equipment, such as ventilators. Hospital administrations have to wait for months to get petty amounts approved, while pregnant women are forced to give birth on the stairs of hospitals. On the other hand, the bureaucracy and chief ministers hardly waste a minute in approving tens of millions for their own security, with some 2,751 police officials already in the service of the entire Sharif family. Is this good governance? Has the government transparently resolved ﬁascos such as the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park and Nandipur project? Or do ‘democrats’ believe that the poor man’s vote makes them accountable for their deeds? The list of such questions is endless and this obligates civilian rulers to handle the poor man’s trust, ie, votes, with some sincerity. All stakeholders — politicians, bureaucracy, the military, media and the civil society — are supposed to raise concerns when there are administrative lapses and legal deviations, more so in a culture where abuse of power and deviation from the rule of law are norms. Votes from the public do not give our rulers the carte blanche for arbitrary and self-serving governance. Questions, like the ones raised by General Raheel, will continue to be asked as long as rulers continue to abhor the rule of law and transparency. - Express Tribune

CLIPPINGS

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

PRIVATE CLINICS IN OMAN

FROM OUR ARCHIVES NOVEMBER 2000 Asa’ad to open new coastal road today MUSCAT: His Highness Sayyid Asa’ad bin Tariq Al Said, secretary general of the high committee for conferences, will today preside over the opening ceremony of Al Mawaleh NorthGhubra North Coastal road. The ceremony, which coincides with the National Day celebrations, will be attended by members of the royal family, ministers, undersecretaries, advisers, senior state officials and members of the diplomatic corps. Abdullah bin Abbas bin Ahmed, president of the Muscat Municipality, will address the ceremony. A documentary ﬁlm on the road construction will be screened on the occasion.

TODAY IN HISTORY INVITATION TO WRITERS

PICTOGRAPH

2013

Governorate

2014

381

Muscat

399

Dhofar

Musandam

Al Buraimi

Ad Dakhiliyah

189

Al Batinah

204

Sharqiyah

1941: The Japanese ﬂeet departs from the Kuril Islands en route to its attack on Pearl Harbour.

Ad Dhahirah

1949: India becomes a sovereign Democratic republic.

Al Wusta

1,026

TOTAL

1,095

1982: Yasuhiro Nakasone is elected the 71st Japanese prime minister. 1983: At London’s Heathrow Airport, almost 6,800 gold bars worth nearly £26m stolen from Brinks-MAT vault.

Source: National Centre for Statistics & Information

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Rs 32b

PAKISTAN

investment has been committed by the Chinese company for the theme park

Raheel receives Brazil Order of Merit award The Order of Merit has been given to General Raheel Sharif for displaying remarkable courage to deal with the menace of terrorism, successfully leading the army in the face of multiple threats, giving hope to his nation and above all, for his great efforts to promote peace and stability in the region

ISLAMABAD: Army chief General Raheel Sharif was honoured on Wednesday with Brazil’s coveted “Order of Merit” award. “COAS was awarded Brazil’s coveted Award “Order of Merit” in a special ceremony in recognition of his leadership for successful ﬁght against multiple threats,” DG ISPR Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa said on Twitter. “Gen Raheel is the ﬁrst Asian to have been honoured with this coveted award,” Bajwa added. Counter-terror operations “Order of merit has been given to General Raheel Sharif for displaying remarkable courage to deal with the menace of terrorism, successfully leading the army in the face of multiple threats, giving

TOP HONOUR: Army chief General Raheel Sharif is currently on a three-day visit to Brazil.

hope to his nation against dismay and despondency and above all for his great efforts to promote peace and stability in the region,” a statement from the Brazilian government read. “General Raheel Sharif through his undaunting resolve, unﬂinching sincerity and impeccable professional commitment has become a leading ﬁgure in the world. His contribution to promote exemplary ties between Pakistan and Brazil in general and the two armies in particular are enormous and unprecedented,” the statement added. The army chief is currently on a three-day tour to Brazil. On Tuesday, General Raheel met with Brazil’s armed forces Chief of Joint Staff General Jose Carlos De Nardi, who lauded Pakistan Army’s

professionalism and operational achievements especially in ongoing counter-terrorism operations. Army chief General Raheel Sharif on Tuesday met with Brazil’s armed forces Chief of Joint Staff General Jose Carlos De Nardi, who lauded Pakistan Army’s professionalism and operational achievements especially in ongoing counter-terrorism operations. General Raheel visited the Brazil Army Headquarters where he was presented a guard of honour and 19 guns’ salute. After conclusion of his ﬁve-day visit to US, where he met with top US civil and military leaders including US Vice President Joe Biden. According to the army’s media wing – the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) – matters of mutual professional interest and

S TAT E - O F - T H E -A R T PA R K

Disneyland park to be built on Lahore-Islamabad motorway LAHORE: Lahore’s Disneylandlike theme park will be constructed on the Lahore-Islamabad M-2 Motorway near Kala Shah Kaku. Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Director General Shakeel Ahmad conﬁrmed that after surveying different sites, the Chinese company, Golden Bean, has decided to build the country’s ﬁrst Disneyland-style theme park on the M-2 Motorway. “It is a huge project and will take around two years to complete,” he added. Lahore Division Commissioner Abdullah Khan Sumbal said that the Punjab government is playing the role of a facilitator in the project. Golden Bean The Chinese company has committed to invest Rs32 billion in the project. “Golden Bean will work on construction, procurement of land and execution of the project,” Sumbal said. The commissioner added that the

HUGE PROJECT: The proposed park will be built over an area of 350 acres and will have direct access from the motorway.

provincial government has guaranteed uninterrupted electricity supply through special feeders for the project. “The government would also build an approach road for the proposed amusement park,” he added. Further, Sumbal said the proposed theme park would also have a ﬁve-star hotel, water aquarium, business and shopping centres, state-of-the-art rides and a breathtaking roller coaster.

An official in the commissioner’s office disclosed that the Punjab government showed three sites to Chinese investors in the province, including Raiwind Road and Kala Shah Kaku, for the theme park. However, Chinese investors preferred Kala Shah Kaku site as it is located on the M-2 Motorway near densely populated districts of Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot and adjoining areas. -The Express Tribune

A13

military to military relations were discussed during the meeting. The two military leaders also discussed regional security, emerging challenges and training exchanges. Bolstering ties The army chief also met with Brazil’s defence minister and discussed ways and means for bolstering cooperation in the ﬁeld of defence. General Raheel Sharif also invited Brazil defence minister to visit Pakistan. “We want to further strengthen our ties with Brazil. Pakistan army is continuing war against terrorism successfully and Pakistan will soon get rid of the menace of terrorism,” the Online news agency quoted General Raheel as saying. -Express Tribune

FEDERAL BOARD OF REVENUE

Officials oppose Sharif’s new sales tax regime ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s desire to halve the standard 17 per cent General Sales Tax (GST) under a new sales tax regime met its ﬁrst serious opposition when tax authorities objected over the official plan fearing massive reduction in tax collection. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) opposed the plan to introduce a single-stage sales tax during the meeting Finance Minister Ishaq Dar called to devise a strategy, according to officials of the Finance Ministry. Dar convened the meeting just days before experts from Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are scheduled to meet in Dubai to discuss the possibility of introducing a single-stage sales tax. Pakistan and IMF experts would meet early next month to review the possibility of implementing the new regime. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan would lead the delegation and will be assisted by officials from the FBR and Tax Reforms Commission (TRC). TRC Chairman Masoud Naqvi and the author of the new sales tax regime study and Ashfaq Tola will also be part of the Pakistani delegation. Reviewing the new system Last month, IMF’s Resident Representative Tokhir Mirzoev said the IMF would be open to reviewing the new system before formulating its own position. “The worrisome aspect is that FBR officials opposed the proposal to implement the ‘single stage sales tax’ without going through the draft study carried out by the TRC on the subject,” said an official who attended the meeting. A single-digit, single-stage

sales tax would help lower inflation, plug revenue leakages and stop corrupt practices, according to the TRC interim report that it submitted to the government few months ago. The TRC termed the present system of sales tax “cumbersome” and full of leakages and abuses. Interim report After the interim report, the finance minister directed the TRC to prepare a detailed report on the new sale tax regime, which was completed last week. PM Sharif likened the idea of introducing the single-stage, single-digit sales tax after the business community approached him to review the existing flawed structure that is causing more revenue leakages than it is increasing revenue. The TRC last year also supported the idea of replacing the existing system with a new single-stage tax mechanism. According to the proposal, the sales tax charged by the government will be final liability and the government would not issue refunds. This would allow it to reduce the overall rate to less than half of the present 17 percent tax and revenues would not be affected. The new sales tax rate could be in the range of 7 per cent to 8 per cent, said officials.

A 14

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

WORLD

Share your world with us on Instagram

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY SHARE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS

Suicide bomber behind bus attack in Tunis: Officials SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

VIDEO

Tunisia imposes

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N .C O M

state of emergency, tightens security around capital

TUNIS: Tunisian authorities said on Wednesday a suicide bomber carried out the attack a day earlier on a presidential guard bus, killing at least 12 people and forcing the government to impose a nationwide state of emergency. The explosion on a main boulevard in the capital drove home the vulnerability of Tunisia to militancy, following gun assaults on a seaside tourist hotel in June and the Bardo Museum in Tunis in March, both claimed by IS militant group. No group claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack. But Tunisia has increasingly become a target for militants after being hailed as a beacon of democratic change in the Arab world since its 2011 protests ousted former leader Zine Abidine Ben Ali. “This (bus bombing) is an evolu-

THE SCENE OF ATTACK: Tunisian forensics police inspect the scene of a suicide bomb attack in Tunis, Tunisia on Wednesday. – Reuters

tion in the behaviour of the terrorists, this time they attacked a symbol of the state and in the heart of the capital,” Prime Minister Habib Essid told reporters after an emergency security meeting. It was the ﬁrst suicide bombing in the capital. In October 2013 a bomber blew himself up on a beach in Sousse, and previously

an Al Qaeda suicide bomber attacked the synagogue in Djerba, killing 21 people. An Interior Ministry statement said 12 guards died in the blast of 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of explosive located either in the bomber’s backpack or a belt he was wearing. Another body at the scene was probably that of

the bomber. Around Tunis on Wednesday, troops and armed police patrolled the city streets and set up checkpoints searching vehicles and pedestrians. At Tunis international airport security forces were allowing in only people with booked ﬂights. Security officials said the bomber blew himself up as presidential

guards were boarding a bus on Mohamed V Avenue to travel to the presidential palace for duty. “According to the preliminary details, the attacker was wearing a bag on his back. He had on a coat and was wearing headphones. He blew himself up just getting into the door of the bus with military explosives,” Hichem Gharbi, a presidential security official, told local Shems FM radio. One of the most secular Arab countries, Tunisia has enjoyed relative stability since its uprising compared with neighbours Libya and Egypt. It has a new constitution, held free elections and established compromise politics between secular and hardline parties that has allowed some progress. But ﬁghting militants has become a major challenge for a country heavily reliant on tourism for its revenues. In the early chaotic days after its revolution, ultra-conservative hardliners gained ground, recruiting among young Tunisians and taking over mosques. — Reuters

TA I Z C I T Y

UN accuses Houthis of blocking aid supply routes DUBAI: A senior United Nations official has accused Yemen’s dominant Houthi group of obstructing the delivery of humanitarian supplies to civilians in Taiz and warned that up to 200,000 people are living under “virtual siege” in the city. The UN Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien, said months of ﬁghting has left some 200,000 civilians in a virtual state of siege in need of drinking water, medical treatments and other life-saving assistance and protection. “Al Houthi and popular committees are blocking supply routes and continue to obstruct the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid and supplies into Taiz City,” O’Brien said in a statement issued in New York on Tuesday. “Despite repeated attempts by UN agencies and our humanitarian partners to negotiate access and reach people, our trucks have remained stuck at checkpoints and only very limited assistance has been allowed in,” he added. The Yemeni government-run sabanew.net news agency said Hadi, who is now in the southern port city of Aden, toured the frontline on Tuesday and visited the Al Anad base. — Reuters

REFUGEE CRISIS

EU chief executive says internal barriers put euro, free travel at risk BRUSSELS/IDOMENI (GREECE): The European Union’s chief executive warned on Wednesday that the survival of Europe’s “partially comatose” open border travel zone and its single currency were both at risk if member nations continue erecting internal barriers to keep out refugees. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker drew a direct link between the two key achievements of EU integration, telling the European Parliament the euro would be jeopardised if the Schengen passport-free travel system unravels. “If the spirit of Schengen leaves our lands and our hearts, we will lose more than Schengen. A single currency makes no sense if Schengen falls. It is one of the keystones of European construction,” Juncker said. While there is no legal connection between the Schengen zone, which has 22 EU members and four from outside the bloc, and the 19-member euro zone, Juncker’s warning reflected growing concern in Brussels that intraEU tensions over migrants could reverse the post-World War II war drive for European unity. He sounded the alarm as some 1,500 migrants remained trapped in northern Greece unable to cross the border into Macedonia after Western Balkans countries overwhelmed by the refugee flow began limiting their intake to Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis. The United Nations condemned the new restrictions with Secretary-General Ban Kimoon saying that “profiling asylum seekers on the basis of their alleged nationality infringes the human right of all people to seek asylum, irrespective of their nationality, and to have their individual cases heard”. Tens of thousands more migrants are stranded in Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia after Schengen zone countries further north built fences to seal their borders. New arrivals from Turkey to the Greek Aegean islands have slowed this week despite fair weather in a possible sign of more effective Turkish action to clamp down on people smugglers. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is due in Brussels on Sunday for a summit with EU leaders meant to seal a joint action plan under which European countries will provide 3 billion euros in aid to help keep refugees in Turkey. But days before the meeting, senior EU officials said a deal had not been finalised, with the fund-

AT RECEIVING END: Migrants demonstrate in front of Macedonia police as they wait to cross the Greek-Macedonian border near Gevgelija on Wednesday. – AFP

ing, the pace at which Ankara’s long-stalled EU membership talks can advance and whether Brussels can deliver on its promise of easier travel for Turks all unresolved, EU and Turkish officials said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country has borne the brunt of hundreds of thousands of migrants who have poured into Europe from the Middle East and Africa this year, said the open border system would only endure if EU member states accepted a permanent, mandatory quota system for sharing out refugees. Merkel rebuffed growing pressure from her own conservatives on Tuesday to impose a limit on the number of refugees Germany would admit. It made no sense to try to curb the migration flow that way if Europe was unable to control its external borders, she said. In the northern Greek town of Idomeni, a group of Iranian asylum seekers on hunger strike, many nearing collapse, sat in the rain on the train tracks with their shirts off. Nearby, about 200 to 300 Algerians and Moroccans faced Macedonian border guards, chanting “Mrs Merkel, please help us!” Mohammed Merka, a Somali prevented from crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, told Reuters: “We are human beings and we have escaped war. If they want us to go back to war let them take us back to war. “But there is no way we are going back. We will only die. If they want us to perish here we will perish here. All our lives we have been refugees. We have never seen peace.” Greek authorities, happy to wave migrants through on their journey towards wealthy northern Europe in recent months, appear to have been caught unprepared by the decision of their northern neighbours to start filtering them by nationality. — Reuters

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

A15

WORLD

The two members of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party who were paraded before reporters are being investigated for links with IS which has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Bangladesh including the killing of two foreigners.

Kiev to stop buying Russian gas Ukraine says cheaper prices are being offered from Europe as Gazprom halts deliveries

KIEV/MOSCOW: A clash over natural gas pricing between Russia and Ukraine escalated on Wednesday with Russian exporter Gazprom announcing it would halt deliveries and Kiev saying it could ﬁnd cheaper supply from Europe. Moscow and Kiev have clashed over gas pricing repeatedly in recent years and Russia’s annexation of Crimea has worsened their relations. “The government has decided to order (state energy ﬁrm) Naftogaz to stop buying Russian gas. It is not that they are not deliv-

RISING TENSIONS: A ﬁle photo taken on April 22, 2015 shows a gas installation at a gas-pumping station in the small town Boyarka on April 22, 2015 in the Kiev region. – AFP

ering us gas, it is that we are not buying any,” Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk told a Ukranian government meeting. “We are doing this because the

WILDFIRES

Bushfire kills two in South Australia SYDNEY: A bushfire in southern Australia has killed two people and thousands of animals and destroyed homes and buildings along a 27-mile front, media reported on Wednesday, as the blaze headed for the wine-growing region of the Barossa Valley. The fire comes after four people were killed in one of a series of wildfires sparked by lightning in Western Australia state last week. Wildfires are an annual summer event in Australia, but signs of rising temperatures have prompted some scientists to warn that climate change could increase the length and intensity of the fire season. Two people had been killed by the fires in South Australia state where the blaze was being fanned by high winds, Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) said.

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

VIDEO W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N .C O M

One resident told ABC he had no choice but to leave thousands of animals at a farm for dead. Moving fast Country Fire Service chief officer Greg Nettleton said the fire was moving so fast that fire crews could not establish positions at the front of the blaze. “This is a particularly nasty fire. It will run right through the night and into tomorrow,” Nettleton told media. Weather conditions were expected to moderate on Thursday with lower temperatures and winds dropping during the day. — Reuters

TERROR LINKS

ARRESTED: Police officers in Dhaka detain Nahid Hasan, a member of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s biggest party, on suspicion that he was involved in IS propaganda. – Reuters

Bangladesh detains two for IS propaganda DHAKA: Police have detained two members of Bangladesh’s biggest party on suspicion they were involved in IS militant group propaganda, including one who called himself “Jihadi John”, a police commissioner said on Wednesday. The two members of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party who were paraded before reporters are being investigated for links with IS which has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Bangladesh including the killing of two foreigners. Nahid Hasan was picked up from Dhaka overnight on suspicion that he was spreading hate and violence on behalf of IS using the pseudonym “Jihadi John” on a Facebook page, police joint commissioner Monirul Islam said. “We are verifying whether he actually had contacts with the

radical group,” Islam said. The government has consistently denied that IS has a presence in the country and instead blamed religious groups such as the Jamaat for instigating violence in the nation of 160 million people. Police said the second man arrested in the overnight raid was believed be behind text messages threatening writers and university teachers who have been targeted by unknown assailants this year. Tensions have been rising in Bangladesh over the trials of hardliners for war crimes and some leaders of the Jamaat as well as its ally, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, have been executed. Critics say the government is using the war trials to settle political scores. — Reuters

price offers from our European partners are signiﬁcantly better than those from our northern neighbour,” he said. It was unclear whether private Ukrainian

ﬁrms could still import Russian gas in future. On Wednesday, Russia’s Gazprom said it was halting gas supplies to Ukraine until it

had received a new prepayment for deliveries. A day earlier the Kremlin accused Kiev of deliberately thwarting efforts to restore power to Crimea after unknown saboteurs blew up pylons supplying the peninsula with electricity over the weekend. Kiev said it did not need any more Russian gas for now and would guarantee the transit of piped Russian gas bound for Europe. The European Commission said it was not worried about the situation for now. Europe relies on Russia for about a third of its gas, almost half of which is piped via Ukraine. “The European Commission has

no particular concern about the gas ﬂows from Russia to Ukraine and no further comment to make,” Commission spokeswoman AnnaKaisa Itkonen said. Data Ukraine has imported 400 million cubic metres of Russian gas so far this month, Ukrtransgaz data showed, and Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn said this week that Kiev had enough gas in reserve without buying any more. He said gas consumption this winter is down and estimated that reserves would stand at around 16 billion cubic metres in early December, 2 billion higher than at the same point last year. — Reuters

A 16

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

WORLD

With police still hunting a local man who is a prime suspect in the November 13 attacks in Paris, along with up to 10 others authorities fear could be planning further violence, the Belgium government only plans to review the alert status next week

2015 to be hottest on record, 2016 could be hotter: WMO Inaction on climate ‘could see rise of 6 degrees Celsius’ as Al Nino weather pattern expected to be strongest on record

GENEVA: This year will be the hottest on record and 2016 could be hotter due to the El Niño weather pattern, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday, warning inaction on climate change could see temperatures rise by 6 degrees Celsius or more. Target But decisions taken at a summit of world leaders in Paris starting on Monday could keep global temperature rises within 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) over preindustrial times, a target set down

NO RESPITE: A woman holds an umbrella to protect herself from the sun in Shanghai on July 4, 2013. Global average surface temperatures in 2015 were likely to reach what the agency called the “symbolic and signiﬁcant milestone” of 1C above the pre-industrial era. – AFP Files

in 2010 to try to prevent dangerous climate change. “Yes, it’s still possible to keep to the 2 degree target but the more we wait for action the more difficult it will be,” WMO director-general Michel Jarraud told a news conference. “You have scenarios assuming very strong decisions, very quick

and sharp reduction of greenhouse gases, and you have other scenarios with business as usual, where you end up with predictions of additional warming of 5, 6 degrees, maybe even more. That will very much depend on the decisions (in Paris).” Global average surface temper-

atures in 2015 were likely to reach what the agency called the “symbolic and signiﬁcant milestone” of 1C above the pre-industrial era. “This is due to a combination of a strong El Niño and human-induced global warming,” the WMO said in a statement. Jarraud said El Niño may be

responsible for 16-20 per cent of the rise and longer-term averages showed temperatures were rising regardless of El Niño or its cooling counterpart La Niña. El Nino, a naturally occuring weather pattern marked by warming sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, causes extremes such as scorching weather, droughts and flooding around the world. Meteorologists expect El Niño to peak between October and January and to be one of the strongest on record. A preliminary estimate based on data from January to October showed the global average surface temperature for 2015 was around 0.73C above the 1961-1990 average of 14C and around 1C above the pre-industrial 1880-1899 period, the WMO said. “This is all bad news for the planet,” Jarraud said. The years 2011-2015 have been the hottest five-year period on record, with temperatures about 0.57C (1.01 Fahrenheit) above the 1961-1990 reference period. Global ocean temperatures were unprecedented during the period, and several land areas -- including the continental United States, Australia, Europe, South America and Russia -- broke temperature records by large margins. — Reuters

TENSION IN SEA

US raises military aid to Philippines MANILA: United States has raised its military aid to the Philippines this year to $79 million, the US ambassador said on Wednesday, as tension rises in the region over China’s new assertiveness in the South China Sea. Since 2002, the United States has provided the Philippines with nearly $500 million in military assistance as well as various types of military equipment. “We have upped our foreign military funding for the Philippines,” Ambassador Philip Goldberg told ANC television, without giving a percentage. “It will be somewhere in the range of $79 million this year. It’s increasing and what has been proposed is something called a maritime security initiative in the region.” China has overlapping claims with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Reclamation work and the building of three airﬁelds and other facilities on some of China’s artiﬁcial islands in the Spratly archipelago have alarmed the region and raised concern in Washington that China is extending its military reach deep into maritime Southeast Asia. — Reuters

RETURNING TO NORMAL

Brussels schools, metro stations reopen under tight security BRUSSELS: Schools and much of the Brussels metro system reopened on Wednesday as the Belgian capital started to return to normal after four days of lockdown, but troops on the street were a reminder it remains on the highest alert. With police still hunting a local man who is a prime suspect in the November 13 attacks in Paris, along with up to 10 others authori-

ties fear could be planning further violence, the government only plans to review the alert status next week.

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

VIDEO W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N .C O M

Protection The city’s schools were protected by 300 additional officers, some of whom were standing guard outside school gates as parents dropped their children off. Around half the city’s metro

stations were open, notably in the centre, with some 200 soldiers assigned to protect them. Commercial and public life came almost to a halt over the

weekend. Salah Abdeslam, 26, is on the run, suspected of being the eighth person IS militant group said took part in the attacks on Paris that killed 130 people. The Belgian government says he may be armed and dangerous and could be plotting further attacks. More than two dozen people have been detained in Brussels since November 13, though all have been released except ﬁve.

They have been charged with terrorist offences, including three who drove Abdeslam in their cars after the attacks in Paris. Concerts and sporting events have been cancelled but the weekend’s Davis Cup tennis ﬁnal between Belgium and Britain is due to go ahead as planned in Ghent, west of the capital. In nearby Bruges, however, the mayor ordered that Thursday’s

Europa League soccer match between Club Bruges and the Italian side Napoli should be held in an empty stadium because police were too tied up on other duties to provide crowd control. Concerns about how long the problems may last were also evident. A large New Year’s party at an exhibition centre in Brussels has been cancelled, the event’s organisers said. — Reuters

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, N OVEM B ER 26, 2015

MARKE

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH THE VIDEO

DIGEST VIDEO Top stories in one minute with our new daily Digest

Muscat 5,695.80 - 46.70 - 0.81%

Dubai 3,212.52 + 5.31 + 0.17%

Abu Dhabi 4,210.57 - 7.90 - 0.19%

Kuwait 5,772.66 + 7.62 + 0.13%

Saudi Arabia

7,213.12 + 11.02 + 0.15%

Bahrain 1,231.36 + 0.82 + 0.07%

Qatar 10,611.80 - 63.94 - 0.60%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (OMR1)*

GOLD PRICES*

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

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................. 2.41 Pound ............................................ 1.71 Indian Rs ............................. 172.03 Pak Rs ....................................269.18 Bangla Taka.......................198.29

Indian Rs ....................................172.15 Pakistan Rs .............................273.68 Sri Lanka Rs ............................367.10 Bangla Taka...........................206.00 Phil Peso .................................... 121.65

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......13.85

Oman Crude............. (Spot) ........$40.82 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........ $40.75 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) .........$41.50 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........$38.42 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ........$45.56 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$42.38

* Rates are as of Nov. 25 Source: Bank Muscat

* Rates as of Nov. 25 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Mega paint plant to open soon in Sohar new plant has been established to keep up with the advances in technology and the latest developments in the paint industry.

The new Sohar factory is spread over an area of 50,000 square metres and will be Oman’s largest paint factory P K Raj, general manager, Asian Paints (Middle East). — Supplied picture

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman’s largest paint factory, set up by Berger Paints in Sohar, will be officially inaugurated in December, said P K Raj, general manager, Asian Paints (Middle East). Speaking to the Times of Oman, Raj said the factory is the second plant of Berger Paints in Oman, which forayed into the Sultanate in 2000 as a joint venture between the Al Hassan Group and Asian Paints Limited.

“The trial runs are already on. Trial productions are there, and we are kind of complete in terms of our production,” the official said after an event held recently to launch intumescent and flame resistant coating that provides precious time in the event of a fire. According to him, the modern Sohar factory is spread over an area of 50,000 square metres and has a much higher capacity than the first plant in Ghala. This factory produces a wide range of products that primarily include architectural coat-

ings, wood ﬁnishes and industrial coatings. Capacity Asked about the capacity of the new plant, the General Manager of Asian Paints (Middle East) said, “We were making about 10,000 kilo litres (per annum). This (factory) can produce up to three times more.” “We have grown in the last 15 years thanks to growth in Oman. We have reached a stage, where we feel that we do not have enough capacity,” Raj said, adding that the

S TAT E - O F - T H E -A R T FA C I L I T Y

NBO’s head office building to be completed by 2017 Times News Service MUSCAT: National Bank of Oman’s (NBO) new head office building is expected to be completed by 2017. The 50,000 square-metre development will comprise a total of nine floors, including two basements levels, ground, mezzanine and five upper floors, providing a high-quality office space, together with a range of supporting facilities. The design will be inspired by the country’s world-famous landscape, while showcasing the key cultural elements which define Oman. “Construction of NBO’s new home in the heart of Muscat is making great progress and we are firmly on-track for a 2017 opening. Once open, the new facility will not only be a prestigious new landmark on Muscat’s skyline, but also the platform for the next phase of NBO’s growth,” said Ahmed Al Musalmi, chief executive officer (CEO) of NBO. “We look forward to serving our nation and our customers from our new world-class headquarters, while creating a truly exceptional work environment for our employees as we continue to drive our vision forward: To be the bank of choice,” he added. The NBO chairman and Al

FIRMLY ON TRACK: The state-of-the-art facility is being built by Al Turki Enterprises, a 100 per cent Omani-owned construction ﬁrm, in the strategic location of Al Athaibah, Muscat. - Supplied picture

Musalmi had recently led a group of senior managers to inspect the progress of construction at the company’s new head office. The state-of-the-art facility is being built by Al Turki Enterprises, a 100 per cent Omani-owned construction ﬁrm, in the strategic location of Al Athaibah, Muscat. The delegation was pleased to see that the construction of the two basement levels stories was nearing completion, with work having moved to the ground level.

Founded in 1973, NBO is the Oman’s first local bank. Today, it is one of the largest institutions in Oman offering financial solutions to fulfil the needs of its customers. The bank is also committed to community investment through its corporate social responsibility activities, with an emphasis on five focus areas, including health and human services, arts and culture, education, environment and women and youth.

CRUDE

Opec not to reduce oil supply LONDON/DUBAI: Opec is determined to keep pumping oil vigorously despite the resulting ﬁnancial strain even on the policy’s chief architect, Saudi Arabia, alarming weaker members who fear prices may slump further towards $20. Any policy U-turn would be possible only if large producers outside the exporters’ group, notably Russia, were to join coordinated output cuts. While Moscow may

consult Opec oil ministers before their six-monthly meeting next week, the chances of it helping to halt the price slide remain slim. “Unless non-Opec say they are willing to help, I think there will be no change,” said a delegate from a major Opec producer. “Opec will not cut alone.” When the group last met in Vienna in June, Saudi oil minister Ali Al Naimi and those from other Gulf countries could barely hide

their jubilation. Opec’s historic decision in November 2014 — to pump more oil and defend its market share against surging rival suppliers — was working, they proclaimed as crude traded near $65 per barrel. Six months later, crude oil has hit $45, down from as much as $115 in the middle of last year. Now some member states are talking about a return to twentydollar-oil, last seen at the turn of the millennium. — Reuters

New products Raj also pointed out that the company will continue to offer new products to fulfil the demands of the market. The newly introduced intumescent paint and flame resistant coatings are suitable for structural building materials, such as stone, plaster and steel structures. According to the company, while the coating is inert at low heat, it swells to provide a blanket of insulation at high temperature by increasing in volume and decreasing in density. This acts as an expanded layer of low conductivity at high temperature so that the heat is delayed and reduced in reaching the steel structure, keeping the fire from turning out of control. Berger Paints, a world leader in colour mixing technology, has close to 40,000 colour mixing shops in the world. It is known for its innovative products that are decorative, attractive and safe, and environment-friendly at the same time.

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......13.40 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............129.25 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............122.50 * Rates as of Nov. 25 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

NINE POWER CONTRACTS

Nama Group signs project contracts worth OMR159m Times News Service MUSCAT: Nine contracts worth OMR159 million were signed by the Nama Group during the recently concluded Business Opportunity Forum, which involve different projects that the group will be undertaking in 2015. Also, the group has presented its most important projects for the year 2016, valued at a total of OMR400 million in the forum’s brochure. Signed projects The signed projects include a project to improve the network in Al Rustaq in South Al Batinah, a project to supply electricity to governmental entities in Wilayat Ibri in the North Sharqiyah region and a project to build transformer stations in Ibra and Salalah. Furthermore, the Rural Areas Electricity Company (Raeco) has signed a contract to supply fuel to power generation stations that belong to it. As part of improving the capacity of the network, there are also three projects that will help build three generation

stations in Saih Al Kheirat in the govenorate of Dhofar and Wilayat Khasab in Musandam and Wilayat Musairah in Al Sharqiyah. Economic growth “The group is working to support the needs of economic growth through cooperation with the concerned authorities to implement projects. The forum will provide an appropriate platform to identify the suppliers and contractors, with the most important investment opportunities in development of the group for 2016,” said Omar Al Wohaibi, chief executive officer of the Nama Group. The Nama Group sponsored the “Business Opportunities Forum” as a gold sponsor. The forum was organised by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (OCCI) on November 16 and 17 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre.

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

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

MARKET OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ........................................ 5,747.12 ...............5,695.80 ................... 5,695.80 ................... 5,742.50................-46.70 .................. -0.81 Financial Index .................................... 6,945.57 ...............6,878.72 ................... 6,878.72 ................... 6,937.82................ -59.10 .................. -0.85 Industrial Index ................................... 7,094.88 ................7,057.61 .................... 7,057.61 ...................7,094.88................ -37.27 .................. -0.53 Services Index ....................................... 3,217.95 ...............3,182.98 ................... 3,182.98 ................... 3,217.90............... -34.92 .................. -1.09 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................899.52 ..................895.32 .......................895.32 ...................... 899.52..................-4.20 .................. -0.47 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 10,604,073 .................3,023,244 .....................471 ............... 14,706,325,703 .................. 4 ..................... 25 .................... 15 .........................44

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 ISIN ......................................SECURITY NAME ..................................................................VOLUME..... TURNOVER............TRADES ......OPEN PRICE......HIGH ............. LOW ........ CLOSE PR. ...PREV. CLOSE...DIFF (RO).........DIFF % .............LAST PR.....LAST BID .............LAST OFFER ........MARKET CAP.PAR VALUE

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

Muscat Securities Market. – Times ﬁle picture

OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING.............13,000 ................1,178........................2 ........... 0.090 ........... 0.091 ...........0.090............0.091 .............0.090 ............0.001 ..............1.111 .................0.091 ..............0.091...................0.092 .................. 11,090,625 .........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 321,100.............52,915..................... 25 ............0.164 ........... 0.165 ...........0.164............0.165 .............0.164.............0.001 ............. 0.610 ................0.164 ..............0.164...................0.165 ................... 47,957,418 .........0.100

MSM index ends lower

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ....................................................... 25,000 ............ 27,500........................2 ............1.100 ........... 1.100 ...........1.100 ............1.100 ............. 1.100............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.100 ..............1.000...................1.100 ................. 220,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN ............................................................350 .................... 40........................3 ............0.113 ........... 0.113............0.113 ............0.113 ............. 0.113 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.113 ...............0.111................... 0.113 ..................226,035,345 .......0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 121,928................7,175..................... 10 ........... 0.060 ...........0.060 ...........0.058........... 0.059 .............0.059 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.058..............0.057...................0.059...................12,221,932 .........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 201,500 ........... 65,259......................13 ........... 0.320 ...........0.326 ...........0.320........... 0.324 .............0.324 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.326..............0.310...................0.326 ..................95,973,233 .........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ......................................................... 2,708 ...................314........................1 ............0.116 ........... 0.116............0.116 ............0.116 ............. 0.116 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.116 .............. 0.116................... 0.119 ...................36,048,733 .........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ............. 19,357 ...............2,071........................2 ............0.107 ........... 0.107 ...........0.107 ........... 0.107 .............0.107............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.107 ..............0.107...................0.109....................9,630,000 ..........0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ........................156 .....................16........................1 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100........... 0.104 .............0.104 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.100..............0.100...................0.104...................20,800,000 ........0.100 OM0000003281............TAAGEER FINANCE .....................................................3,000 .................. 399........................1 ............0.133 ........... 0.133 ...........0.133 ............0.133 ............. 0.133............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.133 .............. 0.133...................0.000 .................. 33,727,470 .........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 119,000...............9,405........................9 ........... 0.079 ...........0.080 ...........0.079........... 0.079 .............0.079 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.080..............0.079...................0.080 ..................22,908,470.........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ....................................................... 300 ...................127........................1 ........... 0.422 ...........0.422 ...........0.422........... 0.434 .............0.434 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.422..............0.414...................0.422 ..................22,785,000.........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 166,021 ..........264,723......................31 ............1.600 ........... 1.600 ...........1.590 ............1.595 .............1.600 ...........-0.005 ........... -0.313................1.590 ..............1.580...................1.590................1,196,250,000 ......0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 285,000 ........... 82,950........................4 ........... 0.296 ...........0.296 ...........0.290 .......... 0.291 .............0.292 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.342 ...............0.290..............0.286...................0.290 .................390,146,683........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 187,177 ............ 44,762.....................22 ........... 0.240...........0.240 ...........0.238........... 0.239 .............0.240 ...........-0.001 ............-0.417................0.238..............0.230...................0.237...................23,900,000 ........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 100,000 ...........20,800........................3 ........... 0.208...........0.208 ...........0.208 .......... 0.208 .............0.209 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.478 ...............0.208............. 0.200...................0.208 .................148,596,519 ........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE................ 87,183 .............14,709........................9 ............0.170 ........... 0.170 ...........0.166 ............0.169 ............. 0.170............-0.001 ........... -0.588 ...............0.167 ..............0.166...................0.167...................33,800,000.........0.100

The top gainer was Oman & Emirates Holding,

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 1,880,519 ......948,124..................... 38 ........... 0.504 ...........0.506 ...........0.500........... 0.504 .............0.508 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.787 ...............0.502..............0.500...................0.504 ............... 1,155,078,589 ......0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................ 100,000 ...........20,800........................4 ........... 0.208...........0.208 ...........0.208 .......... 0.208 .............0.210 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.952 ...............0.208..............0.205...................0.209 .................140,376,585 ........0.100

up by 1.11 per cent, while Al Jazeera Steel,

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR..................................................................10,000 ...............1,690........................2 ............0.169 ........... 0.169 ...........0.169 ............0.169 ............. 0.171 ............-0.002 ............-1.170................0.169 .............. 0.165...................0.169................. 243,603,360 .......0.100

down 9.74 per cent, was the top loser

OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS .............................................................10,500 ...............3,276........................4 ............0.312 ........... 0.312 ...........0.312 ........... 0.312 ............. 0.316............-0.004 ........... -1.266 ...............0.312 ............. 0.000...................0.326 ..................15,600,000 .........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 1,407,117 ....... 236,271..................... 89 ............0.170 ........... 0.170 ...........0.165 ............0.168 ............. 0.170............-0.002 ............-1.176 ................0.166 ..............0.166...................0.168...................25,212,600.........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 480,701...........357,196.....................24 ............0.756 ........... 0.756 ...........0.740........... 0.744 .............0.760 ...........-0.016 ........... -2.105 ...............0.740..............0.728...................0.740................. 484,302,507 .......0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ................8,000 ...............2,120........................6 ........... 0.265 ...........0.265 ...........0.265........... 0.265 ............. 0.271............-0.006 ........... -2.214 ...............0.265............. 0.260...................0.267....................5,565,000 ..........0.100

MUSCAT: Muscat bourse continued its fall amid weak sentiment. The MSM30 Index witnessed strong selling across the board to close at 5,695.80 points, down by 0.81 per cent. The Sharia Index declined 0.47 per cent to close at 895.32 points. Bank Nizwa was the most active in terms of volume while Bank Muscat led in terms of turnover. The top gainer was Oman & Emirates Holding, up by 1.11 per cent while Al Jazeera Steel, down 9.74 per cent was the top loser. A total number of 471 trades were executed on Wednesday, generating turnover of OMR3.0 million with 10.6 million shares changing hands. Out of 44 traded securities, four advanced, 25 declined and 15 remained unchanged. At the session close, Omani investors remained net buyers for OMR858,000 while Foreign investors were net sellers for OMR824,000 followed by GCC & Arab Investors for OMR34,000 worth of shares. Financial Index exhibited loss of 0.85 per cent to

close at 6,878.72 points. Oman & Emirates Holding gained 1.11 per cent to close at RO 0.091. Al Batinah Development, Al Izz Bank, Ominvest, Bank Nizwa and Al Anwar Holding declined 4.21 per cent, 2.78 per cent, 2.60 per cent, 1.28 per cent and 1.18 per cent respectively. Industrial Index ended the session at 7,057.61 points, down by 0.53 per cent. Oman Textiles, up by 0.58 per cent, was the only sector gainer. Al Jazeera Steel, Construction Materials, Gulf International Chemicals, Oman Fisheries and Oman Refreshments fell 9.74 per cent, 3.03 per cent, 2.21 per cent, 1.82 per cent and 1.25 per cent respectively. Services Index declined strongly by 1.09 per cent to end at 3,182.98 points. Renaissance Services gained 0.61 per cent to close at OMR0.165. Sembcorp Salalah, Sohar Power, Port Services, Ooredoo and National Gas fell by 4.24 per cent, 3.78 per cent, 3.08 per cent, 2.11 per cent and 1.27 per cent, respectively.

OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ..................................................................... 29,200 .............13,140........................3 ........... 0.450 ...........0.450 ...........0.450........... 0.450 .............0.462 ...........-0.012 ........... -2.597 ...............0.450..............0.442...................0.470..................248,787,739 ........0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ...........................9,900 ...............1,247........................2 ............0.126 ........... 0.126 ...........0.126........... 0.126 .............0.130............-0.004 ........... -3.077 ...............0.126 ..............0.126...................0.135 ................... 11,975,040 .........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER..............................................................13,620 ...............4,849........................7 ........... 0.356 ........... 0.356 ...........0.356........... 0.356 .............0.370 ...........-0.014 ........... -3.784 ...............0.356..............0.356...................0.370...................78,679,560 .........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................10,000 .................. 910........................1 ............0.091 ........... 0.091 ...........0.091 ............0.091 .............0.095 ...........-0.004 ............-4.211................0.091 ..............0.090...................0.091....................2,730,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH............................................... 50,000 ..........130,000........................4 ........... 2.600...........2.600 ...........2.600 .......... 2.600 ............. 2.715............ -0.115 ........... -4.236 ...............2.600..............2.550...................2.600 .................248,188,707........1.000 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 386,493 ............53,773......................16 ............0.154 ........... 0.154 ...........0.139 ............0.139 .............0.154............-0.015 ........... -9.740................0.139 ............. 0.000...................0.139................... 17,360,816 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 6,048,830 ..2,367,739...................339 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......30........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING ....................................... 1,050 .................. 365........................2 ........... 0.348 ...........0.348 ...........0.346........... 0.348 .............0.346 ........... 0.002............. 0.578 ................0.346..............0.346...................0.360 ...................2,088,000..........1.000 OM0000001475 ............SWEETS OF OMAN ........................................................5,000 ...............6,050........................1 ............1.210 ........... 1.210............1.210 ........... 1.340 .............1.340 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................1.210 ............. 0.000...................1.210 ....................9,380,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001855 ............MAJAN GLASS .................................................................2,800 .................. 554........................1 ............0.198 ........... 0.198 ...........0.198 ........... 0.220 .............0.220 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.198 ............. 0.000...................0.198.................... 9,245,126 ..........0.100 OM0000002580 ...........OMAN EDU. & TRIN. INV. HOLDING......................5,000 .................. 825........................ 1 ............0.165 ........... 0.165 ...........0.165 ............0.178 ............. 0.178............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.165 ............. 0.000...................0.163...................12,460,000.........0.100 OM0000003075 ...........DHOFAR UNIVERSITY............................................. 143,200 ......... 209,778......................13 ............1.460 ........... 1.465 ...........1.460............1.465 ............. 1.465............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.465 ............. 0.000...................1.465 ...................20,510,000.........1.000 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 720,291 .........105,848..................... 34 ............0.148 ........... 0.148 ...........0.146 ............0.147 .............0.148............-0.001 ........... -0.676 ...............0.147 ..............0.146...................0.147..................215,002,415 ........0.100 OM0000001426............OMAN REFRESHMENT ............................................ 15,270 .............36,168........................5 ........... 2.400...........2.400 ...........2.350........... 2.370 .............2.400 ...........-0.030 ........... -1.250 ...............2.350..............2.250...................2.370..................118,500,000........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 2,752,496 ...... 213,126..................... 45 ........... 0.078 ........... 0.078 ...........0.075........... 0.077 .............0.078 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.282 ...............0.076..............0.075...................0.076..................115,500,000........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ...................................................... 22,000 ................1,181........................4 ........... 0.054 ...........0.054 ...........0.053........... 0.054 .............0.055 ...........-0.001 ............-1.818................0.053.............. 0.051...................0.053....................6,750,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 284,210 ............19,899......................15 ........... 0.070 ........... 0.071 ...........0.070........... 0.070 .............0.072 ...........-0.002 ........... -2.778 ...............0.070..............0.069...................0.070...................70,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ....................65,000 .............. 2,080........................4 ........... 0.032 ...........0.032 ...........0.032........... 0.032 .............0.033 ...........-0.001 ........... -3.030 ...............0.032.............. 0.031...................0.032 ...................2,720,000 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 4,016,317 ...... 595,874................... 125 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ...... 11........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS AND SUKUK MARKET ...................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ...................... 500,000........... 56,000........................1 ............0.112 ........... 0.112............0.112 ............0.112 ............. 0.110............ 0.002..............1.818.................0.112 .............. 0.112...................0.000 ..................33,907,900.........0.100 OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 ..............................................1,596 .................. 160........................2 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100............0.101 ............. 0.101............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.100..............0.100...................0.104...................32,283,910 .........0.100 OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 ..................... 37,330 ...............3,472........................4 ........... 0.093 ...........0.093 ...........0.093........... 0.093 .............0.095 ...........-0.002 ........... -2.105 ...............0.093..............0.093...................0.099...................30,147,030 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 538,926 ............59,631........................7 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 3........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

— United Securities

EXPERT’S OPINION

‘India’s biggest growth challenge to come from within country’ WASHINGTON: India’s rising growth helps in painting a brighter global economic outlook despite China’s slowdown, a well known global investment strategist has said while cautioning that India’s biggest risk may come from “inside the country”. And with India still being predominantly an agricultural country which depends on rain, the analyst

cautioned the global investor community that from now on, weather may be a factors in deciding the fate of the global economy. Brighter outlook “India’s rising growth helps to paint a brighter global economic outlook, despite a slowing China. In the near-term, interest rate cuts by the central bank combined with

government infrastructure spending is helping to boost growth in India,” Jeffrey Kleintop, senior vicepresident, Chief Global Investment Strategist of Charles Schwab said in analysis released on Tuesday. Observing that India’s biggest risk may come from inside the country, he said India’s economy is much more dependent on consumer spending than on demand

for exports, unlike that of China. Unique strengths “Over the longer-term, investors should take note that India’s unique strengths require inﬂation to remain contained, structural economic reform efforts to take root and drought conditions to improve in order to support the strongest growth among the

world’s economies,” he said. Noting the differences between China and India may be most pronounced in the composition of their economies, he said China’s growth has slowed down as it has evolved from an economy focused on export-driven manufacturing and infrastructure spending to a more services and consumerdriven economy. While China’s

economic transition has resulted in a near balance between sectors, with services at 48 per cent and manufacturing at 43 per cent of GDP (with the rest in agriculture), Kleintop said that in contrast, India’s services sector makes up 23 per cent more of its economy than the manufacturing sector (at 53 per cent and 30 per cent respectively). — PTI

ECONOMY

China to invest $1trillion abroad BEIJING: China is likely to invest over $1 trillion overseas and import $10 trillion commodities over the next ﬁve years, Premier Li Keqiang has said as the world’s second largest economy looks to invest its record $3.50 trillion forex reserves abroad to utilise it to spur growth. Although China’s economic growth has slowed, growth volume is increasing annually, Li

spoke at an economic and trade forum of China and Central and Eastern European countries in Suzhou, Jiangsu province on Tuesday. He said that as long as China’s annual economic growth remains above 6.5 per cent in the next few years, it can get close to the target of becoming a highincome country by 2020, official media here quoted him as saying. This will provide more oppor-

tunities for the world, including Central and Eastern European countries, he said. China is ramping up its strategy to halt the slowdown of its economy which is hovering around seven per cent. Analysts say that Li’s assertion about one trillion dollars overseas investment is a strong hint to make use of the huge foreign exchange reserves to get better returns. — PTI

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

MARKET MISYS AND EFMA STUDY

Majority of banks focus on sales over service Times News Service MUSCAT: Banks remain poorly equipped to drive customer sales and acquisition via digital channels, a new global retail banking study by Misys and Efma published recently reveals. The majority of banks (87 per cent) perform less than 10 per cent of sales via digital and for one in five banks, this figure falls to less than one per cent of sales. In addition, only 12 per cent of customer acquisition is conducted via digital channels, proving banks are failing to fully exploit online and mobile to engage customers. 40 per cent of new customer acquisition is still conducted via the branch, according to the research. SERVICE: Banks are also frustrated by an inability to create customer-driven, personal products and services. - Bloomberg file picture Globally, banks forecast that sales via digital channels will jump from 13 per cent on average technology barriers on their fail- technology environment. Banks tions, founded on core software barrier to optimising sales perfortoday up to 75 per cent in three ure to achieve greater digital sales. must develop a strategic link be- and systems that can deliver bet- mance. Indeed, a third of banks years’ time. However, banks must Vincent Bastid, CEO, Efma, tween digital channels and their ter customer experiences as well view core systems as incapable of overcome the biggest barriers to said: “Paying lip service to digital ability to support customer expe- as increase sales, all via an omni- meeting the demands of the sales process, with 12 per cent refercustomer driven sales to achieve banking is no longer an option. The riences that – crucially – result in channel approach,” he added. Core banking systems are the ring to their banks’ core system as this significant migration to digi- ambitious plans to drive the ma- sales outcomes.” “Those banks that flourish will number one technology challenge, ‘highly incapable’. tal channels. 39 per cent of banks jority of sales via digital channels Examining the business impact cite culture and 26 per cent blame are unachievable in the current be customer-focused institu- with 61 per cent stating they are a

Dubai residential market prices continue to decline According to Cluttons’ Dubai 2015-2016 Winter Residential Property Market Outlook, values for both apartments (-0.8 per cent) and villas (-0.5 per cent) dipped marginally during the third quarter,

CAUSE OF WORRY: Housing prices are expected to fall by 3 to 5 per cent over the next one year, impacted by faltering global growth and supply levels creeping upwards. - Bloomberg ﬁle picture

marking the ﬁfth consecutive quarter of price drops

Times News Service MUSCAT: Housing price growth in Dubai appears to be slowing, with a bottoming out in the market likely to happen at the tailend of 2016, according to international real-estate consultancy ﬁrm Cluttons. According to Cluttons’ Dubai 2015-2016 Winter Residential Property Market Outlook, values for both apartments (-0.8 per cent)

and villas (-0.5 per cent) dipped marginally during the third quarter, marking the ﬁfth consecutive quarter of price drops. Housing prices declines of 3 per cent to 5 per cent are expected over the next one year, impacted by faltering global growth and supply levels creeping upwards. But at the same time, infrastructure investments planned around the looming Expo 2020 will boost the rate of job creation and the rate of new households created. “We expect 7,400 units to be completed in 2016, 10,300 in 2017 and a further 13,600 in 2018, with new schemes launched during the past quarter, helping to even out the balance between villas and

apartments. Over the next three years, 48 per cent of the units delivered will be villas,” said Steven Morgan, chief executive officer (CEO) of Cluttons Middle East. The report also highlighted that away from the top end of the market, the vast majority of residential sub-markets have seen little or no change in values this year. This is partly attributed to the steady appeal of apartments to in buy-to-let investment community and reﬂected in the total number of apartment transactions during the ﬁrst nine months of 2015 being 6.6 per cent higher, compared with the same period in 2014. “We have seen the popularity of off-plan property sales persist,

M I D D L E E A S T 2 0 1 5 AWA R D

– Supplied picture

OETC wins awards Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) has recently won the Middle East 2015 Bonds, Loans and Sukuk Awards. This award is one of the most prestigious awards in this ﬁeld, which aims to raise the bar of competition in Middle Eastern organisations to reach to global levels, and is the only award for Islamic Capital Markets. OETC bonds were issued for an amount of $1 billion for a period of 10 years, maturing in 2025 at coupon of 3.958 per cent. The bonds were rated at A3 by Moody’s and BBB+ from S&P. This is the largest international bond issuance from an Omani

ﬁrm and the biggest international issuance in the capital markets to be issued outside Oman. “It is a great honour for all of us at Nama Group for one of our subsidiaries, OETC, to win the Middle East Award for Bonds, Loan and Sukuk for the year 2015 and winning in two categories. The categories under which, OETC has won are “Winner: Sovereign/quasi-sovereign ﬁnancing deal of the Year”, as well as “Runner-up: Investment Grade Bond/ Sukuk Deal of the year”. We highly appreciate the efforts that OETC’s employees have put into their work to get the company to achieve such great levels of excellence” stated Eng. Ali bin Said Al Hadabi, OETC’s CEO.

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

partly fuelled by the fact that offplan residential property prices are often 20 per cent to 30 per cent lower than completed secondary stock, which in essence might allow buyers to bypass some of the stringent lending criteria and also possibly avoid the need for a mortgage altogether,” added CEO Morgan. Federal mortgage caps Since the introduction of federal mortgage caps almost two years ago, the issue of affordability and accessibility to Dubai’s housing market has dominated headlines. “Several developers have brought schemes to the market that they present as being ‘afford-

able,’ but true affordable housing remains a vastly under-served segment of the market. The authorities need to formalise the deﬁnition of affordable housing, in terms of those who can qualify and the type of housing that needs to be created, otherwise there is a real danger that the term ‘affordable’ will be permanently diluted,” noted Faisal Durrani, head of Research at Cluttons. According to analysis carried out by Cluttons on United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Economy’s 2008 Household Income Survey, average annual expat incomes across the UAE currently stand at around Dh199,000. Average residential rents in Dubai’s freehold areas at the end of third quarter stood at Dh181,000 per annum. According to the Cluttons’ report, average mortgage multipliers in the region are around three to four times the average income. “In the UAE, this is approximately AED600,000 to AED800,000, which would typically buy a studio or a one bedroom apartment in peripheral sub-markets, such as International City, IMPZ, Dubailand or Dubai Silicon Oasis, leaving many people little option, but to continue renting. The rent to own a model has been successful in the past and has the added advantage of helping developers build an income generating portfolio that could potentially be traded as investment grade stock. Such tenanted asset sales are common in the city’s commercial market, but we are yet to see this in the Dubai’s residential market,” added Durrani.

of technology issues facing sales teams, slow time to market with new products and services is causing the most pain. Banks are also frustrated by an inability to create customer-driven, personal products and services. Mark Yamin-Ali, Retail Banking Solution Lead, Misys, said: “Banks’ neglect of customer service points to a huge missed opportunity to leverage new technologies in more sophisticated ways that not only enhance customer-relevant interactions but also drive bottom line impact. The real issue here is core banking – banks which focus only on digital to achieve customer-centricity will have a beautiful shop window, with outdated stock. Customer-centricity must be from channels to the core. And only with core modernisation, can banks reap the full beneﬁts of digital innovation.” In spite of the lack of progress achieved, 48 per cent of respondents believe ‘customer centricity’ is an overused term. Moreover, 75 per cent state that banks have not concentrated efforts on improving. BRIEFS

Sembcorp Salalah approves interim cash dividend MUSCAT: Shareholders of Sembcorp Salalah Power and Water have approved a proposal to distribute an interim cash dividend at the rate of 9.2 per cent of the capital (92 baisas per share) to shareholders listed in the register maintained by the Muscat Clearing and Depository Company as on November 24, 2015. An ordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the company was held on November 24.

Managing director of Shell Oman Marketing resigns MUSCAT: Shell Oman Marketing Company , has announced the resignation of Mr. Adil bin Ismail Al Raisi as the Managing Director, a position he has held since September 2010. Adil will remain as Managing Director until February 1, 2016. With immediate effect, the Board will start looking for a suitable replacement. Adil explained that his resignation is a personal decision as he accepted an offer to take a similar position in energy sector.

Bank of England to raise rates in 2016 LONDON: Bank of England will hike interest rates in the second quarter of next year but the timing may rest on whether the US Federal Reserve tightens policy in the world’s largest economy next month, a Reuters poll found. Bank Rate has sat at a record low 0.5 per cent since March 2009. — Times News Service/Reuters

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

FEATURE

B A N K I N G

I N

I N D O N E S I A

BUY TWO MAKE ONE Indonesia is among the most proﬁtable lending markets in the world. The country’s four largest banks, with market value exceeding $5 billion, have a return on equity of 20.4 per cent, the highest among similar-sized banks in the 20 biggest economies of the world

oreign banks that have been frustrated trying to break into one of the world’s most-profitable countries for banking, Indonesia, now may have a way. Buy two lenders, merge them — you may get management control while Indonesia gets to cut its weakest players and consolidate its banking sector. After Indonesia imposed rules three years ago that limited foreign ownership of its banks to 40 per cent, the ground shifted again this year. Regulators started saying that bidders could go above the threshold if they bought and merged two local lenders. At least two deals, by China Construction Bank Corp. and Korea’s Shinhan Bank, have been given the go-ahead. “It may be an odd way of being allowed to enter the market, but maybe it’s a relatively small price if you are taking a long-term perspective on Indonesia,” said Mark Young, the Singapore-based head of Fitch Ratings’ Asia-Pacific financial institutions group. “This market is something that any regional bank that has ambitions would look to enter.” Most profitable Indonesia is among the most profitable lending markets in the world. The country’s four largest banks, with market value exceeding $5 billion, have a return on equity of 20.4 per cent, the highest among similarsized banks in the 20 biggest economies of the world, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The banking

sector’s average net interest margin of ﬁve per cent is more than double that of Southeast Asian neighbours Singapore and Malaysia, the data show. Loan growth is expected to accelerate as much as 13 per cent next year, according to Indonesia’s banking regulator, Muliaman Hadad, chairman of the Financial Services Authority. Yet the problems and costs of merging two banks’ differing operational systems and family owners who may not want to fully cede management control make such acquisitions tricky, said Jim Antos, a Hong Kongbased analyst at Mizuho Securities Asia. In addition, Basel rules requiring more liquidity buffers for banks mean lenders could be spending precious capital for an acquisition that may not end up delivering results for years — especially in an economy that is heavily tied to commodities, which are currently in a down cycle. “It might be double the trouble actually,” said Antos. “A 2-for-1 sale is something that you ﬁnd in a retail shop, not in a banking sector. It’s not a bad idea in theory, but the reality is going to be very tough.” Valuations of Indonesia’s smallest banks have risen in the past year as indications emerged that regulations were shifting. Shares of the 10 smallest lenders listed in Indonesia have risen an average 38 per cent in the past 12 months. By comparison, the top 10 have fallen an average 29 per cent in value. China Construction Bank (CCB) said in September

It may be an odd way of being allowed to enter the market, but maybe it’s a relatively small price if you are taking a long-term perspective on Indonesia. This market is something that any regional bank that has ambitions would look to enter Mark Young Head of Asia-Pacific financial institutions Fitch Ratings it would become the controlling shareholder of Jakarta-based Bank Windu Kentjana International, which handles trade ﬁnancing and foreign currency from 78 outlets primarily on the island of Java, after the Indonesian bank bought

Bank Antardaerah in July, a small commercial bank with 30 offices in Java, Bali and Lombok. China Construction Bank said the acquisition would help it offer infrastructure lending in Indonesia as well as ﬁnancing for cross-border settlements to facilitate trade with China. “This is a critical step for CCB in entering the Indonesian market,” Qi Jiangong, CCB’s deputy general manager for strategic planning and investment, said at the September 18 signing ceremony in Jakarta for the purchase. “Indonesia has always been a high priority market for CCB’s overseas development.” Shinhan Bank Shinhan Bank also received approval to buy more than 40 per cent in two Indonesian banks it purchased in stages. Shinhan said it signed a deal for 40 per cent of Jakarta-based commercial lender Bank Metro Express PT in 2012, though it got Indonesia’s approval for the purchase only this year when it sought to buy Surabaya-based small-business lender Centratama Nasional Bank. The deal is also paving the way for Bank Negara Indonesia to open its ﬁrst branch in Seoul. The new rules allowing majority stakes make more sense for foreign buyers than buying minority stakes, said Kevin Kwek, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein in Singapore. “At 40 per cent or below, you are merely buying an exposure to growth,” he said. “Without effective

control, there is a limit to how much a foreign buyer can bring in expertise, know- how and a host of other intent to drive value out of an acquisition.” After failing to win regulatory approval for a majority stake in 2013, Singapore’s DBS Group Holdings scrapped plans to buy PT Bank Danamon Indonesia. Pushing consolidation Indonesia, with 118 commercial banks, is pushing for banking consolidation. With its top 10 banks accounting for more than 60 per cent of total assets, the country is trying to weed out the bottom performers. The Financial Services Authority’s Hadad said last year that the regulator would push small lenders to merge or seek strategic investors, as well as increase industry oversight by tightening nonperforming loan levels. “For consolidation, it’s not enough for them to acquire just one bank,” Irwan Lubis, the regulator’s deputy commissioner of banking supervision, said on September 18. The CCB deal “should be a lesson for other investors interested in acquiring Indonesian banks. Hopefully with this example, they will know what to do next.” He said regulators would consider previously stated criteria such as reciprocity between Indonesia and the buying bank’s country, and whether the buyer would help to grow the economy, when deciding whether to approve controllingstake acquisitions. — Bloomberg News

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015 SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

Love us on Facebook

ROUND-UP SPECIAL OCCASION

Haya Water senior staff honoured on 45th National Day

OHI Group celebrates National Day in style The 45th National Day was celebrated at its corporate headquarters in Al Khuwair

MUSCAT: OHI Group, one of the leading business conglomerates in the Sultanate, celebrated the 45th National Day at its corporate headquarters in Al Khuwair with

great fervour and enthusiasm. Staff from across the group’s various companies participated in the celebrations, says a press release. Speaking on the occasion,

FESTIVE OCCASION

Maqbool Hameed Al Saleh, chairman of the OHI Group, said: “The 45th National Day is indeed very special. His Majesty’s vision is a guiding light for all of us in terms of the progress and prosperity we have enjoyed as his loyal subjects. I am delighted to see the way our staff has come together to celebrate this special occasion.” Earlier, Ammar Maqbool Al Saleh, executive vice-chairman of the Group, started the celebrations with the cake cutting. The

entire office building was also decorated in ﬂag colours with a large portrait of His Majesty the Sultan placed at the front of the building as part of the celebrations. The OHI Group is a premier business house in Oman with several subsidiaries, associate companies and strategic join ventures, and a well-diversiﬁed presences across key industry sectors. The group prides itself in building success through enduring partnerships it has with all stakeholders.

MUSCAT: Coinciding with the Sultanate’s celebrations of the glorious 45th National Day, Haya Water organised a special celebration on this occasion under the patronage of Engineer Mohsen bin Mohammed Al Sheikh, president of Muscat Municipality and chairman of Haya Water Board and with the participation of the leadership team and all Haya employees. The celebration took place on recently at the company’s headquarters. The celebration included various activities that reflect the joy of the staff on this happy occasion, says a press release. Haya Water main building was also decorated with the flags of Oman and pictures of His Majesty the Sultan as an expression of our pride in the achievements made by the Sultanate in various fields throughout the last 45 years of the Renaissance. During the event also, the company honoured the employees who completed ten years at Haya Water. Engineer Hussain bin Hassan Abdul Hussain, chief executive officer of Haya Water, expressed his delight on this occasion and said: “On behalf of all Haya Water staff, I would also like to seize this opportunity to express our best greetings to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said wishing him good heath,

happiness and long life, and the Omani people more progress and prosperity under his wise leadership praying to Almighty Allah to return this occasion on him and the Omani people with eminence and glory.” “The leadership team, through the organisation of this event, intended to share with the Omani people the celebration of this glorious day and to express love and loyalty of Haya Water staff towards His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. This celebration also aims to recognize different achievements in various ﬁelds,” he added. The CEO emphasised on the consideration and support that His Majesty has granted to the infrastructure sector in the Sultanate through future plans and programs which aim to heavily involve the private sector in the development process. Moreover, the execution of the treated wastewater project seeks to keep pace with the growing population and construction boom in all the wilayats and governorates of the Sultanate. In addition, Haya Water was recently assigned for the development, construction, management, operation and maintenance of the wastewater systems indifferent wilayats and governorates of the Sultanate except Dhofar.

C E L E B R AT I O N

45th National Day at Badr Al Samaa

Grand National Day celebration at PSM

MUSCAT: Oman reached great heights under the glorious Renaissance and wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The awesome achievements made by the nation were celebrated recently by Badr Al Samaa healthcare group on its premises. The board directors Abdul Latheef, V. T. Vinod, senior management, members from different media, doctors and staff were present at the function. The Omani national anthem was played during the function, followed by cutting of cake by the directors, distribution of traditional Omani halwa, kahwa and sweets, says a press release. “We extend our gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, a great visionary ruler, for bringing great transparency in the system, ﬁnest infrastructure, stateof-the-art healthcare facilities, excellent land and air connectivity and balanced economy. We are proud to have such an outstanding leader and salute him for his great efforts in making Oman one of the

most important countries in the region. Let’s pray to the Almighty to protect His Majesty, grant him good health, happiness, long life and success,” said Abdul Latheef, director, Badr Al Samaa group of hospitals. “I have been in the Sultanate for the last 38 years and this is my 38th National celebration with the people of Oman. I have experienced tremendous growth and prosperity of this blessed nation has come through all these years and I have also been greatly touched by His Majesty’s charis-

matic leadership and vision for the future of his people,” said V. T. Vinod, director Badr Al Samaa. Started in 2002 “Badr Al Samaa started its operation in 2002. Having ﬁrmly ingrained Badr Al Samaa’s name in public hearts and having branded it as a reliable and dependable household name across the region, I deeply acknowledge the support given to us by His Majesty and the people of Oman. We are thankful to the secular and cosmopolitan Omani society for

understanding and accepting us,” he added. “Various business communities in the Sultanate of Oman have provided employment opportunities to many people under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Under the benevolent vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the large, diverse, accomplished and highly regarded different business communities have ﬂourished in the Sultanate of Oman,” said Saleh Obaid Humaid Al Rashdi, personnel manager, Badr Al Samaa.

G R E AT T R I B U T E

MUSCAT: As part of the patriotic festivity on Oman’s 45th National Day, Pakistan School Muscat (PSM) organised a friendly cricket match between Oman National Youth Development team and Pakistan School Muscat. The evening exhibited the true Omani colours with the spirit of owning the jubilation by Pakistani community, says a press release. Al Shaikh Abdullah Zahir bin Saif Al Hussni attended the occasion as the chief guest whereas Shaikh ShehabYousuf Alawi Al Ibrahim, a renowned businessman and managing director, Al Alawi Real Estate, Ahmad Mohammad Hassan Al Yahmadi, director of Private Sports, Ministry of Sports Affairs, Colonel Shaikh Nassa Al Khanjari – assistant director, Public Relations Department, Royal Oman Police and Dad Al Balushi, member Oman Cricket Board, were the guests of honour. The chairman BODs Adnan Shahzad, members BODs, Attaullah Niazi, senior principal Pakistan School System, Khalid Jadoon, principal PSM, Munnazza Ghafoor, principal junior school, faculty members and a large number of Pakistan community were also present. National Youth Development team batted ﬁrst, reaching a to-

tal of 175 runs to be chased by the team of Pakistan School Muscat in 12 overs. Extending their ﬁrst rate performance to the next innings, NYDT made it a tough chase for PSM, claiming the trophy with a comfortable victory. A special prayer for the continued success of Oman and the long and healthy life of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said was also held. Welcoming the guests, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Pakistan School Muscat, representing the Omanis, said that lately Oman has emerged as a country with noticeable prosperity in all the sectors and everyone in the Sultanate was beneﬁtting from these attainments. He conveyed his indebtedness to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos for being a phenomenal founder of the Modern Oman. Shaikh Abdullah Zahir bin Saif Al Hussni expressed his gratitude to Pakistani community for organising such an impressive celebration and being an integral part of Oman’s march to progress. He commended the strong bond between Oman and Pakistan. The chief guest gave the medals to the players and the trophy to the captain of National Youth Development team. The guests were presented with the special souvenirs from Pakistan School Muscat.

3,500 students, 300 employees of Indian School Wadi Kabir get together to celebrate National Day MUSCAT: The 45th National Day of Oman was celebrated with great splendour by the management, staff and students of the Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir (ISWK), says a press release. It was a grand momentous occasion as 3,500 students, 300 teaching and non-teaching staff and the Omani staff of the school congregated on the school ground to extend their heartfelt and earnest felicitations to the benevolent ruler His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the hospitable people of Oman. The spectacular progression of events for the special day was awe-inspiring as the procession of students, members of the school managing committee, staff and parents walked round the ﬁeld displaying beﬁtting banners and pictures that hailed the leader and the glory of Oman. The National Anthem brought forth the ceremonious fervour of the occasion and the prayer that followed, entreated the blessings

of the Almighty for a long and healthy life for the compassionate leader and for peace and prosperity for the people of Oman. The celebratory event then had on display fabulous, breathtaking formations modeled by the students of the primary and the senior school. The impressive formation depicting the 45th National Day, had students form the number 45 surrounded by the colours of the national ﬂag and the rays depicting glory and radiance. The silhouette of the map of Oman permeated by students with the three colours — white, red and

green was a treat to the eyes. The enthusiasm continued with a soulful rendering of an Arabic song by the students of Std V acclaiming His Majesty as a father ﬁgure and thanking him for being a visionary leader and blessing Oman and its people with development and prosperity. The thrilling facet of the programme was the spontaneous participation of the Omani staff of the school and their families who staged traditional dances with songs and folklore that not only added colour to the show but made evident the close bond in school

between the local and the Indian community and the affection and cordiality shared by them. The fusion dance performed by the students of the senior school showcased the merging and blending of the popular Omani music and dance with the traditional and captivating song and dance of Rajasthan. The programme by ISWK was without doubt, a testimony of the homage paid to the magnanimous leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the love and deference that they hold for the people of the Oman.

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

ROUND-UP E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Dance competition on November 27 MUSCAT: The much-awaited International Group dance competition, being organised by Majan Events Management, in association with Angels Dance Group, is all set to be held at City Amphitheatre in Qurum on November 27. The show, scheduled to start at 6.45pm, endeavours to bring the best dancing flair in front of the massive audience with 250 children and students performing on the stage. The show features a format where dancers from a variety of styles will perform in the finals, , says a press release. Famous Bollywood choreographer and actor Dharmesh will be the judge in this competition. An expert in freestyle dancing, dance choreographer for the movie ‘Tees Maar Khan’, he has worked in the 3D dance-based film ABCD — Anybody Can Dance and his recently released ABCD 2 movie. Huge audience is thrilled, excited and waiting to see live performance of Dharmesh on the stage along with the participants. Apart from the spectacular dance show, the event also has a musical performance by Nadeem Live in concert, a self-taught Omani singer who released an album with songs

Bank Muscat to hold Open Day at Al Mouj Range of offers to be available from December 3 to 5 includes special interest rate on personal loans; 6 months payment holiday on home loans; free credit card and free personal protection insurance plan

in six different languages. The master of ceremony is RJ Prince from 89.1 Radio 4 FM Dubai who with his refreshing voice and charming personality will host this show with all the deal he has in his entertaining box. Those interested in attending the show may call 93293247 for invitation passes.

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, is offering a neverto-be-missed opportunity for citizens and residents to avail exclusive personal finance offerings in the concluding Open Day to be held at Al Mouj (The Wave). The three-day event to be held at The Walk, Al Mouj from December 3 to 5, coincides with the popular winter carnival at the Sultanate’s premier integrated tourism complex. The timing of the Open Day event at Al Mouj is from 5pm to 10pm, says a press release. The range of unique offers to

HONOUR

be only available at the Open Day include special interest rate on personal loans; 6 months payment holiday on home loans; quick disbursement; free Bank Muscat credit card and free personal protection insurance plan. Visitors also have numerous chances to win attractive gifts. Notably, exclusive home ﬁnance and insurance offers are available for Al Mouj residents. The Open Day facilitates a unique opportunity for citizens and residents to explore emerging real estate investment opportunities in Al Mouj.

To avail the offers, customers are required to submit copy of national identity card or resident card, salary assignment letter, passport copy for expatriates and address proof of water or electricity bill or rental agreement. Bank Muscat has joined hands with Al Mouj to host the popular winter carnival which is set to transform the waterfront complex into an enchanting frozen world. The three-day winter themed event include concerts, games, fun activities and entertainment for the whole family. Set against the backdrop of the popular carnival, the Open Day promises to be an engaging and rewarding experience for Bank Muscat customers. Aimed at simplifying and enhancing convenience to help customers meet their financial requirements, the unique Open Day initiative was launched by the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate as part of its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision. The concept of the Open Day is to provide a unique opportunity for customers to avail personal finance at their convenience. The

exclusive opportunity reiterates the bank’s commitment to extending the helping hand to fulfill the financial needs of customers. This is the first time a finance offer of this kind with a range of add-on benefits is being made available to the largest banking family in Oman. 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. Committed to supporting economic growth and sustainable development, the bank utilises every opportunity to reiterate partnership in building the nation by creating opportunities for individuals and businesses to grow and prosper. Doing more is the forte of Bank Muscat - more for the economy, more for the community and more for the individual. The bank has incorporated sustainable best practices and is fully equipped to guide customers through all stages of banking life, whether it be savings, investments, financing or just reliable financial advice.

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

Al Madina Takaful wins ‘General Khimji’s Watches rewards NBO Takaful Company of Year’ award Golf Classic winner with Rolex MUSCAT: Al Madina Takaful has become the proud recipient of one of the most coveted awards in the insurance industry in the Middle East. The company was named ‘General Takaful Company of the Year’ at the second Middle East Insurance Industry Awards 2015 held in Dubai, says a press release. The awards ceremony marked a long journey of the awards programme that attracted close to 280 nominations in different categories from across the region. The judges’ panel comprised about 26 leading members from the Middle East business world. The gala awards ceremony was well attended by delegates from the insurance and ancillary industries. Speaking at the awards ceremony, Gautam Datta, CEO, Al Madina Insurance, said, “It gives us great pride to be chosen as the General Takaful Company of the Year in the entire Middle East region. As the ﬂag bearer of the industry, we are proud to bring this award to Oman, and we dedicate this as a special gift for the industry and country on the magniﬁcent occasion of the country’s 45th National Day.” “Oman is a relatively new en-

trant into the world of takaful, and securing this award in the nascent stages of the industry will give all the players conﬁdence and the encouragement to go further. We extend our thanks to the CMA for their continuous support, and to our business partners who inspire our performance. Thanks also goes to all our staff who are living our values, this is a celebration of all their efforts,” he added. Speaking on what this award means to the organisation, Usama Al Barwani, deputy CEO, Al Madina Insurance added, “This award inspires us to continue performing

our role in providing leadership to the Takaful Industry in Oman and the region. We will continue to excel in the way we engage with our stakeholders – policyholders, employees, shareholders, intermediaries, regulators and all those in our sphere of influence. We will strive to innovate in the way we engage, in the way we find solutions and in the way we achieve our goals.” Al Madina is at the forefront of innovation in the insurance industry, and in a series of firsts introduced mInsurance, a powerpacked mobile app, and a self-service concept in the form of a kiosk.

MUSCAT: Anil Khimji, director of Khimji Ramdas Group, the business conglomerate in Oman that includes Khimji’s Watches, recently presented a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer to Portuguese golfer Gouveia Ricardo for his win at the NBO Golf Classic grand final. Ricardo outperformed 45 other professional golfers to take the final event of the challenge Tour Season -- with the top 15 players in the ‘Road to Oman’ rankings progressing to the European Tour, says a press release. The event began with the muchawaited Pro Am tournament, in which aspiring amateur golfers from Oman teamed up with professionals to win the Pro Am title. Khimji’s Watches had two teams representing Rolex, one of which won the Pro Am title. Madhursinh Jesrani, general manager of Khimji’s Watches, said: “We were proud to be a part of this event. The NBO Golf Classic is a highly anticipated annual event for Oman’s golfing community. Gouveia Ricardo played spectacularly throughout the tournament, and was presented with a Rolex Explorer. The watch

was handed over by Anil Khimji at the prize giving ceremony.” “Rolex embodies excellence and perfection and has been an avid global supporter of golf for

over ﬁve decades. As the only Rolex retailer in the country, we are proud to further the brand’s timeless reputation and prestige in Oman,” Jesrani added.

EXCITING OFFER

Easy way to realise your dream of owning a new Kia Optima MUSCAT: For all those who have dreamt of cruising in style behind the wheel of a shiny new Optima … the time is now! Yes, it is the best time to realise the dream of owning an Optima that too with an offer that presents customers with a cash gift of OMR1,300 or a service package lasting 18 months/30,000km (whichever is earlier) together with one-year insurance…and on top of it all – a cash gift of OMR700. The best part is that the cash gift amount can be used as part of down payment. There also is an attractive offer on 14YM Optima whereby customers can avail a cash gift of OMR1,500 or 5 years/100,000km service package (whichever is earlier) together with one year insurance and a cash gift of OMR600,

says a press release. But there is no time to waste as the scheme period is from October 25 to December 24. “Don’t wait any longer or you may regret,” says an Optima customer, “The offer is really good… so go for it, now!” The stunningly styled Kia Optima stands apart from others, delivering a fun-to-drive performance. Some of Optima’s trailblazing features include an innovative motordriven ‘D’ shaped steering wheel. “Just the feel of the wheel is enough to add a new thrill to the driving,” is the reaction of an enthusiast. The Optima also features a drive selector with a choice of eco, normal or sport modes. Optima’s LED daytime front running lights (DRL), fog lamps and darknesspiercing Xenon headlamps light up

the road ahead, says a press release. The Xenon headlamps also have cornering lighting – that anticipates corners and lights up the dark spaces. Adding to the safety is the Vehicle Stability Manage-

ment (VSM) system that keeps the Optima balanced and steady. This is further enhanced by the front and rear sensors. The Optima personality is further enhanced with the ﬁtment of the newly designed

225/45 R 18 alloy wheels – that add a scintillating touch to the sharp looks of the vehicle! Optima’s 2.4 L (178 HP), dual exhaust engine is mated with a 6-speed auto transmission. The steering controls include Bluetooth/cruise/paddle shifter/eco/ audio/trip computer. The rear view camera & back warning sensors aid in parking the vehicle while the dual zone auto A/C and rear A/C vents keep all occupants comfortable. The panoramic sunroof and rear spoiler add to its luxurious feel. Apart from these the Optima includes driver and passenger Airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS), cool glove box, power lumbar support, gull-wing type power folding outer mirrors with LED turn

indicators, fog lamps & escort headlamp function, wood grain steering/ TGS knob. The Optima is on display at the showroom – for those who wish to have a closer look! Reliable International Automotive (RIA), the distributor for Kia in Oman, provides a rewarding ownership experience for customers. Excellent product attributes and unmatched facilities easily ensure their absolute satisfaction, every mile of the way. No wonder then that Reliable International Automotive has been ranked amongst the top Kia distributors worldwide and has been honoured with prestigious accolades including the ‘Good Partnership award, ‘Family Like Care’ Service award’, and ‘Kia ‘Distributor of Distinction’ award.

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015 SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

Love us on Facebook

ROUND-UP

TELECOM

Allo’s international mobile top-up service launched MUSCAT: Allo, the market leading international calling service from Integrated Telecommunications Oman (TeO), announced the launch of a new service for international mobile top-up. TeO recently signed an agreement with Ding, a global provider of mobile top-up service with a network of 350 telecom operators across 130 countries worldwide, to enable the international top up service for all its brands, says a press release. Allo customers will now be able to top up any international prepaid mobile account at the click of a button anytime and from anywhere as per their convenience. The service will be available from Allo’s recently launched mobile app called AlloApp available for download from Google Play for Android smartphones. Customers can then top up any mobile account using their Allo credits and further recharge their Allo credits by purchasing Allo cards available all over the Sultanate in denominations of OMR1 and OMR5. The Allo international mobile top-up service will currently be available for 14 countries — Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Kuwait, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the UAE. Depending on the country and the telecom operator, customers can transfer credits from three different options starting from 275 baisas. Darren Tong, COO and acting CEO at TeO commented on the signing of the agreement with

Toyota offers cash gift Ding, “Allo as a telecom brand has been focused on bringing people together even when they are geographically far apart. Our market leading international call rates allow both expatriates and nationals in Oman to stay connected with their families and friends abroad. The addition of the international mobile top up service will further allow them to stay connected with their loved ones wherever they may be located.” Muhannad Hassan, general manager (Europe & Middle East) at Ding added, “We are happy to announce a new partnership between Ding and TeO in the Sultanate of Oman. TeO customers will be able to send international mobile top up to their family and friends wherever they are in the world through AlloApp around the Sultanate of Oman. Our partnership will further expand in 2016 to include other TeO channels available in Oman. This highlights our ongoing commitment to make it easier for our customers to stay in touch with their loved ones back home through the leading retail channels.”

The main attraction of the scheme is that customers can now pay only OMR499 and own a brand new Toyota

MUSCAT: Owning a Toyota sedan is more than just a matter of joy. It is a feeling of conﬁdence, knowing that Toyota models not merely perform well, they last long and command a good resale value even after many years of use. Now, Toyota’s best-loved passenger car range models are being offered with a ‘cash gift like never before’, says a press release. “Customers can now pay only OMR499 and own a brand new Toyota,” said a company spokesperson. This amount is payable by customers in addition to cash gift offered in the scheme which can be used as down payment for 2016 YM/2015 production model of

Yaris sedan 1.5 E. The amount payable varies for other Toyota passenger car models/grades as applicable. This is available only during the campaign period from November 22 to January 21. Beneﬁts are applicable for all purchases except those made by government organisations and ministries. “There also is an assured cash gift of up to OMR1,100. This assured cash gift is applicable on Yaris hatchback and all Toyota sedans only and the amount varies between model, model variants and model year. It can also be used as part of down payment,” added the spokesperson. “The scheme makes the Toyota passenger car range models simply

irresistible,” exclaims an enthusiast, “These iconic products have won over many hearts with their style, quality and value.” Toyota’s passenger cars range models include the Yaris hatchback, Yaris sedan, Corolla, Camry, Aurion and Avalon. The 2016 Yaris hatchback has a sporty design and an impressive proﬁle. Class-leading performance is powered by a 1.5 L VVT-i engine with a maximum output of 107 HP and a maximum torque of 14.4 Kg-m. A worthy choice, the 2016 Toyota Yaris is an exciting sedan, available in 1.5 L and 1.3 L engine choices; Toyota Yaris also has a compact 4-speed automatic gearbox delivering excellent response and a smooth gearshift. Toyota Corolla is a pride to own and a joy to drive. It offers two engine variants. Customers can choose a powerful 2.0 L engine with maximum power of 143 HP (Net). The second option is a 1.6 L engine delivering 121 HP (Net). The recently launched 2016 Toyota Camry has raised the bar yet again in the mid-size sedan

S H O W O F PAT R I O T I S M

NEW ROLE

Al Hassan Group celebrates 45th National Day MUSCAT: Al Hassan Group of Companies recently organised a get-together to celebrate Oman’s 45th National Day. Festive fervour prevailed in the office as different initiatives were organised to pay tribute to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the culture and heritage of this beautiful nation. Al Hassan’s various offices were were dressed up in national colours and the photos of His Majesty adorned every corner of the buildings in what became a beautiful display of patriotism, says a press release. On the day of the event, the employees turned up wearing the

traditional costume with badges and scarves that featured the specially designed 45th anniversary logo. Various company-wide initiatives were organised as part of the celebrations like a photography contest, distribution specially designed merchandise and the cutting of a huge cake in the midst of an enthusiastic gathering on November 18. Heartfelt messages wishing His Majesty a prosperous long life were heard all across as well as displayed on banners put up on the buildings and advertisements that were featured in mainline newspapers. Hassan Ali Salman, chairman

of the Group said: “His Majesty’s leadership has over the years facilitated our growth as one of the leading contracting, manufacturing and trading companies in Oman as well as the region. It is indeed our pride and good fortune to be a part of Oman’s journey of success. This is a landmark year and we are proud of how Oman has developed into a modern nation, with excellent infrastructure, health, education and other facilities. On this very positive note, we wish His Majesty continued good health as we embark on another year of progress under his successful stewardship.”

M U S C AT R OA D S H O W

Godrej roadshow on real estate project at Haffa House MUSCAT: ‘Godrej The Trees’ international roadshow is currently on at Hotel Haffa House, Ruwi, and will continue till November 29. The road show is a planned strategy globally to have international presence in this ﬂagship project, one of the largest real estate development projects located on the Eastern Express Highway, Vikhroli, Mumbai in western India. Conceived as an extensive 34acre mixed used development, the design carefully choreographs a robust programme of residential, retail, hotel and corporate work spaces that also houses the group’s new headquarters, Godrej One, says a press release. Godrej Sky is a premium residential project located in Byculla, very close to the Byculla zoo (Jijamata Udyaan).

segment with a bold, bumper-tobumper redesign to open a new chapter in the illustrious history of the world’s most popular mid-size sedan. With a striking new design, and more dynamic handling, the new Toyota Camry is truly in a league of its own. The luxurious Aurion is available with 6-speed multimode automatic transmission, with a 3.5 -litre engine and a maximum output of 268 HP, delivering top-class level fuel economy and a powerful driving experience. The Toyota Avalon is a sedan par excellence. It utilizes a 3.5-litre, six-cylinder engine that features Dual VVT-i. The V6 Engine produces 273 horsepower and provides the Avalon with remarkable acceleration. This ﬂagship model from the Toyota stable redeﬁnes luxury and sophistication. In Oman, the nationwide parts and service network of Saud Bahwan Automotive supports Toyota’s outstanding product quality. No wonder then that today, Toyota is one of the most trusted and well-known brands.

The project will have 146 exclusive residences, spread over 66 ﬂoors. Situated strategically at the Gateway of South MumbaiByculla, Godrej Sky does not only

provide you breathtaking views but also one of the most spacious apartments and exclusivity like never before. Be it luxury or convenience, units at Godrej Sky are

second to none. With a range of product mix, on multiple ﬂoors, Godrej Sky offers units with luxury of villa and ease of an apartment, added the press release.

Product mix With an interesting product mix of 2 BHK, 3 BHK, 4 BHK units, duplex and penthouses, picture yourself in a home with views of harbor, race course and zoo. All units will give you the rich feel that you deserve along with privacy. Few apartments come with 180 degree view of the serene surroundings Established in 1990, Godrej Properties brings the Godrej Group philosophy of innovation and excellence to the real estate industry. Godrej Properties aspires to be among India’s top three real estate companies while continuing to be the most trusted name in the industry. Godrej Properties has completed several landmark projects and is currently developing signiﬁcant projects in 11 cities across India.

Nicolas Labban appointed general manager of Havas Worldwide Muscat

MUSCAT: Nicolas Labban, a key individual who has played an instrumental role in the growth of Havas Worldwide, Abu Dhabi, will now take over Havas Worldwide Muscat operations as the company’s new general manager. He will be responsible of overseeing all strategic planning and related activities of the company, says a press release. Labban, a veteran in the world of strategic and operational management, has an invaluable industry experience of over 21 years. Running and managing agencies in both Lebanon and the UAE, he has successfully and with great versatility managed a gamut of prestigious brands across various categories, marketing and advertising them through a range of media channels. An entrepreneur by nature, his exceptional business ﬂair is backed by a Bachelor in Business Administration and his exceptional leadership skills stem from an inherent passion for mentoring and developing others. Labban’s original thinking and strong perseverance will raise the bar for the profession as a whole, setting new industry standards for advertising agencies in Oman.

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, N OVEM B ER 26, 2015

SECTION

UNDERWOOD SEES ‘EXCITING TIMES FOR CRICKET’

SPOR

YOUR GAME

INSIDE LIFESTYLE

THE ARABIAN BLIGHTS OF OMAN SO TO SPEAK BY SALEH AL-SHAIBANY >C9

>C6

Bilal wrecks Hong Kong as Oman seal T20I series with thrilling win Aamir Kaleem, Adnan Ilyas bat Oman to respectability before Bilal Khan restricts Hong Kong four runs short of target

ABU DHABI: Bilal Khan’s fourwicket haul and Aamir Kaleem’s unbeaten 42 stood out in Oman’s four-run win over Hong Kong in the second Twenty20 International at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The win gave Oman the threematch series after it had won the first game by six wickets. Batting first, Oman put up 131 for 6, and then it bowled out Hong Kong for 127 with one ball in hand. In its chase, Hong Kong lost Anshuman Rath off the first ball of the innings when Bilal had him caught behind with a slightly widish delivery. Bilal struck in his next over again when Waqas Barkat was caught behind in almost similar fashion. Babar Hayat and Mark Chapman put on 36 runs to put the chase back on track, but Zeeshan Maqsood bowled Chapman for 20. Maqsood made two more impressions after that as he had Hayat out for 27 and Tanwir Afzal, the captain, for seven to finish with figures of 3 for 22. Nizakat became the ninth man to fall in the last over of the match, bowled by Bilal.

STROKEFUL KNOCK: Aamir Kaleem played well to give Oman a respectable total.

After that, Hong Kong needed ﬁve runs in four balls, but, Bilal, who returned 4 for 20 — his career-best effort — bowled Nadeem Ahmed off the penultimate ball. Earlier in the day, Oman’s innings had been steered by the 47run stand between Adnan Ilyas and Kaleem. Ilyas was run out for a run-a-ball 37 in the 15th over, but Kaleem remained unbeaten to take the team past the 130-run mark. Kaleem, who faced just 31 balls, hit four fours and a six. The last match of the series will be played on Thursday. — ICC

DEADLY SPELL: Bilal Khan ran through Hong Kong to hand Oman win.

SCOREBOARD

OMAN Z. Maqsood c B. Hayat b T. Afzal K. Ali c W. Barkat b A. Khan J. Singh c B. Hayat b H. Amjad A. Ilyas run out (Carter) A. Kaleem not out Z. Siddiqui c & b A. Khan A. Ali lbw b A. Khan S. Ahmed not out Extras (lb-2, w-4) Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-17, 3-43, 4-90, 5-99, 6-114 Bowling: Tanwir Afzal 4-0-27-1; Haseeb Amjad 4-0-18-1;

0 27 6 37 42 2 6 5 6 131

Aizaz Khan 4-0-22-3; Anshuman Rath 4-0-25-0; Waqas Khan 1-0-12-0; Nadeem Ahmed 3-0-25-0 HONG KONG A. Rath c S. Ahmed b B. Khan 0 W. Barkat c S. Ahmed b B. Khan 10 B. Hayat c Amir Ali b Z. Maqsood 27 MS Chapman b Z. Maqsood 20 N. Khan b B. Khan 29 T. Afzal c Lalcheta b Z. Maqsood 7 W. Khan c A. Kaleem b K. Ali 0 A. Khan c B. Khan b Ansari 13 C. Carter c A. Kaleem b K. Ali 15 H. Amjad not out 2

N. Ahmed b B. Khan 0 Extras (lb-2, w-2) 4 Total (all out; 19.5 overs) 127 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-13, 3-49, 4-71, 5-86, 6-87, 7-104, 8-124, 9-127, 10-127 Bowling: Bilal Khan 3.5-0-20-4; M. Ansari 3-0-20-1; A. Lalcheta 4-0-31-0; Zeeshan Maqsood 4-0-22-3; Amir Ali 2-0-13-0; Khawar Ali 3-0-19-2 Toss: Hong Kong, who chose to ﬁeld Series: Oman led the 3-match series 2-0 Umpires: VA Kulkarni (India) and Sarika Prasad (Singapore) Match referee: D Govindjee (South Africa) Reserve umpire: Rabiul Hoque

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

SPORTS

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY INSTALL WHATSNEWS

Stay ahead of the curve with WhatsNews

TENNIS

LIGHTS ON, OMAN CRICKET UNVEILS NEW FACILITIES AT AL AMERAT Oman Cricket on Wednesday unveiled its newly installed ﬂoodlights for Ministry of Sports Affairs Groun 1 in Al Amerat. The contract for the design, supply and installation of 6 Pole Flood Light Systems was awarded to and undertaken by Rukun Al Yaqeen International LLC in June 2015. The completion of the Flood Light installation is in line with the commencement of the Muscat Pharmacy & Stores sponsored Senior Premier Division and the National Team’s preparation for the ICC World Cup T20 in January-February 2016. Oman Cricket official Pankaj Khimji said it is a historic day, “I appreciate the efforts of each and every one and for achieveing the feat of infrastructure developmen in a speciﬁc time frame. It feels great and very soon we will experience the joy of playing cricket in night.” Oman Cricket’s general secretary Madhu Jesrani also poured praises. “It’s a special feeling to stand in the ground with lights on. From January next year we will play the One-day games in the day and the T20 matches in the night. It will be a great 2016 for us,” said Madhu. — Supplied photos

Murali, Subash win titles at ISC

R. Murali and Mohan Kannan.

MEN’S SINGLES: Yash Tanna and Subash Pillai.

MUSCAT: R. Murali and Subash Pillai won titles at the Falcon Insurance Company-sponsored Annual Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club Muscat. Murali won the veterans’ singles and Subash captured the men’s singles title. R. Murali, the No. 2 seed scored a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 11-9 victory to upset top seed Mohan Kannan in the final. Mohan drew first blood and led 3-0 before Murali bounced back and broke Mohan in the fourth game and reeled four games in a row and broke again to win the first set. Mohan achieved the first break in the third game of the second set and controlled the tempo. Although Murali broke back, Mohan was up to the task, broke again in the seventh game and served out the set for one-all. The third set super tie-breaker was a cliffhanger.

Mohan raced to a 6-1 lead when Murali staged a brilliant rearguard action to level at 7-all. Scores went neck and neck until 9-all when a brilliant crosscourt by Murali earned him match-point. Mohan was serving to save the title, but double-faulted to hand the title to Murali. Teenagers ruled the court in the men’s singles event as teenagers Subash Pillai and Yash Tanna battled it out in the final before Subash lifted the title with a 6-4, 6-1 victory. After a keen tussle and the first set going on serve, Subash earned the first break in the ninth game but was broken back. Subash broke again to win the first set and then dominated the second to win it convincingly to claim the men’s singles crown, his first of three possible titles in the tournament.

VETERANS’ SINGLES:

FOOTBALL

OFA appoints Saleh Al Farsi as head of competitions committee MUSCAT: The Oman Football Association appointed today Saleh Abdullah Al Farsi as head of the competitions committee as he replaced Ahmed Abdullah Al Habsi, who has left Oman for a year on a scholarship. Saleh Al Farsi has previously been General Secretary of the OFA and is the currently the second Vice Chairman of the OFA Board of Directors. He holds other signiﬁcant positions in the GCC and AFC as well.

Azzan and Fahad for King Hamad Trophy The competition will be challenging for the Omani golfers

Saleh Al Farsi

as some of the top golfers have entered their name in the competition

MUSCAT: It’s time for some tests and turns for Omani golfers yet again. It’s time for King Hamad Trophy, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the GCC’s golﬁng calendar. The OGC (Oman Golf Committee) has entered the names of its experienced golfer Azaan Al Rumhy and young gun Fahad Al Kitani to represent the country in the big championship, which is into its 8th year. The tournament is all set to begin on November 26 and will continue till 28th and will be played at the iconic Royal Golf Club in Bahrain. The Omani golﬁng duo left for Bahrain on Wednesday morning. They will undergo a practice session right after reaching in the venue. Azaan said, “I am looking forward to the competition. It’s a very well organised and prestigious event with Pros from various European and Asian countries taking part.” For 16 year old Fahad, to get selected is admittedly a prestigious matter. He said, “I am thrilled that

AT PRACTICE: Azaan Al Rumhy, left and Fahad Al Kitani honing their skills for the King Hamad Trophy tournament.

I would get a chance to represent my country in the King Hamad Trophy. I will try my best to leave a mark there. I have practised well and my coach Milo Breitenwischer gave me some valuable tips about the competition. I know it will be very, very challenging for me, but I want to be at the top of my game.” The year has been very remarkable for Fahad. He has emerged as the champion in the individual gross category in the GCC Under-15 tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in March this year. He ﬁnished champion in the team event as well. The young gun continued his sparkling form with the team in the GCC Cup Kuwait in April. Fahad and his Oman junior squad teammates put up a good show and narrowly missed the sec-

ond position despite taking lead on the opening day. The team ﬁnished third in the Under-18 category, which was considered a commendable performance, given that the Omani boys were the youngest among all the competitors. “It has been a good year for me and I want to end it on a sweet note,” said Fahad. “But I am well aware of the competition level in Bahrain.” The competition will be challenging for the Omani golfers as some of the top golfers have entered their name in the competition. This year’s ﬁeld is set for 102 players from the Asian and the European region. With 22 pro golfers participating in the tournament, the organisers are expecting some stiff competition over the next few days. Defending

champion Andrew Marshall, the 2013 winner Yasin Ali and other MENA Tour regulars are ready to throw challenge at the others. Resident pro Daniel Owen as well as some top amateurs in the region are also heading their way to try and win the coveted trophy. “So, It’s a great opportunity for us especially for Fahad to rub shoulders with great golfers, including top national golfers of the GCC,” said Azaan. “I look forward to spending time with Fahad and sharing some of my experience in playing these major tournaments.” “I have played so many times on this golf course and I know this course very well. This will be my fifth year in this championship, still we need to practice here before the tournament, and it will acclamatise us with the weather and course conditions,” said Azaan Al Rumhy, Oman’s top golfer, before leaving for Bahrain. “In golf, every day is different. One small mistake can finish you for that day and affect your game, so I am very careful and cautious,” he signed off. The OGC has high hopes over Azaan and Fahad’s participation in this year’s championship, with OGC Chairman Mundhir Al Barwani wishing the players all the best. “This is a great opportunity for our golfers to shine on behalf of Oman in a major golf tournament,” Al Barwani said. “Azaan is a seasoned golfer and had already taken part in the competition several times in the past and Fahad is our young gun. He has also shaped up well for this competition. I am confident that the two of them will give their best and have a good time out there.”

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

SPORTS Thrilling start to Final Series of Laser Radial Women’s Worlds After a tough opening three days on the water, and a day of relaxation enjoying cultural activities on Reserve Day, competitors got ready for action for the ﬁnal showdown

MUSCAT: The opening races of the Final Series produced the windiest conditions seen so far at the Oman Sail-organised Laser Radial Women’s World Championship in Mussanah. After a tough opening three days on the water, and a day of relaxation enjoying cultural activities on Reserve Day, competitors were ready for action this morning for the first, final showdown. Winds that reached in excess of 16kts made for exciting racing with the cream of the fleets embracing the conditions and producing some extremely impressive racing. Although she didn’t actually win a race Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN), representing Horsens Sejlklub in Jutland, took two good starts from the middle of the line, sailed consistently and was happy to finish the day with a 4, 5 score. Rindom commented: “I was just

CONSISTENT SAILING: Joseﬁn Olsson of Sweden at the Laser Women’s Radial World Championships in Al Musannah. – Supplied photo

trying to sail my own race, not do so many tacks just sail really, really fast because that is what it is all about when there is that much wind. Because of my leading position, also, I don’t want to risk anything so my strategy is to just stick with the ﬂeet and sail my own race and do as best I can. I do not want to think about oth-

er people, especially Marit [Bouwmeester] and the other Danish girl because we have our Olympic trials here.” Marit Bouwmeester (NED), reigning World Champion and silver medallist at London 2012 demonstrated her heavy weather skills and concluded the day with a 1, 3, which lifts her into

second place overall overnight. A modest Bouwmeester commenting on the opening races of the Finals Series, said: “It was an okay day. I was naturally pleased with the ﬁrst race of the day, but my focus switched to the second race where I messed up my start. Thankfully I worked really hard

BIKERS NETWORK

ABOLISHING TOSS

Muscat Bikers celebrate National Day with a special ride in GCC countries MUSCAT: Nearly 200 bike enthusiasts celebrated the 45th National Day in style by riding across the neighbouring GCC countries. Rally Bikers Network, a GCC bike ride team comprising of various GCC nationals and residents, organised a special ride carrying the message of peace and togetherness to celebrate the 45th National Day of the Sutlanate and thanked His Majesty Sultan Qaboos for building a great nation. From the Sultanate, the Muscat Bikers’ rally started on November 14 from Muscat Grand Mall and they then rode to Qatar where they met representatives from Rally Bikers Network. Together they all rode back to Muscat Grand Mall and reached on November 18 to celebrate the national day. Speaking on the occasion, Taher Al Zadjali, chairman of Muscat Bikers said: “We want to thank His Majesty Sultan Qaboos by bringing bike lovers from our neighboring GCC countries through this event. “We wanted to celebrate this special day with this bikers as Oman has become a popular desti-

and made a good comeback, so I’m happy about that.” Number 1-ranked Evi Van Acker (BEL) had a poor ﬁrst race of the day but learned from her mistakes and rounded the day off with a ﬁrst. In race 1 she found herself in the middle of the start line and confessed she was not happy at all with her sailing.

“My upwind performance in that race had plenty of room for improvement. Getting stuck in the middle of the line wasn’t a particularly smart decision either but I learned from it and did better in the second race, so I’m happy with that.” In the second race of the day, it paid to go right off the start and that was exactly where Van Acker (30) positioned herself. “I also had good speed in the windy conditions and built up a nice lead. Thursday is all about making improvements in the opening moments of the race.” Joseﬁn Olsson (SWE), who won the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi a few weeks ago, is also sailing consistently. With 5, 4 score line, this 26-yearold from Kungliga Svenska Segel Sällskapet (KSSS) in Saltsjöbaden, Sweden, is now in fourth place. With a 15th and 27th it was not such a good day for reigning Olympic champion, Lijia Xu (CHN) who now drops down the rankings to 7th with 54 points. However, this 28-year-old sailor from Shanghai, who is back on the race scene after her two-year break to recover from sailing-related injury, says this event is all about getting back into the grove. In Silver ﬂeet, Line Flem Høst (NOR) currently holds the lead from Isabella Bertold (CAN) with Susannah Pyatt (NZL) in third. As the event reaches the penultimate day on Thursday, the competition is likely to intensify further, particularly with just four points between the top four boats. At the end of play (after 10 races are complete) a second discard will also come into play.

nation for bike enthusiasts mainly due to its strong infrastructure and terriﬁc terrain which makes the ride more special. “We also want more people

from other GCC countries to come and see for themselves what Oman has to offer and it is all possible because of our beloved Sultan and his vision to make this

country a great nation. “On this special occasion we also launched a new team called ‘Oman Bikers’ and invite every bike enthusiast to join the group.”

ISM WIN INTER-SCHOOL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Indian School Muscat won the 13th edition of Inter-school Basketball Tournament organised by Sri Lankan School Muscat. The victorious boys are with Principal Srinivas K Naidu, Head of the PE department R.S Pathyarch, coaches Harikrishna. P and Suresh M.L.. — Supplied photo

ECB discusses ways to reduce home advantage LONDON: A proposal to abolish the pre-match toss deciding which team bats first will be discussed at a meeting of the England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday. But contrary to reports, England and Wales Cricket Board source said that the away team captain would only be given the opportunity to bowl first, not bat first. If they did not want to bowl, the toss would take place as normal. The move would, however, end a tradition that dates back to the first laws of the sport, drawn up in the 1740s. It has already been approved by

the ECB cricket committee and if approved on Thursday, a oneseason experiment will take place next year in the second division of the county championship. Experiment The idea is to help prevent home teams producing pitches that favour their own bowlers, and try to ensure more games last the full four days, giving greater opportunity to spin bowlers. Any experiment would be carefully monitored in other countries before consideration was given to extending it to other competitions. - Reuters

TH UR S DAY, NOVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

SPORTS South Africa stutter after skittling India out for 215 The visitors surrendered some of the advantage and lost opener Stiaan van Zyl for a duck to off-spinner Ashwin and nightwatchman Imran Tahir (four) to Jadeja to slump to 11-2 at stumps

NAGPUR: Off-spinner Simon Harmer took four wickets while paceman Morne Morkel bagged three as South Africa skittled India for 215 in the first innings on the opening day of the third Test on Wednesday. The visitors, however, surrendered some of the advantage and lost opener Stiaan van Zyl for a duck to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and nightwatchman Imran Tahir (four) to Ravindra Jadeja to slump to 11-2 at stumps. Dean Elgar (seven) and captain Hashim Amla (nought) were unbeaten at the crease with South Africa, who trail the four-test series 1-0, still 204 runs behind. India captain Virat Kohli had no hesitation in opting to bat first after winning the toss at the VCA Stadium with the pitch expected to assist the slow bowlers. But strikes from Morkel and Harmer, who returned to the side after playing the opening test in Mohali, eroded most of the advantage the hosts thought they had by batting first. Jadeja (34) and Wriddhiman Saha (32) then combined in a crucial 48-run stand to ensure the hosts had a competitive total in what appears to be a low-scoring match after India were reduced to 125-6 at one stage. The surface provided prodigious turn for the spinners from the first session of the match, which the touring side, currently the topranked test team, need to win to level the series. It will not be an easy task for South Africa, especially on a track which has already seen spinners from both sides claim eight out of the 12 wickets to fall on the opening day. Part-time left-arm spinner Elgar broke India’s opening stand by dismissing Shikhar Dhawan (12) after the left-hander had added 50 with Murali Vijay. Dhawan advanced down the wicket but could only manage to spoon the ball back to the bowler, who took a smart diving catch. Vijay (40), India’s top scorer, looked in control before he was done in by a Morkel delivery that straightened after pitching to hit

CELEBRATIONS: Murali Vijay, right, Ajinkya Rahane, second left, and Wriddhiman Saha, left, congratulate teammate Ravindra Jadeja, centre, for taking the wicket of Imran Tahir. – AFP

SPIN RULES: South Africa’s Simon Harmer celebrates the wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara during the opening day of the third Test match in Nagpur on Wednesday. – PTI

SCOREBOARD

India 1st innings: M. Vijay lbw b Morkel 40 S. Dhawan c & b Elgar 12 C. Pujara lbw b Harmer 21 V. Kohli c Vilas b Morkel 22 A. Rahane b Morkel 13 R. Sharma c de Villiers b Harmer 2 W. Saha c Duminy b Harmer 32 R. Jadeja b Rabada 34 R. Ashwin b Imran Tahir 15 A. Mishra lbw b Harmer 3 I. Sharma not out 0 Extras (b-15, lb-3, w-2, nb-1) 21 Total (all out; 78.2 overs) 215 Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-69, 3-94, 4-115, 5-116, 6-125, 7-173, 8-201, 9-215, 10-215 Bowling: Morne Morkel 16.1-7-35-3, Kagiso Rabada 17-8-30-1, Simon Harmer 27.2-2-78-4, Dean Elgar 4-0-7-1, Imran Tahir 12.5-1-41-1, JP Duminy 1-0-6-0 South Africa 1st innings: D. Elgar not out 7 S. van Zyl c Rahane b Ashwin 0 I. Tahir b Jadeja 4 H. Amla not out 0 Total (2 wickets; 9 overs) 11 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-9 Bowling: Ishant Sharma 2-1-4-0, Ravichandran Ashwin 4-2-5-1, Ravindra Jadeja 3-1-2-1 Toss: India chose to bat Umpires: Ian Gould (England) and Bruce Oxenford (Australia) TV umpire: Anil Chaudhary (India) Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand) Reserve umpire: C. Shamshuddin (India)

the batsman plumb in front of the wicket. Morkel, leading the South African pace attack in absence of injured team mate Dale Steyn, beat Kohli (22) several times before inducing an edge from the righthander which was pouched by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas. Ajinkya Rahane (13) struggled throughout his stay at the crease and played an expansive drive off Morkel to be clean bowled. Harmer sent back Cheteshwar Pujara (21) and Rohit Sharma (two), who was playing his ﬁrst match in the series, before also dismissing Saha who was caught acrobatically by JP Duminy at short mid-wicket. Both sides went in with an extra spinner for the match with India opting for leg-spinner Amit Mishra and South Africa adding Harmer to their line-up. - Reuters

Wickets are being prepared to get results: Harmer NAGPUR: With the debate on cricket pitches refusing to die down after the three-day finish in Mohali, South African offspinner Simon Harmer echoed India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar’s views by saying that Test match wickets are nowadays prepared to get results. “I don’t think the wickets are prepared to last five full days. The reason behind the preparation of the wickets is to get a result. “When the Indian team comes to South Africa, we are going to prepare wickets that suit our bowlers. So them playing one seamer, it’s clear to see what sort of wicket they are preparing,” said Harmer after day one of the third and penultimate Test here on Wednesday. Harmer picked up 4 for 78 and, in tandem with fast bowler Morne Morkel (3-35), helped South Africa pack off India for a paltry first innings score of 215 in 78.2 overs.In reply the visitors were 11 for two in 9 overs. Bangar had also defended the wicket prepared for the contest by saying that it was a result-oriented wicket, which was the same for both teams. Harmer said he took some time before getting the right pace to bowl, which he said was a bit faster than normal. “I found it difficult to adjust to the right pace. I think I was a bit slow at the beginning of my spell. I wouldn’t say I was struggling to adjust to lines or lengths. I think pace on this wicket was vital. At the beginning of my spell, I was just sort of trying to find my feet. “Obviously you can’t bowl one pace the whole time. But I felt that the quicker pace there was a bit more bite off the wicket. You saw a few balls spit. As a spinner that is what you are looking for,” said the off spinner who got rid of Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit

I don’t think the wickets are prepared to last five full days. The reason is to get a result. When the Indian team comes to South Africa, we are going to prepare wickets that suit our bowlers. So them playing one seamer, it’s clear to see what sort of wicket they are preparing Simon Harmer South Africa spinner Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra. “When you bowl too slowly, a batsman can adjust and go back easily. Ideally you want a batsman to commit to a shot and I felt the best way to do that was to bowl a quicker pace,” he explained further. Bangar defends Refusing to blame the pitch for India’s slipshod batting performance on the opening day, coach Sanjay Bangar said the hosts paid for a few errors of judgement on a challenging and ‘result-oriented wicket’. “It’s deﬁnitely a resultoriented wicket which is equally challenging for both sides. Whichever side adjusts to it (better) will end up with a chance of winning the game,” said Bangar at the end of day one in the penultimate game of

the four-match rubber. Though the Indian batting effort lasted just 78.2 overs, and the highest score was an innings of 40 from in-form opener Murali Vijay, Bangar said all his batsmen applied themselves to the hard task. “All our batsmen applied themselves well. But when the wicket is slightly challenging there are likely to be errors in judgement. It’s all part of the game.” India, leading the series 1-0, hit back after being bowled out cheaply, by dismissing two visiting team’s batsmen with only 4 runs on the board and there’s every likelihood of the game not lasting even four days, let alone ﬁve. He further said in defense of the hosts’ tactics in the series that teams visiting the Indian sub-continent should expect such conditions. “When India travel overseas, ball starts seaming from the ﬁrst over. It’s the same for teams coming to subcontinent. Wickets are same for both sides; it is a test of skills. Just as skill against the seaming ball is important, skill against the spinning ball is also equally important.” “It’s a very challenging wicket to score. This has been a low scoring series and we have to accept that,” he said. “Patience is a very important virtue here while playing the spinning ball, trusting your defense, getting to pitch, using the depth of the crease or using the feet. You saw all our batsmen played a lot of balls during the innings,” added the former Test player when asked how one should bat on such sharply turning surfaces. While praising wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, who made the third-highest score of 32 and put on 48 valuable runs with Ravindra Jadeja (34), Bangar also backed Rohit Sharma who struggled to score 2 runs in 39 balls. - PTI

BIG FUND

7 full-member cricket boards to receive $10 million each NEW DELHI: The ICC has decided to pay seven full-member Boards US$10 million over the next eight years as part of Test Cricket Fund announced last year when Big Three (BCCI, ECB and CA) had gained control over revamped ICC. According to ESPNcricinfo, the remaining full-member boards will receive US$1.25 million each annually, beginning January 2016. The International Cricket Council (ICC) plans to make its ﬁrst Test Cricket Fund payment of US$ 600,000 in early January, and then disburse another US$ 650,000 to the ‘small seven’ member boards in July. Payments are expected to follow this biannual pattern until 2023. The ICC had originally announced that the Test Cricket Fund was aimed to “encourage and support Test cricket” outside the Big Three nations, BCCI, ECB and CA. Since the Boards have already entered bilateral touring agreements until 2023, there appears to be limited scope to enhance their Test schedules using this payments. The report says, “it seems that the money would be used to underwrite loss-making tours. For example, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) loses money on Test tours featuring all countries except the Big Three and Pakistan.” The Test Cricket Fund would help them recover losses from home tours such as the recent visit by the West Indies, which is estimated to have cost SLC about US$ 648,000. - PTI MIND GAME

Chess tourney on Friday MUSCAT: To celebrate the 45th National Day, Markaz Al Bahja is organising a chess tournament on Friday, November 27. Registration of entries in various categories, junior as well as senior sections, will start at 2.30pm. The participants are required to bring their own standard tournament size chess boards. Further information can be had from 92277539 and also follow on facebook.com/MuscatChess Meanwhile, the organisers also claimed that the event will also be marked as a tribute to late Dilip Asher, who had been the architect of the tournament. After Dilip Asher’s demise there was a long gap. But thanks to Markaz Al Bahja’s support we have decided to restart the monthly tournaments, the ﬁrst of which, marking the ongoing National Day celebrations, will be held on Friday.

I N D I A- PA K I S TA N S E R I E S

England likely venue for Indo-Pak Tests KARACHI: The much talkedabout India-Pakistan cricket series could be played out in two parts with Sri Lanka hosting the limited-overs games next month and England being the venue for Test matches next year. Speculation is rife that the arrangement has been agreed upon during a meeting of BCCI President Shashank Manohar and Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan in Dubai but a formal announcement is yet to come through. “PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has sought permission of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the foreign ministry to play a limited-overs series with India in Sri Lanka next month,” a source in the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination told PTI. He said Shaharyar had also indicated that India was willing to also play some Tests against Pakistan next year. “The plan is that Pakistan would tour India in 2017 for a full series while before that India will play us in two phases. Indications are that the Tests will be held in England in summer,” he said.

BCCI seeks government clearance NEW DELHI: The BCCI has formally sought the clearance of the central government to play Pakistan in Sri Lanka in December, its secretary Anurag Thakur conﬁrmed. The ball is now in the court of respective governments of India and Pakistan with both BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) waiting for political clearance for the series next month. “Yesterday, I have written a letter to the Foreign Ministry seeking clearance to play with Pakistan in Sri Lanka,”

Pakistan is due to tour England for a full series from July onwards and in 2010 played two Tests against Australia at the Lord’s and Headingly with considerable success due to the large South Asian population in the United Kingdom.

said Thakur. “According to the agreement of India and Pakistan, both teams were supposed to play in UAE or at any other neutral venue if the conditions in Pakistan were not suitable. It is up to Pakistan as to where they want to play. After discussions with BCCI and PCB, both countries have decided to play in Sri Lanka,” he added. PCB too is waiting for the government nod and its chief Shahryar Khan expects Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take the decision soon. — PTI

Another source in the PCB said that the President of the England and Wales cricket board Giles Clarke, who acted as a mediator when Shashank Manohar and Shaharyar Khan met in Dubai at the weekend, had pitched the idea

of having the Tests in England. The source said Manohar had outlined the reasons for India being unwilling to play the December series in UAE and had also made it clear to the PCB chief to stop giving unnecessary statements in the media on Indo-Pak cricket. “Manohar made it clear that cricket relations were also being affected because of conﬁdential discussions between the two boards being made public in the media,” the source said. He said both Manohar and Khan had agreed that they would not reveal any details about the planned future series between the two countries until they got clearances from their respective governments. “That is one reason why Shaharyar has declined to give details of his meeting with the Indian board chief,” the source said. The source also revealed that one reason for picking Sri Lanka and England as venues for IndoPak matches was to ensure the PCB earned maximum revenues from its broadcasting deals. India and Pakistan have not played a Test match since 2007. - PTI

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015 SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH FACEBOOK PAGE

Love us on Facebook

C O M M E N TA RY

Jadeja — the danger man

ashim Amla owes his team a big innings. Even if he gets half the score that he did when he last played in Nagpur five years back when he scored an unbeaten 253 he will have done his bit to repay the team for guessing wrongly which way the coin was going to fall. It is never easy to guess which way the coin is going to fall but a skipper who has a good look at the coin and sees and weighs if any side is slightly heavier than the other has a better chance of calling correctly. That’s why home team captains wait for a Test or two to see which call the visiting teams skipper prefers and if they are smart and desperately want to win the toss they can spin the coin in such a manner that it will fall their way more often than not. Of course nothing is too certain for sometimes the coin can roll along the length of the pitch and so may not fall according to expectations. There are some skippers who just lift the coin in the air and don’t spin or flick it especially once they are certain that the call is going to be in a particular way. Virat Kohli’s smile showed how much the toss meant to him for that gave his team first use of a pitch that was going to turn from the first ball itself. In fact before the toss took place the ceremonial spin of the bail between umpires to decide who would stand at which end produced a puff of dust when the bail

landed. That was a clear indication that if a light object like a bail can cause that then a cricket ball hurled at greater speed and with revolutions would get more out of the pitch. India got off to a decent start of a half century simply because the South African pacers tried to bang the ball halfway down the pitch rather than trying to get some movement in the air or after pitching. When Morkel started to land the ball fuller he was getting the ball to cut both ways and swing it in the air too. He was rewarded for that with a three wicket haul and Rabada too bowled well without the rewards to show for it. South Africa missed Dale Steyn for the great man with his length would have created problems for the batsmen even if there was no bounce and carry for him and the pacers. This is a slow low pitch and doesn’t look like it will hold up too long. Ravindra Jadeja, who batted splendidly will be the danger man because of the quickish pace at which he bowls as well as for his accuracy. Ashwin and Mishra will not be far behind and it will take the champion AB de Villiers to play the kind of innings that can turn it around for the South Africans. - PMG

SPORTS

Hamilton ready to wrap up the season on a high The return to Yas Marina will also bring

A lot of British fans come out to Abu Dhabi so it’s like another home crowd for me. To win for them and show how grateful I am for the fantastic support

back fond memories for the 30-yearold who clinched his second title by winning at the circuit last season and can take his 50th career pole position

Lewis Hamilton

this weekend

ABU DHABI: Lewis Hamilton will ﬁnd his number is up in lights in Abu Dhabi, and that can only be a good omen as the triple Formula One world champion seeks to end another dominant season on a high this weekend. The number 44, the one the Briton has on his Mercedes, ﬁgures prominently on roadside illuminations as the United Arab Emirates celebrates the 44th anniversary of its founding on Dec. 2, 1971. The return to Yas Marina will also bring back fond memories for the 30-year-old who clinched his second title by winning at the circuit last season and can take his 50th career pole position this weekend. “Last year, this place brought

Mercedes

probably the most intense weekend of my life. I didn’t sleep much through nerves and not knowing what was ahead,” the race favourite recalled. “But this time around there’s no pressure, so I’ll be well-rested and aiming to go out on a high. “A lot of British fans come out to Abu Dhabi so it’s like another home crowd for me. To win for them and show how grateful I am for the fantastic support I’ve had all year would be the best way to end an incredible season,” he added. Another win would also be his 11th of the season, matching his 2014 tally. For Mercedes, regardless of who wins, a 12th one-two ﬁnish from 19 races would also be the icing on the cake by breaking

ITF PRO CIRCUIT

their own record set last year. With ﬁrst and second assured in the championship for the second year in a row, and the constructor’s title retained, there is also the hope of seeing both Mercedes drivers battling wheel to wheel. There was none of that in Brazil two weeks ago, or in Mexico, as Mercedes made clear that their priority was to secure second place for Nico Rosberg. “We will not be backing off -and an entertaining battle at the front between our boys for one last time in 2015 will be the ideal way to show that,” said motorsport head Toto Wolff. Rosberg will be aiming to continue two sequences of his own, the German chasing his third win in a

row and sixth successive pole to go into the winter with at least some bragging rights. “I’ve had two really great weekends now in Mexico and Brazil, so I’m heading into the ﬁnal race on a massive high,” he said. Rosberg started on pole in the day-to-night race last year but a mechanical failure dashed his hopes. “Of course, it will be close as always with Lewis and we saw a big push from Ferrari in Sao Paulo, so it won’t be straightforward. But I’m up for a battle and hopefully we can put on a great show for the fans to end the year,” he said. With little movement in the driver market and familiar lineups for 2016, there will be fewer farewells than usual in the paddock’s end of term atmosphere. - Reuters

ISL

Fatma marches ahead in Rabat Goa hold NorthEast MUSCAT: Omani star Fatma Al Nabhani found success both in the singles and doubles, reaching the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively, at the ongoing ITF Pro Circuit $10,000 Rabat tournament in Morocco. According to information received here, the top-seeded Omani defeated Croatian qualifier Mariana Drazic in the singles second round match 6-2, 6-3. In the quarterfinals, Fatma will face Belgian eighth seed Catherine Chantraine, who eased past her compatriot Dorien Cuypers 6-3, 6-0 in her second match. In the doubles quarterfinals, Fatma and her Spanish partner Olga Parres Azcoitia defeated Slovenian duo of Pia Brgleg and Sara Palcic 6-2, 6-2. In the last four, the top seeded pair of Fatma and Olga will clash with Belgian third seeds Catherine Chantraine and Deborah Kerfs. The Belgians advanced to the semifinals without hitting a ball as they received a walkover from their quarterfinal opponents Vailia Aponasenko of Russia and Louise Lampla of France.

FATORDA: Striker Reinaldo found a late equaliser as FC Goa held NorthEast United FC (NEFC) to a 1-1 draw in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday. Reinaldo scored in the 80th minute to rescue a point for the hosts after a Victor Mendy (56th) header had given NEFC the lead early in the second half. The visitors have now climbed a spot to the fourth spot in the ISL table with 17 points from 12 matches. Goa continue to hold on to the second spot with 19 points, trailing defending champions Atletico de Kolkata by just a single point. The ﬁrst chance of the game came NEFC’s way from a corner in

IN FINE FORM: Fatma Al Nabhani

ACID TEST

Test cricket makes evening debut MELBOURNE: Whether the catalyst for a full-scale revolution or a more gentle evolution, Friday’s inaugural day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand should lead to irrevocable change for cricket’s oldest and most hallowed format. Traditionalists have decried the concept and players on both teams have concerns about the fitness of the pink ball to be used in the match at Adelaide Oval. Some fingers will inevitably be crossed when the lights flood down at the venue, where some of cricket’s most powerful officials will be among a crowd of some 40,000 people during the first day’s play. However, like anxious parents fussing over their child on a school morning before the class photo, Australia’s cricket board has gone to great lengths to ensure the match puts on its best face for the cameras. Over seven painstaking years have been devoted to the development and testing of Kookaburra’s pink ball but the match has still seemingly arrived in a hurry. The concept has had top-level

endorsement from the International Cricket Council since 2012, but Cricket Australia led by chief executive James Sutherland has been its most steadfast champion for over a decade. The Adelaide Oval, recently redeveloped into an ultra-modern stadium, has been hand-picked to host the match and appears an inspired choice as both a reliable tourist magnet and being resistant to the dew that plagues other venues at night and can play havoc with the behaviour of a ball. ‘Ashes-style’ crowds are expected to attend the 53,500-capacity ground through the opening days and the weekend, with many curious interstate visitors intrigued by the novelty factor of seeing players in traditional whites grapple with a pink ball. Ground-staff have also done their best to ensure bowlers have more sway in the battle between bat and ball which has been hopelessly skewed towards the batsmen in the opening two matches of the series in Brisbane and Perth. A green tinge will give hope to

both teams’ pacemen that there may not be a repeat of the bruising run-fests they were subject to in the earlier matches. Ready to go “We just feel very conﬁdent now that it behaves in the same manner as the red ball does,” South Australia Cricket Association Chief Executive Keith Bradshaw said on Wednesday. “There have been comments from time to time but what we’re seeing now is more and more positive comments,” he said of the players’ feedback. “The statistics would say that we’re ready to go.” Players have warmed to the concept after a recent round of domestic Sheffield Shield matches helped ease concerns after the performance of the ball during the tour match in Canberra. Australia batsman Adam Voges remarked that the ball, which was heavily battered by the abrasive Manuka Oval pitch had turned “green”, raising concerns about the welfare of players unable to see the ball properly.

The ball performed far better in the recent Shield match at the Adelaide Oval between New South Wales and South Australia, with Australia captain Steven Smith relieved by its endurance. The match has naturally delighted host broadcaster Channel Nine, as it offers a chance for Test cricket to go into primetime viewing. Australia’s players’ association has also offered its cautious endorsement but is less bullish about the concept than Cricket Australia which has invested heavily in it. “We’ve always seen this as an initiative and after this Test I think it’s important that players’ views are represented as to whether daynight Test cricket goes on into the future,” Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Alistair Nicholson said. “That’s important in the washup that we have that input from the players and their safety’s involved in that. There’s probably a bigger debate worldwide about where it sits.” - Reuters

the ﬁfth minute. Defender Carlos Javier Lopez headed a loose ball towards the Goa goal from the corner and his effort was kept out by Leo Moura on the goal line. The visitors also came closest to getting their noses in front in the ﬁrst half when four minutes before the break Bruno Arias made a surging run but was unable to break the deadlock. NEFC took the lead soon after from a corner. The visitors’ marquee player Simao Sabrosa stepped up and delivered a quality corner into the six-yard area which Mendy headed past Goa custodian Laxmikant Kattimani. The home crowd was brought to its feet 10 minutes before the end after Reinaldo got the equaliser. - IANS

TH UR S DAY, NOVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

SPORTS

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH TWITTER PAGE

Tweet all about it

The Forty Club, largest wandering cricket club makes halt in Muscat A team from the UK-based club has landed in Muscat after including the Sultanate in their list of stops ‘to encourage young cricketers’ thanks to the growing status of Oman cricket

A. SESHAGIRI RAO

raoas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: The Forty Club, a UKbased cricket body, was formed way back in 1936 with primary objective of ‘taking cricket to schools’ and over the years the club’s members have been travelling to several countries, encouraging the young cricketers and promoting the game with great success. Now a team from the ‘largest wandering cricket club in the world’ has landed in Muscat after a tie up with local cricket promoters — Al Hail Cricket Club. And if The Forty Club’s Secretary Barry Aitken is to be believed the team are quite impressed with the cricket scenario here but the official sees the need to ‘do more’ for the sake of future development of the game. Speaking to Times Sport, Barry Aitken said: “We generally make two to three tours in a year. This year we are happy to have chosen Oman as one of our destinations.” Asked why the club has chosen the Sultanate, he said: “There are several reasons for us to chose Oman this year, the primary one being Oman getting the ICC associate status. Secondly their status as an emerging cricket nation and not to forget the success they have been achieving in the T20s.” “All these aspects show there is support for the game here in Oman and a lot of interest and enthusiasm among the people regarding cricket,” he added. “So we thought it’s appropriate to include Oman in our list and do our little bit of what The Forty Club has been doing over the years — to encourage the youngsters,” he said. Speaking more on the history of their club, Aitken said: “The Forty Club was started primarily as a body for players of over 40 years with the aim of taking cricket to the schools by offering schools and youth teams matches against experienced cricketers. That was the way of encouraging the young cricketers to play the game to the highest standards and in the best spirit of the game. “But later the club started giving

‘Deadly’ Derek sees ‘exciting times for cricket’ A. SESHAGIRI RAO

raoas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Derek Leslie Underwood. The name rings a bell, isn’t it? Yes we are talking about ‘Deadly’ Derek Underwood, the former England cricketer and the country’s Ashes hero of late 1960s and early 70s. Times Sport was pleasantly surprised to spot the England great at Al Falaj Hotel early on Wednesday and tried to catch up with him just before he boarded a bus to go on a tour of the city and its cricketing facilities. The 70-year-old had quietly slipped into Muscat along with the touring side from UK’s The Forty Club. The celebrated English cricketer readily obliged a request for a quick photo session, which soon led to a friendly conversation and amiable Underwood also went on to speak, though brieﬂy, about —what else — cricket. As in his playing days, when he was known for accuracy and ‘spot on’ spin bowling, Underwood was to the point on few topics Times Sport tried elicit his opinion on during the brief conversation. Underwood spoke about the ‘exciting times’ for cricket, when asked about the shorter formats getting popular with the young people. “When I started playing we had only three-day matches and ﬁve-day Tests. Then came the one-dayers. Now we have T20s,” Underwood, who represented England in 86 Tests and 26 ODIs, said. “I personally think these are exciting times for cricket as a whole. These formats are very exciting. They are not only bringing in people (as specta-

full membership to players of 35 years and older. On a trial basis in 2013 we have also began enrolling 18 years and older players as associate members — that is because of demands of the times.” He explained: “Nowadays the players leaving active cricket much younger than in the past. They are not old enough to play in the senior sides of county clubs. So our attempt is to ﬁll the gap between the ages of 28 and 45 who are looking for good quality midweek non-league games.” Taking in Oman into context, he said: “As I said the club’s aim has been and will be to encourage the youngsters and promote the game among the youth. That’s what we are here for.” The visiting club members have already played a couple of matches

Experiment, experience On a serious note, Underwood, who has taken a total of 2,465 wickets in ﬁrst class cricket including 297 Test and 32 ODI scalps, said: “We have to be

sympathetic with the umpires because there is also a tendency to go for the referrals more often. “But I personally think the umpires are all doing a great job despite being under the pressure due to use of technology. “In fact, I should say the umpires have also been improving in keeping with the demands. And that is very good for the game.” “It is the same with the players, especially in the aspect of ﬁelding. They are more agile than the players of our time. They are more spectacular, the throws are more accurate and there more direct hits now than during my playing days — all of which make good viewing for the spectators.”

with Al Hail Cricket Academy, run by their hosts Al Hail Cricket Club, as well as Pakistan School Muscat and also watched and had net sessions with Indian School teams and Oman Cricket’s National Youth Development Team. “We have talked to young cricketers of schools and academies here. They are all very enthusiastic about the game. But what is next for them. That is the question we need to address,” he said. However, Aitken also said it is encouraging to see facilities being developed as per the modern standards. “The matting wickets and the ground we have played on or watched these young cricketers played are very fast and suitable for T20s. That’s one very good aspect. There are two green grounds with

good facilities now and that augurs well for the cricket in the country. “But my question is who will be allowed to play at these grounds. Will these young aspring cricketers get an opportunity to utilise these facilities. That is one area Oman Cricket has to look into and do the needful because they need to keep these kids interested in the game ... for the future.” Quoting an example from his native land, he said: “The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) has conducted a study which showed that there is a considerable decrease in the number of young players practising cricketing compared to the previous years. They (ECB) have now formed a task force to ﬁnd ways to overcome this challenge. “The reason I am referring to

tors) but they are also attracting a lot of youngsters to the game.” “These youngsters will play and stay with cricket for a long time because of these exciting formats. And I think that is very good for the game,” he added. Asked about another modern aspect of the game which was absent during his playing days — use of technology, he quipped: “I would have ﬁnished with a few more wickets if we had this technology then.”

Love and hate Speaking about another cricketing revolution in the offing, day-night Tests, which in olden times when cricket was steeped in tradition would have been dismissed without much consideration, he said: “Test cricket in day light and under ﬂood lights, the pink ball... I think it is deﬁnitely exciting. “If it is good for cricket it should be experimented and experienced.” Asked about another burning topic in cricket right now -- the Indo-Pak cricket series, Underwood said: “I think there is a lot of ‘love and hate’ about these series — just like our Ashes battles with the Australians.

this particular study is it applies to any country. After 18 years there is a possibility of players getting away from the game. The reasons are many — the inappropriate conditions, coaching methods and their own distractions... or for that matter demands of their studies at colleges and universities.” The officials also said: “But I have no doubt in three, four or ﬁve years time there will be more youngsters playing cricket in Oman thanks to the developments here. “But as I said we need to keep these youngsters in the game for a longer time. That’s where our club steps in to encourage these kids to keep playing and keep learning.” Barry Aitken, revealing the club’s plan to rope in more modern cricket stars as members, expressed the desire include Oman

in their list of priorities next year as well as the years that follow. “We would deﬁnitely like to tour Oman in next year and the following years. From next time around we may bring with us some modern day stars like (Shane) Warnes (Joe) Roots so that these young cricketers will recognise them and connect with them easily. And that will make our job easy. After all we are in the business of encouraging the young cricketers.” Meanwhile, Al Hail Cricket Club official Moula Baksh Al Balushi conﬁrmed that The Forty Club bandwagon will return to Oman in February next year. “We have a tie up with them and as part of the agreement our team (Al Hail Cricket Academy) will also be visiting the United Kingdom next year,” he said.

HOCKEY

N AT I O N A L D AY C U P C R I C K E T

Al Faisal champions MUSCAT: Al Faisal Group emerged champions of the National Day Cup cricket tournament organised by Zayed Khalifa Al Rashidi with support of Nizwa Lions and Express Cargo Cleaning Nizwa at the Nizwa football stadium. Total of 12 teams took part in the tournament. In the ﬁnal, Al Faisal Group beat South XI by 28 runs. Batting ﬁrst, Al Faisal scored 77 for 5 in the allotted seven overs and

‘DEADLY’ DEREK: England great Derek Underwood, right, and The Forty Club Secertary Barry Aitken pictured at Al Falaj Hotel on Wednesday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

You know it’s ‘old enemy’ stuff ! There is always love and hate. “It’s the same with India and Pakistan series. But I can say one thing with conviction — once they (India and Pakistan boards) sort out the issues and get on with the game, all the politics will be forgotten and people will only be taking about the performances on the field.” A proud native of Kent, Underwood played for England between 1966 and 1982. An orthodox left-arm spin bowler who bowled with pace of a medium pacer, he was known for his accuracy and the ability to land the ball at the same spot at will. He once famously said: ‘Bowling was a ‘low mentality profession: plug away, line and length, until there’s a mistake’, and sooner or later every batsman would make a mistake.” He averaged 25.83 for his 297 Test wickets and 22.93 for his 32 ODI wickets. Underwood, who was nicknamed ‘Deadly’ for his unplayable bowling on seaming English wickets, became part of Ashes folklore when he dismissed the last four Australian batsmen in a space of 27 balls in the final half an hour of the fifth Test in 1968, after a heavy thunderstorm, to square an Ashes series that Australia were winning 1–0. In 1970-71, Underwood’s performance helped England regain Ashes from the Aussies Down Under. An inductee into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009, Underwood had also featured in Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket in the late 1970s, and toured South Africa in 1981–82. Underwood, who was awarded the MBE in 1981, also served as the president of MCC in 2009.

later restricted South XI for just 49 runs. Earlier in semifinals, South XI beat Bisiya Lions by 2 wickets and Al Faisal overcame BHR XI by 30 runs. Zaheer of Al Faisal Group was declared man of the final and Al Faisal skipper Sageer was declared the best batsman and player of the tournament. Zayed Khalifa Al Rashidi gave away the prices after the final.

Indian women’s team draws with Argentina BUENOS AIRES: The Indian women’s hockey team drew 2-2 against Argentina in its second match of the tour to the South American nation here. The first half of the match saw India putting up an aggressive fight and they eventually netted the ball in the 27th minute with Anuradah Devi knocking in the first goal. The

team continued to maintain their rhythm throughout the ﬁrst half to lead 1-0 at half-time. But four minutes into the second half, Argentina scored the equaliser as Delﬁna Merino hit the goal. India, however, scored again in the 44th minute. But Argentina, in the 56th minute, hit their second goal to hold India to a draw. - PTI

SECTION

LIFESTYLE

T H U R S DAY, N OV EM B ER 2 6, 2 0 1 5

Culture WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

SAYING GOODBYE TO ANTJE Muscat mourns for Antje Manser, a beloved artist who contributed immensely to the growth of art in Oman, who passed away in Zurich last week. ST O RY PAT R I C I A G R OV E S

P H OT O G R A P H Y C O U RT E S Y O F B A I T M U Z N A G A L L E RY

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

M A N S E R

LIFESTYLE

A N T J E

t was through the poems of Rumi, the famous thirteenth century Suﬁ mystic, that Antje liked to speak to her friends and it was through her art that she connected with

the world. Antje Manser lived among us in the art community here in Muscat for many years. She was part of the rhythm of our lives. You would see her walking on the beach, having breakfast alone or with a friend in a shady nook at D’Arcy’s, or contemplating life and art with a cup of tea on the terrace at Stal Gallery. She would be at the opening of exhibitions supporting her fellow artists and at the Royal Opera House, often with her friend, the renowned Omani poet, Sama Issa and his daughter. Whenever I wrote an article on an artist or an exhibition, always, Antje would send me a text of appreciation punctuated with an insightful comment. When recently the terribly sad news came that Antje had left this world, her friends unfailingly mentioned the beauty of her inner being which shone through in her art. As Antje once wrote to Malik Al Hinai, Director of Bait Al Baranda, in preparation for an exhibition:

In my dreams.... I live in beautiful gardens, listen to the sound of birds, fountains give me peace and relaxation. I travel to foreign countries... When I wake up.... I create my sanctuary on canvas, inspired by Moorish culture, Japanese gardens and beautiful landscape. Antje has always loved drawing from nature, especially the quiet, organic harmony of ﬂoral forms and of trees, their spreading branches, the surfaces of their leaves. Her work is characterised by exquisite delicacy within an atmosphere of spiritual calm… and by a ﬁne rendering of detail that is reminiscent of the ink work in ancient Oriental paintings. Ever inventive and always

drawing on new sources of inspiration, Antje made wonderful photo art, including a very large and beautiful portrait of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said within a realm of ethereal blue like that of the sky. She created this painting from an image she captured on her television screen. It can be found at Bait Baranda. Searching the Internet for Anjte’s work prior to her Oman phase, I found an absolutely gorgeous work in floating shades of green. Titled Park, it was painted in 1978 in acrylics on wood. Lush and sumptuous, Park depicts a view of the greenest of green parks viewed from above and is centred in an intriguing, delicately painted abstract structure, perhaps an Oriental pavilion. It’s a place one longs to be. In addition to Bait Muzna and Bait Baranda, Antje has exhibited in several prestigious galleries in Europe, Asia and the USA. She is included in the Belser list of Important Artists of the Twentieth Century. I met Antje when she first came to Oman a decade ago and was enchanted with her magical approach to art and the way she talked about her work in the context of the humming birds that come to her place in Sante Fe where she lived half the year. I called my article Hummingbird Patterns of Art and have just found out that Hummingbird was the affectionate name that Antje’s sons Philipp and Marc called their mother in childhood. In an artist’s statement a while ago Antje said, “Look forward to dreams and be free.” I imagine Antje in heaven … light as a hummingbird darting from flower to flower.

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

LIFESTYLE H O L LY W O O D

BUY

WEEKEND UPDATE

WATCH

Bridge of Spies

Swim Gear

(in theatres now)

It’s time to start swimming to be in perfect shape before New Year Scan for details

Scan to buy tickets

LISTEN

Easy Love

luxurious stay at 1000 Nights Camp

by Sigala Scan to watch the video

The Arabian Blights of Oman SALEH AL-SHAIBANY

SO TO SPEAK What do you think? Scan below to have your say on Facebook/TimesofOman

hirty years ago, many expatriates were complaining about the slow pace of progress in the Sultanate. Just 10 years ago, I remember reading an article from a local paper saying that there was not enough entertainment. Now the story is different. Oman has astonishingly moved forward that the same residents moan about the fast life. From just a few meandering roads to multiple-lane highways stretching from one city to another. Here in Muscat, teenagers cause accidents on these modern carriageways. Inside the malls, rap music play at deafening volume and youngsters dance on their heads‚ the way we see on MTV. Outside these malls, they gather in a group wearing clothes my grandfather would have raised a walking stick instead of an eyebrow. Not that they would have cared. Respect of elders is far from their minds. Internet communication has removed the last straw

of decency. We have indecency in our own homes at the touch of a few electronic buttons. To please the international community, artiﬁcial cities like Almouj in Muscat are built and planners forget to include mosques in the blueprints. The official who went through the plan with me was very apologetic but shrugged his shoulders. The law stipulates that every new town must have a mosque or two but these regulations slip the net with new tourist resorts. Old markets, which are part of the attraction to visitors, are things of the past. Golf courses, marinas, cinemas and international hotel chains are a priority but whose priority is it? European or American tourists have better sport facilities and movie houses. Certainly they don’t come here to see another version of their own inventions. They want to see local heritage and cultures where they buy a property and not whitewashed facades. Remember, it is the Arabian Nights stories that they associate the Arab world with and not Arabian Blights.

Actress Angelina Jolie says she is “happy” with getting older as she feels more “settled” in her life. “I feel older, and I feel settled being older. I feel happy that I’ve grown up. I don’t want to be young again,” Jolie said. The actress had earlier said that she is proud to have reached the milestone birthday as a lot of the women in her family have died young. “I turned 40 this year and I am so happy. Most women in my family start to get sick and start dying in their 40s and I am going to be very happy to become 50 and 60. I love getting older,” she said.

I’m motivated by fear, says actor Will Smith

Enjoy the beauty of the desert with a

Scan for more information

Ageing makes Angelina Jolie feel ‘settled’

It seems like overnight progress has been intrusive to the quiet life When the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia said that a new era was dawning in the region, he never thought the desert sands would be on the verge of extinction. This is not an exaggeration. How many children in the city have seen a camel more than a few times? Every single one of them is in captivity. If you think the beautiful sand dunes will be preserved for your Four Wheel-Drive to climb, then think again. That is not all. Prime beaches are taken away from local residents and ancient towns razed to ground to make way for secluded areas. Every square inch is under the surveyor’s scrutiny. When

they are finished, it would be like looking inside the goldfish bowl from the sardine can for local residents. Young graduates are pushed away from the cities when they look for their own homes to build. They live a great deal of distance from their offices and the gap is widening. The problem is that there is a mismatch of development. While urban areas are sprawling, financial, business districts and government offices, which provide the livelihood of the majority of nationals, are rooted in the same place. It seems like overnight progress has been intrusive to the quiet life. This is because planners are in a great hurry to pull in the funds of foreign investors. One fear is that even cultivated lands fall under the hammer of sale. Farmers cannot resist the lure of cash and in that they sell away the countryside. With it goes the locally produced crops and the hope that one day we would be self-sufficient in vegetables and fruits. Well, as long as there are oil and gas, who cares about a banana or a mango?

Actor Will Smith, who has been part of the entertainment industry for the past few decades, says he still lives in “complete terror” while shooting, but tries to get motivated from his fear and build his repertoire. Asked whether he still gets nervous or afraid while facing the camera, Smith said: “I live in complete terror. Everything for me about this business and about what I’ve been trying to build and what I’ve been trying to do with my life keeps me in terror. I am deeply motivated by fear.”

Soﬁa Vergara’s wedding dress made by 32 people

Actress Soﬁa Vergara’s custom-made wedding dress was made by 32 people in 1,657 hours. The Modern Family actress worked closely with designer Zuhair Murad on the gown she wore to marry Joe Manganiello in Palm Beach, Florida on November 22 and the stunning design required 32 people to work around the clock to complete it on time. “I was delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with Soﬁa on her dream wedding gown,” said Murad. — IANS

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

C10

PRAYER TIMINGS

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

@SHATTI

@AZAIBA

Inji Iduppazhagi – Tamil (Comedy ) – PG12 Cast : Arya, Anushka Shetty, Sonal Chauha 6.30, 11.45 PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Family) – PG Cast : Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor 9.00 PM

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 (3D) (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 7:30, 11:45 PM Bridge of Spies (Drama | History) (PG) Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 3:15,6:00, 8:45, 11:30 PM Hunting the Phantom (Action) (12+) Cast: Kristanna Loken, Armand Assante 2:00, 03:45, 10:00 PM Creed (Drama | Sport) (15+) Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 4:00, 6:30 PM Bound to Vengeance (2D) (Horror) (18+) Cast: Richard Tyson, Tina Ivlev, Amy Okuda 11:45 PM Blinky Bill The Movie (2D) (PG) Animation 2:00 PM Tamasha (Hindi) (Drama) (PG12) Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 9:00 PM 4 G Algeil Al Rabea (Arabic) (TBC) Cast: hmed Malek, Sherif Ramzy 5:30 PM MUSCAT GRAND MALL Bridge of Spies (Drama | History) PG Cast : Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 3:30, 9:00 & 11:30PM Gold Class: 2:45, 8:15 & 11:00PM Tamasha (Romance| Drama) PG12 Cast : Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 12:45 & 8:45PM Gold Class : 5:30PM Creed (Drama | Sport) 15+ Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 6:15PM & 11:45PM Blinky Bill The Movie (Animation) U 11:45AM & 4:15PM

Creed (Drama, Sport)(2D)(15+) Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson Timing: 4:00, 9:00, 11:50 pm VIP Lounge: 6:00 pm

Bridge of Spies (Drama | History) (PG) Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda Timing: 3:15, 06:00, 08:45, 11:30 PM

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 : 3D (Adventure/Sci-Fi) PG12 Cast : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 6:15PM Spectre : 2D (Action/Adventure) PG12 Cast : Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz 1:30PM PANORAMA MALL Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2 (3D) Cast : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 6:30, 11:30 pm (Action, Adventure) (PG12) Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2 (Action, Adventure)(MX4D)(PG12) 2:00, 5:15, 8:30, 11:45 pm Creed (Drama, Sport)(2D)(15+) Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 4:00, 9:00, 11:50 pm Creed (Drama, Sport)(2D)(15+)-VIP LOUNGE Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 6:00 pm Blinky Bill The Movie (Animation)(2D)(U) 2:15 pm Miss You Already (Drama)(2D)(15+) Cast : Drew Barrymore, Toni Collette 4:45 pm

SUR The Hunger Game - Mockingjay 2 3D (Action | Adventure | Sci Fi ) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 5:30 PM Hunting the Phantom (Action) (12+) Cast: Kristanna Loken, Armand Assante 8: 00, 11:30 PM Bound to Vengeance (Horror) (18+) Cast: Richard Tyson, Tina Ivlev, Amy Okuda. 3:45, 9:45 PM Tamasha( Hindi) (Drama) (PG12) CP# Cast: Ranbir kapoor, Deepika Padukone 3:30, 9:15, 11:45 PM Anarkali( Malayalam) (Thriller) ( TBC) CP# Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaram, Biju Menon, Mia 6:15 PM

Tamasha – 2D (PG12) Romance, Drama Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Javed Sheikh Timing: 2:30, 5:15, 8:00, 10:45, 11:30 PM

Tamasha (Romance, Drama)(2D)(PG12) Cast : Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 2:00, 6:40, 9:15 pm Bridge Of Spies (Drama)(2D)(PG) Cast : Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 3:00, 6:00, 8:45, 11:30 pm Bridge Of Spies (Biography, Drama)(2D) (PG)- VIP LOUNGE 3:15, 8:30, 11:15 pm

Cast: Prithviraj, Biju Menon, Mia, Priyal Glor, 5:25, 8:45 PM Spectra – 2D (PG12) Action, Adventure Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz 11:45 PM The Hunger Game : Mocking Jay Part 2 – 3D (PG12) Adventure, Sci-Fi Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson 9:15 PM

AZAIBA Tamasha – 2D (PG12) Romance, Drama Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 2:30, 5:15, 8:00, 10:45, 11:30 PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo – 2D (PG) Family Cast: Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor 3:15, 8:30 PM Inji Iduppazhagi – 2D (PG12) Romance Cast: Arya, Anushka Shetty, Sonal Chouhan 6:15 PM Bridge of Spies - 2D (PG) Drama, History Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 2:45, 6:30, 11:45 PM Blinky Bill The Movie – 2D (U) Animation 2:30, 4:30 PM Anarkali – 2D (PG) Romance, Thriller

RUWI Screen 1 Tamasha (Romance/Drama) – PG12 Cast : Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 2.30, 5.30, 8.30, 11.30 PM Screen 2 Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Family) – PG Cast : Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor 2.45, 5.45, 11.30 PM Inji Iduppazhagi – Tamil (Comedy ) – PG12 Cast : Arya, Anushka Shetty, Sonal Chauha 9.00 PM Screen 3 Spectre (Action) – PG12 Cast : Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes 3.45 PM

SOHAR Spectre - 2D (PG12) Action |Thriller 6:25 PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - 2D (PG) Family 5:30 PM The Hunger Game : Mocking Jay Part 2 - 3D (PG12) Adventure, Sci-Fi 5:10 PM The Hunger Game : Mocking Jay Part 2 - 2D (PG12) Adventure, Sci-Fi 2:15 PM Bridge of Spies - 2D (PG) Drama | History Cast : Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda 2:45, 8:45, 11:30 PM Tamasha - 2D (PG12) Romance| Drama Cast : Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 2:30, 9:15, 11:15 PM Anarkali - 2D (M) (TBC) Romance / Thriller Cast : Prithviraj, Biju Menon, Mia, Priyal Glor, 7:45 PM Miss You Already - 2D (15+) Comedy Cast : Drew Barrymore, Toni Collette 4:45 PM Inji Iduppazhagi - 2D (T)(PG12) Romance Cast : Arya, Anushka Shetty, Sonal Chouhan 9:15 PM Creed - 2D (15+) Drama | Sport

Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 6:45 , 11:45 PM Blinky Bill The Movie - 2D (U) Animation 2:30 PM 4 G Algeil Al Rabea - 2D (Arb)(TBC) Comedy Cast : Ahmed Malek, Sherif Ramzy 4:20 PM Bound to Vengeance - 2D (18+) Horror Cast : Richard Tyson, Tina Ivlev, Amy Okuda 11:55 PM

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

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

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

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

SALALAH Bridge of Spies (2D) (PG) (Biography ) 10:00AM, 1:30, 6:30, 11:45PM The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2 (2D) (PG12) (Adventure/Sc-Fi) 11:00AM, 4:00PM Creed (2D) (15+) (Drama | Sport) Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 12:30, 4:15, 9:15, 11:45PM Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (PG) (Family) Cast: Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Neil Nitin 3:05PM Blinky Bill The Movie (2D) (U) (Animation ) 10:15AM, 12:05PM Miss You Already (2D) (15+) (Comedy) 2:00PM 4 G Algeil Al Rabea (2D) (TBC) (Arabic) Cast: Ahmed Malek, Sherif Ramzy, Hassan 6:15PM (Comedy) Tamasha (2D) (PG12) (Romance| Drama) 9:00, 11:15PM Inji Iduppazhagi (2D) (PG12) (Tamil) 6:45PM Anarkali (2D) (PG) (Malayalam)( Romance) 8:15PM

Nizwa Yanqul

Daily

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

07:00

Ruwi

10:25

Daily

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

27 22 Minimum

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

45-70%

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

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

Daily Daily

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

Fahud Yibal

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

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

Daily Daily

Marmul

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

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

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

LISTINGS

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

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

07:00

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

10:45 19:00

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

Ruwi Ruwi

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

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

06:00 14:30

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

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

HRITHVIK BRIJITH November 26, 2010

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

10:20 12:30

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) Sur Sur

Anarkali (Mal) (Rom/Drama) Cast : Prithviraj, Biju Menon, Mia & Priyal Glor 3-00 & 10-00 Pm Cinema Main; 6-30 Pm At Cinema-2 Amar Akbar Anthony (Mal) (Act/Drama) Cast : Prithviraj,Jaya surya,Indrajith & Namitha 6-30 Pm Cinema Main ; 3-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema -2 Inji Iduppazhagi (Tamil) (Rom/Com) Cast : Arya, Anushka Shetty & Bharath 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema-3 Vedalam (Tamil) (Act) Cast: Ajith, Shruthi Hassan & Lakshmi Menon 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema - 4 From 27/11/2015 Friday Size Zero (Telugu) (Rom/ com) Cast: Arya, Anushka Shetty & Bharath 3-45,6-45 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema -4

NAVANEETH November 26, 2010

ROYAL OMAN POLICE 07:30 14:30

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

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

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

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

STAR CINEMA

Programmes are subject to change

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 20:50

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

Hunting the Phantom (Action / Adventure) Cast: Kristanna Loken, Armand Assante, Jose Rosete 2.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No : 3027 (12+) Creed (Sports / Drama) Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson 4.30, 9.30 & 11.55 pm CP No : 3026 (15+) Blinky Bill the Movie: (Animation / Adventure) Voice Overs: Toni Collette, Rufus Sewell, Ryan 2.00 & 6.00 pm CP No : 3024 (U) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (Adventure / Sci-Fi) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 7.00 pm CP No: 3015 (PG12) Tiger House (Action / Crime / Drama) Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Dougray Scott, Ed Skrein 4.00 pm CP No: 3016 (12+)

WEATHER

15:00 15:00 15:00

16:30 18:00 19:30

Film information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

WITH LOVE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36) Quriyat Sur Jaalan

BAHJA CINEMA

BURAIMI The Hunger Game: Mocking Jay– 3D 4:30PM Hunting the Phantom– 2D (Action) (12+) 2:45 7:15, 9:30, 11:30PM Bound to Vengeance– 2D (Horrory) (18+) 5:30, 11:45PM Creed– 2D (Drama, Sport) (15+) 3:45, 7:00PM Tamasha– 2D (Romance, Drama) (PG12) Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor 3:00, 6:15, 11:15PM Anarkali– 2D (Romance, Thriller) (PG) 8:45PM

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

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) Destination

11.59pm 3.04pm 5.25pm 6.39pm 5.09am

CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

@PANORAMA MALL

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

Afghanistan Algeria Bahrain Bangladesh Brazil Brunei China Cyprus Egypt France Germany India Indonesia Iran Iraq Italy Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya South Korea Kuwait

24698 791/4 24605 593 24 605 074/133 24 698 660 24640100 24 603533 24 696782 24 699815 24 600 982/411 24681 800 24835000 24684500 2469 1050 24 696 944/7 24603642 24693727 24 601 028 24692760/1/3 24 692418 24 697664 24 691490 24 699628

Lebanon Libya Malaysia Morocco Nepal Netherlands Pakistan Palestine Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Senegal Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Switzerland Syria Tanzania Thailand Tunisia Turkey UAE United Kingdom United States Yemen

24 693208 24603466 24698329/643 24696152/3 24696177 24603706 24603439 24601312 24605335 24 691 153/2/4 24602894 24601705 24694139 24697977 24647300 24691101 24697841/2 24697875 24603267 24697904 24601 174 24 602684/5 24603486 24697050/1/2 24400000 24609000 24643400 24600815

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi Salalah Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya Muscat, A Seeb Market Muscat, Al Khuwair Muscat, Al Hail South Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

23291635

HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre 24485052 Atlas Hospital Ruwi 24811743/ Ghubra 24504000 Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi 24563641 Azaiba 24499269 Sohar 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740 Ceregem National Raak 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217 Elixir Health Centre 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274 Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital 24760100 24 Hrs Emergency 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128 MBD 24799077 Al Khuwair 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000 AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours) 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot 24704455 Air Arabia 24700828 Air France 24562153 Air India 24799801

Air New Zealand 24700732 Biman Bangladesh Airlines 24701128 British Airways 24568777 Cathay Pacific 24789818 Egypt Air 24794113 Emirates Air 24404400 Ethiopian Airlines 24660313 Gulf Air 80072424 Indian 24791914 Iran Air 24787423 Japan Airlines 24704455 Jazeera Airways 23294848 Jet Airways 24787248 Kenya Airways 24660300 KML Royal Dutch Airlines 24566737 Kuwait Airways 24701262 LOT Polish Airlines 24796387 Lufthansa 24796692 Malaysian Airlines 24560796 Middle East Airlines 24796680 Oman Air 24531111 Pakistan International Airlines 24792471 Qatar Airways 24771900 Qantas 24559941 Royal Jordanian 24796693 Saudi Arabian Airlines 24789485 Singapore Airlines 24791233 Shaheen Air 24816565 SriLankan Airlines 24784545 Swiss International Airlines 24796692 Thai Airways 24705934

T HURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015

C11

LIFESTYLE GHAWI BAZAAR

BUY LOCAL DATES Date is the most revered fruit in Islam. It is categorised amongst the fruits of heaven. Moreover, dieticians recommend dates as an excellent source of nutrition and inseparable part of a balanced diet.

Passion, Performance, and Deep House On December 4, Oman’s ﬁrst female DJ will present the ﬁrst live dance music experience in the Sultanate

WHAT In Oman, the annual consumption of dates is estimated at 150,000 tonnes. As the country doesn’t produce enough fruit for consumption, it has to depend on other countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and Algeria, to meet the demand. But Oman has more than 250 indigenous varieties of dates, out of which, the most relished for their delectable taste and succulence are Khalas, Khunaizi, and Fargh. The sale of date increases during Ramadan. Some shopkeepers claim that they sell around 500kg of Omani dates during Ramadan.

Story Felicia Campbell

WHO

THE DETAILS

DJ LINE UP

The Secret Garden December 4, 5pm Al Bustan Palace Lawn OMR10 per person, at the door, 21 and above only

5-7pm: Phonetic Mood 7-8pm: Harmallea 8-9pm: Um Ailana 9-10pm: Nasir 10-11pm: Will Bruce 11-12am: Faizan 12-1am: Zand! 1am-Closing: Zam

CONTACT +968 9412 7007 instagram: @prismaticdjs Snapchat: prismaticdjs mixcloud: mixcloud.com/ prismaticdjs

HIGHLIGHTS Costumes (Optional) LED Poi and Hoops Live Graffiti Art Face Painting

READ HI WEEKLY ON DECEMBER 11 for more about Zahra and highlights from the event

has watched the music scene in Muscat begin to develop, thanks in no small part to her and the growing community of DJs who are committed to promoting underground styles. Far more than a music style, there is a culture surrounding ‘house’ that incorporates visual

arts and live performance into the listening experience. This aspect of the scene is thriving in Dubai where Zahra recently studied ﬁre throwing and poi, a performance art, that combines rhythmic dancing with the swinging of LED-lit, tethered weights to create geomet-

ric patterns, at FlowGround (facebook.com/ﬂowground). And this is an aspect of the experience that she wants to share with people here. Zahra is the resident DJ at Al Bustan Palace Hotel, and after working for event companies and as a freelance DJ for almost a decade, she opened her own agency and event production company earlier this year. She is everything, from the CEO to the stage-hand for her company, Prismatic, which employs the talents of some of the area’s best DJs and performance artists. And next week, Prismatic will make its event debut with “The Secret Garden” at the Al Bustan Lawn. Leading up to the event, Zahra’s home has transformed into a workspace for the visual artists who are busy building 3D projection cubes for the stage, weaving string-art, and experimenting with new tracks. The excitement is contagious, and the idea of new forms of creative expression being introduced in Oman, is thrilling. Be sure to go see this historic entertainment event. felicia@timesofoman.com

N AT I O N A L D AY

Korean Dance Show at Bosch Centre on December 1 The Embassy of the Republic of Korea will celebrate Oman’s 45th National Day with the Korean traditional dance by the Moonlight Love group on December 1 at the Bosch Centre, The American International School of Muscat (TAISM). Dance has been a fundamental part of Korean culture and society for millennia, from the royal courts to the festivals of the common people. The young and angelic dancers and musicians of Moonlight Group have kept these traditions alive and will present a diverse overview of spirited, deeply felt Korean dances and music at this event. The event will provide an opportunity for the Omani people

to enjoy the rich talent of the Korean artistes and that it will be another bridge in bringing closer the two peoples. The doors to the auditorium open at 6.30pm and the performance starts at 7.30pm. Entry is free. lifestyle@timesofoman.com

The beginning of the season will see the souqs become inundated with freshly harvested dates brought from Bid Bid, Dima wa’ Tayeen, Samad A’Shan, Al Rowdha, Samayil, and Bausher. With 75% of the cultivated land dedicated to date farming, the fruit is produced almost in parts of the country, with Nizwa and Suwaiq being the focal centres along-with the various wilayats of the interior and Sharqiyah regions.

PATTERN The Ash Patash and Al Nagal varieties will hit the market ﬁrst. When the season progresses, dates of the Al Khunaizi variety, described as the most sugary in taste, and Al Khalas, billed as the most delicious, enters the market - followed closely by Al Mebselli and Al Khasab varieties.

HOW MUCH Souqs across the Sultanate and supermarkets sell dates. The price keeps ﬂuctuating by day according to demand. If the demand grows high, the prices go even higher. The price becomes steady when there is enough supply. Al Khunaizi variety is currently sold at 600 baisa per kilo gram. Have a favourite Omani product or shop? Tell us about it: ameerudheen@timesofoman.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: MMG FILE PHOTO

ahra Santos is a true Omani pioneer, introducing the Sultanate to house music as the first female DJ in the country seven years ago, and next week, she is set to blaze another trail with the first ever, full-scale live dance music event. With a lineup of eight of the area’s best house DJs, LED-lit performance artists, 3D mapping, fire-throwing, live graffiti art, and, most importantly, a night of true, deep house performances, the event will be the first of its kind here in Oman. Seven years ago, after studying graphic design abroad in Australia, Zahra brought her new-found passion for house music back to Muscat with her, becoming the first female DJ in the Sultanate. In a city where hip-hop and khaleeji tracks ruled the party scene, Zahra, then called DJ Z, offered something fresh and new, sampling and remixing popular songs and introducing the city to new music styles. In the years since her return, she

C1 2

TH UR S DAY, N OVEMBER 2 6, 2 015

LIFESTYLE CATCH A GLIMPSE OF TIMEKEEPING MASTERPIECES Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa joins the 45th National Day celebrations with a unique display of 45 luxury watches of highend brands. Each watch exclusively commemorates the National Day of Oman. Many of the exquisite watches showcase either the ﬂag of Oman, the khanjar, or a picture of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. All of them are designed for this very special national occasion. The display in Al Bandar Hotel lobby runs till the end of November. It is a rare opportunity to witness a private collection of some of the ﬁnest

Photos: O.K. Mohammed Ali

timekeeping masterpieces in the Sultanate.

ART NOTE

Art exhibition at Bait Al Dalaleel If you wish to see an excellent mix of abstract art and calligraphy, just walk into Bait Al Dalaleel at Bait Al Zubair for Syed Muzaffar Moin’s solo exhibition “Beauty and Harmony”. The exhibition showcases 30 art works, in which Syed used trees, buildings and different types of calligraphy. The artist aims to make people understand a simple fact that we all need to appreciate the beauty and harmony given to us by God. Beauty is not only in vibrant colours and pretty things like ﬂowers, peacocks, and angelic creatures, it also lies in the hands of man and his heart. Syed said: “I like landscape, abstract art and ﬁgurative calligraphy that can be expressed on a canvas using lines, shapes, colours and texture. “I am really grateful to Bait Al Zubair for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to exhibit in Oman.” Bait Al Dalaleel at Bait Al Zubair is an art space created for young Omanis and expatriates to display their work to new audiences in a relaxed and beautiful environment. Artists and audiences alike can explore a wide variety of art books and magazines as well as discover some new creativity and talent in Oman. Throughout the year Bait Al Dalaleel offers workshops and meetings for young creatives to explore their work and develop their talent. The exhibition will continue till the end of November and can be visited from Saturday till Thursday from 9.30am to 6.00pm. lifestyle@timesofoman.com

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M T H U R S DAY, N O V E M B E R 2 6, 2 0 1 5

SECTION

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

RENT

VACANCY

CARGO

T H U R S D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

*Tourist visa arranged

FOR RENT SPACIOUS – 2 BHK, 3 bathrooms Flat with Split AC at Muttrah Prime Location

Contact : 93202733 NEW FLAT FOR RENT

2 BHK with spilt A/C in W.K behind Sana fashion. Contact: 96708000 1 BHK with split A/C in Darsait opposite Muscat Municipality. Contact: 96708000 2 BHK with spilt /AC in MSQ opposite AL Fair. Contact: 96708000 1BHK near medical Darsait Muttrah house R.O 175/- & 2 BHK R.O 220/-. Contact: 98748925 Showroom for rent at Wadi Kabir perfectly suitable for travels, money exchange, Auto parts up holster advertising materials. Contact: 94143636 Flats for rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99376454 1BHK ﬂat near Hamriya hotel. Contact: 96500860 4 BHK villa for rent Al Khuwair 650/- O.R Contact: 94232344 2 BHK Honda road Ruwi. Contact: 99224748 /99332297

1/2 BHK Flat at Muttrah, near Oman flour mills, 10 min. from corniche. equipped with split unit ACs, internet points, free-to-air dish connection, CCTV monitored, basement parking. Rent RO.250/350 (Negotiable) per month.

Contact : 99229263; 93221054; 95215289

Indian school Darsait (ISD), 2BHK Spacious ﬂats, ground ﬂoor air conditioners provided , OMR 350/including full maintenance . Ideal for south Indian families. Contact: 99076557 Beautiful villa directly on beach in best location in Shatti Qurum 1800 OMR. Contact: 95887572 One / two, B/R RES / Comm. directly from own ER near medical college Bausher. Contact: 92158031 Room, kitchen & bath in north Ghobrah include E/W & AC split 200/- R.O. Contact: 92811110

Furnished rooms attached bath for Indian bachelor Al Falaj area - Ruwi & for lady in Wadi Kabir near Mars Hypermarket Contact 96202458/96761960 2 BHK in Al Meera MKT building in Al Khuwair available. Rent RO420. Contact 94047434 House for rent in AL Amerat opposite office Justice, 3rooms, Majlis , 4 toilets, living room ,food hall & kitchen. Contact: 99252494 5 BHK villa at Mabela 7 for Rent. Contact: 99428221/ 99269912

Excellent office 5 rooms Al Khuwair O.A. Bank building 850/-R.O. Contact: 94232344

A Bedroom along with separate bathroom available for rent for an Executive Bachelor in Al Khuwair (near Zawawi Mosque). Contact 92138451

Flats in Qurum, Al Wallaj, 3 rooms, Majlis, dining room, kitchen, 3 bathrooms. Contact: 98044421

5B/R villa in Mumtaz area and 4 B/R villas in Mawalah next to the wave for rent. Contact: 97296105

Sohar: 3BHK AND 4BHK FLATS, R.O 200 and R.O 215 respectively. (New Building with CCTV camera with Split A/C). Contact: 99881426 / 92123699 Flat available for rent 2 bedrooms hall, 2 toilets, 1 kitchen & balcony with proper sun light & ventilator location or Mabela north very close to Indian school AL Seeb rent R.O 230/-. Contact: 99432496 1.2 BHK M.B.D. Contact: 92144045 1BHK Darsait I.S.D school R.O 225/Contact: 92144045 House in Al Khoud commercial district, 4rooms, Majlis, 2 kitchens, 3 bathrooms. Contact: 98044421

1BHK new bldg with A/C curtains near Khimji mart MBD. Contact: 99061408 /99024039 Furnished office, accommodation available Walja. Contact: 96246625 2.3 BHK Ghobrah R.O 350/- / 400/-. Contact: 92144045 1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-. Contact: 92144045 1.2.3 BHK ﬂats 8 villas. Contact: 97799175 1BHK ﬂat near Star Cinema 220/-. Contact 99358589 /95570288 Shops in AL Amerat industrial area near shell station.Contact: 98044421

2BHK near Oman house behind Khimji, H.O. Contact: 95865686 1BHK flat Darsait near MCT Municipality 220/-. Contact: 99342661 2 & 3 BHK Al Khuwair. Contact: 99024730 Flat for Rent 1/2 BHK Flat at Muttrah, near Oman flour mills, 10 min. from Corniche.Equipped with split unit ACs, internet points, free-to-air dish connection, CCTV monitored, basement parking. Rent RO.250/350 per month. Contact: 99229263; 93221054; 95215289 New villa at Mawalah south 5 bed room, family hall, Majlis, bath. Contact: 99332367 Villa in Arjan complex near Seeb stadium 4BHK, 1 living room, 1 majles, 1 extra room in ground floor. Contact 93219597

T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR HIRE WITH OPERATORS

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

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

SERVICES REQUIRED IN OMAN We are looking for a suitable sub-contractor to carry out installation and supervision of GRP Sectional Water tanks. Interested parties may contact by e-mail :

recruitments007@gmail.com or call 99104461 USED & SCRAP VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT

FOR SALE D/C Pick-Ups, 3 Ton Trucks, Cars, Buses, Station Wagons, Prime Movers, Hiabs, Swg. Tankers, Diesel Tankers, Water Tankers, Skip Trucks, Trailers, Dozer, Sideboom, Excavators, Shovels, Rollers, Graders, JCB for sale on “as is where is basis”

FOR SALE

RESTAURANT/ CAFÉ

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

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

Contact -Mr. Mohan 93214717/93214707

Please contact:

FOR RENT

6 shops in South Mawalah Contact: 96420432 Studio in souk Al Khoud behind of Al Ahali bank with 2 BR toilet+ kitchen in 2 floor 160RO. Contact 99738881 Flats and shops for rent in Ruwi Honda road Mumtaz area. Contact: 97293708 /92433127 New flats for rent Darsait Al Sahel. Contact: 99311525 / 92533356 Villa with 5 rooms, two sitting rooms, 5 toilets and kitchen at Al Hail North. Contact: 91130875 Flat for rent at Wadi Al Kabir next Al Hassan.co, 2 bedroom, 3 WS, 1 sitting room. Contact: 99210008 600 SQT commercial flat for rent opposite Oman flourmill Darsait more details. Contact: 91214849/ 99364735 3 Bedroom flat at Al Khuwair. Contact: 99447257/97014234 Coffee shop for rent Jifnain. Contact: 93340597 Single BHK flat available in Honda road Ruwi. Contact - 24833972/ 24833974/99367448

Flat for rent in Amerat two bedroom, one hall. Contact: 91141097 2 Bedroom centrally air conditioned flat in CBD, Central bank area. # 24714625/ 94460790 2 Bedrooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality. # 92584715 /24700120 Spacious separate room with A/c and Bed, for non-cooking Asian bachelor, behind Shell filling station, Ghobrah round about. Contact: 94263390 New pent house 219 meters, 3 bedrooms Each own toilet , servant room with toilet laundry area , kitchen with store elevator available AL Khuwair 39 rent R.O 575/family only. Contact: 99207840 2 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33 1 B/R Apartment Executive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair 33 1 B/R Flat - Fully Furnished @ Salalah Near New Lulu. 2 B/R Flat - Fully Furnished American standard @ Salalah. 5 B/R Villa - Fully Furnished @ Madinat Al Ilam, 5 B/R Villa - Unfurnished @ Madinat Al Ilam 5 B/R Villa - Unfurnished @ Al Mawalah North Brand New Please Contact: Atlas Real Estate & Rent A Car LLC. 24834888, 99249069 / 92888376 92888374 Email: info@alshahiintl.com

95126949 FOR SALE

For Rent Flats in Darsait 94051789-97201688

Fully equipped running café for sale at Wadi Al Kabir. Contact: 99636550

For Rent Flats in Ghala Heights 94051789-97201688

Curtains green colour 2 x 2.70MTS, 7 nos, almost new R.O 45 no bargains Qurum. Contact: 95865457

For Rent Flats in Wadi Kabir 94051789-97201688

2BHK Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti mosque. Contact: 97007934/ 92629232

FOR SALE

For Rent Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35) 94051789-97201688 For Rent ﬂats in MuttrahContact – 94051789-97201688

Coffee shop Mabela industrial area for sale. Contact: 92253080 Running dental clinic in Quriyat for sale Contact: 96534564

Offices for Rent GalaContact –94051789-97201688

Beauty Salon for urgent sale in Azaiba prime location behind Al Fardan building. With sponsor and 1 staff and 1 ready visa clearance. Call: 95318629 / 95169411

For Rent Duplex villa in Qurum 29- 94051789-97201688

Ladies saloon with 2 staff for sale in Mawalah. Contact 94197589

3BHK Qurum P.D.O light 350/-. Contact: 99342661

Printing Press for sale at Musanah. Contact – 99645150

For Rent Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud- 94051789-97201688

Sale house & office furniture & electronic items. Contact : 99834373/ 96642500/22010080

For Rent offices in Qurum opposite city center- 9405178997201688 1000 SQ mtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for ware house workshop etc. Contact: 24700120 /92584715

For Sale Luxury Apartments in Bousher (35) - 95056808-97201688 Running barber shop for sale in Ruwi with all equipments. Contact: 99343735

For Rent brand new villas in Al Ansab- 94051789-97201688

For sale 8 Apartments (Total area 850 SQM approximate) in “Bait Al Noor” occupying two full ﬂoors (7th and 8th ﬂoors). The building is opposite to GMC car showroom facing the main road (Sultan Qaboos Road). Excellent location for best visibility of signboard for any corporate. Contact 94194071 for details.

For Rent Offices & Showrooms in Muttrah -94051789-97201688

Beauty parlor for sale Muttrah. Contact: 93142676

2 BHK ﬂat available for rent in Darsait. Contact: 99357586

For sale villas in Al Khoud 95056808-97201688

For Rent Mini Furnished Apartment in Qurum- 9405178997201688 For Rent Flats in Mawalah south-94051789-97201688

Interested parties may please contact between 9 AM to 4 PM from Saturday to Thursday on

99235977 / 92880784 Running furniture showroom for urgent sale. Ladies beauty parlor sale at Muttrah.

Contact - 91135930 For Sale: Equipped carpentry workshop with 10 working employees at Sohar. Contact: 95728453 For sale Fully Furnished apartments in Bousher (35) - 9505680897201688 A running restaurant for sale near Oman oil petrol Pump Al Uqdah (Barka). Contact: 99059013

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

ACC. AVAILABLE Single room bathroom in Darsait R.O 140/-. Contact: 93289652 Large room with separate bathroom, sharing available in Al Khuwair. Contact - 95250161 Sharing room available for family /executive bachelor, near Oman house. Contact: 96753740 Room with bath for executive bachelor near A/C ﬂat, hotel. Contact: 99643845 Furnished rooms attached bath for Indian bachelor in Al Falaj Ruwi & lady in Wadi Kabir. Contact 96202458 /96761960 Furnished single rooms available for executive bachelors at Ruwi. Contact: 98049288 Bed space / sharing accommodation available for executive bachelor near to Mars hypermarket Wadi Kabir. Contact: 93137816 1 Bedroom with bathroom available for rent. Only Indian female. Contact - 92394614

ACC. AVAILABLE 1BHK fully furnished spacious for rent CBD, ideal for family or two bachelors easy access to Main road near Sheraton hotel with all electronics & furniture. Contact: 96444400 /5pm -10pm 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting room, Kitchen & store including utilities bills at Al hail. Contact 92817777 Furnished sharing accommodation in ruwi near O.K. Center for noncooking indian bachelor. Gsm 9880-5474 Single room for expat Indian bachelors near Al Aktham restaurant Al khuwair for RO 120. Water and electricity included. Contact : 98803261 Big room available near Hamriya R/A for Muslim couple / small family / Executive bachelor rent 150/- per month including W+ E. Contact : 99495131 1 Bedroom with attached Bath, fully furnished, separate entrance at Mabela for ladies only. Contact : 99634841

LOST Kholil Murshid Miah has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. AC 7191226. Finder please handover to ROP Mohammad Shamim Miah has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. E 1553984. Finder please handover to ROP

CHANGE OF NAME Bayt Al-Eaz Lalaiemar L.L.C Company which is recorded under the commercial register in directorate general for trade industry number 1050014 is going to change its name to Honest Hands Technical Services International L.L.C Company.This is to inform anybody who concerns about that.

T H U R S D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 6, 2 0 1 5 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT A REPUTED COMPANY IN OMAN URGENTLY REQUIRED

DEBT COLLECTOR Candidates interested and having worked in same field with minimum 5 years experience may apply with CV giving full details by Email

recruitoman2015@gmail.com We prefer Omani National. Valid Oman driving License is must.

REQUIRED A SUPERVISOR For Travel Agency with minimum 5 years’ experience in the Sales, marketing and Ticketing, with Oman Driving License, Interested candidates can send their CV to:

jobvacancyho@gmail.com

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Looking for dynamic and talented individuals to join our team in Oman for the position of Chief Financial Officer. with at least 5 years experience in the relevant field for a group of companies associated with Petroleum, please apply, with confidence and send your C.V issa@nibrasholding.com Kevin.Dodd@OasisMaritimeServices.com

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

applyinggchr@gmail.com

URGENTLY REQUIRED 1.

Electrical Engineer

2. 3.

Accounts Manager - (CA with minimum 5-10 years gulf experience) Purchase Manager

(B.tech with relevant experience in MEP works (Gulf experience preferred)

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

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

HR Manager

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

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

ADMIN Urgently required Admin / Accountant with minimum 4 years experience with valid Omani driving should be ﬂuent in Ms Office applications and tally. Fax: 24564459 Email: mhca@mhabibgroup.com

ARCHITECT Engineering consultancy office looking for Architect with experience in Oman (portfolio needed) hr@touchcdc.com 96649374 99441122

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE We are looking for Chief Financial Officer, Male 40- 45 years old, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with 5 - 15 yrs. of experience. Contact: +968 24702133 Email: admin-dept@daud.om

BEAUTY Urgently wanted Lady Beautician at Sur call after 10 am Contact: 99771763. Branded salon in Muscat requires a beautician with skills of: Manicure, Pedicure, Nails techniques, Massage, Facial and waxing. Contact- 98500222

CATERING Urgently Required One General Cook (Experience in Indian/ Chinese) for Hotel Apartment – Tel: 99797170 / Fax : 24490735 Email – hotapaz@omantel.net.om

ENGINEER/TECH/MECH MEP Engineer with minimum five years PDO / ministry experience. Please send CV to info@globaltechinternational.com Contact: 99150203/91404425 Engineering consultancy firm in Sur looking for graduate Civil Engineers. Interested candidates apply to babupj@ gmail.com or call 99318205 Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com or call Ph:+968 99450811 HVAC Technician with GCC experience in installation of spilt / package ducted AC Units, ducting design ETC. Contact: 93214193 Email CV: adexpress2015@gmail.com Civil Engineer with minimum five years, PDO Experience, earth work and building construction (PDO driving license preferred. Please send CV to info@globaltechinternational.com Contact: 99150203/91404425

LAWYER Required urgently an Indian Legal Consultant /Lawyer for a reputed Law Firm in Muscat & Sohar. Candidates should have 5-7 years experience as Legal Consultant/Lawyer with good knowledge of Computer & should be ﬂuent in English. Email C V to shejaanil66@gmail.com or contact 99153620 between 8am to 5.30pm

DRIVER MEDICAL Wanted heavy driver. Contact: 91770195 Heavy duty driver with valid driving license and experience. Contact: 94107090 or 95398929 Email: alkharusi.international@ gmail.com Wanted driver. Contact 91025698

DOMESTIC HELP

Medical CARE Centre, Al Seeb, requires General Practitioners and Pharmacist, Please Mail CVsarita_h23@yahoo.com or call 97884856. Required General Physician, Gynecology, Lab Technician & Pharmacists. Contact: 95133572 Email: kunoozghala@gmai.com

Full time living House maid required for an Indian female in Al Ghobrah. Contact: 97084023

Wanted Nurse and Omani Receptionist for a well established dental centre in Mawalah South. Contact – 93431024/ Email – drasyanaseem@gmail.com

Urgently required a Kerala House maid for small family (2 members) aged around 40-45 visa available. Contact: 99324343

Wanted GP Doctor with MOH license, job location in muscat with good salary and beniﬁts. Drop ur cv at careerhr1972@gmail.Com.

Small Omani family in Muscat requires an educated House maid. Contact – 98500222

Urgently required Philipina Nurse with MOH license at prometric parsed. Contact: 99724013

Required experienced part / full time house keeper for company CEO. Contact: 98458542

A reputed Wellness Center is looking for MOH licensed or Prometric Passed Physiotherapist, Nurse and Occupational therapy. Please send your CV to : hr2015.oman@gmail.com

Need excellent cook & housekeeper. Contact Whatsapp: 95887572

Wanted female Gynecologist, female Staff Nurse – 2 no., Dental Asst, female Lab Tech from India or Filipino with MOH license & data flow for Al Saadi Specialized Medical Centre in Mussana.

Contact 92025033, dr.srinivas76@gmail.com

92325542 | 93657915 | 91321880 engominst@gmail.com

A group of well reputed Private Schools associated with Cambridge Programs in Muscat – Sultanate of Oman Requires following teaching posts: WELL QUALIFIED TEACHERS

ASSISTANT RETAIL MANAGER • • • • • • •

To support GM in developing Muscat based stores 5 years past Retail store operations experience Omani or Expatriate (must have NOC if moving jobs) Full Time or Part Time (flexible hours ) Omani Driving License Team player & good communicator Written & spoken English

Use the email -recruitment@aflaggroup.com

VACANCY

for IGCSE & CIP for (English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, IT, lab assistant for Chemistry and Physics) - MSc / BSc and M.Ed / B.Ed with (IELTs / TOFEL) and at least 3 years of teaching experience with attested documents.

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

Mail your CV at: wps1986@yahoo.com

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

1. Service Administrator:

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

VACANCIES FOR HEAVY DUTY TRUCK DRIVERS A excellent grade company is looking for heavy duty truck driver with valid driving license (Oman/ Dubai) Please send CV with copy of license. Fax: 24817276 Mob: 93728515 Email: pankaj@primetrading.co.om

WASTE MANAGEMENT AND WATER TREATMENT SPECIALIST Looking for dynamic and talented individuals to join our team in Oman for the position of “waste management and water treatment specialist” with at least 5 years experience in the relevant field. And one in-house specialist issa@nibrasholding.com Kevin.dodd@oasismaritimeservices.com

VACANCIES FOR

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

Fax number 24480417 Email: mzouaibi@yuksel.net A reputable law firm in Oman is seeking an

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

VACANCY Oil Service Company is looking for

Finance Manager: HSE Manager & HR Specialist With relevant experience in oil industry.

Please send your cv to

Contact:

hr@alalawico.com

kirill.muromtsev@me.borets.com

WANTED

SALES / MARKETING

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

Send detailed resume to sskpvr@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Urgently required for a reputed company in Oman (Tyre, Battery & Lubricant division) Sr. Executives/ Executive-5 nos (Sohar, Nizwa & Muscat), Techno Commercial Professional-5nos, Driver (Omani)-1no. Required minimum 3-5 yrs experience in the same ﬁeld with market exposure holding valid Omani driving license or GCC. Kindly fwd your CV’s to ashwin@taasintl.org Contact: (+968)93891700 Urgently required Omani Nationals P.R.O & Merchandiser cum driver & 3 Ton truck drivers. Please send your resume to foods@manappat.com Contact: 99348211/93203550 A reputed construction company in Muscat urgently requires the following candidates (Omani Nationals only) Civil Engineer & P.R.O & light duty driver. Send C.V to hr.azatllc@gmail.com or call 99344896 Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com or call Ph:+968 99450811

Required Aggressive Sales Executive with B.Com /BBA. Preference to bilingual applicants with experience in luxury products. Interested candidates please send CV to hena_82@hotmail.com Sales man / Interior Designer wanted for prestigious interior design and office furniture Supply Company. Experience and drivers license needed excellent remuneration package. Email: tony@materials-plus.com Media Company needs sales male /female not required experience, only to have good knowledge on Muscat area, having driving license. Having some knowledge on designs) send CV to: magicﬁngerprint1@gmail.com

SECT. /OFFICE Personal Assistant, 5yrs experience in Oman or GCC. MBA or equivalent. Part-time preferred. Call 95364625. We are looking for Experienced Omani Receptionists and Omani PRO (Public Relation Officer) for our organization Ayaan Healthcare centre. Contact – 93676708 Email: z.ali@ayaanhealthcare.com

SKILLED Store keeper with minimum 5 years experience, should have experience in handling office furniture and ﬂuency in tally & bar coding software etc. Interested candidates can apply by mail: info@smartvisionoman.com fax: 24818818

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

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

careerhr1972@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian female, MBA HR & Finance, having 1 year experience, seeking suitable placement. Currently in Oman. Contact: 96052366. 12 years of Oman experienced chief accountant looking for suitable position. Contact: 99513082 Chief Accountant 25 years experienced, for the last 7 years working as Chief Accountant seeks immediate placement. Contact: 95598477/98803439 ACCA affiliate, fresher, Indian male, valid driving license, looking for full time employment in Accounting and Finance, also open to other opportunities, Contact +968 91291520, Email: shahidazeez5@gmail.com Sr. Accountant ( CA- inter) Indian male 31 years having 9 years experience in finance & accounts looking for suitable placement. NOC available and valid Oman D/L. Contact: 94108678 Email: vijeshvasu@gmail.com Indian male highly resulted oriented and self driven CA Inter qualified accountant with over more than 14 years of experience in auditing, finance and accounts seeks placement. Contact: 93405047 Finance controller 15 years experience in Oman contracting, consultancy, trading oil & gas tourism IT etc project financing feasibility ERP cost control. Contact: 98571309 Male Indian with 7 years experience in accounting & 6 years experience in sales and marketing very good knowledge of tally currently in Muscat on a visit visa. Contact: 96148427 Email: jijokurianp@gamil.com Experienced Female Senior Accountant looking for suitable alternative. Contact: 99849325 Sr. accountant M.com (finance) 2 yrs in Oman seeking suitable placement NOC Available with immediate joining. Contact: 92404608 Email: jin_75@rediffmuil.com Indian male, 23 years, MBA finance MNC 2 years experience in accounts, currently in Oman seeking for suitable position. Contact: Yahya Manager 96930855 Indian female 28yrs, B.com, 7yrs call center/accounts/admin/ marketing experience, currently on visit, seek suitable placement. Contact Rashmi 96746698. ACCA member / B.com (3.7 years experience) looking accounts / audit job. Contact: 97769145 Email: mnaem02@gmail.com Part time accounting, also contact for auditing, tax reports and feasibility study – 91044655

Freelance services of accounting, auditing, taxation and feasibility report - 91720465 28/ male MBA – finance /B.com – accountant with 4 years of Dubai / India experience looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 90187483 Email: shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com Accountant job wanted 8 years experience 5 years in Indian 3 years in Oman knowledge of tally ERP- 9 NOC available. Contact: 91162503 Indian lady, bachelor degree in Preparatory Programme (BPP) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), completed training course in MS Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook from KTI looking for full time / part time job opportunity in Oman. Contact 92437568, 96795853, Email: linda_navs@yahoo.com SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with 13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in manufacturing, trading & contracting Cos, capable of handling all accounting, finance, banking, L/C, import, export & finalization seeks placement. NOC Available. Call+968-98932752, mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com Indian female 5+ yrs Oman exp in Accounts tally looking for suitable placement in W.K to Qurum area. Contact: 95580416 Part time accountant services from senior accountant M.com 15 years Oman exp. Contact: 97441960 Accountant Indian female having 5 years exp in finalization, audit and administration in GCC presently in Muscat seeking suitable position. Contact 97323574 Email: sreeja@236@gmail.com

ADMIN Egyptian woman resident has considerable experience in the administration and secretarial executive for companies. Contact: 97221126 Male BBA graduate 5 years admin HR document controller purchaser account assistant (tally) experience NOC. Contact: 97015178 Legal advisor (Egyptian)| experience in international arbitration, contracts and labor law and administration looking for a company. Contact: 99664890 Senior HR , professional MBA , 12 yr GCC experience at managerial recruitment, administration , policy formulator working with a leading construction co (4000 plus employees) looking for a immediate change over , NOC available. Contact: 94017306 Email: saneesh9181@gmail.com

B.com, 25 years male, 3 years exp release available on visa, seeks placement accounts / comm. Asst. Contact: 94693593

10 years Gulf & 4 years Oman experience in HR / Admin & logistics ﬂuent in Arabic / English with D/L looking for suitable position. Contact 95824598

Indain male Accountant, 8 years experience 4 years In dubai,4 yrs in Muscat. Additional knwoledge in JDE and Tally.9, NOC available ready to join immediately. Contact: 95364896 /92912347 Email: bsdv1978@gmail.com

MBA (HR & marketing) & B.Com, Indian male 28 yrs, 2 years exp in Qatar having Oman driving license, currently on family visa in Salalah (NOC available. Contact: 98138376 Email: subinabraham87@gmail.com

T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED Indian male, Msc Electronics, Dip in hardware & networking Engg (Exchange server 2010, CCNA & MCITP) WITH 2 YRS EXP INCLUDING GCC. Exp in networking, IT support 7 server support. (MCITP Certification id: 9408340) Valid Saudi D/L. Now in Muscat on visit visa, looking for suitable job.

A result oriented professional B.E.(Mech), 30+ years experience in Oil & Gas Projects, Fabrication, R & M and Services. Seeking job as GM, CEO, Country Head. NOC & immediate availability.

Contact – 96133981 Email: obinkavumkal@gmail.com

DRIVER

ADMIN Qualiﬁcation B.com accounting BE mechanical engineer course completed experience 17 years HR administration, parches store, quality assurance. Contact: 93820512 Email: kuruvilajohn2012@gmail.com Indian male MBA graduate (HR) with 19 years of gulf experience (6 years in Oman) seeking suitable job can join immediately with NOC. Contact: 99103763 /99519841 Indian male - 25 years - MBA (HR & marketing) with one year experience on visit visa looking preferably for suitable HR/ ADMIN / marketing jobs .contact : Mr. Harish Ravindranathan / mail ID : payyazhihari1990@gmail.com / 90189964 5 years of experience in software and 1yr in administrator looking for any software of any office suitable jobs or any work from home jobs. Contact: 91711326 Email: shetty.sapna22@gmail.com Female Indian 9+ yrs experience in administration customer support office coordination with good computer skill now on visit visa looking for suitable openings. Contact: 99285440 Indian female, Masters in HR, having 4 + years Oman experience in media management and HR, looking for openings in HR, Education, Admin, Corporate communications. Contact 98252030 Indian male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf exp in Administration/ HR & Public relationship. Fluent in Arabic/ English with D/L. Looking for suitable position. Contact - 99897280 Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+ experience in Administration/ HR, Customer Support, Office Coordinator with good Computer skill, Now on Visit Visa, looking for suitable position. Contact: 90196235 26 yrs male, MBA, 3+ years experience in Administration in MNC, seeks suitable placement. Contact 95041201 Email: noyel55@gmail.com

ARCHITECT Architect (B. Arch) 5 years experience seeking job. Contact 96146645 Email: anjuovil@gmail.com

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

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

Phone : +91 9773828663, Email : jvp291367@yahoo.com

Experienced Light Duty Driver, Fluent in English, Arabic Well knowledge of Oman Areas Seeking Suitable placement 97950869 Driver looking for job. Contact: 91354803 Light driver, looking for job. Contact: 98372745/99090362 Light driver. Contact: 95084826 Looking for Job driving. Contact: 97418036 Driving with car, looking for job. Contact: 97095200 Driver with new car looking for job.contact: 95873286 Heavy duty driver (Exp 3years) seeking suitable job. Contact 91372623 Pakistan male light vehicle driver 8 yrs GCC exp looking for job. Contact: 96393805 Driver (light & heavy duty) valid gulf /Indian) looking job. Contact: 95175192

EDUCATION American female Master’s TESOL 12 yrs teaching exp. EFL Curriculum Developer & Teacher Trainer. Professional Development Specialist & Educational Activity Coordinator. Available February 1st 2016. Email: dellacorte.esl@gmail.com Contact: 99630244 Indian female M.SC B.Ed, 3 years experience looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94420033 Email: binitathanki@gmail.com Indian Female B.Ed. and B.C.A. and IELTS certiﬁed with 5yr U.A.E. exp. and 6 months Oman exp. in teaching primary and secondary students looking for a teacher’s job. Email: rani_sweet786@live.com. Mob. 97384206.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Sudanese female Electrical Engineer graduated with distinction excellent knowledge and interested in protection. Contact: 98133281 Electrical Engineer Indian male 29 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres) seeking suitable placement. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahmlktr@gamil.com Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman with license. Contact: 98975528 Mechanic Tractor Diesel Engines & Hydraulic, 25 years Experience in Multinational Companies. Contact - 91685048

Creative Designer with 8+ years experience in web, graphic, video editing, outsourcing looking for a suitable placement in a reputed company. Contact 97276004

Indian female M.Tech (electrical power system) having gulf experience in family visa seeking suitable placements in Oman. Contact: 91001194 /94306164

25 years male BA. English , Qualiﬁed as mast in digital animation having 5 yrs ex in character animation specialized Auto Desk mago and motion building software knowledge, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 97917357

Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects. Contact – 90164912

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

DRIVER Three years driving experience in Muscat language known English, Arabic, and Hindi, Bengali. Contact 97462781 Light duty driver looking for job. Contact: 93131542 Indian male driver 3yrs experience seeking for suitable placemen. Contact: 93663493 Light duty driver looking for job. Contact: 98356230

B.E civil Engineer having 5 years experience in Oman with construction companies need suitable placement. Contact: 98180524 Civil Engineer (4 years ) having total 5 years experience in building construction ( 2 years , 8 months in Oman) looking for suitable placement D/L available. Contact: 94450270 B.E Biomedical Engineer 5 years experience in the subﬁeld (hospital / company) looking for suitable placement. Contact 92084807 Email: bonnygeorge1005@gmail. com Civil Engineer B.E , 06 years experience in Oman having D/L seeking for a suitable position . Contact 95961336 Email: eyousuf04@yahoo.com

Well experienced team available to provide feasibility reports & business solutions, product development, risk management methods for startups, progressive, defunct operations. Creating of ERP modules. Contact - 93343251 Email: profitoman@gmail.com

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Indian male 24, B.Tech electrical & electronics engineer and P.G. Diploma in automation & SCADA with 2 years experience Kerala electricity board, looking for suitable placement. Contact: 95340253 /92914336 Email: seanjohnson176@gmail.com Indian male 21, B.Tech, Mech Engineering + quantity analyzer/ controller looking for suitable placement. Contact: 92914336/ 96585010 Email: deenjohnson94@gmail.com Indian Male 23yrs Fresh Mechanical Engineer presently on a visit visa looking for placements in service/sales/purchase/ project engineer. Contact Ajith 91791724 Indian 30 yrs B.E civil Engineer 8 year experience with Oman D/L & NOC available. Contact: 95962450 Email: solanki.ahmed@gmail.com B.E civil Engineer having 11 years experience with NOC looking for job. Contact: 95690780 Email: sadiq.asrar81@gmail.com Indian male 24, B.E. Civil Eng’g with 2 years experience as Structural Engineer looking for suitable job in Muscat. 97355352 Indian male 27yrs, mechanical engineer (energy engineering M.Tech & HVAC diploma) with 4 yrs experience on visit visa, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98791735 Email: anilengandiyur@gmail.com Indian male 25 years diploma in mechanical engineering having 2.5 years experience in piping fabrication, plumping and ﬁre ﬁghting knowledge in AutoCAD seeking suitable placement. Contact 92733482 Email: sonumm.m2@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer graduated from Caledonian college Oman with NDT Level 2 ( ASNT ) and solid works looking for suitable placement currently on family visit visa having valid Oman D/L. Contact: 95990677 Email: asifmnawab@gmail.com BE Electrical with 14 years experience in projects & maintenance industry and power sector up to 132 KV, NOC & DL available. Ph: 99015463 / +919447249212 ; email: abhi_lash2@rediffmail.com Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years old) – B.Sc Engineering (Hon) Mining / Geotechnical Presently in Muscat, 1.5 years experience.91295802 / acmfaslan123@gmail.com Indian Male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com Indian male B.Tech electrical 2 years experience seeks placement. Contact: 93570984 Email: arunprasad7883@gmail.com Engineer Mechanical (BR) Indian male, with NDT Level 2 (ASNT), works, 2 years above experience (as mechanical QC Engineer and SME Engineer) seeking suitable placement (on visit visa). Contact: 90249803 / 00919446048596 Email: naveenbasheer@gmail.com Civil Engineer diploma holder 1 years experience site supervision level 2, 2D, 3D Revit languages English, Malayalam and Hindi Tamil looking challenging career. Contact: 98058242 Email: manu6222@gmail.com B.Sc in Civil Engineer 12 yrs exp in Dubai and South Africa on construction and infrastructure having Dubai license currently on visit looking suitable position. Contact: 91206763 Email: delwar.civil.97@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer, 24 yrs Indian male, 2yrs experience (L+T Port) as maintenance Engineer sear citing for a suitable job on visit visa. Contact: +968 92685011 Email: srinathvijayanavs@gmail. com

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

MISCELLANEOUS

SALES / MARKETING

M.Tech Civil, certiﬁcate attested, Indian, 18.8 year experience seeks suitable position. Contact: 98327311 Email: sen.pangode@gmail.com

24 years Indian female MSC Biotechnology 1 year exp.in clinical microbiology, worked in ICRISAT for project work as Trainee, looking for suitable job. Contact: 92619048 Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com

12 years of experience in Oman; marketing strategies & operations, logistics, government tenders, public relations & dealing with international companies -4 years of experience in UK, engineering CNC & industrial areas, have dual nationality, ﬂuent in English & Arabic speaking and writing , (I can travel abroad easily without visa, for ﬁnalizing business or any other purpose). Contact: 94123939

Civil Engineer 11 years experience in construction, having driving license & NOC. Contact: 94194399 Email: shiblyrock@gmail.com Indian male , 29 yrs electrical design engineer , having 5 years of gulf experience in oil & gas / construction ﬁeld specialization in load calculations cable sizing & selection, earthing , transformer selection etc having GCC valid license , looking for an suitable job. Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani@gmail.com Electrical Engineer 13 years experience HV/ LV in Oman 5 years, Oman valid D/L to NOC. Contact: + 0091- 9946570903 Email: shibualukka@gmail.com Ref: no-Oman 97095094

HOSPITALITY Egyptian male B.S degree tourism & hotels (10 years experience) 2 in Oman in hotels management have Oman driving license looking for suitable job. Contact: 91695779 Email: bola.fahmi@gmail.com Indian male/31yrs with hotel management degree, 03 yrs experience in F&B services at 5 star hotel Dubai & 05 yrs in American 6 star cruise liner as Butler. Has Oman driving license. Contact no 91135371 Dutch male qualiﬁed commercial pilot (Faa-ME-IR certiﬁed) is looking for job openings in middle east. rutjestom@outlook.com

IT Indian male B.Tech IT 3 years experience windows / Ulinux / network administration on visit visa. Contact: 93311963 Email: sajal035@gmail.com Experienced female D. Arch Engg seeking job AutoCAD (2D, 3D), 3D Max, and revit Photoshop. Contact: 98907341 Email: susuhu@gmail.com Female seeking job in graphic designing, admin, MS office Photoshop, CorelDraw, 3D Max. Contact: 94536117 Email: shaiumarba@gmail.com Indian male B.Tech (E& C) MCSE, CCNA having 1.5 years of experience seeks job. Contact 99257702 Email: jithu.m.moolayil@gmail.com Indian male MC.A 2 years experience in software knowledge of Java ASP Net, network in techno park Kerala. Contact: 99210940 Male 31 Years, IT 6 year’s online marketing experience in India seeks suitable placement. Contact-91175265 Net work Engineer with experience degree in computer science, CCNA, MCSA. Contact: 92346191 Age 28 years experience 2years & 8 month in IT accounting technical skill, java, J.S.P tally Peachtree M.S excel, SQL ,Working java programmer India , accountant , Dubai ,Qualiﬁcation MCA, B.C.A mathematic visit visa. Contact: 95673451 Indian female M.Tech in electronics Engg 2 yrs industrial exp in IT & robotics research seeking opportunities in academy or industry. Email:mariaannajoseph@gmail. com Contact: 91306841 Indian female, MCA, Oracle & ACL certiﬁed, 5+ years of experience in Data Analysis, IT Administration, Accounting and Office Administration etc. holds valid Oman driving license, seeking suitable opening. Mob: 98579241. B.Tech Computer Science fresh graduate looking for suitable job. Android application marketing services. Valid D/L also available. Contact 91024385 IT Indian male B.Tech computers, networking 1 years experience in Database support on visit. Contact: 96376061 Email: diaz1992@outlook.com

Purchase Officer with 8 years exp in Oman having D/L & NOC looking for urgently placement. # 96174564 email: azhar_5012@yahoo.com Graduate, computer literate, experienced in sales, credit control, accounts, omani d/l , seeks suitable placement. Gsm 9880-5474 Indian male, 27 years SAP – CRM certiﬁed associate fresher P.G (English) having 5 years of experience in marketing, communication and designing on visit, seeks suitable placement. Contact: 90196845 Email: joshjk99@gmail. com Web: www.joshjk.net Indian male B.SC graduate having experience of 30 years in inspection, testify and QA – Industrial technical textiles and tyre industry. Currently in Oman with visiting visa. Contact: 93375690 B.E Civil (ﬁrst class) site / project Engineer with 3 years of experience in residential building projects Ms. Office AutoCAD on visit visa valid till Dec 2nd (week), looking for a suitable job. Contact: 96692175 Email Id: nazarrizvi1@gmail.com Indian male B.Com Graduate looking for job in admin sales or accountant with valid Oman driving license ready to join. Contact: 98093949 Indian female, 26, M.sc biotechnology now in family visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95210498/ 99850321/93093466 Omani national with bachelor in management looking for suitable placement please call: 91908052 or Email: saidoburndi257@yahoo.com

MEDICAL GP doctor with MOH license and PDO experience seeks job offer. Contact-96528807 An experienced Indian male GP with MOH license and NOC, looking for good placements in the capital areas only. Pl contact 96386388 Arabic male general practitioner with MOH license looking for a suitable placement in Muscat. Contact: 95618680

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: construction(Very strong and qualiﬁed to bringing business for civil work Or any type of the construction work for many million per year with a good experience in pricing and collect payment and cash management of the company & marketing projects & investments& tenders & real estate. Contact: - 92385033 MBA (marketing) with 17 years experience in freight forwarding/ logistics industry in GCC & Oman. Presently working as branch manager in Muscat. Looking for a suitable position. Release and NOC available. Contact: 99856331 Manager Finance, M.Com/MBA -thorough knowledge & more than 20 years of experience with start-up skills. Group consolidation and audit. : Bank dealing for corporate credit/ funding.: Ability to handle Group of companies on professional way. Contact: 00968-91279373, applyforjob991@gmail.com 20 yrs experienced MEP Manager seeks suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 97892269 Manager MBA (Finance) 13+ yrs experience in Oman with knowledge of ﬁnance admin purchase logistics costing looking for suitable position with D/L. Contact : 93826090 Email: jskanchan01@gmail.com The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: tenders& real estate& construction & marketing projects& investments& transportation & Marine services& companies management& develop business. Contact :- 92385033 Indian male with 9 years experience in business development looking for suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 92573230

07 years Dubai 02 years Oman experience in sales marketing MBA in marketing diploma in marketing with Dubai, Oman driving license studied in S.E.O online sales & marketing E-commerce looking for job. Contact: 97367321 Indian male 25 age, MBA marketing (fresher) PGDM (HR) ﬂuency in English, Arabic, Hindi looking for suitable job currently in Oman on visit visa. Contact: 97127799 Email: vijnvijioo@gmail.com Indian male 26, 4 years experience in sales and marketing D/L , seeking suitable placement. Contact: 95137733 Email: robbs.me@gmail.com Purchase experienced 8 years in Construction Company Indian male 45 yrs, release & D/L available. Contact: 90268183 / 96987234 Indian male 29 , BHM , 6 years overall 3 yrs in Oman in sales with D/L NOC available to join immediately. Contact: 92594055 Indian male MBA, 8 years experience in hospitality industry sales & marketing looking for suitable job now in visit visa. # 92115860 Indian male, 26 years, B. Pharm graduate having 3 years experience in marketing / sales looking for a suitable job. Contact: 94145992 Email: syedanasmustafa1989@ gmail.com Indian male, MBA with 8 yrs experience in sales and marketing with Omani D/L , NOC available. Contact: 96746107 Sales Engineer 5 years experience looking for a placement. Contact: 91411043 Indian male MBA marketing 2 years Oman experience with valid Oman driving license looking for a suitable position NOC available. Contact: 91202335 Email: mrishad90@yahoo.com Sales Manager having 12 years experience M.B.A in sales & marketing having valid GCC driving license seeking suitable placement, NOC available. Contact: 98125226 Indian male, 25 yrs, 1 year experience in auditing and 10 month in sales. Currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement. Contact 97142538 Indian Male 32, MBA (Marketing & Finance) with 10 years experience in Marketing of Banking Products & Insurance Industry. Seeking for a Job in Oman. Contact: 93576980, 97750460 Email: senthil.cbe83@gmail.com Marketing Executive/Merchandiser, Omani License, BA 8 years Experience in Multinational Groups. Contact 97601343

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

MISCELLANEOUS Female executive secretary with 29 years experience with ﬁnanced services & top management & valid Omani D/L, seeks suitable placement. Contact: 96202458/96761960 BE electronics & instrumentation engineer, with one year of experience. Looking for suitable positions. On visit visa. Contact-99339306, e-mail: kannanr101@gmail.com Looking for a part time accounting & admin job. Contact 99196621. Indian (Kerala) Male, 32yrs, looking for a job as Accounts Assistant/ Cashier/ Salesman (indoor), having 5 yrs experience in Oman. Currently on Visit Visa. Contact-94410485, Email: visanthvijay@gmail.com

T H U R S D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

TOURS

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

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

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

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

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

T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 6, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE IELTS PREPARATION Target Band 8.0

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

RENT A CAR

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

NRI royal castles

vakathanam, kottayam Luxurious villas in a Gated community with all the modern facili es at Vakathanam By-Pass (MC road-NH 220) Web: www.royalcastles.in email: info@royalcastles.in +968 92855909, +91 9961 11 9988

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

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

MV SALE

Available on rent 2 Bedroom furnished ﬂat in Koregaon Park, Pune and Maharashtra, India. Contact: 99374187.

Mitsubishi lancer 92 model very good running condition RE GN up to 6/11/2016 R.O 500/-. Contact: 92545269

11 Cent land with house for sale, Ernakulum dist 14 km from airport Contact: 91101457

BMW 318/ 2003 for sale. Contact 96364990

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

MANPOWER

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

GSM: 96775023 / 96775024

SIT.WANTED Indian Male 33 yrs, BCA ,10 years experience(India & Oman) IT Support, System administrator/ supervisor looking for suitable Job. #95448561. Indian female accountant 5 years of experience in accounting tally, office coordination,And admin, currently on visit visa. seeking suitable placement Contact: 95684179

IELTS & TOEFL Academic / General Target Band 8 TQT Institute. Ph # 24480800 / 99347202

WEBSITE

Classes for bakery, cup cakes, icing decorations. Contact: 96202458 /96761960 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

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

DRIVING

Nissan Altima 2.55, 2012 excellent condition agency maintained. Contact: 97717152 Tucson automatic 2009 model black color very good conduction registration up to 2016 price R.O 2950/-. Contact: 98196845

Learn driving with professional. Contact: 94022250

SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

MATRIMONIAL 35 years Bombay based Sunni Muslim divorcee girl (Degree holder) seeking alliance. Contact: 92886145

Indian male christian 40yrs. working in muscat.looking for life partner.divorced or single. Contact :91429811

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

CLASSES

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

Suitable match for punjabi ,sikh, ramgharia girl, 1982 born, 5”5”, bachelor of design. Contact- 00968 98581868, hvsingh.1947@yahoo.com

TRANSPORTATION

COMPUTER

Keralite R.C. Boy, 30yrs, 161cm, MBA (Finance) Working in Oman seeking suitable alliance. Contact: 92290247 / 97302978 Seeking alliance for our son from Muslim families. Interested families Contact: 99889590

TRANSPORTATION Muttrah to Bausher. Contact: 99022790/24712088 Transportation. Contact: 96538078 Transportation. Contact 99508282 Transportation. Contact:95190627

A/C maintenance, installation spilt A.C and maintenance window A/C and ducted and package the reunites. Contact: Asad Abbas 98667326 GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998

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

Debt collection services your money we collect value commercial services. Fax: 0096824783669 Contact: 009682479815 /00968- 24701422 /00968- 94665476 Email: salim@valuedbtcollection.com

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

An investor requested in a printing press in Muscat. Contact: 99498949

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

Water prooﬁng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

GOOD NEWS

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

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 Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 / 94285064 A/C Maintenance & servicing, fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, painting & cleaning services, electrical & plumbing. Contact: 99447257 /97014234 / 24504281

Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080 Split & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 96236476 House shifting & transporting. Contact 92490422 MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807 Window & split unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089 / 95323517 Split & window A/c servicing & maintenance. Contact: 93769089 / 95323517 Cleaning & carpet shampooing, Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99884591 Pest control treatments. Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99344723 House shifting. Contact: 99657644/98518013 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

T H U R S D AY, N O V E M B E R 2 6, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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