Times of Oman - December 26, 2016 by Muscat Media Group

MONDAY December 26, 2016 26 Rabi Al Awal 1438 AH

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FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

On the occasion of the 25th National Day Silver Jubilee, 1995

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ The human being, as we have always said, is the power, the instrument and the ultimate aim of national development. Thus we exert every effort to provide him with these essential qualities so that we can all, together, build our nation.

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 251 | 36 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certiﬁed Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

Remittances to Bangladesh fall

2016: THE YEAR OF AUSTERITY. WILL 2017 BRING ANY RELIEF?

With diversiﬁcation

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

M U N I C I PA L C OU N C I L S E L E C T I O N S

OMAN

Although the number of Bangladeshi workers coming to Oman went up in November, according to Oman government data, their total remittances declined during the month, reports the Bangladesh government. >A3

and contributions from small-scale businesses, Oman

MARKET

can weather the

Port Services Corp. to continue operation

oil price storm

Port Services Corporation, which manages Muscat’s Port Sultan Qaboos , has said that the company’s board has decided to extend the concession pact to manage and operate the port, with the same terms and conditions for one year. >B1

Staff Reporters

– ONA/Shabin E

Voters elect 202 candidates in Municipal Councils polls SPORTS

Royal Cavalry horse comes first in Sharjah

The Royal Cavalry of the Royal Court Affairs continues to perform well on various racing tracks. The mare ‘Fareedah’ came joint ﬁrst with the horse “AS Maidan” of Sheikh Abdullah bin Majid Al Qasmi. They arrived at the ﬁnish line at the same time. >C1

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Oman has chosen its 202 candidates who will represent all cities and villages of the country at their respective Municipal Councils. Of the 22 female candidates standing for election, seven were voted in this year, two in North Al Batinah, two in Al Buraimi, two in Muscat and one in South Al Batinah. “The voting process for the Municipal Councils Elections, which began on Sunday morning at 7.00 am in different wilayats,

continued smoothly without any hindrance,” said Eng. Khalid bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Head of the Main Committee of the Municipal Councils’ 2nd Term Elections. Ali Al Lawati, a voter, said the voting process was very quick. “It took me just a minute to cast my vote and ﬁnish the ballot,” he added. The results were announced before midnight, thanks to a new state-of-the-art machine which was used for the ﬁrst time in Oman.

“New technologies have been introduced for the casting of ballots,” Al Busaidi said. “The most important is the evoting boxes, which provide realtime counting of votes during the election process. “While the system can process a considerable number of voting forms at the same time, it also ensures optimum privacy of voters and takes into consideration the security aspect while reading the voting forms,” Al Busaidi told the local media. >A4 Results on page >A4

MUSCAT: Rising oil prices will not halt austerity in Oman, but its residents might, analysts say. Experts agree austerity measures will continue to bite deep into next year but a non-oil mindset and more small business launches may just bring the diversiﬁcation required to weather the oil price storm. In 2016 oil prices slumped as low as $27 per barrel from over $100 at their highest, shaking global economies, including that of Oman’s. Job losses, beneﬁt cuts, cancellations of projects, new taxes and cuts in state expenditures in many nations followed. Many people living in oil dependent countries have never experienced cuts and austerity measures, but those very people could be the captains required to steer Oman out of trouble, one senior analyst in the Sultanate belileves. There is renewed hope of a resurgence in oil prices following a production cut agreement between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries, agreed to during the

$60 is the ideal price for Omani crude but even $50 will be acceptable, says Ahmed Al Hooti, the board member of the OCCI

second week of December. Oil prices have since gone up, with Oman crude trading at $52.51 on Thursday. Experts in Oman say that residents will need to tighten their purse strings next year, as austerity measures will continue to hamper the economy’s recovery. According to reports by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, this is a direct consequence of the slowdown in the growth of Oman’s gross domestic product (GDP), which is expected to contract to just 1.7 per cent in 2017. “This deﬁnitely is a big problem, because it affects the local purchasing power of people, and given the fact that the GDP growth rate is going down, you will have the country going through a slump, with less investments being made,” said Ramanuj Venkatesh, assistant accounts manager at Larsen and Toubro. >A5

UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2020

Expat lawyers can appear in appeals court TARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com

Young Omani singer to compete in India Star TV reality show

MUSCAT: Non-Omani lawyers will be able to continue to appear before appeals courts and the Supreme Court until December 31, 2020, since there are not enough Omani lawyers to handle the demands for legal representation. Minister of Justice Abdulmalik bin Abdullah Al Khalili issued a ministerial decision 261/2016, amending ministerial decision 1020/2009, stating that “Non-

Omani lawyers are permitted to appear before the court of appeals and the Supreme court until December 31, 2020.” The decision is effective as of January 1, 2017. Ahmed Adali, a prominent Egyptian legal practitioner in Oman, said that the decision was taken in view of the low number of Omani lawyers in the Sultanate. “The number of practicing Omani lawyers is insufficient to handle the cases and follow-ups to defend the rights of Omani citizens,” said Adali.

“Therefore, in response to the directives issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in protecting Omani citizens and their rights in the ﬁrst degree, expatriate lawyers can appear in the court of

appeals and Supreme Court until there are enough Omani lawyers,” he explained. According to the data issued by the Ministry of Justice, there were only 284 Omani lawyers, compared with 441 expat lawyers, as of 2015, registered in the records of the lawyer affairs department at the ministry to practice in the appeals courts and Supreme Court. There were only 197 Omani appeals court lawyers at the end of 2015, compared with 183 expat lawyers. >A6

T OU R I S M D E S T I NAT I O N

Three new hotels to be built in Oman next year Times News Service MUSCAT: Three new hotels will open in Muscat next year, cementing Oman’s continued growth as a tourism destination, the Ministry of Tourism said on Sunday. They will provide around 500 rooms to guests. The three-star Al Irfan International Hotel is expected to open in the ﬁrst quarter of 2017, the ministry said. Located in Bausher, it will have 152 guest rooms. In greater Muttrah, another three-star hotel, the Muttrah Corniche with 120 rooms, is set to open by the middle of next year. Muttrah Corniche is located near Port Sultan Qaboos, one of the most important ports in Oman, in the heart of the capital Muscat. It overlooks beautiful mountains and is one of the most scenic areas

TOURISM BOOST: The opening of new hotels will cement Oman’s growth as a tourism destination.

in the Governorate of Muscat, ideal for picnic, sea watching, and admiring ancient buildings. “There are not many hotels in Muttrah, so a budget three-star hotel will boost

tourism, as more than 150 cruise ships visit Port Sultan Qaboos every year,” travel experts said. A third hotel, Sundus Rotana, is expected to begin hosting guests

in the third quarter of 2017. “The four-star hotel will have 215 rooms and is located at the Airport Heights,” according to the ministry. In addition, the three-star

Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Al Khuwair, with 232 rooms, is expected to open in mid-2018. Another hotel, the ﬁve-star Intercontinental Tilal Muscat, with 244 rooms, is expected to open by 2019 end, the ministry said. “These hotels are designed to cater to all types of travellers visiting the Sultanate. All these hotels are in the city, and will offer modern amenities to facilitate all types of travellers,” travel agents said. Recently, Maitha Al Mahrouqi, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism, said that Oman was looking at a growth in tourism of 8-12 per cent per year. “The biggest airport will open; the convention centre has already opened. Then, there are a few ﬁvestar hotels that are in the pipeline and will also open next year,” she said recently.

MORNING MINUTE

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

THE BRIEFING Region

Iran seals Boeing plane deal at half the price Iran said it had negotiated to pay only about half the announced price for 80 new Boeing airliners in an order that was worth $16.6 billion. “Boeing has announced that its IranAir contract is worth $16.6 billion. However, considering the nature of our order and its choice possibilities, the purchase contract for 80 Boeing aircraft is worth about 50 per cent of that amount.” said an Iranian minister. >A7

INDIA

Restrictions on cash withdrawals may continue

OMAN

Syria-bound Russian military jet crash kills 92 A Russian military plane carrying 92 people, including dozens of Red Army Choir singers, dancers and orchestra members, crashed into the Black Sea on its way to Syria on Sunday, killing everyone on board, Russian authorities said. The Russian Defence Ministry said one of its TU-154 Tupolev planes had disappeared from radar screens at 0525 MSK (0225 GMT), two minutes after taking off from Sochi in southern Russia, where it had stopped to refuel from Moscow, on its way to Syria. Major-General Igor Konashenkov, a ministry spokesman, told reporters that nobody had survived. “The area of the crash site has been established. No survivors have been spotted,” he said. An unnamed ministry source told Russian news agencies no life rafts had been found. >A12

A brief summary of the top inside stories of different sections of the Times of Oman.

OMAN

Alawi meets top PLO committee member Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs received yesterday Dr. Ahmed Majdalani, Member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Executive Committee. >A6

OMAN

Death of expats rises in road crashes in 2016

For latest updates and live coverage log in to www.timesofoman.com

There was a 9.3 per cent rise in the number of expatriates who lost their lives in road accidents during the ﬁrst 11 months of 2016, compared with the same period last year, according to the latest update. >A6

WORLD

Indonesian police kill two militants in raid

PDO, Innovation Park Muscat sign accord

SPORTS

Sohar juniors emerge basketball champions

Petroleum Development Oman has signed a partnership agreement with Innovation Park Muscat (IPM) to support Omani entrepreneurs and solve key production and technical challenges. >B3

BUSINESS Indonesian police killed two suspected militants in a house in West Java on Sunday, a police spokesman said, in the latest in a series of raids aimed at preventing planned attacks in the nation. Two men had been arrested in Cibinong, in West Java, and led police to a house nearby, at the Jatiluhur dam, where two other men were found, national police spokesman Awi Setiyono said. >A10

WORLD Restrictions on withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs are likely to continue beyond December 30 as currency printing presses and Reserve Bank of India have not been able to keep pace with the demand of new currency notes. As the 50-day deadline for completion of demonetisation process draws near, there is a growing consensus among bankers that the restrictions on withdrawal would have to continue even in the New Year. >A8

BUSINESS

Pope Christmas message offers hope Pope Francis offered a Christmas hope for peace in a world lacerated by war and terrorism, urging people to remember migrants, refugees and those hit by economic instability caused by “idolatry of money”. Francis also urged Palestinians and Israelis, facing renewed tension after a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements. >A11

Mazoon Dairy operations set to start by late 2018

Sohar Club won the Oman Basketball Association (OBA) Junior Basketball League Championship title after defeating Seeb Club 74-47 in the ﬁnal played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. Ahli Sidab won the third place. >C3

SPORTS

A glorious year for Indian badminton

Mazoon Dairy, the biggest dairy project coming up in Oman under the country’s national food security initiative, will start operations in the second half of 2018. The company on Sunday signed a contract with Abu Hatim Co for enabling the site for the proposed project at Al Sunaynah in Buraimi. The OMR100 million-dairy farm, which is expected to produce 202 million litres in 2026, plans to house 25,000 cows over a period of 10 years.. >B3

P. V. Sindhu cemented her position as a dominant force on the world stage with an Olympic silver medal in a year, which saw Indian badminton take giant strides at the global platform. >C2

LIFESTYLE

Ferrari is all about enjoying the ride

PAKISTAN

Being asked to test drive a Ferrari is not a regular occurrence in life. Well, not in mine at least. Driving a Ferrari is incomparable, but I haven’t driven many super cars in my lifetime. Some would consider it sacrilegious to drive a Spider 488 Twin Turbo Engine on automatic. Then again, that’s exactly what I did. I had the opportunity to drive two different models: The 488 spider and GTC4Lusso. >A14

Pakistan releases 220 Indian ﬁshermen Pakistan released 220 Indian ﬁshermen on Sunday as a goodwill gesture aimed at easing tensions with its neighbour, officials said. The men were arrested more than a year ago, accused of entering Pakistani waters in an area of the Arabian Sea where the border is unclear. >A9 AL GHUBRA CAMPUS

Muscat University to shift to new premises by May 2017 GAUTAM VISWANATHAN

Gautam@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Muscat University, Oman’s newest university, will move into its new Al Ghubra campus in May 2017. The seven-floor campus will have dedicated spaces for engineering laboratories and research and development facilities, in addition to lecture halls and a large library. “We have prepared the plans for every section of every floor for the new facility,” said Nasser Al Masroori, Media Relations Officer for Muscat University. “The first floor is for the administration, with the library to be constructed after that.

“The next ﬂoors will be for our engineering department and our logistics and laboratories sections,” he added. Al Masroori told the Times of Oman that the Board of Trustees of the university held a meeting to chart the future of Muscat University, which has signed partnerships with two UK universities, Aston University and Cranﬁeld University. The meeting was chaired by Dr Juma bin Ali Al Juma, Chairman of the Board, in the presence of Deputy Chair Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad Al Busaidi and a number of board members from government entities, the private sector, and businessmen from inside and outside the Sultanate.

The meeting was held at the university’s temporary offices in the Children’s Public Library, Al Qurm, and was presided over by Vice Chancellor Dr Anthony Cahalan. Same courses “The courses that the students study here will be the same as those in Aston and Cranﬁeld Universities,” revealed Al Masroori. “Every semester here will offer the same academic (courses) as those in the UK. “Some professors from Aston and Cranﬁeld will come once or twice every semester and stay for three days to a week to check on the progress at Muscat University.” TRAGEDY

3 Omanis killed in accident Times News Service MUSCAT: Three Omani citizens were killed in a car accident in Al Hoqain Al Himli, Royal Oman Police (ROP) reported on Sunday. Two vehicles were involved in the collision which caused ﬁre, according to ROP. CRIME

Coast guards arrest three Times News Service MUSCAT: Three Asian nationals were arrested while trying to enter the country illegally in a boat, ROP said. The coast guards arrested three people near the coast of Wilayat Al Suwaiq.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

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OMAN

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Bangladeshi migrant numbers rise in November, but remittances fall According to Bangladesh government data, remittances from Oman fell to $67.24 million in November, compared to $69.94 million in October

reji@timesofoman.com

UNAUTHORISED TRANSFERS: “It is mainly because Bangladeshi workers are using unauthorised money transfer methods. We are aware of it,” Rajan B, general manager of Al Jadeed Money Exchange in Oman, stated.

MUSCAT: Although the number of Bangladeshi workers coming to Oman went up in November, according to Oman government data, their total remittances declined during the month, reports the Bangladesh government. According to Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), there were 694,449 Bangladeshis in the country as of November-end, up from 685,025

at the end of October. Meanwhile, according to Bangladesh government data, remittances from Oman fell to $67.24 million in November, compared to $69.94 million in October. The data revealed that even though the number of Bangladeshi workers entering Oman was rising every month, remittances have been falling.

REJIMON K

RECRUITMENT

Job listings dip, fall in postings for new graduates SYED HAITHAM HASAN

haitham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Job listings in Oman have grown thinner, as fewer than 10 per cent of the total jobs posted recently are for new graduates, according to recruitment companies in Oman. Data from MENA HR Solutions, a leading recruitment agency, shows a slump in new graduate job opportunities, which, according to experts, needs to stay at some 30 per cent of total postings. The decline in jobs is caused by low oil prices, since most of Oman’s business is centred around the oil and gas sector, according to Nasser Al Maqbali, Business Development Manager at MENA HR Solutions. “The main cause for fewer job postings for fresh graduates is the economic slowdown caused by low oil prices, which has, in turn, led to fewer jobs for graduate training programmes,” he said. He added that, currently, industries prefer to hire individuals who are ready to work from the first day. Commenting on Omani graduates, he said one of the reasons they were facing difficulties in finding jobs was the high salary ceiling, although such a ceiling is necessary, considering the high cost of living. Unable to find jobs An official from another recruitment company in Oman said that the job market for new graduates was currently very small, and Omani graduates are unable to find jobs due to their high salary expectations. “Most private companies thrive on employee productivity and revenues, and fresh graduate productivity is quite low in the early days of work, when they are still learning. Paying them high salaries does not make business sense,” the official said. She added that this ceiling must be removed and wages must be paid according to what the graduate has to offer. However, she also noted that once employees finished the training period, the company should reward them with the deserved raises in salaries. According to Kate Clarke, Managing Director and Educational Advisor at Al Ahlam Educational Services, as long as expatriates can be hired inexpensively, Omani graduates will suffer. “There are a large number of expatriates being hired, instead of Omanis, and the reason is purely financial. As long as expatriate employees can be hired cheaply,

There are a large number of expatriates being hired, instead of Omanis, and the reason is purely financial. As long as expatriate employees can be hired cheaply, private companies prefer to have them do the work, instead of paying more for the same services Kate Clarke Managing Director and Educational Advisor at Al Ahlam Educational Services private companies prefer to have them do the work, instead of paying more for the same services,” she said. A salary ceiling must be set for both expatriates and Omanis, to ensure that workers were not exploited and competition remained fair, she added. Due to the prevailing uncertainty at the macroeconomic level, recruitment opportunities in the country have fallen sharply, and some companies have frozen recruitments. According to experts, this can lead to a downward spiral which could affect sectors, such as retail, automobiles and housing. “As the job market becomes thinner, especially for nationals, demand for housing will fall, which, in turn, will reduce the sale of construction materials. With lower levels of disposable income, demand for premium products and services will be impacted soon,” said an economic expert. According to another expert, the policy of “a high salary ceiling is the reason due to which young Omani graduates suffer, as companies prefer expatriates over them.” He added that this was detrimental to the economy, if left unaddressed, and might result in demographic disparities, as well as an unhealthy and unsustainable workforce.

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An official from the Bangladesh embassy said that the prevailing economic conditions in Oman, and the preference of workers for unauthorised methods of transferring money, were responsible for the slight dip in remittances. “We have also studied the data. Mainly, workers are facing salary cuts due to economic conditions. So, the remittances have gone

down,” the official said. “In addition, we have noticed that workers go for unauthorised money transfer methods. An unauthorised money transfer agent will hand over money at a doorstep. Workers prefer this. They do not want their recipients to go to banks,” he added. A money exchange official in Muscat said that they had suffered

at least a 30 per cent dip in remittances to Bangladesh. “It is mainly because Bangladeshi workers are using unauthorised money transfer methods. We are aware of it,” Rajan B, general manager of Al Jadeed MoneyEx-

change in Oman, stated. “Some other money exchange houses in Salalah, which had a good number of Bangladeshi customers, are struggling due to unauthorised money transfers,” the official added. Highest number of expats Moreover, for the ﬁrst time, the number of Bangladeshis in Oman exceeded those of any other nationality, Oman government statistics revealed. For decades, Indians made up the bulk of migrant workers in the Sultanate. And, despite police restrictions on the numbers of Bangladeshis allowed to enter Oman, their numbers are higher than those of Indian migrants, as of November. The number of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis increased by 9,424 and 1,287, respectively, in November 2016, while the number of Indians fell by 1,607. At this time last year, there were 590,170 Bangladeshis and 669,882 Indians, according to the NCSI. Three years ago, in November 2013, there were 496,761 Bangladeshis in Oman, compared with 600,349 Indians. Since then, the number of Bangladeshis rose by 197,688, while that of Indians increased by 91,426.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

OMAN Municipal councils results declared Municipal Councils

Interior Minister Sayyid Hamoud supervises closing of municipal poll ballot boxes

2nd Term Elections MAHOUT: Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi, Minister of the Interior supervised this evening the closing of voting for 2nd term municipal elections in Al Sahbaa bint Rabia General Education School in the Wilayat of Al Amerat in the Governorate of Muscat. The visit of the Minister of Interior coincided with the end of a tour to some polling stations in several wilayats of the Sultanate. The Minister of Interior reassured the successful ending of the elections, which went until the last minute as planned.Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi, Minister of Interior today inspected the elections process at Hajj School for Basic Education in the Wilayat of Mahout in the Governorate of Al Wusta. During the visit, he met with

were held on Sunday across Oman

MUSCAT: The Main Committee for the Municipal Councils 2nd Term Elections announced the results of the elections, which took place in all the wilayats of the Sultanate yesterday. The results are as follows: In the Wilayat of Muscat: Qais bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Ma’ashari, Majid bin Nasser bin Khalfan Al Jabri. In the Wilayat of Dhalkut: Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Said Al Amri, Said bin Salim Shamas. In the Wilayat of A’Sinainah: Maryam bint Khalfan bin Abdullah Al Shamsiyah, Latifa bint Mohammed bin Nasser Al Man’eiyah. In the Wilayat of Sumail: Hisham bin Mohammed bin Hilal Al Hashami, Hamid bin Mohammed bin Saif Al Rawahi, Salim bin Omar bin Abdullah Al Makhladi, Abdul Karim bin Suroor bin Zayed Al Jabri. In the Wilayat of Al Hamra: Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Zaher Al Abri, Saud bin Rashid bin Said Al Khatri. In the Wilayat of Liwa: Rahma bint Ali bin Hassan Al Ghufailiyah, Saif bin Khamis bin Said Al Thuhli, Khalfan bin Sulaiman bin Musabah Al Kindi, Hamdan bin Khalfan Al Ma’amari. In the Wilayat of Nakhal: Sulaiman bin Salim Al Jabri, Salim bin Saleh Al Subhi. In the Wilayat of Maqshan: Said bin Hassan bin A’Shataf Al Mas’hali, Mabkhout bin Mohammed bin Bukhait Al Sha’sha’ei. In the Wilayat of Shleem and Al Halaniyat Islands: Said bin Salim bin A’Niftah Sa’aifout Tho’aar, Abdulrab bin Sa’ad bin Qasim Al Bat’hari. In the Wilayat of Sadah: Khalid bin Musallam bin Hadid Al Oraimi, Ali bin Mohammed bin Faraj

S TAY I N H O M E T O W N S

< FROM

A1 Empty roads Residents of Muscat enjoyed fairly empty roads on Sunday morning as many nationals decided to stay in their hometowns to take part in the elections. Police said that the capital witnessed smooth traffic movement yesterday. Sunday is the ﬁrst day of the week in Oman and roads are usually packed with vehicles on this day. All government and private employees who voted will be deemed an official leave, according to the Ministry of Interior. D I G N I TAY

PLO member received MUSCAT: Sheikh Khalid bin Omar Al Marhoon, Minister of Civil Service received in his office on Sunday Dr. Ahmed Majdalani, Member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation Executive Committee, who is currently visiting the Sultanate. Sheikh Al Marhoon affirmed the bilateral relations. Majdalani stressed the importance of such visit in enhancing avenues of cooperation between the two sides in various ﬁelds. — ONA

Tahir Al Mahri. In the Wilayat of Bukha: Ali bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Shihi, Hassan bin Sulaiman bin Hassan Al Shihi. In the Wilayat of Madha: Subaih bin Said bin Subaih Al Madhani, Saif bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Sa’adi. In the Wilayat of Yanqul: Mohammed bin Saleh bin Ali Al Badi,

Governor of Al Wusta Governorate, Wali of Mahout and heads of the elections committees at the voting centers. Earlier, the Minister of Interior affirmed that all preparations have been completed for the elections day and that the election process is going very well as planned. He expressed his satisfaction for the good organisation, which ensures smooth running of the election process. He also affirmed that all elections relevant stakeholders are doing their best to ensure success of the municipal elections. He thanked all workers at the election centers for their hard work to ensure smooth running of election. The Minister of Interior was accompanied by a number of members of the Elections’ Main Committee. — ONA

Ali bin Khamis bin Mohammed Al Alawi. In the Wilayat of Masirah: Nasser bin Salayum bin Khamis Al Farsi, Badr bin Darwish bin Mohammed Al Oraimi. In the Wilayat of Haima: Said bin Mubarak bin Saqr Al Harsosi, Said bin Nasser bin Rashid Al Harsosi. — ONA (The total number of results received until going to the press.)

INDIAN CHANNEL

Omani singer to compete in Star TV reality show

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: A young Omani singer has been selected to compete in a Star TV reality show in India. Haitham Mohammed Raﬁ Al Balushi, who was selected as the Muscat Singing Icon in a 2012 realty show organised by Talent Hunters, started singing at the age of seven years. Haitham will be a participant in “Dil Hai Hindustani,” a song-based realty show that will feature only non-Indians singing Hindi songs. The show will begin on January 7, 2017, on Star TV India. It will be aired every Saturday and Sunday at 6.30pm onwards. The competition will be judged by Karan Johar, Shekhar, Badshah and Shalmali, all veterans of Bollywood. “It is a dream come true for me. I feel like I am in heaven now. I want to take full advantage of this god-given opportunity. I am working very hard and am focused on winning this competition, and to fulﬁll my ambition of being a playback singer,” Haitham said.

HONOUR: Haitham Mohammed Raﬁ Al Balushi started singing at the age of seven years.

Star TV had sought the help of Dr Sanjay Dalal, founder and director of “Talent Hunters Oman” in its search for a talented nonIndian singer who could sing in Hindi. “Haitham, the winner of Muscat Singing Icon 2012 (Arabic Category), was the name that instantly came to mind. Haitham had to pass

through tough scrutiny. Once satisfied, he was called to Mumbai for further auditions. “There were around 4,100 singers from across the globe vying for a place in the final 10. I am so excited and delighted to know that Haitham has been selected in the final 10,” Dalal said. Haitham’s father, Mohammed

Raﬁ, who is also a well-known singer, has been his mentor. Haitham has lived among Indians and Pakistanis since childhood, and learnt some Hindi and Urdu. He also watched many Hindi movies, and developed his interest in Hindi music. “No doubt it is a matter of pride for all of us in Oman, as Haitham

will be competing as a candidate from Oman. “Oman’s ﬂag will be held high with pride as he becomes an international singer. “With his dedication and hard work, I am sure he will win and bring joy to all of us. Let us all pray for his success,” Dalal added.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

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OMAN

Gala event to celebrate 61 years of Oman-India diplomatic ties The pageant will be held at the Oman Auditorium, Ritz Carlton Hotel, on December 28

Times News Service MUSCAT: A gala pageant will be organised by the Indian Social Club in association with the Indian Embassy in Oman, to mark 61 years of diplomatic relations between Oman and India. The pageant will be held at the Oman Auditorium, Ritz Carlton Hotel, on Wednesday, December 28, 2016, from 7.00pm. A kaleidoscope of myriad colours, in the form of folk dances from rural India, will be showcased by Living Arts, a renowned troupe from New Delhi. Living Arts was established to promote India’s rich cultural herit-

CULTURAL HERITAGE: A kaleidoscope of myriad colours, in the form of folk dances from rural India, will be showcased by Living Arts, a renowned troupe from New Delhi.

age, and its artists have performed in many countries during festivals of India, organised by the government of India, and on other occasions in Oman (Muscat), Dubai, Abu Dhabi, US, Spain, Portugal, France, China, Hungary, Belgium, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, Bhutan, and other countries. Lavani, Dhol Cholom, Kalbelia,

and Chari are among the line-up of dances planned for the evening. Though these dances are indigenous to their states of origin, they have garnered recognition and are renowned, not only across India but also internationally. This tapestry of movement, colour, and artistry has, over the decades, depicted India’s rich culture. According to a spokesperson

for the Indian Social Club and a member of the organising committee, the show will start at 7pm and all invitees are requested to be in their seats by 6.45pm. Children below 12 years will not be permitted, and attendance is by invitation only, the spokesperson added. The ﬁve-month Festival of India is already underway in Oman.

The festival, which began in November 2016, will continue until March 2017 in Muscat, Sur, Sohar, and Salalah, according to Indian Embassy officials. Indian artistes During the festival, the Embassy of India in Muscat, supported by India’s Culture Ministry, will schedule Indian artistes to showcase

their talents to citizens and expatriates in Oman. The festival will include Indian ballet and folk dances, Indian instrumental music, an exhibition of Indian calligraphy, along with a food festival and fashion show. The inaugural event of the Festival of India in Oman was organised at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel on November 15, 2016.

CEREMONY

COAST GUARDS RESCUE OMANI SAILORS The Coast Guards in Musandam rescued an Omani boat with two persons off the coast of Niyabat of Lima. The boat had an engine failure. Meanwhile, the Coast Guards in South Al Sharqiya rescued an Omani boat with two citizens onboard, which had an engine failure. It was towed to the coast of wilayat of Sur. —ONA

Egyptian president receives credentials of Omani envoy CAIRO: President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt received at the Republic’s Presidency headquarters yesterday the credentials of Dr. Ali bin Ahmed bin Harib Al Issa’ee as the Sultanate’s plenipotentiary, accredited ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt. During the credentials presentation ceremony, the ambassador conveyed greetings of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said along with his best wishes of permanent health and happiness to President Al Sisi and the Egyptian people further progress, prosperity and welfare. On his turn, the Egyptian President asked the ambassador

2 0 17 E X P E C TAT I O N

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A1 ‘A great opportunity for

Oman to diversify economy’ “This means you could have taxes, because the economy needs to recover. By taxing people, it means they have less disposable income,” he added. This was seconded by Vahid Ubaidullah, assistant director of the professional studies department at the College of Banking and Financial Sciences. “The quality of life will come down, and there is a pressing need for people to innovate. This is where you need to have a substitution for imports, and where small and medium enterprises can help, so that Oman can spur its growth rate,” he said. Taimoor Khan, chief investment officer of Seagull Industries, said that people in Arab countries have never been tested before by the economic factors confronting them today. “At this stage of the market’s growth, people will be forced to adjust their personal spending habits in a more conservative direction, which will have negative consequences for all businesses that operate in sectors such as luxury, travel, entertainment, and others,” he added. However, Alkesh Joshi, director of tax advisory services at Ernst and Young, said Oman has been presented with a great opportunity to diversify its economy. “This is a direct reﬂection of low oil prices, and we are now talking about low oil prices for a longer period of time. It is unlikely that oil prices, which were in excess of $100 a barrel, will come back to that, so the impact of low prices on the economy is gradually being felt,” he said. Kanaga Sundar, head of research at Gulf Baader, said that 2017 was likely to be very similar to 2016, in terms of revenue and

Oman posted a budget deficit of OMR4.81 billion in the first 10 months of 2016, as plunging revenues from crude oil exports began affecting the government’s fiscal balance

spending. “Although increased oil prices offer a strong cushion, and we are looking at an average price of oil of above $50 in 2017, compared with $40 in 2016, the budget will remain similar. “I believe there will be focused spending on projects where real income can be generated,” Sundar added. “It will take at least three to six months before any impact is felt on the ground, so we can hope that any effect regarding jobs, and more will be felt by June,” he added. Oman posted a budget deficit of OMR4.81 billion ($12.5 billion) in the first 10 months of 2016, as plunging revenues from crude oil exports began affecting the government’s fiscal balance. Ahmed Al Hooti, board member of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that if oil prices continued to rise, the country will face fewer problems. “The government would be

able to continue the projects that they were lacking the commitment to finance, and the private sector would easily be able to get loans, compared to how difficult it was to take out a loan this year because of high interest rates,” he stated. “There should also be a continuance of guiding government expenditures, and the Sultanate should continue with development projects without slowing down or stopping,” he said, adding that $50 per barrel would be acceptable, but the ideal price should be over $60. When asked what the situation might be if the prices of oil does not rise, Al Hooti said that it could be even worse than in 2016. “It will be bad, worse even, where the state will need to obtain loans, internationally or internally, to cover the deficits. If they don’t get such loans, then the government will stop their projects, which will affect the private sector,” Al Hooti explained. He said that the expectation is that the state will be fully committed to the private sector, and encourage it in presenting project ideas for 2017, and “muster all its power to implement the ideas and commitments of Tanfeedh.” Further, Mohammed Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan, a businessman, said that business houses should focus on non-oil products in 2017. “Then we will not feel the heat, even if the prices of oil go down,” he said. Other businesses say that Oman should start developing projects that were announced in 2016. “There should not be any delay of projects in 2017, which will help us in the long run,” Mohammed Kabir, another businessman, said.

to convey his greetings and best wishes of continuous health and wellbeing to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the Omani people permanent progress and

prosperity. During the meeting, the good relations between the two countries and means of promoting them in all ﬁelds were reviewed. -ONA

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

OMAN JOINT MEETING

I N T E G R AT E D L I N K AG E

Alawi meets PLO executive committee member

Manpower ministry launches e-link with justice ministry

MUSCAT: Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs received yesterday Dr. Ahmed Majdalani, Member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Executive Committee.

MUSCAT: An e-link was launched by the Ministry of Manpower with the Ministry of Justice yesterday. The launching ceremony was organised at the General Diwan of the Ministry of Manpower in the presence of Hamad bin Khamis Al A’amri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Manpower for Labour Affairs and Issa bin Ahmed Al Azri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice.

Cooperation During the meeting, they discussed existing cooperation between the two sides and means of enhancing and promoting them to serve the joint interests of the Omani and Palestinian people. The meeting was attended by Dr. Ahmed Abaas Ramadhan, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Sultanate. -ONA

BOOSTING COOPERATION: Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs with Dr. Ahmed Majdalani, Member of the PLO Executive Committee. – ONA

ernment transformation. Al Azri said that the e-link between the two ministries is an integrated linkage between the lawyers’ programme that is used in the

Major achievements The launching ceremony included a presentation on the Ministry of Manpower and the major achievements made in the march of e-govEXHIBITION

Death of expats rises 9% in road crashes in 2016 As many as 223 expatriates, 29 of them females, died

Ministry of Justice and the system of the Ministry of Manpower. The Ministry of Manpower has made e-linkage with more than 26 units so far. -ONA SQHCCS

Holy Quran contest winners

Inmate week raises awareness on effects of drugs

MUSCAT: Winners of the 26th edition of the Sultan Qaboos Holy Quran Contest will be honoured on Monday under the auspices of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Hinai, State Advisor. The Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science (SQHCCS) of the Diwan of Royal Court will celebrate the function at the Lecture Auditorium of Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat The number of participants at this year’s contest stood at 2,012 compared to 1,537 participants in 2015. -ONA CASES

in road accidents during the ﬁrst 11 months of 2016

MUSCAT: There was a 9.3 per cent rise in the number of expatriates who lost their lives in road accidents during the ﬁrst 11 months of 2016, compared with the same period last year, according to the latest update on road accidents released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). As many as 223 expatriates, 29 of them females, died in road accidents during this period. On the other hand, the number of Omanis who lost their lives in road accidents fell by 6.7 per cent to 393, which included 62 females. The number of Omani males who died in road accidents fell by 6 per cent to 331, compared with a 10.1 per cent drop in the number of Omani female deaths. In contrast, the number of fatalities went up by 6 per cent

NUMBERS RISE: The number of fatalities went up by 6 per cent to 194 among expatriate males, and by 38.1 per cent among expatriate females.

to 194 among expatriate males, and by 38.1 per cent among expatriate females. During the same period, the number of traffic injuries declined by 23.1 per cent to 2,604 from 3,388 injuries logged in the same period last year. The number of Omanis injured in traffic accidents decreased by 24.4 per cent to 1,949, while the number of injured expatriates dipped 19 per cent to 655. The number of Omani males injured in road accidents dropped 23.8 per cent to 1,455, while the number of Omani females injured declined 26.2 per cent to 494.

The number of injured expatriate males fell 20 per cent to 567, while the number of injured female expatriates fell 12.9 per cent to 88, as oft he end of November. Overall, the number of road accidents, resulting in both injuries and deaths, fell by 35.6 per cent during January-November this year, compared with the same period in 2015. (ONA)

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MUSCAT: Central Prison Inmate Products Exhibition was opened at the City Centre Muscat yesterday under the auspices of Dr. Essam bin Ali Al Rowas, Deputy Chairman of the Public Authority for Craft Industries (PACI) in the presence of Maj. Gen Suleiman bin Mohammed Al Harthy, Assistant Inspector General of Police and Customs for Administrative and Financial Affairs. Senior officers of the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and delegations of GCC correctional institutions are participating in the 5th GCC Inmate Week. The chief guest of the event and the audience were briefed on the contents of the exhibition, which included a corner to display craft, art products, clothing, jewellery and women’s accessories, in addition to a corner of the Directorate General for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances to raise awareness of harmful effects of drugs, in cooperation with the National Committee for Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, as well as

a corner for religious preaching and guidance of the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs. Activities of the Inmate Week will continue on Monday with the organisation of an entertaining concert by central prison inmates, in addition to the opening of a mini exhibition of products of inmates in the central prison. There will also be a tour to the greenhouses and reserves to visit agricultural products in the prison farm. The Inmate Week aims to highlight the inmates and their families to focus more attention by the various sectors and institutions of society and to highlight the efforts made by the penal and correctional institutions in the GCC countries for the rehabilitation and reform of the inmates. It also highlights the issues and problems faced by inmates and community awareness of the need for attention to the inmates and their families, helping them after release and encourage them to participate in various activities within the prison. -ONA

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‘Not enough

A1 Omani

lawyers’ There are 87 Omani Supreme Court lawyers, compared with 258 expatriate lawyers. “There are ongoing cases that need to be followed up in court, but there are not enough Omani lawyers to take up the task,” Adali remarked. When asked about whether lawyers expected another extension in 2020, he said, “We hope there are more Omani lawyers in the near future. It will beneﬁt both Omani citizens and lawyers. In the end, the expatriates will not stay in the Sultanate – even if the expatriates served the Sultanate for 20 years, he will have to go back to his country in the end.” “It is a fact of life; there should be talented Omanis to take up these positions, as it is their right. As of now, there are not enough Omanis to cover all the courts,” Adali added.

MINISTER GETS INVITE FOR DUBAI CONFERENCE TO ADVERTISE Call: 24726666

Sheikh Khalid bin Omar Al Marhoon, Minister of Civil Service received a written message from Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future in the United Arab Emirates inviting him to take part in activities of the 5th World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai from February 12 to 14, 2017. This came when Sheikh Al Marhoon received Mohammed bin Sultan Al Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to the Sultanate in his office yesterday. The two sides reviewed the strong relations binding the two countries and means of enhancing them. They also touched on aspects of the constructive cooperation between the two countries on various areas. — ONA

9TH PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA

Oman scouts take part in Cairo event CAIRO: The Sultanate, represented by its scouts, took part in the 9th Professional Diploma in Scout Media, Communication and Marketing at Al Ahram Organisation in the Arab Republic of Egypt yesterday. The Diploma is organised by the Arab Scout Organisation (ASO), in collaboration with the Al Ahram Regional Press

Institute (ARPI) and Arab and international universities during 25th December 2016 to 13th January 2017. The opening ceremony was held in the presence of Dr. Atif Abdul Majid Ahmed, Secretary General of ASO and Samih Abdallah, Director of ARPI. The participation of the Sultanate’s Scouts and Girl Guides

stems from the belief in the importance of preparing specialised cadres in the ﬁeld of scout media, public relations and marketing to achieve the scout vision and mission, as well as the communications and marketing strategy to contribute to scout movement to strengthen the scout image to achieve 100 million Scout membership in the world by 2023. -ONA

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

REGION UP IN FLAMES Workers watch ﬁre billowing from a fuel tank at a reﬁnery in the Israeli northern coastal city of Haifa, on Sunday.

— AFP

Iran seals deal with Boeing at half price Boeing and its European rival Airbus have both signed huge contracts this month to supply airliners to Iran

DUBAI: Iran said on Sunday it had negotiated to pay only about half the announced price for 80 new Boeing airliners in an order that the American planemaker had said was worth $16.6 billion. Boeing and its European rival Airbus have both signed huge contracts this month to supply airliners to Iran, the ﬁrst such deals since international sanctions were lifted under a deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme. Replacing Iran’s antiquated civil aviation ﬂeet is one of the biggest economic opportunities of the 2015

accord to lift sanctions, which was negotiated by the outgoing administration of US President Barack Obama. President elect Donald Trump is a vocal critic of the pact. Despite Iran’s great need for new planes to replace those from the sanctions era, it has entered the market at a time when Boeing, Airbus and smaller planemakers have all faced a downturn in orders, and are therefore expected to offer deep discounts. Boeing said this month it was cutting production of its 777 longhaul jet due to a drop in demand.

“Boeing has announced that its IranAir contract is worth $16.6 billion. However, considering the nature of our order and its choice possibilities, the purchase contract for 80 Boeing aircraft is worth about 50 per cent of that amount,” said Deputy Transport Minister Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan, quoted by Iran’s IRNA state news agency. A Boeing spokesman in Dubai was not available to comment. Airbus’s contract to sell 100 jets to IranAir, signed on Thursday, would be worth $18-$20 billion at list prices, but the head of IranAir has been quoted as saying the value of the contract would not exceed $10 billion. The government of President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist, has pushed to ﬁnalise aircraft deals to show results from the nuclear accord with world power to end sanctions. He faces criticism at home from hardliners over the cost of the purchases. Fakhrieh-

ANTI-SETTLEMENT

Israel summons foreign ambassadors after UN vote OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel summoned the ambassadors of 10 nations to occupied Jerusalem to reprimand them on Sunday and had more harsh words for the Obama administration over a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to settlementbuilding. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put his personal imprint on the show of anger by repeating at the weekly cabinet meeting what an unidentiﬁed Israeli government official contended on Friday - that Washington had conspired with the Palestinians to push for the resolution’s adoption. The White House has denied the allegation. US abstains The vote passed in the 15-member Security Council on Friday because the United States broke with its long-standing approach of diplomatically shielding Israel and did not wield, as a permanent member of the forum, its veto power, instead abstaining.

“According to our information, we have no doubt the Obama administration initiated it (the resolution), stood behind it, coordinated the wording and demanded it be passed,” Netanyahu told the cabinet in public remarks. Ambassadors from 10 of the 14 countries that voted in favour of the resolution and have embassies in Israel - Britain, China, Russia, France, Egypt, Japan, Uruguay, Spain, Ukraine and New Zealand - were summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, the ministry said. Unusual Sunday is a regular work day in Israel, but most embassies are closed, and calling in envoys on Christmas Day is highly unusual. At the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu described a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday, when Israel and President-elect Donald Trump successfully pressed Egypt to drop the anti-settlement resolu-

tion it had put forward. It was resubmitted a day later by New Zealand, Senegal, Venezuela and Malaysia. “Over decades American administrations and Israeli governments disagreed about settlements, but we agreed that the security council was not the place to resolve this issue,” Netanyahu said. “We knew that going there would make negotiations harder and drive peace farther away. As I told John Kerry on Thursday, ‘Friends don’t take friends to the Security Council’,” he said, switching from Hebrew to English. Israel has pursued a policy of constructing settlements on territory it captured in a 1967 war - the occupied West Bank, Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem, areas Palestinians seek for a state. Most countries view the settlement activity as illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israel disagrees, citing historical connections to the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem as well as security interests. — Reuters

Kashan also said on Sunday that IranAir may exercise an option to buy 20 more aircraft from ATR, a European maker of regional turboprops, in addition to a planned firm order of 20. A team from the planemaker would arrive in Tehran next week for final talks. “The final round of talks will be held with ATR representatives (next) week and we expect the IranAir contract to be signed... in the following week,” he told IRNA. “The purchase of 20 planes has been finalised and Iran may buy 20 more planes,” said FakhriehKashan, adding that the contract for 20 planes was worth less than $500 million. In February, ATR, co-owned by Airbus and Italy’s Finmeccanica, reported preliminary orders from Iran for 20 ATR 72-600 aircraft and options for another 20. IranAir said on Twitter that a new ATR turboprop would join its fleet “soon”. — Reuters

DRIVE SLOWER LIVE LONGER

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016 Some people are spreading rumours that political parties enjoy all kinds of concessions. These people are absolutely in the wrong. The law applies equally to all. Whether it is an individual, an organisation or a political party, everyone has to abide by law and one will have to Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

INDIA

Modi defends frequent changes in note-ban rules, slams critics Prime Minister Narendra Modi said ‘being a sensitive government, it amends rules as required, keeping the convenience of the people as its foremost consideration, so that citizens are not subjected to hardships’

NEW DELHI: Dismissing criticism of frequent changes in rules post demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday alleged that those who cannot endorse corruption and black money openly are relentlessly finding fault with his government and vowed to take forward the fight by implementing a strong law against benami properties. “I assure you this is just the beginning in our fight against corruption. We have to win this war. There is no question of stopping... there is no question of retreat,” said Modi, who has been under sharp attack from the opposition over demonetisation, with Rahul Gandhi levelling allegations of “personal corruption” against him. In his last monthly address this year in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme, Modi defended the changes in the rules related to deposits and withdrawals, saying these have been done to reduce the

‘MANN KI BAAT’ PROGRAMME: In his last monthly address this year in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended the changes in the rules related to deposits and withdrawals, saying these have been done to reduce the people’s problems. - PTI

people’s problems and defeat the forces which are out to thwart his government’s ﬁght against black money and corruption. Modi said “being a sensitive government, it amends rules as required, keeping the convenience of the people as its foremost consideration, so that citizens are not subjected to hardships”. At the same time, it has to come out with “antidotes” against new tactics of the “murky enterprise of perﬁdy and corruption”. Black money “People, who cannot endorse corruption and black money openly, resort to searching for faults of the government relentlessly,” he said, lashing out at critics. He said that some people who are spreading rumours that political parties enjoy all concessions and exemptions “are wrong” and asserted that “all are equal before law” and

they have to abide by it. The PM criticised the opposition for not allowing Parliament to function, that evoked displeasure from the president and the vice president besides all-round public indignation and ire, and said he wanted a good discussion on this campaign as well as on political funding, had both Houses run properly. Modi also talked about the Benami Property law that came into being in 1988, but neither its rules were framed, nor was it notified and laid dormant for years. “We have retrieved it and turned it into an incisive law against ‘Benami Property’. In the coming days, this law will also become operational. For the benefit of the nation, for the benefit of the people, whatever needs to be done will be accorded our top priority,” he said. “I assure you that this is not the end. This is just the beginning in our fight against corruption. We

have to win this war against corruption and black money. There is no question of stopping or going back in this ﬁght. With wishes of 125 crore people, there is no question of retreat,” he said. Modi sought the cooperation of public in making the “war on corruption” a success and said the wrongdoings of some are being caught only with the support of common people who are coming forward with concrete information about hoarders. Lauding people’s role, he said, “They have not only braved hardships, but have also powerfully responded to those limited few who have been trying to mislead them.” “It was my earnest wish that the ongoing campaign against corruption and black money, including the realm of political parties and political funding, be discussed extensively in the Parliament. Had the House functioned properly,

there would have been comprehensive deliberation. “Some people are spreading rumours that political parties enjoy all kinds of concessions. These people are absolutely in the wrong. The law applies equally to all. Whether it is an individual, an organisation or a political party, everyone has to abide by law and one will have to,” he said. Giving a push to his plea for cashless economy, Modi also launched two new schemes for traders and customers that will dole out 15,000 prizes every day to those making digital transactions. “So many rumours were spread, even the fight against corruption and black money was sought to be tainted with shades of communalism,” he lamented. “Somebody spread a rumour that the spelling on the currency note was faulty, someone said salt prices had spiralled, someone proclaimed that the 2000 rupee note would also be withdrawn, even 500 and 100 rupee denominations notes were rumoured to be on their way out. But I have seen that despite rampant rumour mongering, citizens have stood firm with their faith intact,” the PM said. Terming this “war” against corruption as “an extraordinary one”, he said the forces involved in “this murky enterprise of perfidy and corruption” have to be defeated as they are devising new tactics to thwart government’s efforts every day. “To counter these new offensives, we too have to devise appropriate new responses and antidotes. When the opponents keep on trying out new tactics, we have to counteract decisively since we have resolved to eradicate the corrupt, shady businesses and black money,” he said. Lauding the people for exposing the wrong-doings of some who are devising “newer wily ways and means” to counter the fight against corruption, the prime minister sought more public support. -PTI

DECEMBER 30 DEADLINE

Restrictions on cash withdrawals may continue NEW DELHI: Restrictions on withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs are likely to continue beyond December 30 as currency printing presses and Reserve Bank of India have not been able to keep pace with the demand of new currency notes. As the 50-day deadline for completion of demonetisation process draws near, there is a growing consensus among bankers that the restrictions on withdrawal would have to continue even in the New Year so as to maintain orderly working at the banks. Banks at many places are not in a position to disburse even the current limit of Rs 24,000 per week due to cash crunch and are rationing the valid currency depending on cash availability. If this limit is withdrawn for individual and businesses from January 2, it is unlikely that banks would be able to disburse the higher demand for valid currencies given the current cash position. “Most of us think that the withdrawal limit would not be completely withdrawn. It is a possibility that it could be relaxed if the cash situation improves,” said a senior public sector bank official. At a time when banks are struggling to meet the demand of individual customers, it would be impossible to service MSME and big corporates which requires cash in large quantity, the official said, the practical way would be to relax it gradually. After the scrapping of high value Rs500/1000 notes, the government has ﬁxed a limit of Rs 24,000 per week on withdrawal from bank accounts and Rs 2,500 per day from ATMs in view of the currency crunch that followed. The government and RBI has not speciﬁed when the restrictions will be withdrawn. -PTI

S E L E C T E D F O R T H E P R E S T I G I O U S FA C E B O O K S TA R T - U P

Food app TastySpots is a viral hit across India

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS: Amarnath Sankar, Abdul Manaf, K M Mehboob, Chachu Jacob, Real Prad and Shamal co-fouders of TastySpots. - Supplied photo

NISHAD PADIYARATH

nishad@timesofoman.com KOCHI: If you are travelling to Kerala for the first time and have no clue of the restaurants located in the area near you, then you need not worry. Just download this food app – TastySpots and you will get the best of Kerala’s cuisine on one platform! Do you know where you will get the best fish pickle in Kerala? Or which restaurants offer Karimeen pollichathu and Duck mappas? It’s all available on TasteSpots. The app that’s just over three months old has been downloaded over 200,000 times and it’s developer, Kochi-based TastySpots Infoway, was recently awarded the best start-up at TiECon 2016. “The idea came to me in 2009 when I used to live as a bachelor in Kochi. For me, it was a challenge to spot the best restaurants in Kochi then. That’s when I thought to create a website but it was not easy to develop one. It took time and finally we decided to come out with an app,” said Abdul Manaf, CEO of TastySpots, the brain behind this app. “You know in Kumbalam, which is on the outskirts of Kochi, there is a joint, known locally as Puttu Kada. Not many know about this place but is quite popular among

foodies and it was Malayalam ﬁlm actor Asif Ali, who told me about this joint. There are hundreds of small-joints like these in Kerala and our plan is to take these places beyond word-of-mouth publicity and instead make it known to all through this app,” said Manaf who is also a popular social media entrepreneur. The app was developed as a collaboration among Cat Entertainments, Kerala’s ﬁrst media start-up, programming specialists Sayone Technologies and Manaf’s own company, Easysoft

Technologies, which is into IT solutions. “I co-founded the company along with my friends Amarnath Sankar, K.M. Mehboob, Chachu Jacob, Real Prad and Shamal,” he said. “TastySpots is not just a freelisting of restaurants. We carefully curate the content that appears on the app and choose restaurants that has a reputation for quality. This is done after a lot of research by our team,” Manaf explained. Meanwhile, TastySpots, has been selected for the prestigious FbStart, a global start-up accelerator program promoted by Facebook. As part of the programme, TasySpots has received around $80,000 (nearly Rs52 lakh) as credits and services from Facebook and its partners. “In an email send to us by Facebook, it said our app has been selected for its impressive development and its potential for continued growth,” Manaf said. Currently, the app has included 400 restaurants in Kerala and each restaurant is featured with maximum information including a 90-second video. The app is available in Android, iOS, and the web. “We are now in the process of expanding our horizons to other places such as Bangalore, Chennai, Dubai and even Muscat too,” Manaf added.

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PAKISTAN POSSESSING ILLEGAL WEAPONS

Zardari’s aide booked under anti-terror law

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS Pakistani military cadets march on the birth anniversary of the country’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah at his mausoleum in Karachi on Sunday. The government has announced week-long celebrations of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s birth anniversary.- AFP

KARACHI: A close aide to PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari was booked under the anti-terrorism law on Saturday night for ‘possessing illegal weapons’. The development came a day after the Rangers raided the ofﬁces of a company in Karachi after receiving a tip-off about the presence of illegal arms and ammunition, which, the paramilitary force claimed, were received from the offices. An FIR was registered against Anwar Majeed on behalf of Rangers Sub Inspector Mehmood at Saddar police station under Sections 23-1-A of PPC, 4/5 of the Ex-

plosives Act and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Majeed is mentioned as the owner of Omni Group of Companies. The group’s chief, Khawaja Salman Younus, and other officials have also been nominated in the FIR. Police official Arshad Waraich said the case was registered following Friday’s raids and recovery of the arms and ammunitions. “No arrests have been made thus far,” he added. The Rangers also lodged another FIR at Mithadar police station under Sections 23-1-A, 4/5 of Explosive Act and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act against unidentiﬁed persons. - Express Tribune

Imran vows street protest if justice denied in SC over Panama scandal The PTI chief accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family to have illegally brought property in London worth billions of rupees but did not spend anything on peoples’ welfare. “It is as if Imran Khan sends money abroad to his sons and then they send it back to him claiming they have earned it abroad.”

The PTI chief Imran Khan accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family to have illegally brought property in London worth billions of rupees

BRIEFING: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan addressing a public gathering in Swabi, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, December 25, 2016. - Express Tribune

SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan vowed to take to the streets against the “corrupt rulers” in case justice is not served in the Supreme Court over Panama Papers scandal.

“We approached all state institutions and were denied justice… Now we are in the Supreme Court and if it fails, I will take to the streets and continue to ﬁght

against the corrupt rulers till the drop of my blood,” Imran said while addressing his party workers in Swabi in Khyber-Pakhuntkhwa (K-P) on Sunday.

Lamented The cricketer-turned-politician lamented that when he takes to the streets after having lost faith in the state institutions, he is accused of inviting the military to rule the country. “How can I be accused of inviting military to rule the country when Maryam Nawaz (PM’s daughter) tweeted saying the stormed had passed, hinting that the new chief justice and army chief favoured the rulers,” he asked. Imran went on to say that the Nawaz-led government had de-

E N T E R I N G PA K I S TA N I WAT E R S

Pakistan releases Indian fishermen in bid to ease tensions with Delhi KARACHI: Pakistan released 220 Indian fishermen on Sunday as a goodwill gesture aimed at easing tensions with its neighbour, officials said. The men were arrested more than a year ago, accused of entering Pakistani waters in an area of the Arabian Sea where the border is unclear. India is also holding Pakistani fishermen for the same reason and Pakistan hopes its gesture — on the birthday of the nation’s father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which coincides with Christmas Day — will be reciprocated. Goodwill gesture “We have total of 518 Indian fishermen out of which 220 are being released today as a goodwill gesture of the Pakistan government. In the next phase, 219 fishermen will be released on January 5,” Shunail Husain Shah, a police assistant superinten-

“We appreciate Pakistan’s goodwill gesture of releasing Indian fishermen, but we expect a similar reciprocal move by India, 156 Pakistani fishermen including 13 children are languishing in Indian jails,” Muhammad Ali Shah, president of Pakistan Fisher Folk, a fishermen’s rights body. told Reuters.

END OF ORDEAL: Fishermen from India sit with their belongings as they hold a slip with their name and number, after they were released from a prison, at Cantonment railway station in Karachi, Pakistan, December 25, 2016. - Reuters

dent, told Reuters. Relations between the neighbours have been more fraught than usual since a crackdown by Indian forces on dissent in Indian-administered-

Kashmir began in July. In September militants killed 18 soldiers at an Indian army base, an attack New Delhi blamed on Pakistan.

Warned The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea states that fishermen who cross territorial waters can be warned and fined but not arrested, and Shah called on both countries to respect that. One of the fishermen being released, who goes by the single name Naresh, told Reuters: “I am very happy, looking forward to meet my family back in Gujarat. We were treated nicely here, I will request the Indian government release the detained Pakistani fishermen as well.” - Reuters

ANNUAL REPORT

Complaints from insurance policyholders rise 200% KARACHI: Although insurance penetration remains negligible in Pakistan, the number of complaints lodged by policyholders against insurance companies has grown exponentially over the last couple of years. “The percentage of cases lodged during 2015 was 120 per cent in comparison to the preceding year. In 2016, the complaints received till May show a 200 per cent increase over the corresponding period of 2015 and 350 per cent increase over 2014,” said the Federal Insurance Ombudsman in its annual report for 2015-16. The ombudsman received 839 complaints against majority of the companies operating in the country in 2015-16. Surprisingly, 70 per cent of those were lodged against life insurance ﬁrms. The second and third highest number of complaints was against

general insurance and auto insurance companies, respectively. The complaints included an insurance firm making only eight monthly claim payments against the committed 12 after a policyholder (a PIA pilot) was temporarily disabled in 2011. In another case, insurance firms changed the address of an insured factory in policy documents after it caught fire to avoid making payments and eventually did not make payments against the property damaged, the report added. With increase in the number of complaints, the ombudsman also stepped up the judgment-giving process. “The number of cases disposed of was 200 per cent higher (in 2015) in comparison to the previous year. In 2016, the complaints disposed of till May registered a 150 per cent increase over the

corresponding period of last year,” the report said. The ombudsman received a cumulative claim amount of Rs1.89 billion against all complaints, ie 839. Of this, the ombudsman gave monetary relief worth Rs410.78 million to the parties. Majority of the policyholders lodged complaints from Karachi. Lahore and Islamabad were the two other big cities from where the policyholders ﬁled complaints. Pakistan has more than 50 insurance companies including Takaful (Islamic insurance) ﬁrms dealing with life and general insurance business in the private sector. The ombudsman received almost two-thirds of complaints against 39 companies and the remaining one-third against other companies.

According to the report, the insurance penetration and density in Pakistan is still at “the lowest level compared to similar countries in the region”. Industry officials say the ratio of insurance penetration in Pakistan stands at 0.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) compared to 2.6 per cent in India. The ombudsman report suggested that “fathoming the depths of demographic structure of Pakistan for increasing penetration of insurance business is the key to development of this important sector”. The report prodded the government into amending the Insurance Ordinance 2000 to bring state-owned insurance companies into the fold of insurance ombudsman, an exclusive forum that addresses grievances of policyholders in an efficient and speedy manner. - Express Tribune

stroyed all state institutions except judiciary and army. “There are two institutions that have not been manipulated and these are Supreme Court and Pakistan Army,” he said. The PTI supremo accused the prime minister of telling lies on the ﬂoor of the Parliament and in the court. Taking a jibe at the PM, Imran told the party workers that if a cricket team of corrupt would be formed its captain would be Nawaz Sharif. Imran then went on to ask two questions from the crowd and directed them to raise their hands in response to the queries. Questioned “How many of you think Nawaz is the culprit in Panama Papers case,” he asked and then told the media men to show the footage to everyone in the country. He once against questioned

people if they thought Pakistan’s justice system would punish the prime minister. Earlier, Imran said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will change the fate of the Pakistani economy. However, he said his party’s government in K-P had concerns over the role of the federal government and not China. “Nawaz Sharif never stands by his words. He had promised in the all parties conference (APC) that K-P would be a part of the CPEC but he later backed out of his promise.” The PTI leader suggested that all chief ministers of the smaller provinces should ask Centre to disclose the details of its agreement on CEPC with China. Slamming Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Asfandyar Wali Imran said both “play on either sides of the wicket to make the premier as well as people of Khyber-Pakhuntkhwa happy.” - Express Tribune

A 10

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

WORLD Indonesian police kill two militants in Java house raid Two men had been arrested in Cibinong, in West Java, and led police to a house nearby, at the Jatiluhur dam, where two other men were found

JAKARTA: Indonesian police killed two suspected militants in a house in West Java on Sunday, a police spokesman said, in the latest in a series of raids aimed at preventing planned attacks in the nation. Two men had been arrested in Cibinong, in West Java, and led police to a house nearby, at the Jatiluhur dam, where two other men were found, national police spokesman Awi Setiyono said. “They were told to surrender, but they refused and tried to at-

TIGHT SECURITY: Indonesian anti-riot police in Malang, East Java province, on Saturday.

tack officers with machetes, so we ﬁred warning shots. When they still approached, we shot them,” Setiyono said. He earlier said that a gunbattle had occurred. Police seized some weapons and a letter which said the group had planned an attack at an undisclosed location on New Year’s

MALIAN CITY OF GAO

and said they had foiled a suicide bombing planned for the end of the year. Police have arrested dozens of suspected militants in recent months, including a cell on Batam island that planned a rocket attack on neighbouring Singapore. Indonesia has foiled at least 14 attacks this year alone and made

more than 150 arrests. A gun and bomb assault in the heart of Jakarta in January 2016 killed four people and was the ﬁrst attack in Southeast Asia claimed by IS militants. Indonesia will deploy 85,000 police and 15,000 military personnel for the Christmas and New Year period, police said. — Reuters

Asylum seekers go berserk SYDNEY: Asylum seekers held at a Papua New Guinea detention centre briefly took control of two compounds and expelled guards following the death of a refugee who fell ill at the centre, Papua New Guinea police said on Sunday. Senior Sergeant Thomas Lelepo, from Lorengau Police Station on Manus Island, said guards at the Manus Island regional processing centre were expelled by residents on Saturday night. “There was a situation there... over the death of a resident,” he told Reuters by phone, adding that order had been restored. A 27-year-old Sudanese man, who was identified as Faysal Ishak Ahmed by refugee advocates, collapsed at the centre and was evacuated to hospital in Australia this week. Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection said he died on Saturday. Dtainees and refugee rights groups have claimed the man was seriously ill for months and had made repeated requests for medical assistance before the emergency. Under Australia’s tough border security policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach the country by boat are sent for processing at the camps on Papua New Guinea’s Manus island and Nauru in the South Pacific. — Reuters

BLUE HOUSE

French-Swiss aid worker kidnapped BAMAKO/PARIS: A FrenchSwiss aid worker has been kidnapped in the city of Gao in northern Mali, and French and Malian authorities are working together to rescue her, the French foreign ministry said on Sunday. Sophie Petronin, who runs a non-governmental organisation that helps children suffering from malnutrition, was kidnapped on Saturday afternoon, but, so far, no one has made a claim of responsibility, Malian Commandant Baba Cissé said. Mali has been beset by attacks from resurgent Islamist groups, including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) this year, especially in the north. Gao - seized by militants in 2012 before French forces drove them out a year later - is considered the most secure town in northern Mali with multiple UN, French and Malian army checkpoints along main roads. “In liaison with the Malian authorities, they (French authorities) are fully mobilised to seek

Eve (December 31), West Java police spokesman Yusri Yunus told Metro TV. A police bomb squad scanned the area for explosives, Yunus added Earlier this week, Indonesian anti-terrorism police killed three suspects in a gunbattle on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta,

– AFP

PA P UA N E W G U I N E A

and release, as soon as possible, our compatriot,” the French foreign ministry said. A local radio station in Gao said the aid worker was affiliated with Aide Gao and was snatched by a group of men who drove off with her in a Toyota pickup truck. Aide Gao was not available for comment. Last month, despite the relatively heavy security in Gao, the offices of the UN peacekeeping mission located next to the city’s airport terminal were razed by a truck-bomb explosion. Mali’s government signed a peace deal last year with secular armed groups, but militants pledging allegiance to both Al Qaeda and IS have fought on and launched dozens of attacks on Western targets in recent months. The peace agreement has been broken many times, adding to difﬁculties faced by UN forces trying to stabilise the former French colony. — Reuters

South Korea prosecutor likely to raid presidential office in graft scandal SEOUL: South Korea’s special prosecutor investigating a corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye said on Sunday it was considering whether to raid the presidential offices and if it did so, it had no choice but to do so publicly. Special prosecutors are investigating allegations that Park colluded with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, and aides to pressure big companies to contribute to foundations set up to back her policy initiatives. “In case of raiding the Blue House... to carry out that, there is no choice but to be make it public,” Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the special prosecutor’s team told reporters in a brieﬁng, referring to the presidential offices. “We are still considering whether the raid is needed and if needed what the raid should be aimed at.” Park, whose father ruled the country for 18 years after seizing power in a 1961 coup, was indicted in a December 9 parliamentary

CALL FOR REMOVAL: A protester wearing a mask of South Korea’s impeached President Park GeunHye sits in a mock prison during a rally calling for Park’s immediate removal in downtown Seoul on Saturday. – AFP

vote. She has denied wrongdoing but apologised for carelessness in her ties with Choi, who is facing her own trial. Prosecutors have said previously they needed access to the presidential offices as part of their

investigation. The office has denied access. Park has immunity from prosecution as long as she is in office even though her powers have been suspended since parliament voted to impeach her.

A large crowd of protesters, including about 200 young people dressed as Santa Claus, took to the streets of central Seoul on Saturday for the ninth weekend in a row to demand the immediate resignation of the president. — Reuters

RENEWED FOCUS

China to levy new taxes to fight industrial pollution BEIJING: China’s largely rubber-stamp parliament passed a law on Sunday that will levy specific environmental protection taxes on industry for the first time from 2018, as part of a renewed focus on fighting the country’s pollution woes. Anger has risen in the world’s second-largest economy at the government’s repeated failure to tackle land, water and air pollution, with large parts of northern China enveloped in dangerous smog in recent days. “Tax revenue is an important economic means to promote environmental protection,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement. The tax rate will be 1.2 yuan ($0.17) per unit of atmospheric pollution, 1.4 yuan per unit of water pollution, 5 yuan per tonne of coal waste and 1,000 yuan per tonne of “hazardous waste”. Industrial noise polluters will also be levied 350 yuan per month if they exceed limits by 1-3 decibels, 700 yuan for 4-6 decibels and 11,200 yuan per month for 16 decibels and more. The law goes into effect on January 1, 2018. China has not previously imposed any specific environmental taxes, and the new levy will replace an earlier system of miscellaneous charges that are regarded as far too low to deter polluters. Officials have repeatedly stressed that the new policy is not designed to increase the tax

MOVE TO DETER POLLUTER: A power plant is seen on the

outskirts of Beijing. – AFP

burden on enterprises. “The core purpose (of the policy) isn’t to increase taxes, but is to improve the system, and encourage enterprises to reduce emissions - the more they emit the more they will pay, and the less they emit the less they will pay,” environment minister Chen Jining said earlier this year. The details of the new law have been ﬁercely contested by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Finance, the State Taxation Administration and local governments, and has been subject to repeated delays. Conﬂicts of interest have emerged as other departments worry about lost revenues once the previous system of emission discharge fees is abolished.

Some government researchers have also argued that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases should be included in the plans. Jia Kang of the Ministry of Finance’s Institute of Fiscal Science complained this year that the environmental tax proposals were far too conservative, with the tax rate per tonne of sulphur dioxide still much cheaper than paying for the equipment required to stop it entering the atmosphere. He suggested that, in order to avoid increasing the tax burden on ﬁrms, other business taxes should be cut and replaced by the environmental tax, which would give authorities a more powerful tool to force a ﬁrm to improve its environmental performance. — Reuters

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A11

WORLD

SERVICES: Indonesians attend a Christmas service in Surabaya, East Java province. Right: People receive a Christmas meal for the homeless and the poor at an indoor gym hall in Athens, Greece. – AFP/Reuters

Pope’s Christmas message offers hope in world hit by terror, war Pope Francis calls on

Queen Elizabeth misses traditional Christmas church service due to ‘heavy cold’

Palestinians, Israelis to put aside hate, revenge, appeals for humanitarian aid for Syria’s devastated Aleppo

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Sunday offered a Christmas hope for peace in a world lacerated by war and terrorism, urging people to remember migrants, refugees and those hit by economic instability caused by “idolatry of money”. Francis, marking the fourth Christmas season since his election in 2013, also urged Palestinians and Israelis, facing renewed tension after a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements on occupied land, to have the courage to put aside hate and revenge and “write a new page of history”. His traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message was linked by a common thread of war, violence and suffering at a time that should be deﬁned by harmony and peace. “Peace to those who have lost a person dear to them as a result of brutal acts of terrorism, which have sown fear and death into the hearts of so many countries and cities,” he told some 40,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square. Security was heightened for the Christmas weekend in Italy and at the Vatican after Italian police killed the man believed to be responsible for the Berlin market truck attack while other European cities kept forces on high alert. “Today this message (of peace) goes out to the ends of the earth to reach all peoples, especially those

SANDRINGHAM: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, 90, missed a traditional Christmas church service on Sunday for the ﬁrst time in decades due to a heavy cold, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said. Elizabeth, the world’s longest-reigning living monarch, and her husband Prince Philip, 95, suffering what the Palace described as heavy colds this week, delayed by a day the journey to their Sandringham country residence in eastern England. They travelled instead by helicopter on Thursday. The queen has attended the Christmas service at the parish church of St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham every year since the family started celebrating Christmas there in 1988. Before then, the family spent Christmas at Windsor where Elizabeth attended a service since the mid-1960s. It was unclear when Elizabeth last missed a Christmas Day service, if ever. Philip was driven to church in Sandringham on Sunday and walked in unaided from a Range Rover, a Reuters photographer said, while Prince Charles, heir to the throne, walked to the church with his wife Camilla and other members of the family. “The Queen continues to recover from a

scarred by war and harsh conﬂicts that seem stronger than the yearning for peace,” he said, speaking in Italian from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. He called for peace in Syria, urging immediate assistance to the exhausted population of the city of Aleppo, which Syrian government forces recaptured last week after

ROYAL FAMILY CELEBRATIONS: Britain’s Prince William, right, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrive with Prince George, centre, and Princess Charlotte to attend a Christmas Day service at St Mark’s Church in Engleﬁeld. – AFP

heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery,” a Palace spokesman said. “Her Majesty will participate in the Royal Family Christmas celebrations during the day.” Elizabeth’s other children, Anne, Andrew and Edward attended along with Prince Harry, Charles’s second son. Prince William, second-in-

four years of devastating ﬁghting with rebels. “It is time for weapons to be still forever (in Syria), and the international community to actively seek a negotiated solution, so that civil co-existence can be restored in the country,” he said. Francis, the ﬁrst Latin American pope, also said Christmas

CHRISTMAS BOMBING

Congo ethnic militia kills 13 civilians in revenge attack KINSHASA: An ethnic Nande militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed at least 13 Hutu civilians on Sunday with guns and machetes in an apparent revenge attack for the deaths of Nande civilians last week, a local activist said. Tit-for-tat massacres by Hutu and Nande militia in eastern Congo’s North Kivu province have killed dozens this year. Relations between the communities have worsened due to population movements and operations by the Congolese army against the largest Hutu militia in the area. Militia violence across the country has spiked in the last week, raising fears that political instability over President Joseph Kabila’s tenure could stoke a surge in localised conﬂicts by creating a local security vacuum. Mai Mai Mazembe, a predominantly Nande militia, attacked the town of Nyanzale early on Sunday morning, Innocent Gasig-

ANGER: A man screaming as people gather to protest in the neighbourhood of Yolo in Kinshasa. – AFP File

wa, spokesman for the Civil Society of Rutshuru territory, said, adding that two militiamen were also killed. “This must be the response for last time,” Gasigwa said, referring to an attack on Thursday by Nyatura, an ethnic Hutu militia, that killed at least 17 civilians in a nearby village.

An army spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment. At least 40 people died last week in protests against President Joseph Kabila’s refusal to step down at the end of his constitutional mandate last Tuesday. The government says he will remain in office until an election can be organised in 2018. — Reuters

line to the throne, is spending Christmas with the parents of his wife, Kate. After more than six decades on the throne, the Queen has cut back on international tours but still regularly performs official duties around Britain, although she said on Tuesday she would reduce such visits. While Elizabeth’s father, George VI, died at the relatively

should inspire everyone to help the less fortunate, including migrants, refugees and those swept up by social and economic upheavals. “Peace to the peoples who suffer because of the economic ambitions of the few, because of the sheer greed and the idolatry of money, which leads to slavery,” he said.

young age of 56, her mother, who was known as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, lived until 101 and was still appearing in public almost up until her death in 2002. Both the queen and Prince Philip’s good health has allowed them to remain very much in the public eye, despite their age. Elizabeth has maintained

At his Christmas eve Mass on Saturday, Francis said the feast had been “taken hostage” by dazzling materialism that puts God in the shadows. On Sunday, he also called for an end to “fundamentalist terrorism” in Nigeria, a reference to Boko Haram, which has killed 15,000 people and displaced more than two million

the popularity of the monarchy despite years of political, social and cultural change since she became Queen Elizabeth II on February 6, 1952, aged just 25. The Times reported on Wednesday that Philip carried out more public engagements last year than did his grandsons William and Harry, and William’s wife Kate combined. —Reuters

during a seven-year insurgency to create an IS. Francis further appealed for an end to tensions between the government and opposition in Venezuela, for harmony in Colombia, which recently ended a civil war with FARC guerrillas, and an end to strife on the Korean peninsula and in Myanmar. — Reuters

A 12

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

WORLD 92 killed as Syria-bound Russian military plane crashes in Black Sea

FLORAL TRIBUTES: Children lay ﬂowers at the home stage building of the Alexandrov Ensemble (The Red Army Choir), in Moscow, on Sunday, after a Russian military plane which included dozens of Red Army Choir members crashed. . AFP

President Vladimir Putin, speaking in St Petersburg, declared December 26 a national day of mourning

MOSCOW: A Russian military plane carrying 92 people, including dozens of Red Army Choir singers, dancers and orchestra members, crashed into the Black Sea on its way to Syria on Sunday, killing everyone on board, Russian authorities said. The Russian Defence Ministry said one of its TU-154 Tupolev planes had disappeared from radar screens at 0525 MSK (0225 GMT), two minutes after taking off from Sochi in southern Russia, where it had stopped to refuel from Moscow, on its way to Syria. Major-General Igor Konashenkov, a ministry spokesman, told reporters that nobody had survived. “The area of the crash site has been established. No survivors have been spotted,” he said. An unnamed ministry source told Russian news agencies no life rafts had been found, while another source told the Interfax agency that the plane had not sent an SOS signal. In televised comments, President Vladimir Putin, speaking in St Petersburg, declared December 26 a national day of mourning. Syrian President Bashar Al Assad told Russia he was saddened by the crash of a Russian military plane on its way to Syria but the countries’ fight against Islamist militants would not be affected. Condolence message In a condolence message sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Assad said the two countries were partners in the “fight to lay the foundations of stability, security and peace” in Syria. “Our prayers are with you... our sorrows and joys are one,” Assad told Putin. “The plane had dear friends who had come to join us and the people of Aleppo in their joy with victory and Christmas feasts.” Russianbacked Syrian forces ousted the last rebels from the city of Aleppo on Thursday after years of fighting. The jet, a Soviet-era Tupolev plane built in 1983, had been carrying 84 passengers and eight crew members. At least 60 were members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, better

BELONGINGS: Russian rescuers carry a stretcher with passenger belongings on a pier outside Sochi, on Sunday.. – AFP

known internationally as the Red Army Choir, and were being flown out to Russia’s Hmeymim air base in Syria to entertain troops in the run-up to the New Year. Nine Russian reporters were also on board as well as military servicemen. Konashenkov said fragments of the plane had been found at a depth of about 70 metres (yards) in the Black Sea about 1.5 km (1 mile) off the coast near the city of Sochi. “The search operation is continuing,” said Konashenkov. “Four ships, four helicopters, and a plane and a drone are working in the area,” he said, saying a military commission had flown to Sochi to look into what happened. Six ships from Russia’s Black Sea fleet were on their way to the crash site, and more than 100 divers were being drafted in to search the area along with a minisubmarine. Konashenkov said four bodies had been recovered from the sea. Russian news agencies cited a higher figure. Russia’s RIA news agency, citing an unidentified security source, said preliminary information indicated that the plane had crashed because of a technical malfunction or a pilot error. Another source told Russian agencies that the possibility of a

SEARCH: Russian Emergencies Ministry members sail on a boat in the Black Sea near the crash site of the Russian military Tu-154 plane, in the Sochi suburb of Khosta, Russia, on Sunday. – Reuters

militant act had been ruled out. The weather had been good. Konashenkov said the plane had last been serviced in September and undergone more major repairs in December 2014. He said the pilot was experienced and that the

plane had about 7,000 ﬂying hours on its clock. According to the defence ministry’s passenger manifest, Elizaveta Glinka, a member of Putin’s advisory human rights council, was on the plane.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters it was too early to say what had caused the crash. Putin was being kept constantly informed of the latest developments, Peskov said. Russian military investiga-

tors said in a statement they had opened a criminal investigation into the crash. The Kremlin said Putin expressed his deepest condolences to those who had lost loved ones in the crash and ordered Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to head a government investigatory commission. Russia’s Defence Ministry regularly ﬂies musicians into Syria to put on concerts for military personnel. The base they were heading for, Hmeymim, is in Latakia province. It is from there that Russia launches air strikes against Syrian rebels. The last big TU-154 crash was in 2010 when a Polish jet carrying then-president Lech Kaczynski and much of Poland’s political elite crashed in western Russia killing everyone on board. Russian news agencies cited Denis Manturov, the Russian Transport Minister, as saying on Sunday it was premature to talk about withdrawing the TU-154 from service. On December 19, a Russian military jet crashed in Siberia with 39 people on board as it tried to make an emergency landing near a Soviet-era military base. Nobody was killed in that incident, though 32 people were airlifted to hospital. — Reuters

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

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READERS’ FORUM Wasted food can easily end hunger Whenever I see so much leftover food thrown into the waste bins. A few days ago during my regular walk I happened to see large quantity of food in a waste bin beside a restaurant. A restaurant staffer told me that according to the policy of the hotel they have to dispose suchfood. It seems to be parties and gatherings are the occasions that prompt dumping of extra food in the bin. Wasted food can easily end hunger of those living in Africa and the rest of the world. The sad part is that educated and economically-developed countries Scan this QR code make no sincere effort. Some norms set by to send letters to the us can show the way we approach humanity. Readers’ Forum, We need to realise that there are people who containing not more than 200 words with struggle for survival and we are throwing out full name, address good food. One in seven persons go to sleep and telephone hungry every night, according to the World number, may be sent Food Programme (WFP), while a great deal by e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com). of food items is wasted. There are more than a billion hungry people living in the world today. Are we preparing excess food every day? How do we manage excessive food in our kitchen? Are we doing enough to feed those who are really in need? These questions are to be asked of ourselves, as individual habits basically point to common sense and understanding the value of preserving basic needs. — Ramachandran Nair, Ruwi

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ANATOLE KALETSKY

The biggest political surprise of 2016 was that everyone was so surprised. I certainly had no excuse to be caught unawares: soon after the 2008 crisis, I wrote a book suggesting that a collapse of conﬁdence in political institutions would follow the economic collapse, with a lag of ﬁve years or so

frica has changed remarkably, and for the better, since I first worked as a young doctor in Angola some 20 years ago. But no change has been more obvious than the way the continent has adopted mobile technology. People in Africa – and, indeed, throughout low- and middle-income countries – are seizing the opportunities that technology provides, using mobile phones for everything from making payments to issuing birth certificates, to gaining access to health care. The benefit of mobile technologies lies in access. Barriers like geographical distance and low resources, which have long prevented billions of people from getting the care they need, are much easier to overcome in the digital age. And, indeed, there are countless ways in which technology can be deployed to improve health-care access and delivery. Of course, this is not new information, and a growing number of technology-based health initiatives have taken shape in recent years. But only a few have reached scale, and achieved long-term sustainability; the majority of projects have not made it past the pilot phase. The result is a highly fragmented landscape of digital solutions – one that, in some cases, can add extra strain to existing health systems. The first step to addressing this problem is to identify which factors breed success – and which impede it. Here, perhaps the most important observation relates to how the solution is linked to the reality on the ground. After all, technology is an enabler for the innovation of health-care delivery, not an end in itself. Solutions that focus on end-users, whether health practitioners or patients, have the best chance of succeeding. Fundamental to this approach is the recognition that what users need are not necessarily the most advanced technologies, but rather solutions that are easy to use and implement. In fact, seemingly outdated technologies like voice and text messages can be far more useful tools for the intended users than the latest apps or cutting-edge innovations in, say, nanotechnology. Consider the Community-based Hypertension Improvement Project in Ghana, run by the Novartis Foundation, which I lead, and FHI 360. The project supports patients in self-managing their condition through regular mobile medication

reminders, as well as advice on necessary lifestyle changes. This approach is successful because it is patient-centred and leverages information and communication technology (ICT) tools that are readily available and commonly used. In a country where mobile penetration exceeds 80 per cent but only a few people have smartphones, such simple solutions can have the greatest impact. For health practitioners, digital solutions must be perceived as boosting efficiency, rather than adding to their already-heavy workload. Co-creating solutions with people experienced in delivering health care in low-resource settings can help to ensure that the solutions are adopted at scale. For example, the telemedicine network that the Novartis Foundation and its partners rolled out with the Ghana Health Service was a direct response to the need, expressed by health-care practitioners on the ground, to expand the reach of medical expertise. The network connects frontline health workers with a simple phone call to consultation centers in referral hospitals several hours away, where doctors and specialists are available around-theclock. From the outset, the project was a response to an expressed need to expand the reach of medical expertise, and was fully operated on the ground by Ghana Health Service staff, which made this model sustainable at scale. To realise the full potential of digital health, solutions need to be integrated into national health systems. Only then can digital technology accelerate progress toward universal health coverage and address countries’ priority health needs. Collaboration across the health and ICT sectors, both public and private, is essential. Multidisciplinary partnerships driven by the sustained leadership of senior government officials must guide progress, beginning at the planning stage. Intra-governmental collaboration, dedicated ﬁnancing for digital health solutions, and effective governance mechanisms will also be vital to successful strategies. Digital technologies offer huge opportunities to improve the way health care is delivered. If we are to seize them, we must learn from past experience. By remaining focused on the reality of end-users and on priority health needs, rather than being dazzled by the latest technology, we can fulﬁl the promise of digital health. - Project Syndicate

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES DECEMBER 2001 OCCI exhibition committee meets MUSCAT: The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry(OCCI)’s exhibition’s committee held its sixth meeting of the year yesterday under the chairmanship of committee vice chairman Redha Baqer Suleiman. The committee whose members include both public and private sector representatives discussed the general position of exhibitions organising committee following the ban on consumer fairs.

PICTOGRAPH

TOTAL NEW VEHICLES REGISTERED 2016 September

October

7,773 6,789

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

1979: The Soviet Union flies 5,000 troops to intervene in the Afghanistan conflict. 1982: Time magazine chooses a personal computer as it “Man of the Year,” the first non-human ever to receive the honour. 2004: A tsunami caused by a 9.3-magnitude earthquake kills more than 230,000 along the rim of the Indian Ocean.

0 Source National Centre for Statistics & Information

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

LIFESTYLE GEAR

Photography supplied

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Story Khadija Alzadjali

SPECIFICATIONS FERRARI 488 SPIDER

riving a Ferrari is incomparable, but I haven’t driven many super cars in my lifetime. Some would consider it sacrilegious to drive a Spider 488 Twin Turbo Engine on automatic. Then again, that’s exactly what I did. A few weeks before my test drive, I’d spotted a 2005 Ferrari 360 Modena at the traffic lights. I’d only seen such cars in my younger days, playing Need for Speed, but here it was, in the ﬂesh. Never in my dreams had I thought I’d be asked to drive a 488 Spider Ferrari. I had the opportunity to drive two different models: The 488 spider and GTC4Lusso. To be completely honest, being in the presence of such legendary machinery was satisfying enough. It truly makes you wonder, how could one feel so nervous and in complete awe in front of inanimate machines. The 488 Spider was the perfect bachelor, or bachelorette, car. The Spider series features convertibles, which means it is made for one hell of a ride. I had a new appreciation for Oman’s scenic landscapes without a roof over

my head. Red leather seats, a red leather dash, a stunning red carpet and Ferrari’s trademark bright red paint. It was quite stunning all around. The ride was low enough to wonder if you’d fall into the seat as you attempted to climb into it, or at least that’s what happened to me. But you can’t help but feel this surge of energy as she starts. The roar of the engine starts is her signature. The Spider does a 0-100km/h in three seconds. Words can’t explain that sensation. You can only live it to experience it. As a woman in her mid-twenties, I was fascinated with the Lusso. Years ago, when premium luxurybrand crossovers began entering the market, I thought to myself, “Hmm, I could totally see myself picking up the kids in that”. Then as I entered adulthood, I soon became accustomed to standard, affordable cars. Dreams of those sleek machines became a distant memory, but as I approached the GTC4 Lusso, with its seductive lines and practical four doors, those old desires came rushing back. It is elegant, sophisticated, smooth, and sporty, but, more than just a

pretty face, under the hood the Lusso is packing a monstrous V-12 engine. Yes, a V-12. Driving the Lusso feels completely different from the Spider, in a good way. The steering allowed my hands to feel a sort of comfort I’d never experienced before, and the subtly tanned leather seats and white piping really made me feel like a woman. The test drive took us up the steep hill towards Qantab and Shangri La, and it was easily the fastest I had driven up, without even having to turn off the air conditioning. The four wheel drive system really gave me a sense of control over the car. Being able to control and manage this massive machinery is a must in this country, and the Lusso made that surprisingly simple. The GTC4Lusso goes 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds, 0-200km/h in 10.5 seconds and slows down from 100-0km/h in just 34. Some might say this is too much power and too much performance to waste on a trip to the grocery store. But as someone enamoured with the thrill of the automotive experience, I say, why not make every ride in life exhilarating? —khadija@timesofoman.com

Engine: Total displacement: Bore and stroke: Maximum power: Maximum torque: Specific output: Compression ratio: Transmission: Maximum speed: 0 – 100 km/h: Fuel consumption:

90° V8, turbo-charged, dry sump 3902 cm3 (238.1 cu. in) 86.5 x 83 mm (3.4 x 3.3 in) 492 kW (670 cv) at 8000 rpm 760 Nm at 3000 rpm in VII gear 172 cv/l (2.07 kW/cu. in) 9.4:1 7-speed F1 dual-clutch transmission > 325 km/h (203 mph) 3.0 sec 11.4 l/100 km

FERRARI GTC4LUSSO Engine: Total displacement: Bore and stroke: Maximum power: Maximum torque: Compression ratio: Transmission: Maximum speed: 0-100 km/h: Fuel consumption:

V12 - 65° 6262 cc 94 mm x 75.2 mm 507 kW (690 CV) at 8,000 rpm 697 Nm at 5,750 rpm 13.5:1 4RM EVO/4WS/ 7-speed F1 DCT/ E-Diff 335 km/h 3.4 sec 15 l/100 km

Authorised Oman Dealer: Alfardan Motors LLC, Alfardan Building, Meydan Al Azaiba, Muscat, Oman Tel: +968 2452 3014

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

WEATHER

TEMPERATURE

HUMIDITY

30 - 16 71-28% 0

PRAYER TIMINGS

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

12.12pm 3.13pm 5.33pm 6.49pm 5.26am

A15

LIFESTYLE

DO-IT-YOURSELF

F L O W E R M O N T H LY C A R M A I N T E N A N C E C H E C K Fuel Check your fuel levels and see if your gas mileage seems to be getting worse, as it could indicate that it is time for a ﬁlter change or other scheduled maintenance.

Lights Clean and check your exterior and interior lights, look for cracks, dimming lights, and blown bulbs.

Water Keep your windshield wiper water tank full and check your coolant levels regularly, as in Oman’s extreme heat, it can sometimes get low merely from evaporation (rather than leaks) and when coolant is low, serious damage can occur in the overheated engine. Most cars have a clear coolant tank, so you can see if the liquid inside reaches the full line without opening it. If it looks low, add water or a 50-50 mix of water and coolant to top-it-up. If your vehicle doesn’t have a clear tank, you will need to open the radiator cap (when it is cold, never when the engine has been running). You should be able to see the liquid, if it is not visible, top it up with either just water or a 50-50 mix of water and coolant.

Oil Running low on oil can seriously damage your engine, and checking the levels is as easy as grabbing a rag, pulling out the dip stick, wiping it clean, re-inserting it, and removing it to see if the line of oil is where it should be (check your owner’s manual if you aren’t sure where this stick is located). The oil should look relatively clear and free from gunky particles. You can top-up your oil level yourself if it looks clean, but if the gunk has started to build up, it is probably time for a full-on oil and oil ﬁlter change.

Electrics By electrics, we mean batteries, not the hitech computerised systems in place in newer vehicles (they will generally tell the driver if anything is wrong with them anyways). Batteries dry quicker in Oman than in places with cooler weather, in part, because we spend most months of the year running our air conditioners. Batteries will typically last two years, but it is good to check them regularly to see if they can still hold a charge. This can be done at many petrol stations and battery shops for free (tip the guy a few baisas). But you should also visually inspect the battery regularly for cracks, corrosion, discolouration, and to make sure the connections are securely in place.

Story Felicia Campbell

hen it comes to health, many say that prevention is the best cure, and the same could be said about car maintenance. Sure, you probably take your vehicle for its 10,000 or 15,000 kilometre scheduled maintenance, but giving your car a monthly “once-over” can help you to identify problems before they become expensive breakdowns. The six areas of your car that you should check can be remembered through the acronym “FLOWER”—Fuel, lights, oil, water, electrics, and rubber. The check should take no-more than 15 minutes and should be conducted before any out-of-town trips or once monthly. –felicia@timesofoman.com

Rubber A visual inspection of tyres for damage, excessive dryness, or low tread along with checking the pressure (your car’s owner’s manual will list the correct pressure for various road conditions) is an important safety check. The roads here get especially hot, causing a lot of wear-and-tear on tyres. It is better to identify damage or excessive wearing so you can change your tyres before getting a ﬂat at high speed.

T E C H TA L K

Facebook Launches Parent’s Portal, a New Section of Facebook Safety Centre FACEBOOK is launching the Parent’s Portal, a new section of the Facebook Safety Centre. Parent’s portal provides guides for parents about how Facebook works, tips for talking with your kids about staying safe online and resources from experts around the world. Whether you have a personal account, or whether your teen has one, Facebook has compiled some basic information and tips to help you get the most out of your experience and help your child navigate their experience.

1) Let your child know the rules If it’s not something you want others to do to you, don’t do it to others. Just as you might tell your child to look both ways before crossing the street or to wear a helmet while riding their bike, teach them to think before they share online. 2) Try to be a good role model The adage that children will “do as you do, not as you say” is as true online as it is offline. If you set time restrictions on when your

child can use social media or be online, follow the same rules. 3) Engage early Data suggest that parents should engage online with their children as soon as they are on social media. Consider friending them when they join Facebook. Just as you lay the foundation early for dialogue and conversation offline with your children, you should lay that foundation early online. It gets harder to do so if you wait. Even before they are on social media,

talk to them about technology as a whole. 4) Identify and seize key moments For example, when your child gets their ﬁrst mobile phone, it’s a good time to set ground rules. When your child turns 13 years old and is old enough to join Facebook and other social media, it’s a good time to talk about safe sharing. 5) Trust yourself Typically, you can adopt the same parenting style for your child’s online activities as you do for their

offline activities. If you ﬁnd that your child responds best to a negotiated agreement, create a contract that you can both sign. 6) Ask your children to teach you Not on Facebook? Or, maybe you’re interested in trying a streaming music service? If your children are already familiar with these apps and sites, they can be an excellent resource. The conversation can also serve as an opportunity to talk about issues of safety, privacy and security. —lifestyle@timesofoman.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

LIFESTYLE ALL ABOUT APPS

Yummly

A16

What is It? Yummly is a one-stop solution for those looking for a variety of recipes. This app links you to various cookery sites across the web. So from Martha Stewart to David Lebovitz, there is no dearth of choice when it comes to cooking your favourite dish. This expert food app thoroughly guides you through any recipe, with detailed descriptions on its ingredients and method of preparation. In addition, the nutritional information provided with every recipe helps you to be health-conscious, while preparing these delectable delights. One can easily browse the recipes but if you want to save them for future use, you’ll need to use the shopping list. — swati@timesofoman.com Launched: 2009 Why to Download: Yummly is simple, uncluttered and very user friendly. Searches are quick and result-oriented, and helpfully detailed, so you can actually set your preferences to match the food you like, or to correspond with any allergies or diet speciﬁcations you might have. You can also narrow down your search in terms of what kind of cuisine you are looking for, the required prep time, to mention a couple of parameters. The ﬁlters in each category are what set Yummly apart from the other food apps, and the large database of recipes make it among the best for those who wish to learn new and exciting ways to cook. Yummly also features recipes on their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter account. Pro Tip: Sign up for an account at Yummly. Add a YUM button to your post area, and it will be easy for your readers to YUM your recipe. Available for: Windows, iOS, Android

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM M ON DAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

ALGERIA’S OIL OUTPUT Algeria’s state energy producer Sonatrach Group plans to increase output of natural gas and crude oil by 20 per cent in the next four years as new projects start up. - Bloomberg News

Muscat 5,730.97 - 5.54 - 0.10%

MARKE

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY LAUNCH THE VIDEO

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

Dubai 3,525.35 + 8.02 + 0.23%

Abu Dhabi 4,439.82 + 2.35 + 0.05%

Saudi Arabia

7,190.95 + 103.19 + 1.46%

Kuwait 5,700.16 + 23.94 + 0.42%

Bahrain 1,211.07 + 12.25 + 1.02%

Qatar 10,394.74 - 33.17 - 0.32%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (OMR1)*

GOLD PRICES*

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

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.45 Pound ..........................................2.09 Indian Rs ..............................175.72 Pakistan Rs ........................267.59 Bangla Taka......................202.59

Indian Rs ...................................175.90 Pakistan Rs ............................. 271.90 Sri Lanka Rs .................................. N/A Bangla Taka........................... 204.40 Phil Peso ................................... 129.35

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......14.55

Oman Crude............. (Spot) ........$52.09 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) .........$51.45 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) .........$53.21 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........$52.22 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ........ $55.07

* Rates as of December 25 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

* Rates are as of December 25 Source: Bank Muscat

West Texas Int ....... (Spot) .........$53.21

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.05 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............ 137.25 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............ 129.00 * Rates as of December 25 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

Port Services Corp. plans to continue operation for one year Times News Service

PSC will agree to this extension of the concession agreement for one year subject to the ministry accepting and agreeing to all the terms and conditions making the operation viable. – Times ﬁle picture

ECONOMY

Saudi Arabia announces borrowing plans for 2017 DUBAI: Saudi Arabia laid out key elements of its borrowing plans for 2017 as the Kingdom seeks to capitalise on investor demand for its debut sale this year to finance the budget deficit. The world’s biggest oil exporter plans to raise between $10 billion and $15 billion from international bond markets, Mohammad Al Tuwaijri, secretary-general of the Finance Committee at the Royal Court, told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television. Authorities will sell about 70 billion riyals ($18.7 billion) locally, he said. Officials from Saudi Arabia have met with banks to discuss the potential sale of Shariacompliant bonds in the first quarter, according to five people familiar with the matter. Saudi Arabia raised $17.5 billion in October in the biggest ever emerging-market bond sale, attracting $67 billion of bids, people familiar with the sale told Bloomberg at the time. Finance Minister Mohammed Al Jadaan told Bloomberg News on Thursday the country will “most likely” tap debt markets in the first quarter. “We will issue sukuk, but we will issue other instruments at the same time,” he said, declining to give more details. He said the timing will depend on the conditions of the markets. “We are very comfortable about our cash flow,” he said. The kingdom is turning to debt markets to help fill one of the highest budget deficits in the Middle East after the slump in oil prices battered its revenues. — Bloomberg News

MUSCAT: Port Services Corporation (PSC), which manages Muscat’s Port Sultan Qaboos (PSQ), has said that the company’s board has decided to extend the concession agreement to manage and operate the port, with the same terms and conditions for one year, continuing until December 31, 2017. The Ministry of Transport and Communications last week requested the majority state-owned company to continue operations for three months, after the company’s extraordinary general meeting decided to liquidate the ﬁrm, with effect from January 1, 2017. “The corporation will agree to this extension of the concession agreement for one year, subject to the Ministry of Transport and

Communications accepting and agreeing to all the terms and conditions making the operation viable, which will be conveyed to the Ministry of Transport and Communications,” according to a disclosure statement posted on the MSM website, following the company’s emergency board meeting on December 22. After receiving conﬁrmation, and acceptance of an extension of the concession agreement, along with the acceptance of the terms and conditions, the corporation will write to the CMA to obtain its approval to convene an extraordinary general meeting in January 2017 to defer its liquidation of PSC. In September, the company had said that renewal of the concession agreement to operate and manage Port Sultan Qaboos for another

year would not be economically viable and would not generate adequate returns for shareholders. PSC’s revenue began declining substantially after the government shifted commercial activities of Muscat port to Sohar port in August 2014, in a move to convert the former into a full-ﬂedged tourism port. The Oman government, which has a 35.5 per cent stake in PSC, recently transferred its stake to the Oman Investment Fund. The MSM, in a separate circular, earlier said that shares of PSC will be transferred to the under-monitoring market from the regular market until the delisting date of December 29, 2016. Meanwhile, PSC’s shares declined by a marginal 0.42 per cent to 236 baisas as 73,825 shares changed hands.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

MARKET OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ........................................5,742.19 ...............5,730.95 ................... 5,730.97 ....................5,736.51.................. -5.54 .................. -0.10 Financial Index .....................................7,638.36 ............... 7,615.43 ....................7,615.49 ....................7,627.88................-12.39 .................. -0.16 Industrial Index ....................................7,384.47 ...............7,363.38 ................... 7,380.69 ................... 7,363.38...................17.31 ...................0.24 Services Index .......................................3,051.45 ............... 3,047.31 ................... 3,047.34 ...................3,052.00.................. -4.66 .................. -0.15 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................861.22 ..................860.21 ....................... 861.21 .......................860.75....................0.46 ................... 0.05 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 11,912,568 ................... 2,179,161 .................... 446 ................17,205,814,557 .................. 8 ......................11 .................... 21 .........................40

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 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 ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ..................................................77,000 ............ 38,500......................14 ........... 0.500 ...........0.500 ...........0.500........... 0.500 .............0.490 ............0.010 ............. 2.041 ................0.500..............0.460...................0.500 ..................26,250,000.........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 114,000 ............ 13,110........................2 ............0.115 ........... 0.115............ 0.115 ............0.115 ............. 0.114.............0.001 ............. 0.877 ................0.115 .............. 0.114................... 0.115 .................... 6,766,970 ..........0.100

Muscat Securities Market. – Times ﬁle picture

OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 232,918 ...........40,062..................... 34 ............0.172 ........... 0.172 ........... 0.171 ............0.172 ............. 0.171 .............0.001 ............. 0.585 ................0.172 ...............0.171...................0.172...................50,948,753 .........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 1,409,852 ......634,425..................... 92 ........... 0.450 ...........0.454 ...........0.448........... 0.450 .............0.448 ........... 0.002.............0.446 ................0.454..............0.452...................0.454.................1,123,312,616.......0.100

MSM index ends lower

OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE .................................72,105 .............23,759..................... 10 ........... 0.330 ...........0.330 ...........0.326........... 0.330 .............0.330 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.328..............0.326...................0.328 ..................33,000,000.........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE............... 50,000 ............ 10,000........................3 ........... 0.200...........0.200 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 .............0.200 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.200 ............ 0.200...................0.205 ................. 40,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ...................................................................... 14,951 ............... 7,655........................3 ............0.512 ........... 0.512 ...........0.512 ............0.512 ............. 0.512............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.512 ..............0.500...................0.512..................325,524,935 .......0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 185,200 ........... 85,562........................5 ........... 0.462 ...........0.462 ...........0.462........... 0.462 .............0.462 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.462..............0.464...................0.470..................152,863,192 ........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 1,596,078 ..... 302,906..................... 37 ............0.190 ........... 0.190 ...........0.189 ........... 0.190 .............0.190 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.189 ..............0.188...................0.190...................33,250,467 .........0.100 OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..........................................................1,305 .................. 201........................1 ............0.154 ........... 0.154 ...........0.154 ............0.156 ............. 0.156............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.154 .............. 0.141...................0.156...................50,903,297.........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION .............................3,561 ...............5,359........................2 ............1.505 ........... 1.505 ...........1.505 ............1.515 ............. 1.515 ............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.505 .............. 1.505................... 1.515 ................1,136,250,000 ......0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY .....................................................10,000 .............. 4,900........................1 ........... 0.490 ...........0.490 ...........0.490........... 0.490 .............0.490 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.490..............0.486...................0.492...................29,645,000.........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER.............................................................. 11,560 ...............2,659........................6 ........... 0.230 ...........0.230 ...........0.230........... 0.230 .............0.230 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.230............. 0.222...................0.230 ..................50,832,300.........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 289,115 .......... 190,918......................21 ........... 0.660 ...........0.664 ...........0.660........... 0.660 .............0.660 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.660..............0.660...................0.664..................429,623,192........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL...............................................95,066 ...............6,750........................4 ............0.071 ........... 0.071 ...........0.071 ............0.071 ............. 0.071............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.071 .............. 0.071...................0.072...................12,425,000.........0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER........................................................350 .....................63........................1 ............0.180 ........... 0.180 ...........0.180........... 0.180 .............0.180 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.180.............. 0.179...................0.180.................. 121,479,737 ........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 140,868 ............33,437......................11 ........... 0.238 ...........0.238 ...........0.234........... 0.237 .............0.238 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.420 ...............0.236..............0.234...................0.237..................349,523,162........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 367,625.............59,555......................12 ............0.162 ........... 0.162 ...........0.162 ........... 0.162 ............. 0.163............-0.001 ............-0.613................0.162 ..............0.162...................0.163..................259,928,893........0.100

Gulf International Chemicals, up by 2.13% was

OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 114,309.............16,689........................4 ............0.146 ........... 0.146 ...........0.146 ........... 0.146 ............. 0.147............-0.001 ........... -0.680 ...............0.146 ..............0.146...................0.147..................213,539,813 ........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ...................................... 70,000 ............. 17,150........................2 ........... 0.245 ...........0.245 ...........0.245........... 0.245 .............0.248 ...........-0.003 ............-1.210................0.245..............0.245...................0.247 ..................73,200,530.........0.100

the top gainer while Al Hassan Engineering

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 4,855,863 ...1,493,660...................265 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ..... 20........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

was the top loser, down by 5.08%.

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 130,584 ............37,667..................... 36 ........... 0.290...........0.290 ...........0.287........... 0.288 .............0.282 ........... 0.006............. 2.128 ................0.287..............0.285...................0.287....................6,048,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002077 ...........AL OMANIYA FINANCIAL SER. .............................12,000 ...............3,436........................2 ........... 0.287 ...........0.287 ...........0.283........... 0.286 .............0.283 ........... 0.003............. 1.060 ................0.283............. 0.260...................0.283 ..................76,608,973 .........0.100

MUSCAT: Amid muted volumes, the MSM30 Index inched down by 0.10 per cent to close at 5,730.97 points. The MSM Sharia Index gained 0.05 per cent to close at 861.21 points. Bank Nizwa was the most active in terms of volume while Bank Muscat led in turnover. Gulf International Chemicals, up by 2.13 per cent was the top gainer while Al Hassan Engineering was the top loser, down by 5.08 per cent. As many as 446 trades were executed on Sunday, generating a turnover of OMR2.18 million with 11.9 million shares changing hands. Out of 40 traded securities, eight advanced, 11 declined and 21 remained unchanged. Omani investors were net buyers of OMR490,000 while GCC and Arab investors remained net sellers of OMR408,000 followed by foreign investors at OMR82,000 worth of shares. Financial Index closed at 7,615.49 points, down by 0.16

per cent. Al Omaniya Financial Services, Gulf Investment Services, Ahli Bank and Bank Muscat gained 1.06 per cent, 0.88 per cent, 0.52 per cent and 0.45 per cent, respectively. Al Izz Bank, Al Batinah Investment, BankDhofar, HSBC Bank and Bank Sohar declined by1.41 per cent, 1.01 per cent, 0.86 per cent, 0.85 per cent and 0.61 per cent, respectively. Industrial Index advanced by 0.24 per cent to close at 7,380.69 points. Gulf International Chemicals, Al Maha Ceramics and Al Anwar Ceramics gained 2.13 per cent, 2.04 per cent and 0.58 per cent, respectively. Al Hassan Engineering and Galfar Engineering declined by 5.08 per cent and 1.03 per cent, respectively. Services Index retreated 0.15 per cent to close at 3,047.34 points. Renaissance Services, Phoenix Power and Port Services declined by 1.21 per cent, 0.68 per cent and 0.42 per cent, respectively. – United Securities

OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK ......................................................................95,904 .............18,504........................4 ............0.194 ........... 0.194 ...........0.192 ............0.193 .............0.192.............0.001 ............. 0.521 ................0.192 .............. 0.185...................0.192..................275,031,976 ........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .........................................................2,500 ...................153........................1 ............0.061 ........... 0.061 ...........0.061 ........... 0.061 ............. 0.061............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.061 ..............0.060...................0.061.................... 7,625,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING.............95,532 ............ 12,600..................... 10 ............0.132 ........... 0.132 ...........0.131 ........... 0.132 .............0.132............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.132 ...............0.131...................0.132...................16,087,500 .........0.100 OM0000001822............UNITED POWER ................................................................... 27 .....................88........................1 ........... 3.250 ...........3.250 ...........3.250........... 3.250 .............3.250 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................3.250..............3.250...................3.300 ...................2,600,000..........1.000 OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. ...... 26,900 ............ 38,602........................2 ............1.435 ........... 1.435 ...........1.435 ............1.435 ............. 1.435............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.435 .............. 1.435...................1.440...................99,015,000 .........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 5,505,700 ...... 451,467..................... 39 ........... 0.082 ...........0.082 ...........0.082........... 0.082 .............0.082 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.082..............0.081...................0.082 .................123,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH................................................ 15,870 ............... 3,729........................3 ........... 0.235 ........... 0.235 ...........0.235........... 0.235 .............0.235 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.235..............0.233...................0.235................. 224,324,408 .......0.100 OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ................................ 3,700 .................. 666........................2 ............0.180 ........... 0.180 ...........0.180............0.176 ............. 0.176............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.180.............. 0.174...................0.186...................17,600,000 .........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ..........................................................350 .....................65........................1 ............0.186 ........... 0.186 ...........0.186 ........... 0.186 ............. 0.186............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.186 ..............0.180...................0.186..................132,879,579 ........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 106,950 ............12,523........................7 ............0.117 ........... 0.118............ 0.117 ............0.117 ............. 0.118............-0.001 ........... -0.847 ...............0.117 ...............0.117................... 0.118 ..................234,036,596 .......0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ................................................................ 5,593 ...............1,286........................1 ........... 0.230 ...........0.230 ...........0.230........... 0.230 .............0.232 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.862 ...............0.230............. 0.220...................0.230 .................436,816,322........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................14,050 ............... 1,378........................2 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.097........... 0.098 .............0.099 ...........-0.001 ............-1.010................0.097..............0.097...................0.100....................2,940,000..........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 451,859 ........... 43,596..................... 32 ........... 0.097 ...........0.097 ...........0.096........... 0.096 .............0.097 ...........-0.001 ............-1.031................0.096..............0.096...................0.097................... 27,838,141 .........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 313,610 ............ 22,083.....................20 ............0.071 ........... 0.071 ...........0.070........... 0.070 ............. 0.071............-0.001 ........... -1.408 ...............0.071 .............. 0.071...................0.072...................70,000,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 6,781,129.......647,843................... 163 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......16........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

UNDER MONITORING MARKET ........................................................................................................................................................ OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION .........................73,825 .............17,389..................... 10 ........... 0.236 ...........0.236 ...........0.235........... 0.236 .............0.237 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.422 ...............0.235............. 0.000...................0.235...................22,429,440.........0.100 OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING................................... 49,000 ...............2,764........................5 ........... 0.058 ...........0.058 ...........0.056........... 0.056 .............0.059 ...........-0.003 ........... -5.085 ...............0.056..............0.055...................0.056.................... 4,211,648 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 122,825 ............20,153......................15 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........2........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS AND SUKUK MARKET ............................................................................................................................................................ OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 ......................................... 149,500 ............ 17,193........................2 ............0.115 ........... 0.115............ 0.115 ............0.115 .............0.107............ 0.008............. 7.477 ................0.115 .............. 0.110...................0.120...................36,758,908 .........0.100 OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 ........................3,251 ...................312........................1 ........... 0.096 ...........0.096 ...........0.096........... 0.097 .............0.097 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.096..............0.096...................0.098...................31,443,676 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 152,751 ............. 17,505........................3 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........2........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

SUPPORT FOR OMAN-BASED SMEs

PDO boosts collaboration with Innovation Park Muscat Times News Service MUSCAT: Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has signed a partnership agreement with Innovation Park Muscat (IPM) to support Omani entrepreneurs and solve key production and technical challenges. Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding (MoU), the partners will work to-

gether on a number of important economic, energy and environmental matters to support the Sultanate’s development. There will be concerted effort by both sides to support the development and competitiveness of the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, with local companies who work with PDO being encouraged to start their own

research and development with IPM. They will encourage SMEs to carry out their basic technological research, test-proof their conceptual thoughts and innovation ideas and conduct the earlystage technology development in IPM prior to the mass production of their goods. Both will also work to stimulate international companies to

support and transfer technology and innovation to local companies and SMEs that are based in IPM. The aim is to encourage local Omani companies and entrepreneurs to embrace innovation and new technologies to sustain their future growth and become more competitive locally and regionally. PDO will share with IPM some of the major challenges facing the

oil and gas industry as a means of spurring innovation and research.Speciﬁcally, IPM will work on developing solutions in priority areas of enhanced oil recovery, water management and energy efficiency. PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci said: “This agreement will strengthen the aspirations of both parties to promote and enhance the Sultan-

ate’s economic, entrepreneurial and knowledge base in areas of competitive advantage.” “We fully support Innovation Park Muscat in its excellent work to promote and enhance the Sultanate’s entrepreneurial and knowledge base by supporting the growth of innovative Omani companies in areas that include energy,” he added.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

MARKET ENTIRE AMOUNT

GFH settles $300 million syndicated credit facility

Mazoon Dairy’s operations poised to start by late 2018

Times News Service MUSCAT: GFH Financial Group of Bahrain announced that it has paid the entire amount of its $300 million syndicated financing facility, which was originally drawn in 2006. The facility, which was payable on a yearly installment basis with final maturity in July 2018, has now been settled with a recent payment of $29 million. “We are pleased to continue to strengthen our balance sheet with this prepayment. The facility had participation from a mix of GCC and international banks, who were very pleased by GFH’s excellent repayment capability throughout the repayment period, despite market challenges,” said Hisham Alrayes, CEO of GFH Financial Group. “As we deleverage and repay our liabilities, we free up our assets pledged under these financing facilities and are able to generate positive cash flows thereof, which are being deployed to expand GFH’s businesses. We have been able to significantly deleverage over the past few years, having had consolidated financing liabilities in excess of $1 billion in 2008, compared to $112 million currently, with a low debt to equity ratio of only 16 per cent. This low ratio provides GFH with a solid platform to grow the business in future.” “Today, GFH is a stronger, more liquid and highly capitalised group, and through our sound commercial and investment banking activities, we are set for a brighter future,” added Alrayes.

New OMR100 milliondairy farm, which is expected to produce 202 million litres in 2026, plans to house 25,000 cows within a period of 10 years. However, in the ﬁrst year, the dairy farm will have 4,000 cows.

DAIRY PROJECT: The company on Sunday signed a contract with Abu Hatim Co for enabling the site for the proposed project at Al Sunaynah in Buraimi. - Picture by Jun Estrada/Times of Oman

A E JAMES

mand for dairy products is met through imports, while 31 per cent is produced by local dairy ﬁrms. “And with this project, we are expecting to cover the gap (between demand and local production) by 50 per cent within a period of 10 years,” Dr Arjun Subramanian, general manager (projects), Mazoon Dairy, told Times of Oman, after the signing ceremony. Apart from fresh milk, the company will produce laban, yogurt, fruit yogurt, ice cream, cheese and juice. “We will also produce long-life milk and juice.” “We are delighted to note that the project is progressing to the execution stage with the award of

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Mazoon Dairy, the biggest dairy project coming up in the Sultanate under the country’s national food security initiative, will start operations in the second half of 2018. The company on Sunday signed a contract with Abu Hatim Co for enabling the site for the proposed project at Al Sunaynah in Buraimi. The OMR100 million-dairy farm, which is expected to produce 202 million litres in 2026, plans to house 25,000 cows within a period of 10 years. However, in the ﬁrst year, the dairy farm will have 4,000 cows. Presently, 69 per cent of the Sultanate’s de-

Presently, 69 per cent of Oman’s demand for dairy products is met through imports, while 31 per cent is produced by local dairy firms.

this site enabling works contract. It is in our mission to address the self-sufficiency in dairy production. When operational, the integrated facility will comprise a state-of-the-art dairy farm, a fully automated centralised processing plant and related sales and distribution facilities ensuring product reach within Oman

GLOBAL INVESTMENT HOUSE REPORT

and the wider region,” said Dr Rashid Al Masroori, chairman of Mazoon Dairy. “Our goal is to produce approximately 202 million litres in 2026, which will go up to 985 million litres in 2040. This will greatly reduce the Sultanate’s import dependence from 69 per cent in 2014 to 13 per cent in

2026. The long-term goal is to attain self-sufficiency and also export to neighbouring countries in the Middle East,” added Dr Al Masroori. Dr Subramanian said that the main contract for building the processing plant and other facilities will be awarded sometime in the first quarter of next year. The company has already floated a pre-qualification tender for the main project. The total estimated capital expenditure for the project is OMR100 million, which is for building the dairy farm, processing plant and related marketing and logistics facilities. As many as 50 per cent of the funding will be by way of equity capital from promoters and the remaining 50 per cent will be loan from term lending institutions. In the initial year, the dairy farm will have 4,000 cows, which will go up to 25,000 animals in the tenth year (including 15,000 milking cows). “We expect the cows to be imported from Europe, the US and Australia,” noted Dr Subramanian. The fodder needed for the animals will not be produced locally, rather sourced from outside the country and from southern Dhofar region. Mazoon Daily project will create extensive opportunities for employment and growth of small and medium enterprises in the Sultanate, and particularly encourage Omanisation. The project will provide employment for 400 people in the initial year, which will go up to 2,000 people by tenth year of operation.

DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

Saudi expects 480m riyal oil revenue QInvest and Maceen Times News Service MUSCAT: Saudi government’s budgeted oil revenue at 480 billion riyals was estimated at an oil price of $50.1 per barrel next year, according to a report released by Global Investment House. Also, to break-even in fiscal balance, the Kingdom needs an average oil price of $70.8 per barrel. In 2017, the government targets a budget deficit at 198 billion riyal (estimated at 7.7 per cent of gross domestic product), implying 33 per cent and 39 per cent reduction compared with the actual and budgeted numbers for 2016, respectively. Saudi Arabia projected total revenue at 692 billion riyals (higher by 31 per cent than actual and 35 per cent compared to the budget in 2016). For 2017, total expenditure is projected at 890 billion riyals and the focus was on avoiding huge increases in spending and ensuring an emphasis on financial control. The 2017 budget, announced on December 22, 2016, was prepared

FISCAL BALANCING: Saudi Arabia projected its total revenue at 692 billion riyals, 35 per cent higher compared to the budget in 2016. - Bloomberg News

in light of advances in the global and local economy. The Kingdom also announced various measures to boost nonoil revenues including the introduction of visa taxes on nonSaudi workers and an increase in tobacco and sugar taxes. Also, Saudi Arabia reiterated its intention to implement VAT starting 2018 to boost revenues. However, the government categorically denied plans to introduce income

tax in the Kingdom. Saudi aims to achieve a balanced budget in 2020 by implementing various measures, including increasing non-oil revenue, benefiting from efficiency savings on expenditure and ensuring greater fiscal discipline. Additionally, the government reiterated its intention to cap debt level at 30 per cent of GDP and finance the deficit by debt issuance from both international and local markets. As of

December 2016, the government’s debt levels reached 12.3 per cent of GDP, with international borrowings comprising a third of the total debt. In addition to the local bonds issue, an international syndicated loan of 37.5 billion riyals ($10 billion) was borrowed from global investment institutions. The most noteworthy achievement in fiscal year 2016 was the completion of the first issuance of US-denominated international bonds in global markets, with $17.5 billion, the largest US-dollar-denominated sovereign bond in emerging markets. The government aims to continue to fund the deficit via a combination of borrowings and internal reserves. While the budget did not announce an immediate rise in the fuel prices, reforms in domestic energy prices will be gradual and linked to international markets from 2017 to 2020. Also, any such escalation is expected to be complemented by the introduction of direct cash transfers to needy citizens.

Capital sign key deal

Times News Service MUSCAT: QInvest, Qatar’s leading investment bank, and Maceen Capital, a Saudi joint stock investment company, have signed a strategic distribution agreement to work in collaboration to better service investors in Saudi Arabia. The agreement will allow Maceen’s existing clients, as well as new qualiﬁed investors, direct access to QInvest’s asset management and advisory platform, offering them the opportunity to participate in funds and investment agreements available in Qatar and international markets, according to a press release. A positive step “This agreement represents a positive step towards achieving our goal to reach and serve qualiﬁed investors in the Saudi market in a structured and convenient approach that meets their diverse investment needs and in collaboration with institutions we trust,”

said Tamim Al Kawari, chief executive officer of QInvest. “This agreement strengthens the existing co-operation between the two firms by enabling ease of access to a range of investment products for which we see increasing demand in the Saudi market. Maceen Capital’s high-ranking position among financial companies in Saudi Arabia ensures that it can provide its investors with matchless opportunities,” added Badr AlHammad, Chairman of the Board of Maceen Capital. QInvest is the leading investment bank in Qatar and one of the most prominent Islamic financial institutes globally, with operations across the Middle East and Europe. It provides products in asset management, investment banking, real estate investment, credit investment, and debt finance. QInvest’s asset management division has witnessed a strong performance across the year, with assets under management growing across a number of strategies.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

FEATURE

THEY NEED TO BE more nimble and focused, and accept that some things are best left to the locals. They should also focus on what pays. The multinational clients that were once their top customers and the private-equity ﬁrms that provide recurring fees are a lot more loyal than the average Chinese company. Even as many aspects of investment banking get squeezed, overall fees in the region rose thanks to yuan bond sales, which is where Chinese institutions dominate. Note issues in the Chinese currency accounted for 75 per cent of the region’s total bond-underwriting fee pool this year, according to data from Freeman & Co. It used to be that taking state-

owned Chinese companies public in Hong Kong was the big money spinner, but again, competition from mainland banks has been chipping away at that for a while. Even the boom in Chinese acquisitions offshore is not a clearcut winner, although Wall Street does still reign when it comes to advising Chinese corporations on their hunger for overseas assets. Serial shoppers like Fosun International Ltd. and Dalian Wanda Group now have in-house banking teams and increasing protectionism in the US could hobble much of the activity altogether. Until foreign investors get into Chinese bonds in a serious way, Western lenders would not have much of an advantage on the mainland. At the very least, they

should wrest control of their Chinese joint ventures, and if they cannot, call time on an expensive proposition that has yielded few rewards. JPMorgan Chase & Co. said in October it was looking to sell its stake after six years as a minority partner, while a proposal by HSBC Holdings for a majorityowned venture in the free-trade zone of Qianhai in Shenzhen is being watched closely as one potential way to control wayward partners. Currently, China limits foreign interest in securities ﬁrms to 49 per cent. It is not to say Western banks do not have an edge in the region. Japan was a big source of deals this year, reaping rewards for Morgan Stanley, which topped mergers and acquisition league tables.

Private-equity firms, flush with cash, have also been a steady source of mergers and acquisition work. Increasingly, they are partnering with Chinese players, as McDonald’s Corp.’s pending sale of part of its China business to Citic Group Corp. and Carlyle Group LP shows. They pay much higher fees than many companies in Asia, too. Underwriting IPOs in Hong Kong is not necessarily a lost cause either, especially when banks can get themselves a senior or sponsor role that pays more than a run-of-the-mill bookrunner gig. And there are some transactions that pay up, no matter how many financial institutions are onboard. There is hope a Hong Kong listing by

Ant Financial, also known as Zhejiang Ant Small & Micro Financial Services Group Co., may replicate Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s bumper debut, for example. Even China’s clampdown on capital outflows, while hurting M&A, could hold a sliver of good news. Facing a depreciating yuan, ambitious Chinese companies looking to expand are candidates for international equity raisings or dollar bond sales. Since the 2008 financial crisis, many Western banks have shrunk their footprint in Asia, but job numbers still reflect the good old days when China’s state-owned enterprises provided a steady drip of share sales. Headcount at 12 banks in the Asia-Pacific region surveyed by

Coalition, which includes equity and fixed-income trading in its numbers, fell almost 10 per cent to 11,200 at the end of the third quarter from 12,400 as of September 30, 2015. Revenue fell even more. In the nine months to September 30, Asia-Pacific investmentbanking revenue, including equity and fixed-income trading, was $20.7 billion, down almost 15 per cent from $24.3 billion in the same period of 2015, the Coalition data show. It is a safe bet, therefore, that neither Barclays Plc nor Goldman Sachs Group Inc. will be alone in trimming staff numbers as 2017 rolls out. There’s room to do a lot more. – NISHA GOPALAN/Bloomberg Gadfly

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M M ON DAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

SECTION

END CALL SAVE LIVES

E-

A TIMES OF OMAN HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

IMES TECH STUFF

Search for better iPhone screens leads to rice fields The potential production bottleneck is raising questions over Apple’s ability to feature OLED displays in next year’s iPhones, the Cupertino, California-based company will be able to line up additional suppliers.

PPLE’s quest to adopt advanced displays for its next-generation iPhone hinges on a single supplier in the Japanese countryside. Canon Tokki, surrounded by rice fields in the city of Mitsuke in Niigata prefecture, has a near monopoly on the machines capable of making screens with organic lightemitting diodes (OLED), which enable sharp, vibrant displays that use less energy. A unit of Canon, the company of 343 employees has spent more than two decades perfecting the manufacturing equipment used by OLED screen makers. But there’s a problem: Canon Tokki has a growing backlog even after doubling output in 2016. The potential production bottleneck is raising questions over Apple’s ability to feature OLED displays in next year’s iPhones, and whether the Cupertino, California-based company will be able to line up additional suppliers. The current wait for a machine, which can cost more than 10 billion yen ($85 million) each, is about two years. “We are doing all we can to increase output and make that wait shorter,” said chief executive officer Teruhisa Tsugami, adding that demand from display makers, including Samsung Display, LG Display and Sharp, will remain strong for the next three years. Apple has been making preparations to outfit its next iPhone with OLED displays, the latest chapter in its now-familiar strategy of tempting people to upgrade by baking in new features. Over the years the improvements have included sharper screens, fingerprint identification, pressure-sensitive displays and custom-designed chips. That push has also put a spotlight on suppliers of previously obscure technologies, testing their capacity to satisfy demand that drives sales of more than 200 million iPhones

BlackBerry boosted its fiscal 2017 earnings outlook and posted a profit in the third quarter, showing the company’s bet on moving more into software and completely away from handsets is paying off. Third-quarter earnings per share, excluding some items, were 2 cents, compared with analysts’ average estimate of a loss of 1 cent. BlackBerry said it now expects to post a profit for the full year. — Bloomberg News

T E C H U P D AT E S

Twitter refunds clients after inﬂated video ad views Twitter discovered a software bug that overstated how often video ads were viewed on Android phones, the latest snafu to shake faith in the measurement of digital advertising. The company issued refunds to some clients who ran video ads on the Twitter Android app from November 7 to December 12. The bug caused views to be overstated by as much as 35 per cent, according to a person familiar with the matter. Twitter’s mishap comes after Facebook has struggled with several measurements problems that raised questions about the efficacy of online ads. Facebook so far hasn’t refunded clients. Twitter’s refunds were small, in many cases less than a dollar, said the person, who asked to remain anonymous because the information is not public. Business Insider earlier reported the news. “Once we discovered the issue, we resolved it and communicated the impact to affected partners,” Twitter said in a statement, declining to say the value of its refunds. — Bloomberg News

Uber stops self-driving car programme in California

and whether

PAVEL ALPEYEV & TAKASHI AMANO

BLACKBERRY BOOSTS 2017 PROFIT FORECAST

each year. A couple of years ago, Apple sought to use strong sapphire glass for iPhones, only to abandon the effort when a manufacturer couldn’t deliver enough of acceptable quality and went bankrupt. The scratch-resistant material is now featured on the Apple Watch. Now OLED is the big goal. The technology has been included on top-end smartphones for years, including almost all of Samsung Electronics Co.’s high-end phones. While LCDs rely on a backlight panel, OLED pixels can glow on their own, resulting in thinner displays, better battery life and improved contrast. OLED screens can also be made on flexible plastic, allowing for a wider variety of shapes and applications. “OLEDs are not just for flat areas, but can be used on edges, so smartphone makers will challenge themselves by building displays with new shapes,” Tsugami said. “These qualities in OLED will give it an advantage.” Canon Tokki The machines that build OLED screens are almost all made by Canon Tokki, which was founded by the current CEO’s father in 1967 (tokki means “special equipment” in Japanese). The company does not disclose production details and earnings figures. Its current annual output capacity is less than 10 units, according to two people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information is confidential. To call Canon Tokki’s product a machine is something of an understatement. Each one is a vacuum production line 100 metres (328 feet) long. Glass panels, roughly the size of a large TV screen, are propelled by robotic arms through several chambers. Red, green and blue pixels are deposited on the surface by evaporating organic materials. “You don’t make it on an assembly line, but rather custom craft it for your clients like a high-performance supercar,” Alberto Moel, a

Teruhisa Tsugami. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture

technology analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., said of Canon Tokki’s machines. “Suddenly everyone wants your car.” One of the challenges is in aligning the glass pane with a fine metal mesh that serves as a stencil for the pixels. Canon Tokki, which has been making OLED machines since 1993, has a patented mechanism that uses camera tracking to achieve a margin of error that’s less than the size of a human red-blood cell. Such precision is critical for display makers because it improves yield. Even for LCDs, which dominate in flat-panel TVs and are used in iPhones, a fraction of output ends up being defective, and discarded. Achieving acceptable yields is even harder with OLEDs. Canon Tokki’s years of experience working with display makers give it a headstart against rivals like Ulvac and Tokyo Electron, according to Tsugami. The market for small- and medium-sized OLED panels will be worth $18.6 billion in 2018, exceeding that for the liquidcrystal counterparts for the first time, according to IHS Markit. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Tokki and they will have the market to them-

selves for the next two to three years,” Moel said. Apple plans to ship at least one new iPhone with an OLED screen next year, the 10th anniversary of the smartphone’s debut, people with knowledge of the matter have said. While Samsung is on track to be the sole supplier, the South Korean company may not be able to make enough due to low yield rates combined with increasing iPhone demand. Sharp and Japan Display Inc. are still working on test procedures for OLED screens and have said that they are on track to begin production in 2018. This week, Japan Display got a 75 billion yen lifeline from a government-backed fund that will let it invest in OLED production. Sharp is investing 57.4 billion yen for the development of OLED production facilities, thanks to a rescue package from Foxconn earlier this year. Canon Tokki is central to those plans. When Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou addressed employees at Sharp’s display unit after gaining control of the Japanese company earlier this year, he sought to reassure the employees by saying that he had just traveled to Canon Tokki’s headquarters in Niigata to secure an order, according to a former employee present at the meeting. Other Japanese companies are also likely to play a key role in the OLED supply chain. Dai Nippon Printing Co. and Toppan Printing Co. produce evaporation masks, Nippon Electric Glass Co. and Asahi Glass Co. make the glass substrate, and Idemitsu Kosan Co. produces organic compounds. This web of manufacturers working on critical elements of a supply chain is a “perfect example of Japan’s submerged manufacturing ecosystem,” Bernstein’s Moel said. “It comes up every time there is a quake in Japan and the supply chain is suddenly disrupted. Take vacuum organic deposition. Guess what, it’s some company in Niigata.” — Bloomberg News

Uber Technologies pulled its self-driving cars from San Francisco’s streets after the state of California revoked registrations for the vehicles. The move impacted 16 Uber automobiles, the Department of Motor Vehicles wrote in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday. The agency also issued a letter to the company inviting it to apply for a registration for autonomous vehicle testing, saying that it has a dedicated team to expedite the process. Uber said it had stopped using the cars in the state. Uber said last week it began rolling out its selfdriving vehicles in its hometown of San Francisco without seeking permission from authorities. The company argued it hadn’t behaved any differently than Tesla Motors, which makes electric cars that include a feature called Autopilot. Almost since its inception in 2009, Uber has run afoul of regulators in its home state and elsewhere, usually over taxi and labor rules. In the case of self-driving cars, Uber said its vehicles require oversight by a human driver and therefore shouldn’t qualify under California’s autonomous-driving rules. The state attorney general threatened legal action last week if the company continued operating the automobiles without a permit. Uber suggested Wednesday it would try to shape future regulation instead of ﬁling the paperwork. “We’re now looking at where we can redeploy these cars but remain 100 percent committed to California and will be redoubling our efforts to develop workable statewide rules,” Uber wrote in an e-mailed statement. — Bloomberg News

US blacklists Alibaba once again for pirated products Alibaba Group Holding has again been labeled a haven for knockoffs with an embarrassing return to a US blacklist for fakes just four years after getting its name removed. The US Office of the Trade Representative on Wednesday restored Alibaba’s Taobao to its lineup of “ Notorious Markets,” citing an unacceptably high level of reported counterfeiting and piracy. The Hangzhoubased company said it was disappointed in the decision. While Alibaba has argued it’s doing all it can to combat fakes, Asia’s biggest Internet company now ﬁnds itself on the same list as torrent website Pirate Bay and ﬂea markets in Brazil and Nigeria. The decision damages Alibaba’s credibility in the US, where its shares trade and it’s trying to cultivate relationships with retailers, brands and entertainment companies. “It’s more political than anything else,” said Billy Leung, an analyst at Haitong International Securities Co. in Hong Kong. “When people buy on Alibaba it’s not because they intend to buy into a good quality supply, they know what Taobao is.” The US agency warned last December that Alibaba needed to do better if it wished to avoid the designation, reserved for websites and markets where there’s large-scale copyright infringement. In October, Alibaba said it had tightened policies against copyright infringement and made it easier for brands to request fakes be removed. — Bloomberg News

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

ROUND-UP Attractive New Year offer from Mitsubishi

Titled ‘Mitsubishi’s Cash Gift Windfall’ the special offer presents customers with 20% of the vehicle’s value as a cash gift, together with free service

MUSCAT: General Automotive Company, the official distributor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Oman, has launched an amazing offer for nearly every vehicle across its entire model range to welcome the New Year. Titled ‘Mitsubishi’s Cash Gift Windfall’ the special offer presents customers with 20% of the vehicle’s value as a cash gift, together with free service on nearly all of its Pajero, Outlander, Montero Sport, Attrage, and Lancer EX models, says a press release. Commenting on the offer, Manoj Ranade, the GM of General Automotive Company said, ““With this new offer we are making it easier than ever for our customers to welcome in the New Year from behind

the wheel of a brand new Mitsubishi. With free service for two years, warranty and roadside assistance for six years, and a special cash gift valued at 20% of the vehicle’s price, makes this an opportunity no fan of the Mitsubishi brand will want to miss.” Valid until February 10 or until stocks last – this offer applies to all Mitsubishi Pajero, Outlander, Montero Sport, Attrage, and Lancer EXmodels. As part of the offer, Mitsubishi is offering each of these models with six years unlimited mileage warranty, six years roadside assistance and free registration. Customers purchasing any of these models, aside from the Lancer EX 1.6 and Pajero Diesel models, will also beneﬁt from a free service

‘ B AC K T O S C H O O L C A M PA I G N ’

package for 2 years/30,000km free service. All models will also come with cash gifts worth 20% of the vehicle’s value ranging from OMR1,100 for the base Attrage, all the way to OMR3,333 for the top-of-the-line Pajero model. The cash gift can also be used as part of the down payment should the customer wish to do so. “Each of the models we have in the country represent the very best of what Mitsubishi can offer; with guaranteed reliability, comfort, safety and an engaging driving experience characteristic of any vehicle sporting the tri-diamond badge. Purchasing any of these models will no doubt be a great way to welcome the New Year,” concluded Manoj.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

‘Get Set Go 17’ at Hotel Al Madinah Holiday Muscat MUSCAT: Rawabi Mazoon is organising New Year’s Eve as ‘Get Set Go 17’ at Hotel Al Madinah Holiday Muscat Ghala on December 31 from 7.30pm onwards. The event includes a multi course dinner, dancing, live DJs party along with special welcome drink. Fully charged duo from India will perform in the evening. DJ Umang with Djembe (African drum) and Darbuka (Egyptian drum) his speciality is Bollywood, Punjabi and South Indian

music and DJ Beatrix with his electric dance music. They have already performed in more than 100 events together. Live performance by Sania Rawani will rock the evening. Kintu Shah, event organiser said, “We want to give best evening of the year end and that is why we chose Indian DJ duo with mix of Indian music and western electric music. Organisers are expecting full house. Parking place is also huge.”

PROMOTION

Fischer Middle East organises Khimji’s Watches announces media meet, calendar launch exciting offer for festive season DUBAI: Fischer Middle East had organised its very ﬁrst media meet and calendar launch recently at Fischer FZE, Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE involving all the top media houses in the UAE at its recently established office and warehouse located in Jebel Ali Freezone. The event started with Fischer 2017 calendar launch which was based on the ‘back to school campaign’ – a CSR initiative to help and motivate kids by providing them a platform where they can express themselves and pour out their talent and creativity in the form of art. It was a unique drawing contest concept in which children from regular school joined together with children from special needs in the making of ﬁscher 2017 calendar, says a press release. Fischer had invited children and faculty from Al Noor Training Centre for Children With Special Needs, DPS Academy, Al Khaleej National School and Senses Residential Care Home. The event was headed by Alexander Bässler, regional director for Asia and the Middle East - Fischer, Jayanta Mukherjee, managing director for the Middle East operations - Fischer and Kusum Rawat, Regional Marketing Manager – Fischer Middle East. After the calendar launch, children were awarded for being shortlisted as the top 13 winners out of 400+ entries for Fischer’s ‘Back to School – Junior Engineering Contest’ and Fischer’s 2017 calendar. Following the awards, the event proceeded with a short introduction of Fischer and an of-

MUSCAT: Khimji’s Watches, the home of luxury in Oman, has announced a special promotion for the festive season on its select range of timepieces, accessories, sunglasses and jewellery. From December 22 – January 12, 2017, shoppers can avail 30 – 65 % off on a wide range of world-class products and shower their friends and family with sur-

prises throughout the month, says a press release. Nailesh Khimji, director, Khimji Ramdas, comments: “Christmas and New Year is all about family and friends coming together and making beautiful memories. And to add to this exciting time, we are offering discounts on some of the most exclusive brands in the world. Each piece

that we house at Khimji’s Watches is truly unique and makes for a special gift. Gifting them to your loved ones will surely bring home a lot of smiles and create unforgettable moments.” Set up in 1973, Khimji’s Watches is one of Muscat’s leading franchisees for luxury watches, jewellery, accessories and writing instruments.

QBG TAKES PART IN BEACH CLEANING CAMPAIGN QBG Group performs corporate social responsibility activities throughout the year in different places of Oman. Recently, Bait Al Barakah Project team of QBG contracting group took part in Al Shatti beach cleaning campaign and plantation of trees in the beach area which was initiated by Pinaki Manna, the project manager. — Supplied picture

ﬁce tour for the media showcasing the entire setup from its various training centres – The Fischer AKADEMIE, an overview of the various stringent policies followed by Fischer Middle East ensuring quality of service and sustained growth, the various recreational and team building aspects of Fis-

cher and more. The event then concluded with interviews from Alexander and Jayanta with the various media houses. This was a great opportunity to meet with Fischer’s top management to understand its various long-term plans and vision for the Middle East.

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RECRUI JOB POSTINGS

Chaos is a name for any order that produces confusion in our minds. — George Santayana

STRESS REACTION

Stress can work for you WORK related stress depression and anxiety continue to represent a significant ill health condition in the workforce of modern societies. Work related stress accounts for approximately one-third of work related ill health and almost half of days lost in 2014/15. The reasons cited as causes of work related stress are also consistent over time with workload, lack of managerial support and organisational change cited as the primary contributors. The total number of working days lost equated to an average of 23 days lost per individual case. Public service industries such as health, teaching, business, media and public service professionals report the highest levels of stress. The main factors causing work related stress, depression or anxiety are workload pressures, including tight deadlines and too much responsibility as well as a lack of managerial support. In an effort to focus companies and employees on the importance of stress and the accompanying hazards, consultants, coaches and trainers continue to push research that shows stress as the number one threat to sustainable good health and that 70-90% of doctor visits are due to stress-related issue; Consider that focusing on the negative impact of stress only makes it worse. What would happen if we reframed the way we thought about stress? Think about it: how did you feel after reading the statistics above on stress and health? If you weren’t already stressed, information like this could cause you to react in a ‘fight, flight or freeze’ mentality on a sub-conscious level. Stress is usually depicted as a threat, over-activating our metal and emotional responses. If you are already feeling stressed, now you have greater reason to feel distressed as you know your stress is literally killing you. However, when an individual thinks about stress as enhancing, instead of incapacitating, they can embrace the reality of their current stress level and use it to their advantage. The negative effects of stress begin to diminish, because the “fight, flight or freeze” response is not activated, and individuals feel more productive and energetic, as well as exhibiting many fewer physical symptoms such as headaches, physical pain and fatigue. Life satisfaction also increases, which is known to be one of the most accurate predictors of happiness and productivity in the workplace. Three steps The process involves three steps: become aware of the stress, determine the meaning behind the feeling of stress, and most significantly, redirect the stress response as your method of improving productivity behind that meaning. The intention is not to promote a narrative that stress is primarily enhancing, neither to invalidate the fact stress contributes negatively to our experience. The purpose is to provide balance and to emphasise one’s mindset can determine which response will be produced. When stress happens, thinking of it as enriching instead of exhausting can lessen the risk to our health and improve performance and productivity. Reaction to stress can be a useful tool helping us maintain focus and preserve our ability to navigate through times of uncertainty. A sense of control is invaluable when we sense a real lack of control. - Ches Moulton Ches Moulton is an author, speaker, psychotherapist and executive life coach, who has written the self-help book ‘Choice & Change; How to have a healthy relationship with ourself and others’. An engaging public speaker he has been featured in the media including BBC, Essentials Magazine and at highlevel presentations in Canada, throughout the Caribbean and UK as well as the Middle East.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW.

DON’T WASTE A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY LIKE OMAN.

Plastic takes 1,000 years or more to break down

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

ROUND-UP

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Omantel launches new smartphone offer for Baqati postpaid customers Customers subscribing to any Baqati plan can now bundle their subscription with the latest smartphones, available from Omantel outlets across Oman

MUSCAT: Committed to offering customers market-leading value, Omantel, the Sultanate’s ﬁrst telecoms provider, has launched an exciting smartphone offer for new and existing Baqati postpaid customers. Customers subscribing to any Baqati plan can now bundle their subscription with the latest smart-

phones, available from Omantel outlets across Oman. In doing so, customers can choose the latest smartphones with low deposits, discounted prices, easy 12-month interest-free instalments and free monthly mobile internet for one year, says a press release. Commenting on the new Baqati

smartphones promotion, Mohammed Al Hakmani, manager of Core Services at Omantel’s Consumer Business Unit, noted, “This is a great and affordable way for customers to upgrade to the very latest smartphones and bundle the payments with their Baqati subscription. For this promotion, Baqati subscribers from ‘Small’ to ‘X-Large’ beneﬁt with great discounts on smartphones, low monthly payments and a free monthly mobile internet allowance. Additionally, unlike most other ﬁnance options, this offer is interest-free, allowing Baqati customers to pay for the smartphone with 12 easy monthly payments.” The new smartphones offer is available on all Baqati postpaid plans which encompass the Baqati

Basic, Small (S), Medium (M), Large (L) or X Large (XL). While the initial deposit, discount value and instalments depend on the type of Baqati plan and the smartphone chosen. In the case of the iPhone 7128GB with a contract on XL plan, the offer provides subscribers with affordable depositswhich is OMR30 only and OMR80 handset discounts plus free monthly mobile Internet of 5GB for 1 year. The balance is then paid in equal interest-free instalments over the 12-month contract. In addition to the smartphones offer, customers subscribing to any Baqati plan of Small and above in December will also beneﬁt from the ongoing free data offer. Under the offer, a ‘Baqati S’ subscription provides 250 Local minutes and

1GB of data and a bonus 1GB for WhatsApp for only OMR9 monthly. A step up from small, with the ‘Baqati M’ customers receive 650 local minutes and 4GB data and a bonus 2GB for WhatsApp for only OMR19 monthly. The ‘Baqati L’ subscription will net customers 1,150 local minutes, 6GB of data and a bonus 3GB for WhatsApp for only OMR29 monthly. The highest value plan, the ‘Baqati XL’, will provide customers with 1,850 local minutes, and 10GB data with 4GB bonus for WhatsApp for only OMR39 monthly. Tailored to ﬁt the individual needs of the mobile customer, Baqati allows individual customers to choose exactly what they want from their postpaid plan; starting from a low monthly fee of

just OMR3 for Baqati basic, all the way up to OMR39 for the Baqati XL, the most comprehensive smart bundle in the line-up. Investing in the future of the nation, Omantel connects even the most remote communities of the Sultanate to each other and the rest of the world. Omantel is the Sultanate’s ﬁrst and leading integrated telecommunications services provider, enabling the digital society to ﬂourish, allowing new ways of doing business and delivering a world of information, news and entertainment. Today, Omantel boldly innovates to deliver the highest levels of customer satisfaction, the broadest and most reliable nationwide network while investing for Oman’s future development.

PROMOTION

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC VISION

Bank Muscat offers exclusive lifestyle benefits for Premier banking clients MUSCAT: Bank Muscat Premier banking service is a cut above others offering global banking solutions, exclusive lifestyle benefits and rewards. Providing personalised service catering to the complex financial needs of clients, the Premier banking segmentation reflects the customer-centric vision of the bank. The differentiated and specialised banking experience for Premier banking clients - Private, asalah Priority and al Jawhar Privilege banking – reflects the bank’s commitment to expand innovative services to clients and remain the nation’s bank of first choice, says a press release. Abdulnasir Al Raisi, DGM – Premier Banking, said: “Bank Muscat Premier banking pays much attention to customer service excellence with world class products and services. Complementing the world class banking experience, Premier banking offers value added services and exclusive lifestyle privileges. Forming a strong franchise that distinguishes it from competitors, the Premier banking strategy reflects the ongoing commitment to expand innovative services.” The Premier banking membership comes with Bank Muscat’s commitment to delivering value. Presently, over 175 discount offers are available for Premier banking clients. The attractive offers can be viewed on http://www.bankmuscat.com/cards/offers.aspx The ongoing promotions include an exclusive offer by Paris Gallery at Opera Galleria for transactions

using Premier banking cards. The lifestyle beneﬁts for Premier banking clients include the ‘Buy 1 Get 1 Free’ offers on Entertainer App available in Oman and international destinations for asalah clients, while Al Jawhar customers can avail the Entertainer App offers in Oman and the UAE. A luxury yacht charter service by Mazaya Yachts to discover Oman is another ongoing offer lined up for Bank Muscat Private clients. The 2016 al Mazyona savings scheme offering a total prize money of OMR10 million has been rewarding and fulﬁlling the dreams of customers with high value prizes throughout the year. Springing the biggest surprise, the focus of al Mazyona has now shifted to the grand year-end prize of OMR1 million to be shared by two customers, including one asalah Priority Banking customer, who will receive OMR500,000 each. Bank Muscat Private caters to high net worth individual / ultra high net worth individual segment, offering exclusive banking

and investment services. Exclusive benefits for Private Banking clients include the Platinum debit card offering higher daily cash withdrawal limit of OMR1,500 and daily card purchase limit of OMR30,000. The exclusive Private Banking Visa Infinite credit card offers 1% cash back rewards on all transactions made using the card. The card also facilitates exclusive Harrods Black Card membership and Hilton Honors Gold Membership, unlimited access to 500+ airport lounges globally, multi-trip travel insurance and 24 hours concierge service. Private banking clients can enjoy the Hotel Luxury Collection Programme covering over 900 hotels worldwide which offers added benefits such as Automatic Room Upgrade, Complimentary breakfast, late check out and many more. Discreet Private banking clients seeking to enjoy total privacy in exclusive sailing trips can benefit from luxury yacht finance offered by the bank up to OMR1.5 million. Enriching the lifestyle experience, asalah Platinum debit card offers higher daily ATM withdrawal limit of OMR1,000, airport lounge access to more than 75 locations worldwide, discounts at high-end retail outlets and complimentary chauffeur service to and from the airport. asalah Visa Signature credit card is Oman’s first such card offering airport lounge access to more than 500 lounges worldwide, global concierge service, 24/7 personal assistance to arrange

reservations, travel plans, theatre tickets, gifts and everything else to enhance leisure and business trips. The card also entitles clients to 1 per cent cash back on all local and international transactions, free multi-trip travel insurance for cardholder and direct family members. In the vibrant world of privilege banking, the distinctive identity of al Jawhar Privilege banking clients reflect their unique lifestyle. The value proposition of recognition places al Jawhar clients in a league of their own. Notably, al Jawhar Platinum debit card is the key to a world of exclusive services. al Jawhar Platinum debit card offers higher daily ATM withdrawal limit up to OMR800 and exclusive discounts and offers. Adding value, al Jawhar Platinum credit card facilitates access to airport lounges in more than 25 destinations including GCC countries, Paris, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Barcelona and many more. The card offers credit limit up to OMR50,000, 1 per cent cash back on purchases and free travel insurance. Abdulnasir Al Raisi added: “Bank Muscat Premier banking pays much attention to customer service excellence with world class products and services. As the leading financial services provider, Bank Muscat is committed to reciprocating the trust and confidence reposed by Premier customers in the bank by focusing on special banking facilities and services that meet their personalised needs, aspirations and goals.”

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Z-Corp’s ELDP programme participants submit project on ‘Translating strategies into reality’ MUSCAT: Employees of The Zubair Corporation (Z-Corp) who participated in the first phase of Executive Leadership Development Programme (ELDP) submitted their final project on the subject ‘Translating strategies into reality’ at an event recently. The first phase of ELDP was attended by 21 employees of Z-Corp who were divided into four groups. Hani Mohammed Al Zubair and executives of Z-Corp also attended the event, says a press release. ELDP the first of its kind in Oman, is an initiative aimed at developing the high calibre employees of Z-Corp as part of the group’s talent management programme initiative SEED. Through a programme that is only common among the best corporations in the world, Z-Corp has set a new standard for corporate leadership development programme in the Sultanate. The ELDP is a holistic, rotational three years programme designed to equip the participants with hands-on experience in different key roles across Z-Corp. The ELDP consists of nine modules, covering a broad aspect of leadership subjects including, strategy, innovation, leadership, risk management and corporate social responsibility. In each of the modules, the participants attend a masterclass de-

livered by an international expert in the subject who then assigns them a project that they must complete over a period of about six weeks. After each course, the talents are coached throughout the period by expert consultants, so they produce tangible deliverables before they are awarded with the corresponding certiﬁcate endorsed by an international body. Underscoring that the programme will enable the group to build the next generation of profes-

sional leaders, Hani Mohammed Al Zubair said, “Investing in talent is important for the development of our national capability and sustainable future of the country. We have embarked on a comprehensive upgrade of the organisation to meet tomorrow’s leadership and human capacity demands.” He added, “We are extremely happy the way this programme is progressing and participants have beneﬁted immensely from the exposure and knowledge they have re-

ceived from international experts. Emphasis has been on practical skills and knowledge based learning at the programme and the results can be directly applied to both the performance of the individual as well as the business. This wideranging three year-long professional development programme will enhance the performance of the group, enabling us to build the next generation of professional leaders and, in doing so, help to build the Oman of the future.” TZC is committed to playing an essential role in Oman’s continued march towards further development, progress and prosperity. The ELDP is an initiative designed in-house by the Z-Corp team and delivered in partnership with ShiftIN Partners; an internationally recognised consulting and training ﬁrm specialised in strategy execution and innovation, with strong focus on capability building. The talent management programme SEED constitutes four programmes covering different yet key business areas. They include programme to prepare employees to become sales manager in the sales and marketing department; business development programme; ﬁnance programme and executive leadership programme which prepares senior employees in functional areas to become assistant general manager.

Renault’s special scheme concludes on December 31 MUSCAT: Renault Oman’s, from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA), special attractive scheme on top selling and new models will conclude on December 31. A spokesperson for SBA said, “We have received a great response to the promotion so far. Interested customers have some more days left to avail some great benefits. To guarantee the very best in customer satisfaction, Renault Oman has put in a lot of effort to put together this special scheme for the customers of Renault.” As per the scheme, customers who buy Renault vehicles are guaranteed assured cash gift of upto OMR2,000, free registration, six years/unlimited mileage warranty, periodic vehicle maintenance and AAA/ Road Assistance Card. Renault Oman’s scheme offers multiple benefits for customers purchasing their popular models as well as latest models. All customers purchasing Renault vehicles during the scheme period will be eligible for free first year vehicle registration. All Renault vehicles except Dokker purchased during the scheme period will have an extended six years/unlimited mileage warranty. Customers purchasing Renault vehicles in the scheme period will get free periodic vehicle maintenance of two years/20,000km (whichever is earlier). This offer excludes battery. Offers are not applicable for rent a car/ taxi/ driver trainer segments. Some offers are not available on commercial vehicles too. Free AAA/Road Assistance card will be given on the purchase of Renault saloon cars, hatch back and SUV vehicles for the first year only and as supported by AAA Oman. Renault’s sedan segment encompasses an impressive lineup of cars including the sleek Renault Fluence, outstanding Renault Safrane, stylish Renault Symbol and elegant saloon car Renault Talisman. The SUV range includes the Renault Duster, Renault Koleos and the all-new Renault Captur and the commercial vehicle includes Renault Dokker. Attractive scheme The Renault Symbol 1.6 litre: Customers who purchase Renault Symbolwill be entitled to receive assured cash gift of OMR1,100, free registration, six years/unlimited mileage warranty, periodic vehicle maintenance and AAA/ Road Assistance Card. Renault Fluence 1.6 litre and 2.0 litre: Customers who purchase Renault Fluence will be entitled to receive assured cash gift of OMR1,300, free registration, six

years/unlimited mileage warranty, periodic vehicle maintenance and AAA/ Road Assistance Card. Renault Safrane 2.0 litre and 2.5 litre: Customers who purchase Renault Safrane will be entitled to receive assured cash gift of OMR1,800, free registration, six years/unlimited mileage warranty, periodic vehicle maintenance and AAA/ Road Assistance Card. Renault Talisman Tce 190 EDC and 2.0 litre: Customers who purchase Renault Talisman will be entitled to receive assured cash gift of OMR1,800, free registration, six years/unlimited mileage warranty, periodic vehicle maintenance and AAA/ Road Assistance Card. Renault Koleos 2.5 litre: Customers who purchase Renault Koleos will be entitled to receive assured cash gift of OMR2,000, free registration, six years/unlimited mileage warranty, periodic vehicle maintenance and AAA/ Road Assistance Card. Renault Duster 2.0 ltr PE, LE and SE model (2 wheel drive & 4 wheel drive): Customers who purchase Renault Duster will be entitled to receive assured cash gift of OMR850, free registration, six years/unlimited mileage warranty, periodic vehicle maintenance and AAA/ Road Assistance Card. Renault Captur 1.2 litre PE, SE and LE models: Customers who purchase Renault Captur will be entitled to receive assured cash gift of OMR1,500, free registration, six years/unlimited mileage warranty, periodic vehicle maintenance and AAA/ Road Assistance Card. Renault Dokker LE 1.6 litre M/T model: Customers who purchase Renault Dokker will be entitled to receive assured cash gift of OMR1,000, free registration, six years/unlimited mileage warranty, periodic vehicle maintenance and AAA/ Road Assistance Card. World-class brand Renault is a world-class brand today, focusing mainly on the important aspects such as safety, style, performance, value and reliability - keeping alive the motoring heritage of Renault. The Renault principle of safety is outlined in four basic points: prevent, correct, protect and educate. SBA is largely committed to supporting Renault Oman’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman. With a national network of more than 80 outlets – showrooms, service centres and parts outlets, SBA has further built upon its legacy of trust, excellent customer service and providing value for money to each of its customers.

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KIWIS TO BE AGGRESSIVE IN ODIS AGAINST BANGLADESH >C3

SPOR YOUR GAME

NOT RETIRING YET,T, SAYS DI PAKISTAN’S AFRIDI Amid speculation that he has as sought a idi has said farewell match, Shahid Afridi that he is too experienced a cricketer d ruled out to make such a demand and n. >C4 calling it quits anytime soon.

Maddinson survives as Australia unchanged for Boxing Day Test Maddinson has scored zero, one and four in his three Test innings since making his debut against South Africa in Adelaide and his place in the team had been in question UNSELFISH PLAYERS: Australia coach Darren Lehmann, left, talks with captain Steve Smith during a practice session on the eve of their Boxing Day Test against Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday. – AFP

MELBOURNE: Out-of-form Australia batsman Nic Maddinson has been granted a reprieve with his captain Steve Smith conﬁrming his side would be unchanged for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan. Maddinson has scored zero, one

and four in his three Test innings since making his debut against South Africa in Adelaide and his place in the team had been in question following the decision to call

HORSE RACING

all-rounder Hilton Cartwright into the squad. Smith, however, said Maddinson would play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday as his

fast bowling trio of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Jackson Bird had recovered well after a heavy workload in the ﬁrst Test in Brisbane. The trio bowled 113 overs between

them in Pakistan’s second innings, where the visitors were dismissed for 450, chasing 490 for victory. “We brought the all-rounder into the squad because the bowlers had a pretty heavy workload but they’ve pulled up well and they’re confident they can get through,” Smith told reporters on Sunday. “Obviously (Nic) hasn’t started the way he would have liked. I was really proud of him in the second innings in Brisbane to come out and do the thing for the team and try and score quick runs and have a crack. “That’s what we want from our team, to have unselfish players like that and I thought he did a good job to come out and do that.” Despite winning the match in Brisbane, Smith has been criticised for not being ruthless enough when he failed to impose the follow on when Pakistan were skittled for 142 in their first innings, 287 runs short of Australia’s total. His cautious field settings on day five, with Pakistan still needing 108 runs for victory with only two wickets in hand, were queried

by former captains Michael Clarke and Mark Taylor and slammed as “ridiculous” by former England skipper Michael Vaughan. “People are open to criticise me all they like but in the end, we won the Test match so I’m happy with that,” Smith added. “You can always learn from different things.” It was the second successive Test victory for the side, which had been overhauled following a humiliating innings and 80-run loss to South Africa in their second test in Hobart, which sealed the series for the Proteas. The Hobart loss was Australia’s fifth in succession and the selectors swung the axe with five changes to the team for the third game in Adelaide. Smith’s revamped side responded with a seven wicket victory and continued that momentum with victory in Brisbane. “I’m really happy we won the test match,” Smith said of the Brisbane game. “That’s five wins in a row (including three one-day matches against New Zealand) so we’re heading in the right direction.” - Reuters

CRICKET

Pakistan relaxed and conﬁdent: Misbah

Royal Cavalry’s ‘Fareedah’ wins first place in Sharjah MUSCAT: The Royal Cavalry of the Royal Court Affairs (RCA) continues to achieve excellent results in the various horse racing events and the team’s latest achievement came in the Sharjah Horse Races when mare ‘Fareedah’ finished joint first after a stiff competition on Saturday. In the 1200m race, ‘Fareedah’ and ‘As Maydan’ of Sheikh Abdullah bin Majid Al Qasmi crossed

the finishline at the same time in a photo finish. After watching the videos, the jury found that the two horses had crossed the finishline at the same time. It is for the first time in racecourse of Sharjah Equestrian Club that two horses reached the finishline at the same time. The race for the purebred Arabian horses saw the participation of 16 horses. - ONA

I’m comfortable with the position we’re in at the moment as individuals and as a team.”

MELBOURNE: A strong fourth innings fightback that had nearly clinched a remarkable record run chase in the first Test loss to Australia in Brisbane had given Pakistan the confidence they needed for the rest of the series, captain Misbah-ul Haq has said. The visitors, who were dismissed for 142 in their first innings, had Australian cricket fans chewing their fingernails to the quick as they counter-attacked in chasing 490 for victory. Asad Shafiq scored a superb century and rallied the tail for 230 runs as the visitors reached 449 for eight before Mitchell Starc produced a superb bouncer that ended his 336-minute resistance. Working on the basics Until that point, the Australians had looked nervous in the field and the visitors increasingly confident of sealing victory, something they needed after losing 2-0 to New Zealand just before the first game. “The guys are relaxed and confident that they can perform well here,” Misbah told reporters at

DETERMINED: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq, left, chats with coach Mickey Arthur during a practice session on the eve of their Boxing Day Test match against Australia in Melbourne on Sunday. – AFP

the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. “You can see that everybody’s spending a lot of time in the nets, working on the basics. They won’t

leave anything behind before we get into the second Test match. “That’s a good sign that we are conﬁdent but at the same time, we’re focused and determined.

Reluctant Misbah was reluctant to name his team’s final makeup, despite Steve Smith having earlier confirmed his side would be unchanged, though left-arm opening bowler Mohammed Amir had recovered well from knee and thigh injuries in Brisbane. Misbah added there was no point in concentrating on under pressure batsman Nic Maddinson, who has scored just five runs in his three innings since debut and was considered at risk with all-rounder Hilton Cartwright brought into the squad. “He’s quite young at international level but they’re believing in him,” Misbah said. “You can’t just write someone off. That person can really hit you. I think everyone who is in the Australian team is capable enough to perform at international level so we have to give respect to every player.” - Reuters

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

SPORTS

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Sindhu’s Olympic silver medal marks a glorious year for Indian badminton It turned out to be a watershed year for Sindhu, who reached the upper echelons of world badminton with a silver medal at Rio Olympic Games

NEW DELHI: P. V. Sindhu cemented her position as a dominant force on the world stage with an Olympic silver medal while Saina Nehwal continued to battle with injuries in a year, which saw Indian badminton take giant strides at the global platform. It turned out to be a watershed year for Sindhu, who reached the upper echelons of world badminton with a silver medal at Rio Games — an achievement also for her mentor and chief coach Pullela Gopichand, who became the only Indian coach to produce two Olympic medallists. On the other hand, for the ﬁrst part of the year, it was Saina’s battle with injuries which dominated the headlines even though she was considered to be the best bet for India at Rio. The Indian ace fought against time to recover from an Achilles tendons and went on to

win the Australian Super Series. Despite her two bronze medals at the world championships, Sindhu, meanwhile, was still considered one of the hopefuls but not a serious contender for the gold medal, partly because of her early exits from tournaments in the runup to the Games. But Olympics had contrasting fates awaiting the duo. While Saina exited in the second round and later it came to light that she had a bone chip floating inside her knee area, Sindhu went on to become the first Indian shuttler to win a silver at Games and with the feat she finally stepped out of the Saina’s shadow. In the months after that, Saina underwent a surgery in Mumbai and spent a long time in rehab, while Sindhu basked in her Olympic glory. Besides the Olympic feat, Sind-

DOMINANT FORCE: P. V. Sindhu

hu also etched her name in history books, becoming only the third Indian to win the China Open, her maiden Super Series Premier title and then reached the finals at Hong Kong Open and finished as semifinalist in her debut World Super Series Finals at Dubai. “It has been a fantastic year for me, because winning a medal at the Olympics is a big achievement. It’s a dream come true. Also, I always had in mind that I wanted to win a Super Series title and that

also was fulfilled (at the China Open),” Sindhu said. “Definitely, the aim is to become No.1. I have achieved my careerbest six, so I am really very happy. I wish this can continue and I can continue improving further.” Besides Sindhu’s meteoric rise, Saina clinching the Australian Super Series and K. Srikanth reaching the quarterfinals at Rio and winning the Syed Modi International championship at Lucknow, H. S. Prannoy bagging the Swiss

Open Grand Prix Gold at Basel were the highlights of the year in which Indian badminton achieved unprecedented success. In men’s singles, Saurabh Verma recovered from a long injury lay-off to bag the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix and finish runners-up at Bitburger Open. B. Sai Praneeth also won his maiden title at Canada Grand Prix and Sameer Verma crowned himself the Senior National champion before finishing runner-up at Hong Kong Open and Ajay Jayaram finished runner-up at Dutch Open Grand Prix. Indian badminton also made new breakthroughs in the season gone by with the men’s doubles pair of Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy winning the Canada Open and becoming the first Indian men’s combo to qualify for the Olympics. The mixed doubles combination of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki Reddy also had a memorable year as they won two Grand Prix titles at Brazil and Russia and finished runners-up at Scotland Open. The young Ruthvika Shivani Gadde also claimed the women’s singles title in Russia as India continued to tick the right boxes. The Indian women’s team also clinched a bronze medal for the second time after suffering a 0-3

defeat at the hands of defending champions China in the semifinals of the Uber Cup at Kunshan in May. While Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa also made it to the Olympics for the second successive edition but the year saw the celebrated women’s doubles pair split early last month and pair up with Manu and Sikki respectively. There were also others such as Commonwealth Games champion P. Kashyap and Glasgow bronzemedallist RMV Gurusaidutt, who battled throughout the year to get back to full fitness. Fitness issues also spoilt the performances of Srikanth, who suffered an ankle injury at Japan Open and was ruled out for the rest of the year, and Prannoy, who had recovered from a back issue and toe injury only to hurt his back again during the Macau Open. “It’s been a challenge year for men shuttlers. Many of them have played many tournaments, trying to qualify for the Olympics, that actually somewhere made dents in their fitness,” Gopichand said. “We had Sameer and Saurabh Verma do well. They could have been more consistent, but they all have played very well in different times and it augurs well for Indian badminton. Hopefully, we will get consistency (in future),” he said. - PTI CRICKET

Dravid credits Virat, Anil for Nair’s success NEW DELHI: He is the prime force behind the feeder-line created for the senior national cricket team and India A and U-19 chief coach Rahul Dravid on Sunday lauded Test captain Virat Kohli and chief coach Anil Kumble for creating an environment where youngsters are feeling comfortable. Dravid believes that success of Karun Nair and Jayant Yadav, who are products of the A team, is purely because of the “process” that has been put in place. “It’s great to see these young boys coming through the ‘A’ team set-up and from domestic performances. Credit to Virat and Anil for the set-up and what they have been doing at the national level. So we are seeing the results, Nice to be a part of that process,” Dravid said on Sunday. Dravid said that his job is being provider of quality players for the national team rather than giving results in terms of winning and losing matches. “We are always in touch with the national team as to what is the skill-set they are looking at. Try and give opportunities. If they are looking at all-rounders, we will try and play as many allrounders as we can at the junior level to see which all-rounder can make the step-up.” - PTI

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

SPORTS FOOTBALL

SOHAR JUNIORS EMERGE BASKETBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS Sohar Club won the Oman Basketball Association (OBA) Junior Basketball League Championship title after defeating Seeb Club 74-47 in the ﬁnal played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. Ahli Sidab won the third place. The ﬁnal day’s proceedings were presided over OBA chief Fareed bin Khamis Al Zadjali. — ONA

Kiwis to be aggressive in ODIs against Bangladesh Williamson said his side would be more

They (Bangladesh) are getting more experienced. They have been getting better and better every year. We will need to play our best cricket

aggressive than they were in Australia, with the team’s pace bowlers to be asked to put pressure on the Bangladesh batsmen

WELLINGTON: A thrashing at the hands of Australia had been a salutary lesson for New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and his side would be far more aggressive when their one-day series starts against a conﬁdent Bangladesh team on Monday. Williamson’s team had journeyed across the Tasman having beaten Pakistan in two Tests and conﬁdent they could beat a shellshocked Australian side who had been humiliated by South Africa and overhauled by the selectors. AT H L E T I C S

India can host big ticket IAAF events: Coe NEW DELHI: International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe says that India has the capability to host big ticket track and ﬁeld events and he would love to see the prestigious Diamond League Meeting being held in the country in near future. Coe said that the athletics events of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games was a huge success and it showed that the country can host big international meets. “Yes, India can host big events because India staged the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The athletics programme in the 2010 CWG was held in a worldclass stadium and it was delivered in front of full houses virtually every session,” Coe said. “I want to see IAAF events coming to India. It’s important IAAF increases its global footprint. Asia, including India, is an important market,” he said. - PTI

Kane Williamson New Zealand captain

Instead, Australia hammered New Zealand 3-0 with an aggressive style of play with Williamson’s team failing to capitalise on the few opportunities they did have in the series. “Hess (coach Mike Hesson) and I have spoken a bit about that series,” Williamson told reporters in Christchurch on Sunday ahead of

their ﬁrst game against Bangladesh. “I suppose when you go away on a tour and get beaten like we did in Aussie there’s a number of things you would have liked to have done a little bit better. It’s important we learn from it and become a better side going forward.” Williamson said his side would be more aggressive than they were

in Australia, with the team’s pace bowlers to be asked to put pressure on the Bangladesh batsmen. The only selection issue at Hagley Oval appeared to be over the balance of the quicks, with rookie Lochie Ferguson and Matt Henry likely to be the toss-up for the third seamer role on Monday. “With the depth in the pace department it is something we’re looking at,” Williamson said of the makeup of the side. “It’s more the balance of the pace bowlers that we’re trying to get right.” New Zealand won the last match between the two sides, at Seddon Park in the pool phase at last year’s World Cup. Prior to that narrow threewicket victory, however, they had lost their previous seven completed ﬁxtures against Mashrafe Mortaza’s side, albeit all of those games were in Bangladesh. “At home they’re extremely tough to beat,” said Williamson, who was mindful Bangladesh in October had recorded their ﬁrst test victory over England. “They’ve turned over nearly everyone in their home conditions and are getting more experienced around the world. They have been getting better and better every year. We will need to play our best cricket.” - Reuters

OFA hosts advanced FIFA referees course

MUSCAT: The Oman Football Association (OFA) launched an advanced FIFA Referees Course on Sunday. The advanced course, being organised in co-operation with the

world soccer body, FIFA, was inaugurated in the presence of OFA’s Acting CEO and General Secretary Ahmed Al Farsi. The course, which concludes on Tuesday, has attracted 30 referees.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2016

SPORTS

LANDSCAPE STARS: Darwish Ellickal, Wisam and Abdul Jamsheer.

D DIVISION: Bab Al Rayan pose for a group photo. – Supplied photos

H DIVISION: NBO Muzn team after their win over Majees.

Passage to India outplay Sinha mar claimed two wickets each for NBO Muzn. Brief scores: NBO Muzn 166 for 9 in 20 overs (Rohit 54, Saif 54; Lijo 4/39) bt Majees 155 for 9 in 20 overs (Abdul Jassim 36; Vinoth 2/24, Ashish 2/24). Points: Majees – 0, NBO Muzn – 2.

Batting ﬁrst, Passage to India put on 148 for six in 20 overs. In reply, Sinha were bowled out for 85 in 19.5 overs

MUSCAT: Passage to India (PTI) defeated Sinha by 63 runs in an Oman Cricket Premier Division T20 game at the Ministry of Sports Affairs Ground I. Batting ﬁrst, Passage to India put on 148 for six in 20 overs. Umer Bhatt top scored with 42. Dileepa Sailal claimed two wickets for Sinha. In reply, Sinha were bowled out for 85 in 19.5 overs. Mohammed Idrees and Vipul Pandit claimed three wickets each for Passage to India.

I DIVISION: Mehul Enterprises celebrate their two-wicket victory.

H DIVISION: Ahli Bank top performers pose for a photo.

Brief scores: MSE 138 for 8 in 20 overs (Syed Imran 6/30) lost to Ahli Bank 140 for 4 in 14.5 overs (Issa Al Balushi 54). Points: Ahli Bank – 3, Majees– 0.

Brief scores: Passage to India 148 for 6 in 20 overs (Umer Bhatt 42) bt Sinha 85 in 19.5 overs (Mohammed Idrees 3/13, Vipul Pandit 3/12). Points: PTI – 5, Sinha – 0. G DIVISION: Multi Pumps after their win over QBG. – Supplied photos

Landscape Architecture win In a C Division match, Landscape Architecture defeated Newrest Wacasco by 62 runs. Batting ﬁrst, Landscape Architecture piled up 195 for six in 20 overs. Darwish Ellickal top scored with 76. In reply, Newrest Wacasco were bowled out for 135 in 18.2 overs. Prasad Peruli, Moaaz and Abdul Jamsheer claimed two wickets apiece for Landscape in their bonus point win. Brief scores: Landscape Architecture 195 for 6 in 20 overs (Darwish Ellickal 76) bt Newrest Wacasco 135 in 18.2 overs (Prasad Peruli 2/24). Points: Newrest Wacasco – 0, Landscape Architecture – 3.

Bab Al Rayan down GME In a D Division match, Bab Al Rayan posted a 38-run win against

Ahli Bank beat MSE In another H Division match, Ahli Bank defeated Mustafa Sultan Enterprises (MSE) by six wickets. Batting ﬁrst, MSE scored 138 for eight in 20 overs. Gopal Krishnan top scored with 26. Syed Imran claimed six wickets for Ahli Bank. In reply, Ahli Bank scored 140 for four in 14.5 overs to claim the bonus point. Issa Al Balushi top scored with 54.

Global Money Exchange (GME). Batting ﬁrst, Bab Al Rayan put on 160 for eight in 20 overs. Amjad top scored with 35. Noushad claimed three wickets for GME. In reply, GME were all for 122 in 18.1 overs. Shankar top scored with 30. Muthu Murugan claimed four wickets for Bab Al Rayan to enable their bonus point win.

ﬁrst, Waves Engineering scored 184 for nine in 19.1 overs. Talim Khatri top scored with 75. Mohammed Kashif claimed four wickets for Abu Maather. In reply, Abu Maather reached 185 for four in 19.5 overs. Usman Liaqat top scored with 41. Mohammed Jamil claimed two wickets for the Waves Engineering.

Brief scores: Bab Al Rayan 160 for 8 in 20 overs (Amjad 35; Noushad 3/33) bt Global Money Exchange 122 in 18.1 overs (Shankar 30; Muthu Murugan 4/25). Points: Bab Al Rayan – 3, GME – 0.

Brief scores: Waves Engineering 184 for 9 in 19.1 overs (Talim 75; Mohammed Kashif 4/21) lost to Abu Maather 185 for 4 in 19.5 overs (Usman Liaqat 41). Points: Waves Engineering – 0, Abu Maather – 2.

Easy for Abu Maather In an E Division match, Abu Maather defeated Waves Engineering by six wickets. Batting

Trust Oilfield shine In an F Division match, Trust Oilfield Services defeated Oasis Water by six wickets. Batting first,

TRUST HERO: Khurram Rashid

Oasis Water scored 153 for eight in 20 overs. Nazer top scored with 48. Sayed Azam claimed three wickets for Trust Oilfield. In reply, Trust Oilfield scored 154 for four in 15.4 overs. Khurram Rashid top scored with 73. Brief scores: Oasis Water 153 for 8 in 20 overs (Nazer 48; Sayed Azam 3/33) lost to Trust Oilfield 154 for 4 in 15.4 overs (Khurram Rashid 73). Points: Trust Oilfield – 3, Oasis Water – 0.

Multi Pumps down QBG In a G Division match, Multi Pumps defeated QBG by 52 runs. Batting ﬁrst, Multi Pumps scored 188 for seven in 20 overs. Aktar Ali top scored with 49. Guval Khan claimed three wickets for QBG.

In reply, QBG scored 136 for nine in 20 overs. Renju Pillai claimed three wickets for Multi Pumps. Brief scores: Multi Pumps 188 for 7 in 20 overs (Aktar Ali 49; Guval Khan 3/35) bt QBG 136 for 9 in 20 overs (Renju Pillai 3/28). Points: QBG – 0, Multi Pumps – 3.

NBO Muzn edge Majees In a H Division match, NBO Muzn defeated Majees by 12 runs. Batting ﬁrst, NBO Muzn scored 166 for nine in 20 overs. Rohit Gupta and Saif Khan top scored with 54. Lijo Johnson claimed four wickets for Majees. In reply, Majees scored 155 for nine in 20 overs. Abdul Jassim top scored with 36. Vinoth Kumar and Ashish Ku-

Mehul survive a scare In an I Division match, Mehul Enterprises defeated Times of Oman by two wickets. Batting ﬁrst, Times of Oman put on 144 for seven in 20 overs with Irtiza Ahmed top scoring with 38. In reply, Mehul Enterprises scored 145 for eight in 19.4 overs. Javed Mohammed top scored with 58. Azeem Mohammed claimed three wickets for Times of Oman. Brief scores: Times of Oman 144 for 7 in 20 overs (Irtiza 38) lost to Mehul Enterprises 145 for 8 in 19.4 overs (Javed Mohammed 58). Points: Times of Oman – 0, Mehul Enterprises – 2.

Unique victory In a J Division match, Unique Elegant defeated Design Group by five wickets. Batting first, Design Group scored 142 for seven in 20 overs. Pavan Kumar claimed three wickets for Unique Elegant. In reply, Unique Elegant put on 143 for five in 18.5 overs with Rubel Abdussatter top scoring with 49. Brief scores: Design Group 142 for 7 in 20 overs (Pavan Kumar 3/33) lost to Unique Elegant 143 for 5 in 18.5 overs (Rubel 49). Points: Design Group – 0, Unique Elegant – 2.

CRICKET

AHF OFFICIAL VISITS NAQVI’S ‘MINI MUSEUM’ Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) ‘Dato’ Tayyab Ikram, who is also a member of the FIH Executive Board, paid a visit to a ‘mini museum’ at the residence of former Oman national hockey coach S.A.S. Naqvi. Tayyab Ikram was in the Sultanate on an official invitation to attend last week’s His Majesty’s Cup Hockey Championship ﬁnal. Naqvi’s ‘mini museum’ boasts of a valubale collection of rare photographs of legends of hockey, articles and memorabilia related to some of the key moments in the history of the game, including Olymic and Asian Games. — Supplied photo

Not dependent on farewell match, not retiring yet: Afridi KARACHI: Amid speculation that he has sought a farewell match, Pakistan’s ﬂamboyant allrounder Shahid Afridi has said that he is too experienced and seasoned a cricketer to make such a demand and ruled out calling it quits anytime soon. “I have played 20 years of international cricket for Pakistan and not the PCB. And I am not dependent on anyone for a match. The love and support I have got and get from my well wishers and fans is enough reward for me,” Afridi told the media in Peshawar on Sunday. The ﬁrebrand former Pakistan captain said he would not ask the PCB for any farewell match. The former captain said India had never responded positively

to Pakistan’s insistence on playing matches. PCB’s senior official Najam Sethi made it clear in an interview that he had no issues with Afridi and admired his services to Pakistan cricket. He also insisted that Afridi would be given a beﬁtting farewell by the board when the time came. Speculations have been rife over whether Afridi will get a chance

to play one farewell international match for Pakistan since after he stepped down as captain after the disappointing campaign in the World T20 in India in April. “I don’t think my career is over and I am enjoying myself and I will continue to play at the highest level. As far as Pakistan selection is concerned that is for the selectors to decide,” Afridi said. - PTI

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2BR ﬂat- luxury fully furnished at Al Khuwair, 1 BR ﬂat – luxury fully furnished at Al Khuwair, 5 BR villa fully furnished at Azaiba, 4 BR villa unfurnished at Azaiba, 5 BR duplex, 4 bathrooms – Qurum heights, 5 Br villa, 6 bathrooms – Madinat Sultan Qaboos (brand new), 5 BR villa at Al Hail. For short or long term lease contract. Contact Atlas Real Estate & Rent a car : 99436312 / 94617563 / 92888376

Room for rent behind Oman house Contact: 99025809

New 3 story 4 bedroom villa in Al Hail near to radio station. The spacious master bedroom has a sea view. It has a maids room. All bedrooms have bathrooms and one extra bathroom between dining and sitting room. It has split A/c’s. 6 months advance payment required. Price is OMR 750 monthly. Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955. No Brokers Please. Flats & shops for rent at Ruwi Honda road Mumtaz area. Contact: 97293708 / 92433127 Villa for rent in South Mabellah, 3 bedrooms, sitting room, family Lounge, kitchen, three Toilets #92212212 between 10 AM to 5 PM

FOR SALE 7D Cenema for sale 6 seat hydraulic, 7D cenema full system for sale. Contact: 99737327 Empty shop / laundry near Camelia café. Contact: 92868123 / 92841089 Well running reputed travel agency for sale. Contact: 97992388 Coffee shop in Sohar daily income 350 O.R .Contact: 97044105 Primary school furniture for sale in good condition. Contact 93211417 Twin Villa for sale in Azaiba near Sultan Centre. Each side has three ﬂoors, ﬁve bedroom plus maid room. Each room has it’s own bathroom and one extra toilet between dining and sitting room. The villas are now about 5 years old and very clean and well maintained. It has split A/C’s. OMR 215,000 each villa. Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955. No Brokers Please.

2 BR apartments available for rent, close to Muscat Grand Mall, next to Diwan’s Office, South Ghubra. contact 2456256 / 99833747

Dental clinic for sale in Seeb. Contact: 92882209 / 96373097

One room furnished Al Khuwair near Technology College. Contact: 99389989 Call after 5 o’clock pm.

400 square meters residential land in Al Ghubra south near Millenium Hypermarket. OMR 134 thousand. Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955. No Brokers Please.

One BSK two bath room with split unit AC at Honda road. Contact: 91118706 / 99342733 New flats for rent at Darsait near to ministry of sports, Mumtaz area the flats includes 1 living room , 2 bedrooms, kitchen, 3 toilets, every room with split A/C & high quality finishing. Rent per flat is RO 320/-. Interested candidates please Contact: 00968 – 92225523 New flats for rent at Al Ghubra near to Atlas Hospital, opposite to Panorama mall. Interested candidates Contact: 00968 – 97093283 1 BHK near Medical Darsait Muttrah house R.O 180/-. Contact: 95070201 Fully furnished room for executive bachelor in CBD area, WiFi internet free, advance deposit. Contact: 90631572 3 bedroom ground floor house for rent in South Al Hail behind Al Hail Hypermarket.Contact: 95047657 Spacious shop available for perfumes cosmetics, near Oman house. Contact: 92150455

Nursery school furniture available for immediate sale in good condition.Contact 92887809 / 93211417 603 sq mtrs residential land in Al Hail North Block 45 NE near Radio station. OMR 96 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 - or 97509955. No Brokers Please Ice cream Shop, Prime location, Ruwi for sale. Contact: 92150455 Villa for sale in Al Amerat 8/1 upscale ﬁnishes. Contact: 91153933 BUILDING MATERIAL SHOP FOR SALEWell-furnished running building material-electrical shop (4 shutter / 200sqm) in Al- Khoudh6, for immediate sale- shop with stock or stock only. Serious buyers may please Contact: 94320909 Industrial land in Rusail.4000 sqm. Contact 99323957 / 95490842. Land for sale in the village of Bimmah on the coastal road Qurayat/ Sur with a space of 604 square meters for an attractive price. Contact 92905222

FOR SALE 2014 MODEL VOLVO PENTA 650 KVA GENSETS (02NOS) 2000 KVA (01 NO) VOLTAMP TRANSFORMER CONCEALED PANEL SYSTEM FOR ABOVE. ALL ITEMS HARDLY USED IN A COMPLETED PROJECT OF 2YRS AND CAN BE REUSED. ONLY SERIOUS BUYERS CONTACT GSM :

92886778/99455690

FOR SALE

ACC. AVAILABLE

Shop for sale heart of Ruwi good, for mobile shop, fast food, near Happy Center. Contact: 99335013 / 96728595

Room for rent near Hamriya R/A for executive bachelor, Sharing kitchen. Contact 99640850, 97983501, 97443614

Beauty parlour for sale in Ruwi. Contact: 92430239

Furnished rooms with kitchen at ruwi. Contact : 91214897

RESTAURANT for sale in Ruwi. Contact: 99378964

Sami furnished sharing Accommodation, 2 rooms with Ac, attached bath for a small Muslim family. Only 150/RO. At Wadi Kabir in front of Baladia Masjid, Contact #: 92758923

WANTED Urgently required looking to immediately buy used Grit blasting & airless spray equipment 1 No each. Contact 968 24810930 / 93203772 / 93203773 /93203778

BUYING Buying cars for cash. Contact: 90202090

AVAILABLE Bobcat available for rent. Contact 97623299 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

ACC. AVAILABLE One big room attached bathroom,sharing, kitchen near oil center Ruwi. Contact: 99716056 Fully furnished beautiful ﬂat with Wi-Fi& allfacilities in prime location opposite Zubairautomotive,Azaiba for sharing now and can take over after few months. Contact: 98185350 Furnished single room with toilet at Al Khuwair, Kabab factory Ronald. Contact: 99568122

Master bedroom with big kitchen for family near ISM. Contact: 92120492 Furnished attached room in Mumtaz area. Contact: 99743709 Single room with kitchen & bathroom MBD Ruwi. Contact: 95698714 Spacious room with WiFi available for Family/Bachelor near Al Falaj - NBO bank branch. Contact 92194086 Family sharing Ruwi Raymond Building, high Street. Contact: 97380459 Room for Rent for Filipinos, New Building near City Seasons Hotel, KM and Teejan Furnishing Spacious and safe. Accessible to public transport. Call 97728418 Rooms available in Azaiba for family or Bachelor. Contact: 92887809 / 93211417 Single room with separate bathroom for cooking bachelor in Rex Road. Contact: 98209132 Spacious bedroom, toilet & kitchen, near ISWK (KG). Contact: 96098443 Sharing accommodation in W/K. Contact: 94986587 Spacious semi furnished room with separate bathroom for Executive bachelor Opp. O.C. Centre Ruwi. Call : 90611670

ACC. AVAILABLE

MV SALE

Furnished room sep / entrance Wadi Kabir Executives. #99336206

Nissan Pathﬁnder, 2015 Model brown colour, 65k Mulkiya valid till 21 Aug 2017 for immediate sale. Contact: 92820174

Room for rent available at Al Khuwair. Contact: 91512037 Furnished room in ruwi and azaiba for rent for executive bachelors. Gsm 99058344 Sharing accommodation available with W/E at Al Khuwair 33. For a small family or non-cooking bachelors. Contact - 92834145 Furnished room for non cooking bachelor near Softy Ice cream, Ruwi. #91107383 / 93120054

MATRIMONIAL Sunni Muslim (Urdu) girl B.E, M.B.A 26 years invites alliance from Tamil Nadu Bengaluru. Contact: 99502581 Keralite Muslim boy, 33 years, height 5’ 9” cm working as Marketing Executive (MBA) in Muscat invite suitable proposal. Contact: 99179693 / 99449341 Keralite Nair boy, 31 yrs, working in Muscat, looking suitable alliance from Nair family. #93764602 Nair boy, 26 yrs Revathy, Alleppy dist, B.Tech working as planning / project Engineer in Oman, 4 yrs seeks suitable alliance. Contact: 94232342 / 99065898

Toyota Corolla 2016, white colour 8000 km, 4300 R.O. Contact:: 92811110 2015 Model Mitsubishi Pajero 3.8 (12,500 Kms) & Kia Rio (15,000 Kms) for Sale. Contact: 91257475 Honda Accord 2008 model, 4 cylinder, number 1 full options with navigation/ camera, full insurance. No accident history, 1640000 km, well maintained. OMR 3300/-. Contact –95919059 Dihatsu Terrios Trend 4WD, 2012 Registration, dealer service registration up to August 2017. Contact No: 92812144

ACC.WANTED Wanted a single room for Senior Executive Bachelor in Ruwi area. Contact: 93708595

MATRIMONIAL Sidul has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. AF 9358440. Finder please handover to ROP Venugopal Gundarao has lost Indian Passport No. N 0404968.Finder please handover to ROP

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

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT Required an experienced Sales Engineer

Engineering consultancy Firm is looking to hire a

for an Oil & Gas Company, should be self- starter with minimum 6 years experience in sales & marketing. You will have knowledge of oilﬁeld products and posses of valid Oman driving license and must be a degree holder of Mechanical Engineer.

HSE/QC (Only Omani Nationality)

Interested candidates please forward CV on: job.muscat@gmail.com

adila@ikamc.com sl.rizwan@ikamc.com

Qualification |: 5 years experience in infrastructure Construction Project Applicants shall send their CV’s to:

SITUATION WANTED

ACCOUNTANTS – 2 Nos. 3-4 years experience, with a reputed trading and manufacturing company based at Nizwa. Mail resume : nizwaindustrial@gmail.com

SMART MARKETING EXECUTIVE With fluent English, for sales and marketing of medical consumables, interiors and events with Oman D/L. Visa available. Contact:+968-90656997

Engineering consultancy Firm is looking to hire a

RESIDENT ENGINEER Has a B.Sc. degree or post graduate in Civil Engineering with 20 years overall Experience, out of which is 10 years in Water Supply Projects. Applicants shall send their CV’s to: kjamalieh@engicon.com/ edoughan@engicon.com

ACCOUNTS MBA ( Finance) Australia, 14 years experience (world bank, U.S Based company) specialized in cost cutting , revenue maximization, ﬁnancial model, budget & forecasting, internal control, risk management, Omani driving license. Contact: 93978614 Email: sjamil72@yahoo.com

Indian male MBA (ﬁnance) Accounts, Customer service, 2 yearsExperience.(Dubai Airport) Iran Airlines. GCC driving licensevalid till 2025. On Visit Visa (Till 20 Dec 2016).Looking for suitable job. Contact – 71093532. Emailmirzahassanbaig89@gmail.com

Accounts Manager looking for job in accounts or ﬁnance, 4 years Oman exp with accountancy degree & Omani D/L with NOC available. Contact: 95661169 Email: moshin_zaman4u@hotmail.com

Experienced Indian female 23 B.Com with computer application on visit looking for suitable position. Contact: 94964860 / 92436404

Indian (M), Qualified CPA, CMA, CIA (USA), MBA (Finance) & M.Com, 15 years’ experience in Finance, Accounting & Audit, (3 years in Oman) looking for suitable Senior/Middle level position in Finance/Accounting/Audit. NOC available. E-mail soji_ansu@yahoo.com, mob – 91595436 Experienced business development and investment consultant with 10 years experience in the financial management field. Holds a masters degree in finance and management from the UK. Contact : 90157073

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER An Omani Road Construction Company seeks Business Development Manager with Oman experience in the similar ﬁeld.

Contact: info@anwaarfahud.com

ACCOUNTS Urgently required for group co. Chartered Accountant with minimum 4 years experience as Senior Accountant with tally knowledge, driving license and NOC. Email: hr@cityvago.com Graduate in Commerce with 10 years experience, must have Oman working experience with valid Oman driving license. Interested candidates send resume to hr@aljood-oman.com Accountant 2-3 years experience. Candidate should be Indian, English speakers. NOC is a must. Email: mohammad.jwabreh@ bearingcitysc.com. Fax: 24509312

BEAUTICIAN Urgent required Mehandi / Henna, artist & designer salon 1 or 2 years experience, visa & accommodation free, location: Sohar, female candidates only apply. Contact: 95089844

SITUATION VACANT

Contact 99466062 Reputed mineral water company required the following HEAVY/LIGHT DUTY DRIVERS VAN SALESMAN with Omani driving license

SALES SUPERVISOR/SALES CO ORDINATOR with Omani driving license HELPERS Experience 3 to5 years

A well reputed restaurant, urgently required seafood & Arabic biryani chef & a waiter, should be ﬂuent in English only, experienced candidates can contact for more Details 99364735/ 93141672 Forward your Resume to cafechefa2013@gmail.com

DRIVER Wanted expert Driver. Contact: 97165972 Driver required, drivers with valid Oman light duty driving license. Contact: 95894258

DRAUGHTSMAN Draughtsman, PT/ FT. Send resume, work samples to zrarchitecture1@gmail.com. Contact 96098443

Male / Female job opportunities An IATA travel agency announces the following jobs 1. Reservation & Ticketing Staff 2. Sales Executive The candidate must be qualified / computer skills / experienced.

VACANCIES Printing Press requires experience

Graphic Designer, Digital Printing. Interested send CV on jobavailable2016@hotmail.com

International certiﬁed credit management with 5+ years in international debt recovery validation of credit insurance claims familiar with international trade & banking standards incoterms, UCP600 , URC 500 , export documentation, languagesArabic & English. Contact: 94310453

ENGINEER Required Urgently Engineer with Driving License & Foreman for construction company in Suwaiq, Al Batinah Contact: 96322202 / 93677795, mail your cv’s to: unionnationalhouse@gmail.com

Part time Accountant Indian B.Com Senior Accountant more than 25 years experience in Oman upto ﬁnalization of Accounts and training accounts through tally soft ware. Contact: 93064975

Contact - 90372638

Send your CV to : vacancy2017job@hotmail.com

Indian (M) MBA (f) more than 6 years of experience in accounts, proﬁciency in various A/C software SAP (F1/CO) seeking for suitable placement. Contact: 95920740 Email Id: abdulhameed1527@gmail.com

EDUCATION/TRAINING A Well known bilingual private school is in need of Computer, English, Mathematics, Science and Kindergarten teachers. Contact: +968 71168943 Email: staffing.oman@gmail.com

Required female Dentist, Nurses, Pharmacist, Lab Technician for a Polyclinic at Ibra. Contact 71100596, joharaajmal2016@gmail.com Care Medical Centre (Al Seeb) requires General Practitioners & Pharmacists. Email : muscat.medicalcarecentre@gmail.com Wanted female & Male Nurse with or without license (good salary, food & accommodation with other beneﬁts. Contact 92989109, Email: medicoport@gmail.com Required Optometrist for a leading Optical group in Oman. Email : albasilopticals@gmail.com Contact 93822557 Muscat wants GP, staff Nurse holding MOH license & Receptionist (Omani) Contact 97698004 email: medicare@fusionlogicoman. com

ENGINEER

MISCELLANEOUS

SURVEYOR /DRAFTSMAN ITI Surveyor with 2 years experience in Oman in OHL transmission lines with valid D/L and knowledge in drafting preferred Contact 93339586 Email: hromancv@gmail.com

Dynamic professional (research / management science / ﬁnance / investmentbanking background– min 5 years experience), with strong analytical and presentation skills. Email: omanplacements@gmail.com

Required Civil Engineer & Commercial Secretary (UK, USA, Germany), Mechanical Engineer, MEP Engineer, HVAC Technician, Plumbers. Email : joboman2017@gmail.com

Candidates with the following should apply: Previous experience in a similar, working for a security company Proven experience of designing and estimating large integrated CCTV, Access Control, and Perimeter detection systems. Detailed technical knowledge of database and operating security systems associated with CCTV, access Control, with Oman license. Send CV by mail info@sahabit.com

Required urgently B.E. / Diploma having good experience in Automobile & Engineering workshop. Contact: 99439701 Email: nnoe11977@gmail.com

PG in commerce male more than 8 yrs experience in purchase in Oman D/L, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 99145776

Indian male age 26 visit visa, B.SC Mathematics 4 years experience as an accountant seeks suitable job. Contact: 98615171 / 95374978. Email: worksite.tinson@gmail.com

MEDICAL CATERING

Qualiﬁed Chartered Accountant & ACS 10 +years Managerial experience, working in Bank, looking for suitable opening, Open to any GCC, MBL: +968-90788509, Email: kartirevy@gmail.com

Experienced Boatman wanted, in charge of Boat & Jet skies. Technical background in engine and boat systems.

URGENTLY REQUIRE

PHYSICS TEACHER Required to give private lessons to 16 years girl living in Muscat.

Please contact : 99333095 MISCELLANEOUS

SALES / MARKETING

We are looking for Admin & Sales officer for our company. Send your CV to Email: alsarooj@omantel.net. om

Wanted Sales Executive with GCC D/L & NOC for a company deals with automatic doors in Salalah. Email CV to: accounts@alatonoman.com or Fax: 24700408

Urgent required : Store labors. Candidate should be Indian, English speakers. NOC is a must. Email: mohammad.jwabreh @bearingcitysc.com, Fax: 24509312

SALES / MARKETING Looking for a Filipino Salesman, in retail sector/food items, Muscat. hold a bachelor’s degree, 5 years’ experience, age: less than 30, ready to start immediately. Contact 24502662 or send CV to: receptionist@mescooman.com Required well experienced dynamic candidate in Real Estate Evaluation Field beside Building Management Techniques. Contact 91246444, Email: rescooman@gmail.com

Looking for an Expat staff, with experience in Oman in real estate ﬁeld. Email: aburashid94dd@gmail.com Looking for Salesman with GCC D/L printing press experiences. Email: info@alsahib.net Required Marketing / Sales person with oil & gas ﬁeld experience of 2 years minimum. Send CV : watad.llc@gmail.com

SKILLED LABOUR Required Experienced Auto Electrician and Automobile Mechanic for a reputed service station. Contact : 91232638 hashim@ramainvestment.com

SITUATION WANTED B. Tech in electrical and electronics engineering, 23yrs Indian male, 2yrs exp (MEP ELECTRICAL ), NOC available, expert in electrical engineering design, autocad, ETAP, MS Office. Contact ph:92201939 email:nabilism4@gmail.com

Indian male, 23 yrs, looking for suitable job my qualiﬁcation is Diploma in Electronics an i am having 3 years of experience in the hardware an networking ﬁeld an i am having Gulf driving license you can contact me on : - +96897017866.

Accountant with experience in Tally and finalization independently. Good English communication skill. Send CV to arabhealth@alhakkim.com Accounts part time services available to handle all accounts up to finalization on monthly basis and finalization works. Contact: 96247295 Accounts job required, I have done MBA(Finance) and having 5 years banking experience and 1 year accounts experience(Part-Time) of Oman. My Contact# 94478099, Email:sumbalmehreen@yahoo.com Indian male 22 B.Com looking for job in accounting or data Operation special interest in accounts will be happy to hear from you. Contact: 90758030 Email: uttiawesome@gmil.com Chartered Accountant Indian B.Com, CA , CIA 10+ years experience Tally, Focus, Sap, Oracle. Contact: 94641805

MBA Finance Indian 25 Male 2 years experience seeking opportunities in Finance sector. Immediately available.contact:92498840 sachu_0318@yahoo.com Indian male, B.Com, MBA in Finance, 4 yrs in Larsen & Tourbo, 26 yrs in Oman, English/ Arabic speaking with driving license. NOC available. Contact 95588565 Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa. Immediately available. Contact 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com Accounts & Admin 3 years experience in GCC, BBA Graduate, Indian male 29 yrs. Contact: 79103778 Finance manager, MBA finance 21 yrs of MNC contracting experience, looking for a job thorough knowledge in MIS Ext/ Int Audit, tax budget, trade finance, system implementation etc. Contact: 94652975 Email: ramu2587@hotmail.com Certified Public Accountant (Filipino, Male, 27-yrs-old) with four years experience, seeking suitable placement in accounting/audit, currently on visit. Contact 94959606, email: czesar.42@gmail.com 28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement. #90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com Indian male 45 looking for a job in Car driving. Oman License from last 20-22 years. Contact 9961 3513, Email : Miqbal.kaa@gmail.com General Accountant, MBA (Financial Management) Having 8+ Year Experience in Accounts of UAE. Qualified Accounting Software TALLY, QUICK BOOK ETC. On Visit. Contact 9526 8360, Email. Sheikhs786.qh@gmail.com Indian male 26 years Graduated having over all 5 years experience in Accounts ware house fields sales & marketing, NOC available. Contact 95307619 / 92237173 Part time qualified experienced Accountant available. #1126314 Part time Accountant, 7 yrs Gulf experience available 8.00 AM to 1.00 PM FRI &SAT. Contact: 97895741 ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in finance. Contact 99284193 Accountant 8 Years Experience with D/L and NOC. #97712084 Indian, Kerala Male B.COM & B.PE, Currently on Visit Visa. Looking for a suitable job in Accounts, Store Keeper, Sales etc. Ready to join as early as possible. #96988923 email:- sajith3969@gmail.com 8 yrs exp. in Admin & Accounts (3 yrs in Oman), MBA, exp. in Tally ERP 9, Indian (F) seeks placement. Contact 97243806

Finance Manager B.Com, CA, CIA, 10+ years experience Indian. Contact: 94641805

Indian, Kerala, CMA-USA, ICWA, Mcom 10+Years Experience Budgeting Planning MIS Accounts&ﬁnance.Cont.94064931shijupnarayanan@gmail.com

Indian male, 27 yrs, Asst. Audit Manager 3 years experience in accounts & audit in India B.Com + CA (Inter) 1st Group qualiﬁed looking for a suitable job. Contact: 0091 8281358224 / 00968 90687772 Email: pradeepsasidharan4@ rediffmail.com

Sudanese Accountant, Alexandria University Graduate bachelor of commerce Diploma of Marketing professional photographer worked in PR and social media for 2 years looking for a job in public relations media, social media or marketing. #96976240

Indian male 34 yrs looking for Accounts Asst job, Oman with valid driving license Cont. 92092486, email: sagarjohn28@gmail.com

Indian female 28 yrs B.Com 4 yrs experience in MNC’s currently in Muscat seeking suitable placement in Finance / Admin. Contact :94743790

Indian male 22 years B.com with 1 year experience as an Accountant, looking for suitable opening. Contact: 91247507 Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman. Ready to join immediately. Contact 98263394

7 Years experience as Financial Analyst, MBA in ﬁnance. Responsibilities- research contributor, ﬁnancial statement analysis, generating MIS & efficiency report, managing TAT, business & clients. On visit visa in Muscat. Contact 90191628 / 96175780

M O N DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 6, 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED Sr. Accountant with SAP/ERP. 11yrs experience in Accounts & Finance in Gulf. 5years in reputed Oil & Gas company; Finalization & Consolidation FS, MIS, Audit, Budget, AP & AR, Tax, etc., Indian Male, Post-graduation, Oman D/L and NOC available.

Please contact: 931 42923

ACCOUNTS Qualiﬁed and experienced MBA post graduate with proven work exposure in Middle East & India, having more than 5.5 years of rich experience in accounts , project coordination and administration in (3.5 years UAE experience) oil and gas projects is currently looking for suitable job. Contact 93953613, Email-allen.mathew83@gmail.com Indian male age 26, Accountant one year experience in accounts looking for suitable job. Contact Email: anishkhan991867@gmail. com Mobile: +968 9565 9415 Indian female, 26 years,brought up in oman,M.COM(FINANCE) CA Foundation(CPT),CA , INTER (DOING) presently on family visa seeking for immediate and suitable placement. Contact -97174201/99663957 Email-anishasasi@gmail.com Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement. Contact 94879615, Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com Part time Accountant up to ﬁnalization auditing. # 93598736 Accountant B.com Indian male 12 yrs exp seeks suitable job.NOC available . Contact : 91212471 Email: rennyj6@gmail.com Omani female Accountant, 32 years, having 10 years exp in admin/accounts seeks suitable placement. Contact: 93295953 Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement. Contact 94879615, Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

ADMIN

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN

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

Free lance Autocad works experienced (arch, struct, MEP, shop drw) rate a0/a1 sheet ( 10-17 OMR) ph : 97103168.

Administrator B.Com with D/L on release, 30 years India & Gulf experience in office. project documentation & logistics. Contact: 92324789 / 97281023 Omani experience on reception, admin PRO seeks job. Contact: 96495545 / 96184616 Filipino HRD especialist /material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817 8 years experience in administration and guest relations department in Oman With valid omani driving licence. Seeking suitable jobs. Ph: 98145825 email: getcb@rediffmail.com Egyptian woman resident, considerable experience in the Administration and Secretarial Executive for company. Contact : 97221126 Omani, male, 26 yrs experience looking for job in reputed Companies as PR, having experience at airport / Emigration, Ministries/ Manpower with Oman D/L. Contact 95445779 MBA, HR Managerial professional, 10 yrs, International Comprehensive exp (8 yrs in GCC) in developing / managing HR systems in MNC organizations competency areas: recruitment, organizational, development, performance management, compensation & beneﬁts, polices, operations, strategy, GCC Law & HRIS, available to join immediately. Contact: 00974 (Qatar) 55375005 Email: shabeermalik@yahoo.com

ARCH./ INTERIOR DEC.

Indian (M), 31 yrs, M Com 9 yrs experience in Oman, looking for Manager or Executive position in Fin & Accounts, NOC Available. Contact 96166178/+919768537435: mohammednajeem@yahoo.com

Iranian Architect, 3 Ds max, Photoshop interior design expert 3 years experience Omani D/L. Contact: 97309545

Finance Manager, 17 + years Gulf exp. in Accounts, MIS, budgets, strategic planning, cost control, cash ﬂow management, seeks job. Contact 99489784, E mail :- vijay.564@hotmail.com

Architect 11 years experience & 9 years in Oman seeks urgent job having driving license & limited time till 12th Jan 2017 Architectural consultancy & construction engineering. Contact: 969 95913761

ADMIN

Architect Engineer seeking for suitable job, 8 years experience. GSM : 96075000, Email : haytham_201046@yahoo.com

DRIVER Bangladeshi Male, 1 yr exp, D/L. Contact: 95496766 20 years experience, educated driver, Keralite. Contact: 99062400 Light duty Driver with car Honda Civic, 2005, 6 years experience. Contact: 91898658 / 90744740 Pakistani light driver job, 7 yrs exp. Contact: 92754283 Driver with car, 6 years experience. Contact: 93961503 / 96448004 Searching job for light driver, with 1 yr experience. Contact: 94496620 Indian male, age 29 looking driver job. Contact: 97614837 Male 40 yrs, 15 yrs exp, D/L seeking job (Sales & driving) English, Hindi, Arabic. Contact: 97003340 1 years exp D/L male 28 yrs, looking driver job. Contact: 94338977 Driver job wanted. Contact: 96393082 Indian male 42 yrs UAE , QTR 24 years road work experience looking for good post, with driving license, on visit visa. Contact: 91177203 Driver with car have good experience in Oman. Contact: 94039796 Driver with 2 years experience in job looking for job. Contact: 93374969 / 93721242 Driver with license & car. Contact: 99158913 Light duty driver looking for job with 5 years experience. Contact: 97380787 Looking for job light driving. Contact: 93779819 Looking for job exp having driving license. Contact: 97363138 Driver looking for job. Contact: 95892363 Bangladeshi male light driver exp 16 years looking for job. Contact: 99165961

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN

Light duty driver 5 yrs Dubai, 1 yr Oman experience seeks placement knowing English, Arabic & Hindi. Contact: 90271794

7 years experienced in Administration & Sales with valid Oman driving license searching for a suitable job. Contact: 93347156

Free lance / part time autocad works / make boq 2d /3d arch , structural, shop drawings interior drawings. Contact 97103168 mkgroupoman@gmail.com

Experienced driver available with 4WD willing to work fulltime / part-time, familiar with all tourist destinations in Oman. Contact: 24814231 / 91941545

Indian male having 25 years of experience working as Stove Incharge in a leading automobile dealer, seeks suitable job. Contact: 99730141

AutoCADcivil 3D draftsmenhaving 5 yrshighwaydraughting5 yrsarchest, drafting looking for suitable job. Contact: 93243262 knowledge of site measurement

Looking for driving job. Contact: 95396905

Indian male 24 years BBA currently on visit visa looking for suitable job in accounts Administration customer logistic operations etc ready to join as early as possible. Contact: 96987802 | Indian female, MBA HR & ﬁnance, 4 years experience in MNCs looking for good job. Contact: 95299271 / 95124289

Revit, Autocad D/man, expected salary 200 OMR. PH : 92279784

Pakistani male Diploma Civil Engineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling & mega projects, valid license Oman. Contact: 98921022

Omani male (HR or PRO) having 06 years experience and have diploma in business management looking for a suitable position. Contact: 99460164

8 Years Experienced Graduate Omani Female presently working as Administration Manager in a reputed group Company, supervising HR and other administration activities, liaisoning with Ministries and other Government departments looking for suitable opening in a progressive professional organization. Contact: 91727742 Young Omani male have experience 12 years as P.R.O, CLERK Helper Supervisor Admin Supervisor, H.R Manager have vocational M.B.A diploma in H.S.E, IT and P.D.O license, looking for H.R position or P.R.O part time or full time. Contact: 95933288

Looking for Part time/full time Civil Autocad & Quantity Surveying jobs. Prepare all types of Civil drawings, 3D Modelling and taking up quantities. Please cont. 93480346. email : esdeeoman@gmail.com AutoCAD Draughts man Indian male with 10 years working experience (9 years experience in GCC) & well experience in Architectural & civil ﬁeld looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 91598043 Email: mu5495608@gmail.com Interior designer seeking job in Muscat with 6 years of related experience as an interior designer with a strong background in work place interiors. Contact: 91291502 Email: ahmad.jassem025@gmail. com Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman.Please Contact: 96489798, (+974) 66653780

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Indian male, B.E Mechanical with 2 years experience as Maintenance Engineer in Cochin Reﬁnery and 1 year experience in Chevrolet seeking job. Ph number: 97964862, Email: jossyabraham20@gmail.com

Contact # 92839516

Electronics/ Instrumentation Engineer With 3 years experience in a renowned Oil company (Air craft refueling equipments QC, instrumentation CP electrical systems) 1 year on job training at sea port (electricaland PLC systems) Having and HSE, IT and management trainings.

abdallah.baloch@outlook.com Contact: 96116969

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. 12 Years experience, Indian CIVIL/ STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, Roads and Building, ETABS, SAFE, STAAD, Driving license with NOC. 90232011, rashtomi@yahoo.co.in

Indian male Civil Engineer 1.6 yrs exp, having Omani D/L, looking for suitable position. NOC available. Contact – 92157694 / mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com

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

Indian male BE mechanical engineer CSWIP, 4 years gulf experience in visit visa having Qatar driving license. Contact: +968 96550807 Email: vishnusohanlal@gmail.com

Diploma in Mechanical Engg, 10 years exp in steel fabrication site work with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 94696192

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

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrs exp seeks suitable position in a reputed company. NOC available. Contact 96789711

Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in designing, assembling, commissioning execution etc having valid GCC license too looking for a suitable. Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com

Electronics Engineer in project & sales with 4 years GCC experience having Oman driving license looking for a job. Contact: 92103711 Master in Civil Engineering with 5 years Gulf exp. Contact: 96658456 Mechanical Engineer (B.E) with 5+ years experience in Gulf and India (oil & gas projects). Contact: 91987143 Email: jebilk212@gmail.com Indian male 26 years Mechanical Engineer with 2 yrs exp in Oman. Looking for suitable placement. Contact - 91328079 Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine. Available NOC release. #92451323. Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com Arch’l Site Engineer more than 15 years exp in Saudi Arabia & Oman (finishing & marble field). Contact: 91220168 Electrician Indian male 9 year’sexp, seeking suitable position currently in visit visa. Contact: 94736540 BE mechanical Eng, PG diploma in piping &plant, immediately available, on visit visa. Contact: 95486659 Email: akashmw50@gmail.com Indian female, MCA,BCA, oracle certified 6month training in data warehousing PHP, SQL,PLAQL, UNIX, seeking job at good company. Contact: 95694330 Email: monakashyap001@gmail.com Indian male 24 fresh mechanical engineer looking for a job in mechanical field special interest in QA, QC NDT on visit visa. Contact: 93487822 B.Sc Civil Engineer 5+ years experience in Building construction & Steel structural building with having valid D/L. Contact: 93850440/ shahadat033@gmail.com Oil & Gas experienced Indian engineer available in Oman for business development, sales, marketing, with 10 years experience handling multinationals in Oman. Previously 10 years experience in PDO. Contact- 9490 2691 B.Tech Chemical, female Engineer with five years of experience from Hindalco and Honeywell looking for suitable job related to Chemical Engineering & teaching. Contact: 71121608 or seemi.alam@gmail.com Indian female M.Tech biotechnology seeks suitable placement. Contact: 91287047 Email: valliammai1000@gmail.com Electrical Engineer with experience, 9 years in Oman. Contact: 98148034 Telecom Engineer exp in CCTV camera & Security systems, D/L available. Contact: 93513927 Keralite (m) Electrical engineer seeks placement. Contact: 92757534 Email: arundevd588@yahoo.com

Indian male, Structural Engineer looking for job in structural design ﬁeld. Having 6 years of experience in design ﬁeld. Residing in Muscat. Contact - 91176187 Email: syam036@gmail.com

Pakistani male 26, Civil Engineer D.A.E diploma holder with 3 years experience in Pakistani 1 year experience in Oman, seeking placement. Contact: 90617305 Email: wasimiqbal324@gmail.com

Civil Engineer, young Indian having almost 2 years experience looking for a challenging position seeks suitable position in Oman/ GCC. Please contact 92718490, Email ID: uvais.pk82@gmail.com

10 years of experience in all kind of electronics service & repair and electrical & plumbing work. Contact 93980952

Mechanical Engineer, Indian, Male, 30yrs. Experienced in Steam turbines and Thermal Power house seek employment. Contact - +91 8130553668 or mohamedshah7@gmail.com

Experienced IT Professional with over 20 years in Oman. Can manage ERP systems, Hardware, Network, Wi-Fi and Biometric Devices.

Looking for suitable placement. Indian Male 36 yrs Machineshop sales and service, repair and maintenance mechanical equipments & jobs. Noc available, Oman D/L Available Working in Oman for 5+ years. 98481039, anand27kumar@gmail.com

B.E Mechanical Engineer, age 24 with almost 1 year experience as Production Shift Engineer, has achieved training on HVAC Engineering design and has good hands on software like AutoCAD and HAP.Currently in Oman on a visit visa, looking for a suitable placement.Contact: 95065955 email: mjs.jazeb@gmail.com An Iraqi civil with more than 30 years experience in (Iraq and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C) available. Contact: 96561306 Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com Looking for Civil Engineer job, with 5 years experience in ministry project, good command in AutoCAD MS Excel and establishing BOQs. Contact: 97478804 HSE / Safety professional having more than 15 years of experience in oil & gas airport & building construction safety seeking suitable position in HSE. Contact: 99206389 Graduate female, 36 yrs, with driving license, looking for a suitable position. Contact: 96234434 Civil Engineer, B.Tech, Indian with 1 year experience in Oman seeking suitable placement, NOC available from sponsor. Contact: 91702450 Email: tijoct2015@hotmail.com Electronics Systems Engineer (UK Graduate) with skills in Robotics programming languages IC, PCB designing seeking suitable position Indian female on visiting visa. Contact: 95806296 Email: s.dinesh1508@gmail.com Civil Engineer holder a master degree with +3.5 years experience in gray & Jordan. Contact: 94592122 Email: m_f_h88@yahoo.com Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech, male, Keralite, having 1 year experience, certiﬁed in Primavera and catia, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact+ 968 94959233 / +968 97474225 Email: anandsunil94@gmail.com Indian male 24 B.E Mechanical Engineer, 1 year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 98530806 / 99362006

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).Looking for a Suitable position. Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa. Contact: 92157694. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer Pakistani form N.E.D University 15 years experience of operation maintenance installation of CNH comp, gas engineer generative fiber optic FTTH & LTE projects in Oman. Contact: 00968 95196597 Email: s_atif76@hotmail.com Sudanese civil Engineer master holder with 6 years experience. Contact: 99636424 Fresher cloud Engineer. Contact: 98207829 Indian female, 22 yrs, BE (Electronics & Communication) searching for suitable placement. Contact 96008324 Indian male, B.E Mechanical with 2 years experience as Maintenance Engineer in Cochin Refinery and 1 year experience in Chevrolet seeking job. Contact : 97964862, Email:jossyabraham20@gmail.com Need for job industrial Electrical technician with Oman driving license, earlier experience in the oil field. Contact: 91285302 / 96348016 Electrical Engineer Indian male 30 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Experienced auto mobile Engineer seeking job. Contact: 91487747 Construction Machinery repairs Engineer, 5 years, driving license, Contact - 94001961

Indian male 23 years Mechanical Graduate, looking for job in mechanical ﬁeld also completed diploma in Mechanical Engineering. Contact: +968 98812608, Email : mesahad@gmail.com

Sr. Electrical Engineer with17+ yrs of exceptional exp in spear heading strategic planning and project management initiatives & executing various high rise residential & commercial building as well as roads and highway project with proﬁciency in installation, seeking a challenging position in a dynamic organization. Contact 96570891

Civil Engineer diploma 6 yrs of exp 3 years Oman seeks suitable position in a reputed company NOC available can join immediately. Contact: 97912853

Civil Engineer (Indian male) 5 years experience in Oman with valid Omani driving license & NOC looking for suitable opportunity. Contact: 93101283

Mechanical Engineer with 3 years experience in RO plant maintenance of boilers, breakdown maintenance, pumps, control valves and air compressor etc currently in Oman looking for suitable placement. Contact: 95632276 Email: jassinsudhakaran797@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer, 24 yrs, Indian Male, Fresher, Training Undertaken in Electrical Draughtsman, Fire Alarm, Fire Fighting and Industrial Automation. Contact: 94989767, Email: Junaiz987@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 10 years experience working in International company, Infrastructure & building construction having Omani driving license. Contact: 96616396. Purchasing professional having 7 years experience in power, water construction projects seeking job. NOC available. Contact: 96518316 mail: vineethsubashpillai@gmail.com Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 Ph : 92279784 Mechanical/ Piping Engineer (B.Tech.) on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 94703350 Email: nadeembcoolboy@gmail.com

Electrical & Electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit. Contact: 93837973 Indian male 24 ,B.E ( E.C.E ) graduate with 3 years of experience in the ﬁelds of BMS and Low current systems and has good knowledge about Electronic Security Systems, currently working in Oman, NOC Available. Contact: 94737033/ mohdmuhafez45@gmail.com

EDUCATION/TRAINING Indian Female, Phd in Chemistry having 3.5 yrs of Experience in India. Staying here on Family Visa & seeking for a suitable placement. Contact – 99675828, Email anupam.tiwari67@gmail.com

M O N D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED EDUCATION/TRAINING Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement. Contact 99739415 / 92091528 Indian female 24. Masters in Computer science engineering, seeking job in colleges, schools and institutes. Having in good skill in teaching and advanced technologies. Contact : 93356858 Email id : annielino11@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY Front Office Manager with over 20 years of experience in the Middle East & preopening expertise with hospitality giants like Burj Al Arab, Address hotels &Millennium looking for similar opportunities. Contact: 96383636 Indian male having Diploma in Hotel Management with 16 years of experience in F x B Service at India, K.S.A & Oman, having valid Oman D/L, seeking for available placement. Contact 92100141 / 92221956 Indian male 31yrs old with hotel management degree,03 yrs experience in F&B services at 5 star hotel Dubai, 05 yrs in American 06 star cruiseliner has butler. Has oman driving license. Contact 99859150 Indian male, 24 yrs , Diploma in Hotel management, 2 years experience front office management in 4 star hotel Dubai, currently on visit visa. Contact: 97937504 Email: febinpalathingal01@gmail.com

IT Indian male Keralite post graduate diploma and graduate CCNA & MCSA certified have 5 years experience in software & hardware technical support. Contact: 93988511 Contact: vimalkanthkv@gmail.com Bachelor degree (B.techin electronics and telecommunicationsand CCNA certified network supportengineer 1 .5 years experience seeking suitable placement. Contact: 90253746 Email: sreejilalnt2424@gmail.com Indian / Female (29) married. MCA, 2+years of experience in software development Accenture, Bangalore. IT skills include Dot Net, SQL server 2008, ASP.Net, excellent communication skills with Omani DL looking for a suitable job. Mb: 94057790; Email: geetika.pesit08@gmail.com IT Engineer male, 28 yrs, over 7 yrs experience with NOC, D/L available seeking placement in IT / Network / Telecom field. Contact 93563297 Email: monuzv24@gmail.com Looking for IT &Administration job, more than 5 years experience. Contact: 97619211 A telecommunication and Network Engineer with 3 years experience in the field. Contact : + 968 98832649 Email: mohammed.abutamam@gmail.com Indian Male, MCA Graduate, 15 yrs exp in ERP, CSM Certified, seeking suitable role.NOC Available. Contact : GSM : 90189284 Email: meetlibran@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS British National, 34, M.B.A young & energetic male, looking for any managerial position in Oman, having 12 years of experience in managing different types of businesses. Contact: 96056963 Email: asim_shah199@yahoo.com Omani male, 21 years graduate, (bachelor in management studies) seeks suitable placement. Contact: 97904200 21, Indian female B.com graduate on family visa looking for immediate and suitable placement. Holds valid Omani Driver’s license. Contact: 97208869 Indian male, 28, post graduate, 6+ yrs exp in Oman in sales (back office) & credit control with valid Oman D/L looking for suitable placements. NOC available. Contact: 92066 523 9 year experienced industrial painter and sand blaster with Oman driving licence. NOC available. Seeks suitable placement. Contact Zakeer Hussain 96681934. B.Com,IICL Certiﬁed Container Inspector (No.150850),Visit Visa, Six months experience, need placement. # 90880935, 99023279, Email solexyesudas@gmail.com Sudanese male bachelor geology and mining with 3 years experience in MUD logging and training in soil investigation. Contact 92956848 BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants). Contact: 92475206 Email: zahaibzafar007@gmail.com

MEDICAL Female Indian (Kerala) Dentist, BDS with 5 years experience & MOH License looking for a suitable job in Muscat. Data Flow completed. Contact: 93830963, Email: shereenasheﬁn@gmail.com Indian lady, BSC Nurse with MOH seeking job. Contact: 92726762 Indian female Staff Nurse, more than 20 years experience in maternity wards, delivery suit and medical wards M.O.H license and N.O.C available. Seeking for a suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 92035268 Email: rosemathew2015@gmail.com Indian female Assistant Pharmacist 4 years experience in Oman seeking suitable placement in Muscat area. Contact 93391910, 97498809 Homeopathy Doctor Indian female with MOH license looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 94541830 Email: homeo64319@gmail.com Indian female MOH Dietitian working in Muscat NOC available well experienced. Contact: 90996037 Email: nabanitasaha12@gmail.com Female dentist Pakistani prometric pass (66%) dataﬂow in process 10 years of experience in Malaysia & Pakistan, looking for in Muscat. Contact: 96173783 Email: humerasafdar@hotmail.com

Indian female M.Sc Computer Science seeking suitable placement in Muscat area. Contact 98660672

Male Staff Nurse (Indian 26 years old) having MOH license NOC & 3 year’s experience, seeking suitable placement. #94932245 / 95068075

27, Indian male: Software Developer having 5years+ experience in oracle forms & reports 10 g, BI publisher. Contact:91156571

Iraqi Dentist looking for job in Muscat with MOH license & NOC 6 years experience and half. Contact: 96907572

IT Support Engineer, Exp 3 years in Oman 2 years in India. Contact 94672759

Dr.Ayman Abduljalil Ali, E.N.T Specialist (Otolaryngologist), Yemeni-male, looking for job. Mobile: 00201096542706, Email: aymanjalilorl@gmail.com

CFA level 1 cleared (pursuing level 2) MBA operations research, female, 5 yrs experience as Analyst, have a valid Oman driving license, looking for related openings.Contact 95818892 Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement. Contact 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement. Contact 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com Female, master in mass communication, B.Ed, experience in media channel and teaching PH : 99362024

MEDICAL Female Dentist Indian with MOH license & NOC looking for a job in Muscat. Contact-96035981 Filipino male Medical / Sales representative with 3 yrs experience is looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: 92610394 Veterinary Doctor: Indian Female looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 96906534 /99014885, Email: monishmajeed@gmail.com

MANAGER / SUPERVISOR Project manager ( B.E Arch) interior fit outsspecializing in retail shops , corporate offices F& B outlets , hospitality etc having 10 years experience to work in a reputed Firm , NOC available. Contact: 94274437 Experienced Global Relationship Manager with 10 years experience at the world’s leading banks. Handled the custody and FX accounts of key clients worth millions of dollars. Email:ahmedmarzouk17@ymail. com or call 97392155 Experienced business development and investment consultant with 10 years experience in the financial management field. Holds a masters degree in finance and management from the UK. Tel: 90157073 Indian male (40 yrs), looking for warehousing /logistics supervisor position, having 12 yrs Oman Exp with D/L, currently with a leading distribution company in Oman, NOC available - PH: 94337320 ; Email: truefails@rediffmail.com Indian male MBA with 8 years of exp as Assistant Manager in investment banking sector. Looking for suitable position, currently on visit visa. Contact – 98685704, WhatsApp 919000676512 Email – suhelpashaa@gmail.com General Manager Indian National With 20 yr Experience In managing Civil Construction Business Seek Opening in reputed Civil Company. Contact-97464650.

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Secretarial & Office: Indian(F), MBA in Finance, 2 years experience as Associate in Branch Operations (Record Keeping, Desk job)on family visa. Ph: 93186865 ; email: ddthoppil@gmail.com Looking for part time job Secretarial / Data Entry / Documentation available every day after 5:00 pm Friday / Saturday full day area preferred Ruwi/ CBD/ MBD / Al Khuwair. Contact: 90414827 India PG diploma in Business Administration, 24 year experiences (22 years in Oman) in diverse ﬁeld handling office administration independently, Sales and Marketing, highly motivated, hard working skillful and willing to work in hallenging environments seeks suitable placement. Having valid Omani driving license. #99120500 Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment. #95244761

SKILLED LABOUR 7 years experience in aquaculture shrimp farming construction light license NOC. Contact: 92635313 Male 42 electricians & plumber, looking for job NOC available. Contact: 98081227 Watch repair and service looking for job, 24 yrs experience. Contact: 99530405

SALES / MARKETING

Female Staff Nurse, with 6 yrs experience MOH license and NOC available date ﬂow completed looking for a suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 97440718

Indian male with 15 years of rich experience in business development & marketing 7 + years in Oman , looking for a suitable opportunity. Contact: 98652962

Indian Male Dentist BDS with MOH license seeks for a job. Contact 94397499

PG in commerce male more than 8 yrs experience in purchase in Oman D/L, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 99145776

Indian male Nurse, with well experience in profession and working in Oman. Seeking for a suitable placement. (Preferring opportunity in as Rig Medic). Has BLS and ACLS. Contact : 97236545

MBA (UK), raised in Oman & with 2 yrs work experience holding valid Oman driving license, seeks job in sales / business development. Contact: 99513132

Indian male Nurse with 7 years seeking for a suitable job in Muscat. Data ﬂow, prometric completed. Contact: 93519957 / 98275068 Email: mammenv24@gmail.com

Indian male with 8 years experience in Sales and marketing with Toyota in India seeks placement. Contact: 24787920 or 99264617

SALES / MARKETING Indian male , 10 years marketing experience have some special skill in marketing experienced in FMCG medical , ecommerce&have training leading &organizingability , graduate. Contact: 92304264

INDIAN male, BBA with 4 years experience in SALES & MARKETING, holding omani driving license. seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95607037 Email: raaz0jannat@gmail.com.

Lebanese man, lookingfor job Marketing&sales, Ihave licenseNOC, 10 years experience in Oman. Contact: 91308319

Freight forwarding Graduate with 8 years experience in freight forwarding (Govt. of India) seek suitable placement. Contact: Shaji 99102497 / 98637889

Multinational FMGC experienced, qualified Sri Lankan lady seeking employment in Muscat. Marketing, Brands, Sales, Communication. Oman exp& DL available. 98250829 Engineering graduate having 5+ years of exp as Marketing coordinator in Advertisement Company and as security system service engineer Mob: 79059197 Indian male Keralite post Graduate Diploma & Graduate have 6 years experience in Sales and Marketing, have experience in Ecommerce, IT, Customer services & FMCG. Contact: 93988511 Email: vimalkanjhlar@gmail.com 27 years Indian male looking for outdoor sales with 5 years of experience in G.C.C & having Oman driving license presently working in electronic base company. N.O.C available. Contact: 94048369 / 97209329 Indian male (28) B.Com last position 6+ yrs experience in sales & business development immediate joining, on visit visa. Contact: 92686168 W.H.APP +918087894270 Email: fernandesjackson_john@yahoo.com 5 years Oman sales experienced Indian with valid Omani & UAE driving license. Contact: 92507253 / 99414642 Sales professional (Graduate) with additional qualification MCSE & CCNA having more than 10+ yrs of experience in handling IT hardware, Networking & Security Products (project based) and experience in education and training industry in Oman, seeking employment in relevant IT companies. Contact: 99354209 BBA Bachelor of business administration exp in custom clearance procedure, also done international logistics management & Nimb National Institute business management (US) certification all documentation work related logistics. contact – 91949050 / akram.chaush001@gmail.com Indian male, looking for sales & marketing job, Oman license holder. Contact: 95642740 Email: shaijichakkara@gmail.com Indian male, 27 years 2+ completed, 2 years Muscat experience looking for suitable placement (supermarket shop etc). Contact: 95128634 Email: sabuthoams@gmail.com B.com graduate from India with 6 months of experience in billing and sales in one of the largest retail chain company in India is looking for a suitable position. Currently in visit visa 99610602 or hashim.hashi@yahoo.in Indian male 37 years MBA graduate in marketing with 9yrs of experience in UAE in field of brand promotions & marketing with UAE D/L on a visit seeking suitable position. Conatct 95792820 Indian Male, 26 M.Com with 4 yrs of Experience in Accounting & Administration in a Financial Company in India, seeks suitable job, Currently in India. +918907212253 Akhil:-93626288, Email: Sumeshpsmkr1989@gmail.com Indian male masters in Petroleum Engineering with 1 yr Oman exp in sales & marketing holding D/L, currently on visit visa looking for oil / gas industry field related or sales related job. Contact : 93789123 Resident in Oman 18 years, 10 years experience in setup marketing plans and strategies, sales, import & logistics, procurement, Omani government tenders, organizing projects & events, import fireworks for festivals, NOC available, have car. Contact 94123939. Email: 002015r@gmail.com 26 yrs, Indian male, M.S.C IT having 2 years of experience in sales & Marketing seeking job in sales. Contact: 93703185 Marketing Executive with 10 years experience in Gulf on visit visa. Contact: 90116693

India PG diploma in Business Administration, 24 year experiences (22 years in Oman) in diverse ﬁeld handling office independently administration, Sales and Marketing, highly motivated, hard working skillful and willing to work in challenging environments seeks suitable placement. Having valid Omani driving license. Contact 99120500 Indian male age 24, B.Com. having 2 year experience and currently in visit visa. Looking for suitable placement in Sales, Marketing & ﬁnance. Contact: 90766307 Email: shhaazz.007@gmail.com Oil & gas experienced Indian lady with 6 years in sales & marketing to PDO and having valid Omani driving license. Contact 96143430 / 99875919 Graduate Indian male 26 yrs, 3 yrs experience logistics & management seeking suitable opportunity in reputed organization. # 98847095 Indian female 29 years Post Graduate with computer Knowledge 2 years of Oman experience in coordinator & 5 years of experience in customer service, client relation officer with excellent communication skill seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95337665 Key Accounts Manager of sales.. with an experience of 13 yrs, across the country. Bsc, MBA seeks suitable placement. Contact- 92100116 Egyptian male experienced sales executive with 12 years sales experience in Egypt, KSA and Oman with leading FMCG companies. Holds Omani driving license. Tel: 96202040, Email: ahmedghoniem618@gmail.com Indian male MBA and Diploma in management from Australia. On visit visa, looking for a suitable job in sales & marketing. Contact 71189884 Indian male with 6 years experience in sales in oman. NOC available, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95364128 Indian male Graduate with 18 years of Marketing experience presently in Oman on family visit visa, looking for best opportunity. Contact: 96168687 Email: dhibupaul@gmail.com Indian Male, MBA marketing 5 yrs exp. in sales & 4 yrs in FMCG sector, looking for best opportunity. NOC available. Conatct 96001877 Client Relations and Sales Professional with 8 years in the Business Process Outsourcing industry, looking for suitable opportunity in Muscat. Contact +96879050752 Indian male 1 yr exp in sales automotive (TBL) looking for best opportunity , NOC available. Contact# 97793879 Email: shyampkn@gmail.com Indian male 26 years of experience of sales & marketing in surgical and laboratory equipments. Looking for good replacement. Contact – 92015894 /95774854

TRAVELS/TOUR Reservation & ticketing staff, IATA passed 24 yrs, Oman 1 year experience, 3 years experience in India. Contact: 94791341 & 0091 11 9656724483 Email: anasp555@gmail.com Reservation & ticketing female one & half experience in travel & tour ism industry visit visa exp, looking for a job. Contact: 97183575 /99015735 Email: aneesayoosufss@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Fresh B.Com Graduate in visit visa looking for a job. CONTACT: 93518923 / 99075027. Email: sheikcok@yahoo.com Indian male, M.Com, B.Com, looking for suitable opening, now on visiting visa. Contact79103798, email- malikfaheem284@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian/male (26)/ca finalist and b.Com/3 years expereince in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa. Available for immediate joining. Contact: 98078321 email: shahir.Usman.Su@gmail.Com Indian Male 23 years B.com graduate Holding a valid Oman driving License searching for a suitable placement, currently on visit visa. Contact: 94175848. Indian/male(26)/MBA/ 2 years expereince in proccurement,cordination and distribution management.With valid oman licenece. Available for immediate joining. Contact: 92536194 EMAIL:suhailbs@gmail.com Indian male, 23 Fresher, Graduate Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP.Contact: +968 9748 9256 Email: abdulmajid.ak@gmail.com Indian female PhD, M.Phil, M.A in English, B.Ed, Diploma TESOL,16 years teaching experience seeks suitable teaching, editing or relevant job. Contact: 92245591, 95221665 Indian male 23 Fresh Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP. Contact : +968 9586 1251, Email : mdajaib@yahoo.com INDIAN male, BBA graduate and diploma in IATA Cargo Supply Chain and Transport Modes with DGR Initial Category 6.Holds Omani driving license. Presently in family visa, seeks suitable placement in Cargo section. Contact :-96370022 Indian Male (25), BSc Electronics, M.B.A seeking suitable openings, Having 3 years’ experience in, sales and Marketing of financial products with Oman Driving License. Contact 94774550 Indian Male age 23) an i am looking for suitable job my qualification is Diploma in Electronics an i am having 3 years of experience in the hardware an networking field an i am having Gulf driving license you can contact me on : - +96897017866. Indian/male (26)/CA finalist and b.com/3 years experience in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa. available for immediate joining. Contact: 98078321, email: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com Indian Male, 26 years. B. Tech ( Civil ) Having 4 years experience as Project Engineer ¸ Site Engineer & Quantity surveyor. Good knowledge in Planning and arranging works and sites. Estimation, drawing, Billing and project management. AUTO CADD, STAAD, MS Office and various software packages. Contact : 99334770/ 997 43 709 Mechanical Engineer/ HVAC/ Indian: 1year experienced mechanical engineer with piping engineering & quality control certification, on visit visa. email:nishadphoenix@gmail.com Contact: 90957740, email: nishadphoenix@gmail.com Indian/male(26)/ca finalist and b.com/3 years experience in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa, available for immediate joining. Contact: 98078321 email: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com A Filipino female searching for a job, with 3month visit visa.exp January 2017.hospitality and sales job will be a Good offer to me. Contact no:98271658 Indian female, 27 years, MBA in Finance, currently pursuing ACCA, having 10 months voluntary job experience as accountant looking for suitable placement. #94388910, E- mail Id: sowmya.vs1989@gmail.com Indian male 34 yrs, MBA-HR with 10.9 yrs.exp. in Recruitmen t,Training,PMS,OD,Sites-HR and Omani nationals development, seeking a job, NOC available. Contact saiprasad_18@yahoo.com 94179499 33 years Indian Male MBA-HR & MSC having 8.9 yrs Exp (HR- operation/ SAP/ Admin) with Oman Driving License. Seeking suitable opening in Human Resource, Payroll & Admin/backend jobs. Contact:+968 99322978 /94129291

M O N DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 6, 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

RENT A CAR

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED Indian male BE Mechanical Engineer with two and a half years experience in production department, searching suitable job. Contact no: 9500927480 Male Accountant, MBA (Finance) 5 years Experience including UAE and India up to ﬁnalization Available immediately (On Visit). Contact: 91704866, Email: anees0989@gmail.com

Indian Male 29 years MBA, B.Com having 8 years experience in Gulf and India as a HR and Admin looking for suitable placement. Contact :97914340. Email: kvraj30@gmail.com Looking for a part time accounting & admin job, having 32 years of experience. Contact 9919621.

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED Indian male Staff Nurse completed BSc nursing, having three years of experience in medical ICU having Oman license and NOC, seeking suitable situation. Contact 94932245

Indian male 23 Fresh Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical ﬁeld special interest in HVAC & MEP. Contact : 9586 1251, Email : mdajaib@yahoo.com

Good knowledge in Planning and arranging works and sites. Estimation, drawing, Billing and project management. AUTO CADD, STAAD, MS Office and various software packages Contact 99334770/ 997 43 709

Indian Male 15 years gulf experience in HR / Admin Assistant, Purchase, Office Coordinator with good computer skills seeking employment for suitable position. Holding valid Oman Driving license. Contact 99709336

Indian, male, BBA graduate and diploma in IATA Cargo Supply Chain and Transport Modes with DGR Initial Category 6.Holds Omani driving license. Presently in family visa. Seeks suitable placement in Cargo section. Contact :-96370022

Indian female, holds masters in business administration (MBA) & LLB, 2 yrs oman experience as hr & admin, seeks suitable placement in jobs @ Sohar, Falaj. Contact 96541959

Indian/male(26)/MBA/2 years experience in procurement, coordination and distribution management, with valid oman license available for immediate joining. Contact 92536194, email:suhailbs@gmail.com

Electronics & Communication Engineer, 23-year-old Indian on family visa, BE-ECE graduate looking for suitable placement in networking, hardware and electronics ﬁeld. Contact: 95148894, 99726963. Email: sadathali0003@gmail.com

Accountant. Having 9 years experience in accounts in reputed companies. Presently working in Muscat (NOC Available). GSM. 00968-93528057, Email waheed.murtaza@yahoo.com

Indian male 22 B.com looking for job in ACCOUNTING OR DATA OPERATION special interest in Account’s will be happy to hear from you. C#+90758030, Email : uttiawesome@gmail.com

Indian Male,B.COM having 4+Years of experience in OMAN with Valid Oman Driving License. Experienced in Accounts & Sales, looking for an opportunity in Sales or Accounts. Mob:- 94106834 email:- jobhuntmuscat@gmail.com.

Mechanical Engineer/ HVAC/ Indian: 1year experienced mechanical engineer with piping engineering & quality control certiﬁcation, on visit visa. email:nishadphoenix@gmail.com Contact: 90957740, email: nishadphoenix@gmail.com

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP speciﬁcation for monthly rent & small car with driver. Contact 99839898

4 WD Pagero with driver. Contact: 98031620

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation. Contact92015894

Transportation. Contact94087276

M O N D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED TOURS

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898

WE SERVE OMAN

Pest control & Building cleaning all kinds of pest control building. Cleaning tiles / Marble polishing monthly/ Yearly contracts available. Contact: 98814733 /98814740 Al Husn Cleaning L.L.C

SITUATION WANTED COMPUTER/WEB./ EDU./CLASSES

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

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

BUSINESS

MANPOWER

Attention to Traders : we have our office in China we can import any thing you require directly from Chinese manufactures we insure prompt delivery with very low prices. Contact99742983 / 95226989.

SITUATION WANTGOOD NEWS

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

ENJOY YOUR VACATION!!! Pest Control Treatments. Ocean Center L.L.C. Contact 99344723 Water prooﬁng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Caret & Sofa Shampooing General Cleaning & Polishing. Ocean Center L.L.C. # 24707833 Marble Crystallization & Grinding, Ocean Center L.L.C. Contact: 92705130 House shifting packing. Contact: 99657644 / 98518013 A/C maintenance & Servicing, Fridge / Washing Machine / dish washer repairing, 2) Painting and cleaning service, Electrical & Plumbing. Contact 94147874 / 24504281, mail : globalaccessunited@gmail.com

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130 Installation & maintenance for Modular Kitchen, UPVC Doors & Windows, Furniture, Electrical & Air-conditions Contact @ 92383882/91443786

worrying about your car? Here is a solution for safe parking and cleaning your car when you are away on vacation. For people travelling from distant location, you can just drop oﬀ your keys to the car care team and peacefully check into the airport. Your vehicle will be waiting at the airport on your return.

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

Contact: 96964767 Ayurvedic treatments & massage – Ayurvedic Clinic Al Khuwair. Contact 97263637 /93309131

DRIVING

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

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact: 97128083

We undertake new construction & maintenance & gypsum works. Contact 92711506, ammarayyub@gmail.com

Picking & drop Ruwi to Rusail. Contact: 98957524 / 91287470 Transportation. Contact: 99099714 Specialist for road test drum and slope. Contact 94022250

Transportation. Contact: 94297820

Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic clinic, 18th November Street Al Ghubra (North). Contact 99639695 / 97397320 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED Indian male 34 yrs, MBA-HR with 10.9 yrs.exp. In Recruitment, Training, PMS, OD, Sites-HR and Omani nationals development, seeking a job, NOC avl.contact 94179499 saiprasad_18@yahoo.com Pakistani male 25 y, fluent in English, valid oman driving license experience of pak. & oman. Needs suitable replacement like teaching, administration, documents controller, sales and marketing, rent a car field and personal Assistant etc. aamirkhan_7860@yahoo.com. Contact 94908725 INDIAN MALE (26)/CA-inter and b.Com/3 years expereince in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa. Available for immediate joining. Contact 98078321 EMAIL: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com