Times of Oman - December 27, 2015

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FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

Before The Opening of The Annual Session of The Council of Oman

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ We also urge Omani youths, both male and female, to take advantage of these opportunities and endeavour to settle and stay in an available job in order to gain experience and skills that will be of mutual benefit, and in the public interest. This will prove that the Omani worker is serious, dedicated, punctual and capable of shouldering responsibilities. Only through this the Omanisation policies and plans will bear fruit, God willing.

SUNDAY, December 27, 2015 / 15 Rabi Al Awal 1437 AH

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Revenge motive for damaging cameras Over-speeding drivers, who incur

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TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

New tax plans could deter investors in Oman

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The Economic and Financial Committee debate on the amendment of the Tax Law following the recommendation of the Shura would undoubtedly send nervous jitters to investors in the Sultanate. >A4

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MARKET

Oman wins GCC environment award

Opal boosts efforts to mitigate impact of oil

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Opal has been stepping up its efforts to help address the challenges facing the oil and gas sector in 2016. >B1

Oman has won the GCC Environment and Wildlife Award for 2013-

heavy fines after getting caught by

ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

2014. >A5

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speed radars, are behind the damage

WATER CRISIS IN MUSCAT

caused to the speed

Parts of Ruwi, Hamriyah and Hallat Al Sadd are facing water shortage after the main pipeline supplying water to the wilayat of Muttrah burst on Friday, said the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW). It will take 24 hours to complete the repair work. The PAEW has advised all citizens and residents to optimise their water use and take necessary measures to ensure they do not have to go without water. — PACDA

cameras, says ROP

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Revenge after being caught is the prime motive behind the recent vandalism of speed cameras in the Sultanate, according to a senior official of the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

Speaking to the Times of Oman, the official said that over-speeding drivers, who incur heavy fines after getting caught by speed radars, are behind the damage caused to security equipment.

“Vandals smash speed cameras with rocks and sticks, and even ram their cars into them,” the official said. Sometimes they are destroyed by fires or gunshots.

Each camera costs OMR18,000 in Oman.

The probe comes after the police arrested four people on charges of vandalizing three speed

MISCHIEF: Vandals smash speed cameras with rocks and sticks, and even ram their cars into them.

The three speed cameras (in the pictures) were damaged by the vandals on the Hafeet-Dhank highway in Dhahirah recently. – Supplied photo

cameras on the Hafeet-Dhank highway in Dhahirah on Tuesday.

“They are not just harming themselves; they are harming the entire population because the cameras have been installed to improve their safety,” DaryleHardie, CEO of Safety First Oman, said. He also said that only a bunch of bored youngsters commit such acts. “They think of radars as revenue makers while they were installed for public safety. Just drive in a responsible manner and you will not have to

pay a single rial fine, it’s that simple,” he said.

Damaged speed radars This week, social media was abuzz with pictures of damaged speed radars clicked in the wilayat of Sinina near Ibri north of the Sultanate.

Mohammed, a resident of Ibri, said: “There is only one reason for the vandalism: nobody has money. So what can we do?

Every time, a fine of OMR10 to OMR50 is imposed. If it happens

Poland to open embassy in Muscat

A4 MAN ON A MISSION

Avid cyclist sets out on GCC trip for a noble cause

TARIQ AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: For the avid cyclist Suleiman Saleh Al Maawali, the National Day celebrations are continuing. He has embarked on another trip on his bicycle across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, starting from the Sultanate on December 22, with the final stop in Kuwait.

Al Maawali started his journey from his hometown of Izki and headed west with the goal of passing through all the GCC countries — starting with Oman, to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and ending in Kuwait.

He will cover 2,000 kms during his journey, which is expected to take 25 days. Al Maawali intends to cover at least 80 kms per day before he finds a spot to camp for the night.

The avid cyclist had completed a similar journey during the summer earlier this year, where he travelled more than 1,000

MAN OF METTLE: Suleiman Saleh Al Maawali started his journey

from his hometown of Izki and headed west with the goal of passing through all the GCC countries. Photo-Supplied

kms through several parts of the Sultanate with the purpose of raising awareness about blood donation.

According to his Facebook updates, Al Maawali had experienced a minor fault with his bike, on Friday, which prompted him to take a detour to Dubai to get it fixed. This had resulted in him having to cover extra distance

and he also lost a day due to this.

“There was a minor fault in the bike. I bought the bike from Dubai and it was still under warranty, so I made a detour from Al Ain to Dubai non-stop to get it fixed. I will continue the journey the day after,” said Al Maawali in a Facebook post, which suggested that he would resume his travel on Sunday.

four times in a day, it may cross OMR100. Not everyone has money to pay these fines.”

Al Kandi, who received four speeding tickets last year, said his peers had supported strong laws against overspeeding and were in favour of radar cameras.

“A radar is for safety of other people. It helps us,” he said. “For me, a radar is no problem. If it’s 120 km per hour (kph) I go at 120, if it’s 80 kph I go at 80. But for other people, it’s different,” he added. >A6

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

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During the last couple of years, we have noticed a huge improvement in our relationship Jakub Slawek, Counsellor and deputy head of Mission at the Embassy of Poland in Riyadh

C O M M E N TA RY

New tax plans could deter investors in Oman SUNDAY BEAT SALEH AL SHAIBANY

T

he Economic and Financial Committee opening up a discussion on the amendment of the Tax Law on Wednesday, following a recommendation for the same by the Majlis Al Shura, is expected to make international investors in the Sultanate nervous.

The Committee also discussed increasing corporate taxes imposed on petrochemical industries and non-oil natural resources to 55 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively. If this is implemented, then the foreign companies operating in the Sultanate would be forced to shed a big slice of their profits. The news would definitely raise a red flag among potential investors, who are planning to do business here.

With the insistence of the government on not dropping the Rial-to-Dollar peg, Oman’s economy appears to be heading for the doldrums. Oman has called for income diversifica-

tion for decades, but the efforts to achieve the same have not really taken off. The truth is that for many years, the government squandered opportunities to broaden its economy and steer it away from the reliance on the petrochemical industry.

There are murmurs drifting in the corridors of power that there is a possibility of devaluing the Rial as the state coffers will begin to dwindle very fast.

The logic of devaluing the Rial will help state finances by making the local currency attractive for oil exports. However, it will also increase the cost of all imports on which the country depends. Not to mention, it would shake investor confidence since many foreign companies import raw materials for their production.

Pegged to US dollar Oman had set its peg to the US currency in 1986 at 0.3849 rials to the US dollar and since then the government has weathered extreme periods of oil price weaknesses. But currently, the rial is going through its ultimate test in the history of its turbulent relationship with the dollar during the past three decades.

The dollar itself has lost dominance as a powerful trading currency of the world, after having gotten stiff competition from the Euro. With the Chinese Renminbi now pushing for global trading, the US currency

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and even the Euro have been pressured further.

Years of failure of not pushing ahead with economic reforms has prompted the credit rating agency Fitch to cut its long-term issuer default ratings for five Omani banks, saying the government had become less able to support the banking system.

A flicker of good news is that local banks are still stable and may not face significant financial pressures. But that is only a short-term outlook.

With oil prices falling to its lowest level since June 2014 at current levels of around $35 a barrel, the government would find it better to borrow than devalue the Rial or increase taxes.

But the real reinvigoration in the economy, in the present circumstances, must come from expenditure cuts aimed at balancing the fiscal books.

To give the economy a shot in the arm, 2016 is not the right time to hike spending by investing on diversification projects.

The government must put all its diversification plans on hold.

It simply cannot afford to do it. During next year’s budget, it

has to concentrate on financing essential services, such as education, health, infrastructure maintenance and security.

With oil prices unlikely to go back to $115 per barrel when it was traded in the summer of last year, the government must be realistic and must not project any growth in 2016. The state’s general reserve funds have already taken a severe knock and it will not be prudent to reduce them to a bare minimum. So to keep drawing money from the reserves to finance ‘white elephant’ investments must be resisted.

Hopefully, by now, fiscal planners should know what is in the economic stakes.

Oil production is not reliable anymore and will not ever be the way it once was. The government will need to dig deep into its resources, other than petrochemicals, without hurting investors or breaking its bank balance.

Meanwhile, unreasonable hikes in corporate or industrial concession taxes are not desirable, and Oman may be forced to look at other taxation regimes. The introduction of personal income tax and Value Added Tax (VAT) will be hotly debated by people in the streets.

However, this is the government that may now have to resort to untested territories of earning new income to keep the economy afloat.

R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E M U S C AT

tural and historical places of Poland, which are part of UNESCO’s World Heritage list. - Picture by AR Rajkumar/Times of Oman

‘Embassy of Poland to open soon in Muscat’ Bilateral relations between Oman and Poland have steadily grown, said Jakub Slawek, counsellor and deputy head of Mission at the Embassy of Poland in Riyadh

STAFF REPORTER

Schade to be the star soloist at ROHM Times News Service MUSCAT: World-renowned German-Canadian tenor Michael Schade will be the star soloist at ROHM’s Gala New Year’s Eve Celebration.

Schade will share the stage with two young award-winning artists, Egyptian soprano Fatma Said, First Prize winner at the 2012 Leyla Gencer Voice Competition in Italy, and Grand Pix winner at the International Giulio Perotti— Gesangswettbewerbs in Germany, along with acclaimed Italian violinist Anna Tifu, winner of the important 2007 George Enescu Competition in Bucharest.

Based in Canada, Schade has

HISTORICAL PLACES: The exhibition has 14 pictures of architec-

Michael Schade. — Supplied picture

Anna Tifu. — Supplied picture

appeared at the world’s most prestigious concert halls and opera houses, including New York’s Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera, the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, the National Opera of Paris, and the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall.

Schade has achieved international success in concerts, recitals, and opera. He is also a soughtafter Mozart leading man who is noted for his work with Schubert, Brahms and Strauss. Schade’s wider repertoire includes Wagner, Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, along with others.

Multifaceted voice This leading tenor’s multifaceted voice is appreciated for its versatile colours, especially in soft and mezza voce singing, as well as for its powerful galvanising quality at full volume.

His virtuosity includes seamlessly blending several vocal shades within the same phrase.

Rising star Fatma Said, just 24 years-old and maturing with a clear soprano voice, has been favourably compared with the young Maria Callas.

David Levi, the celebrated American conductor who has been described by critics as“inspired and creative”, will direct the Belgrade Philharmonic.

MUSCAT: Embassy of Poland will start functioning in Muscat soon, said Jakub Slawek, counsellor and deputy head of Mission at the Embassy of Poland in Riyadh.

According to him, bilateral relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic have steadily grown.

“During the last couple of years, we have noticed a huge improvement in our relationship,” Slawek told the Times of Oman.

“We are looking to strengthen our relationship in two ways, one is to collaborate in the culture and higher education field and the second one is to encourage business and economical contact,” he added. Slawek is currently in Muscat for an exhibition, which is being conducted by the Embassy in Riyadh in cooperation with the Omani Society for Fine Arts.

The exhibition, which is tak-

ing place at the Omani Society for Fine Arts, has 14 pictures of architectural and historical places of Poland, which are part of UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

“These are the 14 treasures of Poland, which have been officially recognised by UNESCO,” he stated. According to him, these exhibitions are not only for tourism promotion, but also to showcase the culture and historical places of Poland before Omani Society.

“Most of the places selected

by UNESCO are either architectural or historical. It shows what Poland has to offer to the world,” Slawek noted. He also appreciated the work of the honorary consulate in Muscat. According to Slawek, there are 50 Omani students, who are currently pursuing their studies in Poland. “This exhibition will help us to know more about Poland and its historical places,” said Abdul Salim, who visited the exhibition hall.

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C L E A N I N I T I AT I V E

Oman wins environment awareness GCC award MUSCAT: Oman, represented by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, has won the GCC Environment and Wildlife Award for 2013-2014 in the field of environment awareness on natural calamities.

The achievement came in response to the ministry’s efforts extended by the various departments and directorates general of environment and climate affairs in the various governorates of the Sultanate in the field of environment awareness, under the supervision of the ministry’s awareness and information department.

Farida bint Salim Al Balushi, acting director of ministry’s awareness and information department, said the ministry’s awareness programme and the participation of a wide sector of the community have contributed to this achievement, thanks to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the leader and founder of environment work in the Sultanate.

The GCC Environment and Wildlife Award came in response to the decision of the GCC environment ministers taken in their meeting held in Abu Dhabi in 1994 . The award also translates the environment awareness role in preservation of environment and natural resources. —ONA OMAN FISHERIES CO.

Programme to improve quality of products completed Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman’s largest processor and exporter of fish and seafood products, Oman Fisheries Co., has completed a quality improvement programme in a bid to put in place world-class quality control practices throughout its outlets and plants.

The programme was launched as part of the Quality Month initiative in November, in conjunction with World Quality Month celebrations. The quality enforcement programme underscored Oman Fisheries’ commitment to maintaining world-class quality standards throughout its range of products and services.

Under the Quality Month project, the company introduced programmes involving all departments, to expand awareness about quality and operating with advanced quality control systems.

International quality “The brand called Oman Fisheries is built on an uncompromising adherence to international quality standards across diverse products and processes, and also the entire spectrum of corporate management practices. It is in celebration of this spirit and culture of quality that Oman Fisheries joined the global business world in observing November as World Quality Month. We used the occasion to promote the use of quality tools in production, such as flowcharts, checklists and others, with the objective of producing high quality products by eliminating or minimising errors,” a spokesperson for Oman Fisheries said.

Further, during Quality Month, the company carried out various quality-centred activities in accordance with international guidelines on promoting greater quality awareness and use of quality control tools in business, he added.

Quality control staff from all departments shared their insights on quality principles and discussed strategies to further put in place quality systems in the company. Also, best performing employees from various departments and outlets who have consistently applied Oman Fisheries Quality System practices were honoured.

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Central bank issues new commemorative coins MUSCAT: New commemorative coins were issued by the Central Bank of Oman (CBO), on the occasion of the 45th National Day 2015.

The new coins of 100, 50, 25, 10, and 5 baizas, will be offered for sale at OMR6.500.

Legal tender These new coins will circulate as legal tender along with the existing

circulation coins, the ONA said in the press statement.

The new coins on the front side depict the name and title of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, national emblem, name of the Central Bank of Oman, year of minting, and denomination in Arabic and English.

The back side of the coin depicts the 45th National Day Logo. — ONA

– ONA

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SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

OMAN Job change figures among New Year resolutions: Poll

Yes, of course…everybody needs to acquire new skills and behaviour to meet the requirements of work and life and keep abreast with changes Malik Al Bahri, Interior Ministry staff

COMMON ANSWERS IN BAYT.COM POLL 7,708

The poll reveals that 100%

total respondents

93%

believe in ‘reinventing oneself, career or life’

83.1%

see their career and life to be ‘very different’

79.8%

stuck to last year’s resolutions

looking forward to

79.6%

have made career resolutions

the New Year, with

48.9

professionals in the MENA region are

80%

60%

the vast majority or 79.6 per cent of the

40%

respondents making career resolutions

BABA UMAR

babaumar@timesofoman.com

20%

0

38.7% 33.2% 30.4% 19% 17.8%

‘only stuck’ to their resolutions to some extent’ feel ‘very positive’ about 2016 are ‘excited’ resolved to work harder are ‘anxious’ have decided to change their jobs

17.2% 9.2% 8.1% 6% 5.4%

pledge to travel more are ‘neutral’ would like to take a course would like to get organised pledge to lose weight

Source: Holidays in the MENA Workplace Poll, Bayt.com

MUSCAT: For Hussain Mohammed Al Lawati, a banker with the pioneer of Islamic banking in the Sultanate, Meethaq Islamic Banking, 2015 was a thriving year in which he “stuck” to the promises he had made to himself.

“Those (pledges) were successful,” he told the Times of Oman (TOO).

Career In 2016, he plans to “simply grow up and advance in his career,” which includes reaching a managerial position in the bank.

“Family-wise, I’m planning on having my first child, Inshallah,” he said.

For Malik Al Bahri, who works in the Sultanate’s Interior Minis-

try, the New Year will involve “reinventing.”

“Yes, of course…everybody needs to acquire new skills and behaviour to meet the requirements of work and life and keep abreast with changes,” she said.

Jewellery artist Nadia Al Shamsi is looking forward to participating in upcoming international jewellery exhibitions after having met her goals for 2015.

“I also look forward to continuing holding volunteer workshops in jewellery design and art for students of government schools,” she said.

Young Omanis are among the hundreds of thousands of professionals in the Middle East and

Graphics

North Africa (MENA), who are looking forward to the New Year with poise.

Career resolutions According to the “Holidays in the MENA Workplace Poll” conducted by Bayt.com—a top online job site in the region—hard work, switching jobs, and travelling are top on the list of resolutions for the New Year.

The poll revealed that professionals in the MENA region are looking forward to the New Year, with the vast majority or 79.6 per cent of the respondents making career resolutions.

“In fact, 30.4 per cent of them have already resolved to work

harder next year. 17.8 per cent have decided to change their jobs or career, while 17.2 per cent of the respondents would prefer to travel more,” Bayt.com said in a statement on Tuesday.

The online survey in which 7,708 respondents participated said 8.1 per cent of the participants would like to take a course, 6 per cent would like to become more organised, while joining a gym or losing weight remained a resolution for 5.4 per cent of the people.

“79.8 per cent of the respondents also claimed to have stuck to last year’s resolutions, however, 48.9 per cent admitted to ‘only sticking to their resolutions to some extent,” the survey revealed.

Boon for workplaces Bayt.com officials said the fact that employees are resolving to improve their working habits and working harder in the New Year is a “boon” for workplaces throughout the MENA region.

“At Bayt.com, it is our mission to provide professionals with the tools and knowledge to discover the regional trends and use these to make better decisions when it comes to hiring and retaining top talent,” said Suhail Masri, vice president of Sales at Bayt.com.

The survey indicated that 38.7 per cent of the respondents described their feelings as “very positive” and 33.2 per cent as “excited,” compared with only 19 per cent describing their feelings as “anxious” and 9.2 per cent as “neutral.”

57.1 per cent said the new calendar year would affect their lev-

els of excitement towards work, while 31 per cent would “not be affected at all.”

An impressive 93 per cent of professionals believe in “reinventing oneself, career or life” and 83.1 per cent said they would like their career and life to be “very different” next year.

Holiday activities When it comes to favourite holiday activities for employees around the MENA region, travel topped the list for 30.1 per cent of those surveyed.

22.2 per cent claimed to travel during “almost every holiday,” while 30.3 per cent travelled once or twice a year.

“Almost a third admitted that they ‘rarely’ travelled during the holidays, while 18 per cent claimed to ‘never travel’ at all,” the polls revealed.

Other favourite holiday activities included “spending time with family (21.3 per cent); “going out with friends” (15.2 per cent); and “partaking in outdoor activities” (10.9 per cent), the survey said.

All the respondents were from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen.

No respondents were chosen from Palestine, Israel, Sudan or Syria though.

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UNETHICAL ACTS

Breaking A1 radars will invite jail < FROM

Hatred for the speed cameras is not restricted to Ibri. “We have gotten reports of a large number of vandalism cases from Muscat and Al Batinah too,” the ROP official said.

But not everyone is in favour of radar cameras. “It is a mere tool to increase government revenue and is a form of indirect taxation,” one of them said.

However, Hardie said: “Damaging radars will not erase their fines.”

Sultan Al Abri, member of the Shura Council said: “No one accepts these unethical acts.”

According to the Omani Penal Law, people who are caught vandalising public properties are liable to face a jail term of three months to three years in addition to a fine ranging between OMR10 and OMR500.

Speed cameras Another senior ROP official has linked the significant decline in the number of road accidents in 2015, compared with the last year to the wide installation of speed cameras.

“Speeding is the main cause of road deaths in Oman,” he said, adding that vandals are probably frequent speeders.

Over the last 11 months of 2015, the total number of road accidents slipped to 5,254 from 6,171 cases reported during the same period last year, reflecting a drop of 14.9 per cent, according to the latest figures issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information.

The ROP official said Oman is known to have the lowest traffic fines among Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

H E R I TA G E S I T E S

Al Hazm Fort has big tourism potential Times News Service MUSCAT: After the Tourism Department carried out its restoration work, the Al Hazm Fort was officially opened for public earlier this week by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT).

The Al Hazm Fort, which is located in the wilayat of Rustaq in the Al Batinah South Governorate, is one of the most beautiful Omani forts. It had remained closed for quite some time, and has now been renovated and restored by the MoT. The fort will be open to visitors from 9am to 4pm on all days, except Fridays. Visitor timings on Fridays will be from 8am to 11am.

The Al Hazm Fort has high tourism potential, owing to its solid defence features and unique architecture. This has encouraged the MoT to showcase this historical treasure for visitors in ways that will facilitate an appreciation of the history of the fort and its architecture among them.

The MoT, represented by the Directorate of Historical Sites Development, has carried out

UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE: The Ministry has carried out many projects to conserve this historical landmark and highlight the valuable beautiful collections inside it. – Supplied photo

many projects to conserve this historical landmark and highlight the valuable beautiful collections inside it for different segments of visitors to view and appreciate the same. It recently held an exhibition that outlined the historical legacy of the fort.

Significantly, the Ministry also

introduced a modern museumoriented lighting system that highlights the beauty of the fort, especially in the evening.

The lighting enhances the fort’s Omani architectural splendour manifold. In addition, the Ministry has introduced an audio guide service in five languages for

the benefit of those who do not understand Arabic. The audio guide accompanies the tourist on a splendid trip inside the fort.

As a result, the visitor can listen to stories and tales in every corner of the fort, and gain valuable historical knowledge. These efforts by the ministry to utilize the fort’s tourism potential are sure to yield significant benefits.

The Sunaislah Fort was also opened to the public in this week.

It is located in the wilayat of Sur. It had been extensively refurbished as part of a renovation project jointly financed by the MoT and Oman LNG, which aims to develop various facilities for visitors. The fort’s theatre was also significantly renovated and its capacity enhanced.

The renovation projects at the Sunaislah and Hazm forts were part of the MoT’s visionary programme aimed at the restoration and development of all castles and forts managed by the Ministry.

The programme has been designed to enhance the tourism value of such historical sites through scientific restoration works.

RISING FLIGHTS

Airport traffic at Muscat, Salalah grows MUSCAT: Air passenger traffic through Muscat International Airport until the end of November 2015 recorded an increase of 17 per cent to 9,321,617 passengers, while it rose by 21 per cent at the Salalah Airport, compared to the figures in the same period in 2014.

Data shows an 18 per cent increase in the number of arrivals to 4,708,379 until November 2015, compared to 3,991,125 passengers for the same period in 2014. The number of departing passengers also increased by 16 per cent to 4,583,962 from 3,941,684 passengers a year ago.

The increase in the arrival and departure at the Muscat International Airport is attributed to the growing number of flights operated by the existing airlines, such as Kuwait Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and SpiceJet. In terms of airfreight traffic at the Muscat International airport, aviation data indicates an increase in the total unloaded and loaded freight by 10 per cent. -ONA

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REGION

Several former ministers from the cabinets of two ex-presidents, Mohammad Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, are among the candidates.

B R E A K I N G PA R T I C I PAT I O N R E C O R D S

Record 12,000 register for Iran’s February parliamentary polls DUBAI: Almost 12,000 candidates have registered for Iran’s February parliamentary election, state television said on Saturday, breaking participation records at a time of political uncertainty in Iran.

President Hassan Rouhani, a centrist who won election by a landslide in 2013 and championed Iran’s July nuclear deal with world powers, is hoping his supporters

can take control of the 290-seat assembly and end years of dominance by conservative factions.

A supportive legislature could give Rouhani a stronger mandate to push through domestic reforms to increase social and political liberties -- an area where his efforts have so far been checked by the judiciary and security forces.

But hardliners have warned of

potential “sedition” at the polls, a word used to describe reformist protests following disputed presidential elections in 2009 that touched off a wave of repression and arrests. Rouhani and his ally, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, are hoping to win a majority by cashing in on the popularity they gained from the deal to restrain Iran’s nuclear programme in ex-

change for a lifting of sanctions crippling the economy.

Several former ministers from the cabinets of two ex-presidents, Mohammad Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, are among the candidates. The Guardian Council, an unelected judicial body that vets candidates on technical and ideological grounds, is likely to disqualify several thou-

sand of them before voters go to the polls on February 26. To pass the vetting procedure, candidates must have a Masters degree and support the principles of the Islamic Republic. Grounds for disqualification include rejecting religion or having links to banned political parties.

Around 5,200 candidates signed up for the last parliamentary elec-

tions in 2012, but more than a third were disqualified, leaving around 3,400 candidates on polling day.

Elections to the Assembly of Experts, an 88-seat clerical body that will select Iran’s next clerical Supreme Leader, will be held on the same day; 801 candidates including Rouhani and several of his prominent allies have signed up. — Reuters

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SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015 As per our information, they don’t have any such plans...however, if there is something such in their minds we need to ascertain it Hyderabad Police official

INDIA I N F LU E N C E D BY O N L I N E I S P R O PAG A N D A

Three youths ‘planning to join terror groups’ picked up NAGPUR/HYDERABAD: Three Hyderabad-based cousins, who allegedly planned to join “terror groups”, were on Saturday picked up from Nagpur international airport while on their way to Srinagar, months after they were put under watch for being influenced by online IS propaganda.

Earlier reports had said that the trio was arrested as they were planning to join the dreaded terror outfit. Police said the three were rounded up in a joint operation by west-Indian state Maharashtra

Anti-Terrorist Squad and Telangana Police at the airport when they were trying to board a morning flight to Srinagar after arriving in Nagpur from Hyderabad on Friday.

The youths, in their 20s, were counselled by police last year after they were caught while allegedly planning to join IS and have been under watch since then.

“They have a extremist kind of mindset. They were going to Srinagar. But they do not have any connection with IS as of now. We do not know of anything which can

and when police came to know about it, they were caught and counselled following which they stopped the activity.

“All three are being brought back to Hyderabad. Once we get them back to Hyderabad we will question them to check from them on their plans. Only after questioning them we will come to know about if they had any other intentions (joining IS or any other terror outfits)...then we will proceed further accordingly,” the official said.

“There is no case against the trio

which the police were informed by their family members.

Police tracked them down at Nagpur and alerted the Maharashtra ATS following which they were picked up, a senior Special Branch Official of Hyderabad Police said.

Asked on reports that the trio were planning to join IS, the official said, “As per our information, they don’t have any such plans... however, if there is something such in their minds we need to ascertain it.” Last year, they had got attracted to IS propaganda online

suggest that they were in touch with IS people,” a senior Intelligence Official of Telangana Police said.

“The trio wanted to reach Srinagar from where they wanted to explore (the idea of ) joining some terror organisation. They did not have any well prepared plan but they wanted to explore ways to join some terror organisation,” he said.

All three, who are students, were counselled earlier and they were under watch of police.

About two days ago, they ran away from their homes here about

BJP says PM’s Lahore visit a ‘transformative moment’ BJP spokesperson M.J. Akbar said warm personal relation between Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif is ‘symptomatic’ of the ‘diplomatic thaw’ that has taken place BOOSTING TIES: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif at a

meeting in Lahore on Friday.

NEW DELHI: Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan a “transformative moment” in the subcontinent, BJP on Saturday said it has provided yet another opportunity to write a new chapter in the difficult Indo-Pak relationship and rejected Congress’ criticism as“childish”.

The party hailed Modi for his “courage, vision, skill and imagination”, saying pursuit of peace in the complex region with its history of fraught ties between the two countries required such courage.

BJP spokesperson M. J.Akbar also noted at a press conference that it required “two authors reading from the same page” to write a new chapter while asserting that the peace process between the two neighbours has been revived in an “extraordinary” manner.

Warm personal relation between Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif is “symptomatic” of the “diplomatic thaw” that has taken place, he said.

Vision “The party expresses its deep admiration for the prime minister for his courage, vision, imagination and skill in creating a transformative moment on the subcontinent. Search of peace does not meant that we have already found

- PTI

Foreign secretaries of India, Pakistan to meet on January 15 to draw roadmap for dialogue NEW DELHI: The Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet on January 15 in Islamabad to draw a roadmap to carry forward the engagement under the newly- announced “Bilateral Comprehensive Dialogue”.

Though there was no official announcement from either India or Pakistani side, sources said Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar will travel to Islamabad to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.

it. But the process particularly in a region with as many complex problems as ours, history as ours; the pursuit of peace, always a fragile commodity, requires kind of courage shown in Lahore,” Akbar said and also admired Sharif for his leadership.

“We also extend our congratu-

During the meeting, the two secretaries will discuss modalities and other schedule-related aspects to carry forward the dialogue which was announced during the visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Islamabad earlier this month.

On December 23, the neighbouring country had proposed talks between their foreign secretaries in Islamabad on January 15 to discuss all outstanding issues.

According to sources, India

lations to Pakistan prime minister for his vision and leadership in this pursuit of peace,” he said.

Congress’ charge Asked about Congress’ charge that an industrialist had arranged the meeting in Lahore and that Modi’s visit was meant to promote

had accepted the proposal.

The process of resumption of talks was set in motion after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart in Paris on November 30 on the sidelines of Climate Change Conference.

The meet was followed by the national security advisers’ meeting in Bangkok a week later following which the External Affairs Minister visited Pakistan to attend Heart of Asia Conference. - PTI

private business interests, he shot back, “What can be an answer to such childishness.... This is not only absolutely incorrect but also reflects on the brains of people raising such questions.”

“Unfortunately, there are one or two parties which are preferring partisan politics over national in-

terest. Hope they will understand that the prime minister’s vision is for common good,” he said, adding that the prime minister will visit Pakistan next year for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC ) Summit “if all goes well”.

Akbar said the depth and extent of positive response to the meeting between the two government heads has been “extremely reassuring” and noted that mainstream political parties in Pakistan and the Left in India had also welcomed it besides the outside world.

Modi has been a “master” of such transformative moments, he said, recalling his decision to invite all the government heads of SAARC countries for his oathtaking ceremony and noted that subsequent developments indicated the difficulties in the IndiaPakistan relation. The Lahore meet, he said in a lighter vein, can be called an effective example of climate change except that it wanted to make the subcontinent warmer and not colder.

Modi has a great vision not only for Indo-Pak ties but for the whole SAARC region, Akbar said, suggesting that he wanted it like the European Union, which was a “frozen war zone” 70 years back.

Quoting his own article, he said SAARC is the larger circle around which the prime minister was trying to untangle the “vicious” Indo-Pak circle. Asked about what transpired between the talks between the two heads, he said it was not a structured dialogue but an attempt to build atmosphere which was successful.

Allegations To a question about allegations against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, he strongly defended him, saying truth is with him and those attacking him are either “misled” or lying. - PTI

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and they have not been arrested.

They have been only picked up,” he said clarifying on reports that they have been arrested.

The youths are related to late president of Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) Syed Salahuddin, who died in a car accident in October last year in Telangana. Recently, four youths went ‘missing’ from suburban Malwani in Mumbai, allegedly lured by the IS ideology. While two of them have returned home, two others are still intraceable. - PTI N E W L AW

Congress slams minimum education rule for civic polls in Punjab, Haryana NEW DELHI: A new law in BJPruled Haryana and Rajasthan states mandating that only those having minimum educational qualifications can contest panchayat elections, has found little support from Congress which dubbed the move as one “hurting constitutional rights”.

But the BJP hit back at Congress saying that while efforts are being made to take country forward, the opposition party was “setting the clock backward.”

One of the clauses in the law passed by the two states makes it clear that only those having minimum educational qualifications will be eligible to contest panchayat elections.

Haryana’s law has been upheld by the Supreme Court.

“It hurts the constitutional right. All have right to vote and thus contest. No pre-condition can be imposed,” Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma said slamming the law.

But Environment Minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said while efforts are being made to take the country forward, Congress was “setting the clock backward” by opposing the law which has been upheld by the judiciary.

Irrational He said since it pertains to local polls, states have framed the law and it is not an all India decision.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the pre-condition imposed is “irrational” as those having a right to vote should also be free to contest.

He said such a law is “practical” when the level of literacy is anywhere between 90 per cent and 100 per cent.

Otherwise it will “deny people a level playing field”.

BJP Secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said there was need to spread education in the country and such laws work as incentive for people regarding literacy.

He said efforts should not be made to take the country “backward”. - PTI

FROM JANUARY 1

Air India will now serve only vegetarian meals in 60-90 minutes domestic flights NEW DELHI: Come January 1, loss-making government-run Air India will not serve non-vegetarian food to its economy class passengers on flights upto 90 minutes duration.

The national carrier has also decided to strike off both tea and coffee from its lunch and dinner menu. As of now, Air India serves sandwich (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian) and cake on its flights, which are up to 90 minutes of duration, which will be discontinued from January 1, 2016, replaced with “all vegetarian” hot meal, an airline circular said.

“It has been decided to provide all Indian vegetarian hot meals in economy class on all domestic sector flights between 61 and 90 minutes duration from January 1, 2016.” the circular issued late last week said.

Flights to most of the non-metro routes fall in this category.

While Air India has defended the move saying it has upgraded the meals, a travel industry expert said the decision is unilateral.

“We have, in fact, upgraded

CHANGE IN MENU: The national carrier has also decided to strike off both tea and coffee from its lunch and dinner menu. - PTI file photo

and improved the meals. So far, we were serving only sandwiches and cakes, which have now be replaced with hot meals,” a senior airline official said.

He said, with 150-odd passengers onboard and just two crew cabin members to serve, “at times it becomes difficult to cater as per the passenger’s choice in such short-duration flights.”

However, according to travel industry expert Rajji Rai, the state-owned airline should have

first carried out a passenger survey, which is an industry practice, before affecting any change in the menu.

“Airlines world over carry out customer surveys before taking such decisions. Unfortunately, Air India is very poor in such practices. This decision to discontinue non-vegetarian food on these non-metro flights is just one-sided,” he said.

Air India had flown 1.18-million passengers with a market

share of 16.2 per cent in the previous month.

In a statement, Air India said it presently provides cold vegetarian snacks on flights of 61 to 90 minutes flights duration.

“Air India will now be serving proper hot vegetarian meals on these 60 to 90 minutes flights.

“There will be a review after obtaining passengers’ feedback. On flights exceeding 90 minutes, the present choice of veg and non-veg meals will continue,” it said. - PTI

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Corruption is core value of BJP’s ideology: AAP leader AAP spokesperson Ashutosh said the way BJP is saving its ‘Kalmadi’, people of this country are quite clear that the BJP and the Congress are the two sides of the same coin

NEW DELHI: Corruption was the core value of the BJP’s ideology because people attacking corruption were being suspended from the party in the name of antiparty activity, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national spokesperson Ashutosh said on Saturday.

“The way the Bharatiya Janata Party is saving its ‘Kalmadi’, people of this country are clear that the BJP and the Congress are two faces of the same coin,” Ashutosh

DEMANDING RESIGNATION: Aam Aadmi Party activists stage a protest demanding the resignation of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over the alleged irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), in Bhopal on Saturday. - PTI

said at a press conference.

He was referring to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is embroiled in a row over alleged financial bungling in Delhi’s cricket board, and Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi who was also allegedly involved in corruption during the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Hitting out at the BJP, he said party MP Kirti Azad, who fought a battle against corruption in the Delhi

and District Cricket Association (DDCA) for nine years, was first ignored, then humiliated and finally suspended from the party.

He said the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday organised a nationwide protest against Jaitley over his alleged involvement in financial irregularities in the DDCA. The AAP said the protest was organised in over 275 districts and 17 state capitals.

PA S S A G E O F B I L L I N R A J YA S A B H A

AHMEDABAD: Senior Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry on Saturday said BJP is trying to create a wrong perception among people that Congress is not allowing the Goods and Service Tax (GST) bill to pass in the Parliament.

“We are not against the GST bill. The BJP is trying to create a wrong perception among people that the Congress is not allowing the bill in the Rajya Sabha,” Mistry told reporters here.

“I was member of the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha which had vetted the bill. The original bill of GST tabled by UPA government and the new GST bill brought by NDA government has many differences,” the Congress MP in Rajya Sabha from Gujarat, said.

“We had raised three issues with the NDA government regarding putting 18 per cent cap on tax in the bill, removal of levy of one per cent additional GST by states and change in grievance rederessal mechanism,” he said.

“The NDA government gave

I was member of the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha which had vetted the bill. The original bill of GST tabled by UPA government and the new GST bill brought by NDA government has many differences Madhusudan Mistry Senior Congress leader

positive response on only one point and that was of removal of levy one per cent additional GST by states. However, they did not give positive response on other two issues. That is the reason GST bill has not passed,” he claimed.

Mistry said non-functioning of Parliament is directly related

Ashutosh said that investigations have revealed that companies and vendors were paid Rs16,900 per day by the DDCA for taking laptops on rent, Rs3,000 were paid as daily rent for printers and “pooja thalis” were taken on rent for up to Rs5,000 per day.

As a way of their protest, AAP volunteers from across the country on Saturday set up stalls to rent out their laptops and printers SMUGGLING

‘BJP creating wrong perception about Congress role on GST bill’

to the “actions of Pirme Minister Narendra Modi-led government” like raiding and sealing office of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and “arbitrary behaviour” of Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prakash Rajkhowa who attempted toppling the Congress government in that state. - PTI

A9

Two arrested as gold worth Rs70m seized IMPHAL: Gold bars smuggled from Myanmar and worth over Rs70 million were seized by Assam Rifles in Manipur and two smugglers arrested, an official said on Saturday.

Assam Rifles spokesman Akhil Dhawan said a mobile check post of 2 Assam Rifles intercepted a truck near Lilong area in Thoubal district. During a search of the truck, gold bars weighing 28kg and worth Rs7.1 million were seized. The gold bars were hidden inside the battery cabinet of the truck. A customs official said the gold was smuggled from Myanmar. -IANS

to the DDCA. “We will orgnise a massive protest at Jantar Mantar on January 10 against Jaitley. It will be to expose the BJP’s corruption,” he added.

Jaitley has sued Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders of the AAP for linking him with the alleged corruption.

The BJP has suspended Azad for campaigning against Jaitley on the same issue.

Meanwhile, asserting that Jaitley is suffering the backlash of backing Arvind Kejriwal during his anti-corruption movement against Congress alongwith Anna Hazare, the Shiv Sena on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should at times listen to its ally, which had opposed any sort of support to the AAP leader then.

“We remember the time when Anna Hazare and Kejriwal company was creating chaos against Congress government at Ramlila ground (in Delhi). At that time, Kejriwal was garnering praise by levelling absurd allegations against the Congress leadership.

“There was a tug of war (between political parties) to support Kejriwal’s hooliganism,” the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana. - Agencies

G L O B A L M U S I C F E S T I VA L

‘India is most tolerant country in the world’ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amidst the raging debate on growing ‘intolerance’ in the country, violin virtuoso and composer Dr L Subramaniam on Saturday took a varying point of view, saying India was one of the most tolerant countries in the world.

India had tolerated several attacks and invasions in the past and that itself had been a proof of the great tolerance of the country, the maestro told reporters here.

“India is one of the most tolerant countries in the world. Here, anybody can speak against anyone and it can be broadcast and published in newspapers. That itself shows the tolerance of the country,” he said on the debate on intolerance in the country.

The Padma Bhushan awardee said he had performed in certain countries where “you say one word, and people have disappeared.”

Subramaniam is in the city along with his singer-wife Kavitha Krishnamurthi to perform at the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival.

Stating that it was “not appropriate to call a country intolerant taking into consideration one or two isolated instances”, he said, “We are highly cultured and we should focus on making our country a powerful one.” - PTI

A10

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

PAKISTAN There’s a conflict of interest in Modi-Sharif talks: Imran Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf chairman

Meetings of the two prime ministers, from the secret meeting in Kathmandu to the one in Lahore, must be done through institutional frameworks with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the loop for sustainability

Imran Khan said that to have a business associate arrange the two prime ministers’ meetings has an underlying

Imran Khan

conflict of interest

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman

institutional frameworks with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the loop for sustainability.”

Further, Imran said that such meetings held between the prime ministers undermines a process whereby tensions can be eased, and raises questions and conflict of interest.

The remarks come a day after Modi made a brief surprise visit to Lahore where he met with PM Nawaz and visited his residence in Raiwind.

It was the first time an Indian premier had stepped foot on Pakistani soil in more than 10 years and was seen by analysts as a step towards normalising ties between the two neighbours which have fought three wars.

— Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Imran Khan, on Saturday took to Twitter, saying that there was a “conflict of interest” for a business associate to arrange a meeting

between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Imran, however, welcomed the revival of relationships between the longstanding arch rivals.

“We welcome the thaw in PakIndia relations, but to have a business associate arrange the two prime ministers’ meetings has an underlying conflict of interest,” the PTI chairman tweeted.

Referring to an earlier secret meeting between the two leaders, he said, “Meetings of the two prime ministers, from the secret meeting in Kathmandu to the one in Lahore, must be done through

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B A R R E D F R O M H O S P I TA L

Bilawal visits deceased infant’s family KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto on Saturday visited the home of Bisma, the girl who died as a result of high security measures in place for his visit to Civil hospital a day earlier, Express News reported.

Bilawal went to the residence of the deceased infant, where he expressed grief over the incident and condoled with the bereaving family. Speaking with the girl’s father, Muhammad Faisal, Bilawal said he was deeply saddened by the death and expressed grief over the loss of the child’s life.

The girl died on Wednesday when her family was unable to enter Civil Hospital due to security measures in place for Bilawal’s arrival at the healthcare facility, drawing stern criticism and a public outrage against PPP and VIP protocol.

Later, Bilawal and co-chairman PPP Asif Ali Zardari ordered an impartial inquiry into the death and asked for the findings to be made public.

— Express Tribune

KURRAM AGENCY

30 INJURED IN EARTHQUAKE

Two rebels killed in attack on checkpost

Pakistani relatives tend to an earthquake survivor as he is treated at a hospital in Peshawar on Saturday. A 6.2 magnitude earthquake rocked northeast Afghanistan on late Friday close to the country’s borders with Pakistan and Tajikistan, leaving at least 30 people injured, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake, which measured 203.5 kilometres (126 miles) deep, struck about 280 kilometres northeast of the Afghan capital Kabul at 11:44pm (1914 GMT), the USGS said on its website. — AFP

PESHAWAR: Two suspected militants were killed and five others injured in the early hours of Saturday, as security forces repulsed a militant attack carried out in Kurram Agency on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Unidentified militants initiated the attack on the security forces check-post after which two militants were killed in retaliatory firing.

Five other suspected militants were injured in the crossfire and were arrested and moved to an unidentified place for further interrogation, officials said.

Officials at Parachanar, headquarters of Kurram Agency, confirmed the clash between security forces and militants in border region. — Express Tribune HIGH UTILITY COSTS

Need to address causes of falling textile exports KARACHI: Pakistan’s textile exports are taking a hit because of the high cost of utilities, said Pakistan Apparel Forum Chairman Muhammad Jawed Bilwani.

“The government has not given due attention to the rising cost of utilities during the last two and a half years and this has now become a big hurdle in the way of increasing exports,” he said, adding unless the government evaluated the difference in the cost of manufacturing with regional textile exporting countries, it would not be able to understand fully the causes of declining exports.

He said if the major causes were not addressed, the situation would not improve. “The valueadded sector requires a level playing field to compete with regional rivals, but due to the rising cost of manufacturing, the grievances of exporters, especially those producing finished goods, are reaching new heights.”

“If the problems are not addressed properly, exports would continue to fall and would resultantly create a serious issue of employment,” he added.

He remarked that despite having a business-friendly government, the country’s business community was facing such critical economic problems.

The textile industry constitutes more than 50 per cent of the country’s exports. The value-added textile sector has been providing millions of jobs to skilled and unskilled workers. However, instead of supporting export strategies of the value-added textile sector, the government now depends on raw material exporters.

“The cost of electricity in Pa-

The value-added sector requires a level playing field to compete with regional rivals, but due to the rising cost of manufacturing, the grievances of exporters, especially those producing finished goods, are reaching new heights, said Pakistan Apparel Forum Chairman Muhammad Jawed Bilwani kistan is 86 per cent higher than Sri Lanka and 45 per cent higher than India and Bangladesh, while the gas price is 173 per cent higher than Bangladesh and 44.2 per cent higher than India,” claimed Bilwani.

More surprisingly, Pakistan’s gas prices for industries are 90 per cent higher than the United States, which is one of the biggest buyers of Pakistani textile. Approximately, 50 per cent of Pakistan’s textile exports go to the US. During the first five months

(July-November) of fiscal year 2015-16, textile exports declined 8.4 per cent to $5.2 billion from $5.7 billion in the same period of last year.

It seems, he said, that the government was solely interested in increasing the export of raw material.

“The export of raw material is encouraged while the export of value added goods that fetch higher foreign exchange with value addition are discouraged.”

— Express Tribune

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 27, 2 0 1 5

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Dozens feared dead in Myanmar landslide The landslide took place on Friday in Hpakant in the country’s northern Kachin State, a rugged region sandwiched between China and India and the heart of Myanmar’s multibillion dollar jade industry

YANGON: Dozens of people were feared dead in Myanmar after a landslide hit a jade mining region, workers at a local mining firm said, the second such incident in just over a month.

The landslide took place on Friday in Hpakant in the country’s northern Kachin State, a rugged region sandwiched between China and India and the heart of Myanmar’s multi-billion dollar jade industry controlled by its powerful military.

“We heard about 50 people were buried in the collapsed dump and four or five bodies were found this morning,” Sai Lon, who works at a jade mining company in the area, told Reuters on Saturday.

Police in Hpakant, in Mohnyin district, said the landslide took place on Friday afternoon but that they could not confirm casualties.

“We haven’t heard anything from the rescue team yet,” said a duty officer at Hpakant Town-

RESCUE OPERATION: Rescue workers are pictured at the site of a landslide on Saturday in Hpakant, Kachin State, the war-torn area that is the epicentre of Myanmar’s secretive billion dollar jade industry. Rescuers were searching through mud and rubble after a new landslide buried workers in the remote jade mining region in northern Myanmar, the second such incident in just over a month. - AFP

ship Police Station who declined to be named. On November 22, a massive landslide in the same mountainous area in Kachin State killed 114 people. The area produces some of the world’s highestquality jade.

Lax safety rules Deaths in Myanmar’s jade mines, where small time prospectors and massive firms vie for the precious stone, underscore the sector’s lax safety rules and lack of accountability. Much of the jade mined in Hpakant is believed to be smuggled to neighbouring China, where the green stone is highly prized and is widely believed to

bring wealth and longevity. About 800 jade mining firms operate around the town, but activity is dominated by about 10 firms, mostly Chinese-led ventures, according to the Ministry of Mines.

Miners have been tearing into Myanmar’s northern hills in recent months, in a rush to excavate more jade from the world’s richest deposits of the gemstone before a new government, which has promised clean governance, takes office next year. The rush has led to thousands of ethnic villagers being forced off their land.

The newly elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party said

S E R I E S O F AT TA C K S

Breakaway rebel group kills nine civilians in southern Philippines

FLEEING TO SAFETY: People drive past an armoured personnel carrier (APC) in Kauran, Ampatuan in the southern Philippines province of Maguindanao on Thursday. - AFP

MANILA: A breakaway rebel group killed nine civilians in the southern Philippines in a series of attacks on Christmas eve, officials said on Saturday, in a reminder that the region remains volatile despite recent gains in the peace process.

Army troops killed four members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a faction opposed to a peace deal between government and the mainstream rebel group, after they attacked a farming town in Sultan Kudarat province on the southern island of Mindanao.

Miriam Ferrer, the government’s chief negotiator in peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said seven farmers were shot at close range while working in their rice paddies and two other civilians were killed in a grenade attack on a chapel in nearby North Cotabato

province. Ferrer said the rebels had also taken civilian hostage in the Sultan Kudarat attack and used them as human shields when soldiers pursued them, but the hostages were later freed.

The Bangsamoro group broke away from the main rebel group in 2011 to fight for the creation of a state in the south of the country, a goal shared by another small militant group, Abu Sayyaf, which has gained notoriety for bombings, beheadings and kidnappings of foreigners in the western part of Mindanao.

The ceasefire with the main MILF is holding, however, while both the government and communist guerrillas declared a 12day ceasefire from December 23 nationwide to mark the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

On Saturday, the Maoist-led rebel group is also celebrating its 46th anniversary.

Security forces are on heightened alert around shopping malls, churches, bus stations and ferry terminals during the holidays to guard against possible attacks.

Police officials said the group behind the Christmas eve attacks in Mindanao had pledged allegiance to IS militants in the Middle East in videos posted to YouTube but they had no evidence linking them directly to militants from IS in Iraq and Syria.

They also had no evidence that any Filipinos had travelled to the Middle East to fight with IS. In March 2014, the Philippines signed a peace deal with the main rebels granting the minority Moro people autonomy in exchange for dismantling the 11,000-strong guerrilla army and turning over their weapons, ending a 45-year conflict that killed 120,000 people and displaced two million. - Reuters

A1 1

L’OBS NEWS MAGAZINE

French journalist to be forced to leave China for her report PARIS/BEIJING: China will force a French journalist who criticised its treatment of its Uighur minority to leave the country, her employer, the weekly L’Obs news magazine, said on Friday.

The press visa of Ursula Gauthier, the magazine’s Beijing correspondent, expires on December 31 and Beijing has refused to grant an extension, saying a report she wrote supports acts of violence by Uighurs that China considers terrorist activity.

The story, dated November 18, suggested that China was using last month’s Paris attacks to justify crackdowns on Uighur people in northwest China’s Xinjiang region. Hundreds have been killed in recent years in the region, beset by ethnic tensions which Uighur groups blame on repressive government policies while China denies any human rights abuses and says it faces a campaign from radicals and separatists.

L’Obs said Gauthier was the subject of editorials in statecontrolled media and even death threats after her article was pub-

lished. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said the article “openly supports terrorist activity, the killing of innocents and has outraged the Chinese public”.

His comments appeared in a question-and-answer posted on the ministry’s website on Saturday. Lu added that because Gauthier did not make a public apology, she could not work in China.

L’Obs, which changed its name from Le Nouvel Observateur in October 2014, said it stood by its correspondent.

‘Major incident’ It wrote in an editorial that China’s refusal to extend her visa represented a “major incident” at a time when France and China were strengthening their economic, cultural and diplomatic ties.

The French foreign ministry on Friday issued a terse statement in which it regretted that her visa was not renewed.

“France would like to remind how important it is for journalists to be able to work everywhere in the world,” it said. - Reuters

last month it plans to tighten control over jade mines. A US ban on Myanmar jade remains in place over concerns that jade mining benefits military figures and fuels corruption and rights abuses, despite Washington easing most of its ban on imports from the country after a quasi-civilian government took power in 2011 following five decades of military dictatorship. - Reuters

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IN TROUBLE: Ursula Gauthier, the Beijing-based correspondent for

French news magazine ‘L’Obs’, works at her desk in her apartment in Beijing on Saturday. - AFP

A12

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Pakistan has momentum in its bid to revive the peace process as evident in the excited reaction to the Indian PM’s visit and the open expression of welcome from all the major opposition parties as well as the media bit.ly/nawazmodimeet

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READERS’ FORUM Mwasalat bus service is great news for all This refers to the news report, Buses expand services to Dubai and Salalah, (December 26, 2015). I congratulate the government of the Sultanate of Oman and ‘Mwasalat’ for providing an excellent transport facility in the country. The selection of the red colour shows the brilliant idea of those behind Mwasalat. “Love at first sight” is true for the ‘Red Beauty’, as when one looks at the coming bus, the heart says, “Get on the bus”. Although ‘Mwsalat’ has opted for the strategy on the basis of “slow and steady wins the race” for its progress, on the roads of Oman, they have Scan this QR code an excellent frequency without delays. The to send letters to the name ‘Mwasalat’ is supported by its slogan Readers’ Forum, “Your destination is ours”, which greets containing not more than 200 words with us emphatically. That’s why all locals and full name, address expatriates love Oman. and telephone — Munawar Hameed Mangalwala, number, may be sent Barka by mail (Times of

NOAH SMITH

Immigration restriction won’t be enough to solve the cultural problems of the American working class. When white and black and Asian working- class Americans are all suffering family breakdown, keeping out low-skilled immigrants isn’t going to put a dent in the problem bit.ly/illegalmigrants

Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi).

US economy is getting a boost from a destabilised world This refers to the news report, US jobless claims near 42-year low as labour market tightens, (December 26, 2015). This is indeed a good news for the world’s economy. However, as the US is propagating instability globally, this development means it is benefitting while other countries fall victim to wars.

— Randy Bill, Seeb

NEW INDIA ASSURANCE

“Insure with New India and be secure”

Tel: 24838800 | Fax: 24838899 | Email: niamct@omantel.net.om | Website: www.newindiaoman.com Evil is obvious only in retrospect.

GLORIA STEINEM

The echoes of Libya Independence Day his year marks the 64th anniversary of Libya’s independence. Of course, in 1951, King Idriss came to power with a UK and US mandate to unite what were three distinct areas, Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan after the wreckage of fascism in Europe. A former Italian possession, Libya holds the interesting distinction of being the first country to become independent through the UN, in 1951, after a brief period of UN ‘trusteeship’.

Seems history is repeating itself in a modern context. Sixty-four years after King Idriss began his reign, the international community, led by the United Nations, established a National Unity Government (NUG) choosing themselves a Prime Minister Faiez Serraj as the leader of Libya this month.

There’s a problem, however. Seems to me that in the 21st Century, by international law, such actions by the UN, are illegal certainly immoral. But maybe that’s just me.

UN Special Representative Martin Kobler wants to use this historical link as part of the importance of the NUG and to gain a consensus for it. Kobler stated “Some of the lessons from the birth of Libya can help us today. Like now, Libya was then faced with the task of creating and uniting behind new common institutions.”

The day after Kobler’s speech, the US President Barack Obama sent a timely and important message to the Libya people on this 64th anniversary of the Libyan State that had been under UN tutelage in the wake of World War II. Obama stated “We have an opportunity for all Libyans to come together to resolve the many challenges you face, including insecurity and economic difficulties. IS’ presence in Libya has caused incredible suffering and all Libyans must join together to remove this scourge from your country.

The United States is fully committed to working with the new Government of National Accord to address the urgent economic and counterterrorism problems facing Libya today. We stand with the Libyan people and fully support your courageous efforts to build a stable, prosperous, and peaceful Libya.”

Sounds like America is ready to back up the NUG at all costs.

Simultaneously, armed force to quell terrorist activity in Libya is still on the table. The New

York based Permanent Libyan Ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Omar Dabbashi, is cleverly saying that Libya will not be inviting anytime soon foreign armed forces to help but now wants General Khalifa Haftar’s Libya National Army to receive arms with the immediate lifting of the UN arms embargo on Libya. He argued that although “Italy, France, Britain and the United States are preparing air raids to hit IS bases in Sirte.... I think they will enter into action as soon as political conditions will allow.”

Those conditions are based on the NUG. Importantly, Dabbashi said, Libyan forces would conduct the ground fight against the IS, Ansar Al Sharia and other extremists, but added that “the government will need air support.” Enter Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army will do the heavy lifting against the violent extremists in Libya’s central, coastal terrain.

It should be noted that Haftar uses his army base not that far from the Green Mountains to attack Benghazi’s militant extremists.

It is the same city from which King Idriss broadcasted a radio address in 1951 to proclaim Libya independent. The issue of arms, instead of an international coalition to bomb the hell out of IS, seems to be the preferred Libyan solution. It is General Khalifa Hafter’s very public display of power with Kobler that has mouths wagging ever since their face to face meeting last week. Thus, the mistake that King Idriss made with UK and US military basing rights in Libya is being rejected by the NUG and its minions.

Serraj’s Christmas Day speech, delayed by one day to fall on the 64th anniversary, appeared to try to channel King Idriss’s spirit. Serraj argued that “We share a common past, in the resistance of our fathers and grandfathers against colonisation and their long battle for independence and the building of their nation.” He added that the road ahead will be tough: “This battle (for a unity government) is a responsibility shared between all Libyans without exception. Media, civil society, businessmen, politicians, Intellectuals, tribal chiefs, dignitaries and the youth – whom we believe are the foundation of our nation-building, and above all this Government.” Patriotic and inspiring to include Libyanwide inclusiveness. Sound realistic?

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES DECEMBER 2000 OCO donates RO100,000 for social security scheme MUSCAT: Sheikh Amer bin Shuwain Al Hosni, minister of social affairs, labour and vocational training, received yesterday a cheque for RO100,000 from the Omani Charitable Organisation (OCO) for the benefit of families awaiting social security support. The cheque was handed over by Mohammed bin Ali Al Alawi, minister of legal affairs and chairman of the OCO director board. Alawi said the sum was meant for distribution to the families during the holy month of Ramadan. He said the OCO had distributed over RO50,000 during this year to the needy.

TODAY IN HISTORY INVITATION TO WRITERS 1933: Josef Stalin calls tensions with Japan a grave danger.

We invite our readers to write articles on topics related to Oman. The articles should not exceed 800 words.

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1950: The United States and Spain resume relations for the first time since the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s.

1956: Segregation on buses in Tallahassee, Florida, is outlawed.

2007: Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto killed.

PICTOGRAPH STUDENTS IN COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY(2013-2014) Engineering & Related Technologies 11,663 Male Female 3,536 Management & Commerce 3,294 4,452 Information Technology 1,460 2,809 Natural and Physical Science 320 1,052 Society and Culture 1,479 830 Health 1,308 444 Architecture and Building 131 249 Creative Arts 8 57 Others 53 167

Total 13,596

19,716

33,312

Source: National Centre for Statistics and Information

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WORLD

About 120 families were rescued from the combat zone on Saturday after securing safe routes for their exit and they were taken to a camp near Habbaniya, north of Ramadi.

Iraqi forces all set for final assault Soldiers advanced overnight in the Hoz neighbourhood of Ramadi that houses the provincial government compound, the target of an attack that started on Tuesday

BAGHDAD: Iraqi troops have pushed deeper into the heart of the last remaining district held by IS militant group in the city of Ramadi, despite being slowed by bombs and booby traps, army spokesmen said on Saturday.

Recapturing Ramadi, which fell to the militants in May, would be one of the most important victories achieved by Iraq’s armed forces since IS swept across a third of the country in 2014.

Soldiers advanced overnight in the Hoz neighbourhood that houses the provincial government compound, the target of an attack that started on Tuesday, joint op-

INTO THE HEART OF IS MILITANTS-HELD CITY: A member of Iraq’s counter-terrorism forces monitors his surrounding in a street in

Ramadi’s Dhubbat neighbourhood, adjacent to Hoz neighbourhood, on Thursday. – AFP

erations command spokesman Brigadier Yahya Rasool said.

“The counter-terrorism forces are within 800 metres (0.5 mile) from the government complex,” advancing by about 1 km in the past day, Rasool said. “Air strikes helped detonate explosive devices and booby-trapped houses, facilitating our advance,” he added. Spe-

cial operation commander Sami Al Aridhi said the plan was “to liberate all of Ramadi from three sides”.

“Our troops are now advancing towards their targets but were delayed because the criminals have booby-trapped everything,” he said. Ramadi is a provincial capital in the fertile Euphrates River valley, just two hours drive west

KILLING OF REBEL COMMANDER

EERIE SILENCE: Damaged buildings are pictured at night in the rebel-controlled area of Maaret Al

Numan town in Idlib province, Syria on Friday. – Reuters

IS militants, rebels’ evacuation from south Damascus delayed BEIRUT: A UN-sponsored deal to evacuate more than 2,000 IS fighters and other militants from rebel-held parts of south Damascus has been delayed, a body that monitors the war said on Saturday, a day after a rebel leader was killed.

Buses were due to transport the fighters to Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS in northern Syria, Lebanese Hezbollah’s Manar TV station said.

But the deal fell through after the Jaysh Al Islam rebel group’s leader Zahran Alloush, through whose territory the convoy had been granted safe passage, was killed in an air strike on Friday, the broadcaster said.

The arrangement was the first of its kind between the Syrian authorities and IS. It would have marked a significant show of strength by the government of President Bashar Al Assad, increasing its chances of reasserting control over a strategic area 4 km (2.5 miles) south of the centre of the capital.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an independent British-based monitoring group that tracks violence across Syria, said the evacuation had been expected to take place early Saturday but was delayed as there was now no secure territory for the militants to pass through.

Manar TV said buses arrived on Friday to pick up the fighters and at least 1,500 family members but had turned back.

The broadcaster is the official mouthpiece of Hezbollah.

IS has a large presence in several southern neighbourhoods of Damascus, including the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk.

Hostility Local hostility towards the militant group - which controls large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq - has grown.

“We have had enough with their presence and the fighting that goes and the siege that has caused a lot of hardship,” said Yousef, a resident of the nearby

neighbourhood of Hajar Al Aswad, who declined to give his full name for security reasons.

A years-long government siege of parts of Damascus controlled by a patchwork of rebel groups - of which Jaysh Al Islam is the largest - has impeded the flow of food and humanitarian aid, starving many people to death in what rights group Amnesty International has described as a war crime. The United Nations and foreign governments have stepped up efforts to broker local ceasefires and safe-passage agreements towards a wider goal of ending Syria’s civil war, in which more than 250,000 people have been killed in nearly five years of fighting.

The UN Security Council on December 18 unanimously approved a resolution endorsing an international road map for a Syrian peace process, a rare show of consensus among major powers.

In contrast to other non-Jihadist rebels, Islamic State has been totally opposed to any deal with the Assad government. — Reuters

of Baghdad. Most remaining civilians in the IS-held central district have taken shelter in the city’s hospital, knowing that the army will not target it, Rasool said.

He declined to give a time frame for the final onslaught to dislodge the militants.

“The campaign’s priority is to avoid casualties among civilians

and the troops, no matter how long it takes,” he said.

About 120 families were rescued from the combat zone on Saturday after securing safe routes for their exit and they were taken to a camp near Habbaniya, north of Ramadi, according to a military statement broadcast on state TV. Military officials had said on

Wednesday the offensive to retake the central district should take several days.

The Iraqi government forces are backed by air support from an international coalition led by the United States. Militia units, which have played a major part in other government offensives, have been kept away from the battlefield in Ramadi to avoid angering residents. The city is the capital of Anbar province. The government said it would be handed over to the local police and to a tribal force once it was secured.

Ramadi was IS’s biggest prize of 2015, abandoned by government forces in May in a major setback for Baghdad and for the Iraqi troops that have been trained by the United States since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

After Ramadi, the army plans to move to retake the northern city of Mosul, the biggest population centre under IS control in Iraq and Syria. Dislodging the militants from Mosul, which had a pre-war population close to 2 million, would effectively abolish their state structure in Iraq and deprive them of a major source of funding, which comes partly from oil and partly from fees and taxes on residents. “The liberation of dear Mosul will be achieved with the cooperation and unity of all Iraqis after the victory in Ramadi,” Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi said on Friday. — Reuters

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WORLD ‘ROOTED IN VIOLENCE’

Turkey PM cancels meeting with Kurd leaders ANKARA: Turkey’s prime minister on Saturday cancelled a planned meeting with the proKurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), saying its politics was rooted in violence, as government forces pursued a security operation in the mainly Kurdish southeast.

A two-year ceasefire between Kurdish militants and Ankara fell apart in Jul. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had been due to hold meetings this week with the leaders of all three opposition parties in parliament to discuss planned constitutional reform. His meeting with the HDP leader was scheduled for Wednesday.

“Recent statements by HDP officials reflect a politics that benefits from violence and tension. There is no longer any point in sharing the same table with this attitude,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

Separately on Saturday, one militant group called the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility for an attack that killed one person at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport on Wednesday. — Reuters

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Illegal immigrants facing US expulsion offered refuge The offer came two days after ‘The Washington Post’ first reported the US government was planning a series of raids to remove hundreds

DIRE STRAITS: Immigrants who have been caught crossing the

of undocumented

border illegally are housed inside the McAllen Border Patrol Station in McAllen, Texas, in this file photo taken July 15, 2014. — Reuters/ Rick Loomis/Pool/Files

families as early as January

LOS ANGELES: Leaders of the church-based Sanctuary Movement vowed on Friday to offer their places of worship as refuge for immigrants facing deportation under an Obama administration crackdown on Central American families who entered the United States illegally.

The statement came two days after The Washington Post first reported the US government was planning a series of raids to remove hundreds of undocumented families as early as January in the first such large-scale effort targeting the recent flood of border crossers.

The Department of Homeland Security preparations to intensify deportations of Central American migrants, confirmed by US government sources, drew immediate fire

The Department of Homeland Security preparations to intensify deportations of Central American migrants drew immediate fire from Democratic presidential candidates and human rights groups

from Democratic presidential candidates and human rights groups.

Sanctuary Movement Leaders of the multi-denominational Sanctuary Movement, which has sheltered at least 10 immigrants from deportation over the past 18 months, joined in the criticism on Friday.

The Sanctuary Movement, which Harrington said encompasses about 50 congregations in

a dozen US cities, made headlines in January by providing refuge in Philadelphia to a Honduran woman whose two children were born in the United States.

She ultimately won a two-year reprieve from deportation.

The Reverend Noel Anderson, a coordinator for the affiliated Church World Service, put the

overall number of congregations supporting the sanctuary network at about 300 in more than 20 states nationwide.

Immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua have been streaming into the United States from Mexico by the thousands since early 2014 - many of them unaccompanied minors and families - fleeing extreme poverty, gangs and drug violence in their home countries. Most were detained after turning themselves in at the border seeking asylum, but were released to surrounding communities after initial screening to await further proceedings.

Anti-human trafficking law A 2008 US anti-human trafficking law bars undocumented Central American children from being summarily sent back, as they could be if they were from Mexico or Canada.

Government sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said the new campaign by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency marks an expansion from mostly targeting individuals to pursuing families with undocumented members who have already been ordered to leave. — Reuters

CALIFORNIA

US wildfire burns over 1,000 acres, forces evacuations LOS ANGELES: A wildfire in Southern California burned over 1,000 acres of land, forced the closure of parts of two major highways and led to evacuations on Saturday, fire officials said.

More than 500 firefighters were at the scene or en route to battle the blaze in the Solimar Beach area of Ventura County, and parts of the 101 and Pacific Coast highways have been closed, according to the county fire department’s Facebook page.

Ventura is about 65 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

No injuries have been reported, but the fire has not been contained, according to local media reports.

Fire officials could not be reached for an update.

Grow rapidly The fire started at around 1030 pm local time on Friday, and strong winds and dry vegetation caused it to grow rapidly, according to KABC, the ABC TV station in Los Angeles.

At around 2 am local time on Saturday in a video posted on Facebook, Venture County Fire Department Captain Steve Kaufman said the fire was near the beach, “bumping up against the roadway.

We’re getting a bunch of embers in Solimar east.”

More than 500 firefighters were at the scene or en route to battle the blaze in the Solimar Beach area of Ventura County, and parts of the 101 and Pacific Coast highways have been closed, according to the county fire department’s Facebook page

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The Solimar Beach community is under a mandatory evacuation order, while a voluntary one has been issued for the nearby Faria Beach community, fire officials said. — Reuters

ANTI-POLLUTION MARCH

Environmental activists dressed as trees attend a demonstration to demand the Taiwan government for reductions in air pollution in Taipei on Saturday.

Hundreds of local residents marched on the streets in protest against the government’s energy policies. — AFP

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SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

WORLD

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dangerous as scenic Great Ocean Road is mostly closed in the busy Christmas season

MELBOURNE: More than 100 homes burned down in a leading Australian tourist area in bushfires on Christmas Day and the situation remained dangerous on Saturday, as officials predicted more blazes to come later in the hot southern summer.

While around 500 firefighters

and 13 firefighting aircraft battled the flames along parts of Victoria state’s picturesque Great Ocean Road, teams moved in to assess damage from fires that had lit up the night sky along the coast on Christmas.

A spokesman for the state’s emergency services said 98 homes

had been confirmed burned in the community of Wye River and another 18 in nearby Separation Creek, for a total of 116 in the two townships, located about 120 kilometres (75 miles) southwest of Melbourne.

Top emergency officials warned that dry conditions posed a threat of more fires for the Great Ocean Road area and the rest of Victoria.

“This fire doesn’t go away,” Craig Lapsley, the state’s emergency ser-

vices commissioner, told a news conference. “We will be back into hot, windy weather in January without a doubt. Everything’s available to burn.”

The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s biggest tourist draws with its spectacular scenery and unusual offshore rock formations.

It remained mostly closed to traffic on Saturday during what is typically one of its busiest times of the year.

Although an evacuation alert was lifted for the popular tourist town of Lorne and rain overnight had helped the firefighting operation, officials said the situation remained potentially dangerous with many hotspots. Images from the scene showed hillsides charred to the

ground all the way down to the coast.

State Premier Daniel Andrews surveyed the area from the air and commended emergency services, noting that there had so far been no loss of life, but he warned that the number of homes destroyed could rise. Meetings were held on Saturday for hundreds of victims urgently moved out of affected

towns on Friday, many spending Christmas night in hurriedly organised shelters.

Andrews said financial grants had already been issued to help those who had lost their homes.

The fires started with a lightning strike on December 19 and, fanned by winds, have burned more than 2,000 hectares. — Reuters

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2015

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Opal boosts efforts to mitigate impact of oil fall on companies ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI

elham@timesofoman.com

Opal has to deal with contracts that are highly Omanised, mainly in the field of drilling which are the first to get affected by oil price fall, says CEO

MUSCAT: Oman Society for Petroleum Services (Opal) has been stepping up its efforts to help address the challenges facing the oil and gas sector in 2016 in the light of lower oil prices, said a senior official.

One of the issues that Opal has to deal with is the contracts that are highly Omanised, mainly in the field of drilling, which are the first to get affected by the decline in oil prices, said Musallam Al Mandhari, Opal’s chief executive officer.

“It is unfortunate the more you

ELEVEN MONTHS

ORPIC OUTPUT RISES: Total output from Orpic, which includes

petrol, jet fuel, gas and fuel oil, LPG, residual, propylene, naphtha and others, posted a 4.4 per cent growth for the first 11 months of 2015 between January and November. – Times file picture

Oman’s premium petrol production grows 7% MUSCAT: Oman’s super petrol production in the first 11 months of 2015 registered a growth of 7.4 per cent compared to the same period of last year. Regular petrol output, on the other hand, fell 40.6 per cent, according to latest data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

During the period, the Sultanate produced as much as 21.36 million barrels of super petrol as against 19.90 million barrels last year while regular petrol saw production falling to 1.91 million barrels from prior year’s 3.22 million barrels.

The total output from Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic), which includes petrol, jet fuel, gas and fuel oil, LPG, residual, propylene, naphtha and others posted a 4.4 per cent rise during January -November period of 2015, with volume touching 78.3 million barrels as against 75.02 million barrels posted in the comparable period last year.

Aviation fuel production grew by 2.6 per cent in the first eleven months of 2015 with volume rising to 4.57 million barrels from last year’s 4.45 million barrels.

Gas oil rose by 14.3 per cent with a total output of 20.25 million barrels compared to 17.73 million barrels in 2014.

LPG production falls Fuel oil, however, declined by 5.7 per cent to 2.28 million barrels from 2.42 million barrels for the same period of last year.

Significantly, LPG output fell by

41%

fall in regular petrol production, according to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information. LPG output also fell by 2.9 per cent

2.9 per cent with total production during January-November period sliding to 3.41 million barrels from 3.51 million barrels recorded for the same period last year.

Residual oil witnessed a production surge of 5.8 per cent, with output rising to 17.66 million barrels from 16.70 million barrels a year ago. Propylene also went up 0.9 per cent to touch 2.51 million barrels from previous year’s 2.49 million barrels.

There had been a rise of 0.7 per cent in the production of SR Naphtha which increased to 3.64 million barrels from 3.61 million barrels earlier.

Production of other products and the refinery fuel declined by 29.3 per cent to 702,600 barrels in the first eleven months of 2015, compared to 994,200 barrels for the same period in 2014. – ONA

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

are Omanised, the more problem you get when you get a downturn in oil prices,” the official told Times of Oman in an exclusive interview.

The other issue is obviously the projects, he said, adding, “If projects are stopped, then that will be an issue. Maintenance also becomes an issue.”

Redeployment According to Al Mandhari, another challenge would be the redeployment of the Omanis released from the affected companies. The right company has to be identified for them and, perhaps, they have

Musallam Al Mandhari, CEO of Opal. – SHABIN E./Times of Oman

to be retrained, said Opal’s CEO, who believes that the time of crisis is when the society can show its true capabilities.

Opal, the first society in Oman’s petroleum industry to be officially approved and registered in the Sultanate in 2001, will also continue to pursue the objectives it had previously set for itself.

Al Mandhari said that when he took over as CEO in November 2014, he embarked on a mission to bring back the company’s ‘reputation’ and put the society on track. Opal has also been seeking to work on communication, capa-

bility development and customer focus through various initiatives, the official explained. As part of its efforts, the society has been building on its portfolio, engaging stakeholders and motivating its own personnel through creating a lively office environment and other measures, Al Mandhari noted.

He added that Opal has revamped its website, has started to publish a monthly newsletter and plans to announce the launch of its magazine next year. In addition, the society is engaging actively with customers and is seeking to increase its customer base, he noted. >B3

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SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

MARKET C O M M E N TA RY

Saudi Arabia needs radical policy reforms GASSAN AL KIBSI

O

ver the past few weeks, the government of Saudi Arabia has been engaged in an unprecedented strategic policy review that could have ramifications for every aspect of the country’s social and economic life. The full details are expected to be announced in January, but it is already clear that the kingdom — the world’s nineteenth-largest economy — is in desperate need of farreaching reform.

There are two reasons why change has become urgent. The first is the dramatic drop in global oil prices, from above $100 per barrel in the middle of 2014 to below $40 today. With oil exports accounting for nearly 90 per cent of government revenue, the pressure on Saudi finances has been intense; the fiscal balance has swung from a small surplus in 2013 to a deficit of more than 21 per cent of GDP in 2015, according to projections by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The second reason is demographic. In the next 15 years, some six million young Saudis will reach working age, putting enormous pressure on the labour market and potentially doubling its size.

It is easy to be pessimistic about this confluence of circumstances, and many international commentators are. But there are also good reasons for optimism, most notably the new Saudi leadership’s recognition of the challenge and the possibilities that addressing them could create.

Six million jobs According to research by the McKinsey Global Institute, Saudi Arabia has the potential to double its GDP and create six million additional jobs by 2030, enough to absorb the influx of young men – and, increasingly, young women – entering the labour market.

To accomplish this however, the Kingdom will have to dramatically reduce its unhealthy

Saudi has the potential to double its GDP and create six million additional jobs by 2030, enough to absorb the influx of young men – and, increasingly, young women – entering the labour market

dependence on oil – a strategic goal that has been long discussed, but never implemented.

Saudi Arabia has many sectors with strong potential for expansion. The country has substantial untapped deposits of metals and non-metallic minerals, including phosphate, gold, zinc, bauxite, and high-quality silica.

Its retail sector is already growing quickly, but it lags behind in areas like e-merchandising and supply-chain efficiencies.

The country’s tourism sector could be developed and upgraded, not only for the millions of Muslim pilgrims who visit the

holy sites of Mecca and Medina every year, but also for leisure tourists. Saudi Arabia has a long coastline on the Red Sea, as well as other unspoiled areas of natural beauty that could attract visitors. The manufacturing sector, too, could be built up; at the moment, the Kingdom has only small-scale domestic manufacturing, despite being one of the largest markets in the region for cars, machinery, and other capital goods.

Exploiting these opportunities will require trillions of dollars in investment, radical improvements in productivity, and the

government’s firm, sustained commitment. Doubling GDP over the next 15 years will necessitate about $4 trillion in investment, two-and-a-half times the amount of money that flowed into the kingdom’s economy during the 2003-2013 oil boom.

Attaining this level of investment will require radical policy reforms. During the oil boom, the state increased publicsector wages and social-welfare transfers – and thus was a major contributor to households’ growing prosperity. The public sector continues to dominate most aspects of the economy, especially employment; about 70 per cent of Saudi nationals work for the state.

Private sector But transforming the economy will require the participation of investors and businesses; indeed, we calculate that by 2025, at least 70 per cent of the investment should come from the private sector. Achieving this will require overhauling the

country’s regulatory and legal framework.

It will also require large improvements in productivity. Saudi Arabia’s productivity growth has lagged behind that of most other G-20 countries, rising by just 0.8 per cent in the past decade.

Labour practices Jump-starting productivity growth will require reworking the kingdom’s restrictions on business and labour practices.

For now, the Saudi economy relies heavily on low-wage and low-productivity foreign workers on limited contracts; indeed, such workers hold more than half the jobs in the country. That will have to change if the economy is to raise productivity and modernise its non-oil sectors.

If the government is able to sustain its resolve over the years it will take to set the economy firmly on a new trajectory, the kingdom will be thoroughly transformed – for the better.

– Project Syndicate

PRICING MECHANISM

Nigeria to scrap fuel subsidy from January ABUJA: Nigeria will reduce gasoline costs and scrap a fuel subsidy under a pricing mechanism to come into effect from January, Petroleum Minister of State Emmanuel Kachikwu said.

Prices will fall to 85 naira ($0.44) per liter from 87 naira, Kachikwu, who is also the group managing director of state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., told reporters while on a visit to a refinery in the country’s southern oil hub of Port Harcourt on Friday, according to a statement sent by the petroleum ministry.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, relies on fuel imports to meet domestic needs since its refineries produce a fraction of their 445,000 barrels-per-day capacity after decades of poor maintenance, corruption and mismanagement.

The refinery in Port Harcourt will begin production next week after repairs are completed, according to Kachikwu.

To keep the country supplied, the NNPC, as the state oil company is known, has relied on imports by other fuel retailers, who get refunded the difference between their costs and the fixed pump prices. It also has agreements with several offshore refiners to swap refined products for crude.

While tumbling oil prices have slashed Nigeria’s revenue and roiled its currency and stock market, it’s also provided an opportunity for the government to end the subsidies that cost as much as $7 billion a year. The finance ministry said last year that $60 per barrel was the break-even point at which there is no more need to subsidize fuel costs. Widespread fraud and corruption and declining oil revenue have made it imperative for the government to cancel the subsidies, Kachikwu said. An attempt by the previous government to end them in 2011 led to a week of strikes. - Bloomberg News

Bank Muscat wins major award for funds transfer The bank won J P Morgan Elite award for an outstanding performance of 99.03% straightthrough-processing in dollar denominated fund transfer and commercial payments

Times News Service MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the leading financial services provider in the Sultanate, has won a prestigious award from J P Morgan Bank in recognition of its operational excellence in the field of dollar payments processing.

Bank Muscat won the J P Morgan Elite award for an outstanding performance of 99.03 per cent

straight-through-processing (STP) in dollar denominated fund transfer and commercial payments.

The award recognised Bank Muscat’s exceptional quality of SWIFT messages on dollar payment and maintaining an outstanding error-free rate for remittances. The award was based on evaluation of the quality and accuracy of SWIFT payment messages routed through J P Morgan Bank.

The award highlighted the bank’s commitment to high standards of quality in meeting the stringent criteria for fund transfer. The bank’s exceptional quality in the delivery of commercial payments and transfers, facilitated by a state-of-the-art in-house payment architecture, which helps to consistently maintain high SWIFT standards for automated processing throughout the payment chain resulting in extremely high STP rates, was also acknowledged.

The bank’s central operations electronic payments department, Treasury back office and Global Trade Services Department are handling fund transfer operations while the technical and security issues are handled by the Systems and Procedures Department.

The Financial Institutions Group, reckoned as one of the leading FI teams in the region,

has established more than 500 correspondent banking relationships across the world. J P Morgan Bank is among Bank Muscat’s prominent correspondent banks for dollar payments.

Representatives of J P Morgan Bank commended the operational teams involved in processing dollar payments at Bank Muscat for the error-free rate maintained consistently throughout the high volume of remittances processed during 2014.

Bank Muscat’s STP performance has been consistently lauded by the international financial and banking community.

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FOURTH QUARTER

Vietnam growth rises on industrial output HANOI: Vietnam’s economic growth quickened in the fourth quarter helped by rising industrial output and record-high foreign investment.

Gross domestic product rose 7.01 per cent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, quickening from a revised 6.87 per cent gain in the three months through September, according to data released by the General Statistics Office in Hanoi on Saturday.

In 2015, the economy grew 6.68 per cent, beating the government’s 6.2 per cent target. That compares to a median estimate of 6.6 per cent in a survey.

Vietnam’s economic growth “has gained momentum gradually and is now being supported both by exports of foreign-invested enterprises and domestic demand,” Jonathan Dunn, the International Monetary Fund’s resident representative in Vietnam said in a statement released on December 5 in Hanoi.

The State Bank of Vietnam weakened the dong three times this year to spur exports after

China depreciated the yuan, dragging exchange rates lower across Asia. Vietnam’s economic growth in 2015 may be the fastest among six major Southeast Asian countries tracked by the Asian Development Bank, the ADB said in a recent report.

Currency weakened The central bank weakened the dong’s reference rate by 1 per cent in August, and widened the currency’s trading band. The country is also benefiting from cheaper energy costs as a low inflation rate aids domestic demand.

The government will focus on steps to bolster businesses, particularly the private sector, as part of its attempt to increase the country’s productivity in 20162020, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said December 5.

Vietnam’s legislature last month passed a 2016 GDP target of 6.7 per cent.

The economy will face challenges in 2016 include falling global oil prices and rising pressure on the dong. - Bloomberg News

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 27, 2 0 1 5

B3

MARKET OIL & GAS

< FROM

B1 ‘Development

of local workforce always a priority’ Commenting on capability development, Al Mandhari said that Omanisation and developing the local workforce has always been a priority for Opal since its establishment. “We want to train the maximum number of people given the fund we can get,” he said, adding that Opal has two main training programmes, namely Training for Development (TFD) and Training for Employment (TFE).

TFD is dedicated to staff and employees while TFE is for Omanis seeking to enhance their capabilities, he explained.

Target According to him, around 400 individuals received training in 2015 under both programmes, with 168 Omanis receiving TFE. The society had set a target of 200 for its TFE programme and seeks to achieve it in 2016, Al Mandhari stated.

He expressed hope that Opal’s training programmes will get a boost next year through closer cooperation with the Ministry of Manpower.

Asked about Opal’s role in bringing efficiency and productivity to the oil and gas sector in Oman, the CEO said that the so-

400

individuals received training in 2015 under both programmes, with 168 Omanis receiving training for employment programme

Private deposits in Omani banks grow to OMR11.8b Private deposits at the end of October 2015 rose by 8.10% to OMR11,786.1 million compared to OMR10,902.6

ciety has been doing it in a number of ways. Opal has over 400 members so the ‘power of numbers’ should help the society create efficiency, he added. The official cited group training and ensuring common standards as some of the ways to enhance efficiency and productivity.

Future vision Commenting on Opal’s vision for the future, Al Mandhari said that the society has sat with its members and have decided to be their voice of the industry, continue creating best practices and standards, and enhance human resources development. There will also be a focus on In-Country Value (ICV), the CEO of Opal noted.

million for the same period of last year

MUSCAT: Private deposits of commercial banks in the Sultanate as at the end of October 2015 rose by 8.10 per cent to OMR11,786.1 million compared to OMR10,902.6 million in the corresponding period last year, according to the monthly statistical bulletin published by the Central Bank of Oman (CBO).

These deposits as of the end of October 2015 includes the time deposits that stood at OMR3,236.2

I NAUG U R AT I O N

Times News Service

is this patronage and confidence in Mars that has over the years encouraged and motivated us to open fifteen branches across the Sultanate,” said V T Vinod.

“Mars has always represented the best in retail concepts and provided maximum convenience to our valuable shoppers. Let us all work together towards excellence and make shopping a different experience where customers feel that they have obtained the quality service for the money they shell out,” added Naveej Vinod.

Unique retail experience Mars Hypermarket Mudhaibi offers customers a unique retail experience and the store has a refreshing look and feel with contemporary interiors and a layout based on convenience.

The ample space ensures an uncluttered, fast and hassle free shopping environment.

The outlet will be a complete

DEBT

Euro area bonds to get €1.5tr support LONDON: As the European Central Bank (ECB) wound down its asset purchases for the year, the amount of euro-region government bonds that yield less than zero was at about $1.68 trillion, indicating investors see the potential for further easing of monetary policy in 2016.

With quantitative easing (QE)

which stood at OMR3,236.2 million, savings deposits of OMR4,349.8 million and demand deposits of OMR3,930.2 million. – Times file picture

million, savings deposits of OMR4,349.8 million and demand deposits of OMR3,930.2 million, added the report. These deposits include OMR10,860.9 million and OMR925.2 million in foreign currencies. As for the banking indicators for the commercial banks are concerned, the bulletin said that the broad money and clearance to the deposits in Omani rials was 27.7 per cent.

The combined money and clearMUMBAI STOCKS

Mars opens outlet in Al Mudhaibi MUSCAT: Mars Hypermarket recently opened an outlet in Al Mudhaibi. It was inaugurated by Sheikh Salim bin Sultan bin Rabia bin Khamis Al Sinedi, wali of Mudhaibi.

V. T, Vinod, managing director; Naveej Vinod, executive director; Unnikrishna Pillai, general manager; Saif Al Malki, general manager (administration) and other senior management staff of Mars Group, a number of high-ranking government officials, and representatives from the local business community were present on the occasion, according to a press release.

It is the fifteenth outlet of Mars International in Oman, conveniently located at Al Mudhaibi, near round about. An assortment of amusement, including the traditional Omani cultural programmes, dances, comedy shows and coffee sampling were organised for the visitors. A huge crowd assembled at the gate of the new Mars Hypermarket at the time of the opening, giving a tough time to the security guards manning the entrance of the hypermarket.

“Indeed this is the happiest moment in my life. With its right mix of quality products, competitive prices and convenient shopping atmosphere was a perfect model for Oman market, and, in turn, Oman was the perfect market for Mars. We are very grateful to all our customers for their support; it

ROBUST GROWTH: Central Bank of Oman report says that these deposits includes time deposits,

acquisitions set to resume on January 4, bonds of governments from Portugal to Germany will be supported again by the €1.5-trillion programme, which is scheduled to keep running until at least March 2017. Begun in March this year, the purchases continue to push an increasing number of securities off the table. — Bloomberg News

shopping destination that will cater to the growing consumer demands. Keeping up with the convenience and standards of Mars outlets across the Sultanate, the new hypermarket will feature the widest choice of renowned brands at the fairest prices. Mars’s winning formula of value for money quality shopping will be a matter of delight for the residents of Mudhaibi who will cherish the pleasurable shopping experience and the economy it offers.

Mars has become a name that has embossed in the minds of the customers for its unique service and convenience since its inception. The popularity of Mars has infused new activity into the localities, changing the whole topography around it.

With more than 25 year’s presence in the Sultanate, Mars has firmly established itself as a preferred retail destination for both locals and expats.

Indian stocks head for worst in four years MUMBAI: After a roller-coaster ride, Dalal Street is headed for its worst performance in four years in 2015 — when foreign investors pushed the benchmark Sensex to a life-time high before puncturing the rally by pulling out billions of dollars from their ‘favourite’ market.

With just four days of trading to go, the Sensex has lost 1,660 points or over six per cent in 2015, after gaining nearly 30 per cent in the previous year.

The index had last registered an yearly loss in 2011 when it fell 24 per cent. The index is also sharply down from its life-time peak of 30,024 points. - PTI

ance to the gross deposits was 24.4 per cent. The total percentage of loans to deposits was 100.8 per cent.

The rate of foreign currency deposits to the total deposits was 12.2 per cent.

The rate of foreign assets to the total loans was 13.8 per cent. The rate of foreign assets to the total assets was 9.7 per cent. The foreign liabilities to the total liabilities were 16.5 per cent.

The on-demand deposits to the

total private deposits were 33.1 per cent. The capital and reserves to the total deposits was 18.1 per cent.

The rate of allocations and the retained interests to the total credit was 3.4 per cent. – ONA

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B4

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

FEATURE

WHERE'S THE GROWTH?

AFRICA

A combination of torrid growth and diminished inflation in SubSaharan Africa is proving an irresistible lure for global investors

51% Was the GDP growth of sub-Saharan countries in the last 10 years

13%

Was the United States GDP growth in the last 10 years

H

ere’s a nice way to stump your companions: Ask them what part of the world has had the fastest economic growth over the last 10 years. And whose governments and countries have enjoyed the greatest investment returns among the world’s emerging markets. Did anybody say subSaharan Africa? Buy her a drink!

During the past 10 years, the gross domestic product of the 11 largest sub-Saharan countries increased 51 per cent, more than twice the world’s 23 per cent and almost four times the 13 per cent expansion of the US, the largest economy, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The robust expansion been accompanied by stabilising inflation on the African continent, with the consumer price index for all of Africa declining to 7.8 per cent from more than 13 per cent in 2008, and the continent’s CPI remaining less than 8 per cent since 2013, Bloomberg data show.

That combination of torrid growth and diminished inflation is proving an irresistible lure for global investors, who have seen the opposite trends plague the biggest emerging-market countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China.

For evidence of investor enthusiasm, look no further than Kenya and Nigeria, whose government debt has been out-

23%

Was the world GDP growth in the last 10 years

performing most of the world’s. In the past five years, bonds issued by those two countries had total returns (income plus appreciation in local currencies converted to US dollars) of 56 per cent and 40 per cent respectively, according to Bloomberg data. By comparison, the index of government debt of developed countries provided a dollar-equivalent return of 2 per cent during the past five years, and a similar basket of emergingmarket debt returned 12 per cent.

When the benchmark government bonds of 32 countries in the emerging markets are compared since 2010, Kenya and Nigeria are among the top five, Bloomberg data show.

Five-year bonds Among the bottom performers: Russia lost 36 per cent, Brazil lost 29 per cent, Colombia lost 26 per cent and Turkey lost 23 per cent. South Africa is the only big loser among the sub- Saharan countries, mostly because its currency, the rand, declined 51 per cent.

Part of Africa’s expansion can be explained by its explosive population growth. Since 2000, the population of the 11 largest sub-Saharan countries grew 41 per cent, to 634 million, or more than twice the US’s 318 million, according to

Sub-Saharan financial industry outperformed its emerging-market counterparts by 11 per cent; consumer discretionary companies did so by 18 per cent; consumer staples by 5 per cent and materials by 16 per cent.

data compiled by Bloomberg. During the same period, India grew 23 per cent, the world 18 per cent, the US 13 per cent and China 7 per cent.

That demographic trend won’t abate soon simply because sub- Sarahan Africans are so young. In Nigeria, for example, 43.7 per cent of the population is under 15 years old. In Kenya, it’s 42.1 per cent; in Ghana, 35.3 per cent; and South Africa, 28.3 per cent. The world average is 25.8 per cent. The percentage of Nigerians older than 65 is 3 per cent, compared to 14.5 per cent for in the US and 8.3 per cent for the world, according to Bloomberg data.

Thus global investors are focused on the region’s new consumers, who have helped the five major industries there outperform their peers in emerging markets since June 2014, when oil began a 58 per cent plunge. The sub-Saharan financial industry outperformed its emergingmarket counterpart by 11 per cent; consumer discretionary companies did so by 18 per cent; consumer staples by 5 per cent and materials by 16 per cent. Only energy companies were losers, underperforming by 0.5 per cent.

The sub-Saharan companies include 200 firms in the seven major stock exchanges with a minimum market capitalisation of $200 million: South Africa, Ni-

geria, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, Ghana and Malawi. Their market capitalisation is now $533 billion, greater than Brazil’s $505 billion and less than Italy’s $637 billion. Technology stocks returned the most with 10 per cent, followed by communications and consumer discretionary companies, most of which are based in South Africa, the country with the bestperforming companies since June 2014.

And while the value of its currency and debt has deteriorated since 2011, South Africa’s GDP of $328 billion is 28 per cent greater than it was 10 years ago, when it was equivalent to Denmark and Greece.

While Denmark expanded 1.4 per cent since 2005 and the Greece contracted 18 per cent, South Africa today is a much bigger economy.

Nigeria’s horrors and hopes Still not convinced? Ok, look at Nigeria.

Oil accounts for 90 per cent of its worldwide trade and almost 35 per cent of its GDP, and crude oil prices have famously crashed. The currency, the naira, has failed to recover from its own collapse late last year. Yet global investors, convinced there’s a lot more to Nigeria than its commodities, are driving up its bond prices anyway. It seems the same could be said of half a continent. – Bloomberg News

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B5

ROUND-UP

Infiniti re-launches Azaiba service centre

S A F E T Y AWA R E N E S S

The Azaiba centre aims to maintain the

ahlibank conducts mock fire, safety drill

brand's premium standards, with stateof-the-art facilities for Infiniti’s premium customers

MUSCAT: Infiniti from Suhail Bahwan Automobiles announced the re-launch of the Azaiba service centre in the Sultanate of Oman.

The Azaiba centre aims to maintain the brands premium standards, with state-of-the-art facilities for Infiniti’s premium customers, says a press release.

The facility has been renovated as per IREDI (Infiniti Retail Environment Design Initiative) concepts. The IREDI concept creates a highly distinctive, original Infiniti branded retail environment

which provides a welcoming and hospitable environment for buying and servicing vehicles, primarily in fashionable, convenient metropolitan locations.

The concept of IREDI establishes a unique, new exterior and interior look of the sales and service facility which aligns perfectly with Infiniti’s brand identity — one that encompasses Infiniti’s dynamic vehicle line-up, Infiniti’s Total Ownership Experience customer care philosophy.

Latest technology Infiniti’s service facility is equipped with the latest technology that meets international standards.

Equipped with service bays, paint

booth facility, qualified and skilled technicians, Infiniti’s service facility caters to the needs of the discerning customer base in the region, for all kinds of periodic maintenance service and body paint cash jobs.

A senior SBA official said: “At Infiniti Suhail Bahwan, we employ and train skilled engineers and technicians to ensure that when our customers purchase our premium vehicles, they continue to enjoy the same level and quality of service on the aftersales front as well. We are not only focused on merely selling cars, but rather building and sustaining long term relationships with our customers.”

Egemen Adiyaman, deputy gen-

T O K E N O F A P P R E C I AT I O N

eral manager – After Sales said: “At Infiniti we always aim to offer our customers the most premium motoring experience. We are confident that with the re-launch of the Azaiba facility together with our partners Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, we will be able to deliver on this promise.”

Infiniti goes beyond the imagination to offer top notch service and packages making it one of the most admired and desirable brand of vehicles.

Infiniti has its facilities spread across the Sultanate located strategically all across the country in Muscat, Sohar, Sur, Salalah, Ibra, Ibri, Nizwa, Buraimi, Barka, Bani Bu Ali, Sinaw and Bidiya.

MUSCAT: ahlibank’s headquarter in Wattayah conducted a fire and safety drill as part of its plan to raise the level of awareness on fire safety and security procedures at its workplace.

The purpose of the drill was to provide tactical experience, sufficient knowledge and training for the employees to calmly face and handle all circumstances that might arise during emergencies, especially fire, says a press release.

“As part of the drill, the emergency response team at ahlibank evacuated all employees and visitors to the designated assembly point located in the parking lot outside the building,” Lloyd Maddock, ahlibank’s

CEO said. “Every head of department performed a head count to make sure all employees were accounted for and safe. At ahlibank, we constantly adhere to international standards, particularly in safety and security procedures.

We have never underestimated safety and security protocols and such measures are not optional to us as they are amongst the many objectives that we have laid down at the bank.”

Being a responsible corporate entity, ahlibank’s buildings are equipped with the latest security and safely equipment that are in accordance with international standards and guarantee the safety of individuals and property.

COVETED ACCOLADE

Oman Association for the Geely Emgrand GT wins 2016 Disabled honours Bank Sohar ‘China Car of the Year’ award MUSCAT: In recognition of its continual support to the Oman Association for the Disabled and its various activities across the Sultanate, Bank Sohar received a token of appreciation from the association at a special ceremony held recently at the Al Noor Hall in Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos.

In its most recent contribution this year, Bank Sohar had extended its support to the association’s Muscat and Sohar branches. The event was held under the patronage of Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, Chairman of the State Council, and was attended by Yahya Al Amri, chairman of Oman Association for the Disabled and other members of the association.

Receiving the token of appreciation from the chief guest on behalf of the bank was Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, Sr. AGM - Head of Marketing and Customer Experience at Bank Sohar, says a press release.

Commenting on the bank receiving the token of appreciation, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, GM of HR and Corporate Support at Bank Sohar said, “It is truly an honour to be recognised and appreciated by Oman Association for the Disabled. However, we believe that our contributions have only supplemented their unending efforts and hard work. It is them that should be commended, for

it is their efforts that have truly touched the lives of thousands in Oman. We at the bank recognise their efforts and will continue to be a strong supporter of the association and their initiatives for the foreseeable future.”

The event, which took place recently, began with the playing of the Omani National Anthem, a recitation from the Holy Quran and a welcome speech by Yahya Al Amri. This was followed by a short video outlining the association’s plans and targets for year 2016.

Members of the Al Tawashiya Group presented guests with a stunning visual performance and was followed by an equally stunning performance as a token of appreciation by the children of

the Child Care Center. The event concluded with the presentation of tokens of appreciation to all companies and institutions that supported the Oman Association for the disabled over the course of the year.

Thanking Bank Sohar for its contributions, Yahya Al Amri said, “Everyone at the Oman Association for the Disabled are extremely grateful to Bank Sohar for their support; not just this year, but also for their support over the past years. Were it not for contributions from them and other like-minded companies, we would never have been able to achieve our goals and targets. It is only with their help that we have been able to better the lives of so many across Oman.”

MUSCAT: Geely Emgrand GT, Geely’s new flagship sedan, has recently won the coveted 2016 ‘China Car of the Year’ award after beating major international rivals in a tough competition.

This award is judged by a panel of industry experts, automotive journalists, CEOs and chairmen of major automotive companies.

This is the first time that a domestic Chinese model has received this award and the Emgrand GT was particularly appreciated for its modern Chinese design language and state-of-art-the-technology, says a press release.

A senior spokesperson of Towell Auto Centre, the sole distributors of Geely range of cars in Oman comments: “The Emgrand GT is the first China-made car to enter into and win the China Car of the Year competition. It just shows that the brand Geely has really come of age. With technical support from European partners and excellent designers, the Chinese automaker is now producing increasingly competitive and awardwinning cars. The Emgrand GT — designed using the innovative KC concept — has proven to be the game changer for the brand. In terms of design, engineering and performance, the Emgrand GT is sure to win the hearts of the automotive enthusiasts in Oman.”

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

Stylish and artistic exterior The Emgrand GT #SuperSedan is a four-door ‘fastback’ sedan with an aggressive profile, an overall length of 4956mm and wheelbase of 2850mm, giving an elegant and solid stance. It features an artistic innovation that borrows heavily from classical Chinese aesthetic needs and international styling philosophy. The distinctive side shoulder line arches over the front wheel and then sweeps cleanly around the vehicle’s length, combining a sense of speed with character and elegance. The wide shoulder surface gives a strong and confident feel. The headlights

and grille form a unified graphic, with the arched curve of the grille inspired by the distinctive profile of historic Chinese stone bridges.

Modern interior The graceful and modern interior design of the Emgrand GT reflects a mix of technology and quality. The steering wheel, door armrests and front control display have a lightweight and elegant appearance.

The central console arches from the front to the rear passenger area.

The seats are well-designed, floating on bridge-like supports and dressed in the style of Chinese clothing. Fine red wood, jade, traditional patterns and ambient lighting works together to enhance the interior quality.

By bringing the Geely range to the Sultanate, TAC has reinforced its commitment to provide highquality products and services to its customers in Oman.

RECOGNITION

Oman Pumps, Grundfos host seminar on energy challenges MUSCAT: A seminar titled ‘Meet the Energy Challenge Now’, was held recently in Muscat.

It was jointly hosted by Oman Pumps, part of the widely respected Al-Riyami Group and Grundfos International, Denmark. The seminar was very well attended in great numbers by the leading names from the industry, the government as well as the private sector, says a press release.

Smart E-technology and clean energy sources have now become increasingly important for all of us. Hence it comes as a surprise to a lot of people that pumps account for nearly 10 per cent of the global electricity consumption. At the same time, pumps also have the potential to save a lot of electrical energy and actually represent one of the best opportunities to reduce CO2 emissions using existing technology. This subject was the focus of attention in the seminar.

Speaking at the seminar, Basim Hamed Al Riyami, senior executive director of the Al-Riyami Group stated: “Inspired by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s vision of industrialising the nation, our Chairman Dr Hamed Bin Abdullah Al Riyami established Oman Pumps in 1988 with Grundfos International, Denmark to convert this vision into a reality. The

Oman launch “The Emgrand GT has received wide recognition from media and consumers in the GCC as well as internationally, especially for its design and power. In Oman, we are launching this #SuperSedan with 2.4L version in January 2016,” the spokesperson adds.

bond between both the companies is based on strong cooperation and a track record of over 30 years.

"We believe that a solid industrial base is the key to the success of economic diversification and development of the society in the Sultanate. Based in Rusayl Industrial Estate, Oman Pumps provides water pumps and pumping systems solutions for application in various areas including agriculture, manufacturing, construction and infrastructure, etc. The company has been licensed by Grundfos for the manufacture, assembly, testing and repair of their pumpsets in Oman.”

He further said, “Over the decades, we have successfully managed to provide comprehensive training and employment job opportunities to Omanis. We are proud to state that our current Omanisation level stands at 43 per

cent. We have also earned the trust of our customers due to our high quality products and international service standards.”

On the future growth plans, he said: “Keeping pace with the changing market trends, we are forging ahead with our growth plans to introduce new technologies and products, and further elevate our customer service standards.”

Dwelling further on the growth path, Girish Bhagat, general manager, Oman Pumps said: Oman Pumps is embarking on a factory expansion strategy; a major upgrade is on the cards and we have already procured the necessary equipment to meet the growing demand. We have also diversified into the retail segment with the inauguration of our new showroom in Ruwi. It provides easier access for our customers and integrates seamlessly into our ex-

pansion plans.”

Andrea Benvenuti, sales director Grundfos Middle East detailed out the energy efficiency of Grundfos pumps in a team presentation. He informed that if everyone switches to high efficiency pump systems, the world’s total electricity consumption could be reduced by as much as 4 per cent.

He also spoke about the remote management feature which enables the users to monitor and control the pump performance from their mobile phones from anywhere in the world.

The highlight of the evening was a live demonstration of a pump in action being remotely controlled via a mobile phone. This demonstration is the first of its kind in the pump industry Oman.

The event ended with a vote of thanks speech by PR Subramanian, executive director, Business & Finance of the Al-Riyami Group who thanked the entire Grundfos team for their excellent presentation on energy conservation and remote management of pumps.

He also elaborated on the fact that between the group companies comprising Oman Pumps, Owatco and Fluid Engineering, the Al Riyami Group is a one-stop-shop for all water and waste water pumping solutions.

Al Nakheel project wins Arabian Property Award DUBAI: At an incredible dinner hosted recently by the Arabian Property Awards at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, Dubai, Alargan International Real Estate Company collected awards for two of the group’s real estate development projects in the region: Al Nakheel project in Oman, and Argan Village in Bahrain, sending Alargan through to the international finals, to be held in London as part of the International Property Awards.

In the Mixed-Use Development Award category, Al Nakheel project was commended with the ‘Highly Commended’ Award, for its innovative design and community setting, says a press release.

The project is a 500,000 square metre development situated on the gorgeous coastal area of Al Ramees on the shores of the Gulf of Oman. This community is being developed in a mixed-use community style, including a man-made recreational lagoon created by world-renowned lagoon developer Crystal Lagoon, a promenade, a shopping mall, a traditional souq,

a number of international hotels, as well as residential and commercial properties.

Khaled Al Meshaan, CEO and vice chairman of the Board of Directors of Alargan International Real Estate Company,said: “These awards are due recognition of the levels of quality and luxury we aspire to every day. The Arabian Property Awards recognise only the very best projects in the market, so we are very pleased to be so highly rewarded in such a competitive region.”

He added, “We are also exceptionally proud to be selected to represent the region in the international awards that will be held in London, and we will strive for the title the ‘world’s best’.”

Hussain Jawad, chairman of Alargan Towell Investment Company, the majority owner of Al Nakheel project said: “Al Nakheel is a new and unique addition to the future map of tourism development in the Sultanate; once established it will offer thousands of job opportunities to young Omanis.”

B6

SUN DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

ROUND-UP Alizz Islamic bags Best Retail Bank 2015 award The winners of the 10th Islamic Business and Finance Awards were announced at a gala dinner held at Emirates Towers Hotel, Dubai recently. It was attended by some 200 Islamic bankers and financiers from around the world

MUSCAT: alizz Islamic bank was named ‘Best Retail Bank’ for 2015

by Islamic Business and Finance Awards 2015, the preeminent regional Islamic finance awards, at its annual awards ceremony.

Moosa Al Jadidi, deputy general manager and head of Retail Banking of alizz Islamic bank collected the awards in the presence of senior bank executives at an exclusive gala dinner, says a press release.

Speaking on the occasion, Al Jadidi said, “Winning this award is a significant recognition of the bank’s commitment to continuously provide customers with the best products and services. alizz is a customer friendly institution with commitment at its core. We make smart decisions for our customers and welcome all individuals to experience the alizz way of banking. This award shows that we are well on our way and that we are achieving for the best.”

The winners of the 10th Islamic Business & Finance Awards were announced at a gala dinner held at Emirates Towers Hotel, Dubai recently, attended by some 200 Islamic bankers and financiers from around the world. A total of nearly 40,000 votes were cast across 64

categories in the online poll.

The Islamic Business & Finance Awards were established in 2005.

The aim of the process is to recognise the best performing institutions in a variety of regions where Islamic finance is either already developed or is rapidly expanding.

The global event attracts nominations and submissions from Europe, Americas, Africa, Middle East and Asia. alizz continues to be a highly innovative bank with customer experience at its core. The bank has many firsts including was the first in the country to market the Interactive Teller Machine.

This one of a kind innovation lets customers have a face-to-face connection with the bank teller without having to actually step into a branch. In addition the retail banking has launched multiple saving products that have greatly benefited the customers.

SHOWCASING SKILLS

MEC students compete in Robotics Challenge MUSCAT: A team of four students from Middle East College (MEC) participated in the first round of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Robotics Challenge organised in Modern College of Business and Science which saw participation from higher education institutions from across the gulf countries.

The event aimed to gather the undergraduate students and young professionals across GCC to give them an opportunity to showcase their skills in emerging technologies, says a press release.

Hamida Abdullah AlMamari, a member of MEC student’s group expressed her satisfaction over their participation in the challenge: “We are very proud of our participation in the GCC Robotics Challenge as we are the first robotic group in the Middle East College. During the challenge, we learned how we can build an innovative robust robot and compete in a pre-designed arena

with space and time constraints by utilising our diverse academic and technical exposure.”

“It was a challenge that indeed requires at least two to three months of preparation to build up a robot which deserves to be a part of the competition.

“We had a full support from everyone in the Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering in MEC from the beginning and that made me thankful for being one of this great educational institution’s students,” Sami Saif Al Rashdi, another participant, said.

It is worth to be mentioned that MEC provides all the support needed by its students in order to develop their talents in technology and other areas of their interest. In addition, it always supports students in finding opportunities to showcase their practical skills which would effectively make them more employable in the job market.

EXECUTION EXCELLENCE

Bahwan Cybertek completes third module of certificate course MUSCAT: The Indian School of Business (ISB), a leading management and executive education provider in Asia along with Bahwan Cybertek, Global Business Group, completed successfully third module on ‘Strategic Thinking and Execution Excellence’ under the Certificate Programme in General Management for Business Executives in Oman span over six months.

Today’s aspiring leaders need to be equipped with the right skill set to manage effectively and thrive in increasingly complex leadership roles. This certificate programme is specifically tailored for tomorrow’s leaders, to help them beFA C E B O O K C O N T E S T

come better leaders and business decision makers. Participants will have a holistic understanding of the general management understanding that will help them to enhance their personal effectiveness, lead and motivate their team for greater performance and take strategic business decision, says a press release.

The programme essentially emphasised: For a manager to be effective, it is imperative to bridge the gap between planning and execution. The module focused on how to make managers better at strategic decision-making and executioners of plans. The discussion revolved around fun-

damental pillars of competitive strategy, identifying the barriers to effective execution of plans, how to integrate execution during planning stage and role of feedback in effective execution.

After the successful completion of this module, participants are currently applying their classroom learning at their respective organisations, through the action learning projects and are looking forward to the next module that focuses on ‘Effective Business Communication’ due to start in January of 2016.

The ideal candidates for this programme are executives with more than 10 years of experience

who aspire to reach the next level of leadership through enhancing their general management competencies. As the programme is spread over six months, this ensures that working professionals can continue their learning without any disruption of their work schedules.

Successful candidates will receive the ‘Certificate Programme in General Management for Business Executives’ from the ISB’s Centre for Executive Education.

Bahwan Cybertek announced one more new batch on ‘Certificate Programme in General Management’ in Oman span over 6 months for the same target audience, commencing April, 2016.

PROMOTION

Bank Sohar picks winners of Nissan Tiida comes with benefits ‘Guess the Movie’ competition

MUSCAT: Concluding the ‘Guess the Movie’ Facebook Competition, Bank Sohar presented gift certificates to each of the five winners totalling OMR500.

The competition was announced in commemoration of the launch of the fourth and final leg of the Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme 2015 under the theme of blockbuster movies; allowing the bank’s social media followers to join in the action and excitement, says a press release.

The prize distribution ceremony was conducted at the bank’s head office in MBD where Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, Senior AGM and head of Marketing and Customer Experience at Bank Sohar, handed over the gift certificates to Abdul Wahab Rasool Bakhsh Al Balushi, Razwan Khan, Yousef Said Al Abdul Salam and Ali Al Buraiki who came to the bank to receive their prize.

Titled ‘Guess the Movie’, the Facebook competition ran from

October 11 to November 12 on Bank Sohar’s facebook page (www. facebook.com/excel.banksohar).

It saw participants identify the original movie the savings scheme poster in competition related post was inspired from on a weekly basis. The first correct entry from each user per question was then entered into a computerised draw that was conducted shortly after the competition ended to pick the five lucky winners.

Commenting on the successful completion of the contest and congratulating the winners of the contest, Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi said, “Social media platforms have proved time and again to be a fantastic medium through which we can build a closer and more personal relationship with our customers and followers. This contest was no different and was most definitely a grand success with hundreds of entries over the course of four-weeks. I would like to thank all the participants for their en-

The competition was announced in commemoration of the launch of the fourth and final leg of the Al Mumayaz Savings Scheme 2015 under the theme of blockbuster movies; allowing the bank’s social media followers to join in the action and excitement

tries and enthusiasm as well as to congratulate each of our five winners of this contest. With this contest behind us, we look forward to conducting many more similar competitions in the future.”

In the past year, Bank Sohar’s social media platforms have witnessed a tremendous growth, in addition to a high level of engagement from fans through questions, comments and responses.

MUSCAT: The Nissan Tiida from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles comes with bestin-class fuel economy, advanced technology and features typically expected from far more expensive vehicles.

With dynamic styling and class-leading spaciousness, the Nissan Tiida’s refreshed aerodynamic body shape blends sophistication with a sporty influence, complemented by widened and lowered stance, electric-folding mirrors and 17” alloys wheels.

Inside, a sleek, modern cabin welcomes the driver and passengers featuring quality materials and lifestyle-accommodating design, says a press release.

Offer lasts till December 31 Auto enthusiasts can now avail exciting benefits on the Nissan Tiida that includes cash gift of OMR500, free service for two years or 20,000km (periodic maintenance only), free registration, six years unlimited mileage warranty and easy and convenient financing options. Flexible EMI’s can also be tailor made for any individual requirement from in-house Auto Finance team.

Versatility at its best No matter what the day has in store, the Nissan Tiida’s owners can be sure of being able to take it in their stride. Class-leading spaciousness provides comfortable accommodation for up to five adult passengers while the standard 60/40 split rear bench offers the option of tackling bulky loads.

Impeccable features The Nissan Tiida 5-door hatchback is available with the choice of two engines and five wellequipped grades. Starting with the 1.6-litre ‘S’, which comes as standard with 60/40 rear split bench, dual front airbags, Antilock Braking System, Electronic Brake Distribution, Brake Assist, next Generation Xtronic CVT and keyless entry, rising to the 1.8-litre SL Plus, with leather seats, 6 airbags and electrically-controlled sunroof.

Available options include satellite navigation, 5.8” QVGA colour display and rear view camera and iPod connectivity.

The Tiida offers numerous segment defining attributes that enhance the ownership experience and provide real customer value, including: Aerodynamically curved body and distinctive racy contours. Every line and curve has been carefully considered to make the best-looking Tiida yet. It’s all new design also has a lower stance giving an aggressive edge to an already stunning shape.

Roomy interior: The Nissan

Tiida is spectacularly spacious from inside. The interior design and expansive windows give an incredible level of visibility.

Power-train efficiency: equipped with either 116hp (154Nm) HR16DE 1.6-litre or 131hp (174Nm) MRA8DE 1.8-litre engines and the new generation Xtronic CVT transmission, Tiida provides performance and fuel efficiency.

Safety efficiency: Tiida is equipped as standard with AntiLock braking system, brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, and dual airbags An attractive multimedia package is available with All-new Nissan Tiida including Push to start engine, Bluetooth Hands-Free Phone System and Streaming Audio with iPod or portable MP3 player through USB port. 5.8” colour touch display, Navigation, rear view camera, auto and rear A/C vents with dual climate control.

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles is largely committed to supporting Nissan’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman.

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PRIZED POSSESSION

Lexus CT200h — a luxurious hybrid hatchback MUSCAT: As Lexus continues to dominate the luxury hybrid market, the CT200h premium hybrid demonstrates the brand’s commitment to unparalleled quality, sophistication and technology. All the while being distinctively responsible towards the environment.

The CT200h’s size, packaging, full hybrid technology and ultralow emissions perfectly meet the requirements of a young, highly discerning, environmentally conscientious customer base. Yet it offers no compromise on the refinement and driving pleasure which hallmark the progressive luxury inherent in every Lexus. Lexus has been the hybrid luxury leader since it introduced the first luxury hybrid more than 10 years ago, says a press release.

The CT200h broke new ground for Lexus, introducing the brand to a younger generation of highly discerning customers. They, too, quickly discovered the refinement and driving pleasure that characterise the progressive luxury inherent in every Lexus. A sporty chassis keeps the CT200h connected to the road’s curves, and the dashing look is enhanced with

a chrome surround grille. In the CT200h, a 1.8-litre in-line fourcylinder gas engine is teamed to a 650-volt motor/generator for a combined output of 134 horsepower. A second motor in the hybrid system serves as both engine starter and generator to charge the hybrid battery pack.

The powertrain is mated to an Electronically Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (E-CVT) that makes the best use of the instant torque of the electric motor and quickly finds the optimal gear ratio to enhance the driving experience.

It’s the unseen engineering details that really make a difference in the CT’s fuel efficiency. For example, an exhaust heat recovery system uses the heat of spent exhaust gases to speed engine coolant warm-up. That in turn allows the hybrid system to stop the engine earlier and more often in the driving cycle when it’s not needed, i.e. in low-power-demand city driving conditions. The CT200h braking system is augmented by regenerative braking which also helps recharge the hybrid battery pack and improve fuel economy.

Like other Lexus models, the CT200h puts a wide range of vehicle control at the driver’s fingertips through the Lexus Drive Mode Select system. You can choose from four distinct modes: Normal, Sport, Eco or EV. Normal mode has an essentially linear throttle response that gives naturally progressive power. Sport mode yields a more responsive and dynamic driving experience.

In Eco mode, air condition-

ing settings are adjusted and the throttle response is reduced relative to the pedal angle to emphasise fuel economy. Under certain circumstances, the EV mode can allow the CT200h to be driven short distances using only the electric motors.

Compact, sporty and shockingly thrifty with fuel, the CT200h is of course a pure Lexus. That means a considerably higher level of luxury than you’ll see in anything

Genesis, Tucson earn coveted safety awards

this size. Standard features include a 8-way power driver’s seat and dual-zone automatic climate control. The dashboard is divided into two distinct zones: an upper, Display Zone, with an seven-inch, LCD multi-display screen located at an ideal distance for at-a-glance viewing, and a lower, Operation Zone, which allows access to the uniquely designed shift lever and system controls. The front seats feature pronounced side bolsters engineered with internal wire framing for additional lateral support during high-G cornering. Extensive use of metallic finishes and dark, soft touch materials reinforces the premium quality of the cockpit. Ecological Plastics with 30 percent plant-based Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) materials are used for the floor mats, deck side and deck board trim.

The CT is more than 80 percent recyclable and is designed to be easily dismantled. Recycle marks have been placed on the front, rear and tailgate trim to facilitate optimum recycling.

The standard six-speaker audio system features the world’s first automotive speakers constructed

with sustainable bamboo and resin. You may hear voices with greater clarity than you have before. A 10-speaker system is available.

Both systems, of course, live up to the brand’s reputation for stellar sound. The Display Audio and Navigation systems both employ Bluetooth 3.0 and dual USB ports to ensure you can connect your music any way you like.

Standard 10-airbag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with dual-stage driver and front passenger airbags and knee airbags, side curtain airbags, and front seat-mounted side airbags.

Encouraged by innovation, the process to create a Lexus vehicle is unique within the automotive industry. Taking inspiration from fields as diverse as the fashion industry, architecture, the arts and medicine, each vehicle is painstakingly crafted to meet Lexus’ exacting standards.

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

TRIBUTES

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety helps consumers select vehicles that offer the highest level of crash protection by conducting extensive testing and awarding those that

Pakistan community celebrates Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s birthday

are worthy

MUSCAT: Hyundai Motor’s Genesis and Tucson have been recognised by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) 2016 Top Safety Pick+ awards.

This prestigious awards body helps consumers select vehicles that offer the highest level of crash protection by conducting extensive testing and awarding those which are worthy, says a press release.

Jin (James) Kim, vice president and head of Operations at Hyundai Motor Company Africa and Middle East said: “Our company’s emphasis on safety is once again highlighted as two very different models, one an SUV and one a luxury sedan, are internationally recognised for their advanced safety technologies.

“The features which I think have helped us secure these awards are elements such as the autonomous emergency braking feature, lane departure warning with lane keep assist and the emergency brake assist offering.”

Adrian Lund, IIHS president commented on the rationale behind the Hyundai recognition: “The Genesis is equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), nine airbags and energy-absorbing front airbags, while the Tucson has AEB, helping these vehicles earn our top

Our company’s emphasis on safety is once again highlighted as two very different models, one an SUV and one a luxury sedan, are internationally recognised for their advanced safety technologies Jin (James) Kim

Vice president and head of Operations at Hyundai Motor Company Africa and Middle East rating. Both earned a required good rating in the small overlap front crash evaluation and a superior-or advanced-rated front crash prevention system with automatic braking capabilities, a key criteria to qualify for a Top Safety Pick+ award.”

Hyundai Motor’s Genesis is

equipped with many advanced safety technology options, including ESC, lane departure warning system, tyre pressure monitoring system, brake assist and electronic brake distribution, and rear-view camera. In addition, the vehicle includes around view monitoring

system, smart cruise control, head up display that help driver alertness and focus on total occupant safety, and even the safety of other drivers nearby.

Multiple advanced safety technology options are also available on Hyundai Motor’s Tucson, including, blind spot detection, backup warning sensors and safety window rear-view camera. In addition, advanced high-strength steel represents more than 50 percent of the vehicle’s structure, for enhanced crash safety.

IIHS rates vehicles in a small overlap front crash, moderate overlap front crash, side and roof strength, and head restraint tests, as well as a standard or optional front crash prevention system.

Winners of the Top Safety Pick+ award must earn good ratings for occupant protection in all five of the evaluations. For the first time, a good rating in the small overlap front crash test is required to earn the award.

MUSCAT: A grand event, ‘My Leader is great’, was organised

by Muttrah Tourism Trade & Services in Al Falaj Hotel to celebrate the 139th birthday of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan.

Auriya Maqbool Jaan, a renowned columnist, poet, scholar and a senior bureaucrat along with Zaheer Abbas, a singer, came all the way to Muscat from Pakistan to be a part of the event, says a press release.

Quite a large number of Pakistanis residing in Muscat marked their presence to pay homage to the great leader.

Syed Ayaz Hussain, ambassador of Pakistan to the Sultanate of Oman attended the occasion.

Mian Muhammad Riaz, Muhammad Yaseen Bhtti, chairman Pakistan Schools, Muhammad Adnan Shahzad, Chaudhry Muhammad Rafeeq, vice chairman, Social Club, Raja Akhmat Hayat, Community Welfare Attaché, Shahid Javaid, Defence Attaché Capt. Altaf Hussain, Abdul Hussain Ismail Ajmee, Dr Asad Mahmood, senior principal Pakistan School System, Ata Ullah Niazi, Zia ul Haq Siddiqi, Syed Sakhawat Bukhari, Members, Board of Directors, Pakistan School Muscat, Sardar Usman Lakhan, Waseem Iqbal and Muhammad Irfan, Members, Direc-

tors Pakistan Social Club, Syed Aftab Gilani, Saleem Akhter, Principal Junior School, Munnazza Ghafoor, principal Mussannah School Nasir Nawaz, Muhammad Tufail, Ameer Hamza and other dignitaries also attended the event.

The event was hosted by Rida Shahzad Khan. Hafiz Faisal Sultan recited few verses of the Holy Quran. A special prayer for the martyrs of Army Public School was held. Saleeha Iftikhar, a student of Class V from PSM, received a remarkable applaud for her speech.

A documentary prepared by Aumir Shbbir and Dr Furqan was also played. Usman Mjaeed presented the national song ‘AeRooh e Qaid’.

Later, Ahmad Shahzad, Zakir Hussain, Maqbool Ahmad Sheikh and Marwat Ahmad paid tribute to Qaid e Azam in their poetry.

Zaheer Abbas, a famous singer, chanted few melodious songs.

The guest of the event, illustrious columnist Orya Maqbool Jan, engrossed the audience with his eloquent and unique style of putting forward his view point which earned exquisite applauds from the audience.

The event concluded by giving away the souvenirs to the guests, the special guest and to the Ambassador of Pakistan.

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Toyota Prius: An iconic ‘green car’ The fourth generation Prius that has debuted this year will be introduced in more than 30 countries worldwide including the Middle East

MUSCAT: When the Toyota Prius debuted in Japan in 1997, nobody knew about it or really cared about its qualities. Indeed, it took a little while to catch on. By 2003, the Prius was becoming generally recognised for what it was… a car of the future.

At first, the critics insisted that

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the American consumer would never buy a fuel-efficient vehicle powered only by a small 1.5 litre gasoline engine. In 2000, Toyota started exporting the Prius to North America and Europe sold 6,500 in the first year itself, says a press release.

Toyota had faith in the potential of the Prius and within a few years, the situation started to turn in favour of the Prius. It started in Hollywood, California. The government of California had decided that low emissions vehicles would get preferential treatment.

As a result, the drivers in priority lanes were restricted to vehicles with two or more persons; however, the Prius could enter the lane with just one person in it.

This was due to the low emissions from a Prius.

When people started to whizz by in a Prius through traffic jams, everybody started to notice and the demand for the Prius started to escalate. Soon, the Toyota Pri-

us became a very popular car in California.

All of a sudden, the Prius was in the spotlight and became an icon. At the 2003 Academy Awards ceremony, Hollywood celebrities rode up to the red carpet in the Prius…!

The same year, the second generation Prius debuted. It had a renewed hybrid system called the Hybrid Synergy Drive, which not only conferred greater benefits to the environment, but also featured improved power and overall performance. This new Prius was also more stylish, inside and out. People began saying that the “The Prius is not only ‘Cool’ … but also ‘Hot’ “ Now, the fourth generation Prius that has debuted this year will be introduced in more than 30 countries worldwide including the Middle East. The popularity of the Prius is now spreading to all corners of the globe and it has become a truly iconic “Green Car”.

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Taylor, Compton lead England revival SCOREBOARD

The pair took advantage of a flat track to pull England out of early trouble with a 125-run partnership after the touring side had slumped to 49 for three soon after lunch

DURBAN: James Taylor and Nick Compton compiled gritty half centuries to lead England to 179 for four on a rain-disrupted first day of the opening Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Saturday.

The pair took advantage of a flat track to pull England out of early trouble with a 125-run partnership after the touring side had slumped to 49 for three soon after lunch.

England 1st innings A. Cook c Elgar b Steyn 0 A. Hales c de Villiers b Steyn 10 N. Compton (not out) 63 J. Root lbw Piedt 24 J. Taylor c de Villiers b Steyn 70 B. Stokes (not out) 5 Extras (b-1, lb-2, nb-3, w-1) 7 Total (4 wkts, 65.1 overs) 179 Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-12, 3-49, 4-174.

To bat: J. Bairstow, C. Woakes, S. Broad, M. Ali, S. Finn.

Bowling: D. Steyn 15.1-3-29-3; K. Abbott 16-2-40-0 (nb-1); M. Morkel 15-1-44-0 (nb-2, w-1); D. Piedt 11-2-39-1; S. van Zyl 2-1-2-0; D. Elgar 6-1-22-0.

Umpires: Aleem Dar, Rod Tucker TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle

The diminutive Taylor played some aggressive strokes as he answered questions about his ability to play quick bowlers but he was caught behind for 70 off Dale Steyn just before the close.

Perfect start South African-born Compton, showing dogged application on his return to the side, finished unbeat-

HOCKEY

Ahli-Sidab, Seeb to square off in HM’s Cup final

MUSCAT: Ahli-Sidab and Seeb booked their places in the final of His Majesty’s Cup Hockey Championship with contrasting victories at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex (SQSC) on Saturday.

In the first semifinal, India’s K.K. Poonacha-coached AhliSidab had a measure of revenge against Al Nasr in their 2-0 victory.

In the last year’s final, Al Nasr had defeated Ahli-Sidab to lift

the coveted trophy. In the second semifinal on Saturday, Seeb defeated Salalah 5-2.

Al Nasr and Salalah will now play for the third place at the SQSC on Monday. The match is scheduled to start at 7.00 p.m.

The final match between AhliSidab and Seeb will be played at the same venue from 6.00 p.m. on Tuesday.

- Photos: JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

en on 63 with Ben Stokes on five.

The home team welcomed their top bowler Steyn back after injury and he delivered a fiery burst to take the wickets of England captain Alastair Cook and debutant opener Alex Hales.

After winning the toss in overcast conditions, South Africa made the perfect start to the series by claiming the key wicket of Cook in the third over as the left-hander was tempted by a delivery outside off-stump from Steyn and edged to Dean Elgar at second slip.

Five balls into the second session, Steyn struck again when Hales chased a ball that was not the right length to drive and wicketkeeper AB de Villiers pouched the catch.

Joe Root played some fluent strokes but a quick knock of 24 runs was abruptly halted by the first ball of spinner Dane Piedt’s opening over. Root played right back on his stumps and got caught leg before wicket, a decision upheld after a review.

As the ball grew older and the pitch flatter, however, it was England who began to dominate before Taylor edged a Steyn delivery through to De Villiers. - Reuters

FIGHTING KNOCK: England’s James Taylor, left, raises his bat after completing his half century during

the first day of their first Test against South Africa at the Kingsmead in Durban on Saturday. – AFP

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SPORTS

Young Kohli leads new dawn of Indian cricket already taken charge of the Test team in December last year post Dhoni’s surprising exit after the Sydney game, led the Indian side LEADING WITH APLOMB: Virat Kohli.

Delhi batsman not only won his maiden Test as captain in his first full-fledged series as the leader of the Indian side in Sri Lanka but also went on to defeat the Islanders on home

NEW DELHI: Indian cricket’s fortunes ebbed and flowed in 2015 with Virat Kohli successfully leading the national side in Tests and Mahendra Singh Dhoni appearing to be losing his midas touch, while in off the field drama Shashank Manohar returned as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) boss.

Kohli, who had already taken charge of the Test team in December last year post Dhoni’s surprising exit after the Sydney game, led the Indian side with aplomb.

The Delhi batsman not only won his maiden Test as captain in his

C O M M E N TA RY

The man and motive behind Yuvraj, Ashish Nehra recall

A

Kohli, who had

with aplomb. The

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first full-fledged series as the leader of the Indian side in Sri Lanka but also went on to defeat the Islanders on home turf after 22 years post a 2-1 series win.

The young leader then made history after he led India to a 3-0 series win at home against the No.1 Test side South Africa, who were made to taste an overseas loss after nine years.

But the four-match series was surrounded by pitch-talk after two games finished in under three days as Indian spinners created havoc in Mohali and Nagpur.

Though the BCCI, Indian management and captain Kohli played down the debate over turning pitches, the ICC did term the ‘Jamtha’ track as “poor” and gave an official warning.

Controversy followed Indian cricket off the field as well when the board finally dethroned under-fire N Srinivasan as the ICC chairman and newly-elected BCCI President Manohar took charge of the post for the remaining period.

The decision to remove Srinivasan was taken at the BCCI’s 86th Annual General Meeting in Mumbai, virtually signalling the end of his hold over Indian cricket.

Earlier, the Vidarbha-based lawyer Manohar’s re-election to

the top post in the world’s most powerful cricket board was a smooth transition of power after the unfortunate demise of Jagmohan Dalmiya.

The Indian Premier League continued to churn out on and off field drama with franchises Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals suspended from the cash-rich T20 league for two years for the involvement of their key officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra in betting-related activities during the 2013 season.

Meiyappan, the former Team Principal of CSK, and RR coowner Kundra were suspended for life for indulging in betting and bringing the IPL and the game into disrepute. The justice RM Lodhaled committee declared the quantum of punishment on the officials and the teams.

But the players of the two teams were not made to suffer even as they had to split ways with new inductees Pune and Rajkot pitching for the big guns from the suspended sides.

If Pune got the prized catch in Dhoni then Rajkot bagged Suresh Raina, the two CSK veterans, who had seen the champion side win three editions of the cashrich league. - PTI

day after a tragic struggle that fetched him disgusting nine runs off 21 balls in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup held in Dhaka last year, and hours after getting seemingly humiliated by Virat Kohli who appeared to have given the cold shoulder to the man torn apart by pain and shame as he walked up to him to say sorry as soon as Thisara Perera hit Ravichandran Ashwin out of the ground in the 18th over of the Sri Lankan innings to seal a comfortable win, Yuvraj Singh was advised by a media man to get married to put the bitter, haunting memories behind him.

“Don’t add to my stress” was Yuvraj’s response then but, now that he has got another opportunity to make, in his own words, “a fresh start for a new beginning” soon after his engagement to model-actor Hazel Keech last month, it seems there’s nothing seriously wrong about cricketers taking in the suggestions made by the media with an open, unbiased frame of mind, at least in matters related to the heart and the knot, perhaps.

The recall of old warhorses Yuvraj and Ashish Nehra was a surprise, but how and why they got a fresh, perhaps the last, lease of their international life is a matter of guess at the moment.

And my guess centres on just one guy, and that’s skipper MS Dhoni.

If domestic performance was the reason that Nehra got picked up now, he should have been in the team a long time ago.

He played his last game for India in 2011, in the World Cup semifinal against Pakistan, with a broken finger, and has been left since then to

twiddling his fingers despite good performances in domestic games as well as in the Indian Premier League.

Australia is a difficult place to go and prove yourself, and if Indian selectors thought Yuvraj was the guy Dhoni needed Down Under, they should have made their choice months ago. And that was when they sat together to name the Indian team for the 2015 ODI World Cup. True, Yuvraj has been doing consistently good on the domestic cricket circuit, and his performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy have really stood out, but all that can’t be the whole truth about his recall.

We get a hint of reason for the recall in one of Yuvraj’s post-selection chats with the media when he talked about his positive mindset and demanded that “the dressing room needs to have belief in me”.

That comment could lead you to more hints that might help unravel a heady mix of mystery, curiosity and surprise surrounding the selection.

Yuvraj requires support from his teammates to get going. He is no stranger to the crowd in the current dressing room, but quite a lot of things had happened in the last few months when he hadn’t been part of the select gang.

The faces are familiar, but the equations aren’t.

There is another guy who might be feeling a bit like Yuvraj. That’s Dhoni.

In the couple of months he hadn’t been part of the team,

the team regrouped under the leadership of Kohli and redefined their approach and attitude, individually and collectively.

It’s no easy task for Dhoni now to walk back into the dressing room and command the guys the way he did a couple of years ago.

The problem is neither with the familiar guys in the dressing room nor with the same old Dhoni.

Rather, it could be the nagging doubts in the mind of the skipper about him and how he could get things done by a group of young things relishing a hangover from their recent Test series bravado.

Under the circumstances, it made sense to have a few people in the dressing room who are just as uncertain and lonely as Dhoni himself is.

For the 34-year-old Yuvraj and nearly 37-year-old Nehra, the Australian trip could be their last chance to extend their international career for a little while, and if they do good in a match or two in Australia they could be in the team for the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled for MarchApril in India.

If everything goes to plan, Dhoni will have a matchwinner in Yuvraj and the best death-over bowler in Nehra — unless he breaks another bone before the first T20 match against Australia which is still a month away.

Together, the three could rediscover the dressing room fun they seem to miss at the moment.

The writer is a freelance contributor based in India. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman

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SPORTS Khawaja, Burns sparkle as Aussies punish West Indies on Boxing Day SCOREBOARD

Having recovered from a hamstring strain, Usman

USMAN KHAWAJA

JOE BURNS

144

128

runs from 227 balls 6 fours, 1 six

runs from 230 balls 16 fours, 1 six

Khawaja celebrated his recall with a glittering 144, with Queensland teammate Joe Burns making 128 in front of

Australia 1st innings J. Burns st Ramdin b K. Brathwaite 128 D. Warner c Samuels b Taylor 23 U. Khawaja c Ramdin b Taylor 144 S. Smith (not out) 32 A. Voges (not out) 10 Extras (lb-3, nb-2, w-3) 8 Total (3 wkts, 90 overs) 345 Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-287, 3-328.

To bat: M. Marsh, P. Nevill, J. Pattinson, P. Siddle, J. Hazlewood, N. Lyon.

Bowling: J. Taylor 18-2-83-2; K. Roach 10-1-53-0; J. Holder 17-6-33-0 (nb-2); C. Brathwaite 20-1-71-0 (w-3); J. Warrican 16-1-71-0; K. Brathwaite 9-1-31-1.

Umpire: Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney.

TV umpire: Ian Gould.

Match referee: Chris Broad.

a festive Melbourne a half-chance to the gully and spooned the simplest of chances to Marlon Samuels at cover to again be reprieved on 142.

He and Burns came together early after opener David Warner was dismissed for a quickfire 23 and they erased any lingering confidence the Caribbeans nursed after their innings and 212-run thrashing in Hobart.

Cricket Ground crowd to drive Australia to 345 for three at stumps on the opening day of the second Test

MELBOURNE: Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns rewarded the Australian selectors’ faith with a pair of sparkling centuries as the hosts dominated a limp West Indies attack on the opening day of the second Test on Saturday.

Having recovered from a hamstring strain, Khawaja celebrated his recall with a glittering 144, with Queensland teammate Burns making 128 in front of a festive Melbourne Cricket Ground crowd to drive Australia to 345-3 at stumps.

The pair’s 258-run stand remained unbroken until well into the final session, with captain Steve Smith (32 not out) and Adam Voges (10) untested during the final overs.

After a run of modest scores, Burns was widely tipped to make way for the returning Khawaja but it was middle order batter Shaun Marsh making way for the stylish left-hander.

“It was just a nice feeling to make a 100 for Australia on Boxing Day,” Burns told reporters.

SUPERB COMEBACK: Australia’s Usman Khawaja celebrates after completing his century against the West Indies on the first day of their second Test in Melbourne on Saturday. – AFP

“Certainly something to savour ... Hopefully we can go on and win the Test match and win the series,” Burns added.

Australia won the opener em-

phatically in Hobart and took a big stride toward sealing the threematch series with a game in hand after being sent in to bat by West Indies captain Jason Holder.

FOOTBALL

FIFA gave Russia 12 on 10-point scale for 2018 World Cup preparation, says official MOSCOW: FIFA has graded Russia 12 on a scale of 10 for its work in 2015 in preparing for the 2018 World Cup, Sports Minister and Local Organising Committee (LOC) head Vitaly Mutko has said.

“FIFA is annually evaluating the work of the organising committees on its 10-point system,” Mutko, who is also the president of the Russian Football Union (RFU) and a member of the FIFA Executive Committee, said on Friday, reports Tass.

“We were graded 12 for our work in 2015. The advanced grade was awarded for our ahead-ofschedule work.”

He said the LOC had already approved a total of 64 training bases to accommodate the participants of the global football championship and introduced an electronic database, which provides information about each of the facilities.

“We have completed the projects concepts concerning security, communications and transportation,” the minister said.

“Back in 2013 the Russian government already adopted a special program, which included about 300 facilities,” he said.

“They are all currently under construction payed by the federal budget. In addition we have added up approximately the same amount of regional infrastructure facilities. In general - the work is currently underway in all possible directions, everything goes in line with the announced schedule and everything is under our control,” Mutko added.

Last week Mutko announced the budget of Russia’s LOC in charge of the World Cup organisation would stand in 2016 at four billion rubles ($57 million).

“Two billion, or maybe less, were allocated by FIFA. The rest of the money comes from the state budget and donations of our business partners,” Mutko announced last week.

Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup at the FIFA Congress in Guatemala on December 4, 2010, in a tight race against the

bid from England, the joint bid from Portugal and Spain and the joint bid on behalf of Belgium and the Netherlands.

The country selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostovon-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

The matches will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 aforementioned cities across Russia.

Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital.

In September, a total of 33 cities across Russia involving over 450,000 people were celebrating the 1,000-day countdown of the tournament. Main celebrations of Russia’s countdown were held in Moscow. This summer Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg was the venue for the tourney’s preliminary draw, which is the first major kick-off event ahead of the global tournament. - IANS

‘NICE FEELING’: Australia’s Joe Burns celebrates after scoring a

century against the West Indies during the first day of their second Test match in Melbourne on Saturday. – AFP

Holder’s decision was a poor one in hindsight, with the greentinged MCG pitch flattening out in bright sunshine after rain held up play for an hour.

His players again failed to rally, however, with the bowling tepid at best and fielding at times abysmal.

Khawaja was dropped on 23 shortly after lunch after nicking

‘Decent day’ Unbeaten at tea, Burns and Khawaja ramped up their attack in the final session and raced to reach their centuries.

Burns made his ton and second test century first with a punch for three through point.

Khawaja followed two balls later, scrambling for a single presented by a misfield.

The pair ploughed on steadily to guide Australia past 250, with their opponents’ hopes seemingly fixed on the batsmen suffering a lapse in concentration rather than succumbing to any sustained pressure.

As it happened, Burns duly delivered after the drinks break, getting stumped after charging down the wicket at part-time spinner Kraigg Brathwaite.

Khawaja appeared to succumb to fatigue rather than the bowler’s guile as he tickled Taylor down the leg-side to be caught behind.

Kraigg Brathwaite said it was a “decent day” for the tourists.

“Obviously (have to) try to be build some pressure to not let them score so freely,” said the spinner. - Reuters

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SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

SPORTS

Run machine Guptill guides New Zealand to win over Sri Lanka

MARTIN GUPTILL

79

runs from 56 balls 9 fours, 4 sixes

SCOREBOARD

While Guptill (79) and McCullum (55) made light work of the run chase, victory had been set up in Sri Lanka’s innings when opening bowlers Milne and Henry reduced the visitors to 27 for five inside

SRI LANKA D. Gunathilaka c Ronchi b Milne 8 T. Dilshan c Nicholls b Henry 9 L. Thirimanne lbw Henry 1 D. Chandimal c Taylor b Henry 5 A. Mathews c Latham b Henry 0 M. Siriwardana c McCullum b Bracewell 66 C. Kapugedera c Santner b Bracewell 8 N. Kulasekara c Ronchi b McClenaghan 58 A. Mendis c Ronchi b McClenaghan 4 D. Chameera (not out) 13 S. Lakmal c Latham b Bracewell 8 Extras (w-8) 8 Total (all out, 47 overs) 188 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-20, 3-23, 4-23, 5-27, 6-65, 7-163, 8-164, 9-167.

Bowling: A. Milne 10-0-30-1 (w-3); M. Henry 10-1 -49-4 (w-2); M. McClenaghan 10-2-40-2 (w-3); D. Bracewell 9-1-37-3; M. Santner 8-0-32-0.

NEW ZEALAND M. Guptill c N. Kulasekara b Siriwardana 79 B. McCullum c Lakmal b Siriwardana 55 T. Latham b Dilshan 18 R. Taylor (not out) 5 H. Nicholls (not out) 23 Extras (lb-1, w-10) 11 Total (3 wkts, 21 overs) 191 Fall of wickets: 1-108, 2-162, 3-164.

Did not bat: M. Santner, L. Ronchi, D. Bracewell, A. Milne, M. Henry, M. McClenaghan Bowling: N. Kulasekara 3-0-27-0; S. Lakmal 3-0-24-0 (w-1); A. Mathews 1-0-17-0 (w-1); A. Mendis 5-0-49-0 (w-2); M. Siriwardana 5-0-45-2; D. Chameera 2-0-18-0 (w-3); T. Dilshan 2-0-10-1 (w-1).

Umpires: Michael Gough, Phil Jones.

TV umpire: Richard Illingworth.

Match referee: Andy Pycroft.

the first 10 overs

CHRISTCHURCH: Martin Guptill became the highest run scorer in One-day International (ODI) cricket this year as he guided New Zealand to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first game of their five match series on Saturday.

Guptill, who scored 237 not out in the World Cup quarterfinal against West Indies in March and was the highest run-scorer at the tournament, was dismissed for 79 within sight of the 189 needed for victory at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Ross Taylor was on five with debutant Henry Nicholls hitting the winning runs to move to 23 as New Zealand raced to 191 for three in 21 overs.

Captain Brendon McCullum scored 55 from 25 balls in an 108run opening partnership with Guptill, who moved to 1,366 runs from 30 matches in 2015.

Compatriot Kane Williamson, who has a knee injury and missed

the match, has scored 1,317 runs this year, with South Africa’s AB de Villiers third on 1,193.

While Guptill and McCullum made light work of the run chase, victory had been set up in Sri Lanka’s innings when opening bowlers Adam Milne and Matt Henry reduced the visitors to 27 for five inside the first 10 overs with the latter taking four wickets.

“I thought the wicket was outstanding so for us to take five for 30 up front was a truly outstanding bowling performance,” McCullum said in a televised interview.

“I guess that was the winning of the game.”

Disciplined line Both Henry and Milne, who started in place of the rested regular new-ball pair of Trent Boult and Tim Southee, were consistently faster than 140km per hour in their opening spells with the fiery Milne exceeding 150 kph on several deliveries.

The pair also produced a disciplined line and length on a pitch

that Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews described as “a belter” when he won the toss and elected to bat.

“It was good to have Adam bowling well at the other end and creating pressure,” said Henry, who finished with four for 49.

“We are pretty pleased with the way things went and as a bowling group we were fairly happy.”

Some credibility Milinda Siriwardana (66), who was dropped at deep midwicket

by Nicholls on 10, and Nuwan Kulasekara (58), however, combined for a 98-run seventh-wicket partnership to give Sri Lanka some credibility.

“We just had to bat and put runs on the board to put pressure on the Kiwis but unfortunately we kept losing wickets in the first 10 overs (and) that was really tough going,” said Mathews.

“They just bowled well and we couldn’t handle it.”

The second match is at the same venue on Monday. - Reuters

HIGHEST RUN SCORER: Martin Guptill of New Zealand plays a shot during their first One-day International match against Sri Lanka at Hagley Park in Christchurch on Saturday. – AFP

CRICKET

New Zealand’s ‘outstanding’ bowling production line a concern for Sri Lanka CHRISTCHURCH: Just when Sri Lanka thought batting would be easier without new-ball pair Tim Southee and Trent Boult after the Test series, a more damaging New Zealand duo stepped up to the plate in the first one-dayer between the sides in Christchurch on Saturday.

Matt Henry and Adam Milne reduced the visitors to 27 for five inside 10 overs at Hagley Oval in the opener of the five-match series as New Zealand cruised to a seven-wicket victory.

Henry, who struggled in Australia last month and took just two wickets for 158 runs in the drawn second Test in Perth, produced an outstanding opening six-over spell on Saturday with figures of four for 26. He finished with four for 49 from 10 overs.

Both he and Milne regularly clocked in excess of 140 km per hour, with the fiery Milne exceeding 150 kph on several deliveries, a far cry from the 130-140 kmph range that Southee and Boult delivered in the Test series against Sri Lanka. What was most important for New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, however, was that with Test seamer Doug Bracewell, who impressed on Saturday with three for 37, and left-arm quick Mitchell McClenaghan, he now has a deep pace bowling unit to choose from.

We are lucky at the moment that we are building some depth and the boys are going okay. Nobody would want to be rotated out of squad Brendon McCullum New Zealand captain

“I think both Adam Milne and Matt Henry with the new ball back in their hands were outstanding for us,” McCullum said in a televised interview.

“I thought Mitchell McClenaghan and Doug Bracewell were outstanding as well,” he added after McClenaghan picked up two wickets with his aggressive bowling rearing off a length on a pitch

that was described as a “belter” by both captains. Southee and Boult have been rested for at least the first two matches, with left-armer Boult not available until the fourth match in Nelson on January 2.

McCullum, however, was not overly concerned.

“We have two outstanding bowlers in Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who are vastly experi-

enced and have been the kingpins for us for a long time,” he said.

“For them not to be in this lineup and for the guys to have stepped up like they did today was very pleasing for everyone.

“We are lucky at the moment that we are building some depth and the boys are going okay.

“Nobody would want to be rotated out of the squad.” - Reuters

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 27, 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

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NYDT rout OCT Al Amerat, Ooredoo prevail over ISC

DISAPPOINTMENT

‘Russian lifter had permission to use banned substance’ YEKATERINBURG: World champion weightlifter Alexey Lovchev had a permit to use a banned medication, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has said.

“This is a huge disappointment,” Mutko said on Friday, reports Tass.

“On the whole, we will keep working on Lovchev, as he had normal blood indicators. We need to clarify matters. The medication was declared. Lovchev had a lateral ligament rupture.”

“The team left for the tournament clean and checked,” he added.

Russian weightlifter, world champion in the weight category over 105 kilograms Alexey Lovchev has been suspended from competitions on suspicion of violating antidoping regulations, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said on Thursday.

Besides Lovchev, Olga Zubova, Alexey Kosov and Olga Afanasyeva were suspended from competitions over positive doping tests taken from the athletes during their performance at the 2015 World Championship in Houston. - IANS

FOOTBALL

Messi for Bosnia’s aid BIG WIN: National Youth Development Team players pose for a group photo after defeating OCT Al Amerat. – Supplied photo

SARAJEVO: FC Barcelona’s Argentine superstar Lionel Messi sent a signed jersey to be auctioned for providing aid to a Bosnian hospital.

The jersey will be put under the hammer for the pediatrics department of a hospital in the central Bosnian town of Travnik, reports Efe. Bosnian humanitarian activist Jasmina Fajkic said on Friday the funds to be raised in the auction through the sale of shirts of sev-

After winning the toss and electing to field first, NYDT bowled out OCT Al Amerat for 74 in 22.4 overs. In reply, NYDT reached their target in 8.1 overs losing just one wicket

MUSCAT: National Youth Development Team (NYDT) recorded a big win against OCT Al Amerat in a Khimji Ramdas-sponsored A Division match at the Municipality Ground II during the morning session on Friday.

After winning the toss and electing to field first, NYDT bowled out OCT Al Amerat for 74 in 22.4 overs. For Al Amerat, Aiman Al Sabri was the lone batsman to reach double figures, scoring 22 runs in 23 balls. NYDT bowlers Shuaib Ismail and Yousuf Rahim took two wickets each.

In reply, NYDT reached their target in 8.1 overs losing just one wicket. Indunil Umra smashed 40 off 29 balls with the help of six fours. Indunil Umra and wicketkeeper Majid Hussain were declared the joint winners of man of the match award.

Brief scores: OCT Al Amerat 74 in 22.4 overs (Aiman Al Sabri 22; Shuaib Ismail 2/13, Yousuf Rahim 2/7) lost to NYDT 77 for 1 in 8.1 overs (Indunil Umra 40 n.o., Mohammed Ali 22; Aiman Al Sabri 1/26). Points: NYDT – 3 , OCT Al Amerat– 0.

Ooredoo win thriller In another Khimji Ramdas-spon-

OOREDOO STARS: Krishna Chaithanya and Vijesh CV. – Supplied photo

sored A Division match, Ooredoo defeated Indian Social Club (ISC) by two runs at the Municipality Ground I. ISC required 8 runs to win in last over .

Ooredoo, after being asked to bat first, scored 241 for seven wickets in 30 overs. Vijeesh G V smashed 110 runs off 79 deliveries with the help of 16 fours. Pillila Krishna remained not out on 66. ChetanMallya claimed two wickets for ISC . In reply, ISC were bowled out for 230 in 30 overs. Amandeep Singh scored 89 and Mahek Asher made 60. Krishna Sanoop claimed three wickets for Ooredoo.

Brief scores: Ooredoo 241 in 30 overs (Vijeesh 110, Pillila Krishna 66 n.o.; Chetan Mallya 2/46) bt ISC 239 in 30 overs (Amandeep Singh 89, Mahekasher 60). Points: Ooredoo-2, ISC - 0.

Easy for OCT Al Nahdha In an Al Ansari Group of Companies-sponsored B Division match, OCT Al Nahdha eased to a sixwicket victory over Design Unit Engineering at the Municipality Ground I. Batting first, Design Unit put on 108 for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Nishanth Menon top scored with an unbeaten 32.

Muhammed Kamran took two wickets for OCT Al Nahdha. In

reply, OCT Al Nahdha raced to 111 for four in 12.1 overs. Babar Malik remained not out on 32 while, Muhammed Kamran scored 31.

Samash Rana claimed two wickets for Design Unit.

Brief scores: Design Unit Engg 108 for 7 in 20 overs (Nishanth Menon 32 no., Shamas Rana 25; Muhammed Kamran 2/11) lost to OCT Al Nahdha 111 for 4 in 12.1 overs (Babar Malik 32 n.o., Muhammed Kamran 31, Imran Nasir 27; SamashRana 2/16). Points: COT Al Nahdha – 3 , Design Unit Engg - 0.

Majees A beat Abu Maather Majees A recorded their win with a bonus point against Abu Maather in an E Division match played at Municipality Ground IV. Batting first, Majees A scored 187 in 20 overs. Muhammed Nazam top scored 53 runs while Adnan Mehboob and Mubashar Iqbal scored 40 and 35 respectively.

Qamar Nazir and Mujahid Surve claimed three wickets each for Abu Maather.

Majees A restricted Abu Maather to 144 runs all out in 19.3 overs to win comfortably with a bonus point. Sohail Khot top scored with 32 and QamarNazir made 28. Abdul Ghani of Majees A took three wickets.

Brief scores: Majees A 187 in 19.4

IN VAIN: ISC’s Amandeep Singh.

overs (Muhammed Nazam 53, Adnan Mehboob 40, Mubashar Iqbal 35; QamarNazir 3/35, Mujahid Surve) bt Abu Maather 144 in 19.3overs (SohailKhot 32, QamarNazir 28; Abdul Ghani 3/14). Points: Majees A – 3, Abu Maather – 0.

White Lotus down MCCC In an F Division match, White Lotus registered a comfortable win against Muscat Cricket Coaching Centre (MCCC) at Municipality Ground III. Batting first, MCCC managed to score 160 for six in 20 overs.

Mohammed Mohsin scored 79 off 56 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries. Rajan Berry made 33.

Sachin KP and Mustafa Sadigali took one wicket each.

In reply, White Lotus cruised to 161 for three in 17.2 overs thanks to an unbeaten 50 by Zafarullah.

Nitin Hegde scored 47 not out.

Mohammed Mohsin took two wickets for MCCC. Brief scores: MCCC 160 for 6 in 20 overs (Mohammed Mohsin 79, Rajan Berry 33, Mohammed Shaijad Younus 28; Sachin KP 1/29, Mustafa Sadigali 1/32) lost to White Lotus 161 for 3 in 17.2 overs (Zafarukkah 50 n.o; Nitin Hegde 47 n.o.; Anup Rajan 22; Mohammed Mohsin 2/27).

Points: White Lotus – 2; MCCC - 0.

FOOTBALL

Eugenio Figueredo bribes ‘ruined’ South American football: Prosecutor RIO DE JANEIRO: Former FIFA vice-president Eugenio Figueredo participated in a decades-old bribery scheme that “ruined South American football”, a prosecutor said on Friday.

Figueredo was one of the seven FIFA officials arrested at a Zurich hotel in May after being charged with corruption by US authorities, reports Xinhua.

The 83-year-old Uruguayan was this week extradited to his homeland, where he will be tried for money laundering and fraud.

He is fighting extradition to the US. Prosecutor Juan Gomes said Figueredo took part in corruption “from the moment” he joined the executive committee of South American confederation Conmebol.

“Through contracts he signed after becoming president, he sought to legalise dirty money that was divided among a corrupt network that ruined South American football with an impunity that was maintained for decades,” prosecutor Gomez said in a preliminary report.

“He received large amounts of money from a scheme involving

several members of the entity.

The aim was to maintain the status quo with perverse corruption.”

Figueredo headed the Uruguayan football association from 1997 to 2006 before being appointed Conmebol chief in 2013.

Conmebol’s last three presidents have all been arrested as part of the US-led corruption probe. - IANS

eral sportsmen will be allocated to purchase new medical equipment.

Fajkic was able to contact Messi through Catalan humanitarian activists, and said that Messi, upon hearing that it was for children, immediately offered support and sent a signed shirt. The auction also includes the signed shirts of Croatian Real Madrid player Mateo Kovacic and Bosnians Miralem Pjanic and Edin Dzeko of AS Roma. - IANS

C6

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

SPORTS

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Leicester suffer defeat at Liverpool, Man United slump to another loss While Leicester were beaten 1-0

by Liverpool, Manchester City closed in on Leicester by crushing lowly Sunderland 4-1 and Manchester United slumped to a third consecutive league defeat to pile more pressure on manager Louis van Gaal

LONDON: Leicester City were given a Premier League reality check when the unlikely leaders lost 1-0 at Liverpool on Saturday after Manchester United slumped to a third consecutive league defeat to pile more pressure on manager Louis van Gaal.

Christian Benteke’s second-half goal sealed the points at Anfield as Leicester suffered their first league defeat since September when they lost to Arsenal.

Third-placed Manchester City closed in on Leicester by crushing lowly Sunderland 4-1 although they suffered a blow when captain Vincent Kompany limped off with a calf injury.

Tottenham Hotspur consolidated fourth place as Harry Kane scored twice in a 3-0 home victory over Norwich City.

Leicester, who failed to score for the first time this season and suffered only their second loss, have 38 points from 18 matches with Arsenal on 36, Manchester City 35 and Tottenham 32.

All eyes were on Manchester United’s under-pressure manager Louis van Gaal in the first game of the hectic holiday period and Stoke comfortably won 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium to condemn United

FEELING IN THE HEAT: Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal looks as a Stoke fan wearing a Jose Mourinho mask and dressed as the Grim Reaper poses with a P45

banner for Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal during their Premier League match against Stoke City at at Britannia Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday. – Reuters

to another damaging defeat. Goals from Stoke forwards Bojan Krkic and Marko Arnautovic left United down in sixth place after they lost four consecutive matches in a single season for the first time since 1961.

Van Gaal had left captain Wayne Rooney out of his starting line-up and by the time the England striker was introduced as a second-half substitute United were in deep trouble.

The Dutchman hinted that his days in the Old Trafford hot seat might be numbered. “The club doesn’t have to fire or sack me — sometimes I do it by myself,” he said.

Having criticised the media

and stormed angrily out of his pre-match news conference on Wednesday, there was an air of resignation about Van gaal’s comments after the loss — United’s fourth in a row in all competitions.

“The club doesn’t have to fire or sack me — sometimes I do it by myself,” the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager told reporters.

Minutes earlier, he had been asked if he still thought he was the man to turn around United’s season and whether he had the support of United’s hierarchy.

“It’s more difficult because I’m also part of the four matches we

have lost and so people are looking at me,” van Gaal said. “It’s another situation, we have lost the fourth game, we will have to wait and see,” he added with a lingering glare towards the reporter.

Late penalty Guus Hiddink’s second spell as Chelsea’s interim manager began with a 2-2 draw at home to Watford. Oscar wasted the chance to secure victory for the champions when he missed a late penalty at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea remained in 15th place.

Spain striker Diego Costa scored twice for Chelsea but Wat-

ford had led 2-1 through Troy Deeney’s first-half penalty and Odion Ighalo’s deflected shot in the 56th minute.

Oscar’s 80th-minute blunder meant Chelsea remained just two points above the relegation zone with a trip to Manchester United to come on Monday.

Leicester topped the Christmas standings, a year after being rooted to the bottom, but they were not at their best against a Liverpool side who had gone four matches without a win. Benteke struck in the 63rd minute, steering in Roberto Firmino’s pull-back.

“We started too late to play our

football,” Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri told Sky Sports. “Now we have to re-start.”

Crystal Palace drew 0-0 with Bournemouth, moving above Manchester United into fifth spot.

Bottom club Aston Villa drew 1-1 at home to West Ham United thanks to Jordan Ayew’s penalty, leaving manager Remi Garde still awaiting a first win since taking over from Tim Sherwood.

Managerless Swansea City won for the first time since October, beating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 to climb out of the relegation zone above Norwich and Newcastle United. - Reuters

CRICKET

ISC Marathi Wing clinch Dhofar Insurance Cup

MUSCAT: The Marathi Wing got the better of Malayalam Wing B team to win the top honours at the Inter Wing Underarm Cricket Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club (ISC) Salalah recently.

In a thrilling final, after being asked to bat first, Marathi Wing managed to score 55 runs. But

they successfully defended their target as Malayalam Wing lost the match by by just one run.

ISC A team was adjusted as the best supporting team. Shoaib of Marathi Wing was the man of the match and Asif of Karnataka Wing was adjusted as the man of the series.Payal of Punjabi Wing was awarded with best lady

player trophy. Mandana, Regional Manager of Dhofar Insurance Company, presided over the final in the presence of ISC Salalah chairman Manpreet Singh, Joint General Secretary Vinay Kumar, Sports Secretaries Sunny Jacob and Benoy Joseph, Cultural Secretary Mohandas and treasurer Rakesh Kumar Jha.

C

SECTION

Health LIFESTYLE

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SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

LIFESTYLE

Is it different for different people? On what basis is it decided?

It is different for different people. There are two types of detox diet. One is a general detox diet, which is common for everyone and it helps everyone. The second type is a detox diet, which is different for different people. It is decided according to the amount of toxins the person has, (toxin in Ayurveda is called “aama”), i.e., how much aama they have, and, which organ and, which system it has affected. It is also decided on, which type of constitution the person has — vata, kapha or pitta — you can have vaat aama, kapha ama, and pitta aama.

To find out how much toxin is there in the body, what kind of aama — vata, pitta, and what personality type you are, an expert has to check the naadi (pulse), and through other methods.

out and sweating are essential.

Even if you eat well it supports the detox of vata. This is a very different concept, which Ayurveda has.

How often should it be done?

It depends on how much of toxins you have. For some people, they may need to detox once in a year. But generally it is good to plan a detox once in three months. We give a sample diet, which you can do once in three months.

What is the diet like?

When people have chronic diseases, a general detox may not help for such people. They will need an expert who will plan a specific detox diet.

There is a programme called Panchakarma, which is a detox programme. It includes certain types of diet processes, but the focus is not on diet, but on processes for detox. In chronic diseases Why does one need to you have to go for that. For detox? a diabetic it is always good Because we live in an environ- to consult their own diabement where we are exposed tologist before taking up any to different types of toxins, special diet, who will give a different types of environment, specific diet. different types of food. It is not But the diet, which we are always that we eat healthy food going to prescribe here is very and always follow a healthy safe, which anyone can follow. lifestyle. The environment and You may make a few changes the radiation in the environin the diet according to your ment affect us, and the stress, specific conditions. The samwhich events give also affects ple diet has, for the first three us. All these form toxins in the days, fruits, fruit juices, vegbody. Generally the body has etables and vegetable juices. the capability to flush out these This is all raw and what is toxins. In fact detox is hapimportant is that fruits and pening in our body on a daily vegetables have detox properbasis. But this may not happen ties, are light on the body and effectively and sometimes digestion is very easy. you may not be supporting the You follow only this diet for body sufficiently to allow it to three days and then graduhappen. If you follow the body ally you can switch to cooked clock daily and live according foods, like soups, you can have to nature, you allow the detox cooked moong dal, or moongto happen effectively. If you dal soup and then you can add drink a lot of water and exerkhichadi for the next three cise sufficiently, it supports days, in addition to the above the detox process, as flushing diet of fruits, vegetables and

DIET What we eat plays a major role in our state of health.

That is why eating local, seasonal, freshly-cooked natural, and organic food gains so much importance.

The body can handle such food, as it is lighter on the digestive system, and it contributes to your health, and not go against your health.

LIFESTYLE Nature has a rhythm: the daytime is for activity and night is for resting. The body-clock or bio-clock follows the sun, and knows when it should be active and when it should rest.

Again in the day, the body acquires nourishment, is active and it uses the night to detox itself, especially for vital organs like liver, gall-bladder, which detox only at night. If the person is not in deep-sleep then, the detox does not happen.

Living according to the body-clock is so important that it forms a huge topic in Ayurvedic medical literature, known as “Dinacharya”.Those whose career disallows them from following the body-clock, can be helped with professional guidance so as to compensate for the alteration in their life-style.

their juices. This is a proper ten-day diet you can follow.

The person is not fasting, so this is a general detox diet anybody can follow.

If she/he is a diabetic, instead of fruits and fruit juices, they can have only vegetables and vegetable juices, and if their diabetologist has allowed them to have certain foods, they can incorporate them into the diet. Generally you know about your body, and if you have to eat every three hours, you can do so.

The other type of diet- the non-general type - is very personal. You have to get professional guidance on that.

For how long or how often should a person do this diet?

One can go on this diet once every three months. That is, in a year four times, ten days each time. And it is always good if you can do it at the junction of the seasons, like when summer changes into the monsoon season. Because when the climate changes, the body, and the person’s diet too goes through a lot of changes and this is a period when toxins can accumulate.

you have food, which is fresh, we do not have to go for imported or tinned/canned food unlike other countries where there is no agriculture and they have to import food.

What are the benefits of this diet?

Your digestion will improve, sleep will be better, skin will gradually get clearer, and the skin-tone improves. Your energy levels go up.

When you have a chronic condition, for some people there can be what is called a “healing crisis”. So you have to be a little careful about that.

It is better to do the detox while being monitored. Lots of people have diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions. Healing crises are rare, but if it does happen it can be handled. Keeping that in mind, and if it does happen, the person can go back to the normal diet.

How do you know you need a detox?

You may have digestive problems, sleep disturbances, skin problems or you may feel bloated, or have back-pain, joint-pain, hair-loss, irritability, or eye-problems (that is What should a person do a pitta toxin). In these conditions, if you visit a doctor, he after they have finished might tell you do not have any the course?

It is always good, after the ten problem, but you are facing days, to slowly go back to your these problems. And this is a old diet. It in fact makes sense clear sign that you have some to follow and stick to a healthy accumulation of toxins. diet pattern. And if you canIn Ayurveda, they know not, then you can wait for when there is accumulation another session of detox. The of toxins, and, which organ/ body cannot handle certain system it is going to affect, kinds of food. When you plan because it is a very different your food, it is always better to approach. That is why it is have food, which is local, sea- important to get the naadi sonal, natural, freshly-cooked, (pulse) checked so you know and organic. So if we bear this and prevent what you know is in mind, it is very good for us, going to happen. and for our health. And people are coming back to that.

Dr Nisha Manikanthan is an Because India is a country Ayurvedic Expert at The Art where throughout the year of Living

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 27, 2 0 1 5

C9

LIFESTYLE

Try

BRIEFS

Horror films can curdle your blood

W hy

Here are a few simple, time-tested foods, techniques,

and remedies to try, and a bit about why. Have you tried any of these tricks? How did you like them? Do you have a favourite remedy of

Eat Sprouts to aid Digestion Sprouts contain an unusually high number of enzymes which help boost the various metabolic processes and chemical reactions within the body, specifically concerning digestion. Enzymes are an important part of the digestive process as they help to break down food effectively and increase the absorption of nutrients by the digestive tract.

your own? Tell us about it at lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Love watching horror movies? Well, the fear or horror can curdle your blood for real, preparing the body for blood loss during life-threatening situations. The results suggest that using the term “bloodcurdling” to describe feeling extreme fear while watching horror films is justified, say researchers, adding that scary movies result in an increase in the clotting protein - blood coagulant factor VIII. To understand this further, researchers in The Netherlands set out to assess whether acute fear can curdle blood. The study involved 24 healthy volunteers aged 30 years or younger recruited from Leiden University Medical Centre. Fourteen were assigned to watch a frightening (horror) movie followed by a non-threatening (educational) movie) and 10 to watch the movies in reverse order. Before and after each movie, blood samples were taken and analysed for markers or “fear factors” of clotting activity. The horror movie was perceived to be more frightening than the educational movie, with a 5.4 mean difference in fear rating scores.

Parent-led autism therapy benefits Indian kids

Grapes protect your heart The high polyphenol content in grapes helps in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing platelet build-up. The fibre and potassium content in grapes also support heart health. An increase in potassium intake along with a decrease in sodium intake are key dietary changes for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Use Vegetable Oil for Cracked Heels To get rid of cracked heels during winter, here’s an easy remedy: At night, soak your feet in soapy water and scrub well with a pumice stone. Then wash your feet and dry them. Apply any vegetable oil liberally on the heels and soles, put on socks, and leave them overnight. Repeat for a few days till the cracks disappear and feet become softer.

Parent-led intervention has been found promising in helping children suffering from autism in India and Pakistan initiate communication with their parents, a new study says. Autism is one of the world‘s fastest growing developmental health challenges, with up to 70 million people affected, causing a severe effect on the social development of children. In developed countries children are able to receive specialist treatment to improve their interaction with their families, but in many lower income countries, this is not available. “This study is the first to have adapted a treatment so as to allow it to be delivered by non-specialist health workers in south Asian communities,” said one of the study authors Atif Rahman from University of Liverpool.

“It has been successful in showing that such adaptation is possible and can produce changes that are equal or even better that we achieved in UK,“ Rahman noted. — IANS

Bioactive glass fillings to prolong tooth life

B

ioactive glass can be used in tooth fillings to reduce the ability of bacteria to attack composite tooth fillings, and perhaps even provide some of the minerals needed to replace those lost to tooth decay, engineers from Oregon State University said.

Some studies suggest the average lifetime of a posterior dental composite is only six years.

“Bioactive glass, which is a type of crushed glass that is able

to interact with the body, has been used in some types of bone healing for decades,” said lead researcher professor Jamie Kruzic.

“This type of glass is only beginning to see use in dentistry, and our research shows it may be very promising for tooth fillings,” he said.

“The bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities are less likely to colonize on fillings that incorporate it,” he added. Bioactive glass is made with compounds such as silicon oxide, calcium oxide and phosphorus oxide, and looks like

powdered glass.

It’s called “bioactive” because the body notices it is there and can react to it, as opposed to other biomedical products that are inert.

Bioactive glass is very hard and stiff, and it can replace some of the inert glass fillers that are currently mixed with polymers to make modern composite tooth fillings.

“Almost all fillings will eventually fail. New tooth decay often begins at the interface of a filling and the tooth, and is called secondary tooth decay. The tooth is literally being eroded and

demineralised at that interface,” Kruzic explained.

Bioactive glass may help prolong the life of fillings, researchers said, because the new study showed that the depth of bacterial penetration into the interface with bioactive glass-containing fillings was significantly smaller than for composites lacking the glass.

Fillings made with bioactive glass should slow secondary tooth decay, and also provide some minerals that could help replace those being lost, researchers said. — IANS

C10

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

FIND-IT-ALL CINEMA SCHEDULE

PRAYER TIMINGS

@SHATTI

@PANORAMA MALL

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3D) (Action | Adventure) (PG12) Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher 6:00, 11:30 PM Point Break (2D) (Action | Crime (12+) Cast: Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey 6:45 PM Point Break (3D) (Action | Crime (12+) Cast: Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey 2:30, 9:15, 11:45 PM Dilwale (Action | Crime) (PG12) Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon 4:30, 8:30 PM Morning Star (Action | Adventure) (12+) Cast: Adrian Bouchet, Mike Mitchell 5:00, 9:45, 11:30 PM Room (Drama) (PG12) Cast: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay 2:15, 7:30 PM The Peanuts Movie (2D) (Animation | Adventure | Comedy) (PG) Cast: Voice (Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez 2:30, 4:15 PM MUSCAT GRAND MALL Point Break -3D (Action | Crime | Sport) 12+ Cast : Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey 9:15PM & 11:45PM Gold Class - 3:15PM & 11:00PM Belle and Sebastian 2 - (Adventure) PG Cast : Félix Bossuet, Tchéky Karyo 3:15PM The Peanuts Movie - (Animation) PG Voice Overs: Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez, Hadley Belle Miller 11:30AM, 1:30 & 7:15PM Star Wars: The Force Awakens -3D (Action | Adventure | Fantasy ) PG12 Cast : Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford 12:30PM, 6:15 & 11:30PM

Point Break -3D (Action | Crime | Sport) 12+ Cast : Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey 9:15PM & 11:45PM Gold Class - 3:15PM & 11:00PM

The Peanuts Movie (Animation)(2D)(PG) Voice Overs : Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez, Hadley Belle Miller 2:45, 5:30 pm

Gold Class - 8:30PM Dilwale (Action | Romantic | Comedy) PG12 Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon 3:15 & 8:45PM Gold Class: 5:30PM The Good Dinosaur-3D (Animation) U Voice Overs: Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand 5:15PM PANORAMA MALL Star Wars (Action, Adventure)(3D)(PG12) Cast : Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac 6:45, 9:15, 11:45 pm Star Wars (Action)(VIP LOUNGE)(PG12) 5:15 pm Point Break (Action, Crime)(MX4D)(12+) Cast : Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey, Ray Winstone 2:45, 6:00, 8:45, 11:00 PM Point Break (Action, Crime)(3D)(12+) 3:15, 9:30, 11:45 pm Point Break (Action, Crime)(3D)(VIP Lounge) (12+) 3:00, 11:00 pm Dilwale (Action, Romance)(2D)(PG12)

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

15:00 15:00 15:00

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

16:30 18:00 19:30

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

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

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

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

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

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

20:50

Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Sur Sur

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

Fahud Yibal

Daily Daily

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

Daily Daily

Marmul

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

06:00 06:00

Nizwa Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

06:00 14:30

Ruwi Ruwi

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

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

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

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

07:00

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

Daily

15:00

Salalah

07:00

Daily

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

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 08:30 11:30 15:30 18:30 17:35 20:55

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

07:30 07:30 13:00 13:00 15:30 15:30

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

BURAIMI Star Wars: The Force Awakens– 2D (Action, Adventure, Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Daisy Ridley, Oscar Issac, Harrison Ford 3:00, 6:00PM Point Break – 3D (Action, Crime, Spot) (12+)

SUR The Peanuts Movie ( Animation) ( U )

11.45 13.30 14.00

Film information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com Point Break (Action / Crime) Cast: Edgar Ramirez, Luke Bracey, Ray Winstone 2:00, 6.00, 10.00 & 11.55 p.m.

CP No: 3051 (12+) Morning Star (Action / Adventure / Fantasy) Cast: Adrian Bouchet, Mike Mitchell 4.00 & 11.55 p.m CP No: 3052 (12+) Dilwale (Action / Comedy) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan 1.00, 6.00 & 9.00 p.m CP No: 3047 (PG12) Belle & Sebastian 2 (Adventure / Family) Cast: Félix Bossuet, Tchéky Karyo, Thierry Neuvic 4.00 & 8.00 p.m CP No: 3053 (PG)

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

Pasanga 2 ( Tamil) ( Drama) Cast:Surya & Amala Paul 3-30 and 9-30 pm Cinema Main Dilwale (Hindi) (Act\Com) Cast : Shah Rukh Khan , Kajol & Varun Dhawan 3-45 & 9-45 pm Cinema -3 Bajirao Mastani (Hindi) (Rom\ Act \ Drama ) Cast : Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone 6-45 pm Cinema-3 Amar Akbar Anthony ( Mal) ( Act\ Drama) Cast : Prithviraj & Jaya Surya 6-45 & 9-45pm Cinema -4 Thanga Magan (Tamil) (Act) Cast: Dhanush, Samantha Ruth & Amy Jackson 6-30 pm Cinema Main; 9-30 Pm Cinema-2 Rangi Taraga ( Kannda) (Act) Cast: Nirup Bhandari & Radhika Chetan 3-30 & 6:30 pm Cinema -2 Soukhyam (Telugul) (Act) Cast : Gopichand & Regina Cassandra 3-45 pm Cinema -4 Next Change: Su Su Sudi Vathmeekam (Mal) Nenu Sailaja (Telugu)

WITH LOVE

0

26 19 Minimum

0

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

50-70% Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

LISTINGS

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

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

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

Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

10:25

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

Ruwi

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

10:30 11:15

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

07:00

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

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

SALALAH Point Break (3D) (12+) (Action/Crime/Sport) Cast: Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey 1:15, 2:10, 9:25, 11:45PM Point Break (2D) (12+) (Action/Crime/Sport) 11:30AM Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3D) (PG12) (Action| |Fantasy) Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac 10:45 AM, 11:55 PM Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2D) (PG) (Action|Adventure) 5:55PM Dilwale (2D) (PG12) (Action | Romantic) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon 3:35, 6:35, 8:45, 11:30PM Bajirao Mastani (2D) (PG12) (Drama) Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone 8:30PM Belle and Sebastian 2 (2D) (PG) (Family) Cast: Félix Bossuet, Tchéky Karyo 12:20, 3:55PM The Peanuts Movie (2D) (PG) (Animation) 10:30, 2:00PM Room (2D) (PG12) (Drama) Cast: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers 4:25PM Thanga Magan (2D) (PG) (Tamil)( Comedy/ Drama/Romance) Cast: Dhanush, Amy Jackson 6:25PM

BAHJA CINEMA

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 07:30 14:30

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

SOHAR Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 3D (PG12) Action | Adventure | Fantasy Cast : Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill 2:30, 11:30 PM Dilwale - 2D (PG12) Action | Comedy Cast : Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan 2:45, 8:30, 10:45 PM Bajirao Mastani - 2D (PG12) Drama Cast : Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone 5:30, 8:45 PM Point Break - 3D (12+) Action | Crime | Sport Cast : Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey 3:15, 9:10, 11:30 PM The Peanuts Movie - 2D (PG) Animation Cast : Voice (Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez 3:00, 5:00 PM Room - 2D (PG12) Drama Cast : Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay 4:50, 6:50 PM Morning Star - 2D (12+) Action | Adventure Cast : Adrian Bouchet, Mike Mitchel 7:00, 11:45 PM Heidi - 2D (PG) Family | Comedy |Drama Cast : Bruno Ganz, Katharina Schüttler 5:30 PM Al Laila Al Kabeera - 2D (Arabic) (15+) Drama 7:45 PM

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

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

Daily Daily Daily

Cast: Edgar Ramirez, Luke Bracey 3:00, 7:15, 9:30, 11:30PM Morning Star – 3D (Action, Adventure) (12+) Cast: Adrian Bouchet, Mike Mitchell 5:25, 9:45, 11:30PM Heidi – 2D (Family, Comedy, Drama) (PG) Cast: Bruno Ganz, Katharina Schüttler 5:15PM Dilwale – 2D (Action, Romantic, Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon 3:15, 6:00, 11:30PM Bajirao Mastani– 2D (Drama) (PG12) Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh 8:30PM

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

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

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

RUWI Screen 1 Dilwale (Action/Romance) – PG12 Cast : – Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM Screen 2 Bajirao Mastani (Romance/Drama) – PG12 3.45, 6.45 , 9.45 PM Screen 3 Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Family/Dra) – PG Cast : – Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Neil NitinMukesh 3.45 PM Bajirao Mastani (Romance/Drama) – PG12 6.45, 9.45 PM

Cast: Voice:- Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez 3:30, 6:20 PM Morning Star ( Action ) ( 12+ ) Cast: Adrian Bouchet, Mike Mitchell 12:45, 7:30, 11:45 PM Point Break (3D) ( Action) (12+ ) Cast: Edgar Ramirez, Luke Bracey 4:15, 9:15 PM Star Wars : The Force Awakens (3D) (Action | Fantasy) (PG12) 5:00 PM Diwale (Action | Romance ) (PG12) 2:00, 11:30 PM Bajirao Mastani (Action) ( PG12) Cast : Ranbir Singh, Dipika Padkone 8:30 PM

WEATHER

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

Cast – Dhanush, Amy Jackson, Samantha.

11:45 AM, 12:00, 7:00, 9:25 PM Santa Claws – 2D (PG) Animation/ Family Cast – Ezra James Colbert, Nicola Lambo 12:30, 2:30 PM Star Wars – 3D (PG12) Action | Adventure Cast – Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy 4:30, 9:15 PM

AZAIBA Point Break – 3D (12+) Action | Sport 2:15, 4:15, 11:45 PM Dilwale – 2D (PG12) Action,Romantic Cast – Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhavan 11:45 AM, 2:00, 5:00, 6:30, 8:00, 11:00, 11:45 PM Bajirao Mastani – 2D (PG12) Drama, History Cast – Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone 2:15, 5:15, 8:15, 11:15PM Thanga Magan – 2D (PG12) Comedy/Drama

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Morning Star (Action | Adventure) (12+) Cast: Adrian Bouchet, Mike Mitchell 5:00, 9:45, 11:30 PM

Cast : Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kriti Sanon 2:30, 8:30, 11:30 pm Dilwale (Action, Romance)(2D)(PG12)-VIP LOUNGE 7:45 pm Bajirao Mastani (Drama)(2D)(PG12) Cast : Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone 5:30 pm The Peanuts Movie (Animation)(2D)(PG) Voice Overs : Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez, Hadley Belle Miller 2:45, 5:30 pm Room (Drama)(2D)(PG12) Cast : Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers 4:30, 7:15 pm

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

Destination

12.13pm 3.13pm 5.33pm 6.49pm 5.26am

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

@MGM

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

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

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

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

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

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

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

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

23291635

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

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

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

S U N DAY, D E C E MB E R 27, 2 0 1 5

C11

LIFESTYLE FA M I LY A D V I C E

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

By Hubert Vaz

ASK DR. GERRY

HOW TO OVERCOME GRIEF

Home Remedies For Insect Bites

I

t is not uncommon to receive an insect bite or a sting in any part of the world. However, timely treatment helps in reducing the symptoms and complications. So instead of dashing off to find a doctor, one needs to adopt some home remedies for immediate relief and to neutralise the effect of the bite.

Insect bites can often bring on life-threatening infections or allergic reactions to the entry of the venom through the bite. The most common symptoms are redness of the skin, swelling, pain or itching at the site of the bite.

Insect bites can cause redness of the skin, swelling, pain or itching. So it is better to adopt quick remedies that neutralise the effect For insect bites Ċ Crush a handful of basil leaves to make a paste. Add 2 tsp of turmeric powder and mix well before applying on the affected area. Ċ Apply honey on the affected part. Honey has powerful anti-

microbial properties that help to relieve the itching sensation and prevent infection. Ċ Papaya has medicinal enzymes that can heal insect bites. Slice a raw papaya and apply on the affected part to control swelling.

For bee stings Ċ Wash the site properly and apply ice or an ice pack. Ice constricts the blood vessels so that the venom may not freely flow into the bloodstream. It also numbs the skin, relieving pain and itching. Ċ Cut some slices of onion and place them on the sting site. Hold it tight or wrap a cloth around it for about an hour. Ċ Make a paste of baking soda and water, and apply on the affected area. Also, dab toothpaste, which is alkaline, and helps neutralise the acid left by bee venom.

— Hubert Vaz

MOVE OF THE WEEK

CLOSE HAND PUSH-UP This is an excellent move for the entire upper body, especially the triceps. You can best perform them on your toes. Stretch out across the floor, place your hands close together and balance your body on your toes and hands. Perform push-ups, squeezing at the top of the movement. You may begin with hands a little apart to make it easier.

If you weigh

150 POUNDS 10 minutes of push ups burns

60 CALORIES while 10 minutes of vigorous push ups burns up to

100 CALORIES WORLD RECORD

The world record for the most number of non-stop push ups is

10,507

by Minoru Yoshida of Japan in October 1980

Dear Dr Gerry Last month, there was a death of a relative in my family and ever since my wife has become very silent and remains to herself. She seems to be very sad all the time, though she does all her daily work faithfully. My kids and I have tried talking to her to cheer her up, but she is in no mood to open up. How should we handle this situation to make her come out of this grief?

— N.K. Dear N.K., Bereavement is a period of grief and mourning after a death. How long it lasts depends on how close she was to the person who died and if the person’s death was expected and other factors. Your wife seems to be mourning your family member and it appears to be a normal reaction to her loss. Different cultures and different people grieve in different ways, but are vital to the coping of the loss. I would advise you to give her space and allow her the chance to grieve. Support her and take her out when she feels like going. If there are any ceremonies she would like to do, help her to complete them. The warm support of her family will help her to heal.

Complicated grief with symptoms of depression like worthlessness and suicidal ideas need professional help. However in your case, I would suggest keep supporting her and allow her to complete her mourning.

All the best, Dr G

Dr Gerry D’Costa has an MD in psychiatry and a special interest in the areas of anxiety, depression, addiction, and children’s psychiatry. He has practiced as a specialised psychiatrist at Badr Al Samaa hospital in Ruwi for the last 9 years. Dr D’Costa offers his advice and professional insights to the readers of Times of Oman.

Send your mental health questions to: lifestyle@timesofoman.com

C12

SU N DAY, DECEMB ER 27, 2015

LIFESTYLE

5 IDEAS FOR LIVING HAPPIER IN

Saving money and staying fit are traditional New Year's resolutions, but overly packed schedules and the materialistic focus of modern day life are inspiring a new goal for many people: to live happier in 2016 and beyond. To make 2016 the happiest year ever, think about how you rest, eat, and move. If you want optimal physical health, you need optimal mental health and happiness. When people are happier they tend to improve all aspects of their life. Here are five surprisingly simple, yet profoundly effective ways to boost mood and overall happiness in the new year:

1

Make sleep a priority

Getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night is critical for the body to produce hormones that trigger happiness. Do what you can before bed to reset your mood. Read, take a bath, exercise or talk face-to-face.

Try to avoid screen time.

2

Make more time for family

Family face-to-face time is the most important part of a healthy family relationship and happiness. Planning family dinners two to three times a week is a good idea.

3

Carve out whitespace

Whitespace is time you dedicate to yourself to refresh, unplug and rejuvenate. This could be making time to do yoga, enjoy a hobby, read, meditate or take a bath.

4

Achieve work-life balance

Connectedness can get out of control when answering e-mails 24/7. So, work-life balance is very important for the overall happiness. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t check your e-mails after 8pm, walk during lunch.

5

Embrace gratitude

Thinking of the things you are grateful for can have a dramatic effect on your satisfaction and overall happiness. Do this daily as you wake up or make it a conversation you have with your children right before bed. - brandpointcontent.com

D

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 5

SECTION

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

RENT

D2

VACANCY

D4

CARGO

D6

D2

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

FOR RENT

*Tourist visa arranged

FLATS FOR RENT In a luxury building in Al Seeb Market near Police Station.

Contact 99888007 / 99473500 E t &ůĂƚƐ Θ ^ŚŽǁƌŽŽŵƐ ĨŽƌ ZĞŶƚ 1/2/3 BHK Flats & Showrooms at DƵƩ ƌĂŚ͕ ŶĞĂƌ KŵĂŶ Ň ŽƵƌ ŵŝůůƐ͕ ϭϬ ŵŝŶ͘ ĨƌŽŵ ĐŽƌŶŝĐŚĞ͘ ĞƋƵŝƉƉĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƉůŝƚͬ ĐĂƐƐĞƩ Ğ ƵŶŝƚ Ɛ͕ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĞƚ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͕ ĨƌĞĞͲ ƚŽͲĂŝƌ ĚŝƐŚ ĐŽŶŶĞĐƟ ŽŶ͕ ds ŵŽŶŝƚŽƌĞĚ͕ ďĂƐĞŵĞŶƚ ƉĂƌŬŝŶŐ͘ ZĞŶƚ ZK͘ϮϱϬͬϯϱϬͬϰϱϬ ;EĞŐŽƟ ĂďůĞͿ ƉĞƌ ŵŽŶƚŚ͘

ŽŶƚĂĐƚ ͗ ϵϵϮϮϵϮϲϯ͖ ϵϯϮϮϭϬϱϰ͖ ϵϱϮϭϱϮϴϵ

FLATS FOR RENT In a Luxury Building in Al Seeb Market Near Police station Call: 99888007 - 99473500 1BHK, R.O 170/- & 2BHK R.O 220/near Medical Darsait.

Contact: 95076261

Flat /Office for rent in CBD Contact: 92820734

Wadi Kabir, one bedroom flat.

Contact: 99313274 2 BHK flat with air conditions at Ruwi MBD area, near Al Adil supermarket.

Contact: 93211557/24814853 Show room / shop for rent area 155 sqm at 600/-R.O shops at 160/- R.O. Contact: 97714433 / 92822437 Flat 3 bed room, 1drawing room, 2 toilets / kitchen & balcony Hilat sad /off. Al Nahda Hospital near Abu Zaki Bldg. rent R.O 300/-.

Contact: 99489548 Shop for rent behind building behind whole center Al Amerat good for offices or stores only space 11x4 meters R.O 250/- PER month.

Contact : 92877449

Profs / jack. Contact 93219378 V. Nice flat in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 95755953 /95555162 Room available Walja. Contact: 96246625 / 99886469 Two apartments for rent in Wadi Al Kabeer near the Kuwaiti Mosque. Contact: 99425958 Small hall with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and a kitchen for 220 R.O per month. Contact: 99425958 Flats shops and store for rent in Honda road Ruwi MBD area.

Contact: 92589235 / 97103695 / 94579531

Flat villa type for rent - in al khuwair 33/, 4 Bed Rooms .4 bath Rooms, 1 Family Hall, 1 Dining Room, 1 Living Room, 1 Kitchen, Store. Contact 99315515

One / two B/R RES / comm. flat near Oman Medical College directly from owner. Contact: 92158031 2 BHK with split / AC in MSQ opposite Al Fair. Contact: 96708000

3bedrooms with 2 bathrooms and a kitchen for 250/- R.O per month.

Contact: 99425958

Flat new Al Wadi Kabir. Contact: 92130703 / 99733992

Semi furnished spacious room with attached washroom separate entrance near Indian school Al Ghobrah for non cooking Executive Indian bachelor.

Contact: 95146361/92657598

Store for rent in Mabela, road no. 10, total area 700 sq.mt, built up area 200 sq.mt with covered shed, open area 500 sq.mt. With boundary wall. Contact -98273761 /96677134.

For rent 1bed room flat, near Indian school (ISD) at Darsait.

Contact: 94776771/ 99669216

3 BHK flat near Darsait ID medical.

RO 420/- Contact – 99358589 / 97079146 / 95570288

Two floor beautiful villa for rent at AL Khoud – VIP neighborhood, close to all amenities , ground floor consist of sitting rooms , two toilets , hall & kitchen, first floor , three bedrooms , balcony & hall with two toilets, shaded garage for two cars , monthly rental OMR 600/-.

Contact: 95348567 Brand new 1 & 2 BHK flats available in Ruwi, Darsait, CBD area & Bausher. Contact: 94776771 At Al Athaiba ground floor with split AC, 2beds, 2bathrooms, kitchen & sitting room Behind AL Zubair rent 350/-PDC. Contact: 99879939 2 bedroom centrally Ari conditioned flat in CBD, central bank Area. Contact: 24714625 /99053493

FOR RENT 2BHK, 3 washroom Flat with Split Air Conditioners Near Lulu Darsait CONTACT :

93202733 One & Two bedroom apartments available for rent near grand mall, opposite panorama mall, next to Diwans office, at south Ghobrah.

Contact: 99833747 3 Bed with split A/C near Hojar roundabout R.O 275/-. Contact: 99326048/ 95250986 02 BHK commercial / residential (with split AC) flats at Honda Road.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241 Villa for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 95562646 2 BHK near Oman house behind Khimji H.O. Contact – 95865686 Villas available for rent at Al Hail close to the wave (Al Mouj) compound swimming pool & gym.

Contact: 99833747 2 BHK flat for rent near (ISM) Indian School Muscat.

Contact: 99489594

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 5

D3

DAILY GUIDE

FOR SALE

7&)*$-&4 '03 4"-& FOR RENT Flat for rent, 2 room, 2 bathroom with AC 250/-. Contact: 94447825

1,2 BHK Ghubra R.O 300/-, 325/- & 350/-. Contact: 97799175

New villa at south Mawalah 5 bedroom, family hall, Majlis, 5 twl for RO.650/- Contact - 99332367

Single BHK ďŹ&#x201A;at available in Honda road Ruwi. Contact 24833972/ 24833974/99367448

House for rent in Al Amerat .

Contact: 92532371 / 92294259

Villa, 2 ďŹ&#x201A;ats at Al Khuwair (17/2) Contact: 99444786

1BHK ďŹ&#x201A;at near Star Cinema 220/Contact 99358589 /95570288

Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Flat for Rent 1/2 BHK Flat at Muttrah, near Oman ďŹ&#x201A;our mills, 10 min. from Corniche.Equipped with split unit ACs, internet points, free-to-air dish connection, CCTV monitored, basement parking. Rent RO.250/350 per month. Contact: 99229263; 93221054; 95215289

600 SQT commercial ďŹ&#x201A;at for rent opposite Oman ďŹ&#x201A;ourmill Darsait more details. Contact: 91214849/ 99364735

Flats for rent at Al Mablah block eight. Contact: 99445177

7 Bedrooms villa in Ghobrah North. Contact - 96420432

Flats shops & store for rent in Ruwi Honda road Mumtaz.

Contact: 97293708 / 92433127

Offices in Qurum opposite City Center. Contact - 9405178997201688

At Al Athaiba (2nd ďŹ&#x201A;oor) 2 bed, sitting room , 1 bathroom , kitchen , split AC rent 310/- PDC. Contact: 99879939

One ďŹ&#x201A;ats for rent 2 bedroom all with bath al Ghobrah north near Indian school (hot burger restaurant) Tel. 9976610

2bed rooms ďŹ&#x201A;at with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality. Contact: 92584715 / 24700120

1.2.3 BHK & villa.

Contact: 97799175

Open showroom AL Ghobrah 18 November 175SQM & office space Al Qurum next to Al Araimi Complex.

Contact: 94300909 At Wadi Kabir Industrial two ďŹ&#x201A;oor showrooms, 80 sm each, rent 450/- R.O (PDC). Contact: 99879939 1000sqmtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse workshop etc. Contact 24700120 /92584715 1& 2 BHK ďŹ&#x201A;ats for rent at Hamriya Mabela and Al Khoud shop at Al Khoud. Contact: 24834644 / GSM : 93994401 /02/03/3lines 2 bedroom luxury fully furnished ďŹ&#x201A;at for rent at Ghala short or long term basis. Contact: 99886386 / 99881653 Flats for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99376454 02 BHK residential ďŹ&#x201A;at opposite to Al Nadha hospital. Contact: 99342733 / 99795241 Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35) Contact - 9405178997201688

1000 sqm industrial land with compound wall & two rooms at Misfah.

Contact: 99342733 / 99795241

1BHK Darsait R.O 225/-.

Contact: 92144045 /97799175 1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-.

Contact: 92144045 /97799175 1BHK M.B.D R.O 280/- & 250/-.

Contact: 92144045/97799175 2BHK available near Hamriya round about main road rent R.O 170/- PM. Contact: 99513510 Flats in Darsait.

Contact 94051789-97201688 Flats in Wadi Kabir. Contact 94051789-97201688 Flats in Muttrah. Contact 94051789-97201688 Offices in Ghala. Contact 94051789-97201688 Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

1%0 /PO 1%0 -0$"5*0/ o /FBS .0% ("5& /0 .VTDBU MITSHUBISHI L200 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PICKUP MITSHUBISHI 3T CANTER MITSHUBISHI Lancer 1.3 L MITSHUBISHI ROSA MINIBUS MITSHUBISHI Pajero

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99310448/99612010/95208455

USED EXCAVATORS

FOR SALE

$POUBDU QFSTPO .S "SVO ,VSJBO

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1MFBTF $POUBDU 99855374 / 98517544

Mitsubishi L 300 Delivery Van 2005 & Mitsubishi Rosa bus 18 Seat 2005 & Mitsubishi Pajero GL 4WD MT - 2006 all vehicles are as is where is condition & sale procedures are by submitting quotation only. Contact: 24400750 / 24400752 (During office hours)

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

Contact- 93207590

Mazda 2.5 CC No 2, 2014 model, KM 35000, Warranty still, R.O 6900/-. Contact: 97984466

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

Hyundai Tucson No.1 2013, KM , 1,27,000, R.O 5800/-.

Contact: 97984466 Hyundai Velostar new model 2015, KM 3000, 5 years warranty, full insurance R.O 6800/-.

Contact: 97984466 Santafe No.1 2015, new model, KM 5800, warranty still.

Contact: 99666059 Nissan Tiida H/B 1.8 CC No.1, 2014, Km 5300, warranty & full insurance R.O 5400/-.

Contact: 99666059

FOR HIRE

FOR SALE A well working restaurant for sale at Al Khuwair, behind hotel Radisson Blue. Contact - 98494366 Used super market shelvingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gondolas. Contact: 97752395 Exercise cycle for sale.

Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 92847957 Al Qurum, 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sitting, kitchen, split ACs price 65,000 R.O. Contact 9987 9939

Izuzu 3.5 ton model 2013-3nos.

Contact: 99719124

Running restaurant with seven clearance for sale Awabi Muscat.

Contact: 95497007

Izuzu 5 ton model 2009 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1nos.

Contact: 99719124

Marble factory for sale, location Misfah. Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 98586828

Expat used Ford Escape 2012, 102000 kms insurance Oman / UAE Mulkiya 10-2016. OMR 4850/-. Contact - 93264005

Cradle lift for external building painting hundred mtr height almost new. Contact 99235701 /97747705

Toyota Yaris model 2011 M/T, km 165000. Price RO.2150/-.

Contact: 95286741

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

Toyota Corolla Oct 2012 Regd MY. Excellent condition, km done.

33,000/- Contact - 97717152

Shop for sale in CBD area prime location call 97449011

Hummer H2 model 2006, 178000 km, Full options Number 1 Army edition.OMR 7200. Contact -99466773

Mangalorean restaurant at Wadi Kabir & shop at Ruwi for sale.

Contact: 98428507 / 93655003

Mini Furnished Apartment in Qurum. Contact - 9405178997201688

Chaverlet Epica 2004 model RO -700, for sale. Contact 92194205

Villas in Al Khoud. Contact 95056808-97201688

Duplex villa in QURUM 29.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

BMW 318/ 2003 for sale.

Contact 96364990

Barber shop for sale in Ghubra.

Contact 92955874

Offices & Showrooms in Muttrah.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Dozer Kom 355A -3 Dozer Kom 155A- 3 Grader Champion 780 Excavator PC 400 with breaker Man green water tanker 5000 IG All are in good condition

FOR SALE Luxury Apartments in Boucher (35). Contact - 9505680897201688 Fully Furnished apartments in Boucher (35) Contact -9505680897201688 3Ton Forklift, Special made for Oman market, Japanese Isuze C240 Engine, Cascade side shifter, High amount exhaust, 3m lifting height, Solid tyres, One year warranty. Contact: 98883445 Shop for sale at Ghala Sanaya main junction (prime location) shop for sale Contact Kamil 92696479 Window AC 30 Nos (general make all good conditions), refrigerator, freezer & mess equipments for sale. Contact: 98064113/ 99315878 Quotation fax on: 24448101 /24448103 Grade one, non residential civil construction company, seven months old, with all approvals, in Sohar, for immediate sale.

Contact: 98236616

ACC. AVAILABLE 1 Bedroom with bathroom for female in Al Hail including electricity & water. Contact - 92817777 Acc at Wadi Kabir couple or Executive bachelor.

Contact: 91165580 Furnished room in new building for working Muslim lady/ Muslim couple only. Location AINT, Darsait. Contact - 99008069 Room for rent available in a ďŹ&#x201A;at for Executive bachelor at Azaiba, behind Al Meera Hypermarket with attached bath with cot & A/c, rent inclusive of water & electricity. Contact 96404166 / 97433992

ACC. AVAILABLE Accommodation available one big bedroom, bath room, kitchen rent R.O 150/- opposite Al Nahdha Hospital rear Ruwi. Contact: 97943523 Big room bath attach kitchen near Riyam Park O.R 90/-.

Contact: 95094028 Room for rent in AL Khuwair 120/O.R for bachelor furnished with Elewater. Contact: 95190627 Family sharing accommodation for rent at Honda Road 2 room bathroom, sharing, kitchen Indian only O.R 130/-. Contact: 99519161 Furnished single rooms available for bachelors at Ruwi.

Contact: 98650994 Single room available in Mumtaz area Ruwi. Contact: 91978472 Spacious semi furnished room with separate bathroom for executive bachelor Opp. O.C Center Ruwi.

Contact: 92273779 Furnished room, attached bath in Mumtaz area. Contact - 99743709 For rent independent room with attach B/room & kitchen near BP Petrol pump & Seeb Indian School, Mabela for RO.100 /- without Elect & Water. Contact 91516775 Single room bathroom in Darsait R.O 140/-. Contact: 93289652 Big room available near Hamriya R/A for Muslim couple / small family / Executive bachelor rent 150/- per month including W+ E. Contact : 99495131 Room for rent with furniture.

Al Bustan villeage. .

Contact 93687466 Single room for expat Indian bachelors near Al Aktham restaurant Al khuwair for RO 120. Water and electricity included. Contact 98803261 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting room, Kitchen & store including utilities bills at Al hail.

Contact 92817777 Room available with kitchen near Muscat Bakery at Rex Road Ruwi.

Contact: 99768952 1 Bedroom with attached Bath, fully furnished, separate entrance at Mabela for ladies only.

Contact: 99634841

D4

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

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63(&/5-: 3&26*3&% An Excellent Grade Construction Firm based in Muscat has immediate vacancy for the following position */5&3*03 '*5065 %&4*(/ %3"'54."/ Capable to develop details of concept design of id projects, preparation of joinery/ detail drawing. with minimum Of 3 to 5 years GCC Experience with valid Omani Driving License - 1 Nos

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Site Supervision, Testing & Commissioning, Protection & Control Experience:10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20 years The field of these Projects are: HV/MV/LV Electrical Neworks including Grid Stations, Distribution Networks, OHTL, U/G Power Cables.

CVs mentioning Oman tel. No. to be submitted to:

PNBOFOHJOFDP!ZBIPP DPN ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Urgently looking for secondary school Omani Graduates for Cashier position. Interested candidates can come for an interview from 27th Dec, 9am onwards. Kindly contact 22092223 / 97127266.

A leading shipping & logistics ďŹ rm wishes to recruit persons for the following posts Accountant with knowledge in tally & working experience & Sales Executive with GCC license & good experience in shipping industry.

Fax: 24700973 Email: accounts1@seagulloman.com Wanted Indian Accountant with experience in OmanContact 91339401 We are looking for Chief Financial Officer, Male 40- 45 years old, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with 5 - 15 yrs. of experience.

Contact: +968 24702133 Email: admin-dept@daud.om

BEAUTY Urgently require a Female Beautician for a saloon in Sur, must have exceptionally good skills in threading ,waxing ,haircuts & facial treatments .Hair styling & bridal make ups would be added advantage .(Visa available)For more details please contact on 95214535

CATERING Cook waiters, must know Indian & Arabic food to cook.

Contact: .97158376 Email: westernsanitary@Yahoo.com Need cook Arab food sandwich suitable salary, with visa.

Contact: 98292846

DRIVER Wanted experienced driver for rent a car and tourism. Email: almoosarentacar@gmail.com Required Indian driver to work in a house. Salary RO 150/Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 96255558

DOMESTIC HELPER Urgently required House Maid full time for small Omani family.

Contact: 99339502 Urgently required for full time a Gujarati House maid for small family (2 members), aged around 40-50, Visa Available.

Contact 99370306, after 08:00 pm only or Whats app.

EDUCATION Teacher maths and science, computer required for Omani private school. Contact: 95141554/958225772

ENGINEER Projects Manger Engineer wanted to manage a construction company, experience required. Contact 99441122, sr@touchcdc.com Looking for a Quantity Surveyor for a construction company in Oman. Contact : 94069402 Wanted B.Tech Civil Engineer for Oman Muscat minimum experience ďŹ ve years gulf.

Contact 97380467 Wanted Chemical Engineer with 5-10 years experience in STP Operations and Maintenance.

Kindly send your resumes to advance@omantel.net.om or Fax us at +968-24792175.

SITUATION WANTED

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MISCELLANEOUS Required building material sales man, CCTV Technician, Maintenance supervisor & Mason.

Contact - 99383044

MEDICAL Staff Nurse required for a reputed dental centre in Muscat. Send the CV to omandentalnurse@gmail.com

Wanted Market Research Expert with experience in Feasibility Studies. Kindly send your resumes to advance@omantel.net.om or Fax us at +968-24792175.

Immediate Opening for Laboratory Technician. Should have MOH License to work in Medical centre in capital area. Excellent Package, Flexible Timings, Accommodation will be offered.

Contact Urgently: 99340135

Civil Site Supervisor for telecom tower projects across Oman. Send CV to fyjo@spec-link.com or call +968 9946 7227

Wanted GP Doctor with MOH license, job location in Muscat with good salary and beneďŹ ts. Drop your cv at 0careerhr1972@gmail.com.

Experienced Petrol Mechanic, denter required.

Contact: 98045373

Need one Nurse for private clinic scientiďŹ c clinic Salalah.

Contact: 99082092

MISCELLANEOUS A fast food restaurant in Muscat required experience Motor Cycle Drivers with license Contact; 96447979. Forward CV: fastfoodoman2014@gmail.com Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com or call Ph:+968 99450811 Urgently required for a reputed company in Oman (Tyre, Battery & Lubricant division) Sr. Executives/Executive-5 nos (Sohar, Nizwa & Muscat), Techno Commercial Professional-5nos, Driver (Omani)-1no. Required minimum 3-5 yrs experience in the same ďŹ eld with market exposure holding valid Omani driving license or GCC. Kindly fwd your CVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to ashwin@taasintl.org Contact: (+968)93891700 Urgent Staff requirement for Omar Al Khayyam Group of restaurant (restaurant manager, restaurant cashier, waiters, Indian / Chinese / Tandoor cooks. Contact: +96893798969 or email: ok.office2013@gmail.com Sales Ladies wanted for Ladies Boutique. Age: 20-35 yrs. Al Khoudh. Send CV to sameer916@hotmail.com or call 91159905 Travel agent in Muscat require experience Counter Staff (male/ female) Sales & Marketing (male/ female) interested send CV on jobavailable2016@hotmail.com

Wanted a Male Nurse with MOH license, ACLS, BLS for desert posting (permanent) and a Dentist to work a Locom near Seeb both with NOC as soon as possible. Contact 96386388 Deams Clinic - Muscat-Al Khoudh urgently required Medical Laboratory Technician salary + Accommodation, Minimum 3 years Experience in Sultanate of Oman GP Nurse salary +Accommodation minimum 5 years Experience in Sultanate of Oman.

Contact - towershr70@gmail.com Wanted Medical Lab Technician (male or female) for a reputed poly clinic. Kindly contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 97101062 or send email to arunjeni11@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING Kitchen cabinet manufacturing company is looking sales person, most have Oman D/L and must know any kitchen designed software and two years experience.

Contact: 93326636 Business coordinator with valid Oman driving license.

Contact: 95327813 Insurance agency company require Sales Executive with experience Oman driving license.

Clearance available. Send CV to: ahiginsurance@gmail.com Urgently required Graphic Designer & marketing executive please forward your CV arshedkm@gmail.com We are looking for a Visa Consultant/sales consultant male for our office. Freshers can also apply.

Arabic and English speaking male.

Email CV at mozahamed786@gmail.com Wanted Marketing personnel for tours and rent a car. Email: almoosarentacar@gmail.com Fax: 24796040 Wanted building Materials sales exp sales executive male /female with D/L for an LLC Company.

Email: megtcbellanzaa@gmail.com Looking for Salesman (outdoor) experience in building material, consulting, Contraction Company.

Should have Driving license, must have good spoken English, should have working knowledge of computers. Please send your CV to alshayac@omantel.net.om

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED

MANAGER ARCHITECT Urgently Required: Project Manager with an experience 15 years in building construction, MUST have NOC and immediately join. Project Coordinator with an experience 10 years in building construction, MUST have NOC and immediately join.

Apply, fax 00968â&#x20AC;&#x201C;24605955, emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com, sbeoman@yahoo.com

SKILLED A construction company in Muscat urgently requires sub contractors for: plastering, tiling, and painting.

Interest parties Contact: 99344279 Email: biju@alzarraq.com Looking for experienced construction laborers as a subcontractor for a villa construction in Mawaleh.Contact: 96203333

Architect looking for freelance work in (design plans and 3dmax).

Contact: 96041201

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian lady, bachelor degree in Preparatory Programme (BPP) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), completed training course in MS Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook from KTI looking for full time / part time job opportunity in Oman.

Contact 92437568, 96795853, Email: linda_navs@yahoo.com Young 24, ACCA affiliate, advanced diploma in Accounting and business, seeking suitable placement in accounts, ďŹ nance or audit with valid driving license.

Contact: 92430152 Email: rau_dey@yahoo.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE SENIOR ACCOUNTANT-M.Com Finance-Indian employed in Oman with 7 years experience in Finance & Accounts up to ďŹ nalization. Having D/L & NOC. Mob: 94122464, cammk13@gmail.com

15 years GCC experienced in ďŹ nance treasury management CPA, CMA, ACCA, MBA qualiďŹ ed chartered accountant available for immediate joining. Contact: 94872345 Email: mfta27@gmail.com

B.Com, doing M.Com, Diploma in IATA, Tally PGDCA 2 years experience as Accountant seeking for placement currently in Oman NOC available. Contact: 99055820 Email Id: rohithpanamukkath@gmail.com

Indian male B.com, 47 years old, 25 years, GCC experience in Finance, HR & Admin with valid Omani driving license looking for a suitable placement (NOC available) Contact: 93238378

Indian male Accountant looking for a suitable placement in Salalah/ Muscat. More than 20 yrs experience in Accounting job (upto the ďŹ nalization of accounts). 8 yrs working experience in Middle East in Dubai, Muscat & Salalah.

Contact 91325029 ASSISTANT MANAGER FinanceM Com Finance, 7 years experience in Finance & Accounts Department.

Currently employed in Oman. Having D/L, NOC available. Cont: 98278801, mansoormk10@gmail.com M.Com CMA with 15 years experience in Oman for ďŹ nance / audit/ accountants /banking looking for suitable manager position.

Contact: 95694737 Email: gsmaiti@rediffmail.com Indian male good experienced in accountant ERP Tally 9 and admin in Indian &Oman currently on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 94834687 Indian Male 32, MBA (Marketing & Finance) with 10 years experience in Marketing of Banking Products & Insurance Industry.

Seeking for a job in Oman.

Contact: 93576980, 97750460 Email: senthil.cbe83@gmail.com Indian male 22 BBM graduate with tally certiďŹ ed 5 month experience as accounts officer 2 looking for suitable job immediately now on visit visa.

Contact: 98949120 Email: mohammednazal93@gmail.com Male 24 MBA fresher in marketing and ďŹ nance seeking immediate placement. Contact: 96112920 Indian male B.com accountant job 6 years experience in Oman looking suitable placement.

Contact: 95741442 navaskamaru944@gmail.com Accountant senior looking suitable job please call 91422074 Chief Accountant / ďŹ nance ofďŹ cer , Indian male , M.com 15 yrs experience , Qatar , Saudi good at account ďŹ nalization statement analysis , budgeting , variable analysis, well versed in tally & accounting packages. Currently in Doha, seeking suitable position in Muscat. Contact: 0097455075643 Email: gijomthomas@gmail.com Indian Male, Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant, CISA from USA, 25 Years of experience, 10 Years in Dubai, Seeking Job in Accounts, Finance, Audit, Banking, Project IT etc. Contact Pawan Gupta on 00971504273221, 0096896123649. E mail address is pawan.praind@gmail.com and website is www.pawanpraind.com

Indian male , B.Com, 21 yrs, accountant with 1 and half years experience looking for suitable job for more discussion.

Contact: 96512733 Email: azazahemad968@gmail.com Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ ďŹ nance ďŹ eld. On visit visa.

Immediately available.

Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com Chief Accountant looking for full / part time job. Contact: 95598477/98803439 ACCA /B.com (3.7 years experience) looking for accounts / audit job. Contact: 97769145 Email: mnaem02@gmail.com Indian male 11 yrs exp in accountant (4 yrs in Oman with D/L & NOC) seeking suitable placement in Sohar area .Contact: 91212471 / 94049967 Email: rennyj6@gmail.com Part time Accountant services, yearly ďŹ nalization works, monthly report, proďŹ t& loss report, consulting and audit works.

Contact: 96247295 SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with 13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in manufacturing, trading & contracting Cos, capable of handling all accounting, ďŹ nance, banking, L/C, import, export & ďŹ nalization seeks placement. NOC Available.

Call+968-98932752, mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com 28/ male MBA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ďŹ nance /B.com â&#x20AC;&#x201C; accountant with 4 years of Dubai / India experience looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 90187483 Email: shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com Indian male 25 yrs MBA ďŹ nance/ marketing. Over all 2 yrs of exp in accounts/ ďŹ nance ďŹ eld. Currently on visit visa in Oman, immediately available. Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 92989197 / 94786544 Email: abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com Accountant looking part time job.

Contact: 99867456 Email: ashkar7673@gmail.com Accountant Indian female, 26 yrs, B.Com 2 yrs experience in accounting, purchase vouchers, bank reconciliation.

Contact: 95690207 Email: pereira.rita08@gmail.com Finance Controller 15 yrs exp in Oman. Contracting, consultancy, trading oil & gas, tourism, IT etc.

Project ďŹ nancing feasibility ERP cost control.

Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 98571309

ADMIN Indian CA, 8 yrs + Exp (6 yr in Oman & UAE) in Finance, Accounts & Auditing, seeking suitable position in Muscat/Dubai, Can Join Immediately, NOC Available, Contact #: 98707434 / casmart007@gmail.com

Indian male 12 yrs exp in Oman as administrator/ HR/ operation manager with D/L & NOC. Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 96055815 / shaiks111@gmail.com

ACCA, 8 years comprehensive experience of audit, Engineering/ Manufacturing & Trading-FMCG is looking for a change.NOC available Contact: 91147885

Indian having more 15 years of experience (7 years in UAE) in construction as site administrates for / document controller / HR assistant / store assistant presently on visit seek suitable placement.

Contact: 92196001/98598099

Chartered Accountant 15 yrs- UAE exp, seeking suitable job in Oman.

Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 0091 9446230586 / shamshad.pareed@gmail.com

10 years experience in secretarial / Admin job. Contact: 94868626

Chief / Senior Accountant having 12 years of Oman experience in reputed ďŹ rms. Looking for suitable placement. Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 99513082

Indian male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf exp in Administration/ HR & Public relationship. Fluent in Arabic/ English with D/L. Looking for suitable position.

Contact - 99897280

Experienced male accountant available 3 yrs & 9 months exp in Oman as accountant NOC available ready to join. Contact - 95368181 ACCOUNTS AND ADMIN MANAGER Degree in Accounts with minimum 8 years of experience in accounts/ďŹ nance and administrative work. Good analytical and managerial skill to control and operate the department independently. Contactvacancyforoman@gmail.com

Indian female, Masters in HR, having 4 + years Oman experience in media management and HR, looking for openings in HR, Education, Admin, Corporate communications. Contact 98252030 Indian 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

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 5

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED ADMIN Egyptian woman resident has considerable experience in the administration and secretarial executive for companies.

Contact: 97221126 Indian male ,age 24, MBA â&#x20AC;&#x201C;UK, 2 years exp in administration, ďŹ&#x201A;uent in English. Searching for a suitable position. Contact: 00968 -90369501 email: rahimep@gmail.com HR & HSE (Nebosh & IOSH) experience 6 years in Oman with NOC & D/L. Contact: 00 971502550480

1SPQFSUZ 'BDJMJUZ 0QFSBUJPOT .BOBHFS 25 years experience, holding GCC driving license (Oman, UAE, Bahrain) With NOC. Looking for suitable openings.

Contact - 91283701 &NBJM

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

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

Seven years experienced Civil Engineer in A .C. Company in Egypt, good experience in concrete works and site management and technical office works seeking for challenging opportunity in Muscat in supervision or contracting ďŹ eld. Contact: 98834533 +2 01002433377 emails: eng_m_ saleh86@hotmail.com

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

DRIVER Experienced Light Duty Driver, Fluent in English, Arabic Well knowledge of Oman Areas Seeking Suitable placement 97950869 Looking for light driving job 3 years exp. Contact: 92819475 Looking for light driving job, 2 years exp. Contact: 91625977 Looking for job driver with car.

Contact: 99154473 Light driver with car.

Contact: 96379697 Looking for driving job.

Contact: 98219182 Exp driver (Keralite).

Contact: 93412587 Indian light driver having 2 years experience in Oman Know language Hindi, English , Arabic need job. Contact: 97366822 B.Com QualiďŹ cation experience Saudi 5 years Saudi light driving license. Contact: +919994321140 Email: thamimkgg@gmail.com Driver with Car looking for Job. Contact 95560701.

Bangladeshi male 48 yrs, light driver 14 yrs of exp, need job & visa. Contact - 98236656 Driver looking for a job with visa NOC available.

Contact: 91039598 Indian light driver.

Contact: 92279370 Driver with experience of 10 years in Oman seeks suitable placement. Contact: 92191698 Driver with car. Contact: 91452930 Light driver. Contact: 96313100 Driver with car available.

Contact: 93015630 10 yrs exp in GCC driver.

Contact: 93722881 Looking for Job driving.

Contact: 97418036 Driver with new car looking for job.contact: 95873286 Driver (light & heavy duty) valid gulf /Indian) looking job.

Contact: 95175192

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN Multimedia and graphic designer Filipino male 25 , looking for job in Muscat 3 years experience in 6 graphic and 3D design on visit visa immediately available.

Contact: 95844940 Email: chrisrimas@gmail.com Interior designer 4+ exp, turnkey projects & freelancing for ďŹ&#x201A;ats, ofďŹ ce & corporate.

Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 93140552/ ajayjangir.id22@gmail.com 25 years male BA. English , QualiďŹ ed as mast in digital animation having 5 yrs ex in character animation specialized Auto Desk mago and motion building software knowledge, seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 97917357

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IT IT support 9 years experience servers network, hard / software maintenance Web design CMS. Contact: 97603094

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ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Hardware & net working, 2 years exp. Contact: 96244031

EDUCATION

MISCELLANEOUS

UIPOPPSSBNFTI!HNBJM DPN

Indian female 20, 2 yrs experience in Oman in ďŹ nance & office admin & sales & marketing seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 94440115

CATERING

Well experienced team available to provide feasibility reports & business solutions, product development, risk management methods for startups, progressive, defunct operations.

Creating of ERP modules.

Contact - 93343251 (PDLO SURÂż WRPDQ#JPDLO FRP

B.Tech (Eng. AMIEI) Electrical Engineer with 5years experience in the ďŹ eld of electrical power system (transmission & distribution) aver expertise in design Ele-slid preparing BOQ, LS & estimation transformers switchgear selection installation testing & commissioning in all sectors. Contact: 94638744 Email: ceng.shaz@gmail.com Civil Engineer 5 Years exp 2 years in Oman as QS. Seeking part time job as QS. Contact - 91507508 Mechanical Engineer ( B.E) passed out in 2014 ďŹ rst class , who has done certiďŹ cate course in AutoCAD 2D , seeks employment in core mechanical ďŹ eld.

Contact: 93850221/97400106 M.Tech (Civil Engg) graduate , Indian male , 19 years experience in construction ďŹ eld , 8 years gulf experience , 4 yrs in Dubai and 4 yrs in Oman , handled luxurious hotels and waterfront properties is looking for project manager job.

Contact: 91158903 Email: luminousmercury@gmail.com NOC is available 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 Indian 43 yrs B.E Civil experience 16 yrs gulf exp 4 yrs Saudi Arabia Qatar Oman skill project coordination supervisory quality control planning & procurement monitoring the work activities NOC available seeking suitable area.

Contact: 92910646 Email: murugan641972@gmail.com Indian male Mechanical Engineer with 6 yrs experience in MEP ďŹ eld seeking a job have GCC license.

Contact: 98086267 Email: khaleel1586@gmail.com Dynamic Indian chemical Engineer (NITW) with 1years experience in business development & valid Oman D/L. Seeks suitable opportunity. Contact: +96896141612 Email: anjana.uanda@outlook.com Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, 36 years, Male, Indian, having 16 years of experience in machine maintenance & machine breakdown, worked with reputed companies in India, currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact - 99011507 E-mail: rsdengroman@gmail.com Indian Male, 28 Yrs, M.Tech having 5+ years experience (3 Year Industry+2 years Lecturer), Now on visit visa, looking for suitable position, please contact: 99249131 Indian male, 26 yrs, 4yrs experienced as Telecom engineer in ooredoo FTTX project in Qatar with valid GCC driving license, currently in Oman, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 90194856 Email: azeezvallikkad@gmail.com Indian female, 31 yrs, 7 yrs experienced as AutoCAD civil draftsman (2 yrs experience in Oman) currently in Oman seeks suitable.

Contact 96789441 Email: simi5304@gmail.com Sudanese Civil Engineer with 5 years experienced AutoCAD primavera & GIS Arabic & English language looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 91340584

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

Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 90164912

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp seeks suitable position ina reputed company. NOC available.

Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 96789711

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(CertiďŹ ed in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact: 92835952. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com

B.E Civil Engineer having 10 years experience (04 years in Oman) looking for a suitable placement NOC available. Contact: 98065360 Email: shafeeqahmedr@gmail.com

Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1Year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 97416564, Email: jovinmathias@gmail.com Building construction site supervisor with Omani D/L since Mar .2010 in Oman looking placement in good company. Contact: 93061107 B.Tech (IT) Indian Male 2 years Oman experience in I.T & Networking, holding Oman Driving License, presently on employment visa, seeks for a suitable placement.

Ready to join immediately. NOC available. Contact: 92462578 Indian male 23 years BE degree in electronics & telecommunication, diploma in industrial control & automation, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 95726383 Email: christosvaidyans@gmail.com Indian male, 25years, B-Tech Graduate with two years experience in Oman as Civil Engineer in a reputed construction company. Looking for suitable jobs. Resident card will expired on 06-01-2016.NOC available.

Seeking immediate placements.

Contact: 96179737/97076972, email:robinsj.sj@gmail.com B.SC civil Engineer having 10 years experience s, 7 years in Oman in building construction with Oman valid D/L, looking for suitable placement. Contact: 93493547 Civil Engineer, Indian, 10 years GCC experience with Oman D/L. Contact: +919961800496 Electrical engineer Indian male 30 years , having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in Indian ( MRF Tyres) seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer M.Tech 2 years experience HVAC design & site Engg revit MEP Auto CAD. Contact: 90150913 Email: mahmanmechengg@yahoo.im Civil Engineer having total 5 years experience in building construction, looking for suitable placement. D/L available.

Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 94450270 Indian 27 years, Procurement Engineer with 7 years of experience including 3 years in Oman looking for a suitable. NOC & driving license available. Contact: 95852033.

Diploma in Electrical Engineering with 6 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in Electrical Automation , Programming, Project, Power, Energy and Supervision in Civil Work.

Currently in Oman and looking for suitable position, Please contact 94873560/92406652 Electrical Engineer with 18 years exp in UAE. Contact: 98148034 Email: shassalih66@gmail.com Indian, looking for work building maintenance electrical & plumbing. Contact: 99365092 An Indian male HSE professional 9yrs experience out of 6yrs in Oman 3 yrs in India. Graduate, safety diploma, IOSH & NEBOSH . Working as Sr. HSE officer in a reputed MNC in MCT. NOC available, seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 90187224 7 Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in the ďŹ eld of Building Const. Oil & Gas Seeking Job.94625598 29 yrs Indian male B.E (ECE) with more than 5 yrs experience in Oman with valid D/L. Contact: 96652145

Mechanical Engineer with 2 yrs exp in the ďŹ eld of manufacturing, on visit visa, looking for suitable job. Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 91417949 / dannyrangde@gmail.com B.Sc Civil Engineer. Work Experience 11 years 11 Months. Last 7 years have been working in Oman in the ďŹ eld of Civil Construction. Present Position: Resident Engineer of a Consulting Company.

Looking for the post of Project Manager/Coordinator/Resident Engineer. Have driving license.

Visa could be transferable.

Contact: 93592334, e-mail: tipucee34@gmail.com B.Tech Civil Indian female(2 years of teaching exp;on family visa) looking for engineering job.

Contact: 96289945; E-mail: athirasree1@gmail.com Electrical Engineer Indian male having 5 yrs of exp in designing, execution & planning in electrical ďŹ eld. Having valid GGC driving license. Looking for a suitable job.

Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 98052942 / azamjeelani@gmail.com Electronics & Communication Engineer : Master degree in VLSI & Embedded systems , looking for electronics/telecom/embedded jobs or teaching in colleges or schools or institutions . Currently on family visa. #97092459 or 91342287 remyaramaswamy1991@gmail.com Electrical Project Engineer 5 years experience in primacy substation cables and OHL valid driving license. NOC available.

Contact: 91204243 Indian Male 23 years B.Tech Civil having 2 years experience in quantity survey and site management looking for suitable placement. Contact:- 95042656 Diploma in Mechanical Eng piping system in AutoCAD work, 21+ years experience with Driving license. Contact: 95267113 Email: rkakkaryil@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer M.Tech 2 years experience as HVAC design engineer rev IT M.E.P AutoCAD. Contact: 91050913 Email: rahmanmechengg@yahoo.com Road and Construction Engineer with 5 years exp in Oman.

Contact: 97646908 Mechanical Engineer with 3 Yrs experience in international Oil & Gas company looking for job Contacts: Tel: 90164236 Email: mustafaoshi-62@hotmail.com Civil Engineer (BE) having total 5 years experience in building construction looking for a suitable placement. D/L available Contact# 94450270 Indian female civil engineer B.Tech having 3 years experience sound knowledge of software, REVIT STAD PRO structural detailing currently on family visa seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95345591 Civil maintenance painting, tile works decor works, plumbing, electric, shop furnishing carpentary works and all other maintenance. Contact 97897831, 92112094 (Indian, Keralite) Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years in Oman experience Valid Driving License seeks suitable placement Phone 97619722 Email â&#x20AC;&#x201C; golamrob@yahoo.com Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman with license. Contact: 98975518 Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years old) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B.Sc Engineering (Hon) Mining / Geotechnical Presently in Muscat, 1.5 years experience.

Contact 91295802 / acmfaslan123@gmail.com

IT Lecturer 5 Yrs Exp with MCSE,CCNA Ph. 93594114 / abey.jainy@gmail.com Sri Lankan female 26 years of age, seeking suitable position in a reputed ďŹ rm .Holds BSC in computer applications. 3 years of experience. Has experience in the teaching ďŹ eld too.

Contact: 92006612 Indian female M.SC B.ED qualiďŹ ed TEFL two years experience in gulf seeking suitable job in teaching.

Contact: 91706466 Computer Teacher M.SC Indian male 10 years teaching exp in Maldives as O level computer teacher presently located at Berha on family visa. Contact: 94867456 / 95262691

HOSPITALITY Indian male 42 B.A Degree & diploma in hotel management with 16 yrs experience in India Abroad having V/L Oman D/L looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 91575956 Email: lijasaju@yahoo.com Hospitality/Hotel/ Restaurants Dynamic result oriented hospitality professional with 20 years of international exp. MBA in Hotel Management, specializing in Hotel/Restaurant start ups, concepts & Franchise development with proven records. Seeking for Challenging positions in reputed groups as GM/COO/CEO/Business Head. (NOC available) Contact: 96059470 Dutch male qualiďŹ ed commercial pilot (Faa-ME-IR certiďŹ ed) is looking for job openings in middle east. rutjestom@outlook.com

IT Indian female B.Tech IT with 2 years experienced in HCL presently on family visa.

Contact: 90357203 Email: ammupravda123@gmail.com Indian male MCA, Oracle , orion , ERP, 15 years experience , 5 years in Oman with NOC. Contact: 95398567 / Email: anasa4@gmail.com 10 years Oman experience ICT Sector, capable of handling large accounts, looking for suitable Senior Executive position.

Contact: 98987654 7 years Gulf experienced Automatic door system technician. All type of automatic door, gate barrier, Access control, CCTV, working in Oman (NOC available).

Contact 96707646 Email: pramod.raj.p@gmail.com An Indian male 27yrs, B. Tech in (Computer Science) 6 years of exp in technical support, troubleshooting and managing seeks suitable placement. Contact:- 97483775, email:- mir.jak89@gmail.com MCA graduate Indian male 2 years experience in software development knowledge of JAVG net C# ASP NEP V.B CTT currently working in Techno Park Trivandrum Kerala. Contact: 99210940 NEBOSH, IOSH Indian male HSE officer experience 8 yrs, 6 yrs GCC. Contact: 93235457 Email: srecjithsurcndran3@gmail.com Network Professional, CCNP with 6 years experience and Bachelors degree on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 96760618, varghese.manthara@gmail.com Female 26 years B.Tech computer science with 4 yrs exp in India Tableu Qlik view hive and software testing. Looking for suitable placement. Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 97139075 anand20789@gmail.com B.Tech (IT) Indian Male 2 years Oman experience in I.T & Networking, holding Oman Driving License, presently on employment visa, seeks for a suitable placement.

Ready to join immediately. NOC available. Contact: 92462578

Indian Female, 24 Years - MSc Biotechnology. Worked in International Crops Research Institute For The Semi Arid Tropics for project work as trainee. Looking for suitable job. Mobile: 92619048, Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com Sudanese male with a college degree looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94235133 Seeking suitable job for QA/QC Inspector multi discipline, having 8 yrs exp with CSWIP 3.1 AWSCWI BGAS Grade II B.E Mech. NOC available. Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 97312558 / avittathoorak@gmail.com Indian male 42 years 13 years experience with Oman driving license in MEP contracting looking job store keeper / purchaser.

Contact 95197065 Indian 28 yrs, 5 years experience in purchase looking for a suitable NOC available, driving license available. Contact: 96772166 Indian male having more than 10 yrs exp in sea fright & air freight, having GCC D/L looking for suitable placement. Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 91714980/ medileep@gmail.com Indian female on visit MBA (International Business- Marketing & Logistics), BE (Computers & Science Engg.) Trained in SAP-BI/ BW with 1 year experience seeking for job Contact: 90228586 Email:fathimasha16@gmail.com Graduate, computer literate, experienced in sales, credit control, accounts, Omani D/L , seeks suitable placement.

Gsm 9880-5474

MEDICAL Prometric passed male nurse with ACLS & BLS closured, looking for suitable placemen.

Contact: 93831951 Indian young male B.Tech Graduate with strong academic history six month experience in biomedical seeks suitable placement in instrumentation ďŹ eld preferred presently under visiting visa.

Contact: 91053004 Indian female M.Sc. Biotechnology, 1st rank holder, NET qualiďŹ ed, SRF -doing PhD in Biochemistry Amala cancer research Centre (Calicut University) on family visa seeking suitable placement.

Gsm-90153917 MOH Licensed Indian Female Dentist, presently available in Oman seeking a suitable placement anywhere in Muscat.

Contact: 91410733 / 99310630.

Experienced Indian female Dentist with MOH licence looking for job. Contact 98437191 An experienced Sudanese female Dentist with MOH license looking for job. Contact: 96436517 /97396088

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Scaffolding Manager 16 yrs experience in Oil & Gas projects & constructions.

Contact: 99789507/99551437 Result oriented hospitality professional with 20 years management experience in Oman and other gulf countries looking for a suitable vacancy in hotels, restaurants and catering companies.

Contact: 968 97204636 Result oriented hospitality professional with 20 years management experience in Oman looking for a suitable vacancy hotels, restaurants & catering companies.

Contact 97204636 Restaurant Manager having 13 years experience in fast food restaurant in Oman & UAE, seeking for suitable placement, holding NOC letter & Oman driving license.

Contact: 99874953 Building maintenance foreman looking for suitable position with driving license. Contact: 99526958

D6

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR 20 yrs experienced MEP Manager seeks suitable placement (NOC available).

Contact: 97892269 Manager Post of Family Visa, MBA 14 years Experience in Multinational Groups in Sales & Marketing. M.Z. 96220975 Indian male, with experience in operations management, information security, purchase & stores mgmt, hold UAE driving license, on visit visa, seeks suitable job.

Contact 91904541 Email: naushers@yahoo.com MBA (marketing) with 17 years experience in freight forwarding/ logistics industry in GCC & Oman.

Presently working as branch manager in Muscat. Looking for a suitable position. Release and NOC available. Contact: 99856331 The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: construction(Very strong and qualified to bringing business for civil work Or any type of the construction work for many million per year with a good experience in pricing and collect payment and cash management of the company & marketing projects & investments& tenders & real estate. Contact: - 92385033 The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: tenders& real estate& construction & marketing projects& investments& transportation & Marine services& companies management& develop business. Contact :- 92385033 Indian male 8 yrs exp in Oman working as housekeeping supervisor in star hotel, seeking for a job NOC available.

Contact – 91753210

SALES / MARKETING Capable confident hard working Indian male B.Com MBA looking suitable jobs. Contact – 93279943 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 25 yrs exp-Shipping, freight forwarding, Marketing & Operations, valid Oman D/L & NOC available - seek suitable positionContact 93040366 MBA graduate having 6 years exp in Sales & Marketing, 2 years with PEPSI, India, having international driving license permit seeks suitable placement. Cont : 95405033, Email : samir.pag@gmail.com 5 years experience in Sales currently looking for a placement.

Contact: 93458869 34years experienced Sales Oman Marketing in Oman NOC available.

Contact: 99868330 Email: rwahedi458@gmail.com Looking for immediate Sales & Marketing Job, 10 Years Experience, MBA Peter -93747126/ E-mail forlakei@yahoo.com American Male (speaks Arabic) looking for a job in Marketing & Sales, Contact 94076032 Indian, 38 years with 15 years in sales & marketing filed with GCC valid license. Contact: 94744746 28 years old Indian male looking for job in Oman six years of marketing experience in India currently staying on visiting visa qualification, BSC degree.

Contact: 94855667/92255983 Omani employee looking for a job as Sales with experience in this field .Contact: 91161736 Indian male, MBA Finance & Marketing 28 yrs,6+ Exp, with Driving license, Hospital Phrma Herbal Marketing, construction A/c & sales , F&B industry, Contact : 93379044 Indian male 29 yrs, BHM, 3 yrs exp in Oman in sales with D/L & NOC. Contact: 92594055 Indian young male BBA graduate with good academics seeks suitable placement in marketing sales finance mainly prefers white collared jobs driving license issued in Muscat. Contact: 97853013

SALES / MARKETING Indian male, MBA , 25 Yrs, 1 years experience in auditing and 10 month in sales. Currently on visit visa seeking suitable placemen.

Contac: 92054304 Indian male 23 years with 4 years experience in Purchase and Sales, graduate in EC, currently on visiting visa, seeking suitable job in Oman. Contact: 96761020. Email: adikmuthumuttam@gmail.com Male B.com 8 month experience in sales seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98371144 Indian male graduate with 7 yrs exp in sales & marketing immediate join NOC available.

Contact : 96746107 Indian male 28, 6 yrs experience in Oman, in sales & marketing & office admin, seeking for suitable placement (valid driving license) Contact: 99142314 Sales & Marketing Executive MBA with 3 years experience in sales looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 91345727.

Indian male with Oman driving license and 27 years’ Oman experience in FMCG sales /newspaper distribution across the Sultanate seeks job. No objection certificate/ release letter is available from the present employer.

Contact: 98962949 Graduate, computer literate, experienced in sales, credit control, accounts, Omani D/L , seeks suitable placement. Gsm 9880-5474 12 years of experience in Oman; marketing strategies & operations, logistics, government tenders, public relations & dealing with international companies -4 years of experience in UK, engineering CNC & industrial areas, have dual nationality, fluent in English & Arabic speaking and writing , (I can travel abroad easily without visa, for finalizing business or any other purpose). Contact: 94123939 Indian Male 32, MBA (Marketing & Finance) with 10 years experience in Marketing of Banking Products & Insurance Industry.

Seeking for a Job in Oman.

Contact: 93576980, 97750460 Email: senthil.cbe83@gmail.com Indian male, MBA Marketing having 2.5 years Sales experience immediately looking for a suitable position. Contact: 91415145, Email: shariqs88@gmail.com Indian male 46 years, Sales Manager experience in modular kitchens & furnitures. Contact 94522616 Indian male, 24, MBA Marketing and HR, I year experience. On visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact 94014073 Marketing Executive/Merchandiser, Omani License, BA 8 years Experience in Multinational Groups. Contact 97601343

SKILLED / UNSKILLED Looking for job as Mason, steel fixer, electrician. Contact: 93015630 Masonry / finishing foreman 20 years experience NOC available.

Contact: 98435309/ India + 91 9446958838 Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fitter gulf & Indian exp looking job.

Contact: 95175192 Electrician, plumber (exp gulf / Indian) looking job. Contact 95175192

TECHNICIAN /MECH. Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experience preferably in water sector and having valid driving license call Ph:+968 99450811 Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com

TOURS & TRAVELS Indian female BSC IATA, 14 years exp in travel & tourism in Oman looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 96433490 Email: indu623@yahoo.co.in Software Engineer , Oracle EBS R-12 Technical Consultant 9 Years Experience. HRMS/ Payroll, Education, Hotel, Textile, Shipping Container Terminal.

Email: sziahussain@hotmail.com.

Contact 97912264

HOME THEATER & KARAOKE

SITUATION WANTED Indian male, 26, BCom with tally, 2-year exp in marketing and 2-year exp as restaurant manager looking for suitable job.

NOC available. Ph. No: 97707953

Part- Time Accountant, well experience senior accountant ,doing all type of accounting works, Finalization, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439

DME (Diploma in Mechanical Engineering) with overall 7+ year experiences in the field of Industrial and Plant Maintenance seeking placements. Contact 97460974

29 year Indian male B-Tech Engineering, with 6 yrs of Professional experience in Manufacturing Oil & Gas Industries seeking for a suitable placement (NOC Available).Kindly contact me on 94628362, emailmahinathdevani@yahoo.co.in

Bangladeshi Male, University MA, 5 years experience in IT sales & marketing working as sales coordinator in Oman; searching better job. Phone:91997605, email: mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com Indian female, ME in CSE with 2 years’ experience in teaching seeking suitable Job Opportunity.

Contact: 94263445, E mail – apshinmar@gmail.com HR Manual, Employee Handbook, Recruitment, Training, HR Consultancy, Are you looking for freelancer HR professional.

Contact on 97914669 Indian male auto cad draughtsman (civil) 8 years experience .Seeking for part time job.Mobile no: 0096899070584 / Email: remluvp@gmail.com Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3 year Diploma in electrical engineer 5 year experience in different activities. Contact - 94549609 MBA - (F), M.Com,B.COM. Indian female having knowledge of accounts with Tally looking for part time or full time job. presently on family visa. Contact :- 91892264. Email: yashicapandya@gmail.com Indian Male, 26 years, with 7 years of experience in Sales Field in Shipping company in Dubai looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety Marine equipment and well versed with MS Office. Contact: 90182494 manojmallya999@gmail.com Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. In IT/ networking/server support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532 HR & Admin Executive ( MBA) Indian male 26 year old, with more than 4 years of experiences in HR& Admin (16 month in Oman) looking for suitable placement, NOC available.Contact: +968-98757304 Email: nuroollah789@gmail.com Indian Accounts professioanl with 2 years of experience currently on visit visa looking for suitable job openings Contact: Gsm: 92395449 jaleelcabdul@gmail.com

MBA (F), B.COM. Indian female having knowledge of accounts with Tally looking for job. presently on family visit visa.

Contact :- 94704661. Email:bhumicapandya@gmail.com Indian-male 34yrs,m.Com with 14 yrs exp.( 8 Yrs in oman) working as procurement officer in contg & trdg co llc.( Worked for road,civil,electro-mechanical,corr osion,scaffolding,insulation & Others Projects in Oman ) and having Oman LT D/L, Looking for suitable placement- M:94064650, Email: nagauae@gmail.com

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SITUATION WANTBUSINESS ED

Part time accountant available, well experienced in accounting up to finalization. Knowledge in tally also. contact. 92643875 31 year Indian male PG in HR with 5 yrs Professional experience in HR in Construction Oil & Gas Oman seeking for a suitable placement(NOC Available).Kindly contact me on 93488914, emailKaarthickshankar@gmail.com Driver Cum Salesman Professional, Indian male having 7 Years of Experience in Oman Having Valid Driving License working as a Office Driver, Looking for a suitable Position, NOC available.

Contact: 99680429 Email:anzarkutty1975@gmail.com

Mechanic Diesel Engines & Hydraulic, 25 years Experience in Multinational Companies.

Contact - 91685048

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3 yrs exp. in IT / networking/ server support, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 92607532

Indian Male, 28, MBA Finance & Mcom. more than 5yrs exp. in A/c & Finance (Including 2 yrs in Oman), NOC available, Seek Suitable Placement, Contact: 93939421, email: baleeq.ams@gmail.com

Indian male, QA/QC Instrument Inspector, 8 years exp in GCC, on visit visa. # 92430370 Email: rajeshgcc.kumar@gmail.com, Indian female, MBA HR & Finance, having 1 year experience, seeking suitable placement. Currently in Oman. Contact: 96052366.

Indian male 23yr BA TTM(Travel and Tourism Management) with Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Logisitics and Shipping Management, Experienced in Logisitics (Customs Clearance) seeking in suitable placement, currently on visit visa(Oman) Contact; 90291092 email:iyas.adhur@gmail.com

Single room required with reasonable rent. Contact - 95405033 Single room required for an Executive with reasonable rent.

Contact 95405033 Sharing Accommodation Required for Non cooking Executive Lady in Darsait /Ruwi/Wadikabir. #99360615

GOOD NEWS > Z / zhZs / >/E/

ŽŶƚĂĐƚ ϮϰϴϭϰϮϮϮ Žƌ ϵϳϭϭϮϱϭϬ ĨŽƌ ĂƉƉŽŝŶƚŵĞŶƚ X’Mas gift items- many varieties candles, fresh flowers, roses, jasmine, marigold. Many varieties Indian biscuits, namkeens & homemade sweets, glace cherries, dry fruits, tutti-frutti & charcoal for barbecue. Haridas Nensey Supermarket. Contact – 24750784 / 23291825

Civil Engineer 5 Years EXP 2 years in Oman as a QS Seeking for part time job as QS. Contact - 91507508 B Sc. Computer Application + M B A from UK With 3 years of Experience, Mumbai, India Available on Visit Visa (27Years)looking for a suitable Placement. Contact: 94030166/ 96739581 Email ID: asokpanicker1001@gmail.com

ACC. WANTED

EĞĂƌ <Śŝŵũŝ DĂƌƚ͕ D ƌĞĂ͕ ZƵǁŝ KƵƌ LJƵƌǀĞĚŝĐ dƌĞĂƚŵĞŶƚ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐ ďŚLJĂŶŐĂŵ͕ <ŝnjŚŝ DĂƐƐĂŐĞ͕ ^ŚŝƌŽĚŚĂƌĂ͕ sĂƐƟ ͕ hĚǁĂƌƚŚŶĂŵ ϱϬй ŝƐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽŶ ĨƵůů ďŽĚLJ ŵĂƐƐĂŐĞ͘

Indian Expat female, BSc Physics and Tally ERP 9, educated with valid Oman Driving license seeks suitable position. Please contact: 0096894864575

Indian male, totally 8+ years experience in IT Assistant, 5 Years in Oman, Looking for a suitable position in Oman, Holding Oman Driving license & also NOC is available. Contact: 98248024, email- bala.abins@gmail.com

Planning Engineer: B.E(Electrical and Electronics Engineering): Indian Male 33 yrs with 10 years of experience in UAE & Muscat. Skilled in the areas of project coordination, planning & procurements.

Contact: 00971503529608 Email Id: saravananbe44@gmail.com

GENERAL ELECTRONICS SERVICES LLC CONTACT: 99627299 / 93327841

Indian youth BA warehouse manager/sales in Oman 1 year provide NOC, OMAN Driving license holder seeks jobs.94 525213 lojikts@gmail.com.

Looking for Network Engineer Job, NOC Available Can join immediately. Qualification: BE Telecommunication, CCNA, CCNP Voice.

Driving License: Oman, Current Company: Global Solutions, Client: Diwan Experience: 3.5 Years.

Contact – 97312044 / waleedkhan26@gmail.com

Post graduate master of social work having 5 years experience at present visit visa seeking suitable opportunity. Contact 99876307

BRING HOME - LIVE MUSIC & CINEMA

We supply gift items Dairies safety Items. Contact: 98796982 Email: coastadbay360@yahoo.in We will register LLC. trade license for foreign investors and do all actions. Contact: 92833566

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ACCA (Associate Certified Chartered Accountant) with 2 years experience. Looking for opportunities in Finance, Accounts.

Presently Available in Oman for Personal interviews Contact: 96124257, 93692578.

Email at naeemnoe5@gmail.com Indian Male, 26 years, With 7 years of experience in Sales Field in shipping company in “Dubai” looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety Marine equipment and well versed with MS Office.Contact 90182494, Manojmallya999@gmail.com Male 27, BCA, Diploma in Networking, CCNA certified engineer, 4 years experience in IT support & networking seeks job.

Contact-90193811 Indian female, 27, food technologist (MSc Food Technology), 2years experience in research and development - instant foods, seasonings. Contact -93987174 email :mayacnair@outlook.com Project Manager in Mechanical Engg. (M.sc.) with 8 years experience in Building Construction, oil & gas seeking job- # 94625598 (nima.azimzadeh@gmail.com) Indian male 23yr BA TTM(Travel and Tourism Management) with Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Logistics and Shipping Management, Experienced in Logistics(Customs Clearance) seeking in suitable placement.

Currently on visit visa (Oman) Contact; 90291092 email: iyas.adhur@gmail.com 31 year Indian male PG in HR ,with 5 yrs Professional experience in HR in Construction Oil & Gas Oman seeking for a suitable placement(NOC Available).Kindly contact me on 93488914, emailKaarthickshankar@gmail.com

Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www. siddhayur.com FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage steambath, obesity, Spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street Azaiba.

Contact: 99639695 / 98342990 Balloons beautiful design & Archie’s works for party, birthday & New Year functions all events.

Contact 95194801/ 96594592

MATRIMONIAL Keralite, Thiruvananthapuram based “Young and Handsome Boy”, Hindu – Viswakarma (Carpenters), Birth Star – Pooyam, MCA, 29 years(05/11/1985, 01.30 AM), 176 cm height, Wheatish colour, Moderate family, Working as ‘Commercial Assistant’ in a reputed automotive company. seeking alliance of girls from the suitable family. Contact: Rejeesh - 92801583, 94238934, Shanmughan - +919895891202, +914712619230 Rose Mary age 25 yrs Born Oman, B.com 2 years ACCA, MBA. Contact: 92841175 T.C.R. EKM .DT. Only Kerala RC boy 31 yrs paramedical working in Oman hailing from Tellichery Dioces.

Contact:92866673 23 Years Malayalee Christian girl born & educated in Bangalore, seeking suitable alliances from well settled Keralite Malayalee Christian boys. Contact - 99494371 *Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 5

D7

DAILY GUIDE TOURS

TRANSPORTATION

53"/41035"5*0/ 5PO 5PO 5SBJMFS -PDBM USBOTQPSU .$5 6"&

Contact 96609857

CLASSES

"NJS "MJ

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

Transport. Contact: 99077395 Transportation. Contact: 99664703 Transportation taxi mini bus.

Contact: 93091106 Transportation. Contact 99508282 Transportation & tours.

Contact: 99324045 Pick & drop anytime in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99764307

*&-54 13&1"3"5*0/ 5BSHFU #BOE

Classes for Spoken English TOEFL / GRE / GMAT / SAT Excellent Guidance and Coaching Satisfaction Guaranteed &"(-&4 */45*565&

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

92325542 | 93657915 | 93657917 | &NBJM FOHPNJOTU!HNBJM DPN

WEBSITE

Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

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

Ph # 24480800 / 99347202

Transportation. Contact: 99099714 Transportation available Ruwi Seeb. Contact 99867456

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

Transportation. Contact: 98505294

in Azaiba and Ruwi

DRIVING

earn in two months

tion guaranteed

Tel: 95244310 Karate and self defense classes at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per month twice a week Monday and Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM. CONTACT 98294551

SERVICES

Learn driving with professional.

Contact: 94022250

FOR LADIES Home service for ladies only facial, waxing, body massage, (if you not waxing menicure pedicure) only 20 Riyal, Contact 9243 0239

NRI

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

royal castles

vakathanam, kottayam Luxurious villas in a Gated community with all the modern facili es at Vakathanam By-Pass (MC road-NH 220) Web: www.royalcastles.in email: info@royalcastles.in +968 92855909, +91 9961 11 9988 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting,Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. Contact: 24810137, 99450130

Plot for sale Shadnagar Municipality, Mahboob Nagar District, walk able distance to existing colonies, national highway and basic amenities at reasonable price.

Contact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 0091 8686631669 Land for sale in Goa indian verna near big mosque rs 30 lakh negotiable. Contact: 99468166 A House of 2150 sq.Ft in Padmanabanagar Bangalore facing south east on a corner plot of 2315 Sq.Ft for sale , serious buyer. Contact: 00919845195766, 968 99770173

Enetstorage offer!! Cloud based software & mobile responsive websites locally developed, hosting, hardware & cctv/networking solutions. Contact 94369696 or admin@enetstorage.com

Plot, propeties for sale in prime location in pune 95272138,(+918390982975)

Repair desktop laptop, printer, scanner, networking &all software inst. Contact 99876547

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

^ Zs/ ^ tÄ&#x17E; WĆ&#x152;Ĺ˝Ç&#x20AC;Ĺ?Ä&#x161;Ä&#x17E; ĹŻÄ&#x17E;Ä&#x201A;ĹśÄ&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ć?Í&#x2022; Kĸ Ä?Ä&#x17E; Ä?Ĺ˝Ç&#x2021;Ć?Í&#x2022; ĹŻÄ&#x17E;Ä&#x201A;ĹśĹ?ĹśĹ? ŽŜĆ&#x161;Ć&#x152;Ä&#x201A;Ä?Ć&#x161;Ć?Í&#x2022; 'Ä&#x17E;ĹśÄ&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ä&#x201A;ĹŻ Ä?ĹŻÄ&#x17E;Ä&#x201A;ĹśĹ?ĹśĹ? Ä&#x17E;Ć&#x161;Ä?Í&#x2DC; ĹŻ DĆľÄ&#x161;Ä&#x201A;ĹŹĹ&#x161;Ĺ?Ć&#x152; EÄ&#x201A;Ć&#x; ŽŜÄ&#x201A;ĹŻ Ć?Ć&#x161;Í&#x2DC; >> ŽŜĆ&#x161;Ä&#x201A;Ä?Ć&#x161; Í&#x2014; ϾϰώϳϳϏώϏ

House shifting. Contact: 99657644/98518013

Marble grinding resurfacing & ceiling crystallization / polishing general cleaning of villas & ďŹ&#x201A;ats.

Terrazzo ďŹ&#x201A;oor scrubbing, ceiling, polishing & buffing.

Contact: 98598280 /94134784

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. contact ABU QABAS99320217 /24788722

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

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. Contact 24793614/ 99314807 Pest Control Treatments.

Ocean Center LLC. Contact: 99344723 Water prooďŹ ng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422 Split & window A/c servicing & maintenance. Contact : 93769089 / 95323517 Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

D8

S U N DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED CARGO

CHANGE OF NAME I Azad Ahmad (name exactly as in present passport) son of Ali Hasan presently residing at the following address in Mabela P.B No. 158 P.C No.124 Sultanate of Oman and having following permanent address in India Vill Inderwan Abadullah P.O Thawe, Dist, Gopalganj (Bihar) (as per present passport) , holder of passport No. K 3688059 date of issue 23/07/2012 place of issue Muscat Hereby solemnly affirm and declare that, Sanjeeda Perween (name of my wife appearing as my passport) and the name of my wife Sanjeeda Khatoon appearing as per her Indian Passport No. M 8668372 are the same individuals and not two different individuals. Any objection towards my name change of my wife may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P.Box No, 1727, Postal Code 112, Ruwi , Sultanate of Oman.

RENT A CAR

Rental car. Contact: 92516090

AVAILABLE

Silver car, car rental at good rate. Contact: 96166155/93530540

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

AVAILABLE Available office space in Prime location on 18th November Street, Azaiba Kindly. Contact: 99288664

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

I Sulakshana Narayan Satardekar (holder of Indian passport No. H 2628679) Daughter of Narayan A.Satardekar having permanent residence in H.NO.2520 Housing Board Colony, bicholim Goa 403504 (complete postal address in India ) and presently residing in P.O.Box 2861, P.C 112 Ruwi , Sultanate of Oman , Muscat (complete postal address in Oman) intend to change my name from Sulakshana Narayan Satardekar (old name) to Mrs .

Nishita Niteen Pole ( new name) for all practical purpose. Any objection towards my name change may please be communicated to Embassy of India, Muscat, diplomatic Quarters, Al Khuwair, P. Box No, 1727 postal code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.