Times of Oman - December 28, 2016

WEDNESDAY December 28, 2016 28 Rabi Al Awal 1438 AH

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FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

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

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ It is essential that the Omani private sector be more active, roll up its sleeves and prove its efficiency and ability to compete. The government administrative system must react to, and co-operate with, the private sector. It must not allow bureaucracy and routine to hinder its good performance.

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 253 | 36 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

PLO

NCSI

A crime every 28 minutes in Oman

HM receives message MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said received a written message from President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) dealing with the bilateral relations between the two countries and issues of common concern.>A6

TARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: One crime is committed every 28 minutes in the Sultanate, according to data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information.

The number of registered criminals represents just 0.64 per cent of the population.

2015 was a record low year for the number of crimes committed, with 18,860 registered, compared to 22,624 in 2014 and 26,602 in 2013. Last year saw a 17 per cent dip in crimes compared to 2014.

However, low data suggests that four crimes are committed per 1,000 population, with that 1 crime being committed every

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Municipal Council

1

Women Municipal Council members are hoping to make positive changes. >A5

WORLD

M I N I S T R Y O F H E A LT H

Turkey coup trial

2

The trial related to a summer coup in Turkey started on Tuesday. >A12

MARKET

Dhofar milk project

3

A pilot project to help Dhofar livestock farmers will start in 2017. >B1

‘SECURITY FEE’ WILL HIKE AIR TICKET PRICE Additional OMR1 will be charged from all the fliers leaving the Sultanate from January 1

RAHUL DAS rahuldas@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Everyone flying out of Oman by air will soon have to pay more per MORNING MINUTE

28 minutes. Upon hearing this information, Khalid, an Omani national, said that he was surprised, because that number seemed unlikely, considering that Oman is probably the safest country in the Middle East.

“It’s surprising to hear that one crime every 28 minutes is not a joke, said Khalid. >A4

ticket, according to airport management. New charges will kick in at all airports in the Sultanate on January 1 and will be added to the cost of a

ticket. The new OMR1 charge per international passenger will apply to everyone buying an air ticket including those transferring through, but domestic passengers will be unaffected.

The new OMR1 charge per passenger will take additional charges per ticket from OMR10 to OMR11. The extra rial per head is expected to rake in an extra OMR10 million in annual revenue for Oman’s airports. >A6

Hiring maids bad for health, says official Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Hiring a housemaid could be bad for your health, according to a Ministry of Health senior official.

According to Dr Huda Khalfan Al Siyabi, director of community based initiatives of the Ministry of Health (MoH), lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, high blood

Indian mum seeks return of ailing son from Oman

pressure and heart disease can all be tackled if residents take more exercise – even if it’s only cleaning the house.

“One of the obstacles that disallow families and women in the Sultanate from exercising is depending on workers to do housework which is considered physical activity,” said Dr Huda Khalfan. >A2

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

OMAN T O D AY

State Council to discuss tourism MUSCAT: A proposal submitted by the Culture, Media and Tourism Committee on “Reality of Tourism in the Sultanate through the Governing Laws and Legislations” will be discussed by the State Council.

The State Council will hold on Wednesday its third regular session of the 2nd annual sitting of the sixth term under the chair of Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, Chairman of the State Council at the Council’s headquarter in Al Bustan, Muscat.

The agenda of the meeting will include the opening speech of the Chairman of the Council, and approving minutes of the second regular session of the second annual

More than 70% young children skip exercise Studies showed that 37 per cent of Omanis do not exercise enough, which

sitting of the sixth term.

The State Council will be briefed on the Secretariat’s report on activities of the Council for the period between the 2nd and 3rd regular sessions of the second annual sitting of the sixth term. -ONA

contributes to a rise in noncommunicable diseases in the country, according to Dr Said Al Lamki, general director for primary health care

HEALTHY LIVING: Children between five to 17 years old need at least 60 minutes of exercise per day, according to the World Health Organisation. – Supplied picture

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: A shocking 70 per cent of schoolboys and 84 per cent of schoolgirls in Oman do not exercise enough, according to studies.

Children between five to 17 years old need at least 60 minutes of exercise per day, according to the World Health Organisation.

Studies showed that 37 per cent of Omanis do not exercise enough, which contributes to a rise in noncommunicable diseases in the country, according to Dr Said Al Lamki, general director for primary health care. Among those contracting these diseases, “the global average is 28 per cent among men and 34 per cent among women,” said Al Lamki.

Since the lack of exercise in the Sultanate has surpassed the global average, a national campaign to promote physical activity began on Tuesday, under the slogan ‘Health Starts With a Step’.

Quoting international reports,

Dr Huda Khalfan Al Siyabi, director of community based initiatives for the Ministry of Health (MoH), said that 9 per cent of deaths before the age of 70 were fuelled by a lack of exercising.

She added that the majority of school children in Oman do not exercise enough.

Eating junk foods, smoking, drinking alcohol and skipping exercise contributes to contracting NCDs, such as diabetes, cancer, heart diseases and others.

Oman records some 5,000 new cases of diabetes each year.

Currently, there are at least 82,000 cases of diabetes in the MoH medical centres, according

to Dr Ahmed Al Busaidi, head of the national committee for combating chronic NCDs. The MoH provides free checkups for nationals beginning at the age of 40 years old.

“Around 18,000 people who were thought to be healthy have turned up at the health centres in 2015,” said Al Busaidi.

He explained that 36 per cent of this group were overweight, 35 per cent obese, 10 per cent diabet-

ic and 21 per cent had issues with their kidneys.

“Keep in mind that they all were assuming that they are free of any illness,” he pointed out.

Hence, the one-year campaign aims at launching a number of initiatives in 2017, including promoting exercise in schools, taking part in international walking week, and participating in Muscat Festival, Khareef Salalah and the Book Fair.

TOURISM VISION 2040

Sultanate has large halal tourism potential: Experts SYED HAITHAM HASAN

haitham@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman is a potential halal tourism hotspot, and now is the time to tap into the market, experts believe.

Having recently laid out its Tourism Vision 2040, Oman plans to attract more than five million international visitors annually by 2040, double the figure of 2.5 million in 2015, which would contribute to 6 per cent of the GDP, compared to the current 3 per cent. There is little over-optimism about such expectations, considering Lonely Planet has ranked Oman eighth in the world in places to visit in 2017.

Although it included little mention of halal tourism, Oman is certainly an ideal destination for halal tourism markets.

According to a report by Thomson Reuters, halal tourism represents 11.6 percent of global travel expenditures, excluding pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina, and is

IDEAL DESTINATION: Halal tourism represents 11.6 per cent of global travel expenditures, excluding pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina.

expected to be worth a staggering $238 billion by 2019.

Halal tourism is a sub category of tourism which is directed towards Muslim populations that are considering travel, while adhering to Islamic rules.

This includes hotels that do not serve alcohol, have separate swimming pools and spa facilities for men and women, and broadcast religious programmes as part of their entertainment programmes.

NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

A1 ‘Health starts with a step’ < FROM

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases.

Dr Huda spoke about the disease-provoking habits on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the national campaign to promote physical activity which began on Tuesday under the slogan ‘health starts with a step’.

She mentioned that the lack of public transport results in high dependency on private vehicles, which ultimately contribute to lack of physical movement.

Almost half of Omani inpatients and the ones visiting health care centres suffered from at least one NCD in 2015, according to Dr Ahmed Al Busaidi, head of the national committee of combating chronic NCD.

Calling for new laws to encourage healthier habits amongst the society, Huda said that more walks and parks should be available in the country.

“The hot weather, however, makes it difficult for people to exercise,” she said.

She also encouraged authorities to focus on increasing awareness about the importance of exercising, and encourage public and private institutions to consider and adopt healthier standards in their companies.

The launching ceremony of the ‘health starts with a step’ campaign was held under the patronage of Dr. Alin bin Talib Al Hinai, MOH Undersecretary for Planning Affairs and Chairman of the Higher National Committee of Non-Communicable Diseases

Control in the presence of number of undersecretaries.

The drive, which will continue for a year, aimed at educating the community to the importance of physical activity.

In addition, raising the awareness on the available facilities of practicing the physical activity, as well as encouraging the community members to involve in the sports programs.

The campaign targets all community members both males and females where various mass media, as well as the social media will be utilized to send clear and impressive messages. In addition, promotional and educational materials, as well as number of activities and events will be applied in schools, malls, health institutions, parks…etc.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

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THE BRIEFING D ATA

WORLD

Black box from Black Sea crash jet found Russia has found the main flight recorder from a military plane that crashed into the Black Sea killing all 92 on board, the Defence Ministry said, amid unconfirmed reports that authorities had grounded all aircraft of the same type. >A12

BUSINESS

PDO pledges to invest in key social projects The Sultanate’s national oil company, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), has pledged to invest OMR500,000 in social investment projects to benefit the Omani community. >B1

SPORTS

Key role for Al Najar in Gulf Chess Federation

LIFESTYLE

The chess chiefs of Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) nations finalised the formation of Gulf Chess Federation at a meeting organised in Al Ain recently. The meeting also approved the formation of the Gulf Chess Federation board with Hassan Eid Bokammas, chief of Bahrain Mind Sports Association, as the chairman. UAE’s Abdulaziz Al Khouri has been named as the first vice-chairman and Oman’s Laila Al Najar as second vice-chairperson. >C1

A day in a camel farm

OMAN

Camels are undeniably one of the most important animals of the Middle East.

A whole day in different camel farms can acquaint you with the ship of the desert and get you to love and respect them. >A14

Beah rolls out new bins in Samail Oman Beah has begun distributing new bins in Samail city of Dakhiliyah region in Oman.

The programme is part of the campaign by Beah to handle the management of waste throughout the entire country. >A4

REGION

‘Syrian government and opposition in talks’

INDIA

Jet Airways plane skids off Goa runway, 12 injured A Jet Airways Boeing 737 aircraft with 161 people on board veered off an airport runway in Goa shortly before take off just before daybreak on Tuesday, crossing a field before spinning into a ditch on the side of a service road. >A8

SPORTS

Azhar shines with ton at gloomy MCG

WORLD

Indonesia court to proceed with trial of Jakarta’s governor

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted on Tuesday as saying that the Syrian government was consulting with the opposition ahead of possible peace talks. >A7

An Indonesian court will proceed with a controversial blasphemy trial against Jakarta’s governor, a judge said on Tuesday. A panel of judges rejected a call by lawyers defending Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama to strike down the case because it had violated the ethnic politician’s human rights and breached procedures. >A10

Opening batsman Azhar Ali shone in gloomy conditions with a patient, unbeaten century to guide Pakistan to 310 for six in the second Test against Australia on a rainblighted second day at MCG on Tuesday. >C1

Juvenile crimes may surpass 2015 statistics Times News Service MUSCAT: This year may end with more juvenile crimes having been committed than in 2015.

During the first six months of 2016, the Ministry of Social Development reported 216 juvenile crimes, more than half the crimes reported for the entire year of 2015. In both the first and second quarters, North Batinah had the highest number of juvenile offences resulting in the arrests of 71 minors. Based on the available data, Muscat, at 32, was next in the league table of juvenile crime followed by Dakhalia at 23.

The lowest rate was in South Batinah, with only eight incidents, while both Musandam and AlWusta had no reports of minors being arrested.

Interestingly, the incident rate also declined between the two quarters, as from January to March only 130 reports were filed, while from April to June, juvenile incidents dropped to only 86.

Out of the 216 reports, only eight of the juveniles were non-Omanis.

Earlier this year, the Times of Oman reported a 20 per cent increase in juvenile crimes in 2015.

A total of 506 juvenile cases were registered with the ministry in

2015, while there were 423 cases the year before. Further, current data for the first six month of this year suggests another increase will be seen, if the rate of delinquency continues. While the number of juvenile crimes stood at 880 in 2010, in 2011 and 2012 it dropped to 688, and in 2013 there were just 457 incidents of juvenile crime. In 2014, the total stood at 423.

The Ministry of Social Development stated in its quarterly report that juvenile delinquency is a negative social occurrence that societies are suffering from. This stems directly from changes in the economy, society and culture.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

OMAN NAT I O N W I D E C A M PA I G N

Beah rolls out new bins in Samail

PICTURE PERFECT The shimmering spectacle of Muttrah Corniche in the evening, which draws both citizens and residents alike.

— Evin Mathew Manoj

Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Beah has begun distributing new bins in Samail city of Dakhiliyah region in Oman. The programme is part of the campaign by Beah to handle the management of waste throughout the entire country.

The new bins are made of high quality, environmentally friendly materials that follow international standards, according to officials at Beah.

“Waste in Oman was being managed in a traditional way and dumped at different dumpsites.

The mandate to shift to international standard of waste management came from the government in 2012 and, since then, Beah has begun a country-wide campaign to install an environmentally friendly waste management infrastructure,” said an official from Oman Beah. The first phase of the campaign included taking over dumpsites and landfills around the country, and building engineering landfills. The waste collection will also include

healthcare and industrial waste.

Beah has already finished these campaigns in North Batinah and North Sharqiyah regions, and work is currently underway in Dakhliyah. “We have been rolling out new bins for waste collection in Dakhiliyah region since December 1st. We have also started waste collections in South Sharqiyah and South Batinah,” the official said. He added that it takes approximately 3 months to complete the process of installing bins throughout the entire governorate.

The campaign in Salalah will start next month and continue in other governorates, ending in Muscat by the second or third quarter of 2017.

Ransomware attacks consistently target government portals, networks A network infected with malware will prevent users from opening their files

TARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Government portals and networks are consistently subjected to ransomware attacks, both locally and internationally, while the Oman National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) actively works to combat these attacks.

Motives for such attacks can be to demonstrate the skills and capabilities of the attacker, generate money, or they could even be state sponsored attacks for espionage or as part of a cyber war, according to Engineer Bader Ali Al Salhi, Director General of Oman National CERT.

THREAT: Motives for such attacks can be to demonstrate the skills and capabilities of the attacker,

frastructures, such as oil and gas, electricity and water.

“It could impact the financial aspects of the industry or suspend its services.

“The consequences (of such attacks) may include access to confidential data or halting critical services, as well as paralyzing ICT infrastructures,” said Al Salhi.

According to the Information Technology Authority’s annual report, the Information Security Division thwarted 398,118 attacks against government portals, as well as 4,872,081 attacks directed at government networks in 2015.

Data also shows that the Oman National CERT discovered and neutralized 5,932 real and serious cyber security attacks against Oman’s cyber space, as well as uncovering 298 damaging malwares on computers last year.

When asked about the number of cyber security incidents this year, Al Salhi explained, “The number of security incidents are increasing due to the national security campaigns run this year, since more security incidents are being reported by individuals and organisations.”

According to Information Technology Authority’s annual report, the Information Security Division thwarted 398,118 attacks against government portals, as well as 4,872,081 attacks directed at government networks in 2015

generate money, or they could even be state-sponsored attacks for espionage or as part of a cyber war, according to Engineer Bader Ali Al Salhi, Director General of Oman National CERT.

“They come from different sources and places from within the Sultanate, and abroad. Sometimes the attacks come from compromised computers within a country, but actually controlled from a

different server in another state where they are generating such attacks,” said Al Salhi.

Ransomware attacks are the most common nuisances the Oman National CERT deal with

while protecting government portals and networks. A network infected with malware will prevent users from opening their files.

“The concept of ransomeware relies on profits. A user will not be

able to access their files or regain control of their accounts unless they pay a certain amount of money,” explained Al Salhi.

He added that such attacks could damage critical national in-

CRIMES

A1 More than 50% of those < FROM

arrested were expatriates

“Considering that the country has a reputation of being safe, I don’t believe that it could be true, could it?”, asked Khalid Katsu, a Japanese tourist, said, “It’s actually hard to believe, because I feel safe here and the security forces in the country are doing a good job in keeping it safe.

However, if that is true, then it is a cause for concern.” In 2015, 26,655 suspects were arrested, compared to 27,012 in 2014, and expatriates made up 52 per cent of the total arrests, compared to Omanis, who were the remaining 48 per cent of those arrested.

13,798 expatriates were registered offenders in 2015, with 12,154 being males and 1,644 being females. Further, 12,205 Omani males were reported as having been arrested, while 652 females were arrested. Additionally, 6895 criminals violated laws and regulations, which made up thelargest groups of crimes to be committed.

That includes entering the country illegally, violation of residency laws and violation of labour laws.

Crimes related to finance follows,with 5,528 people being arrested for thievery, fraud, intentional arson and money laundering. Of note, 5,085 suspects committed crimes against individuals, which included assault, insults to honor and dignity, threats, murder and attempted murder, human trafficking and inciting public panic, making it the third-largest category of crimes

CRIME STATISTICS IN THE SULTANATE Numbers of criminals committed crimes (2015) Total

%

6,895 5,528 5,085 4,841 1,498 1,043 895 685 188

25.9 20.7 19.1 18.2 5.6 3.9 3.4 2.6 0.7

Total suspects and crimes (2013-2015) 30,000 20,000

2013

Suspects

30,094

Crimes

26,602

Type

1 Crime is committed every 28 minutes (2015)

Regulations & Law Violations Monetary Crimes Crimes against Individuals Drugs related Crimes Others Crimes on Public Authority and Breach of Trust Crimes related to Alchohol and Drunkeness Crimes Prejudicial to Honor and Public Morals Weapons and Ammunition Law Violation 2014

2015

27,012

26,655

22,624 18,860

Omanis

12,857 (48%)

Expats

13,798 (52%)

10,000 0 Source: National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI)

committed in 2015. Juveniles (917 years old) made up only 3.3 per cent of the registered suspects last year,in which the majority of crimes committed werethose related to finance. Suspects aged 18 to 29 years old made up 43 percent of the total suspects who violated residency and labour laws, which was the most commonly committed crime among that age group.

Al Buraimi Governorate registered the highest crime rate, with 13 crimes per 1000 population,

Graphics

mainly due to the increase of residency and labour law violations, and those entering the country illegally,as the area is located near the border. It also registered the highest number of violators, with 30 per 1000 population. Most crimes were committed in Muscat Governorate, with 31 percent of total crimes, followed by North Al Batinah with 19 per cent and Dhofar with 12 per cent. The remaining governorates accounted for 37 per cent.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

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India mum seeks quick return of ailing son

DIRE STRAITS: Sunil Kumar Mullathu medical bills are over OMR8,000, relatives have confirmed.

Sunil Kumar Mullathu was found unconscious by police three months ago on a Ruwi street

REJIMON K

Chief Reporter reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An Indian mother is pleading for the speedy return of her son, who has been lying in coma for three months in an Omani hospital.

Sunilkumar Mullathu was found unconscious by police three months ago on a Ruwi street. He had suffered a fractured skull, either after a fall or an attack.

Royal Oman Police are still investigating the incident.

Since then, Sunil Kumar has undergone 12 surgeries, and doctors are constantly battling to fight infections in the Indian expat’s healing skull. His medical bills are over OMR8,000, relatives have confirmed.

Take care “Please send my son back home. I will get him treated here,” Shobha MS, the mother of Sunil Kumar, told Times of Oman from the south Indian state of Kerala.

“I am alone here. I am in my 60s and diabetic, too. But that doesn’t matter. I will take care of him. I approached the local government legislative assembly member and others to bring my son back.

“They are all just giving assurances. I am tired. I am afraid that

something wrong will happen to my son,” Shoba added.

Sunilkumar, who has been working as a technician with a security equipment installation company for the last eight years in Muscat, was found unconscious on September 15.

Khoula Hospital He was taken to Khoula Hospital

by Royal Oman Police.

Medical reports shared by Sunilkumar’s relatives reveal that he had suffered a severe injury to his skull and was treated by neurologists at the emergency unit of the hospital.

A relative of Sunil Kumar in Oman said he does not know why Sunilkumar has not been repatriated to India.

“He was in good enough health to be flown back last month. We had received a no-objection certificate from the Indian embassy and Royal Oman Police, too. However, due to some unknown reasons, he is stuck here. What we understand is that bills are high and there is uncertainty about who will pay them, which is the problem,” the relative added.

Medical care According to the relative, the bill for the medical care is some OMR8,000.

“A hospital in India has offered treatment for Sunil Kumar. We hope that soon he will be repatriated,” the relative added.

To fly Sunil Kumar home to Kerala, a special ventilator unit is required, and he must be accompanied by a medic and nurse.

“We checked with travel agents, they said it may cost around OMR2,600,” the relative added.

Meanwhile, an official from Sunil Kumar’s company said they are working to repatriate Sunil Kumar, as soon as possible.

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OMAN O N M U N I C I PA L C OU N C I L

The women who stood for election to make a difference - and won DEEBA HASAN

deeba@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Newly elected women to Oman’s Municipal Councils are hoping to make positive changes to the country’s infrastructure, tourism sector, children’s benefits and women’s rights.

Rahma Al Noufli, who was elected from the Wilayat of Mussanah after competing with 12 men, said, “I believe that women deserve to have a voice in the community, and I believe I deserve a chance to be part of those people who can change the community and do their best.

“My background is in charity work and I want more people to become involved. Apart from this, I feel there are certain things that need to be changed in our community, as we need more women’s clubs, reading clubs, libraries, and there is a lot more on my mind,” she said.

Al Noufli is the head of the Omani Women’ Association (OWA) in her hometown, and also opened a hair dressing saloon business. “I started my business from scratch, just by contacting people and building relationships through the OWA, and my life has been changed since then. I believe all women in Oman deserve to bring about positive changes to their lives.”

She is also part of a child abuse group at the OWA which concerns itself with child welfare. “There are young children who should be going to school, but are not just because their parents are careless, and then we also have children who suffer from abuse. So I am trying my best to do something for the welfare of such children.”

She thanked everyone who believes that women can bring about positive changes, and those who supported her in her campaign for office. “I would like to thank everyone in my community who believed in me, stood behind me, supported me, spent days and nights working for me, who believed in a woman who could start

Rahma Al Noufli

Maryam Al Shamsiyah

Rahma Al Ghufailiyah

Sana al Maashari

on her own and who can change the community,” she said.

Amna Al Balushi, a teacher at the British School Muscat (BSM) who was elected from the Wilayat of Seeb, said she wants to serve the community, help contribute to Oman’s overall development and see the country compete with other nations of the world.

“We, at the council are all about serving the community and to oversee things that need to be developed, in terms of the facilities, roads, markets, tourism and other things. I have something in me that wants to develop the country.

Oman is a beautiful country, and with more facilities we can do a lot here.

“There are opportunities for both men and women, and I want us to be the best. We should always develop and compete with the world and do things for future generations. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has educated us and given us an opportunity, especially for women to stand for their rights.

We are half of the population, and

with men we cooperate together, as both genders are required to work together to make Oman a beautiful place.” Al Balushi completed her Montessori studies in Canada and has taken leadership courses to improve her skills.

“I have this leadership thing inside me and I think that being in the Municipal Council is great to be able to embrace and help the community.”

Maryam Al Shamsiyah, who was elected from the Wilayat of Al Sininah, wants to involve women in all activities in the Wilayat, “The women in our Wilayat are a little distant from the centre stage, and so we started these women’s clubs recently, which have received very positive responses, and women are willing to participate in different activities.

Now we want them to be part of more such initiatives.

“We want to take care of our community and develop the infrastructure of the Al Sininah, and raise the level of efficiency and competence of people living in

Amna Al Balushi

the area. “I really want to thank everyone who motivated me to reach this position and supported me.”

Sana al Maashari from Al Amerat was elected for the second time to the council. She said she wants to play a major role in the development of her country, “I do not work another job and I feel like I have time on my hands. Women don’t opt to work in this sector often, so I thought it would be something worth looking into. I want to give a message to society about women, that they can do great things.”

Al Maashari hopes to improve the infrastructure, and beautify Al Amerat.

Rahma Al Ghufailiyah, elected from the Wilayat of Liwa, has been performing volunteer work for the last 23 years and is President of the OWA in Liwa. She says that being on the Municipal Council will allow her to cater to the needs of the generation and help the people in the Wilayat.

“I want to focus on the requirements of the people in my Wilayat and make sure they are given the right assistance. I was inspired to get onto the council because I wanted to show women that we can be promoted to advisory positions and work side to side with men. My husband and children have kept me motivated throughout.”

The other two women who were voted in the Municipal Council are Latifa Al Maneiyah from the Wilayat of Al Sininah and Moza Al Hosni from the Wilayat of Khabourah.

AROUND THE WORLD TRIP

Zighy Bay resort sponsors American woman’s attempt at Guinness Records GAUTAM VISWANATHAN

Gautam@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: When most of us consider undertaking a round-theworld trip, we might choose to travel on a cruise liner, sedately whiling away the hours on board, while stopping to see the sights of the ports the ships dock at.

Not so for Cassandra De Pecol.

The 27-year-old American woman is attempting to enter the Guinness Book of World Records and become the fastest woman to travel across all 196 of the world’s sovereign nations in under three years and three months.

As of the 22nd of November 2016, De Pecol has travelled to 183 nations and seems to be well on track to visit the other 13, becoming not just the youngest woman to travel to every nation in the world, but also the fastest person to do so.

The record is currently held by Yili Liu, who set the record on the 29th of December, 2010. He took three years, three months and six days to set this record.

In attempting to enter her own name into the books, De Pecol has travelled on more than 254 flights and spent over $200,000, some of which has come from sponsors, such as Anantara, Air New Zealand, Avianca and AIG, among others.

The Six Senses Zighy Bay resort in Oman is also a sponsor. “On behalf of the resort, we are more than pleased to be part of Ms. Cassandra’s expedition, in upholding the value which is most near and dear to our hearts – sustainability,” said Nurhayati Mohamad, the Marketing and Communications Manager. “Nowadays, in such a world, human connections suffer, either among people or nature,” she added.

“We are glad that Cassandra’s blog has been able to capture our beliefs in living for today and planning for tomorrow,” she added. “In our design and daily operations at the resort, we act responsibly to measure and minimise our carbon footprint and impact on the

GLOBETROTTER: On hearing of her round-the-world record attempt, the Musandam-based resort contacted Cassandra De Pecol and invited her to stay at their hotel for four days, from the 27th of February to the 3rd of March 2016.

The initial goal of travelling to every single country is not nearly as meaningful as it was at the start.

Looking into the eyes of the youth and seeing them realise their potential and limitless possibilities through listening to me speak — this is what I live for Cassandra De Pecol American woman is attempting to enter the Guinness Book of World Records

environment, all through active management of energy, water, waste, biodiversity, purchasing and chemical usage.

“By giving Mother Nature a major say in everything we do, we protect the long-term future of our business, and the world.”

Named ‘Expedition 196’, Cassandra De Pecol is attempting not

just to break records through her globetrotting, but is also aiming to promote peace through tourism.

“As a young woman, I’d always dreamed that I would travel to as many countries as possible and make our world a better place,” said De Pecol.

“It bothered me, though, that I could never figure out how to

ignite this inner fire and make it happen. “I went through my years desperately trying to hone in on this passion of mine and do something good with it, and I became frustrated that I couldn’t figure out how to succeed in doing so,” she explained.

“I studied historical figures who had made a difference by putting aside society’s limitations and following their dreams.

“In the end, they may have died, but they were able to make a positive and lasting impression on the world for generations to come,” she said.

Endorsements “I received endorsements from the International Institute of Peace Through Tourism, obtained an accomplished team of supporters, accumulated sponsors, appeared in the press, and I was invited to attend the IIPT World Symposium in Johannesburg, and then the World Travel and Tourism Council Summit in Madrid.

“I watched this tame, inner flame grow into a wildfire, and it was all because of my decision to be fuelled by my fears, rather than run away from them.”

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

OMAN B I L AT E R A L R E L AT I O N S

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VISIT

HM receives message

The message was received on behalf of His Majesty the Sultan by His Highness Sayyid Asa’ad bin Tariq Al Said when he received yesterday Dr. Ahmed Majdalani, Member of the PLO executive committee, envoy of the Palestinian president who conveyed greetings of Abbas to His Majesty the Sultan, the government and the Omani people.

The two sides exchanged cordial conversations and reviewed ties in various domains, as well as means of promoting them to serve joint interests of the Omani and Palestinian people.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Ahmed Abbas Ramadhan, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Sultanate. -ONA N I Z WA

Science and Tech centre inaugurated NIZWA: A Science and Technology Centre was opened in the Wilayat of Nizwa in the Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah yesterday under the auspices of Dr. Ali bin Abdullah Al Alawi, Head of Communications Department at the Foreign Ministry in the presence of Sulaiman bin Abdullah Al Salmi, Director General of Education in the Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah.

Oil and gas sector The Centre has been established by the Directorate General of Education in the governorate with the support of the establishments operating in the oil and gas sector.

The opening ceremony included a presentation on the project highlighting stages of implementation and its divisions.

The chief guest of the occasion opened the Science and Technology Centre’s five halls and toured its different divisions, in addition to honouring sponsors and participating schools and students. -ONA

Iranian delegation reviews capital market cooperation regularising the capital market and stages of development experienced by the market sector.

MUSCAT: Sheikh Abdullah bin Salim Al Salmi, Executive President of the Capital Market Authority (CMA) received a delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The delegation is headed by Dr. Seyed Ahmad Araghchi, Board Member of Securities and Exchange Organisation of Iran (SEO), two members of the SEO executive management and Tehran Stock Exchange, in addition to representatives of the Central Securities Depositary of Iran.

The two sides reviewed aspects of the existing cooperation between CMA and the Iranian market, the Omani experience in

Regularising trading It also focused on regularising trading in Muscat Securities Market (MSM), the legislative and supervising regulations that ensure the proper performance of the market operations and at the same time keeping pace with technological developments so as to enhance the confidence level of dealers in the market.

Close ties The Iranian delegation’s visit

Plan to improve craft sector in Sultanate The PACI Board approved several decisions for the development of craft sector in the Sultanate

MUSCAT: Issues related to developing investment in the craft sector and improving services rendered to craftsmen were discussed by the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Craft Industries (PACI).

The PACI Board held its 3rd meeting for 2016 under the chair of Sheikha Aisha bint Khalfan Al Siyabiyah, Chairperson of PACI. The Board approved several decisions made to improve craft performance and work to ensure

INITIATIVES: The aim of these initiatives is to increase the growth of craft industries. – ONA

the continuity of projects and programmes for the development of craft sector in the Sultanate.

The Board also discussed PACI land plots offered for investment and partnership with NGOs and the private sector in the different wilayats of the Sultanate.

The PACI Board also touched

on the craft initiatives that have been implemented during the past period.

The Board reviewed PACI’s future plans and programmes.

PACI seeks to launch several effective initiatives for the craft sector through the implementation of projects in various

governorates of Oman.

The aim of these initiatives is to increase the growth of craft industries by adopting craft technologies that promote innovation in the craft sector.

This in turn will ensure effective marketing and promotion of the craft sector. -ONA

comes within the framework of the close ties between the Sultanate and Iran and to promote ways of joint cooperation, exchange of experience and information among regulators overseeing the capital market sector so as to contribute to the development of the legislative and regulatory framework for securities markets.

The meeting was attended by the MSM Director General, Director General of Muscat Clearing and Depository Company, CMA directors general, the Executive Director of Oman Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability, and officials. -ONA CHALLENGES

Seminar on media today MUSCAT: A seminar on Media Departments at the Public Organisations: Challenges and Aspirations will be organised under the patronage of Sheikh Khalid bin Omar Al Marhoon, Minister of Civil Service.

The Ministry of Information will organise at Grand Hormuz Hotel on Wednesday The seminar will have several sessions.

The first session, which will be on Institutional Communication at the Public Organisations, will include three working papers on media work policies in the Sultanate, media departments and their relations with other departments at the organisation, digital media and effect-making.

The second session on Organisational Charts and the Actual Reality for Media Departments will include two working papers on the organisational charts for the media departments at the civil service organisations. The third session on Crisis Management by Media will includes one working paper on experiences on media management of crisis. The fourth session will be on the Relationship between Media Departments at the public Organization. -ONA

MEETING

GCC Statistics Centre discusses collection, dissemination of data MUSCAT: Members of the GCC Statistics Centre (GCC-Stat) held their first meeting yesterday to discuss statistical outputs and statistical work programmes at the Centre’s headquarters in Muscat.

The meeting also reviewed GCC-Stat plans and programmes, its role in providing statistical data and indicators at the GCC country level, familiarisation with the relationship between the GCC-Stat and the national statistics centres, as well as with the institutions of the Secretariat General, who are key users of data.

Those at the meeting further reviewed requirements of the Sec-

retariat’s General institutions of data and information, and other requirements within the framework of the GCC-Stat.

Other topics included areas of work development and support for joint cooperation between the GCC-Stat and the institutions of the Secretariat.

Statistical work Sabir bin Said Al Harbi, GCC-Stat Director General, said that the first meeting of the GCC institutions discussed statistical subjects stemming from the belief of the GCC-Stat staff that the fundamentals of good statistical work is

based on the principle of effective partnership among all institutions and organisations, under the umbrella of the GCC. He added that the centre provides significance to this meeting between its representatives to open broader avenues for exchanges of ideas, proposals and future visions, which will enable the centre to more comprehensively serve the Gulf organisations and institutions.

Dr. Abdul Hamid Mohammed Abdu Ghani, Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Information Affairs, pointed out in a statement that the meeting includes 14 Gulf Or-

ganisations of the GCC countries, the first of its kind, and aims to integrate the statistical work in the GCC system and strengthen the role of these institutions in the implementation of plans and programmes by providing them with information and statistics on the GCC countries.

Data available He added those at the meeting discussed the data available to these institutions from the GCC states, and the process of merging and integration of this work, in terms of the collection and dissemination of data on GCC member states.

Meanwhile, Dr. Asma Ali Aba Hussein, Deputy Dean for Technological Studies and a professor of Earth Sciences and Environment in the Graduate School/ Arabian Gulf University, said that the first meeting of statistical organisations in the GCC states aims at reviewing the experience of GCCStat in data collection, plans for the next period and ways that the GCC organisations might take advantage of the experience of the centre.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the GCC Secretariat General, the Federation of GCC Chambers, representatives

of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, the Executive Office of the Council of Ministers of Labour and the Council of Ministers for Social Affairs in the GCC countries, along with representatives from the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting and the GCC Monetary Council, Advisory Board of the GCC Supreme Council. -ONA

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A I R P O R T TA X

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A1 Fliers not happy with new tax Given international passenger numbers for 2015, the new total charges figure of OMR11 will bring in more than OMR100m annually, if passenger numbers remain at similar levels.

The Oman airport tax was recently increased from OMR 8 to OMR10 in 2016. “This came into effect from March 15, 2016 for travel on and after July 1, 2016,” a travel agent said.

Passengers, however, are not happy. “The airport tax was raised in 2016 and then again they are raising it in 2017. It will take a toll on frequent fliers,” S Kumar, an Indian expat who makes at least two international trips in a week, said.

A circular from the Oman Airports Management Company states: “The Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) has instructed OAMC to collect “security fee” on its behalf from the airlines using the airports in Oman.

“According to PACA, the authority had advised the airlines operating to Muscat and Salalah through IATA in 2015 and held consultations with the airline

representatives in 2016 about the introduction of security fee.

“Therefore, OAMC will start collecting the security fees from January 1, 2017 and will start invoicing the above fee from February 2017.”

The circular was issued by Samer Ahmed Al Nabhani, GM Commercial Operation, OAMC. The circular added that all departing international and each transfer passenger will have to pay OMR 1 as security fee.

“The security fee is also applicable per 200 kilograms or part thereof of outbound international freight of OMR 1,” it added.

Infants under the age of 2 years, aircraft crew on duty travel in uniform with valid airline ID cards and domestic departing passengers are exempted from the new security fee.

“OAMC is determined to serve the airline customers at its best and strives to provide a safe and secure environment at our airports. Also please know that we are constantly seeking ways to enable airlines to achieve better economic performance.

“You will agree that our recent

selection of the second ground handling service provider has already led to the significant drop in the ground handling charges which is a major contributor to the cost of airlines at an airport,” the circular noted.

Other airline officials said that the increased amount will be included in the air ticket itself. “It will be updated in the systems soon,” an official of a leading airline said. In 2015, Muscat International Airport saw 9,383,576 international passengers while Salalah airport witnessed 334,370 international passengers, according to the NCSI. Statistics shows that all the airports in Oman registered an increase in total passenger numbers as of November-end, 2016.

Muscat International Airport recorded a 17 per cent increase in the number of passengers from the beginning of the year until the end of November 2016.

Of these, 10,925,795 passengers passed through the airport, compared to 9,321,617 passengers during the same period last year, according to data with the Oman Airports Management Company.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

REGION MURMURATION OF STARLINGS A murmuration of migrating starlings is seen across the sky near the city of Beer Sheva, southern Israel on Monday. — Reuters

‘Syrian government, opposition in talks’ Russia, Iran and Turkey said last week they were ready to help broker a peace deal after holding talks in Moscow

MOSCOW/BEIRUT: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted on Tuesday as saying that the Syrian government was consulting with the opposition ahead of possible peace talks, but a Saudi-backed opposition group said it knew nothing of the negotiations.

Lavrov did not say where the consultations were taking place or which opposition groups were taking part. Russia, Iran and Turkey said last week they were ready to help broker a peace deal after holding talks in Moscow where they adopted a declaration setting out the principles any agreement should adhere to.

Arrangements for the talks, which would not include the United States and be distinct from separate intermittent UN-brokered negotiations, remain hazy, but Moscow has said they would take place in Kazakhstan, a close ally. “During the recent meeting in Moscow with my colleagues from Iran and Turkey we approved a joint declaration in which we confirmed our readiness to guarantee a future agreement between the Syrian government and the opposition,” Lavrov told the Interfax news agency in an interview.

“Negotiations about that are going on,” he said. Interfax said he was referring to talks between

DEVASTATED: A tractor removes rubble as the Syrian government starts to clean up areas formerly held by opposition forces in the northern city of Aleppo, in the Shaar district on Tuesday. – AFP

Arrangements for the talks, which would not include the United States and be distinct from separate intermittent UN-brokered negotiations, remain hazy, but Moscow has said they would take place in Kazakhstan the opposition and the Syrian government. The High Negotiations Committee, a body grouping armed and political opponents of President Bashar Al Assad, said it had no knowledge of the consultations. “We in the High Negotiations Committee certainly have no connection to this matter,” George Sabra, a member of the HNC, told Reuters.

The HNC includes armed groups fighting Assad under the banner of the Free Syrian Army. It took part in a failed bid to launch peace talks earlier this year. The HNC was established in Saudi Arabia with Ri-

BAGHDAD

Gunmen kidnap Iraqi journalist BAGHDAD: An Iraqi journalist was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from her home in Baghdad overnight, police and relatives said on Tuesday, prompting Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi to order an investigation.

Afrah Al Qaisi is an outspoken critic of government institutions in satirical columns she writes for several local newspapers and media outlets. Qaisi used to work for the pan-Arab, Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al Awsat.

Iraq’s Interior Ministry said in a statement it had formed a team to look into her abduction.

The gunmen took Qaisi from the southern Saydiya district of the capital where she lived with her family, according to Ziyad Al

Ajili, head of the Iraqi Journalistic Freedoms Observatory.

“They separated the children from their mother after forcefully entering the house and took money, jewellery, laptops and her car as they left,” Ajili said.

Her husband was away at the time and the assailants broke into the house after Qaisi refused to open the door. Iraq is ranked second after Somalia in the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 2016 Index of Impunity, which calculates the number of unsolved murders over a 10-year period as a percentage of each country’s population. Over the past decade, 71 journalists have been killed with impunity in Iraq, according to the CPJ. — Reuters

yadh’s backing in December 2015.

President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia, Iran and Turkey and Assad have agreed that Astana, the Kazakh capital, should be the venue for new talks.

Russian officials say preparations for the talks are under way, but that invitations to participants have not been sent out and the exact timing has yet to be decided. The officials, who have spoken of mid-January as a possible date, say it is too early to talk about contacts with the HNC. Lavrov spoke to Mevlut Cavusoglu, his Turkish counterpart,

by telephone on Tuesday. The two men agreed to push for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and to prepare for the Astana talks, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The RIA news agency cited an unnamed diplomatic source as saying that representatives from the Russian and Turkish militaries were holding consultations with the Syrian opposition in Ankara about how a possible nationwide ceasefire might work.

Iranian Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan told Russia’s statebacked RT TV station in an interview that Saudi Arabia should not be allowed to take part in the Syrian peace process, the RIA news agency reported. It cited him as saying he thought Riyadh’s insistence that Assad should step down meant it had no place at any talks.

He also said that Assad should have the right to stand in the next presidential election if he wanted to, RIA said. — Reuters

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016 It is a strategic issue. I cannot say anything about it in a press conference. If you come to me personally, I can whisper in your ear Rahul Gandhi, Congress vice president

INDIA

‘Note ban destroyed terror funding, drug trafficking’ Targeting parties who are opposing the note ban, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed some people are upset as his decision has struck the ‘ring leader of thieves’

DEHRADUN: Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi’s charge of helping big corporates and the rich, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his government is focused on working for the poor and asserted that demonetisation has destroyed in one stroke black money, terror funding as well as human and drug trafficking.

Targeting parties who are opposing the note ban, he claimed some people are upset as his decision has struck the “ring leader of thieves”.

Addressing BJP’s ‘Parivartan maharally’ in poll-bound Uttarakhand, Modi appeared to rebut Rahul’s charge when he said that while the United Progressive Alliance government’s move to raise the number of subsidised cylinders from 9 to 12 was projected as momentous, his government gave gas cylinders to five crore people below poverty line.

“Eighteen thousand villagers were living in 18th century without electricity... in thousand days, we have electrified 12,000 villages. Work on remaining 6,000 is on.

Is this working for rich or empowering the poor,” he said.

RALLY: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is greeted by Uttarakhand BJP President Ajay Bhatt during the Parivartan maharally in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on Tuesday. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari is also seen. - PTI

Rahul, Mamata demand PM’s resignation at opposition meet against demonetisation NEW DELHI: Unfazed by the absence of leaders of the Left, Janata Dal(United), Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee along with some regional parties on Tuesday sought to put up a united face raising the pitch against demonetisation by demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

With the decision to demonetise Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes, the black money stored in cupboards and under mattresses is now coming to banks and to the people, he said,

After the eight-party meeting, the leaders also sought a probe into the issue of “personal corruption” of Modi with Rahul insisting that a “free and fair” inquiry was needed to maintain the credibility of the prime minister’s post. Mamata, whose presence rescued the Congress’ plan of replicating the opposition unity witnessed in Parliament recently on the note ban issue,

adding he is fulfilling his duty of a ‘chowkidar’ (watchman) to get rid of black money and “dark hearts” which have ruined the country.

“In some, corruption is in the

virtually stole the show by placing the resignation demand, a position subsequently echoed by Rahul.

Both Rahul and Mamata spoke of a “common minimum agenda” being evolved to take the opposition unity forward even as he downplayed the absence of several other parties, including the Left, from Tuesday’s meet which preceded the press conference. - PTI

blood. They used back door to convert the money and thought Modi cannot see. “But we knew and now they are being caught,” he said referring to various raids by law

enforcement agencies on black money hoarders.

Describing note ban as a “cleanliness drive”, he thanked the people for standing by him. He also said the move is aimed at empowering the people and to give them a bright future. “I am fighting to make the honest empowered,” Modi said adding that his November 8 decision has dealt a devastating blow to black money and terror funding. The decision is not being liked by some people as he has struck directly at the “ring leader of thieves” (choron ka sardar), the prime minister said.

Referring to the demands for ‘One Rank, One Pension’ by personnel of the armed forces, Modi said the party and the family which has ruled the country for over 40 years did nothing on the issue till the eve of 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Uttarakhand is among the various states which sends thousands of youth to serve in the armed fores. He said ahead of the general elections, UPA allocated a mere Rs5 billion “fearing that Modi, who has a special love for soldiers, may come up with something”.

The PM said the OROP entails an expenditure of Rs100 billion plus which his government readily gave in instalments. He said the personnel understood his plight that giving the entire sum in one go was not possible and they agreed to take it in instalments.

Noting that development was his government’s only objective and he was working consistently towards that goal, he said the fight against corruption and black money launched on November 8 with demonetisation was a step towards empowering the country’s honest people.

“Did you give me the huge mandate in 2014 to cut ribbons and lighting ceremonial lamps only at inauguration ceremonies? “Didn’t you vote me to combat and end corruption. Shouldn’t we fight the evil with all our might?” he asked. - PTI

A S S E M B LY P O L L S

Rahul keeps up suspense over possible alliance in UP NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday kept up suspense over a possible alliance in Uttar Pradesh as he skirted a question on the issue amid speculation that a tie-up between Congress and the ruling Samajwadi Party was in the offing.

“It is a strategic issue. I cannot say anything about it in a press conference. If you come to me personally, I can whisper in your ear,” he told reporters at a joint press conference of eight opposition parties, here.

Rahul was specifically asked whether the Congress was aligning with SP or the Bahujan Samaj Party in the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, slated early next year, on the lines of the grand alliance in Bihar.

The grand alliance in Bihar comprising of once arch rivals Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal(United) and Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, along with Congress had helped the defeat of BJP in the assembly polls last year.

Behind-the-scenes talks Speculation is rife now that Congress may align with SP and reports of behind-the-scenes talks between the two parties are on.

Commenting on possibility of a tie-up between Samajwadi Party and Congress before Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, BSP supremo Mayawati has said an alliance would be struck only if it benefits BJP. “SP and Congress alliance in UP will come into being only if BJP gives its approval and if it (BJP) feels it will gain from it... the green signal will be given by BJP after evaluating its gains and losses from such an alliance,” she told news persons in Lucknow on Monday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is banking heavily in Uttar Pradesh, where it secured 73 seats including two by its allies, in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. -PTI

MEETING

Economists favour cut in income tax rate; harmonise custom rate

ENGROSSED: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacting with the economists and other experts, on the theme ‘Economic Policy – The Road Ahead’, organised by the NITI Aayog in New Delhi on Tuesday. - PTI

NEW DELHI: Simplification and reduction in personal income tax rates and harmonisation of customs duties to global levels in a bid to boost economic activities were favoured by economists at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Niti Aayog.

The meeting, which comes ahead of the budget slated to be held in early February, did not go into the impact of demonetisation on the economy while the aspect of digitisation to make it a less cash economy figured.

“Tax simplification figured quite a lot...on the direct taxation, both corporate and personal income tax on simplifying, reducing exemptions, bringing down tax rate and aligning tax system to make India competitive with international destination,” Niti Aayog Vice

Chairman Arvind Panagariya told reporters.

He was briefing the reporters about the outcome of the meeting on “Economic Policy - The Road Ahead”. About the inverted duty structure, it was suggested to harmonise the tariffs to resolve the issue.

“One of the issues that came up (for discussion) was tariff inversion whereby tariff on component and inputs are higher than the final products so that undercuts the incentive to produce the final product,” Panagariya said.

“So the suggestion (on this issue) was to harmonise the tariff to single rate to 7 per cent or so,” he added. Besides, suggestion was made for listing of PSUs and increase use of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to subsidy expenditure.

Farm sector experts suggested incentivising states to undertake market reforms, create corpus fund for promoting farm mechanisation and micro irrigation, and provide interest subvention for term loans so that income of farmers are doubled by 2022. Experts also suggested that there is a need to invest in the tourism sector which has potential to generate high paying job and making Indian universities world class.

Pulak Ghosh Indian Institute of Management Bengaluru professor said that India need to collect large volumes of data so that data driven policy can be formulated. Among others, the meeting was attended

by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Panagariya and various other senior officials from the Union Government and Niti Aayog. - PTI

MUMBAI BOUND FLIGHT

Jet Airways plane skids off Goa runway, 12 injured MUMBAI: A Jet Airways Boeing 737 aircraft with 161 people on board veered off an airport runway in Goa shortly before take off just before daybreak on Tuesday, crossing a field before spinning into a ditch on the side of a service road.

A dozen people suffered injuries as the 154 passengers and seven crew on the Mumbai bound flight were evacuated, Jet said in a statement.

“The flight 9W 2374 from GoaMumbai skidded off the runway at Dabolim airport this morning due to a technical glitch while aligning for takeoff,” the statement said.

December is the busiest month for Dabolim airport, outside state capital Panjim, as holidaymakers flock to Goa’s palm fringed beaches and exotic tourist markets during the winter season.

Television images showed injured lying on stretchers in darkness on the service road, with fire engines parked near the stricken

PROBE ORDERED: This handout photograph taken and received on Tuesday from the Indian Ministry of Defence shows a damaged Jet Airways Boeing 737 after it skidded off the runway following an aborted take-off at the Goa Airport in Dabolim. - AFP

plane, which appeared to have lost its front undercarriage, and damaged a wing as it rested on its belly and engine casings.

Some passengers said they saw smoke in the cabin as the aircraft began taxiing on the runway. One of the injured described how the accident unfolded.

“I fractured my leg,” said Dinesh Kumar, a passenger on Times Now TV channel. “The moment the plane started running on the runway, it slipped into the nearby field and there was smoke inside the flight.”

A Jet Airways spokeswoman said the carrier was looking into how the incident occurred.

“It needs time for proper investigation to go on and we are cooperating with the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation),” she said.

The airline is India’s second largest passenger carrier.

In a separate incident in New Delhi airport, a Spicejet airplane was preparing to take off at the same time as a flight run by Indigo had landed and was headed to the runway’s taxiway, but the pilots avoided a collision and no-one was injured, the two companies said in separate statements.

Indigo and Spicejet said they were working with authorities investigating the incident. - Reuters

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PAKISTAN

SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT

Bilawal and I will contest elections to be a part of Parliament: Zardari KARACHI: Days after returning from a self-imposed exile, Pakistan People Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday announced he and Bilawal Bhutto will contest elections and be a part of “this Parliament”.

Delving into details regarding his “surprise announcement”, Zardari said he will contest elections from his sister’s seat in Nawabshah whereas Bilawal will contest from his mother’s seat in Larkana.

“We have given so many sacrifices for democracy and we will not spare this Mughal emperor (Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ),” the PPP co-chairman told a large number of party workers who had gathered to commemorate the ninth anniversary of Benazir Bhutto.

Firing a broadside at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the former president said he was not afraid of courts and his party will face all cases against them.

“We have fought against the country’s dictators but never raised voice against the army,” Zardari said as he took a jibe at the prime minister.

Addressing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Zardari said: “I am not coming to the Parliament to topple your government.”

He said his only intention was to teach the government a few lessons and to consult with the prime minister on national issues.

Later, while addressing the gathering Bilawal said he had earlier asked the government to fulfil his party’s four demands but the

government did not pay heed to it.

The PPP chairman slammed Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for meeting with people from proscribed organisations.“The interior minister is threatening people instead of resigning. Whole world wants to declare us a terrorist state and people in your cabinet facilitate terrorists,” he said.

The PPP’s four demands required the federal government to revive the national security committee of parliament; accept the bill presented by the PPP on the Panama Papers controversy in the National Assembly; implement the resolutions passed at the recent multiparty conference on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and appoint a full-time foreign minister immediately. - Express Tribune

HOMECOMING: Pakistan’s Asif Ali Zardari, (centre in traditional cap), former president of Pakistan and co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), gestures to his supporters after returning from Dubai, at the airport’s old Jinnah terminal in Karachi, Pakistan, December 23, 2016. - Reuters

Never asked Raheel to help me leave Pakistan: Pervez Nisar Ali Khan’s statement about Musharraf’s return, the former president said he has no knowledge of any such timeline wherein he was asked to return within four to six weeks of his departure, the Dawn reported.

No one approached me, nor did I approach anyone...

Raheel Sharif did not discuss anything with me, nor did I send him any request, Musharraf said in an interview to a TV channel

ISLAMABAD: Taking a U-turn, former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has said he had not sought any assistance from exarmy chief General Raheel Sharif to exit the country, insisiting that his statement in this regard was distorted by the media.

“No one approached me, nor did I approach anyone... Raheel Sharif did not discuss anything with me, nor did I send him any request,” Musharraf said in an interview to a TV channel.

He said his last week’s statement to Dunya News was “distorted” by the media.

Seventy-three-year-old Mush-

FACING TREASON CHARGES: Pakistan’s former president Pervez Musharraf addresses foreign media representatives at his farmhouse in Islamabad. Apart from murder cases of Benazir Bhutto, Nawab Akbar Bugti and Ghazi Abdul Rasheed, the retired general is facing treason charges for imposing emergency rule in November 2007, arresting judges and limiting their powers. - AFP file photo

arraf in a talk show on Dunya News last week had said: “Well he (Raheel Sharif ) did help me and I am absolutely clear and grateful.

I have been his boss and I have been the army chief before him...

He helped out, because the cases

are politicised, they put me on the ECL, they turned it into a political issue.”

When asked about the military’s influence on domestic politics, he on Monday said: “All institutions in Pakistan work together

with each other... I’ve served in the army for over 40 years.”

“There is a sense of bonding between the army and me, and it will always remain like that,” the former president added.

Referring to Interior Minister

Exit control list “There is nothing of the sort in the court’s judgement,” Musharraf added. The Interior Minister had said in March that Musharraf had committed to facing all cases against him in court and had “promised to return in four to six weeks”. Musharraf had left the country for Dubai in March earlier this year hours after the interior ministry issued a notification to remove his name from the exit control list (ECL).

The government notification followed the Supreme Court’s order to lift the ban on his foreign travel.

But the order from the top court had come with the rider that the federal government or the threejudge special court trying the retired general for treason was free to make decisions to regulate his custody or restrict his movement.

Apart from murder cases of Benazir Bhutto, Nawab Akbar Bugti and Ghazi Abdul Rasheed, the retired general is facing treason charges for imposing emergency rule in November 2007, arresting judges and limiting their powers. His name was kept on the Exit Control List for more than 20 months. - PTI

KHYBER AGENCY

Efforts underway to revive the Steam Safari PESHAWAR: The administration of Khyber Agency begun an initial assessment of the railway track in the tribal area on Tuesday, after almost ten years, to put the British era locomotives back on track, officials said.

The Khyber Steam Safari, a tourist train which ran from Peshawar to Landikotal was shut down because of security concerns in 2007. Khalid Mahmood, the political agent of Khyber Agency said that after an initial meeting with the railway lines department a survey was initiated to check the quality of the railway track.

“It might not be possible to run the train from Peshawar to Landikotal on immediate basis,” Mahmood said.Peshawar to Shagai was definitely a possibility because the railway track is still intact and requires minimum maintenance, he added. The cost to put the colonial era steam engines back on track will be around Rs200 million, said the officials.

The vintage engines include steam locomotives HGS-2-8 OS manufactured by the Vulcan Foundry and Kitson and Co in Preston, United Kingdom. A proposal was forwarded by the Sports, Culture, Tourism, Youth Affairs/ Archaeology & Museums department, last year but did not materialise because of bureaucratic hurdles and the differences between the Federal and Provincial governments, officials privy to the developments maintained. - Express Tribune

TRAGEDY

30 people die after consuming toxic liquor in Punjab LAHORE: At least 30 people, mostly Christians, have died and nearly 60 others fell sick after consuming illegally-brewed toxic liquor on Christmas eve in a town in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

The incident took place in a Christian colony in Toba Tek Singh city on December 24 when residents brewed liquor and consumed it, police said. The liquor, which turned out to be toxic, killed 30 people, mostly Christians, and seriously affected others, a police

official was quoted as saying by Geo News. Over two dozen people were hospitalised as their health deteriorated after consuming the alcohol in Mubarakabad Christian Colony, hospital officials said.

Meanwhile, authorities have formed an inquiry committee to probe the tragedy. According to a police official, a father-son duo have been arrested for making the toxic liquor. Though Pakistan has allowed some breweries to function, alcohol sales and consump-

tion are strictly prohibited for Muslims and tightly regulated for minority communities and foreigners. In March, 45 people had died after consuming spurious liquor during Holi celebrations in Pakistan’s Sindh province. - PTI

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CONSOLING: A woman is comforted by other, as she mourns the death of a relative, who died after con-

suming locally made toxic liquor, in Toba Tek Singh of Pakistan’s Punjab province, on Tuesday. - Reuters

A 10

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

WORLD

The Wat Phra Dhammakaya Temple in Thailand commands a huge following and is supported by influential politicians and business people, but critics say it exploits its followers and uses religion to make money.

TYPHOON NOCK-TEN WREAKS HAVOC IN THE PHILIPPINES A worker fixes an electric post after it was damaged during Typhoon Nock-ten, Iriga city, Camarines Sur, central Philippines on Tuesday. Residents wade across a flooded street brought by heavy rains in Naboa town, Camarines Sur, Bicol region, central Philippines. — Reuters

MONEY LAUNDERING

Thai police call off raid on scandal-hit temple BANGKOK: Thai police on Tuesday called off a raid to arrest a prominent Buddhist monk wanted for suspected money laundering after devotees barricaded entrances to his sprawling temple complex in a Bangkok suburb.

The Wat Phra Dhammakaya Temple commands a huge following and is supported by influential politicians and business people, but critics say it exploits its followers and uses religion to make money.

Thailand’s attorney general said in November it would charge the temple’s abbot, Phra Dhammachayo, and four others with conspiracy to launder money and receive stolen goods.

Dhammachayo’s aides have denied the accusations against him which they say are politically motivated. Police have tried over the past few months to question the abbot and get into the temple, but without success.

On Tuesday, Reuters reporters saw hundreds of monks and devotees inside the temple, which is near the capital’s Don Muang international airport.

Some people were barricading entrances, while others wore face masks and chanted Buddhist prayers. Police removed part of a metal fence outside the complex but by early afternoon they had withdrawn from the site.

“We have cleared the fence from the area because it was illegally constructed,” Khempak Photipak, the officer in charge of the police operation, told Reuters. “We did not move into the temple today because there are too many people and we did not receive orders to do so,” he said. — Reuters

Indonesia court to proceed with Jakarta governor trial A panel of judges rejected a call by lawyers defending Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama to strike down the case

JAKARTA: An Indonesian court will proceed with a controversial blasphemy trial against Jakarta’s governor, who is accused of insulting the holy book, a judge said on Tuesday.

A panel of judges rejected a call by lawyers defending Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama to strike down the case because it had violated the ethnic politician’s human rights and breached procedures. “The exception by the defendant will be considered and decided by the court after examination of all evidence. The defendant’s exception is not accepted,” said Judge Abdul Rosyad.

A tearful Purnama denied at his first hearing on December 13 that he had intended to insult the holy book while he was campaigning ahead of elections in February for the governorship of Jakarta, capital of the nation.

Hundreds of white-clad protesters chanted slogans outside the court in north Jakarta on Tuesday and called for the jailing of the governor, known by his nickname Ahok.

“Blasphemy is not acceptable

HEARING: Jakarta’s Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, centre, speaks to his lawyers inside the courtroom during his ongoing trial at the North Jakarta District Court in Jakarta on Tuesday. – AFP

in Indonesia. No religion should be insulted,” said Mafut Rudiah, a protester standing outside the courtroom, which was flanked by lines of police.

Standing among a smaller group of the governor’s supporters, Kisab Tocakroyo said: “As a fellow Muslim, I think we should forgive him if he has apologised.”

The presiding judge on the panel, Dwiyarso Budi Santiarto, said the defence could appeal to a higher court if they did not agree

with the decision to proceed with the case.

Purnama, after consulting his lawyers, told the court he would consider doing so.

The next court hearing is scheduled for January 3 and will be moved to an auditorium in the Agriculture Ministry in the south of the city for security reasons, authorities said.

Purnama was named a suspect after hundreds of thousands of people, led by hardliners, attended

rallies in recent months calling for his arrest.

Blasphemy convictions in Indonesia can carry a jail term of up to five years and such charges nearly always result in conviction.

Amnesty International has criticised the law for hurting freedom of expression and for targeting religious minorities.

President Joko Widodo, seen as a Purnama ally, has blamed “political actors” for fuelling the protests, but declined to elaborate.

As governor, Purnama has won credit for cutting red tape and improving the performance of Jakarta’s bloated bureaucracy. However, his abrasive language and insistence on clearing city slums has alienated many voters.

After suffering a slide in support in opinion polls, Purnama has rebounded to become the frontrunner again in the election race to lead Jakarta, according to a poll by the Indonesian Survey Institute earlier this month. — Reuters

RENEWED TENSIONS

Taiwan warns of threat as Chinese warships conduct drill TAIPEI: Taiwan warned on Tuesday that “the threat of our enemies is growing day by day”, as Chinese warships led by the country’s sole aircraft carrier sailed towards the island province of Hainan through the South China Sea on a routine drill.

China has given few details of what the Soviet-built Liaoning aircraft carrier is up to, save that it is on a routine exercise. Taiwan has said the aircraft carrier skirted waters outside of its eastern air defence identification zone.

The carrier is expected to arrive at a Chinese military base on the southern Chinese island of Hainan late on Tuesday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said. The drill comes amid renewed tension over Taiwan, which China claims as its own and says is ineligible for stateto-state relations, following US President-elect Donald Trump’s telephone call with the island’s president that upset Beijing.

“The threat of our enemies is growing day by day. We should always be maintaining our combat alertness,” Taiwan Defence Minister Feng Shih-kuan said. “We need to strengthen the training (of our

WAR GAME IN DISPUTED WATERS: China’s first aircraft carrier Liaoning passing between Japan’s Okinawa main island and Miyako-jima island on December 25, 2016. – AFP/ Defence Ministry of Japan/Jiji Press/Handout

soldiers) so that they can not only survive in battle but also destroy the enemy and accomplish the mission.” Feng’s remarks were given in a speech Tuesday at a ministry event marking the promotion of senior military officers.

China’s air force conducted long-range drills this month above the East and South China Seas that rattled Japan and Taiwan. China

said those exercises were also routine. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

The Pentagon did not directly comment on the latest drill but said that the United States recog-

nises lawful use of sea and airspace in accordance to international law.

“We continue to closely monitor developments in the region. We do not have specific comments on China’s recent naval activities, but we continue to observe a range of ongoing Chinese military activity in the region,” Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross told Reuters.

The Liaoning has taken part in

previous exercises, including in the South China Sea, but China is years away from perfecting carrier operations similar to those the United States has practised for decades. Last December, the defence ministry confirmed China was building a second aircraft carrier but its launch date is unclear.

The aircraft carrier programme is a state secret.

Beijing could build multiple aircraft carriers over the next 15 years, the Pentagon said in a report last year. China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong’s Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists fled to the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary. — Reuters

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WORLD

HAMBURG

World largest Miniatur Wunderland mesmerises millions REJIMON K

Chief Reporter reji@timesofoman.com HAMBURG: On August 16, 2001, when Frederik Braun and Gerrit Braun – twin German brothers – opened the doors of their 300sqm Miniatur Wunderland, a model railway station in the Warehouse District of Hamburg, they received some 1,500 visitors.

But on the second day, that numbers dipped to less than 100 visitors.

However, the brothers were not ready to give up. Just as trains pick up speed on their tracks, they and their Miniatur Wunderland also did.

During the last 16 years, the Miniatur Wunderland has expanded to 1,300sqm, and more than 14 million visitors have experienced this amazing miniature world.

Now, there are eight different worlds, with more than 215,000 figures, and thousands of moving trains, cars, ships and planes.

As of October this year, the railway consists of 15,400 metres of track in HO scale and divided into eight sections: Harz, the fictitious city of Knuffingen, the Alps and Austria, Hamburg, America, Scandinavia, Switzerland, a replica of the Hamburg Airport and Italy, which was opened this year.

The exhibit includes 1,040 trains made up of over 10,000 carriages, 385,000 lights, 130,000 trees, and 260,000 human figurines.

According to Frederik, co-creator, it was an idea that popped into ARMED ROBBERY

6 Indonesians locked in bathroom found dead JAKARTA: Police in the Indonesian capital found on Tuesday six people, including a nine-year-old child, dead from suffocation in a tiny bathroom where armed robbers had locked them the previous day.

Petty crime is common in Jakarta, a teeming city of 10 million people, but violent crime including armed robbery is rare. Up to four intruders broke into the house in an upmarket neighbourhood on Monday, Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono said. The robbers locked 11 people - including family members, maids and drivers - in the two metre by one metre (6.5 ft by 3.3 ft) bathroom and they were not found until early on Tuesday, Yuwono said. “They were carrying firearms and machetes,” Yuwono said of the robbers, citing a witness account.

The five survivors were in critical condition and taken to hospital, he said. — Reuters

WONDERLAND: Miniatur Wunderland has expanded to 1,300sqm, and more than 14 million visitors have experienced this amazing miniature world. – Rejimon K/ reji@timesofoman.com

later, Gerrit realised that I was serious, indeed,” Fredrik added.

Both brothers continued discussing the idea and found that the economic aspect was very risky, and from an entrepreneurial point of view it was plain crazy – but possible, nonetheless.

And a few days after the “Zurich Epiphany”, both of them were positive that they would begin this adventure. Before their dream became reality, one thing they had to be sure of was that their ven-

his mind when he was visiting the Alpine city of Zurich in July 2000.

“Strolling through the alleys of Zurich’s center, I came across a railway model shop, which evoked childhood memories in me at once.

On the very same day, I called Gerrit and surprised him with the following words: “We are going to build the largest model railway in the world.”

“Gerrit doubted my state of mind, and didn’t take the idea too seriously. However, six phone calls

On a three-day visit to the Baltics with fellow Republican senator Lindsey Graham, McCain said he did not expect the US to remove sanctions against Russia, imposed after its annexation of Crimea in 2014

TALLINN: The United States is committed to the security of the Baltic region and NATO, Republican senator John McCain said in the Estonian capital on Tuesday, during a visit seen as a bid to soothe concerns over the policy of President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump unnerved many in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia by saying on the campaign trail he would

consider a country’s contributions to the NATO alliance before coming to its aid.

Russian military involvement in Ukraine and Georgia has stoked fears in the Baltics their former Soviet master might eventually try something similar there.

“I think the presence of the American troops here in Estonia is a signal that we believe in what

Cambodian opposition leader sentenced to five years in jail

Guilty The Phnom Penh Municipal Court found Sam Rainsy and two members of his social media team, Ung Chung Leang and Sathya Sambath, guilty of citing the false 1979 border treaty.

The fake treaty, which they posted on Facebook, purported to show Vietnam and Cambodia agreeing to get rid of their mutual boundary. Presiding Judge Leang Samnath sentenced Sam Rainsy

visitors to cover expenses, the brothers decided to carry out a survey. More than 3,000 persons with different social and demographic attributes were questioned via Internet, rating 45 attractions listed, some of which were fictitious, and otherswere sites they would visit in Hamburg. The fictitious Miniatur Wunderland came in third among those men voting, but it was at the bottom of the list with women.

Despite this ambiguous result, the brothers decided to build the larg-

est miniature railroad in the world.

Thus, the construction of Miniatur Wunderland began. The original layout was 300 sqm large.

It has grown to 1,300sqm,as of today, andmore designs are planned through 2020. Planning is also in progress for the construction of sections for France, England, Africa and Australia. By 2020, the exhibit is expected to have reached its final construction phase, including at least 10 new sections in a model area of over 2,300 sqm.

US committed to NATO and Baltic security, says McCain

FA C E B O O K P O S T

PHOM PENH: Cambodia’s exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy was sentenced to five years in prison in absentia on Tuesday for posting a fake government pledge to dissolve the Southeast Asian country’s border with Vietnam.

The sentence follows months of tension between Cambodia’s two main political parties, the Cambodian People’s Party of Prime Minister Hun Sen and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).

Hun Sen has been Cambodia’s leader for three decades but his grip on power was shaken in a 2013 general election when the CNRP won 55 seats in the National Assembly, leaving the Cambodian People’s Party with 68 seats in the 123-seat assembly.

Members of the opposition have complained of a crackdown by the government and its allies in a bid to intimidate critics before a general election in 2018.

ture would not destroy their being night club and music label owners, which were businesses the brothers had built up over many years.

It also had to be determined whether this dream was financially feasible, whether enough visitors would come, whether the technical realisation was possible, and whether there was an appropriate location in Hamburg where the world’s largest model railroad could be built. In order to estimate whether they might have enough

CONVICTED: Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy delivers a speech to members of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) at a hotel in metro Manila, Philippines on June 29, 2016.

– Reuters File

to five years in prison and Ung Chung Leang and Sathya Sambath to three years, all in absentia.

“The court orders the arrests of Ung Chung Leang, Sathya Sambath and Sam Rainsy to serve these sentences,” Judge Leang Samnath told the court.

Cambodia has fretted for centuries about its much bigger neighbours, Vietnam to the east and Thailand to the northwest, encroaching on its territory. The issue remains emotive and many

Cambodians are suspicious of both countries.

Sam Rainsy has been living in France since 2015 to avoid arrest in a separate defamation case. He did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday but said on Twitter the case against him and the two others had been “fabricated” by a “kangaroo court”.

The CNRP said it had no knowledge of the whereabouts of Ung Chung Leang and Sathya Sambath. — Reuters

Ronald Reagan believed, and that is peace through strength,” McCain told reporters in the Estonian capital. “And the best way to prevent Russian misbehaviour by having a credible, strong military and a strong NATO alliance.”

The US stationed about 150 troops in each of the three Baltic countries and Poland in April 2014.

On a three-day visit to the Baltics with fellow Republican senator Lindsey Graham, McCain said he did not expect the US to remove sanctions against Russia, imposed after its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Strong response “That is certainly not the case today as I know it”, he said.

He also said that the United States, regardless of who was its president, would have “a strong and significant response” as long

as Putin continued “to occupy Crimea and has invaded eastern Ukraine and continues to threaten other nations in the region”.

Russia’s annexation of the Crimea in 2014 has fueled concerns in the Baltic states, all NATO members, that Moscow may want to reassert control across the whole region.

Fear “There is fear in the Baltics about the incoming Trump administration’s relationship with Russia, that sanctions against Russia will be weakened or called off, and not strengthened as the Congress would want,” Zygimantas Pavilionis, Lithuania’s former ambassador to the US told Reuters.

He said Russia had gained confidence after the muted response to its actions in Georgia.

“If its actions in Ukraine are also forgiven, its next step is an

open question,” he said.

McCain and Graham, who travel to Latvia on Wednesday and Lithuania on Thursday have expressed alarm at Trump’s attitude towards Russia.

They want Trump to take a tough line over what they termed Russia’s “military land grab” in Ukraine and have also called for a bipartisan panel to investigate cyber attacks against the United States, including Russia’s alleged efforts to influence the US presidential election.

“There is no doubt that the Russians were hacking, but there is doubt whether it had any effect on the outcome of the election,” McCain said.

“There is no evidence right now that indeed the Russian cyber attacks and the leaking of the information had any tangible effect on the outcome of the American election.” — Reuters

A 12

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

WORLD Turkey opens first trial of 29 police officers in failed coup range of charges.

Some are accused of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, and others of membership of a terrorist organisation

TRIP TO PEARL HARBOR

Japan PM pays respects at Hawaii memorials HONOLULU: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday stopped at several memorials in Hawaii, one day before he visits the site of the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor during a trip intended to show a strong alliance between his country and the United States.

Abe made no public remarks and stood in silence before a wreath of flowers at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, a memorial to those who died while serving in the US Armed Forces.

Abe, joined by two of his Cabinet members, bowed his head before wreaths of white flowers and greenery laid at the feet of stone monuments at Makiki Cemetery in Honolulu dedicated to Japanese who settled in Hawaii in the 1800s.

Crowning event The crowning event of the trip comes Tuesday, when Abe and US President Barack Obama will visit Pearl Harbor, the site of the Japanese attack 75 years ago that drew the United States into World War II. Obama, who was born in Hawaii, is spending his winter vacation there. Abe does not plan to apologise for the 1941 attack but to console the souls of those who died in the war, his aides said this month. — Reuters

Lawmakers urge tougher security measures BERLIN: Politicians on both sides of Germany’s governing coalition, reacting to last week’s Christmas market attack, called for more state powers to deport potentially dangerous failed asylum seekers, with some also pushing for enhanced surveillance.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose open-door migrant policy critics say has put Germany’s security at risk, promised after the Berlin attack - which killed 12 people - to introduce new laws if needed.

The suspected perpetrator, 24year old Tunisian Anis Amri, was an asylum seeker who had escaped deportation after his application was rejected. He was shot dead by Italian police on Friday.

Merkel’s conservative allies in the state of Bavaria, the CSU, called for greater powers for the police and intelligence agencies and improved data exchange between them. “We need new grounds to arrest dangerous people,” they said in a paper seen by Reuters entitled ‘Security for our Freedom’, which they will discuss at a party gathering early next month.

The officers face a

SILIVRI (TURKEY): The first criminal trial related to a summer coup in Turkey started on Tuesday as 29 police officers faced sentences of up to life in prison on charges of involvement in the failed attempt to overthrow the government.

Some 40,000 people have been arrested since the July 15 putsch, which killed around 240 people, in a crackdown targeting the military, police, civil service and private sector. More than 100,000 have been sacked or suspended.

The officers face a range of charges, according to a copy of the indictment obtained by Reuters.

Some are accused of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, and others of membership of a terrorist organisation.

They include three police helicopter pilots accused of disobeying an order to take special forces to defend President Tayyip Erdogan’s mansion in Istanbul.

Two defendants who testified during the morning session both denied the charges against them.

Lawyers for the other 27 defendants could not immediately be reached to say how their clients

GERMANY

TIGHT SECURITY: Turkish soldiers walk outside the Silivri Prison and Courthouse complex during the first trial related to Turkey’s failed coup, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday. – Reuters

would plead. “Everyone involved in the coup attempt must have a fair trial,” Orhan Cagri Bekar, a lawyer who represents an association for coup victims, told reporters. “Those who are guilty must be sentenced to the heaviest punishment because this is a betrayal of the country.”

Prosecutors are seeking life sentences for 21 of the policemen and sentences of between 7-1/2 to 15 years for the other eight, staterun Anadolu Agency said. Security was tight at the courthouse in Silivri, west of Istanbul. Attend-

ees were not allowed to bring recording devices into the building and the gallery was only partly full. “There are very few relatives, this is because there is a climate of intimidation,” said one man, a relative of one of the accused, who declined to be identified.

“Had there been any democracy then these people would not have been so scared to own up to their own children.”

On the night of the coup, rogue soldiers commandeered tanks, helicopters and warplanes in Istanbul and Ankara, attacking par-

liament and other institutions.

Their efforts failed after thousands of Turks took the streets and faced them down in response to calls from Erdogan.

Some of the police officers had the ByLock app on their smartphones, according to the indictment. The government says that coup plotters used the littleknown messaging app to communicate.

Prosecutors also allege one officer had messages on his phone telling him and others to post messages on social media con-

demning the coup and to “act normal” to avoid detection.

The coup’s alleged ringleaders are due to go on trial in Ankara, probably next year. The government said earlier this year a new court would be built there as there were none big enough to handle such a large number of defendants. The government has blamed a US-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, for orchestrating the failed coup. Gulen, a former ally of President Erdogan, has denied the allegation and condemned the coup. — Reuters

Monitoring It says intelligence agencies should be able to monitor individuals as young as 14 to avoid radicalisation, and calls for greater powers of detention for people due to be deported. Some 550 people are registered with German security services as potentially violent.

Polls indicate that Germans’ deeply entrenched opposition to state monitoring, a legacy of widespread surveillance in Communist East Germany and in the Nazi era, may be waning.

While several Greens politicians have argued since the Berlin attack that more video surveillance of public places is not be the answer to Germany’s security problems, a YouGov poll showed 60 per cent of Germans were in favour. — Reuters

TRAGEDY

Russia finds black box from Black Sea crash jet MOSCOW: Russia has found the main flight recorder from a military plane that crashed into the Black Sea killing all 92 on board, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, amid unconfirmed reports that authorities had grounded all aircraft of the same type.

The recorder, one of several reported to be on board, contains information that could help investigators identify the cause of Sunday’s crash, which killed dozens of Red Army Choir singers and dancers en route to Syria to entertain Russian troops in the run-up to the New Year.

Investigators have so far said that pilot error or a technical fault, rather than terrorism, are most likely to have caused the Defence Ministry’s Tupolev-154 to crash into the sea. The black box, which was found by a remote-controlled underwater vehicle at a depth of around 55ft (17 metres) and 1 mile (1,600 metres) from the resort of Sochi, has been sent to a Defence Ministry facility in Moscow for analysis. “The casing holding the flight recorder is in a satisfactory condition,” the ministry said in a statement.

“After it is technically cleaned in distilled water we will start transcribing it.”

The ministry said numerous fragments of the plane had been found, including the engine, the landing gear and pieces of the fuselage. The Interfax news agency

SEARCH: A woman walks with her dog on the shore of the Black Sea outside Sochi, on Tuesday, as rescue vessels search the area two days after a military plane carrying 92 people, including dozens of members of the Red Army Choir, crashed in the Black Sea. – AFP

cited an unnamed source as saying Russia had grounded all TU-154 planes until the cause of Sunday’s crash became clear. There was no official confirmation of that.

The Defence Ministry says the downed jet, a Soviet-era plane built in 1983, had last been serviced in September and under-

went more major repairs in December 2014.

Russian pilots say the TU-154 is still flight worthy, though major Russian commercial airlines have long since replaced it with Western-built planes. Experts say only two are registered with Russian passenger airlines with the rest

registered to various government ministries.

The last big TU-154 crash was in 2010 when a Polish jet carrying then-president Lech Kaczynski and much of Poland’s political elite went down in western Russia killing everyone on board.

The Interfax news agency, cit-

ing a law enforcement source, said a second flight recorder had also been found in the wreckage of Sunday’s crash, but not yet raised to the surface.

The Defence Ministry said that search and rescue teams have so far recovered 12 bodies and 156 body fragments. — Reuters

SHARP DECLINE

Cheetah in danger of extinction with just 7,100 left worldwide

THREATENED SPECIES: Two cheetah cubs stand beside their then ten-year-old mother Msichana at an enclosure at the zoo in Basel on September 9, 2009. – Reuters File

LONDON: The world’s fastest land animal, the cheetah, is in danger of extinction because it is running out of space, research led by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has found.

After a sharp decline in numbers there are now just 7,100 cheetahs in the world, or 9 per cent of the historic range, the ZSL, Wildlife Conservation Society and Panthera study found. In Zimbabwe, the study found, these pressures have seen the cheetah population

plummet 85 per cent from 1,200 to at most 170 animals in just 16 years. Wildlife experts are calling for the big cat to be rated “endangered”, up from “vulnerable” among threatened species, to give it greater environmental protection. Capable of sprinting up to 75 miles per hour in short bursts, the cheetah is notoriously secretive and information on its status had been difficult to gather, meaning its predicament had been overlooked, the study said.

“Our findings show that the large space requirements for cheetah, coupled with the complex range of threats faced by the species in the wild, mean that it is likely to be much more vulnerable to extinction than was previously thought,” said Dr Sarah Durant, who is leading the cheetah conservation programme. The study said that cheetahs were vulnerable to several dangers such as prey loss due to overhunting, habitat loss and illegal trafficking. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

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READERS’ FORUM Every student should get opportunity to do internship This refers to the story, Omani graduates need training for future challenges (December 27). Fresh Omani graduates passing out from the universities in Oman and those who have done their studies abroad are obviously bright and talented. But they lack proficiency and competency compared with experienced nationals and expats. I think they do not get adequate inputs on work culture in colleges and universities. Internship is an integral part of higher studies and every student should get the opportunity to do it Scan this QR code while in colleges. Apart from internships, to send letters to the nationals should be encouraged to do part Readers’ Forum, time jobs during their studies. Internships containing not more than 200 words with and part time jobs will definitely help the full name, address nationals improve their skills before joining and telephone a firm. However, fresh graduates still need number, may be sent training before they can independently maby e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com). nage their jobs. There should be a proper induction and training programme for a period of three to six months for the new recruits.

This initial training will give opportunity for the fresher to interact with both the experienced national and expat workforce whose professionalism that will definitely boost the skills of the locals. Pursuing this interaction further at the workplace with others, fresh graduates can be improved. — P.A. Jacob, Muscat

NEW INDIA ASSURANCE

“Insure with New India and be secure”

Tel: 24838800 | Fax: 24838899 | Email: niamct@omantel.net.om | Website: www.newindiaoman.com The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.

H. JACKSON BROWN, JR

MEGAN MCARDLE

Market transactions are specified exchanges of value for value, with few residual obligations on either party once the contract has been executed, the sale completed.

Reciprocal altruism is a lot fuzzier; it’s a sort of favour bank, where you and I (tacitly) agree that we will help each other out without knowing when or how

H

ow much is a child’s future success determined by innate intelligence? Economist James Heckman says it’s not what people think. He likes to ask educated non-scientists -- especially politicians and policy makers -- how much of the difference between people’s incomes can be tied to IQ. Most guess around 25 percent, even 50 percent, he says. But the data suggest a much smaller influence: about 1 or 2 percent. So if IQ is only a minor factor in success, what is it that separates the low earners from the high ones? Or, as the saying goes: If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?

Science doesn’t have a definitive answer, although luck certainly plays a role. But another key factor is personality, according to a paper Heckman co-authored in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last month.

He found financial success was correlated with conscientiousness, a personality trait marked by diligence, perseverance and self-discipline.

To reach that conclusion, he and colleagues examined four different data sets, which, between them, included IQ scores, standardized test results, grades and personality assessments for thousands of people in the UK, the US and the Netherlands.

Some of the data sets followed people over decades, tracking not just income but criminal records, body mass index and self-reported life satisfaction.

The study found that grades and achievement-test results were markedly better predictors of adult success than raw IQ scores.

That might seem surprising — after all, don’t they all measure the same thing? Not quite.

Grades reflect not just intelligence but also what Heckman calls “non-cognitive skills,” such as perseverance, good study habits and the ability to collaborate — in other words, conscientiousness.

To a lesser extent, the same is true of test scores.

Personality counts. Heckman, who shared a Nobel Prize in 2000 and is founder of the University of Chicago’s Center for the Economics of Human Development, believes success hinges not just on innate ability but on skills that can be taught.

His own research suggests childhood interventions can be helpful, and that conscientiousness is more malleable than IQ. Openness — a broad trait that includes curiosity — is also connected to test scores and grades.

IQ still matters, of course. Someone with an IQ of 70 isn’t going to be able to do things that are easy for a person with an IQ of 190.

But Heckman says many people fail to break into the job market because they lack skills that aren’t measured on intelligence tests. They don’t understand how to behave with courtesy in job interviews. They may show up late or fail to dress properly. Or on the job, they make it obvious they’ll do no more than the minimum, if that.

John Eric Humphries, a co-author of the paper, says he hoped their work could help clarify the complicated, often misunderstood notion of ability. Even IQ tests, which were designed to assess innate problem-solving capabilities, appear to measure more than just smarts.

In a 2011 study, University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth found that IQ scores also reflected test-takers’ motivation and effort.

Diligent, motivated kids will work harder to answer tough questions than equally intelligent but lazier ones. Teaching personality or character traits in school wouldn’t be easy.

For one thing it’s not always clear whether more of a trait is always better.

The higher the better for IQ, and perhaps for conscientiousness as well.

But personality researchers have suggested the middle ground is best for other traits -- you don’t want to be so introverted that you can’t speak up, or so extroverted that you can’t shut up and listen.

What does any of this have to do with economics? “Our ultimate goal is to improve human wellbeing,” Heckman says, and a major determinant of well-being comes down to skills.

A newer study published this month in the journal Nature Human Behaviour focused on the flip side of success: hardship.

After following some 1,000 New Zealanders for more than 30 years, researchers concluded that tests of language, behavioral skills and cognitive abilities taken when children were just three years old could predict who was most likely to need welfare, commit crimes, or become chronically ill.

The lead author of that paper, Duke University psychologist Terrie Moffitt, says she hopes the results would foster compassion and help, not stigma. Her results also suggested that helping people improve certain kinds of skills before they’re out of diapers would benefit everyone. - Bloomberg View

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES DECEMBER 2001 Meet on diabetes in Ibri IBRI: Ali bin Khalfan Al Mantheri, director-general of health services department in Dahirah region, presided over a meet on diabetes organised by the health services department as part of the sixth health plan activities for Dahirah region for 2001-2005. The meeting was held at the health referral hospital here. The lectures described the different type of diabetes and the need for changing the lifestyle and adopting precautionary measures to check the disease.

PICTOGRAPH

ELECTRICITY GROSS PRODUCTION MUSCAT (in Gigawatt/hour) 2016 August

September

288.2

257.8

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

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

1946: The French declare martial law in Vietnam as a full-scale war appears inevitable.

1965: The United States bars oil sales to Rhodesia.

1968: Israel attacks an airport in Beirut, destroying 13 planes.

1971: The US Justice Department sues Mississippi officials for ignoring the voting ballots of blacks in that state.

0 Source National Centre for Statistics & Information

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

LIFESTYLE LEISURE

Story Shruthi Nair

C

amels are undeniably one of the most important animals of the Middle East since time immemorial. The ones popularly found in the Arab region are the single humped Dromedary and have been an inevitable part of the Bedouin people’s existence. From being passenger and luggage carriers, to being used for milk and meat, they still continue to play a very important role especially in this part of the world.

There are a number of people in Oman who realise this and have made sure that their camels, be it racing, pageant or domesticated, are kept in farms where they are bred and fed by their owners. According to me, the best way to get to know about a camel would be to spend some time with them in their “area”. There are certain mannerisms and behaviours that you will start understanding and falling in love with just by spending a few hours with them. For instance, camels can be a little moody. While some of them are happy to be receiving all the attention, the others just want to be left alone in solitude. Apparently, they are also great at keeping grudges. If a camel doesn’t like you, they can also kill you.

They usually wait for the perfect moment to take revenge (usually when you’re sleeping) and strike the attack. You will also be able to draw a lot of other similarities to human behaviour. But most importantly, a whole day in different camel farms can acquaint you with the ship of the desert and get you to love and respect them.

Abdullah Al Malki’s Farm A huge farm, situated in Barka, Abdullah Al Malki’s farm is a comfortable environment where tens of camels are bred and fed. The farm is filled with Ghash trees, which the camels love to eat from and is sandy suitable for their padded feet. There is a special enclosure for the beauty camels in his farm where they are given special treatment and prepared for the pageant. The camels are also bred in his farm. +968 9943 8454 Ahmed Al Mahrouqi’s Farm Ahmed Al Mahrouqi is an ardent lover of the animals and thus makes it a point that he spends the weekend just with them. His farm is open to whoever wants to see his camels and spend some time with them as he believes that it is important to educate people, especially the young Omanis about the resourcefulness and efficiency of these beautiful creatures. Ahmed trains his camels for long journeys, talks to them and lets visitors feed them and play with them, if they are in the mood. +968 9942 4100 — shruthi@timesofoman.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

WEATHERR

TEMPERATURE TE

HUMIDITY

333 - 17 67-19% 0

0

PRAYER TIMINGS

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

12.13pm 3.14pm 5.34pm 6.50pm 5.27am

LIFESTYLE

With Gautam Bhargav Viswanathan

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

ALI AL HABSI T

he 30th of December is a special occasion that many of us may not know of in Oman. No it’s not New Year’s Eve eve, to paraphrase Phoebe Buffay from Friends.

Next Friday, Oman’s legendary goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi will turn 35. It’s hard to put an age to him, though, isn’t it? It’s like he’s been around forever. We all have fond memories of Habsi: His heroics at the 2009 Gulf Cup of Nations inside a packed Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. Every save he made, every attempt to thwart his opponents was met by a heady roar that shook the dust from the rafters.

And in the end, it was his valiant efforts that saw Oman lift their first ever Gulf Cup, against mighty Saudi Arabia, and this son of Oman lifted the fruits of his dedication and labour, people all around the arena responded with a reverberating roar of triumph that shook the stadium to its very foundations.

Footballers today are not just players, but they are role models, and for all of us who live in Oman,

there are few better examples to follow than the legendary Al Habsi. His story is a true testament to hard work, perseverance, and sacrifice ultimately reaping rich rewards.

It is often difficult to forget that it’s Al Habsi, and not the UAE’s Ismael Mattar or Saudi Arabia’s Sami Al Jaber, who became the first Arab from the Middle East to play in Europe.

Habsi’s beginnings are all too modest, once again emphasising football’s working-class origins.

While he now has a regimented training schedule and requires an iron discipline, these characteristics were developed while pulling shifts as a fireman, and filling in as an amateur goalkeeper in Oman.

He was the first Middle Easterner to play in Europe, swapping the sultry, sunny climes of Oman for cold, chilly Norway. Many a young athlete would’ve wavered in the face of such bleak, bitingly bitter weather, but Ali knew he needed to run the icy gauntlets of his new club FC Lyn Oslo, if he was to make it as a professional.

BRIEFS

Festive soft opening for DUKES Dubai Dubai’s premium hospitality will receive a great boost this month with the soft opening of DUKES Dubai today, delivering an upscale blend of cosmopolitan luxury, twinned with British charm and tradition. The five-star hotel is located on the west trunk of Palm Jumeirah. It is the first international property for DUKES, which has been popular with GCC visitors in London for decades.

“Once complete, DUKES Dubai will consist of 273 guestrooms including 64 suites, with a ladies-only Liberty Duchess floor featuring 20 rooms, as well as 227 fully furnished hotel apartments and six distinctive dining experiences,” said Abdulla bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides.

Initially for the soft opening, bedrooms on the first six floors of the 15-floor property will be in service, as will the hotel’s signature outlet Great British Restaurant (GBR) and DUKES Bar. Serving modern British brasserie-style cuisine, GBR will operate under the culinary direction of executive chef Martin Cahill, serving quality British produce in a dramatic setting overlooking the Gulf. The meticulously planned menu of much loved dishes includes cod and chips, Lancashire hot pot, Colchester Oysters and Dover sole, with calorific sweets taken straight from the kitchens of the Home Counties. For lighter bites and drinks, guests can head to DUKES Bar.

Restore and rejuvenate at Al Baleed Resort Once the festive party season is over, thoughts inevitably turn to January getaways to indulge in rest, relaxation and possibly a bit of detoxing. Al Baleed Resort Salalah

by Anantara, the first luxury villa hotel in Salalah, offers guests the chance to unwind, restore, and reconnect in total tranquillity, providing the perfect balance of spa, beach and sun salutations. Situated between a long, scenic beach and freshwater lagoon and only a two-hour flight from Dubai, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara brings guests a new level of luxury and refinement to the region, and creates the perfect city break escape.

This January, Anantara Spa, renowned for its ancient healing traditions of the East, balanced with the Middle East’s healing rituals and indigenous ingredients, takes guests on a holistic journey to embrace a healthier mind, body and soul. Featuring five suites alongside separate male and female wet areas, relaxation areas, Thai massage suite and a nail spa; guests can experience a range of treatments in total privacy with the highly skilled therapists in a blissfully calm setting. To complete the experience, Balance, the resorts’ wellness programme will be available to keep guests healthy whilst on holiday. Harnessing precious ingredients from nearby plantations, each treatment has been designed to renew from tip to toe, whether it’s a stimulating body polish, therapeutic massage, replenishing wrap, radiant facial or ancient Ayurvedic treatment. —lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Ali has never looked back, and his career has progressed in leaps and bounds.

On the 16th of March, 2008, more than two years after he’d signed for Bolton Wanderers, Ali Al Habsi made his Premier League debut in a 1-0 defeat against Wigan Athletic. Although the Northerners may have lost that game, it was a moment of pride for all of us in Oman.

Ali Al Habsi became the first Omani – and by extension, the first player from the Middle East – to play in the world’s most competitive league. It is a record that stands proudly to this day. Ali stands guard over a line in the sand he himself drew: A true testament to what it takes to play among the best of the best, and shows just how few actually have the longevity to withstand the Premier League.

The 11th of May is one that few Omanis will forget: As Wigan Athletic beat their much-vaunted opponents Manchester City to win the FA Cup for the first time in their history, Ali had written himself into the record books in more ways than one.

As he climbed up the hallowed steps of the Wembley Stadium, with the red, white and green flag of his nation draped around his shoulders, Ali Al Habsi became

the first Omani to lift England’s famous old FA Cup with his club.

The same club against which he’d made his debut five years earlier.

Ali had not just withstood the Premier League: He’d beaten the best as well. It is a classic underdog story, one that has strong undercurrents of courage, integrity, and valour in the face of superior opposition, making the tale that transpired on that day one which will live even longer in our memories.

Like most fairytale sports careers, though, Ali is still awaiting his ‘happily ever after’. A few days after that FA Cup triumph, his Wigan Athletic team were doomed to relegation to the second tier of English football.

But while most people would’ve chafed with indignation at this fate, Ali took it in his stride and realised this was a test of his character. A test he has brilliantly responded to.

His new team, Reading FC, lie in third in the Championship, and are mounting an assault on a return to the Premier League. A return that cannot come soon enough for English football’s only Omani. Come the 2017-18 EPL season, be on the lookout for the goalkeeper with the affable grin, razor sharp reflexes, and steely determination.

Be on the lookout for Ali Al Habsi.

—gautam@timesofoman.com

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

LIFESTYLE

DANCE FORMS TO TRY

Bharatnatyam

This beautiful Indian dance form that originated in South India encompasses music, rhythm, expressions, and discipline. For Bharatnatyam lessons in Wadi Kabir join Harmony Music and Art Training Institute LLC. +968 9943 2921; harmonyruwi@gmail.com

Salsa

Salsa is a popular form of social dance that originated in New York with strong influences from Latin America. It is always characterised by a “lead” and a “follower” who move in “open or “closed” positions. To master this Latin American dance form, visit Latin Dance Muscat, Al Khuwair. + 968 9614 4863; latindancemuscat.com

Ballet

This highly technical form of dance requires years of training to learn and practice to retain proficiency. To learn the dance form and its numerous stylish variations contact The Ballet and Folklore Centre LLC. +968 9219 6269

Belly Dancing

This graceful Middle-Eastern dance form involving torso articulation is highly popular in this part of the world. To keep your body fit in the most fun and elegant ways go to the Hayati Spa and Studio, at Shatti At Qurum for dance lessons. + 968 2460 1255; mutrahoverseas.com/hayati

Zouk

Zouk is a couple dance form that descended from lambada in Brazil in which the lady has to use her neck and back extensively. Get in touch with the Oman Salsa and Zouk group to be trained in traditional, Brazilian, and lambazouk. +968 9932 6632

B

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM W EDN ES DAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

OMAN CRUDE RISES Oman Crude (February delivery) increased by $72 cents to $53.21 per barrel, said Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME). The average price of Oman Crude (January delivery) stabilised at $44.54 per barrel, $4.64 higher than December delivery. – ONA

MARKE

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PROPOSED VENTURE

Dhofar milk collection ‘pilot project’ set for launch next year A E JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com

Saleh M Al Shanfari.

— Times file picture

OIL SUPPLIES

Crude prices extend gain LONDON: Oil extended the longest winning streak in more than four months before Opec and other producing nations start reducing output to stabilise the market.

Futures advanced 0.5 per cent in New York, climbing for a seventh session. Prices are set to recover next year as production cuts help to re-balance an oversupplied market, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Khalid AlFalih said last week. Opec and 11 nations from outside of the group including Russia have agreed to trim about 1.8 million barrels a day next year.

Oil has traded near or above $50 a barrel since the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) agreed last month to curb production for the first time in eight years.

Iraq, the second-biggest Opec producer, is fully committed to the accord, Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Thursday in Cairo at a meeting of the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries.

“Current oil prices reflect positive factors we’ve been seeing recently, including expectations about output cuts by Opec and non-Opec nations,” said Will Yun, a Seoul-based commodities analyst at Hyundai Futures Corp.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for February delivery rose 25 cents to $53.27 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 4:06pm in Dubai after climbing as much as 0.7 per cent. There was no trading Monday because of the Christmas holiday. Total volume traded was about 60 per cent below the 100-day average. Prices are up 44 per cent this year.

— Bloomberg News

MUSCAT: A pilot project to support the livestock farmers in Dhofar region with several milk collection centres and a dairy processing project will start next year. The new pilot project, which is part of a series of major initiatives undertaken by the state-owned Oman Food Investment Holding Co. (OFIC), is aimed at evaluating the scheme before launching the same on a commercial basis.

“We expect to start the pilot project by next year. The commercial project will be assessed in

two years’ time. If it is proved successful, we will go for a full-fledged commercial project,” Saleh M Al Shanfari, chief executive officer of Oman Food Investment Holding Co, told the Times of Oman.

To start with, he said, the proposed venture will collect fresh milk from cattle (camel and cow) owners in southern Oman. “Then we will start producing value added products, which will include dairy products, ice-creams, cheese and yogurt,” he added.

The new company for implementing the project is under formation now.

According to Al Shanfari, the

whole plan is to set up collection centres, chilling centres and a central processing unit. As per the plan, there will be 95 collection centres in Dhofar region, 8 chilling centres and one major central processing plant.

The project may start with milk collection of 25,000 litres, which will be substantially increased in different stages. The milk collection and dairy processing project are primarily targeted at Omani livestock herders who thrive in the jabals (mountains) of the governorate, as well as those in the plains.

The scheme, which is expected to help thousands of farmers, will

help in the modernisation of livestock farming among small herd owners and augment household income through the introduction of cooperative-style milk collection and processing for the first time in the Sultanate.

The milk collection and processing project are part of four major ventures, which are under different stages of planning and implementation, aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in local production or for import substitution. The other three are a dairy project, a poultry project and a red meat venture. An initial contract for building Mazoon Dairy

was signed for the dairy project on Sunday. Mazoon Dairy will commence operations with a planned herd size of around 4,000 highyielding dairy cows, which will be augmented to 25,000 cows by the tenth year of operation.

The combined investment of three strategic OFIC-led projects – a poultry, dairy and red meat – is estimated at OMR240 million.

Oman Food Investment will have a 20 per cent equity stake in each of these projects, while the remaining 80 per cent investment will come from the private sector, including investment funds and investment holding firms.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

MARKET MSM index recovers

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ........................................5,771.32 ...............5,730.39 ....................5,760.95 ................... 5,726.88................. 34.07 ................... 0.59 Financial Index .....................................7,688.66 ...............7,625.37 ....................7,663.42 .................... 7,617.15................. 46.27 ................... 0.61 Industrial Index .................................... 7,360.17 ...............7,350.63 .................... 7,357.74 ....................7,359.75.................. -2.01 .................. -0.03 Services Index ...................................... 3,046.89 ...............3,036.01 ...................3,046.89 .................. 3,040.04....................6.85 ...................0.23 MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 861.76 ..................859.02 ....................... 861.15 .......................857.85....................3.30 ...................0.38 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 12,182,446 ................. 3,143,230 .....................756 ............... 17,256,570,458 ................ 15 ........................9 .................... 19 .........................43

With a gain of 3.52 per cent, Bank Muscat was the top gainer, while A’Saffa Foods was the

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27

top loser, with a loss of 2.44 per cent.

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

MUSCAT: Active trading in index heavyweights lifted the MSM30 Index 0.59 per cent to 5,760.95 points, its highest level in three months. The MSM Sharia Index gained 0.38 per cent to close at 861.15 points. HSBC Bank was the most active in terms of volume while Bank Muscat led in turnover. With a gain of 3.52 per cent, Bank Muscat was the top gainer, while A’Saffa Foods was the top loser, with a loss of 2.44 per cent.

A total number of 756 trades were executed on Tuesday, generating turnover of OMR3.14 million with 12.18 million shares changing hands. Out of 43 traded securities, 15 advanced, 9 declined and 19 remained unchanged. Foreign investors switched to net buyers for OMR332,000 while GCC and Arab investors were net sellers for OMR215,000 followed by Omani investors for OMR117,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index gains Financial Index advanced by 0.61 per cent to finish at 7,663.42 points. Bank Muscat, Oman & Emirates Holding, Al Madina Investment, HSBC Bank and Al Madina Takaful gained by 3.52 per cent, 2.31 per cent, 1.79 per cent, 1.69 per cent and 1.43 per cent, respectively. Ahli Bank, Al Sharqia Investment, Bank Sohar and Al Anwar Holding declined by 1.04 per cent, 0.71 per cent, 0.62 per cent and 0.53 per cent, respectively. Industrial Index ended lower at 7,357.74 points, down by 0.03 per cent. Oman Ca-

bles, up by 1.01 per cent was only gainer. A’Saffa Foods and Galfar Engineering declined by 2.44 per cent and 1.04 per cent, respectively. Services Index increased by 0.23 per cent to close at 3,046.89 points. Oman National Engineering, Al Maha Petroleum, Shell Oman Marketing, Oman Telecommunications Company and Ooredoo gained by 3.23 per cent, 2.08 per cent, 0.77 per cent, 0.66 per cent and 0.61 per cent, respectively. Sembcorp Salalah and Phoenix Power declined by 1.28 per cent and 0.68 per cent, respectively.

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

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 1,459,599 ......686,102...................124 ........... 0.460 ........... 0.476 ...........0.460........... 0.470 .............0.454 ............0.016 ............. 3.524 ................0.470..............0.468...................0.470.................1,173,237,621.......0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 212,282 ............12,078......................21 ........... 0.057 ........... 0.057 ...........0.056........... 0.057 .............0.056 ............0.001 ............. 1.786.................0.057..............0.056...................0.057................... 11,807,629 .........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL............................................. 127,002............... 9,017........................6 ............0.071 ........... 0.071 ...........0.071 ............0.071 .............0.070 ............0.001 ............. 1.429 ................0.071 .............. 0.071...................0.072...................12,425,000.........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY......................................19,000 ............28,444........................7 ............1.480 ........... 1.500 ...........1.480............1.495 .............1.480.............0.015 ............. 1.014.................1.500..............1.490...................1.500..................134,101,500 ........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 175,638 .......... 267,856..................... 59 ............1.510 ........... 1.530 ...........1.510 ............1.525 ............. 1.515 .............0.010 ............. 0.660 ................1.530 .............. 1.530...................1.535 ................ 1,143,750,000 ......0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 133,379............44,029......................11 ........... 0.330 ...........0.332 ...........0.330........... 0.330 .............0.328 ........... 0.002............. 0.610 ................0.332..............0.328...................0.332...................33,000,000.........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 402,748 ......... 266,071..................... 46 ............0.656 ...........0.664 ...........0.656........... 0.660 .............0.656 ........... 0.004............. 0.610 ................0.660..............0.656...................0.660 .................429,623,192........0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES .......................................... 192,510.............37,830..................... 25 ............0.194 ........... 0.198 ...........0.194............0.197 ............. 0.196.............0.001 ............. 0.510 ................0.196 .............. 0.195...................0.196...................12,057,242 .........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 772,331.......... 183,709..................... 30 ........... 0.237 ...........0.238 ...........0.237........... 0.238 .............0.237 ............0.001 .............0.422 ................0.238..............0.237...................0.238..................350,997,943........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ..........................................................5,200 ............... 7,697........................4 ............1.480 ........... 1.490 ...........1.480........... 1.480 .............1.480............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.490 ..............1.460...................1.490................. 296,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 196,000 ........... 39,234........................9 ........... 0.200...........0.205 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 .............0.200 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.200 ............ 0.200...................0.202 ................. 40,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .................................................................... 150,000 ........... 76,800........................9 ............0.512 ........... 0.512 ...........0.512 ............0.512 ............. 0.512............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.512 .............. 0.512...................0.514..................325,524,935 .......0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT ............................................................10,000 .............. 4,600........................2 ........... 0.460 ...........0.460 ...........0.460........... 0.460 .............0.460 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.460..............0.460...................0.462 .................152,201,447........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES .................................73,000 .............12,410........................9 ............0.170 ........... 0.170 ...........0.170 ........... 0.170 ............. 0.170............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.170 ..............0.169...................0.170...................50,356,326 .........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ..........................59,100 .............14,361........................2 ........... 0.243 ...........0.243 ...........0.243........... 0.243 .............0.243 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.243..............0.243...................0.247 ..................30,350,204.........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 144,970 ............16,503........................7 ............0.113 ........... 0.114............0.113 ............0.114 ............. 0.114............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.114 .............. 0.114................... 0.115 .................... 6,708,127 ..........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES .......................................30,050 ............... 7,362........................1 ........... 0.245 ...........0.245 ...........0.245........... 0.245 .............0.245 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.245..............0.245...................0.248 ..................73,200,530.........0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ................................................... 161,786 .............79,275......................12 ........... 0.490 ...........0.490 ...........0.490........... 0.490 .............0.490 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.490..............0.490...................0.500 ..................29,645,000.........0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER.................................................................2,110 ..................469........................3 ........... 0.223 ...........0.223 ...........0.222 .......... 0.230 .............0.230 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.222............. 0.222...................0.229 ..................50,832,300.........0.100

India stocks rebound Indian stocks advanced as some investors deemed the recent decline in the benchmark gauge to a five-week low to be excessive.

The S&P BSE Sensex climbed 1.6 per cent, the most in more than two weeks, as shares of metals and consumer goods companies rose. It had fallen 0.9 per cent on Monday to the lowest level since November 21, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hinted at raising taxes on income earned from share trading.

“The market looked a bit oversold and investors used the opportunity to value-pick stocks,” said Jitendra Panda, chief executive officer at Peerless Securities, said by phone from Kolkata.

“But we can’t say that the worst is behind us. Market will remain volatile till we get more clarity on foreign investors’ plan for the emerging-markets.”

— United Securities/Bloomberg News

OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................ 209,722 ............37,750........................5 ............0.180 ........... 0.180 ...........0.180........... 0.180 .............0.180 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.180.............. 0.177...................0.180.................. 121,479,737 ........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................. 50,000 ............25,000.....................22 ........... 0.500 ...........0.500 ...........0.500........... 0.500 .............0.500 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.500..............0.460...................0.500 ..................26,250,000.........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 497,128............ 92,978......................41 ............0.187 ........... 0.188 ...........0.187 ............0.187 ............. 0.188............-0.001 ........... -0.532 ...............0.187 .............. 0.187...................0.188...................32,725,459 .........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 1,123,999 .......181,519..................... 45 ............0.164 ........... 0.164 ...........0.160............0.161 .............0.162............-0.001 ............-0.617................0.161 ..............0.160................... 0.161 ................. 258,324,394 .......0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 282,500........... 41,309......................14 ............0.147 ........... 0.147 ...........0.146 ........... 0.146 ............. 0.147............-0.001 ........... -0.680 ...............0.146 .............. 0.145...................0.146..................213,539,813 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 6,490,054.. 2,172,402................... 514 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......24........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000001152 ............OMAN NATIONAL ENGINE. INVT. ..................... 25,000 .............. 4,000........................1 ............0.160 ........... 0.160 ...........0.160........... 0.160 ............. 0.155............ 0.005............. 3.226 ................0.160..............0.160...................0.170...................16,000,000.........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 885,496 ..........118,086..................... 55 ............0.132 ........... 0.135 ...........0.132 ............0.133 .............0.130............ 0.003.............2.308 ................0.133 ..............0.132...................0.133...................16,209,375 .........0.100 OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. ...... 60,000 ............ 88,350........................4 ............1.470 ........... 1.485 ...........1.470 ............1.470 .............1.440 ........... 0.030............. 2.083 ................1.485 ..............1.440...................1.495 ..................101,430,000........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 2,261,662 ......270,474..................... 32 ............0.119 ........... 0.120 ...........0.119 ........... 0.120 ............. 0.118............ 0.002............. 1.695 ................0.120..............0.120................... 0.121 ..................240,037,535........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 353,669 ............25,110......................12 ............0.071 ........... 0.071 ...........0.071 ............0.071 .............0.070 ............0.001 ............. 1.429 ................0.071 .............. 0.071...................0.072...................71,000,000.........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ...................................55,000 .......... 108,750........................4 ............1.965 ........... 1.980 ...........1.965 ............1.975 .............1.960 ............0.015 ............. 0.765 ................1.980.............. 1.975...................1.980..................187,625,000 ........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ............................................................ 500 .....................31........................1 ............0.061 ........... 0.061 ...........0.061 ........... 0.061 ............. 0.061............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.061 ..............0.060...................0.061.................... 7,625,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ..............59,400 ............. 17,169........................7 ........... 0.290...........0.290 ...........0.288........... 0.289 .............0.289 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.288..............0.288...................0.289 ...................6,069,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ....................... 20,000 ...............1,960........................3 ........... 0.098 ...........0.098 ...........0.098........... 0.098 .............0.098 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.098..............0.096...................0.098....................2,940,000..........0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR .............................................................. 57,435 .............13,210........................4 ........... 0.230 ...........0.230 ...........0.230........... 0.230 .............0.230 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.230..............0.230...................0.236..................436,816,322........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 770,325 ........... 63,540..................... 38 ........... 0.083 ...........0.083 ...........0.082........... 0.082 .............0.082 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.082..............0.082...................0.083..................123,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001178 ............MUSCAT GASES ............................................................ 67,337 ............ 41,250......................17 ............0.612 ........... 0.616 ...........0.612 ............0.612 ............. 0.616............-0.004 ........... -0.649 ...............0.612 ..............0.566...................0.612...................18,360,000.........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING .............72,500 .............10,058........................4 ............0.138 ........... 0.139 ...........0.138 ............0.139 .............0.140 ...........-0.001 ............-0.714................0.139 .............. 0.139...................0.140...................12,510,000 .........0.100 OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 435,756............ 83,388......................18 ............0.195 ...........0.200 ...........0.186 ............0.191 ............. 0.193............-0.002 ........... -1.036................0.186 ..............0.186...................0.190..................272,181,904........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 389,252 ............37,030......................19 ........... 0.095 ...........0.096 ...........0.095........... 0.095 .............0.096 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.042 ...............0.095..............0.095...................0.096................... 27,548,161 .........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH................................................10,000 .............. 2,320........................1 ........... 0.232 ...........0.232 ...........0.232........... 0.232 .............0.235 ...........-0.003 ........... -1.277................0.232..............0.226...................0.234 .................221,460,692........0.100 OM0000002804 ...........ASAFFA FOODS ........................................................... 103,024 ............82,419......................11 ........... 0.800...........0.800 ...........0.800 .......... 0.800 .............0.820 ...........-0.020 ........... -2.439 ...............0.800............. 0.000...................0.800 ..................96,000,000 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 5,626,356 .......967,145................... 231 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ...... 17........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

B3

MARKET TELECOM MARKET

India’s Ambani group ready to pounce on rival firms

OVERWHELMING DEMAND: Reliance Jio snagged 50 million mobile subscribers in 83 days. — Bloomberg News

RU WA D S H A R A K A H G AT H E R I N G

Sharakah holds key networking event for small businesses

SINGAPORE: When other Indian tycoons were greedy, the richest of all was hesitant, even fearful.

But now that most of his rivals have fallen on the swords of their debt-fueled hubris, Mukesh Ambani is preparing to pounce.

Ambani, 59, has all but completed massive investments in his petrochemicals empire, whose cash flows give him the firepower to promote and expand his new fourth-generation mobile service.

He hopes to turn the network into a payments gateway: suddenly a very valuable proposition in a country where 86 per cent of existing currency was outlawed by government diktat last month.

Reliance Jio snagged 50 million mobile subscribers in 83 days. It’s unclear whether that Facebookbeating growth can be sustained

— or become profitable — when the service stops giving away free data sometime after March. What Ambani has managed to do is to push down per-user revenue for his competitors, which have been forced to cut prices.

There’s still no evidence he’s taking market share away from Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Group and Idea Cellular. Regardless, the trio are guaranteed an uneasy 2017.

Reliance’s biggest advantage is its balance sheet. During the pre2008, liquidity-fuelled boom for Indian businesses, Ambani stayed away from expensive deals of the kind that have returned to haunt India. A crucial bone of contention between Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry, who was fired as chairman of the Tata Group by the scion in October, was its 2006 acquisition

of Corus Group’s British steel assets for $12.8 billion. That decision saddled the $103 billion salt-tosoftware conglomerate with debt and losses. With the Tata vs. Mistry spat showing no sign of abating, 2017 looks more likely to be a washout than a watershed for the group.

Kumar Mangalam Birla’s commodities empire might pack a bit more punch next year, especially if the recovery in metals prices continues to benefit Novelis, the US aluminium maker that the billionaire Indian tycoon acquired in 2007 for $5.7 billion including debt, making it another of those overly optimistic global takeovers that did not exactly go to plan.

Still, Birla’s cement business is bound to take a hit from the sudden disappearance of cash, which is squeezing the Indian property

market. Besides, the 49-year-old is in the middle of a complicated merger of group companies. One consequence of that may be to expose shareholders of flagship Grasim Industries Ltd., a viscose staple fiber maker that also controls India’s biggest cement company, to Idea Cellular. Given Jio’s potential to upend India’s mobilephone industry in 2017, that exposure makes some shareholders and analysts nervous.

Fear of Ambani is being felt everywhere. Ahead of Jio’s launch, Vodafone poured $7 billion into India in 2016 to retain its No. 2 position in the cutthroat mobile game. Sunil Bharti Mittal is also plowing investment into his network, and offering free calls to match Reliance’s onslaught.

— Bloomberg News

Opal and PDO sign deal to train 100 Omani job seekers

Times News Service

The programme for

MUSCAT: Sharakah held a gathering on Monday for all the businesses that received financial support under RuwadSharakah.

The event was held under the patronage of Hani M. Al Zubair, chairman of Fund for Development of Youth Projects, and the presence of Khalid Al Haraibi deputy CEO, board members of Sharakah, Sharakah staff and the supported small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The whole purpose of the event was to provide a platform for the supported businesses to network with each other and meet with board members and staff.

In the past six years, Sharakah has provided financial support to about sixty projects. As many as twenty of which have already paid back the finance amount, 38 are still maintaining a steady payment plan.

The event was attended by 35 business owners and they have all appreciated this initiative from Sharakah. Hani Al Zubair, chairman welcomed everyone and expressed his pride of what these businesses have achieved over the past few years. “This is an opportunity for us to get to know your businesses further and to understand what type of products or services you are offering,” he added.

Issra, Owner and Founder of Mint Marketing also commented: “We find RuwadSharakah gathering truly valuable as it aims to introducing SMEs to each other, explore more about the business practices and strategies and also to seek to collaborate on future business opportunities. I believe this kind of events should occur more frequently as it strengthens the ties between all SMEs and with Sharakah as well.”

Omani youth will

tified from time to time.

Also offered as part of this initiative are managerial skills in line with NVQ level international certifications or equivalent, delivered through a six to 12-month training programme.

The programme will include a foundation period imparting soft skills, such as English language, work ethics, health and safety, and information technology.

include a foundation period imparting soft skills, such as English language, work ethics, health and safety, and information technology.

EMPLOYMENT CREATION: The programme will include a foundation period imparting soft skills, such as English language, work ethics, health and safety, and information technology. - Supplied picture

Times News Service

cal and non-technical disciplines.

MUSCAT: Oman Society for Petroleum Services (Opal), the representative organisation of the Sultanate’s oil and gas industry, has joined hands with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) to support the training of 100 young Omanis in preparation for careers across a number of techni-

Collaborative arrangement To this end, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) setting out the terms of a collaborative arrangement was signed by the two organisations last week.

PDO was represented at the MoU signing by Abdul-Amir AlAjmi, external affairs and value

creation director. Musallam Al Mandhry, chief executive officer, signed on behalf of Opal.

50,000 jobs The initiative stems from PDO’s pledge to support the creation of 50,000 jobs in response to His Majesty the Sultan’s Royal directives, and as part of its longstanding efforts to develop the

vocational qualifications of young Omanis on a par with internationally recognised standards.

Under the MoU, PDO will fund the training of 100 Omanis who are registered as job-seekers in technical trades such as welding, electrical, mechanical, pipe-fitters, carpentry, and machine operators, among other technical or non-technical skills that are iden-

Prospective employers Opal has pledged to interact with prospective employers within and outside the oil and gas sector to help secure suitable placements for these recruits in line with procedures and guidelines mandated by the Ministry of Manpower, amongst other government agencies.

“Opal is delighted to partner once again with PDO in ensuring that young Omanis preparing for careers across various technical and non-technical trades have the skills suited to the labour market’s requirements. Our goal is to work proactively with potential employers to secure placements for the trainees on a full-time basis upon the successful completion of the training programme,” said Musallam Al Mandhry.

R E A L E S TAT E M A R K E T

Spanish property market goes through the roof MADRID: According to a Spanish proverb, it is a bad idea to start building a house from the roof. But that is just what a Spanish firm is doing — and business is booming.

Faced with a lack of available land in big cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, construction firm La Casa por el Tejado is building new apartments on rooftops

— a sign that Spanish property is bouncing back eight years after a brutal crash.

Home prices in Spain’s property market are nearing pre-crisis levels in downtown areas of major cities, rents and mortgages are surging, the prices of hotels and resorts are sky-rocketing and a round of mergers and acquisitions

have broken out among major property investors. Though the market overall is still a long way from its giddy peaks, before the global financial crisis, few would have predicted today’s recovery when a decade-long boom ended in 2008, destroying two million jobs and holing the economy.

“In Spain, we have identified

more than 4,000 buildings which have available roof tops to build on,” said La Casa’s founder, Joan Artes, whose firm hoists prefabricated apartments by crane onto building roofs.

The revival has helped Spain to become one of Europe’s few economic success stories, with estimated growth of 3 per cent

next year. Construction accounts for 10 per cent of gross domestic product.

But there are concerns that the market could slow if interest rates rise. Enrique Losantos, who heads the Spanish operations of real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, says the main risk would come from a change in monetary policy. — Reuters

B4

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

FEATURE

INDIA’S BLEAK OUTLOOK GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT WILL GROW 6.5 PER CENT THIS QUARTER, SLOWING FROM 7.3 PER CENT IN THE JULY-TO-SEPTEMBER PERIOD.

I

ndia started 2016 as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, but at its end the nation faces a significant slowdown and the delay of what has been hailed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greatest reform - the creation of an integrated marketplace.

Much of the pain is self-inflicted as Modi’s decision last month to drain 86 per cent of currency in circulation stalled spending and caused a political stalemate on a landmark sales-tax reform.

It is an apt end to a busy year that’s included a change of guard at the central bank, the overhaul of a century-old bankruptcy law and the biggest battle to rock corporate India in decades. And it has sown the seeds for a tumultuous 2017.

“Reforms will have long-term structural benefits but carry short-term execution and adjustment risks,” said Abhishek Dan-

gra, a credit analyst at S&P Global Ratings. A move away from cash and the introduction of a uniform goods and sales tax across the country next year will be beneficial in the medium-term as it will drive higher tax collections, he said.

No money, just problems India’s cash ban is the centre of attention. Early data back economists’ fears that consumption will be hit, particularly in rural areas, with the dominant services sector absorbing the bulk of the pain.

Industrial production and investment are likely to be pressured with subsequent job losses adding to the disruption, according to economists.

Gross domestic product will grow 6.5 per cent this quarter, slowing from 7.3 per cent in the July-to-September period, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey.

Priyanka Kishore, lead Asia economist at Oxford Economics in Singapore, has lowered her forecasts for 2016.

Growth longer term, however, will be robust, said Kishore, who expects an average expansion of 7 per cent a year in 2016 through 2019, slightly faster than the pace in 2013 to 2015.

A common marketplace Demonetisation has sucked momentum from the movement to roll out India’s goods and services tax from April 1. Hailed as one of biggest reforms in generations, the GST will replace a myriad of consumption and sales levies imposed by various states and are expected to boost competitiveness and investment.

Supplementary legislation on the GST stalled in parliament this month and unless the government garners consensus and passes

supporting legislation in next few weeks, it will be difficult to meet the launch date. As it stands, another chaotic roll out lurks in India’s not-too-distant future.

Central bank in focus India formally adopted an inflation-targeting framework in August, committing its central bank to tackling the politically-sensitive issue. For the first time, it also put interest rate decisions in the hands of a policy committee with external members. With inflation easing to a two-year low, the panel has room to ease rates in the first few months of 2017.

The economy is not the only thing the Reserve Bank of India must manage next year. The authority has come under criticism for its handling of Modi’s cash ban with policy U-turns adding to the chaos on the streets.

House of Tatas On the corporate front, a public battle for control of India’s largest conglomerate has played out after family patriarch Ratan Tata replaced Cyrus Mistry as chairman of the Tata Group in October. Both men have traded accusations over missteps at the salt-to-software empire, bringing its governance structure into question. As the year closed out, Mistry stepped down from the boards of Tata group units other than holding company Tata Sons Ltd. but vowed to continue his fight on a legal platform. Mistry has filed a case with the National Company Law Tribunal, with the next hearing set for January 31.

Bank clean-up India introduced a new bankruptcy code this year that is likely to allow the quick closure of businesses gone bad and prevent the build-up of non-performing loans.

Nevertheless, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says implementation will require an improvement in the nation’s severely backlogged judicial system.

Meanwhile, non-performing loans keep climbing even as banks approach a March 2017 deadline to clean up their balance sheets by rising provisioning. The ratio of stressed assets in India’s banking system surged to a 16-year high of 12 per cent as of June 30.

Capital spending Investments in big projects and company loans have been subdued this year and economists see little chance of a recovery in coming months given the current economic uncertainty. “Investments were weak and that will not recover,” said Gita Gopinath, an economics professor at Harvard University.

– Bloomberg News

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B5

ROUND-UP

Kia offer to end soon

PROMOTION

A world-class brand that also is the fastest-growing, Kia has been chosen from amongst Top 50 Global Green Brands

by Interbrand

MUSCAT: Customers who have not yet taken full advantage of Kia’s thrilling offer are advised to do so, before the opportunity is lost, says a press release.

“Our offer is due to end soon and for the benefit of our customers, we are offering a cash gift up to OMR2,200, which can be used as

a part of the down payment. In lieu of this, customers can choose to get 1-year insurance (comprehensive) as well as 30,000km service. (Conditions apply full details at the showroom), a Kia spokesperson said.

“However, this is not all,” the spokesperson pointed out, “We also offer 0% interest rate on deals lasting up to 24 months deals and 3.95 % interest on deals that last up to five years or more. All these offers are available on the shiny new 2017 range models, so customers should rush and get them before

they are gone!”

The offer is going to end soon, on January 5 2017, to be precise.

“I would say that those who wish to make the most of this offer should grab their favourite Kia from the showroom closest to them,” the spokesperson reiterated, “Before it’s all over…!”

A world-class brand that also is the fastest-growing, Kia has been chosen from amongst Top 50 Global Green Brands by Interbrand. It is fitted with fuel-efficient engines that offer an ECO mode drive for

optimum fuel efficiency. Kia is also rated 5-star in crash safety.

Hence, an excellent opportunity beckons everyone to make the most of the incredibly powerful offer from Kia - such an opportunity may never come their way, again.

Reliable International Automotive (RIA), the distributor for Kia in Oman provides a rewarding ownership experience for customers. Excellent product attributes and unmatched facilities easily ensure their absolute satisfaction, every mile of the way.

EMERGING LUXURY BRAND

Lincoln claims award at Luxury 100

'Nabil Winter Surprises' to end on December 31 MUSCAT: National Biscuit Industries Ltd, the makers of the brand ‘Nabil’ range of biscuits, wafers and snacks announced 17 winners so far in the 'Nabil Winter Surprises' promotion from over 4 weekly raffle draws held at the headquarters of National Biscuits Industries. The winners have won iPhone 7s, Samsung LED 40” TVs and Samsung 9.6” Tablets, says a press release.

There are two more raffle draws to be held on December 29 and January 5, 2017 respectively.

Consumers of Oman are urged to keep on buying Nabil Snackits

and Nabil Salaam 23g and register the code printed inside the single packs on www.winwithnabil.com to increase their chances to win.

Commenting on the occasion Unnit Mankodi, head - Sales & Marketing said, "This promotion has already created a huge excitement among the consumers and the entries are increasing every day. Such a unique concept of winning prizes throughout the period of the promotion has definitely caught the attention of the consumers and the excitement has heightened as the contest comes to a close on December 31.

W E E K LY T R I V I A

McDonald’s gives instant cash prizes to Instagram winners

MUSCAT: Lincoln Motor Company, the pioneer of luxury automobiles has designed and engineered some of the most rewarding and inspiring luxury automobiles the world has ever known. Reason why many of the models have been preferred by distinctive personalities who wield power and fame, across the globe.

Recently in Oman, the lifestyle magazine Signature awarded Lincoln the Emerging Luxury Brand during The Luxury 100 awards night. The award was received by Saud Mohammed Bahwan, says a press release.

“It is a great moment for us to win this award,” said a representative from Arabian Car Marketing. “Lincoln automobiles have been one of the most innovative luxury automotive brands. Their features, technologies and luxury have always remained a source of inspiration for many. In Oman too, Lincoln is steadily making its mark on luxury enthusiasts, and this award recognises this achievement,” he added.

In Oman, Lincoln vehicles are brought to you by Arabian Car Marketing Co.

MUSCAT: McDonald’s Oman is giving away instant OMR50 cash prize twice weekly to customers following McDonald’s Oman’s Instagram account.

McDonald’s Oman Instagram followers can win instant OMR50 cash plus five regular meal vouchers if they answer correctly the McDonald’s trivia question, post photos and share on Instagram.

The weekly trivia on Instagram is McDonald’s way of bringing the

The weekly trivia on Instagram is McDonald’s way of bringing the brand closer to its customers brand closer to its customers, giving them an incredible value for their loyalty to the brand; and an unforgettable winning experience.

FESTIVE SEASON

Grand New Year's Eve celebrations at Al Falaj Hotel MUSCAT: The guests can expect a grand and glamorous New Year’s Eve celebrations at Al Falaj Hotel.

"During the festive season our hotels namely Al Falaj Hotel, Desert night Camp, Sur Plaza Hotel, Al Wadi Hotel and Ruwi Hotel have organised an array of festive activities and New Year’s Eve and I warmly welcome all guests to our hotels," said Srinith De Silva, CEO of Aitken Spence Resorts Middle East.

"This year promises to be our

best with spectacular fusion dancing (Bollywood and Western) by internationally renowned dance performers who have performed in many countries including United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, India and Australia. The golden girls and boys will perform an array of creative dances which would delight the audience and leaving them in wonderment," said Harsha Theverapperuma, general manager of Al Falaj Hotel.

The entertainment will continue with music provided by 'Slides' who have been flown in especially for the event due to their popularity. The special DJ performance by DJ Marina and Rashad promises to keep the audience on the dance floor to the beat of Bollywood and Western hits. There will be an array of exciting prizes on raffle which includes three airline tickets, free holiday stay in a luxury resort in Maldives and a free holiday

stay at luxury Desert Night Camp, says a press release.

The culinary team of Al Falaj Hotel headed by world renowned master Chef Dimuthu and Executive Chef of Al Falaj Hotel would certainly mesmerise the guests with their culinary expertise. The Master Chef Dimuthu is the only chef in the world who has won nine gold medals in an individual event in Culinary Olympics 2004 in Germany and year 2006 in Luxemburg.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

ROUND-UP CBO honours Bank Sohar The bank was honoured for its contributions towards raising awareness towards road safety in the country

MUSCAT: Bank Sohar, at a recent road safety awareness workshop organised by the Central Bank of Oman (CBO), was honoured for its contributions towards raising awareness towards road safety in the country.

The workshop titled ‘Workshop for Mechanisms and Procedures of Evaluating the Road Safety Contest’, was organised by the CBO in collaboration with the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and the Oman Road Safety Association (ORSA).

It was held recently under the patronage of Hamood Sangour Al Zadjali, the executive president of Central Bank of Oman and member of the Board of Governors and organised at the theatre located in the CBO head office in MBD. The event saw the participation of Brig. Eng. Mohammed bin Awadh Al Rawas, director general of Traffic; Lieutenant Colonel Khamis

bin Ali Al Battashi of the ROP, Eng. Amer bin Nasser Al Mataani, Chairman of ORSA, and members of the Road Safety Competition Committee. Representing Bank Sohar at the event was Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, Sr. AGM and head of Marketing and Customer Experience, says a press release.

The event commenced with a video showcasing a speech about road accidents by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. This was closely followed by speeches from Hamood Al Zadjali, the Executive President of the CBO, and Brig.

Eng. Mohammed Al Rawas. Shortly thereafter, certificates of appreciation were handed over and receiving the certificate of appreciation from Hamood Al Zadjali on behalf of the bank was Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi.

Commenting on the bank receiving the certificate, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, GM of HR and Corporate Support said, “Amongst our

various CSR activities, promoting road safety has always been one that we give a majority of importance to. We believe that good road safety habits are beneficial not just to the individual but to the nation as a whole – making the roads we travel on everyday safer and less stressful and in turn helping avoid unnecessary and avoidable tragedies. It is great to see our efforts being appreciated; and serves as a great source of encouragement for the bank and its staff to continue working hard towards making Oman’s roads safer.”

Following a short break after the distribution of the certificates and tokens, Eng. Amer Al-Mataani addressed the audience. A presentation was then given about ORSA and its activities. Lieutenant Colonel Khamis bin Ali Al Battashi then gave a presentation on the upcoming Road Safety Competition. The event concluded with a workshop on ‘Road Safety’ by Hajer Al-Ajmi,

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

a committee member at CBO, followed by a short Q&A session.

“Bank Sohar has always been dedicated towards the promotion of road safety and continues to support and host initiatives across the country each year. We have done the same this year as well, with our Road Safety ‘Rakiz Wa Sooq’ campaign taking centre stage amongst our efforts,” added Mazin Al Raisi.

The ‘Rakiz Wa Sooq’ campaign was designed to build awareness on the dangers of texting and driving through a catchy jingle. Through it the bank aimed to further educate children on road safety in order for them to influence the driving habits of adults.

As part of the campaign, the bank, in collaboration with ORSA, visited several schools across the country to showcase the jingle and its underlying message to children. The bank, for the success of the Rakiz Wa Sooq’ campaign, was even awarded the ‘Best Public Awareness Campaign Middle East Road Safety’ award on a regional level and across the Banking sector at the recently held IQPC Middle East – Qatar Transport Safety Awards. Additionally, the Bank also supported and participated in several Road Safety roadshows across the country including various organised by ORSA during the second half of the year as well as the ROP ‘Traffic Safety Week’ and ‘Traffic Safety Exhibition 2016’ held during the year.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Applications for Feb 2017 Tajawuz Entrepreneurship Expedition open MUSCAT: Startup Oman, the Sultanate’s only online platform created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs and Outward Bound Oman has announced the release of applications for the February 2017 Tajawuz Entrepreneurship Expedition.

The third expedition will be conducted in the desert from February 13 to 16, 2017.

Tajawuz is a 3-night, 4-day expedition designed and executed

by Startup Oman in collaboration with Outward Bound Oman.

The programme aims to provide a first-of-its-kind experiential learning experience to Omani entrepreneurs within Oman’s natural environment. The expedition is focused on challenging entrepreneurial mindsets, says a press release.

The February 13-16 expedition will take 12 Omani entrepreneurs to the desert of Oman with the goal of exploring their business challenges all the while they are challenged by the physical environment of Oman’s desert. Detaching from their businesses will give them much needed time to identify solutions to their most pressing

entrepreneurial challenges.

“We are looking for Omani male or female participants, who are above 21 years old with a good command of English and who are founders of their businesses and involved daily with the business operations of their organisation,” said Ali Daud, Co-founder of Startup Oman. “We invite both men and women entrepreneurs to submit their applications.

Whichever gender registers the most qualified participants by January 12, will be deemed the first team of 2017,” added Daud.

“Tajawuz 2016 expedition was the right thing for me to break into 2016 as I was expecting many business challenges this year. Completing the expedition prepared me for the demands of rebranding my company and guiding it on a path of scaled expansion. After successfully completing the Tajawuz expedition, given the challenges we faced, I felt very well prepared to face these unknowns. Thanks to Startup Oman and Outward Bound for the opportunity,” said Rashid Al Barwani, founder of RX Fitness.

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Konica Minolta transforms customer experience for Al Mulla Group

Alizz bank conducts fire drill MUSCAT: Alizz Islamic Bank demonstrated a well-orchestrated fire drill in partnership with the Royal Oman Police (ROP), Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACD) and the Safety & Security Services.

Fire drills are monitored by the bank’s health and safety function of the administration division, led by Eng. Yusouf Al Balushi, to evaluate egress and behavioural patterns. Reports are prepared by allocated staff wardens and recommendations are followed through to correct any identified deficiencies, says a press release.

Moos Al-Jadidi, chief operating officer at Alizz Islamic Bank, said: “We were encouraged by the

support from ROP, PACD & Safety & Security Service’s to conduct a safety exercise as it is important to ensure staff at all levels are wellinformed and able to support others during emergency.

“The ROP and PACD proved that they are extremely efficient and demonstrated first class response. We would like to commend their efficiency and thank them for their guidance and support during this exercise.”

The purpose of fire drills is to prepare staff for an organised evacuation in case of fire or other emergency. At Alizz Islamic Bank, fire drills are used as a way to educate and train staff on fire safety issues specific to their building.

During the drill, staff practice drill procedures, familiarise themselves with the location of exits, the sound of the fire alarm and the assembly point located in the parking lot directly across from Alizz Tower. In addition, fire drills allow the Bank an opportunity to test the operation of fire alarm system components.

The ROP, PACD and the Safety & Security Service also conducted mock scenario of injured staff, as well as managed traffic on the roads leading to and away from Alizz Tower. The mock scenario showcased an Alizz Islamic Bank staff locked in the building of which the ROP and Civil PACD acted efficiently and swiftly.

DUBAI: Konica Minolta Business Solutions Middle East, announced that Bader Al Mulla, one of its major partners in the Middle East, has implemented a new mobile technology to integrate their tools with Konica Minolta office equipment for seamless workflow integration.

The leading supplier of solutions and office equipment sought to reduce the service response times at the help desk to provide immediate customer support and improve key performance indicators, whilst exceeding both customer and employee satisfaction, says a press release.

Konica Minolta’s fleet monitoring tool, which is integrated into Al Mulla’s help desk system, enhanced the degree of pro-active services provided by Bader Al Mulla and helped them to set high benchmarks in the industry.

The new mobile application enables engineers to remotely track the performance of the printing machines and receive alerts on the status of the printer on their smartphone screen. In addition, it allows Al Mulla to track and monitor machines and data in real time and send detailed reports to the Konica Minolta technical support team to get immediate support as well as giving access to crucial data regarding the per-

formance of the machines on customer sites for future development of products and services.

Aerath Mohan, OPS Service manager at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Middle East FZE said, “Al Mulla is one of our leading partners, which has been following the Konica Minolta’s philosophy “The creation of new value” to excel with customer centric approach. Our team is rigorously working with Al Mulla to support them throughout the business transformation. We strongly believe that this mobile technology marks the beginning of a new era of smart customer services for Al Mulla that will help them to better address timesensitive requests and gain customer loyalty.”

Al Mulla is one of our leading partners, which has been following the Konica Minolta’s philosophy to excel with customer centric approach. We strongly believe that this mobile technology marks the beginning of a new era of smart customer services for Al Mulla that will help them to better address time-sensitive requests and gain customer loyalty Aerath Mohan OPS Service manager at Konica Minolta

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RECRUI JOB POSTINGS

CAREER COACH

The confidence-competence loop HAVE you ever wondered how you can beam with confidence in one area, while being completely unsure, reluctant, shy or even procrastinate in another field?

Well, that might be so, because you need to increase your level of skill or knowledge or both, in order to up level your competence.

You may be unsure in a situation when you have to perform in front of an audience, or simply talk to others, which can create a significant amount of stress. Confident people are usually able to face these situations without blinking; but many individuals melt away and try to avoid the situation.

For most people facing this kind of low self-esteem, these situations present an opportunity for them to become humiliated.

This is a very embarrassing prospect. If you want to stop fidgeting in front of others, trying to squirrel out of such situations, and being so unsure of yourself when facing presentations, here are a few tips to set you on your way.

1. Competence is confidence The greatest difference makes

the level of trust you place upon yourself, because the one secret to more confidence and selfesteem is to be able to know and share what you are able to do.

This comes with a lot of practice and study. Whenever you practice a given skill, you increase your own confidence in your capability to perform even in front of other people. Practicing in front of supportive people you trust will help you get feedback on how to improve your performance.

2. Believe in yourself One of the reasons people are not confident in themselves is the fact that they are already convinced that they will fail even before anything happens. Never underestimate the power of the mind. If you believe you will fail, you indeed will! A better exercise would to be to believe that you can succeed. Set your mind towards succeeding and your chances for success are higher!

3. Take criticisms; the good, the bad, the ugly Most people are bristle at tak-

QUOTES A man willing to work, and unable to find work, is perhaps the saddest sight that fortune’s inequality exhibits under this sun.

— Thomas Carlyle Unemployment is like a headache or a high temperature - unpleasant and exhausting but not carrying in itself any explanation of its cause.

— William Henry Beveridge I’m not old enough to play baseball or football.

I’m not eight yet. My mom told me when you start baseball, you aren’t going to be able to run that fast because you had an operation. I told Mom I wouldn’t need to run that fast. When I play baseball, I’ll just hit them out of the park. Then I’ll be able to walk.

— Edward J. McGrath, Jr. A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort. — Sydney Smith

ing criticisms, so instead of taking the criticisms personally, use every comment and suggestion to make yourself better. However, you will also have to look out for some criticisms that were never meant to benefit you; ignore them and move on.

4. Remain calm If you find yourself in an unforeseen situation, where you are unsure of what to do or what will happen, keep your composure. If you don’t know the answer, say so calmly. If you do not know what to do, it’s ok to admit it. However, you will find that the more emphasis you place on increasing your competence, you will most likely decrease the events of pressure and stressful occurrences of uncertainty. - Ches Moulton Ches Moulton is an author, speaker, psychotherapist and executive life coach, who has written the self-help book Choice & Change; How to have a healthy relationship with ourself and others.

He is an engaging public speaker and has been featured in the media.

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.

— Michael Jordan

B8

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ROUND-UP

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Meethaq launches unique savings plan to achieve long-term goals The Meethaq savings plan is a goal based savings product whereby customers can identify and set a goal and make monthly savings to achieve the goal

MUSCAT: Meethaq, the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman from Bank Muscat, has launched a unique savings plan, presenting customers with the opportunity to make regular savings at their convenience to achieve long-term goals such as marriage, education, retirement or personal savings.

In keeping with Meethaq’s leadership position in launching innovative products and services

focused on the needs of customers, the savings plan is the first-of-itskind aimed at helping customers realise their long-term objectives and thereby boost the savings culture in Oman, says a press release.

Sulaiman Al Harthy, deputy chief executive officer – Meethaq Islamic Banking, said: “Meethaq is delighted to launch the savings plan, stemming from its commitment and focus to take the lead role

in offering a suite of Sharia based banking products and services.

Aimed at promoting a savings culture and helping people realise a number of objectives, the savings plan helps customers develop prudent financial habits. Sometimes people do not realise future needs

and therefore do not plan for them well in time. Meethaq savings plan helps people realise these needs and plan ahead with a small contribution every month to avoid regretting in the future.”

Sulaiman Al Harthy added: “Meethaq has adopted the best practices in Islamic banking and finance worldwide to combine a robust model which protects customers and complements the Islamic banking industry. The Meethaq strategy is to attract customers through innovative Sharia based products and services.”

The Meethaq savings plan is a goal based savings product whereby customers can identify and set a goal and make monthly savings to achieve the goal. The attractive features of the savings plan include Takaful cover, direct debit option through Standing Order and emergency withdrawal facility.

THRILLING EXPERIENCE

Meethaq helps grow the savings for customers by investing the cumulated savings in its financing and investment products and adding the profit generated to the cumulated savings to accelerate achievement of the goal on monthly basis. Underlying the savings plan is a recurring deposit account and the contributions collected from customers are added to the RD account. The savings plan leads to cumulative growth with attractive profit rates.

The Meethaq savings plan instils the discipline of savings habit among people. The account can be opened by any individual 18 years or above of age, having a source of income to contribute to the savings plan. The ‘minimum’ initial deposit to start the plan is OMR50 and the ‘minimum’ monthly contribution is OMR50, there is no maximum limit. The minimum

tenor is 3 years and it can go up to the maximum of 64 years of age of the customer. Auto debit instruction can be signed by the account holder to debit the monthly contribution from his/her respective current or saving account maintained with Meethaq and deposit in the savings plan.

In case there is an emergency need, the account holder has the option to withdraw up to 10 per cent of the cumulated contributions from the savings plan. The remaining funds will remain intact after this withdrawal. Partial withdrawal will be allowed only one time in a calendar year.

The savings scheme entitles customers to Takaful cover. In case of natural or accidental death of customers who have signed up for the savings plan, the Takaful cover helps achieve their set goals under any circumstances.

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

Mitsubishi completes 1st set of Team Pajero desert adventures MUSCAT: General Automotive Company (GAC), the official distributors for Mitsubishi in Oman, has successfully completed the first two of a total four planned trips of its annual desert excursion, the ‘Team Pajero Desert Adventure’.

The event which took place in the second week of November and the third week of December respectively, each of the two day trips saw just over 285 people in 60 Mitsubishi Pajeros and 301 people in 61 Mitsubishi Pajeros respectively drive into desert for a weekend of fun and adventure. Organised by GAC specifically for Pajero owners and enthusiasts, each of these trips gives Pajero owners a taste of a true desert adventure in the vehicle best suited to handle the challenge – the Mitsubishi Pajero, says a press release.

Driven by popular demand, the Team Pajero Desert Adventure has been split into four separate groups this year, the first of which has been completed. The second trip took place last weekend and will be followed by a further two trips in January and February respectively.

All Mitsubishi Pajero owners in the Sultanate are invited to register for the upcoming trips at the Mitsubishi showroom in Azaiba.

Manoj Ranade, the GM of GAC said: “Our annual ‘Team Pajero Desert Adventure’ is a highly anticipated series of events for our Pajero customers, providing them with an opportunity to experience the true scope of the Pajero’s offroad capabilities. As a result they are extremely popular and free spaces get booked up fast. Further-

more, these trips also provide us with an opportunity to strengthen our relationships with our customers, allowing us to meet with them in person in a more casual environment and get a better understanding of their overall experience with their vehicles and our after sales services so far.”

The two events, which began at the Mitsubishi Showroom on the morning of November 11 and December 23, saw just under 260 Mitsubishi customers in 50 Pajeros and 276 Mitsubishi customers in 51 Pajeros respectively, set off towards the desert. They were guided by 25 GAC staff members in 10 Marshall Vehicles on a predefined course as they headed to the Al Raha Camp at the Wahiba Sands.

Once at the Al Raha Camp, the convoy of Pajero vehicles were escorted by Marshalls and provided with specialised desert driving training. The drivers were then taken on a dune bashing session, after which the group is taken atop

a dune overlooking the camp to witness the stunning sunset. Once back at the camp a large number of activities and entertainment was prepared for the families to enjoy.

The following morning, camel riding sessions and dune bikes were provided for the customers to use at their discretion. The convoy left the camp and returned to the Azaiba showroom shortly after.

Reiterating the success of the ‘Pajero Adventure’, Gaurav Sohal, a Mitsubishi customer who attended the second event in December said, “This was my first time participating in the Team Pajero Desert Adventure and I can say with confidence it was one of my best adventure experiences so far in Oman. I was a little sceptical initially on the capability of my vehicle, a Montero sport 3.0, for dune bashing in comparison of its bigger Pajero cousins.

“However, I have to admit the vehicle proved itself and I loved driving it on the dunes. My first vehicle

COST-EFFECTIVE

MUSCAT: Oman LNG inaugurated a new learning experience with the acquisition of a state-ofthe-art robot lab that will provide immeasurable value to the region’s development as well as create new opportunities for Al Dakhiliyah governorate and further expand the nation’s education system in the field of technology.

The inauguration ceremony was held under the patronage of Dr Ali bin Abdullah Al Alawi, head of Telecommunications Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Fund provided

by Oman LNG facilitated the procurement of appliances for a modern robot lab in South Al Dakhiliyah governorate, says a press release.

The lab is among a series of labs being developed throughout the entire country, and will enhance technical studies and

make technology more accessible to students. The robot lab will not only add value to the education sector in Al Dakhiliyah governorate, but will help to position Oman’s expertise in the field of technology and set itself apart from other nations in the region.

As part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, Oman LNG has extended this initiative to four more robot labs in Musandam and Al Buraimi, and South Al Sharqiya governorates.

“Oman LNG understands the importance of partnering with the community and we are happy to continue playing our role as an establishment that offers result-oriented support as a way of improving the quality of life for everyone in the country,” said Sheikh Khalid Al Massan, chief executive officer of Oman LNG Development Foundation.

C O R P O R AT E S O C I A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

Bandag: A popular retread solution provider MUSCAT: Towell Auto Centre (TAC) a successful division of the WJ Towell group, has established themselves as a trusted and reliable partner in auto industry and aftermarket products with dedicated service of few top-notch brands. TAC has an excellent portfolio of world-class, popular products from across the globe.

TAC is the sole distributor of the popular brand Bridgestone tyres. TAC is also the franchisee of Bandag, the world’s most trusted retread solution provider, which also comes from Bridgestone.

Tyre is a crucial element in auto care. TAC and Bandag are committed towards being cost-effective for their customer, especially for fleets and commercial vehicles.

They hold an excellent track record of satisfied clients. It is highly beneficial for customers to reduce tyre costs while also preserving the environment and without compromising safety.

Continuous research has enabled Bandag to deliver an optimal product in terms of performance, reliability and safety. TAC has its own retreading facility in Oman for truck and bus tyres and offthe-road tyres. TAC is the only one retreading off-the-road tyres in Oman. TAC has a strong support

in Oman was the 2012 Outlander and I can say with confidence that choosing a Mitsubishi again was the right decision. Thumbs up for all the crew and marshals of Team Pajero, who planned the event meticulously; it could not have been better! All the support and driving instructions were precise and relevant. The stay was pleasant and the hospitality extended by the team was very good. Keep up the good work and all the best. I look forward to participating in similar events in future.”

“Although with the first two trips are successfully behind us, we still have more coming up over the next two months. The Team Pajero Adventure has welcomed a growing number of Pajero owners with every passing year and with limited space available per trip, most of which are already booked.

We encourage any Pajero owner still wishing to take part in any of the upcoming trips to register with us at the earliest,” added Manoj.

Oman LNG opens new robot lab in Al Dakhiliyah

from Bandag in terms of products, equipment, integrated technology, technical support and training and other value added solutions. TAC adds to it with its skilled professionals and state-of-art facilities.

“We are happy to share with you that we have already produced and supplied more than 30,000 units of retread truck tyres in Oman, which is a milestone in itself,” said Oommen John, Business head Bridgestone Tyre Division, TAC. He added, “Retreading is highly beneficial for the customer and environment friendly at the same time. Retreads are highly cost effective and Bridgestone new tyre with Bandag retreads will give one of the lowest costs per kilometre in most of the operating conditions prevailing in the country.

“It takes 7 barrels of crude oil to produce a retread Truck and Bus tyre, while it takes 22 barrels of crude oil to produce a new one, so it is environment friendly and we are leaving something for the next generation by using retreads.

100 per cent of the airline industry uses retread tyres and they retread a tyre, six times, on an average.

“If there was a safety concern, they would not use it in aircraft.

Moreover, we offer the same warranty on retread tyres, as for the new ones. The rule in Oman is that all tyres imported into the country needs to have a Gulf Standard Organisation (GSO) certificate, so all the sizes that we produce are sent to GSO for certification and they are certified accordingly before being sold.”

Bank Sohar extends support to Speciality Centre for Autism MUSCAT: Bank Sohar, in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, recently extended its support to the Speciality Centre for Autism.

This donation, which will contribute towards the purchase of essential equipment for use at the centre, is the bank’s first time supporting the organisation and also marks its 24th CSR-related donation of the year. The donation cheque was handed over at the centre to one of its members

by Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, senior AGM and head of Marketing & Customer Experience at Bank Sohar, says a press release.

Commenting on the donation, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, GM of HR and Corporate Support at Bank Sohar said, “Autism, especially in children, needs constant care and rehabilitation in order to overcome any challenges patients may face and to help them learn the academic and life skills needed to be successful in their homes, schools and communities. We at Bank Sohar recognise the importance of the services that The Speciality Centre for Autism, provide and the manner

in which they help create a better future for their beneficiaries.

They are a true asset to the community and one that we are honoured to support.”

With the aim of providing safe and therapeutic environment for the rehabilitation of autistic children, and following the issuance of the decree by the Minis-

try of Social Development, The Specialist Centre for Autism was established. The centre provides a range of facilities and services that are targeted towards encouraging a better understanding of autism, providing specialist services for people with autism, and offering training and assistance to those who care for autistic people.

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AL FAISAL HAS PLENTY TO LEARN IN THE NEW YEAR After two sensational rounds of race action in eighth season of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, a short winter break is unlikely to slow the hectic pace of the most competitive season. >C4

Azhar shines with solid ton on gloomy Melbourne day SCOREBOARD

Pakistan 1st innings S. Aslam c Smith b Lyon 9 Azhar Ali (not out) 139 B. Azam c Smith b Hazlewood 23 Younis Khan b Bird 21 Misbah-ul Haq c Maddinson b Bird 11 A. Shafiq c Smith b Bird 50 S. Ahmed c Renshaw b Hazlewood 10 M. Amir (not out) 28 Extras (b-4, lb-9, nb-1, w-5) 19 Total (6 wkts, 101.2 overs) 310 Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-60, 3-111, 4-125, 5-240, 6-268.

To bat: W. Riaz, Y. Shah, S. Khan Bowling: M. Starc 23.2-6-77-0 (w-1); J. Hazlewood 26-11-33-2; J. Bird 29-5-91-3 (nb-1); N. Lyon 17-1-69-1; S. Smith 3-0-9-0; N. Maddinson 3-0-18-0.

Umpires: Ian Gould, Sundaram Ravi TV umpire: Richard Illingworth Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle

Azhar was 139 not out with tail-ender Mohammed Amir on 28 as a rain-shower cut short another stop-start day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

MELBOURNE: Opening batsman Azhar Ali shone in gloomy conditions with a patient, unbeaten century to guide Pakistan to 310 for six in the second Test against Australia on Tuesday but both sides were left frustrated at the end of a rainblighted second day.

Azhar was 139 not out with tailender Mohammed Amir on 28 as a rain-shower cut short another stop-start day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

After 39 overs were lost on the opening day, the weather wiped out the entire middle session, limiting Australia to two wickets while crimping Pakistan’s hopes of forcing a result to keep the threematch series alive after the tourists lost the opener in Brisbane by 39 runs. Rain aside, Azhar added to Australia’s torment as he summoned all his powers of concentration to shrug off the delays and survive 287 balls.

He and Amir are likely to come

UNBEATEN: Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali, right, celebrates his century as Australia’s captain Steve Smith applauds on the second day of their second Test match in Melbourne on Tuesday. – AFP

out with all guns blazing in the morning to add quick runs and then send Australia in to bat.

“The decision has to be taken by the captain and coach in the morning how we have to play,” paceman Wahab Riaz told reporters.

“But obviously we need to put some runs on the board so we can get some early wickets and put

Australia under pressure.”

Azhar and middle order batsman Asad Shafiq combined for a 115-run partnership and batted through the entire first session as Australia laboured with the old ball reaching the end of its life.

Resuming in the morning on 142 for four, the pair added 90 runs to lunch before Australia broke

CHESS

BOOST FOR GCC CHESS: Board members of the newly-formed Gulf Chess Federation pose for a group photo during a meeting in Al Ain recently. – Supplied photo

Al Najar named vice-chairperson of newly-formed Gulf Chess Federation MUSCAT: The chess chiefs of Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) nations finalised the formation of Gulf Chess Federation at a meeting organised in Al Ain recently.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan, chief of the Asian Chess Federation, and attended by chairpersons and representatives of the GCC Chess Associations.

According to Oman Chess Committee (OCC) chairperson, Laila bint Ahmed Al Najar, ‘the first constituent meeting which led to formation of the Gulf Chess Federation was held thanks to an initiative from the Secretariat General of the Asian Chess Federation, chaired by His Highness sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout al Nahyan’.

“The meeting was fruitful and has shaped the features of the Gulf Chess Federation and has also seen the formation of the first board of the Federation,” she said.

“The Federation would enhance and develop the brotherly relations, cooperation and coordination between the chess associations and committees in the GCC states,” she said.

The meeting has also discussed the items of the constitution of the GCF. The meeting approved the succession system (each term lasting four years) in the Gulf

NEW ROLE: Oman Chess Committee chief Laila bint Ahmed Al Najar was made second vice-chairperson of Gulf Chess Federation.

Chess Federation starting with Bahrain followed by Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and UAE in that order.

Gulf Cup of chess The meeting also approved the organisational structure of the Federation which includes the general assembly comprising representatives of the GCC states but not more than two persons from each body.

The meeting also approved the formation of the Gulf Chess Federation board with Hassan Eid Bokammas, chief of Bahrain Mind Sports Association, as the chairman.

UAE’s Abdulaziz Al Khouri

has been named as the first vicechairman and Oman’s Laila Al Najar as second vice-chairperson.

Kuwait’s Adil Al Omairi has been made the general secretary while Mohammed Al Mudhaihki of Qatar and Othman Al Qasabi of Saudi Arabia are the board members.

The meeting also assigned the GCF board with formation of a technical committee for drafting the rules and regulations of the federation, the programmes and activities for the ture.

The meeting also approved the plans to organise the Gulf Cup Chess Championship for men and women every two years, the first of which will be hosted by the UAE in 2017.

through with the new ball after play finally resumed.

Shafiq tucked seamer Jackson Bird for a single to fine leg to bring up his 50 but was caught in the slips moments later, prodding uncertainly at a seaming delivery off the same bowler.

Captain Steve Smith, who grassed two chances in the first

test win in Brisbane, took his third slips catch of the innings to make Shafiq Bird’s third victim.

The breakthrough lifted the home side’s bowlers, and Josh Hazlewood soon had wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed caught in the slips for 10. Tail-ender Amir came out swinging and was reprieved on one when he sliced a thick edge into

the slips, only for Usman Khawaja to miss the flight of the ball which raced off harmlessly for four.

He beat the slips a number of times in a quickfire innings to add more misery to Smith’s side.

Having taken over 90 balls to strike his first boundary on day one, Azhar opened his shoulders in the morning with a number of crisply struck boundaries.

A short break for rain left him stranded on 96, and Smith introduced himself and Nic Maddinson to bowl some part-time spin in an attempt to dislodge the opener before lunch.

On 99, though, Azhar glanced two runs down the leg-side off Maddinson to bring up the milestone, giving a little hop of joy before embracing Shafiq in celebration. - Reuters

C2

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

SPORTS

Stay ahead of the curve with WhatsNews

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY INSTALL WHATSNEWS

India’s Gurpreet on lookout for bigger clubs in Europe After the high last season, the Punjabi

I have one more season left in Norway, but personally, I would try to move on and explore more opportunities on a bigger level

boy suffered an injury setback at a crucial juncture that scuttled his overseas stint. As per the contract, he has one more season left at Stabaek FC

Gurpreet Singh NEW DELHI: He has broken new ground by becoming the first Indian to play in the Europa League and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu on Tuesday said he will explore and strive to go a notch higher in European club football next year.

After a humble beginning with the AIFF’s developmental side, the 24-year-old Gurpreet went on to become the first Indian to play a competitive game in any European top tier, turning out for Nor-

Indian goalkeeper

wegian team Stabaek FC. “I have one more season left in Norway, but personally, I would try to move on and explore more opportunities on a bigger level, bigger clubs in Europe and if I keep getting those opportunities I will try to explore for sure,” Sandhu, who has age on his side, said.

After the high last season, the Punjabi boy suffered an injury setback at a crucial juncture that scuttled his overseas stint. As per the contract, he has one more season left at Stabaek FC. “Especially with the injury coming in at a bad time... all in all it was an eventful year with a setback due

to injury,” Gurpreet said.

Gurpreet felt the country must try and get its most promising players to ply their trade in places like Europe if it has to improve its standing in international football.

“As short-term goals we need our best players, we need our young players to train in Europe

or anywhere outside India where we can get better facilities, better coaching for instance.

“Until and unless things get sorted in India we need our young players to go outside so that when they come back they help our national team and we do better and Indian football gets benefitted from that.

“In India, developing players is not easy, it’s going to take time.”

All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel had spoken of his desire to see India work towards its objective of qualifying for the World Cup in 2022, and Gurpreet believed it is possible.

“Nothing is impossible in my opinion. No one would have ever though that an Indian would play in Europe two years ago. Thailand is another example. We need to learn from examples around us.”

After being named in India’s 2011 Asian Cup squad as a young goalkeeper, Sandhu has established himself as the number one and is ready to lead the team through qualification for the 2019 Asian Cup. The tall goalkeeper from Mohali was recently nominated for the 2016 AIFF Award for Special Recognition. - PTI

YOUR BIGGEST ROAD HAZARD IS IN YOUR HAND A TIMES OF OMAN HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

CRICKET

Gohel breaks 117-year-old record with unbeaten triple ton JAIPUR: Gujarat’s 26-year-old opening batsman Samit Gohel on Tuesday broke a 117-yearold record in first-class cricket by notching up the highest score while carrying his bat through the innings of 359 not out during his team’s Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Odisha.

While Hanif Mohammed’s epic 499 remains the highest score by an opener in first-class cricket, no one has scored more than Gohel while remaining not out in his team’s score of 641.

Gohel in fact eclipsed the previous best of 357 by Surrey’s Bobby Abel against Somerset way back in 1899 at the Kensington Oval ground.

Gohel’s 723-ball-knock had 45 boundaries and a six but the shy boy from Gujarat’s dairy hub Anand was very unassuming. While the match was dead as a contest on final day but nothing can take away from his effort.

“I did not know it was a world record. The idea was to bat as long as possible. Coach sir (Vijay Patel) and Parthiv bhai (skipper Parthiv Patel) ne bola thaa lamba khelo (said play long innings). I just tried to do that.

I am happy that I could bat this long. Obviously this is the greatest day of my life. I am actually still not able to express myself,” the right-handed batsman said after his knock.

His father Bhanubhai Patel is a real estate property dealer and till now Gohel is happy to call himself a “professional cricketer”.

“My father has a small-time property business. Not very big.

Till date, I have only concentrated on cricket. But yes, I am searching for a government job.

I have applied for sports quota job in Income Tax Department as well as Dena Bank. Let’s see what happens,” Gohel, who lives with his parents and wife, said “Actually, I have not yet been able to call my family and inform them about the world record,” Gohel, who is the first triple centurion opener in last 81 years in first-class cricket to carry his bat through, said.

One of his teammates Priyank Panchal has been the top scorer in this season’s Ranji Trophy and Gohel said Panchal has been an inspiration for him.

“Priyank’s performance and Parthiv bhai’s show against England were an inspiration for all of us. Also I love to bat long.

Even in the nets, I love to bat on and on. This lengthy duration at the nets also helped me in the middle. My childhood coaches Devang Desai and Hiren Patel always told me that temperament is key in first-class cricket,” he said.

For the record, Gujarat made it to the semifinal of the Ranji Trophy. - PTI

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

C3

SPORTS Defiant De Silva keeps Sri Lanka in contention brought Sri Lanka within 105 runs of South Africa’s first innings total of 286 before bad light stopped play

DEFIANT KNOCK: Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva ducks a delivery during the second day of their first Test match against South Africa in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday. – AFP

SCOREBOARD

South Africa 1st innings S. Cook c Chandimal b Lakmal D. Elgar c Chandimal b Lakmal H. Amla c Chandimal b Lakmal J. Duminy lbw Herath F. du Plessis c Karunaratne b Lakmal T. Bavuma lbw Herath Q. de Kock b Pradeep V. Philander c Chameera b Pradeep K. Maharaj c Chandimal b Lakmal K. Abbott run out K. Rabada (not out) Extras (lb-3, nb-5, w-1) Total (all out, 98.5 overs)

59 45 20 63 37 3 37 13 0 0 0 9 286

back control of the contest.

Dimuth Karunaratne was the first Sri Lankan dismissed, getting an inside edge to Abbott and playing onto his stumps to depart for five.

Kusal Perera went next for seven, caught behind by De Kock off

Fall of wickets: 1-104, 2-105, 3-178, 4-213, 5-225, 6-253, 7-276, 8-276, 9-281.

Bowling: S. Lakmal 27-9-63-5; N. Pradeep 21.5-5-66-2 (nb-2); A. Mathews 13-5-26-0 (w-1); D. Chameera 14-1-68-0 (nb-3); R. Herath 20-4-48-2; D. de Silva 3-0-12-0.

Sri Lanka 1st innings D. Karunaratne b Abbott K. Silva lbw Philander K. Perera c de Kock b Philander K. Mendis c de Kock b Abbott A. Mathews c Elgar b Rabada D. Chandimal lbw Philander

5 16 7 0 39 28

Philander, and Kusal Mendis followed soon after without scoring as the wicketkeeper took another diving catch, this time off Abbott’s bowling.

Sri Lanka lost Matthews and opener Kaushal Silva, who had seen three wickets go down before him,

CRICKET

Russell gets CA’s green light to use black bat in Big Bash SYDNEY: West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell was given the all-clear to use his black bat in Australia’s Twenty20 Big Bash League on Tuesday after it was initially banned for leaving marks on the ball.

Russell was banned from using the distinctive bat after it discoloured the white ball during the derby between his Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers last week.

Cricket Australia reversed the ruling on Tuesday after assurances that the bat had been modified with the addition of a “clear laminate cover” to prevent the problem recurring.

“We’re now satisfied that the bat will not compromise the integrity of the game by discolouring the match ball and we have granted approval for Andre to use the bat in any future BBL matches,” said league chief Anthony Everard.

The decision fits with the Big Bash League’s embrace of novelty to attract and entertain crowds but it appears the arrival of the touted

Watford’s mascot upsets Allardyce LONDON: Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw at Watford in the Premier League had a sting in the tail as an argument blew up over the behaviour of the home team’s mascot Harry the Hornet.

Palace forward Wilfried Zaha, booked for diving during the match, reacted angrily after the final whistle when the mascot performed a mock dive at his feet and had to be restrained by staff.

“The mascot was out of order,” Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce told reporters, suggesting that the incident should be investigated. “The Premier League and

The 25-year-old

PORT ELIZABETH: Dhananjaya de Silva enhanced his rapidly-growing reputation with an unbeaten 43 as he kept South Africa’s strike bowlers at bay to see Sri Lanka to 181 for seven in their first innings at the end of the second day of the first Test on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old, who hit a six with his first scoring shot when he made his Test debut against Australia in July, brought Sri Lanka within 105 runs of South Africa’s first innings total of 286 before bad light stopped play for the day.

Sri Lanka had been in serious trouble at 21 for three as their top order was decimated but De Silva’s knock and 39 from captain Angelo Matthews stemmed a possible collapse.

Eleven wickets fell on a day when a bowler-friendly track proved something of a nightmare for batsmen.

Suranga Lakmal claimed career-best figures to help dismiss South Africa in the first hour, completing his first Test match five-wicket haul and finishing with five for 63 as the home side added just 19 runs to their overnight total of 267 for six.

South Africa’s hopes of significantly adding to their score quickly faded as Vernon Philander was dismissed and followed back to the pavilion by Keshav Maharaj and Kyle Abbott, who each faced only three balls and failed to score.

Quintin De Kock was the last South African wicket to fall, out for 37.

South Africa then made quick inroads through the pace duo of Abbott and Philander to wrestle

FOOTBALL

NOVELTY: Andre Russell

December 25 match might have to wait until the 2018-19 season.

Christmas Day has traditionally been a day of rest even for professional sportsmen and women in Australia but Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland, the driving force behind day-night test cricket, is clearly open to the idea.

“I’m not sure we’ll be ready

for it (next year),” he told ABC Radio on Tuesday. I think there is a growing sentiment that it is a possibility.

“We need to think about the right venue for it and we also need to consult widely. I think it is an opportunity, and it’ll be a good thing for the game and for cricket fans around the country.” - Reuters

D. de Silva (not out) 43 R. Herath lbw Maharaj 24 D. Chameera (not out) 7 Extras (lb-4, nb-3, w-5) 12 Total (7 wkts, 57 overs) 181 Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-19, 3-22, 4-61, 5-94, 6-121, 7-157.

To bat: S. Lakmal, N. Pradeep Bowling: V. Philander 16-7-35-3 (nb-2); K. Abbott 18-3-49-2; K. Rabada 13-3-63-1 (nb-1, w-5); K. Maharaj 10-3-30-1.

Umpires: Aleem Dar, Bruce Oxenford TV umpire: Rod Tucker Match referee: David Boon

in the second session and after tea Dinesh Chandimal (28) was given out leg before wicket off a Philander delivery and Rangana Herath (24) similarly trapped by Maharaj.

Play will start 28 minutes early on Wednesday but rain is predicted for some part of the day. - Reuters

FA can look at that and do what they want to do,” he said.

“That’s up to Watford to sort that out really. It could have made the wrong reaction as we know.

The mascot is out of order, isn’t he? If someone is diving, they don’t get that angry. But I’m concerned about my team and the overall performance.”

Watford manager Walter Mazzarri, however, preferred to look at the funny side.

“I think we should laugh all together, football is nice for these things, it doesn’t have to be a drama,” he said. - Reuters

C4

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

SPORTS

FANTASTIC AL FAISAL HAS ‘PLENTY TO LEARN’ IN THE NEW YEAR For young Omani driver the break until Round 3 on January 27 and 28 offers a chance to reflect on the opening two rounds of his debut season in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East as well as time to help prepare for his return

I am thrilled to be sitting at the top of the new Porsche GCC Rookie championship, especially with the other young talented drivers I am up against.

I look forward to returning to the track in January and only hope for much of the same results in 2017

to the track in 2017

A

fter two sensational rounds of race action in eighth season of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, a short winter break is unlikely to slow the hectic pace of the most competitive season in the championship’s history.

The mouth-watering ingredients of a new and expanded grid with 16 drivers’ from 12 different countries, including Oman’s Al Faisal Al Zubair, has proved the perfect recipe for action-packed racing. Four races into the 12-race season and there is nothing to split the top two drivers both sitting level on 90 points each.

It’s just as close throughout the entire field. Less than five points separate the first and second places across gold, silver and bronze categories, and no podium has been the same on any of the four occasions so far.

Even qualifying has proved ridiculously tight. In Dubai less than two seconds divided the first seven drivers on the grid.

For young Omani driver Al Zubair the break until Round 3 on January 27 and 28 at the Dubai Autodrome offers a chance to reflect on the opening two rounds as well as time to help prepare for his return to the track in 2017.

Looking back Al Zubair said: “The championship has been an amazing experience for me so far, and I am very pleased with the way

I have started. Initially I was a bit worried about making the transition from single seaters into the Porsche GT3 Cup car as there is a big difference, however I believe I have started the championship well and can only hope to keep the momentum going.”

Despite the winter break only just starting, already drivers are setting their sights on Round 3 and a return to the Dubai Autodrome for the second of two back to back rounds on the testing UAE circuit.

Especially those who are making their debut in the region’s leading series. Emerging racing stars like Al Zubair are desperate to make use of their fresh experience and will seek to secure allimportant championship points and challenge for silverware.

Current leaders, Qatar-based driver Charlie Frijns and Ryan Cullen of Ireland, sit joint level

Al Faisal Al Zubair Oman racing star

on points at the top of the overall drivers’ standings. Experienced UK driver, Tom Oliphant, will take comfort sitting closely behind in third place. However he will be aware that only 30 points separate him from seventh place in the standings, a great testament to how close the season is.

Al Zubair quickly made himself comfortable within the championship and now looks every bit a serious contender for silverware.

Back to back podium finishes in

the opening round in Bahrain gave him the confidence to launch his Porsche racing career with no fear.

Even a lack of experience at the Dubai Autodrome did nothing to slow his progress as he blew fans away with an overall third place finish in the opening race.

Such pace and early momentum means Al Zubair will be a factor all season long.

He goes into the winter break in fifth position in the overall championship standings, and in first

place in the new Porsche GCC Rookie Championship.

He added: “There is still plenty to learn and in each race so far there has been things I can take away to work on. I am very passionate about my racing and want to achieve the best results possible. The team have been great in getting the car where it needs to be and helping me to feel comfortable out on the track.

“I am thrilled to be sitting at the top of the new Porsche GCC Rook-

ie championship, especially with the other young talented drivers I am up against. I look forward to returning to the track in January and only hope for much of the same results in 2017.”

Speaking on the championship so far, owner of Lechner racing, and founder of the series, Walter Lechner, said: “We have worked very hard to get the championship in a position like this. It is great to see a full grid of 16 cars, and even better not being able to predict where the drivers will finish.

“The competition from the first to the very last car across the finish line is intense and we have seen over the first two rounds that everyone has a chance of winning their category. These drivers are living their dreams and gaining so much from the experience.

“The new drivers have come in and performed very well. With the addition of some of the more fearless younger drivers, each race is more and more thrilling to watch.

This is what motor racing should be about, and bringing this drive, determination, and passion to the Middle East is something that I am very proud of.”

For racing fans in the UAE, the return of the spectacular Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East to the Dubai Autodrome in January will provide the perfect opportunity to follow the championship from the stands, and witness the exhilarating Porsche action first hand.

The championship will not move far for Round 4, remaining in the UAE as drivers descend on the popular Yas Marina, Formula One circuit in Abu Dhabi to mark the halfway stage of the season on February 10 and 11. Bahrain will welcome the drivers back to the home of the Porsche GT3 CCME series for the remaining two rounds, with Round 5 taking place on the March 10 and 11 March and Round 6 taking place in April 2017 in the form of the Bahrain F1 support race.

Championship standings after Race 3 (of 12 races): 1.

Charlie Frijns (QAT) Gold 90 pts, 2. Ryan Cullen (IRE) Gold 90, 3.

Tom Oliphant (GBR) Gold 80, 4.

Dylan Pereira (LUX) Gold 65, 5/ Al Faisal Al Zubair (OMA) Silver 62, 6. Bander Alesayi (KSA) Silver 59.

GCC Rookie Championship standings after Race 3 (of 12 races): 1. Al Faisal Al Zubair (OMA) Silver 62, 2. Isa S. Al Khalifa (BAH) Bronze 40, 3. Isa A. Al Khalifa (BAH) Silver 35, 4. Mohammad Al Saud (KSA) Bronze 30.

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M W E D N E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

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W E D N E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

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DAILY GUIDE

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Interested candidates please Contact: 00968 – 92225523

FOR SALE 7D Cenema for sale 6 seat hydraulic, 7D cenema full system for sale.

Contact: 99737527 Villa Shatti Al Qurum area 920 SQM. Contact: 95202430 Industrial land AL Misfah Boushar area 30.000 SQM attractive location. Contact: 95202430 Well running reputed travel agency for sale. Contact: 97992388 Twin Villa for sale in Azaiba near Sultan Centre. Each side has three floors, five bedroom plus maid room. Each room has it’s own bathroom and one extra toilet between dining and sitting room. The villas are now about 5 years old and very clean and well maintained. It has split A/C’s. OMR 215,000 each villa. Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955.

No Brokers Please.

Dental clinic for sale in Seeb.

Contact: 92882209 / 96373097 400 square meters residential land in Al Ghubra south near Millenium Hypermarket. OMR 134 thousand.

Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955. No Brokers Please.

603 sq mtrs residential land in Al Hail North Block 45 NE near Radio station. OMR 96 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 - or 97509955. No Brokers Please

BUILDING MATERIAL SHOP FOR SALEWell-furnished running building material-electrical shop (4 shutter / 200sqm) in Al- Khoudh6, for immediate sale- shop with stock or stock only. Serious buyers may please Contact: 94320909 Industrial land in Rusail.4000 sqm. Contact 99323957 / 95490842.

Land for sale in the village of Bimmah on the coastal road Qurayat/ Sur with a space of 604 square meters for an attractive price.

Contact 92905222 Shop for sale heart of Ruwi good, for mobile shop, fast food, near Happy Center. Contact: 99335013 / 96728595 Beauty parlour for sale in Ruwi.

Contact: 92430239

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

BUYING Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

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

Contact: 93708595 Wanted a family shared accommodation for Senior Executive Bachelor in Ruwi-Wuttayah area.

Please contact: 93708595

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished room CBD area for Executive bachelor free Wi-Fi, advance deposit. Contact: 90631572 Executive single rooms available single room with A/C, bath attached and sharing available at Rex Road for non cooking Indian bachelor from 1st January 2017.

Contact: 99116286 One big room attached bathroom, sharing, kitchen near OK center Ruwi. Contact: 99716056 Fully furnished beautiful flat with Wi-Fi& allfacilities in prime location opposite Zubairautomotive,Azaiba for sharing now and can take over after few months. Contact: 98185350 Room for rent near Hamriya R/A for executive bachelor, Sharing kitchen. Contact 99640850, 97983501, 97443614 Furnished rooms with kitchen at ruwi. Contact : 91214897 Sami furnished sharing Accommodation, 2 rooms with Ac, attached bath for a small Muslim family. Only 150/RO. At Wadi Kabir in front of Baladia Masjid, Contact #: 92758923 Master bedroom with big kitchen for family near ISM. Contact: 92120492 Furnished attached room in Mumtaz area. Contact: 99743709 Room for Rent for Filipinos, New Building near City Seasons Hotel, KM and Teejan Furnishing Spacious and safe. Accessible to public transport.

Call 97728418

ACC. AVAILABLE Single room with kitchen & bathroom MBD Ruwi.

Contact: 95698714 Rooms available in Azaiba for family or Bachelor. Contact: 92887809 / 93211417 Sharing accommodation in W/K. Contact: 94986587 Spacious semi furnished room with separate bathroom for Executive bachelor Opp. O.C. Centre Ruwi. Call : 90611670 Furnished room sep / entrance Wadi Kabir Executives. #99336206 Room for rent available at Al Khuwair. Contact: 91512037 Furnished room in ruwi and azaiba for rent for executive bachelors. Gsm 99058344 Sharing accommodation available with W/E at Al Khuwair 33.

For a small family or non-cooking bachelors. Contact - 92834145 Furnished room for non cooking bachelor near Softy Ice cream, Ruwi. Contact 91107383 / 93120054 Sharing accommodation available at honda road Ruwi. #99040590

MATRIMONIAL Nair boy, 26 yrs Revathy, Alleppy dist, B.Tech working as planning / project Engineer in Oman, 4 yrs seeks suitable alliance.

Contact: 94232342 / 99065898

Party & Wedding equipment rentals. Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. ww.tunesoman. com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

MV SALE Toyota Corolla, 2009,1.800cc.

Contact: 97692959 Nissan Pathfinder, 2015 Model brown colour, 65k Mulkiya valid till 21 Aug 2017 for immediate sale.

Contact: 92820174 Toyota Corolla 2016, white colour 8000 km, 4300 R.O. Contact:: 92811110 2015 Model Mitsubishi Pajero 3.8 (12,500 Kms) & Kia Rio (15,000 Kms) for Sale. Contact: 91257475 Honda Accord 2008 model, 4 cylinder, number 1 full options with navigation/ camera, full insurance. No accident history, 1640000 km, well maintained.

OMR 3300/-. Contact –95919059 Dihatsu Terrios Trend 4WD, 2012 Registration, dealer service registration up to August 2017.

Contact No: 92812144

MATRIMONIAL Sunni Muslim (Urdu) girl B.E, M.B.A 26 years invites alliance from Tamil Nadu Bengaluru.

Contact: 99502581 Keralite Muslim boy, 33 years, height 5’ 9” cm working as Marketing Executive (MBA) in Muscat invite suitable proposal.

Contact: 99179693 / 99449341 Keralite Nair boy, 31 yrs, working in Muscat, looking suitable alliance from Nair family.

Contact: 93764602

D4

W E D N E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

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

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

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

SALES SUPERVISOR/SALES COͳORDINATOR with Omani driving license HELPERS ͳ Experience 3 to5 years

Contact - 90372638

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION VACANT

Urgently Required

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

Interior designer

Contact 99466062

(female) for promoting various types of processed and design glass in the local market.

Minimum 5 years experience with valid driving license is preferred.

Interested candidate may please send their CV to

vaccancyabn@gmail.com

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

Contact:+968-90656997

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

MBA Finance Indian 25 Male 2 years experience seeking opportunities in Finance sector. Immediately available.Contact:92498840 sachu_0318@yahoo.com

An IATA travel agency announces the following jobs

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

1. Reservation & Ticketing Staff 2. Sales Executive The candidate must be qualified / computer skills / experienced.

Send your CV to : vacancy2017job@hotmail.com

VACANCIES

Urgently required for group co.

Chartered Accountant with minimum 4 years experience as Senior Accountant with tally knowledge, driving license and NOC. Email: hr@cityvago.com

Printing Press requires

Graduate in Commerce with 10 years experience, must have Oman working experience with valid Oman driving license. Interested candidates send resume to hr@aljood-oman.com

Interested send CV on jobavailable2016@hotmail.com

Accountant 2-3 years experience.

Candidate should be Indian, English speakers. NOC is a must.

Email: mohammad.jwabreh@ bearingcitysc.com. Fax: 24509312

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

Contact: 95089844

DRIVER Wanted expert Driver.

Contact: 97165972

ENGINEER SURVEYOR /DRAFTSMAN ITI Surveyor with 2 years experience in Oman in OHL transmission lines with valid D/L and knowledge in drafting preferred # 93339586 Email: hromancv@gmail.com Required Civil Engineer & Commercial Secretary (UK, USA, Germany), Mechanical Engineer, MEP Engineer, HVAC Technician, Plumbers.

Email : joboman2017@gmail.com

EDUCATION/TRAINING A Well known bilingual private school is in need of Computer, English, Mathematics, Science and Kindergarten teachers.

Contact: +968 71168943 Email: staffing.oman@gmail.com

MEDICAL Care Medical Centre (Al Seeb) requires General Practitioners & Pharmacists. Email : muscat.medicalcarecentre@gmail.com Wanted female & Male Nurse with or without license (good salary, food & accommodation with other benefits. Contact 92989109, Email: medicoport@gmail.com Required Optometrist for a leading Optical group in Oman.

Email : albasilopticals@gmail.com Contact 93822557 Muscat wants GP, staff Nurse holding MOH license & Receptionist (Omani) Contact 97698004 email: medicare@fusionlogicoman.com

experience

Graphic Designer, Digital Printing.

MEDICAL Urgently needed female dermatologist (priority for Omani) with minimum five years experience.

Please and CV to elicirhealthcenter@yahoo.comP.S details of salary and benefits will be sent after submitting the CV Required female Dentist, Nurses, Pharmacist, Lab Technician for a Polyclinic at Ibra.

Contact 71100596, joharaajmal2016@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Dynamic professional (research / management science / finance / investmentbanking background– min 5 years experience), with strong analytical and presentation skills. Email: omanplacements@gmail.com Candidates with the following should apply: Previous experience in a similar, working for a security company Proven experience of designing and estimating large integrated CCTV, Access Control, and Perimeter detection systems.

Detailed technical knowledge of database and operating security systems associated with CCTV, access Control, with Oman license.

Send CV by mail info@sahabit.com We are looking for Admin & Sales officer for our company.

Send your CV to Email: alsarooj@omantel.net.om Urgent required : Store labors.

Candidate should be Indian, English speakers. NOC is a must.

Email: mohammad.jwabreh @bearingcitysc.com, Fax: 24509312

SKILLED LABOUR Required Experienced Auto Electrician and Automobile Mechanic for a reputed service station.

Contact : 91232638 hashim@ramainvestment.com

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

Contact :-96370022

Sr Accountant M.B.A (Finance) with 18 years experience seeks suitable Job Mob No 93363435

Accounts Manager looking for job in accounts or finance, 4 years Oman exp with accountancy degree & Omani D/L with NOC available.

Contact: 95661169 Email: moshin_zaman4u@hotmail.com

Male / Female job opportunities

Accountant with experience in Tally and finalization independently. Good English communication skill. Send CV to arabhealth@alhakkim.com

Experienced business development investment consultant with 10 years experience in the financial management field, holds a masters degree in finance and management from the UK. Contact: 90157073

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

Contact: info@anwaarfahud.com

ACCOUNTS

ACCOUNTS

SALES / MARKETING Looking for a Filipino Salesman, in retail sector/food items, Muscat. hold a bachelor’s degree, 5 years’ experience, age: less than 30, ready to start immediately.

Contact 24502662 or send CV to: receptionist@mescooman.com A leading Trading group is looking for sales executives with driving license & release / NOC. Email CV to alhajoil@omantel.net.om or Fax: 24701683 Looking for Salesman with GCC D/L printing press experiences.

Email: info@alsahib.net

Required well experienced dynamic candidate in Real Estate Evaluation Field beside Building Management Techniques.

Contact 91246444, Email: rescooman@gmail.com Looking for an Expat staff, with experience in Oman in real estate field. Email: aburashid94dd@gmail.com Required Marketing / Sales person with oil & gas field experience of 2 years minimum.

Send CV : watad.llc@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED INDIAN male, BBA graduate and diploma in IATA Cargo Supply Chain and Transport Modes with DGR Initial Category 6.Holds Omani driving license. Presently in family visa, seeks suitable placement in Cargo section.

Contact :-96370022

Indian female, 27 years, MBA in Finance, currently pursuing ACCA, having 10 months voluntary job experience as accountant looking for suitable placement. #94388910, E- mail Id: sowmya.vs1989@gmail.com

Indian Male (25), BSc Electronics, M.B.A seeking suitable openings, Having 3 years’ experience in, sales and Marketing of financial products with Oman Driving License. Contact 94774550

Indian male 34 yrs, MBA-HR with 10.9 yrs.exp. in Recruitmen t,Training,PMS,OD,Sites-HR and Omani nationals development, seeking a job, NOC available.

Contact saiprasad_18@yahoo.com 94179499

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

33 years Indian Male MBA-HR & MSC having 8.9 yrs Exp (HR- operation/ SAP/ Admin) with Oman Driving License. Seeking suitable opening in Human Resource, Payroll & Admin/backend jobs.

Contact:+968 99322978 /94129291

Indian/male (26)/CA finalist and b.com/3 years experience in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa. available for immediate joining.

Contact: 98078321, email: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com

Indian male BE Mechanical Engineer with two and a half years experience in production department, searching suitable job.

Contact no: 9500927480

Indian/male(26)/ca finalist and b.com/3 years experience in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa, available for immediate joining.

Contact: 98078321 email: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com Indian female, holds masters in business administration (MBA) & LLB, 2 yrs oman experience as hr & admin, seeks suitable placement in jobs @ Sohar, Falaj.

Contact 96541959 Indian Male, 26 years. B. Tech (Civil ) Having 4 years experience as Project Engineer ¸ Site Engineer & Quantity surveyor. Good knowledge in Planning and arranging works and sites. Estimation, drawing, Billing and project management.

AUTO CADD, STAAD, MS Office and various software packages. #99334770/ 997 43 709 Mechanical Engineer/ HVAC/ Indian: 1year experienced mechanical engineer with piping engineering & quality control certification, on visit visa. email:nishadphoenix@gmail.com Contact: 90957740

Male Accountant, MBA (Finance) 5 years Experience including UAE and India up to finalization Available immediately (On Visit).

Contact: 91704866, Email: anees0989@gmail.com Indian male 23 Fresh Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP. Contact : 9586 1251, Email : mdajaib@yahoo.com Indian Male 15 years gulf experience in HR / Admin Assistant, Purchase, Office Coordinator with good computer skills seeking employment for suitable position. Holding valid Oman Driving license. Contact 99709336 A Filipino female searching for a job, with 3month visit visa.exp January 2017.hospitality and sales job will be a Good offer to me.

Contact no:98271658 Indian Male,B.COM having 4+Years of experience in OMAN with Valid Oman Driving License.

Experienced in Accounts & Sales, looking for an opportunity in Sales or Accounts.

Mob:- 94106834 email:- jobhuntmuscat@gmail.com.

Indian Chartered Accountant 14+ years experience in Accounts & Finance working in Muscat looking for suitable change with Oman driving license and NOC Available.

Contact: 97728130 Email : vinoth77ca@gmail.com Indian CA 20+ years Gulf experience, finance / accounts external Audit MIS budgets cost / internal control cash flow Oman tax finalization Oracle / Tally seeks job, NOC available with valid D/L. Contact: 99104151, 95140332 Accountant male holder of Diploma Chartered Accountancy Inter have 4 years experience in finance, available at Muscat, join immediately. Contact: 79049355 / 99220572 PG in commerce male more than 8 yrs experience in purchase in Oman D/L, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 99145776 Accounts Executive B.com and MBA (finance) India, 4 years experience (per forms accounts payable&accountreceivable function,recording all receiptsand payment activities on daily basis, bank reconciliation statement.

Now in Oman on visit visa.

Contact: 91066314 Email: seenimdb3@gmail.com Accountant 5 years experience with NOC Contact: 90590040 International certified credit management with 5+ years in international debt recovery validation of credit insurance claims familiar with international trade & banking standards incoterms, UCP600 , URC 500 , export documentation, languagesArabic & English. Contact: 94310453

Indian (M), Qualified CPA, CMA, CIA (USA), MBA (Finance) & M.Com, 15 years’ experience in Finance, Accounting & Audit, (3 years in Oman) looking for suitable Senior/Middle level position in Finance/Accounting/Audit. NOC available.

E-mail soji_ansu@yahoo.com, mob – 91595436 Experienced business development and investment consultant with 10 years experience in the financial management field. Holds a masters degree in finance and management from the UK. Contact : 90157073 Indian male MBA (finance) Accounts, Customer service, 2 yearsExperience.(Dubai Airport) Iran Airlines. GCC driving licensevalid till 2025. On Visit Visa (Till 20 Dec 2016).Looking for suitable job. Contact – 71093532. Emailmirzahassanbaig89@gmail.com Experienced Indian female 23 B.Com with computer application on visit looking for suitable position. Contact: 94964860 / 92436404 Indian male, B.Com, MBA in Finance, 4 yrs in Larsen & Tourbo, 26 yrs in Oman, English/ Arabic speaking with driving license.

NOC available. Contact 95588565 Indian male 22 B.Com looking for job in accounting or data Operation special interest in accounts will be happy to hear from you.

Contact: 90758030 Email: uttiawesome@gmil.com Finance Manager B.Com, CA, CIA, 10+ years experience Indian.

Contact: 94641805 Chartered Accountant Indian B.Com, CA , CIA 10+ years experience Tally, Focus, Sap, Oracle.

Contact: 94641805 Indian male, 27 yrs, Asst. Audit Manager 3 years experience in accounts & audit in India B.Com + CA (Inter) 1st Group qualified looking for a suitable job. Contact: 0091 8281358224 / 00968 90687772 Email: pradeepsasidharan4@ rediffmail.com Accountant 8 Years Experience with D/L and NOC. #97712084 Indian male 34 yrs looking for Accounts Asst job, Oman with valid driving license Cont. 92092486, email: sagarjohn28@gmail.com Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman.

Ready to join immediately.

Contact 98263394 Finance manager, MBA finance 21 yrs of MNC contracting experience, looking for a job thorough knowledge in MIS Ext/ Int Audit, tax budget, trade finance, system implementation etc.

Contact: 94652975 Email: ramu2587@hotmail.com Certified Public Accountant (Filipino, Male, 27-yrs-old) with four years experience, seeking suitable placement in accounting/audit, currently on visit. Contact 94959606, email: czesar.42@gmail.com

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

Email: worksite.tinson@gmail.com

28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement. #90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

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

Indian male 45 looking for a job in Car driving. Oman License from last 20-22 years. Contact 9961 3513, Email : Miqbal.kaa@gmail.com

Indian (M) MBA (f) more than 6 years of experience in accounts, proficiency in various A/C software SAP (F1/CO) seeking for suitable placement.

Contact: 95920740 Email Id: abdulhameed1527@gmail.com Accountant with experience in Tally and finalization independently. Good English communication skill. Send CV to arabhealth@alhakkim.com Accounts part time services available to handle all accounts up to finalization on monthly basis and finalization works.

Contact: 96247295 Sudanese Accountant, Alexandria University Graduate bachelor of commerce Diploma of Marketing professional photographer worked in PR and social media for 2 years looking for a job in public relations media, social media or marketing.

Contact 96976240

General Accountant, MBA (Financial Management) Having 8+ Year Experience in Accounts of UAE. Qualified Accounting Software TALLY, QUICK BOOK ETC. On Visit.

Contact 9526 8360, Email. Sheikhs786.qh@gmail.com Part time qualified experienced Accountant available.

Contact 91126314 Part time Accountant, 7 yrs Gulf experience available 8.00 AM to 1.00 PM FRI &SAT. Contact: 97895741 ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in finance. Contact 99284193 Indian, Kerala Male B.COM & B.PE, Currently on Visit Visa. Looking for a suitable job in Accounts, Store Keeper, Sales etc. Ready to join as early as possible. Contact 96988923 email:- sajith3969@gmail.com 8 yrs exp. in Admin & Accounts (3 yrs in Oman), MBA, exp. in Tally ERP 9, Indian (F) seeks placement.

Contact 97243806

W E D N E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED Sr. Accountant with SAP/ERP. 11yrs experience in Accounts & Finance in Gulf.

5years in reputed Oil & Gas company; Finalization & Consolidation FS, MIS, Audit, Budget, AP & AR, Tax, etc., Indian Male, Post-graduation, Oman D/L and NOC available.

Please contact: 931 42923 ADMIN

ACCOUNTS Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa. Immediately available.

Contact 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com Qualified and experienced MBA post graduate with proven work exposure in Middle East & India, having more than 5.5 years of rich experience in accounts , project coordination and administration in (3.5 years UAE experience) oil and gas projects is currently looking for suitable job. Contact 93953613, Email-allen.mathew83@gmail.com Indian male age 26, Accountant one year experience in accounts looking for suitable job. Contact Email: anishkhan991867@gmail. com Mobile: +968 9565 9415 Indian male 26 years Graduated having over all 5 years experience in Accounts ware house fields sales & marketing, NOC available.

Contact 95307619 / 92237173 Indian, Kerala, CMA-USA, ICWA, Mcom 10+Years Experience Budgeting Planning MIS Accounts&finance.Cont.94064931shijupnarayanan@gmail.com Indian female 28 yrs B.Com 4 yrs experience in MNC’s currently in Muscat seeking suitable placement in Finance / Admin.

Contact :94743790 7 Years experience as Financial Analyst, MBA in finance. Responsibilities- research contributor, financial statement analysis, generating MIS & efficiency report, managing TAT, business & clients.

On visit visa in Muscat.

Contact 90191628 / 96175780 Indian female, 26 years,brought up in oman,M.COM(FINANCE) CA Foundation(CPT),CA , INTER (DOING) presently on family visa seeking for immediate and suitable placement.

Contact -97174201/99663957 Email-anishasasi@gmail.com Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement.

Contact 94879615, Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com Part time Accountant up to finalization auditing. # 93598736 Accountant B.com Indian male 12 yrs exp seeks suitable job.NOC available . Contact : 91212471 Email: rennyj6@gmail.com Omani female Accountant, 32 years, having 10 years exp in admin/accounts seeks suitable placement. Contact: 93295953 Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement.

Contact 94879615, Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com Indian (M), 31 yrs, M Com 9 yrs experience in Oman, looking for Manager or Executive position in Fin & Accounts, NOC Available.

Contact 96166178/+919768537435: mohammednajeem@yahoo.com Finance Manager, 17 + years Gulf exp. in Accounts, MIS, budgets, strategic planning, cost control, cash flow management, seeks job.

Contact 99489784, E mail :- vijay.564@hotmail.com

ADMIN Omani lawyer & legal adviser experience in Business administration,HR, staff training.

Contact: 97243393 Email: mum30033@yahoo.com Omani male (HR or PRO) having 06 years experience and have diploma in business management looking for a suitable position.

Contact: 99460164 Omani experience on reception, admin PRO seeks job.

Contact: 96495545 / 96184616

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 8 years experience in administration and guest relations department in Oman With valid omani driving licence. Seeking suitable jobs. Ph: 98145825 email: getcb@rediffmail.com

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN Free lance / part time autocad works / make boq 2d /3d arch , structural, shop drawings interior drawings. Contact 97103168 mkgroupoman@gmail.com Interior designer seeking job in Muscat with 6 years of related experience as an interior designer with a strong background in work place interiors. Contact: 91291502 Email: ahmad.jassem025@gmail. com

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

Indian male experience Graphicdesigner and VFX artist on visit visa Ruwi. Contact: 97792661 Email: georgejosec5@gmail.com

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

Contact: 99730141

INDIAN male Civil Draughtsman/ Designer with 8 years’ experience (6 years in Oman and 2 years in India) seeks placement. NOC available. Contact 96796138.

Indian male 24 years BBA currently on visit visa looking for suitable job in accounts Administration customer logistic operations etc ready to join as early as possible.

Contact: 96987802

Indian male, having wide experience of 4 years in GCC & 5 years in India for 3 D interior &exterior designing , AutoCAD drafting & NOC available &ready to join immediately. Contact: 91282841 Email: thankijb@gmail.com

8 Years Experienced Graduate Omani Female presently working as Administration Manager in a reputed group Company, supervising HR and other administration activities, liaisoning with Ministries and other Government departments looking for suitable opening in a progressive professional organization. Contact: 91727742 Administrator B.Com with D/L on release, 30 years India & Gulf experience in office. project documentation & logistics.

Contact: 92324789 / 97281023 Filipino HRD especialist /material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817 Young Omani male have experience 12 years as P.R.O, CLERK Helper Supervisor Admin Supervisor, H.R Manager have vocational M.B.A diploma in H.S.E, IT and P.D.O license, looking for H.R position or P.R.O part time or full time.

Contact: 95933288 Egyptian woman resident, considerable experience in the Administration and Secretarial Executive for company.

Contact : 97221126 Omani, male, 26 yrs experience looking for job in reputed Companies as PR, having experience at airport / Emigration, Ministries/ Manpower with Oman D/L. Contact 95445779 MBA, HR Managerial professional, 10 yrs, International Comprehensive exp (8 yrs in GCC) in developing / managing HR systems in MNC organizations competency areas: recruitment, organizational, development, performance management, compensation & benefits, polices, operations, strategy, GCC Law & HRIS, available to join immediately.

Contact: 00974 (Qatar) 55375005 Email: shabeermalik@yahoo.com

ARCH./ INTERIOR DEC.

AutoCADcivil 3D draftsmenhaving 5 yrshighwaydraughting5 yrsarchest, drafting looking for suitable job. Contact: 93243262 knowledge of site measurement Free lance Autocad works experienced (arch, struct, MEP, shop drw) rate a0/a1 sheet ( 10-17 OMR) ph : 97103168.

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

DRIVER Light duty driver, 3 yrs exp, seeks placement. Contact: 97829730 Light duty driver seeks placement. Contact: 96381406 Heavy duty driver seeks placement. Contact: 94939865 / 79039204 Driver looking for job.

Contact: 91788481 / 92231714 Driver with car. Contact: 99716938 / 96048707 Indian light driver having 2 years experience in Oman, know language,Hindi,English& Arabic need job. Contact: 97366822 Light driver available in Muscat, exp 1 year,language: English,Arabic & Hindi.

Contact: 91432028 Bangladeshi Male, 1 yr exp, D/L. Contact: 95496766 20 years experience, educated driver, Keralite.

Contact: 99062400 Light duty Driver with car Honda Civic, 2005, 6 years experience.

Contact: 91898658 / 90744740 Pakistani light driver job, 7 yrs exp. Contact: 92754283 Driver with car, 6 years experience. Contact: 93961503 / 96448004

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

Searching job for light driver, with 1 yr experience. Contact: 94496620

Architect Engineer seeking for suitable job, 8 years experience.

GSM : 96075000, Email : haytham_201046@yahoo.com

1 years exp D/L male 28 yrs, looking driver job. Contact: 94338977

CATERING 20 years experience in Saudi Arabia, Arabiccook, English cook , China cook, Indian cook, experience in Saudi Arabia Hospital.

Contact: 96167890

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman.

Please Contact: 96489798, (+974) 66653780

Male 40 yrs, 15 yrs exp, D/L seeking job (Sales & driving) English, Hindi, Arabic. Contact: 97003340

Driver job wanted. Contact: 96393082 Indian male 42 yrs UAE , QTR 24 years road work experience looking for good post, with driving license, on visit visa. Contact: 91177203 Driver with car have good experience in Oman. Contact: 94039796 Driver with 2 years experience in job looking for job. Contact: 93374969 / 93721242 Looking for job light driving.

Contact: 93779819 Looking for job exp having driving license. Contact: 97363138

DRIVER Looking for driving job with care Honda accordwithoutcar have experience 5 years & language know Hindi & Arabic. Contact: 97747243 Gulf experienced Indian Driver with valid heavy / light Oman license seeks any suitable driving or other job. Contact: 94201010 Driver looking for job.

Contact: 95892363

Experienced IT Professional with over 20 years in Oman.

Can manage ERP systems, Hardware, Network, Wi-Fi and Biometric Devices.

Contact # 92839516

5 years Gulf exp. Contact: 96658456 Indian male 26 years Mechanical Engineer with 2 yrs exp in Oman.

Looking for suitable placement.

Contact - 91328079

An Iraqi civil with more than 30 years experience in (Iraq and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C) available. Contact: 96561306 Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine. Available NOC release. #92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com

Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com

Indian male Civil Engineer 1.6 yrs exp, having Omani D/L, looking for suitable position. NOC available.

Contact – 92157694 / mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com

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

Contact: 90271794

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

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

Contact: 24814231 / 91941545

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

Contact 96789711

HSE Officer 6 yrs experience in building construction safety seeking suitable position currently on visit visa. Contact: 90595885 / 71140487 Electrical Engineer (Indian) diploma 13 years exp (4 yrs Oman) valid Oman driving license, NOC Available seeking suitable placement. Contact: + 968- 98858299 /+ 91- 7012968344 Email:jm_thomas23@yahoo.com Indian female B.Tech Civil engineer having experience as quantity surveyor and having knowledge in primavera , 3DS Max, AutoCAD etc seeking for a suitable job.

Contact: 95737185 Email: elizabethvinod8@gmail.com 12 Years experience, Indian CIVIL/ STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, Roads and Building, ETABS, SAFE, STAAD, Driving license with NOC. 90232011, rashtomi@yahoo.co.in Indian male BE mechanical engineer CSWIP, 4 years gulf experience in visit visa having Qatar driving license. Contact: +968 96550807 Email: vishnusohanlal@gmail.com Electronics Engineer in project & sales with 4 years GCC experience having Oman driving license looking for a job. Contact: 92103711 Master in Civil Engineering with

B.E Mechanical Engineer, age 24 with almost 1 year experience as Production Shift Engineer, has achieved training on HVAC Engineering design and has good hands on software like AutoCAD and HAP.Currently in Oman on a visit visa, looking for a suitable placement.Contact: 95065955 email: mjs.jazeb@gmail.com Indian male 24 fresh mechanical engineer looking for a job in mechanical field special interest in QA, QC NDT on visit visa.

Contact: 93487822 B.Sc Civil Engineer 5+ years experience in Building construction & Steel structural building with having valid D/L. Contact: 93850440/ shahadat033@gmail.com Oil & Gas experienced Indian engineer available in Oman for business development, sales, marketing, with 10 years experience handling multinationals in Oman.

Previously 10 years experience in PDO. Contact- 9490 2691 B.Tech Chemical, female Engineer with five years of experience from Hindalco and Honeywell looking for suitable job related to Chemical Engineering & teaching. #71121608 or seemi.alam@gmail.com Indian female M.Tech biotechnology seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 91287047 Email: valliammai1000@gmail.com

Arch’l Site Engineer more than 15 years exp in Saudi Arabia & Oman (finishing & marble field).

Contact: 91220168

Electrical Engineer with experience, 9 years in Oman.

Contact: 98148034

Biotechnology Engineer with valid Oman D/L job suitable placement. Contact: 92839983

Telecom Engineer exp in CCTV camera & Security systems, D/L available. Contact: 93513927

MBA B. Tech (Information Technology) male technical course M.S office,Computerhardware, 4 months exp. Contact:93965132 / 99040662 Email: mshihab27@gmail.com

Keralite (m) Electrical engineer seeks placement. Contact: 92757534 Email: arundevd588@yahoo.com

Civil Engineer B.Tech(Civil) Oman driving license AutoCAD Microsoft office more than six years experience in construction of building & villas and cad projects contractors and consultants.

Contact: 00968 – 98382247 Audio Visual Technician for Audio visual installation works and live events. Tel 24489847, info@tunesoman.com Civil Eng B.SC holder 6 yrs exp in Oman having D/L. Contact: 93654862 Electrical B.Tech Indian 26, 3 years exp in PLC/ SCADA IND. automation &supervision.

Contact: 97207570 / 90481773 Electrician Indian male 9 year’sexp, seeking suitable position currently in visit visa.

Contact: 94736540 BE mechanical Eng, PG diploma in piping &plant, immediately available, on visit visa. #95486659 Email: akashmw50@gmail.com Indian female, MCA,BCA, oracle certified 6month training in data warehousing PHP, SQL,PLAQL, UNIX, seeking job at good company. Contact: 95694330 Email: monakashyap001@gmail.com

abdallah.baloch@outlook.com Contact: 96116969

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Bangladeshi male light driver exp 16 years looking for job.

Contact: 99165961

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

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

Pakistani male 26, Civil Engineer D.A.E diploma holder with 3 years experience in Pakistani 1 year experience in Oman, seeking placement. Contact: 90617305 Email: wasimiqbal324@gmail.com 10 years of experience in all kind of electronics service & repair and electrical & plumbing work.

Contact 93980952 Looking for suitable placement. Indian Male 36 yrs Machineshop sales and service, repair and maintenance mechanical equipments & jobs. Noc available, Oman D/L Available Working in Oman for 5+ years. 98481039, anand27kumar@gmail.com Looking for Civil Engineer job, with 5 years experience in ministry project, good command in AutoCAD MS Excel and establishing BOQs. Contact: 97478804 HSE / Safety professional having more than 15 years of experience in oil & gas airport & building construction safety seeking suitable position in HSE. Contact: 99206389 Graduate female, with driving license, looking for a suitable position. Contact: 96234434 Civil Engineer, B.Tech, Indian with 1 year experience in Oman seeking suitable placement, NOC available from sponsor. Contact: 91702450 Email: tijoct2015@hotmail.com

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

Contact – 90164912 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 Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).Looking for a Suitable position. Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa. Contact: 92157694. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Electronics Systems Engineer (UK Graduate) with skills in Robotics programming languages IC, PCB designing seeking suitable position Indian female on visiting visa. Contact: 95806296 Email: s.dinesh1508@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech, male, Keralite, having 1 year experience, certified in Primavera and catia, on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact+ 968 94959233 / +968 97474225 Email: anandsunil94@gmail.com Civil Engineer 10 years experience working in International company, Infrastructure & building construction having Omani driving license.

Contact: 96616396.

Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 Ph : 92279784 Mechanical/ Piping Engineer (B.Tech.) on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 94703350 Email: nadeembcoolboy@gmail. com Fresher cloud Engineer.

Contact: 98207829 Sudanese civil Engineer master holder with 6 years experience.

Contact: 99636424 Indian male, B.E Mechanical with 2 years experience as Maintenance Engineer in Cochin Refinery and 1 year experience in Chevrolet seeking job. Contact : 97964862, Email:jossyabraham20@gmail.com Need for job industrial Electrical technician with Oman driving license, earlier experience in the oil field. Contact: 91285302 / 96348016 Electrical Engineer Indian male 30 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Construction Machinery repairs Engineer, 5 years, driving license, Contact - 94001961 Sr. Electrical Engineer with17+ yrs of exceptional exp in spear heading strategic planning and project management initiatives & executing various high rise residential & commercial building as well as roads and highway project with proficiency in installation, seeking a challenging position in a dynamic organization. Contact 96570891 Civil Engineer (Indian male) 5 years experience in Oman with valid Omani driving license & NOC looking for suitable opportunity.

Contact: 93101283 Indian male 24 ,B.E ( E.C.E ) graduate with 3 years of experience in the fields of BMS and Low current systems and has good knowledge about Electronic Security Systems, currently working in Oman, NOC Available. Contact: 94737033/ mohdmuhafez45@gmail.com

D6

W E D N E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

IT

MEDICAL

Electrical Engineer, 24 yrs, Indian Male, Fresher, Training Undertaken in Electrical Draughtsman, Fire Alarm, Fire Fighting and Industrial Automation.

Contact: 94989767, Email: Junaiz987@gmail.com

A telecommunication and Network Engineer with 3 years experience in the field.

Contact : + 968 98832649 Email: mohammed.abutamam@gmail.com

Indian lady, BSC Nurse with MOH seeking job. Contact: 92726762

Electrical & Electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit.

Contact: 93837973

Indian Male, MCA Graduate, 15 yrs exp in ERP, CSM Certified, seeking suitable role.NOC Available.

Contact : GSM : 90189284 Email: meetlibran@gmail.com

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

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

Contact 98660672

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

IT Engineer male, 28 yrs, over 7 yrs experience with NOC, D/L available seeking placement in IT / Network / Telecom field.

Contact 93563297 Email: monuzv24@gmail.com

Indian male, Structural Engineer looking for job in structural design field. Having 6 years of experience in design field. Residing in Muscat.

Contact - 91176187 Email: syam036@gmail.com

Looking for IT &Administration job, more than 5 years experience.

Contact: 97619211

Civil Engineer, young Indian having almost 2 years experience looking for a challenging position seeks suitable position in Oman/ GCC. Please contact 92718490, Email ID: uvais.pk82@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer, Indian, Male, 30yrs. Experienced in Steam turbines and Thermal Power house seek employment.Contact - +91 8130553668 or mohamedshah7@gmail.com

EDUCATION/TRAINING Indian Female, Phd in Chemistry having 3.5 yrs of Experience in India. Staying here on Family Visa & seeking for a suitable placement.

Contact – 99675828, Email anupam.tiwari67@gmail.com Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement. Contact 99739415 / 92091528 Indian female 24. Masters in Computer science engineering, seeking job in colleges, schools and institutes. Having in good skill in teaching and advanced technologies. Contact : 93356858 Email id : annielino11@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY Front Office Manager with over 20 years of experience in the Middle East & preopening expertise with hospitality giants like Burj Al Arab, Address hotels &Millennium looking for similar opportunities.

Contact: 96383636 Indian male having Diploma in Hotel Management with 16 years of experience in F x B Service at India, K.S.A & Oman, having valid Oman D/L, seeking for available placement. Contact 92100141 / 92221956 Indian male 31yrs old with hotel management degree,03 yrs experience in F&B services at 5 star hotel Dubai, 05 yrs in American 06 star cruiseliner has butler. Has oman driving license. Contact 99859150 Indian male, 24 yrs , Diploma in Hotel management, 2 years experience front office management in 4 star hotel Dubai, currently on visit visa. Contact: 97937504 Email: febinpalathingal01@gmail.com

IT HSE manager, Indian, GradIOSH, IDIP Nebosh, 19+ years experience EX- Indian navy driving license , NOC available , seeks placement.

Contact: 94401830 Email: hseoman101@gmail.com Indian male Keralite post graduate diploma and graduate CCNA & MCSA certified have 5 years experience in software & hardware technical support. Contact: 93988511 Contact: vimalkanthkv@gmail.com Bachelor degree (B.techin electronics and telecommunicationsand CCNA certified network supportengineer 1 .5 years experience seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 90253746 Email: sreejilalnt2424@gmail.com Indian / Female (29) married.

MCA, 2+years of experience in software development Accenture, Bangalore. IT skills include Dot Net, SQL server 2008, ASP.Net, excellent communication skills with Omani DL looking for a suitable job. Mb: 94057790; Email: geetika.pesit08@gmail.com

27, Indian male: Software Developer having 5years+ experience in oracle forms & reports 10 g, BI publisher. Contact:91156571 CFA level 1 cleared (pursuing level 2) MBA operations research, female, 5 yrs experience as Analyst, have a valid Oman driving license, looking for related openings.Contact 95818892 Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement.

Contact 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com

Indian female Staff Nurse, more than 20 years experience in maternity wards, delivery suit and medical wards M.O.H license and N.O.C available. Seeking for a suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 92035268 Email: rosemathew2015@gmail.com Female Indian (Kerala) Dentist, BDS with 5 years experience & MOH License looking for a suitable job in Muscat. Data Flow completed. Contact: 93830963, Email: shereenashefin@gmail.com Indian female Assistant Pharmacist 4 years experience in Oman seeking suitable placement in Muscat area. Contact 93391910, 97498809 Homeopathy Doctor Indian female with MOH license looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 94541830 Email: homeo64319@gmail.com Indian female MOH Dietitian working in Muscat NOC available well experienced. Contact: 90996037 Email: nabanitasaha12@gmail.com Female dentist Pakistani prometric pass (66%) dataflow in process 10 years of experience in Malaysia & Pakistan, looking for in Muscat.

Contact: 96173783 Email: humerasafdar@hotmail.com Indian Male Dentist BDS with MOH license seeks for a job.

Contact 94397499

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

Contact 94672759

Dr.Ayman Abduljalil Ali, E.N.T Specialist (Otolaryngologist), Yemeni-male, looking for job.

Mobile: 00201096542706, Email: aymanjalilorl@gmail.com

Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement. Contact 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com

Female Dentist Indian with MOH license & NOC looking for a job in Muscat. Contact-96035981

Female, master in mass communication, B.Ed, experience in media channel and teaching PH : 99362024

MISCELLANEOUS Purchase Executive 9 .5 years experience in construction purchasein Oman seeking a suitable placement, NOC available.

Contact: 94274104 Purchase Executive 10 years experience in construction purchase seeking a suitable placement, NOC available. Contact: 97332401 British National, 34, M.B.A young & energetic male, looking for any managerial position in Oman, having 12 years of experience in managing different types of businesses.

Contact: 96056963 Email: asim_shah199@yahoo.com Omani male, 21 years graduate, (bachelor in management studies) seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97904200 21, Indian female B.com graduate on family visa looking for immediate and suitable placement. Holds valid Omani Driver’s license. Contact: 97208869 Indian male, 28, post graduate, 6+ yrs exp in Oman in sales (back office) & credit control with valid Oman D/L looking for suitable placements. NOC available.

Contact: 92066 523 9 year experienced industrial painter and sand blaster with Oman driving licence. NOC available.

Seeks suitable placement. Contact Zakeer Hussain 96681934.

B.Com,IICL Certified Container Inspector (No.150850),Visit Visa, Six months experience, need placement. # 90880935, 99023279, Email solexyesudas@gmail.com Sudanese male bachelor geology and mining with 3 years experience in MUD logging and training in soil investigation.

Contact 92956848 BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants).

Contact: 92475206 Email: zahaibzafar007@gmail.com

Filipino male Medical / Sales representative with 3 yrs experience is looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: 92610394 Veterinary Doctor: Indian Female looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 96906534 /99014885, Email: monishmajeed@gmail.com

MANAGER / SUPERVISOR

Indian male (28) B.Com last position 6+ yrs experience in sales & business development immediate joining, on visit visa.

Contact: 92686168 W.H.APP +918087894270 Email: fernandesjackson_john@yahoo.com Indian Kerala 35 years male, 4 years working sales man for building material hare D/L seek suitable placement. Contact: 99858456 / 96314974 Email: prasanthsmt@gmail.com Indian male valid Omani driving license 15 years experience in Oman fluent in English,Arabic, Hindi & Malayalam NOC available looking for suitable placement in sales driver pest. # 97012317 Sales & Marketing Lady, with musical skills for the Guitar Center Showroom in Al Khuwair.

Tel. 24489847 info@guitarcenteroman.com Male 27 years of experience in warehouse sale & marketing sector, looking for suitable position, currently on visit visa. Contact – 93942050/ WhatsApp- 919573500548 / rma36684@gmail.com PG in commerce male more than 8 yrs experience in purchase in Oman D/L, seeking suitable placement. Contact: 99145776 MBA (UK), raised in Oman & with 2 yrs work experience holding valid Oman driving license, seeks job in sales / business development.

Contact: 99513132 Indian male with 8 years experience in Sales and marketing with Toyota in India seeks placement.

Contact: 24787920 or 99264617 Lebanese man, lookingfor job Marketing&sales, Ihave licenseNOC, 10 years experience in Oman.

Contact: 91308319 Multinational FMGC experienced, qualified Sri Lankan lady seeking employment in Muscat. Marketing, Brands, Sales, Communication.

Oman exp& DL available. 98250829 Engineering graduate having 5+ years of exp as Marketing coordinator in Advertisement Company and as security system service engineer Mob: 79059197

Purchase Officer / Manager 16 years GCC experience in construction (civil& MEP) seeks suitable placement, NOC available.

Contact: 99109533

27 years Indian male looking for outdoor sales with 5 years of experience in G.C.C & having Oman driving license presently working in electronic base company. N.O.C available. Contact: 94048369 / 97209329

Project manager ( B.E Arch) interior fit outsspecializing in retail shops , corporate offices F& B outlets , hospitality etc having 10 years experience to work in a reputed Firm , NOC available. Contact: 94274437

5 years Oman sales experienced Indian with valid Omani & UAE driving license. Contact: 92507253 / 99414642

Experienced Global Relationship Manager with 10 years experience at the world’s leading banks. Handled the custody and FX accounts of key clients worth millions of dollars.

Email:ahmedmarzouk17@ymail. com or call 97392155

Sales professional (Graduate) with additional qualification MCSE & CCNA having more than 10+ yrs of experience in handling IT hardware, Networking & Security Products (project based) and experience in education and training industry in Oman, seeking employment in relevant IT companies. Contact: 99354209

Experienced business development and investment consultant with 10 years experience in the financial management field. Holds a masters degree in finance and management from the UK. Tel: 90157073 Indian male (40 yrs), looking for warehousing /logistics supervisor position, having 12 yrs Oman Exp with D/L, currently with a leading distribution company in Oman, NOC available - PH: 94337320 ; Email: truefails@rediffmail.com General Manager Indian National With 20 yr Experience In managing Civil Construction Business Seek Opening in reputed Civil Company. Contact-97464650.

SKILLED LABOUR 7 years experience in aquaculture shrimp farming construction light license NOC. Contact: 92635313 Male 42 electricians & plumber, looking for job NOC available.

Contact: 98081227 Watch repair and service looking for job, 24 yrs experience.

Contact: 99530405

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

SALES / MARKETING

Client Relations and Sales Professional with 8 years in the Business Process Outsourcing industry, looking for suitable opportunity in Muscat. Contact +96879050752

BBA Bachelor of business administration exp in custom clearance procedure, also done international logistics management & Nimb National Institute business management (US) certification all documentation work related logistics. contact – 91949050 / akram.chaush001@gmail.com Indian male, looking for sales & marketing job, Oman license holder.

Contact: 95642740 Email: shaijichakkara@gmail.com B.com graduate from India with 6 months of experience in billing and sales in one of the largest retail chain company in India is looking for a suitable position.

Currently in visit visa 99610602 or hashim.hashi@yahoo.in Indian male 1 yr exp in sales automotive (TBL) looking for best opportunity , NOC available.

Contact# 97793879 Email: shyampkn@gmail.com Indian male 37 years MBA graduate in marketing with 9yrs of experience in UAE in field of brand promotions & marketing with UAE D/L on a visit seeking suitable position. Conatct 95792820 Indian Male, 26 M.Com with 4 yrs of Experience in Accounting & Administration in a Financial Company in India, seeks suitable job, Currently in India. +918907212253 Akhil:-93626288, Email: Sumeshpsmkr1989@gmail.com

Indian male masters in Petroleum Engineering with 1 yr Oman exp in sales & marketing holding D/L, currently on visit visa looking for oil / gas industry field related or sales related job. Contact : 93789123 Resident in Oman 18 years, 10 years experience in setup marketing plans and strategies, sales, import & logistics, procurement, Omani government tenders, organizing projects & events, import fireworks for festivals, NOC available, have car. Contact 94123939.

Email: 002015r@gmail.com Marketing Executive with 10 years experience in Gulf on visit visa. Contact: 90116693 INDIAN male, BBA with 4 years experience in SALES & MARKETING, holding omani driving license. seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95607037 Email: raaz0jannat@gmail.com.

India PG diploma in Business Administration, 24 year experiences (22 years in Oman) in diverse field handling office independently administration, Sales and Marketing, highly motivated, hard working skillful and willing to work in challenging environments seeks suitable placement. Having valid Omani driving license. Contact 99120500 Indian male age 24, B.Com. having 2 year experience and currently in visit visa. Looking for suitable placement in Sales, Marketing & finance. Contact: 90766307 Email: shhaazz.007@gmail.com Indian male 26 years of experience of sales & marketing in surgical and laboratory equipments.

Looking for good replacement.

Contact – 92015894 /95774854 Oil & gas experienced Indian lady with 6 years in sales & marketing to PDO and having valid Omani driving license. Contact 96143430 / 99875919 Indian female 29 years Post Graduate with computer Knowledge 2 years of Oman experience in coordinator & 5 years of experience in customer service, client relation officer with excellent communication skill seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95337665 Key Accounts Manager of sales.. with an experience of 13 yrs, across the country. Bsc, MBA seeks suitable placement. Contact- 92100116 Egyptian male experienced sales executive with 12 years sales experience in Egypt, KSA and Oman with leading FMCG companies.

Holds Omani driving license.

Tel: 96202040, Email: ahmedghoniem618@gmail.com Indian male MBA and Diploma in management from Australia. On visit visa, looking for a suitable job in sales & marketing. #71189884 Indian male with 6 years experience in sales in oman. NOC available, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95364128 Indian male Graduate with 18 years of Marketing experience presently in Oman on family visit visa, looking for best opportunity.

Contact: 96168687 Email: dhibupaul@gmail.com Indian Male, MBA marketing 5 yrs exp. in sales & 4 yrs in FMCG sector, looking for best opportunity. NOC available.# 96001877

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

TRAVELS/TOUR Reservation & ticketing staff, IATA passed 24 yrs, Oman 1 year experience, 3 years experience in India. Contact: 94791341 & 0091 11 9656724483 Email: anasp555@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian male 23 Fresher. Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC &MEP.Contact : 9586 1251 Email : ajaibmd39@gmail.com Building maintenance foreman (all-rounder).10.year gulf Experience with Oman Driving License.90858522.

A Filipino female searching for a job, with visit visa exp February 2017.hospitality and sales job will be a Good offer to me.

Contact no:98271658 Restaurant Banquet manager Indian male having 3 yrs diploma in hotel management & catering technology, above 16 yrs work experience in F&B service managerial position in reputed star hotels at gulf countries& India. #91164043 Email:mohanpriya1975@yahoo.com Indian male, 24 yrs, looking for professional job my qualification is Diploma in Electronics, having 3 years of Exp and i am having Gulf driving license you can contact me on : - +96897017866.

Indian female looking for an accounts part time job. area preferred Ruwi/CBD/MBD/ wk.contact-95482970.

Indian Male B-com graduate, 1.5 Year exp. in various office works, Valid Oman driving license looking for any suitable post.

Contact: 95322175 / 91987965 Indian Male (25), BSc Electronics, M.B.A seeking suitable openings, Having 3 years’ experience in, sales and Marketing of financial products with Oman Driving License. Contact - 94774550 INDIAN male, BBA graduate and diploma in IATA Cargo Supply Chain and Transport Modes with DGR Initial Category 6.Holds Omani driving license. Presently in family visa. Seeks suitable placement in Cargo section.

Contact- 96370022 Young professional, Energetic looking for Finance/Audit Job. BSC (Accounting) ACCA (Affiliate), CAT (Affiliate). Currently working in GOV. Experience of 4 Years .

NOC available. saleemraza218@gmail.com IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3+yrs exp. in IT, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 91496939.

Fresh B.Com Graduate in visit visa looking for a job. CONTACT: 93518923 / 99075027.

Email: sheikcok@yahoo.com Indian male, M.Com, B.Com, looking for suitable opening, now on visiting visa. Contact79103798, email- malikfaheem284@gmail.com Indian/male (26)/ca finalist and b.Com/3 years expereince in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa.

Available for immediate joining.

Contact: 98078321 email: shahir.Usman.Su@gmail.Com Indian Male 23 years B.com graduate Holding a valid Oman driving License searching for a suitable placement, currently on visit visa. Contact: 94175848.

Indian/male(26)/MBA/ 2 years expereince in proccurement,cordination and distribution management.With valid oman licenece. Available for immediate joining. Contact: 92536194 EMAIL:suhailbs@gmail.com Indian male, 23 Fresher, Graduate Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP.Contact: +968 9748 9256 Email: abdulmajid.ak@gmail.com Indian female PhD, M.Phil, M.A in English, B.Ed, Diploma TESOL,16 years teaching experience seeks suitable teaching, editing or relevant job. # 92245591, 95221665 Indian male 23 Fresh Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP. Contact : +968 9586 1251, Email : mdajaib@yahoo.com

W E D N E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

SITUATION WANTED TOURS

RENT A CAR

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

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

Contact 97263637 /93309131 Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic clinic, 18th November Street Al Ghubra (North).# 99639695 / 97397320 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

SITUATION WANTED COMPUTER/WEB./ EDU./CLASSES

DRIVING

4 WD Pagero with driver.

Contact: 98031620 25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP specification for monthly rent & small car with driver. # 99839898

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

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction 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

We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898 Specialist for road test drum and slope. Contact 94022250

BUSINESS Attention to Traders : we have our office in China we can import any thing you require directly from Chinese manufactures we insure prompt delivery with very low prices. # 99742983 / 95226989.

NRI Brand new luxury 3 BHK apartment for sale in South Bangalore, Bannerghatta main road, near Dairy Circle. Contact: + 968 99337995

TRANSPORTATION Transportation. Contact: 97128083 Driver with car transportation available. Contact: 95396905 Picking & drop Ruwi to Rusail.

Contact: 98957524 / 91287470 Transportation. Contact: 99099714 Transportation. Contact: 94297820 Transportation. Contact 94087276 Transportation. Contact 92015894

MANPOWER

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DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED DINING DELIGHTS

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

WE SERVE OMAN

Pest control & Building cleaning all kinds of pest control building. Cleaning tiles / Marble polishing monthly/ Yearly contracts available.

Contact: 98814733 /98814740 Al Husn Cleaning L.L.C

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Office boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020 Pest Control Treatments.

Ocean Center L.L.C. Contact 99344723 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 Caret & Sofa Shampooing General Cleaning & Polishing.

Ocean Center L.L.C. # 24707833 Marble Crystallization & Grinding, Ocean Center L.L.C. Contact: 92705130

A/C maintenance & Servicing, Fridge / Washing Machine / dish washer repairing, 2) Painting and cleaning service, Electrical & Plumbing. Contact 94147874 / 24504281, mail : globalaccessunited@gmail.com Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting.

Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading.

L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

Marble / granite sales, fixing lean polishing. Contact: 98604960

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

Safety items New Year gift diaries, pen printing. Contact: 98604960 Installation & maintenance for Modular Kitchen, UPVC Doors & Windows, Furniture, Electrical & Air-conditions Contact @ 92383882/91443786 House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644 / 98518013

SITUATION WANTFOR LADIES

We undertake new construction & maintenance & gypsum works.

Contact 92711506, ammarayyub@gmail.com

Special packages, Facial, Pedicure, Eyebrow, only 10 RO. Al doom Beauty Parlour Contact 99619409

LOST Bushir Miah has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. AD 2491573.

Finder please handover to ROP Bappo Bokn has lost India Passport No. G 7949084.

Finder please handover to ROP Osaa Dheby Cusaaha has lost NepalPassport No. 05775038.

Finder please handover to ROP