Times of Oman - November 30, 2016

WEDNESDAY November 30, 2016 30 Safar 1438 AH

6 085010 120010 FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

At the Closing Session of the 15th GCC. Summit in Bahrain, 1994

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ Our countries are affected both negatively and positively by the latest developments that have occurred in many of the countries of the world, both within our region and elsewhere. It is, therefore, imperative on our part that we take every precaution to meet such changes and to contain any of their harmful effects, in order to protect our achievements and security.

MORNING MINUTE

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 233 | 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

N AT I O N A L D AY

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMANI JOB HUNTERS TO GET TOP PRIORITY

HM receives more greetings MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received more cables of greetings from leaders of friendly countries and senior international personalities for the 46th Glorious National Day. The well-wishers expressed their sincere greetings along with their best wishes of good health, happiness and a long life to His Majesty the Sultan, and the Omani people further progress and prosperity under the wise leadership of His Majesty.

His Majesty received greetings cables from Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, President Kersti Kaljulaid of Estonia, President Giorgi Margvelashvili of Georgia, President Borut Pahor of Slovenia, President Tomislav Nikolic of Serbia, President Francois Hollande of France, President Tran Dai Quang of Vietnam, President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania, President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca of Malta, President Htin Kyaw of Myanmar, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jabir Al Sabah, Deputy Emir, Heir Apparent of Kuwait, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Premier of Bahrain, Aleksandar Vucic, Premier of Serbia, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Premier of Vietnam, Anerood Jugnauth, Premier of Mauritius and Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al Othaimeen, Secretary General of the OIC. -ONA

OMAN

Replicating Dubai success in Oman

1

Shopping for groceries from the comfort of your home could soon become a reality in Oman. Mohamed Al Araimi is the founder of shoponclick.me, a website that not only arranges to deliver groceries to customers’ doorsteps, but also does the shopping for the public. >A6

WORLD TIMES TV EXCLUSIVE: Tanfeedh’s Labour Lab leader Shahswar Al Balushi talks to Shruthi Nair.

121

Online system for

proposals will be discussed during Tanfeedh’s three-day public consultation

clearances will make

BAHRAIN

His Majesty gets message

bosses interview before hiring expats

SHRUTHI NAIR

shruthi@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Bosses will have to interview and hire Omanis before getting work clearances for expatriate staff, under a new automated online system proposed by Tanfeedh.

Shahswar Al Balushi, CEO of the Oman Society of Contractors and the man who led the labour market lab during the six-week government think tank, said humans will be removed from the

shruthi@timesofoman.com process in an effort to allow everyone – expats and Omanis - to work together for the future of Oman.

With the click of a mouse, company bosses opting to operate in the Sultanate will soon be able to find out if they meet government approved Omanisation rates.

Only when they meet the criteria for staff Omanisation will the clearances for migrant workers be given. Speaking exclusively to Times TV from Oman’s new convention centre, in the middle of the project’s three-day public consultation on 121 proposals, Al Balushi said: “We are looking at automating it, so the human factor should not be there.” >A4

Anantara resort opens today WA R N I N G

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O M A N I NAT I O NA L

Remove car stickers or face fines: ROP

New MERS case in Oman, patient cured

Staff Reporter Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Motorists who have affixed stickers on their cars to celebrate the National Day have one more day to remove them to avoid being fined.

Ahead of the National Day, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) had announced that such stickers can be displayed on automobiles between November 6 and 30.

However, the ROP officials said they would begin “warning people gradually” so they have time to remove the stickers. If caught, they will be fined OMR35, they said.

The permission to display such stickers on vehicles is between November 6 and 30.

‘No Objection Certificates should stay but be fairer’ SHRUTHI NAIR

Omani candidates

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a written message from His Majesty King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa of Bahrain inviting His Majesty to attend the 37th session of the GCC Supreme Council to be held during December 6 and 7, in Bahrain.

The message was received by Mohammed bin Nasser Al Wahibi, Head of the GCC Department at the Foreign Ministry when he received at the General Diwan of the Foreign Ministry Khalid Ahmed Al Mansour, Charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Bahrain in Muscat. -ONA

75 killed in Brazilian plane crash

MUSCAT: A new case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) - also known as the coronavirus- has been diagnosed in a 67-year-old Omani national, the Ministry of Health said.

The patient had been suffering from an acute respiratory infection, but has since been cured after treatment in a local government hospital, the Ministry of Health stated on Tuesday.

MUSCAT: It would be “unfair” on companies to scrap Oman’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) but it should be fair to both employer and employee, Shahswar Al Balushi told Times of Oman.

In an exclusive interview with TimesTV, Al Balushi said scrapping the NOC would be “unfair” to companies in the Sultanate who spend a lot of time and money on recruitment.

He said the Royal Oman Police should look at how to make it fairer to both parties.

2

A chartered plane carrying top-tier Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense to the biggest game in its history crashed in the Colombian mountains, killing 75 people on board.

Dozens of bodies were laid out and covered with sheets around the wreckage of the jet.>A12

MARKET

VAT deal among GCC states expected soon The CEO of Oman Society of Contractors said: “Let’s take a look at the NOC. What is the NOC? The NOC is trying to protect. As a company I bring an expatriate to work for me, against a contract of let’s say two years.” >A4

3

A framework pact for VAT is expected to be signed by the GCC states shortly. “The GCC common VAT framework will form the basis for the national value added tax legislation to be issued by each GCC state,” said Nadine Bassil, director, indirect tax, at PwC. >B1

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

THE BRIEFING OMAN

Gold-and-diamond iPhones for National Day

World

LIFESTYLE

Families struggle to find food in Mosul

Sports stars are more human than you think

A full siege is developing in Mosul as poor families struggle to feed themselves after prices rose sharply following the US-backed offensive on the IS-held city in northern Iraq, humanitarian workers said on Tuesday. Some of the poorest families are finding it hard to feed themselves while others are hoarding and hiding food as they expect prices to rise further as the battle that started six weeks ago takes hold of the city. >A11 An Omani e-Commerce platform is selling two gold plated and diamond encrusted iPhone 7 phones as part of National Day celebrations. “We have put on sale two phones. A picture of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos is embossed on the phone, and there are diamonds encrusted too, Zeyana Sultan, head of sales and marketing for 7Store, told Times of Oman.>A5

The Sultanate has made a remarkable achievement in the international study student’s acquisition of math and science compared with the previous participations. This was declared at the meeting of the Ministry of Education to present the outcomes of the application for the international study in science in 2015.

The International Society for Assessment of Education Acquisition, which supervises the international study in math and science has approved the outcomes. >A7

From famed footballers to well-known race car drivers, in this week’s “On the Ball” column, Gautam explores the down-to-earth side of sports icons (and the not-so-humble side as well). >A15

LIFESTYLE

There are many benefits of visiting Salalah during the off-season.

SPORTS

OFA’s inaugural Women’s Futsal League concludes The Oman Football Association (OFA) organised inaugural Women’s Futsal League at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex concluded on Tuesday with much grandeur. The closing ceremony was presided over by Her Highness Dr Mona Fahad Al Said, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for International Cooperation at Sultan Qaboos University. She also felicitated all the winners and congratulated all the players on taking part in this unique tournament being held for the first time in the Sultanate. With the Laeebah Program and the successful conclusion of the league — it is indeed a great kick-off for women’s and girls football by the OFA. >C4

Oman students make progress in science, math

7 soldiers, 6 militants killed in two terror attacks in Jammu Two major terror attacks rocked Jammu region on Tuesday in which seven army personnel, including a Major, were killed and eight other securitymen, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters.

In one incident, a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota, about 3km from the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city on Tuesday morning, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for hours. >A8

Fitch lowers India’s growth forecast to 6.9% International credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings, on Tuesday lowered India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for this fiscal year to 6.9 per cent from 7.4 per cent, saying there will be “temporary disruptions” to economic activity post demonetisation. >B1

INDIA

OMAN

BUSINESS

PAKISTAN

General Bajwa takes over as Pakistan’s new army chief

WORLD

General Qamar Javed Bajwa, an expert in Pakistan-administered-Kashmir affairs, on Tuesday took over as Pakistan’s new army chief succeeding General Raheel Sharif and promised to improve the tense situation at the Line of Control(LoC) soon. >A10

BUSINESS

Real estate sales in Oman grow by 124%

WORLD

World’s oldest person marks 117th birthday

Leaders of Cuba’s leftist allies and other developing countries arrive in Havana on Tuesday for a mass rally commemorating Fidel Castro. >A12

Emma Morano, thought to be the world’s oldest person and the last to be born in the 1800s, celebrated her 117th birthday on Tuesday in her small apartment in the northern town of Verbania in Italy. >A11

Leftist allies pay tribute to Fidel Castro at rally

People flock to Salalah during khareef, and for good reason; it is green, beautiful, and a world apart from Muscat. Though it might not be quite so green and rainy outside of July and August, avoiding the crowds allows for entirely new southern experiences at a fraction of the hassle and cost. >A14

Oman’s real estate sales registered a massive 124.3 per cent growth for the first 10 months of 2016 to OMR7.6 billion, over the same period of last year, which was valued at OMR3.4 billion, according to latest data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). >B1

SPORTS

OHA’s step to involve expatriates begins today Oman Hockey Association (OHA) chairman Talib Khamis Al Wahaibi, who announced his intentions to involve expatriates in his schemes of hockey development has set the ball rolling. >C4

SPORTS

Taha Al Kishry re-elected OSA chairman As expected Taha bin Suleiman Al Kishry was re-elected as the chairman of the Oman Swimming Association (OSA) when the Sultanate’s swimming governing body organised the General Assembly and the board elections for the 2016-20 term at the City Seasons on Tuesday . Taha, an Ahli-Sidab nominee, had a lone challenger in Al Talee’a representative Nasser Al Alawi. But the incumbent polled 16 votes from a total of 24 affiliated clubs that attended the general assembly, while his challenger received eight votes. >C1

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

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OMAN

AILMENT

Precaution advised by doctors as chickenpox reported Staff Reporter MUSCAT: A number of chickenpox cases have been reported in Muscat due to the change in season and doctors have advised the public to take precautions to avoid contracting the disease.

“We came across three chickenpox cases recently. It seems, it has started. As it is an airborne disease, people should be more careful,” Basheer A, an internist at Badr Al Samaa hospital in Ruwi, said.

“An infected person is contagious for one to two days before the onset of the rash, and remains infectious until the blisters form scabs. So, avoid contact with an infected person and avoid using towels and dressing used by infected persons,” Basheer added.

“Children with chickenpox should not go to school, kindergarten or childcare until the last blister has dried. You should tell your child’s school, kindergarten or childcare if your child has chickenpox, as other children may need to be immunised or treated,” added Shibu Muhammed, a dermatologist at Badr Al Samaa hospital.

Drink extra fluids “It is better to drink extra fluids to avoid dehydration. Those infected should avoid salty or citrus foods and consume only easily digestible food,” the dermatologist said. For most healthy people, chickenpox is mild and the infected person recovers fully without specific treatment.

Complications do occur in approximately one per cent of cases. Chickenpox is more severe in adults and in anyone with impaired immunity. Immunisation is the best way to prevent contracting chickenpox.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW.

DON’T WASTE A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY LIKE OMAN.

Plastic takes 1,000 years or more to break down

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

TANFEEDH SPECIAL RADICAL OVERHAUL

A1 ‘Automated system can streamline recruitment process’ < FROM

“As a private sector company it is your job to ensure that you meet the criteria. We have agreed now that the way to achieve Omanisation has been made more lenient and given more options. We have agreed now to automate this and remove the human factor out of it.

“So, if you go into the system and you need one hundred people, one hundred labour clearances, you will put it into the system. The system will be linked to a national employer system at the job centre.

The job centre will look for Omanis who meet your requirements, for Omanisation or the people you’re requiring.

“Let’s say you need an engineer or a quantity surveyor. Visa clearance is applicable to expats but first, do we have these people available, Omanis, to do the job or not?

The Omanis are going to be given preference by saying to you as a company: here’s the list of Omanis who have these qualifications and this is what you’re looking for.

“Interview them, and take what you need.” The radical overhaul of the labour clearance system should make it much easier to do business in the Sultanate, Shahswar Al Balushi said.

He added: “Omanisation rate should be X and that also has been looked at. What is the reality? Where are we today? Let’s start from where we are and build to reach the aspiration of whatever target, whether you are in construction, tourism, logistics, so let’s build it correctly, and grow correctly, and once the system is in place then you don’t need to go to the Ministry of Manpower, you do everything online.

“The system will automatically tell you that you meet the requirements or you don’t meet the requirements, and if you don’t meet the requirements what do you need? You need to get numbers and even there we facilitated it.

We gave options on how to achieve that. For example you take training for employment which we count as Omanisation or you take students in their last year of university, make them an offer, and register them with PASI, (Public Authority for Social Insurance) they can be counted.” Al Balushi said the system would encourage campus placements, career counseling and encourage students to know more about the workplace. He added that companies who fall short of the required rate can also pay into a training fund to gain Omanisation “credits” on the system.

“We are saying ‘OK you did your best, you got 8 out of 10. There are two missing for you to meet, don’t worry about it. Buy them’.

“Pay OMR325 per month into the training funds and we will count them - say you have reached the Omanisation target. They pay the money into the system,it goes into the training fund.

“It’s very simple. It’s very transparent and it’s very easy.”

The proposals have been welcomed by many.” An automated system can streamline the recruitment process. It will help employers to find the right candidate.

Automated systems can also guarantee transparency. Hidden trade can be eliminated when the system is adopted. It will good for the candidates too. If they are fit for work they will stand a fair chance,” Mohammed Khaldi, trade unionist, said. Sunil Kumar KK, a senior official at Najmat Al Fujairah Trading Construction Company, said: “In the current system, we struggle. Let it be streamlined and automated as per Tanfeedh’s proposal. Getting the right candidate is the lifeline of any company. So, if the automated system comes into practice it can help us a lot,” the official added.

Some of these changes will also affect expatriates

Absorb people into workstream

Challenges just like a jigsaw puzzle

Congratulations go to everyone who participated over the last six weeks in Tanfeedh. Some of these changes will also affect expatriates, as we are looking at the labour market as a whole - our human capital

The idea is we need to create an economy that can absorb these people into the workstream by creating more jobs, by creating more meaningful jobs that actually the local workforce would be willing to engage in.

The challenges were quite a lot. We had to paint a picture – and it’s almost like a jigsaw puzzle. We had 14 initiatives that we brought about and each initiative is a piece of the jigsaw puzzle

Increases Oman competitive edge

Omani graduates set to enter workforce

Women prefer to work part-time

The concept here is actually to create an environment whereby Oman’s competitiveness in human capital increases Oman’s competitive edge.

We’re looking to move away from numbers in Omanisation to going on to quality of Omanisation - not just quantity

We are also going to have 44,000 young Omanis coming in from the educational stream every year over the next five years, from universities, colleges, and 97per cent of them are going to hold some sort of degree

We cleaned that, made it more flexible, made it easier for women to join in, as many women prefer part-time work but the system that was presently available was more geared to full-time work

Plans to avoid labour case litigation

Job seekers registered with Tanfeedh

Corporate awareness by part-time work

Our solution in the labour litigations is actually to try to avoid taking a lot of the cases to court.

We want to see a process where there is an amicable resolution then that amicable resolution is endorsed by the court, and then is implementable

We have job seekers registered with us, around 42,000, 67 per cent are female, registered with the Public Authority for the Registration of Manpower. 75 per cent are 29 years and below. That’s a challenge – youth and females are a big issue

When you do part-time work you’re gaining the work ethic, you’re getting the corporate life, what it’s like, you’re learning about the company and the company is learning about you

, says Shahswar Al Balushi A1 Expatriates should be allowed to search for new jobs < FROM

“If the expat came into the country to serve a specific purpose and before the two years expires he wants to jump ship, this is unfair for the company. The company had done the research, the hunting, the cost of bringing him, paid for the visas, paid everything to bring this particular person to work here.

“If the company is the one asking this particular expatriate to leave, then I believe automatically the expat should be allowed to search for other opportunities and to join another company,

without having to take an NOC. “I have fulfilled my contract, I should be allowed to join any other institution in Oman for that purpose. If you leave the company before the contract is terminated, then the NOC has to apply.

“I think that would be fair because we cover all the elements of the NOC. Right now the NOC is saying regardless of what the situation is, you have to get the NOC from the company. So we need to look.

“The NOC is an ROP issue. I

think the ROP needs to look at that in more detail, they need to study the different circumstances, they need to address them, and become clearer about what is the situation here for this particular issue of the NOC. He added: “I think scrapping it is also unfair to the companies. I think let’s make a change, let’s look at what is fair for both parties and make it flexible. It is there to protect both companies and employees. We should look at it that way. We should not gauge it to one side only.

There is a contractual obligation between the two parties.

“We need to look at it as a business relationship. As an employee you have a choice - you are a free person.

“If we do a balance in the equation, the NOC would also move away from being a challenge to being something that is balanced on both parties.

Because if we go back to why it was scrapped before, we brought it back again because it didn’t help. The solution is finding something in between.

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OMAN

3-year job wait for 43,000 graduates According to the Public Authority for Manpower Register, there are 43,892 active Omani job seekers and recruiting experts say most lack the experience and advise training

TARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Fresh graduates in the Sultanate wait, on average, for 3.5 years before they are employed in their first jobs, according to Tanfeedh, and recruitment experts say that some graduates lack the expe-

rience needed for recruitment.

According to the Public Authority for Manpower Register (PAMR), there are 43,892 active Omani job seekers, as of 26 November 2016, and recruiting experts say most lack experience, and advise that they receive job training.

Speaking to Yara Al Mandhari, Recruitment Consultant at Competence HR, she noted that obtaining a job is not difficult, though some graduates need to gain experience before being employed.

Experience needed “It’s not that it’s difficult. As a recruitment agency, we cannot really tell people to recruit fresh graduates, because some companies require experience. So that’s why they take experienced people,” said Al Mandhari.

“Some graduates do not agree on salaries, as well as positions – they want something higher,” she added. She also said that some new graduates do not agree to accept a wage of less than OMR800, based solely on the fact that they have a

C E L E B R AT I O N S

Gold-and-diamond iPhone crafted for National Day REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: An Omani e-Commerce platform is selling two gold plated and diamond encrusted iPhone 7 phones as part of National Day celebrations. “We have put on sale two phones. A picture of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said is embossed on the phone, and there are diamonds encrusted too, Zeyana Sultan, head of sales and marketing for 7Store, told Times of Oman.

“The model has a 128 GB storage capacity. The rear section is set with brown crocodile leather surrounded with a unique handcrafted design in 24-carat gold,” Zeyana added.One gold plated and diamond encrusted iPhone 7 will cost OMR923.04.

“It costs more. However, we have tagged a lesser price as part of the National Day celebrations,” Zeyana said, adding that the company specialises in selling such products and has customers from throughout the region.

“7Store is a young and dynamic

PRICE TAG: One gold plated and diamond encrusted iPhone 7 will cost OMR923.04. -Supplied photo

company specialising in e-Commerce platform based B2C and potential B2B, and a fully Omani owned company,” Zeyana added.

7Store was founded in 2015 by an Omani entrepreneur, and it has partnerships with brands such as Palson, Paul Parkman, Triwa, Goldstriker, Telewood, Gattionani, 77 Motors, Mysher, Inkmon, Italian Boutique, and Mamahuhu.

“In addition to its headquarters in Oman, we have affiliate offices in the UK, USA, Sweden, UAE, Italy and Spain,” Zeyana added.

7Store allows multiple vendors to sell via 7store’s website and, in return, receive a commission on sales to cover the costs of managing the site, while the company focuses on building a community.

FISCAL YEAR 2017

State Council panel discusses draft budget MUSCAT: State Council’s Expanded Economic Committee discussed the draft state general budget for the fiscal year 2017 so as to be presented at the Council’s upcoming general session before raising the same report with the Council of Ministers.

The Committee, comprising heads of the Permanent Committees at the Council and members of the Economic Committee, also discussed the draft state general budget for the fiscal year 2017 which was referred by Majlis Al Shura.

Further, the Committee viewed the amendments proposed by the Majlis on the draft budget. The Committee yesterday held its meeting under the chair of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Harthy, Head of the Committee. -ONA

degree. Nadi Hassan, Operation Manager at Elite Global HR Solutions and Services, said that some youths do not have the skills needed in the job market.

“In general, market demands are not provided by the job seekers. The market demands a certain qualification that some don’t provide,” said Nadi.

“Some companies need to achieve an Omanisation percentage, but sometimes they cannot because the job market cannot provide what the company needs,” he explained.

He added that there is always a conflict between demands and what is currently available.

“Some graduates also have an unrealistic expectation that they will land a big job. They must have

the mind-set of going into the job market while not thinking about money. Of course money is important, but they need experience first,” said Nadi.

“You wouldn’t be able to land a job with little to no experience.

You have to update your CV. Some young graduates don’t stick to one company and keep shifting from one place to another, which will not portray a good image,” he explained.

According to PAMR, 16,152 job seekers have Bachelor’s Degrees followed by 13,792 with GEDs (General Education Diplomas), while 8,178 have College/University Diplomas. Further, 5,676 do not have a GED, while only 91 hold a Magistrate and 3 have PhD’s.

A job seeker, who wished not to

be named, said that he graduated last year and has yet to find a job.

“I’ve been looking everywhere with no luck.

“I think it is because of the economy that nobody is hiring,” said the young national.

When asked whether he has experience, he replied, “I don’t have much. I did an internship for a few months and that’s it, but I do have a bachelor’s degree, which should count for something.”

He advised graduates and youth to participate in training courses during their waiting period, to gain some experience.

“Enroll in training programmes; there are companies that give training. Sometimes, that training might end up offering you a job in that company,” she advised.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

OMAN ‘Working to resolve university pay issue’

Times News Service

times” regarding its cash flow, but it is estimated that expenditures are close to its estimated revenues.

“Neither the university, nor society, will allow things to get this bad. We assure everyone that education in the university will not be affected, and neither will the students,” it said, adding that the university is trying to perform as best it can, “as always”.

Citing details, a staff member said that the university usually issues salary payments on the 28th of every month.

“According to Omani labour law, they should be paid no later than the 8th of the following month. We did not receive our October salary until November 7, along with a message stating we would only receive half our salaries. The other half has still not been delivered to the teachers. Now it is November, and the salary is 21 days past the legal deadline,” a staff member wrote in an email to Times of Oman.

MUSCAT: Senior officials at the Ministry of Higher Education say they are working to resolve salary delays for staff at Nizwa University.

A section of staff at the University of Nizwa went on a demonstration on Tuesday morning after they were allegedly “not paid on time.”

When contacted, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) said, “We are taking the issue seriously and have conducted a meeting with senior officials to address the issue.”

Meanwhile, Nizwa University issued a statement on Tuesday refuting rumours that have been circulating on social media about the university going bankrupt.

“We would like to point out that Nizwa University is an independent civil institute, it is not considered a commercial company based on profit, so (that) it can be announced bankrupt, hence leading to its closure,” the statement.

The statement added that the university is going through “tough

Demonstration The staff member also said, “We held a peaceful demonstration this morning, with approximately 20 teachers standing quietly at the entrance to the university with signs. There were about 35 teachers overall, though teachers came and went when they had classes.

Teachers are only demonstrating at this point, they haven’t yet decided to strike and refrain from teaching their classes, though that might be a possibility if the pay still does not arrive by the end of the week.”

Meanwhile, staff members were seen demonstrating, with one member holding a sign reading, “Employees pay is not optional” at the entrance to the university on Tuesday. “We don’t want promises, we want action,” read another sign.

Staff members claimed that this is the second time this year that their salaries have been delayed.

“We’re pretty upset and we don’t know what’s going on,” noted one staff member from Nizwa.

The Ministry of Higher Education said the issue of Nizwa university salary payment delay was being taken seriously and a meeting with senior officials had been held to address it

In March, Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Culture, in cooperation with Blue Water Recoveries Ltd, UK, announced the discovery and archaeological excavation of a sunken Portuguese East Indiaman ship that was part of Vasco da Gama’s 1502-1503 Armada to India

GROCERY WEBSITE

Omani entrepreneur seeks to replicate Dubai success with shopping website GAUTAM VISWANATHAN

gautam@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Shopping for groceries from the comfort of your home could soon become a reality in Oman.

Mohamed Al Araimi, 28-yearsold, is the founder of shoponclick. me, a website that not only arranges to deliver groceries to customers’ doorsteps, but also does the shopping for the public, which means they never have to leave their desks.

The online service is expected to be rolled out by January 2017.

Users who wish to use the website’s service can add items they need to an online cart, and then pay for these items at checkout. A team of shoppers then goes to the supermarkets to purchase them, after which a driver drops them off at a scheduled time.

Born and raised in Dubai, the Sur native was working in a comfortable job at Petroleum Development Oman when he realized he wanted more from his professional life.

“My mother used to make a shopping list thrice a week, and then split her grocery requirements across three supermarkets,” he said. “For fruits and vegetables, I used to go to one supermarket, and for dairy, to another. I ended up making a three-hour journey to get the things she wanted. So I thought to myself, why not have a website where people can see the best prices for products and then shop for them online?”

Although Mohamed first began his business in both the UAE and Oman, he realised that the challenges in both nations were very different. “To be honest, in Oman there was no infrastructure for it, A’ S U WA I Q

New ROP building opened A’SUWAIQ: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) celebrated the openinng of new building of the Police Station in the Wilayat of A’Suwaiq in the Governorate of North Al Batinah under the patronage of Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al Ra’eesi, Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO).

The chief guest unveiled the plaque, declaring the official opening of the new building.

A’Suwaiq Police Station is one of the most modern security projects that aims at carrying out its role of supervising and managing services provided by the ROP in the governorate, including various administrative, training and social facilities.

It will provide police services covering fields of traffic, passport and residence and civil status. -ONA

We initially faced a challenge here because we had a model where the supermarkets, themselves, delivered items Mohamed Al Araimi founder of shoponclick.me

in contrast to Dubai, where even the smallest shop has home delivery,” he said.

Challenge “We initially faced a challenge here because we had a model where the supermarkets, themselves, delivered items, and we needed to make sure all deliveries went as planned. Deliveries sometimes took four hours.

“Also, here I wanted to hire riders on bikes to deliver supplies, but it’s not possible to get licenses for them anymore,” he added. “If I want to hire riders, I need to hire Omanis, and not expats, so this added to my costs, as well.

“In Dubai, the cost for a visa may be a lot more, but it is easier to find labour because the restrictions are not so strict,” said Mohamed.

“Also, getting a trade licence in the UAE was easy because it was free and I received it very quickly.”

Mohamed, therefore, decided to focus on one market at a time, and returned to Dubai, where he worked closely with Astrolabs, a start-up tech service run by Google. In September, he launched his service in Dubai, signing deals with Union Co-op and Aswaaq Supermarkets, before agreeing on terms with both Carrefour and Spinneys.

Now, he delivers to about 200 customers a month.

“We went to each supermarket and offered to advertise their products online,” he explained.

“We could, therefore, let them reach additional people without a brick-and-mortar outlet. Online customers shop for everything.”

Although Lulu does have an online shopping system in Oman, what sets Mohamed’s website apart is that shoppers can compare prices of various goods from different shops, and choose the price that best fits their budget.

With his country’s online opportunity currently valued at US$ 1.6 million, Mohamed is meeting venture capitalists in the UAE and is expected to close a deal for added funding next month, and is looking forward to repeating his model in Oman.

“In Oman, this model of online groceries has only just begun, so the market is very new,” he revealed. “We believe that this model is repeatable. If I took this model here, it would work. If I take this model anywhere else, it will work, as well.”

YOUTH

It’s their business to ensure that you have a good time

INTREPID ORGANISERS: By helping visitors find a parking spot and welcoming VIPs, a group of Omani college students are cashing in on exceptional part-time jobs. – File photo

Times News Service MUSCAT: At any concert or event, the well-dressed, influential figures are the ones being watched.

But who are the unsung heroes who work before and after the endless lines of people snake through the event’s doors?

By helping visitors find a parking spot and welcoming VIPs, a group of Omani college students are cashing in on exceptional part-time jobs.

More than 50 students and recent graduates have joined to orchestrate events in Oman, including major events such as the waterfront project in Muttrah and Tanfeedh, allowing them to interact with ministers and celebrities.

The team is now three years old and consists of 56 young men from the Higher College of Technology, with each receiving an average of OMR20 per event, according to 25-year-old Ahmed Al Balushi, founder of the group.

The young men keep the parking lots organised, help visitors to find their seats and, overall, make sure everyone is having a good time. But as easy as this might sound, joining this team requires certain qualifications.

“I interview each and every candidate and I only accept the ones who are willing to contribute to the team and have an interest in developing themselves,” Al Balushi said. Engineering students by morning and workers by night,

ESMERELDA SHIPWRECK

GCC MEETING

Focus on conservation HASSAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Artefacts from the Esmerelda shipwreck has caused challenges to conservationists and researchers, said Heather Stewart, a restorations expert working on the project.

She noted that the artefacts have provided many challenges typically found in marine archaeological collections, such as the impact of salt water, their complicated treatment and unusual storage requirements.

In March, Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Culture, in cooperation with Blue Water Recoveries Ltd, UK, announced the

the team members also distribute gifts and help with logistics.

Al Balushi said that the busiest time is the summer months,when shopping malls host more events and workshops.

“We receive an average of two requests per month, but some months are just dry,” he explained.

“However, sometimes our job becomes really hard when there are high security measures at events and we end up finding ourselves in limbo,” he said, referring to the Muttrah waterfront project.

“After all, we carried out a nice event, despite strong winds. It was a miracle,” he said.

discovery and archaeological excavation of a sunken Portuguese East Indiaman ship that was part of Vasco da Gama’s 15021503 Armada to India. This was discussed on Saturday during Stewart’s lecture at The National Museum on Saturday, entitled “The Esmerelda Shipwreck: The Conservation of a Marine Archaeological Collection”. The lecture was part of Learning Centre’s lectures programme, which is sponsored by “BP Oman”, to support the centre’s activities. In her talk, Stewart referred to the importance of conservation as a discipline, which seeks to preserve artefacts within museums and archaeology.

Interior minister arrives in Saudi MUSCAT: Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi, Minister of Interior arrived in Saudi Arabia to lead the Sultanate’s delegation in the 35th meeting of the GCC Interior Ministers in Riyadh. The meeting will discuss topics, such as the GCC security strategy and security cooperation among GCC countries, in addition to reviewing recommendations of the GCC general security committees. The Minister and his accompanying delegation were seen off by Sheikh Said bin Mohammed Al Braiki, Adviser at the Ministry of Interior, the KSA ambassador to the Oman and officials at the Ministry of Interior and the Royal Oman Police (ROP). -ONA

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

A7

OMAN Oman students make progress in science, math The great care

G O V E R N O R AT E O F D H O FA R

‘Anantara’ resort opens today SALALAH: Al Baleed Salalah ‘Anantara’ Resort will open today in the Governorate of Dhofar under the auspices of Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Rowas, Advisor to His Majesty the Sultan for Cultural Affairs to coincide with the country’s celebrations of the 46th Glorious National Day. The resort which is run by Anantara company is located near ARAB LEAGUE

Oman’s role praised

accorded by His Majesty the Sultan to the education march has played a great role in improving the standard of education in Oman

PROGRESS: Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shibaniyah, Minister of Education presented the outcomes of the study. – ONA

MUSCAT: The Sultanate has made a remarkable achievement in the international study student’s acquisition of math and science compared with the previous participations.

This was declared at the meeting of the Ministry of Education held in Al Watiyah to present the outcomes of the application for the international study in science in 2015.

The International Society for Assessment of Education Acquisition, which supervises the international study in math and science has approved the outcomes of the main application of the international study.

Thanks to the efforts made by all the relevant organisations in-

volved in the study, the Sultanate made a remarkable improvement in students’ acquisition of science and math. It also made remarkable improvement on the international, Arab and Gulf levels.

Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shibaniyah, Minister of Education delivered a speech where she said that the great care accorded

by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and infinite support to the education march in the Sultanate over the past decades have played a great role in promoting different aspects of the educational work.

She added that the Ministry is keen on taking part in the international studies as it believes in the importance of relying on international indicators on students’ acquisition, comparing the Sultan-

ate’s students’ acquisition with the international standards and benefiting from the outcomes of such studies in taking necessary measure to improve the quality of the education process.

The sample of the Sultanate included 254 schools from the different governorates for grade 4 , 255 schools for grade in addition to 25 private schools for grade four, 27 schools for grade 8, 21 international schools for grade 4 and 19 schools for grade 8. The total classes of grade 4 and grade 8 stood at 601.

The main aim of the study is to compare the acquisition of the students in science and math at different education, cultural, economic and social backgrounds. -ONA

CAIRO: The Arab League hailed the effective and important role played by the Sultanate in enhancing the Arab cooperation in different fields.

Mahmoud Afifi, Spokesperson for the Arab League’s Secretary General said that the visit of the Arab League’s Secretary General to Oman, which will begin today comes as part of the visits to Arab counties to share views about the latest developments in the Arab world.

He added that the visit will cover means of promoting Arab joint economic, commercial, social and cultural cooperation within the framework of the Arab League taking into consideration the effective and important role played by Oman. -ONA

the Frankincense Land Museum and Al Baleed Archaeological Park which is included on the world heritage list by UNESCO. The resort overlooks the sea from the south at easy-to-reach location to the main road network in Salalah.

The resort, which is the first Luxury Villas Resort in Salalah contain 96 two/three room villas,

88 of them have private swimming pools, in addition to 40- hotel rooms, including 30 rooms overlooking the sea.

The resort also has multiple halls for all occasions, in addition to a number of facilities for sports and recreation, health, retail outlets, along with three international restaurants, and accommodation for entertainment events. -ONA

A8

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

INDIA

In the wake of the terror attack on 166 Artillery unit of the army, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was closed for traffic in the area and was reopened on Tuesday evening.

Lok Sabha passes bill to tax black money after note ban converting money will have to cough up 60 per cent tax plus penalties, which will come to 85 per cent. Those who disclose black money to banks will have to pay 50 per cent tax, including surcharge and penalty.

While they will get back 25 per cent immediately, the rest 25 per cent will be returned after 4 years.

Some amendments moved by opposition members were rejected as those required approval of the President, which could not be obtained. Two amendments by N. K .Premchandran (RSP) and B Mahtab (BJD) were allowed.

While Premchandran refused to move the amendment as he was part of the protest, Mahtab’s amendment was negated by a voice vote.

The Taxation Laws (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed by the Lok Sabha after days of total washout due to paralysis on the demonetisation issue

NEW DELHI: Amidst din and without debate, Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed within minutes a major bill that provides a window to legalise black money post-demonetisation and a tax on that amount, triggering a controversy with the Opposition calling it a “black day” and accusing it of being “undemocratic and dictatorial”.

Marking transaction of the first legislative business in the twoweek-old Winter Session, the Taxation Laws (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed by the Lok Sabha after days of total washout due to paralysis on the demonetisation issue.

With the Opposition continuing to disrupt proceedings, the government suddenly brought the bill under the revised list of business showing its eagerness to get it passed immediately.

Amendments Even as the slogan-shouting by Opposition members continued, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the bill will give means to the Government of India to run schemes like Garib Kalyan Kosh.

“I urge the House to accept the amendments,” he said while mov-

MAKING A POINT: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley speaks in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on Tuesday.- PTI/TV GRAB

Opposition should allow Parliament to run: Ananth NEW DELHI: BJP’s win in local body polls in Gujarat and Maharashtra “clearly shows the writing is on the wall” for opposition parties, Union minister Ananth Kumar said on Tuesday and urged them to allow Parliament to function and start a debate on demonetisation on Wednesday.

The results of the local body polls in Gujarat and Maharashtra “clearly show the writing is on the wall.

The message is loud and

ing the bill for consideration and passing. Immediately, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan declared, “There will be no discussion”.

However, later she lamented

clear that public approves of the Modi government’s policies and rejects the Opposition’s tactics and stand on this issue,” he told reporters here.

“I again request Congress and other opposition parties to allow both houses to function and start a debate tomorrow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will intervene in both the houses...It is clear that we have walked halfway and they have not yet started,” he said.

Barring four-five political

that an important bill like this was being discussed without any discussion. Jaitley said the bill was brought after it came to the government’s notice that some

parties, the rest are ready for discussion, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.

“The public wants debate.

It does not favour such tactics of the Opposition. No party is opposing action against black money. They only have issues regarding its implementation which we are ready to listen and consider,” Kumar said.

He said that voting on the issue of demonetisation is unlikely as it will suggest that the House is divided. -PTI

people were trying to illegally exchange the demonetised Rs1,000 and Rs500 currency notes.

He said as per the amendment proposed, those caught illegally

Debate Earlier, opposition members said the bill could not be discussed before the debate on demonetisation as the measure was a follow up of the note ban decision.

Mahajan said since the bill is of urgent public importance, it has to be passed immediately.

Though she wanted a debate, she said “it is impossible” because of the behaviour of the opposition members.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Trinamool Congress’s Sudip Bandhopadhyay said the two issues — Adjournment Motion on demonetisation and the Income Tax Amendment Bill — can be discussed together as the issues were similar.

Saugata Roy (TMC) said since Jaitley on Monday introduced the Bill “surreptitiously” and “stealthily” amid din, the opposition did not get a chance to oppose its introduction as per rules.

B Mahtab said discussion on demonetisation was also necessary along with a debate on the bill as it had serious repercussions on the Income Tax laws. - PTI

JAMMU

PATROLLING: Army personnel take position during encounter after militants attacked an Army camp in Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu on Tuesday morning. - PTI

Seven soldiers killed in two terror attacks JAMMU: Two major terror attacks rocked Jammu region on Tuesday in which seven army personnel, including a Major, were killed and eight other securitymen, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters.

In one incident, a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota, about 3km from the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city on Tuesday morning, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for hours.

Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive. All were rescued, army spokesman said.

Three terrorists were gunned down by BSF in Ramgarh area of Samba near the International Border after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by Pakistani troops. Four security personnel, including BSF DIG, were injured in this incident.

In the wake of the terror attack on 166 Artillery unit of the army, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was closed for traffic in the area and was reopened on Tuesday evening. - PTI

BOMB BLAST CASES

NIA arrests 2 more Al Qaeda sympathisers NEW DELHI: Carrying out with its probe in the blasts outside court premises in South India since April this year, National Investigation Agency(NIA) on Tuesday arrested two more persons for allegedly being involved in the conspiracy to carry out bomb explosions by a group sympathising with terror outfit Al Qaeda.

With Tuesday’s arrest, the number of people arrested in the

case has gone upto five.

The NIA, along with police forces from Tamil Nadu and Telangana, had arrested three persons on Monday for the five bomb blast cases in court premises of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka since April.

The cases relate to blasts inside a vehicle at a parking place at district court complex, in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh on April 7;

in a parking area of CJM Court Complex at Kollam in Kerala on June 15; inside court complex at Mysuru on August 1, in Nellore of Andhra Pradesh on September 12 and inside a toilet complex of judicial court, Malappuram in Kerala on November 1. The National Investigation Agency had earlier arrested Abbas Ali, Suleiman and Samsum Karim Raja, all residents of Tamil Nadu. - PTI

A 10

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

PAKISTAN

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited has offered VSS to 9,000 employees, which is half of its workforce of 18,000, announced Syed Mazhar Hussain, Chief Human Resource Officer of PTCL

DECLINE IN FIXED LANDLINE BUSINESS

PROTEST AGAINST DEPORTATION OF TURKISH TEACHERS Students of the private PakTurk International schools and colleges hold placards during a protest in Lahore on Tuesday, against the Pakistani government’s ordered deportation of 130 teachers. Pakistan has ordered the deportation of 130 teachers affiliated with the alleged mastermind of an attempted coup in Turkey. - AFP

PTCL offers voluntary separation scheme to half of its workforce ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) on Monday offered Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) to half of its workforce – the fourth scheme since its privatisation – in a bid to compete effectively with players in the telecom industry.

A decline in fixed landline business — once its mainstay — and digitisation of services have reduced the workforce requirement.

PTCL has offered VSS to 9,000 employees, which is half of its workforce of 18,000, announced Syed Mazhar Hussain, Chief Human Resource Officer of PTCL at a press conference. This is the fourth scheme since 2008 – the year when the company offered VSS to 35,000 employees, out of which 30,000 opted for it.

“Customer satisfaction, high cost of human resource and demands from those 6,000 employees who had opted for the last three VSS schemes but could not be relieved are key reasons for the fourth VSS,” said Hussain.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa takes over as new army chief General Raheel Sharif handed over the command of world’s sixth-largest army by troop numbers to General Qamar Javed Bajwa, at a ceremony held in the Army Hockey Stadium

RAWALPINDI: General Qamar Javed Bajwa, an expert in Pakistan-administered-Kashmir affairs, on Tuesday took over as Pakistan’s new army chief succeeding General Raheel Sharif and promised to improve the tense situation at the Line of Control(LoC) soon.

General Raheel handed over the command of world’s sixthlargest army by troop numbers to 57-year-old Bajwa at a ceremony held in the Army Hockey Stadium, close to the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday appointed Bajwa as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) by elevating him to the rank of a fourstar general.

Raheel in January had declared that he would not seek extension.

There was speculation that the PML-N government would give him extension at the eleventh hour citing reasons that he was needed by the country to lead

CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY: In this handout photograph released by Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday, Pakistan’s newly-appointed army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa attends the change of command ceremony in Rawalpindi. - AFP/ SPR / HO

the war on terror. The post of the army chief is the most powerful in Pakistan. After taking charge as the COAS from Raheel, Bajwa spoke to reporters.

“The situation at the LoC will improve soon,” he was quoted as saying by Geo News.

Sought support from media Bajwa sought support from the media to play a role in the keeping the morale of troops high.

He said he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

Bajwa took over the command of the army in garrison city of Rawalpindi, where outgoing mili-

tary chief Raheel handed over the symbolic baton at an impressive ceremony.

Several high level military and civilian officials attended the ceremony during which national songs and war anthems were played by traditional military bands. His appointment coincides with the rising tensions and heavy exchange of fire at the LoC. Analysts believe Bajwa’s announcement that the LoC situation would improve might be a reconciliatory gesture towards India. However, General Raheel was not so conciliatory in his final speech as the army chief, as he

cautioned India against adopting an aggressive stance in Kashmir.

Raheel, 60, said in recent months “India’s increasing terrorism and aggressive stance” in Kashmir have “endangered” the region. India should know that mistaking our policy of patience for weakness would be dangerous,” he said.

“This is reality, that in South Asia, lasting peace and progress is impossible without solution of the Kashmir issue. For that, international community’s special attention is necessary,” he said.

He also stressed the need for institutions to work together for the

nation’s progress.

“It is important that all institutions work together against external threats and internal threats.

For this, we will need to follow the National Action Plan in letter and spirit,” Gen Raheel said.

“The army will remain alert to threats, whether external or internal,” Raheel said.

For regional peace, he said, issues should be resolved politically.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a major factor in ensuring regional peace, he said.

“The departure of the first cargo from Gwadar port has shown this journey cannot be halted now,” he warned. “The time is here now that the enemies of CPEC stop working against it and become a part of it.”

Bajwa was eariler serving as Inspector General of the Training and Evaluation and also commanded the famed 10 Corps, the army’s largest, which is responsible for the area along the Line of Control (LoC). As a major general, Bajwa led the Force Command Northern Areas.

He also served in the 10 Corps as lieutenant colonel.

He also served with a UN mission in Congo as a brigade commander alongside former Indian army chief General Bikram Singh, who was also there as a division commander.

The new army chief has wide experience of LoC affairs due to his extensive involvement with Pakistan-administered-Kashmir and northern areas.

According to reports, General Bajwa’s “pro-democracy credentials” and his low-profile influenced the prime minister to appoint him to the powerful post of army chief superseding four top generals. - PTI

In 2006, when the then government sold PTCL’s 26 per cent stake to Etisalat for $2.6 billion along with management control, there were 64,000 employees. Effective from Monday, the scheme was expected to be availed of by around 3,000 employees, he said, adding the cost of these employees had been estimated at Rs10 billion.

“PTCL board of directors has unanimously approved the scheme and the benefit package,” said Hussain. PTCL was spending 35 per cent of its revenues on human resource, which was a big issue for the company, said Hussain.

He added the ratio was 12 per cent to 15 per cent in other telecom companies. In 2015, the company earned Rs8.8 billion in aftertax profit, which was 69 per cent higher than the previous year. “Because of the mindset, we are not able to provide quality services,” said Hussain. The HR chief said the separation of old employees would allow the management to hire qualified people. - Express Tribune RETURNS

Imran denies accusations of tax evasion, money laundering ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan denied on Tuesday allegations of money laundering and tax evasion, levelled against him in a petition seeking to disqualify the party chief and General Secretary Jahangir Khan Tareen.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi, who lost NA-56 Rawalpindi seat to Imran, had filed a constitutional petition, seeking to disqualify the PTI chief for concealing his sources of income.

The petition was filed on his behalf by Akram Sheikh.

Petition Submitting a 21-page reply to the Supreme Court, Imran claimed that the petition had been filed to counter-blast to his plea against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his family and others, to settle a personal grudge.

The PTI chief said that he paid all applicable taxes on his income by playing cricket and through other sources of income.

He further added that he paid for his flat in London from money earned abroad.

Disqualification Earlier this month, the top court issued notices to Imran and Tareen over a petition seeking their disqualification as National Assembly members on the basis of concealment of sources of income tax returns. A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, rejected Abbasi’s plea to club it with the main case of the Panama leaks. However, the court issued notices to the respondents. - Express Tribune

E X C H A N G E R AT E C O M P E T I T I V E N E S S

Experts stress role of SBP in finding rupee’s fair value KARACHI: Experts have called for a proactive role of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to find a fair value of the rupee against a basket of some of the world’s major currencies so that exports may go up.

“In the short run, the SBP has a major role to play in the alignment of exchange rate and making it favourable for exports,” said Dr Sajid Amin Javed, Head Policy Solutions Lab at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the “Exchange rate competitiveness and economic performance: A Pakistan perspective”, he said the SBP needed to develop a tool to monitor and assess the deviation of rupee from its fair value so that ambiguities could be avoided.

In the medium term, the country needed to create a favourable busi-

have to follow the countries which make gains from trade through devaluing their currencies.”

ness environment and in the long term, it should focus on increasing the labour productivity, a statement quoted him as saying.

Nadeem Ahmed of the Social Policy and Development Centre said Pakistan needed to explore African markets to increase its exports, as Africa was a growing emerging economy.

Moreover, the country is in need of skilled labour and innovations for the much-needed surge in productivity and exports.

In the short run, the State Bank of Pakistan has a major role to play in the alignment of exchange rate and making it favourable for exports Dr Sajid Amin Javed Head Policy Solutions Lab at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute

Structural reforms He underlined the importance of structural reforms to align the export and import policies according to future demand.

“For an oil-dependent country such as Pakistan, a prudent exchange rate policy is a must,” he remarked.

Replying to a question, Ahmed

said the exchange rate misalignment was a political issue.

Sajid Amin of the SDPI said after every election the rupee had been devalued to maintain the credibility of the government.

Safia Minhaj, Assistant Profes-

sor of Karachi University, said the undocumented economy was one of the major issues behind the unfair value of Pakistani rupee.

“We also have to keep a close check on the undocumented economy. Pakistan has 50-250 per

cent informal flow of remittances which may affect the current rupee-dollar parity, appreciating the rupee above its equilibrium value,” he said. Ammad Ali, a representative of the Applied Economic Research Centre (AERC), said, “we

Tackle imbalance He added the exchange rate competitiveness was a major determinant of the tradable sector performance and fall in the value of currencies of trading partners had resulted in rupee’s appreciation.“The SBP needs to tackle the imbalance.”

Aadil Nakhoda, Assistant Professor at IBA, linked the low export performance of Pakistan with the restricted trade policy. He stressed that the government needed to use the free trade policy rather than intervention in the market and fixing the exchange rate. He said the country had to use the option of non-tariff measures instead of tariff measures which further restricted the exports. - Express Tribune

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

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Poor families struggle to find food in Mosul Retail prices rose sharply last week, after Popular Mobilisation fighters cut the supply route to Mosul from the Syrian territories

FLEEING FOR SAFETY: Iraqis flee, from their neighbourhood in the eastern district of Mosul to a safe area, on Tuesday, during an ongoing operation against IS group militants. – AFP

BAGHDAD/MOSUL: A full siege is developing in Mosul as poor families struggle to feed themselves after prices rose sharply following the US-backed offensive on the IS-held city in northern Iraq, humanitarian workers said on Tuesday.

Some of the poorest families are finding it hard to feed themselves while others are hoarding and hiding food as they expect prices to rise further as the battle that started six weeks ago takes hold of the city.

“Key informants are telling us that poor families are struggling to put sufficient food on their tables,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, Lise Grande, told Reuters. “This is very worrying.”

Iraqi government and Kurdish forces surround the city from the north, east and south, while Popular Mobilisation forces - a coalition of groups - are trying to close in from the west.

Retail prices rose sharply last week, after Popular Mobilisation fighters cut the supply route to Mosul from the Syrian territories.

More than a million people are

still believed to live in parts of Mosul under the control of the IS fighters, who seized the largest city in northern Iraq as part of a lightning advance across a third of the country in 2014.

With the last supply route cut off, basic commodity prices in Mosul could double “in the short term”, said a humanitarian worker, who declined to be identified.

Some 100,000 Iraqi government troops, Kurdish security forces and mainly militiamen are participating in the assault on Mosul that began on October 17, with air and ground support from a US-led international military coalition. The capture of Mosul, IS’s last major urban stronghold in Iraq, is seen as crucial towards dismantling the IS territories.

Iraqi forces moving from the east have captured about a quarter of Mosul, trying to advance to the Tigris river that runs through its centre, in the biggest battle in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion. “In a worst case, we envision that families who are already in trouble in Mosul will find themselves in even more acute need.”

Grande said. “The longer it takes to liberate Mosul, the harder conditions become for families.”

IS arrested on Sunday about 30 shop owners accused of raising food prices in the city, to try to suppress discontent, witnesses said on Monday. The group is relentlessly cracking down on people who could help the offensive in Iraq. Most of the people executed previously in Mosul were former police and army officers, suspected of disloyalty or plotting rebellions against the militants’ harsh rule. The Iraqi military estimates there are 5,000-6,000 insurgents in Mosul, dug in amid civilians to hamper air strikes, resisting the advancing troops with suicide car bombs and sniper and mortar fire that also kill civilians.

An air strike targeting IS fighters hit a clinic south of Mosul on October 18, killing at least eight civilians, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

Iraqi and coalition forces did not confirm the report, which said two militants and the hardline group’s transport minister were also killed in the strike. — Reuters

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WORLD T H R I V I N G O N R AW E G G S

World’s oldest person marks 117th birthday in Italy VERBANIA: Emma Morano, thought to be the world’s oldest person and the last to be born in the 1800s, celebrated her 117th birthday on Tuesday, still swearing by her diet of two raw eggs a day.

Morano was born in November 1899, four years before the Wright brothers first took to the air. Her life has spanned three centuries, two world wars and over 90 Italian governments.

Friends, neighbours and her doctor gathered in her small apartment in the northern town of Verbania, on the shores of Lake Maggiore, to mark the latest milestone, presenting her with a large white

birthday cake. “My life wasn’t so nice,” she told Reuters TV as she sat in an armchair by her window, a white shawl over her shoulders.

“I worked in a factory until I was 65, then that was that.”

In an interview with La Stampa newspaper five years ago she said her fiance had died in World War One and that she had then been forced to marry a man she did not love. “’Either you agree to marry me or I will kill you’,” Morano said, recalling his proposal. “I was 26.

We got married.”

It was not a happy marriage.

They had a boy in 1937, but the baby died after just six months and

the following year Morano kicked out her abusive husband.

“I separated from him in 1938. I think I was one of the first in Italy to do that.”

Morano lives alone and has outlived all her eight brothers and sisters, including one who died at 102. She has thrived despite an unorthodox, unbalanced diet.

“When I first knew her she used to eat three eggs a day. Two raw, and one fried. Today she has slowed down a bit, reducing the number to two some days because she says three can be too much,” her doctor Carlo Bava told Reuters TV. — Reuters

A 12

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016 Chapecoense, from Brazil’s top league, had been flying to face Atletico Nacional of Medellin on Wednesday in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final, South America’s equivalent of the Europa League.

WORLD

75 killed as jet with Brazil soccer club team crashes Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense was heading for biggest game in their history, most of the players and accompanying journalists die

LA UNION (COLOMBIA)/ CHAPECO (BRAZIL): A chartered plane carrying top-tier Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense to the biggest game in its history crashed in the Colombian mountains, killing 75 people on board, authorities said on Tuesday.

Dozens of bodies were laid out and covered with sheets around the wreckage of the BAe 146 aircraft, which was lying in mud near La Union, a small town outside Medellin. The plane went down about 10:15pm on Monday night with 72 passengers and a crew of nine. It was unclear what caused the crash, although local media said the plane had reported an electrical fault shortly before it disappeared off radar screens.

A Reuters photographer said the plane split in two, destroying the tail end. Rain hampered the dozens of rescuers as they combed the muddy and forested area.

Chapecoense, from Brazil’s top league, had been flying to face Atletico Nacional of Medellin on Wednesday in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final, South America’s equivalent of the Europa League. On Tuesday, Atletico Nacional offered the championship to Chapecoense.

It was the first time the small club from the southern city of

TRAGEDY: Rescue crew work in the wreckage from a plane that crashed into Colombian jungle with Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense near Medellin, Colombia, on November 29, 2016. – Reuters

Chapeco had reached the final of a major South American club competition. Colombia’s civil aviation head, Alfredo Bocanegra, said by Tuesday morning, there were 75 confirmed fatalities, with six injured survivors. He said the death toll could rise.

Tributes poured in from the global soccer family and Brazil declared three days of mourning.

“I express my solidarity in this sad hour during which tragedy has beset dozens of Brazilian families,” President Michel Temer said.

“The government will do all it can to alleviate the pain of the friends and family of sport and national journalism.”

Brazilian news organizations said 21 journalists had been on board to cover the match.

Colombia’s disaster management agency listed players Alan Ruschel, Danilo Padilha and Jak-

son Follmann as survivors.

Flight tracking service Flightradar24 said on Twitter the last tracking signal from flight 2933 had been received when it was at 15,500 feet (4,724 m), about 30 km (18.64 miles) from its destination, which sits at an altitude of 7,000 feet (2133 m). The BAe 146 was produced by a company that is now part of the UK’s BAE Systems. The crash evoked memories of other soccer air disasters, including the Munich crash in 1958 that killed 23 people, including eight Manchester United players, journalists and travelling officials.

World governing body FIFA said on Twitter its “thoughts were with the victims, their families, fans of Chapecoense and media organisations in Brazil on this tragic day.”

Chapecoense qualified for the biggest game in its history after

overcoming the Argentine club San Lorenzo in the semi-final on away goals following a 1-1 draw in Buenos Aires and 0-0 draw at home. They were underdogs for the match against a club going for a rare double after winning the Copa Libertadores in July.

Chapecoense was the 21st biggest club in Brazil in terms of revenue, bringing in 46 million reais ($13.5 million) in 2015, according to a list by Brazilian bank Itau BBA. The club has built its success on a frugal spending policy that eschewed big money signings and concentrated on blending young talent and experienced journeymen.

“They were the hope of our city,” said Jean Panegalli, 17, a student in Chapeco. “They played for love of the shirt and not for money. They played with the commitment that only those who

have lived here know. “They were ferocious.” Chapecoense’s bestknown player was Cleber Santana, a midfielder whose best years were spent in Spain with Atletico Madrid and Mallorca. Coach Caio Junior also was experienced, having managed at some of Brazil’s biggest clubs, Botafogo, Flamengo and Palmeiras among them.

The crash prompted an outpouring of solidarity and grief on social media from the footballing community, with Brazilian top flight teams Flamengo and Santos tweeting messages of support.

Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas tweeted: “My condolences for the plane accident that carried @ChapecoenseReal. Tough moment for football. Good luck and stay strong!” The South American football federation suspended all games and other activities following the crash. — Reuters

MOURNING

Leftist allies pay tribute to Fidel Castro at mass rally HAVANA: Leaders of Cuba’s leftist allies and other developing countries arrive in Havana on Tuesday for a mass rally commemorating Fidel Castro, the rebel who seized power in a 1959 revolution and ruled the island for half a century.

Castro, who ceded control to his younger brother Raul Castro a decade ago due to poor health, died on Friday at the age of 90.

For many, especially in Latin America and Africa, he was a symbol of resistance to imperialism, having ousted a US-backed dictator, and a champion of the poor.

Others condemned him as a tyrant whose socialism ran the island’s economy to ruin.

Cuba announced nine days of mourning, including the rally on Tuesday evening in Havana’s Revolution Square - the same massive space where Castro once delivered rousing, marathon speeches.

On Tuesday morning, thousands lined up in the square for a second day to file past Castro’s favorite portrait of himself, dressed in military fatigues and carrying a rifle. “He has left us physically, but from now on will multiply in the millions, because we shall follow his ideas,” said customs worker Hipolito Rodriguez, 67, dressed in khaki military fatigues as he waited for his turn to pay homage.

“He was the father of the nation.

It is like losing a beloved relative.

He has left us a legacy we must continue.” Many leaders of Latin America’s left, including Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Bolivian President Evo Morales, flew in to attend the ceremony.

Maduro, speaking on Monday night, paid tribute to Castro’s “immortal force.” Also expected are several African leaders such as Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe and South Africa’s Jacob Zuma. Nelson Mandela, while he was still alive, repeatedly thanked Castro for his efforts in helping overturn apartheid in South Africa. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

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INGRID MELANDER

Five to eight days for labour visa would be acceptable This refers to the story Plan to cut labour visa red-tape in Oman (November 28). Five days would be excellent, but, Anytime between 5 to 8 days would be acceptable under any curcumstances. — M Mohd Salim, via Facebook

Scan this QR code to send letters to the Readers’ Forum, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com).

Monopoly should be abolished first This refers to the story Third telecom operator to cut cost, fibre-optic cable rolling out in Oman, (November 27). Monopoly of operators should be abolished first, otherwise all operators will offer similar package, let the companies come, establish and roll out the offers. — Ameer Merchant, via Facebook

A survey by Odoxa showed that Fillon is doing well among voters with high-end jobs but struggling with working-class voters and public officials who are open to Le Pen, a weakness that could become a real issue for him during the campaign. A majority of leftwing voters would not turn up to polling stations at all

No blood is spilled This refers to the Facebook video Bullfighting, Omani style, (November 28). Just bulls doing some friendly wrestling as no blood spilled. Worst thing I’ve seen happening is the ego of a bull getting hurt. — Roy De Ruiter, via Facebook

Bullfighting should be banned completely This refers to the Facebook video Bullfighting, Omani style., (November 28). Animals have feeling too. This game should be banned completely.— Mamie Noor Zizi , via Facebook

NEW INDIA ASSURANCE

“Insure with New India and be secure”

Tel: 24838800 | Fax: 24838899 | Email: niamct@omantel.net.om | Website: www.newindiaoman.com We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves.

FRANCOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

T

he long-term sustainability of Russia’s economy is an open question. Cronyism is rife, and Russia’s heavy dependence on oil revenues means that it will suffer whenever oil prices are low. But if the Soviet Union taught us anything, it is that unsustainable systems can survive for many years.

The Russian system today reminds me of the Soviet system I experienced in 1983, when I lived in Moscow, and KGB disciplinarian Yuri Andropov was still in power (albeit in poor health). The common economic features, then and now, include low oil prices, a nonviable economic ideology, state ownership of crucial industries, and authoritarian rule.

But one notable difference is that Russia’s macroeconomic management is much more competent today than it was then. Russia is not at risk of running out of financing, despite continued Western sanctions. But its tight resources do limit the Kremlin’s foreign-policy options and aggravate tensions among Russian elites.

Since oil prices started falling in June 2014, Russia has slipped from sixth place to 14th in the International Monetary Fund’s global economic rankings; its GDP (measured in current United States dollars) has dropped from $2.1 trillion to $1.1 trillion – just 6 per cent of US GDP. (And it spends only 8 per cent of what the US does on defence.)

But, though Russia is not economically competitive with the US, its government has maintained admirable macroeconomic balances, even as growth prospects have faded. It took some time for the Russian government to get things right, and its international reserves did slump dangerously in 2014; but that December, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) finally floated the ruble’s exchange rate, and macroeconomic conditions have since stabilised.

In his public statements, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasises five indicators of stability: international reserves, the foreign-payments balance, the budget balance, inflation, and the unemployment rate. Among these, he places the biggest premium on international reserves. At the annual “Russia Calling!” investment forum in October, Putin reported that “international reserves are growing” and “currently stand at around $400 billion” – which is apparently his target amount.

Russia’s international reserves include the Min-

istry of Finance’s Reserve Fund, which will run out in 2017. But for Putin, all that matters is the total size of Russia’s international reserves. By letting the exchange rate float with the oil price, the CBR has managed to maintain a significant current-account surplus, even though lower commodity prices cut exports and imports by half since 2013.

Similarly, the Ministry of Finance keeps the budget deficit at around 3 per cent of GDP, and the falling exchange rate has kept revenues relatively stable in ruble terms, even as absolute revenues have fallen.

The government has made up for budget shortfalls by ruthlessly slashing education, health care, and now pensions. When the ruble depreciated early last year, inflation surged above 16 per cent; but the CBR’s tight monetary policy has since reduced inflation to 6 per cent, with a further decline, to 4 per cent, likely to be achieved next year. Remarkably, the unemployment rate is currently 5.4 per cent, and Russia has managed to keep it below 6 per cent since the oil-price shock; what’s more, public debt is a minuscule 13 per cent of GDP. Despite these positive indicators, overall investment, GDP, and living standards are falling. Real disposable incomes fell 10 per cent last year, and will likely shrink by another 5-6 per cent this year; investment fell more than 8 per cent last year, and will likely fall by 4 per cent this year; and GDP declined by 3.7 per cent in 2015, and will probably contract this year as well (though by less than 1 per cent).

A Westerner would consider these numbers unacceptable. But ordinary Russians appreciate that their real (inflation-adjusted) incomes doubled between 1999 and 2008. And, at any rate, it is not as though they can protest under the current regime.

Still, Putin once based his legitimacy on economic growth. Now that he can no longer deliver improved living standards, he follows the recommendation made in 1904 by Russian imperial minister Vyacheslav von Plehve: “We need a small victorious war.” Putin has benefited from three so far: the 2008 war in Georgia, the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and the ongoing intervention in Syria since September 2015. - Project Syndicate

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES NOVEMBER 2001 Ramadan evening programme in Buraimi BURAIMI: As part of the school hygiene and environment competition a Ramadan evening programme began here yesterday at Jameela Buhuraid Secondary School.

The programme was held under the auspices of Bati bin Mohammed Al Niyadi, member of the Majlis Al Shura, which was attended by the teachers, parents and students. Aysha bint Mubarak Al Ghuraibi, director of the school, delivered a speech highlighting the blessings of the holy month of Ramadan.

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1782: The British sign a preliminary agreement in Paris, recognizing American independence.

1900: The French government denounces British actions in South Africa, declaring sympathy for the Boers.

1919: Women cast votes for first time in French legislative elections.

0

1995: Operation Desert Storm officially comes to an end.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

LIFESTYLE LEISURE

Five Reasons to Visit Salalah Year-Round Story Felicia Campbell Photography Mehdi Taghavi

M

ost people travel to Salalah during the Khareef season, when the landscape is lush and green, but if that is the only time you travel south, you’re missing out. The “off-season” (which many take to mean any time other than Khareef ) is the perfect time to enjoy the views that the clear, cloud-free sky offers, take a dip in the roaring sea, and experience the rugged natural beauty of the south, sans the swarms of GCC tourist.

Enjoying the Indian Ocean Outside of Khareef season, the Indian Ocean is calm enough to swim or paddle board in, but still

packs enough wave action to allow for some light surfing and adventurous sea kayaking. The long, pristine coastline is also magnificent for evening strolls.

Don’t Miss: A sunset walk along the newly constructed corniche in front of the Al Baleed Archaeological Park or on the private beach at the Al Baleed Resort.

Hiking The mild year-round weather and well-maintained hiking trails in the Dhofar mountains make the area a trekker’s paradise. Easy to access, the mountainous areas of Jabal Samhan offer stunning views of grassy plains, jagged peaks, and the white sand and

royal blue of the distant coastline.

Don’t Miss: A hike in Jabal Samhan History and Reflection Salalah is home to some of the most important sites in Oman, from the Samhram ruins of the Queen of Sheeba’s palace, to the 4th century Al Baleed Archaeological site, to the serene tomb of Prophet Ayyub (Job) (Pbuh), where you can spend an hour of quiet reflection in the tomb or walking around the well-manicured gardens and adjacent mosque.

Don’t Miss: The tomb of Prophet Ayyub (Pbuh) (Follow the signs along Ittin Road and after approximately 22km, turn left at the signpost for An Nabi Ayyub)

Chilling with the Fishermen The nearby fishing village of Mirbat is a wonderful place to walk through narrow streets of picturesque homes, dine on fresh-caught fish or lobster by the docks, or simply enjoy sipping on sweet tea with the locals while taking in the views of the sea and cliffs.

Don’t Miss: Lunch or tea across from the fisherman’s dock (just look for the boats in the natural harbour, the only restaurant in town sits adjacent to them).

The Food Ittin street is chockablock with pop-up restaurants during Khareef, but even after the crowds have departed, you will still find a

handful of small restaurants along the strip serving the specialty of Salalah, majeen. Salted strips of meat hang dry from the rafters of the shops, where the strips are chopped and fried to make the Omani version of beef-jerky.

Along with this distinctive snack, you can find muthbee rock-grilled chicken and meat, and sometimes camel, which is served atop mounds of rice. If meat isn’t your thing, the fresh seafood of Mirbat village and the tropical fruit and coconut stands near the beach are total treats as well.

Don’t Miss: The grill shacks of Ittin street and the beachside tropical fruit vendors.

–felicia@timesofoman.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

WEATHER

TEMPERATURE

PRAYER TIMINGS

HUMIDITY

29 - 19 73-41% 0

0

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

12.01pm 3.04pm 5.25pm 6.39pm 5.12am

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LIFESTYLE

ON THE BALL With Gautam Bhargav Viswanathan

Deep Down, Most Celebrities are Just Like Us “SO WHAT DO YOU DO HERE?” asked the visitor I was escorting. “Me, I’m a media executive. That’s just a fancy term for journalist,” I told her.

Saina Nehwal threw her head back and laughed. A lovely, lilting musical one. The world’s number one badminton player spent the next half an hour or so regaling us with tales about her experiences travelling overseas, glossing over her title triumphs with a very genuine modesty.

Most people would’ve brought an entourage of agents and publicists with them – Karim Benzema certainly did – but Saina only brought her father with her.

Saina Nehwal was very nice to talk to. Strip away the glittering trophies, the official Team India kit and the coterie of photographers and videographers around her and

she would’ve been just the same.

To be honest, most celebrities are nice to talk to.

The next time you’re strolling through Muscat Grand Mall and spot Ali Al Habsi at an Ooredoo event, it’s only natural to get overexcited and jump up and down as if you were on your very own invisible trampoline, but taking the time to talk to him as a person, and not as a celebrity will lead to a longer, more memorable conversation between the two of you.

The truth is that in a world of 24-hour news and exhaustive coverage that details every aspect of celebrity life, sometimes all they want to do is be themselves, and they cannot often do that in front of their fans, who idolise them as role models. There is a certain inspiring image they have to maintain, one that’s been drummed up by

the marketing and event management people in boardroom meetings, but more often than not, what would really endear any celebrity to their loyal supporters is simply dropping that veneer of PR spiel and just being who they really are.

Because the person you meet underneath that mask is almost always a more memorable individual than the personality that’s been constructed and trained to rattle off a few sentences that have the inspiration and panache of a wet dish towel. One particular conversation I particularly remember was my meeting with former Arsenal and Sweden legend Fredrik Ljungberg.

He was part of the Invincible Arsenal season, which saw the Londoners go through the 2003-2004 league season unbeaten.

I was thrillingly excited to have met one of my childhood sporting

S TAY C AT I O N

The Perfect Winter Break at Alila Jabal Akhdar

Alila Jabal Akhdar has introduced an offer exclusively for Omani residents giving them every reason to go for that well-deserved autumn/winter staycation. Up until March 2017, residents can enjoy a stay at the beautiful resort for an irresistible package.

This one-of-a-kind offering includes everything one needs to relax and unwind, with a welcome dinner and breakfast at Juniper restaurant, a 15% discount on any weekday spa treatment, a 15% discount on any leisure concierge experience, and even a complimentary upgrade during weekdays.

Enjoy all of this amidst the jaw-

dropping backdrop of the Al Hajar mountains, while pampering your body and soul.

The Omani nationals and residents package for weekdays includes: Stay for 1 night or more between Saturday-Wednesday in the Mountain View Suite, starting from OMR115++ inclusive of complimentary upgrade subject to availability on arrival, 1 night stay for 2 adults, 2 children below 12 years stay free and dine free from the kids menu, welcome dinner and breakfast at Juniper restaurant, complimentary yoga session on Wednesday and Saturday at 5pm and more. For weekend special stay for minimum 2

nights (Thursday and Friday) in the Mountain View Suite starting from OMR115++ inclusive of 1 night stay for 2 adults, 2 children below 12 years stay free and dine free from the kids menu, welcome dinner and breakfast at Juniper restaurant and more.

This offer is valid until March 2017, and resort is reachable only by 4x4. Rate is subject to availability and blackout dates (UAE and Oman public holidays), and exclusive of taxes.

For reservations, email: jabalakhdar@alilahotels.com Call: +968 2534 4200, +968 9910 4204 —lifestyle@timesofoman.com

idols, and what amazed me when I arrived for our interview at the Arsenal Soccer School Oman’s training base at the British School Muscat was that it was just him and me on the pitch. Looking back at it now, I feel truly fortunate to have interviewed such a massive celebrity at the age of just 24.

I did spend the first five minutes with an awestruck look on my face, but once I opened up to him and told him I never expected to be interviewing someone of his stature at my age, I was delighted to have a rapport going with him as he opened up about his childhood and early career.

“My parents were adamant that I had to finish school before I started a career in football because a bad injury could end your career and they wanted me to have something to fall back on,” I remember

him saying. There was a lot more he told me that wasn’t part of our interview, simply because he was such a genuine guy. He shared so many fond memories of his time at Arsenal and assigned some rather choice words to several of his opponents, all of which are unfortunately too salty to print here.

Another great memory I have was my meeting with former Pakistan cricketing star Azhar Mahmood. I’d been watching him since I was 10, and told him as much. “Stop making me so old, Gautam,” he quipped. “I’m going to be 40 soon.”

But one of the most startling revelations of my fledgling career came from former high jumper Martyn Bernard, who had represented Team Great Britain at the 2008 Olympics and won a silver medal at the Commonwealth

Games in 2006, having last turned out for his nation less than two years ago.

I’d expected him to be staying in a big, swanky hotel when I’d met him during his visit. Instead, when I asked him where he was being put up, he replied with “I’m staying with my friend in his apartment about 10 minutes away from here.”

Obviously, there are those who change because they are fuelled by the attention and lavish lifestyles that show business provides them, but for the most part, celebrities, deep down, have much the same backgrounds and the same concerns that all of us have, even if it may not be immediately discernible. To quote the legendary musician Phil Collins, I know we’re different, but deep inside us, we’re not that different at all.

—gautam@timesofoman.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

LIFESTYLE CARVING IT UP WITH CUTTLEBONE

C

uttlebone, also known as cuttlefish bone, is a hard, brittle internal structure and Indian -born artist Sandesh S. Rangnekar uses it to carve sculptures.

Normally found on the beaches of Oman, the idea of carving a cuttlebone struck the artist while walking on a beach and found a squid bone lying on the wet sand. He took it home, cleaned it, observed it for a while and decided to carve. Someone who sees art and beauty in every aspect of life and nature, Sandesh rediscovered his love for fine art in Oman and its beautiful landscapes.

Sandesh carves his sculptures in a home studio, where an individual

Pictures Supplied

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piece can take between four to 100 hours to complete, depending on the size and complexity of the sculpture. While his works include major forts, people, historical landmarks, and nature that are considered as the icons of traditional and modern Oman, the one that is close to his heart is the sculpture of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

“I don’t use any special tools for etching. Instead, I use very simple tools such as crochet needles, watchmaking apparatuses, or anything that could get me the desired result,” says Sandesh who is perhaps the only squid bone artist in the Sultanate.

—lifestyle@timesofoman.com

BRIEFS

Turkish Airlines presents new features Turkish Airlines, Europe’s best airline for six consecutive years according to the recent Skytrax results, has taken its in-flight experience even further. Having the passenger satisfaction as the company’s priority, the entertainment selection was broadened in order to reach the widest range of passengers’ requests. In cooperation with Denon, one of the world’s highest-quality audio and home entertainment systems manufacturers, Turkish Airlines’ Business class travellers on America-bound flights will have the possibility to experience a renewed audio experience. Thanks to this partnership, the audio engineering company will provide a comfortable set of headphones, which is able to deliver perfect sound while minimising ambient noise to 99%.

Phenomenally comfortable even for long periods of usage, the headphones can also be purchased on Shop&amp;Miles, an alternative way of using miles accumulated in the airline’s popular mileage reward programme.

Petra, Desert Wonder Exhibition at Sharjah Museum A spectacular collection of sculptures, statues, architectural remnants and much more, all originating from the ancient city of Petra, opened at Sharjah Archaeology Museum. Petra, Desert Wonder runs till March 16, 2017, offering visitors a unique insight into the groundbreaking artistic and architectural heritage of the civilisation of the Arab Nabataeans and their ‘Rose City’. The exhibition, a collaboration between Sharjah Museums Department and the Department of Antiquities in Jordan, is the first show of its kind in the Gulf and is considered integral in promoting cross-cultural exchange between Arab societies. Visitors will explore the relationship and connections that linked Petra as a centre of trade with other settlements in the Arabian Peninsula, including Sharjah’s most significant archaeological site, Mleiha. Petra, Desert Wonder presents a unique collection of rare archaeological finds, including sculptures, statues, architectural remnants and crafts, from the spectacular Nabataean city of Petra, which is hidden among steep red rocks of sandstone in the southern part of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

World’s largest Monoprix Hypermarket to open at Doha Festival City Doha Festival City, which opens its doors in February next year, has taken a step closer towards completion, confirming the inclusion of the largest Monoprix Hypermarket worldwide. The renowned French retail chain will boast more than 35,000 high-quality goods within its 7,000sqm location, including several product lines that will be new and exclusive to Qatar from both local and international brands. Qatar’s new store will have an extensive range of locally known brands — including the widest range of organic, fresh items from local farmers. Monoprix will also bring internationally well-loved brands to Qatar, for the first time, from UK, Spain, Italy, and all around the world, including new make-up ranges from Paris and Milan. Bringing its own French heritage to Qatar, the store will be home to an authentic French bakery, a waffle house and an impressive “Cave à Fromage,” which will be stocked with a wide selection of the finest international cheeses. Revolutionising the perception of hypermarkets, Monoprix will introduce a new and innovative concept to Qatar, with a variety of dedicated in-store experiences for its clientele. From restaurants to concept stores, exclusive electronic corners and more, Monoprix will unite retail experiences with food and entertainment concepts.

Beyond being just a hypermarket, the new Monoprix is set to bring together many of these elements and establish a new customer experience for Qatar’s shoppers. For more information visit: www.festivalcitydoha.com —lifestyle@timesofoman.com

B

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM W EDN ES DAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

OMAN CRUDE PRICE RISES Oman Crude (January delivery) declined by 83 cents to $45.31 per barrel, said Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME). The average price of Oman Crude (December delivery) stabilised at $49.18 per barrel, $5.78 higher than September delivery. – ONA

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

VAT framework deal among GCC states expected shortly Value added tax, which is a tax on consumption and is levied at each stage in the chain of production, will be introduced in the six-member GCC bloc at an expected rate of 5 per cent in the beginning of 2018

A E JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: A framework agreement for value added tax is expected to be signed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states shortly.

“The GCC common VAT framework will form the basis for the national value added tax (VAT) legislation to be issued by each

GCC state,” said Nadine Bassil, director, indirect tax, at PwC, while addressing a seminar on VAT in Oman and the GCC. Value added tax, which is a tax on consumption and is levied at each stage in the chain of production, will be introduced in the sixmember GCC bloc at an expected rate of 5 per cent in the beginning of 2018.

GCC states are getting prepared

Nadine Bassil, director, indirect tax, at PwC. - Picture by Jun Estrada/Times of Oman

for introducing VAT. “Some countries are in a more advanced stage than others. For instance, the UAE has issued a law for setting up a Federal Tax Authority and they are looking at recruiting people,”

N C S I D ATA

Real estate sales in Oman grow by 124% to OMR7.6b MUSCAT: Oman’s real estate sales registered a massive 124.3 per cent growth for the first 10 months of 2016 to OMR7.6 billion, over the same period of last year, which was valued at OMR3.4 billion, according to latest data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

Fees collected Fees collected from legal transactions in the real estate sector rose 34.1 per cent to OMR54.2 million while traded value of sales contracts dipped by 16.2 per cent to OMR857.3 million, along with a 9.8 per cent fall in the number of sales contracts, ECONOMY

Fitch lowers India’s growth forecast to 6.9% NEW DELHI: Fitch Ratings on Tuesday lowered India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for this fiscal to 6.9 per cent from 7.4 per cent, saying there will be “temporary disruptions” to economic activity post demonetisation.

It said economic activity will be hit in the October-December quarter because of the cash crunch created by withdrawal and replacement of Rs500 and Rs1000 notes that accounted for 86 per cent of the value of currency in circulation.

Temporary disruptions “Indian growth has also been revised down to reflect temporary disruptions to activity related to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) surprise demonetisation of large-denomination bank notes,” Fitch said, as it revised real GDP growth forecast down to 6.9 per cent for 2016-17, from 7.4 per cent projected earlier. — PTI

which declined to 59,997 from 66,540 in the prior year.

In contrast, the number of mortgage contracts increased 4.8 per cent to 19,532 with a substantial 186 per cent growth in the value of mortgage contracts at OMR6.8 billion.

Barter contracts, however, suffered a 42 per cent drop in the number of contracts at 658, and an accompanying 45.2 per cent fall in the value of barter contracts, which slipped to OMR9.7 million from last year’s OMR17.6 million.

The issued properties too took a hit during the January-October period, with the number of issued properties shrinking by 1.5

per cent to 196,651.

GCC citizens Properties issued to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens logged a major 24.5 per cent drop to 1,480 contracts during the period, as against 1,959 properties issued to them over the same period of last year.

During October alone, properties worth OMR247.7 million were traded. As many as 17,530 properties were issued in the month, of which 178 properties went to GCC citizens. The value of real estate transactions in the Sultanate for the whole of 2015 stood at OMR4.1 billion, the NCSI report said. - ONA

Bassilsaid, adding that Saudi Arabia is setting up a tax administration and “we expect them to recruit tax professionals.”

She also noted that several GCC states have already announced

their intention to adopt VAT by January 2018 and others may follow at the latest by 2019. The intention is to have aharmonised system, which needs to be broadbased. “The need to reduce oil dependence has become even more critical and structured reforms are essential to promote diversification and non-oil sector growth in order to create jobs for the growing workforce.”

The average VAT, which is collected by businesses on behalf of the VAT administration, revenue is expected at 1.3 per cent of the gross domestic product of GCC states, according to an IMF estimate in 2012.

While designing the VAT law, countries need to ensure simple procedures for easy implementation, efficiency (which ensures low compliance cost) and certainty (which ensures limited need for litigation), noted Bassil. The tax law should be broad-based as well.

For levying tax under VAT regime, products and services are divided into three broad categories – products with standard rates, zero rates and exempted supplies. The zero rates are generally applicable to basic food items, exports, medicines and medical equipment.

Also, the common exempted supply categories are healthcare, education, domestic passenger transport and residential dwellings. The companies have to be registered with the VAT administration.

The VAT seminar, organised by PwC to discuss key issues of VAT, focused on the practical steps that businesses can start to take ahead of the publication of VAT Law in Oman.

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

B2

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

MARKET MSM index ends lower

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 5,490.90 .............. 5,480.88 ................... 5,481.30 ...................5,486.22..................-4.92 .................. -0.09 Financial Index ..................................... 7,194.78 ............... 7,177.50 .....................7,177.91 ................... 7,186.08...................-8.17 ...................-0.11 Industrial Index ....................................7,194.96 ............... 7,183.45 .................... 7,192.74 ....................7,187.43.................... 5.31 ................... 0.07 Services Index ...................................... 3,003.48 ..............2,994.00 ................... 2,995.14 ...................3,003.48..................-8.34 .................. -0.28 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................848.17 .................. 845.61 .......................845.61 ......................848.28.................. -2.67 .................. -0.31 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 12,430,734 ................. 3,352,186 .................... 468 ................17,121,058,809 .................. 5 ......................21 .................... 13 .........................39

As many as 468 trades were executed on Tuesday, generating a turnover of OMR3.35m

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

with 12.4m shares changing hands.

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: Although trading volumes improved, the MSM30 Index edged down by 0.09 per cent to close at 5,481.30 points.

The MSM Sharia Index closed at 845.61 points, down by 0.31 per cent. Bank Muscat was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. The top gainer was Voltamp Energy, up by 1.74 per cent, while Al Jazeera Services was the top loser, with a loss of 4.76 per cent.

As many as 468 trades were executed on Tuesday, generating a turnover of OMR3.35 million with 12.4 million shares changing hands. Out of 39 traded securities, five advanced, 21 declined and 13 remained unchanged.

Omani investors remained net buyers for OMR648,000 followed by GCC and Arab investors for OMR277,000 while foreign investors were net sellers for OMR925,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index retreated 0.11 per cent to close at 7,177.91 points. BankDhofar and HSBC Bank increased by 0.93 per cent and 0.88 per cent, respectively.

Gulf Investment Services, Oman & Emirates Holding, Al Izz Bank, Bank Nizwa and Al Batinah Investment Holding declined by 1.79 per cent, 1.64 per cent, 1.47 per cent, 1.23 per cent and 1.16 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index closed at 7,192.74 points, up by 0.07 per cent. Voltamp Energy, up by 1.74 per cent, was the only sector gainer. Al Hassan Engineering, Oman Fisheries, National Aluminium and Al Anwar Ceramics declined by 3.28 per cent, 1.64 per cent, 1.55 per cent and 0.60 per cent, respectively.

Services Index ended lower at 2,995.14 points, down by 0.28 per cent. Phoenix Power and Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) gained by 0.72 per cent and 0.34 per cent, respectively. Al Jazeera Services, Renaissance

Services, Ooredoo Oman and OIFC declined by 4.59 per cent, 3.08 per cent, 0.64 per cent and 0.52 per cent, respectively.

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

OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ....................................................... 8,555 ...............4,010........................6 ........... 0.460 ...........0.470 ...........0.458........... 0.468 .............0.460 ........... 0.008............. 1.739.................0.458..............0.458...................0.480 ..................28,314,000.........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 677,618 ............ 93,957......................21 ............0.139 ........... 0.140 ...........0.138 ............0.139 ............. 0.138.............0.001 ............. 0.725 ................0.140..............0.140................... 0.141 ..................203,301,603........0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 450,817 .........659,460..................... 34 ............1.460 ........... 1.470 ...........1.460............1.465 .............1.460............ 0.005.............0.342 ................1.460 ..............1.460...................1.485 ................1,098,750,000 ......0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ....................... 622,729 ..........145,707........................2 ........... 0.234 ...........0.234 ...........0.232........... 0.234 .............0.234 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.232..............0.234...................0.236...................22,239,360.........0.100

European stocks European stocks hovered near their lowest level in more than a week as trading remained thin before this weekend’s Italian referendum and investors assessed dimming prospects for an Opec deal.

A gauge of banks rose for the first time in five days, with Italy’s UBI Banca SpA and Intesa Sanpaolo SpA among the biggest advancers. That also helped lift the FTSE MIB Index from its lowest level in two months. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s office denied news reports that he may step down even if he wins a December 4 vote on constitutional reform, an event that has sparked concerns this month about political and economic instability there.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index lost less than 0.1 per cent at 10:25 a.m. in London, after rising as much as 0.4 per cent and sliding 0.5 per cent. The volume of shares changing hands was 18 per cent lower than the 30-day average, in keeping with the thin trading seen in recent sessions.

Energy producers followed crude lower as Opec officials remained split on a deal to cut output ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.

“European stocks should remain volatile and with lower volume throughout the week,” said Herbert Perus, head of equities at Raiffeisen Capital Management in Vienna. His firm manages 30 billion euros ($32 billion). “Many investors are on the sidelines waiting for the Italian referendum. We have a very important Opec meeting ahead, therefore the oil price is shaky and so are oil-related companies.”

OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT ............................................................66,500 .............29,792........................3 ........... 0.448 ...........0.448 ...........0.448........... 0.448 .............0.448 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.448..............0.444...................0.448 .................148,230,974........0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 757,431 ............ 40,686..................... 26 ........... 0.054 ...........0.054 ...........0.053........... 0.054 .............0.054 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.053..............0.053...................0.054 ...................11,186,175..........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ......................... 90,800 ............20,082......................11 ............0.221 ...........0.222 ...........0.221........... 0.221 .............0.221 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.221............. 0.220...................0.222 ..................27,602,449.........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 2,245,271 ......943,014..................... 36 ........... 0.420 ...........0.420 ...........0.420........... 0.420 .............0.420 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.420.............. 0.418...................0.422 ............... 1,048,425,108 ......0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 935,800 ..........135,691..................... 23 ............0.145 ........... 0.145 ...........0.145 ............0.145 ............. 0.145............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.145 .............. 0.145...................0.146................. 232,652,404 .......0.100 OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER................................................................4,220 ...............1,047........................2 ........... 0.248 ...........0.248 ...........0.248........... 0.258 .............0.258 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.248..............0.248...................0.250 ..................57,020,580 .........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL............................................. 290,160 ........... 20,632......................14 ........... 0.072 ...........0.072 ...........0.071 ............0.071 ............. 0.071............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.072.............. 0.071...................0.072...................12,425,000.........0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER................................................ 120,000 ...........22,520........................4 ............0.188 ........... 0.188 ...........0.186 ........... 0.188 ............. 0.188............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.186 .............. 0.185...................0.188..................126,878,837 ........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 551,800 ......... 104,742......................12 ............0.189 ........... 0.190 ...........0.189 ........... 0.190 ............. 0.191 ............-0.001 ........... -0.524 ...............0.190..............0.190................... 0.191 ...................38,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 227,965 ........... 39,032......................15 ............0.171 ........... 0.172 ........... 0.171 ............0.171 ............. 0.172............-0.001 ........... -0.581................0.172 ..............0.170...................0.172...................29,925,420.........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 415,334 ........... 68,538......................19 ............0.168 ........... 0.168 ...........0.165 ............0.165 ............. 0.166............-0.001 ........... -0.602 ...............0.165 .............. 0.165...................0.167...................48,875,258 .........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 321,393 ......... 199,248..................... 29 ........... 0.624 ........... 0.632 ...........0.616 ........... 0.620 .............0.624 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.641 ...............0.616 .............. 0.616...................0.620 .................403,585,423 .......0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 162,268 ........... 49,654......................16 ........... 0.306 ...........0.306 ...........0.306........... 0.306 .............0.308 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.649 ...............0.306............. 0.300...................0.306 ..................30,600,000.........0.100 OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ..................................................................... 44,528 .............21,433........................5 ........... 0.486 ...........0.486 ...........0.480........... 0.482 .............0.486 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.823 ...............0.480..............0.480...................0.504 .................306,451,208........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ...........................25,848 ...............2,850........................7 ............0.110 ........... 0.112............0.110 ............0.110 ............. 0.112............-0.002 ............-1.786................0.110 .............. 0.110................... 0.112 .................... 6,472,754 ..........0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES .......................................68,810 ............. 15,138........................5 ........... 0.220...........0.220 ...........0.220 .......... 0.220 .............0.227 ...........-0.007 ........... -3.084 ...............0.220 ............ 0.220...................0.225 .................. 65,731,089 .........0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ............................................33,433 ...............6,239........................5 ............0.186 ........... 0.190 ...........0.186 ............0.187 ............. 0.196............-0.009 ........... -4.592 ...............0.190.............. 0.187...................0.190................... 11,445,199 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 8,121,280 ...2,623,471...................295 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......21........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ............................................................ 682,000..........147,412..................... 23 ............0.216 ........... 0.218 ...........0.216 ........... 0.216 .............0.214 ........... 0.002............. 0.935 ................0.216 ..............0.216...................0.219..................410,227,502........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 604,800........... 68,947..................... 38 ............0.114 ........... 0.114............0.114 ............0.114 ............. 0.113 .............0.001 ............. 0.885 ................0.114 ...............0.113................... 0.114 ..................228,035,658........0.100 OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ............................................... 275,549 ......... 193,986........................3 ........... 0.704 ........... 0.704 ...........0.704........... 0.704 .............0.704 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.704..............0.700...................0.704..................110,880,000........0.100 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 490,879 ........... 44,195......................19 ........... 0.090 ........... 0.091 ...........0.090........... 0.090 .............0.090 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.091 ..............0.090...................0.091...................26,098,257.........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ................................................... 50,000 ...............9,400........................1 ............0.188 ........... 0.188 ...........0.188 ........... 0.188 ............. 0.188............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.188 ..............0.186...................0.188..................134,308,392........0.100 OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 850,000 ......... 147,050........................1 ............0.173 ........... 0.173 ...........0.173 ............0.173 ............. 0.174............-0.001 ........... -0.575 ...............0.173 .............. 0.157...................0.174 ...................34,600,000 ........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING .............83,300 ..............10,711......................13 ............0.128 ........... 0.129 ...........0.128........... 0.129 .............0.130............-0.001 ........... -0.769 ...............0.128 .............. 0.127...................0.129................... 11,610,000 .........0.100 OM0000003281............TAAGEER FINANCE ................................................. 136,000 .............15,717......................12 ............0.117 ........... 0.117............ 0.115 ............0.116 ............. 0.117 ............-0.001 ........... -0.855 ...............0.115 ...............0.115................... 0.118 ...................29,416,440 .........0.100 OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ..............................10,000 ............... 1,810........................2 ............0.181 ........... 0.181............0.181 ............0.181 ............. 0.183............-0.002 ........... -1.093................0.181 .............. 0.172...................0.183...................18,100,000 .........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................29,303 ...............2,496........................5 ........... 0.086 ...........0.086 ...........0.085........... 0.085 .............0.086 ...........-0.001 ............-1.163................0.085..............0.085...................0.086....................2,550,000 ..........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 176,988............ 14,228......................13 ............0.081 ........... 0.081 ...........0.080........... 0.080 ............. 0.081............-0.001 ............-1.235................0.080..............0.080...................0.081................. 120,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 491,000 ........... 32,901........................9 ........... 0.067 ...........0.068 ...........0.067........... 0.067 .............0.068 ...........-0.001 ............-1.471 ................0.067..............0.067...................0.068...................67,000,000.........0.100 OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ................. 8,992 ............... 1,709........................3 ............0.193 ........... 0.193 ...........0.190........... 0.190 ............. 0.193............-0.003 ............-1.554................0.190..............0.186...................0.190.................... 6,378,576 ..........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ...................................................... 66,000 ...............3,980........................6 ............0.061 ........... 0.061 ...........0.060........... 0.060 ............. 0.061............-0.001 ............-1.639................0.060..............0.060...................0.061....................7,500,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING........... 214,418.............25,730......................14 ............0.120 ........... 0.120 ...........0.120........... 0.120 .............0.122 ...........-0.002 ............-1.639................0.120.............. 0.119...................0.120...................14,625,000 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 4,169,229 ......720,272...................162 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ...... 15........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

-United Securities/Bloomberg News

FOREX

AUSTRALIA

China’s forex regulator tightens Apple wins battle controls to stem capital outflows on mobile payment SHANGHAI/HONG KONG: China is stepping up measures to stem capital outflows after the yuan currency skidded to more than eight-year lows, sources said on Tuesday, taking aim at outbound investments that have soared to a record high.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) has begun vetting transfers abroad worth $5 million or more and is stepping up scrutiny of major outbound deals, including those with prior approval, sources with knowledge of the new rules told Reuters.

Capital outflows through both legal and illegal channels have added pressure on the yuan. The Chinese currency has depreciated nearly 6 per cent against a strong dollar so far this year and many traders are betting on further losses, raising the spectre of more capital flight.

The new rules would apply to transfers abroad under the capital

account for transactions such as portfolio or foreign direct investment, and could knock some momentum from China’s overseas asset shopping spree, analysts say.

Chinese outbound investment deals totalled $530.9 billion in the first nine months of 2016, surpassing 2015’s record volume and helping China outstrip the United States as the top acquirer for foreign companies, according to Thomson Reuters data.

“The new rules will have a very big impact on outbound deals,” said Luke Zhang, a partner at Zhong Lun Law Firm, who expects the number of deals to go down “quite a lot”.

SAFE did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

“Previously, only forex transfers worth $50 million or more needed to be reported to SAFE. Now, the threshold has been drastically lowered to $5 million, and covers both foreign currency and yuan,” said one of the sources with

direct knowledge of the rules.

“All we can do is to ask clients to be patient, and tell them that the transaction is being vetted by SAFE for authenticity and may not be approved.”

One of the sources said that even if an outbound investment had already obtained approval to buy foreign exchange, but the money had not been fully transferred, the remainder of the quota was now subject to further approval if it exceeds $50 million, which is regarded as a “large sum”.

Two other sources confirmed the new rules.

The sources said the forex regulator told banks about the new rules on Monday, the same day the government said it would stick to its “going out” strategy of encouraging outbound investment.

Defending the yuan To prevent the yuan from falling too rapidly against the dollar, China has been using its foreign

currency reserves to defend the currency’s value, managing expectations in the market, and restricting money outflows into overseas securities.

Wang Zhenying, a senior Chinese central bank researcher, said in a recent interview that Beijing needs to stem outflows which risk putting the yuan into a potentially destructive feedback loop.

“At the moment, the fall in the yuan’s exchange rate is shaping market expectations. Depreciation triggers capital flight, and capital flight exerts even bigger pressure on the yuan,” Wang said.

“Therefore, it’s necessary to break this feedback loop... for example, by slowing capital outflows,” he said.

Chinese state-owned banks were seen selling dollars in the onshore foreign exchange market for a second straight day on Tuesday, in what traders said appeared to be a bid to support the yuan.

- Reuters

SYDNEY: Apple scored a victory in the global battle to control the future of mobile payment technology after the Australian competition regulator refused to grant a group of local banks permission to negotiate collectively over the introduction of Apple Pay. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said on Tuesday in a draft ruling it was “not satisfied” that the likely benefits from allowing the banks to negotiate with Apple as a bloc outweighed the negatives. Allowing collective negotiations “could reduce competition between the banks in the supply of mobile payment services for iPhones,” the regulator said.

Australian banks had been seeking to strengthen their negotiating position in talks with Apple amid concerns that it the widespread use of contactless payment cards in Australia will allow the US company to quickly grab a large share of the mobile payments market.

Apple’s technology bars any app

apart from its own from using the functionality of the iPhone’s near-field communications antenna, the technology which makes payments on contactless readers possible.

It wants banks to permit customers to upload their credit cards into its proprietary digital wallet.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking and Bendigo & Adelaide Bank had applied to the ACCC for the right to negotiate as a bloc with the iPhone maker, citing a “significant disparity in bargaining power.”

With the country’s largest transport network set to start trials of a system where passengers can pay with mobile wallets, and government agencies starting to introduce digital versions of concession cards, the banks expect mobile wallet adoption to surge. Banks are concerned about the prospect of being locked out of a growth market by third-party offerings.

-Bloomberg News

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

B3

MARKET O C T O B E R D ATA

Southeast Asia bracing for $20 billion debt bill The amount that the area’s companies,

DROPPING DEMAND: Japan’s retail sales fell 0.1 per cent from a

year ago after dropping 1.7 per cent in September. — Bloomberg file picture

Japan’s household retail sales decline TOKYO: Japan’s household spending dropped for an eighth straight month and retail sales fell slightly in October, even as the unemployment rate remained at the lowest in two decades.

Household spending fell 0.4 per cent from a year earlier (forecast -1 per cent), following a 2.1 per cent decline in September. Retail sales fell 0.1 per cent from a year ago (forecast -1.6 per cent), after dropping 1.7 per cent in September. Measured month-on-month, retail sales rose 2.5 per cent (forecast 1.1 per cent).

Declines in household spending and retail sales have narrowed since August, when poor weather hurt consumer demand, indicating that the gloom among consumers is lifting.

But the tight job market has not resulted in sustained significant wage gains, a key link in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s longsought virtuous cycle in which higher corporate profits drive pay and spending higher. The release of industrial production on

Wednesday will offer more details on the state of Japan’s economy in the final quarter of 2016.

“The headline figures seemed to show that private consumption has bottomed out, but they were helped by some special factors,” said Atsushi Takeda, an economist at Itochu Corp. in Tokyo, citing higher food prices and more weekend days in October this year.

“Sustainable gains in wages will be needed to make consumers loosen their purse strings,” Takeda said.

“Even as employment conditions continue to improve, companies remain reluctant to raise salaries which increase their personnel costs because Japan’s potential growth rates look dimmer and profit prospects don’t look bright,” said Yuichi Kodama, chief economist at Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. in Tokyo The unemployment rate stood at 3 per cent (forecast 3 per cent).

The job-to-applicant ratio rose to 1.4 per cent (forecast 1.39 per cent).

- Bloomberg News

banks and governments must repay on dollardenominated bonds will rise 8 per cent next year to $19.7 UNCERTAIN TIMES: A vendor counts Indonesian rupiah banknotes at a stall in Jakarta, Indonesia. — Bloomberg file picture

billion, just as a slide in Asia’s currencies to the weakest this decade threatens to push up servicing costs on that debt.

HONG KONG: Here we go again.

Southeast Asia is bracing for rising debt bills as the region’s currencies slide.

The amount that the area’s companies, banks and governments must repay on dollar-denominated bonds will rise 8 per cent next year to $19.7 billion, just as a slide in Asia’s currencies to the weakest this decade threatens to push up servicing costs on that debt.

The development is a reminder

of the dangers of overseas borrowing that economists Barry Eichengreen and Ricardo Hausmann called “original sin” following the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Southeast Asia is more insulated now after expanding its local debt markets since then, and the currency swoon hasn’t been as bad as in other emerging markets. But that’s little consolation for borrowers that have most of their revenue at home and must use suddenly weaker currencies to pay off overseas obligations.

“Those that will be affected are domestically-based companies with minimal exports and companies with a high percentage of foreign currency debt,” said Raymond Chia, head of credit research for Asia ex-Japan at Schroder Investment Management in Singapore.

Many companies are vulnerable

as the rupiah, peso and ringgit all weaken, he said.

Foreign-currency borrowings

Excluding regional associates, the Singapore Telecom group companies have foreign-currency borrowings “hedged into the functional currency of the respective borrowing entities,” said Lim Cheng Cheng, chief financial officer at the Singapore-based phone company, which derives over three quarters of its revenue overseas, including in Asia, Australia and Africa.

“We have in place a euro medium term note bond programme, which enables us to tap various bond markets based on our funding plans. As an example, in October this year, we issued a $500 million bond at a coupon of 2.375 per cent, and this has been hedged back to Singapore dollars. Hence,

from a debt management perspective, the impact of a rising US dollar is not significant,” he added.

“Our bonds are fully in US dollars and so is our accounting currency,” said Dileep Srivastava, director at the Indonesian coal mining firm PT Bumi Resources.

“So the rupiah exchange variations have no impact on us. We also have a natural hedge — our revenue is in dollars and 90 per cent of our costs are in dollars,” he added.

An external spokesperson for Olam International, the Singapore-based food traders, one of the world’s biggest, declined to comment.

“We have a massive warchest both to support our capex and to refinance our existing commitments,” said Timothy Ross, head of investor relations and corporate communications at the aircraft leasing company, BOC Aviation, based in Singapore.

“There is no issue with regards to refinancing any of the debt as and when it comes due. All of our assets are in US dollars. Our revenues are all in US dollars and 92 per cent of our costs are in US dollars. We’re a pure US dollar play which I guess if anything should make us more attractive given the strength of the US dollar,” he added. No one was available to comment from Alliance Global Group when the Quezon City, Philippines-based company was contacted by phone. There was no reply to an e-mail to the investor relations department of the conglomerate, which has interests ranging from food and beverages to gaming. — Bloomberg News

SUPPLIES

BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Massive tussle at Tatas forces India Iran boosts crude Inc. to pick sides at the $100b empire oil sales to India MUMBAI: The brawl atop India’s largest conglomerate is not just splitting the $100-billion Tata Group, it is also forcing the nation’s business community to pick sides.

That’s because many of India’s industry captains are board members at Tata’s dozens of units.

They include the heads of the nation’s oldest conglomerate — the Wadia Group — top mortgage provider Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) and even the dean of Harvard Business School. Given the interlinkages in the nation’s corporate sector, the repercussions of this fight may be felt for years.

At the heart of the tussle is the October ouster of Cyrus Mistry as chairman of group holding company Tata Sons by his 78-yearold predecessor Ratan Tata. Ever since then, both sides have traded a relentless string of accusations, with the animosity exacerbated

– Bloomberg fiel picture

by Mistry’s efforts to remain chairman of key listed companies such as Jaguar Land Rover-owner Tata Motors.

“We definitely have a significant issue at hand, which is increasingly threatening to escalate beyond conceivable proportions,” said Monish Chatrath, a managing partner at MGC & KNAV Global Risk Advisory. “While a certain degree of constructive tension at the board level is healthy and should be encouraged, it is critical to identify signs

of conflicts that have the potential to intensify in magnitude and to nip them in the bud.”

In the latest escalation, longtime Tata ally-turned-foe Nusli Wadia — whose group traces its roots back to 1736 and built the ship on which the American national anthem was composed — has threatened legal action after Tata Sons took steps to oust him from the boards of various group units. He was among directors that supported Mistry staying on as chairman of Tata Chemicals.

Intensifying the divide, Tata Sons wrote on Nov. 24 to Wadia that it does not need to provide a reason in seeking his removal as an independent director at a group company, according to a letter seen by Bloomberg.

Mistry is backed by his father, who is India’s fourth-richest man, and the family holds 18.5 per cent of Tata Sons. The ousted Tata chief has also gained support

from HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh during the board meeting of the Tata hotels unit that runs the Pierre in New York, according to people familiar with the matter.

Big loss Mistry’s “attempts to turn around and discontinue some loss-making businesses of the Tata group should have been applauded,” said Serum Institute of India Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla. “It is a loss for the Tatas for having lost such a person of integrity and competence.”

In Tata’s corner are the likes of Harvard’s Nitin Nohria, TVS Group Chairman Venu Srinivasan, Piramal Enterprises Chairman Ajay Piramal and Bain Capital India Managing Director Amit Chandra, all of whom voted in favor of Mistry’s ouster as Tata Sons chairman, according to people familiar with the boardroom coup. - Bloomberg News

MUMBAI: Iran is pulling ahead in the race for market share in the world’s fastest-growing oil consuming nation, India, weakening the hold of rival Opec members amid the group’s struggle to agree on output cuts.

Iran, which dramatically boosted crude sales in 2016 after they were curbed for years by sanctions over its nuclear programme, is challenging the sway of Saudi Arabia and Iraq as it offers perks for refiners to help rebuild its standing in Asia’s third-largest economy.

Cargoes to fill strategic petroleum reserves helped Iran emerge last month as India’s biggest supplier for the first time in 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Iran’s progress in building market share assumes significance amid a glut that’s more than halved oil prices since 2014. Members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) meet on Wednesday to try to finalise the terms of a production decrease

with some countries, including Iran, reluctant to agree to reductions. India’s $2-trillion economy imports more than 80 per cent of its crude requirement and the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects it to be the fastest-growing consumer through 2040.

“Everyone is looking for an alternative to Saudi crude because of high dependence,” said R. Ramachandran, director of refineries at India’s second-largest state-run oil processor Bharat Petroleum Corp. “Iranian crude can provide a better yield pattern in some cases and can be fetched within a week.

It will gradually compete with Saudi and Iraqi crude for higher share in India.”

Iranian supplies in October rose 56 per cent to 759,700 barrels per day from a month ago, while shipments from Saudi Arabia were 717,000 barrels per day and Iraq’s 488,000 barrels a day, shipping data compiled by Bloomberg show.

— Bloomberg News

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

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JLR scoops 4 awards at ArabWheels 2016 Nominated alongside its peers in the automotive industry, Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) flagship models were recognised at the ArabWheels Awards 2016

MUSCAT: Luxury automotive manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover took home four top motoring awards at the second edition of the ArabWheels 2016 Awards at a ceremony held recently at Meydan Hotel, a

prestigious landmark of Dubai.

Nominated alongside its peers in the automotive industry, Jaguar Land Rover’s flagship models were recognised at the ArabWheels Awards 2016. The new Jaguar

F-PACE took the ‘Best Compact Premium SUV’ award while the 322kph, all-weather supercar, the Jaguar F-TYPE SVR was recognised as the region’s ‘Best Premium Performance Coupe’. Land

PROMOTION

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Rover got its own accolade for the world’s most luxurious and capable vehicle, taking ‘Best Full Size Premium SUV’ for the peerless Range Rover SV Autobiography, says a press release.

The cars weren’t the only ones taking the spotlight, as Bruce Robertson, managing director - Jaguar Land Rover Mena, was awarded ‘Managing Director of the Year’ for the second consecutive year, as an acknowledgement of his leadership in growing the business in a constantly changing landscape.

Commenting on the company’s award wins, Bruce Robertson said: “It is a great honour to have received not one but four awards from one of the most renowned and respected automotive media titles in Mena.

The Jaguar F-PACE, F-TYPE SVR and Range Rover SV Autobiography demonstrate our commitment to investing in innovation and producing vehicles that offer exceptional driving experiences.”

PUBLIC LECTURES

Caledonian College holds speaker series MUSCAT: As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations Caledonian College of Engineering (CCE), is conducting ‘Future Leads’ – Caledonian Speaker Series, a series of monthly seminars.

This new concept of guest speakers is intended to inspire the future leaders of Oman and it will be a valued further contribution to society. This Speaker Series is expected to create awareness about social and economical challenges in the context of ongoing

economic climate and to provide inspiration and motivation to the community in times of economic challenge, says a press release.

This series of public lectures is intended to create a platform for various stakeholders from industry, government organisations, students, academics and members of the wider community. It is hoped the lectures will promote discussion on topics that will help lead Oman towards continuing development and prosperity.

SPORTS SEDAN

Great value offer on Ford SUVs 2017 Infiniti Q50’s class-leading agility MUSCAT: Ford SUVs are one of the best vehicles to own, due to their capabilities, technological advancements and on-road and off-road driving pleasures they offer. When you drive a Ford SUV, you are sure to make the most out of every drive on every journey.

Now with an interesting great value offer from Ford, you can look forward to a rewarding ownership period that only a Ford can offer, says a press release.

“SUVs from Ford Motor Company have been one of the most reliable in the industry. Depending upon the need, Ford SUVs have time and again proved their superiority at getting the job done, whether on or off-road,” said a spokesperson from Arabian Car Marketing Company.

impresses new generation of buyers

“Now with special offers like up to OMR3,400 cash gift, up to three years / 60,000km free service, Ford SUVs have now become even more attractive to own. This great value offer will last until January 1, 2017,” he added.

In Oman, Ford has the latest

range of SUVs that are making a huge impression on their fans. It includes the EcoSport, Escape, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, F-150 & Ranger.

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

F L E E T E X PA N S I O N

Qatar Airways announces 8 new destinations for 2017-18 DOHA: Qatar Airways, the award-winning and fastest growing airline in the world, announced eight more destinations for 2017-18, in addition to seven previously announced new cities for a total of 15 new gateways.

Joining the Qatar Airways’ route network, which spans more than 150 destinations on six continents around the world, are: Canberra, the airline’s fifth destination in Australia; Dublin, Ireland; Las Vegas, the airline’s 11th destination in the United States; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; Medan, Kualanamu International Airport, the airline’s

third destination in Indonesia; and Tabuk and Yanbu, the 9th and 10th destinations in Saudi Arabia, says a press release.

These newly announced destinations join the alreadyannounced list of new destinations to start in 2017: Auckland, New Zealand will start February 5, 2017, and will be the world’s longest commercial flight; Sarajevo, Bosnia; Skopje, Macedonia; Libreville, Gabon; Nice, France; Chiang Mai, the airline’s fourth destination in Thailand; and Douala, Cameroon.

Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive - Qatar Airways, said: “Qa-

tar Airways offers the world the best network, the best on board experience and the best connecting experience at Hamad International Airport. We operate the world’s youngest fleet, averaging just five years old, and we fly the most technologically advanced aircraft that provide our passengers with an award-winning experience while also ensuring the most efficient and environmentally friendly operations. Our intention is to ensure our passengers can choose Qatar Airways for all of their travel needs – whether they are flying on business, for pleasure, or a combination of both.

MUSCAT: The recently unveiled 2017 Infiniti Q50 sports sedan which offers an optimal blend of ride comfort and class-leading agility has been impressing the new generation of buyers. Its new engines and chassis technologies that deliver empowering performance and rewarding drivehave been a big winner with Oman’s auto enthusiasts.

The Q50 Red Sport 400 is the first vehicle launched in the region encompassing Infiniti’s new ‘Empower The Drive’ brand positioning. Offering a premium driving experience with two all-new powertrains (300hp and 400hp) as well as several technological advancements in driver safety. The new Q50 empowers drivers and continues to build on its regional successes, as it continues to be a key model for Infiniti in the Middle East, says a press release.

While its new powerful and efficient turbocharged V6 gasoline engines headlined by Q50 Red Sport 400 delivering 400 hp, key technology additions including dynamic digital suspension and rack electronic power steering are impressive too.

The premium sports sedan has been further developed to offer buyers a higher level of customisation and driving engagement, bringing the brand’s signature design, energising driver technology, and inspiring performance to the new Infiniti Q50.

A senior official at Infiniti Oman, from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles said, “We are pleased with the response to the 2017 Infiniti Q50 sports sedan. The comprehensive updates include next-generation ride and

handling technologies while two new powertrains are introduced to the range, featuring two advanced turbocharged V6 engines. These features have truly fascinated our customers.”

The new Q50 Red Sport 400 is the performance-orientated version of the refreshed sports sedan.

Its 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo gasoline engine with direct injection delivers 400hp and is the focal point of the power plant.

Continuing the list of powertrain options, the number of Q50 trim levels is extended to four for the sports sedan. An additional turbocharged V6 powertrain is also available for the Q50 with a 300hp output, included in the Q50 Sport. A 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged unit that produces 208hp is packaged in the standard Q50. Customers seeking a performance hybrid model will also be able to opt for the Q50 Blue Sport which combines a 3.5-litre 24-valve DOHC aluminium-alloy V6 and a compact laminated lithium-ion battery with an innovative one-motor, two-clutch control.

The hybrid system net power is 350 hp with a combined torque of 536 Nm, providing strong accel-

eration and lean fuel economy.

The new Q50 features Infiniti’s Dynamic Digital Suspension (DDS) for the first time, which gives the new sports sedan an optimal blend of ride comfort and class-leading response and agility. For those drivers looking for a blend of dynamic settings tailored to their own requirements and tastes, the Q50’s Drive Mode Selector (DMS) can be augmented with ‘Personal’ mode (as before), which permits a bespoke mix of engine, suspension and steering characteristics.

As standard, Q50 models equipped with the new 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine (300 hp) feature Infiniti’s new Rack Electronic Power Steering.

When making steering inputs, traditional steering systems can create an unnatural feeling through imprecise control of the power assistance, reducing the feeling of linearity. To counter this, Infiniti’s Rack Electronic Power Steering precisely increases the steering effort required as the vehicle’s yaw rate changes, before adjusting to provide more assistance when the wheel returns towards on-centre.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

ROUND-UP Food waste reuse initiative highlights green credentials of Avenues Mall Nutrient-rich compost produced from the mall’s organic waste is the secret behind the success of a delightful garden setting that now adorns the spacious outdoor balcony area on the second floor of the mall

MUSCAT: Oman Avenues Mall, one of Muscat’s best-known hotspots for shopping and leisure, has come up with an environmentfriendly route to converting food waste into a value-added resource.

Nutrient-rich compost pro-

duced from the mall’s organic waste is the secret behind the success of a delightful garden setting that now adorns the spacious outdoor balcony area on the second floor of the mall, says a press release.

Avenues Children’s Garden, as the new leafy outdoor area is called, complements the equally charming Muscat Garden Centre Nursery, where a stunning array of herbaceous perennials also thrive on the home-grown compost. Located side by side, both garden and nursery add a new flavour to the Mall’s diverse shopping, retail and dining offerings.

The twin facilities were formally inaugurated this week at a

lively launch event attended by Her Highness Sayyida Dr Mona bint Fahd bin Mahmood Al Said, assistant vice chancellor for International Cooperation at Sultan Qaboos University.

High-level officials representing Oman Avenues Mall and ThemarGroup, which owns the Muscat Garden Centre Nursery, were in attendance as well.

But underpinning the Avenues Children’s Garden initiative is a strongly environmental and educational theme targeted at school children, according to Ben Watson, general manager, Oman Avenues Mall. “Far more than just a green space, this garden offers a unique opportunity for children

their seeds. In addition to an introduction on food waste reuse, participating school children can look forward to creative and hands-on fun in growing their own little vegetables within the garden.

Joining hands with Avenues Children’s Garden is the Muscat Garden Centre Nursery, together they are giving away a small potted plant and activity book to any child who visits the garden. The gesture, said Dr Amer Awadh Al Rawas, founder and chairman of Themar Group, which runs the nursery, is in line with the Group’s advocacy of environmental sustainability through gardening initiatives.

“We are delighted with this collaborative initiative with Oman

Avenues mall to foster a culture of environmental awareness and sustainable gardening and farming practices. This initiative addresses long term social objectives at the grass roots level, with learning and fun memorable experiences,” said Dr Al Rawas.

“We see ourselves as natural allies brought together by our mutual desire to promote sustainability as an integral part of our corporate philosophy. As an end-user of the compost produced by Oman Avenues Mall from food waste, Muscat Garden Centre Nursery is proud to be part of this joint initiative that seeks to drive home the importance of waste minimization and reuse,” Dr Al Rawas added.

A L D O S O L E M AT E S E V E N T

EL CLASSICO

Barcelona Vs Real Madrid live broadcast on beIN MUSCAT: The most awaited El Classico of the season Barcelona Vs Real Madrid is scheduled to play on December 3 at Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona. beIN, the official broadcaster of Spanish league will show the live match to football viewers.

Mustafa Sultan Electronics Co, Entertainment Factory (EF), is the pioneer in Pay-TV business and the authorised distributor of beIN sports in Oman, says a press release.

The nick name El Classico is the name given in football to any match between fierce rivals Real Madrid CF (Los Blancos) and FC Barcelona (La Blaugrana) in the Spanish league La Liga. El

to understand the importance of waste minimisation and reuse, as well as learning some simple gardening techniques,” said Watson.

“Placed within the garden are 30 planter boxes with soil and compost made from a ton of food waste collected from the mall. We have invited school children from a diverse mix of schools around the city to participate in the planting of vegetables, and herbs in their very own planter boxes. Members of the public will be able to visit the garden to check on how the plants adopted by each school are faring,” he explained.

Local schools have responded enthusiastically with a number of groups already visited to plant

Classico is played twice a season - once at Camp Nou in Barcelona and once at Bernabeu in Madrid.

El Classico is one of the most anticipated and watched football games. It is one of the two biggest games in the Spanish La Liga season and among the biggest soccer games in the world.

MSE, the authorised distributor of beIN announced that, beIN Media Group, a major player in global sports rights through its beIN Sports brand has announced two new packages for its subscribers. The first package is the ‘Elite package’. Within this package, customers will get all channels on Complete Package plus free beIN Media Server

Hardware plus free Connect and free access to all events (World Cup 2018 or any other event offered). The second package is the ‘Elite Duo’ package. Elite Duo is the only multi-room package from beIN. In one room they get Elite package with free beIN Media Server hardware and in the other room they get Top Entertainment Package with a free beIN HD Box Hardware. This package is great for families who want beIN in two locations within their house. The new packages and boxes are available with Mustafa Sultan Electronics showroom – Al Khuwair and through their sub dealers spread across in all major towns of the Sultanate.

Aldo collaborates with Dar Al Atta’a MUSCAT: With the right shoes, they say you can conquer the world.

How about helping someone to conquer if not the world the unending miles that they need to take every day to get a pail of drinkable water. How would you feel if you knew the shoes you’ve never really worn taking up space in your closet can actually get a kid to school smiling. The boots that are perhaps too tight for your feet could be the confidence booster that a new mother needs to start her life afresh.

Aldo, a leading international retailer for fashion footwear and accessories, in association with Dar Al Atta’a has launched The #AldoSolemates event, a first time initiative that encourages customers to give away any pair of shoes to people in need. Aldo loves those who care enough to help and it does so by giving you a piece of them, a

F U N D AY

Aldo has invited its customers to donate any pair of shoes and rest assured those kickers are going to someone who really needs them with the help of Dar Al Atta’a team.

This event is scheduled to take place at the Aldo store at City Centre Muscat Mall on December 3

brand new Aldo pair for the kindness in you, says a press release.

There are a number of people around the world in need of a pair of shoes. For this purpose, Aldo has invited its customers to donate any pair of shoes and rest assured those kickers are going to someone who really needs them with the help of Dar Al Atta’a team. What’s more is by donating your shoes; you receive a brand new Aldo pair in re-turn.

This event is scheduled to take place at the Aldo store at City Centre Muscat Mall on December 3. So as you put away your summer shoes and shine up your winter boots, check to see if there are any lightly worn shoes cluttering up your closet that could make a difference in the life of someone in need. You can get rid of the clutter, help someone at the same time, and receive a new pair in-return!

NAT I O NA L P R I D E

McDonald’s celebrates National Day MUSCAT: Ronald McDonald, the brand ambassador, was in Oman spreading lots of fun and painting cheerful smiles on families to mark Oman’s 46th National Day. Ronald McDonald kicked off his four day tour in Oman in Salalah where he delighted over 150 children from the Omani Bahja Society for Orphans with fun and exciting games, says a press release.

The Omani Bahja Society for Orphans in Salalah is one of the charity organisations that McDonald’s is actively supporting in Oman.

McDonald’s 46th National Day celebration in Salalah was held at the Salalah Gardens Mall and at McDonald’s Drive-Thru restaurant.

“McDonald’s congratulates His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and all the people in Oman on the occasion of the country’s 46th National Day. It is with great pride that we have brought in Ronald McDonald to celebrate with us the country’s national day with joy and gladness. Ronald McDonald’s tour in Oman is our way of giving back to our valued customers and to the community in general, providing

Al Hassan celebrates National Day in style

them with fun-filled activities and great enjoyment,” said Ali K. Daud, development and president of McDonald’s Oman.

McDonald’s celebration of Oman’s 46th National Day was held in various McDonald’s restaurants

with special appearance and dance performance of Ronald McDonald.

Ronald McDonald’s show was delightfully held at McDonald’s Drive-Thru restaurants, including Qurum, Sarooj, Al Khuwair, Azaiba, Mawaleh South, Mab-

elah, Seeb, Salalah, Barka, Salalah Gardens Mall, McDonald’s Oasis mall, Muscat Grand Mall and Oman Avenues Malls where he conducted various games and entertained families and kids with his joyful dance steps.

MUSCAT: The Al Hassan Group of Companies celebrated the Oman’s 46th National Day with gaiety and fervour.

Al Hassan employees and management undertook the initiative of voluntary fund collection. Everybody contributed generously and the total amount of OMR1,400 collected was presented in the form of gifts and presents to the children suffering from serious medical conditions and hospitalised in different hospitals in Muscat. It was a token gesture of spreading smiles on the less privileged children’s faces on this historic day.

Hassan Ali Salman, chairman

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

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Berger Paints launches unique CSR campaign

NEW ADDITIONS

Illy cafè launches its new menu MUSCAT: The good news is that Illy cafè is now offering customers a new level of quality and consistency by adding a range of new food offerings along with new Illy coffee drinks to the menu.

The new menu includes, along with the wonderful signature items, like Espresso Tiramisu, Illycrema, Illymisu, a wide variety of food selection from Deli Paninis, savoury croissants, classic club sandwiches, focaccia, salads and piadina, a new addition. Pastries and drinks are a delight to the menu, says a press release.

Illy also features a calendar of promotional activities and enlarge constantly the range of tools to support the seasonal pro-

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motions. The aim is to improve store’s commercial performances continuously, exploiting at best seasonality, anniversaries and Illy cafè’s commercial launches.

Check for its current promotions available like the All Day Breakfast. Since 1933 Illy has brought pleasure to lovers of fine quality with the best coffee nature can offer. The commitment and the constant quest for perfection come together in Illy, welcoming the whole world to the authentic Italian café experience.

Junaid Kader, general manager – Jawad Sultan Restaurants stated, “So come and enjoy the Illy coffee experience at Oman Avenues Mall.”

‘Colours of Arabia’

by Berger Paints celebrates the beauty as well as unique culture and heritage of the region ‘COLOURS OF ARABIA’: Senior officials of Berger Paints announcing its latest campaign. – Jun Estrada/TIMES OF OMAN

MUSCAT: ‘Colours of Arabia’ is a unique CSR campaign by Berger Paints that cuts across boundaries and puts the spotlight on the beauty of the region as well as relationships. More so, it has been launched to coincide with UN declaring 2016 as the year for ‘Travel for All – Improving Universal Accessibility’, says a press release.

The narrative of the campaign captures the beautiful relationship between a grandfather and his visually impaired grand-daughter as he tries to decipher colours for her through emotions she can experience and comprehend. He relates colours to strength, warmth,

E N T E R TA I N M E N T T I M E

familial love, infinity, ruggedness... aspects that the girl can identify with and hence, sense colour than see them.

The 12 short films capture the journey of the two across the Middle East, each featuring a distinct landmark and geographical land-

scapes ranging through deserts, wadis, creeks and beaches.

“Berger Paints is all about colours and our latest campaign is an amalgamation of hues and emotions woven with the culture, traditions and timeless landscape of the Middle Eastern world. The social message is subtle yet powerful and each webisode has more than one story that is sure to reach out and reach out to build a link between the people of this beautiful land and its heritage,” explained P. K. Raj, general manager – Oman.

Berger Paints connected and identified with this concept as it explores dimensions beyond colours. That is exactly what the company has tried to build over the years. Other than presenting an extensive palette to its audience, the brand has presented textures and finishes beyond the expectations of consumers, at the same time staying true to environment and socially committed.

SHOPPER’S DELIGHT

Rumba Lattina warm-up party for Red Bull Car Park Drift tomorrow MUSCAT: Rumba Lattina is all geared up to host the warm-up party tomorrow for Red Bull Car Park Drift finale.

Rumba Lattina has already created a name for itself as the most happening entertainment venue in Oman which specialises in Latin American cuisine and offers complete package comprising indoor and outdoor dining, lounge and VIP area.

The event tomorrow will be held in Rumba gardens and promises to be a power packed evening with complete entertainment, featuring the best in the business, says a press release.

Performing behind the desks would be International DJ Madjam, who has fan following all over the world and has performed in numerous Red Bull events. To wow the crowd, performance will be enhanced by world renowned saxophonist O Alan, who has dis-

tinguished himself as a musician and saxophonist with great insight and ingenuity, by bringing the Saxo peal experience to the electro/ deep-house scene in the Middle East. The evening also features DJ Pharaoh, who is loved by Muscat music lovers.

Patron Sand, a wonderful Latin Band will start the evening by their sensational performance.

The show will definitely be

memorable one for all party goers and fun lovers. The party will begin at 9pm at Rumba Gardens and will carry on until 3am inside Rumba Latina Lounge. Entry ticket for couples and stags are priced at OMR15 which includes one free ticket for Red Bull Car Park Drift Grand Stand Worth OMR10. Ladies are welcome to walk in free all night at the party. Special VIP packages are also available.

Malabar Gold unveils 6th festival edition MUSCAT: Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ the prominent global jewellery retailer unveils their 6th edition of ‘Malabar Gold & Diamonds Festival’ in Oman commencing from today.

This season, Malabar Gold & Diamonds showcases the latest collection of gold, diamond & precious gems jewellery in their outlets, to celebrate this festive period, says a press release.

This much-awaited festival is one of the biggest jewellery events in GCC and the customers get unprecedented opportunities to win a total of 300,000 gold coins and up to OMR200,000 instant cash back. A true shopper’s delight, Malabar Gold & Diamonds Festival will captivate the customers by exhibiting eye catching designs in gold, diamonds, platinum, and precious gems from different parts of the world to flaunt any occasion or event and are well priced too. The

festival stands apart from the usual jewellery exhibitions and promotions and as the tag line indicates - ‘Everyone Wins’, i.e. every customer gets a chance to be a winner through this festival.

Customers can win a guaranteed gold coin or up to 100 gold coins instantly on purchase of gold and diamond jewellery worth OMR250 via Scratch N Win coupons. With every diamond jewellery purchase, the customers get a ‘Scratch & Win’ coupon for guaranteed cash back and get a chance to win up to 100% cash back. The customers who buy diamond jewellery worth OMR250 or above are eligible to get both the coupons.

Furthermore, customers can buy 8 gram gold coin without any making charges and avail the zero deduction offer on 22K (GCC) old gold jewellery exchange as well.

All the above-mentioned offers are valid until January 15, 2017.

SME EXPO

7TH EDITION

Landmark Group to host Beat Bank Sohar sponsors Ebda’at expo Diabetes Walk on December 9 MUSCAT: Landmark Group, the region’s leading retail and hospitality conglomerate, will host the 7th edition of the Beat Diabetes Walk at Qurum Natural Park, Qurum, on December 9 at 7am.

The Beat Diabetes Walk will span approximately 3 kilometres.

Including the walk, the venue will also offer a host of complimentary fun-filled activities, including special fitness activities like children entertainment with face painting and balloon bending an on-site DJ and live entertainment acts. To raise awareness about diabetes in the region, the annual Beat Diabetes Walk will also offer free blood glucose testing to all participants, says a press release.

Registrations for the annual Beat Diabetes Walk in the Omancan be completed online at www.beatdiabetes.me till December 8 and on the day of the walk at the venue. All registered participants will receive a walkathon kit comprising a Beat Diabetes T-shirt and cap which can be collected at the Qurum Natural Park starting 7am onwards.

Announcing the walk, Clive Freeman, COO of Landmark Group Oman said, “It is essential that as a community we come together and raise awareness about diabetes and we invite the community at large to come and join the walk and show their solidarity to raise awareness about this growing condition.”

The Beat Diabetes in Oman is done in partnership with the

Oman Diabetes Association and Ministry of Health and supported

by Aster Medical Centre, Fit Body, Oasis water, and LifeScan.

The Beat Diabetes walk is held across the GCC and in 2015, the walk saw the unprecedented participation of more than 40,000 participants across these countries. In Oman alone over 9,700 people joined the walk and took the pledge to Beat Diabetes.

MUSCAT: As part of its on-going support of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and in line with the government’s initiatives to boost the SME sector within the country, Bank Sohar recently participated and sponsored as a bronze sponsor in the fourth edition of the Ebda’at Omaniya SME Expo; marking its second consecutive year of support for the event.

As part of its participation, the bank showcased its various SME services under its newly launched dedicated SME brand – Aafaq Al Najah, says a press release.

The Ebda’at Omaniya 4 SME Expo was officially launched and inaugurated under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin As’ad Al Said on Monday and will continue till today. The expo has been organised by the Public Authority for SME development (Riyada), Public Authority for Craft Industries, Al Raffd Fund, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Oman International Exhibition Centre.

Representing Bank Sohar at the opening ceremony were Mustafa Ali Mukhtar, DGM and acting head of Wholesale Banking

and Mazin Mahmood Al Raisi, Sr AGM of Marketing and Customer Experience, in addition to SME unit team at Bank Sohar.

Sasi Kumar, the acting CEO of Bank Sohar said, “The SME sector plays a critical role in the continued diversification and growth of our economy. Therefore, we at Bank Sohar expend great time, effort and resources into supporting initiatives that accelerate their development. In fact, our involvement in the SME sector goes far beyond providing finance options.

We offer our SME clients comprehensive guidance and help wherever required, and work closely with them to ensure their business is a success. We also offer our support to numerous initiatives that

facilitate the growth of the sector and our association with the Ebda’at Omaniya Expo is just one of many platforms the bank uses and supports in order to empower Omani entrepreneurs and enable the growth of their businesses.”

“We have had many success stories over the years and many of our entrepreneurs have successfully moved into the commercial and corporate arena. Expos such as these offer the ideal opportunity for networking, providing vital opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors looking to broaden their horizons, and diversify their business portfolios into new endeavours,” added Mustafa Ali Mukhtar, DGM and acting head of Wholesale Banking.

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SUPPORTING SCHOOLS

Omantel announces e-Education initiative for Oman’s schools MUSCAT: Omantel, the Sultanate’s leading provider of integrated telecom services has announced a learning-based technology platform which will be rolled out to public and private sector schools in the Sultanate.

The e-Education initiative, launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and technology partners Microsoft & HP, aims to enhance the integration of new technologies into the everyday classroom environment, giving students interactive learning tools while allowing the study curriculum to benefit from the rapid advancements in technology, says a press release.

Commenting on the launch of the e-Education platform, Talal Said Al Mamari, Omantel chief executive officer noted, “We are delighted to launch this new programme in partnership with the Ministry of Education and our technology partners Microsoft & HP. Our vision is to support schools in the Sultanate and the core ob-

jective for the e-Education initiative is to deliver world class education to Oman’s students wherever they are - 24/7. This initiative will greatly serve to enhance the student experience in the classroom, making learning more stimulating and interactive, and allowing each student to continue their studies online in the home environment with the support of their families.

The technologies and programmes delivered within the e-Education platform are very powerful valuable learning tools, which together with traditional teaching methods, will enhance students’ learning experience and outcomes.”

The new e-Education platform aims to position Omantel as the digital partner of choice in the education sector, for both public and private schools, enabling the digital society to flourish and grow in all schools across Oman.

Within the framework of the new e-Education programme, public and private sector schools will be offered a complete suite of soft-

ware based learning resources and applications which are developed for students ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 12. This will be complemented by comprehensive range of services and technologies including interactive whiteboards, laptops and tablets as well as reliable hi-speed connectivity across the school. Backing up the hardware is a round-the-clock support service and comprehensive inschool professional development for teachers.

Highlighting the importance of

boosting the levels of technologies and learning tools in the classroom environment in Oman,Omantel CEO added, “We believe that by enhancing mobility and connectivity services, our society can be transformed. The launch of the innovative e-Education programme represents a further step in the realization of our vision for Oman, to become a truly networked society, where every person is empowered to reach their full potential.”

“Omantel works closely with community groups and organisa-

tions to make a meaningful difference to the future development of the nation. Investing in Omani youth is particularly important as youth represent the bright future of our nation. This programme is just one of a number of community oriented initiatives we champion throughout the year. Last year, the company invested a total of OMR2 million in a number of community support initiatives and CSR programmes,” added Talal Al Mamari.

Continuing their commitment towards supporting communities within the Sultanate and to create a positive environment to help the nation’s youth achieve their full potential, the e-Education programme represents part of a wider programme of Omantel social responsibility activities designed to close the digital divide in society, allowing access to technology and learning tools for all segments of society and to invest in youth talent within the Sultanate. The launch of the e-Education platform aligns with the company’s

innovative 3.0 transformation strategy to position Omantel as the digital partner of choice, in the consumer arena and for the public and private sectors, enabling the digital society to flourish and grow across all sectors in Oman.

Highlighting the key aspects of Omantel’s 3.0 transformation strategy, Talal Al Mamari said, “Our transformation strategy touches every aspect of our operational approach for the years ahead. We aim to be the nation’s digital partner of choice, helping to bridge the digital divide across all sectors of society, propelling the growth of e-Education services and pioneering the rollout of the digital home eco-system.

“Our strategy focuses on four key pillars to drive continued growth, namely; exceeding customer expectations, leading Oman’s digitisation, boldly innovating with new products and services, and finally, simplifying and automating processes and procedures for customer excellence.”

Bank Muscat Chip and PIN debit card distribution in full swing Adding convenience for customers to exchange the old debit card with the Chip and PIN card, special desks have been set up in all branches across the Sultanate

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, in line with its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and commitment to innovation in banking service excellence, has stepped up the distribution of Chip and PIN debit cards to customers across the Sultanate.

The initiative heralding the future cards in Oman is in line with the Omani government’s ambitious eGovernment project. The new Chip and PIN debit cards are being distributed in all branches

across the Sultanate as the current debit cards have been blocked and discontinued, says a press release.

In view of the nation-wide transition to Chip and PIN debit cards, the bank has made extensive arrangements to ensure that all customers receive the new cards.

The bank has already communicated to customers through SMS, informing them of the requirement to replace their old debit cards with the new Chip and PIN cards.

Customers are required to visit the branches and collect the new cards.

Adding convenience for customers to exchange the old debit card with the Chip and PIN card, special desks have been set up in all branches across the Sultanate.

Select branches across the Sultanate are also open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, and from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. Customers can visit these branches at their convenience to collect the new card.

The branches offering the extended working hours to facilitate exchange of debit cards are: Falaj Al Qabail, Sur Al Afiyah, Safalat Ibra, Buraimi, Ibri Jubail, Firq,

Ruwi, Al Amerat, Opera Galleria, City Center, Seeb, Al Khoudh, Al Khuwair, Sohar Main, Barka Main, Salalah Industrial, Thumrait and Haima. The Service Centres in Ruwi, Ghala Industrial, Maabela Industrial, Oman Avenues Mall, Salalah Industrial and Sohar Port are also open during the above timings to help customers replace the old debit cards.

Packed with an array of features and benefits, the new Chip and PIN debit card is designed to make everyday transactions easier within and outside Oman.

Offering greater flexibility and convenience, the card provides access to the bank’s largest network of branches, ATMs and CDMs across Oman.

In conformity with international standards, the chip-based cards provide additional security for transactions through Personal Identification Number (PIN).

With global acceptance, the Bank Muscat Chip and PIN cards provide easy access to millions of ATMs and retail outlets all over the world. Embedded with the electronic chip, the Bank Muscat

cards ensure maximum protection and peace of mind.

The attractive features of the debit cards include payment convenience, facilitating shopping at millions of retail outlets across the world. Customers enjoy cash withdrawal facility from ATMs within and outside Oman.

Using the Chip and PIN card, customers can shop on the Internet with confidence as the card is protected with the additional Verified by Visa (VbV) security.

Customers also receive alerts on mobile phones for transactions made using the card. Cardholders can avail this service by registering their mobile phone number with the bank. The services available for cardholders include 24hour Call Centre support, convenience of 24x7 phone banking and Internet banking. Available in all branches, Bank Muscat is making all efforts to promote the Chip and PIN card as the preferred mode of payment in Oman.

15% DISCOUNT

Jet Airways announces end of year fare sale from Oman MUSCAT: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, commenced a global fare sale starting yesterday till December 2 for guests making travel plans from Muscat to India, SAARC and ASEAN region.

The airline’s premiere and economy guests can avail up to 15% discount on base fares during this exciting year end fare sale. The offer is applicable on Jet Airways’ flights originating from

Oman, to destinations in Domestic India, SAARC and ASEAN regions, says a press release.

Mannu Anand, general manager - Oman, Jet Airways, said, “The end of the year and forthcoming holidays are always a popular time for guests to make travel plans to visit their family and friends or travel with them to visit new destinations. Recognising this trend, Jet Airways has announced these special fares for guests and help

them avail significant savings by booking their tickets in advance.

With a vast number of destinations being connected by Jet Airways, our guests from Oman will be spoilt for choice.

“Aboard Jet Airways, guests will be offered an unmatched travel experience and an opportunity to appreciate our award winning service, best in-flight hospitality and unparalleled connectivity.”

C R E AT I V E C O N T E S T

Ooredoo launches youth-focused Shababiah design competition MUSCAT: Making Oman’s youth an important part of its 46th National Day celebrations, Ooredoo has launched a design competition, a fantastic youth-focused initiative under Shababiah to continue fulfilling its brand promise: ‘From the youth, to the youth’.

Commenting on the launch, Marya Al Shamsi, senior manager of Campaign Management said: “We are providing students with the chance to be part of the next big campaign of Shababiah and develop their creations and designs that expresses the vitality of the Shababiah brand. It will give young people the chance to define and be a real part of the brand that is designed just for them. We want to showcase local talent as well as nurture the impressive creative talents of the Omani youth, while giving them the opportunity to enhance valuable workplace skills.”

Al Shamsi continued: “This month, we celebrate with pride

the achievements of the last 46 years and look forward with optimism to those yet to come. Inspired by the tremendous community spirit of this auspicious occasion, Ooredoo is proud to support the talent of one of our country’s greatest assets and one of the main pillars of its future successes; our ambitious and energetic young population.”

Sharing details of the Shababiah Design Competition which is open to students and graduates aged between 16 and 30, Al Shamsi revealed that the competition,

launched at the Higher College of Technology Muscat on November 28 and running until December 10, will give the top five winners a cash prize of OMR4,600 between them, along with other exciting prizes. During the competition period, Ooredoo representatives will visit the Colleges of Applied Sciences in Salalah and Sur as well as the Colleges of Technology in Musannah, Ibri, and Shinas.

She added that the work of five successful entrants will be showcased in Shababiah’s upcoming marketing campaign.

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BLACK CAPS CLINCH SECOND TEST, WIN SERIES >C2

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INDIA CRUSH ENGLAND AFTER ROOT, HAMEED DEFIANCE Joe Root’s determination and Haseem Hameed’s grit were not enough for England as India won the third Test by eight wickets inside four days to go 2-0 up in the five-match series. >C3

Taha re-elected OSA chairman Taha retained the chairman’s post while Tariq Al Hashmi was elected as vicechairman and Qais Al Zakwani was also received the mandate to remain the general secretary NEW REGIME: The new board members of the Oman Swimming Association pose for a group photo after the elections at the City Seasons Hotel on Tuesday. – JUN ESTRADA / Times of Oman

Sports Reporter MUSCAT: As expected Taha bin Suleiman Al Kishry was re-elected as the chairman of the Oman Swimming Association (OSA) when the Sultanate’s swimming governing body organised the General Assembly and the board elections for the 2016-20 term at the City Seasons on Tuesday.

Taha, an Ahli-Sidab nominee, had a lone challenger in Al Talee’a representative Nasser Al Alawi.

But the incumbent polled 16 votes from a total of 24 affiliated clubs that attended the general assembly, while his challenger received eight votes.

Taha, a long-serving sports administrator of the Sultanate who held highly responsible roles both at the local and international sports bodies, vowed to further develop the sport across the country.

Speaking on the occasion, he said: “I would like to thank the general assembly, the clubs and the entire swimming fraternity for showing faith in me and elect-

tional participation... adding value to each and every area of the sport.”

“It is also very important to develop the technical and administrative aspects,” he added.

ing me as the chairman for another four years.”

While congratulating his newly elected fellow board members, he said: “We will work even harder to achieve our goals, which includes the overall development of the sport of swimming in Oman. We will focus on developing the sport at the clubs level and also helping out swimmers to achieve good results in the international arena.”

Al Zakwani retains post Tariq Al Hashmi of Al Kamil Wa Al Wafi was, meanwhile, elected as the vice-chairman after he defeated Kasab’s Khalid Al Shuhi.

Tariq polled 15 votes against Khalid’s nine.

Meanwhile, Taha’s long-time associate Qais Al Zakwani retained the general secretary’s post.

Al Khabourah’s representative Al Zakwani got 16 votes against his challenger Ahli-Sidab nominee Khalid Al Dahli’s eight.

Mumtaz treasurer In a three-way contest for the

We will work even harder to achieve our goals, which includes overall development Taha Al Kishry treasurer’s post Oman Club’s Mumtaz Al Balushi emerged the winner defeating Ahmed Mubarak of Suwaiq and Ashraf Al Harbi of Quriyat.

Mumtaz, who has served on the committees and boards of different sports bodies including motorsport and volleyball, polled 14 votes against Ahmed Al Mubarak

FOOTBALL

OFA shortlists four candidates for coach’s job, to finalise on Sunday MUSCAT: The National Teams Committee of the Oman Football Association (OFA) has shortlisted the candidates for the post of national team’s coach after scrutinising as many as nine applications.

The committee has recommended four names for the OFA board members to discuss and finalise a suitable candidate to succeed Juan Ramon Lopez Caro as Oman national team coach.

The OFA board members will meet under the chairmanship of association chief Sheikh Salim Al Wahaibi on Sunday to finalise the name. Though the OFA has not revealed the four names, the National Teams Committee has chosen them from nine applications, all of which came from ex-

and Czech Republic’s Ivan Hasek.

The OFA board will meet on Sunday to pick the right candidate for the job

perienced European coaches.

The list of applicants includes Bosnian Mohammed Bazarvich, Romanian Victor Piturca, Bosnian Safet Susk, Romanian Laszlo Boloni, Sweden’s Lars Lagerback, Serbians Milovan Rajevac, Goran Tufegdzic and Goran Stevanovic

OFA thanks Lopez Caro Meanwhile, the OFA has ‘extended a message of gratitude’ to departing Juan Ramon Lopez Caro after mutually agreeing to part ways. “Lopez Caro will probably be best remembered for bringing a lot of young blood into the team, while also undertaking meticulous training sessions with the Reds,” the OFA said in a statement.

“We would like to thank outgoing coach Lopez Caro for his services and the completion of his contract. It is however, now in the best interests of both parties to seek other pastures and that is why there was no contract renewal” the statement added.

ROUSING WELCOME FOR OMAN TENNIS STARS Oman women tennis stars who made history by winning two gold and a bronze medal, including the team championship at the Arab Tennis Championships in Morocco, were accorded a warm reception by the Oman Tennis Association (OTA) officials on Tuesday.

The team comprising Fatma Al Nabhani, Sara Al Balushi and Mariam Al Balushi, coach Huda as well as Oman delegation head Salman Al Balushi were received at the Muscat International Airport by OTA chief Khalid Al Aadi, vice-chairman Khalid Al Nabhani and treasurer Siddique Al Hashmi. Fatma won the singles gold and then the doubles bronze in the company of Sara Al Balushi before leading the country to the team gold.

Al Numani’s nine and Ashraf Al Harbi’s one.

A delighted Mumtaz, who is also a journalist and a media expert, said: “It’s a fair election and I am happy to be elected as the treasurer. I would like to thank the general assembly, the members and the clubs for showing trust in me.”

“This (election) means it’s a big

responsibility entrusted with all of us board members. We will work as a team and work for the development of the sport,” he added.

“Our primary focus will be on chalking out a good plan for the overall development of swimming.

We should also look to further develop all aspects of swimming, preparation, training and interna-

Five members For the position of five ordinary board members there were 12 contestants and those elected five are Al Nasr’s Ahmed Al Hakim (19 votes), Bausher’s Mohammed Salim (13), Bahla’s Dr. Nasser Al Aufi (13), Al Musannah’s Said Masoud (13) and Oman Club’s Malallah Al Busaidi (13).

OSA’s new board members: Chairman: Taha Al Kishry (Ahli-Sidab).

Vice-chairman: Tariq Al Hashmi (Al Kamil Wa Al Wafi).

General Secretary: Qais Al Zakwani (Al Khabourah).

Treasurer: Mumtaz Al Balushi (Oman).

Members: Ahmed Al Hakim (Al Nasr), Mohammed Salim (Bausher), Dr Nasser Al Aufi (Bahla), Said Masoud (Al Musannah) and Malallah Al Busaidi (Oman).

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Black Caps clinch Test, win series SCOREBOARD

New Zealand 1st innings: 271 (J. Raval 55; S. Khan 4-99) Pakistan 1st innings: 216 (B. Azam 90no; T. Southee 6-80) New Zealand 2nd innings: 313 for 5 decl (R. Taylor 102no, T. Latham 80) Pakistan 2nd innings: S. Aslam c Williamson b Southee 91 A. Ali b Santner 58 B. Azam b Santner 16 S. Ahmed run out 19 Y. Khan lbw b Southee 11 A. Shafiq c Nicholls b Henry 0 M. Rizwan not out 13 S. Khan c Nicholls b de Grandhomme 8

The victory also wrapped up the series 2-0 for Kane Williamson’s side, their first series victory over Pakistan since 1985, after they won the first match by eight wickets in Christchurch

HAMILTON: Neil Wagner ripped through Pakistan’s tail with three wickets in six deliveries to help New Zealand dismiss the visitors for 230 and secure a 138-run victory on the final day of the second Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday.

The victory also wrapped up the series 2-0 for Kane Williamson’s side, their first series victory over Pakistan since 1985, after they won the first match by eight wickets in Christchurch. “We were un-

ALL SMILES: New Zealand players celebrate winning the Test series against Pakistan 2-0 at Seddon Park in Hamilton. – AFP

der pressure, they’re a very strong side and are not number two in the world for no reason,” Williamson said in a televised interview. “They showed that today, but we were able to stick at it and get the result.”

The fifth day had meandered along for the first two sessions as Pakistan openers Azhar Ali and

Sami Aslam looked to give themselves a base from which to challenge the 369-run target.

The pair put on 131 for the first wicket before stand-in captain Azhar (58) got a thick inside edge to a looped delivery from left arm spinner Mitchell Santner and played on just before tea.

The visitors, however, with 211 runs needed from 34 overs in the final session and with nine wickets in hand, changed their approach after the break and decided to attack. Once Babar Azam (16) was dismissed in the same fashion as his captain shortly after tea the shackles were broken.

Aslam was caught nine runs short of a maiden test century at mid-off by Williamson off Tim Southee, and when power-hitting wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed (19) was run out to reduce the visitors to 199 for four, momentum had swung back towards the hosts.

Southee and Matt Henry made the most of the second new ball to extract some swing and seam with Asad Shafiq caught at point from a leading edge from Henry, before Younus Khan was given out lbw to Southee on review for 11 after he failed to play a shot.

Wagner then ran through the tail with Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz both caught by wicketkeeper BJ Watling for ducks, before Tom

M. Amir c Watling b Wagner 0 W. Riaz c Watling b Wagner 0 I. Khan c Latham b Wagner 0 Extras (b-4, lb-3, nb-1, w-6) 14 Total (all out, 92.1 overs) 230 Fall of wickets: 1-131,2-159, 3-181, 4-199, 5-204, 6-218, 7-229, 8-230, 9-230, 10-230 Bowling: T. Southee 24-6-60-2, M. Henry 19-5-38-1, N. Wagner 20.1-4-57-3 (nb-1, w-2), M. Santner 16-2-49-2, C. de Grandhomme 12-5-17-1, K. Williamson 1-0-2-0 Umpires: S. Fry & S. Ravi TV umpire: I. Gould Match referee: Richie Richardson Result: New Zealand won by 138 runs

Latham produced a brilliant catch at forward short leg to dismiss Imran Khan and end the match and series.

“We came in and knew the target was a big one but we wanted to have a good partnership up front and then see what we could do after that,” Azhar said. “We had that partnership but couldn’t really get the run rate going and I think we .. probably left a little too much to do in the last session.”

Pakistan had not lost a series since they were beaten 2-0 in Sri Lanka in August 2014, winning five and drawing two, which included one drawn series in England earlier this year that gave them the top Test ranking before India moved past them. - Reuters HOCKEY

ISG SWIMMERS BAG MEDALS AT CBSE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS The students of Indian School Al Ghubra (ISG) won a silver and a number of bronze medals at the CBSE National Swimming Championships organised at Rajeev Gandhi Higher Secondary School in Bhopal, India from November 15 to 18. A total of 25 swimmers from ISG took part in the prestigious event. The Under-19 Girls team comprising K.S. Pooja, Delzine Irani, Shivani Arjun and Khushi Kishore won the relay silver while K.S. Pooja also won the bronze medal in 50 metres butterfly, 50m and 100m freestyle events. — Supplied photo

Sensational Yousuf scores a brace as India beat Australia in series opener MELBOURNE: Young striker Affan Yousuf scored a brace to guide Indian men’s hockey team to a 3-2 win over world champions Australia in the opening match of the two-game series, here on Tuesday.

While Yousuf scored two field goals (19th minute) in quick succession, dragflicker V R Raghunath netted the winner for India in the 44th minute.

Australia’s goals came from the sticks of Matthew Willis (36th) and Trent Mitton (43rd).The Indians were quick to get off the blocks and controlled the proceedings early on.

But despite several circle penetrations, both the teams failed to break the deadlock in the first quarter.

Wonderful goal Yousuf opened the scoring for India in the 19th minute with a wonderfully constructed field goal and then doubled his tally with another field strike in the very next move as India went into halftime firmly in control with a two goal cushion.

The second half witnessed a completely different picture as India looked happy to sit back, absorb the pressure and take Australia on the counter.

Australia, on the other hand, were incisive and precise, and drew themselves level via goals from Willis (36th) and Mitton (43rd).India, however, regained their lead a minute later from a penalty corner, which was dully converted by Raghunath. In the final quarter India adopted a cautious approach and managed to hold on to the lead to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

The second match of the series will be played on Wednesday. - PTI

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

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SPORTS C O M M E N TA RY

How Kohli ‘Stokes’ the fire on the quiet

W

hen Ben Stokes turned away from the exiting batsman and put his hand over his mouth as the rest of the England team celebrated getting Virat Kohli out on day two of the Mohali Test, the fiery England allrounder’s apparent attempt at playing up to the cameras looked like a smart choice under the circumstances to send the message across to the Kohli camp without attracting another demerit point on his disciplinary record.

The stage was then set for Kohli to come up with a counter-punch.

After Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Jadav pushed the Indian scoreboard past England’s first innings total and eventually posted a 134-run lead, the rest of the game, from an Indian fans’ point of view, was not about how Kohli and his boys were going to win the match, but about how the Indian skipper was going to get Stokes out and give it all back to him with interest.

Kohli was lucky to escape ICC punishment for his role in the altercation with Stokes on day one. Though it wasn’t clear who started the verbal spat, Stokes looked like responding to a rude sendoff for which he found himself before the match referee after stumps while Kohli bantered with his colleagues.

Another instance of pottymouthed exchange on the field of play could have landed Kohli also in trouble, so the challenge was about doing it on the quiet.

A few things needed to fall into place. First, England had to be in bad shape when Stokes walked in. Ashwin did that first part well, sending Alastair Cook and Moeen Ali back to the dressing room inside 20 overs, so Stokes had to survive 18 overs on day three and two entire days to avoid defeat. When Ashwin trapped Stokes in front of the wicket in the final over of the day and reviewed an unfavourable decision to leave England on 74 for the loss of four top-order batsmen, that was a perfect opportunity for Kohli to thumb his nose at Stokes.

Standing cocky at the end of an aggressive celebration, Kohli raised his right hand to greet someone in the dressCRICKET

Injured Hameed to miss last two Tests MOHALI: England’s opening batsman Haseeb Hameed will miss the last two tests against India after sustaining a hand injury during the third test.

The 19-year-old, who was struck on the hand in the first innings and did not field in the match, made 59 not out after coming in down the order in the second innings before India secured an eight-wicket victory to move 2-0 up in the series.

“He is out of the whole tour, he is going home. A replacement will be called,” England captain Alastair Cook told reporters.

Hameed made 82 on his debut in the first test and has scored 219 runs in the series at an average of 43.8 to stake a strong claim to be Cook’s long-term opening partner.

The fourth Test in Mumbai starts on December 8. - Reuters

India crush England after Root and Hameed defiance SCOREBOARD

After conceding a 134-run first-innings lead, England had ing room and then smartly placed his index finger on his lips in an all-quiet gesture as Stokes walked off the field, but the cameras couldn’t miss the finger extending a bit beyond the lips to touch the nose. Kohli is “quite a vocal character”, as Jonny Bairstow has observed, even when it’s all quiet on the western front.

What makes the 2-0 Indian scorecard in the five-Test series sweeter for the home side is the fact that the victories came on normal pitches without the help of the infamous devils hiding in the cracks. The pitches in Rajkot, Vizakhapatnam and Mohali were quite unlike the dustbowls of the past where the ball turned on day one itself.

Rajkot offered nothing for the spinners, and the pitches in Vizag and Mohali provided a fair chance for the batsmen and the bowlers on both sides.

The victories on pitches that held firm even on day four and even when India lost the toss and batted second make Kohli smile confidently at the end of the match and say he has “no worries, absolutely” about the remaining two Tests. Unfortunately, it’s no time for Cook to smile as he has to deal with problems ranging from slotting in the right bloke to open the innings with him in place of the injured Haseeb Hameed, to inspiring his batsmen to somehow knock up runs in excess of 400 in case he wins the toss again. He was happy to spot “lots of English faces” at Mohali and felt “great to have that support”. Hopefully, many of them will be heading for Mumbai where they are destined to be lost in a sea of noisy Indian fans.

A better show from Cook and his team could put some smile on their face, and that will be a better way of saying thanks.

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

their backs firmly against the wall and Monday’s top-order collapse left them with an impossible task to save the game

MOHALI: Joe Root’s determination and Haseem Hameed’s grit were not enough for England as India won the third Test by eight wickets inside four days to go 2-0 up in the five-match series on Tuesday.

Playing his first Test in eight years, Parthiv Patel smashed an unbeaten 67 off 54 balls and the hosts chased down their 103-run victory target for the loss of Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara.

After conceding a 134-run firstinnings lead, England had their backs firmly against the wall and Monday’s top-order collapse left them with an impossible task to save the game.

“The first two days went exactly as we wanted as a Test team,” India captain Virat Kohli told reporters. “When you lose the toss on a good wicket, the bowlers stand up. On day two, you are 160-5 and your lower order steps up. Those two days, along with the third, were very pleasing for me as the captain,” he added.

Root’s composed 78 helped erased the deficit and an unbeaten 59 by Hameed, batting down the order after breaking his finger,

ONE MORE WIN: Indian captain Virat Kohli and Parthiv Patel walk off the field after winning the third Test against England. – AFP

ensured India had a three-figure target to chase after bowling out England for 236 in the afternoon session.

Resuming on 78-4, England suffered early setbacks.

Nightwatchman Gareth Batty failed to trouble the scorers, trapped lbw by Ravindra Jadeja in the second over of the day.

Jos Buttler, arriving at the crease with his team reeling on 78-5, clobbered Jadeja over his head for six and smacked a boundary to bring up England’s 100.

But he fell for a run-a-ball 18 trying to hit Jayant Yadav over mid-on, Jadeja taking a stooping catch at mid-wicket.

Root survived two leg-before appeals in one Jadeja over but otherwise looked rock solid as he brought up his 25th test fifty with an elegant boundary, raising his bat in muted celebration.

His brave 179-ball battle ended in a rather soft dismissal when he pushed at a Jadeja delivery and Ajinkya Rahane took a sharp one-

SMARTEN UP DRIVE SAFE A TIMES OF OMAN HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

handed catch at slip. Hameed refused to give up, however, defying the Indian bowlers with solid defence alongside Chris Woakes who made a fluent 30. Paceman Mohammed Shami then struck twice in an over with the new ball to all but end England’s resistance, bouncing out Woakes and inducing Adil Rashid into an awkward pull that was caught on the boundary.

Hameed was left stranded when James Anderson was run out for five. The 19-year-old, who misses the remaining two tests with the injury, remained unbeaten after nearly three hours at the crease to enhance his burgeoning reputation.

England captain Alastair Cook said he, along with others, misread the pitch but blamed the batsmen for the defeat.

“No magic balls were being bowled really...It was not that the pitch was behaving,” said Cook, who moved past former Australia captain Steve Waugh to become

England 1st innings 283 (J. Bairstow 89) India 1st innings 417 (R. Jadeja 90, R. Ashwin 72, V. Kohli 62, J. Yadav 55, C. Pujara 51; B. Stokes 5-73, A. Rashid 4-118) England 2nd innings: A. Cook b R. Ashwin 12 J. Root c Rahane b Jadeja 78 M. Ali c Yadav b R. Ashwin 5 J. Bairstow c P. Patel b Yadav 15 B. Stokes lbw b R. Ashwin 5 G. Batty lbw b Jadeja 0 J. Buttler c Jadeja b Yadav 18 H. Hameed not out 59 C. Woakes c P. Patel b Shami 30 A. Rashid c U. Yadav b Shami 0 J. Anderson run out (Jadeja, R. Ashwin)5 Extras (b-8, lb-1) 9 Total (all out, 90.2 overs) 236 Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-39, 3-70, 4-78, 5-78, 6-107, 7-152, 8-195, 9-195, 10-236 Bowling: M. Shami 14-3-37-2, U. Yadav 8-3-26-0, R. Ashwin 26.2-4-81-3, R. Jadeja 30-12-62-2, J. Yadav 12-2-21-2 India 2nd innings: M. Vijay c Root b Woakes 0 P. Patel not out 67 C. Pujara c Root b Rashid 25 V. Kohli not out 6 Extras (b-4, lb-1, nb-1) 6 Total (for 2 wickets, 20.2 overs) 104 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-88 Did not bat: A. Rahane, K. Nair, R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, J. Yadav, M. Shami, U. Yadav Bowling: J. Anderson 3-2-8-0, C. Woakes 2-0-16-1, A. Rashid 5-0-28-1, B. Stokes 4-0-16-0 (nb-1), M. Ali 3-0-13-0, G. Batty 3.2-0-18-0 Umpires: M. Erasmus & C. Gaffaney TV umpire: K. Dharmasena Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle Result: India won by 8 wickets

the 10th highest run-scorer in Test cricket.

“It was good, accurate bowling, as you expect from India in these conditions, but it was not unplayable. We didn’t score enough runs.”

Jadeja, who scored a careerbest 90 and picked up four wickets, was adjudged man of the match. The fourth Test in Mumbai starts on December 8. - Reuters

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

SPORTS OFA celebrates grand success of first women’s futsal championship In the maiden championship, six teams battled for top honours with Al Ittifaq emerging the inaugural champions

MUSCAT: The Oman Football Association (OFA) on Saturday celebrated the success of the inaugural Women’s Futsal Championship with an impressive prize-giving ceremony under the auspices of Her Highness Dr. Mona bint Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for for International Cooperation at the Sultan Qaboos University and in the presence of OFA chief Salim bin Said FOOTBALL

Al Wahaibi at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Tuesday.

In the maiden championship, six teams battled for top honours with Al Ittifaq emerging the inaugural champions. The second and third places went to Ahli-Sidab B and Ahli Sidab A respectively.

In the individual honours, Al Ittifaq’s Sara bint Ali Al Ismaili emerged the best player of the championship while her teammate Sheikha bint Abdullah Al Shibli took the best goalkeeper prize. Ahli-Sidab’s Liqa bint Abdullah Al Hosni was the tournament’s top scorer.

In her remarks, Her Highness Dr. Mona bint Fahd praised the efforts of the OFA and pointed to the role the woman can play in the sports field.

OFA chief Salim Al Wahaibi expressed his delight over the success of the first futsal championship organised by OFA’s women’s football committee while thank-

ing the members of the organising committee for the success of the championship.

The OFA organised the championship with the main objective

of selecting a team that will represent the Sultanate in the GCC Women’s Futsal Championship to be organised in Bahrain in February. — ONA

TENNIS

Coutinho adds to Liverpool’s injury woes

Sanjana retains girls U-16 crown at ISC tournament

LONDON: Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho could be set for lengthy spell on the sidelines after the Brazilian international suffered an ankle injury during Saturday’s Premier League win over Sunderland.

British media reported that the 24-year-old Coutinho was set to be out of action for five to six weeks after scans on Monday confirmed he had suffered ankle ligament damage following a first half class with Didier Ndong in the 2-0 win at Anfield.

Manager Juergen Klopp, however, remains confident his Liverpool side possess enough qualities to minimise the impact of Coutinho’s absence.

“Phil Coutinho is a really good football player and if we can’t use him for the next few days or weeks then every team in the world would feel that. That’s how it is but there is no excuse for anything,” he said.

“Phil, as good as he is, cannot decide games on his own even if it looks like that at times.

“He dribbles, he shoots and he is important but it is really a team performance that we have created.

“He’s a very important part of that but of course we can handle it. It’s not the best thing I can imagine or dream about, to show that we can play without Phil, but we have to show it and we will show it.”

Klopp also suggested he might dip into the transfer market if the Merseyside club’s injury situation worsened. - Reuters

MUSCAT: Favourite Sanjana Girish retained the girls under-16 singles title at the at the Falcon Insurance Company-sponsored Annual Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club (ISC).

In the final, Sanjana defeated Madhu Mitra with a convincing 6-0, 6-1 result. It was a good match as the two Indian School Muscat teammates exchanged lengthy rallies and played strong groundstrokes throughout the match and gained valuable practice on the eve of their departure to India to participate in the CBSE national championships.

The difference between the two was that lefthander Sanjana showed more consistency and variety in her groundstrokes. Madhu Mitra matched the groundstrokes when it came to power but lacked the mindset to finish the point.

R. Murali won both his opening men’s and veteran’s singles rounds.

In the first round of the men’s singles, Murali overcame Shyam Kolluru 8-3 and in the veterans’ singles, he defeated I. Zekiel 8-3.

HOCKEY

OHA’s step to involve expatriates begins Sports Reporter

FINALISTS: Sanjana Girish, right and Madhu Mitra.

In other first round matches, Suhail Khan posted a convincing 8-1 victory over Ganesh S, Domnic Kennedy was kept on his toes before downing M. Karthikeyan 8-4, the big-serving and hard-hitting Mohamed Azharuddin defeated M. Gurusamy 8-2 and Percy Perei-

ra retrieved everything that came to him and outplayed S. Vishwanathan 8-0.

P.S. Sriram entered the second round of the veterans singles after defeating M. Gurusamy 8-3 and so did Daraius Basu who coasted to a 8-2 win over Deepak Venkatesan.

FOOTBALL

Giroud to miss Arsenal’s League Cup match LONDON: Arsenal are likely to rotate their squad for Wednesday’s League Cup quarterfinal against Southampton with manager Arsene Wenger promising a mixture of youth and experience.

French striker Olivier Giroud

will definitely miss the game because of a slight groin problem and Mathieu Debuchy is also unavailable because of a hamstring injury.

Striker Lucas Perez is likely to start, however, after recovering from an ankle injury that has side-

lined him for five weeks.

“Mathieu had a scan today but we don’t have the results yet,” Wenger said. “Lucas is in the squad and we will have a mixture of youth and experience, but still 90 per cent of the first-team squad.” - Reuters

MUSCAT: Oman Hockey Association (OHA) chairman Talib Khamis Al Wahaibi, who announced his intentions to involve expatriates in his schemes of hockey development has set the ball rolling.

Oman Hockey Association (OHA) according to the chairman has called for a session with the expatriate schools representative and also the expatriate clubs to push through a special programme. According to Talib Al Wahaibi, the OHA has an idea of organising tournaments with international flair, which means there will be tournaments with the involvement of expatriates.

According to invitations send to expatriate representatives

by OHA General Secretary Dr. Khamis Al Rahbi, the meeting, scheduled for Wednesday at the Oman Olympic Committee conference hall, will touch upon issues relating to hockey in expatriate schools.

The meeting will discuss ways of introducing and developing the game of hockey in expatriate schools. The other factors that will be touched upon are description

NEW INITIATIVE: OHA chief

Talib Al Wahaibi

of roles of the expatriate schools, expatriate social clubs, OHA and Ministry of Sports Affairs.

Hockey veteran Saiyed Ali Sibtain Naqvi will head the expatriate representation in the meeting. He will be joined by Mohammed Osama Rawat, and representatives from Indian School Mabela, Indian School Al Ghubra, Pakistan Social Club, Pakistan School Muscat, Indian School Darsait, Indian School Muscat, Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir, Indian School Al Seeb, Team Coorg, United Thalassery Sports Club, Pak Falcons and Muscat Arabian Foxes Club.

HANDBALL

Oman Handball Association forms vital committees MUSCAT: The Oman Handball Association (OHA) board members, who met under the chairmanship of Dr. Said bin Ahmed Al Shahri, formed various committees including Executive Office, the Competitions Committee, the Financial Committee, Clubs Affairs Committee , Training and Coaches Committee, the Referees

Committee and the Marketing and Teams Committee.

Executive Office: Dr. Said bin Ahmed Al Shahri (chairman), Othman bin Almas Al Qasmi, Mohammed Al Mashrafi and Moosa Al Balushi.

Competitions Committee: Othman bin Almas Al Qasmi (chairman), Moosa Al Balushi

(vice-chairman), Ahmed Al Balushi , Awadh Al Ghafri, Mohammed Al Mashrafi, Ahmed Jama’an and Zuhair Samha.

Financial Committee: Amer Al Hajri (chairman), Othman bin Almas Al Qasmi (vice-chairman), Moosa Al Balushi, Qais Al Wahaibi, Mohammed Al Dhahwari, Ridha Said Ibrahim and Zuhair Samha.

Clubs Affairs Committee: Amer Al Hajri (chairman), Mohammed Al Mashrafi (vice-chairman), Moosa Al Balushi, Rashid Al Hamdani, Ahmed Al Mamari, Mohammed Al Dhahwari and Ahmed Jama’an. Training and Coaches Committee: Ahmed Jama’an (chairman), Mohammed Al Alawi (vice-chairman), Moosa Al Bal-

ushi, Rashid Al Hamdani and Zuhair Samha.

Referees Committee: Amin Al Barwani (chairman), Abdulridha Al Sheikh (vice-chairman), Abdullah Al Noufali , Basheer Al Busaidi, Abdullah Al Farsi, Abeer bint Isa Al Zadjali and Zuhair Samha.

Marketing Committee: Qais Al Wahaibi (chairman), Abdullah bin

Mazar Al Raisi (vice-chairman), Moosa Al Balushi, Mohammed Al Dhahwari, Abdulaziz Al Masrouri and Zuhair Samha.

Teams Committee: Dr. Said Al Shahri (chairman), Ahmed Al Balushi (vice-chairman ), Moosa Al Balushi, Othman Al Qasmi, Amin Al Barwani, Mohammed Al Alawi and Zuhair Samha. — ONA

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DAILY GUIDE

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SITUATION VACANT

Excellent Grade Construction Company Requires the following:Site Engineers (Civil), Senior MEP Engineer, MEP Engineers, QA/QC Civil, HSE Supervisor, Foreman (Civil), Foremen Electrical, Foremen Plumbing.

Draft Man - Civil, Draft Man - Mechanical, Draft Man - Electrical, QS - Civil, QS - MEP, Experienced Purchaser, Store Keepers, Experienced person in Water Proofing Combo System.

Interested Candidates to send CV to below email.

Email: info@durat.om

FOR CIVIL & MEP DIVISION 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9)

Project Engineer (D/L) Structural Engineer (D/L) Planning Engineer (D/L) HSE Inspector (D/L) Draftsman Inventory controller Accounts Assistant Office assistant Receptionist (Male/Female) 5 years GCC experience with good communication skills Send Your CV to

surcivilmep@surunited.com

IMMEDIATE VACANCY A reputed distributor of Tyres and Lubricants Require Result Oriented Candidates

1. General Manager.

Proven Experience in Growth strategy, Turnover, Develop and Uplift overall business, Manage sales/market team, Enhance Market Share.

2. Sales/ Marketing Executives (2Nos) Proven track record/customer expansion, boost sales/collection Targets.

Preference will be given experience in similar industry, candidates shall send CV to.

icebergbusinessconsultancy@gmail.com A Construction company in Muscat has immediate vacancy for the following designations.

Deputy General Manger (Expatriate) . . . . .

Degree in Civil Engineering with minimum 10 years Oman experience Excellent experience and knowledge of supervision procedure Excellent managerial and communication skill Good knowledge of project management tools and techniques Valid Omani driving license

SITUATION WANTED ACCOUNTS

And the following too

. Project Manger . Civil Engineer Please send your CV to Email address: pm@ajico.com

ACCOUNTS A reputed interior and kitchen (domestic & commercial) company urgently required Accountant having minimum 2-3 years experience in accounts.

Email: suresh@saharaintl.net An Omani Audit firm looking for Graduates in finance & accounting, Diploma in Accounting & high School passed Omani candidates with good communication skills in Arabic & English.

Preferably having knowledge in Microsoft Excel & word. Email: muscataudit@gmail.com A construction company urgently requires Accounts Assistant.

Send C.V to kabnair@gmail.com Contact: 99344279 Accountant 2-3 years experience.

Candidate should be Indian, English speakers. NOC is a must.

Email: mohammad.jwabreh@ bearingcitysc.com. Fax: 24509312

DRIVER Required light duty driver.

Send C.V to kabnair@gmail.com Contact: 99344279 Urgently required a gulf experienced heavy vehicle driver, currently available in Oman with NOC and valid GCC driving license.

Contact: 94201258 Email: ho@ddtoman.com Wanted Driver for heavy (sewage vehicle) and light vehicle with valid Oman driving license.

Contact: 97991654 / 97991652 Kindly send CV at Email: construction@remasalseeb.com / remaschandran2020@gmail.com

DESIGNER A reputed Interior Company urgently required interior designer having well experience for self design, AutoCAD, 3D max, Photoshop & V-ray.

Email: suresh@saharaintl.net Required Graphic designer for a digital printing company in Al- Khoud. Candidate must have experience of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop & CorelDraw. Experience in print machine operating preferable. Send CV to Email: magicfingerprint1@gmail.com, Contact: 94221420 / 94216866/ 94216836

DRAFTSMAN Required Autocad Draftsman preferably with experience in pipe line drawings. Send resume to email: 9waterpipe9@gmail.com or WHATSAPP in 98963963

DOMESTIC HELPER Full time Housemaid required for an Indian family.

Contact: 92103688

DOMESTIC HELPER Housemaid required for Keralite family in Ghubra. Malayalee maid preferred. Accommodation provided. Contact: 96139267

ENGINEER Urgent requirement Civil Engineer, 10 yrs experience for Construction Supervision. Contact secons.engineers@gmail.com, 99244481 SURVEYOR /DRAFTSMAN ITI Surveyor with 2 years experience in Oman in OHL transmission lines with valid D/L and knowledge in drafting preferred Contact: 93339586 Email: hromancv@gmail.com Required Civil Engineers / Foreman. Contact 92481447, email: r.m.unnithna@outlook.com

MEDICAL Required Optometrist for a leading Optical group in Oman.

Email : albasilopticals@gmail.com Contact 93822557 Wanted dentist for a leave vacancy for 3 weeks clinic at Ruwi.

Contact: 92520054 Email: zayanmohd2375@gmail.com Fusion Medicare Polyclinic, Urgently required Pharmacists and Assistant Pharmacist for a reputed organization. Email: pharmadreams2016@gmail.com Muscat wants GP, staff Nurse holding MOH license & Receptionist (Omani) Contact 97698004 email: medicare@fusionlogicoman.com Physiotherapist (bachelor in Physiotherapist) experience 2 years in Oman, Nurse Experience 2 years. Fax: 24602206 Email: fayad.mohamed@gmail.com Wanted Pharmacist (with MOH license) & Nurse.

Contact : 95042101 or send CV to Email : azad.a.asif@gmail.com Require well Exp Gynecologist (partnership basis) pediatrician lab technician, exp dentist Endo Dontist pedodontist, Ophtalmologist, lab Assistant for medical Centre in Mabela. Contact -Email amanammc@gmail.com Ph 95200180./ 24452070 Wanted female & Male Nurse with or without license (good salary, food & accommodation with other benefits. Contact 92989109, Email: medicoport@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS An excellent grade building Construction Company requires the following staff for their ongoing projects Operations Manager 10 yrs exp & Project Manager 7 yrs exp, Project Engineer 5 yrs exp, Site Engineer 3 yrs exp & Quantity Surveyor 5 yrs exp. Send CV to amad6859@gmail.com

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

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

Contact - 90372638 MISCELLANEOUS Urgent required : Store labors.

Candidate should be Indian, English speakers. NOC is a must.

Email: mohammad.jwabreh @bearingcitysc.com, Fax: 24509312 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

SKILLED LABOUR Required Experienced Auto Electrician and Automobile Mechanic for a reputed service station.

Contact : 91232638 hashim@ramainvestment.com A petroleum field (SAOC) company seeking for JCB operator with ROP license & having 2 years experience to work at PDO site.

Contact: 24484045, Fax: 24485908, GSM : 98083550 Email: said.maqshan@gmail.com Construction company looking for foreman with Gulf experience.

Contact : 95758004

SECRETARIAL / OFFICE Wanted Office clerk having two years experience. Contact: 92891888

SALES / MARKETING Leading perfume & cosmetics company looking for Sales Executive with local market knowledge, fluent in English & D/L. Contact 99669867, danatoman55@gmail. com Urgently required hard core Sales & marketing person for computer shop at Ruwi (IT knowledge) Oman driving license will be an advantage (preference for Kerala). Contact: 98048903 Email: info@smartpointcomputer.com A reputed interior & kitchen (domestic & commercial) company urgently required well experienced Sales & Marketing Executive having minimum 3 years of experience at the related job with valid Omani driving license. Send CV to suresh@saharaint.net Required sales and marketing executive for a 4-star hotel in muscat. candidate with excellent communication skills and having 3+ years experience need apply. driving license will be an advantage. email: hoteljobsmuscat@gmail.com Urgently required Sales executive for an electrical & building material co, in Muscat. Excellent communication skill and 2+ years experience with valid Oman D/L. Contact: 99886386/ 99881647 Email: thejacs2002@gmail.com

Required well experienced dynamic candidate in Real Estate Evaluation Field beside Building Management Techniques. #91246444, Email: rescooman@gmail.com

Required Sales/Marketing Executive for a digital printing company in Al Khoud. Candidate (Indian or Philippine nationality preferred) must have valid Oman driving license. Send CV to Email: magicfingerprint1@gmail.com, Contact: 94221420/ 94216866/ 94216836

Wanted Salesman (tyres wholesale) with driving license having 2 years experience & Accountant who knows the rules and regulations of Oman having 2 years experience. Contact: 92891888

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

SALES / MARKETING

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

Indian chartered Accountant 17+ years experience in Accounts , Finance and Business management working in reputed group in Muscat looking for suitable change. Oman Driving Licence and NOC available 95562708 pandukp2016@gmail.com

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

Indian male 30 yrs, B.Com 4 years experience in GCC, Sales / Accounts looking for suitable vacancy, currently on visit. Contact: 99727595 Email: samie61@gmail.com

MBA Finance Indian 25 Male 2 years experience seeking opportunities in Finance sector. Immediately available.contact:92498840 sachu_0318@yahoo.com

Indian male, B.Com, MBA in Finance, 4 yrs in Larsen & Tourbo, 26 yrs in Oman, English/ Arabic speaking with driving license.

NOC available. Contact 95588565

Indian male MBA finance 31 years working as Admin Manager in Muscat since 2012, total 8 years experience in administration and accounts valid Omani driving license. NOC is available. Contact : 94030054

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

Accountant (M. Com) having 7 years of exp with knowledge of Tally & Focus looking for a suitable job with valid D/L - (NOC/Release available). Contact: 93864278

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 with NOC , 12 yrs Oman experience in Operations, facility management banking project coordination with Oman D/L looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 98183667 ACCA qualified Chartered Accountant, 7 years experience & permanent resident of Oman looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 94521899 Indian Male (26 years), M.com 4 years’ experience as an Accountant (3 years in Oman) looking for a suitable job, NOC available, Contact: 96004912/ nayaksushil2012@gmail.com BBA and MBA with 1 year experience as an Accountant/Executive Officer, looking for suitable job.

Gsm-97076365 / 95160774 (available in Oman).

Indian Senior Accountant, B.Com, having 8 yrs experience in Oman, up to finalization, Oman D/L, release available. Contact: 93484122 Indian male 24 yrs B.Com Graduated 3 years experience in Indian on trading company as an Accountant, looking suitable accounts job. Currently on one month visiting visa expired on 9th Dec. Contact: 91939830 Email: sinanch98@gmail.com Indian male MBA having 7 years experience in logistics field having valid GCC license, looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 00968 79057265 Email: fariz.nazim@gmail.com Indian, Kerala, CMA-USA, ICWA, Mcom10+Years Experience Budgeting Planning MIS Accounts&finance.Cont.94064931shijupnarayanan@gmail.com Sudanese Accountant, Alexandria University Graduate bachelor of commerce Diploma of Marketing professional photographer worked in PR and social media for 2 years looking for a job in public relations media, social media or marketing. Contact: 96976240

Accounts Graduate (f) 2 yrs experience looking for suitable position.

Contact: 90924337, Email: jobsk1617@gmail.com Translator, 20 yrs in Oman seeking placement, exp includes banking, financial, economic, commercial, legal & journalistic, IT, publishing & newspaper articles. Contact: 92052591 Email: abbaskhalifa@gmail.com Female ACCA, Bachelors in Commerce 5+ years experience in finance management & analysis, currently available for immediate joining in Muscat.

Contact: 90162949 Accountant 8 Years Experience with D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084 ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in finance. Contact 99284193 Indian male, Accountant looking for a suitable placement in Salalah. More than 20 yrs experience in Accounting job (upto the finalization of accounts), 8 yrs working experience in Middle East in Dubai, Muscat & Salalah.

Contact 91325029 Accounts part time services available to handle all accounts up to finalization on monthly basis, finalization works.

Contact: 96247295 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 Syed Tousiff,B.Com,7 years Experience India, Currently in Oman seeking suitable job.

Contact:+968 90846557.

Email :syedtou23@gmail.com

W E D N E S DAY, N OV E M B E R 3 0, 2 0 1 6

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED B.COM GRADUATE With 30 years Oman experience in various fields like Accounts, Administration, Operation, Credit control etc. worked in reputed companies as Manager with Oman driving license and knowledge of basic Arabic language.

Contact - 98185350

ACCOUNTS Indian male age 26, Accountant one year experience in accounts looking for suitable job. Contact Email: anishkhan991867@gmail. com Mobile: +968 9565 9415

ADMIN

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN

Indian male, MSC & PG diploma in Computers with 20 years of experience Office Administrator & IT Manager looking for suitable administration & IT manager looking for suitable administration related position in schools or reputed companies, on visit.

Contact: 90104334

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

Accountant Sri Lankan National Inter CA 3 yrs exp in finance, ready to join immediately.

Contact: 79049355 Email: ahamedfiham777@gmail.com

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

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

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

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 mail: abdulhameed1527@gmail.com

Indian Male, 5 years’ experience as an Admin/HR/Project Secretary/Executive (1 year in Oman), looking for a suitable job, NOC available, Contact: 90154083/ d.kmr@outlook.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 8 yrs exp. in Admin & Accounts (3 yrs in Oman), MBA, exp. in Tally ERP 9, Indian (F) seeks placement.

Contact 97243806 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 Post Graduate M.Com (finance) having 20 years experience in Accounts in seeking suitable placement, NOC available.

Contact: 96275019 Email Id: vjkmr9583@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 28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement.

Contact 90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com 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 968 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 Indian male B.com, MBA, 12+ years experience in finalization looking for better opportunities.

Contact: 95710936 Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman.

Ready to join immediately.

Contact 98263394

Indian male M.SW (HR) 2 years exp in India, 27 years age.

Contact: 93353912 Sri Lankan female, 31 years 7 years experience in administration & secretarial currently in Muscat seeking suitable placement in finance / Admin / secretary. Contact: 94767990 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 MSW Postgraduate currently working in Muscat 5 years experience in office operations, administration, customer service & counseling, NOC available.

Contact: 90652428

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

DRIVER Looking for driving job. Contact: 94802988 / 94435912

Looking for driving job.

Contact: 98219182 Looking for driving job Executive education speak good English and Arabic 5 years experience in G.C.C and 3 years in Oman.

Contact 90981030 Looking for driving job.

Contact: 95396905 Light duty driver, 1 yr exp seeks placement. Contact: 94397006 Pakistani driver seeks job, with 4 years experience.

Contact: 94565993 Light duty driver, 4 yrs. exp seeks placement. Contact: 93251872 Driver with license looking for suitable job. Contact: 93502627 Bangladeshi light driver 16 years exp, looking for job.

Contact: 99165961 2 Yr experience in Oman, seeking job (D/L). Contact: 94338977 Indian light driver need job.

Contact: 96693613 Looking for driving job.

Contact: 97418036 Looking job for driving (with car).

Contact: 92005311

Indian male 28 MBA excellent communication vast multitasking with experience of 6 years in administrative, customer support operation, office coordinator good computer skills now on visit visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 90493973 Email: varunsagar21@gmail.com

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

Contact: 24814231 / 91941545

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 Egyptian woman resident, considerable experience in the Administration and Secretarial Executive for company. Contact : 97221126

ARCH./ INTERIOR DEC. Architect 3 years experience in consultant office proficient in 3D Max – Photoshop, AutoCAD. Contact: 98245746 Architect Engineer seeking for suitable job, 8 years experience.

GSM : 96075000, Email : haytham_201046@yahoo.com

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN Tunisian girl looking for job in media field, has 8years experience in publishing Contact 97816917 Revit, Autocad D/man, expected salary 200 OMR. PH : 92279784 Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman.Please Contact: 96489798, (+974) 66653780.

Experienced IT Professional

Contact - 93864278

Contact # 96654216

Looking for job exp having driving license. Contact: 97363138 Driver looking for job.

Contact: 95892363

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Site Engg (Civil):B.Tech 6yrs Exp. Building Construction & Airport Project, seeks suitable job. NOC available. Contact 94682380, mathivananred@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer with 6 years gulf exp, having D/L & NOC, GSM: 92730137 Structural Engineer with NOC available for immediate joining.

Salary RO.400 Call 71121392 HSE Engineer having 10+ years experience in both Construction and Oil & Gas (PDO). Looking for suitable position, NOC & valid driving license available.

Contact: 97717468 B.Tech Mechanical 23 yrs, Indian 1 year experience, on visit visa. Contact: 91484023 / 92035104 B. Eng Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineer with 2 years good working experience searching for suitable job in Oman, driving license on visit visa. Contact: 97705533 Email: engirfan91@gmail.com Electrical Engineer (B.Tech) male 12 years experience in MEP looking for job NOC available.

Contact: 94743659 Mechanical Engineer 3 years of experience in oil & gas and heavy equipments, fluent in English language with valid driving license.

Contact: 91366140 Male Civil Engineer B.Tech & 4 years U.A.E experience looking for suitable position Id transferable.

Contact: 99635754

with over 20 years in Oman.

Can manage ERP systems, Hardware, Network, Wi-Fi and Biometric Devices.

NOC available.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Indian Male 22, BE Civil Engineer with few site and internship experiences looking for a suitable position in your firm. Got knowledge in (Primavera, Autocad, Staad pro).

Currently In visit visa. 98327644 or shakib842@gmail.com Indian male 26 years Mechanical Engineer with 2 yrs exp in Oman.

Looking for suitable placement.

Contact - 91328079 Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine. Available NOC release. #92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com

Light driver. Contact: 97020205

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

Filipino HRD especialist / material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817

Indian male, 33 yrs, M.Com, Having 7 yrs experience in Accounting with knowledge of Tally & focus ability of finalization of account, financial reports looking for a suitable job, with valid D/L, NOC available.

Indian male Civil Engineer 1.6 yrs exp, having Omani D/L, looking for suitable position. NOC available. Contact – 92157694 / mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Diploma in Mechanical Engg, 10 years exp in steel fabrication site work with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 94696192 Indian (male) B. Tech. Mechanical/ HVAC Engineer, 4 years experience in design consultancy NOC available, holding valid Oman driving license seeking suitable placement. Contact 93965156 Mechanical Engineer with a bachelor degree honors seeking a suitable job in a good company.

Contact: 94957250 Indian male 16 years experience (GCC) in construction (civil & electro, mechanical) purchasing seeking suitable placement having valid Oman driving license NOC available. Contact: 99109533 Indian female 24yrs, B tech Electronics and Communication Fresher looking for job in Salalah, Present visa status family.

Email : sapnatpsapna@gmail.com 98403877,93597298 Mechanical Engineer with 2 years experience as quality engineer Contact 94538906 Syrian Civil Engineer with 2 years experience in construction with driving license.

Contact: 94799791 Young Structural Design Engineer, 2 yrs well experienced with good knowledge on Etabs, Staad.

PRO & AutoCAD, looking for suitable job (full time / part time).

Contact : 96118135 Email: raju.alam50@gmail.com Civil Engineer, male, with driving license holding 10 years exp (4 years in Oman) in building projects Execution management preparing & running & final statement & contractual correspondence. Interested person can Contact: (+ 968) 91320917 Electronics and Communication Engineer (B.Tech) Indian specialized in industrial Engineering (M.Tech) from NIT 3 yrs experience looking for suitable placement. Contact: 92949350 HSE Engineer 8 year’s experience, having engineering degree, Nebosh, Oman driving license seeking good opportunity. NOC available. Contact: 968 99602415 / 91 9995348452 Email: syamjithalp@gmail.com BE MECH Engr, Indian male, 23 yrs having 2 yrs experience in Mechanical Engg on visit visa seeks suitable position. Contact: 98827544 Email: sibi.a.b.varghese@gmail.com B.Tech Mechanical Engineer having 9 yrs exp with valid Omani driving license, seeking suitable placement. Contact : +968 97841963 Keralite male (25 years) on visit visa, Instrumentation Engineer (BTECH) with 3 years experience in oil & gas industry seeks suitable placement immediately.

Contact : 93363410 bibinbhaskar05@gmail.com B.T.S microwave link installation & commissioning Engineer B.Sc (Hons), B.Tech Electronics & Communication Engineer ( 2.7 years exp) currently on visit visa.

Contact: 96756964 Email: qayamzaidi8@gmail.com

Civil Engineer with 8 years experience performs multi- task job to structural work , building construction , infrastructure , planning , site development & architectural finishing works, NOC available valid Oman D/L. Contact:97474593 Email: a.baraka.om@gmail.com Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrs exp seeks suitable position in a reputed company. NOC available.

Contact 96789711 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 B. Tech Mechanical HVAC site Engineer 4 years experience, currently on visit. Contact 92837696 / mdabdulather@gmail.com An Iraqi civil with more than 30 years experience in (Iraq and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C) available. Contact: 96561306 Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com B.S.c Civil Engineer with 7 years experience in managing & supervising of construction & oil & gas fields (NOC) Available. Contact: 96086214 Email: engmohamedosaman@ outlook.com 29 years male Civil Engineer (B.Tech) roads / highways and buildings 08 years experience in Oman only having valid GCC driving license Oman available to join immediately with NOC. Contact: 95994968 Email: engr.aamir04@gmail.com HSE Supervisor, Indian male, 2 yrs experience in relevant field with M.Sc Env Science, Industrial Safety, NEBOSH, ISOH, first Aid, IT, MS Word, Excel, PPt looking for suitable opportunity.

Contact 97047859 Indian male 25 years Civil Engineer (B.Tech) 04 years experience in bridges / structures and buildings working in a reputable company in Oman since 1.6 years available to join with NOC. Contact: 95495797 Email: sarfarazahmad30@gmail.com Electrical Engineer, 24 yrs, Indian Male, Fresher, Training Undertaken in Electrical Draughtsman, Fire Alarm, Fire Fighting and Industrial Automation. Contact: 94989767, Email: Junaiz987@gmail.com Construction Machinery repairs Engineer, 5 years, driving license, Contact - 94001961 32 years male senior land surveyor roads/ building / pipelines, PDO , 11 years experience in Oman / Dubai.

Working in reputable company and available to join immediately with NOC. Contact: 97640625 Email: qasiryasir@gmail.com Indian male site supervisor (Air conditioning) 25 years experience in Oman driving license seeking suitable placement.

Contact 97498809, 93391910, Email-marysimon04@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer Sudanese 6 years exp in Gulf HVAC fire protection plumbing with D/L. Contact: 90609377 Electrical & Electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit.

PH: 93837973 Diploma in Civil Engineer having 8 years experience quantity surveyor civil in Oman locking for a job around 21 years experience in civil works. Contact: 97829710 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

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. 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 Mechanical/ Piping Engineer (B.Tech.) on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact 94703350 Email: nadeembcoolboy@gmail.com Indian male 25 B.Tech Electrical, 3 years experience in industrial automation & supervision.

Contact: 97207570 / 90481773 Pakistani male Diploma Civil Engineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling & mega projects, valid license Oman. Contact: 98921022 Civil Engineer seeks a suitable senior position, 9 years experience in projects management planning, coordination, quantity survey, structural design AutoCAD. (NOC Available). Contact : 79097475 Email: a-shaqfa@hotmail.com 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 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 Electrical Engineer having 16 years experience in switchgear / Transformer / over head lines & trading for Sales / Procurement & Project Execution with valid Omani D/L, also available on contracts basis. Contact: 968 - 95994727 Email: qurm340@gmail.com Civil Engineer (Indian male) 5 years experience in Oman with valid Omani driving license & NOC looking for suitable opportunity.

Contact: 93101283 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 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 A computer aided Mechanical Engineer with a bachelor’s degree honors well trained in designing programs & mechanical manufacturing processes.

Contact: 98003627 Graduate Civil Engineer 20 yrs GCC experience with Omani D/L, seeking job NOC available.

Contact: 98621645 Email: imtiazcv@gmail.com

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W E D N E S D AY, N OV E M B E R 3 0, 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

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

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

Mechanical Engineer, Indian, Male, 30yrs. Experienced in Steam turbines and Thermal Power house seek employment.

Contact - +91 8130553668 or mohamedshah7@gmail.com 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 Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 Ph : 92279784

EDUCATION/TRAINING Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement. Contact 99739415 / 92091528 Indian female 24. Masters in Computer science engineering, seeking job in colleges, schools and institutes. Having in good skill in teaching and advanced technologies. Contact : 93356858 Email id : annielino11@gmail.com Maths Teacher 30 years experience IGCSE bilingual I.B, A& AS levels. Contact: 98016336 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

HOSPITALITY 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 No 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 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 26 years male FSC with C.A.T certification computer literate (MS Office) having 05 years experience in Sales & Customer services, looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 95665914 B.Tech (IT) graduate having 1 year experience in Search Engine Optimization, seeking a job in IT field. Contact :nazrinkhan.s@gmail. com, 96336292 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 23 yrs B.Tech (IT) having 1 yr experience in computer operating, hardware, networking looking for IT sales office admin, store keeper or any suitable position, currently on visit visa.

Contact: 91124306 Email Id: Irfanmd@gmail.com

Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement. Contact 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com Female, master in mass communication, B.Ed, experience in media channel and teaching PH : 99362024 Indian Male, MCA Graduate, 15 yrs exp in ERP, CSM Certified, seeking suitable role.NOC Available. Contact : GSM : 90189284 Email: meetlibran@gmail.com

MEDICAL 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 Indian female nurse with 9 years experience dataflow prometric completed, MOH viva cleared, looking for a suitable placement in Muscat. Contact: 93896567 Indian Nurse with MOH visa prometric, dataflow completed looking for suitable job.

Contact: 95984538 Indian No: +91 8606470884 Email: josephneethu2014@gmail.com Indian male with 5 years experience including 2 years Oman working experience, MOH license seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 94116459 Email: sayedmabecl@yahoo.com Indian female dentist with 3 years of experience looking for a suitable placement well versed with tooth extraction and RCT, cleared Pro metric exam.

Contact: 95981802 Email: jyotsnasandeepk@gmail.com Indian female assistant pharmacist 4 years experience in Oman seeking suitable placement in Muscat area. Contact 97498809/ 93391910.

Email-ishitasimon12@gmail.com Pakistani male MBBS, 1 year exp.

Contact: 0092345 4557131, Email: drluqman101@gmail.com Indian male, Nurse with more 7 years experience MOH license, P.D.O license, dataflow, NOC available looking for job in Oman.

Contact: 93604827 Email: subinraj37@gmail.com Veterinary Doctor: Indian Female looking for a suitable placement.

Contact: 96906534 /99014885, Email: monishmajeed@gmail.com Filipino male Medical / Sales representative with 3 yrs experience is looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: 92610394 Dr.Ayman Abduljalil Ali, E.N.T Specialist (Otolaryngologist), Yemeni-male, looking for job.

Mobile: 00201096542706, Email: aymanjalilorl@gmail.com

MANAGER / SUPERVISOR General Manager Indian National With 20 yr Experience In managing Civil Construction Business Seek Opening in reputed Civil Company.

Contact-97464650.

Purchase Manager / Officer Indian male 16 years GCC experience in construction Industry NOC available having Oman driving license looking suitable placement.

Contact: 99109533 Indian female (25) MSc Microbiology 2 years experience prometric on visit visa seeking job urgently.

Contact: 98008164 / 79017569.

Plumping Supervisor (Indian male) 12 years experience in Oman with valid driving license having more than 8 years in India looking for a suitable job.

Contact: 95154414

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

MISCELLANEOUS

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

Contact 94672759

Engineering Graduate having 5+ years of exp as Marketing coordinator in advertisement company and 6 months as security system service engineer.Contact :79059197

Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement. Contact 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com

Omani male, 21 years graduate, (bachelor in management studies) seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97904200

MISCELLANEOUS 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 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 9 year experienced industrial painter and sand blaster with Oman driving licence. NOC available. Seeks suitable placement.

Contact ZakeerHussain 96681934.

STOREKEEPER Store keeper field more than 10 years experience in Gulf country looking for suitable job.

Contact 90198237 Working as Senior Storekeeper in a reputed company since January 2008, looking for suitable opportunity. Contact:93865679

SKILLED LABOUR Watch repair and service looking for job, 24 yrs experience.

Contact: 99530405

SALES / MARKETING General Manager - Business Development, Advertising and Marketing, Brand Building, Facility Management, Operations, Client Servicing, +968 93031168.

12 years experienced Indian male in sales & service of construction equipment with Oman driving license. Contact: 94691005 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 25, MBA (marketing, finance) seeking for a suitable job having 1 year experience, currently on visit visa. Contact: 95469149 Email: surajar.inbox@gmail.com Indian male MBA 8+ years Oman experience valid D/L currently Marketing Manager advertising company seeks suitable placement, release available.

Contact: 94402554 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 38 yrs, male MBA marketing on visit. Building materials sales experience in Oman and India with reputed companies ready to join immediately. Contact: 91214958 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 Sales Marketing Executive Indian male, with Gulf experience & G.C.C driving license.

Contact: 0091 8527888597 Email: kchetan3@gmail.com Indian male 25, MBA in marketing 9 years of experience, looking for sales & marketing professional / BDM on visit visa.

Contact: 94540209 Email: sadar.myle@gmail.com MCA Graduate with 1.6 years experience Indian female looking for any suitable job currently on visit visa. Contact 97993250 / 91447261

SALES / MARKETING Indian male Sales experience in building material, 8 years in Gulf country looking for suitable job.

Contact: 90110515 Marketing Executive with 10 years experience in Gulf on visit visa. Contact: 90116693 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 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 Graduate with 18 years of Marketing experience presently in Oman on family visit visa, looking for best opportunity.

Contact: 96168687 Email: dhibupaul@gmail.com Marketing Manager 29 years professional experience in GCC / Oman in marketing in building materials / High tech products.

Contact: 92284066 / 98559317

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

MISCELLANEOUS

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

Indian/male (25)/ post Graduate/3 years experience in sales and marketing(Dubai), on visit visa. available for immediate joining. Contact: 93887916, email: shamji3851@gmail.com

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. Contact 99120500

Pakistani Male having 6 years experience working as a Store Incharge, looking for a suitable position. salary is negotiable.

Email : usman.saleem84@yahoo. com, Mob: +96894611858 / 95480426

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 Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment. # 95244761

MISCELLANEOUS Indian Female Nurse with MOH License, looking for suitable placement in Muscat.

Contact: 95537685.

Indian male, 29 yrs, Graduate, 6 years Experience as an Office Assistant with Good English communication skills, is looking for a job in Muscat. (In Visiting visa).

Contact No:93271163 Indian male, 28 yrs old, B.A Graduate, 6 years Experience in Hospitality and Hotel Industry with Good English communication skills , is looking for a suitable job in Muscat, on Visiting visa.

Contact : 90146616 Indian male, 29 yrs old, Graduate,6 years Experience as a Coordinator in Reputed Firm with Good English communication skills, is looking for a suitable job in Muscat.(In Visiting visa) Contact : 93042492

SITUATION WANTED COMPUTER/WEB./ EDU./CLASSES

Indian male around 7.5yrs technical product sales, new agency development experience in Oman B.E mechanical PGP.MKT , IB , Oman D/L urgent placement (m). # 91536968 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 Indian Male, MBA marketing 5 yrs exp. in sales & 4 yrs in FMCG sector, looking for best opportunity.

NOC available. Conatct 96001877 Sales professional (Graduate) additional qualification CCNA & MCSE having more 10 years 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, Email: sandy6673@gmail.com 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 Oil & gas experienced Indian lady with 6 years in sales & marketing to PDO and having valid Omani driving license. Contact:96143430 / 99875919 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 years of experience of sales & marketing in surgical and laboratory equipments.

Looking for good replacement.

Contact – 92015894 /95774854 Sales man, Office Staff, language English, Hindi, Arabic & Bengali.

Contact: 71140846 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 MBA and Diploma in management from Australia. On visit visa, looking for a suitable job in sales & marketing.

Contact: 71189884 Indian male with 6 years experience in sales in oman. NOC available, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95364128 Client Relations and Sales Professional with 8 years in the Business Process Outsourcing industry, looking for suitable opportunity in Muscat. Contact +96879050752

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

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

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 Installation & maintenance for Modular Kitchen, UPVC Doors & Windows, Furniture, Electrical & Air-conditions Contact @ 92383882/91443786 Window unit & split unit A.C servicing & repairing Barka, Mabela , Ruwi area. Contact: 99557080

CONTD ON PG &

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

DRIVING

SITUATION WANTFOR LADIES Special packages, Facial, Pedicure, Eyebrow, only 10 RO. Al doom Beauty Parlour Contact 99619409 Specialist for road test drum and slope. Contact 94022250

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

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

Contact 99839898

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W E D N E S D AY, N OV E M B E R 3 0, 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 DINING DELIGHTS

SITUATION WANTED TOURS

SITUATION WANTSERVICES

SITUATION WANTED TOURS

Enjoy Camping in Wahiba desert & all over Oman & tour.

Contact: 92226866

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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Office boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020 General cleaning new villas cleaning Barka , Mabela, Hail area.

Contact: 99557080 / 95323517

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

We undertake new construction & maintenance & gypsum works.

Contact 92711506, ammarayyub@gmail.com Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

A/C maintenance & Servicing, Fridge / Washing Machine / dish washer repairing, 2) Painting and cleaning service, Electrical & Plumbing. Contact 94147874 / 24504281, Email : globalaccessunited@gmail.com

House shifting with carpenter and transport. Contact: 96737158 Split unit & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance Barka, Mabela, Ruwi area.

Contact: 96236476

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