T Weekly for September 20, 2018 by Muscat Media Group

VOL 11 ISSUE 39 / SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

DUQM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT A NEW LANDMARK TO BE PROUD OF

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 Founder: Essa bin Mohamed Al Zedjali Chairman: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali CEO: Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali

Soaring high, spreading happiness THE UNVEILING OF THE NEW TERMINAL at Duqm International Airport is yet another landmark that fills us with pride. With the first flight taking off from the new terminal, it set a new benchmark in the development of the airport, receiving commendation from all. Stretching over 5,600 square metres, the new airport includes two boarding bridges, five check in-out counters and runways measuring 4km long and 75-metres-wide runways. The eight-storey building also has eight baggage check systems, five counters for renting cars and making hotel reservations, in addition to air carriers’ offices and VIP lounges. Our Cover Feature this week sneaks a quick look at the aesthetically built new terminal. And while we talk about the nation’s development, this week we focus on Oman’s SME Development Fund that was set up in 2014. Aiming at encouraging entrepreneurship among the nation’s youth, SMEF is seeking to ensure a sustainable and thriving economy for Oman’s long term growth. Read our Special Feature to know more about their efforts in helping build the nation. But all growth and development, be it of the nation or an individual, depends on one thing — how happy you are in life. While there’s no doubt that we all live in this happy nation, it is also important to be happy in our own lives, and what better way than making a difference in someone’s life. This week find out about the easy ways to bring this positive emotion into your life, as our columnist Antara Bose tells you how happiness can be found anywhere and everywhere. And for those who find happiness in eating good food, it’s time to nibble on some lip-smacking finger food as Oneza Tabish prepares some interesting appetisers. Stay happy folks! -Swati Dasgupta

Editor: Charles Lavery Features Editor: Swati Dasgupta Research Editor: Ashish Dubash Associate Editor: Shruthi Nair Copy Editor: Gautam Bhargav Viswanathan Online Editor: Christopher Isaac

Graphics Editor: Antonio Farach Design Editor: Sahir K.M. Lead Designer: Gregory Fernandez Designer: Geri B. Sonny, Jerrard Cedro Production Manager: Shafi Shaik Photography: MMG Photographers On The Cover: Design by Gregory Fernandez

For general enquiries or comments: swati@timesofoman.com

Muscat Media Group AN ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED COMPANY Post Box: 770, Postal Code: 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman EDITORIAL 24726600/24726666 Ext 214 swati@timesofoman.com ADVERTISEMENT 24726600/24726666

CIRCULATION 24726600/24726666 Ext 135/136 circulation@timesofoman.com

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

24 WHAT’S ON

MONDAY Join a Ballet Class It’s never too late to learn anything. All you need is passion and patience to master it. Learn the fine moves of ballet.

THIS WEEK 20

THURSDAY

SUNDAY

Go for an Evening Walk Take a walk on the pavements of Muttrah Corniche near the seafront and enjoy the gentle breeze. Walk from the fish market till Kalbou Park and soak up in the hustle and bustle of the city life.

Stroll at Al Sahwah Park Having ample space for family recreation as well as for individuals to spend time in solitude Al Sahwah Park is everyone’s favourite. The park includes family rest areas, six gardens of geometric shapes, a mosque, and coffee shops.

FRIDAY Fun at Fins Visit the white sandy beach at Fins and start your weekend on an adventurous note. It is almost one-and-a-half hour’s drive from Muscat through the mountain and coastal roads past Quriyat and Bimah Sinkhole.

22 SATURDAY Dune Bashing Beckons With the slight drop in the temperatures the sand dunes are ready once again for some adrenaline activities. Enjoy the thrills of dune bashing.

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TUESDAY Visit Maritime Museum If you are in Sur, whether for work or leisure, take out time from your busy schedule to visit the Maritime Museum that houses pictures and models of Omani ships, the ports, the equipment and tools used for navigation.

WEDNESDAY Souq Shopping for Women Visit Ibra Souq on a Wednesday when a special weekly market is held, especially for women. Open from 6am till 1pm, this market sells traditional garments, artificial jewellery, henna, makeup items, shoes, sandals, and other traditional items.

House of Cards (TV Series) Genre: Drama, Thriller Cast: Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Diane Lane A ruthless politician will stop at nothing to conquer Washington, D.C., in this Emmy and Golden Globe-winning political drama.

(Genre

Hereditary (Film) Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery Cast: Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne

Adventure Time (TV Series) Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure Cast: Jeremy Shada, John DiMaggio, Hynden Walch

After the family matriarch passes away, a grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences, and begin to unravel dark secrets.

A human boy named Finn and adoptive brother and best friend Jake the Dog, protect the citizens of the Land of Ooo from foes of various shapes and sizes.

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

DUQM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

nother feather to Oman’s transport and communications cap has been added by the opening of the new Duqm International Airport, which opened its doors to the public this week. From a makeshift airport that was built in 2014 to this brand new state-ofthe-art terminal that can accommodate 500,000 passengers annually, the airport is all set to contribute to the development of Duqm, which is going to play a major role in fuelling Oman’s economy. After Muscat, Salalah, and Sohar, Duqm is going to be Oman’s fourth major airport. With all the unprecedented developments planned for the region in the coming years, a good network of transport and communication will prove to be paramount in achieving all its economic goals. The Duqm port, dry dock, upcoming reﬁnery, and petrochemical projects are all going to beneﬁt from this project, which is considered to be one of the main components of the Special Economic Zone Authority of Duqm (SEZAD). -shruthi@timesofoman.com

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IT IS NOT JUST INTERCITY AND INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIVITY THAT IS GOING TO BE FACILITATED BY THE AIRPORT. IT CONNECTS TO THE PORT THROUGH A DOUBLE THREE-LANE ROAD IN EACH DIRECTION, PROVIDING A SMOOTH AND EASY LINK BETWEEN THEM. A DUAL ROAD LINKING THE PORT AND THE MAIN ROAD FROM MUSCAT IS ALSO UNDER CONSTRUCTION TO FACILITATE THE TRANSPORT OF GOODS BY LAND TO VARIOUS PARTS OF THE SULTANATE AND THEN OVERSEAS.

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OMAN’S SMES: FUELLING NEW ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE Times News Service

hen His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said took the reins of the Renaissance in 1970, he envisioned a strong, self-sustainable Oman, which at its core, consisted of eager, hardworking men and women who strove to always achieve the best. Whether this meant becoming an integral cog in the engine of Oman’s largest companies, or starting a new enterprise for themselves, the path of the Renaissance was one everyone in Oman would walk on together. Today, Oman’s SME Development Fund (SMEF) is one of many grassroots development organisations that are leading the economic and social growth of the Sultanate. Established in 2014 in collaboration with the Omani Authority for Partnership of Development, the SMEF has, so far, gone on to inculcate the culture of SME development across not just the current crop of professionals, but the next generation as well. “SMEF has drawn up a four-point plan to address the needs of the SME sector and to encourage entrepreneurship among the youth and more experienced people in Oman,” said Otbah Abdullah Al Harmali, Deputy Manager (Training) for the SME Development Fund. “Accordingly, the Fund seeks to accomplish the following: entrepreneurship development, nurturing, funding and legitimising.” “Our objective is to develop entrepreneurship and the ﬁnancing of small and medium enterprises in the

Sultanate to bridge 10 per cent of the ‘missing middle’ and to help create a cluster of external capability in the form of entrepreneurial educational institutions, training, accounting support, incubation, angel investing, and establish a climate of SME development in collaboration with the government, academia, private stakeholders and the youth of Oman,” he added. Al Harmali also acknowledged that it was important to focus the SMEF’s efforts across multiple strata of society, to imbue the proactive nature of entrepreneurship across all people. “We’ve conducted awareness workshops for over 30,000 students in 32 colleges and universities,” said Al Harmali. “Four campus companies were created in four colleges, and we trained 83 faculties under the Certiﬁed Entrepreneurship Educator Programme, in collaboration with Change School Babson, Harvard University, Mentoring Australia, Singapore National University, and the London Business School.” Al Harmali also shed light on the efforts of INMA, an Omani commercial training provider providing technical training services to many companies, including Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), British Petroleum Oman and Oman Oil. “In 2018, the INMA E-Club was created,” he recalled. “The INMA Leadership Programme aims to develop leadership skills and knowledge in entrepreneurship culture in E-Club leaders for over 200 students. We have had two Senior Entrepreneurship Programmes, and trained 384 senior

professionals of the Ministry of Defence under the Senior Entrepreneur Module, aimed to train senior officers and staff to utilise their long years of experience in entrepreneurship.” SKILLS AND TRAINING “We also trained 30 people under 30 under Ta’sis, a programme which looks to provide skills to workers in their oil industry in order to increase their versatility in collaboration with OPAL (Oman Society for Petroleum Services), to groom Omani talent in the oil and gas sector into entrepreneurs,” said Al Harmali. “We also set up 23 SME owners under the Leading Innovation Transformation (LIT) Programme to embed high impact transformational innovation across organisations.” Al Harmali observed that the development of SMEs was crucial to

establishing a sustainable, thriving economy for Oman’s long-term growth. “With a growing population of youth entering the workspace, creation of employment is a key imperative, and the most effective way of building long-term human capital for a country is to develop leadership and leaders,” he told Times of Oman. “These programmes must be applied to assess and develop Omani nationals that are likely to benefit and thus add value to the firm and the nation at large, providing new career options for the growth and creation of new jobs in our new markets. But more is needed to build the skills the nation needs in different fields, and then we can fill the gap in the market with skilled Omanis to sustain our economy.” “Under SMEF, we hope to create 7,500 entrepreneurs and to see some of them grow to be large firms,” added Al

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS IS LEADERSHIP. OMAN’S SME DEVELOPMENT FUND PROGRAMMES FOCUS ON DEVELOPING THE SKILLS BY TRAINING, ACCOUNTING SUPPORT AND BUILDING FINANCIAL SYSTEMS WITHIN SMALL BUSINESSES. TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION AND A CLEAR PATH TO START WHAT IS PLANNED ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS TODAY Harmali. “We hope to add over 50,000 new jobs and to help create a cluster of external capabilities in the form of ‘entrepreneurial’ educational institutions. We may not be able to identify the correct ways how real entrepreneurs can start, build, and run successful companies in highly competitive global markets, but we can provide insights from an insider’s perspective to help SMEs make better-informed business and leadership decisions with five critical skills that we think the SMEs owners need.” “Being able to effectively manage finances is critical, in addition to marketing, sales and customer service,” he said. “Among the most important skills is leadership. Most of our programmes focus on developing the SME owner’s skills by training, accounting support and building financial systems within

SMEs. Technology and innovation and a clear path to start what is planned are the most important tools today. We focus on planning but not the implementation process and what we can perform better.” “Tanfeedh, the national programme for enhancing economic growth with targeted sectors identified are manufacturing, tourism, transport and logistics, mining, and fisheries as areas for expansion,” explained Al Harmali. “The SME Development Fund has tailored a set of products specially designed to provide SMEs with flexible funding to meet their needs with a loan amount of OMR50,000 up to OMR500,000, at a subsidised rate of interest plus providing accounting support with softwares within those sectors.” While he did acknowledge that Oman’s public sector was at present the country’s largest employer, Al Harmali

did recognise the need for other avenues of employment. He explained, “self-sufficient means different things to different people, but for us, working smarter is superior to working harder. The Oman government is the biggest employer of people, but that cannot continue forever and we need to find new ways of generating jobs. One of them is to increase the size of the SME sector, which accounts for 60 to 70 per cent of jobs in most countries.” ON SUCCESS “Being successful means learning from those who have already achieved their goals and learning from our mistakes,” said Al Harmali. “Developing our skills is most important to becoming creative.” While Oman is ramping up its efforts to make the establishment of SMEs easier, Haitham Al Busafi, the founder of Busafi Architecture, said a more streamlined system would help small business owners in future. “I set up an architecture firm, so for that you need to have the right qualifications because this is a specialised company,” he said. “You have to obtain a licence from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to practice architecture or any other engineering consultancy. I provided all the documents needed and it took about a month to get my licence after the screening process. You need to register your company, and then you need to mention the type of business conducted. Certain businesses require approval from government bodies, and in our case, we need to get the approval in which they

check that you have actually studied architecture and have the experience required to open the consultancy.” “After this, we go through the process of renting an office space, and then you go to the Muscat Municipality to register your consultancy so you can submit drawings and get projects from the municipality,” added Al Busaﬁ. “If you are submitting drawings to other areas, they need to approve it at the local wilayat. All of this took some three months, and I think it went fairly okay, if not super smoothly.” “We wanted to specialise only in architecture and not other services, but here, they don’t allow that, you have to have a general engineering consultancy,” he said. “There seems to be an improper understanding of what architects and engineers do, whereas in other countries, this issue is resolved in a different way.” Al Busaﬁ also suggested certain changes to the format of the current SME application system. “With the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, as well as other organisations, there are understandably a lot of requirements and everything was done through paper, because they don’t want to dig through the archives and bring up old data,” he explained. “Now, the same requirements that they previously requested are in a digital format. But there are some things that need to be removed, because it would be better to link other government agencies through this network, so that you don’t have to submit the same documents and the same forms to different authorities.” – gautam@timesofoman.com

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

POTATO AND SHRIMP BALLS These potato and shrimp patties are crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and quite popular as a starter. Ingredients For the mashed potatoes • 3 medium-sized potatoes, boiled and mashed smooth • 2 teaspoons salt • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary For the filling • 10 shrimps (precooked and deveined) • 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped To fry • 3 tablespoons refined flour • 2/3 cup oil Preparation Combine all the ingredients for the mashed potatoes in a bowl and mix well. Mix the filling ingredients in another bowl. Divide the mashed potatoes and filling into an equal number of portions. Wet your hands so that the potatoes do not stick to them. Make flat patty of the mashed potatoes and put a portion of filling in the centre. Fold the potatoes around it to make smooth balls. Dust lightly with flour. Heat oil in a frying pan on low to moderate heat and shallow fry the balls, till light golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with any sauces of your choice.

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE

FINGER Brimming with ﬂavours, ﬁnger food are bite-sized snacks that make most parties memorable. And what could be more appetising than making them at home.

PIN WHEEL SANDWICHES They are not only a delight to look at but a delight for your palate too. Pinwheel sandwiches are the best way to present sandwiches at parties. Ingredients • 1 fresh bread loaf, wholemeal • 1/2 cup tomato ketchup • 1/4 cup mayonnaise • 1 teaspoon red chillies, crushed • Salt to taste • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder • 4 tablespoons butter

Preparation Cut the fresh bread loaf lengthwise in a sheet form. Trim off the crusts. Mix tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, crushed red chillies, salt and white pepper powder for the ﬁlling. Apply butter on one side of the bread. Spread the ﬁlling on the buttered side

evenly. Roll the bread slowly taking care not to break it. Wrap in a greaseproof paper and place in the refrigerator to set for 30 to 40 mins. When set, remove the paper from the roll, cut into 2cm thick slices, arrange neatly on a platter and serve.

Oneza Tabish is a food blogger, consultant, and columnist based in Oman. She is also the owner of Oman’s popular Facebook group ‘What’s Cooking Oman.’

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

SPICY CHICKEN SAMOSA CANAPES Give the regular samosas a makeover and serve them canopy style to impress your guests. Ingredients • 1 tablespoon oil • 1 small onion peeled and finely chopped • 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced • 1 thumb-sized piece ginger peeled and minced • 1 red chilli chopped • 2 teaspoons garam masala powder • 1 teaspoon ground coriander • ½ teaspoon cumin • ½ teaspoon turmeric • ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder • 3/4 teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon black pepper • 1 cup minced chicken • 1/2 medium sized bell pepper finely chopped • 6 sheets filo pastry • 3 tablespoons melted butter • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander to garnish • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes to garnish

RECIPES ONEZA TABISH

OOD GRILLED HALLOUMI CHEESE WITH HONEY CHILLI SAUCE A delectable starter with melt-in-the-mouth grilled halloumi

cheese is topped with a sweet and spicy honey chilli sauce. Ingredients • 400g halloumi cheese • 2 tablespoons butter For the sauce • 6 cloves garlic • 1 medium sized onion • 1 tablespoon corn starch • 2 tablespoons oil • 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes • 1 tablespoon soy sauce • 2 tablespoons honey • 1/4 teaspoon pepper powder • Salt to taste Preparation Cut the halloumi cheese into finger size pieces. Peel, wash and crush the garlic cloves and chop the onion. Blend the corn starch in quarter cup of water. Heat the griddle or grill pan, put butter and roast the halloumi cheese on it till it attains a nice brown colour on all the sides. For the sauce, heat oil in a pan, add crushed garlic and stir fry for half a minute. Then add the chopped onion, red chilli flakes, soy sauce, and honey and stir for a few minutes. Add the blended corn starch and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce till it thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the grilled halloumi cheese hot, and drizzle the honey chilli sauce over it. You can secure the halloumi cheese with toothpicks.

Preparation Preheat the oven to 175C. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic, ginger, chopped chillies, garam masala, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and pepper. Fry, stirring regularly for 2 minutes until you get the aroma. Add minced chicken, and mix together. Cook, stirring regularly, until the chicken is browned and cooked well (about 7 mins). Add in the bell pepper and stir. Turn off the heat. Whilst the chicken is cooking, lay the filo sheets out and brush melted butter on top of each sheet. Layer up the sheets, so you have 2 piles of 3 sheets. Use a cookie cutter to cut out circles. Take a muffin tin, and brush with melted butter. Fill each hole with a pile of the filo sheets. Spoon in the chicken mixture. Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the filo pastry is crisp and browned. Remove from the oven and serve hot, topped with a sprinkling of fresh coriander and chilli flakes.

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

THE ART OF SHARING HAPPINESS STORY ANTARA BOSE

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

THEY SAY, ‘YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE.’ HAPPINESS WORKS THE SAME WAY. IT IS VERY EASY TO GET ABSORBED WITH ONESELF IN THIS FAST-PACED WORLD IN AN ENDLESS PURSUIT OF BEING HAPPY. BUT THE KEY TO REAL HAPPINESS IS PUTTING A SMILE ON THE FACE OF OTHERS. PRACTISING THESE EASY STEPS EVERY DAY WILL DEFINITELY MAKE YOU REALISE HOW MUCH HAPPINESS YOU CAN RECEIVE WHEN YOU ARE WILLING TO BE THE REASON FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S JOY.

RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (RAK) – It is amazing how doing something nice for another being regularly can uplift your mood. When you get a genuine thank you, a grateful smile or an expression of appreciation it is bound to make you feel good too. COMPLIMENT OTHERS – It doesn’t cost a dime! Think about it, no one would really turn away or refuse a compliment. The only advice — don’t go overboard. Mean what you say, so people don’t mistake it for false flattery. VOLUNTEER FOR CAUSES – It might feel like quite a challenge sometime, whether it is in terms of time, financial aid or even the physical efforts that you might have to take; but ask any volunteer if it’s all worth and they’ll definitely say ‘yes’. APPRECIATE WHEN SOMEONE OFFERS TO HELP – You might not need it, but the mere fact that they stepped up demands a ‘thank you’. On the flip side, if you shrug them off, you’ll probably not get a hand when you really need it the next time. RECOGNISE – All it takes is a little honest observation. Everyone is good at something. Observe keenly to find these little talents and bring it to the notice of others. Trust me, very soon you’ll have people doing the same for you. EXPRESS IN PERSON – In this world where everything is digital, make it a point to be there in person whenever you can. Express your feelings to a loved one face-to-face. Tell them how much you love them, talk about good times and give them the assurance that you’ve got their back. Research shows that talking in person is way more effective than a comment on their social media platform or an email. DEFLECT THE BAD TO THE GOOD – Alright, so your friend messed up. You sulking with him/ her will definitely not help. Honestly, that’s just rubbing it in. Instead change the topic to something more positive. ORGANISE ‘HAPPY’ EVENTS – Plan a day when a group of people can come together and talk about everything that makes them happy. Share your stories and listen to others. GIFTS – Don’t reserve gifts for only occasions. When you’ve achieved something, think about the person who helped you get to your goal. Give them a gift. The idea is surprising them when they aren’t expecting it. They’ll be absolutely touched and you’ll find yourself smiling even more.

Antara Bose is a model turned fashion and beauty consultant. A popular blogger, anchor, and voice over artist, she maintains a deep connection with the local fashion industry and is passionate about discovering and celebrating aspiring talent as well as promoting animal rights. For fashion updates with a side of humour and sarcasm follow Antara on instagram @antarabose and on Facebook: Antara Bose.

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

BATTI GUL METER CHALU Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Yami Gautam, Anna Ador Following his friend’s death, a young man decides to ﬁght against the escalating electricity bills that caused his death.

O T H E R

R E L E A S E S

T H I S

THE YELLOW BIRDS Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Alden Ehrenreich, Toni Collette, Tye Sheridan

PADAYOTTAM Malayalam Cast: Biju Menon, Dileesh Pothan, Lijo Jose Pallissery

Two young soldiers, Bartle and Murph, navigate the terrors of the Iraq war under the command of the older, troubled Sergeant Sterling. All the while, Bartle is tortured by a promise he made to Murph’s mother before their deployment.

‘Padayottam’ is a stylish ﬂick, which is high on humour. The story revolves around a group of local goons and don Chenkal Raghu played by Biju Menon, from Thiruvananthapuram and how the society perceives him.

W E E K

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN Cast: Ben Miller, Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson Disaster strikes when a criminal mastermind reveals the identities of all active undercover agents in Britain. The secret service can now rely on only one man — Johnny English. Currently teaching at a primary school, Johnny springs back into action to find the mysterious hacker. Running at: Vox Cinemas, City Cinemas, Al Bahja Cinema

A man ﬁnds himself deep in debt and is coerced to board a ship that hosts a risky gambling party.

WILDLING Cast: Bel Powley, Liv Tyler , Brad Dourif A blossoming teenager uncovers the dark secret behind her traumatic childhood.

COMING SOON

ANIMAL WORLD Cast: Alberto Lancelotti, Eric Heise, Li Yi Feng, Michael Douglas

THE WIFE - LADIES NIGHT SCREENING Cast: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce

THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS Cast: Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Kyle MacLachlan

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

SUDOKU

HOW TO PLAY Fill empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column, and area.

Level | Easy

2 8

3 5

TIMES DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

2 2

Times News Service

6 1

Level | Moderate

8 9

9 5

7 2

Level | Difficult

2 6

4 9

9 3

8 7 3

Difficult

4 1 3 7 2 6 8

8 3 7 5 4 1 2

2 6 9 1 8 7 3

1 3 7 4 8 2 6 9 5

2 4 9 8 1 6 3 5 7

3 8 1 7 5 4 9 2 6

6 7 5 9 2 3 1 8 4

Medium

Easy

2 3 7 4 9 6 1 5 8

4 1 9 5 8 3 2 7 6

6 8 5 2 7 1 4 9 3

1 7 2 3 6 5 9 8 4

5 9 6 1 4 8 7 3 2

8 4 3 9 2 7 6 1 5

7 6 1 8 3 4 5 2 9

9 5 8 6 1 2 3 4 7

3 2 4 7 5 9 8 6 1

1 9 8 4 2 3 7 5 6

3 6 4 5 9 7 2 8 1

7 5 2 6 8 1 3 4 9

2 4 7 9 3 6 5 1 8

8 1 9 7 4 5 6 3 2

5 3 6 2 1 8 9 7 4

6 2 3 8 7 4 1 9 5

4 7 5 1 6 9 8 2 3

9 8 1 3 5 2 4 6 7

THIS WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

forests, ore, coal, and oil, materials essential to the growth of your city. f you were given the chance to build the You can initially organise your city into city of your dreams, what would you three specific zones. The first settlers in have in it? your city settle into residential zones that Would your city be the cleanest in the consist primarily of semi-detached homes world, powered solely by the sun, the wind and townhouses, whose inhabitants preand the rain? Would you go the way of the fer shopping at boutique stores and corSwedes and power your people’s homes ner shops. Goods in your city are made by with energy gained from the garbage they factories, but don’t place them too close to throw out, or imitate the Dutch, and have your inhabitants: Mike’s Ready-to-Wear your people beam with pride when they clothes factory can be rather polluting, and see the windmills that deliver clean energy no one wants to live next to that. to their homes? You can’t really choose how many indiIs your city going to be the party capi- vidual homes to set up or how many new tal of the world, dotted with trendy night- factories get built — what you can do is declubs, hip restaurants and chic hotels cide how much land you want to give them. where the world’s elite come to dance the Your city gets money through taxation night away, headed to their patch of para- of your inhabitants, and the services you dise on their very own cable car? Or is your provide them. Build a neighbourhood with town the go-to place for the good homes, a good school, a sports fan, who spends his conveniently-located police THE SHORT AND SKINNY morning surfing the waves, station, firehouse and hoshis afternoons hosting a pital, as well as other public Name: Cities Skylines cookout on the beach with services, a park for people to Genre: City-building the fish he’s just caught, and walk their dogs and maybe a Produced by: Paradox Entertainment his evenings spent cheertennis or basketball court, What it’s about: You are the mayor ing on his favourite team and you should see land valof a new city, tasked with fulfilling at the spanking new Juvenues skyrocket, making the the hopes and dreams of your tus Stadium in the heart of area your people live in far people. In which direction will you your city? more valuable, and worth lead them? Yes, you can have the Jua lot more than they would Where to buy: Steam, Microsoft ventus Stadium in your city. otherwise be. Don’t forget Store, Paradox Plaza, Humble Bundle, You can also build Barceto provide them with clean G2A, Amazon Games, Nintendo lona’s Camp Nou, Chelsea’s water and sewage and garPlatforms: Windows, MacOS, Linux, Stamford Bridge, and the bage services, though. The Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Parc Des Princes, home last thing you want is your Switch to French club Paris Saint people fleeing in droves. IGN Rating: 8.5/10 Germain. Anything and As you advance in-game everything is possible in and your city gets bigger, Cities Skylines, possibly you can do away with that one of the most advanced city building unsightly coal plant and replace it with a video games out now. safer geothermal option, or if you’ve got Built by Swedish game developers Par- the money, a snazzy solar power plant. You adox Entertainment, who specialise in can designate certain areas for agribusigames which show gamers the bigger pic- ness and tourism zones and build sprawlture, the company that gave us games such ing amusement parks, zoos, and other aveas Crusader Kings, Hearts of Iron, Age of nues of entertainment to keep your people Wonders and Europa Universalis has now happy. Access to a university allows people entered the city-building genre, and the to work in office blocks, and as you watch group is here to stay. your city evolve from a humble town in the In Cities Skylines, players start out as middle of nowhere to a metropolis that’s the mayor of a town that needs to be built now on the map, you can’t help but smile. from the ground up. You’re free to select This is after all your baby, isn’t it? a map of your choice, which may contain That’s the thing Cities Skylines tells you varying amounts of renewable and non- — building a city can be really quite fun. renewable resources such as farmlands, – gautam@timesofoman.com

CITIES SKYLINES

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

IN FOCUS A recruitment fair was held at Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz Carlton Hotel, hosted by Marriott International.

11th Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Women’s Volleyball Tournament was recently held in Muscat College Sports building. A total of 28 teams participated in the event.

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

CELEBRATE THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR IN A BRAND NEW MAZDA 3 W

hat better way to celebrate the start of a new academic year, than with a healthy family and a brand new Mazda 3? Dettol is celebrating the ‘Back to School’ season across Muscat by giving away two brand new Mazda 3 cars in a raffle draw once the promotion ends. All you need to do is purchase any two Dettol products and produce the bill for the raffle coupon, and you could be the lucky winner of a brand new Mazda 3. The Mazda 3 has been a firm favourite in Oman even before the new Kodo design and SkyActiv technology were adapted to it. Available in 1.6 and 2.0 litre four-door sedan and five-door hatchback models, Mazda 3 embodies all the elements of Mazda’s DNA which include distinctive design, exceptional functionality, responsive handling and great driving performance. Easy on fuel, stylish and fun to drive in both engine variants, the Mazda 3 is deservedly a popular car in the market and on the roads of Oman. According to Towell Auto Centre (TAC), the sole distributor of Mazda vehicles in Oman, “The Mazda 3 is an excellent combination of innovation, style and power. It

delivers an impressive and natural ﬂowing feel as you drive across different terrains. Based on the new Kodo design, the Mazda 3 features a sleek and clean look combined with the impressive SkyActiv technology from Mazda. Thanks to Dettol’s new promotional offer, a lucky win-

ner could now drive away in a brand new Mazda 3.” Mazda has brought quality to the roads of Oman, and TAC has made owning a Mazda an absolute joy, thanks to their excellent after-sales service, availability of genuine parts for all Mazda models,

their efficient staff and amazing promotions for customers. To ﬁnd out more about Mazda’s new range, you can log on to mazdaoman.com, or just walk into any one of Towell Auto Centre’s 10 Mazda showrooms situated across the Sultanate of Oman.

Muscat to witness award-winning Malayalam play on October 20

xpats from Kerala have a reason to rejoice now. Rainbow Muscat under the banner of Mazhavil Natyagriham is organising a play Adaykka directed by K. V. Manjulan, based on an awardwinning story of the same name written by Dr Rajgopal, anaesthetist, Khoula Hospital, Muscat. The play will be staged at the Al Falaj Hotel Auditorium on October 20, 2018. Claps Events will manage the programme. The play, Adaykka is a theatre adaptation from Dr Rajgopal’s short story collection titled Ezhu Theevandikal. The story bagged the ﬁrst prize at the Kerala University Youth Festival competition in 1989. Dr Rajgopal was also conferred with the Sangeetha Nataka Academy — Best Jury Award, for the script of his play Jeevante Avashishtom in 2014. Adaykka has the honour of being directed by the award-winning director K. V. Manjulan, better known for plays like Kelu and Embryo. Manjulan is not new to Muscat. His plays Kelu and Mazhapattu, which were staged earlier in Muscat, is still fresh in the mind of drama lovers. Manjulan’s solo drama Koonan is inching towards its 2,000th stage and is expected to enter the Guinness Book of Records soon. A ﬁrst rank holder from School of Drama Thrissur, Kerala, Manjulan is also a post graduate in classical theatre arts from Kalady Sanskrit University. He also boasts of several awards for his direction including the revered Sangeetha Nataka Academy for his plays Kelu and Embryo. Having had

his share of presence in the ﬁlm ﬁeld with meaty roles in Malayalam and Hindi movies, Manjulan is best known for his talent in theatre. He has also been conferred with the most sought-after fellowship from the cultural department of the Government of India. Enthusiasts, who closely follow theatre, will vouch for Manjulan’s plays and know they are a class apart from the rest. He always strives to deliver the best to his audience. The theatre script for

Adaykka, is developed by Rohith Kozhoor, also a well-known scriptwriter from Kerala. Around 30 artistes are selected from Muscat for performing in this play. The selection was conducted earlier through a systematic audition process in Muscat. In brief, the play Adaykka, describes the detachment of human from Mother Nature by the inﬂuence of technology and his thirst to return back to nature. True to the trademark Manjulan style of theatre,

the play is to be enacted in a unique way creating an additional stage using realistic properties. The audience will have the best of experience and critics opine that this play is not to be missed. Actors participating in this drama are all from Muscat. Few are well-known faces in the theatre circles for their power-packed performances in various plays over the years. Manjulan has lined up the best for Adaykka and leaves no stones unturned to bring the best out of his actors that promises a memorable experience for the audience. The rehearsal camp is also a makeshift acting workshop for budding actors. Seasoned actors mentioned that the rehearsal camp is exceptional and valuable inputs from Manjulan are helping them polish their talents. The organisers of the play Rainbow Muscat was formed four years back by a group of talented artistes to nourish talents and provide an opportunity for the expat community in Oman. It was formed to get the new generation touch base with the rich culture of Kerala and its unique art forms. Adaykka will be the biggest and most challenging event till date for Rainbow Muscat team. With so much of preparation and resolve amongst the team, Adaykka promises to be a must-watch for theatre enthusiasts. Rainbow Muscat will be conducting a detailed media press meet later this month.