Anniversary edition by Times Oman

Contents

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

32 THE PIONEER

Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali’s legacy of excellence lives on

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

LOOKING BACK Times of Oman looks back at the events that made news over the last 40 years.

46 NOSTALGIA

40 years of Times of Oman

1975 - 1979 6

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

AWARDS GALORE Infographic sums up achievements MUSCAT MEDIA GROUP

International awards

Muscat Media Group started a design revolution in 2010 through the redesign of Times of Oman and Al Shabiba, followed by other sister publications. That revolution put Oman running side by side with most of the renowned publications in the world. In 2014 Muscat Media Group swept the world’s most important news design competition, The Society for News Design’ Creative Competition, in which our publications got the most number of awards in the world. Gold

Silver

Excellence and other similar awards

Judges Special Recognition 45 awards in Society for News Design (SND) Creative Competition

2011 Total

2 gold in WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards

2012 Total

Published by:

45 awards in SND Creative Competition (1 gold and 2 silver)

MUSCAT MEDIA GROUP Post Box: 770, Postal Code: 112 Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman Telephone: 24726600

1 gold in WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards

2013 Total

38 111 awards in SND Creative Competition

Email: editor@timesofoman.com

2 gold in WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards

2014 Total

135 1 gold in Maloﬁej Infographic Awards

OPINION

1 gold in Society of Publication Designers (SPD) Annual Competition

New reality for media users

CHAIRMAN Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali

Total awards

281 Graphics

FOUNDER Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali CHIEF EXECUTIVE EDITOR Scott Armstrong

TIMES NOW

Oman’s ﬁrst newspaper’s journey from print to the digital era

CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Adonis Durado NEWS EDITOR (National/Multichannel) Mrudu Naik ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Waleed Rabin CHIEF DESIGNER Srinivasa Rao R

READERS SPEAK Daily dose of news

SENIOR DESIGNER Gregory Fernandez

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DESIGNERS Geri Batara Ali Jani

IRAN

HM sends greetings MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to President Dr. Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere greetings along with his best wishes of good health, happiness and a long life to President Rouhani and the Iranian people further progress and prosperity. -ONA BUMPER TO BUMPER: An exponential increase in the number of vehicles leads to massive traffic jams in cities across the Sultanate. –Photo: Times of Oman

HM receives thanks from Tunisia >A6

Modern public transport needed to combat gridlock REJIMON K FAHAD AL GHADANI

As in other parts of the world, Oman should have an advanced public transport system for better connectivity, reducing traffic jams and for boosting economic growth

reji@timesofoman.com fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: With the country witnessing an exponential increase in the number of vehicles, plans should be implemented for a better public transport system in Oman to ease traffic congestion and ensure better connectivity between cities, say experts. Recently, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) revealed that in 2014, there were 1.3 million vehicles in Oman, a 10 per cent increase when compared to 2013. “For a solution to the traffic congestion due to the increase in the

number of vehicles and to boost the connectivity between cities, one should focus on a better public transport system,” Mohammed Hassan Al Ansi, a senior official in charge of logistics and transportation affairs at the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), told the Times of Oman. New vehicles Government data shows that until the end of last year, 143,034 new vehicles were registered, which is an increase of around 8.6 per cent when compared to 2013, when only 131,700 vehicles were registered. “In Asian and European countries, people depend on public

transport every day. Oman should also have the same system. Now, the plans laid by the government to boost public transport will help the country to progress,” added the official.

8.6%

2013

2014

143,034 New vehicles registered

Total vehicles in Oman

Persons per vehicle

1.3 million

Source: ROP

DEPUTY GRAPHIC EDITOR Marcelo Duhalde

THREE NEW MERS CASES

One person dies from MERS MUSCAT: Of the three new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) recorded in the Sultanate of Oman, one person has died and two have almost recovered, a Ministry of Health (MoH) statement revealed on Tuesday. The Ministry of Health statement also said that 18 new cases of H1N1 were recorded “without any fatalities”. All the patients have recovered . >A6

INFOGRAPHIC DESIGNER Sreemani Kandan ILLUSTRATORS Lucille Umali Winie Widya Ariany

Graphics

CAUTION

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

Do not allow any stranger to enter your house: Police

OMAN

Looking forward to Muscat concert: Asha Legendary Indian singer Asha Bhosle said on Tuesday that she was looking forward to performing with musicians of the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra (ROSO). The 82-year-old singer said, “I love challenges and love doing something new. But, while it is challenging, it is also exciting to adapt to a different setting.” >A4

OMAN

MARKET

Key contract awarded for Saraya Bandar

Standard & Poor’s cuts Oman rating

Saraya Bandar Jissah, the developer of the upcoming luxurious Integrated Tourism Complex (ITC), has awarded a consultant supervision contract to KEO International Consultants (KEO), which will oversee construction of residential zones Zaha, Nameer and Wajd along with recreation club, buildings and staff accommodation. >A5

Foreign and local currency sovereign credit rating on the Sultanate of Oman was lowered to ‘A-/A2’ from ‘A/A-1’ by S&P in its latest update. The international rating agency has affirmed that the outlook is stable. The stable outlook reﬂects S&P’s view that the deterioration in nominal GDP will not exceed the current expectations. >B1

Rising numbers 131,700

Road projects Last Sunday, Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Salim Al Futaisi, minister of transport and communications, said that this year a number of new roads will be opened and a public transport plan will be initiated in the Governorate of Muscat in collaboration with the Muscat Municipality and Oman National Transport Company by operating experimental lines using modern buses. >A6

GRAPHIC EDITOR Antonio Farach

REJIMON K FAHAD AL GHADANI

reji@timesofoman.com fahadnews@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Police officials have warned residents to remain alert and call them immediately if any stranger tries to barge into their homes. “We are aware that residents in and around Darsait are panicky after a stranger tried to barge into their homes. We urge residents to be cautious and call us directly if such incidents occur. We are on alert,” said a police official.

Landslide win for Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi

Recent cases A stranger dressed in Omani national dress reportedly barged into several homes in and around Darsait assaulting them and demanding money in the last two days. “The suspect knocks on doors and claims he is from the electricity department or from some government office. Then he forces his

way in and demands money after scaring women,” said some residents in Darsait. In some flats, the suspect reportedly claimed he was from the electricity department and checked with the residents where to place the bills. In other flats, he claimed he was from a government office and was there to check the cleanliness around. Assault “In one flat, the suspect even tried to assault a woman. He tried to strangle her with a wire, but she somehow managed to push him away,” added residents. According to residents, he demanded OMR50 or OMR100 as a fine claiming that the houses were untidy. “After the incidents were repeated, many people lodged complaints with the Muttrah police,” said residents. Meanwhile, residents have formed a Whatsapp group to remain alert. >A6

ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Aziz K. Baker PRODUCTION MANAGER Shaﬁ ur Rehman Shaik CIRCULATION MANAGER Vinod Panicker

HIS MAJESTY SULTAN QABOOS BIN SAID

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Our readers, our strength Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali Chairman, Muscat Media Group and Editor-in-Chief, Times of Oman

was a 13-year-old boy and was busy with school when the Times of Oman was launched on February 23, 1975. Forty years ago, I did not realise the importance of the product. I did wonder who would read the paper, considering the fact that a majority of the people in this country spoke Arabic. Today, I look at our long and adventurous journey towards success and excellence with a lot of pride. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, our beloved leader, in his speech on the occasion of his arrival in Muscat after assuming power, had said, “We hope that every one of you will do his duty in helping us build a thriving and happy future that we seek for this country, because, as you know, unless there is co-operation between the government and the people, we will not be able to build our country with the speed required.” Starting the Times of Oman was my father Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali’s way of paying attention to His Majesty’s call to citizens to help build our country. The Times of Oman has had the opportunity to witness and record history and development unfold in the Sultanate as envisioned by His Majesty. Our paper is a witness to how much hard work has gone into building the country. The Times of Oman started off as a weekly in a tabloid format and became a daily in 1991. The weekly format had 48 pages and covered international and national news. My father would bring us the paper every Wednesday, and I would go through it enthusiastically. I say it with pride that our paper had captured all the major milestones the country witnessed. The founder was passionate about his country and wanted to connect Oman with the outside world. In those days, my father would

make it a point to send a bunch of papers to London, bearing the expensive shipping costs. He wanted people to know about Oman. He also saw the importance of catering to the reading needs of expatriates whose number was growing in the country. The road to being the number one newspaper in the Sultanate has not been an easy one. The paper did not do well in the early days. My father continued to bear losses for many years to keep his dream alive. He was funding the running of the paper from another company he owned. People advised him to shut down the newspaper but he stuck on with determination. He had immense faith in the product. The newspaper has come a long way since its birth, achieving gradual growth and success along the way. My personal journey started as a distributor in 1977. I would drop off the paper at shops and households with a lot of enthusiasm. Later, I occupied positions such as technical advisor, managing director, chief executive officer and vice chairman. Throughout my student days, I was proud to belong to this family that was in the newspaper business. I have been witness to the newspaper changing, evolving and adapting in an ever-changing media environment. Today, on a daily basis we reach millions of our readers and users through newspaper, mobile phones, desktops and tablets. As we reach this milestone, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our staff and thank them for their continued dedication and commitment. Above all, I wish to thank our valuable readers who have made us who we are. As we turn 40, we reiterate that we are dedicated to giving our readers our best.

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Embracing new platforms Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali Chief Executive Ofﬁcer, Muscat Media Group Editor-in-Chief, Al Shabiba

e live amid great changes in the history of media. No one can deny that access to instant information has changed societies like never before. We have reinvented ourselves to meet those changes, and that has enabled us to solidify our position on the top. While we were quick to adapt to the advent of the web and social media, innovation continues to drive everything we do. I state with pride that Times of Oman has gone through significant growth over the last decade. However, as Times of Oman completes a major milestone, I wish our founder, Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali, was with us. The paper was his vision and it was his dream to see it grow. It was the immense love for his beloved country that inspired him to launch the newspaper. He never launched it as a business proposition, but as a nationalist who wanted to do something for the country. Our founder wanted the paper to be a roving ambassador for the country. It was his way of participating in the development march that His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said had called upon citizens to participate in. Though I was not even born when he launched the newspaper, looking back I salute my father’s foresight and commitment to the product. He felt a strong need to launch an English newspaper to connect Oman with the outside world. He went ahead and launched it without worrying about the financial burden it would entail. It took some years for the product to turn into a profitable venture, but he stuck with his dream, despite hardships. He was quick to realise that an English language newspaper, with a global outlook, was a pre-

condition for a country that was attracting expatriates from across the world. Our founder was successful in making the newspaper an ambassador for our country. I truly wasn’t aware of Times of Oman’s brand value and how large the product was until I joined in 2000. However strong a brand is, you don’t understand its role until you are part of. When I joined it was an established product and occupied a special place in the hearts of our readers. Through the reputation of Times of Oman, we were able to build and launch many other products that are today a part of our group - Muscat Media Group. Our management is young and ready to embrace innovation. Since 2000 we have been building new strategies and, especially, one that can succeed in a new digital future. We were quick to understand that online news consumption has risen sharply, following the rapid spread of digital platforms. Today, we are on every available platform and have been pioneers in launching services, such as WhatsNews. We are reaching readers across the world, as evidenced by the millions of views read by the hundreds of thousands of users on our website. Our journalists are trained to be attuned to the needs of our audience. People are constantly consuming news via connected mobile devices, so we want to be where our readers want to be, on whichever platform that might be. We extend our sincere gratitude to our readers for their unwavering support for us and we pledge to be a company that they can be proud of. Spurred by change and emergence of new needs we will continue to pursue new paths and platforms.

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Staying relevant

Scott Armstrong Chief Executive Editor, Times of Oman

“E

verything changes and nothing stands still.” Words written around 2,500 years ago by philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus that have echoed over millennia and are yet still absolutely relevant to this day. In fact, I can’t think of a better mission statement to adopt for the next 40 years for Times of Oman, or timesofoman.com, than those written back in around 500BC. For no matter how things change, and they will, we can’t, and we won’t, stand still. And like Heraclitus we must strive to stay relevant over the coming days, months, years and decades to you, our audience. After all, it is your lives and the issues that affect them that we are here to hold a mirror to, Omani and expat alike. Whether you turn to print, online, social media, video, or whatever comes next thanks to technology, we’ll be here, ready to listen, to weigh the facts, and then to report. I was asked recently ‘with citizen journalism and social media, does the world need journalists?’ The answer I passionately feel is yes, for while you live your lives in an increasingly hectic and busy fashion, we’ll work tirelessly to make sense of the sea of information and rumour around you, to tell you what is happening and why it affects you and your family. It is your story we want to tell, you the individual and you Oman the country as you con-

tinue to build upon 40 years of progress under the wise rule of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Whether you are just graduating from Sultan Qaboos University and embarking on your career, or you are an expat arriving with your family to make a new life in the Sultanate, we want to know you, so connect with us. Tell us what you like, tell us what you don’t like, tell us what you want to see, read, watch or interactive with. Because you, whoever you are dear reader, be it businessman, worker, student, homemaker, parent, teacher, you are important to us at Times of Oman, as is the contribution you make to the Sultanate. We are Omanis, we are expats, we are young and we are ... well let’s say middle-aged, we are mothers and fathers, we are young graduates setting out in life. What affects you, affects us. Yes, the only constant is change, and change can be scary but it can be exhilarating too. Our mission will be to stand with you on that road wherever the path leads. So, thank you for picking up this copy of Times of Oman and reading these words, but also come look for us online (www.timesofoman.com), or on facebook, twitter, Google +, Instagram, YouTube or our free WhatsNews app (on Android, Apple or BlackBerry). And if we aren’t where you want us to be, then tell me because I am listening too. Email me at editor@timesofoman.com. Here’s to the next 40 years together.

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Celebrating four decades of outstanding achievements

hey say that 40 is the age when one reaches maturity, which brings with it a sense of attainment, fulﬁlment, realisation and stability. Now in its 40th year, Times of Oman has also much to celebrate and take pride in. Born out of the patriotism of its founder, Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali, the newspaper has grown over the years to become the leading English daily newspaper in Oman and a pioneer in the publishing industry. Channeling his anger into action, Essa established the paper to prevent another experience similar to his in the 1970s, when he received a telex from Singapore in which the Sultanate was referred to as ‘Muscat, Oman, Saudi Arabia’. He was working as a director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time, and the request for an over-ﬂight permission sent by the Los Angeles-based Flying Tiger Corporation left him wondering who was to blame for this unpleasant experience.

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ROAD & RAIL REVOLUTION

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MUSCAT: His Majesty Qaboos bin Said has sentSultan ble of gree a cating Hassan Rou s to President Dr. hani of the Republic of Islamic Iran of his country on the occasion ’s In his cabl National Day. Sultan has e, His Majesty the cere greetingexpressed his sinbest wishes s along with his of good hea piness and lth, hapa dent Rouhan long life to Presipeople furt i and the Iranian her progress prosperity. and -ONA

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Railway

Tender for budget airline soon

Total network

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All the hrailways the e spot when ber of overturned vehicle tients hav whi increase of died new roads in Samail ch is ope on Saturday airline operator would in Oman, 1.3 million vehicle e of night. reco Oman, while thousands According to arou the Public vered . >A6 paned and will be s whe nd 8.6 per Authority for a kiloandlicAmbulances, a pub cent planCivil Defence comthe the accident be floated soon, said Dr when com 10 per cent increase paredriver occurred n metres of new roadways are to be when tran d to lost will control pared to 201 spor of his 201 vehicle. only be Report t 3, when initiated>A3 131,700 veh Mohammed bin Nasser 3. “For a solu in the laid to transform the Sultanate nora icles were ONTC to add 40 Total vehic tered. regis- with te of Muscat in collaboGoverles Al Zaabi, chief executive gestion due tion to the traffic con in Oman Personstransport infrastructure. the Muscat ration to the incr “In Asian low-floor buses officer of Public AuthorMunicipali ease in the per vehicle A top-level official TOP TH at the Ministy and REE IN tries, peopleand European coun- Oman National Tra SIDE S ity for Civil Aviation. TORIE nsport Com try of Transport and Communicapan depend on this year >A6 S public line y by operating exp “Now we are reviewtions yesterday said that as many erimTenta s using mod OP T HREE INSIDE STORIES l ern buses. ing a draft tender docuas 84 projects for building 1,646 >A6 Source: ROP ment. Hopefully, we are kilometres of roads across the istry of Transport Graphics and Communifloating a tender for precountry with a combined capital cations for Transport, said major qualification (request expenditure of OMR2.7 billion projects under implementation CAUTI for qualification, RfQ). ON are under implementation. include Batinah Expressway and We have to short-list Similarly, thousands of jobs in Bid Bid-Sur dualisation projects. companies for pre-qual260 categories will be created in At a press meet Dr. Ahmed bin ification. Eventually, we the 2,135-km long national rail- Mohammed Legendary bin Salim Al Futaisi, Indi In the absence of a formal will issue a request for way project, a senior official of the Minister of Asha Bhosle an singer Transport and Comcontract, your offer letter said on application (for issuing a Oman Rail said while speaking to munications, Tuesday said two segments of will have the effect of a licence to the new airline looking forw that she was Times of Oman. Adam-Thumrait dualisation procontract between you and the operator),” he said. >A6 with musiciaard to performing Salim bin Mohammed Al Nu- ject, each 120 km-long, are reachemployer. The absence of a Oman Sym ns of the Royal aimi, undersecretary at the Min- ing implementation pho stage. >A6 written contract won’t curtail (ROSO). The ny Orchestra any of your rights. >A2 singer said 82-year-old , “I and love doin love challenges REJIMON But, while g something new. 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Rising numbers 8.6%

OIL TANKER DRIVER KILLED IN ROAD ACCIDENT

1.3 million

OMAN

Formal contract not a must for legal rights

Do not

1 strangearlltoow any

your hous enter e: Police OMAN

Tender Board’s focus on quality, rate control

OMAN

Looking forward to Muscat concert: Asha

Key contract award for Saraya Bandar ed

Over the years, Times of Oman has gone from strength to strength, winning several prestigious local and international awards in diverse categories

MARKET

Standard & Poor’s cuts Oman rating

Ban Ki-moon demands Hadi’s restoration

Landslide for Aam Aawin dmi Party in De lhi

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Oman’s crude oil output increases

A8 3

Museum o f Omani D ress show canastees rich Sulta loM Omcan thiliin condemns tag ry h rirta Ore de foge killing by IS

DIGEST VIDEO

General map

Sea of Oman

r Italy army’s chief of staf f

February 17

Start

As Suwayq

Al Mussanah

Finish

Bait Al Naman Castle

February 19

Sea of Oman

Al Wutayyah

Seeb

Stage

February 18

Sea of Oman

Al Hazam Castle

Corniche

Al Rustaq

Fanja

Nakhal

February 20

Sea of Oman

Al Bustan

Al Mussanah Sport City

February 21

Sultan Qaboos Grande Mosque

February 22

Sea of Oman

Bidbid

Al Sawadi Beach

Proﬁle (height)

Al Awabi

Time (average 1h

Bait Al Naman Castle (15m) Murajyat (19m)

10 km

Jabal Akhdhar

speed 41 km/h) 2h

Km 10

Al Uqdah

Time (average 1h

Al Hazm Castle

Nakhal (263m)

The Wave (30m)

Al Huwayl (224m)

Road

100

Al Hamriyah (156m) Al Jissah (154m)

Al Bustan (45m)

Climb

Royal Opera

170

House

Al Mussanah Sports City (22m)

Yorekh

Climb of Bousher Al Amertat (355m)

2011

2012

2013

Jimmy Casper

110

151 km

Flat

189 km

(FRA)

Descent

Theo Bos (NED) André Greipel (GER) Marcel Kittel (GER) André Greipel (GER)

Daniele Bennati Matthew Goss

(ITA)

Climb

Descent

(AUS)

151 km

REE IN

SIDE ST

OMAN

2012

848

875

2013

2014

938.5

915

208

717.1 7

Total (km)

TOP TH

2011

2015

989

Astana Pro Team

BMC Racing Team

Tinkoff-Saxo TCS

Katusha Kat

Hagen NOR Theo Bos (NED) Marcel Kittel (GER) Peter Sagan (SLO) André Greipel (GER)

(SLO) Peter Sagan (SLO) Alexander Kristoff (NOR) (NO OR)

Movistar Team Mov

FDJ

Leigh Howard (AUS) Robert Gesink (NED) André Greipel (GER) Joaquim Rodríguez Oliver (ESP) Peter Sagan (SLO)

Tom Boonen (BEL) Robert Gesink (NED) Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) Chris Froome (GB) Chris Froome (GB)

Trek Factory Racing

Sky

Giant-alpecin

Etixx-Quick

Coﬁdis S l

ORIES

GHADANI FAHAD AL .com

man All theesofo fahad@tim street suffer traffic s around the Indianin conge who obta School Darsait affecting Those stion during schoo The roads to c l hours adjac auto MUSCAT: all the mati roads . ce forent Parents will be closed for private cars. be advised to a driving licen les from a Gulf children at bus collection leave their gear shift vehic points. (GCC) There Coun arecil other schoo Cooperation North ls in n, can Oma Darsa than it but only one r othe try road which in coun drive leads to gridlock ds document to fun the of her e swap anot passing Shortag n with To Quout shift Oma r gear u m ual man dedicated test test, but for FAHAD AL and lack of ing a driving GHA mist over vehicles, pass Royal Clearing the fahadnews@ti DANI Salim Al Gha datory, the mesofoman.com licences are the fied. remains man the driving municipality mmari, a health staff (ROP) has clari al tries, the member, said Oman Police MUSCAT: In r ROP offici in GCC coun that the tunn an attempt to drance in els However, a seniodrive a vehicle n Police Critical strea Oma al mlin high standard should be of Roy biggest hin to e traffi crossings . said, to be able gears, motorists in the capital, c movement clarified that t ial ins “The offic ual the aga municipality t Muscat is still with man Municipality should plan tunnels Oman’s figh to pass a test. al existing rule have the is cond still d of the uctin woul offici a study on the g barring standard with international mist, the Darsa in its place es Clearing the ites Park of tunnels in construction the newly age to ensure proper drainkiller diseas many expatriat some areas, GCC logo in that there is clarified that according to a is no need now accumula no ces relia issued licen believe that there driving licence the municipa ble source at he said tion of rainwater,” their lity. . INDIA ange N to exch “The idea is other GCC coun He added that SCHOng Lulu OL torule when movi the municistudied, but still being is still in its pality should REJIMON K the municipa that but an.com liDARS mak tries ofom AIT look e lity stron a stud times newResidents do gly favours the y of the most cong reji@ the not have conplace, despite a new logo. triate obtains struction of to dump garb killer and target them ested areas tunnels, espe “When an expa vehicle drivage bags in a world with cences bearing GCC logo that cially in area t bins locat Mers such projects first, adding, MUSCAT: In Mosq matic gear s outsside DGHS-Musca as Ebola, the “It is only the ted into the an autoue issued in any one of intheir will benefit homes anymauthed witness heav which usually ce, the Sultanate in diseases such H1N1, health ofpora general ore, oritie y traffic,” said theare the futu prov Mus and has been incor ces and nothing licen countries, the ROP will Municipalitybut as catiding current the source. coronavirus “The municipa re. has they the GCC decid to keeping Mus y issued licen ce. that will “In the ed ce ated newl nal to care. colle lity licen nt dedic regio The shou s ng ct ses it source adde frompatie also consider ficial ld the sour their doorstep, new infec issue a drivi r to drive only an d Al Zadjali, ood d that infectious disea moo the ing else,” said said a municipa tunnels are tion, when ined that exarge at the drive situa aspects by prep commercial cat safe from more help and in- Mah a nove l council ses are emerging ion control in-ch of Health le not the The source explaobtain a new allow the gear vehicMusc member. “Our tious infection disea for the Sultanat l concept c at vicesive tunnels aring expanhave called for to ral need adaim is to keep and that can hous torattee Gene ing. patriates need in lieu of their automatigear vehicleMuni 100m Mus Directora g threat, we trained they would helpe’s roads, and TO clean cipality CODE cat Muscat, said. creased fund shops giving e and ce andposin manual SCAN THIS QR we SCA SC ties and dedibeautiful ces (DGHS) in enge is the them a more driving licen ties, , so besides e staff. movement in make traffic have they move to versa,” said the source. ed facili Advanced facili workers are Services modern appe O chalvanc ked out the capital nt one once e expatrinewated healthcar he second chall e workers. arance,” said hcar an WATCH THE VIDE W curre plan “The to healt mor ar, colle s dedic s e kum entry. ct orga cated Ghammari. the and Al hcar coun nised. garbage. The , shortage of fund S. Sree infection prev in shortage It official for age of healt F O M A N .C O M another Gulf to obtain a new bins W W W.T I M E S O will be remo Unfortunately “Such projects rstand that ked the ROP nt needed at the of constructingshould think ved from their are hindering our rs must unde over the - ate, than rol departme “They need orkeers current locat and expensive, but are quite workers the confusion from the coun tion and cont meet the current All work precautions are the core and well equi only modern ce ics ions and Graph eachab ard pped tunnels dard said clearing ng licences becaWuse added. driving licen will be provided hous adi Kabir ment should the governZain the capital to al told the Times stand or forget the healthcare acshifting to,” give them mor with,”a garbageto ethe official, the new drivi 1 flu work iple of any whole idea, ng outTo with try they are of H1N princciple attention in rding e ainer to be kept fi cases cont he Acco demand, an offici urged, adding proethical and high body was comi of the new the future,” In Oman, five half insid awareness first es to provide on evidence ies that the stud the source. is is- every e of ncethe the hous said tiviti ce tion the in e,” licen ency sour preta desaid nic tered ng of Oman. stag y ce. frequ e should be very diseases thereSalim Al Ghamon wing hygie “Once a drivi GCC countries, their inter matter the worse. ty patient care ently, there were regis r 2014, thou lity mungh consisticipal council mes ari, afollo “The infectious six years ago, quali ng ent and well the was gram member. >A5 ld be increased. “I of Septembe practice. Curr up planned. >A6 sued by any of need to pass an- law maki s the law remains the a cases but there stly based in our departpartment, set practices shou no a frequent “It mean ovement. Hone ber is shortage of staff region,” Zain- were no Ebolfrom the Mers corosimthen there is addition of team conduct We do the cuss needs impr Besides str other driving test. One can in and my same barring one death willce,” licen in the Muscat are facing a num h centres. theed help in ary 8, the first essing rtant ment d. old licence with new GCC logo inand speaking, we w the visits to healt thenee everyone will the long term vince the navirus on Janu iThe most impo one and follo ply replace cond every pare d same ate to bene nts the of challenges. the fund allocated ab addeiratory illnesses like nearly a year. d. r use educ Coun fit this. to onrying choose a scho from whic fer he adde bus Schools erati is es for a new one unde the source. Resp almost 36 infec childr ol gh ted Gulf Coop Respiratory among them plement the will be told to im- and h is closest to their en ined In all, there are to sch ” expla prima- upda tion control manual,” said tion is not enou 1, Middle East us (Merstion, homes, ools, parent focal points in infec to check infec to the infection H1N manner and plans in a phased instemaybe teach children advised to s will be rome coronavir idered as tion control e centres, polyclin- cil ab. >A6 to walk WHAT’S BEING will also be choose sch cons when compared ities that need to Synd hcar to keep a tab advised whe ad of depending on official Zain ) and Ebola are threatening ry healt ools closer on buses PLANNED itals under prevention activ aded and larger CoV dents,” he adde the number of stu- 200 n living not more than ging and to homes ics, and hosp upgr 100 to d. metres away - the fast emer ses. Preprod be regularly qual ard “According ification proc from school,” of stand tious disea added Al Gha ess Children to selecI E S procurement infection,” Zainab infec mmari. children traveto the plan, even REJIMON D E S T O R t a private will have to Mea EE INSI K develope TOP THR ucts to control depend on not be picked lling by bus will area nwhile, residents FAHAD AL bus of up and drop develop the Oman’s bigg r to build GHA private cars es avoiding from ped off has said that traffic cong the wad est reji@timesofom DANI estion new exit and i in the area with up their homes. Certain water project independent been a caus travelling while e poin fahadnews@ti an.com T TA C K to and from HEART A near future. entry points in the child ts will be identified pick- quite some time for concern for of approxim with a capacity mesofoman.com schools so ately 531,000 Moreover, entr now that ren can boar and the muexit timings metres per day cubic y and ther d the buses from nicipality should of MU impl e (116 vehi and SCA eme .8 cles parents plans as soon million T: A nt the will also up be imperial gallo as possible. Wadi to be to avoid unne can pick them congestion traffic plan to ease marcontrolled,” Salim Al dev “It is quit has begun. ns per day) near schools Gha cessary rush i, the area with eloped in Oma around Dars in and mem Muscat Municipal Cou m- the locality,” said in of the area e difficult to move out Water Procuremn Power and new exit ait ncil adding Al Ghamma ber, told the when we leav and entry from next year will be activated ent Company ri, fice Times of Oma that this e for ofpoints in the 48 (OPWP) float The n. coming yea the cost of tran would also reduce haveduring peak hours. We More than 262,7 ed at est nicipal Council, said a Muscat Mu- dent re are around 13,00 rs either recordeda requ sportation. qualification for to park outs 0 stus in different member. footfalls were At (RfQ ide pres “Chi the ) scho tend 2015 ent, ldren area walk val ols in er to ente arou for the and , or Festiect, will have to atproj the Musc on buses and whic depend childnd Darsait. A majority and eas in Darsait near r and exit ar- fore the we have to leave early be- Schools to be adv and h ns will citize loca be of avoi ted Both ss two schools duri the work ised to chaos unfo keep a tab cars while trave d using private in ren travel to and from until Sunday. acro sites. >B1 on d Amerat Park school hour ing hours it takes at least ng to hear that the munlds. It is good priv the number the intake of schools. Plan lling to and from lead ate cars, which even with long queu expatriates visite to watch the an icipality has of students s are on the tuall s to chaos duri Park es of cars seen come up with a plan a anvil to and NaseDem . We hope it ng peak hour y during peak hours. O W N W za. The medi is implemented “The plans ITH FEV vagan Children soon as “I feel ER which were s. cultural extra transported ed on Monday dis- awarenes we have to conduct a big relief for resid it will be in buses will coverage resum ing ents in and s programmes arou not follow nd be break Dars pick ait,” said ed and dropped to con- Hasn after three-day ning over the i, a Darsait resid Mazin Al door steps from their the national mourodian of The ent. >A6 death of the Cust >A4 ues. Two Holy Mosq

Possible solution

Muscat Mun tunnels to ea icipality favours se traffic ﬂow

OMAN

To M uttr ah

Garbage collection from the doorsteps

MARKET

Tender ﬂoated for water project

OMAN

More than 262,748 oman Ailing UK w cruise visit Muscat Festival om fr d airlifte 1 tment ship for trea

With incre asing temp erature, ﬂu -like symp AN CONSUL OM toms on th DOCTOR TIFA Transportation perks e rise g on leave not bindinally

y norm The leave salar salary consists of basic nses plus living expe . accommodation) (mainly cost of in asking for There is no point allowance and transportation during leave as es laundry charg incur such not does the employee ions. However, costs during vacatemployer from an er nothing stops costs, at his/h paying all these employee. >A5 free will, to any

2 r into serthe helicopte was pressed an, who was British woman Air vice to lift the wom breathing l MUSCAT: A ital by a Roya she suffering from acute distress call ﬂown to hosp helicopter after k problems when the t Guard. Force rescue the Coas heart attac to e ive mad mass a was suffered undergoing treat e ship. She is now ONA on aboard a cruis ah Hospital. — coast guard e ment at Salal Alerted by the Royal Air Forc Saturday, the

Fever

shoots up ous headac he Abdomi nal pain or vomiting Continu

Pain

MARKET

Duqm woos foreign s investors in fisherie tors are Foreign inves ed by being encourag nt Oman governme ess vast busin to utilise the in the fisheries opportunities developing port sector in the . The fisheries town of Duqm investment the zone is one of SEZAD has been areas that the with a number promoting along which include rs, of other secto l zone. >B1 the residentia

in ears

102

133 km

Pharmacy law set to end monopoly

To protect Oma pharmacists ni from foreign competition and to end the monopol y of unscrupu traders, Majl lous is proposed ame Al Shura has ndm that allows peop ent to the law pharmacy and le to practice said a source start pharmacies, from the legal committee of the Shura. The ame Majlis Al prohibit them ndments also pharmacies from forcing to quantities of buy certain med equipment only icines or while charging from them them more. >A3

Flat

Climb

Descent

Edvald Boasson

Peter Sagan

Plandrivtinfoogr end No change in t i n u gridlock e regulation as ence e CC GD a in r s te ia Deadly diseore help licexn tr pa arsait scho Jam at Darsait m r o ols f 1 s l l ca 2010

133 km

3h 42

4h 37

Flat

Times News Service Navigation (DGMAN), MUSCAT: mon With the rise which He said peop perature over in tem- Omaitors weather cond le a large num the past few weeks, warmn has been expe itions, from various ailmwho are suffering chro rien ber of people nic come afflicted have be- caus weather in February cing flu shot as early ents should get a is very bronchitis and asthma. as possible. with flu. e of the east be- is a vacc “There shot important they get their “It Private clini ine for everyone from the Arab erly winds coming s early,” he adde flu ,” he Sounding a have been repo cs and hospitals of ian Sea and d. Doctors said word of caut said. the Sea the Oman. rting patients chicken p ion for with vir l i elde dow rly d fl

R/A

120

130

Muttrah Corniche (17m)

150

Al Alam Palace

Al Bustan R/A

Corniche (17m)

130

140

Ministry of Housing (17m)

189 km

Climb

117

Tour of Om an to be ﬂagged off in Barka

Edition

100

120

140

Izki

Al Jissah (58m)

158 km

52 km

An Nadi R/A

Hamriyah (156m)

180

Flat

Descent

Dama Street

Al Ghubrah (64m)

(1,235)

Climb

2014

R/A

Jabal Akhdhar

104

195.5 km

55.5

Descent

by stage

2010

speed 42 km/h)

Muscat Express Road (80m)

Al Mawaleh

110

150

160

170

Birkat Al Mouz (550m)

Time (average

Oman Air (47m)

Al Seeb Souq (25m)

Naseem Garden

100

130

Sayma (644m)

3h 41

Muraysi

Masaliyah

120

140

150

80 Sultan Qaboos Grande Mosque

100

Flat

speed 41 km/h)

Barka (10m)

110

Mahram (655m)

158 km

Climb

Time (average

Al Sawadi Beach (15m)

Al Khoud (17m)

190

161 km

Hay Asim (11m)

Surur

110

180

4h 46

speed 39 km/h)

Fanja (200m)

195.5 km

Flat

Descent

Mughrah (145m)

Al Jarda (615m)

130

As Suwayq (24m)

160

3h 56

Road overview

Time (average

Sultan Qaboos Grande Mosque (49m)

Al Tuwyyah (426m)

Wadi Al Hajer

120

140

150

(kilometers)

Previous winners

Al Muladdah

Muscat Express

130

Al Ansab

150

160

Al Shatar (31m)

100

110

120

As Suwayq (24m)

Hibra

Al Taww (121m)

Al Mahbil

Halban

speed 43 km/h)

Daris (167m)

Hibra

161 km

DIGEST VIDEO

Al Rustaq

Afy

140

Al Khuwair (38m)

Al Wutayyah (22m)

Time (average

Al Mussanah Sports City (3m)

100

110

120

130

Muttrah Corniche

Oman Air

Tawi Al Sayh (453m)

Al Abyad road

Khatum (178m)

Al Lajal (151m)

Al Taww (124m)

Muscat Express (57m)

Ghala Industrial (58m)

Ministry of Housing

speed 41 km/h)

(206m)

Izki

A new edition of the cycling event starts February 22. today in Muscat, In total there and will last are 18 teams Sultanate in until competing and 6 stages, all 144 competitors with varying of the Tour degrees of difficulty will tour the of Oman, and . This is the the distance winners from sixth edition travelled has previous versions increased each will be back year. Some in action.

Sea of Oman

Jabal Akhdhar

Climb Flat Descent

U-Turn

Edvald Boasson

Hagen (NOR) Mark Cavendish (GB) Marcel Kittel (GER) Nacer Bouhanni (ITA) A André Greipel (GER)

3h 11

The limited number of foreign embassies at that time and the fact that there was no radio channel or TV station, coupled with the absence of any English newspaper, had kept Oman under the veil of obscurity. Essa eventually granted permission for the over-flight, but mustered the energy afterwards to create an English-language newspaper to not only introduce Oman to the outside world, but also to present a true image of the country. After obtaining the necessary permit from the Ministry of Information, which warmly embraced the initiative, it took Times of Oman 10 months to be born from a labour of love on February 23, 1975. The paper began as a weekly, and after overcoming its initial challenges, such as recruiting qualified editorial staff, it became a daily newspaper in 1990, and remains cherished by many readers in Oman. Over the years, Times of Oman has gone from strength to strength, winning several prestigious local and international awards in diverse categories, and the credit should go to the newspaper’s late founder, who was posthumously awarded the ‘Pen of Press Prize’ by the Council of Gulf International Relations in 2013. The Muscat Media Group (formerly Muscat Press and Publishing House) is the first media company in Oman, and the second in the Gulf region, to have been awarded the ISO 9001:2008, which is an internationally recognised standard for quality management systems. A number of products from broadsheet dailies to tabloid weeklies as well as weekly magazines both in Arabic and English languages are published under the banner of MMG, including the Times of Oman, Al Shabiba, Hi weekly, Sabat Ayam, Thursday Magazine and FACES

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Pursuing its vision to be the voice of the community, Times of Oman has continued to add new features to make the content and design more appealing and reach out to a wider local and international audience. The content of the paper focuses on a wide range of issues to keep readers abreast of the latest news and developments in every sector, both inside and outside the country. Politics, economy, business, technology, health, art and culture, education, science, entertainment, lifestyle and sports are areas that Times of Oman has on its radar. It uses a variety of formats to report the latest news, including official statements, news stories, features, interviews, charts and graphs, press releases, analysis and advertisements. In its journey of four decades, the paper has kept readers of all ages and interests in mind and has always explored new avenues to better interact with them and engage readers in constructive discussions.

Timesofoman.com was the Gold Award winner at the Oman Web Awards, 2006, and Bronze Award winner at the Pan Arab Web Awards, 2007

Keeping pace with the demands and developments of the digital world, Times of Oman has come up with new ideas to allow it to receive the many advantages from the latest software and modern solutions. In 1998, the newspaper, which is published from Saturday to Thursday, launched a website to keep readers updated beyond the boundaries of time and place. Timesofoman.com was the Gold Award winner at the Oman Web Awards, 2006, and Bronze Award winner at the Pan Arab Web Awards, 2007. Further, in 2007, Times of Oman launched a mobile application for the iPad and smart phones. The newspaper’s website was redesigned and launched in December 2012, introducing new features, and is now being updated frequently every day of the week, including on public holidays. As a platform for reporting breaking news and publishing the content of the print version, as well as additional material, the website puts

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

special focus on the production of multi-media content, including photos and videos related to stories it publishes, to help readers better relate to stories. Readers can access the e-paper — a feature first launched in 2004 — which is uploaded in the early hours of every day. They can also post their comments on each article and participate in polls that Times of Oman develops on a regular basis. In a significant step to create a stronger link between the print and online versions, the newspaper started publishing QR codes along with its articles in print, which if scanned, take readers directly online to the article and related photos and videos. ‘Daily digest’ videos, which provide the gist of the most important news reports of the day, have been the latest additions to the general and business sections of the newspaper and QR codes are generated for them on a daily basis. As Times of Oman is focusing more on online services, it has provided other platforms where readers can post their comments, photos and videos, as well as interact with the editorial team. These include Facebook, Twitter and Google+. In another creative step, Times of Oman and its sister newspaper Al Shabiba launched applications in 2014 that made them the world’s first WhatsApp newspapers. WhatsNews (in English) and WhatsOulom (in Arabic) can be downloaded on all platforms,

As Times of Oman is focusing more on online services, it has provided other platforms where readers can post their comments, photos and videos, as well as interact with the editorial team

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Its internationally recognised infographics have brought added value to the newspaper, giving it an edge over other newspapers and raising the bar in the design and publishing industry including Apple, Android and Blackberry devices, and offer three concise editions per day at 12 noon, 5 pm and 10 pm, which can be shared by readers. Latest statistics by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) show that there are 2,836,641 active subscribers to mobile broadband in Oman, which further underline the signiﬁcance of this initiative. While the major focus of the WhatsApp newspaper is on local news, breaking international news is part of the feed. One of main objectives of the initiative is to encourage people to participate in the dissemination of authentic news. There are a number of other features that make Times of Oman stand out from other publications in the country. Its internationally recognised infographics have brought added value to the newspaper, giving it an edge over other newspapers and raising the bar in the design and publishing industry. The paper has won 183 highly prestigious international SND (Society for News Design) awards in the area of design and presentation. Another distinctive feature of Times of Oman is its growing focus on local news, leading to further awareness in society and helping make the voice of both local residents and expatriates heard by authorities and decision makers.

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

While respecting the government’s guidelines laid out for the media, the newspaper has sought to be an independent voice. Its extensive coverage of traffic accidents and crimes in Oman has brought the issue of safety and security to the forefront, creating a heated debate about the need to deal with offenders more strictly. Other social issues, such as abortion, marriage, divorce, domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction and beach safety have always found a place in Times of Oman. Also, health-related stories have been on top of the newspaper’s agenda. The newspaper has always given equal importance to both Omanis and expatriates and has sought to maintain an impartial attitude towards issues facing them. It also seeks to pay equal attention to government bodies and the private sector. Stories related to city problems, the labour market and Omanisation have been of special interest to readers, as Times of Oman strives to convey the people’s opinions to the authorities. ‘Sunday Beat’ articles, written by renowned Omani journalist Saleh Al Shaibany, and the legal column that answers readers’ questions are also quite popular.

Stories related to city problems, the labour market and Omanisation have been of special interest to readers, as Times of Oman strives to convey the people’s opinions to the authorities

Additionally, the newspaper has focused on tourism-related developments in the Sultanate and played a key role in promoting Oman as an ideal tourism destination through introducing what the country has to offer visitors. The business section of the newspaper keeps the business community updated about latest developments in local and international markets, introduces existing investment opportunities in various sectors in Oman and highlights national projects. Times of Oman has come a long way and strives to become better every day. It does not claim that it is a ‘perfect’ newspaper, as there is always room for improvement. That is why it is encouraging that readers, more than ever, share their concerns and opinions with the editorial team. We would like to express our thanks to our readers, who have contributed to the improvement of the newspaper with their valuable feedback, as well as all officials who have placed their trust in our newspaper. There is still a long way ahead, and Times of Oman will continue its journey to surmount the peaks of progress!

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

MUSCAT MEDIA GROUP

International awards

Silver

Excellence and other similar awards

Judges Special Recognition 45 awards in Society for News Design (SND) Creative Competition

2011 Total

2 gold in WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards

2012 Total

45 awards in SND Creative Competition (1 gold and 2 silver)

1 gold in WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards

2013 Total

38 111 awards in SND Creative Competition 2 gold in WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards

2014 Total

135

1 gold in Maloﬁej Infographic Awards 1 gold in Society of Publication Designers (SPD) Annual Competition

281 Total awards

Graphics

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

THE PIONEER: ESSA AL ZEDJALI Every great man leaves a great story behind that inspires others to aim for the same glory. The story of late Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali, founder of Times of Oman, is not only interesting but a shining example of how to carve success through sheer grit, hard work and an unﬂinching self-belief ... in trying conditions. It’s two years since he passed away on February 21, 2013, but his legacy of excellence lives on. 32

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

rom the 1960s to 2013, his professional career as an administrator, diplomat, businessman and the most well-known journalist of his country makes a great story, which the readers of Times of Oman are well aware of. Essa Al Zedjali made a monumental contribution to the growth of journalism in Oman for which he was widely respected. His weekly column Viewpoint, published simultaneously in Times and Al Shabiba in both English and Arabic, regularly highlighted some of the most vital national issues, paving the way for their timely redressal. His bold and incisive analysis of international issues won him acclaim that transcended Omani borders as his column was also published in many other countries including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, UAE and Pakistan. What made Essa Al Zedjali even greater was his personal, more than professional, contribution to people’s lives. He was a highly caring person and a phenomenal philanthropist.

His weekly column Viewpoint, published simultaneously in Times of Oman and Al Shabiba in both English and Arabic, regularly highlighted some of the most vital national issues, paving the way for their timely redressal

The human side is even more compelling than other chapters of his success story. From funding schools to donating for charitable causes, Essa spent generously. He made signiﬁcant contributions to people’s lives by helping them in their hours of need ... quietly. Nobody, except Essa and the person in need, would know that there was an issue which had been taken care of instantly, gently, silently. He was widely loved by his colleagues, employees and a huge circle of friends. A man of amazing wit and humour, Essa was quite popular in social circles. People loved his company in informal gatherings and wanted him around whenever possible. He was also a wonderful host, a true exponent of amazing Omani hospitality and a friend’s friend. “How can I forget the wonderful moments spent in his company? Is it possible for me not to recall the great person that he was?” asks Mahmoud Suleiman Al Zedjali, best friend and cousin of Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali.

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

The duo forged a strong bond of friendship and mutual trust, initially as schoolmates, and later as colleagues. “Despite his stature in society, we found him a very humble and kind human being and a great philanthropist. Essa Al Zedjali had a very high intellect and sharp sense of humour with a wit of class,” says another friend Arshad Ali Khan, who had a long association with him. Essa made life-long friends wherever he went and attributed his success in life to this special bond he enjoyed with people across the globe. “The best advice I ever got was from my grandfather and it has served me well all my life. Once he told me: ‘Build castles whenever and wherever you go abroad’. What my grandfather actually meant by castle was not a building but a friend. He always considered a good friend like a castle which can help you and protect you when nothing or nobody does,” Essa wrote in an article to a local publication that invited him to share the best advice he ever got in his life.

Essa dared to dream and had the guts to pursue those dreams with conviction 36

“I have beneﬁted from this piece of advice from my grandfather and made friends wherever I have gone. I would like others too to do the same. After all, as Oscar Wilde once said, the best thing to do with good advice is pass it on,” he added. About Essa’s legacy, Mahmoud states, “He is a human example of how one can start from nothing to reach the top.” Today, the group he founded Muscat Media House (previously Muscat Press and Publishing House) owns a number of products from broadsheet dailies to tabloid weeklies as well as weekly magazines both in Arabic and English languages such as Times of Oman, Al Shabiba, Hi weekly, Sabat Ayam, Thursday Magazine, Glorious Oman and Faces. Essa’s amiable and kind hearted nature attracted the young and old. He was always ready to lend a helping hand, as there was a generous side to him and the number of people he helped is countless. “In fact, when he helped, he never made it known to anyone. He had to struggle hard to make it to the top of the lad-

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

der, so he wanted to ease the climb for others. He provided for the education of many youngsters and helped those who needed money for medical emergencies,” he says. When he passed away, people turned out in large numbers to pay him their tributes. “This proved his popularity with the people. Our family lost a great support and role model,” he says. Talking about his long and cherished association with Essa, Mahmoud said his friend was destined to be a successful man. The two of them went to the same school in Oman, and later studied and worked together in different countries, including Kuwait, the UAE and India. Mahmoud described the late Essa as “a self-made man.” Having lost his parents early, life was not easy for him. “But he dared to dream and had the guts to pursue those dreams with conviction,” says Mahmoud. In the Saidi school where they both studied, Mahmoud recalls Essa as a very quiet child who focused on his studies. “He would read everything he could get his hands on – even old

His wisdom, integrity, sense of humour and experience were things that all who came to know him admired. An extraordinary man, he was the strength and inspiration of his family and society 38

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

newspapers or magazines,” he remembers. Mahmoud says as Essa grew up he became more social, which eventually led him to build life-long friendships. He remembers that Essa was a stubborn man who never looked back once he set his mind on doing something. “He had worked for an oil company, been in the foreign service and owned contracting, printing, trading, pharmaceutical and livestock companies, but he had no idea about the newspaper business. Yet, he went ahead and launched a newspaper, which is today the most enduring brand in Oman,” Mahmoud says. Mahmoud believes that it was the days spent in Kuwait that shaped his thoughts about Essa. “It was here that he was exposed to great books belonging to different genres. He became a voracious reader. He made it a point to read books on history, politics, philosophy, economics and other subjects. We had a shared an interest in books,” he says. Kuwait also gave him an opportunity to hear eminent thinkers from Syria, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan and other countries. “When we were at secondary school, there was what was called the ‘cultural season’ in Kuwait where thinkers from across the world would come to address the gathering. We both

42 TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

would make it a point to attend the opening for all lectures. At times, the topics under discussion would ﬂy over our heads, but it ignited our thought process,” he says. Perhaps this influenced his thoughts and writings in journalism, he adds. Essa’s weekly column, Viewpoint, published every Sunday, became one of the most keenly awaited columns in the country. “That was not surprising. Essa used to draw the attention of authorities to a lot of issues and problems. The Darsait ﬂyover was one of his long-standing demands. He always made it a point to offer constructive suggestions. We need journalists who write about issues that are useful to the community,” he says. Mahmoud stresses that Essa was not only a pioneer in the world of journalism, but a highly committed human being. “His wisdom, integrity, sense of humour and experience were things that all who came to know him admired. An extraordinary man, he was the strength and inspiration of his family and society. He was universally liked, admired and respected by everyone. He deserves not to be forgotten.” -Times News Service

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

LOOKING BACK Times of Oman looks back at the events that made news over the last 40 years.

1975 - 1979

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

January 9, 1978 June 8, 1975 His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said leaves on an ofﬁcial visit to Saudi Arabia. November 18, 1975 HM to inaugurate new desalination plant and earth satellite station.

Ambitious OMR90m gas pipelines project signed.

April 13, 1977

June 5, 1977

Septermber 27, 1979

HM witnesses Jaguar Air display

Sultanate provides compulsive legislation to protect investment.

National Park to be set up at Qurum.

July 18, 1976

June 22, 1978 HM cuts the ribbon to mark the inauguration of Ruwi head ofﬁce of CBO.

HM visits UK with Lord James Callaghan at the helm as PM.

1975

1976

1977

1978

November 7, 1976 June 29, 1975 New Press and Publication law takes effect in Oman.

1979

February 8, 1979 Oman raises crude price to $13.94.

Oman’s oil production reaches 134,320,000 barrels.

June 22, 1975 A new era of countrywide telecommunication system starts in Oman. The new 600-bed Qaboos Hospital likely to start functioning next year.

March 1, 1979 Queen Elizabeth arrives on a three-day visit to Oman.

June 21, 1976 HM makes an official visit to Iran. December 7, 1978 Yves Saint Laurent comes to Oman. The first ever fashion show was held. Five Yves Saint Laurent models flew in from Paris.

NATIONAL DAY THROUGH THE YEARS

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979 Times of Oman takes a look at the National Day magazine covers that were published over the last 40 years.

1980 - 1984

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

February 14, 1980 The Sultanate gets a new library.

February 18, 1982 Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visits.

April 30, 1981 Margaret Thatcher meets with His Majesty.

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

June 26, 1980 New oilﬁeld will soon start production. Public phones to be available soon throughout the Sultanate.

June 23, 1983 Oman-India industry links being explored. May 31, 1984 December 17, 1980

Sultan Qaboos University takes shape.

OMR5.5m container terminal opened.

September 27, 1984 Oman’s ﬁrst book fair. May 24, 1984 George Bush, vicepresident of US arrives on a three-day ofﬁcial visit, speaks of his admiration for Oman.

July 3, 1980 Oman admitted to Asian Football Federation.

Januray 28, 1982 Oman’s ﬁrst shoe factory begins production.

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1990 - 1994

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

June 15, 1993 Narsimha Rao visits Oman. A new era begins in OmanIndia ties.

January 1, 1991 Weekly Times of Oman turns daily. January 13, 1991 Austrian President Dr Kurt Waldheim arrives.

January 25, 1990 Palestine President Arafat arrives in Oman.

1990

1991

November 6, 1991

January 1, 1994

ROP introduces new vehicle register system.

Year of Oman’s heritage starts today.

1992

1993

1994

September 19, 1992 Oman, India decide to strengthen ties. February 22, 1990 Private ﬁrms urged to boost Omanisation. January 8, 1992 New children’s clinic opened at Al Nahda Hospital.

June 23, 1994 Oman makes history in the Gulf. Women to participate in Majlis Al Shura.

December 13, 1990 First open heart surgery in Oman. February 6, 1993

November 8, 1990 New oilﬁelds opened.

December 22, 1991 His Majesty opens ﬁrst Majlis Al Shura session.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has declared that Islam and democracy go together and described the establishment of Majlis Al Shura in Oman as a right step in the right direction at the right time.

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995 - 1999

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

August 28, 1995 A pair of Siamese twins joined by the hips and lower abdomen had been successfully seperated at the Royal Hospital in the ﬁrst operation of it’s kind in Oman.

April 14, 1998

The Economist hails HM’s leadership in Oman’s success story.

March 6, 1996 A new vessel of the Royal Navy of Oman, SNV Annajah was launched. The launch of the SNV Annajah shows the concern of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and is part of RNO measures to improve defence. September 1, 1997 People’s Princess Diana dies in accident. April 2, 1997 September 6, 1997

A warm welcome in India. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said arrived in New Delhi on a four day ofﬁcial visit to India.

Mother Teresa dies.

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

May 29, 1998 Pakistan carries out ﬁve nuclear tests

January 13, 1995 Over 2000 killed in Japan quake.

January 30, 1999 A colourful start to the second annual Muscat Festival. Sayyid Saif bin Hamed bin Saud, minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court inaugurated the event.

November 7, 1996 His Majesty lays down succession rules in ﬁrst Constitution.

February 8, 1999 King Hussein of Jordan died after a seven-month battle with cancer. His son, Abdullah bin Hussein is sworn in as successor.

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000 - 2004

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

March 26, 2000

December 27, 2004

HM-Clinton review Oman-US ties, peace process.

Tsunami hits the world. One of the worst natural disasters in recorded history hits Southeast Asia, when the strongest earthquake in 40 years hits the entire Indian Ocean region.

June 12, 2000 President Musharraf arrives. A maritime boundary agreement signed with Oman.

January 1, 2002 GCC Summit in Muscat issues communiqué.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

October 30, 2000 Italy honours HM with the medal of the President of Italian Republic. August 31, 2002 ROP warns against crowded school buses

May 26, 2001

January 14, 2004

A giant leap for Oman football. 2-0 win before 40,000 rapturous fans seals advance into next stage of World Cup qualiﬁers.

Sign of miracle; Omani doctors shape four-monthold girl’s skull and face. January 14, 2003 HM’s Meet the People tour begins.

May 4, 2001 His Majesty presided over the inauguration of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in the wilayat of Bausher, Muscat.

November 12, 2004 Yasser Arafat is dead.

January 30, 2003 Sayyid Faisal passes away.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

ajest

30 DHUL HIJJA 1425 Price: Baisas 200

Page 11

2005 - 2009

Visit www.timesofoman.com to read epaper

Page 4

the first in the region Vol. 30,

Page 4

Page 7

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

January 2, 2008 The price of petroleum hits $100 per barrel for the ﬁrst time.

December 30, 2006 Saddam Hussein, former Iraq president, is executed in Baghdad.

March 22, 2005

n Vol. 30, No. 346

Oman stresses need to boost Arab relations. HH Sayyid Fahd met with Algerian President Abdul Aziz Bouteﬂika. The Sultanate hoped that the conference would agree on all matters that would strengthen ties, unify Arab rank and realise the ambitions of Arab people for a more secure, stable and prosperous future.

163 people killed in a series of coordinated bomb attacks which struck several commuter trains in Mumbai, India.

2005

2006

January 21, 2009 Barack Obama becomes 44th, and ﬁrst AfricanAmerican, President of the United States. July 12, 2006

2007

2008

2009

January 21, 2007 Attiyah hails Jawarharlal Nehru award for HM.

Page 7

February 22, 2005

September 15, 2008

HM orders OMR10.1m development projects in Dhahirah.

Sultanate of Oman wins gold at Spain Water Expo. March 8, 2007 Omani women got respect under HM’s rule: Macki. June 9, 2007 Cyclone Gonu toll crosses 50.

June 26, 2009 American entertainer Michael Jackson dies, triggering an outpouring of worldwide grief. February 9, 2005 His Majesty Sultan Qaboos: Give priority to Omani products.

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

BACK IN ACTION

A permanent cure for chronic back pain moved a step closer as scientists unveiled a revolutionary new smart chip that can block pain signals when implanted in the spinal cord. >C11

2 6 M U H A R R A M 1 4 3 2 / S AT U R D AY, J A N UA R Y 1 , 2 0 1 1

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VOL. 39 NO. 260 / FOUNDED 1975

MUSCAT: His Majes Majesty ty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable cable of greetings to Field Marshal Omar Hasan Ahmad Ahmad Al Bas Bashir, hir, pres president ident of the Republic Republic of Sudan, on on his country’s Independ Independence ence Day anniversary. niversary. In his cable, His His Majesty expressed his wish wishes es of good good health, happiness and a long long life to to the pre pressident and the Suda Sudanese nese peop people le further progress progress and prosperit prosperity. y. — ONA

‘Losing captainccy key to England d’s Ashes win’

A13 A13

CUBA

MUSCAT: His Majesty Majesty Sultan Sultan Qaboos bin bin Said ha hass sent a cable of greetings greetings to Pr President esident Raul Raul Castro of the the Republic Republic of Cuba on his country’s National Day. In his cable, cable, His Majes Majesty ty expressed expressed his ssincere incere wishes to the Cuban Cuban preside president nt and the friendly friendly Cuban people further further progress and prosp prosperity. erity. — ONA

The New Year: Peace and security READ TOMORROW’S VIEWPOINT

The Times of Oman wishes its readers a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2011

BAISAS 200

•

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M

and Camel Camel Festival Festival will be attend attended ed by members members of the Royal family family a and nd

REWIND

dignitaries dignitaries

Joseph St Joseph Stigl iglitz itz,, world wor ld wri writer ters s pen pen for ‘T ‘Time imes s of of Oman Oman’’ Times News News Service

HAPPY NEW YEAR

•

Royal Equestri Equestrian an

ESSA BIN MOHAMMED AL ZEDJALI:

HM greet greets s Raul Cas Castro tro

4 4 PAG E S

HM to preside over equestrian festival today

SUDAN

HM sends sends greeting gree tings s

•

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MUSCAT: As we ring ring in 2011, 2011, Times of Oman has lined up something special special for its reade readers. rs. The Times of Oman has got the the most-infl fluential thinkers, writers and leaders leaders from across across the world to write in for the the benefi fit of our readers. While the 16-page supplement supplement with today’s today’s edition edition of Times has walked down down the memory memory lane looking at at what ha happened ppened within within our nation, nation, it has also brought brought for its readers readers thoughts thoughts from from

the greatest greatest minds from around around the globe. globe. In his article NobelNobellaureate in Economics, Economics, Jose Joseph ph Stiglitz looks at “What Lie Liess Ahead in 2011?” Stiglitz consider considered ed the world’s most-infl most-influential fluential personalities whose whose late latest st book, Freefall: Free Markets Markets and tthe he Sinking Sinking of the Global Economy Economy,, is making making waves says, “The “The global economy ends ends 2010 more divided than it w was as at the beginning beginning of the the year. On one side, emerging-mar emerging-market ket countries countries like India, India, China, and the southeast Asian economies economies are are experie experiencing ncing robust growth. growth. >A2

MUSCAT: His Majesty Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin bin Said will will preside preside over the Royal Equestrian Equestrian and Camel Camel Festival today to be organised organised by the Royal Court Aff Affairs ffairs at Al Fath Square in Al Wattayah. Wattayah. The festival festival will be attended attended by members members of the Royal family; family; chairmen of the State State Council Council and Majlis Al Shura; ministers; ministers; advisers; commanders commanders of SAF Corp Corps, s, Royal Guard Guard of Oman, Oman, and th thee other military military and security apparatuses, senior commanders commanders and offi fficers. The The festiv festival al will also also be attended by members members of the State Council and and Majlis Al Shura; Shura; undersecretaries; dersecret aries; heads heads of the the diplomatic missions missions accredited accredited to to the Sultanate;; military Sultanate military attachés; attachés; senior state offi fficials and and dignitaries. dignitaries. Lieutenant-General Lieutenan t-General Sultan bin bin Mohammed Al Numani, Numani, secretary-general tary-gene ral of the the Royal Court Court

His Majesty Majesty Sultan Qaboos Qaboos bin Said

Aff ffairs, said said in a statement statement to ONA that holding holding of the the Royal EquesEquestrian and Camel Festival Festival stemmed stemmed from the Royal vision vision and attenattention His Majesty the the Sultan accorded to equestrian equestrian and camel camel activitiess and sports, activitie sports, one of the historic achieveme achievements nts of the the Sultanate of Oman. Horses and and camels have received a remarkable remarkable share of of the Royal Grants Grants as pa part rt of His Majesty the Sultan’s belief in preserving the Sultanate’ Sultanate’ss heritage heritage and

dissemina dissemination tion of the the culture culture caring for for horses and camel, camel, h said, pointing pointing out that the Su tanate has has reserved, reserved, during th prosperouss reign of prosperou of His Majesty, Majesty, notable place place at tthe he internation internation level in terms of attention and car extended to horses and came thanks to the Royal Royal care His His Ma esty accorded accorded to this this eff effect. ffect. Thi he said, has led to to the particip particip tion of renowned renowned internatio internation n teams from from the friendly friendly countrie countrie in this festival, festival, he added. — ONA

CHANGE ON THE CARD

Will tthi Will his s Ne New w Year Year s see ee tthe he exit ex it o off Cl Clau aude de L Le e Ro Roy? y? T. K. MOHANDOSS MOHANDOSS sportseditor@times sportsedi tor@timesofoman.co ofoman.com m MUSCAT: Is the flamboyant Frenchman Claude L Lee Roy on his way out? Is it true true that the the Oman Football Associati Association on is all set to terminate his cont contract? ract? These are the questions questions pro proppping up after after the failed Gu Gulf lf Cup defence in in Yemen recently. recently. A hint at the foreseen foreseen changes changes in some of of the local local Arabic dailies has pumped pumped more stuff stuff ff into the the rumour mill mill and the the football football fans are eagerly eagerly looking looking forward to the developments. developme nts. The Sultanate Sultanate is abuzz abuzz with speculations, speculati ons, but confirmation confi firmation or denial proved proved hard to come as the

Claude Le Roy

cannot ﬁll ﬁll in the the vacuum left by L Lee Roy. The rumour mill mill has thrown thrown out a few names who who could b bee Le

continent with Nig Nigeria eria look looking ing to sign him him before the Worl World d Cup 2010 and also Alge Algeria ria showi showing ng interest in him now. Le Roy’s list of teams teams managed managed includes Ghana, Shanghai Shanghai CoCosco, Cameroon Cameroon (twi (twice), ce), Malaysia, Malaysia, Strasbourg, Strasbour g, DR Congo Congo and also also Cambridge United. It was with with Cameroon Cameroon where Le Roy had had tasted most of his his success winning winning the 1988 1988 Afric African an Cup of Nations. Nations. When h hee took over over Oman after after Uruguay Uruguayan an Ribas was shown the door, it was his 13th manageriall job. manageria The OFA board board meeting meeting tomortomorrow is likely likely to discuss discuss va various rious recommendations recommend ations by the tech techninical committee, committee, whi which ch is lis listing ting out

2010 - 2014

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

April 5, 2010

November 6, 2014

Ras Al Hadd to house sea turtle museum.

The nation rejoices: Speaking in a ﬁrm and clear voice, His Majesty addresses his countrymen on the occasion of the 44th National Day via video from Germany, where he is receiving medical treatment.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014 / 13 MUHARRAM 1436 AH

VOLUME 43 NO. 215

Times sets in new era Yesterday morning we realised that this was what Oman has been long waiting for. The Times of Oman, in its new avatar, has taken the Sultanate by storm. The stunning sleek look, the navigability, use of colours, the telling pictures and the new dimensions have churned the market and society inside out. Compliments have been pouring in ceaselessly chocking our inboxes and keeping our phones perpetually ringing. Employees at our office, cutting across all sections and departments, received countless phones and sms complementing on the design. Bouquets have over ﬂown. Pithily, the new-look Times of Oman has set the industry on ﬁre. We, however, received a few calls complaining against late receiving of their copies, which we pledge to address urgently. The excitement is understandable and natural. The readers, patrons, advertisers, vendors and well wishers are agog with complements. Some seem to have simply fallen head over heels for its overall mesmerising look. And indeed, they have a point. Times,

April 4, 2010 After rounds of brainstorming and many trials, a new era in Times begins.

2010

the ﬁrst in Oman, to have given itself the latest international look and fervour in true sense of the term. What seems to have attracted the readers is the clarity of printing and the pointers enabling them to navigate with absolute ease through the entire edition of 40 pages. The pointers, the readers found, helpful in ways more than one. The pointers, the readers found, helpful in directing their attentions to the must reads. The more serious and discernable readers found the introduction of the Perspective page exciting. They said that they are looking forward to reading more of analytical writings other than the hardcore opinionated articles of the editorial page, rechristened as Commentary. The section-wise segregation of the entire edition for the beneﬁt of the readers has been extremely well taken. An instant hit among the readers, they found segregation of sections helpful for each member of the families. The corporate honchos and business page readers were pleasantly surprised by the

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new introduction of business feature. Many said that such an item was long over due and was being missed. Their need seems to have been well taken care of in the new layout. The sports pages look “stunning” and “so international,” said scores of readers. The bold display of pictures, telling stories in thousand words, and increase in the number of pages has received wide appreciation. “Times”, said one of our readers “has set Oman market on a tail spin,” while another was more witty saying “size does matter.” The Times has certainly addressed a lot of issues in one single stroke, felt its innumerable readers, admirers, patrons and well wishers. The design and the look, they said, have not just made the daily more readable, navigable, manoeuvrable but also ensured that the future of print media is safe even in the wake of Internet’s meteoric growth and popularity. The Times of Oman has successfully incorporated the advantages of the Internet and stood up to the challenges posed by the new age media outlet.

2011

January 1, 2012 May 16, 2013

Dr Shoaib Al Zadjali, a senior biomedical scientist, earns kudos for thesis from an institute in France.

Oman wins UN Public Service Awards 2013.

2013

2014

2012

January 1, 2011 HM to presides over equestrian festival.

December 8, 2010 Spectacular opening of Asian Beach Games at Musannah’s Sports City.

FO EU

March 6, 2012

February 9, 2011 Times of Oman excels at the prestigious SND Awards with 36 awards at the 32nd edition of the Best of News Design - an international organisation for news media professionals and visual communicators.

Argentina’s football legend Diego Maradona arrives with his UAE-based Al Wasl team.

MONDAY, January 6, 2014

4 RABI AL AWAL 1435

In a ﬁrst, we bring you p newspapers on WhatsAp

5,571,375 mobile subInformation, there are are 2,119,984 active scribers out of which there subscribers. of introducing a mobile broadband that the majority of the moMUSCAT: With the objective is a possibility country, Oman’s lead- “It use WhatsApp serpioneering concept to the broadband subscribers newspapers, Times of bile is the right medium to ing English and Arabic vices so we believe this newspaper,” the are all set to launch the Oman and Al Shabiba, distribute our unique concept on WhatsApp . official added. world’s first newspapers (in Engthe newsWhile the major focus of Going by the name WhatsNews will be (in Arabic), papers on WhatsApp lish) and WhatsOulom local news, breaking internathe newspapers on WhatsApp part day per tional news will also be will have three editions of the feed. The newspapers — 12 noon, 5pm and 10pm. concept also new the WhatsApp on about Talking the encourages people to parconcept, an official for “The ticipate in the distribution publications said, of authentic news. newspapers on WhatsApp iniHow to get WhatsNews is being rolled out as an through ruand broadcast tiative that aims to stop WhatsApp mour mongering. The news The WhatsNews and Whatthat we publish in our three will on sOulom newspaper images Al editions will be based and cial be posted on Times of Oman confirmation from offi is Twitter accounts as sources. Our objective Shabiba’s Facebook and also be posted in of as the microsite. It will to stop the spreading and ramifications in the well and WhatsOulum’s Facebook the rumours that have negative to first save authentic and verified WhatsNews accounts. “The user has society. We believe that newspaper imcontribute positively to Twitter will WhatsOulom online and shared news WhatsNews their Apple or Anto their photo folder in the society.” have to to provide people in ages To broadcast it they will send He also added, “We hope device. droid news upload and ering of authentic their WhatsApp account, Oman with a richer off WhatsApp, which is open to a friend or a group they through the medium of get the newspaper image will their to it readers Our forward very popular in the country. part of. Their friends can and share them through are the technical manager the latest news updates own contacts,” explained >A3 WhatsApp.” for Statistics and of the project. As per the National Centre

TIMES NEWS SERVICE

January 6, 2014 In another ﬁrst, Times brings its readers newspaper on WhatsApp. June 11, 2014 Plan to curb trade, intake of alcohol.

February 21, 2013 October 13, 2011 HM opens Royal Opera House.

Doyen of journalism in Oman Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali passes away.

Portu was t has d his fo

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TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Readers speak

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Times of Oman I would like to convey my heartfelt congratulations and my best wishes to the management, the reporters and all the staff for this important milestone. The Times of Oman represents a very important point of reference in the Omani press. A special mention goes to the Times of Oman website, full of marvellous pictures of the beauty of the Sultanate and always updated with the latest news. Paola Amadei Ambassador of Italy

I am absolutely delighted to learn that the Times of Oman is celebrating its 40th anniversary in February 2015. My heartiest congratulations and felicitations to the management, editorial board, journalists and staff of Times of Oman and its Thursday magazine on having reached this important milestone. The Times of Oman has become part of one’s daily morning routine. I have beneﬁted greatly from the publication’s extensive coverage and reporting about Oman (including on Indian community matters), India and global issues. I have also had the privilege of contributing articles to the Envoy Speak column of the newspaper. I take this opportunity to wish Times of Oman, the leading English daily with the largest circulation in the Sultanate, the very best for the future also. I am conﬁdent that going forward the group’s publications will attain newer heights. J.S. Mukul Ambassador of India

The Times of Oman has become a part of our lives, an indispensable part of my routine. Reading it in the car on the way to the office or at my desk at the office every morning, I can assure you it’s not the smell of the newsprint. What I do enjoy are the physical scale, the variety, and navigation ease of the Times of Oman’s paper edition. It provides us with the latest news across all sectors in Oman, the Middle East, Asia and the world. At some level, it provides reassurance that we are ‘informed enough’ for the day with credible information. Barbara Joziasse Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Readers speak

I would like to extend heartiest felicitations to the editorial board of Times of Oman on the auspicious occasion of the 40th anniversary of the newspaper. It is a distinct privilege to write a message and be part of the celebrations. The oldest English daily not only provides the latest news from around the world but also in-depth and frank analysis on a variety of topics having a direct impact on the society. The Times of Oman continues to occupy a leading role in publishing community-related news which no doubt has brought all the nationalities of South Asia closer to each other. Forty years is a milestone for a newspaper. It is a time to celebrate and be recognised, to acknowledge the hard working of previous years and plan for the more modern world ahead. I am sure Times of Oman will keep pace with the technology and continue providing the latest news 24/7. I wish all the success for Times of Oman, its management and for all those associated with the newspaper. Ayaz Hussain Ambassador of Pakistan

While congratulating the Times of Oman on its 40th year of publication I would like to state that since my arrival in Muscat it has become a must-do thing for me , every morning, to read the Times of Oman newspaper to start my day. In this age of electronic media and all the international TV news channels available, it is still very important to read a trusted and balanced local newspaper in order to understand the mood and the trends, both social and political, of the country. In my almost four years of stay in Muscat I have been witness to a lot of changes for the better and progress in many aspects of life here in Oman, under the wise and balanced leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, and the Times of Oman’s role through its publications and electronic media involvement has been signiﬁcant and praise worthy. Once again while congratulating the 40th year of establishment of the Times of Oman, I would like to thank the very professional and dedicated staff working tirelessly to keep reading this publication on top of must-do things, at least for me! Azim Nasser-Zia Ambassador of Afghanistan

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Times of Oman I extend to the editors and all of its staff my warmest congratulations and heartfelt greetings, and every success in their endeavors. It is indeed a pleasure for me to go through the pages of the Times of Oman every morning. It’s a newspaper which covers all aspects of journalism with editorials, reports and interesting articles dealing with important political and international issues that can shape world affairs in our turbulent times. At the same time coverage of all aspects of local political, economic, cultural and social life gives the reader a multidimensional possibility, to be informed in accuracy and objectiveness,and to formulate a fair and solid opinion on local and regional realities. Somebody could say that the paper reﬂects the wisdom of the country’s leadership and the kindness and peaceful attitude of the ordinary Omani. Costas A. Papademas Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Readers speak

On behalf of the Russian Embassy I want to convey warm greetings to the staff and the readers of the Times of Oman. The history of the Times of Oman is inextricably linked with the destiny of the Sultanate and the development of its national journalism. Outstanding writers, journalists, scholars and experts have worked for the newspaper. Thanks to their skill and professionalism, the Times of Oman has found its own style and has gained popularity among readers of different generations, both national and foreigners. Importantly, there is always room in its pages for different points of view and the public debate on crucial current issues. I wish the staff of the newspaper health, further success and the readers new interesting articles about Russia with this wonderful newspaper. Dr. Envarbik Fazelianov Ambassador of the Russian Federation

I am honoured to be part of the celebration on the 40th anniversary of the Times of Oman. Like a human being, when the Times of Oman reaches 40 years of age, it could be presumed that this English newspaper must have earned respect from Omani society, apart from its popularity among expatriates and Omanis. The newspaper has gained in popularity perhaps because it offers articles and news columns of interest to its readers on a daily and weekly basis. News coverage published in the newspaper includes social, economic, political and cultural aspects of the Sultanate and other countries, particularly countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Many a times such news coverage comes in a timely manner with accuracy and is accompanied with colour photographs, which easily attract attention of readers. Its editorial column contains views and comments, based on professionalism. As a diplomat, I really enjoy reading the “Envoy Speak” column very much. Maybe what I have just described so far reﬂects the beauty of the Times of Oman. I hope it won’t change its course of news presentations in the future. May the Times of Oman ever prosper for now and in the years to come.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Times of Oman, I would like to express my sincere congratulations to the editor and all the staff on this achievement, wishing them further success and all the best. Times of Oman is playing a commendable role as a constructive voice promoting the values and ideals of the society, and providing truthful and reliable information and analysis in a very easy and clear way in its paper edition or through the website and other social media. Such an achievement can only be realised by hard work and talent. Personally, I believe that the role of the press is to empower, inform, educate and entertain the public, and this is what Times of Oman is doing through excellent coverage of the events, well documented reports, and interesting topics. It is also providing a public platform for citizens and expatriates to express their opinions, thus contributing to the strengthening of the interaction and participation. I have participated in Envoy Speak with an article about my country Tunisia and the good relations with the Sultanate, and I am looking forward for more contributions. I hope Times of Oman performs even better in the future. Once again, happy birthday and many happy returns.

Dr. Pornchai Danvivathana Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand

Tarek Ladeb Ambassador of Tunisia

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Readers speak

Times of Oman newspaper, which is the oldest English paper in the Sultanate, has been a pioneer in transforming the media landscape of this region. The content of the paper as well as its colourful design and layout appeal to readers of all ages and interests. Times of Oman’s focus on local content and its coverage of international stories keep the people in Oman informed of the latest developments. The paper has gone from strength to strength over the years and is keeping pace with the latest developments in the media and publishing industry in the world. Ali Akbar Sibeveih Ambassador of Iran

Sultan Qaboos University is proud of its good relations with all media establishments in the country, especially those who have been supporting us by covering our best moments since the inception of the university. We value our strong relations with the Times of Oman which is the oldest English daily newspaper in Oman. The Times of Oman has played an important role in shaping the society in the Sultanate. The newspaper has been equally supportive in publicising SQU activities and its progress in different spheres such as teaching, research, internationalisation and community service. This has helped us in increasing our visibility in the region and the world at large, thanks to the online edition of the newspaper. We value our partnership with the English media organisations in Oman and appreciate their efforts and contributions to the progress of the nation under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said. It is our pleasure to join the happiness of the Times of Oman management and journalists on the occasion of the newspaper celebrating its 40th anniversary. I wish further progress to Times of Oman and further success to its journalists. Dr. Ali bin Saud Al Bimani Vice Chancellor, Sultan Qaboos University

My congratulations to Times of Oman on this great achievement of reaching 40. As Oman’s oldest English language newspaper, it has been a witness to the growth of our nation. The paper has been a part of my own life. I like its sports coverage since coverage of sports is important to Oman and its people. I am happy it covers sports at the international level too. It’s coverage of a wide range of topics both locally and internationally is commendable. The newspaper has moved quickly with the times, and this can be seen by their increased online presence. I am sure they will continue to play a signiﬁcant role in the Omani society in the future. Congratulations once again to the dedicated staff who make it happen and good luck to all of them for a great future. Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi Chairman of Oman Football Association

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Readers speak

It is indeed a great achievement for an English newspaper to have a successful run for forty years in an Arab country. Inspite of the digital revolution, for most of the people, the feeling of the newspaper in hand is still the daily routine and this proves the inﬂuence of the print media on all of us. The press has a central role to play in our society by serving the public by empowering the citizens to make them aware of their responsibilities and contribute their might for the enrichment of their country . The press also plays a signiﬁcant role in the dissemination of knowledge. It is also the responsibility of the press to enable the government to work for the betterment of its citizens. The Times of Oman since last forty years has been doing exactly this. Congratulations on the 40th anniversary.

The Times of Oman is a key pillar in the Sultanate’s newspaper industry. For forty years, it has represented local people and businesses in a fair and non-biased way, helping to connect local residents and promote and enhance the Sultanate’s business community. It helps showcase the very best Oman has to offer. His Highness Sayyid Faisal bin Turki Al Said Director general of marketing and media at the Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development (Ithraa)

Davis Kallukaran Managing Partner Horwath Mak Ghazali LLC

Over the past 40 years, Times of Oman has witnessed milestone developments to reach to its current professional status in terms of the eye-catching design, graphics, colours, fonts and content. Besides, the fact that the newspaper focuses on highlighting local scoops and touching upon issues of concern to the local community, makes it even more close to the Omanis and the residents within and outside the country. In addition, Times of Oman carries out impressive efforts in covering events and activities undertaken by the government bodies in the Sultanate, and showing its dedicated responsibility in supporting Oman’s development projects. The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) is privileged to be one of the entities beneﬁting from a fruitful cooperation with the newspaper. We aspire that this cooperation continues for the public interest and we wish for the Times of Oman dynamic growth and continued success. Congratulations on four decades of excellence! Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani CEO of Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE)

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Readers speak

Without a doubt, Time of Oman has played a pioneering role in local journalism, particularly promoting the Sultanate’s tourism industry. The paper has always been a key media partner of Omran that has looked for creative means in introducing what Oman has to offer. Their internationally recognised infographics have raised the bar for newspapers in the region, and provided a great platform to highlight the existing and upcoming tourism projects as well as voicing tourists’ constructive feedback to the concerned authorities. We wish Times Oman a very happy 40th anniversary and further success in the future.

I would like to extend my heartiest felicitations to the entire team of Times of Oman on the auspicious occasion of the 40th anniversary of the newspaper. The oldest English newspaper in Oman not only provides the latest news from around the world but also in-depth coverage on Oman. I cannot think my morning can start without reading Times of Oman. Mohammed Shaﬁqul Islam Bhuiyan President Bangladesh Social club

Mohammed Al Eissa Corporate communications manager Omran

I grew up reading Times of Oman. It is great achievement for the paper that it is ranked as one of the most trustworthy news media in the country. Over the years I have seen Times of Oman growing from strength to strength. After being number one in the print publication it is now a formidable force in the online media sector. I am happy to hear that the paper is celebrating its 40th year of existence. I must say that Times of Oman has played a key role in my success and the paper is one of the strongest supporter of my sport. Times of Oman is the voice of my sport as it has given me wide coverage for my performances over the years. Ahmad Al Harthy Oman’s motorsport champion

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Readers speak

I am a regular reader of Times of Oman ever since I shifted to Muscat from Dubai. It is the local coverage which attracts me as my family is updated on the happening in and around Oman. Besides Oman, I love to read the India pages. I also like the Thursday magazine which I can read at leisure on Fridays. I wish to congratulate all the editorial staff for a job well done in coming out with the newspaper, celebrating the 40th anniversary. Ahijit Seal

I have been subscribing to the Times of Oman for more than two decades. Earlies Times was the most popular local English daily as other news papers were mostly UAE based. I found the paper easy reading, over the years it has grown to a well balanced news paper. It does a great coverage of local, region and world news, besides takes up issues of interest to the expatriate population in Oman. I also like the business and sport sections. But I request for better coverage of golf - with three courses built in Oman which are of international standard there are many parties interested in the subject. I wish to congratulate all the editorial staff for a job well done, celebrating the 40th anniversary. Dr A K Dogra

Times of Oman has contributed signiﬁcantly to the media scene in Oman. Times of Oman has been playing a major role in offering local news and important information about Oman. I really enjoy its presentation and diversity of subjects it covers. It is a reliable newspaper for all information. I believe that over the years, Times of Oman, as a leading English language daily in the Sultanate has distinguished itself with a very high degree of professionalism. Khloud Zaid Al Kumzari SQU student

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Readers speak

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Times of Oman, I would like to express my sincere congratulations to the management and all the staff on this achievement, wishing them further success and all the best. Personally, I feel the journalists at Times of Oman are doing a great job in empowering, and educating the citizens and residents of Oman. I hope Times of Oman comes out with a evening newspaper as we don’t have a newspaper which caters to us in the evening.

Forty years is a big milestone for any newspaper in the world. It is a time to celebrate not only for the staff members of Times of Oman but also for the readers and all the people associated with the biggest and the oldest newspaper of Oman. I wish all the success for Times of Oman, its management and for all those associated with the newspaper. Subhojyoti Basu

Vijay Handa

Let me congratulate Times of Oman on completing 40 wonderful years. I have been a subscriber of Times since 1988. Times of Oman has grown over the years both in quantity and quality, and I look forward to my daily dose of the newspaper. My son used to insist on reading Times before leaving for school everyday. Essa Al Zedjali led the paper to a new level, and was very bold and insightful in his thoughts. The introduction of e-paper, Thursday and H! ended the “something is missing feeling”. My family enjoys these products. Thursday magazine is a must carry when I go back home - my 90 years old mother in law loves it. We enjoy the new additions and concepts to the paper . As long as we are in Oman, Times will be our newspaper. The one thing I would like is the paper should not be stopped for so many days during the Eid holidays. Good luck to the entire Times team and congratulations on your fantastic paper. Mohammed Batri

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Readers speak

I convey my heartiest congratulations to Times of Oman on the successful completion of 40. Personally, I have benefited and continue to benefit from it. Times has been playing a major role in offering news, information and significant opinions about Oman and international events. I really enjoy its online products. I wish Times of Oman staff great success in the coming years.

Times of Oman, the most popular English Daily of the Sultanate, has successfully catered to the needs of expatriate community in the Sultanate. I am particularly impressed with how the Times of Oman is using technology and digital platforms to reach across to the readers. As a journalism student I beneﬁt a lot from it. Hamood Hamed Albricky SQU student

Abdulhafeedh Alamri SQU student

I would like to congratulate the Times of Oman on its 40th anniversary. It has played a great role in Omani society. The paper deserves an applaud for the tremendous support that it has given to this great country over the last 40 years. The Times of Oman is credible and is balanced in the way it presents the news. Sara Ali Al Shihhi SQU student

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

he world of communication reached a stage when the old school of publishing and new tools in technology collided with each other. Years ago, the publishing industry dismissed the arrival of new apparatus brought in by information and communications technology as short-lived. But publishers came face to face with a new reality that media users will go anywhere in search for the kind of information they want.There is a steep decline to media networks’ loyalty. This behaviour represents a cultural shift as consumers push for changes in the publishing industry. In the past readers were passive with the traditional media providing a ﬁlter; stories on the front page or the evening news were considered the most important. New news consumers are highly active and migratory. Readers and viewers now dictate what to publish and how to publish. In today’s media landscape anyone can publish or broadcast. As result, news organisations face the dilemma of rearranging resources to attract new readers and viewers while holding to their existing audience. The trend is clear: people, especially the young, are turning to Internet for their news, so developing an effective digital strategy is essential for news organisations long-term survival. Young people enjoy news snacking, meaning they like checking the news more often and more quickly! Internet made real what in the 1970’s was considered a visionary communication theory proposed byscholar Marshall McLuhan, the ‘Global Village’. With the democratisation of Internet it rapidly became the stepping stone to dramatic changes in the way people communicate. It has revolutionised ways to conduct business, publishing, and education, and banking, tourism, shopping including our social and personal lives. More fundamental changes occurred with the introduction of mobile devices and the swift move to touch screen and applications. The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism document on The State of the

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News Media 2013 identiﬁed the rapid growth of mobile as a key factor driving the move to digital news. It says the spread of devices is giving rise to a new multi-platform news consumer, one who accesses news through a combination of different gadgets and traditional sources. For news organisations, this means the need to create and keep up news for consumption on different platforms. In order to survive, newspapers around the world are changing the kind of coverage provided in the print product, focusing less on breaking news, which the internet is better suited to deliver, and more on analytical or contextual stories. News organisations are also developing strategies to deliver exclusive information to special audiences. In this new media scenario, every media outlet has or should have a website. According to Pew Research Center’s 2012 News Media Consumption survey, online news use rose sharply the last two years after the rapid spread of digital platforms. Online was the only category of news that showed growth, the document claims. That is, stories told in plain text hardly hold interest for many. Users are going for content that includes multimedia – especially video in news. New consumers prefer to watch a 30 seconds news story and not read a 1,500 words piece! A short video can capture the atmosphere of a story, leaving the journalist free to concentrate on

In order to survive, newspapers around the world are changing the kind of coverage provided in the print product, focusing less on breaking news, which the internet is better suited to deliver, and more on analytical or contextual stories

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Social media plays an increasing role in redesigning the media industry as well as shaping events

its context and analyse the event. In fact, a collection of short videos around a topic encourages users to continue exploring the news site! A recent report for the Associated Press, White Smoke: The New Era for Video News outlines the increasingly critical role that video plays in online news content. The document produced by Deloitte, with research by GfK,shows that consumers believe that video helps bring a news story to life. It also says that consumers would look elsewhere if their chosen media outlet didn’t have the video content they wanted to see. Social media plays an increasing role in redesigning the media industry as well as shaping events. While Internet brought big changes, the mobile communication became fundamental. But it is not alone. It goes hand in hand with social networking. One complements each other and a sizeable number of youth is turning to social networks to get their news or to produce and distribute their own stories. As the new media scenario gets more complex and more participatory, the networked population has greater access to information and more opportunities to engage in public debate. The society has become much aware of the world we are living. In its 40th anniversary, Times of Oman has much to celebrate. The initiative the newspaper has embarked on to develop its online presence is very good. There is much ahead but the newspaper is now an example for the better of the changes occurring in the media in Oman.

SONIA AMBROSIO DE NELSON Journalist and professor of journalism at Sultan Qaboos University, Mass Communication Department in the College of Arts & Social Sciences

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

FACTS YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT

In 1975, Times of Oman became the ﬁrst publication to be printed in Oman. Other publications in the Sultanate were printed abroad.

Times of Oman was ﬁrst published on February 23, 1975 and was launched as a weekly tabloid newspaper and on January 1, 1991, it became a daily broadsheet publication.

Times of Oman started off from a one-room ofﬁce in Muttrah.

Thursday magazine was launched on November 18, 1999 as a family magazine. It comes out with the main edition of Times of Oman every Thursday.

In 1998, Times of Oman launched its website, making MPPH the ﬁrst publication house in the GCC countries to develop a website for news information.

In 2008, WAP edition of the newspaper was made available on cellphones. The Times of Oman e-paper was launched on October 4, 2004. In 2007, Times of Oman launched its ﬁrst mobile application for iPad and smart phones. Times of Oman is now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google+.

Our newspaper delivery boy travels 800km up and down from Muscat to Miskin every day without fail to deliver Times of Oman.

TIMES OF OMAN

The late founder and editor-in-chief of Times of Oman, Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali was posthumously awarded the “Pen of Press Prize” by the Council of Gulf International Relations (COGIR) on April 17, 2013.

In the 35th edition of the prestigious Society of News Design (SND) annual competition, Times of Oman ranked no. 1 in the most number of awards, the ﬁrst nonAmerican newspaper to achieve such a feat.

Muscat Printing and Publishing House (MPPH) was established in November 1996. Today it is known as the Muscat Media Group.

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

The supplements that add value ...

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Times News Service

hile variety is the spice of life, necessity is indeed the mother of invention. In order to add that much needed spice to the reading content or to meet the needs of its corporate clients, Times of Oman has been publishing special supplements since nearly as long as its own birth. However, the focus on supplements increased with the newspaper’s growth and a special department was set up in 2009 to maintain the regularity of this value addition. Keeping pace with the changing trends, Times of Oman continues to bring out special supplements throughout the year to mark special occasions, events, achievements and corporate milestones. Apart from showcasing the pace and direction of national growth and development, these supplements sometimes serve as a magnifying glass to highlight an achievement worth sharing with the world. Leading companies do take advantage of this headlight effect Times’ supplements offer to focus the limelight on their occasion. Whether it is winning an ISO certiﬁcation, getting an award or celebrating a silver or platinum jubilee of operations; when a Times of Oman special supplement gives it a splash, it will, and does, get the required attention. The effectiveness of these supplements, like the annual Glorious Oman, is aptly acknowledged and appreciated by the readers as well as the experts. “Glorious Oman is one of the main reference points for those based in Oman and internationally to keep themselves abreast of the latest developments in the Sultanate as well as the long journey of growth and stability that Oman has achieved during the last four decades,” says Noaman Abdul Majid, Country Head, Pak Oman Investment Company, and an economic analyst. How effective is the book in updating its readers about Oman? “We regularly share its copies with our colleagues and clients to attract them in doing business with Oman. There is no compromise over the span and quality of content as we have always received positive and encouraging feedback,” Noaman adds. While Times of Oman brings out a wide variety of special supplements every year, it would be apt to showcase here some of the permanent features of the line-up:

breathtaking natural beauty, rich culture, traditions and stunning landscape. The book ran special stories on how smartly Oman handled a volatile situation parallel to the Arab Spring in its 2010 and 2011 editions. “The way His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said responded to the unexpected protests earlier this year exempliﬁes the wise and wonderful way he has governed this country since taking over the reins of government in 1970. It was a great example of crisis management. People of Oman now love and respect him more than ever for bringing about such an amazing improvement in their life in just 41 years,” wrote Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali, founder of the Times of Oman, commenting on the effect of Arab Spring in the Sultanate, in an article for Glorious Oman’s 2011 edition. In its 2014 edition, Glorious Oman highlighted Oman’s unique capacity to accommodate people of all regions and religions.

Glorious Oman Brought out on the eve of Oman’s Renaissance Day (July 23), this annual book chronicles major strides Sultanate of Oman has been making since 2009, the year Glorious Oman was ﬁrst published. The book, comprising articles written by professional writers, journalists and analysts (even important ministers wrote for Glorious Oman in its earlier editions), has evolved over the years to become an authentic reference on the country’s march towards economic, social, national and international glory. Tourism remains the focus of attention as the book highlights Oman’s

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tant things about the country from Glorious Oman,” he added.

“With all the leading religions being practised here, Oman is the perfect example of unity in diversity. It has proven that peaceful coexistence is possible and it is an important example to set for the rest of the Middle East,” wrote Sarah McDonald in an interesting article on Oman’s model society. “Times of Oman deserves credit for coming up with supplements which have become part of readers’ life. Glorious Oman is one of the most prominent from that illustrious list. One of the most prestigious supplements brought out on the occasion of Renaissance Day in July, the book provides deep insight into Omani society and various sectors, particularly economy, culture and tourism,” said Dr Anchan C.K, managing director of Worldwide Business House, a business advisory ﬁrm. “Kudos to the team for compiling such a compelling read. As the famous James Bryce saying goes “The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it”, we are happy to learn interesting and impor-

Oman National Day The whole of Oman is in a mood to celebrate on November 18 and July 23, the two occasions that highlight the country’s march towards peace, progress and prosperity under the exemplary rule of His Majesty the Sultan. Times of Oman publishes big supplements on both occasions to chronicle the achievements and future challenges for the beneﬁt of its readers. The 64-page tabloid supplement, distributed with the daily on November 18, catches the attention for the quality of its content and design. Distinguished writers express their opinions and analysis to give readers an insight into the national and international affairs. Calling Oman a pillar of stability in the region, Ambassador Luigi Narbone, Head of EU Delegation in GCC, wrote in 2010: “The European Union and Oman share a long history of friendship.”

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Art of Cooking Food is not only a basic human need but a passion for many in the region. The Art of Cooking is an effort to bring that passion to the doorsteps of its readers and give them the passport to visit the wonderful world of international cuisine. After selecting a particular theme for the year, professional chefs are invited to share their choicest recipes with the Art of Cooking and presented to the readers in an attractive design. Many readers, we have been informed, have tried the recipes published in various editions of the book and earned kudos from family and

The Art of Cooking is an effort to bring that passion to the doorsteps of its readers and give them the passport to visit the wonderful world of international cuisine 106

friends. Some of the themes already explored by the book include ‘Fusion Cuisine (2009), Flavours of Arabia (2011) and Best of India (2013). The latest one to come to its readers shortly is going to be a Chef’s Special, with some of the country’s top chefs sharing their favourite recipes with the Art of Cooking. Some of the celebrity chefs to have been featured in the book include Nigella Lawson, Sanjeev Kapoor, Tarla Dalal and Oman’s very own Essa Al Lamki. Food and travel writer Mike Harrison has been its permanent feature and keeps sharing his exploits in the kitchen.

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Heavenly Homes Oman has been building for quite some time and it builds well. In line with the modern trends in Omani society which mix perfectly with its well-guarded culture and tradition, construction is becoming increasingly imaginative and homes heavenly. Buildings, particularly residential villas, may look similar from the outside, a world of creative brilliance begins to unfold the moment you set foot inside. Heavenly Homes tries to capture that beauty and highlight it with all the aspects of constructing a dream home ... from design to decoration. The book highlights building trends in Omani society with particular focus on the home interiors. Home furniture, both traditional and contemporary, and modern kitchens are featured to showcase the preferences of the local population.

Heavenly Homes highlights building trends in Omani society with particular focus on the home interiors.

108

54%

Men 2000 2000 2000

1500 1500 1500

1000

500

46%

1,027 915 840 767 531 504 493 472 439 297 283 280 266 257 237

Women

All facebook

75%

Men

25%

0 1000

500

Among followers

Age

110 1000

13-17

Women

18-24

Men %

0.7

Women%

0.5

0.2

BANGLADESH

2000

25-34

10 UAE

1500

1000

500

35-44

500

565 285

597

PAKISTAN

231

INDIA

1,942

245

61 60 58 57

Ethiopia Algeria New Zealand Maldives

64 63

Spain Iran

84 77

Sudan Syria

87 84

Lebanon Netherlands

94 88

Iraq South Africa

110 108

Brazil

124 120

Kenya Morocco Myanmar

130

Turkey 127

166 154

Nigeria

France

166

Germany

Jordan

205 179 167

Thailand

Australia

Tunisia

222

100

Italy

10,000

232

200

Tanzania

Canada

Total Followers

92,886

790

OMAN Buthan 364

237

Indonesia 357

Oceania

Kuwait 407

1,167

Singapore 383

America

Malaysia 416

1,610

1,680

569

Nepal

Europe

Sri Lanka 486

812 780

US UK

843 825

Qatar Egypt 1,965

1,549 1,329 682

2,849

Africa

Riyadh Jeddah

20000

1,395

16,740

32,908

229

40000

Saudi Arabia

Phiplippines

3,664 3,031

UAE

Bangladesh

6,748

Asia

Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharjah

Pakistan

30,000

54,999

Dhaka Chitagong

10000

India

Oman

40,000

Middle East

Karachi Lahore Islamabad Slalkot

39,215

30000

2,887 1,681 427 409 403 230

20,000

Chennai Bangalore Mumbai Hyderabad Trivandrum Kochi Calicut N. Delhi Thrissur Ernakulam Kannur Kollam Pune Kottayam Mangalore

Muscat Salalah Sohar Nizwa Barka Sur Ibri 48,885

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

MUSCAT MEDIA GROUP

Times of Oman’s followers Until February 8, 2015

By country and place

SAUDI ARABIA

2000

1500

1000

People who like the page

45-54

55-64

65+

Graphics

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

HOW OUR ONLINE TEAM WORKS

The Times of Oman online team begins the day with the early morning staff posting the lead stories of the day in social media.

The web team headed by the chief executive editor, is comprised of web editor, online desk team, reporters and photographers who provide local, national and international news, sports and features. News is generally gathered and ﬁled by reporters while the online desk team also hunt for stories through ‘wires’ – a steady stream of international news stories provided by news agencies. Photographers shoot pictures to accompany the web stories while the illustrators and graphic artists in the design department do the required illustration and info-graphics. Advertisement department works on getting revenues by selling space in the website.

START

At 11am, the reporters supply news bits to the web team to prepare for the WhatsNews which is published at 12pm. The editor edits the story and gives to the online team to publish it in WhatsNews at 12pm.

Online production staff review the stories already posted online, discuss how much traffic they have generated and once again try to map the days news as much as possible.

The production team uploads the stories of the next day and

The online team also posts on the social media of Times of Oman.

At 3pm, the online team attends the meeting with the newspaper production team and ﬁnds the story map for the next day.

The reporters sends news items to the web team to prepare for the

14 the online team helps to structure the uploaded stories.

WhatsNews. The editor edits the stories and sends it to the 13 10pm Online team to publish the WhatsNews at 10pm

FINISH

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TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

The editor outlines the team how the site would unfold during the course of the day.

In case of breaking stories, the editor forms a team to upload the story on the Times of Oman website.

The editor assesses the story to decide where it should be published on the website. The story is modiﬁed to optimise it for web publishing. Then the story is published directly on the website.

The web edition also monitors the ‘wires’ – a steady stream of national and international news stories provided by the news agencies.

The online team uploads the 'Business Digest' that is a one minute video of the complete business stories of the day in video format in its YouTube channel.

The web team uploads the videos related to the stories that

published the following day in the YouTube Channel of 12 isTimes of Oman.

The reporters send news items to web team to prepare for the 5pm

The editor edits the story and sends it to the team to 10 WhatsNews. publish in the WhatsNews at 5pm.

The online team uploads the 'Daily Digest' that is a one minute video of the complete stories of the day in video format in its YouTube channel.

115

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

HOW YOUR NEWSPAPER IS MADE

News

Reporters, editors and photographers in the newsroom keep track of the daily news as it unfolds. Reporters and editors make it a point to get all information relevant to an article, double check the information for accuracy and get all sides of a story.

The newsroom, headed by the chief executive editor, comprises editors, reporters, photographers, and copy editors who provide local, national and international, sports news and features. News is generally gathered and written by reporters and at times the editor assigns reporters to work on stories. While photographers shoot pictures to accompany the stories, the designers, illustrators and graphic artists in the design department do the required design, Illustration and Infographics. Advertisement department works on getting revenues by selling space in newspaper. The circulation department ensures newspapers copies are distributed to subscribers and readers.

Editor assigns jobs to the reporter

START This is how a common structure of a newspaper page looks

Designers start designing the pages once the stories and pictures are ready. The news paper also sometimes uses infographic such as maps, charts and illustrations

image ma age

text

Design This is the place where designers merge the stories, pictures, and advertisements on the page. They design the pages in an attractive way

Advertising

Client who wants to

approaches 11 advertise client service executives

When an advertisement is sold,

client and the company 12 the come into an agreement

by the client

An advertising department of a newspaper is responsible for generating revenue by selling advertising space

Printing

Ad designer creates

design using the 13 the materials given

Once the operator receives digital files of the

He punches each plate so that it is

18 pages, he makes 4 plates using the CTP machine

Printing department is the kitchen of the company, where all the digital files are prepared for the final process: production

19 perfectly mounted to the printing press K

CTP machine

It's now time for your daily dose of news!

FINISH! 118

TIMES OF OMAN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

The reporter gathers stories, and photographer takes pictures

Proof readers check the approved headline, caption and the spelling

Billling section makes an

14 invoice which indicates how much the client has to pay

They write the story and compile the pictures they have

The desk continues to check, edit, rewrite stories

Editor discusses with desk/reporters about the stories

Credit manager

15 makes sure that the

bill is delivered on time and the payment is collected on time

When a client doesn’t pay:

The stories and pictures are given to the sub/copy editor to be reviewed

Sub/copy editor gets news from agencies as well

Administration section

Letters from time to time are sent to remind them to pay

17 refers legal action to a lawyer

If he still doesn’t pay, the paper can Intiate legal action to make him pay

Here is a simple

printed paper

how the 20 explanation printing press works: ink

the plate is mounted to the rubber

ink

Sheets of each newspaper section are assembled together

EXIT

rubber blank paper

the ink is printed on 2 sides side A

side B

ready sheets

paper reel

The paper is sent to subscribers by car, motorbike and even aeroplane

119

Distribution The circulation department delivers the papers to the subscribers