Times of Oman - November 23, 2014

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SUNDAY, November 23, 2014 / 30 Muharram 1436 AH

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Cruise industry booming as tourists flock to Oman Cruise season Passengers in 2003

3,500

Port calls and passengers Sultan Qaboos Port calls

76

Khasab

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TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

PEIE plans to create 27,000 new jobs

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Public Establishment for Industrial Estates seeks to generate 27,000 new jobs in the next three years. >A3

MARKET 300,000

Passengers in 2013

ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

Salalah

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CBO plans to float OMR200m new bond

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CBO is set to float OMR200 million worth government development bond. >B1

MARKET passengers

174,482

91,739 30,919

Source: Khimji Ramdas

Graphics

SMOOTH SAIL: Oman attracted more than 300,000 cruise passengers from October last year to June this year. This picture is used for

Sultanate ranks fifth in economic freedom

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Oman ranked fifth in the Arab League in the economic freedom of the Arab World 2014 report. >B2

illustrative purpose only. – ONA

RAHUL DAS

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Picturesque locations, renowned hospitality and rich heritage have all contributed to the tidal wave of tourist arrivals in the Sultanate

Muscat: A tidal wave of tourists has seen Oman’s cruise industry grow 9900 per cent in a decade, and in the coming season alone it’s expected to grow another 50 per cent on last year with up to 450,000 visitors predicted to sail into the Sultanate.

Oman attracted more than 300,000 cruise passengers from October last year to June this year, compare that to the 2003 season when the number of cruise passenger arrivals was just 3,500.

For the coming 2014/2015 season, Khimji Ramdas, one of

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

the biggest shipping agents in the country, said they alone are set to receive around 300,000 tourists from across the world.

“Altogether we will be handling 134 luxurious cruise ships this year which will be bring around 300,000 tourists,” said M C Jose, CEO, projects and logistics, Khimji Ramdas. The cruise season started on October 18 when Seabourn Odyssey reached Salalah and will come to end on June

HUGE RESPONSE

Hurry! Times of Oman quiz contest entries close today Times News Service MUSCAT: The popularity of the Times of Oman Open Quiz Contest (TOOOQC) continues to soar as it moves closer to two decades of its existence.

Like always, this year too, the contest has received a huge response from interested participants. Even before the last day for submission of entry forms — which is today (November 23) — ends, 120 three-member teams have already registered.

Quizmaster Giri ‘Pickbrain’ Balasubramaniam says the growth reflects the efforts of the organisation hosting the quiz contest. Pickbrain says, “It is a tribute to all knowledge appre-

MIND GAME: Even before the last day of submission of forms, 120 three-member teams have already registered.

ciators when a quiz inches close to two decades. It is certainly even more fascinating when it is an open quiz and past winners range from a 75-year-old man to school children. It is a quizmas-

ter’s delight to host a quiz as truly open as this. As a quizzer, I salute the commitment of the Times of Oman team and management for having organised the quiz annually.” >A6

13, 2015 when CS Sea Princess leaves Muscat. A senior official of Port Services Corporation (SAOG) said it has so far handled a total of eight cruise vessels with 15,316 passengers since the season started in October 2014.

“Keeping in view the rich heritage, the renowned hospitality, and the broad culture and history of Oman, tourists on board were very keen on visiting the tourist attraction areas. The port has coordinated the cruise calls with the government authorities and shipping agents and provided swift, safe and efficient handling of the vessels and passengers,” he said.

Two luxury liners, Minerva

and Seven Seas Voyager, called in to Port Sultan Qaboos on Tuesday with a total of 768 passengers on board them.

Minerva belongs to Al Leisure Group of United Kingdom company, registered in The Bahamas, with a length of 135 metres. It arrived from Salalah and its next port of call is Porbandar in India.

The Seven Seas Voyager belongs to Regent Seven Seas Cruises, registered in Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas, with a length of 207 metres. It arrived from Salalah and its next port of call will be Dubai, according to statement from Port Services Corporation. >A6

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Photography exhibition on Hiroshima

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014 Most of Oman’s current achievements and the modernisation in different spheres of life are related to the country’s leader Boleta Senkiene Honorary consul of Oman in Lithuania

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

Lithuania marks Oman’s National Day with bright hopes Times News Service

GLOBAL TIES: Boleta Senkiene, the honorary consul of the Sultanate in Lithuania.–Supplied photo

LITHUANIA: Oman’s National Day was celebrated in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, during a reception hosted by the honorary consul of Oman in Lithuania on Thursday.

“Since the opening of the consulate last January, we have witnessed bilateral ties expanding and awareness rising among Lithuanians as far as Oman is concerned. I believe, this can serve as a solid ground for future cooperation on mutually beneficial terms,” said Mantvydas Bekesius, deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, in his introductory speech.

Bekesius was addressing guests

who included officials from the president’s office and the government as well as representatives of leading education and health institutions, business people and the media.

Boleta Senkiene, the honorary consul of the Sultanate in Lithuania, noted that Oman’s National Day, on November 18, is the most important national celebration in Oman. This was the first time the honorary consul had organised a reception to mark the occasion.

“Oman’s current achievements and the modernisation in different spheres of life are related to the country’s leader who has been in office since 1970,” said Senkiene.

“These include huge invest-

ments in infrastructure, support for small businesses, arts and culture, development of industry, trade and tourism, and the increase of Oman’s role in regional and international affairs,” she added.

Omani authorities, aware of the fact that the country’s oil and gas resources are not infinite, have been pursuing a policy of moving away from dependence on the exports of fossil fuels. The share of oil in the nation’s gross domestic product is to be reduced to just nine per cent in 2020 from the current 48 per cent, she said.

Fostering international trade is one of viable alternatives for Oman as the country is situated

on the crossroads of historically important trade routes connecting the Arab world, the Indian subcontinent and northern and eastern Africa. To boost its role in international business, Oman has been developing several free economic zones and sea ports in different parts of the country.

The port of Duqm, built from scratch, is one of the most ambitious business projects Oman has recently undertaken. The modern multifunctional port is set to become a major regional hub.

Oman was the first Arab nation to open a diplomatic representation in the Baltic States. The consulate of Oman in Vilnius opened its doors in the beginning of 2014.

TRAGEDY

Indian man found dead in Mahoud STAFF REPORTER MUSCAT: A 43-year-old Indian was reportedly found dead in his accommodation late on Thursday night.

The victim has been identified as Prasadkumar from Kozhikode in the south Indian state of Kerala.

The body was first found by his sponsor, social workers informed Times of Oman.

Missing from work “On Thursday, Prasadkumar didn’t turn up for work. So, when the sponsor went to check about it, he found Prasad hanging dead from a ceiling fan in the room,” social workers said.

The body of the Indian man has been kept in Qurum police mortuary.

Prasadkumar had arrived to Oman three months ago after visiting his family in Kerala.

Prasadkumar is survived by his wife and two sons.

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OMAN

PEIE plans to create 27,000 jobs From a lone industrial estate on about

These new projects will offer more than 10,000 jobs, and another 436 projects that have been allotted with land

3 million square metres, the spread of industrial estates is today symbolised by seven prime industrial estates

Hamad Al Hasani

CEO of PEIE

FUTURE POSITIVE: PEIE has attracted local and foreign investment

worth OMR550 million in its various industrial estates.– Supplied photo

Times News Service MUSCAT: The achievements of Oman in the last four decades embody the overall vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, said Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, CEO of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), on the occasion of the 44th National Day. “The real start to the industrial sector and the industrial estates in the country was positively influenced by the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said during the Royal visit to Al Rusayl Industrial Estate in 1991, which confirm the government’s belief in the importance of this vital sector,” noted Al Hasani.

From a lone industrial estate on an area not exceeding 3 million square metres, the spread of industrial estates is today symbolised by seven prime industrial estates comprising Al Rusayl, Sohar, Al Buraimi, Raysut and Sur along with Nizwa and Sumail. There are also the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), Al Mazunah Free Zone, and the recently announced Ibri Logistics Area, he said.

During the first half of the year, the growth rate in the volume of total investment has amounted to 12.5 per cent.

PEIE has attracted local and foreign investment worth OMR550

million in its various industrial estates while 59 projects have been set up during the same period. The size of the workforce in the various estates rose by 12 per cent during the first half of this year, as the existing projects in PEIE estates offered nearly 4,000 jobs. PEIE seeks to generate more than 27,000 new jobs in the next three years.

There are currently 228 projects under construction, which are expected to commence production during 2015 and 2016.

“These new projects will offer more than 10,000 jobs, and adding to these are another 436 projects that have been allotted with land.

SECURITY ACTION

ROP seizes 67 guns, bullets STAFF REPORTER MUSCAT: One person was arrested by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) in the wilayat of Thamrait for attempting to smuggle conventional weapons.

An ROP official said that Thamrait police station received a report that weapons were hidden in a remote area in Thamrait.

The investigation team rushed to the area and recovered 67 guns and 37,500 bullets. The accused ARMS CACHE: The authorities recovered 67 guns and 37,500 was nabbed and handed over to bullets, apart from other contraband goods.–ROP the Public Prosecution.

Meanwhile, in another seizure, customs officials of the cen- parts, binoculars for weapons, substances that threaten public tral mail department seized 49 radar detection devices radars, la- safety. The ROP also confiscated ser indicators, fly by wire system 684 tramadol capsules, apart banned items last October.

An ROP official said the con- planes equipped with cameras, from alparazolam, escitalopram fiscated items include weapons fireworks and other prohibited and codein tablets.

TRAINING PROGRAMME

NBC BootCamp boosts skills of entrepreneurs Times News Service MUSCAT: National Business Centre (NBC) Oasis500 BootCamp, the workshop which hosted 75 aspiring Omani entrepreneurs, concluded its inspiring five-day workshop.

With five days of rigorous training, 75 young entrepreneurs learnt all the basic elements of starting a company here in Oman, drawing upon Oasis500 and NBC’s strength in entrepreneurship, and in building knowledge networks to offer the participants a unique learning opportunity.

Mulkie Al Hashmi, director of marketing at NBC said, “It has been a great experience to instil best practices of entrepreneurship in fledgling business minds. The boot camp helped guide the essence of their journey and provided vital knowledge in the fields of investments, entrepreneurship, ICT and starting a business.”

The latter projects are expected to be localised before the end of 2015 and will generate more than 17,000 jobs post the commencement of production operations, which is expected to take place before the end of 2017,” explained Al Hasani.

Strategic plans Meanwhile, the development process of industrial estates has been undertaken in accordance with the medium and long-term strategic plans in an effort to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable economic development in line with the vision of the Omani government.

“Specialised studies will be conducted to set up new estates in the various governorates of the Sultanate, including PDO’s concession areas in Marmul and Fahud. There is a joint team working on this matter,” Al Hasani said, adding, “We are also considering Thumrait in Dhofar Governorate since Raysut Industrial Estate has touched high occupancy rate.

Moreover, PEIE is considering Al Wusta, Al Dhahirah, Al Batinah and Al Buraimi governorates in addition to Al Mudhaibi Industrial Estate, which is currently under construction.”

Mega Projects As for the Ibri Logistics Area, PEIE has recently signed consultancy agreements with a leading engineering consultancy firm.

“This integrated logistics project is set to be a milestone for economic development in Al Dhahirah Governorate. Located in the wilayat of Ibri in Al Dhahirah, the project will be developed on an area estimated at 3 million square metres, and will serve as a site for logistics activities comprising storage, shipping, exporting and supplying,” he elaborated.

The project will be implemented in various phases upon completion of the final design of the project which is expected to be completed in February 2015.

Al Raha Village Meanwhile, the Al Raha Village, which is a township project with integrated residential, commercial and recreational facilities as well as other related services, is almost 40 per cent complete. Al Raha Village was conceived as an integrated solution to the problem of accommodating thousands of workers and technicians who will be mobilised in the coming years. This project is strategically located at the Al Rusayl Industrial Estate. It is being built over a total land plot of about 55,590 square metres. The project will have the capacity to accommodate around 10,000 residents.

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

Nov 24

OMAN

will witness the grand finale of the cultural exchange programme for students

Students turn cultural ambassadors Times News Service

The objective is to foster friendship and goodwill between communities living in Oman. The exhibition and competition are the new elements that have been added this year

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FORGING LINKS: The cultural exchange programme

will culminate in a cultural event on Monday at Qurum Natural Park Amphitheatre.– AR Rajkumar/TIMES OF OMAN

MUSCAT: Twenty-two Omani private schools representing nine governorates, along with nine international schools, came together to put up a cultural exchange programme.

To promote an understanding of each other’s traditions, the Ministry of Education’s Directorate General of Private Schools hosted a cultural exchange programme from November 20 to 22 at the silver jubilee square, Qurum Natural Park.

Amita Sharma, Al Injaz School director said, “It is a good attempt by the Ministry of Education to hold this programme. Students will take this opportunity to learn about Omani culture and traditions, while on the other hand students of international schools will exchange their home culture and traditions.”

The cultural exchange programme will culminate with a cultural event on Monday at Qurum Natural Park Amphitheatre. Ham-

We had Omani schools from nine governorates putting up an exhibition presenting cultural costumes, handicrafts.

Fatma Abdul Abbas Noorani Director General of Private Schools

oud Bin Khalfan Bin Mohammed Al Harthy, undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Education and curricula will preside over this event.

Speaking about the event, Fatma

Abdul Abbas Noorani, Director General of Private Schools at the Ministry of Education said, “The objective is to foster friendship and goodwill between communities living in Oman. Our leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s message is of peace and tolerance.

We are trying to work according to his vision.”

Nine governorates She informed, “We had Omani schools from nine governorates putting up an exhibition presenting cultural costumes, handicrafts.

We also had corners for countries that have international schools to display their own cultures.”

Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Egyptian apart from TAISM, British and Egyptian schools are among the international schools that participated in the programme.

The ministry has been holding the event for the last three years, and this year there will be a grand finale for the best selected participants on Monday.

HAPPY ENDING

Missing Indian boy back home REJIMON K reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: “I regret running away from home and I will never do it again,” said the Indian boy who had been missing since Thursday night and was back home on Friday afternoon.

“I just wanted to see the National Day celebrations, but my mother would not let me. So, I left home.

I regret doing that and should not have done it. When I returned, I realised how much my parents were missing me. I do not have words to express those moments,” the boy told Times of Oman.

The Indian boy who had gone missing on Thursday night was found near a mosque in Al Khuwair on Friday afternoon.

“He is feeling sorry for what he

did. He is smart boy who is good in his studies and other extracurricular activities. Somehow, this just happened, so we have decided to take extra care,” said his father.

It was the social networking groups that played a vital role in finding the boy. “The news and photograph shared on social networking sites helped us to find the boy. It was quite helpful for many to search for the boy because of his picture,” said the parents.

The Times of Oman’s report on the missing boy, which was posted on Facebook, was also shared by 234 people and liked by 146 in 60 minutes on Friday.

According to some friends of the family, an acquaintance having tea at a shop near Al Khuwair mosque saw the Facebook message of the missing boy.

When he showed the people at the tea shop the picture they claimed they had seen the boy in the morning.

Meanwhile, many others who were also searching for the boy heard that he had been spotted near a mosque. “When they rushed to the mosque, they spotted him there and took him home,” said the friends. The boy left home on Thursday night over a minor squabble with his mother. The 12-year-old is a Class VI student of Indian School Darsait.

The parents had also sought help of Baushar police to find their son.

The boy was wearing a blue shirt and brown trousers when he left home.

The boy’s father is from Mangalore and his mother is from Kerala.

He has two younger sisters.

THE SMILE IS BACK: The 12-year-old boy, a class VI student of Indian School Darsait, had left home on

Thursday night over a minor squabble with his mother. He regrets leaving his house saying he would never do it again. –Supplied photo

S U N DAY, N OV E MB E R 23, 2 0 14

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C O M M E N TA RY

Social media spurs transformation in youth aspirations SUNDAY BEAT

These quick messages are maturing fast and now we see the topics are tackling serious issues. The exchanges of ideas are not anymore an idle pursuit of isolated groups of youth with no real targets

SALEH AL SHAIBANY

saleh@timesofoman.com

O

mani youths have found a powerful tool to share opinions in the social media by building up narrative and sometimes contradicting versions that often challenge the official views in a silent revolution that seems to give them a better voice than ever before.

Many potential candidates who are expecting to stand for the next Shura Council Election in 2015 are geared up to use the social media extensively to get elected into the legislature body.

These are the ones who are now much more active as they carefully work out a plan to shape opinions in their favour. They challenge the political decisions in Twitter, blogs and even whatsapp to get their messages across in the hope that they will emerge as strong contenders in the next election.

Youths in Oman know that they can use the new technologies at their disposal as a tool of democratization to send a clear notice that a new revolution of swaying public opinion is in the making. They also know that they have the power to organise without having the organisation to get to people in just a few taps of the keyboards.

But the social media is not just a powerful tool only for those who are running for the Majlis Al Shura. It is becoming a movement for free speech, opinion sharing and even dissidence.

The older generation may not

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approve it in a country where tradition dictates that youngsters are supposed to be obedient and follow instructions from their elders. The elders, some of them powerful in the official hierarchy, watch the movement nervously as it gathers momentum.

These quick messages are maturing fast and now we see the topics are tackling serious issues. The exchanges of ideas are not anymore an idle pursuit of isolated groups of youth with no real targets. At the moment it is a movement without a head but with a purpose. It is a body which floats in the social groups looking for an ambitious head.

The significance of this is that the youth have already created a ‘Technology War’ between them and those who oppose social changes and reforms. If there is any doubt to the validity of this ‘Technology War’ then a quick survey of how many people watch official broadcasts compared to those who read opinions in the social media would give a clearer picture.

For a youth to have his voice heard above the clamour of parental control and official regulations is a temptation hard to resist. What we see now is a let out of frustrations that boil inside them and social media is a tool that channels out their bottled energy.

They put their trust in the

network they create because it is where they can express themselves without being judged or reprimanded. Only time will tell if the youthful effort is creating a powerful lobby for the future.

But it is certainly reaching many of them much more effective than any tool of information. By reading the quick exchanges in their Twitter accounts or in the electronic pages of their blogs, we know that these conversations are getting more sophisticated by the day.

Not to mention they gather a bigger audience all the time if you take into account the numbers of followers they have.

What is interesting is that now we find out ‘matured voices’ are jumping into the bandwagon because they know they can influence the opinions of teenagers.

The topics they choose are not only just thought provoking but controversial. The real power of the social media is carefully orchestrated by experienced bloggers and Twitters users who now realize they can use young people as a tool to work for their lost causes.

Carefully sewn up words in the electronic pages, often in just two lines, can start a hot debate that would attract thousands of responses from young people in just a few days. It is early days to say in certainty whether such debates would swing public opinion in a substantial way to bring changes and reforms as envisaged by some in the social media.

At the moment, it is also difficult to conclude whether we have instigators in the social media or reformers who mean well.

OMAN

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014 America’s experience teaches us that fostering entrepreneurship is about creating the entire climate in which innovation and ideas flourish Joe Biden, American Vice-President

OMAN

World leaders call for innovative thinking

HIROSHIMA, CITY OF PEACE

The event, held under the patronage of King MESSAGE OF PEACE: The exhibition, featuring more than 60

photography panels, will showcase Hiroshima’s historic path to becoming a city of peace. – Supplied picture

Mohammed VI and organised by the

Japan embassy to host photography exhibition

White House, brought together more than 4,500 participants from across world

Times News Service MUSCAT: The Embassy of Japan will co-host a photography exhibition titled ‘Hiroshima, City of Peace’ in association with the city of Hiroshima, OmanJapan Friendship Association (OJFA), and the HiroshimaOman Friendship Association, from November 30 to December 6, in the main atrium of Muscat Grand Mall.

The exhibition is being sponsored by OJFA, Towell Auto Centre and Mazda Corporation.

The exhibition, featuring more than 60 photography panels, will showcase Hiroshima’s historic path to becoming a city of peace where tourism and diplomacy flourish in the aftermath of the World War II atomic bombing, which has been achieved through reconstruction efforts and consistent appeals for peace and denuclearisation.

The photographs will display

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not only Hiroshima’s experience of the world’s first nuclear bombing, but the city’s reconstruction, international conventions and visits of world leaders and Hiroshima Prefecture’s popular tourist attractions including two world heritage sites, namely the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, known as Genbaku Dome in Japan, and the Itsukushima Shrine.

Japanese Ambassador George Hisaeda, whose parents are from Hiroshima, was the director responsible for cultural exchange at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs when the Hiroshima world heritages sites were enshrined by Unesco’s World Heritage Committee, and personally involved in the process.

SARAH MACDONALD

sarah@timesofoman.com MARRAKECH, MOROCCO: King Mohammed VI of Morocco and American Vice-President Joe Biden encouraged innovative thinking and taking chances to succeed at the 5th Global Entrepreneurial Summit in Marrakech on Thursday.

The event, which was held under the patronage of the Moroccan monarch and organised by the White House, brought together more than 4,500 participants from around the world to discuss entrepreneurship, network and exchange ideas.

In a riveting and entertaining speech to a packed audience, Joe Biden spoke of the American example of the entrepreneurial spirit, which he said could inspire people around the world, especially in the Middle East and North Africa, where private busi-

INNOVATIVE IDEAS: US Vice-President Joe Biden says that the American example of the entrepreneurial spirit could inspire people around the world. – Supplied picture

nesses will be essential for providing much-needed jobs for the young populations.

“How do we help entrepreneurship take even deeper roots?

America’s experience, like many others, teaches us that fostering entrepreneurship is not just about crafting the right economic policy or developing the best educative curricula; it’s about creating the entire climate in which innovation and ideas flourish,” Biden said.

Biden said that in the US people who have taken risks and thought outside the box have been able to achieve great success. He said the most valuable resource of the 21st century isn’t underground but in people’s minds, and each person should have the freedom to try and to fail as they try to

bring new products and services to their societies.

“It takes a legal system that’s fair, where you know the contractual agreement you make will be upheld and protected, a system where judges are not corrupt, where you can risk starting a business and failing and bankruptcy doesn’t land you in prison, and perhaps more importantly, a system that rewards and protects intellectual property,” Biden explained.

Societies which don’t protect intellectual property will only stifle innovation and creativity, he said, since they will only steal and replicate ideas, always being behind the curve.

Though the king himself could not attend the summit, a speech

was read on his behalf in which he expressed his own interest in promoting entrepreneurship. “[Morocco] has been devoting its energies to promoting human and sustainable development and investing in entrepreneurship.

My country also encourages the sharing of expertise and knowhow in addition to the optimization of complementaries, particularly between the countries of the South,” the king said.

Entrepreneurship doesn’t need to be highly technological or sophisticated to bring benefits to society, he added. In many cases, especially in the developing world, low-tech innovations can help meet specific needs, he said.

“It goes without saying that innovation must not be the exclusive privilege of the rich and the upper classes. Entrepreneurs may also want to turn their attention to low-income consumers, by offering them products and services that are both profitable and tailored to their needs,” King Mohammed VI added.

He also noted that Africa has been hit by a plague of pessimism which governments like his own need to overcome by instilling self-confidence in their youth so they can believe in their abilities and learn to become entrepreneurs, too.

“To this end, we need to nurture positive examples and turn success stories into models to emulate. One is not born an entrepreneur; one becomes an entrepreneur by embarking on the road to success in an interactive process involving hard work, learning and a capacity to deal with challenges,” he said.

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

‘Need to cut hurdles to entrepreneurship’ SARAH MACDONALD

sarah@timesofoman.com MARRAKECH, MOROCCO: The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in the Middle East and North Africa but there are barriers limiting its progress, according to a number of top businesspeople in the region.

Entrepreneurship has been in the spotlight for the past three days in Marrakech, which hosted the 5th Global Entrepreneurship Summit from November 19 to 21.

While it attracted speakers, delegates and media from around the world, many of those in attendance were from the Arab World, where entrepreneurs face a number of barriers to success including a lack of mentoring and peer resources, and ineffective approaches by governments to support entrepreneurs.

“We have lip-service but we need to go back to the drawing board. We need more rebels to do something,” said Khalid Abdulla Janahi, a Bahraini who is the Group Chief Executive of Dar Al Mal Al Islami Trust.

Janahi, speaking in a session on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship, suggested that in the Middle East many of the entrepreneurs aren’t recognised for their achievements and there is

BARRIERS: Many entrepreneurs face a number of barriers to suc-

cess including a lack of mentoring and peer resources, and ineffective support from governments. -Supplied picture

more talk about the need for promoting SMEs than actual action.

One way to promote entrepreneurship is with mentoring, suggested Miriem BensalahChaqroun, Chairwoman of the General Business Confederation of Morocco.

Budding entrepreneurs She said her organisation has been trying to establish programmes for established business people to work with budding en-

TOOOQC

trepreneurs to give them advice and assistance.

There is also a need for regional hubs, both physical and virtual, where entrepreneurs can exchange experiences and knowledge, said Tarik Yousef, CEO of the Qatari company Silatech. He said many entrepreneurs are still unsure of how to proceed so using models that have proven effective in innovative communities such as Silicon Valley in the USA could be beneficial in the Arab World.

“This is the right time to try these experiments, adapting them to our cultures, and replicating them around the region. My hope lies in connecting entrepreneurs to each other,” Yousef said.

Janahi also noted that in some areas of the Middle East and North Africa, such as the GCC, governments tend to dominate the economy, which makes it more difficult for entrepreneurs to develop their own businesses and ideas. “The more you give to the government, the less you’ll have entrepreneurship. You need to create that environment where people have equal opportunities for entrepreneurship,” Janahi said, adding he thought it was time for this to change.

Yousef said that there is a lot of financing available for entrepreneurs in the Arab World, but most of it is controlled by the governments and difficult for people to access because they don’t have the proper education and financial training.

Even in countries where there may not be much government funding available, the governments can still play an important role supporting entrepreneurialism, he added. “We’re not asking governments for funding, but to created space and eliminate the red tape,” he said.

JOINT EFFORT

< FROM

< FROM

A1 The final will be A1 Boost to tourism

gripping: Giri What is new about the 18th edition of the TOOOQC to be held on Thursday, November 27, 2014, is the venue — the Oman Automobile Association in Seeb.

“It is good to move to a bigger venue that has staged concerts such as that of Shahrukh Khan and Akon. I do hope no one, out of sheer habit, lands up at the City Amphitheatre looking for my questions,” says Pickbrain.

Will there be anything different about this year’s open contest finals? Pickbrain says, “Given our past, you can trust us to have something up our sleeve. It will be a gripping final that I can promise.”

“For those who are interested in participating in the TOOOQC and have still not registered,

here is your last chance. Today is the last day for submission for forms,” say organisers.

The preliminaries of the TOOOQC will be held on Tuesday, November 25 at 6pm, while the reporting time is 5pm.

While entry for the finals of the TOOOQC is free, for the prelims it is open only to the participants.

One of the few events in Muscat that runs to a packed house every year, the TOOOQC has never disappointed its fans.

“Look forward to an exciting evening with lots of audience prizes,” say organisers.

“Be at the Oman Automobile Association to witness a fierce battle of knowledge. You may be a winner too,” says a spokesperson for the event.

A tourism department official said, “This will give a tremendous boost to the tourism industry, from the hotels and tour guides, to bazaars and taxis. The industry should work together so that the tourists come back again,” he said.

Jose said that the passenger traffic is projected to grow a hefty 26.8 per cent this year with Khimji Ramdas. “Our goal is to put Oman into a map of international cruise tourism,” he said.

Khimji Ramdas, which handles liners such as AIDA, V-Ships, Costa, TUI, All Leisure, Princess, HAL, and Seabourn, will handle this season 76 calls to Muscat’s Port Sultan Qaboos, 24 calls to Port of Salalah, and 32 calls to Port Khasab. These visits will generate 174,482 passengers for Muscat, 30,919 for Salalah and 91,739 for Khasab, making a grand total of 297,140 tourists visiting Oman during the coming season.

He also said that it is time for the locals and the residents to go on a cruise holidays. “You can enjoy travelling for seven nights from OMR 400 including food and stay.

Don’t think you are going to Abu Dhabi or Dubai but think ship as your destination,” he said.

For another travel agency, the last season was a successful one, and this year is more promising one as they have tied up with new clients. “Oman is gaining popularity as a cruise destination, and with new cruise terminal at Port Sultan Qaboos, the growth is imminent. We see lots of potential in all three ports of Salalah, Khasab and Muscat, where we do our main business,” a spokesperson of the agency said. The company is concentrating on bringing more business to the sector by tying up with new cruise liners that are sailing in the region, but don’t have Muscat or Salalah on their itinerary.

S U N DAY, N OV E MB E R 23, 2 0 14

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per cent of eligible voters had cast ballots two hours before polling stations were to have been closed in Bahrain

Bahrain holds elections amid Wefaq boycott Almost 350,000 Bahrainis have been called to elect a 40-member parliament, with most of the 266 candidates belonging to the minority sect. The

MATTER OF CHOICE: Voters queue up at a polling station at Seef

vote has been

Mall shopping centre in Manama, Bahrain, to cast their votes during parliamentary elections, on Saturday. — Reuters/Stringer

denounced by critics as a farce

MANAMA: Bahrain went to the polls on Saturday for its first legislative elections since 2011, with the opposition boycotting the vote.

Al Wefaq, the main opposition group, warned on the eve of the vote that lack of accord could lead to unrest in the country.

In the majority sect village of Sanabes, west of Manama, clashes erupted between youths and security forces in the afternoon, an AFP reporter said.

Voting hours extended Security forces fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, some of whom were masked and armed with petrol bombs.

Voting had been due to last 12 hours until 1700 GMT, but this

was later extended for two more hours, according to state media, in a likely bid to boost turnout.

The move came after officials said only 10 per cent of eligible voters had cast ballots two hours before polling stations were to have been closed.

Almost 350,000 Bahrainis have been called to elect a 40-member parliament, with 266 candidates in the fray.

Shops shuttered In Sanabes, and other majority sect villages around the Bahraini capital rocked by clashes overnight and during the day, shops were shuttered, witnesses said.

Security forces were deployed and plumes of smoke were seen rising from at least three districts.

On Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the majority sect village of Diraz, with police firing tear gas to disperse them.

In other villages AFP reporters saw downed trees and burnt rubbish bins authorities said were aimed at preventing people from going to vote.

Contrast By contrast voting appeared to be brisk in minority sect-dominated districts like Rifaa, in south Manama, where dozens of voters lined up outside polling stations from early morning.

The country’s political rivals have struggled to bury their differences through a national dialogue which has seen several rounds of negotiations.

Lack of accord Al Wefaq chief Sheikh Ali Salman said the lack of accord could create unrest in the country, which is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and a partner in the US-led campaign against the IS in Syria and Iraq. — AFP

REGION

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

REGION DON’T DROP DEAD DROP YOUR PHONE

Israel should impose an immediate moratorium on its policy of demolishing the family homes of Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks on Israelis Human Rights Watch, New York-based group

WA R C R I M E

Rights body slams Israel for demolition of houses JERUSALEM: Human Rights Watch called on Israel Saturday to stop razing the homes of Palestinians accused of attacking Israelis, saying the practice can constitute a war crime.

“Israel should impose an immediate moratorium on its policy of demolishing the family homes of Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks on Israelis,” the New York-based group said, as the fate of three houses slated for demolition awaits a court ruling.

“The policy, which Israeli officials claim is a deterrent, deliberately and unlawfully punishes people not accused of any wrong-

doing. When carried out in occupied territory, including east Jerusalem, it amounts to collective punishment, a war crime.”

Policy The east Jerusalem families of Muataz Hijazi, and of cousins Uday and Ghassan Abu Jamal, killed by police after two separate attacks in west Jerusalem, have been served demolition orders on their homes but have appealed.

Their lawyer, Mohammed Mahmud, said in a statement that an Israeli military court would hear their petition on Sunday morning. Hijazi was accused of

shooting and critically wounding a far-right Jewish activist on October 29. Police shot him dead during a raid on his home in Abu Tor the following morning.

The Abu Jamals, from Jabal Mukaber, were shot dead on Tuesday after they attacked a synagogue with meat cleavers and a pistol, killing four rabbis at prayer and a policeman who responded.

On Wednesday, Israeli forces razed the east Jerusalem home of a Palestinian who killed two Israelis with his car last month.

That was the first punitive demolition in Jerusalem since 2009. - AFP R E V E N G E AT TA C K

IS militants kill 25 Iraqi tribesmen BAGHDAD: IS militants have killed 25 members of an Iraqi tribe during their assault on a provincial capital west of Baghdad, local officials said on Saturday, in apparent revenge for tribal opposition to the radicals.

They said the bodies of the men from the Albu Fahd tribe were discovered after the army launched a counter-offensive on Saturday against the IS in a village on the eastern edge of Ramadi, capital of Anbar province.

The killings echoed the execution of hundreds of members of the Albu Nimr tribe last month by IS militants trying to break local resistance to their advances in Anbar province.

“While they were combing the territories they are liberating, security forces found 25 corpses in the Shujariya area,” Hathal Al Fahdawi, a member of the Anbar Provincial Council, said. - Reuters

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MARKETING

Andhra Pradesh government helps fish sellers extend reach AFTAB H. KOLA

Our Correspondent HYDERABAD: Though India’s share in global fish production stands at 5.68 per cent, selling fresh fish to those staying away from the shores has always been a difficult proposition.

The fish farmers or their agents are faced with several problems while selling fresh fish at distant places. Considering this, the Hyderabad-based National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) devised a simple plan to help such fish farmers and vendors by providing them with motorcycles and ice boxes to sell fish.

Responsibility Many fishermen who were losing out on the traditional fish marketing system in which middlemen still hold sway have themselves taken on the responsibility of selling fish.

Vendors have also been provided COLLISION

Five killed in West Bengal accident KOLKATA: Five people including three of a family were killed and four injured Saturday in a road accident in West Bengal’s Burdwan district, police said.

The incident took place in Galsi when a sports utility vehicle (SUV) on its way to Jharkhand collided with a truck and turned turtle, police said.

Four occupants of the SUV including three women were killed on the spot while a bystander who was injured in the accident later succumbed to her injuries, police said. Four people have been hospitalised with serious injuries. - IANS

with motorcycles and iceboxes to do the same.

“After we gave them the motorcycles and ice boxes, we found the fishermen doing good business and also earning substantial profits. The fish reaches consumers fast and in good condition. It is also available on demand as vendors share their mobile numbers with customers. The vendor is able to sell at least 50 kg a day — much more than what they could do before (between 10 to 12kg a day),” said Dr M.V. Rao, IAS, chief executive, NFDB, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad.

“Many a time, fish would become stale because they could not be sold due to the physical limitations of time and distance.

Now, the farmers are able to travel further to get a better price and a market,” he observed.

Not just for those selling fish, but even for those snaring fish,

this service has come as a godsend.

When the river water dries up, fishermen have to travel upstream to catch fish. Thanks to the mopeds funded by the NFDB, fishermen are now able to save time.

Bidar, Solapur, Karimnagar, Cuttack, and many places in Jharkhand and Chattisgarh have benefited from of this scheme.

NFDB was established to realise the untapped potential of the fisheries sector inland and marine fish capture and its culture, processing and marketing. It also looked into the overall growth of the fisheries sector with the application of modern tools of research and development including biotechnology for optimising production and productivity from fisheries.

Fish and fish products have presently emerged as the largest group in agricultural exports from India, with 5.2 lakh tonnes in terms of quantity and Rs.7,200 crore in value.

INDIA

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014 There is nothing else that we know can be done to control subsidies other than the Unique ID cards, and that’s the reason Modi took it on Laveesh Bhandari, Director of Indicus Analytics

INDIA

‘Government to have relook at tax treaties to unearth black money’ Income tax limit may be raised further, says Jaitley

On the difficulties in getting black money from abroad, a promise made by BJP, Jaitley said there is a settled procedure and the government has to go by that settled process

NEW DELHI: Faced with the daunting task of getting back black money stashed abroad, government on Saturday said it was having a relook at some of the bilateral tax treaties signed with foreign countries that may be hindering the repatriation of the money.

“Of course, we are,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in an interaction with PTI journalists at the PTI headquarters here.

He was asked whether the government would have a relook at the bilateral treaties through which the government was not easily getting information about black money hoarders abroad.

Jaitley said he had sent a delegation recently to Switzerland and they have come back with some positive movement.

Furnish evidence “We have to furnish evidence independent of the HSBC list. I can’t go to them (foreign countries) and they say the HSBC list is stolen, I

MAKING A POINT: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during an interaction with PTI journalists in New Delhi, on Saturday. - PTI

won’t cooperate. So I won’t go to you on the basis of stolen list.

But if I present to you some independent evidence about names which happen to come on the stolen list, then will you provide me the evidence?,” he said referring to the discussions with Swiss government.

Asked if this was not provided in the current bilateral treaties, the Minister said: “This is what we have discussed. Increasingly the cooperation is increasing. Now if you see the US laws, they want more and more countries to accept that law which provides for automatic exchange of information.”

To a question whether India would be signing such a treaty, the Minister said, “our application is precisely that. The Supreme

Court, the earlier judgement, needs a clarification. So the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is looking into it.”

On another question relating to difficulties in getting black money from abroad, a promise of which was made by BJP during elections, Jaitley said there is a settled procedure and government has to go by that settled process.

“The world today is uniting to unearth these unauthorised transactions. Conventionally they were against crime money and not tax evaded money.

“Today even tax evaded money, which flies from one part of the world to another, there is exchange of information. And then if you are able to prove that it’s contrary to law they give you the supporting

evidence. You have to go through that procedure. There is no other short cut,” he said.

The minister parried a question about the possibility of an amnesty scheme to unearth black money, both within and outside the country.

“Every institution in this matter has to realise its responsibilities,” he said without elaborating.

To a question on the Congress criticism of the relaunching of the Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) in which even narco terrorism money can be laundered, Jaitley dismissed such fears saying there are adequate safeguards built in it. He said the Congress gave its reaction without reading the notification on the KVP scheme and there cannot be a debate on “ill-informed or semi-informed facts”. - PTI

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that he does not favour burdening the salaried and middle-class with more taxes but would go after the evaders in widening the net.

In fact, he would encourage more money being put in the pockets of tax payers that will lead to spending and collection of more indirect taxes.

“This widening of the tax base. What does it mean?...I pay the same indirect tax as my attendant. Our volume of consumption may be different.So everybody is paying indirect taxes.

“And literally almost half your taxes are indirect taxes today. He pays excise, he pays customs duty, he pays service tax. Now as far as income tax is concerned, to bring those who evade tax is widening the tax net, I am all for it,” the minister said in an interaction with PTI journalists.

He was replying to a question on whether his budget would look at widening the tax base to maximise revenue.

Budget Jaitley, who will be presenting his first full fledged budget in February, said that in his last budget he had increased the tax exemption limit from Rs200,000 to Rs250,000 and

would even raise it further if he had more money.

“After all what are we talking about Rs250,000 today means, taking all the deductions which we have given, somebody up to Rs 350,000400,000 does not have to pay tax. So we have reached the situation broadly.

“One earning Rs 35,00040,000 per month, if the person puts some money for savings, (he) won’t have to pay tax. But people falling in this bracket say that they don’t save anything with salary of Rs35,000-40,000 (with) the present cost of living, the transport cost, the fees of children and so on,” Jaitley said.

Therefore, the minister said, he was against reducing the exemptions to widen the tax net. “Then that’s not my approach,” he added.

On black money within the country, he said: “It is huge quantity and more easily traceable. Because you go to real estate, you go to land, you go to mining, you go to jewellery, you go to luxury goods, you will find the domestic (black money).You go to educational institutions, you will find it there.

“Therefore to trace out the buyers and the recipients is also easy.” - PTI

MOUNTED GUNS

Government invites bids for $2.4b artillery deal NEW DELHI: India on Saturday invited bids for a $2.4-billion artillery deal while deferring a decision on acquiring 106 Swiss Pilatus aircraft for fighter pilot training.

The bid for 814 mounted guns is the first big artillery tender in nearly three decades since the scandal-hit Swedish Bofors guns deal in 1987. The Defence Acquisition Council, which clears highvalue military procurements, issued the tender after holding its first meeting under new Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The high-value bid comes as India seeks to replace its old 105mm light field guns with a mix of towed, mounted and wheeled artillery.

“The minister took stock and stressed on fast and transparent acquisitions,” a source in the defence ministry said. But

a decision to acquire basic aircraft trainers from Switzerland “was deferred to a later date”, the source said. India, the world’s largest buyer of weapons, had signed a deal for 75 Pilatus Basic Trainer Aircraft in 2012 and has inducted 53 of them till now.

In March, the ministry issued a “request for information” for the procurement of an additional 106 trainers under its “buy and make” procurement category.

Under this provision, some equipment is bought from abroad and the rest is made domestically.

India’s government is keen on such arrangements as they involve technology transfers and boost local manufacturing.

India is in the midst of revamping its ageing military equipment and recently lifted a cap on foreign investment in defence. - AFP

PROTESTING CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS

MDMK chief Vaiko along with farmers protesting against the Karnataka government. Thousands of farmers and cadres of various political parties in Cauvery delta areas on Saturday held agitations against the Karnataka government’s plan to implement Mekedatu project by constructing two dams across the river Cauvery. - PTI

REFORM AGENDA

Modi sees biometric identity cards as way to fight corruption NEW DELHI: At a roadside eatery along Delhi’s border, truck driver Anil Yadav walked straight through the dining room, past the kitchen and out to a backyard that held two large drums of kerosene.

It was time to fill up the tank.

Known as “The Depot,” the restaurant sells fuel stolen from India’s public distribution system, which doles out staples to the poor at below-market prices. Truckers mix the cheaper kerosene with diesel, saving some cash in a country where three of every five people live on less than $2 per day.

“I get a lump sum from the truck’s owner and I have to pay for diesel, food and any incidental expenses on the way, including bribes,” Yadav said in the back of the restaurant, where hundreds of fuel containers lay scattered out of sight from the main highway.

“Some money on the side helps me make ends meet.”

Effort Prime Minister Narendra Modi is racing to fingerprint 1.2 billion people in an effort to save about $12 billion a year by checking corruption, roughly what India spends annually on education.

Since it would be politically un-

popular for him to scrap subsidies for food and fuel, he’s accelerating the use of biometric identity cards to eliminate waste and narrow one of Asia’s largest fiscal deficits.

The card will make it harder for half a million government-run stores to sell subsidized kerosene, sugar, wheat and rice to anyone who doesn’t have one. Customers will need to prove their identity using fingerprints or eye scans, allowing the government to easily track sales of subsidized goods.

“There is nothing else that we know can be done to control subsidies other than the Unique ID cards, and that’s the reason Modi took it on,” said Laveesh Bhandari, a director of Indicus Analytics, an economics research company.

“This is his best bet and there are no new ideas. There will be nothing like ending subsidies.”

Modi last month scrapped controls on diesel prices and increased natural gas tariffs in his biggest steps toward curbing subsidies.

A parliament session starting on Monday will prove a key test for his reform agenda as he seeks to lift the cap on foreign investment in insurance, pass a new goods and services tax and make it easier to acquire land for factories.

Modi has set a June target for all citizens to have a biometric identity card, according to two government officials who asked not to be named because the information is private

While enlisting another 500 million people in eight months won’t be easy, Modi has few alternatives if he wants to deliver a budget surplus for the first time since the central bank started compiling the data in 1986.

Growth has lagged in the past two years at below five per cent, compared to the 8 per cent average over the past decade, as surging food prices kept inflation at more than 9 per cent.

In his first budget in July, Modi left subsidy targets largely unchanged while planning to create a commission that would recommend ways to better target food and fuel subsidies.

government officials who asked not to be named because the information is private. The programme has signed up 700 million people since it was started in September 2010 by the previous government, which hadn’t set a target to cover the entire country before it lost power in May. V.S. Madan, director general of the Unique ID Authority, was unavailable for comment when called on his office phone and didn’t immediately respond to a subsequent e-mail.

Plans India plans to spend $43 billion, about 15 per cent of its total expenditure for the year ending March 31, on programmes offering food, fertilizer and fuel at belowmarket prices. Only about half of public spending on basic services reaches the people because of inefficiencies in governance and execution, McKinsey & Co. said in a February report.

The biometric card is known by the Hindi word “Aadhar,” which means “foundation.” The pro-

Narendra Modi

A panel set up to review government spending will come out with recommendations to curb handouts, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. The government plans to review a subsidy offered on cooking gas to direct it to the poor.

The “sooner we are able to take the decision as to who is entitled to these subsidies” the “better it would be for our system,” Jaitley said. “All these are on our agenda.”

Modi has set a June target for all citizens to have a biometric identity card, according to two

gram will allow policy makers to track the poor and open linked bank accounts, paving the way for the public distribution system to eventually be dismantled in favor of direct cash transfers, a policy advocated by central bank Governor Raghuram Rajan.

Modi is seeking to sign up 70 million households for bank accounts to transfer cash directly, building on a policy started by the previous government.

Holders of biometric identity cards will immediately be entitled to a loan and insurance facility, while those without an Aadhar card need to undergo further due diligence before getting those services, according to rules from the State Bank of India, the nation’s biggest lender.

The money spent on Aadhar will result in a 50 percent return on investment, according to Ajay Shah, an economist with the government-funded National Institute of Public Finance and Policy who prepared a cost-benefit analysis for the government. The $12 billion in annual savings will come as soon as the public distribution system is linked with the card after everyone signs up, he said. - The Washington Post/ Bloomberg News

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HONOUR

Rahat to perform at Nobel Prize Awards ceremony KARACHI: Renowned singer and composer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is set to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Awards Ceremony that will take place in Oslo on December 10, according to the Voice of America (VOA).

VOA also claims that he is the first Pakistani to receive the honour of performing at the ceremony. However, according to Junoon’s official website Salman Ahmed had also performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo in 2007.

Each year, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates receive their Nobel Peace Prize from the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in the presence of King Harald V of Norway.

An important part is the presentation of the Nobel lectures by the Nobel laureates.

On October 10, the Nobel Peace Prize went to 17-year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai and India’s Kailash Satyarthi for their work promoting children’s rights.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the prize saying that peaceful global development can only come about if children

PAKISTAN

Taliban group claims attack on MQM camp Three legislators were among those

We were warning the previous and present-day governments, as well as security agencies, that terrorist groups are making their hideouts in Karachi.

But our warnings were not taken seriously

hurt when gunmen hurled hand grenades and opened fire on the MQM Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

membership drive and the young are respected.

Malala is the youngest person to be awarded the globally prestigious annual prize.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif congratulated teenage education campaigner Malala Yousafzai on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, calling her the “pride” of Pakistan.

“She is (the) pride of Pakistan.

She has made her countrymen proud. “Her achievement is unparallelled and unequalled. Girls and boys of the world should take the lead from her struggle and commitment,” he said in a statement. — Express Tribune

Altaf Hussain

meeting in Orangi

PESHAWAR: A Taliban faction on Saturday claimed responsibility for the attack on Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s camp in Orangi Town which killed one man and wounded at least 20 people, including three members of provincial assembly (MPAs).

An MQM worker, identified as Jabar, succumbed to his injuries.

Three provincial legislators were among those wounded when gunmen hurled hand grenades and opened fire on the MQM member-

Chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement

ship drive meeting in Orangi Town late on Friday.

Among those injured in the attack were MQM MPAs Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Abdullah and Saifuddin Khalid.

The injured were later shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where they were said to be out of danger.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesperson for the Jamatul Ahrar faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan,

M I L I TA RY O P E R AT I O N

said the attack was in revenge for the arrest and killing of Taliban members in Karachi.

“We will keep on targeting MQM, Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Karachi,” he told AFP by telephone.

MQM Chief Altaf Hussain on Saturday condemned the attack on his party’s membership campaign.

The injured included three Sindh Assembly members; Mo-

hammad Hussain, Abdullah Shaikh and Saifuddin Khalid, who were injured in the attack at MQM’s membership campaign in Orangi Town, Karachi.

Altaf, in his statement, said outlawed organisations killed three MQM parliamentarians named Syed Raza Haider, Manzar Imam and Sajid Qureshi along with other activists in the past, adding that the party’s offices have also been attacked. — Express Tribune

P O L I C E AT R O C I T Y

Jirga prods government over return of displaced ISLAMABAD: A grand tribal jirga in Islamabad on Saturday demanded that the government repatriate those internally displaced persons (IDPs) whose areas have been cleared of militants during the Zarb-e-Azb military operation in North Waziristan.

The Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) sponsored jirga was attended by tribal elders, IDPs and a number of political parties from Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa (KP), ex-

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cept for the incumbent Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI).

At the end of the jirga, an eight-point joint communiqué was released which demanded that the government immediately repatriate IDPs. Plea to conclude operation The joint communiqué further urged the government and the military to conclude the ongoing operation in the tribal areas soon

so that the IDPs can return to their homes and resume rehabilitation activities.

The jirga also sought a comprehensive assistance package for those who had died or sustained injuries during the operation.

Talking to the media, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the war imposed on the tribal areas was not theirs, rather it was needed for others.

“I want to tell the world and our

nation that we did not need this war, neither is it our war,” the JUIF chief said, adding that the tribal people are always in the line of fire due to an imposed proxy war.

Earlier, Awami National Party’s President Asfandyar Wali Khan told members of the jirga said that IDPs were facing grave issues but neither the federal government nor the provincial government in KP was interested in addressing them. — Express Tribune

Minority member ‘tortured to death’ LAHORE: A thirty-five-yearold Christian man, Allah Rakha Shahzad, died on Saturday morning, allegedly after being tortured by police officials at Green Town police station.

Shahzad was arrested by the police on Friday night after which a first investigation report was filed against him. Shahzad

was in custody for selling alcohol and drugs.

Shahzad’s family attributed his death to police torture, alleging that he died during interrogation.

Police officials however, claimed that he died due to a heart attack.

Family members of the deceased protested in front of the police station. — Express Tribune

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Wise immigration plan of President Obama

P

resident Barack Obama’s speech on immigration Thursday night ended on a high, hopeful note. He told millions who have lived and worked here for years, many of them Americans in all but name: We cannot fix your situation yet, but for now we will not expel you, because we have better hopes for you here. Efforts over the last decade to repair immigration have repeatedly ended in failure, leaving the meanness of the broken status quo. Now, though, there are reasons for encouragement, tempered with caution. Obama’s plan to register and give working papers to perhaps 4 million to 5 million people has rightly gained the most attention, but he and the Homeland Security secretary, Jeh Johnson, have also declared a sweeping reordering of immigration enforcement. They are ending Secure Communities, a blighted programme that used local police to funnel arrested immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The replacement for Secure Communities will be called the Priority Enforcement Program, and it is meant to pursue only high-priority deportation targets. The local police will no longer routinely be asked to detain immigrants on ICE’s behalf - in violation of the Fourth Amendment - but asked instead simply to notify ICE when a wanted suspect is about to be released. This could fulfil Obama’s promise to use the deportation machinery only against real threats. But history is littered with similar efforts at reprioritising that failed. It is unclear how this fixes the problems of abusive and discriminatory policing that arise before an immigrant is jailed. Immigrant advocates are right to greet this apparent improvement with caution.

Other worries are administrative. There is a crying need for legal representation for immigrants, and adding an immense new programme covering millions will burden the system still more. Many gaps are filled by energetic networks of nonprofit and low-cost legal advocates, but also by fraudsters. Executive action will be a big undertaking, and it’s reasonable to be concerned about the ability of the administration and legal services organisations to handle it. But these are good worries to have. Obama’s initiative is a real gain, which must be held against the blowback from Republicans. Presidential precedent, the law and Supreme Court affirmation all favour Obama. The reality of the status quo is paralysis, in which nobody is ever legalised and most people are never deported. That is another form of amnesty the amnesty of inaction - though none on the right who oppose reform would ever admit it. The White House is beginning a campaign to defend its action by stressing the economic and law enforcement benefits of bringing millions in from outside the law. The most immediate and profound benefit is the lifting of fear in immigrant communities, even though perhaps half of the undocumented population will still be left out. Many parents will be excluded, and many families will be broken. Their struggle will continue. -New York Times News Service

WAR ZONE

Time to sink divides to fight Isis militants

M ROBERT FISK

Pakistan, Russia rework ties

T

he Cold War is long gone, as is Soviet-Communist Russia. Russia, under President Vladimir Putin, has an outwards urge and is revisiting relationships that are in need of overhaul in the 21st century. Its relationship with Pakistan is inevitably one such.

Russia has had business in this part of the world since Partition, not all of it profitable. The past Afghan experience will be in some Russian minds, but it is a fast-moving present that is driving events, such as the signing of an agreement to increase defence and military cooperation between the two countries in Islamabad on November 20. The occasion was the first visit by any Russian defence minister to Pakistan.

Although the details of the agreement have not been made public, it is known that Pakistan has an interest in acquiring Russian combat helicopters — specifically the MiL Mi35 Hind in its late variants. The Hind E is an iconic and effective ground-attack vehicle and would represent a significant upgrade for our armed forces. Russia and Pakistan are not new to military collaboration. The JF-17 ‘Thunder’ fighter, which is co-produced by the Pakistan Air Force and China’s Chengdu Aviation Corporation, is powered by the Russian RD-93 engine.

Although officials were circumspect in their comments about the agreement, a military source said that this was “a milestone in burying a bitter past”. Geopolitics is on, what amounts to fast-forwards, as the post-2014 scenario unfolds in Afghanistan and across the subcontinent. Russian interests in Pakistan are broad, ranging from counterterrorism to the international drugs trade as evidenced by recent joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean. In making the agreement, the Russians will have been mindful of the reaction of India, which is the second-largest market for the Russian defence industry. President Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have already met and Russia and India have set a bilateral trade target of $20 billion by 2015. Russia-Pakistan trade currently stands at $542 million and is far below its potential. Doing business with The Bear makes sense at many levels, not only military. -The Express Tribune

Neutral stance is evident in publication of criticism The fact that somebody could publish their strong criticism of the viewpoints of Aijaz Zaka or Ommen Kuruvilla in itself shows the neutrality of Times of Oman on the issue of the political undercurrents in India. Regardless of what is being written in the newspapers and articulated in political gatherings, it is the responsibility of each and every individual to work towards a more tolerant and peaceful society. Without peace there can be no progress.

M. Aziz Al Rusayl

Need to spread positive message in society This is in continuation of Aruna R’s message published in Times

of Oman Readers’ Forum on November 20, 2014. Times of Oman should provide useful information and purposeful education to the readers in Oman who are essentially Omani and South Asians.

Biased and vitriolic articles written by journalists of the genre of Aijaz Zaka and Kuruvilla, meant to create religious confusion and to harm the harmony in the society, should not be permitted in your esteemed daily. We need spreading of positivity in an alien land not religious hatred as these gentlemen are determined to do.

Times of Oman should keep this sacred end in mind. Information that can reduce tension in Middle East and those which can foster Omani-South Asian relationship should be your focus. We, the readers, have already boycotted such writings... Times of Oman

Syria’s army cannot hold all the ground it takes from IS or other extremist groups. Hence the existence of the NDF

ilitias worry me. No rules, no guidelines, no punishments. The Israelis used an undisciplined mob called South Lebanon Army. The Americans used their infamous Awakening groups to murder Al Qaeda members in Iraq who were themselves killing American soldiers. The Hezbollah is Iran’s militia in Lebanon – and now in Syria.

So I was intrigued to visit Syria’s National Defence Forces (NDF) in Qamishli, far to the northeast of the country, which includes – like the newly formed anti-Isis Dwekh Nawsha (Self-Sacrifice) group in the Iraqi village of Bakufa – Christians as well as Muslims. Do not have any illusions. This is a government-sponsored organisation whose flag depicts a fist in Syria’s national colours. It has around 900 members – and its mission is perfectly clear.

Syria’s army cannot control the country. It can recapture territory from Isis or other extremist groups, but it cannot hold all the ground it takes.

Hence the existence of the NDF. They must sit tight on the territory the army takes. In the Alawite mountains, its enemies call them the Shabiha, but after a series of massacres in the early years of the Syrian war, they have been brought under central control. Its commander in Qamishli is an army major. Abu Dari, a tribal leader, founded the first units of the NDF in Qamishli. “At first, it was all a tribal army,” the major says. “Little by little, we managed to dissolve the tribal defences. So now the tribes no longer have groups of their own. We benefited from the tribal feelings, but now we have formed a multitribal force. We have men from different tribes all together, some of them from the countryside round Damascus from which they had to flee. They are for security and intelligence-gathering. Each time we gain a village, we organise them to go there.”

All this sounds a bit like the B Specials in Northern Ireland, lads who know the land – and who, in that glorious province, could tell a Catholic from a Protestant (which was their purpose) – and know the people. In Qamishli, however, there are Muslims and Syriac Christians and even a few Armenians serving in the force. One 200-strong unit of this militia is all Christian and calls itself Sotoro which, in the Syriac language, means “Protect”.

So I padded down town to visit these men. Khaldun Hanno – a Syriac himself – obviously joined Sotoro to encourage his fellow Christians not to leave their homes. “Christians have left here in such numbers because they have the ability to leave and they got facilities to go to Sweden,” Hanno said. “We decided from the beginning that we wanted to de-

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fend our country and our homeland. This is our land.

Sweden is not our land. We operate only within the city. So unlike our colleagues we have so far not sustained any casualties.” The men I met included a civil servant, an electrician and a sales rep. So far so good.

But outside the town, the NDF, since they were set up in January of 2013, have suffered 50 deaths, some men taken from their tribal villages and executed in the night by extremist groups. Ahmed Sulieman Abdul Aziz, for example, was taken from Jilbarat village where he lived with his wife and six children, and beheaded elsewhere in the neighbourhood.

“We’ve had three captured and slaughtered on 3 May this year,” the major said. “The killers videotaped their beheading and we all watched the tape.”

Silence now. This is pretty hideous stuff. After some executions, the extremists, I’m told, don’t immediately release the videos to the world. They send them first to the wives and parents of the murdered man.

“Cruelty is not restricted to Isis,” another militiaman says. “Isis is just the new face of cruelty. Because we work very closely with the army and can give the army first-hand information on the villages, the armed groups hate us a lot. On more than one occasion, we’ve rescued our own fighters.” And, like the army, the NDF are not known to take prisoners. I asked Hanno when the Syrian war would end. “We hope soon, but we are thinking that we will have to fight for far longer. Time is a wheel and it turns again and again.”

And as the wheel turns, strange phenomena emerge. Soldiers and militiamen acquire nicknames.

First Lieutenant Allah Hassan of the Syrian parachute regiment south of Qamishli, for example, is called “the King of Terror for Isis”. His colleagues even let the locals know when he returns from leave so that Isis will know he’s back. I couldn’t find out how this name was acquired, but I have my suspicions. And in the extremist ranks, women have made their appearance. Moroccan women, army officers, the NDF says, have turned up to guard one of the extremist crossing points into Turkey. Two extremist women were found dead with Ukrainian passports. How many more secrets will we discover in this terrible war? And how many more will never be disclosed?

The four-star hotel? Well it’s halfway there And so to a gloomy street in Qamishli town where the brash neon sign of the “Merry Land Hotel” greets every guest. More Bates Motel, I suspected, than anything to do with good cheer. My bedroom door handle was missing. The loo didn’t flush and the shower was cold. That’s war for you.

I liked my driver’s assessment when we arrived.

“This is a four-star hotel,” he said. “But one day, two of the stars flew away.” -The Independent

should take care not to publish such articles.

R. N. Mishra On e-mail

Otherwise excellent work tarnished by some The letters ‘Looking at things with a jaundiced eye’ (Times of Oman, November 19, 2014 ) and ‘Politics must not mire the move of the Government of India’ (Times of Oman, November 20, 2014) are bang on target. The write-ups of the “award winning” journalist are venomous, fundamentalist and a pain to the sensibilities of your readers.

I and my friends request your esteemed newspaper to discontinue the column, which is a blot on your otherwise excellent newspaper and consign it to its

rightful place — the trash can.

K. R. Nayak Ruwi

Everyone should reap the benefits of blood donation This refers to the front page lead of the Times of Oman dated November 22 titled ‘Voluntary blood donations rising’. While a superficial reading of the article may convince the reader that blood donation is a noble work, careful reading reveals that it actually has beneficial impact on the health of the donor as well.

Thanks to Times of Oman for reiterating this fact to readers like me who might not be aware of it. It will surely convince many to donate blood.

Kalimuddin Khan Salalah

Letters, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi), by fax (24813153) or by e-mail (times@omantel.net.om)

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S U N DAY, N OV E MB E R 23, 2 0 14

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PERSPEC IVE Now is the time to set up a court for world’s children T

GORDON BROWN

We can do more to end child labour, child marriage, child trafficking, and discrimination against girls, by not only demanding the proper policing of domestic laws, but also by establishing a new International Children’s Court

wo tragic and haunting images have emerged this year: hooded IS executioners holding their knives to the necks of innocent victims, and masked medical workers bravely fighting an uphill battle against an Ebola outbreak for which the world was not prepared. But the year’s lasting legacy will be an even more extensive disaster, with recovery taking years, if not decades: nearly two million newly displaced children, trapped in conflict zones across Iraq, Syria, Gaza, the Central African Republic, and elsewhere.

These children have joined the ranks of 25 million displaced boys and girls worldwide – a number equivalent to the population of a midsize European country and the largest in the 70 years since the end of World War II. But the plight of child refugees is only one reason why a new approach to children’s rights is needed. This year, an estimated 15 million school-age girls will become child brides against their will. Some 14 million boys and girls below the age of 14 are child labourers, many forced to work in the most hazardous of conditions. And 32 million girls are denied the basic right to attend school, owing to gender discrimination; around 500,000 of them are trafficked each year.

In the 1950s, the fight against colonialism dominated world politics. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, great civil-rights battles were waged against racial discrimination and apartheid, followed by struggles to advance the rights of the disabled and some minorities. It is our generation’s task to tackle the civil-rights movement’s unfinished business, by ending exploitation of children, especially girls, and ensuring compulsory universal education.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), I, along with this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, Kailash Satyarthi, and the head of the United Kingdom’s Overseas Development Institute, Kevin Watkins, am calling on the world community to offer practical support to the civil-rights struggle of young people. We can do more to end child labour, child marriage, child trafficking, and discrimination against girls, by not only demanding the proper policing of domestic laws, but also by establishing a new International Children’s Court, buttressed by a credible reporting and sanctions system.

Violations of children’s rights are now so rampant that there simply is no alternative. Indeed, though no human-rights treaty has been more widely ratified than the CRC, which requires governments to report on their compliance once every five years, its work lacks adequate resources and enforcement. Only one in seven countries submit compliance reports on time, and one-third do not submit even a year late. Another promising initiative – the “optional protocol on communications,”

aimed at enabling children and their advocates, for the first time, to bring cases before the UN Human Rights Committee – has been similarly weakened by a lack of strong support, authority, and resources. Only 14 countries have ratified the protocol.

Moreover, states are not legally bound to change the policies or laws that are deemed to be violating their international human-rights obligations. And a shortage of investigative resources has led to an emphasis on problematic legislation, instead of the larger issue of inadequate enforcement of laws that promote the CRC’s principles. So there is a case not only for an International Children’s Court, but also for children and their representatives to be granted the right to petition it. Such a court should have the capacity to receive and investigate individual complaints, the power to monitor independently the enforcement of laws, and the resources to devote to investigations into relevant areas, including child labour, child marriage, child slavery, genital mutilation, and child rape.

Over time, a reporting system could be implemented to facilitate an examination of the impact of health and education policies on the world’s most marginalised boys and girls. Another advance could follow, based on Graça Machel’s victory a decade ago in convincing the UN Security Council to implement a system for reporting violence against children in conflict zones. At the time, it was agreed that a Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, whose work is backed by the threat of sanctions, would also be established. Today, a similar post – underpinned by the same system of reporting and sanctions – should be created to focus on children’s other rights. Next month, Satyarthi and the girls’-rights leader Malala Yousafzai will receive this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, reminding the world that a children’s-rights struggle is underway – one that is increasingly being led by young people. Indeed, frustrated with adults’ failure to discharge what should be their duties toward children, young people are forming child-marriage-free zones, launching anti-slavery groups, and organizing educationrights campaigns. Such initiatives may not yet be trending on Twitter and Facebook, but they are engaging millions of young people worldwide.

Now, the Global March Against Child Labor and A World at School have come together to support the #UpForSchool petition. Over the next several months, youth groups in 190 countries will be collecting, it is hoped, a record number of signatures. But we must do more than read and sign the petition. We must recognize that today’s movement to ensure children’s rights is the civil-rights struggle of our generation – and do whatever it takes to support it. -Project Syndicate

The politics of leaving online review

HANNAH WILLIAMS

I

’m not a betting woman but I’d put money on the fact that when Tony and Jan Jenkinson described the Blackpool hotel in which they’d stayed recently as a “rotten stinking hovel” on TripAdvisor they didn’t expect to be hit with a £100 “fine” by the hotel for doing so.

Unsurprisingly, after a mini media storm and the attention of

Blackpool Trading Standards, this money has now been refunded but it’s got some of us questioning why anyone would leave an online review in the first place?

With very few exceptions, there’s nothing to be gained for reviewers when they do so, so why do it?

The proliferation of online reviews for almost everything cannot have escaped anyone’s notice. It seems as though there are no longer any aspects of human life which are not open to public criticism and amateur analysis.

There are, at the time of writing, 1,116 people who have carved out time in their busy days to review a specific pair of £2.89 earplugs on Amazon. Who knew moulded foam could be “life-changing”?

If I sound cynical, I shouldn’t.

I barely do or purchase anything these days without searching for it online and checking to see if it’s getting a rave or a one-star review from faceless people I’ve never met. It’s not just hotels, hair salons

and, erm… ear plugs which now are part of our reviews culture.

NHS hospitals and rental properties are now being rated online by an increasingly galvanised bunch of people who feel the need to share experiences – good and bad. It might go against the grain to give the surgeon who operated on you an online mark out of five, but in the absence of publicly available data I completely get why user generated content has become invaluable for so many of us.

This is why I have little sympathy for the views of people who argue that user-generated reviews online are often pernicious, and should be eschewed in favour of good old fashioned word of mouth.

What rot. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time or inclination to call all my friends and ask them if they can recommend a little place in the Lake District for a January mini-break.

Crowdsourcing is simply the most convenient way to get a re-

liably accurate snapshot of how well regarded a product or service is. How else are we supposed to make an informed choice? I also simply do not buy the argument that people only leave online reviews to stir-up petty “hate campaigns” and slate things unfairly.

Before social media, it was a marketing truism that people were more inclined to share a bad experience with a business than a good one. That, I suspect, is no longer the case. Satisfying it may be to tell-all about a bad experience or product but there’s a pretty compelling amount of evidence to suggest that dishing-the-dirt is not the only reason why people share their experiences online.

Apparently an astonishing 87 per cent of online reviews for Financial Services providers are four stars or above. If banks and insurance companies are feeling that level of online love, what must reviews be like for institutions we really like? -The Independent

Finding a new CEC big headache for Sharif government The constitution empowers the PM to appoint the CEC. Both the PPP and PML-N are opposed to the PTI’s nominee — Justice (retired) Nasir Aslam Zahid — and have made a declaration to this effect.

PTI, too, has rejected the nominees of the government and opposition publicly.

So though the constitution gives the government and the opposition a much-needed cushion, they cannot completely shut out the PTI because it has successfully built an entire public campaign on the issue of rigging and poll reforms, which all parties agree have to be undertaken to offset cries of foul play in the future.

The other day, Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid surprised media by announcing that, unlike they had done recently, the government and opposition will not publicly disclose the name of the consensus candidate this time “because Imran Khan may derail the appointment process”.

Rashid claimed that because of Khan’s public opposition, two candidates — former apex court judge Rana Bhagwandas and recently retired chief justice Tassadaq Hussain Jilani — had expressed their unwillingness to take up the office.

Asked about how the government intends to deal with the issue, especially with the deadline expiring tomorrow, Rashid asserted that the parliament would not be dictated

by Khan, and if the government fails to reach a consensus with the opposition leader — who is scheduled to return home from a medical check-up only two days after the deadline given by the apex court — it would seek more time. If the court rejects the same, the government, Rashid said, would abide by what the court orders.

Despite the stance being hardened by the government, it remains to be seen if it is not a bargaining chip since Khan has called for a massive show of force in the capital on November 30, and which, continues to attract the government’s attention — and ways to stop it — these days more than anything else.

The PTI, on the other hand, can do little constitutionally if the government and opposition do go ahead with their nominee — said to be Justice Tariq Pervaiz, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, who presided over last year’s elections as caretaker chief minister in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Will the PTI bite the bullet since it has not officially opposed Pervaiz, or a chastened government-opposition combine let PTI have its way to find peace? Watch this space!

KAMRAN REHMAT

T

he office of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has been lying vacant since octogenarian Justice (retired) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim resigned in July last year amidst controversy that he had not done enough to conduct a free and fair election in May, 2013.

It has been 16 months since, but a consensus candidate is elusive with two deadlines set by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to fill the vacancy going unfulfilled. The apex court has warned the government to do so by November 24, failing which it may recall Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, a serving judge of the Supreme Court, who is the acting CEC. Though the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has failed to make a spate of judicial and other appointments in important state entities — preferring to run the show by leaning on acting heads who mostly toe the official line — the office of the CEC has assumed critical importance because of the ongoing protest movement led by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

The over 100-day-old campaign outside the Parliament in the federal capital Islamabad centres around the questionable conduct of the polls held in May last year. Even though all major political parties and religious groups agree the polls were rigged, they have baulked at the idea of either a mid-term or reelection.

As a result, the PTI stands isolated — pronouncedly so after a joint session of the bicameral legislature last August backed Sharif to continue as the chief executive. The premier has since, regained his mojo after it became evident that fears the military establishment was behind the PTI to stage a coup by proxy were unfounded.

However, the battle of attrition over the appointment of CEC is not likely to end anytime soon even if the Sharif government sends the name of three nominees after consultation with the Opposition Leader Khurshid Shah of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to the Parliamentary Committee tasked with recommending a final name to the PM for approval.

The author is a senior journalist based in Islamabad. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely his and not of Times of Oman.

Russia may have launched ‘satellite killer’ A mysterious object has raised concerns that Russia may have revived a Cold War project by testing a satellite capable of chasing down other spacecraft, a technology that could be used to destroy or disable them.

December 25, 2013 Russia launches seemingly routine mission to add three Rodnik communications satellites to existing military constellation

May 5, 2014 Russia reveals launch sent four satellites into orbit instead of three.

Radar observations show fourth satellite – Kosmos 2499 – performing unusual manoeuvres to change orbit

November 9 Manoeuvres culminate with close approach to Briz-KM – upper stage of rocket that originally launched all four satellites into orbit

Yubileiny satellite: Carried as “piggyback” on previous Rockot missions, could indicate size and mass of Kosmos 2499 Length: 3m Weight: 100kg Rockot booster

1218

The city of Seville, France, surrenders to Ferdinand III of Castile after a twoyear siege

1863

The Battle of Chattanooga, one of the most decisive battles of the American Civil War.

1904

Russo-German talks break down because of Russia’s insistence to consult France.

1992

The first Smartphone, IBM Simon, introduced at COMDEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Briz-KM

Russian mission follows similar tests by U.S., which Russian mission follows similar

by US,and which launched ANGELS satellite launched ANGELS satellite intests July 2014, China, inwhich July 2014, and China, which launched Shijian launched Shijian 15 satellite in July 201315 satellite in July 2013 Explicit testing ofof such weapons inin space is prohibited by Explicit testing such weapons space international is prohibitedtreaties by international treaties

2005

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf elected president of Liberia; she is the first woman to lead an African nation.

HISTORYNET.COM Source: russianspaceweb

Graphic News /

Graphics

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MUSCAT: Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Mattar Al Azizi, Minister of Civil Service, was the chief guest at a function held at Radisson SAS Hotel in Al Khuwair yesterday to honour the best trainees of the internal and external courses organised by the ministry. The function was attended by Dr Khamis bin Mubarak Al Alawi, Minister of Regional Municipalities and Environment, and senior government officials. The head of the training committee at the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Environment said that the ministry had organised 36 local training programmes.

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‘West seeks to force fall of Putin regime’ KIEV: Russia on Saturday accused the West of seeking regime change in Moscow, raising tensions over the Ukraine conflict in the worst crisis in relations since the end of the Cold War. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke out against Western sanctions on Russia after US Vice President Joe Biden hinted Friday at possible further measures over Moscow’s “unacceptable” role in the former Soviet republic.

Kiev’s defence minister charged Saturday that there were 7,500 Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, although Russia denies claims that it provides military support to pro-Moscow separatists battling government forces.

Public protests “The West is showing unambiguously that they do not want to force (Russia) to change policy.

They want to achieve a change of regime,” Lavrov said in Moscow.

“Now public figures in Western countries are saying that it’s necessary to introduce sanctions that would destroy the economy and rouse public protests,” he added in comments cited by the state-run TASS news agency.

The United States and European Union have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow over Ukraine, targeting the key

energy, defence and finance sectors. As a result, the ruble has lost just under a third of its value against the euro since the start of the year.

7,500 Russian troops Lavrov’s comments came after Ukraine’s Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak claimed Russia had thousands of troops in the east and vowed that the cashstrapped country would boost its military capacity.

“The presence of 7,500 representatives of Russian armed forces in Ukraine destabilises the situation and prevents us from stabilising it,” Poltorak said.

A European government source speaking on condition of anonymity put the number of Russian tanks in eastern Ukraine at 140, highlighting “pressure” on the port city of Mariupol.

Land corridor Seizing Mariupol would be vital to any separatist plan to create a land corridor between the Russian border and Crimea, a region which Russia annexed from Ukraine earlier this year.

Ukraine’s new coalition declared Friday that joining NATO was a priority, stipulating that a law be passed by the end of the year confirming the intention to push for membership. — AFP

1 2 -Y E A R I N C A R C E R AT I O N

Guantanamo inmate sent back to Saudi WASHINGTON: A Saudi man held for 12 years at the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on suspicion of fighting in Afghanistan for Al Qaeda has been transferred to Saudi Arabia, the US Defence Department said on Saturday.

Muhammad Murdi Issa Al Zahrani was cleared for transfer last month by a review board, which said it took into account the uncorroborated nature of the information about his links to al Qaeda as well as his expressions of regret. —Reuters

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Iran nuclear talks face ‘serious gaps’: Kerry We’re working hard and we hope we’re making careful progress, but we have big gaps, we still have some serious gaps, which we’re working to close, said the US secretary of state

VIENNA: US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday “serious gaps” remained in talks between Iran and world powers in Vienna two days before a deadline to strike a nuclear deal.

“We’re working hard,” Kerry said, “and we hope we’re making careful progress, but we have big gaps, we still have some serious gaps, which we’re working to close.”

Speaking as he met German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Kerry said he would “not say anything substantive about the discussions while they’re going on, but a lot of serious work is going on by a lot of people.”

Kerry, who on Friday postponed a trip to Paris to remain in Vienna, was due to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday afternoon, their fourth meeting in three days.

Steinmeier, arriving in the Austrian capital earlier on Saturday, said that the final weekend of talks, after months of negotiations, was a “moment of truth”.

At stake is a historic deal in which Iran would curb its nuclear activities in exchange for broad

NEGOTIATIONS: Former EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, left, Germany’s Foreign Minister

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, centre, and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif meet for talks in Vienna on Saturday. — AFP

relief from years of heavy international economic sanctions.

It could end a 12-year standoff with the West that has even raised the threat of Israeli military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.

“The gap remains big... There now needs to be a political decision,” an Iranian source told AFP on condition of anonymity, putting the onus on the world powers to make concessions.

The differences were such that Britain and Iran have raised the possibility — as expected by many analysts — that a final deal would not be reached by Monday’s deadline, and that the negotiations could be extended.

Kerry said in Paris this week that no such extension — which could include a new interim deal — was being discussed.

An earlier one was extended in July by four months.

The United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany have been locked in talks with Iran since February to turn an interim accord reached a year ago into a lasting agreement by November 24.

Such a deal is aimed at easing fears that Tehran will develop nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian activities.

The country hotly denies such an aim and insists its programme is entirely peaceful.

A source close to the Iranian delegation told AFP the negotiators aimed for something short of a comprehensive nuclear agreement, seeking instead a deal on “a general framework” whose details would be filled in later. “There is no other scenario possible at this stage,” the source added.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and his French coun-

terpart Laurent Fabius also joined the talks on Friday. Both have since left but were expected to return.

It was unclear when or whether Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a key player in the talks, might also arrive.

Some areas under discussion appear provisionally settled in what would be a highly complex deal that would run for many years, even decades.

But two key issues remain: enrichment — a process that renders uranium suitable for peaceful uses but also, at high purities, for a weapon; and the pace of the lifting of sanctions.

Iran wants to massively ramp up the number of enrichment centrifuges — in order, it says, to make fuel for a fleet of future reactors — while the West wants them dramatically reduced.

— AFP

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Portuguese ex-PM arrested over suspected corruption LISBON: Portuguese police have arrested former Socialist prime minister Jose Socrates and three other people in an investigation of suspected tax fraud, corruption and money-laundering, the Prosecutor General’s office said on Saturday.

The arrest, the first involving a former premier in Portugal, follows detentions of other prominent people in separate inquiries in the past few months as prosecutors intensify a fight against corruption in a country notorious for its slow justice system.

It said in a statement that Socrates, 57, who was detained late on Friday, would be brought before a criminal judge for questioning on Saturday regarding an investigation of suspicious banking operations and money transfers.

Portugal’s official news agency Lusa said police arrested Socrates at Lisbon airport as he arrived from abroad. He spent the night in a police station, according to a police official.

His centre-left Socialist party leads in opinion polls ahead of next year’s general election.

Representatives of the party could not immediately be reached by telephone for comment on the arrest. A snap election in 2011 brought to power the current cen-

Jose Socrates

tre-right ruling coalition, which introduced the unpopular austerity measures such as tax hikes and cuts in wages and pensions.

After stepping down, Socrates left for Paris, where he attended a university course. He returned in 2013 to become a regular commentator on RTP state television.

During his premiership, Socrates weathered several investigations, including allegations that he misused his position as environment minister in 2002 to allow the construction of a shopping mall. He denied wrongdoing and faced no formal charges.

Prosecutors have detained and

Socrates resigned as prime minister in the middle of his second four-year term in 2011 as an escalating debt crisis forced him to request an international bailout

are investigating several prominent people in separate corruption and fraud cases.

Last week, the head of Portugal’s immigration service, Manuel Palos, was arrested along with several other officials on suspicions of corruption linked to the issuing of so-called “golden visas” to wealthy foreign investors. The inquiry also forced Interior Minister Miguel Macedo to resign.

In July, Ricardo Salgado, head of the Espirito Santo banking family and former chief of Banco Espirito Santo, was named as a suspect in a long-running money-laundering and tax evasion investigation. — Reuters H E A LT H C R I S I S

Plague outbreak kills 40 in Madagascar GENEVA: An outbreak of plague has killed 40 people in Madagascar, the World Health Organisation said, warning that the disease could spread rapidly in the country’s densely populated capital Antananarivo.

The first victim was identified on August 31 in a district to the west of the capital, and died three days later, the UN health agency said in a statement Friday.

By mid-November, some 119 plague cases had been confirmed, with two per cent of them of the pneumonic strain — one of the deadliest infectious diseases with a very high mortality rate. Plague mostly affects rats and is spread by fleas, but humans can also contract the disease if they are bitten by an infected flea.

The situation in Madagascar is all the more worrying because of a high level of resistance to insecticides targeting fleas, the UN health agency said.

There have been three plague pandemics since the Middle Ages, inflicting an estimated death toll of 200 million people.

In the 14th century, the disease wiped out an estimated third of Europe’s population.

Modern sanitation and the advent of antibiotics have mistakenly led many to believe that the plague is a disease of the past. In fact, a number of people, albeit relatively small, die from the disease in poorer countries each year. and doctors are worried at the rise of several antibiotic-resistant strains of the bacterium. — AFP

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014

MARKE Central bank plans to issue OMR200m in new bond sale The central bank executive president said that any investor residing in Oman can apply for the bond issue and the minimum subscription has to be for 100 bonds Hamoud Sangour Al Zadjali — Picture by Talib Al Wohaibi/Times of Oman

A E JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Oman’s central bank is set to float OMR200 million worth government development bond in a move to meet any anticipated budget deficit this year and to repay OMR100 bond, which is maturing this month.

The recent fall in oil prices is putting pressure on Oman government, which depends on 83

per cent of its revenue from hydrocarbon resources.

The proceeds of the bond issue, which will be opened for subscription between December 1 and 7, are mainly for rolling over one of the government development bond maturing now and to cover for any deficit, which may arise this year, Hamoud Sangour Al Zadjali, executive president of the Central Bank of Oman,

told journalists on the sidelines of Asian Bankers’ Association meeting here on Thursday. The bond with five-year maturity will fetch a coupon rate of three per cent and the auction will be held on December 9.

The central bank executive president said that any investor residing in Oman can apply for the bond issue and the minimum subscription has to be for 100 bonds.

Referring to the proposed OMR200 million sukuk issue, the central bank chief said the issue will happen next year based on the need of the government.

“A sukuk issue needs some sort of work and arrangement because it is not a straight forward issue like development bond,” Al Zadjali, said, adding; “it has to be backed by assets. So the government has to select assets to back sukuk issue, according to Islamic laws and regulations.”

Al Zadjali said the first sukuk issue will be floated within the country and if need arises, it will be floated in international markets.

Addressing the Asian Bankers’ conference, he said that the financial health of banks in terms of asset quality, provision coverage, capital adequacy and profitability remain strong. > B4

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

MARKET CONFERENCE

Asian bankers call for focus on complementary role Times News Service MUSCAT: The thirty-first Asian Bankers Association (ABA) general meeting and conference hosted by Bank Muscat, the leading financial services provider in the Sultanate, on Thursday called for an increased complementary role among banking institutions to gain from the business opportunities offered by Asia, which is poised to attain 7 per cent growth in gross domestic product.

Addressing the conference on the theme ‘Asian Banks: Reinventing the Modern-Day Silk Route’, Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, minister of commerce and industry, noted that the banking institutions have a big responsibility to

enable the Asia-Pacific region to play a catalytic role in the global economic growth and recovery.

The conference serves as a unique opportunity for the ABA and its members to strengthen and expand relations among banking and financial institutions in AsiaPacific countries and beyond.”

reinvent their relationship with the communities they serve with a focus on the requirements of future generations.

Sustainability The minister further said that sustainability in banking operations will determine the future role of bankers as issues that require priority attention include cyber threats facing the banking industry as well as support for the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector.

Lower cost of funding can create an efficient value chain, hence the banking sector should focus on collaborative efforts to tap the investment prospects in Asia.

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, chief executive of Bank Muscat, said: “Bank

Muscat is honoured to host the thirty-first ABA general meeting and conference, which serves as a unique opportunity for the association and its members to share with bankers from the region the investment and business opportunities offered by Oman and the Middle East region as a whole.

Asian banks need to seek inno-

vation in products and channels while strengthening their operating model to become leaner, faster, and more efficient in order to succeed in today’s marketplace.

“As the real engines of growth and development in each country, Asia-Pacific banks can play an active role in supporting development to help sustain growth and

Eeconomic development In his opening remarks, Lorenzo Tan, ABA chairman, said: “ABA addresses issues that impact the whole banking industry with special focus on the needs of Asian banks. The diversity of the levels of economic development as well as the state of financial services in respective countries is always considered. By collaboration and

cooperation, we hope to accelerate the progress not only of our banks but specially the larger interest of our customers and the economies that we serve. The international banking landscape continues to evolve in regulations, technology, financial markets and expertise.

The ABA hopes to address these issues effectively so that we can lead our banks better, especially during periods of change.”

Over 100 leading bankers and banking regulators from around the Asia-Pacific region attended the conference at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa. The prestigious Asia-Pacific banking conference took added significance it was being organised for the first time in the Middle East region.

Sultanate ranks fifth in economic freedom The report shows that Oman has improved its ‘access to sound money’ while also recording an increase in the ‘regulation of business, credit and labour’

Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman ranked fifth out of 22 members of the Arab League in the economic freedom of the Arab World 2014 report, launched at the Economic Freedom of the Arab World Conference in Amman, Jordan.

The report shows that Oman has improved its ‘access to sound money’ while also recording an increase in the ‘regulation of business, credit and labour’.

The Sultanate, represented

by Ithraa, joined countries from

CONFERENCE: The Sultanate, represented by Ithraa, joined countries from across the Arab World to discuss ‘Economic freedom and the public sector’ at the two-day conference. – Supplied photo

across the Arab World to discuss ‘Economic freedom and the public sector’ at the two-day conference.

Public, private sector Dr Salem bin Nasser Al Ismaily, chairman of Ithraa, moderated an interactive panel entitled ‘How good governance, public sector efficiency and privatisation can contribute to economic development’. The session included senior executives from international companies discussing how national economies can benefit from the marriage of public and private sector agencies. In addition, Azzan Al Busaidi, Ithraa director general (Research Studies and e-Services), shared the main findings and implications of the 2014 report.

Commenting on the findings, Al Busaidi, said, “The report shows that Oman is making considerable progress towards a free and open market that will provide new opportunities for enterprises to thrive. The results indicate that the Sultanate’s economic freedom will grow due to the ongoing regulatory improvements that will support local development, attract inward investments and ultimately advance economic diversification.”

Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are tied as the most economic free nations in the region with Bahrain in third, Kuwait in fourth and Qatar joining Oman in fifth place. Lebanon dropped to seventh place while Saudi Arabia ranked eighth, Yemen ninth and

Tunisia completing the top ten.

The report ranked all 22 countries in key five areas of economic freedom including size of government: expenditures, taxes and enterprises; commercial and economic law and security of property rights; access to sound money; freedom to trade internationally; and regulation of credit, labour, and business.

“As national economies across the Arab World become increasingly diverse and sophisticated, expectations of public services also grow. During the panel, we provided examples of how Oman is looking to empower the private sector through partnerships with the public sector to create a more efficient and competitive economy,” Al Busaidi added.

Participants at the Economic Freedom of the Arab World Conference represented free market economic think tanks and organisations and are considered experts in the fields of economic freedom and market reform, and creative entrepreneurs. Delegates were invited from across the Arab World as well as selected countries including Canada, Poland and Turkey to examine challenges faced in individual markets and compare economic freedom within and outside the Arab region.

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MARKET Oman’s inflation rises in October Food and nonalcoholic beverages rose by 1.04 per cent, while housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels increased by 0.24 per cent

MUSCAT: The annual rate of inflation in the Sultanate stood at 1.02 per cent in October 2014, compared to the same period in 2013. Additionally, on a monthby-month basis, the October rate increased by 0.12 per cent, compared to September 2014 figure.

The recently released inflation report issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) details the underlying factors behind the annual rate increase in October 2014, compared to October 2013. Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 1.04 per cent, while housing, D I V E R S I F I C AT I O N

Oman’s efforts in attracting foreign investment lauded MUSCAT: Mohammed Saleh, president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Saida and Southern Lebanon (CCIAS), yesterday commended the efforts of Oman in attracting foreign investments and providing appropriate environment for its growth.

He also praised the efforts made by the Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (Sezad) and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) in publicising the investment opportunities available in the Sultanate.

Saleh expressed satisfaction for signing contracts between large companies and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that emphasise the readiness of Omani youth to establish selfrun projects, which is encouraging for businessmen to invest in the Sultanate.

Saleh, along with investors from eight countries, were briefed on the industrial and tourism projects at the Special Economic Zone in Duqm, such as Duqm Port, Dry Dock, the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Park Inn Resort.

He said that the Duqm project is one of the largest investment projects, which he has visited in recent years, as it is a future investment project. - ONA

water, electricity, gas and other fuels grew by 0.24 per cent. Education costs recorded an increase of 4.51 per cent.

Meanwhile, health costs increased by 5 per cent and communications costs rose by 5.02 per cent.

In addition, furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance grew by 6.03 per cent, and hotel and restaurant costs increased by 0.6 per cent, while tobacco prices increased by 1.10 per cent. Miscellaneous goods and services also recorded a marginal increase of 0.11 per cent, recreation and culture prices increased by 0.02 per cent and transports costs rose by 0.51 per cent. On the other hand, clothing and footwear costs declined by 1.01 per cent.

When measured against the September 2014 figures, the report shows that the inflation rate

in October rose by 0.12 per cent.

The growth is attributed to the increase in housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels by 0.02 per cent.

In addition, clothing and footwear costs increased by 0.75 per cent, and furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance also increased by 0.29 per cent. Transports costs rose by 0.61 per cent, health costs increased by 0.07 per cent, education costs increased by 4.5 per cent, hotels and restaurants costs grew by 0.16 per cent, miscellaneous goods and services increased by 0.05 per cent and tobacco prices increased by 0.86 per cent.

On the other hand, costs of food and non-alcoholic beverage prices declined by 0.53 per cent, communication costs also declined by 0.04 per cent. Recreation and culture prices remained stable on a month-by-month basis.

GCC inflation A report by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat) showed that the annual inflation rates in the GCC region ranged between 0.86 per cent and 3.6 per cent by the end of September 2014. - ONA

CRUDE OIL

Medco Arabia, Intaj sign pact to explore oil, gas in Al Wusta Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman’s Ministry of Oil and Gas has signed a concession agreement with Medco Arabia and Intaj for exploring and developing block 56, which has crude oil and natural gas deposits.

As per the production sharing pact, these companies will explore oil and natural gas in block 56, which is spread in an area of 5,808 square kilometres in Al Wusta

Governorate, said a press statement issued by the ministry.

The agreement was signed in Muscat on Thursday on behalf of the Government of the Sultanate by Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhy, minister of oil and gas and Lukman Mahfoed, director of Medco Arabia and Said Al Adawi, chief executive officer of Intaj.

The commitments of the companies under this agreement are to perform geological and geophysi-

cal studies and drill several wells during the exploration period.

The government of the Sultanates of Oman will not bear any financial commitments during exploration period.

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

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C A P I TA L R E Q U I R E M E N T

Jindal SAW closes club facility worth OMR48.75 million Times News Service MUSCAT: Jindal SAW Middle East FZC (JSME), a subsidiary of Jindal SAW Limited, India, one of the largest producers as well as market leader of SAW pipes, seamless tubes and DI pipes globally, has closed a club facility worth OMR48.75 million for its long-term and growth capital requirements.

JSME has set up the largest facility in Abu Dhabi, UAE to produce Ductile Iron (DI) Pipes of various sizes and focuses on providing high quality techno-economic products and solutions for water transportation and sewage systems in the wider Middle East

and North Africa (MENA) region.

JSME has already been approved by various MENA region countries for supply of its DI pipes.

Commercial Bank of Dubai, Commercial Bank International, Emirates NBD and Mashreqbank were the mandated lead arrangers and book runners. They were involved in structuring, organising and executing this transaction, while Alpen Capital (ME) Limited was the financial advisor to the transaction. A signing ceremony was held recently in Dubai (UAE) and was well attended by the management team of Jindal SAW, Alpen Capital along with the banks involved in the deal.

“Jindal SAW is committed to

SIGNING CEREMONY: Commercial Bank of Dubai, Commercial Bank International, Emirates NBD and Mashreqbank were the mandated lead arrangers and book runners. — Supplied picture

developing long term business relations in Middle East and North Africa region. To take care of the expanding business needs we have

raised this club facility which is largely a substitution of the existing facilities with the new facilities which is not only patient in tenor

but also sufficient to take care of near to medium term funding requirements of the business in a more efficient and cost effective

manner. We will be working closely with local and regional banks for execution of regional strategy and are extremely thankful to them for their support,” said Neeraj Kumar, Group CEO & whole time director, Jindal SAW Limited.

“We are proud to be associated with Jindal Saw and are happy to support them in their endeavours in the region. Over the last ten years, Alpen Capital has successfully executed transactions working with some of the largest business conglomerates in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and India and we hope that our expertise of the region has benefited the transaction,” said Sanjay Vig, managing director, Alpen Capital.

CBO seeks to ensure ample liquidity level The report issued by the central bank said the Narrow Money Supply recorded a significant increase of 18.1 per cent at the end of September 2014, compared with the same period in 2013

CBO REPORT: The Central Bank of Oman tool to inject liquidity into the banking system was represented in the re-purchase of securities operations. — Times file picture

MUSCAT: Monetary management is facing an excess of liquidity in commercial banks even as the main focus of the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) is to ensure adequate levels of liquidity in the banking system so as to avoid internal and external imbalances.

The report issued by the bank said that the Narrow Money Supply (M1) recorded a significant increase of 18.1 per cent at the end of

September 2014, compared with the same period in 2013.

This increase was mainly driven by a 23.7 per cent increase of money in circulation among the public in addition to the 16 per cent increase of demand deposits.

The cash equivalents, which consist of the total savings deposits and time deposits in Omani rial, as well as certificates of deposit issued by commercial banks,

in addition to the accounts of guarantee margin and all deposits in foreign currency, increased by 13.6 per cent during the year.

The cash equivalent share of the total money supply saw a decline from 66.7 per cent in September 2013 to 65.9 per cent in September 2014.

The Broad Money (M2), which consists of the sum of Narrow Money Supply (M1) + cash

equivalent, amounted to about OMR12.9 billion as compared to OMR11.2 billion in September 2013, registering an increase of 15.1 per cent during the year.

With regard to the structure of interest rates of commercial banks, interests plummeted on deposits and lending alike. The weighted average of interest rates on the CBO tool to absorb excess liquidity, which are certificates of deposit over a period of 28 days, also saw a slight decrease from 0.130 per cent in September 2013 to 0.126 per cent in September 2014.

The CBO tool to inject liquidity into the banking system was represented in the re-purchase of securities operations. The average interest rates remained steady and unchanged at 1 per cent since March 2012.

The overnight average lending interest rates in the interbank market fell from 0.158 per cent in September 2013 to 0.131 per cent in September 2014.

The weighted average interest rates on deposits in the Omani rial dropped from 1.236 per cent in September 2013 to 1.030 per cent in September 2014. The weighted average interest rates on loans in the Omani rial declined from 5.463 per cent to 5.163 per cent in the same period. - ONA

BANKING

Asian and GCC banks need B1 to boost investment links < FROM

“The total assets of commercial banks were increased by 7.2 per cent to $58 billion in December 2013, from $54 billion in 2012, capital adequacy ratio was 16.2 per cent by end-2013, against a statutory requirement of 12 per cent. The same growth will be maintained in 2014.”

He said the central bank has asked commercial banks to follow a liberal policy while lending money to small and medium enterprises. “Banks are required to allocate 5 per cent of their total commercial loan to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).”

“At a time when increasing cooperation is the order of the day in global trade and investment, the Asian banking industry has taken major strides in this direction and is poised to further develop joint co-operation for the future. The theme of cooperation needs to extend to banks across countries.

The Asian banking entities have a diverse range of expertise,” he said, adding; “We have to explore

CBO has asked commercial banks to follow a liberal policy while lending money to small and medium enterprises. Banks are required to allocate five per cent of their total commercial loan to SMEs

where we can cooperate to spread our learning experience, expertise and knowledge. In order to facilitate cross-border trade and investment across the borders of the member countries, banking partners should look at what specific steps can be taken. We need to think about common banking practices, common laws, common documentation that makes the operating environment for businesses common across borders.”

Al Zadjali also noted that the challenge for co-operation between the Asian and GCC bank-

ing entities remains how to strengthen trade and investment links between the two regions.

“There are lots of opportunities awaiting the two regions once appropriate policy and support are in place. The potential is vast, especially in infrastructure, energy, banking, tourism and logistics sectors. The efforts to expand trans-regional cooperation would not only be valuable to further improve the regional value chain, but could also be an important step in enhancing innovation and competitiveness.”

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ROUND-UP

SBAG observes 44th National Day in style A procession, led by the Chairman Sheikh Ahmed Suhail Bahwan, was taken out at the head office of SBAG where a large number of employees carrying traditional swords, khanjars and drums joined in the festivities that also included singing of traditional Omani songs

MUSCAT: The Suhail Bahwan Automotive Group (SBAG) celebrated the 44th National Day with traditional fervour.

While the main offices were decorated to reflect the celebratory mood, various events were organised at the individual branches and offices where cakes were cut, prayers were offered to Allah Almighty for the well-being and long life of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, says a press release.

A procession, led by the Chairman Sheikh Ahmed Suhail Bahwan was also taken out at the head office of SBAG where a large number of employees carrying traditional swords, khanjars and drums joined in the festivities that also included the singing of traditional Omani songs.

The events concluded with prayers for His Majesty’s wellbeing, health and long life and his continued reign over the Sultanate and poems being recited eulogising His Majesty and his visionary leadership of the Sultanate.

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has

SPECIAL OCCASION

MUSCAT: Indian School Wadi Kabir held a solemn march for His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s wellbeing and good health with great fervour and homage. The entire school came together to wish His Majesty good health and longevity, says a press release.

Since coming to command on 23 July 1970 His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has had a rocksolid vision for the future of not only the Omani society but the humanity as one.

This provides a stepping stone for all those efforts aimed at achieving and entrenching the spirit of solidarity and coherence amongst all residents — nationals

and expatriates as well — within the Omani identity.

On November 12, Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir family pompously merged into the Solidarity March on the road to rejoicing the 44th National Day of the Sultanate. In excess of 2,000 students from the middle, secondary and senior secondary wing of the school, staff belonging both to Oman and India, along with the principal, prettified the procession in close proximity marching more than a couple of kilometres.

There were plenteous placards and banners adorning the portrait of His Majesty the Sultan.

and dress was very well narrated by the students. The history of this eminent land was dramatically presented by the students of PSM. The celebration ended with Oman’s national anthem. Sweets were distributed among all the students and staff of PSM on this prestigious occasion.

Special refreshments were served to the Omani staff of PSM by the Acting Senior Principal Humaira Nadeem.

The building of PSM campus was decorated with Omani flag and colourful lights. The 44th Oman’s National Day will be remembered as a memorable day.

Badr Al Samaa celebrates National Day with fervour MUSCAT: November 18 was a special day at Badr Al Samaa Hospital Ruwi as it celebrated Oman’s 44th National Day on its premises with great fervour. The board of directors V. T. Vinod and Abdul Latheef, senior management and staff were present during the function which was organised in a very colourful and impressive way, says a press release.

The occasion highlighted the heightened fervour of patriotic feelings and allegiance towards His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Oman’s National Anthem was played during the function, followed by distribution of traditional Omani halwa and kahwa. The management extended their acknowledgement and goodwill to the Omani people and prayed to the Almighty for the speedy recovery and return of His Majesty to Oman.

“It is an occasion for us to extend our gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the great visionary and determined ruler who transformed Oman into a modern and vibrant state with a powerful and balanced socio-economic base and political stability.

He brought pride and honour to Omani citizens and ensured progress and prosperity in all regions and governorates. His actions are a reflection of the courage and unselfishness that we have come

C E L E B R AT I O N

to recognise in him,” said Abdul Latheef and Vinod.

“As we celebrate the National Day we are grateful to His Majesty for giving Oman world’s finest infrastructure, state-of-the-art

healthcare and educational facilities, cleanliness, excellent law and order, high standards of living and a friendly society.

“We are proud to have such an outstanding leader and salute him

for his ceaseless efforts in making Oman one of the most important countries in the Middle East,’’ said Saleh Obaid Humaid Al Rashdi, Personnel Manager, Badr Al Samaa.

NOVEMBER 18

Al Hayat welcomes National Day with focus on health MUSCAT: Al Hayat International Hospital, Al Ghubra is celebrating the 44rd National Day in a unique manner befitting the momentous occasion, says a press release.

“We are honoured to celebrate the 44th National Day of the Sultanate of Oman. Under the wise and visionary leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Sultanate of Oman has achieved tremendous progress in all spheres in a very short span of time, especially in healthcare services. The forty four years of peace, progress and prosperity in Oman, thanks to the far sighted vision of His Majesty, are best described as a period of greatness and we pray for the continued wellbeing and good health of His Majesty the Sultan,” said Dr K. P. Raman, chairman, Al Hayat International.

“Provision of quality health services in Oman is a cause dear to His Majesty and Al Hayat is committed to bringing the best in health care to the Sultanate. Each year, Al Hayat celebrates the National Day adopting different themes and this year, we have decided to celebrate the 44th National Day in a manner benefitting the nation, its citizens and residents, by adopting the motto ‘Let’s unite for a Healthy

This award is a true reflection of SBA’s commitment to provide cutting edge solution to the automobile needs of the people of the Sultanate.

SBA has achieved laurels for excellence in sales, service and parts and operations making them one of the pioneering leaders in customer satisfaction among automobile companies.

ISWK holds solemn march for His Majesty’s wellbeing

NAT I O NA L P R I D E

Passion, prayers mark ND festivities at PSM

MUSCAT: Oman 44th National Day (ND) was celebrated with utmost zeal and zest by the students and staff of Pakistan School Muscat (PSM). The dazzling and awe-inspiring costumes of the students made the celebration memorable.

The students’ immense love for Oman was displayed in the form of songs, skits and poems which provoked the feelings of delight, admiration and regard for His Majesty Sultan Qaboos with special prayers for his health and prosperity of Oman, says a press release.

The significance of Omani sword

19 showroom, 23 service centre and 35 parts centres.

The Nissan warehouse in Oman is one of the largest in the GCC, ensuring 98 per cent parts availability at all times. SBA has successfully spearheaded Nissan’s growth in Oman. They have been awarded the Nissan Champion Distributor Award three consecutive years in a row (2009, 2010 and 2011).

SPIRIT OF SOLIDARITY

Oman’,” he added.

“Diabetes is showing an alarming increase in Oman in terms of the number of people being affected and the time has come for all in Oman to unite to fight this disease. We have launched our Free Diabetes Screening campaign on November 18, the 44th National Day, to draw the attention of all and keep diabetes firmly in the public spotlight. Our free screening for diabetes includes free tests involving height, weight, body mass index (BMI), random blood sugar, blood creatinine, and free group counseling at the end of the campaign (for people whose RBS is high - newly diagnosed). The programme will be running from November 18 to 30, Saturday to

Wednesday, 2 pm to 5 pm, in our hospital premises in Al Ghubra,” explained Dr Raman.

“Being an Omani-owned hospital, the 44th National Day holds special significance for us and hence, we are offering a 44% discount for a period of 44 days, starting from November 18 to December 31, on select procedures – Coronary Angiogram, Cardiology Consultation, Diabetology Consultation, Special Diabetic Package for 1 full year (OMR100 after discount) and comprehensive executive health check-up (OMR300 after discount). We invite all citizens and residents to come forward to make use of this unique opportunity and march on the road to good health,” he said.

A memorable day at Al Raffah MUSCAT: To mark the joy of 44th National Day of Oman, Aster Al Raffah Hospital celebrated this proud moment with the staff members with traditional fervour and gaiety, says a press release.

“Oman has always been a home away from home for all expats and accords a high priority to its ties with India. As a leading healthcare provider in this beautiful country, National Day is a proud occasion for us and a time to extend our warm felicitations to our noble leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, whose wise and visionary leadership has kept Oman at the forefront of continuous progress.

We would also like to thank His Majesty and the people of Oman for giving us an opportunity to contribute towards its success,” said Seeniya Biju, COO & Country Head – Aster Oman, while expressing her gratitude.

Aster Al Raffah hospital organised a celebration on its premises on November 18 and a series of fun-filled and enthralling activities were held to make it an allday family oriented celebration of the 44th National Day. The hospital and the recreation hallwere beautifully decorated with the colours of national flag of Oman.

The celebration program revolved around an authentic na-

tional theme, with a set-up of Omani heritage village/Arabian Majlis serving food, kahwa, halwa and reflecting the traditional Omani hospitality. The Omani heritage village where, in addition to handicrafts, the traditional decorative henna was also on offer with a display of cultural richness from all over the nation.

The Omani and expatriate staff members showcased the nation’s cultural tradition of music, dance and fashion and entertained everybody with a spectacular fashion show where they all dressed up in colourful costumes representing different regions.

It was a fun-filled and colourful event for the employees as

they were entertained by a series of events like a small skit by the Omani staff, a quiz on Oman and a small presentation of captivating images reflecting beautiful Oman.

All the staff members (including doctors, paramedics, nurses etc.) attended this function with gusto and zest and were dressed up in tricolours of Oman to commemorate the sovereignty.

Speaking on this special occasion, Nadia Azghar, HR Manager, Al Raffah Hospital, Muscat, expressed her gratitude and said,” It is a moment to celebrate not only the triumph and achievement but also the grandeur of the efforts behind it and the vision and ideals that moulded it.”

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

ROUND-UP Oman’s ‘Spiderman’ scales MGM with Ooredoo’s National Day flag Ooredoo also unveiled a huge artistic collage of His Majesty at their billboard in Qurum, the largest in Oman SOCIAL HELP

Indian School Ibri raises funds for flood victims in Kashmir MUSCAT: Students, teachers, parents and well-wishers of Indian School Ibri have mobilised an amount of OMR3108 (500,000 Indian rupees) for the families of victims of the recent floods in the Indianadministered Kashmir, says a press release.

The amount was handed over to J. S. Mukul, Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate at the closing ceremony of the silver jubilee celebrations of the school.

tion of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s inspiring 44 years of reign and their way of reflecting the pride and spirit of the country on this exciting and special day, says a press release.

Several volunteers from the company also went out to local schools and other organisations across the Sultanate to distribute over 44,000 flags and Oman scarves to children, to share in the

MUSCAT: To celebrate the 44th National Day, Ooredoo chose to unveil the Omani flag in style.

Dubbed Oman’s ‘spiderman’ for his daring ventures, Ahmed Ghawas abseiled down the Muscat Grand Mall (MGM) building from the Ooredoo sign, giving customers a spectacular show as the flag cascaded down the building.

The flag, measuring 40m by 3m is part of Ooredoo’s commemora-

fun and celebrations.

Ooredoo also unveiled a huge artistic collage of His Majesty at their billboard in Qurum, the largest in Oman.

The collage, which can be viewed online and zoomed in to view individual pictures, resulted from their successful social media campaign, inviting people to submit selfies using the hashtag #OurOman.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CAS Rustaq holds workshop on quality assurance RUSTAQ: The College of Applied Sciences (CAS) in Rustaq recently hosted the workshop, ‘Needs Assessment for Quality Assurance Training and Support’ which was participated by the Assistant Dean, Dr. Basim Muftin Al Shammary as well as academic and nonacademic staff members involved in Quality Assurance activities.

The programme was intended to provide an overview of needs assessments and provides tools that CAS-Rustaq can utilise to extract specific training and support needs as they endeavour along the

path of quality assurance and accreditation. The workshop was delivered by Waheeda Said, the Director of the training provider, Alazizi Global Projects, which will conduct similar sessions in other

L O YA LT Y M A R C H

CASs throughout the Sultanate.

Upon completion of all on-site training sessions, a comprehensive report outlining specific and common needs of the CASs will be presented to the Ministry of High-

er Education, highlighting the real training needs of the colleges.

Alazizi Global Projects is committed to support progress and improvement efforts in the Sultanate of Oman. The director Waheeda Said has over 10 years’ experience in the area of accreditation, quality assurance and professional development in the Middle East.

The workshop was well received

by CAS-Rustaq participants, which have already requested additional professional development at the organisational, departmental and individual levels.

FOCUS ON SMES

ISG marks Oman National Day with pomp and colour

Zubair SEC promotes members at Business Opportunities Forum MUSCAT: Indian School Al Ghubra organised a loyalty march on November 18 to commemorate the 44th National Day of Oman.

Around 2000 students participated in the March to share their joy with the people of Oman and show their gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. This was followed by speeches in English and Arabic dedicated to His Majesty the Sultan.

A special prayer was conducted by Amal Mohamad Al Rahbi, Head Librarian, to wish His Majesty good health and long life as well as peace and prosperity to this glorious land, says a press release.

The school building has been adorned with a ten metre portrait of His Majesty and lights have been put up to decorate the school building in the colours of Oman’s flag.

A poster making competition was held for the students of Classes VIII to XII. The posters displayed their skill and creativity in capturing the true essence of Oman’s National Day. Portraits of His Majesty, red, white and green flags and similar coloured lanterns reflecting

the colours of Oman adorned the school and looked indeed spectacular. The members of the ISG family expressed their indebtedness to His Majesty and their love and affection for the people of Oman on this great occasion.

“I feel very happy to see the expats celebrate the National Day of Oman with the same spirit as Omanis capturing every detail with great perception,” stated Amal Mohamad Al Rahbi, who has put in 15 years of service at ISG. “I feel happy that the vision of progress is seen in the spirit of the celebrations,” said Vijayalaxmi Shettigar, senior teacher of CBSEi. “It’s a pleasure to be in Oman as the people are kind and respectful. I am proud that a teacher is held in such high regard and respect by the Omanis,” commented Zaheda Iqbal, HOD, Department of Arabic.

“I have been in Oman for 17 years and the rapid strides achieved by this country in all spheres is remarkable and makes me proud,” expressed Malavika Menon of Grade XII. All in all, it was a splendid and grand occasion celebrated by Indian School Al Ghubra with fervour and enthusiasm.

MUSCAT: Under the umbrella of Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC), members of Zubair SEC actively participated at the two-day Business Opportunities Forum that was held by Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Oman International Exhibition Centre.

Zubair SEC took part in the event as a sponsor and exhibitor with a pavilion that hosted some of its most engaged members and members of its Direct Support Programme in its 2013-2014 round, says a press release.

The forum presented an opportunity for participants to showcase their products and services to large companies and public organisations that were present to consider contracting small and medium enterprises for their procurement budget for year 2015.

“This forum provides a much needed platform for Zubair SEC members who have businessto-business offerings and seek opportunities and access to the decision makers in large companies in the Sultanate,” said Mohammed Hasani, Chief Communications Officer at the Zubair Corporation.

“As part of the Centre’s communications strategy, we work on identifying events and activities that offer business development

networking opportunities, and we extend our support to host members of the centre and equip them with all needed tools to be best promoted,” he added.

Participating members of Zubair SEC included Meshan for luxury date sweets; Memories Studios for photo-video shooting and production services; Shumookh Engineering Consulting; and Uniboats for water sport activities and equipment.

“Our presence in this forum for two days was an opportunity to present our products to the largest companies in the Sultanate”, said Wafa Al Jabri, Co-Founder of Meshan.

“The support of Zubair SEC is not limited to allowing us this opportunity to participate, but it extends to the continuous and valuable advisory and mentorship that has the biggest impact on taking our Meshan project for a quantum leap in a significantly short period of time,” she added.

“First of all I would like to thank Zubair SEC for this great opportunity to showcase Uniboats and market our activities to the Oman market. This Business Opportunities Forum is a significant opportunity for networking for small enterprises and it allows us to understand the market needs to certain products”, said Adel Abri, CEO of Uniboats.

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ROUND-UP ‘Beat Diabetes’ walkathon to be held on December 5 Open to all ages, this walkathon is part of the ongoing CSR health initiative that was launched in 2010 here in Oman to spread awareness on diabetes

The annual walkathon is supported by Ministry of Health and Oman Diabetes Association, and registration for the walk is free

MUSCAT: Landmark Group, the region’s leading retail and hospitality conglomerate, will be hosting the fifth annual ‘Beat Diabetes’ walkathon on December 5.

Being held under the patronage of the Ministry of Health and Oman Diabetes Association, the 2km walk will take place in Qurum Natural Park, Qurum at 8am, says a press release.

Open to all ages, this walkathon is part of the on-going corporate social responsibility (CSR) health initiative that was launched in

2010 here in Oman to spread awareness on diabetes. Registration starts for the walkathon absolutely free of cost and now open across all Centrepoint, Home Centre, Max and Emax stores in Oman. People can also register for the walk through the Beat Diabetes website www. beatdiabetes.me.

As part of its annual outreach programme a series of free blood glucose test camp were conducted in Omantel HQ, Bank Muscat HQ, Omani Woman Association club, Landmark stores, Ministry

of Health followed by various other places in Muscat, Sohar and Salalah.

“Diabetes is growing at an alarming rate and currently affects over 382 million people worldwide. According to the International Diabetes Federation, an estimated 14 per cent of Oman’s adult population alone is living with diabetes.

Landmark Group launched the ‘Beat Diabetes’ initiative with a focused view to spread awareness on the causes, effects and management of the condition,” said Dr

Sulaiman Al-Shereiqi, senior specialist in public health at the Ministry of Health.

The 2014 ‘Beat Diabetes’ campaign walkathon in Oman is also supported by Al Raffa Hospital, Lifescan – Johnson & Johnson, Oasis water and Fitbody fitness.

All the registered walkers will be given complimentary T-shirts and caps at the venue from 7am onwards. The venue will also be buzzing with live music and lots of fun activities for kids and families alike along with free blood sugar testing stations. Last year the walkathon saw over 8000 participants from all walks of life come together to raise awareness on this dangerous ailment.

COLOURFUL EVENT

Al Naba celebrates 44th National Day MUSCAT: As Oman marks the 44th National Day with a myriad of colourful activities and events, Al Naba Group of Companies — a leading provider of diversified commercial services in the Sultanate — joined in the pageantry with celebrations held at Al Naba’s state-of-the-art head office in Ghala on November 18, says a press release.

Doing the honours was Al Naba’s founder and chairman Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi who congratulated a proud nation and its people on 44 years of modernisation, stability and prosperity under the reign of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

Joined by senior management executives, as well as staff from

sion he said, “On behalf of myself and the entire staff of Al Naba Group, I would like to offer our congratulations to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. May God protect and bestow His Majesty with continued good health and a long life.”

the group’s various departments, Sayyid Khalid dedicated the occasion to the architect of Oman’s modern renaissance whose visionary policies and citizen-

centric programmes have laid the foundations for Oman’s long-term socioeconomic development.

In his speech during the celebration of this cherished occa-

Expression of loyalty He conveyed his happiness as Al Naba made special efforts as an expression of love and loyalty to His Majesty in recognition of all the achievements through the golden renaissance.

Khalid said that the celebrations are an outpouring of the hearts of the Omani people filled with joy on the occasion of National Day.

C E L E B R AT I O N

Colourful National Day at Al Injaz

MUSCAT: Al Injaz Private School presented a spectacular programme to celebrate the 44th National Day of the Sultanate of Oman on November 18 on the Al Ansab school premises.

The function was attended by the chief guest Khalid bin Mahfouz bin Salem Al Busaidi, head of the Minister of Housing’s office,

as well as supportive parents of the school, says a press release.

The dynamic students of the school displayed their multi-faceted talents ranging from dances, poems, speeches and songs in praise of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, demonstrated not only the spirit of patriotism that the school has kindled amongst

its students but also the equal importance given to both English and Arabic languages.

Prize giving ceremony The Arabic dance, saluting His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, and detailing the city of Muscat by the students of the section of special needs left the audience

spellbound. The prize giving ceremony created appreciative waves of applause from all. The school, having classes from Kindergarten to Grade 12, has been striving to impart an overall student development based education programme with an aim to groom them into responsible citizens and good human beings.

H E A LT H C A R E

KOH conducts free dental checkup camp MUSCAT: In line with its excessive efforts to raise the dental health care in Omani society, Kims Oman Hospital (KOH) recently conducted a dental checkup open day which was well received by the visitors and patients from all ages on its premises, says a press release.

The one day camp included a full package of dental checkup and gum screening in order to enjoy a healthy and glowing smile. It also featured many lectures and awareness talks on the importance of maintaining a daily dental care to prevent all kinds of oral infections and sores, gum diseases or any other disorders that might affect the individual’s daily routine. KOH dentists have also stressed the importance of visiting the dental clinic at least twice a year in order to undergo a full checkup for their teeth and gums.

“KOH’s free dental check-up day was an extremely successful event. We intended to make this day free of charge in order to encourage all segments of society to grab this opportunity and undergo a full dental checkup. I highly encourage our patients to pay special attention to their teeth and gum health to prevent any complications might occur due to

negligence,” said Katia Muhieddain, the Head of Marketing Department at KOH. “We are committed to provide our patients with superior health care by conducting several health awareness campaigns on various medical topics,” she added.

According to World Health Organisation, 60 to 90% of school children and nearly 100% of adults have dental cavities worldwide, these dental cavities can be prevented by maintaining a constant low level of fluoride in the oral cavity.

Also, severe periodontal (gum) disease, which may result in tooth loss, is found in 15–20% of middle-aged (35-44 years) adults. It also highlighted the risk factors for oral diseases which include an unhealthy diet, tobacco use, harmful alcohol use and poor oral hygiene, and social determinants.

KIMS Oman Hospital is committed to provide world-class health care services with care, compassion and courtesy to its patients at an affordable price. We strive to give our very best to the patient in clinical as well as nonclinical aspects of health care.

For us the patient is the sole cause of existence and we reciprocate the faith and trust that patient’s exhibit in our brand.

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

ROUND-UP

GRAND EVENING: (Left) Said bin Saleh bin Said Al Kiyumi and Elena Ford cutting ribbon, and (Right) Middle East’s first exclusive Lincoln showroom. – Supplied pictures

Elena Ford inaugurates Lincoln showroom; unveils all-new MKC Elena Ford marked this illustrious occasion by honouring Sheikh Mohammed Saud Bahwan, chairman, Arabian Car Marketing Company, with a Commemorative Award

MUSCAT: Under the patronage of Said bin Saleh bin Said Al Kiyumi, chairman, Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the exclusive Lincoln showroom was inaugurated in Wattayah.

The grand evening also witnessed the launch of Lincoln’s allnew MKC. The guest of honour was Elena Ford, vice president, Global Dealer and Customer Experience, Ford Motor Company. She was accompanied by Kalyana Sivagnanam, director and other top management officials from Ford Middle East.

Elena Ford, marked this illustrious occasion by honouring Sheikh Mohammed Saud Bahwan, chairman, Arabian Car Marketing Company, with a Commemorative Award.

Lauding ACM’s accomplish-

ments, Elena Ford said, “I would like to congratulate the chairman for this fantastic facility that ACM has developed for the Lincoln brand. This is truly worldclass. On behalf of Ford Motor Company I thank you for all that you are doing to support the Lincoln brand in Oman.”

Commenting on Lincoln’s first exclusive facility here in the Middle East, she said, “Being the first stand-alone showroom in the region, it marks a new beginning for our luxury brand in the Middle East, as we work closely on delivering the right levels of consumer experience.”

In his opening remarks, the chairman reflected on the long association with Ford Motor Company. “This year marks a milestone for Arabian Car Marketing Company, as it cel-

ebrates twenty six successful years of a close association with Ford Motor Company.”

“I am pleased that this Lincoln showroom is the first exclusive showroom for the brand in the Middle East. It incorporates various strategic brand elements and is all set to usher in a luxurious experience for our valued customers,” he added.

Expressing his gratitude to Ford Motor Company he remarked, “I must express my special appreciation to Ford Motor Company for the excellent guidance and support extended to us at all times.”

“I also take this opportunity to thank our valued customers for their loyalty and reiterate my commitment to deliver the highest levels of customer satisfaction by offering quality products backed by world-class service,” he added.

Highlighting Lincoln’s history and its future plans for the region Kalyana Sivagnanam, director, Ford Middle East & North Africa said, “Lincoln has always held a special place in my heart because of its rich heritage of more than 90 years which has always been defined by elegant design and new technology. Seeing Lincoln reenergized over the past couple of years with its dedicated design studio and unique technologies, I am truly excited with the new products that are hitting our dealerships, such as the all-new Lincoln MKZ which you saw last year, the first-ever Lincoln MKC compact premium SUV which you will see tonight and of course the new refreshed Lincoln Navigator which is just around the corner.”

“Lincoln customers will be pleasantly surprised as they see

these exciting products that boast compelling designs and technologies while offering a bespoke appearance,” he added.

Said bin Saleh bin Said Al Kiyumi and Elena Ford formally inaugurated the showroom following which, the guests were treated to a captivating curtain raiser film which brought to life the unique features of the Lincoln MKC. 3D mapping technology then took center stage to unveil the Lincoln MKC. This is the first time in Oman that such an exciting technology was engaged to create an out-ofthe-world experience. The result — the surface of the Lincoln MKC was transformed to become a dynamic video display of spectacular images that left the audience spell-bound.

The guests were then invited to

experience the Lincoln MKC firsthand. “I am very impressed with the way Lincoln announced its arrival in Oman, ‘Truly fascinating’”, said one of the guests. “The Lincoln MKC is a marvelous work of art. Right from the design, to the interiors to the technology, everything about the MKC is nothing short of absolutely amazing,” remarked another invitee.

Lincoln MKC is a perfect blend of inspired automotive design and dynamic driving performance in a segment that has grown in popularity in recent years. It seamlessly blends performance, craftsmanship and technology to meet the needs of luxury buyers who want a more personal experience.

The entire Lincoln range is now available for viewing at the brand new Lincoln showroom at Wattayah.

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ROSBERG BEATS HAMILTON TO ABU DHABI POLE Nico Rosberg beat title favourite Lewis Hamilton to pole position for the decisive Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday as the dominant Mercedes teammates locked out the front row in qualifying. >C4

Oman confident of reaching final SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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While a 5-0 victory

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

against Kuwait sealed their place in the last four, the accolades that followed that achievement boosted the morale of Oman who face Qatar in the semifinals on Sunday

RIYADH: After a stunning 5-0 victory over 10-time champions Kuwait, Oman are now oozing with confidence as they are set to take on Qatar in the first semifinal of the ongoing Gulf Cup today.

While the historic victory against Kuwait on Thursday sealed their place in the last four of the regional football extravaganza, the applause and accolades - including OMR. 5,000 cash rewards

FULL OF CONFIDENCE: Oman’s French coach Paul Le Guen, second left, and captain Ali Al Habsi, second right, pictured during a press

conference on the eve of their Gulf Cup semifinal against Qatar in Riyadh on Saturday. – ISMAIL AL FARSI/Times of Oman

for each member of the team - that followed that achievement boosted the morale of the Paul Le Guen’s Oman team.

But the 2009 champions, who advanced as Group B toppers, will come up against a Qatari side that have reached the semifinals with just three points from their three Group A games. However, without taking their opposition lightly, Oman are cautiously optimistic of getting past them and into the final.

“We are all obviously pleased with the performance of the every player, especially in our last match against Kuwait,” Oman’s coach Paul Le Guen said.

OMAN HANDBALL TEAM SETTLE FOR SILVER AT ASIAN BEACH GAMES Oman handball team settled for a silver medal at the fourth Asian Beach Games in Thai city of Phuket on Saturday. In a closely contested final, Oman were beaten 17-16, 16-14 by eventual champions Qatar. A day earlier, Oman beach soccer defeated Uzbekistan 8-2 for the fifth place.

TENNIS

Swiss on verge of Davis Cup glory LILLE: Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka gave Switzerland a 2-1 lead over France in the Davis Cup final with a commanding doubles win over Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet on Saturday.

The world No. 2 and 4 were in charge from the start and bossed the rubber from the net and the baseline to win 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

The win means that the Swiss are just one victory away from capturing the first Davis Cup title in their history.

That could come on Sunday when the reverse singles are held, with Wawrinka and Federer highly likely to play again against Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

“Clearly it’s a big relief. The medical staff, it’s a big thanks to them. Thanks for getting me back onto the court. Stan has been unbelievably supportive,” said Federer, who had been struggling with a back injury in the days prior to Lille.

“I am really happy with the way we were playing today. We were really aggressive, we knew what

we had to do. I think we did a good job,” said Wawrinka.

In Friday’s opening singles, Wawrinka defeated Tsonga in four sets and Monfils stunned Federer in three.

After his defeat, Federer insisted that his injured back was on the mend and that he would be fit for action at the weekend.

He and Wawrinka won Olympic doubles gold in Beijing for Switzerland in 2008, but they had lost the last four Davis Cup doubles they had played together.

By putting an end to that dire run of defeats they have put their country on the brink of one of its greatest ever sporting achievements.

It would also be a consecration for Federer, who has won an alltime best of 17 Grand Slam titles, but, unlike his great rival Rafael Nadal, he has yet to win the Davis Cup. The signals are all at green for the Swiss as six out of seven teams which have won the doubles when Saturday started at 1-1 have gone on to capture the Davis Cup. - AFP

Speaking at the match-eve press conference on Saturday, the Frenchman said: “The players have exceeded all expectations and now they are enjoying their great achievement. But that delight will not be detrimental in our preparations for the next two matches.”

“That will not be an obstacle for the players. They are ready to continue their hard work and stay on the winning path,” he added.

Refusing to predict the outcome of their semifinal, Le Guen said: “It’s hard to predict the result, especially against an opposition which has been playing very cautious game so far. But I have con-

fidence in my team and the Omani players have the ability to reach the final,” he said.

“The players are ready the challenge and I am confident that they play a big game tomorrow as well as enjoys strong rivalry and excitement,” he added.

Le Guen also refused to talk about his starting lineup for Qatar game and stressed the ‘importance of a surprise element’.

Asked about ‘not so strong’ Qatar side who advanced without a single win to their credit, Le Guen said: “The Qatari team are not weak. They are technically a strong team. They came through

a strong group and looked good in the opening match against Saudi Arabia. I think they deserved to qualify for the semifinals.”

Meanwhile, Oman captain Ali Al Habsi said: “We played a great game against Kuwait. But now our focus is on Qatar and I am confident we can reach the final.”

Meanwhile, Qatar’s assistant coach Serge Romano expressed confidence his team playing a good game against a ‘strong Omani side’.

“The Oman team have been playing a good consistent football, especially in the last three years.

But our team will stand up to the challenge against Oman tomor-

row,” the Frenchman said.

Qatar’s star player Abdulrahman Mohammed also said the team are ready for the semifinal challenge.

“We are preparing ourselves well for a strong semifinal against Oman. We want to achieve a good result for the sake of our fans.

“We want to play a strong game against Oman. We want to find out scoring touch and win the match.”

Meanwhile, UAE coach Mehdi Ali, whose team take on hosts Saudi Arabia in the second semifinal on Sunday, said: “It’s a shame that Saudi Arabia and the UAE could not have been kept apart until the final.”

He admitted that a match against the Saudis on their home soil will be far from easy.

“Playing in the semifinals against Saudi Arabia will be a very tough test,” he said. “But we hope to produce a great performance that is worthy of the semifinals.

We’re now one game away now the final, so our sole focus is on the semifinal.”

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

SPORTS

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New Zealand challenging away from home: Hesson Hesson said the tense

Shehzad fit for ODIs, Maqsood out

draw in the second Test against Pakistan that finished on Friday in Dubai had proved the point

DUBAI: New Zealand coach Mike Hesson warned on Saturday that his side are improving and have proved they can take on top nations away from home.

Hesson said the tense draw in the second Test against Pakistan that finished on Friday in Dubai had proved the point.

Pakistan batted out for a draw after they were set a challenging 261-run target in a possible 72 overs on the fifth and final day.

Pakistan finished at 196 for six, 65 short of the target to keep their 1-0 lead alive in the series with the final Test starting in Sharjah on Wednesday.

Pakistan won the first Test by 248 runs in Abu Dhabi.

“We certainly get confidence from here, I think the fact that we kept Pakistan under pressure shows that we are improving,” said Hesson, who took over as coach in July 2012.

New Zealand won a crucial toss and scored 403 to challenge Pakistan. “I think the fact that we were

LAHORE: Pakistan received some good news on their injured key players on Saturday with opener Ahmed Shehzad set to return for the limited over series against New Zealand.

Shehzad, 22, suffered a minor skull fracture during the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on November 10 after being hit by a bouncer from seamer Corey Anderson.

Shehzad made a career-best 176 in the match.

He was ruled out of the remaining two Tests but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said he would be fit for the two Twenty20 matches and five One-day Internationals (ODIs) which follow the Tests next month.

“Shehzad was examined by a surgeon on Wednesday with regard to injury which showed he has mild tenderness over the fracture site. On inspection, there is no obvious asymmetry although there is mild swelling,” the PCB said in a statement.

able to get 400 plus in the first innings and when the pitch deteriorated got some runs in the second innings under presure is a good sign for us,” said Hesson.

BOOST TO BATTING: Ahmed Shehzad

“A review has been planned on Monday. He has been advised to avoid contact sports for a period of six weeks but he can start his physical workout from next week.”

The first Twenty20s against New Zealand will be played in Dubai on December 4.

However middle-order batsman Sohaib Maqsood has been ruled out of the limited over series due to a wrist injury sustained while playing for Pakistan ‘A’ against the United Arab Emirates last month.

New Zealand were then lifted

by Ross Taylor’s 104 which helped them declare the second innings at 250 for nine.

Hesson said his team is now

Paceman Wahab Riaz has recovered from the knee injury he received in a one-day match against Australia last month and will be available for the limited over series.

Riaz will have a fitness test next week before being considered for limited overs series against New Zealand.

Fellow paceman Junaid Khan will also have a review of his knee injury next week. He also got injured during the oneday series against Australia which Pakistan lost 3-0. - AFP

performing well away from home, winning their last series in the West Indies 2-1 in June.

“We have always been challenging at home, now we have perform-

ing well away from home in the last 12 months and to do well in the subcontinent in spinning conditions show that we are heading in the right direction.”

Hesson said his batsmen worked hard to lift themselves after the first Test defeat.

“Its been challenging, getting 400 plus was hard work the way Yasir (Shah) and (Zulfiqar) Babar bowled, they were not giving freebies away.

“We are learning and the way Ross played against a quality opposition on a wearing surface was a fine innings,” said Hesson, who also praised Pakistan’s centurymaker Sarfraz Ahmed.

“To be fair Sarfraz played extremely well and that (innings) was the turning point and it sucked a lot of time out of the game in terms of us getting to a point where we could declare, he deserved his hundred.”

Sarfraz’s 112 lifted Pakistan to 393 in the first innings.

Vettori return ruled out Hesson ruled out Test return for experienced spinner Daniel Vettori, who is here as part of the one-day squad.

“Dane is obviously a high quality bowler and its nice to see him back in the one-day cricket but Test match might be too far for him,” said Hesson of the spinner who has not played a Test since July 2012 due to injuries.

Vettori staged a comeback in one-day cricket last month after a 15-month gap and will be part of the two Twenty20 and five oneday game against Pakistan. - AFP

EMBARRASSED

Sachin once played with tissues in underwear!

NEW DELHI: Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has revealed that due to an upset stomach he had to once play with tissues inside his underwear!

The incident happened during the Super Sixes phase of the 2003 ICC World Cup when India were taking on Sri Lanka March 10 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

“Here I am aa bit embarrassed to reveal a very personal secret relating to the Sri Lanka match. On the eve of the match I had a bad stomach and was feeling dehydrated. This happened because I had not yet fully recovered from the cramp I had suffered while playing Pakistan and as a result had had a lot of isotonic drinks,” Tendulkar writes in his autobiography Playing It My Way which was released earlier this month.

Just nine days previously, Tendulkar had played a matchwinning knock of 98 against Pakistan for which he was named man of the match at Centurion.

“I also added a teaspoon of salt to the energy drinks, thinking it would help the recovery, and that caused a tummy upset.

In fact, the situation was so bad that I had to bat with tissues inside my underwear. I even had to go back to the dressing room during one of the drinks breaks and was feeling extremely uncomfortable in the middle.”

Despite the issues, Tendulkar went on to score a patient 97 which helped India win the contest by 183 runs. - IANS CRICKET

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Australia rest pace trio ahead of India series MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia (CA) on Saturday opted to rest pace trio Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Josh Hazlewood for the upcoming Sheffield Shield round matches, keeping in mind the upcoming Test series against India.

The move gave rise to the possibility that the three men have been earmarked to form Australia’s fast bowling attack for the first Test at the Gabba.

Hazlewood, fresh off nine wickets at an average of 14.66 runs per wicket in the One-day International series against South Africa, would become Australia’s 440th Test cricketer if he’s selected for the first Test against India, starting on December 4 in Brisbane.

Mitchell Johnson is a certainty for the first Test after an outstanding year that has seen him claim the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Player of the Year award. - IANS

S U N DAY, N OV E MB E R 23, 2 0 14

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SPORTS Team Nika ahead at RC44 Oman Cup Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika have a five-point lead over Charisma in second, with Team Aqua moving up into third

MUSCAT: The RC44 Oman Cup, hosted by Oman Sail and sponsored by Mercedes Benz Oman, delivered another challenging sailing day for the fleet competing in the final event of the 2014 Championship Tour.

Consistency was hard to come by and no team managed to stay in the top half of the fleet in all three races.

Team Aqua was the most consistent team of the day picking up 11-points, Nika and Charisma both added 12-points to their overall score.

Similar conditions to Thursday greeted the RC44 fleet, 7-11 knots from the NNE and flat water.

The fleet remained concertinaed throughout the day; tricky shifts meant no boat was safe from the game of snakes and ladders that was playing out on the Gulf of Oman.

The three boats that started in the middle of the line in race one popped out at the windward

STAYING IN FRONT: Crew of Team Nika in action. – Supplied photo

mark as the leading bunch. A shifty first beat saw Artemis Racing lead round the top mark with Team Aqua chasing – Bronenosec in third. The positions stayed the same to the finish, but behind them small mistakes were punished.

One of the contenders for the 2014 overall title, Peninsula Petroleum, tried to find space coming in on the port layline in the middle of the pack, they tacked under the

fleet trying to slot in to a space that really wasn’t there, after getting unstuck from the mark, a penalty turn put them to the back of the fleet.

Artemis Racing’s owner and driver Torbjorn Tornqvist described how close the racing between the 10-boat fleet was.

“Consistency is hard, it is shifty the fleet is good, there is very little between the boats. In a couple of races we beat teams within a boat

ISC TENNIS

Piyush, Prithvi, Varun in U-12 quarters MUSCAT: Piyush Sivakumar, Prithvi Raj and Varun Deepak progressed to the quarterfinals of the under-12 singles at the Falcon Insurance Company-sponsored annual tennis tournament organised by the Indian Social Club Muscat.

After leading 4-1 against Zain Ashfaque, Piyush faced some resistance as Zain broke him twice to reduce the deficit. Piyush howFOOTBALL

Klopp open to coaching job in EPL LONDON: Charismatic Borussia Dortmund manager Juergen Klopp is open to a move to the English Premier League and has said managing in England would be the only logical step if he were to leave the German club.

Since taking over Dortmund in 2008 Klopp has transformed a side that finished a disappointing 13th the previous season into one of Europe’s premier teams winning many admirers along the way.

The 47-year-old is now one the most revered managers on the continent having twice led Dortmund to Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012 as well as the Champions League final in 2013.

This season, however, Dortmund have won just three of their 11 Bundesliga games and sit 15th -- 17 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Klopp said in 2013 that he had turned down the approaches of a number of English clubs and he has long been touted as a potential successor for Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger, with whom the German shares many managerial similarities.

Klopp said he had no reason to listen to their advances last year, but given Dortmund’s faltering fortunes this season he would be open to holding talks.

- Reuters

ever, showed no signs of nerves, broke Zain in the tenth game and served out for a quarterfinal date against top seed Hassan Haider.

Prithvi Raj followed up his convincing first round 7-1 victory over Rubesh Kumar with a fine 7-3 victory over Kapil Mansinghani.

Varun Deepak also advanced after a 7-2 win over Praneeth Raj for a quarter final berth against fourth

seed Shlok Ail who stormed with a 7-0 blanking of J. Siddhant. Third seed Sanskar Dubey won 7-0 against Rayan Timothy.

In first round action of the under-10 singles, H. Aniketh beat Mikhail Sarit 6-4, Zain Ashfaque defeated Akshita A. R. 6-2, Praneeth Raj overcame Amritya Singh 6-3 and Adarsh Srinivasan emerged 6-3 winner over J. Kavya.

length; it’s all very close, which is as it should be.”

Charisma started at the pin, Nika next to them in race two, at the other end of the line, Katusha were first to tack away and head right. Katusha led Charisma and Nika at the top mark and started to extend away from the fleet downwind.

At the leeward gate the leading pair split, Charisma headed right

and made a massive gain. The Monaco domiciled team went on to take their second win of the event, Nika second and Katusha just managing to hold off Artemis for third.

Tom Slingsby calling the shots for Nico Poon’s Charisma gave an overview of the team’s performance. “Today started very poorly, we were mid fleet and in with the top group but slowly slipped back. I made a mistake, I thought we were going to cross a boat but we didn’t and had to do a penalty turn, dropping from about sixth to ninth.

“We won the second race by a long way and had a second in the third race. It’s really hard to get consistency, if you can make the top mark in good shape ahead of the pack you’re going to have a good race but if you’re battling away amongst the fleet things go wrong, like our penalty, and you can so easily drop five places.”

In the final race of the day the fleet were fighting to start at the committee boat. Team Aqua opted for the pin end and headed left for more breeze. The move paid, Team Aqua tacked and crossed the fleet with room to spare. Never challenged Aqua went onto take the win from Charisma in second and Synergy in third.

Aqua’s long standing tactician Cameron Appleton (NZL) summed up the race.

“We felt there was better pressure on the left, when we started we were in a right hand direc-

tion but it’s always hard when the whole fleet goes right to branch out, do you put all the money in the bag and keep going or do you play more conservatively. We went for it and it worked out, we held our left hand pressure all the way across. The moment you get out in front it is so much easier, so to make that first cross it becomes a much easier race.”

On the overalls, Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika have a fivepoint lead over Charisma in second, with Team Aqua moving up into third. The finale day is expected to heat up on Sunday, with fleet race championships scheduled starting from 11:30 a.m. local time.

RC44 Oman Cup Overall Ranking (after six races): 1. Team Nika 3 1 2 6 2 4 – 18; 2. Charisma 1 5 5 9 1 2 – 23; 3. Team Aqua 4 3 7 2 8 1 – 25; 4. Katusha 2 6 4 5 3 6 – 26; 5. Synergy Russian Sailing Team 9 2 3 4 7 3 – 28; 6. Artemis Racing 5 4 8 1 4 7 – 29; 7. Gazprom Youth Sailing Challenge 7 8 6 8 5 9 – 43; 8. Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team 10 9 1 10 6 8 – 44; 9. Aleph Racing 8 7 10 7 9 5 – 46; 10. Bronenosec Sailing Team 6 10 9 3 10 10 – 48.

2014 RC44 Championship Tour Overall Fleet Race Ranking (after four events with one discard): 1. Team Aqua – 6; 2. Peninsula Petroleum Sailing Team – 7; 3. Bronenosec Sailing Team – 9; 4. Charisma – 14; 5. Synergy Russian Sailing Team – 16; 6. Artemis Racing – 16; 7.

Team Nika – 17; 8. Bombarda Racing- 21; 9. Gazprom Youth Sailing Challenge – 21; 10. Katusha – 24; 11. Aleph Racing – 25; 12. MAG Racing – 34; 13. Artemis Racing Youth – 36.

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

SPORTS Rosberg beats Hamilton to grab Abu Dhabi pole Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points but the double points on offer means Sunday’s winner will take an unprecedented 50

ABU DHABI: Nico Rosberg beat title favourite Lewis Hamilton to pole position for the decisive Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday as the dominant Mercedes teammates locked out the front row in qualifying.

Williams drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa failed to split the leading two but could still play a big part in Sunday’s season-ending ‘duel in the desert’ with their cars right behind on the second row.

Hamilton, hoping to become Britain’s first multiple champion since Jackie Stewart in 1971, leads Rosberg by 17 points but the double

ONE SMALL STEP: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, left, shakes hands

teammate Nico Rosberg after the qualifying session of the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday. – AFP

points on offer means Sunday’s winner will take an unprecedented 50.

The Briton, world champion with McLaren in 2008, was fastest in the first two phases of qualifying but a messy lap in the tense final shootout left him unable to deny Rosberg his 11th pole of the 19race season.

The pole was the team’s 18th of the campaign, with Brazilian Massa taking the one that got away, and ensured Mercedes became the first engine manufacturer to take every pole in a season since Ford in 1969.

“It’s only one step, a very small step,” commented Rosberg, who

needs someone to get between him and Hamilton in the race to have a chance of winning the title if neither Mercedes has mechanical trouble.

“This weekend is about the championship, not about pole position. It would have been great if there was a Williams in between us, but that can always happen tomorrow.”

“All I can do is try to go for the win and keep the pressure on,” added Rosberg.

Hamilton, winner of 10 races this year to Rosberg’s five but under increasing pressure, has said he wants to take the title with a win and looked unhappy at the outcome.

“I generally didn’t have the best of laps but I enjoyed the qualifying session,” said the 29-year-old. “Tomorrow is going to be a special day.”

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and four times world champion Sebastian Vettel filled the third row with Toro Rosso’s Russian roookie Daniil Kvyat and McLaren’s Jenson Button eighth in what could be his last race in Formula One. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso, the Spaniard who is set to join McLaren next year, were ninth and 10th respectively.

- Reuters

COIN HAS DROPPED

F1’s smaller teams see progress in money talks ABU DHABI: Formula One’s smaller teams felt at least a penny had dropped on Saturday after meeting the sport’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone and rights holders CVC to discuss demands for more money.

Sauber, Force India and Lotus bosses told reporters at an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix briefing that Ecclestone had apologised for calling them ‘beggars’ and recognised they had a point in seeking a re-distribution of revenues.

“It’s one of the first times, I wouldn’t be arrogant to say it’s the only time, where you really feel somehow that with some key people the coin has dropped,” declared Lotus principal Gerard Lopez.

“When CVC took over, the sport was generating $245 million for the teams, it’s now generating close to $900 million, but it’s almost in a worse state than it has ever been.”

The three teams had sent a letter to Ecclestone earlier in the week seeking a meeting at the season-ending race after being frustrated in their calls for cost cuts and a more equitable division of revenues.

They argue that a sport that returns $900 million to the teams, albeit in unequal shares, should not be in a position where some have gone into administration and others are in danger of collapse.

Top teams such as Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull receive special payments and also sit on the sport’s decision-making ‘strategy group’.

The teams had spoken in their letter, signed by Force India deputy principal Bob Fernley, of “a questionable cartel” of rights holder and top teams that controlled “both the governance of Formula One and, apparently, the distribution of...funds.”

One British politician has subsequently brought the matter to the attention of the European Commission’s competition authorities.

Force India boss Vijay Mallya sensed a more cooperative spirit on the part of the rights holders, noting that Ecclestone and CVC co-chairman Donald Mackenzie “had done their homework”.

“My take is they are seriously thinking about how to address this issue,” he added.

Lopez said the EU was discussed briefly in Saturday’s meeting and, while shrugging off a suggestion that it had been the issue that made the penny drop, recognised it was lurking in the background.

“I’ve dealt with the EU in two of our businesses, I’m not sure whether or not something is going to happen but you do not want the EU to get involved in any business,” he said. - Reuters

TENNIS

Oman under-16 team clinch silver at GCC championships in Bahrain

MUSCAT: The Sultanate’s under-16 boys capped their excellent performance with a silver medal at the GCC Under-16 Tennis Championships held in Bahrain.

The championships, for both the under-16 and under-12, took place from November 17 to 21.

According to information received from Oman Tennis As-

sociation (OTA) yesterday, the Omanis, who lost their only tie to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the team championship, finished behind their neighbours in the second place.

The Omani team, comprising Younis Al Rawahi, Abdullah Al Barwani, Zakaria Al Suleimani and Ammar Al Khanjari, recorded

victories over Bahrain (3-0), Saudi Arabia (3-0) and Kuwait (2-1) to return home with silver medals.

Kuwaiti finished third place followed by Saudi Arabia in the fourth and hosts Bahrain in the fifth. Qatar did not take part in the championship.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, chief of the Bahrain Ten-

nis Federation, handed over the medals and trophies during the prize-giving ceremony at the tennis courts of Bahrain University in Issa Town.

The Omani delegation to Bahrain was headed OTA Executive Manager Salman bin Abdul Rahim Al Balushi and accomapnied by coach Ariel Baldivino.

M U LT I -Y E A R D E A L

Perez staying at Force India ABU DHABI: Mexican driver Sergio Perez has agreed a multi-year contract to stay at Force India beyond 2015, the Formula One team said on Saturday.

“It’s good to announce my plans,” Perez said in a team statement.

“I feel at home here and I’m fully committed.

“I’m enjoying my racing and we’ve already celebrated some special results together.

“It’s important for me to establish myself in a team and have some continuity.

“The team have given me a competitive car this year and I believe we can continue to achieve great things together in the future.”

Perez, 24, joined this season after a year at McLaren and is currently 12th in the standings going into the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Perez had been expected to stay, with Force India’s other driver Nico Hulkenberg of Germany already confirmed for next season. - Reuters

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HOCKEY

India name junior team for Australia tour NEW DELHI: Hockey India (HI) on Saturday announced its junior men’s team for training and playing a five-match Test series in Gold Coast, Australia, from December 2-13 to prepare for the eighth Junior Asia Cup in 2015.

HI selectors Harbinder Singh, R.P. Singh, Arjun Halappa, director high performance Roelant Oltmans, coaches Harendra Singh and B.J. Kariappa selected 18 players after the selection trials were conducted here on November 17.

The squad will be led by midfielder Harjeet Singh while forward Imran Khan will be his deputy for the series.

The Sultan of Johor Cup champions are looking forward to continue their winning spree and repeat the success of the senior team, who recently defeated Australia 3-1 on their home turf.

The squad: Abhinav Kumar Pandey, Jugraj Singh; Varun Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh, Dipsan Turkey, Gurinder Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Anand Lakra; Harjeet Singh (captain), Imran Khan (vice-captain), Santa Singh, Manpreet Singh, Sumit; Parvinder Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Sumit Toppo, Mandeep Singh and Arman Qureshi. - IANS

SPORTS

Muscat RFC settle for third place at Gulf Premiership Though beaten 33-12 by visiting Bahrain side, Muscat RFC settled for a respectable third place in the league

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MUSCAT: Muscat Rugby Football Club (Muscat RFC) fought bravely but found Bahrain Rugby Football Club (Bahrain RFC) too hot to handle as they went down by a 33-12 margin in their Gulf Premiership match at the Oman Club in Al Khuwair on Friday.

Despite the defeat, Muscat settled for a respectable third place while Bahrain took second place.

During the first session, the teams were fairly evenly matched.

TOUGH CONTEST: Action from the Gulf Premiership match between Muscat RFC and Bahrain RFC played at the Oman Club in Al Khuwair on Friday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

Bahrain exerted pressure on the Muscat line but the home side were able to hold the visitors out. Muscat dominated the scrum, forcing mistakes in the Bahrain line out.

The flow of the game was interrupted with several penalties and

CHESS

Carlsen and Anand set for crucial 11th round SOCHI: In the crucial 11th round game in the Fide World Chess Championship, Indian chess ace Viswanathan Anand has to hold out on Sunday to mount a serious attack in his last game against Norwegian champion Magnus Carlsen to equalise first and take a shot at the title in the tie-breaker, say experts.

While experts do not term Sunday’s round as a battle of nerves for both the players, they do agree that Anand has to hold his nerve to fend off any aggressive attacks

by Carlsen playing white.

Needing just a point — one win or two draws — from the next two rounds, Carlsen is currently in the driver’s seat leading the table with 5.5 points to Anand’s 4.5 points.

The first player to score 6.5 points will be crowned the world champion.

Game experts are of the view that the dice is not heavily loaded in favour of Carlsen and there is a good possibility of Anand equalising the score and going for the tie- breaker.

But the equaliser is expected to happen from Anand’s side only in the final 12th round when he plays with white pieces.

On the 11th round on Sunday, Anand is expected to play it safe and settle for a draw.

“Looking at the previous games Anand’s play with black pieces was not solid. It is important for him to get a good position in the opening stages of the game tomorrow (Sunday). Very rarely

C5

While experts do not term Sunday’s round as a battle of nerves for both the players, they do agree that Anand has to hold his nerve to fend off any aggressive attacks by Carlsen playing white

a player with black pieces has won in the world championship games,” world No. 26 and Indian Grandmaster P. Harikrishna said.

Agreeing that Anand has not been able to breach Carlsen’s defence with white pieces — except in the third round which he won — Harikrishna said the champion will be under pressure to fend off an aggressive attack by the Indian in the last round if the 11th game ends in a draw.

Harikrishna said the Sunday game will be tough for both players. “Anand may be looking mainly for a draw. Carlsen on his part would try to put pressure initially and if it does not work, might play for a draw. Carlsen may even pro-

long the game as Monday is a rest day,” Harikrishna said.

According to experts Carlsen might wilt playing under pressure and cite his last round loss in the 2013 Candidates tournament.

Grandmaster R.B. Ramesh said: “Anand should not go all out Sunday. After a draw in the next round he will go all out against Carlsen in the last round.”

According to him Carlsen is more under pressure now than Anand. “But in Russia we are seeing only 80 percent of the original Anand that we know - the one who would take risks, play solid chess.

Now Anand is putting Carlsen under initial pressure but later allows him to escape,” Ramesh said.

“As a fan I would like Anand to go all out even in the next game.

But as a chess player, I feel Anand would play it safe on Sunday and mount an all out attack on Carlsen in the final round,” Grandmaster B. Adhiban.

“I feel it is the age factor playing against Anand now. After three hours of intense calculations, it seems Anand suffers from fatigue.

It seems Anand is not trying hard enough to win the match though his performance is much better,” International Master Raja Ravi Sekhar said.

“I will still bet my money on Anand. He has to believe that he can defeat Carlsen. As to the quality of Carlsen’s games it can be said to be very great,” international chess arbiter R.R. Vasudevan said. - IANS

STTE AND WAB RECORD FACILE VICTORIES

STTE and WAB teams recorded facile victories in the ongoing Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industries-Companies Basketball Competition (OCCI-CBC) at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. STTE defeated Pepsi 81-34 and WAB posted a 101-60 win over TSC. In Sunday’s matches, Daleel Petroleum take on Sultan Center while Pepsi face Oman Cement Company. — Supplied photo

numerous knock-ons.

Muscat RFC, however, were dealt a blow when they were reduced to 14 men with a yellow card to their hooker.

Bahrain took full advantage and scored two tries in quick succes-

sion, converting one of them.

The visitors scored with the last play of the half to take a 17-0 lead into the break.

Muscat and their fans were still optimistic, and The start of the second half saw

a flurry of activity from the home side. They retained the ball well through phases and forced errors in the Bahrain side. Line breaks were few and far between however.

Muscat opened their scoring after playing the ball into the Bahrain corner.

Karl Rasmussen stole the line out by flicking the ball into Conor Quaid’s hands. Finding a gap in the Bahrain line, he grounded the ball.

The team was hoping to kick on from there.

The visitors unfortunately took the sting out of the Muscat RFC’s comeback by running in another two tries.

The second was a quick tap penalty, a fast running second centre couldn’t be stopped only five meters from the line.

Muscat kept fighting till the final whistle. Karl Rasmussen skipped out of a tackle just inside his own half and ran under the posts for a consolation try, which was converted by Pete Maxton. The game ended 12-33.

Muscat now enter the Gulf Conference, a competition they won three years ago, commencing in January.

Muscat RFC, meanwhile, thanked the Finland Osteopathy Clinic for their work at the game.

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SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

SPORTS

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Costa strikes as Chelsea go seven clear, Toure rescues Man City they scored with their only chance in the first half.”

Costa opened the scoring in the 11th minute, leaping into the air to control Oscar’s left-wing cross on his chest and then slamming a side-foot volley past Ben Foster for his 11th goal of the campaign

LONDON: Diego Costa scored again as Chelsea established a seven-point lead at the English Premier League summit on Saturday by comfortably beating 10man West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Costa opened the scoring in the 11th minute, leaping into the air to control Oscar’s left-wing cross on his chest and then slamming a side-foot volley past Ben Foster for his 11th goal of the campaign.

Eden Hazard added a second in the 25th minute, smuggling a deflected shot beneath Foster from Cesc Fabregas’s corner, before West Brom’s Claudio Yacob was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Costa.

“It was comfortable, but I

11TH GOAL: Chelsea’s Diego Costa, left, celebrates after scoring a goal past West Bromwich Albion’s Ben Foster during their English Premier League match at Stamford Bridge in London on Saturday. – Reuters

thought in the first half we played amazingly well. In the first half we have to be 3-0, 4-0, 5-0 up,” said Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

“But the quality of our football was there. I don’t remember seeing many times football of that dimension.”

Victory saw Chelsea set a new

club record of 12 unbeaten games from the start of the season.

Mourinho’s side are now seven points clear of second-place Southampton, who visit Aston Villa on Monday, and remain eight points above defending champions Manchester City, who won 2-1 at home to Swansea City.

Despite having captain Vincent Kompany back from injury, Manchester City fell behind in the ninth minute at the Etihad Stadium when Wilfried Bony finished calmly from Nathan Dyer’s lofted through-ball.

But Stefan Jovetic swept home Jesus Navas’s low cross to equalise

10 minutes later and Yaya Toure gave the hosts victory early in the second half after a characteristic burst into the area.

“We played very well and had a lot of chances to score the third goal, and we defended well,” said City manager Manuel Pellegrini.

“It was a difficult start because

Osman’s Everton milestone It was only City’s second win in seven games. Pellegrini’s side host Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday, when even victory may not spare them from a third group-stage exit in four seasons.

Elsewhere, in-form Newcastle United leapt into the top four at the expense of West Ham United after recording a fifth consecutive victory with a 1-0 success at home to Queens Park Rangers.

France midfielder Moussa Sissoko settled the game in the 78th minute, finishing powerfully from Sammy Ameobi’s pass to send QPR to the foot of the table.

West Ham dropped out of the Champions League places after losing 2-1 at Everton. West Ham forward Mauro Zarate cancelled out Romelu Lukaku’s early opener with a deflected shot in the 56th minute, only for Leon Osman to crown his 400th Everton appearance by sliding home a 73rd-minute winner.

Promoted side Burnley climbed to the brink of safety after following up their first win of the season at Tottenham Hotspur prior to the international break by prevailing 2-1 at Stoke City.

Danny Ings scored twice from close range inside two minutes early in the first half to put Burnley in control, with Stoke replying through Jon Walters’s 32nd minute header. Burnley moved off the foot of the table and are now level on points with fourth-bottom Leicester City, who drew 0-0 at home to Sunderland. - AFP

S C AT H I N G AT TA C K

Fifa credibility in freefall, says German league chief Seifert BERLIN: The head of Germany’s Football League (DFL) launched a scathing attack on Fifa on Saturday, saying coordinated action was needed from Europe to reform world soccer’s governing body.

Fifa is in the middle of a crisis and have been fending off allegations of corruption over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

“One does not know if one should wonder or feel ashamed for them,” DFL CEO Christian Seifert told Sueddeutsche Zeitung in their weekend edition. “It cannot be acceptable when Fifa’s credibility is in a freefall.”

“As a serious organisation we feel that we are not represented by this Fifa,” said Seifert. The DFL is in charge of Germany’s top two professional divisions.

German soccer officials have been especially unhappy with

Qatar having been picked as the 2022 tournament hosts.

The tiny Gulf state, enriched by its vast natural gas resources, has virtually no football tradition, has never qualified for the World Cup and does not have the appropriate climate for a summer World Cup which has produced another huge debate about what time of the year the tournament can be staged.

Seifert stopped short of calling for a boycott but said some 75 percent of players at a World Cup were under contract in Europe.

Any action against Fifa should be a coordinated action with the support of many countries.

“When Europe says ‘we will not play’ then that changes everything. A boycott would be a an effective weapon but one has to think things through.

“Everyone would have to agree and I have serious doubts about it. France is very unlikely to turn

against Qatar with (Uefa President) Michel Platini considered a Qatar supporter.

“If it is then only Germany and England that remain then I fear it is not strong enough.”

Former head of the English FA, David Triesman who led England’s failed bid for the 2018 tournament, urged on Friday European nations to boycott both tournaments unless Fifa transformed itself into a transparent, open organisation.

Russia and Qatar deny any wrongdoing, and German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert’s summary of Fifa-appointed investigator Michael Garcia’s report said there were no grounds to reopen the bidding process.

However, Garcia said soon after that Eckert’s statement contained misrepresentations and that he would refer the report to Fifa’s appeal committee. - Reuters

FOOTBALL

Wenger will only be appreciated once he leaves Arsenal: Henry LONDON: Thierry Henry believes Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s influence and achievements will only be truly appreciated once he has left the club.

After arriving from Japanese side Grampus Eight in 1996 as a relatively unknown manager, the pioneering Frenchman proceeded to turn Arsenal into one of the most eye-catching and successful clubs in England.

When asked if Wenger would only be fully appreciated once he leaves the Emirates, Henry, Arsenal’s record goal scorer and the catalyst for so much of their success, told the BBC: “Yes that’s always the case.

“When you give people a lot they get used to it and they just expect it and demand, and rightly so.”

“When you are at a club like Arsenal people expect and want

you to win and that’s the way it is,” Henry added.

“That’s the way I’ve been educated by all the guys before. For me it’s a no-brainer, the guy has changed Arsenal Football Club.

“Were Arsenal successful before? Yes they were but in a different way.

“Now Arsenal is recognised for the type of football they play.

That’s all down to him.” - Reuters

C

LIFE & STYLE

SECTION

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM S U N DAY, N OV EMB ER 23, 2 0 14

P

ink Floyd has sold more than 250 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, but its last album, The Division Bell, came out in 1994. Bassist Roger Waters had been long gone by then, and keyboardist Richard Wright died in 2008. The quartet had reunited once, for the Live 8 concert in London in 2005, but, outside of some archival releases, the last thing the remaining duo expected was a new Pink Floyd album.

All of which made the arrival of The Endless River a surprise — but a good one, as far as they’re concerned.

“I really have to say that I’m really enjoying this whole thing, the new music and telling people about it,” the 70-year-old Mason said recently, speaking by telephone during a visit to New York. “It’s generally being wellreceived. I had sort of forgotten what it’s like when you release something and you wait to hear what people think of it, especially looking back over some of our previous releases and how, quite often, there was an edge of either disapproval or disappointment when we released stuff.

“But this has been quite nice.”

The Endless River, which set a record for the most-ever prerelease orders from Amazon.com in the UK, hearkens back to the band’s last days. Its 18 tracks, all but one instrumental, began life during the Division Bell sessions

For singer-guitarist David Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason, Pink Floyd has been for all intents and purposes a closed book for a couple of decades now in 1993-1994, a prolific period during which, Mason said, “we talked about doing this sort of double album, where one half would be songs and the other half would be sort of ambient tracks. But we never got around to finishing it. I think we probably had a tour book and were running out of time, and it felt like, ‘Let’s get on with it, ‘so we shelved all that. I don’t think we ever had a plan for it.”

During the past few years, however, as Pink Floyd began releasing deluxe reissues from its catalogue, that leftover music finally started to get some attention.

“Various people at various times said, ‘You really ought to do something with that material,’” Mason recalled.

Recording engineer Andy Jack-

son pushed the issue by creating an ambient track called The Big Spliff, drawn from the archives.

“That was the start of it,” Mason said. “It certainly wouldn’t have made an album that we felt we could release, but that was the start.”

Working in several studios, including Gilmour’s home base on a houseboat docked on the Thames River, Gilmour and Mason brought in compatriots, including members of Pink Floyd’s last touring band and Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera and Martin Youth Glover of Killing Joke, the latter two of whom served as co-producers. Some tracks turned out to be fine as they were, while others became the bedrock for new recordings. Mason estimated that 40 percent of the album is older material,

40 per cent is new and the other 20 per cent, he added with a laugh, is “God knows what.”

“It’s a mix of maybe lifting a track of Richard’s off the old material and writing something underneath it, coupled with, in other situations, using the backing track from those original sessions and putting overdubs on it,” Mason explained. “It’s been a very long process of distillation, of which it’s only really in the last two years that we realised it was worth making a new album out of.

“For a long time we were thinking whether we could use elements of it for a film project or maybe streaming with one of our rereleases or an anthology or something,” he continued. “But gradually it got to the point where

we liked it enough and felt it was strong enough to stand on its own two feet as an album.”

In an “electronic press kit” accompanying The Endless River, Gilmour described the album as “a continuous flow of music that builds gradually over the 55-odd minutes. There’s a sort of continuum from The Division Bell album to this — The only concept is the concept of Rick and Nick and I playing together in a way that we — had done in the past, but had kind of forgotten that we did, and was instantly familiar.”

Wright’s work is not gratuitously pushed to the front, but both Gilmour and Mason are clear that this is their tribute and farewell to their fallen musical comrade, whom they allowed Waters to boot

out of the band in the early 1980s, but brought back as soon as they reactivated Pink Floyd, sans Waters, later in the decade.

“We do feel strongly that it’s really nice to give Rick that recognition of how important he was, (how important) the sound he created was, to the band,” Mason said. “I think, with all bands, there’s never quite enough credit to go around, from the Beatles to the Stones, all of them. No one gets quite as much recognition as they should, so this is our chance to do that for Rick.”

“It is a tribute to him,” Gilmour said in the press kit. “It really brought home what a special player he was.

It is emotional and evocative in certain moments. Certainly, listening to all this stuff, it made me regret his passing all over again.

This is the last chance anyone will get to hear him just playing along with us in that way that he did.”

Waters left Pink Floyd after The Final Cut (1983), and in 1987 sued the other band members over their continuing to use the name “Pink Floyd,” a suit eventually settled out of court. He issued a statement earlier this year making clear that he was not part of The Endless River, and Mason confirms that he and Gilmour “never considered” asking Waters to rejoin them for the project.

“This was music that was (originally) done without him,” Mason explained. “So for Roger to come in and play bass on it would’ve been absurd, really.”

-Gary Graff/The New York Times News Service

C8

SU N DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

EXTRA

The writing has been on the wall for the $27 billion global luxury perfume market for some time over skin allergies

T

homas Fontaine goes into his laboratory lined with shelves of dark green bottles and takes a small vial of a sludgy brown substance from the fridge. It gives off a woody, pungent smell. Under a European Commission ruling expected to come into force next year, two elements contained in this oakmoss are to be banned.

The problem for Fontaine, one of France’s elite perfume creators known as a “nose”, and others in the industry is that this natural raw material gives the country’s oldest high-luxury scents their distinctive smells.

“You don’t get much more upmarket than this,” Fontaine tells me in his office behind the Champs-Elysées. He is the in-house perfumer at Jean Patou, whose classic fragrance, Joy, is renowned as one of the most expensive perfumes in the world. Jasmine from Grasse on the French Riviera, one of its core ingredients, costs $867,000 per kilo.

But Fontaine is also an independent nose who puts himself out to tender to create perfumes for other luxury brands, including Jean-Louis Scherrer, Lubin and Worth. His desk, marked with a note saying “Please do not tidy”, is strewn with spiky white blotters that he uses to assess the scents in his latest creations.

He turns his attention back

W H AT Oakmoss is a key ingredient in many classic scents including Chanel No 19, CK One, Miss Dior and Mitsouko. They have citrus top notes, along with Cistus labdanum (a resin that comes from Mediterranean shrubs), and oakmoss provides the distinctive musky base notes.

1

to the vial of oakmoss, explaining that two of its molecules — atranol and chloroatranol — are to be banned on the grounds that they could cause up to 3 per cent of the EU population to suffer an allergic reaction. A third compound, which replicates the scent of lily of the valley, called HICC or lyral, is also to be banned on the recommendation of the European Commission’s scientific committee on consumer safety.

The committee has pointed to an “exceptionally high” number of allergy cases linked to HICC, which is a synthetic molecule.

Fontaine, a trained chemist, protests that the proposals are unfair.

“Because a very small number of people are suspected of having a skin reaction, you are preventing everybody from using it,” he says of the oakmoss (and treemoss) amendment concerning atranol and chloroatranol. “Cigarettes can kill you, but they’re not banned.”

Y O U

N E E D

T O

K N O W

A B O U T

O A K M O S S

Oakmoss is a species of lichen that grows on tree trunks and branches in countries in the northern hemisphere, including southern and central Europe and North America.

As well as giving deep, woody tones to perfumes, it also acts as a fixative, prolonging the life of the fragrance. It’s the ingredient that gives chypre scents their sensual tone, and is also a common ingredient in the fougère group that includes many men’s fragrances.

Some perfumers have already begun to adapt their scents. Guerlain’s Mitsouko, for instance, has been reformulated, still using oakmoss, but grown without the molecule that causes allergic reactions in some people.

He is also critical of the EU’s scientific approach, saying that if you stick your arm into a bucket of oakmoss and leave it there, then of course you’ll get a rash, but that this has nothing to do with a natural reaction. He says that Joy, for example, has been tested in vivo on generations of women since its creation in 1930 “and nobody has complained”. Gilles Thévenin, the owner of the Lubin perfume house, describes the proposed regulations as technocratic madness. “They don’t realise they’re killing the French perfume industry,” he says.

For Lucia Caudet, the EU spokeswoman for industry, the matter comes down to the scientific committee’s finding that atranol and chloroatranol were “unsafe”. Therefore, Caudet says, they are in violation of the EU cosmetics directive.

The best known fragrances containing oakmoss include the original versions of Chanel No 5

and Miss Dior, but the prized essence is an integral part of all chypre and fougère scents for women and men. Chypre is the class of fragrances that usually have a top note of citrus and woody base notes derived from oakmoss and ambergris, while fougère fragrances have a top note of lavender and base notes of oakmoss and coumarin. The first perfume with a dominant chypre note was François Coty’s Chypre, created in 1917. In a statement, a spokesman for Chanel says that the new regulation will allow the company to make adjustments to the qualities of the raw materials concerned, while preserving the olfactory identity of its perfumes. “This is not the first time the regulation has been amended and keeping up can be a challenge,” the spokesman continues. “But that is exactly what our nose and the Chanel fragrance laboratory is for: to

use his talents to comply with the regulatory constraints and at the same time preserve the personality of the perfumes.”

The writing has been on the wall for the $27 billion global luxury perfume market for some time over skin allergies. Fontaine says that the combination of the European Commission rulings and International Fragrance Association guidelines has meant that perfumers have to reformulate some fragrances every year. How would he find a substitute for the oakmoss elements? Scornful of a suggestion that seaweed might do the trick, he opens the fridge to produce a vial of algae. “Oakmoss does have a slight marine note,” he tells me, “but it’s nothing like this. We must stop this nonsense. The customer will notice the difference and complain and accuse us of trying to save money. But finding a substitute for oakmoss

2

3

4

could cost even more money.”

Stéphanie Bakouche, the perfume director of L’Artisan Parfumeur, who is also a nose, says that there really aren’t any substitutes for oakmoss. “It’s inimitable,” Bakouche says. Only one synthesised molecule, a powder called evernyl, comes anywhere close to reproducing the oakmoss smell, she says.

Thévenin, whose perfume house was founded in 1798, blames chemical industry lobbyists in Brussels for the new restrictions. “Little by little, the EU has banned more and more raw materials for health reasons, in the name of the chemical industry,” he says.

“We’ve been taken hostage.”

According to Thévenin, the “big five” chemical giants dominating the flavours and fragrance business — Symrise, Givaudan, International Flavors & Fragrances, Firmenich and Takasago — promote their synthetic molecules with the intention of forcing independent perfumers to become dependent on them. The chemical companies, he says, don’t like independent perfumers using natural materials. “They want a monopoly,” he says, pointing out that the highend French perfume business, the capital of which is in Grasse, makes up only 1 per cent of the flavours and smells industry, which includes shampoos and detergents. -Anne Penketh/The Independent

S U N DAY, N OV E MB E R 23, 2 0 14

C9

ENTERTAINMENT CINEMA SCHEDULE

BAHJA CINEMA SCREEN 3

11:00 am, 3:30 pm, 9:30 pm & 11:45 pm Gold Class: 11:30 am, 5:45 pm & 11:00 pm The Signal (2D) (Sci-Fi/Thr) (PG12) Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Beau Knapp 1:30 pm & 9:45 pm Gold Class: 3:45 pm 71 (2D) (Action/Thriller) (15+) Cast: Jack Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell, Sam Reid 5:45 pm Pocket Listing (2D) (Act/Com) (15+) Cast: Rob Lowe, Burt Reynolds 11:30 am & 7:45 pm Gold Class: 2:00 pm Happy Ending (Hindi) (2D)(Com/ Rom) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Ileana, Kalki Koechlin 7:00 pm Gold Class: 8:15 pm The Babadook (2D)(Hor/Thr) (15+) Cast: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall 1:15 pm & 11:45 pm Big Hero 6 (3D) (Animation/Com) (PG) Cast: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2D) (Adventure | Sci Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 2:15, 4:30, 6:45, 9:15, 11:45 pm The Signal (2D) (Sci-Fi | Thr) (PG12) Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Beau Knapp 3:00, 4:45, 11:45 pm The Babadook (2D) (Drama| Horror) (15+) Cast: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall 2:45, 6:45, 11:30 pm Happy Ending (2D) (Com |Rom) (12+) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Ileana, Kalki Koechlin 8:45 pm Warda (2D) (Horror| Thri) (12+) Cast: Somaya El Alfy, Farouk Hashem, Samira Magroun 8:30 pm Pocket Listing (2D) (Act | Com) (15+) Cast: Rob Lowe, Burt Reynolds 5:00, 10:00 pm Dumb & Dumber to (2D) (Com) (PG12) Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels 6:45 pm

Happy New Year ( Action |Romance | Drama) (PG 12 ) Cast: Shahrukh Khan , Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone 3.30, 6.45, 10.00 pm

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (PG12) (Adv| Sci-Fi) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemswort 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:15, 9:30, 11:45 pm The Signal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (PG 12) (Sci-Fi ) Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke 1:00, 5:15, 8:00, 11:45 pm Pocket Listing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (15+) (Act | Com) Cast: Rob Lowe, Burt Reynolds, Noel Gugliemi 3:30, 10:00, 11:30 pm Happy Ending â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (12+) (Com) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Ileana, Kalki Koechlin 12:45, 7:30 pm 71 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (15+) (Act | Drama | Thriller) Cast: Jack Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell, Sam Reid 3:45, 5:45, 9:45 pm Warda â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (12+) (Horror | Thriller) Cast: Somaya El Alfy, Farouk Hashem, Samira Magroun 7:30 pm Vanmam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (T) (12+) (Action) Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Kreshna, Sunaina, Anjali Rao, Madhu Sudhan Rao 1:15, 9:00 pm The Babadook â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (15+) ( Horror )

SCREEN 1 Happy Ending (Comedy) (12+ ) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Lieana, Kalki Koechlin 3.30, 6.30, 9.30pm SCREEN 2

Dumb And Dumber (2D) (Com) Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels 5:00 pm; (PG12) The Hunger Games-Mockingjay Part 1 (2D) (Adv/Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

Cast: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall 2:45, 6:15, 11:30 pm Catch Hell â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2D (12+) (Drama) Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Tig Notaro, James DuMont 4:30 pm

Kil Dil (Act |Rom | Drama) (12+ ) Cast: Ranbeer Singh, Govinda, Zafar Ali, Prineeti Chopra 3.45, 6.45, 9.45 pm

71 (Action | Drama | Thriller) (15+) Cast: Jack Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell, Sam Reid 3:00, 5:15, 8:00 pm The Hunger Game: Mockingjay Part 1 (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 3:00, 4:45, 7:00, 9:30, 11:45 pm Happy Ending (Com | Rom) (12+) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Ileana, Kalki Koechlin 7:00, 9:15 pm Babadook (Drama | Horror) (15+) Cast: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall 3:00, 6:15, 10:00, 11:45 pm Catch Hell (Drama | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Tig Notaro, James DuMont 4:30, 11:45 pm

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 7:00, 09:15, 11:30 pm The Babadook (Drama| Horror) (15+)

Cast: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall 5:30, 9:15 pm Happy Ending (Hindi) (Com) (12+) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Ileana, Kalki Koechlin 11:00 pm Catch Hell (Drama | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Tig Notaro 5:00 pm 71 (Act | Drama | Thriller) (15+) Cast: Jack Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell, Sam Reid 7:15 pm

The Signal (2D/PG12) (Sc-Fi) 1:00pm, 7:00pm, 11:45pm The Hunger Games: Mockingjay â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Part 1 (2D/12+)(Action/Sc-Fi) 2:45, 5:00, 9:00, 11:30pm â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;71 (2D/15+) (Act/Drama/Thriller) 12:30pm, 5:00pm Catch Hell (12+) (Drama/Thriller) Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Tig Notaro 12:30pm Pocket Listing (2D/15+) (Act/Com) 4:15pm, 10:00pm The Babadook (2D/15+) (Dra/Horror) Cast: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Noah Wisema 2:30, 10:00, 11:45pm Happy Ending (2D/12+) (Com/Rom) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Ileana, Kalki Koechlin 2:30, 7:15pm Warda (2D/12+) (Horror/Thriller) Cast: Somaya El Alfy, Farouk Hashem, Samira Magroun 6:00pm Vanmam (2D/TBC) (Action) Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Kreshna 7:30pm

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (Adv | Sci-Fi) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 1.00, 3.15, 7.30, 9.45 & 11.55 pm; (PG12) Dumb and Dumber To (Comedy) Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels 5:30 pm CP No: 2338 (PG12) The Babadook (Horror ) Cast: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Tim Purcell 6.00, 10.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 2400 (15+) Catch Hell (Thriller) Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Tig Notaro, James DuMont 2.00, 4.00, & 8.00 pm CP No: 2401 (12+)

Film Information - 24540856 / Advance Booking - 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

STARS CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Vellimoonga (Mal) (Drama/Com) Cast: Biju Menon and Asif Ali 6:15 pm at Cinema Main, 3:30 & 9:30pm Cinema 2, 9:45pm at Cinema 3 Varsham (Mal) (Com/Drama) Cast: Mammootty, Asha Sarath 3:00 & 9:30 pm at Cinema Main, 6:30pm Cinema 2 Happy New Year (Act |Rom) (PG 12 ) Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone 3:45 , 6:45 & 9:45pm at Cinema 3 Vanmham (Tamil/Drama) Cast:Vijay Sethipathi & Sunaina 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45pm at Cinema 4 NEXT CHANGE: Itihasa(Mal) Kaaviya Thalavan (Tamil)

For More Information 24789032, 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om

ACES ON BRIDGE

SUDOKU

The obvious may be wrong

HOW TO PLAY Fill the empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column and area. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Seven Galaxies

MARMADUKE

CROSSWORD

B I G NAT E

1 5 8 12 13 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 26 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 40 41 45 49

Were rivals Frost victim Veal source Jai â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x201D; take forever!

Between ports Negative suffix Unfastened Manors Alt. Unburdened Monarchsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; terms Titleholder Resistance unit Playful bite Records, as mileage ProďŹ le Heroic tale Wear and tear Encyclopedia bk.

Hot soaks Adorn in a gaudy manner Diamond _ B&O, e.g.

Cape waver Really?

Large, clumsy

boats 50 Fromm or Clapton 51 Building wing 52 _ Griffin of game shows 53 Immediately following 54 PBS funder 55 Cashless deal DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 17 19 22 23 24 25

Glen or dale Cousteauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s islands Toward sunrise Charms Stuck around Comanche neighbors Banned bug spray Saguaros Blonde shade Spike or Bruce Brief craze Excuse me!

Restaurant calculation Pi follower Annoying insect Nearby Whirlpool locales

26 27 28 29 32 33 35 36 38 39

Dues-paying group Flexible tube Like good cheddar Shale extract â&#x20AC;&#x201D; choy Very low bows DVR predecessors Drill attachment Perpendicular Derek and the

41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

Dominos hit Mme.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter Attracted Green pods Invitation addendum Pullet Natural resource Put the kibosh on Countdown start

Answer to previous puzzle

ACROSS

AABIAS BOBY

KHADIJA AZAM

November 23, 2013

November 23, 2005

ALEN K. RAMESH

JOY RION Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;SOUZA

Previous puzzle Solution

OSWALD Spengler, a German philosopher who died in 1936, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The secret of all victory lies in the organisation of the non-obvious.â&#x20AC;?

That is a perfect way to lead into this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deals, in which the â&#x20AC;&#x153;obviousâ&#x20AC;? play is not right.

Here, South is in six hearts. West leads the diamond king. South wins with his ace and cashes the heart ace-king, but East discards a spade on the second round. What should declarer do next?

After North used a threediamond transfer bid, Southâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three spades showed the spade ace, fourcard heart support and, typically, a doubleton somewhere. Then North, who knew the partnership had the values for a small slam, transferred again with four diamonds before jumping to the small slam. (Yes, he might have control-bid four clubs to show his ace.)

South is faced with two losers: the heart queen and the diamond queen. He must discard dummyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two diamonds before West can ruff in and cash his diamond queen.

With only ďŹ ve spades between the two hands, it looks obvious to play on that suit ďŹ rst â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but it is wrong!

West ruffs the third spade and cashes his diamond queen.

If West has fewer than three clubs, the contract is unmakable.

So South should play on that suit ďŹ rst. If it breaks 3-3, then he hopes West also has at least three spades.

But when West turns up with four clubs, one diamond can disappear on the club 10 and the second on the third spade, Westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ruff coming too late for him.

Phillip Alder

WITH LOVE

BORN LOSER

November 23, 2006

November 23, 2005

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to extra@timesofoman.com

KIDSPOT

H E A LT H C A P S U L E

C10

SUN DAY, NOVEMB ER 23, 2014

PRAYER TIMINGS

FIND-IT-ALL Y O U R B I R T H D AY

BORN today, you will, even at a very young age, seem to have it made — and you will attract both admirers and critics throughout your lifetime as a result. There are some who will always be attracted to you simply because you have the air of one who belongs at the center of things.

Conversely, there will be others who choose to turn away from you for the very same reason, but this says more about them than it does about you.

When young, you may find criticism hard to deal with, but when you are older, you will have learned to put it behind you as soon as possible — though not before you have listened to it very carefully, to learn what you can from it.

You’re destined to do things that are long remembered — sometimes if only for their audacity and strangeness rather than their importance or lasting qualities. You are not one to sugarcoat the truth; you will talk about things in an open, honest way, inspiring others to do the same.

Also born on this date are: Scarlett Johansson, actress; Mariel Hemingway, actress; Jamie Lee Curtis, actress; Billie Jean King, tennis player; Robert Vaughn, actor; Rodney Dangerfield, comedian; Benjamin Britten, composer; Hoagy Carmichael, singer-songwriter; Charles de Gaulle, French military leader and president; Abigail Adams, U.S. first lady.

W E AT H E R

M

WORLD

Max 31 Min 22 Max 11 Min 10

Max 25 Min 10

Max 28 Min 23 Max 11 Min 1

Max 27 Min 23

Max -1 Min -5

Max 32 Min 17

Max 30 Min 18

Max 32 Min 16

Max 29 Min 21

Max 33 Min 19

[[NOV. 22-DEC. 21] Max 37

Max 25 Min 12

—www.met.gov.om

Max 31 Min 25 Max 38 Min 19

GULF Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Kuwait Manama Riyadh

31 31 31 24 27 27

22 24 21 12 21 19

WORLD Athens Baghdad Beijing Berlin Boston Cairo Colombo Frankfurt Hong Kong Istanbul Johannesburg Kuala Lumpur Lisbon Paris Perth Singapore Tokyo Toronto

15 22 9 9 10 20 30 12 24 10 19 31 17 16 22 31 19 6

10 8 3 5 8 13 23 6 21 9 12 23 13 11 11 26 11 5

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

[DEC. 22-JAN 19]

AQUARIUS [JAN. 20-FEB. 18] You may have to wait longer than expected before you can take your turn at something that can yield considerable rewards.

PISCES [Feb. 19-March 20] Internal rhythms and external forces may be at odds for a certain part of the day. Put off any major decisions until things calm down.

ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19] You’ll want to focus on the details; you have the big picture, but the little things may need to be understood more completely.

TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20] You can find inspiration almost anywhere. Look around, and you’ll see just why you seem to fit in so well.

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Time Time 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 15:00 Sur 18:00 15:00 Jaalan 19:30 TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 06:30 Sohar 06:30 Buraimi 08:00 Buraimi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Buraimi 16.00 Sohar 16.00 Buraimi TO SINAW (Route 52) 17:30 Sinaw

[MAY 21-JUNE 20] You’re doing very well, but you may have to work just a little harder at something to get the results you really want.

CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22] Don’t let what others say get under your skin. Focus on the positive and see others in a better light than they see you right now.

LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22] You may have more time than expected to reach a certain goal, but if you don’t reach it today, it may be impossible to do so later on.

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22] You may have to juggle resources in order to make the most efficient use of all that is available to you.

LIBRA L [[SEPT. [S S 23-OCT. 22] If you find yourself waiting for someone to act before you do, perhaps you are not really ready to act in the first place.

SCORPIO S [[OCT. 23-NOV. 21] Honest self-assessment yields a discovery that is both exciting and just a little intimidating. It’s safe to say that you had no idea!

Operating Days Daily Daily Daily

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily 05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily 05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

08:50 11:00 14:30 15:45 17:40 18.35 20:20

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

20:50

Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41) 07:00 Sohar 07:00 Ruwi 13:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 17:00 Ruwi TO SINAW (Route 52) 07:00 Ruwi

To Yanqul (Route 54) 14:30 Nizwa 14:30 Yanqul

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54) 08:00 Nizwa 08:00 Al Araqi

10:20 12:30

TO SUR (Route 55) 07:30 Sur 14:30 Sur TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62) 06:30 Fahud 06:30 Yibal

08:55 11:40 20:20 14:55 17:40 19:20 22:15

Daily Daily Daily via Ibri Daily Daily Daily Daily

10:25

Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54) 06:00 Nizwa 06:00 Ruwi

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

Daily Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54) 15:40 Nizwa 15:40 Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

12:00 18:45

Daily Daily

TO SUR (Route 55) 06:00 Ruwi 14:30 Ruwi

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62) 12:30 Fahud 12:30 Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100) 07:00 Salalah 20:00 10:00 Marmul 20:30 10:00 Salalah 23:30 19:00 Salalah 07:40

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100) 07:00 Ruwi 19:50 10:00 Marmul 13:15 10:00 Ruwi 22:30 19:00 Ruwi 07:30

Daily Daily Daily Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101) 06:00 Marmul

16:30

Daily

Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (Route 102) 15:00 Salalah 07:00

Daily

16:50

SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102) 15:00 Dubai 07:00

GEMINI

5:20pm 6:26am

High tide Low tide

9:08am 3:46am

TO DUBAI (Route 201) 06:00 Sohar 06:00 Dubai 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Dubai 15:00 Sohar 15:00 Dubai

08:30 11:30 15:30 18:30 17:35 20:55

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily 07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily 07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201) 07:30 Sohar 07:30 Ruwi 13:00 Sohar 13:00 Ruwi 15:30 Sohar 15:30 Ruwi

10:50 13:40 16:15 19:10 18:45 21:35

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204) Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily 16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily 16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

LISTINGS

PHARMACIES Round the clock Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585 Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya. Tel: 24787766 Muscat, A Seeb Market. Tel: 24421691 Muscat, Al Khuwair. Tel: 24485740 Muscat, Al Hail South. Tel: 24537080 Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah.

Tel: 23291635 HOSPITALS Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052 Atlas Hospital: Ruwi: 24811743/ Ghubra: 24504000 Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453 Hatat Polyclinic LLC, Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006 Al Raffah Hospital: 24618900/1/2 Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435 Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434 Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780 Capital Polyclinic: 24707549 Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2 Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740 Ceregem National Raak: 24485633 Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217 Elixir Health Centre: 24565802 Emirates Medical Centre: 24604540 1st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274 Hamdan Hospital: 23212340 International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5 Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123 Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128, MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818 Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870 Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600 Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666 Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000 ROYAL OMAN POLICE Emergencies and inquiries: 9999 General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603 Directorate General of Customs: 24521109 Traffic violations inquiries: 24510228 Public Relations Admin: 24560099 ACCOMMODATION Al Bahjah Hotel: 24424400 Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171 Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400 Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949 Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385 Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311 Al Qurum Resort: 24605945 Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979 Beach Hotel: 24696601 Bowshar Hotel: 24491105 Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121 Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660 Crystal Suites: 24826100 Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300 Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234 Haffa House Hotel: 24707207 Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123 InterContinental Muscat: 24680000 Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900 Marina Hotel: 24711711 Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565 Mina Hotel: 24711828 Muttrah Hotel: 24798401

Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199 Oman Dive Centre: 24824240 Park Inn: 24507888 Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070 Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777 Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399 Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443 Ruwi Hotel: 24704244 Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200 Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772 Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666 The Chedi Muscat: 24524400 The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570 AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours): 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot: 24704455, Air Arabia: 24700828, Air France: 24562153, Air India: 24799801, Air New Zealand: 24700732, Biman Bangladesh Airlines: 24701128, British Airways: 24568777, Cathay Pacific: 24789818, Egypt Air: 24794113, Emirates Air: 24404400, Ethiopian Airlines: 24660313, Gulf Air: 80072424, Indian: 24791914, Iran Air: 24787423, Japan Airlines: 24704455, Jazeera Airways: 23294848, Jet Airways: 24787248, Kenya Airways: 24660300, KML Royal Dutch Airlines: 24566737, Kuwait Airways: 24701262, LOT Polish Airlines: 24796387, Lufthansa: 24796692, Malaysian Airlines: 24560796, Middle East Airlines: 24796680, Oman Air: 24531111, Pakistan International Airlines: 24792471, Qatar Airways: 24771900, Qantas: 24559941, Royal Jordanian: 24796693, Saudi Arabian Airlines: 24789485, Singapore Airlines: 24791233, Shaheen Air: 24816565, SriLankan Airlines:

SUNDAY

Min

L O N G D I S TA N C E B U S T I M I N G S ( O M A N N AT I O N A L T R A N S P O R T C O M PA N Y S A O C ) * S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E

You may be greeted by quite a surprise when you wake, yet you will have the wherewithal to progress unimpeded.

Sunset Sunrise (Tomorrow) 10:04pm 3.18pm

metres and slight along the rest of Oman coasts with maximum wave heights of 1.25 metres.

HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during fog.

THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Mainly clear skies over most of the Sultanate with chances of clouds development over Al-Hajar mountains. Chances of clouds development over Musandam governorate may give some isolates rain. Chances of late night to early morning low level clouds along the coastal areas of the Sultanate.

Max

OMAN

CAPRICORN

11.58am 3.04pm 5.25pm 6.39pm 5.07am

AIRLINES

ainly clear skies over most of the Sultanate with chances of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches over the governorates of Al-Dhahira, Al-Buraimi and along the southeastern coasts of the Sultanate.

EXPECTED WIND: The wind along the Sultanate will be northerly to northwesterly light to moderate over most of the Sultanate becoming variable at light, while the wind will be southerly to southeasterly light to moderate along Arabian Sea coasts.

SEA STATE: Moderate along the coastal areas of south Al-Sharqiya and north Al-Sharqiya governorates with maximum wave height 1.75

SAGITTARIUS S You may have to decode a message before you can put the information it contains to good use.

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

24784545, Swiss International Airlines: 24796692, Thai Airways: 24705934, Turkish Airlines: 24703033 MUSEUMS Bait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fish market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pm Natural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm; Thursday: 9am to 1pm Museum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, Sat-Wed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946 Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707 Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Oman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thurs: 9am to 1pm Bait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., Muscat museum@baitalzubairmuseum.com Open from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm.

National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pm Sohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pm Muscat Gate Museum: at Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

MONDAY FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

CAIRO 0005 RIYADH 0005 JEDDAH 0005 KUWAIT 0010 SALALAH 0105 DACCA 0115 SIALKOT 0200 ISTANBUL/BAHRAIN 0300 DOHA 0345 ADDIS ABABA 0350 DUBAI 0355 ABU DHABI 0405 BAHRAIN 0405 DUBAI 0415 DOHA 0600 SALALAH 0630 ABU DHABI 0650 BAHRAIN 0700 RIYADH 0700 KARACHI 0700 DOHA 0710 JEDDAH 0730 MEDINA 0745 DUBAI 0805 BOMBAY 0815 LONDON-HEATHROW 0820 BEIRUT 0830 DUBAI 0850 LAHORE 0900 SHARJAH 0915 HYDERABAD 0920 COCHIN 0930 DELHI 0935 MADRAS 0940 DUBAI 0940 TRIVANDRUM 0940 DOHA 1010 ABU DHABI 1015 TRIVANDRUM 1020 TRIVANDRUM 1035 BANGALORE 1100 LAHORE 1100 JAIPUR 1100 DUBAI 1110 ISLAM ABBAD 1110 RAS AL KHAIMA 1120 PESHAWAR 1120 COLOMBO 1140 CALICUT 1155 DUBAI 1200 MALE 1205 KATHMANDU 1210 SALALAH 1215 MUKHAIZNA 1230 KUALA LUMPUR 1230 BANGKOK 1235 DUBAI 1330 KHASAB 1440 SALALAH 1445 BAHRAIN 1530 ABU DHABI 1535 DUBAI 1555 DOHA 1625 BOMBAY 1710 CALICUT 1720 MUKHAIZNA 1730 DUBAI 1730 DELHI 1730 LUCKNOW 1735 HYDERABAD 1740 DOHA 1745 DUBAI 1800 BAHRAIN 1810 KUWAIT 1900 DUQUM OMAN 1900 SHARJAH 1915 MADRAS 1920 BATEEN AIRPORT OF AUH 1930 BANGKOK/KARACHI 1935 DUBAI 1945 SALALAH 1950 TEHRAN 2000 DUBAI 2030 AMSTERDAM/DOHA 2120 CHITTAGONG 2125 DELHI 2125 DUBAI 2125 BOMBAY 2130 COCHIN 2140 MADRAS 2200 DOHA 2210 COLOMBO 2225 KATHMANDU 2235 BAHRAIN 2240 ABU DHABI 2250 LONDON-HEATHROW/ABU DHABI 2255 AHMEDABAD/BOMBAY 2310 DOHA 2315 ZURICH/DUBAI 2320 BOMBAY 2325 FRANKFURT/ABU DHABI 2330 BAHRAIN 2330 DUBAI 2335 DAMMAM 2350 SALALAH 2355 ZANZIBAR/DARESSLAM 2355

WY682 WY406 WY676 WY636 WY648 WY816 BG021 WY916 4H583 WY414 TK776 QR1132 EK866 GF560 EY384 FZ041 WY142 WY902 CLX732 WY638 WY658 WY686 WY412 WY668 WY114 WY644 WY122 WY154 WY692 WY674 WY132 WY602 WY432 WY202 WY102 FZ043 G9114 WY236 WY242 EK862 WY252 QR1128 EY382 9W530 WY3302 WY272 WY604 IX337 FZ037 WY314 WY268 PA450 WY904 WY906 WY606 WY326 WY918 WY3304 WY812 WY656 WY328 FZ045 WY632 WY204 WY292 WY610 WY246 WY232 WY216 WY664 WY348 QR1126 EK864 GF564 WY284 WY3306 G9116 RG125 FZ047 WY614 AI977 WY386 KL441 AI973 WY624 6.00E+81 WY914 WY224 9W534 WY374 WY254 WY814 AI907 QR1134 UL205 WY338 GF566 EY388 BA073 WY908 SG061 AI985 WY662 LX242 9W540 WY654 LH618 WY612 WY636 WY696 WY910

RIYADH 0005 CAIRO 0005 JEDDAH 0005 ABU DHABI 0010 KUWAIT 0010 BANGKOK 0015 DACCA/CHITTAGONG 0100 SALALAH 0105 DACCA 0115 AMMAN 0125 ISTANBUL/BAHRAIN 0300 DOHA 0345 DUBAI 0355 BAHRAIN 0405 ABU DHABI 0405 DUBAI 0415 MALPENSA 0630 SALALAH 0630 LUXORE 0635 ABU DHABI 0650 BAHRAIN 0700 RIYADH 0700 AMMAN 0705 DOHA 0710 FRANKFURT 0715 KUWAIT 0715 MUNICH 0715 ZURICH 0720 DAMMAM 0725 JEDDAH 0730 PARIS 0800 DUBAI 0805 TEHRAN 0815 BOMBAY 0815 LONDON-HEATHROW 0820 DUBAI 0850 SHARJAH 0915 HYDERABAD 0920 DELHI 0935 DUBAI 0940 MADRAS 0940 DOHA 1010 ABU DHABI 1015 TRIVANDRUM 1035 MUKHAIZNA 1045 JAIPUR 1100 DUBAI 1110 CALICUT 1155 DUBAI 1200 CHITTAGONG 1210 LUCKNOW 1210 LAHORE 1215 SALALAH 1215 SALALAH 1325 DUBAI 1330 KARACHI 1355 KHASAB 1440 MUKHAIZNA 1445 BANGKOK 1525 BAHRAIN 1530 LAHORE 1550 DUBAI 1555 ABU DHABI 1635 BOMBAY 1710 CALICUT 1720 DUBAI 1730 DELHI 1730 HYDERABAD 1740 TRIVANDRUM 1740 DOHA 1745 ISLAM ABBAD 1745 DOHA 1745 DUBAI 1800 BAHRAIN 1810 BANGALORE 1810 MUKHAIZNA 1845 SHARJAH 1915 BATEEN AIRPORT OF AUH 1930 DUBAI 1945 DUBAI 2030 BANGALORE/HYDERABAD 2105 MALE 2110 AMSTERDAM/DOHA 2120 DELHI 2125 DUBAI 2125 BOMBAY 2130 SALALAH 2130 COCHIN 2140 COCHIN 2140 COLOMBO 2150 MADRAS 2155 BANGKOK 2200 MADRAS 2200 DOHA 2210 COLOMBO 2225 KATHMANDU 2235 BAHRAIN 2240 ABU DHABI 2250 LONDON-HEATHROW/ABU DHABI 2250 SALALAH 2255 AHMEDABAD 2300 AHMEDABAD/BOMBAY 2310 DOHA 2315 ZURICH/DUBAI 2320 BOMBAY 2325 BAHRAIN 2330 FRANKFURT/ABU DHABI 2330 DUBAI 2335 ABU DHABI 2350 DAMMAM 2350 SALALAH 2355

FLT NO

DEPARTURES TO

ETD

FLT NO

DEPARTURES TO

AI986 LX243 BA072

BOMBAY DUBAI/ZURICH ABU DHABI/LONDONHEATHROW BOMBAY ABU DHABI/FRANKFURT MEDINA RIYADH TRIVANDRUM MADRAS BOMBAY COCHIN HYDERABAD LAHORE ISLAM ABBAD DUBAI DELHI BANGALORE BAHRAIN ABU DHABI COLOMBO KARACHI DOHA MALE DOHA PESHAWAR JAIPUR BAHRAIN/ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI DUBAI DOHA ABU DHABI DACCA BAHRAIN SALALAH DUBAI MUKHAIZNA CALICUT LUCKNOW DUBAI HYDERABAD DELHI SHARJAH BANGKOK DUBAI LAHORE SALALAH BOMBAY MADRAS CHITTAGONG ZANZIBAR/DARESSLAM ZANZIBAR/DARESSLAM DUBAI ABU DHABI TRIVANDRUM BAHRAIN DOHA COCHIN KHASAB RAS AL KHAIMA DOHA PESHAWAR ABU DHABI CALICUT KATHMANDU LONDON-HEATHROW MUKHAIZNA KUWAIT TEHRAN FRANKFURT MALPENSA ZURICH MUNICH DUBAI DUBAI PARIS CAIRO DUQUM OMAN SALALAH JEDDAH DUBAI DUBAI AMMAN DUBAI RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN KUWAIT DOHA DAMMAM BAHRAIN DUBAI SALALAH SHARJAH BATEEN AIRPORT OF AUH DUBAI DUBAI KARACHI/BANGKOK SALALAH ABU DHABI DOHA/AMSTERDAM BEIRUT TRIVANDRUM BOMBAY AMMAN MADRAS DELHI DOHA BAHRAIN COLOMBO JEDDAH ABU DHABI SALALAH

0005 0020

AI986 LX243 BA072 0025 9W539 LH619 WY685 WY251 WY201 WY811 WY235 WY601 WY241 WY431 WY643 WY313 WY637 WY657 WY667 WY691 4H584 BG022 WY271 TK777 WY267 WY267 EK867 FZ042 QR1133 EY385 WY3301 GF561 WY603 WY903 CLX732 WY813 WY325 WY327 WY905 WY215 WY291 WY823 FZ044 WY385 WY231 WY245 G9115 WY283 WY815 WY373 WY605 WY203 WY347 EK863 EY383 WY655 WY3303 QR1129 9W533 WY917 IX350 WY337 WY253 PA451 WY631 WY101 WY223 WY663 FZ048 WY609 WY405 WY3305 WY675 WY613 FZ046 WY913 WY623 WY907 QR1127 WY681 GF565 WY661 WY647 WY695 WY653 EK865 WY821 WY909 G9117 RG126 WY611 WY635 FZ048 WY915 AI978 KL442 9W529 6.00E+82 AI908 AI974 QR1135 GF567 UL206 WY673 WY901 EY381

BOMBAY 0005 DUBAI/ZURICH 0020 ABU DHABI/LONDON-HEATHROW

FLT NO

ARRIVALS FROM

WY406 WY682 WY676 WY648 WY916 4H585 NL669 TK776 QR1132 ET624 EK866 EY384 GF560 FZ041 4H586 WY902 WY638 WY658 WY686 WY324 WY668 WY674 WY672 WY602 WY202 WY102 WY422 FZ043 NL768 G9114 WY236 WY226 WY242 WY252 EK862 WY212 QR1128 EY382 IX549 9W530 WY282 WY342 WY272 WY604 WY346 G9841 PK223 WY372 IX337 FZ037 WY384 WY332 WY904 WY3302 WY826 WY818 WY606 WY918 WY906 WY656 WY632 FZ045 WY664 WY204 WY292 WY3304 WY610 WY246 WY264 WY232 QR1126 EK864 GF564 WY646 WY3922 G9116 WY254 RG125 TG507 FZ047 WY914 WY434 WY614 KL441 WY312 AI973 WY624 6.00E+81 9W534 AI907 QR1134 UL205 WY338 GF566 EY388 BA073 AI985 WY662 LX242 9W540 LH618 WY654 WY612 WY696 WY910 WY717

9W539 LH619 WY671 WY685 WY211 WY251 WY201 WY225 WY235 WY341 WY345 WY601 WY241 WY281 WY657 WY637 WY371 WY323 WY667 WY383 4H585 NL772 WY271 TK777 ET625 EK867 FZ042 QR1133 EY385 4H586 GF561 WY903 WY603 WY3301 WY291 WY263 FZ044 WY231 WY245 G9115 WY815 WY605 NL769 WY905 WY203 WY253 WY311 WY717 WY717 EK863 EY383 IX554 WY655 QR1129 9W533 WY917 G9842 WY663 PK224 WY631 IX350 WY337 WY101 WY3303 WY645 WY433 WY113 WY141 WY153 WY121 FZ048 WY609 WY131 WY405 WY3921 WY913 WY675 WY613 FZ046 WY413 WY623 WY681 QR1127 GF565 WY647 WY661 WY695 WY653 EK865 WY909 G9117 RG126 WY611 FZ048 TG508 WY915 WY635 KL442 WY421 9W529 6.00E+82 WY411 AI908 AI974 QR1135 GF567 UL206 WY673 EY381 WY901

ETA

0025 0025 0050 0105 0105 0110 0110 0120 0125 0135 0150 0150 0150 0155 0200 0205 0205 0210 0210 0220 0235 0245 0330 0350 0350 0450 0455 0510 0520 0525 0700 0745 0800 0800 0800 0920 0920 0935 0955 0955 1005 1010 1030 1030 1030 1030 1040 1040 1045 1045 1055 1105 1110 1110 1115 1135 1140 1210 1210 1220 1225 1255 1310 1325 1330 1340 1340 1345 1400 1405 1415 1415 1420 1420 1430 1515 1545 1630 1700 1700 1725 1820 1845 1845 1855 1900 1900 1910 1910 1915 1940 2005 2015 2025 2040 2040 2050 2050 2230 2230 2240 2245 2250 2300 2310 2320 2325 2335 2350 2350 2350

BOMBAY ABU DHABI/FRANKFURT RIYADH MADRAS BOMBAY BANGKOK HYDERABAD DUBAI DELHI TEHRAN KUWAIT CHITTAGONG ABU DHABI BAHRAIN DOHA DAMMAM DACCA CHITTAGONG/DACCA JAIPUR BAHRAIN/ISTANBUL LUCKNOW LUCKNOW DUBAI DUBAI DOHA ABU DHABI MUKHAIZNA BAHRAIN DUBAI SALALAH HONG KONG BANGKOK KARACHI LAHORE SALALAH TRIVANDRUM CALICUT KUALA LUMPUR DUBAI MALE HYDERABAD DELHI SHARJAH BANGALORE BANGKOK COLOMBO DUBAI BOMBAY ISLAM ABBAD DUBAI ABU DHABI BAHRAIN MUKHAIZNA DOHA COCHIN KHASAB CALICUT KATHMANDU MADRAS LAHORE ABU DHABI LONDON-HEATHROW COCHIN DOHA DUBAI DUBAI CAIRO MUKHAIZNA JEDDAH DUBAI DUBAI SALALAH DUBAI SALALAH DOHA RIYADH BAHRAIN DOHA KUWAIT DAMMAM BAHRAIN DUBAI KUALA LUMPUR SALALAH SHARJAH BATEEN AIRPORT OF AUH DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI SALALAH HYDERABAD/BANGALORE DOHA/AMSTERDAM TRIVANDRUM BOMBAY MADRAS DELHI DOHA BAHRAIN COLOMBO JEDDAH SALALAH ABU DHABI

ETA

ETD

0025 0050 0105 0110 0120 0120 0135 0150 0155 0155 0200 0205 0205 0205 0220 0235 0245 0250 0350 0350 0355 0355 0455 0510 0520 0525 0715 0745 0800 0800 0805 0805 0920 0920 0920 0920 0920 0930 0935 0940 0955 0955 1005 1010 1010 1020 1030 1030 1040 1055 1105 1110 1115 1115 1135 1140 1255 1310 1315 1315 1325 1325 1325 1330 1415 1420 1430 1515 1630 1700 1700 1735 1820 1840 1845 1845 1855 1900 1900 1910 1910 1915 1930 1940 2005 2015 2025 2030 2040 2050 2200 2230 2240 2245 2300 2310 2320 2325 2335 2350 2350 2350

S U N DAY, N OV E MB E R 23, 2 0 14

C11

EXTRA RESEARCH

The rise of affectionate robots

Worn to be wild Fashioned first as protective warmth for pilots in World War I,

long leather jackets were shortened and adapted with wind-fighting belts, buckles and asymmetrical zippers for motorcyclists

J

ust as suits of armour have routinely lined museum halls over the years, the 20th-century equivalent of protection, status and cool for riders of other kinds of horses is getting its due.

“Worn To Be Wild,” a collection of more than 50 leather jackets worn by fighter pilots, motorcyclists, rock stars, run-of-the-mill celebrities and fashionistas, is currently on display at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk.

Created by the Experience Music Project in Seattle and the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, the exhibit that chronicles the history of the iconic look is wrapping up its twoyear, seven-city tour in Norfolk.

Fashioned first as protective warmth for pilots in World War I, long leather jackets were shortened and adapted with wind-fighting belts, buckles and asymmetrical zippers for motor-

cyclists, who have made it part of their identity ever since.

Sometime in the 1950s, shortly after Marlon Brando donned one in The Wild One, it became a more widely adopted cloak of cool for rock pioneers and rebels of every stripe.

The degree of outlaw varied, though: An early jacket from Elvis Presley, for example, was purchased at J.C. Penney.

It’s displayed with one of Presley’s own motorcycles, a 1956 Harley-Davidson Model KH, one of three bikes in the show. The oldest one is a 1920 Harley-Davidson Model J accompanying a longer leather coat of the era.

A third bike allows museumgoers to pose, try on a jacket and take a selfie.

Rock ‘n’ roll remains a mainstay in leather, according to the display, with coats from Norfolk native Gene Vincent,the silverpainted jacket of X guitarist Billy

Zoom and the typically mistreated togs of Sid Vicious.

Other Hollywood jackets include the coat worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2 and the one sported by Rooney Mara in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Fashion designers have had their way with the jacket over the years as well, and there are examples on display from Jean Paul Gaultier and Gianni Versace to one from Jeremy Scott wearing a familiar Keith Haring design.

The wartime connections of the coat are seen in a World War II-era brown bomber jacket adorned with a bomb-riding pinup on the back.

And the local addition of a furcollared leather jacket worn by Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Korean War era, on loan from the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, makes the direct connection to the armor of yore.

- Roger Catlin/The Washington Post

TECH

ADIPISCING ELIT:

Gorilla Glass 4 to toughen phone screens GLASSMAKER Corning Incorporated has unveiled the super tough Gorilla Glass 4, the latest version of its hardened glass covers that save smartphone and tablet screens from damage.

The new material is about twice as tough as Gorilla Glass 3, claims Corning. In tests by the company, Gorilla Glass 4 survived up to 80 per cent of drops from a height of one metre. This development should help Corning dominate the hardeneddisplay glass market. Gorilla Glass is currently used by Apple iPhones, Samsung Galaxy series, Sony Xperia phones. -IANS

IN HER paper, Julienne Greer, an actor, producer, director and theatre arts lecturer at University of Texas, wrote that when humans make a certain gesture such as a smile, it could mean that they are “happy” as well as “angry”.

“Most people only think of engineers and scientists when it comes to robots, which I truly believe will one day be a part of our normal, day-to-day lives,” Greer said.

“With that in mind, don’t we want the people who design this technology to also consider how human beings express feelings and interact with one another in addition to considering how a robot should be wired?” she added.

When Pepper was unveiled in Japan in June 2014, its developer SoftBank said that his company’s aim was to “develop affectionate robots that can make people smile”.

Pepper is expected to reach US stores by the summer of 2015.

In her workshops, Greer said that “the categorisation of behaviour or gestures and an understanding of how they create specific emotions in humans will allow the engineers and roboticists to apply those gestures and behaviour to the programming of robots”.

Performance, connection and authenticity are the gold standard that should be hoped for in the creation of the relationship between humans and

robots,” Greer added. “We can attain these goals through the specific application of understanding human behaviour, gesture, shape and relationships.

We must be specific in programming robots to respond to, and to eventually to learn from, the human relationships they will be a part of,” she said.

The plan now is for Greer to develop a data-capturing test that would identify the response of humans to robots confronting a variety of circumstances. Greer presented her paper titled “Building emotional authenticity between humans and robots” at the sixth International Conference on Social Robotics in Sydney, Australia, recently. -IANS

C12

SU S UN N DAY, NO NOVEMB OV VE EM MB B ER ER 2 23, 3,, 2 3 2014 014

EXTRA Kendall Jenner is the new face of Estee Lauder The beauty brand has signed the reality TV star turned model

E

stee Lauder announced at the weekend that it has signed Kendall Jenner as the new face of the brand.

The up-and-coming model rose to fame as part of the reality TV series Keeping Up With The Kardashian’s but has increasingly broken away from her famous family in pursuit of a career as a model.

The past year has seen runway appearances for the likes of Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel and Balmain. Jenner has starred in advertising campaigns for Givenchy and appeared in major editorial shoots for Love, Vogue Paris and Interview magazine.

With the announcement comes a 13-page fashion feature in the December issue of American Vogue shot by Patrick Demarchelier.

Jenner who broke the news online to her 15.8 million Instagram followers, shared images from the shoot. With her new role at Estee Lauder, Jenner will appear in digital, TV and print

advertising campaigns. Speaking about the news Jenner said: “It honestly feels like a dream to represent such an iconic beauty brand - it is an incredible honor and quite humbling.”

“I found out when I was backstage at Paris fashion week, and all this time I’ve had to keep the news top secret. I am so excited to share it now and be part of Estée Lauder.” Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Global Brand President, Estée Lauder also commented on the announcement: “Bridging the worlds of high fashion, entertainment and social media, Kendall is a modern beauty who represents a whole new generation of women who live, breathe and share beauty, fashion and life 24/7, on their own terms, in a visually compelling way.”

“She is the ultimate instagirl, and we are excited to leverage her image, voice, energy and extraordinary social media power to introduce Estée Lauder to millions of young women around the world.

- Emma Akberian/The Independent

BRIEFS

Pierce Brosnan’s son Dylan makes modelling debut for Saint Laurent PIERCE BROSNAN’S son Dylan has made his modelling debut for Saint Laurent at the age of 17.

Inheriting the good looks of his James Bond star father, the freckled-face teenager was street cast on a Malibu beach — proving it’s possible to make it without the help of celebrity parents.

The campaign was shot by Saint Laurent creative director Hedi Slimane for the fashion house’s Permanent Collection line. The Californian film student and musician has proved he’s a natural in front of the camera in the black and white photographs, where he showcases Saint Laurent’s wardrobe staples, including skinny jeans, Breton tops, Western booties and classic leather jackets.

He joins a roster of musicians including the likes of Marilyn Manson, Marianne Faithful, Daft Punk and Courtney Love, all whom have collaborated with the luxury brand in some way.

Dylan is son of Irish Bond star Brosnan and his second wife Keely Smith. Lately it seems that the children of the Hollywood stars have been establishing themselves as stars in their own right, many through modelling jobs.

Two of Victoria and David Beckham’s sons have made their modelling debut; Romeo, 12, has starred in two campaigns for Burberry, including the British brand’s first ever Christmas ad, and Brooklyn made his modelling debut for Man About Town magazine at the age of 15.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son Patrick, 19, fronted a campaign for Hudson Jeans in 2011 and for Tom Ford eyewear earlier this year, alongside upand-coming model and daughter of reality TV star Yolanda Foster, Gigi-Hadid.

Earlier this year, Audrey

Hepburn’s lookalike granddaughter, Emma Ferrer appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar’s September issue.

Ferrer is the daughter of Sean Hepburn Ferrer, the first son of Audrey Hepburn and actor Mel Ferrer. She has stayed out of the spotlight all her life.

The 20-year-old revived the iconic style of Hepburn as she embodies her look and spirit.

She emulates her grandmother’s famous style in looks by Lanvin, Carolina Herrera, Ralph Lauren, Tods and Maxmara with jewellery from Tiffany & Co. —Linda Sharkey/The Independent

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DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

For rent apartments: An apartment in old Muscat at Oman Arab Bank’s building. 3 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms, dining room, living room and a kitchen. Air conditioned apartments. 2 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms, living room, dining room area and kitchen in an excellent location in Al Khuwair opposite the court of first instance. For further information call 97072976

Readymade office space for rent (110 & 130SM) fully or separate, with partition) in Bank Melli Iran Building, MBD area, Ruwi, Opposite center point. Contact 99011352 One/two bedroom new flats at Bausher from owner directly.

Contact 92158031 5 bedrooms villa with 2 halls, 4 bathrooms in Darsait behind Khimjis Mart. Contact 24700120 / 92584715

Apartments in Al Khuwair new area each apartment contains (2 bedrooms + living room) for RO 365.

Contact 93181111 Building in Ghala for rent with 24 apartments near Bank Muscat, 93181111 Villa in Al Azaiba contains (5 bedrooms + living room + hall) for RO 900 located near Al Fair Supermarket. 93161111 Villa in Bousher contains (5 bedrooms + living room + hall) for RO 900, 93161111.

Stores in Industrial Ghala opposite Al Ghobrah garage with 550 m, RO 4 for each meter, 93161111 Villa in Al Azaiba with area of 1200 m, contains from (2 halls + 2 living rooms +5 bedrooms with bathrooms+maids room+7 car parkings+garden) for RO 2300, 92161111

New flat in a new building at a prime location at Al Khuwair, 2 bedrooms and Majlis.

Contact 99109094

7 Rooms villa at Al Azaiba, 18 November Road opposite Bank Muscat.

Contact 99224748, 99332297 Studio Apartment Madinat Qaboos RO 200 including water & electricity. 3 BHK part villa Al Khuwair RO 500. 1 & 2 BHK Wattaya. Contact 95178930 Room in Al Ghobrah. RO 120/-.

Contact 99370328

Industrial Land 3,600 SQM with all facilities near Khimji Workshop, Ghala. Contact 99349311

Single furnished room in Ruwi.

Contact 24833609

Commercial land in Honda Road for sale. Contact 91155779, 24507072

Luxury villa in al Azaiba inside a compound each villa contains (5 bedrooms living room dining room car parking) each villa RO 1200, 93161111

Looking for building in (Al Ghobrah, Al Khuwair, Al Azaiba, Bousher, Al Qurum and MQ) for sale. New buildings in Al Ghobrah, Ghala, Wadi Al Kabir, Al Mabela, Al Amerat for sale.

If you have any properties/ enquiries Contact us 91155779, 24507072.

Email: gk@goldenkeyreal-estate.com

2 bedroom flat for rent at Mumtaz Area near Al Burj Hotel. Contact 99104418, 99345914, 99884924

1 BHK with A/C, Mumtaz area, RO 250. Contact 92144045

2 BHK at Al Azaiba, Building No.5145 Way 4470. Contact 99224748, 99425665

2 BHK Al Ghobrah without A/C RO 300/-. Contact 92144045

Office space (125 SQM) located in prime area at 18 November street, Al Azaiba. Contact 99261522 1 & 2 BR flats in Amerat (New Building). 2 BR flats in Mabela (New Building, Near Faisal Bin Timor Mosque). 1 BR flat in Al Khuwair (Near Mars Hypermarket). Contact: 96092332 / 99368876 /24480777.

Email: - properties@rgoman.com 1 BHK Ruwi. Contact 99024730

2 BHK flat, brand new building Ghala, 100 SQM open space offices, Ghala, 40 SQM shop in Ghala, full furnished business Centre, small offices available in Ghala, 20 SQM, 25 SQM, 2 BHK in Ruwi, Mumtaz, Darsait, Wadi Al Kabir, Rex Road. #93782735 / 99208033 Looking for commercial lands/res.

Lands/ in (Al Ghobrah/Al Khuwair/ Al Azaiba/Bousher/Al Qurum/MQ) for sale. Looking for villas/lands for sale in Ruwi Al Mumtaz Area. New building in Al Ansab high quality, yearly income more than 90,000/sale price only 75,000/-. More than 17,000 SQM commercial land in Ghala, 275/ per SQM. Contact 91155779, 24507072 3 BHK flat Ghobrah close to ISG way – 4041, building – 4390.

Contact 99319880

Flats, Amerat Souk. Contact 98026234 / 99647903

Show room on the main road Saham center total area 450 m sq. Contact: 99366558 / 99334226

1 & 2 BHK Al Khuwair.

Contact 99024730

1 BHK flat in Wadi Kabir. RO 180/-.

Contact 99376454

2 rooms Majlis and kitchen in Al Khuwair 33. Price: RO 380/-.

Contact 96961306

Flat near Oman House. Contact 92815855, 95181077

Room with attached bath available for Filipino. Al Khuwair 33 opposite 2 Hour Al Maya Supermarket. Contact: 97607198

For rent two bedrooms hall kitchen, three bathrooms balcony, complete split units, brand new deluxe flats near Seeb flyover main road side.

Contact 97755586

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FOR RENT

M.V. FOR SALE

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Misfah Industrial area near to Khanco.

OMR 1,500 Monthly. Electricity and Boundary wall will be provided.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 For rent flat and showroom, Al Azaiba, Ghala, Ghubrah, Al Khuwair-33 and Mabelah. Contact 93651633, 24485240, 24485241

FOR SALE Leather sofa 3+1+1+1 with Centre table. Contact 99349311

Flats/villas owned by ROP pension fund available for rent in Muscat.

Contact 99349526 Excellent flat for rent in Ruwi, Mumtaz Area and Al-Hail South.

Contact 98051159

BUYING/SELLING Looking for purchase of a residential building with minimum 25 unoccupied flats in Ghala, Bousher, Azaiba and Ghobrah. Kindly contact 99261522 Spacious room, separate bathroom, sharing kitchen at Wadi Kabir, shell pump rent RO 90/- & E/W RO 120/- per month for Muslim family.

Contact 97887620 1 BHK near Medical Darsait.

RO 190/-. Contact 98748925 New flat, Ghala near Royal Hospital, 3 BHK, hall, split A/C, RO 425/-.

Contact 92479515 1+2+3 BHK, Darsait, near ISM. Contact 99024730 2 BHK, Wadi Kabir. #99024730 2 BHK, Al Khuwair. # 99024730 2 BHK 7 flats in Mabela, Road No.2 for rent. Contact 99420591, 94354545, 99354340 2 BHK 2 flats at Muscat Hill for rent. Contact 99420591, 94354545, 99354340 LABOUR CAMP Space for rent at YETI. # 99221683/92830110 Flat/rooms for rent in Mumtaz Area.

Contact 92502241 / 92245110 Furnished / unfurnished apartments available for rent on long term /short term basis, near Vacha’s hypermarket in Ghala.

Contact 97677211 Flat, 3 BHK, hall, Al Khuwair near Centre point, RO 425/-, family only.

Contact 92479515 Flat, Ghubrah, 2 BHK, hall, split AC, RO 350, family only near Beiret Bank. Contact 92479515

Household & office furniture and electronic items. Contact 99834373, 97102699 Looking for purchase of Used Portable Compressor (350 CFM, 7 Bar Pressure) powered with Diesel run Generator.

Kindly Contact 99014686 or operation@khancogroup.com

AVAILABLE Established Restaurant for rent with sponsorship. #97628242 Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting.

Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. www.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

FOR SALE A running Supermarket for sale in Wadi Kabir. Contact 95113037 Running Business Marble, Granite & Tiles cutting & polishing, carpentry & Aluminium Workshop in Wadi Kabir for immediate sale.

Contact 99105492 Running Engineering Consulting Office on prime location for immediate lease. Contact 99854384 For sale: shfandishs.

Contact 99368907

FOR SALE Turkish MDF Classic door with frame full quantity for sale by discount price. Contact 92858025, 95643086, 99208798 Forklift with clamp for sale: MakeCater Pillar-4 ton Model-2007.

Contact 99352790 Used containers for sale.

Contact 95539929 A very well established branded lighting trading company having business with hotels, buildings & schools retail for sale in UAE Asking price: $ 3 millions. Interested persons may email with complete details to evershinedxb2015@gmail.com” We sell ready mix concrete.

Contact 99054673 Coastal fishing vessel 15 meter length manufactured in Greece contains two motors and registered in Ministry of Fishest and Ministry of Transport. Contact 99878847, 97078884

3 floor building in Muttrah behind Police. Generating income of OMR 20 Thousand annually. Neat and well maintained. Built on 197 sq mtrs. 2 tailor shops on ground floor and 6 flats total. OMR 269 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 Industrial Area land in Rusayl 5000 SQM and building with 8 shops.

Contact 95490842, 99323957 Flats For Sale in Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand 1 bedroom. OMR 45 Thousand 2 bedroom. Monthly income 1 bedroom OMR 270 and 2 bedroom OMR 350. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 SHOP FOR SALE AT HONDA RD. CONTACT 99221683 / 92830110

Daihatsu Terios for sale: Excellent condition. ONLY 87,000 kms. Fully Automatic – transmission, s. New tires. New insurance and registration. V-KOOL window film. Car model is 2006 but first registered in 2008. First owner. Good 4 digit number to go with the car. RO 3500/- or nearest offer. CONTACT: 99759659

PROTON GEN 2 FOR SALE: Manual Gear.Good condition. Single owner.

Silver colour. 1st registered August 2009. Full insurance till August 2015. Price OMR 1,680 Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Honda Civic – 2010 model, 58000 km, expat owned well maintained, very good condition.

Contact 92640942 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2006 105000KM Expat Driven Contact 95218553 2010 Toyota Yaris (automatic), excellent condition.

Contact 99737879

Furnished room with bathroom for a non cooking executive bachelor at Al Khuwair. Contact 95875735

Ground floor bed, living, kitchen, bathroom, dressing, Al Khuwair.

Contact 99743569, 97004265

Furnished room available for rent in Darsait with separate bathroom and parking. Contact 97883616

Sharing accommodation available in Qurum. Contact 93155369

Sharing new flat, furnished separate bedroom attached bathroom & kitchen for small family / executive bachelor, Honda Road near NBO Bank. Contact 98582078 Furnished single room with bathroom Al Khuwair. Contact 95765719

Porta cabin containers used for sale. Contact 99199374 / 94252527

Sharing accommodation available for a small veg. Family/bachelor at Wadi Kabir. 99877845

Industrial Kitchen for Lease/Sale: Fully Equipped Industrial Catering Kitchen with Restaurant space and Outdoor sitting area on Lease/Sale at Mawaleh near vegetable market.

Call- 9954 1671

Furnished Single BHK available near ISM, Darsait for immediate takeover #99477514 / 94288397

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land with water well in Al Salwa, Barka. OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Subaru Impreza 2.0 ltr 2000 model, manual in super condition.

Contact: 99844601

ACC. AVAILABLE

New & Refurbished portable cabins, Fabrication of car parks & all types of fabric shade. Contact 94475705

6 Seater sofa set & dining table with chairs, good condition.

Contact 99327247 / 99348012

Honda Accord car – 2007 Model, 132000 KM well maintained. Very good condition. Contact: 92948999

Sharing for executive bachelor or working lady near ROP Welfare Shopping Wattaya.

Contact 95729931 Furnished unfurnished attached bath & kitchen at Mumtaz Area.

Contact 93103337, 96916398 2 Rooms acc. with kitchen for rent in Mumtaz Area. 95953700.

Fully furnished accommodation for executive bachelor near Lulu Darsait. Contact 93513986 Sharing accommodation available for Executive bachelor near to Muttrah hotel. Contact 98132389 1 BR accommodation available at Rex Road, suitable for bachelors.

Contact 99889590 Spacious room, separate bathroom, sharing kitchen at Wadi Kabir, Shell Pump rent RO 90/- & E/W RO 20/- per month for Muslim family.

Contact 97887620

WANTED Wanted transport near City Centre Seeb till Al Khuwair KFC drop at 8 pm pick at 5. # 98528062

Lexus GS300, 2006. # 93218349 2013 November model Pajero, 38000 kilometers for sale. Price negotiable. Contact 96388496 Pajero 2013. Contact 99336093

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steam bath, obesity, spondy hills, ideal care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 / 99117987 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 / 92504980 , www.siddhayur.com FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 96050000, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit: www.islamfact.com

MATRIMONIAL Kerala RC boy, 29, 5.9. Contact 98917545 Hindu Ezhava, family settled in Muscat looking for suitable groom for their daughter, 24 yrs, MBA-HR presently working (preferably BE, B.Tech, MBA Professional).

Contact 95693133 Indian Doctor, Businessman looking for working lady in Oman for marriage, any nationality, Muslim preference self. Contact 96290792

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

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DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT SALES / MARKETING Need a Salesman for marketing job for printing Company. Indian nationality who has the ability to work hard and has experience of minimum 3 years with Omani Driving License.

We offer attractive package. Contact 93645550, email: hfms14@hotmail.com

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED ED ADMIN/HR Over 14 years of Gulf experience as Administration/HR specialist fluent in Arabic / English with driving license, looking for suitable position.

Contact 95824598 Young Omani male have experience 10 years as P.R.O , CLERK, helper supervisor, admin supervisor, H.R Manager have diploma in H.S.E , IT , and P.D.O license looking for H.R position or P.R.O part time or full time.

Contact 95933288

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Wanted – Accountant 8 years experience in construction, Surveyor 5 years experience in pipe line, draftsman 5 years experience to work at Salalah. Email: greatconstruction14@gmail.com

Indian Male B.Com with 14+ yrs experience in HR and Recruitment looking for suitable opening, can join immediately. Contact 97100419 Indian male age 48 yrs Hr. & Admin Assistant 6 yrs experience in gulf seeking employment for suitable position. Release and NOC Available.

Contact: 95305425.

A reputed LLC in Muttrah urgently required an Accountant Assistant, 2 years experience. Those who are interested please forward your resume to silverworld2006@gmail. com or contact 99364735, 91214849

Indian 17 years Oman experience with driving license in Administration / Accounts looking for suitable placement. Contact 92926184

ARCHITECT Required a junior Architect for a Consultancy Office.

Email: staffcareoman@gmail.com

BEAUTY Need an Indian Beautician in a Salon at Amerat. Contact 94082319

CATERING Staff wanted for hotel, Salalah, front office, marketing chefs (Arabic/Asian/Continental), waiters and waitress, stewarding.

Send CV with picture to salalahph@salalahph.com

ENGINEERS Required for Al Shirawi Equipment Company LLC, Sales Engineer with fabrication experience, 5 to 7 years (1 No.), experience in Tipping Trailer, Flat bed, low bed, water tanker, tipper. Contact 94226924

FOREMAN Required for leading company – one foreman (Indian). Email : r.yass2020@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY DRIVER Required Indian house driver with Oman / UAE experience.

Contact – 24631442

Wanted experienced Indian Chef, age between 30-35, experience in Indian & Continental food is must.

Good salary package.

Contact 99466062

Need driver. Contact 91310107 Wanted driver for part. Contact 95112461 Telugu Driver WantedContact 95450157 Urgently driver wanted, Omani (private light). Contact 99173812, Star life Co.LLC

Business Development cum Outlet Manager required for reputed Asian Franchise in Muscat. 5 to 7 years of experience in restaurant/catering business with 2 years in supervisory position. Self-driven people with pleasing personality and good communication skills. Call 93977533

MEDICAL Wanted Ophthalmologists, Dentist and Nurses with MOH License for Nizwa. Please contact medicalvacancy2015@gmail.com Immediate placement for Pharmacist and Asst.Pharmacist, 2 nos each with MOH or prometric pass.

Contact: 99338219 Vacancy for staff nurse with MOH License, capital area.

Contact 99013372 Wanted Doctor with MOH license for a Polyclinic. Excellent salary with accommodation and commission.

Contact 99752442, email : mmcmuscat@gmail.com MOH licensed female nurse required for clinic in Muscat for immediate placement. Contact 93538672 Pharmacist and Assistant Pharmacist with MOH license are required.

Interested candidates contact 97091664 or mmcmuscat@gmail.com.

Good payment with incentives.

SKILLED / UN SKILLED MECHANICAL/ TECH

DOMESTIC HELP Kerala Housemaid required for Keralite Family. Visa available, who can get NOC please contact 99703788

Required Tailor. Contact 95204145 A/C duct man cum fabricator, A/C technician. Visa available.

Contact-95271668

MISCELLANEOUS

House Maid (full time) required for Keralite family near in Sohar. Contact: 97034674, 93558111

Urgently required experienced young Boat Man. Language proficiency in English is must. Please contact 99466062

Looking for a professional Gardener to work in Madinat Qaboos, good salary, visa & accommodation will be provided.

Contact if you have NOC/Release or visa. Contact 92447365

MANAGER / SUPERVISOR

EDUCATION A School requested a qualified expert teaching English as a foreign language, a Science Teacher with a master degree. Maths teacher and a laboratory technician.

Contact - 96606121 English medium school in Sinaw, Oman required experienced Kindergarten / Primary teachers (English, Maths), attractive salary + accommodation. Send CV on saminternationalschoolsinaw@ gmail.com .Contact 92815209

ENGINEERS Consultancy Office requires a Structural Engineer 3 years experience in Oman. Submit CV to edsubmit@yahoo.com One sight Engineer & One Quantity Surveyor required with 10 years of Oman experience in civil for grade 1 Construction Company.

Email: omaniantrad@gmail.com

Grade 1 Civil Construction Company urgently requires the following personnel : - 1. Project Coordinator, 2.Construction Manager, 3. Project Manager, 4.Civil Engineer, 5. Civil Supervisor, 6.Building Materials Purchaser, 7.Accountant.

Interested candidates mail CV to azatllc@gmail.com or fax to 24422458

MEDICAL A reputed Clinic in Mabela is looking for a GP circumcision license.

Email CV to vacancyahh@gmail.com Required female Nurse holding license & resident card for locum basis to work for Mabelah and April 2015 in a private Clinic in Ruwi.

Contact 99367223 / 92436896 Required orthodontist – full time in Muscat. BDS, MDS and Morth qualified or with MOH license and NOC. Contact 99010755, email : sundentalghubra@hotmail.com Required Nurse for a Clinic in Al Buraimi S.Of.Oman.

Contact 00968 92737149. CV to drpkabbas@yahoo.co.in

SALES / MARKETING Required Sales Engineer having 1-2 year experience with Oman driving license for an Oilfield trading company, please send CV to info@patron-energy.com Urgently required Marketing Executive, minimum 5 years experience with Omani Driving License.

Contact 24498508, Email: safeersurtrading@gmail.com Exciting career opportunities for accomplished Media & Advertising Business Development Executives/ Graphic Designers/Web Designers. jobs@interacoman.com REQUIRED: Marketing Executive.

DL MUST. 91120552.

Marketing Executive required for 2 months corporate promotion campaign with attractive benefits.

Email: teamingteam@gmail.com

Young Indian male with British graduation & post graduation with relevant Muscat experience in business admin & purchase seeks placement. Posses NOC & Driving License.

Ph:94400671 Indian Female, 30 Years, B.Com, 3 years Oman experience in Banking and 5 Years India. Contact 96727030/96253400 Indian male, B.Com, 5 years Office Executive experience sector Agency seeking job in office/Company for administration. Email : aneeshjohn28@gmail.com, currently on visit visa. Contact 99846801 Indian male MBA 32 yrs having 10 yrs of exp seeking suitable placement in Admin/ HR/ Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics etc. Holding valid Oman D/L .Contact - 99054786 Experience PRO Oman Male, 36 Yrs, 16 yrs experience in PRO/ HR & Administration, Prefect English language speaking & writing with D/L, Seeks suitable placement, Can join immediate. #91221773 Omani 14 years experienced candidate looking for HR Manager position in Muscat. Contact 92817182 Indian Female, 25 yrs, B.Com Graduate, presently on visit visa having 6 yrs experience seeking good opportunity in HR Admin, HR Recruiter or Office Secretary.

Contact 91762061 Indian Male 32 yrs( MBA-HR) 9 yrs of Exp (GCC,AFRICA) in EPC, Diversified industries, Seeking Suitable placement in HR/Admin. Currently on visit visa, NOC available, join immediately. Contact 94535618 Email:mdakhter5219@gmail.com Omani female with 9 yrs exp looking for PRO job with Oman D/L. Contact 97917333 HR & Admin Assistant, 26 yrs Indian Male having 6Years of experience looking for suitable position.

Contact No: +968-93264616 Male, 27 years with MBA in HR/ MKT having 2 years exp in respective field looking for suitable placement in leading organization.

Contact 91705051

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Urgently required Sales Executives, Senior Sales Managers, Sales Promoters, 3D-AutoCAD Designer.

Candidates with minimum 2 years experience in Oman and Driving License may only apply – Contact: 94151791, Email: sales @dewdropoman.com

Indian Female 29 Yrs, B-Com Graduate with Basic Computer Knowledge and Tally, having 6 yrs experience in accounting seeking for the placement in Account Assistant, currently on visit visa in Oman Contact: 95478149 Email: tnaik15@gmail.com

Urgently required Sales Executive IT Company with 2 years experience, driving license preferred info@ibsoman.com

Indian male age 30 having 10 yrs experience in Finance & Accounts seeking suitable placement.

Contact 93675399

Urgently required Sales & Marketing Executive for an Engineering company, minimum 2 year experienced, with good communication skill & driving license. Email : info@4dengineering.net

Pakistani Male, ACCA Fundamental Level qualified, advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business certified accounting technician, 3 years experience as Accounts Officer. #99860453, Email: khalid.ikram08@gmail.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian Male: B.COM, 4 years experience in Accounts, in Manufacturing Co Oman, Working Knowledge With Tally ERP- With Oman valid D/L,Presently working in Muscat NOC Available Looking for Suitable position in Reputed Company, Contact; 95745287 and Email: raiforeveryone@rediffmail.com Accountant BCom. 2yrs Oman experience. NOC available. Joing immediatley-93089367 Accountant, indian male, 31yrs, M.com, 4 yrs experince in oman, NOC available, Cont-93376130 , 92398040 Indian Male, 15 years GCC experience in Accounts & Sales on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact 93897395 Part time Accountant services available to handle all accounts related work up to finalization.

Contact 94105477 7 years experience in Accounts (Oman), Indian Male, B.Com, MBA (Finance), holding valid Omani Driving License seeks suitable placement in Accounts, Administration.

Contact 93683297 Quality Assurance officer, ISO Quality system internal Auditor, female 27, with 4 years experience, seeks suitable placement.

Email: nipuni.d.silva@gmail.com Accounts Manager, Indian MaleHindu, 22 yrs experience (including 9 yrs in Gulf), B.Com, MBA, pursuing CMA (US), Oman D/L, visa expires, NOC available. Contact 97438194, Email: njansun@gmail.com Indian Male, 24 yrs, M.Com, 2 years exp in Accounts & Admin looking for suitable placement.

Contact 96351341, Email: mail2ajithpc@gmail.com Accounts part time works and finalization works.

Contact 96247295 Accountant, B.Com 8 yrs experience Dubai. Contact +971 559429220, email: sharath553@yahoo.com, 99899102 Part time Accountant with 19 yrs exp in Accounting Management.

Contact 95857199 Indian Male, 26 yrs, MBA-Finance, SAP certified, 2 years experience in finance, accounting and banking, well versed in SAP-FIECC 6.0, ERP tally 9 and MS Office currently on visit visa seeks suitable placement.

Contact Raju – 97469920 Female expat 22 ACCA - pursuing final paper, 6 months experience in tally, tax & audit in an audit firm looking for suitable placements preferably in audit firm. Ph: 98428098 Senior Position for CA with 24 years of experience: Managing Finance, Accounts, Audit, Bank Loans, Budgeting, Business planning, Strategy, Purchase and Sale management of group of companies. SAOG Mobile 91799262 Chartered Accountant Indian (Female) having valid Omani DL and work experience of 1 year in a Big 4 Audit firm (India) seeks suitable placement. GSM: 99484368 Seeking jobs in Accounts/Office Staff Indian-completed B.Com, 6 years experience in UAE as Accountant on visiting visa till Jan 1st.

Contact 97927167 Accountant, Indian B.Com, 1 year experience in India seeking suitable placement in Accounts, finance, Audit. Contact 95518079 Pakistani MBA (Finance) male looking for suitable position.

Experienced in accounts.

Contact no: 96351655. sheikhsalman120@gmail.com Sr. Accountant M.Com (Finance) 14 yrs exp (1 year in Oman) in finance & accounts. NOC available, immediately joining. Contact – 92404608 / jin_75@rediffmail.com 20 yrs experienced Accountant seeks employment, ACCA (UK), CPA/MBA + Oracle Financials ERP, Hyperion Planning, SAP & Advanced Excel. Contact sanjeevcga@gmail. com or 98934705 Part Time Accounting, Accounts Finalization, Audit Preparation, Internal Audit, Onsite Tally Training, Onsite Training for Accountants, Inventory Management, Feasibility Study and Project Reports. Contact: 96975454, email: ibfcoman@hotmail.com

Indian B.Sc. Maths+PGDCA - well experienced, seeks suitable placement as Commercial/Logistic Executive or Document Controller/Customer Service Executive; expected on short visit by Nov. 1st Week; #99702383.

Email: prabhapisharody@yahoo.com Accountant 3.5yrs.noc available. joingimmediatly.mba(hr).98772358 hellogoush@gmail.com Chief Accountant, M.Com + CA articles completed.Having 5 yrs of experience in Oman.Excellent command in IAS and IFRS.seeks proper placement. GSM # 94387066 Male 27, 7+ years of experience in Accounts and Administration, out of 4 years experience in Oman looking for a suitable placement.

Contact 93531602 Indian female, MBA in HR & Finance, 3 yrs experience in Accounts & Administration seeking suitable placement. Contact 93685717.

Email : anulins7@gmail.com Indian Female, Senior Accountant with 10 years experience in Accounts, Finance, Audit & Tax Management. Contact 96263157 Indian female Senior Accountant with 10 years experience in Accounts, Finance, Audit & Tax Management. Contact 96263157 Chartered Accountant with 10 yrs of Gulf & MNC experience, in depth knowledge in Financial statements including consolidation, treasury, MIS, AR/AP, Insurance, Taxation, Payroll etc looking for Senior position in finance, NOC available.

Email : prds1406@gmail.com.

Contact : 96293649

DOMESTIC HELP Part time or full time housemaid looking for job.preferably Kerala family.phone number 94017485.

DRAUGHTSMAN Piping Design and Drafting Diploma with AutoCAD and Mechanical Draughtsman in oil and gas sector.

Email id : ayaz.pangarkar@gmail.com GSM: 94515084

DIETICIAN Indian Female Dietician with an experience of 3 yrs looking for suitable opportunity. Contact 94291727 or epsisekar@gmail.com.

Presently in Muscat.

DESIGNER Tunisian interior and furniture designer, 8 yrs exp in Oman looking for suitable placement.

Local release available (NOC).

Contact 92038385

DRIVER Want job as a Personal driver or delivery boy 2 yrs experience in Oman as personal driver, NOC is ready is fluent in English, Arabic and Hindi.

Contact 95842107 Experienced Indian light driver looking for suitable placement.

Contact 99066408 Looking for job light driver, experience 15 years. Contact 94436276 / 93183817 I have experience, 8 years for Saudi Arabia and Oman – 2 years. Contact 95382465 / 98939925 Bangladeshi driver looking for suitable job, KSA 12 years + Oman 3 years experience, 42 years.

Contact 95796030 Driver looking for job.

Contact 92715713 Driver looking for job.

Contact 96964634 Indian Female, Software tester, 5 years experience in Oracle India and Wipro Technologies having knowledge in SQL and Data Warehouse concepts looking for suitable job vacancies. Contact 98605362, Email : suma.s2t3@gmail.com Indian driver looking for job, 2 yrs exp. Contact 95151738 Sri Lankan driver looking for job.

Contact - 97387112 Light driver looking for job, 5 years exp in Saudi Arabia + Oman 2 yrs.

Contact 96088707

S U N DAY, N O V E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 4

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED DRIVER

SALES / MARKETING

Driver HD, Pakistani. Contact 93873120

Indian male, 32yrs b.Com, 6.5 Yrs exp in purchase asst and store keeper seeking suitable placement.

Contact 95318192.

Experienced driver with car is looking for job. Contact 92481082 Bangladeshi Male having 6 months experience till date at light vehicle driving looking for job in any company any office. Contact 98596728, 96271222 Driver looking for job.

Contact 93051674 Bangladeshi male having 2 yrs exp in Light Vehicle Driving.

Contact 98487511 Experienced Driver available.

Contact 95076476 Exp driver with own car seeks job.

Contact 91145856 Pakistani driver looking for job light motor vehicle. Contact 96534239, 92117837 Bangladeshi male, 27 years looking for driving job, 5 years Qatar and 2 years Oman experience.

Contact 96692774 15 years experienced driver Indian.

Contact 98993526

ENGG. / TECHNICAL Telecom Engineer, Master Degree in UK with seven years, UK, Gulf and Sri Lanka experiences, Installation Operations maintains and Project Management. Presently on visit visa looking for a telecom related role.

Contact 94626136, Email: firnazmo@gmail.com Asst. Quantity Surveyor (4 years experience in Oman) looking job (NOC available) Contact 96785025 Mechanical Engineer 21m Indian fresher, seeking job, visit visa.

Contact: 99027468 Email: anshul493@gmail.com B.E Civil, 8yrs Experience, Expertise in Project Execution & Management, Proficient in MS Project, Primavera P6, AutoCAD & MS Office. Release available. GSM: 92167523 Mechanical Engineer B.E with Oman experience in heavy construction equipments and vehicles, maintenance, services, hire, tower crane etc.

Contact: 97458641 Planning Engr. 6 yrs exp. P6, Valid D/L seeks placement. 95196628 / planning.engr.mct@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer,(BTech in Mechanical) with Certified quality controller - NDT level 2 qualified as per ASNT - SNT-TC-I A, with 1 & half yr exp. as quality control engineer, presnetly in India seeks suitable placement Cont : 95405033 suhylehameed@gmail.com Civil Engineer, Indian, 22 yrs experience (12 yrs in Oman) seeking suitable placement NOC available.

Contact 98314531 B.E. Civil Engineer having 9 years of experience in the Constructions of Building looking for a Sultanate job.

Contact 91078499 Electrical Engineer with ROP license, 4 years experience in Oman.

Contact 93513372 Pakistani Male, BS, Software Engineering having 1 year experience in Software house Pakistan, also IT and Admin seeks suitable placement.

Contact fahadahmad8@yahoo.com, fahadbtk@gmail.com.

Contact 92470174 Mechanical Engineer with Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and ASNT Level II (UT, RT, PT & MT), my qualification includes 5 years experience in Projects. Contact 94619432 Indian Male Instrumentation / Automation Engineer with 4 yrs experience in Engg & Maintenance of PLC, DCS, SCADA and field instruments having valid PTW and Omani Driving License looking for a suitable job. NOC available. Contact - 92704787 Email: mishahed@yahoo.com Civil Engineer B.E, Indian, 6 years experience in Building Construction in Gulf holding driving license seeking for suitable post (Release NOC available). Contact 93616412 Mechanical Engineer, Indian Male, 30 yrs, 5 years exp (3 yrs in GCC) seeking suitable placement in Oil and Gas Sector. Have valid GCC driving License. Email: msfebco@gmail. com, Contact: 91228398

10 yrs experience in Sales Service Customer Care, Technical Support Person (laptop, desktop, consumer electronics) seeking suitable job.

Contact 92315011

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

MEDICAL

Telecom Engineer with 8 yrs exp from India in IT Networking seeks suitable opportunities now in Oman.

Contact 99002635 Emal : sibinkumar.acharya@gmail.com

Nursing caregiver, qualified Nurse/ Asst. Nurse (male/ female) medical staff seeks placement for Hospital/ clinic. Contact 92989109 (Oman), 0091 – 9555427742 (India), medicoport@gmail.com

Filipino Female, 34 years Graduate in Business Management, 5 years experience as Sales Lady. Worked in FM Mall Philippine looking for suitable placement. Contact 91344837, email: imanulal@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian Male, 32 years having 11 yrs experience in car and FMCG Sales, diploma in Mechanical Engineering on visit visa till 30th November looking for suitable post.

Contact- 97696546.

Email: abubakker2230@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech), Indian Male, with Oil Engg & Quality Control Systems, NDT-Level 2 qualified as per ASNT, one year experience as Site Engineer. Presently on visit visa, seeking suitable placement. Contact # 91260427, 95147671, Email: akhilanandan@gmail.com Electrical Engineer with 5 years Gulf Experience in HV and LV ,I/D and O/D substation,U/G cable ,Overhead line,valid Oman driving license.

Contact: 0096895054644, 00919488888464, Email: speninsam@gmail.com BE Biomedical Engineer + 2 years experience in India seeking suitable placement. Contact 93092484, Email: shehin.muhammed270@gmail.com BSc Civil Engineer, over 19 years experience in Construction field with Project Management skills, seeks suitable placement. NOC available & can join immediately.

Kindly contact 92198264, Email: mdrana1970@gmail.com A Filipino National seeking for the job Vacancy as Safety Officer, Fire Engineer, Fire Inspector, Fire and Safety Instructor. Well experienced in Offshore and Petrochemical Plants with an IOSH Certificate. Please contact 91718309 or 26855037 Civil Engineer 12 years Gulf experience with driving license NOC available. Contact 91531213 Indian male B.Tech Civil Engineer with 5 yrs exp in Gulf & India. Presently on visit visa looking for suitable placement at capital region in Oman. Contact – 93453417 / Email – mohammed.tajuddin.ksa@gmail.com Sudanese Female Communication Engineer with experience 2 years.

Contact 91780953

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

HOSPITALITY

Indian B.E Mechanical Engineer with level 2 certification in QA/QC having experience in maintenance engineering,piping,pipe line engineering and welding inspection.

Looking for suitable job Contact : 91360997/99257867 Email: binukoshydaniel@gmail.com

Indian Male, 26 yrs, graduate in hospitality science, with New Zealand business diploma and previous Oman experience in Customer service seeks suitable placement in hospitality/salesmarketing/ logistics/ admin. Contact 91383167

Diploma in Electronics Engineering with 5 years experience in Oman as Customer Service Coordinator, Inventory Control and Indoor Sales Executive seeks suitable job. Speaks Arabic, English & Hindi. Contact 95681406.

Email nizampu@yahoo.co.in Civil Engineer B.E., 5 years experience with valid Driving License, consultancy job preference.

Contact 91693008 Project Engineer, 3 years experience in primary substation OHL oil & gas, AutoCAD, driving license available.

Contact 95120225, 99410588 Civil Engineer with 8 years experience and valid Omani D/L looking for suitable placement. Ready to join immediately. Contact 95326194 / 99525367 Instrumentation Engineer, Indian male having 2 years experiences in process instruments seeks suitable placement. Contact 95954385 Electrical Engineer having 2 yrs of experience, substation/ maintenance seeking for suitable placement. Contact 97698493 / 99253909

Male Telecom Engineer experience in Gulf 5 years. Contact 95219822

Electrical Engineer, Indian, 2.5 years experience at Thermal Plant, (erection and commissioning). Now in Oman on visit seeking suitable job. Contact 95836714.

Email – sarat.thalappil@gmail.com

Project Electrical Engineer, 3 years experience primary substation OHL cables, driving license available (NOC) available. Contact 94372096

BE Civil Engineer, fresh graduate, male 24 yrs, Indian looking for a suitable placement.

Contact 95117509

Civil Engineer B.Tech more than 20 years experience in which 10 years as Project Engineer in a reputed consultancy seeks suitable placement preferably in Consultancy.

Contact 91215799 Mechanical Engineer (B.E), 26 yrs, Indian Male with two years experience as Production Engineer in Manufacturing / Production presently on visit visa seeking suitable placement, has good knowledge of MS-Office, MS-Project and AutoCAD. Contact 91685141 / 93101922, email: siddiqui.taufiq@yahoo.com Civil Engineer, diploma, Indian Male, 8 years experience, Oman Driving License with local release.

Contact 95320570, Email: dipu.poulose@gmail.com Software Engineer looking for a suitable job. 2+ years experience in a Multi National Company, now looking for suitable position in software division of reputed organizations. Currently on Visit Visa. Please contact: 97463452, 97080684 Indian male 25 B.Tech (IT) Engineer 2.5 yrs exp in hardware networking, currently on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact - 94359564 Civil Engineer, 6+ years work experience in Oman, valid Omani D/L looking for suitable placement.

Contact 96936404 Male, Indian (now in Oman), fresher, B.E. Civil Engineer.

Contact 98907359 Civil Engineer have 6 years Site experience in both structural and finishing works in Oman. Email : menaadel21@gmail.com, +968 95110820 Indian, M.Tech Electrical Engineer (Female), fresher in family visa seeking suitable placements in Oman.

Contact 94306164

Female 21 yrs, Tally 1 year experience, looking for visa.

Contact 95330720

INFORMATION TECH Indian SAP Developer Computer expert on visit visa seeks job in Muscat. Contact 93167119 Female Computer Science and Engineering Graduate With ASP .NET Certification - Muscat 91706562 Indian Male, 29, MCA Master of Computer Applications, B.Sc having 6+ years experience in IT industry, Software implementation and technical support seeks suitable placement currently on visit visa.

Contact +968-94543668, Email: mdjaveed.it@gmail.com Indian Male, 4 years experience in Computer Hardware Networking Purchasing of MEP Materials seeking suitable placement.

Contact 98682726, Email: vhmfuised@gmail.com Indian Female, Computer Engineer with 14 Years of IT Experience. Dual Expertise both in Business / System Analyst and Project Management role. Looking for any IT opportunity pertaining to Business Analyst / Project Manager / Software Quality Assurance role.# 968 92661857 Email : sknair7@hotmail.com Young and energetic Indian holding Oman driving license, having 6+ years experience in IT Industry (4+ years in Oman) seeks placement.

Contact : 92687056, 92228414

Indian male B.Tech in EC with CCNA MCSE certification, having 5yrs experience seeking suitable placements.mob:94575080/ afzalpa007@gmail.com Indian Male seeks job, 13 yrs experience (Store Keeper) with Omani D/L visa expires Dec 25th 2014.

Contact 95355693 5 years surveyor for pipe line, 8 years Construction/Projects experienced Accountant, 5 years Draftsman to work in Salalah. Mail CV to greatcontruction14@gmail.com Female postgraduate Searching suitable Job Contact 97792820

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR Indian Male 40 yrs, Legal advisor and coroprate in house lawyer currently working with a reputed legal firm in Muscat having 7 years gulf eperience looking for Legal Manager post in companies.

Experience in drafting agreements, contracts, negiotation and dispute settlement. Good knowledge in Oman Labour Law and other laws.

NOC available . GSM: 99137569 Electrical Supervisor having ROP license, 4 years experience in Oman.

Contact 96239342 Qualified Manager: (12+ yrs. Oman Exp.)Vast knowledge in A/c & Admin, Costing, Banking, Credit Control, Insurance, International Purchase/Logistics & Finance, With D/L looking for suitable position.

Contact: jskanchan01@gmail.com Gsm: 93826090 20 years experience Division Manager specialized in false ceiling & partition in Oman. Contact 93513986

EDUCATION

MEDICAL

M.A B.ED well experienced indian lady teacher of economics,social science & English looking for suitable job.Contact : 94365112

Indian BSc Male nurse having Oman MOH license, ACLS, BIS, 4.5 yrs experience in Emergency Department in India presently in Oman on visit visa, Praveen – 95790958

Indian Male 25 MBA in Sports Management; Looking for job in Sports administration/Sports events/sports facility management and Sports related Organisations.

Exp. as sports development officer in schools,Project Manager in Syncotts international Bangalore & part of World Hockey Series of India-2012 as Production Runner.

Presently on Visit visa in Oman.

Contact; 96398569.

Email : limshukachery@gmail.com

Indian Male, Pharmacist, 11 years experience working in India. Contact 0091-9880583496, Email: pashavips@gmail.com, 97312111

Indian Male, 25 years in Oman, FMCG business in Senior Manager level looking for senior position.

Contact 99015946

A Computer System Engineer, female 26 looking for teaching job in a reputed Institute having teaching experience, Subjects: Kindergarten, IT, Mathematics and all 0’levels subjects. Contact 91679220 MSc. Chemistry Teacher (5 y EXP.) Pakistani female looking for a job in School/college.

Contact 96580101

Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf experience) looking for a suitable job (NOC available) Contact-93344378 Pharmacist with MOH license and experience in Oman.

Contact 96535239

FOREMAN Pakistani male age 40 years electrical, plumbing & Civil foreman 16 years experience in Oman with valid Omani driving license(light) seeking employment for suitable position Contact:-99051257.

HOSPITALITY Indian male 28 completed B.H.M.CT, 4 yrs exp in food & beverages dept. looking for senior supervisor position. Contact – 91018857 / mirazhar.ali51@gmail.com Microbiologist & Quality Assurance Executive, female 27, with 4 years experience in food industry, looking for a suitable placement. Contact Email: nipuni.d.silva@gmail.com Having 7 years Europe experience in the field of Hotel Management, store keeper, Supervisor looking for a challenging opportunity in Muscat.

Contact +96897376612, Email: abdulshaks123@gmail.com Male 22 Housekeeping front office Hotel management degree course.

Contact 96732520

Female Pharmacist passed exam & viva PH: 95848971 Ayurvedic Doctor male total 5 yrs exp, 2 yrs in Oman looking for suitable position. Contact - 97944535 Indian Male 34, MSW, M.Phil in social work (Medical and Psychiatry), 5 years experience in the field of social work, general and clinical counseling, teaching and administration seeking suitable placement.

Contact 92795472, email: nimson4u@gmail.com Indian Female Dentist, MOH license holder, with an experience of 6 yrs, looking for a suitable opportunity. Contact 94046651 or prachiarekar24@gmail.com Medical Laboratory Technologist, 4 years experience in UAE, Master Degree holder.

Contact 97007930 Indian Male GP with MOH License and NOC, having 10 years of excellent hands on experience in Oman with corporate culture.

Contact 98140024 Email: drgpoman@yahoo.com

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE

Indian, Sales Representative on visit visa seeks urgent job in Building Material Trading Company.

Contact 93167119 Indian Male, MBA in Marketing and Finance, 10 years’ Sales & Business Development Experience with valid D/L of Oman & UAE looking for a suitable placement. NOC Available.

Contact: 93969961 e-mail abhilash.pvrk@gmail.com Indian Male, 27 yrs B.Com Graduate 3.5 yrs of experience, 1.5 yrs in Oman having Oman Driving License looking for a good suitable job in any field. Contact- Email: wassimmhusaini@yahoo.com Indian male B. Com having experience in Sales & Accounts. Looking for suitable placement.

Contact – 99069809 / faisalmuhammad37@gmail.com Indian male, 18 years experience in Catering supervisor as Sales Executive in Saudi holding valid D/L. Email: emialdheen@gmail.com.

Contact 96304501 Indian Male, B.Sc + MBA (Marketing) with 18 yrs experience including Oman in Sales & Marketing having driving license & NOC seeks suitable placement. Contact 97351283, Email: manomanu3@gmail.com Marketing Professional with 7 years Oman experience in Business Development and ATL advertising looking for a suitable placement.

Valid D/L Oman. GSM 93466033.

Email - kavit_asher@yahoo.com, MBA Marketing Male, 27 having 8 years of experience including Oman and UK experience having Omani Driving License looking for a marketing opportunity, NOC available.

Contact 98338592 Indian Male, 10 years experience in Sales looking for job as Showroom Salesman, warehouse in charges etc.

Contact 94551229 MBA Graduate with 2 years of experience as working as Executive assistant in Dubai is looking for a job (full time) other than as an Executive Assistant / Office Assistant.

Contact 91615322 Indian male, 25 years Graduate, 3 years experience in Sales in Delhi (India) on visit seeking suitable placement. Contact 98914220

Indian female with 8 years experience in Oman, seeking suitable placement as Travel Coordinator / Secretary / Admin position. Please contact 92985246.

Indian Male, 28 yrs, having 5 years experience in FMCG Sales in visit visa, Looking for any suitable jobs in Oman. # 98531486/ 98988824

SALES / MARKETING

TOURS & TRAVEL

Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 14 Years Inside and outside Oman following activities: tenders& real estate& construction & marketing projects& investments& transportation & Marine services& companies management& develop business. Contact :- 93240027

Indian Female: Bachelor in Travel & tourism.1 year experience in ticketing and 6 month in cargo (CIAL).

Looking suitable placement.

Contact 95883404

Indian female having 8 years experience in Sales & Marketing in oil and gas field as commercial manager, looking for a suitable placement-NOC available -Contact Email- mvrajagd_d@yahoo.com Mob: 96311709

INDIAN female having ten years experience as cook. South Indian, Gujarathi special. Contact 94224512

Indian male, MBA (USA) having 5 years of International experience in Sales and Marketing. #98853309.

Email : savincgnr@yahoo.com Sales/ Marketing / customer service release / NOC available UK + Oman experience valid Oman D/L, excellent communication & organizing skills, can join immediately, Email : plavon_ctg@yahoo. com, gsm 92342060 / 96761225

MISCELLANEOUS

Homoeopathic Doctor, Indian Female, with MOH License( to be renewed) (Nearly 2 years exp in Muscat, Oman) seeks suitable placement in Clinics/Hospitals in Muscat area. Please Contact:92975815.

Electronics & communication Engineer, having 3+years experience (2Yeras GCC) in Security systems/ low current systems (FAS, CCTV, ACS, PAVA etc) seeking suitable Post in construction/manufacturing/production/maintenance depts.

Contact: hashimjm@gmail.com 91001523

D6

S U N D AY, N OV E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 4

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTSIT. WANTED Indian Male 38 years, Electronic Engineer with 14 yrs of Oman experience and proven track record as Sales & Marketing Manager (Electronics, Electrical & ElectroMechanical Products) with valid Oman D/L looking for a suitable placement in a reputed Organization. Please contact 92208744, Email: ebpadmakumar@yahoo.com

EVERY FRIDAY 2.00PM ON INDIA’S KAIRALI PEOPLE TV

Indian Male, 22 years, B.Tech Mechanical (Fresher) from NIT Calicut, Software skills – ANSYS, PRO-E solid works. Contact 91294510 / 99437002. Email: nsp1618@gmail.com Merchandiser with Oman driving license. Contact 93798442 Diploma in civil Engineer, Male, 5 years experience in Oman as a Site Engineer, worked at Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company, JMB-1, 20 storied high rise building, Industrial building, substation, roads & highway at Indian Railway Construction Company, looking for suitable placement.

Contact 97140857

● Worldwide ● Air Ticket ● Car Rental ● Holiday Packages ● Hotel Reservations ● Travel Insurance Call: 0096824790400, 0096898569830 Email: info@omanorienttravels.com

Male 30, 6 years Oman experience in Sales, Currently working with an UAE based Company operating in UAE and Oman Market with valid UAE and Oman D/L looking for suitable placement. Kindly contact on +968 91212407 (NOC not required) Indian Female, BSC Nurse, on visit having 4 years experience in Medical Surgical with Prometric Certificate looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 98329941/ Email: ancyanish2011@gmail.com Indian Male, 23 yrs MBA Marketing & Finance, 6 months experience as a Sales and Operations Officer looking for suitable job. Contact 99106181, email : akram8145@gmail.com Indian Male, B.Sc Fashion & Apparel Design having 4+ yrs of experience (in Retail Sector as Designer-Visual Merchandising & Marketing) seeking suitable placement in any sections.

Contact 94535866, Email: tomsjon@gmail.com Manager-Organizational & Marketing Communication, Masters in Journalism, Finance, strong English writing skills, creative professional, Oman exp in corporate Communication, Marketing, Business Development, Media Relations, Ads etc. NOC available. Contact 98179887 Indian Male, 22 years, B.Tech Mechanical (Fresher) from NIT Calicut, Software skills – Ansys, Pro-E solid works. Contact 91294510 / 99437002.

Email: nsp1618@gmail.com Infosys experienced male with engineering degree in Electronics and communication from a reputed University seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95786295/ azhar.mumtaz90@gmail.com Senior Accounts Professional, Indian Male, 35 years, M.Com, MBA (Fin) 8 years in Oman, with valid Oman DL and NOC available. Capable to handle accounts up to finalization.

Contact 9602 3965.

Marketing Executive male 23 years, 2 years exp with NOC available, GCC driving license, working in sales and warehouse management looking for suitable opening please #94030909 Indian Female, M.Sc Software Engineering having 2 yrs experience in IT & Admin seeks suitable placement. Contact 94391214, anucherian@gmail.com Indian Male, 24 years old on visit visa, 3 years Diploma in Civil Engineering, 3 yrs experience.

Contact 98515106

SITUATION WANTED Indian male-26 having 2 years experience in Oman as a store keeper looking for the good placement, NOC available by the current company.

Contact 96671102, email: mohdparvez656@yahoo.com

IT software professional looking for a suitable position in Desktop/Web application development. Visit www. muhammedswafuvan.weebly.com for more details. Reach me on (+968) 98395032.

57 Yrs. Old healthy person seeking an opportunity in any area of works (Shop sales man, Painting, Store asst, traffic controller, Foremen, Controller) .Saudi experienced.

Contact-97239854-Asher

Part time accountant available.

Accounting experience up to finalization and tally also. #96423671

Eight years experience in the field of Sales, Marketing & Branch in charge & Having Valid Oman Driving License with NOC.Presently in Oman.

Seeking for Placements Cont: Sumesh: 92718716 onsumesh@gmail.com B.Sc (Bio-Technology) & MBA having 4 years experience in Marketing and Sales currently on visit visa seeking suitable placement in Oman.

Email: meersameer768@gmail.com, GSM: 94517678 Civil Engineer, Diploma, Male 25, 3 years experience in site, CAD, 3d, MS Project, Seeking job in Oman.

Contact 92887561, jubincivileng@gmail.com

Indian Male, 24 yrs, MBA in HR/ Marketing. More than 1 years experienced in retail Banking (Axis Bank) Presently in family visit in Oman seeking for a suitable placement# 99892082/ 997 43 709 MBA, Indian Male, 28 yrs, HR & Admin, Marketing sales, 1 yr experience in India. I have release looking for any suitable job in Oman. #97484159 Pakistani male 32 years IT network + Computer Hardware professional A+ MCSE Termination Technician work Experience in Salalah airport.

10+ years experience in IT field and 2 years Oman working experience looking for a suitable placement contact no 96733205 Email faisalzaman24@gmail.com

Presales Engineer - IT 4yrs exp. engineering graduate (Indian female) currently on family visa looking for opportunities as Sales/Presales engineer or any suitable positions.

Contact: 0096895829278, kalpanasingh69@gmail.com

Indian Male, 38 years, Electronics Engineer with 14 years of Oman experience and proven track record as Sales & Marketing Manager (Electronics, electrical & electro mechanical products) with valid Oman D/L for a suitable placement in a reputed Organization. Contact 92208744, email : ebpadmakumar@yahoo.com

Indian Male, 23 years MBA (Marketing) (6 months experience as a Sales and Operation Officer looking for suitable job. Contact 99106181, Email: akram8145@gmail.com

Civil Engineer, Indian Female, having one year experience in Quantity Survey, also knows AutoCAD, primavera etc seeks placement.

Contact 91690345

SITUATION WANTED Diploma in civil engineering having an experience 23years (19years in Oman) experience in Estimator / quantity surveyor looking for a suitable placement. Willing to join immediately Contact: 96328687.

Experienced Salesman with 5 years experience vehicle looking for job.

Contact 93079087 Indian male Engineer (B.E in E&C, MBA) with 5 years admin/professional experience looking for a suitable placement in a reputed company. Contact 91387463 email: i.career543@gmail.com Indian Male having 20 years Experience in Travel Agency in Oman.

Looking for suitable placement.

Contact 95692050.

Senior Accounts Professional, Indian Male, 35 years, M.Com, MBA (Fin) 8 years in Oman, with valid Oman DL and NOC available. Capable to handle accounts up to finalization.

Contact 9602 3965.

B Pharm, Indian female, Oman MOH License holder, seeking job.

Email- shivallath@gmail.com.

Contact no: 99665183 29 yr old indian male graduate 5yrs oman exp in sales and marketing with valid oman driving license looking for suitable job.Noc available ready to join immediately Contact 95136784 Indian male with over 19 years of qualitative experience in Automobile field, expert in providing technical advice on repairs and servicing seeks jobs in sales/ service in manegerial capacity. #91-7736048460. yamaharajesh@gmail.com Indian female 29 Graduate/Computer diploma 5-year work experience as Manager Administration/ HR in Construction & Real Estate seeking suitable placement .

On family Visa. Contact - 91191236 Indian Male MBA & PGDFM 26 Yrs. having 3.2 yrs of exp. seeking suitable placement in Admin/HR/ Accounts/Purchase co-ordinator etc..Holding valid Oman driving license. Contact No :93359371 British Female with 4 years experience in Oman in Marketing and Project Management.

Call 00974 3343 7619

Indian Male, B.Sc, Fashion & Apparel Design having 4+ yrs of experience (in retail sector as DesignerVisual Merchandising & Marketing) seeking suitable placement.

Contact 94535866, email: tomsjon@gmail.com Indian female MCA., M. Phil in computer Science having 5 yrs of experience in teaching(as Lecturer) seeking for teaching position in school or college. Can join immediately. Contact :97765173.

Email:dtkthillai@gmail.com Male senior accountant with 20+ years experience readily available.

6 years experience in construction industry Oman. NOC & Oman driving license holder. 93969767/ gnanasathia@gmail.com Dynamic Indian Female, Chemical Engineer (fresher from NIIT), holding Oman D/L seeks suitable placement. Contact 97477127, email: anjana.nanda@outlook.com Indian Female, B.Com, Secretarial skills, MS office, Oracle, 5 years experience in Oman, as QA/QC Assistant, Administrator, Document Controller, seeking placement.

Contact: 96465391 or E-mail: alanns123@gmail.com Indian male 23YRS, 4 Years experienced in Architectural Draughtsman looking for a suitable Post GSM:96023726, Email : jayan.mathew009@gmail.com Indian Male having 10 years of Experience in Oman having Valid Omani Driving license working in Purchase Dept looking for a suitable position. salary is negotiable. obarla313@gmail.com Mob: 94304324/92654817 Indian Male, 24 yrs on visit visa, 3 yrs Diploma in civil Engineering, 3 yrs experience. Contact 98515106

B.E (Chemical), 23, Indian male with 1 year experience (production) in Chemical Plant, on visiting visa seeking for a suitable job. #94525650, Email: nglsgy@gmail.com Indian male 30 yrs seeking suitable placement to work as forklift operator, having 5 yrs of exp. NOC available. Contact – 94370085 Piping/Pipeline engineer, 3+ yrs exp with B.E degree (Mech), familiar with CAESAR-2, PDMS, AutoCAD, stress analysis and piping of critical lines for hydrocarbon industry.

Contact: 95785479, Email: mdshaji6105@gmail.com Indian male 28, completed B.H.MCT 4 yrs exp in food &beverages department. Looking suitable job for senior supervisor.Contact – 9108857 mirazhar.al51@gmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years Exp (2 in Angola with DAR AL HANDASAH, 4 months in Oman) as a site engineer. He holds a Diploma in project management, fluent in English & Arabic. Contact: 99170315 Female Candidate: Having experience(ISRO) in Administration (seeking suitable opportunities &presently in Oman Mob:97239854, Mail:asherlalitha@yahoo.com Senior Accounts Professional, Indian Male, 35 years, M.Com, MBA (Fin) 8 years in Oman, with valid Oman DL and NOC available. Capable to handle accounts up to finalization.

Contact 9602 3965.

Female Candidate: Having experience(ISRO) in Administration (seeking suitable opportunities & presently in Oman Mob:97239854, Mail:asherlalitha@yahoo.com

8 yrs exp 2d, 3d draughtsman cum site supervisor (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING LICENSE) seeking job.

Contact : 93790601

Indian male, 24 years MA Sociology (Social science) B-Ed. 2year experience in teaching, currently on visit seeking suitable placement.

Contact 91632006, 91397505 Email- abdulnisar.kv@gmail.com

PDO Approved in Contracts, Procurement, Operations, Project Indian Male PMP, CIPS, PGDBA, DME, Oil & Gas with Exp-18+ Yrs. & having valid Oman & PDO D/L Seeking job Contact 92560287 / shaileshsyal@yahoo.com

PDO Approved in Contracts, Procurement, Operations, Project Indian Male PMP, CIPS, PGDBA, DME, Oil & Gas, Construction with Exp-18+ Yrs. & Having valid Oman & PDO D/L Seeking job - Contact 92560287, E-mail: shaileshsyal@yahoo.com

S U N DAY, N O V E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 4

D7

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

Hurry! RAMADHAN SAILING. Cargo for Zanzibar, Dar Es Salam & Mombasa. Door to door to India, Bangladesh & Pakistan. Maritime Shipping Agency. Al Jiffin, Rusayl on Fanja Road. Tel: 99323513 / 99118279.

Email: maritime@omantel.net.om

NRI

TOURS

MANPOWER

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours Contact98029602, 92808636

Eight cents plot for sale in gated villa project Sathamugal Thivuvankulam, Cochin. #94211426 Plot for sale: 8 cents, Block 7, Kakkanad, 2 kms from Info park, Cochin. Contact - 968 92124098 3 bedrooms flat for rent in Mather building, Chembumukku junction, Padivattom, Cochin.

Contact - 96892124098

BUSINESS

Mantri Greens, behind Mantri Mall, Malleswaram, Bangalore.

3 Bedrooms with servants room on 8th Floor, car park, 2050 sqft, for sell, Rs 2.5 Crore, First Owner.

Contact 91375741, c_soumitra@hotmail.com

TRUCK FOR HIRE Isuzu 10 ton cargo body truck

Villa for sale 2200 sq ft in 8 cent.

Kottayam. Contact: 92652534

(2012 FVR) with UAE experienced driver available for long term / short term rent.

For Astrological consultation, Jathakam. # 99860435 / 97102599

Contact: 95346950

SIT.WANTED

Running truck wash for rent in Ouhi Sunia Sohar. Serious people can. Contact on 97864747

Post graduate in hospitality and tourism, Indian ,male 26 , looking suitable placement , in Muscat on visiting visa contact 98861272

50 seater bus with PDO specification for rent or lease.

Contact 99839898

Indian male having 10 years of experience in Oman having Valid Omani Driving license working in Purchase Dept looking for a suitable position. Salary is negotiable. obarla313@gmail.com Mob: 94304324/92654817

TRANSPORTATION Pick & drop anytime in al Khuwair.

Contact 99764307 1500 Gallon Diesel Tanker, excavators available for Hire or monthly basis. Contact 95943787

8 yrs exp 2d, 3d draughtsman (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING LICENSE) seeking job.

Contact 97449630 Indian Male, 24 years old on visit visa, 3 years Diploma in Civil Engineering, 3 yrs experience.

Contact 98515106 Senior Sales & Marketing specialist with 14 years of experience and proven track record in Muscat looking for a suitable placement in a reputed Company. Indian Male, 38 years (Electronics Engineer) preferred industry (Electronics / Electrical / Electro Mechanical) having good exposure in access Control & Automation systems, Lighting & Electrical accessories etc.

Contact; 92208744.

Email : ebpadmakumar@yahoo.com Part- time accountant available.

Contact; 98803439

RENT A CAR

FOR HIRE

9 Cents of residential vacant land in Valencia for immediate sale.

Contact menezesa@omantel.net. om of 92034072

Transportation. Contact 99515452 House shifting transport. Contact 99657644, 98518013 We assist in new business set up local sponsorship, real estate services, assist in company formation services. Contact - 93166088

Transportation availableContact - 95570429 Transportation. Contact 96248040

Coffee shop business partner required in Muscat. #94542865 Fully organized logistic (freight forwarding) Company seeking for an investor. Contact; 95088936 / 91404330

Transportation. Contact 98518979 Transportation. Contact 97838217 Transport. Contact 99664703

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation available.

Contact: 95068976

Transportation. Contact: 97897833

Transportation. Contact 96538078

Transportation Available Contact: 97180655

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S U N DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 4

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

WEBSITE

CLASSES

Contact: 91262820 / 96458007 WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

COMPUTER

House Shifting. Contact 99708138 GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. # 24793614/ 99314807 For all your maintenance needs including, Painting, Plumbing, Electricity, Laying of Interlock Tiles, Marbles etc. Tel: 99383574 Mr Chandran

DRIVING

Maintenance – A/C maintenance & servicing, fridge washing machine and dishwasher repairing, painting & cleaning services, electrical & plumbing. #99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281 Pest Control Treatments, termites, cockroaches, bedbugs. Ocean Center LLC - Contact 99344723

Learn Driving from professional instructors. Contact 94022250

Carpet and Sofa shampooing.

Ocean Center LLC – #99884591

Learn driving automatic from scratch. Contact 98599675

M.V.WANTED

For All Your Maintenance Solutions, A/c Servicing & Fixing, Painting, Cleaning, Electric. Contact. 99002390

Required Nissan Tida / Toyota yaris / Suzuki swift / hyundai/Kia hatchback car in good condition.

Contact 95405033

Civil Maintenance, Painting Electric, Plumbing, Decor, Tile Fixing, Lecithin Copra Board flat stifling , Carpet Cleaning and A/C Servicing.

Contact 97897831 (Indian keralite)

SERVICES

Pest Control and cleaning best services – 1. Cockroach, ants, etc, 2. Tiles cleaning, marbles cleaning, floor cleaning, and carpet cleaning.

Contact 92108447, 99666505 Waterproofing, light weight Screed, Antitermite and MS Fabrication.

Contact 92888337

Civil maintenance, Electrical & Plumbing work. Contact 99557080 / 96236476

Human, Resource, Management, System & other Software we supply. sayeed@swiftsoftwareservices. com, contact 99199374

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722

Gypsum partition work. Data/ voice cabling work, telephone system, electrical work, security cameras. Koroun Trading – 92620968

SERVICES

Door to Door Computers repair specialist laptop software Website cartridges. Contact 99199376

P.R.O services. Contact 99368907

Split & window unit AC servicing & repairing. Contact 99557080 Window & split unit AC servicing & maintaining. Contact 96236476

GULF INTERNATIONAL LLC all kind of pest control. #92326955

For HT cable jointing and termination works 33KV/11KV. Contact 99056438 / Email: npgoman@gmail.com

A.M Trading Pest control.

Contact 99067923

Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722

Window & split unit A/C servicing & maintenance. Contact 96236476

Split & window A/C servicing & maintenance. Contact 93769089

We provide loading helper for lounge term contract. Contact 92817182 Catering services We do industrial catering service, Canteen/ mess, 3 times packed meals, and all types of catering events.

Contact 92188777/ 99249899

Painting Interlock plumbing maintenance. Contact 92142319 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting.

Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

Contract general cleaning for offices. Ocean Center LLC Contact 99344723 Civil maintenance, electrical & plumbing work. Contact 99557080, 96236476 Electrical Plumbing Painting Contract and Maintenance.

Contact 98456535