Times of Oman - April 4, 2016 by Muscat Media Group

MONDAY

April 4, 2016 26 Jumada Al Thani 1437 AH

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

On the occasion of the 20th National Day, 1990

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ We stress the importance of more intensive effort, in this coming era, to develop the economy of our country, through carefully prepared programmes to achieve greater economic growth.

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 36

| 40 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO O 9001:2008 900 9 00 Certiﬁed Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

INDIA

HM RECEIVES WRITTEN MESSAGE

HM receives thanks cable

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a written message from King Mohamed VI of the Kingdom of the Morocco. The message was received by His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers upon receiving on Sunday Fouad A’li Al Hemmah, Advisor of King of the Kingdom of Morocco. >A6

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from President Pranab Mukherjee of the Republic of India in reply to His Majesty’s congratulatory cable on the occasion of the 67th Republic Day. In his cable, President Mukherjee expressed his thanks and appreciation for His Majesty’s congratulations, wishing His Majesty permanent health and happiness. He also stressed the importance of developing avenues of the existing cooperation between the two countries to serve the interests of their friendly peoples. — ONA

‘Fee hike proposal only for job visa renewal’

SENEGAL

HM sends greetings MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to President Macky Sall of Senegal on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty expressed his sincere greetings along with his best wishes of good health and happiness to President Sall and his country’s friendly people further progress and prosperity. — ONA

Family joining, housemaid and household drivers’ visas have not been included in the visa fee hike proposal, said Tawﬁq Al Lawati, Majlis Al Shura member

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MORNING MINUTE

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

DESIGN THAT WON RED BULL HELMET ART

OMAN

Daniel Parera, a design student at the Scientiﬁc College of Design in Seeb, who won the Red Bull Helmet Art, used locally relevant elements including oryx, the national animal of the Sultanate, as well as the khanjar. According to the organisers, the winning helmet design will be brought to reality and then worn during the Red Bull F1 Showrun by David Coulthard. >A4

Smart Airport Cart

Passengers can now avoid the hassle of extra airport charges thanks to this brand new Omani invention. >A3

WORLD

Brussels Airport reopens

Brussels Airport reopened to passengers on Sunday, 12 days after suicide bombers destroyed its departure hall. >A15

BUSINESS

Copper, gold mining

Australian and Omani joint venture ﬁrm has decided to develop copper-gold project at Washihi. >B1

CONTEST

Win passes to Red Bull F1 showrun Times News Service MUSCAT: Have you ever had an up-close look at an F1 car, or ace British racer David Coulthard in its cockpit? Do you want to see him performing a full repertoire of donuts, burnouts and speed stretches in front of you on April 8? If you do and want to bear the ear-splitting roar of the engine,

the haze of tyre smoke and the aroma of the burning rubber, then here’s a golden opportunity, knocking at your door right now. Get ready for the quizzing race as we have exclusive passes waiting for you and a paddock walk experience. All you have to do is to answer these three questions and then send these to redbullquiz@gmail.com 1) Where was the inaugural

round of the Formula One World Championship held? 2) How long does it take a F1 car to go from 0 to 100Km/hour? 3) How many times did Red Bull racing win the Formula One championship? Answer these three questions and send it to redbullquiz@ gmail.com before Wednesday and we will pick the three winners.

MUSCAT: Renewal of expatriates’ family joining visa, housemaid visa and household drivers’ visa at households have not been included in the new visa renewal fee proposal, said a Majlis Al Shura member who submitted the same in the Shura. “The proposal is to revise renewal fee only for job visas. However, family joining visas, housemaid visas and household drivers’ visas have not been included,” Tawﬁq Al Lawati, the Majlis Al Shura member said. The Shura member had submitted the proposal aimed at fair practice in fee collection and revenue generation for the government at a time when it is struggling due to the global oil price dip. As per the proposal, the government, instead of collecting only OMR200 from expatriates every two years for visa renewal, should either collect three per cent of gross salary every month for two years at the time of visa renewal or OMR300 as visa renewal fee, whichever is higher. “The proposed revision is not a new one and was in practice before 1996 in Oman,” the Shura

member added. Expatriates said the proposal came as a shocker for them. “If the government agrees, then it will be a shocker for a majority of the expatriates. Big companies may be able to cushion the extra cost without passing it on to their employees. However, small and medium companies will surely pass it on to their expatriate workers,” Syed Murtaza Kadri, a salesperson at one of the automobile ﬁrms in Muscat, said over phone. Meanwhile, Shakir Shaikh, a pharmacist in one of the clinics in Muscat, posted on the Times of Oman’s Facebook page that Oman is the country of Omanis and they hold the supreme rights over country. “But at the same time, contribution of expatriates should also not be neglected. Both give their sweat for the country. Instead of ﬁnding small income sources like this, government should try to create alternative sources of income, like foreign investment or tourism,” Shakir posted. Vibhas Mangla, an employee working in the oil industry, posted that all these proposals, though good in intent, only result in increasing the cost of doing business. >A6

A C C I D E N T I N A L K H U WA I R

Injured Indian boy ﬁghting for his life REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com

West Indies win World T20 title

MUSCAT: Farhan Irani, the injured Indian boy, who lost his father, mother, brother and grandmother in Saturday’s road crash in Al Khuwair, is still ﬁghting for his life in intensive care unit in Khoula Hospital, friends close to his family said. “Farhan has multiple fractures. Medics will be conducting surgeries on Monday,” Manoj S. Ranade, a family friend who visited Farhan and his relatives at hospital, said. The accident, which claimed

the lives of Farhan’s father Beruz Darayus Irani, his mother Monaz Irani, younger brother Aaron Irani and his grandmother, happened at around 1:30am on Saturday in Al Khuwair. According to relatives and friends of the deceased’s family, the victims were returning to Muscat after a sightseeing trip in Rustaq. “The family was returning from Rustaq after a sightseeing trip. Their vehicle reportedly lost control and crashed into a pillar of the bridge in Al Khuwair near the Muscat Bakery,” relatives said.

Farhan is a student at the Indian School Wadi Kabir. The family hails from the western Indian state of Maharashtra and the relatives are in the process of making arrangements to repatriate the body to India. “We are trying our best to repatriate the bodies as soon as possible,” Manoj added. “Farhan’s grandparents had come to Oman for a visit,” Manoj said, adding that they are still struggling to console Farhan’s grandfather who has lost his wife, daughter, grandson and son-in-law.

Farhan Irani (in blue T-shirt) is ﬁghting for his life in the hospital. Beruz Darayus Irani his wife Monaz Irani and younger son Aaron Irani were killed in the accident. Monaz’s mother also died in the accident. - Supplied picture

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OMAN

Smart Airport Cart can help you avoid extra luggage charges The ‘Smart Airport Cart’, designed and made by SQU students, has an electric balance that measures the weight of the luggage

HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATI

hassan@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Passengers can now avoid the hassle of extra airport charges thanks to this brand new Omani invention. The ‘Smart Airport Cart’, designed and made by Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) students, has an electric balance that measures the weight of luggage. “The cart’s balance surface is connected to a touch screen that displays information about the weight of the packages and the cost

of the extra weight,” Asaad Al Sulti, a member of the eight-student team, said. Furthermore, Al Sulti explained that the cart has a mechanical system that facilitates an easy and smooth movement. “We modiﬁed the cart so that a passenger does not have to exert an effort to push the cart, especially when the cart is fully loaded,” Al Sulti added. Interestingly, and for safety reasons, the state-of-the-art cart has also been provided with a distance sensor that stops it when there is a body 30cm away from it.

Asked how the idea of this invention hit the team, Al Sulti said that as Muscat International Airport is currently under development, he and his team decided to modify the airport cart with a cutting-edge technology to help passengers save time and money while travelling through the our new airport. Explaining how it functions, he said that the modiﬁed cart has an electric balance connected to a touch screen. “By choosing the type of airline from the screen, passengers can see their packages’ weight

S H A N G R I - L A B A R R A L J I S S A H R E S O R T & S PA

MUSCAT: An exclusive fashion show, showcasing some of the leading designers in Oman, will be hosted by the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa as part of its Wedding Fair on April 22. The Wedding Fair, which will follow a garden theme and include over 40 exhibitors, will launch the fashion show with ﬁve primary designers. Amal Al Jamali, a passionate designer who follows her aesthetic instincts to create garments of ethereal elegance and beauty, runs a classy boutique in Muscat, called Sunset Fashion, and has been in the industry for more than seven years. Known for blending modern and traditional fashion in her works, Amal will be at the Wedding Fair to showcase her ﬁnest designs. French born Mireille ALoughlin, owner of Arushi Fashion Design, based in Dubai, has adorned a loyal and an elite patronage from around the world for two decades. The House of Arushi, synonymous with exquisite intricate bridal gowns, evening dresses and now exotic caftans, will be participating at the Wedding Fair. Buthaina Anees Issa Al Zadjali, an Omani fashion designer and a proud mother of two kids, began with her passion for designing back in 2010. Her love and fascination for cultural designs, patterns

and other antique stuff is reﬂected in her work on kaftans or jalabeya, abaya and dresses. Visitors will get a glimpse of Buthaina’s talent at the Wedding Fair. Kawashi Brand, established in 2004 and one of Omans’ most favoured brands in the line of abaya and jalabeya designing, has for many years represented chic, simple and modern fashion garments. The fashion brand is known for its unique details created with care, representing colourful fabrics, soft handworks and elegant embroideries. Visitors will have a great opportunity to explore Kawashi’s best. Amal Al Raisi of the reputable fashion brand ‘Dar Al Aseel’ has simply impressed the Omani society with her exquisite fashion designs and creative works. Amal joined the fashion industry eight years ago, and with her dedication, commitment and love for fashion designing, established the famous Omani brand ‘Dar Al Aseel’. Amal’s creative works are a tribute to the Arabian and Omani women, and her display at the Wedding Fair is something not to be missed. The Wedding Fair will start at 2:00 pm with the fashion show commencing at 7.30pm in the Barr Al Jissah ballroom located in the Al Bandar Hotel. For more information and enquiries, please call our Events team on +968 2477 6213 or email slmu.events@ shangri-la.com.

Social media abuzz as restaurant shut over poor food to school Times News Service MUSCAT: News of Ibri municipality officials closing a restaurant for supplying food prepared under unhygienic conditions to schools has evoked a huge response in social media in the Sultanate. Many people expressed their dissatisfaction over the news. Talib Al Yaqobi, a parent from Ibri who has children in school said that such things should be dealt with strictly. “This is our children’s food. This is the food they consume everyday. I wonder how such food is supplied to public schools,” said Al Yaqobi.

CLASSY SHOW: The Wedding Fair, which will follow a garden theme and include over 40 exhibitors, will launch the fashion show with ﬁve primary designers. – Supplied photo

EVENT

Karate show and certiﬁcation event in Muscat on April 8-9 DEEBA HASAN

deeba@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: There is some exciting news for Karate learners and enthusiasts in Oman, as Grandmaster T.V. Naraynan from the Karate Association of India (KAI) is flying to Muscat to demonstrate his special moves and certify students of this popular form of martial arts on April 8 and 9. On the April 8, Grandmaster Naraynan will be demonstrating his moves to a set of students from Harmony Music, Art & Karate Training Centre, this will be followed by a special Karate show and black belt skill test at the Indian Embassy auditorium from 4pm to 6pm on April 9. The test for awarding black belt certificates is facilitated in Oman by C. P. George, who is an authorised coach of KAI and gives Karate training at Harmony Music, Art & Karate Training Centre. All qualifying students will felicitated with certificates by Grandmaster Naraynan of KAI in a ceremony at Indian Embassy Auditorium on the April 9. There will also be a demonstration of Karate skills by select group of Karate students on the same day where Indra Mani Pandey, Indian ambassador to Oman

LITTLE CHAMPS: The programme is expected to draw a large crowd of Karate and Martial art lovers in Oman. – Deeba Hasan

will be the chief guest. George is delighted at this exciting event because according to him this will encourage students. “It’s great news that Grandmaster Naraynan has agreed to come and do the black belt examinations and will also preside over the Karate show, this will motivate the students who have been looking forward to such an opportunity for quite some time.” Simon Koshi, secretary of All Indian Wado - KAI Karate Do Association’s Oman branch said “KAI

TRAVEL SMART: The cart also has a mechanical system that facilitates an easy and smooth movement. – Supplied photo

UNHYGIENIC

Exclusive fashion show to be hosted during Wedding Fair Times News Service

and the cost of the extra weight (if any) before reaching the counter,” Al Sulti said, adding that the team’s future plan is to develop the cart and introduce it to international airports around the world. The cost of modifying a cart to a ‘Smart Airport Cart’ is around OMR100 per cart. It is worth mentioning that the team is participating in the 7th Engineering Students Gathering at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) which kicked off on Sunday, an event held under the patronage Salim bin Nassir Al Ouﬁ, undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil and Gas, and Dr. Ali Al Bemani,vice chancellor of the SQU. They are all set to showcase their latest invention along with students from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Arab countries who will also be competing in the annual event, which will focus this year on sustainable applications of engineering projects.

is the only National Federation for Karate in India. It is duly affiliated with several Karate associations from world over and also recognised by the government of India, so the certiﬁcate awarded by KAI carries a lot of weight.” The programme is expected to draw a large crowd of Karate and Martial art lovers in Oman. Those who wish to attend the programme may obtain invitation cards latest by Wednesday, April 7, by either calling 92177342 or sending email on simonk5@gmail.com

These restaurants should be monitored all the time not only before getting the approval, said Talib Al Yaqobi, a parent from Ibri who has children in school

Suggestion He added that such services should be provided by approved suppliers. “These restaurants should be monitored all the time not only before getting the approval,” Al

Yaqobi added. The restaurant was earlier closed by the Ministry of Regional Municipality represented by Ibri Municipality. Further legal action been initiated.

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

OMAN

I am unbelievably excited about this event, it’s such a huge occasion for the people of Oman and it’s going to be something to remember for sure Ahmad Al Harthy, Oman’s premier motor racing export

DANIEL PARERA WINS RED BULL HELMET ART COMPETITION SHUTTLE SERVICE Fans are recommended to

come to the event via Wadi Kabir/Al Bustan Road instead of the Muttrah Corniche Road.

Muttrah Souq

FORMULA ONE TRACK ON MUTTRAH CORNICHE

Darsait

A 1-kilometre-long track of the Muttrah Corniche Road will be the venue for the Formula One performance

Watchtowers Riyam Incence Burner

On reaching the Al Bustan

roundabout turn left and follow the direction signs to Parking A. Shuttle service to be available

ENTRANCE B Fountain Riyam r/a

from Parking A to the event venue between 12:00-6:00 pm. If travelling from Darsait

Winning helmet design will be brought to reality and worn during Red Bull F1 Showrun by David Coulthard when he takes to the wheel and after the event the design student will go home with autographed helmet

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Daniel Parera, a design student at the Scientiﬁc College of Design in Seeb, has been announced as the winner of the Red Bull Helmet Art where 70 people from various colleges across the Sultanate, along with several local artists, competed. According to the organisers, the winning helmet design will be brought to reality and then worn during the Red Bull F1 Showrun by David Coulthard when he takes to the wheel and after the event the winner will go home with the autographed helmet.

“My concept is about the locally relevant elements. I tried to use a few local abstract images in the artwork. I have mainly made use of the oryx, which is the national animal, which is also an elegant and graceful animal. I have used other materialistic elements as well as the khanjar and the monument,” Daniel said. The highly anticipated Red Bull F1 Showrun will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin Assad Al Said and in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism. Touching down on Oman sands for the very ﬁrst time the Red Bull F1 Showrun is, for thou-

(which is not recommended) please turn left at the Mina roundabout and follow directions signs to Jibroo Parking B.

The service will resume

Entertainment Village

Kalbuh

ENTRANCE A Muscat Gate

Corniche cross section F-1 Sea Track for spectators

Muscat Gate Museum

Race track 4m

again after the end of the event at 4:20 pm Source: Redbull

sands of spectators, a once-in-alifetime chance to experience an F1 car close up.The Sultanate will host the ﬁrst-time event along the beautiful and iconic - Muttrah Corniche. The winning machine, which can accelerates from 0-100km/h in 2.4 seconds, will accelerate past crowds on a 1.1KM strip past the beautiful Muttrah harbour and Riyam Park, home to Muscat’s huge incense burner. The Constructors’ Championship winning machine will be driven by David Coulthard, who will perform a full repertoire of donuts, burnouts and speed stretches in front of Omani racing fans lining

Kaluh Park

Riyam Park

900 metres to Muttrah Souq

Shuttle service available from

Parking B to the event venue between 12:00-2:00 pm

Al Alam r/a

the streets during the 90-minute event. The Scottish driver, dominated Britain’s junior Formula Ford categories in 1989 and became the first ever recipient of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award for young drivers. The Running Showcars have visited the four corners of the world, visiting locations that would not normally host a Formula 1 event and in many instances giving people their first taste of Formula 1 in the Flesh. The hype for the Red Bull F1 Showrun will begin a few days before the main event, when the team’s car will be displayed and fired up around various locations

100m

850 metres to Al Alam r/a Graphics

in Oman, including the Omantel headquarters on April 7. Red Bull Showruns take place at racing circuits, on city streets, at festivals and exhibitions. Often playing to crowds measured in hundreds of thousands, they give fans the chance to witness the contained ferocity of a Formula 1 car at very close quarters. Formula 1 is a great sport for TV, but there is no substitute for the ear-splitting roar of the engine, the haze of tyre smoke and aroma of burning rubber. The Showrun Team has been to every inhabited continent, from cobbled city streets in Europe to

My concept is about the locally relevant elements. I tried to use a few local abstract images in the artwork. I have mainly made use of the Oryx, which is the national animal, which is also an elegant and graceful animal. I have used other materialistic elements as well as the khanjar and the monument Daniel Parera

Design student at the Scientific College of Design in Seeb

baking deserts in the Americas. It conquered the highest road in the Himalayas, skated on frozen rivers in Canada and drifted across golden Caribbean beaches. Red Bull Racing is an Austrian team based in Milton Keynes, England. The team’s Formula 1 adventure began in 2005.This Red Bull F1 Showrun is being held with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, under the umbrella of the Oman Automobile Association and Royal Oman Police. The event is being held in partnership with Omantel, Khimji Ramdas, HiFM, Hala FM, Times of Oman, Shabiba, City Vago and Holiday Inn Muscat Al Seeb.

VERY SPECIAL EVENT

Ahmad Al Harthy to demo Vulcan hypercar in showrun MUSCAT: Oman’s premier motor racing export Ahmad Al Harthy is to embark on one of the most prestigious activities of his career on Friday, 8th April, in his home city of Muscat, after being entrusted by Aston Martin for the second time to showcase the marque’s incredible Vulcan hypercar. Following on from last November’s demonstration of the Vulcan in downtown Dubai, where the Aston Martin Middle East and North Africa ambassador was selected to put the 200mph car through its paces, the 34-year-old will now get back behind the wheel during a very special event. Collaboration As a result of a recently announced collaboration between Aston Martin and the Red Bull Racing Formula One Team, the British supercar manufacturer is to play a role in the Grand Prix squad’s ﬁrst ever street demonstration in Oman on Friday, 8th April. Made possible through the support of Aston Martin Middle East and North Africa and the Al Hashar Group, the official dealer of Aston Martin in Oman, Ahmad is elated to have the opportunity to be part of such a high-proﬁle event in his home city and cannot wait to drive the Vulcan in front of his many homegrown fans.

through the rear wheels from the Vulcan’s monstrous 7.0-litre V12 engine, which is front-mid mounted. The car also features a sixspeed sequential gearbox, limited slip differential, Brembo racing brake calipers and carbon ceramic discs for incredible stopping power. Notably, the car complies with all FIA safety regulations for race track use.

HONOUR: I have to say many, many thanks to Aston Martin for placing trust in me once again to drive the Vulcan, and a big thank you as well to Aston Martin MENA and Al Hashar Group for their support in making this happen, said Oman’s premier motor racing export Ahmad Al Harthy. — Supplied photo

“I am unbelievably excited about this event, it’s such a huge occasion for the people of Oman and it’s going to be something to remember for sure,” said Ahmad, “I have to say many, many thanks to Aston Martin

for placing trust in me once again to drive the Vulcan, and a big thank you as well to Aston Martin MENA and Al Hashar Group for their support in making this happen. “Since the recently conﬁrmed

collaboration between Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin, this is going to be the ﬁrst major event involving the two parties following the signing of the partnership. It really is a huge honour for me

to be taking part and to be behind the wheel of the awesome Vulcan. I have been part of a Red Bull event in Oman in the past, so cannot wait for this upcoming one.” Over 800bhp is produced

Hugely important Looking ahead to the Muscat event Neil Slade, General Manager for Aston Martin MENA, said: “All at Aston Martin are proud and excited to be part of the Red Bull Racing event, the partnership with the team is a very important and highproﬁle one. Ahmad’s upcoming demo run at the wheel of the Vulcan is hugely important for Aston Martin in Oman, we are all very much looking forward to it.” On behalf of Al Hashar Group, Chairman Sheikh Al Muhannad Al Hashar said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to support this incredible ﬁrst for Oman. It’s going to be something very special indeed seeing the Red Bull F1 car on Muttrah Corniche and equally special to see our motor racing champion Ahmad driving the Vulcan. We are thrilled to be part of such a landmark occasion.”

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

Tweet all about it

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PERSONAL WEBSITE

India, Philippines presidents hail His Majesty’s website Times News Service MUSCAT: A special project to honour His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said (may Allah protect him) announced by the administration of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’ personal website has been welcomed by the presidents of India and the Philippines. The project will see a unique and very beautiful publication, portraying His Majesty’s character and achievements through the eyes of eminent dignitaries who have been touched by the elevated personality and benevolent leadership of His Majesty, translated EVENT

Medical conference opens today Times News Service MUSCAT: A three-day international medical conference and exhibition will be kicked off at the Oman international Exhibition Centre, Seeb today. The opening ceremony will be held at 11 AM under the Patronage of Dr. Ali Bin Talib Al Hinai, Undersecretary of Ministry of Health for Health Planning Affairs. The International Medical Tourism, HealthCare Exhibition and Conference is being organised by East Expo Company. The exhibition will be open from 10am to 1:30pm and 4:30pm to 8:30pm on all three days while the conference will be held on April 4 from 11am to 12:45pm and on April 5 from 10am to 2pm. Hospitals, medical centres and medical tourism resorts from Germany, Turkey, India, Iran, Thailand Malaysia, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Ukraine, besides Oman are perticipating.

into 30 languages in which HM’s website can be accessed. The book, ‘Oman-Qaboos,’ would be presented as Oman’s gift to Heads of State and other world leaders. Hamoud Al Azri, General Supervisor, announced that the project has started. The initiative will be carried out jointly by the website and various embassies accredited to the Sultanate which will be involved in the translation of the biography of His Majesty. The book will be very special since all those countries in whose native language the website has

been translated will contribute a testimonial from their Head of State as introduction to the publication in that language. “I am very proud to announce that I have just received letters of appreciation and publication testimonials from Hon’ble Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, and Hon’ble Benigno Aquino III, President of the Republic of the Philippines, which came with the support of their excellencies the ambassadors,” Al Azri said. Other embassies are following up with their respective governments to have the contributing testimonial.

OMAN

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

OMAN

Omanis prefer to travel to Sri Lanka during holidays. Sri Lanka and Oman have good ties. We are hoping to carry more passengers this year Deepal Pallegangoda, Country manager of Mihin Lanka in Muscat

Mihin Lanka begins daily Muscat-Colombo service We have increased the frequency from five flights a week to daily. We want to give our passengers increased connectivity. This is a great time to increase the number of flights as summer is a peak season for travelling, an official Mihin Lanka in Muscat said

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Eyeing travellers planning to spend summer vacation in Sri Lanka and Far East destinations, Mihin Lanka has increased the frequency of its ﬂights from Muscat to Colombo, a top of-

ficial at the airline’s Muscat office said. “We have increased the frequency from five flights a week to daily. We want to give our passengers increased connectivity. This is a great time to increase the number of flights as summer is a peak season for travelling,” Deepal

Pallegangoda, country manager of Mihin Lanka in Muscat, said. Mihin Lanka launched service on the Muscat-Colombo sector on October 25 last year after its sister airline, SriLankan Airlines, ceased operations on the route. “Omanis prefer to travel to Sri Lanka during holidays. Sri Lanka and Oman have good ties. We are hoping to carry more passengers this year. We are offering attrac-

tive holiday packages in partnership with Sri Lankan Holidays this summer,” the country manager added. According to the country manager, Colombo is emerging as a tourism and trade hub in South Asia and in association with the Lankan government, they are offering budget holiday packages. “We plan to promote the country by providing affordable travel

options. More passengers are travelling to Dhaka and Maldives apart from Far East and China using Mihin Lanka. I think this summer, more people will travel to Sri Lanka, India and Far East countries compared to Europe as these countries provide affordable options,” the country manager added. The country manager said there was a 67 per cent increase in the number of Omani passengers travelling to Sri Lanka in 2014, compared to 2013. “In 2015, 14,216 tourists from Oman visited Sri Lanka,” the country manager said, adding the ﬁgure reﬂected an 11 per cent increase when compared to 2014, and many Omani businessmen are keen on investing in Sri Lanka. According to airline officials, Sri Lanka’s Tourism Ministry is planning to increase the country’s room capacity to 45,000 by 2016.

NEW PROPOSAL

reactions from expats to A1 Mixed ‘new visa renewal fee proposal’

‘A signiﬁcant move’ “Many expatriates working in big companies and drawing huge salaries are also paying the same amount for visa renewal. It would be a signiﬁcant move if the government makes this new rule. Thanks for the thoughts. “Long live#Oman,” Jasim

HM receives A1 written message < FROM

The advisor of Moroccan King conveyed the greetings and best wishes of King Mohammed VI to His Majesty the Sultan and for the Omani people further progress and prosperity. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the existing deeprooted bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and means for enhancing and developing cooperation horizons between them. They also reviewed a number of regional and international issues and developments, as well as issues of mutual interest. Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said requested the Advisor to convey His Majesty’s greetings and good wishes to the King of Morocco and for the Moroccan brotherly people further progress and prosperity. The meeting was attended by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry and Tariq Al Hasisin, accredited Ambassador of Morocco to the Sultanate. — ONA 14TH MEETING

< FROM

“So ultimately who will pay for it? It’s the Omani economy,” Vibhas posted. Jasim Uddin, another expatriate, posted that he thought this was a perfect decision because those people who earn only OMR90 or 100 salary in a month are compelled to pay OMR200 for visa renewal which is not fair.

KING OF MOROCCO

posted. Another expatriate, Payman Khoorpour, posted that he believed this was not going to improve the government revenue. Categorise the fee “The cost of stay for professionals will go very high which will eventually force them to explore some other country. They should instead categorise the fee as per different salary brackets and make slight adjustments,” Payman posted. A story on the subject, titled, “Proposal to charge 3% of worker salary as visa fee in Oman,” reported by the Times of Oman on Sunday was read by 30,000 peo-

ple online. On Facebook, this reportage reached 124,000 readers with 450 shares. Currently, there are 1,990,294 expatriates in Oman, according to government data. Calculated at the rate of OMR200 as visa renewal fee per person, it would amount to OMR398,058,800, as many leave Oman without renewing their visa to continue their stay after the two-year term. According to the proposal, if an expatriate’s monthly gross salary is OMR1,000, then his two year salary will be OMR24,000 and the three per cent of it, OMR720, will be the visa renewal fee.

Oman attends Riyadh forum RIYADH: The Sultanate, represented by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) participated in the 14th meeting of the Committee of the GCC Chairmen of Financial Markets Institutions (or their equivalents) of the GCC Secretariat General, which was held on Sunday in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sheikh Abdullah bin Salim Al Salmi, executive chairman of the CMA led the Sultanate’s delegation to the meeting. The meeting discussed the most prominent issues and developments taking place in regional and global markets. It also reviewed most important decisions taken by the Supreme Council in its 36th session held. — ONA

MEGA EVENT

13TH EDITION: More than 3,000 students from more than 250 schools across Oman are expected to

participate in the 13th edition of the mega event. - Times ﬁle picture

SAI-Times of Oman essay, poster contest registration dates extended Times News Service MUSCAT: SAI Group, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education (MoE), Oman, is gearing up to unveil the 13th edition of the mega event, ‘SAI - Times of Oman Open Essay Writing and Poster Making Competition 2016’ under the banner ‘Spreading the light through human values’ in which more than 3,000 students from more than 250 schools across Oman are expected to participate. Inauguration Phase 1 of the competition will be held at Indian School Ghubra (ISG) on Saturday, April 9, from 10 am to 12 noon for the Omani Government and Private schools–Arabic, bilingual and global, International and Special Education Schools of Muscat Governorate. Dr. Hamad Saif Musallam Al Busaidy, Director General for Curriculum Development, MoE, has consented to be the Chief Guest and will inaugurate the competition on April 9 at ISG. The second phase of the event will be held on April 16 at Sohar, Ibri and Nizwa. The last phase

will be on April 23 at Sur, Salalah and Buraimi at the Indian schools in these respective places. Last dates & topics The last date for registration has been extended up to April 4 for Muscat region, April 11 for regions covered in phase 2 and April 18 for regions covered in phase 3. The topics, common for both Poster Making and Essay Writing, are: Group A for students of Grades 1 to 3 - ‘How to be happy and make others happy’; Group B for Grades 4 to 6 – ‘Be a good friend to get a good friend’; Group C for Grades 7 to 9 - ‘Value of Time’ and Group D for Grades 9 to 12 – ‘Effects of Media.’ Participants will be given 90 minutes for Essay Writing and 120 minutes for Poster Making. The approximate word limit is 400 words for the A and B groups and 700 words for the C and D groups. Schools and participating students are advised to check the website www.saivaluesoman. org for up-to-date information on the event. Once the hall tickets are ready, schools can download and print them for the participants of Phase

1 by logging into the website. Alternatively, they can contact the SAI group for despatch of hall tickets through email. Participants must carry their hall tickets containing the roll number, room number, and also their writing/ colour pencils/drawing material. Only foolscap ruled papers for essay-writing and A3 sheets for poster-making would be provided by the organisers. Students have to ﬁll in the roll number and tick the appropriate topic box and not write their names or school names in the answer papers. Participants are advised not to carry cell phones, iPads and other such gadgets to the competition area. Reception or Facilitation counters would open from 8.30 am to assist students who fail to bring hall tickets with them. However, participants carrying hall tickets can directly go to the allotted rooms and take their seats latest by 9.30 am, as the event would start at 10.00 am sharp, after it is formally inaugurated. For further details, contact GSM: 9514 9226 or 9218 5310 or email: saitimesoman9@gmail. com and website www.saivaluesoman.org.

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

OMAN Average temperature up 3.6% in 2015 The average temperature, which was 28.2 degrees in 2013, fell to 27.7 degrees in 2014, before scaling up to 28.7 degrees last year

MUSCAT: Average temperature in the Sultanate registered a 3.6 per cent rise in 2015 compared with that in 2014, with the mercury touching 28.7 degrees Celsius in 2015 as against 27.7 degrees recorded in the prior year. Over the ﬁve-year period starting in 2011, the average temperature hovered at over 27 degrees

during the ﬁrst two years, then shot up to 28.2 degrees in 2013 only to cool down to 27.7 degrees in 2014, before scaling up to 28.7 degrees last year. These interesting details about the Sultanate’s weather over the 2011-2015 period are found in the latest climate statistics bulletin published by the National

Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). Relative humidity, on the other hand, decreased -7.1 per cent to 48.5 per cent in 2015 compared with 52.2 per cent in the previous year. Over the aforementioned five-year period, 2015 was the only year when relative humidity fell below 50 per cent. The highest humidity was recorded in 2013 at 54.3 per cent while in 2011 and 2012 the figures stood at 51 per cent and 50.2 per cent respectively, the NCSI report said. Significantly, last year the Sultanate received considerably less amount of rain at 83.7 mm, marking a decline of -14.6 per cent as against 98mm of rain registered in 2014. Year 2013, again recorded

TRANSPORT

MUSCAT: Mwasalat announced that it has carried 1.1 million passengers since the launch of its operations on November 22, last year, until the end of the month of March this year.

Economic beneﬁts The company urged everyone, especially the citizens to use public transport because of the economic beneﬁts to the individual and society in terms of reducing congestion, noise and emissions.

Less windy Meanwhile, last year was relatively less windy, with wind-speed coming down nearly 3 per cent to 6.6 knots compared with 6.8 knots in 2014. As with humidity and rain, year 2013 witnessed the highest wind-speed during the ﬁve-year period at 8.3 knots. Wind speed in 2012 recorded a 3 per cent rise over that of the prior year to reach 7 knots. Last year, summer saw temperature shooting up to as much as 39.2 degrees Celsius while the miniC O N S U LTA N C Y PA N E L

Mwasalat crosses 1.1m passenger landmark Most popular route Ruwi-Al Mubaila route carried the highest number of passengers with 580,000, followed by Ruwi-Wadi Al Kabir route with 393,000, followed by Ruwi-Wadi Uddy with 127.000. Mwasalat said in a statement to Omani News Agency (ONA) that the demand for the use of buses was higher than expected and the demand came from expatriates of various nationalities.

the highest rainfall during 20112015 at 136mm, showing a whopping 90.5 per cent surge over prior year’s 71.4 mm. The precipitation in 2011 stood at 92.6mm.

IN DEMAND: The demand for the use of buses was higher than expected and the demand came from expatriates of various nationalities. –File photo

New route launch It is worth mentioning that Mwasalat yesterday launched a new route linking Ruwi area to Al Amerat locality.

It will launch in this month Ruwi-Muttrah-Muscat route and Al Khoudh-Sultan Qaboos University-Burj Al Sahwa middle of this year. -ONA

Panel reviews TRC working MUSCAT: Topics related to research and innovation in the Sultanate were on the agenda of the International Consultancy Committee of The Research Council (TRC), which on Sunday held its two-day ninth meeting under the chair of Dr Hilal bin Ali Al Hinai, Secretary General of TRC. The meeting included a number of topics related to research and innovation in the Sultanate, as well as the quarterly report and the development budget for TRC. Previous meeting It also reviewed the replies of the TRC Board on the minutes of the previous meeting. The meeting included presentations and discussions on a number of programmes including the presentation on the programme for supporting the acclimatisation towards sustainable development and the environmental excellence centre approved by the TRC Board earlier. -ONA

mum recorded was 27.4. People of the Sultanate enjoyed a blissful winter last year with temperature in the range of 18.9-29.8 degrees Celsius. Winter humidity averaged 52.2 per cent while it was 44.7 per cent in the summer of 2015. Also, last summer received average rainfall of 46.3mm compared with 37.4mm in winter. Notably, the winter of 2014 experienced a markedly higher amount of rain averaging 53.8mm. Meanwhile, last year the highest average temperature was recorded in the Governorate of Al Buraimi at 37.9 degrees Celsius in July. The Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah experienced the coolest month of 2015 with an average temperature of 18.3 degrees in January.

Further, last year The Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah received the highest average rainfall at 116.5 mm in June while average monthly humidity peaked in August at 73 per cent in Dhofar.

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

REGION Syrian forces seize IS-held town west of Palmyra city said this was a strategic victory which secures oil and gas routes between the Damascus area and oilﬁelds in eastern Syria

Security and stability Syrian state television said the army and its allies “fully restored security and stability to Al Qaryatain after killing the last remaining groups of Daesh (IS) terrorists” in the town. In a statement read out on Syrian television, the military command said this was a strategic victory which secures oil and gas

Blast kills one south of Saudi capital Riyadh RIYADH: An improvised explosive device planted next to a police station south of the Saudi capital Riyadh killed one person, the Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement carried on state news agency SPA on Sunday. The ministry said at least three police cars were damaged in the explosion at a parking lot on Saturday night that killed an expatriate man, but gave no further details on who was behind the attack. An IS affiliate, calling itself the Nejd Province branch of the organisation, claimed responsibility for the blast, which took place in Al Dilam, a small city located about 100 km (62 miles) south of Riyadh. The group said in a statement earlier on Sunday it had set off two explosive devices in front of the police station and caused damage to vehicles, but did not specify casualties. Saudi Arabia has been hit by a spate of deadly shootings and bomb attacks since last year. — Reuters

Military command

BEIRUT: Syrian and allied forces backed by Russian air strikes drove IS militants out of the town of Al Qaryatain on Sunday after encircling it over the past few days, Syria’s military command said. Surrounded by hills, Al Qaryatain is 100km (60 miles) west of the ancient city of Palmyra, which government forces recaptured from IS last Sunday. Al Qaryatain had been held by the militant group since late August. Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has been trying to retake Al Qaryatain and other pockets of IS control to reduce the militant group’s ability to project military power into the heavily populated western region of Syria, where Damascus and other main cities are located.

IED EXPLOSION

PORT CITY OF MUKALLA

UNDER CONTROL OF REBELS: A general view shows Al ‘Iss town after Syrian rebels and the Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front took control of it, in Aleppo countryside, Syria on Saturday. – Reuters

routes between the Damascus area and oilfields in eastern Syria. It also disrupts IS supply routes within Syria. Government forces entered the town from a number of directions, Syrian media said. A Syrian military source told SANA state news agency the army had cleared areas northwest of the town of explosives planted by IS. IS militants retreating from Palmyra laid thousands of mines which the Syrian army is now clearing before civilians can return. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces had taken over half the town and that fierce fighting con-

tinued between Assad’s troops and IS to the north and southeast of Al Qaryatain. The Britainbased Observatory, which monitors the ﬁve-year-old Syrian conﬂict through a network of sources on the ground, said more than 40 air strikes by Russian and Syrian planes hit areas near the town on Sunday. When IS took over Al Qaryatain last August it demolished a Christian monastery and took around 200 of the town’s residents prisoner, transferring some of them to the Syrian city of Raqqa, the group’s de facto capital. IS still has complete control over Raqqa and runs most of Deir

Al Zor province in eastern Syria, which borders Iraq. A fragile “cessation of hostilities” truce has held in Syria for over a month as the various parties to the conflict try to negotiate an end to Syria’s civil war. Fierce fighting But the truce excludes IS and the Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front. Air and land attacks by Syrian and allied forces continue in parts of Syria where the government says the groups are present. Fierce fighting that broke out over the weekend continues south of Aleppo near the main highway linking that city with the capi-

tal, Damascus. It began when rebels and Nusra Front mounted an offensive against government forces. Meanwhile, IS has killed 15 of its members in the largest execution of the militant group’s security services so far in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday. The killings followed the arrest of 35 members on Saturday in Raqqa, according to Britainbased Observatory. The members were killed in connection with the assassination of senior IS ﬁgure Abu Hija Al Tunisi, who died on Wednesday in an air strike, the Observatory said. — Reuters

Air raids hit Al Qaeda camp in Aden ADEN: Warplanes attacked an Al Qaeda camp in southern Yemen on Sunday, killing and wounding a number of militants, a local official said. The aircraft launched four air strikes on militants of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) near the port city of Mukalla on Yemen’s south coast, he said. The official said the planes were from a coalition. It was no immediately possible to confirm the affiliation of the aircraft. A spokesman for the Saudi-led alliance could not be contacted for immediate comment. US aircraft have staged attacks on AQAP fighters. — Reuters

Z O N E E X PA N D E D

Gaza fishermen allowed more maritime space

TEMPORARY RELIEF: Palestinian ﬁshermen use a net to catch ﬁsh on a beach in Gaza City on Sunday. – Reuters

GAZA: Israel on Sunday extended the distance it permits Gaza fishermen to head out to sea along certain parts of the coastline of the enclave, which is run by the Hamas group. The fishing zone was expanded from six nautical miles (11 km) to nine (16 km) along Gaza’s central and southern shores, a step that Israeli authorities said should result in a bigger catch in deeper waters, where fish are more abundant. Israel, citing security concerns that include fears of Hamas weapons smuggling, maintains a naval blockade of Gaza, and the zone will remain at six nautical miles in northern areas near the Israeli border. Palestinians have complained

of frequent Israeli interceptions and arrests of fishermen who have strayed from the zone and of the confiscation of their boats and equipment. Insufficient Nizar Ayyash, chairman of the Gaza fishermen’s union, called the expansion insufficient, noting that Israel’s interim Oslo peace deals with the Palestinians call for a 20 nautical mile (37 km) zone in the Mediterranean. Hamas, which seized the Gaza Strip in 2007 from the rival Fatah movement, and last fought a war with Israel in 2014, rejects the Oslo accords. Ayyash said there are 4,000 fishermen in Gaza, home to 1.95 million people. — Reuters

ANTI-IS COALITION

Drone kills IS militant who attacked US troops in Iraq BAGHDAD: The anti-IS coalition conducting air strikes in Iraq and Syria has killed the IS militant believed responsible for an attack on US troops in northern Iraq last month that left a Marine dead, it said on Sunday. Militant Jasim Khadijah, a former Iraqi officer not considered a high-value target, was killed by a drone strike overnight in northern Iraq, coalition spokesman US Army Colonel Steve Warren told reporters in Baghdad. “We have information (that) he was a rocket expert, he controlled these attacks,” said Warren, referring to the shelling of a base used by US troops near the town of Makhmour, located between Mosul and Kirkuk. That attack killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin and wounded eight others, all part of a company-sized detachment of less than 200 troops. They provide force protection ﬁre to Iraqi army troops, who are making slow progress in a campaign to clear areas around Mosul, an IS stronghold. Cardin’s was the second com-

CAMPAIGN AGAINST MILITANTS: A member from Iraqi security forces stands next to a wreckage of a vehicle belonging to IS militants during a military operation in the town of Hit in Anbar province, on Saturday. – Reuters

bat death of an American service member in Iraq since the start of the campaign to ﬁght the militant group in 2014. Warren said ﬁve other IS militants were killed in the air strike. Meanwhile, the displaced population of Ramadi has started to return to the western Iraqi city that was recaptured from IS militants in December.

About 3,000 families have returned since Saturday to districts of Ramadi that have been cleared of mines and explosives, city governor Hameed Dulaymi told Reuters. Families are relying on electricity generators as the public grid has not been repaired, he said. Water for domestic use is being pumped from the nearby Euphrates river, he added. — Reuters

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

INDIA

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A joint statement

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

issued after the talks between Modi and King Salman, both at restricted format and delegation level, said the two leaders rejected totally any attempt to link terrorism to any particular race, religion or culture

HONOUR: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud honours

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday. - Reuters/Saudi Press Agency

RIYADH: India and Saudi Arabia on Sunday decided to ramp up their counter-terrorism cooperation as they asked all states to dismantle terror infrastructures “where they happen to exist” and reject the use of terrorism against other countries. The assertion was made by the two countries after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wideranging talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and delegation-level parleys between the two sides following which ﬁve agreements were signed. Pacts signed The two countries also called on states to cut off any kind of support and ﬁnancing to terrorists operating and perpetrating terrorism from their territories against other states and bring perpetrators of acts of terrorism to justice. The pacts signed included one

on cooperation in the exchange of intelligence related to money laundering, terror ﬁnancing and related crimes and another relating to recruitment of Indian workers in Saudi Arabia, home to around three million Indian workers. In the talks, the Indian side indicated to Saudis that India is facing attacks from across the border as both sides decided to enhance their counter-terrorism cooperation. The two sides deliberated on enhancing trade and investment ties, particularly in energy and infrastructure sectors. An official quoted Prime Minister Modi as saying that the outcome of the talks had turned a “new leaf” in bilateral ties. A joint statement issued after the talks between Modi and King Salman, both at restricted format and delegation level, said the two leaders rejected totally any attempt to link terrorism to any particular race, religion or culture.

“They called on all states to reject the use of terrorism against other countries; dismantle terrorism infrastructures where they happen to exist and to cut off any kind of support and ﬁnancing to the terrorists operating and perpetrating terrorism from their territories against other states; and bring perpetrators of acts of terrorism to justice,” the statement said. “The two leaders agreed to further strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism, both at the bilateral level and within the multilateral system of the UN. The two leaders called upon the international community to strengthen multilateral regimes to effectively address the challenges posed by terrorism,” it said. The statement said the two sides agreed to work together towards the adoption of India’s proposed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations.

The prime minister lauded the Kingdom’s efforts in ﬁghting terrorism in all aspects and its active participation in international efforts towards this end. The Indian side was briefed on Saudi Arabia’s initiative in bringing together the Islamic Alliance against terrorism. Modi and King Salman expressed strong condemnation of the phenomenon of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, irrespective of who the perpetrators were and of their motivations. Amar Sinha, Secretary, Economic Relations, in the External Affairs Ministry, said both sides “looked at individuals” involved in terror activities as well as ﬁnancing, indicating that Riyadh was really serious in dealing with the menace. He said the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence sharing and capacity-building and to strengthen

cooperation in law enforcement, anti-money laundering, drug-trafﬁcking and other transnational crimes. The two sides also agreed to take action against illegal transfer of money. Sinha said the pact on cooperation in exchange of intelligence related to money laundering and terror ﬁnancing was a major step. Modi and the King also emphasised on the need to further cement bilateral strategic engagement, including in the areas of security and defence cooperation. They agreed to intensify bilateral defence cooperation, conduct of joint military exercises, exchange of visits of ships and aircrafts and supply of arms and ammunition and their joint development. In the talks, the two sides also agreed to promote cooperation in cyber security, including prevention of use of cyber space for terrorism, radicalisation and for disturbing social harmony. “The two leaders directed their relevant agencies to coordinate efforts to counter radicalisation and misuse of religion by groups and countries for inciting hatred, perpetrating and justifying terrorism for pursuing political aims,” the joint statement said. On energy security, the two leaders agreed to transform the buyer-seller relationship in the energy-sector to one of deeper partnership focusing on investment and joint ventures in petrochemical complexes and cooperation in joint exploration in India, Saudi Arabia and in third countries. The Saudi side expressed its interest in investing in infrastructure development in India, especially in priority areas such as railways, roads, ports, and shipping. -PTI

L O A N D E FA U LT C A S E

ED preparing for LRs in Mallya-KFA probe NEW DELHI: As the money laundering probe against embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya gathers pace, India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) is preparing to issue Letters Rogatories (LRs) to a certain countries, including South Africa and the UK, for obtaining information on his overseas assets. Official sources said the agency has obtained details about immovable and movable assets held by the United Breweries (UB) chairman in a number of countries and investigators are looking at countries like South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Hong Kong and France, as part of its probe conducted till now in the case. The agency is mulling moving a competent court in this regard and obtain the LRs (judicial requests) which will be sent to their counterparts in these countries for obtaining information with regard to purchase, registration and status of movable and immovable assets. The agency, meanwhile, has also written to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to understand the nuances of a 2010 policy decision to widen the corporate debt restructuring scheme to include the aviation industry. The policy was used by a few airlines, including Kingﬁsher Airlines (KFA), to restructure its debts. Comprehensive data The sources said as there are not many assets of Mallya available for attachment under anti-money laundering laws in the country following banks putting their claims on them, his and KFA’s foreign assets can be seized. The agency, while probing the “proceeds of crime” generated in the case of an alleged loan fraud of Rs900 crore on IDBI bank, will also need to have a comprehensive data on what properties were raised by the businessman, his companies and associates abroad. - PTI

A10

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016 Ahmad was a brave officer who never hesitated in taking up any challenge. It is a big loss to NIA. We will rise to the occasion and both NIA as well as UP police has taken this as a challenge to bring the culprits before the law Sanjeev Kumar, NIA Inspector-general

INDIA

Assembly elections begin in West Bengal, Assam today 18 constituencies in West Bengal and 65 in Assam will go for polls on Monday

GUWAHATI/KOLKATA: The ﬁrst phase of crucial assembly polls in West Bengal and Assam will be held on Monday with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee facing a tough ﬁght from Left-Congress combine and Tarun Gogoi of Congress striving hard to retain power in the key northeastern state. Eighteen constituencies in West Bengal and 65 in Assam will go for polls on Monday in the over

GEARING UP: Polling officials carry electronic voting machines to

their respective polling areas on the eve of ﬁrst phase of polling for the Assembly elections in Tinsukia, Assam on Sunday. - PTI

a month-long election process to elect new governments in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry. While West Bengal will have elections spread over six phases, the Assam polls will be held in two phases. In West Bengal, elections

will be held on seven dates with the ﬁrst phase having two polling days — the other being on April 11. Elections will be held in West Bengal’s Maoist-affected areas on Monday. In the ﬁrst part of phase one, 133 candidates will try their luck from Left Wing Extremism

hit districts of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura. Out of the 18 constituencies, 13 have been classiﬁed as LWEaffected by the Election Commission where voting will end early at 4pm due to security considerations. In the remaining ﬁve constituencies of Purulia, Manbazar, Kashipur, Para and Raghunathpur voting will go on as usual till 6pm. The ruling Trinamool Congress has been highlighting how peace has returned in the Maoist-hotbed Junglemahal area. The last 2011 assembly polls, which ended the 34-year-long rule of the Left, had Trinamool and Congress on the same side. The Congress, which broke its alliance later on, has forged alliance with the Left. The Left-Congress alliance has been a subject of mockery for both the BJP and the Trinamool. Chief Minister Mamata Baner-

jee has called this alliance an “unholy” one while Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended an election rally in Kharagpur town, mocking it, saying “dosti (friendship) in Bengal and kushti (wrestling) in Kerala”. The strength of the West Bengal assembly is 294. In Assam, the ruling Congress, the BJP-AGP-BPF alliance and the AIUDF are locked in a keen battle where the ﬁrst phase of elections will be held in 65 of the 126 constituencies. In Assam, a total of 539 candidates are in the fray in the ﬁrst phase. Security has been tightened across the state with the Indo-Bangla border along Barak Valley’s Karimganj district sealed and more than 40,000 security personnel deployed in the 65 constituencies spread across Upper Assam, hill districts, northern banks and Barak Valley. - PTI

WA R - T O R N

Indian priest kidnapped in Yemen ‘could be freed soon’ MUMBAI: An Indian priest abducted by gunmen in Yemen last month is safe and could be released soon, a Catholic group said on Sunday, quoting the Indian foreign minister. Father Tom Uzhunnalil was captured from the southern Yemeni city of Aden by gunmen who killed at least 15 people at an old people’s home. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) said a delegation met Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj who said the government was working to secure the priest’s safe return. “She has assured us Father Tom is safe and negotiations are on for his release which could happen very soon,” said Father Joseph Chinnaiyan. Aden has been racked by lawlessness since Hadi supporters, backed by Gulf Arab military forces, drove Houthis from the city in July last year. - Reuters

BIJNOR

NIA officer shot dead, wife injured by unidentiﬁed killers

INSPECTION: Police personnel checking the car of NIA officer

Mohammed Tanzil (inset) who was shot dead by unidentiﬁed assailants on Saturday night as he was on his way back from a function with his wife and two children, in Bijnor on Sunday. - PTI

BIJNOR/NEW DELHI: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) officer, probing terror cases related to Indian Mujahideen, was on Sunday shot dead by two unidentiﬁed motorcycle-borne assailants who also wounded his wife when they were returning home from a wedding near Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor town. In a “planned attack”, the killers pumped 24 bullets at 45-yearold Mohammad Tanzil Ahmad and four at his wife Farzana, as their daughter, 14, and son, 12, watched the gruesome incident from the back seat of the Wagon-R car they were travelling in, police said, adding the children were not injured. Late on Sunday evening, NIA IG Sanjeev Kumar said Farzana was “out of danger. There is no damage to her vital organs. She is recovering”. Big loss “Ahmad was a brave officer who never hesitated in taking up any challenge. It is a big loss to NIA. We will rise to the occasion and both NIA as well as UP police has taken this as a challenge to bring the culprits before the law,” he said. Ahmad was returning home in Sahaspur village of Bijnor district with his family after attending his niece’s wedding in another nearby village in the same district, which is about 150km from Delhi. Police termed the killing of Ahmad, posted as inspector initially with the NIA’s intelligence wing and later in its investigation department, as a “planned attack” and did not rule out the possibility of a terror angle behind the shootout. Home Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters in Lucknow that he had been apprised of the incident. “Whatever necessary is being done. We are talking (to NIA ofﬁcials),” Singh said. Police suspect that Ahmad’s movements was being tracked by the assailants who used at least one 9mm pistol in the attack. “Tanzil Ahmad was shot dead by two motorcycle borne persons when he was returning after attending a marriage ceremony

with his wife Farzana,” IG (Law and Order) of UP Police Bhagwan Swaroop said. The incident took place at 12:45am when Ahmed, earlier posted as an assistant commandant in BSF and on deputation to NIA, was returning to Sahaspur from the wedding ceremony. Ahmad, who has been with the NIA ever since the organisation was formed in February 2009, had been investigating many cases especially related to banned Indian Mujahideen terror outfit. His superiors termed him as a thorough professional in intelligence gathering as well as investigation. According to the police, Ahmad left his home in the evening along with his family to attend a marriage ceremony at a guest house at Sohara village. On their way back, their vehicle was stopped barely 200 metres from his home by two youths who fired at a very close range. In New Delhi, NIA IG Kumar said, “When Ahmad was coming back from the function, a planned attack took place on him and he was fired upon. He was killed in the firing while his wife was injured. She has been admitted to Fortis Hospital, Noida.” Ahmad was taken to nearby Cosmos hospital where he was declared brought dead. The Uttar Pradesh Police have sealed the borders of the district and launched a manhunt for the assailants. Additional Director General of Police Daljit Chowdhry said “nothing can be ruled out,” when asked whether there was a possibility of terror angle behind the attack. Serious offence “A very serious offence has taken place in the district and we have taken it very seriously. The body has been sent for post-mortem and details of what actually happened will soon come out. Borders of the state have been sealed and checking is on in the nearby villages to trace those involved in killing of the officer. We are trying to find out the accused and the motive behind the murder,” he said. - PTI

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

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PAKISTAN

KP government agrees to pay Rs18b from net hydel profit Net hydel profit is the compensation for contribution to the national grid of the hydroelectric power plants running in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

KhyberPakhtunkhwa claims a principal amount of Rs47 billion in net hydel proﬁt from the federal government and both have agreed to settle the matter

ISLAMABAD: The government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has agreed to the deduction of its Rs18 billion electricity dues from net hydel proﬁt of the province, officials say. K-P has to pay Rs20.47 billion in electricity bills to power companies. Among provinces, Sindh stands on top as it has to clear outstanding bills amounting to Rs72.11 billion. Punjab owes Rs4.9 billion and Balochistan Rs4.53 billion. “K-P government is willing

COMPROMISE: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority has increased the price of hydroelectric power, which leads to a rise in the net hydel proﬁt of K-P from Rs6 billion to Rs18 billion per annum. — AFP ﬁle photo

to pay Rs18-billion electricity bills out of its net hydel proﬁt, but Sindh is facing problems in clearing the dues that stood at over Rs70 billion,” it was told in a recent meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. K-P claims a principal amount of Rs47 billion in net hydel proﬁt from the federal government and

both have agreed to settle the matter. Net hydel proﬁt is the compensation for contribution to the national grid of the hydroelectric power plants running in K-P. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority has increased the price of hydroelectric power, which leads to a rise in the net hydel proﬁt of K-P from Rs6 billion to Rs18 billion per annum.

A1 1

According to the officials, the Ministry of Water and Power and the K-P government have decided to take up for discussion the increase in net hydel profit before the Council of Common Interests (CCI) – an inter-provincial body – for final approval. The federal and K-P governments have also agreed that they will jointly draw up a comprehensive plan for determining the period and volume of the outstanding amount of net hydel profit. A decision on this will be taken after bringing all stakeholders on board.

Participants of the cabinet committee meeting told the prime minister that the Ministry of Water and Power had encountered problems in recovering electricity bills from the government of Sindh. Earlier, the ministry had powers to deduct at source the dues of provinces, but in 2013, the CCI decided that only 25% deduction would be allowed and that too after reconciliation of data. “The federal adjuster may ask the Sindh government to clear 25% of pending bills immediately and the remaining after 30 days, in case the province does not ﬁnalise the reconciliation of data,” the premier was told. The pending electricity bills of Punjab farmers also came up for review in the energy committee huddle. The power ministry revealed that outstanding bills of Punjab farmers had piled up to more than Rs30 billion and their recovery posed a big challenge. Earlier, the government had asked the ministry to go slow on the recovery of arrears until December 2015, however, the ministry feared that any further delay would turn these dues into bad debts. — Express Tribune

INTERIOR MINISTRY

Plea ﬁled to keep model Ayaan on exit control list ISLAMABAD: In the wake of a plea by the collector of the Model Customs Collectorate, the interior ministry has also approached the Supreme Court against the Sindh High Court (SHC) March 7 order directing the ministry to remove model Ayaan Ali’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL). The ministry has contended that the high court could not issue directions for placing information on its website. In March 2015, customs officials arrested her at Islamabad airport, upon recovering $506,800 from her luggage. Ayaan later denied any involvement in money laundering. She was released from Adiala prison in Rawalpindi after spending almost four months in detention. A divisional bench of the SHC had ordered on March 7 the removal of supermodel’s name from the ECL. Later on the request of collector of Model Customs Collectorate, the top court suspended the high court’s verdict. The interior ministry while submitting an appeal through its counsel Ahmad Nawaz Chaudhry submitted that the name of Ayaan was placed on the no-ﬂy list on the recommendation of the Federal Board of Revenue. — Express Tribune

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READERS’ FORUM Tourist potential of Sultanate still to be explored This refers to the report, “Tourist inflow doubled in ten years”, (April 3). It is really heartening to note that the Sultanate is getting more attractive each year to tourists and visitors from around the world. As the Sultanate is a wonderful tourist destination in the region, it is not surprising to see the growth in tourist inflow increases every year. The Ministry of Tourism has to be appreciated for its promotional activities to project the Sultanate as one of the best tourist destinations in the world. However, the tourist potential of the Sultanate is still to be explored. As a geographically Scan this QR code blessed nation, Oman has a lot of potential to send letters to the for tourism and its related sectors. The Readers’ Forum, untapped tourist spots have to be identicontaining not more than 200 words with fied and developed for tourism. New roads, full name, address hotels and apartments have to be built at and telephone prominent tourist locations. Tourism can number, may be sent contribute to the country’s economy as one by e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com). of the sources of non-oil revenue, especially in the circumstances of the decline in oil price. Apart from contributing to the development of economy of the country, the tourism industry can play a significant role in the employment sector for nationals. The educated and trained national youth can explore the employment opportunities in the tourism industry. — P. A. Jacob, Muscat

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Debunking America’s populist narrative

JEAN PISANI-FERRY

Since global ﬁnancial crisis erupted in 2008, productivity has grown at a snail’s pace. Oddly, the smartphones’ magic computing power does not seem to offset the slowdown in efficiency gains in manufacturing and standard services. For almost a decade, annual productivity growth in advanced economies has been close to 1 per cent, versus 2 per cent

ne does not need to be particularly good at hearing to decipher the dog whistles being used during this year’s election campaign in the United States. Listen even briefly, and you will understand that Mexicans and Chinese are working with Wall Street to forge lousy trade deals that rob American workers of their rightful jobs, and that Muslims want to blow everyone up. All of this fear mongering is scarier than the usual election-year fare. It is frightening to people in foreign countries, who can conclude only that voters in the world’s only superpower have become dangerously unbalanced. And it is frightening to Americans, who until recently believed – or perhaps hoped – that they were living in a republic based on the traditions established by George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt. But what is even more unsettling is the political reality this rhetoric reflects. There can be no comparing Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’s policy-oriented critique of neoliberalism to the incoherent bluster of Donald Trump or Ted Cruz on the Republican side. And yet, on both the right and the left, a common narrative is emerging – one that seeks to explain why the incomes of working- and middleclass Americans have stagnated over the past generation. Unfortunately, this narrative, if used as a basis for policymaking, will benefit neither the US nor the rest of the world; worse, it has yet to be seriously challenged. For decades, senior Republican politicians and intellectuals have been uninterested in educating the American people about the realities of economic policy. And Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has been too busy trying to fend off Sanders’s challenge. Broadly, the narrative goes something like this. American middle- and working-class wages have stagnated because Wall Street pressed companies to outsource the valuable jobs that made up America’s manufacturing base, first to low-wage Mexicans and then to the Chinese. Moreover, this was a bipartisan effort, with both parties unified behind financial deregulation and trade deals that undermined the US economy. First, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) led to the export of high-quality manufacturing jobs to Mexico. Then the US established permanent normal trade relations with China and refused to

brand its government a currency manipulator. The reason this narrative is wrong is simple. There are good reasons why the US adopted policies that encouraged poorer countries to grow rapidly through export-led industrialisation. In helping Mexico, China, and other developing countries grow, the US is gaining richer trading partners. Furthermore, there is a strong case that US national security will be improved if, 50 years from now, schoolchildren around the world learn how America helped their countries prosper, rather than trying to keep them as poor as possible for as long as possible. It was not globalisation that caused incomes to stagnate. Trade with countries like China and Mexico is just one factor affecting income distribution in the US, and it is by no means the most important one. The reason that incomes have stagnated is that American politicians have failed to implement policies to manage globalisation’s effects. As Steve Cohen and I argue in our book Concrete Economics, macroeconomic management requires the government to do what it always did before 1980: pragmatically adopt policies that promote equitable growth. There were good reasons for the US to offload industries that required low wages to be globally competitive. But there was little reason for the US to offload industries that had become important “technology drivers.” Nor were there good reasons for a lot of other bad decisions, such as allowing the financial industry to profit by convincing investors to bear risks they should not and allowing healthcare providers to profit from administration at the expense of the care and treatment of the sick. It is not difficult to see where the blame lies. As Mark Kleiman of NYU’s Marron Institute points out, the Republican Party’s rigid and die-hard ideological opposition to “taxing the rich [has] destroyed, on a practical level, the theoretical basis for believing that free trade benefits everyone.” It is difficult to argue for redistributing the benefits of globalisation when you believe that the market channels gains to those who deserve them. Nor can you ameliorate the painful effects of globalisation if you believe that social-insurance programmes turn their beneficiaries into lethargic “takers.” The responsibility lies instead with politicians peddling ideology over practicality – and thus with the citizens who elect them, as well as those who don’t bother to vote at all. - Project Syndicate

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES APRIL 2001 Maqbool inaugurates e-commerce seminar MUSCAT: Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, minister of commerce and industry, opened a seminar on e-commerce in the banking and commercial sector at Grand Hyatt Muscat Hotel yesterday. The three-day seminar is being organized by the Central Bank of Oman (CBO). Dr Ali bin Mohammed bin Moosa, health minister and deputy chairman of the CBO board of governors gave a speech in which he pointed to the attention paid to e-commerce may play in the banking apparatus in the Sultanate and the repercussions of that with regard to the level of banking services. He said the topics to be discussed during the seminar would enrich the participants’ information regarding the latest developments on the factors effecting volume and nature of e-commerce.

PICTOGRAPH

OMAN’S OIL & GAS EXPORTS November - December 2015 (Million rials) November

522.7

We invite our readers to write articles on topics related to Oman. The articles should not exceed 800 words. Send us your article along with your picture to akhtar@timesofoman.com

1917: The US Senate votes 90-6 to enter World War I on Allied side. 1941: Field Marshal Erwin Rommel captures the British held town of Benghazi in North Africa. 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, US. 1974: Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth’s home-run record.

Total oil & gas exports

533.7

74.1

TODAY IN HISTORY INVITATION TO WRITERS

December

Liquiﬁed natural gas

64.7

13%

532.9

Crude oil

450.5

16%

15.9

Reﬁned oil

18.5

17% Source National Centre for Statistics & Information

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016 Japan is increasing its presence in the South China Sea, sending more ships and planes to allies in Southeast Asia, like Vietnam and the Philippines

Japan submarine makes port call to Philippines Japan has offered to help the Philippines boost its capability in monitoring what is going on in the South China Sea by leasing three TC-90 surveillance planes, a deal that could be sealed late this month

SUBIC BAY (Philippines): A Japanese submarine made a port call in the Philippines, the first in 15 years, on Sunday in a show of growing military cooperation amid tension triggered by China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. One of the newest and largest submarines in the Japanese navy, it was escorted into the former US Navy Base at Subic Bay by two Japanese destroyers on a tour of Southeast Asia. “This is just an exercise and the main objective is to train the officers,” Captain Hiraoki Yoshino of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force told reporters. “We don’t have any message to any country,” he said, adding the ship visits were aimed at boosting confidence between the Japan and the Philippines.

MILITARY TIES: Japanese submarine Oyashio, escorted by one of destroyers JS Ariake (background), arrives at the former US naval base in Subic bay, on Sunday. Two Japanese destroyers and a submarine docked at a Philippine port on Sunday, near disputed South China Sea waters, where Beijing’s increasingly assertive behaviour has sparked global concern. - AFP

China claims almost all the South China Sea, where about $5 trillion of ship-borne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims. Japan and China also have conﬂicting claims over islets in the East China Sea. Japan is increasing its presence in the South China Sea, sending more ships and planes to allies in Southeast Asia, like Vietnam and the Philippines.

The Philippines and the United States start military drills on Monday, including simulating the retaking an island seized by an imaginary enemy in the South China Sea, an exercise likely to rile China. Japan has offered to help the Philippines boost its capability in monitoring what is going on in the South China Sea by leasing three TC-90 surveillance planes, a deal that could be sealed late this month. - Reuters

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Bangladesh ex-premier to seek bail in bus attack case More than 120 people were killed and hundreds injured early last year in political violence during transport blockades and strikes. Prime Minister Hasina has blamed the rising tide of violence on the opposition BNP and its key ally, Jamaat-e-Islami party

A court in Dhaka issued arrest warrants for Khaleda Zia and 27 leaders and activists of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s former prime minister and main opposition leader Khaleda Zia is expected to appear in court and seek bail after she was issued with an arrest warrant over a deadly ﬁrebombing attack, her lawyer said on Sunday. A court in Dhaka issued arrest warrants on Wednesday for Zia, 70, and 27 leaders and activists of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in connection with a petrol bomb attack on a bus in January last year during a deadly anti-government campaign. “Most likely, Madam will appear before the court on April 5

DEFIANT: Bangladesh’s former prime minister and main opposition leader Khaleda Zia. Bangladesh

Nationalist Party (BNP) called for a countrywide protest on Monday against the arrest warrant, saying it was politically motivated. – File photograph

and will seek bail,” Khaleda’s lawyer Sanaullah Miah told reporters. The BNP called for a countrywide protest on Monday against the arrest warrant, saying it was politically motivated. More than 120 people were killed and hundreds injured ear-

ly last year in political violence during transport blockades and strikes aimed at toppling the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladeshi politics has been mired for years in rivalry between Hasina and Khaleda. Both women

are related to former national leaders, and they have alternated as prime minister for most of the past two decades. Bangladesh has also seen a surge in extremist violence in which liberal activists, members of minority sects and other religious groups have

been targeted. Prime Minister Hasina has blamed the rising tide of violence on the opposition BNP and its key ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, many of whose leaders are being prosecuted for war crimes during the 1971 war. The opposition denies any involvement. — Reuters

MH370 CRASH

Debris found in Mauritius to be examined SYDNEY: Australia said that a piece of suspected aeroplane debris found east of Africa on a Mauritian island will be examined to see if it is part of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which went missing two years ago in one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries. A hotel owner on the island who saw the debris said it looked like it was from the inside of a plane, with what he thought was a wallpaper “design”, which if confirmed, would be the first piece of interior debris from the plane yet to be found. Item of interest Australia has led the search for the plane, which went missing in March 2014 with 239 people on board on a flight from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, to Beijing, and Transport Minister Darren Chester said the debris, found last week, was an “item of interest”. “The Malaysian government is working with officials from Mauritius to seek to take custody of the debris and arrange for its examination,” Chester said in a statement. He did not say from what part of the missing Boeing 777 the debris was suspected to have come. “... Until the debris has been examined by experts, it is not possible to ascertain its origin.” — Reuters

PRESS FREEDOM IN TURKEY

Obama spoke behind my back, says Erdogan ISTANBUL: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused US counterpart Barack Obama of going behind his back for criticising Turkey’s press freedom record and linked it to efforts to “divide” Turkey, media reports said on Sunday. Obama said on Friday after meeting Erdogan on the sidelines of a nuclear summit in Washington that he was troubled by curbs on the press in Turkey and said he had urged Erdogan not to repress democratic debate in his country. Turkey has drawn international condemnation for charging two journalists with treason for publishing footage that purportedly showed the intelligence agency shipping truckloads of weapons to opposition fighters in Syria in early 2014. Can Dundar and Erdem Gul of Cumhuriyet face life in prison. “I was saddened to hear that statement made behind my back. During my talk with Obama, those issues did not come up,” Erdogan told reporters, according to Hurriyet daily. He returned to Turkey after a five-day trip to Washington on Sunday. “You cannot consider insults and threats press freedom or criticism,” Erdogan said. Turkey has seized control of opposition newspapers and TV channels and cut the satellite feed of a pro-Kurdish channel, accusing them of terrorismrelated activities. Erdogan has personally brought more than 1,800 criminal suits against individuals, including journalists and children, for insulting him since becoming president in 2014. The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 13 journalists are in jail for their coverage and described a “massive crackdown” that includes selfcensorship and harassment of media-business owners. Criticism of Turkey’s press record seeks to “divide, shatter and if they could, swallow up Turkey,” he said. “This is what I mean by mastermind. A mastermind is playing games over Turkey. Erdogan and his supporters occasionally refer to a shadowy foreign “mastermind” that seeks to destabilise Turkey, a NATO member that shares borders with Syria, Iraq and Iran. Separately, Erdogan said the US and Turkey had edged closer in their stances on Syrian Kurds, close US allies in the fight against IS militant group. Turkey sees the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and its political arm, the PYD, as part of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a threedecade insurgency against Tur-

Erdogan slammed over satire protest BERLIN: The head of the European Parliament sharply criticised Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday for protesting against a satirical song on German television that mocked the president just as the EU needs Ankara to help solve its migrant crisis. The broadcast and Turkey’s response has morphed into a diplomatic incident with Germany, France and the EU rejecting Ankara’s protests, which included Germany’s ambassador being to the Turkish foreign ministry. The two-minute song, shown on “extra 3” last month, poked fun at Erdogan for his authoritarian treatment of journalists. In unusually strong language, European Parliament President Martin Schulz said it was “not acceptable that the president of another country demanded Germany limits democratic rights because he felt caricatured”. “We must make clear to Erdogan: we have democracy in our country. That’s the end of it... politicians must live with satire, even the Turkish president,” Schulz, a Social Democrat, told Bild am Sonntag. — Reuters

key. US officials have said they distinguish between the groups. Both Vice President Joseph Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry promised Erdogan during meetings they would not allow the formation of a PYD-run state in Syria, the Turkish leader said. Turkey is putting forth the names of 2,400 trained Arab and Turkmen ﬁghters to battle IS, Erdogan also said, describing them as part of the moderate opposition. This was “so the US no longer has an excuse” for co-operating with the YPG and PYD, he said. — Reuters

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

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On Monday, the Brussels Airport will serve a wider range of destinations, including one plane due out to New York and two more to cities in Cameroon, Gambia and Senegal.

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BRUSSELS: Brussels Airport reopened to a thin stream of passengers on Sunday, 12 days after suicide bombers destroyed its departure hall and killed 16 people. Belgium’s main airport says it aims to return to maximum capacity before the start of summer holidays at the end of June or early July. The airport had not handled passenger ﬂights since two suspected militants carried out the suicide attacks. Those bombs and a separate one on a metro train in the capital killed 32 people, excluding the

SIGN OF HOPE: The ﬁrst plane takes off from Brussels Airport, which partially re-opened following a

bomb blast 12 days ago, in Zaventem, Belgium on Sunday. – Reuters

three bombers. On Sunday, the airport handled just three ﬂights, the ﬁrst bound for Faro in Portugal with only about 80 passengers. The plane bore a surrealist design of clouds and birds in homage to Belgian painter Rene Magritte and had only been unveiled the day before the bombings. It taxied

MOSCOW

EXTINGUISHING THE BLAZE: Fireﬁghters work to extinguish a ﬁre at a building of Russia’s Defence Ministry in central Moscow on Sunday. – AFP

Fire rips through Russian defence ministry building MOSCOW: A fire ripped through a Russian Defence Ministry building in central Moscow on Sunday, sending plumes of smoke over the Russian capital as fire fighters battled to extinguish the blaze. Around 50 people were reported to have been evacuated from the administrative building, which dates from the end of the eighteenth century. Nobody was reported to have been hurt. Scaling ladders Photographs from the scene showed fire fighters scaling ladders to access the building’s upper floors with fire engines pumping water through hoses

placed on the ground floor. Traffic through central Moscow was diverted. Major-General Igor Konashenkov, on the scene, told the Interfax news agency that the flames had been put out, but that work had been continuing to extinguish parts of the building that were generating smoke and smouldering. A source told Interfax the fire may have started as a result of a short circuit involving old electrical wiring. The Emergency Situations Ministry said the fire had covered an area of at least 50 square metres. The Defence Ministry told Interfax the fire would not hamper its operations. — Reuters

B R E A K AWAY R E G I O N

Azerbaijan ‘will stop’ fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh YEREVAN: Azerbaijan said on Sunday it would stop fighting Armenian-backed troops over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region after two days of renewed clashes killed dozens and drew international calls for an immediate ceasefire. Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies inside Azerbaijan but is controlled by ethnic Armenians, has run its own affairs with heavy military and financial backing from Armenia since a separatist war ended in 1994. But the situation along the tense “contact line” has deteriorated in past weeks and a fresh eruption of violence on Saturday left multiple dead on both sides. Appeals “Having taken into account... appeals from international organisations, Azerbaijan has decided to unilaterally cease retaliatory military actions and will consolidate yesterday’s territory gains,” RIA news agency quoted the Azeri Defence Ministry as saying. Nagorno-Karabakh officials,

12 days to make this moment possible,” he said. On Monday, the airport will serve a wider range of destinations, including one plane due out to New York and two more to cities in Cameroon, Gambia and Senegal. Many ﬂights have been re-routed to Belgium’s regional airports or other nearby hubs such as Amsterdam and Paris, with high-speed trains to and from Brussels packed.

however, said the fighting had not let up. “At this very moment, hostilities continue,” Interfax news agency quoted a spokesman for the separatist forces as saying. “In the last 24 hours, Azerbaijan has twice declared a cessation of hostilities, but the reality and situation now is that no practical steps have been taken on their side,” the spokesman said. Azerbaijan and Armenianbacked forces have both reported civilian casualties and accused each other of violating a 1994 ceasefire, brokered after fierce fighting in the breakaway region left some 30,000 people dead. The Azeri Defence Ministry said its forces had destroyed 10 separatist tanks and killed multiple fighters in overnight clashes. The Nagorno-Karabakh military said its losses were much lower and that it had destroyed 14 Azeri tanks and five armoured vehicles in the past 24 hours. “This is another display of the unrestrained fantasies on the Azeri side,” RIA cited a military spokesman as saying. — Reuters

towards the runway flanked by an honour guard of staff and, after a minute’s silence, took off. Flights were also scheduled to Turin and Athens later in the day, with three return flights set for the evening. The first passengers for nearly two weeks fed into a vast tempo-

rary marquee housing security controls and check-in facilities. Arnaud Feist, the airport’s chief executive, described Sunday’s reopening as a sign of hope and an emotional moment for all airport staff. “We’ve worked day and night, literally day and night, over the last

Passengers warned Brussels Airport has warned passengers to arrive three hours before their ﬂights due to the increased security and to come by car. The normal train and bus services are not running. Special cameras will be set up to read number plates, there will be random checks of vehicles and the drop-off zone will not be ac-

cessible. Passengers and their baggage will be checked on arrival and there will be increased patrols of armed police and military. The airport, which provides work for some 20,000 people, is among the busiest in Europe, handling 23.5 million passengers per year. It links the Belgian capital, headquarters city of the European Union and NATO, with 226 destinations worldwide, through 77 airlines. With its temporary check-in zone, it will only be able to handle some 800 departing passengers or about ﬁve to six ﬂights per hour, around 20 per cent of previous capacity. Brussels Airlines, Belgium’s largest carrier which is 45 per cent owned by Germany’s Lufthansa, has estimated the closure of its Brussels hub is costing it 5 million euros ($5.7 million) per day. The city’s association of hotel operators pointed to the closed airport as one of the main reasons for a more than 50 per cent drop in overnight stays in the week following the bombings. — Reuters

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Death from overwork on the rise in Japan Work-related suicides are up 45 per cent in the past four years among those 29 and younger, and up 39 per cent among women, Japan labour

WORKERS’ PLIGHT: Japan has no legal limits on working hours, but the labour ministry recognises two types of ‘karoshi’: Death from cardiovascular illness linked to overwork, and suicide following work-related mental stress. – Reuters

ministry data show

TOKYO: Japan is witnessing a record number of compensation claims related to death from overwork, or “karoshi”, a phenomenon previously associated with the long-suffering “salary man” that is increasingly afflicting young and female employees. Labour demand, with 1.28 jobs per applicant, is the highest since 1991, which should help Prime Minister Shinzo Abe draw more people into the workforce to counter the effect of a shrinking population, but lax enforcement of labour laws means some businesses are simply squeezing more out of employees, sometimes with tragic consequences. Claims for compensation for karoshi rose to a record high of 1,456 in the year to end-March 2015, according to labour ministry data, with cases concentrated in healthcare, social services, shipping and construction, which are all facing chronic worker shortages. Hiroshi Kawahito, secretary general of the National Defence Counsel for Victims of karoshi, said the real number was probably 10 times higher, as the government is reluctant to recognise such incidents. “The government hosts a lot of symposiums and makes posters about the problem, but this is propaganda,” he said.

“The real problem is reducing working hours, and the government is not doing enough.” The labour ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Kawahito, a lawyer who has been dealing with karoshi since the 1980s, said 95 per cent of his cases used to be middle-aged men in white-collar jobs, but now about 20 per cent are women. No legal limits Japan has no legal limits on working hours, but the labour ministry recognises two types of karoshi: death from cardiovascular illness linked to overwork, and suicide following work-related mental stress. A cardiovascular death is likely to be considered karoshi if an employee worked 100 hours of overtime in the month beforehand, or 80 hours of overtime in two or more consecutive months in the previous six. A suicide could qualify if it follows an individual’s working 160 hours or more of overtime in one month or more than 100 hours of overtime for three consecutive months. Work-related suicides are up 45 per cent in the past four years among those 29 and younger, and up 39 per cent among women, labour ministry data show. The problem has become more acute as Japan’s workforce has divided into two distinct categories - regular employees, and those on temporary or non-

standard contracts, frequently women and younger people. In 2015 non-regular employees made up 38 per cent of the workforce, up from 20 per cent in 1990, and 68 per cent of them were women. Lawyers and academic say unscrupulous employers operate a “bait-and-switch” policy, advertising a full-time position with reasonable working hours, but later offering the successful applicant a non-regular contract with longer hours, sometimes overnight or weekends, with no overtime pay. Refusing overtime pay and break time are illegal, and the applicant could refuse the job, but activists say companies tell them they will be given regular contracts after six months or so. They say young applicants often accept due to lack of experience, while women trying to re-enter the workforce after childbirth often feel it would be difficult to get a foothold elsewhere. Emiko Teranishi, head of the Families Dealing with Karoshi support group, said she hears lots of complaints about hiring tactics, with some companies telling new hires that their salary includes 80 hours of overtime, and they must reimburse the company if they work less. “Some people don’t even make minimum wage under this system,” said Teranishi, whose own husband committed suicide after working long hours. — Reuters SOUTH AFRICA

Parliament to debate motion to impeach Jacob Zuma JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s parliament will debate on Tuesday a motion to impeach President Jacob Zuma, National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete said on Sunday, after a top court ruled the president had violated the constitution. South Africa’s constitutional court ruled on Thursday that Zuma had failed to uphold the constitution by ignoring orders from the public protector that he repay some of the $16 million in state funds spent to renovate his residence at Nkandla. Call to step down Since Thursday’s ruling, opposition party leaders, ordinary South Africans and even an anti-apartheid activist jailed alongside Nelson Mandela have called on Zuma to step down. Mmusi Maimane, leader of the opposition party Democratic Alliance, tabled the motion to have Zuma impeached, and Mbete told reporters “the debate on that motion has been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon”. The Africa National Congress majority in parliament will almost certainly give Zuma political cover against the attempt to impeach him. But the judicial rebuke may embolden anti-Zuma factions within the ruling party to mount a challenge. The unanimous ruling by the 11-judge constitutional court also criticised parliament for passing a resolution that purported to nullify Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s ﬁndings on Zuma’s private residence.— Reuters

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Joint venture firm to produce copper, gold from mine in Oman milestone could not have been achieved without the support of the joint venture partner AlHadeetha Investments (which is chaired by Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi).

As per the feasibility study, the company will be able to produce 77,000 tonnes of copper and 18,000 ounce of gold from Washihi mine

A. E. JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Al Hadeetha Resources, a 70:30 joint venture between Australia-based Alara Resources and Oman’s Al Hadeetha Investment Services, has decided to develop its copper-gold project at Washihi, around 160km south-east of Muscat. This follows a feasibility study showing ﬁnancial viability. The company plans to invest $50 million for developing commercial open pit mine and the construction will take one year,

Justin Richard, chief executive officer of Alara Resources, told ‘Times of Oman’. “It is primarily a copper field. However, the mine has gold deposits as well,” he added. As per the feasibility findings, REVENUE GENERATION: The feasibility study shows the copper-gold project at Washihi will generate the company will be able to pro- $434 million in revenue over a period of ten years. - Supplied picture duce 77,000 tonnes of copper and 18,000 ounce of gold. The project construction will start is scheduled to commence in the tion targets have been identified forward to commencing mine conin the fourth quarter of this year, third quarter of 2017, added Rich- which could double the mining struction as soon as possible. The feasibility study was comsubject to the company getting a ard. The feasibility study shows inventory of the project. Al Hadeetha Resources has in- pleted with support from both mining licence from the Public the project will generate $434 Authority for Mining. Produc- million in revenue over a period vested over $8 million in the de- local and international consulttion from the Al Hadeetha project of ten years. Further, explora- velopment of this project and look ants, but Alara recognises this

SMART TECHNOLOGY

PARTNERS IN PROGRESS: Omantel has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft to enhance information and communications technology service capabilities in Oman. - Supplied picture

Omantel, Microsoft to work towards digital smart home Times News Service MUSCAT: Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) and Microsoft will work to enhance ICT service capabilities in the areas of education, healthcare, digital smart home and business services, underscoring the seamless integration of smart technologies in everyday surroundings, which is known as the ‘Internet of Things.’ The agreement comes after a long history of collaboration between Omantel and Microsoft and aligns with the company’s new 3 transformation strategy which maintains Omantel’s position as the digital partner of choice for the years ahead. Commenting on the new memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed by Omantel with multinational technology company Microsoft, Omantel’s chief executive officer Talal Said Al Mamari said: “At Omantel, we strive to be innovators and pioneers of new technology in the Sultanate. As such, it is vital that we create synergies with industry leaders to deliver a new generation of services and innovations for the continued evolution of the Omantel 3.0 transformation strategy. The agreement with

Microsoft comes as a part of our objective to deploy new digital smart home, innovative business and eGovernment services throughout 2016 and beyond.” “We believe that through mobility and connectivity services, our society can be transformed. The MoU with Microsoft represents a further step in the realisation of our vision for Oman, to become a truly networked society, where every person and every industry is empowered to reach their full potential,” the Omantel chief added. Global expertise Highlighting the signiﬁcance of the agreement, Todd Dick, vice president, corporate business unit for Omantel noted, “It is deeply pleasing to expand Omantel’s partnership model with Microsoft, one of the world’s most innovative companies and a global technology pioneer. We see Microsoft as a natural partner for Omantel as they bring a vast knowledge, global expertise, and experience for enhancing digitalisation, smart services and customer experience, which are the pillars of our market strategy at Omantel.” Thomas Pittschieler, transformation executive officer for

Omantel said, “In order for us to achieve our strategic goals, we are teaming up with strategic partners that accompany us on our transformation journey. This partnership with Microsoft allows us to boost our capabilities, catering to the ever-increasing requirements of our customers.” Witnessing this signing ceremony, Samer Abu-Ltaif, regional general manager of Microsoft Gulf commended the efforts of Omantel in supporting the ICT development in Oman. He reiterated Microsoft’s commitment to Oman’s national Vision 2020 with regards to the ICT sector and its mandate to modernise the country’s ICT infrastructure and transform the Sultanate of Oman into a sustainable knowledge society. Sherif Tawfik, country general manager for Microsoft Oman and Bahrain, said: “At Microsoft, we are keen to providing our customers with technology innovation that enables them to be more productive in a mobile-first, cloud-first world. We are pleased to partner with Omantel to bring Microsoft’s expertise, solutions and services to the Omani market and successfully contribute in the future of a digitally empowered Oman.”

Growth potential Al Hadeetha Resources is committed to developing these assets and sees great growth potential within the mining sector as Oman continues with its strategy of a more diversiﬁed economy. The company’s process plant is designed to process one million tonne of copper and gold mearing mineralised material per annum. The process plant’s throughput rate is 142 tonnes per hour.

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MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

MARKET C O M M E N TA RY

Hurdles in economic diversiﬁcation

ALI MUQAIBAL*

n the light of the rapid drop in oil prices, it is only normal for the common man in Oman to question the effectiveness of the economic diversification strategy. In 2014, oil and gas revenues made up 83 per cent of the government budget and 70 per cent of export earnings. The Sultanate of Oman has a long tradition of economic planning which started with the first five-year plan in 1976. In that plan, reducing dependency on income from oil and gas was one of the main objectives. It is clear today that Oman is still far from achieving that objective. Economic diversification is generally referred to as “exports, and specifically to policies aiming to reduce the dependence on a limited number of export commodities.” A diversified economy is more stable and capable of creating sustainable economic growth and jobs. This article will try to highlight the content hurdles facing the strategic planning from achieving economic diversification.

Strategic novelty For a nation to achieve sustainable economic success, it has to have a distinctive advantage in comparison to other nations. When reviewing the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) economic development plans, it is hard not to notice how identical they are. This can be attributed to the fact the GCC nations are endowed with same type of natural resource and share lots of other similarities in social and political aspects. Hence, it has created a critical situation as far as the novelty of the strategy is concerned. For example, the whole of GCC invested massively in infrastructure and industries such as, hydrocarbon, airlines, tourism and real estate, apart from supporting small and medium enterprises, attracting foreign direct investment and labour nationalisation (which are some of the shared policies in their plans). Hence, instead of creating integration among them, it created an unhealthy competition among themselves. In order for Oman to achieve success, it has to develop a strategy that capitalises on its comparative advantages. Some of these advantages include strategic geographic location, diversiﬁed natural landscape, the rich history and culture, and stability in politics, civil security and the reliability in international relationship and hence reputation. Some other advantages can also be created such as educated and skillful workforce and innovative culture. Strategic consistence

Strategic plans are long-term in nature and they need years before the goals are achieved. Let us take, for example, the education strategy; it will take at least a generation for any country to achieve the full beneﬁt of its investment in this sector. Therefore, changing strategic direction can be very costly for any nation. It is not that it depletes a lot of resources but also time, which is irretrievable. Over the last 40 years, the Oman government has changed strategic directions more than it should. This is more visible in its human resources development strategy. Since the middle of the 90s, the government focused on vocational training, and adapted Omanisation policy, that would eventually put young Omanis in jobs, currently occupied by expatriates. All this was abandoned in 2011 as the government shifted its strategy to higher education granting tens of thousands of scholarships, at a time when the national economy has not yet been ready to absorb all those young graduates. Any strategy should have the agility to be modiﬁed and optimised but it should not be changed completely. Regional planning Since the early days of the renaissance, the government has ensured that all regions get their equal share of development. This approach is necessary in areas such as education, healthcare and basic infrastructure. However, the same approach is also adopted in the economic development of the regions. >B4

Napco revenue increases 28% National Aluminium Products Company has achieved a robust growth in volume in both local and export markets last year

Times News Service MUSCAT: National Aluminium Products Company (Napco), one of the leading extruders of aluminium proﬁles in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has registered a remarkable performance for 2015, achieving robust growth volume in the local market as well as exports. The company earned revenues of OMR24.8 million, compared to OMR19.4 million in 2014, representing an increase of 28 per cent. In addition, Napco has gained a net proﬁt of OMR0.78 million in comparison to OMR0.70 million in the previous year, registering a growth of 11 per cent. Despite a challenging business environment for the aluminium extrusion industry, Napco has managed to increase the capacity utilisation of its existing plant, widen its product offerings, improve client services, and increase its focus on market initiatives, penetrating deep into domestic sectors to capture a wider market share. Moreover, the management implemented dynamic strategies throughout the year to enhance cost efficiencies in the future. “The rock-bottom prices of crude oil have impacted the construction sector, which in turn

In the near-term, Napco is bullish about the growth opportunities in established and new markets by offering improved services and products Robert Holtkamp

Chief executive officer, Napco

has affected the aluminium extrusion industry. Nevertheless, we are optimistic about the government projects in the region, especially in infrastructure development and building construction, boosting our volume orders in Oman and the rest of the GCC in 2016,” said Robert Holtkamp, chief executive officer of Napco. “In the near-term, Napco is bullish about the growth opportunities in established and new markets by offering improved services and products. Supported by a strong team, the management will continue to pursue its strategy of creating long-term value for all stakeholders while ensuring sustainability in operations to attain operational excellence,” Robert added. Extrusion press To complement its growth plans, Napco has installed two additional extrusion presses in a phased manner and a vertical powder coating plant, which will commence commercial production by end of April 2016. The estimated cost of the expansion is OMR7

million, including related civil construction of a new factory. Napco has been part of several landmark projects in Oman and the rest of the region. Its current portfolio in Dubai includes Citywalk, an upcoming retail destination on the junction of Al Wasl and Safa Roads; Onyx Tower, a 3-tower commercial project close to Emaar Business Park on Sheikh Zayed Road; and Dubai Design District (d3), an ambitious and innovative purpose-built destination for creatives. In addition, it is working on Abu Dhabi Plaza, a mixed-use development underway in Astana, Kazakhstan. Napco’s long list of developments comprise the Supreme Court in Muscat, Salalah Airport, the Dubai International Airport Expansion (UAE), the BurjKhalifa (UAE), and the Al Rayyan Complex (UAE), to name a few.

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MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

MARKET M O N T H LY P E R F O R M A N C E

Muscat bourse edges up 1.3% in March

Oman convention centre to host major construction expo

Times News Service MUSCAT: Despite economic woes due to the fall in oil prices, Oman’s MSM 30 index surged 1.3 per cent in March on the back of positive performance witnessed by all the sectoral indices. This was the second consecutive month of positive index performance as the index recovered from initial weakness during the month when it reached a low of 5,290.74 points. The ﬁnancial index led the monthly performance chart with a return of 3.7 per cent followed by 1.5 per cent return for the services index and 0.7 per cent return for the industrial index, according to a report released by Kamco. Share performance within the Financial index was mixed as shares of large-cap banks Bank Muscat (-9.9 per cent), Bank Dhofar (-12.95 per cent) and National Bank of Oman (-3.8 per cent) declined that was partially offset by gains in other banks and investment stocks in the sector. Shares of Galfar Engineering, which reported losses of OMR28.85 million for 2015 due to receivable impairments, surged after the company bagged a 51-month construction services contract valued at OMR 115 million from Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). The monthly gainers chart was topped by Global Financial Investment that surged 49.6 per cent on strong local buying followed by Galfar Engineering and Sembcorp Salalah with monthly returns of 40 per cent and 10.2 per cent, respectively. On the decliners side, Bank Dhofar topped the chart.

As the annual meeting place for the regional construction industry, ‘Infra Oman’ targets companies and government departments and the show attracts over 200 exhibitors

Times News Service

manufacturing, heavy industries, mining and petrochemicals. - Supplied picture

MUSCAT: An agreement was signed by Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC) with the leading exhibition organiser - Al Nimr International - to host a major building and construction expo ‘Infra Oman’, affirming its commitment to hosting world leading events in the Sultanate. As the annual meeting place for the regional construction industry, ‘Infra Oman’ targets companies and government departments involved in energy, water, waste management, recycling and sustainable solutions, manufacturing, heavy industries, mining and petrochemicals and the show attracts in excess of 200 exhibitors, said a press release. “The construction industry is

INTERNET SERVICE

Ooredoo offers first cloud-based solution in Oman Times News Service MUSCAT: Ooredoo Oman’s business customers can now stay continually connected with geographically dispersed audiences, using Ooredoo’s conferencing services — the company’s first cloud-based virtual collaboration solution. The new service provides users in Oman with an unmatched online meeting experience through high- quality audio and high definition video capabilities all on a safe and secure platform, said a press release. The conferencing service offers small to large businesses the freedom and flexibility to establish a telepresence to allow them to benefit from direct interactions with partners, clients, decision makers, and employees, thus eliminating costly travel. Offering a broad range of voice, web and video conferencing features, the cost-efficient service can be used on various platforms. “Hosted communications is one of the fastest growing technologies, dramatically changing the way companies do business,” said Said Al Shanfari, director of business marketing at Ooredoo. Reducing travel time “Staying connected is an essential part of modern business life, which is why we launched a service that delivers a consistent globally-connected experience to start-ups and large corporations alike, significantly reducing travel time and costs. This value added service can boost productivity

EXHIBITION: ‘Infra Oman’ targets companies involved in energy, water, waste management, recycling and sustainable solutions,

Said Al Shanfari, Director of business marketing, Ooredoo. – Supplied picture

across the board with enhanced, real time collaboration aligning local, regional, stakeholders anytime and anywhere.” “In times of disruptive innovation, value is migrating rapidly from conventional telecom services to hosted collaboration and cloud based services. In order to keep abreast with the global trends and standards, we are glad to introduce our ﬁrst cloud-based business collaboration service in Oman.” Audio conferencing with this service is accessible through mobile and ﬁxed telephone lines, while video conferencing is accessible over the internet.

Oman’s largest sector after oil, and plays a key role in boosting economic development. In recent years the government has made signiﬁcant investment in infrastructure — airports, roads, ports, industrial estates, free zones and technology parks. This powerful combination of factors makes ‘Infra Oman’ an incredibly important event for the country,” said Trevor McCartney, general manager of OCEC. Four new pavilions “We look forward to playing our part in maximising the regional and international impact of this major expo, in order to realise its full potential and deliver its big-

gest and most sophisticated edition to date. Our 22,396 columnfree square metres of ﬂexible exhibition space will provide the scope to showcase the many and complex aspects of the construction industry. It is particularly gratifying to see that thanks to the OCEC’s space and state-of-the-art facilities, Al Nimr has been able to add four exciting new pavilions to its plans for this year — green tech, ﬁre and security, heating, air and cooling technologies, and power and electricity,” he added. According to Salim Al Hashmi, chairman of Al Nimr, “Hosting ‘Infra Oman’ at the OCEC is an outstanding opportunity not only for

the expansion of the event itself, but also for drawing the international spotlight to the enormous possibilities generated by Oman’s incredible infrastructure development. We are conﬁdent that this edition of ‘Infra Oman’ will be even more successful than its predecessors. What’s more, while powering the events industry in Oman, the OCEC is also attracting the interest of global companies and investors.” As the OCEC counts down to the August opening of its exhibition centre, the readiness of various aspects of its ﬁve hi-tech exhibition halls and ten exclusive hospitality suites is being scrutinised

with a focus on guaranteeing an optimum visitor experience. Phase one With the launch of phase 1 of the OCEC, Oman will take its place in the international arena as one of its most exciting exhibition destinations and the newest business tourism hot spot. Phase 2; the convention centre will be ready for business in the last quarter of 2017.

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MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

MARKET MSM index ends higher

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 5,488.93 ...............5,465.41 ................... 5,488.93 ................... 5,467.42.................. 21.51 ...................0.39 Financial Index .................................... 6,932.62 .............. 6,903.54 ...................6,932.62 ................... 6,906.71..................25.91 ...................0.38 Industrial Index ................................... 6,704.05 .............. 6,645.88 ................... 6,704.05 ................... 6,661.86................. 42.19 ................... 0.63 Services Index .......................................3,109.59 ............... 3,101.77 ....................3,109.59 ....................3,101.77.................... 7.82 ...................0.25 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................842.17 ..................838.53 .......................842.17 .......................839.01.................... 3.16 ...................0.38 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 16,004,821 ................. 2,230,441 .....................905 ................16,455,741,550 ................ 14 ........................6 .................... 14 .........................34

Al Hassan Eng., up by 5.13%, remained the top gainer while Oman United Insurance was the

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 3

day’s top loser, down by 7.95% ISIN ......................................SECURITY NAME ..................................................................VOLUME..... TURNOVER............TRADES ......OPEN PRICE......HIGH ............. LOW ........ CLOSE PR. ...PREV. CLOSE...DIFF (RO).........DIFF % .............LAST PR.....LAST BID .............LAST OFFER ........MARKET CAP.PAR VALUE

MUSCAT: Amid moderate volumes, the MSM 30 index ended positively at 5,488.93 points, a gain of 0.39 per cent. The MSM Sharia Index gained 0.38 per cent to close at 842.17 points. Galfar Engineering was the most active in terms of volume while Bank Muscat led in terms of turnover. Al Hassan Engineering, up 5.13 per cent, remained the top gainer while Oman United Insurance was the day’s top loser, down 7.95 per cent. As many as 905 trades were executed on Sunday, generating turnover of OMR2.2 million with 16 million shares changing hands. Out of 34 traded securities, 14 advanced, six declined and 14 remained unchanged. Omani investors were net buyers for OMR192,000 followed by GCC and Arab investors for OMR1,000 while foreign investors switched to net sellers for OMR193,000 worth of shares. Financial Index rebounded 0.38 per cent to end at 6,932.62 points. Al Anwar Holding, Bank Sohar, Al Madina Investments, Al Madina Takaful and DBIH gained by 3.57 per cent, 2.11 per cent, 1.61 per cent, 1.39 per cent and 1.28 per cent, respectively. Al Sharqia Investments, Gulf Investment Services, Muscat Finance and Bank Muscat slid by 1.94 per cent, 1.92 per cent, 0.86 per cent and 0.52 per cent, respectively. Industrial Index advanced by 0.63 per cent to close at 6,704.05 points. Al Hassan Engineering, Galfar Engineering, Oman Cables, Oman Fisheries and Al Jazeera Steel increased by 6.10 per cent, 5.95 per cent, 4.93 per cent, 3.51 per cent and 0.71 per cent, respectively. Gulf International Chemicals and Oman Textiles declined by 9.48 per cent and 1.23 per cent, respectively. Services Index closed at 3,109.59 points, up by 0.25 per cent. Port Services, Ooredoo

Oman, Sembcorp Salalah and Oman Telecommunications Company gained by 3.89 per cent, 1.11 per cent, 0.37 per cent and 0.33 per cent, respectively.

REGULAR MARKET ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 3,937,568 ......349,655................... 189 ........... 0.086 ........... 0.091 ...........0.086........... 0.089 .............0.084 ........... 0.005............. 5.952 ................0.090..............0.090...................0.091...................25,808,277.........0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY......................................18,390 ............ 29,299........................8 ............1.550 ........... 1.600 ...........1.550 ............1.595 .............1.520.............0.075 .............4.934 ................1.600.............. 1.550...................1.660..................143,071,500 ........0.100 OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ....................... 623,143 ..........116,679..................... 37 ............0.180 ........... 0.190 ...........0.180............0.187 .............0.180 ........... 0.007............. 3.889 ................0.190..............0.188...................0.190................... 17,772,480 .........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 2,516,793 .......510,812................... 152 ............0.195 ........... 0.210 ...........0.195 ........... 0.203 ............. 0.196............ 0.007............. 3.571 ................0.210............. 0.208...................0.210...................30,465,225.........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 3,356,123 ......486,783................... 157 ............0.142 ........... 0.149 ...........0.142............0.145 .............0.142 ........... 0.003............. 2.113.................0.149 ..............0.149...................0.150................. 229,909,680 .......0.100

Saudi stocks decline Saudi Arabian stocks declined to a ﬁve-week low, leading losses across most Middle Eastern equities, after the deputy crown prince triggered a slump in crude prices by placing the onus of reducing oil output on other countries. The Tadawul All Share Index fell by 1.6 per cent to close at 6,126.12, nearing the 50-day moving average it’s traded above for more than a month. Saudi Telecom Co. led the retreat in the ﬁrst day of the exchange’s new trading hours. Dubai’s DFM General Index fell 1.6 per cent and Kuwait’s SE Price Index slipped 0.4 per cent. Brent crude, a pricing benchmark for half the world’s oil, declined to $38.67 per barrel on Friday after Mohammed bin Salman said that cutbacks in Saudi Arabia’s oil production must be coupled with that of other major producers, including Iran. His comments come weeks before a meeting in Doha this month to help limit output. Equities in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council are closely correlated to the price of crude, which accounts for the bulk of government revenue. “Saudi Arabia’s plan to freeze oil output on the condition that Iran does the same suggests to the market that the meeting in Doha this month will probably go nowhere, and that has weighed on stocks,” SanyalakManibhandu, the Abu Dhabi-based head of research at NBAD Securities, said in a telephone interview. “Saudi Arabia is going to protect its market share, and they’re certainly not going to give it to Iran.”

OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 748,071............ 46,849..................... 25 ........... 0.062 ...........0.063 ...........0.061 ........... 0.063 .............0.062 ............0.001 ..............1.613.................0.061 ..............0.061...................0.062 .................. 13,050,537 .........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL...............................................18,400 ................1,351........................3 ........... 0.073 ........... 0.074 ...........0.073........... 0.073 .............0.072 ............0.001 ............. 1.389 ................0.073..............0.072...................0.073...................12,775,000 .........0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................32,921 ...............2,586........................6 ........... 0.077 ...........0.080 ...........0.077........... 0.079 .............0.078 ............0.001 ............. 1.282 ................0.080..............0.078...................0.080 ...................2,370,000 ..........0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 101,998.............74,251..................... 10 ............0.724 ........... 0.728 ...........0.724........... 0.728 .............0.720 ........... 0.008..............1.111 .................0.728 ..............0.700...................0.728..................473,887,399........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS .......................... 30,147 ...............4,271........................4 ............0.141 ........... 0.142 ...........0.141 ........... 0.142 ............. 0.141.............0.001 ............. 0.709 ................0.142..............0.142...................0.148....................17,735,510..........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH..................................................8,900 ...............2,412........................1 ............0.271 ........... 0.271 ...........0.271 ............0.271 .............0.270 ............0.001 ............. 0.370 ................0.271 ..............0.271...................0.276..................258,688,998 .......0.100 OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ..........................25,500 ............ 38,995..................... 10 ............1.525 ........... 1.530 ...........1.525 ............1.530 ............. 1.525............ 0.005............. 0.328 ................1.530 .............. 1.510...................1.535 ................ 1,147,500,000 ......0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ...............................................................4,000 ............... 1,140........................2 ........... 0.285 ...........0.285 ...........0.285........... 0.287 .............0.287 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.285..............0.262...................0.285................... 15,785,000 .........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ............................................................. 500 .................. 474........................5 ........... 0.948 ...........0.948 ...........0.948........... 0.948 .............0.948 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.948..............0.948...................0.956..................189,600,000........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 266,000 ............67,830........................9 ........... 0.255 ........... 0.255 ...........0.255........... 0.255 .............0.255 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.255..............0.255...................0.256..................376,069,225........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN ........................................................ 1,600 ...................157........................9 ........... 0.098 ...........0.098 ...........0.098........... 0.098 .............0.098 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.098..............0.094...................0.098..................196,030,653 ........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE.............. 258,503 ........... 50,667.....................20 ............0.196 ........... 0.196 ...........0.196 ............0.196 ............. 0.196............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.196 ..............0.196...................0.198...................39,200,000.........0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ................................. 15,259 ...............4,273........................6 ........... 0.280...........0.280 ...........0.280 .......... 0.280 .............0.280 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.280............. 0.280...................0.282 ..................82,939,831 .........0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ............................................55,000 ............ 14,520........................6 ........... 0.264 ...........0.264 ...........0.264 .......... 0.264 .............0.264 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.264..............0.261...................0.264 .................. 16,157,928 .........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ........................................................797 .................. 295........................3 ........... 0.370 ........... 0.372 ...........0.370........... 0.368 .............0.368 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.372..............0.372...................0.376...................19,320,000 .........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 156,027............ 59,392......................17 ........... 0.380 ...........0.384 ...........0.380........... 0.380 .............0.382 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.524 ...............0.382..............0.380...................0.382 .................948,575,098........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 257,509 ........... 26,266..................... 10 ............0.102 ........... 0.104 ...........0.102........... 0.102 .............0.104 ...........-0.002 ........... -1.923................0.102.............. 0.101...................0.102....................6,002,008..........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING .............68,584 ...............6,905........................7 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.101............0.100............0.101 .............0.103............-0.002 ........... -1.942 ...............0.101 .............. 0.101...................0.105....................9,090,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 342,375 ........... 94,869..................... 52 ........... 0.277 ...........0.280 ...........0.276........... 0.277 .............0.306 ...........-0.029 ........... -9.477 ...............0.276............. 0.000...................0.276.................... 5,817,000 ..........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 12,844,108......1,990,729 ..............748 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......24........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING.................................. 1,218,866 ...... 105,834......................71 ........... 0.083 ...........0.089 ...........0.083........... 0.087 .............0.082 ........... 0.005............. 6.098 ................0.088..............0.087...................0.089....................6,543,096 ..........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ..................................................... 217,980.............12,818......................14 ........... 0.058 ...........0.059 ...........0.058........... 0.059 .............0.057 ........... 0.002............. 3.509 ................0.059..............0.058...................0.059.................... 7,375,000 ..........0.100 OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 179,000 ..............6,086........................7 ........... 0.034 ...........0.034 ...........0.034........... 0.034 .............0.034 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.034..............0.033...................0.034 ...................2,890,000..........0.100 OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ....................................................1,525 .................. 778........................4 ............0.510 ........... 0.510 ...........0.510 ........... 0.502 .............0.502 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.510 ..............0.510...................0.000 ..................79,065,000.........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 952,673 ............71,796..................... 28 ............0.075 ........... 0.076 ...........0.074........... 0.075 .............0.075 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.075..............0.075...................0.076..................112,500,000........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 541,000 ............32,421.....................20 ........... 0.060 ...........0.060 ...........0.059........... 0.060 .............0.060 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.059..............0.059...................0.061...................60,000,000 ........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ........................................................25,668 ...............3,700........................4 ............0.144 ........... 0.145 ...........0.144........... 0.144 .............0.144 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.145 ..............0.144...................0.145..................210,614,610 ........0.100 OM0000001590............MUSCAT FINANCE........................................................ 7,000 .................. 805........................5 ............0.115 ........... 0.115............ 0.115 ............0.115 ............. 0.116 ............-0.001 ........... -0.862 ...............0.115 ...............0.115...................0.122...................30,672,292.........0.100 OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING ..................................... 17,000 ...............5,474........................3 ........... 0.322 ...........0.322 ...........0.322........... 0.322 .............0.326 ...........-0.004 ........... -1.227 ...............0.322..............0.320...................0.358....................1,932,000 ..........1.000 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 3,160,712........239,711................... 156 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 9........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS AND SUKUK MARKET ...................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 ......................................................1 .......................0........................1 ............0.106 ........... 0.106 ...........0.106........... 0.103 .............0.103............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.106..............0.102...................0.103...................32,923,196 .........0.100 .............................................SUM: ...............................................................................................1 .......................0........................1 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. .........1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

- United securities/Bloomberg News

OPEX 2016

ECONOMIC PLAN

Oman gearing up to promote local products for the first time in Africa MUSCAT: Preparations are in full swing for the Omani Products Exhibition (Opex) 2016, scheduled to take from April 11 to 14, at Millennium Hall, in Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa, under the auspices of the Ethiopian minister of finance and economic development. Dr Ali bin Mas’oud Al Sunaidi, Oman’s minister of commerce and industry, in addition to government officials will be present at the exhibition. Ayman Al Hasani, vice-chairman for economic and branches affairs at Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), and head of the Opex Organising Committee said that more than 100 Omani firms are set to participate in Opex 2016 representing various industries including natural resources, minerals, wood products, manufacturing products, furniture, food, medical and pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, plastic and metal equipment, perfume, leather, and logistics. Al Hasani added that Opex will be held for the first time outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states following the success of previous Opex events held in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. Integrated plan “An integrated plan has been put in place to facilitate logistics, customs and other related issues for the participants,” Al Hasani said. “This event represents one of the major steps to promote Omani products in the African continent. The Organising Committee aspires to promote the Sultanate’s industrial sectors in Ethiopia and Africa through strengthening partnerships with various region-

PICTURE FROM THE PAST: More than 100 Omani companies are set to participate in Opex 2016 representing various industries,

including minerals, wood products, furniture and fertiliser. – File picture

al and international institutions. Additionally, the committee seeks to play a pivotal role in stimulating trade movement between the Sultanate and Ethiopia, which eventually develop businesses of local companies and expand their trade to various regional and global markets,” he pointed out. “Opex 2016 seeks to develop mutual objectives of the two governments and deepen comprehensive partnership, in addition to opening up prospects for further cooperation among similar companies in Oman and Ethiopia, and increasing the volume of trade exchange between the two countries,” Al Hasani added.

Nasima Al Balushi, Ithraa director general of Export Development, emphasised that Addis Ababa was chosen to be the destination of Opex 2016 following studies been conducted to determine the added value and the advantages of East African markets in general and the Ethiopian market in particular. Marketing study “Ithraa, which is one of the bodies that form OPEX Organising Committee, in addition to OCCI and Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), has implemented a marketing study on the Ethiopian market to provide com-

prehensive facts on the market in order to familiarise the Omani exporters, and on the other hand brief the exporters in Ethiopia on the promising Omani products. The study indicated that there are significant opportunities for Omani exporters to benefit from in the fast growing Ethiopian market,” Al Balushi added. Al Balushi explained that based on the results of the study, an Omani trade delegation held b2b meetings, in Addis Ababa in an effort to strengthen and develop the volume of Omani non-oil exports to the Ethiopian market, find promising opportunities and deals, and boost trade relations

with Ethiopia in line with the plan to develop non-oil Omani origin products. “A group of Omani companies, which participated in these meetings achieved a number of deals. Around 50 per cent of Omani exporters assigned a commercial agent for their products in Ethiopia on day one of the business to business meetings. Besides, one of the companies signed a MoU with one of the major importing Ethiopian companies for foodstuff. These positive results following the b2b meetings have encouraged Opex Organising Committee to choose Addis Ababa as the destination of Opex 2016,” Al Balushi noted. - ONA

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Regional economic proposal

For instance, most of the regions have light manufacturing areas, hydrocarbon industries, mining activities, free zones, and tourism related projects. However this has deprived the economy from developing concentrated clusters, and hence has developed industries that it is not highly competitive globally. The regional economic planning should create concentrated industries based on the competitive advantages of each region. Such approach allows the government to develop regulations, workforce and infrastructure to support that particular industry. Consequently an eco-system can be developed around this industry creating competition, innovation and supporting businesses. The IT cluster in Bangalore and electronics in Malaysia are examples of such competitive clusters. Having such clusters enables the industry to compete internationally and contribute significantly to the nation’s gross domestic product. Economic diversification Economic diversification is no easy challenge. The common denominator between all nations that have been able to realise success is through strategic planning. Oman has long tradition in planning which has delivered results as far as social and infrastructure developments are concerned. What is required now is to optimise the strategic plans’ content and process to be geared toward economic diversification. As the old saying goes “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” *Ali Muqaibal is a planning strategist based in Muscat

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

SECTION

SLOW DOWN ENJOY THE RIDE

E-

IMES TECH STUFF

BLACKBERRY’S SOFTWARE PUSH BlackBerry posted sales that fell short of analysts’ estimates on lacklustre demand for a new handset, underscoring the urgency behind a shift away from devices to win more revenue from software. Chief executive officer John Chen built a turnaround plan on acquiring security software companies and selling their products to businesses and governments. - Blomberg News

T E C H U P D AT E S

Call to safeguard $5b e-commerce in Middle East

Online retail giants scramble for share in Indian market Indian online retailing, which just got a new set of rules that seemingly allow 100% foreign direct investment, are being cheered by home-grown brick-and-mortar store operator as a slap on the wrist for rivals like Amazon India, Flipkart and Snapdeal

ain forest of regulations that passes as India’s e-commerce policy would surely get a nod of approval from Sir Humphrey Appleby, the legendary civil servant from the British sitcom Yes Minister who believed that prudent change results from “laying stress on the essential continuity of the new proposal with existing principles, the principle of the principal arguments which the proposal proposes and propounds for their approval, in principle.” Or more pithily, “government policy has nothing to do with common sense.” And so it has been with Indian online retailing, which just got a

new set of rules that seemingly allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment, yet are being cheered by the country’s largest homegrown brick-and-mortar store operator as a slap on the wrist for rivals like Amazon India, Flipkart and Snapdeal. Those companies essentially are foreign-owned: Flipkart investors include Tiger Global and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC; Snapdeal is backed, among others, by Jack Ma’s Alibaba. How can opening the door mean the exact opposite? The devil is in details of the policy, which says ecommerce platforms will only provide a marketplace and not inﬂuence the sale price of merchandise.

In other words, while foreigners can facilitate retail, they will not really be retailers, burning their deep-pocketed investors’ money to drive myriad mom-and-pop stores out of business. Goldman Sachs believes the rules ‘could spell an end’ to discount-led competition among e-tailers. While that might be a welcome path to eventual proﬁtability for an industry surviving on bragging rights about how much merchandise it handles, what’s good for the collective may be bad news for individual companies. Late last year, the lobby group of traditional Indian retailers kicked up a fuss when Amazon gave out measly Rs200 ($3) gift cards to consumers, because this purportedly showed Amazon acting as a retailer when it was only allowed to be a technology platform. Old rules If the new rules do nothing but extend the ‘essential continuity’ of the old rules, that might please Sir Humphrey — but Jeff Bezos is certainly going to mind. Already, the industry is in the throes of madness amid reports that Alibaba is looking to enter India on its own. Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal said on Twitter that “Alibaba deciding to start operations directly shows how badly

their Indian investments have done so far.” Snapdeal founder Kunal Bahl decided to repay in kind: “Didn’t Morgan Stanley just ﬂush 5b worth of market cap in Flipkart down the (toilet seat icon)? Focus on ur business not commentary.” Ending discounts Does this look like an industry that’s going to calmly end discounts and start behaving like a boring tech business, just because there’s a new government policy that’s nudging them in that direction? Hardly. The smartphone revolution in India is just getting started. Expect online retailers to come up with creative ways to reach for a share of what Goldman Sachs says will be a $69 billion e-commerce market by 2020: Loopholes will be found to acquire new customers. The discounts will shift shape, but they won’t die, and that might prompt a fresh round of rule-making that will muddy the waters still more. As Sir Humphrey said, “Formulating policy means making choices. Once you do that, you please the people that you favour, but infuriate everybody else.” Right now, everybody seems to be either happy or confused. India doesn’t yet have a settled e-commerce policy. – Bloomberg News

GLOBAL AUTHORITY on payment security, PCI Security Standards Council, has reinforced the importance of a defence in depth strategy to ensure the region’s burgeoning e-commerce industry’s resilience to cyber activity. Ahead of the second Middle East Forum in Dubai on April 6 and 7, international director Jeremy King urged the regional payment industry to secure its future by aspiring to become one of the safest places to conduct online busi- Jeremy King ness in the world. The e-commerce industry in the Middle East and North Africa is set to rise by 11 per cent by 2019, to more than $5 billion according to data from We Are Social’s 2016 Digital Yearbook. And with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in particular witnessing mobile broadband connection rates of 130 per cent – three times the global average – mobile payments are set to account for 60 per cent of that market. Currently, 80 per cent of online transactions in the Middle East are fulfilled by cash on delivery. “The e-commerce forecast suggests the regional payment industry is on the cusp of a paradigm shift that could unlock a wealth of new small and medium sized business opportunities and economic growth as regional consumer habits evolve away from the cash on delivery culture,” said Jeremy King, International Director of PCI and keynote speaker at the organisation’s Middle East Forum. “What’s exciting is that amid an uncertain global economic outlook the e-ecommerce industry can be a driver of growth and economic diversification in the GCC region and beyond, but only if we continue to secure the digital ecosystem,” continued King. “The region can leapfrog existing payment processes to lead in the adoption of digital and mobile payments and aspire to be a hub for safe online business– we believe the dialogue facilitated by the Middle East Forum will support that mission.” The UAE has been a first mover in the development of government initiatives and policies designed to accelerate the development of a digital economy. The UAE government recently instituted duty-free e-commerce hub ‘mahajircom’, a purpose-built free zone to facilitate online commerce. In addition, Abu Dhabi recently announced plans to become the financial technology capital of the region. - Times News Service

Casio’s Edifice watch has smartphone link CASIO UNVEILED the new EQB-600D watch, the latest addition to the Edifice series of high-performance watches that combine dynamic styling with cutting-edge technology. The EQB-600D links to a smartphone and boasts a new multidimensional inset dial featuring an Earth motif that delivers the next step in the evolution of world time through an imaginative display. Casio introduced the Global Time Sync concept to drive development of analog watches for today’s global age. Under Global Time Sync, Casio has developed G-Shock and Oceanus watches with GPS hybrid wave ceptor technology that receives both GPS satellite and radio wave time calibration signals, and Edifice watches that link with a smartphone to set the time for some 300 cities across the world. These watches are gaining acclaim as advanced time keeping systems that deliver accurate time anywhere in the world. The EQB-600D features 3D globe dial, a dome-shaped multidimensional inset dial with an earth motif that displays the world time in an imaginative and aesthetically pleasing way. The finely detailed Earth motif is realised using the advanced molding techniques of Yamagata Casio, the production base of Casio in Japan. A polarized deposition finish makes the color change at different viewing angles, adding further refinement to the watch. - Times News Service

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

ROUND-UP ‘India Property Fest’ set to be held on April 15, 16

M I S C A R N I VA L

For the ﬁrst time, Adsync Advertising has ventured to step out in the international real estate arena, as the exhibition will witness lucrative investment options from Damac Properties, Emmar, Danube Properties from UAE among others

MUSCAT: Adsync Advertising, in association with Lynx, is all set to host its ‘6th Edition of India Property Fest’ on April 15 and 16 at the Hotel Holiday Muscat. Property investments are always believed to be the smartest investment move and with factors such as depreciating Indian rupee, slash in RBI lending rates and ever increasing developer initiatives such as attractive schemes and exciting deals, more and more home buyers can take advantage and book their dream homes. India Property Fest comes at the right time and offers an unparalleled opportunity for NRIs in Oman to leverage the power of

their additional income by investing in properties and thereby reap maximum beneﬁts while making their investment decisions, says a press release. The two-day property exhibition is positioned to create the ideal platform for the affluent NRI community in the Sultanate of Oman to come face to face with top notch developers from India who would showcase an array of their real estate offerings to suit every budget of the prospective customer. The show enables the buyers to understand the pulse of property scenario back home featuring exclusive and selected developers from Tier I, Tier II and Tier III

towns and metropolis. With focus on cities such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Navi Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Gurgaon, Noida, Coimbatore, Kerala, etc. the choice becomes even more interesting and attractive for those looking at investment in these places. The exhibitors at the show will include best of the Indian real estate developers, estate agents and ﬁnance companies. The large Indian contingent will be represented by key developers such as Godrej Properties, Lodha, Tata Housing, L & T, Mahindra Lifespaces, Mantri Devel-

opers, Puravankara, Goel Ganga, Rustomjee, K. Raheja, Sapoorjee Palonjee and many more. Spotlight on international pavilion For the ﬁrst time, Adsync Advertising has ventured to step out in the international real estate arena as the exhibition will witness lucrative investment options from Damac Properties, Emmar, Danube Properties from UAE among others. All in all, this is a must visit show for every expatriate in Muscat as it provides a wonderful opportunity to explore the real estate market as a whole.

TSC showcases latest edition of Warner Bros. children’s tissues MUSCAT: The Sultan Centre (TSC) participated in the annual carnival held by Muscat International School (MIS) showcasing its latest edition of Warner Bros. children’s tissues. TSC’s participation comes after the retail chain recently collaborated with Warner Bros. on a co-branding partnership to feature popular Warner Bros. animation icons on TSC products, says a press release. “This is a great opportunity for

our customers, especially children of all ages, to add to their collection of favourite cartoon characters. TSC participated in the event by offering children who visited the booth a box of tissue featuring their favourite character of Tweety Bird or Superman. The charity event was a great success, enabling TSC to showcase the co-branded tissue which reﬂects quality and a great value every day,” said Mahmoud El Sheikh.

INAUGURAL OFFERS

Lulu further expands in Bahrain; opens 6th hypermarket MANAMA: Middle East retail major Lulu Group, which is on a vast expansion mode, underscored its commitment to Bahrain by opening its sixth hypermarket in New Zinj’s Galleria Mall. The new hypermarket, which is also the 124th store of the Lulu Group globally, was officially inaugurated by Shaikh Khaled bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain in the presence of Zayed Al Zayani, Bahraini Minister for Industry and Commerce, Jamil Humaidan, Labour Minister, Simon Martin CMG, British Ambassador, William Roebuck, US Ambassador, Alok Kumar Sinha, Indian Ambassador, Yusuf Ali M. A, Lulu Group chairman, Mohammed Dadabhai, prominent businessman, Saifee Rupawala, Lulu Group CEO, Ashraf Ali M. A., executive direc-

tor, Juzer Rupawala, Bahrain regional director and other top ofﬁcials, says a press release. Located next to the Al Ahli Sports Club and adjacent to the US Embassy, the new hypermarket

will serve residents of Salmaniya and Zinj and offers easy access to Tubli and Isa Town residents as well. As always Lulu hypermarket provides the widest range of quality and value-for-money products

F I NA N C I A L A S S I S TA N C E

all under one roof. The outlet has also introduced inaugural offers and deals for a range of products at attractive prices. “The opening of the 124th Lulu Hypermarket in the Kingdom of

Bahrain and the 6th in the country is a moment of great pride for the Lulu Group,” said Yusuf Ali after the inauguration. “As announced earlier, this new hypermarket is part of our committed BD100 million investment plan for Bahrain,” commented Yusuf Ali. The group will open two more hypermarkets by the end of 2017 at Saar and Busaidi in Bahrain, added Yusuf Ali. “Our growth in Bahrain is powered by the vision of the leadership, the business-friendly economic environment and the ability of our Bahraini employees to absorb and ﬁt into the Lulu service model which puts customers above all. We thank His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa,

the Crown Prince and First Deputy Premier and the people of this great country for encouraging us in all our expansion strategies and efforts in Bahrain.” On providing training and employment opportunity to the educated Baharaini youth, Yusuf Ali said, “It is also our endeavour to nurture the local talent and a proof of this is our strong Bahraini work force that forms the nucleus of our operations here in Bahrain. Currently Lulu provides best quality training to absorb them in various managerial and specialised sections to Bahrainis. There are more than 1,200 Bahrainis who work with us not only here but in other GCC countries also and we will continue to support governments’ Bahranisation plan by giving employment to more Bahrainis in our new projects.

MUSICAL NIGHT WITH AGAM BAND

KR to set up Harvard University scholarships for Omani students

MUSCAT: The Khimji Ramdas (KR) Group plans to set up scholarships for Omani students who have enrolled in various graduate programmes at the Harvard University. A letter of intent to this effect was presented to Ben Zoll, senior director of International Advancement at Harvard University, during a two-day seminar organised by the Harvard Arab Alumni Association in Muscat, recently, says a press release. According to the scholarship plan submitted by KR, the company will set up a $250,000 fund under Harvard University’s Committee on general scholarships to provide ﬁnancial assistance to Omani students pursuing higher education within any of the degree-granting school and institution at the Harvard University. Recipients of the scholarship will be known as Khimji Ramdas Foundation Fellows. “We are proud to be associating

with one of the world’s best universities to give Omani youth access to the best possible education and training opportunities. It follows through on our philosophy to support Oman’s youth and provide them with the most competitive advantages and resources to become successful men and women,” said Nailesh Khimji, director - KR, commenting on the agreement. Speaking on behalf of Harvard University, Ben Zoll said: “We are delighted at the interest of the Khimji Ramdas Group to provide support for students from Oman to attend Harvard University. Harvard strives to attract the best and brightest students from around the world, regardless of their economic background, and generous gifts like this help us achieve this goal. We hope it inspires more gifted and talented students from Oman to apply.” The Harvard University scholarship provided by KR will be

We are proud to be associating with one of the world’s best universities to give Omani youth access to the best possible education and training opportunities. It follows through on our philosophy to support Oman’s youth Nailesh Khimji

Director - Khimji Ramdas

under Eshraqa-Khimji Ramdas Foundation for Social Affairs, which is currently being set up. It will provide students with the opportunity to obtain degrees like a Master’s in Public Health from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, a Master’s in Law at the Harvard Law School, a Master’s in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government, and more.

ISD to hold ‘Symphoneve’ on April 29 MUSCAT: This year, Indian School Darsait (ISD) is holding its annual fund raising programme as a musical evening with Agam band, titled ‘Symphoneve 2016’ at the Qurum Amphitheatre on April 29. A press meet was held in the school auditorium on Saturday to announce this year’s musical night ‘Symphoneve 2016’. It was attended by Abdul Rahim Kasim, president of the SMC; Biju Samuel, convener; Jaikish Pavithran, member of SMC and chairman of this year’s Carnival Core Committee, Dr Sridevi P. Thashnath, principal and Ramesh Gopalan, MD - Orbit Event Management along with other core committee members including the parents and teaching staff, says a press release. Giving a brief about the earlier events, the school officials informed that the concept of a fund raising programme for the development of the school evolved in the year 2012 and until 2014 the school conducted this event in the form of annual carnival. Agam is a Bangalore-based contemporary Carnatic progres-

sive rock band. The current lineup of the band, formed in 2003, consists of seven male musicians who were identiﬁed by the maestro musician A. R. Rahman in a band hunt called Ooh la lala, hosted by Sun TV. Their success in the show brought them into the mainstream and led to many concerts and music festivals in India as well as abroad. They also performed in the second season of Coke Studio on MTV India. The preparations for the programme, being organised under the aegis of Orbit Event Management, are under way. The response from the parents community and well-wishers has been very positive and encouraging. ISD family is gearing up to make this event memorable for music lovers and well-wishers. The media, both print and visual, have been very supportive of all the educational endeavours of the school. “We are convinced that the success of this event will also depend on the wholehearted cooperation of the media,” added the school officials.

The school had presented a great musical programme in 2015 titled ‘Resonance with Balabaskar’, renowned musician which stole the heart of the music lovers of Muscat. The school has created an official e-mail ID symphoneve2016@ isdoman.com to contact the core committee for any queries or communication regarding the events and sponsorship or one can reach them on GSM at 95334408/92881018/99202557 for any further information. Indian School Darsait (ISD) is a community school that has been proudly serving the Indian Diaspora for last two decades. It is affiliated to CBSE and accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Education & Training for Quality School Governance. The school, with the support of parent community and wellwishers, has been organising fund raising programmes for the development of the school, supporting students who are economically deprived, funding to the Special Education Centre and installing modern facilities for the quality education.

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ROUND-UP

Great Toyota offer on Corolla Multi Drive 7S Until April 30, the 2016 Toyota Corolla with Multi Drive 7S transmission comes with Summer Surprises offer

MUSCAT: To many enthusiasts in the automotive industry, the 11th Generation of the world famous Toyota Corolla is no less than an icon. Not only does it have a legendary reputation, it offers a truly impressive resale value, even after years of use. The 2016 Toyota Corolla with Multi Drive 7S transmission has become a favourite of customers within a short span of its introduction. From now until April 30, the 2016 Toyota Corolla with Multi Drive 7S transmission is avail-

able with Summer Surprises offer. During the period, the Corolla 1.6 Litre comes with a cash gift up to OMR650. In the case of Corolla 2.0 litre, the cash gift is OMR700. Exact details are available at the nearest Toyota showroom, says a press release. The 2016 Toyota Corolla with Multi Drive 7S allows owners to ‘drive smooth and save smart.’ It does so by delivering a very smooth, yet powerful driving performance; topping it up with class leading fuel efficiency. “Now there will be more fun-ﬁlled driving trips and less visits to the gas station,” chuckled a proud new owner “It is really a smoother, silkier drive…one that lasts longer, goes farther on the same amount of fuel… yeah…I am living it and loving it!” The new Multi Drive 7S continuously variable transmission meticulously controls the speed and shifting pattern to realise excellent power train performance while ensuring a powerful and linear acceleration. It also has a 7-speed sequential shiftmatic mode with manual gear shifting-like characteristics that give the driver com-

plete control when required. Making a strong design statement with its unique visual signature, the 2016 Corolla Multi Drive 7S signifies Toyota’s brand evolution. The Corolla’s design theme combines clean lines and balanced proportions to give it an immediate visual impact. It tapers at the front and rear of the vehicle to help emphasise the wheel arches and wheels-to-the-corner stance. The squared-off corners and elongated three-box profile are typically Corolla, but it has a dynamic front end – the bars of the grille extend into the oversized LED-adorned trapezoidal headlamp clusters to give the sedan a broad, thrusting nose. The flanks sport character lines that emphasise the Corolla’s rear arches and the kicked-up leading edge of the side glass. At the back, protruding wraparound tail-lamp clusters and a chrome bar contribute to a wedge-like rear three-quarter profile. Adding to the style quotient is a trendy rear spoiler. The design lends itself to a spacious cabin that offers refined comfort and class-leading legroom

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

with abundant storage space. Also, the interior looks upmarket thanks to the piano-black ﬁnish to the infotainment system, a soft-touch dashboard and sophisticated dark grey accents. Under the bonnet lies, a 2.0 litre engine mated with a CVT box that ensures smooth shifting and high fuel efficiency of up to 16.6 Kmpl. Apart from this, the Corolla is available with a 1.6 litre engine that offers excellent fuel efficiency of up to 19.8 Kmpl. This particular model comes with all the safety, comfort and convenience speciﬁcations that add to customers’ delight - including ABS with EBD and brake assist, six airbags, leather upholstery, cruise control, steering wheelmounted audio controls and a 6.1 display audio system that can play CDs, DVDs, USB devices and a Bluetooth connection.

In fact, the name ‘Corolla’ represents the peak of Toyota’s renowned quality engineering, design evolution and value-formoney focus. This is unmatched in its class. That said, customers are to be thanked for their faith in Toyota and for making it a best-seller in the region. Engineered to provide high active and passive safety standards, the Corolla also offers enhanced pedestrian impact protection. The adoption of numerous energy absorbing components offer signiﬁcantly improved pedestrian protection in the event of a frontal impact. For occupant protection, impact-absorbing structures have been adopted for the interior part of the pillar areas to ensure cabin safety. To help reduce the impact of a collision on occupants, the 2016 Corolla Multi Drive 7S is

equipped with SRS airbags for the driver and front passenger. In addition to the above, the2016 Corolla Multi Drive 7S also features other class-leading features such as LED projector headlamps with integrated-type daylight running lights, smart entry system + start/stop button, new audio system with USB+AUX, 3.5’’ TFT multi-information display, retractable outer mirrors with turn signals, audio + mid controls on steering wheel, cruise control and moonroof, amongst others. The 2016 Corolla Multi Drive 7S invites you to any Toyota showroom to take a closer look. In Oman, the nationwide parts and service network of Saud Bahwan Automotive supports Toyota outstanding product quality. No wonder then that today, Toyota is one of the most trusted and well-known brands.

SUPPORTING WOMEN

Bank Sohar approves 5% PDO signs agreement to provide cash, 10% share dividends vocational training for women MUSCAT: Bank Sohar approved 5 percent cash dividend for its shareholders at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held recently at Crowne Plaza Muscat. During the AGM, the chairman of the Board of Directors, members of the Board of Directors and the executive management from Bank Sohar briefed shareholders on the annual results of the bank, and discussed key agenda items, says a press release. 14 topics covered The AGM agenda covered 14 topics, starting with a comprehensive review of the Board of Directors’ Report as presented by Abdullah Humaid Al Mamary, chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank Sohar, for the financial year ended December 31, 2015. Over the course of the AGM, the proposal for the distribution of cash dividends to shareholders at the rate of 5 per cent of the capital (5 baisas per share) and the distribution of share dividend to the shareholders at the rate of 10 per cent of the capital (10 shares for each 100 shares) was discussed and approved. Briefing A briefing on the 2015 Bank Sohar Corporate Governance Report and the report of Sohar Islamic’s Sharia Supervisory Board was also presented, together with the balance sheet, profit and loss account and the auditor’s report for the financial year ended December 31,

2015 which was also approved at the meeting. In addition, other key items as per the AGM agenda were discussed as part of the meeting. Elections for the members of new Board of Directors were also held, alongside the appointment of the members of the Sharia Supervisory Board for Sohar Islamic for the 2016 financial year. The shareholders approved appointing Ernst & Young as the statutory external auditor for Bank Sohar and Sohar Islamic at the AGM, for the financial year ending December 31, 2016. Their remuneration was also subsequently approved. The assembly was also updated on the donations made during the financial year ending December 31, 2015, while the allocation for donations for the financial year ending December 31, 2016 was also approved. Al Mamary expressed his gratitude to all the shareholders for their attendance and participation in the meeting. “While 2015 may have been a challenging year for the sector, Bank Sohar continues to hold a solid ground. I would like to offer my sincere appreciation to my fellow board members together with the bank’s executive management and staff for their efforts and contributions towards making this happen. However, most of all I would like to thank all our customers and shareholders for their continuous sup-

RECRUIT QUOTES Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right. — Laurens van der Post It is easier to believe than to doubt. — E. D. Martin

port and trust throughout the year 2015 and we look forward towards serving them for many more years to come,” he added. For the financial year ending December 31, 2015, Bank Sohar continued to maintain a strong position in spite of the fluctuating market conditions; recording a net profit of OMR27.746m, were the operating profit for 2015 was OMR37.899m. Prudent management Rashad Ali Al Musafir, acting CEO of Bank Sohar, commenting on the bank’s performance during the year said, “Our commitment first and foremost has always been to our customers, we strongly believe that it is only through their success that we can continue on our path towards business excellence. It is this ideology together with a prudent management approach and conservative accounting practices that has allowed the bank to achieve such impressive results over the years and build a solid franchise with a strong financial position. “Building on this vision we will place even greater emphasis on them throughout 2016. We will continue to pay critical attention to our service delivery channels and customer touch points while continuing to introduce innovative products that enhance our customer’s banking experiences, and do so in a manner that is beneficial to all our stakeholders.”

MUSCAT: Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has signed an agreement to provide vocational training for 20 women to design and produce recycled paper products and packaging. Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Omani Women’s Association (OWA), the one month course will equip the ladies from Muscat with the practical and theoretical skills to ﬁnd employment or start their own businesses, says a press release. The training will enable them to make a range of environmentally friendly goods, including boxes, notebooks, cards, ﬁles and bags. The scheme will run as part of PDO’s Banat Oman social enterprise which has so far provided vocational training to more than 300 women from low-income backgrounds in skills such as tailoring, embroidery and dairy product manufacture. The signing of the MoU took place at an official ceremony at PDO’s Knowledge World attraction in Al Qurum between Wafa Al Amri, president of the OWA Al Seeb branch, and Abdul-Amir Al Ajmi, PDO External Affairs and Value Creation director. Al Ajmi said: “We have a strong relationship with the OWAs across the country and are pleased to be able to partner with the OWA in Al Seeb on this training initiative which will provide

We have a strong relationship with the OWAs across the country and are pleased to be able to partner with the OWA in Al Seeb on this training initiative Abdul-Amir Al Ajmi PDO External Affairs and Value Creation director

a great opportunity for women to learn new vocational skills. “PDO is a committed supporter of social investment and community development and is placing a greater emphasis on recycling materials to reduce waste, energy use and ecological harm. This agreement embraces both economic and environmental sustainability and I am conﬁdent it will give the women on the course a helping hand to make a decent living.” Wafa Al Amri said: “The training will raise the standard of living for the women and their families. It will enable them to convert recycled paper into beautiful merchandise which can be sold to support them. We hope that this project will be a good start for the women to establish their own small businesses.” The training will take place at Al Nawakhdha Training Services at Al Mawaleh.

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

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Bank Muscat najahi wins Best SME Product award

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alizz Islamic offers smart, proﬁtable investment solutions

inclusion, Bank Muscat najahi products and services have created a benchmark, helping micro and small businesses

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat najahi has won the Best SME Product in Oman Award by Banker Middle East in recognition of strengthening the role of micro and small businesses in diversifying the Sultanate’s economy and creating job opportunities for Omani youth. Facilitating ﬁnancial inclusion, Bank Muscat najahi products and services have created a benchmark, helping micro and small businesses to overcome hurdles and chart successful ventures with proper planning, ﬁnancial discipline and prudent management, says a press release. Sadiq bin Mohammed Baqer Al Lawati, head of Retail Enterprises, said: “Bank Muscat najahi is proud to be endorsed as the Best SME Product in Oman. Giving a major thrust for micro and small businesses in Oman, the specially

designed najahi products and services are aimed at providing the required support for entrepreneurs, especially youth, who constitute the future of Oman. The bank’s commitment stems from the strong belief that entrepreneurial ventures help boost the local economy, contribute to the GDP and create self-employment opportunities for youth. The bank is committed to extending the helping hand to micro and small businesses to fulfil their financial needs. In step with responsible banking, the focus of Bank Muscat is clear – create a sustainable financial platform for the nation and people and thereby contribute to the country’s progress and development.” Early on, Bank Muscat identified the opportunities and challenges faced by this vital segment to develop a relevant suite of products and services. Securing credit without collaterals and accessing innovative banking services have been hurdles faced by micro and small businesses. The specially

designed najahi products mainly include credit facilities without collaterals to develop and grow micro and small businesses. With najahi, Bank Muscat fulfils the primary need of finance for the micro and small business segment. The najahi suite of products include the value added najahi Current Account, najahi Flexi Loan to support working capital, business expansion and other business needs; najahi Business Credit Card; najahi Contractors Loan to help complete contracted jobs; najahi Contractors Bill Discounting to get immediate funds after completing contracted jobs and Najahi PoS Receivables financing for customers who use PoS machines for their sales. The value added najahi Current Account offers differentiated services, including Business Debit Card, branded cheque book, priority queuing at branches, free access to Maktabi Business Centres and online banking services. The najahi Business Debit Card

offers higher withdrawal limit to help customers to meet day-to-day cash requirements. najahi customers can also avail multiple debit cards on the same account allowing authorised persons to make transactions on behalf of the company. Priority queuing facility is available for najahi customers at branches as also free access to Maktabi Business Centres in Muscat. Maintaining cash flow is a challenge faced by small businesses. Addressing this critical need, Bank Muscat launched the first-of-itskind najahi Flexi Loan facility. This facility gives the customer the power to choose when to avail the loan and for what period. Customers pay interest only when they actually avail the loan and not when the facility is granted. For very short term financing, the bank offers najahi point of sale receivables financing. The specially designed short-term finance facilitates the working capital requirements of small businesses and helps maintain the cash flow.

Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN. Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

MUSCAT: alizz Islamic bank (AIB), one of the first dedicated Islamic banks in Oman, continues its pursuit to provide its clients with superior financial solutions through offering a diverse range of Sharia-compliant savings options. The smart and profitable investment options offered by AIB allow its customers to accumulate wealth through accounts with projected competitive yields, says a press release. One of the financial solutions offered by AIB is called the Term Investment Deposit account, which is based on the principle of ‘Unrestricted Mudaraba’. The bank and the client will sign a Mudaraba contract allowing AIB to act as a Mudarib – or entrepreneur, leveraging itsfinancial expertise. The bank pools all clients’ funds together with its own funds to provide finance to Sharia-compliant investments for a specific term and at anticipated profit rates. The earned profit will then be shared between the bank and customers according to predetermined and mutually agreed-upon ratios. The key features of the ‘Term Investment Deposit Accounts’ include quarterly profit payment and flexible tenures; one, three, six, nine or 12 months. It is available in multiple currencies and a minimum deposit amount of as low as OMR400, with optional automatic renewal of the principal amount. AIB also offers savings accounts, which are also managed by the bank under the Islamic principle of ‘Unrestricted Mudaraba’. A Mudaraba contract is signed between the customerand the bank, where the former

acts as a capital provider and the bank as the ‘Mudarib’, leveraging its expertise. The bank pools all clients’ funds together with its own fundsat Sharia-compliant investments. The earned profit is shared between the bank and customers according to predetermined and mutually agreed-upon ratios. Mudaraba is a profit and loss sharing product, and hence the better the bank performs, the higher the profits earned. The savings accounts have several benefits, including fast and easy documentation, profit payment on a quarterly basis and availability of multiple currencies. In addition, holders of those accounts will receive a free debit card – issued and collected on the same day, as well as an array of free services such as online banking, phone banking, SMS alerts, and utility bill payment services. Minors can also apply for the savings account. In addition, AIB is proud to present the current accounts, which are based on the Islamic concept of ‘Qard-Hassan’ or interest-free loans. The clients’ funds will be saved in this profit-free account, with liberty to deposit or withdraw funds at any given time. This account is available in multiple currencies: OMR, USD, Euro, GBP, as well as other GCC and international currencies. A debit card is issued for the client upon account set up, as well as an initial cheque book for OMR accounts. alizz Islamic bank provides a wide range of innovative Shariacompliant financing solutions that meet customer’s saving needs and that support early investment, all of which are approved by the Sharia Supervisory Board.

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

SECTION

AFRIDI QUITS AS PAKISTAN T20 CAPTAIN BUT WANTS TO PLAY 0N

SPOR YOUR GAME

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West Indies make history

MOMENT OF GLORY: West Indies batsmen Carlos Brathwaite and Marlon Samuals celebrate after beat-

ENGLAND J. Roy b Badree A. Hales c Badree b Russell J. Root c Benn b Brathwaite E. Morgan c Gayle b Badree J. Buttler c Bravo b Brathwaite B. Stokes c Simmons b Bravo M. Ali c Ramdin b Bravo C. Jordan not out D. Willey c Charles b Brathwaite L. Plunkett c Badree b Bravo A. Rashid not out Extras (lb-4, w-1) Total (9 wickets; 20 overs)

0 1 54 5 36 13 0 12 21 4 4 5 155

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-8, 3-23, 4-84, 5-110, 6-110, 7-111, 8-136, 9-142 Bowling: S. Badree 4-1-16-2, A. Russell 4-0-21-1, S. Benn 3-0-40-0, D. Bravo 4-037-3, C. Brathwaite 4-0-23-3, D. Sammy 1-0-14-0 WEST INDIES J. Charles c Stokes b Root 1 C. Gayle c Stokes b Root 4 M. Samuels not out 85 L. Simmons lbw b Willey 0 D. Bravo c Root b Rashid 25 A. Russell c Stokes b Willey 1 D. Sammy c Hales b Willey 2

C. Brathwaite not out 34 Extras (lb-3, w-6) 9 Total (6 wickets; 19.4 overs) 161 Did not bat: D. Ramdin, S. Badree, S. Benn Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-5, 3-11, 4-86, 5-104, 6-107 Bowling: D. Willey 4-0-20-3, J. Root 1-0-92, C. Jordan 4-0-36-0, L. Plunkett 4-0-29-0, A. Rashid 4-0-23-1, B. Stokes 2.4-0-41-0 Man of the match: M. Samuels (WI) Man of the series: V. Kohli (India) Umpires: K. Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and R. Tucker (Australia) TV umpire: M. Erasmus (South Africa)

ing England in the ICC World T20 ﬁnal match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. – PTI

Needing 19 off the last over sent down by Stokes, Brathwaite exhibited nerves of steel to complete the chase in stunning style and trigger wild celebrations amongst his jubilant team mates who invaded the Eden Gardens pitch

KOLKATA: West Indies’ Carlos Brathwaite smashed England’s Ben Stokes for four successive sixes to snatch a sensational fourwicket win in Sunday’s World Twenty20 ﬁnal as the Caribbean side became the ﬁrst team to win

the title twice. Needing 19 off the last over sent down by Stokes, Brathwaite exhibited nerves of steel to complete the chase in stunning style and trigger wild celebrations amongst his jubilant team mates who invaded the Eden

Gardens pitch. “We have a pastor in the team in Andre Fletcher, we keep on praying,” West Indies skipper Darren Sammy said after becoming the ﬁrst captain to lead a team to a second World T20 title. “Good to see Carlos play like that in his debut World Cup. Shows the Twenty20 depth we have in the Caribbean. Hopefully we will continue to improve.” The 24 runs Brathwaite scored off Stokes was the highest in the ﬁnal over of a Twenty20 International, bettering Australia’s mark of 23 against Pakistan in Gros Islet in 2010. England’s death overs hero Stokes was left distraught after failing to contain Brathwaite, who had a memorable night having scored 34 with the bat after earlier claiming 3-23 with the ball to restrict England to a modest total. Man-of-the-match Marlon

Samuels was not out on 85 but it was Brathwaite’s blistering total off 10 balls that saw them home. Put in to bat, England got off to a horrendous start before Joe Root hit a ﬂuent 54 to help the 2010 champions post a competitive 155 for nine wickets. “We didn’t have enough runs on the board. It was a really good batting surface, maybe 180-90 was par,” England’s disappointed skipper Eoin Morgan said, though he was happy with his team’s aggressive displays throughout the tournament.

“We showed an immense amount of character in the tournament, not quite done enough to win it. I truly believe this is only the start of something special.” Root added 61 to the England total in partnership with Jos Buttler (36), who hit left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn for back-to-back sixes before holing out in the deep. Dwayne Bravo (3-37) struck twice in the 14th over and Root perished in the next trying to scoop a delivery from Brathwaite (3-23). West Indies wobbled early in

their chase after part-time spinner Root dismissed Johnson Charles and the dangerous Chris Gayle in his the first three balls to peg them back. Samuels added 75 runs with Dwayne Bravo (25) to steady the ship before Brathwaite provided the remarkable late fireworks to secure an emotional victory. The home crowd, whose team were knocked out by West Indies in the semifinal, gave a loud cheer when India’s Virat Kohli was named man-of-the-tournament for his prolific batting. - Reuters

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

SPORTS

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Windies eves clinch maiden title SCOREBOARD

The girls, as promised to Dwayne Bravo, danced to the beats of the all-rounder’s latest rap compilation ‘Champion’

KOLKATA: Fifties from Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor powered West Indies to their ﬁrst women’s World Twenty20 title on Sunday, their eight-wicket win at Eden Gardens ending three-times defending champions Australia’s dominance in the tournament. Matthews (66) and captain Taylor (59) added 120 for their opening stand as West Indies chased down a 148-run target with three balls to spare for their ﬁrst win against the Southern Stars in nine

OVER THE MOON: ICC Women’s World T20 2016 champion West Indies cricketers celebrate with the

trophy at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. – PTI

attempts in World Twenty20. Deandra Dottin, who took two wickets for 33, remained unbeaten on 18 to see West Indies through and spark wild celebrations among her team mates who were joined by several members of the men’s side in a celebratory dance. “We didn’t get the start we want-

ed. In the ﬁrst three overs we only scored three runs but it was good to keep wickets in hand,” Taylor, who was named player of the tournament, told reporters. “We just said: ‘We could do this, just stay here and bat through’. “I don’t think it’s quite sunk in as yet. We have a good feeling right

now but I think when it really hits us that’s when we will know.” Australia’s Elyse Villani and captain Meg Lanning had both hit 52 and added 77 for the second wicket to take their side to 148 for ﬁve after they won the toss and opted to bat. Dottin gave away just one run in

AUSTRALIA A. Healy c & b Matthews 4 E. Villani c Taylor b Dottin 52 M. Lanning lbw b Mohammed 52 E. Perry lbw b Dottin 28 A. Blackwell not out 3 E. Osborne run out (King/Dottin) 0 J. Jonassen not out 0 Extras (b-4, lb-2, w-3) 9 Total (5 wickets; 20 overs) 148 Did not bat: B. Mooney, M. Schutt, R. Farrell, K. Beams Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-92, 3-134, 4-147, 5-147 Bowling: S. Connell 2-0-15-0, H. Matthews 2-0-13-1, S. Taylor 3-0-26-0, D. Dottin 4-033-2, A. Fletcher 1-0-9-0, A. Mohammed 4-0-19-1, S. Quintyne 4-0-27-0 WEST INDIES H. Matthews c Blackwell b Beams 66 S. Taylor c Jonassen b Farrell 59

the ﬁnal over which according to Lanning was a crucial moment in the match. “It was certainly a pivotal moment I guess,” Lanning said. “I think we needed 160-plus on that wicket and we certainly set our-

D. Dottin not out 18 B. Cooper not out 3 Extras (lb-2, w-1) 3 Total (2 wickets; 19.3 overs) 149 Did not bat: S. King, M. Aguilleira, S. Campbelle, S. Quintyne, A. Mohammed, A. Fletcher, S. Connell Fall of wickets: 1-120, 2-144 Bowling: J. Jonassen 4-0-26-0, E. Perry 3.30-27-0, M. Schutt 3-0-26-0, R. Farrell 4-035-1, K. Beams 4-0-27-1, E. Osborne1-0-6-0 Toss: Australia, who chose to bat Player of the match: H. Matthews (West Indies) Player of the series: S. Taylor (West Indies) Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and RK Illingworth (England) TV umpire: NJ Llong (England) Match referee: AJ Pycroft (Zimbabwe) Reserve umpire: S. Ravi

selves up to get to that mark. “We just probably slowed a little bit towards the end including that ﬁnal over. That probably gave the West Indies a little bit of momentum heading into their batting innings.” - Reuters

CRICKET

Afridi quits as T20 captain KARACHI: Facing criticism for Pakistan’s dismal show in the ICC World Twenty20, Shahid Afridi on Sunday stepped down as captain of the team but will continue to play in the shortest format of the game. The Afridi-led Pakistan failed make it to the semiﬁnals of the World Twenty20 in India, where his comments also drew the ire of former players. The 36-year-old all-rounder and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had hinted that World T20 could well be be his last as skipper. “Today, I wish to inform my fans in Pakistan and all over the world that I am relinquishing the captaincy of the T20 Pakistani team of my own volition,” Afridi said in a statement, released on his twitter account. “On this day, I thank Almighty for his kindness and mercy which enabled me to discharge my leadership duties, to the best of my abilities for the sake of honour and prestige of my motherland. For me it was a great honour to lead my country in all three formats of the game,” Afridi wrote

WANTS TO PLAY ON: Shahid Afridi. – AFP ﬁles

in his statement. Afridi, however, asserted that he will be available for selection as a player in the team even though PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has made it clear that the all-rounder is no longer a surety in the side. “My profound thanks to the PCB and its Chairman Shaharyar Khan who gave me the honour to lead the national team. I would also like to inform that I intend to continue to play the game for my country and league cricket etc. and request my fans for kindly keep praying and supporting for my best future performances for Pakistan (as a

player); and in all other arenas of the game, world over.” The mercurial cricketer played 27 Tests for Pakistan before retiring from the format in 2010 with 1716 runs and 48 wickets. In 398 ODIs, he has 8064 runs and 395 wickets, while 98 T20 International appearances have fetched him 1405 runs and 97 wickets. Afridi found himself mired in controversies during Pakistan’s World T20 campaign. First, he drew ﬂak in Pakistan for stating that he and his players were loved more in India than back home. - PTI

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

SPORTS PREMIER LEAGUE

GCC OLYMPIC CHIEFS EXECUTIVE OFFICE MEMBERS MEET IN RIYADH

The members of the 87th executive office of the chairpersons of the GCC Olympic Committees met in Riyadh on Sunday where they have ﬁnalised and submitted a number of recommendations and proposals to the GCC Olympic chiefs. The Olympic chiefs of the GCC nations will meet in the Saudi capital on Monday. The two meetings are taking place on the sidelines of the 30th meeting of the GCC Sports and Youth Ministers. At the executive office of the chairpersons of the GCC Olympic Committees, the Sultanate was represented by Oman Olympic Committee General Secretary Taha bin Suleiman Al Kishry. — Supplied photo

Five in a row for Rosberg In a race that at times resembled a demolition derby, with bits of bodywork ﬂying as cars collided, Rosberg seized the lead from the start and enjoyed an easy evening under the ﬂoodlights AWESOME: Mercedes’ driver Nico Rosberg, left, celebrates after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix in Manama on Sunday. – AFP

MANAMA: Germany’s Nico Rosberg romped to his ﬁfth win in a row for Mercedes on Sunday and ended Formula One champion teammate Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of a third successive Bahrain Grand Prix victory. In a race that at times resembled a demolition derby, with bits of bodywork ﬂying as cars collided, Rosberg seized the lead from the start and enjoyed an easy evening

under the ﬂoodlights. “It’s been an awesome weekend. The key was really at the start, I made a great getaway and from then on I was trying to control the pace,” said Rosberg of his ﬁrst win at the desert track where he made his F1 debut a decade ago. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, whose teammate Sebastian Vettel failed to start after his car’s engine let out

a plume of smoke on the formation lap, ﬁnished 10.2 seconds behind to repeat last year’s second place. Hamilton, a distant third and never in a position to challenge for the lead, made a slow start from pole position and tangled with the Williams of Valtteri Bottas at the ﬁrst corner as the Finn tried to go past on the inside. That left him having to battle

back from seventh place at the end of lap two with a damaged car, while stewards gave Bottas a drive-through penalty for causing the collision. Hamilton had also started on pole in Australia two weeks earlier, when both Mercedes drivers were jumped by the Ferraris before eventually finishing one-two. Rosberg stretched his lead over Hamilton at the top of the standings to 17 points after two races. The win was the 16th of the German’s career, lifting him level in the all-time lists with British great Stirling Moss, and the eighth in a row for champions Mercedes. All but the top six cars were lapped, with 17 finishers. Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo was fourth for the second race running, with Frenchman Romain Grosjean performing more heroics for the new US-owned Haas team by finishing fifth after sixth in Australia. Dutch teenager Max Verstappen finished sixth for Toro Rosso, with Russian Daniil Kvyat seventh for sister team Red Bull and Felipe Massa eighth for Williams ahead of Bottas. Belgian rookie Stoffel Vandoorne, standing in for Fernando Alonso at McLaren after the Spaniard was ruled out on medical grounds after his big crash in Melbourne, scored on his debut with 10th place. - Reuters

SHOCKING

British doctor claims he doped 150 sportsmen LONDON: UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) said it was “deeply concerned and shocked” by a Sunday Times report in which a British doctor alleged he had prescribed banned performance-enhancing drugs to 150 sportsmen including several Premier League football players. The newspaper said Dr Mark Bonar claimed his “clients” included an England cricketer, British Tour de France cyclists, a British boxing champion, tennis players and martial arts competitors as well as footballers. In the past six years he had treated more than 150 sportsmen from the UK and abroad with banned substances such as erythropoietin (EPO), steroids and human growth hormone, and the performance improvements were “phenomenal”, the report added. The Sunday Times said that during a series of meetings with undercover reporters, Bonar had spoken about sportsmen he had treated. The newspaper also sent a sportsman to Bonar’s clinic, who recorded his appointments with a hidden camera. Neither the newspaper nor Reuters was able to substantiate the claims made by the doctor. UKAD chief executive Nicole Sapstead said the body had been aware of allegations against Bonar after a sportsperson approached them two years ago

but had not been able to act upon them because he was not affiliated to any particular sport. “Under current legislation, UKAD has the power only to investigate athletes and entourage (including medics) who are themselves governed by a sport,” she said. UKAD had considered informing the General Medical Council, which overseas medical practitioners in Britain, but decided the evidence they had was insufﬁcient for such a referral, Sapstead added. UKAD chairman David Kenworthy said an independent review would be conducted into the issues raised by the report. “They will be asked to look at the way the information supplied by the sportsperson was handled and whether proper procedures were followed,” he said. “They will also be asked to make any recommendations to improve the way in which intelligence is dealt with in the future so that UKAD can be as effective as possible in keeping sport clean,” he said. The news is likely to cast a further shadow on the sporting world ahead of the Rio Olympics. Russia was suspended from international track and ﬁeld last year following a report exposing widespread cheating and corruption among its athletes. - Reuters

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Leicester ‘dreaming’ of title after victory over Southampton LONDON: A year to the day since being seven points from safety at the foot of the Premier League and facing relegation, Leicester City moved seven points clear at the top of table when they beat Southampton 1-0 at the King Power Stadium on Sunday. “We are dreaming,” declared Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri after watching his team, 5,000-1 outsiders to win the title at the start of the season, secure a fourth straight 1-0 victory thanks to a first-half header from captain Wes Morgan. The win moved Leicester on to 69 points with just six matches remaining, seven points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who drew 1-1 at Liverpool on Saturday. Arsenal stayed third, moving on to 58 points after their 4-0 win over Watford on Saturday with Manchester City remaining fourth on 54 points after their 4-0 win at Bournemouth. Manchester United stayed in the hunt for a top-four finish when they beat Everton 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday to move into fifth place on 53 points with Anthony Martial scoring the winner early in the second half. Arsenal, City and United all have one game in hand on Leicester but if the Foxes win four of their remaining games, they cannot be caught and will complete one of the most remarkable stories in the 128-year history of the English League. Leicester’s best-ever finish was as runners-up in 1929 and the last time they made any kind of push for the title was in 1963 when they finished fourth and were beaten in the FA Cup final. Yet after beating West Ham a year ago this weekend to begin their revival and avoid the drop, they have not looked back. “We are dreaming. If we fight, we can do something and we

must continue. It’s important to stay very calm and maintain our feet on the ground,” Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri told Sky Sports. “Clean sheet, three points, step by step. It’s fantastic because we know very well Southampton came here with a lot of conﬁdence,” he said. “I said to the players, it’s the chairman’s birthday, he needs a special present from us.” Southampton boss Ronald Koeman was not in such a giving mood afterwards. His side should have taken the lead six minutes before Leicester scored when Saido Mane rounded keeper Kasper Schmeichel then saw his shot hit the arm of Danny Simpson who cleared the ball. Koeman was convinced his team was denied a penalty and he also thought Simpson should have been sent off. “For the third match in a row we don’t get a 100 percent penalty — Stoke City away, Liverpool at home, and today two penalties. “The big one is when Sadio Mane’s shot hits Danny Simpson and it is a red card and a penalty. “If it is not a handball, it is a goal. I don’t know what they are doing. This is a big match. ” Sunday’s late match saw United win a forgettable encounter against Everton although the second half was better than a dire opening 45 minutes. Martial struck the winner at the far post when the Everton defence failed to clear a ball whipped across their goalmouth, and apart from the goal the only other notable thing that happened came before the kickoff. Fans of both clubs gave Bobby Charlton, 78, a warm salute as United’s record scorer, marking 60 years since his United debut, took a bow on the Old Trafford pitch as the South Stand was renamed the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand in his honour. - Reuters

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

SPORTS

Assarain, Muscat CT record victories Color & Design. Batting ﬁrst, NBO scored 198 for four in 20 overs. In reply, Color & Design were bowled out for 98 in 15.5 overs.

In a Premier Division

Brief scores: NBO 198/4 in 20 overs (Khalil Ahmed 47) bt Color & Design 98 in 15.5 overs (Zaheer Abbas 3/16). Points: Color & Design – 0, NBO – 3.

T20 match, Assarain defeated Al Turki by seven wickets while in the 50-over match Muscat accounted

MUSCAT STARS: Aman Sharma,

left, and Rajesh Ranpura.

BAHIHI’S TOP PERFORMER: PREMIER DIVISION: Assarain after their victory over Al Turki.

Shareer Najeeb.

for Enhance CT MUSCAT: Assarain eased to a seven-wicket victory over Al Turki in a Muscat Pharmacy and Storessponsored Premier Division match at the Ministry of Sports Affairs ground on Saturday. Batting ﬁrst, Al Turki scored 91 for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. Twinkle Bhandari top scored with 34. Ahmed Raza and Kaleem Ullah claimed two wickets each for Assarain. In reply, Assarain scored 93 for three in 13.5 overs. Zeeshan Maqsood and Arun Poulose scored 27 and 22 respectively. Brief scores: Al Turki 91/9 in 20 overs (Twinkle Bhandari 34; Ahmed Raza 2/16, Kaleem Ullah 2/14) lost to Assarain 93/3 in 13.5 overs (Zeeshan Maqsood 27). Points: Assarain – 3, Al Turki – 0.

Enhance CT lose In another Premier Division match, Muscat CT defeated Enhance CT by seven wickets. Batting ﬁrst, Enhance CT were all out for 229 in 44.1 overs. Noorul Riaz top scored with 107. Rajesh Ranpura was the most effective bowler for Muscat CT by claiming four wickets. In reply, Muscat CT scored 231 for three in 34.2 overs. Aman Sharma and Jatinder Singh scored 100

In an I Division match, Khalsa United defeated Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir (ISWK) by 10 wickets. Batting ﬁrst, ISWK were bowled out for 117 in 19.5 overs. In reply, Khalsa raced to 121 without losing a wicket in 13.2 overs. Brief scores: ISWK 117 in 19.5 overs (Mohammed Yasser 3/13) lost to Khalsa United 121 in 13.2 overs (Sushil Kadam 48 n.o., Rashid Aziz 52 n.o). Points: ISWK – 0, Khalsa United – 3.

In an I Division match, Douglas OHI beat Majees B by 45 runs. Batting ﬁrst, Douglas OHI scored 176 for eight in 20 overs. Majees B were bowled out for 131 in 19.4 overs.

SIX FOR: Saud Zaman

J DIVISION: HFP who defeated Mani’s Azad.

TON IN VAIN: Noorul Riaz.

and 68 not out respectively.

for 160 in 19.4 overs.

Brief scores: Enhance CT 229 in 44.1 overs (Noorul Riaz 107; Rajesh Ranpura 4/36) lost to Muscat CT 231/3 in 34.2 overs (Aman Sharma 100, Jatinder Singh 68 n.o). Points: Enhance CT – 0, Muscat CT – 3 (BP).

Brief scores: Atkins 163/7 in 20 overs (Navneeth 44 n.o.; Gunal Pandya 2/33) lost to Enhance Falcons 160 in 19.4 overs (Sparsh Agarwal 62; Tipu Ahsan Ali 3/21). Points: Enhance Falcons – 0, Atkins - 2.

scored 147 for seven in 20 overs. In reply, Bank Muscat were bowled out for 126 in 17 overs.

In an Enhance-sponsored D Division match, Professional Trading posted an 18-run win over Al Meer. Brief scores: Professional Trading 170/9 in 20 overs (Muthu Murugan 41; Puneet M. 3/23) bt Al Meer 152/9 in 20 overs (Ravi M. 49 n.o.; Binu B.V. 4/24). Points: Al Meer – 0, Professional Trading – 2.

In an E Division match, Atkins defeated Enhance Falcons by three runs. Batting ﬁrst, Atkins scored 163 for seven in 20 overs. In reply, Enhance Falcons were bowled out

In an E Division match, Al Fairuz defeated Abu Maather by three wickets. Batting ﬁrst, Abu Maather scored 161 for eight in 18 overs. In reply, Al Fairuz scored 163 for seven in 15.1 overs. Brief scores: Abu Maather 161/8 in 18 overs (Nazim Mohammed 38; Manikandan 2/31) lost to Al Fairuz 163/7 in 15.1 overs (Sumesh 41 n.o.; Arshad Chowdary 3/31). Points: Abu Maather – 0, Al Fairuz - 2.

In another E Division match, MARH defeated Ibrahim Kishri by two wickets. Batting ﬁrst, Ibrahim Kishri were bowled out for 166 in

20 overs. In reply, MARH scored 167 for eight in 19.5 overs. Brief scores: Ibrahim Kishri 166 in 20 overs (Kamal Joti 56; M. Irfan 2/15) lost to MARH 167/8 in 20 overs (Mohammed Rzwan 45; Asif Balushi 4/27). Points: MARH – 2, Ibrahim Kishri – 0.

In a F Division match, Bahihi posted a 62-run win over Khurshid CT. Batting ﬁrst, Bahihi scored 230 for four in 20 overs. Khurshid were bowled out for 168 in 16.3 overs. Brief scores: Bahihi 230/4 in 20 overs (Shareer Najeeb 108 n.o., Ashok Patel 51) bt Khurshid CT 168 in 16.3 overs (Shanavas 39; Kishore Krishnan 2/30, Shaheer Najeeb 2/29). Points: Khurshid CT – 0, Bahihi – 3.

In a G Division match, OCT Mabellah defeated Bank Muscat by 21 runs. Batting ﬁrst, OCT Mabellah

Brief scores: OCT Mabellah 147/7 in 20 overs (Shabbib Pindook 50 n.o; Abbas Al Balushi 2/37) bt Bank Muscat 126 in 17 overs (Yousuf Rahim 36; Shabbib 3/6). Points: Bank Muscat - 0, OCT Mabellah - 2.

In an H Division match, RAHRC defeated Caledonian College by 16 runs. Batting ﬁrst, RAHRC scored 179 for nine in 19 overs. In reply, Caledonian College were bowled out for 163 in 17.5 overs. Brief scores: RAHRC 179/9 in 19 overs (Sujith Ramesh 45; Saud Zaman 6/26) bt Caledonian College 163 in 17.5 overs (Israr Akram 38; Sujith Ramesh 4/32). Points: Caledonian College – 0, RAHRC – 2.

In another H Division match, NBO recorded a 100-run win over

Brief scores: Douglas OHI 176/8 in 20 overs (Mohammed Bilal 54; Naushad 2/26) bt Majees B 131 in 19.4 overs (Aneeq Jassimh 32; M. Bilal 3/16). Points: Majees B – 0, Douglas OHI – 3.

In a J Division match, Bronze Rock recorded a 19-run win over Techno Elevators. Batting ﬁrst, Bronze Rock were bowled out for 146 in 18.3 overs. In reply, Techno Elevators were bowled out for 127 in 18.5 overs. Brief scores: Bronze Rock 146 in 18.3 overs (Vineet Pal 56; Tasleem Khan 4/14) bt Techno Elevators 127 in 18.5 overs (Mohammed Amir 31; Vineet Pal 3/10 ). Points: Bronze Rock – 2, Techno Elevators - 0.

In another J Division match, HFP defeated Mani’s Azad by seven wickets. Batting ﬁrst, Mani’s Azad were bowled out for 117 in 16.2 overs. In reply, HFP scored 118 for three in 10.4 overs. Brief scores: Mani’s Azad 117 in 16.2 overs (Prasobh Mohan 3/12) lost to HFP 118/3 in 10.4 overs (Prasobh Mohan 44 n.o). Points: HFP – 3, Mani’s Azad - 0.

LA LIGA

Zidane learns from Benitez mistakes MADRID: Bloodied by a 4-0 thrashing Barcelona handed them last November, Real Madrid’s tactical changes in Saturday’s ‘Clasico’ were richly rewarded when they ended the home side’s recordbreaking 39-game unbeaten run with a 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp. Coach Zinedine Zidane learned the lessons of predecessor Rafael Benitez’s disastrous tactics in the last encounter and employed defensive midﬁelder Casemiro in favour of more attack-minded players, opting instead to sit and wait for Barcelona. “We had a game plan, we know we’ve got speed on the counterattack, so we used that to our advantage,” Madrid forward Gareth Bale said after late strikes from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo cancelled out Gerard Pique’s opener on 56 minutes. “We know obviously if you attack them they’re not the best defensive team in the world. They’re great at attacking, so we worked on that in training and it’s paid off.” Before kickoff, Barcelona staged an emotional tribute to late player and coach Johan Cruyff,

Zinedine Zidane

who had an irreversible inﬂuence on the philosophy of attacking football with which the team remain associated with today. Coach Luis Enrique and captain Andres Iniesta had talked of their desire to give the Dutchman, who succumbed to cancer at the age of 68 last month, the perfect tribute on the pitch by beating Madrid with a display of attacking football. However, they were cancelled out by Frenchman Zidane’s astute game plan and none of their potent front three of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi or Neymar were able to demonstrate their usual attacking ﬂair.

“Casemiro played a fundamental role,” Zidane said. “The goal scorers made the difference but above all, we put in a huge performance defensively against players who can cause you damage if you give them any space. I enjoyed seeing my players help each other out.” Madrid defender Marcelo added that the result was a reward for his side’s ability to resist the temptation to mirror Barcelona’s attacking style of play “Barcelona are one of the best teams in the world and we managed to beat them by playing well and knowing how to suffer, because we were patient,” he said. “We owed our supporters something after the last game (the 4-0 defeat in November). A team like this always has to be at the top and we gave everything to make our fans happy.” Madrid’s tactics were hailed by French newspaper L’Equipe with the headline ‘Super Zidane’, and Spanish daily Marca’s front cover praised the team’s spirit, saying “Los Blancos didn’t give up and conquered the Nou Camp”. - Reuters

LIFESTYLE

SECTION

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

Gear WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM W WW WW W..TI T MESOFOMAN.CO OM

Excitin g upgra de for hobby ists an d semi profes sionals ,

n sensor, o i t u l o s e r er a new high h t i w k c i l nt c is an insta D 0 8 S O . E the Canon ystem s F A oved r p an im d n a , ssing e c o r pr faste

midst the ever going DSLR wars — a new one popping up every other day with almost similar name and game, comes ﬁnally after a long time which could really excite the shutterbugs. After refreshing its EOS for professionals line-up with the launch of the new EOS — 1D X Mark II, Canon now brings a solid offering for enthusiasts with the EOS 80D. A potent successor to the much popular 70D, the semiprofessional range 80D is ideal for enthusiasts who love experimenting with photography. The camera is highly customisable and shoots with exceptional speed and ease. Combining leading imaging technologies, the most notable change on the 80D is its sensor — employing a new 24 megapixel CMOS sensor, pairing up with Canon’s latest DIGIC 6 image processor to provide an ISO range of 100-16,000 (expandable to ISO 25,600). The new 45 all cross-type Autofocus is another of the 80D’s main attractions. Canon’s auto-focus

technology (dubbed “Dual Pixel CMOS Auto-Focus” or DPAF for short) is undoubtedly one of the best in the industry. The feature enables the camera to automatically track multiple moving subjects in the frame like car, animal, or a moving person; otherwise it is impossible to keep in focus. The Live View and video AF system speeds are also 7-step adjustable, enabling slower rates to invideos for a smoother transition, and crispy sharp focus for stills. The DIGIC 6 processor also significantly enhances the 80D’s buffer depth, shooting up to 110 JPEGs or 25 RAW ﬁles at up to 7fps – much better than the 70D’s 65 JPEGs and 16 raw ﬁles. The 80D shoots Full HD (1920×1080) movies at up to 60fps for a maximum duration of 29 minutes 59 seconds. Other available frame rates are: 50, 25 and 24fps. Much to the delight of video buffs, the EOS 80D also features both headphone and microphone inputs, along with the 3.5mm mic. socket, at the side of the body for full audio control; the headphone feature felt quite wanted for on the previous 70D.

Sto

TECH SPECS 24.2-million-pixel APS-C sensor DIGIC 6 image processor EF/EF-S lens mount ISO 100-16,000 (extendable to ISO 25,600) 7fps continuous shooting 3.5mm headphone input Price TBA (to be priced around OMR450 approx) Authorised Retailer General Electric & Trading Co. LLC (Genetco), CBD, Ruwi +968 2483 0570 – 8007 0003

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The headphone port is located below the microphone port on the side. Creative filters and a second custom setting (C2) could also be accessed and managed direct from the mode dial. The remote port has been moved downward, and the stereo microphones have been relocated from the top of the camera to the front, with wider separation (the four small holes just left of the EOS 80D logo). The 80D also features the anti flicker system (mirror vibration control) similar to the 5DS and 7D Mark II. The system helps produce predictable exposure and colour when shooting under a light source that is prone to flickering, like fluorescent light or a house bulb. The clever technology detects the frequency of the flicker and times shots accordingly to minimise the impact on exposure and colour is minimal. Construction-wise, the sturdy 80D remains quite identical to the 70D, with aluminium and polycarbonate resin construction incorporated with glass and conductive fibre, and featuring water and dust resistance. A commonplace now, the 80D too comes with built in Wi-fi and NFC connectivity offering photographers the freedom to control and connect with the camera remotely via smartphone or tablet through the Canon’s Camera Connect app. The only ones to be disappointed in the 80D will be the 4K lovers: No 4K videos yet. But that said, the maximum frame rate of Full HD recording has been substantially increased to 50fps, along with 2x slow motion playback. And not to forget the new headphone port for in-camera audio monitoring making for a more enriched video shooting experience. All in all, the EOS 80D a nice new camera with some really fresh features that actually make a difference. Go shoot. -faisal@timesofoman.com

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

FIND-IT-ALL

PRAYER TIMINGS

@ RUWI

@ AZAIBA

Cast: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr. 4:30, 8:35 PM High Rise (Drama | Sci - Fi | Action) (15+) Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Iron, Sienna Miller 6:55, 11:45 PM Vettah (Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Kunchako Boban, Manju Warrier 10:30 PM Ki & Ka (Romance) (TBC) Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan 6:20 PM

@ PANORAMA MALL

CITY CINEMA Contact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman SHATTI Eddie the Eagle (Biography | Drama) PG Cast: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman 2:45, 7:00PM 10 Cloverfield Lane (Drama |Horror) 12+ Cast: John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr. 11:45PM High Rise (Drama | Sci- Fic | Action) 15+ Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons 4:45 & 11:30PM Queen of the Desert (Biography) 12+ Cast: James Franco, Nicole Kidman 6:45 & 9:15PM Ki & Ka (Romance | Comedy) PG12 Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh 9:00PM Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice – 3D (Action, Adventure, Fantasy) PG12 Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30PM Kung Fu Panda 3 – 3D (Animation) PG Voice Overs: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston 3:00 & 5:00PM MUSCAT GRAND MALL Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice – 3D (PG12) Action, Adventure, Fantasy Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 12:00, 2:50, 5:45, 8:45, 11:45 PM Gold Class – 2:30, 5:20, 8:15, 11:15 PM Ki & Ka – 2D (PG12) Romance | Comedy Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Kapoor 9:00, 11:30 PM Kung Fu Panda 3 – 3D (PG) Animation Voice Overs: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston 1:00, 5:00, 7:00 PM Zootropolis – 3D (PG12) Animation | Action| Voice Overs: Ginnifer Goodwin, Idris Elba 2:55 PM

Ki & Ka (Drama/ Comedy/ Romance) –PG12 Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Kapoor, Swaroop Sampat 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM

Vettah (2D) (Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Manju Warrier, Kunchako Boban 6:00, 9:15 PM

PANORAMA MALL Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice3D (Action, Adventure) (PG12) 3:15, 6:15, 9:00, 11:45 PM Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice3D (Action, Adventure) (PG12)-VIP LOUNGE Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 3:15, 6:00, 8:45, 11:30 PM Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (Action, Adventure) (MX4D) (PG12) 3:00, 5:45, 8:30, 11:15 PM Kung Fu Panda 3-3D (Animation) (PG) 2:45, 4:45 PM Misconduct-2D (Drama, Thriller) (12+) Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino 5:30, 11:30 PM Eddie the Eagle -2D (Biography) (PG) Cast: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman 3:00, 9:30 PM Queen of Desert-2D (Biography) (12+) Cast: James Franco, Nicole Kidman, Robert Pattinson 7:00, 11:15 PM High Rise -2D (Drama, Sci-Fi) (15+) Cast: Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Tom Hiddleston 6:30 PM

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept time

Destination

Arrival Operating time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

TEMPERATURE

15:00 15:00 15:00

05:30 05:30 05:30

Maximum

16:30 18:00 19:30

Daily Daily Daily

Sur Quriyat Ruwi

06:45 08:30 10:00

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 06:30 08:00 13:00 13:00 16.00 16.00

07:00 07:00 13:30 13:00 13:00 13:00 17:00

Sohar Buraimi Buraimi Sohar Buraimi Sohar Buraimi

08:50 Daily 11:00 Daily 14:30 Daily via Ibri 15:45 Daily 17:40 Daily 18.35 Daily 20:20 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52) 17:30

Sinaw

Nizwa Yanqul

20:50

Daily

Nizwa Al Araqi

16:50 19:30

Daily Daily

Sur Sur

10:20 12:30

Daily Daily

Fahud Yibal

Daily Daily

Salalah Marmul Salalah Salalah

10:30 11:15

Daily Daily

Marmul

20:00 20:30 23:30 07:40

Daily Daily Daily Daily

Dubai

16:50

Daily

Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai Sohar Dubai

08:40 11:00

Daily Daily

15:40 15:40

Nizwa Ruwi

17:55 20:20

Daily Daily

06:00 14:30

Ruwi Ruwi

10:45 19:00

Daily Daily

12:30 12:30

Fahud Ruwi

13:15 17:30

Daily Daily

07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

Ruwi Marmul Ruwi Ruwi

19:50 13:15 22:30 07:30

07:00

06:00

Marmul

16:30

Daily

15:00

Salalah

07:00

Daily

10:50 13:40 16:15 19:10 18:45 21:35

Daily Daily Thur-Fri Thur-Fri Daily Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 08:30 11:30 15:30 18:30 17:35 20:55

Daily Daily Wed,Thur Wed,Thur Daily Daily

07:30 07:30 13:00 13:00 15:30 15:30

Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 07:00 07:00

16:00 16.00 16.00

Fujairah Sharjah Dubai

Minimum

11.45 13.30 14.00

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Action / Adventure / Fantasy) Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 12.45, 3.30, 6.15, 9.00 & 11.45 PM CP No: 375 (PG12) 10 Cloverfield Lane (Horror / Drama) Cast: John Goodman, Mary Eliozabeth, John Gallgher Jr. 4.00, 8.00, 10.00 & 11.45 PM CP No: 406 (12+) Degrade: (Arabic) (Drama) Cast: Hiam Abbas, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Huda Al Imam 2.00 & 6.00 PM CP No: 407 (PG)

STAR CINEMA Film information 24791641 / 24786776 Website: www.isurf.co.om Oopiri (Telugu) (Comedy & Drama) Cast: Nagarjuna, Karthi & Tamanna 3:30 PM Cinema Main; 6:45 & 9:45 PM Cinema-3 Vettah (Mal) (Thriller) Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Manju Warrier 3:45PM Cinema -3; 6:30 PM Cinema-2; 9:30 PM Cinema Main Thozha (Tamil) (Comedy \ Drama) Cast: Karthi, Nagarjuna & Tamanna 3:30 & 9:30 PM Cinema-2; 6:30 PM Cinema Main Action Hero Biju (Mal) (Act\Comedy) Cast: Nivin Pauly & Anu Emmanuel 3:45 & 9:45 PM Cinema - 4 Maheshinte Prathikaram (Mal) ( Comedy & Drama) Cast: Fahad Faasil & Anusree 6:45 PM Cinema-4 Next Change: Sardaar Gabbar Singh (Telugu) Programmes are subject to change

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

65-35%

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Daily Daily Daily

Sharjah Fujairah Ruwi

16:30 18.15 23.00

LISTINGS

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 EMBASSIES IN OMAN

Daily Daily Daily Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201) 06:00 06:00 13:00 13:00 15:00 15:00

Nizwa Ruwi

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102) 15:00

06:00 06:00

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101) 06:00

Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100) 07:00 10:00 10:00 19:00

10:25

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 12:00 18:45

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62) 06:30 06:30

Ruwi

Film information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855 Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

TO SUR (ROUTE 55) 07:30 14:30

07:00

BAHJA CINEMA

SALALAH Batman Vs Superman (3D) (PG12) (Action) Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 2:45, 5:35, 8:30, 11:30PM Kung Fu Panda 3 (3D) (PG) (Animation) Voice Overs: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston 1:00, 4:45PM Eddie the Eagle (2D) (PG) (Biograph) Cast: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman 3:00, 11:45PM 10 Cloverfield Lane (2D) (12+) (Drama) Cast: John Goodman, ohn Gallagher Jr. 5:00PM Queen of the Desert (2D) (12+) (Biography) Cast: James Franco, Nicole Kidman 2:15, 7:00PM Misconduct (2D) (12+) (Drama / Thriller) Cast: Josh Duhamel, Anthony Hopkins 1:00, 6:40PM Ki & Ka (2D) (PG12) (Romance | Comedy) Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor 8:45PM Rocky Handsome (2D) (12+) (Action | Thriller) Cast: John Abraham, Shruti Haasan, Nishikant Kamath 11:15PM Vettah (2D) (PG12) (Mal) (Comedy / Drama) Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Soubin Shahir, Aparna Balamurali 9:25PM

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54) 08:00 08:00

08:55 Daily 11:40 Daily 20:20 Daily via Ibri 14:55 Daily 17:40 Daily 19:20 Daily 22:15 Daily

27 25

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54) 14:30 14:30

Sohar Ruwi Ruwi Sohar Ruwi Sohar Ruwi

Daily Daily Daily

SUR Batman Vs Superman 3D (Action | Adventure | Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 4:15, 9:05 PM 10 Cloverfield Lane (Horror | Thriller) (12+)

SOHAR Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice– 3D (Action, Adventure, Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 2:30, 5:30, 8:30, 11:30PM Eddie the Eagle – 2D (Biography) (PG) Cast: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Tom Costello Jr. 2:45, 5:00, 7:15 PM Misconduct – 2D (Drama, Thriller) (12+) Cast: Josh Duhamel, Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino 6:45, 11:45PM Kung Fu Panda 3 – 3D (Animation | Action| Adventure) (PG) Voice Overs: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman 4:45PM Degrade – 2D (Arabic, Drama) (PG) Cast: Hiam Abbas, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Huda Al Imam 5:15PM Queen of the Desert -2D (Biography) (12+) Cast: James Franco, Nicole Kidman 3:00, 9:15PM High Rise – 2D (Drama, Sci- Fic, Action) (15+) Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller 3:00, 11:45PM Rocky Handsome – 2D (Action, Thriller) Cast: John Abraham, Nishikant Kamat 7:00PM Ki & Ka– 2D (Romance, Comedy) (PG12) Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor 8:45, 11:45PM Vettah – 2D (Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Faha Manju Warrier, Kunchako Boban 9:15PM

BURAIMI Kung Fu Panda 3 (Animation |Action|) (PG) Voice Overs: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston 4.30PM 10 Cloverfield Lane (Drama |Horror) (12+) Cast: John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr. 7.00, 11.45PM High Rise (Drama | Sci- Fic | Action) Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons 4.45, 9.30PM Batman VS Superman 3D (Action) PG 12 Cast: Ben Affleck,Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 4.30, 6.15, 9.00, 11.45PM Ki & Ka (Romance | Comedy) TBC Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Kapoor 9.00, 11.30PM Vettah (Thriller) PG12 Cast: Manju Warrier, Kunchako Boban 7.15PM

WEATHER

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36) Quriyat Sur Jaalan

RUWI Screen 1 Ki & Ka (Drama/ Comedy/ Romance) –PG12 Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Kapoor, Swaroop Sampat 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM Screen 2 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Action/Adventure) –PG12 Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 3.45, 6.45, 9.45 PM Screen 3 Rocky Handsome (Action/ Thriller) –12+ Cast: John Abraham, Shruti Haasan, Nishikant Kamat, Sharad Kelkar 3.45, 9.45 PM Kapoor & Sons (Drama / Family) –PG12 Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt, Rishi Kapoor 6.45 PM

AZAIBA Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (3D) (Action |Adventure | Fantasy) (PG12) Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams 3:15, 6:15, 9:00, 11:45 PM Kung Fu Panda 3 (3D) (Animation) (PG) Voice Overs: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, 2:30, 4:30 PM Rocky Handsome (2D) (Action ) (12+) Cast: John Abraham, Shruti Hassan, Nishikant Kamat 3:30, 11:15 PM Ki & Ka (2D) (Romance | Comedy) (TBC) Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Swaroop Sampat, Amitabh Bachchan 2:45, 5:15, 7:45, 10:15, 11:30 PM Vettah (2D) (Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Manju Warrier, Kunchako Boban 6:00, 9:15 PM Thozha (2D) (Comedy | Drama) (PG12) Cast: Nagarjuna, Tammanah 6:15, 8:15 PM

TO MUSCAT (RUWI) Arrival Operating time days

Misconduct-2D (Drama, Thriller) (12+) Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Josh Duhamel 5:30, 11:30 PM

Ki & Ka-2D (Romance, Comedy)(15+) cast: Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Swaroop Sampat 6:30 PM

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Destination

12.15pm 3.42pm 6.29pm 7.40pm 4.40am

CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

CINEMA SCHEDULE

Dept time

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

Daily Daily Daily

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PHARMACIES (ROUND THE CLOCK) Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334 Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi Salalah Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra Muscat Region Apollo, Al Hamriya Muscat, A Seeb Market Muscat, Al Khuwair Muscat, Al Hail South Dhofar Region Muscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah

24782666 24702542 23291635; 24503585 24787766 24421691 24485740 24537080

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 Lifeline Hospital Salalah 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 International Hospital, Al Ghubra 22004000, 94267068/97049520 Al Hayat Clinic, Al Hail 22009455

AIRLINE OFFICES Muscat Airport Flight information (24 hours) 24519456/24519223 Aeroflot 24704455 Air Arabia 24700828 Air France 24562153 Air India 24799801

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MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

LIFESTYLE Story Faisal Mohammed Naim

4K is undoubtedly the future of the audiovisual world. However, the industry players are trying to push too much, too early down the consumers’ throat. The market may not be just ready for 4K yet.

Call it 4K, UHD or Ultra HD, it is the latest buzzword; a technology that is redeﬁning the way we view, consume and even create visual content. From videos to photography to live surveillance 4K takes content viewing to the next level with its highly immersive likenever-before experience. 4K is undoubtedly the future of

the audio-visual medium. However, no matter how fast it is making its presence felt, there is still a long way for it to become mainstream. Reason? 4K calls for entire infrastructure revamp. All the innovations that took place in the virtual world prior to the 4K, were quite in sync with the existing technologies. With 4K, the entire setup has to change, right from creating 4K content to its broadcast. And while the TV brands may have come up with displays boasting of 4K compatibility, the truth is there is no easy 4K content around to feed those display panels. And that’s not just me saying it; the industry experts feel the same. Sharing his insights at the recently concluded Canon Middle East panel discussion on ‘The Rise of 4K in Live Production: Opportunities and Challenges’ in Dubai, Paul Atkinson, the Pro Video product specialist from Canon Europe said, “Every major TV manufacturer has a range of 4K television sets. The ability to watch 4K is there. The ability to ﬁlm

in 4K is quite obviously there. But the middle part of transmitting and outputting 4K in the most effective manner right to the homes of people still remains to be ﬁne-tuned. Delivery of 4K is a big challenge at the moment”. Delivering 4K content to homes is a challenge due to bandwidth issues. The bandwidth required for 4K content is enormously huge (at least presently), along with the need for proper transmitting system and of course the huge storage spaces required to the mammoth sized 4K ﬁles (mind you, a 4K movie could be well exceeding 50GB in size). A rare few channels boast of 4K content these days. However what they very well know and the audiences mostly don’t is the fact that the 4K content is transmitted downscaled to full HD, due to all the above mentioned reasons (or hurdles). What is compressed 4K content any more than just a marketing gimmick then? With the availability of DSLR cameras and even smartphones supporting 4K video recording, it has become easier and more affordable

IN THE NEWS

Red Bull F1 Showrun to Provide Shuttling Service The highly anticipated Red Bull F1 Showrun is being hosted in Oman this Friday under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin Assad Al Said and in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism. The afternoon event will be held on a 1.1 kilometre strip along the beautiful and iconic Muttrah Corniche. The event will start at 2:30pm and will finish by 4pm. The Red Bull event will have a shuttling service available for the public on the event day to ease the ﬂow of traffic and accommodate spectators eager to see an F1 car close up. F1 Fans looking to beat the traffic can access the event via Wadi Kabir by taking the Al Bustan Road (event organisers are not recommending people to travel on the Muttrah Corniche Road). Once spectators reach the Al Bustan roundabout they can turn left and follow the direction signs to Parking A where a shuttle service will be available to the event venue between 12- 6pm.

For those people travelling from Darsait (which is not recommended) they will be required to turn left at the Mina roundabout and follow direction signs to Jibroo Parking B, where there will be a shuttle service available to the event venue between 12-2pm. The service will resume at 4:20pm after the event has ended. The best things in life are free, and Red Bull F1 Showrun is no exception. So bring your family, friends, neighbours and just about anyone else who would like to experience this one-of-a-kind event. Families will be also entertained by vari-

ous side acts before and during the event in the event village. Members of the public who would like to see the car close up and hear the roar of the engine can attend a ‘FIRE UP’ at the Omantel headquarters on April 7 at 2pm. The Red Bull F1 Showrun is being held with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, under the umbrella of the Oman Automobile Association and Royal Oman Police. The event is being held in partnership with Omantel, Khimji Ramdas, HiFM, Hala FM, Times of Oman, Shabiba, City Vago, and Holiday Inn Muscat Al Seeb.

to shoot 4K content. With its ultra high resolution 4K also gives the advantage of playing with how the ﬁnal output will be, with enough leeway in the edit to reframe shots and/or stabilise shots. But still the content would have to be compressed to full HD for the lack of a powerful system that could complement 4K streaming. Majority of TV channels refrain from telecasting 4K content simply because there is not enough space to accommodate enough 4K con-

tent to run 24x7. Creating 4K and then compressing it would mean it will just be the same as full HD, with viewers hardly noticing any difference; all that extra pre and post production rendered meaningless. Another big industry that I feel is not going to adopt 4K for years to come is the TV news industry. The massive file size of 4K content is not at all conducive to the fast moving workflow of news business. And definitely no news agency would want to go bankrupt us-

ing the expensive satellite time to try and stream footage back to the newsroom for output, just for the love of 4K. 4K is even making its entry into the CCTV segment. And though the 4K CCTV has prime advantages like enhanced resolution and more details, but all this could only be valid if the optics are of matching quality. Again makes no sense at the moment as the incurring costs are beyond practicality. According to Paul network visual solutions need suitable optics, encoders, transmission, recorders and faster computers and most importantly, 4K displays to enjoy the glory of more pixels. “It may take another 5 years before 4K CCTVs make for a feasible option,” he noted. And here comes the killer. While a large part of consumers is yet to digest 4K, Tech-Moguls are already talking about the 8K Super Hi-Vision. While 4K is four times the resolution of Full HD, 8K is sixteen times Full HD, and four times of 4K Ultra HD (please spare – already too much on the plate). 4K will deﬁnitely be the next big thing in the consumer markets. It will become a commonplace just like how HD is today and manufacturers would use and develop technology and products that support 4K. But as of now the 4K ecosystem does not exist. As Paul puts it, the 4K systems need to be carefully planned so that optimal use could be achieved from its higher resolution. “System design must be seriously considered,” he says. Another big truth at the moment is that consumers are happy with the full HD resolution. Better to let them savour it instead of pushing them for something that might be the best in future, but currently does not make for too good an experience. That’s good for the market players too. If the customers get fed up with the 4K in the beginning itself, they might never love it again. They better hold the horses and create a solid platform ﬁrst to make it commonplace. -faisal@timesofoman.com

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016

LIFESTYLE

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M M O N DAY, A P R I L 4 , 2 0 1 6

SECTION

CONNEC T H E D A I LY G U I D E

RENT

VACANCY

MONTHLY RENT NEAR AL FALAJ HOTEL FURNISHED DELUXE 1 B/RM WITH 2 bathrooms, SPLIT A/C, BUILT IN WARDROBE,PRIVATE TERRACE.

Contact : 990 49 722

FOR SALE Used Concrete Pump Sany43 Meter,Model 2011 in very good condition @ 100000/-Riyal Omani. Contact99412020,95728453 Email: younis.alshezawi@live.com

CARGO

M O N DAY, A P R I L 4 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

FOR RENT

DĂĚŝŶĂƚ ^ƵůƚĂŶ YĂďŽŽƐ ͗^ŚŽǁƌŽŽŵͬKĸĐĞ Ăƚ 'ƌŽƵŶĚ &ůŽŽƌ͕ ϯϰϬ ^Ƌ Mtr. Facing main Road HAR Complex MSQ : 2,3-BHK Flats and 2 & 3 BHK villas with ͬ ͕ĐĂƌ ƉĂƌŬŝŶŐ͕ ^ǁŝŵŵŝŶŐ WŽŽů ;'ĂƚĞĚ ŽŵƉůĞǆͿ Qurum : 6 BHK villa with garden, split Acs, shaded car parks, servant rooms DĂďĞůůĂ ͗ Ϯ ,< &ůĂƚƐ ǁŝƚŚ ;ďƌĂŶĚ ŶĞǁ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐͿ Darsait : 1 & 2-BHK Flats with AC & Shop Ruwi : 2-BHK & 3-BHK Flats and shops Al Amerat : 2 & 3-BHK Flat , 3 & 4-BHK Villa with A/C

For viewing please call 99466729, 99316410, 92841690, 91313271, 24694088 or email us on :hartc@omantel.net.om

FOR RENT Store space in Al Wattayah. Contact 99382489 / 99263443

*Tourist visa arranged

OFFICES FOR RENT AT AZAIBA Prime location on service road (previously occupied by A'Saffa Foods) near Al Turky and Mazda showroom.

3 Rooms, 2 Toilets Flat for Rent. 18 November Street. Near Mars Hypermarket and The Chedi. Ghobrah -Good for Commercial or Residential use. OMR 295/- month. Call 94477222 2B/R with 3 toilets directly from owner, near Dolphin Complex Bausher. Contact 92158031 2 BHK fully furnished flat at Ruwi MBD area. #93211557 / 24814853 Flat in Wadi Al Kabir 2 bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 family hall, kitchen & 3 bathrooms. Contact: 99277787 flat for Rent 2 bed room Near ISM muscat Indian Scoole Dar sate Tel : 00 968 95158570 2Bedroom centrally air conditioned flat in CBD prime location. Contact: 24714625 / 91173997 New flat for rent in Al Amerat, 2 bedroom, 1 dining room & 1 kitchen. Contact: 91141097 Studio in Darsait RO 125/-. Contact: 92144045 Room in Al Khuwair R.O 110/-. Contact: 97799175 Spacious deluxe 5 B/R villa at Ghubrah 2/3 BHK fully furnished flat at Shatti Al Qurum, Qurum CCC & Al Khuwair. Contact : 99369081 Flat in Al Khuwair, bedroom, hall. Contact : 91979580 / 98003444 Flat in Mumtaz 1 bedroom, hall, kitchen, toilet Way No. 3352 building no 3447 / 3668. Contact : 98003444 / 91979580 3 BHK flats and shop in Ruwi near KM Trading rent 350/- pm each. Contact: 99350946

2 bed rooms for family with split units with car parking shaded at Al Hail North. Contact: 92676707 Apartment for rent at Amerat phase one with A/Cs, 3 bedrooms & bath rooms, big kitchen 220/OMR. Contact: 97782228 Luxury flat of 3 BHK in Al Watayah. RO 500/-#91776665 2BHK Wadi Kabir R.O 300/-. Contact: 92144045 Flat in Al Khuwair opp grand mall 4 room 3 toilet + hall kitchen in 3 floor 400. Contact 99420346 For rent 3 bedrooms, 2 toilets, living room, kitchen & store in Darsait. Contact: 92328142 1000 sq mtrs industrial land for rent in Ghala suitable for warehouse workshop etc. Contact 24700120 / 92584715 2 bed rooms flat with hall, 2 bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat Municipality. #92584715 / 24700120 Flat at Bowshar, 2 bedroom,1 maid room, 4 toilets European kitchen for rent / sale. Contact: 99325263 Office for rent 880 sqm at Al Khuwair. Contact: 99325263 2BHK Al Khuwair R.O 375/-. Contact: 92144045 2BHK at Ghubra R.O 325/-. Contact: 92144045 1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-. Contact: 92144045 1,2,3 BHK Flats. #92144045 1BHK Darsait. Contact: 92144045

- 2 BHK flat available directly from the owner, at Azaiba.

Contact: 99229263, 93221054, 95215289 1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100, 2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O 200/- in Al Khuwair. #95154331 2 BR, 2 bath, a kitchen, a yard , with AC, separate enterance, AlKhuwair near ibis hotel. PDC. RO 250 .. Call 97056443 Readymade office space for rent (240sm) in Bank Melli Iran Building, MBD area, Ruwi, opposite Center point. Contact: 99011352 Flat of 3 BHK in Al Ghobra South opposite Royal Hospital. RO 380/-. Contact – 91776665 Clean flat of 2 BHK in Al Khuwair 33. RO 330/- Contact – 91776665 1 BHK flat with 1split and 1 window AC, next to Indian School Ghubra for rent at RO 270/-. Contact: 98867658 / between 4pm - 10pm Amazing flat of 2 BHK in Remal Building. RO 550/- #91776665 Shops / flats available in Honda Road, Ruwi & Mabellah Industrial area. Contact 24833972/ 24833974/ 99367448 Flats for rent in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99376454 5 floor building for rent in Al Khuwair near Muscat Dunes hotel each floor, 3 flats each flat with 2 BHK. Contact : 93223324 Villa in Al-Khuwair 33. Quality Finishing. Consist 5 Bedrooms, 1 Living room, 3 Lounges, All with A/C, Kitchen and storage . conact 90665135

2,200 sq mtr factory area & 800 sq mtr store with 8 accommodation rooms and 10 office cabins available for rent in Barka industrial area. Contact 91398381 / 80 / 78, email - agsan2005@gmail.com 3 storey villa at Mawaleh 7 bedrooms + 6 attached, toilets + 2 Kitchens. Contact: 93697325 Furnished office (61M2) for sale / rent Al Khuwair near Zawawi Mosque. Contact: 95611569 Cold storage available for rent at Nizwa, capacity – 40 ton. #99371732 or nﬁllc77@omantel.net.om Flat for rent in South AlGhubrah 3 rooms, hall and 3 toilets, kitchen rent 450/-. Contact: 99335580 Flats, shops and basement in MBD area and Honda road. Contact: 92433127/96291778/ 92589235/97293708 2 BHK ﬂats /office & shops available in a new building at Honda road .Contact: 91165807 Commercial land in Ghala 2500sqm for rent #93506187 / 97684266 2 BHK & 1 BHK Flats for rent Muttrah near Oman house S/ AC. Contact: 97007934 / 92629232

1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100, 2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O 200/- in AL Khuwair. #95154331

For rent and investment Land industrial shops in Rusayl. Contact: 99323957 / 95490842

2 BHK ﬂats with split Ac available for rent at Al Khuwair 33. #94057023

Dental chair and mobile dental X Ray for sale. Contact: 92737149

Flat for rent 2 BHK 2 split A/C, 2 toilets, Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti Masjid. #97007934 / 92629232

Commercial ﬂats of 3 & 2 BHK in Al Ghobra North 18 Nov street RO.650/- & 450/- #91776665

2 BR ﬂats with 2Baths Kitchen Al Amerat Aster Hospital #99366142

New flats for rent at Darsait near to Ministry of Sports, Mumtaz area the flats includes, 1 living room, 2 bedroom, kitchen, 3 toilets, every rooms with split A/C high quality finishing rent per flat is R.O 340/- . Interested candidates please Contact : 00968 92225523

Luxury villa of 5 BHK in Al Khuwair 33 RO.650/- contact 91776665 Warehouse at Wadikabir - total area 3500 sqm - covered warehouse (500sqm), office, accommodation (1000sqm), open area (2000sqm) please contact: 99273774 - 99202278

02 BHK residential ﬂat opposite to Al Nahdha hospital. Contact: 99342733 /99795241

3BHK in Qurum P.D.O high 350/Monthly. Contact: 99342661

Two bedrooms ﬂat in Al Ghobrah near Oman Oil of 18 November Street. OMR 330 Monthly.#99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955.

2 BHK – modern & spacious ﬂats with split ac for rent in Qurum near PDO gate no. 2. contact 94057023

Four bedroom two ﬂoors luxurious and spacious residential villa in Al Hail North, near to the sea and Oman oil. Each room has its own bathroom. It has splits A/C’s and shaded car park. OMR 750 monthly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955 New building Wattayah main road, showroom & office space. contact 94300909

M O N DAY, A P R I L 4 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

FOR SALE Window A/Cs & other house hold items. Contact 92622506 Ice Cream Juice shop prime location Ruwi for sale suitable for beauty parlour. #92150455 Furniture and other treatment items for Ayurvedic clinic. Contact: 97986525 Zanzibari coffee shop for rent or sale in Barka Souq road, at Prime location. Contact: 99814411 Single colorful Bed and Sofa for Sale at Al Khuwair.#92881849 / What`s up No 97290565 Steel Scrap materials for immediate sale # 99273774/ 99202278 Almost new beach/ garden lounge chairs /bar stools/ counter. Photos can be sent 95865457 400 sq mtrs Commercial/Residential land in Mabela Phase 5 Block 2. OMR 165 Thousand. CONTACT 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955 A well running pharmacy for sale at prime location. Contact99627621, 93240949 Space for printing press available at wadikabir with or without machinery. Contact 99328430 Shop for sale near Oman House, Muttrah. Contact 99024362. Urgent sale of steel scrap only serious buyers kindly contact +968 96725423 for viewing the items. HD Scaffoldings, Shuttering Jacks, Wooden Planks, Shuttering wood assorted, Tower hoist (lift), Concrete Mixer, Bending Machine, Steel Fabrication Machinery (Searing/Cutting, lathe & Welding) including tools for immediate sale: Contact 99273774/ 99202278

ACC. AVAILABLE

FOR RENT Office / 2B.R with 3 toilets near Dolphin complex directly from owner. #92158031

2BHK Big Size Flat Behind Bank Mus-

Flat for rent, 3 bedrooms, kitchen & bathroom in wadi kabir for 260 RO. Contact : 97771444

Flat for rent 3 bedrooms + hall with split units air conditioning at Al Amerat near Aledl Mosque Ibn Sina road Al Mahaj house No. 105. #99312628 / 95098277

New commercial Exhibition possible divided to shops in Sohar market close Bank Muscat.# 93305643 / 94734801 2BHK split A/C 200/- Monthly & 1BHK spilt A/C 150/- monthly new building good location Barka Market. Contact: 99342661 600 M2 showroom or office in Bousher in front of Dolphin complex. RO.3.5 per m2. Contact 91776665 Brand new 4 BHK villa in Al Fai compound Al Khoud. RO.475/Contact – 91776665 Villa of 3 BHK and sitting area in Al Ghobra North. RO.525/Contact – 91776665 Luxury and brand new semi furnished 2 BHK ﬂat in Remalbowsher. RO.550/- #91776665 Spacious 1 BHK ﬂat in Al Wattaya with all split A/C’s and parking. RO.300/Contact – 91776665

cat, Wadi Kabir. Near ISWK. 97826454, 24815012.

1BHK new bldg with A/C, Curtains near Khimji Mart MBD. Contact: 99061409 / 99024039

FOR SALE Excavators 3nos (Hitachi 240/350, 2008/2013 model), Tipper 1 no. (Astra 2013 model). All are good condition, sell on the maximum offer.#98999503 / 99782930 / 98981112 A well-established computer sales and service outlet is available for immediate release with or without stock and ﬁttings, usable for same or different business. Locations: Ghubrah- busy street. Contact: 24499404/ 99368761/ 99491761 Apartment for sale location Bowshar apartment 105M has one sitting room, Kitchen, Balcony, 2 rooms with cupboards and 3 toilets. Contact: 99822260

2 room for rent bachelor Al Khuwair with A/C water & electricity, RO 115/95. Contact: 94843712 Furnished bedroom with attached bathroom available for working ladies or small family at Mabela near Nesto. Contact: 92214060 Room for rent available in a ﬂat for Executive bachelor at Azaiba behind Al Meera Hypermarket with attached bath with cot & A/C , rent inclusive of water & electricity. Contact 96404166 / 97433992 Sharing for Executive females at Mumtaz area. Contact: 97094797 Room for rent Single Executive lady near Chedi hotel Azaiba.# 94443037 Furnished Bedroom with attached bath and kitchen separate entrance for Executive bachelor for R.O 150/per month all inclusive in a villa, opp. Star Cinema.contact 99314807 2 bedrooms ﬂat near Kuwait Masjid Wadi Kabir.# 97608564 / 98498823 Small old house for rent in Al Ghoubra. Contact : 97165972 Room available for Executive bachelor at Al Hail. #96234708

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished apartment for rent, two rooms, majlis, hall, kitchen. Near Carrefour al-mawalah. #99336776 Room with attached bathroom for a family in Wadi Kabir. contact 97167857 Room for rent with furniture. Al Bustan village.contact 93687466 Furnished room attached bath for Indian bachelor, Al-Falaj Ruwi & lady Wadi Kabir near Mars hypermarket. CONTACT 96202458/96761960 Furnish bedroom with attach bathroom for executive bachelor. Contact: 97704794 Room with attached bathroom and sharing kitchen available for Executive bachelor or small family at wadikabir Contact 93049849

Room available in Mumtaz area 1 room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room, common bathroom. Interested please# 92680041 Mr. Altaf

AVAILABLE

FOR HIRE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals. Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crockery, Glassware, Chaﬁng Dishes, Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light. ww.tunesoman.com, E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

Hiab truck, payload 10 ton, unloading boom 2 ton, available on monthly rent. Contact Mb. 94052819, Email: mmanjani8@ gmail.com Grader, roller, bobcat, JCB 3CX, JCB 4CX with breaker & water tanker for rent.contact 93218705 / 24478450

BUYING Bobcat available for rent. contact 97623299

Buying cars for cash.contact 90202090

M O N DAY, A P R I L 4 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT A well reputed MEP Contracting requires 1. Site Engineer (Deg/ Dip in Electrical Engg. with 2-3 years Exp.) -2 Nos. 2. Site Supervisors (Dip. with 2 years) 3. Quantity surveyor (MEP, 2 to 3 years exp. in similar ﬁeld) – 1No. 4. Drafts man (MEP, 2 to 3 years exp. in similar ﬁeld) – 1No. 5. Electricians – 10Nos. 6. Plumbers – 3Nos.

Send CV to hrprojectscat@gmail.com

Specialist Dentist needed -

Periodontist Peadodontist Endodontist Orthodontist 3 Years minimum experience Likes to work in a team Has good professional attitude Please send CV to : hds_accounts@yahoo.com

INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING FIRM WISHES TO RECRUIT HIGHLY QUALIFIED ENGINEERS HOLDING BE DEGREE CERTIFICATES FOR ELECTRICAL PROJECT (400 KV REACTORS) IN SULTANATE OF OMAN: 1) Project Manager (Minimum Exp. 20 years) 2) Grid Station Protection and Commissioning Engineers (Minimum Exp. 15 years) 3) Electrical Engineers (Minimum Exp. 10 years) (Reactor, Grid Station & OHL/UG cable works) 4) Civil Engineer (Minimum Exp. 10 years) 5) SCS & Telecom Engineer (Minimum Exp. 5 years)

An Excellent Grade Contracting Company has the following positions.

REQUIRED URGENTLY

1. Mechanical Draughtsman with MEP 5 yrs min. Exp. 2. Electrical Draughtsman with MEP 5 yrs min. Exp. 3. MEP Site engineer (Electrical) min. 3 – 5 yrs exp. 4. MEP Site engineer (plumbing) min. 3 – 5 yrs exp. 5. HVAC Senior engineer with 5 – 10 yrs exp. in chiller execution. 6. Senior MEP engineer min. 10 yrs exp. 7. HVAC design engineer 5 yrs exp. 8. Senior civil engineer min. 10 yrs exp. in building construction. GCC experience mandatory.

1. Looking for a lady Sales Executive/Office Co-ordinator with valid driving license and good communication skills.

Kindly forward your CV to the email : mep.jobsoman@gmail.com

CANADIAN CO.- FREE CONSULTANCY FOR LEGAL JOB - For Hotel Staff, Construction Staff, Medical, Gas & Oil Staff. - Free recruitment - free tickets, accommodation, work visa, contract for 2 (two) years.

Contact : 93392630 Send CV on muslimatservices@gmail.com

2. Required a Sales Executive with MBA in Marketing with Minimum 3 years experience in Oman market with valid driving license & NOC .

Interested candidates please send CV to Email Id: vacancy2oman@gmail.com

JOB VACANCY An ISO 9001 certiﬁed & ASME accredited Oil & Gas Equipment Manufacturing Company in Muscat requires the following personnel ¾Manager- Business Development / Sales & Marketing: Result orientated preferably engineering graduate with minimum 10 years of work experience in the Oil & Gas (Upstream & Downstream) sector in Oman or the Middle East region. Candidate should have desirable experience in the sales of process equipment and skid mounted packages for the oil & gas industries.

Interested candidate may forward the CV within 7 days to E-mail: hromienfab@gmail.com / FAX No: 00968-24446179

6) HSE Engineer (Minimum Exp. 5 years) The candidates to send their CVs immediately conﬁrming joining date and NOC if in Oman CVs mentioning Oman tel. No. to be submitted to:omanengineco@yahoo.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ENGINEER/MECHANIC.

Looking for a young dynamic Accountant with knowledge of AX Package for a multinational shipping company. Email your CV to: shippingseas@yahoo.com

Diploma in Automobile Engineering / Mechanical Engineering with 10 years of relevant experience preferably Gulf returned. Only preferable for possessing NOC / Release letter. Candidate should have good controlling / leadership / good communication skills. Interested candidates send resume to hr@aljood-oman.com Fax: 24437007

CATERING Wanted Indian Chinese Cook for restaurant in capital area. Contact: 94443037

DOMESTIC HELP Wanted housemaid full-time 6am-6pm , six days a week, for Kerala family in darsait , near isd, salary 200/-, contact 98564647 or 99864290 Wanted house boy for an Indian doctor family. Interested may contact 94765020.

Constructions Job’s Engineer’s , Diploma Engineer’s . All Kinds of Constructions staff required. towershr70@gmail.com , Office Tel NO. 24548382 Decoration Company looking for Interior Design Engineer with experience in 3D and Supervision. Send your CV with the design which you have done and after the implementation. Email: alrih16@hotmail.com

MEDICAL DESIGNER Omran Training Institute is looking for a Graphic Designer and Web Master. Send us your CV by Email: admin@omrantraining.com till 11.04.2016 Tel: 24498423

DRIVER Wanted temporary driver with Valid Omani License & good English knowledge. Kindly send your resumes to abcon@omantel.net.om or Fax us at +968-24792175 or call us at 24792173/74. Required Graduate with light driving license, present in Oman contrast basis. Contact: 99454425 Wanted driver. Contact :91025698

DRAFTSMAN Required Draftsman for Consultancy office. 3-5 years experience in Architectural Structural Drafting. Email careerssabla@gmail.com

ENGINEER/MECHANIC. Required Bachelor of Civil Engineering for Supervision for Consultancy office. 5 years experience in Supervision PMC duties in Oman preferred. Email : careerssabla@gmail.com Required urgently for Mechanical Engineer, B.E / Diploma having good experience in Automobile & Engineering workshop. #98919238 Email: nnoel1977@gmail.com I.T.I Electrician experienced in Industrial L.T & H.T category work preferably in Oman with NOC.#99454425 A well reputed building material & contracting Company in Oman is looking for staff: Project Manager (more than 10 yrs experience), Engineer (more than 5 years of experience), Purchase Manager (more than 10 yrs of experience). Contact: 99808868 Email: amtcbarka@gmail. com

Required Gynecologist, Lab technician, X Ray technician. contact 99030773 Email: kunoozghala@ gmail.com Nurse required for a dental clinic in Al Khuwair. Contact 95114616 Required following Medical Staff for a clinic in Muscat female GP Doctor male, female Nurse (preference for Philippines). Contact: 24595956 / 95189584 Email: medicare@fusionlogicoman.com Lab Technician, Omani Female PRO cum Receptionist, Male Receptionist cum Insurance Coordinator, Specialist Doctor Radiologist, General Practitioners, Cont.95220350, bmdcsg@yahoo.com Doctor’s, Nurses, Pharmacist, Lab Tech, any Nationalities. For Dreams Clinic : Towershr70@ gmail.com , Tel No. 24548382 Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately for a clinic in Suwaiq.#95081010 Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com Wanted Staff Nurse for a dermatology clinic in Muscat . Must have MOH license and NOC. Attractive salary offered. Email: clinicvacancy2015@gmail.com GP doctor needed for reputed clinic. Preferably with MOH license or with Dataﬂow & Paramatics pass Contact: 95388934

MISCELLANEOUS Required candidates for following posts: Accountant, Storekeeper, Foreman Building Maintenance, Van-salesman (water), Helpers. Candidates with Omani driving license preferred. #99273774/99202278

MANAGER Required an experienced Store keeper for a leading building material trading & fabrication company in Ghala. Send CV to Email: admin@areenoverseas.net

SITUATION WANTED SIT.WANTED

SALES / MARKETING Wanted a Salesman & Sales lady for a new lifestyle store opening shortly in MGM mall. Send CV : lifestylemct@gmail.com Wanted Restaurant Supervisor with a ﬂair for marketing with driving license. #95485151 A Construction Chemicals Manufacturing company is looking for Stores Cum Purchase Assistant for Sharjah factory. Candidates with Min. Bachelor degree with 2 years working experience with tally knowledge can send CVs on: sharjahgic@ gmail.com An Interior ﬁt out company is looking for Sales Executive with 5 years experience, diving license & local release. contact 94619086 Proactive Sales & Marketing professionals with Oman D/L, own car required for leading IT & Media Solutions enterprise. Fresh MBAs also can apply: jobs@interacoman.com Required Sales Executive : 2-3 years of outdoor sales experience in spare part., Indian, Male 25 to 35 year age. Diploma holder in any discipline “ mechanical engineer preferred”. Email: mohammad.jwabreh@bearingcitysc .com Tel: 24509477 Fax: 24509312 Urgently Required a Self motivated sales person for a leading Printing & advertisement Co. Minimum 5 Yrs exp with valid Omani/ GCC Driving License. #99412020, 95728453, Email: Baharalsuwaihara@gmail.com A reputed organization requires an experienced expatriate lady Sales Executive with valid Oman D/L for marketing luxury products. Contact: 24212307 or send CV with a current passport size photo to Email: awadiest@omantel.net.om Note: Only candidates who have NOC can apply. Required Salesman, tailor and barber. Contact: 91114884 Required Sales and Marketing Manager must possess excellent communication skills. Fluent English speaking, Arabic speaking is preferred. Minimum of 2 years of professional experience. Candidates are requested to send their CVS to polyplas@ omantel.net.om

IT Required for a software development ﬁrm (1) Software Developers - experience in ASP. NET and / or VB. NET (2) Software Support Executive - experience in software / hardware, support knowledge of ASP. Net will be an advantage. Email: CV to softwarejobsman@gmail.com

SKILLED LABOUR Required A/C Technicians, Carpenters, Electricians, Plumbers, Painters, General Helpers. Contact 94147874 / 24504281. Email : globalaccessunited@gmail.com Electrician cum Plumber, Maintenance Supervisor with D/L, Building Material Salesman, C.C.T.V Technician. #99383044. E mail: helplinellc123@yahoo.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa. Immediately available. CONTACT 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com 28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement. #90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com Indian male, 24 yrs, Graduated with specialization in Accounting 2 years experienced C.A.CPT completed. #94628086 / 97315091 Accountant 8Years Experience with D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084 Indian female 25 looking for Accountant / Admin job having 5 years experience in Audit, Accounts and Admin departments presently on family visit visa. Contact : 95656455 Indian male M.Com with 3 yrs Oman exp with valid D/L and NOC on visit visa looking for suitable jobs in Accounts and sales. Contact: 94744575 Jordanian Senior Accountant 15 yrs experience in Oman finance & accounts. Contact : 92881223 CA finalist Indian with 7 years experience having D/L & NOC looking for Senior Accountant / Chief Accountant position. #98097009 Email: rameesnm@gmail.com Indian male 24 yrs B.Com, TallyERP9 with one year exp seeking for suitable placement. Now on visit visa.Contact:94469269 SAP, Tally and Peach tree experienced male/25 with 5 years experience in Audit and accounts. Available in Oman for suitable placement. Contact 97190575 Indian female, MBA Finance, HR having 2 years experience as an Administrative Officer with Computer skills, now on visit visa, looking for suitable job. #93235507 / 90649533 Indian male, 22 years of experience in finance dept is looking for a suitable placement, valid Oman D/L & release available , ready to join in short period. Contact : 99641119 Indian, Executive with 5+ years experience in HSBC etc, done with MBA, M.Com, DMM, M. Phil seeks a suitable position. Contact: 90369540 Email: abilashraji@gmail.com Indian male 29 M.Com, MBA, SAP B1, Tally, MS Office, Sage 5 years experience in Oman, India currently working in Oman, NOC available. Contact: 92840519 Female ACCA affiliate B.Com fresher with Oman driving license seeks placement in auditing / accounts and finance. #92264638 / 93108343 Email: mira.somya@gmail.com Indian female 32, MBA Finance, 7 yrs of experience in one of the leading bank in India in Treasury(in FX, derivatives and money market), Risk and Asset Liability Management , with valid Oman D/L seeking suitable placement contact 92206513 Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement. contact 94879615,Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

Indian male:25 Yrs. MBA HR ,BBA with 6 Months Exp seeking for suitable placement. Now on visit visa Contact 90653362 24 years, male Indian MBA completed seeking job opportunities for suitable placement. #95061789 Indian Female recently pass out BBA+MBA (Dual degree) International Business and Finance, looking for suitable opportunities, presently in Muscat on family Visa. #+968-95907828. Email : stuti28sinha@gmail.com Male 36 MBA 7 yrs GCC exp. Quickbooks tally ERP, looking for accounts and admin post. Valid driving license. Contact 96763275/ 91992367 fazee1980@gmail.com Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman. Ready to join immediately. #98263394 10 yrs of Oman experience capable of handling large accounts, looking for suitable placement in senior sales / business development position. Contact : 98987654 Male Accountant M.Com Accounts & ﬁnance, 3 yrs exp in accounts looking for suitable job on visit visa. Contact: 94648575 Fresher 24, ACCA Affiliate, Advanced diploma in Accounting and Business seeking suitable placement in Accounts, Finance or Audit with Oman driving license. #- 92430152 Email - raju.rd619@gmail.com ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in ﬁnance. #99284193

ADMIN Indian male with 26 yrs exp 1.5 yrs in Oman in HR / Office / Administration/ Sales/ seeking for suitable placement. contact : 93112346, Email: sibyambadan70@gmail.com Indian male 3 years experience in IT as Linux Administrator at Wipro Technologies with handson experience in Amazon EC2 & Oracle Virtualization looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 92889678 Email: amalpathikal@ gmail.com Indian male 32, looking for Admin Assistant, Sales job having 9 years of Sales / Admin experience in Muscat. NOC available. Contact: 95116586 MBA HR & logistics Indian male currently on 2 months visit having experience on Admin / HR activities looking for Admin / Management / Non – Management / HR related jobs. Contact: 90653264 Indian male, 25, 4+ years of experience as an Office Administrator looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 92600859 Indian male, 31 yrs, 8 yrs experience in Oman as Admin Officer in a contracting ﬁrm with valid D/L seeks suitable placement. Contact: 97841805 MBA Graduate with 2 years experience in HR and general Admin seeking suitable placement. Contact: 98820248 Email: sm24blue@gmail. com

ADMIN Teacher female 27 yrs, MCA 5 yrs experience in teaching in India currently on visit visa seeking for a suitable placement. Contact: 96709509 Email: viyannifd@gmail.com Filipino HRD especialist / material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817 Omani National looking for a suitable placement in Sales or Administration. Contact: 94700691 Male BBA 25 administration officer, accounts, purchaser with valid NOC. Contact 91329571 Indian male 26 yrs MCA, 2 yrs experienced in System Admin & data base controller. Contact: 92835125 Indian Male – MBA (HR) & Engineering graduation with total 9 years of experience in HR & Admin ( 3 yrs of Oman Exp.) along with hands on experience in technical bid submission for all Government & PDO tenders ready to join immediately with NOC. #@ 91240251/ Email; kvaradhan@hotmail.com Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+ experience in Administration/HR, Customer Support, Office Coordinator with good Computer skill, Now on Visit Visa,looking for suitable position. Contact: 90196235 Young Omani male have experience 12 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 B.Com 3 years business process outsourcing. Contact: 94657273 Indian male, MBA with 3 years GCC experience seeks job in Muscat. Posses Valid Oman D/L. Currently under visit visa and can join immediately. E mail : tssavad@gmail.com contact: 00968 98896847

ARCHITECT Architect exp.7 years, 4 years in

GCC Architectural design interior sites 3D Max AutoCAD, Photoshop. Contact: 93238813 Email: mohammedbardab@gmail.com INDIAN male Architectural tech-

nician diploma in construction technology with 6 years experience in drafting and detailing as per British standard in Oman with valid Omani license looking for suitable opportunity Noc available. Call 94375897.

DOMESTIC HELP Indian female 34 yrs single, 12 yrs exp in Oman presently working in Nursery baby sitter (Nany) in Muscat, looking a job visa + ACC, NOC available. Contact: 96516743 / 98802081 Office cum shop cleaner available on contract basis. Contact: 94262954

M O N DAY, A P R I L 4 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED Sales & Marketing specialist with 16 yrs experience in Oman in MNC retails telecom lubes construction related industry handled various projects, holding valid Oman driving license, release available.

Contact 96960991

Indian male, MCA

CAD Technician Looking for Job Diploma holder. experience: 5.5,Oman,Total12 years. Mob:96534071 tayyab341@gmail. com Autocad, revit (arch) 3d, dip civil engg (cert attested) exp salary :250 OMR. Contact : 9227 9784

Revit autocad d/man , diploma cert attsd. exp salary 200-acco. ph: 9227 9784

Revit, Autocad, 3d Max , Diploma Civil Engg, certiﬁcate attested, salary exp : 250 OMR. Contact : 92279784

Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman. Please contact 96489798, (+974) 66653780. 2D autocad Drafting (free lancer / part time) arch, MEP, Shopdrawing. Contact : 97103168

Revit, Autocad D/man, expected salary 200 OMR PH :92279784

DRIVER Light Duty Driver with 2 yrs exp. in Muscat seeks placement. Contact: 91659265

Driver with car. #93346085 Driver Indian 15 yrs Oman experience light vehicle. #98023050

Driver having experience in Embassy seeks suitable placement in Sales or driving, NOC available. Contact: 92191698

Light Duty Driver, exp 1.5 years, Language knowing English, Arabic & Urdu seeks placement Contact: 96011572 / 94484181 Driver light vehicle from Bangladeshi 5 years experience in Oman, 24 years, Omani driving license looking for job. Contact: 98591812 Family driver available. #92943094 Light duty driver seeks job. Contact: 94182497 Looking job for light driver. Contact: 94435912 / 94802988

Pakistani male light vehicle driver with 5 years experience looking for job. Contact: 92171166 Looking for light driver. #99753474 Light car driving. #99578213 Looking for light driving job 2 years exp. Contact: 91625977

Driver. Contact : 94087276 Pakistani male light Vehicle Driver with car looking for job. #99630504

EDUCATION/TRAINING Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement. Contact : 99739415 / 92091528 Math Teacher 30 years experience IGCSE, A& AS IB Bilingual. Contact: 98016336 Indian male 38 years B.Ed (English) MBA (HR), 8 years experience as English, Business Studies Teacher, currently in Oman on visit visa, #96982726, shiljujohn@gmail.com BA in English, BCA exp. 3 yrs including Oman, having valid Oman driving license. Contact 96330962, uneyism@gmail.com Indian female 29 yrs MSc, MED science on family visa 2 yrs experience in teaching ﬁeld looking for a suitable placement. Contact : 93717403 Email: sharipanidcer08@gmail.com

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Civil Engineer, 6 yrs experience with Omani driving license, local release available. Contact: 91693008

Indian History graduate with diploma in Safety with valid Oman Driving licence seeks suitable placement.

seeking suitable placement anywhere in Oman, now on visit visa. Contact 92319677, Email : ismabsc@gmail.com

Contact - 92789995

Contact-93361624, Email-

Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

dheerachpadikkala@gmail.com

(Post Graduate) fresher

Civil Engineer with 9 years experience 7 years in Gulf with oil and gas field experience valid Oman D/L. NOC available seeks suitable placement. contact 91195257 Email: mjanoyon@ gmail.com Indian male, Post Graduate (Instrumentation) seeks suitable placement. Contact 0091 – 9633718099/ Email : rajithmr@yahoo.com An Iraqi civil with more than 30 years experience in (Iraq and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C) available. Contact: 96561306 Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com Civil Engineer 11 yrs exp in construction field having Oman driving license & NOC. Contact – 94194399 / shiblyrock@gmail.com Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact:97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp seeks suitable position ina reputed company. NOC available. #96789711 Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects. Contact – 90164912 Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine. Available NOC release. Contact: 92451323. Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certified in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).Looking for a Suitable position. Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa. Contact: 92835952. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in designing, assembling, commissioning execution etc having valid GCC license too looking for a suitable. Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com HSE Engineer (B.E Mech+Diploma Safety+NEBOSH+OSHA) over 10yrs. Exp, (Visa Release Letter (NOC) available), seeking suitable placement, Mob:97061817, Email:jayanammu1977@gmail.com Electrical Engineer, 7 years exp, NOC, GCC driving license looking for suitable jobs in MEP services, O & M of high voltage systems, FMS. Contact: 96137008 Electrical Engineer, 8 years experience GCC with driving license, seeking jobs, can join immediately, have knowledge of all kind of MEP projects. Contact 96535204 Indian female Quantity Surveyor Civil 11 years experience, local release available NOC. contact 95719108 Email: jishashibunair@ gmail.com B.E Mechanical with Automotive & Industrial Maintenance specialization -11 yrs exp in Oman with Driving license. Seeks suitable job on release in Oman. Contact 92880593 Civil Engineer (B. Sc) Iraqi looking for job with 2 years experience in the practical field & design, professional use engineering programs fluent in English valid driving license. Contact : 90187915 Email: alhasan.kh@live. com Diploma in Civil Engineering 13 yrs exp with valid Oman D/L, NOC available. Contact : 99612163 Indian female Project Engineer 15 yrs experience in Project Management Quality database management data analytics marketing business development haying Omani driving license seeks suitable placement presently on family visa having Omani experience. Contact : 95783792 Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 ph : 9227 9784 Indian female 23 years Mechanical Engineer with 1.5 year’s experience looking for suitable jobs. Also interested in Sales & Marketing. Contact: 94743992 Email: selveena054@ gmail.com

Electrical Engineer 6 years experience in Oman experience in MEDC / MZEC Projects. Contact: 91249329 Male QC inspector Mechanical, NDT 20 years experience valid Oman D/L , release available. Contact: 91001104 Indian male 23 Mechanical Engineer (B.E) residing in Oman looking for suitable job. Contact: 98530806 / 99362006 Associate Engineer with 5 years on EHT, HT, LT underground cable testing, good communication skills, NOC available. Contact: 92342124 Indian female 24 yrs B.Tech (CSE) having 1 year experience in PHP Programming seeking suitable jobs. Also interested in teaching, available on family visa. Contact: 98676713 Indian female (M. Tech, Power system) having Gulf experience seeking suitable placement in Oman currently in family visa. Contact: 94306164 / 91001194 Syrian Civil Engineer Graduate 2012 with Oman experience with license. Contact : 92967785 16 years exp Engg document controller, material controller HR related job with D/L#96028635 / 92386043 An Electrical engineer with 4+ yrs of experience in Electrical network (MT, LT) with professional computer skills seeking for work. Contact: 99841736 / 93955381/ +149922698343 Email: e.kmmh@hotmail.com Sudanese Mechanical Engineer 2 years experience, fire fighting HVAC on visiting visa. Contact : 95630047 Electrical Engineer fresh Graduate NOC available, can speak Arabic & English with driving license. #: 94879092 Mechanical Engineer 7 years experience and 4 years experience in pipeline projects. NOC available. Contact: 91117089 Electrical Engineer 4.5 years experience sub stations, water projects, oil & gas, fluency in Arabic & English with driving license. #: 99525856 Electrical & electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit. PH:93837973 Indian B.E Civil Engineer, 25 years experience in Gulf looking for a suitable job. N.O.C & driving license available. Contact: 94867039 Site Engineer Education BSc Civil Engineer experience 1 year AutoCAD primavera P8.1, MS Excel Google sketch up can use having Engr visa to Oman having 2 yrs validity. Contact : 94561195 BE Mechanical & Diploma with 4 yrs experience in India looking for suitable job. Contact 90542737 Indian female, 25 yrs M.Tech Structural Engineer 3 yrs experienced in Analysis design & RCC structures seeking for suitable placement. contact 97163040 / 96357196 Job Site Supervisor 11 yrs experience 7 years of Oman Education Diploma in Civil Engineering driving license of Oman (LTV) Oman experience building and road structure. Contact : 96972527 Indian male (23), completed B.E Electrical and Electronics Engineering have no experience and studied MEP, E-CAD AutoCAD P6 now on family visa looking for a desirable job. Contact: 98209070 Email: panivinlal@gmail.com Sudanese Civil Engineer holding bachelor with 2 years of experience in Oman have valid driving license and residency with NOC looking for job. Contact: 94393880 A Young Mechanical Engineer with PGDM in Marketing and Operations (Rajagiri Business School) looking for suitable job placement in a reputed company, currently working in a startup (food- tech industry in India) handing diverse roles of the business (visit visa). Contact 96961635 Email: rohanmg@live.com

An experienced Chartered Accountant

SALES / MARKETING

with over 25 years in varied industries, presently working with a reputed group in Muscat, looking out for a suitable change.

Male, 26 yrs, B.Com with Valid GCC D/L, 5 years Experience in Sales, Good(Arabic/English) on Visit Visa 96970027

96491030 MANAGER

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN 3D & Multimedia Designer looking for job, currently using family visa. Contact : 95844940 Email: chrisrimas@yahoo.com

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Indian male 30 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India (MRF Tyres), holding valid Oman D/L.

Civil Engineer male 26 years, experience 3 years. Contact: 96319928 Male QC Inspector Mechanical, NDT 20 years experience valid Oman D/L, NOC available. #91001104 Pakistani male Diploma Civil Engineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling & mega projects, valid license Oman. contact:98921022 Procurement Engineer (27 years single male with Oman Driving License) having 7 years experience (UAE 2, Oman 3) with expertise in MEP, Water, Electromechanical, Instrumentation seeking suitable placements. Contact 95852033, mail: hemal1988@gmail.com Sr. Electrical Engineer with17+ yrs of exceptional exp in spear heading strategic planning and project management initiatives & executing various high rise residential & commercial building as well as roads and highway project with proﬁciency in installation, seeking a challenging position in a dynamic organization. Contact 96570891 Network Engineer CCNA-MCSA exp computer science with NOC. Contact : 92346191

IT INDIAN FEMALE, 23 years, BSCCS Diploma in IAD graphics, well knowledge in computer applications 6 months experience presently in Sohar seeking suitable placement. Contact: 96670907. Email: ammuch.4@gmail.com Indian male 25 yrs B.Sc Computers Science, 3 yrs work experience in Computer hardware & networking & CCTV, telephone system looking for job (NOC) available. Contact: 93243372 Sudanese Network Engineer holding IT Bachelor with 1 year experience CCNA, CCNP, MCSA certiﬁed have valid driving license. contact 92394485 Male, 31 years, M.I.T, CCNA, 9 years exp in Qatar as assistant IT manager, network administrator, server management and knowledge of developing website. Qatar D/L and available in Oman on visit visa. Contact:00968-98179462. 0097477237607, Email: mohsin2022@gmail.com INDIAN FEMALE COMPLETED M.C.A seeking for suitable jobs. Contact: 91409481 / 97308719

MEDICAL 5 years of Experience in Digital Sales/Research Engines and Patient Experience Executive at Reliance Hospitals India, Pvt. Ltd. Looking for any suitable vacancy, currently on a visit . #90503494 email : lasradomelwyn@gmail.com Indian female (MSC – Microbiologist) seeking suitable job. #96791162 / 90618567 Indian lady Dentist with MOH License and Gulf experience looking for a job. Contact: 96698073. Male job Nurse MOH license PDO familiarization8 yrs experience in Oman, release letter. #99385197 Email: waqar1010@gmail.com Indian female dentist with MOH license having 3 years experience seeking immediate placement.NOC available Contact: 96678476/90343750, Email: jayakrishnak8@gmail.com Indian Bsc Female Nurse with 6.5 years exp, 4 years in KSA. Passed Oman Pro Metric with 69%, completed data ﬂow. Presently in Muscat in visit visa looking for a suitable placement. #94744900, 94742834, jincyalphonese@gmail.com

Male Manager Resource planning Oman experience 11 years in Purchase Accounts, HR local release available. Contact: 98895039 Email: binulukechacko@gmail.com Egyptian male 36 years Warehouse Manager, 7 years in Sultanate of Oman, 1 year in UAE, and 3 years in Egypt. Contact: +968 97200468 Email: ayman_mano1979@yahoo.com General/Divisional Manager MEP & Civil, MBA Operation, BE Electrical, 10 years experience in Oman & 10 years in India. Valid DL, release available. GSM. 92447102 Indian MBA having 12 years experience looking for job Property Manager with Oman driving license, NOC available. Contact : 93714141 Purchase/Planning & Logistics Manager MBA (Finance), 14yrs. Oman Exp. with D/L, NOC available, looking for suitable position.#93826090, jskanchan01@gmail.com Operations & Accounts Manager Indian 18 years experience in Oman ﬁnance, purchase, sales, HR, Admin looking for Senior position. Contact : 99044724 Production Manager 9 years experience in Oman manufacture and development factories .GRB. GRC. GRG rubber molds and false ceilings, ﬁberglass and executive at site emadadly2000@yahoo.com 96149081

Indian male 40 yrs SSLC, PDC knows MS Office & Tally 1 year Oman experience in Accounts & 2 yrs marketing experience valid Oman D.L. NOC available seeks suitable placements in marketing. #92409891 Email: danomon@ yahoo.co.in Indian male 45 years with 10 years software IT Marketing GCC experience Oman license, NOC visa transfer facility require urgent placement. Contact: 91719892 E mail: mmjoman@gmail.com Indian male 33 yrs, 11 yrs exp of Oman in Sales and hospitality looking for suitable with NOC. Contact: 91607889 MBA, Executive Post, Omani Driving Licence,14 years Experience in Multinational Groups in Sales & Marketing. M.Z. 91685048 Indian male, 45 yrs, 15 years Saudi experience, 1 year Qatar experience as driver / salesman with valid Qatar D/ License, currently in Oman on visit visa, looking for suitable placement.#90653714 / 99881264 Indian male MBA having 12 years of Sales experience in Oman seeking suitable position, good in Arabic and having valid D/L. NOC can be obtained (as per new rule). Contact : 98908634

TOURS & TRAVEL Filipina lady having exp in ticketing and preservation, call center, secretarial and real estate is now looking for job please call.94054080

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Indian Male more than 10 years gulf experience in Office / Sales Coordinator, Admin, Secretarial and purchase with good computer skills. Holding Oman Driving license. Looking for suitable placement. #99709336 Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment. Call: 95244761

SKILLED/ UNSKILLED LABOUR Electrician with plumber looking for job & building maintenance contract, have driving license.#95600418

SALES / MARKETING 35 years male, Lebanese holding British passport, 10 years of experience in procurement, Omani Government tenders, setup marketing plans & strategies importing, Organizing events, management have car, NOC available. Contact: 94123939 Email: 002015r@gmail.com 28 years Male with MBA Marketing Sales & Marketing Executive with 4 years of experience in Sales & Marketing with excellent communication skills in English is now available in Muscat on visit visa seeking a best opportunity in Muscat. GSM: 95840153,Mail: asmd4139@gmail.com Young Indian male, 24 yrs, having 03 yrs marketing experience in Oman, looking for suitable placement. Holding valid D/L. NOC available. Contact: 93172979 Indian male Graduated in Business Management having 4 yrs exp in marketing & trading, dealt with international companies and product also having good knowledge in logistic & Admin looking forward to join immediately, having GCC driving license and car NOC available. Contact : 93639385 Email: faizenqidwai@gmail.com Indian male, 5 yrs exp in marketing & trading (Oman), dealt with International companies & product also having good knowledge in logistic and Admin with D/L & car, NOC available. Contact 93639385 Email: faizenqidwai@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Indian Female on a visit visa having master degree seeking suitable placement in any ﬁeld, 1 ,5 year experience in HR .Contact : +968 91467576. ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN Indian/male/24Yrs,Bsc.Electronics & Comm, 1.7 Years experience as Service Engineer in India, On visit Visa, looking for a suitable placement. Contact : 92794176, Email:prathyushkp9@gmail.com B-tech Civil with honours, Civil Engineer (structures) Experience more than six years. Contact 91431483. Email mohsinyousuf86@rediffmail.com HSE Engineer,Indian male, 4 Plus years experience in Oil & Gas .Working in Shclumberger NEBOSH, IOSH, & NDT Certiﬁed, M Tech in HSE. CONTACT-krish.569@gmail.com Mobile- +91 9867016808 Indian male Network cabling technician ( 19-years gulf experience) seeking for suitable placement. Contact : 0091-8089909265 (India), Email: mohithavp@gmail.com Indian Pediatric consultant, md with 20 years experience and wife gynecologist md with 15 years plus experience seeking opportunities with reputed hospitals in Muscat. deemaild@gmail.com 14 years experienced light driver with valid Oman license looking for suitable job. Contact 99442481 PROCUREMENT OFFICER, Indian-Male 34yrs,M.Com with 14 yrs work Exp.(8 yrs in Oman) working in Construction Co LLC( for ROAD,CIVIL,ELECTRO-MECHANICAL & Others Projects ) and having valid LT D/L, NOC available & ready to join within a monthM:94064650,Email: nagauae@ gmail.com Indian male: 24 years, diploma in computer science and B.E(CSE) having experience in hardware and networking seeking for the suitable job. Contact: 91170912, Email id: sales2@witoman.com

Indian male, completed bachelor of business management with 2 years of work experience, currently on visiting visa in Oman and seeking suitable placement for immediate joining. Contact 94647421

Indian male auto cad draughtsman (civil) 8 years experience, seeking for part time job. mobile no: 0096899070584. email: remluvp@gmail.com

Indian male 37 years MBA graduate in marketing with 9yrs of experience in UAE in ﬁeld of brand promotions & marketing with UAE D/L on a visit seeking suitable position. Contact No 95792820

Civil Engineer (roads and structures) Education B. Tech Civil Engineering with honours experience more than six years. Contact no 91431483 ,Email mohsinyousuf86@rediffmail.com

PROJECTS HSE OFFICER having more than 10 yrs experience with D/L. NOC available. GSM:97881216/97131913. Email:dipubenny@gmail.com

M O N DAY, A P R I L 4 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTED EDUCATION/CLASSES/COMPUTER/WEBSITE

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English class for Malayalam Speakers

in Azaiba and Ruwi • Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED

Tel: 95244310 MISCELLANEOUS Indian male 6 years exp in different field, with valid Oman driving license. Languages known Hindi, English, looking for any job(Driver for executives). Contact 98696795 HSE Engineer,Indian male, 4 Plus years Experience in Oil & Gas .Working in Shclumberger. NEBOSH,IOSH, & NDT Certified, M Tech in HSE, #krish.569@gmail. com Mobile- +91 9867016808 Indian male B.A degree & diploma in hotel management with 16 years experience as restaurant & catering manager in Oman & Saudi with V/L Oman D/L seeks suitable placement. Contact : 92100141 MBA Graduate (Indian male 26 years) having 2 years experience in Qatar as admin assistant looking for suitable placement.#93041141 Email: mahinmehboob@gmail.com Indian female, MBA with 9 yrs of experience in finance & procurement currently on family visa looking for suitable position in finance & supply chain. #95622568 Draughtsman, 15 years’ experience, Indian male currently in Oman looking for suitable position. Gsm – 95358115, 96977289, Email : pillairp41@gmail.com Chief Accountant 25 years experienced looking for part/full time accountant job. Contact: 95598477 / 98803439 Indian Female living in Ghubra Muscat near Emirates Shopping Center. 20 years of experience in Teaching. Able to handle all subjects till grade 6. Need suitable job. Contact- 94406552 PART TIME ACCOUNTANT available, well experienced in accounting up to finalization. knowledge in tally also. contact. 92643875 MBA Marketing, 10 years in marketing, consulting strategy, corporate communications, content management, UX , Product launch, digital marketing. Indian female on visit. Contact : 95431357 Indian 32 years passed M.A. English , M.Sc Psychology and B.Ed in English having 4 years experience in teaching searching suitable job. Contact: 99869535 Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com Indian male,16 years Oil & Gas experience ( Down Hole Tools ), 3 years in Oman, Dip. Mechanical Engineer, Having D/L and NOC. Email – jajisuni@yahoo.com, Mob : 965 956 18. Bangladeshi Male, University MA, Working as Store In-charge cum Logistic Manager in Muscat; searching better job. Phone:91997605. email: mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com 8 plus years of experience in Events /Marketing Communication /conferences / Trainings / Media representation. Having UAE D/L. seeking Suitable Placement: Contact: 95792820. suheal.ma@ outlook.com Physiotherapist with MOH license looking for suitable placement. Contact: 92617235 Software Engineer Indian, 31 yrs, 8.5 years experience (IBM, Emphasis, cognizant), Oman driving license looking suitable placement. Contact: 93221395 Sudanese male, 5 years experience in warehouse management and logistics services#90644186

Indian male, 19 years Oman exp in purchase, Material control in building construction & factory production have good computer skills & D/L & with NOC, looking for suitable placement. contact 99008101 Email: mr.victor2015@ hotmail.com Engg/ Tech/ Mech, ME. Mechanical Engineer Indian male, 24 years looking for suitable job, area of interest Unconventional machining process, transmission system used in automobile quality control. Contact: 90444038 / 96736912, ilango2507@gmail.com Indian Male,Kerala,B.COM & B.PE having 13Years of Physical Education Teacher experience. Currently on visit visa Looking for a suitable job. Contact:- 968 94106834. email:-akhilrajkj@ gmail.com. 25 year old male B.Com and insurance graduate with 6 year experience looking for an opening in accounts, finance or operations related only. Driving license and NOC available. Contact-lilommca@ gmail.com and 95236312. 14 year experience in 5 star hotel as sales manager in UAE & INDIA on tourist visa looking for suitable opportunity please contact mobile # 91305978 Admin Assistant. Having 5 years experience in admin department in reputed companies, presently working in Muscat (NOC Available). GSM. 00968-98404122, Email - panduru.jeevankumar@ gmail.com BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants). Contact: 92475206 Email: zahaibzafar007@gmail.com Filipino Male, 24 Years Old.. looking for job, have experience in Cargo & Logistics/ Rent a Car/ Real Estate/ Finance & Accounts/ customer service and as Travel Agent. Hard working and with good computer and communication skills. GSM: 95370052 Indian Female on a visit visa having master degree seeking suitable placement in any field, 1 and half year experience in HR .Contact : +968 91467576 . Experienced B.Com graduate + IATA Diploma holder looking for Accounts/Admin/Travels related job. Mob. 91142997. NOC available. Indian Female, 24 MA Eng. Litr with 2 yrs experience in teaching & 14 months in Administration cum Secretary, Currently on visit visa, seeks suitable job. Contact: 92613704/99260702, Email:rohinis2010@gmail.com Sri Lankan Male 34 BSc. (Physics) 5 years experience as a site manager and administration supervisor in Oman with valid D/L looking for a suitable position. Contact 99153061 or v.chandramohan@ yahoo.co.uk Female Junior Architect Graduated from School of Planning & Architecture, Vijayawada. Excellence in Autocad, Sketching & Modelling. Internship - KHAM Designs, Bangalore. Presently with Atulya Architects & Associates. Email saatvika.frozenmusic@ gmail.com #00968-94057427. 2 years experienced male seeking job related to safety. M. Tech in HSE, MSc in Environmental Science and IOSH certified. #94653264

IELTS PREPARATION Target Band 8.0

Classes for Spoken English TOEFL / GRE / GMAT / SAT Excellent Guidance and Coaching Satisfaction Guaranteed EAGLES INSTITUTE 92325542 | 93657915 | 93657917 | Email: engominst@gmail.com

Karate and self defense classes at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per month twice a week Monday and Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM. CONTACT 98294551

WEB, ERP and Business Intelligence (BI) creation and management at rock bottom price. Contact: http//webviewoman

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED MISCELLANEOUS Indian male 37 YEARS, BSC COMPUTER SCIENCE having More than 8yrs of experience with well exposure in PDO, DALEEL & OXY as IT SUPPORT / DESKTOP SUPPORT ENGINEER. Seeking suitable placement. Contact rangaraj_vck@ yahoo.co.in / 968-99758320 Indian Female Electronics System Eng. UK Graduate. Programmer Micro Controller Robot, Eng. Analysis, Instrumentation & Control, Eng. Projects, Integrated Circuit Eng., Electrical and Fluid Drives, Analogue Electronics, Wireless Systems. Seeking suitable post. Contact: 97848075, s.dinesh1508@ gmail.com 6 YEARS EXPERIENCE HR/Finance Indian female[29Years] MBA. On family visa, Seeking suitable placement-93908191, email:aswathi.wnd@gmail.com 32year Indian Male MSC,MBAHR having 8yrs Exp(HR / Payroll / Admin) with Oman valid DL. Seeking suitable opening in Human Resource, Payroll & Admin/ backend jobs. Contact:00968-99322978 Electrical Engineer Indian male 23 yrs, 2 yrs experience HV/LV Design experience in Oman based projects experience in HV testing (220/110/11kv) presently on visit visa. Contact : 99729860 Email: vivekcet888@gmail.com Indian female B.C.A, B.E.D, IELTS experience in Oman teaching primary & secondary looking for job. Contact : 97384206 Email: rani_sweet786@live.com Indian female, having 10 years experience in logistics and sales coordination, exp in SAP, MS Office valid D/L currently on visit visa looking for suitable placement. Contact : 95251911 Accountant 31 years Indian male, 6 years experience in Dubai & Bahrain with driving license good computer skills seeking for suitable position. Contact : 92791218 Email: vmp2485@gmail.com Sr Material controller, having 13 years experience in material controlling in reputed companies. Presently working in Muscat (NOC Available). contact 00968-92944026, Email charanjeet35@yahoo.co.in Indian/male (25)/ MBA/2 years experience in channel sales and distribution management. on visit visa. available for immediate joining. Contact: 96914068, E mail: mailanasap@gmail.com Physiotherapist on visit visa searching for a job. CONTACT 99767528 / 91317863

Indian, BE Mechanical Engineering with 1 yr exp as service Engineer, looking for suitable positions. Contact-90637918, E mail: aquasharath@gmail.com Senior Accountant, 5 yrs Oman, 10 yrs UAE experience in manufacturing & construction valid D/L immediately available. Email: irfan_syed2000@hotmail.com, call: 95389018 MCA, Indian female, experience in IT & Administration. contact 94133849 Email: abpraveena16@ gmail.com Indian male with 1 yr exp looking for job in I.T as Web developer, presently in Muscat on visit visa. #92312978 Indian Male ,MBA Finance & Marketing 28 yrs,6+ Exp, with oman D/L & NOC, Hospital ,Pharma ,Herbal ,FMCG, F&B Markeing ,construction A/c & sales , 93379044 HSE Engineer, Indian male, 4 plus years experience in oil & gas, working in shclumberger Nebosh, ISOH & NDT certified, M. Tech in HSE. contact-krish.569@gmail. com mobile- +91 9867016808 BE Mechanical Engineering with one year experience now on visit visa, looking for suitable positions. #90637918 / 99335742,email: aquasharath@gmail.com Indian/male (25)/ MBA /2 years experience in channel sales and distribution management. on visit visa. available for immediate joining. Contact: 96914068, email: mailanasap@gmail.com Indian male, 8.5 yrs experience, B.Com Graduate with GCC exp & valid driving license looking for better job opening in Muscat. Contact: 92609935 / 94771365 Indian male network cabling technician (19 years Gulf experience), seeking for suitable placement. Contact : 0091-8089909265 (India), Email: mohithavp@gmail.com Indian male, Kerala B.Com & B.PE, looking for suitable Job in Sales, Accounts, Admin etc. #93301023 email:- sajith3969@gmail.com B.Com Graduate with 4 year experience as an Accountant in Oman. Also have Oman Driving License. Best fluency in English, Arabic, Hindi& Malayalam. Looking for Job. Currently in Oman. #+968 93943448, murshid4u@gmail.com Commercial or Operation Manager 18 yrs in Oman – finance, purchase, sales, HR & Admin exp. contact 99044724. E mail: srjobsinoman@ yahoo.com

GOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis, massage, steambath, obesity, spondylitis. Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street, Azaiba. Contact: 99639695 / 97397320 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact:24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know more about Islam, please call: 99425598, 99250777, 99353988, 99253818, 99341395, and 99379133. For ladies: 99415818, 99321360, 99730723 Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

CHANGE OF NAME Al Ajmi Group, company for petroleum and Gas service L.L.C which

is registered at the commerce and industry directorate in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate under the number 1219341, the above mentioned company is intending to amend its trade name to Nusoor Jabal Tiwi for Trading L.L.C.

Therefore those who have objection against this amendment, can submit reasons for their objection to the General Directorate of Commerce and Industry in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate.

SITUATION SIT. WANTED MISCELLANEOUS Indian male at a Managerial position having 12 yrs exp in sales & marketing, Property Management looking for a suitable position, MBA qualiﬁed with Oman driving license. NOC available. #98125226

WANTED IELTS Coaching (academic) required nearby wadi Kabir area. Please call on mobile or msg on Whats up. Mobile no: 92927880/99012165

MATRIMONIAL Kerala Christian Marthoma boy from Adoor, working in Oman MBA graduate seeks suitable alliance. Contact: 99852167 Mumbai settled Hindu Ezhava parents invite proposals for their son MBA 29 years 5.9 Star Bharani working with a reputed company in Muscat. Contact 91235911. KERALA-NAMBIAR BOY28yr/175cm from Kannur. Working as Pharmacist in Muscat, seeks suitable alliance 92042355. Graduate Syrian Orthodox girl 26 years working in Oman MOH as Staff Nurse seeks proposals from parents of suitable boy, preferably those working in Oman. Contact: 95907146 / +91 8904329166 Nair boy 31 /175 cms working in Muscat Pooram star wants suitable bride. Contact : 95501263 Malankara Catholic Male Nurse (28) from Thiruvalla working in Nizwa Private Co. Alliance invites parents/nurses working in Oman. #968 98267338, 0091 9287215726 Indian male Roman Catholic 40yrs divorcee working in Muscat. Seeks suitable alliance from widow/ divorcee/ single.#96059801.

DRIVING

Indian male BE Mechanical Engineer having 6 yrs exp in piping and structural construction work, looking suitable position, release available. #96115463-email: jijoraju085@yahoo.com SOFTWARE DEVELOPER, Indian Male, 24 years, B.Tech in computer science.3Years of experience in technical support, software development, troubleshooting and managing, seek suitable placement. Contact GSM- 98184170

TRANSPORTATION Pick and Drop Al Khuwair to Rusayl# 96733572 / 91287470

Indian male 31 yrs with over 10 yrs sales & marketing exp seeking suitable placement NOC & Oman D/L available in audition have proﬁciency in Arabic language. Contact:95760969

Picking and dropping any time. Contact: 97403088

B.A. in Accounting, Experience: 5years of Business/Accounts tutoring and 2 years of Accounting License: 70914186. #96389047, Email: sharanizareen@gmail.com

Transportation. contact 92015894

Transportation. Contact 99508282

Transportation available Ruwi to Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba. Contact: 91103909

M O N DAY, A P R I L 4 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

*Classiﬁed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

TOURS

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain Marine Tours contact 98029602, 92808636 We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898

SITUATION WANTED BUSINESS Investment Required Minimum OMR 500,000 to transfer 5 Excavators big + 5 Tippers 2015 Astra, working on good proﬁtable Excavation projects. Assured income 36 %.

98867530 / 99120532 engrfaheem@hotmail.com

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR 25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP speciﬁcation for monthly rent & small car with driver. #99839898

MV SALE Peugeot 206, 2006 model for sale Reserve Price RO 400. #94052819, Email: mmanjani8@gmail.com Volkswagen Tiguan 2012 White 70,000Kms Expat Driven Insurance: Oct 2016 Price: Rial 7500 Contact: 95121146 Toyota Prado 3 nos. for sale. Contact: 99454425

ACC WANTED NRI Housing in a well developed area for sale in Mangalore 100 meters from Main road at: Malaraya Temple Road, Chilimbi Near Urva stores, Mangalore -Karnataka, India Land: 181.60 Sq.mts, House built in the year 1986 consisting of ground floor and first floor. Total build up area around 2000 Sq.ft with car parking. Separate water and electricity connections. Contact: Anil Kumar: +91 97418 85128 (between 12 noon till 10 pm).

NRI

Looking for a villa in Amerat area. Contact : 95405033

MANPOWER

RENT A CAR 1 B/R - 890 S.FT fully furnished ﬂat at Best Western Quepem. Contact: 97094797 Flats villas land for sale in Pune Contact: 95272138/918139098275

Best Rates for Saloon Contact: 97869042 / 95730550 sales@modernreem.com

M O N DAY, A P R I L 4 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Oﬃce boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc. Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED MISCELLANEOUS Indian Male,B.Com & Diploma Logistics & supply chain management 2years experience looking for job in Accounts/ logistics field. Presently on Visit Visa. Software knows MS office & Tally7.2 .MOBILE:93884951Email:mehreenraiz@gmail.com Export Manager/DM Indian Male 38 Yrs B.Sc /CIPET 13 Yrs Experience in Business Development &Production with Oman D/L seeks suitable placement. Contact : 97221058 / 92058065, E-mail : ckabdulmajeed@gmail.com HSE Engineer: 3.8 years experience in Oil & Gas. NEBOSH,IOSH, & NDT Certified, M Tech in HSE,B Tech in Mechanical Engg. CONTACT-krish.569@gmail.com, Mobile- +91 9867016808 B.Com Graduate with 4 year experience as an Accountant in Oman. Also have Oman Driving License. Best fluency in English, Arabic, Hindi & Malayalam, looking for Job. Currently in Oman. Cont: +968 93943448, murshid4u@gmail.com Electronics service Technician , 4 Years experience as Electronics service engineer. Knowledge in all type of Electronics items. Looking for suitable placement. #99105043 MBA Indian male 2 years experience in firefighting & security systems sales & marketing. Seeking suitable job. Contact – 90634050 Mechanical Engineering 6 years experience. contact 00968-9989071100919841867534 Email: sayed.fortuner88@gmail.con

Looking for QHSE – Manager / Asst. Manager job, Indian Male – 39.Yrs, With 17.Yrs Experience & NOC, NEBOSH – UK, MR – ISO 9001, 14001 & 18001, HSE Trainings, Audits, Pls Contact – haree. krishnan9944@gmail.com INDIAN MALE, 26 years, BBA graduate, seeks suitable position in automotive spare parts, Have 3 year experience. Phone no: 96026400, Bineeshpn@gmail. com Diploma(Electrical Engineering) From Government polytechnic. Age 27years, 6 years Experiance in Maintenance, troubleshooting and managing and Technical in substation as a Electrical Engineer.Seek suitable placement. Contact GSM- 92995899,(a. abbas31@gmail.com) Bangladeshi male, University MA, Working as Store In-charge cum Logistic Manager in Muscat; searching better job. Phone: 91997605, email: mohamednazrulislam2@gmail. com 25 years, male B.Com and insurance Graduate with 6 year experience looking for an opening in accounts, ﬁnance or operations related only. Driving license and NOC available. #lilommca@ gmail.com and 95236312. Admin Assistant, Having 5 years experience in admin department in reputed companies, presently working in Muscat (NOC Available). GSM. 00968-98404122, Email - panduru.jeevankumar@ gmail.com

IT/Telecom Manager, BE, MBA 13+ Years of experience, Valid Driving License. Available immediately. Phone: +91205211, Email: ghulamqasimali@gmail.com Master’s in Petroleum Geology looking for relevant job ready to join ASAP, valid drivers license. Email : mehdi.poorjahangiri@gmail.com Indian Engineer, B. Tech (Mech), MBA, MLM (Master of Labour Management), 23 yrs experience, 5 years in Oman in the positions of Operations Manager and Plant Manager with Oman Driving License seeks suitable placement. Contact: 99744612. E-mail: deleepkumarpk@gmail.com Indian male network cabling technician (19-years gulf experience) Seeking for suitable placement. Contact - 0091-8089909265 (India) email: mohithavp@gmail.com Indian Male 47 years MBAOperations Management with total 25 Yrs exp inclusive of 9 yrs in Oil & Gas sector in Oman, having valid Omani D/L & NOC available , seeks challenging position in SCM/ Logistics/ Procurement in any Sector. GSM-94236414. Mail id – jayamurli@gmail.com

Engineering Drawing preparation Service for Civil Building, Interiors, Steel Structure, Steel Equipment etc at Genuine Rate. Contact Mb. 94052819, Email: mmanjani8@gmail.com Workshop in Muscat, Expertise in Aluminum Automatic Gates, Manual/Swing Gates, Security Grills, Louvers, Handrails, Contact Mb. 94052819, Email: mmanjani8@gmail.com CAD drawings Archi/ MEP CAD – comply BIM. Contact: 91233975 Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting,Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C. Contact: 24810137, 99450130 Marble crystallization & grinding, Ocean center LLC #99344723

SITUATION SIT. WANTED MISCELLANEOUS

Structural Engineer Education B-Tech in civil Engineering, Work Experience More than 6 yrs contact no.: +968-91431483 E-mail: mohsinyousuf86@rediffmail.com Indian Female Accountant, now in Oman on Visit Visa, looking for suitable placement, contact 94250871

Indian Male B. Tech, 10+ years of extensive work experience in various aspects like Computer Networking, Technical Support, Management and Engineering with good communications, interpersonal and technical skills seeks suitable opportunity. Now in Oman on Visit Visa GSM : 9489 8009, Email : bios4u@gmail.com

Pest control & Building cleaning all kinds of pest control building. Cleaning tiles / Marble polishing monthly/ Yearly contracts available. Contact: 98814733 /98814740 Al Husn Cleaning L.L.C House shifting & transporting. Contact 92490422

Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing. Contact: 99557080

Pest control treatments, Ocean center LLC #99344723

Split & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance. Contact: 96236476

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your marble. #24793614/ 99314807

Split & widow unit A.C servicing & maintenance.contact 93769089 / 95323517

House shifting packing. Contact: 99657644 / 98518013

Split & window A/c servicing & maintenance. contact 93769089 / 95323517

House shifting. #99708138 Marble crystallization & grinding, cleaning & carpet shampooing. Ocean center LLC.#99344723 Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont Maintenance services electric, plumbing and A/C. Contact: 96524904 /94285064 Split A/C servicing R.O 10 only. Contact: 94217681 / 99210141 Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles polishing, carpet shampooing, maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217 /24788722

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 A/C maintenance & servicing, fridge, washing machine & dish washer repairing, painting & cleaning services, electrical & plumbing. #99447257 / 97014234 / 24504281 A/C Technician, cold store, freezer, chiller all kinds of A/C & refrigeration installation & service. Contact: 92279370 / 92459357 Water prooﬁng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722