Times of Oman - January 8, 2017

SUNDAY January 8, 2017 9 Rabi Al Thani 1438 AH

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FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

On the Occasion of the 26th National Day, 1996

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ It is the duty of all to adhere firmly to the principles of peaceful coexistence between States and to respect international law, in order to avert the causes of instability and enable the region to continue its growth and prosperity.

MORNING MINUTE

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 260 | 36 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

A M E N D E D L AW

Experts welcome 10-day jail for littering while driving DEEBA HASAN

deeba@timesofoman.com

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ROP celebrates annual day with graduation of cadets

MUSCAT: Environment experts and general public have reacted positively to a law which says littering while driving can now land you in jail.

In a tweet on the public prosecution’s official Twitter handle, the authority has said that throwing

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Ferry services to resume as per plan

ROHM SHOWCASES IN-HOUSE SHOW The Royal Opera House Muscat presented its first major in-house production, titled ‘Celebrating Oman,’ this weekend. It also shed light on Oman’s history and the blessed renaissance under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. See also >A4

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Ferry services will resume as per schedule, an official of the National Ferries Company (NFC) said. The NFC had cancelled some trips until Sunday following inclement weather. On Friday night, the Meteorology Department had predicted low visibility, caused by dust winds entering Oman from the seaside. >A2

litter, including cigarette butts, while driving is a crime punishable by law and the violator will be jailed for 10 days.

Article 40 of the newly amended Traffic Law states that anyone throwing out rubbish or anything else from inside a vehicle in a nondesignated area,may face imprisonment for up to 10 days or a fine of up to OMR300.

In response to the tweet, Lameer Daar, Executive Director of the Environment Society of Oman (ESO), said, “The ESO believes that it is everyone’s responsibility to protect and conserve the environment. We believe that this is a positive step on the part of the authorities and will further enforce a social sense of responsibility towards the environment.” >A6

EXPAT EXODUS TO CONTINUE AS 2017 EXPECTED TO STAY HARD Delay and cut in wages, and rising workload are forcing expatriates to leave Oman for the good

REJIMON K CHIEF REPORTER

reji@timesofoman.com

WORLD

Probe on as five dead in Florida shooting

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Federal investigators will on Saturday pursue all angles in determining the motives behind a mass shooting in which an attacker opened fire in a crowded baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale’s airport, killing five people. Authorities said they had taken decorated Iraq war veteran Esteban Santiago into custody following the shooting. >A10

MARKET

Duqm liquid terminal tender award soon

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A tender to build the proposed bulk liquid terminal at the Port of Duqm in Oman is expected to be awarded within a month. The $1 billion project is a key component of the infrastructure being developed by the Oman government to support a major refinery. >B1

– Photos by Deeba Hasan

MUSCAT: “I have finally decided to leave Oman. They are cutting our salaries, citing tough economic conditions. Besides, wages often get delayed. With a number of people leaving the company, workload is piling up. It has become quite difficult to meet my family expenses with my reduced salary. It is true that my children are studying here, but I don’t want to continue like this.”

This was Gopal Kumar N, an administration official working with a construction company.

His story is no different from that of many others like him.

Trade union officials and experts predict that the ‘expat exodus’ that began in 2016 will continue this year.

While the oil price, to which Oman’s economic fortunes are currently intrinsically linked, has begun to creep back up, austerity will very much remain a live issue in the Sultanate in 2017.

Last week’s State Budget made that clear, and consequently, expatriate workers will continue to grapple with the tough decision about whether to pull out.

“Economic conditions are still bad. Salaries continue to be delayed in Oman. Projects are fac-

ing trouble due to delayed bill clearances.

“I think expatriates working at mid and senior level jobs would continue to leave Oman this year too, as they did in 2016,” Shahswar Al Balushi, the CEO of Oman Society of Contractors (OSC), told the Times of Oman.

“Till the economy recovers, expatriates in Oman will continue to face the same conditions. The 2017 budgetary allocation for development expenditure will only cover the pending bill payments.

As a result, new projects will have a very slim chance in 2017 to receive a go ahead,” the CEO, who also leads the Tanfeedh Labour Market lab, added.

Mohammed Al Faraji, a trade unionist leader, said, “Layoffs are happening in Oman. Many expatriates are either leaving their jobs or are being removed as companies find themselves in a bad shape. >A6

MINISTRY OF MANPOWER

More than 18,000 expats caught for labour law violations in 2016 REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: More than 400 expatriate workers were caught every week in 2016 for violating labour laws, the statistics of the Ministry of Manpower reveal.

The statistics, uploaded by the ministry from time to time in 2016, with the exception of only a few weeks, on its official twitter account, showed that 18,854 expatriate workers were caught during raids in 2016.

“Lack of respect for labour laws on the part of the employers, coupled with the workers’ poor understanding of these laws, has been leading to such a situation.

If an employer follows and grants all the rights to a labourer, as laid

out in the labour law, then such workers would not run away and become undocumented,” Mohammed Faraji, a trade unionist, told the Times of Oman.

“Similarly, if these workers were to properly understand the labour law and follow it, then they would not land in such a situation where they are caught as violators and deported,” the trade unionist added.

Last year in May, a senior official in the Ministry of Manpower had told the Times of Oman about raids being intensified in Oman.

In 2015, around 19,000 expatriate workers were caught in raids meant to nab labour law violators.

This year, once the data for the missing weeks is added, the number is expected to be the same, or even more.

UNDOCUMENTED

18,854 expat workers were caught during raids in 2016

Workers advised not to run away and become undocumented

Violators told to reach the ministry instead of hiding in the interiors

@manpowergov

“We advise workers not to run away and become undocumented, only to be caught as violators. Our advice is that if a violation has happened, please approach the minis-

try or us,” the trade unionist added.

Nevertheless, it is a fact that some undocumented workers have chosen to stay back in different parts of Oman.

“We agree that we are undocumented and have been overstaying in the country. Even though we want to go back, we are stuck here because we do not have enough

money to pay up the huge fines we have accrued for having overstayed,” a worker said on condition of anonymity.

No jobs “Currently, there are no jobs here, so life has become horrible,” the worker lamented.

Hundreds of such overstaying workers can be seen looking out for agents who can offer work in Hamriya and other areas in Ruwi.

According to the Article 114 of the Oman Labour Law, a nonOmani employee who works in the country without a licence issued by the concerned directorate, or works for any employer other than the one who obtained a licence to bring him to the Sultanate, shall be punished.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

THE BRIEFING Region

Fuel truck blast kills dozens in north Syria A fuel truck exploded in the busy centre of a rebel-held town near Syria’s border with Turkey on Saturday, killing dozens of people and wounding dozens more, several sources said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 43 people, mostly civilians, were killed when the tanker blew up in front of a courthouse in the northern Syrian town of Azaz. >A7

INDIA

Playing pro-poor card, Modi says note ban to lift their life

OMAN

Airport, Muscat Expressway link project completed To link the New Muscat International Airport with Muscat Expressway, the Muscat Municipality has completed the project in accordance with the highest engineering and traffic safety standards. It will ease traffic along the Muscat Expressway and help it link with Ghala industrial area and other centres in Al Irfan area. The link road to Ghala starts at Crossing No. 8 on Muscat Expressway and extends to the western part of Ghala industrial area, leading to Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The project comprises a five kilometre-three-lane road on each side of the Muscat Expressway. The three lanes turn into a four–lane road at the crossings and flyovers towards the airport. It becomes a five–lane road as it exists the airport buildings. >A6

A brief summary of the top inside stories of different sections of the Times of Oman.

There has been a 4.2 per cent increase in production of electricity and 12.6 per cent in water output in the Sultanate through the end of October 2016. >A6

OMAN

Overseas Citizens of India card deadline extended

For latest updates and live coverage log in to www.timesofoman.com

Government of India has decided to extend the deadline for conversion of Person of Indian Origin card to Overseas Citizens of India card up to June 30 2017, free of charge. A Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card allows visa free travel. >A5

Playing the pro-poor card, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said they are the focus of his government and projected demonetisation as a long-term tool to fight black money and corruption to improve their lives’. >A8

are advised by the Ministry of Education ministry to be

DEEBA HASAN

deeba@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Certain fraudsters offering fake attestations, degrees or certificates in the domain of education recently fleeced a person of OMR3,000, prompting the Ministry of Education to warn people in Oman.

According to an official at the ministry, in certain cases reported in the month of December, dubious agencies and individuals outside Oman had offered their services to people wanting to have their certificates and degrees attested, and also offered easy degrees.

asks citizens not to respond to such blackmail and to report and expeditiously take up the matter with the competent authorities in order to avoid any ramifications emerging from such blackmail,” he added.

All such scammers are based outside Oman but when it comes to contacting potential victims, they use the phone numbers of the ministry. The case has now been transferred to the Public Prosecution, he informed.

“The Ministry of Higher Education is pleased to guide people and provide the right kind of educational services and advise on certificates issued by various higher education institutions outside the Sultanate through the ministry’s website only,” Al Maskari said.

In case of any questions and clarifications about the services, people can call 2434 0900 or email public.services@mohe.gov.om.

NAT I O NA L W O R K F O R C E

Al Razi Medical Group hikes pay Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Al Razi Medical Group in Salalah has raised its minimum wage of the national workforce to OMR 400.

The Ministry of Manpower,

represented by the Directorate General of Manpower in Dhofar, signed the agreement with Al Razi last week.

This new amendment will affect both current and new employees.

In 2013, the Ministry of Man-

A snowstorm forced the closure of Turkey’s key shipping straits and sweeping flight cancellations on Saturday, while hazardous roads left many drivers stranded overnight in Istanbul, a city of 15 million people. Turkish Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights in and out of the city’s Ataturk airport and dozens of planes were diverted to other airports. >A12

BUSINESS

Desalination plant in Qurayat completed

power issued Decree No. 222, which mandated, effective from July 1, 2013, that the minimum salary of Omanis working in the private sector was to be increased to OMR325 from the existing OMR200.

Oman’s Khalid claims third place at F4 event

Philippine security forces killed a foreign national and his female companion who were suspected of being connected to a militant group supporting IS, police officials said, two days after the group’s leader was also killed. The foreigner, believed to be Pakistani and identified as Abu Naila, resisted arrest and attempted to throw a grenade. >A12

The Oman Athletic Association (OAA) will be organising Cross-country Championship with the primary aim of selecting Oman team for the forthcoming GCC crosscountry championships in Dubai. >C1

SPORTS

Oman to launch World Cup against Guinea

Muscat Water, a joint venture between Al Sulaimi Group Holding and AquaSwiss AG, has completed the construction of its water desalination plant in Qurayat The plant will produce 8,000 cubic metres of desalinated water per day for supplying potable water to Qurayat and nearby villages, according to a company release. >B2

Oman will launch their campaign in the CISM World Cup football championship against Guinea on January 15 The Sultanate will host the 2017 CISM World Cup from January 15 to 28 at three different venues — the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, Seeb Sports Stadium and ROP Stadium. >C1

LIFESTYLE

Finding the Right Dentist in Muscat From clinics with equipment as outdated as their surgical practices to clinics with well-educated, but downright rude dentists, we have had many oral misadventures in our search for the perfect dental practice with which to entrust our teeth. If you know you have a particular area of need, be sure to go to a centre that has the appropriate specialist on-site. >A14

General Raheel Sharif, the former Pakistani army chief, will now head the Saudi Arabia-led 39-nation military coalition formed to serve as a platform for security cooperation and combat terrorism. >A9

services of any form

SPORTS

Major Omani listed firms are expected to post a 23.7 per cent year-on-year growth in net profitsfor 2016 at OMR673.58 million, mainly due to one-off provisions reported by several companies last year, and the consequent low base. >B1

Ex-army chief to head Saudi-led anti-terror force

higher education

such fraudsters

Omani firms set to post 24% growth in profits

PAKISTAN

Students requiring

cautious and avoid

BUSINESS

Philippine troops kill two linked to group supporting IS

Warning against fake attestation of documents

The highest amount that was extorted from a victim last month was OMR3,000.

“A few such cases were reported in the month of December, but there could be more such cases out there. The MoHE has not come across such instances earlier.

“Some of the scammers were fictitious universities that only have websites. They do not have campuses where people can earn a proper degree. The certificates issued by them are also not accredited or supported.Such fake online universities extort money from students, or threaten to transfer their cases to court,” said Munther Al Maskari from the Ministry’s Department of Qualification Equivalency and Recognition.

Students requiring higher education services of any form are advised by ministry to be cautious and avoid such fraudsters. “The MoHE

Snowstorm hits traffic in Istanbul; straits closed

WORLD

OMAN

Power, water outputs rise in Oman

WORLD

I N C L E M E N T W E AT H E R

Ferry services to resume as per the schedule: NFC Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Ferry services will resume as per schedule, an official of the National Ferries Company (NFC) said.

The NFC had cancelled some trips until Sunday following inclement weather.

Among the ferry services that were cancelled were those between Muscat and Khasab on January 5, Khasab-Muscat on January 7, Khasab-Lima-Khasab on January 5, Shinas-DibbaKhasab on January 5 and Khasab-Dibba-Shinas on January 7.

Khasab and Muscat “The service between Khasab and Muscat will become operational on January 12 as per the schedule,” the official added.

“The rest of the services will continue as scheduled,” the official added.

Late Friday night, the Oman Meteorology Department had predicted low visibility, caused by dust winds entering Oman from the Oman Sea side.

In its weather advisory, the department also predicted chances

OPERATIONS TO RESTART: The National Ferries Company had cancelled some trips until Sunday following inclement weather.

of fog formation along the coastal areas of South Al Sharqiya, Al Wusta and Dhofar. During the last one week, thick fog had enveloped many parts of northern Oman.

Fog Visibility was down to less than 1,000 metres due to fog last Wednesday in the coastal areas of the Oman Sea, Buraimi, Dhahira, Wusta and South Sharqiyah governorates during night and

till early morning. The heavy fog disrupted traffic in Barka, Khabourah, Saham, Musanah and Sohar this week, according to the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

The ROP cautioned motorists to drive safely. The cold spell in Oman brought the mercury to 6 degrees Celsius in parts of the Hajar mountain range.

Temperatures in Muscat and Seeb hovered between 25 and 19 degrees Celsius.

R E PAT R I AT I O N O F B O D Y

Indian Umrah pilgrim dies during transit in Muscat Times News Service MUSCAT: An Indian Umrah pilgrim died during transit at Muscat airport, a social worker who is coordinating repatriation of the body, said.

“Abdul Rahiman, the pilgrim had returned from Medina.

He landed at Muscat airport at 12am on Saturday. His connecting flight to Kozhikode in Kerala was at 2:15am. At around 1am, he showed uneasiness and in a few minutes he passed away,” Shameer PTK, the social worker, said

quoting the victim’s brother.

Abdul Rahiman was 67 years old. “By today evening or tomorrow, we will be able to repatriate the body,” Shameer added.

Last year in December, an Indian pilgrim’s body offloaded from a

Saudi plane in Oman was stuck in Muscat for at least a week before being repatriated to India.

The victim, identified as Muhammed Abdul Muthalip, 63, from the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, was returning from Jeddah with his family after a pilgrimage when he died onboard the flight. As he passed away onboard, the flight had to make an emergency landing in Muscat and the body was offloaded.

As the holidays were on, the paperwork to take the body back to India was delayed.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

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New Muttrah fish market to open soon

— Photos by Shabin E

The market will be spread over 1,410 sq m and will have space for 120 fish stalls and another 40 stalls dedicated to the cutting and cleaning of fish. Another 810 sq m area has been set aside for 106 fruit and vegetable stalls. There will also be shops selling meat and poultry.

Located close to Port Sultan Qaboos, which has been declared a tourism port, the new Muttrah fish market is expected to attract tourists who come in cruise ships

RAHUL DAS

rahuldas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: One of the most iconic landmarks of Muscat, the Muttrah Fish Market, will open its doors in the first quarter of this year.

“The construction work at the fish market is more or less complete and we are hoping to open it any day now,” a senior official of

the Muscat Municipality said.

He said the authorities were currently considering a company to manage the market.

“It would not be possible for the Muscat Municipality to man-

age the market. Therefore, we are looking for a professional company to run the fish market and take care of day to day affairs,” he told the Times of Oman.

The new fish market will also

MUTTRAH

Plan for tourist office at historic Muttrah Souq Times News Service MUSCAT: A tourist office will be set up at Muttrah Souq, visited by thousands of tourists every year, a senior official of the Muscat Municipality said on Thursday.

Dr Ibrahim Al Rahbi, Director General of Muscat Municipality at Greater Muttrah, said search is on for a place near the souq to set up the tourist office.

“As it is an old and congested area, the municipality is finding it tough to find a place for a new office. Till a final decision is taken, we will open a portable tourist office in the next couple of months,” he said.

There is a tourist office in Port Sultan Qaboos in Muttrah where the cruise liners arrive. “However, a second tourist office is needed as planned at the Muttrah souq,” Dr Al Rahbi told the Times of Oman.

According to the plan, the temporary tourist office will be set RESCEUE

ROP airlifts two trekkers, dead body Times News Service MUSCAT: Two stranded Omani nationals were airlifted by the Royal Oman Police helicopter on Saturday morning after they got lost in Sifah mountains.

A reliable ROP source said the two nationals were lost while trekking in the mountains.

The ROP had difficulty in reaching out to the trekkers and transporting them to the Amerat Police Station.

In another incident, a ROP helicopter retrieved a body from Wadi Mayh in Quriyat. The body was discovered by a national. The investigation agency is probing the incident.

Plans are also afoot to deploy security guards at the historic Muttrah Souq and put in place a revamped fire safety plan for the 200-year-old market by early 2017.

Besides ensuring the safety of tourists, the presence of security SAFETY PLAN: Plans are also guards will induce a sense of seafoot to deploy security guards curity among the shopkeepers. at the historic Muttrah Souq “This is important, especially and put in place a revamped fire safety plan for the 200-year-old after a gang robbed 37kgs of gold worth OMR1.4m from a jewelmarket by early 2017. lery shop in the Souq in August 2016,” a shopkeeper said.

Mohammed, a Bangladeshi up near the entrance of the souq where visitors will be able to ob- trader working at a jewellery tain maps and information about shop, said, “The souq had recently Oman and its historic attractions. witnessed a number of fire acThe officials at the tourist office cidents. The fire safety plan will will offer any help sought by tour- definitely help us in securing our shops.” ists visiting Oman.

Officials stated that all these Welcoming the news, citizens and residents said: “It is a steps will be taken in order to good move as the new office will raise the living standards of the help promote Oman’s tourism residents of Muttrah without dissector, both regionally and inter- turbing the historical and cultural identity of the city. nationally.”

I N C L E M E N T W E AT H E R

Turkish Airlines cancels Muscat flights due to snow Times News Service MUSCAT: Snowfall in Turkey has prompted Turkish Airlines to cancel its two flights from Muscat to Istanbul, an official from airline said.

“Flights from Muscat to Turkey on January 7 and 8 are believed by cancelled as snow fall is expected in Instanbul,” the official said. According to Accuweather.com disruptive snow and plunging temperatures will sweep across western and central Turkey, including Istanbul, through this weekend.

Istanbul could even be brought

to a standstill into Saturday as wind gusts of 64-72 km/h (40-45 mph) create dangerous blizzard conditions with visibility near zero and significant blowing and drifting snow.

The wind-swept snow could halt ferry services and ground flights. Residents should prepare for weekend activities to be postponed or canceled. “A similar scenario [with rain changing to snow and causing icy roads] could unfold in Ankara on Saturday evening, though snowfall will not be as heavy compared to Istanbul,” according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Douty.

have a fruits and vegetables section, a coffee shop and a seafood restaurant. These facilities will boost trade and tourism activities in the area. Located close to Port Sultan Qaboos, which has been

declared a tourism port, the new Muttrah fish market is expected to attract tourists who come visiting Oman in cruise ships. “We are sure that it will become an iconic landmark of Muscat,” the official said.

Public health The new fish market will also have facilities for fish landing, refrigeration, preparation and packaging, besides storage area, offices for staffs and coffee shops.

“Apart from all these facilities, the fish market has been built keeping public health and high standards of hygiene in mind,” said the official.

The market will also have parking facilities to accommodate more than 100 vehicles. “Right now, parking in the fish market is a nightmare. Often, the market is so crowded that one can hardly find enough room to even stand there,” Suraj, an Indian expat who visits the Muttrah fish market every Friday, said. The new project is coming up near the old fish market that was built in 1960.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

OMAN ROHM’s in-house show sheds light on Oman’s history, renaissance

Royal Opera House Muscat’s groundbreaking production ‘Celebrating Oman’ coincided with its anniversary, reaffirming its reputation built over the years as an artistic and cultural beacon

DEEBA HASAN

deeba@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Shedding light on Oman’s history and the blessed renaissance under the prudent leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Royal Opera House Muscat presented its first major in-house production, titled ‘Celebrating Oman,’ for three days this weekend.

The show portrayed elements such as desert, ocean, frankincense, wildlife etc. which make up Oman, through a series of spectacular performances.

‘Celebrating Oman: The Great Journey’ comprised eight vivid musical displays, representing different aspects of life in Oman, and took the audience on an incredible expedition through the Sultanate’s rich history, nature, seafarers’ traditions and cultural heritage.

The eight tableaux were ‘Omani History and Geography’; ‘Frankincense - Back to Nature’; ‘the Maritime History’; ‘the Silk Route’; ‘the Sword Dance’; ‘the Renaissance’; ‘Oman: Oasis of Peace’; and the final one representing the ROHM as a “Cultural House of the World.”

This ground-breaking production coincided with the exceptional fifth season and anniversary of the ROHM and reaffirmed the reputation it has managed to build over the years as an artistic and cultural beacon and a bridge for cross-cultural dialogue.

More than a 100 performers, including 40 Omani children, more than 30 Omani musicians, three camels from the Royal Camel Corps, traditional Omani folk

companies, and members from the ‘Society for Amateur Oud Players,’ which was created through the Royal order of His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 2005, participated.

This show was developed in

co-operation with the Namaste group and conceived by the renowned Italian creator of exciting events, Paolo Dalla Sega, as a valuable addition to the ROHM’s repertoire.

His Highness Sayyid Kamil bin Fahd Al Said maintained that the ROHM’s Board of Directors has, since the ROHM’s first seasons, been keen on presenting independent productions. He said this show will mark a milestone in the area of technical and innovative co-operation with specialised companies from around the world.

Combining great music with dazzling light and sound shows,

‘Celebrating Oman’ was a free ticketed show, presented at the ROHM’s Maidan on January 5, 6 and 7.

The show featured an original libretto by talented Omani writer, Dr. Saleh Al Fahdi, with storytelling by Issam Al Zadjali and Rasha Al Balushi. Aiman Al Nasser presented a solo song.

In addition to the international choreographers, singers and dancers from all over the world, including Italy, France, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Argentina, Mexico, Hungary and Switzerland, participated. — Photos: ROHM

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JUNE 30

Overseas Citizens of India card deadline extended

OMAN

ROP celebrates annual day with graduation of cadets

BENEFITS: A Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card allows visa free travel and entitles the card holder to several benefits.

Times News Service MUSCAT: Government of India has decided to extend the deadline for conversion of Person of Indian Origin card to Overseas Citizens of India card up to June 30 2017, free of charge.

A Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card allows visa free travel and entitles the card holder to several benefits.

Whereas an Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) is a multiple entry life-long visa which enables the holder to have unlimited travel and stay in India.

Online application The procedure for filling the application online for conversion of PIO card to OCI Card has been posted at the Embassy’s website under ‘Consular Services’.

Only copies of valid passport and a valid PIO Card of the applicant are to be produced by those who wish to convert their PIO cards to OCI. OCI card holders will enjoy all rights and privileges available to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in financial, economic and educational fields except in the acquisition of plantation properties.

There would be no visa requirement for travel to India and they would have to carry their existing passport along with the registration certificate.

They will also not be required to register with the FRRO/Police authorities for any length of stay in India.

Consular Wing of the Mission can be contacted at 24684585/24684588 or on email cons.muscat@mea.gov.in for further queries.

Col. Sulaiman bin Mohammed Al Alawi, Assistant Commander of Sultan Qaboos Academy for Police Sciences for Academic Affairs, congratulated the new graduates

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: A ceremony was held to celebrate the Royal Office Royal Oman Police’s (ROP) Annual Day on January 5.

The function was held under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Munthir bin Majid Al Said, Head of Liaison and Coordination at the Royal Office.

The event also included the graduation ceremony for the cadet officers at the parade grounds of the Sultan Qaboos Academy for Police Sciences (SQAPS) in the

Wilayat of Nizwa. Col. Sulaiman bin Mohammed Al Alawi, Assistant Commander of SQAPS for Academic Affairs, congratulated the new graduates for successfully completing their military training.

He wished them a bright future as they find themselves poised on the threshold of a new phase in their career. Exhorting them to fulfil the oath they took before God and their nation, he urged them to perform their duties with high spirits, efficiency and discipline. He also asked them to adhere to the ethics of the police profession, maintain the prestige and honour of the police officer and ensure proper application of law while constantly pursuing the path of self-development.

As for the existing batches, Col. Sulaiman Al Alawi said four batches of cadet officers will be graduating after having completed the requirements of the course of study. These include the 39th batch of cadet officers with a di-

ploma in law and police science system; the 40th batch of specialised cadet officers; and another batch of cadet officers with limited service system.

“Graduation day is one of the most important days in the life of every graduate since it is the day when all the efforts come to fruition following a lot of hard work put in during the training period.

On this day, the graduates feel proud of what they have achieved, and at the same time, can feel the great responsibility they are entrusted with.

“In addition, the graduation day marks the beginning of a new stage for graduates, one of applying their learning in science and skills in real life,” he added.

Col. Sulaiman concluded his speech by recalling the day when the Sultan Qaboos Academy for Police Sciences was opened on 5th January, 1980 under the royal auspices of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. He said the SQAPS was conceived as one of the institutions in charge of implementing education and training policy for the ROP. The Academy witnessed many developments, including the Royal Decree. No 62/2000 under which its name was changed to SQAPS and it was upgraded to grant the bachelor degree in law and science.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

OMAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

D ATA

Bait Al Nu’aman Fort big tourist attraction BARKA: Barka, bordered in the east by the Wilayat of A’Seeb, in the west by the Wilayat of Al Musannah, in the south by the wilayats of Wadi Al Ma’awel and Nakhal, and from the north by the Sea of Oman.

There are many tourist sites in the Wilayat of Barka, most notably the Bait Al Nu’aman Fort. The Wilayat of Barka is located 85 kilometres from Muscat.

Tourists, both foreign and domestic, visit the Wilayat of Barka to tour the archaeological and tourist sites, including the Bait Al Nu’aman Fort.

Ibrahim bin Sabeel Al Balushi, a tour guide at the fort, said, “For 325 years, the journey between Muscat and the headquarters of Ya’aribah rule in A’Rustaq and Al Hazm was arduous, as travellers rode on the backs of camels and horses.

He added that in the middle of the road between Muscat and A’Rustaq, Bait Al Nu’aman Fort was built as a shelter, as well as a guesthouse for the Imams of Ya’aribah during their travels to A’Rustaq. It is believed that Bait Al Nu’aman Fort was built from 1691 to 1693 during the reign of Imam Bal’arab bin Sultan, who had his seat of rule in Jibreen Fort.

It is also thought that Bait Al Nu’aman Fort was built by Imam Saif bin Sultan Al Ya’rubi, brother of Imam Bal’arab bin Sultan.

“Imam Saif bin Sultan, who succeeded his brother in the position of the Imamate, was a man with a vision. He built a strong merchant fleet and worked to expand foreign maritime trade, along with the implementation of the reclamation project in order to grow crops. It is said that he was responsible for planting more than one-third of the trees in the country, as he issued orders to plant some 600 date palm trees, and 300 coconut trees in the west of Bait Al Nu’aman Fort and in the fertile soil of Al Batinah Plain. Many of these palm trees can still be seen in the west,” AlBalushi added.

He said that Bait Al Nu’aman Fort was renovated by Imam Ahmed bin Said Al Busaidi (1749 -1783), after nearly a century of use. The building was fortified by strengthening the walls and the construction of two new defensive towers, which enabled guards to fire their guns in all directions. -ONA

Power, water productions grow in Oman MUSCAT: There has been a 4.2 per cent increase in production of electricity in the Sultanate’s through the end of October 2016.

The power production increased to more than 29,006 gigawatt (GW) compared to the same period in 2015.

Similarly, water production grew to exceed 314 million cubic metres, with an increase of 12.6 per cent as of the end of October 2016, compared with the same period in 2015, according to the latest statistics released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The Sultanate’s total electricity production until the end of October 2016 stood at 29,614.4 GW per hour, compared to 28,426.5 GW per hour in the corresponding period of 2015.

The Governorates of North and South Al Batinah and the Governorate of A’Dhahirah recorded the highest rate of usage at the governorates level, as electricity production in these governorates stood at 15,767.1 GW per hour, representing an increase of 8.7

per cent, compared to 14,507.4 GW per hour in the same period in 2015.

The total electricity production in the Governorate of Muscat reached 3,429.5 GW per hour, with a decline of 29.2 per cent compared to the production recorded during the same period in 2015, which reached 4,845.8 GW per hour.

Total electricity production in the Governorate of Dhofar reached 2,856.4 GW per hour at the end of October 2016, with an increase of 1.7 per cent, compared to the production recorded during

the same period of 2015, which reached 2,809.4 GW per hour.

The total electricity production in the Governorate of Musandam reached 323.6 GW per hour, with an increased rate of 1.7 per cent, compared to the production recorded during the same period of 2015, at 318.2 GW per hour.

The total electricity production in the Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah reached 1,090.7 GW per hour, with a decrease of 0.5 per cent compared to the production recorded during the same period of 2015, which was 1,096.4 GW per hour.

The total electricity production in the Governorate of Al Wusta reached 312.1 GW per hour, with a growth of 23 percent, compared to the production recorded during the same period of 2015, which was 253.8 GW per hour.

The Governorates of North and South A’Sharqiyah recorded an increase in the rate of production, compared to the corresponding period in 2015. The increased rate stood at 27 per cent, as the total production in the two gov-

ernorates stood at 5,835.1 GW per hour in October 2016, compared to 4,595.6 GW per hour during the corresponding period in 2015.

The net of the Sultanate’s electricity production until the end of October 2016 reached 29,212.3 GW per hour, compared to the figures recorded during the same period of 2015, which stood at 28,088.5 GW per hour, with an increased rate of 4 per cent.

This production includes power purchased by Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) and the Rural Areas Electricity Company (RAEC).

NCSI statistics indicated that the largest quantity of net electricity production was recorded in the Governorates of North and South Al Batinah and A’Dhahirah.

The net production recorded in these governorates at the end of October 2016 reached 15,610.6 GW per hour, compared to the net production recorded during the same period of 2015, which reached 14,404.3 GW per hour, with an increased rate of 8.4 per cent. -ONA

Airport, Expressway link project completed This project will ease traffic along the Muscat Expressway and help it link with Ghala industrial area and other centres in Al Irfan area

MUSCAT: In accordance with the highest engineering and traffic safety standards, the Muscat Municipality has completed the road project to link the New Muscat International Airport with Muscat Expressway.

It will ease traffic along the Muscat Expressway and help it link with Ghala industrial area and other centres in Al Irfan area.

The link road to Ghala starts at Crossing No. 8 on Muscat Expressway and extends to the western part of Ghala industrial area, leading to Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque.

The project comprises a five kilometre-three-lane road on each side of the Muscat Expressway.

The three lanes turn into a four– lane road at the crossings and flyovers towards the airport. It becomes a five–lane road as it exists the airport buildings towards the Expressway.

As part of the project, Muscat Municipality has established two crossings; the first crossing serves

TO EASE TRAFFIC WOES: The link road to Ghala starts at Crossing No. 8 on Muscat Expressway and extends to the western part of Ghala industrial area, leading to Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. -ONA

Ghala industrial area and the second was established at the Grand Mosque road to serve motorists moving towards the airport and Expressway. The project also comprises a flyover to serve traf-

fic movement from the Grand Mosque road to Expressway without the need for driving under the flyover. This part of the road has been recently opened to traffic.

The project also included con-

L AY O F F S

struction of a number of service roads on both sides of the Grand Mosque road for a distance of three kilometres.

On the other hand, the Muscat Municipality has also competed the works of development and expanding of 18th November Street.

It has been turned into a threelane road on both sides from the traffic signal at Al Anwar Street to the crossing and to the exit at the airport. This is in addition to landscaping works and construction of a bridge in the area, the design of which has been inspired by the topography at Athaiba beach and the Wave project area.

The project also included construction of a drainage system for the surface rainwater.

The projects aims to ease traffic in Muscat in general and at Muscat International Airport area to meet the increasing number of passengers. —ONA LITTERING

A1 Expats booking A1 ‘A good move’ one way tickets < FROM

“On Tuesday, we updated the Shura council about the layoffs and will also brief the Ministry of Manpower’s joint meeting, scheduled for this month.”

Latest government statistics reveal that the number of skilled expatriate workers coming to Oman is going down.

An official at a money exchange house also confirmed a dip in remittances from mid and senior level workers.

“The trend started in 2015 and is still continuing. Our remittance records confirm that mid and senior level officials are voluntarily leaving or were being asked to leave Oman,” Rajan B, general manager at Al Jadeed Exchange, told the Times of Oman.

A travel agent in Muscat said expatriates were still booking one way tickets, a trend that was noticed earlier.

“This shows that conditions in Oman were not showing any improvement. This month also, we saw one way tickets being

< FROM

booked by some expatriates.

They were all leaving Oman, having given up their jobs,” the travel agent said on condition of anonymity.

Hundreds of blue and white collar expatriate workers have been left in a lurch as companies are facing a tough time.

Stranded “In our company, around 86 workers, including skilled and unskilled, find themselves stranded as they have not been paid their salary for the last six months. Tomorrow onwards, food will also be a problem at the camp as the catering unit has decided not to deliver food since the company has failed to clear their bills,” an expatriate engineer at the company in Nizwa said.

“If our dues are cleared, we will go back,” the engineer added. The stranded workers have filed a complaint with the Ministry of Manpower, seeking their unpaid salaries.

Murtadha Al Lawati, Communications Officer at Oman Be’ah, said, “Littering is not just an environmental issue but also a social one, and having a legislation such as this will force people to take care of their environment. It is a good move towards the right direction.

“It’s a good sign that we have legislative laws against littering because this is a huge concern right now. A lot of trash is left behind after beach side parties and barbeque, and this is not right.

People don’t realise the environmental impact of such actions. If a turtle ends up swallowing a plastic bag, it feels it’s full all the time and doesn’t eat and eventually starves to death.”

A resident in Oman said the laws have become strict and conceded he will be more careful now onwards.

“I usually don’t throw out trash while driving. I think it is a bad habit that some people have, but then, at times, I have friends in my car who tend to throw out small things. Now I will make sure it stops.”

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

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REGION Iraqi forces close in on Tigris in IS stronghold Counter-terrorism service (CTS) forces were the closest they had been to the Tigris inside Mosul and closing in on a strategic bridge

MOSUL/BAGHDAD: Iraqi special forces closed in on the Tigris river that runs through central Mosul on Saturday, advancing in parallel with other troops and forcing IS to retreat in its last major stronghold in the country.

Turkey and Iraq meanwhile came to an agreement over a demand for the withdrawal of Turkish forces from an area close to Mosul, Baghdad said, as the two regional powers sought to improve ties after a spat last year over Ankara’s military deployment. Turkey’s prime minister did not say a deal had been reached, but that the issue was discussed and would be resolved.

Advances by Iraqi forces in recent days, including Saturday’s push to within several hundred metres (yards) of the Tigris, involved an unprecedented nighttime assault by elite forces and have driven the ultra-hardline militant group out of several areas east of the river.

The US-backed operation to drive IS out of Mosul, which began in October, initially progressed well before slowing towards the end of the year amid fierce IS resistance and the presence of large numbers of civilians. It has picked up momentum again in a new phase launched last week.

STRATEGIC PLANNING: Lieutenant General Talib Shaghati, centre, inspects a map with officers in Al Zuhoor neighbourhood during a fight with IS in Mosul, Iraq, on Saturday. – Reuters

Counter-terrorism service (CTS) forces were the closest they had been to the Tigris inside Mosul and closing in on a strategic bridge, supported by new tactics and better coordination, their spokesman said. “Counter-terrorism forces have been sent about 500m from the fourth bridge,” Sabah Al Numan told reporters east of Mosul.

CTS seized the Ghufran district, previously known as Al Baath, and entered neighbouring Wahda, he said.

A separate military statement said Iraqi federal police had recaptured a hospital complex in Wahda in southeastern Mosul, a significant turnaround after army units were forced to withdraw from the site last month.

CTS and federal police “are now moving in parallel on both axes” in southeastern Mosul, Numan said.

“We are proceeding side by side... and advancing at the same level. This is a very important factor, thanks to which Daesh

(IS) has not been able to move its fighters. It has to support one axis (front) at the expense of another.

“We have worn down the terrorist organisation with this type of advance.”

Friday’s nighttime operation, launched after a week of planning, had been a particular success, Numan said. CTS forces using night-vision equipment crossed the Khosr river, a tributary that runs perpendicular to the Tigris through eastern Mosul, via makeshift earth bridges after IS had destroyed permanent ones, he said.

Air strikes from the US-led coalition sped that advance into Muthanna district.

The CTS and federal police are part of a 100,000-strong Iraqi force made up of the military, Kurdish fighters and militias, backed by US-led air power.

Some tribals and Kurdish peshmerga units have been trained by Turkish forces stationed at the Bashiqa camp northeast of Mosul.

Turkey’s military presence in northern Iraq since well before the Mosul campaign has angered Baghdad, and the two countries traded barbs over the issue in October shortly before it began.

Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi said Baghdad reached an agreement with Ankara on Saturday over Iraq’s request that Turkish forces withdraw from Bashiqa.

He gave no details of the deal, which he announced during a visit to Baghdad by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. Turkey agreed to “respect the sovereignty of Iraq”, and Baghdad and Ankara agreed not to interfere in each other’s domestic affairs, he said.

Yildirim said at a news conference with Abadi: “We discussed the issue of Bashiqa.

“We see that significant progress is being made in cleansing Daesh (IS) from the region. In line with this we will solve this (Bashiqa) subject in some way in a friendly way.” — Reuters

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D E A D LY AT TA C K

Fuel truck blast kills dozens in north Syrian border town BEIRUT: A fuel truck exploded in the busy centre of a rebel-held town near Syria’s border with Turkey on Saturday, killing dozens of people and wounding dozens more, several sources said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 43 people, mostly civilians, were killed when the tanker blew up in front of a courthouse in the northern Syrian town of Azaz. Dozens more had severe injuries, said the Observatory, which monitors the violence in the country. In unsourced comments, Turkey’s privately owned Dogan news agency said a car bomb planted by IS was responsible. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from the militant group.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency cited a doctor in Azaz as saying at least 60 people had been killed and more than 50 wounded. An Azaz resident who

went to the local hospital told Reuters he had counted around 30 bodies laid out. Syria’s nearly sixyear war has created a patchwork of areas of control across the country, and Azaz is a major stronghold of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA). The FSA is an alliance of moderate rebel groups whose fighters have, with Turkish military support, pushed IS militants out of the border area.

Saturday’s explosion was heard across the border in the Turkish town of Kilis, Dogan said.

Anadolu said 23 wounded people had been taken by ambulance to Kilis hospital, one of whom subsequently died. In a round-up of its military operations over the last 24 hours in support of rebels in northern Syria, the Turkish military said on Saturday that 21 IS militants had been killed in clashes. — Reuters

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017 BJP will be at the forefront of pushing transparency in political funding. People have a right to know where our funds are coming from Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

INDIA

Playing pro-poor card, Modi says note ban to lift their life Prime Minister Narendra Modi said farmers are the focus of his government and projected demonetisation as a long-term tool to fight black money and corruption to improve their lives SPELLING OUT: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses party workers on the second day of the party’s national executive meeting in Delhi on Saturday. - PTI

NEW DELHI: Playing the propoor card, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said they are the focus of his government and projected demonetisation as a long-term tool to fight black money and corruption to improve their lives.

Serving the poor is serving the god, he said in his concluding address at the second-day BJP National Executive meeting in which he invoked a Sanskrit shloka to say that he does not covet power, heaven or second life but longs to end the people’s sufferings.

Modi again pitched for electoral reforms and sought a consensus among political parties, asserting that BJP will play a lead role in making political funding trans-

parent as demonetisation and digital economy have ushered in a more transparent era.

“BJP will be at the forefront of pushing transparency in political funding. People have a right to know where our funds are coming from,” he said.

With opposition parties levelling corruption charges at BJP leadership following the note ban, he asked party leaders to welcome criticism but they should remain unfazed by accusations even as he underlined his humble origins and had lived poverty.

Referring to coming assembly elections in five states, including the crucial Uttar Pradesh polls, Modi expressed confidence that

P O P U L AT I O N G R O W T H

including corruption. Accepting the hardships which came with the decision, they have welcome this historic step toward a great change,” Modi said, adding that the country has seen society’s strength in the last two months.

Some people were concerned about improvement in their life style but priority of our government was to change the quality of the life of the poor, Modi said.

Briefing the reporters, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the prime minister asserted that the poor and poverty are not a tool for winning elections for BJP and that it does not look at them through vote-bank glasses.

Modi cited a string of govern-

Budget session of Parliament to begin from January 31 NEW DELHI: The Budget session of Parliament was on Saturday convened to start from January 31, a day before the Union Budget is likely to be presented.

President of India Pranab Mukherjee has summoned the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha to meet on January 31, according to official notifications.

“Subject to exigencies of government business”, the session will conclude on April 12, said a statement from the Lok Sabha Secretariat. While the session will begin with the President’s address to the joint sitting of the two Houses, the same day the pre-budget economic survey will be tabled.

The practice of separate railway budget presentation is being scrapped from this year.

The railway estimates will be part of the Union budget.

“In order to enable the Standing Committees to consider the Demands for Grants of Ministries/ Departments and prepare their Reports, the House will adjourn on 9th February, 2017 to meet again on 9th March, 2017,” said the Lok Sabha Secretariat statement.

Assembly polls The announcement comes even as opposition parties have raised objections to the presentation of the budget on February 1 before Assembly polls in five states on the ground that it will tilt the balance in government’s favour because it can woo voters with sops. They have petitioned the Election Commission, which has asked the Cabinet Secretary P. K. Sinha to give the government’s response. - PTI

B I L AT E R A L R E L AT I O N S

Sakshi Maharaj booked for controversial remarks MEERUT: BJP leader Sakshi Maharaj was on Saturday booked for allegedly hurting religious feelings after he indirectly blamed Muslims for the population growth in the country that sparked a controversy, days after Supreme Court outlawed seeking votes in the name of religion or caste.

the party will win there. He referred to the impressive Lucknow rally he had addressed a few days ago and his interactions with workers in his constituency Varanasi to make the point. The prime minister asked worked to focus effectively on booths, saying the more they work there the more fruits the party will harvest.

“The situation is in our favour in the elections,” he said. It was the poor and his government to empower them which was the central theme of his 50-minute long speech. “The poor of our poor country have accepted this historic decision (demonetisation). They have accepted that it is an effective step to end social ills

ment’s measures, including Jan Dhan accounts, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat, and said the poor have inner strength to overcome poverty and his government has been working to empower them. Sources said he also asked party leaders to not seek poll tickets for their kin, saying organisation will take care of the exercise. Exhorting workers to win over the poor, Modi said BJP is blessed with lakhs of selfless functionaries connected to the ground and said they are not swayed by wind but are capable of changing its direction.

Apparently responding to criticism that cash did not have a big share of black money, he said it was the source of all forms, like benami assets and gold, of black money. He invoked the party’s ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay, whose birth centenary is being celebrated by the government and the organisation, and said his government’s works are in line with his ‘garib kalyan’ agenda.

The party’s responsibility has increased following public support to demonetisation, he said.

Ravi Shankar Prasad said BJP will hold its next National Executive meeting on April 15-16. The Union Minister also said he felt few addresses at the national executive meetings have been as impressive as the Modi’s on Saturday and that many leaders shared his feelings. The party Good Governance department headed by Vinay Sahasrabuddhe gave a comparative presentation on state governments to claim that BJP-run states were more efficient. - PTI

O F F I C I A L N O T I F I C AT I O N S

As the outburst by the MP from Unnao in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh drew strong condemnation from opposition parties, the BJP distanced itself from the comments made at a ‘sant sammelan’ here on Friday while the Election Commission sought a report from Meerut district administration. - PTI

India, Portugal sign seven pacts to boost ties NEW DELHI: India and Portugal on Saturday inked seven pacts to expand bilateral engagement in a wide range of areas including defence and security, IT and renewable energy even as they took a veiled dig at China for blocking New Delhi’s move at the UN to list Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

In wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, while agreeing to deepen the ties, also called for tough global action against terror networks and states harbouring them stressing that there should not be any double standards in combating terrorism.

Modi, in a statement to the media, said he and Costa discussed the need for the global community to take strong and urgent action against the rapidly growing and widely spreading threats of violence and terror.

“Recognising the importance of the Central role of UN in combating terrorism, they exhorted the international community to effectively implement the measures enumerated by the 1267 UN Sanc-

ELATED: Prime Minister Narendra Modi shares a light moment with his Portugal counterpart Antonio Costa during “Exchange of Agreements and Press Statements” in New Delhi on Saturday. - PTI

tions Committee,” a joint statement issued after the talks said.

On December 30, China had blocked India’s move to list Azhar as a global terrorist, at the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.

The joint statement said both sides called for strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism in a spirit of ‘zero tolerance’,

underlining that states should not support any terror entity including ‘non-state actors’ on any grounds.

The two leaders also called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and sought adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism by the

UN. The prime minister said his talks with Costa, who traces his origin to Goa, covered full range of India-Portugal ties across various sectors.

“We agreed that the two countries must focus on action oriented approach to realise the full potential of economic opportunities in our partnership. The agreements signed today are just one indication of our shared resolve to do exactly that,” he said.

Modi also thanked Costa for Portugal’s support to India’s membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime, and for its continued support for India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

The MoU on defence envisages cooperation meeting security challenges, including in the maritime domain and defence industries.

The joint statement said the two prime ministers looked forward to the signing of the Protocol amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and to early ratification of the Social Security Agreement by Portugal to enable it to enter into force. - PTI

BITING COLD

Heavy snowfall paralyses normal life in Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir SHIMLA/NAINITAL: The spell of heavy snowfall which has paralysed Kashmir on Saturday had in its grip in Himachal Pradesh too while the tourist town of Nainital in Uttarakhand experienced a flurry of white after a gap of two years.

The first heavy snowfall of the season in Shimla and Kinnaur region of Himachal Pradesh disrupted traffic, telecommunication links and supply of power and water while a large number of tourists were stranded.

Vehicular traffic was brought to a halt beyond Shoghi, 13 km from Shimla which received 40cm of snow till this noon. Key tourist resorts of Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda had 45-55 cm of snow. Traffic has been suspended on Kullu-Manali road due to slippery road conditions and 30 state-run buses were stranded at various places.

Rohtang Pass and adjoining areas are covered under a 60 cm thick blanket of snow. Cold conditions have intensified in the entire northern India, with mercury dropping sharply in Shimla

BLANKET OF SNOW: A view of vehicles covered with snow in Chamba on Saturday. - PTI

to 0.2 degrees. The snowfall and rains also ended a dry spell in the region, bringing cheer to farmers including apple growers in the hill states as the wet weather is good for the Rabi crops. Kashmir Valley remained cut off from the rest of the country for the second day due to heavy snowfall in many areas over the past four days while the mercury fell below freezing point at most places with Gulmarg recording the lowest at mi-

nus 8.4 degrees Celsius.

The arterial Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed for the second consecutive day due to heavy snowfall and landslides. Srinagar city, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, and other weather stations across the valley recorded minimum temperature close to freezing point. More snowfall and rain has been predicted in the Valley over the next 24 hours. -PTI

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PAKISTAN

Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan look to boost energy, trade ties A senior government official said the Joint Ministerial Commission of the two countries is going to meet after a hiatus of 10 years on January 12 and 13 in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, which have recorded a massive 60 per cent increase in bilateral trade with the revival of Quadrilateral Agreement for Traffic in Transit, are set to hold a huddle of the Joint Ministerial Commission next week to suggest fresh measures for boosting cooperation in energy and trade.

“The Joint Ministerial Commission of the two countries is going to meet after a hiatus of 10 years on January 12 and 13 in Islamabad,” a senior government official said.

Kyrgyzstan is part of the Central Asia-South Asia (Casa) 1,000-megawatt power supply project, which will bring electricity to energy-starved Pakistan and Afghanistan. Tajikistan is also a stakeholder in the project and will

REVIVE ACCORD: In the wake of slow progress on the part of Afghanistan on a trilateral transit trade agreement with Pakistan and Tajikistan, Islamabad had sought to revive its trade accord with China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to gain access to the markets of Central Asia. - File photo

export cheap hydroelectric power.

In the wake of slow progress on the part of Afghanistan on a trilateral transit trade agreement with Pakistan and Tajikistan, Islamabad had sought to revive its trade accord with China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to gain access to the markets of Central Asia.

The four-nation pact was signed in 1995, but it came into force after many years in May 2004. It permitted the transport of goods to Central Asia via China.

The agreement provides Pakistan with a gateway to Central Asia without passing through Af-

ghanistan and relies on the Karakoram Highway, which connects Pakistan and China, as a transit corridor.

It also allows movement of transit goods without levy of any duties in territories of all the contracting parties.

Alternative route This is the alternative route on which Pakistan and China have worked as transit and bilateral trade with Afghanistan is at a standstill.

“It is a big setback for Afghanistan that could otherwise have

earned huge money in transit fee and could have become a hub.

However, due to its foreign policy, it has lost this opportunity,” commented a Pakistani official.

A senior diplomat of Kyrgyzstan said that Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan had taken benefit of the quadrilateral agreement as bilateral trade recorded a 60 per cent growth in just one year with big potential for a further increase in commerce.

“The two countries will see a further rise in trade spurred by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” he said.

At present, Pakistan’s exporters

GOVERNMENT

No extension for military courts as term expires ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday said the government has no plan to extend the term of military courts, just hours before it expired.

“Terrorism cases will be referred to anti-terrorism courts.

We have no plan to give military courts any extension,” he was quoted as saying by private news channels. However, no official statement in this respect was released till late Friday night.

Military courts were set up on January 7, 2015 – almost three weeks after barbaric attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar – to try hardcore terrorists for an initial two-year term.

At that time, the civilian government had promised to revamp

Military courts were set up on January 7, 2015 – almost three weeks after barbaric attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar – to try hardcore terrorists for an initial two-year term

the judicial system and inculcate new clauses in existing laws to protect judges, witnesses and prosecutors. There are reports that the government is currently working on a new draft law in this regard, but no details have been shared yet.

“Interior ministry is dealing

with this issue directly. We do not have any more details” Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Human Rights Barrister Zafarullah Khan said.

The courts, during their twoyear tenure, sentenced 161 militants to death and handed another 116 jail terms.

BENEFIT END-USERS

Telecom operators allowed to share network for better service KARACHI: The regulatory authority has allowed telecom operators including the 3G and 4G mobile phone Internet service providers that they can share their networks with competitors in order to make the best commercial use of the allocated spectrums among them.

In this regard, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) unveiled the Spectrum Trading Framework on Friday.

For instance, a mobile phone operator has 10 megahertz bandwidth on its 3G or 4G network.

Of this, two megahertz remains unutilised because the company has not yet built its relevant customer base. Subject to regulatory approvals, the idle capacity can be sold to another industry player for a limited time period or for all the remaining period for which the licence has been issued by the PTA. Industry officials say the ultimate beneficiary of the trading framework will be the end-users as it will provide opportunities for poor service providers to improve their operations with a limited budget.

“The cost of trade in spectrum (maximum 75 per cent) among industry players should be lower than the one at which the PTA auctioned the spectrum licences.

If someone has a higher need and budget, then it will go back to the PTA for more spectrum,” an industry official said on condition of

INITIATIVE: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said the demand for spectrum “is increasing day by day as new technologies emerge. This has forced regulators to introduce measures to liberalise the markets”. - Express Tribune file photo

anonymity. “You may see the industry resorting to network sharing in the next five to six months.”

The regulatory framework is different from that for tower (antenna) sharing. However, the purpose of both is to improve the quality of services to the customers, industry officials say.

The PTA said the demand for spectrum “is increasing day by day as new technologies emerge.

This has forced regulators to introduce measures to liberalise the markets.”

A maximum 75 per cent of the total spectrum held by a licensee could be traded, it said.

“The decision to trade is a commercial decision for the licence holder. Terms of the trade will

be a commercial agreement between the licensees,” it said. “The amount received from trading shall become part of the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) for the purpose of levy of licence fee,” the PTA said.

“The Telecom Policy 2015 allows spectrum trading. The purpose of spectrum trading is to allow markets to determine the best use of spectrum.”

The spectrum may be traded between holders of the same licence type only.

For example, spectrum trading can take place between local loop licence holders or mobile licence holders but not between the local loop and mobile operators.

“Swapping of spectrum will be considered two-way spectrum trade subject to approval by the PTA and FAB,” the regulator said.

“Sub-leasing to third party is not permissible ie licensee A may lease to B, who cannot sub-lease to C.” The spectrum trading will not change the original period of spectrum assignment relevant to the traded block.

In case, the transfer is executed, the two service providers will surrender their licences to the PTA, which will issue new licences reflecting the terms of trade.

The company acquiring the spectrum would be allowed to use it through trading based on the technology neutral policy, the PTA said. - Express Tribune

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Twelve convicts were subsequently executed. A total of 275 cases were referred to the courts.

Well-known cases in which sentences were handed down included the APS massacre, Safoora bus attack, killing of Sabeen Mehmood, attack on journalist Raza Rumi, Bannu jailbreak, Rawalpindi Parade Lane mosque bombing, killing of foreign tourists at Nanga Parbat base camp, attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Mastung, shooting down of an army helicopter in Orakzai Agency, attack on a PIA aircraft in Peshawar, Marriott Hotel bombing, Karachi airport attack, sectarian murders and attacks on law enforcement agencies’ personnel and offices, polio vaccination teams and educational institutions. - Express Tribune

import furniture from Malaysia and then export it to Kyrgyzstan.

Pakistan’s textile products are also shipped to the Central Asian state. Kyrgyzstan shares border with Kazakhstan and Russia and it could become a trade hub in Central Asia.

Kyrgyz parliament has approved Pakistan’s inclusion in the regional political, economic and military group, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), with headquarters in Beijing.

Earlier, Pakistan had observer status in the body, but now it has won its membership.

Other members are China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan has invited all SCO member-states to use its ports for gaining access to trade routes through the Arabian Sea after CPEC is completed and becomes operational.

According to the official, Kyrgyzstan has praised the CPEC project and will try to capitalise on the opportunities at Gwadar port. At present, traders are using the Karachi Port, but Gwadar will reduce freight cost and give a further push to bilateral trade.

Kyrgyzstan is also a member of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Its other members are Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Armenia.

No customs duties are levied on the goods that are transported among member-countries of the union.

Pakistan has also expressed the desire to sign a free trade agreement with the union, with vital support of Kyrgyzstan, to step up bilateral commerce. - Express Tribune

AGREEMENT FINALISED

Ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif to head Saudi-led anti-terror force ISLAMABAD: General Raheel Sharif, the former Pakistani army chief, will now head the Saudi Arabia-led 39-nation military coalition formed to serve as a platform for security cooperation and combat terrorism.

The decision to appoint General (retd) Raheel, who retired in November 2016, was taken after taking the incumbent government into confidence, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday.

Speaking during a talk show on Geo TV, Asif admitted that an agreement in this regard was finalised a few days back. “No, definitely our government’s consent must have been part of this,” he replied when asked if the decision was taken in Riyadh or Islamabad.

Asif said that both the governments and army were on board regarding the decision to let Raheel take charge of the alliance.

He, however, refused to share the details of agreement under which Raheel has been appointed the chief of the Saudi-led alliance.

Raheel retired as the army chief in November and has been succeeded by General Qamar Javed Bajwa. According to Saudi Arabia, the alliance is formed to fight IS and other militant outfits. At the time of its constitution, there were 34 countries in the alliance which has raised to 39. The countries include Turkey, UAE, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Sudan, Malaysia, Egypt, Yemen and others.

The Joint Command Centre, headquarters of the military alliance, is located in Riyadh. - PTI

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

WORLD AT TA C K

CLASHES IN SRI LANKA Police clash with demonstrators during a protest against the launching of a Chinese industrial zone by China Merchants Port Holdings Company, in Mirijjawila, Sri Lanka, on Saturday. — Reuters

Gunmen kill eight Hazara miners in Afghanistan KABUL: Unidentified gunmen killed eight members of Afghanistan’s Hazara minority who were working as miners in the northern province of Baghlan, a local government official said.

Faiz Mohammad Amiri, governor of Taleh va Barfak district, said the eight dead and three other wounded, who all came from Daykundi province in central Afghanistan, had been pulled out of a vehicle and shot on Friday.

Blamed He blamed the Taliban, which controls the district where the incident occurred but the insurgent movement denied any involvement. “The people working in this mine had our permission and we had good relations,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. “They hadn’t created any problems.” He blamed “arbakis” or members of informal local militias, in the area for the killings.

Hazaras are a Persian-speaking, who have faced a long history of discrimination and violence in Afghanistan. Last year, scores of Hazara were killed in a series of attacks in Kabul, some claimed by IS in an apparent attempt to stir sectarian tensions. — Reuters

BIRD FLU-STRICKEN

US strikes deal to export eggs to South Korea CHICAGO: The United States has reached an agreement that is expected to open the door for its first-ever exports of shell eggs to South Korea, as the North Asian country labors through its worst outbreak of bird flu in history, US government and industry officials said on Friday.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been negotiating with South Korea’s government to enable shipments ahead of peak egg demand in the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday season.

Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, a trade group, said the two sides reached an agreement over health statements. They were in talks after South Korea lifted a ban on imports of US shell eggs that it imposed when the United States grappled with its own bout of bird flu in 2015, according to the USDA. Losses In South Korea, more than 30 million birds have been culled, most of them egg-laying hens, since the outbreak began in November. The losses have pushed up egg prices and created a shortfall.

“I think there will be a lot of eggs on the way to Korea immediately,” Sumner said. “It’ll be boatloads.” He declined to give a dollar estimate.

South Korea’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment. Different strains of bird flu, which can be spread to poultry by wild birds, have been detected across Asia and in Europe in recent weeks. — Reuters

FBI search for motive in Florida airport shooting FBI investigators had not ruled out terrorism as a reason for the attack and were reviewing the suspect’s recent movements

FORT LAUDERDALE (FLORIDA): Federal investigators will on Saturday pursue all angles in determining the motives behind a mass shooting in which an attacker opened fire in a crowded baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale’s airport, killing five people.

Authorities said they had taken decorated Iraq war veteran Esteban Santiago into custody following the shooting and questioned him at length. He was expected to face federal charges, said George Piro, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s office in Miami.

Piro said FBI investigators had not ruled out terrorism as a reason for the attack and were reviewing the suspect’s recent movements.

“We will be pursuing every angle to try to determine the motive behind this attack,” he said.

Authorities said the attacker retrieved a 9mm semiautomatic handgun from his checked luggage and began firing indiscrimi-

SENSELESS ACT: People on the airport ramp area near terminals 1 and 2 are seen following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US. – Reuters

nately.In addition to the five killed, eight people were wounded by gunfire and some three dozen were taken to hospital with bruises or broken bones.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the second largest in South Florida, serving as an intercontinental gateway.

It resumed cargo flights and general aviation for private small planes at midnight local time.

Commercial flights were to resume on Saturday, the airport said on Twitter. Authorities said Santiago, 26, arrived in Fort Lauderdale shortly before 1pm local time (1800 GMT) on Friday on a connecting flight from Alaska.

Piro said Santiago had turned up at an FBI office in Anchorage in November of last year behav-

ing erratically and was turned over to local police, who took him to a medical facility for a mental health evaluation.

Santiago served from 2007 to 2016 in the Puerto Rico National Guard and Alaska National Guard including a deployment to Iraq from 2010 to 2011, according to the Pentagon.

A private first class and combat engineer, he received half a dozen medals before being transferred to the inactive ready reserve in August last year.

An aunt said he came back from his deployment “a different person”, MSNBC reported.

The attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States in recent years, some inspired by mili-

tants, others carried out by loners or the mentally disturbed.

Nearly two months ago a former Southwest Airlines worker killed an employee of the company at Oklahoma City’s airport in what police called a premeditated act.

The deadliest mass shooting in modern US history took place last June, when a gunman apparently inspired by IS militant group killed 49 people and wounded 53 at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Earlier, Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca said on Twitter that the gunman went into a restroom to load his weapon and came out firing. Witnesses told MSNBC television he only stopped after running out of ammunition, at which point he surrendered to police.

Cellphone video posted on social media showed travellers kneeling and treating victims on the floor next to a carousel. At least two victims had pools of blood from apparent head wounds.

The gunman, who wore a “Star Wars” T-shirt, said nothing as he fired, witnesses told MSNBC. “This is a senseless act of evil,” Florida Governor Rick Scott told reporters.

A White House spokesman said President Barack Obama had spoken to Scott and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief and had extended his condolences to the loved ones of the victims.

A federal law enforcement official told Reuters that Santiago told agents at the Anchorage office in November that his mind was being controlled by a US intelligence agency, which was ordering him to watch IS videos.

Flying with firearms is routine and legal in the United States as long as the guns are kept in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage only, under TSA rules. Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on bags but is allowed in checked luggage.

John Schlicher, who told MSNBC he saw the attack, said the shooter was “directly firing at us” while passengers waited for their bags. His wife gave first aid to a victim who had been shot in the head, and his mother-in-law used her sweater to tend to another victim but it turned out that person was already dead, he said.

Mark Lea, another eyewitness, told MSNBC, “He didn’t say anything; he was quiet the whole time.” — Reuters

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

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GLOBAL EYE

COSTA RICA: A combination of four pictures shows a man being hit by a bull during a traditional bullfighting festival called ‘Toros a la tica’ in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Friday. – Reuters

PERU: A veterinarian holds a blue-tongued skink during a presenta-

tion at Huachipa Zoo in Lima, Peru, on Friday.

GHANA: Drummers are seen beating their drums during the swearing-in of the Ghanian President elect Nana Akufo-Addo at the Inde-

pendence square in Accra, Ghana, on Saturday. – Reuters

– Reuters

BOLIVIA: Dakar Rally - 2017 Paraguay-Bolivia-Argentina Dakar rally - 39th Dakar Edition - Fifth stage from Tupiza to Oruro, Bolivia, on Friday. Stephane Peterhansel of France drives his Peugeot with his copilot Jean Paul Ottret. – Reuters

CZECH REPUBLIC: Smoke from chimneys billows over the rooftops of downtown Prague as temperatures dropped to as low as -11 degrees Celsius (12.2 degrees Fahrenheit), Czech Republic, on Saturday. – Reuters

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

WORLD Snowstorm hits traffic in Istanbul; straits closed The snow reached a depth of as much as 40cm (16 inches) in some outlying areas of Istanbul and thousands of council personnel worked through the night to keep roads in the city open

ISTANBUL: A snowstorm forced the closure of Turkey’s key shipping straits and sweeping flight cancellations on Saturday, while hazardous roads left many drivers stranded overnight in Istanbul, a city of 15 million people.

Turkish Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights in and out of the city’s main Ataturk airport and state-run Anadolu news agency said dozens of planes were diverted to other airports because of the heavy snowfall, which began on Friday evening.

About 6,000 of its passengers were transferred to hotels on Friday evening due to the cancellations and 20,000 meals were distributed to those stranded at the airport, Anadolu said.

LOSS OF SINGLE MARKET

Donor to cut funds to May’s party LONDON: A leading donor to Theresa May’s Conservative Party warned on Saturday he would cut his financial support if the government pulled Britain out of the European single market as part of Brexit negotiations.

Andrew Cook, chairman of engineering firm William Cook, backed remaining in the EU during last June’s referendum. He said it was critical the country maintained its membership of the single market or jobs would be lost. “I would find it impossible under those circumstances (to keep donating to the Conservative Party should it back leaving the single market),” the Times newspaper quoted him as saying. “...It is very difficult to make a political donation to a party when, although I support it ideologically, I do not believe that my interests and my ideology are...(in agreement) with the principal Brexiteers.”

Britain’s historic vote to leave the group it joined in 1973 has divided the country sharply, with many businessmen and women fearing that companies will face tariff and non-tariff barriers to continue trading into Europe.

May’s party, once led by Margaret Thatcher, is traditionally close to the business community and draws much of its funds from individual donations. — Reuters

BLANKET: A vintage tram runs along the main shopping and pedestrian street of Istiklal during a snowfall in central Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday. – Reuters

Pegasus Airlines cancelled some 200 flights in and out of Sabiha Gokcen airport, on the Asian side of the city.

The Bosphorus strait, which runs through Istanbul, and the Dardanelles strait further south were closed to transit shipping due to poor visibility on Saturday morning, Turkey’s coastguard authority said.

The straits are one of the world’s most important choke points for the maritime transit of oil, carrying over 3 per cent of global supply, mainly from Russia and the Caspian Sea. The waterways, connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, also carry large amounts of grains from Russia and Kazakhstan to world markets.

The snow reached a depth of as much as 40cm (16 inches) in some outlying areas of Istanbul and thousands of council personnel worked through the night to keep roads in the city open, the municipality said.

Many drivers abandoned their vehicles and set off on foot, while some stayed in their vehicles for more than 10 hours overnight

as they waited for road conditions to improve, the Dogan news agency said.

Istanbul’s underground train system operated through the night for passengers unable to get home on the city’s roads, which were disrupted by dozens of accidents by vehicles sliding on the icy surfaces, the municipality said in a statement. — Reuters

THE PHILIPPINES

Troops kill two linked to group supporting IS MANILA: Philippine security forces on Saturday killed a foreign national and his female companion who were suspected of being connected to a militant group supporting IS, police officials said, two days after the group’s leader was also killed.

The foreigner, believed to be Pakistani and identified as Abu Naila, resisted arrest and attempted to throw a grenade while a police and military team was conducting a manhunt in Sarangani province, Chief Superintendent Cedrick Train, a police regional director, said. They were conducting an operation against members of the militant Ansar Al Khilafah Philippines (AKP), one of a handful of small groups that have pledged allegiance to IS and blamed for years of unrest in the Philippine south.

On Thursday, police chief Ronald dela Rosa said security forces had effectively broken the backbone of AKP with the killing of its leader, Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, and the arrest of his three AKP colleagues. He has warned of “retaliation” by other AKP members and said security forces were on full alert as Filipino Catholics are set to celebrate the feast of the Black Nazarene, with millions of devotees expected to join processions on Monday in several parts of the country, including Manila.

Authorities have linked Maguid’s group to several crimes ranging from arson and murder to bombings. Regional police spokesman Romeo Galgo said they were still verifying the nationality of the foreigner killed on Saturday. — Reuters

CHRISTMAS MARKET

Berlin attacker may have got gun in Switzerland BERLIN/ZURICH: The Tunisian man who killed 12 people last month by ploughing a truck into a Berlin Christmas market had made several trips to Switzerland and may have procured a gun there that he used to hijack a truck for the attack, German broadcaster ZDF reported.

“A lot speaks for that in the investigations so far,” ZDF said of the possibility that Anis Amri, a failed asylum seeker from Tunisia, obtained the gun in Switzerland. Analysis of data from Amri’s mobile phone indicated that he had visited Switzerland many times, ZDF reported, without citing its source. Amri was killed in a shootout with police in Milan on December 23. Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said on Wednesday it had opened criminal proceedings in connection with the Berlin attack on December 19.

The OAG neither confirmed or denied that the suspect had stayed in Switzerland or had obtained the gun in the country. “The OAG has opened criminal proceedings against unknown persons based on information from abroad,” an OAG spokeswoman said. It said the information received was related to contact data linked to Amri. “The aim of the criminal procedure is to clarify possible points of contact with Switzerland which could be of interest to foreign colleagues,” the spokeswoman said. — Reuters

THE ATTACKER: This CCTV screenshot released on January 4, 2017, by the Belgian Federal Police on demand of Brussels’ king prosecutor, shows alleged suspect Anis Amri walking in the Brussels-North - Bruxelles-Nord - Brussel-Noord train station on 21 December 2016, where he arrived at around 7pm and left at around 9pm. – AFP/Belgian Federal Police

ASSESSMENT

Putin directed cyber campaign to help Trump: US intelligence report WASHINGTON: Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to help Republican Donald Trump’s electoral chances by discrediting Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign, US intelligence agencies said in an assessment.

Russia’s objectives were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate former Secretary of State Clinton, make it harder for her to win and harm her presidency if she did, an unclassified report released on Friday by the top US intelligence agency said. “We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election,” the report said. “We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.

We have high confidence in these judgments.”

Russian authorities, which have previously denied interfering in the US elections, offered no immediate comment on the report on Saturday, and the reaction of the country’s media was low-key.

The report, although it omitted classified details, was the US government’s starkest public description of what it says was an unprecedented Russian campaign to manipulate the American body politic. Reports of Russian interference in the already divisive election have roiled Washington, even as the US Congress on Friday certified Trump’s victory in the Electoral College. Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million ballots. The report’s conclusions, though lacking details of how the Russians may have relayed the

material to WikiLeaks and others, will give ammunition to Democrats and Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress who want tougher action against Russia, setting the scene for a potential showdown with Trump.

It could also give a boost to members of Congress seeking an independent, bipartisan investigation of Russian hacking.

Trump, who has developed a rocky relationship with US spy agencies and at times disparaged their work, defended the legitimacy of his election victory after receiving a nearly two-hour briefing Friday on the report.

The report neither assessed “the impact Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election” nor did it provide details on the evidence underpinning its conclusions, a fact likely to keep alive the controversy

over what Moscow may have done.

In Moscow, state TV Channel One briefly covered the report, focusing on Trump’s comments that the interference had no impact on the outcome of the election.

The broadcaster, which led its news programme on Orthodox Christmas celebrations and unusually low temperatures in the Russian capital, also said the arguments used in the US report had been widely mocked by Internet users. The report said US intelligence agencies believe Russian military intelligence, the GRU, used intermediaries such as WikiLeaks, DCLeaks.com and the Guccifer 2.0 “persona” to release emails that it had acquired from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and top Democrats as part of the effort.

The release of the emails led to

embarrassing media coverage for Clinton and triggered the resignation of the DNC’s chief.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said he did not receive emails stolen from the DNC and top Clinton aide John Podesta from “a state party.” However, Assange did not rule out the possibility that he got the material from a third party. Russian actors were not found to have targeted US systems that are involved in tallying votes, the report said. The report was produced by the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency.

Also on Friday, the US Department of Homeland Security designated US election infrastructure as critical infrastructure, widening the options the government has to protect voting machines

from cyber attacks.

While the report found Russia had conducted cyber attacks on both the Democratic and the Republican parties, it made clear that the primary aims were to harm Clinton whether or not she won the election and evolved over time.

“When it appeared to Moscow that Secretary Clinton was likely to win the election, the Russian influence campaign began to focus more on undermining her future presidency,” it said.

“We also assess Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trump’s election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him,” it said. The CIA and FBI had high confidence in this judgment and NSA moderate confidence, the report said. — Reuters

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

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The year 2016 showed that the durability of liberal democracy can no longer be taken for granted, even in the West. In fact, Harvard University political scientist Yascha Mounk’s analysis of World Values Survey data shows that, in many Western countries, public confidence in democracy has been declining for quite some time.

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W

ith every new US president arriving in Washington, DC, come a handful of counsellors and aides whose personal ties, built over years and forged in election campaigns, give them pride of place in the administration. From the “Irish Brotherhood” that brought John F. Kennedy to office to the “Berlin Wall” that guarded Richard Nixon’s door, close friends and confidantes have often outdone the administration’s biggest names. But no American president has ever brought to the White House an inner circle dominated by his family – until Donald Trump.

Judging by Trump’s business history and presidential campaign – which featured few, if any, intimates outside his family – his adult children will have a major hand in his administration’s decisions, despite their lack of experience in international and domestic affairs. After hiring and firing personnel and shaping strategy during the election campaign, Trump’s children have remained front and centre in his transition team. His daughter, Ivanka, joined the president-elect’s tête-à-tête with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. His son, Donald, Jr., played a role in picking Congressman Ryan Zinke to be Secretary of the Interior in the new administration.

Now, Trump is taking his dynasty to the White House. Ivanka is set to take over the First Lady’s office there. Her husband, the real-estate investor Jared Kushner, just might be suited, if only in the eyes of his father-in-law, to serve as a special envoy to broker peace in the Middle East.

Yes, Donald, Jr. and his brother, Eric, will remain in New York to run the Trump Organization, which oversees their father’s diverse businesses; but Trump’s claim that his sons will remain at arm’s length strains credulity.

All of this has spurred questions about the Trump children’s capacity to leverage their father’s presidency to benefit the family business, with many fixating on whether Trump is violating conflict-of-interest or anti-nepotism rules. But Trump regards such questions as essentially moot.

That is not surprising. Trump’s management model has long been underpinned by a hereditary inner circle.

His adult children have spent their lives being groomed and promoted, and have operated at the pinnacle of the Trump Organization for years.

They now occupy three of the company’s board seats, with Trump occupying a fourth. Given their standing in the company, and their relationship with their father, their influence in his administration should not be in doubt.

The remaining top-level positions are filled by long-time family retainers who, on average, have 17 years on the job. Several have spent three decades at Trump’s elbow. Compared to public companies of comparable size, the Trump Organization’s dynastic C-Suite and the longevity of its consiglieri are striking. The lesson for any administration appointee should be clear: only loyalty comes close to heredity in winning and holding an executive role.

The record of the modern US presidency sheds little light on whether Trump’s family-driven leadership style will work. Yet Trump is unlikely to weigh the pros and cons of stacking his inner circle with family members, not least because of his own experience: ever since his father brought him into the family business, he has never worked anywhere else.

Moreover, Trump is far from the only corporate boss who prefers to keep leadership “all in the family.” A 2016 study by the Boston Consulting Group found that one-third of American companies with annual revenue of $1 billion or more are familyowned. Of those, 40 per cent are family-run.

There is also plenty of precedent for familybased leadership in government, though not in developed democracies. From Kazakhstan to Congo, blood binds together ruling elites who share the spoils, guard against usurpers, and ensure that their children succeed them in power.

While it may seem far-fetched to compare the Trumps to, say, the Kims of North Korea – the world’s longest-running family dictatorship – plenty of similarities are likely to emerge.

Some already have.

The first rule of family dictatorships is that loyalty matters above all else. Like the histrionic pledges of support required from North Korean commissars and generals for their leader Kim Jong-un, the Trump White House is likely to demand unswerving fealty to the clan. - Project Syndicate

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READERS’ FORUM Let Pravasi Bharatiya Divas be a productive event This refers to the online report Pravasi Bharatiya Divas set for grand opening in Bengaluru (January 7). I wonder how the key objectives of such an event can benefit the millions of expatriate Indians staying abroad? As so much of money is being spent for the gathering every year, the hue and cry of expatriate Indians never ends. Remittance to India has grown rapidly ever since people from the country started migrating to overseas, mainly the Gulf countries. Obviously the increasing remittance supports the country Scan this QR code to maintain its economy. Despite all such to send letters to the realities, their voting rights and repeated Readers’ Forum, promises for a safe rehabilitation process containing not more than 200 words with continue to remain unattended. According full name, address to a study released some years ago, more and telephone than 90 per cent of Kerala’s diaspora lives number, may be sent in the Middle East, mainly in Gulf counby e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com). tries. The recent demonetisation drive never looked at the concerns of Indians who stay abroad and having currency notes that have become invalid from November 8. Let the occasions such as ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ be a productive event, purely focusing on the welfare of the expatriate community.

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Although intelligent machines are increasingly operating complex manufacturing systems and replacing humans on factory floors, they have not made significant inroads in health care. The sector’s most advanced machines, from ultra-high-resolution imaging instruments to surgical robots, are still fully controlled by humans.

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES JANUARY 2002 Mechanism to implement ‘Sanad’ scheme discussed MUSCAT: The Sanad Programme held its first meeting here yesterday, under the chairmanship of Malik bin Suleiman Al Ma’amari, board chairman. The board discussed a plan on Sanad Programme proposed by the Manpower Ministry. The plan included a mechanism for implementing this national programme. The conferees endorsed the proposed plan and tasked the Manpower Ministry to star implementing it immediately.

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2004: The largest passenger ship in history, the RMS Queen Mary 2, is christened by Queen Elizabeth II, granddaughter of Queen Mary.

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LIFESTYLE WELLNESS

Finding the Right Dentist in Muscat Story Felicia Campbell

F

inding a good dentist in Oman has been, well, like pulling teeth for my husband and I. From clinics with equipment as outdated as their surgical practices to clinics with welleducated, but downright rude dentists, we have had many oral misadventures in our search for the perfect dental practice with which to entrust our teeth.

After our last experience, with a perfectly capable dentist for whom we had to wait weeks between appointments, I came to realise that finding a good dental practice was more complicated than ensuring our orthodontist had the appropriate qualifications. What good is a great dentist if you can’t get an appointment when you need one? Or if they are so abrasive that you don’t feel comfortable asking questions about care options? I came up with a checklist to help us on our quest, and we found what ended up being the perfect clinic for us when we happened upon Wassan Specialty Dental Center.

Things were different from the moment we walked into reception. Absent was the standard disinterested look of the medical receptionists.

The women smiled at us, greeted us, and within a matter of minutes, had provided us with plastic cards with barcodes containing all our patient information. I should back up a minute, our good experience actually started well before we ever got to the clinic. I had called the day before in hopes of securing an appointment sometime in the next few days. The woman on the phone asked about our schedules, and I told her that we could only make it in after 7pm or on the weekend. I held my breath, waiting for her to make excuses and offer us an appointment a month away. Instead, she cheerfully said, “That’s great, how about tomorrow night at 7:30?” I nearly leapt with glee, but pessimistically assumed it was first-timer’s luck.

It wasn’t.

We were taken to meet with a dental surgeon, who did a 3D scan of my husband’s teeth and then took the time to explain everything he

saw on the slide to us, answering every question we had, despite the fact that it was determined that we actually needed to see an endodontic specialist. He had time for us, and was patient in explaining things. I was surprised yet again when, instead of sending us away to make another appointment, the surgeon picked up the phone, explained my husband’s situation to the endodontic doctor down the hall, and walked us over to her office.

He bid us farewell, leaving us in the capable hands of Dr Aamina Zoya Farook. She examined his teeth and the slides, and then went about explaining our options. Her easy smile and patient manner put us at ease. She made us feel like a part of the treatment plan, rather than just subjecting us to it. Then she asked, knowing that my husband’s work hours were difficult to schedule around, if we would like to start the treatments on that very Saturday. She officially became my dental hero. The clinic is tucked away in an unassuming corner of Al Khuwair, but inside there is the most state-ofthe-art dental technology anywhere in Oman, the most accommodating doctors I’ve ever come across, and the most flexible scheduling anywhere. And the prices are reasonable, too.

Finding Wassan, after all the dental drama, helped me realise how important it is to take your time when choosing a medical care provider, because the good ones really can make the experience relatively painless.

–felicia@timesofoman.com The checklist for finding the right dental care provider: Hours and booking times: If you can’t get in to see your doctor or dentist when you need them, then the clinic is probably not the right one for you. If you work late hours, look for clinics that are open nights and weekends.

Style of consultation: Different cultures have different approaches to healthcare. For me and my family, we don’t just want a solution,

THE PERFECT DENTAL CLINIC FOR US Wassan Specialty Dental Center Al Khuwair, behind the Zawawi Mosque +968 2447 9942 wassandental.com Hours: 9am-1pm, 4:30pm-9pm, Saturday-Thursday Pricing: Cleaning start at OMR10, recommended every six months Fillings range from OMR20-25 Call for pricing on other procedures such as orthodontics, whitening, and root canals

Specialties: • Orthodontics (For straightening teeth) • Prosthodontics and Dental Implants (For repairing and re-fashioning teeth) • Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics (Root canals, crowns, implants, and dentures) • Cosmetic Dentistry (whitening, capping, filling gaps, and inlays) • Child and Paediatric Dentistry (from preventative fluoride treatments to emergency care for toothaches and chipped teeth) • Digital Smile Design Technological Highlights: • Digital 3D impression technology • 3D imaging X-rays for dental diagnosis • Several “invisible” braces options for straightening teeth • Zoom! Whitening treatment (eight shades lighter after a one hour session) • Beyond teeth whitening LED whitening system

we want an explanation of what is happening, what can be done to solve the problem, and what we can expect before, during, and after treatment. This kind of explanation requires a patient doctor who is willing to take the time to talk to his or her patients.

Bedside manner: No matter how you like your medical information delivered, it is important that you feel comfortable with your doctor and the nursing staff. Look for clinics where you are greeted warmly, and in your first consultation, check-in with yourself to see if your medical staff make you feel safe and comfortable.

Available on-site technology: If you can find a clinic with as many things done in-house as possible, you are going to save yourself a lot of time and annoyance. One of the things we loved about Wassan was the fact that there were 7 specialists in the same practice, so when we were determined that we needed to see another, it was just a matter of walking across the hallway. The state-of-the-art 3D imaging was done in minutes, and the milling lab for making crowns and caps was also in the office, so everything could be taken care of in a single visit.

Specialists: If you know you have a particular area of need, be sure to go to a centre that has the appropriate specialist on-site. It is especially good if your medical provide has several specialists, so you can manage your healthcare with a single team who can consult with one another about your needs and history.

Price: This should be your last consideration. Dental treatment is extremely affordable when compared to Western dental costs, with highly qualified dental providers available. Expect to pay around OMR10 for cleanings, which you should do every six months and OMR20-25 for fillings. Taking these preventative measures will help ensure you don’t have to go for more intensive and expensive procedures like root canals.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

WEATHER

TEMPERATURE

HUMIDITY

27 - 16 70-34% 0

0

PRAYER TIMINGS

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

12.18pm 3.21pm 5.41pm 6.56pm 5.31am

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LIFESTYLE

Fitness Tips for Senior Citizens

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aintaining a healthy and fit body is a key to the fact that people are living longer these days. Today’s senior citizens are more aware of the need for exercise.

The older adult’s physical capabilities and chronic diseases make their needs different than those of a younger person so what follows is ten tips to help keep a senior citizen get the exercise they need and although they may not help a person learn how to lose weight fast, these tips can help keep a person maintain good health and allow them to do things that they did not think would be possible because of their age.

1. Find out what kind of shape

your body is in. Whenever someone is considering starting a fitness regimen they should consult a physician to find out what they can safely do. Make sure that what you are going to undertake will help your body rather than harm it.

2. Find out what kind of exercises are available. Do not just start exercising without doing the research. Pick a programme you know you will enjoy, as some individuals want to go to a gym and do a structured workout, while others enjoy a neighbourhood walking club and either will help improve your fitness, ability to function and quality of life as long as they do it regularly, but a person should not look into the programmes that are advertised on late night television that promise to help person

discover how to lose weight fast at home in a week if they really want to help their body.

3. Begin exercising gradually.

People start a fitness regimen with great energy but they should make sure that they control what they do. This makes them sore and will make them want to stop. It is important for a person to do enough exercises without doing to much to give their body the most benefits.

4. Workout with a friend. Having other people around can make a fitness regimen more fun. That can help you working out regularly.

5. Come up with what you want from exercising. Having a goal will keep a person on track. Put what you want to accomplish down on paper.

Keep a diary that records what you have done and what you will do.

H E A LT H Y D I E T

Sugar-free Drinks Do Not Help in Weight Loss There is no evidence that sugar-free and “diet” drinks help in weight loss as is generally believed and may actually have “detrimental impacts” on health and environment, according to a new research released recently.

Academics from Imperial College London and two Brazilian universities — University of Sao Paulo and Federal University of Pelotas — argue that sugar-free versions of soft drinks may be no better in preventing weight gain than their full sugar counterparts.

“A common perception, which may be influenced by industry marketing, is that because ‘diet’ drinks have no sugar they must be healthier and aid weight loss when used as a substitute for full-sugar versions. However, we found no solid evidence to support this,” said Professor Christopher Millett, senior investigator at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health.

The findings, published in the

journal PLoS Medicine, say the combined factors of what goes into artificially sweetened drinks, how they are consumed, and their environmental impact mean that “far from helping to solve the global obesity crisis (they are) a potential risk factor for highly prevalent chronic diseases.”

According to the authors, while some studies show no weight loss, others show a small loss, but those studies were not always well done and were often funded by the soft drinks industry.

The study says that “given their negligible nutritional benefits and potential detrimental health impacts”, the environmental impact of manufacturing artificially sweetened drinks should be taken into account.

It takes 150-300 litres of water to make one litre of drink and there is considerable solid waste and cumulative chemical pollution, it said.

However, Alison Tedstone,

chief nutritionist at Public health England, said, “swapping to low or no sugar drinks goes some way” to managing calorie intake and weight.

“It’s especially important for young people as they consume three times the amount recommended, mostly from soft drinks.

However, maintaining a healthy weight takes more than just swapping one product for another. Calories consumed should match calories used, so looking at the whole diet is very important,” she said.

Global beverage companies have been investing in soft drinks, flavoured water, juices and readyto-drink tea and coffee containing artificial sweeteners in response to the obesity crisis and the outcry over sugar.

According to World Health Organisation, the sugar should not be more than 10 per cent of people’s energy intake, and preferably lower than 5 per cent. — PTI

Do not just start exercising without doing the research.

Pick a programme you know you will enjoy, as some individuals want to go to a gym and do a structured workout, while others enjoy a neighbourhood walking

6. Give your body what it needs.

Think about the things you do that are not healthy for you. It is never too late to replace them with good habits.

7. Get regular physical activity. Stretch, walk, march in place, stand and sit as many times as possible throughout the day. Keeping your body moving is a key part of good health.

8. Figure out what obstacles you will face. Make a list of things that are keeping you from being active and come up with a solution for each of them. It is important to find ways around the obstacles.

9. Put some variety into your regimen. A person should not limit the types of routines that they do.

A variety of exercises will help a

person’s overall health. Different routines can also help keep a person interested.

10. A person should keep working out even if they have already gotten to the body shape they wanted. Set new goals for yourself.

A senior citizen might not become a professional athlete. Despite the limitations of ageing, the elderly can do a lot of things. A fitness routine will lead to more positives than negatives. Do not let how old you are be a barrier to doing the right things for your body. A person may not be able to do everything that they did when they were younger, but that is okay. The key is to discovering what you can do.

Once that is done, a person must make the commitment to do it.

— Artipot

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LIFESTYLE H E A LT H N E W S

B E AU T Y TA L K

Study Refutes Link Between Strokes, Chiropractic Care

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very once in a while, when some high-profile young man or woman dies unexpectedly from a stroke, the media races to find an explanation. Aha. She ran a marathon without being in shape. He visited a chiropractor several days before to relieve a pinched nerve in his neck. The latter theory at least is refuted by research done this year by a team of neurosurgeons at the Penn State Hershey Medical Centre.

They performed what they described as “a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data” to determine whether there’s

a direct correlation between the manipulation performed by doctors of chiropractic — manual adjustments widely acknowledged to relieve muscle-related pain — and a condition called cervical artery dissection (CAD) in which a small tear opens in the artery walls of the neck.

That’s important since such a tear can result in a stroke should a blood clot form and later break free to block a blood vessel in the brain. The team’s conclusion?

“There is no convincing evidence to support a causal link between chiropractic manipulation and CAD.” CAD is actually quite

rare. It’s been estimated that it annually strikes only two to three people, per 100,000 of the population, and various epidemiologic studies through the years suggest that strokes can occur at an equal rate whether sufferers are under chiropractic or other medical care for the headaches and neck pain it often produces.

As for chiropractic care in general, it’s worth remembering that a slew of health experts joined the chorus of those who’d already been praising chiropractic as a safe and effective treatment for neck, mid back, and lower back pain. - NewsUSA

BRIEF

CPR from a bystander Cardiac arrest patients who get cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from a bystander at the scene may have better survival odds even when an ambulance takes a long time to arrive, a Danish study suggests.

Researchers examined data on 7,623 cardiac arrest patients and found when an ambulance arrived within five minutes of a 911 call, patients were 2.3 times more likely to survive at least 30 days if they received bystander CPR than if they didn’t get this aid at the scene.-Reuters

5 SMART STEPS TO PRESERVING BRAIN HEALTH Everyone knows aerobic exercise gets the heart pumping and lifting weights keeps muscles strong. But when it comes to keeping the brain healthy, most people are unsure what to do. As you age, brain health and maintaining memory functions becomes a top concern. Turns out, these issues may begin sooner than you think. We tend to think about memory decline as an older person's issue, but that's not the case at all, says Dr Aimee Gould Shunney, a licensed naturopathic doctor specialising in women's health.

Socialise Social isolation has been linked with cognitive decline, says Dr. Shunney. “In one study, people who were lonely experienced cognitive decline at a 20 percent faster rate than people who were not lonely.”

Make time to take a foreign language class, join a Toastmaster’s Club, take a watercolour class - anything that connects you regularly to other people.

Supplements In addition to a quality multivitamin, Dr Shunney recommends an omega-3 supplement.

“Getting enough omega3s is one of the most important measures we can take,” she says. "DHA is the dominant omega-3 in the brain. Just like we need to make sure babies have enough DHA to grow their brain, we need to make sure older people get enough DHA to keep their brains healthy.

Healthy eating A Mediterranean-type diet that focuses on whole foods, good fats and foods high in antioxidants is a great place to start, says Dr Shunney. She encourages her patients to focus on getting omega-3 fats from fish and monounsaturated fats from olives, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. She also recommends increasing fruits (especially berries) and beans (they're packed with antioxidants). What's more, research shows a little cocoa, and coffee can act as antioxidants and are beneficial in low to moderate amounts.

Thinking activities I recommend anything that keeps your mind working, says Dr Shunney. “Activities that require things to be arranged or puzzles that have to be put together.

Crossword puzzles, word games and board games are all great.” She also notes some activities to avoid: “It’s important to limit certain activities. The constant scanning of social media and newsfeeds eliminates creativity and keeps us on edge. Limit the time you spend doing that and instead do things that cause you to explore and think and put ideas together on your own.” -BPT

Regular sleep Poor sleep is a risk factor for cognitive decline. “Studies show both sleep deprivation and sleeping too much impact cognitive performance,” Dr Shunney says. “A good goal is to go to bed around the same time each night, sleep for 7-8 hours, and get up around the same time every morning.”

Are Lip Balms Really Helpful?

Lips are the most delicate part of your face and should be kept with lot of care. It is very painful whenever the lips get dried or they crack.

You should always use the lip balms which have various natural ingredients.

Lip balms are just same as lip gloss but the former is for the benefit of your lips which protects your lips from cracking but lip gloss are basically for cosmetic purpose.

There are many important components that should be present in a lip balm such as petroleum jelly, camphor, menthol, and beeswax.

You have to be very considerate before buying the lip balm because today there are many products which are made of synthetic products.

It is very important to choose the lip balm with natural ingredients because it won’t irritate your chapped lips.

Choose those lip balms which contain various vegetable oils such as olive oil and almond oil which help in bringing the real natural oil of your lips. Hence, they provide you healthy and clean lips.

Some people are very sensitive to the sun’s light so it is important that your lip balm should protect your lips from the harmful rays of the sun.

Medicated products are always best for the chapped and dry lips.

They work very quickly and also do not have any side effects on your lips. Your lip balm should contain some soothing, healthy, healing ingredient such as honey, aloe vera, and grape seed extract.

—lifestyle@timesofoman.com

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WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM S U N DAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

MARKET GAINS MARGINALLY The first week of 2017 saw the benchmark Sensex ending positive, with a modest gain of 132.77 points at 26,759.23, while the broader Nifty closed above the key 8,200-level. – PTI

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C O R P O R AT E E A R N I N G S

Major Omani firms set to post 24% growth in net profit A E JAMES

the consequent low base.

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Major Omani listed firms, which constitute the MSM 30 Index, are expected to post a 23.7 per cent year-on-year growth in net profits for 2016 at OMR673.58 million, mainly due to one-off provisions reported by several companies last year, and

Combined revenue The combined revenues of MSM30 Index companies for 2016 were estimated to have grown by 4.7 per cent year-onyear to OMR4.06 billion, while total earnings were projected to have grown by 23.7 per cent to OMR673.58 million, according

to an estimate conducted by Gulf Baader Capital Markets.

“We estimate a steep increase in year-on-year earnings growth, mainly due to several one-off provisions reported in the same period last year. Galfar Engineering (receivable impairment of OMR30 million), Renaissance (asset impairment of OMR27 million) and Oman Telecommunications Com-

pany (WorldCall Telecom investment impairment of OMR72 million) reported significant losses during the fourth quarter of 2015,” Gulf Baader said in the report.

Economic activity “While on a quarter-on-quarter basis the earnings were estimated to have declined by 23 per cent due to an overall weakness in the

Duqm liquid terminal tender award soon Penta Ocean Construction Company.

However, it is not clear how many companies have submitted bids for developing the mega liquid terminal.

The winning EPC contractor will carry out dredging and reclamation, jetty structure and topside facilities including product storage tanks, dry bulk facilities, pipelines, buildings and roads. The terminal will be the outgo port for the proposed Duqm refinery which will be built adjacent to the terminal and,accordingly, construction of the terminal will be schedule-driven.

The project is a key component of the infrastructure being developed to support a major refinery, keeping pace with the growth of a liquids hub in Duqm economic zone.

Reggy Vermeulen, chief executive officer of the Port of Duqm.

- Times file picture

A E JAMES

businesseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: A tender to build the proposed bulk liquid terminal at the Port of Duqm in Oman is expected to be awarded within a month. The $1 billion project is a key component of the infrastructure being developed by the Oman government to support a major refinery, keeping pace with the growth of a liquids hub in the Duqm economic zone. “More than two kilometres of the quay wall is for ENERGY CONTRACT

Plexus wins oil contract in Sultanate Times News Service MUSCAT: Plexus Holdings, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) quoted oil and gas engineering services business, has been awarded an order for a second well from Masirah Oil Limited (Masirah), a company majority owned by leading technology driven oil and gas company REX International Holdings Limited.

The estimated value of the contract to Plexus is $285,000 with revenues expected to commence in January 2017.

Karamah-1 will be drilled from the Aban VII Jackup rig and follows the successful drilling by Masirah (a new customer in a new territory) last year of the Manarah-1 well, which was drilled using Plexus’ POS-GRIP wellhead equipment.

Karamah-1 is the second of a multi-well programme which could extend to a third well, subject to the drilling results. Drilling operations are expected to take between 20 and 30 days.

Masirah originally selected Plexus’ equipment due to the safety and time savings of POSGRIP compared to the traditional slip and seal systems, and also the enhanced safety advantages of Plexus’ mudline systems and surface hangers with installation through the blow out preventer. Plexus’ CEO Ben Van Bilderbeek said, “This is the second order we have secured with Masirah for our cost effective and technically superior wellhead solutions. Aside from the positive impact on our revenues, it further increases our visibility in this important oil and gas region.”

the liquid berth to serve the refinery.

We expect that it (the tender) will be awarded in the coming one month or so. It is in the final stages,” said Reggy Vermeulen, chief executive officer of the Port of Duqm. He said work on the liquid berth will take two-anda-half years to complete. “If the project is awarded in the first quarter of 2017, it will be completed by the end of 2019. Since the refinery will be fully dependent on the liquid berth, its construction has to be in line with the berth,” he added. According to

the website of the Special Economic Zone Authority of Duqm (Sezad), the nine prequalified firms to bid for the bulk liquid terminal’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract are Boskalis Westminster Middle East Oman, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company, Van Oord Oman, Dredging International-BAM International BV Geosea joint venture, TecnicasReunidas, Consolidated Contractors Company Oman, China Harbour Engineering Company,Huta Marine Works, and

Port contracts awarded Vermeulen also said that most of the packages for completing Duqm port have already been awarded. These contracts include gates, superstructure, remaining work at terminals, buildings for the port and dredging works. “The contracting firms are already working on the ground.

This shows that now we have a firm date, end of 2019, for completing the entire work for full-fledged operation (phase one) of the port,” noted Vermeulen. The port will have 2.2 kilometres of commercial berth, 2.2 kilometres of container berth, one kilometre of government berth and a break bulk berth for miscellaneous cargoes. Oman Drydock has 2.8 kilometres of berth for ship repair, which is already in operation.

economic environment, which would reflect the corporate performances,” as noted in the Gulf Baader report.

Total revenues The total revenues of the index companies, excluding investment holding firms, were estimated to have grown by 2.7 per cent year-on-year to OMR3.83

billion. Similarly, total earnings of index companies, excluding investment holding firms, are estimated to have increased by 22.9 per cent year-on-year to OMR641.62 million.

“We have not assumed any impairment charges pertaining to the fourth quarter of 2016 in our earnings models,” said the latest Gulf Baader report. > B2

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

MARKET M U S C AT S E C U R I T I E S M A R K E T

< FROM

B1 ‘Fifty per cent of firms reported lower earnings in third quarter’ “During the third quarter of 2016, about 50 per cent of the companies reported below our estimates.

We saw signs of a deterioration in earnings for most of the companies under our coverage, with a slowdown in growth prospects (revenue decline), along with margin pressures (increase in operating costs). We see this impact continuing in the last quarter of 2016, as well,” noted the report.

Revenues from the MSM30 Index companies, including investment holding firms, for the fourth quarter of 2016 alone are projected to remain almost flat on a year over year basis, and to decline 3.6 per cent quarter to quarter to OMR995.10 million. “The sequential decline in revenues is mainly due to the seasonality weakness in the services sector companies, especially the utilities,” said Gulf

Baader. Earnings of index firms for the quarter are estimated to increase sharply year-overyear,while declining by 21 per cent on a quarter to quarter basis to OMR136.7 million.

After third quarter results, Gulf Baader anticipates the prevailing economic slowdown to imply further pressure on upcoming fourth quarter earnings. Select banks will continue to face margin pres-

sures and also expect higher provisioning to impact earnings during the quarter.

Further, industrial sector earnings are estimated to report a sequential decline of 10 per cent, while the services sector will report sharp declines in earnings on a quarter to quarter basis due to the prevailing high base in the power sector companies (seasonality impact).

ECONOMY

Job growth in US slows, but wages rebound strongly WASHINGTON: US employment increased less than expected in December but a rebound in wages pointed to sustained labour market momentum that sets up the economy for stronger growth and further interest rate increases from the Federal Reserve this year.

Non-farm payrolls rose by 156,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said on Friday.

The gains, however, are more than sufficient to absorb new entrants into the labour market.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen has said the economy needs to create just under 100,000 jobs a month to keep up with growth in the work-age population. Employers hired 19,000 more workers than previously reported in October and November.

“With wages on the rise and payrolls solid, the Fed is no doubt taking a healthy celebratory lap, feeling confident after this morning’s report in their decision to hike in December, and cautiously optimistic as they look out to the new year,” said Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at Stifel Fixed Income in Chicago. The economy created 2.16 million jobs in 2016. Average hourly earnings increased 10 cents or 0.4 per cent in December after slipping 0.1 per cent in November. That pushed the year-on-year increase in earnings to 2.9 per cent, the largest gain since June 2009, from 2.5 percent in November. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.7 per cent from a nine-year low of 4.6 per cent in November. Still, it remained below 4.8 per cent,

the Fed’s estimate of the natural rate of unemployment, for two straight months. Economists had forecast payrolls rising by 178,000 jobs last month.

The dollar rose against a basket of currencies on the data.

Stocks on Wall Street ended higher, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 index hitting a record high and the Dow Jones industrial average flirting with the 20,000 mark.

Prices for US Treasuries fell, with the yield on the 30-year bond rising to 3 per cent.

A broad measure of unemployment that includes people who want to work but have given up searching and those working part-time because they cannot find full-time employment fell one-tenth of a percentage point to 9.2 per cent, the lowest rate in more than 8-1/2 years.

Other data on Friday showed the trade deficit widening 6.8 per cent to $45.2 billion in November as imports rose to their highest level in over a year on rising oil prices. The employment report added to data ranging from housing to manufacturing and auto sales in suggesting that President-elect Donald Trump is inheriting a strong economy from the Obama administration.

The labor market momentum is likely to be sustained amid rising business and consumer confidence. Trump, who takes over from President Barack Obama on January 20, has pledged to increase spending on the country’s aging infrastructure, cut taxes and relax regulations.

WATER DESALINATION PLANT: The completion represents a significant milestone in the development of Muscat Water’s water treatment

business. - Supplied picture

Desalination plant in Qurayat completed The plant will produce 8,000 cubic metres of desalinated water per day for supplying potable water to Qurayat and nearby villages, according to a company release.

Times News Service MUSCAT: Muscat Water, a joint venture between Al Sulaimi Group Holding and AquaSwiss AG, has completed the construction of its water desalination plant in Qurayat.

The plant will produce 8,000

cubic metres of desalinated water per day for supplying potable water to Qurayat and nearby villages, according to a company release. Muscat Water had won the contract to build, own and operate a temporary desalination plant in Qurayat and Asselah through Oman Power and Water

Procurement Company, a member of Nama Group, the sole procurer of all new power generation and water desalination capacity in the Sultanate, through a tendering process. A signing ceremony took place in March, 2016.

The project is structured as an independent water project (IWP) with OPWP purchasing the potable water produced by the project under a water purchase agreement. The completion represents a significant milestone in the development of Muscat Water’s water treatment business.

This project also strengthens Muscat Water’s standing as an Omani company which has established itself as a successful owner and operator of water

treatment facilities.

Muscat Water aims to produce potable water at very competitive prices through unique differentiating technologies, to assure a high local Omani content, and to develop significant in–country-value through the deployment of Omani manpower and local manufacturing capabilities in its projects.

Thus, OPWP and Muscat Water share the same motive to meet the growing needs for water while creating more employment opportunities within the country through the project. Muscat Water is involved in several projects in water treatment and desalination in the Sultanate, and their next project will be the completion of the desalination plant in Asselah.

OIL SUPPLIES

PERFORMANCE

Salalah Port’s profit increases Saudi cutting heavy oil over by 10.5% to OMR5.73 million light crude for market share Times News Service MUSCAT: Salalah Port Services has achieved a 10.5 per cent growth in net profit at OMR5.73 million for 2016, against OMR5.18 million for the previous year. The com-

pany’s total revenue also increased by 11.1 per cent to OMR55 million from OMR49.51 million, according to the initial unaudited financial resulted posted by the company on the MSM. Salalah Port said that throughput handled in terms of

containers increased by 29,.2 per cent to 3.32 million TEUs from 2.57 million TEUs. As far as general cargo is concerned, the port handled 13.04 million tonnes in 2016, against 12.54 million tonnes in the previous year.

SINGAPORE: Saudi Arabia is staying in the battle for market share by continuing to pump the type of oil that is similar to rival US and African supply, while fulfilling its promise to cut output by focusing curbs on other varieties.

The nation plans to idle some fields producing the Arab Medium and Arab Heavy grades to meet its output reduction target, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information is confidential. That would help the world’s top exporter concentrate more on selling more-profitable crudes such as Arab Light and Extra Light, adding to growing global supplies of similar-quality oil and pitting it against other producers.

A majority of the output cuts that are part of a historic deal between Opec and some other producers aimed at curbing a global glut are set to come from

the Middle East. That’s made the region’s crude pricier relative to other supply priced off US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Europe’s Brent markers. While Saudi Arabia has pledged to pump less oil, it is also trying not to give up sales in Asia, the world’s biggest market, to competing supply from the Americas and Africa.

The discount of Dubai oil shrank to the smallest in 15 months over Dated Brent this week, while the Middle East benchmark turned costlier than US marker WTI last month, data compiled from PVM Oil Associates show.

Saudi Arabian Oil Co. has informed some Asian refiners of a new round of export cuts in informal discussions ahead of official monthly crude allocations.

The company, known as Saudi Aramco, has told customers of possible measures leading up to the cuts, with each scenario signaling reductions are unlikely to

be more than 10 per cent of contracted volumes for some buyers, said the people.

Aramco’s press office didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

The cutbacks in February to Asia will still be smaller than other regions such as the US and Europe because it remains Saudi Arabia’s most valued market, one of the people said. Last month, sales to parts of Southeast Asia and South Asia including India were reduced while buyers in North Asia were largely spared.

The Asia Pacific region will use 33.87 million barrels a day of oil in 2017, accounting for more than a third of global consumption, data from the International Energy Agency show. That’s an increase from estimated demand of 33.03 million barrels a day in 2016. In the Americas and Europe, oil use is seen staying flat this year, according to IEA. — Bloomberg News

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

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MARKET BRIEFS

OCCI to host seminar on sustainable development MUSCAT: Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), in cooperation with the General Federation of Oman Trade Unions (GFOTU) will organise a seminar entitled “Corporate Social Responsibility: Consolidation of Rights — Development of Work Sustainable Development” on January 17. This will be under the patronage of Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri, Minister of Manpower. The seminar aims at highlighting the efforts that uplift the community work and falls within the framework of corporate social responsibility. The seminar will highlight the leading initiatives in this area by companies from within and outside the Sultanate.

The seminar will launch the second version of OCCI Award for corporate social responsibility, which aims to promote a culture of corporate social responsibility in the Sultanate.

Demand for top quality office space to continue Although there are several high class residential buildings meeting international

Ministry plans major forum on innovation next month

standards, there

MUSCAT: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will organise the Innovation Forum (Oman 2017) on February 6 and 7, 2017 at Sheraton Hotel Muscat. The forum coincides with the anniversary of the Oman Industry Day, which falls on February 9 every year. Eng. Nahla bint Abdul Wahab Al Hamdiyah, Director General of Industry at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said that organising the forum comes within the ministry’s attention to innovation, developing the industrial sector and enhancing competitiveness among Omani factories and companies. Organising this forum is also one of the recommendations of the Omani Industry Day held on February 9 2016. She affirmed that the forum aims at providing a platform for enterprises, researchers and industrialists to share views and experiences in the field of innovation at the manufacturing industries. She pointed out that the forum will cover a range of themes, the most notable of which are the industrial innovation, the national plan for industrial innovation, innovation environment and innovation at the level of Omani factories. Several case studies and international successful experiences in the field of industrial innovation will be presented at the forum.

of top quality

Bayan gets 2,531 requests for customs exemption MUSCAT: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry explained that it studied 2,531 permission for exemption from fees (Form B) provided through “Bayan” the electronic system of the Directorate General of Customs, the Royal Oman Police (ROP). Additionally, 193 custom-exemption applications for imports of equipment, spare parts, raw materials were studied since the launch of the service on March 28th 2016 till the end of December 2016. Eng. Mohammed bin Said Al Mahrouqi, Director of Exemption Department at the Directorate General of Industry, Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that the ministry is seeking to bring various industrial investments through incentives offered to investors in the industrial sector, as the Sultanate has promising investment opportunities in the industrial sector. He added that the Sultanate also offers different raw materials and qualified human resources and other factors that would give this sector a chance for continuous and steady growth, pointing out that the ministry has transferred submission of applications for custom exemption to Bayan system in the Directorate General of Customs at ROP.

Invest Easy receives more than 144,000 applications MUSCAT: As many as 144,814 commercial and industrial applications were submitted electronically via the Invest Easy portal in 2016 including 83,787 active applications, 60,765 cancelled applications, and 262 suspended applications. The Invest Easy portal, which includes 77 electronic services, aims to facilitate the provision of services and benefits to investors and the business sector in one station. It is a source of data relating to the commercial work, achieving clarity in the procedures and the possibility of updating all company data electronically, saving time and effort and increasing confidence of investors.

Oman to host key mineral and mining exhibition MUSCAT: The second edition of Oman Minerals & Mining Exhibition & Conference, organised by Oman Expo and Awtad Geological Consulting, will begin on January16 at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre under the auspices of Nassir bin Khamis Al Jashmi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, said Dr Salim bin Hamad Al Busaidi, CEO of Awtad Geological Consulting and Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee. Awtad CEO said that the three-day event aims at highlighting the Sultanate’s potentials as a mining hub for local and foreign investors. It also aims at enhancing the mining investments to be in line with the government new trends that promote interest in this vital sector. He added that the conference aims to attract international companies operating in the mining sector with a view to showcase experience and expertise owned by these companies in mining field. The conference will cover seven main themes that will shed light on the mining laws and regulations, the environment laws, the reality of mining investments in the Sultanate and the available investment opportunities, as well as the underway and planned mining projects. — ONA

remains a shortage commercial space in Muscat city.

Mehdi Borhani, chairman, Gulf Muscat United. — Supplied picture

Times News Service MUSCAT: The growth in demand for top quality (Grade A) office space is expected to continue in Muscat, since there is a lack of supply in the market.

“Oman does not have enough office space in the Grade A category.

Few buildings can be considered to be Grade A office space,” said Mehdi Borhani, chairman, Gulf Muscat United, which is developing iTower – a state-of-theart smart building located in the ‘New Downtown’ Bausher area of Muscat, within close proximity to Muscat Grand Mall.

Borhani said that although there are several high class residential buildings meeting international standards, there remains a shortage of top quality commercial space in Muscat city.

FOREIGN RESERVES

China’s reserves touch $3 trillion BEIJING: China’s foreign currency holdings remained above $3 trillion in December even as the yuan capped its steepest annual decline in more than two decades.

Reserves fell $41.08 billion to $3.01 trillion, the People’s Bank of China (PBOB) said in a statement on Saturday. That matched a $3.01 trillion estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists. China may take measures to keep its foreigncurrency stockpile from slipping too far below the key $3 trillion mark to avoid hurting investor confidence and spurring further declines in the yuan, according to economists at major banks. Policy makers have recently rolled out extra requirements for citizens converting yuan into other currencies after the annual $50,000 quota for individuals reset on Jan. 1.

“China’s government is well positioned to control outflows more effectively if it wants to, though it may not want to be seen as reversing China’s ‘opening’ strategy,” Wang Tao, head of China economic research at UBS Group in Hong Kong, wrote in a recent note. “In the long run, it may not have much choice if FX reserves fall more sharply on the back of intensifying capital outflow pressures.”

The decline of foreign exchange reserves in December was mainly because the central bank supplied funds to maintain balance in the foreign exchange market and the depreciation of non-US dollar currencies, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said on Saturday.

— Bloomberg News

Several new companies were registered in Oman in the last two to three years, and these corporates need quality office space to start their operations.

Mehdi Borhani Chairman, Gulf Muscat United

There is still a demand for top quality office space, as investors from several countries are entering Oman with business ventures.

“Several new companies were registered in Oman in the last two to three years, and these corpo-

rates need quality office space to start their operations. The stability of the country is also helping to attract businesses, which will helps to sustain economic growth,” added Borhani.

Further, the recent initiatives

undertaken by the government to attract private investment, including foreign direct investment for economic diversification, is also aiding demand for commercial property. With the Sultanate’s public-private partnership now starting to bear fruit, the demand for top quality office space by occupiers will continue to rise, and is focused on Grade A space.

However, he further noted that with a drop in crude oil prices, the general market sentiment had undergone a slight change, though it did not affect the demand for office space. Referring to the general trend in Muscat city, he said that several villas in posh residential areas have been converted into offices. However, this creates parking problems and other inconveniences for those people living in residential areas.

Citing his company’s experience, Borhani said that when iTower was launched in 2016, Gulf Muscat United could sell as many as 70 per cent of the office units on the first day of the launch.

This has prompted the company to apply to further expand the building by another 12 units to 83 office units, with the permission of the Ministry of Housing. iTower has 12 floors, which include three levels of basement parking for 120 cars, a ground floor and eight other floors.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

FEATURE

Global banking regulators delayed a key meeting on new capital standards, acknowledging they need more time to strike an agreement after European authorities resisted planned restrictions on how banks measure asset risk

IN BANK CAPITAL RULES REVAMP

GLOBAL banking regulators delayed a key meeting on new capital standards, acknowledging they need more time to strike an agreement after European authorities resisted planned restrictions on how banks measure asset risk.

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s oversight board said in a statement that it had postponed a meeting scheduled for January 8 to allow for more debate. The work is expected to wrap up in the “near future,” but the regulator did not set a new meeting date.

The Basel Committee is enmeshed in a long debate on regulations that clamp down on banks’ use of their own complex models to assess the risk posed by mortgages, corporate loans and other assets on their books, part of setting capital requirements. The proposals have become a flash-point among regulators around the world, with the European Union campaigning most publicly against central elements of the effort.

“Completing Basel III is an important step toward restoring confidence in banks’ risk-weighted capital ratios, and we remain committed to that goal,” said European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, who heads the Group of Central Bank Governors and Heads of Supervision, the oversight body of the Basel Committee.

The delay probably pushes any Ba-

sel Committee meeting on the standards beyond the January 20 inauguration of Donald Trump as US president.

Trump’s team has vowed to dismantle financial regulations, raising the prospect that whatever deal is struck at the international level could be shelved or watered down when national authorities take over the process of implementation.

The financial industry has lobbied hard against the proposals, arguing that they could add billions of dollars in extra capital requirements on the industry and hurt economic growth.

A compromise floated last month ran into strong EU opposition because it retained the element most strongly rejected by policy makers in the block - a so-called capital floor that serves as a blunt limit on banks’ ability to use models to reduce capital levels.

Andreas Dombret, a member of the Bundesbank Executive Board, has called for the floor to be removed entirely, echoing the position of Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU financial-services chief, who would lead European efforts to put the standards in place across the 28-nation bloc.

The Basel Committee brings together regulators from around the world, including the ECB, the US Federal Reserve and Japan’s Financial Services Agency, to set global standards that national authorities enact as they see fit. – Bloomberg News

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ROUND-UP

Top Indian universities all set to participate in education expo 2017 The exhibition brings together leading education experts and practitioners for the two day event, which takes place from 3.45pm to 9.30pm at Haffa House

MUSCAT: Leading and reputed universities from India will be in Oman to participate in India Education Exhibition 2017.

Free to attend, the exhibition is an exclusive event on Indian education held annually in Oman to showcase Indian educational resources, best practice methods and training.

Each year across 18 countries, over 50,000 visitors attend, get counselled, discuss and compare thousands of resources, designed to meet a huge range of educational needs. The exhibition takes place at Hotel Haffa House in Muscat on January 16 and 17and the vast array of resources, course information, training and demonstrations make this the most useful date in NRIs calendar, says a press release.

A one stop solution for NRIs The exhibition brings together leading education experts and practitioners for the two day event, which takes place from 3.45pm to 9.30pm. NRI students and parents will get an opportunity to interact with academic

heads of various institutions across India. They offer one to one counselling for the visitors.

It is proven that in spite of available information in the digital form in websites, interaction with academic heads, professors in persons is very highly ranked as the best mode of getting information about the courses available, fee structure, job opportunities and placements and helps the parents and students do decide which field they are opting for. Information of more than 100 courses which is in demand, scholarships information for NRIs are on display during the event and all this happens only in exhibitions and that is the only opportunity NRIs get in Oman by visiting the event.

Few of the participants includes Anna University, Manipal University India, SRM University, Hindustan University, Vishwakarma Institutes, KJ Somaiya Institutions, BMS Educational Institutions, Thapar University, NITTE University, Jain International School, MS Ramaiaha University, Aditya Group of Institutions, Acharya Institutes etc,.

Indus Group is a leading business to business media group and the largest Indian exhibition organiser with many events in it um-

E X PA N D I N G N E T W O R K

brella for NRIs across the world.

The exhibition in Oman is being organised by East Expo, Oman and Lynx Oman.

PROMOTES SAFETY

Turkish Airlines inaugurates Havana and Caracas flights MUSCAT: Turkish Airlines, 'Europe’s Best Airline' for six consecutive years according to the recent Skytrax results, and flying to more countries than any other airline, continues to grow by adding new destinations to its consistently expanding network.

With existing services to Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Bogota, Panama, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Boston, San Francisco, Miami and Atlanta Turkish Airlines has just added flights to Havana and Caracas as its 16th and 17th destinations in the Americas, says a press release.

The inaugural flight from Istanbul got water cannon salutes in both airports with a ceremony attended by Mehmet Büyükekşi, Member of the Board of Turkish Airlines and the senior bureaucrats both from Republic of Cuba and Republic of Venezuela, in the presence of diplomatic, protocol and media representatives as well as Turkish Airlines’ officials.

Büyükekşi said; “Our flag carrier assumes Havana and Caracas are essential points in its Latin America expansion and places itself at the forefront to shorten the distances between desiring travelers who will arrive with all kinds of expectations to the biggest Island in the Antilles. The opening of our Havana and Caracas gateways also means that we will now be able to deliver our award-winning services that will make the international travel easier and more convenient for both business and leisure travellers in this area.’’

Also launching with the new destinations, the 'Bridging Youth' project, a corporate responsibility initiative by Turkish Airlines, kicked off with a fast start, as four

Petrogas EP & Rima hold annual QHSE Away Day

university students from Turkey from varying backgrounds were given free tickets to Havana for a series of cultural activities including guided tours of the city with their Cuban hosts. The visiting youths will share their memorable moments and photographs of their trip on Turkish Airlines’ social media accounts.

Beginning from December 20th, 2016 Havana and Caracas flights started operating 3 times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays in both directions.

Additionally, for the first 6 months of operation to these new

destinations, there is a special offer for Miles&Smiles members, with a 25% reduction in the miles needed to redeem either award tickets or upgrades.

Flying from Jose Marti International Airport and Simon Bolivar International Airport, the brand new services will also connect passengers departing from Havana and Caracas to 102 worldwide destinations including Paris, London, Madrid, Rome, Moscow, Barcelona, Beirut, Guangzhou, Porto, Frankfurt, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Zurich, Amsterdam, Munich, Copenhagen, Berlin and Vienna.

MUSCAT: Petrogas Exploration & Production (EP) & Petrogas Rima, held its annual Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) Away Day in the Civil Aviation Club recently.

The event has gained more significance with the company successfully obtaining International Certificates on Environmental Management System ISO 14001 and Health & Safety Management System OHSAS 18001. The QHSE Away day was conducted to promote QHSE culture and highlight Petrogas’s commitment to its QHSE policies and standards as well as to ensure compliance with health and safety legislations, says a press release.

“The QHSE Away Day has a significant role in communicating our core belief, that every day is your Safety Day,” said Dr Ghu-

dayyer Rashid Al Wahibi, Corporate QHSE manager, Petrogas EP. The company successfully upgraded its QHSE records by adapting a team work approach, complying with international standards in every aspect of our business and raising awareness among partners, contractors and employees. The event was kicked off with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by a welcoming address given by Azhar Al Kindi, chief operating officer – Petrogas EP. He commended the collaborative efforts of the dedicated team who made the event possible and extended his appreciation to the dedication demonstrated by all employees actively working towards improving standards of QHSE. Khalaifin Al Adhoobi - QHSE Planning & Business support manager, Petrogas stated “The

objective of away day is to enhance good QHSE behaviour and culture within the company by reminding employees and stakeholder of their responsibilities.”

A number of interesting talks took place before the HSE themed games took place. Dr Hamed Al Ghilani, from the Environment Society of Oman gave a presentation on Omani environment and its biodiversity. Dr Dishaan Al Shanfari, head Medical OfficerMB Holding, gave a talk on heart attacks & life cycles.

Finally Musalam Al Khaifi, Corporate HSE officer, Electrical Holding Company presented a talk on the theme of the event ‘Every day is your safety day’, he stated that QHSE Away Day has a significant role in communicating our shared belief, that every day is your safety day.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

ROUND-UP N E W A D VA N C E S , F E AT U R E S

Surprising technology behind the future of autonomous driving

Lexus hybrids showcase unmatched performance Not surprisingly Lexus has long passed the 1 million hybrid mark since the first hybrid the RX 400h went on sale in April 2005

MUSCAT: Lexus hybrids are technologically advanced making them a preferred choice by many enthusiasts globally.

Not surprisingly Lexus has long passed the 1 million hybrid mark since the first hybrid the RX 400h went on sale in April 2005. This major milestone has been achieved

by Lexus’ firm commitment to hybrid technology with more than a

decade of development experience and a wide range of hybrid models, says a press release.

Ambitious goals The hybrid drive system continues to be Lexus’ core vehicle technology to help reduce CO2 emissions, while providing a pleasurable driving experience. Lexus has set ambitious environmental goals for 2050.

After the debut of the RX400h, Lexus gradually expanded its hybrid line-up by launching the first luxury hybrid sedan, the GS450h, in 2006, followed by many other popular models like the powerful luxury hybrid sedan, LS600h, and the luxury hybrid compact, CT200h. The latest RX450h model is also representative of Lexus’ excellence for hybrid performance. Historically, hybrids have been known for having certain strengths - fuel economy being one of them. These days, though, there are models on the market that are more ambitious, promising great mileage, and are sweetened with a sportier driving experience.

Hybrid technology may be complex, but understanding how it works is not particularly difficult. What is difficult is making it work so well that it wins engineering awards and

the hearts of drivers. So what makes Lexus Hybrid Drive exceptional?

The answer is its Electronic Control Unit (ECU) a sophisticated electronic brain. Like the conductor of an orchestra, the ECU makes sure the hybrid components work in harmony - seamlessly and reliably. Compact packaging and unmatched flexibility also distinguish Lexus Hybrid Drive from other hybrid systems, improving efficiency and allowing a wide range of configurations, not found in any other luxury automobile brand.

Earlier this year, Lexus premiered its latest hybrid model, the LC500h, which features a new generation performance hybrid technology called Multi Stage Hybrid System (MSHS).

The MSHS expands further hybrid advantages by delivering more power, greater acceleration, traction and higher efficiency.

OPINION

How the education sector in Oman must prepare for digital era MUSCAT: Gregg Petersen, regional director, MEA and SAARC, Veeam Software talks about how the education sector in Oman must prepare for the digital era. Gregg Petersen is an IT industry veteran with over 17 years of experience.

The new generation approaching higher education are millennials, who have grown up with technology. Meanwhile, the children entering primary and secondary schools see technology as second nature.

Now, more than ever, is the optimal time for the education sector in Omanas a whole to think about the infrastructure that supports the digital learning experience.

As per a report from Alpen Capital, the Middle East’s e-learning market will hit a peak value of $560.7 million in 2016, having grown at an average rate of 8.2 percent per year since 2014.

Research has shown that toplevel classroom success grows by 36 per cent when the right approach is taken to technology (according to BESA), and clearly the trend is towards a more enhanced digital learning experience.

With the rise of blended learning, universities are also under pressure to meet students’ demands and adapt to the digital age while facing higher levels of competition. Institutions are having to learn how to innovate the teaching and learning experience.

Meanwhile, technology and

delivering a connected learning programme is becoming a key differentiator for universities and higher education institutions, particularly in light of the hike in tuition fees that have been passed on to domestic and international students in recent years. Students expect a premium service to account for raised fees.

Essential education materials such as learning resources, library files and assignment documents are digitised and stored centrally in university-owned repositories.

It is no longer enough for Higher Education institutions to simply ‘have’ learning materials – however good they are – as they must be constantly available to students at anytime, anywhere. Delivering critical application and data availability to the university’s diverse user community is a basic requirement. Both students and staff are demanding a more effective IT in-

frastructure to meet their needs – whether that’s bringing a personal device on to campus networks or being able to retrieve materials at any given moment.

The same applies to primary and secondary schools, who must have in place a rapid and reliable mechanism for protecting and recovering student data, while providing real-time access to centralised services, including class programmes, research materials and in-class services.

According to the 2016 Veeam Availability Report of more than 1,000 IT decision-makers globally, 36 percent of respondents from the private and Higher Education sector are currently investing in private cloud (including automation, self-service and billing), while 23 per cent are investing in public cloud infrastructure.

But, does that equate with the exponential data growth that is taking place from digitised education? As short-staffed IT teams work to save money and modernise their data centres by combining server virtualisation, modern storage applications and cloudbased services, they face new demands including exponential data growth, users demanding access to data 24/7, and no patience for downtime. All in all, the figure of 36 per cent should be much-nearer to 100 percent if schools and universities are fully buying in to

technology as an enabler of better education standards.

Veeam’s report also highlights that only 43 per cent of respondents from the private and higher education sector are currently investing in data protection and disaster recovery. This goes a long way towards ensuring an ‘Always-On’ approach to education – that students can be reconnected to essential resources quickly in the event of downtime.

Contrastingly, the majority are not in a position to guarantee an available learning experience for their students. A further 34 per cent are planning to invest in data protection and disaster recovery services soon, while 11 percent are considering doing so in the next two years.

This poses problems. With increased data and learning resources digitally connected, a like-for-like set of contingencies and technologies must be put in place to protect students from going without essential materials for too long. For higher education institutions, this is a potential financial risk, and may threaten a university’s ability to attract future talent if a reputation for low-tech is publicised.

Schools and higher education institutions must future-proof the large investments that are being made in technology and digital learning resources. By ensuring that they are constantly available, or easily restored, operations can continue and the learning process can be seamless.

DUBAI: As autonomous driving (AD) technology brings new advances and features to mobility, important questions inevitably arise. For example, how will drivers come to trust their autonomous vehicles?

How will vehicles communicate with drivers and alert them to the presence of other vehicles on the road? And, what actions will vehicles take after identifying objects, signs and other road infrastructure such as painted lanes?

As Nissan’s Tetsuya Iijima said in our most recent Medium article on autonomous driving, social acceptance is key to its future.

Takashi Sunda, deputy general manager of the Autonomous Drive Technology Development Department at Nissan, and his team of engineers have developed answers to these and other questions through their work on technology that enables communication between drivers and cars. In a world of ubiquitous personal devices, we’re already interacting with this sort of technology dozens of times a day — you find it on your smartphone touchscreen, on your computer, and even your home coffee machine. It’s already a key technology in your car, where it plays a critical role in instrument panels, navigation touchscreens, and parking assistance features.

Sunda’s team is working on a wide range of new technologies that focus on how to better communicate and establish trust between drivers and their cars. Adding to the complexity, researchers must also factor in the many differences in gender, age, experience, terrain, culture — and even different countries’ rules of the road.

“Driving is so different wherever you go. In France, motorcycles frequently cut across highways, while motorists in the US and UK drive on opposite sides of the road,” he said. “There is much to consider on both an individual level and from a cultural perspective. Driving is very personal and unique.” And that’s, why it’s important to gather as many perspectives as possible, he said.

“Understanding and considering differences is the most helpful,” Sunda continued. “But it can be difficult to grasp at first, so the question becomes: `How do you make that universal step to build trust?’” Finding the Right Balance For Sunda, transparency holds the key.

But as AD technology advances, so must the interface between drivers and their cars. Once vehicles begin collecting more information in support of new AD features, the systems will need to be able to recognise and react to a range of situations. What’s more, the technology will also need to quickly communicate all information back to the driver in an easy-to-grasp manner.

“We want even first-time customers to feel comfortable using AD,” he said. “It all must remain simple.” Drivers will need to

Driving is so different wherever you go. In France, motorcycles frequently cut across highways, while motorists in the US and UK drive on opposite sides of the road Takashi Sunda Deputy GM, Autonomous Drive Technology Development Department

know what information the car is collecting and — importantly — what the vehicle is going to do with that data to ensure a safe and comfortable ride.

Consider a scenario in which you are changing lanes and are suddenly approached by another car in an adjacent lane: How will your vehicle convey important information about the approaching car quickly, and what will it do in response? Or, think about a city corner, when a lone pedestrian suddenly steps off the curb and starts walking across the street: What will your car need to tell you? In these situations, you need to inform — but not overwhelm — users. “It’s a delicate balance of how much information to control, and how much to share,” said Sunda.

Clearly, autonomous driving will change the relationship between drivers and their cars, but it’s a challenge that Sunda is particularly cut out for. Before joining Nissan 16 years ago, he worked on developing aircraft-human machine interfaces. When working on those airplanes, he had the benefit of trained pilots who could not only operate the aircraft, but who offered opinions on design.

For the AD project, Sunda’s team members draw on their own driving experiences as well.

But he’s quick to add that his own personal experience behind the wheel is not necessarily going to reflect another driver’s experience. In the end, the big prize for Sunda’s team is a chance to reinvent the future of driving. Sunda said as more autonomous features are available, it will have a revolutionary impact on the way people interact with their cars.

“The change has already begun,” he said. “We are altering the relationship between drivers and their cars — and the experience of driving as a whole.”

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O C C U PAT I O N A L H E A LT H

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ROUND-UP

Veloster wins award for ‘Best Small Hatchback’ With one door on the

Haya Water hosts workshop on safety and environment

driver’s side and two

MUSCAT: Haya Water truly believes on the importance of occupational health and safety and environment and that it is necessary to find a safe working environment for its employees and contractors.

Therefore, the company, represented by Corporate Support Division, organised an extended workshop on occupational health and safety and environment.

The workshop was held with the presence of Eng. Hussain bin Hassan AbdulHussain, CEO of Haya Water, the leadership team and a group of employees and Haya contractors who are working in various projects, says a press release.

The workshop included many useful items which focused on the most important developments that have affected the occupational health and safety sector.

Two lectures were delivered during the workshop; the first one was presented by Khalifa Al Maskary, an occupational health consultant. Khalifa talked about the importance of maintaining occupational safety in the working environment and he emphasised on the role of the health and safety section to take all necessary measures that ensure maintaining the health of all employees which will enhance the daily performance and productivity.

The other lecture was presented

by Dr Salah Al Zadjali where he talked about the challenges that face the employees who work in the field of occupational health and safety and environment. The lecture also shed light on the mechanisms and techniques that are used to deal with pressure at work using the best scientific methods to ensure maintaining the health and the workflow, as well.

On the other hand, Sultan Al Marhoobi, senior manager QHSE said: “One of Haya Water priorities is occupational health and safety of its staff and contractors in various projects of the company. Haya Water constantly investigates the nature of work at its sites to ensure continuous quality of work that corresponds to the applicable rules and regulations.

“The company works hard to provide a suitable working environment free from any types of risks and hazards that may face the employees or affect the progress of work. Al Marhoobi added that the most important objective of this workshop is to spread scientific

cars on the road

Approximately 200 participants (Haya employees, contractors and specialists) attended this workshop. It also included an exhibition that presented latest modern techniques that are used in the field of occupational health and safety

and practical knowledge related to occupational health and safety of all workers in Haya Water projects. The workshop also shed light on the challenges facing this sector and find appropriate solutions to overcome these challenges.”

It is worth mentioning that approximately 200 participants (Haya employees, contractors and specialists) attended this workshop. The workshop also included an exhibition that presented latest modern techniques that are used in the field of occupational health and safety. Many international and local companies have participated in the exhibition.

Moreover, the exhibition was an opportunity for small and medium enterprises to demonstrate and market their products such as Gulf Petrochemicals Services Company (GPS), Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), Roby Company, Muscat Security and Safety Products Company and Modern Company for Construction Materials. The workshop also included discussions about the road map and future proposals that the company is trying to implement in order to develop this important sector.

At the end of the workshop, real life scenarios and situations that employees face when performing their daily work were discussed.

doors on the other side, the Veloster is among the most uniquely configured

MUSCAT: The Hyundai Veloster won the hearts of auto experts and critics alike at the recently concluded Oman Auto Excellence Awards held in Muscat. It won the award for the ‘Best Small Hatchback’ in Oman for its unique styling, its 2+1 door concept, its refinement and superior performance.

With one door on the driver’s side and two doors on the other side, the Veloster is among the most uniquely configured cars on the road. The Veloster does an outstanding job of combining cool, fun-to-drive, unique styling and advanced technologies, all while delivering value.

Featuring a 1591 cc MPI Engine and 6 speed automatic transmission the delivers 130ps and a torque of 16.0 kgf.m. The Veloster offers convenience, safety and performance. The trendy car appeals to youthful customers by combining excellent fuel economy, spirited performance and low emissions without compromise. For 2017, all Veloster models offer a 18-inch alloy wheels with colour inserts.

Veloster 2017 features ABS and ESP, alloy wheel 18”, Audio - CD/

MP3, bluetooth, central door lock, cruise control, driver and front passenger airbags, folding mirror, front and rear fog lamp, keyless entry, leather steering wheel, manual air conditioner, panaroma sunroof, power mirrors, power windows, rear parking sensor, rear view camera and tyre pressure monitor Promotion Hyundai also recently announced its exciting promotional scheme the ‘Super Value Festival’. This attractive promotion scheme is available until January 27.

The scheme offers exciting cash-as-gift of up to OMR2,500 which can be used as part of the down payment. Hyundai is also offering a fabulous zero percent interest free EMI scheme for loans of upto 24 months.

In addition, there is an OMR100 free fuel for every customer who purchases a car as part of the promotion scheme.

Insurance coverage for first year as well as registration also comes with the package. In addition Hyundai also offers AAA roadside assistance package along

LUCKY WINNER

City Centre Ajman announces winner of 2017 GMC Acadia AJMAN: City Centre Ajman, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East and North Africa, announced the name of the lucky winner of GMC Acadia. The lucky recipient of the spectacular prizes is Syed Waqas from Pakistan.

Aside from the grand prize, shoppers won gift cards valued at AED 1,000. This is part of the company’s vision to create great moments for everyone, every day, says a press release.

The campaign was a joint initiative between City Centre Ajman and Carrefour to offer countless winning opportunities to shop and stock up on gro-

ceries for kitchens and homes.

To participate, shoppers simply need to shop at City Centre Ajman and spend AED 200 to receive a coupon which will allow them to enter the draw.

with every purchase. Promotion elements may vary for different models and exact details are available at all Hyundai showrooms.

Hyundai’s range offers a wide choice to customers, starting from compact cars and sedans to robust SUVs and luxury sedans. With a diverse range of models to suit different lifestyles and needs of customers, Hyundai’s reputation for cutting-edge design, robust buildquality and feature-packed offerings has made it a clear favourite among the discerning automobile enthusiasts.

‘Modern Premium’ Hyundai’s brand direction of ‘Modern Premium’ propels the brand to surpass customers’ expectations by combining exceptional performance and emotional elegance.

Hyundai is globally recognised for its sophisticated product design, uncompromising quality, safety technology and exceptional value.

Hyundai, today, ranks among the top automotive brands in the world.

Hyundai’s dedication to enhance the customer buying experience has resulted in its consistent rank im-

provement over the years. Being one of the top-shopped vehicles, Hyundai vehicles command a very strong resale value- in Oman and across other global markets as well.

Hyundai has a strong presence in the passenger vehicles category in Oman with its wide range of Sedans and SUVs offered with various engine options and trim options. As one of the most popular brands in Oman, Hyundai has a strong presence in the passenger vehicles category. The Hyundai range of sedans in Oman includes: Accent, Elantra, Sonata & Azera, apart from the trendy Veloster. The i10, i20, i30 and i40 form the cutting edge ‘i’ series range designed to meet global customer needs. The Hyundai SUV range - Tucson, Santa Fe, Grand Santa Fe & Veracruz are also acclaimed for their capability and appeal to the automobile aficionados in the Sultanate.

OTE Group is the distributor for Hyundai in Oman. With a nationwide network of showrooms and service centres, OTE Group ensures that no matter where you are, you are never too far from your Hyundai network.

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Bank Muscat all set to celebrate two more Green Sports football fields

The Green Sports initiative launched by Bank Muscat in 2012 has gained momentum with a total of 63 teams across the Sultanate benefiting from the support till date

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, in step with its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and ‘Imprints’ initiative to support youth and promote Oman as a sporting nation, is all set to celebrate the inauguration of two football fields developed as part of the Green Sports initiative.

The 25th Green Sports football field will be presented to Al Taawin Sports Team in the wilayat of Shinas in North Batinah governorate on Thursday January 12, followed by the 26th football field to Al Qabsan Sports Team in the wilayat of Samayil in Dakhiliyah governorate on Friday January 13, says a press release. The Green Sports initiative launched by Bank Muscat in 2012 has gained momentum with a

ENHANCING SERVICES

total of 63 teams across the Sultanate benefiting from the support till date. Marking the sixth year of the unique CSR initiative, the bank will support the development of 15 football fields in 2017.

The 2017 Green Sports programme has evoked big response as 86 sports teams have applied seeking support for greening and infrastructure development of football fields. In the coming days, the Green Sports committee will review the applications and make field visits to short-list the 2017 Green Sports beneficiaries. The scope of Green Sports support for sports teams include greening of football fields with natural or synthetic turf, floodlights or water desalination equipment in areas facing problems

of water salinity. Ensuring wider representation, the Green Sports support is extended to develop sustainable sports infrastructure in all parts of the Sultanate. The criteria for availing the Green Sports support include that sports teams should have been in existence for three years with a minimum of 300 members from the local community. The bank recognises that local teams wield immense influence on neighbourhood communities, especially youth, hence teams with modern infrastructure facilities can help raise sporting heroes for the country. The Green Sports initiative has created an ideal platform for social engagement among youth.

The football fields developed as part of the Green Sports initiative

are serving as a meeting place for children and youth to be engaged in social activities leading to development of strong community bonding and positive character traits.

The fields are used to host various activities such as Ramadan nights, group weddings and other community celebrations.

Bank Muscat is committed to its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision for the community and the nation and is proud to have led the way in contributing to sustainable development in Oman with various initiatives.

As the nation’s leading financial institution, Bank Muscat aims to provide the impetus for youth to excel in all arenas and thereby contribute to the development and progress of Oman.

SPREADING SMILES

Al Madina Takaful relocates its motor claims office MUSCAT: Al Madina Takaful, Oman’s first Islamic insurance provider has been enhancing its services to provide trusted customer experience. In one such initiative, the company has relocated its claims office on a new premises in MBD, adjacent to the Oman Oil Petrol Station. The new office, a larger and more comfortable space will serve as the hub for motor claims. The of-

fice is operational and ready to welcome customers from of January 9, says a press release.

“Moving to a new office to serve our customers better is one of the ways in which we aim to provide our customers with convenience and comfort at all times.

“We are committed to excellent customer service and we take pride in being able to provide the best of

products and services at all times,” said Usama Al Barwani, acting CEO, Al Madina Takaful.

Al Madina Takaful’s insurance products and services range from those customised for business to personal and through these innovative products, services and initiatives, the company has been setting new benchmarks in the Islamic insurance industry in Oman.

C O R P O R AT E S O C I A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

MEC students visit children suffering from cancer at Royal Hospital MUSCAT: In continuation of the community outreach programmes adopted by Middle East College (MEC), the General Foundation Programme’s students organised a visit to the children suffering from cancer in the Royal Hospital, Muscat during December 2016.

The visit comes as part of the ‘Together we communicate’ initiative which aims to communicate with, sharing experiences and supporting the local community members and institutions, says a press release.

Dr Tareq Al Damen, head of the Language Centre at MEC, said:

The visit comes as part of the ‘Together we communicate’ initiative which aims to communicate with, sharing experiences and supporting the local community members and institutions “The visit has met its targets and achieved the goals we have set for it. The smile we saw on faces of those children, their parents, doctors and hospital’s employees was really indescribable!”

Such activities and initiatives aim to support the members of the community, strengthen the communication and trust of the society and to build powerful relationships with others.

SPECIALIST

Al Hayat welcomes back senior gynaecologist

Bank Sohar hosts blood donation drive in association with MOH MUSCAT: Within the framework of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, and as part of its commitment to the community, Bank Sohar recently hosted a special blood donation drive at its headquarters in MBD. The event was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH) in order to support and promote the healthy practice of donating blood within the bank, says a press release.

Munira Abdulnabi Macki, GM of HR and Corporate Support at Bank Sohar said, “Donating blood is a simple, effective and noble act that helps save lives.

Through these annual blood donation drives we aim to highlight the importance of donating blood for saving lives as well as to raise awareness of the need for regular donations throughout the year in order to maintain adequate supplies. Furthermore, giving back and supporting causes or organising events that go right to the heart of the community is a core part of Bank Sohar’s values. This annual

blood donation drive is an integral part of that operational philosophy and one that we intend to keep hosting for the foreseeable future.”

The blood donation drive, which took place on January 5, comes from Bank Sohar’s firm belief that social responsibility is a common objective that should be shared by individuals and corporates and that it is important for individuals and organisations to work together to help better the lives of those less fortunate in the community. The annual blood donation drive aims to support the efforts of the Ministry of Health and other medical institutions in order to save lives, as well as to create awareness and embed the idea of regularly donating blood due to the positive impact it can have in the community.

Munira praised the high turnout from Bank Sohar employees who supported the drive, “This initiative reinforces our long-standing commitment to improve the lives of residents in the Sultanate. We are very proud of each and every donor from the Bank Sohar family

who generously contributed by donating blood at the drive; especially those that do so year after year.

Their support and participation reflects the importance of donating blood, and reaffirms their commitment to saving lives.”

In additional to organising such blood donation drives, Furthermore, the bank also strives to ensure that its contributions are carefully planned and evaluated in order to diversify and reach out to the maximum number of people especially those in most need of it, offering recipients positive support and making a meaningful change. During 2016 bank Sohar supported more than 25 organisations around the Sultanate under its social responsibility programme. The bank has also, over the years, extended its supported a broad range of charitable organisations across the Sultanate ranging from child care centres and charity organisations to association that offer support to the differently abled of our community and those suffering from terminal illnesses.

MUSCAT: Al Hayat International Hospital, Al Ghubra welcomed back its senior gynaecologist Dr A. V. Bhuwaneswari to offer excellent Obstetrics and Gynaecology services.

Dr Bhuwaneswari, Senior Specialist, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, comes with over 45 years of rich experience in India and Oman. She has served in the Ministry of Health, Oman for 30 years in various regions including Nizwa and Muscat. She served at Khoula Hospital as a specialist for more than 15 years and is adept at performing both major and minor obstetrics and gynaecological surgeries and conducting deliveries, says a press release.

Dr Bhuwaneswari joins Dr Maha Tamir, Dr Vinita Tyagi, and Dr Vandana Yakub who are fulltime gynaecologists at Al Hayat International Hospital. Its gynaecology department functions from 9am to 9pm, seven days a week (365 days). It also has three visiting gynaecologists from Ministry of Health hospitals.

Apart from providing general gynaecology services covering conditions from first menstrual cycle through menopause, our gynaecology department provides the latest comprehensive evaluation, diagnostic procedures and health maintenance programmes.

Dr Bhuwaneswari, Senior Specialist, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, comes with over 45 years of experience in India and Oman

It is dedicated to providing complete women’s healthcare in a comfortable, relaxed and professional environment.

Al Hayat’s obstetric services range from pre-conception coun-

selling, prenatal care, familybased labour and delivery care to evaluation and diagnostic services for complex obstetrical patients. It also provides a wide array of gynaecological and women’s health services including contraceptive technologies, diagnosis and treatment for STD’s and abnormal pap smears, annual gynaecological exams and hormone replacement therapy. Diagnostic procedures and treatments such as Colposcopy, Cryotherapy, LEEP, Endometrial Biopsy, Hysterocopy, Endometrial Ablation and traditional surgeries such as Hysterectomy, Ovarian Surgeries, Laparotomy and Tubal Ligation are also provided.

It also has a laparoscopic surgeon, who is an expert performing laparoscopic hysterectomies and ovarian surgeries and offers cancer preventive screening for ladies against cancer uterus and cancer cervix and also caters to high risk pregnancy with the backup of American board certified neonatologist and paediatrician with 3 bedded neonatel ICU. “Dr K. P. Raman, chairman, Al Hayat said, “The demand for our gynaecology services has resulted in the expansion of our gynaecology department. It is our constant endeavour to make available the most modern facilities to our patients.”

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AUSTRALIA ROMP TO EMPHATIC WIN FOR SERIES SWEEP >C2

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‘MATCHING CHARLTON BEYOND MY IMAGINATION’ Wayne Rooney said he could never have imagined equalling Bobby Charlton’s Manchester United scoring record after bagging his 249th goal for the club in his side’s 4-0 FA Cup win over Reading on Saturday. >C3

Khalid Al Wahaibi claims third place at F4 SEA championship After settling for sixth place in Race 3, Khalid Al Wahaibi clinched third place in Race 4 of Formula 4 South East Asia championship

MUSCAT: Oman’s rising racing star Khalid Al Wahaibi claimed third place in Race 4 of the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship in Thailand on Saturday.

After settling for sixth place in Race 3, Khalid Al Wahaibi clinched third place in Race 4, finishing 10.643 seconds behind the winner New Zealand’s Faine Kahia (22:23.445) and second placed Danial Frost (+5.384 seconds) of Singapore.

According to information received here, following an eventful first day of action at Event 5 of the Formula 4 South East Asia (F4/ SEA) Championship, the drivers were back in action in another bumper-packed schedule of racing on Saturday.

Kicking off the proceedings with the third race of the weekend, the honours belonged to Indonesia’s Presley Martono who shone in the early morning race with a resounding victory over Singapore’s Danial Frost and local hero Worawong Komarakul who finished third.

The race also proved a happy hunting ground for Malaysia’s Eric Louis who finished a strong fourth.

CONSISTENT SHOW: Oman’s Khalid Al Wahaibi, yellow car, in action at the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship in Thailand. – Supplied photo

PODIUM FINISH: Oman’s Khalid Al Wahaibi, right, celebrates on the podium after finishing third in Race 4 of the F4 SEA Championship.

The second race of the day and fourth of the weekend, belonged to New Zealand’s Faine Kahia claiming his second win of the weekend ahead of Frost and Khalid Al-Wahaibi. Local favourite Komarakul finished fourth with F4/SEA debutant Daniel Hibbitt of China with a strong fifth place finish.

Meanwhile, the accolades for Race 5 belonged to Martono with a second win of the day reversing his misfortunes in Race 4. Finishing behind him was the Kiwi Kahia who despite struggling with mechanical issues managed to bring his car home in second ahead of India’s Akash Gowda.

The young Indian’s result also

and between Shepherd and Eric Louis for P7. Just when things had begun to settle for those running in midfield, a new drama began to unfold at the front, this time between Frost and Al Wahaibi.

The Omani had been quietly stalking the Singaporean closing in on him, enough that by the final lap, Al Wahaibi was close enough to challenge for P2.

The Singaporean did manage to hold on, finishing behind Kahia who notched up a second win of the weekend.

Khalid Al Wahaibi later said: “To be honest, I was really happy about my start in Race 4 as I was able to gain quite a few of positions, mov-

OMAN FOOTBALL

came on the back of difficulties in the earlier races.

The Malaysian contingent also had a strong outing with Isyraf Danish also reversing his misfortunes from the previous race to finish in fourth ahead of compatriot Eric Louis.

‘Happy with the result’ However, it was in Race 4 that Khalid Al Wahaibi showed his true potential and achieved the desired results. The action-packed race saw plenty of battles up and down the grid, as other drivers fought hard with each other for track positions. For the three drivers at the head of the pack, things quickly

settled into a more comfortable pace with Kahia, Frost, Khalid Al Wahaibi and Komarakul comfortably far ahead from the rest by the mid-way point of the race.

That would not be the case for those behind them as battles continued to rage, particularly between Martono who had the difficult task of defending and unfortunately losing positions first against Hibbitt, then from fellow countryman, Keanon Santoso, Malaysian Eric Louis and Thai Kane Shepherd.

Towards the closing stages, there were several interesting duels including that between Hibbitt and Santoso, both battling for P5;

ing up to P5 by the second lap, I think. I saw that Presley (Martono) had a problem, so I knew that I had the opportunity to overtake him for P3.

“After that, I just put my head down and tried to put together consistent laps and by the end managed to catch Danial (Frost).

Unfortunately, I couldn’t challenge him, but overall, I am really happy with this result.”

The final day of the event on Sunday will see two more races scheduled, including a seventh race held in place of the race that was postponed from the second event at the Clark International Speedway in the Philippines last October.

OMAN FOOTBALL

Ali happy to stay at Reading

Oman to start CISM World Cup campaign against Guinea team MUSCAT: Oman will launch their campaign in the CISM World Cup football championship against Guinea on January 15.

The Sultanate will host the 2017 CISM World Cup from January 15 to 28 at three different venues — the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, Seeb Sports Stadium and ROP Stadium in Al Wattayah.

Oman, who are placed in Group A, will play their second match of the Military World Cup against Bahrain on January 18 before completing their group engagements with a match against France on January 20.

The hosts will play all their group matches at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.

The quarterfinals of the 16team competition will take place on January 24. The semifinals will be played on January 26. The third-place play-off and the final are scheduled for January 28.

Oman team, who finished second in the two previous Military World Football Championships, are expected to go all the way and clinch the coveted trophy this time around.

The team comprises some of

the stars of Oman national team, including strikers Abdulaziz Al Maqbali. The team, coached by Mohanna Saeed, also consists of other national stars like Fayeez Al Rashdi, Riyadh Subait, Nader Awad, Saad Al Araimi, Mahmoud Al Mushaifri, Saud Al Farsi, Saad Suhail Al Mukhaini, Mohammed Al Musallami, Yassin Al Shiyadi, Qasim Said, Juma Darwish, Basil Al Rawahi and Said Al Ruzaiqi.

Oman team: Mohammed Al Mashri, Fayeez Al Rashdi, Riyadh Subait, Hareb Jameel, Hisham Al Shuaibi, Nader Awad, Saad Al Araimi, Mahmoud Al Mushaifri, Saud Al Farsi, Jamil Al Yahmadi, Saad Suhail Al Mukhaini, Mohammed Al Musallami, Alabd Al Nowfali, Said Abdulsalam, Yassin Al Shiyadi, Mohsin Jawhar, Mohammed Taqi, Anwar Al Alawi, Abdulaziz Al Maqbali, Qasim Said, Juma Darwish, Basil Al Rawahi, Said Al Ruzaiqi and Mohammed Al Balushi. Coach: Mohanna Saeed Al Adawi.

Oman fixtures: Jan 15: Oman vs Guinea; Jan 18: Oman vs Bahrain; Jan 20: Oman vs France; Jan 24: Quarterfinals; Jan 26: Semfinals; Jan 28: third place play-off and final.

MUSCAT: Omani legend Ali Al Habsi is delighted to stay at the English championship side Reading FC for another two years.

According to news posted on the Reading website on Thursday, the Omani star goalkeeper has signed a new contract with the club and that will keep him at the Royals’ Madejski Stadium until 2019.

The experienced stopper said he was thoroughly enjoying life at Reading under manager Jaap Stam and really feels at home in Berkshire with the Royals.

“I’m very happy and very pleased to be part of this team for another two and a half years,” the website quoted Ali Al Habsi as saying.

“Since I signed my last contract I feel at home and I feel this football club can go very far. This season has been fantastic and I’ like to thank the gaffer for giving me this opportunity.

“Since coming here last season and winning player of the year, it was a fantastic thing for me, my family and for my country Oman.

“Today don’t forget I am 35 so another two years is brilliant for me to keep myself fit, it gives me hope and desire to keep giving all my experience in football for this club.”

Reading’s player of the season for 2015-16 was full of praise for the Reading fans and the backing he has received both home and away since he joined the club in the summer of 2015.

The Oman international said he was proud to continue his career in Europe and is hoping to continue

Another two years is brilliant for me to keep myself fit, it gives me hope and desire to keep giving all my experience in football for this club Ali Al Habsi Goalkeeper, Reading FC

what has been a successful campaign so far this season.

“The fans have been fantastic with me and I want to help Reading finish this season as high up the table as we can,” said the glovesman.

“To have the feed-back from the fans and the way they respect me, they support me all the way and the connection we have is great for me. We want to keep pushing so we end the season with big smiles on our faces.

“I’m very pleased to have played 17 years in Europe,” he continued.

“Three years in Norway and now

with this contract another 14 years in England. The focus for me and the rest of the team now is to push as hard as we can from now until the end of the season.”

Earlier, manager Jaap Stam said: “As we all know, Ali is a great goalkeeper — a fine shot stopper with good reactions who even at this stage in his career is still improving his game and becoming better and better as a player.

“He is very calm on the ball which is important to us, especially in the way we want to play out from the back at Reading. And just

as important to this group ... Ali is a great person with a very good mentality. So we are all very happy that he has signed another deal at the club.”

Club’s Chief Executive Nigel Howe commented: “As our supporters have witnessed, Ali is a fantastic goalkeeper and his performances in the last year and a half have certainly merited this new contract at the club. As both a professional and a person, he is a real credit to our club and I am very pleased he has agreed to this new deal.”

HOCKEY

Oman hockey team to undergo training camp

Poonacha and Khalid Khalfan

MUSCAT: With Oman Hockey Association (OHA) announcing India’s K.K. Poonacha as the head coach and former Omani star Khalid Khalfan Al Riyami as his assistant, the Sultanate’s national team will start training soon ahead of their participation in the FIH Hockey World League Round 2.

The Oman national team will

undergo a training camp from January 10 to 26.

The OHA officials are scheduled to officially unveil both coach Poonacha and assistant coach Khalid Khalfan during a ceremony on Sunday, during which the Sultanate’s hockey governing body will also reveal the future training programme of the national team.

The FIH Hockey World League Round 2 will take place in Bangladesh from March 4 to 12.

Besides Oman and hosts Bangladesh who will be taking part in Round 2 are Egypt, Canada, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Fiji and China.

The top two from Round 2 will qualify for the third stage of the Hockey World League. - ONA

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Australia romp to emphatic win Two months after being plunged into crisis and overhauling their side in the wake of a series humiliation at the hands of South Africa, Australia reasserted their dominance of home tracks in some style

SYDNEY: Australia ended Pakistan’s resistance before the scheduled tea break on the final day of the third Test to claim an emphatic victory by 220 runs and a 3-0 series sweep on Saturday.

Two months after being plunged into crisis and overhauling their side in the wake of a series humiliation at the hands of South Africa, Australia reasserted their dominance of home tracks in some style.

The tourists had shown great fight at various points of the series but, handed a test record victory target of 465 to chase, wilted in the

Sydney Cricket Ground sunshine and lost their final nine wickets for 189 runs.

Paceman Josh Hazlewood led the way with three for 29, striking with two early wickets and again to remove final batsman Imran Khan with the new ball as Pakistan were dismissed for 244.

“These last three matches, that’s what we’re about, that’s sort of cricket we want to play,” said Australia captain Steve Smith, who was named Player of the Series. “We want to score big runs, bowl well, we’ve held our catches. It’s been a great turnaround and I’ve been very proud of the last few weeks.”

Pakistan, who briefly topped the Test rankings last year, have now lost six straight Tests, one to West Indies in Sharjah, two in New Zealand and three in Australia.

It was also a 12th straight defeat over four series in Australia in the last two decades.

“It was a tough series, full credit to Australia, they obviously outplayed us in every department,” skipper Misbah-ul Haq said.

“They bowled well, they caught well and they batted well. They utilised the conditions very well.”

The tourists had been on the back foot from the first day in Sydney, when Man of the Match David Warner knocked off a century before lunch, and only some disruptive wet weather allowed them to stave off defeat until the fifth.

They managed 315 between

SCOREBOARD

CLEAN SWEEP: The Australian team pose for a photo with their trophy after defeating Pakistan in their cricket Test match in Sydney. – AP/PTI

showers in response to Australia’s first innings 538-8 declared but the writing was on the wall when the hosts reeled off 241 in less than three hours in their second dig on day four. Hazlewood struck in the first over of the final day, removing the dangerous Azhar Ali, caught and bowled for 11, and soon trapped Babar Azam leg before for nine.

Mistiming Misbah Younis Khan, who hit an unbeaten 175 in the first innings, made 13 before he was caught playing a false shot off Nathan Lyon, leav-

ing him 23 runs short of becoming the 13th batsman, and first from Pakistan, to record 10,000 runs in Test cricket. Nightwatchman Yasir Shah also perished with 13 runs to his name when he edged behind off spinner Steve O’Keefe (3-53) to send Pakistan into lunch on 128-5.

Paceman Mitchell Starc removed Asad Shafiq for 30 in the fifth over after the break and O’Keefe sent back Misbah for 38 and Wahab Riaz in the 40 minutes before tea, the latter clubbing three successive fours off Lyon for his 12.

Should the 42-year-old Misbah decide to retire, he will not want to be reminded of his final stroke in test cricket, a mistimed heave which looped into the waiting hands of Lyon at mid-off.

Wahab was less to blame for his exit, given out caught behind when a review revealed a tiny spike in the Snickometer waveform.

Mohammad Amir, who is carrying a rib injury, then ran himself out for four before Hazlewood performed the coup de grace by having Imran caught in the cordon.

Sarfraz Ahmed fired his 11th

Australia 1st innings: 538 for 8 decl (M. Renshaw 184, D. Warner 113, P. Handscomb 110) Pakistan 1st innings: 315 (Y. Khan 175no, A. Ali 71; J. Hazlewood 4-55) Australia 2nd innings: 241 for 2 decl (U. Khawaja 79no, S. Smith 59, D. Warner 55) Pakistan 2nd innings: A. Ali c & b Hazlewood 11 S. Khan c Warner b Lyon 40 Y. Shah c sub b O’Keefe 13 B. Azam lbw b Hazlewood 9 Y. Khan c Hazlewood b Lyon 13 Misbah-ul Haq c Lyon b O’Keefe 38 A. Shafiq b Starc 30 S. Ahmed not out 72 W. Riaz c Wade b O’Keefe 12 M. Amir run out (O’Keefe, Wade) 5 I. Khan c sub b Hazlewood 0 Extras (nb-1) 1 Total (all out, 80.2 overs) 244 Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-55, 3-67, 4-82, 5-96, 6-136, 7-188, 8-202, 9-224, 10-244 Bowling: M. Starc 17-2-57-1 (nb-1), J. Hazlewood 18.2-7-29-3, N. Lyon 27-6-100-2, S. O’Keefe 17-4-53-3, S. Smith 1-0-5-0 Umpires: R. Illingworth & S. Ravi TV umpire: Ian Gould Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle Result: Australia won by 220 runs

Test half century to frustrate the Australians and finished unbeaten after a 70-ball 72. The hosts had won the day-night opening test in Brisbane by 39 runs and the second Test in Melbourne by an innings and 18 runs. - Reuters

TEST SERIES

Misbah bemoans bowling flaws SYDNEY: Pakistan’s failure to take 20 wickets in all three tests was responsible for their series loss in Australia and the situation will not improve unless players get more exposure to conditions Down Under, captain Misbah-ulHaq said on Saturday.

Misbah’s team arrived in Australia with their hosts in disarray after a 2-1 home series loss to South Africa and the tourists were confident they could at least take one test in the series, if not emulate the Proteas.

Despite the odd patch of competitiveness, Pakistan were largely outclassed and their demise was completed at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday when they crumbled to a 220-run defeat to lose the series 3-0.

“Our bowling is always our strength but in this series I was a bit disappointed that we couldn’t take 20 wickets in any of the tests,” the 42-year-old Misbah told reporters.

“That’s why we were so behind in every game, that’s important for you in Australian conditions.

“It’s difficult for any Asian side to come here and take 20 wickets in a test match. That’s an art and we could not do that and that mainly cost us the series.”

If most of the Pakistan tour highlights came from batsman, the biggest disappointment was probably leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who arrived on his first tour Down Under with a big reputation but

Captain Smith hails Australia turnaround, next stop India SYDNEY: Australia captain Steve Smith was delighted with the way his side rebounded from a series defeat to South Africa to sweep Pakistan 3-0 on Saturday but warned their next Test campaign in India would present a challenge on a whole different level.

“It wasn’t great times but I’m really proud of the way the guys have come in and turned it around since then,” Smith told reporters after their 220-run victory in the third test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. “I think we’ve played some very good cricket and that’s the kind of cricket that I want us to play.

“We’ve scored big runs in every game, every first innings.

We’ve been able to build pressure with the ball, hit good

departed with eight wickets at a cost of 672 runs.

He was not the first vaunted spinner from South Asia to struggle to adapt to the conditions.

areas and we’ve caught well this series, which has been a big focus of ours. It’s been a pretty good series for us.”

Next comes a four-Test tour of India, where Australia have not won a series since 2004.

“It’s going to be a very difficult series going over there,” Smith added. “We’re under no illusions it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be a great challenge and learning curve for this group.

“I think the core of this group will take part in India.

A few of us have been there before and we know it’s difficult play in their own backyard. They’re a very good team. “We’re going to have to play incredibly well over there if we’re going to compete with India.” - Reuters

Alien conditions Saturday’s defeat was Pakistan’s 12th straight in Australia through four series sweeps since 1999 and Misbah said youngsters identified

as test prospects had to be given a chance to taste the conditions earlier in their careers.

“If we are not touring more often in Australia and South Africa, this could happen again and again,” he said.

“I’ve already suggested that some of our players should be sent to Australia on a regular basis to play games here... this is the only way we can improve.

“If you are coming here after four or five or six years, seven or eight guys are coming here for the first time. We are going to struggle.”

Injuries Pakistan’s bowling woes were not helped by the number of injuries with pace spearhead Mohammad Amir in the treatment room for much of the series.

“To win in Australia, your fitness is vital, in any other country you can survive but in Australia you need supreme fitness,” Misbah added.

Misbah, who has said he will return to Pakistan before deciding on his future, thought the manner of the defeat in the second test in Melbourne, where the tourists were dismissed for 163 on the final day, had been another decisive factor.

“The last day of the MCG was the biggest disappointment of the tour and we got demoralised from that and could not recover,” he said. “This is how it is. Australia is not an easy place.” - Reuters

CRICKET

Lynn rewarded for Big Bash form with Australia call-up SYDNEY: Uncapped middleorder batsman Chris Lynn was rewarded for his Big Bash League (BBL) pyrotechnics with a place in the Australia squad for the five match one-day international series against Pakistan on Saturday.

The 26-year-old has been in impressive form in the domestic Twenty20 competition and hit a stunning 11 sixes in an unbeaten 49-ball 98 for the Brisbane Heat against the Perth Scorchers earlier this week.

Pace bowler Billy Stanlake, who stands 2.04 metres tall and has been in fine form in the BBL for the Adelaide Strikers, also earned a call-up to the one-day squad for the first time.

Opener Aaron Finch and former skipper George Bailey have been dropped from the squad that beat New Zealand 3-0 at the back end of last year, along with allrounder Hilton Cartwright, who made his test debut against Pakistan this week.

Test top-order batsman Usman Khawaja is the third addition to

Chris Lynn.

the 14-man squad and could open with David Warner when the series opens in Brisbane on Friday.

“Chris Lynn is in superb form for the Brisbane Heat and although that is a different form of the game, we believe it is right that we give him the chance to show whether he can convert his wonderful ball-striking ability to ODIs,” head selector Trevor Hohns said.

“Usman Khawaja has been in excellent touch throughout this test summer, is able to bat anywhere in the top order and deserves another chance to demonstrate his ODI credentials.

“Billy Stanlake is an exciting

prospect who bowls with genuine pace and is a player who has made a terrific return to action for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League after a lengthy time out through injury.”

Stanlake looks to have a good chance of winning a first cap with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who played all six tests in the home summer, set to be rested for some of the matches as they start preparations for four Tests in India. “I guess we’ll probably pick our times to have a rest here or there, whether it’s one game or two in the series,” Hazlewood said on Friday.

“Depending on how we’re feeling and how much we’ve bowled.”

After Brisbane, the series continues with matches in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Adelaide.

Squad: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (captain), Mitch Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, James Faulkner, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake. - Reuters

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

C3

SPORTS Better prepared for shorter format captaincy, says Kohli

C O M M E N TA RY

Kohli knows captaincy in limited overs format is a different ball game and hailed the contribution of Dhoni

Dhoni is hanging in to go out with all guns blazing

S

o, what was it — the decision taken by MS Dhoni to quit as captain of the Indian limited-overs teams — like when it really happened? A tsunami, feared to hit the shores and cause devastations as horrible as the 2004 Indian Ocean tidal waves did that left more than 230,000 people dead or missing, losing its power along the way to finally end up whipping up a gentle breeze?

Selection committee chairman MSK Prasad is a relieved man. We are told that had Dhoni taken the decision a year earlier than he actually did, Prasad would have been a bit worried. It might not have been a tsunami even a year ago, but not the gentle breeze as it turned out now, perhaps.

The selectors need not worry anymore about how they could put the message — that it was time for him to spell his game plan — across to Dhoni so Virat Kohli could step in when there’s enough time left to gear the team up for the 2019 ODI World Cup. The next step will be easy for everyone concerned. Dhoni is welcome on the team as long he performs, and in the event of his form and fitness ditching him, neither will Dhoni think it right to carry on, nor will the selectors feel shy or embarrassed about telling him that his moment to make a dignified exit has come.

No doubt, the Dhoni move came in the wake of Kohli’s success as skipper of the Test team. The leadership, unlike in the case of many others before him, has not taken anything away from Kohli the batsman. Rather, the new status has only made him do better with the bat and thereby pushing the bar further up for other members of the team.

Dhoni was in the Indian dressing room on October 29 playing the fifth ODI against New Zealand, but much water has flowed under the bridge in two months. Fresh from leading the boys to a 3-0 Test series win over New Zealand, Kohli repeated his success against England with a 4-0 margin, opened the door for new, young heroes like Jayant Yadav and Karun Nair and created a new approach and mindset in the team, individually and collectively. The team has moved on without Dhoni, and it wasn’t easy for him to get back in and get going as the quintessential boss.

When Dhoni quit as captain of the Test team in December 2014, he no longer

wanted to play Tests. When, two years later, he resigned as captain of the limitedovers teams, he wanted to play on. How long? The chief of selectors said Dhoni “has a couple of years left as a wicketkeeper-batsman”.

The ICC Champions Trophy and ODI World Cup are happening within or around that two-year window. Is Dhoni keen on lasting that long? Maybe not.

Both the Champions Trophy and the ODI World Cup are going to be hosted

by England and Wales. The former is just a few months away, with India being scheduled to open their campaign with a match against Pakistan on June 4 at Edgbaston, but the way back for Dhoni to England for the World Cup is littered with challenging limitedovers series against South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia, among others, on away tours.

Under the circumstances, Dhoni seems to have two good options. First, he could play the home series against England and then travel to England in June for the Champions Trophy and hang up his gloves and bat before he turns 36 in July. Second, he could hold back the decision and go on a tour of Sri Lanka, get back home and relax a bit before taking on Australia in a home series scheduled to kick off in October — and announce it to ring in an entirely different new year.

Both the options are practical, promising and on the right side of time, considering the ugly truth that Dhoni will be stepping into 37 on July 7. If he’s able to get one of the options right, and with the prospect of Dhoni walking in at No.4, what’s on offer is quite a few pulsating repeats of the heroics we saw at Mohali on March 27, 2016, against Australia in the ICC T20 World Championship 2016 when Dhoni and Kohli teamed up to pull off an incredible victory.

That, if it happens, looks more like Dhoni we know and love, walking into the sunset with guns blazing.

The writer is a freelance contributor based in India.

All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman

NEW DELHI: N The Test captaincy left him surprised but Virat Kohli says he is better-prepared to lead India in the limited-overs format as he has already picked up some tricks of the trade.

Kohli was the obvious choice for captain in the limited overs format after Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to step down days before the England series, beginning January 15.

Kohli wasn’t such an obvious choice in Tests after Dhoni announced his shock retirement midway into the Australia series in 2014.

“Test captaincy I think I was told a day before the Adelaide Test that MS is not going to play the game and I was going to be captaining.

It was quite surprising. I didn’t expect it at all. In my head I was still finding my feet in Test cricket as a batsman. But the responsibility worked beautifully for me,” said Kohli comparing the scenarios in which he was appointed captain.

Kohli has had a dream run since that Australia tour and is now considered among the top batsmen playing the game. He feels just like it has worked for him in Tests, captaincy across formats will push him even more.

“It (captaincy in Tests) took a bit of time to process and understand how it is done. Yes I would say the ODI and T20 captaincy has been something that I have tried to learn along the lines a lot more. At the

FA C U P

Matching Charlton beyond imagination, says United’s Rooney LONDON: Wayne Rooney said he could never have imagined equalling Bobby Charlton’s Manchester United scoring record after bagging his 249th goal for the club in his side’s 4-0 FA Cup win over Reading on Saturday.

The 31-year-old, who joined United from Everton in 2004, opened the scoring in the seventh minute to move alongside Charlton who was watching on from the stands at Old Trafford.

He will have to wait for another day to surpass the former England World Cup winner, however, after failing to add to his tally in a one-sided match.

“It is a proud moment. To do it at such a massive club like Manchester United, I am hugely honoured and it is really proud moment for me,” Rooney said.

“It was not something I could have imagined. You don’t think that far ahead, but I have been at this club a long time, it is a huge part of my life and it is an honour to be up there alongside Sir Bobby. “You want to do records in front of your home fans and we have got two home games coming up and hopefully I can get the next one in one of those.”

Rooney, who surpassed Charlton’s England scoring record of 49 goals in 2015, has enjoyed a glittering career at Old Trafford since scoring a Champions League hattrick on his debut against Fener-

Wayne Rooney.

bahce in a 6-2 win in 2004. He has been an integral part of five Premier League title-winning teams, one Champions League triumph, an FA Cup and two League Cups.

Rooney was named PFA player of the year in 2009-10.

What is more he has matched Charlton’s record, which has stood since 1973, in 215 less games, reaching double figures in every season and managing 34 goals in 2009-10 and 2011-12.

England skipper Rooney, however, has not been an automatic selection under new manager Jose Mourinho. “A more special day will arrive. It was great but I want one more goal,” Mourinho said. “He is an amazing guy in the group and we all want him to do that. To have Wayne as the top scorer in a club like this is magnificent for him.”

Although poised to become the club’s record scorer, Rooney’s goals have not come at the fastest rate. — Reuters

LA LIGA

Real hammer Granada to equal Spanish record BARCELONA: Real Madrid equalled a Spanish record of 39 games unbeaten in all competitions by crushing struggling Granada 5-0 on Saturday to go six points clear at the top of La Liga.

Spain midfielder Isco set Real on their way to a simple victory by latching on to a pass from Karim Benzema and squeezing the ball under Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 12th minute.

Benzema tapped in the second in the 20th minute after Ochoa failed to hold a shot from the lively Luka

Modric and top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo struck his 11th league goal of the season by nodding in a cross from Marcelo. Isco turned in a low cross from Modric to stretch Real’s lead in the 31st minute and defensive midfielder Casemiro scored his first goal of the season by stabbing in a free kick from James Rodriguez in the 58th.

“We played a great game, we scored five but we could have got more, we’re really satisfied with how we’ve started the new year,” Modric told reporters. — Reuters

same time I feel a lot more confident taking it up and starting it up straightaway because of the kind of cricket I have played in the shorter formats and what I have learnt,” he was quoted as saying by bcci.Tv. “I have been preparing in my own head, MS has been speaking to me about strategies, about how situations need to be approached. Because I think he also understood it is very important to guide me, teach me, knowing the legacy he has set up. It is very important for the person who is coming to take it forward and not be in a state of confusion.

“Added responsibility has always worked for me in a sense that there is no room left to be complacent. You have no room to relax.

That is why even in IPL, it is very easy to throw my wicket after 60 and 70s but the fact that I push myself after that is because I understand as a captain of the team, I need to set an example and need to first make that kind of effort before asking the team members to

do it,” Kohli added. He knows captaincy in limited overs format is a different ball game and hailed the contribution of Dhoni. “Captaincy in Test cricket still gives you the opportunity to comeback into the game. I saw an Allan Border interview where he spoke about the leadership of Ricky Ponting. He mentioned that Ponting was able to maintain that consistency rate over such a long period time in a format that doesn’t allow you to comeback very often. So to stay on top was a remarkable achievement. That is what MS has done for India as well. Has got all the major trophies.

“Captaining in shortest format is very difficult, and to keep coming back in that requires different set of thinking, requires you to think out of the box, which MS has done wonderfully for so many years. Responsibility makes me better player, better person, makes my understand the game much more.” — PTI

C4

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2017

SPORTS FO0TBALL

Bank Muscat all set to celebrate two new Green Sports fields MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, in step with its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and ‘Imprints’ initiative to support youth and promote Oman as a sporting nation, is all set to celebrate the inauguration of two football fields developed as part of the Green Sports initiative.

The 25th Green Sports football field will be presented to Al Taawin Sports Team in the wilayat of Shinas in North Batinah governorate on January 12, followed by the 26th football field to Al Qabsan Sports Team in the wilayat of Samayil in Dakhiliyah governorate on January 13.

The Green Sports initiative

launched by Bank Muscat in 2012 has gained momentum with a total of 63 teams across the Sultanate benefiting from the support till date. Marking the sixth year of the unique CSR initiative, the bank will support the development of 15 football fields in 2017.

The 2017 Green Sports programme has evoked big response as 86 sports teams have applied seeking support for greening and infrastructure development of football fields. In the coming days, the Green Sports committee will review the applications and make field visits to short-list the 2017 Green Sports beneficiaries.

The scope of Green Sports sup-

port for sports teams include greening of football fields with natural or synthetic turf, floodlights or water desalination equipment in areas facing problems of water

salinity. Ensuring wider representation, the Green Sports support is extended to develop sustainable sports infrastructure in all parts of the Sultanate.

Facile wins for Enhance Eagles and Renaissance

ENHANCE EAGLES STARS: From left, Mohammed Faisal, Wasim Ali, Jaison Manjila and Ikhtiar Kazmi. – Supplied photos

Batting first, Enhance Eagles put on 335 for five in 40 overs. In reply, White Lotus

B DIVISION: Powertech players pose for a group photo after their victory over OCT Al Amerat.

four wickets for Renaissance.

In reply, Renaissance scored 137 for one in 15.1 overs. Ghazanfar Iqbal and Thuwan Roziro top scored with 43 and 38 not out respectively.

were bowled out for 88 in 21.3 overs

Brief scores: Ooredoo 135 in 35.5 overs (Rithwik 38; Chadith Lakmal 4/26) lost to Renaissance 137 for 1 in 15.1 overs (Ghazanfar Iqbal 43).

Points: Ooredoo – 0, Renaissance – 3.

MUSCAT: Enhance Eagles humbled White Lotus in a 247-run victory in the Oman Cricket A Division match on Friday.

Batting first, Enhance Eagles put on 335 for five in 40 overs. Wasim Ali and Ikhtikar Kazmi scored 106 and 90 not out respectively.

In reply, White Lotus were bowled out for 88 in 21.3 overs.

Mohammed Faisal claimed three wickets for Enhance Eagles.

Powertech win In a B Division match, Powertech recorded a 74-run win over OCT Al Amerat. Batting first, Powertech scored 234 for eight in 30 overs.

Prasanth Manikandan top scored with 72. Nathar Al Balushi claimed three wickets for OCT Al Amerat.

In reply, OCT Al Amerat were restricted to 160 for nine in 30 overs.

Aroan D claimed three wickets for Powertech.

Brief scores: Enhance Eagles

335 for 5 in 40 overs (Wasim 106, Ikhitikar 90 n.o.) bt White Lotus 88 in 21.3 overs (Mohammed Faisal 3/18). Points: Enhance Eagles – 3, White Lotus – 0.

Ooredoo lose In another A Division match, Renaissance eased to a nine-wicket victory over Ooredoo. Batting first, Ooredoo were all out for 135 in 35.5 overs. Rithwik Kadankot top scored with 38. Chadith Lakmal claimed

Brief scores: Powertech 234 for

SALALAH CRICKET

8 in 30 overs (Prasanth Manikandan 72; Nathar Al Balushi 3/45) bt OCT Al Amerat 160 for 9 in 30 overs (Faris Said 30; Aroan D 3/30). Points: OCT Al Amerat – 0, Powertech – 3.

EY down Al Hail B In a C Division match, Ernst and Young (EY) defeated OCT Al Hail B by seven wickets. Batting first, Al Hail B put on 128 for eight in 20 overs with Abdul Ghani top scoring with 37. Vishak Jayakumar claimed two wickets for EY. In reply, EY scored 132 for two in 12.3 overs. Attique Ahmed and Vikram Verma scored 48 and 42 respectively.

Brief scores: OCT Al Hail B 128 for 8 in 20 overs (Abdul Ghani 37; Vishak 2/10) lost to EY 132 for 2 in 12.3 overs (Attique Ahmed 48, Vikram Verma 42). Points: OCT Al Hail B – 0, EY – 3.

The criteria for availing the Green Sports support include that sports teams should have been in existence for three years with a minimum of 300 members from the local community. The bank recognises that local teams wield immense influence on neighbourhood communities, especially youth, hence teams with modern infrastructure facilities can help raise sporting heroes for the country.

The Green Sports initiative has created an ideal platform for social engagement among youth.

The football fields developed as part of the Green Sports initiative are serving as a meeting place for children and youth to be engaged

in social activities leading to development of strong community bonding and positive character traits. The fields are used to host various activities such as Ramadhan nights, group weddings and other community celebrations.

Bank Muscat is committed to its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision for the community and the nation and is proud to have led the way in contributing to sustainable development in Oman with various initiatives.

As the nation’s leading financial institution, Bank Muscat aims to provide the impetus for youth to excel in all arenas and thereby contribute to the development and progress of Oman.

BRIEFS

Pliskova routs Cornet to break into top five BRISBANE: Czech Karolina Pliskova crushed Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 6-0, 6-3 with a barrage of winners to win the Brisbane International title on Saturday and signal her intent for this month’s Australian Open. Pliskova, who will rise to a career-high No. 5 in the world rankings on Monday, dropped one set all week and continued her dominance in the final, hitting 30 winners compared to her opponent’s 10. Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza picked up her first title of the season, combining with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands to lift the women’s doubles crown, but ended up losing the World No.1 crown to her partner. The top-seeded Indo-American duo triumphed 6-2, 6-3 against the second-seeded Russian team of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the final.

Gasquet inspires France to second Hopman Cup title PERTH: Kristina Mladenovic and Richard Gasquet beat Coco Vandeweghe and Jack Sock of the United States on Saturday to win France’s second Hopman Cup title in Perth. Gasquet gave France the early lead by beating Sock 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (6).

Mladenovic, however, failed to wrap up victory as she struggled to cope with the powerful groundstrokes of Vandeweghe, who brought the U.S. level by beating the Frenchwoman 6-4, 7-5. In the deciding mixed doubles match, France won it 4-1, 4-3 to deny the Americans a record seventh Hopman Cup title.

Davis wins in Auckland to earn first WTA crown AUCKLAND: American Lauren Davis won her first WTA title by defeating Croatian teenager Ana Konjuh 6-3,6-1 in the Auckland Classic final on Saturday. The 23-year-old Davis, who lost two finals in 2016, dominated her erratic 19-year-old opponent from the outset with her consistency and powerful serve. “The feeling is indescribable, it’s definitely an incredible feeling to win my first WTA title,” Davis said.

AT H L E T I C S

Khimji Ramdas, Gulf Foundation, Record entries for Muscat Marathon Ghazal Al Kadra win in Salalah MUSCAT: Khimji Ramdas, Gulf Foundation and Ghazal Al Kadra recorded victories while Mamoorah and Al Qasid were involved in a thrilling tie in the Oman Cricket Salalah-organised Pocari Sweat Salalah Cricket League.

In a Group A match, Khimji Ramdas team defeated Lantux by 16 runs. In Group B, Gulf Foundation edged Divine Trading in a three-run victory. In Group E, Ghazal Al Kadra posted a 41-run win over Gharbia Enterprises while in Group F, Mamoorah Land Enterprises and Al Qasis were involved in the first tie of the Salalah Cricket League.

Results Group A: Khimji Ramdas 143 in 18 overs (Sagar Bhat 44, Tanmay 28; Iqbal 4/19, Raji 3/22) bt Lantux 127 in 19.4 overs (Pinto 28, Safwat 15; Praveen 4/21, Al Amin 2/22). Man of the match: Praveen.

Group B: Gulf Foundation

MAN OF THE MATCH: Gulf Foundation’s Shahid receives his award.

240 for 6 in 20 overs (Shahid 101, Rayees 52, Vijesh 2/44, Palani Murugan 2/52) bt Divin Trading 237 for 5 in 20 overs (Palani Murugan 68, Vishu 40; Ramshad 1/24, Nikhil 1/41, Azeem 1/41, Ayub 1/46).

Man of the match: Shahid.

Group E: Ghazal Al Kadra 206 for 7 in 20 overs (Anish 59, Vinay 35; Noel 4/38, Lahirio 1/30, Chandrappala 1/46) bt Gharbia

Enterprises 165 for 9 in 20 overs (Sameera 48, Noel 33; Janeesh 2/31, Nishaam 2/36). Man of the match: Anish.

Group F: Mamoorah Land Ent 196 for 7 in 20 overs (Waseem 104, Bilal 26; Sunil 4/38, Anoop 2/42) tied with Al Qasid 196 in 20 overs (Sunil 45, Harish 39; Yousif 2/24). Man of the match: Wasim and Sunil.

MUSCAT: The popular Almouj Muscat Marathon, scheduled for January 27, is poised for worldwide attention after organisers Muscat Road Runners joined forces with Oman Sail in a bid to develop the annual event into a ‘must-do’ marathon with global appeal.

With a record 1,300 entries representing 74 nations, which is over double the 2016 field, set to run the 2017 edition of the Almouj Muscat Marathon, the event is already on track for its most successful year yet and well on its way to joining the top league of international marathons.

In its sixth year, the Muscat Marathon has grown steadily in popularity with runners taking to the roads around the Sultanate’s capital city on routes that showcase its most striking locations.

As the international marathon circuit flourishes, with more and more people using long distance running as a platform for travel, the Muscat Marathon on January 27 will mark the start of an exciting new avenue to promote the

Sultanate as a high-end tourism and sporting destination.

Oman Sail is an experienced sporting event organiser, with an outstanding track record of attracting and hosting world class global sporting competitions, including the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Oman, the Extreme Sailing Series, multiple world championships and the Trans Hajar mountain bike race 2014 and 2015. Alongside the Muscat Road Runners, Oman Sail will be striv-

ing to boost the event by increasing entries, making it more competitive and more sustainable.

The Muscat Marathon will feature three event distances: the marathon, half marathon and a 10km run with routes for all three expected to be announced in the coming days.

“We are delighted with this record number of entries,” said Oman Sail’s Chief Marketing Officer Salma Al Hashmi.

“Our vision is to directly impact the economy of Oman by establishing the Sultanate as the region’s leading sports tourism destination, we seek to create direct in country value by working with SMEs and to inspire and train young Omanis to work in the sports tourism industry.

“Our country’s beautiful natural environment gives us a competitive advantage and with more and more people using long distance running and sport in general as a platform for travel, we seek to put Almouj Muscat Marathon at the heart of this strategy.”

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 8 , 2 0 1 7

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Contact: 99445880 Abdullah 2 BHK Mumtaz. Contact: 92144045 / 97799175 Residential & commercial flats in a new building, at Muttrahfor office or shops any kind of commercial activates. More details.

Contact: 99364735/ 95729711 2 BHK Azaiba R.O 300/-.

Contact:92144045 / 97799175 2BR flat- luxury fully furnished at Al Khuwair, 1 BR flat – luxury fully furnished at Al Khuwair, 5 BR villa fully furnished at Azaiba, 4 BR villa unfurnished at Azaiba, 5 BR duplex, 4 bathrooms – Qurum heights, 5 Br villa, 6 bathrooms – Madinat Sultan Qaboos (brand new), 5 BR villa at Al Hail. For short or long term lease contract. Contact Atlas Real Estate & Rent a car : 99436312 / 94617563 / 92888376 Apartment for rent three rooms and a hall - kichen-4bath-Next to City Centre Almwalh.

Contact 99336776

S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 8 , 2 0 1 7

D3

DAILY GUIDE

- New Brand Building in Bowsher for sale

FOR SALE

- Twin villa in Azaiba & Ghubra for sale - Commercial/ Residential khuwair for sale.

Land in Al

Contact Hood: 91155779

FOR SALE 1. Porta Cabin 2. Book Loader (New Holland) 3. Water Tanker (Hino 2000 Gallon) 4. Roller (JCB 3 Ton) 5. Roller (JCB & Wacker, 1 Ton) 6. Scaffoldings 7. HDPE Duct Pipes (300 mm to 1800mm) 8. Tower Hoist

Contact 93990154

FOR SALE 2014 MODEL VOLVO PENTA 650 KVA GENSETS (02NOS) 2000 KVA (01 NO) VOLTAMP TRANSFORMER CONCEALED PANEL SYSTEM FOR ABOVE. ALL ITEMS HARDLY USED IN A COMPLETED PROJECT OF 2YRS AND CAN BE REUSED. ONLY SERIOUS BUYERS CONTACT GSM :

92886778/99455690

SITUATION WANTED COMPUTER/WEB./ EDU./CLASSES

FOR SALE Pharmacy for sale in Mabela.

Contact: 92893890 / 98838252

FOR RENT

Villa Shatti Al Qurum area 920 SQM. Contact: 95202430

Villa for rent 2 brand new luxurious villas (No 411 & 413) for rent in Azaiba, Each villa with 6 bedrooms, servant quarters, 2 kitchens with all modern amenities which includes split A/C, dish washers, oven, ETC , Way No 4491 / 4405 .

Contact: 99462980 1 bedroom attached kitchen, toilet for family in Al Khuwair RO 130/-.

Contact: 95154331 New 3 story 4 bedroom villa in Al Hail near to radio station. The spacious master bedroom has a sea view. It has a maids room.

All bedrooms have bathrooms and one extra bathroom between dining and sitting room. It has split A/c’s. 6 months advance payment required. Price is OMR 750 monthly.

Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955. No Brokers Please.

Flats & shops for rent at Ruwi Honda road Mumtaz area.

Contact: 97293708 / 92433127 Villa for rent in South Mabellah, 3 bedrooms, sitting room, family Lounge, kitchen, three Toilets Contact 92212212 between 10 AM to 5 PM New apartment flat for rent, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms & kitchen, behind Indian School, short way to Lulu Darsait & Muttrah traditional Soqu. Contact or Whatsapp: 91013331 Villa complex for lease renovated deluxe villa complex with separate three flats , location AL Ghobra north ( near tourist hotels) is available for lease. Contact: Ali : 99411607, Luoy : 92466266 Flat for rent 2BHK split A/c near Kuwaiti Mosque in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 97007934 / 92629232 New villa for rent in Azaiba 18 November Street. 6 Bedrooms, 2 kitchens & 7 toilets. To view the villa contact - 95919059

AVAILABLE House shifting and Transport.

Contact: 96737158 Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299 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

MV SALE

Villa in Al Khuwair 33, 6 bedrooms, hall & sitting room R.O 800/-. Contact: 93993354

2008 Model Hyundai Tucson 93,000 KM expatriate driven in very good condition & Accident free for Sale .Serious buyers contact Mobile: 91793079

Apartment 3 bedrooms, sitting room, balcony at Al Ansab R.O 360/- monthly. Contact: 93993354

Toyota Corolla 2016, white colour 8000 km, 4300 R.O. Contact 92811110

1 bed room, bathroom, kitchen in Al Hail South R.O 120/- Monthly.

Contact: 93993354

Well running reputed travel agency for sale. Contact: 97992388

ACC. AVAILABLE Furnished room for Executive Bachelor near OK Center, RUWI. Contact - 99591669

Twin Villa for sale in Azaiba near Sultan Centre. Each side has three floors, five bedroom plus maid room.

Each room has it’s own bathroom and one extra toilet between dining and sitting room. The villas are now about 5 years old and very clean and well maintained. It has split A/C’s. OMR 215,000 each villa.

Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955. No Brokers Please.

Sharing accommodation in W/K. Contact: 94986587

400 square meters residential land in Al Ghubra south near Millenium Hypermarket. OMR 134 thousand. Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955.

No Brokers Please.

Room for rent near Hamriya R/A for executive bachelor, Sharing kitchen. Contact 99640850, 97983501, 97443614

603 sq mtrs residential land in Al Hail North Block 45 NE near Radio station. OMR 96 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 - or 97509955. No Brokers Please Industrial land AL Misfah Boushar area 30.000 SQM attractive location. Contact: 95202430 Empty shop / laundry near Camelia café. Contact: 92868123 / 92841089 BUILDING MATERIAL SHOP FOR SALEWell-furnished running building material-electrical shop (4 shutter / 200sqm) in Al- Khoudh6, for immediate sale- shop with stock or stock only. Serious buyers may please Contact: 94320909 Industrial land in Rusail.4000 sqm.

Contact 99323957 / 95490842.

Furnished room Indian bachelor near Al Falaj Hotel Ruwi& lady in WadiKabir. RO 100.

Call 96202458.

Furnished room CBD area for Executive bachelor free Wi-Fi, advance deposit. Contact: 90631572

Furnished rooms with kitchen at ruwi. Contact : 91214897

SITUATION WANTGOOD NEWS Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain, backache, paralysis massage, steam bath, obesity, spondylitis, Ideal Care Ayurvedic clinic, 18th November Street Al Ghubra (North). Contact: 99639695 / 97397320 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com

TRANSPORTATION

Wanted a single room for Senior Executive Bachelor in Ruwi area.

Contact: 93708595

Driver with car transportation available. Contact: 95396905 Picking & drop Ruwi to Rusail.

Contact: 98957524 / 91287470

WANTED

Transportation. Contact: 94297820

Urgently required looking to immediately buy used Grit blasting & airless spray equipment 1 No each. Contact 968 24810930 / 93203772 / 93203773 /93203778

Transportation.Contact 94087276

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

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

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

MANPOWER

NRI

FOR SALE

6.5 cents of Land Sq Plot In Ravipuram Near Ernakulam Shipyard in MG Road, behind Chaitanya eye clinic Expected Price – INR 30 Lakhs per cent But Negotiable Only Genuine Buyer Contact Oman – 968-94102519 Contact Kochi – 91 85477 01946 Suitable for 3 Storey building & office Premises.

Transportation. Contact: 90558627 Transportation.Contact: 96968411

ACC.WANTED

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

Brand new luxury 3 BHK apartment for sale in South Bangalore, Bannerghatta main road, near Dairy Circle. Contact: + 968 99337995

SITUATION WANTFOR LADIES

BUYING

LOST Sameer Ahmad has lost India Passport No. L 9624794.

Finder please handover to ROP Sopon Chandra has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. AC 7940743.

Finder please handover to ROP

Transportation. Contact 92015894

Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

Skilled / unskilled Labors available under single sponsorship for hire. Contact: 92841089

Special packages, Facial, Pedicure, Eyebrow, only 10 RO. Al doom Beauty Parlour #99619409

Muhammad Zahid has lost Pakistani Passport No BJ 9569342. Finder please handover to ROP.

D4

S U N D AY, JA N UA RY 8 , 2 0 1 7 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

DAILY GUIDE

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

Urgently Required Interior designer (female) for promoting various types of processed and design glass in the local market.

Minimum 5 years experience with valid driving license is preferred.

Interested candidate may please send their CV to

vaccancyabn@gmail.com

Sama veterinary Clinic Urgently Required Receptionist - Female • Minimum Graduate • Two years experience in the same filed.

• Fluent in English, Arabic advantage.

• NOC is must.

(Send CV and current picture with ref no:0911)

Email: jobs@sgoman.net Reputed mineral water company required the following HEAVY/LIGHT DUTY DRIVERS VAN SALESMAN with Omani driving license

SALES SUPERVISOR/SALES CO ORDINATOR with Omani driving license HELPERS Experience 3 to5 years

Contact - 90372638 WANTED Female/male Physiotherapist and female/male GP, and one female Lab Technician with or without MOH license & data flow for Al Saadi Specialized Medical Centre, Musanna.

Contact 92025033, Email : chillapalli76@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELP Required part time Indian cook in Darsait. Contact: 93322009 Indian Nepali house maid required urgently for doctors family, SQU hospital, Muscat.

Contact: 96933593 Full time Malayalee housemaid required for a Keralite family.

Contact: 92103688

DRIVER Driver required with valid Omani driving license, visa available.

Contact-24691193.

Send CV to:info@gmuco.com

URGENTLY REQUIRED

SALES MANAGER For a reputed Shoes & Leather Product Retail Co. Minimum 3 years experience, age between 30 to 35 years.

Must be fluent in Arabic & English. With driving license.

Send CV to:

careeroman@yahoo.com

A REPUTED TRANSPORTATION COMPANY IN MUSCAT REQUIRES FEMALE CANDIDATE AS

COMMERCIAL COORDINATOR Requirements: • MINIMUM 5YRS EXPERIENCE IN GCC COUNTRIES. • FLUENCY IN ENGLISH AND HINDI LANGUAGE IS MUST. • EXPERIENCE IN SALES/OPERATION COORDINATION IN TRANSPORT /LOGISTICS INDUSTRY.

Apply with confidence send us your updated CV with photograph to:

hrmhire16@gmail.com Selected Candidates will be called out for a personal interview.

URGENTLY REQUIRED Filipino/Nepalese female sales associate for a fashion accessories outlet in one of the leading malls in Muscat.

Applicants on visit visa or with NOC only.

2 years experience is a must (GCC experience preferred)

irfan@krasa.co.uk ENGINEER

MEDICAL

Urgently required qualified Project Engineer / Project Manager with gypsum work experience for a project inSalalah.

Contact: 95064848 / 98578425

Urgently needed female dermatologist (priority for Omani) with minimum five years experience.

Please send CV to elixirhealthcenter@yahoo.com, P.S details of salary and benefits will be sent after submitting the CV.

IT Requirement - Omani Drivers for 3T Truck needed immediately for Natural Water Distribution Company with 3to5 years driving experience.

Candidates from Muscat/Sharqia is also required.

Interested candidates contact: Mobile 99273774/ 99202278/95060390 Wanted expert Driver.

Contact: 97165972

EDUCATION/TRAINING Urgently required Science , Math and English teachers for a bilingual school in Al -Ansab.Applicants should possess qualifications of B.Sc/B.A/B.Ed and IELTS band 6 with minimum two years of experience .Forward your CVs to amal 73 @moe.om, Contact: 92515777 Required English Tutor (freelancer) for a construction company for teaching conversant English. Send your CVs to hr@oasisgreace.com Contact: 24826566 Fax: 24812226 GSM: 99881459

ENGINEER Excellent Grade Company requires a Diploma holder Civil Engineer/ Supervisor with 5 years experience in building construction. Please contact 99346265 or send your CV to md.artllc@gmail.com Urgently required senior QS (tendering) and safety officer with minimum2 years Gulf experience for a reputed construction company. Canforwardyour CVs to hr@oasisgrace.com.

Contact: 24826566 / 99881459 Urgently required civil QA/QC candidates for areputed construction company, kindly Send your CVs to hr@oasisgreace.com Contact: 24826566, Fax:24812226 / GSM: 99881459

Urgently required an SEO professional with experience in optimizing websites and improving organic SE rankings with knowledge of Analytics, keyword research, social media optimization and link building. Email: hr@cityvago.com

MISCELLANEOUS CCT.V Camera Technician, Electrician cum plumber with D/L, building material Salesman.

Contact: 99383044 IT Marketing Executive (Required experiences +driving license) Maintenance person with driving license. dreamstravel66@gmail.com Insurance broker looking to recruit commission based sales people if monthly targets achieved,bonus will be paid in addition to commission, If you are interested to work with us , send your name & phone to this email: policysalesmct@gmail.com

MEDICAL Urgently required Internist, Orthodontist, Physiotherapist & Lab Technician for a reputed medical center in Salalah.

Contact 99714300 Email - hrmdimc2010@gmail.com Urgently required GP (MBBS) doctor with MOH license for locum in a reputed clinic.

Contact - 99048170 Required female Nurse urgently with MOH license.

Contact: 97304519 Email: drshehabclinic@gmail.com Urgently required for Doctor, Staff Nurse & Lab Technician with or without MOH license.

Contact: 93824902 Required female Dentist, Nurses, Pharmacist, Lab Technician for a Polyclinic at Ibra.

Contact 71100596, joharaajmal2016@gmail.com

Omani lawyer & legal adviser experience in Business administration,HR, staff training.

Contact: 97243393 Email: mum30033@yahoo.com Indian male 14 years experience Dubai, Oman insurance,banking,office administration, seeking for suitable position immediately NOC available.

Contact: 98019340 7 years experienced in Administration & Sales with valid Oman driving license searching for a suitable job. Contact: 93347156 Administrator B.Com with D/L on release, 30 years India & Gulf experience in office. project documentation & logistics.

Contact: 92324789 / 97281023 Young Omani male have experience 12 years as P.R.O, CLERK Helper Supervisor Admin Supervisor, H.R Manager have vocational M.B.A diploma in H.S.E, IT and P.D.O license, looking for H.R position or P.R.O part time or full time.

Contact: 95933288

ACCOUNTS Indian female 22 years, B.Com with 1 year experience in India as accountant / Clerk, looking for suitable opening. Now on visiting visa.

Contact: 97754830 Indian male 30 years on visit visa, B.Com (Comp) 4 years experience in accounts. Seeks position in administration or accounts assistant.

Contact – 97047327 / shaikmasiuddin430@gmail.com Qualified Chartered Accountant & ACS 10 +years Managerial experience, working in Bank, looking for suitable opening, Open to any GCC, MBL: +968-90788509, Email: kartirevy@gmail.com

Please send CV to

SALES / MARKETING Required Sales Manager / Sales Man 5 years experience, driver license preferable marble, natural stone. Contact: 95322037 Sales & Marketing Executive for interior design & Con. Co, Oman driving license , basic knowledge in computer). Contact: 92851122 Email: smathousemct@gmail.com Sales Executive (Textiles) – 3 Nos. Sales Executive (Paints) - 1 No. Sales Executive (Building Materials) – 2 Nos. With valid Oman D/L.Experience of 2 years in selling Textiles or Building Materials in Oman.Degree in any discipline.

Mail resume to fashionwear2016@ gmail.com for Textiles vacancies and sales.buildex7777@gmail.com for building material vacancies.

Speedy Enterprises United LLC Travel/ Tourism and Car Rental required Sales Executive with valid Oman driving license and fluent spoken written English, experienced candidate will be preferable. Interested candidates send resume to: Anil@speedyoman.com Urgently required Sales & Marketing person for a computer shop at Ruwi (IT Knowledge), Oman Driving License will be an advantage. (Preference for Keralite). Contact: 98048900.

Email: infor@smartpointcomputer. com

TECHNICIAN Well Known Automobile Service Company in Oman looking for Service Technicians / Mechanics and Electricians.

Interested please send resumes to vyasan.united@gmail.com.

Contact. 00968-91411657

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

ACCOUNTS

ADMIN

Experienced indian accountant 24 years,Mcom,BBA and having accounting diploma certificate from IAB .Currently on family visa in oman,seeking suitable job opportunities.Contact : 99076506 Email: rebi.rsf@gmail.com Finance/M.Com Accountant 5+ yrs of exp including GCC seeking for suitable placement. #91329254 aneeshkrishnan007@gmail.Com Indian chartered accountant, well experienced in manufacturing,service & telecom industries in Oman,Oman, as finance manager, seeks suitable placement. Contact: 92221129/ 97400600 Master of Business Administration (finance) Bachelor of Sciencediploma in Islamic banking & finance Somali lady 24 years old, languages known Somali, English and Arabic, one year experience.

Contact: + 971527626329 / istabraq66@hotmail.com Freelancer / part time Indian CA accounts / Tax / Audit / MIS finalization with tax queries answering, above 20 years Oman experience.

Contact: 95140332 / 99104151 Accountant male 25 India with 3 year experience seeking suitable placement Mob.91425506 Finance & Audit Manager Available CPA, MBA-USA ACCA ,Oman Experienced , Expert in Profit Maximizations , Business Developments, All Banking Facilities , ERP- Accounting Software , Internal / External Audits & Controls , with Best Solutions of Business Problems ,NOC available & Driving License Call 94886226 Finance / Account professional 18 yrs Oman experience can work independentor head the division looking for opening.

Contact: 92168401 / 92787747 Accounts part time services available to handle all accounts up to finalization on monthly basis and finalization works.

Contact: 96247295 Indian male having long track proven record in all aspects of all management, rich in project management, business development &expansion and finance control, 16 years of experience in GCC and India, looking for suitable managerial post. NOC available.

Contact:95207317 Email: mehulmodha@hotmail.com Accounts & Admin 3 years experience in GCC, BBA graduate, Indian male 29 yrs, looking for suitable placement. Contact: 79103778

Indian Accountant having 13 years experience in accounts in Oman & 6 years in India, Oman driving license excellent knowledge in Tally & MS Office, Seeking suitable placement Contact: 79039690 Email: thomas.mahesh@gmail.com Experienced business development investment consultant with 10 years experience in the financial management field, holds a masters degree in finance and management from the UK. Contact: 90157073

Indian male age 26, Accountant one year experience in accounts looking for suitable job. Contact Email: anishkhan991867@gmail. com Mobile: +968 9565 9415 Experienced business development and investment consultant with 10 years experience in the financial management field. Holds a masters degree in finance and management from the UK. Contact : 90157073

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN MBA ( Finance) Australia, 14 years experience (world bank, U.S Based company) specialized in cost cutting , revenue maximization, financial model, budget & forecasting, internal control, risk management, Omani driving license. Contact: 93978614 Email: sjamil72@yahoo.com Accounts Manager looking for job in accounts or finance, 4 years Oman exp with accountancy degree & Omani D/L with NOC available.

Contact: 95661169 Email: moshin_zaman4u@hotmail.com MBA Finance Indian 25 Male 2 years experience seeking opportunities in Finance sector. Immediately available.Contact:92498840 sachu_0318@yahoo.com Indian (M), Qualified CPA, CMA, CIA (USA), MBA (Finance) & M.Com, 15 years’ experience in Finance, Accounting & Audit, (3 years in Oman) looking for suitable Senior/Middle level position in Finance/Accounting/Audit. NOC available.

E-mail soji_ansu@yahoo.com, mob – 91595436 Qualified and experienced MBA post graduate with proven work exposure in Middle East & India, having more than 5.5 years of rich experience in accounts , project coordination and administration in (3.5 years UAE experience) oil and gas projects is currently looking for suitable job.

Contact 93953613, Emailallen.mathew83@gmail.com Internal audit ACCA (finalist) 14years of experience including Gulf in internal audit field, on visit visa. Contact: 95916716 Email: usman.eshaal2016@gmail.com Male Accountant(B.Com) having 2 years exp.

Contact: 90357503 Sales & Accounts Manager, Indian male having long track proven record in all aspects of finance, total 9 years experience in GCC, NOC available, Ready to join immediately Mob-97200823 Emaildhirenbapodra@outlook.com

Interior design and estimation with 7 years experience, holding D/L, NOC available seeking placement. Contact: 95973818 Email: umehanas@gmail.com Interior Designer & Finishing Manager, over 20 Years Exp, including 10 years in Luxury hotels and resorts, seeking for a job. Has employee Visa / Omani Driving License. Contact: 95810483 Architect (MS from UK) specialized in sustainable architecture, 6.5 years experience in buildings design, preparation of construction drawings construction Administration. Contact: 94401556 AutoCAD Draftsman 9 years Gulf experienced. Contact: 93528255 Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman.

Please Contact: 96489798, (+974) 66653780 Free lance / part time autocad works / make boq 2d /3d arch , structural, shop drawings interior drawings. Contact 97103168 mkgroupoman@gmail.com Free lance Autocad works experienced (arch, struct, MEP, shop drw) rate a0/a1 sheet ( 10-17 OMR) ph : 97103168.

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

DOMESTIC HELP Indian female, full time looking house made job.

Contact: 79039479 Indian lady (37) looking job in nursery or school 5 yrs exp in nursery (baby sitter) 10 years expin Oman, NOC available.

Contact: 99839187 Looking for full time caretaker or Housemaid. Contact: 93904732

DRIVER Highly Experienced Finance Manager, CPA, ACCA-UK. MBA-USA , Professional of Banking , Audits ,ERPs Sap , Management as Team Leader and Problem Solver call 94 504505 /94403270 Indian Male 32, B.com Graduate with 10 years experience in Accounts & Sales, 7 years in (Muscat) Oman & 3 years in India with valid Oman driving License ready to join with NOC. GSM: 96216104 Email: yensajaz@gmail.com Indian Chartered Accountant 14+ years experience in Accounts & Finance working in Muscat looking for suitable change with Oman driving license and NOC Available.

Contact: 97728130 Email : vinoth77ca@gmail.com Indian CA 20+ years Gulf experience, finance / accounts external Audit MIS budgets cost / internal control cash flow Oman tax finalization Oracle / Tally seeks job, NOC available with valid D/L. Contact: 99104151, 95140332 Chartered Accountant Indian B.Com, CA , CIA 10+ years experience Tally, Focus, Sap, Oracle. Contact: 94641805 Srilankan male Accountant, holder of Diploma Chartered Accountancy Inter have 4 years experience in finance, available at Muscat, join immediately.

Contact: 79049355 / 93598736 Finance Manager B.Com, CA, CIA, 10+ years experience Indian.

Contact: 94641805 Indian (M) MBA (f) more than 6 years of experience in accounts, proficiency in various A/C software SAP (F1/CO) seeking for suitable placement.

Contact: 95920740 Email Id: abdulhameed1527@gmail.com

Looking for job exp having driving license. Contact: 97363138 Looking for any driving job.

Contact: 98549627 Bangladesh male light driver exp 16 years A.G 48 years, looking for job. Contact 99165961 Light vehicle driver 4 years exp know, Hindi, English and Arabic.

Contact:98522914 Light driver 3 yrs exp.

Contact: 95939050 Looking for light vehicle driving job, 4 years exp in Oman.

Contact: 93464395 Light duty driver, 3 yrs exp, seeks placement. Contact: 97829730 Light duty driver seeks placement. Contact: 96381406 Heavy duty driver seeks placement. Contact: 94939865 / 79039204 Driver looking for job.

Contact: 91788481 / 92231714 Driver with car. Contact: 99716938 / 96048707 Pakistani light driver job, 7 yrs exp. Contact: 92754283 Driver with car, 6 years experience. Contact: 93961503 / 96448004 Male 40 yrs, 15 yrs exp, D/L seeking job (Sales & driving) English, Hindi, Arabic.

Contact: 97003340 Driver with car have good experience in Oman. Contact: 94039796 Driver with 2 years experience in job looking for job. Contact: 93374969 / 93721242

S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 8 , 2 0 1 7

D5

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED Sr. Accountant with SAP/ERP. 11yrs experience in Accounts & Finance in Gulf.

5years in reputed Oil & Gas company; Finalization & Consolidation FS, MIS, Audit, Budget, AP & AR, Tax, etc., Indian Male, Post-graduation, Oman D/L and NOC available.

Please contact: 931 42923

Gulf experienced Indian Driver with valid heavy / light Oman license seeks any suitable driving or other job. Contact: 94201010 Light driver, 8 yrs exp.

Contact: 94214212 Bangladesh male 30 years light driver exp 2 years looking for job .Contact: 95728771.

Light driver, private, commercial.

Contact - 93729950 Driver with Oman driving license, looking for job. Contact: 94235254 Driver with car. Contact: 91355972 Pakistani male light driver with 6 yrs exp in Oman.

Contact: 92171166 Pakistani male light vehicle driver looking for job.

Contact: 96651070 Looking for job light driving.

Contact: 93779819

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Indian male 28 civil engineer 1 year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 99206630 / 94471305 Civil Eng B.SC holder 6 yrs exp in Oman having D/L. Contact: 93654862 Electrical B.Tech Indian 26, 3 years exp in PLC/ SCADA IND. automation &supervision.

Contact: 97207570 / 90481773 Electrical Engineer with experience, 9 years in Oman. Contact: 98148034 Keralite (m) Electrical Engineer seeks placement.

Contact: 92757534 Email: arundevd588@yahoo.com Looking for Civil Engineer job, with 5 years experience in ministry project, good command in AutoCAD MS Excel and establishing BOQs. Contact: 97478804 HSE / Safety professional having more than 15 years of experience in oil & gas airport & building construction safety seeking suitable position in HSE. Contact: 99206389 Civil Engineer, B.Tech, Indian with 1 year experience in Oman seeking suitable placement, NOC available from sponsor.

Contact: 91702450 Email: tijoct2015@hotmail.com Fresher cloud Engineer.

Contact: 98207829 Indian male, B.E Mechanical with 2 years experience as Maintenance Engineer in Cochin Refinery and 1 year experience in Chevrolet seeking job.

Ph number: 97964862, Email: jossyabraham20@gmail.com Electrical Engineer Indian male 30 years, having 5 years of experience in industrial automation and utility maintenance in India, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 92789995 Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com Sr. Electrical Engineer with 17+ 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

Civil Engineer (Diploma) Indian, having 23 yrs experience in Oman with valid D/L, looking for suitable position, NOC available.

Contact: 94984890 Email: riyaspmd@gmail.com

HSE manager, Indian, GradIOSH, IDIP Nebosh, 19+ years experience EX- Indian navy driving license , NOC available , seeks placement.

Contact: 94401830 Email: hseoman101@gmail.com

MBA B.Tech (InformationTechnology) male technical course M.S Office,computer hardware, 4 months exp. Contact: 99040662 Email: mshihab27@gmail.com

Civil Engineer, 6+ years withOmani D/L,NOC or local release available.

Contact: 91693008

Arch’l Site Engineer more than 15 years exp in Saudi Arabia & Oman (finishing & marble field).

Contact: 91220168 Indian male age 50 , B.E civil having 26 years exp as R.E and QA/QC Good knowledge in building construction , working as R.E , Most of the Govt (MOE) and PDO projects , approved R.E of MOE &approved QA/ QC of PDO, looking for suitable placement at present I am in notice period available for immediate joining.

Contact: 90933946 / 94156495 (WA) Civil Engineer with 2.7 years experience currently working in Oman seeking suitable job, license under progress (driving) NOC available from sponsor, fluent in English,Hindi, Malayalam & Tamil.

Contact 97331023 PMP Civil Engineer, Sudanese 14 years experience 8 years UAE & Oman hotels, villas &malls, costing,tendering, planning & site management. Contact: 95476702 B.Tech Mechanical Engineer having 3 years experience CSEIP 3.1welding inspection certification seeking job for welding inspection or piping Engineer.

Contact: 93292757 Email: tijuvarghese.47@gmail.com Indian male Mechanical Engineer having knowledge in alarm & firefighting system &AutoCAD with license, valid visa and NOC available. Contact: + 968 90355201 / 95444052 Email: jkkannau6@gmail.com Civil Engineer Diploma with 8 years experience seeking suitable placement NOC available from sponsor. Contact: 95831929 Email: keshava.moorthy89@gmail.com 15 years experienced MEP Engineer seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 99046313 / 91709409 Master in Civil Engineering with 5 years exp. Contact: 96658456 Indian Male, 26 years, Aeronautical Engineer with 4 years of experience is looking for a placement.

Contact 97127523 Mechanical Engineer have experience in air-conditioning& MEP systems also HSE awareness and engineering design software.

Contact: 94906447 / 96654019 BEMechanical Engineer, 22, Indian malefresher, looking for opportunity in mechanical field trained in HVAC & fire lighting.

Contact: 97489256 Email: abdulmgid.ak@gmail.com Indian male 23 fresher, Mechanical Engineer looking for job in mechanical field special interest in HVAC and MEP, will be happy to hear from you.

Email: mdajaib@yahoo.com Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech,male,Indian, having 1 year experience, on visit visa seeks suitable job. Contact: + 96894959233, +96897474225 Email: anandsunil94@gmail.com Civil Engineer looking for a job 6 years experience in building construction post Site Engineer.

Contact: 93304128 Project manager – Electrical, Indian B.Tech electrical &, electronics 19 years of experience in HT & LT network projects (9 years in Oman).

Driving license & NOC available, seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 96258810 Email: bharathj1976@gmail.com B.Sc Civil Engineer 5+ years experience in Building construction & Steel structural building with having valid D/L. Contact: 93850440/ shahadat033@gmail.com

Contact # 92839516

Indian male 26 years Mechanical Engineer with 2 yrs exp in Oman.

Looking for suitable placement.

Contact - 91328079 Electrician Indian male 9 year’sexp, seeking suitable position currently in visit visa.

Contact: 94736540 Indian female M.Tech biotechnology seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 91287047 Email: valliammai1000@gmail.com Electronics and Communication Engineer, male 24,1 yearexperience as Junior & network Admin in India,on visit visa, looking for job.

Contact: 90107380 Email: anoojgkrishnan@gmail.com Civil Draftsman 6 years experience in Oman male.

Contact: 98121513 Email: wasilansari2600@gmail.com Civil Engineer B.Tech, M. Tech Indian with 2 years experience in India (Sobha city) seeking suitable placement currently visit visa.

Contact: 90104058 Email: sibin089@gmail.com Indian Engineer 25, B.E& Diploma in HSE with 3 years India exp, on visit Visa available to join immediately Contact: 93472629.

Email: jithujay.in@gmail.com Graduate female, with driving license, looking for a suitable position. Contact: 96234434

HOSPITALITY Chef de partie, 10 years (6 years in Oman) experience in food production at hospitality industry. Specialized in Grill kitchen, South Indian, Arabic, Butchery, Vegetable and Ice Carving.

NOC available Contact: 96768312 Front Office Manager with over 20 years of experience in the Middle East & preopening expertise with hospitality giants like Burj Al Arab, Address hotels &Millennium looking for similar opportunities.

Contact: 96383636

IT Senior Network Engineer (USA Citizen) network design &implementation,network config& maintenance CCNA, CCNP, CCIE (WR). Contact: 90350262 Email: ammar.eng@gmail.com BE Elec & Telecom Engineer, 2years Muscat experience. Exp in electronic integration & IT OSP & ISP &fiber optic implement, worked under Omantel & Hawaiiprojects as projected lead.

Contact: 92440406 Email: mzeeshanshaikh89@gmail.com IT Engineer Graduated from Britain5+ years experience specializing in IT marketing and IT department management can implement effective IT strategiclocal and global NOC D/L available.

Contact: 94423351 dany_daring@hotmail.com Network, system & IT Engineer Indian 27 years, male MCA, CCNA,MCSEhave D/L S, 2.5 yrs experience, NOC available seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 97703253 Email: albinmperakkattu@gmail.com IT and Network Engineer with Omani license certified CCNP, MCSA and MCSE. Contact 97069110

MEDICAL Male Dentist BDS with MOH license seeks for a job. Contact – 94397499 Homeopathic doctor with MOH license looking for a business partner to start a homeopath clinic in Muscat. Contact: 90872012 Email: homeo64319@gmail.com

Electronics/ Instrumentation Engineer With 3 years experience in a renowned Oil company (Air craft refueling equipments QC, instrumentation CP electrical systems) 1 year on job training at sea port (electricaland PLC systems) Having and HSE, IT and management trainings.

abdallah.baloch@outlook.com Contact: 96116969

with 4 Yrs experience in Accounts, HR, Administration, Procurement & Sales Co-ordination in Oman.

NOC available and ready to join in Oman or Dubai.

Indian Male 32 Yrs, MBA, BCA with 9.7 Yrs experience in Sales & Marketing, Administration, Purchase, ISO & QA/QC Documentation, Stores & Project Management.

With valid Oman driving license.

NOC available. Looking for any kind of desk job in Oman or Dubai.

Please contact: +91-7397795465 Whatsapp: +968-94617734 Email: reshmiarunz@gmail.com

Please contact: +91-7397754465 Whatsapp: +968-93483736 Email: kittu.1984@hotmail.com

Indian Female 27 Yrs, B.Com

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

DRIVER

Experienced IT Professional with over 20 years in Oman.

Can manage ERP systems, Hardware, Network, Wi-Fi and Biometric Devices.

MEDICAL Indian female MOH Dietitian working in Muscat NOC available well experienced. Contact: 90996037 Email: nabanitasaha12@gmail.com Female Dentist Indian with MOH license & NOC looking for a job in Muscat. Contact-96035981 Indian male Nurse with 9 yrs experience MOH license with NOC and Oman D/L, seeking job.

Contact: 98152546

MISCELLANEOUS Indian Female, completed graduation with 4 years of work experience in India and 8 months of work experience in Oman, currently on family visa looking for suitable job position.

Contact- 94647421.

Procurement, warehouse &logistics, Pakistani male,Graduate, over 10 years experience looking for suitable placement, currently on visit visa.

Contact: 91257663 Omani male, with experience in purchasing, driver, administration, PRO & tourist guide, with very good English skills and costumer oriented person, looking for a suitable job.

Contact: +96894129254.

2nd mate Officer, Indian 10 yrs experience in Tanker / chemical vessels, looking for an on shore job / port operations / TWG master.

Contact: 94972789 British National, 34, M.B.A young & energetic male, looking for any managerial position in Oman, having 12 years of experience in managing different types of businesses. Contact: 96056963 Email: asim_shah199@yahoo.com

MANAGER / SUPERVISOR CEO, Managing Director, Senior level manager, A senior level business developments executive with 18 Years of experiences in USA, Africa, GCC, with MBA from Texas A&M,USA) Contact - 92010247 NOC-Obtained professional with 30 years experience (Oman) in Purchase, Warehousing, and Logistics managerial roles seeks suitable placement-Contact 99022102 Project Manager (interiorfit outs)in shops,offices,restaurantetc having 10 years experience looking to work in a reputed firm, NOC available.

Contact: 94274437

SKILLED LABOUR 7 years experience in aquaculture shrimp farming construction light license NOC. Contact: 92635313

SALES / MARKETING MBA graduate in marketing currently working in Oman seeking suitable placement NOC and driver license available.

Contact: 94550397 IndianMale 30 years, MBA, 5 plus years of work experience in Sales/ Services/Marketing. G.C.C Valid driving license, In Oman work visa.

Contact - 91739031.

33 Indian male, Graduate with 11 years Oman experience in sales & hospitality, looking for a job with NOC. Contact: 90307873 27 Years old male having D/L & more than 3 years experience as document controller & sales NOC available. Contact: 96439119 Indian male masters in Petroleum Engineering with 1 year Oman experience in sales & marketing holding D/L, currently on visit visa looking for oil / gas industry field related or sales related job.

Contact - 93789123

SALES / MARKETING Indian male looking for suitable job, MBA 4 years of experience in Sales & Marketing, having D/L & NOC. Contact – 96648175 / assetmedical.mf@gmail.com Indian male 22 years old & graduated in commerce with professional knowledge in accounting MCFA,experienced in marketing field and looking for related job presently on visit visa seeks a suitable placement.

Contact: 98692907 / 98332412 Indian Male (25), BSc Electronics, M.B.A seeking suitable openings, Having 3 years’ experience in, sales and Marketing of financial products with Oman Driving License. Contact: 94774550 Filipina, 35 years old, looking for job can join immediately with NOC, have experience in 15 years as Sales / Marketing and Office Staff. Knowledgeable in different office procedure. Accounting, Inventory and Purchasing.

Please contact +968 93560951 Engineering Graduate having 5+ years of exp as Marketing coordinator in Advertisement Company and 6 months as security system service engineer.

MobileNo.79059197 Indian male 25, BSC with more than 2 years experience in India as sales & marketing searching for suitable vacancy currently on visit visa. Contact: 96332519 Email: ashrafajeesh@gmail.com Indian male 24 yrs exp in various trading including purchases sales marketing and handling overall business looking for suitable opportunity NOC&release available.

Contact: 99259543 / 92106768 Looking for job sales executive good experience in scaffolding and foam work. Contact: 99592382 / 93222482/ Suresh Marketing sales (Driver) Sohar preference N.O.C available .

Contact: 96953996 Indian male (28) B.Com last position 6+ yrs experience in sales & business development immediate joining, on visit visa.

Contact: 92686168 W.H.APP +918087894270 Email: fernandesjackson_jom@yahoo.com INDIAN male, BBA with 4 years experience in SALES & MARKETING, holding omani driving license. seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95607037 Email: raaz0jannat@gmail.com.

Indian Male, 26 M.Com with 4 yrs of Experience in Accounting & Administration in a Financial Company in India, seeks suitable job, Currently in India. +918907212253 Akhil:-93626288, Email: Sumeshpsmkr1989@gmail.com Multinational FMGC experienced, qualified Sri Lankan lady seeking employment in Muscat. Marketing, Brands, Sales, Communication. Oman exp& DL available.

98250829 Sales professional (Graduate) with additional qualification MCSE & CCNA having more than 10+ yrs of experience in handling IT hardware, Networking & Security Products (project based) and experience in education and training industry in Oman, seeking employment in relevant IT companies. Contact: 99354209 Oil & gas experienced Indian lady with 6 years in sales & marketing to PDO and having valid Omani driving license. Contact 96143430 / 99875919 Indian Male, with 8+ years experience in sales, currently in visit visa and seeking suitable placement. Contact 90181557 / 99386144

MBA (UK), raised in Oman & with 2 yrs work experience holding valid Oman driving license, seeks job in sales / business development. Contact: 99513132

TOURS Reservation and ticketing staff, Indian male, IATA consultant, 22 years, having 1 year experience in India, knows abacus,sabre.

Contact: 94602731 Email: azimkhot@gmail.com Indian female 25 years, bachelor in Travel & Tourism and 2 year experience in Oman as Travel consultant GDS-Sabre, Amdeus. NOC available.

Contact- 95883404

MISCELLANEOUS Experienced restaurant bar catering manager also can do purchasing & accounts with driving license looking for suitable placement release available.

Contact 96024158 / 90287443 Indian male, 25 years, B.Com, MBA (Finance) with overall 3 years experience in accounts/ finance field. On Visit Visa.

Contact: 90115058 safwanmeadows@gmail.com Indian male store keeper and sales person have four years good experience searching for suitable job. 95694990/ +918056761888/ ajinantony9@gmail.com Accountant Indian, 13 years experience can handle accounts up to finalization. Tally, Busy Accounting. Smart Accounting, NOC/ Release available.

Contact- 96133146 Email: kkcjob786@gmail.com Pakistani male, ACCA (finalist) with M.A and B.Com Degree, holding Omani driving license and NOC available, can join immediately.

Contact: 94066698 Indian male 27 years, 3.5 years experience of Oman as sales executive. Looking for suitable job.

NOC or Release available.

Contact - 93192277 Male Accountant, MBA (Finance) 5 years Experience including UAE and India up to finalization Available immediately (On Visit) Contact: 91704866 Email: anees0989@gmail.com Indian Male 23 years B.com graduate Holding a valid Oman driving License searching for a suitable placement, currently on visit visa.

Contact: 94175848.

Indian male (26) MBA 2 years experience in procurement, coordination and distribution management. With valid Oman license.

Availablefor immediate joining.

Contact: 92536194 EMAIL: suhailbs@gmail.com Indian male 34 years, MBA-HR with 10.9 years exp in Recruitment, Training, PMS, OD, Sites-HR and Omani nationals development, seeking a job, NOC available.

Contact saiprasad_18@yahoo.com 94179499 CIVIL/QS ENGINEER: B. Tech, Indian Female with 3 years’ experience in Oman, with D/L. Seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 91361356/92882797 Electronics Systems Engineer (UK Graduate ) with skills in robotics , programming languages, IC, PCB design seeking suitable position , Indian female on visiting visa. Contact: 97848075 Email: s.dinesh1508@gmail.com Indian female PhD, M.Phil, M.A in English, B.Ed., Diploma TESOL,16 years teaching experience seeks suitable teaching, editing or relevant job. Contact: 92245591, 95221665

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DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED SALES / MARKETING Bio- MedicalEngineer (M.Tech) Indian 27 yrs, 1 plus years of research experience looking for a suitable job. Email: amluprasannan@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer, B.Tech, 6 month experience, well versed in MEP, AutoCAD etc. looking for job.

Contact 94811072 B.Com, 2 years experience in Oman, Indian Male, 25 yrs. with Driving License. Handling day today accounts activities upto finalization. Proficient in Tally.

Looking for suitable placement.

Ph. 91470665 Specialist, Petrochemicals /Oil & Gas /AUTOMOBILE /CONSTRUCTION /PLASTIC POLYMER/PACKAGE MATERIAL PROCUREMENT /Contract Specialist , MBA &18 YEARS seeking suitable job, NOC available. Contact: 97813849 vved76@gmail.com BE/Diploma Mechanical Engineering with 4 years exp. in Oman, Looking for suitable positions.

NOC available. Having valid driving license Contact-99335742 INDIAN male, BBA graduate and diploma in IATA Cargo Supply Chain and Transport Modes with DGR Initial Category 6.Holds Omani driving license. Presently in family visa, seeks suitable placement in Cargo section.

Contact :-96370022 IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, 3+yrs exp. in IT, valid Omani D/L seeking suitable placement in IT/Network/Server support. Contact 91496939.

Indian Male, 11 years’ experience as an Senior Accountant looking for part time Accounting job up to finalization of Accounts. Software knows MS office, Tally9 ERP MOBILE: 93884951Email:mehreenraiz@gmail.com Indian male BE Mechanical Engineer with two and a half years experience in production department, searching suitable job.

Contact no: 9500927480 Indian Male (25), BSc Electronics, M.B.A seeking suitable openings, Having 3 years’ experience in, sales and Marketing of financial products with Oman Driving License. Contact - 94774550 Fresh B.Com Graduate in visit visa looking for a job. CONTACT: 93518923 / 99075027.

Email: sheikcok@yahoo.com Indian male, 26 years of age, mechanical engineer .B.Tech from Trivandrum engineering college 2013. M.Tech from NIT Warangal .Specialty, Materials and Systems Engineering Design. Looking for suitable placement, #99753809 Electrical Engineer (Indian) B.E in Electrical and 3.6 years of experience. Have experience in construction field. Seeking for a suitable job. NOC available.

Contact: 91120129 Email: mpshareef313@gmail.com Indian male 23 Fresher. Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC &MEP.Contact : 9586 1251 Email : ajaibmd39@gmail.com Indian, male, BBA graduate and diploma in IATA Cargo Supply Chain and Transport Modes with DGR Initial Category 6.Holds Omani driving license. Presently in family visa. Seeks suitable placement in Cargo section.

Contact: 96370022

Building maintenance foreman (all-rounder).10.year gulf Experience with Oman Driving License.90858522.

A Filipino female searching for a job, with visit visa exp February 2017.hospitality and sales job will be a Good offer to me.

Contact no:98271658 Indian female looking for an accounts part time job. area preferred Ruwi/CBD/MBD/ wk.contact-95482970.

Indian Male B-com graduate, 1.5 Year exp. in various office works, Valid Oman driving license looking for any suitable post.

Contact: 95322175 / 91987965 INDIAN male, BBA graduate and diploma in IATA Cargo Supply Chain and Transport Modes with DGR Initial Category 6.Holds Omani driving license. Presently in family visa.

Seeks suitable placement in Cargo section. Contact- 96370022 Young professional, Energetic looking for Finance/Audit Job. BSC (Accounting) ACCA (Affiliate), CAT (Affiliate). Currently working in GOV. Experience of 4 Years .

NOC available. saleemraza218@gmail.com Indian male, M.Com, B.Com, looking for suitable opening, now on visiting visa. Contact 79103798, email- malikfaheem284@gmail.com Indian Male 29 years MBA, B.Com having 8 years experience in Gulf and India as a HR and Admin looking for suitable placement.

Contact :97914340.

Email: kvraj30@gmail.com Indian/male (26)/ca finalist and b.Com/3 years expereince in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa.

Available for immediate joining.

Contact: 98078321 email: shahir.Usman.Su@gmail.Com Indian Male 23 years B.com graduate Holding a valid Oman driving License searching for a suitable placement, currently on visit visa. Contact: 94175848.

Indian/male(26)/MBA/ 2 years expereince in proccurement,cordination and distribution management.With valid oman licenece. Available for immediate joining. Contact: 92536194 EMAIL: suhailbs@gmail.com Indian male, 24 yrs, looking for professional job my qualification is Diploma in Electronics, having 3 years of Exp and i am having Gulf driving license you can contact me on : - +96897017866.

Indian female PhD, M.Phil, M.A in English, B.Ed, Diploma TESOL,16 years teaching experience seeks suitable teaching, editing or relevant job. Contact 92245591, 95221665 Indian male 23 Fresh Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP. Contact : +968 9586 1251, Email : mdajaib@yahoo.com Indian Male (25), BSc Electronics, M.B.A seeking suitable openings, Having 3 years’ experience in, sales and Marketing of financial products with Oman Driving License. Contact 94774550 Male Accountant, MBA (Finance) 5 years Experience including UAE and India up to finalization Available immediately (On Visit).

Contact: 91704866, Email: anees0989@gmail.com

Indian Male age 23) an i am looking for suitable job my qualification is Diploma in Electronics an i am having 3 years of experience in the hardware an networking field an i am having Gulf driving license you can contact me on : - +96897017866.

Indian male 23 Fresh Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP. Contact : 9586 1251, Email : mdajaib@yahoo.com Indian/male (26)/CA finalist and b.com/3 years experience in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa. available for immediate joining.

Contact: 98078321, email: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com Indian/male(26)/ca finalist and b.com/3 years experience in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa, available for immediate joining.

Contact: 98078321 email: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com Indian female, holds masters in business administration (MBA) & LLB, 2 yrs oman experience as hr & admin, seeks suitable placement in jobs @ Sohar, Falaj.

Contact 96541959 Mechanical Engineer/ HVAC/ Indian: 1year experienced mechanical engineer with piping engineering & quality control certification, on visit visa. email:nishadphoenix@gmail.com Contact: 90957740 Indian female, 27 years, MBA in Finance, currently pursuing ACCA, having 10 months voluntary job experience as accountant looking for suitable placement. #94388910, E- mail Id: sowmya.vs1989@gmail.com Electrical and electronics engineering graduate, 23yrs Indian male, NOC available, 2 yrs site experience in industrial and commercial building sites(MEP ELECTRICAL), expert in autocad, etap, ms office, electrical engineering design, fluent in English and Hindi, exp in handling a team of 20 workers, Ph:92201939.

Indian male, 23 Fresher, Graduate Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP. Contact: +968 9748 9256 Email: abdulmajid.ak@gmail.com Indian female B.E (I.T) Good experience in documentation and CRM. Having good communication skills. Seeking for job from reputed organization. Previous experience in Oman and India.

Contact - 97301058, 97136975.

Indian Male 15 years gulf experience in HR / Admin Assistant, Purchase, Office Coordinator with good computer skills seeking employment for suitable position. Holding valid Oman Driving license. Contact 99709336 Indian Male,B.COM having 4+Years of experience in OMAN with Valid Oman Driving License.

Experienced in Accounts & Sales, looking for an opportunity in Sales or Accounts. Mob:- 94106834 email:- jobhuntmuscat@gmail.com.

Pakistani male 25 y, fluent in English, valid oman driving license experience of pak. & oman. Needs suitable replacement like teaching, administration, documents controller, sales and marketing, rent a car field and personal Assistant etc. aamirkhan_7860@yahoo.com.

Contact 94908725

Good knowledge in Planning and arranging works and sites. Estimation, drawing, Billing and project management. AUTO CADD, STAAD, MS Office and various software packages Contact 99334770 /997 43 709 33 years Indian Male MBA-HR & MSC having 8.9 yrs Exp (HR- operation/ SAP/ Admin) with Oman Driving License. Seeking suitable opening in Human Resource, Payroll & Admin/backend jobs.

Contact:+968 99322978 /94129291 Indian male B-com Graduate1.5 Year exp. in various office works, valid Oman driving license. Looking for any suitable post .Please contact: 95322175 / 91987965 Indian Male, 26 years. B. Tech (Civil) Having 4 years experience as Project Engineer ¸ Site Engineer & Quantity surveyor. Good knowledge in Planning and arranging works and sites. Estimation, drawing, Billing and project management. AUTO CADD, STAAD, MS Office and various software packages. #99334770/ 99743709 Indian/male(26)/MBA/2 years experience in procurement, coordination and distribution management, with valid oman license available for immediate joining.

Contact 92536194, email:suhailbs@gmail.com Indian female B.E (I.T) : Good experience in documentation and CRM. Having good communication skills, seeking for job from reputed organization. Previous experience in Oman and India.

Contact - 97301058, 97136975.

Accountant. Having 9 years experience in accounts in reputed companies. Presently working in Muscat (NOC Available).

GSM. 00968-93528057, Email waheed.murtaza@yahoo.com B. Tech in electrical and electronics engineering, 23yrs Indian male, 2yrs exp (MEP ELECTRICAL ), NOC available, expert in electrical engineering design, autocad, ETAP, MS Office. Contact ph:92201939 email:nabilism4@gmail.com Indian Female Nurse with MOH License, looking for suitable placement in Muscat.

Contact: 95537685.

PROCUREMENT OFFICER, Indian-Male 34yrs,M.Com with 14 yrs work Exp.( 8 yrs in Oman) working in Construction Co LLC( for ROAD,CIVIL,ELECTROMECHANICAL & Others projects) & having valid LT D/L, NOC/Local release available to join immediately M:+968 94064650 Email: nagauae@gmail.com A Filipino female searching for a job, with 3month visit visa.exp January 2017.hospitality and sales job will be a Good offer to me.

Contact no:98271658

Indian male with Shorthand & Computer Skills also having 23 Years Gulf Experience is looking for suitable placement. NOC available. GSM No. 97227062

Indian male Mechanical Engineer, 1 year Omani Experience + 2 Years of local experience, NOC available, looking for suitable position. Contact +96896089598 Email: fasinizami@gmail.com

Mechanical engineer/hvac/ indian: 1year experienced mechanical engineer with piping engineering & quality control certification, on visitvisa. # 90957740, email:nishadphoenix@gmail.com

Indian Male , M.Com , 6 years experience in the field of accountance Good knowledge in SAP, Tally, MS office and Excel seeks suitable placement. Contact 92859733

Indian Male (25), BSc Electronics, M.B.A seeking suitable openings, Having 3 years’ experience in, sales and Marketing of financial products with Oman Driving License. Contact 94774550

Sri Lankan Male Mechanical Engineer, 1+ year of Omani experience, NOC available, Omani driving license, looking for suitable position.

Contact No: +96893903463 Email: zaf1096@gmail.com Electronics & Communication Engineer, 23-year-old Indian on family visa, BE-ECE graduate looking for suitable placement in networking, hardware and electronics field. Contact: 95148894, 99726963.

Email: sadathali0003@gmail.com

Indian male, 24 years, B.com, MBA(Finance) with overall 3 years experience in accounts/finance field. Interested in sales field also.

On Visit Visa. Contact: 90115058/ safwanmeadows@gmail.com

Indian male, M.Com, 6 years experience in the field of accountancy and Stores. Good knowledge in SAP, Tally, MS office and Excel seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92859733

HSE Engineer, 4 yrs of experience in construction, Bachelor of Engineering (EEE), Nebosh, IOSH, DHSE, First Aid. Contact +97474018995, Email:midhunmich@gmail.mom

MECHANICAL ENGINEER, Indian Male, 26 years, 3 Years’ experience in Projects of Tanks, Boilers and Steel structures. Aware of int.

Standards, B tech in Mech engg.

Contact-rahulkunnath23@gmail. com, Mob-00917350860889

Indian/ male (26)/ MBA/2 years experience in procurement, coordination and distribution management, with valid oman license available for immediate joining.

Contact: 92536194 email: suhailbs@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer/ HVAC/ Indian: 1year experienced mechanical engineer with piping engineering & quality control certification, on visit visa. email:nishadphoenix@gmail.com Contact: 90957740, email: nishadphoenix@gmail.com

Indian male Auto cad Draughtsman (civil) 8 years experience seeking for part time job.

Contact: 00968 99070584, Email: remluvp@gmail.com

Indian male, 26 years, B-Tech Graduate with 3 years experience in Oman& 2 Years experience in india as Civil Engineer in a reputed construction company. Looking for suitable jobs.NOC available.

Seeking immediate placements.

Contact: 96179737/ 97076972, email:robinsj.sj@gmail.com Indian male, 23 yrs, looking for suitable job my qualification is diploma in electronics an i am having 3 years of experience in the hardware and networking field an i am having gulf driving license.

Contact me on : - +96897017866.

HSE Engineer, 4 years of experience in construction certifications, bachelor of engineering(EEE), Nebosh, Iosh, Dhse, First Aid. Contact :+97474018995, email:midhunmich@gmail.com MECHANICAL/PRODUCTION ENGINEER, 3 years’ experience in production industry, B tech in Mech engg, Proficiency in AutoCAD, Primavera certified.

Contact arn9895@gmail.com Mob 00919895233155

Indian male, 23 yrs, looking for suitable job my qualification is Diploma in Electronics an i am having 3 years of experience in the hardware an networking field an i am having Gulf driving license.

Contact me on : - +96897017866.

27 years, Indian male looking for a senior mobile application developer job in Oman. 5+ years of experience as a software engineer, am available in Muscat till Dec 19th. arunkumar6207@gmail.com, +968 9600 3057, +91 8019897589

Indian male, Engineer, Procurement Officer, Construction. 23 years experience in Automobile Supply Chain, Production Planning, IT - Delivery Management, Business Analysis and Operations set-up. Contact: 90215985.

MECHANICAL/PRODUCTION ENGINEER 3 years experience in production industry, B. Tech in Mech Engg, Proficiency in AutoCAD, Primavera certified.

Contact arn9895@gmail.com, Mob 00919895233155

Indian male, B.com graduate well versed in English, Hindi, Malayalam holding a valid Oman driving license looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 96799287

INDIAN MALE (26)/CA-inter and b.Com/3 years expereince in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa.

Available for immediate joining.

Contact 98078321 EMAIL: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com

An expatriate Indian female, graduate with 4 years experience in e-learning and ITes and 3 years experience in financial consulting and analysis seeks suitable placement. Email : write2nishanair@ gmail.com, Contact - 00968-93994505

Looking for a part time accounting & admin job, having 32 years of experience. Contact 9919621.

Indian male Staff Nurse completed BSc nursing, having three years of experience in medical ICU having Oman license and NOC, seeking suitable situation.

Contact 94932245

Indian male 22 B.com looking for job in ACCOUNTING OR DATA OPERATION special interest in Account’s will be happy to hear from you. C#+90758030, Email : uttiawesome@gmail.com

Indian male 23 Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP. Contact : +968 9586 1251, Email : zufarajaib@yahoo.com

Mechanical Engineer/HVAC / Indian: 1year experienced mechanical engineer with piping engineering & quality control certification, on visit visa. Contact: 90957740, email:nishadphoenix@gmail.com Electronics And Communication Engineer: 23 Indian BE-ECE graduate 2016, looking suitable placement networking, hardware and electronics field, on family visa Contact:95148894,99726963,Email: sadathali0003@gmail.com Indian/male(26)/CA finalist and b.com/3 years experience in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa, available for immediate joining.

Contact: 98078321, EMAIL: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com Senior Sales Executive, experience in trading industries with thorough knowledge of Oman market and wide customer contacts. Driving license and NOC available. Seeks senior position. Contact: 98487311 25 years male from India looking for job having 3 yrs exp in contracting and trading co. release or NOC available, for immediate joining. Contact :+968 94574596 Indian/male (26)/CA - inter and b.com/3 years experience in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa, available for immediate joining.

Contact: 98078321 email: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com

Indian male Accountant 3 years good working experience doing accounts with tally and excel searching for suitable job. E-Mail : contactanand31@gmail.com, GSM : 95694990 Indian male 23 Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP will be happy to hear from you. Contact : +968 9586 1251, Email : zufarajaib@yahoo.com Masters(M.Sc) in Applied Psychology, Specialisation in Counseling, Indian Female 24 Years of good calibre in teaching and counseling with reasonable practical experience in some reputable schools and colleges, looking for an appropriate opportunity in related field.

Contact : 0096899133896; afsh.shariff@gmail.com.

Indian Male B-com graduate, 1.5 Year exp. in various office works, Valid Oman driving license Looking for any suitable post.

Contact: 95322175 / 91987965 Indian Graduated MBA from UK, Seeking for suitable position in Sales & Marketing, 3 years experience. Mob. 99642275, Email: Navas.shereef13@gmail.com 29 yrs old Graduate(Male), 6 years Experience as an Office Assistant with Good English communication skills, is looking for a job in Muscat. (In Visiting visa).

Contact No:93271163 Email-ranjithraj08@gmail.com Indian male,28 yrs old, B.A Graduate, 6 years Experience in Hospitality and Hotel Industry with Good English communication skills , is looking for a suitable job in Muscat.

(In Visiting visa) # :90146616 Indian Male 48 years, B.Sc., MBAOperations Management with total 25+ Yrs of exp inclusive of 10 yrs in Oil & Gas sector in Oman, having valid Omani D/L & NOC , seeks challenging senior position in Logistics/Procurement/SCM. GSM-94236414, Mail id – jayamurli@gmail.com

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DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

KTT & CO. LLC –Logistics Division- Customs Clearance & delivery (Airport& Seaport)Worldwide Air& Sea Cargo Services.Road Transportation inside Oman & GCC. Door to Door Services to India.

CONTACT: Mr. Deepak GSM: 93908980 Email: deepak@kttcustoms.com

SITUATION WANTED TOURS

DRIVING

Specialist for road test drum and slope. Contact 94022250

We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898

SIT.WANTED Indian male, having three years of experience in medical ICU and oman license. Seeking for suitable situation as staff nurse.

Contact 98416393 Indian Male age:- 23) an i am looking for job an my qualification is Diploma in Mechanical an i am having 4 years of experience in the Quality Supervisor And CNC Machine Operator, GSM: 97017866.

Indian/male (25)/ post Graduate/3 years experience in sales and marketing(Dubai), on visit visa. available for immediate joining. Contact: 93887916, email: shamji3851@gmail.com Pakistani Male having 6 years experience working as a Store Incharge, looking for a suitable position. salary is negotiable. Email : usman.saleem84@yahoo.com, Mob: +96894611858 / 95480426 Indian male, 29 yrs, Graduate, 6 years Experience as an Office Assistant with Good English communication skills, is looking for a job in Muscat. (In Visiting visa).

Contact No:93271163 Indian male, 28 yrs old, B.A Graduate, 6 years Experience in Hospitality and Hotel Industry with Good English communication skills , is looking for a suitable job in Muscat, on Visiting visa.

Contact : 90146616 Indian Male 23 years B.com graduate Holding a valid Oman driving License searching for a suitable placement, currently on visit visa.

Contact : 94175848.

Indian male Executive Secretary (To Top Management) having 10 years experience in Oman. Also well experience in HR Executive & Admin related jobs. Local release & Oman driving license available, seeking for immediate suitable placement. Contact 92215110; email: hellosajans@gmail.com

33year Indian Male MBA-HR & MSC having 8.9yrs Exp (HR-operation/ SAP/ Admin) with Oman Driving License, seeking suitable opening in Human Resource, Payroll & Admin/backend jobs. Contact:+968 99322978 Indian male, 29 yrs old, Graduate,6 years Experience as a Coordinator in Reputed Firm with Good English communication skills, is looking for a suitable job in Muscat.(In Visiting visa) Contact 93042492 Indian/male (26)/CA- inter and B.Com/3 years experience in audit & assurance services, financial reporting & analysis on visit visa, available for immediate joining.

Contact: 98078321 email: shahir.usman.su@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer/HVAC/Indian: 1year experienced mechanical engineer with piping engineering & quality control certification, on visit visa. email: nishadphoenix@ gmail.com, Contact: 90957740, email: nishadphoenix@gmail.com Indian Male with 23 Yrs. experience in Secretarial Job and Administration is looking for opening in Oman. NoC available.

Contact 97227062 Expat with 13 yrs experience in sales and marketing, seeking suitable placement.

Contact 92100116 Indian male 29 years old on visit looking for a suitable position in air ticketing and tours, overall 10 years of experience, 6 years experience in gulf. On visit, ready to join immediately. Contact 97189669/ info.awaiz2015@gmail.com Indian male 23 Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP will be happy to hear from you. Contact : +968 9586 1251, Email : zufarajaib@yahoo.com

SIT.WANTED Indian male 23 Mechanical Engineer looking for job in Mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP will be happy to hear from you. Contact : +968 9586 1251, Email : zufarajaib@yahoo.com B.A Graduate, 28 yrs old, is looking for a suitable job in Muscat.

(In Visiting visa , 6 years Experience as a Coordinator in Reputed Firm with Good English communication skills,). # : 93042492 29 yrs old Graduate (Male), 6 years Experience as an Office Assistant with Good English communication skills, is looking for a job in Muscat, (In Visiting visa).

Contact 93271163 MECHANICAL ENGINEER, Indian Male,26 years, 3 Years’ experience in Projects of Tanks, Boilers and Steel structures Aware of int.

Standards, B tech in Mech engg Contact-rahulkunnath23@gmail. com, Mob-00917741032368 Pakistani male, looking for a suitable placement as Document Controller, Computer Operator.

Contact 93919064 Indian female B.E (I.T) : Good experience in documentation and CRM. Having good communication skills. Seeking for job from reputed organization. Previous experience in Oman and India.

Contact - 97301058, 97136975.

Petrochemicals specialist, worked in oman oil company, octal petrochemicals, truckoman, MBA 18 yrs experience specialized in procurement /commercial/ purchase / logistics /production planning & sound knowledge of technical requirement with NOC available.

Contact:97813849

B.E Mechanical Engineer, Indian, Currently on family visit OMAN, looking for job in various mechanical fields of production, manufacturing, technical and designing.

Contact :92113987,email : mohammedthanzeel@gmail.com Male with 3 years exp in Oman construction co. looking for a job in admin / accounts on urgent joining release NOC available.

Contact: +968 94574596.

Indian male 48 years, B.Sc., MBAoperations management with total 25+ yrs of exp inclusive of 10 yrs in oil & gas sector in oman, having valid Omani D/L & NOC, seeks challenging senior position in logistics/procurement/supply chain management. Contact 94236414. mail id – jayamurli@gmail.com Indian male, B.com graduate well versed in English, Hindi, Malayalam holding a valid Oman driving license looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 96799287 5.5 years Experience in Hospitality and Hotel Industry with Good English communication skills, B.A Graduate, 28 yrs old, is looking for a suitable job in Muscat.(In Visiting visa). Contact No:90146616 Indian male 23 Mechanical Engineer looking for job in mechanical field special interest in HVAC & MEP. Contact : 9586 1251, Email : zufarajaib@yahoo.com Pakistani experienced male NOC available, masters in economics with valid omani DRIVING LICENCE fluent in english, needs any suitable job like accounting, teaching, management, marketing or decent driving.

Contact: 91243132

5.5 years Experience in Hospitality and Hotel Industry with Good English communication skills, B.A Graduate, 28 yrs old, is looking for a suitable job in Muscat.(In Visiting visa). Contact No:90146616 Filipino, Female, 37 year old, having 9 year experience in Office Administration, looking for Admin/HR related jobs, on visit visa.

Contact@96209384. Email: rechie. labandria@gmail.com 22 years, B.Com, graduate male ‘fresher’ well versed in English, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam with Oman Driving license looking for a suitable job.contact:96799287 5.5 years experience in Hospitality and Hotel Industry with Good English communication skills, B.A Graduate, 28 yrs old, is looking for a suitable job in Muscat.(In Visiting visa). Contact :90146616 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/ Local release available M:+96 94064650 / 919440810180 Email: nagauae@gmail.com

Indian male having 3 years of experience in Oman in contracting & trading co. in accounts field and seeking job for admin, accounts release/NOC available. To join immediately please contact +968 94574596 Indian male, Network cabling technician (19 years gulf experience) seeking for suitable placement. Contact : 0091-8089909265 (India), Email: mohithavp@gmail. com HSE Engineer, 3+years of experience, bachelor of engineering(EEE), Nebosh, IOSH, DHSE, first aid.

Contact :+97474018995, email: midhunmich@gmail.com, skype: midhunmike Internal auditor/Accountant : B.Com /CA Inter having 7 years experience under chartered accountant in India and 10 years as internal auditor/ accounts manager in Oman, well versed with tally and MS Office, seeks suitable placement. Contact 0091 9611751081, email id kotianmukhesh@yahoo.co.in, whatsapp : 00968 91358384.

Looking for a land surveyor job fully know latest instrument of Survey GPS and Total station 5 year OMAN experience.NOC Available. Contact +968 94144052, wasifnaz 313@yahoo.com

Indian Male 39 Years- Executive Secretary (To the Top Management), having 10 years experience in Oman. Also well experience in HR Executive & Admin related jobs. Local release & Oman driving license available. Seeking for immediate suitable placement.

Contact 92215110; email: hellosajans@gmail.com

B.Com, 2 yrs experience in Oman, Indian Male, 25 yrs with Driving License. Handling day today accounts activities up to finalization.

Proficient in Tally. Looking for suitable placement. Ph. 91470665

25/Male/Sales Executive 5 years of experience working in Oman with driving license and NOC, Can communicate fluently in multiple languages.

Contact 92756031

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S U N D AY, JA N UA RY 8 , 2 0 1 7

DAILY GUIDE

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

RENT A CAR

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP specification for monthly rent & small car with driver. Contact 99839898

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SERVICES We Provide Cleaners, Office boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir National Est. LLC Contact : 94277020

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

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

WE SERVE OMAN

MATRIMONIAL Orthodoxgirl 24/5.1ft. BDS, seeking alliance from well settled orthodox Jacobite R.C Marthoma boy MDS, M.D, MBA (business).

Contact: 99371509/ 92336530

Pest Control Treatments.

Ocean Center L.L.C. # 99344723 Pestcontrol, water proofing.

Gulfa International L.L.C. Contact: 92326955

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807/24792998 House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644 / 98518013

A/C maintenance & Servicing, Fridge / Washing Machine / dish washer repairing, 2) Painting and cleaning service, Electrical & Plumbing. Contact: 94147874 / 24504281, mail:globalaccessunited@gmail.com

Marble Crystallization & Grinding, Ocean Center L.L.C. Contact: 92705130 Water proofing ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722

Installation & maintenance for Modular Kitchen, UPVC Doors & Windows, Furniture, Electrical & Air-conditions Contact @ 92383882/91443786

Parents of a North Indian sheikh Sunni, Muslim, Engineer 33 with Canada PR, looking for a professionallyqualified tall and smart bride.

Mail details with photo to: bridesearch2017@gmail.com

Caret & Sofa Shampooing General Cleaning & Polishing.

Ocean Center L.L.C. Contact: 24707833

R.C boy, 29 years KothamangalamDiosees 180 cm working Muscat (FMCG) invited suitable proposal.

Contact: 92397926

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting.

Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading.

L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130

Viswakarma boy 33 years Trissur Own Business,seeks suitable alliance. Contact: 97363585

We undertake new construction & maintenance & gypsum works.

Contact 92711506, ammarayyub@gmail.com

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